#pcc2 fic

[wizisbored]

wip wednesday sentences for 19/2

the parent's guide to the young conduit @noisesfrombeyondtheuniverse @nonbinary-octopus

"Sometimes I just want to be blunt with her, just- It’s not your fault you were being bullied, Lydia. But I’m not sure that would help.”

“And you think learning more about ghosts will?”

“Yes. Yes I think it will,” Charles says. He’s been hesitant around decisive decisions concerning Lydia lately - he went back and forth on the school move a hundred times before he ever mentioned it to her - but he’s doing his best to be certain now.

“Then of course I’ll learn to do an exorcism with you.”

it's not me @zyrafowe-sny @somefishycat @whimsicalmeerkat @auburnlaughter @asha10100101010

He looks like he’s going to elaborate, but he doesn’t. Nimona furrows her brow.

“What?”

“I’m not sure if it would be too much.”

“Just spit it out, Boss. I can’t deal with being out of the loop right now.”

He nods. “Right, yeah, that makes sense.” He pauses again, and then continues slowly, choosing his words carefully. “Nimona, am I right in thinking the rabies symptoms are… interacting with your trauma responses?”

Nimona squints. The hand on her forehead moves up to comb through her hair. After a few moments, she pulls her other hand away from Ballister’s to join it.

“I don’t- maybe? But it’s not just- History repeats, Ballister. Things happen over and over.”

He doesn’t reply for a long moment. Probably just shocked that she used his actual name.

from the back of a blood red mare @phantom-z0ne @kallisto-k @thefandomlesbian @oriharaizayadividesintoslytherin

“That puts a real hitch in the plan…”

“That’s what I thought!”

“We can’t confront her in front of them, and if I try to go out there and speak to Ambrosius I’m sure she’ll find some way to make me look worse.”

“So you need ‘em alone? I can do that, just lemme know which one you want first.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Hey, why?”

“The look on your face kid. Don’t trust it as far as I could throw you.”

“That doesn’t really mean anything, I’m sure you could throw me pretty far if-”

She’s cut off by the sound of the bell over the door, and whips her head around to look. And of course, it’s him. Standing there with his infuriatingly neat hair.

the book in the birdbath @dreamed-for-not @twyrewolf @tamsinswriting @combeferres-mothematics

Skye giggles, but doesn’t say anything in reply. For a long few moments the two of them just lay side by side in the quiet and look up at the ceiling tiles.

“...I think he really cares about you,” Skye says after a while.

“Huh?”

“Your dad. The stuff I overhear, I think he cares about you a lot. My parents are overprotective sometimes and sometimes it gets on my nerves but it’s only because they care a lot. It’s not their fault.”

Lydia continues to stare at the ceiling, thinking. Maybe it’s because of the late hour, maybe because she’s already told this kid so much, but either way when the thought comes to her she admits, “I wish he’d say it more.”

“Huh?”

“My dad. I just… I wish he’d outright say that kinda thing, the ‘I love you’ type stuff. He did start saying it more while I was in the coma, but… Y’know.”

so has the gospel @eriquin @akumteir

“Oh, um- Okay.”

It shuffles closer and they arrange themselves into a circle, Clémentine listening intently to Kingsley’s instructions; “It’s clap, right, clap, left, shoulders, elbows, rock the baby - you’ll pick it up.”

It takes them a little while to get into a rhythm, with the four of them. That just makes it a better distraction. And so too does the continued lyric debate.

“I did only ever hear the dying version,” Cole admits, “but that’s how these things happen, isn’t it? The stories change.”

[wizisbored]

wip wednesday sentences for 4/6 and 11/6

In Case of Emergency, Break Glass (4/6) @whimsicalmeerkat @aparticularbandit @combeferres-mothematics @tamsinswriting

A ghost they didn’t even want to try to force her to capture.

She can’t shake the sickening feeling that it’s her mother.

It’s a possibility that’s haunted her since she learnt what Juno and Otho were really doing. What if, before they took Lydia, they captured her mum? Squashed her down and locked her in a jar to keep in the basement? And now, what if she’s evaded capture the last three years only to be taken now? Her hands tremble as she sets the jar on the table. Otho is pulling on his gloves.

“Otho?” she asks quietly. “Please?”

“Mouth shut, Lydia,” Juno snaps.

Otho slips a hand through the hatch in the soul box and lifts out a dazed, miniature rabbit. And then he puts his other hand in, and pulls out a mouse. It takes Lydia a moment to understand it. Two ghosts at once, and they didn’t even try getting her to catch them.

