The air in their shared room is most certainly charged, as is the norm to both Galinda and Elphaba. There is a fizzle that would spark if you only look closely.
Whether it be magically inclined or simply their emotional intelligence picking up on an underlying force to it all, neither one of them could say. Their shared dorm was also never devoid of a livliness and thrum of sound and movement.
Elphaba had so gotten used to the constant hum that seemed to always follow Galinda, to the point where Elphaba speculates that surely the young woman must indeed have magic, and it's that magic that she either knowingly (though Elphaba doubts that, for she, and everyone else, would never hear the end of it, if that was the case) or unknowingly casts that allows for musicality to follow her wherever she goes.
Even in the early mornings (before the two of them even came to a mutual agreement to be friendlier and civil) despite the blonde doing her best not to cause too much of a stir or ruckus so as not to start the day off with a quarrel with Elphaba too soon, yes, despite Galinda's efforts, there would be a soft mesmerizing hum that would eminate from her. Elphaba would hear that sound as Galinda gently laid out her outfit for that day, as Galinda curled her hair at her vanity dresser, and as Galinda washed up, as she did her makeup, as she flitted around the room preparing her books and notes for her classes, and as Galinda did her assignments.
There was never a moment that Galinda was around when there would be complete and utter silence...or stillness.
What could be said at the moment however, undoubtedly, was that it was quiet. Unnaturally so, especially given the fact that Galinda was in the room.
And this newfound emptiness in their room has Elphaba entirely on edge immediately.
Elphaba had arrived just five clock-ticks ago, throwing her bags and books at her desk and taking off her coat, and the other occupant had not stirred or made a single sound since. If Elphaba were to guess, she would presume Galinda hadn't made a sound long before then as well, what with the air feeling not quite right. Elphaba pauses and takes stock of the room, her eyes searching for more information to try and quell the feeling of unease that she's feeling.
She sees Galinda's bag on her chair, the books from her last class strewn on top of her desk. She sees her shoes tossed to the side, forgotten for the time being. Nothing, apart from the feeling, is out of the ordinary, and Elphaba is at a loss.
Elphaba's heart clenches in her chest uneasily as she looks over at Galinda again only to see that the blonde hasn't even acknowledged her presence. And strange as she may be, Elphaba isn't heartless nor is she unobservant.
And when something out of the ordinary is happening, she very well is going to try and find out what the cause for such a thing is. Especially when it effects her own peace of mind and her inner sanctum.
"Galinda?" Elphaba ventures, her tone soft. She isn't trying to startle the young woman she's been able to reach peace with. Neither of them would like for a move taking them backwards to where they started.
Galinda, who had indeed been in their dorm room for the past hour, and who hadn't noticed Elphaba's arrival nor how much time had passed since she had gotten back to their room after her last class had ended, startled despite Elphaba's gentle tone, "Oh! Ms Elphaba, I didn't realize you've been speaking to me, what was it you said?"
Elphaba watches Galinda as she shakily stands from her prior seat on her bed so as to fully face her. She notices Galinda's eyes seem faraway and not quite as bright as they normally are, and Elphaba tilts her head ever so slightly, "I haven't said anything yet- just your name. Are..." Here, Elphaba hesitates a beat as Galinda's eyes fully meet hers and she tilts her own head, waiting.
"Are you alright?" Elphaba finally asks gently, tone just as soft and warm as she finishes her question as it was when she started her sentence.
Galinda's eyes widen just a touch as she laughs breathlessly, "Am I? I think so. Yes. Why wouldn't I be?"
Elphaba knows the question most likely, most definitely, is rhetorical, but she chooses to answer it anyway, "You just- don't seem like yourself, that's all. I don't mean to pry, not at the moment anyway, but well- living in such proximity makes it rather difficult to ignore when things that are typical are suddenly no longer occurring and so I ask...Are you alright?"
Galinda blinks at her and Elphaba can tell that she is studying her, her words, her demeanor, her cadence. And so she stands there and allows her the time. Elphaba watches as Galinda takes a breath before releasing it, "I suppose...yes...I mean...that is to say...there really isn't anything that should be wrong."
