The Meeting of Pennywise and The Babadook

by edu498

The unofficial story of how the title characters from IT and The Babadook met - and, consequently, fell in love.

"You're such a pansy!"

Pennywise hated having to present in front of the class. His teacher knew he couldn't control his transfiguration yet, so why did she insist on having every student present their weekly progress?

"I'm really trying Mrs. Reg, I promise!"

This week's assignment involved analyzing a character from their reading and transforming into something the students thought the character would fear the most. But for Pennywise, it seemed he could only transform into the character's greatest love. And his peers, especially Tur, made that flaw of his painfully evident.

"Well clearly not – you're a flower for Other's sake!"

The whole class erupted in laughter. Pennywise stood at the front of the classroom as seventeen sets of eyes stared at him and laughed. Tur was the best and the brightest in the class. He seemed to be able to transform into anything, even at the teacher's command. His transformations were seamless and scarily accurate every time. Just what Mrs. Reg wanted. And just the kind of kid that could command a room full of impressionable students.

"That's enough, Tur; just sit down Pennywise, you can try again next week." Pennywise knew Mrs. Reg was only trying to help him avoid the ridicule, but he really wished she would teach him how to transfigure instead of sending him to his seat every time he messed up. Nonetheless, he nearly jumped at the opportunity to return to his desk in the back-left corner.

"Okay, now let's move on – Tur, what do you have for us this week?"

Tur shot up from his seat. "I got a real good one for ya this time, I promise." He was enthusiastic beyond belief to share his assignment, especially right after Pennywise's horrific display.

Mrs. Reg was thrilled. "Wonderful – let's see what you have to present for us!"

Tur grabbed his copy of To Kill a Mockingbird from his desk and made his way to the front of the room. His confidence exuded from him; he never walked anywhere without strutting a puffed chest. His chin tilted upward towards the classroom's fluorescent lights as he moved, lights which seemed to carve a spotlight that glorified his very existence.

"So, I decided to present on the bird because that's what the book was about." Despite Tur's affinity for transfiguration, Pennywise noted that he was never the most eloquent individual. Regardless, Pennywise couldn't help but admire Tur's abilities. "Without further ado: my project."

Tur held his copy of To Kill a Mockingbird in front of his face, focusing on the silhouetted bird on its front cover. Fear transfigurations required the undivided attention of their participants, so Mrs. Reg scaffolded her students' learning on inanimate objects. That meant starting with characters in books; they couldn't move or look away, so they made the perfect targets on which to practice.

The whole class watched as Tur leaned in closer and closer to the cover of the book. Their undivided attention and admiration caused them to mirror his actions, inching closer to the edge of their seats as Tur worked. After what felt like minutes, the students were nearly falling off their chairs as Tur focused in on his project.

But at the last second, Tur dropped his book. Staring straight at Pennywise, the two locked eyes. Tur's eyes glowed a soft orange, registering that he had retrieved exactly what he needed. And as Pennywise was staring at a mirror image of himself, he knew Tur's real project – to showcase Pennywise's truest fear. Himself.

The class roared with laughter at this display. "Pennywise is afraid of himself! Pennywise is afraid of himself!" Students were hollering, some of whom were standing on their chairs and applauding a curtseying Pennywise look-alike at the front of the room.

Pennywise, on the other hand, was absolutely mortified. Tears welled up in his eyes as he scanned the room for just one friendly face, but even Mrs. Reg looked too surprised and horrified to subdue the situation. Pennywise hated feeling so vulnerable all the time, especially when his peers did nothing but tease him. Was anyone on his side? Did anyone want him to succeed instead of just ridicule him? He didn't care at this moment – he just wanted to get out of here. Water streaming from his eyes, he ran past his curtseying twin who was now throwing pansies at the rows of students now doubled over with laughter.

Knowing no one cared was the worst part. Pennywise tried so hard to do well in Mrs. Reg's class, but it was incredibly difficult to read beyond peoples' happiness. It was such a strong emotion and certainly much more pleasant to focus on than things so terrifying they made Pennywise shudder. He hated having to do it, but he also wanted to please Mrs. Reg and get his classmates to stop teasing him. He didn't care what he had to do. He just wanted them to stop hating him.

