Alterz
I need a better word for a good looking woman than "cute" or "beautiful". Is "handsome" still an acceptable term or do people consider that archaic now?
Wolfiso
I think it depends on who says it and what it's followed up with
Wolfiso
your average Schmoe wouldn't use it, but Milord evaluating brides for his son might
mzminola
handsome is acceptable but definitely gendered and would be confusing if the character's looks were also called cute.
mzminola
Like, Minerva McGonagall can be described as handsome and as beautiful, but not cute. If she got drunk and snuggled up on Hagrid's elbow to sleep, her actions could be called cute, but not her looks.
Charlie
Attractive, or just say "good looking" lol
mzminola
also you can switch "pretty" in for "cute" in my first comment too.
Thyme_Traveler
elegant?
Thyme_Traveler
fair is problematic.
Thyme_Traveler
gorgeous?
Thyme_Traveler
lovely
Thyme_Traveler
comely.
TheQuietOne
Pleasing to behold?
mzminola
easy on the eyes
Alterz
It's this lady, if that helps explain why most synonyms for "cute" and "beautiful" don't seem like the right fit. 
Garza_Bird
i'd say Cute but
Garza_Bird
Charming, Attractive, Sporty?? handsome is okay depending on narrating character
mzminola
cute and pretty?
Garza_Bird
Damn Cute, Hella Cute, Real Sharp
Garza_Bird
Gorgeous Sporty Fucker
Alterz
See I feel like "cute", without the actual image to go with it, doesn't quite get the low-key butch edge that Tracer's got going on? If that makes sense.
Garza_Bird
what's the sentence? like, who's saying it?
mzminola
yeah depending on the pov character they could just...describe her as a "cute butch pilot" or whatever her job is.
mzminola
genki girl
Alterz
Iiiiiiiits Widowmaker haha, and I'm trying to figure out how to explain context because it is... the context is simple but the set up to the interaction involving this word is hard to summarize.
Alterz
Min I am absolutely not using the term genki girl.
mzminola
Widowmaker could be a weeb don't box her in.
Garza_Bird
hahaha
Alterz
I'm not using that term no matter who's talking.
mzminola
"obnoxiously cute"
Alterz
But thanks for that mental image.
Alterz
Keep in mind that this is not a WidowTracer fic, so like.
mzminola
okay why is the descriptor necessary
mzminola
like is this a Widowmaker who regularly recognizes the attractiveness of gals so she'd think of Tracer with some sort of aesthetic/attractiveness description,
Alterz
Okay I just typed out a context descriptor and then realized that absent the context of the context this seems like the most stereotypical men-can't-write-women-interacting scene in the history of everything?
mzminola
ahahahahahah
Alterz
So I'm going to add the context but I just want everyone to understand that this is like... the only interaction like this at all and it's more like frenemy razzing, not catty shit.
Alterz
Context wise is basically Tracer making a "your face" joke and Widow's internal monologue being something to the effect of "objectively speaking I'm the better looking one no matter how [WORD] she is".
mzminola
hm
mzminola
like Tracer has a Western-beauty-standards-conventionally attractive face, and short hair, that combo 90% of the time just gets called "cute".
Alterz
Yes this is a Widowmaker who regularly recognizes the attractiveness of gals,
Alterz
I'm writing her as a Bad Bisexual (as in Good Bi, Bad bi if you've read the article) because if you can't win when writing bi characters then FUCK IT.
Alterz
You're not wrong? I just... to some degree want to combat Blizzard's same-face problem with my word choice haha.
mzminola
hm
mzminola
"My face? Objectively speaker, I fit Hard Femme beauty standards FAR BETTER then she fits soft butch standards!"
Alterz
Now see, that's language I can't see Amélie using.
mzminola
like do you want actual objective internal monologue or that little bit of "your insult has actually hit a nerve that I will never admit to having"
Alterz
It's actually the insult rolling of Amélie's back. She has the internal thought and externally snorts derisively.
mzminola
hm
mzminola
okay
mzminola
then you don't need a description of Tracer, you just need "She's one to talk." and the snort.
mzminola
alternatively, if the insult really rolls of her back, why any internal reaction aside from the snort?
Alterz
See, my context is simplified down.
mzminola
yeah
mzminola
also is "good bi, bad bi" an actual article or a TVtropes thing because my googling powers aren't strong today and I'm curious.
Alterz
Here's the conversational clip, with handsome being used as a placeholder word.
Alterz
Actual article, let me see if I can find a link. It's TL;DR about how you basically can't win when writing a bi character because everything is either problematíque or will be treated wrong.
Charlie
i still think "attractive" works on it's own maybe?
Alterz
Yeah attractive could work on its own, I was just kind of hoping for something less generic. I'll use it if I can't come up with something better.
