#I actually have a lot more Gale gender thoughts than this but those with be saved for another day

[nsfwordwitch]

Kinktober 2023 Day 24

Prompt: Crossdressing

Pairing: Gale x Halsin

1497 Words

🔞Adults Only Blog🔞

Gale checks his shave in the mirror, thinking it's as close as he can get, though something of a shadow remains. He applies the lightest touch of red to his cheeks, and more than his usual black around the eyes. Finally, he dabs some dusty pink to his lips. His hair he's unsure what to do with, but leaving it the same doesn't feel right, either. Eventually he decides to part it off-center, letting some of it fall across his face. That will do.

He makes sure the dress is on straight. It's not quite as revealing as the robes Weft had received from the Wavemother priestesses years ago, but he had had it in mind when he conceived of this evening. He walks out of his bedroom and calls out to Halsin in the kitchen.

"Are you ready, Halsin?"

"I am!"

"Alright, I'm going outside now."

Gale heads out his own front door and closes it behind him. He pauses for a moment, then knocks.

He hears Halsin hurrying to the door, and smiles at him when he opens it. "Miss Dekarios," Halsin says. "Thank you again for accepting my invitation. Please, come in."

"You have a lovely home," Gale remarks, looking around at his own possessions. "Dinner smells wonderful."

"Let me show you to the balcony, and I can serve us." Halsin gestures, and Gale follows his lead. Halsin pulls a chair out for him, and Gale accepts the gesture graciously. "Please, enjoy the view. I shall be right back."

Gale looks out at the familiar view of the harbor, the salt breeze on his skin. Halsin returns with two plates of food, pan fried fish and garlic potatoes. Gale smiles up at him as he sets his plate down, and Halsin smiles back. "May I pour you a glass of wine?" Halsin asks.

"Yes, thank you."

Halsin continues as he pours. "You look lovely this evening, by the way. That's quite a gown."

"Oh, you are too kind." Gale says. Halsin sits, and Gale looks at him, thoughtful. "You know, a lady might get a certain idea in her head when you invite her to dinner at your home."

Halsin chuckles. "A lady might have a very active imagination. I resolve to be a perfect gentleman."

"Hm," Gale says, picking up his glass. "Perhaps we need not strive for 'perfect'." Halsin smiles, and Gale feels a thrill to see a blush form on his cheeks.

They dine. Without entirely dropping the act, they make small talk about their respective projects, Halsin with the druids and Gale at the academy. Gale is full of questions tonight, letting Halsin steer the conversation.

"I hope you saved room for dessert," Halsin says, pouring Gale's third glass of wine.

"Naturally."

Halsin takes their plates and returns to the kitchen, while Gale sips the wine. A ship is passing through the harbor, and Gale watches it with a detached interest. Why does it feel like a gloom has dropped over the evening?

"A chocolate tart, from your favorite bakery," Halsin says. Gale smiles in genuine surprise. Halsin had kept the dessert a secret and Gale is glad he did. Halsin breaks a piece off of Gale's serving and holds out the fork, and Gale smiles before taking the bite.

"It's perfect."

"I am glad to hear it."

When the tart is finished, Halsin sighs and leans back in his seat.

"I would be happy to walk you home, whenever you are ready to go."

"No, that won't be necessary." Gale lays a hand on Halsin's and gazes out to sea. "I'd like to stay a while, if that's alright."

"Of course."

Gale feels Halsin's eyes, but opts not to make a comment.

"If I may be so bold, Miss Dekarios–"

"Please call me Gale. We've become familiar enough for that."

"Gale. You seem…not quite your usual talkative self tonight. Was the meal not to your liking?"

"Oh, no, it was delicious. You really know your way around a salmon. I suppose you're right, though. Perhaps I'm feeling a touch of nerves about being unaccompanied in a man's home?"

Halsin smiles, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes. "I hope that this evening was…what you were looking for?"

"It was most satisfactory." Gale pauses, and holds Halsin's gaze. "Thank you for all the trouble."

"It was no trouble at all. But, Gale. I wish to remind you of what I said when you first suggested this."

A mild dread creeps up Gale's spine.

"You do not need a special occasion to be a woman. We have friends who chose to change their lives in ways that defied their births. You could do that, too."

"I know that," Gale sighs. "But I'm not…I'm not like them."

"How so?"

"I'm not…I don't wish to change my body. My name doesn't cause me any grief. And I don't feel unhappy when people refer to me as a man. I simply…being a man is a lot of work, sometimes." Gale pauses. "Don't you think so, too?"

Halsin's hand squeezes Gale's. "No, my heart. Being a man is quite effortless for me."

"But…" Gale searches for the words. "But there's so much pressure. To do it right."

Halsin takes Gale's hand in both of his and leans forward, getting closer than he has all evening. "There is no wrong way to be a man. Or a woman, or anything else. Whoever you are, whatever form you wish to take, it is right. I just hope it makes you happy."

The blood in Gale's ears is nearly deafening. Easy for Halsin to say. He's exactly what a man should be, tall, strong, confident. Not like Gale. Gale, who has failed to keep a lover for long without constantly fighting for their approval. What kind of man fails at that?

Yet…Halsin has stayed, in his fashion. Halsin asks so little, even meeting Gale's disparate and somewhat demanding requests, and he makes no demands in return. Perhaps that's a kind of man he can be.

He squeezes Halsin's hand and smiles at him. "You've given me much to think about. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. As for tonight…" Gale bats his eyelashes and holds Halsin's gaze. "This lady would very much like to go to bed with you."

"Hm," Halsin says, a smile crossing his closed lips. "Would it be more gentlemanly to refuse, to preserve your virtue, or to grant my lady's request?"

"I think you should carry me to my bed and damn my virtue."

"My lady's requests will not go ungranted, then." He stands, then scoops Gale up in his arms. Gale gasps and grasps at Halsin's neck, and Halsin carries him to his own bed.

He drops Gale on the bed and kisses him, hands traveling down his body. Gale sighs and abandons himself, letting Halsin's presence overwhelm him. Halsin's hands move to his back and start unbuttoning the dress, but Gale stops him.

"I would rather, I think, leave it on."

Halsin growls in surprise and pleasure, and moves his hands to hike up Gale's skirt. Gale squirms under his hands, and Halsin draws his underwear off slowly, making his erection spring back against him. Halsin spits onto his fingers and slips one of them into Gale's hole. Gale moans and rolls his hips, and Halsin takes the hint and adds another.

"Oh, Halsin," Gale sighs, "please, take me."

"As you wish," Halsin says, and he undoes his pants and pulls out his erection with one hand. He lifts Gale under the ass and swaps his fingers for his cock, and Gale throws his head back in pleasure.

"Yes," Gale breathes, "that's it, I–ah!" Halsin hits him deep, filling him totally. Gale wonders how he looks, now, his hair splayed around his head, his lip color smudged now, surely, his skirt tossed carelessly past his hips. He looks up at Halsin, still in his nice suit. Like they're stealing a moment in public, like they were so overcome with passion they could not wait for clothes to be removed.

Gale feels an orgasm rising, and he presses both hands to his cock. "Don't stop, Halsin, don't stop." Halsin grunts and grips his hips tighter, thrusting harder into him, shaking Gale's whole body. When Gale comes, it lands on the inside of his dress, and in his craze he thrills at the thought of the stain being hidden next time he goes out in public.

Halsin sees him come and moans. He presses hard against Gale, deep as he can, and comes with a cry. He eases out of Gale and sets him down, then collapses beside him.

Gale turns to him, and Halsin draws a thumb across his cheek. "You do look beautiful tonight, Gale. If it would bring you joy, I hope you dress up more often."

"I'm glad you think so," Gale says, smiling. "But truthfully? It's far too much work."

[zarekthelordofthefries]

BG3 Companion Sexuality Headcanons

Astarion: Pansexual. Has a slight preference for men. Has a complicated relationship with feelings of attraction and connection, so doesn't usually like thinking about his own sexual identity. Thinks Wyll is the hottest other party member.

Lae'zel: Pansexual, kind of. Doesn't really relate to sex and gender in the same way as the Faerunian companions. Githyanki socially de-emphasize romance, and all sex is generally for pleasure since Vlaakith decides who bears eggs. Lae'zel is alloromantic, but romance isn't generally at the front of her mind in a relationship. Neither is gender; ultimately Lae'zel is attracted to conviction and fighting prowess, moreso even than anything physical.

Shadowheart: Bisexual. Very slight preference for men. (EDIT: I've rotated this in my mind after people pointed it out and I think actually Shadowheart has a slight preference for women.) Remained closeted into adulthood, not because the other Sharrans would discriminate against her (they generally don't care about sexuality) but because she wanted to impress everyone with how well she could keep the secret. Also, excessively kinky.

Gale: Bisexual. Has more experience with women than with men, but that has more to do with circumstances than preference. Though physical appearance isn't not a factor, he would probably describe himself as a sapiosexual; he's attracted to knowledge, intellectual curiosity, and strong opinions. Had crushes on several teachers in wizard school.

Wyll: Bisexual. Realized he wasn't just attracted to women at a young age, and his father was very supportive. No preference between genders, but one of his favorite things to do is court gentlemen exactly the same way he courts ladies; he likes being the devoted chivalric prince to men since he knows it's less common for them to be flattered and told they're beautiful.

Karlach: Pansexual. Years of being unable to make genuine connections with anyone have made her horny for affection, kindness, and commitment. Maybe had some gender preference before going to Hell, but her time there has given her lots of time to consider basically any options. Has at least a slight crush on basically every other party member.

Halsin: Pansexual. No gender preference. Halsin has had centuries to explore his sexuality, and his robust understanding of nature gives him a non-binary perspective on gender and sex. Nothing is a casual fling for this dude, though -- if you show the slightest bit of interest in him he will dedicate his whole heart to you. And also anyone else who shows interest in him at the same time.

Minthara: I didn't actually have Minthara in my party, but from what I've seen she seems like a pretty traditional drow, and when I think of drow and sexuality I sort of imagine a reverse of ancient Greek customs; bisexuality is the norm, men are prized for their beauty and for marriagibility, but it's expected that women will also have flings with other women, and those relationships are often considered more meaningful. I imagine Minthara follows those lines, being bisexual and assuming she may one day marry a beautiful man but being more inclined to meaningful, affectionate relationships with women, due to her own prejudices moreso than preference between genders.

Jaheira: Thought she was straight for the first century of her life, but has more recently opened up to other possibilities. Isn't particularly interested in marriage or a deep interpersonal romance at this point in her life, but she has entered a state of questioning her sexuality -- she's just not super interested in experimenting with actual relationships. She's got more important stuff to do. Did have a fling with Ninefingers that neither of them tell anyone about.

Minsc: Doesn't like labels. Minsc isn't interested in finding a partner, doesn't really care about sex, and is enthusiastic about romance mainly when other people do it. He hasn't given a lot of thought to where he might fall on any sexual/romantic spectrum, but he definitely sees beauty in all of his friends. He will give you the most heartfelt and often embarassing compliments on your personality, style, and appearance. Does that mean he's attracted to you? Maybe, maybe not, but there's definitely something queerplatonic going on.

[thefallenangelsgang]

BALDUR'S GATE 3 x MAMMA MIA! AU

CHARACTERS

[YOU HAVE PERMISSION TO USE MY IDEA FOR ANYTHING YOU WANT, I ONLY ASK YOU CREDIT ME]

(break to save your dash)

Now, not every character is going to fit cleanly into character slots (there are too many characters to fill the main cast) so some of our Baldur's Gate loves will be sharing character traits and plot devices amongst each other.

Let’s start with Donna: She will be played by Tav obviously. I mean there really is no other choice here. We need someone who has gotten romantically entangled with multiple if not all the companions. The one unfortunate snag is that Tav has to carry or otherwise create the child of dubious parentage without the other parent knowing. That does pigeonhole the characterization a bit unless you want to go the magic route with it (which opens a line of ethical questioning beyond not telling the Parent of your child about the existence of said child)

For the purposes of this thought experiment, I'm operating under Tav being AFAB and having a womb to carry the baby. I’m also operating under the idea that all the companions have the reproductive organs of the gender they present as in game. If anyone wants to actually do something with this they are free to do whatever the fuck they want and use whatever headcanons they want. 

Sophie is going to be played by Tav’s kid. This one doesn’t have a hard and fast gender rule (TIL Sophus is the masculine version of Sophie) but they have to want to know who their other sire is and be generally chaotic which is not hard when they’ve grown up with the Tadfools as their role models. It is important that they display mostly Tav’s traits with others that could be any one of their other parent’s. (think Amanda Siefried and Meryl Streep are both blonde and similarly built. Sophie draws like Sam and sings and plays like Harry and has Bill’s adventurous spunk)

For ease of writing Tav’s Kid will be referred to as Soph from here on out.

Speaking of Sires, the Dads:

Sam: I waffled a LOT on who to choose out of the Baldur’s Boys because I wanted to keep it to just the traditional three and to just companions. You can obviously shuffle around people (I'm sure the Rolan girlies (gender neutral) would love putting him in this AU) and expand the possible dad list (though I don’t know how to split the characteristics like the Donna’s Friends). I chose to go with Gale here. I think he fits the very no nonsense and very anxious vibes from Sam in the show/movie. Instead of a business person who “went home to get married” perhaps Gale got called upon by Mystra as her Chosen and left to focus on his Wizardry. He is definitely the kind to break Tav’s heart over duty and be so ashamed he doesn’t really speak to them for 20 years. 

Bill: This one was damn near a no brainer once I was considering it. It’s Halsin. Who better to be the Hippie, fun-loving, sex god and travel writer? He retains all his Baldur’s Gate characteristics. His experience with Tav is truly just a bit of fun before they both go their separate ways. Their relationship is HEAPS less frigid than Gale and Tav’s. 

Now this is where you can go two ways with this. You could give Halsin is canon good ending (Reithwin with the kids) BUT we miss Bill being scared shitless at the prospect of having a child which I always loved as a characterization (Skarsgard plays it like a champ in the film, he looks like he’s gonna have a heart attack lmao). I feel like Clan Dad Halsin after 20 years is way too open to the idea of having something permanent like a kid. Wandering Arch Druid Halsin might be a little more scared shitless at the idea. That one is a personal preference, I think I’d prefer Reithwin Halsin even though I miss the majesty of an internal conflict.

Harry: Now this one also was a no-brainer but needs to be explained with some tact. It’s Astarion. It is not because Astarion is the most effeminate of the group. For those that don’t know, Harry is canonically gay. The companions are all pan. I chose Astarion because there is an opportunity to do something else transformative with Astarion and Tav’s tryst. 

In Mamma Mia, Harry talks about how Donna is the last and only woman he’s loved and their time together helped him accept his sexuality. In the stage show he’s in a committed relationship (his partner's name is fully escaping me atm). It always stuck out to me that Donna changed Harry and that’s why he still loves her after all these years. Sam obviously regrets leaving to do what was expected of him because he didn’t love his first wife. Bill sees the life of adventure and companionship he could have had with Donna but acknowledges that that time is behind them and still loves her anyways. And Harry loves that Donna made him see himself clearly for the first time in his life and loves her for it. You can see why Astarion came to mind I hope. 

Astarion’s night with Tav was him figuring out what intimacy meant to him after finally closing the Cazador Chapter of his life. The encounter was brief but it changed him for the better and allowed him to start healing.

EDIT: I realized I didn’t cover Astarion’s Vampirism at all. For story purposes assume he has some kind of temporary solution to the sun issue because I need his ass to be present when this is set on a fantasy Greek island. The Dhampir issue is… something. I sludged through some further thought experiments. Tav and the kid being Tieflings hides the fang coloration issue. Explaining away that the characteristics haven’t presented yet because the kid is still quite young by nearly all standards (20 is just barely of age for humans, and though they are full grown biologically they are still children in Elven society) and also have been largely sheltered from danger their whole life also works.

