Disclaimer: Pearls, and ruby rings. How can worldly things take the place of honour lost? Can they compensate for my fallen state? Purchased as they were at such an awful cost… //wields dismembered head of Gregory Maguire//
Note: Ahah! It's been a week and one day, which is, really, pretty good, considering the fact that my monitor blew yesterday. Expect delays in the next week. Anyway, I'd like to hand out my thanks to the people who insist in not signing in. It bothers me, because I can't reply to you! XD
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With Galinda standing in front of the green girl, chin angled upwards to suggest that it be Elphaba who speak, blonde curls drawn away from her cheeks to hang at her exposed neck, the rigid girl felt herself shudder involuntarily at the escaped breeze dancing past her shoulders from the open window. At least, as she jerked away from the diminutive of the two, and silently went to lock the window's latch (else rain might be propelled right into their safe haven), Elphaba expected that it had been the breeze.
Perhaps the encouraging words from Dr. Dillamond, or the sudden commencement of conversation from the girl who had sworn away from ever again speaking to her, Elphaba began to feel as though her own latch had broken open, allowing a gust of something indecipherable into her chest. It was dreadfully liberating, and not exactly what she wanted to accompany her outburst in front of the old Goat professor.
"I thought you would be helping Dr. Dillamond all evening," Galinda remarked, more than likely shuffling her feet or fluffing out the skirts of her plain, but pretty spring dress.
Elphaba carefully wrapped her fingers around the latch and shook it violently, experimenting how the wind might break it open. She did this at least three times per week, especially during rainy seasons. Ensuring that the window was secure, she replied whilst watching the blonde's reflection. "He sent me back early," she explained quietly.
Galinda was biting her bottom lip now, deliberating her words with blatant consideration. "I should hope nothing is the matter," she called out, noticing that Elphaba had not yet turned to face her.
"I… um, forgot to add the tea to his tea, as a elementary summary of today," Elphaba muttered, watching as the window glass played tricks on her vision, waves of grasses leaning to and fro in the wind fading out to show Galinda's reflection as the small girl stood uncomfortably in the centre of the room. The green girl took turns concentrating on each.
"Oh," Galinda mumbled, casting her eyes downwards at her shoes. She had been well educated in Elphaba's convictions in the Goat's work, and her admiration for him fundamentally. "That could happen to anyone, I suppose. He wouldn't send you home for something petty as that, would he?"
The complete innocence, whether feigned or caused by lack of comprehension, in Galinda's voice made Elphaba's lips spread into a small smile, even though she felt like sneering. It seemed people kept misinterpreting her body language lately, so much so that perhaps even her own body was mistaking her mind. She thought back to her conversation with Dr. Dillamond; the knowing smile he kept flashing when she spoke of her roommate, the assumptions that perhaps she had been wondering herself, as well.
"It wasn't that, it's just-" the green girl paused; almost sure that Galinda had leant forward in anticipation. "Galinda, are we… strange?"
The blonde pulled a face, unsure of how to answer a query from the other girl that wasn't mockery. "How do you mean?"
"As in, us together, as friends. Are we strange?" Elphaba watched as the blonde's face transformed into that of either deep thought, or concealment. It didn't seem as though she would receive a reply any time soon, so she went on, turning around to face away from the window. "Or, would that be a bad thing?"
"You and I are strange enough on our lonesome," Galinda agreed carefully. "I say, to appear strange to the public by your lonesome is unfavourable, but to share peculiarity with someone else is… just fine. I say."
"You already said, 'I say'," Elphaba let go of the window, her arm still extended as she approached the blonde. She let the long limb fall to her side and ground her teeth with anxiety. Perhaps this was the first conversation they had shared in which the tension effected their dialogue. The green girl certainly wasn't enjoying it.
"I did, didn't I?" giggled the blonde, but it was false as showing Elphaba outside and claiming it was daylight.
"Galinda, when you consider strangeness, you relate to an eccentricity, right?" she watched as the blonde nodded nervously, and settled for leaning against the blonde's desk. "You have to include that sometimes the public doesn't necessarily stand for eccentricities."
"When has that ever stopped either one of us before?" Galinda argued, her tone risen in anger, catching onto the unvoiced focus of their conversation.
Elphaba trained her eyes upon her crossed arms; hands disappeared beneath her flanking elbows. "It's as though we're still living in a theocracy, and even then, this side of Oz is quite conservative."
"I can pay people into open mindedness," Galinda's voice still boomed across the ceiling of the dormitory.
"Maybe now, but later, when Lurline and the Unnamed God and the Wizard deem you inhuman?" Elphaba's voice rose to match the blonde's, perhaps in mockery, but her expression expressed her concern, and something of sadness. It was already decided that the heart of the conversation would not be verbally articulated, which said very little for future potency.
