#he doesn't treat his female teammates any differently

[verymuchablog42]

i do not care what nora says, there is no way andrew minyard is misoginistic

[trialbystory]

Vytal Festival Day 3: OCs

This will be the first of (hopefully) two things I post for the Vytal festival event being hosted by @remnants-of-rwby-events, but it's gonna be a bit different from my standard fare. When it came out RWBY was a big deal for me, to the point that despite being deep in a mindset of 'I'm not writing fanfic anymore, it's all original stuff all the time from now on,' I couldn't get the idea for a fanfic out of my head. Now I never actually wrote that story, but I did build the OC team that it would've followed. I posted them on reddit at the time and had some basic ideas of a story involving them, but never progressed beyond that. But I'm going to share a slightly polished version of them here with you. If you want to use any or all of them in your own projects, you're more than welcome, though I would appreciate being mentioned as their original creator and being told you're doing it so that I can check them out. Just please bear in mind that when I came up with this merry band the only thing we had to go on was the first season of the show; Volume 2 was five months away, Grimm Eclipse was still just a fan-made tech demo, and basically all the other spinoffs were in the concept phase or just barely past it.

Now without further ado, I present Team VCTR (Victor)

The team is led by Violetta Arlotti. Vi had anger issues when she was younger, and her father started giving her combat training as an outlet, going against her mother's wishes. After being gifted her grandmother's old huntress weapon, she took well to the lessons and wound up enrolling in Beacon. During initiation she was partnered with Connor Gray and impressed the headmaster with her cool head under pressure, which is what earned her the leader slot. At first she was hesitant to accept, seeing the worst in herself and the best in her teammates she thought she was the least suitable to lead. But with time and communication her fears were abated, and now she has the utmost confidence in all of VCTR, herself included. She doesn't always make the right call, and sometimes her anger still gets the better of her, but at the end of the day her team trusts her to pull them through, and so far she's been successful.

Appearance: Dark purple hair (worn in a ponytail), green eyes, and a few inches shy of being the tallest member of the team. Her combat outfit consists of a sleeveless top, leggings, and a leather bracer on her left arm. She carries a pair of quivers filled with arrows, one filled with standard broadhead arrows on her back, and another with dust-treated arrows on her right hip.

Weapon: Crystal Rain shifts between two forms as needed. The first is a Glaive and the second is a Longbow. The most prominent feature is a green crystal that in glaive form is located at the base of the blade and in bow form it acts as an arrow rest. It can also collapse down for storage, folding to roughly half the length to be carried more easily. Semblence: Shockwave: Vi can use her aura to generate a blast of force that follows in the wake of her own or her weapon's movements, allowing her to functionally add a second strike to her attacks while the ability is active. While it technically can be used with any of her movement, its utility outside of combat is limited and it's difficult to manipulate the force of the shockwave down to something that is more finesse than destructive.

---

The next member is Conner Grey, who is the only one to have been aware of any of his teammates before joining VCTR; while attending signal he developed a crush on his classmate, Tanis Phaena. And while his outgoing personality and prominent sense of humor caught many eyes among the both the male and female populations at Beacon, his romantic endeavors were often short-lived due to him still holding a torch for his Faunas teammate. Connor takes it upon himself to keep spirits high among his teammates through a combination of trash talk, banter, and pranks. Despite this, the others know that they can rely on him when it comes down to the wire. And while he's the weakest, slowest (without his semblence) member of the team, only Tanis can match him when it comes to sheer tenacity.

Appearance: Hazel eyes and short, messy black hair. Rarely seen without his signature grey zip-up hoodie, paired with simple blue jeans for the regular day to day, or by a pair of cargo pants as extra storage for dust and if he's expecting a fight.

Weapon: Comitas & Gravitas, a pair of telescoping batons designed and built by Connor originally as a test of how simple of a weapon he could design and still get his teachers' approval. The simple bludgeoning weapons have concealed dust chambers allowing them to be charged with elemental effects when the situation calls for it.

