#and most of them are about Glinda

[glindafication]

I have been having a lot of thoughts about Glinda's costuming (specifically in the movie) and I NEED to talk about it right now so here goes. (This is specifically about the clothes Glinda wears at Shiz)

So I have seen quite a few people pointing out how Glinda doesn't follow the Shiz uniform (where all the other characters are in white/blue/orange besides her and Elphaba and kind of Fiyero) and I have a lot of mixed opinions on this.

First off I think it makes perfect sense for Elphaba because in the movie we are told that she wasn't originally going to study at Shiz and also we do see her wearing some of the uniform pieces (for example she wears the same blue fabric wrap thingy as the other students in the sports scene while Glinda doesn't), so it makes sense that she wouldn't have the time and/or money to buy the proper uniform pieces. But for Glinda, I am kind of conflicted. On the one hand, she is very used to getting her way and very focused on her looks, so it could be argued that it is in character for her to flagrantly ignore the uniform policy for the sake of her aesthetic. On the other hand, I feel like it is a bit of a missed opportunity to establish the more conformist aspect of Glinda's character. Showing that Glinda is unwilling to break the rules is important because it makes her choice to join the Wizard and Morrible despite not wanting to make more sense. This also feels like a bit of a missed opportunity to better establish Fiyero's character as they could have had Glinda follow the uniform while Fiyero doesn't. This would have further established that Fiyero is more willing to actively break the rules than Glinda, which could help to explain why Elphaba trusts him. This is still established through dancing through life and with the Ozdust ballroom being stated to be illegal in the movie, but I feel this could've been another good opportunity.

There is of course the out of universe reason for this which is that it helps to Glinda to visually stand out. This is extremely common where uniforms are used as costumes as having everyone wear the same/similar things while the main characters wear something different is a very easy way to tell the audience who to focus on. However this is done differently in the musical, where the main Shiz uniform is a mixture of navy and white while Elphaba wears exclusively navy and Glinda wears exclusively white. (With small amounts of blue/navy in her shirt). This still visually distinguishes our main characters from the ensemble (and from each other with the use of contrast) without having it feel like they're just choosing to ignore the uniform. It is conscievably possible that the Shiz uniform allows students to pick from a selection of white and navy options and Glinda simply chose all of the white ones while Elphaba chose all of the navy ones.

I am also mildly frustrated with the decision to relegate movie Glinda to a tiny sliver of the colour wheel in general, as I have said before. She only wears pink once in the muscial so having her in almost exclusively pink in the movie despite her having more costumes is a bit annoying. Especially since I have the sneaking suspicion that part of the reason they did this was because building a strong association between Glinda and the colour pink would allow them to make Glinda themed merch by simply making something pink instead of making something with a more meaningful link to her character.

I will say that I am not trying to hate on Glinda's movie costumes by any means. A lot of them are very technically impressive and visually gorgeous (her Ozdust dress is absolutely stunning and I want one). I have no doubt that a lot of time, effort and thought went into these costumes. These are just my personal thoughts as a huge fan of the musical and of the costumes used in it

(Some pictures to explain what I am referring to, top two are musical costumes, bottom two are movie costumes)

[the-clock-of-the-time-dragon]

It will forever be hilarious to me that Disney wanted so fucking bad to make a Wicked movie — but couldn't get the rights from Universal — that they literally spent billions upon billions of dollars making SEVEN different films (and a whole season of television; not even including their sequels and spinoffs) more than one of which they even got Idina and Kristen to be in based on the stripped-down premise of "what if the Stock Female Antagonist™ was secretly the Misunderstood Angsty Girlboss Heroine™ all along?" (because Disney execs don't actually care about Wicked, they just saw Green, said "hey! if we can't get the real thing, why not use Our Own (and/or Public Domain) characters?" and simply followed the Marketing Department Road all the way to the bank).

Less funny is the fact they were so successful at it — regardless of the merits (or lack thereof) of any of those projects — that it ended up getting the production of the actual Wicked movie delayed by more than a decade (because it would ironically have looked like a copycat and probably faded into the background if it had come out back when Disney was pumping out knockoffs every fucking year).

[a-couple-of-notes]

hey sorry i wanna talk some more about no one mourns the wicked.

when glinda's introduced, her first celebratory lines slide into a question:

Isn't it nice to know that good will conquer evil, the truth we all believe'll by and by outlive a lie for you and - [I]?

and in a song full of double meanings, glinda isn't asking that question (only) to the ozians. she's asking it to elphaba, who has always been that other half of "you and i." even though glinda has promised not to reveal the truth, she's still hoping that it will come to light someday for her and elphaba. and it's also a heartbreaking call-forward to defying gravity, because just like that moment where glinda almost gets on the broom, there can't be a "you and i" here--it's cut off by the world they exist in.

[rainswhenyourehere]

wicked was so gay

[usuallydyinginside]

"No One Mourns the Wicked" is about Glinda, not Elphaba

Okay, but hear me out. Wicked songs are so good at saying one thing and meaning something entirely different once you have more context. For instance, "I'm Not That Girl" is Elphaba singing about Glinda initially, then in Act 2 flips to Glinda singing about Elphaba. Because it turns out, Elphaba IS that girl and Glinda is not. When we meet the Wizard, he sings about how he always wanted to be a father. When you get to Act 2, you get the sad little reprise in the background music as he realizes that WHOOPS, he was one and he destroyed his only kid. "Defying Gravity" starts with "I hope you're happy" in the sarcastic sense and ends with them both using the same phrase to genuinely wish one another well.

"Thank Goodness" is set up as a cheerful engagement song where Glinda genuinely means "thank goodness for how great my life is" and ends in a place where she's insisting that she IS happy even as she realizes her engagement is a sham, her best friend is gone, and she's left with the Wizard and Madame M, who she doesn't even like.

You get the picture.

Basically, the whole musical is about subverting what you expect, starting with the base premise of "what if the Wicked Witch was the hero of the story" and digging in from there.

Honestly, I'd never paid much attention to the first song. It's a good opener, sets things up well, but it has some big competition with later songs. However, in the movie the staging and camera choices made me really notice it for the first time. Because you know what? Someone DID pay attention to that song, and you can really really tell.

For those who need a refresher, the lyrics to the chorus Glinda sings are: And Goodness knows The Wicked's lives are lonely Goodness knows The Wicked die alone It just shows when you're Wicked You're left only On your own I was always so busy noticing Glinda's grief over thinking Elphaba was genuinely dead that I failed to notice Glinda's grief over her OWN fate. The movie did such a good job with this because every time we get to the pink lines about being alone, Glinda IS alone. She is standing apart from the crowd who adores her. Standing above them. Standing at the center of a bunch of people yet still, isolated.

Because in the end, we know that Elphaba DIDN'T die alone. We know she wasn't on her own. We know her life WASN'T lonely ultimately. She had her flying monkey and animal friends. She had Fiyero.

And who does Glinda have?

Everyone, but realistically, no one. She is an ideal, not a person to most of Oz, just as much as Elphaba has become the token scapegoat. Where Elphaba is the "Wicked Witch," Glinda is "Glinda the Good Witch" - she is literally supposed to be the embodiment of goodness.

And what does Glinda have at the end of this whole thing (as of this song at least)? A disastrous end to her engagement, the death of her best friend, a sorceress who has hated her, demeaned her, and dismissed her from the start, and a con man who is also just a symbol more than a person.

I think it really hit me when Glinda throws the fire on the giant effigy of Elphaba. Ariana's acting was SO good there, because I'd expected us to see that private moment of horror or regret. What I didn't expect was the sort of determined and almost angry glare at the effigy.

But it makes sense. At this point, Glinda has realized that she lost everything and everyone she actually cared about.

As she so aptly puts it in "Thank Goodness"...

Though it is, I admit The tiniest bit Unlike I anticipated. But I couldn't be happier, Simply couldn't be happier, Well, not "simply" 'Cause getting your dreams It's strange, but it seems A little, well, complicated.

There's a kind of a sort of cost. There's a couple of things get lost. There are bridges you cross You didn't know you crossed Until you've crossed!

And if that joy, that thrill Doesn't thrill like you think it will Still-- With this perfect finale, The cheers and the ballyhoo! Who wouldn't be happier? So I couldn't be happier, Because happy is what happens When all your dreams come true.

Well, isn't it?

Happy is what happens when you're dreams come true.

It's not Elphaba's fault that Glinda has ended up this way. Glinda chose it every step of the way. Yet, if Glinda had never met Elphaba, (if she'd never known her, you could say), she might have stayed shallow and vain. She might never have been challenged to look deeper and realize how empty it all felt.

So as Glinda sings "No One Mourns the Wicked," she realizes that even if the Munchkins are singing about the "Wicked Witch," she's not.

She's singing about herself.

The one who traded her morals, friendship, and love for a taste of the admiration and power over those who don't really know her. The one who was so worried about being likable that she herself doesn't like who she's become.

Even after she makes things better for Oz and herself by sending the wizard away and getting rid of Madame M, it just leaves Glinda by herself as the leader and source of goodness in Oz. It leaves her on a pedestal she can never step off of.

It leaves her lonely.

Entirely alone.

[forlornfig]

Reread wicked again. I love the musical with all my heart but the book has something really special to it. It goes against the whole chosen-one trope and instead details the lives of children, students, adults moving through the world while facism rises around them. And like regardless of what their views are- they’re pretty powerless to stop it. They can only experience it.

I understand that this may make the plot seem slow or oddly paced but it’s not really about the hero’s journey, it’s about ordinary people’s lives. Elphaba is NOT the hero, or even the anti-hero. We might agree with her morals over other characters but she actually accomplishes very little. Almost every moral crusade she undertakes fails. She dies as just one of the many symbols of the resistance. The most productive rebellions we hear about comes from the Vinkus allyships and that happens in the background. Even the succession of munchkinland is a controversial event for its citizens.

Wicked isn’t a book about good saving the day, or about compassion unifying the country.

