#because xena has many skills

[badass-queer-couples-battle]

⚔️⚔️ Sword gays showdown, grand finale ⚔️

*Camilla fanart by @friendamedes, used with permission

Propaganda:

For Camilla:

she prefers dual-wielding two short blades but can fight with pretty much anything. she's ambidextrous she's autistic she's even sex-repulsed ace. she sighs longingly when reunited with her weapons. she's from planet academia and dresses like an off-duty librarian. literally one of the most iconic moments of the entire series is when she gets challenged to a duel and absolutely wipes the floor with her opponent even though she doesn't even like rapiers that much. 'swords don't lie.' 

OK I’m sure you’re getting just about every character from The Locked Tomb but Cam is my favorite. She's a nerd AND a jock. She is in this deeply intense and loving and unhealthily codependent soulbond partnership with her best friend second cousin and prince. She is smart and deadpan snarky and fights like a grease fire and I have never been able to get that line out of my head.

For Gideon:

she's incredibly good w/ her two hander and less good with her rapier but she's still pretty good!! she is a horny lesbian who's taste in women seems to exclusively be "girls who have tried or are going to try to kill her". she's a redhead. i love her

Gideon’s a HUGE Butch lesbian and literally always wanted to use a broad sword. Specifically a broad sword. She said fuck rapiers. Uhhh literally dies to save the girl she cares for and the sword she uses then becomes like an altar for said girl. Gideon Nav Supremacy <3

oh she is the most badass swordswoman lesbian in media. she’s her gf’s cavalier, defends her in battle, she’s incredibly butch and buff

C'mon shes THE sword lesbian like... canonically 

Loves her broadsword more than anything on her home planet and practices whenever she can. Spoiler it’s possessed by her mom. Gave everything so her best enemy could eat her soul and become the new saint. The character of all time child of two separate threesomes, child of the god emperor, she’s dead, she’s butch, she’s a dork, she’s doomed by the narrative. She’s my favorite.

girlie is literally the swordswoman supreme. she’s the cavalier primary to her necromancer. she has a fuckoff huge longsword. she gets absorbed into another person SPECIFICALLY to swordfight for them. in a gay way too.

While everyone else was developing common sense, she studied the blade. This dyke's main weapon and true love is the long sword, but she's also passable with a rapier. The sword is, in her own estimation, pretty much all she's good for. That and her smoking hot bod and terribly charming sense of humor. 

"While we were developing common sense, she studied the blade." (Direct quote from the book). She's the most useless lesbian to ever exist, and she's obsessed with an absolute wet cat of a woman. Learned longsword mostly on her own and is such a genius with the sword she learned rapier in a few months (by personal experience, it's really really hard)

Most badass broadsword wielding lesbian easily slaying bone monsters and evil space wasps

The cavalier to her necromancer. very gay. in a complicated codependant lovehate relationship with the only other person her age she knew growing up.

For Xena:

It is HER! The OG woman with a blade! 

Her show was so iconic that any lesbian over the age of 30 knows her IMMEDIATELY because this show probably helped her have her awakening. Fandom foremothers and fathers rise up and get your gal a title.

An all around badass, bisexual woman, comfortable with many different bladed weapons. Her show was so much better than Hercules people forget his exists.

Xena is one of the OGs: once a baddie who turned good, she's a warrior who uses swords, daggers, and her trusty chakram to defeat evil and defend the innocent, while traveling with her kickass girlfriend Gabrielle. 

She has many skills

[stelladonna]

I’m watching Xena for the first time, now, in my 30s, since I was a very little girl. My mom used to watch it all the time, almost obsessively— she loved it so much—and I would groan bc I was little and would rather watch cartoons. Anyway, my memory of Xena is ethereal at best, except for a few things, including: 1) Callisto and the body switching episode where I had a “funny” feeling watching her as Xena. That was because I was a baby gay and she was my first on-screen crush, and 2) that I never made time to actually sit down and watch Xena as an adult for some strange reason I now realize is childhood trauma that is now healed.

At the end of the series, when Xena and Gabrielle get together, I distinctly remember my mother’s homophobic reaction and the way she immediately turned against the show, never watching it or mentioning it again. In that moment I did not feel safe. Something inside of me closed up, and it took years into adulthood before I was ready to accept my queerness. It was that moment that shut down the possibility of me exploring that funny feeling.

It’s healing for me now because I recently moved back in with my mother after heartbreak and the end of a LT relationship (ofc a lesbian one) while I transition into a new job in an old place and rebuild my life. For context, my mother knows, but let’s not get into my coming out story 🤪.

The point is that I decided to start watching Xena and have just finished that body switching episode. When I started watching it, I reflexively recoiled when my mom walked in like I was a sneaky teenager doing something wrong. I had to remind myself that I am in fact a complete adult and that I no longer care what she or anyone thinks of my lifestyle.

Anyway, she saw it on the screen and said “do you know I used to watch Xena? It was my favor show,” and I said “yes, I know. I remember.” Then she sat down and watched it with me. Then she went to her room and proceeded to watch the whole thing on her own (she has impressive marathoning skills I could never dream of matching). Then she came out and told me the show has so many lessons about how to be a good person. Then she asked me to let her know when I get to the “Asian” part (forgive me but I don’t yet know what that means. I’m paraphrasing her, a Thai woman).

It’s healing for me bc, even though I know my mom has accepted this part of who I am, this small act, this radical change of heart toward Xena and her eagerness to share it with me and again to embrace it herself means so much ❤️‍🩹

[girl4music]

It’s true though. So many people who’ve never really seen Xena just think the entire show is Xena saving people all the way through. Xena’s the hero so only Xena saves people. Only Xena has the strength to fight and defeat and win the hearts of all the fair maidens that get kidnapped and tied up and forced to submit until their knight-ess in shining armour appears.

And yeah, I would say that’s at least 50% of what the show is. Xena is the hero. Xena saves the damsels.

But the other 50% is one of the damsels gets stronger and more skilled and begins to fight their own battles. And I just automatically hate anything that takes Gabrielle’s agency to be her own hero away from her.

