#conrad at least clearly has a vibe with her

[nicollekidman]

i have a guess but please weigh in on conrad v. jeremiah when you're far enough

conrad 1000% but i’m not finished yet (i won’t change my mind)

[judgeanon]

It Sure Has Been a Wild Couple of Days to be a Lady Shiva Fan

(Art by Skylar Partridge)

So after only showing up for a backup story in DETECTIVE COMICS a few months ago and for a few pages in the last issues of BATGIRLS back in January, turns out that Lady Shiva is gonna be a major part of not one, but two different series come November. Putting my thoughts under the jump 'cause they might be long:

First, there's an all-new BATGIRL ongoing written by Tate Brombal and drawn by Takeshi Miyazawa. I'm not really familiar with either of them, but I'm gonna try to check some of their work in the weekend. As for the plot:

When a deadly group of assassins shows up to kill Cassandra Cain, Lady Shiva must come to the rescue, and they’re forced to put their complicated past aside and work together as mother and daughter to ensure they make it out alive. Unfortunately, things are never as easy as they seem, and Batgirl must embark on a jaw-dropping, martial-arts filled adventure in her quest for truth and justice…and revenge?! This is a Batgirl unlike any other so don’t miss the opportunity to dive into the psyche of one of Gotham City’s deadliest fighters, while exploring her deep and complex relationship with her mother.

Here's the thing: while I am overjoyed that after Bryan Hill's OUTSIDERS we've pretty much exorcised the idea of Shiva as a zealous, card-carrying member of the League of Assassins, I've been a little bothered by how literally every single big Shiva appearance afterwards has revolved around Cass. Even in that weird short stint leading a new Birds of Prey team, her motivation was somehow gaining Cass' trust for... reasons. So I'm glad Shiva's no longer an LoA flunky, but I'm concerned with how she seems so tied at the hip with Cass -- especially since Cass does get to have stories that don't involve Shiva at all.

But at the same time, I do think there's a lot of meat on that bone, meat that, in my eye, nobody has really sank their teeth in yet. Hill tried but he was working within a team book, and Cloonan and Conrad just sorta teased it. This one, however, feels like a story about Shiva and Cass built from the ground up, with all the room necessary for some actual development from the two. This is them not as a subplot or as a tease for future stories, but as The Story. And while that may go in a bunch of different ways, I'm definitely interested to see what way this will go.

Annnd then there's Tom King and Ryan Sook's BLACK CANARY: BEST OF THE BEST, which I'm... a little less interested in.

Black Canary faces her toughest opponent yet, Lady Shiva, in a battle to determine who is the single greatest hand-to-hand fighter in the DC Universe. To make it to the final round, Black Canary will need all her fighting skill and ability, plus additional training from some of DC’s most accomplished fighters, including Batman, Wildcat, and even her mother, the original Black Canary!

Yeaaaaah, I just... I'm not feeling this one. There's not any real mention of a plot here, not a lot to really grab on to other than vibes, and the vibes are just weird. It's weird how Dinah is fighting to determine who's the best fighter, something that to me isn't really a huge part of her character. It's weird that, from the preview pages, they're fighting in like a Vegas casino, in a ring, with an audience. It's weird that there's three trainers mentioned and none of them are Cass, who not only has beaten Shiva before but has trained with Dinah at least twice in canon. And this being tumblr, let me say it's also weird that this is a story about a white woman training with three white people to beat up an Asian woman in martial arts.

It's a six issue mini and the short solicit and weirdness is clearly meant to pique curiosity. But I'm dreading how much this all sounds like it's using Shiva to put Dinah in a pedestal, to show how strong and resilient and stubborn she can be. Even if it goes for a ROCKY ending of "Lost the fight but won at life", unless Shiva is written very thoughtfully, it feels like she's just gonna be there for the sake of Dinah's character. And I dunno if I trust King to write Shiva with any real thought.

So that's kinda where I'm at. Neither of these are a full Shiva solo, and one of them fills me with dread, but it's been a real rush to have two major Shiva-related projects like these be revealed one after the other. And with 2025 being the 50th anniversary of her debut, hey, who knows? Maybe this is just paving the road for something special. Hope springs eternal, no?

[feral-mouse]

OH MY GOD SO MANY PEOPLE DIED OSJPAJFJKS. I'M SO SORRY RANDY IS SUCH A HARD BITCH TO SURVIVE 😭😭😭. But anyways, let's get into the statistics 👀

I sadly won't be going through every character, but I'll try to explain my rankings

You can find the template here

First I'm gonna provide some color coding assignments, so if you wanna look for a specific oc, it'll be easier to do so lol

RED: Squirrel, Skull, Eugene

ORANGE: Tantrum, Clove, Fester, Elowyn

YELLOW: Cyrus

GREEN: Davis

BLUE: Dan, Bo, Oenis

PURPLE: Conrad, Ronny

PINK: Kalani, Colin, Vesper, Theo, Sable

Most/Least Likely to get Kidnapped

Dan is at the number one slot. SOMEONE HELP HIM. RANDY HAS BEEN MEANING TO EAT HIM FOR MONTHS NOW PSJFJSKA. THE SECOND DAVIS IS OUT OF THE PICTURE, DAN IS A DEAD MAN

Squirrel is next. Since she loves climbing trees, this means she's always out in the woods, and has a high likelihood of bumping into Randy lol

Then I have Conrad in third place because honestly, I feel like she's a danger magnet pajjcjs. Maybe she's seen way too many people bring Randy back to their hotel rooms, only for them to be found dead the next night. She made the mistake to confront him about it 😤

I've placed the people in the middle because I feel like they wouldn't be as likely to run into Randy, whether it's because they hang out in the wrong crowds, or because they won't venture the woods at night lol. It is leading with Vesper and Bo because they would smell delicious. Randy would approach them first 😔 pshjcksl