At the end of the book, Elphaba and Glinda are divided by morals, Fiyero died for a cause he was never that much a part of, and Boq and the others have retreated into the background to protect their own. The wizard leaves yes, but he leaves behind a society in political turmoil. Munchkinland is facing re-annexation, the Vinkus is under attack, the Animals and the Quadlings have been shoved almost out of existence. The wizard can’t even be called the true Villain because his leaving does miraculously turn society back to “good”.

Wicked is about radicalism and facism can very quickly become the norm for a society through a series of tiny and almost ignorable steps for those not directly affected. It’s about waking up and realizing that all of a sudden you can’t remember the last time you saw an Animal walking free through the city.

[hamletthedane]

I know I’m joking about how Wicked Part 2 is going to be insane compared to Part 1, but it actually is so interesting when viewed as separate second part of the story -

Because hear me out - imo, the end of Act 1 sets up where the lines in the sand are for the three key characters:

Elphaba chooses to follow her morals and reject the system, even to her own isolation and destruction. Her line is her dedication to “making good.”

Glinda, her foil, openly admits that she cannot turn down the allure of the system’s power and stability, even at the sacrifice of her morals and her closest friendship. Her line is her power and popularity.

Fiyero, further foiling Glinda, is the person who would have blindly said yes to Elphaba’s offer. He is completely, unquestioningly devoted to Elphaba - even to a fault - believing that she will always be good and choose the right thing (as she “doesn’t care what others think”).* His line is his unwavering loyalty to Elphaba.

*admittedly, this is less evident at the end of Act 1, but it’s made VERY clear within the first 5min of Act 2 so I’m counting it as an Act 1 arc

But then Act 2 forces them to respect the line they’ve decided to draw in increasingly devastating ways, and eventually forces them to violate their lines or have the lines destroy them:

Elphaba’s sacrifices turn her into a complete pariah, forcing her to lose everything she had and worked for in an instant. She fights every day for what she believes in, even though she sees it’s fruitless and only leading to the destruction of everything she loves. But Elphaba stands strong even against the Wizard’s temptation of leaving behind her failing cause. However, she’s finally pushed over her edge when one of the two people who still believed in her “goodness” dies for that belief. And it drives her to throw away every good intention and dive head-first into a pursuit of power and control. She must ultimately be influenced by Glinda to once again choose self-sacrifice for the greater good, giving up her power and dreams of normality in Oz. “Now it’s up to you, for both of us”

Glinda builds great political capital and becomes one of the most important, beloved characters in the nation. But nothing is real: she’s engaged to a man who clearly doesn’t love her, she’s openly decrying a woman who she clearly still loves herself, and the system she operates in troubles her even as she benefits from it. Elphaba again tempts her to leave, and Fiyero’s clear willingness to jump ship should be an even greater temptation, but she can’t leave it behind. Not until the very end of the story does she finally recreate the Ozdust dance: acting against her own self-interest to save Elphaba and take up the fire of her cause

Fiyero, to his credit, is the only person who cannot be pushed from his line. The very first chance he gets, he follows Elphaba blindly, despite hearing all these terrible things about her. Then he willingly sacrifices himself for her and her cause, and they torture him to (a fate worse than) death for it. And even when Elphaba really does go evil, he still believes that she will ultimately choose good. His loyalty to her is not well rewarded (see: fate worse than death), but he makes his sacrifice willingly. His belief destroyed him.

What I really like about the play’s story is that from all these different starting goals and motivations, every character is forced to give up everything that is dear to them - including their fundamental selves - by the end of the story. Yet, they all three still continue to overlap and influence each other in ways that lead them all to a choice of “making good” in the end. SO excited to see that played out on screen.

[whatifitis]

♡ Wickedly Amazing - LN 4 ♡

Summary: Lando is stressed and working all day so during his 15 min break, you decide to stress him out even more 😍

Author's Note: this is complete ass, i wrote it in 1 hr, feedback is always appreciated <3

WC: 970

CW: fluff, my love for wicked the musical, lando matching girlies freak (i think)

Lando had been spending the whole day in meetings via zoom and to say you were bored was an understatement. You had already cleaned the whole apartment, sent some work emails, and read half your book. You missed Lando, even though he was less than 5 feet away. 

Lando had meeting after meeting and they lasted hours. You really only got to see him when you brought him water and food, just sliding it next to him to stay out of frame of the camera and not distract him. 

But Lando was about to have a 15 min break before his next, and hopefully final, meeting of the day. You took it upon yourself to annoy him in your usual fashion, and try and help him destress him a bit by possibly stressing him out. 

While Lan was wrapping up the meeting, you quietly set up a chair behind him and out of frame. You wrapped a throw blanket around your neck and had a broom in hand. As soon as you heard Lando say goodbye and leave the session, you played Defying Gravity on the speakers. 

As soon as the music started, Lando nearly threw his phone into the hair from the abruptly broken silence. He turns in his seat to see you walk around the corner, playing both Elphaba and Glinda’s bits in the song. 

The smile and amusement on his face was what you did these things for. You loved his smile, even more when he truly was happy and when you were the one making it happen. His smile was so wide and the corners of his eyes crinkled with the bridge of his nose. 

As you kept singing, he was cheering you on with some whistles, fist pumps and “that’s my girl”’s. You walked around the room putting on the performance of a lifetime. 

The bridge was coming up and this was your moment to truly blow away the audience (Lando). 

You made your way to the chair you had set up earlier and stood on top of it, shouting about how soon you’d watch them in renown. You threw your cape back to emphasize the imaginary wind blowing up, holding your broom close to you as you prepare to belt your heart out. 

Lando watched in awe through your whole performance. If anyone asked him about your singing, he’d say it’s the most beautiful sound in the world. Whether you were singing Defying Gravity or 22,  he loved it. He thought you were one of, if not the best, singers in the world. That your talent blew the competition out of the water. It wasn’t often that he got to listen to your singing, so the few times he was able to, he savored every second of it. 

But of course, he couldn’t let you have all the fun. As you belted and approached the final riff, Lando took it upon himself to become a part of the ensemble. He stood up from his seat and raced to kneel before you, slowly lying on the ground and singing along to the backing vocals of the song. 

He watched as you successfully attempted Cynthia Erivo’s rift, not being able to hide the smile that is plastered on his face. 

As the song ends, silence fills the room, only the sounds of the two of you trying to catch your breaths can be heard. You drop the broom and step down from your chair, looking at Lando who is now laying flat on the floor as if he was the one carrying that performance on his back.

He clearly wasn’t moving anytime soon so you decided to join him on the floor, falling onto him and resting your head on his chest, listening to his heart as it slows. You feel Lan wrap his arms around you, pulling you closer to him and feeling him kiss your head. 

Lan unties the blanket from around your neck and wraps the blanket around the two of you, wanting to relax for the next few minutes with his favorite person. “That was amazing,” he says. 

“Would you say it was… wickedly amazing?” you ask, cocking an eyebrow at him, trying to supress your smile a bit. 

“Oh shut up.” he laughs, feeling you let out a few giggles as well. “Thank you.”

“For what?” you ask, looking up at him, your brows furrowed in confusion. 

“For a lot of things. But mainly for being here, and making me laugh and making me happy.”

“Oh, you don’t have to thank me. I’m just here, trying my best. I just want you to be happy.”

“I am happy, thanks to you. I genuinely wouldn’t be here without you. You’ve been here through all my bullshit. I was rude as fuck at times, but you still stayed. I don’t know how I could ever repay you and how much it means to me.” Lan confesses, softly rubbing his thumb along your cheek. 

You move to hover over him, resting on your elbow, “You really don’t have to thank me, Lan. I do all of this because I love you. I do everything for you because I care about you. You’re my favorite person in the world and there’s no one I would rather sing with. I want to spend the rest of my silly little life with you, right by your side.”

“I love you.” “I love you.”

You move to capture Lando’s lips in yours. It’s slow and gentle, feeling him relax as you hold the side of his face with your hand. His lips feel warm against yours and he never wants to forget this feeling, of feeling so safe and happy and like he’s truly loved. He never wants to let you go. You’re his girl. His person.

[pinkgoeswellwithgreen]

Thanks to @liv0 for finding these. Can we talk about the fact Glinda fell asleep on Elphie's lap and Elphie fell asleep on Glinda's shoulder and it is the most casual thing in the world to them!?

[rorygilmoresgf]

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ — unexpected love; elphaba thropp & glinda upland

paring : elphaba thropp x glinda upland x fem!reader

reader sticks up for elphaba, glinda feels bad and starts being nicer, she finds herself feeling things, that aren’t platonic?

The air at Shiz was always electric, the hum of students rushing through hallways, whispers of gossip swirling in every corner, and the constant pressure of exams hanging over everyone’s heads. 

For most students, this was just part of the grind—but for you, there was always something else: the undercurrent of loneliness that seemed to follow Elphaba, as constant as her shadow.

It wasn’t that she wasn’t capable of handling it. Elphaba was strong, more than anyone gave her credit for. But there was something about the way she carried herself—isolated, guarded, as if she were constantly preparing for a world that was always just a step away from breaking her.

You never could quite understand why people treated her the way they did, but there you were, sitting beside her at the long wooden table in the common room, a soft breeze trickling through the open window. You tried to concentrate on your homework, the quiet clatter of books and papers the only sound in the room, when suddenly, you heard Glinda’s unmistakable voice.

“Well, Elphaba,” Glinda said with a little too much cheer, her voice dripping with something between amusement and mockery, “are you sure you’re not going to burn your papers with all that… heat you’re giving them?”

You could feel Elphaba tense beside you, her eyes narrowing at the comment. 

Her quill paused mid-sentence, and for a second, you swore the temperature in the room dropped a few degrees. Glinda, oblivious as always to the weight of her words, continued, her gaze flicking between you and Elphaba.

“I mean, really,” she added, her words light as a feather but sharp as a blade. “You can’t possibly be having fun with all this studying, can you? I don’t even know how you do it. You must be miserable.”

You didn’t even think, just reacted. You pushed yourself slightly out of your seat, leaning over to face Glinda.

“Glinda, that’s enough,” you said, voice steady but carrying an edge. “Just because Elphaba doesn’t care for endless gossiping and glitzy parties doesn’t mean she’s miserable.”

