#I imagine Lucy with so many curls

[codeearth]

There, it is all out, Mina, we have told all our secrets to each other since we were children. We have slept together and eaten together, and laughed and cried together, and now, though I have spoken, I would like to speak more.

Oh, Mina, couldn’t you guess? I LOVE HIM!

-Lucy Westenra, May 11th

More dumb little sketches, how fancy!

She’s just so adorable, I love Lucy so much. I can imagine her writing so fast at that last part, her letter sounds so excited

[babycandle]

kindergarten teacher!reader x john price imagine 🖍️🧨❤️‍🩹

You first meet John when he comes to pick up his niece and nephew with his sister-in-law.

According to Lucy, his brother’s wife, he’s a government worker who is constantly traveling for work, and the kids missed their super cool uncle dearly. You’d heard many stories from the kids themselves, but this Uncle John remained sort of an enigma to you, like an imaginary friend.

Nothing could have prepared you for the real Uncle John.

He stands at a good head (and maybe half) taller than you, dressed in a casual navy shirt and utilitarian cargo trousers, a baseball cap embroidered with the British flag atop his head. Thick facial hair covers most of his lower face, but it doesn't do much to hide the bright smile he gets as soon as he lays eyes on the kids. The ease with which he picks up his niece and nephew, Olivia and Oliver, nearly leaves you breathless – not to mention, the sight of his thick, fuzzy arms flexing and unflexing as he tosses a kid over each shoulder, eliciting delighted squeals from them both.

(In some decrepit corner in your mind, you wonder if he could do the same to you. Probably.)

As you're chatting with her and updating her about her kids’ day, Lucy motions him over so she can introduce you to each other. “This is my husband's brother, John!”

“Hello there, lass.”

The smooth, brassy tones of his voice wash over you like a tidal wave that you’d happily drown in. You introduce yourself as the kids’ kindergarten teacher, and he gives you a good-natured smile as his niece and nephew start climbing all over him like a tree. “I hope they haven't been causing you much trouble,” he chuckles, a twinkle in his eye.

You try your best to swallow the dryness in your mouth. “Of course not! It’s a joy to watch them learn and grow everyday,” you reply sheepishly, clearing your throat as you avert your gaze.

You're too busy internally cursing yourself for not looking a bit more put together; there's dirt and sand all over the bottom half of your overalls, paint splatters going all the way up your arms and maybe even on your face, and your hair is matted and frizzy. Self-consciously scuffing the soles of your sneakers against the floor as you try and fail to get the sand off of it, you miss the way his gaze rakes over you from head to toe, the corner of his mouth curling in interest.

It's at that exact moment that Lucy plucks her kids off of John and hands them each their backpack to carry themselves. You deflate a little, knowing that that's their cue to leave.

However, you instantly perk back up again when John turns to you, his arms now empty, and extends a hand for you to shake. “‘Twas a pleasure meeting you, lass. Hope to see you around more often, yeah?”

Your heart catches in your throat as you reach out to shake his hand. When he grabs you in a firm, warm grip, you feel his calloused fingerpads brush over the back of your hand, and you have to suppress a shiver from running down your back.

“It was nice meeting you too, John.” You offer him a shy smile, praying that your cheeks don't look as warm as they feel.

You distantly wonder if you were imagining his touch lingering just a tad too long before he finally lets go.

As he turns around to leave with his family, you're quickly whisked away by the other kids demanding your attention. Consequently, you don't notice the way his eyes stay on you even as he walks out the gates, nor do you notice the way his sister-in-law waggles her eyebrows at him suggestively as soon as they're out of earshot.

You don't have high hopes of seeing him after that, of course. Maybe it's just the fact that you've been single for several years since your first serious relationship ended – yes, you convince yourself, that's why you can't stop thinking about him all night. That's why you still feel the weight of his hand in yours, the brush of his fingers on your skin tickling like a phantom touch. That's why the sound of his voice echoes in your mind like a broken record, and that's why you keep thinking back to the way his eyes crinkled when he looked fondly at his niece and nephew.

