#like no i really dont think they mind much either way like they dont not support it but that doesnt mean they support it enough

[callme-holly]

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐲 - 𝐃.𝐖

||۶ৎ part 1 of "the stray" series. a lady and the tramp au

⊹₊⋆.˚୨୧⋆.˚₊ ⊹

The room felt oppressive and hot, the rich scent of dinner lingering in the air, making your stomach churn in a way that was nothing short of uncomfortable. Your dress was too tight and pearls too heavy, and every time someone spoke to you, your smile grew tighter and tighter. 

Silver cutlery gleamed under the glow of the chandelier, making everything far too bright. Your eyes were really starting to hurt, a dull ache at the front of your skull that would only worsen as the night dragged on.

Still, you kept your posture straight, trying your hardest to nod along politely to your father’s story which he told during every family meal. The same thing, time and time again. Your mother kept shooting you glances, well aware of your antsiness, waiting for you to say something and break the moment. 

“So,” you glanced up sharply at the sound of your aunt’s voice—clipped but still dripping in honey. “Have you given that college more thought?” 

College. Another prestigious place where they expected far too much of you. 

Your hands fidgeted in your lap and you shrugged. “Not really.” 

Your mother’s hand froze around her wineglass, fingers tightening slightly. “Sweetheart”. A warning. 

“I just said not really.” You kept your voice quiet, not wanting to disrupt the peaceful moment that had shrouded over everyone. “I’m still thinking it over.” 

Your father scoffed, not malicious, but mocking enough. “Well, dont think too long. Offers like that don’t last forever.” 

Those words lingered in the back of your mind long after everyone excused themselves, drifting off to their own corners to get drunk on champagne and other expensive alcohol. Each echo made your chest feel tight and your breathing was starting to become laboured—whether from panic or the tiny size of your dress, you weren’t sure. 

Either way, nobody noticed when you slipped out onto the front porch, the door clinking shut behind you, leaving you to the cool, welcoming exposure of the evening. 

It was a nice break from inside; the sun was beginning to sink low, casting Tulsa in a faint orange hue that contrasted with the sterile white of your home. Sometimes it felt more like a hospital or an office than any type of house, but you supposed you couldn’t complain. Not with a roof over your head and a future laid out before you. 

The street sprawled out before you, going on for what seemed like miles, rows and rows of houses just like yours with their little picket fences and pretty pruned gardens. The trees were all caged; the mailboxes were pristine. No dirt, no graffiti. A reflection of the lavish lifestyle you adored…

A glass crashed from inside. A few men cheered. Your mother scolded faintly. 

Nobody would notice if you went for a walk. Not a soul. They were all too busy discussing politics and finance. You were an after afterthought, a pretty thing for people to look at when they needed a little bit of hope… 

You stepped off the porch, heels clicking against the pavement, your palms brushing your skirt down instinctively as you moved farther from the glowing windows and echoing laughter. Every step away from the house made your breathing ease, inch by inch, until your chest stopped aching and your lungs stopped burning. 

You didn’t know where you were going. You didn’t care. As long as you weren’t here, what did it matter? 

The streets grew dimmer the further you walked—the flickering porch lights became fewer, the paint jobs grew more shabby, and fence panels started to go missing. Some cars were dented; others were non-existent – a pleasure the residents could only dream of.

A dog barked in the distance—loud and gruff—nothing like the polite little creature that slept on the end of your bed,   silky ears and brushed-out fur. 

You passed the liquor store your father had pointed out once and stated, “no daughter of mine will ever step foot in there.” It was a seedy place: buzzing neon lights, cracked glass, dingy windows… 

The convenience store around the corner wasn’t much better, but you went inside anyway. It was one of those half gas, half bodega-type places, instilling an unease in you that came with being a pretty girl in a rough area. It was quiet inside, nothing but the faint static of the radio and the hum of a broken refrigerator. 

You walked down the aisles, trying your hardest not to turn your nose up at the dust that lined the shelves, wincing everytime your heels clicked too loudly… You were here to escape… Not to judge… 

“Didn’t think porcelain girls like you came this far South.” 

You startled, whirling around with such speed that you knocked over a rack of gum, a soft gasping leaving you as the packets scattered across the linoleum floor. You bent to pick it up but thought twice upon seeing the grime, instead straightening up and shaking out your curls.

The stranger was leaning against the freezer door, arms crossed, a cigarette burning away. between his lips. You recognised him, even if you didn't know him. Had heard his name like a mantra around town. A troublemaker, a dropout, a thief, a hoodlum... Bad. Bad, bad, bad…

he didn't look as wild as the stories, not the monster you imagined. But there was something about him you feared, the way he stood his ground, like he owned the air around him.

