#my girl Elphie did NOTHING WRONG

[extremely-sleepy-kitty]

ok so I just went and saw the Wicked movie with a friend and just. I have. SO MANY THOUGHTS.

*Spoilers below!!! You have been warned!*

First off: this movie speaks volumes on discrimination and social justice and the way our culture handles those things. The way Elphaba was discriminated against because she's green is ABSOLUTELY reflective of the discrimination people of color often face.

Adding to that, the purposeful government-mandated silencing of the animals is SO DEEP and so timely!!! It really applies to ALL minorities, and as a queer woman with many LGBTQ friends, that really hit deep for me. BIG thoughts on this.

There was even a quote from the goat professor, something to the effect of "if ppl say enough discouraging things to you, they silence you."

Elphaba was SO BRAVE, but honestly she had to be!!! As a queer woman, that's relatable too. After Trump won the election, as I felt the fear, the thought did play in my head that I could go back in the closet if I needed to. But like Elphaba, once you've seen the injustice and feel strongly, you can't turn away. You can't go back to a convenient life.

Which honestly made me feel more sympathy for Galinda... at first, she was so easily to hate. So annoying, a total "pick-me" girl, doing good for clout. Which yeah, makes sense, I've never been able to stand fakey ppl. But ALSO I've been there. I've been in her shoes, back when I was deeply religious and in denial of my queerness. That life was convenient, and I was scared to choose anything outside of that safe bubble. So, I really can't hate her.

Anywho. Those are my thoughts for now.

[nicnacsnonsense]

I said yesterday that every single song on the Wicked soundtrack is a Good Omens mood, so today I went song by song, and yep, checks out. (I am going to be skipping three songs -- “I’m Not That Girl (Reprise)”, since as a stand alone song it is not meaningfully different than “I’m Not That Girl”; “Dear Old Shiz” since it’s only intended to transition us from the opening number which takes place at the end of the story back to the beginning; and “Finale” since it is just a reprise/combo of the previous song “For Good” and the next song (in the stories internal chronology) “No One Mourns the Wicked” and does not meaningfully add to either -- and I will be adding in “Wicked Witch of the East” which does not appear on the soundtrack.)

“No One Mourns the Wicked” -- Aziraphale (Glinda) talking to the Archangels (Chorus) about Crowley. “Nothing grows for the wicked/They reap only what they've sown”

“The Wizard and I” -- The general sentiment echoes Aziraphale’s continued faith in God, despite private doubts about Heaven and the Great Plan. “He'll say to me, "I see who you truly are/A girl on whom I can rely!" 

“What is This Feeling” -- Heaven (Glinda) vs. Hell (Elphaba) with the Chorus representing Christianity, on Heaven’s side despite neither ultimately being appreciably better than the other. Alternatively, there’s some solid Ineffable Bureaucracy feels if you’re into that. “There's a strange exhilaration/In such total detestation/It's so pure, so strong!/Though I do admit, it came on fast/Still I do believe that it can last/And I will be loathing, loathing you my whole life long.”

“Something Bad” -- Aziraphale (Elphaba) believing God will stop the Apocalypse. “If something bad is happening to the Animals/Someone's got to tell the Wizard/That's why we have a Wizard/So nothing bad....“

“Dancing Through Life” -- Fiyero’s opening section is very remiscent on Crowley’s policy on working and his efforts to tempt Aziraphale into the Arrangement. In that context, him coming to this philosophy after having been kicked out of schools in the past is a bit... painful. “Dancing through life, no need to tough it/When you can slough it off as I do.”

“Popular” -- This one is a bit harder to place, but I can imagine that if Crowley and Aziraphale had to teach each other how to do their jobs in service of the Arrangement, this is the kind of energy I imagine they’d bring. Alternatively, if you dial down the good-natured intentions and dial up the judgement and condescension, there are shades of Heaven/Hell (Glinda) wanting Aziraphale/Crowley (Elphaba) to be a proper angel/demon. “Don't be offended by my frank analysis/Think of it as personality dialysis”

“I’m Not That Girl” -- Crowley through 6000 years of pining, with the “that girl” he’s losing out to being Heaven. Though the general longing for someone you feel you can never have also has some pretty strong Aziraphale through 6000 years of pining vibes too. “ Ev'ry so often, we long to steal/To the land of what-might-have-been/But that doesn't soften the ache we feel/When reality sets back in “

“One Short Day” -- This is the background music every time during the 6000 years when Aziraphale and Crowley manage to sneak in some time to enjoy each other’s company just for the sake of it. “ And then, just like now, we can say/We're just two friends/Two good friends/Two best friends/Sharing one wonderful/One short day!”

“Defying Gravity” -- The main feel of the song has a lot of Crowley (Elphaba) immediately pre-Fall energy, but the conversation between Elphaba and Glinda in particular is very reminiscent of the bandstand. G:”Elphie, listen to me, just say you're sorry!/You can still be with the wizard/What you've worked and waited for/You can have all you ever wanted.” E:”I know/But I don't want it/No, I can't want it anymore”

“Thank Goodness” -- Aziraphale (Glinda) trying to put on a obedient and faithful attitude while dealing with his doubts about Heaven and his forbidden feelings for Crowley. “ 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”

“The Wicked Witch of the East” -- Most of this doesn’t connect much, and very little of it is sung, but this last bit here is absolutely Crowley (Nessa) sitting in the bar after the bookshop fire. “Alone and loveless here/Just the girl in the mirror/Just her and me, Wicked Witch of the East!/We deserve each other”

“A Sentimental Man”/”Wonderful” -- I combined these two because “A Sentimental Man” by itself is really short and doesn’t really tie in, but thematically it goes with “Wonderful” so I think it works with that context. One thing for this one is to keep in mind that in Christianity Gabriel is an Archangel, but he’s generally consider the messenger, which one would think would generally put him at the bottom of that top group, and yet in Good Omens he seems to have worked his way up to de facto leader of Heaven in God’s absence/silence. Making the Archangel Fucking Gabriel feel a lot like the Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Not to mention the general point about labels and history has a lot of Good Omens Heaven and Hell are basically the same thing with different names vibes. “There are precious few at ease/With moral ambiguities/So we act as though they don't exist”

“As Long as You’re Mine” -- Azcrow Saturday night “you can stay at my place” feels. Enough said. “ Say there's no future/For us as a pair/And though I may know/I don't care/Just for this moment/As long as you're mine/Come be how you want to/And see how bright we shine”

“No Good Deed” -- The bookshop fire. The first three-quarters or so of the song is Crowley running into the burning bookshop, desperate to find Aziraphale and being overwhelmed by how absolutely everything has gone completely wrong this week capped now with this, losing the love of his life. The last bit of the song transitions to Aziraphale up in Heaven completely done with all this bullshit and flipping the entire Host off on his way out. “Fiyero, where are you? Already dead or bleeding?/One more disaster I can add to my generous supply?”

