#three houses cast album!!!!!!!!

[pardonmydelays]

new dave malloy we're all gonna die

[wutheringhestia]

last things game

tagged by @threetrenchcoatsinatrenchcoat <3

last song: good years - cynthia ruth

favourite colour: the specific gold the sun makes when it hits my kitchen wall in the evening

last book: angela davis - an autobiography

last movie: my old ass (made me weep. highly recommend)

last tv show: doctor odyssey (incredibly earnest and surprisingly camp cruise ship medical drama. they’re doing throuples on network television now. phillipa soo is there)

sweet/spicy/savoury: savoury

relationship status: professional at telling my friends I love them

last thing I googled: rubble kings (documentary)

current obsessions: warriors concept album continues to consume 95% of my thoughts. getting better at identifying local bird species. the characters from my novel which currently only exist in my head and the heads of my friends. iwtv. critical role is always lurking in there somewhere

looking forward to: my friends and I being on campus together for the first time since 2019 <3 joining the disability collective, and possibly organising some butchfemme events for the queer collective. nasal covid vaccines! finally reading the locked tomb books this summer. roddacember. beach date with a beloved friend

tagging @downsleeplessroads @mynamesdrstuff @roadtohell @froggymuffins if you feel like it xx

[fandom]

Top 23 of 2023

Have you been aching to get your hot little hands on 52 weeks of data around original posts, likes, reblogs, and searches, all weighted and ranked and tied up into categories with a nice little bow on top? Well, today’s your day! It should come as no surprise that Artists on Tumblr reign supreme: from stunning traditional art, jaw-dropping digital art, fanart, sculptures, textile art—you name it, basically—this year’s list shows that Tumblr truly is the home for art and artists. Thank you, Artists on Tumblr, for enriching our dashboards day after day. 

Rounding out the top three, we have two iconic shows: Good Omens is live-action, and The Owl House is animated, but both have a heck of a love story at their core. The second season of Good Omens blessed us with not one but two ineffably exquisite ships, while the final season of The Owl House broke and then healed fans’ hearts in equal measure. Thanks, @danaterrace! Actually, come to think of it, the Good Omens finale kinda did the same in reverse. Thanks to you, too, @neil-gaiman! We can’t wait for season 3. 

Speaking of heartbreak and healing, Our Flag Means Death’s second season offered both in droves. The entire cast gave stellar performances, and fans couldn’t have been happier to see the kinds of representation the show displayed. Last year’s #1 topic, Stranger Things, may have dropped a bit, but trust us, you wouldn’t know it from the amount of meta, fanart, and fics in the tag. And did you hear about the live-action adaptations of both The Last of Us and One Piece? They were a preeeetty big deal this year, too. Check ‘em out if you haven’t yet (lol, of course you have). And we’d be remiss not to mention the hugely dedicated fans, fanartists, and fic writers devoting their time to all things Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Y’all deserve a little pizza, as a treat.

2023 was also a year for blockbuster movies, which of course hasn’t escaped anybody’s notice here on Tumblr. Barbie smashed box offices worldwide and left us reeling with every re-watch. How can one describe Greta Gerwig’s pink-filled opus? It certainly is one of the movies of all time. Meanwhile, with its incredible animation and soundtrack, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse introduced us to a whole new multiverse of Spider-People, opening the portal to a veritable flood of incredible OCs. And then, of course, we got a fresh perspective on an old classic when cinephiles introduced Martin Scorscese’s cinematic masterpiece, Goncharov (1973), to a new generation of film aficionados who resoundingly agree that it is, in fact, the greatest mafia movie ever made. We’re so glad this underrated film finally got the acclaim it has long deserved.

In the realms of gaming and tech, the long-anticipated Baldur’s Gate 3 has basically become everyone’s new favorite D&D/dating sim combination. Of course, the Pokémon franchise, games, shows, and Hatsune Miku collabs remain perennial favorites. Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter, sorry, we mean of course X, made waves across the internet. Similarly, the Reddit blackout drove Redditors to new venues, and Tumblr users welcomed the folks from r/196 with open arms—we’re huge fans of your memes, y’all, and you fit right in. Welcome, we’re glad you enjoy the chaos. Here’s a fun fact: if we included post metadata in Year in Review rankings, #polls, introduced in January of 2023, would have been the #5 topic on Tumblr this year. Phenomenal. 

And, oh right. Taylor Swift had kind of a big year, what with the albums, the epic global tour, and the movie and stuff. Fantastic work, @taylorswift, the Swifties on Tumblr thank you for everything.

This is Tumblr’s Year in Review.

Artists on Tumblr

Good Omens

The Owl House

Barbie

Pokémon

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Critical Role

Goncharov

Taylor Swift

Genshin Impact

Stranger Things

The Last of Us

Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Elon Musk

196

Star Wars

Our Flag Means Death

Crowley | Good Omens

LGBTQ

Cottagecore

Baldur's Gate 3

One Piece

Aziraphale | Good Omens

[hunnylagoon]

Right Where You Left Me

Pt1: Coming Down With Me

Ellie Williams x reader

I once met a girl with skin like kiwi. Even the butterflies were drawn to her, landing on the top of her nose, the dip in her palm. But the kiwi stung my tongue, scarred my lips and made me bleed. I do not care. Cover me in your kiwi kisses, burn my mouth and scar my flesh. Bleach my eyes and dip my heart in lemon juice. Sing your sickly sweet words until my ears bleed.

Premise: You and Ellie were childhood best friends until you grew up. Funny thing about soulmates is that they tend to find their way back to each other.

Warnings: Angst / reader has religious issues / people are mean lol / best friends to enemies to lovers / roommate! Ellie

Part two here!

Part three here!

Part four here!

I know everything about you,

You know everything about me.

I had always been bound to the earth while Ellie danced with the stars in the night sky among delusion and dreams. Though, more so than anything, we were bound to one another.

Our parents were friends, even before we were born. They met at summer camp when they were teenagers, the same camp that Ellie and I were eventually shipped off to every summer. Of course, I have no recollection of when I was an infant, only stories that my parents shared with me; My dad told me that I learned to crawl backwards before I learned to crawl forwards. Joel kept a photo album of his girl.

I can't remember days of crawling around and babbling incoherently, but I can tell you what I remember.

Five years old- Kindergarten

Despite the air being unbearable hot, it was infused with excitement as Ellie and me set foot in the petting zoo. I had never seen so many animals in one place, my little brain was going nuts. Accompanied by the gentle hum of content animals, the aroma of straw, and the distant melody of joyful chatter, the petting zoo rang true to its rustic charm.

Ellie, with her auburn curls bouncing in the breeze, led the way, her eyes widened at the sight of a fluffy alpaca lazily grazing in the sunshine. I giggled as we approached a pen filled with adorable piglets, their tiny snouts sniffing the pure air far away from the dirty stench of the city.

Our parents, watching with affectionate smiles, guided us to the lamb enclosure where soft, woolly creatures nuzzled against tiny palms. Ellie's fingers gently traced the contours of a lamb's ear, and she couldn't resist a delighted squeal as she felt the velvety nose of a goat.

As the afternoon sun cast a warm glow on the scene, the families strolled through the meandering paths, passing by a pond where ducks quacked merrily. Ellie and I, hand in loveable hand, marvelled at the wonders of the animal kingdom, our hearts brimming with the pure joy of discovery and a blooming friendship.

Seven years old- Grade Two

On this particular day, Ellie and I had been messing around in her backyard; that's all we did on the weekends at that age, you couldn't get us to go inside. We spent the morning entwined in daffodils and hyacinth that Joel has so tenderly nurtured, careful not to crush the dainty flowers beneath our wild flailing bodies. 

We had the brilliant idea to paint rocks so we had been searching her yard for the perfect flat stones we had in mind. Ellie picked up a rock and immediately threw it back down, jumping away with a shriek.

This had piqued my curiosity (As well as Joels who sat on the back porch, watching us), I went over to where she stood petrified and found nothing more than a little snake staring up at her. I dropped the stones I had been carrying and bent over to get a better look at it, it was brown and had a few white vertical stripes cascading up its thin body. 

I slowly moved my hand outwards to touch but was swiftly interrupted by Joel scooping me up "That's enough of that kiddo." 

Nine years old- Grade Four

Joel's house garnered an expansive backyard and just past the old fence that Ellie and I had thrown one too many softballs at was a lush forest. I would always clamour up the wood fence and poke my little head over it to try and gather a glimpse of wildlife, Ellie usually had to give me a little boost. "Hold still!" She hissed with her arms wrapped around my torso to help lift me, my scrawny arms shook as I tried to pull myself up even further.

The wood rot of the ancient fence finally set in and with the both of us pressing our mighty weight against it collapsed with the fence. We heard the splitting of wood, I got the worst end of the stick, toppling over and putting my hands out to protect myself. I could've sworn that I heard my wrist break like a crunch.

While I did what felt like a three-sixty frontflip over the fence just for my small head to come down on the end of it with a solid smack, Ellie had just flopped on top of it, green eyes widening in shock when she saw my once straight arm now had an abnormal bump coming out from my wrist. "What's wrong with your hand?"

