Description: Sakura participates in the Gorin High Games, stepping up for some archery practice... but a deranged Westerner who thinks he's a samurai is there to give her a hard time. (Winner: Sakura)
Competitive table setting?
"Boring."
Competitive flower arrangement? "Bo-ring..."
... Competitive _calligraphy_??
"Boring, boring, -BO-ring-...!!"
Sakura has been dying of boredom this whole 'festival'. She got to play some basketball like... at the -beginning of the day- and since then...
But when she's pushed onto the green field at Gorin, she perks up a little. Until she's handed a Japanese longbow and a quiver of arrows. "I, uh... wha?" she says to the elegant woman who puts the items in her hands, who then simply points to her starting marker... and to the downrange target.
"Please," she says, with a smile. Of course there are others out there too, but the lanes of fire are pretty wide. Sakura looks around... then shrugs.
"Alright," she says. She hasn't done this in... a while. She tried out the archery club once but it wasn't really to her liking, but this could be fun. Without thinking too much about it, she starts drawing and shooting--and she's not -bad- at it, really, not too bad at least, for a barely-taught, never-practiced archer. Some sort of natural ability at work, probably.
COMBATSYS: Sakura has started a fight here.
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Sakura 0/-------/-------|
Finally, he was here. Japan, his TRUE home.
Katana waited weeks to jump on the oppurtunity to travel to Southtown and immerse himself in the culture. When the call for foreign fighters to participate in Gorin's sporting event went out, he pulled some strings to get signed up and given tickets to fly there. At last, he could get out of the US and indulge in sheer wish fulfillment.
Now, he is at the archery range with a Japanese bow. Ah, a fitting weapon for a samurai like himself. Unfortunately for everyone else, he is shooting areas not just at his own target, and not just OTHER PEOPLE's targets, but the other competitors himself! They start ducking behind stuff to avoid the flying arrows while he raises his bow in triumph.
"Hahahahah, <The archery is ultimate warrior for all time!>" he shouts in horribly mangled Japanese, his thick Metro City accent like a hammer against a window pane. "<Let it be known, Katana is number one!>"
COMBATSYS: Katana has joined the fight here.
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Sakura 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Katana
Sakura's fellow competitors first start exclaiming. "Hey, there's someone on the field! They're... wearing.... samurai... armor...?"
Then they stop shooting.
... then they start screaming and fleeing as arrows start flying their way. "W-we didn't sign up for -this-!!!"
Only Sakura remains. And seems... kind of oblivious.
"Huh... moving target? Weird..." Then an arrow nearly clips her. And her mouth sets in a frown. She pulls out an arrow, checks it. Target tips. Shouldn't hurt too bad, especially on a guy with armor...
What Sakura does breaks just about every rule of the archery field--she nocks, aims... and fires for the charging Katana. Center mass.
COMBATSYS: Katana blocks Sakura's Medium Shot.
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Sakura 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Katana
Katana looks as Sakura fires a shot at him, and promptly turns himself so the arrow embeds in his football armor. It stops it from puncturing too deeply, but he can still feel the arrowhead in him. He grunts, seeing...a small schoolgirl daring to challenge him?!
<What this is? A girl small wishes to face ME?!" He draws back his own bow and prepares a shot, firing it back at her. "Go men nasty, but I must defeat you!!!"
His thoughts, not entirely on the fight, dream of sushi and anime that he will doubtlessly indulge in within the coming weeks. Winning here will be a glorious start to his vacation!
COMBATSYS: Katana successfully hits Sakura with Quick Shot.
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Sakura 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Katana
Unlike Katana, Sakura isn't wearing armor of -any- kind. Most of the girls participating in the archery event were wearing at least the traditional boiled-leather breastplate, but Sakura cheerfully declined that. Not that it would've helped in this situation; she attempts to avoid the shot but is just a bit off, and the arrow carves a furrow across her left upper arm, which causes a wince of pain.
"Ow!" She stumbles back, but retains her footing, then shakes her head. What is she doing? She's not an -archer-... Running forward, she closes the gap slightly, then leaps up, taking to the air like a character in a fighting game she likes to play, drawing and firing in midair.
Normally this would of course be horribly off-target and really badly done, but Sakura just has that natural athletic ability going for her, so the arrow's actually reasonably on-target.
COMBATSYS: Katana dodges Sakura's Trick Shot.
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Sakura 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Katana
Katana doesn't seem to have much problem firing arrows at a schoolgirl. In his warped sense of bushido, this is completely okay. Plus, as a warrior from the mean streets of Metro City, you had to have a certain edge to survive. Despite his bizareness, Katana was hardened by the thug life.
