Chapter Text
“Another successful seminar my dear,” Madame Morrible says lovingly to Elphaba, “and you,” she turns to Galinda with a smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes, “are surprisingly still here.”
It’s a late Friday evening in February and Galinda and Elphaba have just finished their sorcery seminar with Madame Morrible. Galinda has yet to garner any results from these seminars, but she’s hopeful the pull she seems to have with her fellow Shiz students will manifest itself any day now during these workshops.
Elphaba, Galinda thinks, is a natural.
Galinda is enamoured by the ease with which Elphaba’s magic manifests and is rendered speechless most times by the sheer force of her magic.
She can shamelessly admit to herself now that she was jealous of Elphaba initially, but now she’s beyond grateful to be as close as she is to Elphie because her sorcery isn’t the only thing magical about her. She’s ferocious in advocating for the things and people she cares about, considerate within that hard exterior she was first greeted with at Shiz, and Galinda would deny this out loud, but finds Elphie stylicious even with that hideocious colour palette of her wardrobe. Like right now — the sharp creases of Elphaba’s collar of her Shiz uniform accentuates her wonderful bone structure so immaculately.
“Do I have something on my face?” Elphaba asks, snapping Galinda out of her mental rambling.
Galinda must’ve been staring, a habit she’s realised she’s been doing a lot lately while spending more time with Elphaba.
“No. I’m sorry Elphie. I was just… admiring your shirt.” Galinda answered sheepishly.
Elphaba raised an inquisitive eyebrow at that admission, “My shirt?”
“Yes, it… it’s so blue,” Galinda responds. Before Elphaba can question her further, she barrels on, “Elphie, I was wondering, can I paint your nails?”
“It’s may I paint your nails and pardon me?” Elphaba is a little astonished.
“Well, ShenShen and I went to a cute little boutique off campus the other day where I saw this midnight black nail polish and thought - why, Miss Elphaba would love this colour.”
“So you want to paint my nails…. tonight?” Galinda nodded with a buoyant smile. “But don’t you want to spend time with your other friends?”
“ShenShen and Pfannee are going to the Ozdust Ballroom and, besides, I’d much rather spend time with you,” Galinda responded.
Elphaba quickly turned to finish gathering her books, but Galinda could’ve sworn she saw a hint of Elphie blushing a deep forest-green colour. Galinda notices that Elphaba often does that whenever she compliments her. Galinda is too mesmerised by the sight of Elphaba’s blush to question exactly what that means and why she enjoys it so.
After a moment, Elphaba finally turns and responds, “Yes Galinda, I would love it if you'd paint my nails tonight.”
Galinda beams, but before she can drag Elphaba out of the classroom, Morrible emerges from her office and calls for Elphaba.
“Miss Thropp, I was hoping you would indulge me for another hour. It has to do with your special request.”
Elphaba suddenly turns towards Galinda, “Is it alright if we postpone our night just by an hour?” she asks.
Galinda nods and squeezes Elphaba’s hand, reassuring her that it’s alright, and promptly exits the classroom.
Truth is, Galinda impulsively asked Elphaba to paint her nails so she needed a little time to prepare their dorm room into a makeshift salon.
Yes, she did purchase the nail polish because it reminded her of Elphaba, but she intended to gift it to Elphie sometime during the weekend. However, she was too distracted throughout their seminar by the delicate yet firm way Elphie's fingers held her quilt. Coupled with her constantly staring at Elphaba again, the question of whether to paint her nails just tumbled out of her mouth.
Galinda is back in her and Elphie’s shared dorm now and immediately assembles her vanity into a mini beauty parlour before freshening up. Once the room is fully prepared and she’s adorned in her nightwear, she notices the time on her bedside table — 7:39 p.m. — she still has 21 minutes before Elphie’s session with Morrible ends. She decides to lie on her bed, and her mind begins to wander.
Are Momsie and Popsicle doing well without me?.
Are ShenShen and Pfannee are having fun at the Ozdust?
Was ending things with Fiyero a few weeks ago was the best decision?