But to be honest, despite what the second movie and its director want you to believe, I think Harry is the least likely father of the three. I am comfortable extending this to Astarion. 

Okay now we are into the Dynamos! Fuck yes! Rosie and Tanya are my favorites (it helps that they are PERFECTLY casted in the movie oh my god). I have split their characteristics across the girls. There are some of the companions that are obviously one or the other (Karlach is the most Rosie coded while Minthara SCREAMS Tanya) while others send mixed signals (Shadowheart is the most even, skewing towards Tanya slightly while Lae’zel has Tanya’s bitchy attitude and Rosie’s  “lone wolf” outlook) SO I’m going to make a chart

Like Astarion, for story purposes, assume Karlach’s heart issue has been solved.

Graphic design is my passion

ANYWAYS you may have noticed three of our friends are missing from this line up. Our intrepid Folk Hero Formally Known As The Blade of Frontiers, Wyll, Pack Mother, Jaheria, and her trusty ride or die Rashamen, Minsc (and don’t forget Boo!). 

I had some trouble with these nerds because initially I was playing with making Wyll the second half of Sam, he would have usurped the businessman and maybe the gone home to get married bit while Gale was the heartbreaker and took something from Bill’s characterization, but I was having trouble with losing character motivations. Plus Wyll is canonically not the type for flings. So I am having him be a good family friend invited to the wedding but not involved in the parentage. He essentially is a more involved part of the Greek Chorus. He could take Sam entirely if you are not the type for Gale but you will see why I did this when I get into the songs (yes I am that fucking insane about this.) 

Jaheira does have the countenance to be a Dynamo BUT there is this minor character that I think about way too often that I wanted her to take. She is only mentioned in the first movie and the stage show in one line and seen a little in the second movie (which is a fever dream and convolutes the “lore” but I love it anyways). It’s Bill’s Great Aunt Sophia that left Donna the money to start Villa Donna. OBVIOUSLY she isn’t directly going to be playing Halsin’s Great Aunt or be dead (though she will be ancient by then) but she’s going to fill the mentor role for Tav and help out with Soph. She is the only one who knows that Gale Halsin and Astarion are the possible fathers until the beginning of the shenanigans.

Minsc, like Wyll, doesn’t have a direct parallel. He is also a part of the more involved Greek Chorus. He is Soph’s crazy uncle. He got them into all kinds of trouble and still does to this day. He gives a less emotional and personal version of Sam’s “are you sure you want to do this, you are so young” speech that essentially is offering to run off and be warriors (His plan does not get them away from anyone, he’s unanimously elected that the entire tadfool group is coming with them). But he does it after Gale gives the original speech that severely upsets Soph so it serves as a cheer up speech (“Minsc is unsure if the Wizard should come along seeing as he has upset the little warrior so, but Boo says he is very useful and Minsc agrees. So he can come with, but he does not get to pet Boo’s furry little bottom!”). 

The rest of our Greek Chorus and people like Sky and Sophie’s Friends are filled out by various NPCs. Pepper is played by Mol. Ali and Lisa are open to OCs to be honest but the idea of Yenna and Arabella hearing the saucy details of a story they were partly involved in is really funny to me so they are listed in the song list as the backup singers. Sky is an OC because I wasn’t fully comfortable using any of the child NPCs. He’s referred to as Soph’s partner.

[mega-ringsandthings-world]

Hi, I am the anonymous who asked for people who like single Katniss.

(I guess I will call myself Pepper in future, I am too much of a coward to send an direct ask )

It is just when I carve for Hunger games contents, all it seems is things I don't like. All hg fanfics and analysis being about Katniss' love, her kids and all just wears me out. And there doesn't even seem to be any Peeta×Gale shippers (At least they will leave Katniss alone and out of the mess) Especially if you just change the gender, Gale seems to be Peeta's type. (Don't know about Gale)

You are the first one whose opinions seems to resemble mine and thought you would know someone like that. (Your "Capitolite" post is the one that lead me to your tumblr, loved it).

I rather read a fic or analysis about Katniss living with her sister and being in friendly terms Gale and Peeta than the epilogue Collins (I think she aimed for a sad one, but people ignore it because "she is married and have kids isn't it the ultimate happiness") gave us. The whole love triangle was unnecessary. At least she could do is turn it into a poly relationship or avoid either Peeta or Gale falling in love with Katniss. Then she didn't have to rush up thing and chuck Gale out at the last moment.

And I do agree (a little) with your posts about Peeta. Where my disagreement come (this is going to be very controversial) is on the fact that Peeta had strong feelings (of any type) for Katniss before the arena.

Just come on, who remembers the crush you had when you were 5. Especially when it is goddamn stranger (not really a stranger, but you get my point, Peeta doesn't know Katniss enough for those feelings to settle in.)

Then why does he seem to know so much about Katniss? Remember him saying that his father said that he had a crush on Katniss' mother. It is not the sort of thing you forget and does leave an impression on you. I think his feelings for Katniss was somewhat similar to the one Katniss had for at the beginning, a mild affection mixed with some curiosity. He kept tabs on Katniss the same way she did to him. It is possible that he heard more about her from his father.

And I think on the interview, Peeta decided to play the tragic lover part, which is going earn him a lot of sympathy (And sponsors). I don't think he remotely thought of Katniss involving in his plan and probably thought that her indifference and her presumed relationship with Gale is going to play in his advantage. Haymich is the one that wanted to make it a two way. And in the arena, Katniss taking care of him seem to have made him fall in love with her. (I could be very wrong as no else seem to have this opinion and it's been a while since I read HG). And him distancing from her later struck me as an I-am-sorry than a dislike for her not returning the feelings.

His many bizarre I-have-a-crush-like actions (I don't remember them all, lol) could be chalked down to the ones of a person desperate to live. (I remember his mother telling him that he will not live, that can do a number on anyone. And Haymich doesn't seem very supportive of him)

I think their (not necessarily romantic) relationship was of mutual benefit and satisfaction though not necessarily healthy.

Anyway thanks for reading my rant (?).

Hi Pepper! So, I'll start off with saying that it does wear me out too. The story of the Hunger Games is a very rich story that goes beyond just a YA book, and yet in it's media and it's fanbase, it seems to be all about the romance, and most of the content is soaked in the starcrossed lovers bit. But to be fair, I have seen some GaleXPeeta content, but I never gave it a passing glance since it's not my cup of tea. Although, Gale being Peeta's type is an interesting thought, but Peeta certainly isn't Gale's type. Gale loved Katniss because he grew up with her and they shared a social class and experiences. I'm glad found someone of (sort of ) the same mind as me! I always wished to find more hg fans who think like me.

The ending didn't fit right with me, Katniss still seemed too restless to settle down and she never wanted kids. So I didn't like it. I think the ending was too rushed, and we could have benefitted from a longer epilogue or even another book going into more detail about Katniss's future. But we were never going to get a poly relationship, within the story it would not have worked, and the author isn't someone who does poly relationships. A lot of what is wrong with the books is because of the author's viewpoint. Okay, I see your reasoning on Peeta, and it's an interesting viewpoint! And I share many of your thoughts, but I see it just a bit differently. It was very clear that he remembered Katniss and loved her, or rather he loves the idea of her he has in his head. Katniss remarks often on how he sees her differently than how she actually is. And Peeta is very smart, he knew from the beginning how to play the game. He figured telling people about his love would make the gamemakers go for a couple angle, and that would be a way to save Katniss, plus getting both of them out alive. And he was right. He's not the type of person to act out of desperation, even in Peeta's lowest moments he never acted desperately. Katniss says herself that Peeta was playing the game, and she was right. The problem is that he presumed Katniss had a secret affection for him. He thought she loved him deep down like he loved her.

But she didn't. She had zero affections romantically for him besides a sense of obligation and curiosity because of the bread. In the arena he seemed thrilled that she was finally "coming around." And he definitely got angry at Katniss when she revealed she had just been faking, she says herself that he was pushing her away and acting coldly and unfair. He would pretend in front of the cameras in order to keep himself and her safe, but then not talk to her, and it's only until a whole six months later that he finally admits she was right to pretend to keep them both alive.

Their relationship was necessary to keep them both alive, and they would have been wonderful friends. But Katniss should never have been with him romantically. As @kapriccosa says, the way that Katniss is written as needing Peeta to survive and find peace (plus having his kids when she was clearly reluctant to) is a trope that really isn't the best.

Katniss needed to be free as she could of any entanglements that had the taint of the capitol, she needed to be able to figure out who she was when she didn't have to be preforming for cameras and or surviving. And it's really irritating that we didn't get the slightest bit of that.

[cadcnce-archived]

          BIG ASS CHARACTER SHEET FOR                    FANTASY VERSE WYLAN

I found an image while going through my files for cursed pics to send @spiritmaiden​, they had the audacity to take it and fill it out for the fantasy verse of their sky-zel, so I of course have to match the effort for Wylan because I’m not about to be shown up. It’s hella involved, nobody’s getting tagged but damn if you want an exercise in hitting your character then give it a shot. Most is under the cut because of length.

Character’s Name: Zachary Reis (Born) Wylan Rechtur (Used) Character’s nicknames: Ze (by his sister) Wy (by his friends and preferred) Zephyr (mercenary name, also what you’d see on any wanted posters) Gender: Male Righty or Lefty: Righty Age: 25-26  Height: 6′-0″  Weight: ~180 lbs Eye Color: Emerald green, bright and wide filled with a mix of confidence and playfulness. Hair color: Dark brown, messy and falling to his ears. Unkempt may be a good descriptor, but he generally keeps it down flatter at the least.  Distinguishing marks: His body is pocked with marks and scars from fights and other disagreements, but the ones most easily discerned are knife scars on his hands, and a short arc above his left brow. Describe physical traits in one passage: A good way to view him is concealed strength and agility. He’s toned and in good shape but doesn’t often dress or carry himself in ways that would flaunt this. His posture and pose are loose, and his expressions can be lazy and playful. So the moment he flips that switch and uses the full brunt of his power? It’s a surprise. He’s also a bit on the lanky side, his body size doesn’t fully compliment the size of his limbs. 

