Thank you to MyLittleElphie for reviewing. I think the phrasing suits them well. Also, mead and wine does make one miss certain obvious things. And I attempted to make Shenshen and Pfannee more of a real couple.
Thank you to for reviewing.
Thank you to RaveCurls for reviewing. I hope it didn't confuse you too much. And boys can be as vain as girls. There's a dangerous mystique to large predators in the wild. And Fiyero comes from the genetics where facial hair is not very prominent.
Thank you to nursejoy7 for reviewing.
As always, read, enjoy, review. Comments and Critiques welcome.
6/8/15
The next few days were much of the same for the Circle. They walked, chatted, and dined. The boys would swim while the girls would look on demurely (except for Elphaba). When the group went out on the little row boats, Elphaba and Glinda stayed behind. They were content to spend time to themselves.
To bridge the gap between them, Glinda started to help Elphaba with sorcery. As they had less demands on their time they were able to devote even to it. They often split between review of the previous day's activities in the morning, and practice of new concepts at night.
True to Glinda's comment, spatial manipulation was difficult. As Glinda was already quite good she managed to help Elphaba with the finer points. However, Elphaba often would practice in the spare moments between activities or when she would not partake. Therefore, her progress was good. At night before Glinda drifted off to sleep, however, Elphaba would read a Life Sciences book Glinda was uncertain where she found. The rift between the two seemed to have healed by the last night of their stay at Lake Chorge.
Their final day at Lake Chorge was eventful. The Circle made a day of going out to the town, dressing in their fine clothing. Even Elphaba was coerced to dress up in a dress of dark violet and blackwith a wine red chemise. Glinda scowled as the emerald girl donned her black hat. To counter Elphaba, Glinda wore mostly white dress with a gold chemise, including her white hat. The pair were a stunning sight that the other girls could not compete with; nor did they try. Each wore their own best. The men wore the clothing Avaric had previously purchased for them.
The Circle was quite raucous; enough so that even the Amas eventually quit giving them disparaging looks. Lunch was a long and winding affair of side stories, in-jokes, and laughter. This time, the Circle overstayed their welcome and were booted out. They simply moved on to the market to find some trinkets and wares to remember their trip. Afterwards, they went to the dining and dance hall the Circle (minus two) had previously frequented, and spent the night there. When the night closed, Elphaba ushered them into a cab and brought them back to the girls' rented cabin.
However, the Circle was not through yet. Avaric produced several more bottles of wine and Fiyero some mead. The Amas protested, until Avaric gave them two bottles of their own of a very expensive wine. They demurred but told the Circle they would still be watching. Avaric put on his best smile. It did nothing to placate them. Shrugging, he simply went back to the revelry.
After another hour, the Circle was maintaining a certain level of inebriation that allowed them to be freer but not incapacitated. Crope and Tibbett had taken to wearing random household items on their head; Milla had straddled Boq and only added to the conversation sporadically; Fiyero had stripped his vest and coat and opened his shirt; Shenshen was stealing gropes and whispers with Pfannee that no one noticed except Elphaba; and Glinda bounced between the different groups giggling.
The only two who did not commit fully to the fun were Elphaba and (to Elphaba's amazement) Avaric. Elphaba glanced at him but he simply made a face at her. He glanced over to where the Amas were, and Elphaba followed his gaze. The Amas were passed out in their corner. Elphaba raised an eyebrow as Avaric stood up and went over to pour the remnants of a bottle into his own glass.
"Aquinot Red," he said slowly, picking his words "is a very expensive wine. The reason it is very expensive is not because of its age, but because it is infused with a strong brandy. This combination significantly raises the alcohol content. The dangerous part is that due to its richness, the taste of alcohol is all but hidden. Those not used to it can quickly get into trouble. There's also one more factor that makes it unique."
Avaric sat down and took a sip. Elphaba waited for him to speak, and when he did not continue, raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, you want to know. Well, it is strained in a very special way to give it an extra kick. I'm sorry, but I've been sworn to secrecy."
"It must be important, then." Elphaba jabbed. Avaric smirked.
"Care to try it? It might be exactly what you need." He drawled.
"No, thank you. I do not feel like being witless."
