Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

One last careful pull… And done! Charlotte cut the thread from her needle and set it in the pincushion sitting between her work and Aiden’s.

All around them, limbless mannequins sat idle, each one with a dress draped over its synthetic skin. The mannequins mirrored each other, a dress on one mannequin would be found on another across the room. Charlotte loved the symmetry, even if she found it a bit odd. Aiden insisted on it staying perfect, so she avoided touching anything, even if her curiosity had her touch a dress or spin a mannequin around to look at the garment.

The walls were plain white but had brightly coloured fabric hanging across the trim of the wall in perfect, alternating arches. Charlotte and Florence had put that together while Huxley had Aiden help him with cleaning up to keep him out of the room. Saying Aiden was surprised at the change was an understatement. For a while, Charlotte worried they’d messed something up, but when she came back for her piano lesson she found that Aiden just wanted the colours to match.

Charlotte looked at the dress in front of her. As well as teaching her piano, Aiden had been teaching Charlotte how to sew and knit. She’d already knitted Anri a sweater, and gave Bennett an experimental scarf (she’s fairly sure she saw it wrapped around a corpse to keep it from bleeding too much. At least it was being put to good use?), but now Aiden was pressing on the sewing. This was a dress in the making for weeks. Every lesson had more and more progress, until today. Charlotte had sewed the final ribbon on, and the dress was officially done! It was a simple dress; a singlet bodice with a short skirt. The material she used was a pale yellow and white plaid, with baby blue bows at the base of the shoulder straps. On the front of the dress, down the whole length, were white buttons. Charlotte made this dress planning for summer, and it was snug to her exact measurements (Aiden helped with that part especially). She couldn’t wait to show it off to Anri!

Aiden looked at her dress, beaming.

“Dear girl, it looks wonderful!”

“Really?”

“Of course! The stitching is a bit messy, but it will hold like any other dress. You’ve done excellently for your first dress.”

Charlotte’s smile lit up the room.

“Thank you so much, Aiden!”

“For what?”

“For teaching me! I really enjoyed this! Can I keep coming back to make more?”

“Of course. Perhaps next time, we could make a dress for Felix.” Aiden stifled a laugh at the idea. If looks could kill, Aiden would be dust by the way Felix looked at him every time he suggested he model a dress. “He has a much harder time saying no to you than me.”

“He says no to me plenty of times.”

“I mean he’s less likely to threaten you with experimentation than I.” Then, Aiden lifted Charlotte’s dress and placed it in her hands. “Go, try it on, if something’s gone wrong we can fix it sooner rather than later.”

Charlotte nodded as she rushed off to the piano room. She closed the door behind her, pulled off her clothes, and stepped into the dress. The fabric was a bit elastic, allowing an easier fit. Charlotte brushed out the skirt, then twirled around. It flew out all around her, Charlotte’s smile growing bigger. Then, she got an idea. Charlotte peeked her head through the door.

“Aiden! Turn around!”

Aiden seemed amused as he turned his back, covering his eyes with his hands. Charlotte padded out of the room, searching through one of the drawers very carefully. In the past, when modelling dresses, Aiden sometimes gave her a petticoat to make the skirt fluff up in such a gorgeous manner. Charlotte had secretly made the skirt the right length for her favourite petticoat, though she wasn’t too secret, considering she babbled to Aiden about the idea while sewing the hem of the skirt. Charlotte rushed back into the piano room and yanked the petticoat under her skirt, then spent far too long fixing the skirt so it sat comfortably on the petticoat. From there, Charlotte ran her fingers through her hair, slipped her Mary Janes back on, and stepped out of the room. Aiden was still facing the wall.

“Aiden, you can turn around now,” she laughed.

Aiden hummed as he turned in his chair. He took one look at Charlotte, and the smile on his face didn’t stop growing.

“You look fabulous. The dress suits you perfectly!”

Aiden had always made sure to praise her when she wore dresses. It only made her feel better about herself.

“Thank you!”

Aiden stood up and collected a mirror from behind a cabinet. He swiped a bit of dust off the top before holding it up in front of himself.

“What do you think of it, though? Your mind knows you better than I.”

