#francine charles

[kelaeri]

Shoutout to Batgirl(s) for their portrayal of characters with disabilities and their varied use of mobility aids! Ft. Barbara Gordon and Frankie Charles.

Batgirls #1, #4, and #12

Batgirl (2011) #37 and Black Canary (2015) #10

Batgirl (2016) #4

And, keep in mind, there are plenty of issues in between with Babs and Frankie not using their mobility aids as well! With chronic illnesses, injuries, etc. it is extremely realistic to be 'fine' one day, but be reliant on mobility aids another due to various factors. I think these are the only (?) comics I've read that have captured this aspect of disabilities rather than treating them as linear progressions of becoming either better or worse, or as completely static conditions.

[radicalellska]

[rogers-attic]

i love when roger speaks other languages

[baymaxcardio]

Alvarez's family heart exam

Characters & Art by K9X-Toons

[esotericas-sims]

After Michiko and Amir come Georges and Francine Marseille, the classic enigmatic twins of the school. Born in the French countryside to an aging father and a distant mother, the twins spent most of their childhood years in various boarding schools, scattered across Europe. Instead of this experience making them snobbish, it has given the twins a remarkably humble outlook, reflected in their dress. Georges - or Marseille, as most refer to him - dresses simply, but incredibly well. Although his wardrobe doesn't scream "money" in the same way that Michiko's does, his clothes are high-quality and finely tailored, if a bit on the simpler side. The only time he really starts to show off is in his formalwear, when Marseille flashes a bit of an inner, more fun-loving personality. Otherwise, he remains stoic and well-mannered. Boring, according to some, but it generally suits him quite well.

Marseille's twin sister Francine is an odd one out, for certain. With her short hair and fondness for men's fashion, Francine fits right in with the masculine dress trends of the late Victorian period. Although she's willing to wear women's clothes when she must, Francine is far happier in a pair of pants and a top hat, and that's mostly what she's seen wearing when out and about. Akin to that of her brother, Francine's wardrobe is simple and high-quality, and she favors neutral earth tones, especially browns and creams. She's not one for frills or flounces, and her clothes are only highly-decorated when they're required to be.

Playing with SeveralPerson’s Ultimate Decades Challenge Rules

Started: 1800

Current year: 1886

Family tree

Spreadsheet

CC Finds

[genevieveetguy]

Golden Eighties, Chantal Akerman (1986)

[rescue-dragons-au]

Summary: “Let me make you a deal,” Kade told her. “I’m about to take a leap of faith with you. Like a serious leap of faith that will make or break this marriage. If I feel like I don’t trust you after this or you think you can’t love me, I’ll have my father end the arrangement.”

Hayley pursed her lips, looked back at the door, and then up at Kade. “How long will this take? My mother will be gone until late evening.”

“Hopefully not that long,” Kade said hopefully. “But this might have you distracted for a bit.”

Hayley bit her lip and slowly lifted her hand to place in his. “I’ll give you this one chance.”

Kade grinned brightly. “That’s all I need.”

[moonlight-girls-posts]

Hurricane going wild over here…. My internet is not working well and I want to finish DTS

[moonbeam-dragon]

Rescue Dragons Chapter 12

[adamwatchesmovies]

Demon Wind (1990)

One compliment you can give Demon Wind is that the title is just about perfect. This is a fart from Hell, and it’s nasty enough to peel paint. Unfortunately, the few scenes that might make it enjoyable as something “so bad it’s good” are bridged with a lot of boring material. This Evil Dead clone had to have a similar - or maybe even bigger - budget than the 1981 film but it looks 50 times worse.

After his father’s suicide, Cory (Eric Larson) asks his girlfriend Elaine (Francine Lapensée) and his friends (which include Jack Vogel as Stacey, Stephen Quadros as Chuck, Mark David Fritsche as Jack and Sherry Bendorf as Bonnie) to help investigate the family home. While investigating the ruins, they become trapped by a mysterious fog hiding demonic forces.

