I noticed we've been having a lot of discussion about love/relationships/flings in the Multiverse in other threads, and possible character pairings. So here's a thread to continue those discussions in without derailing other threads further.
[quote from="Jenrik »" url="http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/magic-fundamentals/magic-storyline/722450-what-happened-to-old-people?comment=13"]
My only issue is that romantic relationships aren't explored more in the lore since Elspeth and Daxos (which could have been more explicit too - no reason to shy away from that and be frank with violence) and the lack of a gay male planeswalker. Who I want to be from Vryn
Alright, two gay male planeswalkers, one from Vryn and another from Theros. Because honestly, I want both Then again, we already have two Bi men from both worlds, let's be real here.
So Gideon and Jace... Gotcha. Take that marketing department. If wizards had the balls I would be shocked.
I will admit that I not as familiar with the lore as most here but why does everyone assume that all these guys are straight? For the amount of stories there's been theres so little that Gideon shows any interest in other than battle the if Gideon turned out to be gay I would not be shocked in the least. Jace on the other hand had a thing with liliana but we do know that he does have a terrible track record with women and he does think that Gideon is very good looking so who knows. I am going on BFZ forward because I admittedly don't know Gideon's previous lore so maybe there was more to him before.
</blockquote>I think if they did go this route, they'll probably hint at it for a long while before it ever gets official on-screen. Sort of like they're doing now. And it was Jace who noted Gideon having "striking eyes," not Ral. I re-read Catching Up and the way Gideon crashes the date, the way Jace can't get angry with him for it - IDK. We'll see.
Gideon's lore gives zero indication of any interest beyond battle. It was BFZ that gave him more dimension as someone charismatic and encouraging, and a jock-type (which doesn't mean dumb, but more-so worthy of a strong leadership role). I do feel Theros as an ancient Greece setting would incline him more toward Bi-sexuality but frankly, the multiverse seems to be an ideal, open-minded place overall in the sense of acceptance so the theme of the plane may have nothing to do with that, as it's probably universal. Gideon does give me the sensitive jock type that no one would suspect was gay all along vibe but honestly, who knows what he is. Jace has given more indication than Gideon has about his interests at least in women, and possibly in men.
I disagree that couples don't make for interesting stories, or that this needs to be a couples situation. Romantic interest can develop over time. It's entirely human. These characters need to be complete in their nature. Omitting entire facets of human behavior and functioning for the sake of "we just want war and conflict" is a disaster for something beginning to root itself more into the lore. Especially when that lore can speak to the audience.
[quote from="Jenrik »" url="http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/magic-fundamentals/magic-storyline/722450-what-happened-to-old-people?comment=13"]
My only issue is that romantic relationships aren't explored more in the lore since Elspeth and Daxos (which could have been more explicit too - no reason to shy away from that and be frank with violence) and the lack of a gay male planeswalker. Who I want to be from Vryn
Alright, two gay male planeswalkers, one from Vryn and another from Theros. Because honestly, I want both Then again, we already have two Bi men from both worlds, let's be real here.
So Gideon and Jace... Gotcha. Take that marketing department. If wizards had the balls I would be shocked.
I will admit that I not as familiar with the lore as most here but why does everyone assume that all these guys are straight? For the amount of stories there's been theres so little that Gideon shows any interest in other than battle the if Gideon turned out to be gay I would not be shocked in the least. Jace on the other hand had a thing with liliana but we do know that he does have a terrible track record with women and he does think that Gideon is very good looking so who knows. I am going on BFZ forward because I admittedly don't know Gideon's previous lore so maybe there was more to him before.
</blockquote>I think if they did go this route, they'll probably hint at it for a long while before it ever gets official on-screen. Sort of like they're doing now. And it was Jace who noted Gideon having "striking eyes," not Ral. I re-read Catching Up and the way Gideon crashes the date, the way Jace can't get angry with him for it - IDK. We'll see.
