#which. mostly means talking too much about it

[willoillo]

I spent like all of today reading through book 6 cuz I needed a mental break today, which means I have completely finished this first arc!!

Thoughts on book 6 first:

As... Should be obvious from how quickly I finished it, I really liked this one. This book wasn't plagued with any of the pacing problems that the other ones had, and both the heartbreak and the victories felt well-placed and hard-earned.

The twist with Tigerstar in the third act was spoiled for me, unfortunately, but I think it still had the intended effect. It is kind of an anticlimax for his character? But I feel like it was a fitting end.

The ending itself was very satisfying. It feels like it ties together the story so far, which is... Incredibly tricky given how all over the place the series has felt. But it manages to pull it off, and it does so in a way that makes it feel purposeful. It's a very strong ending.

Now, onto the series as a whole...

I'm gonna start with what I liked, because there is a lot to like!!

I think the idea of the clans is relatively well thought out; how the different environments shape the kind of cats there, what kind of food they're likely to hunt and the difficulties they'll face, the various characters we meet... It does really feel like a setting one could sink their claws into and never really let go, and given how frequently the clans change loyalties and how quickly the cats grow up it seems really easy to fit your own characters into.

I also think the naming conventions are interesting!! How clan names are chosen, the way they change as a warrior develops, the unique terms for illnesses and the seasons and other common things. Fresh kill in particular has entered my vocabulary and stuck there cuz it's just such a good descriptor in my head.

I do love the focus on, like, legacy that the series has? With this focus on growth from kit to apprentice to warrior, and how important teaching the next generation is. It also ties in really well with the passing of the seasons; no matter what else is going on, the seasons march on, bringing their own challenges and forcing the cats to adapt to them.

I definitely fell in love with a lot of the characters, as well? The interpersonal relationships and how they grow and change, as well as how they don't, really breathe life into the world. From what I've seen, I'd say that Cinderpelt and Sandstorm are my favorites, but I also ended up falling in love with Greystripe and Silverstream's doomed romance, as well as Bluestar's quiet compassion.

I like the way Starclan is handled; they feel present the entire time without disrupting the tension or providing an answer. The messages from Starclan always feel like a mystery to be solved, which makes them engaging and kept me guessing.

The kitties are a lot of fun to draw, unsurprisingly; I still might make more art, if only for fun, and I'm really happy with how Bayflower turned out. I have a Warriors OC now and I wouldn't give her up for the world x3

That said, no series is perfect, and this one was... Kind of a bumpy ride. Lots of ups and downs. The clans beyond Thunderclan aren't very fleshed out beyond their like, broad characteristics and the few characters from them we meet directly, quite often the story feels aimless and things come together either too late or not at all. There's a fair bit of fatphobia and ableism in it. The villains in particular aren't very fleshed out; they only get to be a complex character until they've chosen their side.

The biggest thing that frustrated me though, is how inconsistent the series is. Some of these books were excellent, others were frustrating, and most fell somewhere in the middle, with moments that I absolutely loved compared with moments where I got so bored or frustrated I had to put down the book for a bit.

I'm not surprised by this? It's very common with long running book series, especially ones with multiple writers. But it still made me really unsure of what to think and made the experience less enjoyable overall.

Given how many books this series has, and how bumpy the ride has been so far, I think that this is where I get off. It's been an enjoyable time, and I'm very glad to have read the series, but there's A LOT of books and I don't feel comfortable committing to them after my experience with this first arc. I'm sure there are gems in there, but I don't feel like digging for them.

That said, if you have a particular book you think I should read, or an arc I should skip to so I don't miss out on a character you love, now's your chance to tell me!! I'm not averse to reading more in this setting, I just don't want to commit to the whole series.

Overall, this was a great time, and I'm glad that I read this first arc. There's a lot to love here, and I no longer feel lost or confused by the kitty references, which is great!! I can like. Get some of the jokes, and watch animatics without being completely lost, which is ESPECIALLY a boon. I adore fan animations they are the COOLEST thing.

Library found their copy

So it's time to do this!! If I enjoy my time I'll keep reading, but I make no promises.

[spark-river]

Brothers - Small things after a rough day (/pos)

Headcanon:

When one of the brothers had a particularly rough day, as in they're close to tears or throwing a tantrum, at least one of their brothers will get a feeling and go to comfort them. (It's a bad day but not the worst. If it was any worse the brothers would all act to comfort the one who's upset.)

Belphie will drape themself onto them, which is surprisingly effective. He's not typically found doing that to anyone but Beel on the regular but he knows some of his brothers appreciate physical affection. He's also mindful of when they're not up for touching anyone. Instead he will sleep nearby so they know they're not alone. (Quiet comfort to not overwhelm anyone though it mostly happens with Levi.)

Satan will try to sneak in a cat for the person (Mammon or Belphie) to cuddle. For the others he'll spam them with cute cat pictures because they're not as fond of cat hair (besides Beel but Satan is afraid to leave him alone with a cat). Lucifer is the only exception to this. Satan will go into his office and start an argument why cats are so much better than dogs. There's no realy heat behind it as he'll let Lucifer derail the conversation and let him talk about Cerberus for several minutes without interrupting. It typically lifts Lucifer's mood and when Satan eventually leaves both are aware that Satan was just worried for his brother.

Beel will give his brothers their favorite snacks when they're upset. Surprisingly he always seems to have a feeling when out shopping and one of his brothers is having a bad day (even if he hasn't seen them that day). Which means he's always prepared for when he needs to use the snacks.

Lucifer will leave small presents in the room of whoever is upset. Nothing special or even fancy most of the time, just a little pick-me-up. He had given Mammon more than one shiny rock. Leviathan gets a poster or figurine from his video games and animes. Belphie is happy with the cow pictures and pillows he has received (his cow pillow was once a gift from Lucifer). Lucifer likes to give Beel some samples of new sweets. Satan gets cat stickers and Asmo gets a foto of himself in some pretty get up.

