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balanchine-ballet-master · 9 months

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Nutcracker Kids Grow Up

Terry Trucco has a lovely article in Playbill about three current NYCB dancers who performed in The Nutcracker as children.

The Polichinelles in 1985. Photo: Martha Swope --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A hallmark of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker is its roster of 126 children, aged 7 to 13, in two alternating casts, who all study in the Children’s Division at the School of American Ballet (SAB), New York City Ballet’s official school. A small percentage of those students will eventually move up to the Advanced Division at SAB, and at the end of their studies, a few will be invited to join NYCB, achieving the total Nutcracker experience—returning to Balanchine’s quintessential holiday ballet to perform as adults.

That storied third group includes former NYCB Principal Dancers Peter Boal, Jennie Somogyi, Gelsey Kirkland, and Judith Fugate, among others, as well as current corps de ballet members Shelby Mann, Mckenzie Bernardino Soares, and Rommie Tomasini, who each enrolled in SAB at the age of 6. Now coming back to the production as members of the corps de ballet, which they joined in 2022, they shared their fond memories of those formative years performing in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker.

Shelby Mann’s earliest recollections of being in The Nutcracker are of playing jacks, a favored pre-show ritual for young cast members, and of her trailing hairpiece in the Party Scene. “My memories of The Nutcracker are so heightened,” she says. “Every time I smell hairspray, it’s like I’m back in the lower concourse of the theatre during The Nutcracker.”

From her debut at age 7 in the Party Scene, Mann sprinted up the Nutcracker ladder, appearing as an Angel, a Polichinelle, a Mouse, and then, at the ripe age of 11, a Candy Cane. “We would all look forward to The Nutcracker each year. It was what defined our childhood and our winter,” she says.

Born into a dance-world family in Harlem—her grandfather Jacques d’Amboise, grandmother Carolyn George, and uncle Christopher d’Amboise all danced with NYCB, and her parents are acclaimed Broadway performers Charlotte d’Amboise and Terrence Mann—Mann discovered her passion for dance through the iconic holiday ballet. “I loved that in rehearsals, because you were playing a character, you got to build your performance. Being in The Nutcracker made me realize that this is what I wanted to do.”

Since joining NYCB, Mann has danced Dolls, Snow, Hot Chocolate, and Flowers, and her affection for Balanchine’s two-act masterpiece—and the camaraderie that develops naturally among the cast, no matter what age—remains undiminished. “I love how The Nutcracker connects to the holidays,” she says. “We all decorate our dressing rooms, have Secret Santas, and bring cookies.”

Left: Shelby Mann as a Polichinelle in 2013. Photo: Paul Kolnik Right: Mann in Waltz of the Flowers, 2022. Photo: Erin Baiano

During his childhood performances in The Nutcracker, Mckenzie Bernardino Soares made a point of watching the effervescent Hot Chocolate. “The music, the spice—I just loved it,” he says. “And I remember thinking, dancing this is all I want to do in my life.”

Fast forward to 2021. As a freshly minted NYCB apprentice, Soares landed his dream role and repeated it last year as a member of the corps de ballet. The verdict? “It’s always a fun time on stage, and you get to show your personality,” he says. “And if it gets a little repetitive sometimes, I just think, well, little Mckenzie would have loved to do this.”

Growing up in Danbury, Connecticut, Soares’ Nutcracker experience was punctuated by long hours in the family car, driving 65 miles each way to rehearsals and performances. “Being on stage made it all worth it,” he says. He also enjoyed supervising the younger dancers backstage during “the gap” when SAB students are too old for children’s parts, and he relished hearing advice from Company members backstage and in the wings. This season, Soares, who added Mouse King to his Nutcracker repertory last year, looks forward to using the roles he dances to expand his artistry. “It’s actually nice that the choreography is the same every day, so it becomes about what you bring to each performance,” he says.

Left: Mckenzie Bernardino Soares as a Soldier in 2012. Photo: Paul Kolnik Right: Soares with Shelby Mann in Hot Chocolate, 2022. Photo: Erin Baiano

Rommie Tomasini remembers begging her mother to let her audition for SAB, where her older sister was a student, and quickly discovering a love of dance. At age 7, she was cast as the Bunny in The Nutcracker. A season as a Mouse and a Polichinelle followed, and for two years, she was Marie. When the time came to begin pointe work, she decided that ballet was her future. “I didn’t want to do anything else after school, and I thought, This is a done deal,” she says.

Her earliest Nutcracker memory dates from her first dress rehearsal. “I was the Bunny, and I remember looking at all the mouse heads on the Mouse King’s crown and being too terrified to pull his tail,” she recalls.

Yet looking back, Tomasini, who grew up on the Upper East Side, marvels at how confident she felt on stage as a child. “I was never nervous. I was just so happy to be out there. I’m amazed at how much we learned about acting and artistry so young.”

Dolls, Snow, Hot Chocolate, and Tea are among the Nutcracker parts Tomasini has performed since she became an apprentice in 2021. But her recollections of being in a swarm of Nutcracker kids, scrutinizing the steps and making up versions of Hot Chocolate, Marzipan, and Coffee, remain vivid. “It’s mind-blowing that we’re now dancing the roles that we once pretended to do backstage,” she says.

Left: Rommie Tomasini as the Bunny in 2011. Photo: Paul Kolnik Right: Tomasini in Waltz of the Snowflakes in 2021. Photo: Erin Baiano

#The Nutcracker #Nutcracker ballet #Balanchine #New York City Ballet #NYCB #dancing children #Shelby Mann #Mckenzie Bernardino Soares #Rommie Tomasini #professional children #child dancers #then & now #10 years later

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of-fear-and-love · 2 months

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Interiors of Derek Flint's house, from Our Man Flint (1966)

Art direction by Ed Graves, Jack Martin Smith Set decoration by Raphael Bretton, Walter M. Scott Set construction by Greg C. Jensen Sr.

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normalbrothers · 1 year

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everywhere i go .....

