#Twisted Land of Oz

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

"NOT FOR CHILDREN UNDER AGE 17. BLIND AND BLINDFOLDED, THIS EXOTIC DOROTHY..."

PIC(S) INFO: Spotlight on assorted promo shots of the 6 inch action figure of Dorothy in full BDSM gear (includes evil Munchkin accessory figures), from McFarlane's Monsters Series 2 "Twisted Land of Oz," released by McFarlane Toys in September 2003.

BRAND: McFarlane's Monsters

GENRE: Horror & Fantasy

PRODUCT TYPE: Action Figure

SERIES: McFarlane's Monsters Series 2

"Not for children under 17. Bound and blindfolded, this exotic Dorothy is being branded by a group of evil little Munchkins. She may never find her way back to Kansas."

-- MCFARLANE TOYS, September 2003

Sources: https://mcfarlane.com/toys/dorothy-with-munchkins, Pinterest, Toys Zone, various, etc...

[celebtf]

Fiyero And The Wizard

The Emerald City glimmered in the fading sunlight as Fiyero sat by the window of the train, his excitement nearly tangible. He had received a personal invitation to meet the Wizard of Oz himself, a rare and extraordinary honor. Elphaba had warned him against trusting the Wizard, but curiosity and hope for answers had driven him to accept the invitation. Perhaps the Wizard wanted to make amends for the chaos he had caused in their lives.

The train screeched to a halt at the station, and Fiyero stepped off, greeted by the bustling streets of the Emerald City. He marveled at the shimmering green buildings and the vibrant crowd as he made his way to the Wizard’s castle. The guards at the entrance stepped aside without question, and the massive doors creaked open, revealing a grand, candlelit hall.

At the far end, the Wizard stood, draped in his signature robes. His gloved hands clutched an ancient, ornate book—the Grimmery, a tome of forbidden magic.

“Fiyero!” the Wizard greeted with a disarming smile. “It is an honor to finally meet you face to face.”

Fiyero approached cautiously, bowing slightly out of respect. “The honor is mine, sir. But why have you called me here?”

The Wizard’s smile grew, though something unsettling lingered in his eyes. “You have a charm about you, Fiyero. A natural charisma that I believe the people of Oz need... desperately.” He gestured to the Grimmery. “I have a proposition. Join me, and together we can bring order to this land. We can rid it of chaos and those who threaten our way of life. Starting with Elphaba.”

Fiyero’s chest tightened at the mention of her name. He shook his head firmly. “I won’t betray her. I won’t be a part of whatever you’re planning.”

The Wizard sighed, his expression darkening. “I had hoped you would see reason. No matter. There are other ways.”

Before Fiyero could react, a high-pitched screech echoed through the hall. A winged monkey darted out from the shadows—Chesery, the Wizard’s loyal servant. In a blur, Chesery pounced, restraining Fiyero with alarming strength. The monkey’s claws dug into his arms as ropes appeared, binding him tightly.

“What are you doing?” Fiyero struggled, his voice laced with panic.

The Wizard ignored him, opening the Grimmery and flipping through its pages. Ancient symbols glowed on the parchment, and his voice grew low and guttural as he began to chant in an unfamiliar language

Fiyero watched in horror as the Wizard’s transformation unfolded before his eyes. The older man’s features shifted and smoothed like clay under an unseen sculptor’s hands. Wrinkles faded, leaving a youthful glow, and his once-proud frame shrank slightly, adjusting to match Fiyero’s lean build. His gray hair lightened in streaks, cascading into shades of rich brown and golden blond.

As the glow of magic dissipated, the Wizard stepped back from the Grimmery, his face now identical to Fiyero’s. It was perfect—eerily perfect. The bound prince couldn’t look away, dread curdling in his stomach as if he were staring into a twisted reflection of himself.

The Wizard opened his eyes, catching his new appearance in the grand mirror before him. He let out a low chuckle, his voice now Fiyero’s smooth, confident tone. “Oh, this... this is exquisite.”

He tilted his head to one side, examining himself with almost theatrical enthusiasm. Running a hand over his jawline, he smirked. “Such symmetry. No wonder the ladies—and perhaps even a few gentlemen—fall over themselves for you. This face alone is enough to make kingdoms bow, isn’t it?”

Fiyero snarled, straining against the ropes. “Stop this! You’ll never get away with it!”

“Oh, but I already have,” the Wizard shot back, not even sparing him a glance. He was too busy admiring his reflection, tracing his cheekbones and brushing his fingers over his lips. “And these lips...” He let out an exaggerated sigh, puckering them playfully. “So... kissable. Do you practice this in the mirror, Fiyero? Or does it just come naturally?”

He turned sharply, striding toward Fiyero with newfound grace. His movements were fluid, confident—a predator who knew his prey was already caught. Standing inches away, he gestured to his chest with a flourish. “And look at this,” he said, tugging his collar slightly to reveal the firm definition beneath his shirt. “Your body’s built like it’s been sculpted by the gods themselves. How do you find the time to stay this... perfect?”

Fiyero clenched his jaw, refusing to give the Wizard the satisfaction of a response.

But the Wizard was far from finished. His hands traveled down to his stomach, where he gave an exaggerated gasp. “Oh, my! These abs!” He patted his stomach mockingly, then flexed, his smirk widening as he felt the firm ridges under his fingertips. “I didn’t realize you were hiding such a masterpiece under those princely clothes. No wonder Elphaba can’t resist you. Who could?”

Fiyero’s struggles grew more frantic. “You’re a coward, hiding behind my face! You’ll never be me!”

The Wizard barked a laugh, stepping back into the light to examine his thighs and legs. “Oh, Fiyero, I don’t need to ‘be’ you. I only need to wear you.” He leaned down, running his hands over his thighs and giving another exaggerated whistle. “And these legs. Strong. Sturdy. Built for running... or perhaps something else entirely?” He waggled his eyebrows, his mocking laugh echoing through the hall.

“You’re disgusting,” Fiyero spat, his voice shaking with fury.

“Disgusting?” The Wizard tilted his head in mock confusion before grinning slyly. “No, my dear boy. Disgusting is what I’d call letting a body like this go to waste. But don’t worry. I’ll make the most of it.”

He turned his attention to his backside, giving it an exaggerated pat. “And this,” he said, smirking as he glanced over his shoulder. “Well, let’s just say it’ll be the talk of the Emerald City soon enough. I’m sure even the guards will be doing double-takes. Tell me, Fiyero—have you ever noticed how perfectly this uniform frames... everything?”

Fiyero seethed, his face burning with anger and humiliation.

The Wizard bent closer, his voice dropping to a low, taunting whisper. “It must feel awful, doesn’t it? Watching yourself—your body, your charm—become mine. Knowing there’s nothing you can do to stop me.” He stood upright again, laughing softly. “And the best part? When I’m done, the world will thank me for it. They’ll love me. They’ll love you.”

Turning back to the mirror, the Wizard struck a dramatic pose, adjusting the collar of his blue and gold outfit with a flourish. “Well, Fiyero, it’s been delightful getting to know myself.” He laughed at his own joke. “But I think it’s time for you to disappear.”

“Chesery!” he called, his tone snapping into command. The winged monkey appeared from the shadows, bowing low. “Take him away. Somewhere no one will ever find him. Somewhere he’ll have plenty of time to think about just how perfect I look.”

Chesery seized Fiyero, dragging him toward the shadows despite his desperate struggles.

The Wizard—now Fiyero—watched them go, his smirk widening as the real Fiyero’s protests faded into silence. Turning to the mirror one last time, he admired his stolen reflection, running a hand over his hair and tilting his head with a grin.