I don’t care if it’s romantic and in-keeping with the love and devotion Xena has for Gabrielle to have to constantly fucking rescue her from threat or danger or any kind harm because it undervalues Gabrielle’s character. It makes her seem like she’s a liability to Xena and not her partner. And I just can’t stand it.

Don’t do the “Gabrielle is the damsel and only Xena can save her” storyline please. It’s cute but it’s not accurate when Gabrielle can take care of herself.

And you can still tell a beautiful romantic love story without making either of them damsels in distress.

It’s a traditional conservative heteronormative trope that one is the hero and the other is the victim to save.

That’s not Xena.

That’s not Gabrielle.

So that’s not ‘Xena: Warrior Princess’ in its entirety.

The reason why the show is so fucking great and iconic just as it is is because they subverted this by making both the heroes to each other. The saviours. There was none of this “only one” or “either/or” shit.

Both were the heroes in this show. Respectively!

[fyeahcompetentwomen]

Xena vs. Kira Nerys

Remember: don't vote on "who would win in a fight", but on "who, when given a task that fits her skillset and talents, would do that task better: more comprehensively, faster, with more pizzazz, with less collateral, etc."

Endorsements! "What is she good at?"

Xena, Xena Warrior Princess: She has many skills. Fighting, healing (she invented cpr and field medicine and triage, etc), tracking, she has various spiritual powers, she can beat up literal gods, she gave birth to the messiah (which isn't precisely something she was competent at but it's worth mentioning), she's the queen of strategy and also she can embroider.

Kira Nerys, Star Trek: Fierce advocator for Bajoran rights - including the rights of Bajoran freedom fighters (and not just because she was one). She works so hard to do what's best for Bajor, and spares not a single thought for what's best for her. Even Dax struggles to get her to loosen up! She will go toe to toe with anyone: the Emissary of her faith, the head of her church, any politician or diplomat you care to name - she would fight the embodiment of Injustice if she could (and would probably win).

[kailoraurelius]

Bechloe / Staubrey Headcanons?

Who is the nightowl, who wakes up at the crack of dawn?

Who is the better driver (according to them AND their (un)lucky passengers?

Their coffee orders?

Their one guilty pleasure they'd not even tell their s.o. about (they tots know but pretend not to :D)

When did they figure out they are part of the LGBTQ mafia?

How/when did they come out (either their families or their Bella family?)

Who's the big spoon, who the small spoon (and no, Beca, knife isn't an option)

Their secret-not-so-secret celebrity crushes?

Okay if I have more ideas I'll ask those too xD

Oh I love these, okay.

Who is the night owl, who wakes up at the crack of dawn?

Bechloe: I think this is pretty obvious from All I Ask of You lmfao but Beca is the nightowl. She WILL start reading or mixing in her studio and fully not realize she was supposed to go to bed until she goes to get a drink and sees it's dawn. Chloe can stay up late, but she generally wakes up early and is immediately ready for the day. Getting Beca out of bed is like velcro.

Staubrey: Aubrey is up at dawn with the trumpets, baby. She has things to doTM and no time to waste. Stacie prefers to sleep in, but she can get up if she has to. But staying up late? Stacie's bread and butter.

Who is the better driver according to them and their (un)lucky passengers?

Bechloe: Chloe drives like a grandma. Not my grandma, she's insane. But A grandma. She's a good driver in that sense. But they would both say Beca is the better driver because she's safe and skilled.

Staubrey: you would think Aubrey. But it's Stacie. Aubrey drives tiny cars like she thinks she's in a big truck and rules the road. Stacie is a good enough driver, though she will occasionally take a detour for no reason.

Their coffee orders?

Bechloe: Beca, black but with one scoop of sugar. Chloe, it's mocha all day, babes.

Staubrey: Stacie is down for whatever are long as it has some caramel in it and too much caffeine. Aubrey, double espresso shot.

Their one guilty pleasure they'd not even tell their s.o about?

Bechloe: Chloe fucking loves those like, Scottish romance novels you find on the $1-$3 rack at dollar stores. Not even for the sex scenes like most normal people. Those just make her laugh so she usually skips them. Everybody knows. They let her think they don't.

Beca hates movies in general. Except one. Which she loves and would never, ever admit to her friends because they would NEVER shut up about it. Spice World. She hates movies because they're so predictable and this one is NOT. She loves the music and how absolutely ridiculous the whole thing is. Stacie, who forced her to watch it the first time, knows and they have a standing date to rewatch it annually.

Staubrey: Aubrey loves rubber ducks. Adores them. Wants all the novelty ones. But it's such a ridiculous, childish like (she thinks) that she never admits it. Stacie notices when they pass a claw machine in the mall that's full of them and Aubrey does a full double take and looks so gleefully excited for a moment before she can control herself. After that, Stacie starts pretending SHE loves them and brings them home in droves. Aubrey loves her so much.

Stacie has many pleasures, none of them guilty.

When did they figure out they were part of the LGBTQ?

Bechloe: Chloe took a little while to realize. Not because she wasn't sure of what she liked. She just didn't realize not liking someone because of their gender was an option. And then she was like, "oh that's a thing? Lol. I thought everyone just liked whoever".

Beca was a child when she watched Xena Warrior Princess and fell in love with Gabrielle. She knew then. Her mother has known nearly as long as she has.

Staubrey: Aubrey didn't realize until college. She was always like, "men suck but it's cool. yeah, I could see women being attractive, sure. Not for me though haha" and then Stacie walked into her life and Aubrey was like, "men who?"

Stacie came out the womb winking at the nurses. She has never once thought she was anything but Down to Clown with any and all genders.

How/when did they come out to family or Bellas?

Bechloe: Beca's mom knew when Beca knew. It was unspoken forever. Then, in high school, Beca was like, "oh lol I guess I'm supposed to do this. I'm gay?" And her mom was like, "oh right, WOW I'M SHOCKED. Anyways, pass the salt."

Chloe told her parents in middle school and her mom very calmly assured her they knew and loved her. Her dad cried because she'd trusted them with coming out.

Staubrey: Aubrey informed her father over the phone in a very military briefing style. "Yes sir, all my classes are going well. I am researching more extracurriculars currently and will report what I choose. I'm dating a woman and relieved top marks on my last psych test. Yes sir, that's what I said."

