[center][h1][b]Sunday 23rd July Naxos, Greece 2100 GMT [/b][/h1][/center] [color=gold][center][h2][i][b]A Greek Holiday[/b][/i][/h2][/center][/color] [center][h2][i][b]Dorian Pascal Hornfleur[/b][/i][/h2][/center] Sitting inside the quiet taberna in the hill overlooking the town, Dorian looked across to his partner, drinking the gin-infused scallop before peeling out the edible bit inside, Marcel framed by the dying of the light and the distant ships on the sea beyond. "So, have you paid any thought to what happens after you leave?" Marcel asked, his hair short and a piercing in his right ear. Marcel had a taste for metal, just not the same as anyone on the grid, Dorian noted. "No, not really." "I thought you'd be somewhat interested? Given how long you've been at Valkyrie, right?" "Well, sure, but...Sami's been hired as the new head of junior development. That's his job, not mine. I have a lot of time for Sami, so I don't see why I should interfere. They had a lot of time to pick and asked me plenty, and they're still deciding. And Alexander got played a bad hand, so what can I say? I mean, there's plenty of options and all of them are good." "That's blunt of you. What's gotten into you lately?" Marcel asked, as Dorian put down his fork, sighing. "I'm getting too old for this shit. The politics, the drama, the bullshit. I just....you know, want to enjoy what is left of this season. I love racing, but...." "And yet you mentored Paul, right? He found you to be helpful?" Marcel asked, as Dorian nodded, finishing up some of the rice that came with the platter, shrugging. "Sure, I spent a lot of time with him, but he knows most of it. I mean, it's hard to teach someone who knows the tricks you never learned. He's so fast, Marcel. So so capable. With a better ship, he's as good as Auldrick. Could be as good as Amy. If we had the bullshit that she has." Dorian remarked, as Marcel put his wine glass down. "That's good. Just, you shouldn't beat yourself up, or compare yourself to her. You've got a lot of time in the game. Have you thought about what you do next if that's not happening?" Marcel asked, as Dorian smiled. "I got a few offers. Media work, but Aurora mentioned that Delta Hyper might be spinning off next year for the Junior series.....and yours truly might have gotten an offer." Dorian smiled pointing to his chest, his partner grinning in response. Marcel put his hand out, into Dorian's and nearly spilled a glass of wine in the process. "That is awesome. Here's to that, hey? And us." Marcel smiled, Dorian beaming back. It had been rare he'd found someone like Marcel, busy on weekends racing, always in one affair or another, never tied down. But in the smaller Frenchman, he'd found someone who in this part of life, mattered everything to him. And he wanted to be with him in that phase. [hr] [center][h1][b]Sunday 23rd July Los Angeles, Bio Bio, Chile 1900 CLT [/b][/h1][/center] [color=gold][center][h2][i][b]Playback[/b][/i][/h2][/center][/color] [center][h2][i][b]Ava Villarosa[/b][/i][/h2][/center] Looking out at the still ash-like burnt hillside, the phone rang. A hard day's graft, helping out at a local conservation centre before going to a local school and talking to kids about the importance of physics in being a fighter and AG pilot, as well as studying hard to do that. It had been an end to a holiday that felt far too short, because she was going straight back into the deep end. While Bea had gotten operated on, Ava had at least had the chance to read what was going to happen to her next, and sans the liquid breathing, which just wasn't set up for her already aerospace-grade respiratory system, was soon to happen to her. Ava answered, connecting through. "Hey, I finished compiling. Nothing is in there." Nicol's voice was reassuring, the Neural Link Specialist part of Ivan's team, and responsible for Ava's complex. "Nothing at all?" "It had to remove itself. Or we're both paranoid. This is risky, Ava. Why are you putting your head on the line? This whole thing with Kais, I don't fully grasp..." "You know why." "Well, okay, it's weird, because it isn't there. Any trace of anything we got in the ECU upgrade clearly self-managed itself, because after sweeping you, everything in our internal archives, and the ships, shows nothing of Apex's work beyond limited firmware. But look, between us, I think Bea knows. Lucio has spent a lot more time in the office than usual, because he started doing something he couldn't talk about. And I'm not talking his fan-fiction. He seems twitchy. Something's got him weird." "Oh, shit. Okay. Well, she doesn't know what happened. Specifics at least. And between us, best it stays that way. I don't want her getting tangled up in any of it." "Why not?" "Because....well, it