[ wanda nods, staring fixedly down at her hands. as she suspected. she shouldn't have dared to hope otherwise. it wasn't symptomatic of the town; it was her, just her and her vulnerabilities yet again. finally, she speaks, not much more than a whisper. ]

I have sequestered myself in my room for a week, and it will not abate. Can I —

[ she feels her skin crawl at her daring, taunting her for how pathetic and useless she is, can almost visualize the next scale emerging, and she winces. ]

— can I stay with you two? For a night. Maybe two.