Stacie’s mom is also bisexual and so Stacie never actually came out. It was just a known fact between the two of them.

The Bellas knew from the beginning about all but Aubrey. But they very quickly figured that out. There was never a coming out thing between them. They simply were like, "oh we're dating now" and the girls went, "finally".

Who's the big spoon, who's the small spoon lol?

Bechloe: Beca totes would have chosen knife. But she's the big spoon. She will concede the position occasionally, but mainly big spoon. But she tucks her face down into Chloe's shoulder in the most adorable way. Chloe is happy to be any kind of spoon at any moment.

Staubrey: Stacie big spoon because Aubrey needs to be held. And because she sleeps like an octopus.

Their celebrity crushes!

Bechloe: Chloe: Kim Taehyung. Kate Hudson specifically in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. D.B. Woodside. Cassadee Pope (total coincidence she looks a lot like Beca, what you mean?) Dylan O'Brien.

Beca: Renee O'Connor. Isla Fisher. Alexander Rybak. Emily Blunt. Erin Kellyman. Blake Lively. Chris Martin.

Staubrey: Aubrey: Gloria Estefan. Celine Dion. Stevie Knicks. Morgan Freeman. Tom Selleck. Charlize Theron.

Stacie: I do not have the time to list them all so I'll just give you what I think are her top three: Sandra Bullock. Gabrielle Union. Ryan Reynolds.

Lol thanks for all these!! That was fun and took my brain to some wild places lmfao. Anytime!

[lol-jackles]

I get people want their favorite character being in the final, but I actually thought it was a favor to the character that Cass got killed in 15x18. If Cass were in the final, he might just stood there. It’s a shame Berens didn’t write better script. He was never my favorite writer, but his Rowena and Sam’s scene in 15x03 was pretty good. I love Rowena’s “I believe in magic …” lines. I wonder why 15x18 was like that. Although I’m indifferent with Cass, I wish he had better ending for the story.

You have to remember that Misha was an aspiring politician. The politicians you see on screen only shows 10% of their charisma, the screen almost acts like a protective barrier. To meet skilled politicians in real life is almost akin to witchcraft, you're under their spell.

I sometimes think this is why hellers like Jaistel goes to so many cons despite numerous reports by fans of Jai looking miserable and lonely. A real life encounter with Misha rejunevates that spell enough for Jai to continue their agenda of grifting and fleecing people until the next con.

So anyways, like Robert Englund whom Misha convinced to write "Man Who Would be King" in attempt to salvage Cas's character ahead of the finale "Man Who Knew Too Much" that would irreparably damage Cas's character that the general audience would turn on, Misha convinced Berans to help salvage Cas's ending and provide enough ambiguity to keep his paying minions on the hook. Look how long Xena's lesbian fans stuck around due to Xena and Gabrielle's ambidous friendship. The difference was there were enough build up to Xena and Gabrielle to eventually have a canon romantic relationship. There was no same build up to Cas's confession to be interpreted as non-platonic, but that was actually okay with Misha. Just like his fake bisexual confession at the New Jersey con, he expect it to just stay in the fandom and never get picked up by mainstream media.

Misha would know most of the digital low-tier media like Buzzfeed, Mary Sue, and Daily Got will disappear. Even the online TV Guide (not to me mistaken for the physical TV Guide that has different owners) have scrubbed many of their articles to make room in their server. It's why Misha will only say SPN is about Sam and Dean in mainstream media like Larry King and in WB's SPN retrospective shows.

Lastly, we give that ~confession scene way too much credit and attention in an otherwise decent episode. Castiel was never a main character so his farewell speech doesn’t have the same kind of impact.  Sure a lot of superfans find his overly praising Dean was be OOC or non-canon compliant, but that speech wasn’t for them, it was for general audience and casual fans to remind them that Dean is still a hero because they only seen Sam acting heroically trying to protect people from the Snap.  Dean going after Billie looked more like revenge and it was at the cost of Cas’s life.  So this lesson to Dean is that it isn’t all about him.  That’s right, a speech that seems to be all about Dean is actually saying it’s not all about him. 

[episodeoftv]

Round 2 of 8, Group 1 of 4

propaganda and summaries are under the cut (May include spoilers)

Angel: The Series: 5.22 Not Fade Away

tw a lot of death, a politician

In the series finale, Angel reveals that his questionable moral behavior has been part of a bigger plan: to destroy The Circle of the Black Thorn and show the Senior Partners that the power of good can still make a difference. Wesley struggles with helping Illyria adapt to the world, scolding her for her attempts to take on Fred's form. As Gunn continues his quest of self-discovery, Lorne becomes more aware of the lack of happiness in the world. Harmony attempts to seduce Marcus Hamilton for information, Lindsey makes an important decision regarding his alliance, and Eve continues to deal with being mortal. As Spike comes closer to understanding the nature of heroism, Angel pays a visit to the one person he truly loves. On Angel's bidding, the gang goes out and spends each day as if it were their last...

The main characters spend the episode doing what they want to do most, in what may well be their last day on Earth. There's so much great full-circle/character stuff, so many emotional moments, and then there's the actual event, the Apocalypse, the reckoning the season, the show built up to. And they only show part of it. The episode doesn't end after the big battle, it ends right before it. And that sounds infuriating, but it's such a great way to end a show that's all about fighting the Good Fight and never stopping to, a show about how there never comes a singular point where you've achieved redemption because it's a continuous process, becoming better day by day, a show on people who never give up and keep going even in the face of Hell itself. It's the best finale I could think of. Also, "Would you like me to lie to you now?" makes me cry no matter how many times I rewatch it.

Xena: Warrior Princess: 3.02 Been There, Done That

TW: suicide attempt, though nothing explicit or gory is ever shown (the method is drinking poison)

Xena lives again and again the same day, until she finds the way to stop a carnage. It seems that Gabrielle leaves some strange love marks on Xena's neck. The main characters die a few times: Xena once, Gabrielle a pair of times, Joxer at least thrice (once by Xena's Chakram).