Gideon's lore gives zero indication of any interest beyond battle. It was BFZ that gave him more dimension as someone charismatic and encouraging, and a jock-type (which doesn't mean dumb, but more-so worthy of a strong leadership role). I do feel Theros as an ancient Greece setting would incline him more toward Bi-sexuality but frankly, the multiverse seems to be an ideal, open-minded place overall in the sense of acceptance so the theme of the plane may have nothing to do with that, as it's probably universal. Gideon does give me the sensitive jock type that no one would suspect was gay all along vibe but honestly, who knows what he is. Jace has given more indication than Gideon has about his interests at least in women, and possibly in men.
I disagree that couples don't make for interesting stories, or that this needs to be a couples situation. Romantic interest can develop over time. It's entirely human. These characters need to be complete in their nature. Omitting entire facets of human behavior and functioning for the sake of "we just want war and conflict" is a disaster for something beginning to root itself more into the lore. Especially when that lore can speak to the audience.
</blockquote>
Much as I like the idea, it's hard to imagine them making two of the original Gatewatch gay/bi. A bit meta, but it still seems more likely that they'll include characters like that later on. I'd definitely like to see that myself, just seems like a bit of a stretch.
And it was Jace who noted Gideon having "striking eyes," not Ral.
Went back and double checked Project Lightning Bug, nope, definitely Ral.
After another minute, Jace spoke up. "Lightning or no, I'm about to scour your head if you don't tell me what we're watching for."
Ral frowned. "It should have happened by now." The clouds above were silent—no telltale pop of thunder, no indication of a planeswalk. "It's a Planeswalker I've been tracking. One that the others in Project Lightning Bug haven't discovered yet. He usually appears here every evening."
"Every evening?"
"Like clockwork. He arrives, does some visiting around the city, and planeswalks away again before morning."
"Who is he?"
"I don't know. Human. Tall. Broad. Striking eyes. Seems to have some contacts among the Boros. I haven't had a chance to get in contact with him."
Jace pulled on his lip. "Why did you want to show me this person?"
I would be cool with it if having a spark made you automatically bisexual. Just sayin...
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"You say 'learn from history,' but that does not mean 'learn the same bull***** the people in history learned alongside phrenology and alchemy.'" - The Blinking Spirit
And it was Jace who noted Gideon having "striking eyes," not Ral.
Went back and double checked Project Lightning Bug, nope, definitely Ral.
After another minute, Jace spoke up. "Lightning or no, I'm about to scour your head if you don't tell me what we're watching for."
Ral frowned. "It should have happened by now." The clouds above were silent—no telltale pop of thunder, no indication of a planeswalk. "It's a Planeswalker I've been tracking. One that the others in Project Lightning Bug haven't discovered yet. He usually appears here every evening."
"Every evening?"
"Like clockwork. He arrives, does some visiting around the city, and planeswalks away again before morning."
"Who is he?"
"I don't know. Human. Tall. Broad. Striking eyes. Seems to have some contacts among the Boros. I haven't had a chance to get in contact with him."
Jace pulled on his lip. "Why did you want to show me this person?"
Go go love quadrangle?
I'd be down for that. Though I'd want at least somewhat of a settled pairing eventually.
Wait I thought Jace had the hots for Liliana and she has been struggling with how she truly feels about him? I also thought Jace's words for Gideon were of extreme admiration. I did read a bit more into Nissa and Chandra's interaction at the end of the Oath storyline though.
Wait I thought Jace had the hots for Liliana and she has been struggling with how she truly feels about him? I also thought Jace's words for Gideon were of extreme admiration. I did read a bit more into Nissa and Chandra's interaction at the end of the Oath storyline though.
