Chapter Text
snow had a way of softening shiz university. it blurred the edges of the towers and made the campus feel almost gentle, like the stress and pressure of upcoming examinations was slowed by the thick blanket of ice on the ground and trees. inside crage hall, the fire kept losing its battle with the chilly drafts sneaking underneath the closed doors, and the female students inside had settled into a tired, slightly delirious mood that came with final exams during the winter. everyone was hunched over their textbooks, scrambling to gather information from every missed lecture or difficult class module. like a wild, crackling fire amidst all the stress-induced hysteria, three queens students crope and tibbett burst through the chilly dormitory, cutting the tension with the mischief in their eyes. they made their way to the room of their very special friends galinda and elphaba, the purpose for their visit teeming on their lips.
without knocking or introduction, crope and tibbett rushed into the room, their arms full of scraps of ribbon and rolled parchment, both of them grinning from ear to ear.
“we’ve come,” crope began, “with a plan to remove the misery that has settled over these halls like frost on a window pane.” tibbett clapped beside him, nodding vigorously, his enthusiasm practically lighting up the dark dorm room.
galinda’s eyes lit up immediately, the corners of her mouth twitching into a delighted smile. she swiftly closed the book she was pretending to read and squealed. “oh, do tell! whatever it is, it sounds marvelous!”
elphaba, who was doing her best to ignore their outburst, raised a brow and continued to write out her study notes. “if those hideous ribbons are any indication, count me out,” she muttered, her tone flat.
despite elphaba’s disinterest, crope’s smile widened. “it’s a gift exchange!” he announced devilishly. “in honor of lurlinemas coming upon us. a small token for each of our friends, a gesture of…well, friendship! and cheer.” he nudged tibbett to continue.
the boy leaned in conspiratorially, whispering, “and perhaps to encourage bonds that might otherwise remain…untapped.”
this confession made elphaba’s ears perk up, but before she could question the pair, a shriek erupted from galinda’s side of the room. “a gift exchange! what a heartwarming way to bring some holiday cheer! the start of lurlinemas is making me awfully homesick, what with our upcoming examinations and all. oh, this is just brilliant!”
galinda and tibbett began to talk about potential gifts they’d recieve and crope sauntered over to elphaba’s desk, gliding his fingers over the cool surface next to her quill. there was a small scowl etched on her face. “oh, don’t be spoilsport, miss elphaba,” he teased her, snatching her quill from her slender fingers and waving it in the air.
the green girl huffed and attempted to snatch the writing utensil back from him, but he pulled it back, just out of her reach. she pursed her lips and looked at him.
“you expect me to participate in your little ritual to honor a fairy?” she asked, looking over the boy’s shoulder to where tibbett and galinda were speaking animatedly about ways to decorate crage hall. “half the country’s starving and you’re resurrecting sprites with ribbons.”
“it’s not about honor, it’s about celebration, darling. a way to lift our spirits and be social. lurline herself may stay asleep for all i care,” crope reassured. “it’ll be perfectly secular. ordinary. everyone draws a name. everyone gives a gift. nothing more, nothing less.” he smiled charmingly at her, and he could see the way elphaba’s lip twitched in slight amusement.
“ordinary,” elphaba repeated. “right.”
before crope could reply, the door creaked open and a gust of cold wind swept through the dorm, scattering the strips of ribbon and parchment all over the room like confetti. tibbett made a ceremonius noise and crope gave a knowing smile. “see? even the wind approves,” he declared, and patted elphaba’s shoulder. “we’ll all gather tonight– us, fiyero, boq–”
“if you want me to participate in your little farce, you’ll need to include nessarose as well. i won’t join without her,” elphaba negotiated.
“the more the merrier!” tibbett bellowed, and galinda clapped her hands. “it will be splendid! i’ll make sure to find us candles, and bring some hot chocolate, with little sticks of peppermint! i’m sure there’s got to be some of those sprigs of pine somewhere around here…”
elphaba groaned, but her protest fell on deaf ears. crope smiled at her and dropped her quill back into her inky fingers. their eyes met for a brief moment– her expression unreadable, and his full of something that could only be described as mischief.
“tonight, then. everyone will draw names. the lurlinemas union of gifts,” he announced, and walked over to door, tibbett following suit. “and try not to look so sullen about it, elphaba. it’s supposed to be festive.”
before she could retort, the door closed behind them, and she was left with her textbooks and an excited galinda who was buzzing with holiday spirit. elphaba smiled to herself as galinda began to chatter about ribbon colors and candle scents. she, on the other hand, was only half listening, as she gripped the quill crope had returned to her in her hands and muttered under her breath.
“ordinary, indeed.”
-
later that night, crage hall was almost unrecoginizable. galinda had spent the afternoon transforming the common room into the perfect place for the charmed circle to gather during the holiday season, her upcoming exams long forgotten. she looped the ribbon around the mantle of the fireplace, and fastented decorative stars out of golden paper. she even convinced boq to scraggle in branches of fir to serve as a sort of centerpiece for the coffee table. candles were lit, the scent of warm cocoa powder filled the air, and its almost as if the decorations made everyone forget about the chilly drafts.