Semblance: Air Cushion: Connor can create and manipulate thin layer of air around his body. On the extreme end of the scale this can provide an extra layer of impact absorption or affect the trajectory of incoming projectiles to mitigate their damage (though the margins for pulling that maneuver off are razer-thin). Generally though, it's used for maneuverability; by creating the cushion between himself and the ground and controlling the air currents within it, he can effectively create controllable, near-frictionless platforms under his feet that not only allow him greater movement speed, but the ability to change his own position and facing without losing momentum.

---

Member number 3 is Tanis Phaena. Born and raised in Vale, she was less subject to bullying than other faunas her age due to her intimidating appearance, but that didn't mean she had it easy. She was mostly ignored by her peers until she enrolled in Signal, where Tanis developed a false cheerfulness to shrug off efforts of the more courageous bad apples she ran into there. At her Beacon initiation her combat prowess earned the respect of her new partner Robert Morgan and thanks to his quietly intimidating presence combined with the open support of her other teammates her situation improved and eventually that false front was replaced with actual happiness. As a result she is fiercely loyal to her friends and endeavors to always stand up for them the same way they did for her. Appearance: Short, copper-red hair and amber eyes with slitted pupils. Green scales run from her hips and shoulders down the length of her limbs, with short but noticeable claws on her fingertips. The shortest member of VCTR, Tanis is built for speed and agility.

Weapon: The Gorgon Twins, a pair of katars she built at signal based on the recommendation of a teacher. The blades can split down the middle and retract to the side, allowing one or both to function in a more defensive manner as a kind of buckler and also revealing the hidden chakram launcher that provides Tanis a ranged combat option.

Semblance: Point Focus contracts Tanis' full attention down to a single opponent, slowing her percption of time so that she can attack with pinpoint precision giving her increased reaction speed. This is an extremely potent ability, but it severely limits her awareness of the wider field of combat. Increasing the range of her awareness while in her semblance is one of her biggest training goals.

---

Last but not least is Robert Morgan. Even at a young age, Rob was a prodigy. He was entered into youth fighting tournaments and quickly earned distinction and popularity as a duelist, becoming a household name in Atlas. His parents enjoyed their son's fame, and the money he earned allowed the family to move from Mantle to the floating city, but Robert himself resented the constant attention, and wished for a more private life. So rather than make his debut on the international tournament scene he traveled to Vale and enrolled in Beacon, where he mostly kept to himself. He respects his teammates' abilities and values their friendship (though he rarely admits it out loud), and while being part of VCTR has helped him come out of his shell, he still ultimately prefers the company of his own thoughts.

Appearance: Shoulder-lenghth shaggy black hair, brown eyes, and a strong, barrel-chested frame. Typically seen in a long red coat with metallic buttons and wide cuffs, which he wears left open with the sleeeves pushed up above his elbows.

Weapon: Satisfaction, a Cutlass that can mechashift into a flintlock pistol. Despite its appearance, the latter form does include a repeating dust-cartridge magazine, but the flintlock mechanism does need to be manually cocked back for each shot. The weapon also contains an additional dust mechanism that's used to generate smoke for Rob to use with his semblance.

Semblance: Mistwraith allows Rob to control (but not create) smoke, fog, and other visible gases and vapor. Provided he has enough to work with, he can do everything from obscuring sightlines to creating illusions from the mists, including duplicates of himself, his teammates, or his opponents. Mistwraith also allows Rob to keep the mist sustained and concentrated, even in situations where it would otherwise naturally dissipate.

[msclaritea]

Different Sports. Same Story.

A boy pretends to be a girl. His parents conceal his sex and lie to fellow classmates and parents. He joins a girls' athletic team and proceeds to excel, dominating the competition.

His performance draws suspicion, or maybe it's obvious that he's male, yet opponents and teammates are afraid to speak up over fears of losing their spot on the team. Parents fear the repercussions their daughters might face if they object. Even if he has competed previously with other boys, he has suddenly declared that he can no longer do so.

