Rifiuto: Non Miriena
If Elle has no connection to Elphaba whatsoever, then why is Glinda so concerned for her well being?
Is it because deep down, she feels guilty about everything that happened between her and Elphaba?
Do you think Elle can fully trust Rain?
A/N: Written: 2010. Found: 2018- Licia
"You're stubborn, just like she is. That stubbornness can get you into trouble, you know. It had put a target on your back, if you make enemies of the wrong people. You need to keep it tampered down, control it as well as your temper, otherwise you'll get yourself into something you never intended. And then your stubborn nature will only make things worse and soon, you'll be labeled Public Enemy Number One. You must tamper your stubbornness down. Otherwise it could get you killed."
She sighed, chin tucked in her hand as she stared at the swiftly moving landscape moving past.
"Elle? Are you listening to me?"
She turned her head, pulling her gaze from the window; she'd heard the entire speech, and filed it away for later, mainly to make Glinda happy. She had made it clear that she wasn't going to take a dime of the money Glinda offered, and had softly, with the voice of a small child, asked Glinda if it would be okay if she got a ride back into the City, to which the blonde readily agreed.
"I'm listening." She whispered, meeting the blonde's gaze.
Eventually, they pulled up in front of- well, she wasn't sure where, to be honest. Before the driver to get down to help her, she threw the door open, stepping out with a quick 'Thank you'. Glinda reached over, grabbing her arm, causing the girl to turn back. "Elle, please. Be careful."
She met Glinda's gaze, "I will."
"Promise me."
A roll of her eyes, "I promise." Then, without another word, she pulled away, gripped her bag, and shut the door. Glinda watched with a stone in her stomach as the girl who reminded her so much of her best friend disappeared into the crowded streets of the Emerald City.
She ducked into a bookstore, looking for a quiet moment to collect herself; as she wandered among the shelves, she slipped her hand absentmindedly into her bag- checking to make sure the book was still there- and felt her fingers brush against something that crinkled. Stopping her wandering, she opened the bag, pulling out an envelope. A quick check made her roll her eyes and groan in mild annoyance.
Glinda had slipped the envelope with the money she had offered into her bag when she wasn't looking. After a moment, she dropped the envelope back into her bag, at the very bottom, beneath her book, before exiting the store and continuing on. She continued on for several minutes, before something caught her eye.
A girl was posting something to a bulletin board, and she cocked her head.
Roommate Wanted!
"You're looking for a roommate?" The girl turned to her, her green eyes widening in shock to have been spoken too, so trapped in her own little world was she. After a moment, she nodded.
"Yeah. My last roommate moved out and... I can't stand living by myself. Are you looking for a place?"
She nodded, biting her lip. "I just moved here. I'm going to work the circuit, I just... need to figure out how to get started."
The girl cocked her head at her. "Dancer, actor or singer?"
"... All three. Been doing it since I was little."
The girl nodded. "Same." They stood in silence before she spoke again, holding out her hand. "I'm Oziandra, but everyone calls me Rain."
"Nice to meet you." She took the girl's hand, shaking quickly. "Elle."
Rain had quickly proven herself a worthy ally in the City; the Vinkun girl had moved to the City two years earlier, and after spending eight months working odd jobs, she'd accepted the information of a woman who came into the diner she worked at regularly. The woman, turned out, was a choreographer for shows like Wizomania, and was always looking for new dancers to put into performances. The girl had quickly discovered that the performing arts community was hidden- occupying a good-sized, hidden section of the City- not necessarily in the bad part of town, but tucked away in an area that was questionable at best.
The residents called it Alphabet City, for the names of the streets- Aelphaba after the supposed Saint of the Waterfall, Brr for the fabled Cowardly Lion that had supposedly helped to kill an evil Goddess of Ozian myth, and Chistery who was supposedly in Ozian legend a spirit that had helped to care for the Great Gillikin Forest, to name a few- and it was a fairly vibrant, close knit community. She'd quickly signed the paperwork required to allow her to join Rain in her small apartment. The apartment was already furnished, as such apartments were, and the girl quickly claimed the back bedroom for herself.
"I don't have much." She admitted, dropping her bag on the bed and taking a seat beside it. Rain shrugged.
"Most of us don't. Alphabet City is low income for a reason. But it keeps us hidden and out of the way from those who believe we have no business living in the City."
"What do you mean?"
The Vinkun girl sighed, resting her head against the wall she was leaning against. "You said you were from Munchkinland, right?" She nodded. "Well, you know how there are... hierarchy's, I guess would be the word? How if you're from a certain standing, if you go any lower than that, you're considered..."
"Living beneath yourself?" She offered, and the girl nodded.
"Yeah, kind of. Well, a lot of people here think that artists are... not even beneath them; they're so below them, they live in the muck in the river in the forest. You don't exactly get treated nicely in other areas of the City unless you make it massively big in the world of theater."
"So we're... outcasts?"
"Essentially. I never fit in at home; I hated growing up in the Vinkus. My mother struggled to make ends meet after my father left- I left the Vinkus when I was sixteen, figured it'd be easier on her, what with my two little sisters still at home and all. One less mouth to feed, you know?"
"I'm sorry."
Rain waved it away. "No big deal. I've been here two years, I'm here, I'm happy, and that's all that should matter."
"Right." She tucked a strand behind her ear.
"You said you were from Munchkinland, right?" She nodded. "Where from? Upper Applerue, Nest Hardings-" The girl nodded again. "Why would you leave Nest Hardings. I hear it's one of the loveliest, best places in Munchkinland."
She bit her lip. Where the hell did she begin? "I didn't want to be there. I want to make my own way in the world. Make it as a performer. I have the talent, now I just need to prove to myself that I can."
Rain nodded. "Sounds fair." She pushed herself away from the wall. "Come on, I think there's some of our fellow starving artists around. I'll introduce you." She began to follow Rain out of the room, before turning back. A moment passed, before she bit her lip. Without a second thought, she grabbed her bag and slipped it over her shoulder before following.