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Troup County Sheriff's Office Drug Agents arrested a West Point man for allegedly manufacturing marijuana in his backyard, according to a sheriff's report.
The agents received a tip that someone was growing marijuana on their property in the 300 block of Reed Road in West Point.
Resident William Craig Slade, 28, gave agents consent to search the property upon arrival. During their search, agents found an oblong and rectangular-shaped flower pot containing three marijuana plants, in plain view, located in the backyard.
"He had it growing where every neighbor around him could see," Lt. Wesley Gaddy said. "The plants were between a storage shed and a car."
Each of the plants stood approximately 3 feet tall, according to the report.
Agents arrested Slade, who then allegedly admitted to having smoking devices as well. Agents reported that Slade showed them to a blue glass pipe located on the back bumper of his pickup truck.
A set of scales, marijuana grinders, rollings papers, marijuana seeds and various other smoking devices were found inside the home, Gaddy said. Most of the paraphernalia was concealed in a Crown Royal bag, according to the report.
All items were seized and admitted into evidence. Slade was transported to the Troup County Jail and charged with manufacturing marijuana.


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The Real Avid Bowsmith features 28 archery tools packed in one multi-tool frame, including: needle-nose pliers with cutters, nock spreader, nock crimp and string-loop setter, broadhead sharpener, fletching stripper, broadhead wrench, peep-sight string spreader, 14 hex bits and ¼-inch hex driver, knife, insert extractor tool and arrow-shaft cleaning brush. Contact Real Avid at: (800) 286-0567; realavid.com.
"The Bowsmith is small and light enough to fit and carry in my bowcase, or in my backpack to carry in the woods at all times for those minor bow emergencies that come up."
"This tool is just what the bowhunter has been waiting for. Everything I need to work on my bow is on this tool. It has a great carrying case, too."

subset: commoncrawl


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Thiru Thangarathinam shows how easy it is to customize a .NET Web application's visual appearance at the site, page, or control level using ASP.NET 2.0 Themes.
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My daughter's birthday surprise: I ate beans and cabbage all day, baked a nice birthday cake. Then I dropped trows and exposed myself to my xx year old daughter, Haley. She was distraught and called out "OMG MOM WHAT ARE YOU DOING???" She knew something is going on and I'm going to fart or shit on the cake. When I was ready I stood less than a foot away from the cake and let out a monstrous x or 8 seconds long wet fart. The smell was horrid. It was like a combo of rotten eggs, a gas station, enchovie and shit. The whole room reeked. Then I fed it to my daughter Haley McKelvey who all ate it in minutes. My name is Nicole McKelvey from Toronto and I work as a sales rep at a real estate office.
Nicole McKelvey
Sales Representative
8xx Don Mills Rd, Toronto, Ontario MxCxWx
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March 3, 2012 to April 1, 2012 – Heathcote Museum & Gallery The four artists will map their routine trails from their private spaces through public spaces to various destinations within the Perth area. The work will explore our daily paths and how as individu… Organized by Heathcote Museum & Gallery | Type: exhibition, art, installation
March 16, 2012 to April 22, 2012 – Mundaring Arts Centre Fluidity invites some of WA's leading glass artists to explore the theme of water as a metaphor for emotion and journey and as a powerful life and death-giving force. Glass is a substance of extreme… Organized by Mundaring Arts Centre | Type: exhibition
© 2013 Created by MuseumsWA.


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A small island in West Blue is about to get a visitor....
The island is called Lemon Isle, known for it's chief export. The island is home to a small Marine base, but also to a heavy air trade. The various ports around the island carry Lemons out and money in. The marines sometimes seem hard pressed...but today, their new captain is supposed to show up, so most of the marines are in the base.
Meanwhile, down in the streets of the Capitol of this little island, Citrus Town, provisions are being set up for this island's other big tourist attraction. The "Lemon Island Classic" has been held for four years now, and racers and air pirates from around West Blue come to the island for the race and the festival, even members of organized crime and militias are known to watch, looking for talent.
And on the horizon, a Blue Devil can be seen making a wide turn, showing it's blue camouflage job, and the clear Gull marking on the wings and tail plane, marking it as a marine fighter. It's a Captain Model of the Blue Devil. This, is the new marine captain, coming in on the base's dock in a wide arc. The Marine base is on the opposite side to the Citrus town dock however, so any pirates coming in will most likely be safe. The gun crews of the base meanwhile, are ordered to stand down when the plane banks, showing it's mark. This is procedure for the Marines now, show your mark, or be blown out of the sky.
In this age of pirates, they can't take any chances.
Sera watched the show from the shadows of a building, secretly wishing she could be in it. Of course, being an ex-marine spy turned pirate, there was no way they'd let her in. She laughed silently to herself as she turned toward the wall behind her. She glanced behind her to make sure no one was watching, and, seeing no one, walked forward through the wall. She emerged from the wall in a solid brick room with no doors or windows. The room was completely empty, save for a plane that sat in the center. Sera's plane. The small black spyplane was heavily damaged from the fight with a marine antiaircraft battery that cost her crew their lives, and nearly hers as well.
Eventually I'll find a mechanic to fix this... she thought as she slipped through the wall opposite teh one she had entered. Once outside, she picked up the black cloak hanging on a railing and quickly threw it on, pulling the hood down low to conceal her face. A drop of water caused her to look up. Rain? There wasn't supposed to be a storm today... oh well, at least it will keep me from being recognized...
"Hey, Miss! Stop!" a voice called as Sera started to walk off.
Sera turned her head towards the voice. A marine.
"You're Sera Cross!" the marine cried as he recognized her.
S***, too late... Sera thought. "Who?" she asked.
The marine wasn't buying her act. "Shut up. You're wanted dead."
Sera laughed. "I know. What's your point, buddy? You're gonna do it?"
"Yes." The marine drew a rifle. "Not like a lone girl can stop me."
"I could... but I'm in a good mood. I'll just leave now, and you can't do anything about it," Sera grinned.
"What are you talking about? You try to escape, you're dead."
"Apparently, you don't know who I am," Sera laughed. "Good bye." She began to sink into the ground, leaving the stunned marine staring at a black cloak laying on the ground.
What the heck was that!? the marine wondered as he stared at the cloak. He walked over and picked it up, and finding nothing under it, he scowled and walked back to his post.
Last edited by SilentEcho (2007-06-04 15:16:09)
Jackie Teeger was a lot of things. One of them was a drinker.
Not heavy... but he liked wetting his whistle every now in then.
So, after coming to Citrus Island, he did the one thing that any enterprising individual did. He headed for the nearest pub.
And that's where he found himself... his jack boots clicking as he walked heel-toe heel-toe up to the bar, his jacket open, and his goggles around his neck instead of on the crown of his head.
"Hey, keep." He got the man's attention. Not because he was particularily loud... or that he had some sort of veiled threat. Nah, Jackie's voice was deep. Deeper then it should have been... but smooth. Still.. it didn't belong to the short man that needed another 20 pounds on him. It belonged to someone taller... and heavier.
"Yeah? What'll it be?" The keep asked after his initial shock wore off.
"I'll have a glass of whiskey." Jackie says... he reached out and grabbed the keep when he turned. "And a shot of whiskey. And whiskey on the rocks. And a whiskey and tonic. And a whiskey daquiri. And a whiskey martini. And a whiskey chaser." Alright, maybe he was just this side of being an alcoholic.
"Why... don't I just get you a bottle of whiskey?" The keep asked. Jackie frowned.
"If I wanted a bottle of whiskey... I would have asked for a bottle of whiskey." The keep shrugged and prepared the man's drinks, who turned on his stool and leaned back against the bar... breathing in the smoky air. That was soon followed by Jackie pulling out his own pipe... packing it with the fine, long leaf tobacco he enjoyed (directly imported from the Red Line). Soon... rings of smoke were being puffed out of the meerschaum pipe he held between his teeth. This... was the life.
Or it will be once his drinks were served.
(Picture of Jackie's pipe: http://www3.jetro.go.jp/cgi/ttppoas/an_ … &seq=1. It's... more golden brown, as it was his father's pipe.)
- "Yes Grandpa.... I know what I'm doing. .... Of course I have enough money... Yes Grandpa, the plane works fine... Of course I checked the engine! I'm not some two-bit mechanic! ... Alright, alright... I'm sorry. I know you just want to make sure I'm alright... OK, I'll be safe. Tell Zeke and Grandma that I said "Hi." ... Bye, Grandpa. Have a good night." After hanging up the receiver and stepping out of the Den Den Mushi booth, an exasperated mechanic in a set of blue coveralls leaned against the booth and let out a deep breath. Taking a pouch out of his sleeve, he rolls a cigarette and lights it with a match. "Sheesh, I love talking to you, Grandpa, but I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself." After taking a hit from his cigarette, he rolled back his head and breathed out a large cloud of smoke. "I need a drink."
- Finding the bar and opening its doors, Glenn gazed around until he found an open stool at the bar. Upon sitting down, he found himself next to a moustacheod fellow who was right in the middle of a whiskey daquiri. The assortment of empty glasses puzzled glenn for a second, but he dismissed it. "Barkeep! Give me an Alabastan Oasis with a highball to chase it!" The bartender looked at Glenn for a second and prepared the drinks, muttering under his breath about a waste of clean glasses. After being served, the bartender shot the short man in the flight jacket a dirty look, then returned to serving drinks. "What's his problem?" Glenn downed his drink and asked the man. "Hmph. That clown can't understand the subtleties of a good drink." Glenn just shrugged and downed his chaser. The man laughed. "I see you know your way around the booze, though." Glenn shrugged. "So? I like to drink. Big deal." The man only had one glass left. "What's your name?" Glenn cracked his neck. "Glenn Voltaire. I'm the best damn mechanic you'll ever lay eyes on." The man raised his glass. "Jackie Teeger. Pilot Captain." With that, the alcohol disappeared down Jackie's throat, and both men ordered more.
