#(especially and specifically regarding Barry)

[glorified-red]

As someone fortunate enough to attend DC's panel at MegaCon today with some of the biggest names in comics (Geoff Johns [Justice Society of America], Joshua Williamson [Superman], Simone DiMeo [DC vs Vampires], Mitch Gerads [Batman: The Brave and the Bold] and Phillip Kennedy Johnson [Action Comics]) here's all the information I managed to write down on what they discussed regarding the future of DC:

All quotes are NOT direct quotes, they are paraphrased. I may be a fast typer but not that good. Spoilers Ahead! Obviously.

Kicking off with the Flash Family, the upcoming releases will explore what Barry and Iris do when they "disappear" every week for date night. No one knows what they could possibly be up to! Turns out, they love to visit the future together, how they get there will be the true story. They also mentioned digging deeper into how being trapped in the speed force impacted ____. (I dont follow Flash so I don't know who they were referring to)

Next is the Superfam (and Arrowfam breifly):

Johnson spoke on Action Comics and said he wanted to evolve the Superfamily as much as the Batfamily has been. Recent comics have been able to take each member of the Batfam and develop them as solo characters to then let them interact with the others as a family. Johnson wants the same for the Superfam. He hates how the family has been boiled down to "looks" (i.e. Kon is just the one with the jacket, the twins are the lookalikes, etc) instead of them as defined characters. Within Action Comics and hopefully more, he hopes to delve into their entire family dynamic just as much as DC has done with the Bats.

Action Comics has been introducing the idea of Aliens coming to earth and certain protests spawning from it, wanting the earth to remain isolated and independent in the galaxy. They breifly teased the idea that this could be emotionally taxing on the Supers---especially Jon and Clark as the more active heroes atm---since they themselves are technically "Aliens". They also said that this new enemy set up will be very impactful for the future of the DCU.

Williamson Chimed in quite a bit to discuss the psychology behind Lex Luther and Clark Kent. "Lex isn't stupid. He's one of the smartest people in the DCU. When he looks at Clark, sometimes he recognizes that the world does need a Superman, but a good one. Lex may just have ulterior motives---i mean, he's lex, he always has ulterior motives---to force Clark to be a better Superman. And when Clark looks at people, all he sees Is the good in them. He sees their potential for growth. But when he looks at Lex, all he feels is disappointment. He feels disappointed in Lex sure, but he feels even more disappointed in himself for failing Lex."

"I love the backstory that Lex is from Smallville. When Clark leaves Smallville, there's what, ten years? Before he makes his way to Metropolis. And when he gets there, Lex is already there. What was he doing during that time? Metropolis had its fair share of villains but he destroyed them so that he could be Lex Luthor, the true villain of the city."

They then mentioned briefly about wanting to do the same thing for the Arrow Family as they did with the Bats and strive to do with the Supers. An upcoming series will explore Oliver getting "lost" and the family coming together to find him. Very exciting.

They showed plenty of beautiful artwork that has not been released yet! Sorry for the grainy photos, I tried as best as I could with my Motorola ok :P

This is for my fellow writers out there!! When asked about this image, Williamson and Johnson said that Clark "wishes people could hear what he does. He hears all of humanity in a connected thum, it's one heartbeat, not billions overlapping. All of our hearts beat together as one. When searching for specific people, he has to focus in through that single heartbeat."

Green Lantern was next! They announced a new run titled War Jounrals which follows US Marine John Stewart. They took heavy inspiration from 80s action movies such as Alien vs Predator when crafting this series. With DC's emphasis on mental health awareness and representation, I really hope they dive into the PTSD that comes from war. Not much was mentioned about this series to confirm or deny this.

Stargirl continuation: When asked about the writing/inspiration behind the future of her comics, they said they "wanted to dig into what being a side kick means---used to mean, anyway---and bring that back. Side Kicks are supposed to be a hero starting within the community, starting small, but always taking the time to save a kid and instil hope in that kid. That small difference makes a side kick. They start with so much hope only to be forgotten about, we want to bring back the old bright tone that was in Young Justice."

The Justice Society of America will follow the Huntress. She brings villains onto her team to offer them a chance to reform and walk a better path, a good path. She wants to be the same way her father, Bruce Wayne, was with her mother, Selina Kyle. The Huntress will link into the rest of the current DCU as she will get trapped in a timeline? Do I know what this means? Absolutely not. But apparently its gonna be important so

And finally! The Batfamily!!!

The first major announcement was the relaunch of Batman: the Brave and the Bold. Upon looking back at the original source material, they decided to extend the 9 page issue to a 96 page story line. They really wanted to deep dive into the series since they thought it had more to tell than what it did originally.

Since this is year one Batman, this will be the story of how Batman first encountered the Joker himself. They didn't share much on the contents but said it would stay true to the original, so this is not a retcon, it's just a more intesive retelling.

The artist for this series admited that he actually forgot year one Batman wouldn't have such a modern suit. After realizing this only after completing the series, he had to go back and redraw every panel with Batman in it. He very proudly said "shit!"

And of course, the HUGE announcement taking the internet by storm:

Batman and Robin

This series will follow after the events of Lazarus Planet and the Lazarus Tournament Damian went through. It will follow Bruce and Damian Wayne as they "come together not just as heros this time, but as father and son." This series is going to be a pretty heavy one since it will dive into how they come together "without Alfred as the buffer as the mentor figure for them both." Not only will Bruce continue on his current character arc of viewing each of the Robins as his sons and truly supporting them, but Damian will be front and center to cope with Alfred's death.

Williamson spoke on this heavily as he was supposed to leave Batman and Robin, but he actually went to DC and said "I'm not done with Damian, there's still more story to tell. He's not going anywhere." But he also mentioned a key point for Damian's growth: "He was trained by Talia and of course by Bruce, but he was also trained by Alfred so you'll see how that shapes Damian interacting with Bruce going forward, especially as they grow as Father and Son."

They said this will tie into the next big series in the DCU which follows Damian having "nightmares and demons". That was all that was mentioned about that.

The Gotham City Zoo will be a huge set piece for the series and I truly hope we see more canon content of Damian's love for animals in this run.

The focus of Damian is him growing into himself and become more emotionally aware of himself and those around him. With Alfred's impression on him, there will be key moments of Damian interacting with Bruce as Bruce goes through tough times.

Additinally, Williamson adores Damian being a fan of manga. Since it's shown Damian has been reading a romance one, there's some hope for emotional connection with others not in a romantic way, but moreso in the ability to be vulnerable with people in a way he has only been able to read about. It's implied he could be reading this manga as a yearning for connection to others on a deeper level, especially as someone who grew up to ignore his emotions. So this will follow Damian as he tries to let himself be more connected to his loved ones the way Alfred was teaching him to. Plus, his love for manga will not be going anywhere, it's "staying strong."

Damian will get his own car! Williamson wanted to give him a car that matched him since hes "a little rough around the edges." It will be a fun addition while the duo grow as family since Bruce will have to be okay with Damian driving. "Its gonna be Bruce saying he's gonna drive and then you turn the page and Damian is saying 'he's got something' and Bruce has to get used to letting his son drive him."

Very much Bruce growing out of strictness to be more soft with his sons as we've seen in the more recent comics.

And ofc, Simone Di Meo will be the artist for this series!! As well as the cover artist for The Brave & The Bold!

----

I am super excited for how DC is starting to write the Batfamily and even the Superfamily. They're starting to tackle a lot of mental health issues and the trauma old comics have left the characters with. It's not perfect by any means, especially with Batman v. Robin being more than a little rough, it had it's moments.

My main concern is how they'll be treating Tim going forward. With TDR getting shortened and Damian returning as Robin, I really really hope they don't just forget Tim exists. My hope is that with Tim's new title, there will be room for another solo series under that title in the way Nightwing and Spoiler has been done.