He says he is a girl. Reality is irrelevant. Logic is irrelevant. His physical body and physical sex are irrelevant. His word is law. The authorities say he needs to be included above all else. Included on the girls’ team, not the boys’. “Inclusion” on boys’ teams doesn’t count. He alone gets to decide who he competes with and against. Female athletes aren’t given a choice.

Female players are left on the bench or excluded from competitions. His inclusion is paramount, theirs, an afterthought.

He's allowed in the locker rooms where female athletes are changing, in a state of undress and a position of vulnerability. They are given no warning. They are given no autonomy over their own bodies. No privacy or safe spaces. Every accommodation is made for him. His comfort is of the utmost importance. Theirs is dismissed.

Female athletes are told this is necessary. He can't join the boys because he doesn't fit in. Because he doesn't want to. Because he feels uncomfortable around male peers. Because competing with girls is good for his mental health. Parents, authorities, and the athlete himself threaten them with his death if he doesn't get to be with them. Their presence is required to treat his “depression” and “poor self-esteem.” Girls' feelings are not considered. Girls who are uncomfortable around males are told to stay quiet and deal with it. Girls' mental health is not a concern.

An adult man says he's a woman. He joins a women's team. He's immediately bombarded with praise, featured in newspaper and magazine articles, given interviews and TV spots, uplifted as a courageous "pioneer" in athletics despite doing nothing more than joining a team where he doesn't belong, where he would have been criticized and ridiculed by those same media outlets and civil rights groups if he hadn't spoken the magic words: "I'm a woman." Objections are dismissed as bigotry, jealousy, hatred, narrow-mindedness, even "misogyny.” Not allowing him to participate would harm "women.” After all, the people who know what’s best for women are male.

After jumping through all the “hoops” and meeting whichever set of arbitrary standards the athletic association finds meets its fancy, after which he is just as male as he was before, sporting bodies now declare him no different than women and fit to intrude on female teams and in female competitions.

Because he's said those magic words, he is suddenly a "marginalized minority," despite having the backing of government, political, and legal organizations, athletic bodies and academic institutions, despite getting company funding for unnecessary cosmetic surgeries, despite having worked at a well-paid engineering job or as a company manager for the past 30 years, spending exorbitant amounts of money on unnecessary cosmetic procedures and possibly his family's savings on expensive lingerie items, a brand new wardrobe, and makeup, despite getting attention and praise and a group of "allies" at his beck and call to issue lawsuits and outrage on his behalf, despite now holding more power over women than even his other male peers. Yet he is, no matter the circumstance, no matter the situation, considered the victim.

His female teammates are ignored, told to move aside to make room for him, to center him. He exceeds any performance he gave in the men's competition, winning medals, taking podium spots, breaking records, advancing to professional and national teams. Again, criticism is dismissed. "He's not winning every race" "He's not breaking every record" "His testosterone is lower than average. Not all athletes like him are succeeding." Women 20 years his junior with 10 more years of experience manage to beat him and others like him who are unathletic, untalented, and out of shape. This is, of course, evidence that all is fair and just.

Women are gaslit into saying there's nothing wrong. Women are coerced into compliance. Women are threatened with expulsions and punishment to remain silent. Any word said against him is labeled as “bigotry,” “hatred,” and even “violence.” He is allowed to claim victimhood no matter the situation.

Women's performances are ignored. His mere participation is given attention, featured in movies, the subject of documentaries. He is given female awards for bravery and courage, because he decided to wear lipstick while he ran, because he decided to grow his hair out, and because he decided to call himself a “woman” while he did it, because he decided there was no difference between himself and a real woman who possibly had to put her athletic career on hold to give birth to her children at the time he was still chasing girls, watching porn, and carrying on with his male teammates. He is viewed as a beacon of “social justice.”

