#I also don't know how I'd involve the party in there either. but eh I kinda like the other one more.

[discocandles]

Anytime I think about Steve, Eddie, Chrissy or Robin as famous musicians, I have to hold myself back from adding a shit ton of Lady Gaga references.

Like in the 2010s Lady Gaga appeared for an mtv music award show as this rugged, unkept greaser type character she made up named jo calderone. He's kinda known as "Lady Gaga's boyfriend that is also lady Gaga in drag". Steve Harrington, teen popstar trying to get away from his overbearing label would show up to the red carpet in drag as Amanda Miller, the girlfriend his label chose for him. She is dressed how they have their other popstar darling, Chrissy Cunningham dress. Amanda Miller later shows up in one of his music videos after he leaves the label. Both appearances of Amanda Miller cause mass bi panic online.

Speaking of fellow teen popstar Chrissy Cunningham, she starts openly thanking God and the Gays for the successes in her career. The label hates it, but they deal or else she's not gonna thank God either, causing problems with her religious fanbase(the impact of only letting her make ultra clean love songs for years). Also the idea of Chrissy disrespecting the interviewers who disrespect her is so healing. Think about it. Like yeah she ate that guy's script, and she'd do it again if he asks about her diet.

For rockstar eddie? So in Lady Gaga's song government hooker there's a spoken bit(not the jfk line the "back up and turn around" one). Those lines are spoken by Gaga's bodyguard Pete, who has a very thick Dutch accent after Lady gaga suddenly brought the idea that he be the "pervy robot voice" up during production.

Like Eddie would so do this, as I think creating songs gives him a lot of almost maniacal energy. Also for this one, the bodyguard is Italian Steve, but he's Jeff's bodyguard who Eddie's been constantly flirting with. That's perfectly fine by Eddie's actual bodyguard, who needs "a damn second to fucking breathe, you hyperactive bastard".

Indie rock vocalist Robin Buckley would have an album where she sings in like four different languages outside of English like lady Gaga did in born this way. And also sing in other languages fairly often. It's most often in French(like lady Gaga does), but every time Robin starts singing in a language that isn't English, the fans will scramble to figure out what tongue she's singing/speaking in now and what is she saying? What does google translate say she's saying?

There's paparazzi photos of vocalist Robin standing next to Jeff from Corroded Coffin but she's chatting in Italian with... his body guard? Apparently they met as teenagers on a trip abroad and became best friends then pen pals after. But we guess it evens out as robin's makeup artist/one woman glam team was best friends with Eddie in high school? And she won the prom queen tiara that CC wears in their iconic album cover. I dunno, just something that's been haunting my brain.

#yeah that last paragraph has nothing to do with lady Gaga it's just the au idea. #if anyones asking who of them wears the meat dress pls know it'd be Chrissy. #Eddie would volunteer to jump off the top of a football stadium to start a set but no one even proposed that as an idea. #Robin would also play an infinite amount of instruments at the drop of a hat but gaga is only really seen w/ pianos so it didn't fit as wel #do I think in a modern au jo calderone would be Steve's bi awakening? hell yes I do. rewatchs the yoü and I mv just for the cornfield shots #steddie #buckingham #popstar steve harrington #popstar chrissy cunningham #rockstar eddie munson #singer robin buckley #polyglot robin buckley #bodyguard steve harrington #italian steve harrington #makeup artist chrissy cunningham #i dunno what Robin and Eddie would be in the teen pop stars Steve and Chrissy au but I do know #I can't have more than 2 of them as popular musicians in the same au #I also don't know how I'd involve the party in there either. but eh I kinda like the other one more. #lady gaga #stranger things #chrissy cunningham #steve harrington #eddie munson #robin buckley #st

[galesdevoteewife]

Gale may not be so typical squishy wizard/scholar?

-My Galeology study note-

Looking at his character sheet in the Deluxe pack gets me thinking, maybe our wizard is not exactly designed to be the typical squishy one...?

[Act2 spoiler warning]

2 things caught my eyes:

1) Great physical fitness, and good reflexes. (For your reference, Gale & Wyll are the two companions who have the highest Con: 15. I put everyone's sheets at the bottom of the post.)