Xena's take on Groundhog Day meets Romeo & Juliet. There are so many great episodes of Xena, but this one is a charming standalone that features a lot of humor, pathos, and a grand display of Xena's many skills

[moonfurthetemmie]

Java (She/they)

The older versions asked Error if she named her clone after coffee or the coding language. Error will not answer, she thinks it’s funnier to keep it a mystery.

Java doesn’t have as bad touch issues as Error, but they do have some verbal tics from their glitching. Apparently being a glitch can do odd things if you try to clone yourself. The tics get a lot worse when they’re stressed or flustered.

Error taught her how to use the strings, but also many fiber crafts. Xena tried to learn too but she didn’t have the patience for it, and Java teases her about it. It’s not that hard girl you just have the patience of an angry rhino.

Java can use a staff, should she need to get in closer, but she’s also very resourceful and will utilize just about anything in her environment to help her and the others in a fight.

Between her and Xena, she’s more likely to try to mediate in a conflict. She’s also more likely to resort to violence than Error. Mostly because Xena keeps picking fights she won’t commit to and Java has to save her fool ass. Error keeps trying to get her to do that Less but with no success.

Cross & Error

These two probably did about second best in terms of parenting. At least, Xena and Java still consider them family. They treated the clones more like little siblings than their kids, though. They were the ones who suggested the parenting support group. 

They are some of the worst role models of everyone. ‘Do as I say not as I do’ but Cross in particular feels really hypocritical so she’s very lenient on it. Xena got her habit of stirring the shit from Cross. And Cross is like ‘listen either commit to the bit or stop goading people into trying to kick your ass’

Error tries to set a better example but she’s only slightly better.

They both try to make up for it by hanging out with the kids/clones and spend time with them. Xena and Java tend to call them their aunts.

Other Stuff:

I somehow forgot error's eyes were different colors and at first made Java's blue. i think i was thinking of Koroit. I realized what I was doing and immediately had flash backs to that one person who thought Byte had blue eyes

Java's alignment is chaotic neutral

error doesn't Big Stick as well as Java, but she does okay. Well enough that she can help Java with their training. She thinks it's a good idea to have an extra weapon skill just in case, anyways.

Xena and Java have matching tattoos on their lower shins! It was Xena’s first one and she was scared to go alone and asked Java to come with her. 

Java has a pretty long scar over their chest from a sparring accident with Xena. It’s an old scar, and the initial wound wasn’t as bad as it looked, but Xena still feels horrible about it.

Also Java’s hair is actually really long and in a big bushy ponytail

[wigster07]

So spoilers for the final episode of Xena if people want to avoid that. Also trigger warning for suicide mention…

.

.

.

This ending was a massive big flop with the fans because of the choice the writer’s made with Xena’s redemption arc.

Long story short (and cutting a few corners) Xena was tricked in her past by someone she loved and when they died/ kind of committed suicide she was beside herself. While mourning them, she was bullied by these townspeople and in protecting herself she started a massive fire that spread through a village and killed 1000’s of people. I don’t remember how many but it was a lot. She didn’t even know the damage she caused years later when she was already reformed and trying to do better for other past mis deeds.

Stay with me, there’s also this other supernatural element of a ghost that consumes souls so when the people died their souls were trapped and never found peace.

End of the episode saw Xena having to become a ghost herself to fight the ghost and only in staying dead did she redeem herself and the innocent souls could be put to rest.

The fans hated it and I don’t want to see the same self- sacrifice for Kit. Part of it is that we love Kit of course but the whole 6 seasons of Xena was about her never really forgiving herself for her past but working hard to make up for it. Yes the souls of those that died deserved to find peace but she had more good to do in the world still. Her dying in the end was a waste when she would have gone on to keep fighting for another innocent another day.

I think Kit just needs to not wallow. She’s got a 2nd chance now. She needs to mourn and accept her mistakes but she needs to channel her guilt too and realise she can do more for others now by being alive and using the skills she has to protect people.

Kit won’t die in the end. I promise. She’ll live and be a protector when her skills are needed as such.

I tease the idea of her job with the Reavers being a goat farmer or something. Plus Jade is princess to the Reavers so there’s that too.

[mentaldiary-ah]

Women fighters, in fiction and in reality, have always fascinated me.

I grew up never getting tired of The Mummy Returns (2001) and its action-packed adventures. It features one of my most favorite cinematic moments: the fight scene between Nefertiri and Anck-su-namun, both tasked to be protectors in the kingdom of Egypt some 3,000 years ago. One may think they must be ahead of their time for training women for battle and assigning such tasks to them.

Fight scene from The Mummy Returns (2001)

There are many other scenes in the said film showing both women as their 1930s reincarnation, Evy (Nefertiri) and Meela (Anck-su-namun), fighting with and among men. Not once did Rick, Evy's husband, handed over guns to her to help them battle the enemies and save their son. Their kind of relationship was yet another reason why I have always loved that film.

Seeing The Mummy Returns again for the nth time, I figured these female characters have played a significant part in my upbringing. They showed me women can fight, too, when it was most needed. They didn't have to be the stereotypical damsels in distress waiting to be rescued because they can save themselves while saving others, as well. In retrospect, at such a young age I knew I wanted to be like them. I wasn't very much into the princess thingy, except for the Xena the Warrior Princess kind. In fact, I once dreamed of becoming like the Power Rangers with all their skills and stunts.

Through the years, I have been learning more about Filipinas who left their mark in our history. In an era of a patriarchal society where women were reinforced to be homemakers & deemed as the lesser sex, there were several of them who strayed against the conventions and took part in the never-ending fight for freedom.

Illustrations of Gabriela Silang (by Carlito Rovira) (top) and the first female general Agueda Kahabagan (from SCOUT Magazine) (bottom) during the Philippine Revolution

One of them was notorious for polishing her nails and putting on red lipstick before going to battle, because she believed she also fought for the freedom to be herself as a woman. Another one used to be a movie superstar until the war. She joined the guerrilla movement to avenge for her husband's murder, and in the process she saved an entire village from being killed by the colonizers.

