Wholly Incomplete and Incompletely Whole

The days following Elphaba's disappearance were rough, but the two people suffering the most of all were Glinda Upland and Nessarose Thropp. Being Elphaba's girlfriend and sister respectively, of course her choice to go underground had affected them most. Because of that, the two were quick to lean on one another, realizing that they were the only ones in the entire world who missed Elphaba that much. But for better or for worse, it was not just their mutual pining for the green girl that brought them together. Since each girl knew that the other was one of Elphaba's most favorite people in the entire world, part of the reason they began to grow close was because each of them began to see the other as a remnant of Elphaba, a living breathing memory of the green girl since her swift departure had not allowed for a proper farewell.

With each passing day, Glinda found herself growing... obsessed with Nessarose. For lack of a better word, because it was not love but it was more than simple friendship, Glinda found herself growing devoted to Nessa. It was as if a tiny part of her was trying to bring Elphaba back through her younger sister. And if that sounded a bit cruel and unfair to Nessa, Nessa was honestly doing the same thing with Glinda. Nessa hadn't been too close to Elphaba, but Elphaba had still been such a big part of her life anyway. To hear that the green girl had gone away and was not coming back was a huge blow to Nessa. She was quick to turn to Glinda, not just for comfort, but because she knew that there was no one Elphaba loved more than her. Glinda was Elphaba's heart and soul, so if Nessa wanted any part of Elphaba back, she knew she would find it in Glinda.

So these two heartbroken souls, wholly incomplete without Elphaba in their lives, drew themselves together instead. They used each other to fill that Elphaba-shaped hole in their chests in order to become incompletely whole again. It wasn't the world's greatest solution, but it was the best they had. It was all their grieving minds could think to do: start leaning on one another, for support, warmth, encouragement and protection.

"Mmm, Fabala did always speak so fondly of you," Nessa sighed, leaning against Glinda's shoulder as the two of them sat out on the grass in front of the dorms. It was spring out, so it was warm and soft. They were stargazing and reminiscing together. Nessa's wheelchair sat about a foot away. Upon her request, Glinda had carefully lifted her out of it so that she could sit beside Glinda properly. So now there she sat, the younger Thropp sister, without her wheelchair and with her head resting against Glinda's shoulder. It was very similar to what her older sister would've done, had she still been around to do it. This was something neither of them missed, and something Glinda clung to dearly.

The moment Nessa had requested being lifted out of her wheelchair and placed on the grass so that she could sit beside Glinda properly, Glinda had obeyed. Without even hesitating, heart pounding, she picked Nessa gingerly up, holding her tightly in her arms, cradling her close before lowering her back down onto the soft green grass below their feet. Although it felt wrong, and although Glinda knew it kind of was wrong, she indulged in the feeling of Nessa's warm, smooth skin pressed up against hers. And not only that, but she reveled in the sound of Nessa's voice, pleading with her to allow them to sit so close together. Even though it had been Nessa who had made that request, all Glinda heard was Elphaba. She heard Elphaba asking to sit beside her again, and unable to deny her beloved green girl such a request, Glinda hastily made room for Nessa, instantly pulling Nessa close to her chest the same way she had done with Elphaba so many times before. Nessa was fast becoming a surrogate Elphaba for Glinda and vice versa. And as unhealthy as both of them knew it to be, neither Nessa nor Glinda wanted it to stop.

"She was devoted to you, Glinda, devoted," Nessa continued, twisting around until her face was buried in Glinda's neck. Nessa breathed Glinda in, as if trying to inhale some of Elphaba's lingering scent on the blond's pale skin as well.