His Con and Dex are... very high?? I mean, higher than Karlach and Lae'zel...????

Note 1: I suspect it could have something to do with his background as Mystra's chosen, as they are somewhat "transformed" when they agree to become the goddess's chosen. A topic for another day since I haven't quite figured it out yet, for anyone who is interested there's a chapter about it in The Seven Sisters. Also, I have little clues on how much chosen lore credit Larian was taking into account while designing him, or how Mystra's "taking back the given ability" works. Note 2: Again, Mystra's chosen are often sent on missions that involve a lot of traveling according to Elminster's series. Mystra also mentioned that Gale and she used to have adventures together, which leads to an assumption: despite his preference he might be traveling quite a lot until he was cast aside and quarantined himself in his tower. Might be the type of scholar who is very keen on field studies?

Note 3: Can someone undress Elminster to exam my theory please??xD Neh won't work I think all human might share same body model in game

Come to think of it, there was a party banter between Karlach & Gale that went like :

Karlach: Whoa! Almost slipped there. Gale: You wouldn't be the first, I'd wager. It's been some time since these walkways felt the carpenter's hammer. Karlach: You gonna catch me if I eat a brick? Gale: With my reflexes? I'd catch you before you so much as stubbed a toe.

At first I thought that was a sarcastic joke but, seems like it wasn't? Also this:

Karlach: Ready to enter the belly of the beast? Gale: It's the stairs I'm dreading. I shall close my eyes, and pretend I'm climbing my own, far superior tower in Waterdeep. Karlach: In that case, welcome home.

...So it seems when I pictured him as a homebody, I should reimagine the concept of home... His has...lots of stairs? Just walking around in the tower could be counted as a workout, sort of thing? Note: I don't think the place he shows in the Act 2 cutscene is his tower. Otherwise, aren't these neighbors pretty much doomed?

2) Not THAT smart. Well, I love him, so I will speak in his defence: [1] He has a warm(s) digging holes in his brain. [2] Poisonous magical bile running in his blood. Maybe he's just not at his best, makes sense, eh? Wyll mentioned he is nerfed after tadpole too. After all, this man obviously memorized a DICTIONARY:

Gale: You promised to stay in Waterdeep. 'Promise,' verb, meaning to swear something will or will not be done. Tara the Tressym: And I decided 'will not'. And a good thing, too. You look like you haven't had a good meal in days

Player: When I said we could be more than friends, you answered 'perhaps'. What does that really mean? Gale: If I recall correctly, the Waterdhavian Dictionary of the Common Tongue of Faerûn defines it as an adverb that conveys the meaning of 'it may be that', or 'possibly'. Gale: Sorry, sometimes I just can't help being quite insufferable. In seriousness, I'm glad you asked that question.

Along with a bunch of you-may-never-need information:

Everything about ceremorphosis? Myconid? Why in the world have him read about Cazador??? And how can he not know the distance between Waterdeep & Baldur's Gate, even Karlach ―who spent a decade, which is likely half of her life in hell― knows better geography than him. Gale either totally ignored the subject or portaled everywhere; distance meant nothing to him?? Uh, but you can't take party banters too seriously; it's buggy. How could a bug bit Karlach in the swamp? It should've been burned into ashes before it even reached her, no?

Anyway, just rambling some thoughts <3 I would have gone to Harvard if there was a major in Gale...

-DISCLAIMER- Brought to you by a brainrot wife, Galerian missionary. Be warned the article might has (strong) bias because the writer is braindead and she thinks Gale is the most awesome character in the world.

#baldur's gate 3 #gale of waterdeep #gale dekarios #bg3 spoilers #bg3 #bg3 gale #ramblings #Galeology #bg3 datamine

[incorrect-koh-posts]

You know what, I'm not ashamed of my history crush and if you're still alive, I'd like to hear your opinions on Baldwin IV and a fierce, sarcastic lover--who might or not be the future Queen😏-- and how he would react to her actually being a smartass when it came to politicals. Like, she knows medicine, philosphy and maybe music?

