"Do you ever think... do you ever think we'll go to space again?"

"Hmm?"

They exchanged glances over the coffee table. The cafe was busy by pre-conscription standards, but these days it was blissfully calm. The hubbub of conversation offered them some privacy, which the Wren-masked man used to take a good look at his companion. Golden freckles on his unmasked face, a flared collar, the man couldn't stop his confidence shining through even in a place like this.

"Space" said the Wren, adjusting his own mask. "Up there."

"If you've escaped to space when I wasn't looking, you should have taken me with you."

"No-" Wren sighed, "put your mask on already, people are staring."

The freckled man smirked and put his feet up on the table and stretched.

"They should be staring," finished and lounged back into the seat, giving Wren an intense side eye, "there's so much of me to take in."

The mask for once matched Wrens face, and his companion sighed. He lifted up a beautifully colored fox mask with feathers, and lay it idly on his face.

"Happy?"

"Not if you're going to be an ass about it."

From somewhere below the mask, came almost a chuckle, and the Fox threw his legs off the table. Pushing the coffee to the side, letting it spill messily against the wall to the distant disapproving grunt of the owner, he lay his hands wide and open.

"Space."

"Space? What you actually want to talk about space now?"

"Sure, why not. I read a book about it once. Big place, empty."

"Infinitely empty, but I didn't mean... I meant do you think anyone will go and get those old world flags from the moon?"

"Sure, probably."

"I mean there's not much to be had, they'll be bleached white by now but... wouldn't it be exciting, to go up there? Have you seen the marble picture?"

"Yes Wren, I know the marble picture.”

"I wanna see what it looks like now, post flood."

"Bluer I imagine, Wren."

He received a heavy slap on the arm for that, but couldn't hide his grin even under the mask. Wren took a sip of his tea and sighed.

"Back home, I have a few books about it all but they are expensive. Uncle keeps trying to get me to resell them, but I like having a library, you know?"

"You should just get your own place."

"What! I can't do that! I can't afford my own place."

"Why not? No money in the Space Business anymore?"

Wren made to answer but Fox flourished a hand in front of his mask.

"Oh I'm so sorry! I meant the Dream about Space Business."

"Ha ha."

They shared a pause as Wren looked out the window and watched the distant construction crews working on the docks. The city had never been busier.

"You should move in with me."

Wren turned his head to see Fox glancing off over his shoulder at some commotion by the doorway.

"What?"

"Once the conscription ends. I got a place in the capital, remember, just come back with me. I got bookshelves. No uncles."

There wasn't much to say, so he said nothing. He quietly took Foxes hand and glanced out of the window, watching the distant cranes and ships move. He really hoped whatever the First Citizen had planned wasn't going to take this away from him.

[Meta: Cute! [Abstract]. 3 DP Naval Logistics as the Ravendeng docks get worked on, and people remember how to run a fleet.]