"What?" It was a stupid, weak response. One that made him bark a laugh.  

“You deaf, doll? Or just playing’ dumb?” He took the cigarette from between his lips, tapping out the ash. “I said: girls like you don’t end up down here unless they’re lost. Or bored.” 

You decided then that he wasn’t worth your time, the scent of smoke choking you and making you cough slightly into your elbow. You didn’t belong here. That was for sure, and the sudden epiphany struck fear deep within you once more. Your breath hitched and your eyes flitted about frantically, like you’d just woken up from a nightmare you couldn’t escape. 

“I-I’m not bored.” You whispered, stepping back instinctively. He only stepped closer. “I just wanted to see something different.” 

Your muscles tighten, locking up the way they always do when men look at you too long. But this isn't the same. He's not leering. Just watching.

"Bet you did." He mumbles, pushing off the freezer and dropping the butt alongside the spilt gum. He moves past you without another word, and for a moment, you think that's it. That he's going to leave you here, and that's the end of any interaction you'd ever had with Dallas Winston... You'd go home and lap up your life like a lap dog…

And then he glanced at you over his shoulder, smirking faintly.

"C'mon then, princess. You wanna see something different? I'll show you."

You blink. "What?"

"Just a walk." He chuckles, prompting you to move forward with a tilt of his head. "I'll get you home before curfew. Pinky swear."

You shouldn't say yes. You know better than to follow strange boys with bruised knuckles and a busted lip. You know better than to go anywhere with people who smell like smoke and cheap cologne. But his offer stirs something inside you... Something aching for a change.

You trail after him without a second rational thought, skirt blowing in the wind, perfect curls tousled by the breeze. 

||۶ৎ chapters

||۶ৎ tag list. @mrsdillonx , @goingdelux18 , @princesshailierawr , @r0seb100d , @groovydonutpost, @rizzraa , @sheepandlams , @marinefreaakk , @sugarrootwrites , @marilyn-girly , @itonlyhastobetruetoday , @dairyfairyy , @williamafton26 , @mystiqueonfleek007 , @atpeacee

[molathesunfish]

my limbus bugs mainly based on characters that may or may not show up later... and one mystery feature for your guessing fun:]

[lunarharp]

more phoenix wright situations

[yarrowleef-babbles]

been hearing rumors that the "i'm always straight" lines may have been cut from the GN and IF that is true, I expect everyone will be super mad about that--and ngl i'd mourn the loss of it too because it has become iconic to me

But. i can't believe i'm playing devils advocate for this, BUT it is not entirely unreasonable for an adaptation of this work to decide it does not want to reference Ronan's sexuality yet......coming to terms with his sexuality is (one) part of his arc in the 2nd book. Adam Parrish being ~the 2nd secret he doesn't want to admit to himself~ , Ronan's catholic guilt homoerotic nightmares and the like, all characterize his sexuality as something he might vaguely be aware of but seriously struggles to openly admit. I don't think he even uses the word gay or any other word to describe himself in the whole series? (unless I'm forgetting something?)

So, idk, it's not unreasonable to want the (hypothetical) audience to also not be aware of it until Ronan is forced to directly grapple with his identity next book.

i think this is one of those things that has become very dear to the fandom over time, but if i look at it objectively without my feelings, i just.....i do understand why someone could conceivably decide that this off-handed bitchy "he's gay btw" joke is not of dire importance for the sanctity of the story 😭 in the 'pros don't outweigh the cons' sort of way....

[frankiebirds]

so. this scene has been talked about a lot:

I think this scene is a really interesting example of the criminal minds writers giving tiny pieces of character backstories that are never elaborated upon, (or, more broadly, forgetting early established character details) because unlike a lot of examples where lines are said and immediately forgotten about, I do think this revelation informs a lot of Hotch's character. I'm not necessarily saying that the writers always had it in mind when writing Hotch that he experienced childhood abuse, but I do feel like you can see the ways in which he was affected. I don't know—this made more sense in my head, but it feels a little less forgotten about and a little less thrown in than some other examples. I think a big difference between this scene and some later ones is that:

The trauma happened pre-series

and

It was established in the first season.

criminal minds isn't great at letting their characters be affected by their in-series trauma for more than a few episodes (and then maybe it'll come up once or twice down the line because the writers remembered it happened) and a lot of later instances* of characters being revealed to have some major pre-series trauma suffer because the impact it would have reasonably had on them isn't consistent with earlier portrayals and sometimes even contradicts established information.

not that it can't be interesting to look at those earlier portrayals of their characters with the backstory that is added later. again, this all made more sense in my head: essentially, the reason i think this feels different to me is that the writers knew when they started writing hotch that he was abused as a child, while other characters who have traumatic backstories revealed have those backstories added much later, and so the writers have a not-great choice between showing the effects their trauma had on them when there was no sign of it earlier, or moving on with their character as if none of it ever happened.

