The Bonds of Time
Chapter 14
Andrew Joshua Talon, with many thanks to Kanako Urashima
DISCLAIMER: Love Hina is not mine. I'm not making any profit off this fanwork, and the authors used own themselves. "The Love Hina Fan Boy War!" is the property of Kanako Himekazi-Urashima, which she gave me permission a while ago back to write a prequel to.
Therefore...
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A chapter written (more or less) entirely by me! Wow, didn't see that one coming, didja? ^__^
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Early winter, 2015
"Woo hoo! Lucky seven! Drinks all around!"
The roaring casino around the triumphant woman at the craps table grew even louder with cheers, as the well-endowed blonde raked in her winnings to her bosom. She eagerly headed for the cashier, the gambling and drinking all around continuing unabated.
"Hey Boss! Why are you out among the tables?" Queried the cashier, a dull-looking young man with flaming red hair. The blonde woman grinned, her eyes twinkling.
"What's wrong? Can't a girl have a little fun?"
"You own the casino," pointed out the cashier, taking the chips and quickly shuffling them for money. They'd continued to use the dollar bill for currency, though the counterweight for the dough was now the water that Kitsune wielded, rather than gold bricks in Fort Knox.
"Ha! Does the peddler never sample his wares? Do the clergy never pray? C'mon, what'd I win, Jonesy?" The cashier sighed and smiled at his boss's cheerful demeanor.
"Twelve thousand… Though, might I remind you again-"
"Yeah, yeah, I own the casino," Kitsune said, rolling her eyes as she shoved the tokens under the steel bars of Jonesy's window. "You know where to put it, Jonesy."
"No problem, ma'am," the cashier grinned, as he stashed the chips away in a private box. He'd gotten used to his boss's frequenting of the tables, but it never hurt to make friendly conversation with Kitsune.
A young, mouse-brown haired woman approached the cashier's window. Jonesy turned, to ask if he could help her…
He lost interest, and looked over at some finance reports he would have to file soon.
"Oh, damnit," he muttered to himself, "I forgot to secure the safe." Turning from the window, Jonesy walked down the hallway, over to the heavily reinforced door that led to the area where the money was processed, and a good portion of it stocked away for the casinos. Kitsune always liked to have some spare cash lying around - preferably in the amount of tons. He reached for his keys - And they were gone.
"Huh? Where the hell did I-?" Jonesy looked up, and noticed that the door was already open. How'd that happen…?
Jonesy shook his head, as though he were waking up from a dream. What was I-? Oh yes, the safe…
Jonesy closed the door behind him, and walked down the hallway. On either side of him, employees of the Royal Fox Fan Horde Casino sorted through the casino's winnings on the other side of thick glass. He reached the safe, and opened it up, the reassuring clinks of the locking mechanism completely sound.
This building had easily survived the Cataclysm from two decades ago, thanks to it's sturdy construction. A Japanese firm, experienced in designing buildings to resist earthquakes, was to thank for that. It was thus little wonder that Lady Kitsune had taken control so quickly and effectively.
Oh yeah, and the fact she could summon water with a wave of her hand, or ice, figured prominently in the formula of power.
Jonesy froze. He could swear there was someone in the room with him… But as he looked around, he saw nothing. The old clerk scratched his head.
What's going-?
Jonesy blacked out, a sound thwack to his head by a thick record book sending him to dreamland. The holder of the book, a medium-height, brown-haired woman, sighed before shoving the book into a nearby shelf. She reached into the safe, pulled out an armload of cash, and shoved it into a duffle bag.
"Jonesy?! What's that you're-" The girl turned, wide-eyed, at the door. Another employee walked in, and blinked dumbly at Jonesy on the floor.
"Good grief Jonesy, what happened?" The girl, completely ignored by the other employee, made a break for it.
Hope Chris got the motor running…
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The girl darted out into the relatively quiet street behind Kitsune's Palace. Over on the other side, a British, right-driving Landrover sat, it's motor thrumming, but no sound stirring from it. The girl dashed over and jumped into the passenger-side seat.
"Got the dough?" Asked the driver, a stocky, messy-brown haired man.