“March of the Witch Hunters” -- This is literally just the Witchfinder Army’s theme song. “Go and hunt her/And find her/And kill her/Kill the witch!”

“For Good” -- Aziraphale and Crowley on Sunday morning as they wait for Heaven and Hell to come for them, not knowing if their plan will work or if they’ll ever see each other again. “ Who can say/If I've been changed for the better? I do believe I have been changed for the better/And because I knew you/.../I have been changed/For good.”

And there you have it. Every single song on the Wicked soundtrack is a Good Omens mood, fact checked and proven. Still compiling evidence for the “Stephen Schwartz is a time traveler who did this all on purpose” theory. I’ll keep you posted.

[way-down-meme-town]

The Prom (Act I) Lyric Meme

Changing Lives 1. "When I'm in character, I go insane." 2. "I make the audiences feel my pain, and if they don't leave depressed, then I've not done my job." 3. "Even the people who are dead inside will shout bravo." 4. "It means that this tour de force will not be forced to tour." 5. "Cheers to a show that's so inspiring it's almost too much to sit through." 6. "In two words, it's history-making." 7. "That's why every actor strives for adulation and compensation that comes from nightly changing lives."

Changing Lives (Reprise) 8. "We're gonna prove that in this day and age, being gay isn't a crime." 9. "This is our moment to change the world one lesbian at a time." 10. "We're gonna help that little lesbian whether she likes it or not." 11. "When you're a legendary thespian, first you help the distressed then you help the distraught." 12. "Why sing and dance when you can take a chance and know you're truly changing lives." 13. "We're gonna match until that town looks like the end of act one of Les Mis." 14. "You don't gotta have a Ph.D in psych to know that people kowtow to the folks in the biz."

Just Breathe 15. "Note to self: don't be gay in Indiana." 16. "There are places where it's in to be out, maybe San Francisco or thereabout." 17. "If you're not straight, then guess what's bound to hit the fan." 18. "Just breathe. Not everyone is that repressed." 19. "Just breathe. It wouldn't be high school without a test." 20. "Just close your eyes and count to ten. Go to your happy place." 21. "Who's this girl you're gonna bring to the prom, anyway?" 22. "I didn't know we had more than one lesbo in town." 23. "You don't know her. She's new here." 24. "Note to self: people suck in Indiana." 25. "Leave today. Pray the grayhound isn't full." 26. "Who knew asking out a girl to prom would go over just like an atom bomb." 27. "Just breathe. Picture a beach with golden sand." 28. "Okay, I just got off the phone with the states attorney. Like I suspected, they think this is a civil rights issue." 29. "Just breathe. Remember that thing called oxygen." 30. "Just breathe. Look at the crazy state you're in."

It's Not About Me 31. "I wanna tell the people of whatever this town's called I know what's going on here, and frankly, I'm appalled." 32. "Unless I'm doing The Miracle Worker, I won't play blind, deaf, and dumb." 33. "Listen, you bigoted monsters, just who do you think you are?" 34. "How do you silence a woman who's known for her belt?" 35. "Go on then, threaten to riot. It won't phase me in the least." 36. "I understand furious townsfolk. I did Beauty and the Beast." 37. "Equality should be this country's norm." 38. "This is how actors intervene, through fiery song and dance breaks." 39. "Although I'm rich and famous, publicity is not my final goal." 40. "Wait, this is not about me."

Dance With You 41. "I don't want to start a riot." 42. "I don't want to blaze a trail." 43. "I don't want to be a symbol or cautionary tale." 44. "I don't want to be a scapegoat for people to oppose." 45. "What I want is simple as far as wanting goes." 46. "I just wanna dance with you. Let the whole world melt away." 47. "When we're through, no one can convince us we were wrong." 48. "All it takes is you and me and a song." 49. "I don't need a big production, streamers hanging in the air." 50. "I don't need to spend the night with confetti in my hair." 51. "I don't need a room of people that I don't really know." 52. "I just want to hold you and never let you go." 53. "Two people swaying slowly, nothing more and nothing less. Why anybody fears that is anybody's guess."

The Acceptance Song 54. "Flowers accept the rain and grow more beautiful." 55. "Babies accept their mother's breast so they can grow strong." 56. "I accept that I was born a handsome man." 57. "Bigotry's not big of me and it's not big of you." 58. "Let's all work together to make rainbow dreams come true." 59. "Acorns accept the sun and turn to mighty oaks." 60. "Let us accept one another. Join our fight today."

You Happened 61. "Since JV football I've been adored, big man on campus but oh so bored." 62. "My life was perfect, but so routine. I prayed for someone to intervene." 63. "Something new happened and turned my life around entirely, and that's cause you happened." 64. "There's not one subject that I could pass before you walked into my Spanish class." 65. "Life without you was no bueno." 66. "I won't hide if you're by my side."

We Look To You 67. "My days have little glamour." 68. "That's why I love theather. It's how I escape." 69. "Theater is a distraction? Is that what you're saying?" 70. "A distraction is momentary. An escape helps you heal." 71. "We look to you in good times and bad." 72. "The worlds you create make the real ones seem less sad." 73. "The curtain goes up and every now and then, it feels as if we're coming home again." 74. "We need a place to run to when everything goes wrong." 75. "We look to you, as strange as it seems, when reality goes to scary extremes." 76. "This I guarantee. Next time you think no one cares, you can look to me."

Tonight Belongs To You 77. "He can turn this butch-y duck into a swan." 78. "Your whole look could use a shake-up. You can borrow all my make-up." 79. "Treat the whole world like your runway." 80. "Make it fierce but in a fun way." 81. "I don't mean to be rude, dear, but you could use some attitude." 82. "Let's show the school that tonight belongs to you." 83. "One things universal, life's no dress rehearsal. So why not make some waves before it's through?" 84. "Go big or you've blown it." 85. "It's time that you own it." 86. "Let's make it clear that tonight belongs to you." 87. "I can guess your whole agenda." 88. "You be Elphie. I'm Galinda." 89. "It's makeover time, so why not just give in?" 90. "Oh, god. I can't believe this is finally happening." 91. "She almost ruined it for all of us." 92. "I hate to sound conceited, but the boys get overheated when I strike a pose or two like thus." 93. "You have to hand it to me. I mean, even I would do me." 94. "I have worked very hard on this night and I have a right to enjoy it, too." 95. "You are going to have a wonderful prom. Like a normal girl. I made sure of that." 96. "Trust me, fixing little problems is what I do." 97. "You're my superstar. Now get your ass in the car." 98. "Make it clear that tonight belongs to us."