Asmo in this case doesn't go for a self-care day with his brothers. In this scenario energy is very low and they can't handle all the attention. Since they've been brothers for so long Asmo is aware of it and will instead opt for physical affection or at most a massage. He'll hug his brothers and tell them how much he loves them in a quiet voice before simply sitting with them as they calm down. For Satan he often sends him a picture of him (Asmo) with a cat before gauging his reaction to find out if it's okay to approach.

Mammon is somewhat similar to Lucifer but he's often too broke to buy his brothers something short notice. Especially since he really wants to buy them something expensive. So instead he'll hunker down and try to craft something up. He's far from the best at such stuff but the effort often makes his brothers smile.

(Lucifer keeps crude drawings of Cerberus in his desk drawer. Satan has a badly made cat-bookmark. Levi started crying because in the printed picture of a character the hair was a slightly off colour. Still he kept it because Mammon came in seconds later, panicking about Levi crying. (Levi cherishes the memory since he felt so loved in that moment.) Beel and Belphie proudly display the printed pictures of family events (for Beel) and different cow breeds (for Belphie). Asmo never wears the bracelet Mammon made for him (partly because it's too big) but he has it near his collection of beaty products. It's a kind of reminder that he's also beatiful enough on the inside for people to care about him.)

Levi will hover around that person for a while before deciding on what to do. Which often ends with some anime themed tea or hot chocolate being made (even in summer) and a blanket thrown over whoever is upset. His brothers are not always happy with the blanket just showing up and even messing with whatever they were doing. Though Levi manages to find the most pleasing blankets for that particular brother so they'll resume their work with a blanket wrapped around them. Besides Beel who will smell the blanket for a while before going to work out. His mind set on showering afterwards and indulging in the (then cold) hot cocoa and snuggly blanket.

[certifiedsexed]

hi there! this isn’t about sex itself, but since periods are usually a part of sex ed and i’ve literally just been woken up because the cramps were bad enough, i thought i would ask — is it normal to be in a lot of pain when you’re on your period?

context: i still live with my abusive parents, who don’t let me take any kind of pain medication after a suicide attempt at thirteen, so i know that this problem might just be that i need to take a strong painkiller. also the pain doesn’t ever last more than three days? like the first three days (and sometimes the days leading up to it) of my period are always hell but then it’s fine, i have no pain afterwards.

but the problem is that the pain is… bad. like being woken up in the middle of the night because my sides hurt and my legs hurt isn’t uncommon, and there’s this weird thing where i’m scared to use the toilet during these first three days because it makes my butt and my sides hurt so much that i genuinely can’t move and have to bite myself to stop myself from screaming. sometimes i’ll be in so much pain, usually in my sides but also sometimes in my stomach or legs or my butt, that i can’t even move, so i just kind of… have to lie pressed into my bed and hold my breath.

my mother has always just told me that she had worse pain when she still used to get her period, and that i’d be completely fine if i just listened to her and used a hot water bottle (i have poor circulation, so hot/cold stuff just doesn’t really feel great for me usually), and i’ve always just kind of accepted that. i know it’s common for people who get periods to talk about how painful things like cramps are, but i genuinely usually feel so miserable for the first couple days of my period that if i don’t need to get out my bed, i literally won’t at all.

i’m just wondering… is everyone who gets periods in as much pain as i usually am, at least for the first couple days? or, since i know that people experience periods differently, are people in more/less pain than i am but it’s fine since this isn’t that bad and i should just take medication each month for it? idk, but ever since i started to get periods they’ve genuinely always made me feel so so bleak and in agony, and i’m someone i’d consider who has a maybe above ‘average’ pain tolerance (i have chronic back pain, migraines, and health issues that make it easy for me to sprain/fracture my ankles which i’ve unironically managed to do about eight times in the past two years — again, unfortunately all of this with mostly no painkillers unless i can get them from the school first aid box), so i just… don’t know anymore, but i thought it couldn’t hurt to ask.

anyways, unrelated but i really do love this blog — the reblogs are always good things to read as someone who’s still unpacking being raised by very puritanical parents, and the asks always offer good advice too, very empathetically in a way that sometimes catches me off guard (there was one post on here that was something about how the asker’s father would belittle them and i think your reply said something like ‘it’s not your fault and nothing’s wrong with that aspect of you’… which i know sounds obvious but that was something that i don’t think had ever been obvious to me ever since my father started doing the same when i was younger. it was really comforting to hear, is what i mean, and your replies often are. so thank you for that! and for the time + energy i can imagine it takes to run this, you post/rb so often!)

Hi! This is absolutely a sex ed question, you're right!

So, first, let me make one thing clear: no! You are not supposed to be in this level of pain on your period. Some pain is understandable but once it gets to the point it's bad/debilitating in Any fashion, something is going wrong.

But I also want to say, being in an abusive living situation can fuck up your periods. And so can being restricted from pain relief, which-just in case you're not aware-is another type of abuse.

But what you're talking about sounds like more than just a lack of basic pain relief. That's very disabling, even if it doesn't last long. It may be that intense reactions to periods run in your family [especially since your mother mentioned experiencing something similar] but that's still something you should be getting something like specialized pain meds for or even stopping your periods altogether.

What you're talking about, especially on top of an abusive living situation, is very unhealthy for you to have to deal with.

Not everyone is in that much pain. Some people are but that's a medical condition. It's a disability! What you're talking about is a disability. It can be caused by PMS or endometriosis or PMDD or it could even be connected to whatever causes your other chronic pain but it's still very much something your parents should be getting you checked out for.

Even if your mother had the exact same pain on her period, that doesn't mean you should have to suffer through it, especially not with her revoking your access to basic pain relief. That's all completely unacceptable and I'm sorry you're having to deal with this.

I'm not sure how helpful this is but I hope it's at least good to know the pain levels you're dealing with are unacceptable and Not "normal" period pain.