But you can't deny the way your chest squeezes when, the next day at kindy, he comes by to pick up the kids again – this time, alone.

bonus (an alternative pov):

There's a very short, concise list of the things Price lives for. Since the birth of his brother’s daughter, she’s been undoubtedly added to the top of that list. Then followed the birth of his nephew as well, who obviously followed suit and quickly became a serious contender for the number one spot.

He makes it a point to visit his brother’s family every single time he gets time off without fail. The kids grow up absolutely adoring their super cool, super strong uncle who always comes back from his business trips with funny stories to share. (Their favourite activity to do with him is hanging off his arm, almost using it like a monkey bar.)

So, when he’s finally granted leave after nearly a year of bouncing all over the world and eliminating several apocalypse-level threats, the first thing he does is call his brother and fly back straight to them.

He lands while the kids are at kindergarten, so when Lucy offers to bring him along to pick them up, he jumps at the chance. (He made sure to take a very thorough shower before hopping on the flight here, not wanting a single speck of dirt from foreign lands or speck of blood on him. Even so, before he leaves with Lucy, he takes extra care to wash his hands and scrub underneath his fingernails again. Just in case.)

It goes without question that he's absolutely over the moon to see Olivia and Oliver – the sight of them running to him, screaming his name in joy is nearly enough to make him melt. He sweeps them up in his arms, holding onto them like a lifeline.

Occupied with the kids for a few minutes, he glances up to see where Lucy has gone. Then, he sees you.

You're chatting with Lucy, your smile bright and your eyes brighter. There's wildflowers tucked into every pocket on your overalls and rainbows of paint on your arms, as well as a smudge of yellow on the side of your cheek. The soft afternoon sunlight hits your hair at just the right angle that it highlights the stray strands of hair on your head, making you look like you're wearing a halo.

For a moment, all the bustle and noise around him winds down into a fuzzy, white silence. You're the prettiest thing he's ever laid eyes on.

[helloalycia]

𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐈 𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐓𝐎 [𝐓𝐖𝐎] — 𝐋𝐔𝐂𝐘 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐘 𝐁𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐃

summary: as your relationship with Lucy Gray grows, it becomes a little harder to keep it a secret from your dad, especially when Mayfair has something to do with it.

warning/s: mentions of minor violence and the Hunger Games obvs.

author's note: okay so the song mentioned in this part and the next is called ‘forever & always’ by zeph, which i chose for the lyrics, not necessarily the rhythm as it’s not a folk song. But i did imagine it in a more lucy gray-style, so i thought it worked! plus it’s a really good song and i’ve tagged it below if you wanna have a listen :)

one / three / masterlist / wattpad

Being in a relationship with Lucy Gray was all I could have dreamed of and more. Of course, it was a complete and total secret from my father, who could never know I even befriended the girl let alone dated her. It meant sneaking around was a regular thing for us, to my dismay, but she didn't seem to hate it.

I was visiting her home one Saturday, hoping to spend some time with her since it was a lovely day. Even if it meant helping out the Covey with some chores or simply rotting away inside, I didn't mind as long as it was with her. But she seemed to have other plans when she answered the door and kissed me hello.

"I was just about to come get you," she said with an excited grin. "I have a date planned if you're up for it."

I quirked a brow curiously. "Oh, really?"

She curled her fingers between mine as she nodded, humming. "Best part is, your daddy won't find us neither."

i couldn't help but laugh at the prideful expression she wore. "That sounds perfect, Lucy Gray."

And just like that, she grabbed her guitar case and a basket before leading me into the meadow behind her house.

"You gonna tell me where we're headed?" I asked her, taking the heavy guitar case from her hand as we walked.

"This one has manners," she teased, making me nudge her in the arm as she continued, "To the lake. I got a whole day planned."

We chatted about everything and nothing as we strolled through the woods. Having grown up in town and having no need to visit the meadow or woods, I was a little unfamiliar with it all. But I knew that I felt at ease immediately, finding the scent of the earth and the view of the trees and ripples of sunlight peeking through the leaves to be refreshing. Lucy Gray reminded me of it all, I soon realised, of nature, and it only made sense why she put me at ease, too.

We soon reached the lake, which she'd told me about many times, but it looked even more beautiful than she was able to describe. She wasn't wrong about my dad not finding us here, that was for sure.