[gliyerabaa]

prompt: elphaba has a mental breakdown in kiamo ko and she truly believes she is a monster, but glinda catches her in the middle of it and comforts her. (this is lowkey trash im sorry :( )

oh MAN it’s angst time lets GO

THIS DID NOT TURN OUT HOW I WANTED IT TO BUT WHATEVER

(I was inspired for this one partly by No Good Deed and partly by ‘Monster’ from the Frozen musical. they really have similar vibes tbh)

----

Nothing she ever did was good enough.

Everything always went wrong somehow.

Everyone she had ever tried to help- Nessa, Doctor Dillamond, Fiyero- every one of them was dead, because of her.

To be responsible for such horrors was too much to bear.

--

From birth, she had been called a monster, for years she had been referred to as wicked. 

For the most part, she had been able to brush off the insults and criticisms and hatred, but now she couldn’t help but start to believe it was true.

She had tried to do good, but only wound up creating chaos and destruction and disorder.

Her attempts at goodness had cost the lives of three of the most important people in her life- what kind of monster would do such a thing, putting their friends’ lives in danger like that?

And more importantly, who was next?

Who would be the next victim of her good intentions?

--

Glinda? Would Glinda be next?

No.

She wouldn’t let it happen.

If all of Oz agreed she was wicked, then maybe she would have to live up to that title.

Her good intentions only led to bad things... so perhaps something good would come from bad intentions?

Unless- maybe that wasn’t the solution at all.

Maybe the solution was to disappear, to fake her own death, to flee Oz forever and leave this mess behind.

It was an absolutely cowardly thing to do, but she was so damn tired of hiding and running and suffering and killing.

Leaving Oz would put the future into the Wizard’s hands, but she preferred that to any more of her well-intended plans leading to the death of her friends.

Her mind flashed to Dillamond’s lifeless body, murdered in cold blood.

It was her fault.

Nessa’s motionless body, crushed by a house, ruby slippers still on her feet.

Her fault.

Fiyero, being hauled away to Oz knows where for interrogation and trial and execution.

It was all her fault.

Glinda would be next. The only person she had left. 

It was only a matter of time before she found a way to fuck everything up for Glinda too.

She let the tears fall as she collapsed on the floor. “I am such a fucking monster.”

“No you’re not...”

Elphaba looked up. 

It couldn’t be...

“Elphie, why would you ever say such a thing?”

Elphaba stared at the woman before her. She looked like an angel in the moonlight. That’s all she was, just a vision, a delusion, a by-product of her exhausted mind and its hopeless thoughts.

“Because it’s true.”

Glinda sat down on the floor across from her, her ballgown ruffling out like the petals of a beautiful flower.

“You’re not a monster, Elphaba. You’ve done some bad things, and you had the best of intentions that didn’t always turn out right, but that does not make you a monster.”

“Don’t you dare try to make me feel better about this, because it won’t work.”

“I didn’t come here to cheer you up. I came here to say goodbye. The Wizard wants you dead, and he’s sent that farmgirl to come and kill you. There isn’t much time left, and I didn’t want our relationship to end on such a sour note back in the cornfield.”

Elphaba sighed. “Thank you. I didn’t want to end fighting either, but I didn’t have the courage to go and find you.”

“I’ve missed you terribly, I hope you know that.”

“I’ve missed you too.” Elphaba leaned towards Glinda, caught up in her bubbling skirts and her soft, strong arms.

“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, Elphie. So many sleepless nights have led me to a conclusion that I should’ve realized ages ago.”

“And what would that be, my sweet?”

“I love you. I’ve always loved you, and it’s so terrible of me to wait until now to tell you, I know. But I’ve come to realize that you’ve changed me, Elphaba. For better or worse, I am who I am today because of you.”

“I do believe that I love you too, though I’m not quite certain what love is at this point. But I do know that I want you by my side until my dying breath- which, by the sound of the angry mob in the distance, could be any moment now.”

“Elphaba-” Glinda sobbed as she pulled Elphaba’s face to hers in a kiss, needy and desperate and loving, not their first kiss, but very likely their last.

“Glinda, hide yourself. And promise me you won’t try to clear my name.”

Elphaba watched as Glinda hid away in a corner, she watched as the doors burst open, and the girl picked up a bucket of water and flung it in her direction.

She cast a vanishing spell to disappear, to fake her own death, and she watched from the rafters as Glinda sobbed over the spot where she once stood.

[forkanna]

[AO3 LINK] [EF LINK]

"What… how… why are… huh?!"

That was the most eloquence Glinda could manage in the face of her almost-lover. Fiyero, her Fiyero was standing there, with the painted-on eyes and smile, ragtag old hat and straw sticking out every which way from the sack-cloth skin, he looked absolutely nothing like her old lover… except for perhaps the expression. Something about it was familiar, even if stretched across unfamiliar features.

But his voice was what truly made her think of the guard captain. Of the one she had hoped would make an honest woman of her someday, back before her life had taken so many unexpected turns. It was the same velvety tones that had talked and sang to her when they went dancing, that had agreed they were perfect together. His voice. He.

"Sorry about this," he laughed, nodding down at his chest. "But I didn't know how else to bring it up. Actually… I kind of forgot who I was for a little while, you know."

"Forgot? What? H-how does that work?" She couldn't string together her thoughts, they were so busy flitting off in a thousand directions.

"Well… near as I can figure it, somebody put a spell on me after I got crushed by that falling house," he mused as they ascended, Fiyero leading the way since Glinda couldn't seem to make herself walk unless he made it necessary. "The damndest thing, right? But I wasn't able to figure that out right away. At first, my head full of straw couldn't put together a single thought anymore. I ran away, then forgot how to walk. I tried to cry out, and forgot how to talk! A farmer found me limp in the field, out of my head, and decided to stick me up on a pole to make use of me. Can't blame him in the slightest, really."

"Oh. S-so… so you really have been a scarecrow."

"For a day or so. Then Dorothy found me." His eyes filled with warmth, in a way Glinda could only describe as fatherly. "At first, all I could do was tag along after her, hoping someone could help me think better. Someone like the Wizard. But as I got closer and closer to the Emerald City… well, my memories started coming back to me."

That sharpened Glinda's tongue a little more. Swallowing, she whispered, "And what did you do? Coming back to your senses, with Biq and that big Lion along for the ride! You must have been scared of saying the wrong thing!"

For some reason, that only seemed to bemuse him more. "Well, about the Lion — oh, I think I'll save that for later. First, I'd love to meet with Elphaba again. Is that where we're headed?"

"Yes, yes it is. I…" But she couldn't take it any longer. Throwing both arms around him, she pinned him to the wall and huddled close, eyes leaking crystalline tears as she cried, "Fiyero! Oh, I thought you were gone forever, we both did, but you… oh, Fiyero!"