Charlotte looked at the mirror, grinning brightly at the girl smiling back. The girl was adorned in a lovely dress. Charlotte fixed the neckline a bit and adjusted the skirt, then saw someone peering back at her. Behind the girl, a pale grey face with four eyes and a toothy grin splitting their face.

‘You look lovely,’ it mouthed.

Charlotte felt her throat burn.

The girl’s face contorted, eyes wide and scared, face pale, lips split. Then came the ink. Her chest heaved as harsh coughing tore through her throat. She covered her mouth with both hands as the coughing grew worse. She tried to find a single moment to comfort Aiden, to tell him she would be okay and he needn’t worry, he looked very concerned. She glanced up at him a few times between the coughs, but couldn’t get a word out before another ripped through her lungs. At one point, Charlotte felt something thick and sickly hit her hands, then more and more with every hack. Charlotte fell to her knees, tears rolling down her cheeks as she tried to stop coughing. She’d get one, two seconds of peace before it started again. At this point, she was sure the ink had made her throat raw.

Aiden put the mirror back against the wall, then kneeled behind Charlotte, one hand on her back. Charlotte was so careful not to drop any ink onto her dress, but when a few drops landed on the hem of her skirt, she started to cry as more and more ink built up in her throat. Aiden seemed slightly frantic, unsure of what to do, until Felix came into the room.

He seemed to be carrying something for Aiden, a box of materials, but when he saw Charlotte hunched over herself, crying as more hacks and heaves tore her throat apart, he dropped the box and ran back down the hallway. He was shouting for Doctor Huxley, thank god.

Charlotte had no idea what was going on around her. Her arms were shaking, struggling to hold her up as the ink became too thick, and she spat it up onto Aiden’s perfect, glossy floor. She heard Aiden talking, and then a gloved hand rested on her back with Aiden’s. Charlotte lifted a blackened hand, gripping Huxley’s shirt.

“I-... I don’t-“ Charlotte interrupted herself with another hack. “I don’t want to be a bother,” she forced out, voice barely audible through her raw throat.

Doctor Huxley said something back, something comforting, and then an order she assumed was directed at Felix. Felix left the room immediately. Aiden started to argue with Huxley, but Charlotte couldn’t make out the words as her ears began to ring. Her hold on Huxley went loose as she fell limp.

*

When Charlotte woke up, she was met with stifled laughter. She pushed herself up and looked ahead, Frei sitting on a nearby bookshelf, giggling at her. Charlotte’s eyes turned dark as she spun around to make them face her back.

“Come now, Miss Wiltshire,” Frei began, hopping down from their post on the bookshelf. “Surely you don’t blame me for what happened?”

Charlotte’s fingers dug into her arms, a frown knitting her brows together and thinning her lips.

“I didn’t do anything. I said you looked lovely, and you did!”

Frei waited silently for a response. They didn’t come too close, respecting Charlotte’s space.

“You’re the oracle, aren’t you,” she finally croaked out.

Frei signed, “I’m no more the oracle than you are a fish, Miss Wiltshire. I am you, now.”

“But you’re not. If anything you’re,” Charlotte’s voice faded with a sigh, her shoulders tightening.

“I’m?” Frei prompted.

Charlotte huffed and turned to face Frei, her glare the darkest they’d ever seen.

“You are a parasite. You may have helped me and Felix escape that TV dimension, but now you’ve clung to my mind like a brain-eating parasite and are ruining everything!”

Frei stood there, wide-eyed, before amusement lit up in their eyes. “I’m glad you’ve let that out, Miss Wiltshire. Trust me, as an indefinite guest in your head, it gets blocked up by your emotions and unsaid thoughts make the space awfully cramped.”

Charlotte sighed and dropped to the floor. She laid down on her side, one arm pillowing her head and the other resting across her waist. “I’m tired, Frei.”

Frei sat down behind her, gently adjusting her so her head rested in their lap. They cradled her head in their hands, brushing hair from her eyes.

“Then sleep, Miss Wiltshire.”

*

When Charlotte awoke again, she was laying on a clean table in her, now ruined, new dress. She was on her side, ink still drizzling out of her mouth. Charlotte wiped the ink off her lips with her hand and then pushed herself up, only to be stopped by Felix’s hand on her chest, pushing her back down.

