AN:
Hellooooooo! Yup, still here, still working on this one. Hopefully I'll keep it up at a decent rate.
Anyway, I'm afraid it's a really long chapter without much Elphaba or other significant characters. Kinda like the last one but longer. Please don't get too frustrated, Elphaba will most certainly make a comeback in the next chapter.
Soooo...
Happy reading!
xoxo MLE (=^_^=)
Glinda did get a chance to try out the new Munchkin café that her colleagues had been talking about later that same week. When it was time for her lunch break, she took her handbag, only bringing the most essential items and leaving everything else behind.
"Shall I bring anything back?" she asked Dayae, who'd been typing away since at least nine o'clock, only refuelling with the coffee that Yolona regularly refilled for her.
In answer she received a tired smile and a declining wave of the Munchkin's left hand as she once again reached for the big mug in front of her with her right.
At the café, Glinda met Crope. He had already gathered his other co-conspirers around himself - two boys and a girl she hadn't seen more than once or twice before and whose names she could not reliably recall. The tall, fair-haired fellow might have been called Greg, she believed to remember, but she wouldn't have risked using that name.
"Fariandra won't be able to make it, so we're complete now," her flatmate informed her once she was comfortably seated.
A green smoothie and some sort of flaky puff pastry were already waiting for her. Crope had ordered them to save time. She took a bite and a sip, then sat up with folded arms, ready to hear his plans.
"Well, as you all know, it's Tibb's birthday tomorrow."
"No, really?" the shorter one of the boys quipped.
"Shut up, Rinley." The only other girl rolled her eyes. "I have to go back to work in ten."
Tapping her hand apologetically, Crope nodded.
"I'll make this brief," he promised. "So, anyway, as we already discussed, the party will be on Saturday, but we aren't exactly set on the location yet."
Rinley raised his hand in a schoolboy like manner.
"How about the Little Green Hut?"
"No bars or clubs, we'll have some minors attending - Kid's from the LGBT association of the Uni."
"Well, what other places are there?" someone interjected, but Glinda didn't pay attention to who it was that was speaking. Looking down with an unfocused gaze, she fiddled with the finger that used to wear her black ring. An uneasy feeling started to churn her insides.
"Um, sorry," she interrupted, tentatively, "but how many people are we talking?"
Putting his finger to his mouth, Crope paused to count them in his head.
"Maybe twenty-something?"
"Okay," she said contemplatively. "That's quite a few." She pinched the skin of her ring finger, than let go. Looking up, she said, "But not too many for the flat, I suppose. You can use my room for storage – that way we can use your room for additional party space. If some of you could find a way to get Tibbett out of the way, I and one or two others could decorate."
"That's cool with me," nodded Crope. "I'll stay with you for the preparations."
The girl next to him had a better idea.
"No, Cro! You will take Tib out for grocery shopping and stuff like that, pretending you forgot his birthday, and we all come to your place to help… sorry, what was your name, darling?"
"Glinda," Crope supplied.
"Sounds risky," the boy Glinda temporarily called Greg, grinned, "But I love it!"
Crope laughed and shrugged his shoulders.
"Well, okay. Since you're all so keen. But seriously, if I lose my boyfriend of almost four years over this, I'll absolutely blame you guys and my revenge won't be pretty."
The following day, Glinda left before either of the boys even left their room. She went to work, and after she finished, she picked up a present for Tibbett on the way back. Before opening the door, she hesitated. If Crope really hadn't told Tibbett anything about the planned party or even acknowledged his birthday, she could possibly be stepping into a full-blown domestic dispute. At least from the outside, however, everything seemed to be quiet. Hoping for the best, she pushed her key into the lock.
She found Crope and Tibbett lounging on the couch, each a glass of bubbles in hand.
"Hey Glin!" Tibbett shouted upon noticing her and scrambled to get to his feet in order to flit over to her. He gave her a light hug and a peck on her cheek. "Did you know that it's my birthday today?"
"Oh, is it?" replied Glinda with a smile and big eyes, faking surprise badly. "Well, happy birthday, Sweetie. I'm sorry, but nobody told me. How about I shout you dinner next time we go out?"
But Tibbett rolled his eyes and waved his hand dismissively.
"Don't worry about it. All I got from this clown over there was a silly card and a bottle of cheap champagne. I guess that's what happens when you get older - parties and presents also kinda get old, so you start to omit them."
Glinda gave him an affectionate pat on the shoulder and moved past to disappear into her room for a while. She was glad Crope hadn't risked completely skipping his partner's big day and even more so that Tibbett seemed to take it in a stride. Surprise parties were fun and all, but if today had ended in some sort of drama, she wouldn't have had the patience to deal with it.
