Before I delve into the incredibly geeky obsession I have with the Warrior Princess, let me first state that this series is, in no way, going in any kind of order.  I do not value Xena above my friends and family... Well not above most of them, anyway.  I just felt like writing a light, self deprecating piece.  Hopefully you'll enjoy it.

Ah Xena.  I can remember the first time I ever saw her.  She was fighting alongside her arch nemesis Calisto in an effort to save Gabrielle from the evil Velasca.  It was mid season-three and I couldn't help loving the ridiculous flips, the annoying battle cry, or the rock hard abs of half the girls on screen.  But while the eye candy kept me tuned it, it was the 'special relationship' between Xena and Gabrielle that made me tune in the next week.

You see, I hadn't come out to myself yet so I saw my fascination in the duo as simply an admiration for friendship... Really close friendship...

Like they take a lot of baths together

Kiss each other

And sleep cuddled up kind of friendship.  

I just thought they were close.  Or that's what I kept telling people who accused them of being lesbos. 

And I'm not even gonna lie here, I got those funny feelings in my tummy whenever watching the two ladies do any of the stuff listed above.    

In retrospect, I can probably easily say that Xena was kind of my porn...  And if you think that's sad you're really gonna freak when I tell you that I also get a lot of my morals from the show.

Xena and Gabrielle taught me that the only way to end the cycle of violence is through love.  I learned that killing wasn't always the answer, and that words could be more powerful that weapons.

I also learned that Renee O'Conner got her rock hard abs from an exercise ball.

And that Lucy Lawless was in a horrible lesbian film where she played a truck driver.

Something else I learned from Xena was that there was another world to be explored.  This world was called Fan Fiction.  Fan Fiction opened up a whole lot of doors for me, and those will have to be tackled in another post.

The thing is I still love Xena.  I still watch the DVD's, still talk to my friends about how fucked up the ending was, and I even write my own Xena fanfic.  If I were ever to get a tattoo, I'm pretty sure it would be a chakram.  I've had a relationship with Xena longer than I've had with most of the people in my life today and I still find new things to love about the show. 

Like Gabrielle's haircut.

Gabrielle's new outfit.

The sorry excuse for a kiss that I waited 7 FUCKING SEASONS to see.

The kiss that I should have focussed on because it solidified Xena and Gabrielle as soul mates. 

I'll never stop loving Xena.  It's my Star Trek.  I've loved what they did with the show and hated what they did with the show, but in the end, it has made a huge impact on many different aspects of my life.  

Xena and Gabrielle are my ideal form of love.  And that beats the hell out of anything you see on 'real lesbian shows' like The L Word.

Xena and Gabrielle are a huge part of the tapestry that is me.  And as pathetic as that may be to some people, I wouldn't have it any other way.  So here's to you ladies!