#from colm toibin's fictional biography of thomas mann so it's not at all like thee tommy shelby but #ignore the photo quality lmfao #my camera is busted

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fumifooms · 11 months

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Leaving

Chilchuck Tims and his wife

Dungeon Meshi, Ryoko Kui

1: Laughing Mannequin, Ml8K / 2: The Moth, Aimee Mann / 3: Three wheels and it still drives!, Glaive / 4: Northern Star, Dom Fera / 6: 5: Madeleine, Good Kid / All the lonely nights in your life, Teen Suicide / 7: Rule #1 - Magic, Fish in a Birdcage / 8: I Bet on Losing Dogs, Mitski / 9: Trouble, The Blasting Company / 10: Promise, Laufey / 11: Sanctuary, Shelby Merry / 12: Neither Freer, Gregory and the Hawk / 13: Cabo, Ricky Montgomery / 14: Three wheels and it still drives!, Glaive / 15: Don't Say You Do, Lola Blanc / 16: My Heart is Buried in Venice, Ricky Montgomery / 17: What Could Have Been, Sting and Ray Chen / 18: Ain't Doin' Jack, Josh Ross / 19: Un Dia, by J Balvin, Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny and Tainy / 20: Tummy, Tamino / 21: Love Like Ghosts, Lord Huron / 22 & 23: Little Soldiers, The Crane Wives

#dungeon meshi #web weaving #chilchuck tims #chilchuck’s wife #angst #What if we were childhood friends and we got married young likely due to a surprise pregnancy #and you became more and more workaholic and distant while I grew more and more lonely

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ballet-symphonie · 1 year

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I’m pretty sure there’s nepotism and other shit going on at New York City Ballet, and I’ve stopped following them:

-there’s children and grandchildren of former dancers who got into the company. Roman Mejia is Paul Mejia’s son, Shelby Mann is the granddaughter of Jacques d’Amboise and the daughter of Charlotte d’Amboise and Terrence Mann (Broadway legends!) it makes me suspicious. I mean, Nilas Martins was in the company too, so I’m not surprised nepotism is still going on with the younger dancers.

-apparently there was/is body shaming? even at SAB I’ve heard rumors of kids having eating disorders. Also not surprising considering that the people who worked with Balanchine wanted a look and it was Balanchine himself who started the “skinny ballerina” trend that quickly spread worldwide. Ashley Bouder spoke up about how the higher ups body shamed her on Instagram live like a year ago, and none/few of the company members commented for support. They just posted it on their story. In general, Balanchine companies/schools tend to have a lot of body shaming, especially with how they treated Kathryn Morgan at Miami CB. CPYB (Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet) has a bunch of horror stories on Instagram account called @/cpybstories if anyone wants to read.

-I don’t know if this is really BS, but they still cast roles based on height/size rather than talent. I was hoping for Tiler Peck to do Diamonds but she got Rubies. Same with Midsummer, she didn’t/doesn’t really get Titania because she’s on the shorter side and from what I’ve heard, NYCB likes their Titanias to be tall. (I’m guessing she probably will never get Titania, just because she lacks emotion in her dancing. Saw her in Sleeping Beauty and Nutcracker and she barely acts.)

-the company is still predominantly white. Even PNB is more diverse than them. The BIPOC dancers like Nadon, Mejia, Furlan, Chan etc are only popular just because they fit Eurocentric views of POC (they have lighter skin and straighter hair) plus Nadon is only half South Asian, Mejia is half Peruvian, so they aren’t full blooded POC. The only POC in recent years that didn’t fit those ideals was Amar Ramasar. The kids who appear on stage for Nutcracker, Midsummer, Sleeping Beauty etc are more diverse than the actual company members.

-They didn’t handle Alexandra Waterbury’s case well. Ramasar should’ve been fired and in prison before the pandemic and from the West Side Story revival (that didn’t do well regardless). It also makes me mad that Alexa Malone (soloist) is still dating him and the fact that he’s now a stager too…like he might mess around with the underaged apprentices/corps and the cycle will start again

-Don’t get me started on people like John Clifford and how he wrote public, sexist comments on how he hates crotch shots because of platter tutus. He and a bunch of other older trust people still defend these beliefs to the death.

Hello, there's a lot in here!

Regarding nepotism, the company definitely has a history of hiring both siblings and relatives. I would extend this to ballet in general, many successful dancers today are from dance families, such as Chloe Misseldine, Daniil Simkin, Maia Makhatelli, Vadim Muntigirov, Dmitri Smilevsky, Issac Hernandez etc. But I don't think that inherently means that the dancers benefiting from that knowledge base (knowing what to do, where to train, how to structure their day, exta tips and coaching etc) are undeserving of there spots. I don't think you can watch Meija dance and think he doesn't deserve to be where he is.

On body shaming. Yes, none of this is positive and none of it is news either. There has been a history of toxic body shaming culture at nearly every major ballet school worldwide. Balanchine companies have had a nasty history but so have numerous Russian, European, and Asian schools. It's not a problem exclusive to SAB/NYCB.

Yes, NYCB typecasts. I'm honestly quite a fan of it because I don't think it's realistic or responsible to expect every dancer to do everything well and it results in dancers on stage in roles that they're confident in and suit their strengths- which generally leads to better performances. I don't think there's a single dancer at City Ballet who has done all three leading roles in Jewels, Peck is not an exception. I don't believe it's height/size over talent, but a complementary mix of both. Some roles have been designated by the choreographer for X skills and others have been historically dominated by dancers with X skills. And like you mention, there are lots of other factors affecting casting besides just height, acting, vulnerability, partnership, and logistics, which all play a role.

I'm not sure I agree with you that the dancers you mentioned get attention because they are POC who fit Eurocentric standards. Chan and Nadon rightfully got attention for breaking barriers and becoming the first Asian principals at the company. Both have spoken at length aobut how their cultural background and upbringing has both helped and hindered their path. I'd argue Meija gets far more attention from his father than he does from his race and Furlan (if we're considering him popular which I probably wouldn't) for his technical merit. I also think you aren't looking at NYCB's soloist rank fairly, they have Black, Asian, and Hispanic dancers at this rank. Of course, the company certainly could be more diverse but they have the self-imposed limitation of hiring nearly exclusively out of SAB. You yourself noted that the school is more diverse, this is a result of several of their scholarship and outreach programs that have been implemented in the past decade or so. Those programs are long-term investments, they are building a more diverse company now - but these dancers are still in the school. And for what it's worth, PNB is not a low bar, it is by far the most diverse major company in the US and has made hiring decisions accordingly. Approximately 50% of the company is POC which is awesome- but this realistically isn't possible at NYCB because they're not going to be hiring from outside as frequently.

