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¤.¸¸.· Never~Ending Dreams.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.·☆
The Imagination of CopperKat
Prelude and Chapter One
My Never~Ending Age
Passing years since my birth
Somewhere over there. Yeah.
Subject: Prelude and Chapter One
Sun Aug 08, 2010 8:11 pm
In the twilight of a saturday evening, a woman appeared before the gates of a three story mansion. It was made of marvelous marble, with rusty red shingles that mimicked an oriental styled manor. Surrounded by cement paths, a pool, and gardens that panned acres long, it was an ideal estate for a successful merchant.
The woman wore a bamboo hat that did little to hold in the long silky black hair that cascaded past her shoulders and to her hips. It hid her eyes, but revealed a youthful face. She smiled to no one in particular and approached the gate. The wind blew at her long white Yukata dress, fluttering the black flowers that ran up and down the dress in intricate patterns. The soft sounds of her Geta sandals pattering against the tar road was the only sound that emanated in the area save the rustling of the leaves.
The white gates seemed to grow taller as she approached, and two neatly shaved men with suits stood solidly at guard. They didn't move a muscle as she approached, crossing their arms as they huffed in annoyance. One of them looked at the other, and their earphone buzzed.
"Whatsup Scott? Who's the chick?" One of the guards stepped forward, a man with a thick brown mustache and goatee and an average build gave a sly smile.
"Don't worry Theo, I got this." He replied, a croaky voice that resembled a 27 year old basement dweller. The other guard took a step forward, but Scott raised a hand and motioned for him to stay. "Hey Jeopard, relax man. I got this. What's this little girl gonna do against two dozen guards with guns up the whazoo, a 20-foot wall with metal fencing, guard dogs, and automated defense systems. What could go wrong?"
Jeopard didn't say a word, but merely nodded and stood his ground. Scott returned his attention to the approaching girl. He had to stop and nearly jump out of the way however, as a few speeding cars whizzed past them both. Scott shook his head, and blinked a few times as he regained his composure. He raised his eyes to the woman and she smiled at him, approaching him.
"Excuse me beautiful, can I help you?" He gave a smug look, and raised his eyebrow. The woman smiled, and lifted her head to reveal the rest of her face. Amber eyes met his with his dark brown. She batted her eyelashes, motioning for him to come closer. He looked around, and then tugged at his shirt in pride before straightening himself and grinning.
"Yes... Yes you can." She pulled up her hands, which had a throwing knife between each pair of fingers. Scott gasped, and before he could even draw his pistol, there were three knives protruding from his chest. As he fell over, the woman swiveled on her feet at the bullet shot at her from the other guard, having drawn his pistol as soon as Scott fell to the ground.
She expertly dodged the bullet and threw two knives at the guard, landing fatal wounds. Re-adjusting her bamboo hat, she eyed the mansion above, and noted the alarm sounding as guards with sub-machine guns and dogs came barreling down from the mansion in an effort to stop her.
"And it begins."
She stood several paces away from the gate, standing before the two dead men that laid around her. She tilted her head down so that the bamboo hat hid her face and lowered her arms to her sides. She stood motionless, the only thing moving was the hair that waterfalled down from her bamboo from the wind, and the light rustle of the wind against her yukata.
It didn't take long for the dogs to slam into the gates, barking tremendously and biting at the air and bars in an attempt to get to the foreigner. The guards followed soon thereafter, five of them and all of them had MP5K submachine guns and aimed them at the woman that killed their two fellow companions. With their guns raised, no questions were asked.
"Open fire!" buzzed their earphones in their ears.
If firearms could purr, then these things roared. The foreigner twitched uncontrollably as the bullets came in storms of metal death. Round after round of 9mm rounds were fired, and after clicks of the clip being empty sounded off they held their weapons firmly. Smoke emanated out of every nozzle and the guards eyed warily at the body laying there.
"Beta Team, talk to me here. Is the target eliminated?" Theo asked, his voice full of anticipation and eagerness. "What's going on down there?"
"This is Beta-lead, Arkansas. She's down." Arkansas spoke with a musky and seasoned voice. "We pumped enough lead in her to supply world war three. We'll need a team to extract the-" Arkansas' voice trailed off. Theo clenched his fist as he listened eagerly.
"Arkansas?" Theo asked back into the headset. The only sound he got was a strange gutteral cough that repeated over and over again. Theo pulled back the blinds of the water tower and picked up a set of binoculars and looked through them at beta squad.
Through the binoculars he observed Arkansas, the man in the middle fall over, blood dripping from his lips. "What the hell? What's happening down there?"
Down at Beta team the other guards stared at their squad leader in disbelief. A knife stuck straight out of his throat, and the man went limp, falling on his knees. He fell over and the other guards quickly raised their guns to eye level, scanning the surrounding.
"Where's her body?" One of the guards asked. The dogs began barking loudly, but they seemed confused. The three canines wandered in circles, clumsily running their noses into each other.
"Up here boys." The rest of the squad looked up, and fourteen pairs of eyes saw in disbelief the woman they had just shot down standing on top of one of the pikes of the gate, with no wounds.
"There she is!" One of the guards yelled, and the remaining group raised the machine guns at her to fire. Before the first shot was pulled, a chilling laugh was heard. It sounded like the laugh of an evil goddess, loud and reverberating through their skulls. Even Theo, who was at the watch tower on top of the manor heard it with his own ears, despite the fact it was screeching through his headset.
Triggers were pulled and bullets were launched, but they had no target but the air of where the foreigner just stood.
"Where'd she go?" One of the guards asked. They all looked around, weapons raised, scanning the area for any signs of her appearance. The dogs were whining and they fled with their tails between their legs, something one of the men was astonished at.
Theo was nearly bashing his head against the wall, the headache he received from that laugh was tremendous, and made him grind his teeth. After a moment of recovery, he wiped the tears from his eyes and pulled a set of keys out of his pocket. He jingled the key into a lock of a locker and hastily opened it, revealing a weapons cache inside. There, he pulled out a standard Dragunov SVD rifle from the locker and instantly loaded the 7.62x54mmR rounds into the weapon. Loading the full 10-round magazine he smashed the window with the butt of the rifle. Mounting the window sill and letting the long barrel stick out of the window, he looked through the sights of the PSO-1 scope and onto ground zero, where the foreigner was.
He couldn't find her.
"What...where did she go?" through the scope he glimpsed at all of the 7 men laid on the ground, wounded and/or dying. There was one guard who seemed like he was trying to crawl away, and then the foreigner seemed to appear suddenly above him, and blocking his rout of exit. Theo saw him look up, and then clenched his jaw when he saw her pull the guard up from his collar and stab him.
"Bastard, you die now woman." Theo muttered under his breath. He aligned the sight perfectly, even compensating for range and the slight wind that was in effect. Luckily for Theo, the temperature did not matter at all because it was standard summer heat. In the split moment before Theo pulled the trigger, she looked up directly at him, and if he knew any better she was directly meeting his eyes.
'Impossible, she can't possibly see me this far away.'
Theo thought, and then pulled the trigger. The gun seemed to explode in a scream and the kickback shook him, causing him to lose focus. Quickly regaining his composure and sighting the scope again, He was shocked to not see her in his field of vision.
Theo panicked, scanning the whole front yard. More guards pooled onto the scene from the manor, with more sub-machine guns and twice the number of troops. Nobody saw her.
Theo cussed under his breath, moving the rifle and forth.
"Where the hell is she now?"
The wind slowly seemed to pick up, and it blew against him, throwing his blonde hair back and fraying it in front of his face.
'Strange, I swear I smell vanilla.'
Theo thought, and then he felt someone tap his shoulder.
"What do you want?" Theo instinctively replied, turning his head around.
His mouth went agape, and it remained agape as his life slipped out of his own control within a few moments, five poisoned daggers sticking out of his chest.
"Ding. Dong." She spoke to herself as Theo fell to the ground. She pulled up a picture of what seemed to be an elderly man who was sitting at the head of a table full of powerful looking table.
"Anybody home?"
The woman turned around, stretching her neck as she eyed the bulky door. She knew she was in the tower, and she had to go down a flight of stairs and reach the third floor, there she would have to search room by room to find the target she was assigned to. She walked to the door, and opened it.
Peeking out into the corridor, she noticed it was an ideal mansion corridor. Marble tiles, symmetrical flower pot vases, and many mahogany colored doors that ran down the whole hallway. She noticed at the end of the hallway there was a railing that lead down.
She closed the door without even touching it, her dress gently danced behind her. As she made it to the railing she nearly ran into a guard who was coming up the stairs. The guard dropped the cigarette he was smoking out of his hands and quickly un-holstered his pistol. The woman tilted her head slightly as she took each step slowly, making her way to him, while dangling a long knife between her fingers.
The man started sweating in panic and held his pistol in front of him.
"Freeze!" He barked at her, but she didn't even faze at what he said. His hands started shaking as he yelled at her again. She was nearly in front of him before he pulled the trigger. To his astonishment he watched as the bullet go right through her body.
"What?!" He gasped in misbelief. The woman smiled and pulled her hand back, readying her knife. He pulled the trigger several more times, round after round exploded in the chamber, and flew at the mysterious intruder. But every bullet went directly through her, and he groaned in pain as she stabbed him in the stomach. Holding onto her arm, he looked up at her with tears of pain.
She stared back, and watched as he fell over, his gun falling down a few steps, making loud noises as it did. She continued down, noting the walkie talkie that buzzed on his belt with emergency orders that had men all center on the boss to protect him. They knew it wasn't over. But it will be, once she's done with her work
~ 20 minutes later ~
"The sun has set on my side." A soft spoke, a feminine one. "Yes, there were no problems." A moment of silence was heard. "I am on my way." With the final word, silence followed after. Silence rolled through the corridors of a mansion that sat upon a residential estate. All of which belonged to a large wealthy man, who lay dead in his office, along with 30 guards.
~ Somewhere in South Dakota ~
A knock was heard on a rickety old door. It creaked slowly opened, the hinges too rusty to still the screech of metal. In the doorway stood the same woman who had infiltrated and eliminated nearly all the occupants of the Veniz mansion, along with it's owner Charlie Synid. She took several steps forward into the room, and almost coughed at the dust that floated in the air. The room was old, too old, a shed that was in the middle of the woods. The only thing that seemed to be in well condition was a polished wooden table in the center of the room. On that table sat another woman, but this one was a business woman.
