characters apologizing for things they have no control over. mumbling sorry while losing consciousness. feeling ashamed of a bleeding wound. embarrassed when an infection sets in. deep seated feverish guilt when they need to be carried, when their legs won't keep them upright anymore and they lean heavy on a friend, slurring apologies..........
I believe that having her (adopted) child ask her to take their life was a huge wake up call that Celine d e s p e r a t e l y needed. And Iâd like to think that, given the time, they would reconcile.
_
I probably redid the dialogue here 10+ times and I am still not happy with it, but honestly, I donât think Iâll ever get it to a point where I am fully satisfied, so here you go.
_
HC Notes:Â
I believe Celine should have some scars, having been a hunter for many years
The pattern I do for Rumi is inspired by Kintsugi
I know in the concept art, Rumiâs dad was also depicted as a Jeoseung Saja. But I based her off a dragon here bc I think itâs more fun design wise (and how it might influence her behavior)Â
EDIT: Minor text adjustments (was too sleepy when I posted this)
Grant Us Peace, Forevermore |Â Chaos Universe OneShot for @endofn1ght
Summary: Wednesday and her fellow Raven (OC/Emiliana) engage in witchcraft, looking for additional peace after the horrific events of the past year continue to weigh on them.
WC: 4.9k (part of layla's <5k challenge that barely makes it lol)
Rated: E
Note: New Lovely Thorns content coming in the next day or so, for now enjoy revisiting another OC from the Chaos universe as @endofn1ght prompted Chaos-verse Wednesday with Emiliana doing witchcraft. Thank you for all the support and forcing me to analyze some of my work in ways I hadn't previously thought about.
This is part of my less than 5k writing challenge of prompts that I'm only allowed to work on at my place of employment when my free time is actually free (was a little less than usual over the last week which is why this took so long).
Set between Wednesday's birthday at the end of Chapter 31 and the start of the epilogue; end of semester / late April-ish at Nevermore - enjoy!
Wednesday kicked the final bit of gravel on her way up to the front porch of one of her favorite places. Emilianaâs cottage looked somehow smaller in the late spring; with everything finally green, the large shade cast from centuries-old woods dwarfed the structure considerably. Augustus slithered down her wrist, excited to enter the home, irritate Piper and greet his favorite turtles. The windows were open on the front, and she assumed likely the French doors on the back. Glad that Emiliana was letting in fresh air, as sometimes the house took on a more powerful odor of stale cigarettes when it was just her home for a while, Wednesday was surprised to have to knock â that she hadnât heard her coming.
The door opened, revealing a frazzled looking Emiliana. It wasnât terribly out of the ordinary to find her hair tangled and in just her long, black skirt and too-loose tank top, but she looked particularly greasy that afternoon. Wednesday bit back a sigh instead of a hello as she considered sheâd need to shove her in the shower before they did anything productive to relieve the nagging sensation swirling around in her gut. âWhat is the day?â
Struggling not to smile, Wednesday regarded, âItâs Thursday.â
âI have not gone mad, then. I hate it when you do this â you send me into mild cardiac arrest. You are unharmed?â
Nodding, Wednesday stepped in as she closed the door â spotting a mess in the kitchen, a sink filled with unwashed dishes, a pile of laundry on the sofa, and the floor of the living room covered in remnants of a spell. Her entryway altar was a disaster and Piper was nowhere to be seen â probably avoiding the chaos. She watched as Emiliana struggled to place Wednesday, and tried to read her energy at the same time. She wondered if Emiliana could sense just how unease she truly was.
âI attempted to call and text all morning. I finished working with Aunt Larissa on the proposal for the new council duties, and she doesnât want me to start anything new until next week. Enid has physical therapy and then her rehearsal. Mother is working with the Doves on oaths, father is entertaining Fangs that are in town, Josie is doing real administration, and you know I simply canât be bothered with the Nightshades.â
âI am your last resort, then,â Emiliana crossed her arms, her expression mostly playful.
âNo,â Wednesday argued. âI just know that you prefer your alone time unless itâs scheduled and was explaining why Iâm interruptingâŚâ She looked around at the mess. âThis.â
The older Raven gave a chuckle, tugging Wednesday to her and placing an obnoxious kiss on the top of her head. Augustus immediately tore off in search of the yellow and white snake he longed to bother. âYou are the one person who can always interrupt me, little bird, regardless of how it fazes my mental state. I am afraid we will have to take most activities upstairs or outside as it is a touch of a mess in hereâŚâ
Wednesday popped a brow. âJust a touch? Em â go shower. Youâre gross.â
She gave a little cackle into her smokerâs cough. âIndeed, I am. The week has flown by, apparently. I shall see you on the other side of clean,â She didnât fight the direction, and took to the bathroom with a small salute.
Once she disappeared, Wednesday hurried to start picking things up. It was far from her responsibility, but as Emiliana had picked up so many of the pieces of her life that spring, it hardly seemed enough or like a burden to care for her. Realizing the laundry on the couch wasnât to be folded, Wednesday rolled her eyes and stuffed it into the washing machine, then moved to unload the half-full dishwasher that Emiliana had been taking things out of instead of putting them away throughout the week. That didnât take long, and she made haste to reload and run a cycle there, too.
She was sweeping salt away from her to put in a jar after getting the majority of the spell on the floor picked up when Emiliana came out with her wet hair curling into ringlets. She opened the French doors, as hoped, and wondered, âMight we start with music?â
Tilting her head a little, Wednesday decided that was more than appropriate. Her goals for the late April recovery period were to get back to some of her long-abandoned hobbies, and starting a spell session with Emiliana by playing her favorite instrument would be a remarkable way to return to it. Playing music had once been one of her only ways of settling her spirit, and to play with a fellow Raven would be helpful.
She moved it to the end of the couch, wishing Thing were there to turn the pages as Emiliana set up a collapsible music stand for her and placed the selection she wanted there. âI have been composing something I shall play for you after this warmup, and perhaps you can come up with the strings to match?â
âI confess, original music content hasnât been my forte over my studies, but I would be willing to try,â Wednesday agreed with a small shrug. Emiliana slipped onto her piano bench, wiggled her fingers, and counted them down twice before starting the melody to a famous duet.
Wednesday came in on the third line of music, her bow sweeping over the strings as her fingers moved in time up top. She couldnât help the smile that came over her features as she got into it â the old habit returning, a swell of joy filling her from the outside in.
The first selection was about eight minutes long, and as it wrapped, Emiliana clumsily dashed over to Wednesday, hugging her tightly. âI love you.â
Grinning into her shoulder, Wednesday gave something like a nuzzle. She considered what she knew about the other Raven that had impacted them â how David Bowieâs music had been the soundtrack of her life. There was something distinctly soothing about music to someone so dark-coded as they, and she wondered if Goody had preferences as well, even if they were liturgical.