isn't fair on her. This isn't her fight. She deserves to be....you know, care-free, focussed on racing, not caught up in the past." Ava strained those words, her usual stoic self finding a reason, no matter how tangible, to get that out of her system on this one. "Right. If you say so, then I'll stop poking about her. Then again, neither should you, given you've gone through a fair mess lately. Why are we keeping all this to ourselves? It won't end well. I regret even..." "Because you can't look a gift horse in the mouth. And something just tells me we got used as a messenger when we took this ECU from Apex. Giving Kais, and Layla what Amy wanted without directly laying a finger because they knew what we found. What we did. Fuck, it was so stupid.....or whoever is behind Amy's fucking wizard bullshit. And someone.....someone, they know I wanted answers for when those mercs ripped through the mines at the end of the war in Peru....you don't need a predictive algorithm to get that, now I look back on all of this. The crash on Luna, Layla pulling back, Kais getting more paranoid. Something is up. If I fucked this up, then I may as well try and figure out how bad." "Did you think Kais was involved?" "His friends were back then. They turned it upside down. So there's a truth I'm owed and he's the only person with the capability to get it. I gave him what he needed, now, I think he might need to pull us out of this." "Shit." "Yeah, I didn't want to make it too clear. I mean, look, Kais is a good guy. But....yeah, I had a feeling him being here might point to something else. Something messier." "Well, whatever it is, we're both tied. I have my interest too because this whole source code scares the shit out of me. Let's just focus on the season ahead. You heard anything from Alonso yet?" Nicol's voice was not the most reassuring in that moment, Ava dryly laughing. "Nothing yet. Seems to want to see how we do when we return in Belgium. He's good at keeping his options close to his chest." "Yeah, that he does. Fired Ronaldo when he had the evidence, and a German telling him his department is full of shit, all these facilities, and yet he couldn't make an engine work, let alone a ship that didn't stick around corners. He doesn't make rash decisions." "Thanks, makes me feel really good about all of this." "No worries. You'll be fine, Ava, if Bea trusts you, and the ship's good, you have a good chance. Speak to you later." [hr] [center][h1][b]Monday 24th July Somewhere off the coast of Cascais, Portugal 1000 GMT [/b][/h1][/center] [color=gold][center][h2][i][b]Tapped Up[/b][/i][/h2][/center][/color] [center][h2][i][b]Cassie Neves[/b][/i][/h2][/center] The phone buzzed, as Cassie tapped it in, the non-Zygon branded phone coming to answer on the encrypted network. "Heyo." The Lusitanian-toned Scot replied, this coming in from Joao Vitor, a long-term friend, agent and face to a name. "You in a clean room?" Cassie looked around, that never being a good start. It was her last morning of chilling out, before a late night flight to Seoul to get a check-over, and then start the. "I'm off the coast. Sunbathing. Chilling out. Enjoying my holiday, Jo..." "Ah, shit, sorry Cass, no I'll call later..." "No, it's good, Joao. What's up?" "Right, so you've seen the recent pilot market. It's all gone crazy." "And what are you trying to say? Upgrades are due soon. Much as I may not enjoy it, time to see if Zygon keep their end of the bargain, no?" "Understandable, but from our chat before, I have gotten something more than that. And Apex obviously didn't fancy the risk, not without Zygon kicking up shit mid season. So I might have another team making enquiries." Cassie's eyebrows raised, as she looked to the horizon. "Oh, interesting. I assume anything will come with a knock in pay. But go on." She noted, sighing as she put her feet over the edge of the chair, waving to the Captain, who headed back to the wheelhouse. "How would you feel with Carrera?" Joao asked, as Cassie shrugged, looking into the horizon. "Ava is a good pilot. I know I'd replace her, Bea is far too good unless someone's done something mental like offering her and Pridwen a contract they couldn't refuse. But she's in a slump in form, on a good day, I'm shocked they want to let her go. They really thinking of bringing more ex-Valkyrie into that team? What is this, the Europeans all going on a holiday to Argentina?" "They're thinking about it. And by putting feelers out, because right now, it represents the best option I see. Would be rude not to check in with my favourite cl...." "You also manage half the Junior AG grid, Joao, but I appreciate the attempt. What are you thinking?" "Well, they seem to be the same opinion as you are, they want to see what they'll