Galinda passed a tired look. "Elphie, do we have to do this now?"
"I never apologized for the other night, did I?" Elphaba wondered aloud, still watching her arms.
"I never should have mistreated you afterwards," Galinda shuffled over to lean against the same desk as the green girl, perhaps to avoid catching eyes.
"It's not as though you behaved inappropriately being cross with me," shrugged Elphaba.
"It's not entirely appropriate to use an apology as a way to sever the subject, either," Galinda looked over at Elphaba's downcast face, her expression as fractious as she felt, her chest bubbling with something quite stimulating. She waited patiently for Elphaba to meet her gaze.
"I thought you didn't want to speak about it," blinked the green girl.
"It was a figure of speech, Elphie," the blonde muttered.
"Strange figure of speech," the green girl mused, inching towards the blonde.
"There have been a lot of strange things going on, lately," Galinda remarked, painfully aware of how close her green roommate had become. It was a short distance, but enough to steal her breath. "Crop and Tibbet tell me Master Boq is away for the break?"
Elphaba smirked, the cast her eyes elsewhere. "He went back to Munchkinland- something about a senile old bat."
"Silly boy, Madam Morrible doesn't live all the way over there," Galinda joked in airy, quieted voice, but it was enough to cause her companion to jerk once in silent laughter.
"He really fancies you, you know," continued the rigid girl, her expression neutral as ever. It gave the impression that their dilemma was past, but the girl's mind said otherwise. "All the times he's tried to tell you, using even me as eyes and ears. Perhaps you should sign him off the intent, for the sanity of us all. Before he learns the ukulele and performs a love song outside our window."
"It's certainly not him I wish to be fancied by," Galinda looked over at the other girl hopefully.
"We can't always earn what we wish for," Elphaba said matter-of-factly.
Galinda was still gazing at the green girl, vying for her utmost attention. "I do believe I've earned it enough."
And then, she had it. Alarmingly so, Elphaba's eyes met Galinda's, and a silent conversation aside from the vocal traversed their imaginations like wild fire burning through dry wood. Unanswered questions flooded Elphaba, but she deliberated that, no matter the outcome, something had to be done, else she would personally take up the ukulele and teach Boq how to utilize it.
"Galinda," she asked suddenly, "if I did something this moment, something likely unsolicited, or perhaps inappropriate for such a moment, would you trust me?"
"I've entrusted you to many things, Miss Elphie, don't be silly," Galinda chuckled some, tearing her eyes away fretfully. There was intensity in Elphaba's expression that had contaminated the blonde, yet closer the green girl slid along the desk towards her. "Elphaba, what are y-"
It might have been an impulse, but certainly not a dream. So long as it wasn't a dream, even if Galinda tore away in disgust, Elphaba would be satisfied. Although, the green girl liked to think that she was a fine interpreter, and be the underlying subject of the past conversation correctly guessed and discussed accordingly by the green, unusually tall Munchkin, perhaps this rare occasion of impulsiveness would pay off, if not for these split seconds.
After a clock-tick, Elphaba was fairly sure that Galinda's responding lips were certainly not falsify of a daydream, as the shocking sensation the green girl had never felt before shot straight through her body, to focus on the arousal of one, errant place. She brushed the other girl's cheek and tilted her face to one side, feeling a forceful hand come up to shoulder and bring her nearer, trailing down to just above Elphaba's breast.
What began as delicate became profundity, and Elphaba began to miss the privilege of breathing. Even though this certainly was not fantasy, she willed, chanted in her head, at least to keep it as reality for a minute longer. All she needed was a minute, but perhaps her body would need longer to settle down the fire roused within her.
She broke away, not used to the absence of air, and gasped against Galinda's lips, the girl's eyes shut tightly, and mouth pressed to Elphaba's once more, in the chaste way all of it was formerly intended.
"Elphaba-" breathed the Frottican girl, barely conscious that her eyes were still shut. She imagined that while the green girl's face was pressing against her own, that her eyes would be closed, as well.
"We should go to dinner," instructed Elphaba. She leaned away, but the hand that remained on her was swift, and grabbed her shoulder, inching her closer to Galinda again.
"Are you sure that would be the best course of action right now?" asked the blonde, opening her eyes, not imagining the following to the last moment as whining to her roommate.
"If we don't leave here," Elphaba began, her voice unusually soprano and girlish, "I will be bereaved of capability to control anything uncouth that ensues."
If the green girl looked as terrified as she felt, she would have been a pitiable sight, indeed. Meanwhile, Galinda's eyes were dodging up and down, trying to read whatever Elphaba would say next. She wasn't contented with sharing a kiss she had been tortured after for months on end, and then thrown away, but it would seem as though Elphaba would play authority that night. She hoped, desperately, that the green girl would choose to kiss her again.