Pennywise ran straight down the hallway and out the front door of the school. Transfigurations was the penultimate class of the day, but he didn't feel like staying for Study Hall. What would the act of returning to Mrs. Reg to get extra weekend homework do for him now? She would just end up talking to him the whole time about "not listening to when others are being mean to you" and "being strong", but he never understood why she didn't do more to stop his classmates from teasing him. It always seemed to be on him to suck it up and persist beyond their insults.

He ran straight for the sewer grate underneath the front sidewalk of the school. He frequented this space often; the dark, damp walls seemed to understand him better than any of his classmates ever could. He was all too familiar with its stench, with the flow of sewage past his feet. It disgusted him at first, but now the sound of its movement calmed him. It was familiar. It was consistent.

Pennywise crawled into the grate and let himself collapse into its dirty waters. His tears joined the water as it flowed past his huddled body. Long, elaborate wails escaped him in between gasps for air. Something about the echoing sound of his sobs against the pipe's walls made him feel just a little less alone.

"Hello? Is someone down there?"

Pennywise froze. He stopped crying immediately. The voice sounded like it came directly from above him. His heart raced, wondering if they were talking to him.

"In the sewer – is someone down there? Do you need help?"

Pennywise remained frozen. He was too startled to speak. What would he say to this mysterious figure speaking through the opening in the grate? He didn't want anyone to see him like this.

"If you don't answer, I'm coming down there. And I'd really rather not get my top hat dirty."

Pennywise knew he had to speak up. "Uhh," he stammered, "I'm okay."

The figure paused for a second, then continued. "Well clearly not if you're in a sewer. Why don't you come on up here?"

Pennywise didn't know how to respond. He just wanted to tell whoever this was to go away. He didn't want to be bothered. He'd had enough of that today and wasn't looking to get criticized by anyone else.

"I'm serious," they continued, "I spent a good deal on this top hat and I'll be pissed it if gets dirty. And don't even get me started on how much this coat cost me – it's custom-made."

Pennywise could tell they were serious by the tone with which they spoke. He wiped away the trail of tears from his face, gathered himself enough to stop sniffling, and climbed out from the sewer.

He pulled himself to his feet and stared straight into the button of a black coat. Shocked, he followed the line of buttons to meet the gaze of a tall figure dressed completely in black. They even had a black top hat, just as they said, that made them tower even further over Pennywise. He was completely flustered.

"…Is the coat really custom-made?" Pennywise realized the ridiculousness of his inquiry as soon as the words left his lips.

"Of course," the tall figure answered, "why would I lie about that? They don't make a 'Thinner and Taller' section at most department stores."

Pennywise couldn't help but chuckle at that. He liked how funny they were. "What's your name?"

"I'm The Babadook."

"Nice to see you." Pennywise was simply shocked at how tall The Babadook was that he couldn't help but emit short, insensible responses. No one had caught him in the middle of a sob session; he wasn't used to composing himself so suddenly. He quickly realized what he had said. "I mean nice to meet you. I'm Pennywise. I'm sorry, I don't know why I said that, it didn't make any sense."

The Babadook smiled. "It's okay. It was cute."

Pennywise blushed.

The Babadook continued: "So Penny – I'm gonna call you Penny if that's okay – why were you crying at the bottom of a sewer in the middle of the day, if you don't mind me asking?"

Pennywise blushed even more. The growing smile on his face immediately sank. "I don't really want to talk about it. It made me feel really sad. And I just stopped crying."

The Babadook cocked his head. "Well clearly you were sad, or else you wouldn't be crying at the bottom of a sewer grate. Geez, it's called the magical power of inference, Penny. I'm asking because it'll make you feel better if you talk to someone about it. Work with me here."

Pennywise felt a faint smile creep back onto his face. He appreciated The Babadook's witty sarcasm, even though he still felt like crying. It was genuine and, Pennywise was finding through talking to The Babadook, inexplicably soothing.

"Well," Pennywise started, "nobody seems to like me very much."

The Babadook was shocked. "A handsome guy like you? I can't imagine anyone wouldn't like you."

