text:
Shousetsu Bang*Bang
Special Issue 7: Leather & Lace
Edited by Shousetsu
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2012 Shousetsu Bang*Bang
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Shousetsu Bang*Bang Special Issue 7 is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License
Based on a work at http://shousetsubangbang.com
in monocromia, by Kohakuiro Kameyo
嬰櫻 (Little Cherry Blossom), by Kim Chee (沈菜),
illustrated by beili
War Bonds, by shukyou (主教),
illustrated by serenity_winner
In Attendance, by Hinotori (火鳥)
Big Name Fan, by Domashita Romero (地下ロメロ),
illustrated by hybridcritter
Love Lights Up the Darkness, by Yamanashi Moe (山梨もえ),
illustrated by carbonidiot
And I got ready for the future to arrive, by Nijiiro Sumi (虹色墨)
Ravencloak, by Tsuki Akari (月あかり)
Ultimate Illusion, by Haitoku no Honou (背徳の炎),
illustrated by neomeruru
Anne Skye, by Lady Memphremagog
She Wants To Move, by Matsuri Yuri (祭百合)
This Song Is About Your Sister (What Happens At The Villa, Stays At The Villa), by Tsukizubon Saruko (月図凡然る子),
illustrated by lihsa
Hers, by beili
Front cover by r_a_parker
Edited and published by the Shousetsu Bang*Bang editorial staff. Read more about this issue at http://www.shousetsubangbang.com/wiki/index.php?title=Special_Issue_7
written and illustrated by Kohakuiro Kameyo
When Lulu woke on the third day of the seventh month of her fifth year of being kept by the House, she stared at the white ceiling of her room, rolled over, and went back to sleep.
Some half hour later, she was dragged from her dreams by the soft but insistent knocking of the hall's attendant, who she snarled at before swinging her feet over the edge of her bed and donning the gauzy robe she favored whenever she wasn't on official business. She had a showing later, but she'd be damned if she was going to strap herself into latex one instant sooner than she had to. The display screen on the wall opposite came softly to life in response to her movements; words scrolled up it, listing her tasks for the day, the weather (not that it made a great deal of difference), the names of her opponents. She gave it only a cursory glance before settling in with her breakfast and her book.
Two hours into it, the attendant returned and fetched her out of her reverie and into the cold, white present.
"You must be prepared," the woman said softly from behind her veil.
"The hell I do," Lulu snapped, stalking down the hallway beside her. "It's not for an hour."
"You know the procedure."
"Fuck off."
She swept into the bathing room, threw her robe aside, and dropped herself into the bath with the intent of soaking anyone who came near her. It worked.
Once the water on the floor had been cleaned up, two attendants came with a tray, which she knocked from their hands. Crystal liquid intended to loosen her limbs spilled across the freshly-mopped floor. She rose from the bath as regally as a queen and dripped soap across the tiles between the attendants without giving them a second glance.
The garb for showings was ineffectual as real armor, but she was long accustomed to that and strapped herself into it anyways. In the next chamber over, she could see Stephanie doing the same. She gave a little wave through the glass and Lulu lifted her middle finger. Stephanie laughed soundlessly and returned to fastening on her boots.
The wings of the showing room were dark. Just beyond the doors, Lulu could hear the murmurs of the crowd and the occasional boom of an announcement blaring through the speakers. She gathered her thoughts, exhaling them out and leaving only stillness behind in her head.
The doors swung open, admitting a blinding burst of light punctuated by the flare of cameras from the small army of fashion photographers crowded together on one side of the showing room. She stepped into the light's embrace, ignoring the spots swimming before her eyes. The murmurs rose to a din, commentary and speculation that was impossible to dissect but irrelevant even if she could. Her sandals sounded quietly on the spotless white floor as she walked in a carefully choreographed arc in front of the photographers and style reporters. Her compatriots followed, equally adorned in vinyl and horn and metal.
On the other side of the room, more richly appointed, sat the guests of the House. Some lounged in chairs, others perched on tables; most had drinks in their hands and practiced expressions of polite interest. They were largely unremarkable compared to every other such group Lulu had ever laid eyes on, though her eyes caught on one – perhaps the only one worth noting – a woman, tall, dressed all in black save for a plain gold mask hiding her face. Her hair was wheat-blonde, giving the impression of her head's being crafted entirely of gold.
Lulu's gaze swept over her, then away to the platform where her circuit would end.
Stephanie followed close behind her as the small cadre of women and men selected by the House for this day's session lined up facing the wall, waiting for the signal to begin – it came, moments after the last sandaled foot stepped up onto the platform, a pulse that heralded the start of a thumping beat that echoed through the floor and their bodies like a living thing. Lulu took a breath underneath the wave of sound, then dropped the fur from her shoulders and took a blade down from the hooks on the wall.
Though it might seem otherwise from the ferocity of some of the competitors, the fights that opened each showing were highly ritualized; the House traded in blood and beauty, and its denizens were valuable commodities. Serious injuries were rare – it had happened but twice in the time Lulu had been in residence. She still bore the scar, faint but present, on her left thigh.
Neatly dodging the swing Stephanie aimed at her, Lulu threw herself into the dance of combat.
Her favored weapon was a sword, mid-length and light, with a blade that curved slightly and shone bright from countless polishings. She was fast, if short – the sword made up for what reach her arm lacked, even if the point was not to draw blood. Dominic caught her eye and she nodded slightly, stepping past a pair already dueling to cross blades with him.
Though it lasted perhaps sixty seconds, the fray scattered all of them across the room in complex patterns that seethed and shifted with the music pounding through the air. As she whirled past the guests of the House, Lulu's gaze snagged again on the woman with the gold mask, who seemed to be watching her in particular. Through the cloud of black hair that whipped across her peripheral vision and the crystals that dangled from her headpiece, Lulu caught a glimpse of the woman leaning forward and resting her elbows on her knees, watching. She dragged her gaze away in time to catch a strike from Dominic against the flat of her blade. Sloppy. She tipped her headpiece down further over her forehead and concentrated as she moved into the next set.
The rest of the showing was a blur, punctuated only by spare sharp moments when she managed to catch a glimpse of the mask woman looking at her with interest in her dark, half-hidden eyes. Chest heaving and clothing sticking to her as the final note echoed through the room, Lulu cast one last glance around, then turned on her heel and vanished into the depths of the back rooms. Applause and the flash of cameras followed her out.
It was perhaps three days before she encountered the gold mask woman again. This time she was in one of the House's parlors, sipping a drink from a tall white glass. Lulu only spotted her because the door to the hall was open.
Lulu paused outside the door. The mask woman was alone.
She hovered in the doorway, not quite crossing the threshold, and watched the woman as much as the other was watching her. The drink in her hand fizzed softly.
"I saw you at the showing," Lulu said, breaking the silence as neatly as if the other woman had dropped her glass.
The mask woman regarded her from behind her veil of gold. "So you did," she agreed.
Lulu was silent for a moment. She'd opened her mouth to speak when the woman interrupted her. "Would you care to join me?" Her voice was softly accented, catching the hard vowels.
Lulu studied her in silence for a long moment, recalling the interest that had been in her eyes at the showing and was making another appearance now. "No," she said finally, and left.
The third time they spoke was outside the changing rooms for the pools near the guest wing.
"My name is Helen," the blonde woman said. "Helen Kunitskaia ."
"Nice name."
"It was my grandmother's." Helen chuckled softly, as if this were some private joke.
"Mine's Lulu."
"I quite like it," Helen said. She had long fingers, Lulu noted, with nails cut close to the quick. She realized she was staring at the woman's hands and dragged her gaze upward from where they were absently toying with the strap of a bag that held, judging by the way they were spilling out, towels and a swimming suit. Helen's close-cropped hair was damp from the pool. She still wore her mask. "Might I ask its origin?"
Lulu shrugged. "I picked it."
Helen's eyebrows rose, just visible through the eyeholes of the by-now familiar veil of her mask. "No familial association?"
"My family's dead," Lulu said curtly. She turned and stalked off.
Lulu's bedroom was little more than a box; she shared showers with all of the other denizens of the floor, which irritated her faintly but not enough for her to do much more than scowl at them from time to time. She stormed into it, tearing off stiffened lace and kicking the sandals from her feet. If she'd had a bed large enough, she'd have flopped across it; as it was, she threw herself into her reading chair and fumed.
The next unsubtle attendant to suggest she should court the favor of the masked guest in a more intimate setting was going to get her foot so far up their ass they'd be able to taste her boring white nail polish.
Before she'd had a chance to let her rage build up to a really good blaze of fury, a knock sounded at her door. She glared at it, prepared to deliver a blistering tirade when she opened it – but when she did, she found only Stephanie with an armful of alcohol, food, and books. Her anger expired, like a match blown out.
"Hey, Steph."
"Lulu." Stephanie nodded greeting and invited herself in. She arranged her burdens on the counter and opened up the cupboard for glasses. Lulu flopped back into her chair. Stephanie handed her a drink and opened a case that revealed soft cheese, crackers, and almonds. The second case she popped open held some sort of cake.
"You must be psychic," Lulu said, burying herself in the greenish drink. Every time she said it, Stephanie denied it, but she was certain it was true.