They had dinner together that evening, but it wasn't anything out of the ordinary. Crope had bought a chocolate cake from the supermarket for dessert though and stuck as many candles in it as he could possibly fit. Tibbett feigned indignity at first, complaining that he wasn't even half as old as the cake seemed to indicate. But he laughed in the end and extinguished all of the candles with only one long blow.
There was no homework for Glinda this weekend, and she was indefinitely thankful for the respite. She wished she could have slept until ten at least, but woke up much earlier, purely out of habit. The boys were still asleep, which unfortunately meant that it was far too soon to start with any preparations. Crope would have to drag Tibbett out of the house first before she could even begin removing her dozens of shoes from the cabinet next to the door. Remembering the pair of gold and metallic blue headphones in her handbag, she figured she could at least wrap Tibbett's present and write the card.
The party was set to start at five. Glinda began to tidy up the flat as soon as the boys had left the flat, and before long, the other helpers arrived as well. There were streamers to be hung, balloons to be inflated, furniture to be moved and snacks to be distributed. Most had brought salads and canapés that were ready to eat, but some assembled their contributions in the small kitchen.
There were eight helpers altogether, all people she had at least briefly met before. Thinking of the crowed that would soon fill the rooms, she began to feel more and more unsettled. Everybody would be familiar with Crope and Tibbett, of course, and most would know each other or at least come with a group of friends. Among all of them, she feared she would be the one person who hardly knew anybody. The prospect was peculiarly daunting, considering that she'd never been a shy person.
As long as there was work to be done, she managed to occupy her mind sufficiently to keep it from wandering too far. She also actively made an effort to chat with the others in a bid to get more comfortable with them. They were welcoming enough, generally easy to talk to. Renley had brought his partner Triston, who adored her shoes. Yet despite all her attempts to calm herself, nothing could completely keep her from apprehensively counting down the minutes until the next group of guests would arrive.
It was about quarter to five when she withdrew to her room for a change of clothes and some extra makeup. She decided on a red, glittery thing with a skirt that reached not quite to her knees. The top covered her front reliably up to her neck; her back and part of her sides were bare, except for a few thin straps. Her mother would have called it seductive, but Glinda merely considered it pretty and confidence enhancing. Perhaps, she mused, it would shroud her at least in an illusion of sex appeal, just about enough to hide her own uncertainties in that area.
As she lingered anxiously in front of the large mirror, the shrill ring of the doorbell called her to attention. Her first impulse was to rush to the corridor, but others beat her to it before she had even taken her first step away from the walk-in wardrobe. It was quiet for a moment, then laughter and voices exploded into the flat as the large group entered through the door. Glinda stood frozen, listening against all sensible reason for Korrell's harsh tenor among all the other unknown voices. There was no way of distinguishing any of them. All she could gather was that there were boys as well as girls, but the male voices seemed to be in the majority.
She closed her eyes to collect herself, drew a few deep breaths. It was of little use. She realised then, that she couldn't stay. If she did, she'd be miserable all night and, at worst, put a damper on Crope and Tibbett's mood, spoil the party they had planned so meticulously. She was very fond of them and trusted that they would never consciously do anything to make her uncomfortable, let alone hurt her. But their friends were an element they could not fully control. There were some, she knew, that they had known since childhood and those were all right, she figured. Others, on the contrary, might be nice enough on the surface, yet could turn out similar to Korrell, she feared. She berated herself. After all, the chance of any complications was definitely slim, but she could not overcome the overwhelming trepidation that nagged at her like a dull ache in her chest.
Grabbing her black purse, along with her phone, a thin jacket and the wrapped present, she finally left the room. She placed the parcel on the kitchen counter, together with the army of gift bags and flowers that other guests had brought, then went to find Rinley.
"Don't you look fabulous, Darling," he gushed and made to introduce her to the cluster of people closest to them.
She quickly grabbed his arm to hold him back.
"No, no, I'm sorry, but I have to leave."
Although he eyed her quizzically, he did not ask for details, and neither would she have shared any.
"Please let Crope and Tibbett know that I'll be gone for the night. But only if they ask, okay?"
"Okay," he confirmed, dragging out each syllable in bewilderment. He looked her up and down a few times before he shook his head and said, "You take care then, Sweetie. And have fun doing whatever you're doing."
With a fleeting kiss on her cheek, he turned around and moved on to talk to someone else.
When she opened the door, she could see more people about to ascend the stairs that led to the flat. Luckily, the birthday boy was still nowhere in sight. It would have been harder for her to escape if she had to explain herself to her flatmates first.
Exited the building, she decided to turn left, towards the tram stop. If she wanted to avoid being seen, this was the safest option. She caught the next tram, not really paying attention to the destination it was headed for. It would have been easiest to ask Fiyero whether she could stay at his place for a while, but she almost immediately decided against it. Instead, she pulled out her phone to search her contacts for a suitable companion for the night or at least part of it. Despite there being a host of names, she scrolled past the entire list, barely making an effort to consider any of them in earnest. She suddenly felt lonely – not because she didn't have any friends, but because the group of friends she actually wanted to spend time with these days made up only a tiny fraction of the overall number. Even worse, all of them seemed presently out of reach.