The last thing I want is for Tim to go through all this work finding where he belongs and how he views himself just to join/lead another team. He's defining himself aside from the Robin legacy to define who he is under his new title. I think he needs time as a solo hero before rejoining a group for an extensive time period. I don't want them to erase all his personal growth just because they don't want to give him another solo series. I'll be more than a little upset at the lost potiential.

#dc #dcu #dc comics #dc characters #dc robin #dc batfam #dc superheroes #batfam #superfam #batman #superman #robin #green lanturn #green arrow #justice society of america #flashfamily #barry allen #bruce wayne #damian wayne #batman and robin #batman comics #stargirl #huntress #batfamily #clark kent #lex luthor #wally west #iris west

[shrinkthisviolet]

Talk Shop Tuesday: Do you have an episode you've been especially excited to add a Morgan to?

YESSSS I love this question!! Here’s some off the top of my head:

1x17 (Barry tries to bench Morgan because of [redacted for spoilers], but Morgan ofc doesn’t listen because Iris and Henry are both in danger and Barry can’t focus on both of them. Results in some tension between them too, esp on Barry’s end (and tbh I get why))

1x19 (I’ve discussed why here :D ✨Bates-induced angst/whump✨)

1x23 (the Morgan vs Eowells confrontation in the finale…oooh it’s gonna be SO GOOD)

2x13-2x14 (I’ve been more and more tempted lately to have Morgan tag along to rescue Jesse, and!! I’m so excited!! Especially because she and E2 Barry would hit it off, and that’s so fun to think about)

Not a specific episode count, but…Morgan & Jesse’s roommates arc. I know it’s post-2x16, but beyond that, the details are currently fuzzy 😅

2x16 (the Trajectory episode!! Still nailing down some details, but I’m excited 💞 Eliza survives this episode ofc, and she even gets to chew Tina out a little. And Morgan shows her first big sister compassion 🥺 also also, a little backstory modification for Eliza regarding how she got her powers, sticking closer to the comics, and no split personality (and I’ve mentioned before that like the comics, she’s a WOC in my AU!))

2x17 (Barry travels back to 1x11!! So excited to write him interacting with s1 Team Flash…and especially s1 Morgan. Oh the dramatic irony. Oh the fury he’d feel, and the helplessness—the red flags are neon signs to him now, and it’s pissing him off that he can’t act on his impulse to protect her from Eowells. But Barry also knows that as unhinged as Eowells is…he’ll do anything to save/protect Morgan (for selfish reasons ofc, but still). And Morgan happens to be in danger back home…)

2x18 (the episode where Barry almost catches Zoom, but then Zoom gets Barry to give up his speed…hmm I see some ✨interesting✨ potential here)

2x20 (Barry dying (sorta)?? Morgan having to watch?? Morgan getting pissed at Harry, but also at herself because she and Barry were fighting for a little while before this and never got to resolve things?? And the catharsis is gonna be so sweet and intense too, y’all aren’t ready 🥰)

2x22 (Morgan does something that Barry cherishes forever 💞 also…someone’s powers are sparked 👀)

s3 (in general. I have a whole grand plan for how I’m rewriting s3…and especially how I’m rewriting Savitar. And his dynamic with Morgan…I’m so excited to write it :D)

s4, Crisis X, I forget the episode number (so…listen, I still have to figure out what fixes I’m making to this disaster of a Crisis (Stein won’t be dying, but that’s all I’m sure of rn). What I do know, though, is that Barry and Morgan, and Wally and Iris, will have a brother-sister dance at the Westallen wedding (Wallinda will probably dance at least once there too), and it’ll be great 🥰 and possibly a Morgan and Jesse power swap that happens an episode prior and lasts throughout this crossover, though I still have to iron out those details 😅)

5x18 (this is the s5 backstory episode and…really this is just my way of saying I have a storyline planned out for this future version of Morgan that I’m very excited to share 👀 tho it’ll be revealed in a different way than the show. Events of s5 will be shuffled around a bit)

s6 Crisis (will involve Thawne ofc, and parts of the og 2024 Crisis. It’ll be a fusion of sorts. May also involve the return of someone unexpected…👀 and it’ll also be…quite the emotional rollercoaster for poor Morgan. Also, this is roughly where the AU’s finale is gonna be, so ofc I’m excited for this!)

talk shop tuesday!

Taglist (send an ask or DM to be added or removed):

@arrthurpendragon @ocappreciationtag @raith-way @vexic929 @ironverseocs

@thechaoticfanartist @goldheartedchaoticdisaster @negative-speedforce @starstruckpurpledragon @angst-is-love-angst-is-life

#talk shop tuesday #…wow that was a lot 😅 but in my defense i’m excited about a lot of episodes #there are two more s1 episodes i’m especially excited for #and another episode in s2 #but alas 😔 to say why would reveal spoilers that i want to keep under wraps for now #oc: morgan wells #morgan wells au #the flash

[mishwanders]

Chapter Twenty Four [Wesker]: Dirty

Pairing: Albert Wesker x GN!Cannibal Reader

Warnings: Arklay murders, viruses, discussion of murder.

Summary: Wesker sits in his office and waits for word on Bravo team. His mind begins to wander on you, and the things to come.

Read On AO3 [ X ]

Wesker sat in his office, pretending to read over the report that the Chief had given him in regards to the Arklay Murders. He’d already discussed the case with Irons before taking it on and was lost in thought over other matters at hand - more specifically over you and the now missing Bravo team.

It had been hours since they’d sent Bravo team out to the forest to do their investigation, even longer since he’d sent you out on your own to put this plan, this experiment, into motion.

The other’s on the Alpha team had asked where you were, seeing you missing from the office once again, but he was able to cover for you, explaining to them that you were on a separate duty, investigating the most recent murder to try and find out if there were any similarities between the cases.

He lied through his teeth, but it was a lie they bought nonetheless. It didn’t matter if they knew the truth, only he needed to know of your true whereabouts.

He couldn’t help but wonder how you were doing right now, especially considering the circumstances. He wasn’t worried about your capabilities, he knew you’d be able to handle yourself quite well up against anything Umbrella threw at you now that had been giving the attention and training you needed. But he couldn’t help but wonder if your emotions were becoming involved in it all because of your relation to that place. He wouldn’t blame you, having a strained relationship with it all himself. He just hoped that you wouldn’t allow it to get in the way of your ability to survive, to kill, to show the world just what someone like you could do, given the tools and the chance.

The chance for revenge.

He also thought about the night before, when you sat before him, pouring out your confession on what it was like to live with the infection, with the virus flowing through your veins. There was an honesty, empathy that radiated off of you, laced in your words. It was endearing knowing that you cared for him enough to be that open with him.

He could understand now why Dr. Marcus enjoyed your company. You were the one project of his that could verbalize, empathize. You could look at yourself from the inside out and tell him everything, the one with the only capability to. Sadly, he knew Dr. Marcus would not consider emotional intelligence useful in his escapade, in his search to create the perfect weapon.

But Wesker listened, paid attention to you, to your concern. Sadly, you were unable to persuade him, he still knew what he had to do to prove his worth in this world, to inject himself with the virus. But seeing you bare your soul out to him like that, it did stop him. It made him think about the possible consequences of it all on his body, what could have been lost. He knew there wouldn’t be any major losses, having seen your state, but he considered the life he would be leaving behind, thinking of the few things he did enjoy about the life he had now.

Might need to make an extra cup of coffee today, just to enjoy it once more.

Wesker was quickly pulled out of his thoughts, noticing Barry and Brad making their way to the office. He waved them inside, watching as they sat down in the chairs in front of his desk, looking rather disappointed.

“Any word from Bravo team?” Wesker asked

Brad shook his head.

“No sir. I’m positive we’ve lost the signal completely.”