FAMILY/ RELIGION

Parents: Mother and father were disappeared/dead when he was just a bit over 6 years old and his sister was an infant. They were involved with the church but not royalty themselves. Wylan never spent much time figuring out what. They had a life left for him and his sister that he threw away as well. His father was a gentle soul while his mother was razor sharp and firm. Siblings: Younger sister, Katelynn Reis, but goes by Lyn with her friends. Wylan calls her Kat. She’s ~5 years younger than he, and remains with the church training and working as a healer. Whereas Wylan ran away from being a Paladin, she stayed strong to become a Cleric.  Significant Other: Verse dependent, Wylan typically is averse to romance and prefers casual encounters.  Children: None, nor is he open to them initially in his canon.  Other relatives: None remain living that he is aware of. He and his sister were raised by his grandmother on his father’s side, but she passed away shortly after he left the knight’s academy, when Wylan was roughly 16-17.  Pets: None. But he does enjoy talking to cats. Friends: Wylan is the type who ‘knows a guy’, he’s close with many tavernkeeps and makes nice with the adventurer’s guilds and their members as well. His work as an informant necessitates things like this. Wylan is also the type to consider most anyone he encounters and converses with a friend, whether they like it or not. His best friend though would easily be a wandering adherent by the name of Emke. I don’t care what the thread is about in some way she’s involved in his life. They’re platonic soulmates. Enemies: As a mercenary and hunter, some others in his craft would consider Wylan to be their rival, and in many cases he would view them just the same. It’s hard to say he has any enemies outside of pointedly evil factions however! Relationships (other): His relationship with his sister is an odd one. They’re still in touch via letters and the occasional visit, and he does what he can to support her with his money, but they’re not close like conventional siblings. There’s a strange codependence between them. Wylan depends on Lyn as a ‘rock’, and she depends on him as the ‘sea’. Ethnicity: Human! His origins are mostly a mix of Germanic/Portuguese if you wanted a comparison to Earth races/ethnicities. Religion: He recognizes the existence of higher powers but his relationship with them isn’t the best. As if being rebellious to his parents wasn’t bad enough he has to be tsundere towards The Light. This is noted when he uses holy magic such as wards and smiting spells and getting rebound into his own body upon use. Superstitions: He’s incredibly wary around the undead and spirits. So catch him spreading salt when he has to camp somewhere less than lively. Also give him a moment to sharpen his silver weaponry...  Diction, Accent, ETC.: His dialect is pretty clean, though this depends on who he’s speaking to, being the travelling sort he is he’s capable of lightly ‘faking’ various accents, or just being lazy with his own manner of speech. Traces back to proper speaking that was drilled into him as a child and then his own rebelliousness. SCHOOL/ WORK / HOME Education (Highest): He was well learned with the academy work that he actually accomplished. While he never finished and never put his all into his studies, it was clear to his teachers that he had a gift for learning but a problem with conviction.  Degrees: None! But just so I still have something here, one of his informal titles is ‘The Gale’s Fang’. Vocation/Occupation: Jack of several trades, wrapped up best as a mercenary informant, and a monster hunter. He’s good at tracking both people and monsters and taking them down- lethally or not so much. Employment History: Wylan was fully involved with the knight’s academy from the age of 6 to 16, so for those 10 years he had his hands full dealing with that and trying to figure out himself (poorly). Upon leaving the academy after the accident, he took up arms and was given tutelage by the thieves’ guild which taught him how to use his senses and move quietly through the shadows. Wylan didn’t make a good pickpocket, but he was good at reading other people and exceptional at duels. It wasn’t long before he took the advice of the guildmaster and made better uses of his talents. Not necessarily for good, but for more profit. By the age of 22 he was an accomplished and well connected informant, bartering information as well as putting his swordwork to use headhunting and slaying monsters that made issue outside the cities in which he frequented. This continues to current/canon start of interactions. Salary: He’s affluent enough not to worry too much about his state of living, but he can be prone to splurge spending that puts him in a bind for a few weeks at a time, at least until the next job puts money back on the table. Status and money: Continuing off the above, he’s decent enough with his funds (after sending money back to help out his sister) but wouldn’t be well off enough to be considered rich compared to his modern verse. Fortunately he has enough renown that jobs aren’t too hard to come by for him. And many barkeeps and friends are willing to open a tab for him. So he’s not too desperate.  Own or Rent: Wylan typically rents inn rooms when he stays in the cities, and camps when he’s out in the woods. Technically he also owns if you count helping his sister keep her own place running (thought it’s really about 30-70, with his sister funding most of it)  Living Space: Wylan never stays long at the room. It’s a place to go back to and sleep. Personal belongings? Very few. Most things he owns that he wouldn’t want to lose stay back with his sister kept in a basement or separate room that he uses on the rare times he’s back in the capital/holy city from which he originally hailed. As you can imagine, this isn’t very often.  Work Space: N/A! He doesn’t have one! Given his work is almost entirely in the field. Main Mode of Transportation: CATCH A RIIIIIDE. Though he’s apt to have a horse around for transport if he isn’t going too far. Long voyages for when he changes locales would probably be hitching a ride with a caravan. He also doesn’t mind voyages on foot too much. PSYCHOLOGY Fears: Externally he has an aversion to ghosts and spirits. The concept of the dead coming back to haunt you isn’t something he much cares for. Having access to light magic should mostly assuage this, and yet it can give him goosebumps anyhow. Ironically he has a fear of large mammals in his modern verse but that shit doesn’t apply here given he’s a monster hunter! Internally he fears being forgotten, not making a name for himself, and dying before he can truly feel alive.  Secrets: His birth name, Zachary Reis, isn’t something he will bring up with anyone. It’s not necessarily a ‘dead name’ for him, but it’s one he threw away the same time he decided he was going to toss away his ‘fate’ as a paladin. Taking the name of Wylan was another way he took his life for himself in his mind. Despite this being a path of self destruction. His sister is also something he doesn’t often bring up unless he very much trusts that person.  IQ: Surprisingly high. He picks up a lot of information doing the work he does, but you wouldn’t be blamed for not believing this. Eating Habits: They could be a lot better. He eats enough to get by, but his diet isn’t as varied as it could be. Wylan hunts small game when he can, but he isn’t an exciting cook so ALAS. This boy prefers hitting up taverns and getting basic meals like stews, jerky, sandwiches, etc etc. Sleeping Habits: Wylan is a very light sleeper. Typically if you so much as step into the room he’s sleeping in he’ll snap into awareness. It takes a loooong day of exertion to keep him sleeping deep otherwise. Frustrating is how he ‘fakes’ being asleep. So someone could come in and start rummaging and he would still breathe and move as if he were still sleeping. Up until he sits up and stares or cracks a joke. Dare you to kiss him when you think he’s asleep.   Book Preferences: History tomes every now and then. Wylan doesn’t read much fiction and prefers any time he spends reading to be somewhat productive! Make up for other education he missed as part a result of running on the academy. He also reads up on magic and sorcery to work on the wind affinity he also has.  Music Preferences: Wylan doesn’t play any instruments but he DOES love love love to dance and sing. He’s an entertainer at heart and loves to rally people however he may. Suffice to say he’s amusing to go drinking with. And not just because he starts bar fights to amuse himself. Groups or Alone: He’s primarily a lone fighter. Some hunts he will of course work with a team of other hunters, he’s not stupid enough to take on the larger beasts by himself, but there’s a preference for doing things on his own terms. He’s self aware enough to know that his ways and methods can be grating, but ah... how all of that clashes with his desire to show off and have an audience. Being Wylan is suffering. Leader or Follower: He’s both, but prefers to be a follower if he can help it. Let other people make the plans then nudge them this way and that to better fit your own methods. He’s a prankster and a good compliment to most parties after all, so you’d be wise to utilize him! Lest he utilize himself... but that said, he’s an anti-hero, so there’s possibility in there for him to be a leader as well and take charge. It just isn’t his default nature and he’d rather not. Planned Out or Spontaneous: Wylan is chaos incarnate. Most everything he does outside of necessity/work is spontaneous. All his mischief and plans are cobbled together and thrown out there. Sometimes he’ll do a bunch of things at once, like throwing a bundle of darts at the wall to see which ones stick. And oh my fucking god don’t get me started on being romantic he can’t plan for shit in that department. Journal Entries (Do they keep one?) Nope. Not a daily journal at least. He’ll keep notebooks and the like for jotting down intel and what have you for jobs he takes up. But most of the time he’ll just have little notes in his pocket, and not really chronicle his life. He may also make ‘fake’ entries to tease people or trick them. See what he did to Zelda the one time. Be careful what you believe... Hobbies, Recreation: Tricks!! Sleight of hand!! Cards and dice!! Part of growing up and learning with a thieves’ guild is getting involved in lots of things that make use of your hands and dexterity. He likes playing random games with folks and oh! People watching. Stalking. Not the cutest thing but Wylan makes a hobby out of ‘testing himself’ and exercising his talents. His hobby is unfortunately annoying people, to summarize. How Do They Relax: His hobbies help him to relax! Also, if you can believe it, sitting back in a group conversation and watching the conversation happen and move forward. Learning about other people is something he likes doing, which is hypocritical since he can make himself so difficult to learn by contrast. BUT THE REAL THING HE DOES.. is practice sword fighting. Slow rhythmic swings of his blade, almost like a dance. He focuses his thoughts and calms his soul when he practices. It’s like a mix of swordfighting, dancing, and yoga. Controlling himself. Feeling himself. It’s multiple things.    What Excites Them?: PEOPLE. Things! Happenings! The unknown and pushing himself to new limits. Honestly one of Wy’s biggest drives is doing something or becoming something that will make him ‘Feel Alive’. Because for all of his antics and frivolity he’s very much fighting an encroaching darkness in his soul. So he’ll search out bizarre things to get involved in. It’s one of the reasons he’s bugging Zelda, because her involvement in witchcraft and his own suspicions have him interested huehue. Pet Peeves: Being ignored. Like perfectly disregarding his existence and whatever he’s getting up to. If you’re not reacting to him being him then that means he’s not being effective and he’s losing. It’s his only real weakness...  Prejudices: None. He’s not the most respectful person so most everyone, royalty or important or otherwise gets subjected to similar treatment. If anything, the more important you are the more likely you are to get annoyed! Attitudes: He’s usually with a front, a mask if you will. His general attitude is curious and nosy, but that’s fronted with a playfulness and proclivity for being annoying. Don’t be fooled, he’s usually something more pensive and calculating underneath that exterior. Wylan actually quiets a fair bit once that mask is taken away, his mood swings down and his tone is a touch deeper. Stressors: Things going awry and his friends being put in danger. He absolutely does not do well with people he cares about being hurt. One of the worst things that can happen to him is his sister dying for example, and has lead to one of his most self destructive plots I’ve written, in this verse especially. Lovers? Don’t hurt them. Don’t endanger them. The idea of rivals or enemies going after people he cares about.. hoo. MAN. None of that please. He can be SO damn possessive. In relationships he’s very self conscious as well of fulfilling their needs. So if his partner remarks, regardless of how offhandedly, they’d like more of something he will TRY TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.  Obsessions: Being an absolute pain in the ass. And in cases where someone has wronged him or someone close to him? Tracking them down and getting closure/revenge. That shit takes him to the brink of killing himself. Addictions: None to the point of being problematic, but he does love eating pickles.  Ambitions: To make a name for himself, to be renowned and respected. To feel alive and accomplished as a person. He’d also like to take down a dragon someday. Get some armor from its scales and a sword out of that shit. As Seen by Others: Capable and dangerous, but impossible to work with for long periods. Keep a tight lip around him lest he use that information against you and learn things you’d rather keep secret. A lecherous womanizer. As Seen by Self: A body of broken glass, encased in a shell, covered in masks. Who are you? What are you? Where are you even going? You’re lost. You’re aimless. You’re swimming and swimming and eventually you’re going to be tired, aren’t you? ASTROLOGY/PHISIOLOGY Birth Date: October 10. Time of Birth: Evening. Western Astrological Sign: Libra Traits Associated with Western Sign: Social, Clever, Unreliable, Diplomatic Traits Associated with Chinese Zodiac: N/A, seeing as I don’t age Wylan with the years this doesn’t really apply. Handwriting: Clean when he needs it to be, but otherwise a quick script with lots of pen strikes. He’s capable with drawing diagrams and the like as well! This boy can throw out monster diagrams with weak points and other ecological notes oh yes yes. Sexual History: Wylan was already exploring that sort of thing before he left the academy, so yes... as early as 16 he’d already lost the v-card. He doesn’t really do relationships and enjoys casual encounters. Many a maiden at the bar or elsewhere has taken him for a spin. Typically partners aren’t reoccurring in fantasy verse, however. He’s... well, very good in the performance category.   General Health: A+ healthy aside from the sleep and subpar diet bits. Strong and good stamina. Medical History: He’s nearly died one times too many. Been stabbed, cut, poisoned, bitten, but hey he’s still alive! And that’s what he’d argue matters with this business. Allergies: SHELLFISH. Chronic Illnesses: None to speak of. Handicaps: He’s somewhat of a type B tsundere. It’s awful.  OBJECTS Purse / Bag: He’s got a coin purse that he’ll carry spare gold around in for spending on what have you. Supposedly food but he’s weak to splurge purchases. Most everything else he keeps on him in his pockets and his belt. Wallet: Uhhh see above, coin purse!!! He’s got enough for the week or so!! Don’t try and pickpocket him because he will catch you and you will feel stupid. Fridge: He doesn’t keep food around. He more or less has to scavenge for everything he eats either through buying or hunting. That’s kind of the life for the vagrant he is, isn’t it? Medicine Cabinet: N/A, but he does keep bandages and salves at his room.  Glove Compartment: N/A!! Junk Drawer: NNNNNN/AAAAAAA Kitchen Cabinets: Wylan get a house so I can fill this out challenge. Bedroom Hiding Place: Behind a wall panel or somesuch if he can manage. Otherwise in the floor or outside the window. Closets: His wardrobe typically includes tunics, coats, leather armor and harnesses for his weaponry! He’s got a couple swords in fantasy verse, and he’s got throwing knives and a grappling hook!!  Backback: Yeah uh see above, what a question. Locker: None Desk: WYLAN KEEP ITEMS AROUND CHALLEEEEENGE.  Clothes pocket: Daggers, notes, maybe a writing implement and paper so he can jot things down. He’s also got little knick knacks like a gem or a monster tooth to show off. Isn’t it cool??? Also lint.

OTHER Halloween Costumes: Werewolf!!! Get him in either just a lazy one with gloves and ears or deck him out in the whole garb. Love that idea on him. In one verse Big Bad Wolf is his nickname, and in another he flat out IS a werewolf! So yeAH. Tricks: He’s very skilled at sleight of hand!! Card flourishes and dice rolls. Cup games. Illusions and dexterity... he’s a slippery one! He’s also likely to catch you in words, using things you say against you. He gets really meta and oh how annoying that can get... Talents: SWORDPLAY- He learned from a very early age at an esteemed academy where only the best knights get trained. He mixes that style with a more ‘street’ type that he picked up with the thieves’ guild and even further as a monster hunter and mercenary. Suffice to say that all mixes together into multiple stances he can switch between depending on what he’s up against. Strong sweeping strikes, vicious stabbing and leaping, poised dueling and parrying... he’s a TOUGH fight. MAGIC: Wylan is at odds with his use of holy magic that utilizes the light to bless and heal. Until he comes to terms with himself and the power he wants to channel it’ll have ‘blowbacks’ on himself. Fingers will burn, head will ache, and his stomach will flip. But it’s still undeniably effective for where it is! Aside from that he knows some wind magic to supplement himself. He’s not known as ‘Zephyr’ for nothing after all! Gusting steps, slashing winds, REALLY BIG JUMPS!!! If you throw him he’s a fantastic projectile! And lets see- DANCING! He learned it first as part of his etiquette as a knight, but it’s something that’s evolved with him and oh does he enjoy festivals for that reason. Ballroom styles are what he’s most familiar with. Dance with him. Please dance with him. Politics: Indifferent! Doesn’t care for authority figures to begin with so in any case or kingdom with a monarchy he’s very buh about it. He’s very self-accomplished and his beliefs would push him towards meritocracy over anythign else if you ask me!  Flaws: Suspicious, possessive, and very persistent. This could be a strength too but for the most part can be seen as a detriment because of how it ends up being applied. Which is in self-destructive tendencies WOO. He’s also very lustful, and can be distracted by a fine woman and let himself be swayed by his desires over time. Have I mentioned he isn’t the most reliable? He’s apt to lie to people and give intentionally wrong impressions just to make it easier for him to slip away. You gotta go up a few levels to unlock that... So yeah, sins are WRATH, LUST, and ENVY. Strengths: NONE. Okay if you earn a solid place as his friend there is almost NO limit to what he’ll do to protect you. Wylan has a ridiculous amount of determination and mental fortitude and he can and will strike down a GOD to keep those things that are precious to him. He’s also an amusing character to have around, if you are feeling bummed he is almost guaranteed to find a way to cheer you up and support you if only so he can not feel as guilty teasing as he usually does HUE. He’s got a very up beat personality! Sure, a lot of it is a mask but he WANTS it to be real and that’s what really matters if you ask me. His reckless optimism can be endearing. There’s a lot of other surprising mental qualities such as how clever and quick witted he can be. Part of that mental fortitude lets him think and fight on his feet regardless of how much pressure he’s under. It takes a LOT to dampen his thought processes. Drugs/Alcohol: He drinks frequently, but he wouldn’t be counted as a drunkard. Wylan rarely drinks to excess, and prefers to do so among friends and good company. Passwords: Uh, do ritual prayers count? Magical spells? Heh. Email Address, Home Page, Blogs, etc.: Oh if only this were for modern verse... Time and place: Medieval fantasy! Magic and creatures! I also love throwing Monster Hunter vibes in for the big monsters he goes up against. Special Places: For him? Cliffs overlooking the ocean. Abandoned temples he can just chill at. For all he enjoys being around people now and then he really appreciates quiet isolation. Special Memories: Lots of memories with his sister before they more or less split ways. There’s one in particular where he was trying to teach her swordplay when she was just a little girl, and she about stubbed his toe when the wooden practice sword fell right on it. Her panicked attempts to try and heal him were something that really stuck with him.

[rebellect-writes]

[SIZE=1][b]Name:[/b] Jess. [b]Age:[/b] 21. [b]How did you find us?:[/b] I've had this track on repeat for a long time.

[align=center][IMG]http://i672.photobucket.com/albums/vv90/bloodwillout/thevampirediariess01e11n.gif[/IMG][/align]

[b]Name:[/b] Chase Stirling. Real name's unknown. [b]Nicknames & Aliases:[/b][LIST] [*] Chase. [*] Stirling. [*] Damn, you psychotic bastard. [/LIST][b]Age:[/b] True age, well...about 2630 years old. He's hitting '33' this December though. [b]Date of Birth:[/b] His licenses say December 8, 1978. [b]Gender:[/b] Male. [b]Sexual Orientation:[/b] Pansexual. [b]Availability:[/b] Complicated; Polygamous. [b]Occupation:[/b] Owns and runs the Silver Syn, bit a jack of all trades though.

[b]Species:[/b] Pure black dragon. [b]Element:[/b] Air. [b]Powers:[/b][LIST][i]Primary powers[/i] [b]Dreamscaping:[/b] Chase can produce a dream like ‘environment’ that feels so real to the dreamer that they would never know that they were dreaming. Touch, taste, smell, next to all the senses can be fooled into believing that the dreamscape is actually real, and not something made up. He can craft so fine a dream that he could move through a series of ‘visions’ – for example, from a city park to a beach, to a mountain top – and no one would really notice the difference unless he wanted them to or they were beginning to wake up.

Just because he has powers over dreams, it doesn’t mean he can’t be trapped into a dream by outside forces himself. Sometime he creates the dream scape from scratch, sometimes he’d rather just work with the dream the user is already having and ‘tweak’ it here and there. Sometimes he can take another being into a dreamscape with him, though they have to be pretty close and main contact with him otherwise they'd 'fall out' of the dream and back into reality, taking another person with him into a dreamscape of a third party can leave him sore bone deep, it's why he preferes to go one-on-one, at least he'd have more control over what happened. He's also got to be be caution about dipping into the dreams of the supernatural because there's no telling what could really happen.

While that’s all fine and dandy, he can also manipulate the dreamer into a nightmare scenario where he can torture the dream ‘body’ with all kinds of terrors particular to that person and it won’t affect the physical body. Yet sometimes he can push the power so the physical body believes it’s wounded and reacts in such a way, so if he kills someone in the dream then they’d die in real life because their body would ‘overload’. Doing something like that would and has left him in a catatonic like state for up to a week if it’s a particular long nightmare setting.

[b]Dream suggestions:[/b] In a dream that he hasn’t crafted, Chase can leave a suggestion without next to any trouble. Of course the dreamer can’t be aware of his presence otherwise the suggestion won’t take hold and he’d be left with nothing but a splitting migraine for his troubles. The stronger the suggestion, the more it takes it out of Chase and it can leave him weak for days, and sometimes unconscious. It’s a useful power if he wants to con someone into telling him a long forgotten secret or something similar; it just takes time and patience to peel it away from within the layers of subconscious of safeguarding.

[i]Secondary powers[/i] [b]Air control:[/b] Chase can control the very air you breathe if he wants. Some dragons have the ability to create a flame from nothing or to manipulate flesh and the earth to their whim; he gets to play with the air. Since it’s a secondary power, it’s not something Chase plays around with often but if pushed he can thin the air around people making it harder to breathe or remove it completely. He can even reverse this particular nasty trick so the air expands inside the body forcing the internal system to work over time. This is often used as a quick and crude method of dispatching someone that annoys him, as he can force the internal organs to rupture and burst completely in some cases. It takes extream concentration to do this.

