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jsmn_kinkmeme2015-08-30 12:20 pm
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☆ Round Two!
Welcome to the second round of the Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell Kink Meme at jsmn_kinkmeme!
Below are some basic guidelines, but please make sure you also check out our complete Rules & Guidelines.
Guidelines:
■ Anonymously comment with your request – a character/pairing/nthsome, and a kink or prompt.
■ Only one prompt per post.
■ Fillers please link your fills in the Fills Post!
■ Have fun! :)
Keep in mind:
■ Any kinks welcomed!
■ The fill/request does not need to be sexual or porny.
■ Multiple fills are allowed.
■ Fills can be any sort of creative work: fic, art, song, photomanip, etc.
■ Beware of spoilers! Prompters and requesters are encouraged to warn for spoilers, but this rule is not enforced.
■ Warning for non-con, dub-con, abuse, slurs/language, and other potentially disturbing subjects is encouraged but be aware we do not enforce this.
■ Would fillers please make sure when posting a fill in multiple parts that they thread their comments by replying to previous parts.
Links:
☆ Mod Post
☆ Fills Post
☆ Discussion Post
☆ Misfire deletion requests
☆ Previous Rounds: Round One
jsmn_kinkmeme!Below are some basic guidelines, but please make sure you also check out our complete Rules & Guidelines.
Guidelines:
■ Anonymously comment with your request – a character/pairing/nthsome, and a kink or prompt.
■ Only one prompt per post.
■ Fillers please link your fills in the Fills Post!
■ Have fun! :)
Keep in mind:
■ Any kinks welcomed!
■ The fill/request does not need to be sexual or porny.
■ Multiple fills are allowed.
■ Fills can be any sort of creative work: fic, art, song, photomanip, etc.
■ Beware of spoilers! Prompters and requesters are encouraged to warn for spoilers, but this rule is not enforced.
■ Warning for non-con, dub-con, abuse, slurs/language, and other potentially disturbing subjects is encouraged but be aware we do not enforce this.
■ Would fillers please make sure when posting a fill in multiple parts that they thread their comments by replying to previous parts.
Links:
☆ Mod Post
☆ Fills Post
☆ Discussion Post
☆ Misfire deletion requests
☆ Previous Rounds: Round One
FILL: Ménage à Quelques (Norrell/Strange/Childermass, Arabella watching), 4 of 7
(Anonymous) 2015-12-21 01:15 pm (UTC)(link)After the end of his lessons that day, Jonathan took the chance to draw Childermass aside. "Have you heard of my wife's unlikely proposition?"
"Aye," said Childermass heavily. "I have that."
"We have no intention of coming between you if you're closely involved," said Jonathan.
"We never really troubled to work out what it was," said Childermass. "It was our business, I could do a fair job of keeping him safe from harm, and nobody else needed to know. Then he fell in love with you, and your wife considered some frankly havey-cavey scheme for her own entertainment."
"So are you about to warn me off or offer to join in?" Jonathan asked.
"I'm most concerned with keeping him safe, sir," said Childermass. "I've been with him a long time, as a servant, a friend, maybe more than that. Doesn't need his heart broken by the next magician to come along."
"Has he spoken to you about having feelings for me?"
"He doesn't need to. After I saw him look at you as if you hung the moon and stars, I knew I might have to look out for him."
Jonathan felt rather uneasy, hoping not to offend Childermass.
"I'd happily have managed without him falling in love with someone else," Childermass went on, "but I make no doubt that there's a difference between a flush of sudden passion and an attachment that took years to form. You have a wife to go home to, and he has me." He lookt Jonathan direct in the eye. "Since we left Hurtfew, I'm the nearest to a home he's got."
"So you're not jealous?" said Jonathan, to make sure.
Childermass chuckled deeply. "If you were in a magic prison where you shared all his work with him, and you were alone together for years, then I'd be raging-jealous. But the love he has for you is a spring fever, fast and hard, and when it fades I shall still be there."
Jonathan nodded. That was definitely the best way all round, and he and Arabella might have been slightly irresponsible taking this so lightly.
"But he's attracted to me?" Jonathan said, just to make sure.
