#Gert's bees

[tamby-teeze]

Okay, so I know a solid 40% of the new Fantasy High was about Tracker "There's still deep attraction here" O'Shaughnessy, but HERE ME OUT

Gertie Bladeshield is the perfect woman for Kristen Applebees.

Cause, like, look, there was a lot of talk in episode 11 about impulsivity and chaos as an aspect of Kristen's character, mainly in how it's mirrored in Princess "Kristen if she had money" Naradriel, but it's also been a general focus this season, especially in how she often uses it to guard her emotions. Think back to "That's what you think", an incredible improv moment, but if you look at the big picture, Kristen's estranged parents make an incredibly inflammatory statement about her religion right after actively bullying her little brother, and instead of honoring any of the actual negative emotions she's being filled with in that moment, she pirouettes away. It's brought up in the adventuring party after this exact episode how Kristen is a cleric, a high-wisdom class that is naturally insightful, but uses these silly deflections to hold other people back from being insightful into her (hence Mac & Donna's lifetime insight disadvantage)

This isn't just limited to small moments, too. To take a broader look at the season so far, Kristen's chaotic, shrimp-jumping, wrangler-wearing, salsa-dipping, middle-school-campaigning, steel-workers-union-supporting bid for class president is often shown explicitly as a distraction from her existentially important job as the only cleric of Cassandra. Even when trying to earnestly apologize to Cassandra and prove to them that she's gonna prioritize her over class presidency, the only way she can articulate it is "You're the meat, mama." Her emotions are always guarded by some amount of chaos and impulsivity.

Now, how does that relate to Gertie "I've had a crush on you for a really long time" Bladeshield?

In both of the two scenes we've gotten of The Best D20 NPC (/j (but I do really like her)), Gertie has shown a pretty similar propensity for making bold, chaotic decisions in the heat of the moment. However, in my observation, these decisions do NOT come from a place of emotional suppression. Quite the opposite, actually.

Think back to her Grand Entrance into the narrative. Gertie, being one of the last people awake at Fabian's party, gifts her longtime-crush a jar of honey, something that connects directly to her passion/special-interest of beekeeping, in a homemade container designed as a pun on Kristen's last name. (in hindsight, the crush was very obvious) Then, in the middle of her infodumping to her about honey, Kristen's rich friend makes an incredibly dismissive remark about her good-natured gift. This obviously pisses her off, but unlike Kristen "That's what you think" Applebees, Gertie "I don't give a shit who's kid you are" Bladeshield lets herself feel those emotions very loudly, immediately starts a duel with possibly one of the most accomplished sword-fighters in the history of Aguefort, and declares him a life-long nemesis. She acts very brashly and impulsively, but in a way that doesn't hide her emotions, instead expressing them.

(I know there's a lot of talk about outbursts of anger being tied to Ankarna, but not only does the scene not really seem like foreshadowing to me, it's more interesting to see it through the lens of being Gertie's actual actions)

This trend continues with the 12th most noteworthy thing to have happened in episode 11 (which incredibly high acclaim), where after being explicitly asked to talk about bees by her crush, and being placed inches away from her face, kisses her on the lips. Now, excusing the albeit upsetting lack of consent, it once again shows Gertie acting very impulsively in a way that exposes her feelings to the people she likes. With these two instances of characterization being literally the only two scenes we get with her, it poses her as a very interesting parallel to Kristen, someone who shares in her willingness to make impulsive decisions, but differs wildly from her in the way she uses them to react to strong emotions.

However, does this really make Gertie the Autism to her ADHD?

(idk if Gertie really shows autistic traits, I just wanted to say that) Well, part of what Tracker a good companion for Kristen was that, as a fellow cleric, she naturally had very high wisdom, meaning she had enough insight to look past the layers of shrimp and salsa and engage with her on a deep level. However, clerics aren't the only class that cast spells with wisdom, so do rangers, including swarm-keeper rangers, which is a subclass that both has a good few abilities focused on spell-casting and was confirmed to be Gertie's subclass in an adventuring party. While her highest stat still could be dex (which, come to think of it, is a hilarious contrast to Kristen), there's no doubt that Gertie has a higher chance than most at being able to look past Kristen's barriers and see the complex hive of sweet, buzzing emotions underneath.