Wesker let out a sigh, removing the sunglasses from his tired eyes.

“Alright, you know what that means then. Go tell Joseph to get the chopper ready, we’ll be leaving in 30. Barry, stay behind. I want to discuss some matters with you. Privately.”

Brad did as he was told, closing the door behind him. Barry looked at Wesker with curiosity, unsure of where this conversation was about to go. Wesker rested his elbow on the table, bringing his hands together in front of his face. He stared Barry down like a snake ready to strike.

“Barry, I have a proposition for you - if only you’re willing to take it.” He said

Barry sat back in his seat, feeling the air in the room change, seeing Wesker’s demeanor change as he spoke.

“And if I decline?”

Wesker chuckled.

“You see, I don’t think you will.” He replied, “Because if you do -”

“Your family will be eliminated.”

Chapter Twenty Three: Massacre

Chapter Twenty Five: Superbeast

#resident evil fic #resident evil fandom #resident evil fanfiction #resident evil #albert wesker #the devils teeth #wesker x reader #albert wesker x you #albert wesker x reader #dead by daylight wesker #dbd wesker #resident evil wesker #barry burton #brad vickers #s.t.a.r.s. wesker #s.t.a.r.s. #resident evil 0 #resident evil 1 #re0 #re1 remake #re1 #resident evil x you #resident evil x reader #series: the devil’s teeth

[margridarnauds]

You're so right about AI being bland and how everyone should use it instead of imagining what it is and isn't but I cannot touch ChatGPT with a ten foot pole after spending months next to the only man I Literally Cannot Stand at work use it for everything from Listing Pros And Cons Of Living In The City For A Conversation I'm Having In Person Right Now all the way to This Is Basically A Search Engine, Right? I've Never Heard of Cthulu Before, I'll Ask ChatGPT Who Came Up With It And What The Stories He Wrote Are.

Oh yeah, absolutely!

Like, my take on ChatGPT is just...it isn't glamorous, one way or another. But the people who borderline worship it are extremely annoying specifically *because* it isn't glamorous. I can at least get the fear-mongering more, especially since we DO have this phenomenon where something doesn't have to be *good*, it just needs to be *convincing* for people to use it over human beings. (See: Google translate.) I know that people are absolutely using it to, say, write books and stuff. (I think that a lot of the concerns re: fanfic don't...hold up as much as people think, like this so called wave of people plugging in hundreds of fanfics, just because anyone who's used ChatGPT knows there's a character limit. It could be they're using another one, but I think that a lot of people just enjoy stoking fandom's anxieties over this sort of thing.)

Basically my approach isn't "use ChatGPT religiously" or even "like ChatGPT"; it's more..."realistically understand what it is and isn't so you can frame your criticisms correctly instead of relying on a bunch of Tumblr posts by people who have ALSO never used it."

Tl;dr: You're valid. AI bros still annoying.

And now for my Hall of Fame (using things from the last...month or so instead of farther back because it HAS gotten slightly better):

Top female Celticists:

(1) Miranda Aldhouse-Green: Female Celticist, definitely doesn't deserve to be at the top given that she isn't...really...widely respected...in the field. Like, I'm not going to say more because we're talking about currently living scholars, but...there are others who deserve top prize.

(2) Dáithí Ó gÓgáin - Famously not a female Celticist.

(3) Barry Cunliffe, decidedly not a female Celticist.

(4) Anne Ross, see Aldhouse-Green. (Also...that book....is not highly regarded in the field.)

(5) Máire Herbert - FINALLY a female Celticist who's also widely respected and whose work holds up strongly. I sure hope that this isn't the only time this hap-oh, wait.

(6) Proinsias Mac Cana - Not a female Celticist.

RIP to Nerys Patterson, Robin Chapman-Stacey, Catherine McKenna, Charlene Eska, Rachel Bromwich, Cecile O'Rahilly, Elizabeth Gray, Maud Joynt, Natasha Sumner, Elizabeth Boyle, Ranke de Vries, Katherine Simms, etc. etc. etc. Barry Cunliffe is a more important female Celticist than them.

Philippe Égalité voting for the execution of Marie Antoinette...which is amazing when you consider that he was imprisoned at the time and awaiting his own execution, only a few weeks after Antoinette's. (He was a busy man.) Clearly ChatGPT liked the musical.

Ruairí Ó hUiginn is a wonderful scholar, but I think he's a little too busy working at DIAS to be the head of the Department of Old Irish...in Cork...where he has never lectured. And I feel like current head of the department of Old Irish, John Carey, might have a few things to say about that.

When I asked it to write a sequel to Romeo and Juliet and it gave me a baby who defies the laws of...basic...biology.

Basically the moral of the story from these shouldn't JUST be "ChatGPT is flawed" but more "It CAN actually be useful for coming up with ideas, the same as a random name generator, and it's very fun to torment with false information, but just like a random name generator, don't put more stock in it than it's worth."

[dragon-snoots-a-boopin]

I think Marc kind of blew his opportunities because 1) he did kill of the Black Canary purely for the shock value / spite after being forced to bring Sara back. And then stubbornly ignored the called from the fans, cast, and crew to reverse the decision- even though he had a world with magic and time travel to make it possible and 2) He catered to specific subset of fans - Olicity shippers - now this is not a drag on the characters or their actors. But there is a sentiment that the show’s quality became uneven when he took the reins - especially in regards to relationship drama

Here's the thing, I am not an Olicity shipper but those two actually feel like they should be together. Tbh a lot of people just don't like Felicity which I think is stupid, I like the character and O think she and Oliver are great together and I felt that way since season 1 of Arrow. To me, their ship isn't as weird or annoying as Barry and Iris with the fact that they're basically siblings and Iris's constant "We are the Flash" is annoying. Just my opinion tho.

#arrowverse #green arrow #the flash #dc #dc comics

[ash-imagines]

Hi! could you do a oneshot were is a self aware au but with Pokémon. Where the reader is playing Pokémon Diamond/Pearl/platinum (you can choose which game).And how the reader gets sucked into the game by Lucas,Dawn and Berry and basically shows the readers life  adapting and exploring the new world that their in new. Also Barry has a crush on the reader.You don’t have to do my request if you don’t want to!

For this I'm kind of going with the angle that you're somewhat self-aware but the others aren't. Slightly based on a comic I like!

For as long as anyone can remember, you've been inexplicably gifted when it comes to Pokémon training. Your mom often regales people with stories about how even as a baby you were wandering off in the park to play with wild Starly. When you got a little older you were able to mimic the cries of several kinds of Pokémon extraordinarily well, and get them to approach you.

What you hadn't told anybody is that you have these sort of... visual hallucinations, although you're not sure if that's an accurate way to describe them. If you had to, you'd compare it to covering one eye with your hand, and the way that it's almost like you can see through your hand? It's a bit like that, except instead of seeing a transparent image of your palm, you see things like numbers. Stronger Pokémon have higher numbers. You can see how much energy a Pokémon has until it'll faint, you can see how many times it will be able to use a move before it can't anymore, and you can see things like how fast a Pokémon is or how accurately it can land a move.

Everyone says you have what it takes to become a Pokémon professor someday, but you feel like with your peculiar ability... well, it'd feel unfair. Like cheating. Still, you're quite young, and your ability hardly seems like cheating at all when you and your friends set off to fill up the Pokèdex. In fact, you're extremely well-suited to this little adventure specifically because of this ability you have. You'll be able to get lots of valuable information for Professor Rowan, and help your friends become better trainers along the way.

The only person that you've ever told about this ability you have is your childhood friend Barry, who thinks it's the coolest thing he's ever heard of. You're like a superhero! He always wants to know if his Pokémon have leveled up since the last time you saw them. Sometimes he wonders if he has a level... You don't see one for him but sometimes you wanna humor that idea, just for laughs.

