AN. The idea for Elphaba's photo actually came from a Dawson's Creek episode! But I forget which one.

The Photo

Elphaba watched in confusion and growing dread as Fiyero prowled about the room looking through the many props and costumes in the room.

"What are you doing?" she asked him, not sure if she wanted to know the answer.

"I told you. I had an idea for your photo, I'm just looking for the right costume."

"Why do we need costumes?!" Elphaba demanded.

He shushed her, and then disappeared amongst racks of clothing.

"What size are you?" he called out to her.

Elphaba quickly got to her feet. "It's a costume room, not a dress salon. I'm pretty sure they don't have multiple sizes."

She was imagining all the worse things he could emerge with. No doubt something green.

And finally, he returned and tossed her a pile of fabric.

"Put this on."

Elphaba spluttered inelegantly, even before she actually looked at what he had thrown at her and realised it was an evening dress. A black and beige lace, full length evening dress.

"Are you freaking kidding me?!"

"Just do it. You can change amongst the racks. I won't look, I promise."

"Your word means a lot to me," she said sarcastically. "That's not even the point. You do remember the point of the photo, right? It's supposed to reflect how we see one another. I don't see how this is going to reflect anything."

"It's just a dress, don't be so overdramatic," Fiyero rolled his eyes. "I have a point, I promise. Which I shall explain, once you have the dress on."

Elphaba tightened her mouth and crossed her arms. Fiyero mimicked her.

"We can do this all day, green girl," he told her, although "green girl" was said differently than usual. Elphaba just couldn't put her finger on how, but it was strangely unnerving.

They stood there for a few more moments, until Elphaba realised he was actually serious and she relented.

"If you look, I'm going to hex your balls off and make you eat them," she warned as she headed towards the racks where there was more privacy to change.

She could practically hear Fiyero flinch at her threat.

"How about I go get the camera?" he suggested instead and left without waiting for her to agree.

Elphaba was glad there was no mirror, she was sure she looked ridiculous. She changed quickly and was surprised to find the dress actually fit almost perfectly, it was just a tad tight- or maybe it was just tighter than Elphaba preferred. It had tiny straps holding the dress up, and Elphaba didn't think she had ever felt more self-conscious or awkward in her life- and that was saying something. This was something Galinda could wear, not her. She was tempted to hex Fiyero anyway just for whatever the hell he had been thinking.

She took the chair Fiyero had been sitting on, using the time while he was gone to think about the photo for Fiyero she would have to put together. Elphaba was jerked out of her thoughts when Fiyero returned, and she fought a smirk as he tentatively opened the door and entered the room.

But her smirk faded at the look on his face when he saw her.

"Shut up. You picked this dress, you can't blame me because it looks horrendible," she snapped.

"That's not... um... it doesn't..."

Fiyero faltered and gave up.

"Hang on, I'm not quite finished. What size foot are you?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Eight. But again, I don't think-"

He wasn't listening as he went searching for shoes and whatever else he was looking for.

"I'm not wearing heels. No matter what you think you can say or do."

Fiyero reappeared, his arms full. "Fine, whatever. Can you do something with your hair?"

Elphaba stared at him. "What would you like me to do with my hair?" she asked him.

"Put it up. In whatever it's called. A bagel?"

She snorted. "I think you mean a bun. I'm actually glad you didn't know that, because I'm not too sure of your sexuality at this point. I'd hate to have to tell Galinda her perfect scandalacious boyfriend is gay."

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "Just do it, will you? And then put this on."

She caught the black feather boa he threw and sighed dramatically.

"I hope you have a clue what you're doing, because I don't."

She did as he had asked and twisted her hair up into a bun. It wasn't particularly neat, but it was up. And then she casually flung the feather boa around her neck, feeling completely ridiculous.

"So, do you feel like explaining the point of this now?"

Fiyero looked up from where he was fiddling with the camera and shrugged.

"You said everyone always sees the green and not the girl. So... I'm taking a photo of the girl."

