Starring:
Kane, Hiei, Keichi, Hiroyasu, Michiko
Date: April 24, 2014
Summary:
A team of Kumogakure shinobi and one from Kirigakure dare to cross the border of the Land of Tea in an attempt to help with the conflict going on in the country.
Poster's note: foul language filtered in obvious places.
"Overwhelming Darkness - Overwhelmed and Outgunned"
Land of Tea - Fishing Village
With evening setting in on the Lands of Tea and Fire, a team of shinobi has just recently crossed a border setup by Tea Country soldiers. While the atmosphere of most countries is a bit dark right now, the amount of darkness one feels when entering this country right now is surreal, a chilling feeling that grows the further one steps into it. One can only imagine what sort of chaos and Hell are going on right now in the capital city, but the Daimyo requested that the other villages in the country be taken care of first along with making sure any remaining soldiers and citizens are able to get out alive. To a Sensor Nin, flashes of dark chakra can be felt once in a while, as if something is already tracking the team, whether to ambush them or merely wait for their arrival to the village.
When the call went out, Hiei wasn't in Kumo..but he sent a message back home nonetheless for reinforcements. Coming from the direction of Konoha, he would meet up with the group from Kumo and then head over to the problem area. Riding atop his trusty warhorse Snake Eyes, Hiei is clad in his battle armor with his swords currently sheathed into Snake Eyes' saddle. Snake Eyes is a coal black horse with whites around his eyes and nose. And he's big..big enough to carry Hiei easily. He glances over towards Hiroyasu, who is riding next to him before focusing on the path before him. He asides to Hiro, "I can sense the chakra easily the closer we get. I keep getting flashes of something else too, but I can't really make it out." The village was coming up on the horizon, but he wouldn't go in without the full team present.
Keichi didn't like horses. They're stupid … He rather trusts his own creations. For now however he opted to travel like a regular Shinobi. He did make use of Hiei's horse if he's allowed to, to store one of his heavier scrolls. It was his first deployment as a potential Konoha nin. So he was excited and terrified! Good thing he brought numerous allies.
Having ridden from Kumogakure to join up with a team on a mission for the first time in a long time, Kane seems to have a mixture of feelings right now. One, he's teaming up with the guy he's just been assigned to be a Senpai under for the first time, along with some others from the village he hasn't seen in action yet. Yet there's also the seriousness of this situation… As he catches up to Hiei, Hiei, and whoever else is riding from Konoha, he offers a nod to each of them. "Reizei Kane," he introduces himself as he falls into position behind the leaders.
- Hiroyasu riding atop the lovely and graceful Jinx, who is more like the heavy and steady but who tells that to a lady.. "Oh yeah.. about that we are being followed; Not exactly sure how to explain it.. but uh…. umm… hrmm… its 'bad' chakra" he rubs the back of his head "Its not human.. but what it is.. is not clear.." answering the Chuunin riding next to him. Before bowing his head to the Kumogakurian reinforcements who arrive just in time. "Excellent a Reizei.." he says with a nod. -
Michiko is likely with Kane, having travelled from Kumo to join Hiei and Hiro. She's mostly quiet on the journey since she doesn't know Kane very well. Once she reaches the meeting place, she bows slightly to those present in greeting. "Iwata Michiko, here. It's nice to see you again, Hiro-san. Hiei-san." She speaks a bit quickly.
As the team gets closer to the village, the feeling of darkness gets denser and denser. The flashes of chakra seem to get less frequent until about a half-mile from the village where it actually stops. Off to the side of the road, a little girl about ten years old in a tattered kimono sits with her arms propped up on her knees and her face buried in them. A distinct cry emits from her once in a while, her body shaking. Despite the clopping of hooves nearby that would signify someone has come that can help her, she just sits there shaking, perhaps frozen in fear.
Kane, riding behind the mission leaders still, narrows his eyes as he spots the girl. While he is sympathetic, how a child that size could survive such a massacre as is going on with any living being left in this place is beyond him. Deciding to let the others handle this part for now, he hangs back and simply watches while preparing for whatever may come next.