He looks up as Sakura tries to shoot him from above. He quickly dodges to the left, the arrow sinking into the grass, the tail end vibrating from the impact. He comes to a crouch, raising his bow and firing off TWO arrows this time, hoping to catch her before she hits the ground.
"Hmm....<You have strength. Much strength! But it is ME who will victorious!>" he declares, still insisting on speaking the local language.
COMBATSYS: Sakura dodges Katana's Strong Shot.
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Sakura 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Katana
Sakura performs a neat twist-and-tuck, tumbling to her right as the arrow passes through where she would be. When she lands, she's much closer to Katana. Much closer. Almost within melee range, in fact. Just a few more steps really.
But before then she takes another snap-shot, this one aimed low--for Katana's foot. Despite that armor he's pretty agile, and she'll need to curb that agility in order to have a chance. She can almost guarantee he's stronger than she is, physically. And she learned long ago not to discount anyone based on their appearance.
After all, she looks just like a regular schoolgirl. (And she is! Except for the obsession with fighting and the unnatural ability to learn how to throw chi projectiles with no formal training at all. Completely normal. Really.)
COMBATSYS: Katana fails to slow Quick Shot from Sakura with Medium Shot.
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Sakura 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Katana
Now, Katana knew he had once chance to perform this one technique. A technique that would cement him as a true master of the Japanese bow. Yes, he remembers distinctly...watching videos of archery tricks as well as Japanese action fantasy movies involving the use of the weapon. The one technique that would set him apart...
Knocking an arrow out of the air with his own.
He sees his chance when Sakura fires, notching a fresh air, pulling the string tight and then letting go. For a moment it looks like he succeeds. Yes, yes, he IS the shogun! He-
Fails. The arrow flies harmlessly past Sakura by several feet, and her arrow strikes his foot and sinks into it. "Aaaaaah!" he yells, hopping up and down on one foot as he attempts to dislodge it from his sneakers. Wow that hurts, that really does hurt!
The last arrow lets Sakura close in. She switches the bow to her left hand--non-dominant hand--as she goes, but she isn't going in for a punch. Instead, she's testing Katana's defenses with a quick, thrusting kick, a probing test with a sneakered foot.
This has been a bit of a strange fight for Sakura so far--clearly she's not really used to fighting an prolonged ranged battle--but closing in puts her where she's more at ease.
"Don't know who you are, stranger, but I can't let you disrupt the festivities!" she proclaims.
COMBATSYS: Katana blocks Sakura's Light Kick.
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Sakura 0/-------/------=|==-----\-------\0 Katana
Katana grunts when the kick lashes out; he protects his middle with his arms, Sakura's foot slamming into them but not doing much. He drops the bow; no use up close like this. "<I have told you...I am KATANA! Samurai of the Mad Gear clan!>"
"Icky mashed oh!" he cries, and reaches for his back. The hilt of two katana portrude from there, and with a quick flourish he draws them, gleaming in the sunlight. He makes a noise like a kabuki warrior about to yell, then suddenly slashes out with one of the katana at Sakura!
COMBATSYS: Sakura blocks Katana's Jigoku Scrape.
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Sakura 0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0 Katana
"WHOA!" Sakura wasn't expecting -swords-. The harsh scrape of the sharp blade against the opening of the scabbard is, to her fanciful imagination, painfully sharp, the kind of sound she expects to hear in an anime, but completely real. She reacts instinctively, leaping backwards--but not quite in time. She's swift, but so is Katana, even with an arrow in his foot, and the weapon cuts across her stomach, drawing a thin red line, having come in just under the hem of her blouse.
Sakura skiphops twice backwards, then, unconsciously imitating some of her favorite movie martial artists, reaches down and touches the bleeding wound, looking at her fingertips, then rubbing the blood into her hand to clear it and clenching into a fist. "So," she says, her voice serious.
Slinging the bow over her left shoulder to free her hands, she draws them in towards her marked stomach, palms nearly together. A glowing ball of blue-tinged white chi forms--and expands to the size of a beachball in less than a second, crackling and spitting as she concentrates her energy into it.
"EAT THIS!!" she shouts as she flings the chiball at Katana; it flares brightly as she hurls it forward.
COMBATSYS: Sakura successfully hits Katana with Medium Hadouken.
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Sakura 0/-------/---====|======-\-------\0 Katana
Katana is, admittedly, awed by Sakura's gesture with the blood. It was EXACTLY like his anime shows! Truly, he was in a magical land like no other. He even paused then, holding his arms stiffly at his sides as he bows at her deeply.
