Description: On her quest for fame, glory and money (mostly money, if we're honest) Gertrude challenges Widow to defend the Western Pro Belt. With high dramatic stakes set at the start by both fighters, the battle does not disappoint! Thrills, spills and explosions rock the ring, and in the end... nobody is left standing! <Result: DRAW - Widow keeps the belt>
Do you have any idea how long it takes to get a wrestling introduction made in a hurry? Gertrude does. Because really, if you're going to challenge the best Pro Wrestler in the western world, in the Capcom Wrestling Association Main Stadium, you're going to do it with a wrestling theme playing too. There's an etiquette, here. To come in without one would be like turning up to an elegant ball in sweatpants and a tube top. It just isn't done.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_l4Ab5FRwM
There's a sellout crowd to see who this upstart who dares to challenge Widow for mastery of the ring might be. When the house lights go down, an eerie hush falls over the stadium, and suddenly - there she is. Delicate guitar floats through the arena, a calm and resonate note which fits her perfectly as she turns and begins the slow descent towards the ring.
~I spoke to God today, and she said she's ashamed~
Gertrude is wearing far nicer clothes than she has done in any of her previous matchups. The young woman's hair is worn loose, allowed to fall about her shoulders, with a leather trenchcoat swathing her form. As the drums and guitar pick up into a more enthusiastic beat, she leaps up into the ring.
~What have I become, what have I done?~
In the first hop, heavy booted feet strain the lower rope, and with a dramatic second leap, she lands in the middle of the ring. One fluid motion takes the trenchcoat from her shoulders, and she FLINGS it out into the crowd.
~I spoke ot the devil today, and he swears he's not to blame. And I understood, cuz I feel the same~
The ring lights come up, reflecting mad colors in her glasses, and making her squint out. The crowd ROARS and... well, Gertrude has NEVER been in a situation like this before! She can HEAR the enthusiasm swelling in the expectant people. The question is... are they here to see her emerge victorious, or to revel in watching her get crushed?
~Arms wide open, I stand alone. I'm no hero, and I'm not made of stone~
Taking a deep breath, Gertrude closes her eyes, and for a second, just a second, she has to wonder if she's made some terrible mistake. Yes, just being here is a victory - of sorts. She's going to be FINE, win or lose, financially, for at least two or three months. That's the kind of stability it is hard to find as an up-and-coming professional fighter. But... but what if she's not good enough to make it even interesting? What if the crowd hate her, or worse... are just DISAPPOINTED that she made it this far at all?
~Right or wrong, I can hardly tell. I'm on the wrong side of heaven, and the righteous side of hell~
Steeling herself, Gertude produces a mic with a flourish, and swallows her doubts. In an instant, the theme shuts up, and she is speaking, loud and clear. "HELLO, CAPCOM STADIUM!" She booms, and even the sound of her own voice augmented by the stadium's impressive sound system sends a thrill through her. "I hope you notice, I didn't bring a belt with me tonight..."
For those curious at home, its true. The camera even helpfully focuses in on her midrift, and the tight jeans which - really - do NOT need a belt at all, Gertrude, you poser. But she grins, and pirouettes, pointing towards the entrance to the stadium.
"I'll be taking the one my OPPONENT is, so kindly, bringing with him!"
After a long moment is given to let the cheers of the crowd wash over the young contender for the Circuit of Champions Western Professional title, a sparse guitar riff (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPpDyIJdasg) starts to play over the speakers, and the lights over the arena begin to dim once more, shifting to blue tones that give the impression of the cover of night falling over the ring. An eerie, ethereal synth tone joins the guitar before the drums kick in, and as they do, all of the lights save a single pale blue spotlight centered on the ring itself to illuminate Gertrude. Even the one remaining light begins to fade as the lyrics to the verse play over the arena's prodigious sound system.
~I watched you change~
~Into a fly...~
~I looked away...~
~You were on fire...~
As the verse comes to an end, the light over the ring finally wanes into total darkness - and then, with the same abrupt intensity as the wall of distorted guitar that hits with the arrival of the song's chorus, the blue lights of the arena begin to strobe.