"I don't know I'm probably dying!" I screamed as loud as my voice could carry, that was the first time I had felt adrenaline run through my veins. "You killed me!"

"No, I didn't!" She retorted, scrambling off the fence and back up to her feet. She was clad in a Jurassic Park T-shirt that she practically was swimming in and those pink and orange plaid Bermuda shorts that any kid in the 2000s owned. "Dad!" Ellie yelled, calling for Joel.

I felt the tears welling up in my eyes and finally, I released the sob that had been building up in my throat. She was almost dumbstruck and just ended up kneeling and wrapping her arms around me in a hug.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to." She muttered.

10 years old- Grade Five

Ellie had been practicing guitar the entire time I was at her house, Joel had gifted her his old guitar and she was so set on perfecting every cord, every half-hour she would ask for a song recommendation and then flip through the songbook she got to find it.

I was curled up in her bed reading The Hunger Games over again "Els, are you team Peeta or Gale?" I was always at Ellie's house, mine was too busy all the time; I had three siblings, Naomi and Aaron who were twins and two years younger than me and my brother Elijah who was three years older than me. I loved going to her house on Saturdays so I could sleep in and wriggle my way out of going to church. Even though her house was right across the street from mine and my parents would bang on Joel's door, he always covered for me.

"Uh," She was distracted by something in her songbook "Team Katniss?"

I nod in approval to myself as she isn't paying attention "You know who Gale reminds me of?" I ask and without Ellie giving me a response I answer anyway "Luke, I think I kind of like him."

Those are the words that get her to look at me "Ew, he's so weird."

"He's nice to me."

She wrinkles her nose in distaste then shrugs, returning to her guitar which sits awardly in her scrawny frame.

12 years old- Grade Seven

"Fuck!" I yell, kicking the grimy green dumpster in the graffiti-covered ally out of anger, though I kicked it a little too hard now my foot hurts I refuse to admit it "Fuck I hate them!"

Ellie leans against the brick wall on the opposite side of the alley, our bikes discarded on the ground while I hopelessly rant to my friend about my parents. She doesn't say much, just little nods of agreement. My parents had caught me skipping church and they laid into me, saying that I had no respect for them or god and whether that was true or not didn't matter, I was full of pre-teen angst and needed to call my friend to go for a bike ride around town.

"She fucking tore my room apart, I never see them get mad at Aaron or Naomi!" I drag my hands down my face before I look back at the dumpster and kick it again "Ow, cunt!" I'm now hopping on one foot while my knee bends my other leg and I hold my beaten red Converse, covered in doodles, to soothe the pain of my poor toes. It's moments like this that remind me why I love Ellie, because as stupid as I look hobbling around and cussing, she doesn't laugh at me even though I know she wants to.

After a little bit of me aimlessly yelling I finally wind down. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, trying to remember those breathing exercises that we were taught at school assemblies. "Thanks for listening to me talk shit, I'm sorry."

"Don't be," She shrugs "I've seen you do worse."

This cracks a smile on my face, I turn my head and am met with the Jackson skyline, a beautiful pink sunset on the horizon "Sun's setting," I say.

"Sleepover?" Ellie asks.

"Sleepover," I confirm.

13 years old- Grade Eight

We were thirteen when our parents shoved cash into our hands and dropped us at the mall to go back to school shopping by ourselves for the first time. Every parent's nightmare was a busy mall so when they figured us old enough to venture into the dreaded foodcourt on our own, believed they were taking that opportunity. 

Ellie had bought a couple of T-shirts and hoodies here and there, not too particular about what she was buying, though I was very nit-picky over what I wore so I forced Ellie to judge every single outfit that I wore and rate it, she gave the same answer every single time "It looks fine."

"Cool but I don't wanna look fine, I wanna look pretty," I say in frustration, walking back into the dressing room to try on another outfit. Ellie is sitting in the fitting room on a pink velvet couch, arms crossed and waiting for me to finish. "How's this?" I ask, walking out of the changing stall and giving her a little twirl.

"It looks fine- I mean good, everything looks good on you." She sounds almost exasperated. Ellie's hair was still that vibrant auburn colour that my mother was obsessed with, it had yet to fade out into a duller brown with age.

"Really?" I perk up just the slightest.

"Yeah, you look really pretty." She gives me a little nod of confirmation. I know that she's only saying that because she wants to go to the food court and get a cinnamon bun but I believe her anyway.

14 years old- Grade Nine

We were just nearing the end of the second half of our soccer game. It was the tournament and we were only a point away from placing first in the league, the thought of it had kept me up all week I was running off of Subway sandwiches and Gatorade. 

Riley (the midfielder) swiftly passed the ball to me before she was surrounded by the other team's defence, I looked up to the clock and there were only seconds left in the match. I let my instincts take over, my parents forcing me into soccer since elementary school was not going to wind up useless. My footwork took me up the right wing just before the penalty box. 

I wasn't paying enough attention to notice the tall blonde girl in a slick back ponytail closing in on me. I hear Ellie shout my name and that's all I need to make this last pass, I barely even looked up before power-driving the ball to Ellie who was merely six metres away from me. I slipped onto the muddied field with that kick, watching Ellie waste no time to score our final goal the second her cleat touched the ball. 

The clock deadlocks and I drag myself off the ground running towards my best friend, I jump on her almost taking her down with me though she manages to steady herself. "I fucking love you!" I scream hugging her with all of the force I can muster. She hugs me in return, unable to get any words out between her laughs. The team is quick to swarm us, everyone is shouting about our well-deserved victory but not one person is louder than Joel in the stands.

15 years old- Grade Ten

Snow was falling as I stood in the foyer of the high school, still waiting for my date for the winter formal to arrive. Conner had asked me out weeks ago, we hadn't talked much since though I just figured that was because he was shy. I even left school early to get ready and spent hours meticulously pinning every hair into place and adjusting my navy blue satin dress so it would drape across my body in just the right way.

My sister, Naomi was an aspiring makeup artist so I let her dust my eyelids in silver glitter, I forced Warren to drive me. All of that was just for me to get stood up. Conner hadn't texted me all day, I knew he wasn't coming that didn't stop me from forcing denial on myself. "Hey," I heard a soft voice sound behind me, I wasn't surprised to see Ellie. Even though our parents were no longer friends, we were close as ever.

"Hi," My voice was hushed and feeble.

"The dance started an hour ago," She said, that night she had been wearing a white button-up with a pair of jeans and her hair half up. It was clear the dance wasn't as big a deal to her as it was to me. All she had done was ask Riley to go with her and call it a day. Despite her lack of effort, she looks beautiful as ever "I don't think he's coming," She said bluntly.

That's the exact moment I felt myself crack, tears welled up in my eyes and I lurched forward to hug her, flailing my arms helplessly to search for comfort "Then why did he ask me to go with him?" My sobs were drowned out by the sound of Kesha blasting in the overcrowded gym.

"I don't know, but he's an idiot for standing you up," Ellie holds me close and I never want her to let go "I wouldn't have ever done that to you."

16 years old- Grade Eleven

This is where things begin to fall apart. I found Ellie on the back porch of some random guy's house at a party. "I figured I would find you out here," I say, taking a seat next to her on the wooden steps, I hug my knees close to my chest.

"What's up?" Beside me, Ellie is unnervingly calm, she nurses a joint, taking a long hit and letting the smoke turn to clouds. 

"Conner kissed me," I say cutting to the chase

I can tell she doesn't like the thought, she hated Conner, ever since he stood me up at the winter formal but she bites her tongue "You guys gonna date?"

"I think so."

"Good for you."

"I don't know if I liked it," My eyebrows are furrowed, and I pull my knees in even further, inhaling the crisp autumn air and the smell of Ellie, she smells like cannabis, firewood and bar soap. 

"What do you mean?" Ellie puts out the end of her joint and tucks what remains of it into an empty Altoids container.

"Nothing," I dismiss it, "It doesn't matter, I just wanted to talk to you," Ellie had softened every burden for me since we were girls. "Um, so, my parents are sending me to boarding school next year."

"No, they're not-

"They are."

Ellie doesn't seem so calm anymore, she adjusts her body to face mine and she's so close I swear to god I could've counted every freckle on her face. "Why, what did you do?" The way she looks at me makes me wish that she was a boy.

"Nothing!" I retort "They think I'm straying from god, it's a Christian school." That was my code for 'they think I have a crush on you and I rather not get disowned by my super religious parents!'

"come stay with me and Joel-

"Ellie, please," I place a hand on her thigh "I don't think I can get away from this one."

That was at the end of September, it only got worse from there. I partially wished that I didn't tell Ellie that I had to leave, every time we hung out it just felt like words were hanging between us like birds on a wire and neither of us could say what we wanted. I forced myself to distance myself from her, I didn't know how else to handle my feelings. 

She would blow up my phone and come by my house even visit my work but I just told her that I was busy. I could tell that she didn't believe my excuses for a second, she had English with my new boyfriend, Conner and would get him to relay messages and notes to me.

