Liking A Character That Has Litteraly No Backstory Is So Fun Because I Can Just... Make Up Stuff. Like

Liking a character that has litteraly no backstory is so fun because i can just... make up stuff. Like yeah, they have six sisters. They're a single child. Their favorite person is their mom. They have a horrible relationship with both of their parents. They ate grass as a kid. They were incredibly picky with food and never put anything but bread in their mouth. Their birthday is in november. They were born in july. They're turning twenty seven in february. You disagree? Canon doesn't. I can just say what I want, and I think that's beautiful.

A general cane guide for writers and artists (from a cane user, writer, and artist!)

Disclaimer: Though I have been using a cane for 6 years, I am not a doctor, nor am I by any means an expert. This guide is true to my experience, but there are as many ways to use a cane as there are cane users!

This guide will not include: White canes for blindness, crutches, walkers, or wheelchairs as I have no personal experience with these.

This is meant to be a general guide to get you started and avoid some common mishaps/misconceptions in your writing, but you absolutely should continue to do your own research outside of this guide!

This is NOT a medical resource!!! And never tell a real person you think they're using a cane wrong!

The biggest recurring problem I've seen is using the cane on the wrong side. The cane goes on the opposite side of the pain! If your character has even-sided pain or needs it for balance/weakness, then use the cane in the non-dominant hand to keep the dominant hand free. Some cane users also switch sides to give their arm a rest!

A cane takes about 20% of your weight off the opposite leg. It should fit within your natural gait and become something of an extension of your body. If you need more weight off than 20%, then crutches, a walker, or a wheelchair is needed.

Putting more pressure on the cane, using it on the wrong side, or having it at the wrong height can make it less effective, and can cause long term damage to your body from improper pressure and posture. (Hugh Laurie genuinely hurt his body from years of using a cane wrong on House!)

(some people elect to use a cane wrong for their personal situation despite this, everyone is different!)

(an animated GIF of a cane matching the natural walking gait. It turns red when pressure is placed on it.)

When going up and down stairs, there is an ideal standard: You want to use the handrail and the cane at the same time, or prioritize the handrail if it's only on one side. When going up stairs you lead with your good leg and follow with the cane and hurt leg together. When going down stairs you lead with the cane and the bad leg and follow with the good leg!

Realistically though, many people don't move out of the way for cane users to access the railing, many stairs don't have railings, and many are wet, rusty, or generally not ideal to grip.

In these cases, if you have a friend nearby, holding on to them is a good idea. Or, take it one step at a time carefully if you're alone.

Now we come to a very common mistake I see... Using fashion canes for medical use!

(These are 4 broad shapes, but there is INCREDIBLE variation in cane handles. Research heavily what will be best for your character's specific needs!)

The handle is the contact point for all the weight you're putting on your cane, and that pressure is being put onto your hand, wrist, and shoulder. So the shape is very important for long term use!

Knob handles (and very decorative handles) are not used for medical use for this reason. It adds extra stress to the body and can damage your hand to put constant pressure onto these painful shapes.

The weight of a cane is also incredibly important, as a heavier cane will cause wear on your body much faster. When you're using it all day, it gets heavy fast! If your character struggles with weakness, then they won't want a heavy cane if they can help it!

This is also part of why sword canes aren't usually very viable for medical use (along with them usually being knob handles) is that swords are extra weight!

However, a small knife or perhaps a retractable blade hidden within the base might be viable even for weak characters.

Bases have a lot of variability as well, and the modern standard is generally adjustable bases. Adjustable canes are very handy if your character regularly changes shoe height, for instance (gotta keep the height at your hip!)

Canes help on most terrain with their standard base and structure. But for some terrain, you might want a different base, or to forego the cane entirely! This article covers it pretty well.

Many cane users decorate their canes! Stickers are incredibly common, and painting canes is relatively common as well! You'll also see people replacing the standard wrist strap with a personalized one, or even adding a small charm to the ring the strap connects to. (nothing too large, or it gets annoying as the cane is swinging around everywhere)

(my canes, for reference)

If your character uses a cane full time, then they might also have multiple canes that look different aesthetically to match their outfits!

When it comes to practical things outside of the cane, you reasonably only have one hand available while it's being used. Many people will hook their cane onto their arm or let it dangle on the strap (if they have one) while using their cane arm, but it's often significantly less convenient than 2 hands. But, if you need 2 hands, then it's either setting the cane down or letting it hang!

For this reason, optimizing one handed use is ideal! Keeping bags/items on the side of your free hand helps keep your items accessible.

When sitting, the cane either leans against a wall or table, goes under the chair, or hooks onto the back of the chair. (It often falls when hanging off of a chair, in my experience)

When getting up, the user will either use their cane to help them balance/support as they stand, or get up and then grab their cane. This depends on what it's being used for (balance vs pain when walking, for instance!)

That's everything I can think of for now. Thank you for reading my long-but-absolutely-not-comprehensive list of things to keep in mind when writing or drawing a cane user!

