#kudos to all the ladies choosing a single color

[gabriellademonaco]

Personal favourite guest fashion at the wedding of Philippos & Nina of Greece:

Princess Alessandra of Hanover

Princess Tatiana of Greece

Princess Bendikte of Denmark

Arrietta Morales y de Grecia

Princess Maria Olympia of Greece

Princess Ekaterina of Hanover

[ladylillianrose]

You’ve Got SPRQS a Max Richman/Zoey Clarke fanfiction

A/N: Thank you all so much for your overwhelming support for this fic! I really do appreciate every single one of your comments and kudos!

Special thanks to aubreyrichman for putting up with me writing this at 1AM, making edits and then deciding to change a bunch of things later! *kisses*

Caroline belongs to @jade4813​ (she's just too good a character not to use!), while Evelyn and Ollie were collectively decided by the discord group!

All the other characters are Austin Winsberg's, he can have them back eventually....

Song is "She's Got a Way," by Billy Joel (Listen to it here https://youtu.be/p0iOEOtSyB0)

Summary: Max reflects on his day, and Zoey gets a special message from PianoMan

Chapter 3

Chapter 2

Chapter 1

Max headed home with a spring in his step. He still couldn't believe he'd allowed Tobin to pester him into signing up for SPRQS. He’d signed up with the younger man peering over his shoulder and offering advice for what to put in his profile to “help get the ladies”, all of which Max ignored.

Thankfully, Tobin hadn't said anything about him signing up in front of Zoey. Max had implied that he had no intention of signing up for the app, and Tobin willingly played along. Though, he did get the third degree from him later about it.

“Why didn’t you just tell her that you had already signed up?” Tobin asked.

“I don’t know, I panicked. I didn’t want Zoey to know, it seems a little desperate,” Max admitted.

“Bro, you’re already kind of desperate,” Tobin grinned. “Don’t think I haven’t seen you smiling every time your watch buzzes.”

“What...no...I don’t….” Max was interrupted by his watch alerting him to a new message from Red, he felt his lips quirk.

Tobin just looked at him knowingly.

“Shut up,” Max grumbled good naturedly. 

Tobin clapped him on the shoulder, grinning, “Nope, not desperate at all.”

He hadn't intended to ever use the app, but he'd glanced through a few profiles just out of curiosity. But then he found Red's profile and he just had to ask why she preferred Star Wars.

He hadn't been joking when he said that most of the women, he knew preferred Star Wars. Zoey, his sister Evelyn, even his sister-in-law Caroline all claimed that it was the superior franchise. Who knew such a ridiculous question would be the start of…. whatever this was.

He grinned thinking of the messages they'd exchanged already. She was smart, funny, and she wanted to keep talking to him, all wins in his book. Even if nothing romantic came of this, at least he had found someone else to talk to. 

Max tossed his backpack on the counter, said a quick hello to his cat Ollie, and headed straight for the piano.

He spent nearly an hour getting the recording ready to send. He was so nervous, though he wasn't sure why. He had played the piano for people before, but there was something just more intimate about recording it for only one person to hear.

Before he could change his mind, he hit send on the message. She had mentioned something about learning more about music, but just in case he had attached a lyric sheet with the recording.

He glanced at Ollie, who was sitting next to him on the piano bench. "What do you think, Ollie?"

Ollie tilted his head and looked up at him.

*Mrowr?*

"Hopefully, she likes it."

*Prowr?*

"Just someone I started talking to online, today," Max responded, reaching over to pet Ollie.

*purr*

"Now, we just have to wait for her to respond. How's Chinese for dinner sound? I'll even let you have a shrimp."

*MROWR!*

Max chuckled as he ordered dinner, hoping food would provide a distraction for him. Anything to keep from worrying about what she might think of his playing.

An hour later he was picking at his food, with still no response from Red.

He sighed, setting the container down, she must have hated it and was too afraid to tell him.

His watch buzzed, almost as though it had sensed his despair.

He took a deep steadying breath before opening the message.

"Wow…. that was…. wow…" She sent him.

"Is that a good wow or a bad wow?"

"Are you kidding me? That was an, ‘I'm so impressed that I can't even form coherent sentences,’ wow."

Max felt himself blushing, embarrassed by her praise.

"You really liked it?"

"It was amazing."

He grinned, feeling pleased.

"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I'm happy to play more for you anytime you want."

"Careful, a girl could get used to that."

Was she flirting? It seemed like she might be, but he never really could tell. Max was flustered, how was he supposed to respond, did he flirt back?  Luckily, he didn't have to wait to figure it out. 

"Oh God, that came across way flirtier than I intended. I promise, I don't go around just throwing myself at strangers online."

He chuckled, she seemed as nervous as he was about all of this.

"I believe you, though for the record if you were flirting with me, I wouldn't object."

"I'll keep that in mind. ;) It's getting late though, I should probably turn in. Goodnight, Billy. Thank you for the song."

"Goodnight, Red."

He glanced up with a grin at Ollie, who had his head in the abandoned carton, deciding to help himself to the leftovers. 

Max scooped him up, and spun around the room, grinning like a fool. "She liked it, Ollie! She liked my song!"