Hiei inclines his head to the Kumo nin who arrive. He glances over at Keichi as well, having worked with him once while in Kirigakure. "Keichi-san. I'm surprised to see you working with Konoha. The last time I saw you, you were apprenticed to Ishino-san in Kiri." He slides down off his horse and Snake Eyes immediately moves away from him in case an attack comes. He asides to Hiro. "That must be what I'm sensing too." He inclines his head to Kane. "Yotsuki Hiei. Great to meet you." He winks at Michiko. "Michiko-kun. Good to see you as well." He asks the group in general. "Everyone ready to get to work?"
Hiei whistles for Snake Eyes and hops on his back before taking off towards the village. When they come across the little girl, Hiei motions for Michiko to go talk to her. They were around the same age, afterall, and the Michiko's sensei is head of the diplomatic corps. That had to count for something.
Keichi shows up in front of the group, jogging a little. "For those who don't know me. I'm Ryu Keichi." He bows briefly before picking up the pace again. He's followed by a cloaked man-like thing. For those who know Ishino they might recognice the theme. Only this one has the shape of a young man rather than an old man. "So I arrived just after the ruckus in Konoha. What are we dealing with exactly?" He nods at Hiei. "And that's correct. My apprenticeship with Ishino has ended now however and I have taken up residence in Konoha." He says with a smile. "I'm living with my significant other in fact!" He says a bit proudly!
- Hiro bows his head to Michiko "Good, thank you for coming Iwata-san. Your Sensei requested you be assigned." he cups his hand into her direction "You can singe her shorts in revenge later.." he says in an aside. Before adding to the group "Katayama, Hiroyasu" it was terse as his attention is drawn to the constant flutter of dark chakra which has strangely become more quiet.. Then cue the little girl in the middle of no-where with nothing else around.. "Wait.. Something isn't write about this.. all the civilians were evacuated or escaped to the surrounding lands.." he glances at Hiei as he instructs Michiko by hand signals… "I think she's infected, her chakra is just right.. unless its hiding nearby..and using her a bait.. be on your guard!" he says sliding off the side of the horse, when his feet touch the ground he taps the side of the horse whom snorts and turns running off over the horizon back the way they came from.. "Don't touch her.." he snarls. -
"It's nice to meet you, Keichi-san," Michiko says, following after the group by foot. When they come across the girl, Michiko looks tempted to ignore her. Then Hiei gestures for her to talk to her, so Michiko does so, crouching down slightly and staying a foot or two away (as per Hiro's warning). She's also got her hand near her Kunai pouch. "Hey, there. Ah… Are you alright?" she asks, sounding a bit awkward. Okay, her sensei may be head of diplomatic corps, but Michiko is definitely not going near that area in the near future.
"Tick tock goes the clock. And what now shall we play?" an eerie melody begins to ring out from the girl as she is approached, a feeling of fear beginning to roll out from her toward them in attempt to wear them down.. "Tick tock goes the clock. Now light has gone away," it continues as she stands up, face hidden beneath her hair as her face is still looking toward the ground. "Tick tock goes the clock. All the years they fly. Tick tock. And all too soon you and I must die. Tick tock goes the clock. We laughed at fate and mourned her." Her face then begins to turn up, a glow of white coming from her eyes. "Tick tock goes the clock 'till Crawler kills the doctor… Tick tock goes the clock. The dark comes for you all. Tick tock goes the lock 'till all life shall fall."
As the song rings out, Kane takes a kunai from a pouch on his side to cut his hand, but to no avail. The Genjutsu still drains on his reserves. With a growl, he decides it's time for action since this thing's begun the attack. In a blur, he lunges from his steed with his cane drawn, quickly drawing the blade and striking at the girl in a flash before resheathing it as he slides to a stop behind her.
As the song reaches his ears, Hiei knew what it was. Kasuya's training kicks in and Hiei withdraws his katana from his back and cuts himself across the thigh, being careful to miss the large artery that runs along there. He blinks, tossing off the genjutsu. He runs a finger along the blade of his sword before striking at the girl, right behind Kane's attack. "I should mention that whoever is behind this, can channel genjutsu through his constructs. Be very careful."
- Hiroyasu's hands were deep in the seal pouch when the odd little rhyme begins to not really rhyme at all.. feeling the ripples as the genjutsu takes over his chakra and he attempts to shut it down.. an right before he can finish the seal he is sweep away at very last moment in defeat feeling the utter dread of something from here-after. Throwing out a seal almost randomly trying to snare the evil beast and lashes out at it trying to strike the vital chakra points if its using a body it has to be using its network right? "Anyone got suggestions?" he asks. -
Michiko gets the chills when the rhyme begins. She knows it's bad to listen to, but she can't seem to move, paralyzed momentarily by fear. She can't break out of the Genjutsu, sadly, but she pulls a Kunai from her pouch and lashes out blindly with it, hoping to strike the source of the noise.