Of course, if not following NYCB would make you happier, then by all means do it. But if these issues are what's causing you distress, I don't think the solution is to simply follow other companies- many of these problems exist across the industy.

Regarding the Waterbury Case, I don't disagree with you but the law is complicated. I remeber reading the case when it came out and I think the main problem is that the case wasn't able to get to discovery because she didn't have enough facutal evidence. If that had happened, I imagine things would have looked a lot different. While I absolutley believe her, she was trying to fight too many battles at once, some of which weren't directly hers, and she didn't have hard concrete proof for most of it. Everything got muddled and I don't think she had the best council either. I don't have any doubt that there's so much more here that exists only in the memories of the individuals involved. But that doesn't count in front of a court - it's about what you can prove not what happened. And NYCB's liability is limited because she was neither an employee nor a student at the time of firing.

However, while I have no comment about his personal life, I agree with you about Ramasar's line of work. It's unfortunate and incredibly disappointing how the dance world regularly absolves men like Ramasar (he's not alone) and basically gifts them back their careers. I could list a whole troupe of men who've been given second chances they don't deserve. Winning in court is an uphill battle, especially when the prosecution is often not coming from a place of strength. I just hope that the slow but steady changes happening in the industry now will prevent history from repeating itself.

And Clifford....I don't have the energy to start with. There's a reason NYCB hasn't hired him back , he's not consistently teaching or running a company, and he's just running his mouth on IG.

#nycb #ballet #ballet rant #will not be tagging names obv

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shelbym3rrick · 3 months

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SHELBY REGINAS TRYING TO TAKE YOUR MANN

I KNOWWW.

if anyone knows where i can rent a bus in short notice hmu!!!!

#scott barringer #shelby merrick rp #shelby merrick roleplay #shelby merrick #regina george rp

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citizenscreen · 2 years

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James Coburn with Shelby Grant, Sigrid Valdis, Gianna Serra, and Helen Funai in promotional photo for Daniel Mann’s OUR MAN FLINT (1966)

#james coburn #our man flint

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queen-susans-revenge · 1 year

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Persephone in Autumn

late Sept / Josh Ritter "Getting Ready to Get Down"

early Oct / Parker Millsap "Hades Pleads"

late Oct / Cults "Abducted"

early Nov / Saint Motel "Cold Cold Man"

late Nov / Sia "Hostage"

early Dec / Julian Moon "Pomegranate Seeds"

Winter Solstice: Dua Lipa "Be the One"

early Jan / Lucius "Turn It Around"

late Jan / Neko Case "Hold On, Hold On"

early Feb / Aimee Mann "This Is How It Goes"

late Feb/early Mar Alela Diane "White As Diamonds"

Spring Equinox: Tori Amos "Mother" Persephone in Spring

early April /Josh Ritter "To the Dogs or Whoever"

late April / Tom Petty "Mary Jane's Last Dance"

early May / Thomas Dolby "I Love You Goodbye"

late May / Freakwater, "Good for Nothing"

early June / Amanda Palmer, "Want It Back"

late June / Nanci Griffith, "Late Night Grande Hotel"

Summer Solstice: R.E.M. "Half a World Away"

early July / Bob Dylan "Simple Twist of Fate"

late July / Cowboy Junkies "To Live Is to Fly"

early August / Great Lake Swimmers "Palmistry"

late August / Shelby Lynne, Allison Moorer, "Not Dark Yet"

Fall Equinox: Tall Heights "Back to Autumn"

it's about cycles. It's about love, it's about loss, it's about endless leavetakings and homecomings. It's about addiction and abuse. It's about manic/depressive swings and seasonal affective disorder and also the joy of leaves changing color and crocuses blooming in the frost. It's about Her. Persephone in Autumn: "Songs for an Earth-daughter, abducted, not entirely unwillingly: but increasingly irritable in captivity" Persephone in Spring: "Songs for an Earth-daughter, irrepressible and freed, but already homesick"

#it's still and will always be under construction #persephone in autumn/persephone in spring #Spotify #a playlist that is also an offering #I just shared this with Sam and he told me to go listen to Hadestown so rip me #I've heard OF Hadestown???

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paulinawoodpecker · 9 months

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Tad the lost explorer and the crystal’s odyssey cast

@jakkiisthatboy2

Main Voices:

Tad: Trevor white

Sara: Alex Kelly

Mummy: Joseph Balderrama

Tiffany maze: Gemma whelan

Ramona: Pippa Bennett Warner

Victoria: Elena Sanz

Ramirez: Elena suarel

Reena Roberto Ramirez: Olivia Rodrigo

Flora peace: Ariana grande

Minnie wakanda: Kiki Layne

Snowy Moscow: Taylor swift

Jessie wakins: Tiffany haddish

Kelsey swells: Ariel Winter

Chai Ming Kong: akwafina

Nagham hugh: beyonce

Roger: Roger Craig smith

Kenny: Ken jeong

Christopher: Chris Pratt

Kevin: Kevin hart

Lukas Williams: Patton oswalt

Jaiden: Jacob tremblay

Young Jaiden: Shelby young

Indiana Jones: Dustin Hoffman

Nathan drake: Jim Parsons

Dora: Isabela Merced

Tiffany mordon: Sheila Victor

Blair: dove Cameron

Ying: Constance Wu

Andrea: Christina Vee

Riña: Brittney spears

Max: Adam James

Jack: Ramon tikaram

Pickles: Gary Martin

Amy Jefferson: auli’i Cravalho

Jasmine Jefferson: Lexi Medrano

Singing:

