Okay," Buds looked at his schedule. "One more and I'm outta here again..."
"Hello..." said a woman.
"Ms. Mon?" asked Buds. Buds eyes narrowed as she looked very normal, with the exception of the black birthmarks in her face, and something about her made him a bit uneasy.
"Call me Mara, Mr...?"
"Buds, no last name, don't ask, because you wouldn't believe me..." Buds replied, smiling. "So, what do you need?"
"Oh, just a few quirks in my back..."
Buds nodded, and started at her naked back. "Whoa, a lot of fatigues for a pretty lady like you..."
Mara nodded and blushed. "Occupational hazard. I'm a demoness..." she blurted, and quickly covered her mouth.
"Oh," Buds said indifferently. "No wonder your whole name was 'Mara D. Mon'. Interesting to meet a demoness..."
"Huh?"
"I'm not from this world... You can say I'm a rurouni..." Buds smiled. He continued massaging her back.
After a long silence, Mara smiled as a relaxing sensation went to all over her body. "Your good, Buds. I like you."
"Me too!" smiled Buds.
That is how Buds and Mara met...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Me Against All Odds Chapter 03: Oh My Demoness!!! -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Buds liked the company of one female. And she was Mara, Class One Demoness Limited, as she introduced herself. She was by far the most interesting girl he ever met.
Mara could say the same thing to him. After the first session, she returned and returned, not caring whether her back was stiff. She came even to talk and they would spend her time talking. That's when Gorby came in...
"OW! Hey!" Buds complained, rubbing his side. Ever since Gorby caught them, he's been like this.
"You lucky dog!" Gorby declared, playfully hitting his elbow in Buds still sore side. "After all the crap of saying that you want to keep things professional, she comes in and you have a girlfriend!"
"HEY! It's not like that... yet. She's a friend. And a good one too," Buds retorted.
"WHATEVER! Buds in love with Mara! Buds in love with Mara!"
"SHUT UP!"
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
Somewhere in the mind of one person, visions of the future are shown to her. It seems that darkness has spread again, and it is up to her to stop it. The source? An Omega Sign, and in the center, a sperm with cool sunglasses.
"What is the meaning of this?" asked Setsuna to no one in particular. "And what's with the stupid sign?"
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
"So, that's your job?" asked Buds. It was Saturday. No work, and all play, or so Buds thought. Gorby insisted that he would stay saying that he doesn't have time to train during work days. But another reason, Buds suspected, was to allow Mara and him to get a move on.
"Yeah. So far, I've never succeeded. Her big sister and younger one kept bothering me..." Mara replied.
She just talked about her job, causing chaos and her main mission on the mortal that Belldandy hangs out with. Buds never asked who or what is a Belldandy. He thought it was a rival demon/ess.
"Well, why not try something less deadly?" asked Buds. Mara looked at Buds with surprise. "I mean, use small stuff, annoy him, enjoy what you do. After all, small things are harder to catch than big things..."
"You know..." Mara said, thinking about it, "You are right... Maybe I should go small for a while..."
"I'm just suggestin'," Buds said. "I'm not telling you or orderin' you to do it. Just, think about it..."
"Thanks..." Mara replied, looking back at him. "You know, for a mortal, you are interesting..."
"Thanks. You should see the 'interesting' things I say to the Sailor Senshi..." an Buds gave a hearty laugh and suddenly stopped. "Ow... My side still hurts..."
Mara laughed as well. The Sailor Senshi were known as powerful warriors, capable of going toe to toe with a warrior demon. And to hear that a mortal, a boy, and his side kick are insulting them, and getting away with it felt quite refreshing. She sighed again, feeling a relaxing sensation all over her back.
"Damn, you're good at this..." Mara declared, closing her eyes as Buds hands were massaging her back once more. "I'm glad I met you in the Golden Spa..."
Buds nodded and continued his back therapy. The spa he worked with now expanded, adding additional floors and more hectares. Now the spa had an artificial hot spring, powder room, sauna, jaccusi, massage parlor, exercise room, pool, badminton field, and others. "Ever since you came here, the spa generated high income!" Gild, the head of the Golden Spa once said. So, they also had higher wages.