"I think he's tempted by your offer, Mr Strange. Hasn't got his leg over me for a month, what with travel and lack of privacy, and he's started asking me what I think of you."
Jonathan said, "I assure you, Bell believes she would derive great pleasure from our pleasure, but she would never put pressure for any of us to participate if we have the slightest reluctance. If you're not interested we'll say no more about it."
"Didn't say that, did I?" Childermass offered a slightly shark-like grin. "Wouldn't kick either of you out of bed, you or my master. Wouldn't mind watching, either. Especially when he goes from being all modest to being desperate. You've got a fair chance of him just spreading himself out on the bed and begging for your cock."
Jonathan swallowed. His wife's madcap idea was beginning to sound more than a little appealing.
"So we'll come for dinner, and stay, and see how it goes," said Childermass.
FILL: Ménage à Quelques (Norrell/Strange/Childermass, Arabella watching), 5 of 7
(Anonymous) 2015-12-21 01:18 pm (UTC)(link)Over the meal, Arabella and Jonathan chatted quite as cheerfully as ever, while the other couple spoke in lower voices at the other end of the table. He was not sure, but he suspected Childermass was making it his office not to let his master be nervous. If Norrell's consumption of the dessert was any indication, he was far less worried by the end of the meal.
When the last trace of lemon cream was scooped up on the last Shrewsbury biscuit, Arabella got up and said brightly, "Shall we?"
Jonathan said, "Follow my wife, I generally find it saves trouble to let her lead the way," and smiled.
He was just near enough to hear as Childermass bent close to his master and said, "Don't worry, sir, I shan't let her get you. Only ones having our wicked way with you tonight are me and him!" Jonathan wondered at the strange fears people had--surely a wife was not that terrifying--but had to remind himself a wife was a perfectly-delightful creature if one had sought her out, but presumably not otherwise.
So the little procession consisted of Jonathan, Arabella, and a bit behind Childermass and Mr Norrell.
The bedroom was pleasantly-lit, with a good fire roaring up in the hearth. Norrell lookt rather happier to see that.
Jonathan and Childermass noted that the usual sheets and blankets and quilt had been thoroughly protected with a thick dust cover of the type used on furniture during long absences.
“Let it fly, eh, sir?” Childermass whispered to Jonathan, who tried to stifle a laugh. He was definitely glad that this fellow had agreed to be present, if not necessarily to join in.
Arabella was wearing a rather unusually droopy dress that suggested that she had had recourse to neither stays nor servants. This reminded him excitingly of why she wanted freedom of dress for the evening.
"Go ahead, gentlemen, imagine I'm not here," she said.
Three pairs of eyes fixed on her unerringly. She chuckled, and went to the corner. Jonathan noticed that the soft roomy chair from his study had suddenly appeared there. Obviously she had been preparing.
"I was quite wrong!" burst out Mr Norrell, staring at her. "I shall be completely unable to perform."
Jonathan moved to him, put a hand on his shoulder and said, "Do you know what my first thought was, when Arabella came out with such an unusual idea? I thought, 'I can imagine that he might like to kiss me'."
Mr Norrell lookt up at him. He glanced at his eyes, then his lips.
Mr Norrell kissed considerably more expertly than he might have thought, not just going straight for the tongue but nibbling at his lips, then applying a delicate pressure, finally sliding in to flirt tongue-to-tongue against him. Then he backed off a little to practice building up the sensations again. Finally, he settled to passionate tongue-thrusting as if he couldn't manage the control for any thing else, moaning into Jonathan's mouth. Jonathan almost moaned himself: it was a very good kiss.
When he drew away, Jonathan (as a frequently-satisfied married man) was interested, but Norrell's state bore witness to the deprivation Childermass had mentioned. He was panting, dishevelled, and lookt seconds away from coming in his breeches.
Norrell opened his eyes, looking at Jonathan adoringly. Jonathan kissed him on the corner of his mouth because he just couldn't not. How could anyone resist being loved that way? He was surprised to be recalled to his situation when Norrell lookt unwillingly into the corner. Then, without any display or exaggeration, Norrell put his face in his hands.