Tad: ZAYN

Sara: Tori Kelly

Mummy: Joseph Balderrama

Tiffany maze: Taylor swift

Ramona: Bebe wood

Victoria: auli’i Cravalho

Ramírez: auli’i Cravalho

Reena: Olivia Rodrigo

Lukas: Justin Bieber

Anne: Philpha Alexander

Tiffany mordon: Renee Rapp

Riña: Brittney spears

Max mordon: Adam James

Blair: dove Cameron

Ying: Constance wu

Andrea: Christina Vee

Jasmine: Tori Kelly

Amy: auli’i Cravalho

Other voices:

Tad's grandma: Jenny slate

Katie peace: Leslie Mann

Josh rackham peace: Peter Dinklage

Jeremy: Josh gad

Talia Stones: Taraji P. Henson

Michael Jefferson: John Goodman

Anderson: Billy Crystal

Joe: Nicholas cage

Ryu: Ed guaghan

Brian: Ben cura

Selena Stones: Aimee Carrero

Sara's mother: Amy Landecker

Ralph: Will Arnett

Daniele: Angelina Jolie

Josh: Seth Rogen

Marian: Geraldine Viswanathan

Minnie’s mother: Queen Latifah

Minnie’s father: Jack Black

Nala: Lucy Liu

Jax wakins: Will Smith

Angelica wakins: Catherine Keener

Mack: Jesse Eisenberg

Jolene: Anya Taylor Joy

Mary: Jennifer Lopez

Jacob: Jason Sudeikis

Riley: Madison Polan

Jess: Nicky Minaj

Mark: Ben Schwartz

John: Raymond Ochoa

Nagham’s mother: Keke Palmer

Kohl: Ben Stiller

Kanji: Charlie Saxton

Grandpa Lu mian: Kelsey Grammer

Grandma Jie mei: Kathryn Hahn

Charlotte: Selena Gomez

Ronald: Robert De Niro

Jackie: Viola Davis

Joe: Davis Cross

Mika: Hayden Rolence

Lin Jung: Alec Baldwin

Kenny’s mother: Annie Potts

Regina: Cameron Diaz

Messiah: Mike Myers

Miracle: Sarah Vowell

Emily: Renee Zellweger

George: Chris Rock

News reporter: Keegan Michael key

Margie: Lena Headey

Song list:

A different beat: little mix;(Rini’s cheerleading practice)

Do what you gotta do: dove Cameron: (pickles max and jack’s and Reena’s argument)

What was I made for: Billie Ellish (the mind of memories form first to third film)

Perfect people: Becky hill (mummy’s capture)

Granted: Olivia Rodrigo( rini realizes what she had done)

The rose song: Olivia Rodrigo and ZAYN (Reena cheers tad up)

Stuck with you: Ariana grande and Justin Bieber (Reena and Lukas’s love song)

Hold on: Becky hill (the gang continues on their journey)

World burn reprise Renee Rapp (Tiffany mordons villain song; she starts making everyone mean using her powers; her revenge on tad)

Respectless: (Reena stands up to pickles for Victoria)

Courage in me: Lou (Tad’s transformation)

Lazarus drug: (epilogue song)

A wish worth making: (end credits)

Empire: Ella Henderson ( playing in the background when end credits rolling)

#tad the lost explorer #tadeo jones #tad the lost explorer 4 #tadeo jones 4

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andrewmoocow · 1 year

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Steven Universe Snake Eyes chapter 2: Let the Games Begin (originally published on September 4, 2023)

AN: Now that we have our first chapter out of the way, I'm sure you're all wondering what the Crystal Gems were doing before they got captured by the Slytherophidians. Well, you won't have to ask any longer because this chapter will answer any questions you might have about what happened after the end of Little Homeworld Life and set up what's to come for the remainder of Snake Eyes. With that out of the way, let's get it started!

Synopsis: On the planet Serpentes, the Crystal Gems are forced to fight in gladiator death matches against captive warriors from across the stars.

Cast:

Estelle as Garnet

Michaela Dietz as Amethyst, Famethyst

Deedee Magno-Hall as Pearl, The Black Pearl Brigade, Yellow Pearl, Blue Pearl, Volleyball

Jennifer Paz as Lapis, Laz, Zuli

Shelby Rabara as Peridot

Uzo Aduba as Bismuth

Kimberly Brooks as Jasper

Lauren Ash as White Topaz

Charlyne Yi as Ruby, Eyeball

Erica Luttrell as Sapphire

Patti LuPone as Yellow Diamond

Lisa Hannigan as Blue Diamond

Christine Ebersole as White Diamond

Sarah Stiles as Spinel

Christine Baranski as Hessonite

Olivia Olson as Citrine

Della Saba as Aquamarine

Christine Pedi as Holly Blue Agate

Avi Roque as Cinnabar

Gina Torres as Andesine

Peter Cullen as Titanium

Jeffrey Combs as Mercury

Bumper Robinson as Gold

Aimee Mann as Opal

Neil Flynn as Aescul

Featuring Aurelio Voltaire as King Cobralan Jormagundr

Shirley Millner as Queen Constricta Jormagundr

Jason Marsden as Prince Nosiop Jormagundr

Cissy Jones as Princess Naja Jormagundr

Henry Rollins as Captain Boa

Keith David as Pyth

John Moschitta Jr. as Bialyoom Milamin

Stephanie Escajeda as Meinerr

Terrence C. Carson as The Decimator

Steven Blum as Earthos

Jim Ross as Jiross

Michael Buffer as Michauffer

Peter Linz as Heckler #1

And Dave Goelz as Heckler #2

A few weeks before the attack of the Slytherophidians, Beach City was in celebration. At long last, Black Rutile had been defeated yet again, this time possibly for good as she and her Gem supporters were taken to prison in the darkest depths of space, and now life could go back to normal. For the Gems, this moment has become even more special as now they can finally get back to planning Ruby and Sapphire's wedding anniversary. With the decorations hung back up and a new cake on the table, the party could finally get started.

"Happy anniversary!" the Crystal Gems and people of Beach City cried as they celebrated Ruby and Sapphire's marriage. Ruby and Sapphire were so delighted to have everybody come to such a momentous occasion, they both thought it was like a dream.

"I wish this moment could last forever," Ruby said as she scooped up her blue wife in her stubby red arms. "Of course, I already have you to do it."