"Your loss." Avaric shrugged and sipped it. He looked lost in thought for a moment, the nodded. "It's warm in here."
"A bit." Elphaba agreed tentatively. Avaric did not seem to hear her.
"Listen up you rascals! I said listen! Crope; Crope, shut up!" Avaric said loudly. The boy did. "That's better. It's bit hot in here, don't you think?"
Fiyero said something in his native Vinkun, but switched to Ozian a moment later.
"Maybe to you." He retorted. Avaric smiled.
"Well, I thought we'd take a cue from our Vinkun friends and go outside to dance in the moonlight. What do you all say?"
There was a chorus of cheers from the Circle. Only Elphaba looked concerned. Avaric raised his eyebrows at her but her face remained hard.
"Well, then, let's get going." Avaric urged and made for the door. The others followed but Glinda stopped to snake her hand through Elphaba's.
"Come on, Elphie. It'll be fun." She giggled. Elphaba sighed but let her girlfriend pull her into the night.
The Circle was ahead of them, laughing as they went. Crope (or Tibbett; Elphaba could not tell) tried to do a cartwheel and failed spectacularly. Fiyero's responding cartwheel was much more effective if less amusing. Elphaba looked ahead of them to notice the gazebo coming closer. It seemed to be their intended destination.
The Circle stopped as they got into it, falling to the ground in laughter. The members were almost out of breath by the time Elphaba and Glinda arrived. Glinda joined the pile of girls, giggling with them. The boys leaned haphazardly against the rails around them. Something screeched into the night and the girls jumped to cuddle close. Fiyero was suddenly up then and disappeared. Elphaba watched curiously as he left.
He came back holding a pile of sticks. Quickly breaking them down, he took a stone from his pocket and struck it against his knife. The sound and sparks made the Circle jump, but they watched intrigued as tinder caught and Fiyero breathed the fire into life. When it was sufficiently lit, he disappeared again. The Circle basked in its small glow. Fiyero returned with more wood, and built it into a respectable fire. He continued gathering wood for the fire for a few more minutes, creating a large pile.
The Circle soon abandoned their shelter to stand around the fire. The heat warmed their already flushed skin. Jackets and coats were shed, often with a flourish. Only Elphaba did not join in, though a smile did grace her lips. She figured the rest would be too drunk to notice, or even remember. If they did, Elphaba could always deny it easily.
"Now I'm hot." Avaric said. The rest nodded in agreement. Elphaba frowned. She did not like where this was going. "That water is looking good."
"But we left our suits inside." Whined Milla.
"Who says we need them?" Avaric rebutted. The group recoiled in shock. "What? It's dark, so you need not worry about seeing something you dislike. Come on, live a bit!"
"Ok. Sure." Shenshen giggled and began to slip off her over dress.
Pfannee soon followed, and Milla too, though reluctant. The boys themselves had an easier time of stripping down. Glinda glanced at Elphaba, who just looked back.
"I will not stop you, my sweet, if that's what you are wondering." Elphaba answered the unasked question. "But I shall be quite cross if you drown."
Glinda nodded, and quickly went down to her chemise. There was hesitancy between them now, as none wanted to be the first to shed their clothes. Avaric snorted and took a couple of steps toward the lake. The gloom soon swallowed him, and the others took their cue. They all moved away from the comfort of the fire to shed the last few articles of clothing in the obscuring night.
Elphaba turned and moved towards the house, as she would not venture near the lake in the daylight let alone the darkness. She quickly strode to the bathrooms to pillage their stores of towels. Her drunken friends would not realize they had no suitable clothing until too late. Grabbing enough for the entire Circle, she made her way back out to the fire.
As she approached she could hear splashing in the distance. There were giggles from the girls, and laughter from the boys. Somewhere deep inside Elphaba yearned for that but it had been buried for so long she did not even acknowledge it. Instead, she walked towards the trail of clothing to gather it up and set out the towels. Placing the clothing near the fire, the green girl made herself comfortable. Seeing no reason to waste the time, she began using the barest hint of magic to draw shapes in the fire.