It didn't get easier to ignore her, my family prying about where she had been. I never told my parents that Ellie was gay, though I know they had always had a suspicion and that's why they could never love her all the way completely, the way Joel loved me and looked out for me. My mom and dad liked that I swapped out Ellie for Conner, by February, my dad even started to call him son. 

In March Ellie and I had stopped talking completely, she gave up on texting me and coming by my house just for my siblings to lie about my whereabouts. It hurt to see the resentment gleam in her eye every time she passed me in the hallway. 

She didn't speak a word to me until the start of the summer bonfire which was custom in our town. If I had known she would be there I never even would have thought about going. I rather not rehash this awful night, not right now just know that it ended with some alcohol, a bit of blood in the sand and me telling Ellie 'I would pick him over you every single time.' Yikes, that's not a good look for me. I spent the rest of my summer burying her in the back of my mind until boarding school finally came upon me and I graduated with friends I didn't like in a place that didn't feel like home. 

I was sixteen then now I'm nineteen, no longer a girl but not yet a woman. Those were some key moments of our friendship. I'm not so sure why I felt so mature at the age of sixteen. I had taken a gap year and loved every minute of it, I backpacked in Australia, worked as a camp counsellor in the summer then left to work at a turtle conservatory in Bali, I was making pennies but the experience was worth it. 

I arrived at my new home sunkissed with Ellie far in the back of my mind. I didn't know much about who I would be rooming with, I had only spoken to Dina over a Zoom call who was a friendly girl with warm eyes and ink-black hair spilling over her shoulders. I just prayed that none of them were Craigslist killers.

It took me entirely too long to find parking, when I finally did, I grabbed two of my suitcases, unable to hold anything else, the rest of the boxes jammed into my car would have to wait. I read over the text that Dina sent me what seemed to be a million times to make sure I had the right address. It was a small-ish one-story flat with brown walls that had white accents along corners and the doorway with a wood-panelled gable roof. As far as college housing went, I was happy. It looked like something I would've made in the Sims when I was a teenager. 

I walk to the front door, the entrance is framed by intricately carved moulding, its details telling a story of craftsmanship and tradition. The wood, polished to a warm, inviting glow, exudes a sense of richness and history. I knocked on the door and heard a voice shouting that she would get it.

The door swings open and I'm met face to face with Dina "Hey!" She smiled "It's nice to meet you, I think you'll like it here," She held the door wide open, motioning for me to go in, and I obliged. "Let me give you a tour." Dina is clad in sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt and her hair has been pulled back into a messy ponytail.

The layout of the house seemed somewhat odd to me, there was a corridor straight ahead when you walked in, the first room was the laundry room and contained the washer and dryer with some hampers and shelves of detergent and laundry freshener. "This is the laundry room, we have a wash schedule along with a chore schedule so we will put you on that tonight," Dina told me, I just nodded politely in response feeling a little too awkward and out of place to say anything. 

"Alright so this is the kitchen, there's a half bathroom beside it," She says, swinging her arms wide open for exaggeration I can see the chore chart hanging on the walls, it's written in chalk, and it is the laundry schedule. There are little laminated tags with each person's name on them, though I can't quite make out the names from where I am standing. The fridge is covered in postcards, magazine cutouts, polaroids, and bright magnets of papayas and flowers, I automatically assumed this was Dina despite not knowing the other roommates. The kitchen is open with no walls to hide it, the oven and dishwasher are built into counters against the walls as well as the sink which i spotless at the moment, there isn't a dining table but a kitchen island with stools. Past the island you can see the living room, there are two grey couches with decorative pillows and fuzzy throw blankets, a coffee table that looked handcrafted with care and of course a TV. 

Have I mentioned there are plants everywhere? Like everywhere. "Okay, so," Dina keeps on moving and I trail behind with my suitcases, over there is my room and Cat's and Abby's," She points to the left of the living room where there is a short hallway with three doors, one on each wall of it. "There's Cat now," She waves at her roommate.

Cat is relatively tall, she has black hair that's tied into a bun, and she's wearing plaid pyjama pants and a black tank top, I can see her abundance of tattoos. She has one sleeve of laurel cascading up her arm and the other is patchwork done right, each separate piece blends almost seamlessly into the next. "I like your tattoos," I say, not wanting to sit in any more silence.

She grins at me "Thanks, love," I nod in response to her, Cat looks down at the suitcases that I'm lugging around "Dina, take this poor girl to her room already."

"I was just getting there," Dina teases and motions for me to follow her "So over here is the bathroom and of course your room, I left your copy of the house key on your mattress," She opens it up. The bedroom is completely blank aside from the boxed bedframe, shelf, vanity and mattress that I had to send over prior. There's a built-in closet in the wall. 

I put my suitcases on the ground "I'm gonna grab the rest of my stuff from my car," I offer up a tight-lipped smile.

"Wait a second," She takes my hand and then knocks on the bedroom door parallel to mine. "I'm coming in!" Dina announces pushing the door open, there's a brunette girl hunched over her desk. My breath hitches in my throat when she turns around "This is Ellie."

I can see the panic that momentarily takes over Ellie when she spots me before it's replaced by a false coolness, "Hey," She says before turning back to her laptop and putting her headphones back on. It felt like my heart had shut down, why the fuck did I sign the lease?

"Sorry," Dina shuts Ellie's door "She's not the friendliest of the bunch but she'll warm up to you eventually," Dina walks to the front door with you Abby should be around here somewhere."

I had gotten so frustrated trying to set up my bed frame that I sheepishly left my room and asked for help, god bless Abby. She was putting everything together so easily, I watched her in awe as she finished adding the final screw to my bedframe. "Want help setting up the mattress?"

"Yes, please," I say, I grab one end of the mattress while Abby gets the other, she tells me to lift on three and I listen, she carries the majority of the weight but it still feels like an accomplishment on my part. "So does everyone here go to Northridge?"

"Yeah, except for Cat, she's a tattoo apprentice."

"Cool, cool," I search for words, "What are you majoring in?"

"Kinesiology," It makes sense, I could've called that by looking at the fit gym rat who was now sitting on my bed. "You?"

"Wildlife biology,"

"So you like animals and conservation and stuff?"

"Mhm," I nod "It's honestly kind of hard to not have any animals in my life." I was missing all my pets back home, when I wasn't with them I was working at a conservatory or at a summer camp where I took care of all of the horses, and Ellie's dog, Achilles.

"You'll get used to it, living with Dina is the same thing as living with an animal," She smiles and for the first time, I feel comfortable. Abby watching me with her blue eyes as I begin to unpack my abundance of boxes, I kind of just dump everything onto the ground because I can't remember which box has what, the first thing I search for are my coat hangers. I dump out a box with a bible, wall cross, and rosery and golden cross necklace from a box of random knickknacks. "You religious?"

"Kind of?" I question it myself "Not really, it's just my family, I packed that stuff to make my mom happy."

Abby nods "I get it."

"You do?"

She backtracks "No, but I can try to."

I shake my head, "I wouldn't try if I were you, I spent nineteen years trying to get away from it." I was sure other Christian homes were healthy but mine wasn't one of them, the way my parents obsessed over Jesus was honestly frightening.

"Hey, do you wanna come watch a movie when your done unpacking?" Abby asked, "Get to know your new roommates a little better."

I don't entirely want to, I wasn't ready to talk to Ellie. I still hadn't wrapped my head around the fact that I was living with her and that she was pretending she didn't know me, despite this, my words betrayed me "For sure."

I sat on one of the couches beside Abby, I made myself as small as I could, thinking that maybe I could make myself disappear. Cat and Ellie crammed themselves on the other while Dina took the plush armchair. I felt so out of place everyone here had relationships, I had one with Ellie before I severed it 'Grown Ups' was playing on the flatscreen though it seemed I was the only one paying attention.

The four girls all laughed and talked their way through the movie, Abby, Cat, and Dina would ask me a question here and there but I didn't know them well enough to pitch in. I kept telling myself that I needed to push through, if Spiderman could do it, so could I.

I didn't even finish the movie, halfway through I excused myself saying I was tired which wasn't necessarily a lie. It was difficult to fathom how well Ellie was playing it off, acting like she never met me. I walk into the bathroom, clean towel in hand, ready to scrub off the stress of today. Beside the mirror, I see a cardstock poster decorated with bright markers and doodles.

HOUSE RULES

#1 No underwear left in the bathroom

#2 Wash your dishes

#3 Break it? Tell Abby

#4 No smoking inside

#5 Privates are private!

#6 Pls don't drink and drive (We have a couch)

#7 Give your beloved roommates a heads up before having someone over

#8 This is a residence of women so the seat goes down!!!

#9 Respect the bedrooms

#10 Having sex? Keep it quiet

#11 NO DRAMA!!!!!!!!

#12 Follow chore and wash chart

#13 Don't eat what's not yours! (Without asking)

I finish reading the last bit and mutter to myself  "Wasn't planning on it." I run the water so hot that it feels cold and I'm quick to not use all of the hot water and have my roommates hate me on my first night here. Everyone has their little drawers in the bathroom, mine is empty aside from some floss and cotton pads that the girl before me left behind. I make a mental note to make use of my bathroom drawer tomorrow and fill it with makeup remover or conditioner, or something like that.