A few minutes passed as he weathered her cries, a limp, thin arm eventually encircling her back; it seemed he had not been lying about the manacles not being fit for a scarecrow. Every time she tried to dry her eyes and speak again, she fell to a fresh fit of sobs. They were tears of relief, but they would not be stemmed, not for anything in the world.

"I am sorry," he assured her as gently as he could, when she was more receptive to hearing again. "About not saying before, and for the crows. All I knew was that a couple dozen black birds were divebombing Dorothy — I didn't want to see what they'd do to her if they succeeded!"

Glinda nodded before sniffing loudly and pulling back to pet his cloth face. "It's alright! Well, Elphie will disagree, but that's… by Oz, I've missed you so much! And I wish you had said something last night!"

"Couldn't. I didn't know what was going on, but I had a feeling from the moment I met Dorothy that it was important I tag along, find out what her goal was. Even more once the Wizard told us what he wanted us to do! And of course, I knew all along that the water wouldn't do a twigging thing to Elphie, but… hey, the more I kept them thinking it would, the more of a chance you'd have when they tried to melt 'the enemy', right?"

"Clever," she laughed wetly, kissing his fabric cheeks. "Oh, so clever! And you thought you hadn't any brains!" They both cackled as they embraced again. "But now you're here… I can't even tell you what this means, to find out you're alive!"

"If you can call this 'living'," he scoffed.

"Nonsense! Compared to you being dead?! I'd take this in a heartbeat!" Again, she kissed his cheek and then grasped the hand. "Come on, Elphie has to see this! Right away!"

In mere minutes, they were in the throne room. Elphaba had stated that it would look more imposing if she received people there, and Nessa and Glinda were inclined to agree, though due to Dorothy's fright it made as much sense to be more welcoming and warm to her, Glinda had argued successfully.

Saint Aelphaba's namesake sat perched upon the old throne, prim and proper with her hands folded over her knees. Nessa sat in the "queen's throne", which Glinda had to fight down a giggle at the thought of sitting in that throne herself by Elphie's side. Her feelings were all muddled now that Fiyero had returned, when a part of her had been wondering if him turning out to be alive would quash any feelings other than for him. Apparently, that would not be the case.

"Hello, murder murderer."

"Elphie," Glinda tried to hiss, but Fiyero cleared his throat so she fell silent.

"Elphaba. I had to protect the girl; I hope you can understand that. But… if you need to punish anyone for that, punish me."

Recognition flickered in her eyes from him speaking, but she didn't catch on right away. Glinda understood; the concept was so fantastic that anyone would doubt themselves, if they even thought of it in the first place.

"Who are you?" Nessa asked, tone equally cold as her sister's. "Name yourself."

"Why should I? I already have a name, and it's one I like. Even if I haven't been using it much lately."

Elphaba leaned forward, face severe. "You're an unwelcome stranger here. You ought to show a little respect to us!"

"Really?" he scoffed, somehow managing to strike a devilish pose despite the manacles. "Because by the way I figure it, you're the ones trying to invoke squatter's rights in my house! How do you like that?!"

The severe face froze for an eternal moment. Glinda let out the smallest of giggles, unable to help herself — and the sound seemed to shake Elphaba loose from the ice entirely.

"F… Fiyero?"

All he did was nod. It was all he needed to do; the witch who had seemed so dour moments before leapt up from the throne faster than Glinda had ever seen her move, sweeping down off the dais and onto him, wrapping her arms around tight. Unable to resist, Glinda embraced both of them, laughing and even hopping up and down slightly as she watched Elphaba kiss his cheeks just the way she had before.

"Y-you- it's not possible! How could you be alive now- and how are you this… this… this?!"

"Search me," he chortled. His voice was as emotional as theirs, though he didn't cry; Glinda had to wonder if it was even possible for a man made out of straw to shed tears in the first place. "I woke up underneath a house, and barely knew what I was doing with myself until Dorothy found me!"

As he told Elphaba the same things he'd told Glinda about his journey, Nessa eventually came over to join them, content to stay at the fringes for a minute. When there was a lull, she took a step forward.

"Hello again, Fiyero."

"Nessa!" he gasped, painted mouth agape and hands pressing to the sides of his head. Glinda couldn't help leaning in to see what might be inside said mouth, but it was just straw; she might have known. "Look at you! Up and about! Guess I'm not the only one enjoying a spell or two!"

"It's thanks to my sweet, talented sister," Nessa said so earnestly that Elphaba couldn't entirely suppress the slight flush of forest green that came to her cheeks. "In fact… listening to what you told us, I'm pretty sure your condition is thanks to her, too."

"Hm? How do you mean? I didn't see her anywhere around when I woke."

"That's because we had already flown the coop. Before that… she and Glinda were both trying to revive you, and I assumed Dorothy's shiny shoes had taken both spells, since I never heard anything about you surviving. But what if they only caught one spell?"

Elphaba drew back, unwilling to let him go completely but wanting to get a proper look at her sister. "Yes, my spell went under the house; I saw Glinda's get waylaid." Then she turned up to look at his lumpy head and smiled fiercely. "If I did some good for once… even just one good deed that worked out for the best, then I'll sleep a lot easier tonight."

"We both will," Glinda promised, kissing his cheek again. He grinned.

"Sorry about… what you've become," Elphaba breathed, running her fingers over the seams. "This wasn't at all what I imagined the spell would do."

"Ah, you did the best you could. You saved my life." His words were earnest and warm, and he pulled both women in again, clutching at them as hard as his stuffed limbs could allow. "You both did. Thank you. But I'm afraid I have apologies to make."

"Whatever for?"

"The Crows." Elphaba stilled, but he pressed onward. "They weren't… I hadn't any idea what I was dealing with, they could have been from anywhere! But as I've told Glinda, I am sorry; I didn't hear one of them speak until the others were all…"

The witch took a step back from Fiyero, manner more reserved than it had been upon first reuniting. "That is… regrettable. I've been sick to death over losing Draven and his compatriots, I… but I do know you, Fiyero. I know how you helped me with that cub, and that you'd never harm a hair — or feather — on anyone's head if you saw another way."

For a moment, he allowed her to grieve afresh, frowning over at Glinda with his cloth mouth. Glinda patted his arm in reassurance. Then he perked up and said, "Actually, I did have something to mention to you, if you might be interested. That cub we rescued…"

"Hm?" she said distantly, still seeing what became of the Crows in her mind's eye.

"He's in the dungeons."

Both of her eyebrows shot up at once. "What? You… no. That Lion is the tiny cub we rescued? The odds are… I don't believe it!"