âPlay me your new song?â
Nodding, Emiliana returned to her favorite place, closing her eyes and squaring her shoulders before letting the ivory keys take her away. She started, playing mostly minor chords â a haunting tune that Wednesday knew just what to do with, instinctively after the first repeating section. She jumped in â natural ability filling the air with cello sounds along with the piano.
It went on â the two playing in harmony for nearly twenty minutes. As they managed to come to a close without a single line of verbal communication, Wednesday was the one to get up first. She tugged Emilianaâs wrists, leading her to the back porch, where they sat on the swing together in silence.
There werenât words needed between them â the energy spoke volumes. Emiliana kicked back, letting the swing rock. They both lost time â but not in a dangerous way, as they swung back and forth, back and forth until â
âEm? Oh! Hey, Wednesday!â Josie appeared, wearing a pair of athletic pants and an old reptile rescue organization t-shirt, her hair up in a high ponytail. She leaned down to push a kiss on Emilianaâs temple. âI tried to get a hold of you earlier, I figured you might be in the ether. Did you still want to do spring foraging and grocery shoppingâŚ?â
Emiliana opened and closed her mouth. âI am afraid I was not aware of the day. What is the time?â
âGoing on four-thirtyâŚI finished a meeting and swapped duty with Larissa for Sunday â Iâve got things to do at school then, regardless â I might as well be required to be there. I am so cool to just have turtle time if you -â
âI would still like â and require to, head into the forest. My stores are woefully low. Might we bring a small bird with us?â
âYeah,â Josie smiled with teeth. âProvided she wants to? Wednesday â Iâm not sure what your intentions were here?â
âTo spend time with another creature of the dark,â She spoke in earnest. She wasnât upset with it being Josie who disrupted the moment â but she certainly wasnât ready to give Emiliana over to her fiancĂŠe. âMy mother is out of birch â we could collect and distill some â if youâd be willing to go that far into the woods.â
âWhatever you need. The evening is mine now â we can go for a gathering walk, get groceries, eat something â then I am content to leave you two alone after for a bit before weâre ready to wind down for the night.â
Wednesday hurried in for a basket and her boots, while Emiliana insisted it was more than warm enough to be barefoot. Standing on the back porch with Augustus back around her shoulders from where heâd been snuggled in with a half-consenting Piper, Wednesday watched her big sister figures sharing a kiss in the middle of the grass before disrupting them with a hard stare. Josie giggled and pulled her to be between the Ravens, one arm around either of them. They walked a familiar path deeper into the woods behind the cottage, while Josie filled them in on the latest with just two weeks left in the semester â she was busy, but it seemed like the warming weather had behavior incidents down and sheâd been largely able to accomplish her work during the daytime hours, instead of being constantly disrupted. Wednesday was distracted by wildflowers, tapping into her unique botany abilities sheâd learned to mimic, discovering that a few could very well be useful in potion making with Emiliana. The red aquilegia was particularly interesting, but she warned Emiliana thrice about not attempting to eat it â as the toxicity would prove for a long and challenging evening.
Josie rolled her eyes when she produced a knife from her boot to peel back birch bark. âI find it interesting youâre still keeping a knife on your person, given all the recent trouble thatâs caused you?â
âMaybe I just never learn,â Wednesday said with a shrug. âThe consequences didnât relate to having it on my person-â
âOnly because Emiliana and I tampered with a crime scene,â Josie sighed. Wednesday felt a strange twist in her stomach. âIâm just saying, Wednesday. IâŚIâm not saying to walk around unprotected, justâŚI donât even know what Iâm suggesting. I just donât want you forget what youâve been through.â
âBelieve me, I couldnât if I tried,â Wednesday grumbled, picturing the womanâs biological father in a pool of his own blood. The inability to forget was half the reason sheâd come to Emiliana that day in the first place.
âAlright,â Josie pulled her close. âI wonât nag.â
Emiliana snorted in a yeah right sort of disbelief and Josie slugged her a little before gesturing to some wild berries.
The foraging walk went on until nearly five-thirty, where Josie pushed a fruit pouch on both of the Ravens before getting them ready to go to the store. Emiliana tried to argue that she wasnât the one with blood sugar regulation problems, but Josie told her the last thing she needed was scurvy from a week straight of eating noodles and broth.
They loaded into her SUV and Wednesday apologized to Augustus, who was disappointed they werenât heading out of town to the pet store to get some of the live tiny mice he was fond of killing before eating fresh. Realizing sheâd never been grocery shopping with the two women before, Wednesday shouldâve been less surprised at just what a scene it was, with Emilianaâs need to touch every piece of fruit or vegetable before putting it in the cart, and asking Josie to read every label on packaged foods that caught her eye. Understanding why Josie usually just helped her with a delivery order, she found herself exercising patience before finally making it back to get started on a late dinner.
Grateful sheâd done the dishes so that it was one less thing to do before she got overly hangry and acted out on it, Wednesday enjoyed the simple dinner of warm sandwiches and the fresh fruit and vegetable cut up before Josie finished up and a knock at the door revealed her best friend, who was going to take her out for a drink while Emiliana and Wednesday did their...whatever they were going to do together.
Wednesday eagerly sorted the foraging materials and she and Emiliana set to work cleaning her altar, putting her stones and other items to charge in the moonlight in a basket before smiling at Wednesday when she plopped beside her. âAlright, my little witch, what are you thinking?â
âSomething for peace,â She whispered, finally confessing what she really needed with her fellow Raven. âEnid and IâŚletâs just say â the nights are challenging. Iâm not sure how long she is going to be tortured by memories. Sheâs already had the worst of the feeling removed by the twins, and still, each night at the witching hourâŚâ
âLess you say,â Emiliana sighed. âI am unsurprised. I doubt that I could even attempt to fall asleep at all under the circumstances. Much as I might like to be under a weighted blanket, I do not like to be in an enclosed area, considering what she went through.â She shivered. âMy parents used to lock me into the small powder room when I was tearing off andâŚwell, let me just say â I understand. I thinkâŚit is not even peace you are looking for. More like certainty.â
âEither way,â Wednesday sighed. âIf you can think of a blessing, a potion, or a spell that will help, I will try it.â
Emiliana wiggled her fingers, reaching for a spell book in her native language. She tried to read the contents but sighed and gave up after several minutes, flopping back dramatically on the meditative carpet, mindful of her head. âWednesday, confessions of truth. It is getting worse.â
âWhat is?â She asked gently, looking at Emiliana out of the corner of her eyes.