Brushing my teeth and wrapping myself in a strawberry towel that I had purchased at a craft fair, I open the bathroom door, I can see the light of the TV and the sound of chatter from the living room. However, I ignore it and make a B-line to my bedroom. Even though I had spent hours unpacking and pinning up posters it still didn't seem homey.

I slip into shorts and a t-shirt, leaving my hair as is and throw myself onto my bed. My towel is discarded onto my bathroom floor. When I turn on my phone I am bombarded my messages from my parents, my mother has probably sent me twelve Google pins to the closest churches, I answer her with a thumb-up emoji and settle into my bed to scroll through social media and see how much fun all of my friends are having. 

Fucking Ellie. She's plaguing my thoughts, I think of what I said to her and it makes me cringe, I want to smother myself with my satin pillow. I don't even have food to eat, grocery shopping wasn't something that I put on my priority list and right about now I was but Ellie, god, why was I such a dick? Because I didn't know what else to do- whatever, I was a scared teenager. What would you have done? Probably kiss her you lesbo.

Lord, it makes me sick to think about what could've been.

15 years old- Grade Ten

Ellie and I were sitting at a fire pit at her uncle Tommy's lake house. It was a Fourth of July party except we were the only teenagers there; everyone else was friends of Tommy and Maria or some distant relatives of Ellie's or children of said people.

After five years of practicing day and night, Ellie had just about mastered the acoustic guitar, she played and I sang, wrapped up in her flannel, I was tucked close next to her. 

She struck every cord perfectly and I began to sing absentmindedly, the song that had been carved into my brain. Ellie looked so insanely beautiful illuminated only by fire and the stars that hung in the sky, if it hadn't been a sin I would've kissed her.

Talking to her felt as holy as praying to god but I knew it was as sinful as worshipping the devil. 

If it was so wrong why was I born in God's image?

Her gentle hand strummed on the chords of the guitar, the same calloused hand that had once turned water into wine. Her laughter was the sound of a church choir 

I wish I told her how much I liked her but what would've happened if I did? What would my parents think, they would kill me. 

Part of me didn't care how my parents would react, if I spoke up, I could say goodbye to my inheritance and having college paid for. Maybe that was an unfair assumption to make on my part. Ugh. FUCK, I don't know, let's get to the next part of the story.

I couldn't sleep that night, I thought maybe a glass of water would soothe me, well I didn't really think that but I was hungry and thirsty and water was the only thing in that house I had the right to ingest. I figured that I could fill myself with water and zip to Denny's in the morning then grab some groceries.

Poking my head out of my door, I checked to see if anyone was still awake before gingerly taking hushed steps towards the kitchen, I was trying to be as light as Thumbelina. I hadn't noticed Ellie bumming on the couch, scrolling through her phone. 

"You cooking all of that non-existent food you brought?" She jeered. Oh, now she wanted to talk to me.

"I was gonna have some warm water soup for dinner and chew on pistachio shells from the cup holder in my car for dessert," I answer "I'm treating myself tonight." She didn't think it was funny at all, a few years ago she would've been cackling at my subpar joke, but now she just seemed unamused. "Sheesh, tough crowd."

She stays silent.

"You used to think I was funny," I say.

"I also used to think the tooth fairy was real."

"Harsh," I mutter. Turning the tap on and sticking a finger underneath it to test the temperature. I put my hummingbird mug underneath it and let it fill. "Hey, Ellie," She doesn't answer "Have you told them any bad things about me?"

She nearly scoffs "No, believe it or not, I don't talk about you, I don't even think about you," There's venom in her voice "You haven't crossed my mind since you walked through that door."

"Why are you pretending you don't know me-

"Because I don't fucking like you," She says it like it's so obvious and it honestly is in this moment "Just because you're pretty and you act like a sweet little Christain girl, that doesn't mean shit."

"I'm not trying to act like anything-

"Yeah, well it seems pretty insincere to me," Ellie seethed and I could feel a sting in my heart, I would do some pretty horrendous things for a time machine right about now.  I can tell that there won't be any salvaging for this, she hates me to death and rightfully so. 

This is where I give up "Okay, sorry," I grab my hummingbird mug and retreat to my room.

I endured four months of that.

Ellie was pushed to the back of my mind while I ran through classes and got a job as a waitress at a stake house. I did everything in my power to keep myself busy, to keep her out of my head but she was always there, she hung around like a song I can't shake, like I'm haunted by the melody. 

Some nights when the city decides to quiet down I can hear her play guitar, and I'll quietly hum along to it. Songs she used to sing for me, she now sings for another woman, another soul. I knew that she had girls over, but I never got to meet them as Ellie did everything in her power to pretend I didn't exist.

The only communication I got with her was in the roommate's group chat, and it was always brief.

Ellie: Having a friend over tomorrow night

D-manz: Friend? With benefits??????????

Kit-Cat: Nah they're hardly even friends, just benefits

Abs: Don't get her pregnant

Me: 👍

As long as I was with the girls, Ellie was not. She avoided me like the plague, it was like she despised my existence. If we go clubbing, she takes a separate taxi, petty if you ask me. The girls knew something happened between us but they couldn't pinpoint what it was. It was Dina's conspiracy that Ellie used to date one of my friends and broke her heart. While I bonded with Cat, Dina, and Abby, Ellie would pretend to like me. She would occasionally laugh at my jokes or ask how my shift was when Dina was in the room. 

Trust me when I say I would rather forget than dwell on it but it was impossible. I know that I'm nothing more than an obstacle to her, a stain on her bedsheets, a sore in her mouth, but she was still my diamond in the rough. I will willingly ignore all of her cutthroat words and her jagged edges. 

Because I know everything about us.

[devilfic]

bruce has a lot of capes. there's a crate full of them in the batcave because capes rip and he always ends up needing a new one every once in a while. he's got a few spares in the car but the Special Cape Crate is where it's at. at one point, you'd gone through it thinking it was where he kept his super top secret files (he'd asked you to look for him, you weren't just being nosy) only to find just a load of neatly folded capes. you take one for yourself when he's not looking.

you keep it folded up in your bedside drawer. sometimes when he's out, you unfold it and tie it around your neck, hopping up onto the furniture and pretending to be him. alfred has caught you a few times but has never said a word to bruce about it, even if he casts you secret smiles when bruce asks how your day has been.

one day, you wake up to find bruce missing from bed and can't be assed to look for clothes to put on, so you grab the cape and head down to the cave to check up on him. when he sees you, he raises an eyebrow, "is that my cape?"

"one of them. I stole it three months ago from your stash and you never noticed."

"I noticed."

"no, you didn't. you're just saying you did."

"I did notice. you only wear it when I leave the house."

you frown, "did alfred tell you?"

"I don't need alfred to tell me what happens when I'm gone. that's what the cameras are for."

turns out, bruce has a whole photo album on his phone full of screenshots of you running around the tower in his cape. a camera in the living room, a camera in the hallway, a camera in the kitchen, a few cameras in the cave...

you wrap the cape around bruce's shoulders, holding him from behind and hiding your face in his neck, "it's your fault for making these things so goddamn cozy. you should make me one of my own."

"mm, but I like seeing you wear my things."

[musicfranchisetournament]

propaganda under the cut !!

ensemble stars :

what can I say. it's the no.1 highest earning joseimuke of recent times for a reason. i wouldn't say it was the founding father of male idol franchises but it's undoubtedly important for them and the popularization of them. the characters are enjoyable and the story writing is (sometimes) done pretty nicely. when the songs hit well they hit GOOD. with a cast of over 50 characters you're pretty bound to find someone you'll enjoy, you know. there's a nice variation on unit archetypes that is great for music variation :]

There's just soo much happening in this goddamn idol thing I hope it loses bleehh

Idol game except the plot is NOT what you would expect of an idol game. Notably : murder, the War, vampires, and a guy who lives in the vents.

"oh it's just a silly little idol game" and then the silly little idol game has some of the craziest lore you've seen

milgram :

it's very cool and interesting !! idk !

SUCH a unique concept. I love it so much. Delivering insight into characters crimes and psyches through music?! Genius. And the music all slaps too. The VAs are all super talented, the voices all sound different from one another, and even when a character's music style switches between T1 and T2 to reflect their mental state, there are still things making it obvious it's the same character. Also the VA for Haruka (best character in MILGRAM) is the guy who voiced Linhardt (best character in hit turn-based strategy RPG Fire Emblem: Three Houses for the Nintendo Switch) in the JP soooo. Awesome and based, Fire Emblem fans vote for this one. (Also I think there's other overlap of VAs with Fire Emblem but like Natsuki Hanae has been in everything so of course there is)

genuinely so sooo interesting to me from a standpoint. not only is a franchise that runs and happens in direct response to what the fans decide to do with it but also the songs and mvs are sooo good and it's such a nice thing to see coming off of deco, feeling like a passion project with all the different song style and experimentation going on in them. ive been there since the beginnings and its a great feeling to see just how much everyone involved in the project be it art, music etc has improved. the moral experiment point of it is something very curious to follow for me and see people discussing their votes or takes on things as to why they voted for x thing or another is nice! the deco song remixes that always come with the characters album release are (mostly) fire too. milgram my best friend milgram

The songs are absolute bangers!! And each character is so compelling and it's really interesting to see how the audience's votes impact the story and the characters!

