Chapter Text
Tonight was a full moon, and so naturally, Enid was feeling a little bit off today. She was more easily distracted, more boisterous than usual, and a little bit on edge. As such, she was more reactive, more sensitive, and hell, more hyperactive than usual, but it wasn’t her fault. She couldn’t control the wolfy urges that she had.
While Wednesday was patient and as understanding as she could be, Enid still worried that she would be a bit too much for her girlfriend to handle, and so she was trying to give her some space after class. Wednesday expressed wanting to go and work on her novel and then have some cello time before Enid inevitably wolfed out, and Enid respected that entirely.
As such, Enid was in the courtyard post-dinner, letting the large portion of red meat she’d just consumed settle in her stomach. She always ate so much on days like this; the carnivorous desires deep within crawling out and making itself known.
It was a very rare moment for Enid where she was alone, not socializing at the moment, although she was waiting for Yoko and Bianca to arrive so that they could have their nightly gossip session.
And perhaps it was for this reason that she became an easy target.
***************
Upstairs on the balcony of their room, Wednesday was fully engulfed in her cello practice, her arms swaying in rhythmic yet rigid movements as she played her solemn tune. Perhaps it was the fact that she saw a swarm of ravens fly away from the courtyard all of a sudden that pulled her out of her trance. She stopped playing, heard the crowing ‘caws’ of the black birds as they fled from something. Wednesday stood up, set her cello against the balcony railing, and headed for the courtyard with one thing on her mind: Enid.
***************
As she hurried down the stairs, Wednesday heard some screams, and saw some students fleeing indoors, away from the courtyard. Typically, this would have excited Wednesday: the idea of some gorey scene that caused mayhem and panic amongst folx was an absolute delight in her eyes. It was an ideal evening for her. However, there was one problem here: Enid. She didn’t know if Enid was okay, and so that took away any twisted fun or dark pleasure from a scenario like this.
She made her way through the crowds of fleeing students, dodging them carefully until she heard a sound that stopped her in her tracks. A loud, deep howl that sent a familiar shiver down her spine. She recognized that tone as Enid’s, however, it wasn’t one of pride, no, it was one of distress.
The protective urge to harm anyone in her way now took over Wednesday. She felt her blood begin to boil, her heart pounding as she ran out into the courtyard.
When she got there, she quickly put together what happened. On the ground, being dragged away by some students, was a boy who Wednesday knew of as a total piece of shit. He’d been known to be a bully to most, and so Wednesday was inwardly satisfied to see him bleeding on the ground as he was being pulled away, presumably to the infirmary. She thought she could see a claw mark and possibly a bite or two. How fun. While she wanted to smile at that, she couldn’t. Not now.
On the opposite end, however, was something that enraged her. Enid, entirely wolfed out and feral as ever in her werewolf form was being muzzled, a heavy chain around her neck as staff tried to contain her.
They were taking her to the Lupin cages.
Usually, students were brought there before they shifted. That is, if they planned on staying on campus. They were too much of a hazard, a dangerous risk to be out and about most nights. If students were planning on wolfing out in the forest, though, that was okay, although it still always posed a risk.
The Lupen cages were in the deep, tunneled basement chambers of the school. It was deemed necessary and essential to keep the general student body safe.
But Wednesday would not settle for this. How dare they handle and mistreat Enid in this manner? She’d definitely be taking this up with the new Headmistress at some point later, but for now, Enid was all that mattered.
“ENID!” Wednesday called out as she hurried over. Despite how feral Enid became in her shifted form, fangs snarling, pastel-rainbow-painted claws sharp and steadfast, ready to do damage, when it came to Wednesday, something deep within stirred her. She recognized Wednesday every time, and only Wednesday. Her fiery, wide eyes locked on the raven-haired goth girl scrambling towards them, and her gaze softened ever-so. The untamed urges within her being put temporarily on hold.