The last five starts with Fester. He might be too intimidating for Randy to try to eat lol. Randy does not want to get into a losing fight 😤. Next is Cyrus, who is only placed so low because he is VERY CAUTIOUS. He is making sure not to run into ANYONE. He wants to stay hidden. Davis is after him because if Randy goes after him, Dan might start to get suspicious. And he does honestly get the vibes that Davis wants to kill him too (he does lol). Oenis is there because he honestly does not look appetizing at all 😭. He looks so dirty and like he'd taste gross 😭

Then in the very last place is Skull. RANDY DOES NOT WANNA GET INTO A FIGHT WITH THIS GUY. HE COULD VERY CLEARLY OVERPOWER RANDY, AND HE DOES NOT WANNA TAKE THE RISK PSJFJKSL

Favorite/Horrendous Victim

Davis 👏 is 👏 number 👏 one 👏 👁👁. HUNT THAT BITCH DOOOOWN. Randy would honestly love to hunt Davis. Give him a taste of his own medicine. He'd love to put him in his place. Randy is actually stronger than Davis. Davis would put up a good fight, and it'd definitely be very fun for Randy to watch him struggle, but unfortunately, he is going to end up dead. Randy has a vendetta against Davis. Not only is Davis preventing him from kidnapping Dan, but he's also just so passively aggressive in general. He gets bad vibes from Davis, and feels like Davis is constantly judging him (which he is). Randy hates those types of people

Squirrel and Colin are next because Randy would have a blast hunting them down. I feel like Squirrel's not the type to go down without a fight. You know she's gonna be climbing up trees and using that to her advantage. It's gonna be something that Randy's never seen before. Sure, people have climbed the trees to get away from him, but Squirrel is different, she's experienced, she knows what she's doing and she's swift with it. For Colin, Randy would be mesmerized by his outfit, and also he'd love watching Colin squirm and freak out lol. He's such a cutie that you could gobble right up! 😋

Starting from Theo, Randy starts to have less of an enjoyable time because these people are fighting back lol. He does love a good chase, but also he does NOT like dying. If you're fighting him with the intent to kill, he's putting a stop to that immediately. That being said, I do still think Randy would have a good time interacting with some of them. Theo seems super nice, and Tantrum would honestly be a blast to fight, he would love her spirit >:). Clove would be very fascinating as well, considering he's a fox beastkin. After the initial awe though, Randy is going to have to adjust to fighting him. I'd imagine Clove is very nimble, so that would really catch Randy off guard

Eugene's right in the middle because he would be too boring, he's too passive 😔 pzjfks. Ronny and Sable would be too eager to kill Randy, so he doesn't like them either lol. Same with Skull, Cyrus, and Fester, except they'd REALLY wanna kill Randy osjfkl

Elowyn is in last place because Randy would honestly just find her annoying psjfksk. She would be going into this too tactically. She is coming up with plans and backup plans, trying to figure out how to use the woods to her advantage, coming up with ways to manipulate Randy. But all of that shit would fly over his head. Nothing she says is gonna land with him. He's just gonna be like "she talks way too much and I don't get any of it 🙄" before stabbing her in the stomach lol

DEAD

For the last section, I'm gonna start by talking about the people who die lol

Unfortunately, Vesper, Bo, Dan, Conrad, Elowyn, Eugene, Colin, Cyrus, and Tantrum getting EATEN PAJFKSKA. The others are getting eaten too, but they're dying in a scuffle. I'm sure everyone is fighting back, but these guys are fighting back. Tantrum and Cyrus are too, but I feel like they're easier to take down than the last three

Survivors who KILLED

Theo, Skull, and Clove are killing Randy. Of course, Theo is immortal lol. So even if Randy somehow kills him, Theo is getting back up when Randy least expects it and is stabbing him in the back

Skull's massive size and wolf strength is easily overpowering Randy

I feel like Clove would also get the upper hand on Randy because he's not used to hunting people who are so quick. Clove is dodging all of his swings and it would honestly freak him out lol. Randy wouldn't be thinking straight in his panic 😔

FOR THE PEOPLE WHO HE SPARES

He is vibing. He is chilling. They are all having a good time

Once Randy learns that Sable has been the one who's dumping bodies in the middle of the woods, they are immediately becoming best friends pekfkw. Killer solidarity. Sable needs a way to get rid of the bodies, and Randy needs to eat

I think Kalani would know exactly what to say to win Randy over and spare her, whether they end up as friends or lovers 😌

Squirrel is also just so cool. I could see them getting along really quickly lol. Randy might stop hunting her in the middle of it because her vibes are fantastic

Oenis is also surviving because the two of them would also get along lol. They have the same type of humor, and honestly I can imagine the both of them hunting people down together lol. Also, since Oenis is a shapeshifter, it would be an instant party trick between the two of them lol. Randy would love watching him turn into different people lol. (Also Oenis would NOT be pleasant to eat osjfjks. Man is too dense and chewy, he's grooosssss 😭)

Characters belong to...

@hurrl: Conrad, Kalani, Squirrel

@derekgoffard: Colin, Tantrum

@dread0narrival: Clove, Vesper

@weirdo-canniboy: Theo, Skull, Fester

@the-bees-knives: Oenis

The rest belong to me lol

[zalrb]

The Summer I turned Pretty 1x02 Review -- Steven and Jere are boyfriends

idk steven watching jere make those eggs had a vibe. that would've been way more interesting even though steven is insufferable.

like that's flirting.

conrad go upstairs. ok there's just gonna be a few times when i call conrad connor. i can't keep backspacing.

that ass slap and that "ooh!" make them boyfriends.

they are ALL so unnatural. "this sounds expensive" "don't worry, laur, it's on me. it was my idea after all." like if they were friends, best friends, it shouldn't sound so stilted and formal like she's just getting to know someone.