Pennywise blushed. "They don't like me because I can't transfigure into scary things. I can only seem to transform into what others really like."

The Babadook chuckled. "And that's such a bad thing because…?"

Pennywise was flustered. "Well it's a bad thing when everybody laughs at you because you turn into a pansy in front of the whole class!"

The smile on The Babadook's face persisted. "Honey, I've been called a pansy since the fourth grade. You're gonna have to do better than that!"

Pennywise could feel laughter welling in his chest, but he was still too upset to let it escape. "Yeah, but has anyone fear transfigured into YOUR greatest fear in front of an entire class?"

The Babadook let the smile on his face drop. He could tell Pennywise's problems were greater than he thought. "Well, no. I can't transfigure like you can." The Babadook let a smirk creep back onto his face. "But I remember one time I let a fart slip in my practicum exam for Stalking II. They called me 'The Baba-dookie' for three months after that."

Pennywise couldn't help but laugh. The Babadook had a way of making him feel a lot better about being sad. The Babadook loved to laugh, just like Pennywise. Plus, it felt good to smile after crying so much.

The Babadook smiled when he saw Pennywise's shoulders drop. Pennywise was becoming much less tense. "So," The Babadook continued, "what are we gonna do about this 'problem' of yours?"

Pennywise was shocked. "I mean, we barely know each other. I don't want to burden you with this."

The Babadook chuckled. "I just told you that I farted during a stalking exam. I think we've pushed the boundaries of 'introductions' a bit beyond their normal realm." He winked at Pennywise. "What can I do to help?"

Pennywise laughed again and felt the tension leave his shoulders completely. Never had someone showed this much interest in him, let alone made him laugh this much. "I would really appreciate having someone to help me learn."

The Babadook smiled. "I can do that. I was just about to go home – do you want to come?" He scanned Pennywise up and down. "Based on your shit-soaked jumpsuit, I don't think you want to go back into school. I have a change of clothes for you if you'd like."

"Sure," Pennywise said almost too emphatically, "that sounds wonderful. Thank you."

"Not a problem," The Babadook responded warmly. "I live just up the road from the school. It's not a far walk."

Pennywise smiled. "I could use a good walk."

The Babadook gently brushed off Pennywise's collar and unbuttoned it from the jumpsuit. Folding it delicately in half, he draped it over his arm and motioned for Pennywise to follow.

Pennywise was dumbfounded – The Babadook didn't even know him, yet he was going out of his way to care for him. He let a small smile slip onto his face and, in realizing he still hadn't started walking, snapped back from his reverie and ran to catch up with The Babadook.

They walked together in silence. Pennywise admired the large steps that The Babadook took. Despite his long and lanky body, he appeared to glide over several sidewalk tiles at once with suave strides. His coattails brushed against the backs of his stick-like thighs, and Pennywise couldn't help but wonder how such skinny legs could support The Babadook as he walked. Pennywise practically had to jog to keep up with him.

"And we're here!" The Babadook emphatically announced this and Pennywise nearly tripped over himself in stopping so suddenly. The Babadook noticed this and chuckled shortly to himself. "I know it's not much," The Babadook continued, "but it's home."

Pennywise looked up, expecting to see a house, but was instead surprised to see a small wooden shack. He was genuinely shocked – he didn't expect The Babadook, someone who appeared so well put-together, to live in something whose door wasn't even tall enough to fit his tall frame. "It…" Pennywise stammered, trying to think of something polite to say, "well…it looks comfy!"

The Babadook smiled. "Come inside, Penny. Let me show you around. Watch your step."

The Babadook opened the door courteously for Pennywise. Pennywise stepped inside and immediately almost fell down a series of stairs leading to a dark room. He gasped at first, and in realizing how rude that must have sounded, tried to salvage the situation. "Oh, I didn't mean to sound rude, I was just surprised, I didn't expect there to be stairs, I wasn't insinuating anything about…"

The Babadook laughed, staring down at the clown who was now three steps below him. "Don't worry about it. But for future reference, it's probably a good idea to turn on a light before you enter someone's dark house." The Babadook reached to his right and flicked a switch that rested on the wall of the shed.