"You know it," the girl responded with a grin, tossing the stuff in back. "And Kitsune didn't even see me!"
"Hey Eijentu, your… Shall we say… 'Skills' have never failed before," Chris complimented, grinning back at his partner in crime.
"Until tonight. But then, that's just me." Eijentu and Chris blinked at each other, before turning to the speaker.
Kitsune grinned at them, her fists radiating cold, icy mist.
"Um…"
"Now generally," Kitsune started, intensifying her icy output, "I'd freeze you two Bonny and Clyde imitators, and put you on display at the front door."
"Um, we're sorry," Chris started, but Kitsune's glare silenced him. The fox goddess's gaze softened.
"However… You got past all my guards," the fox lady said, indicating Eijentu, "and you, I'm assuming, made it so no normal human could hear what's going on here, right?" Chris nodded, as Eijentu blushed.
"Er… We've been like this… Ever since-"
"The Catalcysm, yeah," Kitsune finished, her grin widening. "C'mon, let's go in and talk."
"You're not… Mad?"
"Course I am. You clobbered a friend of mine. But, instead of turning you both into icicles, or drowning ya, you're gonna work off your debt to me."
"I've got a funny feeling, Eijentu."
"That's because you were looking at her boobs, Chris."
"Well, so were you!"
"Now now, children, I swing all sorts of ways…"
***~''~***
"Did she have no shame?"
"Probably not," Talon responded, grinning at his pupil's tinted cheeks.
"So… Can we finally quit stalling, and get to your part?"
"Suspense is an art form, Miss Arney."
"For you, it's a way of life…"
***~''~***
"Raven Four to Raven Two, target in sight! I count forty - No, make that fifty - vehicles. Looks like heavy artillery escorted by motorcycles and Hummers."
"Confirmed, Raven Four. Raven Two to Raven Prime, what do you make of it?"
"Assault convoy, heading directly for our primary defensive position. Ravens Five and Three, prepare the rocket pods and follow me in. First pass, we wipe out the nucleus. Ravens Two and Four, hang back and take out the survivors once we make our run."
"Roger that. We're going in!"
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"My lady?" In the passenger side seat of a Jeep that was escorting the tanks of the Bulldog Army, Nicole Arlington turned and looked quizzically at her second-in-command.
"Mm?" The commander's breath caught in his teeth, gazing at his leader, his demi-goddess…
She was blonde and fair-skinned, a light matte of freckles decorating her ageless cheeks and nose. Her stormy blue eyes were piercing and bright, with an ever constant swirl within their pupils that resembled clouds, were one prone to flights of fancy.
"Greg? Colonel Macfarlane?" He shook himself free of his stupor, and replied in a moderately-thick Aussie accent.
"Sorry, milady, but you seem… preoccupied."
"I am… I cannot help but sense that our enemy is near…" Nicole closed her eyes, and at once, the wind picked up. Greg looked above him, just in time to see a huge burst of wind herd the clouds ahead of the convoy.
"I never get tired of seeing that," commented a soldier in the back of the Hummer, grinning.
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"Hell, where'd this front come from?"
"It's like it was just… Summoned. Out of nothing."
"…"
"Oh yes, their leader's a storm goddess, isn't she?"
"And why did no one think of this before we took off?!"
"…Um…"
"POWER THROUGH! LAUNCH THE ROCKETS! GIVE 'EM HELLLLLL!"
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BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Bright lights with trails of white smoke flung themselves down upon the convoy, the first ten of them reaching the ground and blowing a number of vehicles to smithereens. The convoy scattered, tanks revving their engines to full to split themselves apart and make themselves harder to hit from the ground.
"Hm…" Nicole opened her eyes, her pupils dilated to the point it looked as though her eyes were pure black. The clouds shifted above them, the wind howling around them. The first bursts of lightening began to spark from cloud to cloud, building up voltage…
***~''~***
Lucia Tanaka cursed rather loudly in the cockpit of her F-22A. The winds had begun to pick up even more, the cloud density reaching the point where their sensors could simply not cut through the interference.
"Have you faced weather adepts before, Jikei?" Talon was sitting in back, the weapons officer. He shook his head, sighing dismally. His link to Mutsumi told him she was fine, several miles away with a helicopter bound for Atlanta, but the speed demon couldn't help his concern for her.