"Oh stop, Wuby!" Sapphire laughed and started baby-talking to her significant other while Amethyst and Pearl watched from the refreshments table.

"Ah, this is livin', Pearl Jam." Amethyst sighed in relief while taking a big gulp of punch. "Maybe now, we can finally have some peace and quiet with Black Rutile out of the way."

"Don't count on it, Amethyst." Pearl shook her head in reply. "With the Crystal Gems, you just never know when danger will be around the corner. Though frankly, I'm concerned that we've been in a lot more trouble than usual lately."

"Like I said, hopefully, we can have some peace and quiet for now," Amethyst said optimistically. "Though if trouble does come our way, you can bet your bottom dollar I'll be ready!"

"Nice to see you're so positive, Amethyst." Pearl laughed at Amethyst's remark as the two continued watching Ruby and Sapphire embrace each other. "That reminds me, we should start planning for Steven's birthday soon. I think he's turning 18 now."

"Wow, eighteen, I can't believe it." Greg sighed in disbelief as he sat by the two Gems with a slice of cake in hand. "Well, better break out some of the good beer to celebrate."

"Hey, save it for when he's 21!" Amethyst exclaimed. "Though you're free to give me some if you want. I promise this won't end up like the last time I went out drinking."

"Yep, I had to explain everything to Mr. Dewey." Pearl groaned at the memory while Greg and Amethyst laughed the day away. Yes, it seemed like the Crystal Gems could finally return to their happily ever after, but unfortunately, this wouldn't last for long.

---

About three weeks later, Little Homeworld has come under attack. The Crystal Gems had received an urgent message from Peridot that a group of strange invaders had descended upon the town and were carting Gems off into their ship. The Crystal Gems raced to Little Homeworld as soon as it ended and were ready for a fight as soon as they got off the Warp Pad.

"Okay you intruders, surrender our friends now and we won't have to hurt you!" Garnet exclaimed as she prepared her gauntlets and pointed them at the armored snakelike invader pointing a futuristic blaster at Teal Zircon's head.

"Well, well, well. The Crystal Gems." The invader said, turning his head to face the Gems ready to fight him. "Hey guys, the Crystal Gems are here!" The other masked snakes all stopped what they were doing and politely greeted the Gems, ignoring the fact that just now they were holding everyone at Little Homeworld hostage. "Hey wait a sec, shouldn't there be a human sidekick with you? About yay high, inherited his mother's gem and has some serious emotional issues. Ring any bells?"

"Unfortunately, Steven is not with us right now." Pearl declared. "But that won't stop us from taking you down!"

"Then, by all means, come and get us." The snake leader proclaimed before firing from his blaster, only to be deflected by Lapis shielding the Crystal Gems with her water wings. "Watch out, they got a Lapis Lazuli!"

"Everyone spread out and get everyone away from these snakes!" Jasper commanded the other Crystal Gems before spin-dashing straight into the snakes' leader.

"Oh, you think we are snakes, eh?" the leader snake confidently said. "Perhapsss you'd like to ssssee how ssssnake-like we can BE!" Retracting his visor to reveal his reptilian face, the snake bared his fangs and bit Jasper on the neck, causing her to yelp in pain and surprise. "Here I thought you Gems were stronger than that!"

Meanwhile, Pearl and Lapis had enlisted the help of the Lapis twins and the Black Pearl Brigade to fight back against the snakes. "Okay girls, you take the 50 on the left, we'll take the 50 on the right."

"Screw you, we'll take all 100!" Braids of the Black Pearl Brigade yelled as she charged into battle against the snakes.

"That's the spirit!" Zuli exclaimed before turning her wings into a pair of water fists to punch the snakes away. "DORARARARARARARA, DORA!"

"Did you have any idea of where they came from?" Pearl asked Cap while slashing away at a few snakes.

"We have no clue!" Cap exclaimed. "Just this morning, they descended from the sky and said they were going to enslave us all or something. Well, I don't believe I'll ever be a slave again!"

"That's what you think, Pearlie." Another of the snakes said before brandishing a pair of handcuffs and trying to restrain Cap with them, but Nacre and Pearl got in his way. "Unhand me, Gems!"

"We won't let you hurt any of our friends!" Pearl exclaimed.

"You sure about that?" the snake said before pointing with his tail at Garnet, Amethyst, White Topaz, and Bismuth already restrained, with Peridot and Jasper on the run. "Face it, ladies, you're all coming with us now."

"To where?" Laz asked before she was quickly taken down.

"To meet your makers, that is." The snake smirked with a hiss. "Cuff 'em, boys!" At his command, the invading snakes had all of the Crystal Gems herded onto their ship in handcuffs and forced onboard along with dozens of other abducted aliens for yet unknown purposes.

"How did we get defeated so easily?!" Jasper roared furiously. "I could've sworn we had them in the bag!"

"I don't know, they ran circles around us!" Peridot replied nervously. "And they said we were going to meet our makers or something! What does that mean?"

"It means we have a special friend waiting for you in our world." The snake carrying Peridot under his arm like a large package said before speaking into a wrist communicator. "Maverick to Goose, how are things holding up on Homeworld?"

---

"Goose to Maverick, we got 'em pretty easily." Another snake soldier stationed on Homeworld replied. "Turns out they shut down their entire military at the beginning of Era 3 except for a few mercenaries. It's like they were asking for us to overpower them!"

"I want a lawyer, I want a doctor! I want a cheese sandwich!" Spinel yelled as she was tied up into a ball by a pair of snakes and rolled onboard their ship.

"You won't get away with his, Slytherophidians!" Yellow Diamond yelled as the Diamonds were given a special cell on the ship to accommodate their massive size. "The Crystal Gems will find you and you will soon pay!"

"Oh, don't get too cocky, because no one will miss you once you get slaughtered in the Contest of Champions." Goose sneered. "Guess that's what you get for slaughtering thousands over the years, trying to cover it up by saying you never destroyed a planet with sentient life, and brushed it all under the rug just because that pink brat is somehow still alive."

"Wait, a cover-up?" Yellow Pearl asked as she, Blue Pearl, and Volleyball were carted into a cell.

