Wednesday Addams considered herself an analytical person, able to observe facts with cool impartiality and appreciate patterns that would help her unravel the truth of a mystery. It was true, up to a point, as long as her tenacity did not drift into obsession and her stubbornness and pride did not blind her to details.
The problem was that she was unable to discern any extra factors in the circumstances in which they found themselves right now and her mind was doing somersaults. Someone had made use of some kind of spell that had clearly played with the laws of the multiverse. That someone might not be a Nevermore student. And somehow it all revolved around her as it was versions of herself from other realities who seemed to be appearing without any pattern.
Or maybe there was?
Nor did it help the unhealthy curiosity that was aroused within her whenever she met one of her variants.
It had taken an effort to restrain herself from inundating her two younger counterparts with questions. Wednesday had always been a person with a very clear trajectory of what her life would be like. That trajectory could undergo major alterations, like a fortunately welcome one in a multicolored lupine form. But even with those changes, Wednesday Addams had always kept in mind who she is and how she has come to be.
So encountering reflections of herself provided an unsuspected opportunity for analysis and introspection. Whether this was a welcome thing or not, only time would tell.
Woe and Friday were like two extremes. Woe reminded her more of herself, but there was a dark fury in the teenager that Wednesday only remembered experiencing on that level on very specific occasions. And Friday? Friday was as if Enid had been born into the Addams Family, which was an interesting thought in and of itself.
And now, the newcomer, who seemed to watch Wednesday and Enid with the same analytical interest despite the seemingly dreary and sleep-deprived expression on her face.
The dark circles under her eyes are magnificent, thought Wednesday, And that extreme pallor... I think I'm a little envious.
She decided it was best to initiate formal contact. Emerging from behind Enid and still holding the old volume of magic in her hands, Wednesday greeted the newcomer with a slight nod.
"Wednesday Friday Addams, I presume."
"Indeed. And so are you...," the newly arrived counterpart began to circle around Wednesday, "Mmm, older age? Chronological difference or changes in birth dates?"
"I was born on Friday, October 13, 2006," Wednesday confirmed.
"Me too! Oh, either there is a chronal shift between dimensions or these are not parallel in the flow of the space-time continuum. My year is 2020."
"Uh... here’s 2024," added Enid, jumping into the conversation.
The new Wednesday turned to her, "Fascinating," she said, as a gleam of interest flashed in her eyes, "Are you...are you perhaps a lycanthrope?"
Enid did not disguise her surprise, "How did you...?"
"When you speak you let your teeth show. Perfect shape, fangs exceptionally pronounced but not so much as to denote vampirism. Your whole body language has a hint of instinctive animalism. Despite your seemingly harmless disposition, everything about you screams "apex predator". And in a clear sign of nervousness at my appearance you extended your claws before retracting them. Nice nail polish combination, by the way."
Enid shot a sideways glance at her Wednesday, with an incredulous smile, "Gosh, she's more of a brainiac than you."
Wednesday returned the look by raising an eyebrow, "It's not a competition, Enid."
"Certainly not!" exclaimed the younger counterpart, rubbing her hands together. Her voice gradually changed from a monotone to a more lively and slightly manic tone as she spoke, "This is an opportunity! An chance to embark on the study of the darkest frontiers of science and unlock the secrets of the multiverse! What method was used to move me here? Particle accelerator? Someone did something unspeakable with tachyons?"
Wednesday showed her the book she was holding.
"Magic."
The expression on the mad scientist Wednesday's face fell back into a sort of disappointment, "Ah, the other dark arts. Despite their appeal their lack of logical regimentation never caught my interest. There is nothing fascinating about violating the boundaries of human knowledge using a cheat code."
"This is turning out to be an amazing conversation, but perhaps we should continue it in our room and bring the others and Thing up to speed," intervened Enid.
"As always, you are the voice of reason, mio sole," said Wednesday.
The look she gave the she-wolf might have seemed irritated, but Enid could see the affection in it. It was also the case with the newcomer, who directed a couple of inquisitive stares at the two of them.
"Ah... mating rituals," she whispered, before what Enid had said settled in her mind, "Others? More like us in our situation?"
Enid nodded with a smile, "Yes, we already have two other Wednesday's waiting in our room, Woe and Friday... Oh, that's right, you need a nickname!"