"A-all right," she stuttered, watching as Elphaba moved away from her and went to gather their coats. The blonde wiped her mouth, wondering if the phantom sensation of Elphaba's forcefully taking hers would cease. The atmosphere in the room was unbearably suffocating, and Galinda was glad for being able to escape.
By the composed, formal attitude they had assembled and exited Crage Hall in, one might assume that it was all just a dream.
-
The calmness of sitting alongside Suicide Canal was fairly ironic to its title; late morning was one of the sunniest times of day, although the cool, dewy grasses were left untouched from the night's rainfall. Rays of white sunlight cascaded through tree branches to light Wedekind's view as he sat beneath them, aiding his bottom by placing his coat neatly before being seated. The canal, impossibly still and inviting to a parched throat or itching legs, was as tranquil as the activity buzzing through Shiz's campus.
A good majority of the students had either gone home, or found a satisfactory job through the break to keep them occupied, including the dark haired boy. The cobblestone walkways, greys, browns and blues stained darkly from rain, were hardly inhabited by beating feet, the occasional boy adorned in an apron or a one piece would hurry by, rushing, in vain, to be on time.
If worldly things could not interrupt the scene, Crope and Tibbet would definitely be suitable fore ruining it, which they did. A pink, frilled umbrella, pilfered from the drama department, was lazily thrown, open, over Tibbet's shoulder, as he and Crope strolled along the cobblestone and waved merrily at those who passed. Some would ignore them; others who knew them would greet with vigour and scurry away. They spoke loudly, laughing gutturally, until the reached the tree shading Wedekind's occupied hands.
"Has the post arrived?" Crope asked pleasantly, peering over the sitting boy's shoulder to the note in his hands.
"Is it from Boq? Do read it," Tibbet commanded, closing the umbrella and launching it away in a most maladroit manner, sitting Indian-style beside Wedekind, who was opening the beige envelope carefully, the cheap waxen seal crumbling under his fingers.
"Isn't it a lovely morning, boys?" Wedekind asked as he worked. "It's morning like these that make me want to improve life sciences; to comprehend how it all comes to pass."
"If you don't come to pass with that envelope soon, I'll have to fetch the umbrella and crack you over the head," warned Crope, anxiously awaiting the letter.
"I hadn't expected the post to arrive so fast, did you? He'll mention you both, don't worry," the boy said, unfolding the letter.
"It's not us I worry for, believe me, Master Wedekind," Crope shook his head.
"Such writing! Boq's never been one for accuracy, has he? Look, he mispellt 'dear'," chuckled the spectacled boy. Tibbet bounced on his feet and emitted an odd sort of whining noise, so Wedekind glared at him, and then focused on the letter. "It says,
"Dere Wedekind,
"It's a shame you couldn't accompany me to this place. I swear, if I must drink another pot of tea, or consume another biscuit, I will simply burst down the middle. You're lucky to have gained a job off-campus. Admittedly, I should have been as vigilant as you.
"Grandfather is strapping, as always. He asked after you, then forgot your name, followed by calling me your father's name, and so on. Nothing seems to be in dire turmoil here in the northern parts, but it is true that I have yet to see an Animal walking of its own free will. How swiftly they have managed to be pushed from view or concern is miraculous. If you ever have a chance, dear Wedekind, you should speak with either Dr. Dillamond, head of life sciences, or Miss Elphaba Thropp. Either/or may educate you properly in the recent injustices against Animals, especially here in Munchkinland, while I am away.
"Speaking of Miss Elphaba- if Crope and Tibbet and hovering over your shoulder, please, ensure they behave-" To this, Tibbet let out a great guffaw, and Crope chuckled, easing down along the tree trunk to read the letter with his own eyes, as well as be read to, "see to it that she receives my regards if accompanied by the dazzling Miss Galinda Arduenna. You might spot her from the enchanting smile, or the halo-like blonde curls. You already know of my love for her- if only she knew whilst I am away. This is all just to keep you preoccupied when taking prolonged breaks from your preposterously easily gained job, mind you."
"A great many things may occur during the span of a week," Tibbet pointed out knowingly, eliciting a giggle from Crope. Wedekind frowned, looking from one boy to the next, as if to anticipate the secretive subject.
"I much agree. Especially when one is in solitude from a usually crowded facility," added the other boy.
Wedekind continued to look bewilderedly between them. "You've both adopted a proper way of speaking," he commented suspiciously. "What are you implying?"
"Nothing at all!" squealed Crope, bunching his hands together. "We were only discussing a previous subject of… how many things a man can miss when he's gone from home."