do before committing to contract talks. Let's keep an eye on this." Joao's voice was reassuring, as Cassie chuckled, sitting up, adjusting her tint on her eyes. "Hah, how the world turns. Okay, I'll have a think." [hr] The phone went to voicemail, the ID of Pablo Asturia flickering on Bea's phone. "Hello Beatrix, Pablo here. Sorry to call you while you're away, but, listen, I wanted to talk a little bit of business through with you. Normally I would have gone to Frederick, or Leon first, but I thought to go to you directly. I believe in our chances this season, and I think you are the key to that. I'll be at Spa. See you there." [hr] [color=gold][center][h1][i][b] TEMPLE//ARDENNES//RAIN [/b][/i][/h1][/center][/color] Rain. It comes down, dribs and drabs. And the flashbacks to racing here. In 1960s F1 cars around a circuit that was basically roads. The massive crash in the rain in 1997 with half the grid wiping out. Endless amounts of it, yet delivering the best racing of Formula One, thanks to a circuit that tested everything, speed, handling, bravery, skill, strategy, and sheer will. The races at Spa, even in the late July heat always seem to be punctuated by drizzle, rain and poor weather. And in it, a montage of change. The pits changing from nothing to the high-tech garages that lined it. Valkyrie's most local race, was dominated by local fans, and Paul had no end of them entering the circuit. And back to archive footage. This time, of 2072. The AG racing taking place in the pouring rain, a near monsoon. [i]"There are circuits that test a ship. There are circuits that test a pilot. And then... there is Spa."[/i] Auldrick Mulder is quoted in his post-qualifying interview, in 2072, wiping his sweat off his brow as he looks to the camera. Cutting to now. Low mist curls through pine forests like smoke from a tired engine, clinging to the elevation changes of a circuit that feels less like a racetrack and more like a living thing—etched into the land long before AG propulsion was ever dreamed of. This year, Spa is different. The 2094 grid arrives amid a volatile championship fight, with teams chasing marginal gains in one of the most technical updates of the season. Rain threatens. Winds swirl unpredictably in the high sectors. And behind the scenes, murmurs of late-season upgrades and team tensions make the paddock crackle with anticipation. Spa rewards the brave, punishes the overconfident, and elevates the sublime. The footage shows that on display, finding order in the absolute rollercoaster of chaos the circuit inhabits. And ending by cutting to Paul Mulder by his ship, the Belgian's gaze is an echo of Auldrick, the Valkyrie ship behind him, the Belgian the home hero in the country of his birth. The introduction's ending left to him. [@LadyAmber] [hr] [color=gold][center][h1][i][b]DELTΔ HYPER[/b][/i][/h1][/center][/color] [color=gold][center][h2][i][b]Episode Ten: Changing Conditions[/b][/i][/h2][/center][/color] [hr] [center][h1][b]Thursday July 28th Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot, Belgium 0900 EST [/b][/h1][/center] [color=gold][center][h2][i][b]Memory[/b][/i][/h2][/center][/color] [center][h2][i][b]Dorian Pascal Hornfleur[/b][/i][/h2][/center] [b]Soundtrack: [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zT0uSox-iYU]Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson - Colours [/url] [/b] Dorian put down the bouquet of flowers at Radillon, exhaling hard, the pile already massive from Belgian fans who had been before. It was horrid to remember, but every year, he was back here. Back at this spot. And thinking about his rival, in the pouring rain. He remembered that at the time, they were locked in that fight. Talking less. Involved less in each others affairs. The racing heating up in a series that bloomed. And then it happened. One moment, he was walking, talking, there, next, he was dead, in a fireball. It was a reality check. A moment that he stopped being a mere boy and started being a man. Even with the death of his own father from a rare cancer, Dorian hadn't been the same since Auldrick. That one stung, it stayed around and burned. Watching the ship in pieces, there wasn't even a part that could believe he was alive. Not after what he saw. It was a moment that was blacker than night, and keeping going afterwards, well, it had been knowing that he'd want him to keep racing. Even some of the big crashes, that kept him going. Looking to Paul and Alex, he let the Belgian put down his flowers, and before any words were traded, hugged Paul, and sobbed. Even the rain didn't hide his feeling. It felt sobering, as he looked back, without words, and reflected on it all. This was the last time he'd be here as a pilot. And he hoped Auldrick would trust that he'd