A group of friends trapped in a cabin in the woods while under attack by demons that proceed to possess them one at a time. The remaining young adults fight off their former friends as their numbers dwindle. It's pretty clear writer/director Charles Philip Moore was heavily influenced by Sam Raimi’s cult classic. You can also tell by the gore. Every demon oozes custard-colored blood like a maple tree come syrup harvest time. The major difference is that there isn’t a second of Demon Wind that’s self-aware and the attempts at humour are few. This movie wants you to be scared but you won’t be. When you laugh, it will be at its expense.

The funniest parts of the film come from a duo of smart-mouthed magicians who aren’t shy about throwing karate kicks. Every scene with them is gold. Too bad Demon Wind kills them off halfway through the movie. Once they’re gone, it’s impossible to remain invested in this story. Why would going back to this burned-out wreck would give Corey any answers about anything? His father lived there for a grand total of FOUR DAYS when he was a baby! Anyone with a brain would’ve taken one look at the crucified skeleton on the front lawn and turned away - I'm not sure if the fact it's been there for sixty years makes it better, or worse. Then again, asking human-like behaviour out of anyone in this film would be too much. The locals are so shifty you can’t not suspect them of being up to something. Elaine does a strip-tease in the middle of the rest-stop restaurant so the movie can throw some cheap titilation in. All of the friends converge on the house despite vague instructions left by Cory on their answering machines. It's a miracle this plot even manages to happen. Once it does, you'll be eager to see it end. You already know how this whole thing will play out.

If you’re looking to pair The Evil Dead with a movie that shows you how right the Bruce Campbell vehicle got it, I’m sure you can find better (worse?) than Demon Wind. You can probably find something funnier too. This movie has a Blu-ray release. I’m baffled as to why. It’s completely unmemorable and barely even a curiosity. If you stumble upon Demon Wind, you can have a few laughs at its expense but it will quickly fade from your memory. (October 8, 2021)

[royaltysimblr]

Ophelia of Lausanne, Queen of Windenburg (1620-1673) - Part 3 - Life at Court

Following the couple’s marriage, Ophelia and James occupied Hertford Castle while maintaining apartments at Windslar Palace and Verdun Palace. While James and Ophelia remained devoted to one another and had a loving relationship, Ophelia felt isolated in court. After the conclusion of their wedding celebrations, Ophelia found the courtiers cold and hostile. Ophelia found solace in her Magnolian ladies-in-waiting whom she conversed with in her native language. Ophelia never fully assimilated into Windenburgian Society, and never learned to speak Simlish properly. Ophelia and her husband spoke Magnolian with one another, often in public, causing people to be suspicious of the couple. Many accused Ophelia of being a Jacoban spy who plotted with Jacoban insurrectionists.

Ophelia largely stayed in the company of her Magnolian household for the first two years of marriage. James was forced to dismiss them when rumors spread that Ophelia’s lady-in-waiting, Madame Villiers, was spying on the royal couple for the King of Magnolia. Ophelia was allowed to keep two of her ladies-in-waiting, Angelique de Rohan and Helene de Penthièvre. However, in 1635, Helene was accused of poisoning Adelaide of Schwerin and was later executed. James did nothing to stop this, infuriating Ophelia for a few months.

Over the next few years, Ophelia would develop a new household and close circle of friends including Lady Pauline Charleston and Cecelia Bentwick, Countess of Harren. Ophelia would develop life-long friendships with Pauline and Cecelia, who would remain her constant companions at court. Francine Withers, Duchess of Norwich was appointed her mistress of the robes, with her sisters, Lady Georgiana Burley and Lady Henrietta Burley serving as Ladies of the Bedchamber. Ophelia’s favorite at court, Vincent Williams-Bulwick, 2nd Earl of Winthrop, was appointed her chamberlain. James appointed his close friend, Sir Thomas Grenoble as his wife’s treasurer to control her finances. Ophelia’s constant overspending throughout the first years of marriage made her unpopular. Her expensive and grand wardrobe along with her large household led to her going into debt as early as 1637. 