"We faced a wind-wielder in Arizona, but he had nothing on this girl, believe me." Lucia growled, and tilted the stick forward. The strike fighter's nose dipped, the clouds twisting around outside the plane as they descended.
"I guess we'll do this the hard way, then," she muttered. "Raven Prime to flock: Get down below the clouds and begin hit-and-run attacks. Take out as many targets as possible with one volley each, and duck back into the clouds again. We need to avoid Nicole's gaze." Lucia turned her head back over her shoulder slightly.
"As far as we can tell, she can only control clouds - Not sense things inside of them."
"Of course," Talon replied thoughtfully," she could just whip the clouds up into a massive twister, so it wouldn't matter if we hid or not - She'd just kill us all."
"Gee, you're a regular cheerleader, Andrew."
***~''~***
Below, Greg cursed under his breath. The fighters attacking them were obviously of Lady Lye's forces. He briefly considered radioing to their main base for helicopter support, but his quick mind dismissed it out of hand.
It would take too long for them to get here, and anyway: Apaches were no match for stealth aircraft such as these.
"Have no fear, Greg," Nicole intoned into his thoughts, as their driver zoomed the Hummer off the road and into the woods for cover. "I can destroy them at my leisure."
"Stop the car," Greg commanded, and the driver complied without question.
The blonde woman looked up into the sky once again, her eyes completely blackened out. At that moment, a Lye fighter ducked out of the clouds, letting loose a burst of rockets, before a blast of lightening caught it in the engines.
A distant-sounding BOOM registered the explosion of the fighter's engines, and the plane plummeted to the ground, landing scant seconds later in the woods, only a few hundred meters away. The impact vibrated the Hummer's mirrors, and the troops nearby cheered wildly. Greg grinned at his leader, before his face lengthened in concern.
"Lady Nicole? Are you all right? Lady Nicole?" The blonde girl shook her head, and nodded, waving her second-in-command off.
"Yes, yes, I'm fine… Just rather tired." Nicole looked over toward where the Lye F-22 had crashed, a plume of smoke rising from the general area.
"I must… Take out the remaining fighters," she murmured, looking up at the clouds above. The other Lye planes were now ducking back out of the clouds, firing rockets at an almost frantic pace. Nicole narrowed her eyes. They were too easy to destroy, just one lightening blast…
BOOM! Greg drew his pistol, and the other soldiers (aside from the driver) also prepped their weapons. One of the tanks on the other side of the road had burst into flames, and no rocket had struck it. Greg narrowed his eyes, not liking this one bit.
"What-?"
***~''~***
"'Vacation's where I want to be! Funny on the beach where the fun is free! We don't need a holiday to start to celebrate! 'Cause I need a break, I need a vacation!'" Talon cried, rushed past two dismounted troops, slicing their rifles to pieces with Greyspar in the blink of an eye.
"'Vacation's where I want to be! Funny on the beach where the fun is free! We don't need a holiday to start to celebrate! 'Repeat after me, I need a vacation!'" Lucia replied in time, a voltage field surrounding her body that allowed her to keep up with Talon. She simply punched the Bulldog troopers she met, the extreme charge in her fists blasting them ten feet clear in the blow's direction. Of course, since they were both at such high speeds (40 to 50 meters per second, easily), everything else seemed to be moving in slow motion. It was therefore difficult to determine exactly what the effects of every strike were, until several seconds after the initial attack.
Well, if they bothered to look back.
"'Vacation's where I want to be! Funny on the beach where the fun is free! We don't need a holiday to start to celebrate! 'Cause I need a break, I need a vacation!' JIKEI!" Lucia yelled to Talon. Since they were moving at similar speeds, they could hear each other, without any serious distortions.
"YEAH?!"
"WHY ARE WE SINGING A SONG FROM MEWTWO'S REVENGE?!"
"FIRST THING THAT CAME TO MIND! I USED TO OWN THE SOUNDTRACK!"
"YOU START SINGING THE POKE'MON SONG, AND YOU'RE A DEAD MAN!"
"NO ARGUMENT FROM ME!"