Glinda blinked, surprised by your sudden defense. “Oh, come on, I was just joking around!” she said, her tone faltering. “We’re friends, right?”

You couldn’t help the frustration that bubbled up inside you. “Being friends means treatingeach other like friends, not making sarcastic comments about how someone spends their time. Elphaba works hard. And maybe if you stopped acting like her studying was some kind of joke, you’d see that.”

There was a charged silence in the room as the words hung in the air, the tension between you and Glinda palpable. 

But then, you saw it. The faintest glimmer in Elphaba’s eyes, the tiniest of smiles tugging at the corners of her lips. It was small, but it was there. And for a split second, you wondered if you’d made a mistake.

“I’m… sorry,” Glinda said, her voice soft, and the apology seemed genuine, though laced with the uncertainty of someone who didn’t quite understand what they’d done wrong. “I didn’t mean to upset you, Elphaba.”

Elphaba didn’t look up, but her voice was quieter than usual, a softness you didn’t often hear. “I’m fine, really. But… thanks. For standing up for me.”

The words landed between the three of you, shifting the atmosphere like a breeze before a storm. Glinda, for once, seemed at a loss for words, and you couldn’t quite read the expression on Elphaba’s face—was it appreciation, or something else?

But in that moment, something changed. Maybe it was just a small crack in the surface, or maybe it was the beginning of something deeper. 

The three of you sat there, the awkwardness lingering for just a moment longer than it should have, before the tension slowly eased, replaced by the comfortable silence of shared space.

—

The days after the incident in the common room were strange—different, in a way that neither of you quite understood. Elphaba still kept mostly to herself, immersed in her studies, and Glinda, while she made an effort to be nicer, still hovered around with her usual antics. 

But something had shifted. There was a subtle warmth between you and Elphaba, something unspoken, but real.

You weren’t sure what had changed exactly—maybe it was the way she’d looked at you after you stood up for her, or the quiet thank you she’d offered afterward, but the distance between you seemed to lessen. 

You started finding excuses to sit near her during meals, offering her a quiet smile or the occasional comment about the weather or the homework that both of you hated equally. Small things, but they meant something.

One day, you found yourself sitting at the corner of the courtyard, nursing a warm drink in your hands as you watched the late afternoon sunlight spill across the grass. The rest of the campus had emptied out, leaving only a few students wandering between buildings, but you weren’t alone. 

Elphaba had joined you quietly, as she always did—no words at first, just a soft thud of her boots as she sat beside you.

You didn’t mind the silence. In fact, you welcomed it. There was a comfort in sitting with someone without needing to fill the space with chatter. Elphaba always seemed to prefer it that way, and so did you.

After a few minutes, Elphaba shifted slightly in her seat, her eyes on the distant horizon. You knew she wasn’t one for small talk, but you couldn’t help yourself.

“Do you think the world will ever change?” you asked quietly, your voice barely above a whisper. “Like, really change?”

Elphaba’s gaze flickered over to you, and for a moment, there was hesitation in her eyes. She had a habit of keeping her emotions tightly locked away, but you could see the shift—the way her shoulders relaxed just a fraction, as if she was finally letting herself breathe.

“You mean in the way people treat each other?” she asked, her voice low but thoughtful.

You nodded, meeting her eyes now. “Yeah. I mean… Glinda and the others—they don’t always see what’s really going on with you. They don’t see how hard you work, or how much you care. They just see… whatever they want to see.”

Elphaba’s lips tightened for a moment, and you could see the familiar bitterness flash in her eyes. But then, she sighed, a soft, almost reluctant sound. “I’ve learned to stop trying to change their minds. People don’t change that easily. But maybe… maybe it’s enough if I change the way I see things.”

You didn’t speak right away, letting the words sink in. There was something vulnerable in her tone, a rare honesty that you didn’t expect from her. You offered a small, reassuring smile, the kind that didn’t need to be said aloud.

“Maybe the world doesn’t have to change all at once,” you said. “Maybe it just takes one person to change the way they see things. Even if it’s just you and me.”

Elphaba looked at you then, her green eyes softening, and for the first time in what felt like ages, you saw a glimpse of something warm—something genuine.

“Yeah,” she said, the corners of her lips lifting into the smallest of smiles. “Maybe you’re right.”

From that moment on, it was clear that something was blooming between the two of you. It wasn’t fast, it wasn’t perfect, but it was real. 

There were no grand gestures, no big moments of dramatic confession—just the slow, steady building of a quiet friendship that you both desperately needed.

—

The next few weeks felt like a blur—study sessions, homework, and the constant shuffle of life at Shiz. But between the chaos, you found yourself drawn to Elphaba more and more. It wasn’t anything spectacular, just the quiet comfort of being in each other’s company.

One evening, after a particularly grueling day of exams, you found yourself sitting by the fire in the common room. Elphaba was at her usual spot by the window, a book in hand, her dark green face partially illuminated by the soft glow of the firelight. You were curled up in one of the armchairs, trying to relax your sore muscles.

Elphaba glanced over at you, noticing the tense line of your shoulders. “You’re not sleeping well, are you?” she asked, her voice unexpectedly gentle.

You looked up at her, surprised. “What? Oh, I just… I’m fine. Just tired.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You look like you’re carrying the weight of the world. You should take a break sometime, you know.”

You chuckled softly, leaning back in your chair. “I guess it’s hard to stop once you’ve gotten used to pushing through it.”

Elphaba paused, her eyes thoughtful. “Sometimes pushing through can break you.”

The unexpected honesty caught you off guard, but you could tell she wasn’t just speaking from theory. You met her gaze, offering a small, understanding smile.

“Maybe we can both take a break then,” you said, sitting up. “You know, from all this studying.”

Elphaba raised an eyebrow. “And what exactly do you suggest?”

Without warning, you reached for the stack of books on the table and tossed them aside. “I don’t know… something more fun. How about a walk around the campus? The fresh air might do us some good.”

Elphaba looked like she was about to protest, but after a long pause, she gave a slight nod. “Fine. But if we end up in the stables, I’m going straight back inside.”

You laughed, already standing up. “Deal.”

A few days later, you and Elphaba were sitting on the grassy hill near the courtyard, sharing stories and laughs. 

The conversation drifted from mundane things—what the professors had said in class that day—to more personal matters. 

Elphaba opened up, little by little, talking about her childhood, about the people who didn’t understand her. You listened, never interrupting, just offering a kind word when it was needed. There was a rare vulnerability in her voice, a softness you hadn’t seen before.

“I don’t think many people really get me,” she said quietly, looking out at the sunset. “But I’m starting to think maybe… maybe that’s okay.”

You smiled gently, your heart swelling at the moment of quiet connection. “You don’t have to be like everyone else, Elphaba. You’re already pretty amazing the way you are.”

The words seemed to hang in the air between you, both of you silent for a long time, just enjoying each other’s presence.

It wasn’t long before Glinda started showing up, too—seemingly out of nowhere. At first, she’d wander into the courtyard while you and Elphaba were sitting together, her high heels tapping loudly against the stone path.

“Okay, okay,” Glinda would say, holding up her hands in mock surrender. “I’ll join you guys, but only because I can’t stand seeing you both brooding all alone. It’s so dramatic.”

You and Elphaba exchanged amused glances, but neither of you protested. Glinda, despite her sometimes overwhelming personality, had her moments of genuine sweetness, and she seemed to be trying—really trying—to be more kind.

Slowly, the three of you fell into a routine.

 Glinda would join you and Elphaba for casual walks around campus, or sit beside you both at meals. It wasn’t perfect. There were moments of tension, especially when Glinda’s usual teasing slipped out, but you could tell she was making an effort. And for Elphaba, that meant something.

One afternoon, the three of you found yourselves in the library. Elphaba had just finished another stack of books, and Glinda had somehow dragged the two of you into a heated debate about the best way to decorate the dorms for the upcoming semester. 

The conversation was lighthearted, but there was something new in the air—the way you all felt more like a team, like friends who’d somehow found each other.

At one point, Glinda leaned back in her chair, smirking. “You know, you two really are a mysterious pair. Elphaba’s always so serious, and you,” she turned to you, “well, you’re just toonice. You balance each other out pretty well.”

You exchanged a look with Elphaba, a smile tugging at your lips. “I guess we do.”

And in that moment, despite the chaos of everything around you, it felt like you were finally all on the same page. Glinda, with her shine and spark, Elphaba, with her quiet intensity, and you, somewhere in between, finding your place.

It wasn’t perfect. But for the first time in a long while, it felt like things were right.

—

It was a quiet evening, and the three of you had just finished a rather long study session. You were now lounging in the common room, the crackle of the fireplace the only sound filling the space. You were tired, but there was a strange sense of comfort in the familiar routine of being with both Elphaba and Glinda.

Elphaba, of course, had her nose buried in yet another book, her eyes scanning the pages with intensity. Glinda, however, had managed to sneak away from her own homework, casually leaning back in her chair and humming a tune.

After a moment, Elphaba let out an exasperated sigh, clearly frustrated with whatever she was reading. She rubbed her temples, closing the book with a soft thud.

“Something wrong?” Glinda asked, not even looking up from her reflection in the mirror as she adjusted a strand of hair. Her tone was light, teasing, but there was something softer in it than usual.

Elphaba didn’t answer immediately. She simply stared at the pages of her book, a frown creasing her brow. You could tell it wasn’t just the material that was bothering her.

“It’s just… this isn’t going the way I thought it would,” Elphaba muttered, her voice quieter now. “I thought I could just study and figure things out. But sometimes, it feels like no matter how much I do, I’m still falling short.”

Glinda finally turned her head, meeting Elphaba’s gaze. For a moment, there was a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes—something real, something far from the usual bubbly facade.

“You’re not falling short, Elphaba,” Glinda said softly, her voice sincere. “You’re doingeverything. And sometimes, that’s enough, even if it doesn’t feel like it.”

Elphaba blinked, clearly caught off guard by Glinda’s sudden seriousness. The words seemed to hang in the air for a moment, as if Elphaba was processing them, allowing herself to actually hear them.