“No. Don’t get up.”

Charlotte grabbed his wrist, her hands were clean of the ink from before, and only her right had a swatch of ink from her lips.

“I’m okay.”

“You aren’t okay, and Uncle said you’re staying here for the day.”

“But it’s gross here!” Charlotte argued, not even trying to spare any feelings.

“It may be ‘gross’, but we have to keep you here under observation. If you leave, it could be dangerous.”

“Dangerous how?”

“Charlotte. You were coughing up some black shit! You threw it up and passed out, the whole time too weak to hold yourself up. We’ll bring you food, we’ll bring you entertainment, even that cat thing, but you have to stay here.”

Charlotte frowned, then let herself lay back down, arms crossed along her chest.

“Thank you,” Felix said.

Charlotte sighed.

“Don’t worry about it.”

Chapter Text

Charlotte was staring up at the ceiling, wondering how on earth there were footprints up there. Magcat was purring on her chest as she scratched its glossy skin. The purring felt good and bad on her lungs. It felt like it was about to spark more coughing, but she loved the pressure and the feel and the fact that it was her magcat. She sighed.

The door opened and Charlotte felt the mood of the room lift immediately. Where she had just been sitting in dark silence, the lights flicked on and Bennett was talking about a new card game he’d found in a recent experiment’s pockets. Charlotte pushed herself up on her elbows, disturbing Magcat’s sleep, but he settled again lower on her thighs. Florence was with him, and they both seemed worried and happy to see Charlotte there.

“Charlotte!” Florence said as she ran to her side and grabbed her hand. Charlotte gave her a shaky smile as Bennett joined them at her side.

“Whatcha doin’ in here, maggot?” Bennett asked.

Charlotte groaned. “I had a slip up so Felix is making me stay here.”

Felix still hadn’t left, he was sitting in the corner scribbling on some paper, keeping a sharp eye on Charlotte and the others. Bennett waved, Florence smiled, and Felix shrugged them both off.

“What kinda slip up?” Bennett asked again, leaning his hands on the table. Charlotte was about to answer before Felix cut in, knowing she’d downplay the whole thing.

“She was practically coughing her lungs up, vomiting a…” His hand moved in circles as he arranged his words, “weird… black…. liquid shit, and passed out. It wasn’t pretty.”

“Thanks, Felix,” Charlotte said, her words dripping with sarcasm.

Florence’s face twisted inwards. “Ooh, that doesn’t sound fun. Makes sense why Huxley would want you here.”

Bennett rolled his eyes. “Uh, disagree!” His hand snapped up to emphasise his point as if he had acrylic nails. “She looks fine! Felix, let her go!”

“You’re just saying that to get a new partner in your card game…” Felix grumbled.

“I need a new partner because you stormed off after losing three times!”

Felix slammed down the pen in his hand. “Because that game is stupid and doesn’t make any sense!”

Bennett jutted his tongue out, then looked back at Charlotte.

“I think you need a break from this room, maggot! Whaddaya think, Florence?”

Florence seemed confused, but a kick to the shin changed her mind quickly.

“Ow!” She hissed, “Uh, yes! Charlotte oughtta get some fresh air, this musty dust Huxley considers air won’t be doing any good for your lungs!”

Charlotte nodded along. She outstretched a hand, which was clasped by Bennett, and he pulled her up with incredible strength; not only, Bennett pulled Charlotte up and twisted her into his arms, one slung under her knees and the other supporting her back. Charlotte giggled at the move, but Felix was instantly in front of them. Charlotte sighed again as Felix pointed Bennett and Florence out. Bennett groaned and set Charlotte back down on the table. He stretched his frown all the way down his face for silly emphasis before springing back up and walking out. Florence gave Charlotte a sympathetic smile, waving as she followed Bennett out, magcat tailing her heels.

“You said you’d give me entertainment if I stayed here, Felix. The ceiling isn’t all that entertaining,” she grumbled.

Felix turned around. Charlotte expected a scowl or worse; him being blatantly pissed off and ready to kill. But no, Felix turned to face her and looked… worried?