She had short black hair that was fashioned professionally, along with sunglasses that hid her eyes. She seemed young, just as young as the assassin in front of her. She wore a business suit that fit her snugly, complete with a red tie. She sat however, very informally, with her legs crossed and she leaned on the table along with a hand that held her steady, her other hand on a silver briefcase.
"Hello Yuki." The woman spoke, her voice almost sounded like it was dipped in poison. A cool and alluring voice that rolled off her lips like an arrow off a bow.
"I would prefer my codename, One." Yuki, the assassin spoke, adjusting her weight.
"Mmm, even I can't break my own rules around you can I, Seven?" One shrugged, and opened the briefcase. It held large wads of 100 dollar bills. Yuki, or Seven placidly looked at the contents, then back to One.
"You know I don't want to be paid in money." One nodded.
"I know, I just want to show you what you earned. Payment is usual." One closed the briefcase, and reached around her back. She pulled out a katana. The katana was in a red sheath, and engraved was the character "Kaji." The collar of the blade was formed in a spectacular gold form of fire that circled the hilt, which was a crimson red.
She released her it and it slowly floated to Seven. She grabbed it and nodded her head. "Thank you." Was all she said and left.
"That's the last one right?" One asked as Seven placed a hand on the door knob. Seven half turned her head, looking at One with one eye.
"Yes. With this sword, my debt to him is repaid." She spoke, timidness in her voice. "Farewell then, this will be the last time we see each other." Seven spoke, disappearing into the woods.
One lightly flexed her toes, shifting her weight she brushed a hand down her thigh and then slapped them gently as she bounced off her feet.
"I'm afraid you'll see me again, Yuki."
- End Prelude -
Chapter One: We meet again.
Yuki blankly stared at her opponent. She didn't like it one bit.
"Who are you?" Yuki asked, as she shifted her weight. Yuki was carrying a satchel bag that held all of the weapons that she had collected over many years. She collected all of the weapons for one simple reason, and one reason only. That was to repay a debt to a man that she still values in her life.
She was on her way to deliver all of the sacred blades to their owner. Each one of the blades had immense value in the world of craftsmenship, a marvel that would be passed down for generations. For each weapon to be collected together would mean a collection of the strongest close combat weapons mankind has ever known. It was to no surprise to Yuki she was ambushed, but what surprised her was the lone assailant and rather in a very open battlefield.
They both stood on a trail that led onto the countryside of a few abandoned irrigation fields, barren and unable to sustain life. She held a stoic face, looking onto the stranger with cold and emotionless eyes.
"My name, is Turnwall." He spoke with a deep voice. It was a cool and deep voice, and it showed no sense of fear of aggression. Yuki was instantly impressed, for a man that could mask their intentions in their voice so cooly was no ordinary assassin. "I am here to take those blades from you, please comply. I wish there to be no blood."
Yuki tried to get a glimpse of the man's face but it was not to her advantage. The man was shrowed in a red cloak that was tattering and torn, and wore a bamboo hat the drew over his eyes and a crimson bandana across his face that had the word "Fire" in english words across it.
"Oh?" Yuki spoke slowly, and she smiled at him. "I apologize, but I cannot allow that." Yuki placed a hand within her dress, into the hundreds of holsters of weapons that clung to her body. "I'm afraid, there will be blood." Yuki felt a sudden heat rise in the temperature around her. She clenched the needles and the blades that her fingers touched. Her hands moved from holster to holster, and she rested her hand on poisoned tipped needles.
She narrowed her eyes at the man slightly, and she felt the air around her become warmer and warmer.
'So that's what it means hmm? Interesting,'
Yuki thought to herself. The man sighed and moved one of his arms, and his cloak fell from him slowly. The cloak revealed a heavily built man with the same Kanji on his chest as the one on his bandana. The kanji was tattooed in a black ink on his chest, but something about it startled Yuki slightly.
It was glowing red as strong as embers of fire. Besides the tattoo his broad chest had many old scars of varying sizes across it. He wore a white and red silk Tyiji pants. He stretched his legs and firmly planted both of his feet on the ground, his wooden clogs kicked up dust.
He had a holster that had two straps running from his back to his shoulders and it two very large sickle and chain weapons. He grunted, pulling both of them out and holding them with tense fists. "You, will regret that choice." He spat and threw both of his kusarigama at Yuki.
Yuki instinctively readied herself and pulled at five poison needles. "We will see." She replied, and walked calmly towards the sickles. As she approached them, she felt the air become increasingly hot, and her palms became sweaty.
"Fool!" He yelled as the blades came closer-yet to Yuki. She continued closing the distance. The sickles approached her, and the blades seemed to fly straight through her body. They continued to fly until the chain reached it's limit, and the man snorted. Yuki jumped and placed both of her shoes on the steel of the chain, stopping the movement of the chains completely.
The man smiled. "Heh." He spoke as he attempted to pull the chain back, but Yuki had firmly planted both of her feet just as he did on the ground, and she had thrown a dagger through a link of the chain on both chains to help her keep them planted. She smiled back at him, readying the needles she held in her hand.
She brought them to her mouth and whispered under her breath "Kangoku" and threw her needles. The needles flew with extreme speed towards the man, and as they flew the tips of the needles began glowing a dim aura of green.
The man cussed and raised one of his arms and growled a word in response. "Shi-rudo!" With the exclamation a small wall of transparent flame conjured a foot away form his arm in the path of the needles. Yuki smiled.
"Naive!" She yelled, and raised her hand in a fist, and then opened it spreading her fingers out. The needles then all exploded into different directions that flew around the shield directly at the man. '
,' she thought whimsically.
The man growled, and placed his arm against himself, still holding onto the chains. His skin became instantly flushed, brightening red so much that Yuki thought all of his blood ran to the surface of his skin. '
What is he...
' she thought and watched as the needles came intact with his skin.
They pierced him, with one inch penetration. Yuki lowered her hand, pulling at her dress because of the heat in the air. She felt a bead of sweat roll down her forehead.
"It's over, fire-user." She spoke, panting slightly. "That poison is going to paralyze your body, and then-" Yuki was cut off by a blood curling warcry from the man. Yuki froze as she watched his skin become so red that it was as if his skin resembled the surface of a tomato. Time came to a crawl as she watched the needles get pushed out of his skin. One by one they fell on the soft ground beneath him.
Yuki noticed that the ground beneath him became yellow, and the heat that she felt earlier had intensified greatly. Her dress clung to her body as she perspired. He threw his head back, and his hair seemed to grow in length, a bold red. His eyes glowed a golden orange and he growled at her.
"Kontserun!" He yelled. Yuki looked confused, snapping back into her combat attention. She watched as from his hands, his chains erupted on fire and blasted down his chain towards her. She braced herself, reflexively readying her phantom step. Yuki widened her eyes in surprise as the flame grew closer.
She quickly jumped off of the chain to her right and the flame blew past her, igniting all the way to the end of the sickles. '
Well this is interesting
,' Yuki thought to herself. "Clever." She said, wiping the sweat off her forehead with the back of her arm. "I might have to get serious with you."
The man laughed. "If you don't, you will die!" He cackled as he pulled the sickle and chain weapons back to him. The flames on the chain withered away, but the metal retained a red and orange glow to them. "What will you do now, Wind Phantom?" He asked, licking his lips.
Yuki smiled and readied her battle stance. She adjusted the weight of her bag and slew it in front of her. The bag opened up and it revealed the weapons she had been collecting for a long time, all 27 of them. She ran her hand over each of the blades, absorbing their energy signature before stopping on one of them. She closed her eyes as she slowly pulled the weapon out of the bag and held it in front of her.
"I call upon the blade if Aeitsu." Yuki smiled, and quickly unsheathed the weapon in one quick move. "This will end it!" She cried, and while grasping the weapon firmly held it horizontally so that her enemy could examine the blade thoroughly.
He glared at Yuki and readied his sickles. "I know not of Aeitsu, but it looks like a mere blade to me! Come taste defeat!" He gave a battle cry as he re-adjusted his stance and stood on one leg and with all of his might, did a whip-lash spin and threw his sickles in a horizontal attack directly at Yuki.
Yuki did not hesitate a single muscle within her body. She kept her stance as the glowing-red chains came closer. "You fool. You dare underestimate Aeitsu." The blade was as long as Yuki and polished excellently. The blade collar was a deep and dark blue color, and the guard was an even darker blue. The handle of the blade was black with intricate lines that ran down it in a fashion that resembled water, and there was a small aqua blue cloth that was tied to the handle.
"Sotsuji Kabe!" Yuki yelled and channeled her abilities into the blade. The blade suddenly began to freeze, ice began forming on the tip of the blade and speedily grew to where Yuki's hands were. The grass beneath her that was withering from the heat froze and tiny icicles began forming off of the weeds. Frost formed on Yuki's cheeks and her hair began frosting as well.
She held the blade closer to her, and rotated the blade and pushed it through the ground. She concentrated fully on the words she had just said, and felt the intense humidity in the air evaporate and be replaced with a gentle and cool warmth. The ice that formed on her cheeks and neck felt warm to her, and with her eyes closed she saw the blade floating within the remnants of her mind. There was a woman who stood next to the sword and she looked directly at Yuki with a warm smile.
It was the spirit of Aeitsu.
Aeitsu raised both of her hands above her head and extended one hand towards Yuki. Yuki nodded in agreement and within her mind shifted her spirit to the sword. It took all of her energy, and Yuki could feel her chi draining immensely as she got closer and close to Aeitsu. She was nearly there before blood began dripping out of her nostril and tears ran down her cheeks.
It was painful.
But Yuki knew she had to win this battle, and with her current wind phantom stance it would not work against a fire user who had manipulated the air so intensely that her infamous phantom step would not work. She had calculated this possibility and had attempted to end the battle as quickly as possible with her prison technique, a passed down poison recipe for paralysis. But who would have expected her enemy to radically increase their body temperature to such extreme temperatures as to eradicate any foreign substance?
