Ranting

Chistery wasn't sure about his feelings for his mistress, Elphaba Thropp. It was clear that she was a good person, but she was just so angry all the time! It kind of scared him, when it didn't just outright befuddle or even annoy him. One minute, she practically be dancing the halls of their massive castle, singing about triumph and freedom, but then the next, she'd be locked away in her room, ranting bitterly to herself and scorning the world from her tower. Was this how all humans acted? He didn't think so, but because Elphaba was the only one he knew, he supposed it didn't matter either way. He was just a companion, there to listen to her joys and sorrows both, even if there was never much he could ever really add to these one-sided conversations. One topic in particular, however, seemed to come up more than all others. It was about a girl, one Elphaba had been friends with (or perhaps more than just that) before she moved here to this castle. The girl's name was Glinda, and although she was entirely a mystery to Chistery, Elphaba spoke about her quite frequently. Like now, for example.

"I had a dream about Glinda last night again!" Elphaba snapped at him that morning as they went down to one of the lower levels of the castle for breakfast. Chistery could only tip his head in confusion. Although Glinda might've been a mystery to him, he at least knew that Elphaba loved her, so why did Elphaba sound so mad about this dream? He hooted once and Elphaba seemed to understand. Or perhaps she was just trying to get her feelings out and would've continued regardless of whether or not Chistery had said (or rather, "hooted") anything at all.

"She asked me if she could join me here at the castle!" Elphaba went on. Chistery was still confused as to why this was bad. "As if she had to ask! The little idiot knows I'd never refuse her! So why did she ask? Why did she leave again? Why is she tormenting me!?" Elphaba continued her ranting and Chistery finally understood. Elphaba was not mad at Glinda, rather, the dream she'd had because it had been another one she knew would never come true, and that was what hurt her most of all. Chistery's confused but devoted heart went out to the green witch at that moment.

Later on that day, Elphaba was still roaming Kiamo Ko, but her rage had been replaced by misery. Not wanting to interrupt her meditation, Chistery hid in the shadows and watched her pass by, head hanging impossibly low.

"Oh Glinda, my sweet, I miss you so much. Is it too much to ask to see you again? Even if only for a moment?" Elphaba asked miserably. She paused and pulled something from a secret pocket in her black robe. It was a pink flower hair clip. "Does pink still go good with green?" she asked with a dry smile as she held the clip to her hair. Then, a true smile crossed her face, but it vanished in a flash. The sullen, bitter, angry frown that wasn't quite a scowl but still definitely very wounded returned to her face and she put the clip back into her robe, still walking mindlessly down the long, dark, winding halls of her castle. Chistery could hear her chanting Glinda's name endlessly, like it would somehow act as a summoning spell for her. Of course, it didn't work, not that either he or Elphaba had expected it to.

The next day, Chistery gave his mistress a newspaper that he'd stolen when he had snuck out the previous night while she was asleep. He knew she liked news, so he brought her the paper in order to cheer her up and it actually seemed to work for a moment.

"News? Oh, thank you Chistery!" Elphaba said with a genuine graciousness as she took the folded paper from Chistery's wrinkly paw. Chistery hooted proudly as Elphaba flicked it open, but unfortunately, her pleased smile turned into a look of abject horror the moment she read the headline.

"What?! Emerald City battles?! Oh my Oz, Glinda's stuck in the crossfire!" Elphaba stood up at once, threw the paper away violently and began to pace fretfully. "That blond brained brat! She'll be dead by dusk! I have to save her! But how? If I fly in, it'll only make things worse! But I can't just do nothing!" Elphaba began ranting again as Chistery slunk away sadly, his plan hadn't worked out as well as hoped.