*Prowrr?* 

"Well, no I'm not sure exactly where this is going. But it definitely feels like it's the start of something."

*Mrowr* 

Ollie leapt out of his arms, and gave a big yawn.

"You're right, we should turn in." Max put away the leftovers and tossed the empty containers. He headed to his bedroom, all the while grinning and humming ‘She's Got a Way’.

________________________________________________________________

Zoey knocked on Mo's door as soon as she got home, eager to tell him all about her foray into the world of online dating.

Mo opened the door and Zoey walked in, "So, my boss decided to sign me up for a dating app….and I may have spent a good portion of today talking to this one guy on it. Long story short, he is sending me a recording of him playing the piano."

Mo raised his eyebrows and headed to the kitchen to pour them both a glass of wine. "So, you met someone on a dating app and talked to only him all day and now he's going to play piano for you? Color me impressed; you've had a busy day."

Zoey smiled and took a sip of her wine.

"So, what does he look like? Is he cute? I mean if he plays piano, he probably has those lovely pianist's fingers…."

Zoey coughed as she inhaled her wine. "Pianist's fingers?" 

Mo looked at her, "Oh yes, child. Have you never noticed a man's hands before? Mmm, they can be a thing of beauty. And as a pianist, he definitely knows how to use them."

She turned bright red, "Can't say I had before, but now that's literally all I can think of."

 Mo grinned, “Come on now, tell me about this new man."

"Well, the app is all based on getting to know one another through messages. So, I don't know what he looks like, where he works or even his real name." Zoey explained.

"So, let me get this straight. You don't know who this person is, what they do or what they look like?"

"Pretty much," Zoey nodded.

"Well, if that doesn't sound like an easy way to get murdered."

"That's not what will happen!" Zoey insisted. "It's all about building a meaningful connection without having to worry about how you look or how they look. Besides, you don’t ever have to meet them if you choose not to."

"Well, if you do decide to arrange a meeting, let me know."

"Aww, so you can be there to support me?"

"No, so I can practice what to say to the news channels when they ask about your disappearance." Zoey rolled her eyes as Mo laughed. "Of course, to go with you."

"Joan has called dibs on going, too." Zoey drained her glass.

"Oh good, she can bring the popcorn."

 Zoey felt her watch buzz and saw that she had a download available from PianoMan.

"I, uh, need to go listen to this...alone…" she said, standing up.

"You go listen to his song, just remember what I said about his hands," Mo winked at her as she headed back to her apartment. 

She snuggled up on the sofa with her favorite blanket, before finally pressing play.

The sounds of delicate piano chords swept over her as she listened. She had never heard the song before, but it sounded so beautiful, it took her breath away. The song finished and she sat there in silence, absorbing what she had just heard.

She glanced down and saw a second attachment. He had sent her a copy of the lyrics, and included a note, “Just in case you don’t know this song.” She smiled; he had remembered that she mentioned not knowing much about music. She pressed play again, following along with the lyrics as she got lost in the feeling of the song.

She's got a way about her

I don't know what it is

But I know that I can't live without her

She's got a way of pleasin'

I don't know what it is

But there doesn't have to be a reason

Anyway

She's got a smile that heals me

I don't know why it is

But I have to laugh when she reveals me

She's got a way of talkin'

I don't know what it is

But it lifts me up when we are walkin'

Anywhere

She comes to me when I'm feelin' down

Inspires me without a sound

She touches me and I get turned around

She's got a way of showin'

How I make her feel

And I find the strength to keep on goin'

She's got a light around her

And everywhere she goes

A million dreams of love surround her

Everywhere

She comes to me when I'm feelin' down

Inspires me without a sound

She touches me and I get turned around

She's got a smile that heals me

I don't know why it is

But I have to laugh when she reveals me

She's got a way about her

I don't know what it is

But I know that I can't live without her

Anyway

She was even more moved as she read the lyrics, it was a beautiful song, and he played it wonderfully.

She listened to the recording several more times, until she had it memorized.

Glancing at the time she realized he had sent it to her over an hour ago and she still hadn't responded. Hopefully, she hadn't made him panic.

"Wow…. that was…. wow…" She sent him.

"Is that a good wow or a bad wow?"

Zoey laughed; did he really not know how talented he was?

"Are you kidding me? That was an, ‘I'm so impressed that I can't even form coherent sentences,’ wow."

She smiled, thinking about how many times she had listened to it already.

"You really liked it?"

She could tell he wasn’t fishing for compliments, he genuinely wanted to know what she thought.

"It was amazing."

"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I'm happy to play more for you anytime you want."

She felt her pulse quicken. He wanted to play more for her, and she wanted to hear him play.

"Careful, a girl could get used to that."

She panicked as she realized what she had just said. She blamed the wine for bringing out her flirtier nature.

"Oh God, that came across way flirtier than I intended. I promise, I don't go around just throwing myself at strangers online."

'Even if said strangers are sweet, kind of dorky and can play piano,' she mumbled to herself.

"I believe you, though for the record if you were flirting with me, I wouldn't object."

She gasped slightly. So, flirting was something he was open to….