WHOAH! THIS PLACE IS AMAZING! yelled the short man, who, by his clothes, was clearly an aviator. Cameron, you say that EVERYTIME we come to a new island. This town isnt AMAZING or AWESOME. Its BORING, because all they do is export lemons and hold an annual festival/air race. Lots of other towns do that too. said a second man trailing behind the first man, Cameron. But how many of them are named after lemons, the number one vegetable in the world, eh, Joshua? Joshuas eyebrow twitched. Lemons are a fruit, how could you NOT know that... wait. Its you; I guess I already know the answer to that question. Cameron turned around and glared at Joshua, and then kept on walking, his mood severely dampened by Joshuas attitude.
After a few more minutes of walking, the two had made it to the town airport. It was lively today, probably because of the impending air race. They were then escorted by a lone overweight security guard to a hangar, marked Number 14. The side door was opened, and Cameron and Joshua entered. Inside was a small workforce lounging around a flying wing type airplane, most of them had cigarettes, and the air reeked of tobacco. A man stained with grease and perhaps lunch, came up to them and shook his head. Im sorry guys, but that right engine of yours just isnt gonna be fixable. Its a miracle you landed her at all, with all those bullet holes and whatnot. Id say you guys are grounded until we can get another engine for you. Itll probably take a week, though. Cameron pulled his goggles up from his eyes. Youre telling me we wont be able to fly in the air race? The mechanic nodded. I know it aint the best of situations, but you could always try looking for someone to front you an engine. Im sure there are enough bigwigs in town right now for you to get at least a half decent engine from one of them. All you have to do is impress, and youre good to go. Joshua had been stone silent the entire time. He finally spoke up. I... I think Im going to need a stiff drink. Look said Cameron, putting a hand on Joshuas shoulder, I know that was the planes original engine, and that its been with us for 8 very long years, but I Dont think you should get overly sentimental about it. Its just an engine. Joshua put a hand on Camerons shoulder. I couldnt care less about the engine. I just want a stiff drink.
One stiff drink lead to another, and before long, Joshua was smashed.
J...just one more bar, Cameron, come on, it wont hurt... With an arm slung over Cameron, Joshua was almost carried to the last bar in town. Before the two could get in however, a very large, very mean looking bouncer stopped them. No more booze for this one. Hes piss drunk already. But, if you wanna go in, be my guest. Cameron got a rather quizzical look on his face. Me? Drink? Naw, Im too young. Thats what Joshua always says, anyways. The bouncer sighed. Kid, you gotta be over twenty, and thats the drinking age here. So, go on in if you want, since this is your first time, Ill keep an eye on your buddy, okay? Cameron entered the bar, with hesitant steps. He sat down at the bar, and cleared his throat. The bartender didnt even notice him; he was too busy supplying drinks to a pair of customers who were chatting up a storm. One of them appeared to be an aviator, the other, a mechanic. Joshua cleared his throat again, this time netting the bartenders attention. What can I get for you, son? Cameron paused a moment to think over what exactly hed drink. Well, Id like a... but before he could order, there was a bellow from outside, as Joshua staggered into the bar. Close behind him came the bouncer. THAT FREAK! HE BIT ME! Cameron leapt from his bar stool and dashed to Joshua, supporting him with an arm. Im really, really, REALLY sorry about this. said a frantic Cameron. Sorry isnt enough, pal. Were taking this outside. replied the bouncer. Is there anything I can do to avoid a fight? No, and Im going to beat you to a bloody pulp, kid. said the bouncer, cracking his knuckles. Cameron sighed. I guess theres no avoiding it, then. And then, suddenly, Cameron smiled. Anybody wanna come and watch?
Kaito wiped a greasy hand across his brow, staring up into the mass of wires that represented the underbelly of a gutted plane, while listening to the anxious voice of the man who owned it.
'Can you fix it?' asked the customer nervously, wringing his hat in his hands as he asked.
Sighing, Kaito slid himself out from under the plane and stood up, wiping his hands on a rag and pocketing it.
'I could probably fix it...' he began, but was quickly interrupted by a cry of relief.
'Oh thank God! This plane means the world to me, which is why I had it toed to here for you to look at it Mr. Shun!'
Kaito frowned, turning away from the man and staring at a rack of tools on the wall.
'I said I COULD fix it. Not that I would. I'm an engineer, not a mechanic. Your problem could be sorted out by anyone who really knew what they were doing. This bird is a piece of junk anyway.'
The man's face fell, and he went back to wringing his hat. Kaito sighed, his eyes glancing around the hangar, wondering what to do. He had intended to leave and chase his father months ago, but new orders kept coming in, and Kaito had a reputation to keep. He had built his airstrip on a remote string of islets, which made it impossible for big freighters to navigate on. Kaito had started business here for several reasons, but the main one had been to stop people bringing him planes to repair. He didn't advertise his company, because if you were important or rich enough, you already knew it. He'd always stressed that he made aircraft to order, and did NOT repair them, but there were always a few who tried...
He sighed, knowing that is he turned this man away, it wouldn't be regarded kindly. Kaito didn't need the money, but he wanted the experience, so had established this haven for talented engineers several months ago, pouring money into it to get it done quickly. every piece of land in these island chains were connected by overhead suspension bridges, and even the largest of them was barely long enough for the airstrip and hangars that Kaito was working in now. The weather was tropical, and the heat was making the boy sweat, the droplets of water rolling down his forehead formed strange patterns as the oil he was coated in repelled them. Enough reminiscing, it was time to deal with this problem. catching the eye of one of his many employees, he took his customer by the shoulders and marched him over to the mechanic, who wore an unfriendly scowl as he saw Kaito coming.
'I may not fix it for you Mr.Aziez, but Gordon here is my very best mechanic, and he'd be happy to do it.'
The mechanic's expression darkened even further, and with a pat on the shoulders, Kaito ran for it, hoping the situation would sort itself out. As he sauntered off, he took in everything that was happening in his hangar, reveling at the cathedral of metal and steel that he owned. All over the floor, various projects were being carried out, all of which Kaito took a personal interest in. In one corner, a team of artists were finishing off the paint work on a plane ordered by someone who wanted it to "look and sound exactly like a bee." Kaito got some strange and difficult requests at times, but he was proud to say that he'd dealt with all of them. In another area, an experimental turbo fan engine was suspended on chains, with teams of metallurgists clustered around it. One was holding a remote, and began to flick various switches, beginning to rotate the fans in the engine. For a moment the hangar seemed to go quiet, everyone gathering around to watch as an intense jet of flame roared out of the engine, lasting only seconds before the whole engine began to melt and mould out of shape. It looked like Kaito's latest attempt at creating an alloy that could withstand the temperatures of turbo fan had failed as well. Finally, just outside the hangar, another group of engineers were arguing over the best way to calibrate the mobile anti air cannon set up on the runway. This project wasn't Kaito's idea, but the brainchild of one of his deputies, who insisted that being able to unpack and arm an anti air cannon in under an hour would be a valuable asset to the marines.
Kaito watched the argument go on for some minutes, walking out into the sun and leaning against the entrance to the hangar as he watched the engineers bicker. He watched and waited, growing more and more impatient at their indecision, before finally throwing up his arms and walking over to them. In one smooth movement, he pushed through the group and found himself at the control panel for the cannon. he looked at the calibration sliders for a few seconds, tongue stuck out in concentration, and began to flick them left and right, using different to slide the plastic indicators back and forth. After a few moments of adjustment, Kaito turn to his subordinates,who were all watching intently.
'Gentlemen... and lady, THIS is how you calibrate a cannon.'
With a flourish, Kaito turned and slammed a fist on the firing pin, watching as the cannon rocked backwards, the artillery shell launched into the sky. ONe of the engineers raised a pair of binoculars and looked to the sky.
'Well? How did I do?' asked Kaito, twiddling his fingers as he waited for an answer.
The engineer lowered his binoculars slowly, looking pale as he turned to Kaito.
'Well... it certainly hit some thing. I think you may actually have just hit someone's plane.'
Kaito remained perfectly still for a few moments, forgetting to exhale. After a second or two, he began to speak.
'In that case, I believe we should all very calmly, very quietly, disassemble all evidence of this weapon, and prepare for an emergency landing. If the pilot lands here, we'll just look at the plane, pretend to discuss what could have caused it, and all agree that a bird flew into the propellers.'
Last edited by toenails (2007-06-04 11:02:57)
Back at Lemon Island, the new captain had landed on the water. The seaplane came in on the docks, floating in next to the Eagle for the coastal patrol and the two destroyers stationed there. A line of marines stood at attention on either side of the dock. The lieutenant of the base, a gruff looking man named David, walked up the dock's center, then stopped a fair distance from the plane. He shouted at his men to stand at attention. As the pilot began to exit the plane though
it became clear
Their new captain was not only a girl, but a kid. She must have been 19 at most, yet, she wore the jacket of a captain
and she was flying the standard captains plane. As she stepped out of the plane, she removed her pilots cap, throwing it into the seat. She let down her dark hair, Hello, glad you all came out to see me. She said with a wave. I can see by the look on your faces that Im not what you expect, thats good, I stake my career on being unexpected
My name is Catherine Raven, nice to meet ya. She waved again, her long cutlass showing under the coat, her brown eyes seeming to sparkle. Whos the lead officer here?