“Oz,” he whispered to himself, his voice laced with triumph. “You’re about to meet your perfect hero.”

With that, he turned on his heel and strode toward the castle doors, radiating the effortless charm that only Fiyero Tiggular could muster.

There would be no resistance, no rebellion. No happy ending for anyone.

He had succeeded.

And the world of Oz would never be the same.

[zr-art-world]

Me Info Dumping About the Siblings Doomed by the Narrative (Yuu and Oz)

Ok, so, my Yuu oc is based off of Mickey and especially inspired off epic Mickey and I can not stop thinking of Yuus complicated relationship with their brother Oz and thinking of scenarios ware they find a way home but a situation happens and the freshman group gets stuck in Yuus world and they have to find a way back to save twisted wonder land or something and this was totally inspired by the owl house.

But then I think of the potential of Oz being transported to Twisted Wonderland with Yuu. Just the angst potential of having to work through their shit with the help of their twst friends and going through life and death scenarios. Not only that, but also Yuu talking about their Dad to Oz who didn't have their Dad growing up and realizing that maybe he really wasn't a stand up Dad and feeling bad for projecting those negative feelings of their Dad not being in his life on to Yuu who didn't ask for the life that their Dad pushed onto them (for context, Yuu was a child actor).

Also, them sibling fighting and also being little shits together, I imagine that separate, they have their own brand of chaos with Yuu being more un-intentional and with Oz kind of picking battles he cant fight, but together, they bring out the little shit gremlin energy from each other. The only reason they wouldn't be put into different classes is because Yuu also has to keep track of Oz along with Grim.

Like, I honestly love this idea because Yuu couldn't grow up with their older siblings so getting to kinda do so as they find out who they actually are in Twisted Wonderland and Oz getting to see Yuu grow into this person.

[bobauthorman]

Gamer Move

For a while, I've seen posts asking why the RWBY gang never used Jinn's last question to figure out Salem's plans. And after some deliberation, I realize that this is probably because Ruby is a total gamer. And maybe that effects her thought processes in real life. And sometimes that works...

Ruby: You know, in video games, the weak spot's usually on the back of the giant boss!

Weiss: Ruby, this isn't a game!

Qrow: (Finds shield power source on the back of the giant robot)

...And sometimes is doesn't. Like when she though fire would be effective against Geist that took a tree for an arm, only for her bullet gave the thing a flaming arm.

In video games, mostly RPGs, there are uber-powerful items that are only good for one use. BUT, to offset these items making the game too easy, they are very rare, probably nigh impossible to attain. A common mistake gamers make, myself included, is wanting 'save' these important items for a more appropriate battle or occasion. However, we spend so much time saving them that we never use the items, and they end up just taking up space.

And that's exactly what happened with the Lantern.

Ruby: And there's always Jinn, but... we only have one more question we can ask her.

And to be fair to Ruby, she wasn't the only one who suffered from this sort of fallacy. I once made a joke about it, but back at the Fall of Beacon, Oz had a death ray in his cane which he could have used to vaporize the Wyvern. But instead, he chose to kill off one girl and put another at risk to avoid spending his power. And Ironwood, who refused to do anything worthwhile with his army until Salem landed her Grimm hordes quite literally on Atlas. It wouldn't be a twist to say that Ruby's mistakes in the Atlas Arc are the result of her falling victim to the same mental pitfalls the aforementioned 'leaders' did.

[i-am-iz]

i havent posted anything interesting lately (i posted like 7 times a day, IT GETS TO A POINT) and so here have some doodles i made

victoria my dear they could never make me hate you

so like why she's doing No One Mourns The Wicked is because shes not only lord arduenna's eldest daughter but shes also glinda the good's sister (glinda's dead, i'll get into that later) and so you know, everyone sees her as this beacon of life that can help oz all. (and like shes also wearing blue or purple. so munchkins and the gilikinese can trust her).

leo, boq, and tik-tok.

leo and boq are wearing the same spectacles / goggles. actually, leo is wearing boq's. let me explain. in the twisted tale of oz's universe (its an alternative universe to the wizard of oz/wicked) boq is still like movie / musical / book boq, with one added thing. boq makes things. like gears, wires, hot air balloons, robots, or copper bots as boq calls them. his work is mainly inspired by the wizard's work. but he's killed. so basically, during the years of shiz with elphaba, galinda / glinda, victoria, boq, fiyero, and leo, a war breaks out. and aardvarkia (the land leo is from, its like on the border of where quadling country and munchkinland meet) steams out this gas, and it kills like half of the school. leo and fiyero had already been expelled, elphaba and galinda were with the wizard, and victoria was visiting her father. when the news got back to the others, everyone was devastated. elphaba couldnt leave the west, but she did mourn much, glinda fell ill, and victoria was taking care of her, fiyero and leo went back to retrieve his body and give him a proper burial. one of the reasons fiyero has plenty of gears and tools on him is because of boq, and leo took the goggles as a memory of boq. @marchofthewitchhunters come and get your boq angst

fiyero and elphaba

while the twisted tale of oz (and me too) is a gelphie truther (the reason elphaba became wicked was because of glinda's death, she blamed herself for not being able to save glinda), fiyero and elphaba have their moments. like the lion cub scene. that's still there. the bus stop scene (including the elphaboq friendship one!!!). and fiyero and avaric attempting to find elphaba after she flies off into the west, despite not knowing where the hell he's going.

and finally, the way i got my fiyero's design was through looking at my hair colour and saying "yeah no this is his hair"

[liviavanrouge]

"Twst" Cookies

Name: Basil

Dorm: Ramshackle(Dorm Head)

-"Twisted" from Herb Cookie

-Is the Mc of the story, trying to find a way home for him and his friends that landed in Twisted Wonderland

-Good friends with Ace and Deuce

-Spends his free time in the botanical garden and scolding Leona for crushing some of the plants

-Looks out for Ollie, Oz, Grim and Aura

~~~~

Name: Violet

Dorm: Ramshackle

-"Twisted" from Lilac Cookie

-Looks out for his fellow cookies until they return home

-Appears in Ch 2 under the control of Leona's Overblot, serving as his "guard"

-Spends his free time training his assassin skills and looking out for Basil

-Spends some time at Savannaclaw, training with Jack

~~~~

Name: Breeze

Dorm: Ramshackle(Vice-Leader)

-"Twisted" from Wind Archer Cookie

-Defends Ramshackle with his very life and almost shot down Malleus with an arrow

-Appears in Ch 4 alongside Mint Choco Cookie, under the control of Jamil's Overblot as his "guard"

-Helps Basil with the fruit and vegetable garden at Ramshackle

~~~~

Name: Mintie

Dorm: Ramshackle

-"Twisted" from Mint Choco Cookie

-Meets Malleus and is the one who becomes friends with him, playing his violin for the prince

-Appears in Ch 4 alongside Wind Archer Cookie under the control of Jamil's Overblot as his "guard"

-Performs for the Music Club and joins it as a member, usually doing his own thing

~~~~

Name: Cream

Dorm: Ramshackle

-"Twisted" from Crème Brûlée Cookie

-Plays his piano in the silent area of Ramshackle, usually attracting Ace or Deuce to his room when they visit

-Dislikes the chaos the others cause but will join in to keep them safe

-Appears in Ch 6 as a "prisoner" of the Shroud Family

-Plays music with Mintie at times

[neverwalka1one]

I got to see Wicked last night, and whoo boy I have thoughts. Cut for spoilers, you've been warned.

