<div dir="ltr"><span id="gmail-docs-internal-guid-9616f68d-7fff-8741-70ac-ccdbf8ea67cf"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Mission: Auld Lang Syne</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Day:01</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Stardate: 2445.12.28</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">(Risa– Red Tiki Resort, The Laguna Bar and Grill - ACEO, Lt. JG Alistair Brightwood and Physio Lt(jg) Cerise Blake - 19:04)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> It had been a long day, but it was relaxing. Alistair had finished at least two novels and gotten a slight tan. He was hungry however, and after heading back to his room and changing into khaki linen pants and a light fabric hawaiin shirt, blue with green turtles all over, he made his way down to the bar for a drink and maybe something to eat. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">He was tempted to put a horga’hn out out of scientific curiosity, but as much as he was curious, it wasn’t his style. He preferred more structured experiments.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Sitting down he asked the bartender for a large water and a gin and tonic and perused the menu to see what looked tasty.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Cerise had had a lovely afternoon, after a beautifully cooked lunch of fresh Risan Sea bass, and a green salad; followed by a beachside tai-chi session that she’d stumbled across, she’d had a nap in her room, a nap that had admittedly turned into a full on sleep.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">After a shower and change, she’d pulled on a dress that she’d picked up months ago, but had never worn, a figure clinging rich blue halter neck, that plunged down her back. She was terrified to wear it, but had fallen in love with the dress, and figured that now was the time to wear it. No one would be looking at her anyway.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“One please.” She said to the waiter, “If you can’t fit me in that’s not a problem.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“We’ll find you somewhere ma’am, she said pleasantly. “Over here, it’s near the bar, but that only means a quicker drinks service.” She smiled.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Alistair took a sip of his Gin and tonic and saw a familiar face. He was still feeling embarrassed from their previous encounter. His face turned red and he tried to hide.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Looking at the next table over she smiled gently at the occupant. “Alastair...How are you?”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Oh Cer...Cer...ise” He stuttered. “So good to see you.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Good to see you too, you look refreshed.” She said carefully, with a gentle smile.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“You meeting anyone?”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“No one to meet.” Cerise answered. “All of my acquaintances have partners. I don’t know many people, just Ash, Ailynn, Trip, and you.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">~Me?~ Brightwood asked himself.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Surely you aren’t so lonely that you avoid your coworkers.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Cerise looked pensive for a moment. “Not intentionally, I tend to be a solitary bod, Most of my work I’m on my own, I’m not exactly part of a team in the same way a nurse or Doctor is. If I’m doing a treatment or a class I’m going solo. I’m not lonely, I talk to people, but…”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“But…?” Brightwood asked inquisitively.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“I have issues really opening up to people. Letting them in, you know?” she smiled. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Not uncommon. Totally natural.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Look, It’ll be nice to talk to you, but I don’t want to shout across two tables?” She ventured gently.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Well you  could, umm join me if you want.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Cerise smiled, and lifted herself up from the chair, and slunk over. “That’s kind.” she said sitting down.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“My mum always said, better to eat dinner with a stranger, than to eat alone. At least then you give the impression of importance or something posh like that.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“That sounds sweet. The stranger might have been lonely all day, and a tiny gesture could lift their whole life up.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Perhaps, but my mum was very into appearances. Being alone gave the impression of being less or a loser yourself. Mum didn’t want any of our family appearing as insignificant or unimportant. Posh Oxford types and all that.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Ah. I see.” she nodded, she’d known a few like that.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“I never cared much for appearances, probably because mum cared too much.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Please forgive me...you keep using the past tense? I’m sorry to ask...don’t answer if you don’t want.” Cerise asked gently, a genuine tone of concern.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“She’s alive. We just don’t talk much anymore. My dad and I do, every so often. She was….well her family were landed, going back centuries. Members of the old British House of Lords. So even though the titles are gone, the attitude remained in her family. She did not want Starfleet for me. She didn’t even like engineering for me. I was supposed to be a great philosopher, teaching at Oxford, and lecturing across the quadrant. Starfleet had lost its prestige, not as important. We had to keep up with the neighbors. The neighbors were all posh, and I became a grease monkey. She even picked out a potential spouse for me, but I wanted freedom and choice. So I went to Starfleet, and she...well… hasn’t forgiven me for ruining her image,”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Ouch. I’m sorry to hear that truly. At least my parents still speak to me...mostly.