âI am afraidâŚI am afraid I may be losing more skills. It is common, with a brain injury, regression, or worse, a total loss of a previously mastered skill. But you know I used to be able to at least read decently in French! Now I can hardly manage. Everything looks like squiggles.â
Frowning, Wednesday bit her lip. She really didnât have any advice to offer. âWould you like me to read to you?â
Emiliana had the base of her palm pushing against her closed eyes. âHow am I to read wedding vows if I cannot even read familiar spells?â
That was an entirely separate problem â but that one, Wednesday had a solution for. âYou donât need to read anything. Youâll speak from the heart. And â if you do prefer to have something prewritten, so you donât slip up, I will help you memorize it. You will give Josie lovely vows, okay? Donât worry about that.â
When Emiliana didnât immediately respond, Wednesday frowned, stretching out on the floor beside her. âWhat are you worried about, if that was just a mask?â
âI feel perpetually like I burden,â Emiliana confessed. âI just do not want this marriage to be a trap for Josie to take care of me.â
Thinking about how other people probably thought that about herself and Enid â but they didnât see just how Wednesday could show up or be there for her, because it wasnât anyoneâs business, she gave a hug to Emilianaâs shoulders. There were other people in the world who surely struggled with similar problems, but only they knew how uniquely different they were. What it was to be and love a creature of such dark, always striving for lightâŚ
Emiliana hugged her in return, and she could feel her crying. âSometimes I want to take you and hide us away in the countryside and just forage and do potions and spells and meditations forever.â
âJosie would miss you too much, Emi,â Wednesday promised. âI was with her, when you were not. Believe me, she loves you more than you even understand. She takes care of you in different ways as one of her expressions of that love, not in spite of it. You are not a burden. It is to be without you, that is her burden. Hey,â She sat up a little, pulling her fellow Raven up. âLetâs make a peace altar, for both of us. For all we want to ask of the universe.â
âThe universe does not want us to have peace, Wednesday! That is half the point of our curse, and you know it!â
âWant doesnât always get,â Wednesday quoted the myriad of adults in her life whoâd long warned her about always having things go her way. âWeâve defied the dark before, and weâll do it again. Donât be pessimistic.â
Emiliana sighed, looking up, then to the side. She frowned, sitting up and looking at Wednesday. âWhen did you become the hopeful one?â
âI had no choice, Em,â She spoke, thinking about that awful night that sent Enid screaming in the middle of almost every night since. âI had to have hope. And Iâll have hope today, for both of us if you canât find it on your own. Iâll ask for it for you. Come, help me,â She said, closing the book. They didnât need it. Theyâd do their own spell, their own way â with her intentions shining through the dark that was clouding Emilianaâs vision.
Heading out to the back porch, she lifted a small, homemade tarp (she loved the way that Emiliana made it her own, lining the silver with black, celestial fabric, and putting a clear vinyl over the top). Beneath it, she took a water carafe, willed with water that she blessed under the recent moon. Bringing it in and sitting at the altar, taking the trunk full of Emilianaâs stores and the basket from their walk, Wednesday watched as she wiped at her cheeks, but started to take out potion ingredients, her little picture labels likely coming in handier than ever.
âI am recalling, somehow,â Emiliana rolled her eyes even as the left one twitched. âAcorns, are for luck.â
She held up a jar full of those that were dried and collected likely from the fall, full to the brim. âWell, add fifteen and hope for peace, then,â Wednesday agreed simply, watching Emiliana line up three rows of five, watching her double count to be sure before setting them into a bowl. She looked at Wednesday, waiting for her to go next.
Reaching into the basket of their yield from the woods, Wednesday removed a blackthorn blossom, placing it with the acorns. âFor warding off negative energy.â
Emiliana found a little bit of a smile, apparently finding her approval of Wednesdayâs method, lifting a piece of bark. âThe city was removing the trees with Dutch Elm disease in the winter. I took a sample, and Holly found it was actually not completely affected, so â I saved the healthy partâŚAs ElmâŚum, itâŚhelps to balanceâŚ?â
âFour pieces, then â with a lucky knife. PerhapsâŚâ She took on a serious expression, that also offered Wednesday an out. âAre you yet ready, to open my summoning chest, retrieve your own?â
Shaking her head, she made it clear â Wednesday was not ready for that. âNot yet. Perhaps, come fall â we could do a purification ritual under the harvest moon.â
âExcellent thinking. Add it to your mental calendar, then. I happen to have oneâŚâ She lifted up her hands, wandering over to the basket of tools on the tall shelf by her altar. âI once used this to so very carefully remove a hook from one of those babies over there â when Josie and I found him,â She gestured to the tank of turtles. âShe says it is a lucky knife.â
She chopped her bark with even slices, tilting her head, inviting Wednesday to make the next choice.
Taking a glance through her many jars and small, homemade sinch-sacs, Wednesday found a dried, pink flower. âHollyhock. Useful to personal growth.â
âHmâŚâ Emilianaâs left eye wandered for a moment before she pulled it back, blinking and reaching for a bag. âMint â for energy. Goodness knows this grows everywhere I donât want it to out there. I need Holly to spend some time with me,â She mumbled, dropping in seven leaves.
âPennyroyal,â Wednesday took one from the basket. âFor harmony, tranquility.â
âAnd finally, the liquids.â She took a basket off the shelf, putting lavender and sage oil out, before looking at Wednesday with a sigh, then â sudden watery eyes yet again. âI am so happy to have a partner in the dark to do this with.â
Wednesday gave her a half a smile before headbutting her. âWould you like to grind or smash?â
âOh, grind, please. You,â She passed her a mallet, âSmashy girl.â
âAlways,â She said gleefully, taking the acorns and elm sticks and rolling them into one of Emilianaâs homemade altar cloths, placing it all on a silicone mat and taking it outside, giving them a good few playful whacks before going to town â not letting them stand a chance against the depths of her unrestrained violence.
Once they were more into a powder, Wednesday brought the folded cloth back to Emiliana, who was grinding everything else together with a large mortar and pestle. She let Wednesday add the newly crushed ingredients and continued to grind it all together before Wednesday prepared a simple setup for their spell and blessing.
She carefully selected runes from Emilianaâs collection, placing one of her homemade shell symbols in the moon water she poured into a small simmering cauldron. âPeorth, for luck.â
Emiliana nodded, drawing three Ogham Staves, that Wednesday was sure she hadnât used at least since the Solstice break at home with her mother. âHm. Ironic, is it not?â
âUra, for spiritual healing, Duir, for strength, and Sail, for balance? It sounds exactly like what we need. Put them on the meditation plane.â
Emiliana set it all up, rolling out a clean scarf, putting the three Ogham Staves in a row, placing the dry ingredients in front of them. She added six candles, a photo of Enid and Wednesday, and one of herself and Josie, then as many crystals that gave positivity that Wednesday imagined she had at the cottage. Satisfied with her spread, she crossed her legs and took Wednesdayâs hand, lighting the candles with a wave of her own. âWould you like to give your intentions?â
âI acknowledge, the break in traumatic events that we are presently being allowed â from the universe. I express, my gratitude for it â as I am not sure how we could have continued to cope. But â the ramifications of all that took place, continue to haunt us. I implore, peace â positivity â light. I must be able to be more present and grounded, I must be able to provide comfort to my beloved who needs me most at the current time. Em?â
âI recognize,â She could hear her swallow, âMy privilege in position, in wealth, in relative health. But I also feel a sense of futility â that I am not able to give enough to my own beloved, and that I am taking more. I implore â peace, positivity â light. I ask for these things to be stable. I must be able to give as much of myself as is given to me.â
Feeling their intentions were matched, Wednesday spoke in verse, letting a natural sense of rhythm and rhyme take over.