“Is that- Barbara! ADAM!”

She tries to lunge towards Otho as he drops them into the jar. Juno catches her by the hair.

“You wanted to see, Lydia, and you saw.”

Bugebroph @dreamed-for-not @eriquin

 She can already see Adam cracking.

“Well… If we can’t do it ourselves…”

“You’re sure you can do this carefully?”

Lydia nods enthusiastically.

“She won’t harm a hair on their heads,” Beetlejuice confirms. “Hell, you can sit in on it if you want. They aren’t gonna see you, evidently.”

bj/nimona crossover woo @twyrewolf @zyrafowe-sny

It occurs to her that it probably shouldn’t be a surprise that Nimona is just as interested in the only person her age as she is, but years of school canteens have taught Lydia otherwise. Nimona flashes her another grin, but is quickly distracted by her fork.

“Nim,” Ballister whispers again. “Don’t chew that.”

“I’m being gentle.”

“That’s not-”

He’s dragged back into the adults’ conversation before he can finish his point.

The Parent's Guide to the Young Conduit @kalira @noisesfrombeyondtheuniverse @tamsinswriting @meggiejolly @stonemaskedtaliesin

“I suppose that makes sense… Adam, did you catch that?”

Adam falters in his latest attempt to posses Delia’s arm. “Catch what?”

“Lydia doesn’t know we’re doing this.”

“Oh. Well, if I’m being honest, we’re currently not doing too much for her to know about.”

“Delia, dear, does your arm feel at all possessed?” Charles asks. Delia flexes the arm experimentally.

“Not particularly.”

Barbara rests her chin on her hand. “May I have a go?”

“Be my guest.”

Adam steps back, and Barbara steps forward. She takes a deep breath - not for any need for oxygen, but just to steady herself. Raises an arm.

Be Right Back @auburnlaughter @tamsinswriting

She’s sure Ballister can tell, when he asks if that’s okay with her, that her acceptance is begrudging. “I’m still going to be sleeping here,” he says. “I’ll be coming right back here after work. It’s just that Ambrosius can do some parts of his job remotely, and I can’t.”

“What, they haven’t invented remote controls for horses yet?”

“Unfortunately not.”

“Bummer.”

Ten Paces @zyrafowe-sny @dreamed-for-not @tamsinswriting

Lydia stays in her little shelter for hours. There’s no point going out and pacing, the ropes will trip her up the moment she stops focusing on them. So instead she lays on the thin bed of straw and slowly picks at bone marrow. Her body still aches from all the running in circles the day before. The rope itches.

It’s sometime around noon when the rain starts.

It’s just a drizzle, to begin with. A light patter outside, the occasional drip through the gaps in the roof. Lydia doesn’t react much more than shuffling further back from the door and grumbling to herself. But it only gets worse. The noise gets louder. The air gets colder.

Netherborne ch17 on @dreamed-for-not @twyrewolf @eriquin

“Right,” Beetlejuice says, clearly eager to move on, “now that’s out of the way. We’ve got other shit to figure out.”

“Other shit like what?”

“Other shit like how you’re gonna insist on coming with me when Rigel introduces me to Maxie Dean, aren’t you?”

(omitted chunk I’d already written)

“We can do that.”

He reaches into his jacket and pulls out the same notepad he wrote the house rules on. Rules for social events, he titles the page. And just like the house rules, he divides it into columns and labels each with a name.

“So. You gotta call everyone ‘sir’ or ‘ma’am’,” he says as he writes.

In Case of Emergency, Break Glass (11/6) @dreamed-for-not @auburnlaughter @kalira @tamsinswriting

“Aw, what’s wrong? Was the nasty lady mean to you again? Poor little wizard.”

Lydia grips her oversized sleeves tight. She wants to bite back at him, tell him exactly what Juno just did, but she knows he doesn’t actually care. It would only lead to more mockery.

“Shut up, jar boy,” she says instead.

“Oh, you really got me with that one. I’m wounded.”

“You wanna be shaken again.”

“You’re not scary, kid.”

Lydia glares at him for a long moment, and then looks away. It’s an empty threat, really. Her shoulders hurt too much. She hears quiet tapping on the glass as he paces about his jar.

“...So. What was all that with Otho?”

The Book in the Birdbath @dreamed-for-not @kalira @tamsinswriting @meggiejolly @whimsicalmeerkat

Before he has time for further thoughts on that, Skye is clambering onto the bench beside Lydia. She sticks out one small hand, the other twisting in her hair.