Unfortunately, no one really told Katana that you don't bow DURING a fight, so he is woefully unprepared for a hadoken. He crosses his swords in vain hope of defending, but it's too late. The hadoken slams into him and sends him sprawling, the feel of a sledgehammer slammed into his chest. Doubtless it will form a nasty bruise, as he lies in the grass breathing hard. He stares up at the sky for a few moments, before shakily climbing to his feet.
"<So...you know the art of> AUNTY SAT SUCKING?" he asks, completely serious. "Yatta!"
Despite his foot hurting, he surges forward in a run like a quarterback, attempting to grab Sakura while his swords are held in his armpits, lift her up over his head, and slam her down onto the archery field.
COMBATSYS: Katana successfully hits Sakura with Medium Throw.
# Disabling hit! #
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Sakura 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Katana
Sakura's too confused by what Katana just said. She spends too long trying to translate back from Bad Japanese with an English Accent to Real Japanese. "I uh--what?" She doesn't even =think= about him charging in on her until it's too late.
"Oh, cr--" Lifted.
Slammed.
Sakura rolls away with a pained groan, popping back up to her feet, wobbling for a moment. "Ungh," she says, shaking her head. Yeah... that's about what she expected from that. But she can't let him keep the advantage.
Even weakened and a little dizzy, she puts her fists up--then remembers the bow. Fading back a little, she draws the bow and fires another arrow at Katana. She's aiming for one of his shoulders, maybe to take one of the swords out of the equation...
COMBATSYS: Katana dodges Sakura's Medium Shot.
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Sakura 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Katana
Katana, however, is ready for this. So ready, that when the arrow comes, he lashes out without thinking, knocking the projectile away with one of his swords. He stares at it for a moment, as if not believing what he just did. Then he laughs, hearty and deep. Truly, his samurai swordsman blood was beginning to blossom here!
His leg snaps out then, the one with the uninjured foot, and seeks to knock Sakura off her feet.
COMBATSYS: Katana successfully hits Sakura with Light Kick.
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Sakura 1/------=/=======|=======\-------\1 Katana
"Ugh!" Sakura catches Katana's foot in her stomach and again she stumbles back. This does not please her. She does not like being beaten by a man who is clearly a fool and... worse. This close she can certainly tell that he's an American, and with the terrible accent in his 'Japanese' it's even more painful. There is more than just -pride- on the line here.
Setting herself, she sinks her stance a bit lower, centering herself and not attacking. Instead, she draws upon the power of the earth--the power within herself--a cyclonic wind kicking up around her and slashes of blue energy flaring up from around her feet to her knees, visible evidence of the power she's drawing on.
COMBATSYS: Sakura taps into her inner strength!
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Sakura 1/--=====/=======|=======\-------\1 Katana
Katana remains oblivious to Sakura's consternation, absorbed as he is in his own little delusion. He watches as she kicks up a small whirlwind around herself with her battle aura. His jaw drops slightly; he did not expect such a display of power from...someone so small. He spreads his legs and thrusts one palm out, rolling his head as he begins a kabuki yell to psyche himself up. "YooooOOOO!" Then, he slaps his swords in a cross shape. A signal, perhaps, for Sakura to bring it!
COMBATSYS: Katana focuses on his next action.
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Sakura 1/--=====/=======|=======\-------\1 Katana
"I bet you don't even know how embarrassing you are," Sakura half-mumbles to herself. The glow fades from around her and she regards her opponent for a moment. With a little smile, she draws the bow again. She hasn't been very successful with it--no surprise, given her lack of training--but she'll keep trying. It's in the spirit of the event, after all.
And she tries to get even flashier--drawing -two- arrows, ripping the fletching off one side, just like a certain movie, and drawing the bow as she fades back once again, backhopping in a long hop as she looses the two arrows at Katana. It's a mystery whether she actually expects these to -hit-... it's definitely a flashy and not at all practical move to make.
COMBATSYS: Katana dodges Sakura's Trick Shot.
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Sakura 1/--=====/=======|=======\-------\1 Katana
Katana watches Sakura notch two arrows, nodding with approval. When they are loosed, the big man, with surprising agility, dodges both by twisting his body so they both barely fly past him. He puts his swords under his armpits again, picking up the bow once more to meet her with another shot - this time, he aims UPWARDS, with his back to the sun so Sakura will have a harder time seeing. Why? Because he lets loose an arrow that travels up...and then back down again in an arc. With the sun in the way, he hopes she'll be unable to avoid it.
COMBATSYS: Katana successfully hits Sakura with Trick Shot.