Also I'm so glad you're learning and enjoying the blog, especially the advice. I also grew up in an abusive household so to hear it's helping someone else in a similar situation means the world to me, fr. 💕 Sending love, Anon. <3

[ayoharuko]

Love and Deepspace: Boyfriend Headcanons ♡

Hello! I have been sucked into this game in so many ways, I have literally almost lost interest in my other otome games- And yes i chose this game as my comeback but ya’ll already know why :3

Most of these headcanons are kinda already canon? Like canon in game? But don't worry I sprinkled some original ones thought by yours truly of course~ ✩

This will be separate parts as I wanted different posts dedicated to each of our beloved boys, we all love each one of them in this household.

Reader here is Gender Neutral (They/Them)

Warning: Some Spoilers from his Myths and minor swearing.

Reminder: The character belongs to INFOLD/ its respective creators; this is all just fictional work so please try to not take these too seriously :)

♡ First of all, Xavier is a cuddle bug.... HE WILL HUG YOU WHENEVER HE GETS THE CHANCE TO.

♡ So, I would love to think that that he loves receiving and giving, physical touch. Whether its holding hands, hugging you, kissing you- heck.. even just your shoulders touching can count as physical touch to him. Especially, if you aren't comfortable with physical touch yet.

♡ Xavier is also the best napping buddy! He can be in any sleeping position you want, if you want- you can have him just on his back, laying still as you cuddle him in any position. Or maybe you prefer him holding you? Any position is fine with him, as long as he has you sleeping beside him :)

♡ But if you have to ask him what his favorite sleeping position is, it has to be the 'Face to Face' position, so he can get blessed by your sleeping face every morning.

♡ Sometimes, when he wakes up first or feel restless (Which is rarely) he stares at you.... carving every texture, mole or freckle into his brain, even if he had already memorized it by now.

♡ He just wants to.... cherish you before... his time ends you know? (HAHAHAHA SORRY I COULDN'T HELP IT-)

♡ Oh, you love food? Congrats then. You have yourself a foodie buddy- and boyfriend for life!

♡ Almost all your dates are visiting new or old restaurants around Linkon and outside of Linkon to eat, but mostly it'll be hotpot themed as we all know how much he loves his hotpot.

♡ But if we're talking about homecooked meals.... well.. Obviously he can't be in the kitchen but whatever and whenever you cook he'll eat definitely it! Your food is much better then the restaurants you all visit, he claims!

♡ One more love language of his is that I think he'll have is words of affirmation, in a receiving and giving way. With his soft, airy like voice he would whisper sweet words into your ear as you fall to dreamland.

♡ Comfort you if your having a stressful or bad day and he just loves talking to you... you bring out the extrovert in him :)

♡ In the receiving end, he needs all the affirmation and assurance that you'll always be there... He knows he can't be honest all the time and has his flaws but he needs you to tell him its okay. His a soft boy.. only for you obviously.

♡ He would get you flowers every week, once a week maybe. Each week with a different flower; Jeremiah would teach him how to make a small bouquet and teach him how to grow flowers whilst having these lessons, he'll also pick up a book from his other friends library on the meaning of flowers.

♡ When all thats learned have been learned, he'll start bringing you flowers with hidden meanings that you don't pay mind to but Xavier sometimes will tell you what they mean🌷͙֒

♡ Wear whatever you want babe, your boyfriend is literally Lumiere and he'll glare at anyone who has ill intentions for you or the ones whose judging you.

♡ Sometimes we all forget that this man is LITERALLY A PRINCE. (If some of ya'll don't know this yet- spoiler I guess.)

♡ So that means, princess treatment ALL THE WAY, actually no- QUEEN TREATMENT. Doors will be opened, bags shall be carried, you won't pay for shit when your with him as his salary is big (Ordinary hunter MY ASS.)

♡ He'll also do anything you ask him to do. Whether its household related things or... *ahem * *ahem* pest related things....

♡ But yes, he would do anything you ask him to, as long as it makes you happy :)

♡ He would flirt with you, but in a subtle way... like, he would say something so flirty or smooth but he won't comment on it, or he makes it so subtle that it almost sounds like a compliment or normal thing to say.

♡ He'll brush it off if you ask about it and just put on his usually charming smile and give you a compliment instead.

♡ But if you do it back to him, you will notice the red spreading all over his cheek and ears, he might get embarrassed about it but he secretly craves it since you won't do that to anybody but him- and if you do... well.... they will most definitely get the cold shoulder from Xavier as well as the sink eye....

♡ While Xavier has plenty of good qualities about him, it doesn't mean he doesn't have any bad qualities about him.

♡ He would be very secretive. Sometimes you won't know if you truly know him, once you confront him with this problem he'd brush it off and try to derail the conversation but if you push it- you and him will get into a one-sided heated argument. With you as the heated one and him the one-sided.

♡ In the end, you'd have to accept that he won't tell you any of the secrets his hiding so you give up and make him promise to you that once his ready, he should/would tell you everything.

♡ Sometimes the napping habit of his would become too much. It'll result in him losing track of time and possibly missing your scheduled dates, forgetting to eat or do basic self-care and it basically becomes an unhealthy habit. So he appreciates it whenever you're both going out or when you're forcing him to do something else besides napping.

♡ He is a jealous man... not possessive but more on jealousy. He knows you're attractive and he also knows that you won't leave him but his more worried about the other people who'll make a move on you or has ill intentions.

♡ He would hold your hand tightly in public and in a subtle way, he'll show that you both are together but also flexing your intertwined hands.

♡ It's canon that his very good with video games right? But I don't think he plays games all the time, I think his the type to play games whenever you're in the mood to or when he sees you online on your favorite game together.

♡ Minecraft is you and Xavier's ultimate game you both would play in your free time.

♡ He is your monster slayer, he tames animals (mostly cats) and he makes sure your amors all enchanted!

♡ When you're both partnered up for a mission, he would absolutely make sure you're safe the whole time. As much as he knows you can handle yourself- he also wants you unharmed.... He can't bear to lose you.. not again.