Your Pokémon and Barry's get along impeccably well. You imagine it's because you and him have been friends for so long, your Pokémon can pick up on the bond you two share and feel more at ease. As you travel the region and collect more badges, the two of you become a fearsome duo when it comes to double battles! You used to consider each other rivals, but it's become clear that you make much better partners than you do opponents.

You also lend your talents to Dawn and Lucas, especially with regard to the Contest Hall. Certain moves are more likely to suit specific categories, and you're able to tell what moves are best for what category. So when Dawn or Lucas want to enter a contest, you help them rehearse a bit! Your powers of intuition are mysterious to be sure, but you're dedicated to using them for the betterment of people and Pokémon. Those shady Team Galactic people have invited you to join them a handful times now, but there's no way you're going to. How does anybody just casually say they want to destroy the world and rebuild it without sounding like a fanatic? You'll pass.

#pokemon #pokemon diamond and pearl #pokemon barry #xreader #long post

[nika324]

My non-QOTS babes said I have to stop tweeting about the show and move on so I guess I’ll start spamming y’all here. 😂🥹

Thinking out loud…

My thoughts. ⚠️

Reddit is a fucking cesspool and I promised myself a while ago I’d stay off of it. But no… here I am. 🤡 Pissed at 10pm. I’ve talked about this here briefly and on A03, regarding Teresa trading in Dumas and how she can actually quite literally rot for it. From 0503 to 0506, I called her every name under the sun. (Will continue to do so. 😌) Never in my life did I think it’d come to that. Anyways. (I was fake mad for awhile) Skksks. What I’m actually annoyed with is I’ve seen two recent posts on Reddit plus quite a few on Twitter, mainly black ppl, expressing how disappointed they were with Tere/Marcel. What is pissing me off is the fact that there are people who think that one, they can explain this and two, they can explain this away to black people. Be very clear, this is a storyline that shouldn’t have happened, especially in this racial climate. Epi 0502 showed the judge accepting kickbacks to incarcerate mainly Minorities. How insane to write an epi like that that touches on this very realistic issue then turn around & have a WOC throw an innocent dark skin black man in jail? (Studies show that darker skin ppl receive harsher prison sentences than those of lighter skin.) THEN have her bring him money like she’s some White Savior? The optics of that is crazyyy. So my beef is not even with the character, it’s with the writers for this shit. I was tweeting about this while watching live and ✨certain✨ ppl were attempting to tell me “it wasn’t about race” and “what If Marcel wasn’t black then what?” We not gonna play a game of What If, we gonna talk about what’s on the TV right now. It is about race when there’s an interview from Alice pre season 5 saying the judge brings this racial element and that Dailyn & Ben created the character before the BLM movement and she said “I'm really proud that what we discuss in season 5 amplifies this important conversation." Alice said. (Btw, I’m not dragging Alice & this is not on her. I’m just trying to make it more obvious for ppl.) Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion but stop speaking over minorities, specifically black people, is what I’m trying to say. A simple “Hm. I can see how you’d feel that way” goes a long way. To have that one BTS person on Reddit respond to the OP & say “keep watching” as if anything made up for what Tere did to Marcel? I’m annoyed. Remember: it costs $0.00 to shut up sometimes. * Completely separate but since I’m talking about social media, I’m also recalling how Dailyn pissed me off last year. Someone tweeted a celebratory tweet ahead of 05x09’s love scene. Another person found it, tweeted it to Dailyn with the caption of something like “Thank you Dailyn for always showing Teresa in respectable positions of power and not just on her back.” Dailyn & Barry interacted with that tweet. That’s sooo problematic. Anyway. Sometimes I wish I never got this heavily involved in the fandom shit bc this is the annoying side of it. 😭(obvi not anyone here lol)

At the old age of 27 😂, I’m too old to be starting arguments online with ppl but these two issues? Whew!

#I’m staying off Reddit starting now #Eye rolls forever #Tumblr will become my diary soon 😂

[kitkatt0430]

I've been having some thinky thoughts about Barry and Iris' differing reactions to knowing about their future at the start of S9.

With Barry, I can understand why he's a little obsessed with making sure that a specific future comes to pass. This is a good future after all. He'll be alive - which wasn't always the case - and Iris will be alive - which also wasn't always the case - and they'll have two kids - even surviving long enough to have one was previously in question.

It looks like a bright future with a happy family and both Barry and Iris having amazing careers. With his understandable anxiety about losing the people he loves, especially after Frost and now Caitlin's deaths... having something bright and happy to look forward to is what keeps him going when he wakes up from nightmares about everyone dying. Yes things are uncertain now, but if he maintains his course then it'll all be okay. Somehow.

And he's made so many bad choices that knowing what the right ones are ahead of time? Has to be such a relief.

But for Iris, she's had so many choices made for her. Without her consent or any thought towards her desires or boundaries. She wants to believe that she chose this life with Barry, but she chose a life with Eddie first and that was taken from her. She got together with Barry the same year an evil version of Barry showed up to kill her because her death destabilizes Barry. She wants to be a mom but its one thing to try to get pregnant, another thing entirely to know that if she doesn't have sex at the right time then her daughter won't be born. A daughter she has already met and loved and lost once already. It's a lot of pressure to be under.

A lot of pressure to do everything exactly right as preordained to get the good future. But if she's making all the 'right' moves because she's been told the correct ones to make in advance, then is she really making her own choices or is she just watching the world pass her by while she goes through the motions?

Is her future something that's already been taken from her like so much of her past has been? When does Iris get to chose?

They're both coming from such very different places in regards to knowing what the future holds. And I'm not sure they aren't still talking past each other somewhat about everything.

#fandom meta #the flash meta #kitkatt0430 rambles #the moment Iris said she didn't feel like she'd chosen that future they're already hurtling towards #i was shocked they were actually addressing Iris' lack of agency #unsurprised they didn't do it well but shocked they attempted anything at all

[yjwhatif]

curious to see how everyone reacts to Bart being gone (esp his friends) bc i think that'll give us some insight into HIM. is him going radio silent and not showing up super weird to them? are they all used to seeing/hearing from him consistently and often? or has he done anything like this before for personal reasons? even to specific people? do he and Barry maybe go stretches without talking much, does he ever avoid Jaime bc of how closely linked he is to Bart's worst traumas/memories, etc etc

I’m curious about this too - seeing things from another’s perspective is always super interesting and it’s about time for us to see that other perspective — especially in regards to Bart. There’s a whole other side to him that we never see discussed and I really wanna know who knows about it.

In terms of reactions, while I didn’t expect it, I do quite like the decision to show the reactions of the OGs before the Outsiders - as the OGs are not as personally close to Bart which allows them to maintain an objective perspective as they investigate. Dick’s line about trusting Bart because he chose to do what he did shows that objectivity, I suspect, that won’t be as much the case with the outsiders - or those closest to Bart at least - they will likely approach things from a more emotionally charged perspective - which I really wanna see… obviously. I’m gonna guess now Dick’s decided they need to focus their efforts on helping Conner, that will lead us into the outsiders taking over the hunt for Bart… hopefully that will be next episode… though, I’ll be honest, I’ve been convinced we’ll be getting some Outsiders content since 4b started and we still haven’t - so really who knows at this point! 🤷‍♀️

I’m hoping we might start next episode back at the circus and get to see things from team double dates POV - maybe they’re discussing the show as they’re leaving but Jaime’s clearly distracted by having not heard from Bart for so long - someone tries to reassure him - but then an alert comes through on his and Traci’s phones — Kid Flash is officially missing - they just look at each other with the same dread — cut to the opening titles…

We are seriously overdue some proper outsiders content and the search for Bart is the perfect opportunity for it so🤞. And hopefully we’ll get some of those questions answered. I’m desperate to know if anyone suspected he was up to something or if he really did keep them in the dark…

Thanks for the message Anon!