“alright, i think everyone’s here,” crope observed the room, his hands full of little slips of parchment paper and a rather unfortunate-looking hat adorning his head. “wonderful. let the spirit of lurlinemas guide us through this journey.”
“spare me,” elphaba muttered under her breath, although she was in fact present— mostly because there was no way galinda would let her not be in attendance. she sat in the corner, her arms crossed, watching everyone chatter without her. nessarose was beside her engaging in conversation with everyone else; somehow the boys had convinced her to partake in their celebration despite her strict unionist beliefs.
“okay, so this is how it works,” tibbett joined crope at the front of the room as he began to speak. “each of you will write your name on one of these slips of parchment. you will hand it back to my lovely partner who will then deposit them in his festive headgear. then, we go around the room and each of you will draw a name at random. whoever’s name is bestowed upon you, that is who you will be giving a lurlinemas gift to. nothing expensive, just thoughtful. something that has meaning.”
“feel free to be creative. nothing is off limits,” crope continued as tibbett began to pass out the slips of paper. “no cheating, no trades, and no whining.”
the sound of quills scratching against parchment filled the room. “i, for one, am thrillified. the suspense! the sentiment!” galinda chirped as she began to write her name in her fanciest penmanship.
“the superficiality,” elphaba quipped, a faint smirk on her lips, but nessa gave her a stern look in response and she stifled her reaction. “you seriously approve of this? what about father and your unshakable devotion to the unnamed god?”
nessa’s lips pressed themselves into a thin line. “crope assured me this is a social event and nothing more. i do believe the unnamed god is okay with my friends and i exchanging a few meaningful offerings.”
“precisely!” tibbett agreed from the front of the room as crope began to retrieve each slip of paper from their guests. “in fact, we’ve decided to change the name to reflect just how nonpagan it is. we’ll call it the winter exchange of grace!”
the young unionist girl seemed pleased with this. “our dearest nessarose, since you’re handling this with such braverism, why don’t you draw first!” crope proposed, grabbing her hand and guiding her to the front of the room where elphaba, galinda, boq and fiyero sat before her.
the boy held his hat low enough for her to reach in and grab a slip of paper, her hand trembling slightly. she saw the name and smiled warmly and wheeled herself back to her spot. fiyero volunteered to go next, happy to be participating in whatever his friends had planned. boq followed suit, blushing as he stood at the front of the room and chose his fate. galinda’s turn was next, her eyes squeezed shut in theatrical suspense before she grabbed the paper and unfolded it discreetly for only her eyes to see. she immediately gasped at the sight and floated her way back to her seat.
“miss elphaba, up to the front please!” tibbett chirped. elphaba sighed and made her way to the pair of boys, sucking in a breath before reaching in. her long fingers brushed against the strips of paper, and its almost as if they could sense her hesitation. she fished a name out of the hat and as she opened it, an unreadable expression passing over her face before she folded the paper up and shoved it in the pocket of her winter coat. crope and tibbett shared a look of anticipation as she walked away.
“tibbett my dear, you do the honors,” crope held out the hat to his partner and the boy snatched a piece of paper, giggling as he continued, “and in case it wasn’t obvious, my handsome partner and i are entering the exchange as a pair. a shared soul, a shared entry, if you will.”
“and a shared wallet,” fiyero chimed in, his tone teasing.
afterward, the room was filled with chatter and ideas about gifts, questions about the rules, and the clinking of mugs filled with thick hot chocolate. everyone was buzzing with holiday spirit and as the night began to come to an end the boys began to retreat away from crage hall, and nessarose and galinda withdrew to their rooms.
elphaba lingered by the fireplace a moment longer, the warm of the flames keeping her steady as she pulled the paper out of her pocket. her eyes scanned the parchment, turning it over to see if maybe it was a mistake, maybe the neatly looped letters weren’t really there.
after a few contemplative minutes she went back to her dorm room, her fingertips cold and her social battery drained. her shared bedroom was empty, but she could hear galinda and nessa chattering away next door, their voices hushed but full of excitement.
she shimmied out of her coat and big black boots and settled into her bed, the warm covers a relief from the rest of crage hall’s drafty air. setting her glasses on her night stand, she sighed and clutched the scrap of parchment in her hand once more, opening it up to reveal the name she’d been pretending wasn’t there.
in all its glory of looped letters and one perfectly dotted “i”, elphaba read the name again.
galinda arduenna upland
the green girl tucked the name under her pillow and closed her eyes, attempting to block out the world around her. after a moment, elphaba began to get ready for bed as the snow continued to fall.