♡ So he would always be in front of you. Like a shield almost, but he'd also be your blade- He has always been yours to use, if you asked him to take a hit for you, he would. If you asked him to kill any threats that might hurt you, that threat would be dead in mere seconds.

♡ Nicknames that he'll often call you would be My Queen (Assuming you don't know why), Little Star (Idk I just see it) and... honestly? I don't think his that big on nicknames-

♡ He'd probably just prefer to call you by your name as he likes the way it sounds when he says it aloud :)

♡ When it comes nicknames that are for him however... he doesn't mind them, he even has a few favorites- such as: My Prince, Knight in shining armor, babyboy (I SEE THE VISION.) and Honey.

♡ In conclusion: Xavier is a very sweet, charming and sleepy boyfriend- only when it comes to you of course.

♡ Don't forget, to other people; their opinions don't matter. But your words? They mean a lot to him.

You've all reached the end, yay! Thank you so much for reading this far, I hope you all enjoyed this <3

I tried to make a lot of headcanons as I could, but I lost lots of braincells along the way lol.

I'm actually debating whether I should do a NSFW Version of these headcanons.... do you guys think you'll be interested in that? Of course the other guys would get a NSFW Version as well.

See you guys on my next post~! :3

Zayne's Boyfriend Headcanons, check it out too! (Coming Soon)

Reblogs are appreciated and Feedback/Comments are always appreciated! :3

(Note: please don't copy and paste my works anywhere, and if you do see them on other platform please inform me.)

[avayarising]

OK , from the year or so I’ve been reading comics, here’s my impression of each character. (Note that they are all very intelligent, all very skilled martial artists, all adrenaline junkies, and all a little too self-sacrificial. And they all come with bucketloads of trauma.)

Bruce: The first thing you have to know about Bruce is that he was raised by Alfred who had no clue what he was doing and who very much failed to model any sort of emotional openness. Full of self-loathing and survivor’s guilt, and very very determined. Genuinely wants to make Gotham a better place and works very hard to do so as both Batman and Bruce Wayne. Probably not as much chronic pain from injury as people think, because he keeps getting physically reset by death/resurrection events, but he definitely does not respect his body at all and goes right back to abusing it every time. Deeply admires and respects his friends. Falls in love easily but always sabotages his relationships. Very soft with babies and young children. Loves his kids with all his heart; rarely knows how to show it and often screws up with parenting. Doesn’t tell people things because it doesn’t occur to him to or because he doesn’t know how, quite aside from the very real trust issues, but will be emotionally honest with someone when their life is at stake. Doesn’t truly believe in his own mortality but is terrified of bad things happening to his kids. Is weak to being called ‘Dad’ – that’s how he came to adopt the telepathic space starfish.

Dick: Brilliant, charismatic, incredibly loyal, a great leader. Loves easily, widely and deeply, and in turn is beloved by all. Understands what people are saying and can get a lot of information from what they don’t say. Genuinely enjoys being a hero, in its danger and violence, in its opportunities for acrobatics and showmanship, but most of of all in the way it lets him help and protect other people. Has the occasional civilian job but never stays in them for long. (Despite the number of fics which feature him as a police officer, he was a cop for only around a year and it is by no means his default profession.) Likes to be up high and goes skydiving for fun. No-one knows he has horrible imposter syndrome. Pretends to be open but actually keeps his true feelings under wraps a lot of the time. Has a tendency to hide or drive people away when he is hurt or depressed, and blames himself when things go wrong. Does not often lose his temper but when he does he becomes a whirlwind of wrath on whoever has threatened his friends and family (especially if it’s Tim).

Jason: The unreliable narrator. Tends to lie to himself and does not do self-examination; avoids thinking about things that make him uncomfortable. Justifies his actions to himself a lot. To others, he’s a poor liar, if he tries to lie at all. Generally he speaks the truth as he sees it and gets hurt when he is lied to by someone he trusts. Has big feelings and likes to talk about them. Probably feels guilty for liking being a hero. Probably still believes some people need killing, even after he has forsworn murder for the sake of the family (and mostly follows company policy). Doesn’t seem to make friends easily, but likes being part of a team. Was actually only a crime lord for a couple of months, and really only to set up his Bruce–Joker confrontation. Likes books, particularly the classics (you’ll see Pride and Prejudice mentioned a lot because he was seen reading it in a panel once but he actually enjoys a wide range). Tends to lash out with both words and fists when he feels hurt.

Tim: Absolutely adores Dick and that is the fundament of his character (Dick adores him right back). Canon doesn’t show him routinely stalking the Batfam before he became Robin – but doesn’t entirely rule it out. Very good at spotting clues and inferring meaning from them. Believes with all his heart in the importance of hero work and making the world a better place. Does a lot of self-examination and exploration of his own motivations. Only mildly neglected; his parents were away a lot but put him in boarding school rather than leaving him unsupervised. A fast and very dedicated learner (learnt how to skateboard in one weekend, then built himself a motorised crime-fighting skateboard). Confident in his skills and abilities; sometimes too confident – on the rare occasions he goes down the wrong track he can take a while to realise it. Friendly, talkative and gregarious: he’s not necessarily the best leader but he can make friends with pretty much anyone (including bad guys) and get them to bond with each other and work together as a team. Good with computers and engineering, and admires other heroes who build and use technology. Likes building cars, driving fast in cars, and crashing cars. Like Dick and Bruce, he tends to push people away and self-isolate when he’s upset or depressed, and becomes much less talkative. Is not overly addicted to caffeine, does not drink copious amounts of coffee, and is generally not particularly sleep-deprived, whatever the fandom may tell you.