After setting down her guitar case in the cabin beside the lake, which she told me was nobody's in particular but the Covey used it when they were out here, I watched as she grabbed a cloth bag from the basket and led me outside.

"You ever been foraging before, darlin'?" she asked with an amused smile, already knowing the answer.

"I have not," I said, somewhat entertaining her teasing.

"Then we can start there," she said with a girlish grin, before tugging me by the hand into the trees.

Through vast experience and knowledge, she knew all the spots to take me to then showed me which plants were edible and which weren't. We collected a bunch of edible roots in our cloth bag, conversing in between, and I was growing accustomed to nature as we worked. Personally, I found it was an activity made even better because of Lucy Gray, who was as radiant as the sun was as it shimmered down on us. She looked so carefree, and I couldn't stop stealing glances at her.

"Oh, Y/N, come here!" she called to me as I was picking some berries from a bush she'd confirmed was safe.

"One sec," I said, tying off the bag, before heading to Lucy Gray not far behind me.

She was kneeling down into some taller grass, before glancing back at me with a delicate smile. Waving me over, she returned her attention to whatever was in front of her, and I had no choice but to kneel beside her. As soon as I saw the snake coiled around her right hand however, I fell back onto my butt reflexively, startled.

"You're okay, she won't bite," Lucy Gray said between a chuckle, resting a hand on my leg and meeting my eyes. "She won't harm you if you won't harm her."

I swallowed thickly, trusting her words but also still very much scared of the brightly coloured snake before me. This was normal to her, as evident by her nonchalance and intrigue when handling the snake, but the opposite for me.

"Lucy Gray, I don't think I–"

"You trust me?"

I blinked, eyes glued to the snake, as if it would come at me if I dared look away.

"Hey, sweetie, over here," Lucy Gray coaxed my attention away, and I relaxed slightly when I saw the way she smiled at me. "You trust me?"

"Of course I do."

She nodded. "Then come here, slowly. I promise she won't bite."

Knowing it was awfully embarrassing to look so terrified before something so small in front of someone I liked, I sucked up a breath and kneeled beside her again, though not letting go of her left hand which was still on my leg for assurance.

"They're harmless," she said softly, admiring the snake as it stretched up her hand. "I love 'em because of their bright colours."

"Naturally."

She chuckled, glancing at me sideways. "You're doin' good."

"Uh-huh..."

Again, she chuckled, before lowering her hand into the tall grass and watching as the snake uncoiled itself before shooting away. I released a breath I didn't know I was holding as Lucy Gray helped me stand up.

"Thanks for not runnin' away," she said appreciatively. "I know snakes aren't everyone's thing."

I shook my head. "It's okay. I'm scared, sure, but they're not that bad with you."

Her smile widened and I wasn't sure what I said to make her so happy, but she kissed my cheek and began to walk away. I followed after her, eyes acutely aware of any tall grass around us now, until we reached the lake yet again.

After grabbing some fishing rods from the cabin, we sat at the edge of the dock and cast our lines, hoping to catch something good for an afternoon picnic. I'd never been fishing before, so Lucy Gray was, expectedly, much better at it than I was, catching a few small fish that wouldn't be filling on its own. It wasn't until I felt a tug on my line that I grew hopeful, eyes widening.

"I think I've got something!" I exclaimed, before standing up to get a better grip on the rod.

"Pull back and gently wind the rod," she encouraged brightly, standing up too.

I did as she said, but whatever I had was a strong swimmer and pulling me forward slightly. So much, in fact, that I almost stumbled over the edge and into the water, making me drop the rod completely to catch myself.

"That was close," I said with a racing heart, but knowing I'd need to somehow collect the rod now.

"Can't you swim?" Lucy Gray asked with a mischievous smile, and that should have been my first hint. 

"I can, but I wasn't planning to get my clothes–" I didn't even get to finish because all she had to do was nudge me slightly and I lost my footing, falling straight over the edge and into the lukewarm water.

My first instinct was to swim upwards, head resurfacing as I spat out the water from my mouth and wiped my eyes. Lucy Gray's laughing caught my attention, and I raised my brows with disbelief.