The women of HUKBALAHAP (Hukbong Bayan Laban sa Hapon), clockwise from left:

Remedios Gomez-Paraiso AKA Kumander Liwayway and her red lipstick (art from Rejected Princesses); Carmen Rosales, movie star-turned guerilla fighter (from Flickr); Felipa Culala AKA Kumander Dayang-Dayang (art by Dos Garcia); and Simeona Punsalan-Tapang AKA Kumander Guerrero (art by @RoriComics on Twitter)

But the courage of Filipina women in history has been witnessed not only at home and in the battlefield. There were women who stood up for their right to receive formal education and their right to vote.

Top photo: a painting of The Women of Malolos (art by Rafael del Casal); bottom photo: U.S. First Lady Florence Harding w/ Filipina suffragette delegation, 1922 (From US-Philippines Society)

There were women who saved people's lives by caring for the injured and the sick and feeding the hungry.

Clockwise from left: Melchora Aquino AKA Tandang Sora (from Wikipedia); Josefa Llanes-Escoda (from Bayaning Filipino on Blogger); Maria Orosa (from Orosa Family); and Dr. Fe del Mundo (from National Academy of Science and Technology)

There were women who continue to fight for justice and for their right to be heard, not just as victims but survivors of a violent, tragic past.

Top photo: the Malaya Lolas of Candaba, Pampanga; bottom photo: the lolas of Lila Pilipina. Both are groups of “comfort women,” survivors of military sexual violence during the Japanese Occupation. (From Facebook)

There were women who prove themselves worthy to be recognized by the world for their talents, abilities, and dedication in their respective fields.

Hidilyn Diaz, the first Filipino Olympic gold medalist; and Maria Ressa, the first Filipino Nobel Laureate (From Esquire Philippines)

There were women leaders who empowered their countrymen towards a better quality of life.

Campaign images of Senator Risa Hontiveros and former Senator Leila de Lima for the 2022 National Elections (From Facebook)

Atty. Leni Robredo, former Vice President of the Philippines (From Esquire Philippines)

And before I forget, I was raised and surrounded by strong women who all the while face their own share of battles in life.

We as women are fighters, and we should never let anyone tell us otherwise.

Meanwhile, I believe I have arrived at a full circle. I may haven't reached my dream of becoming a Power Ranger but who would have thought that as an adult, I would portray a woman fighter myself?

Happy Women's Month!

[blowflyfag]

Pro Wrestling Illustrated: March 2024

A QUICK WORD WITH… MARIAH MAY 

Text By Kevin McElvaney

Photos By Octopus Stretch Photography

ON DECEMBER 29, 2022, at Stardom Dream Queendom 2, Cosmic Angels expat Mina Shirakawa introduced the world to Club Venus. Originally consisting of Shirakawa, Xia Brookside, and Mariah May, the glamorous group made its debut in the inaugural TRiangle Derby trios torment. With a membership that swelled to include Australian grappler Xena, former NXT talent Jessie (Elaban/Kamea), and another ex-Cosmic Angel in Waka Tsukiyama, Club Venus quickly became a favorite of international Stardom fans. And that was due in no small part to the efforts of one of its charter members. 

Fashionable, charismatic, and athletic, Mariah May had all the making of a top star. May put in the hard work from the very start of her Japanese excursion, developing a notable chemistry with partners and opponents alike. Stardom’s competitive touring environs compelled the Tottenham, England-born wrestler to develop in-ring skills to rival those of her peer. And, in a massive vote of confidence, May was given the name “Foreign Ace” by no less than Stardom Executive Producer Rossy Ogawa.

With Shirakawa, May formed the impressie tag team Rose Gold, which reigned as Goddesses of Stardom champions for six weeks last summer. Her performance with the Club Venus unit in the 5STAR Grand Prix round robin tourney grabbed the attention of promoters worldwide. Indeed, after her Stardom contract expired in the fall, rumors circulated that May had inked a contract with All Elite Wrestling in the U.S. 

In mid-October, during a well-earned period of downtime, Mariah May checked in from her home country to chat with PWI Editor-in-Chief Kevin McElvaney about what she’s learned from her nine-month stint in Japan, the current U.K. grappling scene, and what she might be up to in the future.

McELVANEY: Your Stardom run has put you in the brightest spotlight of your career and earned you the moniker  “Foreign Ace.” Why do you think you connected so well with the fans of that promotion? MAY: I believe the reason I connected so well with the fans is because I love Stardom as much as they do. I’ve always held the belief the best training and performance for women’s wrestling is found in Japan. I think my passion, improvement, and dedication in moving across the world gave me their respect (And Ogawa-san’s when he named me the “Foreign Ace”). I know a lot of fans were happy to see how much fun I was having, too. I want my work to tell stories and make people feel something, and Stardom afforded me so many chances to do that.

McELVANEY: What did your 2023 excursion to Japan teach you? How did your craft improve?

[Mariah May holds out hope for a reunion with Rose Gold partner Mina Shirakawa, with whom she held the Goddesses of Stardom championship (left). A more surprising item on May’s wishlist: Facing Prominence’s Risa Sera (below, Bleeding profusely) in a deathmatch.]

MAY: My excursion in Japan taught me how important it is to take risks. Within a few days of being in Japan, I was offered to extend my tour, and I said I would stay there as long as they would have me. That chance and sacrifice allowed me nine months of dojo training, training at the Snakepit, touring a beautiful country, and more matches than any other woman up until I left! The repetition and grind helped me perfect my moveset, build chemistry–especially an amazing feeling when you don’t speak the same language. And being with Mina meant I had a mentor by my side who could give me advice. This is a chance for us girls to make our mark on history and prove ourselves.

McELVANEY: Speaking of Mina Shirakawa, Rose Gold was quite the successful duo. Do you think we could see the team get back together sometime in the future?

MAY: Mina Shirakawa and I have such a special bond. She’s the reason I finally got to wrestle in Japan. We said we wanted to wrestle teams all over the world. I’m hopeful we can reunite and do just that!

McELVANEY: I’d imagine one of the reasons you returned to England was to spend time with your loved ones. Do you have your eye on the current scene there? It seems to have evolved, with new stars in the making, even in the short time you’ve been away.