“Thanks,” Elphaba finally said, her voice almost shy. She shifted in her seat, her tone slightly more hesitant than usual. “I… I know I don’t always say it, but I appreciate it.”

Glinda smiled, though it wasn’t the usual teasing grin. It was soft, almost tender. “Of course, Elphie. You know I’ve got your back.”

There was a long silence after that. You could almost feel the weight of the moment hanging between them, and for the first time, it didn’t feel forced. There was no pretense, no sarcasm—just two people, quietly learning to understand each other.

Another day, the three of you had wandered into the courtyard after dinner, the air crisp as the sun began to dip below the horizon. Elphaba and Glinda had naturally fallen into their usual banter, but there was a new ease in their interactions—like the sharp edges of their old rivalry were softening just a bit.

“So, how’s that little project you’ve been working on?” Glinda asked, throwing Elphaba a sidelong glance. “I’m sure it’s something insufferably intellectual, right?”

Elphaba shot Glinda a look that would have been intimidating on anyone else, but Glinda just giggled.

“I’m trying to write something,” Elphaba said, a small but proud smile playing on her lips. “Not that it’s any of your business.”

Glinda gasped dramatically, her hands flying to her chest. “I knew it! You’re secretly a poet! I should’ve figured it out all along. You’re so deep, Elphaba, it’s tragic.”

Elphaba rolled her eyes but couldn’t suppress the chuckle that escaped her lips. “I’m not a poet, Glinda. I just think—well, never mind.”

But Glinda wasn’t about to let it slide. “No, no. Tell me! What’s your secret talent? Come on, I’m practically begging you.”

You watched as Elphaba seemed to hesitate, but then, slowly, she gave in. “Fine,” she muttered, turning to face Glinda more directly. “I write letters. To people I don’t know. Just… random thoughts.”

Glinda blinked in surprise, and for a moment, you thought she might say something sarcastic, but instead, she looked almost thoughtful.

“That’s… actually kind of nice,” Glinda said quietly. “I think it’s sweet that you get your thoughts out that way. It’s… personal, you know?”

Elphaba didn’t look at Glinda, her gaze focused on the ground beneath her. “Yeah, well. It’s the only way I can make sense of things sometimes.”

There was something almost vulnerable in Elphaba’s words, and for once, Glinda didn’t tease her. Instead, she reached out, gently tapping her on the arm.

“Hey, I think that’s really cool, Elphie,” she said softly. “If you ever want to share one, I’ll listen.”

Elphaba looked at her, and for a fleeting moment, there was a quiet understanding between them—a moment where the walls they’d both built started to crack, just a little.

—

The day was clear and warm, the kind of afternoon that made Shiz seem less like a strict, academic institution and more like a peaceful haven. 

After much coaxing, Glinda had convinced you and Elphaba to join her for a picnic in the gardens—though Elphaba had initially protested the idea, claiming that she “didn’t have time for such frivolity,” you knew she’d come around. 

There was something about the way the sunlight filtered through the trees that made it hard to resist.

By the time the three of you found a good spot near a large oak tree, the air was thick with the sounds of birds and distant chatter from other students enjoying their free time. Glinda spread out a blanket with more flourish than necessary, tossing her hair over her shoulder dramatically.

“Look at us, spending a lovely afternoon together,” Glinda said with a smile, her voice warm. “Just three friends, living our best lives. Totally not a date.”

You raised an eyebrow, glancing at Elphaba as she set down the basket. Elphaba rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide the small smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

“Right, not a date,” Elphaba agreed dryly. “I’m just here to make sure neither of you gets sunburned.”

You chuckled, settling down on the blanket and pulling out a sandwich. Glinda, of course, had already prepared an impressive spread, with sandwiches, fruit, and something that looked suspiciously like cupcakes.

“So,” Glinda started, her eyes sparkling mischievously, “what’s the deal with you two, anyway?”

You froze for a second, glancing at Elphaba. “What do you mean?”

Glinda grinned. “You know… you two. You’ve been hanging out a lot. It’s adorable, really. Everyone at Shiz is starting to talk.”

You could feel the warmth creeping up your neck, and Elphaba’s expression mirrored yours—both of you caught off guard by the sudden shift in conversation. Glinda, though, was practically glowing with amusement, clearly enjoying the moment.

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you said, fumbling with your sandwich as if that would somehow distract from the awkwardness.

“Come on,” Glinda continued, eyes twinkling. “Don’t pretend you haven’t noticed the way Elphaba looks at you. And you—” she pointed at you, “—you get all shy whenever she says something nice.”

Elphaba’s face turned a shade darker, and she quickly reached for a piece of fruit to avoid looking at either of you. “You’re ridiculous, Glinda. It’s not like that,” she muttered, though her voice lacked its usual sharpness.

“Oh, sure,” Glinda said with a wink. “Whatever you say, Elphie. But it’s not just the two of you. I mean, look at how you’re all sitting so close. The world can tell, you know.”

You looked down at the blanket, realizing that, somehow, you and Elphaba had ended up sitting next to each other, with only a few inches between you. 

Glinda was sitting just a little further off, but still close enough that it made the arrangement seem… odd. 

Was it a date? It hadn’t felt like one, not in the way Glinda seemed to be implying. You and Elphaba had always shared moments like this, just the two of you, without any intention of anything romantic.

But now, in the warm afternoon sunlight, with Glinda’s teasing floating in the air, you couldn’t help but feel a little self-conscious.

“I don’t think anyone’s going to get the wrong idea,” you said quickly, shifting uncomfortably. “We’re just friends, right?”

Elphaba shot you a look, and despite herself, a small, almost imperceptible smirk tugged at her lips. “Right. Just friends.”

Glinda leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “Are you sure? Because if this is a secret date, I have to know all the details. I’m your number one fan, after all.”

You laughed nervously, the awkwardness still hanging in the air. But even as you spoke, you couldn’t help but notice how comfortable you felt sitting next to Elphaba. It was natural, easy, like the conversation didn’t even need to be said aloud.

“Maybe we should just enjoy the picnic, huh?” you suggested, trying to steer the conversation away from romance and back to the lightheartedness you had before.

“Fine, fine,” Glinda said, leaning back with a dramatic sigh. “But I’ll be watching. Don’t think I won’t figure this out.”

The afternoon continued, and as the sun began to set, the three of you settled into a more relaxed atmosphere. 

Elphaba, despite her usual guarded nature, actually seemed to be enjoying herself. She even joined in on some of the jokes, laughing along with Glinda’s exaggerated tales of her “glamorous” life.

You caught a quiet moment with Elphaba near the end of the picnic, the two of you standing together at the edge of the blanket.

“Don’t mind her,” you said softly, nudging Elphaba gently. “She likes to stir things up.”

Elphaba smirked, but it was warmer than usual. “Yeah, well, if she keeps calling us a couple, I might just have to kiss you to make her stop.”

Your eyes widened, and Elphaba, clearly having fun with her teasing, quickly added, “I’m kidding.”

But for just a split second, you both locked eyes, and there was a strange flutter in your chest. Maybe it was the lighthearted teasing, maybe it was just the moment, but there was something in the air between you that felt different. Real. Honest. And just maybe, Glinda wasn’t entirely wrong.

—

It was one of those rare, quiet evenings when the campus seemed to settle into a peaceful lull. After a week of chaotic classes and exams, the three of you—Elphaba, Glinda, and you—found yourselves gathered in the Shiz common room. 

The fireplace crackled softly, casting flickering shadows across the space. You were all tired, but there was a certain warmth in the room—something unspoken that made you want to stay there, together.

Glinda, as usual, was sprawled out on a couch, her legs propped up on the armrest, a bright grin on her face. You and Elphaba sat nearby, Elphaba with a book in hand, and you just enjoying the peaceful evening.

“So,” Glinda began, turning to look at you with a mischievous glint in her eyes, “tell me, dearest,” she addressed you with exaggerated sweetness, “have you thought any more about… us?” She leaned forward a little, her voice full of playful teasing. “You know, you and me. We’d be fabulous together.”

You blinked, unsure of where she was going with this, but you recognized the look in her eyes—she was clearly setting the stage for another round of her usual flirtatious games.

“Oh no,” you said, raising an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you’re going to start again.”

Glinda pouted, dramatically flicking her hair over her shoulder. “What? No! I just think we’d be so cute together, don’t you? You’re so charming, so adorable… And honestly, I’ve got nothing but time and way too many compliments for you, darling.”

Elphaba, who had been trying to ignore the conversation by pretending to focus on her book, couldn’t help but roll her eyes. She made a sound of disbelief—half annoyance, half amusement.

“Glinda,” Elphaba said, not bothering to hide her sarcasm. “You can’t just flirt with everyone you meet. You’re giving all of us a headache.”

Glinda simply flashed Elphaba an innocent smile, unbothered by her comment. “Oh, come on, Elphie, it’s all in good fun. Besides,” she added with a sly smile, “I can’t help it if I have perfecttaste, can I?”

You chuckled, shaking your head. “Right, because you just can’t resist flirting with me.” You paused for a moment, making eye contact with Glinda, before adding with a teasing tone, “Is it because you secretly like me?”

Glinda leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with a flirty challenge. “Oh, you,” she said with a sigh, batting her lashes. “You make it so hard to stay professional, don’t you?”

Elphaba, clearly not amused, raised an eyebrow. “Are you really flirting with her right now? In front of me? This is ridiculous.”

You chuckled, knowing exactly what Elphaba meant. There was something a little over-the-top about the whole situation, but you couldn’t deny it—Glinda’s flirting was kind of entertaining, in a way. And in some strange way, it was oddly… fun. But there was also something else there, hidden behind her words, a warmth that was starting to feel less like playful teasing and more like something real.

As Glinda continued to talk, there was a subtle change in her energy. She was still being her usual dramatic self, but there was something deeper in the way she was looking at you. Her teasing smile softened, and her voice became quieter, more genuine.

“Seriously though,” Glinda said, her gaze lingering on you for a moment before glancing at Elphaba, “you two are different. You’re like… a breath of fresh air. I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s kind of… refreshing.” She smiled softly, a rare moment of vulnerability breaking through her usual bubbly demeanor.