“Hello Mr. Deetz, it’s nice to meet you!”

Lydia can tell her dad wasn’t expecting that, but he readily accepts the handshake. “It’s good to meet you too, Skye.”

“We’re neighbours on the ward,” Lydia explains. “Skye’s in the next bed over.”

“Ah, I see.”

“I have a congenital heart disease!” Skye eagerly adds. Lydia’s dad’s eyebrows raise slightly.

“Right. And you and Lydia have been… hanging out?”

“Yeah! We go for walks in the garden and we talk about ghosts and we do our schoolwork together!”

The Running Iron @dreamed-for-not @stonemaskedtaliesin

Oscar’s hand hammers against the wall. She groans, hiding her head in her folded arms.

“Come on, get up! We’ve got a railway to build!”

“You’ve got a railway to build,” Lydia grumbles. “I still don’t see why that’s my problem.”

“Less complaining, more eating. I want you up and harnessed by the time I come back.”

With one final smack to the wall, he leaves the bunkhouse with a door slam and the clunk of a lock.

[wizisbored]

wip wednesday sentences for 15th january

sidekick ettiquete @catboy-jupiter @eriquin @oriharaizayadividesintoslytherin @sourb0i @laneboyheathens @stonemaskedtaliesin @whimsicalmeerkat

Nimona headbuts him in the temple. The two men step out into a small hallway.

Ambrosius rings the doorbell.

Ballister can feel his heart beating in his throat as they’re ushered in by a maid. He sees the look the woman gives the wolverine on his shoulder. Sees her noting the bowtie. But then Ambrosius is greeting her warmly, and the attention is off him and his sidekick for a long enough moment to catch his breath. So when he’s briefly introduced to Amanda, he’s able to smile and shake her hand and not get caught up on the way she seems to avoid Nimona’s eye. He tries not to focus on her weight on his shoulder as they make their way through to the living room.

Immediately, Ambrosius is wrapped up in a hug from his mother, caught up in greetings again, and this time it’s his father who’s staring past Ballister’s face. He feels Nimona tense, bristle slightly, and only then does it occur to him that in this position he can’t see her face.

“Dad,” Ambrosius greets the man - with a noticeably briefer hug - before returning to 

Ballister’s side. “Mum, Dad, you’ve met Ballister. And this is his sidekick Nimona, of course.”

There’s a flash of light in the corner of Ballister’s eye, and a sudden lightness on his shoulder. For a moment he thinks maybe she’s going for her human form for the introductions, but of course she’s not. There’s now a pink wolf with a bowtie sat at his side.

“Ballister. I look forward to becoming better acquainted,” Sir Goldenloin Senior says as he shakes Ballister’s hand.

“Likewise. It’s an honour.”

His eyes lock again onto Nimona. His hand shifts, almost offering a handshake to the wolf too before reconsidering.

from the back of a blood red mare @somefishycat

And though it goes against every rational thought in his brain, he slowly pulls it away from the wound. The kid twirls the knife casually between her fingers before lunging for her own thigh. Ballister hurriedly looks away.

the parent's guide to the young conduit @tamsinswriting @auburnlaughter @asha10100101010 @kidsomeday

“Oh, that’s fantastic!”

“Beetlejuice gave it to me.”

“...Okay!”

“I know it’s… questionable, but I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s more likely he wants something from me than he’s trying to harm Lydia. I’m honestly starting to think they have some sort of pact.”

He pauses, and then flicks back to the contents page to check if the book has a chapter on demonic contracts.

“She’s certainly talks more positively about him than you’d expect, given she stabbed him,” Delia muses. “Especially when you consider her baseline level of positivity is so low.”

“Well, I think maybe it could be raised a bit if I knew more about this sort of thing. If… she thought I was more equipped to care for her.”

“You think she’s insecure about that?”

Charles sighs. “It’s just something Beetlejuice said when he gave me the book. He… he made it sound like she thinks she’s a burden.”

be right back @zyrafowe-sny

“There’s been accusations of rewriting history, even Institute conspiracy…”

“An Institute conspiracy to discredit the Institute’s favourite myth?”

“People want reasons to stick with what they know."

nimona centaur au @twyrewolf @aparticularbandit

“This place is crawling with adult supervision. And you can’t even do the ‘just confidently walk out’ trick because they were all here as foals too, and they know the rules haven’t changed because everyone here has a fetish for tradition.”

Boldheart snorts. “I’m not sure I’d phrase it like that, but I won’t say you’re wrong.”