"Well, believe it," he said with a twinkle in his eye. "He doesn't remember much, but remembers being carried out of Shiz by a pair of Munchkinlanders — and I'll forgive him for mistaking me for one, just this once. Isn't that something?"

"Oh…" Pressing a hand to her mouth, she took a few vague steps toward the door. Then she whispered, "I was worried that he might have to be put down, if he continued to pounce at Glinda, but if… if he's an Animal, if we can reason with him… well, we might at least keep him down there instead of being forced to do the unspeakable…"

Clapping her hands together, Glinda wriggled with glee as she embraced her two friends again. Elphaba remained sober from the mention of the Crows, but did not resist when she gave them both a kiss on the cheek apiece. "Isn't this wonderful? We've been through so much, and… well, I'm sorry you got turned into an old sack of rags, but I'm ever so glad you're here! Isn't it grand, Elphie?"

"Swell," she deadpanned. But then she smiled up at him. "And… I suppose I can forgive you for the Crows. You felt you had no choice but to defend her, I understand. But… you'll help me hold a funeral for them, when this is all over? Won't you?"

"Of course," he told her solemnly. "I'd have done it then and there if the Tin Man wasn't making so much racket about needing to charge ahead, axe at the ready."

"He'll either need to be disposed of, or executed in some way," Nessa said coldly, surprising all there. "I'm only being practical; if he's never loved me a day in his life, and he can't resist trying to kill me… all I ask is that he be taken away, made so that he can't attack me anymore. One way or another."

"Now, Nessie," Glinda sighed. She patted her on the arm, but the arm was pulled away so fast that she had to blink. "It's as much our fault as his; I was the one who encouraged him to ask you to the Ozdust Ballroom. Maybe if I hadn't… oh, I don't know. A girl isn't obligated to return a man's affections, you know! I should have been able to simply tell him outright that I was not interested!"

"But you didn't," Elphaba grunted. "Because you're too nice. Always thought you were, and as far as I'm concerned, this is the proof." Then she took a deep breath. "He's contained for now. Let's focus on whether or not we can trust Dorothy and the Lion and work from there. Morrible and the Wizard should be our main concern from this point forward."

The others all nodded in agreement. Then Nessa said, "What are we going to do? Nobody has ever dared stand against the Wizard; they all love him so much for unifying Oz and building the capital."

"Enlarging the capital," Glinda corrected. "It's always been there, he just made it shinier and bigger. And maybe he's not a terrible man, but he is a terrible Wizard and not fit to be our Supreme Ruler! We just have to think of a way to get him out of there!"

They all murmured about this for a few seconds. Seemed no one was going to be able to come up with an effective plan to depose the man immediately; further contemplation would have to be given.

"Guess I'll go back to my cell for now," Fiyero said, heaving a sigh. Glinda idly wondered if he really needed to sigh at all, or if he even needed to breathe. "Dorothy and Lion are probably worried. What should I tell them?"

"Oh, do you have to?" Glinda began, but Elphaba shushed her.

"Yes, he does. To maintain their trust, we can't appear to be showing favouritism. But… I do suggest you refrain from lying to them about what we've discussed, or who you are."

Eyes narrowing, Nessa asked, "What are you plotting, sister?"

"Not 'plotting'. But now we are four, and I think — except for the walking stovepipe — the others could be persuaded to join our cause against the regime if they realise Fiyero is already on our side."

Fiyero shrugged as he said, "How am I going to explain my lying up until now? At first I forgot who I was, but once I remembered I never said as much. That won't look good."

"Do the same thing: don't tell them until we're ready. I think… Dorothy should be brought up here tomorrow, as she's already shown that she's open to hearing our side of things. And I think that's just what we should tell her; the whole story. Either it will sway her or it won't."

"It is an awfully long story," Glinda snorted. "But yes, that's a good idea. Then, if that goes alright, we can try that out on the big kitten."

"Maybe we should leave him caged up instead," Nessa whispered. "He is a beast; if he decides once we get there to turn on us, he could tear us to pieces!"

"He's a Lion, not a lion," Elphaba said warningly. "And I have a great respect for the king of the forest, even if he's so far from home. Besides, he seems protective of Dorothy, and if she sides with us it might be enough to gain him into the bargain."

"Hey," the scarecrow said, folding his arms. "Don't forget those two are my friends just as much as you are. It's hard to stand here and listen to you talking about them like they're just pawns in a big chess match."

The women blinked at him a few times, and Glinda looked down guiltily. But Elphaba folded her arms right back, straightening to her full height.

"They are pawns. So are we; everyone is a pawn in the Wizard and Morrible's game. We're just hoping to band together and overthrow the players themselves. United, we stand a chance, but divided…"

The rest didn't have to be said.

                                                          ~ o ~

"I'm afraid, Elphie."

As Elphaba set her pointed black hat on the bureau, touching her index finger to the tip fondly, she asked, "Of?"

"Of what might happen if we can't trust Dorothy," Glinda sighed, shucking her dress and laying it gently over the back of a chair. She reached for the nightgown and began to walk toward the dressing screen as she announced, "I really think we can, but what happens if tomorrow we're talking to her, and she says something we don't like? Or that makes it obvious she could turn on us?"

"You aren't wrong. That would split our focus, having to sit on top of some girl and her companions while we figure out how we're going to bring down a Wizard with the entirety of Oz under his thumb. It's… oh, if only we could get Morrible away from him! Then the way would be clear!"

"This is so unfair! Here we are, the comeliest witches of the eon, and we have to do all the dirty work! What happened to the royal lineage? How'd the Wizard sweep in and take the throne in the first place? Whose hare-brained idea was this whole crazy crusade?!"

"Mine. Of course, it's really the Wizard's for persecuting Animals in the first place, but I am the one who decided it had to stop, and that in absence of any other volunteers, I was going to be the one to stop it. So… when it comes down to it, I have no one to blame but myself."

Emerging from behind the screen, swapped into her nightie, Glinda sighed and said, "Hey, this is Hiz Wizliness's fault, not yours. A good man would have seen that he was wrong and admitted it. His stubbornness is on his own head."

"That's true enough," Elphaba grunted as she wrestled with her bra strap. "Then it's… just a matter of… oh, I can't get this damn thing unhooked!"

"Here." Glinda's nimble little fingers made short work of the clasp, and it snapped open to reveal a smooth expanse of green skin. With a vague smile, she traced one of said fingers down the line in the middle of her back, earning a pronounced shiver.

"Y-you know I told you not to do that."

She drew back, lowering her eyes. "Sorry, Elphie. I didn't mean to- I'll wait for you in the bed."

Once Elphaba was changed into nightclothes, she put out the light and joined her under the covers, curling her body neatly around the back of her friend and pressing her face into her hair. A few seconds was spent adjusting their positions in subtle motions until they were both comfortable again.