"I'll keep that in mind. ;) It's getting late though, I should probably turn in. Goodnight, Billy. Thank you for the song."

"Goodnight, Red."

She headed off to bed, humming the song he had played her as she drifted off to sleep, dreaming of her mystery man with pianist's fingers.

[renegade-is-in-my-blood]

Mercedes-Benz Prague Fashion week 2019 is through so let’s look back what was it all about. MBPFW is the biggest and only major fashion even in Prague and it’s highly expected each year. This time it held place in garage, that made each design pop out of the place only adding to its uniqueness.

  If you’re expecting to roll out famous designers names you might not be fully satisfied as the show were created by Czech and Slovak designers mostly. Names like VANDA JANDA, MIRO SABO, JAN CERNY, LUKAS KRNAC OR DOMINIKA KOZAKOVA might not say much to you.

Most of the designers played it safe in my humble opinion – not a bad thing though. Natural, down to earth color schemes, elegant, classy designs reflected simple everyday use fashion. That’s what you expect to see on a fashion show in general.

For full experience of MBPFW gallery head over to official page in HERE.

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What I was expected to see at MBPFW came true with DOMINIKA KOZAKOVAS fashion show.

Colorful extravagance with laid back models obviously enjoying the hell out of the show. Big thumbs up Dominika for reviving otherwise plain fashion show.

When I look back now I realized I don’t remember much of the other designs, but this one by Dominika Kozakova is definitely stuck in my mind.

She had the guts to stand out and it played off. Also kudos for great representation variety of models she choose.

That one is definitely my favourite show of the week alongside with LUKAS KRNAC show which ould be described as village funk.

One common both of this show had is my favourite ALEX WORTEX.

WHO IS ALEX WORTEX?

Alex is Slovak celebrity. I’m sure you don’t know much about Slovakia but the general stereotype is that it’s small christian, conservative country in the middle of the Europe. You have no idea just how right that is.

Slovakia is like 50 years behind with the racism, fascism, sexism, corruption and the backward thinking is laughable.

And here comes Alex Wortex.

A single woman openly talking about female sexuality and masturbation. She’s not shaving herself and her hairy vagina is one the local news like every other day cuz apparently that’s the deadliest sin of all. She’s vitarian and she shares her forward life ideas on the instagram and gets unbelievable hate for doing so.

Alex shares “controversial” photos of her hairy armpits and colorful fashion outfits on her instagram feed alongside with funny, often sexually charged sketches.

If you live anywhere besides Slovakia you might be a bit confused like “what is wrong with that?”

Normal evolved 2019 brain would naturally say it’s totally up to individual to present themself on the internet anyhow they please – as long as they’re not hurting anyone.

But this is Slovakia and hairy lady legs will bring you fame and offence.

I don’t remember so many close-ups on someones vagina ever!

If any other abroad celebrity dressed up as Alex she would get praised for being so forward and original.

But Alex is getting prosecution threats.

Alex is incredibly smart and she can voice her opinions in very articulate ways I barely see so well written in my native language. It’s so refreshing. She’s truly the kindest spirit and you can see that in the way she deals with her daily hate comments with so much love and wishes of the enlightenment to her closed-minded haters.

Her controversialist nature and undeniable original fashion style she presents in everyday life brought her once again on a Prague fashion week as a show opener.

For the duration of MBPFW we’ve seen more of Alexe’s hair on the news than any other mention of MBPFW. Controversial Slovak model/influencer/blogger (the labeling truly varies and Alex herself laughs at that) in Prague – we must alert the church elders!

My mind truly buckles on the ridiculous responses to woman being herself.

I totally recommend checking out Alex Wortex instagram.

Unfortunately she’s not translating herself to english language but the visuals are also appealing. Or you can for once get to know what it’s like to need to translate everything a celebrity says.

Prague fashion week 2019 was definitely in the name of Alex Wortex and I am so in for it.

Already excited for next year.

      Prague Fashion week 2019 and Alex Wortex Mercedes-Benz Prague Fashion week 2019 is through so let's look back what was it all about. …

[suallenparker]

Philinda Fanfic: Behind the Scenes, Chapter 14

RATING: T

SPOILER: This is set in a Universe where Phil quit his Tony Stark babysitting duties after the first gig and returned to active field work. So, basically their backstories stay the same until after the first Iron Man Movie.

SUMMARY: After her former partner Phil Coulson almost got killed in action, the traumatized SHIELD agent Melinda May returns to duty. She and Phil  go undercover as contestants of the celebrated TV show “Forever Love” to catch a stalker and to trip a traitor.

NOTES: See Chapter 1. Big thanks to @firedragon1109 for cheering me through writing this! You’re the best! And big thank you to ALL of you for commenting and liking and leaving kudos! Your support means the world to me!

Read this on AO3

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o0o

Chapter 14: Heartbreak in which Eric breaks hearts.

When Melinda came out of her room across hers, Lorelei looked up, her eyes widened. She stood in front of her room door, holding a piece of paper in her right and something else on the palm of her left. Her face was pale. She looked so vulnerable in her striped sweatpants and the dark blue t shirt with planets on them. Her hair was up in a pony tail, her feet were bare. A light blue envelope lay next to her right foot.