[astonishment-and-dread]

THREE HOUSES CAST ALBUM CONFIRMED!!!

🏠 🏠 🏠

[galaxysupreme17]

The Witches Road?

Y/n = Your Name

Alice Wu Gulliver x Fem!Harkness!Reader!

The morning sun filtered through the café windows, casting a warm glow over the mismatched wooden tables and chairs. Y/n stirred her latte absentmindedly, her French tip nails tapping against the ceramic cup in a steady rhythm. Across from her, Alice Wu Gulliver rolled her eyes so dramatically it was almost audible.

“I’m just saying,” Y/n began, a sly smile tugging at her lips, “Edge of Seventeen is untouchable. Stevie Nicks is a legend.”

Alice smirked, taking a slow sip of her coffee before responding. “I never said Stevie isn’t a legend, babe. I just said that Edge of Seventeen sounds like a bird stuck in a blender.”

Y/n gasped, clutching her chest like she’d been mortally wounded. “You did not just insult the White-Winged Dove herself, Gulliver!”

“Oh, I did,” Alice shot back, her voice dripping with mock defiance. “That ‘hoo-hoo-hoo’ part? It’s like she’s trying to summon an owl in distress.”

“You’re impossible,” Y/n huffed, leaning back in her chair. “Do you even have taste?”

Alice leaned forward with a grin. “Oh, I have taste, sweetheart. It just doesn’t involve pretending I’m in a 70s cult every time I listen to music.”

“Excuse me?” Y/n raised a perfectly arched brow. “Says the woman listening to lo-fi rain sounds like it's a Grammy-worthy album.”

“That’s called focus, dove,” Alice teased. “Some of us have to work hard for our genius, unlike you and your magic jazz hands.”

They both dissolved into laughter, drawing a few curious glances from the other café patrons.

As the laughter faded, Alice’s expression softened. “You ready for today, dove?” she asked, her tone losing its teasing edge.

Y/n exhaled, her fingers tracing the rim of her cup. “I think so. It’s just…it’s been three years, you know? Three years of her stuck in Westview, reliving someone else’s narrative.”

Alice reached across the table, her hand finding Y/n’s. “Hey, whatever happens, you’ve got me, always. You hear me, dove?”

Y/n looked up, her heart swelling with gratitude. “I know. Thanks, darling.”

Alice grinned, leaning back in her seat. “Now, if you could just promise not to blast Stevie on the drive, I’ll consider this morning a win.”

“No promises,” Y/n said, the spark returning to her eyes. “The White-Winged Dove flies free.”

Alice groaned, shaking her head with a smile. “I’m definitely hexing you next, dove.”

By the time they were back in Y/n’s car, the opening riff of Edge of Seventeen was blaring through the speakers. Alice groaned dramatically but didn’t reach for the volume knob, letting Y/n have her moment.

“You’re so lucky I love you,” Alice muttered, shooting her girlfriend a side-eye as Y/n tried (and failed) to mimic Stevie’s iconic wail.

“Luck has nothing to do with it,” Y/n gripped.

The car rolled to a stop in front of the mall, where Alice found a job. She leaned over, pressing a quick kiss to Y/n’s cheek before stepping out. “Drive safe, dove. And good luck with your mom.”

Y/n watched her disappear into the building, her heart feeling slightly lighter despite the day ahead. “Thanks, hunny,” she murmured to herself, cranking up the music as she pulled back onto the road. “You’ve got this.”

Y/n drove down the familiar street, softly humming to the radio as her fingers tapped rhythmically on the steering wheel. She slowed and parked in front of her mother’s house, only to freeze as her eyes locked on the front door—or what was left of it. It lay flat on the ground like a discarded welcome mat.

Her heart raced as she bolted up the driveway. Skidding to a stop, she stared at the door, her pulse thundering in her ears. Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside, her eyes darting toward the kitchen.

The kitchen was a disaster. Among the wreckage stood a teenage boy taped at the wrists, ankles, and mouth. He wriggled slightly but froze as Y/n approached cautiously. She ripped the tape from his mouth with a swift tug, earning a muffled yelp.

"Listen, kid," she began, her voice tight, "I'm trying not to assume the worst here. But the door’s gone, the kitchen’s trashed, my mother is missing, and you’re tied up. Care to explain?"

The boy barely opened his mouth before a loud crash echoed through the house. Footsteps followed, along with muffled muttering. Y/n whipped around and ran toward the hallway, her heart leaping when she saw her mother.

“Mom!” she shouted.

Agatha turned abruptly, her face lighting up in surprise. "Y/n!"

"What the hell happened here?" Y/n demanded, panic slipping into her tone. "Why is the door busted in? Why is the kitchen a mess? And what’s with the tied-up teenager?"

Agatha waved a hand dismissively, though her expression was frazzled. "No time for explanations. We need to leave. Now." She grabbed Y/n's arm, dragging her toward the exit.

“Wait!” Y/n dug in her heels, eyeing her mother’s mismatched footwear. “You’re only wearing one shoe.”

Agatha muttered something under her breath and snatched the nearest shoe, jamming it onto her foot. "Good enough."

As they moved, Agatha called back to the teen, "The house is yours, random boy! Tell the vengeance seekers I said hello."

Y/n blinked at her mother, utterly baffled. The boy, now free of his mouth tape, finally spoke. "Take me to the witches' road!"

The room froze. Agatha stopped mid-step and turned back, her face unreadable. Slowly, she approached him and pulled the remaining tape from his wrists and ankles. “Come again?” she asked, her voice sharp.

“The witches' road,” he repeated, his tone earnest. “I want you to take me there. Please.”

Agatha’s gaze darkened. "The witches' road doesn’t exist."

“You’re lying,” the boy shot back with a defiant smirk.

Agatha arched a brow. “Am I?”

“Witches say that to keep people away,” the boy argued. “But I know the truth. The road grants what you desire most if you reach the end. And I can. I will."

Agatha hummed thoughtfully, then glanced at Y/n. “The road is no place for a kid.”

“I’m sixteen!” the boy protested.

“Oh, sorry, Teen,” Agatha quipped dryly. “I don’t know where you got your information.”

“Books! Legends! Lore!” he declared, puffing up slightly.

Y/n had heard enough. “It’ll kill you,” she snapped.

The boy pointed at Agatha. “It didn’t kill her.”

Agatha adjusted her hat smugly. “Well, I am exceptional.”

The boy leaned closer, grinning. “Exactly. That’s why I came here. You’re a legend! I even broke you out of the Scarlet Witch’s spell—it was my pleasure, by the way.”

Y/n froze, her eyes narrowing at the boy. For three years, she had tried—and failed—to break that spell. Yet here stood this random teen claiming he’d done it. Her mother’s knowing glance confirmed it.

Agatha folded her arms. “Well, if you are powerful enough to break the spell cast by the scarlet witch, why do you need the road?”

The boy hesitated before answering, “Studying can only get me so far. I want to blast, shield, levitate—real magic!”

Y/n crossed her arms. “So you want a shortcut.”

“Call it what you want,” the boy said, undeterred. “But the road can give me what I’m missing. Power. Sounds like you could use it, too.”

Agatha straightened abruptly. “Too risky. No time.”

She started walking again, but the boy wasn’t finished. “Run if you want, but whoever’s after you won’t stop. You really think you can outrun them without magic?”

Agatha paused, picking up a necklace from the floor. She stared at it for a long moment before snapping it shut. “Who are you?” she asked, her voice low.

The boy’s lips moved, but no sound came out. Agatha frowned, her suspicion deepening. “Say that again.”

Once more, his words were silenced by some unseen force. Agatha sighed. “Fine. You’re driving.”

“What? Really?” the boy asked, practically vibrating with excitement.

Y/n gawked at her mother. “What?”

Ignoring her, Agatha grabbed scissors and dropped them before the boy. “You’re driving,” she repeated, then hauled Y/n out of the house.

“Mom, have you lost your mind?” Y/n hissed as they walked briskly down the sidewalk. “You’ve got vengeance seekers on your tail—probably the Salem Seven—and now you’re indulging this kid’s fantasy about a road that doesn’t even exist?”

Agatha briefly glanced at her daughter and put on her sunglasses. "Is that really how you will greet me after I break out of a spell I have been stuck in for three years?"

Y/n huffed, stopping in front of a house, "Yes, it is how I am going to greet you because you have actually gone insane! I mean seriously, Mom. What are you going to tell the kid when he sees no door appear and watch as stupid enough witches attack you just for you to steal their magic?"

Agatha rolled her eyes before giving her daughter a pointed look. Then, it clicked in Y/n's head: "You were going to keep him out of the room. I answered that myself." 