*i'd like to quickly establish that i'm not talking about morgan here. that was also a pretty early reveal and feels consistent enough with early characterization that i wouldn't be shocked if the idea was first floated while season one was being written

[indooroutdoorboyfriend]

it's Harassing You o'clock so i am gonna discuss my oc some more in the tags

[wildstar25]

What physical part(s) of Arsay does her partners find the most attractive! Is it the same for all partners or does it differ between them?

(also optional bonus ask of what part(s) of/about Arsay generally do they love the most, physical or not!)

Meanwhile, if you were to ask the same of Arsay:

[musubiki]

hello! quick question, i know this is very soon after you posted the comic of young lime trying to bully mochi, and i’m sorry if a question like this has been asked before, but when mochi sees the candy bits and is able to recognize what spells they could be used in and the effects they have, is that from studying magic a lot or is it like a natural identification ability/instinct that she has? thank you!! i hope you have a good day :)

oh thats a great question actually!!!! it comes from studying!!!!

as a kid she was already trying to be a very diligent witch-to-be!! she would spend a lot of time with her mom while she was making spells, so between reading a lot of spellbooks + hanging out when her mom was making potions + wanting to be like her mom, shes good at spotting things that could be used in spells even from an early age!!

(that being said, as a kid she still messed up a lot on the right ingredients. shed bring home random items and be like "I got us spell ingredients!!" and tiramisu would be like "Oh!! Thanks sweetie!!" and didnt have the heart to tell her that whatever she brought home was some useless piece of grass or something jkldj)

[bmpmp3]

vaguely speculating on the vocal synthesis industry like its fantasy football completely unprompted: if somehow either synthv or cevio managed to get a hold of nurse robo type t for a commercial AI voicebank i think that would usher in her era fully. we're already basically there with how much her talk banks and occasionally her utau banks are used in so many songs..... i keep saying this but i think the nurse robo era is nigh..........

[toothworxx]

you wake up, you look in the mirror, the face you see is not yours- your hair is the wrong color, your limbs feel all wrong- but you recognize yourself in those eyes- "this isnt real" everyone tells you- "thats not you" you look at the self in your mind and its oh so clear- thats you, youve been here, thats always been you "youre not acting yourself" but are you not another self than the one they last met? that wasnt you- thatll never be you- their voice sounds like "you" their face looks like "you" but that wasnt you- this body is wrong this body is wrong this body is wrong- your life is different- different world different friends different people different place and time and rules- you know who you were you know you know but its "wrong"- you try to change you try to be seen in a way where others will understand you but it always falls short- you fall back into old habits- the way you speak is so uniquely your own and not that of the others... the way you act speaks of a self youve long since tried to look past- the way you are- you will always be yourself- always always always no matter who believes you, you will always be you- and thats not "wrong", is it?

[todayisafridaynight]

So Allegedly Infinite Wealth is 100 hours... not that you can't already spend that long on the games if you really want to, but I'd say it's the first time that could be said to be the base experience rather than a time only hardcore completionists are likely to get.

Yokoyama was talking at length about wanting to make the game worth the price tag since the team is incredibly conscious about the value of the players' time and money. They essentially feel they owe players ten times what they paid, so they're aiming for "an enjoyable 100 hours, but also an unforgettable 100 hours."

If they pull it off, I personally think it'd be 100% worth it and not just a "well other studios are doing it so we can get away with it too" price hike... I'm at least happy to know that's not the intent, and I'm intrigued to see how everything pans out and what the ratio is between story and side content

oh yayaya i saw that article this morning!!! 100 hours is actually so unfathomable to me in terms of an rgg game- i mean y7 was At Minimum around 45~50 hours but when i think of other RPGS that easily dip into 70's and 100's of hours, i'm not too surprised to see LAD start to climb towards those numbers now. it'd be such a jump in rgg's terms tho, so i'm TRULY curious to see where the nearly doubled gameplay hours comes from..

i really appreciate yoko's respect not just to RGGS but also to its customers: they want to make a great product, but they also don't want to sacrifice what they want to do to do that in the process

[kangpingyu]

why is gif making becoming a lost art in fandom spaces

[gifti3]

so yea running servers isnt like a cheap thing is what ive been learning these past couple weeks

[freyjuseggr]

teehee religious crisis time again :)

[catboybrain]

sniffles sadly. every day im so sad that fnaf didnt go with placing vanny into aftons role.... god forbid women do anything ! ! !

[dolokhoded]

mel c magdalene made me realize what was missing from my magdalene design and it's that she's not fucking jacked. it's crucial to her character