[b][h2][centre][color=fff200]FAS.[/color][/centre][/h2] [/b] [b][h3][centre][color=fff200]Pilots Tent, evening time. 03-11-2094[/color][/centre][/h3] [/b] [color=ec008c]“Hey, over here, make yourself comfortable, get a good spot. Sir Paul of the lands of Valkyrie.”[/color] She said and maybe it was a little silly but she needed to get away from the lense, the cameras and at least in the pilots tent the demands of the sponsors and teams were off for at least an hour or so. [color=ec008c]“The food is pretty decent too.”[/color] Paul laughed at her silliness and set his tray down before giving her an elaborate bow with a flourish. [color=fff200]“At your service M’lady!”[/color] he said in a fake British accent. He winced a little as he straightened and pulled out the chair and took the seat across from her. [color=fff200]“Yeah I don’t do that accent well.”[/color] Bellatrix raised her beer and chinked classes with his iced drink, he did not have to drink, she tended to avoid it but the stress of the heat, desert, fans and the contestant party had her needing a beer. [color=ec008c]“You're a great racer, but stay out of voice acting dear.”[/color] Bellatrix joked, lighter than her media mode and without the weight on her shoulders of making a mistake. [color=ec008c]"Its a little more peaceful here, I was...overwhelmed out there."[/color] She decided to admit and kept off her thoughts, Paul's video was pretty heavy for him she thought quietly but kept off the topic, she did not know him that well He gave her a warm smile. [color=fff200]“I understand what you mean. I love that I have fans and I understand how necessary they are but they can feel like predators circling at times.” [/color] [color=ec008c]“Yes…the kids are amazing, it's great fun, but most races I get some down time, I feel on show every minute. I did a great spot with a smaller French fashion magazine, Ren. I love her but she is all work today!”[/color] Bellatrix rambled on a little glad to have someone to talk to who had a similar frame of mind to her own. Sometimes she just needed to be just Bella, not the Princess of AG, or whatever else they called her. He took a long drink of the ice cold water savoring the coolness in his dry mouth. [color=fff200]“It is so hot and dry here!” [/color] His hot and dry comment, she had to smile and yeah, the innuendo, it was fun to joke with him even if she had no intentions of a relationship. [color=ec008c]“Dry… I do believe I'm quite interesting."[/color] She said with a raised eye brow and a mock tone before a little and taking a drink from her beer. He gave her a saucy wink and a smile as he leaned closer in a conspiratorial whisper. [color=fff200]“You should know by the end of the race rumors will be flying that we are having an affair or dating simply by being seen together. It happened when I met with Han to discuss a few things.” [/color] [color=ec008c]“Truth be told, your safe oh poor innocent young Paul, you are handsome of course but, I recently ended a relationship. We disagreed on my return to racing, Nordic and going public. I'm not giving up my dream. I'm happy being me for now. Hard to have an Affair when im…i check…not married.”[/color] Bellatrix may be over shared a little but she also made her position clear too, so he did not get the wrong idea. Bellatrix made a show of inspecting her ring finger that had not got an engagement or wedding ring on it.[color=ec008c] "You not want to marry me..."[/color] Bellatrix made a mock gasp. [color=ec008c]“They have a short memory, il Astrid's lover next week, and whatever else the week after.”[/color] She said laughing and lighting the mood, the Media would talk and Bellatrix would carry on. [color=ec008c]“Imagaine if they thought we got engaged in under 24 hours…”[/color] Bellatrix could not hold that one in and laughed. He gave her a friendly smile. [color=fff200]“Welcome to the crazy energy that is Formula AG. Pace yourself and keep taking breaks when you need them. It can be overwhelming and feel like everyone wants a piece of you.”[/color] He took a few bites of food and chewed happily giving her time to reply before he added playfully. [color=fff200]“So I see Astrid has corrupted you already. Drinking beer on the race weekend.”[/color] He made sure she understood he was teasing in good fun and not serious. [color=fff200]“Have you tried to outdrink her yet?”