At first, only the fans closest to ringside notice the arrival of the Western champion. Clad in a dark blue full-body suit that turns the wrestler into little more than an alien silhouette in the lighting, the Black Widow emerges from under the ring, skittering on all limbs in the manner of its namesake. The effect in tandem with the strobe lighting is to make the Widow appear altogether inhuman in its movements as it ascends one of the outer ringposts before perching atop it in a predatory crouch.
The crowd seems as yet unsure what to make of the Black Widow. In wrestling, there is generally a clear dividing line between the contestants in a rivalry - the face, and the heel. The former is to be praised, the latter vilified. The Widow, however, lacks most of the identifying traits of a heel, while being too altogether... strange to be considered a face.
And so the dividing line in this case is not hero and villain, but rather, champion and contender. Many cheer for the champion's appearance, but a good many also boo or jeer, either out of hatred for the Widow's 'gimmick' or because, as a foil to the rising star of Gertrude, they have deemed the Widow to be the villain in this scenario - an obstacle the contender must overcome.
Only one person in the arena is close enough to see the reaction of the Widow to the mixed reaction of the fans - the opponent. It's subtle, but while the top of the Widow's head and even eyes are covered by the outfit, the lower half of the Widow's face is exposed, revealing the faintest of smirks as the wrestler remains hunched and motionless, muscles coiled as if ready to pounce.
The Black Widow is apparently wearing a microphone somewhere, as their voice - an indistinct, husky half-whisper - sounds throughout the arena as the music fades away.
"Welcome to my parlour."
The Widow descends from the turnbuckle by crawling down its length before flipping forward to a slightly stooped stance, upper body swaying to the left and right as the spidery wrestler approaches the middle of the ring.
The arena reverberates with a united cheer from the crowd as the lights come up and the bell rings, signalling the start of the match. Without another word, Black Widow slides forward along the mat in a sudden burst of motion, extending one long leg and aiming to sweep Gertrude's feet from beneath her.
COMBATSYS: Widow enters the arena, to the roar of the crowd!
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Widow 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Gertrude enters the arena, to the roar of the crowd!
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Widow 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Gertrude
COMBATSYS: Gertrude blocks Widow's Light Kick.
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Widow 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Gertrude
Gertrude has done enough research about her opponent to - in theory - be ready to face the oddity before her. The reality, though, is always so starkly different to the sterile world depicted in internet video clips and television highlights. The first thing that strikes her is how tall the opposing wrestler is - or would be, if they weren't hunched and crawling. The second, is how quick to dive into the offensive Widow proves to be.
Gertrude reacts with practiced ease to bring her leg forward into the blow, shifting it to the side, she redoubles her stance, and Widow's crashing limb rebounds from her stance. The blonde woman straightens, and cracks her neck as she does. "Its a very welcoming place." She says, smiling an easy smile- though she's had to drop her mic, and so the crowd will be spared her banter.
"I can see why you make it your home..."
Quite suddenly, Gertrude is spinning on her heel, the heavy boots she's wearing are different to her usual sneakers - but the chunky heels don't seem to be slowing her down at all, as she aims to introduce the heel of that boot to the exposed jaw of her opponent.
"... But I'm at home in any fight!"
It may not be strictly true, but, it sounds dramatic enough, doesn't it? And with all these people cheering, and Widow's dramatic, almost stifling persona... Gertrude feels compelled to try and keep up!
COMBATSYS: Widow blocks Gertrude's Spin Heel.
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Widow 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Gertrude
While strangely svelte compared to many other wrestlers of similar size, the Black Widow's physique is undeniably powerful, the blue bodysuit barely masking the toned muscle beneath. Coming up to a squat that seems more fitting for an arachnid than a human, the Black Widow raises one of those powerful forearms to catch the blow, deflecting it away from the exposed jaw with a grunt.