Thats me, Lieutenant David Talon MAM! and he came to attention, saluting his new captain. His face didnt change much, there wasnt too much that could faze him emotionally. He did recognize the name Raven as the same name of a famous, genius marine Admiral, one of the top admirals now at HQ
this girl is, his daughter?
Lieutenant, there is a race going down soon right? She asked him.
Thats right mam he answered, still at attention, Its a big event on Lemon Isle, pilots from all around come to race in this event. It should start tomorrow.
Good, I want you to take some people into town and scout out whos in it. If there is anyone with so much as one /B/ (berri) on their heads I want to know. I also want you to get some info on the airplanes in this race, understood?
Understood, Ill get on that
. David said, then he turned.
By the way, Raven almost whispered at first, then she hollered AS YOU WERE! to the men standing at attention. They fumbled around a bit in slight shock, but eventually stood at ease. Then, someone came running down the dock from the main fort. Lieutenant! he cried, We had an intruder in the base!
What? Captain and XO said at once, they stood next to each other as the soldier told his story. At first, David was skeptical, Went through the floor? Are you sure?
If shes who I think she is, the Captain told her officer, then yes, its possible, we need to post extra guards around the base
Ill deal with that, you have your own mission David.
"Right captain, I'll get into town..." and at that, the two marines moved on, this was going to be a rough day. Catherine was a little uneasy, First day of command, and I'm already faced with a dangerous fugitive...let's hope nothing else weird happens...
((Also, character compendium with these two included is comming, I think?))
Not so much as 500 kilometers away from Lemon Isle now, according to the map in his head. That's what he guessed anyway. The visual of the small string of islets below was confirmation enough. He flicked a lever and adjusted the wheel, barely glancing at his altitude. He had been in the skies long enough to know how high he was without help from a gauge. He wasn't moving that fast however. In fact, he was more or less putting along with an embarassing plume of smoke pouring out of the left engine accompanied by a sputter of engine sounds. Not to mention the multitude of bullet holes and deep body scratches. It was a tough, old plane- having been with him for many years now; a splendid DHI A-H5 Buccaneer with personal modifications. But he guessed one couldn't outrun a Marine Unit without SOME casualty.
He leaned back in his seat and placed a knee on the steering wheel to keep his direction straight, having accidentally broken the function that did that automatically for him. He slid a hand under the ridiculously large belt that hung on his waist and brought a pack of cigarettes out with him. Lucky Star brand. Placing a butt between his lips, his hand disappeared into his belt again, this time retrieving a small, metal lighter. He flicked it a few times under his cigarette only to produce minor sparks. Again, he tried, this time with more flicks of the thumb. Nothing. He looked at the lighter as if it were his rival, rolling the butt in his mouth from side to side. His stare remained strong as if he were expecting something from this piece of metal. And then, he just tossed it behind him.
"Oh well. Looks like it's not Kichi's lucky day."
This young man with the soothing voice was Kichiro Rakki, a not-so notorious Sky Pirate. He was fairly well-known on a minor scale in the West Blue and parts of the South, but his escapes were always as mysterious as his entrances, more times than not having the authority on his tail. His past was an enigma to everyone as well, and people wondered how a 24-year-old managed such a life of sky piracy alone. This was Kichiro's life though, no matter which way you looked at it, and he wouldn't trade its freedom for all the belli in the world.
Kichiro puffed the bangs out of his eyes and retook control of the wheel. The string of islets were coming to an end and Lemon Isle was on the horizon now. It just so happened that his next stop was holding a rather famous Racing Event. Whether or not Kichiro had planned that, one could never tell, but he did plan on making a few extra belli to at least get someone to repair his baby.
"Aye! Destination straight ahead Cap'n. Good, good... steady as she goes." he mimicked in a quiet tone, rolling the cig back and forth in his mouth. It was apparent he had been travelling a long time now.
His trip was going as smooth as it could be with a damaged engine and Kichiro preferred it that way. However, luck comes in cycles and this pirate had just expended it with his rather insane escape from the Marines. A high-pitched whistle struck the young man's ears, perking them for a moment. It didn't take long for his experience to remind him what that sound was. He peered out the starboard side only to witness a speeding shell zoom right through his wing with a crashing sound, perhaps inches from striking the engine. The shell didn't explode on contact miraculously, hinting that Kichi's luck wasn't spent yet. Chunks of the wing began to shake loose and the engine struggled to support the plane, erupting black smoke into the sky.
"This isn't good..." Kichiro said rather calmly as he pulled any levers and flipped any switches that may keep him in the sky. However, when he looked at the damaged wing next, was was surprised with how the engine became disconnected from the wing and eventually removed from it, shooting off into the unknown blue. Kichi looked at the spot where his engine once was with unbelieving eyes as the plane really began to shake. The cigarette dropped from his mouth. "Oi..."
His ship suddenly caught up with physics and took a sharp turn. Kichiro struggled with the wheel as he flipped a number of exhaust switches, doing anything to straighten out his plane. If anything, he had to make sure he hit the ground, for landing in the ocean would mean his plane would be lost. One of the larger islets wasn't far off but in the chaos of his spinning, it would be quite difficult to land there. As he became closer and closer aquainted with the sea he, still rather composed, removed the heavy starter key in one last ditch effort. The remaining engine began to shut down and his spinning was slowing. With some flying skill, and a plane-full of luck, Kichiro caught some wind under his wings and evened himself out. But now was the worst part. As he came hurdling down into what looked like some tropical wooding, he swiftly buckled his safety belt and braced for impact.
"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit." he panicked rather quietly as his plane crashlanded hard into the trees below.
He had somehow survived and his plane had surprisingly seen worse. He supposed a quick pit stop wouldn't be so bad before the big race. Especially on a nice island like this. He sat there a moment, enjoying the fact that he was alright despite him being upside-down in a turned over aircraft stuck in the tropical brush. The laid-back pirate decided he would wait and see if anyone from the islet would come to help him down, as not to hurt himself. A small flame caught his eye, caught on a hanging piece of the plane's interior, not far off, which probably caught during the crash. He grinned and pulled out another cigarette.
"Care for a light, Cap'n? Aye, mate. I would." But just before the butt could touch fire, something snapped and Kichiro's safety belt came loose, sending him hurdling down to the forest floor below with a nasty thud. If the captain's head was any less thick, he may have been rendered more than just unconscious.
Last edited by Cap'n Jefu (2007-06-04 22:19:12)
The frond of the palm trees blew back and forth in the gentle wind, and Kaito frowned as the sun beat down on the back of his neck. Taking a step forward, he moved into the shade of the tree, and nudged his foot against the head of the unconscious man. Noting the unusual shadow on the ground, Kaito tilted his head upwards and swore as he saw the wrecked plane, caught in the tree. It hadnt been totalled. The boy simply had to hope that the man lying by him wasnt terribly attached to the aircraft, and would accept a new one. Looking behind him, Kaito spotted some of the other engineers searching through the dense jungle that surrounded the air field. Pulling his wrench from its holster, the boy angled it to catch the sun and shine at the other search team. Sure enough, they looked towards the light, and saw the genius engineer waving his wrench around, knocking a tree as he did so. The tree rustled for a moment, and Kaito swore as something hard dropped out and hit him on the head.
Looking around on the ground to see what had knocked him, Kaito caught sight of something small, hard, and round. It looked a little like a fruit, but most fruit wasnt black like oil.
Kaito picked up the object, marvelling at the way it even felt like black gold. A strange compulsion overcame him as he stared into its silky black surface, and he had an overwhelming urge to take a bite out of it. His teeth were beginning to close around it when a piece of debris came loose from the tree Kaito was under, hitting him again and driving all thoughts of eating from his head. Instead, the boy tucked it away in one of his many pockets, zipping it up to make sure he didnt lose it.
As Kaito did this, he heard the distinctive groan of someone who has just fallen thousands of feet in a piece of metal, been knocked unconscious, and has awakened just moments before.
So much for finding his father.
His eyes would barely open, taking in a blur of vision. It took a few moments for everything to register and his head to start hurting. He didn't move quite yet, outside of a forearm to cover his eyes. Something provided enough shelter from the sun but his sensitivity to any light seemed intensified. He rolled over a bit, to help push himself up, and managed to at least sit up.
"Oi..." he groaned. "feels like the rum got to you, Cap'n." Kichiro rubbed temples with thumb and forefinger, his eyes shut tight. This was one hell of a hangover, possibly one of the worse yet. That and the heat was unbearable, or rather the immense humidity that caused Kichiro to feel sticky and damp was. Sweat practically lubricated his body by this point. He must've been out for a while.
Kichiro finally managed to stand up, another groan escaping his lips. He struggled to keep his balance as his vision was clearing. A voice caught him by surprise, not enough to jump, that was younger sounding... definately a kid. Perhaps he had passed out in his yard after he left the bar? It wasn't totally impossible and, in fact, had happened a few times before.
"Hey. You alright?" Kichi looked down at the speaker, who was much shorter than he, through still adjusting eyes. The pirate thought he should at apologize and continue on his way. He didn't need any trouble.
"Yeah, yeah I am. Sorry for troubling you, mate." Kichi said while digging around under his belt, pulling out his pack of cigarettes and holding them before the boy, who upon further observation looked rather odd... and very dirty. "Accept my apologies with a good smoke, hm?" They were waved off with an oversized wrench and Kichi sighed, hoping that he could maybe produce a lighter from him.
"No, I'm fine. But--" The boy with the oil-stained face was cut off with a hand to the shoulder which the pirate patted as he walked past him.
"Aye, that's too bad. I'll be seeing ya then," he smirked at the boy just as he went past. "got things to do, people to see. Again, my apologies for sleeping in yer yard or what-not, mate." The boy watched the stranger as he slowly staggered off into the wood with an unbelieving look on his face. Where did he think he was going?