"Excuse me, don't you know yelling's extremely rude?" Talon turned his head, and gaped. A guy with brown hair, wearing the red and white of the Bulldogs, looking in his twenties, was keeping up with him. He was also looking at Talon with a very-
POW!
"SHIT!" Talon found himself plastered against the hull of a tank, with excruciating pain running through every part of his body. He gritted his teeth as he fell to the ground on his knees. A pair of feet blurred into existence in front of him. His esper sense screamed danger!
A little late, aren't we? Talon inquired bitterly of his extra-sensory perception, looking up to the body of the man who owned the feet. He had an eyebrow raised at the Coloradoan.
"You know, you're the first… 'Wing foot demon', as the religious members of my town back in Australia called me, I've met. Other than myself, of course."
"Gee, I'm honored. Let's start a club," Talon snarled, lunging at the Bulldog with his max-
WHAM!
"OW! MOTHER *@^$%#!!!" Talon cursed, knocked into the trunk of a tree.
"You bastard!" Shrieked Lucia, diving at the speedy Bulldog with both her fists out. Using a judo move, the Bulldog trooper deftly stuck the silver-haired girl in her neck, sending her to the ground with a dull thud. He bent down, confirmed that she was still breathing, and turned to the young Coloradoan.
Talon jumped to his feet with all of his combined speed and agility, and began to run. He was distinctively aware of the Australian keeping up, only a few meters behind. Talon leapt into the air and kicked off the turret of a tank, going into a roll and coming up with his sword pointed right at the pursuing Bulldog soldier.
He found himself staring down the barrel of an M-16. He shifted his gaze up to the now-smirking Bulldog.
"Do be serious, kid," he drawled, a second before he fired. BOOM!
Talon, not having faced this situation before, but having faced bullets all too many times in the past, instantly sped himself up and threw himself to the side. Even when they weren't running, the two "wing foots" still had their molecules vibrating at an enhanced velocity, and thus adjust what speed they were at, relative to everything else.
The bullet grazed his cheek, and took a bite out of his ear, but other than that, there was no damage. Talon slashed his sword upwards, slicing the gun in half. The world around them remained in it's eerie, slow motion silence, as the Bulldog soldier looked down at the useless gun in his hands, then at the outstretched sword in Talon's.
"Not bad… Even though you have no technique." Talon growled under his breath.
"What?!"
"You've probably relied on your speed and your sword your whole life, right? Well, since the Cataclysm… Thus, when you face someone trained in at least fifty different forms of martial arts, all you've got is luck on your side."
"I've still got my-" Clang! The Bulldog trooper had kicked Greyspar out of Talon's hands, leaving the Coloradoan to stare dumbly at his palms. He looked up at the Aussie, a nervous smile on his face.
"Eh heh… I'd be face faulting right now, were this an anime."
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"Wow," breathed Arney, grinning. "How'd you escape?" The professor smiled boyishly, his eyes suddenly dancing with mirth.
"It was extremely fortunate for me, that a certain… How you say… Impatient member of Lady Lye's forces had taken matters into his own hands?"
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"Well, young one… I must say, you have quite a talent there," observed Colonel Macfarlane, to the defiant Talon and unconscious (and drooling) Lucia. Both were handcuffed in the back of a truck, as the Bulldog convoy continued on it's course to annihilate Atlanta. The Coloradoan glared at the Aussie.
"And, Lady Nicole rewards those who help her, very much," the colonel continued, smiling at both. "Would you not join us? Your lives would be spared. In fact, you all would be spared."
"I don't take kindly to dictators," Talon sneered. Macfarlane raised an amused eyebrow.
"And what, then, is Lady Lye? I-" Crackle. Macfarlane sighed, and pressed the talk button on his radio.
"Macfarlane."
"Sir, there are-" The connection burst into static, as a boom resounded through the air. The sounds of gunfire through the canvas of the truck's canopy became known.
"What now?" Growled Macfarlane. He leapt out the truck and blurred away, leaving Talon and Lucia, alone.
"Well, this is great, isn't it, Lucy-chan?" Talon muttered. Lucia, still out cold, drooled on obliviously. Talon sighed.