She had contemplated using Reikotsu, or even Uroburos to help her, but she felt that Aeitsu was the most fitting for a foe that used fire. She knew how you were able to tap into Aeitsu's power.
It was the trapped maiden of the Igashima valley who was the wife of a renown Samurai. Because she had found out that her beloved husband had committed adultery, she spent the rest of her life becoming a swordswoman herself to exact revenge, and she eventually confronted him in the winter during a blizzard. They had gone toe-to-toe for hours, and the cold finally began to bite and nip at their bodies until they could barely move. Aeitsu however was committed to exacting revenge and watched as her husband clumsily had a large opening in his guard and she thrusted her blade through his stomach. It was in this circumstance that the husband, despite his wound, embraced Aeitsu. He held her close which shocked Aeitsu to her core.
"Why are you embracing me?" She asked her dying enemy. He smiled at her and replied:
"To warm your heart."
His last words admitted his heinous crimes and that he always loved her, and that he hoped she would live forever with a husband that suited her. With frozen tears and a heart that was frozen in guilt and regret, Aeitsu died with her husband that fateful night, and her blade was recovered but not after being buried in the blizzard for over a year. It is within that blade that a warm and sad spirit that requires the strength of another lays, for the user to be able to tap into untold amounts of chilling power.
Yuki bit her lip and felt the last of her energy drain away as her finger grazed the hand of Aeitsu. She felt it, for an immense sadness enveloped her entire being as she began freezing within the depths of her mind.
On the outside, the Earth shook as a large wall of ice sprouted out of the ground to protect Yuki. The fiery chain and sickle weapons wrapped around the ice barrier, and the man laughed.
"So this is Aeitsu! Interesting! Let's see how you withstand this!" His eyes widened and he bared his teeth as he yelled with all of his might. The chain's erupted in another bright blaze of red and orange. The ice began melting at a rapid rate and the wall grew smaller and smaller.
"Victory will be mine, no matter what weapon you choose!" His laughter erupted again, but it was cut short as his battle instincts warned him. He cussed and watched as the ice wall dissipated there stood no longer the person he expected to see.
He saw a woman with intensely glowing white skin. She had blue lipstick, and overflowing blue hair that complimented her eyes and eyebrows that were of the same color. She wore a lavish Yukata that was light blue and had golden yellow flower patterns. She looked at him with a beautiful but sad look that surprised him.
"Who-who are you?" He asked and clenched his fists onto his weapons harder. The woman slowly raised one of her hands to run her hand through her hair, and the other one held the same Katana he saw earlier. She held the blade loosely and slowly spun in a circle, as if she was dancing.
"What-what're you doing?" He asked nervously, not expecting the change of events. "Where is the wind phantom?" He asked again, becoming agitated. "Answer me!"
The woman instantly looked up at him, and opened her mouth putting emphasis on the words she spoke. She spoke coolly and very calmly, her voice slow and eerie as it reached Turnwall's ears.
"I was simply enjoying being alive, but you are disturbing me." She raised her eyes to meet his and he felt a chill run down his spine.
"Die." She said and raised her sword.
Turnwall immediately acted, and criss-crossed his arms with his weapons in hand. "I don't think so! Baindo!" The chains instantly circled the woman and locked her arms together. She still held the blade but it was held against her. The chains wrapped around her from her shoulder to her knees, and they slowly began glowing red.
"How do you like my skills! I want to hear you beg for mercy! If you become my slave maybe I'll let you live!" Turnwall barked, licking his lips.
Aeitsu looked down at the chains and then raised her head back at Turnwall. "Insolent..." She softly whispered. Yet, her words still traveled to his ears and shook him to his very core, that and the sight of his chains instantly being enveloped by ice. The frozen metal began at where it was wrapped around Aeitsu and raced back toward Turnwall.
"Shit!" He cussed and summoned his strength and set his whole body on fire, his skin a burning red. "ARGHHH!!!!" He yelled and his veins began bulging. He howled like a dog and the fire sped down the chain back at Aeitsu at amazing speed. The freezing frost and the blazing heat met in an instant in the middle of the chain and there was a loud crackle as the chain broke in half instantaneously because of the stress.
"My chains!" Turnwall cried, and put his arms up momentarily from the energy shockwave that bursted from the impact. He grit his teeth as the wind sent his cloak fluttering up and he slid back a few feet even with his feet dug into the ground. As the initial shockwave passed he looked up to see his opponent holding her blade up in a striking position. Turnwall gripped his chains harder, and readied himself for her attack.
"Bring it on!" Turnwall felt beads of sweat roll down his face. His clothes clung to his skin, his overbearing flame aura beginning to wear on him. He raised the chains and widened his eyes.
Aeitsu lowered her blade and sheathed it quickly, lowering her gaze to the floor.
Turnwall was slightly surprised she was lowering her guard, and that's when it hit him.
The realization. The fact.
Turnwall felt an intense and sharp pain for a millisecond before a chilling freezing sensation that froze his nerves. Looking down, he saw 13 sharp icicles protruding from his chest. His grip on his chains loosened, and the wild metal weapons slowly dropped to the Earth like limp snakes. They lay lifeless, un-willing to move.
Turnwall fell on his knees, his hands raising to clutch at one of the icicles. It was sharper then a spear, and he saw blood flow from his finger the moment he touched the tip. Then, more droplets of blood fell on his hand, dripping from his mouth. Un-aware of the sensations he were feeling, his body went numb. Through the numbness, he felt extremely lightheaded and drowsy. His vision blurred and he coughed. Turnwall raised his eyes to meet Aeitsu's. The swords woman of frost did not return his gaze. He smirked, and his eyes closed. The last wave of drowsiness sent him unconscious and he fell on his chest. Aeitsu felt his life force drain and his soul being absorbed by the Earth.
Aeitsu sighed, her breath creating a small cloud of frost that disappeared into the air. With Turnwall deceased, the atmosphere around her quickly began to frost, with the temperature diving to freezing temperatures. Aeitsu closed her eyes, and nodded. No words escaped her mouth as she too, fell to the ground.
Her hair slowly began to fade from blue to black. Her skin returned to their normal plush color and her yukata's colors melted back into the color of white, red, and black.
Within the deep recess of Yuki's mind, Aeitsu stood before a sleeping Yuki. Drained and powerless Aeitsu cocked her head slightly, a tiny smile appearing on her lips.
"So we meet again." She spoke softly, and then turned away from her. Aeitsu walked slowly away in the empty voidness of Yuki's mind, and disappeared.
The sacred weapon rolled out of Yuki's open hand. It rolled down a small slope and began to build momentum. That was, before it was stopped by a boot.
"Eh?" A voice sounded, it sounded feminine. It also sounded confused. "Random sword?" The person bent over and picked it up, examining it.
"Whoa.....so beautiful." She exclaimed, holding it up to take a better look at it. She placed her hand on the hilt, and then tried to pull it out of it's sheath. "Hrrrrnnnngggg......" She pouted and scrunched her eyebrows together as she placed a firm foot on the ground and tried to un-sheathe it.
"Whyyyyy......." She struggled and finally let go. Her hands were pulsing red. "Dumb weapon!" She exclaimed and nearly tossed it. "You'll fetch a good price though in the market! I'll get to eat some yum yum for my tum tummies!" She chirped and began to skip up the slope. There she saw the sleeping assassin along with the deceased hitman.
She merely had a wide opened expression and looked at both of them. Then she kneeled by the woman and cocked her head.
"You...look familiar." She turned Yuki's face a little closer to her. She blinked a few times. She hummed to herself slightly and then poked Yuki's face a few times. The woman didn't rouse. She turned around and whistled. Instantly the ground next to her shook and loose grass and dirt kicked up. A broader and tougher looking woman landed next to her.
"You called, imoto-chan?" The woman spoke with a loyal and sweet voice. But as the words rang in her ears the feeling she received was that of a veteran warrior. Which in truth, she was.
"Onee-chan! I need your help carrying her, she's still alive."
The older woman looked around at the environment and back at the girl.
"Who is she?" She eyed the woman up and down, noticing burn marks on her clothes and a few bruises. The bag of weapons that was strapped to her arm seemed valuable.
"A thief?" She finished, looking back at the other man. "Don't like." She stood up and inspected the other man. Her expression didn't change when she found that he was dead, and that the gaping holes in his chest were not of blades. The woman who lay next to her little sister was more then a thief. She had to be careful.
"We're leaving her."
"But onee-chan! She doesn't have the look of a thief! More like...a courier!" The younger one chipped in, and smiled at her bigger sister. "Besides! If we help her, maybe she'll pay us or something."
The older woman sighed and raised an eyebrow. "Why don't we just loot her then, instead of helping her?" The older woman crossed her arms looking down at her little sister. The younger girl shook her head.
"Even homeless people have morals." The younger one nodded. Her older sister sighed and sank her head and shoulders.
"Better be worth it." With the final word, her younger sister nearly squeeled in glee and watched as she lifted the frail looking Yuki off the ground. Slinging her across her shoulder, she carried Yuki like a sack of potatoes.
Unbeknownst to them, a pair of eyes were watching their every move.
End Chapter One
Chapter Two: Boomerang
Yuki awoke to being home. Though, strangely enough it wasn't. When she opened her eyes, paradise seemed to blare at her eyes in full volume. It blinded her, but welcomed her like a very strong greeting. She smiled as she noticed that she was laying on a beach-chair on an empty but vast beach. The sand was flat and crisp, as if someone had taken the time to flatten all of the sand out. The umbrella above her head protected her against the sun, and she felt the warm air gently caress her skin through the Yukata.
The soft sound of the waves on the beach were settling, and she wanted to close her eyes and rest again. But again, it was too bright. While the umbrella protected her against the sun, it didn't protect her from the other sun. Fully grasping the fact that there was two suns could only mean one thing.
She was being visited in a dream.
It was an age old self projection technique. The infiltrator would enter the victim's dream to fufill objectives from information gathering, to torture. The dream always for an odd reason introducted an environment that had two suns. Though this technique was strong, it also brings tremendous risk. That is, for the visitor since it was another person's dream. Most people who were able to even do self-projection would most likely have strong mental defenses, otherwise they would't do it in the first place. Yuki scanned her surroundings. Even though this was her dream, she could not bend the environment. That was one advantage of the visitor. Yuki however still had the house advantage of bending everything else to her will however.