With a surprising agility, the girl skips and sways just out of the reach of each strike aimed her way. She giggles a bit as she does so, singing along the same tune, except replacing the words with the syllable 'la'. While she keeps them busy, a group of about a dozen black figures runs forward from the town, the Hitokage in their pure forms racing toward the shinobi who've come to try to clear them from this town. These monsters apparently have little concept of taking it easy on their prey. In her dance, she spins around, her hands beginning to glow with chakra until she slams them on the ground, sending charges of chakra all through the ground around her that ignite upward at the shinobi around her in an attempt to catch them in an explosion of chakra.
As his attack is dodged, Kane curses under his breath. He doesn't have much time to grumble, however, as the girl continues her attack. With a blur, he moves back about fifteen feet to avoid the blast. He gives it a moment to die down before charging with another blur. His cane crackles with chakra as he goes to shove its hilt directly into its face in hopes to momentarily daze it so one of the higher ranks can get in a stronger hit on it.
Hiei attempted to flip out of the way of the fireball, but he cries out as it burns his back. Shrugging out of his duster, which is on fire, his body goes into hyper movement. His body is a blur as he snatches Michiko up before the fire ever gets to her. Appearing a few feet away, he sets her down. "We need to create an opening. Kane and I will distract them..Michiko and Keichi will provide range support. Hiro…see if you can't hit the girl with one of those knockout seals." He takes off running until he reaches Kane. He leaps into the air, and uses Kane's shoulder as a springboard, flipping high into the air until he extends his elbow, aiming at the top of the little girl's head.
The cloaked figure behind Keichi speeds off at Michiko. Unfortunatly he wasn't going to be fast enough. Luckily he watched Hiei respond as a freaking dragon emerges from the scroll on his hip, starting to curl tightly around his body, protecting him from the incoming flames with the flame-resistant wood. A third dragon swoops overhead, despite it being made of wood the avid clicking of wood knocking against wood is enough to burn fear into the enemies hearts! Usually… Now it's a girl. That scares the munition out of Keichi! Regardless, the puppet unloads it's chemical payload, thoroughly igniting the area on top of and around the girl!
- Hiroyasu holds out his hand with a seal crested in the palm of his hand, the barrier which springs forth first small, then large like a small bastion of blue chakra the fire its only paused for a second before it shatters the defense sending the young monk washed in fire… Emerging from the flames with the robe smoking slightly much of the damage absorbed by the underarmor…the exposed flesh that is another thing.. and that thing stings! he grimaces then nods "Understood" trying to shunt the pain as he begins hurling out seals which burst into blue flame and zzzzing through the air like slithering strips of kunai paper. -
Michiko watches the fireball head straight towards her. It's faster than she can move and then all the sudden there is a Hiei surrounding her. Saved! "Thank you, Hiei-san," she says gratefully, taking shelter further away from the main battle. While she's there, she builds up some chakra and quickly unleashes a firebolt toward the enemy, dashing off again so she can avoid any incoming attacks.
With a swift motion, Kane's attack is dodged, though it apparently serves its purpose in being enough of a distraction that it allows Hiei to strike thunderously with the elbow and knock the girl to the ground. There she is repeatedly burned by napalm then struck by the first of Hiroyasu's seals before she gathers herself enough to roll out of the way. When she finally leaps back up, her form is severely disfigured by electrical and chemicals burns, and, when she opens her mouth, one would expect a scream, yet there only comes a haunting laughter. The laughter continues as another Genjutsu would attempt to overtake the group and try to slow them down once again, just enough to throw them off until the group of monsters approaching from the town arrives.
With more of these monsters approaching as he feels his body drug own again by Genjutsu, it becomes apparent to Kane that it's time to get serious. A surge of chakra picks up through his body, and he suddenly moves with a lot more speed, appearing in front of the girl with his body crackling with lightning as he strikes directly at her face once again.