Suddenly, though, firm hands gripped Wednesday’s shoulders from behind. It was the new Headmistress herself, looming over her as she held her back. “Absolutely not, Miss Addams. She is being taken to the Lupen cages as a safety precaution. And when that time is up, she’ll be interviewed for due process.”
“Due process?”
“She attacked another student.”
“Enid would only ever do that if provoked. Maybe this is actually a true reflection of Nevermore Academy’s lack of preventing rampant bullying that has been going on for ages. Surely the school board would be interested in taking on that as a case of important business.”
“Miss Addams, you are out of line-”
“This school is out of line. Enid would only ever do such a thing out of self-defense, or if someone was being cruel to her. You shouldn’t punish the one who was the real victim here.” Wednesday would do everything in her power to be sure Enid was safe, and that Enid wouldn’t get expelled from school. She didn’t deserve that, that much was certain, no matter her motive for harming the other student.
Her conversation with the Headmistress was cut short, as the woman was pulled back into the situation at hand. Despite Wednesday’s attempts, Enid was dragged away to the Lupin cages below the school.
But that wasn’t going to stop her from freeing her girlfriend.
******************
About two hours passed. Wednesday had to allow for enough time to go by where things settled. Most folx involved were now focused on the injured student in the infirmary, and a majority of students were in their dorms by this time. It was fully dark outside, the moon was shining brightly, and things were quieting down.
In those two hours, however, Wednesday had to resist every urge to act immediately. She paced back and forth, sat on the floor, sat at her desk, utterly restless in thought and worry over Enid being locked away. Enid: the physical embodiment of sunshine and rainbows and all things good in this world, locked away in some musty, dark tomb of a place. Wednesday would love to be locked in a place like that, but not Enid. While the raven thrived in the darkness and morbid aspects of the world, she knew Enid well enough to know that it would suppress her radiant light.
As such, Wednesday was already on her way down the many flights of spiraling stone stairs, down to the deepest parts of Nevermore. There were warning signs saying things like ‘restricted access’ to which Wednesday blatantly ignored. One of the doors required a passcode, and in her two hours of insanity had done some digging and research to figure it out. She typed in the code, and the heavy iron gate doors opened.
At last, the Lupen cages. Wednesday walked by cell after cell, peering in each one as she passed. They were dimly lit, with unused chains in the empty ones. Most were empty, save for the one she was looking for. She heard chains rattling as if one were pulling against them, along with disgruntled snarls as if one were struggling to get out. Her footsteps picked up the pace, faster until at last Wednesday located Enid’s cell.
She put her hands on the bars, gripping them firmly. “Enid.” She spoke in her usual, flat tone. It echoed in the length of the hallway.
Enid’s ginormous, wolfy head whipped around, a fierce growl revealing sharp, lethal fangs. However, upon seeing Wednesday, something shifted, almost instantaneously. While Enid had told Wednesday before that she blacked out when she was in her wolf form and didn’t recognize most people, she for some reason always recognized Wednesday. It was why she was able to save her against Tyler that one dreadful night long ago. She wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was just because of their bond as best friends and now girlfriends, mates, rather, in werewolf terms. Whatever it was, Wednesday was grateful, as it meant she had a chance of managing Enid in her feral state and getting her out of here.
Enid’s gaze softened, and her snarled, curled up lips relaxed, fangs less visible now. She moved on all fours, crawling over to the bars of the cell as much as the chains would allow her to do so. Her muzzle had been removed, but the chains still held her back from moving too much.
“This is inhumane,” Wednesday muttered. Outraged and angered beyond belief that this was the school’s solution to manage their werewolf population when they wolfed out on campus.
Enid whimpered, a sound Wednesday was not pleased to hear in this context. “I’m getting you out of here. But, Enid, listen. I know you can hear me in there. I need you to focus with every fiber of your being. I need you to resist your urges, as difficult as that may be, in order for this to work. Got it?”