Soon, the splashing diminished and there were cries of distress as the Circle could not find their clothes. Someone stumbled upon the towels, though, and not long after they began to appear in the fire's glow. First the boys with the towels wrapped around their waist; stout but short Boq; dainty Crope and Tibbett; lithe Avaric; and muscular Fiyero. Elphaba examined (not admired, she told herself) each boy. The differences between each were an interesting combination of regional and familial genetics.
Next were the girls. First Milla, shyly, her red hair aflame in the fire's glow; then Pfannee's small, waifish form, almost childlike in her stature; Shenshen, whose defined arms and muscular legs glinted in the fire's light, revealing her true self; and finally curvaceous Glinda who's hair shone enough like gold to fool one at first glance.
Elphaba saw Pfannee shiver, and immediately broke her examinations to add more logs to the fire. The Circle crowded closer to the warmth, attempting to dry themselves. Glinda moved closer to Elphaba, but kept a far enough distance away so as not to get a drop on her. She smiled up at Elphaba, who smiled back.
"Have fun, my sweet?" Elphaba whispered. The blonde nodded.
"Much. It was so liberating. And naughty."
"Hopefully no one was being to uncouth." Elphaba replied. Glinda shook her head.
"No." she replied, but then a shy smile graced her lips. "At least, not to me. I don't know about the others. It was very dark, you see."
"I could tell, since I could not see." Elphaba replied. Glinda giggled.
"What did you do, besides getting us towels?"
"Played with the fire."
"Now, Elphie, you should not play with fire. That's how people get burned." Glinda mocked chastised. Elphaba smiled.
"But not so magically." She replied. Glinda cocked her head quizzically. Elphaba smiled and pointed at the fire. Twisting her head, she made the flames dance and change shape. The Circle noticed and were drawn to it. Even Glinda was mesmerized.
"How did you do that?" she asked.
"A slight modification of the telekinetic spell. I figured if we can use it to stir tea, why not flames?"
"Oh, what a wonderful thought. Let me try!"
"My sweet girl," Elphaba said gently, "you are not in the right mind for magic. What would happen if you exploded the fire, like the sandwich so long ago?"
"Hmph." Glinda replied. "I am much better now."
"But much more inebriated than usual."
"I still think I could do it. But I won't, just to save you embarrassment."
"How thoughtful of you."
The Circle relaxed in the heat as Elphaba made sure to keep the fire going. As soon as they were dry, the girls wiggled their chemise over their heads before dropping their towels (to much disappointment). The boys themselves stepped away from the fire to don their own shirts breeches, and returned. While still mostly undressed, none seemed in a hurry to fully clothe.
Avaric whispered something to Shenshen, who considered it a moment. Finally, she shrugged.
"Why not? That sounds like fun." The girl replied. She leaned over to Pfannee and whispered something else. The other girl's eyes widened a second before smile split her lips.
"Fun indeed." Replied the diminutive blonde.
Shenshen grabbed her hand and they disappeared from the fire's glow, followed not long after Avaric. Elphaba stopped herself from wrinkling her nose. Who was she to judge them? Milla looked slightly aghast at Boq, who still seemed in disbelief. He looked at Fiyero, who merely shrugged. Elphaba only now noticed the two other boys missing.
Shyly, Milla grabbed Boq's hand and gave him a small smile. He looked at her, slightly confused, before she slowly tugged on his arm. He resisted for a moment, but the redhead put on a pout and Boq acquiesced. Elphaba watched as they disappeared with a strange confliction of emotions. A dainty hand ran through Elphaba's own, and she looked to see Glinda eyes shining in the night.
"Yes, my sweet?" Elphaba asked.
"Can we, Elphie?" asked the girl.
"I would not want to leave our tame Vinkun by himself." Elphaba replied. Glinda pouted.
"Do not worry about me." Fiyero interjected. "I shall be fine. Go and enjoy yourself."
"And what shall you do?" asked Elphaba. Fiyero smiled.
"Speak to the stars."
Elphaba considered it. Even now, she could hear the beginnings of what seemed to be a passionate night. However, that reluctance was still there. Glinda pulled on her hand one more time and Elphaba turned back to her.
"Please, Elphie?" Glinda asked.
Elphaba hesitated, but then nodded. Glinda bounced up and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. The blonde tugged urgently on the emerald girl's hand, and Elphaba followed. She glanced back to see Fiyero smiling, and then he looked up.