Belly hasn't done anything for all of the cracks about how she needs etiquette, like I know she's "pretty" now but she can still have semblances of that, like in Love and Basketball, Monica is a baller and a tomboy who her sister dresses up for prom

but she forgets that she's in a dress so she sits the way she always does and has to quickly self-correct

I haven't seen anything like this.

Even their change room montage lacks chemistry, I wouldn't have thought that was possible, I thought they could at least fudge that but it doesn't have the spontaneity a sequence like that usually has, it's contained. The whole point of trying on different outfits in a show is to show bonding but they all still act like they don't know each other.

Gigi you've been in that pool long enough to know Jeremiah was there. Why wouldn't they just have her walk to the pool and have this conversation? DETAILS.

"Totally, yeah. I would, uh, love to take you surfing sometime." He's the charmer? I've seen charmers in action, even if they aren't interested they're charming, that's why charmers are dangerous. This is BAD.

"Take it in Steven, this is all ours." It's a pool with mostly children, Jere.

I hooked up with her, with him, with her, with him. A perfect pattern.

I just like to kiss and be cozy with people

mmhmm ok.

i would've 1000% preferred this over a love triangle and then belly can get mad that steven is stealing her thunder.

"Go get that bread." Never again. No AAVE on this show please.

"Oh my God, Belly, uh, I didn't even recognize you" she looks exactly the same, but you thought a guy's name was Cam Cameron, Jeremiah, so.

Even when he sneaks in to grab a sandwich, it's supposed to be he's such a charming kid I can't stay mad at him like he's basically supposed to be Aladdin

but he doesn't execute. Jeremiah is supposed to be like this guy I worked with at a hotel where like management ALWAYS put him as a greeter at the doors because he was charming and smiley and flirty and they would also make him do room service, which is just A LOT but anyway. Actor doesn't have the ease and the effortlessness to pull that off.

Why wouldn't Susannah cover up Belly's bruise? So this scene could happen, Zal.

"Dude, that's Belly's brother" was the most organic delivery out of that entire exchange.

Why would they start pouring the alcohol into their tea when Paige is right by their table making a speech.

Also doing it in a flask?

"A drive in movie" You can just say the drive in. Oh my god.

As a writer, Laurel's character annoys me so much.

"Daaaamn you look hot." She looks cute.

"Hey hey, stop flirting with my sister." Sound jealous there, Steven.

Sabrina. How on the nose.

So I have made up my mind that Jere and Steven are boyfriends.

Brooklyn hipsters don't sail?

Belly, why do you like Conrad?

This is supposed to be a hot and heavy kiss and it's not. They should've just stuck to the awkward cute kiss.

It's funny when shows now do things that are supposed to show how risque these characters are acting because it's all so clearly staged because she's straddling Steven on the beach but is very still and the framing is supposed to be OMG STRADDLING ON THE BEACH but it's clear that's what it's supposed to be instead of me feeling like these are just characters interacting, like it should really be something like this

LOL I'm not saying Conrad wasn't doing what Belly was saying he was doing, which he clearly was meant to be doing, but I'm also saying on the first night, Belly, you crashed a bonfire no one invited you to and then started antagonizing Conrad and Nicole and called him an asshole before storming off so going like WHY COULDN'T YOU JUST LET ME HAVE THIS ONE THING is a little rich. ALSO Conrad has been sullen and drinking since you got here but he hasn't actively impeded you from anything except for tonight when he showed up at the drive in and because we haven't seen your relationship before this I don't see any time where you wanted to do something and Conrad stopped you from doing it because he wanted you all to himself or he wanted you crushing on him so this confrontation just feels like projection, which would be fine if we spent more time with Belly and from her perspective Conrad keeps letting her down -- which I know is what the flashback scene was meant to be in season 2 where he brings her to the boardwalk so he can talk to a girl but that should actually be a flashback we see here. If anything, when Conrad has his Taylor Swift entrance that's when we could have "the first time my heart was ever broken", go to that flashback to establish her history with him and that dynamic and then do things throughout the episode to build upon that flashback.

"Why don't you go smoke some more pot" lmao the anti-drinking, anti-drug messaging is hilarious.

"Why don't you go look in the mirror some more?" Man, it's not like he said you're just a virgin who can't drive.

He could've been harsher if the whole point is that this is supposed to SO gut-wrenching.

"I wonder if this is how all crushes ended" I don't CARE about your crush Belly because the show has given me no reason to be invested in you two, it has given me no indication of why you would like him, what you two were like before this summer, what's so great and dreamy about him to you. The only REAL conversations you've had this summer is with Cam Cameron.

*SIGH*

[ggswaywardgifrepository]

So I write fic for and am just a huge fan of a relatively obscure old show called Hawaiian Eye. Equally fond of its sister series Surfside 6.

I’ll get around to 77 Sunset Strip, eventually. I acknowledge it’s weird I haven’t watched that series since it’s the one the spawned the rest.

Anyway.

The homoerotic subtext is prevalent on all of these shows. Surfside 6 is definitely the “hold my beer” series outta the bunch. Sadly, that’s probably why it didn’t last as long as its peers.

Two, later three, men living on a small houseboat with one bedroom—you come to your own conclusions. I am firmly in the “Dave and Ken are a couple and Sandy is their child who sleeps on the couch” camp.

Sandy is a full grown man and just a fellow private detective, I know. And I also know he lived at the racquet club for at least part of the series’ run.

Moving on.