Well, he did and probably does still have a crush on her, but that doesn't mean that he can't have other love interests, especially when Liliana is not really the person for a caring relationship. And it's funny: I read the Nissa/Chandra interaction as something along the lines of extreme admiration. Guess we'll just have to wait and see. I for one would like the Jace/Gideon pairing because they are at the same time contrasting and complementing each other very well (though you could say the same about Gideon/Chandra). I don't like Jace getting together with Liliana though that really wouldn't go well for him...
Shipping - Because people can't be nice to each other without wanting to kiss.
On a more serious note, I remember someone saying that Magic does not have a lot of room to display romantic themes, due to it being a game about fighting. Well, sure, you might not have cards named "Deep Kiss", but what's stopping them from referencing stuff like that in flavour texts? Especially in a block like BFZ and SOI I'd expect these kinds of relationships to be more prominent than in a block like, say, Lorwyn or Kamigawa. The romantic themes can (in small doses) expand on the overall conflict. In BFZ, you could have characters in flavourtext mourn their loved ones or take a vow to be together*, even in death. In SOI, you could even go the horror angle, in which insane people turn against their former partners. Heck, in these cases, you could even show it in the art.
*As a matter of fact Reckless Cohort did that, though they kept it vague rather than say "wife" or "husband". I'm not saying they should have done that, but it shows that it's certainly possible without detracting from the overall conflict. Quite the contrary, such lines actually enhance the conflict, because it makes the redshirts feel more "real" by showing how the conflict affects them emotionally.
Shipping - Because people can't be nice to each other without wanting to kiss.
On a more serious note, I remember someone saying that Magic does not have a lot of room to display romantic themes, due to it being a game about fighting. Well, sure, you might not have cards named "Deep Kiss", but what's stopping them from referencing stuff like that in flavour texts? Especially in a block like BFZ and SOI I'd expect these kinds of relationships to be more prominent than in a block like, say, Lorwyn or Kamigawa. The romantic themes can (in small doses) expand on the overall conflict. In BFZ, you could have characters in flavourtext mourn their loved ones or take a vow to be together*, even in death. In SOI, you could even go the horror angle, in which insane people turn against their former partners. Heck, in these cases, you could even show it in the art.
*As a matter of fact Reckless Cohort did that, though they kept it vague rather than say "wife" or "husband". I'm not saying they should have done that, but it shows that it's certainly possible without detracting from the overall conflict. Quite the contrary, such lines actually enhance the conflict, because it makes the redshirts feel more "real" by showing how the conflict affects them emotionally.
Hehe, I don't like forced shipping either, I'm just having fun thinking about possible relationships which have not been ruled out yet. I wouldn't mind all of the gatewatch to become best friends forever (except for Liliana who would seriously not want that) and never pursue a romantic relationship. It's really just fun to think about.
I agree with you that there are of course options to include romantic relationships into Magic without making a "Deep Kiss" card for example (although now I'm really thinking about a custom card with that in mind :D). It's just that I remember someone official (Maro? I'm not sure...) saying that it can't be put any more overtly onto the cards, which is not my own opinion.
Went back and double checked Project Lightning Bug, nope, definitely Ral.
Go go love quadrangle?
From Catching Up:
He flashed a Boros insignia, pushed past the flustered maître d', and walked up to their table. He was quite a bit taller than Jace, with tawny skin but strikingly bright eyes.
"Jace Beleren," he said. "I need your help."
The man matched the description of a Planeswalker Jace had heard about, one who was planeswalking on and off of Ravnica with unusual regularity.
It may be a reference to Ral mentioning Gideon's appearance before and Jace making a connection with the two. Or Jace's impression, or even a little of both. Might even just be descriptive text, but I gathered it was from Jace's perception. Either way, I can't be the only one that, over time, has sensed… implications.
So it's established then. All the boys like Gideon. Wonder if he'll be charmingly oblivious about it all while everyone else stares at him in utter disbelief at "how could he NOT know?"
While I understand the desire for shipping, I also think this is reading way too much into some offhand comments.
I mean, look at the piece of art where we can actually see Gideon's eyes.