Hi! So, first of all: Yes, I'm still alive. And yes, I'm aware there are about a dozen unanswered asks / headcanon things currently sitting in my drafts. To those of you who sent them - I'm terribly sorry I'm so slow with my answers at the moment, but I promise I'll get to them all as soon as I can. <3

Secondly: Never be ashamed of your history crushes! Many great works of literature are essentially fan fiction. Many great works of art are fan art. Having crushes - whether fictional, historical, contemporary, what have you - is human. Don't feel bad if you do have them, and also don't feel bad if you don't.

Now, on to your question. Would Baldwin get along with a fierce, sarcastic, and politically savvy lover? Long story short: I'd say it depends.

Let's see: Baldwin grew up with a mother who was very involved in politics (especially when her son ascended the throne) - which wasn't a terribly uncommon thing among the noblewomen of Outremer, so quite a few of our KoH boys likely learned to chug their respect-women juice very early on. But - again, depending on what take on her you follow (Will of Tyre, for instance, tends to be rather hostile to the Courtenay party) - Agnes' nose for politics didn't make her the easiest person to get along with, and adding to that, she was probably bitter as hell about being discarded by Amalric on account of consanguinity when he became king.

Thus, I imagine Baldwin would definitely not underestimate a woman who knows her way around court intrigues and the politics of the Latin kingdoms. Yet, I also think he would probably be wary of such a person, at least initially. If I were to introduce such a character as a potential love interest for Baldwin, I wouldn't write their falling for each other as a case of love at first sight. Time, however, does fix many things, eh? ;D

So, I can imagine Baldwin with a fierce lover, but I do think too much sarcasm and overt feistiness would rather be a turn-off for him. I realise I might be in the minority with that opinion, but I think there is a limit to the sass Baldwin could endure in a partner. A little every now and then - yes, absolutely. But constant, supposedly witty banter and bickering - I think that would rather wear him down. A snarky OC would, in the long run, probably have a better shot with either Imad or Raymond or possibly Godfrey. I don't see Baldwin - who is, generally, of a calm, wise, and rather gentle disposition - deriving much pleasure from the company of someone who constantly verbally challenges him.

Would he like an intelligent partner? Absolutely. But I think he'd rather be into someone who is quiet and humble about their assets, than into someone who flaunts them and feels the need to throw into everyone's faces how oh-so-smart and witty and different they are. I'm sorry - I know many people like this sort of character, but I'm usually not a fan.

I know lots of fics interpret it differently and everybody is of course welcome to their own take on the character - running a blog on this hellsite does not make me an authority on the subject by any means. But the way I see it, Baldwin would have the best chemistry with someone alike to him in temperament. Someone calm or even a little shy, initially; clever and occasionally witty, yes, but not too forward or brash. The king values his peace, after all - and someone calm and well-mannered would likely be a better fit for a ruler in a position as precarious as Baldwin's than someone who constantly stirs up trouble in one way or another, no matter how endearing they are.

Ergo: The success of such a dynamic would mainly depend on how you'd construct Baldwin's fierce, sarcastic lover as a character. If you carefully think their interactions through and give them some time to adjust to each other, I could definitely see their relationship bloom into something very lovely, but I wouldn't say that it is a match made in heaven, per se. So my advice would be: Don't overdo it with the sass. That might become tiring for both Baldwin and the reader rather quickly.

In any case, best of luck to you! I hope this was helpful in some way :)

#asks #kingdom of heaven 2005 #kingdom of heaven headcanons #baldwin iv

[whetstonefires]

Political arranged marriage

Okay so this is actually a challenge option! For 1) how likely am i to write this fic trope and 2) whom for.

Because see, it's an interesting topic to me broadly speaking, but as it's used in fandom it's primarily a romance vehicle. A contrived scenario to set up a pairing in a Situation. Specifically a situation involving forced intimacy and externally imposed sexual pressure.

And like. It's not that I'm incapable of enjoying that, if it's the right blorbos handled in a way that works for me, it's a structure you can run a lot of fun dramas in, but I don't have anything I particularly want to deliver in that line, either.

Statistically at this time I'm most likely to find myself writing one of these about wangxian, because 1) my brain is in a rut help i have never cared about a ship like this in my life and 2) there are SO MANY of these damn fics in this fandom (modao zushi/the untamed), and historically 'high concentration of trope i find mildly annoying' has a high rate of inspiring me to process my feelings by producing my own iteration of that thing.