MAY: It’s definitely been nice to be hoke and spend some time with my family. I have my sights set on wrestling internationally. I have so many places I want to wrestle. I won four championships in the U.K. feel for the moment my time here is done and the next girls should come through! I’d love to wrestle on a big stage in front of my family in the U.K., though. Maybe one day!

McELVANEY: You’ve been accumulating more and more fans in North America, particularly here in the States. Anybody in particular you’d like to get in the ring with on this side of the pong?

MAY: It’s been incredible and humbling to have so much support worldwide, particularly North America has always been very vocal for me. There’s such a deep pool of talent in America. And I’ve only toured there once. So I have a pretty long list. I want to do intergender (matches) … there’s an open challenge!

McELVANEY: What’s next for Mariah May?

MAY: I am still deciding my next move. I love Japan, and I want to have a deathmatch there. (Risa Sera, if you’re reading this …) I also have a strong desire to travel more, as before Japan I had visited 5 countries in one year! There’s lots of opportunity and it’s really exciting.

[With some reports suggesting she is headed for AEW, the “Foreign Ace” tells PWI she is still considering her options. Looks for her to do quite a bit of travel in the future (And compete against some of the planet's top talent).]

[badass-queer-couples-battle]

Sword gays showdown, round 2 of bracket one

Propaganda:

For Ambrosius:

He is also a knight, so it is also within the fine print

are you really gay if you haven't cut your boyfriend's arm off with a sword?

One of the best knights in the kingdom, so obviously he's a great swordsman. Has a divorce arc with one of the protagonists, Ballister, and cut off his arm by accident.

His name is so funny 

twink disney princess

he is asian and also has a very squishable face

For Xena:

It is HER! The OG woman with a blade! 

Her show was so iconic that any lesbian over the age of 30 knows her IMMEDIATELY because this show probably helped her have her awakening. Fandom foremothers and fathers rise up and get your gal a title.

An all around badass, bisexual woman, comfortable with many different bladed weapons. Her show was so much better than Hercules people forget his exists.

Xena is one of the OGs: once a baddie who turned good, she's a warrior who uses swords, daggers, and her trusty chakram to defeat evil and defend the innocent, while traveling with her kickass girlfriend Gabrielle. 

She has many skills

[juniperpomegranate]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Snagged from @plaidadder. Tag yourself if you want to play!

1. How many works do you have on A03?

33, though I hope to make it 34 before the end of the year.

2. What's your total A03 word count?

103,459

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently: due South, CLAMP, associated smaller works. I used to write some for the Dresden Files and I wrote a lot of bad fic for BtVS, so that one could conceivably come up again.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

<a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/16162211">Cold Cases</a>, xxxHolic, T.

<a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28163253">Love Me Do</a>, Grimm, T.

<a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28123659">Within Different Circumstances</a>, due South, E, F/K.

<a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29525370">Sight</a>, xxxHolic, D/W, G.

<a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23660692">The Storm and the Wake</a>, due South, T, past Fraser/Victoria.

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I do my best! I'm a little behind at the moment, but I prefer responding to comments--someone was kind enough to take the time to say something, I want to take the time to thank them.

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Probably the BtVS fic where I killed 3/4ths of the Scooby gang. <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/34193320">Held In Hand.</a>

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Probably Within Different Circumstances. It's porn, after all.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

No. I think this is partially me being in small fandoms, not being that big a fish, and also ruthlessly curating my comment settings.

9. Do you write smut?

That E up there is not just for show. (The fic I'm hoping to post will also merit it.)

10. Do you write crossovers?

Oh gods, do I! I write bad ones, usually, but that doesn't mean the improbably crossovers don't pop up and insist on being written. My wildest ones thus far are Xena/RG Veda (the manga, not the holy book), Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle/Doctor Who, and TRC/Hannibal, of all things.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yeah. Someone asked to translate the first chapter of <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/16185002/chapters/37820711">Saturday</a> into Russian a long time ago--long before I put that fic up on AO3.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Nope. Though if sillyangelfaery still wants to write that Himawari-goes-dimension-hopping fic, I'm there.

14. What's your all-time favourite ship?

Prior to Certain Events, I would have said Doumeki/Watanuki. Alas, they have...not fallen, but the shine is off due to Author Shenanigans.

Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski has taken their place, so I'm good.

15. What's the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Any of the WIPs I've had to let go of, especially my old BtVS wips. I just don't think there's a good, sturdy idea in the bunch at this point. If it's a WIP I want to finish, I'm going to try my best to do so.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue, setting, details.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Erotica! How do people write this without getting boring? I have so much respect for authors who can lift it higher than tab A into slot B.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I'm okay with it as long as it's correct. Since my second-language skills are pretty paltry, though, I don't see myself doing this. Some words, yes, a short sentence, sure, but a whole string of dialogue between characters? No.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Sailormoon. Long long long ago.

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

Whichever one I'm currently writing, honestly! I'm generally pretty proud of my due South fic, but I posted the Grimm fic because I was really pleased with the set up and the pacing. (Ironic, because I have no intention of returning to that canon/fandom and the fic itself is permanently unfinished.)

[fyeahcompetentwomen]

Xena vs. Sophie Deveraux

Remember: don't vote on "who would win in a fight", but on "who, when given a task that fits her skillset and talents, would do that task better: more comprehensively, faster, with more pizzazz, with less collateral, etc."

Endorsements! "What is she good at?"

Xena, Xena Warrior Princess: She has many skills. Fighting, healing (she invented cpr and field medicine and triage, etc), tracking, she has various spiritual powers, she can beat up literal gods, she gave birth to the messiah (which isn't precisely something she was competent at but it's worth mentioning), she's the queen of strategy and also she can embroider.

Sophie Deveraux, Leverage: Give her the right stage, and she can be anyone. She can change character on a dime; she can read people from just a passport photo, she came to her own funeral - twice! - in the certain knowledge people wouldn't recognize her because she was acting. She oozes style (just not always the same style), and despite her good looks, she isn't just a pretty face - and in Leverage Redemption, well into her forties or even past fifty, she is still perceived to be hot and desirable, a woman in her prime!