Fiyero placed some more wood on the fire. He figured he would keep it going for the lovers to find their way back to. In his earlier wanderings he actually found a woodpile near the cabin that he had gathered from. While he had enough for a couple of more hours, Fiyero decided that he would gather some more later. It was undoubtedly going to be a long night.
He looked up at the stars. His people had grown up under stars very similar to these. In the Vinkus they were even clearer as the lamplight from large cities did not cloud the sky. That did not mean he could not see them well. He found the bright western star, the Vinkun Star they called it. He then went to the small constellation near it. The largest and brightest the Arjiki had claimed for their own. The other tribes did not agree, but that was not Fiyero's concern.
He thought back to his family; his mother, his father; his deceased brothers and sisters; his cousins and uncles that looked to usurp his position; his grandfather, the great man that had wrestled control of Kiamo Ko from the Ozma; and all his ancestors back down the line. He wished them all well in this life or in their peace with the Great Spirit.
His mind wandered back to a girl whose hair was as dark as the night around him; skin as pale as the moon that hung above him; and with eyes that shone like stars. He pondered those thoughts for a moment. He considered writing that down, as it sounded good, but decided it was too cliché. No need to sound like Boq.
Pondering her, Fiyero finally came to the decision to tell her about his arranged marriage. He knew it would most likely end it, but decided he had been unfair. It was her decision to accept or deny it, and what to do moving forward. He hoped for the best.
With that decided Fiyero laid his head down and listened to nature. Or tried to, as a different type of nature filled the air.
"It's nice to be back!" Glinda sighed, dropping her valise and flopping onto her dorm bed. Elphaba looked at her but began unpacking her valise.
Glinda sighed again as she watched her emerald girlfriend go about unpacking. She knew she should be doing the same, but just could not bring herself to do so. After three days in a carriage and staying at little inns, Glinda wanted nothing more than to lie on her own bed.
Those three days had not been wasted, however. Glinda had cuddled close to Elphaba as the two practiced their sorcery. Minor levitations and controls were easy enough to do, though it annoyed the other passengers of the carriage; so much so they spent the last two days by themselves. When the carriages stopped for a break, the two would practice in a more vigorous effort, tossing a small ball back and forth. Fellow travelers and workers kept their distance from the odd pair.
Now they were back at Shiz for a week before heading off to northern Gillikin. Crope and Tibbett would not be joining them, unfortunately; the Emerald City boys were being called home to their respective father's professions. While neither had a lucrative career waiting, they still had jobs that would feed them. This made the boys' happy. Both still loved their arts and wanted to pursue them. Glinda just hoped neither would go bald.
Elphaba had finished unpacking. Glinda had yet to make a motion to do so. Elphaba went to her desk and pulled out a piece of paper. Withdrawing the Life Science book she read to Glinda, she began to take notes on her notes. Glinda sighed, as that was typical of Elphaba. Glinda sighed again, as she knew it worked.
"Why are you sighing so much, my sweet?" Elphaba asked. Glinda jumped, as she did not know she had done so loudly.
"I'm sorry; I didn't realize." Glinda answered.
Elphaba gave her a look but went back to her book. Glinda noticed Elphaba had not pulled out her glasses. Fishing them out of the bag, she got up and placed them on Elphaba's nose. The emerald girl tried to look annoyed. Glinda saw through it easily. She placed the pouch on nuts near Elphaba, and kissed her hawkish nose.
"You study. I feel like a nap." Glinda declared.
"Do not forget we have dinner tonight." Elphaba reminded as she went back to her book. Glinda lay down on her bed.
"I will not. Sweet reading, Rae."
"Fresh dreams, Glinda."
Elphaba read through her notes on the Life Sciences book she had bought off a graduating classmate. It had helped her see where Doctor Dillamond's research fit into her own knowledge. Mostly it told her what she did not know. Elphaba resolved again to finish this book before the end of summer. With sorcery study, however, she knew it would be difficult. Elphaba sighed, but went back to work.