Immediately, Pennywise was overcome with stupor. The staircase was now illuminated with the glow of myriad string lights. Lights of every color. They lined everything, from the railings on the staircase to the ceiling of the shed that Pennywise realized was now simply the covering over a beautiful, antique staircase that led into the main living area. He walked slowly down the stairs, admiring the beautiful lights that guided his way. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he turned to his right and was even more blown away. The basement apartment was relatively small, considering how much space he thought The Babadook would need for someone his size. What made the apartment so beautiful, however, was the incredibly tall ceilings lined with thousands of these rainbow string lights. Every square inch of the apartment shone under the lights, extending their warmest welcome to this new face. Pennywise was in a state of pure stupor.

"It's a studio," The Babadook spoke softly, "so I really don't have much room to spread out. But there's a bed, and a couch, and a kitchen, and a desk, and a bathroom. The rest is relatively extraneous – I don't need much to be happy."

Pennywise realized his jaw was wide open, but he couldn't help it. "It…It's beautiful here, it really is."

The Babadook smiled. "Thank you! I work with what I have; now, let's get you that change of clothes."

The Babadook strode across the small apartment to what Pennywise inferred to be The Babadook's sleeping area. A large closet door stood reservedly next to the bed, which appeared to extend a third the length of the entire room. The Babadook opened the closet door, flicked on another light switch, ruffled through its contents for a bit, and exited the closet, shutting off the light and closing the door behind him. "Trust me," he uttered, "my closet is its own beast." He blushed a bit, but nonetheless emerged with a tall black coat, a white shirt, and a towel. "These will definitely be big on you, but I promise they'll be comfortable."

"Thank you so much," Pennywise started, "I really appreciate your kindness. It means a lot." He took the clothes and immediately looked around for a place to change. The bathroom seemed too cramped to change in there, but he didn't want to be rude. He started toward the door.

"It might be a bit uncomfortable to change in there," The Babadook stated.

Pennywise immediately blushed. "Where am I supposed to change then? Right out in the open?"

The Babadook turned bright red. "Oh, I'm not insinuating…I didn't mean to… Let me turn around." He quickly turned around and stared straight at the wall, pretending it was the most engaging thing he'd seen all day long.

Pennywise giggled softly and removed his clothes. It felt great to take off the jumpsuit, which was still damp with water from the sewer. He wiped himself off with the towel The Babadook provided and proceeded to put on the shirt and coat he was given. They were extremely long on him, almost like a nightgown, but the clothes were warm and comforting. They felt like a warm hug. "Okay," he chuckled, "you can turn back around."

The Babadook was still faintly red when he turned around. After registering the clown that stood before him, his face became flushed immediately again. "Wow, you look…comfy."

Pennywise couldn't help but smile. "I mean, you would know, these are your clothes." He winked at The Babadook as he sank into the couch in what he assumed to be in the living room.

The Babadook chuckled. "Okay, now that we've settled that situation, we can move on to your situation."

Pennywise's face dropped. He didn't want the fun to end. He didn't want to feel sad again.

"Penny," The Babadook spoke softly, "I just wanted to let you know that you're not alone in feeling this way." The Babadook's face turned stoic, acknowledging the severity of Pennywise's feelings. "Trust me, there are…well, there are people out there like you." Pennywise didn't respond, but the expression on his face conveyed that The Babadook's words had registered with him.

The Babadook continued: "I want you to practice your fear transfigurations on me. I know you're scared, but I am giving you full permission to do this. I…well, I want you see it doesn't have to be so bad."

Pennywise was speechless. How could The Babadook let him into his mind so easily, without hesitation? Pennywise didn't understand.

"I know you're probably wondering why I'm doing this." The Babadook began to blush. "I think if someone gives you their permission, I think if I can show you that fear doesn't have to be a bad kind of scary, then you might feel more comfortable." He quickly added, "With transfiguring, that is."

Pennywise didn't know what to say. Thoughts were racing in his mind, tripping over themselves. What if he sees me transfigure into something weird? Will he laugh at me if I get it wrong? Why would he do something so nice for me?

