#But it was somebody's first ace representation

[oldtvandcomics]

Happy Queer Media Monday!

Today: Heartless

Is this webcomic, in the big scope of things, “important”? Not really, not. But damn, was it important to me!

(Clara Adams with a sword, from the cover picture of the webcomic)

Heartless is a webcomic about an asexual vampire in early Victorian London. Clara, after being transformed, struggles to learn how to fit into the new vampire society, especially with using the vampire’s signature ability to hypnotize prey and/or enemies. Vampire society is divided into hierarchies based on who can hypnotize you. “Common-hearted” vampires are susceptible to both men and women, while “noble-hearted” vampires pride themselves on them being only susceptible to one of the two. The third category, the “heartless”, are not attracted to anyone, which makes them very dangerous to the others. They are also rather rare, given that being hypnotized usually is the first step to being bitten. Clara is a heartless, and she will need all her wit and abilities to defend her group of vampires against a rival group.

@heartless-webcomic​ was run by Emily Griggs, who self-published here on Tumblr. It was popular enough that she could put together a crowdfunding and publish a limited edition of the first part of her comic in print. Unfortunately, there is no trace of it in Griggs’ online stores now, so I assume it sold out a long time ago.

Heartless was important for me, personally, because it was still ongoing when I was first coming out and beginning to look around in the community, and Clara ended up being my first canonically ace character (I am asexual myself). Also, though by no means perfect, it is genuinely a nice little story.

Heartless is already completed, and can be read here, or here if you are on mobile. Emily Griggs goes under the pseudonym “Sweet Ingenuity”, and you can find her under it on places like Etsy and her own website.

Queer Media Monday is an action I started to talk about some important and/or interesting parts of our queer heritage, that people, especially young people who are only just beginning to discover the wealth of stories out there, should be aware of. Please feel free to join in on the fun and make your own posts about things you personally find important!

[sanyu-thewitch05]

Twisted Wonderland First Kiss Headcanons:

Diasomnia, Savannah Claw, and Heartslabyul

Diasomnia:

Malleus:

Your first kiss with him was absolutely awful

First off, he started with the French kissing

When I tell you, his tongue is like the facehugger from the alien series

His split tongue is going to the back of your throat.

Gag reflex is trying to work but he’s not stopping

Literally won’t stop kissing you either until you run out of air or

When he accidentally burns your tongue because his fire breath was activated.

He’s just a very awkward kisser. It’s not his fault though

He’s trying.

You make him watch a how to kiss YouTube video afterwards.

Silver:

Shoujo Prince#1

When he kisses you, it feels like roses are in the air.

The perfect kiss

It’s like being kissed by a Disney prince.

Says the most romantic or cute afterwards

“That didn’t feel weird, did it?”

“No, not at all 😍”

It’s just too much for one person

He’s too perfect.

Sebek:

Awkward but not awful

It’s the perfect representation of a teen’s first kiss.

It’s not perfect, but not horrible either

He did accidentally bite your bottom lip though

One he realized your lip was drawing blood, he stopped kissing you and started his shouting antics.

“Somebody help! My lover is bleeding!”

“I’m fine-“

“We have to disinfect the wounds so my superior fae bacteria doesn’t cause an infection!”

“What? What kind of logic is that?!”

“The right logic!”

In the end, you end up with a a cute little band aid on your lip.

Lilia:

He’s a good kisser.

When he kisses you, it’s the type of kiss that has enough passion that could lead to sex.

That’s how good he is.

Doesn’t use too much tongue

Not too forceful

Not eating your face or lips.

Leaves a hickey on your neck afterwards

He’s the one using his tippy toes to kiss you in the relationship.

Savanaclaw:

Leona:

Shoujo Prince#2

Kisses like a broody anime prince

Tilts your chin beforehand then kisses you

Has his tail wrapped around you

His tail brushes your cheeks

Says the most romantic thing ever

“Don’t go around getting into trouble without me beside you, ok?”

Didn’t expect Leona to be so romantic but it’s accepted.

Jack

His kiss is adorable

His tail is wagging the whole time

The whole experience is so cute

He starts off on the lips, stops, blushes, sees you smiling, then makes his next move.

Jack begins to pepper your cheeks with kisses and you go to the ground

Basically like having a dog lick you but instead it’s kisses.

“Aww, Jack I love you too!”

His ears are perky the entire time.

It’s adorable.

Ruggie:

He’s a sneak kisser.

He kisses you after a snack steal gone right.

“Thanks for helping me steal all these snacks!”

“No problem-mmph!”

He gives you a quick smooch, then runs off.

“See you later!”

“Ok! What just happened?”

You just accept the new title as his lover/partner in crime.

Heartslabyul:

Ace:

A mix of Sebek and Malleus

The kiss is too long so it becomes awkward

But he doesn’t use tongue

Afterwards, he’s a blushing mess

“So are we like dating now? Because if we’re not that’s totally cool! I can be friends with you after this-“

“Just shut up and kiss me, Ace.”

He does as you say and it’s happily ever after after that.

Deuce:

He’s a surprisingly good kisser.

In his delinquent past, he had a couple of girlfriends.

He learned what worked after a while(couldn’t lose his street cred because of his inability to kiss well)

His lips are soft.

And they taste like cherries.

“Is that cherry flavored lip balm?”

“Oh yeah! I bought some chapstick to repair the damage from my lips from all the fights I used to get into!”

“Wow. Good for you.”

Continues kissing you and it lasts for seven minutes.

Riddle:

This boy watched several how to kiss videos

But despite that, the whole experience is awkward.

“Do you want me to squat down?”

“Just stay still, I can reach you without you having to squat down.”

Riddle tries to jump to your lips several times.

Finally he jumps on you and wraps his legs around your waist.

When he kisses you it feels ok but in an unnatural way.

In theory he knows how to kiss, but because he’s never done it before, it doesn’t play out the same way as when he kisses his fruit.

“So, how was it?”

“Umm..it was ok..”

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY OK?!”

“Riddle, it’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”

“Yes, it is! I’m supposed to be a good kisser to impress you!”

“Riddle, really it’s fine.”

“In that case, I’ll have to kiss you more so I know what to do.”

Trey:

This man is a freak.

Straight up had you banging on his door for help.

When he kisses you, it starts out normal.

Then he starts using his tongue.

It moves around in your mouth inspecting your teeth and gums.

When his tongue runs over your teeth you scream.

“Trey! What are you doing?!”

“You’re neglecting to properly brush your front teeth. There’s a bit of plaque on them. Don’t worry, I can’t get rid of it with my guest dental kit.”

“Help! Someone help!”

“Now say ah…”

“Help, he’s going to brush my teeth!”

Trey brushes your teeth but everyone else it sounded like sex.

Especially because all they heard was your screams, something vibrating, and Trey saying things like “It won’t hurt” and “Be still for a minute.”

You ended up with clean teeth, but that’s where it got weirder.

Trey got amped up and continued where he left off.

At that point you just accept your weird boyfriend.

Cater:

He’s a good kisser.

He’s had many short term girlfriends over the years from moving around so much.

“Don’t be nervous, Cay Cay knows just how to make it your best kiss ever!”

When he kisses you, he doesn’t use tongue at first.

When you’re comfortable enough, that’s when he asks.

“Do you mind if we take it up a notch?”

“Oh, sure. I don’t really know how to do stuff like that…”

“I’ll teach you. Just follow my lead.”

He led you through the whole experience of kissing while using your tongue.

By the end you’ve learned things and are going to keep learning things with Cater.

“See, I told ya Cay Cay would help you!”

He kisses your cheek and wraps an arm around you.

You both smile and giggle.

[residentdormouse]

OC in Fifteen (or Less)

Thanks for the tag, @watermeezer. Sorry I've been sitting on this for a while. Didn't realize it was in my drafts til I went to post my chapter update. I really need to start getting back to interacting on here outside of living in the Gale Dekarios tag... Ah well, suppose the yearning rats know what they want...

Rules: Share 15 or fewer lines of dialogue from an OC, ideally lines that capture the character/personality/vibe of the OC. Bonus points for just using the dialogue without other details about the scene, but you're free to include those as well!

Sooo....

I've got one main OC that kinda just goes everywhere (the Stand, original worlds, Baldur's Gate), so Hayden Flynn it is:

"You'll have to excuse my ignorance, not exactly a local."

"Just because he is what he is, doesn't make him a threat. Only his choices would do that. You do make some pretty questionable choices sometimes, though.”

“Yeah, I'm apparently an open book…"

"Hey, I don't think life is going how anybody imagined it would. But it doesn't mean we can't make the best of what life is now. If you need somebody to listen, well, just know I'm here."

"Ok, so I'm gonna sound bat shit crazy right now but..."

"I'm just trying to make sure I'm not imposing! Stop letting me babble on like an idiot."

“It's what he said… I’m afraid of who I was, failing at who I am, and I’m not able to help anybody… just wasting energy on dead men.”

"An ace can be high or low, y'know. You can decide when you play that hand."

"Woah there, pot, I know I'm a kettle here too, but uh, I'm using magic for healing. And maybe to catch a buzz. It's not like I'm flying around here eating people or some shit. Let's just keep things in perspective, kay?"

"I would have remembered none of this if you all didn't choose violence first. And that. That's called karma, my friend, and she is quite the bitch."

“I don't think you want to be the bad guy, but that's just a gut feeling I'm having. Like to think I'm good at reading people, especially stuff they're not trying to advertise. Besides, what's to lose? I look like an idiot asking for help from an unlikely source. What does it matter, in the grand scheme of things? I have to try.”

This is the first time I'm here, yeah? Maybe it's time for a monkey wrench in the gears?"

And I don't believe it would be a true representation with at least including:

"Fuck off, Flagg." (It's a staple.)

No-pressure tagging: @cxttlefishcxller, @darknightfrombeyond, and OPEN TAG for anybody who wants to join in! (Like I said, out of the game, and barely leave the Gale tag...)

***IF YOU'RE READING THIS FROM THE BG3 FANDOM, AND YOU WRITE, PLEASE CONSIDER YOURSELF TAGGED! @ ME AND THROW OUT SOME OC/TAV LOVE.***

[uncool-hero]

Chucky LGBTQ Headcannons

Part One:

Tiffany Valentine (she/her) - panromantic demisexual

Tiffany has dated and been romantic with both men and women. She dated Damien while Chucky was gone, was romantic/sensual with Delilah when Chucky asked her too at their first meeting, dated Chucky as a man, a doll, and a woman (Nica’s body), and was in love with Nica when she wasn’t being possessed by Chucky.