"Of course, there was a cover-up!" Goose explained. "What, you're their Pearls, you mean to tell me they don't trust you with any dark secrets? Oh wait, you're their Pearls, so they don't trust you with anything except standing around and looking cute."

"Hessonite, were you involved in this cover-up or whatever?" Citrine asked Hessonite in their cell.

"Yes, I did indeed lie about how some planets were completely barren once or twice," Hessonite admitted. "Like for example, remember what happened to Hosnian Prime?"

"I thought that was completely barren when you fired that giant laser at it," Citrine replied before the realization dawned on her. "Oooohhhhh noooooo."

"Yes, that was a part of us we refused to bring up for ages now." White Diamond declared. "I don't want to think of how Steven would react."

"We're already on thin ice with him as is, as the saying goes." Blue Diamond agreed.

"Okay, enough chit-chat, let's get this ship flying!" Goose commanded his subordinates as he pounded on the ship and ordered the vessel to start flying away from the Gem Homeworld.

---

Meanwhile, Maverick was piloting the ship that the Crystal Gems were on while his squad kept watch over their various extraterrestrial prisoners. In each specialized cell, their respective prisoners were kept under lock and key to prevent anyone from rebelling. In the Crystal Gems' cell, Pearl's face was pressed up against the glass barrier as a large hologram of an anthropomorphic king cobra dressed in regal attire activated to make an announcement.

"Good day to all my prisoners!" the snake greeted the reluctant passengers. "I am King Cobralan Jormagundr, the supreme ruler of the Slytherophidians of Serpentes, and I welcome you as the next generation of combatants in the Serpentes Contest of Champions! For those not in the know, we Slytherophidians live for gladiatorial combat, so we abduct species from across the universe to compete for our people's amusement. This was a tradition started eons ago by my beloved ancestor King Serpentes I, whom our beautiful planet was named for."

As King Cobralan continued explaining, he began presenting pictures of the Slytherophidians' home planet, which Pearl observed to have a fantasy-like architecture that seemed like a heavy mix of Indian, Egyptian, and Roman aesthetics. "You'll all be taken here to the Ouroborium, a very special arena built to suit the environments and needs of our competitors. And speaking of which, if you mess up or aren't seen as entertaining enough, there will be consequences."

To demonstrate, the scene changed to a pair of robots fighting each other before one of them suddenly blew up. And there was much rejoicing. "But don't you worry your pretty little heads, y'all!" Cobralan continued. "That's reserved for if everyone really hates you and wants you dead. But what are the odds of that happening, eh? And for our Gem friends in particular, we'll be keeping a close eye on you through your new producer! Give it up for the lovable Bialyoom Milamin and his beautiful assistant Meinerr!"

Automated clapping sounds began playing as a blue-skinned, birdlike humanoid in a fancy suit stepped forward along with a bronze-skinned woman in a power suit with her hair in a tight bun. "These two shall be your talent agents for the duration of your stay here, now play nice with them. And speaking of which, here we are on Serpentes now!"

Indeed, the ship had finally landed on the planet of the Slytherophidians, where the Gems would be forced into the biggest battle of their lives.

"I-do-declare, it-is-an-utmost-pleasure-to-be-serving-you-today-Crystal-Gems!" Bialyoom greeted the Gems. True to his last name, he was literally speaking a mile a minute. "I-had-served-as-producer-to-such-interesting-competitors-before-in-my-long-career, but-never-before-had-I-ever-dreamed-of-meeting-you!"

"Uh, could you repeat just about everything you said?" Amethyst asked, not understanding a word Bialyoom just said.

"You'll have to excuse my partner here, his species all talk faster than light." Meinerr apologized on Bialyoom's behalf before explaining herself. "What he is trying to say is that you are among the most unique competitors he has ever sponsored. With us, you are entitled to full merchandising and sponsorship rights for the duration of your stay, or however long you last in the games."

"Celebrity status again?" Pearl groaned disdainfully at the thought. "Look, we didn't even ask for this, we just wanted to live a normal, quiet life away from all of this. We literally just had this same escapade not too long ago!"

"Ah, so-you-have-experience-then!" Bialyoom exclaimed delightedly. "Then-you'll-fit-in-just-fine! Now-come-with-us, we-shall-show-you-to-your-accommodations!" As the ship landed in Serpentes's capital city of Alethinophidia, the Crystal Gems were escorted out and paraded through a crowd of cheering snakes toward the Ouroborium. In the near distance, another ship landed, and out came the Diamonds, but unlike the Crystal Gems, they were met with scorn and prejudice.

"Gems? This planet has really gone to the dogs." An elderly Slytherophidian in the crowd muttered disdainfully.

"That would require there to be dogs, to begin with!" another elderly Slytherophidian joked, causing the two to laugh at their joke.

---

At the Ouroborium, the Crystal Gems were shown to a rather lavish room where they'll be staying on Serpentes. There was a large chandelier hanging over them, a positively gorgeous rug beneath their feet, and all around them were paintings depicting the Slytherophidian royal family throughout the years. "Nice place we got here." White Topaz muttered in amazement. "I wish we could stay here forever!"

"Don't get too excited, we've been forced here against our will," Garnet said while sitting down on one of the plush couches. "Ooh, this is a nice couch. What material is it?"

"Some of the finest leathers in all of Serpentes," Meinerr answered. "But don't get too comfy, your first big battle is coming very soon!" She pulled out a tablet and began reading off of it. "You shall be pitted against three Metals in the competition, and it is absolutely recommended you slay them to gain the audience's approval."

"Wait, the Metals?! As in our ancient relatives created from the same cosmic deity, the Metals?!" Peridot exclaimed. "You have no idea what slaying them will do to our relationship with them, you clod!"

"Hey, we-don't-make-the-rules-here-Gems!" Bialyoom shrugged as a pair of snake guards grabbed Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl and escorted them out of the room. "Now-go-on-and-make-us-proud!"