Happy disability pride month! Go forth and make more characters use canes!!!

still gotham incorrect quotes (still includes gobblepot) thanks to scatterpatter's incorrect quotes generator

Ed: What if I press the brake and gas at the same time?

Harvey: The car takes a screenshot.

Jim: For the last time, shut the fuck up.

-

Ed: Who thinks I can fit 15 marshmallows in my mouth?

Jim: You’re a hazard to society

Harvey: And a coward. Do twenty.

-

Jim: Sometimes I drink milk straight out of the container.

Harvey: The cow???

Jim: What?

-

Harvey: if Jim and I were drowning, who would you save?

Ed: you two can’t swim?

Harvey: it’s a hypothetical question, Nygma! who would you save?

Ed: my time and effort.

-

Jim: You have to apologize to Harvey

Oswald: Fine.

Oswald: 'Unfuck you' or whatever.

-

Jim: I’m kind of crushing on someone, but I’m worried about telling you who it is, because you’re not going to like it

Harvey: Just rip the bandage off.

Jim: It’s Oswald.

Harvey: Put the bandage back on.

-

Harvey: Here’s a fun Christmas idea. We hang mistletoe, but instead of kissing, you have to FIGHT whoever else is under it.

Jim: Harvey no.

Ed: Mistlefoe.

Jim: Please stop encouraging him.

-

Oswald: I want to wake up with you every day for the rest of our lives

Jim: I wake up at 4:30 AM

Oswald:

Oswald: I want to see you at some point every day for the rest of our lives

-

Jim: Where are you going?

Oswald: To get ice cream or commit a felony, I’ll decide on the way there

-

Harvey: Whaddya call a fish with no eye?

Ed, not looking up: Myxine Circifrons

Harvey:

Harvey: fsh

-

Oswald: You love me, right, Jim?

Jim: Normally, I’d say yes without hesitation, but I feel like this is going somewhere and I don’t like it.

-

Jim: So that’s my plan.

Oswald: Are you alright with constructive criticism? I don’t want to sound mean.

Jim: No, go ahead, I want to hear it.

Oswald: It fucking sucks.

Jim: That’s not constructive criticism.

-

Harvey: That’s one of my biggest fears. Like, if I ever woke up as a donut...

Jim: You would eat yourself?

Harvey: I wouldn’t even question it.

-

Oswald: I learned some very valuable lessons from this.

Jim: I’m guessing they are all horrible distortions of the lessons you actually should’ve taken away.

Oswald: Death isn’t real, and I’m basically God.

-

Jim: You're right.

Oswald: That's... That's an unusual phrase for you. Did you just learn it?

-

Lee: quick, what's your type?

Jim: anyone who'll take me, honestly

Lee, desperately, as Jim bleeds out: YOUR BLOOD TYPE

Jim: Oh! B positive.

Lee: DONT TRY TO CHEER ME UP JUST TELL ME YOUR BLOOD TYPE

Jim:

-

Barnes, addressing the precinct: And if you have any suggestions feel free to put them in the suggestion box.

Jim: But – that’s just a trash can.

Barnes: It sure is!

(Part 3)

Things today’s taught me:

Download fics you really like because you never know when you’ll need them

Support and donate to sites you use a lot (ao3 is a knee-jerk reach daily for me and basically the whole internet and I will be donating to them next time that season rolls around as I hope many others are)

Ao3 volunteers are under appreciated without question for all they do for this site

Please show the site some love once it’s back up and thank the vols too

Edit: Also go comment on your favorite fics when the site is back up, saw someone else say and I personally will be doing just that

gotham incorrect quotes (pt. 3) (includes gobblepot) (using scatterpatter's incorrect quotes website)

Ed: Here's some advice

Oswald: I didn't ask for any

Ed: Too bad. I'm stuck here with my thoughts and you're the only one who talks to me

-

Jim: Harvey was banned from the chicken shack, so we had to go out of town to get some.

Harvey: Well, they shouldn’t say “all you can eat” if they don’t mean it.

Jim: Harvey, you ate a chair.

-

Jim: Is something burning?

Oswald: Just my love for you.

Jim: Oswald, the toaster is on fire.

-

Jim: It’s dark in here

Harvey: Don’t worry pal I got this

Harvey: *Stomps his feet*

Harvey: *Skechers light up*

-

Ed: I'm a reverse necromancer.

Jim: Isn't that just killing people?

Ed: Ah, technicality.

-

Oswald: i'm back!

Ed: what- you can't be here. You died. I saw you die.

Oswald: death is a social construct.

-

Alfred: I made tea.

Bruce: I don’t want tea.

Alfred: I did not make tea for you. This is my tea.

Bruce: Then why are you telling me?

Alfred: It's a conversation starter.

Bruce: That’s a lousy conversation starter.

Alfred: Oh, is it? We are conversing. Checkmate.

-

Alfred: Bruce isn’t answering his phone

Selina: I’ll call

Alfred: Jim and I have both tried six times each, what makes you thi-

Bruce: Hello?

(Part 4)