I think she was in love with both Chucky and Nica at different points in time. She literally waited ten years to be able to get all of the pieces of Chucky’s doll body back together to bring him back to life so she could be with him again. And with Nica, after “dating” her originally because part of Chucky’s soul was in her body, she eventually tells Nica:

"You see, the thing is, Nica. I spend some time with you, I spend some time with Chucky and I gotta say, I like you better."

and

"Sometimes when we're together, I see you looking at me and I know it's you. It's not Chucky. It's you, and I live for those moments. I wanna have those moments all the time."

She loved Chucky first, then Nica.

And she doesn’t really care what gender the person is, she just loves who she loves. Even when Chucky was fully in control of Nica’s body at the end of Cult of Chucky, she tells him that she doesn’t mind and that she kind of likes him being in a woman’s body.

Now, as far as her being demisexual, when she was with Damien, she never slept with him, and she says:

“I’ll kill anybody, but I’ll only sleep with somebody I love.”

As someone on the ace spectrum myself, that line has made me headcannon her as demisexual since I first watched Bride of Chucky.

I also think that Tiff is probably very educated on different sexualities and genders, because when Glen/Glenda told her and Chucky that they wanted to be both a girl and a boy, before getting cut off by Chucky, she starts to explain that some people may identify that way. That movie took place in 2004, and not near as many people then were aware of nonbinary identities. But despite being educated on sexualities and genders, I don’t think that Tiffany really feels the need to label her sexuality. For her, it’s just who she is.

Anyway, I’ll probably make another one of these soon because I’m way too invested into the Chucky franchise and the lgbtq representation we get in it :))

[void-star]

I may be aroace, but I'm queer first and above all.

If you spot somebody on tunglr dot com talkin shit about how they're a sex-repulsed ace or romance-repulsed aro and some nonsense in fiction or fandom is oppressing them, they are essentially using their personal disgust to censor and control other people the same way people try to do that shit with dark/heavy/taboo fiction.

I am uninterested in sexual relationships with other people. I can have some strong, aversive reactions to people making romantic or sexual advances towards me. I carry a lot of heart break about amatonormativity and the social notions and expectations of relationships. And I'm also a fully grown adult living in a world that expects dual-income households at minimum.

I'm not upset about the presence of romance plots or sex scenes (personally, I love them, but I want them to be better written so that they are part of the character study). I don't want aroace representation in the form of characters who are never desired romantically or sexually, or who come out only when they are rejecting someone's advances and then never brought up again.

Like the sex scenes and romance plots, I want them to have depth and exploration and fullness.

And that fact alone is starting to feel incredibly isolating and alienating as some of ya'll drag this further and further off a stupid ass cliff.

[asrtron]

The best numerologists prediction of your life in India

Numerology is an old review that draws significance from various numbers, number blends, letters, and images in your day to day existence. We can learn new things about who we are by tapping into the universe's underlying patterns through this art. Your Life-Path numerology number is probably the most significant aspect of numerology to take into account. 

This is not entirely settled by your introduction to the world date and addresses who you are as of now. It points to particular characteristics that are already present and are likely to remain active and influential throughout your life. Enter your introduction to the world data beneath to ascertain your Life Way Number and get your Everyday Numeroscope.

Customarily, while computing our life way number, or any numbers in our numerological representation, we separate it into a solitary digit number. Nonetheless, there are two exemptions for this standard: 11 and 22. These unique numbers are thought of as "ace numbers"  and thus, have more potential than others.

For what reason would they say they are so unique? They now no longer most effectively have  digits which might be the same, however in addition they have numerology calculator effective numbers that may be doubled. In numerology, "One" is the leader, and "Two" is the harmonizer. In both positive and negative ways, having these identical digits together generates a lot of energy and power.

It is essential to take note of that expert numbers are typically found in our life way number. They should be added to a single-digit number if they appear in your numerological portrait. The most important thing you want in the world is represented by numerology number your soul number, also known as the soul's urge. It addresses what your spirit profoundly aches for in this life. It is your fundamental identity and what you require to be content. The Pythagorean number system, which assigns a single-digit number to each letter, is used to calculate the soul number, in contrast to the life path number, which is calculated by adding all of your birthday's digits together.

To find your spirit number, include every one of the vowels of your name until you get a solitary digit number. For instance, on the off chance that we were searching for the spirit number of somebody named Jack Smith, you add together. In the event that you've made a wish when the clock struck 11:11 or gave a look when your espresso request sums you are now acquainted with the idea of heavenly messenger numbers. Angel numbers are a series of numbers that keep coming back to you as messages from the universe.

Each number in numerology has its own energy vibration; the more frequently you see that number, particularly in succession, the more grounded the name numerology vibration gets. You will typically see heavenly messenger numbers haphazardly out on the planet: the time on the clock, your receipt, in a book you're perusing. Don't ignore a number that keeps coming up again and again! It could be a message from the universe to you.

This energy is forward-thinking, upbeat, brave, and alive. This makes a One individual normal at assuming responsibility for any circumstance they're in. Ones are areas of strength for free individuals — which makes compromising with them troublesome. It's their way of doing things numerology numbers or they forget about it. Be that as it may, while One is dependably the first, it can likewise be the loneliest number. Ones are driven to greatness, motivated, and determined when they are at their best. They are controlling, obstinate, and self-critical at their worst.

The quantity of duality, "Two," addresses congruity. Above all else, this number promotes diplomacy and peace. They are the peacekeepers of numerology, loathing struggle regardless of anything else. You simply believe everybody should get along! You can see all numerology name calculator sides of a contention, which is perfect for compromising yet not really ideal when they need to remain by their convictions. Twos aspire most of all to be loved without condition. They are likewise quite possibly the most natural number in numerology, attracted to Tarot cards, palmistry, and different types of divination. At their best, Twos are caring, legit, and great companions. Best case scenario, they are excessively touchy, ambivalent, and benevolent.

Continuously the energy everyone needs, the number "Three" is the performer of numerology. Imaginative, active, and stunning, they are consistently at the center of attention  regardless of whether they search it out (however they typically do). Threes love to put themselves out there in different ways  from how they dress to their correspondence style. You will frequently see Threes drawn to human expression and media outlets, either as a side interest or a profession. However, Three can be quite dramatic despite treating the entire world as a stage. Regardless of anything else, Threes make every moment count.

Threes are charismatic, generous, and optimistic at their best. They are directionless, superficial, and irritable at their worst. Four is the manufacturer of name numerology calculator. They put in a lot of effort, starting projects and tasks from scratch and building them up. They are calculated, functional, and practical. While you have a serious, straightforward demeanor with regards to life, it might give you a standing for being a downer. However, all you want is the best for everyone. At their best, Fours are methodical, trained, and trustworthy. They are strict, obstinate, and blunt at their worst.

[ursbearhug]

Somebody pissed me off so I'm gonna be annoying on the Internet. You're welcome.

Imma be ranting, so feel free to continue scrolling or whatever.

"What gay representation do you want?". Bitch, cool one.

I have a lot of expectations for my gay representation because the one I'm being subjected to is so whatever that I need to put the bar higher.

Lately, I've seen *a lot* of memes of "Gen Z has Heartstopper and we had [insert something]" and they both vex me and perplex me.

I will be honest here; I used to love Heartstopper at some point. It was nicely drawn and it was warm and cuddly. But then I lost interest. For one, Charlie is just boring character and I do not care for him. What bugs me about some media I had the opportunity to reflect upon lately is; characters are just flat. It's like character customisation, pick one (1) hobby, one (1) good characteristic, one (1) flaw and voilà. At some point I just swapped Charlie with a plank of wood tied to a body pillow and there was no goddamn difference. And it was such a blantant wish fulfillment of dating the 'golden retriever' boy in highschool(?). By the time I arrived at Charlie dealing with his eating disorders I just completely lost interest in the comic all together because I didn't care. I watched the show and it just reignited issues I had with it, compounded by the character of Tao (like seriously kill this guy). I *hate* the fact, that the entirety of first season is about people speculating about Nick's sexuality. Like fuuuuuuuuuck ooooooooooff. Mind your goddamn fucking business. Also fuck Tao. Like, nothing more infuriating than striaght bitch sliding into everyone else's business. Also something show didn't mention is that, it's Tao's fault that school learnt of Charlie's sexuality; because bitch cannot keep his mouth shut and somebody overheard him (which, funnily enough, is the exact same thing that happened to me, except, I was significantly younger than Charlie). There was so much pressure on a guy to label himself. And you know what? I would like this story more if Nick said he's straight and still want them to date. Would people make fun of it? Of course. Would I care? Not a single bit. I'd rather have Nick a straight guy hooking up with gays via grindr than having 20 episodes of people walking into his life, uninvited, in their dirty ass shoes. My further lost of interests happened when Nick's actor has been taking shit from people on the Internet. I was just done with young queer community.

Heartstopper, itself, is not horrible. Like, that's nice that young, discovering world, queers have access to something fuzzy and bengin. The thing that makes me somehow... Icked? Is that there is a distinction to be made between homosexual and homoromantic. Or in general.

Like, I know that for a large group of folk, this is very synonymous. But to me, it feels only natural and normal, that media targeted and younger audiences will not go into sex area. Mostly because... Why would you want to know what sex live of 16year olds looks like? It's fine to have it in the subtext or have it told not shown. Teenagers discover their sex lives in their own weird way. And I would know. I was one.

But queer media should target more than just a subset of the whole community that happens to be age 18(?) and lower. I want to watch a film where two bears fuck the shit out of each other before they go to work, spend day sexting each other and then have banter over who's turn it is to cook dinner and plan homicide because the other half didn't wash dishes. Or have bi girl living it up in french clubs, having safe, consensual, fun and mutually gratifying sex with 12 people before catching a plane to other part of the world. Or showing experiences of old queer folk. There is so much more to show *and* tell than just two teenage boys making big eyes at each other for 20 episodes and then sharing a kiss in the rain.

And saying this as a very "fake" ace guy; media made for adults should explicitly show adult content. Having some sexual fun is something people do. And sex isn't (or isn't always, I should say) some astral projecting, earthshattering and mindblowing experience. Sex can be whatever one and their partners want to be. Therefore, it can be non at all too.

Queer folk are plentiful and weird in their own way. People are not happy when their intelligence or life experiences are being limited to one, cookie cutter, out-of-the-community publicially acceptable potrayal. Nobody wants to see two underaged boys fuck. Some, wants to see something more akin to what their life is and not some high life Kate Perry teenage dream esque shit.

Anyway, I've lost my ace privileges and I'm so fake. Hide your men, boys girls and other gluten creatures, I cannot be trusted and I apparently cannot Google pornhub - since I demand public and cinematic depravity of gay men and women having sex on screen. Burn me at the stake, from me in the ditch, send nudes xoxo.