He's often in his 30s or 40s, well past his athletic peak. He may have already finished a successful or lackluster career in the men's division. He may never have had interest in sports before but now suddenly wants to compete against women. He's likely attracted to women. His social media might be full of sexually explicit fetishistic content. All of this is ignored. His past is swept under the rug. That "self" doesn't exist. He's changed his name, so he's a brand-new person!

He petitions athletic leagues to allow him free access to the women's league. He is consulted by athletic bodies and organizations on policies in women's sport. Policies that were made to protect female athletes are now rewritten to benefit men like himself instead.

Hundreds of women work for years to petition for better pay and to rid leagues of unfair rules such as objectifying uniform regulations in beach volleyball and tennis. Yet a single male athlete is immediately able to overhaul the entire foundational principle of female athletics.

Because it’s easier for athletic organizations to use the inclusion of men who call themselves “women” as examples of social justice and “diversity” and “inclusion” to cover their own poor treatment of real female athletes.

Because it’s more convenient for athletic authorities to battle against “transphobia,” and fight a battle of words, to put on a righteous front and denounce “right-wing bigots” than it is to address the sexual abuse and mistreatment of female athletes rampant at all levels of athletics, to denounce the male coaches and staff whose abuse of women and children is swept under the rug as long as they produce winning teams and athletes.

Because it’s easier for teams to insist their male player is a woman as he mows down opponents than to win competitions with an all-female squad.

Because it’s easier to comply with the wishes of entitled men rather than face lengthy and expensive lawsuits, male violence, and fits of narcissistic rage when they don’t get what they want.

Because the so-called "allies" would rather see a rich, white, heterosexual man in his 40s succeed than a young native woman who had overcome a history of poverty and abuse.

Because male participation in sports is more important than female participation. Male success is valued more than female success. Male feelings are prioritized above female feelings. Male desires are given precedence over female needs, over female safety, over fairness for women and girls, women and girls who are female, of course. The feelings, comfort, and safety of women and girls only matters when those “women” and “girls” are male.

Women's sports are not retirement plans for aging male athletes.

Women's sports are not for males whose parents have told them they're girls.

Women's sports are not social circles for males who don't fit in or get along with other males.

Women's sports are not therapeutic solutions for males with depression or poor mental health.

Women's sports are not support groups for males who don't feel comfortable with themselves or their own sexuality.

Women's sports are not for pretty or feminine looking males, males who make themselves look like women, or homosexual males.

Women's sports are not for weak males, unathletic males, or males with low levels of testosterone.

Women's sports are not for castrated males or males who have a physical impairment or disadvantage against other males.

Women's sports are not for males who call themselves "woman," “girl,” "intersex," "nonbinary" “transfeminine,” or any other word they prefer for themselves.

Women’s sports are not for male athletes who want the honor and praise that come with elite athletics without making the sacrifices to get there. Sacrifices that include taking care of the body and prioritizing health over all else, including aesthetic and appearance.

Women's sports are for female athletes. To give women and girls: old, young, amateur, elite, disabled, unathletic, gay, straight, unattractive, rich, poor, masculine, feminine - all female people - opportunities to participate, advance, and succeed in athletics in an environment that supports them, listens to their concerns, protects them from harm, focuses on them, and above all else, prioritizes the needs, comfort, well-being, and happiness of female human beings.

[theshinobiway]

I read your other two posts about shipping nejiten and why you dont. I think you make good arguments about how marrying neji would take away tenten's freedom but I was actually wondering about how you view the ship from the perspective of someone who is married? Sorry of that doesn't make sense. I mean like how compatible you think their personalities are if the story was written differently.

Hey there anon!

So this will be my third time addressing the pairing and not to say it's any fault of yours, but I hope it's the last.

I care most about what makes a character develop in a way that is meaningful and beneficial for the overarching story. This extends into the pairings I choose to ship. I've also never been a big shipper to begin with and I'm indifferent to most pairings from any show I watch.

I also am married. Personally, fictional ships or shipping wars do not interest me in the slightest. I'd rather focus on my own, real, interpersonal relationships.