But there was no threat. No guy holding a knife to her throat, no hooded figure with a gun, nothing. There wasn't even any blood.

Melinda felt horrible for being disappointed. Her heart was pumping fast and adrenalin ran through her body. She should be hunting down Garrett. She needed to fight someone. God, she wanted to fight someone right now! But instead she had to be here and comfort Lorelei. She hated doing comfort. Phil was the one who was good at making people feel safe. She was the one who made people run and hide. This would suck.

She patted Lorelei's arm. “Are you okay?”

Lorelei shook her head. “I wanted to get some chocolate before bed and when I got out I found this.” She showed her left hand.

Melinda took a deep breath and took a tiny metallic thing from Lorelei's palm. “That's a bullet,” she said.

“It really is a bullet?” Lorelei's voice broke. “Because it looks like one but I thought …” She shook her head again and swallowed hard. “Why would someone send me a bullet?”

“I don't know.” Melinda rubbed Lorelei's arm gently. But whomever had left this here, she really wanted to find them and punch their throat.

Lorelei took a shaky breath. “The bullet came with this.”

Lorelei handed her the paper and Melinda read it as she rubbed Lorelei's back.

“Your love is a lie, leave or die.”

What the absolute hell? Now Melinda really wanted to punch someone! She pressed her lips together. This whole mission was stupid, the show was stupid too but the women here were great people and they deserved better than this.

Suddenly they heard steps. Melinda pushed Lorelei behind her. Her heart was racing, her hands were up and in fighting position, before she could even think about it.

Audrey, wearing a bathrobe over a red silk negligee, turned a corner, carrying a cup of tea in both her hands. “You're still up?” she asked with a smile. “Had I known, I would've …” She frowned. “What's wrong?”

“Lorelei got a letter.”

Lorelei grabbed Melinda's arm. “You have a letter, too! And there's one at Audrey's door.”

Shit. Melinda looked at her door and there it was, a light blue envelope on the floor. And one leaned against Audrey's door.  She looked at Lorelei and squeezed her hand. “I need you and Audrey to go into your bathroom and lock yourselves in until I come back,” she said as calmly as she could. “Don't come out for anyone but me.”

“We're not gonna leave you alone!” Audrey said.

But she flinched when new steps approached them. Melinda pulled her behind her too.

“Who's there?”

“It's us!” That voice belonged to Javier. He walked quickly down the long hallway, and thank you, thank you, Nat followed directly behind him, a camera balanced on her shoulder.

“What's going on?” Javier asked.

Melinda looked directly at Nat. “Get security, someone left threats.”

o0o

They had found a letter with a bullet in front of Anisa's door as well when they had gone to check on her. Melinda had brought all the women into her room, where they sat on the bed and talked and talked and talked about the letters and who might've send them. An hour later Melinda was ready to pull out her hair, when Maggie and Phil entered the room. Maggie wore her usual black attire, Phil wore grey sweats and a black shirt with a Captain America logo on it.

Lorelei and Audrey turned on the bed, so they could look at him. Melinda and Anisa just sat up straighter.

“Good evening, Ladies,” Maggie said. “We want you to know that you're safe here. We're taking these threats very seriously and we will do everything to catch whomever did that.” She looked at each of the women. Her voice was soft. “And of course I understand if any of you want to be released from your contracts. My show is my life, but your well being is the most important thing for me. I assure you, should you decide to stay, my crew and I will do everything to catch whoever did this and to protect you. Still, I understand if you'd rather leave.”

“I agree with Maggie,” Phil said. “I love having you all here with me, but I wish you nothing but the best should you choose to leave now.”

“I'm staying,” Audrey said.

Lorelei lifted her chin. “I'm staying too.”

Anisa nodded sternly. “Me too.”

Phil and Melinda exchanged a look. They wouldn't run from this fight now. Melinda smiled at him. She was so ready to kick some ass.

o0o

The day after that he sent home Anisa. Yesterday he sent home Lorelei. Of course both cried, of course both felt heartbroken. And he felt so awful. This was just awful.

The only thing he could do was the minimize the pain and humiliation he was forced to cause these women.

Which was why he had to do what he had to do tonight.

This was all wrong. He pulled at the striped tie around his neck. He felt like he couldn't breathe.

The restaurant he stood in had dark wooden furniture and reminded him about a little sushi restaurant he and Melinda had discovered during a mission in Osaka. The decoration was sparse. Just a single white orchid and a long candle stood on each table. The chef that ran this place had studied in Tokyo and his sushi was legendary.

This was the last week and Maggie and her crew really had topped themselves  to make the last dates before the finale a romantic storm.

Audrey and he were supposed to start their evening here. They had even organized an opera singer to serenade them during their meal. And after that they would get the key to a beautiful hotel suite with a look over the city, where they could spend the night together.

Of course he was dressed to impress in his black suit.

Maggie was very excited about all of this. Apparently this all would look amazing on TV. He was just so ready for this to be over. Especially with Garrett still on the run. But first they had another creep to catch.