VMMMMMM… A loud buzzing sound went outside, closely followed by the sounds of machine gun fire. RATATATATATA!
"SHIT!" Talon threw himself and Lucia to the floor of the truck, bullets bursting through the canvas on either side. Talon raised his head up, and watched out the back of the truck in shock.
Two vehicles, rather like large green boats floating on black rafts, raced by. Sitting in the front seats were the pilots, steering the strange but exceptionally quick vehicles, while standing in the back seats, troops manning heavy machine guns on swiveling mounts blasted away at the Bulldog vehicles. The truck Talon and Lucia were on skidded to a halt, and Talon managed to pull Lucia with him, bound as he was.
"Damnit… C'mon! Grrr…" Talon fell out of the truck, Lucia falling on top of him. The Coloradoan began to squirm his way along the ground as a worm, slinking like a slinky to the edge of the forest. Lucia mumbled something behind him, as he tugged on her collar.
"Damn… Stupid… Useless-" VMMMM!!! One of the strange, hovering attack vehicles skidded to a halt in front of them, and Talon looked up at…
"My Talon-kun, you look worse for wear," Mutsumi giggled. Talon gaped.
"How…? Our telepathic link was-"
I disconnected it in order to let you focus, Mutsumi responded silently, stooping off her vehicle, and working on unbinding her "bodyguard" and Tanaka.
"Lady Lye's people stumbled on this experimental weapons facility in Marietta," Mutsumi continued aloud, finally getting Talon's hands free. The wing foot demi-god bent down and began to work on the rope binding his legs.
"They sixteen of these… Ara… G.E.V.s?"
"G.E.V.s?"
"I believe they stand for 'Ground Effect Vehicle,'" Mutsumi explained, getting Lucia's bonds loose as Talon was made free. The Coloradoan leapt to his feet, pulled Mutsumi into a quick kiss, and smiled at her.
"I'll be right back," he reassured, as he took a gun from the still-stationary hovercraft and leapt off at top speed. The other troopers in the hovercraft gawked at him, as Lucia finally came to in Mutsumi's arms.
"Gurgh… Mommy, did you get implants?"
Needless to say, it was a sweatdrop moment.
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"So?"
"So… What?" Arney sighed dramatically, putting her well-manicured fingertips to her face.
"So… What happened after that?" Talon shrugged, rubbing the back of his head.
"Nothing really… Colonel Greg and Nicole had escaped, as Mutsumi had knocked out everyone in the Bulldog convoy… Aside from us, of course. And, they vanished into the West, not to be heard from again for a very, very long time…"
"Okay… Then what? Isn't this the part where you and Mutsumi finally establish your own power base?"
"Well," Talon said, a boyish smile on his face, "why don't you tell it to me?"
Arney rolled her eyes, sighing deeply.
"This is just like your pop oral quizzes… You just have us stand in front of the room, and give a lecture off the tops of our heads."
"Doesn't it let you learn, though?" Talon pressed, smiling fondly at the girl.
"I suppose… All right. Lady Lye, as she was just a mortal, passed away a decade later, after naming you and Talon as some of her top advisors. There was a vote, and the people unanimously voted for Mutsumi to be their queen. There have been rumors, though-"
"That Mutsumi fixed the vote with her powers?" Talon asked mildly. Arney shrugged, a slightly embarrassed smile on her pale face.
"Er… Yes."
"Believe me, Mutsumi was too good-natured to do something like that," Talon reassured, "it was her kind, good spirit that shined through that earned her the throne. Please continue."
"Um… In any event, Mutsumi named you head of the military, as other demi-gods and goddesses, not to mention rogue mortal groups, kept trying to invade and take over. So… You built the Otohime Union-"
"As it came to be known…"
"Do you always have to interrupt?"
"My apologies, it's a bad habit of mine. Do go on."
"Ahem. Otohime Union, into a world power, matched only by the Naru Empire. Your GEVs, in multiple variations and types, were the mainstay of your ground forces, while advanced fighter aircraft allowed you to rule the air. And, your navy of trimaran aircraft carriers, multi-role nuclear submarines, and modular destroyers and cruisers made you a force to be reckoned with!"
"Yes, yes… with the Great Continental Shift of 2039 certainly changed the playing field, hm?"