She spotted a figure approaching her from the haze of the heat of the air. They were shrowded in blurry heat as they approached. Yuki sensed no hostile intentions coming from them, but she could tell that this individual was strong. At least in the real world.
Yuki thought for a moment, focusing on the surroundings aruond her. Since she had active thought, anything was possible. Yuki suddenly was behind the stranger, laying on the beach bed with the umbrella looming over them both. She wanted to initiate, for she had little patience and was not in the mood to be disturbed.
"You are daring to enter my dream, of all dreams stranger." Yuki spoke, sipping out of a small glass of lemonade. The stranger stopped and turned around.
The person wore a bikini outfit, a two peice that was orange and red that snugly hugged her slender body. She had long white hair which seemed like it bloomed out of her head, for it was soft and wavy. The hair complimented her eyes, which were a pinkish red, which almost seemed bloodshot at first glance. Here face was youthful and her skin was flawless and ensensuated her full pink lips. There was a birthmark in the shape of a boomerang on the left side of her stomach.
"I wanted to take a glance at who you were." The woman responded, her voice was loud, and it echoed. Yuki shrugged, and stared at the woman.
"And who are you?" Yuki looked at the woman up and down. There was only so much you can change in your dream. You could change a lot of cosmetics in dreams. Hair, body shape, voice, smell, colors, but the birthmark was real enough. That was one thing you couldn't change. There was something vaguely familar about the boomerang birthmark to Yuki, but she couldn't place her finger on it.
"Nobody. You can wake up now." Yuki felt an intense drop in temperature the instant the woman said her last word. Her mental defenses launched themselves into place which was a natural reflex to a possible mental attack. The woman however, strangely enough was speaking the truth and Yuki did wake up in the midst of preparing her defense. Yuki woke up in a cold sweat, and she instantly sat up to look around her. The person who infiltrated her dreams couldn't be too far.
Scanning her surroundings she was suprirsed to be alone. She lay in a small collection of long grass and what appears to be leaves that was settled into a corner of a cave. The cave was cold, and slightly damp, bugs crawled back and forth the wall. The cave hung low, standing fully upright would be impossible. The cave entrance was only a couple paces away, meaning the cave was relatively small. She saw her satchelbag next to her, and quickly counted the blades. All of them were there, and Aeitsu was also in the bundle.
Yuki quickly calculated the possibilites and raised an eyebrow in question. The summoning and using of Aeitsu most likely caused her to sleep within her own mind as she gave control over to Aeitsu. Aeitsu could have used the remaining portion of her strength to get her to safety to rest, but then who infiltrated her dreams? None of the spirits in the blades could have done that.
Yuki exited the cave with her satchel, and attempted to get a bearing on where she was. The cave was situated inside a large hill. Upon exiting the smell of decaying earth meant that she must be relatively close to a swamp. There were low overhanging trees that had long leaves everywhere, with logs that had excessive moss on them. Murky water dotted the landscape, with tall cat-tails and other foliage.
Looking around she noticed a small girl tending to a small campfire. The girl was dressed in dirty clothes that seemed too small for her. She wore two t-shirts, a faded green shirt underneath a white shirt that had quite a few holes in it. The shirts went just a bit past her navel, and was covered in dirt. She wore fingerless brown-clothed gloves that seemed to be made of a leather-like skin. The girl also had on brown jeans that too were torn and stitched in places, and the bottom half was covered in dried-mud. She wore a black sandal and a white sandal, both different styles with mud all over it. The girl had short-black hair that was tied in a bun, and her bangs stuck to her forehead and cheeks.
Yuki took a step closer, and the girl looked up at Yuki with a smile.
"You're awake! Yaay!" She exclaimed rather loudly. Yuki blankly stared back and the girl patted her knees before approaching Yuki. Yuki could not sense any malicious presence in the young girl, or rather the strength for her to do any self-projection techniques. The girl beamed at her with a pair of soft brown eyes and a small smile.
"How're you feeling?" Yuki cocked her head slightly at the girl, and shifted her weight to calculate which weapons she had still. They were all there. Still keeping her guard up, Yuki licked her lips to help with the dryness of her mouth and spoke.
"Good. " Yuki took a look around again, not sensing any other presence around. Was this girl taking care of her?
"That's goooooooood." She prolonged the sound and sucked in her lips and made a small popping sound. "If you're wondering my sister and I were the ones who brought you here. We're on our way to Hinquar village for a job." The girl answered her un-spoken questions. Yuki looked at her questionly at the 'sister' part. The girl picked up on it and snapped her fingers before looking up in thought. "She's currently getting us some food and will be back soon."
Yuki did little to start a conversation, but regardless the small girl went on as she foraged some firewood near the campfire to keep it going.
Yuki found out that the little girl's name was Audrienna, and that her sister's name was Kayna. The girl told her about their travels and their troubles, about how they went into poverty and how they have always looked out for eachother. Yuki, despite initially ignoring her ramblings began to take slight interest. As the girl went on, she began to question Yuki which caused her guard to raise.
"So my sister says you're a thief. But I don't think so. There was a dead guy right next to you, did you two have a battle?" Audrienna continued to poke at some of the coals with a stick as night began to approach. Yuki mulled whether or not she should tell the girl about the details of what happened. But before she could answer, the girl nodded. "It's okay, you don't have to answer that. I didn't think you were a thief anyway." It stayed silent after that for an hour before the sister arrived.
Yuki, despite being keen on her surroundings couldn't detect her sister before she was only a few paces away. This suprised her and she looked up at where Kayna approached. The sister was older, probably in her mid-20's. She had blonde hair that was short just like Audrienna's, but it cupped her face more. Her face was young, and she had faded blue eyes. She wore a white tanktop and a brown leather jacket that was cut at her waist. She had on a pair of black wind-breaker pants that were slightly baggy and one leg of the pants was completely torn off exposing a slender leg. She wore the same pair of sandals that Audrienna was wearing. She had a blade that was holstered and strapped to her hip which slightly alarmed Yuki. The blade was a little less alarming then the brown bear that was wrapped around her shoulders that she was carrying back.
"Nee-chaaaaan!" Audrienna yelled before running up to hug Kayna. Kayna rolled her eyes but smiled as she momentarily had to stop walking to be hugged. Kayna let the bear roll of her back, which thud against the ground. Kayna eyed Yuki warily as she hugged her sister back and then patted her sister's head.
"So you're awake." Kayna spoke. Yuki didn't say a word, but she nodded, keeping a hand on her satchel bag. "Good." They both met eyes for a moment, and a strange sensation began stirring in Yuki. She didn't like this woman already. As if Adrienna could sense the situation escalating into hostility she jumped in front of both of them and exclaimed in joy of the bear yet again. They began to cook the bear and eat, in silence.
The night rolled in like water crashing on a sand castle. It was unforgiving and strong. The wind picked up a cold wave and carried it into the swamp which made all the girls cold. It came strong from the east, and the sounds of nature were almost drowned out with the screams of the wind.
They all decided that they would take shelter in the cave residing and wait for next light before they headed to Hingewar village. The girls talked together in the light of the moon as they both lay in their makeshift beds. Yuki lay in hers, listening to their conversation ever so intently. Nothing interesting or noteworthy was heard besides that the village of Kage was in poorer conditions then she had originally thought since last time she had been there.
Night began to thicken and the wind did not grow weaker. Yuki found herself falling asleep, still with one hand clutching her satchel and the other one holding a knife, just in case. As cruel and eerie as the wind sounded, it came as calming and soothing. It was nature's lullaby in a harsh whisper and Yuki found herself falling asleep to it.
Sleep came to her as usual. The world stopped but it could still be heard. The sounds of her soft breathing, and the wind began beating together almost in rhythm to ease her mind. Gently, she was lowered into the subconscious level and she had fallen asleep. Her body went numb, a chemical released from her brain to resist the urge of sleep-walking. Her senses however seemed to pick up something, her hair began standing on her arms and neck, and she could feel her muscles tightening. Yuki shifted herself, rolling on her side, sweat forming on her brow.
Between the ten seconds that she had fallen asleep, she had been fighting within her dream for about 10 minutes.
Yuki deflected the volley of fireballs that were launched off of her with a mirror wall that she summoned before her. She breathed heavily as she watched the fireballs launch themselves directly back at the opponent who sent it at her. She wasn't surprised to see the fireballs dissipate into the air as they reached for her opponent.
Fighting in dreams was tricky business. You could feel no fatigue, feel no pain, and it was easy to imagine things within a dream. But it was a field of combative ability that was far too complex, mysterious, and dangerous for any one person to master. The longer you stayed in dream-battles, the harder it was to manipulate one's surroundings. The mind is a powerful thing, too powerful to be controlled for long before un-expected occurrences and variables begin to interfere on both parties.
Then there came the case of death. Was it possible to die in a dream? Yuki understood it was possible to die in your sleep, but in that case, do you dream your death? Death within a dream meant that the combatant would simply awake. At least, with her training those were the circumstances. But death in a live combat situation, where any combatant would push the borders of death… could it be possible for someone to die within a dream and perish in the world outside of it?
Yuki didn't plan to find out. 10 minutes had passed, and she felt the control she had over the environment slipping. She had made sure they fought out in the woods, a place where she felt very comfortable fighting in. But as she summoned the mirror wall, she saw in the bottom half of the mirror that there was sand seeping out of some of the trees.
"What's wrong?" Her opponent asked, walking towards her. It was the same woman who had entered her dreams the first time she had slept in the cave, but she was much more aggressive this time around. The woman with the boomerang tattoo coincidentally was holding a boomerang type weapon as well. The same beauty who was several paces away began approaching Yuki teasingly. She had a smirk on her face, which Yuki pegged her as overconfident and eager. She was wearing the same swimsuit as she was in her previous dream, the only difference was the weapon.
She continued her pursuit, and Yuki cussed under her breath.