[leporellian]

Why I Chose Every Character That Went Into The Opera Playing Cards

so! if you are unaware, one of my Products(TM) that i sell are whole opera-themed card decks. they are probably one of my favorite projects that i've worked on (and you can get them on my etsy). i realized that i never did actually go into the way i chose opera characters for each playing card here, which is silly bc honestly figuring that one out was the most difficult part of the process. i decided instead of focusing on specific operas, i'd focus on the cartomancy meaning behind every playing card. i looked at each one, figured out who they reminded me of, and then went from there; ground rules being every character only got one card and no opera could have more than 3 card representations in the deck.

i should note that cartomancy meanings vary by source to source so mine might not be fully 'accurate' to everyone. i should also note that while i find it a fun idea, i don't actually have any supernatural beliefs regarding cartomancy (or everything else) and took it as a literary analysis thing more than anything.

without further ado: every card meaning and character on it.

also i spent like 2 hours on this post so. Ha ha

THE SPADES (regarding challenges and overcoming them)

MEPHISTOPHELES, THE ACE OF SPADES: The Ace of Spades, traditionally the first card in the deck, stands for 'death' and endings. It can also stand for all sorts of other bad things; spite, misfortune... but the Ace of Spades isn't necessarily a 'bad' card. It can mean endings of anything, deaths of anything both literal and metaphorical.

AZUCENA, THE TWO OF SPADES: The Two of Spades can stand for deceit, change (particularly regarding identities from what I can tell), and difficult decisions. It can also suggest uncertainty and a removal, as if this change in identity wasn't planned but rather forced by circumstance.

COUNT ALMAVIVA, THE THREE OF SPADES: Infidelity, particularly in marriages. Poor communications, opportunity running dry, troubled relationships; the Three of Spades has it all in one unfortunate package.

VIOLETTA, THE FOUR OF SPADES: The Four of Spades is traditionally associated with illness; sometimes even just the lingering worry of it. However, it carries the dual meaning of broken promises: Either you will be able to fulfill a promise, or someone you love will break one for you.

SIEGFRIED AND FAFNER, THE FIVE OF SPADES: The Five of Spades stands as something of a 'starter' problem, a challenge you will rise against for now. You might have greater challenges in the future ahead of you, but for now you will find success against this first difficulty. Hooray!.....?

TOSCA, THE SIX OF SPADES: Improvements, positive change, purpose, rebellious upswing. The Six of Spades is never the answer to a conflict, and there's often the implication that problems will go on. But in the moment there is this little bit of revolution, this little commitment to making life a bit better.

EUGENE ONEGIN AND LENSKY, THE SEVEN OF SPADES: The Seven of Spades stands for bad advice, and worse decisions, often ones made on impulsive whims. It may also refer to a difficult situation with no clear winners. Either way, it also stands for the grief and loss that will arise because of itself.

SPARAFUCILE AND MADDALENA, THE EIGHT OF SPADES: The Eight of Spades stands for deceit and danger, particularly coming from what was once a promising financial/personal opportunity. It can also refer to plans going awry, or crossroads at work forcing you to make an important decision. Caution is advised, in any case.

LEPORELLO, THE NINE OF SPADES: Bad luck, accidents, anxiety. The Nine of Spades is sometimes a card of indecision, and sometimes a card of helplessness in the face of danger. It can also mean that the threat of loss is looming over your life- the loss of somebody close to you.

DON GIOVANNI, THE TEN OF SPADES: The Ten of Spades is a warning. Bad news and evil- often implied to be something untamable and fundamentally irrational- is on its way, and the best you can do is duck out of its way before it gets to you. Something wicked this way comes...

L'ENFANT (from ravel's 'l'enfant et les sortileges'), THE JACK OF SPADES: The Jack of Spades is the sign of a troublesome youth, wild and unkempt, who will cause problems almost unwittingly. However, this card isn't necessarily a warning of evil like the Ten of Spades; the Jack of Spades is an annoyance but not actively really malicious.

THE COUNTESS (from tchaikovsky's 'the queen of spades'), THE... QUEEN OF SPADES: Besides the fun name coincidence, the Queen of Spades stands for a dark-haired woman, commonly interpreted as a widow. She will offer you advice but it's up to you how to utilize it or even if you should utilize it at all.

BARON SCARPIA, THE KING OF SPADES: The King of Spades stands for an accomplished older man, often a position of authority. He is smart and ambitious, and a force to be reckoned with; but he is selfish and it will be his selfishness and blind pursuit of his own desires that will do him in.

THE DIAMONDS (regarding money and financial matters)

ROSINA (barber of seville), THE ACE OF DIAMONDS: The Ace of Diamonds, most literally, stands for small gifts- a bracelet, or a ring, or (most commonly) a letter. However, more metaphorically, it stands for upgrades and new opportunity; new households, new relationships, and new social status.

DONNA ELVIRA, THE TWO OF DIAMONDS: The Two of Diamonds usually stands for disapproval of a relationship, whether personally or societally. Often these relationships are implied to be affairs- ones that could have disastrous consequences for all involved.

LUCIA ASHTON, THE THREE OF DIAMONDS: The Three of Diamonds is another warning card. In its broadest strokes it symbolizes trouble, but if you look closer it often stands for broken marriages and violence in the home between families. It is a card that is at once very still and very violent; the calm before a storm.

TOM RAKEWELL, THE FOUR OF DIAMONDS: The Four of Diamonds stands for unexpected money and inheritance, and a sudden coming into one's own. However, it can also stand for heeding the advice of those closest to you, whether positive... or negative.

PORGY AND BESS, THE FIVE OF DIAMONDS: Like the Six of Spades, the Five of Diamonds is seen as a smaller card in the grand scheme of things; problems will go on before and after it. But it stands for improvements, and solidarity; quiet new beginnings and newfound hope.

B.F. PINKERTON, THE SIX OF DIAMONDS: The Six of Diamonds stands for domestic trouble and infidelity, but unlike the Three of Spades it focuses particularly on problems in a second marriage or multiple conflicting promises that cannot all be fulfilled. There's an urge to take responsibility- but also a sense that the urge will be ignored.

RODOLFO AND MARCELLO, THE SEVEN OF DIAMONDS: (fun fact this was the last card i did in the whole deck.) The Seven of Diamonds stands for financial challenges, particularly when it comes to work. It can also indicate meeting someone new, although this interpretation is much rarer.

FAUST, THE EIGHT OF DIAMONDS: The Eight of Diamonds stands for things coming in time. You may not find financial opportunities or even romance now, but they will surprise you later in life; you just have to look for them and stop worrying about the alleged value of youth.

BILLY BUDD, THE NINE OF DIAMONDS: The Nine of Diamonds often stands for new business opportunity presenting themselves in the workplace; most commonly the opportunity to travel.

HANNA GLAWARI, THE TEN OF DIAMONDS: The Ten of Diamonds stands for financial prosperity to the point of excess, as well as good fortune with your relationships and the people you choose to surround yourself with. Success is here! Celebrate!

DESPINA, THE JACK OF DIAMONDS: The Jack of Diamonds represents a close friend with darker intentions. She may be the bearer of bad news, or she may just be a gossip. The Jack of Diamonds is unreliable and dishonest, and would absolutely sell you out in a heartbeat.

CARMEN, THE QUEEN OF DIAMONDS: The Queen of Diamonds stands for an outgoing, flirtatious woman, one who isn't afraid to take life by the horns. Be her friend and she will be a great asset, be her enemy and you will always be annoyed with her. However, either way: Try to sever her from her carefree life, and there will be consequences.

KING FILIPPO, THE KING OF DIAMONDS: Like the King of Spades, the King of Diamonds is an accomplished older authoritative figure. He is often one of great influence over the people around him, although he may not realize it. Further information on the card tends to be contradictory, but it seems this man is more easily influenced than he initially appears and might not be trustworthy.

THE CLUBS (regarding chance and the wheels of fortune)

ORFEO AND EURIDICE (gluck), THE ACE OF CLUBS: The Ace of Clubs stands for a story that otherwise would end in tragedy, but- through compassion, or luck, or even the hand of God- has ended happily. Sudden changes of plans with positive connotations, sudden good fortune; very rarely is a sudden thing a good outcome in cartomancy but just this once it is.

AGRIPPINA, THE TWO OF CLUBS: The Two of Clubs stands for gossip and manipulation, as well as challenges in life brought about by them. The gossip in this case is entirely planned in order to influence specific outcomes. Be careful of those around you, and be even more careful of their ulterior motives.

LOHENGRIN AND ELSA, THE THREE OF CLUBS: The Three of Clubs stands for marriage, particularly marriages of wealth and power. While some allege the card also stands for successful marriages, there is a distinct layer of melancholy to it- perhaps the powerful are, in some way, always alone.

NICK SHADOW, THE FOUR OF CLUBS: The Four of Clubs stands for deceit and betrayal from those around you. You may find a friend or mentor that you trust greatly, but they will turn on you and manipulate you- and it's because you blindly accepted them to begin with. Take caution and beware of those with promises too sweet.

MIMI, THE FIVE OF CLUBS: The Five of Clubs indicates new friend groups, new support networks, and new places. It may be an indication to reach out more and see the world around you, but in this way it can serve as a warning: Do the things you want to do before your time runs out.

GIANNI SCHICCI, THE SIX OF CLUBS: The Six of Clubs indicates success in finance and relationships, primarily finance, but not one you will achieve yourself. Someone else- someone who you might know, or who might be a stranger- will financially assist you and find ways to help you get your matters sorted.

DIDO, THE SEVEN OF CLUBS: The Seven of Clubs stands two things at once. The first accomplishment in business, and a high societal rank. However, the second is trouble in relationships, and a deep sense of loneliness or isolation stemming from the first. These two go hand in hand- and in trying to please one you may lose your grip on the other.

LADY MACBETH, THE EIGHT OF CLUBS: The Eight of Clubs symbolizes difficulty, both personally and professionally, relating particularly to decay. Opportunities that seem tempting right now will crumble and turn on you. Be careful, and keep your ambition in check.

ESCAMILLO, THE NINE OF CLUBS: The Nine of Clubs is flashy and immediately draws your attention. You will find new opportunities, particularly presenting themselves in the form of a new admirer or romantic partner. However, at the same time, it is a warning against stubbornness, and should strike a bit of fear into the hearts of the bullish.

MANON LESCAUT, THE TEN OF CLUBS: The Ten of Clubs stands for unexpected- and joyful- travel, although it may come at the expense of other things. It can also represent newfound opportunity and a sense of love for the world at large.

BRUNHILDE, THE JACK OF CLUBS: The Jack of Clubs represents a strong-willed, trustworthy friend who will go to bat for you regardless of circumstance. She may be dramatic and fiery, but this is to her benefit, and to yours- you may always count on her in the face of struggle.

FRICKA, THE QUEEN OF CLUBS: The Queen of Clubs represents a confident women, unafraid to speak her mind yet burdened by her own power, in an authoritative position. She may infuriate some, and impede the plans of others, but in the end she has her reasons for her behavior and does bring up some good points.