Y/n groaned, running a hand through her hair. “You missed a lot, you know.”

Agatha’s expression softened. “I feel like I have.”

Y/n glanced at her, a small smile forming. “Like me getting a girlfriend.”

Agatha stopped in her tracks. “I’m sorry, what?”

Y/n laughed, but the moment was cut short as the boy caught up, pointing out his car. Soon, they were on the road—Agatha in the passenger seat, Y/n in the back, and the boy eagerly bombarding Agatha with questions. Y/n, tuning them out, pulled out her phone to text Alice.

Y/n: You are not going to believe what I’m dealing with right now. 😑

Alice: I’m guessing your mom being free isn’t all sunshine and magic wands? ✨🧙‍♀️

Y/n: Oh, it’s worse. Picture this: Mom’s house is trashed, her front door is in the yard, and a teenager is claiming to have rescued her from the hex. 🤦‍♀️

Alice: A teenager? Like, an actual baby human? 

Y/n: Yep. He’s sixteen, thinks he’s the next Merlin, and now we’re chasing the “witches’ road.” 🛤️

Alice: Wait… the witches’ road? Like, the witches’ road? The one from my mom’s song? 🎵👀

Y/n: Yep. He’s quoting your mom like she wrote the magical gospel. Says the road can give him ultimate power. 😒

Alice: Okay, but you know my mom thought the witches’ road was real, right? She wasn’t just writing a story—she believed every word. 

Y/n: You’re kidding. 🤨

Alice: Not at all. She spent years researching it. She used to say it’s not a myth; it’s a test. She even told me she wished she could walk it herself. 👣

Y/n: Fantastic. Now, the kid has more backup for his theory. Meanwhile, I’m in the backseat, texting you so I don’t lose my mind. 😤

Alice: Backseat? Who’s driving? 👀

Y/n: The teenager. Mom literally handed him magical scissors and said, “You’re driving.” I don’t know if I should be impressed or horrified. ✂️🚗

Alice: Definitely both. Your mom is living in her magical road trip movie right now. 😂

Y/n: Tell me about it. Also, I might’ve told her about you. Accidentally. 🙃

Alice: Accidentally? Y/n, how do you “accidentally” tell someone you have a girlfriend? 🤔

Y/n: She was ranting about how much she missed, and it just slipped out. Her reaction was priceless, though. 🤣

Alice: What did she say? 😳

Y/n: She looked at me like I just told her I was dating a dragon. Then she asked, “I’m sorry, what?” 😂

Alice: Oh, I love her already. Can’t wait to meet the legendary Agatha Harkness. 😏

Y/n: Let’s survive this road trip from magical chaos first, okay? 🙄

Alice: Fair. But hey, if the road turns out to be real, make sure you wish for something good 😘

Y/n: Deal. Thanks for being my sanity check, darling. 💕

Alice: Always, dove. You’ve got this. 🩷

YY/n looked up from her phone when the car came to a halt. She stepped out, waiting for Agatha and the teen to join her. The trio entered the shop and stood in a line as Y/n quietly observed the room. She could tell her mother was about to spin one of her elaborate stories and decided to stay silent.

Moments later, a voice called out, and a woman stepped through a bead curtain. Y/n recognized her instantly. It had been nearly a century, but Lilia looked the same. “Welcome to The Curious,” Lilia greeted, her voice calm and commanding.

Agatha wrapped her shawl tighter, adopting an exaggerated Southern accent. “Good day, madam. Oh, thank ya kindly for seein’ us. We’re hopin’ for a miracle today. This is my sweet girl, Scarlett, and my boy, Beauford. He doesn’t talk much—poor thing’s got social anxiety. Their daddy passed recently, and, oh, how we miss him somethin’ awful. We’d dearly love to commune with him today. But to be quite honest with ya, what’s weighin’ most heavily on my mind is the location of some gold bars he might’ve buried in our backyard.”

Y/n blinked, almost impressed. Her mother had concocted the lie—and the accent—with astonishing speed. Then again, after centuries of mischief and travel, Agatha was an expert.

Lilia gestured to the trio, offering her three chairs. Y/n stood behind her mother, watching Lilia perform a routine reading, feeding Agatha vague yet satisfying answers. But just as they were about to leave, Lilia paused.

“There’s something else,” Lilia said, her tone sharp. “You’ve been under the influence of another—someone you hurt. They took your agency for three years. It’s not the first time your witch kin have betrayed you. But you survive. In ways few others could. That’s why you’re here.” Lilia’s gaze hardened. “And I’m not interested.”

A tense silence followed. Agatha straightened her back, matching Lilia’s intensity. The teen glanced between them, smiling awkwardly. “Wait, what?” he asked, breaking the tension.

Lilia ignored him. “Thank you for your purchase. Your bank statement will say ‘Lilia’s Leggings,’ but that’s just my side hustle,” she said, vanishing back through the bead curtain.

The three followed her into a dim backroom. Agatha tried to persuade Lilia to join them, explaining how “blasting Agatha” could be useful. Lilia lost in one of her witchy episodes, scribbled names onto a piece of parchment and handed it to Agatha.

Curious, Y/n leaned over her mother’s shoulder to read the list. Two names stood out immediately—her own and Alice’s. Her stomach churned. That can’t be right…

Without a word, Y/n was the first out the door, leaning against the teen’s car. When Agatha and the teen emerged, Y/n had already plastered on a neutral expression, though Agatha could read the worry in her daughter’s eyes.

Once they were settled in the car and driving to the next location, Y/n stayed in the backseat, staring out the window. Agatha glanced at her, then at the teen.

“Out. Now.” Agatha snapped, gesturing for the boy to leave the car.

He complied reluctantly, shutting the door behind him.

Agatha turned to her daughter. “Are you okay?” she asked gently.

Y/n hesitated before offering a tight smile. “I think so. It’s just… one of the names on the list.”

Agatha unfolded the paper, scanning it. “Which one?”

Y/n closed her eyes, taking a steadying breath. “Alice.”

Agatha’s expression softened as understanding dawned. She squeezed Y/n’s hand briefly before the teen knocked on the window, breaking the moment. Agatha rolled her eyes and exited the car.

While they were inside the store, Y/n pulled out her phone, her fingers flying over the screen. Alice needs to know, she thought, sending her girlfriend a quick warning text.

Y/n: Heads up: my mom and this teenager she picked up are on a mission, and your name’s on their list. 

Alice: This feels like the setup to one of those cursed fairy tales. What list? 😳

Y/n: The “witches we need to recruit for a coven revival” list. Apparently, it’s a whole thing. They’re visiting everyone on it in order, and you’re next.

Alice: Wait, what? How did I end up on a witchy recruiting list? I didn’t even apply. 🤨

Y/n: Neither did I, but I’m on it too. I guess being magically inclined is enough. They’ve been going witch by witch, and since I’m already here, they’re heading to you next.

Alice: Oh, great. So what do I do? Hide? Pretend I’ve taken a vow of non-magic?

Y/n: Honestly, I’d just hear them out. If nothing else, you can watch my mom and Teen Witch’s theatrical pitch—it’s weirdly entertaining in a trainwreck kind of way.

Alice: Let me guess: your mom is doing most of the talking, and the teenager is awkwardly tagging along?

Y/n: Pretty much. Though Teen Witch occasionally chimes in with something vaguely inspirational. It’s... a lot.

Alice: Oh no. Am I supposed to be flattered by this? Or scared?

Y/n: Both? Just wanted to warn you so you’re not caught off guard when they show up at your door with the “join our coven” pitch.

Alice: Thanks, babe. But I swear, if Teen Witch starts talking about destiny, I’m closing the door.

Y/n: Fair. Just don’t make it too hard on them. They’ll probably guilt me into smoothing things over.

Alice: Noted. Love you, by the way. Even if your family makes life weird. 💕

Y/n: Love you too. Stay strong. I’ll text when we’re en route.

After twenty minutes, the duo emerged, clearly arguing about something. Y/n observed as Agatha crumpled up the paper and shoved it into her mouth, swallowing it without a second thought. Once they climbed into the car, the teenager turned to Agatha and asked where they would go next.

With a sigh, Y/n pocketed her phone. "Head to the mall."

The teen glanced at her through the rearview mirror. "The mall?"

Y/n nodded, and the teen reluctantly started driving. Once they arrived, Agatha grabbed a corndog, claiming to be hungry. Afterward, they followed Y/n into a store. "She’s working in here," Y/n said, "Try not to cause any trouble while I grab something."

Y/n excused herself to the bathroom. When she returned, she found Alice looking mildly annoyed at Agatha and the teen trailing behind her. Alice noticed her first and made wide eyes, mouthing, Help me, which made Y/n snicker. Y/n walked closer, and Agatha and the teen instantly stopped talking.

Y/n looked between her mother, her girlfriend, and the teenager. "What happened?"

Alice sighed, knowing Y/n would probably lecture her. "I was just coming to find you!"

Y/n raised an eyebrow, motioning for her mother to take the teen and walk away. Agatha smirked at her daughter before pulling the boy along to the car.