[/color] His eyes sparkled with curiosity and mischievousness. Astrid, oh she had already convinced her on Saunas and her particular preferences but she did not mention that part out loud, no way, that was rather more private. [color=ec008c]“She already got me corrupted into Saunas, crazy nordic people might have a good idea though… muscles felt great after.”[/color] Yeah Astrid was known to be a party girl, she raced hard, worked hard and lived her way. [color=ec008c]“Out drink Astrid… il save that for the off season!”[/color] [color=ec008c]“il take breaks, thanks for the help, its nice to talk to someone, who .. gets it.:[/color] Paul sat and enjoyed a nice conversation and meal with Bellatrix. It was nice to have a conversation with one of his fellow rookies who was going through similar things. It was nice to be able to relax and feel like he didn’t have to watch every word out of his mouth. He was still very conscious that they were in public but he didn’t feel like Bellatrix was reading multiple meanings into everything he said. Like him she had been in the public’s eye. She could relate to being brought up with the Culture Vultures circling trying to twist every word you said. Paul sighed as an alert went off on his phone. That was his cue to head back to the fanzone. He pulled out his phone and checked and sure enough. Paul: [color=fff200]“It was a pleasure Bellatrix. I hope I get to hang out more with you. That was my cue to exit stage left. I am needed back in the fanzone. Hang in there! Remember I warned you! You might want to alert your security staff. The culture vultures are going to be circling.”[/color] Paul put his tray in the receptacle for it and took off with a purposeful stride. He pulled his goggles back down over his eyes before leaving the tent. He waved a farewell to Bellatrix as he stepped out into the bright sunlight. He was leaving the tent smiling in a great mood. It had been nice to relax with someone who was going through a similar experience. He sighed as he noted the culture vultures were already snapping pictures. Paul sighed in frustration. He couldn’t meet anyone without outrageous speculation. Paul walked off, his prior good mood gone. Simmering anger at the press and the pressures of living a high profile public life weighing down on him. It was the part of his job he usually did well with managing except this one area. [color=fff200][i]Why did they feel the need to pry into his private life?[/i][/color] He had just met Bellatrix for crying out loud. She seemed perfectly lovely but she was not his type. [i][color=fff200]Couldn’t he have friends?[/color][/i] His stride and body language read aggressive and angry as he made his way back into the Valkyrie fanzone. His security team was already aware of what was going on. They had been on guard outside the pilot’s tent and had prevented the press from going inside. [hr] [center] [h1][b] Round 16 of Formula AG Saturday 4th November, 2094 Qualifying Day Bonneville Salt Flats AG Race Circuit, Utah, FAS Federated American States AGP 1800 Mountain Time [/b] [/h1] [/center] Paul was struggling to put the incident with the press behind him. He was surprised at just how right he had been. He was pissed at Astrid for what she had texted him. It was not like he had not warned Bellatrix. She had seemed to understand what he meant. So why was Astrid pissed at him when she had been caught by the pack of press hounds? For that matter, why had Nordic Call let their pilot wander around a public event without security? Paul was angry because he did feel a little guilty about it. He had experience with the press and had assumed Bellatrix did too. Maybe she had not had the same issues he had with them. Paul was a popular rookie. He was not arrogant about it but he knew he was handsome and popular with younger women. He had been a lot more careful after the mob in Tokyo when they had been shooting the ad campaign for Enigma Lux. Paul sighed as Chelsey was doing a great job. Paul had an independent endorsement campaign contract with Hood Tech Sportswear. He was scheduled to shoot their new ad campaign at headquarters next week. They wanted pictures of him in the gym and with his ship. Paul sighed as he struggled to focus on what he needed to do in qualifying. He meditated for a bit and went over the track again in his head. His race engineer stuck her head into the pilot’s ready room trailer and told him it was time. Paul was grateful that he didn’t have to walk through the press junket before getting to his ship. He grabbed his helmet and adjusted the fastenings on his boots. He followed Carmella out of the ready room behind Dorian who was deep in conversation with his engineer Remy. Paul smiled and slapped Dorian on the shoulder. [color=fff200]“Hey give em hell alright! You got this!”