#Banger reaction images if I'm being honest

[astro-b-o-y-d]

Poor Gus is having the worst day of his life and is surrounded by nothing but unhelpful gay people

[dailycass-cain]

Birds of Prey #12 brings the Cass action to the forefront!

It also gets me something I always wanted to see: Sophie Campbell drawing Cass. But it comes-- with a TWIST!!

We're nearing the end point of this arc, and we get the craziest issue yet of the world hoping. This time the Birds getting "toonnified".

And that is "the twist"

Since I first saw her work on IDW TMNT. I always wanted to see Sophie Campbell draw Cass. Well wish granted this issue. But it's an utterly adorable Cass.

Though, what shall we call this Cass version? Toon Cass? Cass Toon? No wait that one is taken. 🤪

Anyhoot, this toon world feels honestly the most fleshed out of them all. Like it felt there was this underlying unease with each world the Birds visited.

Here this is the first one that feels like a world onto itself. I wonder where this will go with the "final world" teased at the end.

Even though, last issue Cass was put on the back burner, this issue she gets A LOT of focus. So much so I believe this issue she has more dialogue than the prior ELEVEN issues!

Even with all this Cass, all the Birds get a moment this issue. Barda and Vixen get absolute banger moments this issue and their toon designs are just perfection. Likewise so does Sin, and even Babs. Everyone gets something this issue.

And it all starts with Cela walking out, and Cass following. Now I now there was A LOT of shippers jumping onto the two this issue.

So let's dissect the real bonding, and maybe-- it can go to be more?

Writer Kelly Thompson has touched on many dimensions to Cass in the series thus far. Here she digs into the core of Cass: compassion.

A few issues ago, we learned Cela's origins, and last issue put it on the back burner, but this issue we get the forefront as she knows the Birds reunited that time is almost up with her newfound companions and the hope of being free from this prison.

I think Cass can really relate to Cela. That she's stuck in this world, and really is trying to be good despite the world wanting otherwise. Not to mention losing A LOT of sisters?

It sounds FAMILAIR doesn't it?

think Cass relates a lot to Cela and is trying to break that ice with her being there for her. She can see how her body is screaming for someone to vent with.

And well... we get the scene between the two.

Now as to WHY people are jumping on this ship bandwagon so much? Well, when was the last time Cass had an honest to god love interest in the main DCU?

You could say Stephanie Brown (Batgirls 2021-2023). Or... Harper Row (2016).

But if we're going to her honest-to-goodness CONFIRMED she's interested in?

It was Sal from Batgirl Vol. 2 (2009).

It's been THAT long since Cassandra Cain had a CONFIRMED love interest.

I think fan interest in wanting Cass to get SOME loving is WHY we're at this point. The girl deserves it. Though personally I see ANOTHER option (if not Harper), who just happens to show up this issue too.

So I get WHY many shipping vibes are there for Cass/Cela.

But the rest of the issue is Cass coming up with a plan to FINALLY be free while also dealing with Maia problem too.

And here we get our SECOND bit of Cass in the issue.

This and a few other reaction images are so getting memed by us Cass fans. I know it.

But yeah it's a nice "character progression" from someone who told a "bad story" in #1 to now coming up with a good plan in #12.

And the plan even involves a homage to what Sophie Campbell is most famous for. 😁😁😁

You thought I wouldn't notice the streams crossed did ya? BUT I DID!

Birds of Prey #12 is an emotional ride but with a toony twist. It has such a glorious cute edge this issue. And this world with the Birds REALLY clicked. I've gone back to reading this issue more over than the prior bits of this arc.

I feel there's nothing more to say than I'm REALLY curious where this all goes next issue and how this will tie into the Spirit World?

I guess we'll see. Other than, I'm curious what your thoughts are on Cass/Cela?

And are you surprised it's been THAT LONG Cass had a love interest?