She shakes that last thought out of her head. Galinda is not particularly heartbroken over the separation from Fiyero and finds they are better off as friends.
All that wondering she’s been doing leads her back to her dear friend - Elphaba.
Galinda wonders if Elphaba notices how much time they’ve been spending together as of late and if it bothers her. She wonders if Elphaba enjoys the time with her just as much as she does and worries if Elphaba thinks she’s becoming too attached. She doesn’t seem to mind, the voice in her head says. She’s about to retort her inner self when suddenly she hears the room door slam. Elphaba is back early from her session with Madame Morrible.
“Ugh!” Elphaba groans collapsing into her bed.
Galinda rushes over, “Elphie, what’s wrong?” Galinda worries.
“Nothing,” Elphaba groans into her pillow before looking up at Galinda. Galinda puts her left hand on her hip and gives Elphaba a pointed stare. “Okay,” Elphaba concedes and sits up, “I’m just frustrated. I was trying to do a spell, but nothing happened. The spells don’t always work on the first try but I really needed this one to turn out flawlessly,” Elphaba ends in a sombre tone.
Galinda softens and sits alongside Elphaba on her bed, taking Elphie’s hands in hers.
“I know a thing or two about failed spells,” they both chuckle, “but if there’s one thing I know, it’s that Elphaba Thropp is the most powerful sorcerer I’ve ever met. Even more than Morrible - please don’t tell her I said that. She still scares me,” Elphaba laughs again. “Don’t beat yourself up over it Elphie. You can try again on Monday.”
“Thank you for the encouragement Galinda. I genuinely appreciate it but this is time-sensitive. I need the spell to work soon.” Elphaba explains.
Galinda becomes curious and asks about the spell.
“It was a summoning spell I asked Madame Morrible to procure for me last week. I’m trying to summon Cupid for Nessarose.” Elphaba confesses.
“You- WHAT?!” Galinda is sure this is the first she’s ever been speechless.
“Nessa is so enraptured with that Munchkin boy-”
“Bic?” Galinda cuts her off.
“Boq.” Elphaba corrects, “Yes him. She can’t see clearly that he’s wasting her time and I don’t want her to get hurt. I know this isn’t the ideal solution, but I didn’t know what else to do, so I turned to the summoning spell to get Cupid here and beg him to make Nessa fall out of love with Boq,” Elphaba finishes with a breath.
Galinda stares at Elphaba with wide eyes before she succumbs to a fit of giggles.
“It is not funny Galinda,” Elphie starts to protest but her smile betrays her and the pair combust to loud laughter for a few minutes so much that they go from their earlier sitting position to laying in Elphie’s bed.
“Elphie,” Galind starts, “that is the most ludicrous thing I’ve ever heard you say.” She’s still coming down from her laughter.
“I know,” Elphaba agrees, “There is no guide on the right way to be a big sister, so I’m trying to do my best.”
“And I admire you for it,” Galinda says entangling their fingers that came undone during their laughing. “I wish I had someone besides my Momsie and Popsicle that cared about me that much.”
Galinda didn’t mean to disturb their lighthearted moment with such vulnerability but every time she looks into those sap-green eyes, she feels like Elphie is seeing right through her — the only person to fundamentally understand Galinda.
“That’s not true. I care about you. In fact, after the first five failed attempts at the summoning spell, I asked Morrible to end the session early so I could come back here because I believe I was promised black nails.” Elphaba was looking through her again and Galinda was sure she was blushing.
“O-of course,” Galinda stammered, “I set up my vanity for you and if it’s alright, I was hoping after we’re done with the nails I could braid your hair. You can braid mine too, if you want. I just don’t want the night to end so soon, especially on a beautilicious Friday night such as this one.” Galinda confessed.
Elphaba smiled up at her, “Yes. Anything to take my mind off trying to summon a Roman god to help with my sister’s love life.”
Galinda and Elphaba burst into laughter for the second time that night, but not the last.
It was almost midday when Galinda awoke as she and Elphaba didn’t retire to bed until dawn. They spent the majority of the night trying on each other's clothes and recounting stories of their time growing up before Galinda started getting drowsy. What captures Galinda’s attention is that she remembers dozing off on the floor where she and Elphie were sitting, but now she’s tucked into her bed.
