"You missed chapel this morning."
"And whose fault is that?"
Nessa gave her sister a look. "By your tone, it sounds as though you believe you're not the one at fault."
"You're so excellent at reading people, Nessie; are you sure that you're not secretly Gillikinese?" Elphaba paused a moment longer before moving her knight.
"Why didn't you attend chapel with us?" the younger Thropp asked as she examined the chessboard.
"No one woke me up."
"Is that the excuse you use in school? Do you skip class and then say it is because no one woke you up?"
Elphaba gave her sister a look. "I do not skip class."
"But missing chapel is okay—"
"No. One. Woke. Me," Elphaba repeated firmly. "You all know how I am, and you know mornings are not my time. Father has forced me out of bed multiple times to attend chapel, so I don't see why he thought today was any different."
Nessa didn't respond, instead moving her bishop.
"Your silence is telling, Nessie."
More silence.
"It's because of our mother, isn't it?" Elphaba asked.
"I know you think she needs constant supervision, but she is doing much better—"
"Who usually stays home with her during chapel?"
"That has nothing to do with this—"
"I can't imagine you actually drag her along, unless they managed to repair the window she fell through last time—"
"Okay, Turtle Heart usually stays home with her, just stop."
Elphaba nodded before she moved her queen. "Checkmate."
"What are you making?"
"Dinner."
Shell gave his eldest sister a look before he peered into the pot. "It looks like rocks."
Elphaba let out a sigh. "They are just Quadling dumplings; I'm sure you've had them before."
"But they look like rocks."
"They are not rocks, now finish setting the table."
Shell went off to do as he was told, and upon finishing the cooking, Elphaba began serving the food onto plates. Upon sitting down, she found that she and her siblings were the only ones present at the table.
"Everyone pesters me to come back home, yet half of our family doesn't show up for dinner," Elphaba muttered.
"Father and Turtle Heart are still down at the chapel, and Mother is… in her room," Nessa said before she turned her attention back to her food.
Elphaba chose not to comment in such, instead beginning to eat in silence, the scene very much reminding her of her childhood.
"Elphaba—"
The green woman jumped at her sister's unexpected presence. "Did you honestly put your legs on just to come up here and harass me?"
"Yes because we need to talk."
Elphaba sighed, marking her page before closing her book. "No one needs to talk; people only wish to talk. I have survived long enough without having to speak to others."
"Yes, you're so above your peers, now listen." Nessa sat on the bed, and Elphaba braced herself for whatever lecture was forthcoming. "Mother has shut herself in that room again—"
"You mean the shrine she has built to her own insanity?"
"She has been shutting herself in there more and more lately; it's not good for her."
"Of course it isn't, but our mother has built her life on making decisions that are 'not good for her'; she doesn't know any other way to function, I imagine."
"Elphaba, this is serious."
"Hence my serious face."
Nessa gave her sister a stern look. "Will you please go talk to her?"
Elphaba let out an amused noise. "Why should I be the one to do it? Let Shell go, he is her favorite, after all."
"Shell is only twelve—"
"Then you go if you're so concerned about it."
"We have all tried, Elphaba. Father, Turtle Heart, myself… she won't listen to any of us."
A dark eyebrow arched. "If she won't listen to any of you, what makes you think I can have any sort of influence on her? I am, after all, the reason her acting career came to such a crashing halt."
"You know why."
Elphaba's face immediately changed. "Don't you dare."
"Elphaba—"
"If you say what I think you're going to say, I will push you down the stairs."
Nessa paused for a short moment before she very pointedly said, "You are the most like her—"
Elphaba let out a noise that sounded like a cross between a growl and some strangled yell as she stood.
"It's the truth—"
"We are not alike!" Elphaba turned back to face her sister; Nessa knew how much she hated being compared to Melena, so why did she insist on doing it? Why did people insist on insulting her that way? She had heard the phrase "you're just like your mother" so many times that she wanted to claw her own eyes out. "Mother is selfish and self- destructive and refuses to listen to anyone about anything!"
Nessa remained seated, watching her sister with that infinite patience Elphaba had come to both respect and hate. "Are you done?"
Elphaba considered saying more, but she instead fixed her sister with a hard scowl. "What is it you all expect me to be able to do?"