Elphaba was actually speechless.

"I'm still green," she finally said. "It doesn't matter what I'm wearing."

Fiyero grinned. "Just wait."

He made Elphaba take a few pictures in the dress from different angles before he would let her change, which she did gratefully.

"Was that so painful?" he asked with a smirk when she returned and she ignored him, taking the camera from him.

"Alright, my turn."

Fiyero spread his arms. "Very well. What do you want me to do?"

It was now Elphaba's turn to throw something at him. Sorry, to him. In this case, a crown.

"Ok, so we're playing the royalty angle, are we?"

"Shut up, and sit down. That will be your throne," she said pointing to the armchair he had been sitting on throughout the whole exercise.

He laughed. "Oz, I wish the throne was as comfy as this chair!"

He put on the crown at a jaunty angle and sat sideways in the chair, his legs crossed and hanging off the side.

"This good?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes, but then had an idea. "Fine. One this way and then one serious photo, deal?"

He nodded in agreement, and happily posed for both photos.

"So, what's your purpose with this photo?"

Elphaba shrugged as she packed the camera away carefully. "Maybe if you had a photo of yourself actually resembling a king, you might believe you can actually be king."

There was a pause.

"Well... I'm going to go," Fiyero finally said awkwardly. "Get some lunch I think."

Elphaba nodded. "I'm going to go see Doctor Dillamond."

"Right. So... I'll see you around, green girl."

Elphaba gave a faint nod in return and then they left the room and went their separate ways. Doctor Dillamond had been right, Elphaba reflected, as she headed towards the history building. The hour- and the assignment- had been most interesting. Turns out there might just be more to Fiyero than met the eye. Who would have thought?

It took Boq fifteen minutes to convince Avaric to do the photo, that this was the final part of their assignment and after this, Boq would leave and they would never have to speak ever again. This appealed to both of them, so Avaric finally agreed.

"We're supposed to choose the pose for our partner. It's supposed to reflect how we see one another," Boq explained once he had gone to get a camera and returned to the room.

Avaric gave a long suffering sigh and reluctantly got to his feet.

"Fine. Stand by the window."

Puzzled, Boq did so.

"Stand on this."

Avaric indicated a small trunk nearby and Boq did so.

"Um, why am I doing this?" he asked.

"So you look taller," Avaric explained as though it was obvious.

Boq frowned, but couldn't help but feel hopeful. "That's how you see me?"

Avaric shrugged. "Not really. But it'll look cool."

"Oh. Right."

Avaric took the photos, although Boq wasn't even sure the camera was pointing at him, let alone that it would make him look taller.

"I think my photo should be of me looking awesome," Avaric said.

Boq rolled his eyes. "Sure."

He knew perfectly well how he saw Avaric. An hour ago, he had been an ass. Now, he was an ass and a drunk.

He quickly and casually took a few shots of Avaric lying on his bed drinking his fourth beer and surrounded by the three empty bottles he had already consumed.

"Done," he said and hoped Avaric wouldn't want to see the photo.

He didn't.

"Good. See you never, Munchkin."

"Sounds great," Boq muttered and let himself out of the room.

Like Fiyero, Galinda had discoverated great inspiration for her photo of Nessa; and like Fiyero's, it required time and a change of clothes.

Galinda took the younger Thropp girl up to the room she shared with Elphaba, after stopping along the way to pick up a camera; and spent careful time giving Nessarose a makeover, complete with clothes, hair and makeup. Galinda quickly found that Nessa was a much more willing, eager and grateful makeover subject than Elphaba.

The blonde went through her closet and selected a beautiful yet simple dress in a soft blue for Nessa to wear, with matching heels; then carefully applied makeup and curled Nessa's hair and styled it in the latest fashion.

When she saw the finished look, Nessa was overwhelmed.

"Don't cry, you'll ruin the makeup," Galinda said hastily, seeing Nessa's eyes well up.

Nessa laughed sheepishly. "I'm sorry, I just... I never imagined... I look so different."