*this is me now waiting for comments*

[dictacontrion]

Hi hi, I'm the biggest fan of your fics (most recently On Open Wings

Tysm anon, that’s wonderful to hear 💗💗💗

I am feeling…complicated, a few months in. I continue to really really like the 60% of songs that have some of my fave trademarks of Harry’s songwriting - the imagery, the musicality, the combination of emotional specificity and universality, the second person/gender-neutral pronouns, the degree to which the music evokes a place and a mood. “From the Dining Table,” “Meet Me in the Hallway,” and “Ever Since New York” are all resonant, moving songs I really enjoy listening to and find genuinely affecting.

On the other hand, there are some songs that I still can’t listen to. Not in a “making a political point” way, but in a way that’s happened for me with other artists as well, wherein the way race and gender and sexuality play out in a song make it genuinely hard for me to enjoy. I really want to be able to sing along joyfully and exuberantly to the bops and jams - but when it comes to saying the words, there’s just no universe in which I can sing “Told it to her brother and she told it to me/That she’s gonna be an angel, just you wait and see/When it turns out she’s a devil in between the sheets/and there’s nothing she can do about it” or “couldn’t take her home to mother in a skirt that short” or “she’s a good girl, she’s such a good girl” without feeling a bit gross. Ditto all of Kiwi and all of Woman (which sounds to me like the auditory equivalent of watching an offensively stereotypical lifetime/law-and-order-type depiction of a fight in a trailer park. “*grunt.* WOMAN.”) All of Carolina, too - the story there really made me sad, to think that Harry could be so inconsiderate of a woman’s privacy and emotional life (and/or that his team though that young women would find that idea appealing). And again: I would love to enjoy these songs. But I’ve had the experience over and over again of listening to Kiwi and actively trying to get into it - as someone pointed out to me, speeding down the highway screaming “IT’S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS” should be so so so fun!! - and then just petering out on the rest. Getting viscerally sad and bummed out and disappointed.

In practice? I listen to it sometimes. I skip a lot of songs. My copy of the special edition of the album is still sitting in the unopened shipping box on top of a bookshelf. I looked into returning it and couldn’t get an answer from sandbag (which, it sounds like they’ve been a mess across the board and I’m bummed that Louis is using them too to the point that I may not order the physical single bc I’m moving house and, given the delay on HS1, don’t trust that it will get here before I do) so I haven’t sent it back. But I haven’t been able to bring myself to open it, either, and I don’t have the same urge to hang Harry pics in my wardrobe that I did when I ordered the lithographs. I haven’t watched carpool karaoke or the apple music documentary. And if I’m honest, I’m just sad about the album, and disappointed.

That said: I’m sad and disappointed because I think Harry is incredibly talented, and capable of much more than we saw on this album. I believe that he’s a very talented songwriter and I love his voice and I love the way he approaches so many things. I also really appreciate how he and his team responded to fans’ negative reactions to the misogyny in his lyrics and in the first day of his late late appearance. (Watching those gifs of him rolling his eyes at the idea that Kendall wanted to have sex too much still turns my stomach and makes me so sad.) I am glad that they’ve stayed away from that image since and hope they’re thinking seriously about why that reaction happened and what fans had to say. I’ve seen a few blogs suggest that Kiwi or Carolina would’ve been a much better and more popular/commercially successful single than Two Ghosts will be, and I think that’s true, and if their choice of Two Ghosts is about being responsive to the wave of people telling them that those depictions are wholly unacceptable, I’m glad of it and appreciate that thoughtfulness. And I’m REALLY proud of the fandom for speaking up and saying that it wasn’t okay! Really, really proud of the fandom for that, for saying “we insist on seeing women depicted as humans and no matter how much we love you, we won’t accept sex-shaming and we won’t accept sexist tropes, we know you can do better and we believe in that and in you and that’s why we’re here, and we can stand behind you and insist that you hear us.” So, so glad of and proud of that response.

So. I’m hoping, as Sheena has suggested, that there might be an extended version of the album at the holidays/before the arena tour with a few more tracks, and I’d be excited to hear those and open to loving them. Because, again, I think Harry is very, very talented and has tremendous promise. He’s shown that he can write incredible lyrics. He’s shown that he can write absolute bangers. If he shows us he’s able to do both of those at the same time, I will be absolutely over the moon - and I absolutely think that he’s capable of that. I hope it’s on the way.  In the meantime: sad, disappointed, appreciative, and hopeful. Complicated.