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Hawkeye

"Clint. You should not be here."
"Really? I retire for, what, five minutes and it all goes to shit."

Clint Barton worked as one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s top agents for a number of years under the codename Hawkeye, being put on various assignments from keeping an eye on notable items like Mjolnir and the Tesseract to the mysterious Budapest mission where he recruit Natasha Romanov to S.H.I.E.L.D.. These experiences led to him becoming a founding member of the Avengers despite his own claims of just being a regular guy with a bow. Hawkeye worked with the Avengers for several years, from Ultron's attack to the superhero civil war that saw the group falling apart at the seams. However, his life as he knew it was snatched away after the invasion of Thanos, which saw 50% of all life in the universe being erased including Hawkeye's entire family. Hawkeye took up the alias of Ronin, a vigilante that roamed the globe in a vengeful rampage to kill the many criminals that had survived Thanos' snap. He eventually rejoined the Avengers after they discovered a way to bring back everyone that had been erased, but the guilt from what he had done as a result of his grief still weighed on him even after his family had been brought back. It wasn't until he met his future protégé Kate Bishop that Clint's faith in himself and his efforts as a superhero were restored.

Source Key

Movies

Av - The Avengers
AoU - The Avengers: Age of Ultron
CW - Captain America: Civil War
End - Avengers: Endgame

Other Sources

AI - The Avengers: The Avengers Initiative
OH - Avengers: Operation HYDRA
SM:HP - Spider-Man: Homecoming Prelude
H - Hawkeye (Disney+)

Strength

Striking

• Kicks a chitauri grunt off of a roof^Av
• Breaks his baton on Vision's head^CW
• Punches a man through a glass window^End
• Knocks a man out with a punch to the head^H

Piercing

• Stabs a chitauri with an arrow and later does it again^Av
• Embeds an arrow in the head of an Ultron drone which weren't visibly damaged by bullets^AoU
• Stabs an arrow through another Ultron drone^AoU
• Embeds arrows in pipes and the roof of a tunnel by throwing them^End
• Cuts an outrider in half with his blade^End

Other

• Snaps out of the ziptie that was holding him^H
• Throws a man off of him^H
• Suplexes a man and knocks him unconscious^H

Speed/Agility

Reaction

• Avoids a blast from Loki's scepter^Av
• Reacts to Wanda sneaking up on him, stunning her^AoU
• Ducks under the blast of an Ultron drone^AoU
• Avoids being blasted by Iron Man^CW
• Briefly scuffles with Black Panther^CW
• When a molotov is thrown at the second story window he was standing by, he breaks the window and catches it before throwing it back^H
• Dodges several strikes from Yelana Belova^H
• Sees a sniper laser on his chest and immediately uses a tray to block the bullet^H
• Reacts to both unarmed and bat strikes from a man that later caught one of his arrows^H
• Ducks out of the way when Yelena Belova attempts to shoot him^H

Mobility

• Jumps between rooftops^End
• Leaps between various shelves as goons try to attack him from below^H

Durability

Blunt

• Takes multiple blows from Black Widow^Av
• Gets punched by Quicksilver^AoU
• Knocked back by Vision^CW
• Kicked by Black Panther^CW
• Takes a bat to the leg^H
• Rolls through a wooden shelf and isn't noticeably affected^H
• Takes several blows from Echo over the course of their fight who later kicked a man a short distance down the street^H
• Is punched by Yelena Belova and continues to dodge afterwards^H
• Gets kicked in the knee and thrown into the front of a car by Echo^H
• Gets tackled onto an ice rink by Yelena Belova and in that same fight receives a kick to the chest^H
• Takes an extended beating from Yelena^H

Other

• Unaffected by a hard landing in a quinjet^Av
• Crashes through a window^Av
• Gets shoved through a window by Quicksilver^AoU
• Jumps from one story in the air^End
• Stunned by Black Widow's shock dark but quickly removes it^End
• Survives the Avengers base getting bombarded^End
• Gets shocked by Yelena Belova's widow's bite^H
• Falls a fair distance out of a building into the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree which then is knocked into the ice rink below^H

Skill

Accuracy

• While in a plane, shoots an arrow out the open back so that it loops back around and latches onto the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, hitting the perfect spot so that he can blow up one of its engines^Av
• Shoots a USB arrow directly into the port of one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s computers to upload a virus^Av
• Takes out a flying chitauri transport while looking in the opposite direction^Av
• Hits the back of the head of a chitauri pilot from a great distance^Av
• Fires two arrows into the heads of Ultron drones at the same time^AoU
• Hits two bullseyes on a dartboard simultaneously^AoU
• Scores a bullseye on two targets at the same time^OH
• Shoots through the webbing that was binding Captain America's hands from a good distance away^CW
• Lands several non-lethal shots on some criminals, including one that he fires backwards^H
• Fires two arrows at once, pinning someone to a wall^H
• Flips over a banister, firing an arrow while midair that frees Kate her from her restraints^H
• After Kate shoots an arrow high into the air, he hits it with another shot^H
• Claims that he's split an arrow with another arrow which he later demonstrates^H
• Flicks a Christmas ornament so that it hits a button and turns off the tv (Clint claims that he could do a similar thing with a quarter to knock a guy out from twenty feet away)^H
• Fires an arrow out of a building into the window of a sniper sitting in the opposite building^H

Fighting/Close Quarters

• Fights on an equal level to Black Widow^Av
• Fends off a chitauri warrior^Av
• Temporarily gets the better of Black Widow^CW
• Is proficient in sword fighting, winning an exchange with the head of a yakuza organization^End
• Fights some members of the tracksuit mafia while unarmed^H
• Styles on some LARPers^H
• Mows through a group of criminals as Ronin^H
• Engages in an extended, unarmed fight with Echo (though he is admittedly on the backfoot for much of it)^H
• When he fights Echo again as Ronin he defeats her handily^H
• Temporarily gets the better of Yelena Belova though in the end he loses that confrontation^H
• Puts Yelena Belova into a headlock^H
• Will use his bow as a melee weapon if his opponents get in close^H

Other

• Brings a jet with one destroyed engine to ground level without crashing^Av

Gear

Bow
Mechanics

• It's collapsible for ease of transport and instantly snaps into shape when needed^Av
• Allows Clint to swap out for a specific trick arrowhead with the press of a button^Av
• He can remotely trigger his explosive arrows^Av
• The bow itself possesses a grappling hook that latches onto metal^H

Strength

• Blows up an Ultron drone with seemingly a regular arrow^AoU
• Shoots through multiple Ultron drones^AoU
• An arrow clashes with Vision's beam^SP:HP
• Echo is unable to pull the arrows out of a wall when Hawkeye uses them to pin her^H

Trick Arrows
Explosive

• Blows up one of the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier's engines^Av
• Blasts away S.H.I.E.L.D. agents^Av
• Detonates in Loki's hand, destroying the chitauri vehicle he was riding and sending him crashing into Stark Tower^Av
• Throws up a large amount of dust and snow^AoU
• Knocks back Iron Man^CW
• Knocks Black Widow aside^End
• Delayed explosives that blow up a tunnel behind him^End
• Blows up the front of a van and causes it to crash^H
• An explosive arrow that blasts away a group of men and craters an ice rink^H

Shock/Electrical

• Wanda is stunned when Clint slams one into her forehead^AoU
• Shoots two arrows which create an electric barrier than traps Vision^CW
• Covers Vision in electricity^CW
• An arrow that covers an opening in electric ropes^H
• An arrow that restrains and electrocutes a man into unconsciousness^H

Acid

• Acid arrows which quickly melt through stoplights^H
• Knocks over the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree^H

Transportation

• Grappling hook arrow that embeds into the side of a building for Clint to swing on^Av
• An arrow that shoots a grappling hook in either direction once fired, forming a zipline for Kate to ride^H

Disorientation

• One arrow releases some sort of noxious gas that fills a car and causes the driver to crash (Hawkeye later uses this to force a sniper out of his position)^H
• A concussive arrow that blasts people back and leaves its targets disoriented^H
• Another gas arrow that's a different color^H
• A flashbang arrow^H

Pym Particles (Size Changing)

• Grows an ordinary arrow as tall as a bridge^H
• Shrinks a van to the size of a toy^H

Other

• One which splits into two data drives which go into ports on a SHIELD helicarrier, infecting it with a virus which shuts down several computers and cuts off power to an engine^Av
• An arrow which fires in a circle around itself shortly after hitting a target^Av
• An arrow which rapidly heats the part of a Chitauri chariot it hits, causing it to break in half^Av
• A shockwave arrow which takes out the remaining goons in a warehouse^AoU
• A leg-mounted pack of retractable arrows, which seemingly allows him to fire all of them simultaneously^AoU
• An arrow that splits into multiple smaller arrows which proceed to loop around Iron Man, though its unclear if they would have actually hit him or if they were purely for distraction^CW
• Flashlight arrow^End
• An arrow that superheats a chitauri transport before causing it to explode^H
• Puddy arrows spread across a van's windshield (Hawkeye also suggests mucking up their wheels with it)^H
  • Kate later uses it to obscure some flashing lights^H
• An arrow that Kate fires into the front of a van shoots multiple cords in every direction, latching onto anything close and pulling them in (which in this instance was Christmas trees)^H
• The plunger arrow is able to support his and Kate's weight as they hang from the side of a train^H
• Tracer arrows which he can track the location of^H
• An arrow with a compartment for a message^H
• An arrow that turns a series of flagpoles magnetic so that some goons cannot use their weapons^H
• An arrow that releases an inflatable ball that instantly blows up and launches some men into the air^H
• An arrow that attaches to a man's leg and drags him into the air via miniature rockets^H
• Ice arrow that freezes a man's leg^H
• Tranquilizer arrow that releases a series of smaller tranquilizer darts in all directions once it hits its target^H
• An arrow that spins and releases what appears to be nails in all directions^H

Other

• Knife^Av
• Baton^CW
• Shurikens
• Sword^End
• Flashlight on his arm^End
• Wrist-launched grappling hook^End
• Small explosive disks that he can easily stick to flat surfaces and can remotely detonate with a button on his bow^H
• A wrist-mounted crossbow, which fires with enough force to embed the bolts in metal after being deflected^AI
• He seemingly uses this same crossbow to take out an outrider^End

Misc.

• Is unphased by Wanda throwing a knife at his head^CW
• Speaks Japanese^End
• Requires a hearing aid because of his time in the Avengers and he is nearly completely deaf without it^H
• Hawkeye jumpscare^H
• Stealthily takes out a group of criminals without any of them seeing him^H
• He makes most of his trick arrows himself^H

"Nice shot."
"Yeah, no shit."

Went to Japan on vacation and used my last 2 days for figure shopping. My list was almost complete except for a Kotori figure which I had seen none of till the last day.
My options where Alter's Christmas, Birthday kira-kira sensation, or White day. If I saw any one of the three I would insta buy them, any condition.
While checking out a Trading shop, saw the Birthday one, hurriedly picked it up and headed towards the cashier. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the box for the Christmas one. Stopped in my tracks, eyes wide as plates, put the one I had on the shelf and literally picked the other one up with my jaw dropped. Payed for it and officially ended my shopping spree.
This figure is my dream figure and has always been since it's first release back in 2015 the SIF card it's based off of is one of my favourites and I barely missed it by a few days when it released (started playing just as the campaign ended), so I could never get it. This finally feels like a worthy closure to that for me.
She joins SIP Nozomi and Birthday Ruby!

BASIC INFORMATION

[START: 00:00:00]
OLIVER: "Alright, kid. State your name, age, date of birth, and all that good stuff for the record."
SADIE: "Sadie Hart, I'm 16 years old, and my birthday is January 19th."

Name: Sadie Elizabeth Hart
Nicknames: N/A
Age: 16
Sex: Female
Birthday: January 19th
Hometown: Buford, Georgia, USA
Languages: English
​
RELATIONSHIPS

[00:07:28]
OLIVER: "Alright, now how about your family?"
SADIE: "I live with my daddy, Momma, and older brother. I was adopted but as far as I'm concerned, they're my real family. 'Cept for my brother, he's an ungrateful little shit.
OLIVER: "Okay, noted."

​

Godrent	Kymopoleia, Goddess of Sea Storms
Adoptive Father	Johnathan "John" Beau Hart
Adoptive Mother	Isabella Faith Hart (née Jackson)
Adoptive Brother	Darrel Johnathan Hart
Best Friend	Alexis Fowler
Ex-Boyfriend	Liam Davis

​
​
APPEARANCE

[00:15:09]
OLIVER: "Okay, describe your appearance."
SADIE: "Are you blind?"
OLIVER: "Kid, just answer the damn question."

Faceclaim: Meg Donnelly
Voice: Sadie's voice carries a warm and melodic quality, reflecting her southern upbringing and the influence of her adoptive family's accent. Her tone is gentle and inviting, with a hint of a drawl that adds a distinctive charm to her speech. She has a clear enunciation, taking her time to savor the words and infusing them with a touch of Southern hospitality.
Height: 5'9
Weight: {REDACTED}
Physique: Sadie's physique reflects her active lifestyle and commitment to the sport. She has a lean and muscular build, with well-defined muscles in her legs, particularly her toned quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves. Her upper body exhibits strength as well, featuring defined shoulders and arms from years of shooting, dribbling, and defensive exercises.
Style: For most days, Sadie gravitated towards cute t-shirts, often opting for cropped or regular-length styles that showcased her individuality. She paired these tops with a staple favorite: a well-worn pair of distressed jeans. Completing her ensemble, Sadie slipped into her trusty Cowgirl boots. When warmer days arrived, Sadie embraced the change by swapping her jeans for a pair of denim shorts.
There were days when Sadie desired ultimate comfort and opted for a more relaxed and low-key look. During such moments, she would reach for a simple pair of sweatpants or joggers, coupled with a tank top or t-shirt. Completing the laid-back ensemble, she slipped into a pair of well-worn sneakers.
Accessories played a significant role in Sadie's style. She has an array of hoop earrings and pendants that she loved to mix and match. While flannels held a special place in Sadie's heart, she didn't wear them often. However, on occasions when she wanted to channel a cozy, rustic vibe, she would incorporate a flannel shirt into her outfit. Her favorite thing to wear is her dad's old cowboy hat, which she finds herself wearing more often each day passes.
​
PERSONALITY

[00:20:05]
OLIVER: "Alright, describe your personality."
SADIE: "I'm very well-mannered, my momma taught me well. I work hard, play hard, and adore helping poor souls who need it."

Sadie is a very intelligent young lady, a well-mannered, and incredibly ambitious young lady who isn't above doing certain things just to get what she wants or thinks she deserves. She has absolutely no problem switching up her personality to match the day of the week. She's a chameleon, doing whatever it takes to get ahead and survive the day with a façade of sweetness, and delicacy.
Sadie was instilled with the mindset of "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. however, there are often times when she lets some comments slip through. Unlike her mother, Sadie isn't one for beating around the bush and would rather tell someone how crappy they are upfront. She can be a bit passive-aggressive in how she responds to some people but does so with a smile.
She's always pushing herself and others to be their very best whether it be with manners or even appearance, she'll occasionally get carried away in doing so, often coming off as being bossy and overbearing.
​

• Positive: Ambitious, Passionate, Loyal, protective
• Neutral: Competitive
• Negative: Impatient, Pushy

​
DEMIGOD INFO

OLIVER: "Alright, demigod crap. Weapons, skills, that stuff"
SADIE: "Seriously?
OLIVER: "What is it now?"
SADIE: "Y'all trust a bunch of kids with weapons?"

[Abilities]
Domain

Underwater Locomotion	Water Manipulation	Aquatic Healing
A group of abilities that allow one to move underwater as if they're on land. This power includes underwater breathing, water pressure resistance, and self-propulsion (incompatible with Aquatic Form). This combination of abilities also allows one to surf along the waves without a board.	The ability to control water.	The ability to heal one's wounds when they're in contact with water. Some injuries are too severe or need special treatments that water alone can't provide.

Minor

Summon Thunder	Electricity Manipulation	Electrical Resistance
The ability to summon and create cracks of thunder.	The ability to control and manipulate electricity. Unlike the children of Zeus, the user requires a source of electricity.	A trait where one is able to resist electricity to a such degree that they are able to handle live wires.