Enid canted her large head to the side, her furry, pink-and-blue tipped ears perking upright. She let out a wolfy bark that echoed loudly in the hallway. It was her way of agreeing. However, Wednesday flinched, shook her head once and sighed. “Enid, that means you have to be quiet.”
Enid whimpered again, her tail going between her legs. Wednesday rolled her eyes, and then looked around. Wow, the school made this fairly simple. The master key was literally just hanging on a hook at the end of the hallway, unsupervised. Likely because the school assumed two things: first, that no one would be able to break into the hallway without the access code and two, that no one would be insane enough to unleash one of the werewolves.
Alas.
Wednesday grabbed the key and carefully but quickly unlocked the cell. The heavy metal door swung open, creaking as it did so. She waited, listened for any sign of someone else coming, and when it remained silent, she went towards Enid.
“I’m going to take your chains off. And when I do, promise me that you won’t go running?”
Enid wagged her fluffy tail in response. Wednesday interpreted that as a win.
Finally, she used that same master key to unlock the chains. The chains detached from the wall, and most fell off, but one remained around Enid’s large neck-the one the school staff likely used as a leash of sorts to pull Enid along. Wednesday was about to examine said chain further to determine why it hadn’t come off like the rest, but that chance quickly vanished.
Enid, in her werewolf form, was feral at best, unhinged and unpredictable, even if she did recognize Wednesday. She saw the door was open, heard her chains clink to the ground, felt them free her legs, and instinctually, started running.
“ENID!” Wednesday whisper-yelled, huffing before she started sprinting after her girlfriend. “ENID SINCLAIR! I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME!” The whisper-shouting continued.
Enid had made it to the end of the hallway near the door and then came sliding to a halt, her large paws gliding along the pavement until she at last stopped with a huff and a grunt.
Wednesday caught up to her, catching her breath and took hold of the chain that dangled like a leash from Enid’s neck. “You’ve really given me no other choice. You’re wearing this until we make it upstairs. But DON’T do that again, okay? I’m trying to help you out here. I need you to control your urges.”
Enid made an elongated whiney sound, her ears lowering a tad.
“That won’t work on me right now. Now, come on, before someone catches us.”
Wednesday led Enid slowly up the stairs. It was a tight squeeze with the two of them. However petite Wednesday was, Enid was hulking and bulky in her werewolf form, and the sounds of her claws tapped against the stone steps with each heavy step she took.
They made it to the entryway to the first floor. There was an open rotunda that led to the staircase that led upstairs to the attic-dorms across the way. They just had to get there first. It was a lesser-used and lesser-known staircase in the back of the school, and so Wednesday just had to hope they didn’t get caught. She was fully prepared to have to maim or murder someone should the need arise though. She was equally as confident that she could scare off any peers that dare to rat them out.
Wednesday, naturally, had a plan. On her way down to the Lupen cages, she’d made a pit stop earlier at the kitchens and had managed to steal some red meat. She put it in a gallon-sized plastic baggy and had it tucked away in a satchel that hung over her shoulder. She pulled it out, and instantly, Enid’s nose caught the scent, and her big snout was sniffing fervently at Wednesday’s uniform.
“Enid. Enid. Focus. You want this? Then you need to get over to that staircase as quickly as possible without being seen, got it?”
With that, Wednesday looked both ways. She waited as she saw a pair of students go by an adjacent hallway. The coast was now clear, and Wednesday took a piece of the raw meat and chucked it with all her might across the rotunda. It slapped against the stone cold marble floor at the base of the stairwell. Perfect. Now she ju-
Her thoughts were interrupted by Enid’s impulsive reaction. Wednesday was still holding onto the chain-leash, and was consequently tugged along as Enid leapt and bound for the stairwell across the way. Wednesday gasped as she gained some air in the momentum, and soon found herself hanging onto the back of Enid’s furry body for dear life. Enid ravished the red meat hungrily, hardly chewing it as she then sniffed around for more. Wednesday used the brief pause to yank and pull herself up into a better sitting position atop of Enid. Okay, she was now literally riding her werewolf girlfriend, seated upon her back. This was NOT in her game plan, but she would roll with it. Maybe, somehow, this would get them upstairs faster?