“I know, but I-…” He cut himself off.

Charlotte softened her tone, leaning towards him. “You what?”

“I’m worried. Your health has been deteriorating ever since we got out of that fucking television dimension. And I don’t know what to do! Uncle says it’s in your head, that there’s not a lot we can do, but I see what’s happening to you! You’re getting slower, you’re tired, you’re spending more time asleep, you’re pale and thin, and-“ He cut himself off again.

Charlotte’s chest became lighter with every word he said. The kind of light where you can’t find your lungs and can’t get the air in. She put a hand on her chest, trying to add weight to her feather-light lungs.

“And… What, Felix?” Her voice was as quiet as a whisper.

Felix looked her dead in the eye. For once, he actually looked as young as he was. He didn’t look like a surgeon-in-training, not like a scientist who helped in the performing of gruesome experiments.

No.

He looked like a kid. A scared little kid whose big sister was sick.

And that broke Charlotte’s heart.

“And it’s like you’re dying.” He forced out with a shaky breath.

Charlotte’s chest sunk in on itself. The room started to spin and she couldn’t feel the air in her lungs. She grabbed her chest again, losing her balance and bending over. Thick curls shielded her view of the room and Felix. Her arm was shaking as her chest heaved to pull in more and more air. Felix’s voice buzzed in her ear, warm hands holding her arm and back. She grabbed his shirt and buried her face in his shoulder. The ringing in her ears slowly drained out as Felix harshly talked about anything that came to mind. Once Charlotte could hold herself up, she wiped away the little bit of ink drizzling on her lips and turned her eyes down.

“I’m sorry, for bothering and worrying you.”

Felix opened his mouth to protest, but Charlotte showed him a smile as she laid back down.

“It’s okay, your big sister will be okay and I’ll listen to what you say. I’ll stay here for observation, promise.”

Felix’s eyes darted around, a swirl of emotions spinning in his head. Then he sighed and grabbed Charlotte’s hand.

“Uncle said you have to stay on a bed and you have to stay in my sight… But he didn’t say anything about you staying in this room, specifically,” he grumbled as he adjusted the bed so the wheels would move.

Charlotte couldn’t stop the grin from showing as Felix pushed the stretcher out of the room. They went up the stairs, Felix making Charlotte hold him during the climb and then sit down as he pulled the stretcher up the basement stairs. Charlotte helped to open doors, despite Felix’s grouch about her moving. They left the basement and went to the hallway, passing the library and kitchen to the TV room. Felix stationed Charlotte beside the couch, tossing the remote onto her stretcher. Charlotte gleefully grabbed the remote and started flicking through the channels. Felix called two names down the hallway before they were quickly joined by Bennett and Florence. Florence sitting up on the edge of Charlotte’s stretcher, and Bennett taking place on the couch to tease Felix about bending his rules.

Charlotte chose a favourite show, loved by all four of them (even if Bennett mocks the characters, Florence complains about the plot, and Felix denies his love of it), and they rested together.

Chapter Text

Aiden was scrubbing at a strange substance clinging to the sink. He’d been trying to get it off for ten minutes and had barely made a dent. Aiden sighed, deciding he’d have to go to Huxley for help. He might have some chemicals that could get it off.

And, speak of the devil, Huxley pushed the door open and started to rummage through the cabinets.

“Doctor, great timing,” Aiden started as he flicked the kettle on and grabbed a few tea cups from his cabinet.

“Good evening, Aiden. How are you feeling?”

Aiden smiled, “I’ve been well, thank you. I do have a request to ask of you.”

“What might that be?”

Aiden gestured to the substance in the sink. “Do you know what this is? And is there any way to get it off?”

Huxley leaned over the counter to look, then looked back at Aiden with pity in his eyes. “I’m afraid that is one of my newest concoctions. A specially designed adhesive, it’s supposed to hold anything together, especially that of the… wetter kind. I designed it specifically so that virtually nothing could break the seal, fascinating, yes?”

Aiden’s face grew dark and sinister. Huxley nearly began to cower.

