#fabala

BLOOD AND DARKNESS . / ACCEPTING .

had this always been their ending ? had they been on this path this whole time ? glinda . . . or galinda , stood silent . a tear begins to pool , sliding down her skin which spoiled those perfectly decorated features . the burden of her choices had been laid bare , despite how they adored her , despite how they looked up to her . . . she was alone .

glinda chose a path where she could be influential , of high status and perhaps , change the system of oz from the inside . the good ; the title given to her at the expense of elphaba's pain . . . that was not who she wanted to be .

she did not want this to end , this was so wrong . . . why couldn't this be changed ? could the time dragon clock have prophesied something different ? her eyes stung , staring desperately at elphaba thropp . she stopped herself throwing her weight to their feet , to beg for forgiveness or to stop this plan .

there had always been a selfish streak in galinda upland , she was entirely wrapped up in her own positioning , her own path to greatness . . . glinda wanted this . she could not resist the temptation , the glory , the fame , the gowns , the public support , the popularity . . . all of it .

ELPHABA SAID ❝ i've heard a few things about you. ❞

A FAN! lance can’t help but puff out his chest at the other’s words. he wasn’t as infamous as his other thieves. his image didn’t litter nearly as many trees as the stabbington brothers or a certain thief by the name of flynnigan rider. if he was honest he was probably spending more time trying to track down his old friend than keep up with the thieving. as always it was a necessity for survival rather than a hobby. lance simply couldn’t see himself being anything other than a thief. plus it gave him the ability to move around while he tried to find him friend. though his last couple jobs ended a bit sloppily and lance found himself nearly getting arrested. that would not be enjoyable.

“they hate me,” she admits in a whisper, her smile brittle. “and still, i… gods help me, i want them near. it’s torture, loving someone who would rather burn you with their eyes than hold your hand. but my heart doesn’t listen to reason.” she leans back, staring at the ceiling as if the truth might disappear there. “maybe it’s because they’re everything i’m not. maybe it’s because every fight, every clash of words, leaves me trembling — not with anger, but with wanting.”

a pause, her chest rising unevenly. “they will never know. i’ll never let them. it’s easier if they see only the enemy, the pretty fool across the room. it’s safer that way. because if they ever guessed what i feel…” her voice falters, breaking into silence, “…it would ruin us both.” the lamplight flickers. elphaba shifts in their sleep, murmuring something she cannot hear. glinda watches them in the half-dark, aching, furious with herself, loving them more with every breath.

╰❂╮ The adrenaline crash was going to be brutal, there was no doubt about that fact, but that was the furthest concern from what terrible thoughts were racing through the beast's mind as quickly as he was racing through the trees. If he'd been too late, if they hadn't managed to escape this time, if they were captured, or worse... An agonized growl at himself reverberated from him with a violent head shake, trying not to think of anything but his love safely hiding away at the secret shelter he'd built in the forest.

Zee knew they'd been injured, the bit of red against green did not escape his well-trained eyes, and that was enough to leave none of those who dared harm his Protected the ability to do so ever again. Replaying the events after yelling at them to go! and get out of there, in his periphery the beast was certain he'd seen them slip away from the main commotion behind the smoke and flame produced by their magic hands. Instinct and a lifetime of training saw to it that even though he'd become the most unassuming and amiable provider of dance music at the Ozdust ballroom, Zee was and always would be a living weapon.

| Muse: Scarecrow |

| Verse: Wicked |

•°•°•

The Wicked Witch is Dead.

He'd promised them he'd be back. No more then a day, he needed to make sure Dorothy got home. Then he'd return to them, and they could leave Oz together.

He'd hugged Dorothy goodbye, watched her click her heals together and vanish. Just like that, as if she had never been here at all, as if she hadn't changed the entire course of the history of Oz.

He'd said goodbye to the others of his small party. Ruffling Brrr's main, hugging the tin man, had he said he had a name? And saying his final goodbyes to the group.

He'd seen Glinda from afar, giving him a long look he didn't understand. But she hadn't stopped him when he said he needed to leave.

It only took a few hours of walking to find the castle again. Looking up at the sky, he knew he'd make it there within a few hours. And depending on their thoughts and need to rest, they could leave tonight or next morning.

And they could travel somewhere...safe. together. Just like they'd agreed.