"I'll say," gasped Arney, "The Earth had experienced around 250 million years of continental shift virtually overnight, geologically speaking. In 61 years, Australia and South-Eastern Asia merged with each other, Africa and Europe collided, the Mediterranean vanishing as it was crushed between the two, while
England, along with the rest of Europe, was pushed far to the north, changing orientation as it did so.
"Northern and Southern America moved positions, the Atlantic widening as the Americas distanced themselves from Africa," recited Talon, "while proportionately decreasing their distance from Eurasia on the Pacific side. Antarctica moved northward, shifting and beginning a long thawing process."
"At the midpoint," Arney continued breathlessly, "The Atlantic shrunk as the Americas and Euro-Africa approached each other. The distance across the Pacific Ocean grew as the Atlantic directional shift occurred. Northern and Southern America themselves again changed positions as the two continents reverted to resembling their former locations in relation to each other."
"Africa and Eurasia retained their physical contact, at this stage a merged continent," Talon added," Antarctica continued its northern shift, colliding with the Australian continent and merging with Australasia."
"Until finally, in 2100," Arney finished in a stage whisper, her eyes alight in glee, "The two continents of the Americas merged with each other as they collided with Africa, and today this continental area is known simply as America."
"Keep in mind, " Talon noted, " that North America and South America are still recognized as separate regions."
"Of course. Um… Oh! Africa moved into its final position, and of course retained its original continental name, while the orientation of the Asian continent changed slightly until coming to rest in what is known as Eurasia. These three continental areas are all physically connected by land to one another, trapping in their center the basin known as the Inland Ocean. The merging of Antarctica with Australia was completed, forming the continental area of Australasia."
"But, under the surface of the oceans, each of the landmasses were now merged as one continent: The super continent Pangea Ultima, though it is generally referred to as Pangea," came Talon's coda, the professor smirking at his pupil.
"I memorized Mr. Riam Kaikiaichi, Chief Economic Advisor to Lady Suu of the SASA's, report. As I recall, you co-wrote that paper," boasted Arney, grinning broadly.
"I just did the big calculations," Talon shrugged, smiling thoughtfully. "Riam did the hard stuff."
"Whatever happened to him, anyway?"
"He served Lady Suu with Lady Sarah, until the Second Goddess War, before retiring with Seta and Sarah to China. They run a martial arts school to this day, and have a number of children."
"And so," Arney grinned, "we're finally to the good stuff!"
"'Good stuff', Miss Arney? Mind being more specific?"
"The Light of Evil," Arney whispered, a slight glint appearing in her eyes Talon wasn't so sure he liked. He took a deep drink of water, before slumping down in his seat with a sigh.
"And, I suppose you wish me to tell you about it, mm?"
"What else?"
***~''~***
And the saga rolls on…
NEXT TIME: The First Goddess War begins, with Naru's attempt to take Keitaro back from the Otohime Union by force. Meanwhile, in Texas, the Light of Evil has been found…
Silver: Sorry I didn't put your part in, I just didn't know how to put it in. But, don't sweat it! You're an extremely talented writer, and your contribution to this series will be wonderful!
Everyone Else: THE FIRST WAR SAGA IS NEXT! For those of you still contributing, here is the strategic situation. A map of the world in question is available if you request it, courtesy of our own DigitalAvatar! Thank him for doing this, BTW:
Naru's Empire comprises the Western half of North America, while the Otohime Union has the Eastern half. Haruka is stationed up in Africa, while Kitsune and Shinobu, using their powers, transplanted their peoples to South America. The rest of the world will be filled out in the next century, as the Dual Empire will make it's capital in what's left of Babylon.
For the years of the Second Goddess War (or, the Fanboy War), Kitsune will be in the Americas, Kanako in East Asia, Motoko in Russia, Suu and Shinobu in Northern and Western Europe, the neutral forces in the Mediterranean Mountains and the rest is Naru land.
The Void is in Chicago, right at Ben's doorstop.
Now: I strongly encourage everyone writing at least one passage that does not deal with their own character, in order to make the story more diverse. This is just a suggestion though.
Thank you very much! Happy Holidays!