"Just talk to her, please."
The green woman let out a long sigh, covering her face with her hands for a few moments before she said, "Fine, if only to get you all off my back, though I wouldn't expect too much." Elphaba left the room before her sister could respond, making her way down the hall. She paused outside the closed door to her mother's "study" as Melena called it, and she could hear a movie playing on the other side. Elphaba sighed again before she opened the door.
"Have you ever heard of knocking?" Melena asked from where she sitting in a chair in front of a large projection screen.
Elphaba rapped her knuckles against the door, fixing her mother with a look. "Satisfied?"
"Just close the door."
The green woman closed the door behind her, making her way through the darkened room. "I've been sent to attempt to talk some sense into you."
Melena let out an amused noise, her eyes still watching the movie on the screen. "I was about your age when this was made."
"So you've told us before." Elphaba hit the power switch on the projector, switching it off.
"What are you—"
"I am doing what everyone in this house is too afraid to do," Elphaba replied, opening the curtains and letting light into the room, which caused Melena to wince. "Everyone believes you are too delicate and need to be treated gently, but you and I know the truth." The green woman approached her mother and crossed her arms. "You need to get out of this room."
Melena scoffed, reaching over to turn the projector back on. Elphaba quickly switched it off again before she yanked the power cord free from the wall, which earned her a harsh scowl from her mother.
"What is it you want?" Melena asked irritably.
"What I want is to read undisturbed and actually enjoy my vacation, but as usual, life has decided that I am not to enjoy anything; rather, I must insert myself into my family's affairs. I've already told you why I'm here; everyone wants you out of this room."
Melena scoffed. "Why should they care what I do?"
Elphaba let out a sigh; she was sure there was a nicer way to do this, but Melena did not respond to nice. That was just as well because Elphaba was not suited to being "nice" or "gentle" or "careful of delicate sensitivities".
"That part of your life is over," Elphaba said sternly. "You had your time, and then it ended. You cannot go back, no matter how much you may wish or fool yourself into believing you can."
"What else do I have—"
"You have a family now, namely three children and two partners. You should make an attempt to be with them, rather than rotting in this shrine you have created to a past that is long gone."
Melena looked as though she wanted to respond, but couldn't quite find the right insults. "What are they doing?" she finally asked.
"To whom are you referring?"
"Your siblings."
"Ah. I believe they said something about decorating for Lurlinemas. It seems rather late to me, considering that Lurlinemas is in a few days, but far be it from me to crush their ambitions."
Melena paused a few moments longer before she shakily got to her feet. "On your head be it if I fall down the stairs."
Galinda's phone suddenly dinged at her, and she picked it up, noticing that is was a text from Elphaba. Her brow furrowed slightly; this was an interesting development. She hadn't expected to hear from Elphaba until after school started up again. She opened the text, seeing a picture of a white cat looking at a Lurlinemas tree with the caption, I'm gonna eat this ENTIRE TREE!
Another picture came through, this one of Elphaba wearing a flat expression.
Don't eat the tree.
A third picture came through, this one of the white cat in mid-leap towards the tree.
I'M GONNA EAT IT!
Of all the things Galinda had come to expect from Elphaba, this was not one of them. She was amused by the exchange though, and she texted back, Is this the real reason you have a phone, so you can share pictures of your cat?
A few moments passed before Elphaba's reply came. If you can think of a better use for a phone, I'd like to hear it.
Talking to people is a start.
Ew. People. No thank you.
I'm people, and you're talking to me.
You're different.
So you admit you like me?
Minutes passed after that, and Galinda felt her heart rate start to quicken. Had she said the wrong thing? Perhaps she had pushed too far? The blonde began to absently bite at her cuticles, watching her phone.
I don't see why I should have to admit it; I thought it obvious.
Galinda let out the breath she'd been holding,
Well, it's still nice to hear sometimes.
Ugh, this friendship seems to have conditions added to it each time we talk. It's hard for me to keep up with all these arbitrary rules, blondie.
They're not rules.
Good, then I don't need to follow them. Now I'm afraid I must go; my mother is competing with my cat to see who can bring down the Lurlinemas tree first, and I would rather not see the outcome of that.