Nat already sat up her camera, so she could follow Audrey as soon as she would come in. Hand adjusted his tie again before she squeezed his shoulder. “You can do this,” she mumbled. “Just breathe.”

Finally Audrey arrived. She looked so beautiful in her bronze colored dress. Her hair framed her face in loose curls and fell down over her left shoulder, exposing the side of her slender neck.

She smiled at him as she walked towards him.

God, he hated this!

Then she stopped, her arms that she had raised to hug him fell down to her side. “You’re sending me home.”

“Audrey …”

“Your poker face is the worst.” She hugged herself and took a step back. You’re sending me home.”

“I’m sorry.” He pulled up his shoulders.

Tears welled up in her eyes and ran down her face. God, he was the worst! He wanted to reach out to her, but that wouldn't be fair.

“Audrey, I’m so sorry,” he said. “I’m so so sorry, I just …” He was so sorry. He didn't know what to say.

“It’s Diane, isn’t it?” She wiped away the tears with the back of her hand. “You’re picking Diane.”

“Yes.”

She pressed her lips together and nodded.

“I wish I could …” he tried.

She shook her head. “Did I even have a chance?”

“I would never willingly hurt you like this. You’re such a wonderful person and I admire you and I -”

“But you don’t love me.” She sounded defeated.

He was defeated, too. “Not like you deserve.”

“Do you love her?”

“Love of my life.” At least about that he didn't have to lie. “I’m so sorry, Audrey.”

New tears streamed down her face, she pressed her hands against her mouth and turned away from him.

This was the best he could've done for her and still it was terrible.

Five minutes later, Audrey was gone and Maggie glared at him, her hands placed on her hips.

“Couldn't you have gone on a date with her first?”

And hurt her even more? Hadn't she seen the tears on Audrey's face just then? What kind of monster would he have to be to have taken her on a date and spend a romantic night with her, knowing he would still dump her? That she never even had a chance?

“Don't look at me like that.” Maggie glared at him some more. “I'm just trying to make good TV.”

He snorted. Yeah right. Good TV. “I will make up for all the romance you just lost out on,” he said.

“Then I really need you to step things up with Diane!”

“No problem.”

At least the only broken heart there would be his.

o0o

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MORE NOTES: Just one more chapter left, whohooo! What do you guys think? Any ideas for Phil’s big romantic finale with Diane? ;)

[bibliophilebookreviews]

The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany

The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany by Lori Nelson Spielman

Picture it: Tuscany, 1959... Just kidding. But I am not kidding about how great this historical romance is. If you’ve heard the hype, believe it!

Here’s the spoiler-free premise: For generations, the second-born daughter in the Fontana family has been cursed in love. And now, in the present day, Emilia is refusing to believe she’s cursed but even if she is, she doesn’t mind the single life. Her cousin Luciana on the other hand is determined to break the curse. (In fact, the whole family has their hopes on Lucy.) When Emilia’s estranged great-aunt Poppy -- another second daughter -- calls to invite her and Lucy on an all-expenses-paid trip to Italy for her 80th birthday, Emilia is forced to choose between adventure and her loyalty to her Nonna. Having lost her mom at a young age, Emilia’s greatest maternal influence has always been Nonna, and Nonna Rosa runs the family. But Poppy has promised to break the curse and tell Emilia about her mother; it’s an offer Lucy and Emilia can’t refuse. And what they discover in Italy -- about Poppy, about themselves, and about their family -- changes everything. 

Let me say first that I enjoyed pretty much everything about this book, but let me start with my favorite thing which is Poppy’s story. Because she’s estranged from the family, she’s the enigma in the story. And it’s time to put the rumors to rest. But of course, being a colorful and sassy old lady, she’s got one heck of a love story. At once beautiful and heartbreaking, I couldn’t help but be drawn in -- I wanted to read Poppy’s story more than Emilia and Lucy’s in the present day! Now don’t get me wrong: Emilia and Lucy’s Italian adventure is a page-turner as well. Super kudos to the author for simultaneously interspersing Poppy’s story and weaving it together with Emilia’s.

Another thing I liked about this book is that the story was not predictable! I may have guessed literally one thing, but it still turned out differently than I expected. Also, it was a very easy read with a perfect pace. Both Emilia and Poppy’s chapters are narrated from their own perspectives and the language was appropriate. (I also learned a few new Italian words!) 

On its surface, this seems like the story is about Emilia (and Lucy) really discovering herself and finding the joy in life and love -- and it is. But whether they ever “find love” or “remain cursed” ceases to be the focal point of the story; it’s about being able to just enjoy the journey, surprises and all.

I think the ending of this novel ended perfectly. Normally, I want it to go one forever and to know exactly how everything turns out for everyone, but not so with this book. Again, it’s not so much about “happily ever after” but just “happy right now.” And while there’s no true epilogue, the reader gets enough information to be satisfied. It’s a natural conclusion. While I don’t necessarily need it to be made into a movie, I encourage anyone who’s even remotely interested to go ahead and take the plunge. It’s worth it!