In a moment, the Widow is sliding forward again - but this time, rather than aiming for Gertrude herself, the arachnoid wrestler slips around fluidly toward Gertrude's back, arms stretching forward to attempt to snatch the Widow's prey around the waist from behind before tugging her violently backward. If the motion is successful, Gertrude will be slammed matward on the back of her head and neck before being released.
The move could be referred to as a German Suplex, but as it is a suplex being performed by a German on a German opponent, it seems rather redundant to call it such. Instead, let it be known by the name trademarked by Black Widow - the Spiderplex!
COMBATSYS: Widow successfully hits Gertrude with Spiderplex.
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Widow 0/-------/------=|=====--\-------\0 Gertrude
Gertrude tries to dodge away from the slam, but the Widow's erratic movements seem to get the better of her. Her head rings as it impacts the mat, and when she raises, some of the dramatic pomp has been knocked out of her. That was a palpable hit, and she's not even able to keep up the front of confidence. Wobbling a little before she finds her stance, the blonde woman actively tries to block out the audience. It'd been energizing at first - but now? Now the roar of the crowd when she gets hit is... well, its putting her off.
"Shouldn't be surprised a wrestler is good at throwing." She mutters, apparently to herself. "You move ... strangely. Its impressive you can keep it up, but ... there's reasons most people don't, scuttle about in a battle!"
Now, she just has to rack her brains to remember what those reasons actually are. Her heart pounding in her chest all the time, that constant, nagging voice in the back of her mind... this, this is getting to her. The pressure. But she can do it. She's fought so many fights, she just needs to find her opening... doesn't she?!
COMBATSYS: Gertrude calculates her next move.
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Widow 0/-------/------=|=====--\-------\0 Gertrude
There has been speculation amongst wrestling's followers as to the reason behind Black Widow's unusual fighting style. Some think it's a gimmick, only meant to draw attention, while others believe it's a calculated tactic intended to throw off opponents. Still others speculate that the Black Widow is something other than what they appear to be: perhaps even one of the inhuman oddities purported to walk - or crawl - the Earth.
The reappearance of that smirk on Widow's lips in response to Gertrude's muttering may give some hint to the purpose of the unnatural movements - or perhaps only cause the question to dig deeper.
As if taunting Gertrude for her unsettled reaction, Widow flips backward onto hands and feet, knees above shoulders, then clambers across the mat straight toward her. Then, swinging forward with palms planted on the ring floor, the Widow performs an inverted split, one sculpted leg swinging backward while the other snaps forward at Gertrude with a heel kick. The motion of the legs then reverses, the opposite leg kicking forward - though backward, in relation to the facing of Widow's body; it's nearly perplexing even to observe - aiming the other heel at Gertrude's midsection. There's a faint white sheen coming from each heel as they swing toward Gertrude - only barely noticeable, except to those trained in perceiving the chi of their opponents.
COMBATSYS: Widow successfully hits Gertrude with Strong Scissors.
Glancing Blow
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Widow 0/-------/------=|=======\-------\1 Gertrude
The strangeness of the Black Widow can't be underestimated. But as she starts to find her center, Gertrude's intense focus is a startling counterpoint to it. There's a kind of strangeness all her own, there. Shutting out the outside world, she gives the opposing wrestler her full attention - and that glint of energy is all the convincing she needs not to try and take it.
Swinging around to the side, only one heel connects, and then it is a bare scrape down her side. Still, the force is enough to send Gertrude reeling backwards into the ropes, where she chokes, and her breath catches in her throat. She's NOT going to stay down, though! With so much riding on this, Gertrude hurls herself right back at Widow in a full display of her martial prowess.
She thinks she's got her moment - now she just has to TAKE it!
Her palm leads the way, aiming to smash down on Widow's shoulder, but she doesn't stop there. Two more hefty palm strikes follow in rapid succession, and then her heel comes crashing around, aiming for the Widow's jaw. If it connects, she practically rebounds off to give a second from the other angle, and, putting herself into the moment completely, sweat dripping down her brow, she gives one last palm heel down with a shouted:
"UNITY!"