"Okay, so... funny story," Alice started, attempting to laugh but falling short.

Y/n crossed her arms, unimpressed. "I’m listening."

Alice shifted nervously, avoiding Y/n's gaze. "First off, you know I love you, right? And I would never do anything to hurt you or... I don’t know... break witchy rules?"

Y/n narrowed her eyes, tone skeptical. "Alice, what did they do?"

Alice sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Listen, don’t be mad at your mom. They kind of showed up at work, and things got a little...well...complicated."

Y/n leaned against a nearby display, unconvinced. "Complicated how? Did they do something to get you fired?"

Alice winced. "Not exactly. I mean, technically, no. But also... yes?"

Y/n blinked, her voice sharp. "Alice."

"Okay!" Alice threw her hands up. "They didn’t mean to, but they might’ve caused a bit of a scene. And my boss... might’ve fired me."

Y/n pinched the bridge of her nose. "Let me get this straight: I leave my mom and the stranger teenage boy alone in your work for five minutes, and they get you fired?"

Alice shrugged sheepishly. "Pretty much. But hey, at least I didn’t agree to join the coven without talking to you first?"

Y/n blinked again, her mouth falling open. "Wait, after getting you fired, they tried to recruit you?!"

Alice fidgeted, flashing a nervous smile. "Yeah, they said something about discovering what happened to my mom and that I could get extra power. But I told them I needed to talk to you first because, well, us."

Y/n stared at her, a mix of exasperation and amusement flashing across her face. "Alice, the way you are talking to me right now is unbelievable."

"Yeah, but you love me," Alice grinned, batting her eyelashes.

Y/n shook her head but couldn’t suppress a small smile. "You’re lucky I do. Let’s figure out how to fix this mess before my mom ropes some poor stranger into something."

Alice grinned, stepping beside Y/n and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Thanks, babe. You’re the best."

Y/n rolled her eyes but smiled. "Don’t make me regret it."

Once they climbed into the car, Y/n immediately noticed Agatha’s smirk. She rolled her eyes as the teen started the engine. When they arrived back at Agatha's house, Agatha quickly changed outfits while the teen began decorating. Y/n and Alice sat on the couch, watching the scene unfold.

Y/n had told Alice years ago how Agatha’s powers worked, so when the road inevitably didn’t appear, Alice knew not to try to blast her magic at Agatha. As everyone arrived, Jen pointed out the absence of a green witch and that they needed one. Y/n watched, bemused, as Agatha completely panicked over the fact. The group collectively agreed there had to be a green witch. Agatha dashed off to find one and returned with Mrs. Davis, leading everyone but the teen into the basement.

Y/n turned to Alice before they started. "Remember, whatever happens, don’t blast your magic at my mother. She can’t control it, which makes her steal magic from you."

Alice smirked at her girlfriend. "I’ve got it, baby. Don’t stress."

Y/n nodded, turning when Agatha motioned for everyone to move closer. As they began singing the ballad, a peculiar energy was in the air. Once they finished, Agatha antagonized the group, complaining about how the door didn’t appear. Just then, Mrs. Davis pointed out a door that had materialized. Both Y/n and Agatha exchanged a look of pure disbelief.

A loud crash echoed upstairs when they opened the door, followed by the teen running down the stairs, now holding the door. Lilia, Jen, and Mrs. Davis quickly followed, and the group watched as Mrs. Davis descended further. Alice and Y/n exchanged concerned glances as a distorted figure crawled down the stairs.

"Go now!" Agatha shouted at Y/n and Alice.

Alice grabbed Y/n’s hand, pulling her down the stairs. Agatha followed, shutting the door behind them just as the creature arrived. When they finally emerged from the tunnel, Y/n looked around in awe. Agatha walked ahead a few steps, removing her shoes. The group, in sync, followed her lead, copying her actions.

[pardonmydelays]

[geese-in-a-frock-coat]

Starlight express album review (spoilers if you want them):

Solid 4.5/5. I am obsessed. I am so overly obsessed so I'm just going to list the stuff I didn't like because the list of stuff I do like is just too long (and quite frankly a lot of the stuff I didn't vibe with is show related not album related)

I am just a bit annoyed about how it wasn't .... the show. Like everything was its own song rather than being cut together.

The worst culprit of this was hydrogen as, as far as I can remember, the way the song appears on the album just isn't how it appears in the show (watched the show in june so I could be wrong. Someone who's seen it more recently or has listened/watched a copy please back me up)

I am sad we didn't get the intros of the coaches because that was one of my fabourite bits.

only some of the races :(

I feel a bit bad for tom pigram because part of me was hoping they would just let them sing AC/DC without all the effects but no. However it still sounded completely fire.

I just wish so bad that we had gotten all the little songs between songs. I feel like with all the other starlight express albums I get a much clearer picture of the show but this just felt more like a highlight reel than a cast recording.

I do not like the change from 'I'm so beautiful' to 'I'm so pretty' however much Al knott slays the house down when she says it.

Greaseball and Dinah are my favs and it feels like they cut all their interactions.

IDK it's just if no one ever films a boot of this show the only way I'll be able to remember it is through this album and I want to remember more of it.

I know that was a massive whinge but I have quite literally listened to it three times since I stayed up until midnight last night to listen to it. Someone please fangirl over this show with me.

[sc0rpi0-skies]

MALLOYSICAL GIRLIES RISE. THREE HOUSES CAST RECORDING KICKSTARTER JUST DROPPED.

[rated-r-for-grantaire]

THREE HOUSES CAST ALBUM ON FEBRUARY 9TH

the thing about dave malloy is he'll always deliver exactly what i want whenever i need it the most. if Life could speak then Life would speak in his voice.

i actually only listened to the Birch Trees snippet once bc i immediately starting sobbing the second she sang the first note! life's so fun!

[disneytva]

Disney Branded Television Sets PRIMOS Premiere For July 25th As Part Of Disney Channel Epic Mid-Summer

Oigan Primos! from the talented people who brought you Big City Greens comes a new meaning for BEST SUMMER EVER. ☀️🌈🖍️📔

Disney Branded Television has set the series premiere for Primos with a two-episode premiere July 25 at 8:00 p.m. Pacific on Disney Channel (with two new episodes airing every Saturday starting July 27). An initial batch of episodes will be available to stream on Disney+ starting July 26.

“Primos” follows Tater Ramirez Humphrey, an imaginative free spirit bursting with creative energy who is ready to spend the summer of her 10th birthday sorting out her goals and dreams. But her plans are derailed when she learns that her mother has invited all 12 of her primos — cousins — to spend the summer at their home and share her room.

Joining the talented Primos guest cast includes

Gabriel Iglesias (Jorge R. Gutierrez "I-Chihuahua") as Tio Gustavo, Sarah Sherman (Anaapurna Animation's "Nimona) as Carmela, Cheech Marin (Pixar Animation Studios "Coco") as Abuelo Pop, Sherry Cola (Pixar Animation Studios "Turning Red") as Ms. Mahoney, Bill as Kyle MacLachlan, Jaime Jarrín (Los Angeles Dodgers) as Día de la Cultura Announcer and Xolo Maridueña (DC Studios "Blue Beetle" Marvel "Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur").

Primos songs are GRAMMY nominated composers Alana Da Fonseca and Bobby Studley (Tim Burton's "Wednesday", Disney Channel Original Movies "Teen Beach Movie" franchise). Jim Lang (Nickelodeon Animation Studios "Hey Arnold" franchise) serves as score composer, Hey Arnold! creator Craig Barlett does additional guest clay animation.

Karla Sakas Shropshire (Nickelodeon Animation Studios "The Loud House", Disney Television Animation "Katz Café") serves as story editor.

Inspired by growing up in Fontana and Riverside with the chicano culture Primos has gotten praise by fellow industry members such as Jorge R. Gutierrez (Nickelodeon "El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera", 20th Century Animation "The Book of Life", Netflix Animation "Maya And The Three"), Phil Lord (MTV Animation "Clone High", Sony Pictures Animation "Cloudy For A Change Of Meatballs" franchise,"Spiderman In To The Spiderverse" franchise), Sofiá Alexander (Crunchyroll Originals "Onyx Equinox", Disney "Phineas And Ferb"), Guillermo Del Toro (Dreamworks Animation "Rise of The Guardians", "How To Train Your Dragon 2" "Tales of Arcadia" ,20th Century Animation "The Book Of Life", Netflix Animation "Guillermo del Toro's Pinnochio"), Miguel Puga (Nickelodeon Animation Studios "The Casagrandes", DC Studios & Warner Bros Animation "Blue Beetle The Series" ), Megan Nicole Dong (Netflix Animation "Centaurworld", Locksmith Animation "Bad Fairies" ) and more.

PRIMOS will be used by Disney TVA Multiplatform with their short series "CHIBI TINY TALES", "THEME SONG TAKEOVER", "BROKEN KARAOKE" & "HOW NOT TO DRAW" , Tater and The Ramirez Family will set to appear on CHIBIVERSE Season 2.