[keyofjetwolf]

This is basically just a display of Lao Ma’s massive power and presence without her having to lift a finger. It’s not all that subtle and it’s not all that deep, and I fucking love it all the same. Especially when we cut to the fifth cap, this tableau, slightly skewed, with the feral dog on one side, feral Xena on the other, and Lao Ma the fulcrum between. The scale is already tipped toward the animal, and without intervention, that’s the side that will claim Xena. The animal is driven off however, the woman wins, and Xena is given yet another opportunity to become something better.

[c-is-for-circinate]

For a long, large part of my life, being queer in a media landscape--finding queerness in a media landscape--has meant theft.

I'm a Fandom Old, somehow, these days, older than most and younger than some, in that way that's grown associated with grumpy crotchetyness and shotguns on porches and back in my day, we had to wade through our Yahoo Groups mailing lists uphill both ways, boring and irrelevant anecdotes from Back In Those Days when homophobia clearly worked differently than it does now, probably because we weren't trying hard enough. I've seen a lot of stories through the years. I've read a lot of fanfic. (More days than not, for the past twenty years. I've read a lot of fanfic.)

When people my age start groaning and sighing at conversations about representation and queerbaiting, when we roll our eyes and drag all the old war stories out again in the face of AO3 is terrible and Not Good Enough, so often what we say is: you Young Folks Today have no idea how hard, how scary, how limiting it was to be queer anywhere Back In Those Days. Including online, maybe especially online, including in a media landscape that hated us so much more than any one you've ever known. And that is true. Always and everywhere, again and again, it's true, we remember, it's true.

We don't talk so much about the joy of it.

Online fan spaces were my very first queer communities, ever. I was thirteen, I was fourteen, I was fifteen--I was a lonely, over-precocious "gifted kid" two years too young for my grade level in an all-girls' Catholic school in the suburbs--I lived in a world where gay people were a rumor and an insult and a news story about murder. I was straight, of course, obviously, because real people were straight and anyway I was weird enough already--I couldn't be two things strange, couldn't be gay too, but--well, I could read the stories. I could feel things about that. I would have those stories to help me, a few years later, when I knew I couldn't call myself straight any more.

And those stories were theft. There was never any doubt about that. We wrote disclaimers at the top of every fic, with the specter of Anne Rice's lawyers around every corner. We hid in back-corners of the internet, places you could only find through a link from a link from a link on somebody else's recs page, being grateful for the tiny single-fandom archives when you found them, grateful for the webrings where they existed. It was theft, all of it, the stories about characters we did not own, the videotaped episodes on your best friend's VHS player, one single episode pulled off of Limewire over the course of three days.

It was theft, we knew, to even try and find ourselves in these stories to begin with. How many fics did I read in those days about two men who'd always been straight, except for each other, in this one case, when love was stronger than sexual orientation? We stole our characters away from the heterosexual lives they were destined to have. We stole them away from writers and producers and TV networks who work overtime to shower them in Babes of the Week, to pretend that queerness was never even an option. This wasn't given to us. This wasn't meant for us. This wasn't ours to have, ever, ever in the first place. But we took it anyway.

And oh, my friends, it was glorious.

We took it. We stole. And again and again, for years and years and years, we turned that theft into an art. We looked for every opening, every crack in every sidewalk where a little sprout of queerness might grow, and we claimed it for our own and we grew whole gardens. We grew so sly and so skilled with it, learning to spot the hints of oh, this could be slashy in every new show and movie to come our way. Do you see how they left these character dynamics here, unattended on the table? How ripe they are for the pocketing. Here, I'll help you carry them. We'll make off with these so-called straight boys, and we only have to look back if somebody sets out another scene we want for our own.

We were thieves, all of us, and that was fine and that was fair, because to exist as queer in the world was theft to begin with. Stolen time, stolen moments--grand larceny of the institution of marriage, breaking and entering to rob my mother's hopes for grandchildren. Every shoplifted glance at the wrong person in the locker room (and it didn't matter if we never peeked, never dared, they called us out on it anyway). Every character in every fic whose queerness became a crime against this ex-wife, that new love interest. Every time we dared steal ourselves away from the good straight partners we didn't want to date.

And: we built ourselves a den, we thieves, wallpapered in stolen images and filled to the brim with all the words we'd written ourselves. We built ourselves a home, and we filled it with joy. Every vid and art and fic, every ship, every squee. Over and over, every straight boy protagonist who abandoned all womankind for just this one exception with his straight boy protagonist partner found gay orgasms and true love at the end.

Over and over, we said: this isn't ours, this isn't meant to be ours, you did not give this to us--but we are taking it anyway. We will burglarize you for building blocks and build ourselves a palace. These stories and this place in the world is not for us, but we exist, and you can't stop us. It's ours now, full of color and noise, a thousand peoples' ideas mosaic'ed together in celebration. We made this, and it will never be just yours again. You won't ever truly get it back, no matter how many lawyers you send, not completely. We keep what we steal.

.

Things shifted over time, of course. That's good. That's to be celebrated. Nobody should have to steal to survive. It should not be a crime, should not feel like a crime, to find yourself and your space in the world.

There were always content creators who could slip a little wink in when they laid out their wares, oh what's this over here, silly me leaving this unattended where anybody could grab it, of course there might be more over by the side door if you come around the alleyway (but if anybody asks, you didn't get this from ME). We all watched Xena marry Gabrielle, in body language and between the lines. We sat around and traded theories and rumors about whether the people writing Due South knew what they were doing when they sent their buddy cops off into the frozen north alone together at the end of the show, if they'd done it on purpose, if they knew. But over the years, slowly, thankfully, the winks became less sly.

A teenage boy put his hand on another teenage boy's hand and said, you move me, and they kissed on network TV, in a prime-time show, on FOX, and the world didn't burn down. Here and there, where they wanted to, where they could without getting caught by their bosses and managers, content creators stopped subtly nudging people around the back door and started saying, "Here. This is on offer here too, on purpose. You get to have this, too."