Elphaba, who really is trying to reach some normalcy, offers Galinda a small lopsided grin as she quips, "Save for the fact that you're rooming with a green bean, right?" Elphaba hopes the mention of one of her old nicknames for her would snap her back.
The little giggle Elphaba expects doesn't come. The raised eyebrow and slight smirk, the nonverbal 'touché', the slight nod of acknowledgment, none of that comes either.
Galinda simply stands before her, looking at her, a slight blush rising to her cheeks as she starts to slightly frown at her.
Elphaba's own brows furrow slightly as she looks at the blonde standing in front of her.
"Galinda?" Her name, a question, leaves Elphaba's mouth barely above a whisper.
"I- you may hear this from some of our classmates-" Galinda starts, her voice low and quieter than normal, then pauses before she turns towards her bed and busies her hands with turning down the comforter and sheets before she continues, "but...I'd rather you hear it from the source first." Galinda pauses again and picks up a pillow to fluff.
Elphaba watches her curiously, remaining silent as Galinda speaks.
"Avaric was out of line." Galinda barely looks over her shoulder as she says this, before turning back to her very serious task of pillow fluffing, "I don't know, nor do I want to know, of whatever relations you and he may have, however- I did not want to continue hearing him harp on your complexion. He simply had to be told to stop- Anyone would have done it- I just so happened to have been there, and so I did..."
She stiffens as she once again tosses over her shoulder, "tell him to stop I mean," Galinda turns her attention fully on her bed again, "He didn't stop, not at first anyway, but eventually he did when his belongings all went flying out the opened windows on a gust of air that came out of the pink, and truly it could have been just about anything really but the entire class just assumed it to mean something and honestly Elphaba I couldn't explain it even though I'm trying to now and-"
Elphaba's frown only grows as she listens to Galinda's rambling tale, her eyes on the back of Galinda's head. A part of her is glad to note that there's that hum coming back and a bit of Galinda's natural buzz has returned.
"I'm sorry I'm not quite following Ms Galinda." Elphaba ventures when there's a slight pause in Galinda's story.
The blonde stops toying with her pillows immediately and turns to face Elphaba once more.
"I wasn't following either Ms Elphaba- until Avaric decided it would be a great laugh if he were to make fun of your person, as well as Dr. Dilly, and however much I enjoy our play fights, it simply wasn't in good fun, nor in good faith, that Avaric said and did what he did! You weren't even there to quip back! I was only just telling him off-"
For all it's worth, Elphaba truly is trying to keep up, things simply aren't in her favor this evening.
"Galinda- I don't know what you're talking about." Elphaba genuinely is not trying to upset Galinda, not any more than she already is upset, and it weighs on her to see Galinda's face fall as she hears this.
"Oh, Elphaba." Is all Galinda says mournfully before abruptly folding her legs beneath her and takes a seat on the floor, warm brown eyes looking up at Elphaba through her lashes, and Elphaba sees confusion and hurt toiling across her face and eyes.
Elphaba takes a tentative step forward and slowly gets down onto the floor across from her, crossing her legs and leaning over them, her hands reaching across the floor between them, not quite reaching for Galinda, but not quite not reaching for her either, "What is it?"
Galinda takes in a breath and holds it for a while as Elphaba watches her silently, unsure of what to do, or if she should do anything at all.
Galinda's voice is timid as she speaks again, "I think..." she takes in a shuddering breath again before expelling it as she continues, somehow even quieter, "I think, I made Avaric's belongings fly out of that classroom window. I think...I did that and I don't know how or why I did, but it happened and I'm not sure I can do that again, and I'm not sure I would want to do that again because right before the moment his things whipped away I felt such a strong frustrated anger and I don't know if I like feeling that way."
Elphaba's heart is beating. It is constantly beating, but now it's beating and she is hyperaware of said beating as she listens to Galinda speak.
"What...what happened Galinda?" Elphaba asks, and she feels ridiculous asking when Galinda is telling her already, but she can hope that Galinda understands what she's actually asking.