"No, I just use my brain." Stephanie took the second-nicest chair, as was her custom, and arranged the offerings of food and booze around herself. She'd left the books on the counter, a gift to quell Lulu's near-certain later anger. Lulu's films were still in Stephanie's care, evidence of a similar, though reversed, exchange a couple of weeks ago. "They've been hassling you." It wasn't a question.
"Fuckers." A hint of the fire flared up in her chest again. "I've been here five years, I can pick which goddamn guests to entertain."
"It was your anniversary, wasn't it?" Stephanie turned her glass in her hands and offered the almonds. Lulu took them automatically. "Long time."
"Yeah." Lulu sighed and took another sip. The alcohol was a pleasant burn down her throat. "Two more to go."
Stephanie studied her and nodded, apparently satisfied. "What're you going to do?"
Lulu blinked. "After? I hadn't really thought about it. Maybe I should become a famous singer." She laughed.
Stephanie smiled. The last time she'd caught Lulu singing in the showers, she suggested she take up a career in music. Lulu laughed then as well, saying that she was no great fan of paparazzi, but the fashion at least would be familiar.
Both of them fell silent, taking turns at the cheese and sipping their respective drinks. Finally, Lulu sighed. "What do you think I should do?"
Stephanie told her.
That night as she lay naked in bed in the near dark, Lulu let her hands wander over her breasts. She toyed absently with her nipple, staring up at the unremarkable ceiling.
"Fucking hell," she breathed. Her hands slid downward.
"Why do you stay?" Helen asked, tipping her head slightly in accent to her query. Lulu didn't answer.
"It must be an interesting life," she went on when it became clear that Lulu wasn't going to say anything. "Here."
"That's one word for it."
"I have lived in the north most of mine." Helen turned her glass in her hand. "Though I have traveled far abroad. There are a great many sights I have yet to behold. I thirst for them."
Lulu shrugged. "Guess I've never had much interest in travel."
Helen set the glass down on the table beside her. Her fingertips brushed over Lulu's knuckles, perhaps an idle gesture. It caught Lulu by surprise, and she barely kept herself from jumping out of her chair. "I must recommend it," she said. "It broadens the mind."
"Books do the same thing."
"No page can describe what it is like to step outside into a Russian winter." Helen chuckled, low and rich. "Or a Saharan summer."
"Well, fuck," Lulu said, "Why would I want to burn to a crisp just for walking around?"
"For the experience."
"Sounds like a pretty shitty experience to me."
"But without the, ah." Helen's mouth rolled around the words, as if they didn't quite fit. Perhaps, in truth, they didn't. "Shitty experiences, the sweet ones would not hold their savor."
"I live in the east wing," Lulu said abruptly. "Number forty-three C."
"I see." Helen nodded, folding her hands in her lap. Lulu lifted her eyes from them – again – and looked away.
A knock sounded at her door, three taps in swift succession.
Lulu flicked her eyes up to the door in time to see it open, then returned her gaze to her book and shifted slightly in her chair in irritation. Helen stepped through and closed the door behind her. Lulu did not look up.
"So the room number was real," Helen said without preamble. "I'm a little surprised."
"I'm not a liar," Lulu said to her book. "Only a bitch."
"Mm." Helen tucked her hands into her pockets and looked around the spartan chamber with some interest. Bed, counter, cabinets, softly lit screen, clothing tossed on the floor, closed washroom door, drawers, shelves holding the few possessions that were truly Lulu's and a handful of hardcopy volumes, poetry and prose alike. It was hardly the most fascinating domicile to be had, even within the House's walls. The guest suites were miniature masterworks of interior design. "You have your own books?"
"There's a library." Lulu read the sentence her eyes were on for a third time without registering its meaning.
"Ah." Uninvited, Helen took a seat in the only other chair in the room, the second-best one that Stephanie favored when she came visiting. Unlike Stephanie, Helen's presence was like a beacon to Lulu's attention, inescapable. "I'd like to see it sometime."
"The guides will show you anything you want to see."
"I don't care for tours."
Silence fell as Lulu tried very hard to read the rest of the page and Helen studied the white on white of the furnishings against the walls. There was a sparse splash of color in the form of one piece of artwork, carefully framed (in white, of course) and hung across from the bed. Some minutes passed before Lulu set the tablet down.
"Your room has to be more comfortable than this," she said, attempting to bore a hole into Helen's forehead with her stare.
"To be sure," the other woman agreed. "But it lacks company."
Lulu, if possible, stared harder. "I don't even like you."
"I'm aware," Helen said amiably. "Will you show me the library?"
The showers were deserted at this time of night – the lights were dimmed, except for the ones that blossomed to brilliance as she passed by and faded as she moved beyond their range of motion detection. She left her nightclothes on a bench and strolled bare through the banks of lockers to the showers proper. A mirrored wall reflected her walking beside herself, prominent nose, olive skin and all. Her hand moved automatically to press the buttons for soft light before she stepped onto the gently sloping tile and slid the glass door shut behind her.
The water hissed from the showerhead hot and welcome, and she bent her head into the stream. Thoughts bled from her mind and washed away like so much soap scum. The drops pattering across her shoulders and the smooth tile almost masked the sound of metal rasping against metal behind her.
A footstep alerted her to the presence of another body half a second before hands slid up her stiffening back. She didn't turn.
"It's late," Helen murmured, barely audible over the rush of water and the blood beating in her ears. "I'm surprised you're not asleep."
"Insomnia," Lulu said with what she hoped was cool indifference despite the fingers wandering around her naked hips. "It's genetic."
"I see."
The butterflies in Lulu's stomach started dancing complicated waltzes as Helen's hands crept toward the thatch of hair that she refused to shave off despite the urging of the House's salon mistresses. Her breath caught, quivering, in her throat for a second more as Helen's fingertips twisted in the curls. "Why are you up?" she murmured weakly.
"Insomnia," Helen said into the back of her neck. "It's genetic." Her fingers slipped down.
Lulu's breath hitched again as Helen's fingers explored, parting flesh and hair to seek out her clit, and further back – god, she was soaked already, and not just from the water. A little moan escaped her lips and she tipped her head back, closing her eyes as Helen's fingertips stroked right beside her clit. Lulu parted her knees a little more, standing with her feet splayed and certain she looked ridiculous but far from caring about it.
"I love how you sound," Helen murmured in her softly accented voice. She slid her fingers back and slicked them again, lifting her other hand to tweak Lulu's bared nipple. Lulu arched against her hand, inviting her to keep it there. Helen's fingers worked against her, high and low, and she panted as heat pooled low in her belly, winding her tight as a spool of thread. Lulu squirmed, shoving back against Helen's bare skin and trying to get as much contact from her fingers as possible, a maddening combination of motions that helped as much as it hindered.
Her legs shook as orgasm washed over her; she was dimly aware of Helen supporting her lest her knees go out from under her. She threw out an arm and braced herself against the wall of the shower, riding out the last of it clenched around Helen's hand.
Long moments passed like that. When she turned her head, she had a glimpse of Helen's smile before the other woman rinsed off her hands in the spray and sauntered away, out the sliding glass door into the dimly-lit locker room, taking the opportunity for a full look at her face with her. Lulu stared after her, but did not follow.
The library held a vast collection of digital books, all available for borrowing either on one's own tablet or one of the ones provided for temporary use by the House. It also held a small – more restricted but also more prized – selection of hard copy books. Lulu had access to both, and made ruthless use of it.
"Reference volumes are here," she said in hushed tones to Helen. "And fiction, here."
"I cannot remember the last time I saw such a collection," Helen answered. "I'm quite impressed."
A little swell of pride rose in Lulu's heart. She smiled. "Good." She paced down the aisle between the tall shelves, pointing out volumes and sections here and there to Helen, who followed close at her heels. She found a ladder and rolled it down the length of the shelves in the next row, then climbed and fetched down a handful of books, some from this shelf, some from that. "You should look at these," she said, pushing them into Helen's hands. Helen's mask glinted in the glow of the soft, artfully arranged lights.
"I will read them," she promised. "Thank you."
"They speak for themselves." Lulu shrugged. "This next row starts the nonfiction."
They wandered together between the shelves as Lulu spoke quietly and Helen answered. As luck would have it, the library was largely deserted, so no one interrupted them. The lounge area, appointed with couches, chairs, and low tables all in pristine white, was equally empty. There were lamps, also, which could be manually adjusted to enhance the illumination provided by the ambient light. Lulu switched two on, deposited her selections on one of the tables, and dragged the table closer to her favorite couch. Helen joined her with an armload of books, some chosen by her, some by Lulu. They fell into silence, each with their respective reading.
"Why do you wear so much white?" Helen asked, some minutes – or perhaps hours – later.
"It's dictated by the standards of the House," Lulu replied. "I don't choose it."
Helen fell quiet, seemingly lost in her book. After a few minutes more, she broke the silence to ask, "What is your favorite color?"
"Red," Lulu answered, and returned to her reading.
"Take this off," Lulu said, ghosting her fingers over Helen's mask. "It's stupid to wear it all the time."
"Perhaps," Helen murmured, catching Lulu's hand and holding it. She pressed her lips to Lulu's fingertips, barely a kiss. When she spoke, her mouth moved against Lulu's skin. "But I favor it."
Lulu took a shaky breath. "I favor being able to see your damn face."