They're pretty striking. This does not mean I'm in love or attracted to Gideon.
I have very pretty blue eyes. I've had them used to describe me before by other men. It did not mean they were attracted to me, only that it was a really notable feature.
Gideon is basically a greek statue. It's really hard to describe him physically without coming across like you're describing a romance novel character.
I'd love a future story where Liliana and Jace end up having a kid together but one of the Demons Liliana has a pact with demands the baby as part of their deal, which forces the two of them to go after the demon together.
So this is going to be a long one. I think Chandra/Nissa has a very real chance of being a thing.
First of all, WotC has been super progressive with storytelling lately. From Alesha to Ashiok, they've shown that they're not afraid to explore characters with nontraditional genders. It only makes sense that they might eventually introduce a gay relationship, and maybe stick it front-and-center by having it be two members of the gatewatch. Jace and Liliana seem to be pretty stuck on each-other for at least a little while, which leaves only three characters in the gatewatch to pair up. Why not the two who are the same gender?
Now, I would also be happy if they all turned out to be really great BFF's, but on the other hand, it looks to me like they've been setting this up for a while now. Possibly from the first time the two characters met. I notice a lot of lines that, if they were about two characters of opposite genders, people would say, "Well, obviously those two are going to get together." Here's what I've noticed so far:
Up in Flames: The very first time they meet. They haven't even introduced each-other yet, and we get:
Chandra felt the elf woman's hand on her arm, and at her touch, Chandra's heart soothed, regaining its natural rhythms.
By itself, nothing, but an interesting way to start their friendship.
Oath of the Gatewatch: Chandra takes her oath, and Nissa immediately hugs her. Keep in mind that they just met. When I first read this scene, I didn't know how recently they met, so I assumed they were already close friends. Seems a bit odd, unless they're trying to push the two characters together.
Zendikar's Last Stand: This is obviously a big one. Chandra is trying to convince Jace to let her attack the Eldrazi Titans directly.
"Chandra, can you do this?" came Jace's hurried words in her mind.
Chandra's fist glowed like a tiny sun as she looked back and forth between Nissa and the Eldrazi firmament. She wanted desperately to flood the sky with fire, to unleash her fury on the abominations that would threaten her friends. But she wasn't sure she could create such a singular blast. How could anybody be sure? "I think so!" Chandra thought back.
"You have to be certain. Tell me now."
Chandra saw Nissa's face turn down to her. Somehow the elf's blind green eyes had found Chandra, and even with the chaos all around them, Nissa nodded. Somehow she knew it was possible, and in that moment, in that bond of trust, Chandra knew it too.
"I'm certain," Chandra thought at Jace.
So Chandra starts attacking, and at first it isn't enough, then Nissa touches her softly on the shoulder, and sends all of Zendikar's mana flowing through her. It is later (in the next story) described like this from Nissa's perspective:
Chandra had stepped in at the moment that Nissa had felt the world coming apart. Chandra had reached out to Nissa and they had connected in a way Nissa had never connected to another being, not even to the soul of Zendikar.
Zendikar Resurgent: Here we get a long conversation between the two (which some have already talked about here), as well as the quote above. Perhaps more importantly, we get some internal perspectives from each, observing each-other. To me, this is more important, because in storytelling, this is a way to get an unfiltered look at what each character thinks of the other.
From Chandra's perspective:
Nissa's eyes were quiet and thoughtful, green touching green. Chandra liked the way her movements were gentle, her hands kind.
If this was a male character talking about a female character, nobody would question that he was attracted to her.
Next, from Nissa's perspective:
Nissa looked up, meeting Chandra's eyes. They were wide, amber pools of sincerity, and in that moment Nissa felt they could see straight into her soul. She was unused to others being able to grasp her perception of things, let alone understand how she was feeling. Chandra had done both in a matter of moments.