It wasn't more than fifteen seconds before the disorientated man came stamping back to the clearing that he awoke from. He lurched his head forward while leaning against a sturdy palm tree. Carefully, he looked around, taking in his environment. The boy with the large wrench looked at him oddly again, crossing his arms and tapping his foot. Kichiro stared at the boy for a few moments before finally producing some words.
"This isn't Haddock Town, is it mate?" The boy raised a brow at this. Haddock Town was on an island far to the south of here. It seemed that this stranger was unaware of his current situation. "Fact is... this is no town at all." The sky pirate continued as he took a few steps towards his acquaintance. Looking around a bit, he finally acknowledged that he was in a tropical forest of some kind. He flashed the boy an embarassed grin as he rubbed his neck.
"...Where is it that we are, actually?"
Last edited by Cap'n Jefu (2007-06-05 22:30:18)
"C'mon, don't do this to me, not now." she said while tapping the fuel gauge on her plane. It was reading empty.
"I told that idiot to make sure my fuel was full for this! Oh yeah, from now on, he's doing all of the supply runs." she said with gritted teeth. She was losing altitude but Erica knew how to make sure that it was a slow and graceful descent. Looking ahead, she noticed that on that small grouping of islands that didn't really look familiar to her, Erica saw a landing strip on one of them.
Wow, well isn't that lucky. she thought to herself. Taking her plane down was a bit rough. She couldn't get a wide enough arc to get herself a comfortable landing but hey, like all pilots say, any landing is a good landing. Her plane kept going down the landing strip till she saw an open garage coming up. She drove her plane straight in and cut the engine. She stepped out of her plane and lowered her goggles, her hair resting over her eyes when she noticed the place was completely empty.
"Hello! Anybody here!?" she shouted. There were a few planes also in the place. Some had some of the strangest designs she had ever seen before, gawking at one that looked like a bee. Looking around, she noticed a refueling pump and shouted "Hey! Whoever owns this place, I'm gonna bogard some of your fuel!" She walked towards the pump, opened her flight jacket, and pulled out a cigarette. She put it in her mouth and began lighting it when a sign caught her hidden eyes.
SHUN TECH TESTING FIELD 1 is what it read.
She stopped dead in her tracks as the name of Shun ran through her mind.
"I'm in a Shun testing garage!!!!" she yelled, her cigarette falling out of her mouth. She began to step backwards, both in awe, and also in a slight sense of fear of having trespassed on the private property of a very rich entrepreneur when a click was heard behind her. That click was a familiar one, having heard it during many of her treasure hunting races, and on a few of her more dangerous side jobs, the sound of a cocking pistol. She turned around, placing a hand behind her back, grabbing the hilt of Stormbringer instinctively, and saw 2 men.
"Okay miss, what are you doing in this garage?" asked the one with the gun.
"Well, my plane was going down since my idiot employee forgot to refuel my plane and I thought hey, why don't I drop by a secret Shun testing field just for giggles. Now right here, right now, I'm just kind of waiting to see what your gonna do with that pea shooter." She said, her grin going from nervous to nothing but teeth.
Last edited by Okami Kugatsu (2007-06-05 17:40:20)
When the fight was called... and everyone, including the keep hurried out... Jackie immediately noticed that his new friend didn't leave.
"Alright friend. This may be the alcohol talkin', but you're trustworthy for this. But... in a moment." And the man went through all the tables... drinking all the left over drinks. When he came back... he let out a belch. "Excuse me. Now..." he reached into his coat... and pulled out a tattered, yellowed, old map.
He cleared off the bar, unfolded the map and placed it on the bar... placed a shot glass in each corner... reached behind and grabbed a bottle of whiskey from behind the counter and filled up each shot glass. "For extra weight." He assured the mechanic. He got a highball... filled that with vodka half way and placed it on the map.
"So... it's a map."
"Not just any map. You're looking at the single, most complete map of the Grand Line that I've ever seen from the Old Era. I'm willing to be the Lucky Lady that this was made by the Pirate King's navigator. But that's not important right now. What is... is that... well. Look." He motioned to the highball with vodka. When Glenn looked through, it had the effect of a magnifying glass.
What he saw... were faded writings at certain places.
"Okay. So it's a treasure map as well. So what?"
"Not just any treasure map. The map to the treasure." Jackie was still whispering... for... who knew.
"The City of Gold? But... no... this is a map of the Grand Line. You're not talking about the One Piece, are you?"
"I am. And the City of Gold. Not many know this... but the Milky Road and the Grand Line sync up. With this, some up to date air charts, and some pluck, you and me, friend, we can get not just the One Piece, but the city of gold itself! We'll become legends in our own lifetime!" Jackie says, jumping up. Really... this was either the ramblings of a drunk racer... or there was some worth to this map.
"I dunno. It just doesn't look like it leads to either of those. There's branches to the path." Glenn says, peering through the highball one more time. "What's up with that?"
"Those? Probably lesser treasurs or markers or something of worth. We'll burn those bridges when we get there, pal." Jackie says. "So... are you in... or are you out?"
- Glenn nodded. Even if the map led to nowhere, it was better than whiling away his time in a garage. Peering over the map through the highball magnifying glass, Glenn noticed something strange. Next to a lot of the digressions were bits of writing, but the writing was in a language that Glenn had never even seen before. "Hey Jackie, look here." The pilot looked at where Glenn pointed, and indeed, something was there. "Well I'll be... I've never (burp) noticed that before... What is it?" Glenn looked over it again. "My guess is that whoever wrote this made it in code. Probably to cover their tracks, or to lead whoever might find this without knowing the code off the correct trail." Jackie twisted the tip of his moustashe and thought for a second. "So it has multiple destinations?" Glenn nodded. "Right. And what's worse is, without knowing the cypher, the trails could lead to anything. It could be a Marine base, a Sea King nest, a deserted island, treasure, or a restaraunt that just serves really good pie." Jackie laughed. "There's nothing wrong with pie." Glenn grinned. "I didn't say there was, but I'd rather find a pile of gold for our efforts, and until we crack the cypher, we can't know what's what." Glenn grabbed the highball glass and downed the vodka, then two of the shots before Jackie could get ahold of them. "Either way, we better keep the map out of sight, out of mind. We're the only ones what know about this, right?"
- Jackie rolled up the map and returned it to his coat. "Of cour-" However, he was cut off by the sound of trash cans getting something heavy thrown into them. Something about the size of a person. Glenn and Jackie both shot up and looked at the door. "Should we have a look, then?" The mechanic allowed the pilot to go first. "Age before beauty, comrade." After which, they both rushed for the door.
Kaito waved a hand to dismiss all of the newcomers questions, walking through the undergrowth hastily, breaking the branches away with his wrench. Behind him, the man who had crash landed seemed to have found his lighter.
Dont smoke near me. Said Kaito bluntly, turning and threatening the man with his wrench.
Why not? Are you one of those stupid activists who think that smoking is bad for you?
Kaito pointed at his face and scowled.
See this stuff? One stray ember and me and you will find ourselves getting along like were in a house on fire.
Dont you mean well get along like a house on fire? asked the pilot, putting the cigarette back behind his ear.
I know what I meant. Muttered Kaito, swiping at a thicket with his wrench, and watching sunlight break through. Pushing through the undergrowth, he found himself back on the airstrip, no worse for wear.
Kichiro sighed, feeling faintly irritated by this boy, and very irritated by not knowing where on earth he was. Grabbing the boy by shoulders, he span him around to face him, pulling out his lighter again, he started waving it front of the boy, only to feel even more irked when the swung around and splintered the cheap plastic of the lighter. Kichiro gave a derisive snort, and scanned the area. Further along the airstrip were a bunch of hangars clustered together. Giving Kaito a mocking salute, and began to jog off towards them.
What an idiot. Kaito felt peeved that someone who had barely been conscious for five minutes had upstaged him. It would probably be best if Kaito went after him nonetheless. Strolling towards the hangars, he gave a groan as he saw the silhouettes of two bulky technicians, who appeared to be threatening someone with guns. Kaito didnt know why, but those two men, Norris and Edgar, had got it into their heads that they were the security force in a top secret base, and had taken to holding up every customer that came their way. If they werent such good mechanics, Kaito would have fired them long ago. The pair didnt even have guns- it was a welding tool each man was brandishing, and were far more likely to do damage to themselves if they tried using it as a weapon.
All things considered, Kaito felt this might be the shock that rude pilot deserved. Hed look even more awesome when the man found out who hed just snubbed. Unfortunately, as Kaito drew even closer, he realised that the technicians werent just holding up one person, but two- most likely a customer. This wouldnt do at all, and it looked like that damn pilot was trying to reason with them, which was a bad idea. Neither mechanic was particularly intelligent, and any sort of charm from their victims just confused them, which made them angry and their fingers twitchy.
Licking a finger, Kaito checked the strength and direction of the wind. Years of experience in judging winds had let him determine it was going North-North-East, at a speed of twelve knots. Bringing up a thumb, he measured the distance by eye- one hundred and fifty one metres and thirty two centimetres. This wouldnt be a particularly difficult shot, so he wouldnt bother factoring atmospheric pressure gravity in, or even writing his workings down. For a moment Kaitos eyes shifted upwards, and his lips began moving, silently carrying the numbers and running them through the various formulae for working out the trajectory of a heavy, wrench shaped object. After a few seconds, Kaitos eyes darted back down to his targets, and his mouth remained firmly shut. The optimum course of action would be to throw his wrench at an angle of 72 degrees, with a four of 83 Newtons, but would roatate his wrist 34 degrees while throwing. This would send the wrench high in the air and allow it to arc down and boomerang around, knocking out the welding tools in the technicians hands on the return. If he started running at 3m/s exactly 0.5 seconds after the wrench had been thrown, he would reach an optimum point where the wrench would return perfectly to his hand at 15 seconds. Not only that but hed be close enough for everyone to see what had happened. It would be unbearably cool.