Looking out of the window, she noticed the colourful signs of the Emerald City's prime entertainment and shopping area. Night clubs and bars would open in about half an hour. Perhaps, she could bridge some of her abundant time with a couple of drinks and good music. She waited for the next three stops to pass, then walked back the way she had come. It occurred to her that going by herself might not be the best idea, but she pushed those residual worries aside. There wasn't really anyone she would have wanted to ask right now to join her and, besides, she'd gone solo quite regularly in her more adventurous late teens. Feeling much older and wiser in her mid-twenties, she couldn't imagine much going wrong.
Her enthusiasm lessened somewhat the closer she got to the heart of the district. It was getting dark, and more and more people were flooding the streets on their search for fun and distraction. Most walked in big, noisy groups, some in pairs. Only very few were on their own like her. Lines began to form in front of the most popular venues. She scanned the faces of the waiting people, trying to decide whether to join one queue or another, but struggled to make up her mind.
All of the streets in the district met in the middle to form an octagonal plaza, in the centre of which there was a bronze statue. Glinda knew that it was of one of the Ozmas, but which one, she couldn't remember. She sat down on the stairs beneath the statue to take a break. Goosebumps began to spread across her skin, so she slipped into her jacket. A man walked up to the steps, his eyes fixed on his phone. Without lifting his gaze, he pulled a lighter and a pack of smokes out of his pocket.
"Are you waiting for someone, or are you alone?" he asked after he finally noticed her, then proceeded with lighting his cigarette.
Glinda bit the inside of her cheek.
"Waiting for a friend," she replied and got out her own phone as if to check for the time or messages.
When his first cigarette was finished, he lit another, seemingly in no haste get going. He offered one to her, but she declined as gracefully as she could manage. Eventually, Glinda's mobile beeped. It was only a notification, but she used it as a pretence to leave.
The awkward experience had put her off a little. Although there had been no serious sign of any danger, she hadn't felt entirely safe either. Once again she surveyed the surrounding establishments. While she'd been to some of them before, none struck her as particularly inviting that night. Especially The Red Slipper had stayed in her memory for all the wrong reasons. Taking the Frog Fern Parade southwards and turning into one of the smaller alleyways soon after, she moved slightly away from the most obvious choices. The next place she passed appeared to be one of questionable reputation, yet it was followed by a number of small pubs and restaurants that already looked far more trustworthy. One building, at the far end of the road, stood out even from a distance. It was adorned with a cluster of red, green and yellow neon signs.
Curious, Glinda headed towards the lights and the music that spilled through the doors and into the street. The large letters above the entrance proclaimed the name The Time Dragon. The dazzling, flamboyant exterior had almost led her to believe that it might be a strip club, but the word Gaytastic, which flashed on a smaller sign in one of the darkened windows convinced her otherwise.
A group of girls walked past her, presented their wristbands to the bouncer and disappeared into the club. Glinda hesitated, unsure whether she had a right to use this space. Crope and Tibbett had taken her to a gay bar before, yet going by herself was a little different. In the company of her friends, she'd felt more like a guest than a patron in her own right. On the other hand, she had no intention whatsoever to pick up anybody, regardless of sex or gender. All she was looking for was an anonymous crowd to disappear in. She didn't even feel the need to strike up a conversation with anybody. So, how would they even know about her orientation, and what harm could her presence possibly cause? At any rate, it seemed a safer place to her than most of the regular clubs or bars around, and she finally decided to enter.
"I.D. please," the bouncer, an imposing Tigress, demanded in a bored tone of voice.
"For real?" Glinda laughed, slightly nervous. She hadn't been mistaken for a possible teenager in years.
The Tigress only eyed her indifferently. It soon became clear that she'd not ask again but also not admit her without the proof she needed. Raising her eyebrows, Glinda reached for her card in her purse and handed it over.
"Thanks. Now would you please look over here for a moment?"
The object the Animal's mighty paw was pointing at seemed to be a black box, fitted with a lens. Undoubtedly some sort of camera, Glinda realised with confusion.
"Great."
Handing her back her I.D. and fitting her with a purple wristband, the Tigress let her pass.
Directly behind the entrance lay a narrow hallway. The walls were painted red and decorated with mosaic shards of mirror, occasionally posters advertised events or acts. A lift at the end of the hall carried patrons to the upper level. When Glinda alighted, the floor before her was larger than expected, the front half crammed with tables, booths and, of course, a bar – all furnished in black. The dim, coloured tube lights gave the room a vaguely green hue. Beyond, she could see a dancefloor with dramatically flashing spot lights, a stage and a spiral staircase in the far back. The place seemed popular, with plenty of people already occupying the area and more flocking in even as she just stood there, watching.