Am I reading too much into things? Very possibly, I've certainly done it before. And if they do turn out to be just very close friends with a strong connection, I'll be totally cool with that. But I also think there's a very good chance that WotC is laying the groundwork for two of their lead female characters to have a relationship. And that's pretty great.
Yeah, I see the Nissa/Chandra relationship. Jace being both Bi and easily flustered by anyone he thinks is pretty also sounds like it fits his character and the writing so far.
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“Tell me who you walk with, and I'll tell you who you are.” Esmeralda Santiago Art is life itself.
It's simple. Liliana has a crush on Jace, who has a crush on Gideon, who has a crush on Chandra, who has a crush on Nissa, who has a crush on Ashaya... at least if we're going by all the crazy fan theories I've heard.
Seriously though, other than the obvious romantic tension between Liliana and Jace, I don't think any of the Gatewatch really see each other as anything but platonic friends. Some of the older material vaguely hinted that Chandra and Gideon might've had feelings for one another, but it seems like the writers decided to abandon that particular subplot. And while Wizards thankfully has no problem depicting LGBT characters, I never got the impression that any of the Gatewatch were gay or bisexual, they all seem straight or possibly just asexual.
Nissa's eyes were quiet and thoughtful, green touching green. Chandra liked the way her movements were gentle, her hands kind.
If this was a male character talking about a female character, nobody would question that he was attracted to her.
I disagree. Noting that someone is gentle and kind does not automatically mean the person is attracted to them. It just means the observer finds the other person likeable and pleasant to be around.
I'm a little torn about the relationship between Chandra and Nissa, to be honest! I *really* like the idea of them together, and it's time for Magic to have some openly LGBTQ characters. But ... at the same time I feel like it would kind of be kind of tasteless for the first real representation to be two women heavily sexualized for - let's face it - a teenage male market. And it's pretty rare for a solid, healthy friendship between women to be represented in mass media too!
On a semi-related tangent, Chandra and Gideon had some sexual tension for a while too. I guess this has been quietly dropped? Their interactions recently have been pretty neutral, though they've also been dealing with some much bigger problems.
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Xantcha, Phyrexian Reject
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O-Kagachi
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Karn, Father of Machines
Yawgmoth, Father of Machines
Serra, Mother of All Angels
Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools
Leshrac the Nightwalker
Jeska, the Thrice-Touched
Elspeth Returned
Crucius the Mad
Taysir the Infinite
Urza's Head (Unglued!)
I'm of two minds about the possibility of Chandra/Nissa.
On the one hand I'd kinda feel like it was a cop out. Lets face it, two hot girls hooking up in an IP targeted at teen boys is hardly groundbreaking, and if done poorly can be more harm than good. Does the world really need more fetishization of lesbians by heterosexual men?
I think it would be more impactful if the LGBT representation were male/male or another less accepted pairing.
On the other hand, representation of realistic (and non-evil) lesbians in media is still lacking as well. And I could simply be biased as I am a gay man, thus inherently would prefer "me" being represented.
ETA: The cynic in me also finds it doubtful that if/when the LGBT community gets Planeswalker representation that it would be (not) one (but two) of their flagship characters. Far more likely a secondary character so that they can introduce them and then have an excuse not never see them again or only rarely utilize them afterwards. Particularly since there will be criea of "shoving it down [people's] throats."
I'm of two minds about the possibility of Chandra/Nissa.
On the one hand I'd kinda feel like it was a cop out. Lets face it, two hot girls hooking up in an IP targeted at teen boys is hardly groundbreaking, and if done poorly can be more harm than good. Does the world really need more fetishization of lesbians by heterosexual men?
I think it would be more impactful if the LGBT representation were male/male or another less accepted pairing.
On the other hand, representation of realistic (and non-evil) lesbians in media is still lacking as well. And I could simply be biased as I am a gay man, thus inherently would prefer "me" being represented.