looked after his son good this season. Safety may have changed, especially with the gigantic super-structure of field generators and protection that now sat at Radillon, catching ships at the most dangerous corner of one of the most dangerous circuits of the year, but the risks were always there. [hr] [center][h1][b]Friday July 29th Spa-Francochamps, Stavelot, Belgium 1000 EST [/b][/h1][/center] [color=gold][center][h2][i][b]Delta Hyper Interviews[/b][/i][/h2][/center][/color] Inside the Delta Hyper trailer, the pilots were under interview again- the busy as hell schedule never relenting. After technical debriefings, it was time to catch up with them after their summer holidays. Except, unlike before, three pilots in particular were picked out. Kais, Bea, and Paul all shared the same couch, after others had been interviewed. [b]"Beatrix, Kais, Paul, welcome back to Delta Hyper. How were your Summer Holidays?"[/b] [hr] [center][h1][b] Practice Friday July 29th Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot, Belgium 1600 EST [/b][/h1][/center] [color=gold][center][h2][i][b]Changing of the Guard[/b][/i][/h2][/center][/color] [center][h2][i][b]Ava Villarosa[/b][/i][/h2][/center] Practice had shown that some teams had changed, drizzle making no difference to the stark changes that had now come about. NOVA's new look caught the eye, and while not much had changed, and they were still the second worst team, clearly had thrown a lot at fixing what was broken and getting the ship back to where it needed to go. Polishing a turd of a ship was not exactly easy, but with an enhanced powerplant, and a significant aerodynamic overhaul, the ship actually could do something decent on corners now, without being skittish. That was some improvement, at least. Zygon, despite cheating, had somehow pulled out of the bag an enormous upgrade all around the ship. Gone was the sluggish, messy additions, in came a brand new engine, ELS and aero module that was FIAR-compliant and the work of months in the making. Yet of all of them, Carrera Condor was the one that had the most dramatic change. The pilot mods, the engine upgrade, and the small fix to stability had taken this ship from a skittish backmarker to a dark horse. In a rainbow livery now adorned with PolarVault's Nordic-style text on the side, as well as a Tomorrowland sponsorship on the tail, this was now a ship built under Felix's oversight and made perhaps fittingly, for Spa. And sitting inside of their garage, Ava looked through the telemetry, looking through the data at the holographic panels. "This real, Rey? I mean, it feels good, but are we.....actually doing this?" She asked, Rey nodding. "Told you. Upgrades like this are not insignificant. Felix brought in what he knew about setups for Spa, so that's why it works especially well." Looking across the other side of the garage, where Bea's team were hard at work, she smiled, her husky voice still drilling through her glee. "Holy fuck. It's like an SR-71 out there, but if it had the agility of a wolf on crack. So, are we fighting for podiums then?" "If you're good enough, Ava. Right?" Rey smirked, as Ava grinned back, running across the other side of the garage, unusually excited. "Bea, no funny business into Turn One, yeah? We have a hell of a ship on our hands..." Ava beamed, unusual for her, running over and hugging her team mate. She was unusually animated, but then again, they had reason to be. The ship looked like it might have the golden combo of setup, and performance traits for Spa. For the first time in the season, Carrera might have a shot of a podium, a feat so rare for the Argentinean team that it had to be seized. Normally, the ship's sub-par stability would be a detriment, but having handling that rivalled that of Valkyrie and Silver Apex, as well as the new engine had done bits to the ship. It might have been skittish, like Southern Cross's ships typically were, but this was why the team believed in getting 5th. Even though it was clear that Zygon's upgrades were going toe to toe with them, Spa was their chance to make that gap. And at the back of the garage, the older-looking, grey haired Spaniard, flanked by two security guards looked on in sunglasses, Pablo enjoying the look of this. No more excuses. This was an opportunity not to waste. He knew, from what he'd gleaned from the Operations Board, that this was the one opportunity they had at this point to get what he'd demanded of them, and he looked at two pilots capable of putting Carrera somewhere it had never been before. [center][h1][b] Qualifying Saturday 30th July Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot, Belgium 1600 EST [/b][/h1][/center] [color=gold][center][h2][i][b]Full Send[/b][/i][/h2][/center][/color] [center][h2][i][b]Ben Hale[/b][/i][/h2][/center] [b]Soundtrack: [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USNmVGMmfxY]Paul Thomas & Jerome Isma - Ae - Tomorrow (Luke Chable Remix) [/url] [/b] [img]https://goldtrack.