Hiei dug his fingers into his wound, but he was unable to break the genjutsu this time. He succumbs to it, placing his hands over his head as the fear causes him to shake and tremble. It has him literally frozen, and when Hiei was spooked he gathered chakra. So that's what he does. Lightning plays off his skin and falls harmlessly to the ground. His sword is stuck in the ground as well, forgotten for the moment.
Keichi hmms and calmly closes his eyes. Letting the genjutsu wash over him. "If the genjutsu is of this level. Unless you have a specialised effect it's best to just relax and let it wash over you." Keichi says. A lesson he picked up from working with a genjutsu-ist for so long. "It's a waste of energy to do otherwise." He says. With a headache and an unpleasant taste on his brain he finally manages to activate his trembling fingers. Mandoreku making a pass with his blades out.
- Again with the attempt to sew the seeds of dread, when the eerie feeling overcomes him, he once again attempts to purge the heeeby-jeebys only to fail by fractions of a second… "Urgh.. To give up.. so easily.. never" he growls before hurling out two seals which fly at great speed towards the beast attempting to latch on and drain from its form the precious vitality that allows it take form.. Hiroyasu sighs bringing his handss together in a prayer steeple.. maybe they needed a little prayer. -
Michiko manages to hear Keichi's words over the horrible sound Genjutsu. She decides to follow his advice, letting the noise wash over her for now. Finally she's able to move. Throughout the Genjutsu blast, she stored up chakra, and now she's letting it loose with three firebolts aimed at the enemy in rapid succession. Please please please hit!
If these shinobi aren't about teamwork, they're not about anything. The strike sends the girl reeling, opening her up for Keichi's puppet to strike out with its blades and make a deep gash in her back and shoulder. Then come Hiroyasu's seals, which tire her down to the point she is unable to move out of the way of the incoming firestorm from Michiko, which sends her skidding on the ground to land at Hiei's feet. "This… is… only… the… beginning," she says gleefully before the glow leaves her eyes, along with the monster's chakra.
A beginning victory has been won, but today's mission is a piece of a war. As the one the shinobi have been fighting fades away, the dozen who've been charging from the city arrive. These have somewhat different tactics, fanning out to surround the group before lunging at them with razor sharp chakra claws barred and striking at each of the shinobi.
As they are surrounded, Kane turns to the creatures coming his way. The first strike drags across his arm, creating gashes, though he blurs out of the way of the next one to reappear and strike with the hilt of his cane directly at the jaw of the monster in an attempt to knock it off balance. Not pausing in his movements this time, he draws the blade with a spin to attempt to stab directly into its back under its neck before sheathing his blade again.
Hiei stands up after recovering from the genjutsu. He forms a handseal. "Release: Lightning Movement!" And aura of lightning chakra surrounds Hiei's body. He retrieves his sword from the ground and then draws his short sword from his back. "Everybody, back to back. Form a circle." He moves to do just that with Kane, Hiro, Michiko, and Keichi. "Watch each other's backs." When the attacks come, he uses the wakazashi to block the first one, but the second attack gets through his defenses. He sticks his short sword into the ground and then kneels striking the ground. "Fire Release: Falcon Punch!" His forearm is wreathed in flames as he leaps into the air, sending a punch towards the nearest zombie. He then hits the ground and his body blurs as he attacks at high speed.
Keichi peers down lane, seeing Michiko getting flanked…. Right when she's about to get hit by the first strike she's hugged by a puppet in ragged. "I got you girlie!" Keichi says, smiling and winking as his puppet explodes into spliters from the strike. At least he managed to catch one for her!
Keichi then turns to focus on his own issues. Mandoreku swooping in to protect him from a few of the pure Hitokage's. Another puppet emerging from a scroll behind him, intuitively catching another strike before exploding into pieces, all while project 666 suddenly swoops up.
The puppet glows suddenly, the robes being shrugged off af project 666 presents itself. The demonised version of Keichi lifts up both arms, several sprayers showing up, another big one appears from his chest as well. "Might want to not move around for this one guys!" Keichi says, as suddenly the puppet begins unloading. Keichi had to keep himself from laughing uncontrollably as he sets almost everything around the group ablaze with chemical disintegrating flames! "That should give us some breathing room!" Keichi says, as he chooses to go back to back with Michiko. "I got you covered.." He whispers. His two puppets reeling back in to protect him and MIchiko both.