Hell, maybe that's where Gertie's crush comes from in the first place. Maybe, seeing this popular, proudly sapphic cleric be incredibly playful and chaotic on school grounds, she not only saw a bit of herself, but a little more. Perhaps, the type of mind that dedicates itself to allowing small, harmless critters to prosper even when no-one cares to join her club, is also the type of mind able to recognize when someone isn't allowing their truest emotions to prosper, making her wonder if they might have something to gain from sharing some of that chaos, using it not to hide, but to be free.

Or maybe it's just cause her last name has "bees" in it, idk.

[wisedumptruck]

Reblog to spread

Thanks

[timtamtheman]

Gert’s Bees

Perfect

[emptyjunior]

i was absolutely prompted by someone else on twitter saying kristen/gertie ship name should be gert's bees but here it is, the Gert's Bees

[gigawatt-conduit]

Here for Gertie/Kristen both because it’s a great bit of “yes, and” taken to a fun conclusion and also because the visual of Fabian walking in to see his best friend make out with someone who said she’d kill his ass like a month ago is fucking hilarious

[teenagerebellion]

for the fh art requests, gertie + kristen please? i love the way you draw gertie sm :D

thank you so much!! i think they deserve to be sweet & cuddly together. and also go on an actual date <3

[gorgugplushie]

Of course i had to draw them again bruh my fucking WIN MY FUCKING WINNNN HHUURAGHHHH

[technoturian]

I would die for Gertie Bladeshield.

[paynomind-iamnotreal]

Re: Prev Tags

That's crazy because my kristen x gertie propaganda is soo rational and not convoluted at all [i am grasping at enough straws to make the turtles jealous]

guys, honey is often served with cornbread.

[battlemasterofceremonies]

has someone already made the “gert’s bees” joke?

[pinkb00bsocks]

24th of march and no beesbees/gert’s bees fanfic on ao3 yet

[wisedumptruck]

Reblog to spread. Thanks

Edit: other options (can't change the poll)

Applesheild

Gert's bees

BEES

Applebees

Bees²

*I will add any other ship names to the next one*

[sophieswundergarten]

HERE WE GO, IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF THIS TEN-SECOND SLICE OF AWESOMENESS!!!

This has taken well over a week to get out, but I really wanted to deliver on my promise of more Wetherall ramblings because what else am I doing with my life if not thinking about these characters?

Kate immediately looks up when her dad comes over, even before he's technically in-frame

But, she is still the ever-efficient Kate, as her hands don't stop moving the whole time

Milligan is headed right at her: she is his priority in the scene, and once he's checked on her, then he can move on to his next task

However, he is also moving with efficiency! He doesn't take the time to hug her or distract her from working on the Wetherall Worldview Wash, he recognises that they are both preparing to protect their family, and neither of them need to do a full stop and talk about it; they need to get to work.

THE TINY LITTLE NOD

Kate does a little tight-lipped smile and nod when Milligan reaches out to touch her shoulder, acknowledging him and showing him vulnerability in that she is stressed. She loves her dad, and this is a big step in her trusting him from where she was at the beginning of the season!!

He doesn't let his hand leave her until the last second, brushing his fingertips along the top of her shoulder as he walks, stretching the contact out as long as he can, even as his eyes have moved onto the next thing

This is pushing it slightly, but Kate extends her arms and seems to pull or shove something together right after Milligan's hand leaves her, and it seems like a subtextual indication that he has given her the strength to do what needs to be done now, as well as the rhythmic timing just being wonderful!

She leans back, testing how things look, but it also shifts her body enough that her bucket is illuminated, and the bright red makes it very visible; highlighting their relationship once again, even as at that second their backs are to each other.

The way that he leans over to grab the shovel and then lets it slide down into his hand is such a neat little detail! It really communicates the confidence and skill that he has (Although I'm a little concerned about the "skills" he might have with holding a shovel that way)

He also quirks his head a little, like he's looking at Kate out of the corner of his eye when he turns back around.

She's leaning back in the chair, entirely focussed on the Worldview Wash at this moment, and her little head turn mirrors her dad's as she looks through it! They even do it at the same time; another beautiful rhythm!!