Hawaiian Eye, however, is a little different than Surfside 6 in that I interpret the chemistry as polyship subtext, rather than purely homoerotic. There’s no direct romantic or sexual chemistry between the male leads, Tracy and Tom, as far as I’m concerned. But there is this flirty banter and underlying innuendo between them and the leading lady, Cricket.

The guys both call her “lover”. A lot. Although it’s treated more like someone would call someone else “honey” or “dear”, this show is the only time I’ve ever heard the word used in that context. Kinda pet name, kinda not—again, it’s subtext, and subjective.

Cricket has called each of them lover in the same fashion. Tom has referred to her as lover TO Tracy, in a manner that one could argue is suggestive of them all being together.

It’s all very playful, and in the open, and too amicable to be a love triangle. I’m sure anyone would argue the intent was to portray a lighthearted, “who really likes whom?” game. To tease audiences with hints of romantic feelings, but without allowing the show’s perennial bachelors to get into a serious relationship because their singleness was paramount to maintaining the show’s vibe.

Anyway (again).

I find it all extremely fascinating to look back at shows like this where the writing is so clearly on the wall and be both giddy to see it, but also a little sad to think that the only way anything other than het romance, attraction, relationships COULD be presented was as subtext.

I can also say that of the Hawaiian Eye fics I’ve written, the one where people see a M/M tag (M&M tbf) is the one with more hits. I feel bad for anyone who read that hoping it was romance because it’s an ampersand tag highlighting the friendship between these two characters. And it’s certainly possible that some people clicked on the story ready to rage over the idea of Tom (Robert Conrad’s character) and Moke (an under appreciated supporting character played by Doug Mossman) hooking up and then being a mix of relieved in disappointed when it was gen fic with a bit of angst and whump.

Either way, there was, is, and always will be an audience for and a need of true LGBTQ+ content, and my experience in old fandom has reinforced that in ways I wasn’t expecting.

[ave-on-main]

The Butt of a Joke: Wonder Woman vs Nightwing

Humor is subjective. Maybe the scene and what it caused in Nightwing #79 worked for you. It certainly didn’t for me. But the Wonder Woman #771 joke hit home.

Why?

The Set Up

Wonder Woman: There is a clear set up. Diana says she is cautious and before she has even finished her sentence... well, look above.

Nightwing: There is no clear set up. While the wallet is placed on the counter, no attention is put on it. During my first read I didn’t even notice it lying there and was confused as to where the wallet even came from, automatically assuming Dick must have had it on his person.

How does the joke play out?

Wonder Woman: Diana boasts about her skill, stumbles, falls and the story immediately continues. Not only that. Ratatosk falls with her. Merely a little more dignified than Diana. It’s instant Karma.

Nightwing: Dick notices his missing wallet because it’s not lying on the counter anymore. But we don’t see what he sees. He looks around panicked, tells Barbara not to tell the others. She already did. Dick continues to dramatically complain. It’s hyperpole.

How much impact does the joke have inside the story?

Wonder Woman: Diana falls. It’s her boastfulness that causes her fall. But before that she confronted Thor, won a fight against a group of Elves, got information from Dr. Psycho by intimidation, and, after her fall, she makes a deal with Nidhogg, climbs Yggdrasil and trusts Ratatosk to have the right plan to get her inside Nidhogg without her dying. (Yes, you read that correctly.) She would have done all this even without stumbling over a rock. The joke was simply there to lighten the mood and get her in front of Nidhogg’s den creatively and without having to waste pages on a search. The joke is a shortcut.

Nightwing: Dick gets his wallet stolen. Before that he wondered what to do with his inheritance and decided to help the homeless in the area by giving out free pizza. Afterward Babs tracks the wallet, Dick kicks two mafia goons in the face to save the boys that stole his wallet, he follows them to a city of homeless children, he decides to leave the wallet with the boys (without seeing them again), and decides to be Blüdhaven’s safety net. The joke informs the whole story.

The Atmosphere & Background Information

Wonder Woman: The title currently has a very video game-y feel to it. Reading it feels like following the main quest. Diana has partial amnesia. She does not remember being Wonder Woman. It gives her “Fresh off Themyscira” vibes in a believable way. Because of the more pop culture feel to her Infinite Frontier story, Diana being clumsy made me immediately draw a line to shojo heroines. And that comparison feels all the more natural because Diana’s current writers - Becky Cloonan and Michael Conrad - recommend manga from time to time on their twitter, which means they are familiar with the clumsy heroine trope.

Nightwing: Dick was already the victim of a joke last Issue, that made me question how competent he will be written. (My opinion on that here.) To have the same happen again, makes it more than repetitive. It makes it bad. Especially when Taylor keeps praising Dick’s abilities on Twitter without prove in the actual comic. Dick is a great hero, but he can’t secure his apartment, can’t fight off an attacker in his home, and can’t be aware enough of his surroundings to realise three kids are stealing his wallet. His competence isn’t shown anywhere else either. He is a nice guy, but his niceness is reduced to paying for stuff. He can fight, but he hasn’t fought anyone more dangerous than two goons yet.

Conclusion

The Wonder Woman gag works for me because it’s clearly set up, and the narrative doesn’t revolve around her mistake. It’s alright that she tripped. She isn’t perfect. She is rewarded for it by getting to her next narrative stop.

The joke in Nightwing doesn’t work for me because it informs Dick’s whole narrative after it happens. It’s not because of skill that Dick learns Maroni is in Blüdhaven and that a city of homeless children exist. The chase for his wallet is there to give him a reason to invest money into Blüdhaven, but it’s a non-explanation. Because in what else would Dick invest money? He never considers anything else.