[jaroslavlewis]

I've got a hard question for you! What would you say would be your gosho boys ranking from the one you like the most to the one you least like, and why? What is that you like the most and what do you not like about each of them?

Hi Anon!

Wow. That’s a really difficult question for me to answer because I love all of the Gosho Boys and I think that Gosho-sensei is just wonderful for blessing the fandom with four, smart, gorgeous dorks. It really breaks my heart to have to rank them, but here it goes…

*heavy breathing*

1. Hattori Heiji

Top spot goes to Heiji. It was hard to choose between him and Shinichi. They could’ve tied, but yeah I chose Heiji anyway. (I could imagine Heiji rubbing this in Shinichi’s face already. *Insert “WEST is the BEST” Heiji here*) Heiji won the top spot by a few points against Shinichi.  

Just an anecdote:If this question was asked like a few years earlier, I could’ve picked Shinichi. Like, when I got into the fandom, I was a bigass Shinichi-biased DCMK fan. I was around 11 or 12 that time and all I ever talked about was Shinichi. I hardly paid Heiji any attention, to be honest. At around high school up to college, I was practically gone from the DCMK fandom. Like, I did some exploring in other fandoms and I just left for a while, kind of like a really long vacation. Anyway, I came back here after college and I’ve been drinking a lot of the Heiji appreciation juice.

I think the reason for this is because of the character development I witnessed in Heiji. (I’ve already stated this in one of my blog posts, “Heiji’s Character Development” ) I don’t think I could stress this anymore. Other than this, I’m just really drawn to the KazuHei couple recently and I love how Heiji’s being such a dork about his confession. It’s awfully cute and it’s bringing out a different side of him.

Also fun fact about me, I’m not a big fan of tsundere characteres. Especially guys who are a tsundere. IDK. They’re just not my cup of tea. Most tsundere characters are just too mean and disrespectful for me (*coughs* Uchiha Sasuke *coughs* Hyuuga Natsume. I could name more, but I don’t want to make this longer).  Anyway, Heiji’s probably the only or if not, one of the few tsundere characters that I do like. Him and Vegeta (WOW THEY’RE BOTH VOICED BY THE AMAZING RYO HORIKAWA!).

Anyway, Heiji is a big exception to my dislike towards tsundere characters because even if he is a bigass tsundere, he doesn’t disrespect Kazuha. I mean, he argues with her a lot, yes. But their arguments are just about petty little things. By the end of the day, it’s just a KazuHei thing and no matter what happens, he’d always be by Kazuha’s side, protecting her always. I absolutely love how he’s protective of the women, especially when sneaky guys are trying to get their way to them. And  it’s not just about Kazuha. Heiji’s also like that to Ran as well. I love this about Heiji because he may come across as arrogant and intimidating, but really, he’s a total nice guy. He’s the ideal boyfriend and ideal brother. (I honestly want to see more Heiji-Ran moments because he’s a really great bro to Ran but sadly, their dynamics is pretty underrated.)

What I also love about Heiji is that he isn’t the “safe” kind of person. He is impulsive and aggressive. It’s a bit dangerous yes, but it makes him take the leap and take risks, which is something that I really do admire because I’m very much on the “safe side”. I’m not a spontaneous type of person and I would love change that about myself and be brave to take more risks, every now and then.

Ironically, Heiji’s impulsiveness and aggressiveness is also one of the things that I sort of dislike about Heiji. Sometimes, it’s a bit too much and he’s hurting himself. He gets injured a lot and this worries me a lot. Hahahaha Other than that, it sometimes gives him a hard shell, it conceals his soft side, which we rarely see, but yeah, it’s showing slowly. (Also see my reaction on episode 873, “Heiji’s Attempt to Confess”) Also, what I dislike about Heiji, actually, this is not  about Heiji alone. This is on the story line. I dislike how he’s taking so long to confess to Kazuha. I mean coz unlike ShinRan, they see each other everyday. But yeah, I do appreciate his efforts and yeah I understand he wants it to be perfect. So, overall, I don’t dislike this about him that much and it’s not his fault if Gosho wants to prolong that development. Hahahaha XD

Phew! I write so passionately about Heiji, I don’t know how I’m gonna get this ranking done. ^^” Huhuhu Sorry about this. Anyway…