"Seriously?!"

"You had to get the rod somehow," she joked, and I shook my head disapprovingly before grabbing the rod that was floating beside me.

After Lucy Gray accepted it, she surprised me by jumping in next to me, still fully clothed, and splashing me in the process. Again, I wiped my face and narrowed my eyes at her as she resurfaced, eliciting more laughter from her.

"Oh, c'mon, it was funny," she tried to defend, swimming up to me and wrapping her arms around my neck. "Plus, don't you feel nice and refreshed now?"

I sighed, unable to stay mad at her when she was grinning at me so carefree. "I suppose so."

She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to my lips. "Knew it. Now let's stay here for a little longer then I'll catch us a real fish and we can start on some dinner. Sound good?"

I nodded in agreement, and we did just that. It was fun to just be able to swim around and do nothing but enjoy each other's company. My heart was full as Lucy Gray filled the forest with her laughter. Between the terrible jokes I told and her contagious happiness, she was just so bubbly, and I couldn't blame her because I felt the same.

She ended up catching a big enough fish for the both of us and, using the roots and berries we picked earlier, we cooked up a lovely little bit of dinner to share by the water. I'd eaten some pretty good food, by District 12 standards anyway, thanks to my dad's job. But this was truly the best thing I'd ever eaten in my life, no doubt because of the company also.

Just as I finished rinsing our plates off in the lake, I heard Lucy Gray leaving the cabin with her guitar case in hand.

"Come here!" she called, waving me over.

I left the dishes to try on the basket before joining her where she was sat under a tree, pulling out her guitar.

"Am I about to get my own private concert?" I asked playfully, raising an eyebrow.

She rolled her eyes, though a smile ghosted her lips. "I'm startin' to regret this."

I chuckled, crossing my legs and getting comfortable opposite her. "No, go on, I'm all ears."

The truth was, I'd never get tired of listening to Lucy Gray sing, and to have her sing just for me would be a downright honour.

"I actually wanted to show you a song I was workin' on," she said in a matter-of-fact tone. "I haven't finished it yet, but I was just too excited to show you and thought today would be perfect. I hope you like it."

It took me a second to realise that she'd written the song for me, and my playful nature subsided momentarily. "Wait, what? A song for me?"

"Well, duh," she said with a laugh, before strumming her guitar gently, tuning it. "Remember, it's not finished, so be nice."

Still surprised she'd written a song for me, I could only nod in response. She strummed for a few more seconds, trying to settle on a pitch, before clearing her throat.

"Love songs are fleeting,

but the melodies stick with you.

I have learned your heart,

and memorised the tune.

It's my favourite,

I'll sing it in any occasion.

It'll be my soundtrack,

beyond our youth..."

I was entranced by her voice, the softness of it and the way it carried towards me like a siren to a sailor. She was always beautiful, but when she was singing, it was something else entirely.

The tune played aloud as she strummed gently with her fingers, and her eyes found mine, a brief smile on her lips before she continued to sing.

"Every note you hum,

is a classic through and through.

I'll add them to a list called

'All Things I Look Forward To'.

It's my favourite,

even if no one will play it.

I only want a future

filled with you..."

She strummed a little longer, a delicate tune that was a little different to her jauntier tunes she performed at the Hob, and then she left her last note hanging and finished. My heart was suddenly racing, in a good way, and I was embarrassed by the tear that escaped my eye, rushing to wipe it.

"Well, gee, was it that bad?" she joked, but I still felt the need to shake my head quickly.

"No way," I told her, meeting her eyes. She was more nervous than she was letting on, so I grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently. "Lucy Gray, that was beautiful. Is that really how... how you feel?"

Her cheeks turned pink and she avoided my eyes with a shy smile. "Of course. The song's not finished, but I wanted you to hear it. To know that you mean a lot to me."

I nodded slowly. "You mean a lot to me, too. Nobody has ever said such heartwarming things to me before, let alone written them into a song for me. I'm honoured."

Her smile relaxed as she met my eyes again. "I'm glad you liked it."

My heart wouldn't stop beating so fast, not when she was sitting right there, making me forget the world existed. I couldn't stop myself as I leaned forward, taking her bottom lip between mine.