What’s worse is that the “meetings by chance” the joke causes are not dealt with either. While Dick recognizes Maroni, he does nothing with the information. Neither does he wonder who the woman opposite the criminal is. Dick doesn’t talk to the boys that stole his wallet and Maroni’s phone. He simply leaves the stolen goods with them. He does not even wonder why the homeless kids ask if he is “the man without a heart”.

But, hey, at least we know there is a bat group chat, right?

Edit: What I labeled as Maroni’s phone might be another wallet. But it’s not outright stated.

[oudenoida]

First Impressions

It had been a long two weeks. Moving all of your belongings 6700 miles around the world while trying to set up the lease on a shopfront, find a flat, and settle into both was a herculean effort, and Ryo thought that now that he was here, he wasn’t going anywhere for quite some time. Most of his efforts had been focused on the shop, with his spartan flat suffering because of it. He’d made a number of pieces throughout his time at Mahoutokoro, and especially as part of his final year thesis, but there was still the nagging thought in the back of his head that it wasn’t enough to open a shop on, even if most of his business, he was sure, was going to be bespoke creations. It was leaving the still-shuttered but about to open shop one evening that he decided to finally poke his head into the herbalist’s shop that he had leased an apartment above. It always seemed to be a hive of activity and simply from walking past the window he had no idea who actually ran the shop. But if he was to be living above them it was only polite that he made an introduction. 

Winter had truly begun to settle in in Diagon, but crossing the threshold from blustery London to the inside of the shop made it easy to forget. It was so warm Ryo was forced to pull his wand from his back pocket, a muttered incantation clearing the fog from his glasses as he held the door open for an exiting customer. Inside was even more chaotic than it had first appeared through the window, but with an inherent rhythm and order that Ryo could appreciate. The bustle was frenetic, but everything was neat and in its place and everyone seemed to know exactly what they were doing. 

“GOODEVENINGWELCOMETOTHESHOPSOMETIMESCALLEDTHEPLANTSHOPUSUALLYJUSTCALLEDTHESHOPBYTHERIVERHOWMAYWEHELPYOUTODAY.” Delivered in a single breath and at breakneck speed Ryo took a long moment fix hair blown by the winter wind to parse out exactly what had been semi-shouted at him by a child who appeared to be standing on a stool behind the counter. 

“Well you got all the words right, Alice. But let’s try to take it about five times slower.” A woman not much older than him appeared in the crowded shop, brushing hair out of the girl’s face and shooting Ryo a soft smile. 

Alice, as Ryo assumed the young woman was called, took a deep long breath, “Good evening, welcome to The Shop, sometimes called The Plant Shop, usually just called The Shop By The River. How may we help you today?” 

He couldn’t help but smile broadly and half-bow, a hand over his heart, “Good evening Alice. I was wondering if I could please speak to the proprietor of this shop.” 

It was clear fairly immediately that proprietor had been too complex a word but the woman who’d prompted a reduction in speed in favor of comprehension smiled again, one of the most genuinely heartwarming smiles he’d ever seen, and patted Alice on the back, “He means me, dear. Go help Mr. Castro. I know he thinks he’s the best at it, but nobody can pick the best damask rose blossoms like you can.” Alice’s face erupted into a supernova of a smile and she scampered across the shop to a handsome man sitting behind a mountain of dried roses, gently signing to a child next to him, apparently teaching them how to tell which ones were the best. 

“Perry Abrams, owner and operator of this little slice of chaos, what can I do for you?” 

Taking a moment to collect himself in the face of the unrelenting and blinding love Ryo swept hair out of his eyes before reaching out his hand, “Good evening Ms. Abrams. Ryoichi Katsuhoji. I have recently leased the apartment above your shop, in addition to a storefront three doors down. I wanted to come down to introduce myself and apologize if it has been too noisy over the past few days. I am mostly unpacked now and the noise will diminish.” 

He was rewarded for this monologue with a brief pause, and then another absolutely brilliant smile, “So you’re the new shop everyone’s been buzzing about! The butcher paper over the windows very much gives a Christmas present vibe and the street can’t wait to unwrap it. It’s lovely to finally meet you, Mr. Katsuhoji. Alice!” the child from the counter sped back over, a crown of dried blossoms now resting in her flame-red hair, “Please run down the street and tell Chef Conrad that we’ve figured out who the new shop belongs to and we’re ready for the welcome basket. If Mr. Goshawk is outside tell him where you’re going” 

“YESMSABRAMSSCUSEMEMRKATSUHOJI” Before he could respond Alice was out the door, pausing briefly to talk to a familiar dark haired man that seemed to constantly be standing outside, ostensibly guarding the shop. Ryo had never introduced himself to the man but they nodded at each other every morning when he left his apartment.

“As to the noise, Mr. Katsuhoji-”

“Just Ryo is fine, Ms. Abrams.”

“Then you’ll call me Perry.” It wasn’t really phrased as an option, and Ryo respected that. “As to the noise, Ryo. I’m more shocked that we don’t bother you with everything going on down here. As you can see, we run a bit of a chaotic operation.” Gesturing broadly to the shop around her Ryo took in the scene that her hand encompassed. Children and young men and women helped dry herbs, some carefully labelling, some tying bundles together, a few of the older ones over small cauldrons distilling essential oils. He had seen far more children and teenagers in this portion of the alley than he had elsewhere in the city, and there had been moments when he was fairly certain he’d been followed. Some greater story was unfolding in this portion of London that he wasn’t yet privy to, but was certainly on the outskirts of. 

“I keep myself busy enough that by the time I am in a state of stillness to be bothered by outside noise it has long fallen silent.” A half step took him to a shelf lined with immaculately bundled herbs; nothing he couldn’t find in any herbalist’s anywhere in the world but clearly treated with a care that set this shop apart. He pulled a small bundle of licorice root, a larger bundle of dried basil, and an even larger bundle of dried mint down, setting them on the counter as he turned back to look at Perry, “Though I am glad I have not disturbed you with the ruckus of unpacking a life I had to move almost seven thousand miles. If at any point I am a disturbance please let me know so I may fix that.” 