“But! But, there is a way to get it off! You see, I know that many of my workers tend to be on the messier side, and I don’t want to make their lives a living hell by making them clean any of this, so I designed a special chemical to take it right off! Yes, one swipe and the surface is good as new!” Aiden’s face lit up, “Buuuut…” But it didn’t last. “I’m afraid I’ve run out and am yet to make more.”

Aiden let out a deep, slow exhale. He set the sponge he’d been using down on the sink edge, then turned to leave.

“And I expect that will be cleaned soon enough, Doctor. Good day.”

The kettle clicked as Aiden shut the door.

Aiden walked down the hallway, peeking into rooms and shutting off lights that had been left on. He comes to the door of the TV room. It’s closed, but the muffled sounds of canned laughter run through his ears. Aiden softly pushes the door open. The room is dark, only lit up by the screens in front of the group. On a stretcher, closest to the door, is Charlotte. In her new dress that was now stained, clutching the remote, and fast asleep. Aiden stepped up to the stretcher and peered over it. On the couch were Felix, Bennett, and Florence. Bennett sat in the middle of the three, the two others leaning against him. Felix was nimbly holding Charlotte’s hand in his sleep, making sure she didn’t get up to leave. Aiden shook his head, a smile returning to his face, as he grabbed the remote and switched the TV off. He parted Felix’s hand from Charlotte’s, resting it in his lap. Aiden slipped his arms under Charlotte’s knees and back and pulled her up to his chest, a much more difficult job than it used to be. He walked out of the room as Charlotte leaned into his chest, then managed to push open her bedroom door with his hip. Charlotte was placed into her bed, shoes pulled off and covers tucked in tight. Magcat soon joined her on the bed, it seemed to not be far behind wherever Charlotte was. Aiden slipped a hand down magcat’s back.

Aiden turned to leave the room, only stopping in the doorway.

“Goodnight, dear girl. Feel better soon.”

He left the door cracked open so a stream of light could split the room.

Chapter Text

Charlotte’s eyes fluttered open, now in her comfortable room and even more comfortable bed. She snuggled the blankets closer to her head, curling up and finding the warmest spot on the bed. Just perfect.

Then it was ruined.

Magcats drawling meows disrupted her rest. She grumbled to herself as magcat hopped up onto her bed. It began to meow again, this time much louder and longer. Charlotte’s grumbling turned to laughter as she sprung up and grabbed magcat, covering its face with her hand.

“Shhh! You’ll wake everyone else up!” She hissed, a grin plastered on her face. Charlotte kissed magcat’s head, then let it go. It huffed at her and sat down on the edge of the bed. Charlotte could guess what magcat was so angry about. She hadn’t fed it last night.

Charlotte swung her legs over the edge and hopped out of bed, flicking her lamp on. She was still in her new dress. Charlotte’s mood dropped when she saw the dark stains. She pulled the dress off and slipped into a comfortable hoodie and leggings. Magcat nipped at her heels as she stared in the mirror, just barely making out her reflection. Charlotte tore her eyes away from it and down to magcat, a grin growing on her lips.

“Okay, okay,” she said as she walked out of the room, “Let’s get you some well-earned food, eh?”

Charlotte crossed down the hallway, confident in her ability to traverse the house without needing light. She slipped into the kitchen and opened the fridge, grateful for its small light to help her find magcat’s meal; magcat was standing by its food bowl, looking ever so sad at the empty state of it. One glance at magcat’s turned back had Charlotte chuckling again as she reached into the fridge and grabbed a tin can of food. Reading the label in the fridge light, Charlotte rolled her eyes.

“Forgotten Childhood Dreams in horse oil. They are very creative with these names,” Charlotte mumbled as she shut the fridge. She ripped the can open while moving to magcat’s bowl and dumped the can’s contents inside. Magcat mewed with joy then began to purr as it gobbled away. Charlotte tossed the can in a bin and sat down next to magcat, watching its dark figure move with every bite. Charlotte reached out a hand and stroked it down magcat’s back, only to be met with a growl and a glare. As Charlotte took her hand back, she was shocked to hear another voice in the thought-to-be empty kitchen.

“It gets very testy when eating, best to leave it alone for the time being.”