Jonathan said, "I'm sorry." He thought this was inadequate. It had taken him this long to realise he was playing with real people's feelings, that he was exposing such a private man. Not exposing him to anything--he and Arabella weren't monsters, and had had nothing in mind but shared enjoyment--but just exposing him in a way he wasn't comfortable with.
Childermass sighed, and came forward. "Come on, sir," he said, and drew him up to kiss him warmly. It was recognisably the original of the kiss Norrell had given Jonathan, but with an element of ease that spoke of time and comfort. "Get yourself in front of the fire for a bit and I'll sort it all out for you," Childermass went on.
Without speaking, Norrell did so, sitting with his shoulders slightly hunched up.
"Just caught him a bit by surprise," said Childermass. "He's not been thinking out the being-in-love bit, but getting it all mixed up with being desperate, and then suddenly remembered your wife was there. If it's just a bit too much for him, will you two let
us have some time together in here instead? Sorry if it ends up spoiling your evening, but …” He glanced at Norrell.
"Of course we will!" said Arabella warmly. "We never intended to hurt any one's feelings."
"I'll try to talk it through with him now," said Childermass.
Jonathan blessed Arabella's choice of the largest and most spacious chair. There was room for them to sit together, and they didn't overhear too much of the other couple's conversation.
He heard the beginning of it. "They'll leave us to it if you like, so I can have you and you feel better. They'd rather we were happy than try to push any thing on us. Does that help?"
Mr Norrell said something. Jonathan thought it might have been, “I don’t want to disappoint Mrs Strange.”
Arabella seemed to have heard it the same way, for she glanced quickly at Jonathan and then looked at Mr Norrell with more fondness that she had displayed for him before.
Then Childermass's voice went to a low murmur, and Mr Norrell reached out for him. Jonathan could not hear the rest of the conversation, but no doubt it wasn't intended for him.
After a while, Mr Norrell trotted up to them. "Mrs Strange, we would like to accept your kind offer of the use of your husband. Ah...Mr Strange...if, that is, you do not mind?"
Jonathan gave him a reassuring smile. It must have taken some bravery to approach again. "Arabella shall be quiet in the corner while we explore," he said.
This time, they undressed. Jonathan first. Mr Norrell did not pay the least attention to Arabella: he was too busy watching Jonathan. Meanwhile, Jonathan surprised himself by thinking about Norrell. He had assumed he would have to regulate his own attention by coming back to the thought of his wife pleasuring herself in the corner, but, no, the frankly lustful look on Norrell's face was quite enough. So he made a show of it; his strong arms and hands, his height, his well-turned legs, and finally his prick. No-one in his misspent youth had suggested he had anything to be shy about with that, and nor did Norrell, who took a half-step forward as though he wanted to touch it.
Maybe Mr Norrell would have spent the entire evening looking at Jonathan, but Childermass said, "It's your turn now, sir," so he sighed, and fumbled at his clothes. He had no sense of coquetry--which made it more exciting for Jonathan, the thought that this was a rare event--but managed not to tear any thing, with only occasional recourse to Childermass for help with the fastenings. Jonathan glanced at Bell, who was watching this process with a smile that suggested she had never seen anything so endearing.
He was a little plump, not muscular (except in the arms for carrying books), and without much body-hair. He was also less well-endowed, if extremely hard. But these differences from the ideal of handsomeness were inexplicably charming, marking him as an individual, as Norrell and no other.
Stepping up to him, Jonathan slid a hand round him and squeezed his arse. Norrell leaned against Jonathan.
Childermass began to undress next. He was strong, somewhat grimy, and would shape up excellently even next to Jonathan if not for the odour of horse and his tangled hair.
Norrell lookt at him as well. He drew a sharp breath. The full advantages of the arrangement seemed finally to have hit him.
"Come on, sir," said Childermass. "Which of us would you like first?"
Jonathan was a little shocked to see Norrell blatantly eyeing them up. He glanced at Childermass's crotch, then more extensively at Jonathan's. He lickt his lips and sighed happily.
"Well, sir, I reckon Mr Strange has about a fraction of an inch on me," said Childermass. "I'll prepare you."
