Glinda felt rather attacked by Elphaba's sudden rush - and since she knew her so little by now, almost felt threatened by it. Could it be that her friend would have a knife or other hidden in the folds of her shabby garments? But no - they were friends and absence did not kill friendship, it just made the bonds harder once reunison was possible. What a stupid fear that was, she scolded herself, and how unjust towards Elphaba with whom she had spent so many years peacefully and happily side by side.<br/><br/>All the more strange, then that Elphaba should ask Glinda to leave as quickly as possible - so suddenly even. Hadn't they just decided that Glinda, under some conditions, was allowed to stay for a little? But in all the time she had tended to her dress, what had happened inside of Elphie's strange mind, so that she made the decision to throw Glinda out with such urgency? It seemed to be a new feature in her friend that she would change her mind every so often these days, almost a kind of ... new... instability. Hadn't it been Elphaba who had always been so firm in her decisions, so sure with the directions she chose? Well, nobody knew what had happened to Elphaba in these past few years in - what must have been - the harsh underground of the Emerald city.<br/><br/>However, Glinda had now settled for staying in more than one way - the primary being the decision to discard her clothes to let them dry for now and thus stand around in bra and panties. Her dress was dripping wet and while this attic was sufficiently warm, she was sure the street was not. And honestly, she did not want to be caught outside in underwear, especially not in<em>this </em>part of the city - bubble or not. And for the matter, not in any other, either: The news would be all over the city the next day - Glinda the Good, caught half naked on the street, only<em>days</em>after her grand engagement party. No, this was not a role she wanted to take on.<br/><br/>"How? - Naked?" was the only answer she could snap back right now, befuddled by being so painfully close to Elphaba and pestered by a strong scent of lavender coming from somewhere. "Look, Elphaba, you just said I could stay,..." she reminded her friend, looking up at the taller woman's brown eyes and wondering what it was she could see in there. Fear? Decisiveness? Worry? Something told Glinda, now that she got such a close look, that if she was to leave, she might never see Elphaba again. The thought hurt. Losing a friend once was hard, but losing a friend a second time would be unbearable.<br/><br/>And at the moment the harsh reality of this became clear to her, her elegant fingers dug into the black gown before her. Her voice turned into a quiet, painful beg: "Please don't ask that of me, Elphie...!"<em>Don't ask me to leave knowing I will never see you again.</em>