Before Perry could respond, the door opened again, the bluster of a frigid November bearing Alice in again, dried rose crown askew, with a young man, in his late teens from Ryo’s eye, right on her heels. It was difficult, however, to get too good a bead on the man accompanying Alice as he was mostly obscured behind one of the most mammoth baskets Ryo had ever seen in his life. Alice cleared a spot on the counter for him to set it down, and when he had relieved himself of his burden Ryo could get a better look at the young man who’d carried the load that would have crushed young Alice, for all her energy. He was thin, thinner even than Ryo himself, and carried himself in a way that issued to all who looked at him an apology for taking up space. But more striking than that were the violently neon blue eyes and the charcoal black veins snaking their way up his arms, the tell-tale signs of an addiction that Ryo had only heard whispered about at Mahoutokoro. 

“Ch-Chef Conrad sends apologies, Ms. Abrams.” his hands were never still, flitting from his pockets, to the buttons on his shirt, to the choker around his neck in quick succession as it appeared the young man tried and failed to keep himself grounded, “Unfortunately h-he’s in the middle of d-dinner service or he’d come himself.” 

“Thomas.” It wasn’t Perry that responded, but the handsome man who had been signing to a child over a mountain of dried roses, walking over from his portion of the shop while rolling sleeves down over arms too-muscled for a simple herbalist.  “How many days are we up to now, mijo?” 

Thomas’ face split into a slow smile, “Three weeks yesterday, Mr. Agusti.” 

Both Perry and Mr. Agusti both pulled Thomas into a tight hug, their various congratulations overlapping and weaving in and out of each other and Ryo couldn’t help but smile at the honest love and support he was currently privy to. As they pulled away Agusti clasped Thomas’ forearm, “Three weeks to be proud of. We’re proud of you for it, I know Jake is too. Remember you can always call if you need an anchor. This only works if we’re all working together.” 

The flash of genuine gratitude that illuminated Thomas’ face was pure and deep and again Ryo had the impression of a story he didn’t know all the pieces of. “Th-thanks Vic. I promise I will. If I need it. R-Rhys has been taking me to yoga with him. It’s really b-been helping.” Thomas turned from Vic to Ryo and straightened up just a little, gesturing to the massive basket on the counter which Ryo could see was filled with a smorgasbord of baked goods, jars of delicious looking preserved pickles and jams, some cleaning supplies, and at least two bottles of wine. “Chef Conrad wanted me to g-give you a heartfelt welcome to the neighborhood s-sir. He hopes you’ll come by to dine with us one evening s-so he can say so in person.” 

Ryo stuck his hand out, shaking Thomas’ firmly, “Please thank Chef Conrad for me Thomas. As soon as I have my life in any semblance of order I will make his restaurant one of my first destinations.” Releasing the hand he started to poke through the contents of the basket, nodding sagely, “As to this far-too-kind gift from what I can only assume is both Chef Conrad, Ms A-” a gentle throat clearing made him quickly backtrack, “Perry, and many others in this neighborhood… your generosity is overwhelming. I will never be able to eat all of this on my own, and I have no family on this side of the world to share it with.” He could see several ravenous glances from the children who were trying to focus on the work at hand and failing miserably, “I wonder if any of you could please help me eat Chef Conrad’s cooking with the speed and vigor it deserves.” The horde that descended on the basket was faster than their tiny legs should have made them and Victor broke away to attempt to corral them as Ryo took the two bottles of wine and some supplies, pushing his three bundles of herbs across the counter, “And I would like to purchase these as well, Perry.” 

She wrapped the herbs with care and placed them in a small bag, sliding it across the counter and patting his hand gently, “Any man who chooses to regift something special to my kids can have a few bundles of herbs on the house Ryo. This round’s on me.” 

He smiled and bowed again, pushing hair out of his face as he turned to leave the shop before a small ginger comet collided with his knees; small Alice, face covered in frosting, giving him a tight hug, “VICSAYSWEGOTTASAYTHANKYOUWHENWEGETPRESENTS.” A deep inhale and a purposeful and slow exhale gave her enough stasis and grounding to get each word out individually, “Thank you for sharing super good food, Mr. Katsuhoji.” 

“Alice. Any time I get something delicious and frosting covered I hope you are nearby to share it with.” Another hug and she vanished, back either to the fray around snacks or her pile of roses and he looked up to see that beautiful radiant smile stretch across Perry’s face. 

“Welcome to the neighborhood, Ryo. We’re very happy to have you here.” 

It had been a long and difficult move, but, in the middle of this oasis of warmth in the infancy of winter, Ryo felt the exact same way. 

[gascon-en-exil]

FE15 Liveblogging: Rise of the Gay Entourage...er, Deliverance

Because it really does warrant its own post. So. Much. Gay. (and also other things)

The actual maps:

Meh. I enjoyed having maps with fixed characters like some of Fates’s DLC for basically the same reason I liked it then (less RPG, more tactics - a good break from all the grinding I’ve been doing). Having all but one of the four be reused maps from the main game felt a little lazy though. Also, the NPCs in the first two are either idiots or so fatalistic that they’ll just stand in one place and get killed.

Clair and Mathilda:

No F/F vibes here I’m sorry to say. Most of Clair’s development centers around her role as Lachesis 4.0 or something like that. At least she displays genuine development in the Mathilda supports and elsewhere without needing to see her brother get tragically offed, but then you remember she ends by marrying Gray and it gets kind of stupid again.

