Two days later, Nevermore's courtyard and quad had turned into controlled chaos.
Students crowded every path and patch of stone, luggage stacked along the edges, trolleys rattling over the uneven ground as voices overlapped—arguments about seats, missing bags, who packed too much and who forgot something important.
A suitcase tipped near the steps leading into the quad, spilling clothes across the ground while its owner snapped at anyone nearby.
Closer to the gates, two students were already fighting over window seats on a bus that hadn't even arrived yet.
It had that restless energy—too loud, too crowded, everyone moving at once like they were afraid of being left behind.
Most of them were excited.
A trip outside Nevermore meant freedom, a break from routine, something different.
Enid stood at the cafeteria truck like she was saying goodbye to something sacred.
"This is my last taste of civilization for two whole days." She turned to the barista with complete seriousness.
"I'll get a venti frappuccino — two pumps chocolate, one pump strawberry, and an extra pump of steak sauce please."
The barista didn't react. Nevermore had trained that out of them.
Ethan stood behind her, staring at the two full-sized trolleys she'd brought for a two-day camping trip.
"Enid."
"Hm?"
"We're going for two days. Not two months."
"I know that," she said, watching the drink being made with intense focus.
"But I can't decide what to wear until the last minute, and my nails are high maintenance, so you have to be prepared." She said it like it was completely reasonable. "You wouldn't get it."
Ethan looked at the trolleys again.
He didn't.
He was packing two outfits and nothing else. Bathing wasn't even on his list—mostly because he didn't need it. Being a vampire progenitor came with certain advantages, and basic hygiene had quietly dropped to the bottom of his priorities.
Wednesday stood a few steps away, watching the entire exchange with quiet scrutiny.
Her gaze moved from Enid's order, to the trolleys, to Ethan's expression, then back to Enid again, cataloging everything without reacting.
The volume. The chaos. The unnecessary emotion.
It was… excessive.
"Your attachment to temporary comforts is remarkable," Wednesday said, her tone flat. "You're preparing as if deprivation is inevitable rather than mild inconvenience."
Enid didn't even turn. "I am going to be deprived. Do you know what the woods don't have? Outlets. Or skincare routines. Or emotional support snacks."
"Nature has provided humanity with survival conditions for centuries," Wednesday replied. "You'll endure."
"That's easy for you to say," Enid shot back, finally turning. "You thrive in creepy forests."
"Correct."
Ethan glanced at Wednesday. "You're not bringing anything?"
Wednesday lifted a small black bag.
"That is sufficient."
Enid stared at it. "There is no way everything you need is in that."
"There is," Wednesday said. "The rest is unnecessary."
Enid looked between them, then at her own trolleys.
"…I feel judged."
"You are," Wednesday said.
Enid didn't seem to mind. She slipped between them and linked arms with both Ethan and Wednesday, pulling them along with her.
"Stop being gloomy," she said, bright and insistent. "Let's go and enjoy this. These are the kind of memories future us is supposed to remember."
Wednesday did not resist, but she didn't adjust to the pace either, forcing Enid to match hers instead.
"Memory is not inherently valuable," she said. "Most of it is unnecessary clutter."
"Wow," Enid said, tightening her grip on both of them as she kept walking. "And here I thought this was going to be a bonding moment."
Ethan glanced at the two of them, then at the crowd spilling across the quad, the noise, the movement, the normality of it all.
"You're trying too hard," he said.
"Of course I am," Enid replied immediately. "Someone has to. You two are emotionally constipated."
Wednesday tilted her head slightly. "That is an inaccurate medical assessment."
"It is emotionally accurate," Enid shot back.
They reached the edge of the courtyard where the buses were beginning to line up, engines humming, students pushing forward in uneven lines.
Enid leaned in slightly, lowering her voice just a bit. "Also… I know something's off. You two don't prepare like this for no reason."
Wednesday didn't answer.
Ethan didn't either.
Enid exhaled, but she didn't let go of their arms.
"…Fine," she said. "Then we'll deal with it when it shows up."
Wednesday's gaze shifted briefly toward the treeline beyond the gates.
"It will," she said.
"Student, you forgot your order."
Enid stopped immediately, turned, and rushed back to the truck, grabbing her drink before returning with a bright smile. She looked at Ethan, then at her luggage, then back at him.
"Can you carry my luggage, please?" she asked, giving him the most exaggerated puppy-dog eyes she could manage.
"If you're carrying, carry mine as well," Wednesday said, handing him her bag before walking off, already claiming a window seat without waiting for a response.
Ethan looked at the bags, then at Enid, then back at Wednesday walking away.
"Wow," he muttered. "This is the drawback of having beautiful girlfriends."
He exhaled. At least Selene wasn't here.
Another bag dropped at his feet.
He looked up.
Selene stood there, giving him a small wave, then a flying kiss with a wink before turning away.
***
A/N: And on Patreon, The Boys arc started.
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