"Elphie?" A quiet hum was her only answer. "Do… you really hate it when I touch your skin?"

"That's… not the right word. 'Hate.' But it does make me feel strange, and… and we don't have time to think about figuring such things out. Not with everything going on!"

Her stomach was wound tight as she rolled over to look into the sharp, alluring features that she had grown so fond of over the past few years. "When is the right time? When we're both dead?"

"What?"

"Don't think just because I'm a pretty face that I'm too dense to know what might happen if we try to take down the two most powerful people in the whole kingdom, Elphie. They might kill us, or worse. So…" She petted up and down Elphaba's back. "Do you really wanna put it off 'til later and risk never getting a chance?"

Green fingertips slid up to ghost over Glinda's lips, and she let them part slightly as Elphaba explored, teased. Did so with much more concentration and thought than the previous occasion they had briefly lost themselves in passion and desperation.

"If I do let myself feel this," she finally rasped, "I want it to be because it's my decision, and yours. Not because we feel we have no decision." Her hand vanished. "Besides, I thought with Fiyero back with us…"

"I dearly love Fiyero. And I dearly love you, Elphie Thropp. Do I have to give you up to welcome him back?"

"That's presuming you had me to begin with." When Glinda raised a hand and laid it across Elphaba's neck, cupping it gently, Elphaba leaned into the touch, eyes sliding closed. "Nnh…"

"We deserve each other. Once, I would have thought that was a mean little joke, but now… now I want you to know that…" Giving up on teasing her, she pushed her face into the area she had been petting, feeling the heat of skin, the scratchiness of the collar further down. "Fiyero can't give me what you can anymore. And even if he could, I… I know it's strange, and maybe some would call it 'deviant', but… I want this from you more than from him. From anyone."

"You're only saying any of this because we were stuck with each other's company for two full years."

"Yes, I am. Two full years to appreciate who you are. To me."

Elphaba drew back, turning Glinda's face up to hers with a firm touch that sent chills straight down into every cell of her body, making her toes curl in, her palms tingle, her mouth open. She didn't kiss her. That was what Glinda had craved and hoped for, but she got something else. Something better.

"I would never have made it through those years without you. And I don't want to lose you, now or ever. You came into my life for a reason; I fully and wholeheartedly believe that, Glinda! In and through you, I have been changed…"

"For the worse?" Glinda said with a twinkle of mirth.

"Maybe. But I don't think so. Either way, it's for good. Forever." Their mouths were close again, within an inch of each other, and it felt wrong and right in equal measure, but Glinda dug in with all her might to keep from abandoning herself again, to respect Elphaba's hesitance.

"Do you want this?" There was clear hesitance, so Glinda tried to help calm her with a compromise. "Maybe just a little taste-test?"

"Yes. But I can't take it. Not yet."

"You can't, it's true. I'm giving it to you. There's nothing to take when it's a gift, Elphie."

"What if you taste so good that I can't ever stop tasting you?"

Glinda's soft little shoulder rose and fell, and she let her eyelashes flutter as she felt a single tear leak from the corner of her eye. It couldn't be helped; her heart was bursting and there wasn't room for them all inside it now. "Sounds wonderful to me."

"I will. I promise you that I'll stop; I promise myself. One taste."

Elphaba kept that promise. Her lips dove in, and Glinda returned the gesture with heat and gratitude, the way her hands gripped Elphaba's shoulders making it crystal clear that she wanted the moment to stretch on for an eternity. But when Elphaba pulled back a minute later, panting and weak, Glinda let her go with the smallest pang of regret marring her joy.

"That's all for tonight," Elphaba announced numbly as she rolled to face the other way. "S-sleep well, Glinda."

But when Glinda's arms encircled her, it was so much warmer and more familiar than they had ever dared been before that Elphaba had to clutch at the back of Glinda's hand, shivering and trying to let her anxieties pass even as Glinda was rejoicing.

"I always do when you're with me."

                                                          To Be Continued…

[talesandfluff]

This Feeling

my first Gelphie fic! set right after the part of “Popular” where Elphie runs out of the room.

Elphaba rushes out of their room, her heart pounding in her chest. She's almost out of breath by the time she reaches the shared bathrooms at the end of the hall, slamming the door shut behind her. She winces when she realizes that the sound may be unthoughtful at the small hours of dawn and pauses, then tiptoes to the closest sink quietly. She could have used the private bathroom of Galinda's spacious suite, but then the shelves are filled with Galinda's countless perfumes and lotions and all the scents in the world but over all of them, the smell of Galinda herself and everything that reminds her of Galinda is just who Elphaba is trying to avoid.

Frantically, she rubs the lipstick off her mouth. Stupid idea. She never should have let Galinda try it out on her. The water rinses red and pink down the sink. She gasps at the sight, squeezing her eyes shut. Chest heaving, she leans against the sink, arms shaking, and tries to be soothed by the sound of the running water, the otherwise silence throughout the whole building. Everything is quiet. The party ended a while ago and the mass of excited students has found their bed and their dreams. And today, Elphaba could be one of them.

"Calm down, you freak…"

She ought to be at her happiest. She has every reason to. Even now, she still sees the people dancing with her after Galinda joined her, the people complimenting the hat after knowing Galinda gifted it to her, the people accepting her if Galinda did… But then, why does she feel no peace tonight? Her pulse is rushing, her head is reeling, her face is flushing… She knows this feeling.

Overwhelming and undermining all the joy of the party, Elphaba's mind cannot seem to steer away from the feel of Galinda next to her on the bed, talking of her beauty, of all the love in the world she could receive, but in that instant none of it mattered half as much as the faintest of Galinda's smiles. Her perfume still clung so strong after hours at the party, somewhere between flowers and candy, too much on anyone else but Galinda pulled it off just fine. Her arm around Elphaba's shoulders, and all those promises and secrets and compliments. The comfort of intimacy. The warmth of a friendly smile and a pretty face.

She gulps and reaches up to unclip the flower from her hair, slowly opening her eyes to her very flushed face in the mirror. There's a hint of pink across her cheeks, melting into the verdigris. Pink goes good with green, Galinda's voice says in her head.

"No" she says firmly. "Still green."

Still a freak, still the girl no one could love, truly love. Her breath slowly gets back to normal, lulled by the all too familiar thoughts.