Galinda swallows before slowly meeting her gaze, "He was being Avaric. He was being rude, and shallow, and unnecessarily crude and I couldn't, wouldn't, let that go. I tried!" Her brown eyes go wide as her own hands reach across the floor between them, "I tried, seeing as I don't know what you and he may be, and not that I have any right to monopolize your quick wit nor would-be-friendliness, but he was out of line and the feeling," here Galinda raises one of her hands and holds it up to her own chest, "the intense feeling of wanting him to stop hurting you, would not go away." Galinda pauses now again, her eyes searching Elphaba's, "You're a human being Elphaba Thropp and despite how I may have treated you at the start, I hope you know I don't ever mean you true harm, and I especially don't mean you any harm now."
Elphaba swallows, her mouth suddenly feeling dry, "I don't think you've ever meant me any real harm Galinda, I do quite enjoy the game we've created."
Galinda nods her head, "Yes exactly! A game! We play a game and it isn't fair, nor right, to try and get ahead when the other player is not even anywhere near the vicinity. It's cheating and an unfair advantage to go on and not give you ample opportunity to have a rebuttal. It's also vile and cruel to be so..." Galinda tapers off, her mind not coming up with the words fast enough for her liking.
Elphaba's cheeks darken in a slight blush as she goes over what she has heard. Galinda stood up for her.
"Thank you." Elphaba offers her sincerly, a small smile on her lips.
Galinda shakes her head profusely, "What? No! Don't thank me! Elphaba don't you start too. I didn't do anything."
Elphaba laughs, not at Galinda, never at Galinda, "Ms. Galinda I have just been regaled the story of how you most certainly did indeed do something, and I'm going to thank you, even though I was not there to witness it myself. I wish I was there, I'd like to have seen the look on Avaric's face when all of his things left his person."
Galinda's face is a pretty pink all flushed at Elphaba's words and Elphaba is quite pleased with herself for putting it there, even indirectly.
"If you had been there then perhaps you could have taken matters into your own hands and lashed at him with that quick tongue of yours and I wouldn't have had the entirety of Shiz just stand there gaping at something I had no control over." Galinda says rather quickly, her face flushing even further.
Elphaba chuckles softly, "Am I to understand that Galinda Upland did not relish in leaving everyone speechless? At performing magic?" Elphaba raises an eyebrow, her smile soft as she asks the question.
She watches as Galinda seemingly finally fully accepts that that was indeed what happened.
She performed magic.
Her face is alight with about a million different emotions and Elphaba just grins at her, "Magic, Ms. Galinda. You did that."
Galinda squeaks as she gets onto her knees and scrambles that little bit of distance between them, "Magic."
Elphaba nods at her, "I do believe that's what you described. I believe you did that all on your own, no special seminars or one on one classes. That was all you."
Galinda's hands are flitting about in the air between them, her eyes wide as she looks at Elphaba, not really knowing what to do with herself at the actual realization that what Elphaba is saying is true. Her hands fly to her mouth as she whispers, "You."
Elphaba's face reflects her confusion, "Me?"
Galinda nods, "Oh yes. You. I may be selfish and somewhat shallow a lot of the time but I know you had something to do with this."
Elphaba shakes her head, "Galinda you said yourself I wasn't even anywhere near that classroom, how in Oz would I have done anything-"
Galinda shakes her own head and cuts her off, her hands gently clasping Elphaba's, "You're quite the splendid counterpart Elphaba, don't sell yourself short. I don't go head-to-head with just anyone, you know."
Elphaba laughs, "You just like that I don't fold to your every whim and give as good as I get."
Galinda squeezes Elphaba's hands in her gently, "Yes."
Elphaba allows that one word to occupy the space surrounding them, her eyes locked with Galinda's as she grins at her.
"I don't...I haven't really gotten the hang of making friends, true friends," she adds at the look on Elphaba's face before continuing, "and I'm not saying that's what we are," Elphaba smirks at her at that, "but it feels like maybe we're on our way and I think...despite your wanting to brush off your part in it...I think I was only able to do what I did because it was about, well, you."