Major

Maelstrom Generation
The ability to summon and generate a whirlpool or powerful torrent in a body of water. By default, the area of effect reaches 15 feet, up to 30 feet with concentration or increased effort.

​
[Items]
​

Maribelle	Throwing knives
Her father gave it to her for her 13th birthday. It was obvious her mother wouldn't approve so he gave it to her in secret. Though at that age it was a little harder for her to use than it is now.	For recreational uses, only an idiot would try and chuck knives at people. Her father was keen on teaching her.

​
MISC.

[00:25:50]
OLIVER: "You got anything interesting you'd like people to know about you?"
SADIE: "Why that depends, you won't be tellin' my momma, right?"
OLIVER: [SIGH]
SADIE: "What?"
[PAUSE: 00:27:33]

Favorites

• Foods: Boudin, Pecan Pie
• Drink: Sweet Tea
• TV Show: The Walking Dead
• Movie: N/A
• Songs: "You Know I'm Good" - Amy Winehouse, "Miss Independent" - Kelly Clarkson, "Stolen Dance" - Milky Chance

Trivia

• Plays basketball for her high school
• She can't stand Christmas music
• She failed her driver's test the first time
• Her favorite color is Lilac
• Her playlist
• She has a soft spot for young children

​
HISTORY

[UNPAUSED: 00:29:33]
OLIVER: Lastly, all I need is a brief summary of your life.
SADIE: "You think I'm just gonna give out that information?"
OLIVER: "Just answer the question..."

Sadie's early years were marked by a sense of uncertainty and longing. She was left for adoption at a young age, not knowing much about her birth parents or the circumstances surrounding their decision. Fortunately, at the age of 8, she found her forever home with a loving family in Georgia. Her new family, consisting of her adoptive parents and an older brother, brought both joy and challenges into Sadie's life. They weren't the wealthiest family, but they managed to get by with their strong bond and occasional moments of indulgence. These moments were cherished and celebrated, allowing them to experience the simple pleasures of life.
Sadie's mother embodied the traits of a southern belle, instilling in her daughter the importance of etiquette, manners, and feminine skills. She taught Sadie the art of sewing, emphasizing the value of crafting and creating with one's hands. Sadie found solace and a sense of accomplishment in this traditional pastime, which also served as a bonding experience with her mother. On the other hand, Sadie's father had a more adventurous and physical nature. He enjoyed outdoor activities such as fishing and knife throwing, and he made sure to involve Sadie in these experiences as well. They would spend quality time together, casting lines into the water, honing her skills with a knife, and sharing stories of their shared adventures.
As Sadie and her older brother grew up, their relationship became complicated. They often clashed and struggled to see eye to eye, as siblings sometimes do. One particular family fishing trip at the lake when Sadie was 13 led to a heated argument between the two. Fueled by emotions, her brother impulsively pushed her into the water. Unbeknownst to Sadie or her brother, something extraordinary happened when she pulled herself back onto the land. In a moment of intense anger and frustration, a wave of water surged forward from Sadie, drenching her brother completely. It was a baffling occurrence, leaving them both stunned and silent. They made an unspoken pact to keep this strange event to themselves.
Three years went by, and Sadie's life took an unexpected turn once again. A satyr appeared at their doorstep. The satyr revealed Sadie's true identity as a demigod, informing her and her family about the existence of Camp Half-Blood, a safe haven and training ground for children of gods and mortals. Initially met with disbelief and confusion, Sadie's family eventually recognized the significance of the satyr's words and the extraordinary abilities Sadie had exhibited. Together, they made the difficult decision to let her embrace her destiny, understanding the need for her to go to Camp Half-Blood to learn about her divine heritage, develop her powers, and find her place among her peers.
With a mix of trepidation and excitement, Sadie bid farewell to her family and embarked on a new chapter of her life. The journey to Camp Half-Blood promised adventure, danger, and the opportunity to uncover the mysteries of her past while embracing her extraordinary future as a demigod.
NOW
As Sadie ventured through the dense forest on her way to the border of Camp Half-Blood, a sense of anticipation mingled with the surrounding air. The towering trees cast long shadows, and the rustling leaves whispered secrets as she made her way along the hidden path. Carrying two duffel bags filled with her belongings, Sadie's determination was etched on her face. Her shorts and faded red flannel bore the signs of wear and tear, revealing her readiness for adventure, while her black t-shirt showcased a vibrant picture of Amy Winehouse. She always loved that woman.
As she continued deeper into the forest, the atmosphere shifted. Shafts of sunlight broke through the canopy, casting ethereal beams that danced among the leaves. The forest seemed to come alive with the sounds of nature, birds singing their melodic tunes, and squirrels chattering playfully. But Sadie's attention was caught by a subtle shimmer in the distance, a glimmering barrier that marked the border of Camp Half-Blood. Her heart quickened with excitement, knowing that she was on the verge of a life-altering moment.
Eventually, she would cross over the border into the camp, taking a few steps before coming to a stop, taking in the place. Okay, this wasn't what she was expecting but it can't be all bad. She whipped out her cell phone, desperately looking for some kind of signal. As she scowled at the device, the image of a wave appeared just above her head.

“The most important thing in costumes is taste. We have to feel comfortable in them. They should look dignified and beautiful on the ice, not garish and tasteless.” – Maxim Shabalin¹

The introduction

If you’ve ever watched figure skating before, perhaps the first thing you notice – before any of the choreography, before any of the jumps – is what they're wearing. Unlike other Winter Olympic sports, figure skating can combine the spirit of Paris Fashion Week with the adrenaline of death-defying athleticism.
Costs for costumes can range into the thousands of dollars. And over the years, as a long-time skating powerhouse, Russia has naturally provided stellar examples of every possible type of legendary costume.
Sometimes, you’ll end up with immortal hits that capture the world's imagination, like Yulia Lipnitskaya’s Schindler's List “girl in the red coat” costume from Sochi 2014.
Sometimes, you’ll end up with immortal misses that make you raise an eyebrow, but are still brilliantly memorable in a “so bad it’s good” sense. Just look at pairs skaters Evgenia Tarasova / Vladimir Morozov, whose 2018 Olympic program to Christina Aguilera’s “Candyman” married the classical grace and pristine technique of Russian pairs skating with all the natural expression of two statues attempting the Macarena, and a pair of costumes that have to be seen to be believed.
Sometimes, you’ll get costumes that are so far off the mark they’re just bad and tacky, without any of the genius lunacy of stoic yellow-and-black polka dots. I'll point to Victoria Sinitsina / Nikita Katsalapov and their 2022 Olympic performance to “You Can Leave Your Hat On”, which resembled a club dancer and her sleazy dollar-store pimp, where the only thing more confusing than the hat kink concept was the magic eye puzzle of his leopard-print bowling shirt.²
And then, sometimes you’ll get costumes that are so calamitously, inexcusably appalling that they spark a literal international incident over how awful they are. Sartorial disasters which overshadow every other costume through the gravitational pull of their sheer hideousness.
Costumes like this one - the subject of our story.

The primer on ice dance

The sport:

In one sentence: ice dance (or ice dancing) is to figure skating as figure skating is to the rest of the Winter Olympics.

In detail: If figure skating is that one event that gets the people in more objective sports wondering “why did we allow this at the Olympics in the first place”, then ice dance is the sport that makes figure skaters wonder how another sport can be at the Olympics.
Like pairs' skating, ice dance is performed in two-skater teams. Both events see a duo performing to music, and being expected to combine difficult technical elements with nuanced, emotive choreography, and execute both with peerless ease. The main difference between pairs skating and ice dance is that ice dance doesn’t have the jumps (the axels, the Lutzes, all those famous names), the twist lifts, or the sky-high throws that see a guy yeet his partner halfway across the rink at huge speed before she lands on a one-millimetre blade with flawless precision on a sheet of ice. They both have elements where one partner lifts the other, and that's it.
A simplified explanation is that pairs skating has high-flying acrobatic daredevilry off the ice as its hallmark. Ice dance is much more focused about what skaters can do on the ice, with judges getting out the proverbial microscopes to analyse intricate bladework, speed across the ice, depth of edge and partnered synchronicity to separate the best from the merely very good.
Basically, ice dance scoring is much harder for the regular "once every four years" Olympic fan to understand. Whereas the comparative skill of different pairs teams can be seen through easy-to-spot factors like the distance of their throws or the height of their twists, it's much harder to intuitively understand the comparative skill of ice dancers.
In a discipline where so much comes down to the angles of and control over a millimetre-thick blade as it progresses through an intricate array of dance steps on the ice, the art of “packaging” - selecting fitting choreography and visual presentation for skaters - becomes one of the most important aspects. Good packaging can hide a skater’s flaws and accentuate their strengths, while bad packaging might accentuate a skater’s flaws and hide their strengths. Nailing it can provide vital boosts to both the ‘technical content’ and ‘artistic presentation’ marks.

The competitions:

The structure of an ice dance event has continuously shifted and changed over the decades, but for the 2009-10 season, we had:

• A two-minute “Compulsory Dance” ("CD", worth approximately 20% of the total score), where teams perform standardised steps to a specified music and genre, theoretically as a way for judges to compare baseline technique.
  
• A two-and-a-half minute “Original Dance” ("OD", worth approximately 30% of the total score), performed as a dance of the skaters’ own creation to the music of a designated rhythm.
  
• A four minute “Free Dance” ("FD", worth approximately 50% of the total score), performed as a dance of the skaters’ own creation to the music of their choice.
  

The scores from each three rounds would be added together to give a final total, with medals being handed out accordingly. Following the 2002 Olympic judging scandal, the famed 6.0 was replaced with an open-ended system that assigned an objective point value both to each element (scored based upon its difficulty and grade of execution) and to overall artistic presentation (scored on five distinct criteria).
When you’re fighting for medals, every fraction of a point counts - so coaches, choreographers and skaters all want to make the best packaging decisions possible. They want performances that put their skaters’ skill in the best light, and costumes that present an appropriate artistic image.
It’s just that, sometimes, teams don’t make very smart decisions.

The seeds of disaster

Every year, the ISU picks a mandatory rhythm and theming for the original dance. The 1998 Olympic season demanded a jive rhythm; the 1992 Olympics required a polka; and the preceding 2008-09 season asked for “rhythms of the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s”.
In hindsight, the sport’s governing body – the International Skating Union (ISU) – made one tiny, but fatal, mistake with their choice for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic season:

The rhythm for the Original Dance is the
Folk / Country Dance
Any type of folk/country dance music can be used. For the chosen type, there are no restrictions on the number of musical selections. Although the dance may consist of different musical selections – fast and/or slow – there must be a consistent theme based on a specific country or region.
Vocal music is permitted. Variation of tempo within one selection of music is permitted. Each selection of music may have a different tempo.

See, they had already done a folk/country original dance requirement for 2007-08, just two seasons earlier.
They typically never did this. Whenever the same style was demanded again, it would always be in different Olympic cycles, following retirements and rule changes. As an example, “Charleston, Foxtrot and Quickstep” were available options during 2000-01 (the Salt Lake City cycle) and 2004-05 (the Torino cycle) - either side of the new scoring system's debut.
Skaters re-using old programs isn’t unheard of, but it’s definitely frowned upon in ice dance. Judges talk to each other, and to other people in the sport, and recycling programs can lead to accusations of unoriginality and creative bankruptcy that can tank your "artistic presentation" marks. Therefore, we could expect almost every top team to show up in Vancouver with a brand new dance themed on a specific country or region - with many of the best ideas having already been used up in 2007-08.
And that’s where our tale's protagonists enter the scene.

The characters

The 2009 World Championships saw the gold medal go to Russia's Oksana Domnina / Maxim Shabalin.
Their “1920s, 1930s or 1940s” dance was a waltz to Shostakovich; their free dances for prior years had seen them skate to Khachaturian and Borodin. Their 2007-08 “folk/country” program was a cossack dance. They were genuinely excellent skating technicians who would frequently top the compulsory dance standings.
Their coaches at the time were Natalia Linichuk and Gennady Karponosov, the 1980 Olympic ice dance champions for the USSR. Linichuk was the creative force focusing on packaging and presentation, and her husband Karponosov was the technical expert focusing on skating skills and element execution.
Shabalin’s recurring knee injury saw the team sidelined for much of the 2009-10 season, and their rivals seized the moment. In the Russians' absence, the early season was dominated by Americans Meryl Davis / Charlie White, and Canadians Tessa Virtue / Scott Moir. The North American teams would take gold and silver respectively at December 2009’s Grand Prix Final – with both receiving a higher score for their free dances than Domnina/Shabalin had received for their gold medal-winning performance at 2009 Worlds.
The Russians were still considered among the favourites for Olympic gold in Vancouver, but they couldn't expect weak opposition, or a field-wide implosion.
They needed programs that would leave an impression on the audience, showing how they were a class apart from the rest of the field, and give them that immortal Olympic moment - one remembered forever.
They got it, in a way.

The programs

Their free dance was to the score of the Polish drama film The Double Life of Veronique, along with the soundtrack from Requiem for a Dream.³ Domnina described the program as a love story, seeking to express "passion, love, and hate". By the standards of ice dance, this wasn't particularly 'out there' at all.
They didn't want another Russian folk program like their 2007-08 one, and weren't afraid to experiment for their original dance. This would ultimately make a lot of people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move.
Linichuk proposed doing a program based around Aboriginal Australian culture. Upon hearing the music she had chosen, the skaters’ initial reaction was lukewarm: they both rejected it, with Domnina later saying she thought it was hard to understand for both the skaters and the spectators. However, they eventually came around to their coach’s way of thinking, and decided that Linichuk may have been on to something.
And it was all thanks to a little Yorkshire terrier named Topi. Yes, really:

“I just had bought the little dog and I went to Natalia Vladimirovna [Linichuk]’s house to listen to some music. So we were looking at all kinds of music. There was so much that my head was swollen. My dog was running around, and Natalia said, ‘Let’s be serious now. I’m suggesting this music and that music’. When she switched on the music of our free dance, my dog is sitting there and turning her ears.”
“We laughed,” continued Domnina, “but the dog had reacted to this music. When we switched on the music for the original dance, my dog started to race around the room like crazy and we understood that maybe this music is what we need. It was really like this, I’m not lying. For some reason the dog reacted to these two pieces of music. She didn’t react to any of the others.”

I wish I had made that bit up.
In November, Domnina wrote a blog post on the skaters' official website titled “Аustralian Aborigines", where she first unveiled the concept to her fans:

Our original dance this year is very, forgive the tautology, original. An Australian aboriginal dance set to drums, incomprehensible voices. And the music, and the staging, and the costumes, and we're all in a new look. Maxim and I like it very much. The music was suggested to us by Natalia Vladimirovna Linichuk. We refused her for a long time because we couldn't even imagine what it would be. Then we made up our minds. We set to work. We found something here, and there... We decided it would be really unusual.

Remember this quote. It's important for later.
With their program selections locked in, Domnina/Shabalin comprehensively obliterated the rest of the field to take the gold medal at the Russian National Championships over 2009's Christmas weekend. It was a typical first performance, with areas to improve on - but Shabalin said they were optimistic about the future.
Three weeks later, the cream of Europe’s skating talent arrived in Estonia for the European Championships, where the Russians were expected to win. Their compulsory dance, on the 19th of January, saw them take a commanding five-point lead.
And then the world's attention turned to their Aboriginal Dance.
Domnina was right - it was really unusual.
Here it is, in all its glory.

The dance

“What did the Aborigines dance about? About hunting, about love, about rain. So our program starts with getting to know the tribes, we also depict hunting, throwing spears, eating meat, then the guys depict making fire, socialising and playing games.” – Natalia Linichuk⁴

I'm not a member of the Australian indigenous community, but I can confidently proclaim that Domnina/Shabalin’s Aboriginal Dance would receive an F-, or perhaps an F--, as a package - and here's why.
In one paragraph: Conceptually, the program fails miserably at both telling a clear story and at portraying the unique culture of Aboriginal Australian dance, in favour of creating a melange of various “native” global cultures and slapping a tacky, half-baked Aboriginal Australian patina over it. On the figure skating side, it really doesn't play to Domnina/Shabalin's strengths as a team, and overshadowed their undoubted technical skill with the surface-level vibes of bad artistic taste, presumably-unintended comedy and unarguably hideous, poorly-executed costuming.