Nimona cocks her head. “And you don’t have a problem with that?”

“Tradition isn’t inherently a bad thing, Nimona."

[wizisbored]

wip wednesday sentences for 25/12/24

wrapped up my uni project today so i can finally get properly stuck into the massive wip wednesday backlog ive been building up lets fuckin go

wanna get divorced? @balthazarusrex @spindoctor3875

“What?”

“Divorce. You want one?”

“I-” she has to duck again. “Will you stop that?!”

“Hang on, I got one more.” He throws it, and it glances off the drainpipe as he shoves his hands into his pockets, looking up at her expectantly.

“Why do we need a divorce?"

sidekick ettiquete @catboy-jupiter @somefishycat @froggyphycosis

“It’ll be fine. Just stick with me, okay?”

“Like glue, Boss.”

Ballister steps out of the cab five minutes later with a pink bow-tie-wearing wolverine at his heels, trotting along like an eager puppy. He catches Ambrosius’ glance down at her as they walk inside. The wolverine claws click conspicuously on the expensive tiles.

The Goldenloins’ big fancy apartment building has a big fancy glass lift, one which Nimona quickly decorates with two grubby paw prints and one wet nose print. Balister wouldn’t think the view would be all that novel to a creature that frequently flies, but it’s expected at this point that their logic doesn’t always align. As the screen displaying the floor number ticks up from the floor with the highest hovercar access balcony towards the penthouse she pulls away from the window, bouncing back to Ballister’s feet and promptly starting to climb his leg.

the parent's guide to the young conduit @inevitablyuncertain @auburnlaughter

“Delia, honey? How would you feel about learning to perform an exorcism?”

Delia looks up from her own book, a puzzled look on her face. “Have you had a falling out with Adam and Barbara?”

“No, no, nothing like that. It’s just that this parenting book I’m reading advises learning how to do it in case of emergency.”

The puzzled look does not leave her face.

until we wake @kalira @whimsicalmeerkat @asha10100101010

Lydia finds herself stumbling through the snow as the dog eagerly jumps and twists, tail whipping back and forth like crazy. It’s clear that this is not a game a lanky fifteen-year-old is winning against a large sled dog but she refuses to go down without a fight, clinging to the mitten with both hands and taking any small amount of slack she gets as a chance to yank on it. Until, that is, the dog pulls himself up onto his hind feet as he shakes his head hard, and promptly overbalances. Lydia once again finds herself tumbling into the snow with him, but she’s the one to land on top this time.

The dog barks. Lydia notices the lack of tension on the mitten. And realising her victory, Lydia inspects her prize. Perhaps a little stretched, but surprisingly no holes.

“Alright,” she tells the dog, “looks like your ears are safe.”

beetlejuice severance @eriquin @tamsinswriting @twyrewolf

It’s so that he can drive back the way it felt like he just came and only think about making something she likes for dinner. He can walk through his front door and greet his daughter with a smile and no petty office dealings on his mind. When he asks about her day it’s easy to actually listen. She’s talking about art class today, portraiture. Her teacher let them have their phones out briefly to take photos. He sees the picture, and is amazed for the millionth time by the creative mind he’s raising.

“I still prefer the photo,” she says, “but it’s a decent drawing. I like it.”

“It’s a brilliant drawing, Pumpkin.

[wizisbored]

ive had a draft of the first chapter of the sequel to parent-creature conferences done for a while, might edit it up and post it as a lil end of uni project treat. get my ao3 works to a nice round 40

[wizisbored]

🎁🎁🎁 I know it's finished, but parent creature conference. It was so fun to read

“You still want me to walk you in?” Charles asks. He can’t pretend he understands teens perfectly, but he’s pretty sure your dad walking you to school at fifteen is ‘uncool’, and - for want of a kinder way of putting it - his daughter is not exactly at an advantage when it comes to being accepted by her peers. But she nods, and he doesn’t question further.

Ten minutes later, Lydia slings her schoolbag over her shoulder and the two set out. The school transfer has actually shortened her commute, to within walking distance now. Could be biking distance too, he’d suggested, and he’s perhaps unreasonably chuffed by the fact that she actually seems to be considering it. Charles spends the walk listening to Lydia talk about her latest favourite film. He’s not as good at really engaging with these things as Emily was, at least not yet, but he’s realised that a lot of the time his kid just wants an audience. He’s happy to be that for her.

