The aforementioned Harlequin, neither hurt nor harmed, adorned in cap and tunic sporting squares of ebon and lily with stockings of black, actually co...ld not be recognized by gender. This was due to the garb as well as size, demeanor, movement, and walk, or perhaps, gait of Humor's herald.' Conversely, the tremulous townfolk, trying to exude energy and brashness, actually had been for many years under an Evil Wizard's alleged, but long-standing curse: "You will not be able to embrace anyone,. Anna's apartment was nestled in the Hollywood Hills, and she had a stunning view of Los Angeles. She gazed out thoughtfully, thinking about the crazy year it had been. "Almost exactly a year," she sighed, thinking of when she had first gone into lockdown and those early days of the pandemic. Despite spending so much of the last year alone in isolation, she had changed a lot during that time. "A fuck of a lot," she whispered.Her tummy gurgled again. Taking another sip of coffee, she regarded the. ” Rhys shrugged.“So maybe being stuck in here with me for four months is going to make you a bit more stir crazy than usual. I wouldn’t know. No judgment, but we can’t go on with this tension in the air and avoiding each other.”“Look, I’m sorry if I’ve made you uncomfortable. I’ll try and be more discreet.”“I know you will, but I don’t know if we’re going to get past this by just not talking about it. We can’t go back in time to change things. So what can we do to amend things moving. Any idea what number jersey you want?”I said, “Ma’am, I don’t care. Whatever you have on the shelf will be fine. Just don’t expect much of me -- I’m an engineer, not an athlete.”She said, “Tell me another one, Dana. I’ve seen you at the park. But I understand. One more thing -- you’re still an undergrad, right?”I said, “Yes ma’am, for a few more weeks.”She said, “Good. We’ll have a couple of NCAA forms for you to sign, but this should be no problem.”“See you at one pm, ma’am.” And clicked off.I.