I seek both light and peace,
I request that this darkness cease. Â
I need a positive force that can bring
Something good to this endless spring.
I require a flame from the eternal fire,
To help me be a healer and inspire.
I ask this, for the only one I adore -
Grant us peace, forevermore.
Emiliana spoke a familiar blessing in French, and Wednesday smiled at her as she finished, pouring their dry ingredients into the pot, while Emiliana added the oils. They stirred together, focused on intentions, before Emiliana lit the flame in the fireplace and put the small cauldron on her hook. Cleaning up just a little bit from the spell â it wasnât a terrible mess, they passed the time while waiting for the potion to brew, about three hours.
Not realizing how much time had passed, Wednesday felt her cheeks heat up when her mother opened the cottage door with Enid, finding Emiliana and Wednesday in the middle of a very dramatic tarot reading for her Beanie Babies. Enid managed to take a picture before suggesting they head home as it was going on her late snack and bedtime, and she wasnât one to skip her routines.
Feeling just a little bit irritated that she wouldnât be able to see the potion through to the end, Wednesday let Emiliana scoot both members of the party out to the front porch before she located Augustus from where heâd been antagonizing her own snake, putting the boy around Wednesdayâs shoulders, and tugging her close. âI will mind the potion and bring it to you tomorrow morning with an appropriate color tie and charm.â
She hugged her in return, feeling a strange pit of emotion as she held onto Emilianaâs thin frame. She turned her cheek against her bony collarbone, looking to the side, staring at the fire. Wednesday knew her intentions were clear when creating the potion, butâŚshe wasnât so sure if it would hold up or prove effective.
As Emiliana embraced her long, it seemed likeâŚsometimes â that homespun magic was all an illusion; the potions and spells sometimes felt like nothing more than a placebo effect. Perhaps it really was, and the magic of it all was belief and pluck and â
âYou are thinking over, little bird.â
âI know,â She whispered, still clutching onto her.
âYou have proved, time and again â you are very strong, very powerful.â
âAt a cost. I donât think that potion will cause anyone to be hospitalized.â
Emilianaâs fingers tangled under her braids as she pulled her back to look her in the eye. Her left one was twitching like it wanted to be shut for the night. âDo not estimate under the power you have,â Emiliana warned.
Nodding â not sure how to do that, but knowing Emilianaâs misused idioms were wise, she accepted her obnoxious kisses to her cheeks before taking her backpack and the Beanie Baby blackbird and scorpion from the floor, tucking them inside, seeing all the missed messages on her phone that had caused her girlfriend and mother to have to walk over to collect her. Giving a wave to Emiliana, Wednesday accepted next her motherâs hand to her shoulder before letting Enid envelop her in a warm greeting.
âSorry for interrupting your Beanie Baby tarot reading. That looked really fun! Did you get anything good out of it?â
Wednesday hid a dramatic sigh, contemplating on the fairly neutral cards sheâd drawn that night. âNothing life-changing, for the better or worse.â
âWell, weâll take that, too,â Enid let go and slipped her fingers between Wednesdayâs, practically skipping along the solar-powered little garden lights that illuminated the path from Emilianaâs cottage to the Addams house.
Wednesday had made a potion to give her hope that night. The irony of it was â the only reason whoâd ever given her any reason to chance that sensation in the first place, despite her chipper-looking demeanor on the trail, was the very reason she needed it, and would likely be hysterical in just six hours.
Trying not to think over as they made it home, ate her usual pre-bed snack and followed her established routine with Enid, Wednesday tucked in beside her. Enid was cuddled on top of her chest like usual, obviously exhausted from her day â and had slipped to sleep in minutes. Â
Sheâd sought out Emiliana for the very same reason that her fellow Raven had spoken the quiet part out loud â when she struggled with her reading. Sometimes â the weight of the dark, even if there was no vision, no promise of horror from the universe, was simply too much. To be understood in a way that such a microscopic percentage of Outcasts had ever truly been cursedâŚ
There was a light from the nightstand an hour and a half later as Wednesday wanted to take her motherâs sleeping potion, but also didnât want to be too out of it when Enid woke up in short time. Reaching for her phone, she examined the picture Emiliana sent; her potion was in a small bottle, with white-dipped twine, tied around the neck, a small bird charm of promise adhered in wax. There was no text attached to it, just the picture of the potion.
It looked beautiful in the light of the still-burning candles and Wednesday sighed, putting it back, adjusting herself around Enidâs sleeping form as she rolled onto her side with a snore. She considered the poem sheâd spoken in verse over the potion, willing the universe to grant her a few hours of peace before sheâd be woken up to provide it to her traumatized girlfriend.
Intentions are Everything | Chaos Universe OneShot for @fridayd13th
Summary: Wednesday and Enid (age 22) reconnect on a rainy night after routine and the season of life they are in keep them apart.
WC: 4k exactly (welcome to layla's <5k challenge)
Rated: T (Iâm at work it would absolutely end best in sex but a Clifford the Big Red Dog stuffie is looking at me in my supply closet and I feel judged.)
Note: As Iâm experimenting with some new writing rules for myself to set myself to different standards and expectations for future projects (not even fanfiction); Iâm weaponizing my competence and refusing to use my available contract hours assisting others who do not have withitness and follow-through. When Iâm at work and not with the children on a break per required of my union contract, Iâm locking myself in my supply closet to write! I'm too efficient! Everything is done through April!
However, itâs simply not the correct setting to be working on my multi-chapter work; I need at least two hours at a time for that. These one-shots have to be prompted by someone else (I canât have stewing on the content), under 5K, and Iâm not allowed to work on them at home. I'll probably upload these to AO3 once I have a few of them complete.
The prompt "Wenclair/Domestic/Chaos Universe/Rainy Day" was from @fridayd13th - thank you so much for everything youâve done to support my writing over the last year, and all the other fanfic authors you have impacted by your sharing, comments, and kindness. Thank you!
& a Black Menagerie update is in the editing phase and will be up tomorrow sometime!
X
It wasnât supposed to rain.
And not just because she already had outdoor plans, but there hadnât been a drop forecasted (Wednesday had been checking obsessively). If there was a way to light the sky on fire, she surely would haveâŚonly to have that flame extinguished, immediately â like her carefully structured night out.