Mr Norrell climbed up on the bed and lay on his stomach. Childermass grasped one of the several pillows in a generous heap at the head of the bed and slipped it under his hips. Mr Norrell spread his legs in happy anticipation.
That gave Jonathan a very good view of why his previous act of sodomy had gone poorly. He had certainly known the lady needed preparation, and the use of salve, but Childermass was using what he would have considered ridiculous quantities, and very slowly working Norrell up by adding fingers, and it appeared to go excellently well.
Arabella, on the other hand, did not have a good view of this proceeding, and she was evidently mightily curious. Since Mr Norrell’s head was turned away from her, she stood carefully up and tiptoed on her bare feet to the side of the bed. She looked surprised at what she saw and a trifle shocked, but she continued to watch curiously. Jonathan was taken aback by how calmly she was reacting to this. As Mr Norrell began to make odd but pleased sounds, she scampered quickly back to her chair.
After a while, Norrell was spread out on the bed, completely relaxed. His eyes remained closed, possibly to avoid a glimpse of Arabella, although he had equally-possibly forgotten her entirely.
Jonathan glanced over. Her face was flushed, and her hands were not visible, but she was keeping to her promise of playing discreetly.
"Now, sir, would you like a good hard fuck the first time, just to take the edge off you?" said Childermass, and Norrell wailed and hid his face in his arm, although this did not obscure a blush extreme enough it showed on the back of his neck. Then Norrell got to his hands and knees, shoving his arse up.
Childermass passed Jonathan the salve. Apparently both parties needed to prepare themselves. He applied the salve to the obvious spot, glancing at Childermass until the man nodded.
"Go on, sir, introduce yourself," said Childermass. "Start off slowly but don't take too long to work yourself up. When you're really hammering him and he's like to spend, bite him."
Norrell whimpered.
Jonathan went in gently, but picked up speed in a couple of minutes, familiarising himself with the sorts of things Mr Norrell said in the bedroom, from a shocked, "Mr Strange!" as he made the first hard thrust to wordless noises interspersed with repeated cries of his name and incoherent pleas as he kept moving.
Soon, the noises and cries of "Mr Strange!" attained a certain pitch, and Childermass whispered, "Now, sir!" to Jonathan, who was somewhat relieved. The heat and tightness was getting a little much, and he no longer wanted to hold back.
He kept thrusting, harder and harder, and Mr Norrell got more and more frantic, and Jonathan finally grabbed his prick at the same time as he bit him, at which Mr Norrell gave a tremendous cry of "Jonathan!" and came off all over the bed. The fierce spasms took Jonathan with him, and he groaned with the pleasure of it.
Once they had disengaged, Mr Norrell lookt into Arabella's corner and said, "Excuse me, madam!" and she said, "Do not trouble yourself, sir, he has quite the same effect on me if we have been apart for a while." She lifted her hand and sniffed it.
Norrell looked at her, puzzled, for a moment before turning to Childermass, and saying, "Thank you." Jonathan rather thought that although he and his wife had been the prime movers in this engagement, and although Norrell had such a passion for him, Norrell would never have accepted it without Childermass's advice. Perhaps there were indeed attachments more important than being in love.
FILL: Ménage à Quelques (Norrell/Strange/Childermass, Arabella watching), 6 of 7
(Anonymous) 2015-12-21 01:20 pm (UTC)(link)"Childermass? What would you like?" Mr Norrell asked.
"Well, after seeing what a good time you had, I think I'll ask Mr Strange," said Childermass. He smiled, slowly. "Wouldn't mind going on the bottom for once. Find out what you see in it, like. Not as if you ever offer!" His tone sounded teasing, as if it had been mentioned several times but not seriously.
"But we are perfectly content as we are, Childermass," said Mr Norrell firmly. "I have no intention of getting into arguments with you about whose turn it is. It's far simpler to know at the outset.
"Come here, give us your hand!" said Childermass, and when Mr Norrell did, he pressed a kiss into Norrell's small palm and folded his fingers on it for safekeeping. "I promise I won't let him turn me, and I'll be happy to give it you up your arse as often as you like..." He paused. "Well. Nearly that often, anyway."
Mr Norrell muttered, "Oh, all right then," rather sulkily.
