#shape of petals

[hinamie]

corvidae

[confused-reading-ink-rat]

Wicked AU where there is a mark of your soulmate on your skin, and it becomes an outline when they die. 

It was one of the most exciting days in Shiz University. It was the day that marks would appear on your skin, and you'd finally meet your roommate. 

The air was charged with tension, people dolling themselves for the possibility of meeting their soulmates, couples breaking up left and right, or exchanging vows, sometimes even simultaneously. It was complete social chaos. Some opportunist students were even selling snake oil cures to make the marks appear faster. Shiz really does make the dull think sharp, even if it’s for quick coin.

Galinda heard that a select few somewhat worked. But she didn't trust the rumors, especially on a day like this? She had to admit she was tempted, but her reputation had to be preserved.

Ah, Galinda Upland. She tucked a stray golden curl behind her ear and smiled at her audience, giving them their favourite show, her. 

She strode through the halls with exercised confidence radiating off her effortlessly, with Pfanne and ShenShen flanking her from behind. In truth, she was a nervous wreck inside. Her bones rattled uncontrollably inside her body, as if they'd rather crawl out from beyond the flesh and form a xylophone than deal with every what-if her half-functioning brain was churning out in her head. 

Oh, but she was perfectly fine. 

Perfectly, absolutely fine. 

(Meanwhile...)

Elphaba Thropp was tired, was soulmates the only thing on everyone's mind today? Well, the professors also extended the deadline for most of their assignments, so she couldn't really blame them when even the school encouraged them. It was the day, after all, it appeared she was the only one who didn't care for it. She avoided the crowds of students with ease, as they already gave her a wide berth. It wasn't difficult to get away from everyone when they were also trying to get away from you. 

She wasn't sharing the tense and hopeful feelings the rest of the student body was drowning in. No, she had long given up on a soulmate, believing herself to be part of the small percentage of Oz that didn't have one. It was much easier that way. Much better than holding out hope that maybe, someone out there would see beyond the green. 

She shook her head, freeing herself from the thought. She just needed to get away today, right now everyone's too busy fussing over themselves to taunt her, Oz knows how long that would last. She rounds a corner, and of course, the Universe decides that then. She just had to see Galinda Upland today. Had to see her skipping along the halls without a care in the world, bragging about how she's so confident that she'd meet her soulmate today and they'd accept her immediately, rambling on about how happy she'd be when they meet. Elphaba can't help but roll her eyes at the delusions, no one fell for someone that fast, but this was Galinda Upland. She did her best to ignore the blonde, moving on. She had better things to worry about anyways. 

She didn't, but she wasn't about to admit that to herself. 

She strolled past her as well and straight ahead, hoping to hide herself and get lost in the nooks and crannies of Shiz University before everyone realizes she's gone. They won't. No one ever comes looking for her anyways. 

Maybe to hide from herself too, and the ache of possibly having no one in her life that would want her.

Galinda paced in her shared dorm room, as she had been for the past hour already. She had assured Pfanne, ShenShen and the whole student body that her soulmate mark was just taking its sweet time to get to her, time makes the heart grow fonder after all. She wasn't sure if that was meant to ease everyone's concern or her own. It should be here by now. 

She stared at her reflection in her vanity, daring it to change something, anything. But still, nothing. No mark on her skin, no colorful reminder, none. She jumped out of her seat in frustration, muttering curses as she threw herself onto bed. 

Maybe she was a late bloomer, she had to be. Oh, yes that'd be horrendible but there was no way she had no soulmate! What would everyone think?! Oh how miserable she would be! Well not really, there were plenty of eligible soulmate-less bachelors all over Oz vying for her hand. Maybe she could form an artificial bond, oh Oz, that was desperate, but everyone needs a back-up plan— 

Galinda froze, feeling the skin just below her ear start to tingle. She hurriedly sat herself in front of her mirror, eagerly staring at her reflection, waiting for the colors to mark her body. 

As the door opened and her roommate invited herself inside, Galinda stared in disbelief. 

A simple green poppy with heart-shaped petals. 

Then, Galinda spoke in a soft tone she didn't know she could say with the name she had laced with malice so many times slipped out of her lips. 

"Elphaba.”

Next part here !