You were taken aback by her sudden shift, unsure of how to respond, but there was a softness in her tone that made you feel like maybe there was more to her flirtations than you realized. And then, just as quickly as it had come, her flirtatious nature returned, almost like a defense mechanism.

“You two are lucky I’m not making more moves,” Glinda said, winking. “Otherwise, I’d be trouble. You’d never escape me.”

But this time, her teasing didn’t feel like a joke. There was something in the way she looked at you, and something in the way her eyes briefly flicked over to Elphaba, that made you realize that maybe, just maybe, there was more than just flirtation here.

You glanced at Elphaba, noticing the way she had become more still, her eyes focused on her book again but her attention clearly elsewhere. There was a strange tension in the air, like something was hanging between the three of you, unspoken but very much present.

And then, for the first time in a while, you caught Elphaba’s gaze—just for a brief moment—but it felt like more. It wasn’t just the usual friendly glance. It was like she was considering something, feeling something, and so were you.

“Alright, alright,” you said, standing up and trying to shake off the awkward tension. “Let’s just enjoy the quiet for a second, huh?”

Elphaba nodded, clearly still processing everything that had been said. But as the silence stretched on, you noticed her stealing a glance at you every now and then, her usual guarded demeanor slipping just a little.

—

The night had fallen quiet, the fire in the hearth crackling softly as the three of you sat in the common room. Glinda had slipped into one of her more reflective moods, no longer speaking in her usual dramatic tones. She was sitting cross-legged on the couch, a rare moment of silence surrounding her. You and Elphaba had been talking about trivial matters at first, but it wasn’t long before the conversation began to slow, leaving a heavy stillness in the air.

You couldn’t shake the feeling that something was different—more real—between the three of you now. All of the teasing, the laughter, the flirtations, had led to something unspoken, something that was sitting just beneath the surface, begging to be addressed.

Glinda was the first to break the silence, her voice soft and uncharacteristically serious.

“Do you ever feel like you’re too much?” she asked, looking at both of you. “Like… like you’re pushing everyone away without even meaning to?”

You glanced over at Elphaba, but it was Glinda’s vulnerability that caught you off guard. You didn’t expect her to speak like this, not after all the playful flirting and teasing. The sudden shift in tone left you feeling a little exposed, like she was finally letting down the walls she’d been hiding behind.

Elphaba was quiet, her lips pressed together in contemplation. You could tell she wasn’t sure how to respond to that either, but the vulnerability in Glinda’s voice seemed to make her rethink her usual sarcasm. She shifted a little on the couch, leaning back against the cushions.

“You’re not too much, Glinda,” Elphaba said softly, her voice calmer than usual. “You’re just… honest. Even if it’s wrapped up in jokes and teasing, it’s real.” She glanced at you, and you could feel the unspoken words hanging between you.

You took a deep breath, your heart racing as you finally met Glinda’s gaze. “You know,” you began slowly, “it’s not always about the jokes. Sometimes, the things we say… they actually mean something.” You hesitated, the weight of your own words hitting you harder than you expected. “And I think—”

Glinda’s eyes flicked between you and Elphaba, a sudden realization flashing across her face. “Oh,” she said softly, her voice quieter than before. “So, we’re all just… pretending, huh?”

Your heart skipped a beat. Glinda’s smile faltered for a second, and it was then that you realized how much she truly cared—about you, about Elphaba, about everything. The flirting had never been just for fun; it was her way of masking something deeper, something she had been too afraid to confront.

“I’m not pretending,” you said firmly, taking a step closer. “I think we all know by now that… there’s something between us. Something more than just… whatever we’ve been calling it.”

Glinda’s eyes softened, her usual confident demeanor wavering as she processed your words. And then, finally, Elphaba spoke.

“I’m not good at this kind of thing,” Elphaba said, her voice low and a little unsure. “But I’m not pretending either.” She turned to you, her eyes lingering for just a moment before meeting Glinda’s. “There’s something here. And I think we’ve all been trying to avoid it for too long.”

The words hung in the air like a delicate thread, pulling all of you closer together.

Glinda’s eyes met yours again, and for the first time, you saw the vulnerability behind her teasing. She bit her lip, as if unsure whether to speak her heart. But then, with a deep breath, she said the one thing that made everything click.

“I think… I think I’m in love with you,” Glinda said, her voice barely above a whisper, but the weight of it was undeniable.

You blinked, shocked by the sudden declaration, but as you looked at her, you realized that it wasn’t just a flirtation anymore. This was real. The way her eyes shone with something deeper, something more serious. And in that moment, you realized that you were falling for her too.

“I—” you began, unsure of how to respond, but then Elphaba spoke, her voice steady but full of something raw.

“I’m not going to pretend that I haven’t been feeling the same,” Elphaba said, her eyes unwavering. “I don’t know what this is—what any of this means—but I know that I care about you.” She turned to Glinda, her voice softer now. “And I care about you too, Glinda.”

The room seemed to still as the three of you stood there, unsure of where to go next. The words were out in the open now, hanging in the air, and all you could do was let the silence settle around you.

Glinda’s gaze flicked between you and Elphaba, her lips trembling as she spoke again, this time with a little more certainty.

“Maybe… we don’t need to have all the answers right now,” she said, her voice quieter than before. “Maybe it’s okay just to… feel this. Whatever this is.”

You nodded, your heart still racing as you stepped closer to both of them. “Yeah. Maybe it’s enough just to feel it.”

For a long moment, the three of you simply stood there, the weight of everything that had been left unsaid finally coming to the surface. And in that quiet, uncertain moment, you realized that none of you had to be afraid of what was happening. Maybe the truth was messy, but it was real, and it was yours.

And for the first time in a long while, you felt like you were exactly where you were supposed to be.

—

The silence stretched between the three of you, heavy and thick, like the calm before a storm. The confession had left you all exposed in ways you hadn’t been before. But for some reason, the tension felt comforting rather than awkward, as though the raw honesty between you and Elphaba and Glinda had created a new kind of connection.

You could hear your heart pounding in your chest, a rhythm that echoed through the space. It wasn’t just the lingering weight of the words spoken—it was the feeling of being on the edge of something new, something that had the potential to change everything.

Glinda was the first to break the silence, but her voice was quieter now, softer. Her usual confident, flirtatious tone had been replaced with something more genuine. “So… we’re really doing this, huh?” Her smile was faint, but there was something in her eyes that made you want to step closer.

You nodded, your voice low as you met her gaze. “Yeah… I think we are.”

Elphaba stood beside you, her arms crossed over her chest as she observed the two of you. There was a quiet understanding in her eyes, and for a moment, you wondered if she was thinking about how all of this had come to be—how you had all been strangers, then friends, and now… something more.

And then, before you could overthink it, Glinda stepped closer to you, her breath catching slightly as she tilted her head. The look in her eyes was intense, but there was something hesitant in her movements—like she was still unsure if she should close the gap that was growing between the three of you.

Without thinking, you reached out, your hand brushing hers. It was a small touch, but it sent a shock of warmth through you. She looked down at your hand, then back up at your face, her expression softening.

“I… I’ve never done this before,” Glinda admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’ve never… felt like this. Not for anyone.”

You didn’t need to say anything in return. You just moved closer, a part of you knowing what was about to happen. And as you stood in front of her, you felt Elphaba’s presence beside you—her steady gaze, her warmth, her unspoken approval. It was as if everything had aligned in this one moment.

Glinda reached up, her fingers brushing against your cheek before she hesitated, searching your eyes. “Are you sure?” she asked softly, her lips only inches away.

You nodded, the closeness between the three of you too electric to ignore. Without waiting any longer, you closed the gap, your lips meeting hers in a soft, tentative kiss. It was slow at first, a gentle exploration of emotions that had been building for so long. You felt the weight of everything that had led to this moment, and in that kiss, you knew that this was the beginning of something new, something beautiful.

But then, as the kiss deepened, you felt another warmth press against your side—Elphaba. You’d almost forgotten she was there, but the moment she moved closer, her hand finding your wrist, you realized that it wasn’t just between you and Glinda anymore. It was between the three of you.

You didn’t pull away from Glinda as you turned your head, your lips now meeting Elphaba’s in a kiss that was both fiery and soft, full of everything that had been unsaid between you for so long. The sensation of two pairs of lips on yours sent a rush of emotions through you—an intoxicating mixture of longing, tenderness, and the realization that this was exactly where you were meant to be.

The kiss was electric—full of unspoken promises and the weight of everything that had been simmering beneath the surface. It wasn’t rushed, but it wasn’t without urgency, either. It was a kiss that spoke volumes without saying a word.

When you finally pulled away, breathless and wide-eyed, you saw the same mixture of wonder and uncertainty reflected in both Glinda’s and Elphaba’s eyes. It wasn’t a perfect moment, but it was real—and for the first time, none of you were afraid to admit that.

Glinda gave a soft laugh, her lips curling into a smile that was equal parts shy and confident. “Well… that was unexpected.”

Elphaba, who had been quiet since the kiss, finally let out a breath, her face flushed. “I guess we’re not pretending anymore,” she said, her voice still slightly unsteady.

You smiled, feeling your heart race as you stood there, between them, realizing that this was just the beginning of something completely new. It wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t easy. But it was yours.