Years ago, her father had hired a tutor for Nessarose to teach her in all matters. Of course, Frexspar would only employ the best of the best for his precious younger child and the tutor was as knowledgeable in every area knows to animals and men alike as she was patient and kind. In a splurge of generosity, he had allowed Elphaba to attend the lessons as well, provided that she didn't bother them. Elphaba had sat in a corner, taking notes quietly, but the more lessons went, the less notes she actually wrote. Her pages became filled with sketches and drawings of the teacher and Elphaba thought she had never seen anything as beautiful as the way the sun hit on the side of her face in the early afternoon, the gold of her curls, the fresh pink of her cheeks when she smiled kindly at Nessarose even when she answered all wrong.

Of course, she should have known she'd be cursed in every way. Someone with green skin could only have all the sins known to Oz, and all the misfortune. Maybe because of one too many smile, maybe asking one too many times if the teacher would be arriving soon, or maybe the natural suspicion her father had always kept against her, but he grew wary of Elphaba's admiration for the Gillikinese tutor. One day, and Elphaba always suspected he'd sneaked about her room to get his hands on them, he found the drawings and came to his own conclusions on their nature, and from that day on, the tutor was not allowed in their home anymore. Nessarose's education fell to his own shoulders, Elphaba left to her own devices.

Maybe, in a way, it had been a good thing. Maybe she would have never grown to love books as much as she did if she hadn't been forced to rely only on her own reading and understanding for her edification. Maybe she would have turned silly or soft if she'd entertained those feelings for longer. But then, Galinda's smile, and her curls, and her pink cheeks… Elphaba shakes her head. There is nothing but misfortune to come from such feelings.

Back in their room, Galinda has donned her froufrou night shirt and gone to sleep, buried under her mountain of covers. She's breathing rather loud, her throat expelling a goofy whistling sound with every breath out. Elphaba smiles. She changes for bed and lies facing the wall. She knows she'll see enough of Galinda in her dreams anyways.

[forkanna]

Characters, settings, and selected lyrics © L. Frank Baum, Gregory Maguire, Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman. This story, original characters and plot elements ©2016-2017 me. All rights reserved.

NOTE: Rated T for Teen. Will contain occasional nigh-NSFW moments, including sensuality and mild gore, but nothing out of place in a PG or PG-13 movie. TRIGGER WARNING: there will be some racism and an attempted sexual assault in later chapters. See below for more notes!

[AO3 LINK] [EF LINK]

Unlimited Together, we're unlimited Together, we'll be the greatest team there's ever been, Glinda - Dreams, the way we planned 'em If we work in tandem There's no fight we cannot win

Just you and I defying gravity With you and I defying gravity They'll never bring us down...

                                                            CHAPTER ONE

"Glinda, come with me. Think of what we could do! Together…"

Time dragged to a standstill as poor, bewildered Glinda-née-Galinda Upland stood somewhere she definitely shouldn't be, riddled with indecision. Never had Elphaba Thropp looked at her with such intensity, such desperation in her eyes. No one in all the land of Oz had! Not Fiyero, nor any other classmate, nor Elphaba herself before today. Even during those classes at the university in which she had spoken so passionately about the mistreatment of sentient Animals, she had not seemed so… fervential? Was that a word?

And here she was, hoping to enlist her help in this cause. Was she out of her tiny verdant mind?!

"Elphaba… I…" Her throat worked to swallow as she glanced between the barricaded attic door and the brilliantly green hand clutching the broom handle. Wind seemed to come from nowhere, swirling around them and blowing the long strands of raven-black hair around her strong jawline. Now she had to turn her eyes away from those of her roommate, which she could no longer meet; too much intensity that made her stomach feel strange. Then again, Elphaba's intensity had always done that to pretty much everyone she met.

"Well?" the newly-awakened wizardess demanded of her. "Are you coming?"

What a crazy notion! How brazen, how reckless! She couldn't simply uproot and follow on Elphaba's heels. How could she? Her entire life was at Shiz University; her classes, hopes for a brilliant future in sorcery. Following that, a modern, Ozmopolitan life, and the prospect of becoming more than just another tittering debutante, beholden to her family name. Friends, admirers…

Fiyero…

"Elphie, you're trembling." Was she coming? Casting around for some kind of distraction, she found a large black cloak discarded upon the floor. At least it matched her hat. "Here, put this around you…"

As Glinda fastened it around her friend's bony shoulders, heart aching from the prospect of losing one of her dearest companions in such a ridiculous way as this, she decided: no, she could not go with her. Of course, she had great respect for the sentient Animals of Oz — the deposed Dr. Dillamond especially. They were every bit as important as the human persons that she attended Shiz with. Why shouldn't they be? They could walk, and talk, and exchange ideas the same as anyone else.

At least, they could. A recent shift in tense from present to past. Catching and caging them was a deplorable idea, and she had been equally sickened by that class in which they were forced to look at the Lion in its prison, presented as a spectacle instead of a person. The Wizard and Madame Morrible should be ashamed!

But Elphaba truly was taking things too far. Some things simply defied her understanding. All of this fuss, over sticking a few pairs of wings on a few monkeys?! Her unsociable roommate could be mistaken, after all; perhaps the Wizard had simply flipped to the wrong page in the Grimmerie before handing it to her. It needn't be his fault, not necessarily. Didn't the great leader of their entire Land of Oz get any benefit of a doubt? And what was so awful about monkeys having wings? Wouldn't that only improve their lives? She herself wouldn't mind having a set, being able to soar above the clouds…

"GLINDA!"

Rousing herself from her introspection, she took a step forward. Perhaps she had taken too long to contemplate; they didn't have the luxury of time on their side. In the end, of course, it was mostly the thought of the lean, masculine Fiyero and his easy charm that prompted her to tell Elphaba what she must tell her. But she needn't be harsh about it; she could break the news to her gently, with the warmth of their friendship and a wish for her future. She deserved that much.

"Oh, Elphie…" A hand laid on the one holding the broom, causing Elphaba to blink at her in surprise. "I hope-"

There came more pounding at the door. Elphaba's emerald eyes flicked toward it, then back to her in a wild panic as a gruff voice on the other side barked, "Break it down! For His Ozness!"

Cursing under her breath, the black-clad girl straddled the broom, the Wizard's spellbook still tucked under her arm as she bade her, "Get on! There isn't time — we can discuss this later!"

"Wh-what?! We can't, surely they wouldn't truly-"

Her words were eclipsed by the sound of wood splintering. Apparently, they surely, truly would.

"Galinda, it's do or die! Get on this broom now!"

Do or die. They wouldn't use deadly force… would they?

The attic door suggested otherwise.

Before she knew what was happening, Glinda was on the back of a broom, arms looped around Elphaba's waist. They were already rising into the air before her mind caught up with her body, and she squeaked, "Wait!"

In vain. The guards were nearly within arm's reach of them when Elphaba rose above their heads, cackling madly at the feeling. Glinda was too terrified to share in her joy at the sensation of flight, but in the back of her mind, she knew it was one of the most exhilarating experiences she'd ever had in her lifetime. With an effort of will, they were shooting toward a large stained glass window on the Western wall.

