NVC: Open

[lt_hank]

Hank wasn't sure who he was supposed to be reporting to. He'd been receiving conflicting information. At least the ship was the same. The Enterprise. Pretty exciting he supposed. Most of his friends had been envious of him. He wasn't so sure. Sure, it was a famous ship, the first one, but that's not really what he cared about. He just wanted a good

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[lt_paula]

Paula had been wandering through the city most of the morning. She had woken feeling out of sorts, probably due to the heat, and decided to take a walk to clear her head. Besides, she still needed to find a birthday present for her nephew.

She had spotted some promising-looking shops when she was out with Nora the other day, and was headed in that direction now. Ducking into the first one, she greeted the proprietor before starting to browse. A colorful display in the corner caught her eye. She wandered over, reaching it about the same time as someone else.

"Oh, excuse me," she said politely, stepping a little to the side and returning her attention to the display. "These are pretty neat, aren't they?"

[lt_paula]

"Oh, no, if you want it, go ahead," Paula replied. "I'm not sure my nephew would care for it, anyway."

"Last time I checked, yes, I was," she laughed. "Are you looking for a present for someone, too?"

[lt_paula]

"Okay," Paula agreed. "And maybe you could help me find something for my nephew? He's turning eight, and seems to talk about nothing except sports and dinosaurs."

"Horses, huh? Does she collect toy ones, or is she mostly interested in the real thing?"

[lt_paula]

"Oh wow, sounds like fun," Paula replied. "Hmm... maybe a new pair of boots? I seem to remember wearing mine all the time at that age. Though that's tricky, unless you know her size..."

She wandered down the aisle, looking for anything that might suit. Most of the merchandise here appeared to be puzzles, books or games. Pausing in front of a shelf filled with models of local animals, she held up a horse that looked like a paint pony. If paint ponies were blue and orange, that is.

"Interesting."

[lt_paula]

"She's adorable," Paula agreed, smiling at the picture of the little girl. "And you haven't seen her since she was three? I see why you're having trouble - kids grow so fast."

"I'm guessing this picture was taken in her room?" she asked as she handed the picture back. "It looks like she has horse-themed stuff everywhere. I bet we can find something like that, maybe featuring some of the local breeds? Or a book about them?"

[lt_paula]

"It's hard when you don't see her that often, I know." Paula grinned. "And yeah, I try not to think about my parents in that context ever. It's just better that way."

"They'd have to be, yeah," Paula agreed. "I bet she'd enjoy reading about them. So you think the Sehlat stories will work? And I'm Paula... Paula Collins." She shook his hand with a grin. "Natasha - that's such a pretty name. My nephew's name is Brian."

[lt_paula]

"My brother and I always held to the stork theory ourselves," Paula laughed.

"That sounds like a great idea. Thanks!" Paula picked up the sehlat book and looked over the shelves, searching for the science books. She spotted one on horses first and pulled it down, handing it over to Hank for inspection.

"What do you think of that one?"

[lt_paula]

Paula shook her head, chuckling at his analogy. "When you put it that way, I see your point."

Her eyes lit up as she examined the book he handed her. "This looks great. I think Brian will really enjoy it."