I'm looking forward to seeing the 'Good News' song at the end of the second movie - Glinda already looked conflicted about the Giant Elphie Effigy (good lord those munchkins work fast)

Also, I thought the movie highlighted better that those in Munchkinland knew Elphaba her whole life, and this is still how hard they bought in to the propaganda.

The little hint that Glinda's bubble is all mechanics. Chef's kiss.

Glinda's bubble has a Designated Landing Place. Just. Consider all that implies, with Glinda having been until very recently the Wizard's goodwill ambassador.

'Take it away' will never not be heartbreaking. Also, of course Elphaba is going to grow up a fierce defender of animal rights, she was raised by a talking animal, and that bear was the only one to be kind to her consistently through her childhood. Dafuq.

Baby!Nessa!Rose's little meeps. Just. I died.

'Oh, they're going to miss me.' Galinda I love you you ridiculous gal.

I like this twist on why Elphaba was at Shiz. I loved the way she so desperately wanted to go, but couldn't ask for herself. I loved her trying to defend Nessa Rose's independence... and then still being blamed for stifling her. Excellent.

Also did y'all see the picture of the animals behind the cracked and fallen fresco of the Wizard in that scene? Foreshadowing my beloved.

Galinda writing a little 'it's great' card put on top of the saddest pile of bedding you've ever seen.

'What is this Feeling?' omfg. I loved Elphaba putting her foot down about the roommate situation.

I also liked that they moved Elphaba's talk with Dr. Dillamond off-campus. It makes more sense that this status-quo challenging talk would be done away from the powers that be.

Also it sets up Fiyero running into Elphaba (literally) better, and omfg. I love that horse, he's great, more horse in the second movie please.

Omg Galinda flirting. And Fiyero flirting back, but Galinda (and Elphaba) missing that at that point Fiyero was flirting with pretty much everyone because hey, it's fun, it's easy, and it works.

On that note, Fiyero flirting successfully with the librarian. <3

The whole Ozdust scene. All of it. The outfits, the dancing, the prolonged social anxiety/social embarrassment. The way Elphaba refuses to show she's been hurt. The way Galinda finally understands that. THE DANCE APOLOGY.

I did find it a little weird that one of the only lines cut from the musical was the 'Lemons and melons and pears. Oh my' bit between Boc and Nessa Rose.

Also can we talk about how excellent Jonathan Bailey is as Fiyero?

'Popular' is, as always, fantastic. And highlights just how good Galinda is going to be at the politics of this world.

'That might be your secret, but that doesn't make it the truth' AUGH GALINDA just rip out my heart why don't you.

I liked that when Elphaba rescues the lion cub, she's more restrained/talented than in the beginning of the movie. It makes sense, she's been learning all this time.

THE BIKES. THE LION CUB IN THE BIKE BASKET. THE WIZARD OF OZ CALLBACK. LOVE.

The mushroom things during 'I'm Not That Girl', idk what those were but they were so so pretty lord I love the world-building.

That scene of Nessa Rose, Boc, Galinda, and Fiyero all together, and Elphaba on the outside in the dark. Fiyero looking out over the courtyard as he's being pulled away. Augh, all of it.

The way the students turned on a dime the second Elphaba got that invitation.

That. Train. Steampunk my beloved.

Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth getting singing roles, YES, THANK YOU, that was such a great surprise, I was squeaking like bebe Nessa Rose.

On the flip side... sigh. I called it. Jeff Goldblum was... very Jeff Goldblum. That guy, while a lot of fun, is the exact same character in pretty much everything he's been in for the last few years. I still think that casting was a mistake. Hear me out: The original Wizard was Joel Grey. Joel Grey was also the Emcee in Cabaret. ... so tell me it wouldn't both be great casting and an awesome call back to have casted Alan Cumming as the Wizard. I can't have everything I guess.

Also, and it might be just me/the effects of a late night screening, but when Elphaba and Galinda are walking into the palace, with the doors slamming behind them, and there's a scene with the torchlit hall behind them? Didn't the fire look like how the flames in the original Wizard of Oz movie looked? Just sort of... fuzzier and blurred than how film tends to pick up fire these days? It might have just been me.

Also this movie does have a bit of the Les Mis problem - you've got some cast members with serious vocal chops... and theeeeeen there's the ones that... tried hard. Great actors every single one, but would it have killed the director to find people for those roles that could match vocally as well? This movie doesn't need big names. We're not going for the big names, people.

I liked how the movie explained better why the Wizard not being able to read from the Grimorie was such a big deal.

The monkeys. Oh, the flying monkeys. Also the scene of Madam Morrible framed by flying monkeys. Thanks for breaking my heart.

'Defying Gravity'. All of it. Every bit of it. Holy. Shit. Holyshit. HOLY. SHIT.

So yeah, I'm going to have to see it eleventy-billion more times before it leaves theaters.

[sgiandubh]

Caitriona didn’t mention Tony. Seems the ‘reporter’ utilized Google. 😂

Dear Didn't Mention Anon,

It's always a sarcastic pleasure to see tension climbing for literally nothing across the street. Some other Brazilian Anon, just like you (best way to convey your thoughts was, in proper English, 'the reporter used Google' - not the Portuguese semantic calque 'utilized'...), even speculated we must be hiding this shattering press article, since no reaction and/or discussion happened as of yet.

Brazilian Anons would certainly have made better use of their time and grey cells if they simply presumed that in another time zone people really have other (simple and boring and prehaps even endearing) things to do. While Brazilan Anons were probably sleeping or having breakfast, someone else was just about to end a shorter Friday work schedule, buy Chinese takeaway on the way home, have a light lunch, take out Baby the Lab for a short pee stroll around the block. And mercifully collapse in flannel sheets for a blessed siesta, waiting for the first snowy day of the year. But enough about me, Anon, you are not here for this: you are here for that article - https://www.mindfood.com/article/caitriona-balfe-looks-ahead-to-life-after-outlander/

It is also an amusing factoid that C's PR and/or *** very often seem to favor second-tier media outlets in order to keep spreading around the Narrative Word. Pinoy regional gazettes, borderline clickbait/gossip websites and now Mindfood, a vanity/hybrid press magazine based and edited in New Zealand and Australia by McHugh Media Group, which main activity, at least in Oz, is (🥁🥁)...paper mills and paper manufacturing - of course.

[Source: https://www.dnb.com/business-directory/company-profiles.mchugh_media_australia_pty_limited.6ded585ed8e21b347589059682b44143.html]

Within that group, the Mindfood project is but an apparently lucrative subsidiary ('integrated media company', LOL), despite some dire client reviews ( 2 out of a resounding global 3, how odd!) on Google:

'Rank amateur's' [sic!] (...) What sort of magazine publisher doesn't have a manned office? (...) They'll go broke very quickly like that.' '(...)pretty shabby treatment of a customer.'

😱😱😱

But let's assume I am twisting again the plot (I don't, I do not need to). Let's assume I am evil like that and I give credence to two very negative (but brutally clear, too) user reviews only. Perhaps I am wrong, you might say. So, let's also have a look at some company figures, shall we?

Nay contest, it's them.