[b]Wind control:[/b] On a whim, Chase can cause a stilted breeze turn into a draft and a draft into a gust and so on until it’s blowing a gale and its best to stay indoors. It doesn’t take that much out of him to do this, but continued use makes him cranky and more inclined to eat people. He could in theory make things worse with this power but he’s never tried. [/LIST][b]Description: [/b] [LIST][URL=http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs44/f/2009/098/d/9/Black_Dragon_by_BenWootten.jpg]He makes a pretty dragon.[/URL] In his dragon form, Chase is a big, black, horned and scaled lizard. Well, alright if you want a little more information than that, here goes. From snout to tail, he’s a whooping twenty-nine feet in length and twenty-one feet standing at the shoulders. His wingspan is roughly thirty foot from tip to tip. Now, his weight is a bit more trickier to get a solid read on, since dragons don’t have any body fat in their natural form, Chase weighs in roughly at four tonnes. [/LIST][b]Hybrid Form:[/b] [LIST][URL=http://images.elfwood.com/art/n/a/nadiasultan/black_dragon.jpg]Here we go.[/URL] He’s a just a little 7 foot tall, and weighs in at around about 500lbs of black scaled muscle with haunting silver blue eyes. [/LIST][b]Status:[/b] Lone black. [b]Mindset:[/b] Dominant. Can be both. [b]Power level:[/b] "Alpha".

[b]Face Claim:[/b] Ian Somerhalder [b]Description:[/b] [IMG]http://i672.photobucket.com/albums/vv90/bloodwillout/app%20pics/936full-ian-somerhalder.png[/IMG][LIST]Standing at 5’10 tall, Chase isn’t the tallest of people around and does he care? No. For his size, he’s built pretty averagely, weighing in at 161lbs. Of course there’s mussels in all the right places and not much in the way of puppy fat on him, so that works in his favour. He’s a blue eyed wondered too, with startling baby blue eyes and mussed up dark brown hair, it’s a wonder to some, how he hasn’t ended up scared. Clean shaven? On occasion, yeah. Chase likes to keep himself semi presentable but that doesn’t stop him from leaving the five o’clock shadow or looking like he’s just crawled out of bed some days.  

Now believe it or not, Chase does like the odd splash of colour in his wardrobe so it’s not all blacks, greys or blues. Hell, it isn’t all leather and jeans either; there are a couple of suits tucked away in there somewhere. Probably still in protective wrapping, but the idea still counts. He can pull a suit off, just like he can pull off the grungy broody bad boy look off, it’s all a matter of what mood he’s in when he throws open those wardrobe doors in the morning. Accessories and jewellery isn’t always a thing he flies with, he has a few rings that he wears on occasion and a necklace but that’s about it.

As for his visible marks, yes, he has a few. We’ll start with the easiest stuff, both his nipples are pierced and he does have his genitals pieced – A prince Albert if you really must know – as well. He’s thought about getting something new done, but he’s leaving that alone for the moment. He does have a [URL=http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs19/f/2007/288/0/5/Dragon_tattoo_by_Tatsu87.jpg]tattoo[/URL], and ironically enough it’s of a tribal dragon on his right hip. Depending on what he wears, you can sometime see it peeking out over the waistband of his pants. On the inside of his left arm, he’s got another [URL=http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv285/weena07/tattoo2.jpg]tattoo[/URL] that translates to “here and now” in Latin. As for scars, yeah, he's got some. Since they don't bother him, they aren't that important in his eyes or they're hardly noticable. [/LIST][b]Special Skills:[/b][LIST] [*] He knows how to use and work with blades, never got around to guns which isn't a shame. [*] Studied different torture techniques since the Dark Ages but he prefers to mix things up. [*] He knows a few forgotten dialects but can speak fluent Latin and Persian, also knows Italian, German, French, Russian and Haitian Creole. [*] He can cook; he just doesn’t do it because he has next to no one to cook for most of the time. [/LIST][b]Personality:[/b][LIST]Chase is, for a lack of a better word, a psychotic dick.

He’s stubborn and likes to do things his own way or no way at all, and he’s impulsive enough that he’ll do things the way he wants them done, and reap the consequences afterwards when he calms down enough to think clearly. Wiley and deceitful. He can be quiet convincing and devious when the need calls for it, and on the other hand he can be very charming, giving off the appearance that butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. It only lasts until he gets something he wants though, goal orientated as he can become if he wants something then he’ll let nothing stop him from having it.

He’s ruthless and often brutal, cruel, he’s also creative and he has poor impulse controls. Couple that with his strong willed nature and sometimes sadistic attitude and you’re asking for trouble. He doesn’t trust people from the get go, it’s almost impossible for him to simply let his guard down around people that don’t know him or vice versa. On saying that though, there are a few people that he can trust with his secrets and at his back, those few people mean the world to him and the trust that he’s shown them took a lot out of him to show. Break it? And he’ll come back at you with a vengeance that would terrify most. He has no qualms about killing someone if it means to protect himself – or people he cares about -, or to send a message to someone else.  

He doesn’t really like people much at all really. The only thing that stops him from killing people around him is that he craves the attention that he can get from them. So it’s more an ‘I’ll put up with you, if you put up with me’ situation. Yet, some people like him and it’s a mystery to him. They must see the chinks in his amour that he doesn’t, because underneath the bluntness and the bravado, he has a heart of gold covered in arsenic. He’s been hurt by people close to him and he’s closed himself off from it ever happening again. He’s literally for over a thousand years slept around killed, played on his impulses and been king of his own little world. That’ll change though, everything changes, and he’s not ready for it despite what he says.

Despite being a dick, he does have a good side that he keeps locked away. Even those close to him would have trouble seeing the cautious and quiet person that he is, seeking approval in his own little way. He has his moments where his actions speak more than his words do, and he’s the type to do anything to come out on top. He's hidden as a dragon for years and will do anything to keep his - and his friends and family - hidden from prying eyes. [/LIST][b]Likes:[/b][LIST] [*] Cherries. [*] Cinnamon. [*] A good alcoholic drink. [*] Working with his hands. Yes, that means clean up as well. [*] Manipulating people to dance like his puppets. [*] Playing games! (Games consoles etc.) [*] A good challenge wouldn't hurt him. He lives for that most days. [*] His dragon form, he doesn't spend enough time in it however. [*] Being warm, you have no idea how much a little warmth can improve the mood. [*] Doing odd jobs for the Unseelie when the need calls for a little outside intervention. [/LIST][b]Dislikes:[/b][LIST] [*] Magical humans unless they're useful to him. Most aren't. [*] People questioning his actions. Where's the mystery in that? [*] Dreaming; don't get him started on how many times his brother's meddled in there. [*] Kids. Period. If he wanted them in his life, he'd have asked for them in his life. [*] The idea of dragon slayers still existing, it sends a chill down his spine. [*] Feeling like hell after using his elemental powers. [*] Being sober; if he's sober someone somewhere at some point will bleed. [*] Being bored out of his mind; he gets destructive [*] Getting ordered to do something; he'll get creative [*] When he's finished a playstation game, he never really wants to play it again. [/LIST][b]Strengths:[/b][LIST] [*] Mostly level headed compared to some dragons he knows. [*] Won't blink or flinch at a threat thrown at him. [*] Not as stupid as he looks most days. [*] The upsides to being a dragon. [/LIST][b]Weaknesses:[/b][LIST] [*] The downsides to being a dragon. [*] Has occasional episodes where he’ll stay as a dragon for days and not care about anything. [*] When he vents, it’s normally in Latin and someone normally dies. [*] Does get territorial over what’s his, some people will notice it and some won’t and he doesn’t care. [/LIST][b]History:[/b][LIST][i](30 years old)[/i]Two thousand six hundred and some change years ago, Chase hatched from an egg on a rocky ledge in the higher peeks of the Dolomite mountains in North East Italy. The mountain range was far from human settlements at the time so the black dragon nesting pairs that had claimed the ranges as theirs for centuries didn’t feel the need to hide what they were. The occasional human hunters that did manage to find their way into the black ‘clan’s’ territory was swiftly taken care of. If you could call torture ‘taking care’ and it just so happened the first human Chase – barely thirty at the time - ever saw was a lowly farmer that had wandered too far into the lowland pastures and had been found by his older nest mate, Lance, much to Chase’s dissatisfaction. Zevran and Leliana were delighted! Their sons hadn’t had the chance to show their worth to them since either of them had hatched, but now they could.  To Chase, the farmer was nothing more than annoyance when it squealed and flailed. He didn’t want to go near it let alone touch it. So he backed out – gracefully in his eyes – much to his brother’s annoyance and disappointment of his elders. Besides, he had other more important things to do like learning how to survive and each lesson that was thrown at him, he did everything possible to come out on top.

[i](330 years old)[/i] The first three hundred years of his life went by with little to remember. The occasional fight between him and Lance was the only thing that kept him from finding some dark corner somewhere to curl up and hibernate from the boredom. That was until he met another dragon roughly the same age as he was. Talbot was a loner, his parents having vanished one day without a trace to leave the youngling to fend for himself and because of that Lance liked to use the other dragon as a toy. Rather than let Lance victimize Talbot, Chase threw himself into the mix. He didn’t have a damn clue why he was doing it, perhaps it was because Talbot had no one in his corner or perhaps he just wanted to dick with his brother. Either way, Lance left limping and Chase had a very confused and angry dragon on his hands. It was only later that he found out why the other dragon was shunned by many of the dragons of the territory. While it may’ve bothered them it didn’t bother Chase one ounce, being a mute to him was kind of cool. It was the oddest match ever but in the following months there was a strong friendship there that was a foreign concept to most of the dragons in the Dolomites.

[i](410 years old)[/i] Chase’s life took a darker turn when his brother all but dragged him to mingle with humans when their settlements started to grow more and threatened to expand into the dragon’s low land home territory. It was curiosity that reluctantly won out, smacking the idea that Zevran would clip their wings or Lelianna would shun them both aside, not even thinking of Talbot shook the silly notion from Chase’s head. Little did he know that Lance was playing him like a fool, and he’d walked willingly into the trap that his brother had set up for him all because his brother wanted to torment Talbot again. When he realized what had happened, it was too late to do anything. He was in the heart of the human’s settlement! There was only one card that he could play, and he did to mixed results. He charmed the wrong female and only found out that she was to be wed when the male came storming into the barn in a rage so fine that Chase could almost taste it. There wasn’t much of a fight after the initial shock had died away Chase dealt with it the way he knew how. He snapped the males neck and before the woman could run away screaming, he broke hers as well before setting the building on fire. The fire quickly spread but it wasn’t something that concerned him as he made his way out of town.

When he returned to the mountains, he was beyond pissed to find that Lance had used the opportunity of his absence to abuse Talbot more. What stopped him from attacking his brother was the fact that humans had somehow managed to trap and kill his mother while the older dragons had gone off to annoy the clan of reds in the far south. Chase was torn between fear and anger. He couldn’t understand why Lance hadn’t tried to help save her. Then again, a part of him knew deep down that Lance favoured the old adage of ‘survival of the fittest’. If Leliana was stupid enough to get caught then kin or not, she was weak and not worth his time, Lance had said as Chase had gone off to see if it was really true with Talbot hot on his heels.

He found the butchering ground easy enough as the dawn came; it was hard to miss it. There was blood everywhere. The carcass – Chase refused to think of it as the wise if stern dragon that had raised him – was in pieces. Her wings lay torn and pegged out across the grass. Her fangs and claws had been removed as well as the luscious midnight black scales that had run the length of her spine and more. Seeing it up close, something snapped inside of Chase, something that even Talbot couldn’t retrieve. Rather than go after the humans that had butchered his mother, Chase flew out to find Lance. It didn’t take him long to find his brother bragging about defeating humans to his father who was more entranced over the story than his missing mate.

Or he was until Chase showed up covered in Leliana’s blood. Zevran tore a strip off both of them for being weak, openly mocked them in front of the gathering dragons. It was one thing to do it in private, but another to do it in front of the others within their ragtag clan. Zevran’s boys showed just how strong they were however. One minute they were cowering like whipped dogs, the next both Chase and Lance were tearing into their father and any other dragon that dared interfere to the point that anyone with any sense cowered and hid. The lucky – if you could call it that – strike that ended their fathers life was an unknown, as both had been going for the kill, both of them claimed the kill. The fight between themselves tore the bloodkin bonds even further apart and before Lance could kill him, Chase fled broken and battered.

He didn’t even let Talbot follow him! He just got the only territory he knew and felt safe in and ended up in Asia. The first thing that he did was find a nice secluded cave where he curled up and pushed himself into hibernation.

[i](710 years old)[/i] When he crawled out of his cave some three hundred years later, Chase was pleased to see that the world had changed more. It was a small disappointment that he wasn’t dead, but whatever! He found himself a nice little village in Indonesia where he spent his time wooing the local women, killing the men that objected and just living. It was as if something had switched off in his mind, he no longer held back like he had done prior to his hibernation period. Eventually when the thrill wore off and he grew bored of the humans, Chase set out to find someone a little more substantial. Talbot. It took him a few years to get a lead on the other male but eventually he found the other black in Russia living with a small group of normad mixed race dragons. Chase didn’t pay the mongrels any mind as he plucked Talbot out of that mire and dragged him off for a little reunion.

Despite the relationship he had with Talbot, the pair of them soon split up again. It just wasn’t in their natures to settle down in one place for one person. With the humans came other interesting things, civilisations died and grew again, but what amused Chase were the ‘others’. Vampires that stalked the night, shapeshifters that hunted when the moon was full as well as the fey folk that meddled. Despite all these new things, Chase still had a habit of falling back into familiar habits over the next two hundred years.

[i](918 years old)[/i] He found a cute little dragon to tangle with in the early 1500’s in the back end of some little county in Europe. Gina was a wild one, and after spending a week having various tumbles with Chase, she vanished. He never once looked for her or cared. If he had known – consciously – that they were going to have a spawn together, he would’ve shown more of an interest.

(944 years old) The summer of 1536 landed him in a small town in Denmark unannounced. He’d been doing a favour for a friend, and one thing lead to another. He’d had too many drinks the night before, insulted the wrong person, and copped a feel of the wrong woman. Silly mistakes really, but typical for him. He was dragged out of the small tavern by human law men, the wench as well, severely hung over and annoyed. When he asked the human law men what the charges where, accusations of witchcraft were thrown in his face. Rather than fight and defend himself; Chase went along with it. A little detour, he’d thought. Right until the moment the magistrate had declared him guilty and he was staked out in a square with other ‘witches’ and set on fire for his supposed crimes. He could’ve ended it at any time, but every time he tried to summon a wisp of air to help, his powers failed him. It could’ve been from the pain his human body was experiencing, but any doubts fled his pained mind when he saw his grinning brother standing at the front of the jeering hollering crowd.

Pain…

That’s the only thing he remembers of that time.

He had somehow torn himself free and shifted scaring everyone – except for Lance – and managed to get himself out of harm’s way into the countryside. Even in dragon form the burns had carried over, and if it hadn’t been for the green dragon to find him then it would’ve died no doubt.

The month the female spent healing him in her caves was one of the oddest of Chase’s life. Mostly he couldn’t understand why she was helping a black dragon! Then again all he knew was pain and the line between mental pain and physical pain was blurred beyond recognition.  

Until one day, fifty six years later the pain went away.

Chase woke alone in the caves to find the green had gone and he was fully healed. He didn’t know that he’d gone into a brief hibernation period until he went out into the world.

The first thing he did when he’d regained enough function to move out of the caves after checking he could still shift and fly, was find a nice stiff drink just so he could feel something. He kept drinking until he’d managed to gain a foothold in the world once more, pushing obstacles out of his way by either ripping them apart or by other means. He’s worked his way from the bottom to the top of his own ladder again, just surviving the best way he knows how and rather than advertise his continued presence to his brother, Chase has laid relatively low in the grand scheme of things, popping up every now and then when a ‘friend’ needs a helping hand.