The music was decent, but she didn't quite feel like dancing yet. Perhaps, she wouldn't risk it at all while she was at an unfamiliar place without others to look out for her. She tended to lower her guard too much when she danced, giving herself too completely to the rhythms. Her friends had stopped her more often than she cared to remember, letting her know that she had danced more aggressively or invitingly than she might have intended. Once or twice she herself had become aware of such instances, but only when men she didn't even know began to dance up to her in an unwelcome manner. She could never conclusively discern whose fault exactly it was though.
She found a seat at the bar, near the wall and with a decent view of the room. Studying the blackboard behind the counter, she decided to start with a fruity vodka cooler. After all, the night had not even started yet and she would probably have to spend a few hours here before moving on to something else. To where and what, she tried not to contemplate too deeply for the time being. Surely, something would come up as the evening progressed.
The bartenders were a Chimpanzee, a Quadling looking dude and a Raccoon in a fluorescent blazer. It didn't take her long to notice that at least half of the staff were Animals, as were many of the customers. If she hadn't been exposed to mingling with Animals through Elphaba, she would certainly have found herself to be rather uncomfortable in a situation such as this. She was glad she wasn't now and, at the same time, ashamed that she had ever felt differently.
The Chimpanzee, somewhat impatiently, asked her whether she was going to order something else. Glinda looked down at her empty bottle, realising with embarrassment that she must have nursed the same drink for at least an hour.
"Knock it off, Balthazaar," a female voice to her right yelled at the bartender. "No need to be so gruff. I'd be happy to shout the lady a drink."
Tentatively, Glinda turned her head, and at first glance, her heart leaped into her mouth in shock. The girl or woman who had spoken was tall and lean, her hair was dark and long, her attitude composed and lofty, or at least that was her first impression of her. Immediately, Elphaba came to her mind, but besides the fact that it seemed outrageously unlikely, she also was quick to realise that this person was definitely younger than her friend, even younger than herself. She also had something undiscernibly Vinkun about her. Besides, despite the fact that they were all bathed in green light, it was apparent that her natural skin tone was of a very fair complexion.
"Thanks," she said at last, recovering slowly, "but I can pay for my own drinks." She promptly ordered a cocktail and a shot.
"I'm Rain," the girl introduced herself as she sat down next to her. "And you are?"
Feeling overwhelmed, she momentarily considered leaving or at least disappearing into the dancing crowd.
"Glinda," she responded instead, her voice still annoyingly thick. Their drinks arrived, and she immediately downed the content of the smaller glass.
"Am I in the way?" Rain wondered aloud after a brief pause. "Are you waiting for someone?"
"No, I'm not waiting," countered Glinda in an open-ended fashion.
She half hoped the girl would get the subtle hint, but wasn't willing to express her wish for solitude any clearer. If Rain had perceived any of her rejection at all, she wholeheartedly ignored it. For now, Glinda wasn't too bothered about it, admitting to herself that she was still mildly curious about her new acquaintance and about why she reminded her so much of Elphaba. She couldn't for the life of her imagine that there was any actual relationship – blood or otherwise.
While she studied her carefully, she noticed that her opposite gave her the same treatment, although there was something in her look that Glinda could not determine. Her eyes resembled Elphaba's as well, she mused, with the same shade of chocolate brown. But whether it was down to personal bias, the light or what not, she found them less deep, less enigmatic. They were just as intense, however, and at first, it seemed impossible for her to sustain contact without averting her gaze every few seconds. At one of those times when her eyes drifted away from Rain's face, she observed the absence of a wristband on her arm.
"Do you work here or something?" she asked with some surprise, taking another sip of her cocktail."
Rain smirked lopsidedly.
"In fact I do. Not today though. It's my day off. Pretty sad, huh? Visiting one's workplace for leisure." Glinda chuckled at that. "But I get half price drinks, which is pretty great. So please do let me buy you something," Rain insisted.
"Answer's still no," Glinda intoned.
Her finger probed for the black ring, for once hoping to find it absent. She suddenly was afraid to be found out. Holding extensive conversations and getting hit on had not been part of her plan at all. Feeling Rain's eyes on her, trying hard to figure her out, made her heart beat in the most unpleasant way. It was all she could do not to shudder at the sensation. Outwardly, however, she mostly maintained her calm, hoping it would make her appear cold enough for Rain to eventually lose interest. It soon proved to have quite the opposite effect.
Rain wouldn't budge, and the more time they spent talking, the harder it seemed to Glinda to send her away or make any excuses. After a while she finally stopped to care and began to speak freely, no longer double guessing every word she said. She even allowed herself to accept one drink from Rain when she asked her for what must have been the fourth time. When they both received their glasses of Green Witch from Balthazaar, she stared at the lime coloured absinthe in astonishment. For a clock tick, Rain's choice of beverage seemed uncanny to her, but she quickly blamed her growing intoxication for her hyperactive imagination. Surely, she must be drawing connections where there simply were none.