"You go and sit by the fire, sir," said Childermass. "We're both larger-built than you, and you could do without our arms flailing and knocking you in the face."
Mr Norrell obediently trotted aside and settled there.
Jonathan had always assumed the man on top would both do the work and make the decisions. He should have realised from the fact that Childermass had been the one knowing what to do in the first place that he would have decided opinions. He went onto his hands and knees. Jonathan's first guess about how much salve to use was optimistic, so he had to keep adding more. However, Jonathan's long fingers seemed to be very welcome working away inside Childermass.
Finally, with a shuddering gasp, Childermass said, "All right now, sir," and Jonathan settled to prepare his own anatomy. He was rather glad he'd gone first as well; he was by no means sure he'd have lasted.
Jonathan could only tell Arabella was discreetly attending to herself by the fact he couldn't see her hands, and the disarray of her dress.
He also noticed Norrell had moved his chair from directly facing the fire to where he had a better view of events. He was also leisurely frigging himself, long slow strokes accompanied by happy sighing, eyes fixed on them.
He glanced at Arabella: she had clearly noticed Norrell's further interest in events and was watching him, as well. Her lips twitched into a smile as she caught his eye: possibly Norrell was as insatiable as Childermass thought, and Childermass would probably know.
Jonathan went in hard but slow, managing a sort of twisty stroke.
"Mm," sighed Childermass. "I bet that's why he likes it, the way it rubs inside.” Norrell made a little complaining noise from where he was sitting, then suckt at his fingertips and used them to tease himself behind.
Jonathan grinned. Mr Norrell lookt so awkward as he tried to excite himself both before and behind, and Arabella lookt so helpful, that he almost imagined her being a generous hostess and offering to politely lend a hand. But then Childermass reacted so enthusiastically to his ministrations that it quite took the view out of his head in favour of vigorous thrusting.
This, thought Jonathan, was not going to take long. The next stroke managed to encourage a quite astonishing flood of profanities from Childermass, but since the general tone appeared to be positive, he was not going to worry about that. He slowed down a little, just wanting to draw things out, but Childermass rocked underneath him. His toes were curling, and he was wonderfully hot under and around Jonathan.
But Childermass stopped moving and turned his attention to Norrell for a moment--if it had ever quite left--and said, "Want to finish like that, sir, with your hand and a good view of us? Or..."
"Or?" said Norrell, not as though he wanted to stop.
"Or we can all go together in the bed, him in me and me in you. Just think about his weight pushing us down close together, hot and hard. Pushing me into you."
And Norrell stopt dead, and gave a shuddering gasp. He came to stand near the bed.
Jonathan said, "How do we do this? I'm only beginning to get a grasp on sodomy..."
Norrell moaned faintly, but then said in a stage whisper, "Mr Strange, you should not use such language in front of Mrs Strange!”
"...and I think adjusting the act for three people is taking it to an advanced level."
"It's mainly common-sense," said Childermass. "It's like a dance, you have to get into step with the others."
Norrell moved from beside the bed, and went and sat down again, with a slightly cast-down expression.
"Not that much like a dance," said Childermass patiently. "All you need is a bit of attention."
Mr Norrell came back to the bed and got in front of Childermass. With Jonathan remaining inside him but now still, Childermass sloshed what was probably the entire remainder of the jar of salve into Mr Norrell. Jonathan groaned appreciatively as Childermass's increased concentration tightened him around Jonathan, and Mr Norrell just begged Childermass to get it in.
Soon they were all mounted and trying to find a rhythm. Jonathan loved how tight it made Childermass, how the heat and the sweat and the power of it made his head swim but he had no need to stop and worry because Childermass was a man, and Childermass was the one who knew what he was doing, so the only responsibility Jonathan had was to fuck. Childermass groaned that it felt so good getting the pleasure of it from both sides. Norrell snarled and swore and apparently bit Childermass's finger, that being the part nearest his mouth.
Childermass said, "ouch!" and then, "Remember what I told you about manners?" and Norrell muttered something about biting or being rude not usually being a good way to get what you want. Clearly there was a difference between biting someone for their pleasure (which had done a lot for Norrell when he was excited enough) and biting out of impatience.