The Babadook saw the reservation in Pennywise's eyes. He tried to appease these: "I know you're scared, Penny. Hell, I'm scared too. But I promise, I am here to help you. I am here for you. I want you to be happy. Being sad all the time is no way to live."

"Okay, I guess…let's do it." Pennywise was beyond scared – he was absolutely terrified. But deep down, he knew The Babadook was right. He had to be proactive, or else nothing would change. He watched as the Babadook awkwardly bent down and sat on the rug. The Babadook had to be at eye level with Pennywise to transfigure, so Pennywise was appreciative of The Babadook's self-awareness. As their eyes met, Pennywise swallowed hard. "Are you ready?"

The Babadook's face, red only moments ago, was now completely pale. "I'm ready. Let's do it."

Pennywise looked directly into The Babadook's eyes. Never before had he seen such large pupils – they practically covered his entire eye! It was so strange for Pennywise to stare into these eyes; their blackness sucked him in, mesmerizing, overwhelming. Focus, Pennywise. He had to snap himself back from his reverie to re-focus on the task at hand.

Staring back into The Babadook's eyes, he looked beyond their gaze. He looked within. Pennywise could feel himself connecting with The Babadook's soul, his inner life force. It felt like he was walking through an open field at night. Faintly, he began to see balls of orange light emerge in the darkness that flooded his vision. They slowly began to take shape as his mind inched closer and closer to their warmth. As Pennywise stared into these glowing spheres, he began to see the outline of The Babadook's apartment. He turned immediately to its right; the ball of light directly next to this one showed an incredibly tall swing set. Inside the one immediately to the right of this sphere rested one which contained a pansy. This is extraordinary, Pennywise thought.

Just as he felt soothed by the presence of the pansy, he noticed a ball of light directly behind it. It gave off a strange, menacingly yellow light, which was strikingly unsettling compared to the other lights that Pennywise saw. He could distinguish the outline of a figure, but it was too difficult to tell exactly who it was from a distance. He walked slowly toward its light, purely attracted by how unholy its glow appeared. Reaching out his hand, Pennywise gently ran his fingers through its light. Instantly, the darkness shook around him – The Babadook had flinched as Pennywise probed this memory. I've reached his fear, Pennywise noted to himself. He was incredibly scared to unveil its truths. Just like a Band-Aid, Pennywise thought to himself, I just have to rip it off. He reached inside the sphere of light and grabbed the figure he saw inside.

"Hello, Penny."

Pennywise jolted from his barely conscious reverie. He could feel the yellow light dimming from his eyes. "Did it work?"

The Babadook scanned Pennywise up and down, gazing with an equivalent sense of fear and intrigue. "Yes, I believe it did."

Smiling, Pennywise looked down to see the shape he now embodied. But he was confused – hadn't he changed out of his jumpsuit and put on The Babadook's coat? Why was he now wearing it? Why did he have on his most extravagant ruffled collar? Why did he look like himself? "I…" Pennywise stammered, "I don't understand."

"Let me explain." The Babadook could barely formulate his sentences. He kept averting his eyes as he spoke. Pennywise could hear the shaking in his voice. "Penny, you frighten me."

"But…" Pennywise was so confused. "But…why?"

"It started in fourth grade." Pennywise could tell The Babadook was having extreme difficulty discussing this fear of his. "You see, there's a reason they called me a 'pansy' in the fourth grade. I knew I was different way before then. It took them a little while longer to figure it out for themselves."

"To figure what out? I don't understand!"

The Babadook looked directly at Pennywise. "Well I…Well, Penny, I'm gay."

Pennywise could feel his heart stop. He turned bright red.

"I was absolutely devastated when they found out." The Babadook's eyes were gathering tears. "I remember I hated going to school because they would call me a pansy the whole time. Every day. It was horrible, I couldn't catch a break. I remember one day I got to the point where…well, I don't want to go into that. But I struggled for so long. I was sad all the time. I thought I would go crazy if I didn't talk to someone about it."

Pennywise's heart now throbbed. He was turning redder and redder as he related to every aspect of The Babadook's story.