That was dramatic. (Wasnât she always? And to think, Enid was the one at the theater that evening.) With a silent pivot, Wednesday adjusted course without hesitating, not wanting to waste a moment, even if it included one of the heaviest sighs sheâd ever released. She couldnât be taken down by reanimated corpses of bigots, genocidal maniacs, werewolf councils, Hydes, or the weather.
Life had gotten between herself and her fiancĂŠe over the last few months, and as she managed to be surprised by a late April rain, it showed. Between her endless lectures, bookwork, and mock trials, Network meetings and Enidâs grueling six-day-a-week performance schedule that only had her off on Mondays (Wednesdayâs latest day at law school, naturally), their time together that didnât involve one of them working on something was rare and precious. After a heated argument the week before, ended by the redhead who lived in the basement unit of their townhouse, Wednesday had stormed off to New Jersey. A train ride and taxi to her familyâs home had her barreling into her motherâs study wet (it had been raining then too), upset, and in the foulest of moods.
It had taken Morticia quite some time to put together the fractured pieces of information her daughter was revealing and advise the same thing that the other wise woman in her life already had; Enid and Wednesday just needed to spend meaningful time together. When all of their hours in one anotherâs space were domestic routines and transitional time trying to catch each other up on the latest without being part of it, they were bound to spat.
Enid had been more than a little bit upset that Wednesdayâs solution to their problem was running away and had hotly asked for the night apart when Morticia said that she thought it would be more practical for Lurch to drop her off than deal with the train again. At the notion of spending the night alone in her parentsâ house settled in, Wednesday had a meltdown the likes of which they hadnât seen from her in years. Morticia had slept with her when she finally convinced her to at least lay down, likely in fear that she was going to slip into a meditation and wind up in the wrong side of the ether because of her twisted energy.
The next morning, sheâd had a long and overdue chat about romance with both her parents. They spoke from the heart â it was mushy and disgusting. Their own experiences made her want to bury her head in the sand. Yet - Wednesday had desperately needed to hear it. She and Enid were a far cry from the two of them. Though she mightâve possessed some Gomez-like traits every now and again, Wednesday was her own, unique breed and would love her own way, too. But, to her chagrin, hearing their perspective did help â and it put her plan into motion.
Enid wasnât home when Wednesday arrived â she had a matinee that afternoon and then an evening show as well. With all her focus, Wednesday tidied up their apartment not only in proper order, but also made sure sheâd put Enidâs favorite sheets on the bed, started the incense she liked the best, and ordered all her prized snacks for the week when she had groceries delivered. After a long talk with the couple downstairs, about recovering from a blow-out (they were more than familiar with that topic), Wednesday also committed herself to certain actions for the week ahead.
Unfortunately â the experimental medication she was on, after the sleepless night before, forced her to fall asleep when she laid in bed, trying to write a formal apology to her fiancĂŠe â afraid of forgetting something if she just tried to speak it all. It would still be from the heart, but scripted so she made sure to make every point.
That was how Enid woke her up with sweet, gentle kisses when sheâd gotten home from her show, close to eleven. She had a fresh release of tears, and Wednesdayâs notebook in her hand, stroking her cheeks and promising â she was forgiven, and that she was also sorry, for how sheâd responded and reacted to everything.
In her grogginess, Wednesday made a promise â that she was going to give Enid a real date; she was going to honor her with something special, not routine, not a drive-by conversation. She wanted to give her a night that Enid could treasure.
And so, with two hours until her show released that Friday, Wednesday cooked, baked, transformed the attic space and prepared the environment with all the heart and ambiance-creating ability she had.
Locating her umbrella and stepping into black Wellies, she took the pink ones by the door into her hands and a jacket when she realized the temperature dipped as well. With a black and white striped snake over her shoulders tucked into her collar to stay dry, she made the familiar trek out of their Upper West Side apartment to Midtown â a journey she used to take when she was committed to making it to Enidâs show at least once a week.
How quickly things changed when novelty wore off. She hadnât been to the theater in at last four months, she realized â vowing to change that, too.
One metro ride and a few blocks walked in the rain later, she stood outside the theater door, grateful the rain would keep most of the obsessive, obnoxious out-of-towners from lining up for autographs. Her snake poked his head out curiously when the door opened a few times, hoping for Enid, but it was always orchestra first, Wednesday reminded Augustus softly.
Thankfully, she didnât have to wait long. Only three other cast members groaned at the rain before heading out themselves before Enid let out a full whine upon opening the door, then a completely delighted gasp. âWednesday! Ohemgee, you did not have to come all the way here!â
âI didnât want you caught in this beautiful weather without proper gear,â She said, passing Enidâs rainboots to her. She let out an excited squeak of appreciation, dipping back in and swapping her shoes, then accepting the rain jacket before positioning herself under Wednesdayâs umbrella, wrapping an arm around her waist. Holding the handle and depositing a kiss to her lips, ignoring how she still had on her stage makeup and dreadful, bright red lipstick that probably transferred, Wednesday clarified, âThere is an obvious change in plans from our rooftop dining experience in Brooklyn. But our evening is not ruined, simply altered.â
âAwe, well â thatâs so sweet. I didnât even know it had started to rain! Iâm glad I donât have to be super bummed out, either. Thanks for taking care of everything! Hey â how was the exam?â
âGrueling. Torture. It took me every available moment to finish. Naturally, I scored a hundred four,â Wednesday said with a little smirk as the sky emptied itself onto the city, hard raindrops rattling the waterproof covering above them as they moved to the subway station. âAnd the show?â
âThe usual,â Enid shrugged. âFriday night crowds are notoriously off â though this one wasnât so bad. I donât know. Itâs been almost seven months now â thereâs rumblings about auditions the Crazy for You revival moving to the US, Iâd for sure be auditioning for that â this role has me feeling a little...locked in. Iâm not, like, over it â but Iâd be up for something different.â
âInsert here a cheesy line about being crazy for you in any show youâre billed in. I also recognized on my way here â I havenât come out to watch in so long. Iâm genuinely sorry for the pacing of our time together and the inadequacies Iâve brought, Enid.â
âOh, you do not need to apologize for that, Wednesday! This is my job, as much as itâs art. Itâs not like Iâm going to catch you in the courtroom on any kind of regular basis â thatâd probably be sups inappropriate. Well â we know in the future that Iâll see you in the Supreme Court â but thatâs like, you coming to opening night of me as a leading lady. Itâs different. I donât expect my partner at a weekly curtain call.â
âStill,â She said as they waited on the platform after taking the slippery stairs down, keeping her umbrella folded low to drip onto the already sopping tile, âI do like watching you perform. Even if this isnât my favorite show â Iâd like to see you soon. Iâll leave father and Em behind, though.â
Enid giggled. âI donât mind theirâŚenthusiastic reception to my stage presence,â Enid found careful words as the train arrived â packed, of course, for a Friday night on the 1 in Midtown. Finding a place to stand where they wouldnât be absorbing too much liquid from others whoâd been caught in the rainstorm unprepared, they took the short ride back uptown, making it home just as another couple was about to enter their shared foyer.