And of course, of course that came with a whole host of problems too. Slide around to the back door but you didn't get this from me turned into it's an item on our special menu, totally legit, you've just got to ask because the boss throws a fit if we put it out front. Shopkeepers and content creators started advertising on the sly, come buy your fix here!, hiding the fine print that says you still have to take what you've purchased home and rebuild it with your semi-legal IKEA hacks. Maybe they'll consider listing that Destiel or Sterek as a full-service menu item next year. Is that Crowley/Aziraphale the real thing or is it lite?

And those problems are real and the conversations are worth having, and it's absolutely fair to be frustrated that you can't find the ship you want on sale in anything like your color and size in a vast media landscape packed full of discount hetships and fast-fashion m/f. It's fair to be angry. It's fair to be frustrated. Queerbait is a word that exists for a reason.

There's a part of me that hurts, though, every time the topic comes up. It's a confusing, bad-mannered part of me, but it's still very real. And it's not because I'm fawning for crumbs, trying to be the Good, Non-Threatening Gay. It's not that I'm scared and traumatized by the thought of what might happen if we dare raise our voices and ask for attention. (Well. Not mostly. I'll always remember being quiet and scared and fifteen, but it's been a long two decades since then. I know how to ask for a hell of a lot more now.)

It's because I remember that cozy, plush-wallpapered den of joyful thieves. I remember you keep what you steal.

Every single time--every time--when a story I love sets a couple of characters out on a low, unguarded table, perfectly placed to be pilfered on the sly and taken home and smushed together like a couple of dolls, my very first thought is always, always joy. Always, that instinct says, yay! Says, this is ours now. As soon as I go home and crawl into that pillow-fort den, my instincts say, I will surely find people already at work combing through spoils and finding new ways to combine them, new ways to make them our own. I know there's fic for that. I've already seen fic for that, and I wasn't really interested last time, but the new store display's got my brain churning, and I can't wait to see what the crew back at the hideout does with this.

Every time, that's where my brain goes. And oh, when I realize the display's put out on purpose, that somebody snuck in a legitimate special menu item, when the proprietor gives me the nod and wink and says, you don't have to come around the side, I know it's not much but here--there is so much joy and relief and hope in me from that! Oh, what we can make with these beautiful building blocks. Oh what a story we can craft from the pieces. Oh, the things we can cobble together. Look at that, this one's a little skimpy on parts but we can supplement it, this one's got a whole outline we can fill in however we want. This one technically comes semi-preassembled, and that's boring as shit and a pain to take back apart, but that's fine, we'll manage. We're artists and thieves. I bet someone's pulling out the AU saw to cut it to pieces already.

And then I get back to our den, which has moved addresses a dozen times over the years and mostly hangs out on Tumblr now (and the roof leaks and the landlord's sketchy as fuck but at least they don't charge rent, and we've made worse places our own). And I show up, ready for joy--ready for a dozen other people who saw that low-hanging fruit on that unguarded table, who got the nod and wink about the special menu item, who're ready to get so excited about this newest haul. Did you see what we picked up? The theft was so easy, practically begging to be stolen. The last owner was an idiot with no idea what to do with it. The last owner knew exactly what it could become, bless their heart, under a craftsman with more time on their hands, so they looked away on purpose at just the right time to let me take it home. I show up every time ready for our space, the place that fed me on joy and self-confidence when I was fifteen and starving. The place that taught me, yes, we are thieves, because it is RIGHT to take what we need, and the beautiful things we create are their own justification. We are thieves, and that's wonderful, because nothing is handed to us and that means we get to build our own palaces. We get to keep everything we steal.

I go home, and even knowing the world is different, my instincts and heart are waiting for that. And I walk in the door, and I look at my dash, and I glance over at twitter, and--

And people are angry, again. Angry at the slim pickings from the hidden special menu. So, so tired and angry, at once again having to steal.

And they're right to be! Sometimes (often, maybe) I think they're angry at the wrong people--more angry with the shopkeeper who offers the bite-sized sampler platter of side characters or sneaks their queer content in on the special menu than the ones who don't include it at all. But it's not wrong to be mad that Disney's once again advertising their First Gay Character only to find out it's a tiny sprinkle of a one-line extra on an otherwise straight sundae. It's not wrong to be furious at the world because you've spent your whole life needing to be a thief to survive. It's far from wrong. I'm angry about it too.

But this was my den of thieves, my chop shop, my makerspace. Growing up in fandom, I learned to pick the locks on stories and crack the safes of subtext at the very same time I learned to create. They were the same thing, the same art. We are thieves, my heart says, we are thieves, and that's what makes us better than the people we steal from. We deconstruct every time we create. We build better things out of the pieces.

And people are angry that the pre-fab materials are too hard to find, the pickings too slim, the items on sale too limited? Yes, of course they are, of course they should be--but my heart. Oh, my heart. Every single time, just a little bit, it breaks.

Of course the stories are terrible (they have always been terrible). Of course they are, but we are thieves. We steal the best parts and cobble them back together and what we make is better than it was before. The craftsman's eye that cases a story for weak points, for blank spaces, for anywhere we can fit a crowbar and pry apart this casing--that's skill and art and joy. Of course we shouldn't have to, of course we shouldn't have to, but I still love it. I still want it, crave it. I still thrill every time I see it, a story with hairline cracks that we can work open with clever hands to let the queer in.

That used to be cause for celebration, around here. I ask him to go back to the ruins of Aeor with me, two men together alone on an expedition in the frozen north, it feels like a gift. And I understand why some people take it as an insult. I understand not good enough. I understand how something can feel like a few drops of water to someone dying of thirst, like a slap in the face. If it was so easy to sneak it hidden onto the special menu, to place it on the unguarded side table for someone else to run off to, why not let it sit out front and center in the first place? I know it's frustrating. It should be. We should fight. We should always fight. I know why.

But my heart, oh, my heart. My heart only knows what it's been taught. My heart sees, this thing right here, the proprietor left it there for you with a nod and a wink because they Get It. It's not put together yet, but it's better that way anyway. It's so full of pieces to pull apart and reassemble. I bet they've got a whole mosaic wall going up at home already. We can bring it home and make it OURS, more than it was ever theirs, forget half of what it came from and grow a new garden in what remains.

And I go home to find anger, and my heart breaks instead.