"Then, one day, I couldn't take it anymore. I went and talked with the school psychologist because I thought I would lose my mind if I had to deal with the pain alone anymore. I didn't know what to say. I just sat there and cried. She knew. I knew. But I simply didn't know what to say. I was only nine. Who knows what to say when they're nine? Everything is about the prince and the princess, the king and the queen. I didn't know how to express what I felt, nor for whom I felt it. And I will never forget what she said to me." The Babadook gently wiped a tear from his right eye. "As I started to come down from my emotional outburst, she said to me, 'Variety is the spice of life. Don't be afraid to be a little different. Different was never a bad thing – if anything, you're adding more 'flavor' to our lives.'" The Babadook let out a soft chuckle as he wiped another tear from his right eye. "And ever since, I never looked back. I'm just another ingredient in the pot, but I'll be damned if I don't gonna add a little spice to the dish."

Pennywise sat in absolute silence. His heart was still pounding, as if it was beating on his rib cage to escape. He was speechless.

The Babadook continued. "I know…I know you're probably asking why that means I'm afraid of you." Pennywise's heart skipped a beat when he heard the mention of his name. "I'm not exactly scared of you, I'm more scared for you." The Babadook furrowed his brow. "You have a gift, Penny! Your power to transfigure into the good in peoples' lives – it's amazing! You have a purity, a genuineness about you that is unparalleled by anyone I have ever met! Don't let them dull your glow, don't let their lack of color paint your canvas black. You're too good for that."

Pennywise could feel the tears welling in his eyes. Never had someone said such kind things to him. He wept. He wept because he was ashamed of himself, ashamed that he hated something The Babadook found so pure within him. He wept because he hated feeling sad about something he loved so much about himself. He wept because The Babadook said such kind things about him. He wept because he was feeling strange feelings toward The Babadook, things he was scared to feel.

"Well," The Babadook continued, "I didn't mean to make you cry. But I hope you realize how truly special you are, Penny. Really." The Babadook placed his hand on Penny's shoulder and gently squeezed it to show his solidarity. "Not many people can see the orange light within others. You're one of a kind, a real rainbow…you pansy." He winked.

Pennywise laughed. He was still crying. He could taste the tears trickling down his face as he gasped for air in between hearty laughs.

The Babadook smiled. "That's it. Laughter. Music to my ears. It is the color with which we paint the canvas of our lives. And it suits you particularly well."

Pennywise couldn't help but smile. He felt so safe around The Babadook, like he could laugh and smile and cry all at once and it was okay. He wiped the tears from his eyes and, after steadying his shaking body from laughing so hard, managed to emit a breathy "Thank you."

The Babadook seemed to ponder a thought for a little bit, and after deliberate consideration, decided to speak again. "You know," he managed to state after a while, "The ability to see what others love is a special gift, Penny. This is really something I don't want you to lose. I want you to try it again." He stammered for a bit, "you know, just to make sure you don't lose such a special gift, that is." He paused for a moment. "It really is special, Penny."

Pennywise's eyes met The Babadook's. He could see kindness in The Babadook's gaze, a look he had never seen before. He found himself distracted by this genuineness and had to pull himself back to maintain his focus. Sure enough, he felt his eyes connect and saw beyond The Babadook's stare.

This time, when he traversed through The Babadook's mind, he found only one sphere of orange light. It was brighter and bigger than any other he had seen beforehand. He approached it. It felt more comfortable, more inviting, than any other he had ever seen. This was a special memory, a special sphere of light. It was definitely orange, but it also had a faint pinkish glow to it. Pennywise grabbed the figure inside. He could feel his eyes glow faintly orange. He could feel the warm light emit from his skin. The characteristic flash of orange light engulfed the entire basement, reaching every corner of the room. After the orange light faded, he continued staring into The Babadook's eyes. "Did it work?"

The Babadook kept his eyes fixed in Pennywise's. He didn't need to look down to answer confidently. "Yes. It did."

Pennywise broke his gaze and looked down at himself. He wore the same jumpsuit, the same frilly white collar, the same red buttons on his chest.

"But I…But I haven't changed a bit!"

The Babadook couldn't help but smile. His face was bright red.

"Exactly."