Galinda lowered her phone, feeling slightly confused at the exchange. Elphaba had seemed so resistant to her friendship, and yet now, she was the one sending pictures and texting her. The blonde found this unexpectedly pleasing, and she considered it progress in the right direction. Perhaps their kiss at the Peach and Kidneys had been more than just Elphaba following some outdated tradition.
Galinda tried not to think about that terribly much. It wasn't as though she were having some sort of bisexual awakening; the blonde had been aware of her sexuality for some time and had fully accepted it. It was just the fact that Elphaba was such an anomaly, so unlike anyone she had ever met before, and she didn't even know if Elphaba felt that way about her. If there was one thing Galinda couldn't stand, it was being embarrassed.
As a general rule, when Elphaba played her online games, she ignored other people. She found them annoying and unnecessary to her enjoyment of the game. However, today, a particular player would not leave her alone, and she was beginning to get rather frustrated. She had just considered telling them off when a message popped up in the chat box.
I know that's you Elphaba.
Elphaba scowled before she typed back, And who are you to be knowing me?
Just your friendly neighborhood RA.
Of course. Fiyero would be the only person smart enough to find her online.
So now you're spying on me in the virtual world? It's one thing to do it at Shiz, but this is my HOME.
Well I figured you were one of the only people in this game who is actually good enough to keep up with me.
Elphaba's eyebrows rose at that. I think you have it backwards; you will be the one struggling to keep up with me.
Put your mic on, Thropp and we'll see.
Elphaba made a face, but put her headphones in, turning to microphone on. "I don't see how having our microphones on will prove anything."
"I was just getting tired of typing. Besides, I can distract you easier this way."
"Ha! You can try, but I grew up with two younger siblings who were constantly pawing at me for attention—"
"I can hear you!" Nessa called.
"Eavesdropping is rude, Nessie," Elphaba called back. "You see what I mean?"
On the other end, Fiyero laughed. "I see. Well, as you'll find, I can be very persistent."
"We'll see."
Elphaba's phone suddenly dinged at her, and the green woman let out a low growl in response.
"What was that noise for?" Fiyero asked.
"Someone apparently wants my attention; I think everyone I know has conspired to make sure they bother me when I am playing this game."
"Are you going to see who it is?"
"My family is all here, which means no one is dead, so whoever it is, they can wait."
"Even if it's Galinda?"
Elphaba paused at that. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"You know exactly what I mean."
"Elaborate."
His response came in the form of obnoxious kissing noises, and Elphaba was half-tempted to rip her headphones off.
"Is that how you kiss people? No wonder you're single, that is the most obnoxious sound I have ever heard," Elphaba said after a few moments.
"Just tell me who it is, and I'll leave you alone."
"I don't see how it is any of your business."
"It's not, but I want to know anyway."
Elphaba let out a snort of amusement. "At least you're honest." She quickly glanced at her phone before she said, "It's just Sarima. Can we continue with our lives now?"
"Another woman in your life? Maybe you don't need a wingman after all."
"Sarima is merely someone I work with, and that is all I will say on this subject."
"You're not even going to figure out what she wants?"
"The text will still be there later; I'll remember."
Elphaba did not remember. In fact, she didn't even look at her phone again until late into the night, when it dinged again, pulling the green woman from her reading.
I understand it is considered rude to ignore texts.
Elphaba made a face before she unlocked her phone and sent back, People have lives; besides, it hasn't even been a full day.
A minute or so passed before Sarima's reply came through. I didn't realize you needed so much time to consider my request.
Elphaba's brow furrowed slightly, and she recalled that Sarima had texted her during her earlier game with Fiyero. She scrolled back to the earlier text, seeing that it was a request to have dinner. Why was that so important that Sarima felt the need to text her about it?
You'll have to wait until I return to Shiz before we can have dinner. I am currently at home in Munchkinland.
So you accept then?
Isn't that what I just said?
In your own way, I suppose. We will discuss the details when you return.
Elphaba set her phone down, still not entirely sure why Sarima had texted her about this. "Another aspect of people I will never understand, I suppose," she muttered before she returned to her reading. Perhaps Galinda could explain it to her; the blonde did seem to know the hidden meanings behind everyday tasks and words.
Either that or she was fantastic at making it all up.