LB

#thanks anon! #ask box #my response #barry allen #the outsiders #jaime reyes #traci thurston #young justice #yj #yj phantoms #yj season 4

[lovely--lover]

hi as a new paul dano fan I just watched prisoner's and I have a question. (If I already sent this ask ignore this I have osdd so I forget). What do yall mean when you say Alex/Barry has the IQ of a 10yr old? Does it mean he is as smart as one but like a regular adult. Or is he just a child in an adults body and if so how can he drive?? Is it just a plot hole I'm overthinkinking?

The movie doesn't get super specific in regards to Alex's mental capacity and status besides stating that he has the IQ of a 10-year-old. For me, I think he has stunted developmental and cognitive abilities. 

He was kidnapped when he was 7 years old and did not go to school and did not receive an education after that. So his learning capacity was cut off at age 7. He was probably taught some things by his "aunt" and "uncle" but I doubt it was much. On top of that, he was drugged with LSD and ketamine repeatedly for who knows how long! That would slowly destroy the brain and disrupt cognitive abilities, especially a child's. As well as abuse and trauma which can impact the brain and cause age regression.

Overall I think Alex is very stunted mentally. In regards to his developmental, cognitive, emotional, and communication skills from not having an opportunity to learn, being subjected to abuse, and forced drug consumption. 

As for driving. I don't think an individual has to take an IQ test for a license. They just go in and take the written test and if they pass they get a license. If they fail they can keep taking the test until they pass. (That's how it works in my area) For Alex his "aunt" could have had him memorize the answers to pass or he took it repeatedly until by a lucky chance he passed.

I hope this answered your question and if not feel free to ask more. I don't mind at all!

If anyone else has anything to add to the conversation definitely leave a comment I would love to hear other people's take.

#alex jones prisoners #alex jones #thanks for the ask! #paul dano #paul dano character #my writing #my baby 🥺

[dementedspeedster]

//is thad's relationship w/ bart in your verse develop on its own during the years or did you also want to take their relationship in that direction? i haven't seen many takes on thad (especially in the rp community) but i love your thad so much and your perceiving of canon. and i need him to be happy and be good bros with bart like gramps barry when is that intervention happening bc i need these pure boys to be reconciled (tbf i also feel like only barry has the death wish courage to attempt that; and patience and willpower to actually succeed lol) 💚

//Hey there anon!  Aw! Thank you for the compliments I really appreciate it! There have been a few other Thad RPers in the past who I’ve had the immense pleasure of writing with, but I haven’t seen anyone else active as of late.

Now regarding your question, I’m not quite sure I understand it? Specifically this bit: “...develop on its own during the years or did you also want to take their relationship in that direction?”

But I’ll try to answer? If you're talking about my main verse (which is just anything not tagged), then Thad’s relationship with Bart depends upon at what point the Bart he is meeting is at (which I’ve described in the link). But basically Thad tends to not like, get along, or even tries to get along with Bart because of their history. Thad’s still hurt and blames him for the bad things in his life. In particular he blames Bart for making him realize that he was unloved and just existed as a tool in his youth (he knows it doesn’t make logical sense to  b lame Bart for that, but it’s just how he feels and blaming Bart is a lot easier for him than blaming President Thawne, who created him. He’s also just held onto that feeling for a long time), but also he blames Bart for his existence and why it’s been terrible. He didn’t ask to exist so he blames Bart and directs his anger at him.

If Thad met another Bart then their relationship would certainly be rocky from the start because Thad doesn’t really give Bart chances, but also he’s very stubborn and doesn’t like letting people in or defining him or his life. What I mean by the last bit is that Thad doesn’t like people trying to form relationships with or worm their way in his life, or just say that they’re “brothers” or another familial connection when he doesn’t believe that. He’s very stubborn and unwilling to change, but despite that he is capable of change and letting people in. He just says he doesn’t. So if people are willing to work at it and be patient with him it’s possible to form a relationship/particularly a familial relationship in this case. I hope that helps? I’m not sure if I’ve answered your question, but I hope it helps somewhat!

Also lol true I think @elextrospeed​‘s Barry would like Thad and Bart to get along as well as just seeing Thad get along with the rest of the family as well. But it’ll probably be a long ongoing process because Thad is stubborn. Though I wouldn’t say it’s impossible either.

#ask #Anonymous #elextrospeed #ooc

[shrinkthisviolet]

1, 5, 8, & 15

1. Have you pulled inspiration from media sources other than the property your fic is related to (a plot point from a TV show that has nothing to do with the characters/setting of the fic, a line from a book, etc.)? If so, for which story? Why did you find that media source compelling?

When it comes to general trends, I tend to pull from Star Wars and Ace Attorney (mostly the themes for the latter, not so much storylines). Mostly because that’s just the media that sticks with me the most. Even from LOTR sometimes, although it’s been a while since I’ve seen those movies. In terms of specifics:

To write Morgan & Jesse, I pull from Parent Trap, specifically Hallie and Annie’s dynamic! Which is hardly a secret, given that the two sets of twins share a birthday 😅 granted, Morgan & Jesse DO get along at first until the Zoom thing happens, but…honestly, I think they’d rub each other the wrong way regardless. Meeting your doppelgänger from another Earth doesn’t come without ~some~ insecurity…

To write Barry & Morgan, I draw…well aside from my own experiences (with my dad mostly, as I am the oldest sibling), I draw from other brother-sister relationships that I love! Especially from Justin & Alex in WOWP (the movies specifically—I know in the show they tend to have a bunch of ups and downs, and Barry & Morgan are a bit more steady aside from their rough patch in s1…and in s3). Also, as weird as it sounds, from Zuko & Izumi a little bit too 😅 at least regarding the protectiveness aspect, not so much the father-daughter aspect (Barry isn't Morgan's dad, he's her older brother, even if those two positions sometimes overlap in some situations...even if Barry at times feels like he's doing things for Morgan as her brother that Eowells ought to have done as her father).

Also, I haven’t written s3 yet, but I’m gonna draw quite a bit from Star Wars 👀 not gonna say how or why, because that’ll give too much away, but you’ll know it when you read it.

For Lucy & Astra, I pull from female friendships I've seen in multiple places...Astra even has a little Mara Jade in her with her quick wit and sarcasm.

(Also ofc for some storylines in my Morgan AU, I’m pulling from the comics, but like. Ofc I am, that’s the source material even beyond the show, and as we get more and more divergent, it's a nice way to validate myself and the changes I'll be making 😅 because some of them are gonna be major)

5. Is there a tiny detail in one of your fics that you feel goes tragically unnoticed?

I’ve answered here, but here’s another:

In Chapter 10 of i still love you (i promise), I incorporated that bit about how when Eowells takes off his glasses, he's speaking with complete honesty, or something close to it (a Tom Cavanagh quote if I'm not mistaken):

“Yes, well…when I was growing up, that is what I was taught.” He sighed, taking off his glasses to rub his eyes. “Sometimes I wonder how much of what I was taught is really true. But…I suppose I can’t help it. Right or wrong…I can’t bring myself to regret anything I do for you.” He lifted his steely gaze to meet hers, and…maybe it was her imagination, but he seemed to be challenging her. It was almost…almost as though he knew— No. He couldn’t. He hadn’t come to see Ronnie and Stein off—there was no way he knew— “Anyway,” he interrupted, “I’ve taken too much of your time, I fear. Remind me when your acceptances are coming in?”

He's speaking with an intense honesty here, essentially saying he doesn't regret what he did (people caught that latter part, but him taking off the glasses is me accentuating that “hey, he really, really means it”)...and also hinting that he knows about something else. Something that Morgan clocks but tries to deny (and continues to deny, otherwise she would've brought it up to Barry and Iris at the end). Hmm but what could that possibly be?