Mathilda meanwhile is still being her usual lowkey Domme self. I would have appreciated more commentary on gender dynamics from the two of them or at least some hint that she wouldn’t really mind her stay-in-the-kitchen ending, but no luck. Incidentally, it’s so random that Clive and Mathilda are the only characters aside from the Ram kids and Conrad to get younger portraits for flashback scenes.

Fernard:

Even the memory of him and Mathilda can’t shake the strong romantic/erotic vibes I’m getting from his relationship with Clive. Actually that memory just makes my triangulation of desire even stronger since Mathilda herself admits (very strangely) that she almost thinks of Clive and Fernand as the same person. Then there’s the Fernand x Clair memory which outright proclaims that there’s something unusual about Fernard’s devotion - at least as unusual as Clair wanting to marry a man identical to her brother in every way. Also interesting is that we see the beginnings of the catfight fallout between Fernand and Lukas over the latter’s surprising display of pragmatism in the fourth map. Fernand actually sounds jealous that Lukas might have become Clive’s new “confidant” (ahem). There’s also another mention of ripping out tongues, so I suppose this is just a thing with these two.

Forsyth:

Is gay for Clive and probably more than a little gay for Lukas too, and Python seems fully aware of it and has the innuendo all ready to go. He compares Forsyth’s reaction to Lukas praising him to a maid who’d just been asked for her hand in marriage, for heaven’s sake. That said, Clive/Forsyth is clearly the more imbalanced relationship; his “I WANT to put you on my pedestal!” may deserve to replace Inigo’s “I want to be manhandled!” in the annals of memetic queerbait-y FE lines, but he doesn’t seem comfortable negotiating the class divide. The exchange does however offer the image of an amusing offscreen incident involving Forsyth trying and failing to treat Python as he does Clive and Lukas having to break up the resulting fight. Oh, and the ending to the Clive x Forsyth B support, wherein Forsyth stumbles over Clive asking him to treat him exactly as he does Python, is hilariously suggestive.

Lukas x Forsyth is less humorous overall but more revealing about both characters, and it’s easy to see the two of them finding common ground in reading and other pursuits and letting things develop from there.

Python:

Sure, Python talks about women for the first and only time ever, and while it may just be my bias talking it rang a little false for me. Since when has Python ever seemed like the kind of guy who’d want to be the center of attention? At any rate, he comes off as very queer-friendly with Lukas and an “outsider” by his own description. I also can’t help but hear the VA’s enunciation of “sir” as both sardonic and slightly erotic, so the sub headcanons just write themselves. The end of Lukas x Python also serves as a callback to the Shinon x Gatrie supports in FE9, which also end with an archer offering to take a knight out on the town to distract him from his issues with women. Past FE precedent*, yay.

Covering Clive x Python under Clive’s heading.

*And since FE15 is overall more open about discussing its queer issues in explicit terms than Tellius is, Lukas/Python feels both healthier and more self-aware than sexual Shinon/Gatrie.

Lukas:

Now the second-most explicitly queer character in FE15 after Leon, with only the nature of his queerness subject for debate. Is he gay or asexual? I’d say he’s definitely homoromantic since he’s clearly seeking emotional validation from Clive that he’s mostly not getting - to say nothing of his hatred of Fernand. Fortunately for him he does acknowledge at the end of their supports that Python would treat him well, and as mentioned earlier he bonds well with Forsyth too.

Perhaps more surprising though are his actions that secure the Deliverance’s escape from Zofia Castle. He displays a willingness to commit war crimes that is only selectively deployed among FE’s good guys (Micaiah, Robin, Conquest!Corrin indirectly), and while it does save them he gets called out for it by Fernand. Strangely this event is also germane to discussion of Lukas’s sexuality, because he states that Clive has a sense of “rightetousness” that he himself lacks. Between this, the lack of fire in the loins, and the “cold observer” business in his supports with Clive I think we’re to take it that Lukas doesn’t feel much of anything, or that if he does it’s severely repressed. And not for the same reason that Fernand is repressing his feelings for Clive - clearly a social thing - but possibly as a remnant of his father forcing him to abandon his interests in favor of military training and his brother forcing him to join the Deliverance and possibly die in it. He’s just sadder and more screwed up the more we learn about him.

There’s a silver lining, though; Lukas tells Clive that he doesn’t really have a home anymore, meaning he now considers the Deliverance his home and his family. Clive is just bound to disappoint him, but there’s always Forsyth and Python....

Clive:

Still has far too many people angling to get in his pants. His supports with Python continue FE15′s trend of presenting what may be the series’s most nuanced take on classism and the true value of the setting’s quasi-medieval political and social system. As a quasi-aristocrat myself I’m inclined to side more with Clive and sympathize with Fernand, but Python makes his case with substantially more grace (go figure) than a certain blue-haired commoner lord. It’s also nice to see this line of criticism picked up by someone who isn’t Alm, since some of the fanbase seems to think that his being secretly royalty invalidates his takedowns of classist nobles.

So yeah, great DLC content on the whole. It’s just a shame that we probably won’t be getting any more other than the Cipher characters. This stuff’s way more illuminating and entertaining than nostalgic rehashes of older games or AUs starring eugenics babies.

[kartiavelino]

Paris Hilton, Ashanti, LC: Which Early 2000s Style Star Are You?