The bartender left a matchbox on the counter for their use before turning his attention towards the next customers. Unsure how to proceed since she'd never tried this type of alcohol before, Glinda left it up to Rain to grab it. The girl gave it a little rattling shake, then lit the first match and, with a mischievous grin, set fire to the sugar cube resting on the perforated spoon atop Glinda's glass. She did the same to her own, then sat back, watching the flames while the sugar slowly melted, and the fire spread to the content of the glasses. Glinda moved her head ever so slightly to behold the reflection of the light dancing in dark brown eyes. The fire died down and so did the golden specs in Rain's eyes. They both picked up their glasses to chink them against one another.
Letting her gaze wander as she drank, Glinda noticed that the floor was suddenly significantly emptier than it had been just a few moments before. Looking closer, she noticed a queue at the far end, where a velvety curtain had been drawn back to reveal another area that had previously been hidden from her view.
"The show is about to begin," Rain knowingly answered her unasked question.
"What kind of show?"
Rain shrugged.
"It's hard to explain to someone who hasn't seen it before. Imagine it like a puppet theatre for grownups, but weird. Like really weird. They also hand out some stuff, but that's extra."
Frowning, Glinda risked one more glance.
"Don't worry," Rain told her. "Firsties aren't allowed in anyway. You need a premium membership to get access to the show. To get one of those, you need to become a regular first and pay a fee."
The line had completely disappeared through the doorway now, and the curtain was released, falling back into place. Glinda sat quiet, trying to make out any sounds that might betray the nature of the mysterious show. It was impossible over the loud music.
"Well, that's about all the sitting I can handle for now," Rain declared after finishing the last drop of her drink. "Will you join me on the dancefloor?"
She looked expectant and self-assured, Glinda thought, as though there was only one conceivable response to her invitation. For a moment, she considered obliging her. She still liked to dance and, if nothing else, it would be a great way to pass time. But she quickly reminded herself that there was a reason as to why she had refrained from dancing when she had first arrived. Considering the alcohol that was now coursing through her blood, it had become an even worse idea. She also feared that she had led Rain on long enough. If she were to dance with her, she accidentally might send out all the wrong signals, very likely creating an incredibly messy misunderstanding.
"I'm sorry, but I don't think I should."
Rain's disappointment was palpable, causing Glinda to avert her eyes in guilt. She especially wished she hadn't accepted that drink from her. Thinking of it as a kind of tit for tat transaction, she felt as though she wasn't keeping up to her end of the bargain. Thankfully, Rain's mood improved before Glinda could convince herself that she had an actual obligation to dance.
"That's alright," she allowed with a sigh. "But if you change your mind, you know where to find me."
Glinda watched her leave, then exhaled deeply and tiredly dipped her head. Tracing the rim of her glass with her finger, she contemplated getting another shot, but decided on something with less of a punch instead.
She spent the next few hours on her phone, scrolling through news, social media posts and work related emails. Balthazaar no longer bothered asking her about drinks anymore. Every now and again, she scanned her surroundings, searching for Rain, searching for anything interesting to happen that would help keeping her awake. In that time, several patrons occupied the sea next to her, yet nobody else did as much as look at her twice. As the hour grew later, she noticed couples making out on the dancefloor, in booths, pressed against the wall or directly at the bar. One of the more unusual pairs was comprised of an Antelope and a Wolf. After one night at The Time Dragon, she would hardly be startled by anything anymore, Glinda figured.
It was about quarter to eleven when she at long last capitulated. She had no idea where else she could pass the remaining hours till the first morning light, but was pretty sure that she couldn't stand this place any longer. Her legs felt unsteady as she made to stand. It was hard to tell how much of this could be attributed to the prolonged sitting, and how much was caused by the alcohol. Resolutely staggering on, she soon felt strength returning to her body. It was her head then that frelt dizzy and unusually heavy. The quick descend of the lift only made the feeling worse, but when she passed through the exit and stepped into the cool night air at last, relief washed over her in gentle waves.
Gazing skyward, she stood there for a moment, taking in the sensation of the steady breeze on her skin, the crisp scent of the wind, void of the odour of sweat and alcohol she'd been exposed to for far too long. She longed to walk - through the city, through the park, wherever her feet might carry her. However, she didn't dare to take the risk. Any areas away from the partying crowds where practically off limits, and even in the heart of the city those crowds were gradually dwindling.
With a small nod to herself, she set into motion. She gave the bouncer a little wave with her hand as she walked past her, not looking back long enough to see any reaction to the gesture. Following the footbath in the exact direction she had originally come from, she considered taking the tram, but to where? It was far too early to return home. Her entire trip downtown would have been utterly pointless if she returned too early.