To expand on why I don't like talking about this pairing in particular: it's because I have been openly harassed by fans of the pairing both on this blog and on a previous blog that I eventually closed because my inbox blew up with angry stans that, a few years ago, I was not mentally equipped to handle. I've responded to around two to three asks openly on the blog, but at this point I've deleted in the range of 10-12 messages that I did not see fit to dignify with a response.

I figure that most of these comments come from underage followers who are too immature to understand complexities of romantic relationships or are simply too disinterested in talking about the literature to have open discourse with. They just want to ship what they believe the characters are like, have headcanons, and ignore the evidence contrary. As an adult, I have to handle this with patience and understanding. I'm not about to rage on any anon follower because I don't know their age or personal circumstances. And frankly, a fictional pairing is not worth tearing someone down over–I speak from experience.

Now, on to answering your question in full:

When it comes to the narrative, there isn't a common thread (theme, motif, storyline, etc.) that ties Neji and Tenten together. They both have the goal to get stronger, (As is the theme of team Gai at large) but Neji's story is MOST closely tied to Hinata/The Hyuga, Lee, and Naruto (in that order.) All three of those characters are sufficient enough to spur Neji's growth in his own arc. Tenten's support as a teammate is also sufficient enough. They are good battle partners (combining long range and short range) but the same is also said for Tenten and Lee. There's nothing special here. Nothing that screams "chemistry" or that "stands out."

The reason people love pairings such as SnS, NaruSaku, NaruHina, Sasusaku, SaiIno, ShikaTema, etc. is because all of these pairings have two partners that can equally contribute to the other's growth. Neji and Tenten simply do not have this. Tenten adds nothing to Neji that he does not already have: her support already comes from multiple other people in his life that understand his situation better. Tenten is often shown having a more common thread with Lee: they are both ninja that came from no special background and are overcoming their own weaknesses to pave their own path. You might say Tenten could humanize Neji or humble him, but Naruto and Lee already do that. Neji's closest female relationship is with Hinata, and that's where we see him become softer and more patient. Hinata is the one that humanizes Neji the most, and it's because they also share a same arc: literally, the Hyuga clan arc. She has the emotional intelligence to reach Neji and the position to make him believe in the determination of the once-talentless. That's THEIR arc as siblings.

I would also like people to ask themselves what exactly Neji can offer Tenten. In the reverse, I strongly can affirm that Neji does NOTHING for Tenten. He can train with her? So can the rest of her team, and she does. He can encourage her? So can the rest of her team, and they do–far more than Neji. He can calm her down when Gai/Lee do their antics? Okay, but is being a walking pacifier really a great foundry for a relationship? (Also, as Tenten gets older, part of her personal development is finally accepting her own goofy side and joining in!) In fact, his relationship and subsequent would inhibit her stated goals and dreams.

Tenten flat out does not want to have a traditional, feminine lifestyle of getting married. And as a married person, it's not impossible to understand why! Relationships and marriages are HARD work! It's not sailing into the sunset with kids and a house! They require commitment and upkeep! Sacrifice! They are a huge stressor (even the best marriages!) and you must balance the feelings and dreams of another person when you are deciding your future and make personal sacrifices.

Tenten wants to follow her hobbies and her dream is one of self-determination. Marrying Neji means introducing a rigid, hierarchical clan structure for which Tenten has no experience/interest in and is ill-prepared to handle. Her blunt, insensitive attitude would not fare well in the formal atmosphere of Hyuga affairs–this isnt a shoujo of rich guy/average girl. This is a shounen. She'll be expected to raise children and retire/hiatus from her career. This expectation does not help her goals or dreams and effectively halts her personal development.

In fact, had this pairing actually happened, shippers might have been happy that their pairing "made it," but I have no doubt that people would have ALSO called Tenten yet ANOTHER victim of Kishi's 'housewife' troupe next to Sakura and Temari. Making her Neji's wife erases what little personal identity and development she had. Why would you want to put the ONE woman who pursued her career and goals in a relationship and erase that? Because they have an aesthetic? I surely hope you never then complain about the fates of Sakura or Temari, then!