When he starts walking back toward the camera, we see his free arm swing (Maybe like he's considering patting her again?), but then he pulls it in to accommodate how far she's leaning back now.

Even as Kate moves forward to keep fiddling with the screwdriver, Milligan turns his head ever so slightly as he walks, trying to keep her in his peripheral vision for as long as he can.

OTHER NOTES:

The colors in this scene make me so happy!! I mean, all the colors in the show are awesome, but, specifically here: Kate and Milligan's color schemes are very similar (Except his clothes are darker and hers are brighter), and their browns match the barn! Kate's hat is green, and she's sitting on the side with all the green cabinetry, as well as the fact that the chest of drawers under the shovels and things is in the background, and it's the most red-toned thing in terms of furniture, so Kate's bucket also being in what is basically the background accentuates it!

The light is very cool! You can see Kate's face the whole time (That's just good cinematography), but the time it is most visible is when she's looking at Milligan! Also, as previously mentioned, I love that the bucket is included! In terms of direct lighting, it goes Milligan/Bucket/Milligan, and that is a fun little treat since he passes in front of the window and highlights the bucket almost as if someone lit it up.

Kate's little wiggles to counter her adjustments and the way that her shoes are resting on the toes! It really communicates her need for movement.

This isn't really in the GIF (You can just catch the beginning of movement), but I really liked how this scene began with the Wetheralls, and then followed Milligan through the barn as he looked at what the others were doing (Almost like the camera was from his perspective, but not quite, obviously) before ending with Charity helping Number Two and Rhonda sharpen a blade as Milligan himself walks off-screen.

SO THERE WE ARE. Once again, thank you ever so much to @bi-demon-ium for this! I love you and I am incredibly happy that I got to watch this snippet so many times :)

pat :)

↳ for @sophieswundergarten as requested :)

[bodhranwriting]

Finn and the Arsonist by Bodh M.

In three years of running the only cat sanctuary in Middle Besser, I’ve heard a lot of their odd tales about how they ended up here.

Getting into fights is a common one. Getting trapped in wells happens more often that you’d think. Inattentive families, owners needing the space… the list goes on. I try not to judge people’s situations too harshly. After all, my main witness is going to be a little biased and cat-senses don’t always translate well to human, as you’d expect. But there are definitely pickups I’ve done that have made my blood boil, if you don’t mind me saying.

But I’ve never had one before that made me scared and certainly never had one involving one of my closest friends.

It was a stinking hot day in the middle of summer when a small child barged open the door to the Respite with a terrified cat yowling at a pitch to match the temple bells.

I had been dozing at the counter, sweat sticking my sandy curls to my forehead and a new bandage wrapped around my arm – one kitten had not wanted to take her medicine – so I damn well fell out of my chair as a screaming feline was dumped a fingerbreadth from my face.

“I found them in Gert’s Alley,” the girl said helpfully, in lieu of greeting. She was probably nine or ten; a scruffy little thing in a faded blue dress with adorable tight black coils and a missing tooth so her next words came out as a lisp, “He theemed thercared. Look at all the blood!”

Dragging myself up from floor and trying to wipe the sleep from my eyes, I blearily focused on my newest patient. She (and definitely she, I noted as she wriggled out of the blanket) was a gorgeous black Kysi with golden eyes and the huge ears typical to her breed. As she backed up, hissing, I reached out a hand and concentrated, drawing up warm reserves of the little magic I had from my chest and into my throat.

Translation spells, in my experience anyway, always had a taste. I’d never been particularly good at them: it was almost easier to just do the hard work and learn the language. But translating my tongue to that of cats was like clicking your fingers might be to someone else. Easy. Not requiring much thought at all.

Cat tastes like buttermilk. I don’t know why, but there seems to be a connection to what I taste and what I’m trying to speak. Bee tastes, almost boringly, of honey. Spider has a dusty texture. Rat, for some odd reason, is hazelnut. I haven’t worked out that one and neither had the teachers out in the Hartland’s. I think one of my classmates who fell into the academic trap – track, sorry – is compiling research on it.

(I answered her very impersonal letter a few months ago and never heard back. Hope I helped. She did bully me into passing my star-reading exam, after all.)

