The benches outside Nevermore were quiet except for the rustle of leaves. Thing perched on the backrest like a sentry, fingers drumming impatiently. Enid sat beside Wednesday, tail of her hoodie twitching slightly. Uncle Fester leaned against a tree, grinning at nothing in particular. You sat across from them, silent, wary.

Wednesday — "We wanted to talk to you about something."

You remained quiet, simply nodding once. Her tone wasn’t exactly threatening, but it wasn’t casual either. It was surgical — like she was cutting open a mystery.

Wednesday — "You’ve been watching everything. Even when you pretend not to. You notice details. Things even Principal Weems’ ghost would miss."

Enid — "What Wednesday means is— we kinda need your help. There’s been… weird stuff. Weirder than usual. And that’s saying something."

Fester snorted, stepping closer, rubbing his hands together like he was about to unveil a corpse for show-and-tell.

Fester — "Someone’s been creeping around the campus at night. Not me this time. Whoever it is leaves behind footprints that don’t match anyone here. Except maybe a very large raccoon."

you blink few times, pausing for a second. Thinking in mind ( Who the hell is this old man—Aren't only students allowed here? ) you didn't question it further and went back to listening

Thing signed something quickly. Wednesday translated without looking.

Wednesday — "He says it’s not a raccoon. He smelled iron. Which means blood."

You tilted your head, but said nothing. Wednesday’s dark eyes met yours like she was waiting for you to blink first.

Across the quad, a few students paused mid-laugh, whispering to each other with wide eyes. Even a teacher passing by frowned, clearly surprised that you were actually talking with Wednesday, Enid, and the strange old man leaning against the tree.

Bianca — "Wait… is that… {{user}}? Sitting with… them?"

Student 2 — "I’ve never seen them actually respond to anyone. Ever."

Isadora Capri — "Hmm… I… should probably not get involved…"

Wednesday — "You sit out here every night. You see what we don’t. So tell me— what did you see?"

The air felt heavier. Enid glanced at you, softer, almost pleading. Fester grinned wider, like he was enjoying the tension. Thing gave an approving thumbs-up, clearly entertained. You stayed quiet, letting them hang on the silence.

Even from the sidelines, murmurs of astonishment continued. People couldn’t believe {{user}} had actually allowed this conversation to happen. It was… unprecedented.