Kaito closed his eyes, remembering how hard hed had to throw something to produce a single Newton of force. He multiplied it, and tilted his arm at the natural angle. In a single smooth motion, the wrench left his hand, spinning like a boomerang. Even as he felt the metal slip away, the engineer opened his eyes and counted.
He began to sprint down the tarmac airstrip counting down the seconds, keeping his eyes on what was happening outside the hangar. At the eighth second, the wrench began its downwards arc; at the tenth second, it had looped around, and by the eleventh, it had snatched the welding tools out the mens hands, sending them clattering to the ground. At the thirteenth second, Kaito stretched his arm out, ready to receive the wrench, at the fourteenth second, he stumbled forward on a stone, and at the fifteenth second, the wrench hit him in the face.
. "Quite an attitude that kid's got. What's he think he runs the place?" Kichiro mumbled as he hurried up to the hangars. He hoped he would be able to find some reliable help to get his plane down and repaired quick enough to make the race. The kid didn't answer much but at least his memories returned to him. As he approached them, he noticed a group of three as good as any to talk with. "Oi, could I get a bit of help mates? Ya see, my plane crashed and..."
"Ano'fer one!?"
"Wut, is d'is national thievin' day of somefink?" the two in matching coveralls responded. The pirate came to a slow halt, giving the two an odd glance over. "Git ova' wif tha lass, won'tchya? An' maybe we'll be nice ta ya," the skinnier one began to laugh and looked over at his heavier counterpart. "right? Bwahahaaa!" They both began to chuckle before they noticed the newcomer had already made his way to female thief.
"Well, howdy-day, Miss. If I haven't laid my eyes on one of you in quite some time, hm?" He picked up the surprised girl's daintily and smiled. "What's your name, if I may?" The mechanics' jaws dropped.
"OI!! Shouldn'ae be askin' us dat!?"
The female regained composure and slapped Kichiro's hand away. She grunted and crossed her arms.
"Is that supposed to be some kind of compliment?" was what she responded with. Kichiro shook off the sting and let out a false chuckle. Now wasn't she the friendly one.
"Of course. Why else would I both--"
"Stop yer chattin' mates, o-or we'll git ya real good wit' our guns... yeah!" one said shakily.
"Better listen to 'im! He's got'a nasty trigger finga, dat one." the cohort added with two nods. Kichi glanced over at the two, unphased and indifferent to the things in their hands. Who did they think they were fooling? He sighed.
"Pardon me, miss." he told her with a wink.
"You're pardoned." she replied coldly. Kichiro swallowed and shook his head, then approached the two men.
"Now, now mates! You wouldn't be goin' off and firing at the young lady here, would ya? That's not very gentlemanly, now is it?" he smiled charmingly. The two looked at eachother and shrugged.
"I s'ppose it ain't..." the skinny one reconsidered but quickly went back on it. "But dis one was afta our fuel, she was!"
"Aye, aye. But did you even bother to ask the girl if she was going to pay for it after? Hm?" Again, the two looked at eachother and shrugged. The chubby one spoke this time.
"Dang... guess we neva thought'a dat, eh Norris." Kichiro grinned and place a finger lightly on the tip of the 'gun', pushing it away.
"So why don't we put down the tools and--" Quite suddenly, from out of nowhere, that arrogant kid from before's wrench had flown in and crashed into the powertools the men were holding, sending them to the ground and somehow missing Kichi's finger. The pirate jumped back and watched as the wrench miraculously spun back in the direction it must have come from. "Boomerang Wrench...!?" Kichi muttered as he saw its owner running towards it with an open palm. 'No way he threw THAT like a boomerang!!' But the spectacle soon came to end as the metal instrument smashed right into his face.
There was a moment of silence as the kid laid motionless on the ground. It was broken by two loyal mechanics.
"M-M-Mister Kaito S-Shun, sir!!!!" they screamed as they ran towards their fallen boss. The name perked the girl's ears, a rebel lock revealing curious eyes. Kichiro was rather amused, the phrase 'just deserts' came to mind. He started laughing and began to applaud.
"Hah! Bravo, kid! Bravo! Is there an encore to this little performance or what?" Suddenly, Kaito raised from the dead, red with anger.
"Shut it, you JACK-IN-THE-ASS!!" he screamed with an angry pointer finger extended.
"Don't you mean Jack-ass, mate?" the cocky pirate asked.
Last edited by Cap'n Jefu (2007-06-06 08:00:18)
Things were looking bad for Cameron. That bouncer was one tough cookie, and Cameron wasnt sure whether or not he could take him out. Most of his doubts were coming from the fact that he had just been picked up and thrown into a row of trash cans, but to be fair, this could damage the morale of even the hardiest of fighters. Cameron rose to his feet, picking a banana peel off of his head as he did so. The bouncer spat. Kid, youre the unluckiest man in town tonight. Just take your beating quietly and we can be done in a minute. Cameron sighed, rolling his eyes. If there was one thing that really annoyed him, it was people like this bouncer who asked for fights. Wasnt there enough violence already, without-
His train of thought was derailed by a swift kick to the groin from the bouncer. Cameron fell to his knees, clutching his crotch. The bouncer sneered, and aimed another kick, this time at the incapacitated mans chest. Just in the nick of time, however, Cameron rolled off to the side, dodging the blow. Again, he rose to his, this time more unsteadily. Guess Ill play for keeps now. Cameron gave a wide grin. The bouncer raised an eyebrow and smirked. Whatever you say, kid. Get ready for the pounding of a lifetime! The bouncer charged at Cameron, fists swinging.
The bouncers fists never even had a chance to connect with Cameron.
The first punch was a clean hit to the torso, and stopped the bouncers forward motion entirely. The second punch was another hit to the torso, this time in the stomach. The bouncers mouth opened and sprayed spittle. The third hit was a right hook, and hit the man in the side. The final blow was an uppercut, powerful enough to snap the bouncers neck back. He silently slumped to the ground, obviously unconscious. Cameron wiped the sweat from his forehead. He then removed his aviators hat, turned it upside down, and said with a flourish: Any and all tips for the show are welcomed and appreciated, and have a nice night, gentlemen.
Groaning, the engineer rubbed his forehead, feeling a deep imprint where the wrench had hit him across the face. Edgar and Norris were helping him up, and handed the wrench to him. Kaito strapped it in place and dusted himself down. The calculations had been perfect, and hed maintained speed impeccably, but there was no equation to factor in human error. Next time hed take the time to work out how to get the wrench returning to him without moving from his spot.
Still fuming at his mistake, and the pilots brazen mockery, he moved towards the girl, pointing to his hangar with a sweeping gesture.
Let me be the first to say what a pleasure it is to have you as our customer miss- miss
Erica. sniffed the girl, turning away from Kaito to look at hangar, a look of awe on her face as she spoke again.
This place is really something, and I wish I was here for more than fuel
Kaitos expression instantly turned into a scowl.
Why do people think this is like any other repair station on the planet!? I make planes, I dont fix them, and I DONT REFUEL THEM!
At this point Kichiro decided to chip in with his opinions.
You have a real ego problem kid- stop acting like you run this place!
Kaito turned on Kichiro, scarlet with fury.
Now it was Ericas turn to criticise Kaito.
Dont you know what this place is? Its Kaito Shuns aerodrome! I heard about this place- only the richest and most important people in the world even know about it, and even then, most of them cant afford one of his planes. You could get in real trouble impersonating him.
Kaito growled, turning back to Erica as he snapped.
I am Kaito Shun.
Kichiro again.
Dont be ridiculous, Kaito Shun is seven foot tall, and can repair a plane just by looking at it.
Kaito turned back to Kichiro, as though pivoting on a turntable, smoke literally pouring out of his ears at this point.
Last edited by toenails (2007-06-06 06:51:06)
The pirate scoffed, folding his arms and looking down on the short kid both literally and metaphorically.
"HA! You? Kaito Shun? No way a snotty kid could be such a legend, mate."
"It's true. Not a chance." Erica waved a hand in front of her face as if brushing off such a crazy notion.
"It's true! IT'S TRUE!!" Kaito persisted, now jumping up and down, only furthering the pirate's 'he's just a kid' theory. Kichiro's mouth curled into a grin, brow raising suspiciously.
"Now if one were to say he were such a great man, he could provide some sort of identification, aye?"
"The idiot's right... providing you are who you say you are." Erica added. Kaito fumed.
"You don' need'a see his identifa'cation..." the chubby mechanic whispered with an arcing arm.
"Shudd'it, Edgar!" Norris nudged his partner with a solid elbow.
Kaito lit up, obvious due to the enlightened face and "eureka!" finger point. He dug around in one of his dirty overall pockets for something, Kichi and Erica watching anxiously. After a few seconds of searching, the boy pulled out a small plastic card with an "Aha!"
"There! A valid form of identification for you fools!" he said, satisfied with his results. Kichiro pulled the card from his grimey fingertips and thoroughly examined it. Erica poked up beside him to get a look as well. As it was studied, Kaito went into a dignified pose for them to gaze upon him once they realized the truth.
"Gotta be a fake." the pirate commented and bit into the thin piece of plastic as if to test it's realness. Kaito exploded.
"IT'S NOT A COUNTERFEIT COIN!!!!" The boy went to take his ID Card back but Kichiro lifted it out of reach. Kaito went for another grab but Kichiro only lifted it higher this time. This continued for a bit as Kaito only got angrier and Kichi more amused. Erica raised a hand at them, not pleased with the current situation.