"I heard that." She lunged forward, boomerang in tow. Yuki closed her eyes and imagined Raikoutsu in her hand. She focused hard, imagining what it felt like, what it looked like, the fine wooden sheath against her skin, the sound the katana makes when it slices through the wind. All of these properties of the sword helped it become reality, and she closed her eyes. Her senses fired, closing off her eyesight boosted her perception of sound and perception. The woman was nearing her, she needed Raikoutsu now, more than ever. She still couldn't feel it in her hand, any weapon of any kind, and she squeezed her eyelids harder.
"Focus, Focus!" She spoke to herself. She heard and felt the wind being disturbed in front of her opponent; the boomerang was being flung towards her. She focused harder on Raikoutsu. She remembered using it when she fought the infamous three back in Taechon Valley, she heard the cackle of lightning that it spurted out, she could taste the coppery taste of the metal, she could hear it sliding into Its sheath when she holstered it, she felt the heaviness in her hands.
Finally she opened her eyes, praying her focus was enough to summon it, just as she used to summon the mirror wall. When she opened her eyes, nothing was there! Yuki gulped in fear, why did this happen? Of all the times she focused in battle, even in dream battles despite the duration of the battle she had always been able to summon one of her blades to aid her. But why was this time different? Why couldn't she summon the weapon? She looked up, the boomerang about to strike her. It was spinning so fast, even the wooden blunt weapon had enough momentum to knock her unconscious on impact.
Relying on her agility, she tumbled to her left, behind a giant oak tree.
"Not fast enough!" Her opponent yelled after her. Yuki looked up to see the Boomerang change direction that was impossible in the real world, but then again it was the dream world. She had a split second to react which she quickly used to lean back. Remembering her days in gymnastics wasn't what was on her mind, but her body was still as flexible as ever. As she bent back and formed an upside down 'u' shape the boomerang collided with the tree. The force of the impact was loud, as if a bone had broken.
As the boomerang flew inches above her face, almost touching her nose, she watched as the boomerang flew through the tree that it struck. Amazingly enough, what would have been bark spraying in splinters across the earth was sand instead. Grains of sand blew out from the point of impact. As the sand flew she knew then it was time to end the fight. The specks of sand gently touched her face, but as they did an even stranger event occurred. The grains of sand melted, turning into water.
She lifted her legs up and planted herself back in a standing position. The opponent was still dashing at her, a smirk on her face. The boomerang that had struck the tree earlier was swinging back for a full rotation, and she caught it as it came behind her seamlessly. The dream world was becoming unstable, she would have to rely on her close combat skills and perhaps the spells she could use now.
Yuki did a mental check and remembered she still had several poisoned needles left in her arsenal. With that thought in mind, she quickly placed a hand on her sleeve and ripped it off. The soft cloth floated in the air for a moment, and she drew all of her needles between her fingers and threw them while muttering a spell.
"Kangoku." Her words flew with the needles, and they pierced her floating sleeve easily, flying straight towards six different points of her opponent. Yuki calculated like her master had trained her, with such intense speed her opponent could not dodge, and but only block. She threw them in an "X" pattern, which was guaranteed a hit. Yuki then took a deep breath and focused on her phantom step. She had expired all of the weapons that she had left in the fight, and she was banking on the fact that she could still perform this technique while the mind was falling apart.
She saw her opponent's eyes widen at the needles, Yuki hoped that her opponent couldn't possible react in time. The woman drew her boomerang in front of her, which blocked half of the needles. She then curled her legs up and leaned back towards the area she had blocked. She perfectly hid behind her boomerang as she did so, and the rest of the needles past.
"Hah! Not good enough!" She cried, and then raised her boomerang high above her head to do a vertical slash down towards Yuki. Yuki stood there, awaiting the fate that was coming next.
"Is it?" Yuki asked. She raised an eyebrow at the boomerang girl, standing motionless before the blonde. The woman gasped and then raised a hand, catching a needle before it pierced her stomach. The unexpected parry caused her to lose her advantage and Yuki darted forward, attacking with three kicks in succession.
The woman dropped the needle, and pulled her boomerang in guard to block each of the kicks. She withdrew the boomerang and was about to strike but Yuki had disappeared. The woman looked around her, to her left and right to see that the brown haired assassin had disappeared. She gripped her boomerang harder, and swung it in a 360, and then jumped.
Yuki cussed as she attempted to do a low kick at her feet to trip her, and the blond smiled. The image of Yuki disappeared once again, and the boomerang girl was once again standing by herself. She took a deep breath, and closed her eyes.
Yuki came from behind her, pulling a fist to her side. The woman blocked it by elbowing her fist, and tried grappling Yuki's arm. Yuki however disappeared again, only to re-appear within the air, trying to kick at the blonde's neck. The woman
dodged the kick by ducking, and tried swinging her boomerang in a diagonal slash at her. The boomerang hit Yuki, but it was only an after-image which melted into the air.
This dance of parries and blocks continued for awhile, with the blonde on the defensive. Soon, Yuki had also made multiple images of herself, performing her most ruthless offensive. Yet, even with multiple clones attacking, it seemed the person she was attacking had the most perfect defense. It was strange to Yuki, never had she before had such a difficult time breaking through someone's guard. Who was the person she was fighting? She intended to find out.
"Who are you?" Yuki asked, dodging yet again another boomerang slash. Yuki ended her phantom assault, fruitless for both parties because neither a blow had been landed. They both were winded however, Yuki and the blonde boomerang mistress panting.
They both stood staring at each other, the blonde woman lowering her boomerang onto the ground. The woods around them had dissipated during the close-combat sequence. During the fight they were combating on a beach, every step they took on the sand melted it into water. Specks of sand that had flown into the air changed into water as it had contacted with their skin or clothes. Both women were drenched from head to toe, trickles of sweat combining with the water as it ran down their bodies. Where they stood now was not the beach interestingly enough, the environment changed within a blink of the eye. The puddles of water on the beach faded in a mere second as they stood on a sidewalk that was floating. A sidewalk that was cracking and floating not above the ground, but in the middle of outer space.
Stars and planets circled them, Yuki's voice echoing when she had asked the wooden weapon wielder the question. Followed by the echoing her question was the cracking of cement. The mind was incredibly unstable; their fight had gone into the hours. In the far reaching corners of their vision, they could see black holes begin appearing out in the blue, and were sucking everything around them into them.
"Do you really want to know who I am?" Yuki narrowed her eyes at that question. Her brown eyes met the woman's pinkish red. The woman quirked her eyebrow, and lifted her boomerang a few inches off the ground and gave a mischievous smile at Yuki. "Come and find out." With the last word echoing out of her mouth, the blonde forced the boomerang down onto the ground. The sound was very similar to when the boomerang had broken through the tree as it broke through the cement. The only variance to the sound this time around was that it had echoed painfully against Yuki's eardrums.
Through the pain that had brought tears through her eyes, she was surprised to see the sidewalk break into many pieces in front of her. The woman fell with the debris of cement and soon Yuki followed after. As they both fell Yuki felt the dropping sensation bring slight fear to her mind. The fear of height was never a big thing for her, which was granted because of her intense training, but falling, that was a different sensation. She was slightly fearful of the outcome of their plunge through space.
Yuki eyed the other woman suspiciously. Why had she done that? Was she attempting to bring the fight to a different kind of realm? The battlefield was becoming too unstable to even attempt to conjure anything much less attempt any other fighting technique besides melee. If she had tried to do another phantom step, her image could become a real clone of her, and could attack both of them.
Yuki readied herself for the boomerang to fly at her, as well as any other method of attack the woman had. But as far as she could tell, the woman who had broken the sidewalk and began their plummet through space made no attempt of aggression. In fact, if she wasn't mistaken, the woman was actually diving. The blonde woman was in a diving position, arms going straight downward and her legs together.
Confused, she tried to see what was ahead of them, only to see nothing but pure blackness. There was nothing, no stars, no planets, no light. Looking up and around her, she noticed that other objects were too falling into this pure blackness. Her mind began to wander, and before long she knew what was happening.
The boomerang woman was heading straight for a black hole. The dream was going to end before she knew what happened and everything would go back to how it was when she woke up. She couldn't let this happen; she had to find out who this adversary was. Throwing all regard for her own mental safety, she dived after the pink-eyed woman. The speed that she was going at would not be enough to catch her. She clenched her fists and licked her lips. She would have to resort to other dangerous methods to catch up.
She began creating images of herself, and to her surprise she could still tap into this technique. The images however began to become distorted, as if they were paintings that had gotten wet and began meshing together in a mixing pot of color. She was correct to assume earlier that they were coming alive and trying to fight her, but she had too much stake to be defeated. Easily dispatching their attempts to disable her, she used them as stepping stones to get closer to the girl. With each image she created and defeated she came closer to her, but the black hole was closing fast.
She was losing time, she had to do something different but what could she do?
"Think. Think!" She cried to herself. Yuki closed her eyes, thinking of what she could do at a time like this. Her thoughts raced back to her training when her master had trained her in mental defenses against combat in dreams. Everything he said was coming back to her, she had to think fast!
"Remember, the longer you fight the weaker you become."
"Do not fear, for fear will be your downfall."
"You must focus if you wish to bring things to life."
"Death within a dream is lethal, but not the end."
"The mind is more powerful then you can imagine."
Nothing! She opened her eyes, letting go of that time wasting attempt to re-collect her sensei's teachings. Where a black hole was, was now a large and gaping mouth of a beast she couldn't recognize. It was a large open void with teeth bearing down on her, swallowing her. Yuki screamed, trying to concentrate on phantom images to get her out and away from death. Nothing came, and nothing did but the loud reverberating growl of the monster that closed its mouth on her, encasing her in complete blackness.
Then, she was awake.
Yuki sat up quickly with sweat pouring out from all of her pores. Her clothes clung to her skin, damp and had a weak odor. She swallowed the dryness of her mouth quickly and again honed in on her surroundings within a second. Her eyes instantly locked onto the woman who was named "Kayna."
Kayna sat up, her blonde hair sticking to her face in a sweaty heap. Her blue eyes connected with Yuki's brown ones. Kayna blew a lock of hair out of her eyes and smiled at Yuki.