"Then come with me," Helen said. She let Lulu's hand drop, though it brushed against Helen's breast before she quite let it go. Almost without input from her conscious thoughts, Lulu lifted it again and tipped the mask up, over Helen's forehead.
Helen stared at her for long moments, curiously exposed without the barrier of gold separating her from the world. She was not classically beautiful, but Lulu found her totally arresting; after what could have been an eternity or the blink of an eye, Helen tugged the mask back down, hiding her sharp nose and angular cheekbones.
Wordlessly she held out her hand, and Lulu took it.
The room Helen was staying in was opulently large; it was sparsely furnished, though, which drew the eye unavoidably toward the great dark bulk of the bed centered along one wall.
Helen's borrowed bed was stripped of covers (they were piled, Lulu noted distantly, on the furry rug beside the nightstand; the cleaners would have a fit) aside from pristine white sheets. Helen herself lounged in the midst of them, shirt open nearly to the middle of her breastbone and trousers creaking softly as she shifted and sat up with her legs spread wide. Her mask was carefully nestled atop a cushion on the nightstand. She settled her feet on the floor and leaned back on her hands.
"I wasn't sure you were going to come out," she said blandly as Lulu emerged from the washroom. (It was several times larger than her own, with a deep bathtub that she could have fit five of herself into.) Lulu rolled her eyes and tossed her coat onto the floor. She crossed the room in several strides, climbed up onto Helen's lap, and kissed her without bothering to reply.
Helen kissed her back, leaning forward and letting her hands rise to Lulu's hips. She gripped them, slipped her fingers beneath the band of her scant skirt, grasped her rear and squeezed. Lulu pushed her ass against Helen's hands in approval. She sucked Helen's tongue into her mouth, toyed with it, bit at her lips.
Helen's pupils were blown wide when Lulu, panting, drew back enough to look at them. "Fuck," she swore. "I want your fingers in me right the fuck now."
The fingers in question shook as they unfastened Lulu's bra, freeing her breasts. Helen tossed the garment aside and dipped her mouth to lap at said breasts while Lulu fisted a hand in Helen's hair to encourage her. "Fuuuck," she sighed as Helen took a nipple in her mouth and sucked it to hardness. Helen's teeth grazed the sensitive flesh, making her gasp.
"Take this off," she hissed. Her fingers plucked at Helen's shirt. Helen obliged, shrugging it off her shoulders and pulling her hands and mouth from Lulu's flesh long enough to undo the last few buttons and toss the shirt away. Her skin was pale, though a light dusting of freckles graced her shoulders. Lulu unfastened the other woman's bra with practiced ease and cupped her small, high breasts.
"You're really fucking gorgeous, you know that?" Lulu said, catching Helen's eye.
"I would say that of you," Helen breathed. Her gaze strayed down to Lulu's bared nipples, then further. Lulu hadn't bothered wearing underwear on her lower half.
"I want to touch you," Lulu said, voice rough with wanting. "Let me touch you."
"Only if I may do the same."
"I figured that was a given."
Lulu unfastened Helen's pants with a kind of sure determination reserved for people searching for lost lovers. Her hand stilled when her fingers met a strangely smooth, velvety surface, and she pulled her mouth from Helen's long enough to investigate with her eyes what her fingers had already found.
Helen wore a deep violet dildo strapped to her hips beneath her leather trousers – its color was a shocking splash against the whiteness of the House's furnishings and the stark black of the clothes Helen herself favored. Lulu's brows rose beneath the curled fringe of her hair.
"Do you object?" Helen murmured. Instead of answering, Lulu kissed her again, harder.
"There's lube in the drawer," she said, finally, when she could bring herself to drag her mouth from Helen's. "Little white bottle."
Helen leaned back and stretched her arm out to rummage through the nightstand drawer in question, discarding a few things before coming back with the right one. She popped the cap and squirted out a liberal amount – perhaps too much, some dripped off – on her fingers, and from there onto the violet dildo. The bottle went the way of her clothing, off the side of the bed. Lulu stroked herself, watching Helen do this, and she spread herself wide with her other hand so that Helen could watch her in turn.
"That's very distracting," Helen murmured.
"No shit," Lulu said agreeably. "Now fuck me."
"Ride it," Helen said, holding the toy in place for her. Lulu scooted forward on Helen's lap, bracing herself on Helen's shoulder. She rose up on her knees, settled the head of the dildo – there, yes, perfect – and sank down, letting the toy push inside her.
"How's this?" she panted, rolling her hips to settle it inside.
Helen's hands rose to Lulu's hips again, gripping them as Lulu rocked. "Feels nice," she said. Helen slid her fingers down and stroked Lulu's clit, making Lulu gasp and her hips buck harder. "Shit."
Helen took hold of Lulu, who held onto Helen's shoulders with her hands and Helen's waist with her legs, and rolled them both over until she was kneeling bent over Lulu and Lulu was on her back amidst the rumpled sheets.
"Yeah," Lulu panted. "Like that, don't you? You like – ah – fucking me like that–"
Helen set both hands on Lulu's hips and dragged her in, hiking her ass up onto her thighs and pushing the dildo deeper into her.
"Ah, fuck," Lulu swore. She tipped her head back, laying her throat bare.
"Touch yourself," Helen murmured. Her voice lay low in her throat. "Rub it for me."
Lulu grinned and slid her hands shamelessly across her breasts and down. "Fuck yes I will. You can – mm – watch me." She dipped her fingertips down between wet folds of flesh, found her clit, and rubbed right along the side where she liked it best. Helen's eyes darkened, and she rolled her hips harder. Lulu ground herself against Helen, shoving them as close together as she could.
Lulu's constant stream of dirty monologue fell into a largely repetitious reiteration of "Fuck me, god," as she rubbed her clit and Helen obligingly fucked her into the mattress.
"Fuck," Lulu said. "Helen." She said her name like a curse, or perhaps a prayer.
"Yes," Helen breathed.
Lulu squeezed Helen's hips between her thighs, rocking her hips and rubbing herself faster. Her head tipped back and she gasped, her whole body shuddering as she came. Helen's hips rocked gently as Lulu sagged, shuddering, body loosening and legs releasing their grip.
Lulu blew out a long breath, feeling a ridiculous smile come to her face but unable to stop it. When she lifted her head, she noted Helen gazing down on her with a curious expression, which at once kindled her pride and ire.
"Get up here," Lulu snarled, "And get on my face."
Helen disentangled herself from the knots of Lulu's limbs and obliged her, crawling up and settling herself at the head of the bed with one knee planted on either side of Lulu's head. Lulu curled her hands around Helen's strong thighs and buried her face immediately in the hot, wet center of her.
Helen's breath hitched, and Lulu's fingertips dug into her flesh. She sought out Helen's clit amidst her sparse, curly hair and the splayed straps of the harness and set to it with her lips and tongue, lapping at its tip. Her breath gusted hot, reflected back against her face. Helen's hips started to rock, following the motion of Lulu's tongue, and the dildo she still wore rubbed against the top of Lulu's head. Some of her hair caught on it, but she ignored the tug in favor of devoting her attention to Helen's clit. The other woman tasted fucking fantastic.
The little moans she drew from Helen's throat were music to her ears; as she wormed her hand underneath Helen's rear and pressed two fingers inside her, that music rose to a symphony. She could really get used to that, she thought. Helen's hips rocked as Lulu pressed her tongue against her, lapping and sucking as if she couldn't quite get enough.
When Helen came, it was not with an ostentatious scream, just a tensing of her whole body and a tiny, breathless sound, forced out from airless lungs. She shook, catching herself against the headboard, and panted as she lifted her hips from Lulu's face to allow her more air.
"Come here," Lulu demanded, slapping at Helen's legs. The other woman obliged her, climbing off and flopping down at her side, where Lulu offered her a slow kiss. Helen accepted, licking the taste of herself from Lulu's lips. They lay like that, kissing wordlessly, for a long time.
"Come with me," Helen said, stretching out long and lacing her fingers with Lulu's over Lulu's belly. Her bare skin was flushed still, and sticky where they touched. "When I go."
"I still have two years of service to the House to pay," Lulu said.
"Whatever debt you owe them, I'll pay it."
"It's a lot."
"I have the money."
Lulu was silent for long moments, staring at the ceiling. It was blank, featureless white.
"You can wear red," Helen murmured, "If you want."
With color in her eyes, Lulu nodded assent.
Kim Chee (沈菜)
illustrated by beili
After a month's absence, Lieutenant-General Liu was back again that evening to celebrate another major victory, but one thing had changed: he was no longer a Lieutenant-General, but a full-fledged General. Word of Liu Yang's courage and intelligence on the battlefield quickly spread. When Ying-Ying wasn't afraid for his life, she worried that he might begin to choose the fancier diner over their modest wineshop due to his newfound fame. Most of the high-ranking officers chose not to mingle with the juniors and soldiers at mealtime.
But luckily for Ying-Ying, General Liu was friends with a small group of his men from his own province. As he rose up the ranks, he remained close to them, and these soldiers continued to follow his lead. Ying-Ying considered them a less pretentious bunch than most of the men she encountered. They were young and old, sickly and strong, warriors and commanders—but they stuck together.
After dinner, General Liu's men ordered for him a large jug of hot liquor, ordinarily enough to turn four hefty warriors into one motionless pile of armor and flesh. They chanted for him to drink all of it in one swig, to which he answered in his steady tenor voice: "I don't think I can even drink that much water."