Additionaly a Primos soundtrack by Walt Disney Records is set to debut July 26th on digital music platforms

PRIMOS joins Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur,Kiff, Big City Greens,Amphibia,The Ghost and Molly McGee, Hamster & Gretel and Hailey's On It! on getting official albums.

[veenus777]

◜Wilbur Soot Boyfriend Headcanons◞

┊ ᝰ﹕SFW, please ignore my Google translate English

♤ This man is a gentleman! He would be romantic but not in big things but in small ones.

♧ He would buy you your favorite snacks, memorize the way you make your coffee just so he could make it how you like it.

♤ He would want to know everything about you but not just about your life but about the things you like.

♧ And speaking of which, he would learn everything just to be closer to you, your favorite book? He will read it, do you like a band? He will listen to all the albums, are you a fan of a series? He will spend the entire morning watching just to have something to talk to you about.

♤ he's the careful type, he'd "fight" with you for not taking good care of yourself but deep down he knows he loves doing that, like always taking two sweaters when he leaves the house or making sure you've eaten that day.

♧ Talking about food, every time he needed to go out in the morning, whether for a Lovejoy rehearsal or a recording, he would make a point of waking up early just to prepare your favorite coffee and leave it on the counter with a note for when you wake up .

♤ Obviously he would take you to band rehearsals and take your opinion very seriously about the songs.

♧ You would have a VIP pass to go to all the shows and you always do, but when you can't attend Wilbur becomes a little less excited and anxious about the show, For him, you are like a lucky charm that makes everything perfect and incredible.

♤ He would include you in his group of friends, on trips and recordings and they will welcome you very well, but don't think you will be immune to Charlie or Tommy's jokes.

♧ If you are also a content creator, it will take you in front of the camera even if you are not have a public relationship, you will always be present in Tommy's vlogs or in some Sorry videos even if for just a few seconds.

♤ Talking about the Sorry brothers I feel like Wilbur would pull you into this (if you're a public person) even if little by little, it would all start with a few appearances here and there and then it would become something more regular and when you see it it's already part of the cast, but like Phil you try to be the point of balance amidst the general chaos.

♧ If you are not a public person you would still be present but behind the cameras, always helping backstage with clothes, makeup or video ideas.

♤ You would probably adopt a small animal, from the most common options like cats or dogs or something more different like a rabbit or ferret. Ps: they would probably have names related to music, either referencing a song or names of singers they both like.

♧ He would be the more reserved type of person in public and with little to no PDA, but he would still hold hands or have his arm on your shoulder.

♤ However, when you are alone Oh My God! this man is pure neediness, he would love hugs and physical touches, or just quality time where you are both in the same place focused on your own things but still together.

♧ I feel like he has three moods: The singer, the older brother and the boyfriend

♤ The singer happens when he is super focused and committed to his career, he has a dream and definitely wants to achieve it and he works hard for it.

♧ The older brother usually happens when he joins Tommy and Charlie, he is chaotic and playful, always making jokes and being sarcastic and picking on his "younger brothers" Tommy and Charlie.

♤ The third is something that few people see, it's the soft boy Wilbur, it's when he's not all that chaos and shouting, he just hangs out, listens to music or a movie and relaxes without having to worry about his career or the Internet for a while.

.˚｡  💋 .˚｡ 💌

[the-apocrypha]

3, 22, 26?

3. How would you describe your writing style? 

Uh. Functional. Highly functional. Occasionally I strive toward the slightly poetic or prosaic, and I feel like my own tendency toward dry humor will come out from time to time, but otherwise I think it's pretty… basic. 

(The more literary answer is that my style is highly reflective of my history of pretty much only ever writing within the bounds of fanfiction. While there are obviously exceptions, there tends to be a lot of homogeneity amongst fanfiction writing style, for a lot of reasons, including (1) You tend to write what you read, and (2) People generally turn to fanfiction for literary comfort food. While a House of Leaves or an On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous is nice on occasion, we are mostly here to straight torture or sexify or cuddle our blorbos and we don’t want to beat around the bush. It is in no way a bad thing! It’s actually kind of cool, from a literary perspective, because it's genuinely recognizable. Like the Scholomance trilogy! They are good, but you can tell by page two that this person absolutely cut their teeth on fanfiction. So, I am a product of my experiences.)

22. What is it about watching the same two idiots fall in love over and over again? 

See above: comfort food. 

Long answer: for me, I am a person who does not instantly attach to characters. I rarely enter fandoms that are based around a single book or movie, and greatly favor comics/television/series because it lets me spend a lot of time with characters and my affection for them can really take root and grow. Fanfic is just the next natural extension of that. I am very much a person who finds a Happy Button and then wants to mash the Happy Button ad nauseum until it breaks. I listen to the same album on repeat for three months. I just discovered Tim Tams and have bought a box a week for the last four months. And when I settle into a fandom, I want to see my blorbos having nice things over and over and over and over again. :D 

26. What would you describe as OOC?

Oof this is a tough one! I think characterization is such a personal thing that it’s impossible to define that. I definitely have opinions on things that I read, on whether they’re in/out of character, but the beautiful thing about fandom is that we are all casting prisms of the same characters and what is out of character for me may be in character for someone else! So, eh. 

I will say that I feel like any time I start writing for a new fandom, my first fic or two will always feel a little rocky in characterization. Once I’ve written more and developed a more nuanced and consistent concept of the characters, I usually look back on the early stuff and go woof. Sandman has been no exception to this. (Fond wave at fly me to the moon. You’re not completely terrible.)

(for the writers ask meme)

[psychhound]

Tabletop trick or treat! 🦇

hello jade!!

it seems only appropriate for this to be ... a trick!! and treat kinda :) three treats maybe. so everyone lets all go say

happy birthday @hmooncreates

you can check out hollis's itch here for lots of very fun and cool stuff!!

i want to highlight a few of his games even though definitely poke around through the whole library

in want of a match - yall its so fun. its so so fun. ive played it twice now and i cant wait to play again. in iwoam you play as two characters, one looking for their One True Match and one looking for an Opposites Attract. and its ... a dating sim!! you throw all your blorbos in a blender and then they go on silly dates. its a bit of a numbers game where youre trying to roll similarly to the character youre on a date with, and the table decides which traits you roll on your date. we played once with original characters (god they all became such freaks immediately) and then again using blorbos from other ttrpg games, and both were suuuch fun. the character creation is pretty simple but works really well for the game, and then you just put all the blorbos in a jar and shake em up to see what happens. we want to play a third time where we make a roll table of all our characters from other games, roll randomly to see who were playing, and then just let chaos ensue. its not a hard system to pick up at all, great for silly one shots (especially if someone cant make your usual game), and honestly is really flexible with how much roleplay you want to do for it. you can totally roleplay everything out or mostly stick with broad descriptions and just run up those numbers. tons of fun either way. sometimes the characters that end up being great matches numbers wise are like. absolutely hilarious (freak ass lesbians i love you)

for truth's sake series - for truth's sake is a series of games (with a free srd people have made cool stuff on) where you are an anthropologist studying a fantasy culture and writing an ethnography on it. its a medium crunch solo journaling game that has four really cool settings/cultures (urban witches, a werewolf neighborhood, an inn on the border of the feywild, and a high fantasy city) that all have a unique cast of characters, locations, events, and questions you get to ask the inhabitants. all the games are very fun, but i think my best experience with it was playing urban witches when hollis was over at my house and i was narrating my game out loud instead of writing it down. i was rolling SO DOGSHIT and it honestly became a bit of a slapstick comedy of my guy just absolutely whiffing it with this apartment complex of witches. i was weeping i almost lost the game on like. day three. astoundingly bad at talking to these witches. but all of them are very cool and very fun and devs out there should check out the srd too!!! a lot of the groundwork is laid out for you so you just get to make fun roll tables!!!

the fool who got married (extended edition) - this one is a duet+ epistolary game where one player is a young bride moving away with her husband during the 1840s california gold rush, and the other players are female family members whove been left behind. the main mechanic is that you are on a time limit of crane wives and oh hellos songs as you write your letters to each other, with each character archetype getting a different album they have to put on shuffle as they write. i will be totally honest i was NOT sure how this one was gonna play for me but i ended up really really liking it. i chose to play as the aunt and even though i only went through like five songs or something, she ended up being a really dynamic character and also, as is my way, a little nuts. getting into the mindset of these historical women to this modern music was a really interesting experience. so many of the songs like. really tap into female pain and rage in a way that transcends this time gap and really makes you feel for the character youre inhabiting. the lyric prompts under each song are really evocative, and honestly as someone who hates handwriting things because of hand pain the short time limit on the letters was honestly really helpful. this one is definitely niche but like. i really suggest trying it out. it might surprise you like it did me!!

i think hollis's birthday is as good an excuse as any to check out her games, and if you already have & like them, maybe go leave some comments and ratings too!! :D hollis is an up and coming developer and i cant wait to see the next games he has cooking (i know what they are and im chomping at the bit). so go check out!! give a rating!! give a follow!! you wont regret it !!