1932 had him settling in Jackford on the insistence of a fey acquaintance from America. The fey in question had returned to the Sithin that had spawned it so Syn could no longer manage the upscale club that catered to the sins of the flesh. Eighty years on, Chase has managed the club like a pro and still managed to keep things running smoothly when it comes to his other dealings. He even managed to sweet talk Talbot into joining in the ‘relocation thing’ and settling down with him. [/LIST][/SIZE]

[poppytheorist]

American Kids

1. I had “American Kids” on the August list. Sorry for the delay, “I was busy,” “better late than never,” etc. Already straying from my schedule, looks like September is off to a great start! Also, this one’s both dense and obtuse, my bad. Anywho, here are some words:

2. As is typical, let’s gush first: “American Kids” is easily the most thematically interesting song on Bubblebath. The production is also the tightest. I mean, do you hear this instrumental? You know what? I’m just gonna say it: “American Kids” is the best song on Bubblebath.

3. If you take some time to look at the lyrics, you’ll see that “American Kids” is actually a super weird song. Half the lines seem like their own random tangents, so it’s left up to listeners to piece everything together themselves.

4. When listeners are challenged to consider the connections between seemingly unconnected ideas, they are forced out of worn ruts and must instead open themselves up to possible associations they had never considered. Poppy challenges listeners this way all the time.

5. Genius tells me that “American Kids” is Poppy’s take on the ‘blame the millennial’ movement. Partially true, but that omits elements of Poppy’s disenchantment with the world and her struggle to break free of the music industry’s commercializing squeeze.

6. You’re best off analyzing lyrics yourself rather than using Genius. Genius readings are watered-down so they can be easily digested by anybody and everybody. So, they’re usually devoid of anything interesting. See also: fast food, Marvel movies.

7. Perhaps it’s best to think of “American Kids” as Poppy’s worldview presented as a mosaic, with each piece being one of Poppy’s thoughts crystallized in time. Or think of the song as Poppy Splatoon-style painting a picture of her worldview. Whichever analogy works best for you.

8. In “American Kids,” Poppy lays down a foundation for her future work to build off of. By looking at the underlying foundation, we can see how Poppy’s views have changed as she’s matured. “American Kids” lays a lot of groundwork, so it’ll take a bit longer to get through.

9. Since “American Kids” is so random and bizarre, we will first start by picking out specific threads. These are chains of ideas that link together. At the end, we will weave all these threads into one fabric. If your reading is good, each piece should mesh together nicely. If not, then-

10. “American Kids” kicks off with Poppy acknowledging the limitations of her worldview. She knows she is only exposed to specific information (“I live under a rock”), and she only has certain tools to process said information (“with a blacklight”).

11. From these lines we get a sense of Poppy’s self-awareness. She recognizes there is much she doesn't understand. Honestly, this self-aware hedging is pretty refreshing, especially considering the abundance of people these days endlessly blaring opinions that aren’t even theirs to begin with.

12. Poppy’s introspection continues with the line: “I’m a dumb pop star in my own right.” Again, Poppy understands how she appears. This line also relates an element of disgust, almost as if she has been forced to become something she grew up hating.

13. Reinforcing this notion is: “Sold my soul to the man with a handshake.” However, Poppy expresses her determination to still #DoSomething with her platform, to use it for Good (“Lost control but I don’t think it’s too late”). This idea is explored further by “In A Minute.”

14. Poppy also gives us the fun line, “Forever 21 is cool if I make it,” where she expresses the necessary fluidity of a pop star’s values. In such a role, she has to make sacrifices to succeed, like promoting products she doesn’t really believe in. If she doesn’t, someone else will.

15. Later in the song, Poppy mentions: “It never happened like they say.” In what ways do expectations differ from reality? The lines, “Started life at age 15, got ahead with fake IDs,” and “We’re dying young on broadcast news,” provide insight.

16. To even have a chance as a singer, Poppy had to get a headstart on the competition by starting at “age 15” and by finding ways to ‘break the rules’ (“fake IDs”). This adds to the sacrifices necessary to succeed in the ferociously competitive rat-race that is the music industry.

17. Overall, the first verse tells of the compromises Poppy has made to ‘make it’ as a pop-idol, and of the self-dissatisfaction she feels after making said compromises. The second verse expands on these ideas, telling us how she has separated herself from her old life to make her new life possible.

18. Poppy tells of how she has put distance between herself and her parents (“Last time I told mom that “I love you””), how she has given up aspects of her past life (“last time I ate food from a drive-thru”), and how she has abandoned her old possessions (“burned all my shit”).

19. Poppy also explains how she has forsaken her “teen regrets,” referring to them as a “trip wire.” Basically, any old emotional attachments or ‘what-ifs’ would only distract her and slow her down, so out of mind they go.

20. “I think my father might be gay but I don’t know” is a weird line. It does add to the idea of separating from the past, but it may seem odd that Poppy would even be concerned with her father’s sexual orientation, especially if you’re coming from AIAG.

21. This isn’t the first time Poppy touches on this topic. In “Software Upgrade,” there’s the line: “So come on, baby, tell me, are you gay?” If you compare Poppy’s old use of language to her more recent work like AIAG, you can see a clear progression of her views on identity and gender.

22. With the line, “Boys aren’t even boys anymore,” we see a concern with the absence of structure from the dissolution of traditional gender roles, but Poppy’s newer work (notably “Am I A Girl?”) embraces the freedom of increased individuality instead of decrying it.

23. Poppy ties the second verse to the first with lines like: “I should be everything you hate” and “I should be higher now than space but I’m static.” Again, Poppy emphasizes the self-loathing she feels after abandoning her values to succeed as a pop-star.

24. Before the first chorus comes, “Girls, let’s put on all of our clothes,” where Poppy plants the seeds for her later work on the objectification of celebrities. This became Poppy’s most prevalent theme. See: her videos, her fashion appearances, and “Girls In Bikinis.”

25. On the chorus, Poppy reiterates her desire to remain ‘apart’ from American kids these days. She emphasizes her abstinence from using drugs, and says (hilariously) that she doesn’t “care about your party.”

26. Not only does Poppy reject young peoples’ lifestyles, she is baffled by how and why people adopt such vapid and empty lifestyles to begin with (“I just don’t get American kids”).

27. Credit where credit’s due: there’s one interpretation I actually liked from Genius. It’s a reading of the line, “Drugs don’t work like they did for my parents,” where Poppy points out how the use of drugs has changed over time.

28. In the past, drugs used to be used as a mind-expanding substance. Substances that freed the individual. Nowadays, drugs are almost a necessity, a toll for living in modern times. Drugs are now a crutch, a fix to get people through another day of crushing monotony.

29. Sewing time. Picking out associations elicited from the song is important, but anyone can do that. The hard part is tying these associations together into a cohesive whole. We ask ourselves: what is the overarching narrative? What does the bigger picture look like?

30. Consider the meta-narrative of “American Kids.” A self-aware pop star reflects, with a pinch of disgust, on the compromises she’s made to succeed. That she has distanced herself from her peers, her parents, and her past self to ‘make it.’ How would this someone feel?

31. “American Kids” leaves us with a feeling of alienation, of exasperation, of someone who is disenchanted with modern society, yet has been forced to exist within its boundaries to succeed. “Liberty isn’t cheap and it ain’t free.” Huh, guess Poppy’s right.

32. Poppy’s final slash is delivered with: “I’m a millennial, blame it all on me.” It’s easier to point fingers than find solutions. But, in the words of Sum 41: “When we all fall down, who will take the blame?”

33. There’s one last part of “American Kids” I mentioned, but didn’t explain. Remember the instruments? Yeah, turns out those are kinda important. They’re harder to ‘read’ than lyrics, but if you’re analyzing music, it’s folly to ignore them.

34. Throughout “American Kids” are snippets of sound, flurries of voices that seep into the track. As Poppy closes the track, repeating “American kids,” her voice becomes increasingly distorted and muddied by other chatter until her signal is swallowed by a sea of noise.

35. At the end of “American Kids,” the gale of noise abruptly ends and we’re left with a final, echoing cry from Poppy, one that slowly fades into the background. “Is that symbolism?” Yeah, something like that.

[randomnoteforfuturereference]

Random Treatment-of-Queer-Individuals-in-Panem Headcanon

This subject was brought up by @demisexualkatnisseverdeen in another thread, and I found it important enough to put my thoughts into its own post.

For how the Capitol treats its own (as long as you don’t cross it)? Likely largely egalitarian by current liberal Western standards in regards to views on sexuality and gender, including allowances for trans. As for how aces and aros would be treated? On one hand, there is definitely a strong sex and romance culture that would include belittlement of those who don’t partake. On the other, the Capitol is very big, and it is noted that Katniss really only saw the socialite class; noted is how relatively modest a lot of the actual ruling class was. So the overall atmosphere is likely not too different from a fandom section of tumblr.

How the Capitol treats those from the districts? No overt policy discrimination on basis of orientation. Now at the individual level… As others have noted, while the Capitol won’t hate you on the basis of your orientation, you certainly don’t have rights either. Even when the orientations are compatible, it’s already evil due to coercion and ensuing lack of consent. When they aren’t, it’s an additional layer of suck. You’re straight and the person is of the same sex? Too bad. You’re gay and the person is of the opposite sex? Too bad. You’re ace? Too. Bad. Alternative is to see those you care about meet awful ends.

Within districts… I’d say it depends where you are. If you are in a Career district, you’re probably fine due to relative prosperity and proximity to the Capitol. Same goes for the tech-based districts due to better living conditions and nature of the industry. However, if you are in an especially-impoverished agrarian or heavy industry district… it’s best not to be open. Part of it is the assumption that, as someone who is not marrying and having kids, you are being selfish by not pulling your weight; both in terms of industry and to help reaping odds by having children of your own in the bowl. The other part of it would be the association of things that diverge from the norm as being Capitol-affiliated (related: the especially well-educated suffer the same; we even see in canon how dismissive and hostile Katniss initially was to idealism, and she was one of the most open-minded of her district); hell, it could be very likely that the Capitol deliberately stoked that animosity to both sow division and show its citizens, “Hey look how quaint and barbaric those district savages are.”

If there’s one power that aces and homosexuals would really fear, it’s District Thirteen. Take the previously-mentioned district antipathy towards anything resembling Capitol decadence or the idea that people aren’t pulling their weight, and then ratchet it up several notches by incorporating and codifying it into state rhetoric and philosophy. Now add the obsession with population sustainability to get a eugenic bent to the doctrine, and then harden that doctrine with punative militarism. Attitudes that make all but the worst historical facist and communist states pale in comparison. Even if a homosexual couple is sterile, their fate would likely be a very public death so as to dissuade anyone from getting any ideas. And if you are fertile, you better pair up and put out, orientation be damned. Overall, Queers are the ultimate “NonContributers”, Traitors to Humanity, and as worthy being out down as those afflicted by chronic illness, disability, and genetic disorder. Had Coin managed to take power, I suspect the sight would not be pretty, and she may have prepared to take advantage of the present antipathy across the districts so as to make enforcenent much easier (during the war itself, they would have been more restrained so as to not tip their hands; even then, we saw how brutal they are for the slightest thing).

The weird thing is, as a fandom focused on injustices, it sure is heteronormative. And when homosexual relationships are written, it’s more common than not that they are fetishizations (Seriously, what is with the prevalence of Peeta/Cato on ffnet? You’d think that the top slash pairing would be Peeta/Gale. … But I digress) that revel in themes that are pretty damn toxic. Of course, this heteronormality is no doubt not helped by the fact that all explicit relationships in the books are heterosexual. However, considering how much leeway the books give us to elaborate on characters and settings, and considering how much this fandom seizes that opportunity regarding the lives of various characters, shouldn’t greater representation or at least discussion of related themes be a given in fanworks and analyses?

Related, one of the major characters whom I do headcanon as asexual is one whom the fandom tends to characterize as sex-obsessed: Johanna Mason. Have you noticed that she never actually flirts with people (that was movie-only, and there are so many unfortunate implications regarding how lecherous they made Haymitch during that scene)? Every time she strips, it comes off more as frat-ish hazing or simple comfort with her own body rather than anything sexual.

[the-100-meta-library]

Dear followers and meta fans!

Today, we present you the first segment of a series of interviews that will feature the brains and minds behind all those wonderful analyses floating around The 100’s tumblr tag.

For our first interview, we are pleased to welcome Elizabeth, also known as the lovely @hawthornewhisperer!

We connected with Elizabeth back in May, before Season 4, Episode 12. So this a little bit of a blast from the past. Read to see how right-- and wrong-- we were about some speculating. 

We’d like to thank Elizabeth again for her time, and the supporters of the Meta Library who encouraged us. Keep an eye out for the next interview!

The 100 Meta Library (bellamysfern):    The first questions are just about some background info. Anything you feel comfortable releasing to the internet. Who are you, what do you do, how does that affect how you write meta (if it has any effect at all), and your level of fandom experience.

Hawthornewhisperer: Okay, well, first of all, thanks for interviewing me! This is an honor and I appreciate you guys doing this.

You can call me Elizabeth, and I'm a writer-slash-historian living in Minnesota. I teach college courses on European history and write romance novels on the side (second one should be out this year!)

In terms of how that influences my meta, I've found that both of my jobs dovetail very well into analyzing the show.  

As a historian, my main lenses of analysis are gender and imperialism so I tend to apply those to the show as well-- in what ways do characters fulfill our expectations of femininity/masculinity, and in what ways do they challenge it? What does that tell us about the characters?  

My imperialist/colonialist focus also helps me sort out what the writers are saying (either intentionally or unintentionally) with regards to hegemonic cultures, etc.

As a writer, I try to think about the choices the writers room is making and what that tells us about the story

Oh, and fandom experience-- I wrote fic for The Hunger Games (Gale/Madge, mostly) but The 100 is probably the first fandom I've been very active in.  But my first true fandom is probably Star Wars.

BF: That's absolutely amazing. I feel like anything with fandom can be trivialized, but so much work goes into writing meta and thinking about the choices made on the show.

HW: Yes, definitely!  

I have very strong feelings about the importance of fandom, particularly transformative fandom (fics, headcanons, etc) as a primarily female space and how important that is to protect and take seriously.

BF: Right. And I know you write fanfic too (very good fanfic, btw).

Do you think writing meta influences how you think about fanfiction? They are two different ways of interacting with a show, but both require authors to really understand the material.

HW: Oh yeah, definitely!  

I see fic and meta as two sides of the same coin-- writing meta

helps me understand characters better, because if I can explain why Bellamy or Clarke would make a particular choice in a particular episode that helps me craft their characters in fics in a way that feels true (or I hope so, at any rate.)

And writing fic helps with meta, because I have a little insight into how writers make decisions.  In particular it makes me slightly more sympathetic to plot twists that seem to have no clear resolution because I frequently write ficlets with cliffhangers and then have *no idea* where it's going after that, because sometimes I just like to raise the stakes for myself.  Of course, there's a major difference in that my fics are only limited by my imagination and can go in any direction I choose, whereas the show has actor contracts, studio pressure, budgets, filming limitations, and a dozen writers working on one story, and they’re getting paid to do this so they should be really be better at it than me.

BF: Is there anything you've ever read (fic or meta) that surprised you? Any interpretation or theory that influenced the way you thought about the show?

HW: You know, most of my favorite metas and theories come from the Meta Station podcast, and I wouldn't say it's *surprising* but I do think my favorite theory this season is probably Erin's suggestion that Bellamy will be key to brokering peace between all the clans.  (I think we got the start of it in the most recent episode, actually, with his faith in Octavia).  It wasn't a direction I'd initially considered for his character, but it fits very well with the story they've been telling thus far this season and I hope we see it come to fruition.

In terms of influence, one thing I really enjoy about fandom is how *collective* it all is-- lots of people come up with complementary ideas that fit together and overlap in really intriguing ways, which makes narrowing down influence kind of difficult.  But on a personal level, I do toss ideas back and forth with @reblogginhood a lot, which probably shows in my writing.