“Not pretending,” you agreed, your hand finding Elphaba’s, and then Glinda’s. You stood there for a moment, feeling the weight of the night settle in your bones. Whatever this was, you were ready to face it—with them, together.

laur yaps ᡣ𐭩.ᐟ — okayy first fic how are we feeling about this? I made it in 30 minutes so it may not be the best…but oh well!

have a great day or night <3

[moghedien]

I've been so fascinated with how the movie pulls off the emotional climax at Ozdust, because I think its not nearly as simple as is seems to a lot of people. Like you can reduce it to "Elphaba did something nice and Glinda felt bad" and then one dance routine later they're friends

I think its a lot more than that though, and I think the movie kinda trickles things in gradually to show it throughout. And that kinda reduces it down to Glinda's guilt motivating the entire friendship, which I don't think is accurate either. Its less "Glinda feels bad" and more "Glinda and Elphaba realized they were playing entirely different games and had entirely skewed their reasons for hating each other" which included making Glinda also realize that she was being a bitch for no damned reason

Like, even their reasons for their rivalry are different from each other and so are their reasons for "maintaining" that rivalry. Their first interaction was them both mutually embarrassing each other, though only Elphaba was trying to embarrass Glinda. Which, to be clear, I'm not saying puts Elphaba in the wrong. Elphaba is very clearly in the right for I'm pretty sure all of this, and even if Glinda wasn't trying to embarrass Elphaba, it doesn't make her promising to degreen Elphaba in front of everyone any better. It's just important to understand their different perspectives on what is going on to understand the different places they're coming from. Glinda was putting on a performance of being a good person, at Elphaba's expense which she didn't even consider. Elphaba was pointing out how stupid that was and embarrassing Glinda to prove she's unbothered and correct.

That is kinda that best summary of how their rivalry goes. Glinda is performing, while Elphaba is responding to that but specifically in ways to piss off Glinda and show she's wrong. But they don't realize what the other one is doing. Glinda is performing to look like a good person and maintain the admiration of her classmates. By putting on this front of suffering by having to be in Elphaba's presence, she gets an easy win with her peers. In What is This Feeling specifically, you see them over and over again validating Glinda for just existing in the presence of Elphaba.

And given the girl sings a whole song about how "its not about aptitude, its the way you're viewed," you can assume that putting on a good appearance to her peers is probably the most important thing to her, period. Literally nothing matters more than that, and Elphaba provides an easy win. But she also has some clear attraction draw toward Elphaba that is strange and unspecified (she's gay), because she doesn't just suffer by being Elphaba's reluctant roommate, but clearly goes out of her way to partner with her, to find her at lunch, to make a scene with her in class repeatedly. Like she almost doesn't even count just having to privately live with her, she needs to bring it out in public too and spend time around her even when she should be happy to finally not have her around.

And making it all the more clear to me that all of this is, in Glinda's eyes, just a performance, we have the "looks like the artichoke is steamed" line, which is definitely one of the meanest things she says to Elphaba, but the way it goes down is fascinating. Because let's look at how that goes down:

Glinda makes a scene because Dr. Dillamond mispronounces her name.

Elphaba defends Dr. Dillamond and tries to embarrass Glinda.

Artichoke comment.

everyone is laughing at Elphaba.

To Glinda, this is what they do. They poke and poke at each other in public until one of them folds and wins, and if its her she gets public approval. But, what makes this clear to me that this is a performance is Glinda's immediate actions after the artichoke comment. When everyone is laughing, she exchanges a look with Elphaba, and the look is not mean at all. She doesn't look like she's gloating or like she just won, she just kinda nods and smiles and it seems like a genuine acknowledgment of...something. It's unclear what, but she doesn't seem like she's overly proud. It's like she's nodding to someone who just played a good game against her, but lost and she wants them to know they played well. It's bizarre the look here and fascinating.

And even more bizarre because Elphaba seems to acknowledge it as well and seems like she understands and almost smiles in response. But I think this also illustrates the disconnect in them for what their rivalry is.

So looking at Elphaba now, her approach to her rivalry began with her embarrassing Glinda, as mentioned before, and continued with her embarrassing Glinda. Most of what she is doing is trying to intentionally embarrass Glinda, which as I said before, isn't really wrong because Glinda is as far as we ever see, the one who is in the wrong and who starts the whole thing by embarrassing Elphaba. But as I said before, embarrassing Elphaba isn't the point of what Glinda is doing, she's trying make herself look better and is just using Elphaba, but literally how would Elphaba know this and why would it matter?

We see that Elphaba has been targeted and mocked her entire life, and that is basically what Glinda is doing to her now. But its also different with Glinda. Because before its always like, groups of people banding against her, with Glinda its personal. She certainly has her minions and all, and basically the entire school hates Elphaba just because they love Glinda, but Glinda isn't really using them. She's still doing everything herself and seems to actually go out of her way to go against Elphaba herself.

That, as far as we know, is different than any bullying Elphaba has experienced before, and what also makes it different is that Elphaba has an advantage of having something Glinda wants and something that prevents her from being pushed aside. Elphaba is basically going to be at this school however long Madame Morrible wants her there, and Madame Morrible also hates Glinda, so Elphaba can't be pushed away and she also has this one thing to hold over Glinda, because she's the one getting the attention that Glinda actually wants. And she's also potentially the only one that might help Glinda get it.

In a really weird way, this rivalry with Glinda might be the closest thing to a friendship that Elphaba has had from someone that isn't her sister or her nanny. Because its both of them personally going after each other and they both also have advantages over each other. And its clear that Glinda could be using her peers to target Elphaba but isn't. And Elphaba also makes it clear that she can ignore people she doesn't like, and yet she doesn't ignore Glinda. Because both of these freaks enjoy poking each other nonstop forever too much. There is something that draws them together (homosexuality) even when they supposedly can't stand to be around one another. Glinda is performing, but Elphaba is having the time of her life sparring with someone in a way she probably never has before.

Which takes us to the hat.

Elphaba approaches Glinda because, according to Nessarose, Glinda did something nice for her. We don't know specifically what Elphaba was going to say to Glinda, but it seems like its something she isn't comfortable with. Maybe she was trying to figure out what Glinda's motivations were. Maybe she was just going to thank Glinda for what she did. Either way, we don't know because Glinda interrupts her by giving her the hat and really talking up that damned hat too. Not only giving her the hat, but specifically inviting Elphaba to go out with them. Elphaba has probably never gotten anything like that before.

Elphaba, who has had the time of her life being antagonistic with Glinda up until this point, now thinks that Glinda is doing nice things for her and for her sister, for seemingly no reason. So she returns the favor and makes Madame Morrible accept Glinda as a student and tell her that night. That night, because this was going to be best night for Nessarose, maybe for Elphaba too now, so let Glinda have something too. Maybe this rivalry was turning into something else and maybe Elphaba was glad for it.

Only, Glinda wasn't being nice.

Glinda getting Boq to ask out Nessarose wasn't to be nice to Nessarose. She wanted Boq to leave her alone. And she didn't give Elphaba the hat and invite her out to be nice, she wanted to embarrass her after receiving validation for the idea from Pfannee and Shenshen.

What you need to know about Glinda here, is that she does not think about other people. She will throw a fit at Dr. Dillamond mispronouncing her name because he physically can't say it right and then repeatedly call Boq by the wrong name. She doesn't know if Nessarose wants to go to the dance or if Elphaba wants her to stop mocking her. She doesn't even consider these things when deciding to do something for her own benefit. She is doing as Glinda must do to perform as she needs for her audience (the entire world).

Which is how we end up here, at the emotional climax of the night. When she discovers that Elphaba did one very nice thing for her after she did something specifically to humiliate Elphaba, its not just guilt for this one moment, right? Its guilt for every little thing that she's done that she just assumed wasn't actually affecting someone else. Her mocking Elphaba and doing all these things wasn't actually about Elphaba, after all, it was about Glinda looking well. Because she didn't even really think about Elphaba, or how she might be interpreting what their dynamic is or that she might actually have been hurt by the things Glinda does. It was all a performance to Glinda.

But is was something else to Elphaba entirely.

And so we look at all the times, like the artichoke moment or their introduction, where Elphaba didn't seem all that upset and maybe Glinda realizes that wasn't always the case. She just wants people to think she wasn't. She was performing too, just not in the same way Glinda was. She was enduring the disapproval of others because she was maintaining this dynamic with Glinda, whereas Glinda was getting approval from others for enduring Elphaba. They were playing different games entirely and Glinda didn't know until Madame Morrible gave her the wand. It wasn't just the cruelness of the hat that she realized, it was the cruelness of single thing she's ever done to Elphaba.

And looking from Glinda's perspective, it makes sense if you see that she's forced to reckon with the fact that she's a terrible person and doesn't like herself, but look at what the situation is from Elphaba's. To Elphaba, Glinda is the first person that saw that she'd hurt Elphaba and then reached out to comfort her and try to help fix it instead of laughing or getting upset or doing nothing. Like I said before, the dynamic she has with Glinda before this is maybe the closest thing she has had to a friend, which is fucked up. But also part of me wonders, based on how they're seemingly drawn together when they could just ignore each other and based on Elphaba's reaction to Glinda's sort of nod after the artichoke comment, AND based on how quick Elphaba was to approach Madame Morrible, part of me wonders if Elphaba was just hoping for a moment when their antagonism would end the whole time. And that's why she's so willing to accept that once Glinda does something that Galinda is not supposed to do and makes a fool of herself to support Elphaba in front of all of the people she's supposed to be putting on a show for.

Which I think, makes Glinda joining Elphaba in the dance that much more important. Because, and I love this for the movie, she's not getting praised for doing so. Shenshen and Pfannee tell her to stop. The initial reaction she gets once people realize she isn't mocking Elphaba is scorn. For like, this one little moment they're on the same page. Glinda is getting disapproval for being with Elphaba here. And it ends in them being accepted by the party, but that almost seems to be unimportant. They hug before they realize that everyone else has joined in, and once they realize it, they leave the party together pretty much immediately. Their relationship has been a show in public for so long and so what happens next when they stop performing happens in privacy, just for them.

[show-us-kaidenshenandoah]

Wicked Gelphie fans, i need you guys so badly to know how well Elphaba/Glinda are "good timeline"d "history doesnt repeat, it rhymes"-ified by Dorothy/Princess Ozma in Baum's original Oz book series. like. Dorothy/Ozma get everything; theyre the sweet, intimate friends-to-"??? are they a couple?"-ified political power-sapphic-duo that Gelphie would have wanted to be. like??

if you merge canons, fam... Wicked-Glinda must be struggling, seeing Dorothy/Ozma be everything she and Elphaba could have been.... omfg... the angst potential, the envy of watching a couple of sapphic childhood sweethearts get everything they were denied, fulfill Glinda and Elphie's dreams, and seemingly so easily too...