"Me too..." Buds said.
Buds continued his relaxing treatment and someone overshadowed them.
"Well, well, well, guess who's here..."
Mara stiffened. Buds felt it through her back. "Mara, relax. It'll take me a while again to relax them..."
"Who's this? New boyfriend?"
Buds looked up and saw the figure. It was a voluptuous femme fetalle, with long, curly silver hair and tanned skin. The marks on her face though were not like Mara's, but silver in color, and different shaped. He heard her gasp.
"A mortal?" she asked, eyes gleaming a bit with fire.
"None of your damn business Urd," Mara snorted, a bit angry. "I'm on my day off. What do you want?"
"What are you doing to this mortal?" asked Urd, ignoring Mara's question. Then, she turned to Buds. "Get away from her, kid, she'll suck your life out!"
Buds looked at Urd with a raised eyebrow. "What are ya talking about?"
Mara froze a bit, but relaxed as Buds continued his massage. "Leave us alone Urd," she said.
"Yeah, leave us, ya old hag..." Buds said, and quickly covered his mouth. (Where did that come from?)
He was about to apologize when he saw that it was too late. Mara was already on her feet, and Buds saw Urd, shaking, and her battle aura coming up. Buds smiled weakly, twitching his lips as he also stood up.
"O-OLD HAG?!"
"RUN!!!"
BBOOOMMM!!!!
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
Gorby stood about a hundred yards away from the his targets. He sighed.
(I need moving targets...) he thought, as he saw all the bulls eyes hit. After taking aim for three seconds, the five targets were taken care off. He sighed again. (This is useless against those Sailors, they keep going back up...)
The explosion about a mile away made him look up. "Time to see if Buds finished his date..."
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
Mara and Buds were in a building, taking a few good looks at the Silver hairdo figure, crackling thunder around her, searching so hard for them. Both sighed at the same time.
"Looks like that Urd has a thing about her age..." Buds said.
"Well, she's the Goddess of the Past, so it's like a natural assumption..."
"WHAT?" Buds declared. "G-goddess?"
"Yeah... You didn't know?"
"No..." he said "Well, ever since I insulted the Sailor Senshis, I refused to believe it, but know, I'll admit it..."
Mara looked at Buds and was about say something to comfort him when he spoke up.
"I'm in deep shit..." and they both laughed.
"Buds, come on, let's drink..."
Buds agreed.
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
"Where the hell did Buds go?" asked Gorby. He was already in the park, where he knew the explosion came from there. He sighed as he saw nothing. Almost everything about the park was normal.
"Did you hear about the lover's quarrel?" asked one of the passers by, making Gorby listen.
"Yeah, that boy must have been quite special..." replied his partner. "Did you see both of them? Both were pretty..."
"It's fortunate the boy and his black haired girlfriend ran away..."
Gorby now really listened. "Uh," he called the couple. "Have you seen the boy? Where did he run?"
"I don't know. They ran away..."
Gorby sighed. He was no where near the Buds and his new girlfriend. Gorby sighed as he was no where near in finding them, and fate seems to work again, as he heard the voice...
"GIVE ME YOUR ENERGY!!!"
Gorby looked up. "Alright!" he screamed. "A moving target!"
Gorby positioned himself and his Artic Magnum came out and he checked his scope.
"Damn, look at that..."
The youma wad no legs, only a tail, and his head was diamond shaped with one eye. It had a orb shaped gem, colored red and had two whips instead of arms.
Gorby thought it looked like a hydralisk and tried shooting it. He saw the bullets spark on the youma but no response.
"Shit..." he thought, and started shooting more bullets, reloading while having a chance. The youma started to close in to him, and Gorby began to panic a bit. The youma approached, until it swung it's whip and Gorby was forced to dodge the whip and abandon long range shots. Getting his desert eagle out, and started shooting.
"YOU!" it said. "YOU WILL DIE!"