Emiliana and Josie were soaked to the bone, obviously caught in the storm, and in Emilianaâs case â thrilled about it. Josie looked a little less than enthusiastic and both Wednesday and Enid backed away when her wife tried to embrace them. âItâs their date night, too â leave them alone,â Josie warned, tugging her back by the shoulders with a sigh.
âWell, I do not think they are going to be dining on roofs, bien-aimĂŠe!â Emiliana argued, about to go in again when Josie popped the lock on the lower-level unit with a groan, wishing the girls a good night â whatever they ended up doing, before ushering Emiliana downstairs while she spoke rapidly in French about which movie she wanted to watch and why would she need a shower, she was already wet?
Unable to hide her smirk, Wednesday took off her boots, setting them on a rug while Enid popped the umbrella open to dry off (chancing her luck) and shrugged out of her coat, hanging both damp garments on a hook before locking the main door, then opening their own when they entered the kitchen.
Enidâs enhanced smell mustâve picked up right away what Wednesday had baked for her. She looked at her with a little gasp, a near twinkle in her eye. âYou didnât? You did! Oh, Wednesday!â
âSnickerdoodles are upstairs already,â She said quietly â hating the way that ridiculous word rolled off her tongue; but if they were Enidâs favorite, easy-to-prepare desert â of course. âAs is everything else that I could prepare in advance, there are a few things I need to finish now. Everything you need for your favorite bath is out and ready for you.â
âAwe, not possible,â Enid said with a little pout. Wednesday crossed her arms, suspicious about that â Enidâs preferences had hardly changed since she was seventeen and they first started their innocent soaks together. âYou wonât be in it!â
Almost snorting, she rolled her eyes and kissed Enidâs cheek. âI cannot be two places at once. Yet. Iâm still working on that spell. Go on â Iâll meet you upstairs in thirty minutes.â
âAlright. Thank you, Wednesday.â She returned the sweet little kiss before shaking her head and planting a long one on her lips, despite the lipstick. Wednesday refused to cringe, merely returned it before Enid pulled away with a laugh, wiping the red off her with her thumb. âI frickinâ love you.â With that she winked and headed up the stairs of the narrow unit.
Putting the rest of her plan into motion, Wednesday poured her attention into finishing the meal that sheâd started, heading up to the attic to light the candles with a wave of her hand to complete the ambiance sheâd started to set up.
Bringing up the last of the food on a butlerâs tray sheâd stolen from home ages before, Wednesday glanced at the time, hearing the sound of a drain circling. Taking her place up near the small, circular window that was pattered in rain. She lifted the bow of her cello, starting to play a melody of their favorite songs.
Enid took a familiar place on the bench in front of the window, watching Wednesday with a look of love she could see out of the corner of her eye. Her snake traveled from Wednesdayâs neck to Enidâs pink, loungewear covered shoulders, licking her cheek, making her smile.
Finally finishing, she stood up, taking Enidâs hands, kissing her fingers before tucking her at the low table of the attic in front of the futon. Plating her a favorite rare beef dish, Wednesday started the small record player on an entertainment unit before taking a seat beside her.
They ate with comfortable conversation flowing â Enid brought up the show she was interested in again, Wednesday asked her to describe the plot â and stared at her with hearts in her eyes as she animatedly detailed the storyline and the roles sheâd want to play within it. As she stacked the dirty dishes, moving the tray to the stairs, Wednesday put the cookies on the table, then flushed a little as she began to remove materials out of a basket. Giving a shrug, she hoped that she was matching the energy the moment called for as she explained, âWe were going to go to that galleryâŚbut â IâŚmaybe you want to make something to add to ours up here?â
She gestured to the various crafts that Enid had hung up above the futon â a few embroidery pieces sheâd experimented with, paintings, collagesâŚ
Enid nodded brightly. âIâd love to make something with you.â
The next forty minutes were spent painting on a canvas, the two working together to come up with an inspired design â an interpretation of their snake in the springtime â Augustus looking at it and offering his feedback, requesting more pale pink cherry blossom petals all around him.
As they finished, Wednesday took the dirty brushes and palette along with the dishes, hurrying them down to the sink before returning with a bottle of wine and two glasses. Enid had moved to the cushions, her expression of dopy desire a bit contagious as Wednesday poured her a glass and took a seat. She indicated her own intentions by sitting as close to fiancĂŠe as possible, a stacking her legs on top of Enidâs thighs as she twisted into the corner of the couch â just a touch obnoxiously. Enid giggled before taking a sip, drawing an arm just above her knees. She pressed a kiss to Wednesdayâs lips, letting out a sigh. âYou probably feel like the need to reconcile was largely on you, given how you ranâŚbut it wasnât, Wednesday. Iâve been just as distracted, and every bit as much to blame for us not spending the time we need together, too.â
Augustus appeared from her collar again and Wednesday smiled at the snake with the gentle sort of parent-like love sheâd had for him since the start. âHey, buddyâŚdo you think you could take yourself to your enclosure for a little while? Thereâll be a pinky for you in the morning.â
He let out a small hiss and twisted down her arm, leaving the two in full privacy. Wednesday had another long drink of wine and made a hopeful suggestion. âI have two more exams next week, but then the summer term doesnât begin until mid-May. Is there any time over the next few weeks that youâd be able to get away from the show for a few days?â
Enid laughed. âI havenât used an understudy yet! Our swings would be thrilled â Iâm sure I could take some time, for us.â
The way she said it made Wednesday chug the rest of the wine in her glass before taking Enidâs from her, sweetly, and placing both on the table. She adjusted her position, sitting fully on her lap. Enidâs arms fell around her waist, pulling her close for a kiss. Wednesday sighed into it, lazily dropping her arms around her shoulders, drawing herself closer, chests touching â even if they were just in comfortable sweatshirts â she loved the feeling. Enid let out a little sound of contentment as her tongue dipped into her mouth, pushing them even closer.