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“I…” he paused a single tear. “She was overbearing at times, but she was also...sweet. I miss my mum. I should...I should call her, while I can.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Cerise nodded. “You never know what will happen, tomorrow could be too late.” </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Sorry you were saying about your parents.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“They...had ideas for me, now; they were ideas that I wanted too, they pushed but weren’t pushy.” She sighed. “Do you have your little device thing? Can I get videos on it? May I”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">He pulled his personal communication device and handed it to her trying his best not to drop it on her chest a second time.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Here you go.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Thank you.” She tapped a few things into the search. “If you’re ordering, I’ll have the same as you.” She smiled gently toward the approaching waitress.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br></span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Alistair smiled, “Another gin and tonic for me please,” he said, feeling as if he needed more gin to talk to the pretty girl. “And an order of the Risian Tropical Pizza.” It was a flat bread pizza with a honey glazed oil base, cheese, fresh onions, tomato, cilantro, and something resembling an apricot/mango salsa. Seemed odd, but he heard it was tasty.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Here.” She passed over the device, it had a video of a gymnastic tournament from what seemed like a million years ago. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Look at you in your little gymnastic costume. I bet it gave quite the wedgie.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">She blushed, and giggled. “You have no idea.” SHe was glad that he’d relaxed enough to be able to be a tiny bit cheeky.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">He watched the video intently. “You seem to be enjoying yourself, and good. The spins of your routine, a well oiled machine if you ask me. Pardon the engineering parlance.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Good analogy to be fair. I was on the verge of being the best. Probably </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">was</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> the best.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Why did you stop?”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“I said I knew Ash and Ailynn. I was at school with them, and I was super competitive. After a while the competition doesn’t leave you, I became horrid, and overbearing. I was a bully, of the worst kind. Teased Ashlyn for not being pretty enough. Yeah...now the Captain’s wife...and I was vile to her.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Alistair didn’t say a word. He just sat there listening intently.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Night of the prom, I got in a car with someone...didn’t know they’d been drinking.” Cerise could feel a tear welling. “Another girl, who was just a cute, innocent kid, excited to be suddenly in with the cool kids you know?”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Alistair nodded his head.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“There was a crash. She was killed. I was badly badly injured. Took me a year to be able to walk again properly, and longer to be what I am now.” She sighed. Taking a deep sip of her drink. “So yeah...a lot of me died. The competition, the bully, the horrid person I was. Left me rightfully with all the memory, the pain. It’s why I don’t often let people close anymore.” She looked at him and shrugged.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“You know, people are a lot like Starships.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Cerise looked up. He was still talking to her. He hadn’t jumped up and bolted. “Oh? How so?”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Take the old Constitution class.” He said as he took his personal electronic device, laid it on the table and brought out a holographic display of the NCC-1701 Enterprise on the date it launched in 2245. “See this is how she looked when she launched under then Captain Robert April.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">She nodded. “Okaaay?”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Then,” He said changing the image, “This is how she looked in 2257 under Christopher Pike. Notice how the skeleton is the same, but there are slight cosmetic upgrades, same with system upgrades.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“I see.” </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Then here we have Kirk’s enterprise in 2265 and then his Enterprise in 2282. Again, same skeleton, but different cosmetics.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“I never realised that they were quite so different.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Alistair then pulled up a side by side display of all 4 versions of the NCC-1701 Enterprise. “So here we have the evolution of one single ship, one class of ship. From launch to destruction. The skeleton never changes, who she was at the core never changed. But the cosmetics changed as technology approved. The interior changed. The systems changed. As we gained new tech, the ship was refitted over time. Time and again. Changing for the better. Every time she was damaged, as long as she was salvageable, they fixed her and made her better.