Welcome to Monde Étape [Private]

A popular restaurant despite how small it is as a business; Monde is a diner that serves many types of European cuisine from across countless cultures. Its popularity likely has to do with the capitalization on the cultural influences of San Malarus; a wise business choice and overall something that benefits most of the consumers who come to it. They also serve Chinese food: although their Chinese menu is a bit limiting due to their main focus on European dishes. None the less they have a solid selection.

The name itself refers to a quote by Shakesphere and is a reference to its wide selection of various cultural meals. When translated the name of the diner turns out to be World Stage; Shakesphere having once written that the world was a stage in his play "Hamlet".

Inside the diner you can see a bustling center of activity and variety. In the back a group of college students sit in a booth and discuss their sour experiences with romance while sipping several different alcoholic beverages. Not far from where you''re standing an off-duty police officer seems to be meeting up with an old friend from highschool and sharing a couple of laughs over some coffee. Nearby a group of students still in their uniforms discuss the latest rumors and gossip circulating around. Aside from that there's also a young girl, appearing to be around fifteen, sitting in the back alone with a reminiscent look on her face and a pizza in front of her.

There's another man that sits alone in this diner though. He sits at a stool at a wooden counter -- behind it being a rather large selection of alcohol. He sips a cup of what appears to be soda despite looking to be of drinking age; a frustrated look clearly on his face. A confused bartender stands in front of him -- her eyes fixated on him as if there was some sort of mystery right in front of her that she just couldn't find the answer to.




This was supposed to be a night for him to enjoy himself and take his worries off his mind. Yet Eko couldn't think of a single other than those bottles of sweet brown medicine that echoed to him...

Echoed, huh? Now his own thoughts were mocking him with puns.

It wasn't like he was some kind of alcoholic. In fact, he had never tasted a drop of the stuff in his entire life. But if there was one thing that he knew about beer, wine, and everything of the sort it was that it was about as close as you'd get to escaping from your troubles. Other than that he'd also be able to get the nagging bartender in front of him to shut up. All she had been doing for the past hour or so was looking straight at him and serving other customers drinks; occasionally pouring him a soda whenever he tossed enough money at her. Well, that and nagging him about not purchasing any of the alcohol he was looking at.



Heh, that got her. She stood there for a moment with an offended look on her face and when she realized he wasn't going to apologize she just went back to tending to the customers; as it should have been. This bartender didn't even know him -- who the fuck was she to comment on what he should and shouldn't do? Geez, she was just like everyone else! Always bothering him and throwing him into situations he'd rather avoid.

With a sigh he'd look down at his empty soda glass and slide it across the table to her alongside the money to pay for a refill. After giving him a funny look she'd pour it in the glass; Eko leaning against the back of his seat and continuing to stare at the wall of alcohol behind her.

"Hurry up already! I didn't pay you to sit around on your ass." He'd yell at the bartender, whom proceed to turn around with his drink and give him another funny glare. After a few seconds or so she spit right into it and slid it back to him across the table before moving onto other customers and ignoring him completely.

Eko's eyes would drift over to the newcomer; sighing as he leaned back in his chair. The guy seemed to a bit of a stiff unfortunately...

Okay, so maybe that comment was a little hypocritical. So what?

It seemed they did indeed have a common enemy though -- the bartender's shitty personality. The problem here was that Eko didn't have anything to get her to shut up. He was pretty sure if he stopped ordering drinks she could give less of a damn and he wasn't about to tip some broad with nothing better to do than torment him with annoying questions. No sir-e, he wouldn't drop her a dime if it was a matter of life-and-death.


Nothing seemed to come to his mind in what was perhaps his greatest hour of need. Looks like there'd be no witty insults flying -- at least not for the current moment. With a heavy sigh he'd pick up his glass and take a long sip; finishing his own drink just as she arrived with a drink for the man sitting next to him. Afterwards she'd walk off to tend to the other customers.

"Wow. This must be your lucky night for her not to have bothered you. Jeez... Wonder why I can't be as fortunate as you, y'know?" Eko would whine -- following it up with a disappointed sigh. "People these days are just so damn annoying. You know what I'm talking about, right?"