My thoughts exactly. If the target group was more diverse and "even", I'd say "go for a lesbian couple as the first LGBT one"*, but... considering the target audience this would feel like a very cheap way to get "inclusive" points.
*As a gay man myself, I would of course be ecstatic, if we ever get a canocnically gay planeswalker (That isn't a douchebag, look at you, Ral) but I also understand that non-sexualized lesbians are horribly underrepresented in media.
ETA: The cynic in me also finds it doubtful that if/when the LGBT community gets Planeswalker representation that it would be (not) one (but two) of their flagship characters. Far more likely a secondary character so that they can introduce them and then have an excuse not never see them again or only rarely utilize them afterwards. Particularly since there will be criea of "shoving it down [people's] throats."
Also so much this. My main gripe with supposedly intended "gay" representations in Magic is that most are so hidden that even the people that are being represented don't get it until it is pointed out claimed. No, Wizards, you don't get any points for Guardians of Meletis, because even if it isn't a retroactively decided thing, it's still so hidden, it doesn't matter.
|| UW Jace, Vyn's Prodigy UW || UG Kenessos, Priest of Thassa (feat. Arixmethes) UG ||
Cards I still want to see created:
|| Olantin, Lost City || Pavios and Thanasis || Choryu ||
Gideon's lore gives zero indication of any interest beyond battle. It was BFZ that gave him more dimension as someone charismatic and encouraging, and a jock-type (which doesn't mean dumb, but more-so worthy of a strong leadership role). I do feel Theros as an ancient Greece setting would incline him more toward Bi-sexuality but frankly, the multiverse seems to be an ideal, open-minded place overall in the sense of acceptance so the theme of the plane may have nothing to do with that, as it's probably universal. Gideon does give me the sensitive jock type that no one would suspect was gay all along vibe but honestly, who knows what he is. Jace has given more indication than Gideon has about his interests at least in women, and possibly in men.
I disagree that couples don't make for interesting stories, or that this needs to be a couples situation. Romantic interest can develop over time. It's entirely human. These characters need to be complete in their nature. Omitting entire facets of human behavior and functioning for the sake of "we just want war and conflict" is a disaster for something beginning to root itself more into the lore. Especially when that lore can speak to the audience.
|| UW Jace, Vyn's Prodigy UW || UG Kenessos, Priest of Thassa (feat. Arixmethes) UG ||
Cards I still want to see created:
|| Olantin, Lost City || Pavios and Thanasis || Choryu ||
Much as I like the idea, it's hard to imagine them making two of the original Gatewatch gay/bi. A bit meta, but it still seems more likely that they'll include characters like that later on. I'd definitely like to see that myself, just seems like a bit of a stretch.
Went back and double checked Project Lightning Bug, nope, definitely Ral.
Go go love quadrangle?
"You say 'learn from history,' but that does not mean 'learn the same bull***** the people in history learned alongside phrenology and alchemy.'" - The Blinking Spirit
I'd be down for that. Though I'd want at least somewhat of a settled pairing eventually.
Thanx to Bookworm10 for the Sig.
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Well, he did and probably does still have a crush on her, but that doesn't mean that he can't have other love interests, especially when Liliana is not really the person for a caring relationship. And it's funny: I read the Nissa/Chandra interaction as something along the lines of extreme admiration. Guess we'll just have to wait and see. I for one would like the Jace/Gideon pairing because they are at the same time contrasting and complementing each other very well (though you could say the same about Gideon/Chandra). I don't like Jace getting together with Liliana though that really wouldn't go well for him...
On a more serious note, I remember someone saying that Magic does not have a lot of room to display romantic themes, due to it being a game about fighting. Well, sure, you might not have cards named "Deep Kiss", but what's stopping them from referencing stuff like that in flavour texts? Especially in a block like BFZ and SOI I'd expect these kinds of relationships to be more prominent than in a block like, say, Lorwyn or Kamigawa. The romantic themes can (in small doses) expand on the overall conflict. In BFZ, you could have characters in flavourtext mourn their loved ones or take a vow to be together*, even in death. In SOI, you could even go the horror angle, in which insane people turn against their former partners. Heck, in these cases, you could even show it in the art.