Steph: Rather brash and self-centred (not selfish, but tending to default to seeing things primarily in terms of how they affect her) in her younger years, but becomes wiser and more self-confident as she matures and gets more training. Still sometimes feels she doesn’t measure up to other heroes, but is determined to protect and help others. A quick thinker, she can improvise and come up with new creative solutions on the fly, and does so even if it means diverting from the plan, meaning she often clashes with other team members. It also means she can jump to the wrong conclusion. Very stubborn, whether she is right or wrong. Fights dirty both physically and emotionally. Is generally cheerful and enthusiastic, and this is usually genuine, though she can sometimes use it to cover sadness or hurt. When upset she will tend to confront whoever she blames for it and express her feelings loudly (and is likely to take quite a while to calm down and listen to any explanation).

Cass: Knows she is physically superior to most people on the planet, and therefore feels the responsibility to use that skill to protect people. Is absolutely against the idea of killing and hates the thought of anyone dying. Has a special bond with Barbara who helped her a lot when she first came to Gotham. Her difficulties with language mean she will never be a great reader or orator; she eventually learns to talk but is a very sparse and utilitarian speaker and sometimes lacks vocabulary. This frustrates her. She is good at reading body language, but that just tells her what people are about to do and roughly how they are feeling, not what they are thinking, and she sometimes struggles to understand why people do what they do or what to do about it, or to articulate what she knows. Enjoys dance and other activities that use and challenge her physical abilities without hurting others. Because she was first deliberately isolated as a child and then lived on her own for years, she has had to work hard to learn how to work in a team and it still often doesn’t occur to her to ask for help or tell people things. Tends to run away when she feels too emotionally seen, and make reckless decisions when upset.

Damian: When he first comes to the family, is very defensive and expects to be attacked, and this fear and insecurity is why he is so hostile and aggressive. He goes for Tim in particular probably because he feels most threatened by him. Later, and with Dick’s influence in particular, he mellows out, feels more secure, and becomes fiercely protective of all his family, and particularly loyal to Dick. Dick has tried to teach him the joy of hero work, but he probably still sees it mainly as a legacy and a duty. Is still abrasive and tactless, and is often hostile to new acquaintances, but tends to bond well with small groups over time. Loves animals and is a vegetarian. Enjoys drawing and playing the computer game Cheese Vikings. Tends to get defensive and blame others when upset or when things go wrong.

Duke: Charismatic and very courageous. Will throw hands with anyone if he feels it’s necessary, and will not balk first in any game of chicken. Very good at solving puzzles and bringing clues together. Likes heroing because he wants to help and to make a difference in the world. Is not adopted – Bruce fosters him for a while but after that he stays with a cousin (and in current canon may now be back with his mother who has recovered from her Joker-induced coma). Very good at pep talks and persuading people into a particular course of action. This, together with his strong grasp of strategy, makes him a great leader. His facility with words also comes out in his skill with puzzles and riddles and in his creative writing. When he’s sad or hurt he will outwardly carry on as normal and let out his feelings in his poetry (which he never admits to writing).

Barbara: A trained librarian with a very organised mind and an eidetic memory. Knows an awful lot about everything and can find out anything she doesn’t already know, so she can quickly put together disparate pieces of information. Very good at hacking and coding and can crack pretty much anything. Is the go-to contact for information for almost everyone and basically holds the whole hero system together. As Batgirl before being paralysed, she enjoys being a hero for the thrill of the action, but after being shot in the spine, being a hero is for her a personal victory over the Joker’s attack on her. (In current canon, she now has full mobility again which may be poor disability rep but is absolutely in character: if the treatment existed – and given the world they are in it makes sense that it would – she would definitely take it, though she would research the hell out of it first.) Is an excellent co-ordinator and strategist; works very well with teams and keeps everyone together and on target. Cautious; sometimes overly so. Generally a good teacher and mentor and genuinely enjoys it, but occasionally gets impatient and frustrated when people don’t follow her train of thought quickly enough. Sometimes overworks herself due to her awareness of how many people depend on her, and drinks a lot of coffee. When she is upset she will tend to seek out friends or family for comfort.

Alfred: Dead in current canon, but we mostly ignore that. Military background and severe stiff upper lip syndrome (which is not good for raising a traumatised child). A very private person who projects an image of himself as the perfect butler, stoic and unfazed by anything that happens. Secretly he’s the biggest drama queen of the lot and absolutely enjoys the concept of the fighting and the cool toys and the costumes and the drama of it all, but will never admit it and hides it with sarcastic comments. (I believe that if Gotham had had a decent Gilbert & Sullivan Society for Alfred to join then the whole Batman thing would never have got off the ground.) Sometimes commits to the bit too hard and loses sight of the feelings of the people on the other end. Loyal to Bruce to a fault and will support him over anyone else. Somewhat insecure over his role in the family, and very manipulative when he feels the need to be. Expresses disappointment and disapproval by withdrawing, and often hides behind his role as an employee rather than intervene in personal disagreements within the family. Rarely admits to being in any way wrong or even surprised about anything.

Can someone pls give me like a comprehensive characterization of all the characters in the batfam??? I’m trying to write fics on them and I SO DO NOT want to mischaracterize them. Like how Jason was not the angry robin, but in fact the sweetest and only 4 apples tall Robin, while Dick “Crashout” Grayson was out here raging on every criminal. Things like that would help give depth to the characters Any additional lore as well would be good, as I’ve only been consuming batfam content through tumbler, fics, and other mishmash from social media. I’ve yet to start the comics and no ideas on where to start so any help there would be GREATLY APPRECIATED!!

[egophiliac]

CROWLEY SSR THOUGHTS

there is zero basis for this, but I can't get this thought of my head

I don't know why I decided to draw it this way

[dailyloopdeloop]

loop and mirabelle. That's it that's the ask

DAY 84: enrolled in the gossip wars

[ct-multifandom]

I don’t usually make posts like this, but I’ve been seeing a lot of anti-intellectual junk lately, and I really think we need to put the word “pretentious” up on a shelf until people learn what it actually means.

It doesn’t describe someone who likes artsy-fartsy deep meaning media. People who are pretentious are fake. They’re posers trying to be sophisticated and unique, not like other girls. They pretend to only like stuff they think will make them sound cool when they talk about it. They want to act like they know something you don’t, and they want attention for it.