BF: Haha, my fill of meta usually comes from Meta Station too. I just listened to the segment talking about fic and fandom with Chash and thought "Wow, this is great interview prep".

HW: I can't wait to listen to that!  Those are three of my favorite fandom people, talking about my favorite topics, so I'm excited.

BF: I know, I was so excited when I saw the announcement. It was super cute and funny. Anyway, back on topic.

So for you, meta is a more collective thing. Do you have a writing process and need to go through the same steps every time, or does it vary?

HW: It varies, for sure.  Sometimes I realize something and can just throw it all together very quickly, and sometimes my idea is very vague and I have to write and write and write (and talk it over with people) before I really figure out what I'm saying.  But after writing a dissertation I'm pretty used to writing six different versions of the same idea before I feel like I've found it.  I just edit those metas very heavily as no one needs to read four false starts. 😉

BF: So the amount of time it takes to write metas varies too.

Are there any characters/themes that come easier than others?

HW: Oh definitely.  

Bellamy is probably the easiest for me to understand, followed by Clarke. There are other characters that just don't *speak* to me/I have less interest in writing meta on, but that doesn't mean I dislike them.  

Roan, for instance-- he's probably my favorite minor character in the whole show but I don't have too much desire to get into his headspace for some reason.

The-100-Meta-Library (parapluiepliant): We could have had it all. Still in denial about Roan by the way.

HW: I'll always be in denial about Roan, but he will live eternal, shiny, and chrome in all of my fics so at least we have that.

PP: Yippieh! Something to look forward to!

BF: I am still in real actual denial because I thought I saw something about Zach coming back for season five.

HW: I would totally be fine with time travel becoming a thing on the show if it meant someone could go back in time and save Roan.

PP: Talking about time travel: let's go back in time.

I just scrolled a bit through your The 100 meta tag and came upon "Bellamy Blake, Clarke Griffin, and The Iliad". It was one of your first metas, or am I wrong? 

Even though that referred to season 3, would you say that some of it still holds true for season 4?

HW: It probably wasn't my first meta, just the first one I bothered tagging-- I'm terrible about that, and I apologize to everyone for my poor organizational skills.

BF: I'm right there with you with the tagging.

HW: You know, I'm not sure it does hold true for season 4?  The core of the Iliad is hubris, rage, and war between nations being manipulated by the gods, and that doesn't seem to be the story they're telling in season 4.

I will say, in retrospect I do think both Clarke and Bellamy were the Achilles in season 3 -- Clarke for separating herself from the fight, and Bellamy because it was his anger over Mount Weather 2.0 that incited a lot of the conflict.

(But I also doubt they were doing a straight parallel, so take that for what it's worth)

PP: Okay. Just a thought. I am not that familiar with the Grounders (and to the Arkadians to some extent) might still be an entertaining thought.

HW: Ooooh yes, that would work very well, especially since I suspect conflict between Becca and Cadogan is at the root of a lot of problems the societies are facing.

BF: I did find it interesting that the brought the Iliad in so explicitly. And there was a lot of speculation based on it, when maybe so much worth shouldn't have been placed on the Iliad/Odyssey.

But we won't know until the end, I guess.

HW: Yeah, it's tough to know what is meaningful and important and what's just a fun, throwaway moment until you've got a complete narrative to examine.  But I do enjoy how fandom can take something like "Bellamy gets a present that probably just means he's a Big Ol' Nerd" and turn it into a coherent, unifying gloss on the season.

PP: One of the most entertaining and enlightening things in the fandom for me.

HW: Yeah, me too.  

Fandom is such an enriching experience in so many ways.

PP: Another question in that regard: Is there a meta of yours of which you are most proud of? Or which you thought of as the most fun to read/the most clarifying in regard to certain aspects?

HW: I think the one I'm proudest of would be the one I wrote about Bellamy undercutting the Alpha Male trope, because I find "how we perform and understand gender" to be a really interesting topic, and I think Bellamy as a character really complicates our understanding of what it means to be an alpha male.  

And I think some of that is directly intended by the writers, but I also think some of it comes from the performances (Bob in particular, but also Ian, Eliza, and Mike Beach because he's not just reading what's on the page, he's reacting to their performances as well.)

It makes Bellamy into a really interesting and nuanced character in a way that draws me in.

PP: Absolutely! One of the reasons I love him so much.

BF: Do you have a lot of interaction with your meta? Do people mostly reblog or like it, or do you get some conversations going?

HW: I think mostly people just like and reblog posts, but every so often someone will add something to my meta that I hadn't considered/seen before and it'll just blow my mind. I love it when that happens.

And sometimes people send PMs to respond and I end up having long, in depth conversations about characters with people I've never met before, and I *also* love that. I've made some really great friends that way.

BF: Fandom friendships are so interesting that way.

HW: Yeah, definitely.  

I really treasure the friendships I've made in fandom, and I know they'll outlast the show itself, which is wonderful.

BF: Yeah, definitely contradicts everything people told you about everyone on the internet being dangerous. But I haven't met an axe murderer yet.

HW: Haha right?  *fingers crossed*

PP: Who says that I am not one?

HW: Oh no! Haha!

BF: You are on the other side of the ocean. I think I'm good. Well, that was all questioning that I had. Laura?

PP: I would have one last question.

Can we hope for another meta pretty soon and if so, can you already tease it a bit?

HW: You know, there's nothing that I'm currently writing, I think because most of the stuff I'm interested in from 411 (the Bellarke fallout) seems to be on hold until 412, but I also tend to work best in response to prompts/questions.

So is there something you'd like me to talk about/you're interested in discussing?

BF: What’s your Becca/Cadogan speculation?

HW: Oooh, good one!  

I think Cadogan's messed up childhood (Jaha mentioned an abusive father) is going to resurface, and I suspect it was a conflict between him and Becca that set things into motion. I have my fingers crossed for a flashback!

PP: Definitely. Oh, I missed that with Jaha because my stream didn't work properly. I really need to watch it so I can catch up!

HW: The Jaha-Cadogan mention was just a throwaway line, however, so I might be putting too much weight on it. And as for the Bellarke fallout, I do think Clarke holding a gun on him and then being unable to pull the trigger, even though she truly believed the human race might die if she didn't pull it, is going to carry a lot of weight in their relationship.

Clarke has consistently been shown as willing to put her own wants and needs and loves aside in order to save people, and this is one of the first times we see her make a heart choice instead of a head choice, if that makes sense.

But Clarke's decision to not shoot Bellamy was really big, and while I'm disappointed we didn't get the fallout immediately, I think 411 was a really busy episode and I have hopes that it will be addressed in some respect in 412.

BF: Thanks so much for taking so much time to talk to us!

HW: Of course!  Thank you for interviewing me-- this was really fun!

[artistsintheclassroom9]

Wisdom 2.0: New Leader Summit | The Computer History Museum (May 2018): My Notes

Wisdom 2.0. New Leader Summit. The Computer History Museum. May 2018. Mountain View, CA

Disclaimer: As with all of my published notes from workshops or conferences, these are in no way comprehensive. Nor are they a literal summation of what was said. They are simply my notes, my interpreted, perspective-ed reflections, photos, and jottings, that occasionally combine my own records & thoughts with those of the speakers. There might be some typos.

Good Morning! ☀️

The Vision of the New Leader | Soren Gordhamer (Wisdom 2.0):

“I didn’t just want to do it for 30 minutes, it needed more breathing room.”

“Maybe instead of having all the answers, a leader knows how to ask the right questions”.

Wisdom & Compassion in Business | Scott Shute (LinkedIn):

Old wisdom is making its way into boardrooms.

Holding the tension between what’s easy and what’s right.

“You’re going to have to make that right.”

Do what you say you’re going to do.

Your work matters.

Finding our community & making the world a little bit smaller.

“Maybe they’re going to want to have you deprogrammed if you talk about this...” (on mindfulness & meditation..).

The tension between one’s authentic self, and the person we’re brining to work.

My question: How do we hold that? And how do we close that?

The Growth Edge.

Business As Community | Giving Back and Moving Forward | Ebony Frelix (Salesforce) | Soren Gordhamer (Wisdom 2.0):

If you can’t describe your job to your Mom or a third grader, you’ve failed. (Agreed! )

Modeling starts at home, and in the community.

Stressing the value of focus.

You only have so long to burn the candle at both ends.

Battling what’s taught about leadership and the leader I was becoming.. (me too).

Balancing the drive between growth & results, and growth & vulnerability.

Something that you thought was a disaster, and failed, was actually something people admired.

Often, the meditation room is something equated with the looser room (glad this is changing ).

The opportunity to unplug at work.

Vet & EMPLOY.

Not every job needs a degree.

Equity In Tech | Shifting Power Dynamics And Reimagining Leadership | Scott Shute (LinkedIn) | (Karla Monterosso (Code2040):

Started at the intersection of poverty & health work.

“The whole next economic & social contract of the country is being built in the cloud, and no one that looks like me is there.”

Often companies do not have enough people of color concentrated in one place to understand their experience, and it’s not safe for those people to speak up.

Software creates the world ethos; you’re going to have a future developed by what’s happening right now.

AI is not machine learning, AI is pattern matching, and those patterns are being discerned / navigated by humans.

Our program is set up with the understanding that “minorities” are not the problem.

Temporary strategy? Permanent strategy? Where is it?

Failing to evaluate their own hiring processes.

You want & need data.

It’s not a feelings problem – we don’t need to feel better about having more diversity in the work place -  it’s an operations & management problem.

Setting goals that give us direction.

Evaluate your systems & processes..

“Stanford” is not a skill.

Tech Justice League.

This is not about lowering the bar; it’s about creating it (Woot Woot!  ).

By 2040 there are going to be more Latin & Black people in America than anyone else.

Affinity groups are being asked to do the heavy lifting that leadership should be doing. (Agreed. I’d say that’s true in public education as well).

We need training in how gender bias and racial bias operates at a deep level.

We’re treating inclusion as an add-on program, and that’s not right.

Leaders need to understand the experience that their ethos has created.

How do personal & institutionalized power work? (My question as well).

The flow of data, and capital.

WE COULD BE BUILD SUCH AN EXCITING WORLD!

We don’t have to take advantage of some people to make the pie bigger. (Amen! ).

Wisdom @ Work | The Modern Elder | Chip Conley (Joie De Vivre) | Soren Gordhamer (Wisdom 2.0):

Liberating “Elder” from “Elderly”.

We’re living longer, and power is moving younger.

Intergenerational Collaboration.

A wisdom seeker as much as a wisdom keeper.

Rethinking what it means to be valuable & relevant in the workplace.

Rites of passage happen in cultures to help people through transformative places in their life.

How do we help re-value, and re-purpose people @ mid-life?

Age agnostic – valuing people regardless of age.

Re-purposing yourself at any age.

Emotional Intelligence grows over time.

Editing your identity – What is it that is no longer serving you? Let it go.

Environmental Mastery.

What & How are optimization questions.

“Why” & “What If” actually uncover blind spots.

Asking questions that uncover blind spots…. That’s wisdom.

Evolve, Learn, Collaborate.

DQ – Digital Intelligence.

EQ – Emotional Intelligence.

A confidant, is also a person that gives you confidence.

Who in the organization do you go to for advice?

Who in the organization is generating invisible productivity?

Environmental Mastery – Where are you putting yourself when you’re at your best?

On reclaiming terms.. “Queer”, for example.

Owning the term doesn’t just allow you to re-claim it, it allows you to organize around it.

Find the habitat that is going to embrace the demographic that you are.

Encapsulate your wisdom in a way that helps people “get it” very quickly.

Thinking of systems & organizational issues around a societal problem.

The system needs to be changed.

Changing the system & disrupting ______ (cant’ read my writing) in the work place.

It’s not just about the length of your life, it’s about the depth of your life.

ERG = Employee Resource Group

Less than 10% of companies in Silicon Valley have ERG’s for people who are older.

How do we find spaciousness?

Being curious enough to not know the answer in advance.

Collateral costs & benefits of decision-making.

Re: Coaching – Is this a knowledge share? Or is it creating more internal awareness, and awareness development?

Community Connections | Harnessing Group Wisdom | Scott Shute (LinkedIn):

You have one mouth, and two ears.

Lean, teach, share.

A book that was recommended to me in our breakout group: Unstoppable, Cynthia Kersey

Coaching The New Leader | Jonathan Rosenfeld (Trium Group) | Michelle Gale (Author):

Educating leaders of teams on systems theory. (YES!)

How do we need people to contribute to the room?

Being personally responsible for the success of the group.

How is this team operating as a highly complex system?

It’s the most adaptable that succeed, not the smartest or the strongest.

On Coaching – You don’t want to foster dependency, you want to come in, do an effective intervention, and then get out. (YES!)

Fostering behavior that’s in everyone’s best interest.

What serves both us & the group?

What do you notice in some of the healthiest company cultures?

It starts at the top (Indeed!).

Courage (to venture into uncomfortable spaces) & Humility (to trust the process).

Care about people.

BREATHE  

The Role of Diversity In Tech | Eddie Medina (BetterUp) | Jennifer Fonstad (Venture Investor) | Rachel Sheinbein (Lemnos):

Public trust & moral leadership.

Not just building valuable companies, building good companies.

There’s power in diversity from an economic perspective.

Teams perform better when they’re diverse.

#FoundersForChange

Flipping the power dynamic.

A lot of women & minority groups are often told “You need to work harder than anyone else..”, “Don’t stand out too much, don’t piss anyone off..”

You need to be able to take risks & fail, if you want to do anything audacious & big, and simultaneously, if you fail, you just confirm everyone’s unspoken beliefs.”

Vacillation between fear & greed.

Being committed to being a diverse employer from Day 1.

Building an inclusive culture.

Bringing diversity to a company doesn’t really matter if you’re not allowed to voice anything (YES! – Think this is a prevalent norm in student  & educator culture in Public Ed.).

The problem is treating inclusion as an HR Program vs. a business strategy (it need to be a business strategy)!

The hard thing is to be courageous in environments where you don’t feel like your voice will be valued or heard. (YES!)

(#MeToo) - that sense that we’re innocent, and then there are those bad apples… Isn’t helpful to anyone.

A reminder about the biases that everybody brings to the world.

The New Leader | Harnessing Wisdom & Compassion | Jeff Weiner (LinkedIn) |  Soren Gordhamer (Wisdom 2.0):

Spoke a lot about Ray Chambers

Embodied Leadership (YES ).

Walking the walk.

You need to recruit & onboard against your culture & values.

It’s not just about the What, it’s also about the How.

Transformation, Integrity, Honor, and Results.

What we’re looking for:

Steep learning curves, vertical learning curves.

People who don’t take themselves too seriously.

People who you look forward to coming in to work with everyday.

A multi-varied equation in terms of the constituents you’re trying to service.

Is this in service of our vision?

When you’re an individual contributor you tend to be more focused on the work, and more in your own head.

Awareness.

Managing with compassion.

There’s a difference between egocentricism and egomaniacism.

Expecting other people to do things the way you did is extremely uncompassionate.

It requires a lot of energy to manage compassionately, to sit with someone when they’re suffering.

There’s a difference between Managing, Coaching, and Mentoring. Rare individuals can do all three, but they’re different.

Managing = making sure the work is getting done.

Coaching = helping someone learn & grow.

Mentoring = helping someone understand what they ultimately want to do with their career, or life, and then sharing your experiences with them.

Re: Checking in with someone right away if there seems to be tension, or a misunderstanding. A certain kind of intensity – we need to address this right now.

Seeking to understand, so we need to be in conversation.

If you don’t nip it in the bud right away, if becomes way more than the actual issue, because they might speak about it with their colleagues, and then their team, and before you know it, it becomes about the team, and then perhaps the department, and eventually thousands of people.. And then all the energy goes into navigating the politics of that.

You never want to be giving your power away to things you cant control (YES!).

Education Reform, and managing compassionately.