With the news of Ophelia’s first pregnancy in 1636, she was gifted Courland Palace by her father-in-law, King Charles. Ophelia and her husband often traveled to Courland Palace during the summertime. Ophelia cultivated a series of residences that included Verdun Palace, Hertford Castle, Glencraig Castle, and Barley House. Ophelia had her residences refurbished and renovated, much to the dismay of her frugal husband. Ophelia collected a large number of pets including 12 dogs, 5 cats, and many exotic pets such as peacocks, parrots, and zebras. 

Ophelia had a warm relationship with her father-in-law, King Charles II, who often showered the couple with gifts. Meanwhile, Ophelia had a strained relationship with her mother-in-law, Matilda Carlton, and her grandmother-in-law, Adelaide of Schwerin. Matilda, a staunch Peteran, found Ophelia’s devout Jacobanism repulsive. While, Adelaide’s dislike of Ophelia came down to family disputes, as the Duchy of Schwerin was ransacked by Magnolia in 1605. Although Matilda and Adelaide detested one another, they worked together to ostracize Ophelia. Matilda and Adelaide would openly snub Ophelia by ignoring her at court and not inviting her to their entertainments. 

Ophelia’s open practice of her Jacoban faith was largely unpopular with the court and the public. Pamphlets were constantly dispersed slandering Ophelia and her faith, claiming she was a Jacoban spy. Ophelia’s sympathy toward Jacobans didn’t help her position at court either. In 1636, when the court was traveling to Dunkeld Palace, Ophelia had the court stop at the town of Aylesbury to pray for the persecuted Jacobans who were murdered by a Peteran mob. This greatly annoyed the court who had no sympathy for the murdered Jacobans.

[zahri-melitor]

Have now met Minhkhoa Khan.

I honestly think he's the most interesting addition to the wider Bat lore since probably Damian's introduction, in terms of the fact he's actually filling an unoccupied gap in the setting and lore.

Part of the issue with the proliferation of new characters over the last 10-15 years has been that a lot of them are effectively redundant on arrival: they're not providing new storytelling opportunities. Characters like Harper Row (Bluebird) and Mary Turner (Strix) and Claire Clover (Gotham Girl) and Bao Pham (Clownhunter) and Francine Charles (Operator) and so on aren't really designed to have a long term existence or take-up. You know once a writer leaves a book that character is probably done, and going to fade into the annals of 'hey do you remember'.

They exist because a writer can't use the character they clearly wanted to use instead, or they wanted to run a trope in a story arc (the characters listed above are: 2x 'we actually wanted to use Cass'; 1x 'we wanted to use Oracle'; 2x 'we wanted a troubled kid for Bruce to help deal with their trauma').

And I personally don't have a problem with creating short term characters to tell the story you want to tell, though I do prefer it if writers actually check if there's a pre-existing character that fits what is wanted, especially if that character is well known. (We shouldn't have the 'this is just Cass, but the writers weren't allowed to use Cass' situation).

But what makes Khoa instantly compelling to me is that he fits straight into continuity without causing any issues, because he's a character that makes sense to exist, and could have existed in the background for decades.

He's part of Bruce's past training journey, but unlike Henri Ducard or David Cain or the O-Sensei, he's not one of Bruce's teachers; he's a fellow student and rival.

Unlike Thomas Elliot, he's someone Bruce has an active rivalry with and who can instantly draw Bruce back into acting like a petulant teenager. He's not from the Gotham society Bruce left behind like Tommy is (or Roman Sionis); he's part of the development of Bruce's code of morality in his world travels. And he's someone Bruce actually has a give and take relationship with, rather than being a character developing a terrible case of one-sided rivalry watching Bruce.

It takes genuine effort to look at the Bat canon and go 'hey, there's an unoccupied gap here where I can fit in a character that will add to the story, rather than just repeat it'. And Khoa's also a character that can disappear off panel for 5-10 years then pop back up when another writer wants to use him and that would make complete sense; he's not someone who should be getting called in and isn't, or whose only use after his initial story arc is to fill out the background of crowd scenes.

I'm honestly impressed. And interested to see where this goes.