By definition, if you genuinely enjoy something, you can’t be pretentious. If it resonates with you, and you analyze it, and you don’t care what people think, that’s the polar opposite, actually. If you love obscure experimental prog music, if you watch underground high concept indie films through English teacher eyes, if you spend hours in a modern art museum reading each piece as a vessel for storytelling, if your backpack’s full of poetry books that inspire you, if you play underrated games that were someone’s passion project, if you have an interest in studying the classics or the masters, you are not pretentious.

Of course, some people just don’t like some stuff, and that’s fine, but that’s not what this is about. Don’t let anti-intellectuals shame you for enjoying things just because your interests are inaccessible to them, because they refuse to be brave and put effort into critical thinking. You’re not stuck up for refusing to overlook the craft of artists.

[opens-up-4-nobody]

...

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

the desire to do comms vs my inability to remember that i got a message FIGHT-

[fcdcdmcmories]

"YOU.. WEREN'T WELL AND.. YOU'RE.. BETTER NOW, I TAKE IT?" perhaps it made that much sense that was the one thing that he took away from that, but.. what mattered more than anything? what had mattered more to anything to him in the past? and now? whether or not she was okay. "but if that's the case, then.. i'm really happy for you. that you two are getting along. better, at least. that he's.. APPRECIATING YOU. TREATING YOU AS YOU DESERVE." which was what pederson had never done in the past and so, this was.. new. so many things were but nothing as much as the fact that she wasn't what he remembered at all. DIFFERENT? "you're not making a fool out of yourself. i mean, you.. you're not. you could never. i don't know what to say about.. all of this, but that much i know." he should have told her to leave. he should have told her to leave the second she crossed the threshold, but.. how could he? he was finding that he didn't want that. at all. he wanted her here, he just didn't know HOW to admit that right now. if he COULD. "maybe it's better. maybe everything would be easier if we were just friends, but.. who doesn't like a little complicated every now and then?" saying that this was what he wanted? god, he didn't know. or rather.. he did and he was just too afraid to admit it. too fucking afraid of making the same mistakes all over again. what if he trusted her and this all went sideways? "so you are. do you like it? this place? I KNOW IT'S NOT MUCH, BUT.. well, when i opened it.. i didn't expect for it to blow up as much as it did. people seem to really like it, for some reason. been the talk of the town." scratching the back of his neck, almost as if he was nervous to be asking that. her opinion mattered. it counted and right now, he was only starting to REALISE that. fuck. nodding.

he didn't say anything back - not about that, but. he squeezed her hand back. he'd do it all again too. "SOMETHING LIKE THAT? IT'S PROBABLY NOT WHAT YOU'RE EXPECTING. IT'S NOTHING FANCY AND IT'S PRETTY.. CHILL, BUT.. IT'S.. HOME, MOSTLY. i often sleep elsewhere, but.. it's good to have my own space." suddenly, he was nervous again. what would she think? it wasn't anything fancy like he knew she was used to. lots of leather stuff and his flannels and the pictures of his family and will and his old books and whatnot but.. WHY WAS HE SO NERVOUS ABOUT HER OPINION? it wasn't as if he was planning on inviting her there during any other time, was he? fuck. he really was. "I... MISSED YOU TOO. CLEARLY NOT IN THE SAME WAY, BUT.. I.. I DID. and i'm sorry about scaring you in whatever way, but.. i'm here. i'm okay. i'm.." happy? he had been about to say that but he shut himself up. why? until she had walked in here, he would have told anyone that asked that he was happy. was that not true? who he had missed her in a completely different way - in one that.. the more that he tried to fight it? the more that he tried to forget it and her? it just kept coming back stronger. "good. i'm glad. other people should get to know how remarkable she is, too," glancing over at their hands and then back at her. "we did? find our way back to each other, i mean? what changed? if you're here.. something must have. right?" and he regretted that question as soon as it left his lips, shaking his head. it didn't matter. it shouldn't matter but.. god, it did. it always would, right? "gabi picked it after a movie night. what can i say? we're all a bunch of nerds. me and her and evie. it's fun when they stay here with me," mostly, they stayed with elaine and.. yes, he did get that, but.. he wanted them both here. "then, we'll make it happen. i'm sure he can't wait to meet you. be warned, he likes cuddles." and often enough, he had to hide him when elaine came over. frodo had never liked her, had he? they were going upstairs and that'd be fine, but he was finding that he didn't want the night to end. he didn't want her to leave. this.. him? what he didn't expect was the rest. his heart skipped a beat as he moved forward, placing his hand against her cheek.

"it is. it is. it's just us here, okay? there's no else here. you're not in danger. you're okay. you're safe. YOU'RE HERE WITH ME. COME HERE." thinking that she was probably seeing that room again. he found himself moving forward again, wrapping his arms tightly around her, as he pulled her to his chest, hugging her close. did this scare him, yes? "tough shit, because i give a lot of flying fucks about what happens to you, so.. how about we agree that nothing is gonna happen to either of us? okay? THERE'S NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. IT'S SAFE NOW." when their lips met, it was as if he acted on instinct. he tangled his hand on her hair, pulling her to his chest, as he kept her pressed against the wall, wrapping his free arm around her waist, as they kissed. right now? the world didn't exist. what had happened - his lack of trust in her - it didn't matter. it was just them in here and.. god, he had missed this. HER. SO MUCH THAT IT HURT. and he knew, didn't he? he had from the moment he had seen her again. he was still in love with her. wasn't he? he had never stopped. instead of saying it, though? he poured everything into that kiss, not pulling back. it was messy and desperate, but it was.. everything. / @xtinyslip