And, dropping to one knee fast enough to meet Widow on the way back down again, her fist is at her side, and she brings herself SPRINGING back up with devastating force - the final punch, as always, the most powerful in a jaw-smashing uppercut.
"DRIVE!"
COMBATSYS: Gertrude successfully hits Widow with Unity Drive.
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Widow 0/-------/--=====|-------\-------\0 Gertrude
The Widow has wheeled back to an upright position after the double kick, the sway returning to its stance as it stands. One shoulder is slightly forward of the other - providing an opportune target for the German karateka. Attempting to bend away from the assault and stop it dead with the opposite forearm, Widow proves a bit too slow on the defensive this time, palms slamming into the wrestler's shoulder, then upper torso as the Black Widow is thrown off-balance by the barrage. The exposed jaw is caught by both heels, turning the Widow's masked head to the left and right, before the follow-up uppercut launches the German wrestler into the air to come crashing down on the mat.
When the spider flips back onto its feet, it's clear that the attack has drawn blood - a trickle of red starting to run down from the corner of the Widow's maw, still upturned at the corner in a smirk that only more unsettling in light of the accompanying injury.
Dropping down to all fours, the Widow dashes across the mat before swinging its abdomen around toward Gertrude, legs separating before scissoring toward Gertrude's thigh in an attempt to pull her down to the mat. If successful, the Widow's legs would then tighten around Gertrude's leg, twisting around it as the upper limbs reach to pulling it into a leglock, applying painful pressure.
COMBATSYS: Gertrude blocks Widow's Strong Throw.
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Widow 0/-------/-======|==-----\-------\0 Gertrude
Truthfully, there's a thrill of fear that runs down Gertrude's spine when Widow simply... comes back at her, smiling. That was about as strong as Gertrude could get, and there's nowhere near as much evidence of pain as she would like. In fact, Widow seems more intense now than he did before. The wrestler has definitely succeeded in unnerving Gertrude. Things... things do not look good.
The German woman refuses to allow herself to be taken down to the mat, though. Locked upright, she huffs with the effort of standing firm, and every sinew in her body pulls tight against the Widow's attack.
When she breaks it, though, she's firmly back on the offensive. There's a desperate show from the karate expert, and she swings her leg around as fast and as hard as she can, hoping to catch Widow by the side and scoop her back up into the air-
Where she can complete a second roundhouse spin heel, hopefully flinging the other fighter back against the ropes, and coupled with an increasing desperate.
"KIYAH!"
Which - even though she's got rid of her mic - is surprisingly audible throughout the arena!
COMBATSYS: Widow blocks Gertrude's Double Spin Heel EX.
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Widow 0/-------/=======|==-----\-------\0 Gertrude
Slithering upright as the takedown is deadened against the striker's tenacity, Black Widow is ready when the kicks come swinging in. One leg turns to the side, bent upward at the thigh and hooked at the knee to intercept the first kick with a more solid surface than the wrestler's side. The second kick impacts against the Widow's arm, bent at an angle opposite the leg's in a defensive guard. The impact is still enough to set the wrestler off-balance, the toppling compensated for by fluidly turning the motion into a cartwheel, putting distance between the adversaries.
"You seem uneasy," the Widow says in an airy voice, still seeming almost a whisper. "Don't tell me that I have the pleasure of facing an arachnophobe?"
With that taunt, the mysterious wrestler sways forward, a white light flying from an outstretched hand. As it flies toward Gertrude, the energy forms into the silhouette of a spider flying at the karateka's face. Should it strike, the energy would burn as it clings briefly before pulling back seemingly of its own force toward Widow, stretching into a spiderweb pattern as the wrestler makes a subtle pulling motion in the air.
COMBATSYS: Gertrude dodges Widow's Tarantula Net.
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Widow 0/-------/=======|==-----\-------\0 Gertrude
"Arachnophobe? No."