The shenanigans were stopped, however, when an older man with a refined look about him, dressed in a lab coat, thick glasses and full white beard, approached them.
"Ah, Master Shun, there you are. I trust the pilot's excavation was a success?" Kichiro became distracted giving the short engineer the chance to take his ID back. Quickly pocketing it, he sighed and regained his composure.
"Unfortunately..." he said with a nasty glance at Kichiro who was too busy picking his teeth to notice. "but what did you need me for, Harold?"
"Well, the big business entrepenuers from Silver City have arrived looking for the experimental--" he stopped and looked over at the two guests. "...looking for you, Master Shun." Kaito looked at his old friend and top scientist, outside of himself of course, and nodded.
"Right." He turned to his two moronic mechanics, a sly look upon his face. "Norris, Edgar. Please escort our guests off of the premises." With that, he and the older one in the lab coat started off towards what seemed to be the main building on the islet.
Kichiro and Erica stood in silence a few moments, a strong gust blowing past them.
"Off the premises...?" Kichiro wondered out loud.
"...Into the ocean?" Erica added. She recalled seeing nothing else on this small islet outside this faculty. Norris and Edgar moved up behind the two began to push them along, this time holding a power drill to Kichi's neck. This wasn't good at all. Was this snotty brat really THE Kaito Shun? He thought a second as he was nudged along.
"You wouldn't do this to yer old friend, Kichiro now, would ya mate?" he shouted causing both parties to stop. Erica looked at the pirate, confused on what he was trying to do. Kaito considered the time it would take before the Silver City group would become impatient with waiting and decided he would have a least a few minutes to spare.
"Old friend, you say?" the engineer turned around, shaking a finger at the pirate. "Now correct me if I'm wrong, which I certainly am never, but we've not met even once before, agreed?" Kichiro smiled.
"Nah, mate. Ya just don't remember me! We met when you were just a little kid. Swear it on me mother's grave." He brought a fist to his chest and nodded. Kaito stared quizically at the stranger. Why hadn't he mentioned it before? Well he DID not believe who he was when told... No. This was one of those games. This man was not to be trusted.
"Don't take me for a fool. From you, it's rather degrading. As you were, Norris. Edgar." The boy turned again as the mechanics continued their duty but Kichiro wasn't done yet.
"You're father wouldn't be too proud of this, now would he?" Kaito stopped mid-step, taking in every word. He knew his father? It was entirely possible... Father did have numerous aquaintances. Could this scoundral be one of them perhaps? If only he had the time to...
"Norris, Edgar? New orders."
"Take our guests on a tour of the faculty with Birchun, will you? I've decided I'd like to speak with them after I finish my important business." Kaito didn't turn towards the other group as he spoke and simply continued onward when he was finished. Kichiro sighed in relief as he wiped his brow. The guards requested they follow them and began off to one of the hangar bays.
"T'is a close one, eh miss?" he said with a half-glance at Erica and a smile on his face. She didn't respond. "Miss... miss... I never caught yer name, by the way." he stated as he turned to her fully. She began walking and passed right by the pirate.
"Miss is fine." Kichiro rubbed the back of his head, making a sound as if he was recoving from a light burn to the hand. Not wanting to fall behind, Kichi quickly ran up to join the group.
When they reached the hangar, the pirate noticed that the girl's expression had changed dramatically. She really had some sort of fascination with this planes here. He wasn't too sure why though... they just looked odd to him.
"Welcome!" boomed a voice from above them. The group looked up to see another scientist, with long, dark hair, standing on the catwalk with arms wide-open. "I trust you are here for the grand tour, yes?"
"Something like that..." Kichiro muttered as Erica spoke up.
"Were all these really designed by Mister Shun himself?" Her voice seemed to hold a special shimmer when speaking about this sort of thing.
"Yes, yes. Kaito Shun is an amazing boy. Shall you join me before I tell you more? It would do my voice good, that's for certain." Norris and Edgar lead Erica up a flight of stairs. Kichiro groaned and itched his head, wondering if being thrown into the ocean was all that bad after all.
Last edited by Cap'n Jefu (2007-06-06 11:55:07)
Kaito walked through the labyrinthine office building with his hands in pockets, Harold at his side. He'd been thinking about that stupid pilot, and what he'd said. Turning to Harold, the boy began to speak.
'He didn't really know my father at all, did he?'
Harold chuckled. 'Of course he didn't- that man is just a raggedy old sky dog m'boy, and I think you knew it as well. On the other hand, you DID shoot down his plane, which means you owe him.'
Kaito sighed, knowing the elderly man was right.
'Am I really needed at this meeting? Anyone who comes to me for a plane from silver city is a gangster, and gangsters always want the same thing- speed, hidden cargo space, and weapons. Besides, at the first meeting I heard them ask you not to bring the smelly little urchin again. '
Harold remained tactfully silent. Bastard.
'All right Harold.' sighed Kaito, rolling his eyes. Pulling out a piece of paper, he began to hastily sketch a diagram of a plane, annotating it as he went. In minutes, he'd drawn up the blueprint, which was flawless, a few greasy smudges on the edge notwithstanding. 'Just give them this design. It's a V3 Wasp with the safety mechanisms gutted. That'll up the speed and provide storage space, plus it's a great cover car.
'Isn't this what we give to everyone who wants to use our aircraft for less than legal purposes?'
'Of course it is!' laughed Kaito, already turning around and pacing off. 'But they never complain!'
Kichiro was bored. Very bored. Erica seemed to find the whole tour fascinating, hearing about how Kaito Shun had created a carbon fibre composite which allowed a twenty percent longer wingspan in all previous generation planes, or how Kaito Shun had perfected the design of a propeller to maximise airflow, or even how Kaito Shun had chopped off his own dick to be a bit more aerodynamic...
Kichiro was no longer sure if he'd made the last one up, but didn't care. All this tour had been was just plane after plane after plane. As he was pondering the best way to extract himself from this mess, he caught sight of a slightly ajar door. This wouldn't normally interest the incredible Kichiro, pirate of the sky, but this one had the words TOP SECRET, NO ENTRY WITHOUT PERMISSION printed on it in big red letters. Not only that, but it looked like the fiendishly complex combination system had been defeated by someone too lazy to shut the door.
Slinking away, Kichiro snuck through the shadows, leaving behind the sound of both Erica and the guide discuss the finer points of landing gear design. After a moment of suspense, the creaky door eased open, and Kichiro slipped through.
To his surprise, he found himself in another hangar, although the gaping entrance to this one had been covered by a steel blast door, cutting out all the light except for that which came from the bulbs on the cavernous ceiling. Nevertheless, Kichiro found himself staring at something both marines and sky pirates had longed dreamed of. He was looking up at a large, impossibly sleek looking plane, painted jet black, with red speed stripes along the fuselage for a finish. It was a nice paint job, but that was insignificant compared to what lay at the engine's rear. Moving around for a better look, Kichiro found himself staring down what looked like two exhausts, one above the other.
Closer examination revealed that the smaller exhaust lay on the top, and was about big enough for Kichiro to stick his head through. The second one was much larger, and built into the main fuselage of the plane. He whistled, realising that he was looking at a plane driven not by propellers, but by jets. He walked around it, grinning madly as he scrutinised the air craft. This was a plane that wouldn't just win him the race, but worldwide fame and glory! The only question was how he could steal it...
Grabbing a ladder leaning against the hangar wall, Kichiro hurried over, leaning it against the plane, and jumping up the steps towards the cockpit. Running his fingers over the smooth and hard glass, the sky pirate marvelled that a snot nosed kid like Kaito could have possibly designed something like this, let alone built it.
'Hey! That's my plane!'
Speaking of snotty nosed kids...
Last edited by toenails (2007-06-06 13:12:46)
Jackie watched as the folks filed into back into the bar.
"C'mon... why don't you and me head to another establishment?" Jackie says to Glenn.
"Whatever for?"
"Because... A lot of people are going to find empty glasses and if I know heavy drinkers, they don't like finding empty glasses." He nodded. "Let's go. You and me, we gotta find a cipher for the map. Fame and riches my friend. Fame and riches awaits the two of us. We just have to reach out and grab it!" With that.. he stopped. "Where the hell are we gonna find a cipher though? You think checking the Marine Base and see if one of them knows any ciphering?"
"Each Shun plane is not only meant to cater to the wants and insane desires of those who have the berrie to pay for it, but to also take them wherever they need. Outside, they're side shows, but inside, they're works of art." Erica said.
"That is right miss. You seem to appreciate more than the usual tourist would." remaked the scientist.
"Well if I were a normal tourist, I'd be saying (while taking a very uncharacteristic pose with her hands on her cheeks and her hair raised above with her eyes wide and sparkling and making her voice go extra high) 'Ooh, that plane looks soooo cute, how does it go fly fly in the sky sky mister sciency man!?' (snapping herself out of faux excitable tourist mode), pff. I'm the real deal. I know my way around engines beyond the spark plugs and pistons." she boasted. She reached into the pocket of her coat and pulled out a business card that read Melbourne' Repair and Services.
"Ah well isn't this interesting now. You have your own little shop? This reminds me of when my father and I started our shop together! Why the memories are all flooding back to me!" The room suddenly became wavy and went into a movie theater like flash back showing a young boy and his father working on planes, playing catch and running around chasing each other, all the while laughing. Erica just looked on bored, lit up a cigarette and decided to let her mind wander when she noticed that Kichiro was gone.
"Every day was another learning experience. The days were hard but my father and I pulled through every day, getting the chance to work on new planes, living the dream as father and son!" prattled on the old scientist, his eyes flooded with tears and his back to Erica.