This growing sense of aimlessness only increased her weariness and the temporarily refreshing effect of her transition from the stuffy warmth of the club to the mild chill of the night air was also waning fast. Arriving at the spot where Frog Fern Parade issued into the great plaza, she felt drawn towards the first bollard that came into her reach. The post wasn't broad enough to be sat on, but at least she could lean against it in an attempt to take some weight off her heels.
People and a number of Animals, hailing from various directions, made their way back to the tram stops and taxi stands. Some were chattering excitedly as they passed by her, others roared drunkenly, and still others dragged their feet silently, threatening to pass out any second. Despite her own state, she found herself judging them, which led her to contemplate how drunk she actually was. Her conclusion wasn't damning, though she certainly had had a couple of drinks more than she should have aimed for. Her carelessness upset her. Still, what had she expected, going out by herself without much else to occupy her than the constant sipping?
Another noisy group walked by, catching her attention. A dark clothed figure trailed behind them, their face hidden behind a curtain of straight, black hair. Glinda noticed a spark as they tried to light a cigarette. They threw their head back, exhaled a puff of smoke and suddenly looked her straight into the eyes.
"Were you following me?" Glinda asked, her gaze narrowed.
"Nope," Rain replied with amusement the moment she came to a stop beside her. "This happens to be my way home. Do you want a cig?"
Glinda waved away the grey haze. "I don't smoke."
"Neither do I," Rain shrugged. She took one last draw and dropped the cigarette, carefully putting it out with her foot. "So where are you headed to? Home?"
Crossing her arms, Glinda slumped back against her bollard.
"No. I can't go home yet, or at least I really don't want to." She hoped Rain had the good sense not to make any further inquiries.
"Alright," she said thoughtfully, then remained quiet for a while. "You know, you could always come over to my place."
Glinda immediately tensed, her head snapped up, eyes wide. Her heart still thumping, she quickly tried to calm herself. Recognising the puzzled expression in the other girl's face she could easily tell that she must be overreacting.
Rain cleared her throat. "You know, I wasn't trying to proposition you. I don't usually do one-night stands and stuff like that."
Chewing her lip, Glinda nodded and looked away. She shifted from one foot to the other, then turned her head back to face Rain.
"Neither do I," she breathed. "Like not at all, actually," she added louder, but in a clumsy mess of words. "None of it."
Rain tilted her head enquiringly until she caught on to her meaning. "Oh, okay," she chuckled with the relief of realisation. "That's cool. This doesn't change my offer. Just trying to help out, alright?"
"Alright."
With a little effort, Glinda pushed away from the pole to stand in front of Rain. Her arms unfolded, one falling down to her right, the other clasping at the strap of her purse.
"Is it far from here?"
The little apartment Rain guided her to wasn't far at all. It took them less than ten minutes to get there. The building wasn't new, but obviously had recently been renovated. Apparently, it had been impossible to retrofit a lift, which meant that they had to climb seven floors to reach their destination. Rain pointed her into the direction of the couch before busing herself with some tea. She also microwaved a savoury pie that she then cut in two and offered to her guest.
As they sat, sharing their impromptu meal, mainly with the objective to ease their drunkenness, Glinda spotted something moving out of the shadows of the adjacent bedroom. She mistook it for a short legged dog at first, but as it turned out, it was Rain's pet otter.
"Sorry, Tay," Rain cooed with unusual tenderness, "did we wake you up?"
The animal made a funny, sort of cackling noise, and she appeased him with a morsel of her beef filling. Seemingly satisfied, he curled up on her lap.
"An unusual kind of pet," Glinda remarked.
"I found him as a pup and bottle reared him. I don't think he'd do well if I tried to release him into the wild now."
Glinda nodded.
"Are you tired?"
With amazement, Glinda realised that she wasn't anymore. It might have been residual worries about the foreign apartment she was in, or simply the strengthening and sobering effect of food and non-alcoholic drink. Coming to think of it, she hadn't had any solid nourishment since lunch.
They spent almost an hour playing a novelty card game. Rain had to explain the technically simple rules to her several times, but she did it with great patience. Glinda blamed the pictures on the cards; they were so funny that it was distracting.
"What do you think how old I am?" she asked at one point, making her move as she spoke.
"Why do you ask?" Rain wondered, quirking an eyebrow. "Does it concern you when a younger girl tries to flirt with you?"
Giggling, Glinda motioned that it was now her turn to take a card. "No, but your bouncer asked me for my I.D. I found that pretty odd."
"Oh! No, that had nothing to do with your age," Rain clarified. You see, not only do we host many LGBT patrons, we also attract an unusual number of Animals. And then there is our staff who are also very mixed. We just want to provide a safe environment for everyone, which is why we have put some extra security measures in place. We ban individuals who have behaved particularly poorly in the past, and we also filter for known anti-gay activists and Animal-phobes. The I.D. checks and facial recognition cameras help us with that."