"i'm not entirely sure that he used to like anyone. except himself, of course but yes. i… i wasn't well and for a time we were all living together and the property wasn't all that spacious either. i'm taking it day at a time but yes, me and my father have never gotten on as well as we do right now." it really was a matter of taking it a day at a time but the progress that was being made was good. no, it didn't erase the past but if they could find a way to be at peace with one and other then she owed it to herself to try. "i'm here, most likely making a complete fool out of myself but i'm here. does that not say it all?" didn't that say it all? because if it was anyone else and they'd try to given her the cold shoulder, she probably wouldn't have remotely cared enough to stop them. with him, it had always been different. "if we could be just friends it may be easier, i could give you that but better? i don't know what about that sounds better." if she was being completely honest. of course, she wanted to be his friend but she also wanted to be everything. she didn't want to stop at just being his friend. no. "i'm around." offering a slight smile. she hadn't been but if she'd walked in here before today. well, she didn't feel like her best self as it was right now but she wouldn't want him to have seen the state of her before now. "yes," nodding. perhaps, that made her crazy but wasn't that what love was supposed to do anyway? fuck it. it was the truth. "to have more time with you? yes, i would without hesitation." definitely.

"don't tell me this apartment of yours upstairs is a bachelor pad 2.0?" a mild tease. "it makes me selfish to say that i'm glad… you really scared the hell out of me. i've really missed you." cecilia honestly thought that he had been gone and that this time there was no returning. she thought she'd lost him permanently and the hurt that caused hadn't gotten easier as time went by. in fact, it was just as unbearable now as it had been that night. "hm," she nodded. "the cecilia you always got to see, i'm allowing certain others to see too." she wasn't going to pretend that she was magically fixed, that she was this completely better person. it was unrealistic and a total fucking lie but she was trying. "we soon came to the realisation that whether we held onto it, whether we didn't move on… we were still together. we always found a way back to each other so, what was the point?" what was the point in letting the past be their future? if they were bound together as tightly as they were regardless? she was so used to speaking for people, she didn't want to speak for him but she was trying to speak based on what she had known then. considering he couldn't remember. "frodo," why wasn't she expecting anything else? she smiled slightly, still focusing on their hands. "i can say sincerely now that i would like that." considering she hadn't been much of a dog person before, or much of an anything person before. if they were honest.

her heart was pounding and she didn't know whether it was from excitement or nerves, maybe it was a mixture of both. he hadn't asked her to leave, if anything, it felt like she was stepping further into his life by seeing his apartment. all she knew was that she didn't think she could let go of his hand. it didn't seem possible. it was like the trauma was playing the worst kind of trick, waiting till the second that those doors closed to kick into action. she didn't even realise she was trembling, something else took over her body when she was like this. he thought he knew how bad it was but he didn't, he didn't remember how awful it had been this most recent time. seeing how hard he'd fought to escape to get back to her, feeling how cold his body had been, how cooper had literally had to physically pull her off him. if cooper hadn't been there, that door would have sealed shut leaving her in there with him, they'd have both been dead but still, strangely she didn't doubt that they wouldn't have found their way to this very moment. somehow, she knew they would have. "it's not. it's not okay. you, i," still glancing to the corner where his body would have been if they were actually in that room. "i don't give a flying fuck about me, nothing can ever happen to you. not again." that was true. it was the hand on her face that seemed to ground her, it gave her a chance to manage her breathing. get it somewhat under control. deep breathes. it centered her, realising that he was there, that he was so close to her. when he kissed her she couldn't help but let out a groan, feeling their joined hands above her head, using her free hand to cup around the back of his head and pull him in closer and keep him there. the moment he fully embraced her, the trembling stopped, she no longer felt ice cold but warm, hot even. her mouth crashing against his in the same messy, desperate kiss. @fcdcdmcmories

[shalom-iamcominghome]

✨✨✨here to sprinkle some JEWISH JOY into your inbox✨✨✨

Thank you, jewish joy fairy I love you (platonic) 🩵🩵🩵🩵

[orcelito]

I do find it so funny that I will graduate college days away from my birthday. Like my birthday is literally in between the end of the semester ("graduation") and commencement

It really will be like a joint graduation & birthday party for me lmao

[bishonenspit]

every time people fundamentally misunderstand the patalliro characters i lose years off my life

[duckburgsgreatesttreasures]

Oh, he said a great many things, he likes to give long and detailed answers (which I/the fans love, but which con organisers hate :') ) and I wrote 4,5 pages of notes (A6 size).

It's very late rn and I'm meant to be asleep, but I'll try and summarize as best I can (I also wrote a bit more in depth about one of his answers here):

He told a bit about how he rolled into his carreer as a duck artist (most of us already know this or read it somewhere). That Son of The Son was his first story and how it got nominated for Best Story of the Year of the Harvey (Kurtzman) Awards the same year.

He sees himself more as a fanartist than a professional artist.

He also kept saying he's bad at art, but I never really understood that, I think his pages look great, they read well and are full of detail and passion! He said that people can at least see that he had fun making it and that keeps them publishing and reading, despite his "bad art".

He talked a bit about his old publishers, how they resented adult duck comic fans and one publisher even made a comment to Don Rosa calling adult fans "freaks" and he thought to himself "he's calling me a freak!" (Because he's one of us, a fellow adult duck fan)

He identifies strongest with the nephews because of the junior woodchucks, though he continued his answer by saying he gave Scrooge some of his own beliefs too, mostly in regards to the original Barks characterisation of Scrooge: some European duck artists depict him as greedy, but he's not greedy according to him & Barks, Scrooge is CHEAP! His bin is filled with essentially pocket change! His years and years of memories that he collected! In most european duck comics and some other iterations the money in the bin is colored yellow/gold (devils advocate tho, euro coins are kinda gold colored (except for the 5, 1 and 2 cents...)) and there's stuff like diamonds or other treasures in the bin, but according to Don Rosa it's supposed to be pocket change. Scrooge doesn't spend it, he saves it. He is a collector of memories.