"If you want the honest truth kiwibrain I just couldn't think of a comeback. But if you wanna pretend I never said that go right ahead -- nothin' stopping you." Eko responded; resting his feet on top of the bar counter and yawning aloud. Wow, this place was boring. Then again -- it beat her yapping at him because he wouldn't purchase a drink. "Anyway, if that works out like it just did now I'll have to give it a try. A lot of people are just a bunch of faceless and bumbling idiots nowadays. Bet it'd kill them to lighten up or to zip their mouth for a second or two."

"So, what brings you to this joint?"

Eko's teeth would seemingly turn into fangs as they clenched together  in response to the comment about the staff. Yes, indeed, it seemed that he had attracted that bartender's attention. Perhaps it was his undeniable charm and charisma or maybe she was just some maniac pixie dream girl who wanted him to purchase wine or some shit. Regardless, it didn't matter. He still hated her guts either way and the mention of her attention towards him was enough to warrant Eko nearly slamming his fist through the table. Instead though he just ended up hitting it on the surface and not breaking through it in the slightest; his hand throbbing in agony in response.



A heavy sigh escaped from his breath and he would look upwards to see her give him a sadistic smile -- clearly taking delight in what she'd classify as some kind of retribution or something. Swearing under his breath, he'd turn to Issac with a see-through calm demeanor on his face.

"Well, what can I say? I'm just the cream of the crop and the star of the show. I'm perfect in every way and because of that it seems that the living globs of recycled human waste here look up to me in every way." He spoke with an arrogant and overly confident grin; patting the man on the back. "Yep... being on top of the world sure does have its downsides. I just wish I could be a nobody like you, kiddo."

Strength -- Annoying:

Weakness -- Shut Up!:

He shouldn't have been smiling as he was but he couldn't help it -- a few laughs escaping from his mouth as well. Ah, yes. Society was full of awful things and it seemed that most people were blind to it. But not this kid. Although, that wasn't too say that made him any less annoying when he made stupid comments about the staff or any thing of the sort.

"There's a reason they have you wear those masks -- so you'll become it. Society wants to chain us all down so that we become nothing more than slaves to it; toys to move around for the gain of the higherups in the hierarchy. So many people are blind and can't even seen the chains around their wrists as they put on that fake smile day-by-day without a complaint. And then they turn into exactly that thing they put on for their friends as well as the strangers around them -- a walking zombie with nothing else to do other than perform the tasks they're given by their corporate or political overlords. You're nothing but a toy in their eyes and the same applies to all of us. It's just that rare people like you can actually see past the bullshit they put on about caring about us or doing things for our wellbeing."

His finger would point forwards to the bartender as an example; taking the cheerful smile on her face as she attended to the customers as evidence enough. The wide smile from before remained etched on his face. Perhaps it was a feeling of pride; a reminder that he was above all the pitiful mooks and pawns who didn't even realize they were being moved across the board. Yes, that was most likely it. The superiority to those idiots around them seemed to invigorate him and he made no effort to resist the strange feelings of happiness that came with it. Or, perhaps, deep down he felt he broke the chains -- although rationally he knew the only thing that could break those shackles was death itself or the downfall of society.

Eko couldn't help but chuckle at the scheme Issac had hatched up. It was... amusing to him. He wasn't some random idiot who took laughs in the suffering of others though. Why he was laughing was simple: almost everybody deserved it nowadays. Everyone was either an asshole or a slave and thereby it either was worthy of praise or the equivalent of stepping on an ant. It wasn't like they'd starve to death out on the streets. They'd just find new jobs -- and luckily for the kid he wouldn't have to work with them anymore. Still though, it seemed a bit strange how he seemed so keen on revealing this to a person he had never met.

"You sure are open about these sorts of things to a stranger. Then again I guess I don't know where you work so it couldn't hurt... Besides, I thought it was kinda funny."

A sigh would escape from his breath as he tossed some more cash onto the table and ordered another soda; looking over to the kid while he relaxed his feet on the counter. "So, what's your name kiddo?"

A smug smile appeared on Eko's face as he jabbed Issac lightly in the shoulder. "Gee... Sure am sorry about calling you kiddo, kiddo." He spoke; the look on his face being just like that of a child opening a present on Christmas. Extra emphasis had even been added to the word just to further hammer the nail in the coffin.


It seemed that he wanted a name -- at which point Eko could swear there was a drop of sweat running down his face. Shit! He couldn't tell somebody his name. You never knew who could overhear the conversation. Hell, he could have even been a mole for the police just waiting to snap the cuffs on him. And in that moment of panic he blurted out the first name that came to mind...