2. Kudo Shinichi

Like I said earlier, Shinichi could’ve gone first, if this was asked years waayyy back. But yeah, I  still love Shinichi a lot. He only lost the top spot to Heiji by just a few points. (So Heiji, honey, don’t be so cocky about this. Hahaha.) The reason why Shinichi came in second is because he hasn’t changed much throughout the whole series of Detective Conan, not that he has much to change anyway. I could say, his character is a bit more stagnant compared to Heiji’s but then again, Shinichi was already perfect all throughout the beginning of the series. I honestly like and dislike this about him. Of course, I like how Shinichi’s mature and he has a lot of wisdom in him. He’s a good character. But I have to say, sometimes, Shinichi’s just too good to be true. It’s hard to see his more human and more relatable side. I honestly love imperfect characters more than perfect ones like Shinichi. As a writer and viewer I think they’re more relatable and more interesting to work with and watch/read about. Although, I honestly think that Shinichi becomes more human is when he is with Ran. He gets to be less “safe” and more transparent with his emotions. He’s so heavy on his principles and very strong about them, but with Ran he is different and for Ran, he actually does get to defy the principles he believes in and I love this about him. (Going a little off topic, but still related to what I’m talking about: This is why I love the Kyoto Arc so much because we get to see more of Shinichi being a regular teenager. I also love the episode about Ray Curtis because I got to see more of Shinichi’s emotions and we got to see how he can be imperfect at times and that because he was a big fan of Ray, he was at first being blind in his deductions because he’s biased towards Ray, but in the end, he does the right thing.) I mean, he is all about the truth but he lied to Ran, the most important person to him because he doesn’t want her to get involved with the BO. Like after the Conan thing, he was scared and we get this because it’s a life and death situation. Okay, so overall, I think Shinichi’s “perfect” character works well because he’s gonna get more interesting in the end. By being Conan, we saw him fall and all of a sudden he was less perfect than he used to be and he was more vulnerable. (OMG. I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE, GOSHO! OKAY AS I’M WRITING THIS, I’M A WAVERING AND I’M CONFUSED IF SHINICHI DOES RANK AS SECOND! But what’s done is done. So… HAHAHAHA XD)

Anyway, I love how Shinichi’s more calm than Heiji. I think it balances their friendship really well. They’re like Yin and Yang. I also like how he is more softer than Heiji. I mean, with Ran he’s more transparent with his caring side compared to how Heiji is to Kazuha. I think Heiji’s more on the tough-love kind. (I think this sprung from how he is raised by Heizo. Just a little theory.) Shinichi’s more transparent with his love for Ran and he’s more sure of his feelings, compared to Heiji who took a  lot of time figuring out that he actually has feelings for Kazuha. Shinichi was sure from the very beginning that he already loved Ran from the very moment that he saw her and I think this is just cute. Also, Shinichi’s such a gentleman especially during his date with Ran on the “Desperate Revival Arc.”

Another thing I love about Shinichi is his way with words. I love how he phrased his confession with Ran and I love how he talks sense to people. I think Shinichi would’ve been a writer like Yusaku if he wasn’t a detective. Just my opinion.

I love how ideal Shinichi is. I think that his thoughts are very ideal and if people in this world think like him, the world could have been a better place. But ironically, I think that I also dislike this about him in someway because his thoughts could and have already gotten him into trouble. Huhuhuhu This world is a cruel place for you, my child.

3. Kuroba Kaito

Kaito came in third for the only reason that I’m more into Detective Conan than Magic Kaito. Since I got into the DC fandom first, I’m a bit more attached to Heiji and Shinichi than I am to Kaito. I also think that I still have yet to discover about him. But I really do love Kaito as well. I love his playfulness. I love his bright character. I also love how he’s not the conventional type of good character. It’s a good conflict to his story. (I don’t think we have to discuss this further. We all get the point right? XD) I think compared to Conan’s story which is heavy on the murder and mystery, not to mention drama everytime the culprit admits to his/her crimes, Kaito’s story is more on the comic relief and adventure.

I love his clever tricks and everything just seems so fun with Kaito in it. What I do dislike a bit about Kaito is that sometimes he gets too playful about things to the point where he disrespects the people around him. I also do not like him looking at Aoko’s panties every single day of his life. I mean, Kaito dear, let me quote your father’s words, “That is not how you treat a lady.” >.

I think I can’t talk too much about Kaito as much as I did with Shinichi and Heiji, since I feel that I still don’t know him too well and this is the reason why Kaito came in third.

4. Hakuba Saguru

I feel bad about placing him last. I think that he is the most underrated Gosho Boy ever. T.T My reason for placing him last is sort of the same as my reason for ranking Kaito the third. I think that Hakuba nad Kaito could’ve actually tied in the ranking. Kaito just scored a few points higher than him ‘coz I’ve seen Kaito a bit more than I’ve seen Hakuba. I really like Hakuba’s character. I like how he’s so sassy but still classy. He’s also really dreamy. But I feel that there’s still a lot that I should know about him. I think Hakuba needs more exposure, tbh.

I think I can’t talk too much about things that I dislike about Hakuba, since I don’t know him that much. Other than how Hakuba insulted Heiji in “Three Days with Hattori Heiji, (I’m not too salty about this. It was really entertaining how he ticked Heiji off. But yeah, he insulted my fave. Hahaha) I think there’s not much I could come up with since like I said, I still don’t know Hakuba that much.

So to sum things up, most of the things I dislike about the boys is about how they could be extreme with the distinct trait that they have (Heiji with his aggressiveness, Shinichi with his principles and idealism, Kaito with his “extra-ness” and Hakuba with his sass).  Over all, the ranking is based on how well I got attached to the character and how well I know the character, not necessarilly on who I liked best. I think they are all interesting characters to be honest. Also I think, this ranking is just temporary and I feel that it would change in time as their respective storylines progress.

I hope I made my explanations clear and I’m sorry this was really long. I tend to word fart a lot. I also hope I don’t disappoint anyone with my ranking. This is just my opinion and personal preference and like I said, this ranking could change over time. I also hope you guys know that I really do love these boys so much and it was really hard for me to rank them. Over all, I’m just really beyond thankful that Gosho blessed my life with the Gosho Boys.

