Work Text:
James James
Morrison Morrison
Weatherby George Dupree
Took great
Care of his Mother,
Though he was only three.
James James Said to his Mother,
"Mother," he said, said he;
"You must never go down
to the end of the town,
if you don't go down with me."
James James Morrison Morrison Weatherby George Dupree, commonly known as Jim, stared at the creatures only he could see in the corner of his nursery. He was only three, but even he knew that seeing undulating creatures from another dimension was generally not a good sign.
"Goodnight, sweetheart," Mother said, kissing him on the forehead.
"Goodnight, Mother," James James Morrison Morrison said, still staring at the creatures. Mother sighed. Her son was decidedly odd, even for a three-year-old, and she was starting to wonder whether she ought to have him examined by a doctor.
When Mother had closed the door and disappeared down the hall, James James Morrison Morrison hopped out of bed and went over to the creatures. "How are you doing that?" he asked. "There's supposed to be the wall of my nursery there."
"We-Think-You-Know-Cousin," the creatures said.
"No," said James James Morrison Morrison, stamping his slippered foot. "I don't. Now explain yourselves, or I'm going to be very cross. When I'm very cross, I scream, and then Mother will come and you'll really be in trouble." The creatures undulated thoughtfully.
"Oh-Dear," they said. "We-Did-Not-Consider-The-Time."
"No, you didn't," James James Morrison Morrison confirmed. "It's rather past my bedtime."
"You-Will-Know-In-Time," the creatures said. "Wait-For-Us."
"Alright," said James James Morrison Morrison. The creatures expanded, swirling through the room like giant cones made of leather cord, and then they disappeared.
James James Morrison Morrison let out a sigh of relief, but no sooner had he crawled back into bed than a strange whooshing noise came from the same corner of his nursery. He squinted at the thing that was appearing - it shifted, morphed, went from a silver orb to a large blue box and finally to a strange, human-looking adult. She was a woman with red hair, a round face, and an abundance of freckles, but there was something unnatural about her, like a porcelain doll brought to life. He stared at her, and she stared right back.
"Hello," he said at last.
"Hello," the woman said, "I am Compassion."
"That's a nice name," he said. "I'm James James Morrison Morrison Weatherby George Dupree." Her lips were turned into a smile.
"That is quite a long name for such a small boy," she said.
"I'm almost four," James James Morrison Morrison said, "but you can call me Jim if you'd like."
"Well met, Jim," Compassion said. Her face shivered slightly, as though she wanted to open like a book.
"Why are you here?" James James Morrison Morrison asked.
"There's someone I want you to meet," Compassion said, and then she did open, opened right down her middle and folding in on herself. A tall man with long, wavy hair stepped out of her, and then she folded back to normal. The man looked at James James Morrison Morrison critically.
"He's very calm about all this," he said.
"He was being contacted by Azathoth's Children right before we got here," Compassion said. "I thought I told you."
"Must've missed it," the man said breezily. There was another whooshing sound, this time at the corner of his nursery closest to the window. The strange man and Compassion jumped.
"What's that?" James James Morrison Morrison said.
"Another timeship," Compassion said grimly. "Fuck. Doctor, I can hold it off, but we don't have much time."
"I don't need much time," the man said. He came over to James James Morrison Morrison's bed and hopped up, kneeling on the foot of the bed. "Now, listen to me..."
"Jim," Compassion supplied.
"Jim," the man said. "You're being recruited by powerful beings. The Faction Paradox, the Eternals, Azathoth and his Children. You are a linchpin on which dimensions and universes pivot. Don't allow them to recruit you."
"I don't understand," James James Morrison Morrison said.
"You don't need to understand," the man said. The whooshing grew louder and Compassion grew paler.
"Doctor, time's up!" she said.
"Don't be recruited!" the man said. Compassion split open and enfolded him again. With a competing whoosh she had disappeared. The whooshing near the window grew to a crescendo and a blue box, like the one Compassion had been for a moment, appeared in the corner of his nursery. Another man came out, tall, white-haired, and wearing innumerable layers of clothing that included multiple hoods.
"James James Morrison Morrison," the man said, accent jarringly Scottish, "I do hope I'm not late."
"I'm not supposed to be recruited by you," James James Morrison Morrison blurted out. The man's impressive eyebrows furrowed.
"Oh," he said suddenly. "You've already been visited by me, then. Good."
"Not by you," the boy said. "By a different man - a Doctor I think - a a woman named Compassion."
"Yes," the man said. "As I said, you've already been visited by me. It figures that over thousands of years I'd forget a few of the interventions."
"But who are you?"
"I'm the Doctor," the man said.
"Not the Faction thingy or the Eternal guy or Aza- Astath-"
"Azathoth," the Doctor said helpfully. "One of the Outer Gods, and a nasty one too."
"Was that the ribbon thing? The creatures?"
"Maybe," the Doctor said.
"You're not being very clear about things," James James Morrison Morrison said.
"An astute observation," said the Doctor. "I will, however, be clear about this: do not allow your mother to go down to the end of the town without you. Your recruitment cannot take place without a test, and that test cannot take place unless your mother is left alone."
"And if she doesn't listen to me?"
"Well then," said the Doctor, "I suppose I'll see you at Zygor."
"What do you mean?" said James James Morrison Morrison. "What's Zygor?"
"An Unthreading," the Doctor said. "Your finest Unthreading. I am so, so sorry." He stepped back into the box and disappeared with another grinding whoosh.
James James Morrison Morrison Weatherby George Dupree sat uneasily on his bed. The undulating creatures were back in the nursery, and they were watching him.
(Now then, very softly)
J.J.
M.M.
W.G.Du P.
Took great
C/O his M*****
Though he was only 3.
J.J. said to his M*****
"M*****," he said, said he:
"You-must-never-go-down-to-the-end-of-the-town-
if-you-don't-go-down-with-ME!"