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/spa-francorchamps-circuit-map-faqs-goldtrack-trackdays_optimized-600x533.jpeg[/img] The lap at Spa-Francorchamps was an incredible one in an AG ship. Speed and handling in harmony, requiring a ship that could bolt down straights requiring a ton of ELS management, and then corners that threw. Eau Rouge at 450kph was not taken flat, but was rivalling Italy and South Africa for sheer "holy fuck" levels of speed that required a pilot to be brave, and willing not. The track mostly lacked MAG strips, and instead, was raced on the historic tarmac- a trait that many loved because it rewarded those more accustomed to old-school handling rather than the snap-like MAG tracking. Well, at least in most of sector one and two.... Onboard with Ben, he was saying those swear words for the first time peeling out of Radillon, slower than he'd like but not wanting to bin it in the wall. The rain had stopped, but the circuit was still covered in mist and water. La Source, Eau Rouge and Radillon were monstrous in an AG ship- and were critical in setting up a lap and the overtakes that came with it. And then into the Kemmel Straight that went on not as long as anticipated, the chicane-like turn at Les Combes, fast hairpin followed by a sweeping left at Bruxelles, and Pouhon, taken near flat, or at least, as brave as you humanly could hold down. At the old Turn 13, the circuit corked, in front of a Tomorrowland-inspired festival like stage and platform, an enormous construct of MAG tracking sending the ships around in what looked like a massive banking, corking right into Turn 14, before a massive construct extended the circuit out to a turn into the dense woods past Stavelot at Turn 15, a full-blown 90-degree bank that was effectively flat, before spitting into a fiendishly difficult chicane complex called Neuville (named after a nearby village)- an incredibly tight left hand chicane high above the trees that spat into a completely corked 270 degree hairpin going underneath the MAG-tracked, raised circuit and back towards the circuit at the old Turn 16, into a wall of fans on each side. Blanchimont from there was taken flat and with zero MAG tracking, again testing just how brave pilots were to hold their nerve. Rather than stability being looked after, as many would associate such a high speed circuit, handling was particularly critical as the historically high speed corners in an formula car were considered to be more low to medium speed in an AG ship, compared to some of the more undulating corners at the Nürburgring or Muller Cay. The Bus Stop Chicane, a tight right left that slowed the ship to a relative crawl spat the thing back out onto the main straight, and the lap was complete. Ben exhaled, just letting this sink in. This was insane. Just beyond whatever even the simulations had shown, because in the heat of a moment, this ship had so much more to give than the Junior one. It wasn't a great lap. But Ben had survived it, and he broke a sigh of relief, tapping the cockpit as he led it into the exit road, off the lap, and taking a breather. The rest of the session played out, and mouths were agape. This really felt like a moving doors moment. And Practice had gotten proven right. The fight between Zygon and Carrera would be getting spicy, and all eyes were on a circuit that should have been Carrera's best of the year on current metrics. "Well, whatever Carrera Condor have done over the off season, they seem to have nailed it!" Rosie called out, as Rory nodded, in full agreement, looking out at the now sunny Spa pit wall and environs. "Wow, what a result for both of them, I think Beatrix Ward is going to explode with energy after that. Simply outstanding, and to put herself behind Amy Stirling's heroic lap, even with her mistake at the final chicane, I mean, talk about arrival. We thought it was all eyes NOVA, but Carrera have arrived." "Absolutely. And well, Jenny Lowry seems to be a fit for Silver Apex, immediately settling into 3rd?" "Certainly, I imagine Southern Cross must be kicking themselves now that they couldn't get more points, because Silver Apex looks like they have a wingman back for Amy Stirling. It seems like a circuit they love just not clicking for either pilot, but it seems Nora Kelly has got the measure of Harrison here. But with such tightly matched ships, who knows what can happen. Spa can produce anything, and with Sunday anticipated to be dry, with a storm expected at the end of the race, anything can happen." "NOVA seem