Galinda gently lets go of Elphaba's hands and plays with her own fingers now, her eyes falling to her lap as she speaks, "I really do quite enjoy our spars. I respect you. I don't quite understand some of the things you go on about, but I do find myself trying to figure things out, and I do enjoy getting under your skin...but I don't...it's not the same when it's someone like...Avaric. Does that make sense?" Galinda's eyes dart up to find Elphaba's as she asks her question.
Elphaba tilts her head at her multifaceted, endearing, conundrum of a roommate, "When it isn't someone that is trying to understand?"
Galinda nods, her eyes bright, "Right."
Elphaba hums softly, drawing her hands back to her own lap as she takes that in, "Was Dr. Dillamond around to hear what Avaric said?"
Galinda shakes her head, "No, we had math...Avaric did not end up attending class seeing as his, well, everything was out somewhere in the fields." Galinda lightly giggles at that and Elphaba's heart sings at the sound.
"Do you think he found everything?" Elphaba asks with a grin, if only to keep Galinda's joy afloat.
Galinda giggles again as she shakes her head, "I'm almost certain he hasn't. I want to say I heard him call for help from his friends to go looking for them after class. I wouldn't know, I didn't really stick around."
Elphaba's grin grows as she hears this, "Good trouble. That's what you are."
Galinda laughs lightly, "I suppose so."
The quiet that befalls them isn't exactly the same quiet as before and Elphaba is relieved to note that. The air is warm and the space they've curated is welcoming and safe.
"Do you really not want to do that again?" Elphaba asks after a while, once they've gotten up and gotten into their pajamas, sitting across from each other once more, divying up some baked goods Galinda had.
Galinda hums around her bite of muffin, as she tilts her head and considers the question thoughtfully, "Terrorize Avaric? I might if he keeps at it..."
Elphaba laughs easily, surprising herself, "No, I meant...magic? Do you really not want to do magic again?"
Galinda quirks her lips as she studies Elphaba, "Maybe one day...But...not if it only comes to me when I'm beyond control of my emotions. Not when it takes you being the butt of some not funny at all jokes. Not if it means I can only make magic if there's pain or hurt thrown your way."
Elphaba's cheeks feel flush and she knows she would be blushing bright red if she weren't so verdantly colored, "Why Ms. Galinda, I didn't know you cared."
Elphaba sees the moment Galinda has stopped all lightheartedness in the way her eyes lock with Elphaba's and her hands stop pulling at the muffin wrapper.
"I do care Ms. Elphaba. I may not show it conventionally, but I think it works for us, for now. But, I do care. I'll be sure you're more aware of it moving forward."
Elphaba swallows hard, "I didn't mean offence."
Galinda smiles at her and Elphaba feels relief flood her, "I know. No offence. I think...I'd rather like ensuring you know that someone cares. That I care."
Elphaba's ear are burning now and she just knows that Galinda knows that as well, "Oh?"
Galinda nods, her eyes never leaving Elphaba's, "Mhm. I've grown rather fond of you Ms. Elphaba Thropp. I think I'd like to keep you."
Before Elphaba can say or do anything, just like that, Galinda has gotten up and bidden her a good evening, tossing her used wrapper in the bin on her way to the bathroom to brush her teeth before climbing up onto her rather luxurious bed.
Elphaba just sits there for a few more clock-ticks after that, letting the evening wash over her as she hears Galinda hum to herself softly as she cozies into her pillows, gold hair falling delicately against her pillow.
Elphaba chuckles to herself before getting up and tossing her own muffin wrapper in the bin and turning off the lights of their room when she's finished her own nightly routine.
Her eyes shut and she breathes deeply, inhaling the comfortable buzz that gently ebbs into unconsciousness, lulling her to sleep.
"Goodnight Galinda," Elphaba whispers from across the room.
A soft lilting musical reply of, "Goodnight Elphie," reaches her ears and she balks at the nickname and the giggle that erupts from across the way is enough for her to know that that is definitely going to stick.
'Good trouble indeed.' She thinks to herself as she shuts her eyes, a small barely visible smile on her face.