“A Class Divided”

Compassion should be the operating system upon which we teach everything else.

Actually operationalizing the vision statement.

Creating economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce.

We don’t need other people’s charity. We need access to opportunity.

There are fundamental difference between managers & leaders.

The clarity of ones vision, the courage of ones conviction, and the ability to lead from both of these places.

Who are you serving through your products & services? And even more importantly, who are you not serving?

Start Ups That Work | Investing In The New Leader | Gus Tai (Trinity Ventures) | Tim Chang (Mayfield) | Ann Crady Weiss (True Ventures) | Michelle Gale (Author):

Emotional intelligence & grit; Founding is a lonely job.

Just because someone was one way before doesn’t mean they will be that way in the future.

There’s a lot of risk.

80% of all start-ups don’t even return capital.

Venture Capitalists (VC’s) questions when considering funding / backing:

What is this person like when they’re at play?

What are they like when they’re under deep stress?

Do they know their core wound, and are they aware of it?

(On a promising founder..): They deeply know who they are and what they want to do, and what is right for them at that moment…. And how to get the resources they need.

The best way to be different is to be true to yourself.

(For founders of prior failed start ups, that want to try again): Outcome doesn’t matter, but I’d like to know what they learned from it, what was their learning.

A learning opportunity & a lack of luck.

Something that keeps you going when the times gets tough..

When you feel present & at ease, you’ll probably feel wiser.

The human mind clutches on recency.

All misery comes from over-attachment to outcomes, and if outcomes are all you talk about, well…

The narrative that’s working really well in venture capital is diversity.

Our wealth disparity is greater than ever.

Advice for a potential entrepreneur (like me  )

You’re never as good as you think you are.

You’re never as bad as you think you are.

Develop a practice of self-compassion & kindness.

Who are you really? Keep double clicking on that.

What do you really want? Keep double clicking on that.

What are you in service to? Keep double clicking on that.

On pitching: Explain why you are uniquely qualified and have an unfair advantage to do this.

Show me why now is a particularly interesting time.

Sell it.

If you don’t believe it, I’m not going to believe it.

Leadership As Alignment | Directing without Dictating | Joshua Reeves (Gusto) | Soren Gordhamer (Wisdom 2.0):

What does a CEO do?

They’re a steward of the purpose of the company.

Doing an “all hands”.

We went from 50 people to 500 people (!), in a relatively short amount of time.

How have you navigated that growth?

How have you maintained culture throughout that growth?

No one there wears shoes. Seriously.

A program focused purely on motivation & values alignment.

Focus on “Alignment” when hiring.

It’s not about a company trying to get someone, or an individual trying to convince someone to hire them, it’s “are our paths / values aligned?” (YES! And I’d say this can only happen when neither side is desperate.).

Show, don’t tell.

Am I eager to say what I’m doing? Do I want to evangelize about it? Or am I in stealth mode?

Introspection – the why & then the how.

Entrepreneurs have to be inherently optimistic.

“It’s just really fun to fix stuff.”

Can you fix something?

Can you do it in a way you are proud of?

Wisdom-Based Leadership | Lessons In Guiding People & Teams | Soren Gordhamer (Wisdom 2.0) | Karen May (Google):

Originally she was an organizational psychologist & coach.

As a leader, it’s important to own the seat that you’re in, and take that responsibility seriously, and also know that you’re not the seat that you are in.

Leader with responsibility vs. Leader with ego.

At the end of the day we’re just talking about humans trying to get things done, through & with other people.

It’s really difficult to give something up that’s worked for you in the past.

What got you here, won’t get you there – (Conditions of growth, from my perspective – the next leg of the journey requires new skills).

Watching people trying to unlearn old habits.

When we look at old successes, where we came from: luck & skill -- putting it together -- is almost worse, because you can’t help but feel like it had something to do with you.

Withholding feedback from someone is also a disservice.

Being aware of your conditioning.

You have to be self aware enough to know what your intentions are in giving the feedback.

Often people giving it really want to see the other person be successful.

Sharing that you get what they’re about is helpful.

“And I think you’re getting in your own way in couple of ways..”

“If I were you, I would sure hope that someone was telling me this.”

Check your intensions first, then think about how you’re going to deliver feedback.

If there’s a power dynamic, give choice to the receiver about how & when it will happen.

If we continue on, doing exactly what we’re doing today, we won’t be successful. Because you’re not evolving.

At Google you’re rated on your feedback giving, and it’s public.

The world is a difficult place to be in if you don’t want to hear feedback.

Things need to be taken seriously, and also not very seriously.

What gives you the most satisfaction at the end of the day?

Self-Awareness.

Being open to the possibility of working in a different way.

Compassion.

Gratitude.

Enabling others & seeing them.

Inspiration.

Bringing Mindfulness To High Performance Environments | Scott Shute (LinkedIn) | Alexis Pokorny (Mindful Millenial Leader):

Overnight, I lost 48% of my business.

People have been recognized at an operational level.

Doing an “All Hands” call.

(On mindfulness in the workplace): It’s got to be relevant to the business, and align with its’ goals.

And then just start DOING IT!

Productivity & Fulfillment

Perspective.

Results?

More thoughtfulness in hiring.

Meetings take less time.

Giving people permission to leave; Having the right people in the room.

An understanding of what’s being said that isn’t actually spoken?

Closing | Soren Gordhamer (Wisdom 2.0):

The Universe is here to help us. It’s on our side. How do we partner with it?  😊

My Experience in Photographs: 

Related Links (17-18):

Wisdom 2.0: New Leader Summit | The Computer History Museum (May 2018): Ebony Frelix (Salesforce) | Giving Back & Moving Forward

Wisdom 2.0 2018: Day 1: My (Primarily Visual) Notes

Wisdom 2.0 2018: Day 2: My (Primarily Visual) Notes

Wisdom 2.0 2018: Day 3: My (Primarily Visual) Notes

Wisdom 2.0 2018: Mindfulness, Capitalism, and the Emerging Consciousness: Rich Fernandez (SIYLI) - I Agree! This Level of Poverty Is A Crime

Wisdom 2.0 2018: Thank You! ❤️

Wisdom 2.0 2018: Some Of My Favorite Talks - Part 1

Wisdom 2.0 2018: Some Of My Favorite Talks - Part 2

Wisdom 2.0 2018: Some Of My Favorite Talks - Part 3

Wisdom 2.0 | The Future of Mindfulness: Meditation & Apps | LinkedIn (Oct. 2017): My Notes

Wisdom 2.0 | The Future of Mindfulness: Meditation & Apps | LinkedIn (Oct. 2017): My Experience In Photographs

Archives: 

Wisdom 2.0 (17-18)

Wisdom 2.0 (16-17)

Wisdom 2.0 (15-16)

Wisdom 2.0 (14-15)

Wisdom 2.0 (13-14) (scroll down)

Wisdom 2.0 (12-13) (scroll down)

Wisdom 2.0 (11-12) (scroll down)

[emiliaboone]

Sci-Fi Romance Thoughts: The Host

Here we go, the other “bad” movie. At a 9% RT score and written by the author of Twilight, there was really only one way this will go. I remember trying to read this book years ago, and I’ve always loved Saoirse Ronan, but to be honest the concept just didn’t really jump out at me. But I watched it, because aliens are relevant, and it was interesting. Here are my (spoiler filled) notes on the Host!

Who is in love? Wanda and Ian

How much time was spent on the romance? About half

Did they end up together? Yep

Did the plot depend on it? Oh, yeah. The whole point of the end was like 75% so they could end up together.

How much lead up? A bit. It starts off the way most movie romances do. But it’s sudden. Maybe it always is and I’m seeing it here cos I’m looking for it but the lead up is pretty standard. He notices her, starts to believe her, starts watching for her, caring for her, and finally protecting her until they kiss.

Were you feeling it? Eh..I was getting emotional towards the end but it’s not really to do with them. But I like both of them as actors so I don’t feel repulsed by it. Short answer no.

How was it integrated? Pretty entwined in the conflict. In Wanda trying to make a life for herself she fell in love with Ian, but Melanie was in love with Jared. It was him who pretty much kept her from being killed half the time, and at the same time, she was trying to resit feelings for him and help melanie.

How distracting was it? I think it was too much of the plot to be distracting. I’d say the same about Melanie and Jared but the flashback scenes got weird sometimes so they distracted me more. The super-convenient ending was annoying, though

Kiss? Yep

Sex? Not on screen but maybe during the time skip

Annoyance Level: 4, mostly for the ending and how cliche it was.

Overall movie rating: Another 4. It was so ridiculously cliche but it had promise and made me emotional.

Thoughts! - These words are always incorrect and always arouse suspicion. I have to admit until I started doing this I completely forgot about this movie, and this book. Why do I always think these things are robots? Dead. Oh no, not you, girl I literally don’t know a single thing about! Who closed her mouth? Call…Me…Ishmael. Ok, that scene was super weird. The way he was like “you’ve lived many lives on many worlds” that was very clearly exposition and it was not well integrated. So are her bones…Not broken now? Wait, does she have a southern accent now? Did that dude just randomly kiss some girl he didn’t know??? What’s with stephenie meyer and random sexual assault? Oh she’s drawing him this got really creepy…er. Oh now he cares about consent. Okay I’m actually uncomfortable with the dialogue here. Why do the aliens speak English? This is so weird to me “after everything you’ve seen” I haven’t seen much. We’re only 18 minutes in. I get it kid brother but if they’re heartless aliens less than 18 minutes wouldn’t kill her evil, would it? EVERYTHING IS CHROME IN THE FUTURE is her shirt on backwards? I think it’s on backwards…I’m seriously so confused by why she pities them so much. It seems too easy. sooooo dead. Is she really going to do that in heels??? why are they wearing heels anyway? Or clothes? Do they have a concept of gender? What are the alien rules? “Did you really think you could beat me?” super cliche. And why do they have cars? I’m super confused on how they are so integrated in human culture. Symbolism tree! Why is her uncle nice to her? Just cos she has melanie’s face? Or is it because when she woke up it was “her”? What does she mean by “they can’t see me”? Of course not? You have alien eyes? What else are they going to see? Oh, child actors. Ok but why are they keeping her alive? Just to question her about why she came back? Nice exposition there, Jake Abel. No-one just says “little brother” unless they’re saying it to Mulan’s dog. Why is jake abel suddenly feeling sorry for her? Let me rephrase, I get why, but he didn’t seem to feel bad before. Wanda is only one syllable less than wanderer…Did he not hear her whispering out loud? LOL “STORE” So this whole time, we just see jake Abel just…look at her. But that’s how you know they’re destined for love. Because every time she walks in a room he drops everything and the camera just lingers on his face. There’s the schoolboy grin, following her with his eyes, now he’s watching her work, and she doesn’t understand it but love and shit. offering her water, which she takes even though melanie is yelling at him, long looks. I think the commentary is supposed to be funny but it…really isn’t. Oh, no not the two red shirts. I could never have predicted this. Why is she all shocked that the dude is dead, she knew what it was when she picked it up? Defending her from jared, oh wow, now he wants her to stay with him?? Lol that uncle knows. Now they’re holding hands…smiling at each other, protecting her, keeping Jared from coming at her, defending her name, oh I know his name now! Oh, fuck I don’t like this, you can’t just go around kissing random girls, dude! You’ve done it twice now, what the fuck? Why is she kissing him back when she’s begging her not to? Oh, she’s going to kill him, isn’t she? Oh I would have much preferred it if she did…Now he’s saying he’ll kill bro dude for trying to kill her. This is very twilight, everyone gathering around to protect her even though they hardly know her, just cos they believe melanie’s in there. Now I can see jeb and jamie protecting her but ian didn’t know her, this is very edward. Oh but he’s been told to stay away. Phew. Oh but he’s going to do it anyway cos he’s a rebel. This is their first date ish thing. Holding hands, and she seems to like him but now she’s contradicting herself cos melanie loves jared which means she loves jared but she even said earlier that she liked ian and the logic of these aliens make no sense! Almost kiss…This logic works, that it’s the body he likes, not her, I really like that she said that….and then ruined it by kissing him. well fuck. Oh there’s a twist I definitely didn’t see coming. How could I have ever guessed that weirdly violently human seeker had a weirdly violent human still inside her? He follows her, “it’s not what it looks like”, apologising all quiet. there’s another really weird shot! So…jamie’s hurt. Okay. But where melanie go? she was there until you saw your “family” killed, so it was you that was mad, why would she have gone somewhere?? Now she’s using Ian to get her back, and he’s…cool with that? Not only is he cool with it, hes helping her? and she’s using jared now, this situation is fucked, really. Lol I love that it just says “store”. I feel like that’s something that comes up a lot, siblings getting randomly sick? Or a loved one, and that causes issues? Gale in the Hunger Games, Uriah in Divergent, I just feel like it happens a lot. Maybe even the dad in the Circle? I don’t know if that will count. Steps in front of her when Diane Kreuger comes to kill her. Are all aliens american? Why does she need to die, i’m confused. And now melanie likes her? Lol that kinda looks like the arrival spaceship. This is really weirding me out. Yes, they’re friends with her now. But why are they trying to keep her with melanie? clearly she’s taken over someone’s body, you can’t just say “think about it” to the thing literally possessing your niece? Leaving you? Love her, how long have you actually known her? Why a I getting emotional right now? Just months? How many months? I knew this ending was coming but god, it’s so convenient. Imagine Dragons????

So those are my thoughts on the Host! It was a movie, that happened. And it was an experience! To see the video I took these notes for, you can find it here, and I’ll be back tomorrow for the parody! Finally!

[lofihifiproject]

An essay explaining my intentions.

Firstly, I think it’s appropriate to start this essay by explaining what my practice is. However, I don’t know how to because I’m still not sure what my practice is yet. All I know is that I want to combine performance with art.

Therefore, for the rest of this essay, I’m going to discuss three theories that I try to incorporate into my work. These theories are: ‘Anything That Conveys Feeling is Performance’, ‘Association Theory’ (John Watson, 1913) and  ’Performative Acts’ (Judith Butler, 1986)

‘Anything That Conveys Feeling is Performance’ is a statement I created myself during the LOFI/HIFI project. I began to think about performance in these terms and came across a Polish theatre director named Jerzy Growtowski.

He believes that there is a “rich” and “poor” theatre. ‘Rich Theatre’ (Growtowski, 1970) is “contemporary theatre that heavily relies on artistic kleptomania”, for example: props, lighting, make-up, costume, set, puppets and animatronics.

Whereas ‘theatre can be stripped down to its bare minimum’, meaning that performance doesn’t need anything more than a ‘relationship between actor and audience’ - which has become to be known as the ‘’Poor Theatre’’ (Growtowski, 1970).

Therefore, HIFI performance is performance with added ‘’kleptomania’’ (Growtowski, 1970) to become known as theatre- meaning that, LOFI performance doesn’t need those added effects.

Once I had learnt this, I started to question what LOFI performance could be. I started to draw on my GCSE drama experience and thought about how our performances were simple. Our production of ‘’DNA’’ by Dennis Kelly relied more on tone of voice, gesture and moving. Which are all types of movement.

Gesture and moving around can be classed as performance because you are physically moving you’re hands and arms to convey a certain emotion. Which is similar to moving around a space, people move in a certain way to convey a specific character.

I decided to think of tone of voice as movement because to control this you use your diaphragm which causes a change in pitch and your voice goes higher or lower. Thus suggesting that the voice can be moved around.

This then meant that I was thinking about performance as the study of movement. Whether that’s physical movement, facial expressions or mark-making.

When I create art, I move my hands to make something. Therefore, I can argue that my art work is performative because I am moving my hands to create something that shows emotion. Which was something I tried to implement into my varied practice.

However, before I could fully use this theory that I created. I needed to understand how to do so in order to strengthen the production of my work.