The Thing about wangxian politically arranged marriage scenario in particular is that it's a direct inversion of the context shaping their relationship in the canon.

Arranged marriages for political purposes require both parties to be actively embedded in high-status formal social webs which very proactively sanction their official attachment, regardless of personal sentiments, and any ensuing relationship develops within the framework of not being free to part.

All of this is the exact opposite of their situation; they are deliberately the exact opposite of this.

Now, if you engage with the thematic inversion on some level in your fic that's good fun, but if you try to edge awkwardly around it it gets very stale very fast. If I hadn't seen anyone doing anything fun with this I'd probably have been possessed and produced something by now, but I have, so it's eh. We're fine. It's fine.

More generally, I'm absolutely likely to depict politically arranged marriages, in general, but I don't know that it counts as doing the trope because I'm chiefly fascinated by all the ways these relationships can develop that aren't particularly close matches for romance as we typically block it out.

You know the bit in Fiddler on the Roof where after all the drama around love-matches rather than relying on the matchmaker, the dad asks the mom if she loves him, after like 30 years in a normal, traditional arranged marriage? And after initial bewilderment, having never considered the question before, she finally says she supposes she does, and he says he supposes he loves her too. Compelling. I'm intrigued.

If I'm going to write a political arranged marriage as a central feature of a story it's going to be about the social construct of matrimony and how it's conceptualized within the society in question. Necessarily this means it will also be about gender. The household as a sociological unit. Power and property.

It will also, obviously, be about politics.

So I'm much more likely to wind up doing this as a subplot in original fiction than as the premise of a fic, basically, but now I admit I am tempted to go figure out a premise for a one-shot political marriage fic for wangxian that I would find inherently interesting. I am easily baited, what can I say.

Alternate answer: i'm brain stuck in mdzs so technically the correct answer to this is like 20% and Jin Zixuan/Jiang Yanli because they're this in canon already and i'm basic like that.

#ask #hoc est meum #wearethekat #mdzs #trope ask game #fic #for wangxian political arranged marriage you have to both #a) either make wwx a political power or give him a family or both so there's something to be political and arrange about #and b) address the gay #if you're halfhearted about either of these the premise becomes horribly floppy #this answer contains me being like 4 distinct flavors of nerd #all of them kinds the other nerds bully #lmao

[hannahsmusings]

Renee

*I look up at Anthony as he hands me the beer, looking down at it then back up at him before taking it cautiously, almost expecting it to blow up in my hand or something, not fully trusting him at all, having been fooled by him one too many times when I was younger* *I was about to retort back but before I could, he was shrugging and walking away from me, leaving me all alone again, huffing to myself quietly, watching his back disappear into the crowd, my eyes flickering down his body and checking him out, shaking those thoughts away as quickly as they came, opening my beer a bit more aggressively than necessary and taking a long sip* *I look around for my friends again, pushing through people, letting out a sigh of relief as I see them sat on the couch with Matt and Pete and a few other guys* *I walk over and stand by the couch, giving them both a ‘it’s time to go’ look but they both ignore me, Melanie clearly vibing with Matt and Sam vibing with Pete, this whole thing being straight out of a nightmare for me* *the last thing I wanted was my friends dating or sleeping with Anthony’s friends, knowing that would be drama and involve me seeing that prick way more than I needed or wanted to* *I stand there for a while, nobody really talking to me or noticing me, trying to mentally communicate with my friends but they were off in their own little worlds of flirting* *I finish off my beer pretty quickly, realizing we weren’t leaving anytime soon but I also was not that friend to leave my friends either, so I decide I can play along for a little while longer* *I walk into the kitchen which was quieter than the rest of the apartment, getting myself another beer from the table, letting out a quiet sigh as I take a long sip, not usually being one to drink beer but it seemed to be the only alcohol that was readily available right now*

_____________________________________

*I couldn't help but glance up at the crowd every so often to look for you, intrigued by what you might be up to, remembering you as shy and studious and not really the party girl so this would be the first time I'd observe you in this setting and I couldn't lie that I was curious* *gives up when I don't see you, finishing my beer quickly and heading into the kitchen for another before I pause as I see you in there alone, drinking your beer and frowning a little, having a moment where I wanted to see if you were okay before I shook my head of that thought because that wasn't our relationship, we bantered and drove each other insane, nothing more* So much for only one drink, eh? *leans against the fridge as I uncap my beer and take a swig, not sure why I wanted to talk to you but I was intrigued by how much you'd changed*

[ineedahiddencorner]

6.23.20

One thing that I was just reminded of in a dream:

Part of the reason why I don't feel completely myself, no matter how well I fix my algorithm?