Gorby went on and on, shooting while dodging it's whip. Every 10 shots, he reloaded [his .50 Desert Eagle was custom made with a 10 bullet clip] but it was no use. The youma seemed to be bullet proof and shrugging of the lead like it was mud splatters.
The youma seemed to go mad, and spun around, creating a spiral with it's whip. Gorby was grazed and fell down. The youma stopped and punctured Gorby right in the shoulder and rib, cutting through his flesh like a hot knife through butter.
He screamed in pain. Gorby took his Desert Eagle and aimed at the gem and shot. It had a bit more effect as the monster shivered, but still holding on to him. Gorby screamed in more pain as the monster's tentacles came deeper in his body.
With all his strength, he kicked the youma in it's chest and rolled out. The youma released it's hold on him and tried to get him again, but something came out of Gorby when he rolled away. It was a canister with red stripes was all the youma saw before it blew up in it's face.
Gorby sighed as the pain resided, but stinging came afterwards. It seems the energy of the of the whip sealed the wounds and prevented them from bleeding. But he was now sporting two holes in his shoulder and mid section.
"Damn it..." Gorby swore as the youma emerged from the smoke and had no scratch on him. The whips came on to him and slapped him across his side and Gorby fell down.
"You will die!!!" it screamed.
Inside, Gorby felt a wave of energy that enveloped him and increasing with intensity as the monster slid nearer and nearer to him. Before anyone can blink, Gorby aimed his gun and shouted "ENERGY SHOT!"
The tip of his handgun glowed with a white light and when Gorby pulled the trigger, a blinding flash was seen and a white streak came out of the barrel, going to the monster's red orb.
The orb shattered and the youma fell, disappearing as he was melted on th foor in a huge blob. Gorby went down in one knee, tired.
"YOU!" a voice cried, in the air. Gorby groaned.
"Oh come on, not you!" he complained.
The Sailor Senshi just came in again, late, and one looking very pissed off.
"WHERE IS HE?" bellowed Mars. "WHERE IS YOUR PARTNER, THE ONE THAT CALLS HIMSELF OMEGA?"
Gorby winced. It seems Buds enraged Mars since the last battle. "I don't know, I didn't see him since this morning."
"YOU LIE!" Mars shouted, jumping down, grabbing him in his collar. "WHERE- IS-HE?"
"Mars... calm down..." Jupiter said, trying to release Mars grip as it tightened around Gorby's neck. We can get answers from him later..."
Mercury just nodded while Venus stayed silent. Moon, on the other hand, was still posing like an idiot.
"What the hell is Usagi doing?" asked Gorby.
"Oh, she's just posing like that," Venus replied. "Wait a minute... What did you call her?"
Gorby closed his mouth. He just made a grave mistake.
"He knows me!!!" Moon shouted.
"We're going to get a lot from you..." Mars said, smiling evilly.
Gorby felt a shiver. It was one of those times where you don't want to see Mars smile. Trying to escape, he went on his feet, only to fall back to one knee. It seems the last attack he did took a lot of energy from him.
(Damn it Buds, where the heck are you?) he thought, as he was taken away.
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
Buds was taking his time to drinking in the bar with Mara, laughing his head off, talking about his past...
"And my friend, she came from Japan... She was really cute and she kept on teasing me. I came back at her and started insulting her... Damn, it was a long time ago... I wonder how is she?"
Mara smiled. "What's her name?"
"I don't remember," Buds answered, after thinking about it.
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
Reiko sneezed, thinking about the kid from her past. She looked at her weapon stored in her shop and trying so hard to rememeber her name...
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
Buds, drunk, sneezed so hard, being led by Mara, going home, while Gorby was cursing Buds in his thoughts as he was tied to a chair, blind folded, awaiting his fate.
To be continued...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- =-=-=-=-=- What other types of training did Buds do? Will it help him in rescuing his partner? And why does Buds have black marks on his face as well? And does it end with Buds pitted against not only the inner Senshi but also the outer? With goddesses after their tails, and the Senshi's in front, will they survive?