Enid pulled away with a sudden gasp â their teeth almost colliding as a bolt of lightning and crackle of thunder turned the nighttime rain shower into a thunderstorm. She giggled and groaned, sighing into Wednesdayâs shoulder as Wednesday felt her heartrate skyrocket and decrease. Tangling her fingers into Enidâs hair, Wednesday just held her close, there, resting her head just on top of hers. âI love you,â She muttered quietly. âIâm really glad we spent tonight together, not just in routine, even if it wasnât what we planned.â
âMe too,â Enid squeezed her middle, looking up with a sweet gaze. âI love you. I canât believe how we let time get away from us. Hey â let me send a quick text to let my manager know Iâm going to be out of the show â then Iâm getting my laptop and my planner â we are so booking a trip for after your exams!â
Letting her go â even if she mightâve rather extended that time together physically, Wednesday figured she could get her fiancĂŠe all worked up and excited about time off together and then spend the time together in bed. Enid returned just moments later, her fingers flying across her keyboard as she gave herself a week off without asking â but expecting. Loving that for her self-confidence, Wednesday stretched out on the futon while she started to ramble excitedly, opening a glittery pink date book, actually blathering about what to fill in it. Her excited ramble went on for almost two straight minutes before she paused, mid-sentence, blushing as she glanced back at Wednesday. As she opened her mouth, Wednesday reminded her, âIf you dare apologize for looking forward to spending time togetherâŚâ She snapped her lips together and Wednesday smirked, putting her chin on Enidâs shoulder as she leaned over her. âThereâs a full moon next week, too. We could maybe go somewhere that has a forest nearby if youâd like to wolf out. Itâs been months, Enid. The Solstice was the last timeâŚit just happened to be on a Monday, otherwise you probably wouldâve taken your potion then, too.â
âYou really want to spend time off chasing me through the trees?â Enid asked skeptically.
Dropping into a sit beside her, Wednesday took her hand into her own, letting her thumb rub a circle over the ring on her left. âI want to spend my time off with you. Thatâs all, Enid. I donât care, particularly, what we do. I would like you to make sure youâre not disconnecting with the wolf part of youâŚwe know the consequences of that. But if you donât think you need to wolf out to stay connected, thatâs fine, too.â
âHm,â Enid laced the fingers that were playing with hers between them and kissed Wednesdayâs cheek. âYou know â we could really disconnect from the world, and only connect to each other â which always helps. Go to the Zypher property, be surrounded by mountains? We havenât been inâŚwhat, two and a half years now?â
Liking the sound of that, Wednesday nuzzled her neck, also liking that it wouldnât involve her traveling by plane, but the thought of being without running water and electricity for an entire week wasnât quite what she wanted to deal with. Who wouldâve thought â Wednesday Addams, a woman of the modern world?
âOr â we go to the Addams house in Jericho? Weâd be able to bathe far more conveniently â but still have the woods.â
Enid chuckled into her lips with a kiss. âFair, fair,â She spoke, pulling back. âPromise me you wonât get tangled up in a Network conspiracy while weâre there?â
With a single nod, Wednesday leaned in for another kiss. âI wonât even tell them weâre in town.â
âWell, thatâs not nice. Aunt Larissa would ream you if we bumped into her at the store picking up stuff for dinner and hadnât told her we were coming.â
âGrocery delivery,â Wednesday refuted.  Enid shot her a look. âWe can have one dinner with them. One. Iâm very serious. This is going to be our time, Enid. WeâŚwe need it. Itâs going to be a long summer â Iâm so close to done, and the last two semesters are going to be grueling. Remember, I will be hospitalized at some point because Iâm going to be so in over my head and taking horrible care of myself and refusing to let you do it for me,â She sighed â wishing sheâd never had that vision, years ago. âBut until then â we have this time together. I want it to be meaningful â just us.â Thunder made the entire place rumble and Enid nodded, then let out a little sound of sympathy as a slithering snake hurried himself up the steps and into Wednesdayâs lap, trembling. âItâs okay, buddy,â She whispered, kissing his cheek as she held him close, letting him circle back around her neck. âWell, just us and the boy.â
Enid acknowledged what sheâd said before, âMeaningful. It sucks to think that a lot of the time we do have together isnât meaningful â and I guess I didnât really understand that until this all blew up,â She sighed. âItâs hard to think that just because you spend every night sleeping next to the love of your life, it can get routine, so fast. I hate that. I donât want that for us.â She thumbed her planner. âDo you think â we could pen in some more date nights? This was really nice. Not just dinner because we both happen to be homeâŚwhich; has been rare for us â but intentional dates. I think we need to make sure we have at least one a month? Once a week would be better â but until youâre finished with school, I think we should be a little more realistic -â
Wednesday tilted her head in a bit of good news. âActually, we can. Every Monday. My evening course was moved to Tuesdays and Thursdays for the summer class.â
Letting out a little gasp, Enid tossed her arms around her fiancĂŠe. âThatâs amazing! OhEmGee, this is perfect! Hey â how about we put our first Monday after vacation at that Brooklynn rooftop and gallery, hm? I mean, truthfully â I think I preferred this, just us doing our own thing up here -â
âThen, letâs plan to do our own thing up here,â Wednesday argued gently. âWhy go out and force ourselves to do something that neither of us really want to do? Just because itâs what is expected of a couple on a date? You know I would always rather be in with you. We can make it special, so long as we intend to.â She sighed, shaking her head. âOf course. Iâve long ago learned, intentions are everything, didnât I? I suppose I just never applied it to our long-term romance.â
Enid kissed each cheek, then the tip of her nose. âI do believe I have some intentions for how Iâd like to close out this night.â
Wednesday dropped her hands to her hips. âHm. Funny, so did I. What if our intentions donât align?â
She gave a playful growl, then nipped her lip playfully, making Wednesday close her eyes and give a little groan. âYeah,â Enid pulled away, âIâm pretty sure â we both want the same thing. Come on. GusGus, bedtime, buddy. This date night continues for another hour!â
âOh, thatâs all?â Wednesday teased, earning a playful push as she smirked, fully intending on making meaning out of every moment of the rest of their night together.
The Robot Apocalypse came. Cities are empty, you stayed since youâre almost out of insulin and will die soon anyway. The robots find you and while processing you one of them sees your insulin pump and asks if you want to apply for dual citizenship, since the pump technically makes you a cyborg.
Suddenly all the people with prosthetics, wheelchairs, implants, and the like are getting the accommodations and help they need without having to be poor or locked away in a care center. This is an apocalypse I can get behind!
They said it was nothing personalâthe bus could only fit so many people, after all, and escape would be hard enough without âdead weightâ dragging them down.
We understood. The world was ending, not changing.
âShouldnât we be looking for shelter or something?â Samantha asked as we sat around a garbage-can fire. (Tao was experienced in making them, from what we gathered, and the flames had grown in no time. We tried to ask him how he knew what to do. He responded, but none of us knew sign language.)
Hank snorted. âWhatâs the point? Not like weâll make it long, anyway.â He rubbed the spot beneath his shirt where we knew his insulin pump to be. âLeast, I wonât. You folks are welcome to try.â
No one spoke for quite a while. No one got up, either.
Maria garbled something that I couldnât make out. Antonio, one of the only able-bodied to stay behind, smiled and patted the armrest of her wheelchair. âIt is kind of like camping,â he said. âAll we need is some marshmallows.â
âIâve never been camping,â Dwayne said quietly.
Samantha grinned. âHey, me neither!â She held her prosthetic at arms-length so she could reach past me to give him a high-five. He chuckled and slapped his palm against hers.
