#But it's just a paw lol

[ask-le-chat-erik]

Has Christine ever needed to get out the spray bottle?

"As adept as I am in Swimming, she has when I...supposedly...'act up', off a stagehand, frighten the Ballet Rats, that sort of thing"

((Laughing at this because I imagine him screaming like this https://youtube.com/shorts/l1UB7XDBz-I?si=SRqI6Ag5eSUAnrg8

[soosoosoup]

sunset serenade

[mistfallengw2]

How do charr hands function? Here's my headcanon (with drawings!)

So I made this poll earlier today and I ended up making some sketches to explain how I headcanon charr hands and their supposedly retractable yet too big claws. The idea is that both the game and the books are partially right: claws can be big (not as big as the models), and they're semi-retractable (so fully-fluffy paws). [Disclaimer: I am bad at anatomical drawings and did not try to make them super accurate :')]

Basically charr fingers are made of three phalanges, but functionally they're just two, with the 2nd and 3rd being much shorter and sort of "merging" with the claw itself, which is mostly supported by the 3rd and starts very close to the knuckle between them. The palm is covered almost entirely by a skin pad/paw pad, which usually extends to the first phalanx of each finger, and the fingertips are covered by pads as well.

The claws are semi-retractile, though the exact range of motion depends on the individual's genetics (claw size and shape + hand anatomy) and preferences (how much they trim the claw). The ability to retract their claws is managed by specialized extra tendons and muscles in the hand's structure, and they can lock the claw in place or move it, even while the fingers are bent, though with some limitation at the extremes of movement. While the claw at rest will stay at a "safe" angle, the claw's bed can shift on the cartilage structure when pulled, sliding back into a "sheathed" position or be pushed outwards. [note: I was too scared to go too far with the "x-ray" sketches and probably the claws could go a bit further back in the finger lol]

Ancestrally, this system kept the claws from always digging into the ground and losing sharpness when running on all fours, while still allowing for extra grip when necessary (similar to cheetahs) and the use when fighting or taking down prey. During the evolutionary transition in which charr started walking upright most of the time and using tools, it lost some of its ancestral necessity and functionality. However, instead of turning into something vestigial, charr evolved the ability of controlling each claw's movement independently from the rest of the finger, allowing for greater precision, fine motor skills and dexterity.

The pad grants grip and softer manipulation of items, while the claw handles movements finer and more precise than the pad allows, and other races find it complex, fascinating or a bit freaky. Some say that charr are as dexterous than humans, if not more, which is quite an accomplishment for creatures with such big hands.

That said, variety is huge among charr. Some have stubby paws with big, wide claws, while others have long, slender fingers with narrow claws.

Claws are still used as a natural weapon by many soldiers, but it's totally not uncommon for charr to file their claws down or keep them blunt, as there's a huge variety of reasons for not wanting sharp knives on one's fingers (job requirements, handling of delicate materials, safer interactions with cubs or creatures with softer skin, personal preference, etc), and some even keep their claws at different lengths for specific uses.

That said, claws can't be trimmed beyond the quick without bleeding or potential damage, and since it extends out of the sheath it's not possible for a charr to fully sheath their claws. Claws grow quite fast to make up for the daily wear and tear, so upkeep must be done regularly, as trimming too much might temporarily impact coordination. Declawing can happen during combat or following injury, and those affected might wear prosthetics/fake claws to make up for it.

[sysig]

Blind side (Patreon)

[airoarts]

Leader and deputy

[Image description: a digital painting of Squirrelstar and Ivypool from Warriors. Squirrelstar is a small dark red cat with green eyes, standing in front of the much taller Ivypool, a gray tabby-and-white cat with blue eyes and many battle scars. The background is dark blue. end ID]

[psymachine]

hear me out: you, me, dennis, and god all know he looks good in lingerie, but maybe he's a little bit unsure what mac "the problem is you're into all that early 80s glam rock femme shit; definitely had masc4masc in his grindr profile" mcdonald will think of it

[sraksha]

The catgirl waifu does a biiiiig stretch

ASAU Midna belongs to @ageless-soul-au

[tiktaaliker]

FUCK YES FUCK YES FUCK YES DISCIPLINE VINYL FUCKING ACQUIRED!!!!!!

[radaverse]

chattin

[kala-basaa]

Wolf, puppy...same thing, right? 🐺🐶🤷

inspired by @lichilly (love u, thank u teehee 🫶)

Her favorite time of the month is when her bestie becomes the equivalent of an overgrown puppy dog <3

❤️🤍💚

[reliccipher]

I can't get The Book of Bill atm and i can only feed off of your scraps, Tumblr

Is this accurate

[dizzycloudzzz]

WELL UH

well

well 💗

little hearts

[fisheito]

emotional support wolf meets too-shy-to-live sneetah

[mollyrocker]

Yea no sorry im not leaving him with just regular legs like that sorry im very bad at drawing prosthetics but i WILL get better.. 4 u mephone4 warrior cat

[sysig]

Good skeles, like you lots (Patreon)

[crow-quet]

the preview made me want to draw moonpaw!! and her twin of course. :3

also wanted to explore both the individual designs esp since the twin gets her own