In detail: On an expressive level, it was incoherent. Along with Linichuk's quote above, a later Sport-Express article said the dance was about Shabalin as a tribal leader, and Domnina as a young native woman who learns from and eventually falls in love with him. That might be our basic story - but I'd be interested in seeing how many people would be able to pick out that romantic plotline on their own. Particularly with Domnina's mugging, which is over-the-top even by ice dance standards.
On a technical level, anthropologist and trained dancer Andrée Grau noted that "the overall impression throughout is the lack of an upright body, therefore reinforcing a primate-like rather than human stance", rather than the verticality she'd observed in authentic Aboriginal Australian dance; while citing someone who felt the first 20 seconds resembled a minstrel show, or a 1920s jungle movie.⁵
On a conceptual level, it seemed to borrow from a generic grab-bag of indigenous cultures, as opposed to specifically the peoples of Aboriginal Australia. Yahoo Sports noted a hand-over-mouth gesture “once associated with American Indians”. The Australian observed how it ends with both skaters rubbing noses – a tradition of the Māori of New Zealand. The music incorporated traditional chanting from India.
Upon seeing the program performed at the Olympics, Aboriginal choreographer and dancer Nikki Ashby wrote in the Herald Sun that she found the “creative concept” incomprehensible and felt it was embodying a "caveman" image.
It's as jarring and ill-fitting as a flamenco dance in burlesque attire to Debussy’s Clair de Lune.
In fact, that would have been less controversial.

The music:

“I don’t remember what I thought when I heard the music for the first time. I think this music has found us, not we found the music.” - Maxim Shabalin⁶

Skating fans can be capable of remarkable investigative skill. We have to be, given the sport's penchant for pissing on your leg and trying to tell you that it's raining.
The program was entered in the ISU's database as "Aboriginal Dance (arrangement by Alexander Goldstin)" - misspelling the arranger's surname in the process - but the "Aboriginal Dance" wasn't using actual Aboriginal Australian music at all. The fanbase discovered that fact after Russian Nationals, quickly identifying the music as being British-Indian singer Sheila Chandra’s “Speaking In Tongues II”, from her 1992 album “Weaving My Ancestors’ Voices”.
Her official Bandcamp describes the album’s stylistic influences as follows:

“…Sheila Chandra explores the musical territories of her spiritual ancestors, drawing upon South Indian, Celtic, Spanish and Muslim influences.”

Notice the distinct lack of anything resembling “Aboriginal Australian” musical influence in the above list. It meant the Russians were using music purposely created to honour other cultures and presenting it as emblematic of indigenous Australia.
And then there's what they were wearing, which managed to be even worse.

The costumes:

"I think the costumes were spot on right away. We have unusual costumes and an unusual dance." – Oksana Domnina⁷

Spot on, apparently. Absolutely flawless. Not a single problem.
Trying to articulate why these costumes are atrocious is like trying to explain why chocolate tastes good. There’s an endless list of correct answers, despite Domnina's proud declaration that they were perfect.
The face makeup is a multi-level failure.⁸ The markings are intended to evoke Aboriginal body paint, with the skaters claiming that they’re authentic Aboriginal paint markings, but Manton compares them to a cheap tourist trinket and Stephen Page – director of the Australian indigenous Bangarra Dance Company – said to Fox that it looked more like “a 3-year-old child had drawn it on”. The colouring of their makeup is a misguided attempt to darken their skin, but only gives the impression that someone assaulted them with four tons of bronzer.
The faux-foliage is simply baffling and bizarre, and makes it seem like the dancers stumbled through a rainforest on their way to the rink.
The dark brown bodysuit colouring doesn’t help either, again attempting to reflect "Aboriginal" skin, and the costumes are covered in faux-tribal markings ranging from the inscrutable to the ridiculous. Anyone with eyes can see that Domnina's back is covered in something resembling a cave painting of a giant insect devouring a woman's spinal column as she's sitting on the toilet, which is definitely "unusual".
There's basically nothing redeemable about the costumes at all. Even the most charitable interpretation is that they're just comically bad, rather than offensive - which, for a supposed love story, really doesn't help project the appropriate kind of feeling.

The firestorm

On January 20, the day before the Russians performed their new original dance at Euros, Australia’s Fairfax Media group did something almost unheard-of, and ran an entire article about a figure skating program.
It was scathing.
Bev Manton, the chairwoman of the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council – the peak representative body of indigenous Australians in Australia’s most populous state – said that she and her fellow councillors were offended by the performance, and the way the Russians failed to “tread carefully and respectfully” in their depictions of another culture. Manton's fellow councillor Sol Bellear said it was "offensive" cultural exploitation.
Coach and commentator Belinda Noonan, the voice of Australian figure skating since the 1990s, was even more blunt: saying "I don't think there's any integrity to the Russians' dance", giving voice to "suspicions" within skating circles that the concept was plagiarised from an Australian team. In a later SBS article, she added that the dance looked like its creators hadn't even done a few minutes of research on Google, and that the arranger had probably “just put in some didgeridoo in a couple of places” and called it a day. She reached out to the Russians by email, but never got a reply.
The following day, Fairfax published a lengthy and thoughtful piece written by Manton herself, where she outlined some of her problems with the dance, explained why she reacted the way she did when seeing it, and urged the Russians to reconsider the entire concept. It explains a lot of the specific cultural problems better than I could.
Soon, the story was being covered in news outlets all over the world.

The response

"The most important thing is that people are not left indifferent by the dance. There are reactions and that is already a plus. It is impossible to please everyone." - Oksana Domnina⁹

So, as I’m sure you’ve guessed, Russia’s leading ice dancers and their coaching team responded to the Australian discontent with grace, decency and generosity, making a sincere attempt to understand the perspectives of the people who felt insulted by their dance.
Oh, wait. No. The exact opposite of that.
Linichuk tied herself in knots trying to argue that there's nothing bad about what her skaters were performing.
First, she told RIA Novosti that Aboriginal Australians originally came from South Asia, with the dance "paying homage to the era" before they became Australians. Then, a day later, she said it wasn't really about Australians at all:

“Aboriginal, it translates from Latin language, it’s from the beginning,” Linichuk said. “We try to represent a picture of this time when aboriginal people start being in the world. It’s no customs, no country, nothing.”

Shabalin echoed his coach's words, telling Yahoo it's "not specifically an Australian Aboriginal dance, it is an aboriginal dance", in a feat of gold medal-winning mental gymnastics for someone whose official website unveiled the program with a post titled “Australian Aborigines”.
This made the Aboriginal Dance the Schrödinger’s cat of ice dance programs. It could simultaneously be “an Australian aboriginal dance” (Domnina), “a collective image of the Aborigines, which should not offend the feelings of specific nationalities” (Shabalin), “a picture of this time ... [with] no country, nothing” (Linichuk), and an expression of how "the Australian Aborigines came from South Asia" (Linichuk). It was Australian, except international, except pre-national, all at the same time.
The ISU's rules asked for "a consistent theme based on a specific country or region".

The defiance:

Upon learning that Bellear intended to write to the Russian ambassador to Australia in protest, Domnina was unimpressed, proclaiming that "every country should be writing to complain in that case!”, and telling Izvestia that everything had been blown wildly out of proportion.

“I don't understand all the hype at all. If foreign dancers take Kalinka as their musical accompaniment, will the State Duma raise a question about it? Originally we were choosing between the Aborigines and the Scots. I dread to think what would have happened if we had danced to Celtic tunes. There would probably have been a wave of protest in the UK.”

"Kalinka" is genuine Russian folk music that has been part of their cultural repertoire for over a century. Alexander Goldstein’s “Aboriginal Dance” is some generic didgeridoo sound effects laid over Indian chanting and passed off as authentically Aboriginal Australian. It's a false equivalence, and shows her ignorance of why Manton and Bellear were outraged. Based on the general level of awareness shown to this point, I'd expect a hypothetical "Scots" program would see some sampled bagpipes layered over Ravel’s Bolero.
On January 29, Linichuk told RIA Novosti that she was touched by the world’s interest, since she’d had world champions whose programs never attracted this level of attention.
Admittedly, some people did defend Domnina/Shabalin’s program. Some journalists - Anglophone and Russian alike - noted how skating had always had questionable artistic taste, and several people in the sport were quoted on the record as saying that the original idea was nothing out of the ordinary by skating standards. They're not wrong - which also served to show just how bad the Aboriginal Dance had to be, in terms of its conceptual execution, to cause such controversy.
Shabalin also says that some Aboriginal Australians commented on their website, saying how much they appreciated the Russian dance. I’ll let you decide how plausible this is - their website glitched out when I tried and go back beyond the first three pages of comments.
In the end, Manton and the Council she led chose not to file an official complaint; instead politely requesting that the Russians reconsider their idea.

The plagiarism scandal

And now, this is the appropriate point to focus on the accusation of plagiarism.
Well, actually, that’s a misnomer. There were two plagiarism scandals surrounding this, one relating to the concept and another to the music.

The Aboriginal Dance, done the Australian way:

Lurking beneath the hideous surface of Domnina/Shabalin’s program was the accusation that their Original Dance wasn't original to begin with. Australia's Danielle O’Brien / Greg Merriman did an Australian Aboriginal dance in the 2007-08 "folk/country OD" season.
It might have lacked the Russians' skating technique, but there’s no question that it better embodied Aboriginal Australian culture. They spent a year consulting with the indigenous community to ensure they didn’t serve up three minutes of inadvertent mockery. Their costumes were made by Aboriginal designers, and they even had the radical idea to perform to music by actual Aboriginal Australians. Grau also noted the much more authentic "feel" of the choreography, even within the required movement vocabulary of figure skating.
As a sidenote: the Russians' other planned option was a Scottish-themed dance. Scottish siblings Sinead and John Kerr performed an acclaimed dance to Scottish folk music in 2007-08. Their alternative concept was also done by another team in the previous folk/country season.

The voice of the singer:

Then, the fanbase’s detective work bore more fruit.
Less than a week before the Olympic ice dance event was set to begin, Chandra sent an official complaint to both the Russian skating federation and the International Olympic Committee, demanding that the Russians stop using her music and threatening legal action. According to Fairfax, Chandra felt it was “inappropriate” for their Aboriginal Dance to be set to her work, and that the Russians never sought permission from her to use it.
Copyright issues are a rare occurrence in sports like this, but they do happen – Olympic men’s champion Yuzuru Hanyu once had to actively seek the permission of Joe Hisaishi to perform to his music – and it’s understandable why Chandra, who composed the piece as a tribute to her own heritage, was unhappy with the Russians' use of it.

The conspiracy

A recurring theme – among both Russian fans and the Russian skating world – was that this was all a storm in a teacup, deliberately inflamed by the perfidious North Americans to ensure a gold for either Davis/White or Virtue/Moir. Chandra's separate complaints were viewed as being just an extension of the same broader anti-Russian plot.
Linichuk arguably ignited it, the day after the media storm began, by telling RIA Novosti that it was an attempt to knock her and her skaters "out of the saddle".
Editorials were written in Russian newspapers, railing against what they viewed as “political correctness” and a smear campaign, inferring that the “supposedly” Aboriginal Australian complaints were actually from North American puppetmasters.
The Russian skating world duly doubled down on it, amplifying the conspiracy theories. Russian skating federation president Valentin Piseev told Russian television of a “premeditated” campaign "aimed at our athletes" that was “probably sanctioned by someone”. And Karponosov – who, so far, has said less than Domnina’s dog – told Sovetsky Sport it was all being done to throw his skaters off-balance, adding some sneering disdain of his own:

"But in general, it looks like a well-planned and well-directed action. Just imagine: the Russian Figure Skating Championships are on, and the natives of Australia are watching our original dance? It's absurd!"

Maybe he thinks Australia doesn't have internet.
Ironically, the only ones who didn’t seem to get involved in the talk of conspiracies were the skaters themselves, speaking to Rossiyskaya Gazeta:

RG: It has been hinted that the situation may be deliberately fuelled up by someone with the purpose to discredit you and to hamper your chances of a medal. What do you have to say about that?
Domnina: I don't believe that. This is a sport, and the way I see it, we must prove our ability on the ice, and not behind the scenes.
Shabalin: I agree with Oksana. All this talk is just nonsense. I respect our rivals. They are our colleagues. I don't think any of them would be capable of such an action. I may be too naive, but one of my principles in life is never to intentionally harm my neighbor.

Their pre-Olympic blog post captioned a photo with the description "Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin are not paying attention to the antics of the Aboriginals and singer Sheila Chandra", but at least they weren't actively saying the whole situation was invented by the Americans.

The Olympics

“Aside from looking ridiculous, does it affect the judges?" - NBC commentator Tom Hammond, 2010¹⁰

The summit:

As a gesture of goodwill, the Four Host First Nations - the representatives of Vancouver's local First Nations communities, who partnered with the Olympics - invited the Russians along for a meeting. Their CEO, Tewanee Joseph, was rather sympathetic, saying that the skaters were serving to raise awareness of indigenous culture through serving as cultural "witnesses".
There was a gift exchange: Shabalin told Reuters that they received traditional blankets to "cover our heart and keep us from any bad things", while the Chicago Tribune said the Russians gave Joseph "some of their Olympic team’s pins and banners and a medallion specially created for these Games."
Following the compulsory dance. Linichuk and the skaters were conspicuously decked out in their newly-acquired blankets as they waited in the kiss-and-cry. After the original dance, only Linichuk was wearing hers. After the free dance, none of the Russians were wearing blankets in the kiss-and-cry.
You can make your own judgment on whether receiving absolution from a Canadian indigenous group means anything in the context of Aboriginal Australians feeling insulted about a dance derived from their culture.

The skating:

There was a long "will they, won't they" over alterations to the program. The main change to the Aboriginal Dance for Vancouver was in the costuming - but unfortunately, they didn't axe it entirely. They simply toned it down a touch, on both the facial makeup and the costume colouring fronts. In spite of Domnina's initial thoughts that they were "spot on" from the very first performance.
And a comparison, courtesy of Figure Skating Costumes on Tumblr.
Shabalin was quoted in The Australian as saying "We got some opinions that (the brown bodysuit) was offensive. I don't know why it's offensive, but we changed it."
It was an improvement over the first outing's costume, in the same way that chlamydia might be an improvement over syphilis plus chlamydia. It still managed to win the 2010 Olympics' "worst costume" prize by the length of the Nullarbor Plain, despite some traditionally strong competition.¹¹
Despite Domnina/Shabalin winning the compulsory dance, they fell to third place after the original dance. Virtue/Moir's Spanish Flamenco and Davis/White's Bollywood-inspired program outscored the Aboriginal Dance, putting the Canadians in first and the Americans in second. Virtue/Moir and Davis/White's coach and main choreographer Marina Zueva - an ex-Soviet ice dancer who competed at the 1977 World Championships, where Linichuk/Karponosov took bronze - used music from actual Bollywood films and enlisted the aid of Indian dance experts to craft her American skaters a program that wasn't a complete cultural calamity. In the process, she proved that you can be a 1970s Soviet ice dancer with a modicum of artistic taste.
Linichuk's biggest problem on that front had always been herself. Throughout the Games, she carried photos of indigenous Australian dancers, showing them to anybody who asked about the Aboriginal Dance, and telling people "We didn't make this up!".
The results stayed the same after the free dance: Virtue/Moir took gold, Davis/White took silver, and Domnina/Shabalin took bronze. And while Piseev bemoaned how the randomised draw had led to a judging panel with no Russians, nobody could dispute that Virtue/Moir were the deserving champions, after their spellbinding free dance to Mahler's Symphony No. 5.
For all that ice dance can be a complete circus - even without judging shenanigans - performances like Virtue/Moir's remind us why we follow this sport.

The final point

I couldn't find anything further about whether Chandra filed a lawsuit.
Vancouver 2010 was Domnina/Shabalin's last competitive outing as figure skaters, as they retired after the Olympic season. Several months later, Shabalin did another indigenous-themed program on the "Ice Age" TV show, to music from “The Last of the Mohicans”. It was more of a “Dancing With The Stars”-style thing than a competitive Olympic program. It wasn't as atrocious as the Aboriginal Dance, but Grau thought it still had its own indigenous clichés.
Their Olympic bronze was the last time a team working with Linichuk and Karponosov have won a medal at a major senior-level international event.
At the end of it all, Domnina/Shabalin losing to rivals who actually did the necessary work to ensure their own folk dances weren't insulting travesties is fitting. Zueva and her North American teams did the proper research, and probably weren't mocking the idea of Spain or India being aware of the existence of the rest of the world.
This is a sport: sincerity is no excuse for failure.
And the Aboriginal Dance was a true failure.