(Also I want fic about David Cain, Minhkhoa Khan and young Cass very, very badly; or a story where Cass runs into him while she's working in Hong Kong)

[roseunspindle]

@shiftythrifting book box (second one I've gotten) ^_^ thankyou very much! (Two books were on my goodreads "to get"

Six of Swords by Carole Nelson Douglas (Irissa and Kendric #1)

Star Rider - Doris Piserchia

The Abominable Snowman - R.A. Montgomery (Choose Your Own Adventure #13)

A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens

Space Jam: A Novelization - Francine Hughes, Nancy E. Krulik

Eats, Shites, & Leaves - A. Parody

Box also included a neat holographic shark bookmark

[gerec]

i once read a fic where charles was afab and used his telepathy to pass, do you know any fics like that? either gen or shippy, i'm just looking for inspiration for my own unfinished fic

Here you go, Anon. These are excellent and I hope they serve you well!

Mutatis Mutandis by introductory

Perhaps it's unfair. Perhaps it's selfish. Perhaps it's fundamentally wrong that you are the most powerful telepath in your knowledge, that you make your life by reading other people's secrets, and yet you think it your right to keep one of your own.

So Don't Be Afraid to Let Them Show by BrotherFromAnotherMother

"Charles is born Charlotte Francine Xavier, and he knows from a young age that he is different."

You, you, you are what I want by Anonymous

"Erik was so sure Charles was interested in him as well that whenever the telepath backed away from him it felt extremely confusing."

shattered mirror; twisted reflection by Anonymous

On second thought, Charles probably should have realized that spending a couple weeks on a road trip with a unbelievably handsome basically-stranger would have consequences.

Especially if said stranger is incredibly analytical, nosy, and distrusting.

[thebatgirlarchives]

DC Bombshells

BARBARA GORDON

In the universe of DC Bombshells Barbara is a French Pilot named Barbara Gourdon born to a small-town policeman and a farmer, she demonstrated a gifted intelligence at a young age that quickly lead to her learning how to fly small planes. During 1916 she would enlist in the French Air Force and earn the title of 'The Batgirl' for her natural gift for flying. She would fall in love with a German Pilot named Luc Fuchs (This universe's analogue to Luke Fox) whom would go MIA and eventually would be presumed dead.

This event would lead her into searching for a way to bring him back, landing her in a bog in Louisiana. Upon reaching the bog she would be turned into a vampire, causing her to go into hiding, believing herself to be a monster and isolating herself in an abandoned manor named "Belle Reve Manor House" somewhere during this she would meet Junie Moone (Enchantress), Rose Wilson (Ravager) and Waylon Jones (Killer Croc) who would join her self-isolation in Belle Reve Manor.

We first meet her in DC Bombshells Annual #1 in her vampiric form, wherein we also get to learn her backstory. This issue takes place in 1941 wherein Amanda Waller enlists a soldier named Francine Charles to retrieve her. Francine heads to the bog and shows her evidence that Luc is alive, causing her to agree to help Amanda Waller and later becomes a member of the 'Suicide Squad'

CASSANDRA CAIN

Unfortunately we don't see much of Cassandra in this universe but we do see her as the Black bat in a small cameo appearance before she later falls in with Katana and helps her protect those affected by Lex Luthor's extraterrestrial attack.

STEPHANIE BROWN

If you thought we barely saw Cass, we see Steph in a single epilogue panel where she's seen becoming one of the Batgirls with the description of "And a girl, all in purple, has been seen spoiling best-laid plans of crooks and villains the whole city over."

UNIVERSE SPECIFIC BATGIRLS

From left to right we have Nell Little, Felicity Smoak, Alysia Yeoh, Tim Drake, Cullen Row, Harper Row, Kathy Duquesne and Bette Kane.

Inspired by the feats of Batwoman Harper, Kathy and Nell form the 'Batgirls' to fight crime, quickly adding members to their team, all of whom use bats to fight off crime. They come into their own as a unit when after the departure of Batwoman to join the 'Bombshells' they are tasked with keeping Gotham safe in her absence.

