first three pairing rambles

First three pairings requested for this meme:

Comment with any pairing (or trio) from any of my fandoms and I will ramble (or drabble), as the whim strikes me, for at least 100 words about aforementioned pairing. This may be incoherent gushing or exclamations of disgust or actual writing, depending on my mood.

( FRANNIE VECCHIO / RAY KOWALSKI )

( STELLA KOWALSKI / RAY VECCHIO )

( DIEF AND FRASER (friendship) )

crazy shoes!

For reasons that I'm not actually going to totally get into -- they involve me and Nifra deciding Lyra is secretly an angry dwarf, and then all three of us discussing different ways she disguises her height in fan gatherings -- I started telling Nifra all about these crazy tall shoes Italian women used to wear in the Middle Ages or Renaissance. Nifra has no clue what the hell I am talking about, of course, and I don't know have my copy of Underground Education with me to consult. However, proper dedication and google image seach is your friend, and I finally came up with this page.

The first thing Nifra said to me when she saw the picture (out of context on the page) was, "Are those, like, proto-dildoes?" The second thing Lyra said was, "OMG, it looks like a PENIS!"

My friends. So innocent and pure.