The endnotes:

1 – From a blog post on the skaters’ official website, titled “Blonde or brunette?”, on December 8, 2009.
2 - Sinitsina and Katsalapov said that they decided upon the idea for their costumes upon studying Fashion Week, and coming to the conclusion that leopard print was the trend of the season. I don’t know enough about haute couture to comment here.
3 – Requiem for a Dream has the status of a skating “warhorse” – something you’ll see used quite often when watching a competition. Italy’s Anna Cappellini / Luca Lanotte and France’s Nathalie Pechalat / Fabien Bourzat also both used music from Requiem for a Dream as part of free dances at the 2010 Olympics.
4 – From an article on sports.ru, titled “Natalia Linichuk: ‘I would love to go to Australia after the season and experience the Aboriginal culture’”, on January 21, 2010.
5 – Yes, there has been actual peer-reviewed literature published in actual academic journals about this fiasco of a performance. You can read Grau’s article here.
6 – From an article on Golden Skate.
7 – From an article on Yahoo.
8 – Shabalin actually toned down the facial markings between Russian Nationals and Euros, although the brownface wasn’t ditched until Vancouver. It means there’s technically three versions of the Aboriginal Dance costumes.
9 – From an article on Yahoo.
10 – From NBC’s coverage of the Vancouver 2010 original dance segment.
11 – If Domnina/Shabalin’s Aboriginal Dance wasn’t a thing, the clubhouse leader for the “worst Olympic costume” award in Vancouver might have been… Domnina/Shabalin, whose free dance costume lived on the intersection of incomprehensible and avant-garde, and “victim of a homicidal lawnmower” . Homicidal lawnmower chic was a common look for them, as shown by their free dance costumes at 2006 Worlds and the 2008 Cup of Russia.

Timestamp
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Matrix 8XV 3.0	Blue black ano, WKL, eye, standard weight. Desoldered. Alu plate and custom POM plate. See pics for condition (mint) and details. Original packaging.	$580
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Hello! My name is Bunny. This is Dominic and he's been my OC for a little over a year now, but we became a couple around Christmas last year <3
He's kind of my opposite but we also have surprising similarities. :) I think our differences help us bring the best out of each other, and he's really taught me a lot about myself and life.
I would love to share this space with you guys and be able to gush about him and also listen to you all gush about your f/os! I'm happy to answer any questions you might have about him or us, he's my favorite subject after all <3
I also have a tumblr blog dedicated to him if that's something that interests you. It's full of things he likes as well as talk about him and fictosexuality in general~ <3 Trying to find my place in this community after a long time of lurking :D Thank you!!

During Rita's many attempts on destroying the Power Rangers, several times she wouldn't create a brand new monster, rather change a person in Angel Grove into one. With Kat, this was taken to the next level, mind controlling her to make her evil while also allowing her to transform into a cat and back, before even making her a full monster. But as with all her schemes, this eventually failed, with Katherine performing a selfless act to break herself free of the sorceress' control. And when the Pink Ranger was persuaded to leave the team in order to pursue a chance to become a professional gymnast, Kat was able to step in as her replacement. While only a Mighty Morphin' Ranger for a short time, she would stay on the team throughout the Zeo era and ultimately until they donned on their Turbo suits, where she would pass the torch to pursue her life's goals herself.

Legend

Unmorphed

Strength

• Kicks a creature away off of her while on her back^T
• Kicks a creature back a distance^T
• Destroys a putty while invisible^OA

Other

• Takes hits from the Pink Turbo Ranger morph when it was stolen and animated by an alien^T
• Falls a huge distance into the lower floors of the Command Centre^Zeo
• Aimdodges a beam^Zeo
• Appears out of nowhere^SNS
• Billy can summon his Blade Blaster to his hand while unmorphed^OA

Pink Ranger

"Pink Ranger power!"

Physicals

• Struck or thrown through the air, hitting a tree^MM3
• Struck back by bird aliens^MM3
• Staggered a bit by a monster's destruction explosion which damages a stone floor^OA

Equipment

Power Bow - Arrows

• The bow manifests arrows on being drawn back^OA
• Sends a charging putty tumbling back^MM1
• Sends a monster flying back^MM1
• Shoots rapid arrows as well as energy shots^MM1
• Arrows move in midair to avoid trees before hitting a target, and can explode on hitting them^MM1
• Creates an explosion after landing^MM2
• Hits a machine, causing it to blow up^OA

Power Bow - Other

• Can be summoned to her^OA
• Can be kept in a smaller form before being made larger^MM1
• Capable of being used as a melee weapon^MM1
• Can be merged with the other Ranger's power weapons to make the Power Blaster, which releases a bolt capable of destroying monsters^MM1
  • Sends a monster flying back a large distance into a building^MM2

Blade Blaster

• Handheld weapons which can be either blades or energy blasters^MM1
• Destroys two putties with one shot^OA
• Causes a robot monster to blow up^MM2
• Makes robots with Ranger powers blow up^SNS
• Is strong enough to knock down the Ranger after being redirected back at them^MM1
• Sends a monster flying back^MM1
• Destroys a snake^MM2
• Destroys a sword with a sustained beam^MM1
• Disintegrates chains^MM2
• The Rangers can combine their blasts into a single attack, capable of making a monster fight to stay standing^MM1

Metallic Armour

• Special metallic armour the Rangers can apply to their Morphin' suits in an emergency which increases their capabilities, with them moving in a blur. Like this, Tommy seemingly makes a shining attack which defeats several enemies behind him^MM3
  • The weakened Rangers join up with this shining attack to harm a powerful foe and get themselves enough time to escape^MM3
• With a joint kick with the Yellow Ranger, also in Metallic Armour, sends a monster flying back^MM3
• Provides a greater degree of protection from a monster's energy absorption than their regular suits did^MM3
• When mind controlled by a monster to dance, putting on the Metallic Armour frees them^MM3
• This armour only works on Earth^MM3

Other

• Morphs are shown to happen fast in real time^OA
  • Can be done mid-leap^OA
• Somehow flies alongside other Legendary Dino Rangers, though this could have been Kimberly Hart^BM
• Has access to a shark cycle motorbike^MM3

Pink Ninja Ranger

"Ninja Ranger power, now!"

Physicals

• Flips two birds grabbing her^MM3
• Throws an enemy away^MM3
• Dodges several attacks before leaping over a group of enemies^MM3

Pink Crane Ninjazord

The Ninjazords are stated to be stronger than zords of the past, holding the swift intelligent courage of the ninja.^MM3

• Struck by a flamethrower^MM3
• Has blasters^MM3

White Shogunzord

While the Pink Crane Ninjazord is inoperable due to Zedd having captured the White Ninja Falconzord, Kat co-pilots this Zord with the White Ranger.

• Jumps over an energy attack before hitting a monster away^MM3
• Can summon a two sais to its hands, and gets hit by an enemy's energy attack^MM3
• Joining with the other Shogunzords, they can spin together to create a tornado which takes out a monster^MM3
• When trapped in a bin with the other Shogunzord, they blow it up from the inside to escape^MM3

Zeo Ranger I - Pink

"It's morphin' time! Zeo Ranger I - Pink!"

Strength

• Flips a Cog with a strike to the legs^Zeo
• Staggers a Cog with a strike, making it spark^Zeo
• Hits a Cog away^Zeo
• Punches a Cog back into the air, causing it to knock over a group of other Cogs^Zeo
  • Cogs can no-sell a punch from an actor^Zeo
• Seems to hit a Monster out of the Zeo Megazord^Zeo
• Sparks and seemingly breaks apart Cogs with their weapon^Zeo
• Leaps up into the Zeo Megazord^Zeo

Durability

Blunt Force

• Hit away a short distance^Zeo
• Struck back before taking another energy attack^Zeo
• Hit, tumbling away a distance^Zeo
• Struck by falling boulders, tumbling away^Zeo
• Struck off her bike with boulders before being blasted off of a hill, though she's forced to demorph near the bottom^Zeo
• Thrown through the air into a car^Zeo
• The Rangers crash their bikes into a building at high speed^Zeo

Other

• Thrown down a tall set of steps^Zeo
• Jumps down a large distance^Zeo
• Jumps out of the Super Zeo Battlezord^Zeo
• Slashed by a sword^Zeo
• Knocked off her feet by an explosive blast^Zeo
• Knocked down by reflected laser pistol blasts^Zeo
• Hit with electricity which creates large explosions^Zeo
• Struck by a giant monster's electricity attack which also creates large explosions^Zeo

Speed

• Evades an attack from a flying vehicle^Zeo
• Deflects a projectile with her shield^Zeo

Gear

Zeo Laser Pistol

• Energy pistols which knock down the Rangers with their reflected blasts^Zeo
• Slightly stagger a monster from the top of a cliff with blasts^Zeo
• Burst metal pipes^Zeo
• Destroys a small object broken off of a monster^Zeo
• Has an alternate form, giving it a longer barrel^Zeo
  • Uses this to hit with 'pure oxygen'^Zeo

Other

• The Zeonizers, used to morph into the Zeo suits, can appear on a person's arms at will^Zeo
  • They can still be stolen to prevent a person from morphing, however^Zeo
• Can create the Power Disc, a shield which is used in an unclear attack upon being summoned^Zeo
  • All of the Zeo Ranger's power weapons can merge into the Zeo Blaster, which releases a powerful bolt to blow up a robot^Zeo
• Can summon a sword^Zeo
• The Rangers can have the Zeo Cannon called in, which is powered by a power cell from each of them before launching a powerful, monster destroying blast^Zeo
  • Fires a beam^Zeo
• Has a motorbike^Zeo

Zeo Zord I

• Hit by energy blasts^Zeo
• Fires energy blasts from its cannon^Zeo

Super Zeo Zord I

• Hit by a slash^Zeo
• Hit by an energy attack^Zeo
• Struck by an electric attack before pulling out a giant laser pistol^Zeo
• Releases an energy beam from its chest, which in addition to another Super Zeo Zord destroys a monster^Zeo
  • This monster was made of a nearly-indestructible metal, which led Billy to believe the regular Zeo Zords would be destroyed if they were used^Zeo
• Can fly

Other

• Can create a fireball which knocks a robot over^Zeo
• The Rangers teleport into their Zords^Zeo
• Together the Rangers create an energy shield to reflect an attack away from them^Zeo
• Kat morphing fixes a twisted ankle, allowing her to fight normally^Zeo
• The morph happens instantly in real time^Zeo
  • In the movie, this process is slowed down, and cancelled even when near-completion on falling into water^T-M
• Can have their power frequency modified to counter a monster's sleep-inducing singing^Zeo
  • It still has some effect and they need to try and increase the shielding levels, however^Zeo
• In Soul of the Dragon, it's said that Zeo powers get stronger over time, even over the course of decades

Pink Turbo Ranger

"Shift into turbo! Wind Chaser turbo power!"

Strength

• Kicks a creature through the air^T
• Kicks a monster a large distance back through the air^T
• While she and the Green and Red Turbo Rangers were shrunk, pulls back against the tongue of a regular sized woman that had wrapped around the Yellow Ranger^T
• Leaps a large distance while performing a jump kick^T
• While shrunk, holds onto a torpedo as it launches from a submarine and flies through the air towards a beach until impact^T

Durability

• Staggered back with a kick^T-M
• Struck away by a monster^T-M
• Kicked back through the air and into a metal door^T
• Hit by a monster's car^T
• Shot by a bolt from Blue Centurion's sidearm^T
• While shrunk, is hanging onto a torpedo filled with a monster-growing substance as it hits a beach, creating a sizable hole in the ground and returning them to normal size^T
• Hit by a giant monster's electricity which creates an explosion^T

Equipment

Auto Blaster

• Releases a beam which slowly cuts through a metal pipe when they're shrunk down^T
• Breaks metal holding the Space Rangers chained in the air^IS
• A sustained beam from all the Ranger's blasters, plus the Phantom Ranger's weapon, destroys rubble^T
• Vaporizes instruments with a single blast each, including a full drum kit^T
• Has a turbo mode which release stronger blasts^T

Turbo Navigator

• Carries around a Turbo Navigator which automatically detects the presence of anything extra-terrestrial^T
  • Reacts to a detonator being placed nearby^T
• Can be converted into a weapon which shoots homing bolts, curving in the air to hit insects^T
  • Hits an invisible enemy from an incredible distance away^T

Other

• The morphers can teleport onto their wrists^T
• Can summon the Turbo Wind Fire, a bow which shoots energy blasts^T-M
  • Blasts can explode on impact with a monster^T
  • These can be delivered by a small vehicle instead, which can join together with all of the Turbo Ranger's turbo weapons to release a single powerful attack^T
• Can summon karts to drive in^T

Wind Chaser Turbozord

• Fine after the boat it's in explodes, and drives on water^T-M
• Can shift between being the size of a regular vehicle and giant^T-M
• Splits in two lengthways before reforming^T
• At least the Red Ranger's Turbozord be summoned directly beside him^T

Other

• The headlamps on the suit work^T-M
  • These can create a special light to reveal a type of alien's footprints^T

Other

General Morphing Features

• When someone tries to use a morpher out of selfish reasons (in her case, revenge), it doesn't work. It's only after intercepting a lethal attack meant for another that the morpher allows her to use it^OA
• Powers drawn from the morphing grid get weaker while on another planet, but can still be used^MM3
• Due to the polarity of the north pole mixed with holiday magic, they can't use their powers at Santa's Workshop on Christmas^MM3
• The process of morphing physically changes a person in some manner, with Tommy feeling strange as he returns to being a normal human when he loses his powers^MM1
  • This causes them to give off a type of energy which can be detected and tracked^MM2

Power Coin

• All the Rangers can use their Power Coins to send Billy and a monster out of it's dimension^MM1
• They were later used to bring Zordon back after he expended too much energy to power up Tommy Oliver^MM1
• When their powers were being sapped by a type of candle which previously rid Tommy of his powers, placing their Power Coins on top of them restored them to normal^MM2
• When they were remade by Ninjor, the Power Coins became linked with the Ranger's energy, which means that whenever they're in the hands of someone evil the Ranger becomes weak with this effect having the potential to be lethal^MM3
  • Someone evil touching the coin instantly has a negative effect on Kimberly and leads to her needing to be recharged by the others shortly after just to be teleported to the Command Centre^MM3
  • Like this, a Ranger can still morph if powered by the other Rangers, if for a short time^MM3
• After being remade by Ninjor, the coins protect the Rangers memories when time is reversed to make them children^MMA
• Jason uses a Power Coin to summon the Mighty Morphin' and Dino Thunder Rangers, but as this Power Coin was formed from a meteorite and not one of the original Power Coins this may not apply to all of them^BM

Wrist Communicators

• Has a wrist communicator, presumably created by Billy^MM2
• Allows her to communicate with the others and those at the Command Centre, as well as providing a teleport to the Command Centre^MM1
• Can be used to teleport elsewhere^MM1
• Can be put on silent^MM1
• With an upgrade, allows those on Earth to communicate with Rangers on a distant planet^MM3
• Draw upon a Ranger's powers, and don't work when they're removed for whatever reason^MMA

Katastrophe

When initially under the control of Rita, Kat was turned into the monster Katastrophe to fight the Rangers.

• Kicks the Black Ranger away^MM3
• When the Black and Blue Rangers try to jump kick her, she leaps up, catches their kicks, before throwing them both back into trees^MM3
• Struck by joint jump attacks from several Power Rangers before being kicked back through the air by the Red Ranger^MM3
• Makes a large leap^MM3
• Was made giant, gaining a sword and taking slashes from Ninjor before being punched away^MM3
  • Like this, she takes a finishing attack from the Ninja Megazord and blows up, but appears as a human shortly after without injury^MM3

Other

• While under the control of Rita, could teleport and change between being a human and a cat^MM3
  • With the Pink Ranger Power Coin, teleports into the Falconzord, knocks out the White Ranger with energy, before teleporting him out of the Zord^MM3
• All of Zordon's Rangers must never use their power for personal gain, never escalate a battle unless forced, and keep their identity secret^MM1

When a peace conference was calling three Power Rangers away from Angel Grove, they needed replacements to keep the world safe against Zedd's forces, and found them in the champions of the Team Ninja Competition. Rocky was chosen to become the new Red Ranger, and while no longer the designated leader (that position going to the recently appointed White Ranger) he still formed key member of the team. This would continue after the Power Coins were destroyed and the Rangers were given new Zeo Power, this time donning a blue costume, up until he was briefly hospitalized with an injury and needed someone to take his place as the team became the Turbo Rangers. But while his time as a main Power Ranger may be over, this wouldn't stop him from once again donning the suit in order to save the world in the future.