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Sakura 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\-------\1 Katana
"AGH!" Sakura takes an arrow to the shoulder... and yanks it right out. Blood spurts free from the wound and yet she doesn't slow down. If anything... she looks even angrier. Actually, truly angry. This started out as a little bit of play, but it's gotten far more serious for the young Ansatsuken girl. Gritting her teeth, she growls. "That's -it-..."
She tosses the bow away, rips the sleeve off her injured shoulder, and fashions a quick wrap around it to keep the wound from bleeding out too much. Experimentally she rotates the shoulder once, twice. It hurts, but it'll work for these purposes. The light in her eyes changes. She's done playing around.
She closes the distance in a flash, lunging forward and twisting her body around to her left as she goes--and then she leaps forward, spinning up and around like a helicopter top, her right leg out as a striking weapon as she revolves with far more force than a young girl like her should be able to generate.
COMBATSYS: Katana counters Shunpuu Kyaku from Sakura with Shiraha Catch.
# Disabling hit! #
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Sakura 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\==-----\1 Katana
"<It seems you underestimating me. See this write? DEATH!>" Katana points to the letter on his chest...which is mis-written, despite the fact his brush technique is good. He seems to have not noticed or cared to look too closely. He waits for her to mount her assault, his swords still tucked into his arms. This was an excellent day! Archery AND fighting combined into one! Perhaps he will introduce this activity to his friends in Mad Gear back home...maybe even brother Rolento will approve.
He holds a hand to his head, seemingly leaving himself wide open for Sakura as her jumping hurricane kick gets her quickly in range. However, just as her feet even begins to brush at his helmet...his arm lashes out and he grabs her. "CHECKMATE-DA!" he cries, and whips her around like she's a stone he's about to skip across the water, throwing her across the entirely length of the archery field...and straight for one of the wooden archery bullseye targets.
The archery targets are pretty sturdy. Sakura slams into it--but it doesn't break. And, at least for the moment, neither does she. Gritting her teeth, she shakes her head out one last time. "No," she growls.
"NO!" she shouts, a single, defiant syllable, and she stalks forward, her legs shaky but still able to carry her for the moment.
"You're -not- getting away with this..." Once again, power builds in her hands. But... more power. The ball isn't any larger than before... but it's far more intense. Solid. Compressed.
Sakura's putting -everything- into this one, not just her chi but her anger, her rage, and that affects it too--where it would be tinged blue, it's instead tinged purplish-red, with more lightning-like crackles on it. That light is reflected in her eyes as she unleashes a wordless, primal scream and lets fly with the compressed ball of power.
COMBATSYS: Sakura has reached second wind!
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Sakura 0/-------/-<<<<<<|=======\==-----\1 Katana
COMBATSYS: Katana blocks Sakura's Shinkuu Hadouken EX.
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Sakura 0/-------/-<<<<<<|=======\=====--\1 Katana
Katana is shocked by Sakura's fury. Was it something he said? He does not recall insulting her in any way! Perhaps this is merely a reflection of the burning fighting spirit within. He wishes some of his fellow gang members displayed this level of intensity! Rather than, say, smoke weed and drink beer at the corner all day. Then Mad Gear would be TRULY unstoppable.
He actually yells in surprise when he sees her giant-ass hadouken fly straight for him. He crosses his swords, making it in time, but the impact against him still feels like someone got in their car and tried to ram him. He's knocked several feet backwards, and it takes all his effort not to be bowled over onto his back. "Aaaargh!" he yells. Finally, it dissipates, and he slumps forward, breathing heavily with sweat dripping off his face through the helmet.
"<You are...a fierce opponent! Perhaps all schoolgirl too?>" he remarks. His lungs feel like someone used them as a speedbag. He straightens up, wincing as his entire chest feels like a big bruise. Now...it was his turn. He gives a loud battle cry and charges straight for Sakura with his katana held out, aiming to pincer her between the blades and knock her to the ground. If he succeeds, he will drag her across the ground for a considerable distance - enough so that chi flames erupt and set her ablaze! He will then release her and sort of fling her forward after that.
COMBATSYS: Sakura dodges Katana's Daikyou Burning.
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Sakura 0/-------/-<<<<<<|=======\=====--\1 Katana
Sakura is energized. Energized by her anger, which is definitely -not- what her (not-really) sensei would want to see. But she is empowered by it right now, and she couldn't even say why she's so angry, really. She crouches, leaping up over Katana completely as he charges her. When she lands, she spins around, looks...
...and leaps again into the air. Arching herself backwards, she doubles her fists together, then unleashes all that tension as she descends--intent on smashing him right in the head with her doubled-up fists.
COMBATSYS: Katana fails to interrupt Sakura Otoshi from Sakura with Tengu Walking.