Other links:

Merchandise under this line

Promotional/cover art

[crystaloregarden]

made a visual bingo sheet for doing @batmanisagatewaydrug 's 2025 book bingo since my memory is a lot better with images + I'm not a person who remembers or pays a lot of mind to genres so I'd just forget anyhow B)

also, a few of my friends and i are doing this book bingo together in my server, if any of my moots want to join in!

book titles & my reason for choosing them under the cut:

Literary Fiction: If We Were Villains - M.L. Rio (blind pick from storygraph)

Short Story Collection: The Collected Short Stories of Roald Dahl - Roald Dahl (roald dahl is on this list already so i figured i'd read some of his other stuff, too!)

Sequel: Two Hearts & The Way Home - Peter S. Beagle (sequels-ish to the last unicorn which is one of my top fav pieces of media of all time I NEEEED THESE)

Reread a childhood favorite: Matilda - Roald Dahl (LOVE THIS BOOK & MOVIE SO MUCH!!!)

20th century speculative fiction: The Left Hand of Darkness - Ursula K. Le Guin (i've been trying and failing to read Wizard of Earthsea due to lack of time + its juvenile tone so hoping i can find something i like in this book instead!)

Fantasy: Iron Widow - Xiran Jay Zhao (been on my TBR forever and finally have an excuse to prioritize it)

Published before 1950: The Phantom of the Opera - Gaston Leroux (ALSO been on my TBR forever, attempted to read it once via audiobook but the audiobook reader was so bad at reading that i had to put it down. hopefully my library has a print copy!!)

Indie Publisher: Those We Do Not See - Angie Gallion (looked on the list that the tumblr post recommended, ended up at red adept publishing and blind picked)

Graphic Novel/Comic Book/Manga: Dragon Quest - Adventure of Dai (recommended to me by luca! he first recommended dragonball to me and i had to decline because that's is SO many chapters FHSJDFKL)

Animal on the Cover: The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World - Robin Wall Kimmerer (obsessed with all of kimmerer's works and need to read them all NOOOWWWWWW)

Set in a Country You Have Never Visited: The Fox Wife - Yangsze Choo (this was recommended to me right before i left kansas by the person who did my hair so it's only been on my TBR a short while, but i'm always super eager to read books that were personally recommended to me!!)

Science Fiction: Time Shards - David Fitzgerald, Dana Fredsti (was on my TBR in storygraph, i don't remember adding this so it might as well be a blind pick FHKSJDHF)

2025 Debut Author: The Woman In The Wallpaper - Lora Jones (blind pick!)

Memoir: Leading Lady: A Memoir of a Most Unusual Boy - Charles Busch (recommended to me by my coworker at my old job who was an elderly gay man who spent his life in theatre, extra excited to read this one!!)

Essay Collection: Fanged Noumena: Collected Writings 1987-2007 - Nick Land (on my storygraph TBR, i think i saw some quotes from a tumblr post and added it?? i THINK)

2024 Award Winner: Dance with Me - Georgia Beers (blind picked from the Lambda Literary Awards since they focus on LGBT+ works!)

Nonfiction: Conflict Is Not Abuse: Overstating Harm, Community Responsibility, and the Duty of Repair - Sarah Schulman (recommendation from a tumblr account i follow for book recs on activism and mental health)

Activism/SJ: Revolting Prostitutes: The Fight for Sex Workers' Rights - Molly Smith, Juno Mac (same as above!)

Romance Novel: Norwegian Wood - Haruki Murakami (was on my storygraph TBR)

Horror: Annihilation - Jeff VanderMeer (i am vaguely aware that the movie version of this book is dogshit and i've heard the book is LEAGUES better so i want to take a peek for myself)

Published in 2000-2009: Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them - Francine Prose (ohhh i added this to my tbr recently-ish but i don't remember where i found it, i am SUPER interested in this though as both a writer and an avid reader!)

Historical Fiction: Babel - R.F. Kuang (blind pic, partially influenced by the fact that luca brings up the tower of babel so often that we have a spiritual "mentioning tower of babel" jar in place)

all i need now is the library rec (i'll be moving in walking distance from a library in a couple weeks), the read & make a zine (i'll poke around archive.org to find some interesting ones & potentially want to make one myself about my old cat who passed) and read & make a recipe (i cook at home rather than eat out most of the time so this is gonna happen prolly within like a week of 2025 anyways)