*As a matter of fact Reckless Cohort did that, though they kept it vague rather than say "wife" or "husband". I'm not saying they should have done that, but it shows that it's certainly possible without detracting from the overall conflict. Quite the contrary, such lines actually enhance the conflict, because it makes the redshirts feel more "real" by showing how the conflict affects them emotionally.
Hehe, I don't like forced shipping either, I'm just having fun thinking about possible relationships which have not been ruled out yet. I wouldn't mind all of the gatewatch to become best friends forever (except for Liliana who would seriously not want that) and never pursue a romantic relationship. It's really just fun to think about.
I agree with you that there are of course options to include romantic relationships into Magic without making a "Deep Kiss" card for example (although now I'm really thinking about a custom card with that in mind :D). It's just that I remember someone official (Maro? I'm not sure...) saying that it can't be put any more overtly onto the cards, which is not my own opinion.
It may be a reference to Ral mentioning Gideon's appearance before and Jace making a connection with the two. Or Jace's impression, or even a little of both. Might even just be descriptive text, but I gathered it was from Jace's perception. Either way, I can't be the only one that, over time, has sensed… implications.
|| UW Jace, Vyn's Prodigy UW || UG Kenessos, Priest of Thassa (feat. Arixmethes) UG ||
Cards I still want to see created:
|| Olantin, Lost City || Pavios and Thanasis || Choryu ||
Or maybe I just read too much fan fiction.
I mean, look at the piece of art where we can actually see Gideon's eyes.
They're pretty striking. This does not mean I'm in love or attracted to Gideon.
I have very pretty blue eyes. I've had them used to describe me before by other men. It did not mean they were attracted to me, only that it was a really notable feature.
Gideon is basically a greek statue. It's really hard to describe him physically without coming across like you're describing a romance novel character.
TerribleBad at Magic since 1998.A Vorthos Guide to Magic Story | Twitter | Tumblr
[Primer] Krenko | Azor | Kess | Zacama | Kumena | Sram | The Ur-Dragon | Edgar Markov | Daretti | Marath
oh shoot! They really shouldn't leave these...
*Gideon looks at you*
*embarrassed blush*
Decks:
Casual
R Burn R
EDH
R Godo Voltron R
RUG ETB Overload RUG
BW Clerics Pain and Drain BW
GW Spirits!!! GW
RUG Landfall Silliness RUG
(Though I have no idea what the effect has to do with the art, or who of the two is actually succumbing to the temptation, but I take what I can get.)
First of all, WotC has been super progressive with storytelling lately. From Alesha to Ashiok, they've shown that they're not afraid to explore characters with nontraditional genders. It only makes sense that they might eventually introduce a gay relationship, and maybe stick it front-and-center by having it be two members of the gatewatch. Jace and Liliana seem to be pretty stuck on each-other for at least a little while, which leaves only three characters in the gatewatch to pair up. Why not the two who are the same gender?
Now, I would also be happy if they all turned out to be really great BFF's, but on the other hand, it looks to me like they've been setting this up for a while now. Possibly from the first time the two characters met. I notice a lot of lines that, if they were about two characters of opposite genders, people would say, "Well, obviously those two are going to get together." Here's what I've noticed so far:
Up in Flames: The very first time they meet. They haven't even introduced each-other yet, and we get:
By itself, nothing, but an interesting way to start their friendship.
Oath of the Gatewatch: Chandra takes her oath, and Nissa immediately hugs her. Keep in mind that they just met. When I first read this scene, I didn't know how recently they met, so I assumed they were already close friends. Seems a bit odd, unless they're trying to push the two characters together.