Legend

Unmorphed

Strength

Striking

• Before becoming a Power Ranger, uppercuts a putty back through the air^MM2
• Kicks a putty up into a tree^MM2
• Destroys a putty while invisible^OA
• Shatters three putties with a kick^OA

Other

• Before becoming a Power Ranger, throws a putty a distance^MM2
• Before becoming a Power Ranger, throws a charging putty a distance away from him^MM2
• Flips two Cogs by their arms at the same time^Zeo
• Throws off a number of putties piling on him^MM2
• Before becoming a Power Ranger, leaps a large distance down a hill on roller blades^MM2

Other

• Falls a huge distance into the lower floors of the Command Centre^Zeo
• After leaping towards Robo-Rita, gets hit back through the air by her magic^OA
• Dodges sword swings from Goldar^MM2
• Appears out of nowhere^SNS
• Billy can summon his Blade Blaster to his hand while unmorphed^OA

Red Ranger

"It's morphin' time! Tyrannosaurus!

Strength

Striking

• Flips an alien with a kick while weakened^MM3
• Knocks over Goldar with a jump kick^MM2
• Sends a monster flying back with a jump kick^MM3

Other

• With the Yellow Ranger, sends a monster flying a huge distance off-screen^MM3

Durability

Blunt Force

• Hit slightly into the air twice by putties^MM2
• Struck away^MM3
• Struck back by bird aliens^MM3
• Hit back by a monster which caught his punch^MM3
• Punched back through the air^MM2
• Sent flying by a putty's kick^MM2
• Hit into a car by a monster that shattered a gravestone^OA

Other

• Jumps off a raised platform to save a falling woman, landing without injury^OA
• Blocks Rito Revolto's sword with his arm^MM3
• Hit by a slash from Goldar^MM2
• Falls out of the Thunder Megazord^MM2
• Staggered a bit by a monster's destruction explosion which damages a stone floor^OA
• Thrown back by a fireball^MM2

Speed

• Catches a woman as she falls down the platforms he's standing on^OA
• Dodges beams from a kaleidoscope monster^MM2

Equipment

Power Sword

• Can be kept in a smaller form before being made larger^MM1
• Can summon the Power Sword to him^MM2
• Filled with energy and thrown, knocking a sword and dagger out of Tommy's hands^MM1
• Releases an energy beam which, alongside the Dragon Dagger, destroys a giant mechanical heart^MM1
• Used to destroy a paint monster^MM3
  • Physical attacks passed straight through them^MM3
• Can be merged with the other Ranger's power weapons to make the Power Blaster, which releases a bolt capable of destroying monsters^MM1
  • Sends a monster flying back a large distance into a building^MM2
• Send to be the key to all the other weapon's power^MM1

Blade Blaster

• Handheld weapons which can be either blades or energy blasters^MM1
• Destroys two putties with one shot^OA
• Causes a robot monster to blow up^MM2
• Makes robots with Ranger powers blow up^SNS
• Is strong enough to knock down the Ranger after being redirected back at them^MM1
• Sends a monster flying back^MM1
• Destroys a snake^MM2
• Destroys a sword with a sustained beam^MM1
• Disintegrates chains^MM2
• The Rangers can combine their blasts into a single attack, capable of making a monster fight to stay standing^MM1

Metallic Armour

• Special metallic armour the Rangers can apply to their Morphin' suits in an emergency which increases their capabilities, with them moving in a blur. Like this, Tommy seemingly makes a shining attack which defeats several enemies behind him^MM3
  • The weakened Rangers join up with this shining attack to harm a powerful foe and get themselves enough time to escape^MM3
• Provides a greater degree of protection from a monster's energy absorption than their regular suits did^MM3
• When mind controlled by a monster to dance, putting on the Metallic Armour frees them^MM3
• This armour only works on Earth^MM3

Other

• Can be sent the Power Cannon, which gets empowered by the six Rangers before firing a blast which destroys a monster^MM2
  • Destroys an amount of stone^MM2
  • Can be summoned and used with just three Rangers^MM2
• Has a shark cycle motorbike^MM3

Red Dragon Thunderzord

An empowered version of the Tyrannosaurus Dinozord, though Rocky never uses this base form.
General

• Can enter and exit a bipedal warrior form at will.^MM2
• At least the Red Ranger can summon all of the Thunderzords, except for the Tigerzord, on his own^MM2

Dragon Form

• Appears to avoid an attack which creates explosions around it^MM2
• Releases a fire breath attack^MM2

Warrior Form - Strength

• A copy staggers the Thunder Megazord with a kick^MM2
• Sends a monster flying back with a kick^MM2
• Hits a monster through the air with a jump kick^MM2
• Spins on its staff to kick a monster back^MM2
• Either hits away or cuts a tendril wrapped around it with its staff^MM2
• Flips over Tor the Shuttlezord^MM2
• Throws a monster a short distance^MM2
• Spins its staff to raise all of the Zords involved in the Thunder Ultrazord into the air^MM2

Warrior Form - Durability

• Struck away by a monster which broke a large amount of stone with a punch^MM2
• Repeatedly slashed before being hit away^MM2
• Leaps down from a great height^MM2
• Struck by the Mega Tigerzord's reflected finishing attack^MM2
• Gets wrapped in tendrils and electrocuted^MM2
• A clone of the zord gets hit by electricity from the Thunder Megazord^MM2
• Hit by an electrical attack which previously destroyed a skyscraper^MM2
• Struck by a fire breath attack^MM2

Warrior Form - Other

• Can manifest its staff from nowhere^MM2
• Spins its staff, creating energy which incapacitates a foe in some manner before finishing it off^MM2

Other

• Morphs are shown to happen fast in real time^OA
  • Can be done mid-leap^OA
• They are usually unable to see where they're going while teleporting, but can do so with a different kind of teleportation used when Zordon is unable to discern the location of a target^MM2
  • They can seemingly chose to also not turn their lower halves into energy while doing this^MM2
• By imbuing his hand with energy, punches the ground to create a very localized and brief earthquake^MM2
• By holding onto and forming a line with the other Rangers, can create an energy barrier with their combined morphing power to redirect an attack back at the monster which launched it^MM2

Red Ninja Ranger

"Ranger ninja power, now!"
These are used in additional to their Morphin' forms, with them being able to swap between the two at will.

Physicals

• Flips an enemy with a sweep kick^MM3
• Throws a bird a short distance^MM3
• Jump kicks Goldar away^MM3
• Leaps onto a flying bird enemy^MM3
• Flash steps short distances around an enemy^MM3
  • Flash steps up a tree^MM3
• Leaps high into the air from the water^MM3

Abilities

• Merges with a tree, letting out limbs to attack monsters^MM3

Red Ape Ninjazord

The Ninjazords are stated to be stronger than zords of the past, holding the swift intelligent courage of the ninja.^MM3

• Seemingly flips over an enemy with a stab^MM3
• Hits a monster back^MM3
• Struck by a flamethrower^MM3
• Can combine its two swords into one weapon^MM3

Red Shogunzord

• Rammed into by a monster that destroys a small building^MM3
• Can summon a shield to its hands, and gets hit by an enemy's energy attack^MM3
• Joining with the other Shogunzords, they can spin together to create a tornado which takes out a monster^MM3
• When trapped in a bin with the other Shogunzord, they blow it up from the inside to escape^MM3

Zeo Ranger III - Blue

"It's morphin' time! Zeo Ranger III - Blue!"

Strength

• Jump kicks a Cog back^Zeo
• Jump kicks a group of Cogs over^Zeo
  • Cogs can no-sell a punch from an actor^Zeo
• Throws a Cog through the air and into a group, knocking them all over^Zeo
• Staggers a monster back with a series of kicks before launching a series of other attacks, knocking them back a further distance^Zeo

Durability

Blunt Force

• Thrown into a tree^Zeo
• Takes a hit from the Red Zeo Ranger^Zeo
• Staggered back by a double kick to the chest, falling over another foe^Zeo
• Struck back by a robot^Zeo
• A monster strikes him back^Zeo
• Struck by falling boulders, tumbling away^Zeo
• The Rangers crash their bikes into a building at high speed^Zeo

Other

• Jumps down a large distance^Zeo
• Jumps out of the Super Zeo Battlezord^Zeo
• Slashed by a sword^Zeo
• Knocked down by reflected laser pistol blasts^Zeo
• Knocked away by explosive energy blasts from a giant enemy^Zeo
• Hit with electricity which creates large explosions^Zeo
• Struck by a giant monster's electricity attack which also creates large explosions^Zeo

Gear

Zeo Laser Pistol

• Energy pistols which knock down the Rangers with their reflected blasts^Zeo
• Slightly stagger a monster from the top of a cliff with blasts^Zeo
• Burst metal pipes^Zeo
• Destroys a small object broken off of a monster^Zeo
• Has an alternate form, giving it a longer barrel^Zeo
  • Uses this to hit with 'pure oxygen'^Zeo

Other

• The Zeonizers, used to morph into the Zeo suits, can appear on a person's arms at will^Zeo
  • They can still be stolen to prevent a person from morphing, however^Zeo
• Can create the Power Tonfas, two bladed melee weapons^Zeo
  • Cuts the legs of a number of Cogs in a row, incapacitating them^Zeo
  • All of the Zeo Ranger's power weapons can merge into the Zeo Blaster, which releases a powerful bolt to blow up a robot^Zeo
• Can summon a sword^Zeo
• The Rangers can have the Zeo Cannon called in, which is powered by a power cell from each of them before launching a powerful, monster destroying blast^Zeo
  • Fires a beam^Zeo
• Has a motorbike^Zeo

Zeo Zord III

• Bites and destroys a flying vehicle^Zeo
• Struck by a giant rolling metal ball^Zeo
• Hit by energy blasts^Zeo

Super Zeo Zord III

• Hit by several slashes^Zeo
• Hit by an energy attack^Zeo
• Struck by an electric attack^Zeo
• Has a blaster which destroys a monster^Zeo
  • This monster was made of a nearly-indestructible metal, which led Billy to believe the regular Zeo Zords would be destroyed if they were used^Zeo
• Creates giant Power Tonfas^Zeo
• Can fly^Zeo

Other

• Performs a spinning divebomb which results in an explosion^Zeo
• Either flies or jumps a distance extremely close to the ground, staying airborne while cutting the legs of two lines of enemies^Zeo
• The Rangers teleport into their Zords^Zeo
• Together the Rangers create an energy shield to reflect an attack away from them^Zeo
• Kat morphing fixes a twisted ankle, allowing her to fight normally^Zeo
• The morph happens instantly in real time^Zeo
  • In the movie, this process is slowed down, and cancelled even when near-completion on falling into water^T-M
• Can have their power frequency modified to counter a monster's sleep-inducing singing^Zeo
  • It still has some effect and they need to try and increase the shielding levels, however^Zeo
• In Soul of the Dragon, it's said that Zeo powers get stronger over time, even over the course of decades

Other

General Morphing Features

• When someone tries to use a morpher out of selfish reasons (in her case, revenge), it doesn't work. It's only after intercepting a lethal attack meant for another that the morpher allows her to use it^OA
• Powers drawn from the morphing grid get weaker while on another planet, but can still be used^MM3
• Due to the polarity of the north pole mixed with holiday magic, they can't use their powers at Santa's Workshop on Christmas^MM3
• The process of morphing physically changes a person in some manner, with Tommy feeling strange as he returns to being a normal human when he loses his powers^MM1
  • This causes them to give off a type of energy which can be detected and tracked^MM2

Power Coin

• All the Rangers can use their Power Coins to send Billy and a monster out of it's dimension^MM1
• They were later used to bring Zordon back after he expended too much energy to power up Tommy Oliver^MM1
• When their powers were being sapped by a type of candle which previously rid Tommy of his powers, placing their Power Coins on top of them restored them to normal^MM2
• When they were remade by Ninjor, the Power Coins became linked with the Ranger's energy, which means that whenever they're in the hands of someone evil the Ranger becomes weak with this effect having the potential to be lethal^MM3
  • Someone evil touching the coin instantly has a negative effect on Kimberly and leads to her needing to be recharged by the others shortly after just to be teleported to the Command Centre^MM3
  • Like this, a Ranger can still morph if powered by the other Rangers, if for a short time^MM3
• After being remade by Ninjor, the coins protect the Rangers memories when time is reversed to make them children^MMA
• Jason uses a Power Coin to summon the Mighty Morphin' and Dino Thunder Rangers, but as this Power Coin was formed from a meteorite and not one of the original Power Coins this may not apply to all of them^BM

Wrist Communicators

• Has a wrist communicator, presumably created by Billy^MM2
• Allows him to communicate with the others and those at the Command Centre, as well as providing a teleport to the Command Centre^MM1
• Can be used to teleport elsewhere^MM1
• Can be put on silent^MM1
• With an upgrade, allows those on Earth to communicate with Rangers on a distant planet^MM3
• Draw upon a Ranger's powers, and don't work when they're removed for whatever reason^MMA

Other

• All of Zordon's Rangers must never use their power for personal gain, never escalate a battle unless forced, and keep their identity secret^MM1

Here are the results of yesterday's poll. Bumblebee put up numbers more in line with what people would probably expect, moving all the way up to the third seed. It was followed by Reading Rainbow, Monochrome, and Ladybug, which all got boosts to its averages. We need to go all the way to fifth place to find a new ship to join the roster, that being Faunus Pride. Bee's Schnees, Pollination, and Mother's Day all had their averages slightly boosted as well. The next new ship was 360 No-Scope making its surprise tournament return, along with Catsturbation. Blaked Alaska is the final ship joining the roster today. Our 22-vote group has broken up, a new 25-vote group has formed as well as a massive 20-vote group, Monochrome is now the highest-seeded Weiss ship, and I had to invent a new level of tie-breaker for Catsturbation and 360 No-Scope (most recent tournament appearance, for ships that weren't in Ship Wars 6 and are equal across all metrics in this competition. Since those two ships won't appear on a poll again unless someone puts them on an interlude, and at 24 and 25 they could end up at the cutoff if exactly 8 more ships finish ahead of them, I needed a more scientific method to order them than just "whatever random order YouPoll put them in"). Congratulations to all these ships!
And now, we move on to today's interlude day. The three interludes advancing from the interlude scheduling poll are Celtic_Crown's Everything Is EVIL Interlude, BlueWhaleKing's Poly Ship Interlude, and LariatWest's Meanwhile, In Vacuo Interlude. The first interlude features a number of more-obscure villain ships, with RomanCin being the only one with past tournament experience (it was the bottom seed in Ship Wars 3 and got demolished by Arkos in the first round). As for the two ships that Celtic didn't have names for, I went with "Christmas Cavaliers" for Carmine x Bertilak (because they're based on the Red Knight and Green Knight from Arthurian Legend, respectively, and I can't resist the urge to make a Fire Emblem reference) and "Decoy Ploy" for Raven x Vernal (A name I've used for the ship before). On the poly ship interlude, Pollination, JNPR Berries, and Entire Team will all get another score factored into their averages. The only other ship from the Ship Wars 6 roster here is Support Group, though Sunnybees and Pink Rose Gold have been to tournaments in the past. Lastly, we have the Meanwhile, In Vacuo Interlude. Renora and Crosshares will have another score to factor in from here. Additionally, we have Sea Monkeys and Bunanas from the Ship Wars 6 roster and four other ships have been to tournaments before as well: Designer Shades (though that one has kinda fallen off massively since Coco was confirmed to be a lesbian), Cinnabun, Sword Bros, and Mint Chocolate.
Here is the poll for today.