After a few hours, Elphaba placed her glasses down and rubbed the bridge of her nose. The steady rhythm of Glinda's breathing caught her attention. The blonde looked radiant asleep. The attraction was too much for Elphaba, and she lay down next to her girlfriend. Glinda unconsciously shifted onto Elphaba to cuddle. Lying back, Elphaba closed her eyes. Just for moment, she promised.
Both girls woke to a knocking at the door. Glinda stirred softly but Elphaba quickly shimmied out and went to open it. There stood Milla, Shenshen, and Pfannee along with Amas Ren, Vimp, and Clipp. Elphaba blinked.
"What time is it?" was her question. Glinda popped her head off the bed.
"It's almost time to go." Milla replied. "You fell asleep?"
"Oh no!" Glinda cried and gracefully tumbled from the bed. "I didn't expect to sleep so long. Elphaba, why didn't you wake me?"
"I seemed to fall asleep myself, my sweet." Elphaba replied. She turned from the door and went to her wardrobe. Picking out a simple frock, she went to go towards the bathroom. Her frock, however, was stolen from her hand and thrown on the bed. "Glinda!"
"We have a routine; don't break it." Glinda replied. The other girls stared on from the doorway. "Don't gawk, girls; come on in."
The three made their way into the room, followed by their respective minders. The girls took a seat on Glinda's bed while the minders pulled up the two chairs. Ama Ren decided to stand. Elphaba looked at them warily but quickly shut the door afterwards.
"We have ten minutes, Glinda. That isn't enough time." Pfannee replied. Glinda noted she was wearing a powder blue dress. She approved.
"Watch and learn." Glinda replied.
Glinda quickly went into Elphaba's sorted and hung clothes. Picking a black dress with buttons down the front, she tossed it at the green girl. Dark stockings and an equally dark violet chemise followed after. Elphaba just had enough time to wonder where Glinda had procured such a thing for her before the blonde ushered her into the bathroom.
The second the door shut Glinda went to her valise. Tearing through it, she discarded many clothes until she came upon a cream dress. Decided it was the one for her, she tossed it on Elphaba's bed. Picking out a green shift of her own and white lace stockings, she went to divest herself of her clothes.
"Hope you don't mind, girls, but I'm in a bit of a hurry." She asked rhetorically.
The girls wondered what she meant until a moment later, Glinda was bare to the world. The girls and their Amas blinked. All three of her peers marveled at her as she bent down to grab the green chemise and pull it over her head. Her friends were slightly disappointed (though Milla would never admit it to herself). Next went the stockings, and then the cinch.
"Milla, if you would?" Glinda asked.
The redhead popped up and began the process of tightening the cinch. As they had done it for each other numerous times, the girl was well versed in the process. Done, the redhead placed the busk in front.
"Thank you." Glinda said.
Milla nodded and waited. She knew it was not over. Glinda whispered something, and the green dress straightened as if pressed. Glinda pulled it over the chemise, and Milla quickly went about tightening and lacing it. At that moment Elphaba walked out of the bathroom.
"Elphie, braid your hair, please." Glinda asked.
Elphaba sighed, but quickly went about brushing her hair. Glinda whispered another spell; her hair curled and make up set. The other girls blinked at the rapid transition. Glinda smiled. Going over to the vanity, she grabbed her rouge and blush. A hint here, a swipe there, and she was ready to go. Elphaba was just about to begin braiding her hair, but Glinda captured it. She quickly braided and curled it into a bun. Placing the two silver hair pins in place, she smiled.
"And that's how sorceresses get ready." She answered definitively.
"That's so not fair." Shenshen voiced for all. Glinda just smiled.
They met at the Peach and Kidney's for nostalgia's sake. The owner was happy to see them, as many students had left Shiz for the summer. While business was not slow, it was not the steady stream that it was during the school year. As such, the Circle had their choice of seating. They picked a large table where they could spread out.
As spring was temperamental, a sudden cold wave had hit northern Gillikin. Jackets and cloaks were pulled from their storage places. They drank tea and cider instead of wine.
"So Crope, what will your father have you do?" Boq asked the boy. Crope made a face.
"Sorting through tax numbers. How boring does that sound? The only saving grace is that it doesn't need be in an office, giving me time to practice my art."