[fullperfectionwerewolf]

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[maysoper]

Take Warning?

I know new Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon has said that he's willing to do things differently, but there was a distinct similarity at tonight's NHL Draft Party in Raleigh. While the Hurricanes got their guy in Russian-born Andrei Svechnikov with the second-overall pick, there was other significant news happening in Raleigh at said party where the new Hurricanes alternate jersey was being unveiled. If you thought that the Hurricanes drafting a Russian in the first-round of the draft felt off - they haven't done that since 2001 when they selected Igor Knyazev 15th-overall - their newest wardrobe addition comes directly from 2008. Now you might be asking, "How does 2008 relate to this?" Let me take you back to this article I wrote on Wednesday, September 10, 2008. I start it off by writing,

Carolina was the first team to introduce the new alternate jerseys today, and I was anticipating good things from the Hurricanes. They basically kept the same design that they previously had before Reebok came in and messed around with the designs, and I commended them for that. However, today's unveiling leaves me disappointed. A lot. To say the least.

First team to introduce the new alternates? Check. Basically kept the same design that they previous had? Check. Today's unveiling leaving me disappointed? Check.

Ladies and gentlemen, I will go on record right now and admit that I absolutely abhor black alternate jerseys. Alternate jerseys should be fun in using a secondary colour that doesn't get highlighted in a team's colour scheme very often. Further to this, there is enough history in the Hurricanes franchise that it has options for what it could select as a fun alternative to their regular duds. Hartford Whalers colours? Maybe bring back the uniform work by Pat Verbeek, but swap the green for the red and plop the Hurricanes logo on the front? I'm just spitballing here, but there has to be something better than...

As I wrote ten years ago, "I understand that black might be a "cool" colour to choose for alternate designs, and I realize it's part of their colour scheme, black jerseys have already been done. And done. And done. And done again." But since we're faced with another black iteration of the Hurricanes, I'll break this one down here as well. First, they finally got the flag right. The two square flags are an actual hurricane warning as opposed to the single square flag they used on their old black alternates. It might have taken the team a decade to correct it, but progress is progress. Credit where credit is due on this one. Can we stop with the ghosting? If you can't see it, it doesn't exist on jerseys. Ghosting the storm flags inside the collar and the primary Hurricanes logo and the North Carolina state flag on the shoulders is idiotic if you have to be right next to the player to see it. These are literally subtractions by addition when it comes to black jerseys. Here's a quick tip: little pops of colour against a black background make those pops of colour stand out to the human eye. Maybe incorporate this idea into your future designs? The charcoal gray on the shoulders is an interesting touch considering it's not one of the Hurricanes' colours nor does it really fit into the design here. Why change just that part of the jersey to an off-colour black and then not use it anywhere else on the uniform? I'm baffled by this decision. It literally feels like this was just colour-for-colour's-sake despite "storm gray" barely being off the black colour spectrum. Again, subtraction by addition. They got new gloves! Is this a feature? Why point that out? The gloves should match the uniform, no? Yay for supplying your team with gloves that match the new uniforms, Mr. Dundon! The new wordmark is probably amazing, but it's unseen in the promotional image above so why point it out in big, bold lettering? I'm not sure who is doing these release graphics for the team, but this one is really stretching for why I should like this new alternate uniform. In any case, the wordmark, seen in an entirely separate photo, is alright, and I kind of like the little hurricane warning flags built into the lettering. Sometimes, the details matter. This is one of those times, so kudos to whoever came up with this idea! Are there no number or letter fonts being used on the promotional photo? That answer is no, so we'll refer to another image. Luckily, the Hurricanes are going to use the same font as they do on their regular home and road sets, and that's a good thing. It's clean, it's crisp, and - ohmagawd! - the colours pop against the black! I'm not sure who mentioned that before, but we'll just leave that alone for now. In any case, the fonts still work well on this uniform. You may not know this, but Adidas, who are now making all the NHL jerseys, did a little thing at the World Cup of Hockey with some teams called "heathering". In the textile world, heathering is the process in which yarns of mixed colors are interwoven to produce flecks of an alternate color within the base colour. It should be noted that heather yarn is more expensive than regular fabrics, so you're $300 USD price tag for these jerseys are now justified, right? Back to the point, the Hurricanes are now featuring heathered red striping on the arms and hems that "is evident when viewed up close". I'm so happy that hockey is a sport where we, the fans, get to spend so much time up close to the players that we can appreciate these tiny nuances that literally make no difference on TV. Look, I said it eight years ago when they rolled out the storm alternate jerseys, and I'm saying it here again today: "[t]he logo is good, but the all-black look ranks low for me." Sorry, Carolina. I own a red jersey, and it's vastly superior to anything black you've rolled out ten years ago or today. It might be time for a new direction. Tom Dundon spoke it, but I have yet to see Carolina move in any new direction. Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice! from Sports News http://hockey-blog-in-canada.blogspot.com/2018/06/take-warning.html