And on that note, "fixing the writing" to where Tenten is an 'empowered working mom' does NOT address Tenten's personal desires. I see this most often discarded in favor of ANY of her ships.

Tenten's purpose in the story is to show a woman who branches out from the norm. I also seldom see a woman in any story who is as balanced and flawed as she is while still being lovable. Also, despite relegating the other kunoichi to housewife status, Kishi deliberately let Tenten be a single woman who is not criticized for her decision. Japan itself still has a traditional mindset in that regard, and seeing the other cast members treat Tenten as normal–not even commenting on her relationship status–is a quiet, but no less significant addition to the story. It normalizes career women in a traditional atmosphere.

Gag about her store aside, Tenten's shop isn't doing poorly because she's a bad businesswoman or a spinster. It's been clearly stated by Tenten herself that it's because they are in a time of peace. Again, a small but significant detail that gets overlooked in Tenten's story. As Boruto progresses and war seems to loom on the horizon, I have no doubt her shop may get more business soon.

Tenten and Neji have the making of good friends and comrades with some common ground, and it's for the betterment of both of them personally that they stayed that way throughout the series. Good relationships add to characters and stories–they don't take things away.

Hopefully this finally puts my full opinions on the matter to rest. Fandom can do whatever it wants, but I'd like to not see any more of the ridiculous "pairing war" nonsense pop up in my inbox. Nejiten has FAR better reasons to stay platonic than it ever will to become canon, even in a rewritten story where Neji lives. If you want a pairing with this aesthetic but actually have chemistry and a shared narrative, look at Ren/Nora of RWBY (which, coincidentally, is actually one of the few pairings I enjoy.)

Thanks for contributing to the blog!

[jayraephoenix]