On being persuaded to use words, Mr Norrell explained that a big heavy dust-sheet was certainly not ideal to do the trick, and if they'd only left the bedspread on he'd have finished by now.
Childermass said, "Mr Strange, shift up a bit and I can rub him. Not that he deserves it, untidy little bugger!"
They went on. This time, by the sound of it, Childermass was giving Norrell's prick a good squeeze on the down-stroke, and it was putting him into ecstasies. Childermass was grunting happily as they went. Jonathan settled back into the fuck.
When he glanced round, Arabella was smiling at him. He couldn't believe he'd got so caught up in it he hadn't thought of her for a while. As if deciding the other two were too occupied to notice, she swiftly lifted her skirt for a moment, spread her wet cunt for him to see with her equally-wet fingers, and restored her previous state of apparent decorum.
What have I become, Jonathan thought as he began to spend, when the thought of marital congress is a wicked secret kept from two other men in an act of sodomy? But strange as it was, he would do that and more for Arabella.
Childermass groaned deeply as he came deep within his master, and Norrell cried "Oh, oh, oh!" as he shuddered into his own crisis.
They disengaged. Arabella brought a pail of warm water with her favourite rose-water soap, and they mopped up. While they were off the bed, Arabella quickly removed the dust-cover with its accumulated drops of scattered seed.
Norrell, from the chair by the fireplace (where he was preserving his by-now highly compromised modesty from Arabella under a pillow), said, "Thank-you-very-much-for-having-me-Mrs-Strange," just like a nervous child after a party.
Nobody made a rude joke about Arabella being the only one in the room who hadn't been having him, and Arabella, bless her, managed to contain a fit of giggles that would certainly have offended Mr Norrell.
Jonathan asked Childermass if he was all right, and he said, "Oh, yes," and smiled crookedly at him.
"Childermass?" said Norrell uneasily, which prompted Childermass to move over to his chair and explain that yes, he was unhurt, and yes, it had been good, but no, he had no intention of adding that variation to their normal bedtime repertoire unless Norrell fancied trying it.
Norrell lifted his arms up for an embrace, which Childermass gladly gave him.
"Anyone for supper?" said Jonathan.
Arabella said, "Yes, please!"
Norrell muttered, "No," sounding half-awake and slumping down in the chair.
Childermass said, "Good idea, but I'll just settle him to sleep first. Is this the room where we’ll be staying, Mrs Strange?”
“Yes, it is,” Arabella replied, and she and Jonathan went out to deal with the food.
By the time Jonathan and Arabella had made themselves comfortable in the upper dining-room, with a fire in the hearth and some melted cheese with toast freshly made, Childermass had appeared silently round the door and was leaning against the wall in his habitual fashion.
He winced a little when he sat down. "No, I'm not hurt, but I'm certainly out of practice," he said, and they all settled happily to their meal.
"I’m glad we can impose on your hospitality," said Childermass, "I think it will be good for him to sleep here. He's slept badly the last year or two, and this is the first time in a while he's gone right off to sleep and not been restless."
"We’re quite happy to have you, as long as we can rely on you to wake up early," said Arabella. "The servants might find it a little odd to walk in and find you in each other's arms. But apart from that--what d'you think, Jonathan?"
"I'd count the evening a definite success!" said Jonathan. "I might worry if you want to repeat it every week or two, but every so often might do well for all concerned."
"Excellent!" said Arabella. “I enjoyed it even more than I expected.”
They both lookt at Childermass.
"I'll have to talk it over, but I wouldn't mind," he said.
Arabella smiled warmly at him. “And thank you for making it possible. Mr Norrell would not have participated if it hadn’t been for you, and he is such a little dear!”
“A randy little dear,” Childermass muttered, with an amused smile. “You’re quite welcome, Mrs Strange. I’m glad you invited me and that it worked out the way you wanted it. I enjoyed it myself, and he certainly did, once he got past being shy.”
FILL: Ménage à Quelques (Norrell/Strange/Childermass, Arabella watching), 7 of 7
(Anonymous) 2015-12-21 01:23 pm (UTC)(link)The real surprise was that, following a suggestion of his wife's, Jonathan arranged for Norrell and Childermass to visit far more often.