[Source: https://rocketreach.co/mchugh-media-profile_b5d2097af42e3bbb]

Now, my lovelies, how can I put it without offending anyone? What we are looking at, here, is a small company with 5 (five) employees, few web hits (164.480 hits is ridiculous, when we are talking about press/media!), but a comfortable revenue (7 million AUD - about 4.5 million USD). May I remind you that a company's revenue is roughly its gross income, before subtracting operating costs, wages and taxes. But given they have only 5 employees, wage expenses & operating costs must be marginal and taxes are rather friendly in New Zealand, where their HQ is (to the point there was, three years ago, an ongoing debate in order to determine if the country was a tax haven: https://thespinoff.co.nz/business/06-10-2021/is-nz-a-tax-haven-for-the-rich-and-dodgy-the-pandora-papers-reignite-the-debate), you do the maths. Therefore, how can this rather substantial profit be explained, otherwise than by a very friendly editorial policy towards paid and/or sponsored content and product placement galore (Lifestyle, anyone)?

Its immediate competitor is a supermarket chain in-house bulletin/leaflet, Campbell's Cash & Carry. The kind of thing that always lands somehow in your shopping bag and then directly in the kitchen trash:

This is enough to show their real reach and place on the market, I believe.

All this for what, Madam Knife? All this to say that paper is probably paid by the talent's PR/***. I will not go into useless detail, because there is very few new-ish/relevant information (e.g.: 'With a long season seven concluding in January, the Outlander epic will close out within the next 18 months, taking the episode total to 101. '). But I will, gleefully even, point out two tiny details, all of you patiently read this long rant for, in fact.

As always, McGill doesn't even deserve a quote, only reported speech that is, in fact, snowballing prior reference (this is exactly where copy/paste comes in very handy, you see). And a clumsy one at that, sugar on top - hence the copy/paste certainty and this is so, so rude, I could cry (nope...):

But... but... such a nice, thoughtful touch for her Stans, who spent DAYS in a row proving he was not a music producer, but the Night Media Manager (and I have to say, delivered actual quotes - still No Face, No Name, No Number, though):

[Tait rhymes with hate, alright - I know, darlings, it pisses you off to no tomorrow 😉.]

Copy paste/Goes to waste. Finally, I had to snort (not a pretty, nor feminine sight) when I realized Mindfood takes its readers for complete, amnesic idiots:

So she became 'a mother in August of 2021', but she did film 'the sixth season of the drama while pregnant'. Granted, this paper is written for casual OL viewers, the kind of people who did find C interesting/beautiful/clever/extraordinary, but who don't remember her name when prompted on candid camera, for example. The kind of superficial audience who will never do the maths and never question the fact a pregnant actress was filming beautiful (but steamy) scenes with her... ahem... with her co-star she is now 'consciously uncoupling' from.

ROFLMAO.

Not even sorry for the length, Anon. There you go, let's say good bye with a merry little song - I am told I have the best tunes on Tumblr (SMH). Really, Mindfood's client could have curated and tailored better the Retconning Operation - but perhaps even PR has trouble taking that man and his narrative role seriously?

[fairytale-poll]

BEST MODERN FAIRYTALE ADAPTATION! ROUND 1B, MATCH 1 OUT OF 4!

Alice (2009) is based off Alice in Wonderland; The Path (2009) is based off Little Red Riding Hood.

Propaganda Under the Cut:

Alice (2009):

It had an all star cast (kathy bates and tim curry are in it!) And it had a fun aesthetic for the lands of oz, with the hearts castle being a casino. There are several plot twists about character alliances. Andrew leepott's Hatter is a complete sweetheart and we love him. Also the main pairing have good chemistry. The whole thing is uploaded to youtube (in like 240p but w/e) and its only about the length of a movie total so its definitely worth a watch. Its an all time fave for me.

An imaginatively wild, steam punk ride where an evil empire built on the exploitation of emotion-filled instant gratification is challenged by our motley crue of rebels lead by Alice, who helps bring down the whole house of cards with her bravery, friendship, loyalty and love.

The Path (2009):

An artistic and abstract story about six sisters at various stages of life who travel through the woods to their grandmother's house. They are told that they must stick to the path to be safe from the wolf, but if the player truly does stay on the path, of course, no growth or story occurs. Each girl has their own wolf, representing a truth she must face or a danger she must endure in order to grow up and learn her lesson. And Grandmother's house is strange and abstract as well. I adore these sorts of indie games so much.

[lezforsapphicwrites]

𝓽𝓮𝓪𝓻 𝓶𝔂 𝓱𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓽 𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓴𝓮𝓮𝓹 𝓲𝓽

pairing: elphaba thropp x glinda upland word count: 1.4K warnings: angst, character death (fake), mentions of death & murder summary: for the first time, glinda looks back and takes her second chance with elphaba. but when she returns, she is already too late.

The grimmerie was pressed tightly into her palms, the edge of the thick cover close to making a cut.

She shouldn't have left, Glinda thought. They had talked things through and found forgiveness in each other's faults. There was a reason to stay so why didn't she? Why did she heed Elphie's words and fled with the damn book that had no use to her?!

No. She won't be torn away from Elphaba anymore. Glinda had finally been given a second chance to fix things and she will take it this time.

Glinda turned around, making her way back to Elphaba's castle with a hopeful smile. "Just wait and see, Elphie." She mumbled to herself. "We'll make it work."

The twisting dark hallways looked less daunting with how much the excitement in her body had made her giddy. She began to imagine the look of surprise and relief on Elphie's face at her return. The so-called "Wicked Witch" may be scary to the land of Oz but Glinda only knew the girl most deserving of all the love. And love she will do so, until the end of their days.

Then, she heard a scream. Her scream.

One of pain.

No… Elphie.

Her hand instantly dropped the grimmerie and ran to the source of the sound. Frustration bubbling inside her when she couldn't find it. Damn, these echoing walls!

The sounds of pain continued as her chest constricted with each passing second. Glinda knew it was her Elphie and it hurt her more than any sword to hear her in pain. But where could she be?

The throne room!

She grabbed her dress high and tight as she ran faster than she had ever done. It was quiet now and somehow that was worse.

Glinda arrived at the room, freezing at the sight before her. The farm girl held a bucket, unsure and scared, surrounded by her friends — the lion, the scarecrow, and the tin man — who were happily cheering. In front of them was a small puddle of water, most likely from the bucket, that was around an object she couldn't quite make out due to the darkness.

She needed to get closer to confirm so she swallowed the lump in her throat and fixed her dress. With the best look of confusion she could muster, she approached the group. "What has happened?" She asked in a, thankfully, steady voice.

The man made of tin turned to her with a wide smile. "Dorothy has done it!" He cheered. "She has killed the witch!"

The Witch. Killed.

Beside him, Dorothy looked conflicted and teary-eyed. "I didn't mean to…" She pleaded to Glinda, almost as if she knew what Elphaba meant to her. But that was impossible. They kept it a secret. Too well that no one would ever knew the agony she was feeling inside at that moment.

Tin Man was reassuring the girl that what she had done was good. Glinda had half a mind not to strangle him dead. What was good about murdering a woman that only wanted to help? The woman who saved the very lion with them as a cub. At least, the Scarecrow had the empathy to look a bit sad.

Glinda took another deep breath and forced a smile. "Why don't you continue your merry way to Emerald City to meet the Wizard? I'm sure he'll be happy to hear about this and reward you with a makeover. I shall let the Ozians know of your… braverism." She encouraged, ushering them to the exit.

The group gladly walked away and began talking about what to wish from the Wizard. As if he could grant it. The only one left was the girl, Dorothy, who set the bucket down gently and moved closer.

She held Glinda's hand. "I'm sorry," she cried. "I didn't think she would- I thought- It was just water! It wasn't meant to kill her! I meant to throw it as a distraction-"

Glinda stopped her, giving her a genuine smile of assurance. "It is alright, little one. Why are you apologizing?"

"Because she was your lover."

Glinda paused and met the child's eyes that knew more than she had thought.

