Went camping for a few days so figured I'd better get this smashed out for you all! That moment you hand in an assignment only to open your computer a few hours later and find a mistake! And what makes it worse is that it's a physical submission and I live an hour out from my uni! I cry every time...
Sorry for the late update, this last week and a bit has been hectic :/ It's longer than usual as an apology. Thanks for the reviews and the new follower! Virtual cookies for everyone!
Also, I love how we all love steak.
Despite the supreme comfort of her bed, Elphaba woke early the next day. Sitting up, she rubbed the sleep from her face as her toes sank into the plush carpet on the floor and bit back a groan. Galinda was taking her shopping today.
Preparing herself with a deep breath, Elphaba rose and dressed before heading downstairs to the dining room.
Mirana wasn't at breakfast and Domious explained between mouthfuls of egg and reading his morning post that she didn't feel well and was resting in her room. Galinda arrived soon after Elphaba in a bustle of blonde curls wearing a beautiful yellow sundress.
"Are you ready for our outing, Elphie?" Galinda asked.
"I wish I wasn't," Elphaba replied amidst trying to drown her sorrows in her tea cup. Galinda waved her off and sat down to drink her morning coffee.
Galinda was just informing Elphaba of all the sights to see in town when Domious cleared his throat. "You two had better start moving if you want to make it to the markets in time."
Galinda glanced up at the clock hanging amongst the various hangings of the dining room and leapt to her feet with a cry of, "Oh, goodness! You're right, Popsicle!"
"When am I not, my dear?" Domious laughed.
Galinda bustled her way back out of the room to finish getting ready after planting a quick kiss on her father's head, leaving Elphaba to finish her breakfast and Domious, his mail reading.
After a few minutes, in which each finished their meals, Elphaba spoke up and asked, "Why are there markets in the middle of the week?"
"It's more of a week-long festival with stalls, but the markets are the only part that really matters."
"A festival? For what?"
"It's for our patron saint, Trian the Foreseer." Domious leaned forward to explain. "On the last day of the festival, there is a fireworks display to celebrate the day Trian dug the first mine in the Uplands and found the first of our countries famous gems."
"So, he was really just a skilled miner and investor?"
Domious smiled. "Have we not all had humble beginnings?"
"Elphie!" Galinda cried from the front door. "We have to leave now or all the best will be gone!"
When she made no move to leave, Domious said, "You had best be going, Miss Elphaba."
Elphaba sighed, followed by a sarcastic eye roll, when she heard another cry of, "Elphie!" She stood and reluctantly headed for the front door where Galinda was waiting impatiently.
The pair climbed into the Upland's personal carriage and began the short trip down into the village in the valley.
The village was simply bustling in a fashion Elphaba had only seen on the main street of the Emerald City. Tents and stalls lined the road and all carriage access was prohibited into the centre of town, meaning the girls had to walk a few hundred metres before they were in the thick of it, but once they were, Elphaba found herself enveloped in the atmosphere. Everywhere Elphaba looked, there was colour, light and people shouting and laughing. It was truly an event.
"Let's look over here first!" Galinda giggled.
Elphaba allowed herself to be dragged along by the blonde into the shade of a tent filled with an array of flowing dresses. She humoured the blonde by promising to look around for something she would want. The green girl strolled around the surprisingly spacious tent, running her fingers along the long, soft, cotton skirts on a rack when she saw something that seemed out of place.
A little wooden statue sat on a table at the back of the store. It was a man who stood, scale in one hand, a spyglass raised in the other, seemingly pointing to something far in the distance.
"Is this Trian?" Elphaba asked, calling the blonde over.
"That's him!" Galinda said as she came over, carrying three or four articles of clothing in her arms.
"You people practically worship him."
"No, silly!" Galinda giggled. Elphaba raised a brow at being called silly. "It's part of the fun. Like decorating a tree for Lurinemas."
Once they left the store, bags in hand - yes, one for Elphaba too - the green girl noticed that the more she looked around, the more she noticed figures of Trian the Foreseer hanging and lit in almost every tent.
After the dress stall came several more clothing stalls with multiple variations of, what was essentially, the same thing. In amongst the clothing were knick-knacks, food and, to Elphaba's delight, secondhand books which she perused at length.
"Oh! What's that?" Galinda suddenly exclaimed and grabbed Elphaba's arm, dragging her down an unpopulated side street.
"Galinda, there's nothing down here," Elphaba said, confused. "What are you-"
Galinda suddenly rounded on the green girl, serious. "Elphaba, you owe me an explanation about that book you keep in your room."
Elphaba froze, her heart jumping into her throat. "Galinda, I-"
"Why didn't you tell me you had magic?"
Elphaba did a double take, Galinda didn't seem angry at all. In fact, she seemed annoyed and very excited at the same time. All Elphaba could do was look at her friend incredulously.
"I have a little magic in me too, you know. I'm going to apply to study sorcery officially at Shiz University at the start of the next semester."
Elphaba frowned as she processed what Galinda was telling her. "Then why did you run away?"
Galinda shrugged. "I was just a little startled at your funny book. I've never seen a magical item so powerful before. How on earth did it come into your possession?"
"A friend gave it to me."
Galinda glanced about quickly to make sure they were still alone before leaning in and whispering surreptitiously. "Have you ever used it?"
Elphaba's throat constructed with guilt as she remembered poor, young Biff and she nodded.
"What happened?" Galinda asked softly, sensing the change in the green girl's mood.
"It didn't end well," she said bitterly. "He may never be the same again."
Galinda's hand flew to her mouth in shock. "Oh."