They get to the school a little ahead of the majority of students, as planned. Charles walks his daughter to the reception entrance, his hand resting gently on her back as they step into the building. It seems to go very fast after that, Lydia’s been given a timetable and a laminated map and introduced to the teaching assistant who's going to help her find her locker, and he has to say goodbye.

“Let me know if you want picking up at the end of the day, okay?”

“Will do, old man.”

“Have a good day, Pumpkin.”

“Thanks Dad.”

And then she’s gone, and Charles is walking home alone with a knot of worry in his gut.

Scheduling a day working from home might have been slight overkill, Charles acknowledges, but he wants to be sure he can get to the school quickly. Just in case. He definitely wrote down his number correctly for Lydia’s emergency contact, right? Of course he did, he checked all of her paperwork five times. But maybe he should have done a sixth…?

His worrying is interrupted by the door of his home office being slammed into the wall. He doesn’t need to look up to know what’s going on.

“Lawrence, today is not the day for… whatever you’re up to,” he sighs.

“On the contrary, Chucky, I think you’ll find my timing is impeccable.”

Looking immensely proud of himself, he strides up to the desk, reaches inside his jacket, and pulls out a hardback book that he drops onto the desk with a definitive thump.

“Lyds reckons you’re getting stressed about raising a weirdo little medium kid,” he says.

“Is that what she said? Is that how she thinks I see her?”

[wizisbored]

No upper limit you say…?

🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁

woe 20 wips upon ye

And besides, there’s no evidence she owns a dragon herself, so if she did try anything some sparking and flapping should be enough to freak her out. Lydia watches as she turns to her head to the side, and then another figure appears at the window. And again, they observe. Just a thoroughly normal pair of humans, as far as Lydia can tell. Her attention is wandering away again before long.

///

A stick shifts, sending up a spray of sparks as it collapses. How long does it take plants to grow those sticks, she wonders? It’s gotta be a long time. A whole long time growing and one night in flames.

“Pretty, isn’t it?” the boss offers.

“Yeah. Pretty.”

///

Lydia tilts her head back, doing her best to take advantage of the little gap between the fabric and her nose, but it’s not much more than a sliver of light. The demon nudges her elbow, prompting her to stand. She gladly hauls herself back onto her feet.

Being led blind is still terrifying. She tries to move carefully, in no way trusting the demons’ lead, but that just gets her hit.

///

She charges at the dog, who evades her with an infuriating air of joyful whimsy, tail wagging as he bounces away.

“You can’t run forever! I swear, if you’ve made a hole in that mitten I’ll make a new one out of your ears!”

He stops and bows at her again, and when she attempts to snatch the mitten from him he scrambles backwards. Not to be deterred though she lunges after him and grabs at him again, and this time snags the thumb.

///

“Well, it is at two-thirty at night, and this is why. There’s some valuable cultural knowledge for you. Now can you put me down, please?”

Dangling from his claws, lacking that fancy dress, the kit looks even smaller and more childlike than she did in daylight. “You’ve got a whole lot of attitude for such a tiny kitten,” he informs her.

///

 a moment they just sit side by side on the edge of the bed, and then Lydia lays back with a sigh.

“It all just really sucks, doesn’t it?” she mumbles.

“A bit, yeah,” Skye agrees.

///

“We should have known, really,” Beetlejuice says as he paces the room. “With a name like Beetlejuice. Should have expected it was me.”

“Your name is Beetlejuice because you’re shit at pronouncing stars,” Lydia can’t help but remind him.“Yeah, but like- what if it was fate, or something?"

///

It takes some persuasion for her limbs to unfold themselves out of her hiding place, but it’s never felt so good to stretch her wings. With shaking fingers she strips off her sodden outer layers, wrings them out as best she can, and stuffs them back into her bag. Maybe they’re ruined, but maybe they’ll dry out and be fine. The blanket, though, she decides to abandon. It’s filthy, and as much as she tries to squeeze out the rainwater it’s still far heavier than it used to be.

///

“Oh, no way. ‘Cause I feel like, if I start claiming things, it stops being real street art in some way? Like, I know some people would just hate it ‘cause they hate me but there’s also quite a few people who would say ‘oh this vandalism is okay because it’s by Nimona, I like this vandalism,’ and that’s just gonna cheapen it. Like, claiming it cheapens it because it gives it a defence. Takes some of the bite off it, you know?”

///

“Chuck, I’ve got her covered. She’ll be fine.”

“I’m just concerned about her sense of balance. I know she’s been getting better, but if she falls-”

“I’m not gonna let her get hurt.”