[/color] Dorian just smiled and laughed exuded confidence. He looked happy and Remy looked confident. [color=39b54a]“But of course mon ami. I am hunting Hamid.”[/color] Paul smiled to see Dorian looking so confident. He followed Carmella to his ship. The mechanics and technicians helped get him strapped in. Before he knew it they were through systems checks. Paul’s hands rested nervously on the throttle as he waited for the countdown to start. His hand slipped off the throttle costing him precious seconds right at the start. His adrenaline was pumping as he chased after the ship in front of him. The visor on his helmet automatically darkened as his ship flew into the afternoon sun. The glare coming off the salt dust was almost blinding. Paul had used his neural link to switch to ship cameras, infrared, lidar, and radar. He was struggling to get the feel of the ship. Normally Paul’s neural link to the ship felt like he had merged with the ship becoming a part of it. Today everything simply felt off. It was like he didn’t fit into his own skin. Everything just felt slightly off and was like an itch he couldn’t scratch. He felt like the ship was fighting him instead of flowing with him. Paul came out of the first MAG banked corner into one of the longest straights in Formula AG. Paul punched it and dumped his ELS but still felt as if it wasn’t enough as the ship slowed towards the ends of the straight, unable to maintain pace. He misjudged the racing line on the corner and had to correct when he entered too high. That slow down cost him more precious seconds. This was how his whole race went. Minor mistakes but they all added up costing him time. Paul crossed the finish line feeling frustrated and unhappy. He knew he could do better. He pulled his ship into the paddock and shut it down. At least Dorian had managed to achieve one of their objectives. He ended up right behind Hamid in the pole position. Paul had ended up behind Zygon’s Han with Bellatrix right behind him. [hr] [center][h1][color=fff200]Media[/color][/h1][/center] [center][h1][color=fff200]TMZ[/color][/h1][/center] [color=ed1c24]This is Lilly Stryker with TMZ News. Remember that you heard it here first folks. Paul Mulder was seen having lunch with the newbie Formula AG Princess Beallatrix Olympus herself. The two appeared casual and comfortable with each other. Is love in the air at the Festival of Speed? Stay tuned as we continue to investigate these rumors. Remember to follow TMZ for all your Formula AG News! [/color] [hr] [center][h1][color=fff200]Victory Laps Racing News[/color][/h1][/center] [color=ed1c24]This is Lauri Ivan with Victory Laps Racing News. We are hearing rumors emerging at the Festival of Speed that Paul Mulder and newcomer Bellatrix Olympus have been seen eating lunch together. I want to remind fans that while certain competitors are hyping this up and spreading rumors that they are already dating, at this point it simply made up rumors. I want to remind fans what some of the gossip rags said about him and Han from team Zygon when it had been a business meeting. He had been seeking support for the Mulder Foundation Gala. Don’t believe everything you read or hear! Paul didn’t place as well as we thought he would coming in with P12 in qualifying. We knew that Team Valkyrie was going to struggle on the speed courses. But is there more to it? Remember this has been Lauri Ivan from Victory Racing Lap News. [/color] [hr] [center][h1][color=fff200]Gossip[/color][/h1][/center] [color=ed1c24]This is Hans Keller with Gossip. We have hot new rumors coming from the Festival of Speed. Paul Mulder was seen having lunch in the pilots tent with newcomer Bellatrix Olympus. Is Paul hoping to date Formula Ag’s Princess? They seemed very comfortable together. As you can see from this picture. [a picture of Bellatrix laughing at something Paul had said at lunch