"ELPHIE, LOOK OUT!"

But she needn't have bothered shouting; making things explode was something at which her green-hued classmate had always excelled, even before classes helped her hone the magic within her. Amid a shower of breaking glass, the two exited the Royal Palace.

Soon, the Emerald City was laid out below them, sparkling and majestic. Glinda caught her breath. Every street and every spire reflected the sunlight, dazzling her eyes as they hung in midair. Had any of her fellow Ozians ever seen this? Had they been so lucky?

"I don't know where to go now," Elphaba confessed, frantic voice intruding on Glinda's reverie. "Back to Shiz? Do we… should we get Nessa, or Fiyer-"

"NO!" When Elphaba twisted around to look at her, strong, severe features mildly surprised underneath the brim of the large black hat, Glinda shrank back from the stare as she added, "We… don't have the right to drag them into our sensationifical mistake! This is something we've done, we…" Her face went completely ashen. "We're criminals. You are, and I'm your accomplice, and…"

Setting her proud jaw, Elphaba turned back around and gazed down at the ground, at the guards amassing in the streets, though they had no hope of catching the two women suspended at such a height. Eventually, her eyes slid closed in shame. This was a deeper look of pain than she had ever seen in her roommate's forestful features, which looked yet greener due to the twinkling emeralds that lit up the cityscape below. But she did not speak on that matter.

Elphie looks so phosphorescent in the sunlight, she suddenly noticed. Though that thought seemed to come from nowhere.

"We'll go to my home, to my father. They won't think to look there right away, and then…"

"And then?"

"And then… I don't know."

Glinda swallowed hard as she tightened her hold on Elphaba, the vertigo finally catching up to her adrenaline-soaked brain. "Th-then maybe we'll drop in on my family? Or… well, we'll just have to think about that later, I suppose. But yes, let's go see your father, and hope that he doesn't… turn us away."

"I'll head West first," Elphaba said, even as the broom tilted in that direction. "To confuse them, and then North until we're past Shiz, and then back East to Munchkinland. Might save us having any unpleasant surprise visits, at least for a while."

"A better plan than I had, which was 'say you're sorry'. Don't think that would work now."

"Probably not, but… oh, let's just be rid of this place!"

And without another word, Elphaba shot off toward the lowering sun, gliding over the tall skyscrapers, the gorgeous palaces and museums. Ones Glinda was terrified she would never see again.

                                                            ~ o ~

The Coven Of Oz

A Canon Divergence in Three Parts By Jessica X

                                                            ~ o ~

Only once they had made good their escape and circled the Emerald City and its environs by a wide berth did either of them speak. It was Elphaba, turning in her seat to make herself more easily heard. Her voice was hoarse from the earlier shouting, and perhaps with grief, but Glinda didn't want to assume anything.

"Before we left, you were going to say something."

"What?" Glinda whispered, then cleared her throat and repeated it louder, so as to be heard over the sounds of rushing wind. "What?"

"You… were going to tell me you didn't want to come."

Her heart seized. "Oh. Well… please, Elphaba, try to understand… it's not that I-"

"No, no. You had every right not to… follow me on this dangerous crusade. I'd think you a coward, but not a fool; I'm the fool." Her body became more and more tense, which was impossible for Glinda not to notice due to their close proximity. "The Wizard, Madame Morrible, and the entirety of the Ozian military… they're all intent on the suppression of Animal rights, and here I am, thinking any good and decent citizen of Oz should want to band together to stop it! They should, if they have a damn conscience, but they…"

Some time went by with the wind whipping at their faces before Glinda prompted in a soft voice, "They?"

"They have something to lose. I do not. I'm just a hideous green bean with a weird trick or two up my sleeve — unlike them, who all have family and reputations to protect."

"Hmm… that is true." Wincing at how that had come across, Glinda hastily added, "About them, not you, obviously! Because you do have a family, right? And… and a couple of friends, at least. And you're not hideous, just perhaps… deciduous!"

The hands tightened on the broom as she growled, "Why was I put in this position? All I've ever wanted was to… work with the Wizard, ask him to guide me, and maybe…" Her voice had grown more and more embarrassed, and she finally fell silent again. "Nevermind. I'm just a romantic idiot. And he's just a charlatan. Maybe we really were made for each other from the beginning. A couple of bumble-brains."

In all of those words, Glinda heard something unsaid, as she was so used to searching for when her roommate spoke. An apology. The antisocial thing had been so opposed to interaction in the first place, and only through steady insistence from her — and from Elphie's sister, Nessarose — did she begin to blossom from her tightly-clenched bud. Of course, she still preferred isolation and study, but at least they had begun to get her to attend various social activities, to travel all the way to Emerald City, even if only for one short day. There had to be some room left for understanding her idiosyncrasies.

"Aww, Elphie…" How could she word this? "It isn't that I didn't want to come with you, alright? I admire your stance, your zeal! You've got a moxieness when it comes to Animals, and I think you have a chance to do some real good in this world! Or did have, anyway… I just… your cause is not my cause, you know? So it wasn't about you, it was… a difference in interests! Does that make sense?"

After a moment to mull that over, she more felt than heard Elphaba sigh. "It does. I'm… you're right, and I should have waited to listen to you instead of pushing you to join me."

"Too late now," she muttered.

"It is."

"Oh, no, I- that isn't how I meant- I don't blame-"

"You should; you have every right. I let my fury at how the Wizard tricked me make me forget that you were there, and that you were with me. That my actions would reflect badly on you, as well. That was selfish." Another sigh, louder, more stunned. "Wow… I've completely ruined your life."

"What?! Come on, Elphie, don't be so dramatical. Nothing's 'ruined', we just have to… okay, I don't know exactly what we 'have to', but there's a thing we have to do to make this right, and we'll figure out what it is! Together!"

"But you shouldn't…" Shaking her head back and forth, she admitted, "Guess it doesn't matter anymore. Let's just figure out where we're going and what we're doing right now, and the rest of it later."

Nodding, Glinda pressed her face into Elphaba's back. Her warmth was becoming more and more necessary, with the chill wind pulling her own body heat away. That was odd; given how cold and standoffish the woman had been during their year at the university, she would never have guessed she had any heat at all. Like the reptiles she resembled with that green skin and those sharp features. A pleasant surprise, especially in such a time of need.

And that's how things will be for a while, she admitted to herself as their speed increased, skimming them over treetops. Until we get this all straightened out, we're going to need to stick together, whether we like it or not. Just hope we don't end up hating each other before it's all said and done. Not two best friends like us. Wouldn't that be an awfully tragic tragedy?

                                                              To Be Continued…