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“That’s a quite a poetic analogy.” Cerise said, a few things slotting in her mind.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“You were damaged, you underwent a refit. The skeleton of the Cerise that was is still there, but the Cerise that is, is changed from the experience, and from a systematic standpoint, not the same. She’s better. Cerise 2.0.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“I like it, the more you describe it the more profound it becomes.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Like I said, mum wanted me to be a philosophy professor.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“I suppose it’s like the axe of my grandfather?” She sipped her drink again.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Oh?”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Over the years It’s needed a new handle, because the old one broke, or a new head, because the old one got rusty and wouldn’t hold an edge; but it’s still the same axe the my grandfather wielded.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Alistair nodded, “Like the ship of Theseus?”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Exactly that, we are the sums of our experiences.” </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“I hope you don’t mind that I ordered a pizza to share rather than individual dishes.” Alistair said changing the subject. He enjoyed the conversation but he was afraid of it getting too deep.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“It’s perfectly fine. I don’t tend to eat much bread and carbs anyway.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">He nodded. He wanted to say, Hey I can tell by how shapely and perfect your body is. But he knew that was not appropriate to say.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Mind if I pay you a compliment without you getting flustered?”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“I can try not to get flustered.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“You’re not like others. I can talk to you, and when you talk to me you look at my eyes...mostly.” she winked cheekily. “And that’s lovely.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Well, the eyes, they eyes tell you everything you need to know. It’s like, if you want to know how a system is doing, you run a scan or use a tricorder. The eyes give everything away. So why wouldn’t you focus on them. Especially when they are so clear.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“That’s wonderfully poetic...in a...sciencey way…” she smiled.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Ermm, sorry, umm yes. Right, less poetic, more toxic man, shall I stare at your breasts?” Alistair then began laughing. “Sorry, I’m trying to make a joke but I’m not that humorous. Not intentionally.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">She was shocked slightly that he’d had the guts to say what he had, but it made her laugh. “You’re a daft one. You should relax like this more often. It’s lovely company.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“It’s probably the gin. The alcohol is probably making things more relaxing.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“It has that habit doesn’t it. Gin on an empty stomach is possibly why I opened up so easily. Not that I regret it.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The waitress then came by with their pizza and smiled. “Oh we were out of real gin. It’s synthehol. Sorry for over hearing. Just thought you should know. We can get you some real alcohol if you’d like.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Alistair shook his head, “No thats quite alright.” The waitress smiled and left and Alistair then turned to Cerise, “Guess now I know I don’t need alcohol to talk to you.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">She blushed deeply, a colour clashing horribly with her dress. “Erm...wow. I...I guess not…”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Probably for the best. I guess I can be myself around you.” Alistair took a bite of the pizza. It was tasty, tangy, sweet, fruity, and spicy. He liked it.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Is it warm in here? My face is on fire…”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Oh is it...something I said, or the pizza, are you allergic to anything?”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">She shook her head. “I’m fine...just a little embarrassed. I guess it’s my turn to try to throw a gadget down your top yeah?” she laughed as she finished the sentence.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“If it helps, we could always get some real alcohol. I hear Risa has their own version of tequila.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Cerise blushed. “Did...Did you just ask me out for drinks?”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Ummm…..no...because...you don’t date...and I’m sorry for crossing your boundaries….I respect you and your choices.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">She smiled. “Funny thing about boundaries...If you look on maps none of them ever stay still…I don’t mind being on my own, but that doesn’t mean that is someone comes along who I can talk to that I can’t...be asked out...on a really tentative basis?”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“So are you asking me out for drinks?” Alistair smiled.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Lets eat, then we can find that bar”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Sure. careful though, the pizza is spicy.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Cerise nodded. “Carbs, spicy and alcohol. I’m going to need such a detox…” She chuckled gently as she bit into the pizza.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">(Reply none)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">(Posted by Mark and Will)</span></p></span><br class="gmail-Apple-interchange-newline"></div>