Arabella thought of these visits because one night during dinner with the Stranges, Norrell brought himself to explain that his staff were beginning to get accustomed to finding himself and Childermass in cupboards, whether for an amatory purpose or a mere desperate attempt to get Childermass's advice uninterrupted by Henry Lascelles or Christopher Drawlight.
Jonathan and Arabella could quite see that the two needed quiet time together, and certainly time apart from Lascelles and Drawlight, who Jonathan knew spent much of each day at Hanover-square. Their own capacious home seemed to offer the needed sanctuary.
After seeking advice from Childermass and Lucas, Jonathan took on a footman who was not only tall but broad to match, and could block a doorway to an extent surpassed only by rubble. This man, George, was under strict instructions that nobody at all was at home to either Mr Drawlight or Mr Lascelles, and that those gentlemen were to wait (somewhere else) for letters explaining when the people they were visiting would be at home.
Of course they did not entirely avoid the company of those gentlemen. What had changed was the omnipresence of Lascelles, Drawlight and the dinner-party guests, the sense that when they were not there they might turn up at any moment. Given the chance of quiet, reflective conversation with congenial people whenever he needed it, Norrell's confidence grew.
It was not a surprise that, apart from getting more work done when in the Stranges’ house, Norrell and Childermass also visited two or three times a week for those pleasures that, Childermass said, improved his master's disposition so thoroughly. (Or, as he put it privately to Jonathan, “The man gets a solid fucking at night, he’s good as gold the next day.”)
What was a surprise was all the other times.
Over the next few months, Norrell's attention blossomed like the flowers of spring, once removed from Lascelles' and Drawlight's advice about the sorts of people (themselves) that deserved it. He quite naturally asked advice from Childermass on almost everything, but, as far as Jonathan could see, did not simply follow the advice slavishly but used it to keep himself grounded.
Limiting his library to the mere armful of books he could bring with him of a day, he started to write articles of the sort Jonathan had originally assumed he would write, with a flow of argument that was not simply mired to the extent that all was blotted and crossed by the afternoon.
Jonathan was surprised by how little Childermass said about the magazine articles and how much difference his brief comments made: he had the knack for heading Norrell's fruitless ruminations off and keeping him to the point.
Even when Childermass was off on business, Jonathan's studies benefitted from Norrell's change of circumstances. When Norrell did not have the right book (Jonathan continued to suspect him of hiding them), he was now far more prepared for a discussion of theory (although Jonathan thought his lengthy remarks sounded as dry as ever).
Although Norrell still had a monomania against the Raven King, and Childermass seemed to be quite against that, both of them had a good deal to say against fairies. On Childermass's account, this was simply because he'd grown up knowing a few old tales that made it quite clear that fairies were out for their own ends, but Jonathan could not understand why Norrell did not follow the general tradition in magic which was generally pro-Fairy.
One evening the three men all lay together after a thoroughly successful tumble, with Arabella watching as usual. Jonathan brought up one of his favourite topics, one which always generated fascinating, if somewhat heated, comments. "But, sir, would it not be a fine thing to have a fairy-servant, just like the magicians of the past?"
Mr Norrell, clutching a pillow to his middle in his usual post-coital fit of modesty, sighed
finally whispered, "If your wife were not here, sir, I'd tell you!" Jonathan did not attach much significance to this remark at the time, but Childermass went still and listened.
Over the next fortnight, Childermass apparently wore away at his master's reticence. The next time Jonathan saw Norrell at his door he was as white as butter, lookt rather ill, and was wringing his hands.
"My dear sir!" Jonathan said in concern, "are you quite well?"
Without speaking, Mr Norrell led the way to the familiar bedroom. Removing their shoes but for once keeping their clothes on, the three climbing onto the bed. Jonathan and Childermass settled at either side of Mr Norrell, silent in support.
"I shall tell you of the most shameful episode of my life," he began quietly. "I thought I could never bear to tell anyone, but when I was with you, after sharing intimacies, I felt almost able to come out with it. I think I might have, if not for your wife--excuse me!--" he said to Jonathan. “It is not that I dislike or distrust Mrs Strange. Quite the contrary! But I know that she has been a friend to Lady Pole, and I have no idea how she would react."