Galinda sits up, wiping the sleep from her eyes and stretches when she notices a note beside the clock on her bedside table.
Galinda,
You were right, midnight black is my colour.
I have a History tutoring session with Fiyero in the courtyard. I’ll be back later.
And thank you again for last night. I’m still astonished I tried to summon Cupid. That’s something to laugh about years later.
Years later. Galinda couldn’t help but smile at that part.
After spending a good half hour rereading the note Elphie left, Galinda finally emerged from her bed and started her morning (well, afternoon now) routine. She was finishing getting dressed behind the privacy screen when she heard a loud bang in the room.
“Elphie?” Galinda called out.
Galinda didn’t hear a response, so she finished fastening her bubblegum pink dress with the shoes to match and walked from behind the screen and what she saw was indescribable.
Here, in the middle of the dorm was a winged cherub dressed in white with a gold bow in one hand and a matching quiver strapped to his back. He adorned a wreath on his head and there was an angelic glow, Galinda noticed, the more she got closer. And he was floating.
“You’re-you-yo-y-” Galinda was stuttering.
“Cupid? Yes. In the flesh. Are you the one that summoned me?” the deity answered in slight exasperation.
Galinda shook her head, “N-nooo, that was my friend Elphaba, but if you wait right here, I can fetch her quickly.” Galinda was beaming. Elphaba is going to be so happy she thought.
“Well hurry up blondie, I don’t have all day,” Cupid complained.
Galinda immediately deflated, “You are a real mean guy. Did anyone ever tell you that?” Galinda said scoldingly.
“Listen, lady, I’m not sure if you know what day next week Friday is, but I’m swamped this time of year,” Cupid snaps back.
Galinda conceded, “Fine.”
She went to the room’s balcony to see if she could spot Elphaba in the courtyard. Yelling before having her morning tea wouldn’t be soothing on her vocal cords, but it’s the best way to get Elphaba’s attention quickly, especially with the attitude of the boss baby behind her.
She had just spotted Elphaba and Fiyero on a bench when she turned to Cupid pointing, “I see my friend that needs your help. There.”
Cupid followed Galinda’s direction to see her pointing at Elphaba, “You do know that I’m the god of love, not appearance, you’d have to get my brother Janus for that,” Galinda frowned.
“Nothing is wrong with her appearance small child,” Galinda berated, “Her request is love-related. I would ask it on her behalf but this is important to her and I know she wants to do this on her own.” Galinda further explained.
Cupid looked piercingly at Elphaba again in the courtyard, then looked at Galinda and smirked, “I understand.”
“You do?” Galinda was hesitant, wondering if Cupid could read minds because she hadn’t explained the situation about Nessarose.
“Sshh-shh-shh,” Cupid silenced Galinda while removing a white-rimmed arrow from his quiver. “It’s quite clear what I need to do. No explanation is necessary,” he finished as he lined up the arrow in his bow and shot it at Elphaba.
Galinda isn’t sure how she prevented her eyes from jumping out of her head as Cupid did not understand. At all.
“What did you do? That’s not what her request was going to be.”
“It might not be what she wanted, but it’s what she needs.” Cupid deadpanned. “In fact, she’s not the only one in need.”
Cupid lined up another white-rimmed arrow in his bow and shot it at Galinda. She crossed her arms in front of her to shield herself from the arrow but she didn’t feel the impact, only a new indescribable feeling.
“What did you do to me?!” Galinda demanded.
“Relax. Those arrows have temporary effects. It should wear off in about 6 days. I have an intuition, just go with it.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means you and your friend are under the effects of my arrows for the next week. Don’t try to fight it. As I said, just go with it. I’ll be back at the end of the week to check on my progress,” and with that, Cupid disappeared leaving nothing but wind in Galinda's face.
Galinda was having a fright.
Cupid, the god of love, shot both her and Elphaba with his arrows and she’s supposed to, what? Be helplessly in love with Elphie for an entire week.
Sweet Oz.