“Enid!” More whisper-yelling. Enid’s ears perked up, alert. “You want more? Then get us upstairs to the dorm, now.” She hoped that this would work, or else they were screwed.
Something there must’ve clicked within Enid, as she then bolted up the stairs. Wednesday let go of the chain, and it dangled, clanking against the stairs as Enid leapt up them. Her stride was so long that she covered 7 or 8 steps with each galloping stride. Wednesday held on tightly, but reached for that key in her pocket, as she saw a separate lock at the base of Enid’s collared neck where the chain was. She managed to get the key into the hole, nearly falling off in the process, but it was set free and went clanking down the stairs until it stopped. It surely made a ruckus, but it would make the rest of their ascent upstairs quieter, or so she hoped.
Their room was at the very top of this stairwell, past floors four, five, then six. They were almost there. At last, they made it to the top, and their dorm door was before them. Wednesday slid off of Enid’s back, breathed the heaviest sigh of relief, and then put her finger to her lips as she looked at Enid, hoping to hush her until they were inside.
Once their door was unlocked, Wednesday tossed the remainder of the meat from the baggy into the room. It splattered on the wooden floor, thankfully not on Enid’s rainbow carpet (as she would definitely get an earful for that later if it did). Enid leapt for it, devouring it ravenously as Wednesday locked their door.
Wednesday leaned her back against the door, exhaling and closing her eyes momentarily as she reveled in the fact that they somehow managed to get here uncaught. She didn’t know how long this sanctity would last though, but for now all that mattered was that Enid was no longer in that awful cell.
As her eyes were still closed, and Wednesday was recovering from sensory overload, that moment was broken when she was nearly knocked over (luckily her back was pressed against the door as is) by Enid’s large head thudding against her chest in greeting. Enid nuzzled Wednesday aggressively, well, affectionately, but she was so large and strong that it came off that way. Wednesday grunted, sighed, and then smirked a little, shaking her head as she brought a hand to pat Enid’s soft head. She could tell Enid was thanking her, in her own weird little wolfy way.
“You’re welcome. Now, you have to remain quiet here too. No running around.”
Enid pulled back and licked Wednesday’s face once, and then turned around, scampering towards the bed. She leapt up to pounce over there, but her paws slid on one of Enid’s shaggy rainbow carpets, crumpling and folding said carpet up as she slid against the wooden floor. Enid then jumped to get atop of her bed, consequently knocking down a myriad of plushies, sending them cascading in different directions. She turned around, her body the length of the bed, if not nearly longer, and so her hindquarters accidentally hit the end table, knocking a little lamp off and unplugging it from the wall.
All of this happened within a matter of seconds, and Wednesday could do nothing but sigh and looked at Enid with disgruntled endearment. She knew she was trying. She begrudgingly wiped the bit of slobber off of her cheek with her sleeve.
Enid flopped onto the bed, settling after spinning in circles a few times to get comfy. The mattress buckled and bent under her weight, and she looked at Wednesday with eager, longing eyes, tail wagging. She made a little huffy grunt sound as she stared at the raven so intently.
Wednesday rolled her eyes once more and came forward. “Okay, if it keeps you quiet and from breaking anything else.”
There was hardly any room left on the bed with Enid on it like this, but Wednesday managed to fit herself snuggly, curling up against the warmth of Enid’s side. She stroked Enid’s shoulder fur gently, and could hear the heavy heart beating of the werewolf beside her. It was relaxing, in an odd, supernatural sort of way. But Wednesday preferred her life this way; the unexpected and unique.
And so she remained cuddled up to her werewolf girlfriend, hiding away from the looming threat of consequences for their actions, secure and snug in their dorm. The moonlight shown through the stained-glass window, spilling illuminations of rainbows over the two as they drifted off into twisted slumber.