to be improving on Fitzroy's position too, after a hotly anticipated debut from the Sheffield team. And Florence Mason seems to be right on the pace, even if Ben Hale looked like he struggled in his first outing in Formula AG. Are we seeing a revival for them?" "Absolutely, I think we're seeing a team that seems to have its energy back, and those changes will come into play. But let's see tomorrow, because wow, I think we are in for an exciting second half of the season. Aurora, over to you!" [hider=Qualifying Results for Spa:] https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1qF6cn-eA0G0sumgf79TvEnPjOHyQP-vZSFV6LNrn_OY/edit?usp=sharing [/hider] [hr] [center][h1][b]Saturday July 30th Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot, Belgium 1600 EST [/b][/h1][/center] [color=gold][center][h2][i][b]Delta Hyper Interviews[/b][/i][/h2][/center][/color] Another set of interviews followed, back at the booth with raincoats on for most of the teams. [b]"Beatrix, the upgrades look incredibly impressive. Take us through what you're feeling, with a podium position today in qualifying? Do you think you have what it takes to win? What would you say to your past self about the journey you've been on?" "Kais, we won't go into the change that Layla has been replaced by Hamid, but how are you working with a fellow rookie in Al-Saqr, at such a critical point in the season? Do you think that position he took reflects him learning the ship in qualifying today?" "Paul, welcome to Spa! This is of course, a deeply emotional circuit for you. Take us through what it's like being here, and your relationship to the fans, who are out in force. How does it feel being a local piloting an AG ship at Spa, and what are your aspirations tomorrow?" [/b] [hr] Amy was next up on the couch, the format a bit different to what had happened before. "Incredible qualy lap. I mean, me and the ship are just in such harmony right now, it's effortless, especially in Neuville, what an amazing addition that has been. Super keen to keep it on Pole, and massive shout out to Bea Ward, wow, what an incredible achievement. I'm sure she'll be trying to gun after me in turn one, make the most of the slipstream but there's plenty of tricks she might not have seen yet!" "Yeah, not the best Qualy but we'll make it back. There's a lot of Southern Cross fans in Belgium, not quite sure why but we'll make ya proud!" Harrison smiled his way through his pain of not even podiuming, let alone being ahead of Nora, again. "It's strange being so new to Delta Hyper, so once again, thank you! Yes, tough session, but the ship takes a lot to learn. It is a huge honour and I have been dreaming of this, so I will make this up in the race. Lot of fans here in Belgium for me too, which was a shock!" Hamid's naive, yet youthful feeling was totally, if not completely the opposite to Kais, and even Layla in some regard. The Moroccan's hair was shaven, and with only arms and legs augmented, seemed significantly less modified than his predecessor, of whom Al-Saqr almost seemed to never talk of. "Good lap, and yeah, we just don't have the straight line speed, but the handling is immense. I love Spa a lot, and this is a Valkyrie home track, so yeah, crazy fan turnout in spite of all the rain. We'll make the most of it!" Dorian replied, keeping it candid, and touching that yes, every other grandstand had a Valkyrie flag or tifo up. One that had plenty wanting to marry Paul, weirdly... Cassie was up next, and kept her new navy-red threads on, a new design launched by Zygon she was advertising. "Sure, pretty good and the upgrades on the ship are amazing, after FIAR decided that....well, what we had we couldn't have but it is what it is. Now these ones are all good, and we are super happy with the balance. Carrera have us here, but we knew they'd be good after Practice, but we've got a ship that sticks on rails and I think we'll be able to bring it back in Germany, as well as give it a college try here." Cassie remarked, followed by Astrid, who took a moment to think her question over. "Bwoah, I mean, it's a circuit requiring speed, we don't really have much so......what can we do?" Astrid remarked, chuckling, not able to really give any better an answer for why they were again, off pace. Florence followed, in the brand new green, black and rose gold coloured garb of NOVA. "Yeah, I guess welcome back to Formula AG! The ship has a lot to do, and I appreciate expectations aren't high, but it's amazing to be in Spa and really gunning for it. I think it reminds me of the start of my career, but with any luck, we'll clamber up as the season goes by and next year!" Florence replied, optimistic, yet still keeping it grounded, as per her near decade of media training had ensured.