WOTAN, THE KING OF CLUBS: The King of Clubs represents a strong older man. He may be affectionate and well-meaning in some readings, and deeply corrupt and contemptuous in others- perhaps these may both be true. He may seek money or a particular resource from you, and he may have ulterior motives to get it. What you think of him, ultimately, is up to you.

THE HEARTS (regarding love and relationships)

OCTAVIAN AND SOPHIE, THE ACE OF HEARTS (yes rosenkav is my least favorite but i had to put it in there somewhere i guesss): The Ace Of Hearts represents newness, and naïveté, and wet-behind-the-ears. It stands for puppy love and young couples, as well as new opportunity and budding romance.

FIGARO AND SUSANNA, THE TWO OF HEARTS: The Two of Hearts represents balance, harmonious relationships, or even just evenly-matched partnerships of any kind. Both parties are respectful and share balanced power, and happiness in the future is guaranteed as a result. The card may also suggest a knack for romantic fortune.

DON JOSE, THE THREE OF HEARTS: The Three of Hearts stands for romantic jealousy and possessiveness of others. It suggests foolishness, and misplaced priorities; it is often associated with throwing one's life away in the pursuit of supposed love, and for believing you have more control over others than you really do. The Three of Hearts serves as a warning: Be cautious in your relationships.

LEONORE/FIDELIO, THE FOUR OF HEARTS: The Four of Hearts stands for change and revolution on the horizon, often in the pursuit of passion or love. It may also mean peace prevailing, and love conquering all; in any case the Four of Hearts may be intimidating but it is ultimately a boon and a sign of good things to come.

OTELLO, THE FIVE OF HEARTS: The Five Of Hearts stands for envy. Either you may be envious of others, or others with dark motives may be envious of you. Either way, it is best to be cautious, and not let the green-eyed monster get the best of you.

PAPAGENO AND PAPAGENA, THE SIX OF HEARTS: The six of hearts stands for many things- things that are, in some way, united. It stands for keeping hope in darker times, and finding love in unexpected places- or simply being surprised by the person you end up with. It may also suggest something childlike or a moment of harmony.

SANTUZZA, THE SEVEN OF HEARTS: The Seven of Hearts, similarly to the Four of Spades, represents broken promises, although without the promise of illness. It often particularly represents a partner or friend, or other close figure, who will let you down in a moment of crisis.

HANSEL AND GRETEL, THE EIGHT OF HEARTS: The Eight of Hearts stands for visitors and invitations; comings and going. You may be invited by someone, or someone may visit you; in either case, however, be wary of their intentions because both positive and negative invitations are prophesied by this card.

NEMORINO AND ADINA, THE NINE OF HEARTS: The Nine of Hearts is somewhat unique in that its meaning is nearly universal. Known as the Wish Card, it is said it makes the wildest dreams come true, often synonymous with a new job, or partner, or child, or house. Think on your hopes with this card and they may come true.

CENDRILLON, THE TEN OF HEARTS: The Ten of Hearts represents good fortune on its way to the needy, often in the form of a large gathering or public social event. This event can be a wedding, or convention, but most often it is said to be a large party. You may meet important people there.

CHERUBINO, THE JACK OF HEARTS: The Jack of Hearts represents a young ally, often associated with young love. They may admire you the way schoolboys admire young teachers, or they may simply be a childish youth. They are your friend, although they are young and innocent and may not be the most helpful.

ALICE FORD, THE QUEEN OF HEARTS: The Queen of Hearts represents a kind woman, who will help you in your journeys and plans. She is usually a maternal figure, although she is not usually your literal mother, and she will be more clever than she initially appears to be.

HANS SACHS, THE KING OF HEARTS: Like the maternal figure of the Queen of Hearts, the King of Hearts is a paternal figure. He is a kind if somewhat more distant man. He will dispense good advice, and will help you in your romantic pursuits; although he is just as often associated with literature and the fine arts.

RIGOLETTO, THE RED JOKER, and CANIO, THE BLACK JOKER: Jokers are unique in the they are far younger than the rest of the deck, having been invented during the American Civil War for specific trump card-related games. They are not traditionally included in cartomancy for this reason, although they may be used as something similar to the Fool in the Tarot Major Arcana. They are often discarded immediately, and not given much further thought; while both Joker cards were obvious character choices I wanted to also highlight the sense of being discarded and unwanted that is pivotal to the card.

Thats all of them. If you're still reading this I'm so sorry.

[mirrorofliterature]

expanding on the reyna avila ramirez-arellano point: why she reads aro to me, a post

first of all, I think the way that rick riordan made this revelation was incredibly distasteful and hurtful to the legions of w|w pjo fans and people who saw reyna as w|w. I respect people headcanoning reyna as sapphic and think that theyna is an excellent ship with much potential. that said, textually, what reyna says in the book itself reads [to me] as a lack of romantic attraction, not necessarily sexual attraction. it frustrated me when rick one: confirmed that reyna was ace on twitter after a half-botched execution attempt with a dig at fans who like sapphic reyna and two: that it did not match with what he had written in the tyrant’s tomb.

let’s get into the textual analysis! this got long, so I added a read-more. again, this is my subjective take. all aphobes will be blocked.

‘Venus took one look at me and decided... I don’t know. I was broken.’

I would like to hone in on word sentence in particular: I was broken. This is a common a-spec experience. It is untrue. Not experiencing a particular type of attraction does not make you broken. Damn anyone who says otherwise.

‘I needed romantic healing. Whatever. I wasn’t back at camp a full day before the whispering started. Nobody would admit that they knew, but they knew. The looks I got: Oh, poor Reyna. The innocent suggestions about who I should date.’

There is a focus throughout Reyna’s conversations with Apollo regarding her feelings on being uncomfortable about being pressured into a romantic relationship. Lack of sexual attraction is, comparatively, not as heavily implied in the text (word of God aside: I’m just a humble ex-literature student performing ‘death of the author’).

‘The thing is,’ she continued, ‘I’m not broken.’

Good for her! I do like this part. The remainder of the scene where Reyna rejects Apollo, whilst funny, is kind of beside the point because all it demonstrates is that Reyna is not interested in Apollo in particular. Moving on:

‘But the whole time I’ve been a leader here,’ she forged on, ‘I was looking for a partner. Praetors often partner up. In power. But also romantically. I mean. I thought Jason. Then for a hot minute Percy Jackson. Gods help me, I even considered Octavian.’ She shuddered. ‘Everybody was always trying to ship me with somebody. Thalia. Jason. Gwen. Even Frank. Oh, you’d be perfect together! That’s who you need! But I was never really sure if I wanted that, or if I just felt like I was supposed to want it. People, well-meaning, would be like, Oh, you poor thing. You deserve somebody in your life. Date him. Date her. Date whoever. Find your soul mate.’

This is almost textbook amatonormativity: the societal pressure that Reyna describes here matches our society’s constant expectation that everyone will couple up and be with someone romantically (side-eyes the ‘love is love’ campaign which reduces queerness to one thing, ignoring some a-spec people and trans straight people). If it wasn’t for how Rick was shooting sapphic fans in the back, this would be textbook perfect aro representation. Look at what she emphasises, repeats: she doesn’t want a relationship, she doesn’t want romance. This suggests aromanticism, to me. Not asexuality, although the two can be intertwined. Personally, I don’t think we are really given enough information to conclude on whether Reyna is asexual or not (as she emphasises not needing/desiring a romantic partner), with nothing telling us, really, her thoughts on sex. We do have word of god, though! A blessed tweet. The absolute pinnacle of ace representation, really.

‘But you showed me. When you proposed dating...’ She took a deep breath, her body shaking with silent giggles. ‘Oh, gods. I saw how ridiculous I’d been. How ridiculous the whole situation was. That’s what healed my heart - being able to laugh at myself again, at my stupid eyes about destiny. That allowed me to break free - just like Frank broke free of his firewood. I don’t need another person to heal my heart. I don’t need a partner... at least, not until and unless I’m ready on my own terms. I don’t need to be force-shipped with anyone or to wear anybody’s label. For the first time in a long time, I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. So thank you.’

Reyna: I don’t need a partner. Me: sounds aro to me! I will concede that this line in particular:

at least, not until and unless I’m ready on my own terms.

does leave the door open for Reyna later figuring out her sapphic identity, away from the pressures of amatonormativity. Amatonormativity is a force that kind of falls alongside heteronormativity but also expands beyond it: it’s not about pressuring people to comply to a m/f romantic relationship, but to a monogamous romantic relationship that fits societal expectations (whilst it is often mentioned in conversations regarding a-spec ppl, I suspect it is also a key issue for polyamorous ppl). Maybe she’s arospec, or demi. But again, that’s pure speculation. Romantic orientation is fluid. In the text, in the moment, Reyna reads as aro to me. This could change. But (at least the mere idea) that she lacks romantic attraction should be respected, should be acknowledged. Just as much as sapphic Reyna headcanons should be (after all, I’m just inferring from the text).

Anyway, I interpret Reyna as aromantic and there is nothing you can do to stop me (except by throwing the occasional theyna fic in my face). Rick did not go around this the right way, by spitting in the face of sapphic fans. But the accidental rep? Well, at the least the sentences are good.

[neversetyoufree]

I dunno if this is gonna make sense to anyone but me, but it’s like. Even when Vanitas no Carte is straight, it’s usually not Straight about it, and I think that’s one of the reasons this series works so well for me.

The main couple in the series is VaniJeanne, and while the initial content of them is really uncomfy, when the actual romance really kicks in, it’s in such an unexpected way. Vanitas is a creepy asshole to her at first, yes, but out of all the reasons he does that, none of them are made out as genuine love. Attraction, sure, but like, there’s a big gap between that and romance, and as far as I can tell, we’re supposed to think he’s an asshole for how he treats her at first.

And Jeanne is super easily wowed at first--in the palm of his hand on their date because she’s just not used to being treated kindly, but that’s clearly not love either. When Vani is acting all controlling, and Jeanne is acting all submissive and soft, there’s a lot of playing at romance, but never the real deal.

It’s not until Jeanne sees Vanitas acting genuine and kind and vulnerable, not until Vanitas sees Jeanne acting confident and strong, that their relationship gets validated as possibly real love, y’know? The more time goes on, the more agency and dominance Jeanne takes back, and Vani likes it. And regardless of my thoughts on their dynamic in early chapters, I vibe with that.