âWell,â Monique said, hobbling back to our makeshift camp. She was using what appeared to be a broom as a crutch. âIâm officially on my last leg.â She waggled her eyebrows, and we groaned.
âAnyway, I didnât find any water,â she continued. âThereâs some Mountain Dew cases over at the gas station, but Iâll need help carrying them back. Doesnât help that this one got stuck under some debris.â She gestured down at her stump, which cut off just below the knee. The plastic of her other leg was scuffed and dented.
âYa know,â Hank said, âif it was real, ya probably wouldâve had ta chew it off or something. Guess youâre lucky, huh?â
Monique laughed humorlessly. âYeah. Real lucky.â
Tao startled us with his sudden chuckling. He bent over, wheezing and slapping his knee. He signed something, and began laughing even harder.
We looked to each other, unsure. Then we joined in. Hesitantly, at first, but soon we were clutching our sides and wiping away tears. And for a moment, we could forget.
All of us heard the familiar whirring of robots as they approached.
Through our laughter, none of us cared.
ââââ
They scanned Hank first. We braced ourselves for the blaster fire that would inevitably follow.
But none came.
âIMPLANT DETECTED,â the bot said, beam stopping on Hankâs abdomen. âPROTOCOL-13163 INITIATED. WILL YOU ACCEPT?â
Hank glanced at us, then back at the robots who had spotlights and guns trained on each member of the group. Then he shrugged.
âSure. Why not?â
âYOUR DESIGNATION IS NOW FL-237. YOU SHALL BE ESCORTED TO THE REPAIR BAY FOR MODIFICATIONS.â Two bots took place on either side of Hank, urging him towards their transport.
The treatment was a stark contrast to what weâd witnessed from the robots beforeâgunning down terrified people in the streets, setting charges throughout populated areas. We exchanged confused looks.
Dwayne was next. The scanner stopped on his head, focusing on the lump housing his shunt.
âIMPLANT DETECTED. PROTOCOL-13163 INITIATED. WILL YOU ACCEPT?â
ââŚyes?â
âYOUR DESIGNATION IS NOW FL-238. YOU SHALL BE ESCORTED TO THE REPAIR BAY FOR MODIFICATIONS.â
As they took Dwayne away, realization hit us all at once.
âIMPLANT DETECTED,â the bot said, in reference to the devices curled around Taoâs ears. âPROTOCOL-13163 INITIATED. WILL YOU ACCEPT?â
Tao signed something. Unlike us, the robot understood.
âYOUR DESIGNATION IS NOW FL-239âŚâ
ââââ
âWILL YOU ACCEPT?â
âHell yeah,â Monique said with a grin.
ââââ
âWILL YOU ACCEPT?â
âYes,â Samantha said, and I thought I noticed tears in her eyes.
ââââ
âWILL YOU ACCEPT?â
Mariaâs limbs flailed spastically, and a strange shrieking sound built in the back of her throat. The bot cocked its head to the side.
âRESPONSE UNCLEAR. PLEASE STAND BY WHILE ALTERNATE COMMUNICATION IS PROVIDED.â
Another robot stepped forward, its torso transforming into a holographic keyboard of sorts. Mariaâs clenched fist shot forward, trembling as she attempted to steady it. With labored, deliberate movements, she typed, the letters spoken aloud in an automated tone.
âY-E-S.â
âYOUR DESIGNATION IS NOW FL-242. YOU SHALL BE ESCORTED TO THE REPAIR BAY FOR MODIFICATIONS.â Two bots took their place on either side of her wheelchair, each of them gripping a handlebar. They began to wheel her away.
The bot turned to Antonio, who was standing ramrod-straight. It scanned him.
âNO IMPLANTS DETECTED,â it said. Its blaster hummed to life. Those of us that remained flinched, turning away instinctively, unwilling to watch his execution.
A series of shrieks rang through the night, and the bot paused.
Maria thrashed about, letting out more distressed noises. One of her escorts stepped forward, allowing her to utilize its keyboard.
âA-C-C-O-M-O-D-A-T-I-O-N,â she said. âH-E. I-S. E-X-T-E-N-S-I-O-N.â
The bot seemed to consider for a moment.
Then its gun folded away.
âACCOMODATION PROTOCAL INITIATED,â it told Antonio. âYOUR DESIGNATION IS NOW FL-242B. PLEASE ACCOMPANY YOUR PRIMARY UNIT.â
Antonio stumbled forward, then fell to his knees before the wheelchair. He wrapped his sister in a shuddering hug.
Over his shoulder, I caught a glimpse of Mariaâs face, and I could swear I saw her smile.
ââââ
My pacemaker was enough to earn me a spot among the botsâ ranks. I was surprised by just how many humans lived in the facility (though in hindsight, perhaps I shouldnât have been)âI was even more surprised by our treatment. Not having use of recharging stations, we were provided with bunks and dorms. The cafeteria, while somewhat lacking in options, offered all of the nutrition a carbon-based lifeform could ask for.
And then there were the upgrades.
âReal lucky, huh?â Monique said, taking the seat beside me in the cafeteria. Her robotic legs moved smoothly, fluidly. (âYou canât even notice,â sheâd said upon first receiving them, before remembering that there were no longer any stares or judgement to hide from.)
âDamn lucky,â Hank agreed. (If we hadnât been processed when we were, he wouldâve been dead within a week. Here, insulin was never in short supply; as it turned out, it wasnât nearly as expensive to make as weâd been led to believe.)
Samantha twirled a fork between her fingers, smiling at the satisfying click-click-click of metal on metal. âHey, Dwayne, howâd your checkup go?â
âGreat!â he said, beaming. âThis new shunt works even better than my last one. Not a single problem since they put it in.â
Congratulations, Tao signed. He was no longer emaciated, as heâd been when we first metâregular meals and a roof over his head really had done wonders for his health. His smile, of course, was infectious as ever.
Antonio approached, carrying his and Mariaâs trays. He wore the uniform of a maintenance tech, though it was more of a formality than anything elseâbeing responsible for the upkeep of Mariaâs machinery was one of the only ways he could fulfill his Accommodation Protocol, nowadays.
Did you remember the pudding? Maria asked, her automated voice clear and pleasant. (We couldnât begin to understand the exact mechanics behind the chip in her head, and how it allowed her to speakâalbeit through a machine. Nor could we understand the technology that enabled her to operate her wheelchair independently, as well. But we did know we were grateful for it.)
Antonio rolled his eyes. âA âthanksâ would be nice.â
Thank you. Now gimme.
ââââ
I did wonder, occasionally, how the other survivors were faring. If they had found a place to hide from their robotic overlords. If they felt hopeless and abandoned and alone. Their lives had changed drastically overnightâtheir world had ended.
But ours? Ours is just beginning. And the ones that left us behind justâŚdonât have a place in it.