He wasn't large for a warrior—perhaps the size of an average man from Ying-Ying's village. A man of few words who chose to practice calligraphy and compose poetry in his spare time, he was rather sweet and unthreatening. He drank quite a lot, but never to the point of drunkenness. It was hard to imagine him as a ruthless leader of men without seeing him firsthand in battle.
As General Liu sat pondering how he might empty the jug, Ying-Ying handed out smaller cups of the same liquor to each of the men. The younger men made passes at her under the table when they thought the General wasn't watching, and occasionally, someone would manage to grab her leg and cause her to stumble. She would then glance at the General to see if he had noticed, hoping that he'd have his head turned the other way so he wouldn't think her clumsy, but he always seemed to be looking back at her.
Just as Ying-Ying was about to leave the room with the empty tray, a large hand encircled her arm.
"Don't go yet," said the man who grabbed her. He held her in his rough grip—though he tried hard to be gentle—and led her to their table, before General Liu. She complied, afraid that he might break her arm if she struggled.
The General shook his head. "Let her go, Brother Yu," he ordered mildly. "She has work to do."
"But she wants to see you finish the jug. Don't you, auntie?"
Ying-Ying didn't know how to respond. Truthfully, she wasn't too eager to see General Liu drunk, assuming that he wouldn't vomit all over the table before he finished.
"She's just too shy to admit it," one of the other warriors suggested.
"Come on, the old auntie is waiting."
Ying-Ying knew they were fond of her and meant no harm by the joke, but she couldn't bring herself to look at the General. This month, she would turn twenty. Her mother had given up hope of finding her a husband, and it was common knowledge among the villagers and warriors that she was no longer a virgin.
General Liu also lowered his gaze. Ying-Ying could sense his discomfort in her presence. Perhaps he was unaccustomed to being near an unclean woman; she noticed he was much less reserved in front of her mother and younger sister. He was so young—only twenty-six, although he appeared even younger—and it was easy for her to forget that he had already accomplished so much for his age. She wondered where his family was, if he had parents or siblings at home who prayed every day for his safe return.
Suddenly, he took a deep breath, picked up the heavy jug by the neck with one hand, and tipped it in her direction in a sign of respect. The men took this as a mocking gesture and laughed, but the General's expression remained solemn. Then he swung his head back and lifted the jug to his lips.
The room fell silent. General Liu's eyes were squeezed shut, his fine brows knitted, as if he were concentrating hard to remember something. The first few mouthfuls came easily enough, but after about ten large gulps, his arm began to shake. Still, he held on. Ying-Ying felt the room spin, just watching him.
"It's qigong," Brother Yu her whispered into her ear. "Watch—he can control his body so that the alcohol doesn't go into his blood."
More than halfway through, the General's chest heaved and each swallow became more labored. His face and ears flushed from the heat of the drink. He made a strangled noise and small drop of liquor trickled from the corner of his mouth down his long neck—taut and sinewy from the effort of his posture—before disappearing under his armor.
Ying-Ying almost cried out, raising her hands to her face. She didn't want to embarrass the General by seizing the jug from him (not that she had that kind of strength), but she could barely restrain herself. "Is he okay?" she finally asked, convinced that General Liu's life was more important than his reputation for alcohol consumption. "Maybe he should stop. Has he done this before?"
"Oh, he'll be fine," said the elderly warrior who sat closest to the General, delighted by her anxiety. "No need to worry."
"Look, he's almost done," another man pointed out.
Sure enough, General Liu finished the last drop and threw down the jug, wiping his mouth on his sleeve.
The men cheered and slapped his back, proposing toasts and tossing their own drinks down. To Ying-Ying's relief and wonder, the General appeared merely dazed, laughing along with his men. If anything, the alcohol had given his face a healthier glow.
Ying-Ying quietly slipped out of the room, but before she left, she took one last glimpse of the General, and it seemed to her again that he had been looking at her a moment ago. She closed the door behind her, smiling at her own foolish fantasies.
Outside, she found her sister carrying a basket of steamed buns to the adjacent room. There was smoke coming from the kitchen, which meant their mother was still working. The recent victory would keep them busy for the next few nights.
"Mei, let me help you with that."
Mei hugged the basket in her arms. "But I'm having fun," she whined. "There are two young captains in the main dining room who like me. They say I carry myself like an elegant woman. One of them asked if I was old enough to get married."
"What did you tell him?"
"Of course, I told him I'm old enough—I am old enough—but I didn't tell him I was engaged. He'll talk to Ma if he's serious, and she can turn him away."
Mei's future husband was a wealthy but good-natured widower, who'd fallen in love with her at first sight and offered their mother an unthinkable sum of money for her daughter's hand. Ying-Ying personally wished to see her sweet dimpled sister with a younger man—perhaps a dashing warrior who was also from a working family—but Mei had been so indifferent about the arrangement that Ying-Ying stopped caring herself.
Almost. Mei was only happy to be admired by so many men; she was still too young to realize the impact of marriage on the rest of her life.
"Listen to yourself," said Ying-Ying, patting her cheek. "You're still a little girl."
"What about you? You're still in love with Lieutenant-General Liu. Or should I says General Liu?"
Ying-Ying frowned. Were her feelings so obvious? She noted to herself that she would have to do better at hiding them. "Don't talk about what you don't understand," she chided. "I think he's a very kind and worthy man, but I want nothing more to do with him."
"Then why do you always insist on serving their table?"
"Would you like to serve them instead? I thought you said you didn't like the way one of his men looked at you."
"That was a year ago," Mei retorted. "It doesn't matter which room I'm in—they all look at me like that now." She readjusted the basket in her arms. "Anyway, I need to bring these over before they get cold."
"Just be careful," called Ying-Ying after her. "Don't do anything stupid."
She helped her mother wash dishes in the kitchen for a while, then picked up the empty wooden bucket against the wall and headed for the well. When she got there, she set down her lamp on the stone edge and rolled up her long sleeves, securing each side in a knot. Then she attached the bucket to the end of the rope.
"I remember doing that a long time ago," said someone behind her.
Ying-Ying jumped. The crank slipped from her hands and the bucket plopped into the water below. "You scared me," she stammered. "I didn't know you left the room."
"I had to relieve myself."
Ying-Ying blushed at the General's frankness, glad that it was dark.
He sat down on the edge of the well, next to the sleepy glow of her lamp, and leaned back slightly.
"Are you all right?" asked Ying-Ying, holding out her hands in case he might lean back too far. "Do you need to lie down?"
"Don't worry about me. I just want to watch you lift the bucket out."
He didn't sound drunk at all, but his request was so unusual that he had to be.
Ying-Ying slowly turned the crank, prepared for him to pass out any moment. What would it be like to wrap her arms around his chest and catch him before he fell? The thought terrified and excited her at once, but he only continued to watch her quietly with his large slanted eyes, like the eyes of a phoenix.
"This isn't very interesting," she said, after she unhooked the bucket and set it on the ground. They were alone, and if anyone saw them together like this, the General's reputation would be tainted. "Why don't I take you back to the wineshop first?"
"Are you scared of me?"
"No, why should I be?" Ying-Ying held back a smile. It barely crossed her mind that he was taller and stronger than her. She took him by the arm to help him stand, but when he flexed his muscles in response to her touch, she remembered her place and snatched back her hand.
After a while of walking, it became apparent that he had no trouble finding his way back to the wineshop on his own. What was she doing then? He probably wondered why an ugly unchaste girl like her was following him in the middle of the night, but was too polite to say so. Maybe he thought she was trying to seduce him and was thinking of ways to get rid of her.
She fell a step behind, hoping he would continue without her, but he slowed his pace until she caught up.
When they were almost at the door, General Liu suddenly stopped under one of the lamps and turned to face her. "Do you know how beautiful you are?" he blurted out hoarsely.
Ying-Ying's heart skipped a beat. She had seen the look before—the passion in his dilated eyes was unmistakable—but it was a mistake: he was not just any man, and she was no longer the pretty innocent girl she used to be. He must have seen someone else when he looked at her. Her chest ached, thinking of that lucky girl.
"Could you be drunk?" she asked, hoping to lighten the mood with a playful tone. "You know, they say you have the tolerance of fifty men."
She thought she saw General Liu's face inch closer to her own. "I may be a bit drunk, but you're even more exquisite when I can see clearly. Only I'm not as courageous when I'm sober."
Ying-Ying was just about reply that he was brave enough without the alcohol, but instead she giggled aloud before she could stop herself, hiccupping as she tried to suppress her laughter. Her entire body became very stiff and weak, and even though she was laughing, she wanted to cry. Why couldn't she stop? She cupped her mouth with a hand to stifle the unpleasant sound, glancing at the General to see if he was disgusted by her behavior.
To her surprise, he smiled. "So, Ying-Ying, what else have you heard about me?" he asked softly, prying her hand away from her face.
She dropped the lamp in her hand and it went out with a crash.
He was still holding her wrist, which she had left exposed when she forgot to undo the knots in her sleeves. She couldn't stop gazing at the way his long slender fingers curled against her skin—warm and firm, but hesitant. His handsome youthful face was now so close to her own that she could smell the liquor in his breath, tinged with sweetness. He had long lashes for a man, a rather elegant nose that ended with full lips, framed by a smooth but strong jaw.