---

Soon, the original three Crystal Gems were taken into the Ouroborium, where true to what King Cobralan said, it was a massive arena filled with throngs of cheering snakes all excited about the carnage that was about to take place. Towering above their subjects in a special box was what Pearl assumed to be the royal family of Serpentes, including their ruler King Cobralan Jormagundr. Alongside him were Queen Constricta, a female constrictor snake sitting on a throne alongside her husband, and their two children; a female Indian cobra named Naja and a male black mamba named Nosiop, Captain Boa and Pyth, an Indian python who served as the family's grand vizier.

"Ah, there they are." Cobralan hissed with a smile. "I see they've made themselves comfortable. Naja, my darling daughter, would you care to introduce them to our adoring fans?"

"It would be my honor, Father." Naja smiled back at her father before grabbing a microphone with her tail and tossing it into her hand. "Welcome adoring fans of all scales to the 420,000th annual Serpentes Contest of Champions!"

"420, nice," Amethyst smirked before Pearl shot her a glare. "Come on, they knew what they were doing!"

"For this contest, we have some very special guests fighting for our entertainment here today!" Naja declared. "Please put your hands, tails, and other limbs together for the Crystal Gems!" The reception to the Crystal Gems was rather mixed. Many were excited to see such intergalactic celebrities on Serpentes today, but tons of others were eager to see Gems get the karma they deserve for the chaos they brought over thousands of years. "We have been keeping an eye on our ancient foes for eons, always plotting to invite them here but never quite catching up with them. But that all changes today! Which reminds me, our guests should find their opponents very familiar! Give it up for the Metals!"

The crowd began going wild as Titanium, Mercury, and Gold were forced out into the arena by Slytherophidian guards to combat Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl. "The Crystal Gems, we meet at last." Titanium declared morosely. "I hope this won't damage our relationship with the rest of your kind."

"Man, I always wanted to fight one of you guys!" Gold said eagerly, only for Mercury to give him a gentle slap on the head.

"You realize that if we lose here, we'll die, right?" Mercury cautioned the young Metal. "Hopefully they can go easy on us."

"Face front, true believers, for we are about to witness history in the making!" Jiross, a Slytherophidian commentator in a cowboy hat exclaimed. "The Gems versus the Metals, which of these sister races shall come out on top and settle this age-old debate?!"

"Well, here we are today to answer that question once and for all!" the second commentator Michauffer added. "LET'S GET READY TO RUUUUUUMBLEEEEEE!"

"So we're all in agreement that we should go easy on the Metals, right?" Amethyst asked the other Crystal Gems as their battle against the Metals began.

"Agreed." Garnet complied with the smaller Gem's idea while clashing fists with Titanium. "We need to get to the bottom of this and quick."

"Makes me wonder how Steven is doing," Pearl stated as she was pitted against Mercury. "He must be worried sick about us."

---

High above the arena where the carnage has begun, the Jormagundr royal family spectated the fight from above, each displaying a variety of emotions. Naja was hyperventilating from the stress of opening up such a big event with Boa there to comfort her, Constricta remained stoic to hide her devilish smile, Cobralan eagerly watched the Gems fight for their lives, and Nosiop reclined in his chair with a bored expression on his face. "Father, must we force these Gems onto our planet instead of visiting them in person?"

"Come on son, it's tradition!" Cobralan merrily said to his son. "Live a little and enjoy the fight!"

"I agree, but can't we break tradition just this once?!" Nosiop objected. "Come on, let's conquer a planet or two!"

"Nosey, dearie, we're already the rulers of an entire galactic empire, what would a few planets change?" Constricta stated, stroking her son's back with her tail just as she saw Garnet clock Titanium in the face. "Ooh, right in the kisser!"

"And of course, nobody understands me." Nosiop rolls his eyes before turning his head away from the action to face his family's advisor. "They just don't get it, we should be out there enslaving and conquering, not sitting here and forcing species to come to us!"

"Oh, don't be so sad, my boy." Pyth purred with a hand on the angry prince's nose. "Perhaps there are other ways we can convince them, mark my words."

"Everyone, look!" Captain Boa shouted as he pointed towards the Crystal Gems having beaten the Metals at last. "Alright Naja, now's your time again!"

"Oh, right!" Naja nervously said before picking up the microphone again. "It seems the Metals have been taken down for the count! Now, what do we say when that happens?!"

"FINISH HIM! FINISH HIM! FINISH HIM!" the audience chanted vigorously, eager to see some heads roll. "FINISH HIM! FINISH HIM! FINISH HIM!"

"AS SQUAMATA AS MY WITNESS, IT'S OFF WITH HIS HEAD!" Jiross yelled excitedly.

"FINISH HIM! FINISH HIM! FINISH HIM!" the snakes continued chanting for the Gems to slay the Metals once and for all and win this round. However, the Crystal Gems quickly came to a decision.

"No!" Pearl announced. "We will never take a life for your entertainment!" Unfortunately for the Gems, the spectators weren't pleased and began booing them instead.

"Go back to Earth, you hippies!" one of the audience members jeered before throwing a block of cheese at Amethyst, who quickly caught it in her mouth.

"See, told you the Gems wouldn't kill." One of the hecklers said to his elderly friend.

"How can somebody die when they're barely alive?" the other heckler stated before the two laughed.

---

"Well, this is an interesting development," Cobralan smirked before taking the microphone from his daughter. "As king, I shall allow this even if it means breaking the rules a little. We wouldn't want such special guests to have their time cut short."

"Are you serious right now?!" Nosiop yelled angrily. "They aren't even respecting the rules! We should have them executed on the spot at once!"

"Come on Nosey, just let Dad handle this." Naja tried calming her big brother down.

"No, I will not allow any breaking of our rules to go unpunished like this!" Nosiop continued yelling before Pyth put a scaly hand on the prince's shoulder.

"Just let it go, young man. Now come with me." Pyth said calmingly before the grand vizier took Nosiop away. "We have much to discuss."

---

"What-was-the-meaning-of-this?!" Bialyoom yelled angrily. "You-can't-just-decide-not-to-kill-your-opponent-like-that! It's-unheard-of!"

"Let us tell you what else is unheard of." Garnet firmly stated to Bialyoom. "We would never kill anybody for entertainment, especially if they were begging for their lives."