NEXT: Outer Senshi arrive! -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- =-=-=-=-=-
"Hello..." said a woman.
"Ms. Mon?" asked Buds. Buds eyes narrowed as she looked very normal, with the exception of the black birthmarks in her face, and something about her made him a bit uneasy.
"Call me Mara, Mr...?"
"Buds, no last name, don't ask, because you wouldn't believe me..." Buds replied, smiling. "So, what do you need?"
"Oh, just a few quirks in my back..."
Buds nodded, and started at her naked back. "Whoa, a lot of fatigues for a pretty lady like you..."
Mara nodded and blushed. "Occupational hazard. I'm a demoness..." she blurted, and quickly covered her mouth.
"Oh," Buds said indifferently. "No wonder your whole name was 'Mara D. Mon'. Interesting to meet a demoness..."
"Huh?"
"I'm not from this world... You can say I'm a rurouni..." Buds smiled. He continued massaging her back.
After a long silence, Mara smiled as a relaxing sensation went to all over her body. "Your good, Buds. I like you."
"Me too!" smiled Buds.
That is how Buds and Mara met...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Me Against All Odds Chapter 03: Oh My Demoness!!! -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Buds liked the company of one female. And she was Mara, Class One Demoness Limited, as she introduced herself. She was by far the most interesting girl he ever met.
Mara could say the same thing to him. After the first session, she returned and returned, not caring whether her back was stiff. She came even to talk and they would spend her time talking. That's when Gorby came in...
"OW! Hey!" Buds complained, rubbing his side. Ever since Gorby caught them, he's been like this.
"You lucky dog!" Gorby declared, playfully hitting his elbow in Buds still sore side. "After all the crap of saying that you want to keep things professional, she comes in and you have a girlfriend!"
"HEY! It's not like that... yet. She's a friend. And a good one too," Buds retorted.
"WHATEVER! Buds in love with Mara! Buds in love with Mara!"
"SHUT UP!"
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
Somewhere in the mind of one person, visions of the future are shown to her. It seems that darkness has spread again, and it is up to her to stop it. The source? An Omega Sign, and in the center, a sperm with cool sunglasses.
"What is the meaning of this?" asked Setsuna to no one in particular. "And what's with the stupid sign?"
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
"So, that's your job?" asked Buds. It was Saturday. No work, and all play, or so Buds thought. Gorby insisted that he would stay saying that he doesn't have time to train during work days. But another reason, Buds suspected, was to allow Mara and him to get a move on.
"Yeah. So far, I've never succeeded. Her big sister and younger one kept bothering me..." Mara replied.
She just talked about her job, causing chaos and her main mission on the mortal that Belldandy hangs out with. Buds never asked who or what is a Belldandy. He thought it was a rival demon/ess.
"Well, why not try something less deadly?" asked Buds. Mara looked at Buds with surprise. "I mean, use small stuff, annoy him, enjoy what you do. After all, small things are harder to catch than big things..."
"You know..." Mara said, thinking about it, "You are right... Maybe I should go small for a while..."
"I'm just suggestin'," Buds said. "I'm not telling you or orderin' you to do it. Just, think about it..."
"Thanks..." Mara replied, looking back at him. "You know, for a mortal, you are interesting..."
"Thanks. You should see the 'interesting' things I say to the Sailor Senshi..." an Buds gave a hearty laugh and suddenly stopped. "Ow... My side still hurts..."
Mara laughed as well. The Sailor Senshi were known as powerful warriors, capable of going toe to toe with a warrior demon. And to hear that a mortal, a boy, and his side kick are insulting them, and getting away with it felt quite refreshing. She sighed again, feeling a relaxing sensation all over her back.
"Damn, you're good at this..." Mara declared, closing her eyes as Buds hands were massaging her back once more. "I'm glad I met you in the Golden Spa..."
Buds nodded and continued his back therapy. The spa he worked with now expanded, adding additional floors and more hectares. Now the spa had an artificial hot spring, powder room, sauna, jaccusi, massage parlor, exercise room, pool, badminton field, and others. "Ever since you came here, the spa generated high income!" Gild, the head of the Golden Spa once said. So, they also had higher wages.