"G-General Liu, I hardly think this is appropriate," she whispered, trembling under his grip, half wishing she could hide her face and half hoping he would hold on for a bit longer. To her horror, a tear leaked from the corner of her eye, burning against her cheek.
He instantly released her and took a few steps back. "Please forgive me," he said, bowing his head. "I only wish you happiness." He picked up the lamp that had fallen, placed it in her quaking hands, and hurried away to join his soldiers.
– – –
The next few days were the most delightfully tormenting days of Ying-Ying's life. For three days, General Liu did not return, although some of his men came regularly for dinner. Ying-Ying had the good sense not to ask why he wasn't there, serving them food and wine as she would any other day.
During the day, she found herself looking in the mirror more often than usual. Her eyes were smaller than her sister's, but they weren't ugly or different sizes. She'd stopped plucking her eyebrows years ago, although they were never bushy to begin with; nor were they very shapely. Her nose and mouth and chin were rather ordinary—a bit on the daintier side, or so she liked to believe—but her large front teeth ruined the lower half of her face, and she didn't have her sister's dimples. The only part of her face she truly loved were her ears, which were like perfect oyster shells, especially when she used to wear pearl earrings, but no one else ever noticed them.
With some make-up, she thought, she might make herself beautiful again. Finally on one afternoon, her sister left to go play with her friends and Ying-Ying could be alone for a while. Instead of setting the tables after washing the floors and cleaning the stables as she usually did, she returned to the small room they shared and sat down in front of the mirror. She found the box with Mei's make-up, picked out a thin brush, and dabbed it with ink from the small porcelain container she had given Mei—the same one her mother had given to her.
Very carefully, she drew a thin line across her right eyelid, picking up the brush at the corner to give her eye a livelier look. She tried to do the same with the opposite eye, but it had been too long since she last held a brush, and the ink went on too thick.
Someone was coming. She flung the brush into the box without cleaning it and tucked the box back under the table. Then she hurried to wipe the ink off her eyes with her sleeve, but it had already begun to dry.
"Big sister?"
Ying-Ying froze.
It was Mei. At first, she wore an expression of shock and concern, but then she started to laugh. "You look like a panda!" she cried.
At this, Ying-Ying laughed too. She laughed until inky tears streamed down her cheek, hugging her squealing sister until they were both out of breath.
"You weren't supposed to come back so early, you little devil," she said, when they were lying in a tangle of hair and limbs.
"And you aren't supposed to be playing with make-up."
"So what if I am? It's not like I was going to show anyone."
Mei sat up, propping her chin on her knees. "I can do it for you," she said thoughtfully. "I'm better at it than you now. Then you can see how you look."
She cleaned around Ying-Ying's eyes with a soft cotton pad and some perfumed water, then dusted Ying-Ying's face with powder. With some red ink, she tinted Ying-Ying's cheeks, rubbed them with her pinky, and applied the same ink to Ying-Ying's lips.
"Close your eyes."
Ying-Ying complied, enjoying the coolness of the brush against her eyelid. She kept her eyes closed as Mei filled in her eyebrows.
Ying-Ying opened her eyes again and looked in the mirror. She beamed, revealing her teeth, then quickly closed her mouth and smiled in a more lady-like manner. The make-up enlarged her eyes and covered the lines around her mouth. She could have passed for a sixteen-year-old.
"Wow," Mei whispered, combing the knots out of Ying-Ying's hair with her fingers and pinning it into a neat bun. "There. You should keep it on. Maybe General Liu will be back tonight."
"Don't be silly," said Ying-Ying, although her chest swelled with excitement at the thought of General Liu seeing her like this.
"Really, you look like a princess. Let's show Ma."
"No, Mei—"
But Mei was already dragging her to the door. They giggled as they darted past the cows and chickens outside as if the animals were strange men, finally coming to the kitchen.
"Ma! Ma! Look!"
Mei pushed Ying-Ying inside. Their mother glanced at her older daughter and went back to grinding the rice grains in the mortar as if nothing had changed.
"You didn't set the tables," she said in a flat voice.
"Ma, just look at her," Mei insisted, throwing her arms around Ying-Ying's shoulders. "Isn't she beautiful?"
Ying-Ying took Mei's hands into her own, knowing what would come next.
"I already saw," said her mother. She didn't look up again. "It's not appropriate for someone like her. She looks ridiculous."
Mei didn't answer again, but Ying-Ying felt her sister's wet face against her neck.
Ying-Ying squeezed her hands and led her outside. "Ma is right, you know. I can't let our customers see me like this."
Mei sniffled, lifting an arm to wipe her nose on her sleeve, but Ying-Ying pushed her hand back down.
"Stop crying. Ma and I aren't dead yet, and you're not a child anymore."
This only caused Mei to sob harder. She threw her arms around Ying-Ying and cried into her shoulder, wiping her nose instead on Ying-Ying's dress. She cried so miserably and in such earnest that Ying-Ying was touched.
"Don't be sad for me," she murmured. She laughed when Mei looked at her with pink teary eyes. "You've made me so happy already. See? There's no reason to cry. Now go help Ma with the rice cakes."
She dried Mei's eyes for her and gave her a little push back into the kitchen.
The courtyard was empty and silent. Ying-Ying hurried back to their living quarters to wash the make-up from her face before heading to the stockroom to retrieve the table mats.
– – –
As Mei had predicted, General Liu returned that same night, but instead of taking his dinner with his usual cup of rice wine, he politely requested she exchange the wine for some hot tea. Ying-Ying did not ask him why, although she wanted to suspect it had something to do with the events of his previous visit.
Even after dinner, he refused any kind of alcohol and sat quietly through the evening, answering only when someone addressed him directly.
Ying-Ying remained in the room for a while, listening in on the conversations, raising her sleeve to her mouth whenever someone attempted to tell a joke or gasping when they recounted near-death experiences. As always, they found her delightful and she enjoyed their enthusiasm, but it began to trouble her that General Liu had not looked in her direction even once since he arrived.
After a while, he stood and excused himself from the room.
Ying-Ying waited for one of the men to finish his tale. When General Liu did not return, she moved the empty liquor jugs from the table onto a tray and took them out to be refilled.
He wasn't in the courtyard. As Ying-Ying wondered if he had gone to relieve himself behind the house again, she heard the sound of a horse snorting and realized he was probably in the stable.
Ying-Ying straightened her hairpin and smoothed down her dress with her free hand, then went into the wine room and filled all four jugs almost to the brim. One of them—the one with two small chips at the mouth— was the same one General Liu drank from. Ying-Ying dipped her finger into the warm liquid and brought it to her lips, wincing as it burned her tongue.
With both hands she picked up the tray, now with the added weight of the liquor, and pushed the heavy wooden door open with her hip. As she leaned into it, someone held it open for her. She gasped and stumbled, catching herself and the tray.
"Be careful!"
Ying-Ying saw it too: one of the jars had slid to the corner of the tray, balancing on edge. But it was too late.
She swooped down and caught the fallen jug around its neck, balancing the rest of the jugs atop the tray in her other hand. A small splash rose in a perfect straight line and landed back into the jug. Now everything was too heavy for both Ying-Ying's hands, and she sank down on her legs until she was squatting, placing the jug and tray safely on the ground.
From above, General Liu stared at her with his mouth open.
"I'm so sorry." Ying-Ying's heart was pounding so hard that she could feel it in her throat. She set the fourth jar back on the tray, hoping he wouldn't detect the note of pride in her voice, and found that she was too weak to stand.
"No, no, it's my fault. Let me hold that for you." General Liu stooped and took the tray and its contents effortlessly in one hand, helping her up with the other. He added softly: "I also want to apologize for my behavior three nights ago. It was very irresponsible of me to have so much to drink, and I'm afraid I hurt you."
"How could you have hurt me?" Ying-Ying replied, tucking in a strand of her hair that had come loose. "Every woman likes to hear that she is beautiful. I simply overreacted." She had already rehearsed her response—yearning for him to confront her—and was quite satisfied with its appropriateness and honesty.
He released her arm and handed her the tray, motioning with a nod for her to walk a step ahead of him.
Her face turned very hot as it occurred to her then that he may have misinterpreted her words. What if he thought she actually believed him the other night, when he had called her beautiful? Perhaps he only pretended to respect her now, while thinking of how vain and ignorant she was.
"Have you ever held a sword?" asked General Liu.
Ying-Ying struggled to compose her thoughts, unsure if she had heard him correctly. "No, it's always been my mother, sister, and me. We didn't have anyone to teach us martial arts."
"You would have mastered it quickly. You have good reflexes and nimble hands."
Ying-Ying took a deep breath, moved by his kindness. They stopped in front of his dining room and she turned to smile at him, giving a courteous nod.
He spoke again as she inched toward the door. "You know, someone like you should learn to defend yourself and your family, should the need arise. I can teach you."
"Really?" Ying-Ying bit her lip—she could feel the laughter bubbling inside her again. She shook her head before he could answer. "I can't."
"Why not?"
"I'm a grown woman."
"So? Women can fight just as well as men. I know a woman who can wield a fifty-jin spear with the precision of an arrow." General Liu sucked in his breath after he said this and looked away, flustered.