"Something about Boq?" Wedekind asked slowly, as if trying to interpret the panic of a canine.
"Perhaps indirectly," drawled Tibbet, rolling his eyes snobbishly. "It's just, with such dire times of society, and such detached life in desperate need of… care and comfort…"
"You've lost my concentration now," chastised the oblivious boy, thinking of how the other Munchkin would fit into that categorization, which, in truth, he did not. Be it that Crope and Tibbet were perceptive as friends or followers, or maybe wishfully hopeful of not being the only unkempt to Shiz's student body, but the green girl's pupil would never understand their reference to Elphaba and Galinda.
"I notice, dear boy, that Master Boq's letter has not been completed," Tibbet pointed to the parchment.
"I thought you only wished to hear your part," Wedekind looked down at the paper. "What does worry me is his attachment to this Miss Galinda Arduenna."
"It's a dog-to-master kind of thing," Crope nodded. "Educated men just wouldn't be able to understand. Keep reading."
Wedekind adjusted his spectacles and sighed, returning to the letter. "It says,
"I am continually perplexed by the female species, especially in consideration of the former. Do you ever feel this way? I am not nearly as desirable at this height by those of non-Munchkin heritage, and yet, my interest in one or the other seems to be, in one way or the next, returned or unrequited. Supposing, Miss Elphaba is an odd case, and a species of her own.
"A species of her own?" Wedekind repeated, his eyebrows meeting in a manifestation of anger. "That's a little rude, wouldn't you think?"
Tibbet flitted his hands in signal that the Munchkin should continue to read. Wedekind cleared his throat, looking about resentfully, and then back to the letter in his hands. "It says,
"Meanwhile, I hope that your times on the break are merry, even with a job on your shoulders. Also, I would like to know of your progress in the life sciences. You seem so very determined that a higher score is deserved. I know many of your friends returned home or away for the break, so if ever you feel lonely, my friend become yours, as you doubtlessly have already discovered.
All the best,
Cousin Boq."
-
"You know, so many people claim that sneaking about provides exhilaration. I don't believe it. This is positively sixes and sevens."
"That would be categorized as adrenaline," Elphaba explained, ducking behind the gates to Shiz's campus, peering in to check if anyone would be guarded or watching. "People seek to induce an overproduction of it in their systems because the précis of the rest of their lives is too tedious. Besides, after hours rules are only enforced during breaks out of habit."
Galinda made a face behind the green girl's back, blinking dumbly. "Then why did you take Crope and Tibbet being in our room after hours so seriously?" she hissed in a whisper.
Elphaba smirked back through the dark at the blonde, the whites of her eyes being the only really visible thing, whereas Galinda's head was a halo of whiteness. "Because I wanted them out from our room, that's why."
The night air was much colder than anticipated by either girl; peculiar, since Elphaba had been wandering about beforehand. It might have been the contrast in temperatures from the small Bohemian restaurant they visited, despite this being the night following their quarrelling. Though the air might have been warm within, the two girls sitting upon cushions and sipping exotic teas from the Vinkus, their dispositions gradually chilled, neither one willing to speak of their kiss once Elphaba refused to discuss it upon the blonde's prompting. They shared their dinner pleasantly, but it became the falsify of Galinda's society friends.
Eventually, unpleasantly subsided, as any good friend's may never share a disagreement for long, and they left the restaurant arm-in-arm, jesting about the queer mannerisms of the facility, and Galinda of the cushions that, 'displeased her arse'.
Exposing her hands to be evaded by the cool air, Elphaba held her cloak together at the neck with spindly, dark digits, not anticipating the use of a scarf, and used odd scraps of junk from her pocket to provoke the gate's lock. Galinda squinted through the dark, hearing the green girl (now darkened as a Winkie in the evening) tinker with the gate, and impatiently jiggled on her toes.
The blonde sighed, placing a reluctant hand on the other girl's hunched shoulders. Elphaba was concentrated on the lock, squinting herself, the dedication appearing apt, and Galinda could have sworn she'd licked her lips. "Elphie, this is madness, you might as well call for a-"
"Ha!" breathed the green girl, as a mechanical clinking sounded and the lock detached from its socket. Elphaba pulled it off with nimble, numbed fingers, and let out an arm for Galinda to go first. "You may never claim I was inconvenient."
"Where did you learn something so devious?" asked the blonde, taking the green girl's hand in her own instead of preceding her. They remained connected as Elphaba snapped the lock back together and shook it, habitually from her fixation on keeping arid from the rain.
Elphaba smirked, concealed by the whites of her eyes that connected with the other girl. "I had an interesting childhood," explained she.
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Answer this for me- have I jipped the characters by adding in the love without much explanation? It felt so abrupt, but... so right. (Sombody should review- psst. You!)