Charlotte’s head snapped up, eyes locking immediately with the older woman sitting at the dining table in front of her. She had a black and white striped well-fitted pantsuit on an amused grin on her face. Thick black ringlets sat around her shoulders, framing her pale face and bright yellow eyes perfectly. Charlotte relaxed the moment she recognised the woman sitting before her.

“Umbrella Man, hello,” Charlotte said lightly.

“Charlotte Wiltshire, hello,” Umbrella Man said back. As he greeted her, Charlotte rose to her feet and started making tea. She flicked the kettle on, collected some tea cups and saucers, and began setting them up on the dining table.

“How are you feeling, my dear?” Umbrella Man asked, taking the sugar and milk from her and setting them on the table.

“I’m feeling better than earlier. Did you see what happened?” Charlotte was leaning against the kitchen cabinets, preferring to stay standing than to sit down for a moment, only having to get up the next to grab the kettle.

“I did, yes. It seems you’re still sick,” Charlotte could have sworn she could pick the slightest hint of concern from that smile.

“Felix said it was worse today than ever before. I can’t disagree, I’ve never passed out like that before.” The kettle clicked and Charlotte swiftly poured it into a prepared teapot and brought it to the table. Then she finally sat down adjacent to Umbrella Man’s position at the end of the table.

“Indeed. Though, I do remember a time you conked your head when you were little and fell unconscious for a few seconds. You gave everyone a very big shock and had to stay in bed for a few days.

Charlotte rolled her eyes, pouring the tea for herself and Umbrella Man. “Other than that, I’ve never passed out before.” Remembering the dress she’d stained, Charlotte’s smile dropped, as did her shoulders. She set the teapot down and sighed.

“Is something the matter?” Umbrella man asked.

“It’s just… I worked so hard on that dress and now it’s ruined. I loved it, Umbrella Man and it was my first ever. Now it only serves as a reminder of how fast my health is worsening.”

Umbrella Man’s expression turned soft. He set his hand on Charlotte’s shoulder, a small show of affection. “Miss Wiltshire, I’m very sorry for your experience today.” Charlotte lifted her eyes, Umbrella Man chuckling. “I am, truly. It must hurt very much to go through these things, and I’m proud of you to see you still getting out of bed.”

Charlotte smiled, placing her smaller hand over Umbrella Man’s. “Thank you, Umbrella Man. But please, you don’t have to worry about me, I’ll be okay. Today was just a fluke, that’s all.”

Umbrella man nodded, taking a sip of his tea. “Mmh, if you insist. But know that I’m always here, even if I can’t visit regularly like this.”

Charlotte shot a cheeky grin at Umbrella Man. “You said last time that you’d knock, to show your manners. What happened to that?”

“Oh, I’m in a small hurry. And I didn’t want to give you another shock after what happened today.”

Charlotte nodded. “Good call.”

Umbrella Man steered the conversation away from her health, and she happily babbled on about school, TV, and her games with Bennett and, occasionally, Felix. “He doesn’t call them games, though. He calls it supervising, but we both know he’s playing just as much as us!” She’d said with another cheeky grin. Umbrella Man followed her ranting, having to listen to them for many years whenever he visited. He asked questions, gasped, laughed, and pulled jokes along with her rambling. Their conversation went on for an hour before Charlotte began yawning, her sentences fading away as she steadily grew more and more tired. Eventually, Umbrella Man set down his teacup and stood from his chair.

“Well, my dear, it seems that you’re far too tired to continue our conversation. Worry not, I’d much rather see you sleeping soundly than finishing our tea. Come, let’s get you to bed.”

Charlotte didn’t put up a fight, obediently standing up and trudging down the hallway with Umbrella Man following her silently. She yawned again as she plopped down onto the bed, soon followed by magcat. Umbrella Man tucked her into her blankets, nice and tight, and kissed her forehead gently.

“Goodnight, my dear. I hope you sleep well.”

Charlotte mumbled goodnight as she peacefully drifted off to sleep.

Umbrella Man nodded. His eyes followed the hidden strings attached to Charlotte’s wrists, up past the ceiling and away into the sky.

“Goodnight to you, as well, Seth.”

Then, he vanished.