He was clearly in love with this woman, Ying-Ying decided. And here she was, thinking that he had been impressed by her silly display of jug-catching talent. "She sounds extraordinary," she whispered with a hint of a smile, and turned to go inside.
But General Liu caught her by the arm. "Ying-Ying, do you trust me?"
Their eyes met for the first time that night. "Yes," said Ying-Ying, when she found her voice again, and she meant it.
"If you have time, meet me by the stable tomorrow, an hour before sundown. I will show you how to use a dagger."
– – –
"You're really going to sneak off to a military camp? That's so exciting."
Mei knelt on the edge of their sleeping mat, parting Ying-Ying's thick long hair into three sections.
"Don't be silly," said Ying-Ying, glancing absently in the mirror as Mei braided her hair. "General Liu is just going to show me some martial arts nearby. He thinks I have potential."


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Robert De Niro doesn't think very highly of Donald Trump. While shooting a political testimonial intended as part of a non-partisan get-out-the-vote effort called #Voteyourfuture, the Oscar winner was asked the same question as everyone else: "What do you care about?" His answer didn't exactly follow the non-partisan format.
Robert De Niro Wants to Punch Donald Trump in the Face0


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Rhodj, 07 Nov 2016I have this divice samsung galaxy s7 edge its a very good phone.the batery and performance.cam... moreYou should turn off NFC and other stuffs that drain the battery and make it heat.
shiva, 08 Nov 2016I have no issues, no black screen, no battery draining works perfect.I desagree about the battery. Mine only last 1 day, with MINIMAL use. Only got better after I install a Blue Screen Filter app (and I dont understand why).
Anonymous, 11 Nov 2016Every Samsung phones lags or hangs or reboots.Not with my S6 edge+, it's butter smooth.
I have a 200gb lg micro sd card class 10 on my SGSE7 with 50 gb used in music alone works fine no lags no glitches. Courtesy of my late LG V10. 256 gb should work fine also.
AnonD-251857, 10 Nov 2016Dear Friends: I would like to know any one you worked with 64 GB one? I heard sometimes it ... moreEvery Samsung phones lags or hangs or reboots.
Hi. I have installed a 64gb scan disc sd card on my s7 edge. All media is transferred and works well. Since my internal storage was filling up, I moved some movable apps on to sd card. But when I went to apps drawer, all the moved apps icon turned grey and none would open. On tapping it said this application does not exist. Went back on my sd card data and no apps were showing there either. Lost all apps with all the data. Had to reinstall all the apps all over again. Essentially the "move apps to sd card" is crap or have I missed something here.
Dear Friends:
I would like to know any one you worked with 64 GB one? I heard sometimes it may lag or hang compare to 32 GB?
Is it right or just rumor to sell their 32 Gb?
Thanks you
how to fix distorted screen while playing gta san andreas? at high setting display becomes distorted specially near a tree. other flagship that uses adreno dont have this issue. mali weak gpu?
Sali, 09 Nov 2016Don't buy this phone s7 edge. Fell down on the mat from 4 feet.it's display broken. If I chan... moreI dropped mine from 6 feet on concrete it is completely fine. It is obvious you never used a Samsung device and you just want to spread hate. P.S. it only costs $220 to replace the screen.
use a case , samsung is value for money ,what you paying are the expensive hardware , just dont break the expensive super amoled screen .
Bought this phone yesterday after using s6 edge + for a year. Now using s6e+ as my secondary phone. I don't know if I am biased but I see s6 edge plus performing more smoothly then s7 edge. Both the phones are on 0.5x animation on developers option. I see s7 edge lagging sometimes while scrolling and switching tasks..may be it will settle down eventually.
Is it worth to buy this phone (december 2016)? Or i should wait for the galaxy s8.
Savior K, 08 Nov 2016this is one of the best and you won't be discourage get now.Don't buy this phone s7 edge.
Fell down on the mat from 4 feet.it's display broken. If I change display it will be 19000 thousand.please don't buy. Buy I phone brand
Anonymous, 09 Nov 2016The difference between S7 edge and Note 7:
* It has (first ever phone having)cgg5 on ... moreforgot to say the S Pen:
POS: (too much)improved s pen
The difference between S7 edge and Note 7:
* It has (first ever phone having)cgg5 on both sides
* 64 GB internal storage
* (first ever Samsung phone with)type c connector
* (first ever phone with)iris scanner which is great
* HDR display - you can watch HDR video on youtube
It might explode
Anonymous, 08 Nov 2016i just have Samsung galaxy s7 edge for about two weeks. theres not any problem with the phone ... moreGuys,what should i do about this issue? I think about changing the phone and buy which has lower pixels.give me yr advice.tnx
I have one since 5 months ago, and the screen began with problems, the screen is with a green light. You can view some videos in you tube. Samsung should resolve this problem.
I love Samsung now iam using galaxy s6 for 1 years do pres Galaxy s8 i love everything camera battery is thing all phones not are good with batery life is hawe 5 years S2/S3/S4/S5/S6 using SAMSUNG not change for anything 😍😍


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Southport Driving Lesson Free Theory Advice
Great news! We've teamed up with Costa Coffee in Southport to provide you with some free Theory & Hazard Perception test training – you don't even need to be a current pupil of ours.
We'll be at Costa Coffee – Chapel Street between 5-7pm every Thursday to give you any help and advice you need completely FREE.
Our instructors Mike & Stu will be on hand to give you any advice you need armed with their tablets and Theory Test Pro for you to practice and take mock tests to ensure you're getting the right advice!
A huge thanks to the team at Costa Coffee on Chapel Street for letting us use their facilities!
All of our learners get full FREE access to theory test pro, anybody can have a go with our free basic version!
Theory test pro is an online tool that lets you revise for your theory test and hazard perception test, there are even some iPhone and Android apps you can download so you can practice on the go.
Your driving instructor will also monitor your progress and help you out on any areas you need extra work, with theory test pro you're twice as likely to pass your theory & hazard perception tests!
To get started simply click the button and enter your details. Send us a message through theory test pro with your instructors name and we'll make sure you get full access and assigned to the right instructor!


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Disability and Development
Around 15 per cent the world's population have some form of disability, at least 80 per cent of whom are estimated to live in poverty. For a long time this problem has been largely invisible in mainstream development discourse and practise. When people with disabilities are not included in development efforts, they can fall increasingly behind their non-disabled peers.
As a result, the new SDGs pledge to leave no-one behind. We are concerned that people living with disabilities are usually amongst the most marginalised and experience multiple discriminations. Evidence indicates that this is a result of attitudinal, environmental and institutional barriers. The exclusion of people with disabilities has significant social and economic costs.
Understanding the barriers faced by people with disabilities and their lived experiences is important for realising the potential of disabled people and creating a more inclusive and accessible society for all. We cannot succeed in reducing inequalities, accelerating sustainability and building inclusive, secure societies if we neglect to include people with disabilities.
Situating the IDS disability programme across IDS research clusters recognises that disability affects all areas of development. We have a strong emphasis on meaningful participation of people with disabilities and their families in the design, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of interventions and research.
At the moment the team has particular interest in:
- Inclusive humanitarian and development responses: examining the policy and practice of inclusive program design, implementation and monitoring and evaluation
- Participatory studies carried out by people living with disabilities on the dynamics of exclusion experienced within their localities
- Anthropological and mixed method approaches to the interplays between kinship, mental health and violence
- Economic opportunities for people living in poverty with disabilities
- Understanding and combating the attitudinal barriers faced by people with disabilities
- Gender, disability and sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR).