8. Is there a story idea you have that you would love if it could appear fully realized but that you do not think you’ll ever write yourself?

So I’ve read that Iris was apparently supposed to be a criminal psychologist in the original pilot of the Flash? And now I need a fic of that so badly (preferably with Westallen endgame, but Westhawne would be sweet too). Whether she ends up a reporter by the end or not, doesn’t matter—I just wanna see Iris using a loophole (“you said I couldn’t be a cop, you never said I couldn’t be a criminal psychologist”) to work in the CCPD, and her and Barry teaming up for cases.

Could even be a great way to show how she and Barry approach things differently — have them on the same case, and Barry is very logical/clinical while Iris is more empathetic/big-picture.

Ooh and Iris figuring out Barry’s secret because “Barry. What kind of idiot do you take me for. I work right alongside you, we’ve worked cases together—do you honestly think I wouldn’t notice when your habits changed, when you ducked out of work, when you ducked out of meetings with me?”

AND and Iris figuring out Eowells’s secret that way too, because she knows how criminals think and Eowells is fitting that profile very well as time goes on. Barry won’t hear of it. They argue, day in and day out—that’s what their tension throughout the season is about, not Barry and Joe lying to Iris.

Iris & Joe teaming up to investigate Eowells too 👀 as Joe has come to see Iris as a professional equal much earlier and now treats her as such

Like!! The potential!! I don’t know enough about criminal psychology to write this (and I don’t have the brainspace to devote to researching it fully) but I’d be so down to read a fic like this.

15. Is there any genre, trope, or style that you find particularly challenging to write? Do you enjoy the challenge or prefer to avoid it?

Misunderstandings, simply because of how much I usually dislike the trope 😅 it can be useful if done properly…but it’s not always done properly. Sometimes it’s a very basic misunderstanding that has no reason to stretch on for as long as it does, because it would really take one conversation that only plot contrivance is preventing.

To some degree, I felt like I was falling a little into that trap by the end of i still love you (i promise) and that was a challenge (a welcome one, though) 😅 to most, Barry probably appears very stupid, much like the version of the trope I despise. Which is fair! But hopefully when I finish his POV fic, it’ll become a little more clear what he’s thinking. In any case, it’s definitely a learning experience for me as a writer, and that’s always a welcome thing.

fanfic ask game!

#the cut in the middle is just to keep the post from running too long #but all the asked numbers are answered! #fanfic ask game

[cyruspavels]

Bye Bye Barry, Adios

My mother engrained (ingrained) in me That any science claiming knowledge of the human mind in accordance to the stars and their date of birth must be witchcraft.

Churches instilled and reinforced similar ideas. Loyal churchgoers, even more so because many of them believe that anything that questions God is opposing God, and that's just not the case for all humans now, is it?

The older I become the more I understand that there are NO COINCIDENCES, anymore. Things happen the way they need to, especially when you pray to God.

The horoscope is something I've been pitched to by too many people regarding how it pinpoints the characters of nearly all people born under the same zodiac signs.

The horoscope is an astrological chart or a map of the sky that is like a snapshot of where the stars and planets and moons were when you were born and what exact angles they were all facing.

Now, Let's go somewhere else for a quick second: Think of cooking crack lol, and how all the ingredients must be mixed a specific way to get your final product/result. Let's say the number of strokes you mix varies—then so will that products consistency, at the end when it is done.

Still, the formula will be similar enough to one another to get a similar final product where the customers won't be able to notice much difference unless the difference in spins of the spoon while mixing were major/huge. We can do this for a cake or pastries, food recipes, etc.

I have observed over many years that I can pinpoint certain people's zodiac sign on first meeting them. That, to me, means that there are certain similarities or traits in the people born around or under the same zodiac signs.

I'm not sure what the science is and I don't think we fully understand that part yet when it comes to astrology, but I do get to understand more of myself now..

I always wondered if I was odd for never getting any RIAA-Certified Gold and Platinum Awards like the Record Plaques my peers would try hard to get.

Last night I'm watching a documentary on Amazon titled: Bye Bye Barry and about twenty-three minutes in I get a phone call from Ryder. At some point I begin to tell her how amazing the documentary is and how Barry didn't seem to care that he could break records or when he broke them or for awards and accolades. He saw football as a team sport and he was one component and that's what he cared about. Ryder then asked me when his date of birth is, as she always does and when I look him up he has the same exact birthday as mine.

And now I understand more of ALL of those things even more now. More of the star maps, More of the differences between people who were designed for Good and those that were not. There are crystal clear differences between the two and they are miles apart.

CP'23

#poetry #miles apart #cp'23 #spilled thoughts #bye bye barry #amazon bye bye barry #barry sanders

[elevatorone]

Elevator Maintenance Services in Barrie - Elevator One

What is the basic maintenance of elevator?

Basic maintenance of an elevator is essential to ensure its safe and efficient operation. Regular maintenance not only prolongs the lifespan of the elevator but also helps prevent accidents and breakdowns. Here are some basic maintenance tasks for elevators:

Regular Inspections: Elevators should be inspected regularly by certified technicians. They will check for any signs of wear and tear, loose components, or strange noises.

Cleaning: Keep the elevator clean, both inside and outside. Regularly clean the interior, especially the control panels and buttons, to prevent dirt and debris from causing malfunctions.

Lubrication: Proper lubrication of moving parts is crucial. Friction from unlubricated parts can cause wear and tear, leading to breakdowns. Lubricate parts as per the manufacturer's recommendations.

Testing Safety Features: Regularly test the safety features of the elevator, such as emergency brakes and alarms, to ensure they are functioning correctly.

Checking Door Operations: Elevator doors should open and close smoothly. Misaligned doors can cause delays and might be a safety hazard.

Monitoring Motor and Drive Systems: The motor and drive systems should be checked for any signs of overheating or unusual noises. These issues could indicate a problem that needs attention.

Inspecting Electrical Components: Elevators are controlled by complex electrical systems. Regularly inspect these components to ensure they are in good working condition.

Checking the Hoist Ropes or Belts: If your elevator uses ropes or belts, they should be inspected for signs of wear. These are critical components for the elevator's safety.

Maintaining the Machine Room: If your building has a machine room, it should be kept clean and well-ventilated. Proper temperature and cleanliness in the machine room are crucial for the elevator's performance.

Keeping Records: Maintain a maintenance log that includes details of inspections, repairs, and any replacements. This record can be invaluable for future maintenance and troubleshooting.

Emergency Procedures: Ensure that all building staff are trained in the correct procedures to follow in case of elevator-related emergencies.

Compliance with Regulations: Stay updated with local and national regulations regarding elevator maintenance and ensure that your elevator complies with these standards.

It's important to note that while these are general guidelines, specific maintenance requirements can vary based on the type and model of the elevator. Always refer to the manufacturer's guidelines and consult with certified technicians for the most accurate and tailored maintenance practices for your Elevator Repair Service.

#Elevator Repair Service #Maintenance Elevator Repair #Elevator Technologies #Elevator Technicians #Elevator Repair Company #Elevator Repair #Elevator Services

[healbellls]

|| RP HOOKS

Rp Hooks are scenarios With Your Muse and Helping Information about Your Muse for easier plotting between RP-Partners!  Original by @treasurechestrpmemes !  

Stolen from the dash! Feel free to steal it!

|| Who is your Muse? Write down their name and a quick description!  

// I've got 5 canon muses and one OC on this blog! They are all being based on the games, taking very little from other source materials.