And like, I normally hate the whole trope of “every woman falls in love with the main character,” but even though there are 3 different women that are canonically into Noé, it never feels like falls into that gross “main character has a harem” category. For one thing, it’s not actually every woman (given that Chloé and Jeanne couldn’t seem less interested), and with the exception of Domi, it’s not really a thing. We get one scene of Riche blushing, and some gags about Amelia in the bonus chapter, but it’s not like every gal in the series is constantly drooling over him. Plus, when Riche and Amelia being into him is played for a joke, which is how it’s usually played, it’s as much a joke on Noé as anything else. The gag isn’t “haha, look at all these girls falling for him. Aren’t women so easy and silly?“ The gag is “haha, look at how oblivious Noé is. This princely-ass motherfucker can have a woman start blushing and babbling in his arms, and he still won’t pick up on the signals.

Then there’s all the casual genuine queerness that happens around the sidelines. Dominique gets to flirt with Nox and Jeanne to tease them. She gets to talk about how her sister scares away all the guys, so she’s “only popular with girls.” When Dante teases Vanitas about his and Noé’s relationship, even calling Noé his sugar daddy, the joke is never “what, you guys gay or something?” It’s, “hey edgelord, I can see you caring about somebody.” We get to see a guy/guy couple and a gal/gal couple ballroom dancing together, with lingering shots of hand-holding between them, and even if neither of those couples is romantic, that still feels important, y’know? Not to even mention Luna’s gender. Inhuman, “special and unique” enby characters are a tired trope, yes, but on the other hand, holy shit.

Unless something goes very wrong with the writing in the future, VnC will always feel like such an inherently queer series to me. Even if we don’t get a canon m/m or w/w couple by the end, it just feels to me like a universe that’s welcoming to queerness. And even the het couples are more than “he was a boy, she was a girl,” and they don’t stay bogged down the whole time in tired gender roles.

And all of this just makes it such a comfortable series for me. Like, I can just exist here, y’know? Even if we don’t get any better representation than what we have right now (though I hope to hell it keeps getting better), this is a universe where a bi/ace/enby person could exist, and I wouldn’t be the only one. It’s nice.

[cereal-kileeeeer]

?spoilers haikyuu manga ahead?

things in haikyuu that give me goosebumps every. single. damn. time:

the banners in the last chapters.

“Habit is second nature” with Hoshiumi fighting in his territory: air.

“Effort” with Sakusa feeling good in a court where only the sharpest belong.

“Give each play your all”; i mean, by just thinking about Bokuto you can understand the meaning of the banner, he’s just a normal ace afterall.

“Be strong” with Ushiwaka, as Tendou told him «Nobody is interested in watching players who’re just trying really hard. Get! Good! Skill and strength are everything.»

“Who needs memories?” with Miya Atsumu, -which i believe it’s the best summary of playing volleyball- cause, reading about him saying that all he needs are his muscles, at first i thought ‘bruh, you moving your muscles as you want is memory’ but then, what do the banner meant with ‘memories’? As the coach said «What will clinging to a year ago… a week ago, an hour ago get us? Nothing.» i think that, yes, memories are necessary to get to where you actually are, but once you get there, you don’t need’em no more, as in the present you gain/give yourself new goals to reach, have new ambitions you aspire to, with the target to get better every time and ‘to be found by somebody who’s even better’, the simple but not easy cycle of improvement in haikyuu. So for me, everybody need memories as long as they’re not memories but still present.

“Fly”

No, i’m not crying you are. No but really, I’m still moved by this panel and i look at this for five hours each day. Quoting coach Ukai «Don't you dare look down! Volleyball is a sport where you are always looking up!» what really amazes me is the fact Hinata freaking Shoyo, who was just a smol kid who started playing volleyball alone, a sport played by teams, since his first official play against Kitagawa Daiichi always gave each play his all, and his total loss against Kageyama was the memory he needed to want to become strong. He later understood the importance of taking care of his body, as volleyball is not only when he’s on court, putting effort and attention on his health, his diet, his sleep ecc., and the fact that after two years of beach volley he manages to play indoor volleyball like he’s still standing on the sand? No better representation of habit is second nature. After this, after aaaall of this, he didn’t fail where he once failed when he still was in middle school, and succeeds to get through Kageyama’s blocking, just not as a spiker, but as a decoy.

And I think this is fckin awesome.

Thanks for coming to my ted talk.

BONUS

“Connect” with smooth former captain Kuroo Tetsurō

and last but not least actually it gave me more goosebumps than the karasuno one with hinata and kageyama

“Rule the court” with the Great King Oikawa Tōru, closing the row of banners. Like, it couldn’t have ended any better. Rule the court. Make both your allies and enemies dance to your tune. Make them feel your power to intimidate them and give’em a reason to want to outclass you. Rule the court.

I’m convinced that the true protagonist is Oikawa lol

[nerdythebard]

#13: Doctor Strange [Marvel]

By the Eternal Vishanti, I welcome you back!

Today we're making the Sorcerer Supreme of the Marvel Universe-616, Doctor Strange. This spell-slinging master of the mystic arts has been my favourite superhero for quite some time now, and I'm always excited whenever we get something related to him. Now, just a quick note – this build is going to be based on the comic book version of Strange, not the MCU one. We're having real spells and incantations, not some thinly-veiled Clarke's Third Law. #LetMagicBeMagic.

Next Time: The Gods call for us again. The Dragon King blesses us with his presence.

Now then, let's examine what we need to become the mightiest mystic of the Multiverse:

Arcane Artillery: Doctor Strange holds enough mystic knowledge to give Mind Flayers an indigestion. What he doesn't know, he can look up in his Sanctum Sanctorum's library. We need to be prepared to have a spell for almost any situation.

Mystic Fists of Fury: Before opening his Third Eye fully, Strange spent some time in Kamar-Taj under the tutelage of the Ancient One, practising his combat skills in case he was ever in a situation where magic would fail him.

The Old Favourites: Whatever incarnation of the character we encounter, Doctor Strange is almost always certain to have the following items on him: the Eye of Agamotto, the Cloak of Levitation, and occasionally the Book of the Vishanti. After the Last Days of Magic event, Strange found a likeness for weapons like shortswords, staffs, and axes.

---

Stephen Strange was an ordinary human, but due to the years of exposure to otherworldly mystic forces, his biology changed to not accept regular human food anymore. This sounds like a good excuse to make him Variant Human. We get a +1 to two abilities of our choice (Intelligence and Constitution), we know how to speak Common and one other language of our choice, we get to pick one skill to be proficient in (Investigation), and we get to pick a feat. The Medic feat gives us a +1 to Wisdom, proficiency with the Medicine skill, and the ability to tend to our party members' wounds on short rests (Medicine check [DC 15], if successful - the player can use the maximum value of their Hit Dice to regain Hit Points).

Although he started as a simple physician, the turning point of Strange's life was his training in Kamar-Taj. He gained skills and knowledge, vast enough to call himself a Sage. From this background, we gain proficiency in Arcana and History, we learn two more languages, and we gain the Researcher feature; when we're to recall a piece of lore, and we don't know it, we usually can figure out where to find the information (be it a library, a temple, or somebody's private collection).

ABILITY SCORES

Intelligence is our primary stat, serving as our casting ability and our pride. Next is Constitution, all casters need to keep it high. We follow that up with Wisdom, lessons of the Ancient One granted us both humility and broadened our horizons.

Dexterity is a little low, but we'll take care of that later. Charisma is next, even after his training was complete Stephen can be a bit of a jerk and refusing to hear anyone but himself. Finally, we'll dump Strength.

CLASS

Assigning a D&D class to Doctor Strange was a very (and I mean very) difficult task. Starting off, I had to disregard his Sorcerer Supreme title, because in D&D sorcerers are born with the ability to wield magic. Strange had to study and practice to get his powers, so that makes him a Wizard. Kamar-Taj is also dedicated to studying the teachings of the Vishanti, a trinity of god-like beings who give the Sorcerer Supreme their powers, so that would make Strange a Cleric. Finally, he also draws powers from deals he made with otherworldly entities (such as Cyttorak, the Faltine, Munnopor, Watoomb, sometimes even Dormammu himself), which screams 'Warlock', except there's no way to incorporate multiple patrons without homebrewing. It wasn't easy, but I am satisfied with what I've created. Hopefully, you'll be, too.

Level 1 - Monk: We start just as Strange started, by honing our body first. Monks get the d8 Hit Dice, [8 + Constitution modifier] initial Hit Points, proficiencies with simple weapons and shortswords, and proficiency in one set of artisan's tools or a musical instrument (I'd go with alchemist's supplies). Our saving throws are Strength and Dexterity, and we get to pick two class skills (Insight and Religion).

Monks start with Unarmoured Defence. When we're not wearing armour, or holding a shield, our AC equals [10 + our Dexterity modifier + our Wisdom modifier]. We also get Martial Arts, which gives our unarmed strikes some more power. We can now use Dexterity instead of Strength for our unarmed strikes attack and damage rolls, we replace our Strength modifier with a d4 for damage of our unarmed strikes, and if we use the unarmed strike (or a monk weapon) on our turn as an Attack, we can use a bonus action to make an extra unarmed strike.

Level 2 - Monk: We get more mobile with Unarmoured Movement. Our ground speed increases by 10 feet if we're not wearing armour or holding a shield.

We also get access to the Monk's signature feature, the Ki energy. We start with 2 Ki Points, which we can spend on the following abilities:

Flurry of Blows: Spending 1 Ki Point after making an attack, lets us make two unarmed strikes as a bonus action;

Patient Defence: Spending 1 Ki Point lets us take a Dodge action as a bonus action on our turn;

Step of the Wind: Spending 1 Ki Point doubles our jump distance for the turn, and we can take the Dash or Disengage actions as a bonus action.

Level 3 - Wizard: We finally begin our study of spells and arcane arts.

Unfortunately, multiclassing into Wizard does not give us any additional benefits. We do, however, get Arcane Recovery. Once per day, during a short rest, we can choose a number of expended spell slots and refill them. The number must be equal to half of our Wizard level (rounded up), and the recovered spell slots cannot be 6th-level or higher.

Wizards also start with Spellcasting at their 1st level, and they know both cantrips and ritual spells. Our spellcasting ability is Intelligence, but unlike many other casting classes we do not get a full access to our spell list. Instead, we start with six spells in our spellbook and get two more each time we level up. Then, we can only prepare and use [Our Intelligence modifier + our Wizard level] spells at once. Describing all of those spells we pick would make this post over a mile long, and I've made that mistake with Sypha. To not make this a chore for you guys, I decided that from now on whenever I make a Wizard (or, a build where Wizard is a majority), I will simply list the spells we pick without descriptions. Let's be honest, if not here, you'll certainly find those in a different build. Alright, let's begin! First, we get to pick three cantrips:

Fire Bolt

Mage Hand

Minor Illusion

When it comes to our starting spells, let's take these six. Remember, we can only prepare a certain number, and we start with only two 1st-level spell slots.