"I heard from the basement. You loved her dearly and she loved you just the same." Dorothy paused, bowing her head. "And I took her away from you… I'm sorry."

The blonde-haired witch couldn't utter a response. It was easy to pretend when no one couldn't guess the truth. But in front of the only other person who knew? Her masked crumbled as a tear fell. She could only nod as a reply.

Was it forgiveness? Hardly. The death of her lover was a fresh wound in her heart that she will never heal. Maybe she was nodding as a sign of thanks. For at least being remorseful of her crime. But she could not bring to forgive her wife's killer.

Dorothy smiled apologetically and squeezed her hand one last time, before leaving the witch by herself.

Glinda turned her gaze back to the puddle of water and the object she had noticed earlier. Her legs felt weak, pushing it to walk as she prayed to whatever real power was watching her. Please, please, please, please…

She finally had a clear view of the black hat and her knees gave out underneath her. It was Elphie's hat. The hat that Glinda's grandmother had made. The same one that she had given to Elphie as a cruel prank, which turned to be the start of their friendship and love. Her body shook as she sobbed.

Then, she began to scream.

She screamed for how unfair the world was. How one lie had turned a kind soul into the source of children's fear. How love was taken from her so suddenly, just as she was hoping to get it back.

Oh, how she wished she hadn't left. Hadn't been so obedient to follow Elphie's words. Maybe then she could've stopped that bucket from reaching the hands of that girl. Maybe then she wouldn't be in so much sorrow and grief. And maybe then she would still have the woman who owned her heart.

She blamed the Wizard for being untrue. She blamed Madame Morrible for spreading the horrible lies about Elphie. She blamed the people of Oz for believing them. Most of all, she blamed herself, for being too weak to stand with the truth.

Glinda remained kneeling on the floor, clawing on her chest as the tears fell faster. She wanted to tear her heart out, to end the intense pain that she felt from it and feel nothing. But that would mean forgetting the love she had for Elphaba. To feel nothing would mean erasing her Elphie's existence in this world and she loved her too much to do that.

With trembling hands, she carefully picked up the black hat and hugged it tightly, ignoring the water seeping into her clothes. It was the only thing she had left of her Elphie.

"Oh, Elphie," she cried, pressing her lips on the hat. "Please come back. I'll be better. I'll never leave you again. So, please, by some miracle that only your magic can bring, come back to me and we shall run away. Just you and me. No one has to know."

She gasped for air, not realizing she had held her breath with how much she was crying. A part of Glinda hoped that maybe the grief will break her heart into stopping and she can reunite with Elphie in the afterlife. But that didn't happen. Much to her disappointment. Instead, she stood up, still clutching the only thing that remained of the woman she loved, and wiped her tears.

Elphie had told her to keep up the farce of being 'Glinda the Good' and she will do so. But that didn't mean there will be no justice. The Wizard and Madame Morrible will pay for their crimes, she would make sure of that. Goodness be damned.

So, she shall continue to play the part she had done so for so long. She will tell the people of the Wicked Witch's death and become their symbol of goodness and hope.

But in secret, she will mourn the death of Elphaba Thropp, her wife.

As Glinda left, beneath the black, marbled floor, Elphaba let her tears fall in silence.

more of my works here: masterlist

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

"A DANDY DRESSER WITH MASK AND RESPIRATOR, THIS WIZARD..."

PIC(S) INFO: Part 1 of 2 -- Spotlight on the horned, masked and dapper Wizard of Oz 6" action figure, from McFarlane's Monsters Series 2: "The Twisted Land of Oz," released by McFarlane Toys in September 2003.

BRAND: McFarlane's Monsters

GENRE: Horror & Fantasy

PRODUCT TYPE: Action Figure

SERIES: McFarlane's Monsters Series 2

"A dandy dresser with mask and respirator, this Wizard includes a miniature scientist sidekick."

-- MCFARLANE TOYS, c. fall 2003

Sources: https://mcfarlane.com/toys/wizard-with-scientist, GeekTyrant, various, etc...

[mask131]

So you want to know about Oz! (6)

The "Oz" world is definitively one of the big slices of American culture, and yet it has managed to reach many countries outside of the USA!

For example, Japan. The Wizard of Oz is one of the several American works of fiction that were brought over to the Nippon world and that Japanese folks took quite a liking to! As a result it regularly pops up there alongside more European "foreign classics" like Alice in Wonderland or the Grimm fairytales.

The first Japanese Oz adaptation I know of was an animated movie created in 1982 by Toho, adapting The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

It was one of the two most famous anime adaptations of the Oz books. The other I talked about before: 1986's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz series, which is to this day one of the most complete Oz adaptations ever made for screen. Indeed, this anime doesn't just cover "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz", but also "The Marvelous Land of Oz", "Ozma of Oz" and "The Emerald City of Oz". In fact, when I first got a DVD of the series as a kid I was VERY confused as to why suddenly there were all these weird events and characters comng out of nowhere, since I was only aware of the very first book.

[Looking at these animes allows one to notice several big cultural changes from American to Japan. For example, these adaptations have a tendency to give a purplish-skin to the Wicked Witch of the West, as opposed to the greenish skin of the Witch in American media... And it reflects how in Japanese visuals purple is the color most associated with toxic products, radioactivity and poison, whereas it is "green" the venomous and radioactive color in American media]

There is a second series that is more... unique to say the least. 1991's The Wonderful Galaxy of Oz (Space Oz no Bouken), which is a retelling of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz... but in space! We are not in the early 1900s but in 2060, "New Kansas" is actually a planet, Oz an ENTIRE NEW GALAXY, and the quest for the "Brain, Heart, Courage" becomes a quest for magical crystals of "Love, Wisdom and Courage" to fend off an intergalatic invasion... Yeah that's very Japanese for you.

Adaptations of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" also appeared from time to time as individual episodes in fairytale anthologies series - from 1976's Manga sekai mukashi Banashi, to 1993's World Fairy Tale Series, passing by a stand-alone OVA from (1983 I believe?).

Outside of animes, the world of Oz notably had great success in the domain of Japanese video games.

Most people today are familiar with the game "The Wizard of Oz: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road", which was originally released in 2008 under the strange name... "Riz-Zoawd?". And which is ... quite loosely adapted from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. (You don't have one wicked witch to defeat but four seasonal witches to fight ; the magical shoes are given to Dorothy by the Wizard of Oz who summoned her to the land, etc...)

And while it is not available anymore, there was this app game that was quite talked about and documented online. It was a dating sim part of the "Shall we date?" line: Oz+ Shall we date?

A dating simulation taking place after the events of the novel, but in a world where Dorothy's companions became pretty young human men, and the Land of Oz doesn't have four Witches but four Warlocks... And this game actually had, surprisingly, quite a lot of Oz lore to it! I will definitively say that it was a precursor of future games like "Twisted Wonderland", in the idea of an "actually serious at worldbuilding genderbent game".

There are a few others but I unfortunately cannot fnd them back for now... Oh well!

And while I am at it, this is NOT a Japanese work, this is a Korean manhwa, but I think it still deserves a mention: "Dorosi" (published in English as "Dorothy of Oz") which is a very interesting reinterpretation of The Wizard of Oz as a sci-fi/science-fantasy series (the Witches are not witches, but hyper-advanced scientists delving into robotics, genetics and other sci-fi technology; a lot of the characters are just mutants or equiped with android-prosthetics, etc, etc...)