I took a breath, the flavour rising into my nose, and attempted first contact. “Easy there… I’m not gonna hurt you… what’s your name…?”

The cat hissed again, but only for show because she answered quickly, “Smells-like-this. But upright call me Smoke.”

“I’m Finn,” I said, almost more for the benefit of the still-watching urchin. I projected an imitation of my scent into her mind: a kind of mix of cat fur, woodsmoke, and lye soap, and asked, “May I touch you? I need to find where you’re bleeding.”

Smoke hesitated and then lay down. “Yes.”

Carefully, I reached forwards, letting her sniff my hand. “Could you get me a bucket from the pump?” I asked the girl.

She nodded with great dignity and vanished outside. I turned my attention back to Smoke. It was funny: she was far better fed than a stray ought to be –

“Know your smell, upright.”

I jumped. Swallowing hard, I managed to keep the connection strong enough to ask, “You… do?”

Smoke curled up under my hand. “It was on take-off furs. And blood not mine.”

Ice settled in my stomach, cold fingers squeezing my guts paper-thin. “Whose is it…?”

Her tail thrashed, ears flattening against her head. “My upright.” The flash of fangs made me jerk my hand away. I was panting and I didn’t know why.

“What happened?”

Smoke sat up again, fixing shining golden eyes on me. She raised her head like a queen, crossing one paw in front of the other.

“Uprights invade territory. Smash door. I fight. Upright feeder does too. I run when they lay red flower.”

“Red flow…” Suddenly, the buttermilk soured to smoke and ash as my mind made the necessary translation. Terror thumped through my chest. “They burnt the house?”

I grabbed the cat by the scruff of the neck as she bolted from my shout. She tried to claw at me, but I didn’t even feel it. “What does your upright look like, Smoke?”

“Put down!”

“Please, tell me. What do they look like?”

“Upright! Smell like this! Not white-yellow fur like you. White-orange fur! Cloud eye! Make pretty noise a lot!” She meowed as I dropped her, landing perfectly on the table as I fell into my chair.

“Gert’s Alley… that’s where you were found?”

Smoke leapt to the ground and gave me the feline equivalent of a shrug.

I was up and running down the street before I even realised I’d processed the information.

[ambiguous-fail-clockworks]

AGHH ITS LATSE NIGHT BUT WHAY ARE YOU AMBIGUOES NOT REGular fal clickworks also does janny and gert live in clockwork?!?!? or is that just smelly no! her name is melly!!! hat abut jon n? i s he ralated or best friend with jerty or mortenrt??!?!?!! I DONT NO RHIS MUSIACAL IS BADD AND BAD?!??! why are you liking this play….. hello dolly better i think i don knaot……

You are a plague. I hope that you one day have consequences. Your fate is your own to make. Your shadow shall lead not even a small child to scared thoughts, and only the light shall flee. The steps you trod upon the ground have neither the rhythm nor weight to solidify your existence upon the earth's surface.

Gsuidb geiige laofbe paysgav jah hagstdv kajsbwg balanccqqfsu japdjcbsy adsidibs hai ksusgsm aoshwi ososc skakx sjakfq kwoajsv ja kajsjwnsa nsmsbs jsns jshxtapa lnals.

loser. i pur mt nlood swat and gears jnfo yjjs shos. toi sixk. get fucking loadrs pmao

i earchdc failure ant jt ead yhe best tuckung show u ever seen i camt dmrll abyruijt vad about the shoe brcayse I always poce wurn like when lilt sings anythi g thet ate i live.

you enbebdj to undertsnad taht failurebisb sucha s comped and good play argra is better thanb foy will hevenr bee or maybe notbyoyb could be better somedeayb if you go to like therapybof a mental hospital so you cwb be less of a billian.

cmeonlets add some cake heyeveu pony well i gusilada deficshould go fisttb walkjkkstraightahead topinnthe tails gddweebs youe starsyed it guilda jdbdbd rianbowdaesh i mean lobve prankews

begon you foul demon cotton eye joe, try grasp on this plane faded long ago, from whence you came, thete you shall go, i seal thee away, cotton eye joe

[gertritude]

Sorry Gert but ingo is the most fucking boring sexyman of the past 20 years he shoulds bee out round 1

wrong wrong wrong false AND wrong. get trained idiot