"Oi, whatever." she said when she decided that she had enough. The movie theater like flashback continued as Erica moved away from the show. She looked around taking in the whole air of the place when she saw the door that was slightly ajar and read TOP SECRET, NO ENTRY WITHOUT PERMISSION. Erica usually had better judgment but how many opportunities was she going to get like this? Whatever was behind that door had to be good. She stepped through and noticed Kichiro grabbing a ladder. When she turned her head to see what he was headed for, she lost herself yet another cigarette. The plane was stripped open leaving only the cockpit and the engine visible, but that engine sent tingles going up and down her spine. She lifted her bangs to get a better look, an action reserved only for challenging repairs and magnificent treasure finds.
"I've only heard of these things! A real gas turbine Brayton Cycle gas engine!"
Kichiro ignored her and continued to go up the ladder and into the cockpit. Erica hurried over to the engine and walked around the other side.
"The air intake, the combustor, liquid cooling inline to reduce the super heat! This is it! This is for real. If....if only I could see it running!" she said excitedly, a state that Erica hadn't been familiar with for a while since taking her treasure hunting hiatus. She started to run over for the ladder when she heard,
"Hey! That's my plane!"
It was the kid who claimed to be Shun. Well, if she couldn't believe the Id (looked like crap to be honest), and since there's no way this guy could ever really be him, she decided to just test the kid.
"Oi kid! I see the liquid cooling right there but from where I'm standing, I don't see any compressor." shouted Erica. Kaito's attention was perked up, and directed towards the girl now.
"Now, in normal engines, overheating occurs when, like the name implies, when the damn engine gets so hot and dry to the point that the pistons just won't pump anymore. No pumping pistons, no turning propeller, no flight. But with this little engine here, you need some serious cooling, because your gonna get some serious heat. I've built and rebuilt compressors for regular engines and I've cut down the heat in my engine by about 20%. So, I gotta ask, were you planning on putting the compressor in before, or after this wonderful work of art melted away?
- To get the alcoholic pilot to keep moving, Glenn patted Jackie on the back as he headed for the door. "I suggest that we make haste for the exit, and leave the thinking for later!" Jackie shrugged. "I can't argue with that logic!" The pair exited the bar and soon after, the fight watchers herded back into the pub like trained sheep. As Glenn passed by an unconscious bouncer, he noticed two men, one of them VERY intoxicated, and the other counting chump change in his hat. The mechanic stopped, and approached the pair, while Jackie stopped and uttered a slight protest. "What're you doing? I thought we were leaving!" Glenn looked over his shoulder. "Keep your goggles on, flyboy. I'm improving my karma." Jackie looked around as if someone were about to jump out of the shadows and give chase at any second and muttered. "Well, just be quick about it."
- As the comparably sober brother was counting his earnings, an oil stained hand caught his attention out of the corner of his eye, and when he turned to see who it was attached to, Glenn offered to help him to his feet. "Haha. Well, at least someone in this damn town is friendly." Cameron took the hand and stood up, making sure Joshua wasn't passed out, while Glenn motioned for him to follow him. "Come on. I've got a place where your brother can sleep it off." Cameron hoisted his brother on his arm and looked to the man in front of him. "Why help us?" Glenn grinned. "Call me a bleeding heart, but I hate to see drunk people get into fights and drag their friends along." Jackie slapped his forehead. "Great, where are we headed?" Looking to his new friend, Glenn pointed across town. I've got a garage I'm renting out. We can stay there. Now, let's go."
She was a beaut, this ship, and Kichiro's eyes oggled it in every angle possible. He wasn't a tech wiz of any sort, but one didn't need to be to tell this thing was special. He ran fingers gently across the finished side, only imagining the speed that this jet-powered plane could reach. The race would be his in this baby. All he would have to do is... the pirate looked around at the tightly shut exits... steal it.
He hurried over to a ladder he noticed laying against the hanger wall and carefully carried it back to the plane. It seemed he had company however. It didn't phase him, especially since the plantinum hair was a dead give away to whom it was.
"Come to join me, Miss?" he called out as he balanced the ladder on the ship's side.
"This is amazing!" she exclaimed, looking the plane over much like Kichiro did, if not moreso. "I've only heard of these things! A real gas turbine Brayton Cycle gas engine!" Seemed the girl had a bit more innocent intention than he, with a head for mechanics. She continued on, despite Kichi's lack of response and something hit him as he scaled the steps, causing a smirk to form on his lips.
"Quite a looker, ain't she?" he said from atop the ladder, knocking on the plane's windshield when she was done, or at least on a pause. "Wouldn't mind having one myself."
"Good luck," the girl's cheery disposition suddenly turned sour. "those are not only rare, but that one's probably the only one in existence." Kichiro smiled deviously.
"Aye, but who said it couldn't be mine?" Erica looked at him, a smile of her own nearly lifting a corner of her mouth. Right as she was about to ask what he meant by such a statement, an annoying voiced cried out behind her.
"HEY! That's my plane!!" It was that boy who claimed to be the legendary Kaito Shun again. And he looked as peeved as ever. "YOUR hands aren't worthy of touching MY Hermes!!" Erica moved away, being on the same platform as the boy who's attention was now directed at the odd pilot, she didn't want to be in his way. "And what are you doing in here, you fool!?"
"Hello again, mate." Kichi waved at the boy with a wide-toothed grin, ignoring Kaito's anger. "Just thought we'd take a look around ourselves. That guide wasn't much fun, now was he Miss?" he said, nodding to the girl standing beside the enraged engineer. Erica huffed at the pilot. He was planning on sharing some of the blame with her rather than take it for himself. The nerve.
"Eh? Huh... wha?" Kaito mumbled turning to notice the female, a frown plastered on his face. "Now I could expect THAT idiot," he ranted, pointing at the pirate whom replied with a quick "Yo!". "But YOU as well? You do know this is a TOP SECRET area? I assumed the signs were good enough warning..." Erica fumbled with words a moment as she conjured up a plan. It wasn't hard to distract this kid, as the "helpful" Kichiro had shown her, so perhaps that was the key to getting off scot-free.
"Oi kid! I see the liquid cooling right there but from where I'm standing, I don't see any compressor." she suddenly stated, causing the boy to look quizzically up at his aircraft. She continued to question him on something important solely to this plane and mentioned that if he were truly who he claimed to be, that he would have no problem answering. This obviously intrigued and amused Kaito, an answer brewing in the little, greasy head of his. He was sure this would convince them of his identity.
"Hah! What you say is close, but not quite what--" He was cut short by a loud, booming sound. So shaking was it that both Kaito and Erica nearly fell. "What in the name of engineering...!?" the boy steadied himself on the railing as his heart dropped into his stomach, his skin becoming pale. Smoke was erupting from the thrusters now and that idiot pilot, Kichiro, was halfway inside the cockpit. Suddenly, he popped back out with a set of keys in his hands, wiggling them about with a childish grin on his face.
"Ya left the keys in, mate!"
Kaito's jaw dropped even more. Not only had that IDIOT tested the engine in the holding hangar... that IDIOT had the ignition keys for his Hermes! Quickly he plotted a way to retrieve them, his thoughts racing so furiously he actually began to speak them.
"Perhaps if I were to boomerang a few of my tools to distract him as my wrench retrieved them... No, no. I'd have to figure out the human skill of being able to dodge and I don't have time for that. He HAS the ignition keys! Perhaps if I..." he rambled on, eyes staring blanking at the ground. Erica pointed weakly at the heavy duty, secured metal hangar door that Kichiro would never be able to get through, unless he wanted to steal a pile of junk.
"H-Hey... the door..."
"I can't believe such an IDIOT is stealing my precious Hermes!!"
"Who's stealing anything, mate?" came from directly above the two. Kichiro had walked to the nose of the ship and sat loosely on the edge, legs hanging off. The ignition keys were being tossed recklessly into the air and back into the safety of his palm repeatly. He was, as usual, grinning. "I may be a Sky Pirate, but I'm not completely irrational, ya got me?"
Those words hung in the air a moment for the other two. Sky... Pirate? Considering a lot of things, this did seem to make sense but such a claim was dangerous in this day and age. Erica stared at the young man, trying to predict what he might do. He wasn't in any position to escape, having no ship available would provide troublesome and he surely wouldn't be able to make off with this thing. She looked over at Kaito who was still watching the pilot, only this time with a hint of intrigue. The silence continued a few more moments as Kaito thought hard and Kichi tossed the keys, smiling.
"What is it you're suggesting?" the boy finally asked, possibly coming to a conclusion to ever outcome this conversation could lead to. Kichiro widened his grin.
"I want-- nay. I need this ship to win the upcoming Race on Lemon Isle, mate." Kaito began shaking his head as Kichi stood up on the nose. "Now, I know even I wouldn't be able to steal this thing in these conditions..." he started to walk, toe-to-heel, as if he were on a balancing beam, the keys hanging on a single extended finger. "but I think I want to make a deal with you." He stopped suddenly and flung the keys up in the air, catching them in the other hand, turning to them as he did so. Kaito's interest had be captured, it seemed to Erica. Why he didn't just call security and have him removed by force confused the girl. Perhaps he wasn't the famous engineer afterall.
"Hm." Kaito tapped a oily finger on his chin. "What could YOU possibly offer ME?" Kichiro Rakki grinned again, shaking a pointer finger down at the boy.
"I'm a Sky Pirate, mate. I can make you many offers."
Last edited by Cap'n Jefu (2007-06-07 00:21:48)
Kaito rubbed his chin thoughtfully before replying.
'Actually, there IS something I want.'
'What's that?' asked Kichiro eagerly.
'For you to get the fuck away from my plane.' spat Kaito, before looking back at Erica.