Publication highlights
- Rohwerder, B. (2014). Looking beyond prosthetics. Including people with disabilities in emergency relief efforts
- Kinship and Mental Health: A Medical Anthropology Special Issue by Tine M. Gammeltoft and Pauline Oosterhoff (upcoming 2017)
Photo credit: DPO Access Bangladesh Foundation, in Dhaka, supports an association of formers beggars turned street hawkers. Andy Isaacson, Australian Dept of Foreign Affairs - Flickr
Brigitte Rohwerder
- Research Officer
- Conflict and Violence Gender and Sexuality
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Danny Burns
- Participation Research Cluster Leader
- Participation, Inclusion and Social Change
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Dilmurad Yusupov
- DPhil Student
Erika Lopez Franco
- Research Officer
Hayley MacGregor
- Research Fellow
- Health and Nutrition Power and Popular Politics Gender and Sexuality
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More details
Jodie Thorpe
- Research Fellow, Cluster Leader
- Business, Markets and the State Rural Futures
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Stephen Thompson
- Research Officer
- Health and Nutrition
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Final External Review of the Cross-Cutting Disability Research Programme
This independent external review aimed to determine the extent to which the three year Cross-Cutting Disability Research Programme (CCDRP) in Nepal, India, Zambia, Uganda, and Kenya, has met its expected impact, outcome and outputs. More details
Market Based Solutions for the Extreme Poor
Studies have shown that it is often wealthier people in a community who benefit from market approaches to combatting poverty – men more than women, non-disabled more than disabled. So how and to what extent can market-based solutions improve the lives of extremely poor people? More details
ESRC-DFID Research for Policy and Practice: Disability and Education
This collection of ESRC–DFID funded research provides new evidence on what governments must consider in order to ensure that children with disabilities benefit from quality education without discrimination or exclusion. More details
Disability Inclusive Humanitarian Response
The World Report on Disability estimates that about 15 per cent of the world's population have some form of disability, with disability prevalence likely to increase as a result of ageing populations and the global increase in chronic health conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and mental health disorders. More details
Equality and Non-Discrimination (EQND) in Sanitation Programmes at Scale (Part 1 of 2)Frontiers of CLTS 10 (2017)
A well-facilitated Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) programme that pro-actively considers and involves people who might be disadvantaged has been shown to have many benefits. This issue of Frontiers of CLTS looks at who should be considered potentially disadvantaged, how they can effectively participate and what may be needed to address diverse needs in order to make processes and outcomes sustainable and inclusive. More details
Report on the Deliberative Panel of the Market-based Solutions for the Extreme Poor Programme
This report describes the discussions held by a deliberative panel on disability in Uganda. The panel formed part of a wider research project on 'market-based solutions for the extreme poor' funded by the Rockefeller Foundation. More details
Participatory Livelihoods Mapping with Persons with Disabilities in UgandaGrey Literature (2017)
This report provides the livelihoods mapping analysis of persons with disabilities at two locations in Uganda. More details
A Typology of Market-based Approaches to Include the Most MarginalisedGrey Literature (2017)
In recent years there has been a surge of interest in the role that markets and the private sector play in development, and interest to understand how development actors may most effectively support 'inclusive economies'. What is missing, however, is a systematic analysis of what it takes for market-based approaches to include the most marginalised e.g. those with disability. More details
Disability InclusionGSDRC Topic Guide (2015)
This guide summarises some of the most rigorous available evidence on the key debates and challenges of disability inclusion in development and humanitarian response. More details
The Global Green Economy: Competition or Cooperation between Europe and China?
Europe is confronted by an intimidating triple challenge: economic stagnation, climate change, and a governance crisis. This book demonstrates how these three challenges are closely interrelated. More details
'We can also make change' Piloting participatory research with persons with disabilities and older people in Bangladesh
This report presents the findings of the Voices of the Marginalised pilot research project. It draws on the real-life stories of persons with disabilities and older people, as told to researchers by persons with disabilities, family members of persons with disabilities and older people themselves. More details
Policy Audit: Sexuality and Disability in Policies Affecting Chinese People with DisabilitiesIDS Evidence Report 103 (2014)
This policy audit examines the cultural, political and economic spheres in China from the perspective of people with disabilities. More details
Including People with Disabilities in Emergency Relief EffortsIDS Rapid Response Briefing 8 (2014)
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that around 15 per cent of the world's population, or one billion people, have some form of disability. More details
Disability: Making CLTS Fully InclusiveFrontiers of CLTS: Innovations and Insights 3 (2014)
Community-Led Total Sanitation aims at total sanitation. For that it has to be inclusive. There are ethical reasons for this, but the bottom line is that while any open defecation continues, all are affected. This issue of Frontiers of CLTS focuses on people with disabilities and particular needs for access to sanitation. More details
Intellectual Disabilities in Humanitarian Assistance Policy and Practice: The Need to Consider the Diversity Within Disability
This chapter examines the consideration and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in humanitarian assistance policy and practice. While this chapter will touch on many issues faced by all people with disabilities, there is a need to recognize the diversity within disability to ensure interventions are responsive to everyone's needs, with 'one size fits all planning unhelpful in overcoming discrimination'. More details
Disability Inclusion in Social Protection
While people with disabilities have higher rates of poverty than people without disabilities, many countries have tried to address this by providing social protection to poor people with disabilities and their households. More details
'We Can Also Make Change' - Briefing Paper
This briefing draws on the real-life stories of persons with disabilities and older people in Bangladesh, as told to researchers in the Voices of the Marginalised project entitled 'We can also make change'. More details
Are Chronically Poor People being left out of Progress Towards the Millennium Development Goals? A Quantitative Analysis of Older People, Disabled People and OrphansJournal of Human Development 5.2 (2004)
The most useful poverty profiles are those based on functional groupings defined in relation to key livelihood features. This paper considers three groups, sometimes called the traditional poor, which are commonly identified as being poor in participatory poverty assessments: orphans, people with disabilities, and older people. More details
Can "markets" include and benefit very marginalised people?02 May 2017
By Jodie Thorpe, Zenebe Uraguchi
Why Davos should be talking about Disability19 Jan 2017
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When people with disabilities drive research15 Mar 2016
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Inclusion matters: time to be proactively inclusive about disability03 Dec 2015
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Understanding sexuality and disability in China22 Dec 2014
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Disability and development – leaving no one behind05 Dec 2014
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Including people with disabilities in emergency relief efforts03 Dec 2014
By Brigitte Rohwerder


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Sevaqk releases 'Creative Endeavours' instrumental
London based producer Sevaqk releases 'Creative Endeavours' a instrumental single - Check it out now
Sevaqkis a young talented producer hailing from London. A British Sikh from East London,Sevaqk'smusical journey began aged 6, when his dad bought him a Yamaha piano. The piano, which now sits proudly in his studio today, sparked a strong and unyielding thirst for music which has culminated in years of practice and learning.
Sevaqkfirst began making music in 2004, slowly expanding his sound and knowledge of music. Now an accomplished player of various instruments including; Grand piano, drum kit, harmonium, tumbi, guitar, dhol, dholki & tabla.
This multi-genre producer has a wide range of influences includingTimbaland, Ryan Leslie, Gurdas Mann, Jr Rotem, Red One, Stargate, Diplo & Steel Banglez.
Sevaqk has spent the last few years working with close friendSteel Banglezon a number of collaborations & will soon be releasing his official material in 2014. Having worked tirelessly over the last year, including late nights & early starts in the studio, Sevaqk is ready to break through!


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Legal Citation
All our editing and proofreading comply with the AGLC (AU), Business Editing, Chicago Citation (US), Harvard Style, McGill (Canada), NLSG (NZ), OSCOLA (UK), The Blue Book (US) or your choice.
All our editing and proofreading comply with the AGLC (AU), Business Editing, Chicago Citation (US), Harvard Style, McGill (Canada), NLSG (NZ), OSCOLA (UK), The Blue Book (US) or your choice.
Specialising in law thesis proofreading, dissertation editing services, legal writing services and essay proofreading, research proposal and thesis statement for LLB, LLM and PhD law studdents.
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This is especially important for an LLM or a PhD candidate who speaks English as a second language (ESOL). You cannot always discern the correct word for a particular legal context since you are not completely familiar with English legal terminology. Even specialist translators sometimes choose the wrong word for a particular legal context because they are translating – they lack the knowledge about the law in English to choose the correct terminology for the correct context.


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REMINDER: Please complete all the required information/details particularly the WORK EXPERIENCE & JOB DESCRIPTION. FAILURE TO DO SO WOULD LEAD TO NON-CONSIDERATION OF YOUR APPLICATION


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Length of uninterrupted repeats determines instability at the unstable mouse expanded simple tandem repeat family MMS10 derived from independent SINE B1 elements.
104 - 111
Mamm Genome
MetadataShow full item record
Mouse expanded simple tandem repeats (ESTRs) provide highly informative loci for analyzing spontaneous and induced germline mutation. We have conducted an extensive sequence database search and identified 17 new members of the highly unstable rodent-specific ESTR family called MMS10. This family has arisen by independent expansions of a common GGCAGA repeat unit from within a subset of both ancestral and modern SINE B1 elements during the course of mouse evolution. Analysis of the interspersion patterns of variant repeats along alleles of 20 of these MMS10 loci revealed two distinct classes of tandem arrays: one composed of uninterrupted GGCAGA repeats and the second with generally larger arrays interrupted by variant units. Surveys of allelic diversity at 11 representative members of these two classes of loci in various laboratory strains and BXD recombinant inbred lines revealed that the level of repeat instability was positively correlated with the length of uninterrupted repeats. Turnover processes at MMS10 loci, therefore, appear similar to the type of mechanism observed at human microsatellites. The MMS10 family thus provides a potentially useful murine model for studying dynamic mutation at simple tandem repeats.
AuthorsBois, PR; Southgate, L; Jeffreys, AJ
- College Publications [5439]
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April 03, 2017
Remington Has Profit Against Loss on Lower Spending
The Cerberus entity had net income of $18.9 million compared to a loss of $135.2 million for the FY ended Dec. 31 on a 7% sales improvement to $865.1 million from $808.9 million.
NICS Checks End Free Fall in March
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Puma Signs Borussia Monchengladbach
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Revolver Shooter Has a Bad Day with Remanufactured Ammunition
This revolver certainly is having a bad day.
It was fed substandard ammunition and a bullet got stuck in its barrel.
Watch this video and see the dangers of shooting remanufactured ammunition in your trusty revolver.
Well Glockster42 ran into quite a danger while shooting his his Smith and Wesson .38 special revolver. He got a bullet stuck in the barrel.
This cartridges in question that caused the stuck bullet were bought at a gun show. They were remanufactured ammunition meaning, they were never loaded by a factory to factory specifications. He states the previous 40 cartridges shot were really light in recoil and noise. Then he shot this cartridge that was just short of launching a bullet from the revolver's barrel. It was a squib bullet.