[sapphic-circles]

In the Savage Night (Chapter 16)

Read on AO3

Madame Morrible did seem to be winding down for the night when she answered her door, but she didn’t appear to be bothered by the disturbance. She wrapped her robe tight around her and smiled when she caught Elphaba’s eye.

“Hello again, Dearie,” she said. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Hi, Madame Morrible,” Elphaba said. “I’m sorry to bother you so late. I just had this thought, and I got a little too eager to ask.”

Madame Morrible tilted her head. “Well, what is it, my dear? Would you like to come in?”

“Oh, I won’t be long,” Elphaba said. “It’s just—I know you say I’ve been doing well, but I can’t help but feel I could use a little extra help. Would it be possible for me to try using a wand?”

A furrow formed between Madame Morrible’s brows. “Why ever would you want that?” she asked. “Wands are crutches, dearie. You’re perfectly capable without one. It would only hinder your growth if I allowed such a thing.”

“Well, I wouldn’t use it in our lessons,” Elphaba said. “They help focus magic, right? I think that if I could use one just a couple times to really feel how the spells should be, I’ll grasp them faster without one.” She paused, racking her brain for something that might sway Madame’s decision. Her gut twisted with guilt, though, when she landed on the perfect one. “I’m just worried about the Werewolf,” she said. “I want to make sure that I can do those defensive spells you mentioned if I need to.”

“I understand,” Madame Morrible said. “It is quite a frightifying thing for such a threat to lurk so close to home.” She thought for a moment. “Very well, Miss Elphaba. Luckily for you, I always keep a spare or two.”

Elphaba brightened. Honestly, after Madame Morrible’s initial reaction, she hadn’t thought she’d manage to get her to agree. “Thank you so much, Madame,” she said. “I won’t let it hinder me, I promise.”

“I should hope not,” Madame Morrible said. “Give me one moment, dear.”

She disappeared into her study, then returned with a wand not dissimilar to the one she’d chosen for Galinda, but with gold detailing rather than silver. A soft smile curled onto Elphaba’s face as she took the wand, already grateful for the relief it would provide for Galinda. “It’s gorgeous,” she said.

“Please use it wisely,” Madame Morrible said. “Preferably only for defense. I’d hate to stunt you, my dear; you’re already developing so beautifully.”

“I will,” Elphaba said. “Thanks again, Madame. I hope you have a wonderful night.”

“You, too, dove. Get back to your dormitory safely, now.”

Elphaba nodded and suppressed the giddy grin creeping up on her until she was out of her mentor’s sight. Yes, Galinda would still need a lot of practice, but this would help. Perhaps she could even teach her friend something before the seminar, and Galinda would finally impress Madame Morrible. With the sorceress’s respect, Galinda was sure to make better progress.

When Elphaba returned to their room, wand tucked inside her coat, she found Galinda just where she’d been left—and…reading? Elphaba wasn’t sure she’d ever seen her friend willingly pick up a book, but it sat spread in her lap, eyes trained on the pages until Elphaba walked in.

And, when Galinda caught sight of her, the blonde smiled and sighed and slammed the book closed. “You’re back!” she chirped. “Thank goodness. I hate law.”

Sure enough, with the cover of the book visible, Elphaba could see that it was the Ozian law 101 textbook. Her textbook, the one she’d cast aside earlier that evening. Did Galinda even take that class?

Her confusion must have been clearly written on her face, because Galinda glanced between her and the book, then gave a quiet laugh. “Oh,” she said. “That. I, um…I just needed a distraction. There’s a lot of big words in there.”

Elphaba’s chest tightened. “Should I not have left?” she asked. Oz, if Galinda needed distractions from her feelings so soon after being left alone, how were they going to cope? Elphaba would be happy to spend every moment next to her, of course, but they had different classes. They’d both flunk out if they missed enough to stay together.

“No, no,” Galinda said quickly. “It’s not that.” She paused. “Well…it’s kind of that. But it’s okay. I have to be okay at some point; I need the practice.”

“Galinda…” Elphaba sat next to her and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “You don’t have to be okay right away,” she said. “You’ve gone through something traumatic. And if I ask you if you’ll be all right on your own, it’s okay to say no. I would have stayed.”

Galinda sighed and mustered a halfhearted smile. “I don’t want to be a burden.”

“You’re not.” Elphaba returned her smile and watched with silent wonder as Galinda’s finally reached her eyes. The ability to do that, to make her friend appear genuinely happy, felt very much itself like a form of sorcery.

“Thank you, Elphie,” Galinda said. “So…what were you doing at Madame Morrible’s?”

“Well,” Elphaba said. “I suppose I’ve learned to lie to authority figures, so I can put that under my belt,” she joked. “I told her I wanted a wand for myself.”

She drew the new one out from her coat, and Galinda gasped. “Elphaba Thropp,” she said. “You couldn’t possibly have done that for me…”

“I did,” Elphaba said, pride evident in her voice. “You’ll still have to use the silver one at the seminar, but you can practice all you want with this one. I thought, if you’re feeling up to it, I could help you with it tonight. That way, you’ll have something to show off tomorrow.”

Galinda beamed and threw her arms around Elphaba’s neck. “Thank you, thank you!” she cried. “Elphie, you’re amazing. I owe you so much. Whatever you want.”

Elphaba chuckled and hugged Galinda back, happily breathing in the sweet floral scent of her perfume. “Let me think about it,” she teased, though she didn’t really want anything from Galinda. This, she felt, was reward enough.

Galinda drew back and held the wand close to her face, gingerly running her fingers along its length to examine it. “It’s not even gold-plated,” she said. “No silver at all! This is just perfect.”

“I’m glad you like it,” Elphaba said. “Did you want to try something? We can just rest if you want.”

“I have to try something,” Galinda declared. “It already feels so much better. Maybe I can actually get magic through this one!”

“Go ahead and give it a shot, then,” Elphaba encouraged.

She watched as Galinda gripped the wand, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. Sorcery isn’t always the most exciting thing to watch when one isn’t creating grand spectacles of magic, but Elphaba found herself enraptured by Galinda’s focus, anyway: the slight furrow in her brow, the way the corner of her mouth twitched and showed the barest hint of the dimple in her cheek, the intention behind her breath.

If only Madame Morrible could see her like this. Galinda may not have had a natural bent for sorcery, but no one could claim she wasn’t willing to put in the work to get there. She’d have plenty of time to prove herself, at least.

Galinda took another deep breath through her nose and pushed it out slowly between her lips, and then she gasped and her eyes popped open. “I did it!” she said. “I mean, I think I did it. I felt it, all the way down here.” She touched the tip of the wand. “Does that mean it’s working?”

“As far as I know,” Elphaba said. “I’ve never used a wand. But Madame Morrible did say before that you’d know if you managed it, right?”

Galinda grinned and gazed down at the wand. “Maybe I’m not hopeless after all.”

“You were never hopeless.” Elphaba shifted to pluck a thin bracelet from Galinda’s nightstand and laid it on the bed in front of her. Then, she wrapped her own hand around Galinda’s and guided the wand toward the bracelet. “See if you can move it,” she said. “I’ll try to help.”

Elphaba had never done this before, and she wasn’t sure it was even possible to help this way, but it felt right. She could feel the wand—or maybe it was Galinda—tugging at her own power.

“Okay,” Galinda said. “I’ll try.”

A warm, tingling sensation washed across Elphaba’s palm from Galinda’s hand as her friend summoned the magic from within her once more. It was almost as if Elphaba could feel it filling the wand itself, spreading through the instrument and reaching toward the tip. It stopped there, and Elphaba could tell Galinda was trying to push it out and toward the bracelet, but her jaw clenched as she struggled with it.