Seeing as Blizzard hasn't given exact dates for everything, I've tried my best with all of the dates below. For Alchemist, I am assuming that the current game takes place in 2076. For references to where I've gotten my dates, just ask. Also, feel free to message me asking general questions on Willow, or if you'd like to roleplay with her.

~~~

Fandom: Overwatch.

Name: Willow "Alchemist" Moore.

Species: Human.

Gender: Female.

Age: 34, Born in the year 2042

Sexuality: Bisexual. Prefers men over women, but won't turn down a female's advances.

Team: Talon.

Class: Offense.

Personality: The Alchemist is incredibly motivated, and once she has her mind set on something, she will work tirelessly towards. Sometimes that something is a new formula for her chemicals, sometimes it's a conundrum created by Talon for her to solve, but more often than not, it's an objective placed before her in the form of a mission.

One of her strengths is her intelligence, but at the same time, it's a weakness; she has a quick tongue, and her obsessive nature combined with her IQ has meant that she can get into situations which are hard to escape from without getting injured. It's not uncommon for her to attempt something on the field without telling her teammates, so those working with her need to be prepared for a sudden push, or to defend her back if she miscalculated.

Surprisingly, seeing as she's on Talon's side, Willow wants to help the world become a better place in the long run. Much like Widowmaker, her mind has slowly warped the longer she stayed with Talon, however unlike the spider, it wasn't a typical brain-washing. She still has emotions, and though she lacks in empathy for her enemies, she can be reasoned with, so trying to connect with a common interest is the best way to avoid getting scorched.

Appearance: Standing at 5" 8, she's just above the average for a woman. Her natural hair colour is a light blonde, on the edge of being platinum, but it's usual to see multi-coloured streaks decorating it (the same colours as the different toxins she uses; more on those later). She has pale skin, which isn't surprising considering she's from England. Her eyes are brown, dark enough that in certain lights they look black. There are no scars marking her face, but she has a very noticeable feature (if her hair wasn't memorable enough). Her entire right arm is bionic, thanks to an accident with her work.

Usual outfit: Her normal outfit consists of a dark boiler suit, with flame-retardant gloves and pipes snaking around her right wrist, up into her bionic arm, which then attaches to the tank on her back. This holds three different chemical creations. Each has a specific colour and ability. The pipes are connected to a gun, similar to a flamethrower. She wears a double filter gas mask and goggles, to protect herself from the noxious gases she uses.

Weapons: The three different chemical mixes in the tank are purple, blue and green. Respectively, purple is a blend of oils, that will light an enemy on fire if the flame on the front is lit. It is her main attack.

Blue is an hallucinogenic, causing whoever inhales it to begin attacking their teammates, as their vision becomes warped. This is her second attack. It isn't effective against those with a face mask or filter. This includes characters like Soldier 76, but it all depends on the skin/outfit they are wearing. For example, if D.Va is in her mech, it doesn't affect her, and if Tracer is in her T.Racer skin, the gas is blocked.

Green is an acid, and can melt armour and plating. This is her ultimate, and can only target those close to her.

As well as having the hallucinogenic as a secondary attack, she can sprint like Soldier 76 can.

Specifics: All of her chemicals are completely safe to handle, even with bare skin; they only become reactive upon hitting a flame. This means that against Mei, Willow will become ineffective, and have to run away to reignite the flame on the front of her weapon.

Her arm is one of the improvements that she has gotten whilst working in Talon. She gained it via an accident with her green, acidic chemical; it didn't react in the way she'd expected during the early stages, and exploded while she was holding it. It caught her right arm, eating away the muscle there, and effectively crippling the entire limb. She wanted to be on the field, but with such a disability, doing so would be dangerous, therefore she had it replaced. Not only did it make her more effective in the long run, but it also meant that Moira had another guinea pig for a short period of time.

Background: Hailing from Britain, Willow used to work as a chemist, creating different medicines to treat the sick. After the attack at King's Row, when the Null Sector bots came and destroyed her business (Willow was aged 27 at the time, 2069), she promptly decided that she could do more than just heal the wounded caused by such fights. Instead, she could prevent the illness before it even started to spread.

With these goals in mind, she began to train, using her knowledge to create chemical weapons with the ability to burn her enemies. She started from scratch, but her persistence and perseverance meant that she put on muscle mass quickly, and learnt endurance and developed stamina. However, instead of going to Overwatch, she strayed to the side of Talon; she was no hero, and had always leaned towards the darker parts of life in her past. Not only that, but with Overwatch being illegal through the Petras Act, there was no way she could have joined them anyway.

For the first few missions she was a part of, they weren't interupted in any way; that was good, considering she was still getting used to everything. However, the first agent who tried to intercept her had no idea of what he was getting into. Soldier 76 had stopped their delivery in Dorado, and Alchemist had become obsessed from the moment she saw him. This was the start of a long journey between them, one involving both successful and failed attempts to woo/kidnap the older man.