Alarm

Detect Magic

Fog Cloud (to represent the Mists of Munnopor from the comics)

Shield (of the Seraphim)

Magic Missile (as a stand-in for the Daggers of Daveroth)

Sleep

Level 4 - Wizard: We get to pick our subclass, our Arcane Tradition. For Strange, who can be any combination of Wizard, Cleric, and Warlock, the best choice is to pick Theurgy from 2017 Unearthed Arcana. Theurgists are religious magic-users, who focus more on the arcane research rather than prayer and worship.

With Divine Inspiration, we get to select a Cleric Domain and a deity we wish to follow. Ask your DM if it's possible for you to worship three gods as a collective, a magical triumvirate. For your own Vishanti I suggest Mystra, Mother of All Magic, Azuth, the Lord of Spells, and Savras, the All-Seeing. For a Wizard, I'd say there's no better choice than Knowledge Domain.

We also get Arcane Initiate, which lets us replace spells we learn as we level up with the cleric spells of our chosen domain. What's cool about that feature is, other wizards cannot copy those spells from our spellbook. If we get all of our chosen domain's spells, we can keep replacing spells we learn with spells from the Cleric spell list.

Finally, we gain the Cleric's unique skill - Channel Divinity - except in our case it becomes Channel Arcana. We start with two effects: Divine Arcana and the effect granted by the chosen domain. Unlike Clerics, we can use the Channel Arcana once per short or long rest.

Divine Arcana lets us use a bonus action to control the flow of magic in the area. The next spell we cast gets a +2 to its attack roll or saving throw DC.

Knowledge of the Ages grants us quick insight into a skill we're not familiar with. For the next 10 minutes, we're proficient with one tool set of our choice or proficient in one skill we choose.

We gain one more 1st-level spell slot, and for this level's two spells let's get Feather Fall, and Command from the domain list.

Level 5 - Wizard: At this level we unlock 2nd-level spell slots, and we can access 2nd-level spells. Let's get Hold Person (for Strange's famous Crimson Bands of Cyttorak) and Icingdeath's Frost from 2021 Unearthed Arcana: Draconic Options (for the Icy Tendrils of Ikthalon).

Level 6 - Wizard: Time for our first Ability Score Improvement! As is the rule of thumb with all Wizards, boosting our Intelligence is a priority. That's what we shall put the 2 points into.

For this level's spells, we get another cantrip (Light), and let's take Locate Object and Mirror Image (to represent the Images of Ikonn).

Level 7 - Wizard: We unlock 3rd-level spell slots. Let's get Dispel Magic, and we can get Fly to finally get a representation for our Cloak of Levitation.

Level 8 - Wizard: We get our first subclass upgrade. Arcane Acolyte grants us the 1st-level benefits of our chosen domain. For Knowledge domain, it's Blessings of Knowledge; we learn two languages of our choice and get proficiency in two skills... which we pretty much are proficient in already. To not waste a feature, ask your DM if you can double your proficiency bonus for those two skills instead. If you get a 'yes', pick Arcana and Insight.

For this level's spells, let's get Counterspell and Magic Circle.

Level 9 - Wizard: From here, we get access to 4th-level spell slots. Banishment and Dimension Door seems like exactly what we need to keep enemies at bay and have fun with portals.

Level 10 - Wizard: Halfway through the build, and we get an ASI. Let's cap our Intelligence at 20, with those two points.

For this level's spells, let's grab Arcane Eye and turn back a little and get Speak with Dead from our domain list, as it is one of few spells not available to Wizards.

Level 11 - Wizard: We get access to 5th-level spells. With Contact Other Plane and Legend Lore, we become an even bigger magical know-it-all to aid our party.

Level 12 - Wizard: For our subclass upgrade, we get Arcane Priest, which grants us the Knowledge Domain's 6th-level benefit - Channel Divinity: Read Thoughts. One creature within 60 feet of us must make a Wisdom saving throw, or grant us access to its surface thoughts (emotions and active thoughts, no deep secrets or hidden motives) for 1 minute. During that time, we can also use our action to cast the Suggestion spell on the target; they fail their saving throw automatically.

We also get our final cantrip for this build (Sword Burst), and we get two more 5th-level spells: Planar Binding and Wall of Force.

Level 13 - Wizard: We unlock 6th-level spells. With Globe of Invulnerability and True Seeing, we upgrade our Shield of the Seraphim and give our Eye of Agamotto even more mystic abilities (as it should have had!)

Level 14 - Wizard: Time for another ASI! Let's put one point into Constitution for better HP chance, and one into Dexterity.

Arcane Gate finally gives us a proper yellow sparkly portal thingy, and let's get Chain Lightning for some much needed offensive capabilities.

Level 15 - Wizard: We're getting into 7th-level spells at this level. Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion allows us to recreate our very own Sanctum Sanctorum, and with Project Image we can get Strange's Astral Projection.

Level 16 - Wizard: At this level, we get our final subclass upgrade (and we cross the 100 HP mark, yay!). Arcane High Priest grants us the Knowledge Domain's 17th-level benefits. Visions of the Past lets us spend at least 1 minute of meditation to receive information about a specific object we're holding, or our immediate surroundings:

Object Reading - we learn of the object's previous owner. We know how the person came into contact with the object, how they lost it, and a significant even in their life tied to the object.

Area Reading - we see the events that transpired in the specific location (up to 50-foot cube), going back a number of days equal to our Wisdom modifier.

For this level's spells, let's get Plane Shift and Teleport to double-down on Strange's interdimensional travels.

Level 17 - Wizard: Time for 8th-level spells.

Illusory Dragon is a nice nod to the great "Doctor Strange and the Sorcerers Supreme" series (go check it out, it's awesome!), and Maze is another good banishment-type spell to have. Just don't use it on minotaurs.

Level 18 - Wizard: For our final ASI, let's put two points into Dexterity, leaving us unfortunately with an odd number (hopefully, you'll manage to find some ability-increasing item or benefit in your adventure).

For this level's spells, let's grab Power Word: Stun and Demiplane is a good combo to immobilize a foe and send it to the Shadow Realm Mirror Dimension.

Level 19 - Wizard: We unlock the pinnacle of D&D arcane, the 9th-level spells... that is, unless your DM introduces High Magic, which is... whew, a league of its own.

Time Stop and Foresight give us those Time Stone abilities (for all you MCU degenerates. Yes, I know what I said, but Strange was given the Time Stone in his new run, so I did not lie!)

Level 20 - Wizard: Our capstone is Wizard 18, which gives us the Spell Mastery feature. We get to choose one 1st-level spell and one 2nd-level spell from our spellbook and make them our signature moves; we can now cast them at will, without expending a spell slot. Shield and Hold Person seems like a good choice here.

For our final spells of this build, we cannot go without Astral Projection, and let's get Imprisonment a chance.

---

And there we go! Doctor Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts. Let's see what we've created:

First of all, we're the epitome of Wizard, we're a great utility caster and a pretty good support, with Internet-like capability of finding information. We're don't have a lot of damage-dealing abilities, like Sypha did, but remember - Wizards also get spell by finding them in the world and copying them in their spellbook. This here is only what we get automatically. Go and roam the world in search for that Fireball!

We have AC of 14, but with Shield (and later making it pretty much permanent) it can get up to 19, and we have 130 Hit Points on average. Our speed is also a little better, with 40 feet of movement (plus flying thanks to the Fly spell).

Unfortunately, our Charisma and Wisdom are not great, so those saving throws might be difficult. Our Strength is also not the greatest, so we're pretty much forced to fight with magic.

---

And that is it! Next time, we return to SMITE for a few builds, as I absorbs information about Fire Emblem: Three Heroes. Also, the game devs just released a teaser for Morgana le Fay, and my first reaction was 'Hexblade Warlock'. Do you agree?

Anyway, hope you enjoyed it and your day is going great. I'll see you next time!

- Nerdy out!

[thatsjustrwde]

For the RWBY character prompt thing: you gotta tell me about Ironwood for sure! And if somebody already asked, how's about Qrow? :)

OH BABEY A DOUBLE (I’m gunna put Qrow in a separate post to avoid making this too long) thank you so much!

Warning: This is a PRO IRONWOOD POST. I also go into team RWBY taking responsibility for their abuse towards Ozpin. Don’t read this if you don’t like it. You’ve been warned

My top three two ships for Ironwood

1) Ironqrow (Ironwood x Qrow) {Volumes 3-7}

I have loved the idea of these two since the fall of beacon. When they first interacted, I wasn’t too sure about them because it seemed like they didn’t really like each other.. but that scene where all the robots were turning on beacon and Qrow spotted ironwood, ran at him with his scythe, only to jump over him and save him from a Grimm, sold the ship to me. It was clear that they didn’t actually despise each other. Qrow wasn’t quick to point fingers; he knew that what was going on wasn’t James’ fault, and he even tried to add a little bit of comic relief to the scene. (When ironwood’s ship fell, and Qrow smirked “well, it won’t be much of a walk”)

My love for the ship was reinforced in v6 (yeah I know it was the fan service volume but I’m rolling with it anyway). Qrow knew that they HAD to get to ironwood in order to complete their goal. He trusted James, and he knew that he was a smart and capable leader who would know what to do (ah,, the good old days ;;)

And then in the early episodes of v7, their bickering that we once saw in v3 was non existent. They were happy to see each other, and James even initiated a hug. He was just so relieved to see him ;; it made my heart melt, I remember posting about this moment so much, all over instagram and tumblr. I loved them so dearly.

2) Ironwood x Glynda (idk if they have a ship name)

God,, I always loved them. that scene in v2 with Ironwood and Glynda standing together in the dead of night looking over the city of vale was so special to me. I love Glynda and her character, she is so dynamic. that scene with her and ironwood showed to us that she truly respected and cared for him and his well-being. She was worried for him as well. I just wish they had more interactions before his death. they would have been very sweet and POWERFUL together.

My three least favourite ships for Ironwood

1) Ironqrow {Volumes 7-8}

Oh boy. RT really knows how to take something good and just, ruin it huh.

I feel as though I don’t need to dive too deep into this (as I’ll be covering Ironwood’s fall from grace later) but yeah... The fight with Qrow and Clover was.. unfortunate. Everyone seemed to lose their braincells in that scene, and the moment it was over, Qrow was dead set on killing Ironwood for some reason even though he was the one who decided to side with a literal murderer, but go off MKEK you really did something there...

Yepp this absolutely killed the ship for me in canon (though I stilln love thinking about them out of the canon setting), I was an absolute wreck after this scene. they deserved better.

2) Ironwood x Winter

don’t worry I’m not about to pull the “IRONWOOD WAS AN ABUSIVE FATHER FIGURE AND GROOMED HER CAREERRHYUGGHR” no.

