¨Chateau Picard, 2041 Silver, Jake." The Bear shambled in, a sad look about them. Jake´s face said, ¨I was wondering what you were going to pick.¨ His voice said ¨´sec, lemme go dig it out..." He returned in a minute or so, polishing several dusty bottles. ¨Your money´s no good tonight, Mixter Bear. Anyone want some, it´s on the house," he said, pitching his voice to just cut the murmur of voices. Several wandered to the bar for a glass; the Bear waited at The Line, patiently. ¨I first became aware of him with the opening of TNG, but soon learnt that he was so much more. Shakespearean by nature. So good at the familiar RP, but still capable of a Yorkshire cant that to these Scots-legacy ears is completely unintelligible. ¨He was not just an actor. He was a mentor, a feminist, someone who broke a cycle of abuse and was quite public about it. He encouraged us to be our best selves, both on-screen and off. ¨And in his final act, he has brought all of fandom together to remember. May he find that undiscover´d country to his liking. ¨So I echo his words, which echo Lord Nelson´s toast: ´To absent friends´. " The Bear drains their glass, holds it in both hands for a moment, letting out a deep breath, and then with sudden ferocity whips the glass into the fireplace. A faint rainbow trail follows it, along with dozens of other glasses. **** CRASH **** Sir Patrick Stewart, OBE, was born in the fateful summer of 1940. He has passed at another fateful hour, one which I hope turns out to be just as hope-full. 🕯️ #SirPatrickStewart #obit #callanans #ToAbsentFriends