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Sakura 0/-------/------=|=======\=====--\1 Katana
BAM! Sakura's double fist slams right down on Katana's helmet as he rushes forward. The helmet is genuine protection...but a blow like that still does damage, the helmet ringing in his ears as he's instantly flattened facedown on the ground by the attack. For a moment, it looks as if he is out cold. Indeed, his vision does go black...yet Katana is not merely some jock wearing funny armor. He has the heart of a warrior, and the fortitude to match. He suddenly springs up, spitting up some blood from his mouth.
Without another word, he suddenly performs a handstand...with his katana. The blades stuck into the dirt, he balances on them seemingly perfectly despite his huge football player frame. This leaves his legs free...to repeatedly kick at Sakura like he was pedalling a bicycle.
BAM! Sakura's double fist slams right down on Katana's helmet as he rushes forward. The helmet is genuine protection...but a blow like that still does damage, the helmet ringing in his ears as he's instantly flattened facedown on the ground by the attack. For a moment, it looks as if he is out cold. Indeed, his vision does go black...yet Katana is not merely some jock wearing funny armor. He has the heart of a warrior, and the fortitude to match. He suddenly springs up, spitting up some blood from his mouth.
There's a voice in the back of Sakura's head. It's shouting at her, but not in words she could recognize. It's generating a sort of red haze that clouds her vision, though she's still locked on target. She bounces away from the bicycle-kick attempt, lands in a skid, and whips around again. Time to finish this? She will certainly try.
But she's beginning to be aware of just how tired she really is. The adrenaline is starting to wear off. But she pushes forward regardless, bumrushing the man and looking to snag him by an arm, to use leverage and a planted heel to spin him off-balance and hurl him into one of the archery targets, as he did to her earlier.
COMBATSYS: Katana dodges Sakura's Medium Throw.
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Sakura 0/-------/------=|=======\=====--\1 Katana
Katana stands but is unsteady - he is also winded, and still reeling from the blow to the head. Despite this, he can see Sakura coming from a mile away. When she attempts the grab, he responds by leaping backwards well out of range of her arms. He stares at her, then sheathes his katana to his back again. "<Now....your end!>" he declares.
Instead of charging her for a tackle, he crouches down, then leaps forward, extending his right leg out to plant his (undamaged) foot right in her face. "KYOOOOOOO!"
COMBATSYS: Sakura dodges Katana's Strong Kick.
[ \\\ < > //////// ]
Sakura 0/-------/------=|=======\=====--\1 Katana
Sakura leans back, and the wind from that kick ruffles her bangs as it passes by. They're both tired now, winded and injured, and even though the fire is dimming, it still burns inside her. But she needs to end this. Now. She doesn't have much left in her, but what she does have she puts forth.
It's as if she's expelling the last of that poisonous anger as she forms yet another ball of power--though this one is rather smaller in nature, barely the size of a basketball. Still power in it, of course, still tinged purple at the edges, and it pulses slightly oddly...
But she has to hope it'll be enough, because she doesn't -have- anything else...
COMBATSYS: Sakura successfully hits Katana with Small Hadouken EX.
[ \\ < > / ]
Sakura 0/-------/-----==|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Katana
Fortunately for Katana, he doesn't get hit in the chest this time.
UNFORTUNATELY for Katana, he gets hit in the groin. Perhaps he was positioned wrong, or the fates decided he needed to get hit there, but whatever the case, it slams right into him there and makes his knees buckle. The good news? He's wearing a cup. Despite this, the pain still radiates from that area towards his thighs and stomach. He coughs and wheezes into the grass. This archery was no longer quite so fun.
With a last grasp, he gets up and tries to grab Sakura, throwing her AGAIN towards the archery targets in one final desperate move. "<The spirit of 1000 Japanese warriors SCREAMS WITHIN ME!>" he yells.
COMBATSYS: Katana can no longer fight.
[ \\ <
Sakura 0/-------/-----==|
COMBATSYS: Sakura parries Katana's Shogun Throw!
[ \\ <
Sakura 0/-------/-----==|
Sakura goes for another ride. But when she reaches the archery target--she *catches* herself on it. The sudden stop is... well, it's sudden. And complete. But then Sakura turns away from the archery target and stares at Katana. Quietly, but quite clearly, she says, "I think you should leave now."
And then, turning her back on him... she walks off the field. She has injuries that need treatment. And... though she doesn't look it, she's kind of... scared. Not of Katana... but of herself. There are things she'll have to think about...
COMBATSYS: Sakura has ended the fight here.
Log created on 20:58:34 03/28/2015 by Katana, and last modified on 09:00:40 03/29/2015.