(also!! they even CAN look like a kid-Glinda and kid-Elphaba! there's canon to justify that kind of appearance paralleling!!)

faq below if you want more context

edit, psa: i did read these books from like.. the ages of 10 to like 14 or so, maybe as young as 8? idk, i dont remember. anyway. its been a decade since i picked them back up. and i didnt think this would gain as much traction as it has been after 100+ notes in less than 24 hours. uh. so. take my chronic memory loss-addled summarization with a grain of salt?? like? i just wrote this post so i didnt have to re-vent (agAIN) to my friends about how much i fucking love Dorothy/Ozma, period, much less in parallel to Gelphie. so. enjoy, carry on, and whatnot lmao

1️⃣: there's Oz books? plural???

yes, Baum wrote 14 books about Oz, actually. also, he wrote them under the appointment of "the royal historian of Oz" instead of "author", so there's other "official" Oz books by other "royal historians of Oz"

Baum wrote so much bc (he needed money, yes, but also:) kids would send him questions in fan-mail, and he would proceed to answer them via new novels. so he never planned to make more Oz books, he just (wasnt good with money and also) was routinely inspired by the kids who wrote to him and would write the stuff they wanted to learn about Oz and whatnot

2️⃣: does Dorothy go back to Oz? wasn't it all a dream for her??

yeah, Dorothy returns to Oz a lot in the books, she eventually even moves to live there permanently. bc, in the book series, it's a real place

only in the 1939 film was Oz ever a dream

3️⃣: how does Dorothy look like Glinda OR Elphaba?? what are you talking about?

okay so, "The Wizard of Oz" has an illustrator, W. W. Denslow. in the book, Dorothy is confirmed to be wearing a blue-white gingham dress (she changes outfits tho, she doesnt always wear the same dress all 14 books like she's some cartoon character); but im pretty sure her hair was all Denslow(? i could be remembering wrong. p sure im not tho??). this is what the 1939 movie based her appearance off of. so i can see why youd go "she doesnt look like Glinda or Elphaba"

BUT Denslow and Baum started feuding. so for the rest of the Oz books that Baum wrote, he had a different illustrator by the name of John R. Neil

and Neil decided to give Dorothy for every one of the books he illustrated (so, 13 of Baum's books to Denslow's 1 book of Baum's) a cute lil blonde bob, making her look like what i assume blonde-Glinda looked like as a child. i think she'd approve lol

so!! Dorothy very much looks like a trendy little Glinda, with her cute blonde bob, her fashionable drop-waist dress, and bows for most of the Baum series, actually!

(also, Neil had a preference for dressing Dorothy in this red and polka-dot number, but, again, she does wear other outfits)

(lmao also look at Tin-Man and Scarecrow with blonde-Dorothy, they look like her two gay dads encouraging her to just go be herself at school?? i love them)

(also, if you see "Eloise At The Plaza"-energy in this Dorothy design, im right there with you lol)

4️⃣: who is Ozma??

she's the Princess of Oz. she eventually appears in the second book of the series. she rules Oz after the Wizard

she's actually a really interesting transwoman allegory too. (spoilers for a book from the early 1900s?) she was born a little girl named Ozma, but has a spell put on her as a baby to be genderbent and was socially raised as a little boy under a different name, and she later realizes who she truly is: a girl. she finds the transformation scary, as she returns to her girl-form she always truly was, but she feels better and more herself now that she is Ozma again. i dont think L. Frank Baum intentionally wrote her to be a trans allegory, but you can very obviously see why our trans elders fucking LOVED Ozma back in the early 1900s

also, she has a similar "sir, you fucked up" relationship with the Wizard as Elphaba*. and, also like Elphaba, Ozma politically tries to make things in Oz better (just.. unlike Elphaba, Ozma has the power and support to do just that p much asap)

* (edit for contextual clarification on how the Wizard fucked up: the Wizard fucked up with Ozma because he is ultimately and p directly the reason why she was genderbent/hidden. he deposed of her family and sent her away. Baum decided later on to backtrack a little bit on this(?) because he wanted to bring back the Wizard and, in order for Baum to do that, has to try to not make him SO terribly horrible??? so like. Ozma does end up forgiving him and tolerates him amd he's nicer, later on, within the books. but i doubt any modern adaptation of the books would follow that, personally. even as a kid, i went "bullshit" and headcanoned that Ozma fucking hated the guy and, at best, MAYBE tolerated him for Dorothy, but overall did not like him for justifiable reasons! i think the direction society seems to have taken the Wizard is interesting, and i wouldnt be surprised if there was at least one future adaptation that made him The Bad Guy in a very Rumplestiltskin in the Once Upon A Time TV show kind of way. but like. in the books, they do END UP getting along. i just forever disagree with Baum on that lol i think the Wizard fucked up, and in book 2 of the series (the one where Ozma is, y'know, introduced), it is obvious the Wizard FUCKED UP. but yeah. also, Ozma does get her dad back. her mom was kind of never in the picture to begin with, specifically in a Ponyo's Mom kind of way, like, she made Oz and then left it for her husband and kid to rule, so. yeah. im getting off track. my point is the Wizard did a full-on coup on her family and then banished her and genderbent her so no one would recognize that she had claim to the throne he was sitting on!! he fucked up! so, like, i personally hc that Elphaba founded the "i hate the Wizard" club to which everyone slowly joined, like Fieyro and etc, and Ozma is their youngest member. the Wizard did both Elphie and Ozma so dirty, omfg)

it also should be mentioned, Ozma in NBC's "Emerald City" was casted as Black (her actress being Jordan Loughran). so, though Ozma does not have green skin (but also? neither did the Wicked Witch of the West in the books, she wasn't green there. that was a 1939 film decision to make her green. so! Ozma could be green!! why not!), but she does have Black features to theoretically remind Glinda of Cynthia Eviro's Elphaba when you consider that casting. or, if you prefer a Jewish!Elphaba casting, a'la Idina Menzel's Elphaba, i think Ozma's book design works well to interpretively parallel those features too. or both, if you like the sound of a Black-Jewish Elphaba and Ozma paralleling lol

(edit, because i thought i mentioned this but? no?? i didnt?? i must have misclicked or something to have deleted the paragraph. im so sorry, here you go:) also, when Ozma was a boy, she was basically enslaved to her jailor of a caretaker. which one could interpret as "oh, a Cinderella story!", sure. but, with a Black Ozma, it does read as an intergenerational grief-formed power-fantasy that is both empowering and poignant for Ozma to have ran away from her enslavement and gone on to become a princess afterwards. to any Black folks who may be going "is this going to trigger me?" about Ozma having been a child-slave, i remind you that Baum wrote this intentionally for children, so, no, the books do not sit in the trauma and horror of enslavement, but whether or not it would trigger you yourself is up to your discretion. i will say, Baum did NOT write the American Girls' Addy of his time (context: a children's book about a child-slave that does go into the horrors, some, though in a kid-friendly way) or Louis Sachar's Holes (i asssume i dont have explain Holes since its movie was such a hit), i remember it as even more kid-friendly than either of those also-children's books, so i would assume most people would be fine? but you are responsible for your own mental well-being, i urge you to confirm if it is fine for yourself however you need to do that. but, yes, you can use this backstory as further evidence for your Ozma being Black, of course! you can have Ozma be Black regardless, but if you want this as further evidence, go ahead! and also, it does parallel Ozma to Elphaba in the sense that Elphaba's family mistreats Elphaba! (i will, regardless of if you prefer a Jewish and/or Black Elphaba, add that doing so is also a nice "fuck you" to Baum in how, being a white man of the late 1800s and early 1900s, did end up throwing in racist and/or antisemitic caricatures here and there within his 14 books, unfortunately. i, an Indigenous American, remember as a child still immensely enjoying Oz despite Baum being racist towards Native Americans. if youre curious on the egregious level of it all and if the story could still be enjoyable, id say it's in the realm of Peter Pan, Willy Wonka, and Matilda of "wow. that is shitty. im going to pretend this thing i love is good instead via cognitive dissonance")

regardless, in John R Neil's illustrations, Ozma does have black hair, so that too coincides with modern understandings of Elphaba

(there is also her appearance in Disney's "Return to Oz", performed by Emma Ridley, where she is blonde. but, though i love that spooky movie, that's neither here nor there. as far as im aware, only in that movie has Ozma not had black hair)

anyway, she rules Oz; and by book 3, becomes really close friends with Dorothy. they're not a canon couple, not anymore than Gelphie is, but they are such close and affectionate friends that they are so easy to ship as childhood sweethearts (so, no, there is no moment of 🎶loathing🎶, but i find that sweetness makes them an angstier parallel for Glinda to watch over, personally lol)

like here's some illustrations from the books of them just being two "gal pals". no wonder our queer elders shipped them lmao and this isn't even all of their illustrations together, this is just the first spurts that google shot out at me lmao

also??? this is them with book-Glinda. not only do they look absolutely darling, also, yes, Dorothy becomes a princess, because Ozma said so. they co-rule Oz together. they are just too sweet, fam, i love these two little childhood sweethearts, i choose to see Dorothy's princess-ship as the same as two kids promising to marry one another when they grow up. this is so cute

and can you imagine Wicked-Glinda? looking down at these two, seeing what could have between herself and Elphaba had things turned out different??? im making myself sad

(also "Book of Glinda" is so wild. both in terms of "...Baum, how do you not see this as queer?" like with one example being like "Baum, you put that Glinda has 100s of single women at her beck and call in her palace, this is so easy to see as sapphic, sir"... and then, over here, we have John R Neil repeatedly reading "gave a platonic, innocent kiss" and going "okay, so, uh, making out? i dont do platonic kissing" lmao anYWAAAAYYYY, THAT'S NOT RELEVANT HERE)

🌟5️⃣ bonus:

so, you might have a few follow-up questions. like, what is "Elphaba" like in the books? what does she look like?