Relationships: As previously stated, Willow wants a relationship with Overwatch's Soldier 76. However, any interaction must be left on the field, or if she were to kidnap him, because a Talon soldier in the clutches of Overwatch would be a recipe for disaster. The older man always tries to shut down her advances, but she isn't easily deterred.

The person she's closest to on her own team is probably the Reaper, because they share a lot of traits and morals which the others don't have. Not only that, but he was the first person she met in Talon, as he was technically the one who recruited her. Plus, she can pick his brains about the infamous Jack Morrison, the Golden Boy of the old Overwatch.

Apart from him, she gets on fairly well with Moira, only because of their smarts and common interest in science.

Extras: She has a tattoo on the lower half of her back, one which, if you were to ask, she'd explain was a complex alchemy table, based more on the philosophical, rather than scientific, side of alchemy. She got it when she was younger, around her mid-twenties.

Ever since her attention got directed towards the Soldier, Alchemist has been working on a new formula to try and mimic that of the super soldier serum. It's pink in colour, and while it certainly improves stamina for a short period of time, it isn't long-term like what she is hoping for. Not only that, but it has an unwanted affect of increased libido. Further tests are required on that one before it's used on the field, or that'd be a nightmare. She's also working on a way to adapt her suit so that if she's lagging or injured in any way, it'll administer a shot of Moira's healing juice; again, this is still a work in progress.

[kalinara]

1/2 Let's talk about Rip and how he's different from (afaik) everyone else in the flarrowverse. On the one hand, how do Sara and Kendra (I'd add Amaya but she's from the past and pre-Womens' Lib) (if it's been shown) usually get addressed by anyone, Miss or Ms? Because I find that very old-fashioned of Rip to use Miss, but otoh, very forward/future that he's respectful of women's skills, doesn't question them, undercut them, immediately assigns them tasks he (presumably) could do (cont'd)

2/2 (1x03, opens the trunk, “Sara” and she deals with the man who got them in, as Rip throws his hat in). I find him fascinating that he doesn’t really live in the present (2016, 2017, 2018) but in a more equal (apparently) society than we have now and he respects them all (I think even Mick a bit, after the Chronos reveal) and doesn’t treat the women in a gendered way. Agree? Disagree? A bit of both?

I generally agree.  I can’t think of a single time when Rip expressed any kind of doubt or hesitation when it comes to the skill or capabilities of his female teammates.  If anything, he was relying on Sara first, before any of the other characters.

Though I wonder about the idea that he actually comes from a more equal society.  I think on the surface that’s true.  The Time Masters don’t say anything to indicate that they think less of women than men.  Miranda leaving the Time Masters for Rip could arguably be a sexist storyline, but it’s presented as her choice, because of an overarching ideological conflict: she can’t work for an organization that demonizes love. 

Her exact quote is: “I could never belong to an organization that turns its back on the truth.”

One thing that we tend to forget about that scene as that after that line, Rip is ready to follow her.  He even notes that his chosen profession suddenly seems “so terribly unimportant”.  But she pushes him to stay.  Though she also says that she hopes that someday he’ll realize what she did.

So I think that while the overall narrative concept of a woman giving up a career for love can be sexist, I don’t think that the in character rationale was.  Miranda had reasons for her choice.  Rip supported her choice.  And the Time Masters accepted her choice without gender being a part of any of their explanations. 

At the same time, in a lot of ways, the Time Masters seem pretty patriarchal.  We have seen female captains (Eve Baxter) and female assassins (the Pilgrim), but there don’t seem to be any prominent women in the Time Council.  (Granted, it’s poorly lit, but we don’t even catch a glimpse.)  The most prominent of the villains are Druce and Declan, both men.  Most of the Captains that experience Snart, Sara and Gideon’s sabotage in Destiny seem to be men.  (Though I think there was a woman or two.)

And I still think it’s a little weird that Gideon is the only AI that we see using a female voice.

I suspect the Time Masters, as an organization, likely believe themselves to be enlightened in terms of gender, but the environment still contains a pretty heavy male bias.  

I don’t get the sense of that same bias from Rip himself though.  Even in terms of address.  IIRC, he starts calling Kendra and Martin by first name first.  Sara, Ray and Jax tend to get their first name or Miss/Mr./Dr. Last Name depending on the context of the conversation.  And he’s never used Len or Mick’s first names.  That seems more like a comfort level thing than a gendered thing to me.  (Similarly, at this point in time, Amaya still seems to be Ms. Jiwe exclusively.)

Possibly we can credit the lack of obvious gender bias to Mary Xavier, and depending on how young he was when they first worked together, Gideon.  (Depending on whether he had spent any of his very early life with his father, then we can probably add Aunt Michelle, Rani - would would be near adult by then, and any of Booster’s old teammates who might have dropped by as positive influences as well.)  If most of Rip’s early interests are formidable women (or vaguely female associated incorporeal AIs) then it makes sense that he’d grow up with more of a respect for women than some of his fellows might have.