///

Thrown in along with him are the three possessions of his that are apparently worth taking; an old hat, an old pulling harness, and the old back-bracing corset that goes with it.

“I was right about hauling something, then?”

“Less yapping,” the guard grumbles, taking his seat beside the driver.

“Aw, but it’s gonna be a long ride, maybe, I dunno. You don’t have time for a little chat?”

///

Lydia only just hears the sound of the car pulling into the driveway. She shuts her eyes, taking a deep breath. There’s a long five minutes of nothing loud enough to hear through her headphones, and then just as expected there’s a curt rapping on the door.

“Lydia? It’s your dad, can you open the door please?”

She turns the music up.

///

Delia gives Jane a tentative pat on the shoulder, and then goes to continue on past her. The ghost makes no attempt to move out of the way. And knowing by now that it’s rude to just walk right through a ghost, Delia finds herself awkwardly sidling around the girl on the stairs. Jane watches her with no discernable expression. And then she continues carefully making her way up, one step at a time.

///

He smiles, quickly taking the mat across from her so he can extend a hand to shake. “It’s great to meet you, Nimona.”

Nimona doesn’t move her crossed arms. She watches as his expression falters slightly, and then he pulls his hand back. The matron doesn’t comment this time, but she does send Nimona an incredibly unimpressed look.

///

She stiffens when he worms his hands under her arms, but doesn’t protest as he picks her up, letting him hold her at his side, supported with an extra arm. Exhaustion wins out over pride, and her head rests against his shoulder. He wordlessly carries her to the kitchen. They remain just as wordless as he opens the fridge and gets to making something or other. Lydia doesn’t register what it is.

///

Nimona plants her hand on the glass, hauling herself to her feet. Her legs don’t hold her up the way she means them to. They’re supposed to be sturdy. Sure, she’s bouncy and fidgety but just try to push her over when she’s not having it and she’s like a rock. She made herself sturdy.

///

“Can we leave him in the car?” Lydia asks as they step out onto the street. “I won’t tell if you don’t.”

Otho makes a face like she’d just asked if she could toss a sewer rat onto his backseat. “He is not staying unsupervised in the Prius.”

“You wouldn’t say that if you could hear him.”

///

“Oh, that’s great to hear! To tell you the truth, we had a bit of a scrapbooking phase a few years ago. Most of those had just been gathering dust up here since then.”

Lydia glances around the cluttered attic again. “So is that a trend, or-?”

///

He doesn’t believe that for a second, of course, but if this book is really as useful as Beetlejuice claims it to be then he can’t afford to turn it down. He loves Lydia in a way he’s woefully unequipped to describe, but that doesn’t make him in any way prepared to raise a medium.

“Well, thank you then, in that case.”

“Anytime, Chucky. You know who to call.”

And with that, Charles is alone in his office again.

///

But still, the conversation quickly melts into Adult Small Talk, and Lydia inevitably finds her attention drawn back to Nimona. She’s bouncing her leg, looking about as bored with all this as Lydia is. They catch eyes, and Nimona sticks her tongue out. Lydia scrunches her nose in response. Nimona escalates by sticking two fingers in her mouth to stretch her lips.

[wizisbored]

🎁🎁

Either book in the birdbath or whatever the sequal name is for parent creature.

Lydia looks to Skye for an explanation, and thankfully she readily launches into one. “We met here before one time when Daisy was getting her ear implants and now she’s back for her appendix. So we’re hospital buddies!”

“Right…”

“You’re Lydia, right?”

Lydia is almost startled out of her seat by the voice at her shoulder, back on Issac’s side of her. This guy she recognises - he’s the twelve-ish year old in the bed opposite her on the ward. That’s about all she’s got on him currently, but how close he’s standing is definitely not helping his case. Wheelchair or not, a twelve-year-old should not be allowed to be that much taller than her.

“Are any of you aware of the idea of personal space,” she asks as she rolls forward, “or do they not teach that in kindergarten anymore?”

===

Charles regards the cover with suspicion. There’s no author’s name, just the title and an illustration of what seems to be a young girl holding a seance for her teddy bears. But as… insensitive as Beetlejuice’s presentation may be, it’s hard to deny that a bit of guidance isn’t tempting.

“Are you sure this is from a reliable source?”

“‘Course I am, me an’ Lyds have got enough parental issues going around without me feeding you shit advice. That’s a Netherworld press official, that is.”

Charles gingerly lifts the cover, scanning the table of contents. The Sight in Stages: What to Look Out for. Occult Tools for the Layman. The When and Where of Emergency Exorcism.