well, she's really only in the first book. she's one-note, evil, dies. she's not green-skinned, and she isn't given any sort of name. she is only called "the Wicked Witch of the West", that's it, she is not Elphaba

however, i will mention the Wicked Witch of the West, in the books, is a fashion disaster and i want to see her look used as evidence that "yes, goth-Elphaba and dark-academia-Elphaba are 10/10, but also?? kitschy grandma-core knitwear-Elphaba × her fashionably Barbie pink girlfriend". i'd love to see art of that. i'm just saying

also?? this isn't related to her at all but guess what

Scarecrow/Tin-Man was like THE ship for our queer elders. they are so emotionally intimate, they live together, it's great, look at these pictures of them being absolute bros (can you see why they were shipped so hard)

i bring this up, bc you could argue Fieyro/Boq if you merge canons to make your own narrative and whatnot. guess Fieryo and Boq kinda had their own mirrored 🎶loathing🎶 period under that framing lmao

or, if you hate Boq, youll probably love the Tin-Man's angsty "ship of Theseus"-like backstory as the once-Nick Chopper(: his human name, pre-tin-ification) that is in the books

so! enjoy that knowledge!! theyre super cute in the books, i love them. again, not a canon ship, but still beloved by our elder queers, just like Ozma and Dorothy

i hope it makes even more sense now why our queer elders used the phrase "Are you a friend of Dorothy?" as code to see if someone else was queer, not even taking into account the 1939 movie or Judy Garland's relationship with the queer community

anyway, albeit this is all the basics generalized, that should be everything

but yeah!! Ozma and Dorothy reminding Glinda of what could have been, of what she lost, being the sweeter "next generation" version of Gelphie?? tugs so hard at my heartstrings

but yeah, do whatever you want with Gelphie, Fieryo, and Part 2. im just saying. the angst potential of being envious and living vicariously through someone and seeing other people get the happy ending you were denied?? is right there lol

(edit: this awesome video by Kaz Rowe JUST came out if you want to hear more about the Oz book series, its queerness, its author, its GLARING PROBLEMS including but not limited to instances of racism, and so on and so forth. Kaz Rowe is a fantastic video-essayist, so i hope you watch the video and enjoy their hard-polished craftsmanship)

[avelera]

This is obviously my personal opinion, but my one hot take about fem!Jayce is that I see a lot of takes where fem Jayce is butch, even though Jayce even as a man is not butch. Jayce is clean-cut and a people pleaser who is trying to look socially acceptable for his billionaire patron and society in general. It's not that he doesn't have vanity, but his specific style of grooming and dress tells me a different story, personally.

1 ) First, take Jayce's two outfits we ever see him wearing in S1. He has 1) His Academy Uniform and 2) His House Colors. That's it. He is either presenting himself as a member of academia, which has a distinct Piltover uniform, or as a representative of his family's name and legacy. Jayce presents himself specifically as a particular flavor of, "What a nice young man!"

2 ) Jayce keeps his hair neatly cropped short and shaves every day, we can tell he does because he has a five o clock shadow he can't get rid of but it never grows beyond that until he's trapped in the future. This, to me, isn't vanity or at least it's not individualistic vanity. This is the patented, "What a nice young man!" haircut that a lot of guys who don't otherwise care about their appearance default to, ie, regular barber visits and wearing a suit, always being well groomed. He's not a jock, he's a choir boy.

Basically, my take on fem!Jayce would be in line with this. That would mean fem!Jayce would have:

Muscles. Yes, obviously, you can't be Jayce without them and fem Jayce works in the forge too. But it's a popular misconception that strong women are always butch or buff or that weight training bulks you up as a woman. It doesn't, not unless you deliberately pursue that look, it actually slims you down and means you leaner for the most part. In my mind, fem!Jayce is just as muscled as Vi but like Vi, that doesn't mean she's bulky.

Fem!Jayce is trying to be socially acceptable. That means, fem!Jayce dresses feminine and probably "preppy" by our standards. As we see time and again, Piltover has a surprisingly strict gender expression divide, it puts its women in dresses and skirts, even its Enforcer women, just look at Caitlyn's first uniform! For fem!Jayce again, think perfect Catholic choir girl, professional but demur dresses, possibly covering up the forge muscles and the breadth of her shoulders with long sleeved cuts (Jayce always wears his suits buttoned to the wrist and throat, and he doesn't show skin except in the forge, think fem!Jayce in a sports bra only while working there). I genuinely think you'd see fem!Jayce in a lot of skirts and dresses to play up her femininity, likely in House Talis white and as a student always wearing her perfectly maintained school uniform. Again, think the good Catholic schoolgirl look, because the good Catholic schoolboy is actually closest to how Jayce presents as a student.

For hair, think the perfect preppy feminine image, shoulder-length, well-maintained hair with a slight wave in it from a daily blowout, tasteful understated makeup, nails always clean and perhaps painted specifically to hide traces of grime from the forge. This isn't about individuality it's about the Socially Acceptable Ideal and fem!Jayce is being a good respectable girl for her widowed mother and so she can keep her billionaire patrons happy and pursue her dream of Hextech.

Anyway, there I go rambling again and because I'm not an artist I can only describe it and not draw the vision lol. But personally, I see fem!Jayce as more Wicked's Glinda than blacksmith or jock, because Jayce doesn't present as a blacksmith except in private or as a jock ever, and he's a nice boy raised by a single mother and wants to make her and his patrons proud so he can pursue his dream.

He's also likely the first of his family to go to the Academy, "nothing much was expected of him" so that also adds pressure to conform to a "Nice Young Man" image and I think fem!Jaye would also present as the "Nice Young Lady" preppy, feminine version of that image.

[tunemyart]

also thinking again about just how joined at the hip Elphaba and Galinda were in the movie post-Dancing Through Life

Like, aside from the fact that Galinda and Elphaba were not just already together, but casually holding hands, when the missive from the Emerald City came, like these are just things that happen literally all the time and are well past the point of commentary

there's a crowd from school that goes to see Elphaba off at the train station. They then watch as 1) Elphaba reads something, turns around, and hastily calls for Glinda while the train is already moving, 2) Glinda runs alongside it to talk to her, and finally as 3) Elphaba pulls her onto the moving train while Glinda jumps at the last second.

like! this is wild at the best of times. This is the last time they hear from them! Can you even imagine? These lesbians were lesbianing so hard that they couldn't stand to be apart for One Day and went about rectifying their mistake in the most dramatic way possible. Then the next thing you know one of them is public enemy number one and the other one's living at the palace. like yikes, you'd think, what a bad breakup.

[nov4-rocket5]

Crazy how every modern Wizard of Oz interpretation ends up making the Wizard a horrible person. From a fascistic despot, to a selfish power-seeker, or worst of all; James Franco.

Yeah sure, in the original novels he was a charlatan con artist (and yeah, that’s pretty easy to make into a villain), but at heart he was a silly little goof who still cared about the citizens of Oz and wanted them to be happy (even if tricking them was the easiest way from him to do that). His most evil action in the whole series (giving Ozma to Mombi) was soft-retconned/ignored, and later books have him return to Oz as a badass studying under Glinda and willing to die to protect Dorothy.

So really, The Wizard in an “ideal” modernized Wizard of Oz adaptation would just be Grunkle Stan.

[jbaileyfansite]

When it comes to long-awaited films, there are few movies with as much anticipation as Wicked. Inspired by Gregory Maguire’s best-selling novel, it became a cultural juggernaut when it transitioned to the Broadway stage. Now, one can't talk about the Wicked Witch of the West without talking about Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Galinda/Glinda (Ariana Grande). While the massive film has brought Oz’s witches to life like never before, it's Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) who’s most benefitted from the stage-to-screen transition.

Fiyero's roots can be traced back to author L. Frank Baum’s original Oz lore, though the Winkie Prince himself is Maguire’s creation. On stage, Fiyero is a lovable troublemaker who flirts, and of course, dances, his way through life. The big screen version of Wicked honors this while adding a uniquely wonderful twist to his Lothario nature. When Fiyero arrives in the show, he charms Galinda in a very similar way to what he does on screen, but Fiyero’s actions in the movie aren’t solely to impress Galinda. Rather, he is out to create a real sense of joy for everyone, an effort that is made clear through his flirtation. While an ensemble number on Broadway, his stage counterpart spends the whole of the song with Galinda, where the film has him flirt and dance with a multitude of Shiz students to help them celebrate life.

While Fiyero mirrors some of cinema’s most iconic “bad boys,”one of the best changes the movie makes is his sexual ambiguity. He shares his seductive side with all of his fellow students, no matter their gender. And, what’s more, he genuinely enjoys it, sharing some of his steamiest flirtations with male cohorts. It’s a wonderful way to not only shake up the archetype but also makes Fiyero himself feel more fleshed out. But the greatest alteration comes from his relationship with Elphaba.

Elphaba Reveals That Bailey’s Fiyero Is Deeper Than He Seems

On stage, Fiyero starts to show depth in the second act, but Wicked doesn’t make audiences wait for the second film to see that there is more to the character. Both of Fiyero’s scenes with Elphaba exist on stage, but Bailey and Erivo fill their interactions with nuance. Both actors give their first meeting new meaning with the screen version. The musical usually plays this moment as an unpleasant introduction, but Erivo and Bailey play the scene as an undeniable flirtation. It’s a fantastic way to set up Elphaba’s upcoming conflict and solidify the complication that brews below Fiyero’s surface. Bailey brings a boyish charm to the scene that makes it clear he is undeniably taken with Elphaba (the first person in the film to be so), and he continues to add depth to the character after he and Elphaba free the imprisoned lion cub.

She gets under his skin in a way no one else can. While many in Shiz lust for Fiyero, no one can see his internal unhappiness except for her. When she touches him, Bailey shifts his performance and makes it clear that she is the first person to make Fiyero really look within and question what he wants out of life. It’s a beautiful way to foreshadow the conflict he will continue to face in the second part of Wicked and pulls on the heartstrings of moviegoers. He immediately goes from a lovable flirt to a relatable, deeply complicated young man who just might find himself in the woman who will eventually be perceived as Oz’s greatest villain.

Indeed, there is no denying that Wicked has used its new medium to reinvent Fiyero. From twisting an age-old archetype to Bailey’s fantastically intricate performance, he’s become a far more interesting version of the character. As audiences anticipate the next installment, it’s safe to say that Fiyero is set up for even more exploration.

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