‘’Performative acts and Gender Constitution: An essay in phenomenology and feminist theory’’ by Judith Butler uses Edmund Hersserl, Maurice Merleau-Ponty and George Herbert Meads ’phenomological theory of ‘acts’’’ (Butler, 1986) and Simone de Beauvoirs theory ‘’one is not born, but rather, becomes a women’’ to explain how ‘gender identity can be classed as a mundane performance act’. Thus suggesting that our body is a basic form of performance and that gender is a product of our performances as humans. Meaning that gender is a performative act as we have little things that show who we are.

However, if you disregard gender. ‘’Performative acts’’ (Butler, 1986) can be any small act carried out by the body (Gesture). Which is why I chose to investigate mark making as performance.

There are two examples of this in my work for unit 2.

The first example is two different types of mark-making. One style of mark-making used colour. I got different types of pen and ink and began using different types of hand gesture but I felt that the results were being too easily manipulated by colour. Therefore, I chose to do a similar experiment but only with black and white materials.

The second example was origami pinhole photography.

I adopted a very experimental approach to the pinhole photography. Instead of using an actual camera; I took photographic paper and scrunched it up so that the light sensitive side of the paper wouldn’t be exposed to light. Then before making an exposure, I ensured I cut a hole or a small shape to act as the pinhole.

This can still be classed as performative mark-making because I was using a ‘’performative act’’ (Butler, 1988) to physically create the pinhole camera and I was using light to mark-make with. Also, the results of the second example, produced marks that looked like other forms. For example a bullet hole.

Both of these experiments were key to my final performance piece for the LOFI/HIFI project, for two different reasons. However, for this essay, I think it’s more appropriate to discuss the latter even further because of its relation to ‘Association Theory’ (John Watson, 1913).

As I previously stated, the origami pinhole outcomes looked like everyday forms (bullet hole etc) but I wanted to understand the relationship between the outcome and the gesture.

So, according to John Watson, the brain makes associations through ‘’Classical Conditioning’’ (Watson, 1913) which happens in three stages.

‘Stage one: unconditional stimulus (event)  + neutral stimulus (instant reaction) = unconditional response (work created).

Stage two: the unconditional stimulus and the neutral stimulus combine together to create a conditioned stimulus (feeling).

Stage three: conditioned stimulus (feeling) + unconditional stimulus (event) = new conditioned response (act carried out e.g mark making).’

Therefore, in relation to origami pinhole photography, ‘’classical conditioning’’ (Watson, 1913) is a chain reaction, thinking about an event causes an emotion which creates a response. So emotion then becomes associated with the event. Resulting in the association between feeling and event when creating work.

Which explains how I was influenced by my environment when creating the origami pinhole work.

Initially, I scrunched up the photographic paper into a ball, which is a gesture related to anger. Therefore; I was thinking about an event that made me feel angry, which manipulated how the light hit the photographic paper. Resulting in an outcome about the emotion and the event.

For example, I could have been thinking my own experiences with the army cadets. Which caused me to automatically scrunch up the photographic paper to create an origami pinhole photograph that looked like a bullet hole.

However, my brain cannot make the same associations as others. Meaning that the final outcome could mean different things for different people. Which shows that ‘’association theory’’ (Watson, 1913) works in two ways.

As part of an extended experiment, I began using other gestures. Instead of scrunching up the photographic paper before I exposed it to light, I started folding and tearing the paper. Which produced something that resembled the female form.

Personally, I associate the tears and folds with trauma to the body. However, other people would not have gone through the same things as me. Thus, they would not be able to see the same things within my art work. Proving that each person has a different association between the outcome and what story they think of.

Showing that ‘’association theory’’ (Watson, 1913) and ‘’performative acts’’ combine together to create art that makes people think of their past events, memories. Memories can be classed as performance because they make us feel.

Therefore anything that conveys feeling is performance. So, once I had proved this, I began working towards final pieces based around memory performance. Memory performance, plays with the idea that spoken word causes associations to memories, that are a sequence of images played through in someone’s mind.

‘’I guess being in the public eye, I found it hard, There are moments when going through a difficult time at home- you get a lot of backlash.

People were making stuff up about our marriage being on the rocks, it was complete nonsense. Once upon a time, I might’ve struggle being a single mum with a string of broken marriages and children who suffered because of them but that doesn’t mean that my new marriage is going to be the same.

I’m not my sister; I don’t get everything handed to me on a plate, I work 5 days a week! I don’t get to go jet-setting off with my designer bags so I’m going to be a little bit stressed out.

Of-course she’ll tell you that I’m just intimidated or jealous of her but that’s only because she doesn’t want to let anyone know she’s hurting too..

It was 5.15pm on the 9th February 1988 and her daughter was due home. Gale-force winds had been going for most of the day so naturally we all wanted her home safe but she never showed. At 9.30pm she was reported missing to the police, ‘please help’ my sister begged.

At 4am; a car pulled up but it was just the police asking for more information and photos, then the next thing we knew it was all over the tv. No-one wanted to believe it but according to the police, she made her usual journey home and just vanished.

Eventually, the detectives did show up with one of her earrings that she was wearing that had been found in a car boot.

They’d also found traces of blood in the car.

Blood-stained clothes were found in a canal.

Even her favourite green mittens showed up

But never a body.

To this very day they have never been able to find her body.

How is she supposed to say goodbye?

How is anyone supposed to say goodbye?

If we can’t accept the things that have happened to us, how are we supposed to move on? If my sisters bullshit is her way of healing then I’m okay with it…

because

I’ll always love my sister.’’

For this spoken word poem, I used the process of erasures. As I wanted there to be an emphasis on the language. The words used needed to be powerful and emotive, in order to ignite the association to someone’s repressed memory. I felt that my own style of language wasn’t enough, so I got some magazines and selected articles I felt worked with appropriate themes for people’s repressed memories. Then, I read the articles and got rid of the unnecessary information- which led me to my sister.  Which is about sisters who don’t get on, but one of the sisters puts up with the others bullshit because it turns out that the other sisters daughter was killed.

I made the choice to have the piece about death, family and love because these were three common themes that came up in a questionnaire I sent out. Which was asking for people to recall difficult memories and I feel that this brings in an element of truth to something that is fiction to me. I choose to work with fiction, as not everybody can relate to my experiences. Which would make it harder for people to make associations to their own memories.

In the beginning, my character speaks with a lot of disgust about her sister which I related to a triangle shape. Then my character starts being a lot more honest about what happened to her sisters daughter, which I related to a square. This actually creates the shape of a house, so I got some black and white washi tape to stick on the floor of the space I was using. As I was using the tape as a path, I created a visual method for people to associate with. Meaning that, both shape and language caused associations to people’s memories about love, family and death.

However; I had no way of recording what was really happening in people’s minds, which is a stage I would like to try and develop next.

Therefore in conclusion, I have started to explore Memory Performance through LOFI techniques that incorporate :‘Anything That Conveys Feeling is Performance’, ‘Association Theory’ (John Watson, 1913) and  ’Performative Acts’ (Judith Butler, 1986).

       BOOKS

Grotowski, Jerzy. (1970) Towards A Poor Theatre. 1st ed. New York: Simon and Schuster. P15-27

Butler, J (1986) Performative acts and gender constitution: an essay in phenomology and feminist theory p.519-521

Watson, John B. (1913) Psychology as the behaviorist views it. p158-177.

Kelly, Dennis (2008) DNA

[savor-the-insanity]

Bisexuality, the fight for being distinguished

I found an old essay I had written for one of my college freshmen english classes I thought some of you might enjoy. (not edited from when i wrote it in 2013.)

I got an A-

Bisexuality, the fight for being distinguished

“There is no single accepted definition of bisexuality.” - The Gale Encyclopedia of Psychology

Bisexuality is a specific sexual orientation because it is not a choice, a phase, or a path to homosexuality. People have these views on bisexuality that are mislead and not true. Many bisexuals have faced discrimination and criticism their whole lives from both heterosexuals and homosexuals alike. They are identified as something abstract instead of their appropriate specific orientation. Bisexuals usually aren’t comfortable with their bisexuality because they are somewhere between the sexual orientation spectrum. It usually isn’t an equal attraction to both sexes, they will feel more towards one sex than the other. It can be confusing to them on what to call themselves or how they view themselves. It is hard when it isn’t a set line like heterosexual or homosexual, but there are things that bisexuals aren't, and people need to understand these so bisexuals can live comfortable lives and accept their orientation without being criticized by others. Being bisexual is a specific orientation. They didn’t choose how they feel and who they are attracted to. They don’t deserve the way they are treated because of who they are.

“The term bisexual has been used in biology for structures or individuals or aggregates of individuals that include the anatomy or functions of both sexes.” (Lerner, 116)  To sum it up, creature or animals that have both sets of reproductive organs. We have now grown past this definition and renamed these individuals hermaphrodites. Since this biological definition has been around so long, there hasn’t been a lot of time up till the early 20th century to figure out the definition of the sexual orientation word, bisexual. Compared to the word heterosexual and homosexual which has been around much longer, dating back to the ancient greeks, they have had time to refine their definition and have it be understood by many. Another problem with the defining of bisexuality has also been the lack of funding in the research field. Since it is a, comparingly, new issue, there hasn’t been a lot of time spent on researching the medical and biological reason for bisexuality, as there has been for homo and heterosexuality. The first breakthrough was in the 1940’s when Alfred Kindsey  proposed a scale to measure one’s sexual orientation. Adding onto his research has been slow and is still developing, but there has been some new advances that has made it easier to define bisexuality.

Being bisexual isn’t a choice, just as heterosexuality and homosexuality isn’t a choice, it is a way of feeling and a way of thinking. If being bisexual was a choice, then when did everyone else choose not to? You never did, it was just a way you always felt. People can’t explain why after spending time with a certain person, you are attracted to them more than others, where you want to spend more time with them and want to get closer to them. For bisexuals, they get this feeling for both sexes, not just one. You can’t control your sexual orientation. Sexual orientation is one's emotional, romantic, and sexual attraction to another person. (Reichart, 901) Many researches and phycologists have agreed that there are  factors that  influence a person’s sexual preference, these are biological and environmental influences, as well as genetic predispositions (Reichar, 902). You can’t choose your genetics or your biology, so you can’t choose you’re sexual orientation. Many people want to be taller, or shorter and wish that they had different hair or figure, but you can’t change any of it, it is as much as part of your genetics and biology as your sexual orientation.

Sex researcher Alfred Kinsey who founded the Institute for Sex Research at Indiana University, believed that sexual orientation in humans is complex, that almost no-one is completely heterosexual or completely homosexual, but that people fall somewhere in between the two. Though being bisexual isn’t a choice, how they choose to view themselves is. There are times in some people’s lives when they are confused about their sexuality and will experiment with the same sex. Just because this may happen, a person isn’t branded a bisexual. Once a person is comfortable with their sexual orientation, they should have the option of viewing themselves how they please, as a bisexual and not a sorta-homosexual but more heterosexual or anything along those lines. Sometimes people do have phases of confusion in their lives.  Being bisexual isn’t a straightforward fifty-fifty attraction to both sexes. They can feel more attracted towards one sex than the other, but still can label themselves as bisexuals. They can also be sexual attracted to one gender, but romantically attracted to the other, any combination of the three attractions that make up someone’s sexual orientation are possibilities of someone identifying themselves as bisexuals. Even though there are a lot of possible ways that a person can define themselves as bisexuals, it shouldn’t make the definition any less specific because of it. Being bisexual is still a specific sexual orientation because it isn’t just phase, it is a determined classification.  

People tend to think that being bisexual isn’t as realistic as being homosexual or heterosexual, because you aren’t picking a side. It is thought that when you are heterosexual or homosexual, you have chosen a specific orientation, but bisexual people are criticized that they are just transitioning into homosexuality because there isn’t a defined “line”. There is pressure in the current age for a person to choose a specific sexual preference. Bisexuals seem to threaten other people because they are defying the common thoughts that there is a clearly defined line between homosexuality and heterosexuality. Bisexuals aren’t accepted by either group because they aren’t specifically aligned to that orientation. They are considered “too gay” to be straight, but also “too straight” to be gay (Strickland, 85). Bisexuals aren’t sure on their orientation because of society trying to make orientations have specific guidelines and rules to them, but they don’t have to be. Bisexuality is a specific orientation because it is more than a transition into homosexual. It is hard for bisexual people to figure out during their lives, once they have oriented themselves, which gender they are attracted to in which ways as stated previously about all the different ways a person can be bisexual. It seems to be hard concept to grasp for other people that a person can be between heterosexuality and homosexuality. That is why it is said that bisexuality is just a person transition into homosexuality because people like to think that there is only two orientations. If they can break free from these concepts and accept a different definition of bisexuality, then bisexual people can be more comfortable with themselves and others and also lead a healthier and more defined lifestyle.

Many people when debating whether bisexuality is an actual orientation often say things like , “the only men who call themselves 'bi' are those who are actually GAY but too cowed or scared or conditioned to accept it,” and, “The bisexuals can do whatever and whomever they want, if they are true bisexuals they have no idea of the struggles the L,G, and T's face and have always faced.” These are quotes from a popular blog called, “queers united.” When questions are asked about bisexuality and whether the term is out-dated or even a real term, many of these posts and quotes can be seen. The common fact that is stated, is that bisexuals don’t understand the struggle that lesbians, gays, and transexuals have faced and will never know because they can go either way around different groups of people. This is shocking and unsettling that people who go through the fight for their sexual orientation would throw out and argue against one. Bisexuals do understand the fight because many of them have fought also. A bi-sexual woman can love and want to marry a women and has to fight just as hard for homosexuals for it. Just because she might also be attracted to men, doesn’t mean that she doesn’t want the same thing as homosexuals in this case. Many people anonymously said on the blogs that because of these thoughts and lack of support is the very reason why they have to hide their orientation and why they can’t fight. They are being repressed and left to fend for themselves instead of being able to rely on the L,G, and T’s in most LGBT support groups and protests. Another example is of a bisexual man who, though he is married to a women, still is attracted to men and wants to fight for his fellow LGBT’s rights to marry and love whoever they want. Bisexuals should be able to be thought of as having support from there fellows without being criticized.

Bisexuality is a confusing concept and definition because there isn’t an accepted definition. Bisexual people have a problem finding support groups for their problems because homosexual support groups turn them away for not being completely homosexual and heterosexual support groups turn them away for not being completely heterosexual. If there can be a more defined definition like mine, then bisexuals can create support groups for themselves. Bisexual people tend to be friends and talk to each other because they understand each other. A simple example is a blog on Tumblr called, “Bi-confessions,” where people post their hardships of being bisexual and get acceptance and understand from other posts. Even though this is a good thing, bisexuals should be able to go to other sexual orientations for support without the previously stated criticisms and assumptions. If other people can understand how being bisexual is specific sexual orientation and a specific attraction to both genders, whether sexual, romantic or physical then bisexuals can lead a life without criticism and uncertainty.

Works cited

Daeg de Mott, Dianne K. "Bisexuality." The Gale Encyclopedia of Psychology. Ed. Bonnie Strickland. 2nd ed. Detroit: Gale, 2001. 84-85. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 12 Nov. 2012.

Reichert, Andrew D. "Sexual Orientation." Encyclopedia of Educational Psychology. Ed. Neil J. Salkind and Kristin Rasmussen. Vol. 2. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2008. 901-903. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 12 Nov. 2012.

"Heterosexuality." The Gale Encyclopedia of Psychology. Ed. Bonnie Strickland. 2nd ed. Detroit: Gale, 2001. 302-303. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 12 Nov. 2012.

"Bisexuality." Gender Issues and Sexuality: Essential Primary Sources. Ed. K. Lee Lerner, Brenda Wilmoth Lerner, and Adrienne Wilmoth Lerner. Detroit: Gale, 2006. 115-118. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 19 Nov. 2012.

Wells, Ken R. "Homosexuality and Bisexuality." The Gale Encyclopedia of Children's Health: Infancy through Adolescence. Ed. Kristine Krapp and Jeffrey Wilson. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2006. 917-921. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 18 Nov. 2012.