"Wow," Glinda remarked, astonished. "I'm glad I didn't have to give her my fingerprint and DNA sample on top of that."
Eventually, they put the cards aside. They had grown tired of the game. Rain turned on the TV and disappeared in the kitchen for a moment to make more tea. After returning with two steaming mugs, she settled down next to Glinda. While they watched, mostly in silence, Glinda noticed that Rain spent more time glancing at her than the screen. Uneasiness crept back up inside her tummy, but she shrugged it off as best she could and concentrated on the show.
After a while, Rain shifted.
"Glinda?" she said softly.
"Yeah?"
Almost in spite of herself, Glinda's head turned, and Rain reached out to gingerly cup her cheek. Then she leaned over to kiss her.
Right away, her insides felt like they had flopped upside down at the sensation. She wanted to draw away, but found herself paralysed. With an overwhelming sense of hyperawareness, she could feel the warm softness of Rain's lips, the tenderness. For a clock-tick their mouths parted as Rain exhaled shallowly, but she was swift to capture Glinda's lips again, this time with more movement.
Her awareness began to fade then and, instead, turned into a weird blur. She couldn't quite tell what she herself was doing, but found that she was slowly responding, if not entirely willingly. She opened her mouth ever so slightly, encouraging Rain even further. Finally, the sensation of Rain's tongue pushed her over the line, and the strange spell was broken.
Glinda finally was able to make a small noise. When Rain drew back in alarm, she almost gasped for air.
"Not a good idea?" Rain asked, already looking miserable.
Glinda avoided her gaze. "Yeah, not really."
"Shit. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Did I totally freak you out?"
Oddly enough, the obvious concern in Rain's voice already did a great deal to soothe her. Taking a moment to reflect on her feelings, she found that she wasn't as upset as she had been in vaguely similar situations in the past.
"It's fine," she said quietly. "I'm fine."
But Rain clawed at her hair, pulling it. "No, this was terrible of me. I'm so sorry." She inched away from her, then pulled her legs up, hiding her head behind them. "Forgive me, I'm such an idiot. You're just so fucking attractive. It made me forget that…"
The regret didn't exactly make it okay, but somehow, Glinda also felt bad for her.
"Well, I'm sure you're pretty attractive, too," she joked, although her voice remained strained.
Rain looked at her for a moment, until a small smile appeared at the corners of her mouth.
"Yeah, but what use is that now?" She got off the couch, paced through the room and came back to stand before Glinda. "Listen, please don't leave now. It's late and Oz knows what kind of creeps wander through the streets at this hour. I won't do it again. I swear."
Glinda rolled her shoulders. She Yawned.
"Rain, it's fine. But I'm tired. Can we sleep now?"
"Of course. You can have the bed if you like. I'll just change the sheets real fast."
"Wow, no way!" protested Glinda. "I won't kick you out of your own bedroom. I'm more than happy on the couch. A spare blanket would be great though if you have one.
Glinda woke several times that night, always slightly confused at first. She'd look around, remember what had transpired earlier and fall back into her pillow, feeling more tired and drained than she had before first closing her eyes. Checking for the time at around three, four and five thirty a.m., she'd each time argued that it would be too early to be on the streets by herself. At five past six, she at last tossed aside her blanket and made a quick visit to the bathroom in order to use the toilet and refresh herself.
As soon as she had succeeded in restoring herself well enough to pass as presentable, she snuck to the door, searching for her shoes. It felt kind of wrong to steal away just like that, but the strange mixture of embarrassment, guilt and resentment she had felt after Rain's unwanted advances was still simmering within her. Whenever she thought of facing her, leaving while her host was still asleep definitely seemed the better option.
Just as she pulled on her high heels, something in the bedroom dropped to the ground. She startled, pricking her ears and eventually heard the pitter-patter of tiny feet scurrying towards her.
"Hey there," she chuckled awkwardly as the otter jumped up on her, standing on his short hind legs. Carefully, she picked him up and carried him to the couch. "Be a good boy, okay? Don't try and run after me."
"You're leaving?"
Hearing Rain's voice, Glinda briefly closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she gave the Otter a reprimanding look. It must have been him who had unwittingly betrayed her and woken up his owner.
"Yes, I'm sorry. I just think I better should be off."
Rain called her pet over and he happily darted towards her. Cradling him in her arms, she strolled over to her.
"No breakfast then?"
"No breakfast," Glinda confirmed rather stiffly.
"I know this might be a bit bold after what happened last night, but is there any chance that I can have your number?"
"No."
Glinda's initial response was clipped and marked with disbelief. The moment she had said it, she regretted the tone in her voice, even questioned her decision. She admitted to herself that she did like Rain on some strange level. Or was it all just down to the way she still reminded her of Elphaba, despite the differences that closer acquaintance had inevitably brought to light?