Morty - Ecruteak's gym leader - Johto - Clairvoyance as his power Juan - Sootopolis' gym leader - Hoenn - Former top coordinator Drake - Elite four member (the leader of it) - Hoenn - Captain of his own ship, travels all over the world. Rowan - Pokemon professor - Sinnoh - Researcher and is in constant contact with young trainers Barry - Trainer / Future Frontier brain - Sinnoh - Currently travelling the world on his journey and collecting badges along his way / In the process of becoming a Battle brain Brendan - Trainer / Future League Champion - Hoenn - Currently travelling the world / In the middle of transition to take the mantle from Wallace

Matsuba is an OC that can be loosely considered a PLA OC. I say loosely, because Matsuba is an OC that's way more focused in the ancient time period, rather than the game's events/story per se.

|| Who knows your Muse? Which Groups are they connected with?

// See the answer above for my canon muses, read below for those that weren't mentioned:

Morty - Eusine, Kimono dancers, Silver, protagonists, Team Rocket members Juan - Wallace, Lisia, Fantina Drake - Steven Stone, Wallace, protagonist, mr.Briney, Devon Stone Rowan - Augustine, prof. Oak, Agatha, Birch, Elm, Juniper, Cedric, Kukui, Cynthia, Sinnoh's league members Barry - Palmer, Sinnoh's frontier brains, Lucas, Dawn, Crasher Wake Brendan - Norman, Steven Stone, Wallace, May, Prof.Birch

Matsuba is connected to another OC of mine, and a whole lot of ancient worldbuilding.

|| Where can your Muse be found? In which Places are they usually found?

Morty - Ecruteak city (The gym, the burned tower, Kimono dancers' theater), Goldenrod city, Olivine city, Celadon city, Saffron city, abroad while travelling Juan - Sootopolis city, Lilycove city, Hearthome city, Nimbasa city, abroad travelling or performing in contests Drake - Cities with docks/ports both within Hoenn or abroad, Pacifidlog town, Mossdeep city Rowan - Sandgen town, Jubilife city, Canalave town, Pallett town, Newbark town, Oldale town, Nuvema town, abroad visiting his research colleagues Barry - Either within Sinnoh, or abroad in the middle of his long trip Brendan - In any route within Hoenn, or abroad travelling, Lilycove city, Ever Grande city. Matsuba - On the road within the Johto of the past, Hisui

|| What Scenarios would you like to play them in?  Write 2-5 Scenarios or Plotlines you wish for!  

I’m a sucker for slice of life, expanding on the relationships and things we didn’t get to see much in canon. So I’m always down for some chill intermission stuff, type of interactions between muses. Especially if it ties in, with some kind of important/key moment in overarching story;

I actually suck coming up with generic / open types of scenarios for RPs, bc I much prefer coming up with them, as we plot and I get to learn more about your muse!

With Matsuba: GIMME UR ANCIENT STUFF, I DEMAND. Ancestor OCs? PLA muses? Ancient period muses?

|| What relationships and dynamics are you seeking in those RPs?  

// I'm very iffy in regards to any form of found family stuff, due to some really bad experiences with it in the past. I'll be very selective about it, and might back out if this is forced upon my muses.

I'm always open for discussing and playing rivalries/antagonizing dynamics, and platonic things. Romance is always based off the chemistry, between our muses. Although, I'll definetely be all ears if you approach me specifically for it!

#ooc / #& dash games

[audreydoeskaren]

Abridged history of early 20th century Chinese womenswear (part 4.2: 1930s-hair, makeup & accessories)

Source here

Previous posts in the series:

Part 1: 1890s

Part 2: 1900s & 1910s

Part 3.1: 1920s-silhouette

Part 3.2: 1920s-design details

Part 3.3: 1920s-accessories, hair & makeup

Part 4.1: 1930s-silhouette & design

A super late Happy Chinese New Year to all fellow humans who celebrate it!! I’m going to discuss hair, makeup and accessories of the 1930s today in no particular order.

Undergarments

At one point between 1932 and 1934 women in China decided to ditch the breast binders worn since the 1890s and wear brassieres instead. This allowed the natural shape of women’s breasts to show and the contrast between the bust and waist lent the dresses of the mid 30s a soft hourglass shape. The brassieres of the 1930s didn’t have stiffening, boning or foam and relied only on their structure for support, so the shape of the breasts looked very soft and rounded.

Source here

30s Du Barry lingerie sewing pattern for brassieres and drawers. This may not be very representative because brassieres made by different companies looked different, but they usually looked like modern bras with vertical darts and no wires or foam cups.

I must again redirect you to this article on breast binding in China, if you can’t read Chinese Google Translate works just fine. There’s one thing that I’d like to comment on though; the author named breast binding as the sole reason for the small bust measures of women at the time and argued that it caused health problems and hindered the growth of the chest. I think this is true to some extent, but other reasons for the generally small stature of women in this period (and indeed the centuries before) included malnourishment, bad healthcare and lack of exercise. Women weren’t educated about healthy diets and the importance of physical exercise before the 30s, not to mention the non-existent healthcare they received, so they were much shorter and skinnier, and suffered from more illnesses than the average modern woman. Before industrialization, food production was also often insufficient so a lot of women were malnourished.

As popular as brassieres were, some Chinese women chose to go braless. However, I have usually seen braless women in advertisements/pinup posters, so I suspect this would not be very socially acceptable on a daily basis.

Source: lai yiching0926 on Pinterest. I get so many primary sources from this person y’all may as well check out their board on Chinese calendar painting it’s bomb. I also have a Pinterest board where I collect primary sources if anyone is interested, my Pinterest username is also audreydoeskaren.

However, being braless doesn’t mean wearing nothing underneath a cheongsam. Camisoles were worn on the upper body and drawers (which were becoming proto-panties) on the lower body; alternatively a slip could be worn. 30s drawers are really pretty in my opinion, they were high waisted and had an a-line shape, decorated with lace.

To my knowledge, Chinese women in this period did not yet wear girdles, corsets or any other kind of shapewear to take in the waist, at least I have never seen their edges peeking out from underneath the cheongsam. I guess this was also unnecessary as the cheongsam was a light one piece dress and didn’t require any support at the waist.

From my observation, stockings were kind of optional in this period. In the early 20s and before, Chinese women wore short stockings tied up by garters at knee level, but as the skirt hem rose to knee length in the late 20s they probably stopped doing that as the garters would show when they inevitably flash their knees. I assume longer, nude stockings would be worn, held up by a garterbelt or something, but a lot of images of this era showed women with no visible stockings. Teenagers and younger women could wear low knit socks like Western children, but these were not acceptable on grown up women unless they were doing sports. Tights were not yet a thing either.

On top of these undergarments, some women chose to wear ankle length petticoats or pants underneath the cheongsam. This was especially the case around 1934 when the side slits were mid thigh or higher and constantly showing your drawers was likely not the most respectable thing. These petticoats and pants were most commonly white and had decorative trim. Petticoats could have slits down both sides like the outer cheongsam or a flared hem. Pants were straight cut and wide legged. Later in the decade the slits became lower so petticoats and pants weren’t that necessary anymore but many women still chose to wear them, which is fine by me because I think it’s a cute look. Likewise there were many examples of women around 1934 wearing high slit cheongsam without petticoats or pants, especially if they were dancing, so this was likely a matter of personal preference (Western dances like tango, waltz, foxtrot, charleston and swing were introduced to China and popularized in the 20s and 30s. The Paramount dance hall in my native city of Shanghai is a monument to that).

Source here

Mid 30s photograph, high slit cheongsam with pants.

Source here

Later 30s fabric ad, low slit cheongsam with flared petticoat. 

Outerwear

A noteworthy development in the mid 30s was that wearing actual, full blown Western fashion became popularized, but only as outerwear, sportswear or eveningwear; Western day dresses were not often seen on Chinese women. In regards to Western outerwear, a variety of them could be worn over cheongsam. In addition to the fur trim wrap coats popular in the late 20s, women wore capes, vests, suits, coats, knit cardigans and others. It was completely ok to mix and match Western accessories and jackets with cheongsam.