"So we meet again." Yuki whispered, her hands clutching onto her satchel. She had her hand slowly slide over to the plenty of katanas that lay in there; she had many to choose from. Yuki smiled back; this was her turf now on the real world.
"We've met?" Kayna answered, stretching her arms before her. Yuki cracked her neck, her eyes till locked on the blonde woman's as she took Raikoutsu out of the bag and stood. Kayna stood as well, placing a hand on the handle of her sword and eyeing Yuki with a look of anticipation.
Yuki laughed bitterly, her glare ever-intense on the woman before her.
"Don't play with me Kayna. I know you attacked me in my dreams." Kayna huffed, and narrowed her eyes back at Yuki.
"Believe it or not, Assassin, I was trying to protect you." Yuki blinked in confusion, but she refused to be phased or distracted by the words she spoke. "I wasn't the one fighting you in the dream."
Prelude and Chapter One
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text:
"Jonathan Rivett Testimonial"
Recommended by David and Meaghan VENDOR
This was the first time we have ever sold a house and Jonathan is an outstanding real estate agent to deal with. When meeting him we were very impressed with his knowledge, professionalism and attention to detail. Right from the moment we decided to use Jonathan to sell our house he went straight to work and did everything he said he was going to do. His guidance, ongoing contact to keep us updated and friendly manner made the whole process very simple and stress free. We were extremely happy with the end result and quick sale price achieved, it was far beyond our expectations and we believe this was attributed to all Jonathan's hard work and guidance. We would not hesitate to recommend him to any family and friends wanting to sell their home.
"Best real estate agent you will use"
Recommended by Danielle Quade VENDOR
We spoke to 6 real estate agents, Jonathan was the only one who we felt was honest, dedicated, reliable and most importantly clever in gaging people and the market. Well, he didn't let us down! He doesn't lie to the vendor or the purchaser, rather he uses the market and his people skills to get you a great result. Jonathan was available at all hours to alleviate any concerns we had. All in all he is a genuinely nice person with family values, a friendly nature and above all has a superb work ethic. Cannot recommend highly enough!
Recommended by Carolyn Oakley VENDOR
We would like to thank Jonathan for his professionalism, punctuality and efficiency during the sale of our house. His experience and honest advise during this complex and stressful time helped us achieve an excellent result. He kept us well informed at all times and worked above and beyond our expectations. We would highly recommend Jonathan to anyone thinking about selling their property.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Ok, not really, but it sure feels like it.
I know that we all have kids who do things on their time, but I swear Ellie lives on Ellie time. Even her teachers talk about Ellie time. It's always been incredibly frustrating to her dad and I. We are always asking her to quit doddling and get a move on. She known as Ellie the Doddler in our house.
There is no way I can thank Sarah enough for writing this amazing children's book. I know have a new appreciation for my daughter and the way her mind works.
This eye opening book starts with Mom yelling "Bathtime". But on the way to the bathtub Livi get's herself into all kinds of adventures, much to her mother's dismay.
This book not only made my Livi (Ellie) giggle, but it actually made me a tear up. It gave me a whole new appreciation of my Ellie the Doddler. Instead of getting frustrated with her, I find myself asking her what going on in her world. It's brought a few more smiles to our routines rather than me always yelling "let's go Ellie!"
About this amazing author – Sarah Maizes is a former animation executive, freelance writer, comedian and the founder of www.mommyliteonline.com. She has appeared on the Today Show, Moms Get Real, and Tell Me More on NPR. She lives in Los Angeles with her family. This is her first picture book.
Now rush out and pick up On My Way To The Bath.


text:
About the store
Who runs this store?
I do! My wife and I run this store ourselves. We're a tiny two person business!
Do you have a mailing list?
Not currently, but I'm hoping to have one later in 2018
What are you doing to lessen your environmental impact?
By virtue of being an online business and needing to ship merchandise all over the world via USPS, there's only so much I can do.
- Where possible I source products made in the U.S. and Canada, reducing my environmental impact shipping overseas as well as ordering from companies that must meet stricter environmental regulations
- Currently I use recycled and recycleable bubble mailers and plastic print sleeves. By the end of 2019 I hope to also be using recycled poly mailers.
- By 2020 I hope to attend more conventions across the U.S. so customers can buy merchandise in person, reducing the number of products that must be mailed.
- By the end of 2020 I hope to be using cardboard made entirely from post-consumer content and plastic that is either biodegradable or recycleable
- By the end of 2025 I hope to be using shipping supplies made entirely from biodegradable or recyclable materials, including packing tape and protective cushioning
I would go faster if I could, but before I found a high quality supplier for eco-friendly packing materials I ordered many shipping supplies in bulk, the biggest problem being the 24 rolls of tape. I won't throw out these supplies because they'll end up in the same place anyway and I would much rather put them to use before they hit the landfill.
Unfortunately I don't currently have plans to attend conventions abroad. I would love to do so eventually, but right now I'm focusing on other aspects of my business.
Do you store or sell my data?
I will never, ever sell your data. Ever.
Woocommerce automatically catalogs your shipping address, email address, phone number, IP address, amount paid, and items ordered for me to refer to. It does not store payment information beyond "via PayPal" or other payment method. I do not have access to your credit card or other payment information. I do not have access to your password. Since I'm using a third party service, this is all protected.
I store customer postal codes by order year, nothing else, in order to choose new regions to attend events in.
Do you have [X]?
If you can't find it, probably not. If you're looking for more home goods, stickers, apparel, etc. check out my page on WeejaPeeja! They stock things I don't have the space or ability to stock like phone cases, leggings, t-shirts, towels, blankets, the list goes on and on. If you're looking for something WP doesn't have, and I don't have, please email email@example.com and let me know! I'm always looking for new products to put my art on.
I can't find [X]!
Well, there may be a few reasons for this. It might be sold out temporarily or permanently, I maybe have miscategorized it, or maybe you scrolled past it. Try out the search feature (use very simple terms, like mushroom or fantasy), but if you can't find something, please email me at email@example.com and I'll let you know where it is!
How do I review a product?
Go to the product page for your purchase and click leave a comment/review! If the product you purchased is no longer available, you can leave a review on a similar product (i.e. if you ordered a skirt that's no longer in stock, you can leave a review on another skirt to vouch for the quality!)
Do you/will you print your patterns on fabric?
I hope so! We had plans to print patterns on fabric in 2018 but after doing some research I found there are pretty steep tariffs for imported fabric, and US-based fabric printers I've found don't have great bulk discounts. I won't print via spoonflower because I'm not confident I can enforce the rights to my artwork.
Can I use your pattern packs to print on fabric and make clothes for myself?
To protect myself, my pattern packs are sold at a very small size. You are welcome to print onto fabric at whatever resolution you want so long as it's for you and never to be resold, but the pattern will come out very small.
Can I use your digital downloads to resell?
No, the pricing for my digital downloads is for personal use only. For commercial use we will have to work out a contract and commercial pricing.
What's commercial pricing look like?
You will need to contact me directly with a full scope of what you intend to use my work for, retail price, where it will be sold, etc. I'm very, very picky with who I allow to redistribute my work, so please don't be surprised if I deny your request.
Where do you get merch made?
This is an awkward question, honestly. Several of my factories/manufacturers can be found easily through the Artist Alley Network International group, and the rest of them can be found on Alibaba. I'm not always comfortable sharing specific factories with people I don't know, partially because it's weird and I feel pretty taken advantage of, and partially because I've seen a lot of small artists screw themselves over by ordering too much merch too early. Additionally, my wife works hard to find and maintain relationships with manufacturers for myself and other clients, and it's not my place to compromise her job.
How often to you ship?
Orders are shipped out at least every week, although as of March, 2018 I've been able to process orders every day/every other day. When we're at conventions shipping will be slower since we aren't around to ship items!
I purchased a commission, when will it ship?
Commissions may add a few weeks onto your shipping time, due to the extra work that goes into processing them. Usually the additional time is a week or less.
I'm ordering from Europe and VAT is super high, can you mark my shipment as a 'Gift' instead of 'Merchandise'?
I'm sorry, but no. That's mail fraud and I could get in serious trouble for that, up to and including jailtime. I'm aware other sellers do this but I'm not willing to risk it, especially with the volume of orders I ship internationally.
What if my package is lost?
Contact me if you believe your package is lost, or if your tracking number hasn't updated in several days! My store email is email@example.com
I got something extra with my order!
It's because we like you. If you're worried there was a mistake, absolutely contact me at firstname.lastname@example.com, but chances are it was a thank you gift for supporting my tiny business!
Will you be at a convention near me?
Maybe! Take a look at my upcoming events here.
Will you be at a convention in my country?
Probably not anytime soon. Unfortunately selling merchandise in countries outside the U.S. comes with all sorts of tax oddities that I don't understand and don't really want to deal with while I'm focusing on growing my business in other ways. I hope to sell in Canada, Australia, and Europe one day!
I have [X allergy], am I safe?
If you are extremely, extremely allergic to cat or dog dander, you are at risk. I keep my cats away from my products as much as possible, but they're cats, they come into the room sometimes and their dander gets on my clothes. The dog never comes into the room but his dander does also get on my clothes. I do my best to ensure there's no cat hair in my orders but I can't see dander. I keep products in their plastic sleeves where possible, preventing any pet contamination, but accidents do happen and I can't guarantee my products are free of all pet dander.
I do not use fragrances with my products and I thoroughly wash my hands of any food remnants before packing orders. Any candies sent with orders are sent in sealed bags and I choose non-gelatin gummy candies.
If you have an allergy not addressed here please email me at firstname.lastname@example.com and I will let you know the risk and come up with a plan to prevent any contamination of your order.
I have a question not on the FAQ
Please email me at firstname.lastname@example.com for the quickest response


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Love this lipstick
I have used nyc lipstick in creamy caramel for a few years now. This is my go to product. It doesnt leave my lips feeling dry after a few hours but quite the opposite
I find just putting it on in the morning won't get me thru the day I have to continue to keep reapplying it but they have a very wide verity of colours so there's a lot to choose from
The price is good and have a lot of colour who fit me perfectly and on my skin! Loved it and share the info with chicks like you! Would be great for all occasion!