"That's good." Boq replied with a nod. "What about you, Tibbett?"
"I'm to be a stuffed shirt to some stuffed shirt." He grumbled. Boq look perplexed. "I am to be a footman to some Emerald City nobility. My father runs some security on the side of his government work, and managed to get me that."
"That doesn't sound too bad."
"They'll stick me in some tasteless jacket and breeches and make me 'lord and lady' all the time. It will be quite terrible."
"Do you plan on continuing your saber training?" asked Shenshen. Tibbett smiled at her.
"Our swordswoman. No, not really; footmen no longer serve as actual guards anymore. Plus, a pistol is a more useful deterrent."
"A sword is quicker to draw and defend with than a pistol." Shenshen countered.
"Perhaps for you. My draw is still terrible. I doubt it will matter though; most of the outfits would be incapable to fight in. The style now is these terrible wooden shoes. Bleh."
"Wood? How do they expect to move in wood? There's no way to feel the ground!"
Tibbett laughed.
"So much different than the girl we knew before. I prefer this Shenshen better."
"I prefer it myself." She agreed.
"So, what do you want to do this week, boys?" Avaric asked. "Since you're going into the big bad world, let's make it memorable. My treat."
"Well, if you're treating…" Crope said.
"We've always planned a perfect week for ourselves." Tibbett finished.
"So, don't keep us in suspense." Avaric said with a smile.
"First, Monday's are symphony nights at the Regents Parade Concert Hall. It's a very formal place, so we'd have to dress nicely." Crope started.
"Tuesday's band night on Scholar's Hill Square. They have local companies play music and you can dance to it. They go all night, which is nice." Tibbett continued.
"Wednesday is opera at Megalan Opera House in the Banking Exchange." Crope elaborated.
"Thursday is the small theater companies' performances on various stages of Shiz."
"Leading to Friday with the Noble Shiz Company performing at the Locadan Theater."
"What's on Saturday and Sunday?" asked Avaric.
"Well, Saturday there isn't anything besides going out and dancing." Tibbett answered.
"And Sunday we're heading off, so we won't be able to have any fun." Crope finished.
"Well boys, that sounds like fun. I'm in." Avaric answered. "What about the rest of you? As I said, it's my treat."
"That's a lot of money, Avaric." Boq said, worried. Avaric turned to him.
"I know, Boq old boy, but I have it. Or rather, the estate of Tenmeadows has it. Besides, if I am supposed to be the new Margreave, I should get out to be known at Shiz."
"I wondered where this newfound altruism came from." Elphaba added drily. He gave her a wearied look.
"Miss Elphaba, you should know by now I like to do three things: have fun, take care of my friends, and act like a noble. It is just a happy coincidence that this coincides with all three." Avaric replied.
"Elphaba, that was not polite. Even if you thought Avaric had some ulterior motive that was simply disrespectful." Glinda chastised. A sudden coolness came over table. Elphaba gave Glinda hard look, which Glinda returned.
"Excuse me for not being proper." Elphaba bit back.
"It is not about being proper; I know you don't care about that. It is about being respectful to people because they are people, not because of who they are." Glinda stood her ground.
"I find that is a perfect reason to be disrespectful."
"Then you are judging them not on their current action but as by some intent you perceive through their past actions. Does that sound right to you?"
"I can be wary of people's intentions."
"There is a distinct difference between wary and rude. And you crossed it."
Elphaba threw her hands up. Glinda held firm. Finally, Elphaba turned away.
"Perhaps you are right." Elphaba acquiesced.
"Perhaps?"
"Fine. You are right."
"Do you seriously need me to tell you what to do now?"
Elphaba grumbled something under her breath but turned to Avaric.
"I…apologize for my comment. It was uncalled for." Elphaba ground out. Avaric raised an eyebrow."
"Apology accepted, Miss Elphaba." He wisely said. "I understand your caution."
"Wow. Never thought I'd see the day." Pfannee admitted, but a look from Glinda cut off anything else she might have said.
"So, this week sounds fun. Are we all in?" asked Avaric.
There was a chorus of agreements. The Circle's food was called, and they rose to get it. By the time they returned, all was back to normal.
This chapter covers the dates of the 14 through 21 of Wanespring.