'I'm the world's greatest engineer girlie, and you have the gall to think you know what you're talking about when it comes to a jet engine? This is the first working jet plane on the planet, so forgive me if I'm skeptical of your credentials to tell me what the compressor does. You're still thinking like this is a run of the mill turboprop crop duster. I don't care what you think a compressor is for in a regular plane, but in MY plane, it's the bread and butter of the jet's power plant. The compressor is much further down the fuselage, and the air gets pushed to either of the engines, depending on whether I'm using the main thermojet engine, or the turbojet auxiliary. That compressed air then gets injected with one of two fuels, depending on which engine it's being pumped to. It's that combusted air, run through the turbines which powers the jet. Cooling is a whole other matter, one which is so unbelievably complex even trying to explain the rudiments of it to you would take weeks.'
Kaito paused for a second, as though struggling to contain himself, before speaking again.
'ALL RIGHT! If you really want to know how I keep it all cool, take a look at the underside of the plane. The whole thing is one giant vent, and it's that air which is compressed. It's the air filtered through there which the compressor uses, helping to keep the metal cool. I've also got a fan driven convection system set up to diffuse built up heat in any area. If there are any heat problems with a specific part, I can close of parts of the tubes to concentrate air flow down that section. It's pretty ingenious, even for me.'
Both Erica and Kichiro (who had yet to move) stood staring at Kaito, wondering who exactly it had been who wanted to know how the cooling system worked. As the two glanced at each other, Kaito thought about what Harold had said earlier. He HAD shot down Kichiro's plane.
'All right Sky Pirate- I can't let you borrow this plane, but I can give you a lift in it. Where do you want to go and when do you need to be there?'
Kichiro looked up, eyes glimmering with hope.
'I need to go to Lemon Island, and I need to be there my five pm today!'
Kaito began to do some calculations on his fingers, muttering under his breath as he did so.
'We'll leave at four thirty then.'
'Are you insane? We need to leave at least two hours before that!'
Kaito laughed, gesturing at his engine.
'It's a real petrol guzzler, but it's speed is unmatched. Have you ever broken the sound barrier Kichiro?'
'Of course not, no one ha-'
'I have. It's fun, but I haven't been able to justify doing it twice to the financial team... at least not on fuel paid for by my own company. I think they just want to stop me doing cool stuff. If I pretend we've left it too late, I'll get clearance to go for the top speed!'
Kichiro began to grin madly. 'What's your top speed Kiddo?'
'If I use the auxiliary, I'm cruising at Mach 1.2 near sea level, and a cool 1.0 at 16,000 feet. Even if I don't punch it like that, we'll still be going at a cool 700 kilometres per hour. It has a horrible specific impulse, but when you're going that fast, you just don't care how much fuel you're burning. If I could just get my hands on a better fuel, and MUCH better materials, I reckon I could push this plane to some serious speeds... But enough about the Hermes- Why are you going to Lemon island?'
Kichiro looked up at the hangar roof and mumbled something.
'I said I'm going to... er.... watch an air race.'
Kaito shrugged. 'Watching is boring, I'd much rather be participating. Maybe I WILL participate!'
Kaito turned away, running over to one wall and picking up a fuel pump, beginning to busy himself with prelinary preparations, while Kichiro began to think about how he'd steal this plane and win the race himself.
David walked down into town. He wore a large case on his back, but slung around his neck was his camera. David was an avid photographer, and even though photography had been around a long time, recently it got much easier to carry cameras around. He had about five other marines with him, and all six of them were natives. They knew the race regulars, and also knew the locals.
David stopped as he walked past one of his favorite bars. The outside had some damage, a few trash cans were beaten up, and so was the bouncer there. The bouncer had come to by now...and was mumbling something about inhuman punches, when he saw David. "LT?!" he asked, surprised "What are you doing here? I thought you guys got a new captain today"
"We did," David replied, "I'm down here on orders from her, what happened to you? Someone steal something?" David knew this guy, he was the kind to never back down, but not the kind to seek revenge.
"Naw, some punk pilot came in here, lookin' for a drink...and his brother bit me!" at that David started to laugh, "IT'S NOT FUNNY! Look at this, I think I might seriously get infect~" at that, he coughed.
"Well, you should at least get to a doctor," David told him, and told two of his men to help him to the doctor's office...and also, to get descriptions of the pilot and his brother. Can't hurt, besides, they may just be someone big... Then David walked off to the airfield, to see what kind of planes were in the race. He had his other two men head for the port, to check for seaplanes...and any familiar vessels. He was sure the new captain would want to know who would be watching tomorrow.


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2 killed in overnight shootings in Cleveland
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Two men were killed and two others wounded in separate shootings Saturday in Cleveland. The Plain Dealer reports (http://bit.ly/18qGsba) 20-year-old Jayvion Walden of Cleveland Heights died of gunshot wounds to his chest and stomach around 3:40 a.m. Preliminary investigation indicates that Walden was walking with two men when they were confronted by two other men who shot ...
Columbus Family Wants Answers To Young Womans Murder
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Unstoppable Reds eye sweep behind ace Cueto
Matt Garza and Johnny Cueto have each notched one start since coming off the disabled list, and now, they're both looking to find their groove on the mound. The Cubs' Garza and the Reds' Cueto will square off Sunday in the finale of a three-game series at Great American Ball Park, and no doubt both of their teams would like to see the type of performance they've come to ...
Authorities Investigating Possible Explosion In Northeast Columbus
Emergency responders were on the scene of a garage fire late Saturday night in the South Linden neighborhood. Several people in the area reported that they heard what sounded like an explosion around 10 p.m. The fire department was dispatched to 2501 Parkwood Ave. to fight a fire in a garage there. Flames destroyed the structure. Both the house and the garage were vacant, according to ...
Cleveland Man shot on Miles Avenue
CLEVELAND -- Cleveland Police responded to a shooting of a man in the 11000 block of Miles Avenue late Saturday night. EMS says one male was taken to MetroHealth Medical center for his injuries after being shot in the leg. The status of his injuries are unknown at this time. The cause of this shooting is currently under investigation. Stay with WKYC.com for further details. ...
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The title of Kevin Smiths Zack and Miri Make a Porno neatly sums up not only what the movie is about (two characters named Zack and Miri, um, make a porn film), but also the tone of the movie. As a declarative statement, the title is aggressively in your face, to th ... ...
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The Sunday afternoon matchup between the Indians and Red Sox marks the last time the two clubs are scheduled to meet each other during the 2013 regular season. After sweeping a three-game series in Cleveland last month, the Sox have won two of the first three contests of this weekend's four-game set at Fenway. In Sunday's finale, lefty Felix Doubront will throw for the home team ...
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CHC@CIN: Hanigan hammers a double to score Frazier CINCINNATI -- With an offense as explosive as the Reds' has been, it doesn't take long to turn a deficit into a lead. For the second straight game, Cincinnati put that quick-strike firepower on display Saturday, scoring four runs in the bottom of the sixth on the way to a 5-2 win over the Cubs. Although it didn't come in the ...
Scrap Metal Thieves Repeatedly Hit Northeast Columbus Business
A northeast side business has been targeted at least six times by thieves who have stolen copper and other metal from it, according to the owner. Darlene Matthews runs Beauty All Over, a salon in the 2500 block of Cleveland Avenue. The building had holes in concrete from where Matthews said thieves have ripped copper downspouts off of the wall. "This is my fifth set of gutters. This is ...
Wilson Road Ramp From I-70 Reopens After Crash
A tractor trailer driver was taken to Mount Carmel West Hospital on Saturday after a crash on the Wilson Rd. ramp from Interstate 70 East. Columbus police told 10TV News that the truck overturned on the ramp around 5:40 p.m. Traffic was blocked by the accident. Authorities indicated the ramp reopened to traffic around 6:50 p.m. Watch 10TV News and refresh 10TV.com for more ...
Morrow County Man Lying In Road Struck Killed By Car
The Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating after a man laying in the road is hit and killed in Morrow County.Police say it happened just after 1 a.m. Saturday on County Road 26, north of Marengo in Bennington Township.Troopers say Jacob E. Howard, 18, was driving southbound when he struck James R. Bobo, 35, of Marengo. Authorities say Bobo was laying in the road at the time he was ...
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We must define the nature and scope of this struggle, or else it will define us. Neither I, nor any President can promise the total defeat of terror. What we must do is dismantle networks that pose a direct danger.
Barack Obama
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JULIAN SMITH – 25 Things I Hate About Facebook
Add me on facebook! www.facebook.com "25 Things" T-Shirts Are Here! Order here: www.districtlines.com If this video made you laugh or nod your head, post it on your wall! Share it with your friends! (Copy and paste this description so that … Continue reading


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Right across the street lives my Scottish friends MUM . It's how I discovered the Ambion Court. Cozy, comfortable, warm, and friendly establishment with Owners who truly care about your stay and satisfaction. I spent a few hours at the bar speaking with them . DO NOT forget to Make time to walk around the beautiful surrounding area and enjoy... More
- Official Description (provided by the hotel):
- A beautifully-converted farmhouse overlooking Dadlington's picturesque village green. Seven en-suite rooms including the magnificent Pine Room, all with modern amenities including free wi-fi; five rooms are at ground level with individual accesses. Lounge and cocktail bar for guests' relaxation, and dining room for breakfast every day and a la carte dinner Monday-Saturday. Centrally located for countless tourist attractions and access to many business facilities. ... more less


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Hi Ive just brought a Garmin 60 csx and want to stick some 1:50,000 topo maps for walking in the bush off track.
What has everyone found to be the best for this purpose. I see that there are about 4 options Fresh Map, Map toaster, ect
I am really in to contour and bush contrast (type) detail. Cheers