-
elphaba wasn’t someone who particularly enjoyed holidays. to her, holidays felt more like obligations disguised as kindness and consumerism. there were certain expectations associated with celebration and cheer that felt so empty and impossible to achieve. the charmed circle gift exchange— no matter how secular crope and tibbett claimed it to be— was no exception to her apathy. she had drawn galinda’s name, and ever since, it had sat in the back of her mind like a menacing present waiting to be unwrapped. how ironic.
it wasn’t that elphaba was unhappy with her draw. yes, there was a point when the two roommates barely had any semblance of a relationship, but they were past that. their friendship now was more about coexistence— being able to tolerate one another and perhaps even enjoy each others company over an odd cup of tea or a teasing exchange about whatever galinda decided to comment on that day.
but liking someone wasn’t the same as knowing what they’d like. for all elphaba knew, galinda would be dying for a new pair of sparkling shoes, or the latest rouge color from the makeup salon. things that felt so meaningless to elphaba. but somehow, despite her persistent disapproval of the blonde’s shallow and egotistical ways, she more often than not found herself watching galinda in quiet bewilderment. the way she effortlessly commanded a room— she was so sure of herself, so unfazed by the world’s wickedness. it was infuriating for her. and yet, despite that, there were small moments when galinda would let the mask slip; a faltered smile when she thought no one was looking, a flicker of exhaustion in her eyes after a long day. it was in those moments elphaba’s irritation turned into something she couldn’t make out. perhaps it was curiosity. or envy. or something entirely different.
as exciting as it was, to think maybe her roommate wasn’t as one dimensional as she presented herself, it was a lot to unpack— and elphaba had chosen to ignore it. but now there was this gift. it was like all the pressure from lurlinemas and her unresolved feelings with galinda were being pushed at her all at once, and she found it harder and harder to keep her eyes on her textbooks.
she glanced toward galinda’s side of the room, which was cold and empty, and elphaba found herself almost wishing she was in the girl’s company tonight. just to have a conversation, anything to get her mind to stop racing.
“it’s just a gift,” she spoke softly to herself as she slipped her quill in more ink. “a small trinket. nothing more.”
as her quill hit the parchment again the door creaked open and galinda entered the room, bags in hand as she threw herself dramatically on her bed.
“tough day at the clothing shops?” elphaba deadpanned.
“extremely! i couldn’t decide between lace or tulle for my winter wardrobe. it was disastrous,” galinda answered seriously before shifting on her side and resting her head on her hand. “elphie, must you always have your nose in your schoolwork?” she chided, silently asking for her roommate’s attention.
elphaba smirked slightly. “to my knowledge our examinations are at the same time. you should be studying, too, galinda,” she replied. she turned to face the blonde on her bed, fiddling with her quill in her hands.
galinda let out a melodramatic sigh and rolled on her back. “you’ll never get through all of that before exams, you know. you’re wound too tightly. you need to loosen up.”
“how ironic coming from someone who was having a life crisis over some pieces of fabric,” elphaba replied wryly.
“oh don’t be cruel, miss elphaba. choosing the right clothing materials is practically an art form.”
“i suppose what you call art i call insanity,” her roommate quipped, though the edges of her lips curled upward despite herself.
the expression didn’t go unnoticed by galinda, who took this as a victory. “see? you do think i’m artistic.”
“that’s not exactly what i meant.”
galinda ignored this, opting to hum as she twirled a blonde curl around her finger. the small fireplace in the corner crackled as strongly as it could, but outside the snow flicked against the windowpane. elphaba turned back to her desk and began to sift through her notes again.
“have you given any thought to our gift exchange?” her roommate broke the silence, unable to keep her thoughts to herself.
the question caught elphaba by surprise. they hadn’t exactly talked about it much. not yet. “very little.” elphaba tried her best to sound collected despite the way her heart thumped in her chest. “exams have me all tied up, and i’m not exactly skilled in the art of surprises. but i suppose i’ll come up with something.”
galinda sat up, clasping her hands together. “oh, i love surprises. i already have the perfect gift for my lucky recipient,” the girl smiled secretively and leaned against her pillows. “but i shan’t ruin the surprise. its more fun this way!”
elphaba rolled her eyes at the theatrics. “you’re assuming everyone cares that much about this silly thing.”
“dear elphaba,” galinda began, her voice sentimental. “everyone cares, in their own way. even you.”
the green girl’s stomach twisted, and she couldn’t manage a response. she only stared down at her textbooks until the words began to look blurry.
later that night, when galinda had long since drifted to sleep, elphaba sat at her desk, her quill useless between her fingers. she knew she was overthinking. it was only a gift— a simple token of friendship — but her thoughts refused to quiet. what could she possibly give someone like galinda? a girl who already has everything, and wants for nothing? was there anything else galinda truly wanted?
she leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples from the hours of eye strain. she got up from her desk and stretched her limbs, unable to stop her eyes from drifting over galinda’s sleeping form across the room. “a gift for galinda,” she muttered to herself. “the girl who has everything.”
outside, snow kept falling, the weather unaware that something small but irreversible had begun.