But it was such an odd thing, he thought to himself as he traveled, wasn't Oz now safe?

He tried not to think it over too much. It didn't matter, did it? He wanted them to be safe. He wanted them to feel safe. And he wanted to be with them.

As he walked, he thought these thoughts over again and again. Musing to himself out loud his curiosities he couldn't help, but still, this did not give him pause.

For all his questions, he knew he loved them. And he wanted the best for them. He loved them dearly, more then anything, and would follow them anywhere.

He knew this. He felt this. A lingering feeling that consumed his bran mind and straw stuffed being.

Even if he didn't recall why.

Finally, he made it to the remains of the castle he knew they were hiding in. He remembered how to slip into the lower rooms, built so long ago and hidden from the world.

The straw in his body crunched as he moved, but his feet were light on the ground. He looked for them, glass eyes roaming the room. Soon opening his mouth to call their name, and quickly closing it again.

How curious...what was their name again? They'd mentioned it, surely. Surely, he knew it, a name of someone he loved so much. Someone who had been in his thoughts the moment he came to life, as a Scarecrow.

Hmm. Maybe the Wizard's brains just needed time.

It took an hour for him to finally come upon the room they were still in. Aside from the small crunching of straw, he was near silent in his movements as he entered the room.

Glass eyes falling upon them. A smile, one that would appear almost mischievous, but due to the bag that created his head come across as a little lopsided. Though this only added to the charm of it.

He'd found them. He'd finally found them. Now they could...leave. Yes. Leave. That's what they needed to do.

"Hello." He said, politely, not minding his awkward movements as he moved towards them. He'd hated them the night before.

Soon moving to cup their face in his hands. He wasn't sure exactly why he did this, but it felt right. Something he'd do. Yes.

But when he looked into their eyes. Such lovely, striking eyes they were, looking into his painted glass ones, suddenly his mind went blank.

"I...I have wonderful news." He told them, slowly, not wishing to show yet his ignorance, "The Witches are dead. Glinda says Oz is safe now. I, of course we can still leave if you want, I'll follow you anywhere, but I believed you'd wish to know..."

Why? Why was he saying these things? Were they true? They must be. Why else would they be afraid, if not for the witches?

His grin faltered. Eyes searching, searching their eyes, their features. He loved them, he knew this. He'd meant what he said, he'd follow them anywhere.

But...

Galinda sighs as she's once again trying to study, keeping her eyes on the book in front of her, while she keeps curling her hair in her fingers. But ugh! Reading is always so hard for her. The letters scramble and it's hard to keep focus.

It's frustrating, most of all. It took her so much effort to just get into Shiz. She knew she could do it. She studied hard for that for years, but sweet Lurline, she was not ready for how hard it would be to just keep herself in college.

She stops curling up her hair and tosses it, then fetches the other side and starts braiding a tiny braid into it. Only then, does she notice her roommate, that roommate has their eyes on her.

They also seem to be writing something down. And Galinda doesn't know what it is. But when she tosses her hair again, Elphaba seems to write something down.

“  omaha,  @fabala,  seriously ?  as  in  nebraska ?  ”

It’s really about a government that funds and controls the schools, that has taken over all of the surrounding territories, but this government is using all of this power that they have, all this control over everything (!) to foster ignorance and to shut off open-minded thinkers and give them what seems like a bigger purpose, but really is just Using them as pawns like that’s exactly what Elphaba was saying since the beginning! like the wizard is her father! he did this, he knew what her life would be, he made it this way. She was prophesied to be the “wicked”, “evil”, the birth of evil, and it’s like by whose definition is she to be evil?!?! Ugh also she was telling everyone and they were like no no no no no that’s not what’s happening ur crazy like what the hell and they all gaslight her but they don’t see that they’re being played and there’s a actual proof and it It’s wow yeah like specifically the when Elphaba goes to see Madame morrible, she walks in and madame morrible was dead and then Elphaba the ya know bashed in her head, but THEN after some time Elphaba was like no no I’m almost certain I killed her, like no girl you didn’t!!!! You’re gaslighting yourself!!! Everyone is making you the villain when you’re not!!!! And she just wanted the shoes:((( and she was trying to get dorothy and the crew to her and all the messages were misconstrued AND her beloved pets DIED because of Dorothy and she was just turning into what everyone believed her to be 😭😭