"Mmm, I assume to avoid confusion in case you have to get the attention of one of us. Makes sense."
Enid stood in a thoughtful stance, touching her lips with a finger as she looked at the new Wednesday, "Let's see... smart, scientist's coat... What do you think about Doc?"
A glint of seriousness shone in the eyes of the younger Wednesday, "No," she replied, "Of all the limited nicknames I can receive there is only one very specific person with permission to make use of that one."
She looked down, and for a moment Wednesday and Enid could see on her pale face a trace as of longing and perhaps some concern.
"Needler," she said, after a few seconds of silence in which the aura of grim weariness seemed to take possession of her disposition once more, "Call me Needler."
"Oh... Is it because you like needles?" asked Enid.
A slight snort that could have been a chuckle seemed to want to escape Needler's mouth, "Yes, that's one way of looking at it," she said, "I like one in particular, though," she added, whispering.
Wednesday gave her a knowing look, but said nothing.
"Well, you can say you already know Wednesday. I'm Enid. Enid Sinclair."
"Horrified to meet you, Enid."
Soon, the three of them were on their way back, walking toward the exit of the Nightshades' library. Needler asked questions again, her innate curiosity resurfacing once more.
"So this is a study academy for oddities, freaks and other outcasts?" she asked, "Impressive. Such a place would have been most welcome in my home dimension."
"Where do you study, Needler?" asked Enid with genuine curiosity.
"Until I was twelve I was home-schooled. We didn't even know what was beyond the gates of our property," Needler explained. Wednesday and Enid exchanged a look. It seemed that the Addamses of that dimension were more isolationist than the Addams family of this one. "That changed last year, since then I've been going to a public high school. An atrocious place, a void of academic nullity. But biology class is interesting and provides me the opportunity to break down the barriers of death itself with the toads."
"Ah... that sounds... fun?"
"Necromancy founded on electrical impulses always is," Needler replied with a tone of satisfaction as they stepped outside and headed for the quad., "By the way, Enid, I have a query."
"Oh, shoot."
"I'm afraid I didn't bring with me any guns or reliable crossbows."
"No! It's an expression!"
"It means you're free to ask," Wednesday added.
"Ah, I understand," Needler said, "Well, I wanted to request your permission so that should the event of your death occur during my stay in this reality... could I perform your autopsy? I have never studied lycan anatomy."
"What?!"
"No. Nobody's going to do an autopsy on my werewolf girlfriend but me," said Wednesday in a snippy tone.
"Wednesday!"
"Hmm, confirmation of my suspicions," said Needler calmly, though there was something lighter in her voice, "I'm assuming you're a couple then."
"Indeed," replied Wednesday.
“I don't know what it's like in this dimension, but in mine it's been a long time since we Addamses had a werewolf in our family tree. Aunt Lysistrata around the mid 1700s, if I remember correctly", said Needler, “An exemplary woman. She devoured a corrupt priest on a particularly lively Walpurgisnacht.”
"The situation is similar in this dimensión. No werewolves in the family since cousin Rigobert got killed in a hunting accident in 1821,” explained Wednesday as she gave Enid an intense look. The she-wolf noticed this and tilted her head slightly, curious.
Wednesday spoke again, with a slightly husky tone to her voice and not taking her gaze from Enid for a second, "It's something I intend to rectify in the future."
Any verbal response Enid could provide was left to a lively whimper. The werewolf continued walking, noticing Wednesday's gaze on her as her face reddened up to her ears and a nervous but euphoric smile filled her lips.
This time, a small laugh truly escaped Needler's mouth, "Heh, almost worthy of father."
NOTES
'Needler' is the Wednesday Addams of the 2019 and 2021 CGI animated films. She would basically fall somewhere in between the two movies (she still retains the noose design on her pigtails that she lost in the second film). This Wednesday is interesting and a bit unique: she presents a generally somber and depressive disposition, but is more lively and has occasional moments of excitable mania when it comes to her insane use of science (the frog resurrection scene in the 2019 film, for example). Traditionally this mad doctor trait used to be more associated with classic Pugsley incarnations. She also seems to have no problem as much as other Wednesdays in interacting socially with people as long as they are friendly and non-judgmental. Surprisingly tolerant of colorful things even if they are not her style preference.
Translations:
mio sole (italian): My sun.
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