Rosa also talked about why he stopped making duck comics. It's a variety of reasons but mainly because the system and publishers broke his passion. They used his passion against him, or rather, for themselves, for many years. He never even got any royalties for the millions of copies sold and reprinted. He got to go to Europe yes, but meanwhile his colleages were able to keep working at home and making money and he wasn't making Any money.. But the money thing wasn't the main reason, the main reason was being abused basically by his publishers in this way, he got fed up and decided to quit after what he considered his best work, the Prisoner of White Agony Creek.

He goes to every con he is invited to, so I guess I gotta try and contact Comic Con Holland to get him to go here lol :')

He talked a bit about how he doesn't really feel much for doing any original work with his own original characters. He doesn't care about that, he cares about the Barks comics and canon, That is personal to him.

One of the audience members asked a question I'd been meaning to ask him myself, concerning the many details he puts into his work and backgrounds. Don Rosa talked about how time consuming it is drawing backgrounds (*fellow artist nod of agreement*), but how readers barely ever pay attention to them, because they focus on the characters! He then started putting details and little jokes into his backgrounds to basically force his readers to pay attention to the backgrounds, haha! Smart move! He very much enjoys abusing Mickey Mouse in the background :p

The first time he put in the D.U.C.K. dedication into one of his stories, his publisher/editor made him take it out, because it looked too much like a signature and they couldn't have that (god forbid you credit the people who actually make the thing you're selling!!). Having a name connected to a story and art style means the audience has someone to connect to, which Actually makes people buy the thing more! But the editors didn't understand that, so Rosa started hiding his dedications in such a way that he knew his editors wouldn't find it, but his readers would! Because, in his words: the readers are much smarter than the editors!

As a child he read the duck comics thanks to his older sister, who collected them. As he got older and reread them he felt like he had outgrown the comics.. so at some point he got rid of all of them, except two that he just couldn't let go: The Golden Helmet and Only A Poor Old Man (both by Carl Barks, but he didn't realise it at the time). He told us how Barks was the first to put adult emotions into a duck comic, specifically into scrooge mcduck (Scrooge was his own creation after all). He wrote the stories to be interesting for both kids and adults - at some point his editors even told him to dumb downs his stories! Anyway, Rosa mentioned one of the final panels of Only A Poor Old Man, that shows Scrooge's reaction to Donalds words and has him looking kind of defeated/staring into space, those are way more adult emotions than your usual kids story.

Someone asked about the difference in his popularity here vs in the USA and if it might be a culture thing. He responded by saying in America kids tend to reject everything their parents like, whereas here, parents get their kids a subscription to the Donald Duck weekly as soon as the kid can read, so they (the parents) can also read the stories themselves, ha!

He described his own style as "needless and irritating detail". He used to make comics together with a friend, just for his own amusement that nobody would see, they were amusing themselves. The more detail he put into them, the longer it took to make, the more time he could spend on makig comics! They were in essence "detailed humor comics"

And that's the last I wrote and the last thing I remember as they were being rushed off the stage for already talking for too long haha!

I already mentioned it in my other post, but I would've loved to hear him talk for A Bunch more hours, easily! He gave very in-depth answers, thoughtful and very appreciative of his fans. He got a little emotional at the final applause he got from us, understandably so.

My biggest take away is just what a kind and thoughtful man he is, very approachable and truly just as much of a duck fan as anyone there was!

At the request of @okaystoptellingmetomakeanaccount

Here you go:

Listen to 'em braggin' down there! Braggin' because they outsmarted Scrooge McDuck!

I'm only an old man, I guess! Too old to keep up with the new tricks!

Just a poor old man that remembers the old tricks!

Yes! I remember the old tricks!-----Like the time in Bagdad—

Well, never mind! Let's go down there and congratulate our my new-rich neighbors!

I'd congratulate 'em with a box of spoiled eggs!

Unca Scrooge is up to something!

Hadn't we better go into town and file a claim on this money?

Yeah — but wait! Here comes old Scrooge! Let's see what's on his mind!

Boys, I came to offer my best regards! You outsmarted me – and did it fair!

You mean you ain't mad at us?

Certainly not! I admire brains —and you boys have got 'em!

I had brains, too — in the old days! But now I've got a head like a soft tomato

Hee! Hee!

Could you find it in your hearts to grant a poor old man one little favor?

Well — maybe!

It's just that I'd like to have one last swim in this money before you haul it away!

You swam in that stuff?

Every day for years! It's the only pleasure I ever had!

Well, if that ain't one for the book! Go right ahead!

Zoom

If I didn't see it, I wouldn't believe it!

Watch how I dive around in it like a porpoise!

And see how I burrow through it like a gopher!

And toss it up and let it hit me on the head!

Say, that looks like it'd be fun!

It is! It's your money now! Why don't you dive into it and learn how to enjoy it?

The old boy's got something there!

Last one in's an honest man!

Zoom!

C r a c k

How odd! The Beagle Boys bounced like they'd hit a solid wall!

And feel those heads — like soft tomatoes! They'll be unconscious for weeks!

Months! And to think it happened to them before they could go to court and claim my money! Tsk! Tsk!

Unca Scrooge, how come you dived all the way from the bluff, and you didn't get hurt?

Well, I'll admit — it's a trick!

Now let's get bulldozers and trucks and haul this money back onto my land! Hi-de-ho!

So uncle Scrooge gets all his money back, and things are again as they were!

If you don't mind, uncle Scrooge, the kids and I would like to get paid off now and go home!

Oh, no! Not yet!

I haven't had time to tell you what comfort you'd get out of a fortune like mine!

If you've got comfort, I'll take vanilla! Shut up and pay off!

You may not know it, uncle Scrooge, but your billions are a pain in the neck! You're only a poor old man! Good-bye!

Bah! Kid talk! No man is poor who can do what he likes to do once in a while!

And I like to dive around in my money like a porpoise!

And burrow through it like a gopher!

And toss it up and let it hit me on the head!

[crescentfool]

ohh the joy of videos and streams... i like listening to people talk about things they like/think about it’s very contagious... 🥺