If this shooter would have fired another bullet into the back of this bullet, it could have been a bad accident for both man and revolver. Load your own ammunition carefully or buy factory ammunition. Leave the Bubba's Own Ammunition table quickly and buy legit.


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"Biorhythms Calculator 2010 1.2" was checked for the malware presence by using the leading antivirus software. By the tested results we certify that this program product doesn't contain any malware. "Biorhythms Calculator 2010 1.2" is safe for downloading and installation.
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You gotta look the part to impress and your desk is no exception. We've got the perfect solutions for making your desk look stellar to the powers-that-be.
With a giant clock/letter opener, there's no doubt you'll always be on time. AND you can open letters faster than all of your counterparts. Yes, you do still get letters from time-to-time. Be the guy who can open them the fastest. And, also be the guy who visits the supply closet located next to your boss' desk for the 4 AAA batteries this thing takes – take that opportunity to give her a latte!
Want your boss to think you're responsible enough to take care of a pet, but don't have time for a dog? Aquarium + 2 frogs = responsible
Your boss was born in the 70s? He doesn't really care about the ecosystem or being green. Impress him with a faux notepad – looks like you're writing on paper, but you're fully paperless! Plus, the wood finish reminds him of his mom's old station wagon!
Do you frequently arrive at a meeting and no one's prepared to project their presentation? Be at the ready with a pocket projector and impress the top dog!
You want to stand out from the crowd, right? Then stand up! At your desk! Situating your desk with a standing arrangement means you'll be taller than everyone around you and the head honcho will see you first when she thinks about promotions at the end of the year.
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Cockney Classic A light hearted, specialist act recreating all the old wartime and music hall songs. Ideally suited to an older audience. The act is full humour and will get everyone singing along!
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I am an avid fan of cool tools that enhances my job and speed up the process of work. I like anything that creates convenience not just for me but also for the customers.
My recent jobs include a lot of paint work. Painting can be tedious and tricky. The clean up process is not fun either. Many times a customer gets upset because I clean rollers and paint brushes using a hose in their backyard, leaving paint on their grass or ground. For my own home, I wash the rollers in the bathroom sink and that not only splatters paint all over, making my wife extremely unhappy, but I get it all over my hands. At the end of the day the roller doesn't really get cleaned all that thoroughly and I end up throwing many rollers away.
Today I purchased a new tool, the Rejuv-a-Roller. Not only is this tool more environmentally friendly as it doesn't leave a mess in the ground and saves water, it is a cost-saving device that is easy to use and allows me to quickly clean up! I can't wait to get it!
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
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This week, the US Senate passed a resolution to allow them to begin the process to repeal Obamacare. This resolution will go to the House and a plan is supposed to be set in place no later than January 27. Donald Trump has said that he wants to sign off on this bill as soon as possible.
We are finally close to removing this nightmare of a law and ruining the chief legacy of Barack Obama!
Now as the US House and Senate work to prepare the best solution for America, the question becomes: do we ask our representatives to partially repeal Obamacare, fully repeal Obamacare, or fully repeal and replace Obamacare?
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Mad Cow ULTRA VIOLET....be prepared!
A ridiculously high gloss wax fortifying final coat. Can be applied over previous wax coating or straight into freshly cleaned paint work. Extremely high level of beading, long lasting protection. Easy buff low smear formula, can be used in direct sunlight. Spray on, wipe over, buff off! The ultimate show shine!
...so what are you waiting for!


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I'm a rational human being. I'm aware the cards are stacked against me. And really, the cards aren't just stacked. The cards have formed a tower and a mote, and a village of angry townsfolk are carrying torches and chasing me out.
But, in any case, the only career I've ever hoped to pursue is acting. It'll never happen. I am already in my 20s, earned a graduate degree, and I have not yet once had the courage to stand before an audience for anything other than a school project (which, by the way, I always dreaded).
Get this: I'm a terrible public speaker. Dreadful. My voice shakes; my throat gets dry and I cough a lot; I don't look at the audience; and, I rarely know what I am talking about.
I once had to read an essay to a Post-Colonial Lit course in my undergraduate years because my writing was super feminist (professor's words, not mine) and my peers' writing was super not. My professor, Maya, wanted me to school everyone on being a decent human. Instead, one minute into reading my essay, Maya, concerned, asked me how long I'd had bronchitis and if I wanted her to read it instead. I schooled the class on awkwardly coughing while otherwise healthy.
The thing is, though: acting is not public speaking. Public speaking is standing still and trying to remember something about geology. Acting is flailing your arms and making octopus noises. It's wearing a bright red hat and running around aimlessly, looking for a lost shoe in this scene. Acting is being paid to put on those shows in your childhood basement that your parents hated while clapping. How do I know this, you ask? I just told you I've never been on a stage!
Guys, the world is my stage. For as long as I've been incredibly weird, the world has been my stage. And I must tell you: my first word was "apple pie". That's two words, but if you ask my parents about my first coherent word, it's "apple pie". I wasn't your average "mama papa" baby. Anyway. It's all about the drama. And guys, I love drama.
Here's my tentative plan to make my life worth living (JK, but really): I manually take 4 years away from my age. I had this brilliant idea while I was drinking blood (what if the sentence ended right here?) orange margaritas the other night, which is why the number is randomly 4 and not 5 or something normal.
Like I said, I have a graduate degree. In the ivory towers, you learn that almost everything is a social construct. I'm going to make an assessment here: age is a social construct. Yes, I was technically born a certain number of years ago. But, for the entertainment industry, 4 years in your 20s is significant. I can be airbrushed to look 20 years younger, anyways. My first role: baby who loves apple pie.
This plan is half-baked and I know it won't change my odds in an incredible way. However, this is step 1, and I will keep you posted on this weirdness as it unravels.
Do you want me to be a famous actress? If you for sure do, follow me, and say nice things to me!


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Enraged Rocket House [ download 3.7mb ]
more images +
_storyEnraged Rocket House is the story of the ancient and violent rivalry between Ice Cream Men and Rocket Houses. ERH depicts the endless struggle between Man and Rocket Houses everywhere, fueled by the rage of decades of warfare. Protected only by the walls of his trusty delivery truck, the Ice Cream Man looks to deliver his delicious treats to children everywhere. His job is wrought with peril, a life of constant fear and narrow escapes from the jaws of the murderous Rocket House.
How long can he continue to provide the neighborhood children with the delicious, sugary treats they so crave? Will the Rocket House ever abandon this fruitless, downward spiral of rage and hostility?
The answers to these questions and quite possibly the future of human/house relationships everywhere lies in your hands!
_notesEnraged Rocket House was made for the the Tigsource Video Game Name Generator competition
_creditscreated by Ryan Kamins
music by Chris Nadolski
_releasedversion 1.0 released 3.24.08


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Dr. Vinay Jadhav
Doctor Detail :
Dr. Vinay Jadhav is a Pediatric Surgeon (MBBS, MS (General Surgery), M.CH (Pediatric Surgery) ) in HSR Layout, Bangalore
Pediatric Surgeon
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Narayana Multispeciality Hospital, No. 1, 18th Main (Opp. HSR Club), Sector 3, Basant Health Centre Building, HSR Layout, Bangalore, Karnataka - 560102
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There are several ways you can be exposed to arsenic. Arsenic is a natural element found in some rocks and soil in Vermont and may get into groundwater. Every day you take in very small amounts of arsenic from the air, from water, and from food. Of these, food is usually the main source. This is generally because of the levels found in seafood and fish. But this form of arsenic is different than the arsenic found in rocks and soil, and is not as harmful to your health.
Both smelting and the burning of fossil fuels can release arsenic into the air, where it can be inhaled. Pressure treated wood can be a source of arsenic during sawing or sanding. Pesticides that were formerly used in orchards contained arsenic, and it still may be present in those soils. Arsenic is also used in some consumer products.
Health Effects from Exposure to Arsenic
Health effects from drinking water with arsenic depend on two things:
- How much arsenic is in the water
- How many years you've been drinking the water
Drinking water with arsenic over a long period of time may cause an increased lifetime risk of bladder, lung or skin cancer. There also may be links to skin and cardiovascular diseases, diabetes or other cancers. Learn more about arsenic in drinking water
Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA) is a chemical preservative comprised of arsenic, chromium and copper. Health effects from exposure to the arsenic in CCA-treated wood depend on the concentration of arsenic present on the wood surface, the amount of time spent on the wood structure, and any hand-to-mouth behavior during exposure.
Potential effects include stomach irritation, blood vessel damage, skin changes, and reduced nerve function. Long-term exposure to elevated levels of arsenic has been linked to skin, bladder and lung cancer. Ongoing research is being conducted on other health effects.
For questions about disposal, call the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, Waste Management and Prevention Division at 802-828-1138.
More Information
- Pressure Treated Wood Handling and Disposing—Environmental Protection Agency
- Indoor Air Quality


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"FARMERS, environmental and community groups will lobby state and federal politicians after voicing their opposition to the proposed Needles Gap Dam on the Belubula River this week.
About 120 people gathered in Orange on Tuesday night to discuss the proposed dam and what they could do to stop it from proceeding."
Full article at www.centralwesterndaily.com.au/story/2711572/group-opposed-to-needles-gap-dam-to-focus-lobbying-around-election/?cs=103
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