- Hiroyasu reaches behind into his cloak and pulls out a long roll of bandage, he hurls the bandages out which wrap around the waist of the Yotsuki embroiled in his aura of lightning.. Holding an end of the bandage he starts chant holding on the end of the bandages which start to glow and the end snakes out of his hand and wraps around the waist of the Yotsuki coiling tightly and reversing the burns, and closing the cuts.. as the hands are brought into the prayer steeple.. "By the Will of the Ancestors.." he says giving the Yotsuki a nod.. -
Michiko is once again almost caught off-guard by an attack. She really needs to learn expect this kind of thing :\ Fortunately, she has excellent allies and Keichi's puppet does its job well, protecting her from one attack. There's another claw aiming at her that ends up getting her on the arm, leaving a pretty nasty gash. She curses, biting down hard on her teeth, and sends a few more firebolts at the enemies still coming. To Keichi, she murmurs a breathless, "Thanks", wrapping some cloth around her arm.
The shinobi's efforts seem to be doing well against this group, despite them being outnumbered. Kane and Hiei's attacks send those they're fighting reeling back before Keichi manages to send all of them back while burning from the chemicals released by the puppet, which in turn lets them dodge Michiko's attacks. Despite the burning, they run directly at the shinobi again, striking continuously at them as they try to slow them down from reaching the village.
Again, Kane is struck the first time and then dodges the second attack. With the monsters in such close proximity, he chooses to go a bit more primitive and goes for dual draw-strikes against those in front of him.
When Hiroyasu wraps bandages around his waist, he glances over his shoulder and nods to him. "Thanks." He could feel the healing jutsu enter his body. His wounds begin to close and knit up. The large gash on his leg closes up as well as he forms another handseal. When more attacks come, he had to move. He lifts his blade to parry one attack, but the claws of the monsters lace open his arm. He performs a backflip to get out of the way of the next attack. He was done playing around. At this rate, they'd be too weak to do anything about the village once they got to it. It was time to get serious around here. "Release: Lightning Dynamic!" The aura around him intensifies and his muscles expand under his skin to about twice their size. He forms a series of seals this time and points it at the horde. "Lightning Release: Inspiration Wave!" A cone shaped blast of lightning comes out of his hand. If successful the lightning will cause the bodies of the zombies to hold still for a moment as they receive a shock to their central nevous system. Immediately afterwards, Hiei moves again at high speed, his body seems to be in several places at once as he feints attacks at the horde until he reaches the one he wants before appearing back where he was, back to back with the group. He looks at the situation and makes a call that he really doesn't want to make, but he had to think of his teammates. "This is too much. We have to retreat. On my signal go. Keichi and I will cover our escape!"
Keichi peers around him, calmly scanning the battlfield. "Stick close to me Michiko.." He instructs… Before suddenly she's surrounded by total darkness. SHe can feel Keichi's back against hers however. "No worries, we're safe in here for a few moments…" She hears a few thuds while in the protective belly of Keichi's dragon. Eventually Keichi unwraps the defense however. Mandoreku quickly spraying some extra chemicals over some of those - things - that haven't gotten the opperunity to enjoy his masterwork yet. "So I'm thinking of starting a labratory in Konoha.." He says, small-talk during a fight? Well got to keep the morale up somehow! "Think it's a good idea?" He asks Michiko in particular. "Maybe even a workshop next to it to make childrens toys!" He says with a smile, turning to look at Michiko for a brief moment before quickly turning to refocus on the battlefield.
Keichi nods at Hiei. "Sounds like a plan." He says, grabbing several scrolls and flinging them into the air… One… two… three dragons. The triplets show up and disassemble, reassembling in a fat large heavy dragon coming down with a thud in front of Keichi. Keichi quickly moves to mount it, sitting down on it's neck. Project 666 floating right behind him.
