Disclaimer: All rights to characters from Wicked belong with Gregory Maguire. Alas and alack for me.

Gelphie proto-romantic, relationship depicted. If this offends, git along little dogies, it's your misfortune and none of my own.

When Galinda snarfled out of sleep, Ama Clutch was just bringing in the tea. She noticed she felt remarkably well-rested, and refreshed. She'd been having delicious dreams of some sort; however she couldn't quite remember the gist of them. She sat up in bed, and stifling a yawn, she proceeded to stretch. And the act of stretching jarred her memory; and she quite suddenly remembered some flashes of her dreams. And she squeaked. Her eyes opened wide, eyebrows up and anxious. Images of emerald skin and firelight, muddled, and what else? There was a campfire and…oh dear what else?

Fortunately, or not, with the smell of the tea the last fleeting sense of dream-logic skitted away, taking with it the warm enveloping sensuality of her dream. It wasn't a…a bawdy dream she didn't think, she hoped. At least not compared to what she'd heard Pfannee, or Avaric wax, if not poetic, then enthusiastic about at any rate. But there was something about it that was stirring and seductive in a way that she already had lost the sense of. Realizing that, she felt a vague sense of loss and disappointment, and then quickly on its heels she felt a pang of relief and a dizzy discombobulation. Tea would help sort her out she was sure. She shook her head, to clear the cobwebs, and reached for her dressing gown as she got up. Ama Clutch was just setting the tea down. No scones this morning she was disappointed to see.

The room was swirling with herbal scents. Unfortunately her head was a bit sore and swirly this morning also. But the now familiar smell of Elphaba's daytime toilette actually was a bit of help; it smelled of something light and sharp like dandelion stems split open, combined with the aroma of the tea. Autumn or no, it smelled more of early May in their little corner of the dorm this morning.

She greeted her Ama; "Ama Clutch, good morning! Oh I do wish there were scones this morning with the fruit. I'm simply famished." She scooted over the small table to have tea.

Elphaba chuckled as she finished her version of morning ablutions. "You were certainly lively in your sleep. I was trying to read some more til Ama was kind enough to bring in tea, and a couple of times you gave me quite a jolt. I was starting to think you were indeed coming down with a fever after all. Something about how warm the campfire was…? Were you off dancing with the elves and Fairy Queen in your dreams?"

Galinda half raised her right hand, just managing to curtail the urge to touch it to her face and brow, thinking of how Elphaba had touched her there. Had imprinted something that had lingered in her dreams. With effort, (especially in her mildly polluted state) she instead moved it to tuck what errant curls she could behind her ear. Ama Clutch was peering at her sidelong she could tell.

"Miss Galinda, Did you eat something exotic foods last night dearie? I know that always gives me the rumbles and bad dreams, and you-"

"Ama Clutch, can we please not discuss my dietary habits or my digestion? It might put Miss Elphaba off her toast and jams." She thought she'd handled that well.

However, Elphie was scrutinizing her (or was it her imagination?), eyebrow cocked. "I don't think it was exotic at all, Ama Clutch. I'd lay odds that she had a one…or three too many tastes from home. Some fine Gillikin wine I'd wager?"

It wasn't like Elphaba to tease without an edge to it, a point to make; but this didn't sound pointed this time; there was nothing but a small bit of shared intimacy, a communal sense of that comes of sharing secrets. But Galinda didn't know any her of secrets, she didn't think. Nevertheless, she could imagine she heard the smile in her roommate's voice, as she sipped delicately from her cup, enjoying the tea's invigorating aroma.

Ama clucked at her. "Nothing wrong with enjoying the finer things from Gilliken. Best be you're not finding some of that Winkie rotgut. Oh yes, Ama isn't blind to what's to be found in the back alleys of Shiz, poppet, no she's not."

Galinda just cupped her tea with both hands, and ignored the exchange as best she could. It was true that Shiz was a good deal more 'worldly' than home. It was no Emerald City (or at least she assumed it wasn't), but it had things she'd never seen before, and she didn't just mean Animals.

She had spent at least part of evening with 'the social set' discussing the merits (or lack thereof, as Galinda was quite vocal in pointing out so that it was on record) of the fabled Philosophy Club. Not a one of them had actually been of course, but Avaric claimed he had friends (or friends of friends Galinda would bet) that had gone and raved about it. So while she certainly wasn't interested in going out and tippling Winkie rotgut, she was certain some of her friends wouldn't think twice about it indulging in that, and how knew what else? And who knew what went on at that place?

She found herself actually shaking her head at that thought.

"Talking to oneself, Miss Galinda, can be considered a sign of madness you know. Frex's congregation at least seemed to spend a good deal of time muttering that fact around. But! On the bright side, you're not so far along as to actually talk aloud to yourself, so we'll count our blessings, yes?" The green girl pulled a funny face, munched some more toast, and daintily, and purposefully she could tell, as Elphaba was rarely dainty, daubed at some jam on her olive lips. It made Galinda want to giggle, which was the intent.

But then, in her slightly slow state this morning, she was remembering her initial conversation with Madame Morrible long ago, and her elaborate and inventive lie about her Ama and her condition of talking aloud to inanimate objects. She'd never quite been able to dislodge the wary feeling Madame Morrible gave her now. It was in the pit of her stomach suddenly. She'd been so proud of her ingenuity and quick thinking. Well, she thought. Done is done. Spilt milk, or spilt wine, whichever. She was ashamed of the deceit; resolving to endeavor not to prevaricate in such a knotty and circuitous way.

Ama took her tea and herself off to her room, leaving the girls to themselves.

Elphaba had moved to her bed, tea and toast, balanced on her knee, with her reading spread before her. She pushed aside Phainomena, realizing she was out of tea, and returned for more. "So how is that head of yours this morning? Have the bats in the belfry flown?" Elphaba spoke in a seldom practiced off-hand manner. She hoped it had that effect anyway. The offhand part, not the practiced part.

As a singular Green Girl, she had a more than passing acquaintance with what she called Two Headed Elephant in the Room Syndrome. It was something that hit very close to home for her, and she could never decide which was worse: an honest reaction of revulsion – points for honesty. Or, having her obvious unfortunate appearance be completely ignored – points lost for being two-faced.

It never occurred to her that anyone would have any other reaction than outright disdain, or hypocritical disregard.

She didn't know anymore where Galinda lay on that scale. And, truthfully she was nervous.

It had been a small gesture last night. Of her own volition. It was the only time she had ever had any physical nearness that wasn't forced, much less actual deliberate contact with her that she could think of.

Having not slept well, and awaked early, she'd thought better of it since then. She had sat awake, watching her the blonde toss and turn in her sleep. She wouldn't be surprised if she caused nightmares; perhaps of a band of tiny green elves pinching at her? She pretended, even to herself, that she didn't care.

But somewhere a much bruised, underused puny particle of her obviously did. The rest of her psyche was gathering around, laughing at her puerile attempt to gauge Galinda's status with a skill she obviously didn't possess. Small talk.

But, still she had sallied forth. And now, as observant as she could be, she couldn't divine what the other girl was thinking just then.