[sskk-manifesto]

People weren't kidding btw they did unapologetically use all of this season budget on the old men yaoi

[integrity-souls]

Did i ever post these floweys... No i dont think so

[sysig]

Keep up your sunny smile, it attracts customers (Patreon)

[racoonstudies]

31-12-2024

Had a photoshoot day in snow at the farmhouse 🤍🤍

[tunamayojazz]

mi corazon

[ryllen]

Book 5, chapter 53 - Appreciating Heights

[umbracirrus]

Felt the compulsion to draw Elyse in a modern outfit-!! There are two versions, mostly because I couldn't make my mind up over whether she would be wearing glasses or not! Even made a little effort for some shading.

[wizard-eater]

Brushing your teeth because I caught a wiff of your breath with my nonexistent nose so it's toothbrush and mouthwash time eater

Do you truly hate the scent of roses that much? Rotted, yes, a smell thick and sweet enough to choke on. But roses nonetheless.

[bloomingpaint]

[hinamie]

shows up a day early with a nobara birthday tribute

[confused-reading-ink-rat]

(Snippet from the previous part:)

Galinda froze, feeling the skin just below her ear start to tingle. She hurriedly sat herself in front of her mirror, eagerly staring at her reflection, waiting for the colors to mark her body. 

As the door opened and her roommate invited herself inside, Galinda stared in disbelief. 

A simple green poppy with heart-shaped petals. 

Then, Galinda spoke in a soft tone she didn't know she could say with the name she had laced with malice so many times slipped out of her lips. 

"Elphaba."

—————

Elphaba stood there, blinking in confusion. Galinda looked away from the mirror on her vanity, turning to her with soft eyes, looking at her almost longingly, like she was something to be missed. Of course, it wasn’t, at least that’s what she told herself.

“Elphaba.” The blonde repeated, whispering softly as if she was talking to a frightened child. She was, in a way, young Elphaba would have rejoiced at the tone her name was being called. However, the current Elphaba remained frozen and confused. 

The first time could have been an accident, a slip-up, Galinda Upland wouldn’t be caught dead calling her name like that. In truth it probably was a mistake, taking Galinda’s shock when she heard herself. But here she was, doing it again, and consciously? Why, she feared her roommate might have actually lost it. What she would have thought if she ever truly believed the girl had it in the first place.

“Galinda.” She echoed, keeping her tone as dry as possible. She felt a tingle just below her ear, something that called for her attention. She brushed it off as she walked to her part of the room. She kept her attention on her tasks, swiftly fixing her drawers with her books and limited school supplies. Even occasionally walking across the room to organize her very few possessions. She hardly changed anything, but she had to move.

Galinda stared at her the whole time, her eyes tracking every movement, glazing over little details. There was something in her gaze that Elphaba couldn’t quite read, and she prides herself in being able to read people easily. It was a very usefull skill when everyone only looked at you in disdain, but she soon learned ther were nuances to that disdain. That was the only reason she knew of any other emotion, Dulcibear tried to teach her, but she was a bear and only knew so much of human expressions. Where was that skill when she most needed it? She’s had people stare before, different muddled gazes of disdain, fear, confusion, amusement, and if she's lucky, intrigue. Intrigue but not in a way one would show a person they want to mingle with, but intrigue the same one holds for study, for an exceptionally rare insect they were fascinated by.

Elphaba Thropp had people stare at her, her whole life was filled with strange looks and barely-hidden disgust.

But she had never been stared at like this, she doesn't recognize this.

This was something different, something new.

And she hated it.

She hated she couldn't understand it. She'd always been that way with things she didn't understand.

Eventually, Elphaba had enough, no, more than enough.

She turned her gaze to Galinda, silently hoping a glare would communicate enough and she’d stop staring at her in that way. But instead she did something Elphaba never and couldn't have expected, because of course she did. She always did.

“We’re soulmates.” the blonde whispered gently, then gave her a small but sincere smile. She spoke softly as if she’d just shared her heart’s deepest secret, their deepest secret. One that was just between the two of them. If that's what's this is, Elphaba intended to keep it that way.

“Excuse me?” Elphaba asked harshly, she feared her tone was a lot more accusatory than necessary, it was. She saw it in the way Galinda’s expression fell. The way her soft smile was wiped from her face almost immediately.