"We understand your fears Crystal Gems, but know that your approval rating means everything on Serpentes," Meinerr explained while presenting the Crystal Gems with a tablet demonstrating just that. "And wouldn't you know it, it's falling pretty quick."

"No matter what you tell us, we won't obey!" Pearl exclaimed. "But would it be okay if we just knocked out our opponents and let them live?"

"Oh, look at that. The Crystal Gems refuse to listen to anyone but themselves." Aquamarine smirked as she, Eyeball, Holly Blue, Cinnabar, and Andesine entered the Crystal Gems' room.

"Ugh, these guys." Bismuth rolled her eyes. "What do the Rutile Rebels want now?"

"For the record, we have now called ourselves the Andesine Armada." Andesine stated. "On account of our former leader being too much of a coward to continue guiding us before she abandoned us and ran off."

"Hey, I thought we agreed that we were going to call ourselves the Aquamarine Militia!" Aquamarine snapped at Andesine.

"No, I distinctly remember that our new name was going to be the Agate Gang!" Holly Blue yelled at the other rebel Gems.

"This arguing is getting us nowhere." Cinnabar quickly shut everyone up. "What we're trying to say is that we could lose our lives in these games. If you don't toughen up and start killing a few people, you will very well be killed. Which is why we've taken the initiative and started taking a few lives for ourselves."

"That-reminds-me, Amethyst-and-Pearl-have-a-fight-coming-up-against-the-Decimator-and-Earthos, two-of-the-deadliest-fighters-in-the-galaxy!" Bialyoom stated. "Now-go-go-go-make-us-proud!"

"The Decimator? He sounds awesome!" Amethyst cheered as she and Pearl were forced out of their room and back into the arena. "Can't wait to see how he decimates us!"

"Amethyst!" Pearl yelled.

---

"Well, it seems that our Gem friends are back for another round." Jiross declared as Pearl and Amethyst were forced back into the arena, this time against the Decimator, a massive, tattooed warrior wielding a pair of blades connected by an iron chain, and Earthos, a wolverine-like alien with sharp iron claws. "In this corner, we have the Decimator, one of the most fearsome warriors in the universe who is feared for rampaging across five galaxies in search of his enemies, and Earthos, who can make claws out of iron sand beneath his feet!"

"I have butchered millions across countless moons." The Decimator boomed in a deep, intimidating voice.

"We are totally ill-equipped for this." Pearl quivered in fear of the Decimator before Amethyst took her hand.

"Not entirely!" Amethyst exclaimed before twirling Pearl around and causing the two of them to glow, culminating in them fusing into Opal.

"And it looks like we got ourselves a fusion here, folks!" Michauffer exclaimed. "Looks like an Opal too, with those multiple arms and the bow and arrow! Jiross, what are your thoughts?"

"It's gonna be a slobberknocker!" Jiross yelled at Opal aimed down her sights and fired straight at the Decimator's eye, but he dodged just in time and the arrow accidentally stabbed a Slytherophidian in the audience. "Ooh, talk about a sorry excuse for aiming straight and true!"

"Dammit, let me handle this!" Earthos snarled as he formed claws of iron sand on his hands and began slashing at Opal, giving her a few scratches in the process but nothing too serious. "That's right, away you go!"

"On your left!" Opal cried before launching an arrow up into the air, making Earthos wonder if she was crazy or something. However, the arrow quickly returned to the Ouroborium and stabbed Earthos in his left side, knocking him out for the count. "And as for you."

"This should be easy." The Decimator said confidently while cracking his knuckles and throwing his blades at Opal, but she nimbly dodged them as they smashed to the ground, climbing her way up the giant's body and dodging more of his attacks. "Hold still, little fusion!"

"Not a chance!" Opal yelled as she did a spinning kick to the Decimator's face, sending him falling to the ground directly on top of one of the bleachers, crushing numerous spectators in the process. "Oh my goodness, I didn't realize there were innocents there!"

"Now you're getting it." The Decimator laughed weakly as he lay defeated. "Now finish me."

The chanting started again. "FINISH HIM! FINISH HIM! FINISH HIM! FINISH HIM!"

"The answer's still no!" Opal proclaimed, sticking true to the Crystal Gems' principles even when the Slytherophidians started booing yet again.

"Can't please everybody," Pearl said as she and Amethyst unfused and began leaving.

"Life goes on, but I believe we'll forever carry the pain on the inside, P," Amethyst added. "Got it from that janitor on TV."

---

"Why are we still allowing this?!" Nosiop yelled angrily at Opal's refusal to kill the Decimator, even though their battle had unknowingly claimed the lives of hundreds. "We should execute them immediately; this is an utter affront to our warrior culture!"

"Oh come now Nosiop, you're being too overbearing," Cobralan stated with a laugh. "Those Gems will be very important to us when the time comes, but in the meantime, we can just enjoy the festivities."

"Your Highness, we have a message from our deep cover agent on Earth!" a Slytherophidian servant yelled as he raced to his liege and presented a crackling communicator. "He says Steven Universe is coming!"

"Is he now?" Cobralan smiled as he picked up the communicator and started speaking into this. "Hello Aescul, I trust that you completed your mission?"

"Yes Milord, I have Steven on my ship as we speak, along with a few extra passengers," Aescul replied. "We'll be within Serpentes airspace in just a few moments."

"Wonderful! It'll truly be an honor to meet Steven at last!" Cobralan laughed while his son rolled his eyes.

"If he's anything like the other Gems, I'm not holding my breath," Nosiop said before Cobralan put the communicator down and began leaving. "Where are you going?"

"To visit our special friend, so to speak," Cobralan answered, knowing that his son and heir knew what he was talking about. "Gather the rest of the family, my boy." He then snuck away into a hidden chamber within the castle to meet with this special friend.

"The one called Universe is upon us," Cobralan said as Nosiop, Naja, Constricta, Boa, and Pyth stood before a large shadowy figure. "Soon, he will tell us all that he knows."

---

Seriously, who is this guy that the royal family keeps talking to?! Well, I'm the only one who knows the answer, but I'm not telling until the time is right! In the meantime, keep those theories a-coming and I'll see you next time!

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