Zendikar's Last Stand: This is obviously a big one. Chandra is trying to convince Jace to let her attack the Eldrazi Titans directly.
So Chandra starts attacking, and at first it isn't enough, then Nissa touches her softly on the shoulder, and sends all of Zendikar's mana flowing through her. It is later (in the next story) described like this from Nissa's perspective:
Zendikar Resurgent: Here we get a long conversation between the two (which some have already talked about here), as well as the quote above. Perhaps more importantly, we get some internal perspectives from each, observing each-other. To me, this is more important, because in storytelling, this is a way to get an unfiltered look at what each character thinks of the other.
From Chandra's perspective:
If this was a male character talking about a female character, nobody would question that he was attracted to her.
Next, from Nissa's perspective:
Am I reading too much into things? Very possibly, I've certainly done it before. And if they do turn out to be just very close friends with a strong connection, I'll be totally cool with that. But I also think there's a very good chance that WotC is laying the groundwork for two of their lead female characters to have a relationship. And that's pretty great.
Art is life itself.
Seriously though, other than the obvious romantic tension between Liliana and Jace, I don't think any of the Gatewatch really see each other as anything but platonic friends. Some of the older material vaguely hinted that Chandra and Gideon might've had feelings for one another, but it seems like the writers decided to abandon that particular subplot. And while Wizards thankfully has no problem depicting LGBT characters, I never got the impression that any of the Gatewatch were gay or bisexual, they all seem straight or possibly just asexual.
I disagree. Noting that someone is gentle and kind does not automatically mean the person is attracted to them. It just means the observer finds the other person likeable and pleasant to be around.
On a semi-related tangent, Chandra and Gideon had some sexual tension for a while too. I guess this has been quietly dropped? Their interactions recently have been pretty neutral, though they've also been dealing with some much bigger problems.
Xantcha, Phyrexian Reject
Jodah, Archmage Eternal
Tovolar, Howlpack Alpha
Pivlic, Orzhov Informant
Crixizix, Master Engineer
Feather, Boros Peacekeeper
Marisi Coilbreaker
O-Kagachi
Gix, Phyrexian Praetor
Karn, Father of Machines
Yawgmoth, Father of Machines
Serra, Mother of All Angels
Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools
Leshrac the Nightwalker
Jeska, the Thrice-Touched
Elspeth Returned
Crucius the Mad
Taysir the Infinite
Urza's Head (Unglued!)
On the one hand I'd kinda feel like it was a cop out. Lets face it, two hot girls hooking up in an IP targeted at teen boys is hardly groundbreaking, and if done poorly can be more harm than good. Does the world really need more fetishization of lesbians by heterosexual men?
I think it would be more impactful if the LGBT representation were male/male or another less accepted pairing.
On the other hand, representation of realistic (and non-evil) lesbians in media is still lacking as well. And I could simply be biased as I am a gay man, thus inherently would prefer "me" being represented.
ETA: The cynic in me also finds it doubtful that if/when the LGBT community gets Planeswalker representation that it would be (not) one (but two) of their flagship characters. Far more likely a secondary character so that they can introduce them and then have an excuse not never see them again or only rarely utilize them afterwards. Particularly since there will be criea of "shoving it down [people's] throats."
My thoughts exactly. If the target group was more diverse and "even", I'd say "go for a lesbian couple as the first LGBT one"*, but... considering the target audience this would feel like a very cheap way to get "inclusive" points.
*As a gay man myself, I would of course be ecstatic, if we ever get a canocnically gay planeswalker (That isn't a douchebag, look at you, Ral) but I also understand that non-sexualized lesbians are horribly underrepresented in media.
Also so much this. My main gripe with supposedly intended "gay" representations in Magic is that most are so hidden that even the people that are being represented don't get it until it is
pointed outclaimed. No, Wizards, you don't get any points for Guardians of Meletis, because even if it isn't a retroactively decided thing, it's still so hidden, it doesn't matter.