You know, there is often talk out in the world out there about what quantifies being a real man or a real woman. I’ve heard plenty of it, from “real women are built like…(usually not me) to “real men don’t…” (cry, complain, whatever)….and sometimes I just shake my head at a lot of it. I have my preferences in peoples behavior, but you know- men or women- I just tend to respect that sort of stuff out of humans and hate other kinds of stuff out of humans. I have had a few of my female friends say that I am hard to be friends with because whilst they are spilling their guts about their life problems, often crying with tissue in hand and everything- I am listening, but in that stoic just listening way- not in a “oh I hear you sister, I know just how that is!” Kind of way. This is a quality that is seen as weird in women by some, and very admirable in men by some. Shrug- it’s just the way I tend to roll in such scenarios. Sure, I can rant with the best of them, but 99% of the time if someone asks me how my day was, even if my day was shit I say “fine”, because I am not real big on dumping my shit on other people. And true enough, I do like men who act like…well…men. Call it too much Steve McQueen as a kid, but I like “manly men”- Not so much into the overly metrosexual or sensitive dudes. If I wanted people who would cry along with me or help me drown my sorrows in chocolate and wine and give me fashion tips- I would be around more women. Then again, I do not cry that much or like chocolate that much anyway. I have one- exactly one- male friend who is very emotional and pretty much every negative stereotype people associate with women: needy, emotive, dramatic, physically delicate, overly concerned with his weight and fashion and appearance, touchy feekie…he drives me nuts. If I take someone out on their birthday to steak house and they order a side salad and a diet coke, especially a man someone, this is likely to make me think lesser of them- I don’t know why, it just does. (unless they are a vegan or something- then they should get the big salad, dammit.)
But yeah, there are things I like in people- male or female- qualities I admire. And yes, I do think men and women ARE different. Its not about equal or unequal, but I do think men and women are different- the majority anyway. Different parts, different hormone things going on…they are different. However, there are just qualities I admire:
Strength- and I don’t mean physical strength here although that does not hurt. I mean people who have seen some shit, face their fair (or more) of adversity and do not crack- or if they do, it is a very temporary thing. I deal so much better with angry about something than broken. Give me a hard stance, a defiant set of shoulders and attitude and a yell to in the corner weeping any day of the week. And granted, women are told they are not supposed to be this way- but somehow there are those who manage to be anyway- and this is a quality I admire. And this is not to say people have to be rocks all the time- but it is nice to know when shit does get insane, there are people you can lean on until you get your own granite back…and it is nice to know that if and when the time comes, you can do the same for them or others. Sometimes being the stoic person who just listens is not a goddamn flaw, for men or women.
Loyalty; Oh gods this is a big, big one with me. If one is lucky in life, they find a few people whom they have an “I will go to the gates of hell with or for you” kind of bond. It transcends almost everything- personal differences, political differences, biological differences, good and bad deed, good and bad times. I do not take those kinds of bonds lightly. I loathe fair weather friends and backstabbers. I have serious trust issues with other humans, so when I feel that sense of loyalty with another person- I take it very, very seriously. “Real” humans do not sell each other out.
Honesty; Pretty basic. I do not like people who lie to me.
But as for women and men, together, in that het sort of way…I am not so sure I buy into “roles”. I think people playing to one anothers strengths and helping on their weaknesses is good. I don’t care who makes more money. I don’t think men have any more responsibility to get shit done than women do. I think getting shit done should be a focus- not matter what the shit is- for both parties. If that means he pulls double shifts and she does all the laundry and such, so be it. If it means she pulls double shifts and he does all the laundry, so be it. However that works best for any given couple. At the same time though, I think a lot of men expect that they are the ones who have to be strong all the time- and while I can respect that as a personal choice or belief- I don’t work that way. If I am gonna sit on someones couch and drink their beer and rant about the injustice of it all (or on rare occasions, cry on their shoulder)…I feel they should get the same consideration from me.
But I will also add, for right now anyway (this is gonna be an on going free flowing sort of thing), I see nothing wrong with and hold no ill will towards people who look at the whole deal from a traditional stance- that there are defined roles for men and women and are happy in that arangement- so long as they do not shove that on anyone else, I have ZERO problem with that. If it works for them and they are happy, its none of my concern or business and I am in no place to judge. I know women who are in such arrangements and are happy as can be- same goes for their men folk. And if they are happy- I say good for them.
More later, maybe.
Oh, and I totally have no issue whatsoever with a man holding a door open for a woman.
Next we have Obsidian McKnight (aka Vincenza McKnight)…(“You’re fruit salad, Vince, everyone knows it!”) So, what does one do if they find the nice, pretty, life of a privileged girl growing up in Paragon City dreadfully boring? But of course, they head over to the Rogue Isles and join the rank and file of Lord Recluse’s forces as a Spider Soldier! You get to shoot people, and it will really piss mommy and daddy off! Obsidian is fun to play because despite the cool armor and all, she really is sort of a flake/whiny rich girl. To her, what is on the outside is what counts…and on the outside, she is kind of scary!
Roxanne Black (aka Roxy) . Ok, here she is, my villain who wears pretty much nothing! She’s…heheheh…a corruptor. After playing countless female characters in tactical gear, suits, or dusters, I wanted to take advantage of the actually really sleazy costume options that they give you in CoX, and I figured what better character to do it on than a gal who just wanted to be a pop-diva and failed so she decided the world had to pay? Roxy is not at all an up front kind of fighter, but her power sets make her very useful on teams (what can I say, she likes the group thing?) Probably the “bitchiest” of my characters.
Phreak Drive (aka ???). The oldest of my villains and probably my favorite. And no, you are not seeing that wrong, her skin is grey .In fact, most of the time the game looks to be all in color and she is in black and white. What happens when you get a cyborg who is mad into voodoo? This character, that’s what. Phreak has a sense of humor, but it is twisted, and I have been told there is just something about her that is highly “unsavory”. She spends a lot of time staring at people, but once she gets going, she’s hard to stop. She’s also rather short. And a Brute. 