I always saw Ironwood as a POSITIVE father figure to winter, even before v7. We knew that winter was one of his best soldiers, and was most likely one of his students before then. I believe that Ironwood gave winter a chance at something great, to leave her actual abusive father and hone her skills as a soldier instead of becoming the heiress to a company that she did not want to be tied to. I believe Ironwood was a stellar father figure and role model to her, and that is the reason why I do not ship them. their relationship was so much deeper than that. it was found family.

3) Ironwood x Salem

What the fuck. Like actually what? This was a thing? What is it with this fandom and glorifying abusive relationships... I remember seeing a lot of people trying to justify it like “awh salem was so sweet with him she just wanted him to stop fighting. She would leave him alone after!!” Thats manipulation honey, we don’t fuck with that here. no. Absolutely not

My biggest criticism for Ironwood

See: the reason I made this side blog

It’s no secret to us in the RWDE community that his fall into the role of the villain was POORLY WRITTEN AND WE ALL HATE IT SO FUCKING MUCH. where the hell did this even come from? oh I know! TEAM RWBY LYING TO HIS FACE AFTER HE WAS NOTHING BUT KIND AND GENEROUS TO THEM. god I’m heated already.

I’ve talked about his stupid semblance before but it doesn’t even matter because his semblance wasn’t the cause of his descent anyway. We were all HOPING that it was but nope! it was him “losing his humanity” because he lost his other arm. How fucked up is that.

Shitty writing aside, I know James had flaws even before the shitshow that was v7-8, but honestly there was nothing he did that I can criticize harshly. He was a good and honest man with good intentions and a pure, big heart made of gold. Of course he made mistakes and of course he wasn’t perfect, but he was always trying to do the right thing to protect the people. He was a good man until MKEK decided they needed a reason to kill off another headmaster.

My favourite thing about Ironwood

his MUSCLES

His willingness to sacrifice himself to save others. During the fall of beacon he told the students that they didn’t have to stay, even though he could have used the help greatly. But he KNEW that they weren’t ready to handle a crisis like this, and he didn’t want to force them into a responsibility that could have left them emotionally/physically damaged, or worse.

During the Ironwood and Watts fight, IRONWOOD MANGLED HIS OWN ARM TO CAPTURE WATTS. He was so headstrong and brave and he wanted to do everything he could to prevent Salem, even if that meant hurting himself and losing another part of himself. God I miss him so much ;; I’m tearing up a little writing all of this...

A head canon I have for Ironwood

I love creating head canons for characters, it always makes them feel more real to me. one of my biggest head canons is that, in a peaceful world setting, he would enjoy sleeping in on the weekends. ;;. He is a headmaster AND a general which means he has to follow a strict schedule all the time. Maybe this is coming from my desire to take care of him and make sure he is happy and healthy and not stressed out.. But yeah, lazy Sundays, sleeping in late. pls let him sleep he needs so much sleep. What I would change about Ironwood if I were making a rewrite

Strap in kiddos I’ve been thinking about this for a very long time. I’m sure that someone has come up with a similar concept, but I will share my ideas anyway (: I am going to preface this by saying that for this rewrite to work, we need to have Winter receive the Winter maiden powers from Freya in V7.  To start, we will have to go back all the way to v2 when Ironwood was first introduced. I would have Ozpin and Glynda share their concerns to each other about Ironwood bringing all of his ships to look over the festival, but I would take that time to thoroughly explain his semblance. His semblance is stupid, so I would make some changes. To start off, I wouldn’t make it passive. The way it is now is just,, a weird way to give him a mental illness without actually giving him a mental illness. Activating it would have to be a decision that he made if he knew that he had to make decisions that would be hard for him. This way if his semblance caused him to do something actually horrible, he would be directly accountable for it, instead of blaming him for something that he couldn’t control. Semblances are a representation of the user, so with time and with more stress put onto Ironwood, I could see him falling victim to his own semblance if he were to abuse it too much. This will help as we lead into a better way to write his fall from grace. 

From there, I would keep pretty much everything the same until we get to v7. Team RWBY arrives in Atlas and gets arrested and brought to Ironwood just as they do in canon. This time, however, we have Oscar explain EVERYTHING. No lying. Salem cannot be killed. Oscar explains that Ozpin shut himself off after team RWBY forced the truth out of him, and while the truth is a lot for Ironwood to handle, he understands why Ozpin kept it a secret. He shuns team RWBY for their methods and explains why their actions were unnecessary and abusive, but agrees to help them anyway since he knows that they all need to come together if this is going to work. Hence, his arc kind of goes backwards. Instead of team RWBY having his trust from the beginning, they will need to work to gain it back. 

He takes Oscar under his wing to try and draw Ozpin back out. He greets Qrow, they fall in love, he also formally introduces the team to the Ace Ops. The Ace Ops take an IMMEDIATE backseat in the story. We don’t need more characters. For the sake of this rewrite specifically, they are barely around. We are focusing on Ironwood and his growth/relationships. I would explore more times to show the deep connection between him and Winter. As I said earlier, I see him as a healthy father figure for her, so I would definitely focus on that for a bit. At this point, Winter would not have received the maidens power yet, so we could have a scene of him assuring her that she is a perfect fit for the role, and encouraging her and just,, you know, solidifying that he wasn’t pressuring her into doing it. 

Carrying on with the main plot, instead of being left in the dark for the whole season, Ironwood is already aware that Salem cannot be killed. This gives him and the rest of the team a lot of time to work on a new plan to defeat her. They spend lots of time training, Ironwood takes care of them, offering his resources to them. Overtime the team do start to gain his trust little by little again, but this will all kinda fall apart when Salem arrives. 

With stress levels higher than ever, he activates his semblance. Team RWBY and friends KNOW about his semblance and they understand why he is acting irrationally. Maybe they have different ideas than him, but they would not directly oppose him. This completely fixes him from becoming a cartoon villain. Team RWBY and friends would work WITH Ironwood at a distance to fix amity and get global communications back up safely. From there, Ironwood could deliver a message to the world about Salem. Since people know who he is, it will make the message more impactful. Just like he did with his message to Mantle.

Qrow and Winter are positives in his life. They keep trying to ground him and bring him back to reality, but he will not deactivate his semblance. He is too scared of what’s to come with Salem. They support him in this, and do not turn their back on him. 

Winter receives the maiden’s power, and is told to open the vault to obtain the staff and raise atlas further into the sky to save his people. Winter agrees, why wouldn’t she? They have already evacuated most of mantle to atlas anyway. In situations like this it’s impossible to save everyone. RWBY could whine and bitch if they wanted to, but there is nothing they could do in this situation because, for the sake of this rewrite, they wouldn’t be as stupid as they are in the canon proper. 

The vault is open and the staff is vulnerable. It is in this moment that the ACTUAL VILLIAN comes into play. Watts took advantage of the security from behind the scenes, giving Salem the exact time that the vault was open. And thanks to him overhearing everything, he knows that all she needs to do is use the staff, and Atlas will fall. Salem appears in the room, and the big finale battle would occur. They weren’t ready yet. They hadn’t finalized the plan to stop her without killing her. Team RWBY Oscar and Qrow would do their best to keep Salem distracted while Winter and Ironwood speak to the staff. Meanwhile, Neo could breach Ironwood’s office and retrieve the relic of knowledge for Salem. 

The battle plays out, she keeps coming back, the team gets tired, Salem loses her patience and just PLOWS through them to get to the staff. She enters the realm and the mystical world around them begins to shatter and break. With that much concentrated evil in this place coming up out of nowhere, it would be sure to shift the balance. 

She goes head to head against Winter and Ironwood for the staff. She knows that using the staff will cause Atlas to come crashing down, so that is exactly  what she does. Since he is already out, she just gives him a command. It doesn’t matter what it is. Atlas starts to fall. She strikes a lethal blow to Ironwood (Keeping the theme of her killing headmasters) and flees with the staff. Qrow runs to his side, he and winter are crying, Team RWBY is upset, OZPIN IS UPSET. With his aura broken and his semblance down, he smiles at them all, says that he is proud of them for their work and he knows that they will find a way to defeat her. He tells them to get out and save themselves, save as many people as they can. They do that, but for further angst, Qrow stays with him, holding him and crying against him as Atlas falls. Team RWBY use the gravity dust keeping Atlas falling slowly to their advantage. They get as many people as they can into airships and send them to mistral. They then make their own way to Vacuo... Since global communications are back up, the world would know about this. This would give Shade academy a good chance to prepare. (damn I could write a fic)

What I think of Ironwood’s allusion and what I would change.

It’s dumb the way that CRWBY has portrayed it. In the story of the Wizard of Oz, the tin man doesn’t have a heart, but learns to love overtime. I used THIS aspect for helping my rewrite of Ironwood. He was hardened at the beginning, but managed to trust again and eventually smiled and said that he was proud of team RWBY and friends in his dying moments. It’s just more impactful that way I think. 

[jelloapocalypse]

Hi jello! First off, I adore epithet erased, so thank you!!! Second off, for the characters, have you decided if any of them are LGBTQ+? How do you feel about the LGBT headcanons?(ie Giovanni is trans, literally anything involving percy and zora lol) Anyway, thank you for this wonderful show and these fantastic characters! I’m rooting for u to get the 2nd season greenlit!!!! Much love and keep bein awesome! ♥️

Okay yeah, I’ll tackle this exceedingly dangerous question.

AUs and “what-if”s I don’t mind because I think those are interesting explorations of what would change in a story if specific aspects of a character (in this case sexuality/gender) were different. I think that’s neat, and it poses interesting questions without ignoring the original text of the work.

A headcanon, to me, is somebody saying “Yeah, I’m just going to go ahead and  cherry-pick only the bits of canon that I want to be true while ignoring the work as a whole.” That creates a bad reading. I hate it when people do this regardless of whether it’s my work or not

That’s not to say that headcanons are never a good call, but when it comes to character sexuality and gender, I always think it’s weird to mentally assign someone a sexuality or gender that they canonically aren’t. It feels weird and regressive to me. You don’t get to decide what you want a character’s gender or sexuality. The character does. I’ve gotten flak for this stance before, but  I think “headcanoning” any character as any sexuality they aren’t is equally weird, no matter which way you do it. It’s weird to think of a straight character as bi, a bi character as gay, a gay character as ace, an ace character as straight, etc. All bad.

On the subject of Epithet though:

Something like Zora x Percy I don’t mind too much. It’s mostly harmless.

Zora is canonically bisexual and I write Percy as ace (maybe aro too? I’d have to talk to her original player about that).

Because Percy is ace nothing sexual would ever happen between her and Zora. 

Because of their position in the story and who they are as people Percy would never be interested pursuing a friendship with Zora, let alone a romantic relationship with her.

I know what kind of girls Zora is into and it ain’t Percy.

But! I can see—in an AU— some of those comics of Zora flirting with Percy at a bar actually happening, and I think they’re pretty cute.