- When the claws, the teeth, the gnawing, and gnashing come for him, a small seal between his finger glows and a buckler of blue energy swirls forth deflecting the bodies at first, but numbers begin to overcome him and the barrier strains, and hums as the claws strike before the barrier shatters and the claws and teeth find flesh and draw blood.. fumbling backwards when the next rage of shadows comes at him, he isn't standing in the same spot sliding to a stop with his hand reaching out to the ground dragging in the dirt as he slows down by force.. Looking up his eye's have been consumed by darkness.. there is a ripple in the darkness as seals begin to swirl after burning into existence.. A foot kicks up catching the dirt as he flips over the shades landing behind Michiko.. his finger bury into her flesh across several points in rapid succession, no pain just sudden bursts of pressure following by the sudden surge of chakra as her body rejects the wounds she has taken by sealing them and stemming any trickle of blood.. He Looks over at Hiei who was increasingly bad situation, Michiko who was likewise continuing to take a beating.. "No.. Yotsuki-san Grab Michiko and flee this area your nintaijutsu will give you the speed and strength to get her out of here.." blood was trickling down his arms and dripping steadily, and sweat pouring down his face.. "You Konoha-Kiri.. shinobi whatever, cover their escape.. I'll hold them off.. its not like you could fend off this many anyways Yotsuki-sama.. don't give Nariko any reason to torture us.." he gasps grasping his chest drawing what little chakra he has left. -
Total darkness is quite alarming… It's a good thing Michiko isn't scared of being in it, or things could have been a bit messy. Keichi's small talk distracts her enough that she ends up getting scratched again, causing her to hiss out a curse. Thankfully, Hiro is an excellent healer and patches that up. "I suppose a lab in Konoha would be nice. Just don't do anything bad there, Keichi-san. Toy shops are always wanted, of course." She listens to Hiei and Hiro, glancing curiously between them. Yes, she is a bit worse for wear at the moment. Nariko would likely beat them to a pulp if she came home looking like this. "Well, either way, I should retreat from this battle…" she says quietly, mostly to herself, and starts making her way out, watching the opponents in case they try to attack her. Can't relax even if people are watching out for her.
Slash! Strike! HUGE STRIKE! As the shinobi fighting attack with what they have left, the dark creatures remaining are repelled momentarily. One might question what they're doing, as they don't immediately strike back, at least until a dark laughter rings out seemingly from all around. "You bring light, but it betrays you. There will be only darkness… Darkness will swallow you whole!" From down the path, not one statue like Hiei fought before, but more than a dozen of the giant statues are gathering. Their staffs glow with dark chakra as they prepare to attack, the ground beginning to rumble and bits of dust and rock fly up. This gives just enough time to mount a defense and run before waves of dark chakra begin flying toward the shinobi, destroying anything they touch and leaving deep craters in the ground as they try to annihilate their prey before they can flee.
Hiei turns to Hiroyasu and nods. "You're right. Good luck." He moves to stand next to Michiko and makes a handseal. A bolt of crimson lightning descends from the sky and strikes the ground in front of them both. After the bright light and the loud thunder…when the smoke clears both Hiei and Michiko are gone. Meantime, way back in the outskirts of the village, Hiei hops on Snake Eyes and then sets Michiko in the saddle in front of him. "Don't worry, they're soldiers. They'll be fine." He then spurs the horse forwards, getting Michiko out of the immediate area. Because ancestors help him if something happens to her. Nariko would make his life not worth living anymore.
Keichi looks at the fires coming his way. And the group… Well great, he got marked as bait so the rest could get away! Well, better make this good. He unfolds his puppet into a large broad wall. Several chakra shields deploy in place, along with actual ones. Ready to catch the torrent of flames while Keichi hides behind project 666. THey better make use of the freaking head-start! It's getting hot in here! Keichi then however abandons the efforts, resealing his puppets and legging it! Can't stick in here for too long!
- As the impending doom begins to swell in front of them, first goes the Yotsuki with his precious cargo in tow.. Next is the foreigner, the row of handseals begin to blur as the ground in front of him begins to shudder, and shakes giant columns of stone raise from the ground in rapid succession, the giant columns towering over the battlefield casting upon the ground dark stains as they cast looming shadows looking upon the pending doom with a stalwart defiance. Reaching into seal-pouch and hurling several seals against each column… he gasps as each seal saps from him what little strength he has in reserve.. "Please ancestors.. look over those who you see fit.." he says bringing his hands together as the seals begin to activate, large walls of blue-chakra begin to spiral out forming a giant wall held strong by the pillars of strong erected with care. Turning on his heels, he whistles loudly while in a full on limping run, the whinny of a horse and the thunder of hooves as he reaches out and catches the end of the saddle and just lays across the back of the horse hoping it can find it way back to safety.. he needed to rest his eyes for a moment.. deep sigh -