Alterz
Here's the article, it's mostly about who gets to be the True Love for bi characters.
Alterz
When I say I'm writing Amélie as a Bad Bisexual I also mean that like... she's flirty and sexual comes across a little ATM, which are all Bad Bisexual Stereotypes but like also...
Alterz
it makes sense for the character???
Alterz
Also fuck it?????
Alterz
Fuck it!!! I'm writing bisexual Amélie as accurately to Amélie's character as I think I can get and if someone wants to say that's a sterotype then they can shove it.
Charlie
this fic is for me and you get my official Bisexual Seal Of Approval, also shit's always gonna have nuance like......
Alterz
And Zarya can be butch as fuck and a lesbian and etc etc I don't care I'm going to make the characters be characters instead of trying to avoid stereotypes.
Charlie
i love evil wlw even though that's a horrible trope, just cause i love villains and i love......women lmao
mzminola
yay for characters as characters!
Alterz
Thank you for the support haha.
mzminola
/reads article/ yep the only answer is to flood fiction with All The Bis.
mzminola
wow that looks weird without an apostrophe or something
mzminola
Bi's.
mzminola
BEES.
Alterz
I'm already prepared for if I get anyone coming into my ask box being like "this is bad bisexual representation" or some shit I'm just going to go off.
Alterz
Politely.
Alterz
I will politely go off.
mzminola
just make everyone bi problem solved
Alterz
Same goes for if the Sombra+Lúcio fic I'm writing ever hits the stage of replacing that + with a /, like if I hear shit about that then god help it.
mzminola
ahahahahahaha
Charlie
dude aren't you bi you can write whatever bi people you want
mzminola
also looking at the characters faces on google image search neither of them really fits 'handsome' very well unfortunately.
Alterz
The fandom doesn't get to continuously refer to Lúcio's "bi pride outfit" and say that Sombra's purple get up means she's bi and then get mad if I write the bi characters having a relationship.
Alterz
Like tumblr gives a shit if the writer is bi.
Alterz
OH THAT REMINDS ME I NEED TO REBLOG THAT THING there's a post regarding this that came up and I've had it in a tab just...
Alterz
staring at it, because something about it rubs me the wrong way and I can't place what, but maybe someone else'll be able to tell.
mzminola
Don't feed the identity police it only makes them bolder
Alterz
The identity police can suck my invisible dick.
Charlie
YOU STOLE MY MOUTHWORDS
Alterz
HAHAHA
mzminola
mzminola
I kinda wanna call Tracer's face "elfen" but it doesn't really fit in your sentence.
Alterz
You're not wrong, both about the word choice and how well it fits.
Charlie
she does kinda look like sora doesn't she
Alterz
Fuck.
mzminola
"neatly featured" is too archaic
Charlie
"it doesn't matter how squeenix she looks, she'll never wear enough belt buckles to match my look!!!!"
Charlie
there just write that line instead (include four exclamation points)
Alterz
I thought about using "comely" but that definitely felt too archaic.
mzminola
I mean I just wanted to use the thumbs-up response to Alterz invisodick comment but yeah they do look similar.
mzminola
well tbf
mzminola
"archaic" might fit Amelie's aesthetic?
mzminola
alternatively just butcher some french word through google translate
Alterz
IDK I do kinda feel like Amélie might use the term handsome while for some reason comely doesn't seem right for her.
Alterz
I have no excuse for butchering French because my SO's other BF speaks French and has been translating shit for me.
Charlie
use some french word for "good lookin lady"
mzminola
unbutchered French, then.
Charlie
yeah
Alterz
I'm almost certain the term would end up being something like femme, which would give the opposite connotation that I want in English.
mzminola
it's not like you gotta get it done tonight, sleep on it, see how you feel about 'handsome' versus other terms in the morning.
Alterz
Oh that's right, I was in the middle of a totally different scene at this point. WHOOPS.
mzminola
or "It's decidedly untrue, even if Oxford's face does have a certain...je ne sais quoi."
mzminola
give Widowmaker the trouble with terminology choice.
Alterz
Haha I will consider that option.
mzminola
I'm gonna make a new plurk for that bi tumblr post
mzminola
'cause I don't wanna deal with tumblr at the mo
Alterz
FAIR
thetaClysm
ok i just read that article and these all sound like problems that could be solved by having more than one bisexual character
Alterz
And then you still can't win because it's "unrealistic" and/or "tokenism" simultaneously somehow.
thetaClysm
see at that point tho?? at that point
thetaClysm
its criticism coming from outside of the lgbt sphere
thetaClysm
which i could care
thetaClysm
less
thetaClysm
about
Alterz
Yeah I think you may have noticed my point up above where I was like "fuck it". You are not wrong.