"Me too..." Buds said.
Buds continued his relaxing treatment and someone overshadowed them.
"Well, well, well, guess who's here..."
Mara stiffened. Buds felt it through her back. "Mara, relax. It'll take me a while again to relax them..."
"Who's this? New boyfriend?"
Buds looked up and saw the figure. It was a voluptuous femme fetalle, with long, curly silver hair and tanned skin. The marks on her face though were not like Mara's, but silver in color, and different shaped. He heard her gasp.
"A mortal?" she asked, eyes gleaming a bit with fire.
"None of your damn business Urd," Mara snorted, a bit angry. "I'm on my day off. What do you want?"
"What are you doing to this mortal?" asked Urd, ignoring Mara's question. Then, she turned to Buds. "Get away from her, kid, she'll suck your life out!"
Buds looked at Urd with a raised eyebrow. "What are ya talking about?"
Mara froze a bit, but relaxed as Buds continued his massage. "Leave us alone Urd," she said.
"Yeah, leave us, ya old hag..." Buds said, and quickly covered his mouth. (Where did that come from?)
He was about to apologize when he saw that it was too late. Mara was already on her feet, and Buds saw Urd, shaking, and her battle aura coming up. Buds smiled weakly, twitching his lips as he also stood up.
"O-OLD HAG?!"
"RUN!!!"
BBOOOMMM!!!!
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
Gorby stood about a hundred yards away from the his targets. He sighed.
(I need moving targets...) he thought, as he saw all the bulls eyes hit. After taking aim for three seconds, the five targets were taken care off. He sighed again. (This is useless against those Sailors, they keep going back up...)
The explosion about a mile away made him look up. "Time to see if Buds finished his date..."
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
Mara and Buds were in a building, taking a few good looks at the Silver hairdo figure, crackling thunder around her, searching so hard for them. Both sighed at the same time.
"Looks like that Urd has a thing about her age..." Buds said.
"Well, she's the Goddess of the Past, so it's like a natural assumption..."
"WHAT?" Buds declared. "G-goddess?"
"Yeah... You didn't know?"
"No..." he said "Well, ever since I insulted the Sailor Senshis, I refused to believe it, but know, I'll admit it..."
Mara looked at Buds and was about say something to comfort him when he spoke up.
"I'm in deep shit..." and they both laughed.
"Buds, come on, let's drink..."
Buds agreed.
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
"Where the hell did Buds go?" asked Gorby. He was already in the park, where he knew the explosion came from there. He sighed as he saw nothing. Almost everything about the park was normal.
"Did you hear about the lover's quarrel?" asked one of the passers by, making Gorby listen.
"Yeah, that boy must have been quite special..." replied his partner. "Did you see both of them? Both were pretty..."
"It's fortunate the boy and his black haired girlfriend ran away..."
Gorby now really listened. "Uh," he called the couple. "Have you seen the boy? Where did he run?"
"I don't know. They ran away..."
Gorby sighed. He was no where near the Buds and his new girlfriend. Gorby sighed as he was no where near in finding them, and fate seems to work again, as he heard the voice...
"GIVE ME YOUR ENERGY!!!"
Gorby looked up. "Alright!" he screamed. "A moving target!"
Gorby positioned himself and his Artic Magnum came out and he checked his scope.
"Damn, look at that..."
The youma wad no legs, only a tail, and his head was diamond shaped with one eye. It had a orb shaped gem, colored red and had two whips instead of arms.
Gorby thought it looked like a hydralisk and tried shooting it. He saw the bullets spark on the youma but no response.
"Shit..." he thought, and started shooting more bullets, reloading while having a chance. The youma started to close in to him, and Gorby began to panic a bit. The youma approached, until it swung it's whip and Gorby was forced to dodge the whip and abandon long range shots. Getting his desert eagle out, and started shooting.
"YOU!" it said. "YOU WILL DIE!"