Jonathan held his one hand, and Childermass held the other, and Mr Norrell told them the truth about his most spectacular--and dreadful--success. After he concluded, there was a short silence.
"I think, sir, you have succeeded in putting me off fairies," said Jonathan.
Norrell sat and shivered. Evidently it had taken all his courage to get this far.
Childermass sighed, and said, more gently, "Reckon it'll take all three of us to deal with this. Not tonight, though." He glanced at Jonathan, who got up and stood away.
He watched Childermass undress Norrell with great tenderness, and the shivers turned into long, full-body shudders, and suddenly Norrell turned to Childermass, grabbed him, and kissed him ravenously, making a grab for his crotch, and after a few moments just let go of that to put his arms right round Childermass, as if Childermass were the whole world to him.
Jonathan realised, they're trying to keep his mind off it, and then, suddenly, I shouldn't be here! Being allowed to share particular times with them at his wife's instigation was not the same thing, just the same as they were not invited to his own marriage-bed. This, however sodomitical and odd, was the bed of lovers.
But he felt privileged to know that, and privileged to be part of the no-doubt terrifying magical battle that must take place when the Fairy fought for his prey.
As he gently closed the door behind him, he could hear Norrell begin to moan with desperation. Evidently he trusted Jonathan to leave them to it, and evidently he needed the release, the comfort of getting what he needed from Childermass.
Leaving Mr Norrell in Childermass's capable hands, Jonathan thought, When Arabella came out with a ridiculous idea, I wouldn't have imagined all this! It was possibly the most significant change since he took up magic. If Lascelles had been let to have his head, he might have run the magazine into the ground, and argued Norrell out of friendship with both Jonathan and Childermass. And Norrell certainly wouldn't have confessed his great secret to Lascelles.
Goodness only knew what would have happened then.
Re: FILL: Ménage à Quelques (Norrell/Strange/Childermass, Arabella watching), 7 of 7
(Anonymous) 2015-12-21 07:06 pm (UTC)(link)Re: FILL: Ménage à Quelques (Norrell/Strange/Childermass, Arabella watching), 7 of 7
(Anonymous) 2015-12-21 08:42 pm (UTC)(link)Me and my collab had a great time writing it.
Re: FILL: Ménage à Quelques (Norrell/Strange/Childermass, Arabella watching), 7 of 7
(Anonymous) 2015-12-22 06:55 am (UTC)(link)THANK YOU.
Re: FILL: Ménage à Quelques (Norrell/Strange/Childermass, Arabella watching), 7 of 7
(Anonymous) 2015-12-22 02:18 pm (UTC)(link)In writing optimistic AUs for Norrell I always use the same pivot-point: if he told both Childermass and Strange, and got out from under the influence of Lascelles and Drawlight, he would be in the best possible position for dealing with the problem. Secrecy and fear are at the root of all his worst decisions, and Lascelles cold-bloodedly cutting him off from all other influence makes it worse.
Re: FILL: Ménage à Quelques (Norrell/Strange/Childermass, Arabella watching), 7 of 7
(Anonymous) 2015-12-22 05:40 pm (UTC)(link)Thank you so much for this!! It's wonderful and perfect and lovely and hot. :D
Re: FILL: Ménage à Quelques (Norrell/Strange/Childermass, Arabella watching), 7 of 7
(Anonymous) 2015-12-22 11:36 pm (UTC)(link)Since this was betaed and co-written slowly it may have benefited from a lot of time and effort, and I'm glad so many people noticed it!
Re: FILL: Ménage à Quelques (Norrell/Strange/Childermass, Arabella watching), 7 of 7
(Anonymous) 2015-12-22 08:41 pm (UTC)(link)Yes. YESSSSSS.
And I love how in-control you've made Childermass here. So hot.
Re: FILL: Ménage à Quelques (Norrell/Strange/Childermass, Arabella watching), 7 of 7
(Anonymous) 2015-12-22 11:37 pm (UTC)(link)