J. Vespa/WireImage Developments at all times make a comeback. The fanny packs and slogan tees of the ’80s are again; the mother denims and scrunchies of the ’90s are seeing resurgence—so it’d make sense early 2000s developments would return, too. What precisely does that appear to be? We’ve to take a stroll down reminiscence lane again to the type stars who dominated the pink carpet on the time: Britney Spears and her fedoras, Missy Elliott and her tracksuits and even Lauren Conrad and her very American Eagle-friendly type.  Celebrities within the early aughts wore a mishmash of kinds—some good; some unhealthy and possibly unlikely to return. However which pattern is best for you? Let’s take present items you wish to put on now and apply the wardrobe components to stars within the ’00s who would put on the identical.  On the very least, you will meet your Y2K spirit animal.  Preserve scrolling to seek out which 2000s developments may match finest for you! Textures You want textures, like fake fur and suede, and mixing supplies to create extra dimension.  SHOP: Cupcakes and Cashmere Daton Fake Suede Gown, $125 Lace-Up Particulars You additionally actually love lace-up and wrap-around particulars, which ooze a sultry vibe.  SHOP: Raye Lacey Fake Fur Heel, Was $198; Now $60 Frank Trapper/Corbis by way of Getty Photographs Ashanti You are Ashanti, the R&B princess of the early aughts! When the “Silly” singer wasn’t carrying bikini tops and snakeskin mini-skirts, she was rocking fedoras, feathers and furs, which resulted in a female, Amazonian-like type.  Article continues beneath Low-Rise Pants Overlook the high-waist pattern! You want your waistband as little as potential…maybe to point out off your toned abs or go away room for that meals child. You additionally like a bit of flare at your hems.  SHOP: Free Folks Low Tide Flare Denims, $98 Hats You additionally love toppers to no finish. A hat endows you with a way of old-school badassery. You may put on a fedora with denims, to a membership, out purchasing…the sky is the restrict.  SHOP: Banana Republic Genie by Eugenia Kim Grayson Hat, Was $78; Now $50 Michael Loccisano/FilmMagic Britney Spears It is Britney, b*tch! The pop princess has had many type levels, however within the early 2000s, there was nothing the “Poisonous” singer beloved greater than flaunting her midriff.  Article continues beneath White Tanks You are a tomboy at coronary heart, however even with easy fundamentals like a white muscle tank, you know the way to infuse a bit of female aptitude with textures and prints.  SHOP: Off-White Lace Tank Prime, Was $405; Now $203 Utilitarian Staples However let’s be actual: You are largely snug in unisex, utilitarian items you make your personal with distinctive styling (sort of like how Kaia Gerber wore these pants). SHOP: Dickies Ladies’s Authentic 774 Work Pants, $21.99 – $23.99 Kevin Mazur/WireImage Avril Lavigne You are greater than only a sk8tor gurl, you are just like the punk-pop singer of the early aughts and shrink back from following super-popular developments. You do not want studded leather-based cuffs or put on slick-straight hair that covers your face both—you are inherently edgy.  Article continues beneath Sequins Prime A shiny prime is all it’s worthwhile to costume up a pair of denims.  SHOP: LIU •JO Tank Prime, Was $118; Now $70 Assertion Jewellery You additionally wish to play with equipment, particularly with beaded, colourful jewellery.  SHOP: Modcloth Enjoyable to Flaunt Beaded Necklace, $19 Michael Loccisano/FilmMagic Lauren Conrad You are LC! The Laguna Seaside reality-star-turned-mogul mastered the girl-next-door, all-American look whereas at all times within the operating for queen-bee standing of the group. Article continues beneath Tracksuits As a result of consolation is at all times key.  SHOP: PrettyLittleThing Burgundy Stripe Shell Trancksuit Prime, $38; PrettyLittleThing Burgundy Stripe Shell Trancksuit Jogger, $35 Assertion Sneakers If you cannot bedazzle them, you’ll at all times go for the kicks with character. It might be gilded in rose gold or coated in fur, but it surely’ll specific your inventive nature.  SHOP: APL: Athletic Propulsion Labs Techloom Professional Knit Mesh Sneakers, $160 Gregg DeGuire/WireImage Missy Elliott Between the bedazzled bandannas and countless tracksuits, there was no type extra signature than the “Work It” rapper’s.  Article continues beneath Leather-based Trench Persons are naturally intimidated by you due to your refined, luxurious style SHOP: Ainea Fake Shearling-Trimmed Fake Textured Leather-based Coat, Was $645; Now $290 Designer Purse You are additionally an enormous fan of logomania.  SHOP: Gucci Ophidia GG Medium Prime Deal with Bag, $2,100 Gary Marshall/Newsmakers Lucy Liu You are the Charlie’s Angels and Ally McBeal actress who, if wasn’t already trying like one million bucks, may very well be seen carrying near it.  Article continues beneath Pink Every part You are a girly woman, and also you personal it.  SHOP: Boohoo Strappy Wrap Element Midi Gown, $36 Drippin’ in Diamonds Any likelihood you get to shine, you will take it. Oh, additionally, you consider in mermaids, unicorns and can gravitate to something that blings.  SHOP: Eternally 21 Floral Cat Ear Headband, $4.90 J. Vespa/WireImage Paris Hilton You are the Hilton heiress, clearly! Just like the 2000s trendsetter, you might have full confidence in no matter you put on. Your purpose: to make an announcement.  Article continues beneath We love these merchandise, and we hope you do too. E! has affiliate relationships, so we could get a small share of the income out of your purchases. Gadgets are offered by the retailer, not E!. Do not miss E! Information each weekday at 7 and 11 p.m. http://www.eonline.com/news/949126/paris-hilton-ashanti-lc-which-early-2000s-style-star-are-you?cmpid=rss-000000-rssfeed-365-lifestyle&utm_source=eonline&utm_medium=rssfeeds&utm_campaign=rss_lifestyle The post Paris Hilton, Ashanti, LC: Which Early 2000s Style Star Are You? appeared first on My style by Kartia. https://www.kartiavelino.com/2018/07/paris-hilton-ashanti-lc-which-early-2000s-style-star-are-you.html