obviously taken with a high zoom lens camera from outside the door of the pilots tent.] We will keep you apprised as things develop. Remember you heard it here first. Gossip has all the latest news about your favorite celebrities. Don’t forget to follow us for updates on this story. This has been Hans Keller with Gossip. [/color] [hr] [center][h1][color=fff200]Social Media[/color][/h1][/center] [center][b][color=fff200]From: Paul Mulder @ValkyriePaul: [/color][/b][/center] [center][color=fff200]TO My fans and the press:[/color][/center] I am sending this message to the world at large but especially to my fans and the media. Recent reports by various media outlets have started rumors that I am dating Formula AG newcomer, Bellatrix Olympus. These reports are inaccurate and based on unverified information. I value truth in reporting and so I am here to clarify that these claims are false. I am not dating Bellatrix Olympus. We simply had lunch together and got to know one another as fellow rookies. That is all there was to it, food and friendly conversation. Publishing unverified rumors for attention undermines responsible journalism. There’s a difference between public interest and speculation that crosses personal boundaries. I respect the role of the media, but there are boundaries when it comes to privacy and personal matters. Intrusive behavior and fabricated narratives are not acceptable and will be addressed. I encourage outlets to adhere to basic journalistic standards of verification and integrity. Not one reporter asked me about the lunch meeting directly. Responsible reporting requires accuracy and respect for individuals. I am setting the record straight and expect this misinformation to be corrected. I hope the media will handle such rumors in an appropriate manner in the future to address false and unverified reporting. I hope reporting is handled more responsibly in the future. Now I want to address my adoring fans. Unverified reporting can be harmful. Innocent people can be caught up in these rumors and be hurt. There are real world consequences for some people. Things like this can hurt me and my career as well. I want you to know how much your support means to me. I wouldn't have a career without my fans. I understand that you are curious about my life and want to know more about me. I want to tell you the best way you can support me is to not feed into unverified reporting. Don’t like and share unverified reports or rumors. You can do that by focusing on confirmed updates and respecting my privacy. I promise to share what I want to share when the time is right for me. Your support means everything to me and I trust you to help me keep this space positive and truthful. [color=fff200]MagnetoMuppet:[/color] Once again its about something other than racing. [color=fff200]Nana2050:[/color]Very respectfully done Paul. [color=fff200]Hater101:[/color] Publicity stunt to distract from his poor qualifying performance. [color=fff200]Papabear34:[/color] I have to agree that Paul seemed to struggle at qualifying. [color=fff200]HydrofoilHater[/color] When will we see the real Paul Mulder? FAKE [color=fff200]ThrusterJester:[/color] I agree with the kid. Why can’t we keep it about the racing? [color=fff200]QuantumQuokka:[/color] I feel like its to distract from his bad qualifying. [color=fff200]Bertha:[/color]Couldn’t agree more. No one is that clean and squeaky. [color=fff200]ValkyrieFan56:[/color] Very gentlemanly of you Paul. [color=fff200]MulderMuse:[/color] Wow! He is so respectful. That was so well thought out. [color=fff200]Paulmulder4eva:[/color] Just another reason to fall in love with him. He is so dreamy! [color=fff200]OfficeDrone#12:[/color] Sheesh! Focus on the racing already! Bad Qualifying Round! [color=fff200]RumorMill:[/color]I heard the press started the rumors. [color=fff200]DantheMan:[/color] I don’t care. It has nothing to do with racing. [color=fff200]LegacyStan94:[/color] We knew Valkyrie was not going to do as well on the speed tracks. [color=fff200]SuperfanAGR54:[/color] Can we talk about Dorian’s stellar performance? He managed to take the fight to Hamid. [color=fff200]BatDave:[/color] Batman sends his approval. [hider= Team Valkyrie Characters] https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zrLx5XUgYiVm6KjTpFTWZtJvXc0MX77enkLzINHujKw/edit?gid=0#gid=0 [/hider]