1. Knightlight (Jaune x Jessica Cruz) (Score Average: 37)
2. Nuts & Dolts (Ruby x Penny) (Score Average: 30)
3. Bumblebee (Blake x Yang) (Score Average: 29)
4. Arkos (Jaune x Pyrrha) (Score Average: 28)
5. Alcoholics Anonymous (Willow x Qrow) (Score Average: 27) (Tie-Breaker: Average Approval 56.25%)
6. Land of Lesbos (Saphron x Terra) (Score Average: 27) (Tie-Breaker: Average Approval 54.58%)
7. Renora (Nora x Ren) (Score Average: 26.5)
8. Reading Rainbow (Ilia x Blake) (Score Average: 25) (Tie-Breaker: Average Approval 56.625%)
9. Monochrome (Weiss x Blake) (Score Average: 25) (Tie-Breaker: Average Approval 50.08%)
10. White Rose (Ruby x Weiss) (Score Average: 25) (Tie-Breaker: Average Approval 49.3%)
11. White Knight (Jaune x Weiss) (Score Average: 25) (Tie-Breaker: Average Approval 42.065%)
12. Ladybug (Ruby x Blake) (Score Average: 24) (Tie-Breaker: Average Approval 52.175%)
13. Faunus Pride (Kali x Ghira) (Score Average: 24) (Tie-Breaker: Average Approval 52.17%)
14. Freezerburn (Weiss x Yang) (Score Average: 23.5)
15. Rosebird (Summer x Raven) (Score Average: 22) (Tie-Breaker: Average Approval 66.67%)
16. Crosshares (Coco x Velvet) (Score Average: 22) (Tie-Breaker: Average Approval 53.66%)
17. Tiamat (Taiyang x Summer) (Score Average: 21.5) (Tie-Breaker: Average Approval 54.02%)
18. Lancaster (Jaune x Ruby) (Score Average: 21.5) (Tie-Breaker: Average Approval 38.23%)
19. Milk And Cereal (Ruby x Pyrrha) (Score Average: 21)
20. Pfennig (Winter x Penny) (Score Average: 20.5)
21. Gelato (Roman x Neo) (Score Average: 20) (Tie-Breaker: Average Approval 51.28%)
22. Fair Game (Qrow x Clover) (Score Average: 20) (Tie-Breaker: Average Approval 48.78%)
23. Strawberry Shortcake (Ruby x Neo) (Score Average: 20) (Tie-Breaker: Average Approval 43.48%, 31st seed in Ship Wars 6)
24. Catsturbation (Blake x Blake's Clone) (Score Average: 20) (Tie-Breaker: Average Approval 43.48%, Last Appeared In Ship Wars 5)
25. 360 No-Scope (May Zedong x Reese) (Score Average: 20) (Tie-Breaker: Average Approval 43.48%, Last Appeared In Ship Wars 4)
26. Mother's Day (Willow x Summer x Kali x Raven) (Score Average: 20) (Tie-Breaker: Average Approval 42.615%)
27. Guns N Roses (Ruby x Crescent Rose) (Score Average: 19.5)
28. Jaded (Mercury x Emerald) (Score Average: 19)
29. Pollination (Ruby x Weiss x Blake x Yang) (Score Average: 18.75)
30. Kaleidoscope (Ilia x Emerald) (Score Average: 18) (Tie-Breaker: Average Approval 42.86%)
31. Entire Team (Taiyang x Summer x Raven x Qrow) (Score Average: 18) (Tie-Breaker: Average Approval 39.13%)
32. Aurora Borealis (Weiss x Ilia) (Score Average: 18) (Tie-Breaker: Average Approval 37.8%)
33. Atlas Dropouts (Ilia x Winter) (Score Average: 17.5)
34. Frosen Steel (Penny x Ruby x Weiss) (Score Average: 17.33)
35. Rich Farmers (Whitley x Oscar) (Score Average: 17)(Tie-Breaker: Average Approval 39.53%)
36. Pet Playdate (Juniper x Zwei) (Score Average: 17)(Tie-Breaker: Average Approval 30.36%)
37. Bee's Schnees (Yang x Blake x Weiss) (Score Average: 16.33)
38. Baked Alaska (Yang x Neo) (Score Average: 16)
39. Fireball (Taiyang x Qrow) (Score Average: 15.5) (Tie-Breaker: Average Approval 40.115%)
40. Winter Knight (Winter x Jaune) (Score Average: 15.5)(Tie-Breaker: Average Approval 29.065%)
41. Blaked Alaska (Blake x Yang x Neo) (Score Average: 14.5) (Tie-Breaker: Average Approval 33.47%)
42. North Pole (Pyrrha x Weiss) (Score Average: 14.5) (Tie-Breaker: Average Approval 31.445%)
43. Enabler (Yang x Ruby) (Score Average: 13) (Tie-Breaker: Average Approval 33.79%)
44. Martial Arcs (Ren x Jaune) (Score Average: 13) (Tie-Breaker: Average Approval 27.385%)
45. Falling Petals (Cinder x Ruby) (Score Average: 12.5)
46. JNPR Berries (Jaune x Nora x Pyrrha x Ren) (Score Average: 12.25)
47. Shades of Color (Coco x Ilia) (Score Average: 11)
48. Platinum Rose (Pyrrha x Ruby x Weiss) (Score Average: 7.67)
49. Very Bunny (Juniper x Velvet) (Score Average: 7.5)

Here is the full schedule for the competition.
The final interlude day will be on Thursday May 18th, meaning that the absolute final deadline to get any interludes in that you want done this year is before the daily thread goes up on Wednesday May 17th.
And now, let today's poll begin!

Most of this isn’t absolute fact and is instead built on several interview retellings, and second hand perspective articles. So not all of this is set firmly in stone, however I am pretty confident in what I have here. However if I do happen to get anything wrong, please let me know down in the comments.
Also I’m going to skip over the story of Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird meeting and starting mirage comics and instead skip to the part where the Ninja Turtles were created.
It all started as a joke, Eastman and Laird where drawing after work (which was something they often did) when Kevin had a hilarious idea; a slow moving animal (a turtle) preforming a skill that requires great speed (Karate). And so he drew this https://www.tcj.com/the-kevin-eastman-interview-part-i/eastman6/. Peter also thought that this was hilarious, and so drew his own version to top Kevin’s version: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0182/2915/files/TMNTPROMO4_600x600.png?v=1683655676
After deciding that Laird’s version was cooler, Kevin drew a picture of 4 turtles, each with their own weapon and added the words Ninja Turtles above them. After seeing it, Peter added the iconic Teenage Mutant above the Ninja Turtles creating the iconic name: https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQr6FMS5KNFRyJCKF4kkTwwgQK9NYZzXhI2gkM1InWkEg&usqp=CAU&ec=48665701. After a little bit they decided to turn this joke into a full comic, taking inspiration from marvel’s X-men and Daredevil to create their vision. And thus, the legend was born.
===COMICS===
As mentioned earlier, Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman created Mirage comics together. And after coming up with the Ninja Turtles, it only made sense to publish their new story themselves via Mirage. So the first run of the TMNT was created. This original run had 3 volumes (the first, second, and fourth) and several spin-offs and mini series spawned from the Mirage run. Archie was the next company (sort of) to publish TMNT comics and they lasted from 1989-1992 and saw a very successful run. This version too spawned many spin-off and mini series, and is remembered fondly to this day. Image Comics were the real second set of hands to grace the TMNT property. These comics took all of Mirage comics volume 3 and are not cannon to the Mirage comics. Dreamwave published their version next. Dreamwave’s TMNT comic’s first 4 issues originally adapted the 2003 cartoon from differing perspectives before spinning into its own thing entirely, with its own continuity. IDW currently owns the TMNT and has since 2011. IDW has seen a very successful run with the TMNT and currently have 15 volumes as I’m writing this. There are also several magazines, online comics and newspaper comic strips, as well as comic adaptations and tie-ins for other TMNT works (the movies and tv shows and one for a concert). Titan Comics, and Solson Comics have also briefly interacted with the franchise. As for comics in other countries they were given Las Tortugas Ninja, which were redrawings of some Archie comics which was published by Division Comics(a Mexican studio). And the Japanese got Seinaru Myūta-seki no Nazo, which was a tie-in to the TMNT anime. Other than that, there are a lot of collaborations and crossovers with everything from Flaming Carrot to Batman, for some reason almost nothing is out of the question when it comes to TMNT crossovers on and off the page.
And best for last is the story of “The Last Ronin”. The Last Ronin Is it’s own Ninja Turtles sub series and is probably my favorite thing to have come out of the franchise. The story takes place in a semi-dystopian future where all the turtles have been killed, all except one. And we follow this one turtle as he searches for revenge. It’s a great read and I would 100% check it out if you haven’t yet.
===TV===
And next are the TV series’ of which there are 6 of. The first is the classic 1987-96 TMNT cartoon, of which everybody loves. There’s a 1995 TMNT anime “Mutant Turtles Chōjin Densetsu Hen” that nobody remembers. A wacky live action tv series in “Ninja Turtles The Next Mutation”. Then there’s TMNT 2003-09 which is always a good watch. Then there’s the 2012-17 TMNT run which was okay to say the least. And lastly Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles which was not revived well by fans.
There are a surprisingly small number of films in the franchise. There is the original TMNT film trilogy consisting of the 1990 film, “Secrets of the Ooze”, and “TMNT III”. And the fourth 2007 film that everybody forgets about (which I’m pretty sure is a sequel to the 90’s TMNT trilogy). Next is “Turtles Forever” which looks like a fun crossover. Then you have the Michael Bay TMNT duology which contains the 2014 film and “Out of the Shadows”. Next is Batman vs. TMNT. Batman vs TMNT is next and was genuinely awesome and I hope to see more like it in the future. Then Rise of the TMNT got an animated film that has been well received. And “Mutant Mayhem” which is interesting in that it delivers heavily on the teen aspect of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Then the short films consist of “Operation Blue Line”, “the Mystery of the Cliffs”, “We Wish You a Turtle Christmas” and “Turtle Tines”. and though I haven’t seen them and they do look interesting, I do not intend to. There are also a number of shorts (like TMNT Summer Shorts) made for the “Nickelodeon Cartoon Universe” YouTube channel, and other channels associated with it.
And wile I’m at it I might as well mention the concerts and live shows. Wile I don’t have much to say about “Coming Out of Their Shells” and “Gettin' Down in Your Town” as well as “Teenage mutant ninja turtles live in Auckland” beyond the fact that they are both kinda bizarre and Strange, I will say they do look quite interesting. Other live shows consist of a couple stage shows for theme parks, but not much else beyond that.
===ATTRACTIONS===
It isn’t surprising that a series as big and universally recognizable as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has gotten a couple meets and greets and rides themed around it. There are 4 rides: TMNT Shellraiser, Shell Shock, Shredder's Mutant Masher, Baxter Stockman’s Hammer of Doom, and The Shredder. As for meet and greets, they are a bit more numerous. You could/can meet the turtles at: Disney parks (briefly), Nickelodeon parks, Sea World, an AT&T in Bakersfield, Dream Island, and Six Flags.
===GAMES===
And close to the end are the games, and honestly not to much to say here. There are a lot of games and most (almost all) of them are based on the most recent show or movie. Unfortunately I have little more to say here, though if I were to try I would say that; not all of them are great but some of them are alright.
Then there’s board games which, exist. They’re out there but there’s not a whole lot of them and the ones that do exist (that aren’t reskins of other games) aren’t anything to write home about.
===MERCHANDISE===
The merchandise has existed almost since the series creation when Kevin and Peter were confronted by Surge Licensing on whether they wanted to make toys for their comic, and they agreed signing the contract and making it official. The rights got handed to playmates, eventually the color of the turtles masks was created by these toys and the rest is history. From there, there have been countless toys based on each adaptation. And several different original designs and concepts like TMNT X Ghostbusters or TMNT X universal monsters.
===BOOKS===
And Finally books, TMNT hasn’t really been a book kind of franchise. We got a few novelizations of the films, a couple little golden books, but nothing major or mentionable, eventually (around the time of the 2012 tv series) several, (dare I say hundreds) of comics based on that show where published. These adaptations primarily come from those “Step into Reading” books, or Nickelodeon. These books lasted a little longer than the series did, but was fazed out around the start of the Rise of the TMNT series. And Rise of TMNT received the same treatment, with several smaller book adaptations for kids. However if you’re looking for a full actual Ninja Turtle novel, unfortunately you’ll have to keep waiting.
===CANCELLED===
Here is a bonus section on the scrapped concepts of this franchise. Unfortunately this section won’t count canned episodes, or unused concepts that eventually got reused or turned into something else. But with that in mind, we’ll start with the scrapped comics. Coney Island Days, Casey Jones in Muscle & Faith, the Forever Wars, and He-Man/TMNT. There was also going to be the Mirage Universe Sourcebook.
In terms of scrapped games, we were only robed of a game adaptation of Ninja Turtles The Next Mutation, thankfully.
Then for cancelled projects that were meant for the screen we missed out on. In terms of films we have Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV The Foot Walks Again, TMNT The Next Mutation, and two sequels to the 2007 TNNT film. As for tv shows there We’re going to be a 3D animated TMNT (2001 pilot), a 2D TMNT (2001 TV series pitch), TMNT Overload, and Foot Clan Origins.
Finally the merch here is a small list of cancelled TMNT toys:
The original Casey Jones figure (originally had an interchangeable head without a detachable mask. The sculpt looked to be based on the Mirage Comics)
Turtle Tenderizer 4x4
Leo's Turtle Shell Backpack
13" April - drawing gives the impression she would have been in the vein of a Barbie doll
Tokka Battle Fun Set
Michelangelo's Sidewalk Surfer
Raph's Pizza-Powered Parachute - this was produced with Donatello instead
Retromutagen Rifle
Turtle Popcan Racer
Giant Movie 3 versions of Don and Mike
“Transforming” Muta-Party Wagon. It would have transformed into a 19" Robot Turtle with a resemblance to Metalhead
The Star Trek Leonardo/ Kirk figure )was originally shown in his green shirt and had a different sculpting)
The Start Trek Don and Mike figures (originally had all unique sculptings)
A Giant Cyber Samurai
“Warriors of the Forgotten Sewer” “Knight Mike,” “Wizard Splinter,” and “Savage Leo with Sewer Warcat” two-pack
Sewer Subway Car vehicle
“Ninjamobiles” - Turtle Van and Foot module in an Ed “Big Daddy” Roth style
A “Kung Fu Tournament Fighters” Leonardo
Team Ninja Figure assortment (the four turtles in cybernetic armor)
Metal Mutant Rocksteady with Serpent Armor
Metal Mutant Bebop with Fish Armor
Metal Mutant War Horse
Warrior Rahzar with Fur
Jim Lee's TMNT Leonardo
8 Mini Mutant Vehicle Combos
Repaints of "The Military Turtles" - Leo and Raph were from the 1991 series and Don and Mike were from the ’92 series.
Shredder's Ooze and Raphael's Pizza Chompin' Portable Games
Dr. Quease
Shadow Ninja Deluxe figures
April as Cat
TMNT Star Wars toys
==Articles and videos that helped me with this post==
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tw0_v_6OuQ8&t=213s
https://www.google.com/amp/s/theweek.com/captured/446321/fascinating-origin-story-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles%3famp
https://www.tcj.com/the-kevin-eastman-interview-part-i/
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=S4NaepoUJD0
https://turtlepedia.fandom.com/f
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/30862/complete-history-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teenage_Mutant_Ninja_Turtles
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=byxzHDWD1JQ
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IgaSkHRBc88
https://www.paramountplus.com/movies/video/EZBlQCqllcMnrgSD242fP4OeGPbKQJOg/
—————————————————————————————
And as my parting gift I bestow upon thou with the knowledge of the the Blue Door TMNT film pitch