"You look completely beautiful," Galinda beamed at her. "But there's just one more thing."

She helped Nessa out of her chair and arranged her so she was sitting on the window seat. And if you hadn't known that Nessa couldn't walk, you would never suspect. You would just see a tragically beautiful girl sitting by a window in a beautiful dress- probably on her way out to a dance or a date- with the light capturing her shining eyes and brilliant smile.

"I thought this would be a nice photo. No chair, just you," Galinda said gently.

Nessa couldn't agree more.

"Keep the dress," Galinda told her when Nessa mentioned changing after the photo had been taken.

Nessa was stunned. "What? Are you sure?"

Galinda nodded happily. "Of course, I have a hundred of them. Wear it on your next date with Boq, and remind him how lucky he is to have you."

Nessa beamed, and she was suddenly extra glad that her sister had a friend like Galinda.

"Thank you, Galinda."

Galinda waved a hand. "It's nothing. Alright, my turn for a photo. What were you thinking, Nessa?"

It would surprise no one to learn that Galinda loved having her photo taken, and this was the part of the assignment she'd been looking forward to the most for the entire hour. And she was completely willing to go along with any ideas Nessa came up with.

Nessa was thoughtful for a few moments, until she had an idea.

She looked at Galinda uncertainly. "Do you remember what you said about people only liking you because you're pretty?"

Galinda nodded. "Yes."

"Well... what if we did... sort of the opposite of what you did to me?" Nessa suggested. "No makeup or fancy hairstyle... you could borrow a dress of Elphaba's?"

Galinda wrinkled her nose at the thought of wearing one of her roommate's dresses, simply because they were so unfashionable; but she got the image Nessa was going for.

"I like it," she decided. "That's a great idea, Nessa."

So Galinda scrubbed off all her makeup and pulled back her blonde curls into a simple ponytail and swallowed her distaste to pull on one of Elphaba's plain, unfashionable navy blue dresses- because the only time Galinda agreed to wear black was to funerals or black and white themed parties.

Then Nessa and Galinda agreed that she would sit on the edge of her bed for Nessa to take the photo. Even in an unfashionable dress, with no makeup and her hair simply pulled back, Galinda was naturally beautiful, and Nessa couldn't help but reflect how bitterly unfair that was.

"Done. I'm sure that will look great," Nessa said as she took the photo.

"Thank Oz, I can take this dress off!" Galinda said immediately, hurrying to change and Nessa couldn't help but laugh.

"So, I guess we're done," Nessa said once Galinda had changed.

"I guess so. This was really fun," Galinda said and Nessa was pretty sure she was sincere.

"It was," she agreed. "I hope the others did just as well."

Galinda laughed. "Oh, Elphie and Fiyero! I wonder how that went."

"And Boq and Avaric," Nessa reminded her.

"Well, I'm going to go find Fiyero. Are you going to meet Bick?"

"Boq," Nessa corrected automatically. "And yes, I suppose I will. Thank you for today, Galinda."

Galinda smiled and hugged Nessa briefly. "No worries. And if you ever want to talk or have coffee... let me know. I'd really love to hang out again."

Nessa beamed. "I will, thank you."

Like the other pairs before them, the girls left together and then went their separate ways. Galinda didn't find Fiyero, but she did find Elphaba.

"How did it go?" she asked, not sure if she wanted an answer.

Elphaba paused. "It was... insightful."

Galinda smiled in agreement as she fell into step with her friend. That sounded about right. It had been a most interesting hour.

And when Dr Dillamond looked over everyone's answers and photos, he was mostly pleased with what he saw. He could only hope that this assignment had achieved its purpose.

But he could never have guessed that- in the cases of some of his students- this was only the beginning of the changes in perception of their partners. Especially one scandalacious prince and one green girl- who, when captured in black and white film in a striking evening gown and feather boa with her hair swept up, looked nothing more than a beautiful young woman.

The End

AN. That's all, folks! Thanks for reading.