I really love their lipsticks, especially the neon orange that I got. I tend to wear a different colour every day and have bought a lot of theirs.I was first introduced to their products when I won in a contest and now I'm pretty much a regular customer because I love their stuff
This lipstick is ok. It's not that expensive so you get what you pay for, but it's still a nice product. The colour pigment is really nice and it does last a long time on the lips. It can be a bit drying so you do have to moisturize your lips before applying.
I own two colours of the NYC lipsitcks. I think the price is TO DIE FOR, especially since they are good quality.
The only thing i hate is the SMELL and the cheap looking packaging. The smell doesn't last long so it's bearable! These lipsticks don't go on patchy like Avon lipstick does, they have decent pigment.
I would only say that their satin matte finish is the exact same as the regular finish.
Also, I have only tried two of the lipsticks so I don't know about any of the other shades. I have CREAMY MAUVE and BERRY ME (I think that's what it's called).
For the price it's definitely worth it!
Oh, and they stay on the lips for a good amount of time.
I received this as a gift. My colour: 402 Red Flame. I was surprised by the smoothness of the lipstick. The colour looked good. I received compliments on it. Not my usual brand yet I took a chance on it. It worked out. Not bad at all.
Great price, you get what you pay for. It's not the best quality product out there, but decent enough to use more than once. They are typically very pigmented, which is great as well.
these lipsticks are okay, nothing hugely special about them but the colors are nice
These reviews are the subjective opinions of ChickAdvisor members and not of ChickAdvisor Inc.


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Property Name: Clearwater Beach Marriott Suites on Sand Key
Property Address: 1201 Gulf Blvd Clearwater Beach, FL, 33767
Property Description: Property Location With a stay at Clearwater Beach Marriott Suites on Sand Key in Clearwater Beach, you'll be near the bay and convenient to Sand Key Park and Pier 60 Park. This 4-star resort is within close proximity of Captain Blighs Landing and Morton Plant Hospital. Rooms Make yourself at home in one of the 220 air-conditioned rooms featuring kitchenettes with refrigerators and microwaves. Your pillowtop bed comes with down comforters, and all rooms are furnished with double sofa beds. Rooms have private balconies. 37-inch Smart televisions with digital programming provide entertainment, while wireless Internet access (surcharge) keeps you connected. Amenities Pamper yourself with a visit to the spa, which offers massages, body treatments, and facials. You can take advantage of recreational amenities such as an outdoor pool, a spa tub, and a 24-hour fitness center. Additional amenities at this resort include complimentary wireless Internet access, concierge services, and babysitting/childcare (surcharge). Getting to the surf and sand is a breeze with the complimentary beach shuttle. Dining Enjoy a meal at one of the resort's dining establishments, which include 3 restaurants and a coffee shop/café. From your room, you can also access room service (during limited hours). Relax with a refreshing drink from a poolside bar or one of the 2 bars/lounges. Buffet breakfasts are available for a fee. Business, Other Amenities Featured amenities include complimentary wired Internet access, a 24-hour business center, and limo/town car service. Planning an event in Clearwater Beach? This resort has facilities measuring 7500 square feet (697 square meters), including conference space. Free self parking is available onsite.
Location Description: Near Sand Key Park
Property Facts: Total Number of Rooms: 220Total Number of Floors: 10Year Built: 1989Year of Last Renovation: N/A


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Ph.D. Electrical Engineering (partial)
School of Engineering and Science
Jacobs University Bremen
E-Mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Curriculum Vitae
Attiya Mahmood was born in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. She received her Bachelor degree from the Department of Computer Engineering of University of Engineering and Technology, Pakistan in 2007. Afterwards, she did her Master in Computer Engineering from National University of Science and Technology, Pakistan in 2009. From June 2009 till December 2011, she was acting as a Lecturer at Institute of Space Technology, Islamabad, where she taught courses on digital communication and digital design and supervised various undergraduate theses. She joined Transmission Systems group at Jacobs University Bremen, Germany in January 2012 to pursue her PhD studies. Her research interests are error protection, channel modeling, and source coding aspects of the genome.
Attiya is currently investigating the impacts of antenna's mutual coupling on physical-layer security. The idea is to design the network model of MIMO communication system by considering the antenna's input impedances and non-linear RF components and then to derive the mutual information expressions used for physical-layer security methods.
- (2013): Codon Based Distance Matrix using Modified Empirical Codon Mutation Matrix. Meeting on Gene Regulation and Information Theory, ITG-Fachgruppe "Bio-Informationstheorie", Halle, Germany, 2013.


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Let's Grow Together - Art Print
Original drawn as a male and female, something was not right. Then I changed it to be two women and suddenly it was perfect. Female bonding or a delightful couple it did not matter in my mind, it brought me smiles.
Printed onto textured 220gsm cold pressed paper.


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63 Napier Road MORLEY WA 6062
- 3
- 1
- 1
Simple Build and Retain
This 1970's Build is a classic Morley original 3 bedroom, 1 Bathroom Brick and Tile home on solid foundations and is ripe for the simple Build and Retain Investor that wants something easy to work with for today or tomorrow. Sitting on a flat and level 745 sqm of land, your options are endless on this Duplex Potential property zoned R20/25. Plenty of side access and room to the rear makes for the easiest of subdivisions as well as the opportunity to gain a well sized rear block to on sell or build... [More]
Agent Details
Steve Radi
08 9275 2945
0411 755 788
Email Agent
Property information
- Price SOLD
- Property Type House


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sharing in governance of extractive industries
A weekly digest of activity on GOXI
Even through the holidays, GOXI stayed busy.
In a journal article, Rauno Sairinen and co-authors analyze the case of the Talvivaara mine and water pollution in Finland.
In a new book, Public Brainpower, 20 contributors explore the strengths and weaknesses of big ideas through empirical case studies of 18 oil and gas-producing countries: Algeria, Angola, Azerbaijan, Canada, Colombia, Egypt, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Libya, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the UK and Venezuela.
Publish What You Pay announces that the Consensus Building Institute will facilitate an independent review of civil society constituency guidelines in the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).
From the EITI itself, an annual message from the Chair.
And Mukasiri Sibanda shares issues on which Zimbabwean civil society should urgently engage government before the transition window of opportunity snaps shut.
Remember: On January 31, UNDP, IFC, and IPIECA will host a webinar presenting their joint report - Mapping the oil and gas industry to Sustainable Development Goals - An Atlas.
These and more jobs, blogs, photos, videos, and discussions on GOXI
Rauno Sairinen is a professor of environmental policy at the University of Eastern Finland and scientific leader of the LYY Institute for Natural Resources, Environment and Society. His major research themes have concerned responsible mining, social impact assessment, environmental and natural resources governance and social aspects of climate change.
(Information on featured members and organizations is based on content shared by members or publicly available information, sometimes edited for language and brevity, and should not be considered an endorsement by GOXI of any member's skills or experience.)
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If any of my readers are familiar with my podcast, you'll know I love talking to developers. I want to understand why we do we what we do and how that started in their lives.
To this end, I've decided to make a documentary film about developers. I have several goals for the film, but the over-arching theme is to help people understand the role of code and coders in their daily lives.
I've been using a new trick on my courses as of late that I've been getting some questions about. I figured I'd just blog about it to share the trick.
The trick in question is taking a constructor parameter and storing it in a class field. Most of it is just refactoring, but there is a way to customize what it looks like.
As many of you know, I'm a Pluralsight author and I've been writing courses for the site for a long time now. I have over twenty courses to my name. While my ASP.NET Core courses get a lot of attention, I've been trying to help people get started in general web development through my courses.
To this end, I wanted to answer the question I get a lot of times about how someone would transition into web development from desktop or other programming (or even completely new to the field). This post's purpose is to help people see what Pluralsight courses (mine and others) would be a good primer into web development.
This blog has existed for 15 years now and I've moved it from server to server, service to service, in many forms over the years. As I moved servers, one of my biggest pains was copying all the images and downloads from server to server.
My site code took up about 1% of the space, and all those embedded images and downloads took a majority of the space. I was sick of it, especially on deploying the site (or saving the site in Git), so I decided to switch to storing it in Azure Storage (or AWS if you prefer).
When ASP.NET Core 2 shipped the early previews, I knew one large change was going to be the Identity subsystem. The Identity for ASP.NET Core 1 worked ok, but the setup was very confusing with identical configuration is more than one place.
I'm happy to say that in ASP.NET Core 2 it's much better. Implementing JWT Tokens for APIs was more confusing than I liked back when I wrote my Implementing an API in ASP.NET Core course for Pluralsight. I was hoping that it changed to simplify the way it works.
I'm very excited that the v2 of ASP.NET Core is now released. Married with Visual Studio 2017 Update 3 (or VS Core), it is now a maturing platform.
I really like what the team has been doing since the release of 1.0. They seem to really have thought about the pain points of the initial versions and worked to eliminate as many as they could.
So KCDC is over for another year. This was my first year at the event and the organizers made me so welcome. Highly recommended!
I had the opportunity to teach both VueJS and Visual Studio Code for the attendees. As promised, here is the code and the slides from the event!
Just got back from Chattanooga, TN for Scenic City Summit. I got to do two talks there and had some great audiences and questions.
Was great to catch up with some of the best speakers in the southeast at the event. I hope the attendees enjoyed it as much as I did.
I had the opportunity to present ASP.NET Core 2.0 to a great group in Birmingham, AL tonight. The attendees were almost as good as the BBQ!
Doing a talk on a preview (ASP.NET Core 2.0) on top of another preview (VS 2017 Preview) is always risky, but it went well. Lots of great questions and hopefully I convinced some of the attendees to give it a try.
I'm working on an update for my ASP.NET Core course for version 2.0. One major change is to use Angular (v4 probably) in the new course.