Source here

Short cape.

Source here

Early 30s women’s suit. I know I use this image a lot, it’s just really useful and beautiful :)

Source here

Early 30s fur trim wrap coat.

Source: Sayuu G on Pinterest, link

Long coat with lapels.

Source: Yuan Li on Pinterest, link

Cardigan and jacket. This kind of short sleeved, straight front, collarless jacket on the left was very popular in the mid 30s.

Another cute mid 30s accessory I’m very fond of is the gauntlet glove i.e. gloves that have a very wide trunk opening. I think they have an equestrian flair and look very badass.

Source: Yuan Li on Pinterest, link

1935 cover of The Young Companion. (Why are the useful images always so small? Woe is me)

Earrings were really common in the 30s, you could see them in almost all of the reference photos in this post. 

Hairstyles

Since around 1930 the history of Chinese and Western women’s hairstyles had almost completely synchronized so if you know about vintage Western hairstyles you’re welcome to skip this part.

In the beginning of the 30s the most common hairstyle was a short bob with optional fingerwaves (called waterwaves in this period? I’m not great with terminology). Some bobs in the late 20s/early 30s could be so short that they look like buzz cuts. The defining feature of the fingerwave was the shimmery wave-like pattern in the hair created by pinching and combing the hair while it’s wet with setting products. Just a side note, the way fingerwaves are done in most Chinese period dramas nowadays, uh, leaves much to be desired. That’s because a lot of hairstylists just attach a wavy extension (which you can easily purchase from Taobao...) to the actresses’ forehead and call it a day, but that doesn’t really replicate the structure of the fingerwave and makes it look like the 铜钱头 in Kun Opera instead.

Source: Helen Xu on Pinterest.

Early 30s very short bob.

Source here

Early 30s fingerwave

Another very common hairstyle in the 30s was this mid length bob (either side part or middle part) with a lot of volume at the bottom. I am so puzzled as to how this is achieved, maybe with teasing or curling only at the bottom? That sounds odd.

Source here

Mid 30s fabric ad.

This ad is forcing me to go on a tangent about fabric dyes. This label, Indanthren, sold fabrics dyed from a range of blue or blue-ish colored synthetic dyes made by the German company BASF (which was merged into IG Farben at this time). Because of the introduction of synthetic dyes to China, almost all colors under the sun could be produced or imported so there weren’t really any specific color limitations to the clothing of this period.

Back to hair. Contrary to popular opinion, fingerwaves were not in fashion throughout the 30s, let alone the entire republican era. As the 30s progressed, the fashionable hair length became longer, making it more difficult for fingerwaves to be performed; they were replaced by roller sets and pin curls which are more suitable for longer hair. In the mid 30s, brush out curls with a side part were extremely popular. At this point bangs kind of became a Chinese cultural heritage and a lot of women would wear brush out curls with bangs. There are literally a million patterns for setting brush out curls and every woman probably had her own tricks, so everybody’s hair looked a tad different but the overall idea was the same as Western brush out curls: women would set the hair in the night and sleep with the rollers/pin curls to let them dry, then in the morning they would brush them out until the desirable wavy shape is achieved. Many women also used curling irons to achieve the same hairstyles with heat, which was faster and didn’t require waiting overnight. With that said, the fingerwave didn’t just disappear either, it was often used in conjunction with brush out curls to sculpt specific hairstyles. I’m not a professional vintage hairstylist so I can’t always clock if a hairstyle is done with fingerwaving, brush out curls or both. From my own experience with brush out curls, they are usually more voluminous and have more fizzy ends and the waves don’t line up so perfectly like with fingerwaves because the process is more uncontrollable (or maybe I’m just clumsy).

Source here

Typical mid 30s curls.

The fashionable hair length grew longer toward the end of the decade, with the finished curls reaching either the shoulder or the nape of the neck. Hairstyles became kind of rectangular in silhouette and flat at the crown. They were often pulled back at the sides to create a more rectangular shape for the face.

Source: lai yiching0926 on Pinterest.

Late 30s hairstyles.

Shoes

Again, full westernization here. 30s shoes had higher and thinner heels than 20s shoes, although they were still thicker and lower than modern stilettos. The heels were usually curved Louis heels. 30s shoes often had a single strap across the foot and a wrapped design at the toe. Spectator shoes and Oxfords that covered the whole foot were also worn. Likewise, strapless pumps were fashionable too, sometimes with an open toe design, especially toward the end of the decade. 

Source: genibee on Flickr, link

1935 Sears catalogue. Maybe not very representative since shoes made by different companies looked different, just showing what was possible.

Interestingly, I have never seen an image of a 30s Chinese woman wearing boots or booties outside of an equestrian context. I guess boots either weren’t feminine enough or were too inconvenient under the long cheongsam.

Sportswear

A very interesting development in the 30s was the popularization of sportswear as a result of women doing sports. Wealthy or aristocratic Chinese women have been riding and hunting in an attempt to emulate European lifestyle since decades, but these sports remained elite and untouchable for common women; in the 30s however, more accessible sports like swimming, volleyball and tennis became in vogue. The popularity of swimming was in large part due to the influence of female swimming champion 杨秀琼 Yang Xiuqiong (her name is spelled differently in Cantonese because she was from Hong Kong), who was seen as a national hero for winning a ton of medals in international swimming competitions and breaking records. China began trying to participate in Olympic games around this period and there were also many other women athletes competing in different sports, so sportswear became a necessity.

The design of swimwear in this period followed closely the design of Western bathing suits, usually a tight, short, one piece bodysuit.

Source here

1933 cover of The Young Companion featuring Yang in a swimsuit. There was a stigma around female swimmers at this time though, mostly because of the revealing clothing they had to wear to allow freedom of movement. Many press reports called Yang a “mermaid” because of her physical beauty, trying to reduce her to a sex icon instead of the glorious athlete she actually was. All of the whack rumors about her being a concubine of some rich dude was also really disgusting and distracting from her achievements.

I’ve also seen multiple times this two piece design with shorts and a modernized 肚兜 dudou (a Qing Dynasty undergarment with a function akin to that of a corset cover).

Source: EMKAY on Pinterest

30s pinup girl in two piece swimsuit.

For land sports, women usually wore a short sleeved open collar shirt with shorts, short knit socks and flat pumps.

Source: Jason Tse on Pinterest

1933 cover of The Young Companion featuring a tennis player. 

Makeup

The makeup look of the early 30s was almost identical to the late 20s look, with the thin, elongated eyebrows, large oval shaped blush and delicate red/mauve lips. This continued all the way until around 1938-39.

Toward the end of the decade, the eyebrows started to return to a normal thickness and became kind of arched instead of flat. Eyeshadows became lighter or non-existent. Women used cake mascara to darken their eyelashes, which were separated and evenly spread out. The location of the blush moved slightly downward. Red lipstick was still the most popular but the lips were plumper than in the early 30s. Overall very subtle and small changes to makeup. There were a bunch of Western and Japanese makeup companies trading in China at this point, I couldn’t name any specific ones beside Nivea which was quite popular for affordable skincare products like cream and sunscreen. I assume that actresses and pinup girls would also use Max Factor, but I’m not sure how widely used his products were among the general population. The Hong Kong brand 广生行 Kwong Sang Hong (whose Shanghai branch was called 双妹 “Twin Sisters” and whose advertisements we have seen too many times in this series) was also really popular.

I know I promised to talk about makeup more in this post but unfortunately there really isn’t much to talk about :( So see you next time when I dig into the 1940s!

#1930s #art deco #vintage hair #vintage accessories #vintage shoes #vintage lingerie #chinese history #chinese fashion #historic fashion #vintage #vintage makeup #vintage sportswear #cheongsam #qipao #abridged history of early 20th century chinese womenswear