No real dancing.

I've been swing dancing since I was 13. I don't know the official date of my swingiversary (unlike some folk) because I was dragged along. My sister's then-boyfriend's sister was a regular there and had gotten my sister involved. My sister had been trying to get me to come for weeks. In theory, I was down - she'd taught me the East Coast basic and two turns years before, but only the lead's footwork. (This was very quickly discovered at a volleyball teammate's swing birthday party, where the instructor asked for volunteers for a demonstration. I was so excited, and then did so terribly because I kept trying to start on my left foot.. it was a learning experience.)

I distinctly remember the day she got me to come. She was in the downstairs bathroom, door closed, and I was chatting with her from just outside. I don't remember any of our previous conversation, but just the following:

"Hey [my name]"

'Yeah?"

"Guess what day it is"

[I knew it was Thursday. There was a moment of silence.]

I can't remember the exact words of my reaction, but I'm certain I started fumbling around trying to make excuses for my completely open evening. Sequins just kept firmly saying, "Nope. It's Thursday, you're coming to [Lindy]."

Little did I know..

.. Just how TERRIBLY I'd do my first night!

Of course I jumped into the beginner Lindy lesson. This was when they still taught an actual lindy basic in that time, plus one move.

I don't remember the lesson or most of the evening. I only remember my first actual dance on the floor - the first one they played after lesson - where a kind gentleman asked me to dance and I could not get through a count of 8 without stopping. I may have once or twice in the whole song. We just stuck with lindy, no East Coast.. It did not go the greatest.

Part of it might be terrible memory (as previously found out this last week), but I don't remember being upset.

As mentioned, I don't know how the rest of the evening went, but evidently I kept going.

I don't have too many early memories - mostly things like wearing the red dress that was really a Latin dress but was the only dance-y dress I owned. Then wearing a different dress that I was.. hmm.. not old enough to fill, and one embarrassing dance related. With the addition of dresses came the one night that taught me to wear dance shorts. (I'm certain nothing actually happened, but that concern when you normally wear baggy shirts and jean shorts, and you feel the skirt lifting higher than you'd like? It changes you.)

My first most common outfit (though I can't remember how soon this was after I started) was my red latin dress, a red flower clip in the back, and my slightly-too-big red flats. (A.k.a. the ones I wore EVERYWHERE through ninth and tenth grade.)

Eventually [Haute] gave me my black and white, polka-dot diner dress. I still have that one, and wear it on occasion, but it's just getting old. (It started my Heart of Haute collection though, which was all I would wear for years.)

But that second common outfit was that diner dress, the red flower, and red flats.. clearly there was some easing that needed to happen. Somewhere around there I must've gotten into a single red lip color I had - but I only applied on the main lip area, no edges and most definitely no shape. Ah. Oh very grateful we've come a long way on that end.

I would stand immediately left of the door, cause that's where our friend and Sequins would stand. That stuck even when Sequins stopped coming. (I don't remember why.. but our friend and her friend kept coming for a bit and then stopped too.)

I remember learning the subtle art of asking for/declining a dance even before partners asked - I thought it was the coolest, subtlest thing. I remember watching follows do swivels and admiring them. If I wasn't dancing, I was standing with my arms behind my back, leaning against the wood of that door-left area.

I learned to love dance so much.. in tenth grade my teacher (and mom of my dear friend Caesar - one should also note the class consisted of Rose, Caesar, and I) told us about a dream she had about me getting all the boys from dance. I was mortified, everyone laughed, and it's been a tease since.