My challenge was to get Angular and ASP.NET Core to work together. I like the idea about Angular-CLI doing all the boilerplate since setup is a bit of a headache. Should be an easy win-win. Well…
|Vue.js by Example (New Lower Price)
|Bootstrap 4 by Example (New Lower Price)
|Intro to Font Awesome 5 (Free Course)
|Building an API with ASP.NET Core (New Course)
|Building a Web App with ASP.NET Core, MVC6, EF Core, Bootstrap and Angular (updated for 2.2)
|Less: Getting Started (New)
|Using Visual Studio Code for ASP.NET Core Projects
|Implementing ASP.NET Web API
|Application Name
|Environment Name
|Application Ver
|Runtime Framework
|App Path
|Runtime Version
|.NET Core 4.6.27514.02
|Operating System
|Microsoft Windows 10.0.14393
|Runtime Arch


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ailing husband
LAST UPDATED : May 21, 2019, 09:27 AM IST
- Aged, ailing PTR tigress to be shifted to Lucknow zoo
The big cat that was tranquillized after it mauled two youths at village Pachpeda Khajuria under Barkhera police station on Saturday was found to be a 12-year-old tigress with retarded physical growth and ageing physical disabilities. Given its condition, it will be shifted to Lucknow zoo.
- Health scare: Overcrowded wards, poor medical facilities ail OGH
Overcrowded wards and poor medical facilities continue to haunt patients at the state-run Osmania General Hospital (OGH). Angry relatives of patients and activists staged a protest here on Tuesday after video footage of a general ward at OGH showed patients sitting on the ground, with attendants holding IV drip bottles due to lack of IV stands.
- Mumbai: Man gives mother 30 sleeping pills, tries to smother her & finally slits throat
A 53-year-old man was arrested on Thursday morning from his Dahisar home on charges of murdering his ailing 80-year-old mother, with whom he used to have regular fights, on his third attempt on her life through the earlier night.
- Woman, lover dump husband's body in hospital after murder, say it was an accident
A housewife and her paramour allegedly strangulated her husband to death in her Thane flat and tried to pass off the murder as an accidental death. They carried the body down to the building compound in the wee hours of Saturday, sandwiched the corpse between them on a scooter, hired an autorickshaw en route and got him admitted in Thane civil hospital claiming he was an accident victim and left.


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In addition to compassionate, expert nursing care and psychosocial support, we also pride ourselves in providing a stimulating environment to keep our resident engaged and active. This includes music, art programs, entertainment, holiday celebrations and other special events, all with the mission of adding to the quality of life for our residents. Our families find it comforting in the fact that we are proficient at addressing the special needs associated with serving resident and their families in a warm and caring way.
The recovery process is enhanced by our 5-star accommodations and luxurious atmosphere. Our dedicated staff members offer an unusual depth of knowledge and experience in the full spectrum of rehabilitative care, and treat all patients with an extra measure of affection and respect. We pride ourselves on not wanting to just help our residents overcome their challenges; we off education and counseling to help them adjust to new changes and limitations that they might encounter on the road to a full recovery. No matter how long they stay might be we strive to have our residents continue to enjoy their lives to the fullest.
Along with a compassionate, loving and supportive staff we welcome and encourage families and friends to become part of our family. No matter what stage of life their loved one is in, fun and laughter will always be an important factor in the well being of our facility.
On behalf of my family, I would like to express my deepest, sincerest thank you to the staff and administration of Golden Gate Rehabilitation & Health Care Center for the devoted care of my wife, Frances.
When Frances was admitted to the Center in September we were immediately comforted in knowing that Frances was being well cared for. Upon arriving, Frances was on the second floor and was treated so well. Once thing to remember Frances by was her love of music. The nurses and staff knew this and sung one of her favorite songs to her -"I Just Called to Say I Love You" by Stevie Wonder.
After Frances moved up to the fourth floor, the nurses and staff continue to support her especially in her last days. My wife was respected. Our family felt comforted.
This letter is short as was the time Frances stayed at Golden Gate, but our gratitude to you for your care of Frances will last eternally.
Dear All,
My family and I would like to thank all of you for the wonderful care and attention you have bestowed on my aunt, Anisse, while at your facility. You were truly wonderful in making her fell comfortable and, also, by giving us the peace of mind that she is being well taken care under these difficult circumstances. We understand how difficult and demanding your job can be but you didn't let that stop you from being kind and compassionate. You have never complained about how difficult she was. On the contrary you adapted to her way of thinking and made her as comfortable as can be without questioning her reasoning.
Thank you all again.
Very truly yours,
I would like to express my sincere gratitude for all the help and graciousness while I had my stay at your facility. The dedicated staff of nurses and aides on the second floor were all very compassionate, attentive and helpful to me. Special recognition to all of the wonderful staff that assisted me. I feel that my eventual return home was because of all of the staff at Golden Gate.
Many thanks for the special care my husband Joseph received at Golden Gate from June to March of last this year. The staff was wonderful to him. They were patient and kind. My special thanks to the nurses who were a part of his life everyday and the time they spent with me informing me of his good days and bad. They taught me to enjoy every moment. Thanks to everyone for their patience and kindness. I would highly recommend Golden Gate.
If he is ever in need again, I pray that he can come back to Golden Gate. Prayers for peace. Good health and happiness to all. Again, thank you for everything.
191 Bradley Avenue • Staten Island, NY 10314
Phone: (718) 698-8800 • Fax: (718) 698-8809
Email: email@example.com
© Copyright 2014 Golden Gate Rehabilitation Center


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I wrote an ode to quickie friendships for New York magazine's The Cut: ...Twentysomething friendships involve long, late nights, all-day walks, and hours-long phone conversations. But having friends in your 30s is functionally impossible. There is no good time to see people, no friend equivalent of the candlelit dinner and rose-strewn canopy bed. To stay friends is to make do with the social equivalent of a taco truck and bathroom quickie. As the opposite of a sensualist, I actually prefer this. There's something both efficient and exciting about having friends woven into the texture of daily life. It feels almost illicit when we manage to steal time together, like we are cheating on our grown-up lives... Read the whole thing here.
NYMag / The Cut: The Secret to Staying Friends in Your 30s
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South Florida's Premier Professional Hair/ Makeup Artists!
Production shoots, weddings and
everything in between!
* All hair and makeup in these photos done by Darcy Goicochea of DgPro Makeup And Hair
Bridal Consultation and Preview
Schedule your bridal consultation to discuss details, choose colors and/or hairstyles that are right for you, and design your special look. I will also consult you on your hair and skin care regime and make suggestions on products or extensions if needed. At your trial session I record everything with photos and on a face chart, so there are no surprises on your wedding day. You will also go home with some skin care samples and a tips sheet with suggestions to help get your skin and hair in prime condition for the big day! You may do more than one look if you are not sure exactly what you want.
I encourage you to book your trial session once you have set your wedding date or at a minimum of 4-6 months from wedding date to ensure
my availability on your wedding day. If you are unable to book your trial that far in advance, you can reserve your date with a small refundable deposit. Popular dates get booked sometimes several months to a year in advance so don't delay!!
Trial sessions start at $75 for hair or makeup only. Contact Darcy for pricing!
Darcy Goicochea of DgPro Makeup And Hair is a highly sought after Bridal Makeup Artist in West Palm Beach and surrounding areas who also specializes in Bridal Hair Design! I use only high quality professional hair and makeup products so your look lasts all day and night! All of my brides are flawlessly airbrushed to perfection (traditional makeup also available). Airbrush makeup is the preferred makeup technique for weddings and photography as it creates the most natural finish to the naked eye and is virtually invisible in print and on the digital screen. You will look as if your skin is naturally flawless!! Darcy is also known for her expert contouring/ highlighting skills as well as blending for a result that brings out the most beautiful you! I will come to your location on the wedding day and handle all details such as timelines and contracts so you can relax and enjoy your day! Please see my rave reviews from past brides!
Contact Darcy for more info!
Bridal Makeup And Hair Services
Bridal Services Available:
* Airbrush or traditional Makeup for bride and bridal party or guests
* Lipsense is included in all bridal makeovers and a touch up kit is provided for the day of!
* Hairstyling for bride and bridal party or guests
* Included for the bride...veil placement and securing, extension placement and touch up kit with hairspray, extra pins, etc.
* Pricing....Please contact Darcy for full price list:
Bride makeup or hair only.......starting at $135
Bride makeup and hair combined........starting at $225
Bridal party makeup or hair.........starting at $75 each
Blow outs or curls only........starting at $55
Flower girls makeup free with booked bride!
(Bridal party pricing is only available with booked bride)
* Additional artists available to accommodate large bridal parties at no additional charge!
I only hire the best Artists....high quality, experienced and talented!!!
* We provide on-location services....we come to you so you can relax and
Enjoy your day stress-free!!
* Highly experienced/ trained bridal Makeup Artist/ Hair Designer delivering top notch beauty services to brides
and their bridal parties/ guests at reasonable rates!
* Contact me today and discover how our customer service is second to none!
Additional Services/ Products Available:
*Hair extensions and bridal hair accessories available for purchase
I will consult with you in a phone consult or at your trial the benefit of adding extensions for certain hairstyles that may need them to achieve the desired look to enable you to make an informed decision. If you so choose I have several shades available to match your hair color.
I get hair extensions and accessories at wholesale rates and pass the savings to you!
* Semi-permanent Individual False lashes
Last up to 2 weeks, great to have on for the honeymoon!
*Groom hair and light makeup
Grooms get shiny and with the HD cameras that pick up every little flaw, a little HD powder to cover redness
and shine makes a world of difference in photos!
Includes light makeup (concealer, powder, bronzer) and hairstyling
* Touch-ups or Hair/ Makeup change Services
If any part of your wedding/ photos is outdoors It is a good idea to have touch-ups done on makeup and hair after to be fresh for the ceremony and/or reception. Especially when the hairstyle is down or half down, with the Florida humidity and wind it can mess the hair up a bit.
No amount of hairspray will keep the wind from blowing the hair around.
Hair or makeup change service for the reception and/ or 2nd ceremony is also available.
We also offer several different package options for the bride wanting makeup and/or hair
done for multiple bridal events including:
*Engagement photos
* Pre-bridal photos
* Bridal shower
* Rehearsal dinner
*Multiple ceremonies
* Rock the Dress/ Trash the Dress shoot
Please go to my Reviewspage to see my rave reviews or Contact me now for a quote!!
Darcy Goicochea
Owner/ Certified Professional Makeup Artist/ Hair Designer