Disappointment, Elphaba thought.

Disappointment, Galinda’s mind echoed. But not in Elphaba, but herself, Oz knows how many horrendible things she's done to the poor girl. The words slipped out before she can register what she’s saying, but that seemed to be the theme of the night, wasn’t it?

“I’m sorry.”

Gentle, apologetic, and most of all, sincere.

Elphaba stared at her as if she had gone and did three cartwheels, professed herself enemy of the state, then had tea with a tiger. Galinda isn’t sure what conjured the imagery that passed through her head just now, mad would have sufficed. Maybe she was mad. She chose to blame it on the exhilaration of finding her soulmate. And the bewilderment of who it was.

“We’re soulmates.” Elphaba muttered, not loud, but loud enough for Galinda to hear what she was saying. 

Galinda nodded in reply, but she wanted to do more. So she spoke, “Yes, we are.” she affirmed.

“This,” The green girl stepped forward, each step calculated and measured, as if entering a predator’s territory. “Changes nothing.”

The Gillikinese girl stares at her and nods. Elphaba stares back, trying to decipher the unreadable expression in her eyes and failing. 

“I’m sorry,” She whispered again helplessly.

“Sorry? Of course you’re sorry.” The sad, angry, and bitter part of Elphaba reared its ugly head, she hardly lost control nowadays, and she hasn’t since arriving at Shiz. Years of bullying and being neglected can do that to you. She hardly lost control, but that didn’t mean she didn’t.

“You’re only sorry because I’m your soulmate.” she hissed, clenching her fists. “If I wasn’t, you would keep throwing insults left and right! You'll keep calling me names, artichoke, green bean- you’d keep interrupting me like I had nothing important to say, ostracizing me like I didn't belong. Alright, maybe I didn't!" Maybe she was projecting far too much, but the moment she lost control, it was impossible to get it back. "And I can deal with that, I always have! Insults, social isolation, I had that and more. But you didn't have to go so far as to start destroying my things!” she uttered the last sentence with more conviction than intended.

She hardly had any possessions to begin with, much less at Shiz, and certainly very few compared to Galinda’s mountain of souvenirs from home. So the very little she had, she cherished. From the small notes in pieces of paper and parchment she took in class to the books borrowed from the library and down to her black dyed school uniform and prestigious magick volumes and spells. 

And to have them trashed? Destroyed? For what? Because others couldn’t believe she was on top of the class? Because she was the only one in Madame's Morrible’s Sorcery class? Because she was green? That was too much, even for her.

“Doing what?” Galinda asked, her own fists clenching. She stood up abruptly, her eyes boring into Elphaba’s. Had she been unaware? Elphaba blinked, her composure faltering before she remembered what she was talking about.

"What?" Oh great, Elphaba thought to herself. Now that she no longer had rage to pull from, she had shrank back to her old self. She had run out of resolve and didn't quite know how to respond.

“Do you not- today, someone dumped their coffee on my notes. It’s not all gone, nothing a drying spell wouldn’t fix-” She doesn’t know why she’s downplaying it, especially when it's something that hurt hernso badly. Yet something told her that the anger in Galinda’s eyes is dangerous, and she had to distract her from it as soon as possible.

“Also, you did bully me and loathe me for my whole stay up since the start of the school year.” she reminded the blonde.

A moment of uncomfortable silence passed.

“I’m sorry.” Galinda repeated, her anger melting back into apology.

“You sound like a broken record.” More poison than necessary.

Galinda stiffened.

Then, as Elphaba began to walk back to her bed when the girl added, “I’ll take care of them.” 

She almost felt bad for the victim of Galinda’s wrath, but you know what? They deserve it. 

She does not see the mark behind her ear, the pink reflection of Galinda's own mark.

She doesn't have to.

She knows Galinda is her soulmate.

It's just a question if Elphaba would let herself be Galinda's.

(Part 2?)

To the people who commented they wanted more;

@nether2010

I unfortunateky can't seem to tag kekescalope

Shout out to the anon who asked me about this earlier today!

Part 1 : Here

[premamelody]

flour

[puppppppppy]

valentines day pkmn wip ^_^

[ughworstever]

Gatlinburg, Honeymoon Love Cabins♥