Oddly enough, somewhere in there I had the first gentleman ask me out. We were great dance friends! Tried to get a dance with him each time - we got along so well. At one point he asked if I had a boyfriend. I laughingly replied some variation of no. He asked if he'd have a shot. I kindly (and genuinely!) explained that I was 14, but sincerely appreciated it and if I'd been older, absolutely! (I never got his age but knew he was older than me.) He was embarrassed, and I don't really remember seeing him much after.. I understand the embarrassment but still miss him. Alas.

(And there-related, I'm either impressed with him or myself - either he had a very kind eye or I looked relatively together at the time, cause let me just tell you, compared to today's get ups? Oh honey. Oh I was so not properly dressed. Pretty sure this was still when I'd slick my hair back into a tight ponytail.. oof nope not my best look.

That said, we all start somewhere, but dang..)

I definitely had regular partners through that time, though they've changed drastically! It wouldn't be for a couple years that I'd meet Kaiju, Respect-women-juice, and Steals - my longest running, in-and-out-of-dance friends! Let alone more recent friendships..

Oof the early days. Parents dropping me off and picking me up. Then me driving myself but having to be home by 11 for the first year of my license. The different parking lots - North, South, and finally the underground (and my SPOT. I miss my spot. And B. I hope she's doing okay.)

I miss Lindy so much. I relatively regularly attended from that point on. It was a key part of my week for almost half of my life. It's definitely shaped so many parts of my life - respect, communication, kindness, joy, confidence, self-respect.. and much more I know. Heck, even gender roles - I remember getting so excited about leading and talking to a non-dance person as I got better. They were confused as to why being ambidancetrous was a goal and thought it was odd for people to be swapping around the 'fundamental dynamic' of a guy leading and girl following. Meanwhile I was so excited about leading I forgot that was even a view.

(My feelings were captured in the in image below:)

I miss dance. I miss the feeling of a good swingout. Of hitting the break perfectly. Of a favorite song coming on and despeRATELY NEEDING TO FIND THAT PERSON. I miss seeing other dancers in public and getting all excited. I miss trying a dance with a stranger and having it go REALLY FREAKING WELL. I miss finding story songs with Sandman and playing all sorts of characters. I miss laughing when messing up. I miss messing up but playing it off. I miss playing off an entire song cause neither of us are feeling it so we both just act ridiculous. I miss switch dances. I miss getting more confident in my lead. I miss dancing outside Lindy and Peanut-Butter & Dance. I miss hugging my friends. And getting good dips. And everyone's "dance outfits." I miss the Sisters' elaborate themes. The regular FEAST of snacks. I miss Heroes sneaking me in. I miss helping afterwards and catching up with everyone. I miss the peppermints at Lindy and having to move my "spot" for my stuff when the corner would get crowded. I miss the friends I'd make in the ladies lounge. I miss dance shoes. And space. And Camp Hollywood.. frick I miss Camp Hollywood. Days of dancing. The whole mindset being different. (And I was even going to bring ACTUAL food this year! (Not that protein bars and bananas aren't great, but.. variety)

I miss the music. The go to songs. I miss the smells of each of my favorite dance places. I miss feeling like I'm "coming home" every time.. And even if I have very low energy, still having a lovely night talking away to someone.

Especially Lindy. It did feel like home. I knew so many folks there. It was a wonderful home outside school, outside Old Street/New Street. It was my own space where I'd created myself. (Not in a facade way - quite the opposite. Where I'd built myself and my adult identity up from the roots.) It was my space. Not in an owning way, but in an independence way. Before I attended professional mixers and conferences, before I started at Engineering School, before I'd really had full on interviews - I was already my own person, forged by way of jazz music and incredible dancers.

That last part of the sentence is still off. Mostly cause it reduces dance to two things. But eh.

Of course as an adult there's so much more to learn about dance. Now is the perfect time to catch up on my swing history. It's changed over the years and I want to know that change. It's meant more than just light-hearted movements, and I want to catch up.

It's not stagnant. There's much more to know.

I've ignored dance due to "new physics" and therefore subconsciously not letting myself connect with that part of me. But there are other pieces I can learn without actually dancing.

Now is the perfect time for that.

#dance #i miss it #express #indirect