Gorby went on and on, shooting while dodging it's whip. Every 10 shots, he reloaded [his .50 Desert Eagle was custom made with a 10 bullet clip] but it was no use. The youma seemed to be bullet proof and shrugging of the lead like it was mud splatters.
The youma seemed to go mad, and spun around, creating a spiral with it's whip. Gorby was grazed and fell down. The youma stopped and punctured Gorby right in the shoulder and rib, cutting through his flesh like a hot knife through butter.
He screamed in pain. Gorby took his Desert Eagle and aimed at the gem and shot. It had a bit more effect as the monster shivered, but still holding on to him. Gorby screamed in more pain as the monster's tentacles came deeper in his body.
With all his strength, he kicked the youma in it's chest and rolled out. The youma released it's hold on him and tried to get him again, but something came out of Gorby when he rolled away. It was a canister with red stripes was all the youma saw before it blew up in it's face.
Gorby sighed as the pain resided, but stinging came afterwards. It seems the energy of the of the whip sealed the wounds and prevented them from bleeding. But he was now sporting two holes in his shoulder and mid section.
"Damn it..." Gorby swore as the youma emerged from the smoke and had no scratch on him. The whips came on to him and slapped him across his side and Gorby fell down.
"You will die!!!" it screamed.
Inside, Gorby felt a wave of energy that enveloped him and increasing with intensity as the monster slid nearer and nearer to him. Before anyone can blink, Gorby aimed his gun and shouted "ENERGY SHOT!"
The tip of his handgun glowed with a white light and when Gorby pulled the trigger, a blinding flash was seen and a white streak came out of the barrel, going to the monster's red orb.
The orb shattered and the youma fell, disappearing as he was melted on th foor in a huge blob. Gorby went down in one knee, tired.
"YOU!" a voice cried, in the air. Gorby groaned.
"Oh come on, not you!" he complained.
The Sailor Senshi just came in again, late, and one looking very pissed off.
"WHERE IS HE?" bellowed Mars. "WHERE IS YOUR PARTNER, THE ONE THAT CALLS HIMSELF OMEGA?"
Gorby winced. It seems Buds enraged Mars since the last battle. "I don't know, I didn't see him since this morning."
"YOU LIE!" Mars shouted, jumping down, grabbing him in his collar. "WHERE- IS-HE?"
"Mars... calm down..." Jupiter said, trying to release Mars grip as it tightened around Gorby's neck. We can get answers from him later..."
Mercury just nodded while Venus stayed silent. Moon, on the other hand, was still posing like an idiot.
"What the hell is Usagi doing?" asked Gorby.
"Oh, she's just posing like that," Venus replied. "Wait a minute... What did you call her?"
Gorby closed his mouth. He just made a grave mistake.
"He knows me!!!" Moon shouted.
"We're going to get a lot from you..." Mars said, smiling evilly.
Gorby felt a shiver. It was one of those times where you don't want to see Mars smile. Trying to escape, he went on his feet, only to fall back to one knee. It seems the last attack he did took a lot of energy from him.
(Damn it Buds, where the heck are you?) he thought, as he was taken away.
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
Buds was taking his time to drinking in the bar with Mara, laughing his head off, talking about his past...
"And my friend, she came from Japan... She was really cute and she kept on teasing me. I came back at her and started insulting her... Damn, it was a long time ago... I wonder how is she?"
Mara smiled. "What's her name?"
"I don't remember," Buds answered, after thinking about it.
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
Reiko sneezed, thinking about the kid from her past. She looked at her weapon stored in her shop and trying so hard to rememeber her name...
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
Buds, drunk, sneezed so hard, being led by Mara, going home, while Gorby was cursing Buds in his thoughts as he was tied to a chair, blind folded, awaiting his fate.
To be continued...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- =-=-=-=-=- What other types of training did Buds do? Will it help him in rescuing his partner? And why does Buds have black marks on his face as well? And does it end with Buds pitted against not only the inner Senshi but also the outer? With goddesses after their tails, and the Senshi's in front, will they survive?
NEXT: Outer Senshi arrive! -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- =-=-=-=-=-