Elphaba gave a rueful smile and glanced around. "Fortune tellers seem to be popular," she said, pointing out a nearby tent with the sign of the all-seeing eye hanging above the opening.
Galinda gasped and clapped her hands together. "Let's get our fortunes read!"
Elphaba rolled her eyes. "You know it's a load of rubbish, don't you?"
"It's fun though!"
"Fine!" Elphaba groaned.
Through the tent flaps was a dimly lit space that fulfilled every stereotype Elphaba could think of for fortune tellers. Embroidered pillows were strewn over the rugged floor of the tent, incense and candles burned in the tent corner and filled the air with a heady haze. At the centre of the tent hooded figure sat behind a table draped in scarlet cloth, on the the table a fortune tellers signature tools, the crystal ball and card deck. Something far in the back of Elphaba's mind called back many years ago to a hazy old woman sitting in a wagon, spinning tales of loves to come.
The hood lifted slightly in acknowledgment of their presence and a woman's voice that both soothed and rumbled greeted them. "Welcome."
Galinda set her bags down by the table and Elphaba followed suit. As they moved closer the woman at the table lifted a hand and gestured for them to sit, although, it wasn't a hand, it was a paw. A big black furry cat's paw.
Elphaba gasped. "You're an Animal?"
The size of a grown man, the dark Cat lifted its hood a bit to give them a slight view of whiskers and the edges of incisors. A Panther. The big Cat chuckled, deep and rumbling, "One of the few, but we are still here, my dear. What can I do for you?"
"I'd like a palm reading, please." Piped up Galinda, plonking herself down in the chair opposite the Cat.
She chuckled again, "In a rush I see?"
"There's just so much to do at the festival!"
The Panther smiled revealing a long row of gleaming fangs. "Indeed there is, and for you that is especially true for your life. In the years to come you will be successful-"
Galinda gasped in excitement as the fortune teller began to weave her a tale of a full life to come.
"-and you will be adored by all by the one you truly desire." the Panther said, causing the blonde to gasp.
"No!"
"Never fear, my dear!" the Panther reassured her. "For those who give up their greatest treasures receive them back tenfold."
Galinda sighed, somewhat reassured, yet still put off, but refused to let it get to her as she whipped around to Elphaba.
"Your turn, Elphie!"
The fortune teller's hood tilted to the side, "Come forth, my dear."
"Fine," Elphaba conceded. "Read my palm. If it's possible for you to see past my skin, that is."
"Oh?" the fortune teller rumbled in confusion.
Elphaba stepped forward and held out her hand for the big cat to take in her paw, the soft fur between its digits tickling the back of Elphaba's hand. The Panther, seeing the girl's skin for the first time, took one glance and gasped aloud, dropping the green girl's hand as though it burned.
"It's not contagious," the green girl deadpanned.
The Panther snapped her head up causing her hood to fall back revealing a scarred ear and shining golden eyes wide with shock. Remembering herself, she shook her head and replaced her cowl, taking up Elphaba's hand once more. "No! Of course not. I see nothing wrong with your skin, however..."
"However?" Galinda leaned over, wide-eyed and intrigued. Elphaba remained skeptical. That is, until the Panther spoke again.
"There has been great tragedy in your life, and sadly there is still more to come. Although you won't be alone, don't forget those who have helped you along the way." She stopped, hissing a breathe through her teeth in theatrical hesitation. "And your family-"
Elphaba's face hardened. "My family is long gone."
The Panther's head snapped up, hood falling away completely. Piercing gold drilled into narrowed hazel as the fortune teller leant across the small table and hissed, "I wouldn't be so sure."
Elphaba's stumbled back knocking her chair over and wrenching her hand from the Panther's grasp and strode out of the tent and out into the blinding light in the street, but not before the Cat called after her, "The blackbird will visit again!"
Behind her she could faintly hear Galinda apologizing to the fortune teller and placing a few coins on the table before rushing out after her friend. "Elphie! What did she mean?"
"Nothing! It's a load of mystical nonsense based on nothing but speculation and coincidence!" Elphaba ranted as she barged through the crowd, leaving Galinda to push her way through with all her bags.
"Elphie!" Galinda cried as she was knocked to the ground by a passerby, causing all she had been holding to fall and scatter across the road.
Elphaba, noticing the blonde scrambling for her purchases on the cobblestones hurried back and together they managed to get everything before it was too soiled.
"Are you alright?" Elphaba asked once they were standing again. "You fell quite hard."
Galinda handed Elphaba her bags and brushed herself down, running her fingers through her hair. "I'm fine, just don't go running off like that again!"
Elphaba nodded and gave Galinda some of the bags back. After a few more stall visits, the pair began to walk back to where their carriage was waiting, deciding that they had had quite enough excitement for the one day.
Along the way Galinda struck up a menial conversation about the sights in town and more stories about the festival, only catching Elphaba's full attention when she said, "Well, at the end of the week is a fireworks show. I'm thinking of inviting Fiyero to join us."
Elphaba pulled a face and Galinda hit her arm. "Don't be like that! I know you're not his biggest fan, but you can at least suffer his company for a few days."
"Suffer being the operative word," Elphaba said, resulting in another swat from her blonde friend.
Needless to say, Elphaba wasn't looking forward to seeing the prince. Their last exchange had been awkward and thinking about it made the green girl scowl.
It was The Gospel At Colonus! It's an obscure one alright and not very popular seeing as it is quite niche and confusing. I'm performing in a reading of this for uni and it's weird and wonderfully black-gospel.
Anyone seen a play called Fractions? If you have, what did you think of it?