Elphaba gave it a nudge from her own font of magic, careful not to take over the spell. She only wanted to give Galinda a little boost, confident that her friend could guide it herself.

Sure enough, there was a release of pressure as the magic left the wand, and the bracelet shifted ever so slightly from its place on the blankets.

Galinda squealed with excitement, and Elphaba’s heart skipped at the sound. “Yes!” Galinda chirped. “It moved! Did you see it, Elphie? I moved it!”

“Yes, my sweet,” Elphaba chuckled. “I saw it. Do you want to try without me?”

“I don’t want to do anything without you,” Galinda said, but she readied the wand without Elphaba’s hand on it this time. Nothing happened for quite a while, but just as it seemed Galinda was about to give up, she tried once more and managed another minuscule movement.

“That’s it,” Elphaba said, casting Galinda a warm smile. “I knew you could do it.”

“It feels incredible,” Galinda breathed. “Why am I so tired?”

“You get used to it,” Elphaba said. “When I had my outbursts as a kid, I’d have to nap for hours afterward. But it’s happened so many times that I hardly feel it anymore, even when I’m really focusing. It just takes time.”

“I was hoping to keep going for a while,” Galinda murmured.

“There’s always tomorrow,” Elphaba reminded her. “And you need your rest, anyway. Why don’t we go ahead and get some more sleep? It is rather late.”

“I suppose,” Galinda said. “Elphie…would you sleep with me again? I feel so much better with you there.”

“Of course,” Elphaba said. She was already beginning to get used to sleeping beside Galinda; while she missed the freedom to toss and turn without the worry of disturbing anyone, she found herself tossing and turning less with her friend curled against her, anyway.

“But you don’t have to, you know,” Galinda said quietly. “If it bothers you at all. I know I’ve been a little…clingy. I won’t be upset if you’d rather sleep in your own bed.”

“It doesn’t bother me,” Elphaba said quickly. “I like it. It’s nice.”

Galinda smiled and kissed Elphaba on the cheek before lying down, unwittingly causing her cheeks to color a deeper green. The blonde’s lips left a dewy warmth where they met Elphaba’s skin, and for a moment she wondered whether there was something wrong with her the way her heart stumbled again at the sensation. It seemed to be happening a lot lately, and perhaps she was developing some sort of condition…or perhaps it had something to do with Galinda.

Elphaba shooed the confusifying thoughts out of her head as she lay down. They had no place there, not with so much else going on. So what if her heart seemed insistent on reacting to Galinda’s touch, or her laugh, or her smile? It was probably normal. She didn’t have much experience with friendship, but she had to assume this was what it felt like to have a friend to love—one who wasn’t forced to tolerate her for the simple reason of being siblings.

Sure, she didn’t feel this way around Fiyero…but she hadn’t spent as much time with him, shared as many intimate moments with him. He felt miles away from the bond she’d forged with Galinda, and maybe she’d feel the same way for him after they had more time to get to know each other.

It wasn’t as if it mattered. The sensation didn’t bother Elphaba. She liked it quite a lot, actually, and she welcomed the flutter in her chest as Galinda hugged her around her middle and tucked her face against her neck, leaving soft, warm puffs of air against her skin as she breathed.

“Goodnight, Elphie,” Galinda whispered. Then, so quietly that Elphaba wasn’t sure she heard correctly, she added, “I love you.”

Elphaba was sure Galinda could feel the pulse picking up speed in her neck, but she swallowed the knot in her throat and took a deep breath to try to slow it back down a touch. “I love you, too, my sweet,” Elphaba whispered back just as quietly. “Goodnight, Galinda.”

Elphaba tried to sleep. She felt she could use it after the last few days—especially lying down, she felt the ache in her bruised arm and shoulder, the soreness of hiking through the woods and sleeping in the barn—but she couldn’t manage to shut her brain down well enough to doze off.

It didn’t take long for Galinda to fall asleep, thankfully. She snored softly into Elphaba’s chest, her arms loose now but still laid comfortably around Elphaba’s waist. Lurline knew Galinda needed as much sleep as she could get, and Elphaba was grateful that at least she would be well rested by morning.

She wasn’t sure how long she’d been lying awake, eyes closed and trying to force herself to sleep, when a soft cry escaped Galinda’s throat followed by a small twitch. Elphaba had seen multiple of Galinda’s nightmares by now, and she immediately wrapped her arm around her friends back to rub soothing circles between her shoulder blades.

“Shh,” Elphaba whispered, hoping she could ease the nightmare without waking Galinda. “It’s all right, darling. Everything’s okay.”

It seemed to work briefly, but a few moments later, Galinda whimpered again, her leg twitching as if she were running in her sleep. A tear slipped down her cheek and she cried out louder, this time accompanied by a resounding crack.

Elphaba’s heart dropped, and she abandoned her attempts to soothe Galinda to try to wake her instead. She moved out of her sleeping friend’s embrace and gripped her shoulder, calling, “Galinda? Galinda, wake up.”

She gasped as another crack met her ears, and she felt Galinda’s shoulder shift in her hand. Whatever Galinda was dreaming, it was bad enough to leech into her body, and Elphaba didn’t know what would happen if she transformed now, in their very public dormitory.

Elphaba shook Galinda harder, begging her to open her eyes and see that she was safe and nothing was wrong, that nothing could hurt her here. She would get hurt if she lost control now and drew anyone’s attention.

But the sleep Galinda had fallen into was deep, and Elphaba couldn’t seem to break through it. All she could think to do was to hold Galinda’s face, twisted in fear and pain, and cry, “Wake up, Galinda, please, wake up, wake up, wake up!”

[thomine]

balter

fishcl x reader | 1.3k words | general audiences

balter: to dance gracelessly, but with enjoyment.

tags: canon compliant, not proofread.

notes: prompt list (req closed) :: requested by @dkniade (thank you!) i hope i did one of your favourite character justice!

As the respected familiar of Prinzessin der Verurteilung, Oz, the Raven Knight, has little say in matters related to where he goes for investigations. It is not him to question the superior instructions of the one he serves either, so he normally ignores any patterns that might pique his interest… But it is challenging to put aside a fourth occurrence in a week. At his altitude, as he soars across a flat mountain top west of Mondstadt, your Adventurers' Guild attire paints you as a geeen speck accented with red. If he wasn't experienced, he would have mistaken you as a violently shaken valberry bush.

You are flinging your arms, twisting your hips, tapping your feet to an obscure rhythm, displaying a raw and energetic performance he wouldn't pay tickets to see.

However, it isn't only him who sees you. Oz is not an ordinary familiar. He acts as the Prinzessin's eyes, and she can't take them off your baltering figure.

He may find no joy in seeing you dance, but the Prinzessin's feelings influence his wings to descend. He rests on a nearby rock behind low bushes, a good distance to notice the details of your expression given his sharp eyesight yet not disturb your performance. He watches intently for the Prinzessin's sake, and when you wrap up your session, Oz flies to Stormterror's Lair to start the Prinzessin's commission.

"Congratulations, Fischl, for another report full of praise from your previous commissioner. He said the information you've collected was perfect." Katherine, the representative of the Adventurers' Guild, places a pouch of mora on the table for the taking. Oz's milady strikes a pose she practices behind the mirror every morning, her victory laugh a show of her strong diaphragm.

She accepts Katherine's praise in that creative way of her's, talking about how a royal such as her will always deliver, the years of traveling worlds is another reason for her quality of work.