Gertrude leaps into the air, and the spidery shape passes beneath her. As she lands, she breaks into a sprint, and thankfully, there's just not that much distance in the wrestling ring - the jump has already helped to cover most of it. "Spiders... don't bother me. But you are strong. Fast. Tough. I hate to admit it, but you might be better than me... I'm not scared of /you/, I'm scared of losing!"
Grasping for Widow's shoulders, she's going to try mixing things up - she'd just been assuming that throwing the wrestler would be a stupid move... lets give it a try! If she can get her grip, she'll brace Widow up against her body with a firm tug, raising her leg to take the weight before she rolls backwards, and lets go of Widow at the apex of her roll. If sucessful, Widow will be sent flying backwards, and Gertrude will rise to her feet - further clarifying:
"But I'm not going to make it easy for you!"
COMBATSYS: Widow endures Gertrude's Tomoe Nage.
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Widow 1/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Gertrude
The curl in the Widow's lips flattens as Gertrude slips from the projectile's path and speaks with defiance. Then, as Gertrude charges in, Widow doesn't move, but instead takes a deep breath in and leans in to let the karateka engage the grapple. The spider is launched overhead, landing on its back with an audible thud and even bouncing over into a flip, right into the ring ropes - then bounces right back off of them.
The rebound launches Widow into the air in a spiral, the full span of the wrestler's legs on display as they stretch outward and apart. The Black Widow lands on one foot, the momentum carrying the other leg in a sharp arc, white energy flashing from the sole and streaking through the air as an axe kick of impressive reach and speed is delivered, cutting down toward Gertrude's head.
COMBATSYS: Gertrude interrupts Illusion Parade from Widow with Rising Knuckle.
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Widow 1/----===/=======|=======\-------\0 Gertrude
What follows is a beautiful ballet - one which leaves the audience gasping, and in absolutely no doubt about the skill of both competitors. Widow stretches the ropes, and comes leaping back on. The axe kick comes streaking in, bright white and glorious - but Gertrude has already started to crouch, and her fist is clenched tight.
"RISING! KNUCKLE!"
Hammering her knuckles upward, Gertrude's fist smashes into Widow's jaw in the same moment that Widow's foot meets her rising shoulder. The resultant impact breaks Gertrude's stance, forcing her, briefly, to one knee beneath it. But she rising up just as quickly, and only when she's standing tall again, does she take another breath. Her hand still clenched into a tight fist.
"If its fear you want... you'll have to do better than that!"
The collision of knuckle on jaw sends the Black Widow to the mat, a small spray of blood flying from the wrestler's mouth in an arc. There is no instant rebound this time, and the fall is not broken - for a few moments, the Western champion simply lies there. This would be a moment where, in a pinfall match, the audience would be expecting a cover-up.
After a second, though, the Widow slinks to a stand, body rising like a balloon suddenly reinflated. For a moment, the Widow's full height is on display, looming over Gertrude, lips pursed and fists clenched.
"I don't need you to fear me."
Then, like flowing water, the Widow swoops back down, aiming to slip around Gertrude and grab onto an arm with both of the Widow's own before spinning and sending the woman toward one of the corner turnbuckles with a hammer throw.
"I just need you to stay down!"
COMBATSYS: Gertrude dodges Widow's Improvised Throw.
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Widow 1/----===/=======|=======\-------\0 Gertrude
This time, Gertrude has better luck seeing the attack coming in for her. Widow swoops in, and the precocious challenger rolls forwards, leaving Widow to land heavily just behind the space where she was a moment ago. "I already told you!" She exclaims, as she uses the rope to swing herself up and out of her roll.
"I'm not going to make it easy!"
Leaping back towards Widow, Gertrude completes a graceful arc over the arena. Her heart is pounding, but the crowd are roaring, and - even though she can tell that Widow is still in far better shape than she is - Gertrude is actually starting to believe that if she can just hold on... she can pull this out of the bag after all!
Her hand leads the way on the descent as she comes hurtling out of the sky. Putting her full weight into it - Widow might well be a bigger, taller person than she is - but Gertrude's momentum is not to be underestimated, and she aims to smash that palm down right atop the masked forehead with a mighty, riotous cry.