https://imgur.com/a/vcwk3L7
I feel like this UK-based house deserves more mention in this sub, because I've had nothing but good experiences with Crow & Pebble. The perfumes are high quality, the loose eyeshadows are phenomenal, and the customer service is exceptionally top-tier. TAT is very reasonable and I've never had to pay customs fees for shipping to the US (knock on wood). The package arrives in a compostable padded mailer, and the contents are neatly arranged in plastic so that nothing shifts around inside, which is important so containers won't look scratched/worn. There's also a cute postcard that describes the scent notes, which I found super convenient when testing and comparing everything. Full size bottles (5ml) are a gorgeous frosted glass with metal rollerball and a bamboo screw cap (the inside of the screw cap is plastic). Samples (approx 1ml in a 2ml squat jar -- the website says 1g, for consistent fill volume) have a capped orifice reducer in the tiny glass jar, which prevents leaks in shipment and in my perfume storage. I especially like how it keeps oil from dribbling down the threads inside the cap -- this is an important design feature for me, because I don't like to have stray drips mixing in my storage container.
Regarding the makeup packaging... Here is an old picture; I liked the cute chicken washi tape. There was a probably a different washi tape the last time I ordered, but it keeps everything sealed shut. No leaks, no spills. The eyeshadow sample jars are the perfect size for me with enough makeup for 20+ uses. I store them upside down so I can see the colors, and so it's easy to grab a handful to create a palette and put them all back when I finish. No more messing with little tin trays or crumbling pans in my makeup bag. Here are a few pics from previous posts:
https://www.reddit.com/Indiemakeupandmore/comments/vtjwpi/crow_pebble_eyeshadows_and_2_blushes/
https://www.reddit.com/Indiemakeupandmore/comments/tglxfy/crow_pebble_eyeshadow_swatches/
Below are the perfumes I have tried so far, sorted by most to least liked. I hope to add to this list very soon (my primary motivation for writing these reviews). There are new scents announced for a 12-May release.
Ratings --
6/5: Ghost Whale
5/5: Celestial Fox, Prismatic Crow, Maiden Crane, Capra Amaltheia
4/5: Heart Of The Mountain
3.5/5: Bearer of Secrets, Names Myriad, Silent Soul
3/5: Mother of the Stars, Master of Bears, Cause for Caroling
2/5: Sea Wolf (I love/hate this)
1/5: Light That Endures, Alice
For some perspective, below are my scent preferences:
Likes - tea (black/white/green/oolong), spices (especially nutmeg and ginger), trees, woods (especially oud, nuts, hinoki, birch, mahogany, rosewood), forest, leaves, oakmoss, musk, amber, tobacco, grass/dandelions/violets, lemons, grapefruit, bergamot, rice, peru balsam, vetiver
Dislikes - excessive sweetness, honey, cinnamon, apples, milk, butter, fuels/industrial solvents, metals, soil
-----
And now, to the perfume reviews, sorted alphabetically... you may have read a few of these before, in the daily IMAM threads.
Alice Bakewell tarts and black tea, white roses painted red, a distant whiff of black pepper and orange marmalade.
Harsh orange opening, but a decent holiday scent with baked goods. The tarts are true to description, but I couldn't get any tea. The orange overpowered. It was not love. Destashed.
Bearer of Secrets A warm, woody blend of oak, oakmoss and vetiver softened with soft purple lilac, juicy sweet peach and brightened with bergamot.
Peachy, floral, and woodsy. Very pretty overall. I normally gravitate towards woodsy scents but the addition of peach and lilac confused me greatly. The lilac is a tad muddied, but that could be an effect of the oakmoss. I'm not a fan of the opening, but once it settles down, the drydown is fantastically foresty and sweet. Overall, I found this to be lighthearted, curious, and perfumey.
Capra Amaltheia Smoking incense, honeyed figs spiced with saffron and black pepper, sweet olive flowers, sprigs of clary sage and slices of lemon.
Opens with a bright lemony honeyed fig that only mellows slightly on drydown, with a late showing of smoke at the end. I adore this, especially in summer. It would be perfect for an intimate backyard barbeque in Tuscany. A quick Google search says that Capra Amalthea is the constellation dedicated to the nurse that fed Zeus as a baby One version seems to suggest that Zeus killed the goat the nourished him#:~:text=Amalthea's%20skin%2C%20or%20that%20of,goddess%20who%20preceded%20his%20cult) and turned her skin into a shield, but made it ok by dedicating some stars in her honor. What a brute. I guess that's what happens to you when your dad eats babies).
Cause for Caroling Sweet baking spices, boughs of spruce and fir, clove-studded pomanders, a small fire in the hearth and vanilla snowdrifts.
I get bitter orange, then dry spices -- not so much pumpkin pie, but gingerbread. It's heavy on the clove/ginger, less on cinnamon/nutmeg. (And I prefer it that way!) During drydown, it wavers in strength between the spices and the citrus. The ginger and clove harmonize well with each other, but I don't care for the orange. There's definitely a pomander, and it's hung in a prominent location to keep evil spirits away... or maybe it's to capture attention, because I'm somewhat fixated on that pomander note. I wish the trees and fire were more prominent. On the whole, this feels festive, like that week after Thanksgiving when Christmas decorations are hung and the cookie baking frenzy begins. This is a scent that would keep the Grinch at bay. I like this better in chilly weather than in the summer.
Celestial Fox A spicy blend of ginger, cardamom and clove pairs with lotus and champaca flowers over a resinous golden amber and sandalwood base. A splash of bitter orange completes.
It's spicy, woody, and warm with floral whispers, like a gingery chai with a garnish of champaca flowers served at a 5-star VVIP-exclusive exotic spa resort. The ginger is pungent and fresh. There's an abrupt absence of sweetness, and you can almost hear the crunch of dry fall leaves. It's spicy but it's not a pumpkin spice latte. The ginger shines almost effervescently, complementing the other spices and woods without going sweet or heavy. I'm pleasantly surprised by the traces of champaca, which are not indolic, and don't really notice the orange. This fox is strong, agile, and sexy. The scent makes me feel grounded and centered, like you would from looking at stars on a clear night. It's bright, warm, and glowy, perfect contrast to a cold and cloudy day. If you like a spicy ginger, you need to give this a try. I'm planning to buy a second sample, but going for 2ml size this time, instead of 1ml.
Ghost Whale Stormy sea air, clary sage, black pepper, jasmine green tea, ambergris, cedar and agarwood.
This is my favorite of everything I've tested so far. It blooms on a hot and humid day and smells of warm ocean breezes. Reminds me of a salty ocean, warm from the churn. A faraway breeze brings wafts of spicy woods and resins. I need this scent in my life forever. The ambergris is not shy. It is similar to Zoologist Squid, but I love Ghost Whale more for the depth and complexity. They are similar with the pepper smoke and ambergris, but Ghost Whale has a little more woods, a touch of tea, and a hint of flowers.
Heart of the Mountain Golden copal and honey with a hint of sweet vanilla support a bright, fruity blend of pineapple, tobacco, cinnamon leaf, black pepper and citrus.
Strong pineapple opening, but mellows to a musky ambevanilla that is very pleasant. I enjoyed this a lot despite the fruitiness. The tobacco is there if I look for it, and it's not hidden, but I'm fixated on the juiciness of the pineapple which is ripe but not sweet and partially fermenting into rum. This is a gorgeous combination of notes. If I loved pineapple more, I would FS this, but I will definitely use up the sample and possibly buy a second.
Light That Endures Apple, ginger, orange blossom, sparkling accord, birch wood and suede.
I really wanted to love this for the ginger and birch, and I like sparkling notes. Unfortunately, the combination was like a janitor's mop bucket full of cleaning liquids left in a closet, slowly dissolving a chunk of rubber. The aldehydes were a bit too sharp to start. The drydown was better but still not great. Scrubber.
Maiden Crane A bouquet of roses, jasmine and bitter orange blossom, sprigs of rosemary, ginger and tangerine, sandalwood and cedar.
What an intriguing scent. I almost destashed it, but now I absolutely love it. The listed notes are accurate. The roses and oranges come thru strongest. The other notes are in the background. It's grounded and spicy, mindful and complex, thoughtful and thought provoking. Although it features roses, this is by no means pretty or romantic. It's not cozy or comforting. It's energizing and sober. This is warm like a trinket shop, prisms of light bouncing around in the sun. It's a light a fire under my ass and get stuff done, type A smell. Wonder Woman would wear this. Or super mom. It's a powerful energetic rose that gets stuff done. You know that winning feeling when you are finally ready to face the mountain of work that's been waiting for you? Yeah, that one.
Master of Bears A chilly blend of eucalyptus, orris, geranium, juniper berry, musk and leather. There's a harsh masculine opening, smoky and animalic, almost pissy from the musk. But the eucalyptus appears next and everything calms down. Leather somehow doesn't dominate as leather sometimes does. There are faint hints of the other notes. I really like the drydown. The appropriate occasion for this is probably in late fall/winter when you need to gather firewood or forage for pinecones and osage oranges. Overall, I find it intriguing and powerful. It's a strange and complex scent, heavy on the eucalyptus and musk. It's poetry and philosophical musings for the nose. Not for the faint of heart.
Mother of the Stars Opens with a spray of sea breeze and bright lime, followed by a heart of lotus, lemongrass, ginger and tropical fruit on a base of ambergris and cedar. It's a warm ocean swim in the tropics. Slightly more fruity than aquatic. The lime hits first, although initially, I thought the lime was yuzu. There's a hint of papaya or pineapple behind the lime. It's more citrusy than I like, but not too sweet and with some complexity to keep the interest. Not detecting any cedar. Hinoki or mahogany might have been a nice addition.
Names Myriad Ancient leatherbound tomes, wooden desks, black ink, white grapefruit, lemon verbena and tarragon.
Faint hint of lemon. Warms well. Very pleasant. More like a library with antique books on sorcery and monsters. Not sure if I detect the notes described, but there is a tiny bit of lemon, then it mellows out to a woodsy antique smell, like in an old bookstore, and it is so comforting. Borderline approaches on Pledge lemon wood polish.
Prismatic Crow Soft woods, dark forest fruits, dry pine needles, juniper branches and a wisp of smoke.
My second favorite. Woody and mysterious. This would be the scent of a magical enchanted forest with blackcurrants/blackberries to hint at the change of seasons. Within the woods is a creative forest witch who dabbled in a few too many potions. It's warm and woodsy, with a slight berry fruitiness on the drydown. But it is so dark too! It reminds me of picking wild blackberries late on a summer evening, then relaxing around a bonfire. There is definitely a hint of smoke, like last night's campfire in your hair the next day. I really like this for gardening and enjoying the outdoors. It makes me feel like a crow showing off its rainbow glimmering feathers every time I'm huffing my arms. Something like this. No really, crows and ravens do have the most beautiful iridescent feathers.
Sea Wolf Pine woods, beach air, narcissus, red musk, ambergris, patchouli.
Reminds me of the NJ shore, in a pleasant way, like a breeze from the pine barrens meets a sunny day on the beach. Very musky/dusky. The scent notes are accurate minus the narcissus. I could see wearing this at a work for a special event like an awards banquet or holiday dinner party. Overall, I like this, but I don't like it on me. It might be a bit too masculine for my tastes, as I prefer unisex scents. But aren't all scents unisex? Yes, so I don't know why I think this.
Silent Soul Gossamer silk flowers, pale grey musk, pink and black pepper, clary sage and thyme.
Peppery and dusty. It's a lot like Death & Floral A hundred times I dreamed I was a star but without any pines. It opens with pepper and sage, then the musk creeps in. I don't notice any silk flowers or thyme. Overall it's a dusty calm smell, like an untouched storage space.
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That's all for now. Thanks for reading. Care for a referral link? You'll get a discount and I get "pebbles" in exchange. http://rwrd.io/7fdflr3

When three Power Rangers left to be peace conference representatives, they need to find new teenagers with attitude to continue the fight against Lord Zedd, finding suitable contenders in the winners of a Team Ninja Competition. Aisha was chosen to become their new Yellow Ranger, protecting Angel Grove against Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd. While her time as a Ranger would be relatively short compared with her contemporaries, not returning to become a Zeo Ranger, she is seen still acting as a Ranger in space decades later.

Legend

Unmorphed

Strength

• Before becoming a Power Ranger, flips a putty with a kick^MM2
• Jumps and spins several times in the air, kicking others away, before becoming a Ranger^MM2
• Before becoming a Power Ranger, leaps a large distance down a hill on roller blades^MM2

Other

• Before becoming a Power Ranger, gets kicked through the air and into two others by a putty^MM2
• Billy can summon his Blade Blaster to his hand while unmorphed^OA

Yellow Ranger (Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers)

"It's morphin' time! Sabretooth tiger!

Strength

Striking

• Sends one enemy skidding back with a hit, before knocking another over^MM3
• While weakened, sends a monster flying with a joint kick with the Black Ranger^MM3
• Kicks two putties into the air^MM2

Other

• With the Red Ranger, sends a monster flying a huge distance off-screen^MM3
• Leaps a huge horizontal distance to get in front of a group of enemies^MM3

Durability

Blunt Force

• Struck back by bird aliens^MM3

Other

• Thrown off a balcony^MM2
• Falls out of the Thunder Megazord^MM2
• Hit by a slash from Goldar^MM2
• Thrown back by a fireball^MM2

Speed

• Dodges beams from a kaleidoscope monster^MM2

Equipment

Power Daggers

• Can be kept in a smaller form before being made larger^MM1
• Can summon the Power Daggers to her^MM2
• Hits an enemy leaping towards her out of the air by throwing them^MM1
• Can be merged with the other Ranger's power weapons to make the Power Blaster, which releases a bolt capable of destroying monsters^MM1
  • Sends a monster flying back a large distance into a building^MM2

Blade Blaster

• Handheld weapons which can be either blades or energy blasters^MM1
• Destroys two putties with one shot^OA
• Causes a robot monster to blow up^MM2
• Makes robots with Ranger powers blow up^SNS
• Is strong enough to knock down the Ranger after being redirected back at them^MM1
• Sends a monster flying back^MM1
• Destroys a snake^MM2
• Destroys a sword with a sustained beam^MM1
• Disintegrates chains^MM2
• The Rangers can combine their blasts into a single attack, capable of making a monster fight to stay standing^MM1

Metallic Armour

• Special metallic armour the Rangers can apply to their Morphin' suits in an emergency which increases their capabilities, with them moving in a blur. Like this, Tommy seemingly makes a shining attack which defeats several enemies behind him^MM3
  • The weakened Rangers join up with this shining attack to harm a powerful foe and get themselves enough time to escape^MM3
• With a joint kick with the Pink Ranger, also in Metallic Armour, sends a monster flying back^MM3
• Provides a greater degree of protection from a monster's energy absorption than their regular suits did^MM3
• When mind controlled by a monster to dance, putting on the Metallic Armour frees them^MM3
• This armour only works on Earth^MM3

Other

• Can be sent the Power Cannon, which gets empowered by the six Rangers before firing a blast which destroys a monster^MM2
  • Destroys an amount of stone^MM2
  • Can be summoned and used with just three Rangers^MM2
• Has a shark cycle motorbike^MM3

Griffin Thunderzord

An empowered version of the Sabretooth Tiger Dinozord, though Aisha never uses this base form.^MM2

• Powers through an enemy's attack and shoots fireballs at them^MM2
• Can fly^MM2
• At least the Red Ranger can summon all of the Thunderzords, except for the Tigerzord, on his own^MM2

Other

• Morphs are shown to happen fast in real time^OA
  • Can be done mid-leap^OA
• They are usually unable to see where they're going while teleporting, but can do so with a different kind of teleportation used when Zordon is unable to discern the location of a target^MM2
  • They can seemingly chose to also not turn their lower halves into energy while doing this^MM2
• By holding onto and forming a line with the other Rangers, can create an energy barrier with their combined morphing power to redirect an attack back at the monster which launched it^MM2

Yellow Ninja Ranger

"Ranger ninja power, now!"
These are used in additional to their Morphin' forms, with them being able to swap between the two at will.