Katherine claps with a friendly stiff smile pasted across her face. She is probably one of the few adventurers who can understand his milady's unique speaking patterns, leaving him a spectator. A role he doesn't mind and often finds respite in. It is in these moments of tranquility that Oz likes to take a look around them, observing the citizens strolling by, noticing the clouds ahead, and listening to the gentle breeze. He spots you near the plaza's fountain. You are at the ledge, tossing golden mora into the waters.

After their polite conversation, Fischl does a few more poses to celebrate her successful commission and snags the bag of mora with eager eyes.

As her mouth drools, Oz's milady goes to great lengths to ask if he wants a bite at Good Hunter, to which he accepts. It has been a while since they could rest on evenings since that is the time you dance. But today, you weren't there.

They are about to enjoy their snack when Fischl stops short at the stairs leading to the eatery. Her eyes land on you just as you get off the ledge.

You wave, a wide grin on your face. The Prinzessin turns to Oz with panic in her eyes. She may have practiced her greetings but she was not prepared to face you. In fact, she never believed she could after that incident where she criticised your dance. She really just meant you had to improve in order to be at the stage!

"I never said I wanted to be on the stage," you said then, a forlorn look on your face. "It was meant only for you."

Since then, you never brought up dancing. You weren't in your usual spots either. Fischl would accept extra investigation commissions as an excuse for Oz to take the skies and search Mondstadt for you.

The relief she felt when she saw you dancing freely with tall blades of grass…

Oz doesn't understand you. He understands why his milady made such comments. Your dancing skills aren't anything impressive. Clumsy even. But whenever he stopped to watch your performance, the Prinzessin observing through his view, in such a state their feelings blended and he felt affection—a warm thing in his feathery chest.

His milady emits a nervous laugh, eyes darting left and right for an escape route but it's too late. Ecstasy fuels your legs and you're faster than Oz remembers. Must be all that dancing. In seconds, you've skipped through the flight of stairs and land in front of the Prinzessin.

"Fischl, milady!" You greet, bowing. "The wishing fountain really does work!"

The Prinzessin's mouth hangs open, but she is quick to recover with a comment on how royals like her don't neglect the wishes of their people. She is flushed, nervous, but you laugh and smile even brighter. There is desperation in the way you gingerly grab her hands, which she welcomes. As you invite yourself to interlock with her fingers, she doesn't withdraw. In fact, her face reddens.

"I've been looking for you, but Katherine said you've become exceptionally busy."

She then goes on a spiel about the expected bustling life of someone as herself: traveling, adventuring, and discovering. Due to her lifestyle, she is hard to catch, so you should be grateful that you have been graced with her presence aligning with your need to see her.

"She means, 'Why are you looking for me?'" Oz says.

"It's not something really important…" your enthusiasm falters, eyes deflating to fall to the floor. "But I hope you can see it still. It wasn't right of me to just walk out that day, but… come, I'll show you."

The Prinzessin looks at Oz for help, but Oz knows better than to speak. Plus, since her fingers are interlocked with yours, when you pull her towards the gates of Mondstadt, she—who doesn't want to let go—has no choice but to follow.

Oz flaps his wings, following in tow. Past the bridge, milady catches up with you and an easy conversation flows. She asks how you've been in her own unique way, adding hints for you to ask how she's been which you take. It's about the halfway mark that Oz knows where you're taking the Prinzessin, the route all too familiar.

Not long after, you're on your stage far away from civilisation. In the stretch of grass, it is just you, your milady, and Oz.

"I did my best to improve," you shyly start. You point at a rock that Oz lands on to watch your covertly. You've removed the bushes so there will be no discomfort. "You were embarrassed with other people watching as well, so I thought this would be the best place."

Milady loses a bit of her personally pointing out your efforts to improve. You nod and take a few steps back.

"Would the Prinzessin indulge with me, letting me entertain her for this fleeting moment?"

A small smile graces the Prinzessin's lips. She had shared with Oz one sleepless night that she didn't hate your dancing. It was beautiful in an imperfect way. It was admirable how you didn't care for those who looked at you with weird stares, how you were so assured with your choice to dance despite what others said. It was a confidence she craved, something she told herself she had but on such nights she wondered if she did.

That day, when you told her you only danced for her, it struck her how you were the way you were towards dance because nobody else mattered to you.

She shouldn't have been embarrassed, but she was. And her embarrassment cut deeper than she expected.

She had so many people to prove while you only wanted her approval. Perhaps… she only had a small few to prove too.

Milady then watches as you fling your arms in the air. There is no music, no rhythm, and nothing's really changed from the way you danced in that messy style of yours, but for once it isn't the Prinzessin seeing through Oz's eyes.

Through her eyes, Oz notices the subtle beauty in your authenticity. And as the sun sets a beautiful orange backdrop as your stage, there is only Oz, Fischl, and your confessional moves.

author's note: as you can tell i kind of gave up with fischl's way of speaking lol. i'll tackle that bump when i get to it... another day... for now, since this is a writing prompt i won't tear my hair off for it, haha...

[no-onemournsthelesbians]

Sneak Peek of Gelphie Fic: “Walk Of Fame”

xxxxxx

The low, snakelike voice of Madame Morrible sent involuntary shivers down Glinda’s spine. The sorceress, dressed in her traditional, dark purple robes with her silver hair twisted atop her head, approached Glinda from behind. Her sharp eyes glinted with what an innocent bystander might deem fond as she rested her hands on the top of Glinda’s shoulders. Glinda’s handmaidens had begun to apply her makeup for the day and scattered quickly once Madame Morrible came near.

If only Glinda could do the same.

Madame Morrible sighed as she looked at Glinda’s reflection in the mirror in lieu of making eye contact. “I will spare you the theatrics of the details, Miss Upland, if that is something you prefer.”

Glinda nodded. As horrific a person Madame Morrible was, Glinda preferred the way she spoke straight to the point versus the roundabout way it took the Wizard to arrive at a response.

“Good. As you know, we are headed to Munchkinland this afternoon. The expansion of Oscar’s…project runs directly through their land, if the maps are to scale and the projections proper. It should have been quite the easy task to come to a proper agreement with their landholders, just as easy as our agreement with the Quadlings.”

It took every ounce of self control in Glinda not to stiffen at the mention of their dealings in Quadling Country. If what they had done could even be considered tit for tat.

Instead, Glinda nodded again, and Madame Morrible took that as her cue to continue on. She began rubbing her hands up and down Glinda’s shoulders as she spoke, ruining the work her handmaidens had just begun.

“Alas, their government has not been as…open to conversation as the Quadlings were. Their Eminence is quite determined to hold the ground of the people, claiming that local politics are what have the Munchkinlanders best interests in mind. They refuse the benevolence our noble Wizard offers them.”

The look of utter contempt in Madame Morrible’s eyes told Glinda all she needed to know.

“That’s where I come in.”

“That’s where you come in, my dear. Your way of connecting with the people of Oz is one that rivals even the greatest politicians. It only makes sense that you be the one to help Munchkinland accept our help, for here I suppose I have a speck of faith in you. I expect to have them on our side before the day is out.”

Glinda wanted to laugh at what a complete waste of time this would be, and she almost did. But Madame Morrible squeezed her injured shoulder, hard, and Glinda couldn’t stop the yelp of pain that escaped her lips. As she tried to regain her faculties, she heard a low whisper in her ear.

“You know what will happen if you don’t.”

[aquamarine-dream-queen]

Monstober Day 5: Witch

Are you a good witch or a bad witch? I watched the new Batwheels episode The Wizard of Bats and I have to say that Batwheels added such a great twist on L. Frank Baum’s most famous story about the Land of Oz.