Molly being non-binary is one I see a lot. That one’s also harmless. There’s nothing in the text to counter it, so okay that’s fair game.

Giovanni being trans though.

Uh.

Kinda hate that one, if I’m being honest!

Not because I don’t want trans representation, but specifically because of the reason I saw people making Trans Giovanni their “headcanon”, which was: “Giovanni likes feminine things! He crafts and cooks and has motherly traits! I bet he was assigned-female at birth!”

SUPER weird, regressive, and sexist take there, guys!

Giovanni is a cis male. The whole point of Giovanni is that he’s a teenage boy who is comfortable and open with his own femininity, which is something I wish I saw more in media. He’s emotionally intelligent. He wants people to talk about their feelings. He paints his nails. He’s the team mom. He’s a guy, and he’s cool with all of that. He’s not “secretly trans because he has traditionally feminine traits”. What? What even?

I dunno that’s just bothered me since day one.

[d-criss-news]

There’s a scene early on in Ryan Murphy’s new Netflix period drama “Hollywood,” in which an aspiring director, played by Darren Criss, meets with Chinese-American actress Anna May Wong, played by Michelle Krusiec, to try to convince her to be in his movie. Midway through their conversation he casually mentions that he’s half-Filipino, which seems to catch her off guard. She stops, takes off her glasses to see him better, and then says, “You’re Asian?”

What follows is a conversation not only about what it means to be an Asian-American person in Hollywood, but the further consequences that come with looking like one.

Krusiec as Wong — a 1920s and ’30s Hollywood star whose studio career all but came to an end after she was passed over for the Oscar-winning adaptation of Pearl S. Buck’s “The Good Earth” in favor of a white actress in yellowface — gives Criss’ character, the fictional Raymond Ainsley, a schooling in something he, as a white-passing man, either can’t understand or refuses to believe.

“Over-sexed, opium addled courtesans, dangerously exotic far-Eastern temptresses. That’s what they wanted to see from someone who looks like me,” she says, letting him know in no uncertain terms that a movie from a half-Asian director that stars a Chinese actress will never get made.

“You’re dealing with two experiences that present different reactions. Not only internally, but externally,” Criss said in an interview with TheWrap. “Who are you to the world? How do they see you? How do you see yourself? What happens if you happen to look more like one half than the other, which one are you?”

Criss himself is half-Filipino and has in the past found himself in the unenviable position of contending with these questions as a public figure. “It’s a moving target that I’ve always kind of had to– well, I won’t say always had to. I think being in the public eye has made me think about it more than I ever have,” he said.

He first felt the full weight of that conversation a few years ago when some clumsy comments he made about his racial identity in a 2018 Vulture interview raised eyebrows online. Asked whether or not he identifies as Asian American, Criss suggested that doing so as a white-passing actor would be “unfair,” similar to “reaching for the minority card on a college application.” At the time, Criss was being lauded by critics for his performance as the half-Filipino serial killer Andrew Cunanan in Murphy’s “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” and just months away from making a historic runthrough awards season.

The outcry from the Filipino-American community, and the Asian-American community more broadly, was swift.

“In my mind, I was just me. My mom’s Filipino and my dad’s a white guy and that’s just kind of how it is,” Criss told TheWrap. (Indeed, in the same 2018 interview, he admitted that he had never even considered the question before he was asked.)

“You could argue, well maybe that’s because you’re white-passing and nobody ever questioned anything,” he continued. “And then I feel bad and I go, Oh god, did I somehow turn my back on my Filipino-ness? Like, at what point am I supposed to raise my hand higher for that? I don’t know the answer.”

As Krusiec put it, “It’s not an easy conversation to have,” but it’s one Asian American communities have always had to grapple with, and will continue to grapple with as their visibility in media grows. With a rising number of Asian-American stories finally getting recognition on screen, the question is no longer if Asian Americans get to be represented, but which segments of a large and diverse population get those opportunities, and why.

“As a full-blooded Taiwanese person, there came a point in my career where I realized I was not going to be as valuable as somebody who was passing as half-Asian or half-white, because they kind of look and feel less Asian,” she said. “And that’s kind of a hard thing to accept.”

The interplay between identity and perception is complex for any person, but for people of color there’s the added layer of having to exist within the context of a society defined by whiteness. “The trend you find is that when someone looks half, they’re seen as more desirable, they’re more attractive. And that’s the conversation you have with yourself, even though it feels like this really uncomfortable, icky conversation,” she said.

“It’s this thing you pick up on when you’re fully Taiwanese or fully Chinese. I look at my friends who are half, and I see them as having this great advantage over me. And at the same time, you don’t want to be thinking about these things but it just seems to be the reality.”

The flip side of that is the experience of someone like Criss’ character, who is met with obvious surprise and skepticism every time he tells someone he’s half-Filipino but seems most hurt by it when it comes from another Asian American. Or someone like Criss himself, who grew up feeling “incredibly supported and loved” as part of the Filipino community in California’s Bay Area, only to be confronted later in life by the possibility that his success may have been predicated on society’s willingness to set him apart from that community.

“Just to clarify,” Criss tweeted shortly after the Vulture interview began making the rounds. “[One] of my favorite things about myself is that I’m half Filipino. PERIOD. I happen to not look like it, but THAT fact is not what I like. I like the fact that most people don’t know it’s an ace up my sleeve, an ace I’m very proud of, regardless of what I look like.”

Criss says he hadn’t had asked Murphy to incorporate the thread on Asian-American identity into “Hollywood” prior to doing the show and was “very interested” to see it show up in the script. “Ryan wanted to make it more true to who I was, as he did with a lot of the actors,” he said. “So I said, just know that when you’re dealing with Asian identity, it’s a big one. And I think if we’re going to make it simple enough for people to understand, we have to root it in the fact that Raymond is scared of being other-ed. That’s really what it boils down to for everyone.”

“What Ryan did with Darren’s character, is he talked about a really complex situation and subject matter in a very concise way, just by putting these two people together,” Krusiec said. “One doesn’t believe that the other is interested in helping her. And the other is really, really trying to say, ‘No, I don’t look like I connect, but I do.’ And that’s a conversation that people within my community do have.”

“It’s not an easy conversation to have and he’s able to frame that in a way that I don’t think has been done before,” she said.

“Hollywood” finds no easy resolution between its two characters on this point by the end of their conversation (the scene is not their final interaction but to say any more would include spoilers), but Criss himself, at least, seems to have found a path forward.

“People want different things from different people in the media in terms of representation,” he said. “And the only thing I can do is be true to myself and be happy and proud of who I am — which I am —  and do my best to inspire other people to feel good about who they are.”

“Hollywood” launches Friday on Netflix.

[sirsharp-a]

🍵 [ maybe asexual representation in the rpc?? cause i've noticed people automatically equate a muse being asexual to being 'unshippable' while also ignoring the fact that sex positive and sex neutrals asexuals do exist ]

@unladylikc

right, i have a lot of opinions about this one so strap in.  also, before i say anything, i wanna specify that i am ace myself;  in spite of this, i have no bias, for reasons i’ll get into in a moment--

1)  ASEXUALS ARE NOT ALL ‘WEIRD, NERDY OUTCASTS’ WHO COULD NEVER GET A LAY IN COLLEGE.  they are regular people;  some are attractive, some are not.  some do x thing, some do y thing.  some are introverts, some are extroverts.  some have an interest in romantic relationships, some don’t.  stop assigning the ‘shy geeky guy/girl’ as the default to all ace characters, that ain’t it chief.

2)  ASEXUAL MUSES ARE NOT STRICTLY ‘UNSHIPPABLE’.  okay so to me, even the notion that somebody wouldn’t write with me because they can’t ship with me is fucking ridiculous and honestly, good riddance, but asexual =/= aromantic?  a lot of asexuals are still in perfectly healthy, functional relationships, whether with other asexual people or not.  though to be honest, this isn’t all the consumer’s fault;  i feel people in general should do better at splitting sexual orientation and romantic orientation, because they are separate things.  what makes a character ‘unshippable’ is if they’re aromantic, not asexual.  and even then--  does there need to be a ship to write something worthwhile?  idk, sounds very small-brain to me.

3) ASEXUAL MUSES CAN STILL APPRECIATE SOMEBODY’S LOOKS.  i’m so tired of seeing people write ace characters that express complete revulsion towards the way people look in general.  that isn’t how it works.  you can still think somebody is attractive/appreciate somebody’s aesthetic without wanting to have sex with them.

4) ASEXUALS ARE NOT ALL ‘SAD PEOPLE’ THAT LACK AFFECTION/INTIMACY SO DENY THEMSELVES IT.  some asexuality stems from trauma ( i know some of mine does, personally )  and some is just to do with a person’s natural disposition.  some people just aren’t interested, dude, and it’s fine to write an ace character without some deeply scarring backstory and instead just have them say ‘nah’.  i acknowledge that trauma can shape that sort of disposition, but sometimes trauma--  especially on this hellsite, where ‘the more damaged, the deeper they are!!!’-- feels exploitative and unconstructive.  it isn’t a necessary component to write an ace character.

5)  IF YOU’RE GOING TO WRITE SEX-POSITIVE ASEXUALS, PLEASE RESEARCH IT.  listen.  i, AS AN ACE PERSON, had to search that up and read about it because it didn’t make sense to me at first.  to me, i was confused how somebody could proclaim they were ace but then engage in sex anyway.  then i read.  then i researched.  and only then did i understand.  please read.  i’m begging you.  it isn’t enough to attach a ~quirky lgbt~ label to your muse and then write it disrespectfully/inaccurately.

6)  also, @ those rotten few within the lg/bt community, whether in character or not:  please stop fucking excluding asexual people.  we are part of your group and we are important.  whether we date/have sex with the same/opposite sex is honestly none of your concern unless we’re dating/sleeping with you, don’t tell me i’m ‘not gay enough’/’not oppressed enough’ you dumbass.

but honestly, my main critique about ace rep is the same as ANY REP and that is:  if you make an ace character JUST to write an ace character, it’s going to suck.  i’m sorry, but it isn’t interesting to have a sexuality/race/gender be the SOLE FACTOR about a character, and that’s just it.  nobody should be making a huge song and dance about it;  it should just be treated as normal, because it is.  it ultimately comes second to your writing ability / your ability to tell a story, and if the story is solely ‘they’re ace’ then i just don’t care.  it’s not interesting to me.  arguably to anybody excluding a very small group of very insecure/easily pleased people.  character first, then plotlines/trait exploration.

tl;dr:  MAKE CHARACTER FIRST, THEN POLITICAL STATEMENTS.  ALSO, RESEARCH.  READ.  PLEASE JUST READ.  EDUCATE YOURSELVES.  REP WITHOUT REASON IS POINTLESS AND I DON’T CLAIM IT, AND Y’ALL SHOULDN’T EITHER.