Physicals

• Gets flipped by the Blue Ninja Ranger while several foes are attacking her, throwing them all away^MM3
• Leaps off a monster into a tree^MM3
• Jumps off a cliff^MM3
• Dodges a sword swing^MM3
• Leaps high into the air from the water^MM3

Abilities

• Appear in the middle of a pile up on the Red Ninja Ranger^MM3
• Teleports a short distance^MM3
• Disappears into the ground, reappearing with the rest of the group later^MM3

Yellow Bear Ninjazord

The Ninjazords are stated to be stronger than zords of the past, holding the swift intelligent courage of the ninja.^MM3

• Repeatedly slams the ground, causing an earthquake which makes the ground break beneath a monster^MM3
• Shoots beams from its eyes^MM3

Yellow Shogunzord

• Can summon a chain claw to its hands, and gets hit by an enemy's energy attack^MM3
• Joining with the other Shogunzords, they can spin together to create a tornado which takes out a monster^MM3
• When trapped in a bin with the other Shogunzord, they blow it up from the inside to escape^MM3

Other

General Morphing Features

• When someone tries to use a morpher out of selfish reasons (in her case, revenge), it doesn't work. It's only after intercepting a lethal attack meant for another that the morpher allows her to use it^OA
• Powers drawn from the morphing grid get weaker while on another planet, but can still be used^MM3
• Due to the polarity of the north pole mixed with holiday magic, they can't use their powers at Santa's Workshop on Christmas^MM3
• The process of morphing physically changes a person in some manner, with Tommy feeling strange as he returns to being a normal human when he loses his powers^MM1
  • This causes them to give off a type of energy which can be detected and tracked^MM2

Power Coin

• All the Rangers can use their Power Coins to send Billy and a monster out of it's dimension^MM1
• They were later used to bring Zordon back after he expended too much energy to power up Tommy Oliver^MM1
• When their powers were being sapped by a type of candle which previously rid Tommy of his powers, placing their Power Coins on top of them restored them to normal^MM2
• When they were remade by Ninjor, the Power Coins became linked with the Ranger's energy, which means that whenever they're in the hands of someone evil the Ranger becomes weak with this effect having the potential to be lethal^MM3
  • Someone evil touching the coin instantly has a negative effect on Kimberly and leads to her needing to be recharged by the others shortly after just to be teleported to the Command Centre^MM3
  • Like this, a Ranger can still morph if powered by the other Rangers, if for a short time^MM3
• After being remade by Ninjor, the coins protect the Rangers memories when time is reversed to make them children^MMA
• Jason uses a Power Coin to summon the Mighty Morphin' and Dino Thunder Rangers, but as this Power Coin was formed from a meteorite and not one of the original Power Coins this may not apply to all of them^BM

Wrist Communicators

• Has a wrist communicator, presumably created by Billy^MM2
• Allows her to communicate with the others and those at the Command Centre, as well as providing a teleport to the Command Centre^MM1
• Can be used to teleport elsewhere^MM1
• Can be put on silent^MM1
• With an upgrade, allows those on Earth to communicate with Rangers on a distant planet^MM3
• Draw upon a Ranger's powers, and don't work when they're removed for whatever reason^MMA

Other

• Starts picking a lock with a bobby pin and ultimately succeeds^MM2
• All of Zordon's Rangers must never use their power for personal gain, never escalate a battle unless forced, and keep their identity secret^MM1

What is this?
This is final part for the English translation of "Rascal does dream of a white Christmas." It is a canon short story written by Hajime Kamoshida himself. It was given as a special gift to movie goers for the "Dreaming Girl" movie.
The 56 page short-story is limited edition and was never sold nor will likely ever be sold. Therefore, most likely, there will never be an official translation (I will delete this if for ever some reason there is).
When should this be read?
If you have watched the first season of the anime and the "Dreaming Girl" movie or if you have read the light novel volumes 1 - 7, then it's best to read this before moving on to the "Sister Venturing Out" movie, or Volumes 8+.
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5	link

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5
Sakuta and Mai followed the path recommended by the aquarium, and when they turned the corner, they saw a view that was like a completely different world.
There was a long staircase entrance leading to the second floor where the image of gracefully swimming sea turtles was projected onto the ground. The fantastical image elicited joyful chatter from the visitors.
It was an exotic feeling, like walking on the ocean floor.
After climbing the stairs and walking a little further, various sea creatures appeared in front of them. The first exhibit depicted the development process of shirasu, and as Sakuta and Mai became absorbed in it, a large stingray crossed overhead. Above the path on the ceiling was the stingray tank, and from below, the stingrays looked something like smiling faces. Many of the other couples were pointing their smartphones up at the rays.
Sakuta and Mai continued down a sloping passage. When the passage reached the first floor, the view opened up to the sight of a huge aquatic habitat%e7%9b%b8%e6%a8%a1%e6%b9%be%e5%a4%a7%e6%b0%b4%e6%a7%bd%ef%bc%88%e6%96%b0%e6%b1%9f%e3%83%8e%e5%b3%b6%e6%b0%b4%e6%97%8f%e9%a4%a8%ef%bc%89.jpg&ehk=uY20CCCv9HVxBc9MV6gylrzXIUcBXT7N%2bPr7FvpM17c%3d&risl=&pid=ImgRaw&r=0) that was filled with sea creatures from Sagami Bay. In the center, a school of thousands of sardines performed a synchronized dance.
Here too, the many couples held up their smartphones. They were probably all taking videos, because there was no sound of a camera shutter. A little boy, who had come with his family, was spellbound by a shark swimming in the tank. He pointed at the shark, "A shark! A shark is coming!" he shouted.
Moving beyond the huge fish tank, they passed through a section on deep-sea creatures, which Sakuta had occasionally seen on television, and then an area setup with vibrant tropical fish swimming about.
Each exhibit was bustling with activity today, with couples happily looking at fish and taking pictures with their smartphones. Of all of the exhibits, the jellyfish exhibit was by far the most popular.
The entire space was radiant with blue and purple lights, and the jellyfish, basking in the glow, had transformed into natural illuminations. Their irregular movements, gently swaying back and forth, had a unique charm that was different from the regular winter lighting that adorned the downtown area of the city.
Before coming, Sakuta had wondered, "Are jellyfish really something to see on Christmas?" But after seeing them firsthand, he felt that they were something to see especially at Christmas. Now he understood why all the advertisements in the Enoden train were pushing the jellyfish exhibit so hard.
Mai seemed to be satisfied with the pictures she had taken, so they returned to the second floor. They went and watched the waddling penguins and then saw the seals that were swimming back and forth in their pool.
They also saw the small-clawed otters. Two of them were chasing each other around in a hammock, and another two were chasing each other throughout their enclosure. The surrounding onlookers frequently exclaimed, "How cute!"
More people began to arrive, so Sakuta and Mai gave up their spots to an arriving couple and headed toward the animal exhibit area.
Waiting for them was a dazed-looking capybara.
"It kind of looks like you," said Mai.
"You think so?"
"Yea but, this little guy has a lot more life in his eyes."
"......"
The capybara looked at Sakuta with complete disinterest while munching on some grass. Sakuta looked back at him with the same expression.
After visiting the capybara, Sakuta and Mai left the aquarium.
"I don’t get it. How come Sakuta was the only one who recognized me so quickly?" grumbled Mai, as they exited.
Perhaps no one thought that "Mai Sakurajima" would be so openly dating. If someone had known that the real "Mai Sakurajima" was there, they probably would have recognized her.
"Mai-san, what time is it?"
Mai checked the time on her phone, "It’ll be 7:30 in one minute. What do you want to do now?"
Even though Mai had plans to make dinner, Sakuta felt like making a detour and staying out a little longer.
He opened his umbrella and headed in the direction of the station. Mai naturally joined him under the umbrella.
A sparse stream of couples leaving the aquarium flowed down the sidewalk along Route 134. The stream split into two as it approached a traffic light. One group headed toward the station, and the other toward Enoshima—extending their dates.
In the winter, Enoshima is decorated with a beautiful illumination, and Sakuta and Mai could see it well as they walked back from the aquarium.
The Sea Candle Lighthouse glowed in blue and purple, its mystical presence enhanced by the snowy weather.
"Should we go to Enoshima too?" asked Sakuta.
"I won’t have time to cook, so maybe next year."
"All right, how about after New Year’s?" The display should be open until the beginning of February.
"I meant next Christmas," Mai giggled.
Of course, Sakuta knew that, and Mai was fully aware of it. It was just the usual banter that they enjoyed.
When they reached the traffic light, it turned green the moment they arrived, and Sakuta prepared to cross at the light to go to the station.
"Sakuta, this way." Mai tugged gently on his arm to continue on Route 134 in the direction towards Enoshima.
"Didn’t you say Enoshima would be next year?" asked Sakuta as they passed the Fujisawa City Tourism Center. A poster of the movie Mai had starred in was hanging on the wall.
"I can make a little detour just for you. We’ll take the Enoden home, so it’s fine."
The nearest station for the Odakyu Enoshima Line was Katase-Enoshima, but if they walked a bit further, they could catch the train from Enoshima instead. As Mai had said, it was only a small detour, but Sakuta welcomed the idea of sharing the umbrella with Mai for a little longer.
As they crossed the bridge spanning the Sakai River that flowed into the ocean, Mai huddled closer to Sakuta, looking for a shield against the cold wind.
When they were about halfway across, they noticed a different kind of light than the surrounding illuminations. It was the revolving red lights of a police car. The car was stopped a little farther across the bridge on the other side of the road.
"Did something happen?" wondered Mai.
"Seems like it."
As they approached, they saw four or five uniformed police officers in the area. The commotion was at the intersection just before the Benten Bridge leading to Enoshima Island. In front of the police car, they could see a tow truck carrying a minivan with a massive dent in the front.
"Looks like an accident."
"Yeah."
One of the officers was questioning a man in his late twenties. The ashamed man kept bowing his head at the officer as he explained what had happened; he was probably the owner of the vehicle on the tow truck. Perhaps no one had been injured because the conversation between the officer and the man seemed relaxed.
"Apparently it was a single-vehicle accident." Mai held up her smartphone to show Sakuta. "The accident happened around six. Here, look."
On the screen was a picture of a minivan that had slipped on the snow and then crashed into a street sign pole. The picture was from a passerby’s social media post and it said that no one had been injured in the accident.
The moment Sakuta laid eyes on the picture, he was struck by a bizarre feeling. When he realized that something was strange, pain began to emanate from the core of his body. Suddenly, he felt fear, and a storm brewing in his heart. Unable to calm the overwhelming panic, his chest began to ache, and his heart began to pound.
Immediately after that, an intense pain intertwined with heart-wrenching sorrow washed over him. When that had passed, he was overcome by a grief so profound that he wanted to cry out. As he gritted his teeth to bear it, he felt like he heard someone’s voice.
──Sakuta-kun──
He felt that she had called him that.
But he didn’t know who it was. The voice that had echoed in his head did not linger in his ears. It faded and quickly disappeared.
"Sakuta?"
When Sakuta looked up, he saw Mai in front of him through his blurred vision. She seemed to be worried about him.
Mai was there. Mai was right there. This simple thing brought him more joy than ever, and his eyes filled with tears. He tried to hold them back, but it was too late.
The tears streamed down Sakuta’s face for a reason he still couldn’t explain.
"Hey, what’s wrong?" Mai’s voice was soft and gentle.
Sakuta felt her presence right beside him, and noticed the warmth of the tears on his face.
Then, the sudden flood of emotions quickly subsided. The pain, the sadness... receded like waves, never to return.
What remained was a feeling of warmth similar to the tears on his face—a desire to cherish the person he loved.
"Mai-san." The umbrella dropped from Sakuta’s hand. Before it fell to the ground, he hugged her tightly and said her name again, "Mai-san."
Right now, being able to call her name made him happy.
Being able to feel her in his arms made him happy.
Just from these simple truths, his heart was filled with joy.
"Wait, Sakuta, I said later."
"......"
"This sort of thing needs to wait until we get home."
Mai scolded Sakuta with a gentle voice. Her hands were on his chest as if to resist, but she wasn’t putting strength into it. Sakuta had suddenly burst into tears and she was worried about him.
Sakuta wanted to say something, but he couldn’t find the words.
"......"
"......"
"Sakuta?" Mai called out to him after a brief silence. She had said his name as she always did, but there was a gentleness in her voice that seemed to ask, "Is everything okay?"
"...... I’ll be okay."
"Are you sure?"
"If I stay like this, I’ll be okay."
It wasn’t that he was sad, nor that he was in pain; his tears had stopped and his voice no longer trembled. There was just a warm, sunny feeling in the center of his body, and he wanted to surround Mai with that warmth.
"Well, I guess it can’t be helped. Today is special."
Feeling reassured by her words, Sakuta hugged her tighter while Mai surrendered to his embrace.
After a while, Sakuta could lightly feel her heartbeat. Mai could feel his heartbeat as well and she gave a little playful giggle.
When Sakuta looked up, he noticed that the police car that had stopped at the intersection in front of the Benten Bridge was now gone. The tow truck that had loaded the minivan was also gone.
"Sakuta, you need to get the umbrella. Your head is covered with snow."
"I’m fine."
"Not if you catch a cold."
"I look forward to you nursing me back to health."
"I’ll only cook dinner for Kaede."
"Canned oranges are fine if you hand feed them to me."
"If you can make jokes like that, you’re feeling better, right?"
"No. I need more."
In the middle of his words, Sakuta felt a vibration around his waist. The steady rhythm was coming from the phone in Mai’s coat pocket. Someone was calling her and the vibration wasn’t stopping.
"It’s definitely Nodoka." Her Christmas concert must have finished.
"In that case, you don’t have to answer."
"Nodoka would get angry if she heard that."
Mai didn’t try to answer the phone, and the vibration from the call finally stopped. But soon, the vibration resumed with the same rhythm as before—demanding attention.
"See? Let go, Sakuta." He gave in to the persistent phone calls, and reluctantly let go of Mai. Then Mai took the phone out of her pocket, and made a face that said, "Yep. It’s her."
"Mai-san, can I borrow the phone?" He held out his hand and Mai silently handed him the phone. On the incoming call screen, the name "Nodoka" was written.
Sakuta answered the phone. "We're sorry; you have reached a number that has been disconnected or is no longer in service."
"Why are you answering the phone, Sakuta?" Nodoka’s disgruntled voice echoed from the phone’s speaker.
"Give the phone to my sister."
"Can’t right now."
"Why not?"
"Mai-san is currently busy brushing the snow off my head." Mai had finished dusting the snow off Sakuta’s head and had started to clear his shoulders.
"What? Why are you making my sister do that? Wait, why is there snow on your head? What the hell are you two doing?"
"Well, we’re obviously having a wonderful date." Sakuta picked up his umbrella and shook off the snow. He opened it and looked at Mai who had already taken out her own umbrella.
"I’ll be home soon, so the date is over."
"Why don’t you go celebrate the end of the concert with the other members?"
"Everyone’s going home right now because it would suck if the trains stopped." A station announcement echoed in the background of their conversation. Nodoka was probably already waiting at the platform.
"As far as I’m concerned, they should stop right now," said Sakuta.
"I’d just take a taxi in that case." She really was going to come home at any cost.
"Okay, bye, come home safely."
"What the hell is that?"
"It’s a message from Mai." Sakuta lied brazenly.
"Your date is already over, Sakuta. Go the hell home."
"There’s no need to rush. It may be half-price, but we should still be able to buy some cake."
"Who the hell cares about sold-out cake?!"
"So, you don’t want cake?"
"Well, I’ll eat it, I guess…… Oh, the train is here. See you at nine."
"Understood. I’ll make out with Mai until then."
"Don’t you dare!"
With that, the call ended.
Sakuta silently handed the phone back to Mai.
"What did Nodoka say?"
"She said I should make out with you until nine."
"Stop lying." Ignoring his words, Mai smiled and put the phone back in her pocket.
"Alright, let’s get the cake and go home."
Mai reached out and took Sakuta’s hand. With their fingers intertwined she began to lead the way.
Sakuta walked beside her.
"Mai-san." Sakuta said the name of the person most important to him.
"Hm?" She looked at Sakuta curiously.
"……"
He searched for the right words, but he didn’t know the name for the warmth in his heart. So, like a fool, he said her name again, "Mai-san."—the name of the person most special in his life.
"What?" She giggled with a smile that made the warmth even stronger.
Sakuta knew that he would be okay, because her smile was right beside him, because he could feel the touch of her hand in his, because he could cherish her in his ordinary, everyday life, and because he understood it all.
As long as he didn’t forget that, he felt he could reach that warmth again.
Someday, he would definitely reach it again.
-----------------------------------
Afterword
When I was asked to write a special bonus novel for movie goers, I thought, "Perhaps I should write something where Sakuta wins a shopping district lottery prize for a one-night hot spring hotel visit, and goes with all the heroines." However, that idea had already been abandoned when I was asked to write a bonus novel for the Blu-ray DVD release, so I settled on the current content.
There is no issue with adolescent syndrome. There is no occurrence of an incident that seems like an incident. It is an episode that depicts a peaceful Christmas. Sakuta and Mai-san have been through a lot, so it’s nice for them to have times like this.
- Hajime Kamoshida