"I'm sorry, Rain" she said apologetically, turning her back to her and heading towards the door. "I really don't want to be an ass, but I don't think it would be a good idea for us to stay in touch."
She heard footsteps, felt Rain approaching her. Her hand resting on the door handle, she hesitated, but didn't look back.
"I really screwed this up, didn't I?"
"No, it's not all about that." Glinda sighed, wondering how she could sum up her feelings in the most gentle and coherent way. "It's more about me, actually," she said with a cringe at the cliché. "I just don't think that I should see you again. You have been so kind in letting me stay the night, but things are too confusing at the moment. You are confusing to me, and I mean that in the most flattering sense possible. Unfortunately, at this point in time I can't deal with such distractions. I need to focus on sorting myself out first."
"Right."
Rain sounded cross and Glinda turned around at last. As she did, the other girl's frown slowly transformed into a sad smile.
"Come here you," she breathed, taking a step forward her to embrace her in a firm hug. "Take care of yourself then. And… Well, if you ever change your mind, you know where to find me." She released Glinda and winked with her eye. Reaching past her, she opened the door.
Glinda traced back her steps to the plaza with the Ozma statue, then followed the tram tracks back in the direction of her flat. The solitude invited entangled musings and befuddling memories. With barely any sleep under her belt, she was too tired to deal with any of it.
A twenty-four seven mart she passed on the way reminded her that she needed to find something edible to sustain herself. After picking a flavoured rice ball from the fridge, she made a beeline for the fashion magazines. Thinking of the small fortune that she had frittered away on frivolous drinks at The Time Dragon, she debated with herself whether she had still any money left to spend on unnecessary items. The Ozian Fashion Week was the cheapest, but also her least favourite. Her attention wandered away from the glossy magazines and towards a makeshift display of reduced to clear books. The paperbacks all cost less than half of the prizes that she had just looked at. None of the authors' names rang any bells, but one cover caught her eye. The book made a rather battered appearance and was marked down sixty per cent because of it. It didn't matter much to her – all of her books ended up looking like that after just a few days of use.
"A princess who finds herself drawn to her suitor's sister, huh?"
She giggled. Lesbian romance novels were usually not on her radar, but the premise amused her.
Back home at last about half an hour later, she found the flat in chaos, as was to be expected. Someone was snoring away on the couch, but she managed to sneak past unnoticed. Upon closing the door to her room, she flung away her satchel, kicked off her heels and fell into her bed.
It took her the entire Sunday to recover from her Saturday exploits. On the bright side, spending most of her time asleep kept her from overthinking everything she had said, done and felt that night. Crope and Tibbett had been insistent at first to find out what had happened, but ultimately resigned themselves to make do with the few titbits she was willing to share.
So, come Monday, she left the weekend behind her and threw herself into her work. Whenever she caught herself wondering about Rain, she directed her thoughts towards Elphaba instead. She'd still have to wait until Friday to see her again, and the realisation was terribly discouraging. She was anxious to call or at least text her. On the other hand, she wanted to appear neither clingy, nor desperate or unwell.
On Wednesday, she stayed up late. Her coping strategies began to falter, and, to distract herself, she begun to read the book she had bought the other day. As she lay in her bed, turning page after page, her phone vibrated. She hadn't received many messages recently, especially not after midnight. Naturally, her curiosity was piqued. She closed her book, deciding that it was time to finally go to sleep, right after finding out who was trying to talk to her.
The phone buzzed again as she picked it up. It was Elphaba's name on the display. A little breathless, but beyond thrilled, Glinda pressed the phone against her chest. The knowledge that Elphaba had not forgotten about her and the very notion that she might be thinking about her in the middle of the night sent a delightful tingle through her body. Her first impulse was to reply at once, but a slither of doubt made her pause. Carefully, with a vague sense of dread, she swiped down to view her notifications without having to open the massaging app.
'Hey, I hope you're coping alright. Haven't heard from you since last week. Suppose I should take this as a good sign.'
'Oh, and let me know if you're too busy to come over on the weekend. Otherwise, see you Friday.'
Reading Elphaba's messages was almost too much for Glinda. How could she possibly fall asleep now? Her fingers itched to type out her answer straight away, but she restrained herself. If Elphaba interpreted her silence as a good sign, she didn't need to know that she was still awake at this hour. No, her reply could – and should – wait till the morning.
AN:
Nope, Rain is NOT Elphaba's Grand daughter in this story lol I just needed a character that would somehow remind Glinda of Elphaba etc. to explain why she was (relatively) receptive to her. Re-purposing a book character made more sense to me than using an outright OC. Hope nobody finds this too weird lol She also will not be very significant in the future, although she might make one more appearance...