"HYAAAAAAAH!"
Shouting, as is well known in fighting circles, makes attacks hit a LOT harder, after all!
COMBATSYS: Gertrude successfully hits Widow with Utopian Crusher.
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Widow 1/--=====/=======|=======\=------\1 Gertrude
The Widow awaits the descending palm with an animalistic lean, stooping low with arms held at either side, every muscle tensing as Gertrude falls toward the wrestler. It seems that the Widow doesn't even intend to sidestep the attack, perhaps preparing some trap for the German striker to fall into -
But if such is the case, it seems that the trap is not sprung. Perhaps the blow is more stout than the arachnoid anticipated.
In any case, the Widow is driven down to a knee, bringing the champion below the level of the contender in spite of the difference in size. For a moment, the Widow simply remains still, as if dazed - then, in a sudden burst of white light, the wrestler lunges forward, aiming to close completely with Gertrude and embrace her. If the Widow can catch her, the grappler will launch into the air above the ring, inverting at the apex of the ascent before driving back toward the mat upside down. The intent is to piledrive Gertrude into the mat headfirst, followed by an explosion of chi energy that would shake the ring if the move connects!
COMBATSYS: Gertrude interrupts Vortex Fall from Widow with Rising Knuckle.
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Widow 0/-------/---====|
COMBATSYS: Gertrude can no longer fight.
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Widow 0/-------/---====|
Its the white light that does it.
For Gertrude, it is like staring into the sun. She KNOWS she can't deal with this. She knows for a fact that she won't be avoiding it; that any attempt to mitigate it will assuredly fail. In the half-second between the burst of white light coming in for her, and Widow flinging her into the air, Gertrude makes her decision.
There's no effort to defend herself; instead, a tiny, serene smile marks Gertrude's lips as she's grabbed in the air. It is only at the last possible moment that she squirms free, and when Widow would piledrive her into the ground, Gertrude flips herself down, taking the full force of the impact on her knees.
Another half second- Gertrude and Widow make a glorious tableau, and then, the blonde fighter hammers her fist upwards. Before the shock of the impact can finish traveling up her spine, she's smashed her knuckles into the wrestler above her, and then, then...
Then at last, the karate expert crashes to the ground in the middle of the ring. The reverberating impact having finally reached her stunned brain and the realization of what she had managed to accomplish. Whilst the challenger is definitively the one to hit the ground first... there is no argument that she has proven she has what it takes to make the challenge.
As the glare from the explosion of energy fades, the ring ropes still swaying wildly from the collision, both champion and contestant are found to be on the mat. The Black Widow is folded over on the ring floor, shuddering but otherwise immobile. After a moment of hesitation, an official referee ascends into the ring - often in these matches, with so much explosive potential, it's deemed best for officials not to be too close to the action - and begins to count. For the benefit of the fans, if nothing else - it doesn't look like either fighter is getting up after that.
"...NINE..."
"...TEN!"
The announcement system crackles to life.
"This Professional Fighting Worldwide championship match has resulted in a draw by double knockout! As per the official rules, in the case of a draw, the championship belt does not change hands! Let's hear it for our champion and contender!"
The audience erupts into cheering - with a finish like this one, preferences of winner take a backseat to the spectacle of the competition. The contender may not have won the title, but having knocked out the champion, it's easy to wonder if next time might go differently...
Meanwhile, as a theme for the PFW plays in the background, the Black Widow rises slowly in the ring. Turning to look toward Gertrude, the masked wrestler is expressionless for a moment... then the corner of the Widow's lip curls again. It's nearly the same smirk as before, but somehow softer and less cold.
"Excellent. You dance well."
The wrestler turns to stride toward the edge of the ring. While still moving with that odd slink, the step is more natural.
"And perhaps in time, we'll dance again."
COMBATSYS: Widow takes no action.
COMBATSYS: Widow can no longer fight.
Log created on 12:12:25 12/16/2014 by Gertrude, and last modified on 00:02:33 12/17/2014.