Nobody had ever made me feel the way she had, and though I'd never truly experienced it before, I decided that this had to be what falling in love felt like.

There was no other word for it.

"... and I thought I liked the colour, but it just reminded me of that time she threw up on my favourite shirt."

I blinked, trying my hardest to care about what one of my classmates was telling me over a drink at the Hob. How I'd ended up in a conversation with him was beyond me, but it felt rude to just walk away.

"Hey, isn't that Billy Taupe with your girl?"

At this, I tuned back into the conversation, confused. Following my classmate's gaze, I saw Lucy Gray standing by the bar, drinking from a glass of water and trying her very hardest to ignore Billy Taupe, but he was adamant on speaking to her. I would have left her any other time, knowing she could handle herself, but she'd mentioned recently how he'd been annoying her and trying to make things right despite being in a relationship with Mayfair. And because of this, I approached them calmly.

Lucy Gray spotted me and relaxed a little, but if Billy Taupe noticed me, he didn't acknowledge me in the slightest.

"Lucy Gray, can we go somewhere private?" he asked her desperately.

"Why would she do that?" I answered him, quirking a brow.

He glanced at me sideways, irritated. "It's none of your business."

"Hey, don't talk to her like that," Lucy Gray scolded him. "This is over, Billy Taupe, now leave me alone."

"It's not," he retorted.

"I'm saying it is," I told him in a warning tone. "Now go."

Scoffing, he finally turned to look at me. "Don't you have some whorin' around to do?"

Before I could even register his words, Lucy Gray slapped him sharply across the face, surprising even me. I opened my mouth, taken aback, as he widened his eyes and touched his face. He looked from me to her, and as soon as his expression contorted into a scowl and he took a step forward, I didn't think, I just shoved him backwards so he couldn't hurt her. That was probably the second mistake from the two of us, as he immediately stumbled back into someone with a drink, making them drop it.

"Oh, shit," I mumbled, before grabbing Lucy Gray's hand and making a beeline for the exit.

In no time, a fight broke out and the once calm, lighthearted atmosphere of the Hob turned into a violent, rough boxing ring. After some shoving and avoiding the odd swing, Lucy Gray and I successfully managed to make it outside unscathed, away from the rowdiness.

I was bent over, catching my breath, as I witnessed several peacekeepers nearby rushing in to break up the fighting, and then I looked over at Lucy Gray questioningly.

"Did you really have to slap him?"

She straightened up, having caught her breath. "He doesn't just get to talk to you like that."

I sighed, a reluctant smile on my lips. It was nice of her to defend me, but starting a fist fight wasn't on my schedule for the evening. She began to smile too, the two of us amused with what just went down, but our happiness was short lived when Mayfair came out of nowhere, spotting us.

"There you are!" she shouted angrily.

I swallowed hard, losing my smile. "Mayfair, look–"

But before I could sweet talk my way out of it, she was already yelling for the nearby peacekeepers to get us, and there was no way for us to escape this time.

I chewed on the inside of my cheek as my dad paced back and forth, his anger threatening to burst out. Stupid Mayfair and her stupid big mouth. Because of her, Lucy Gray and I were sat before him in his office at the peacekeeper's base.

"Witnesses say they caught you both arguing with Billy Taupe," he finally spoke, stopping to look at me with a disappointed stare. "Then all hell broke loose."

"It wasn't her fault," I defended Lucy Gray, not wanting her to be punished because of my father's irritation with me.

"What the hell were you doing there, Y/N?!" he asked. "You're supposed to be at home! It's–" he checked his wristwatch, "–almost midnight!"

I avoided his eyes awkwardly, trying my best to sound believable. "I just wanted to hear the Covey perform and I knew you'd never let me go. It was only tonight. But then I saw Billy Taupe harassing Lucy Gray and I stepped in. Just tried to do what was right, like you taught me."

Okay, maybe a little on the nose, but it could work.

He sighed deeply, shaking his head. Deliberating momentarily, he finally said, "Go home, Y/N."

I raised my brows. "Lucy Gray too, right?" He narrowed his eyes warningly, but I continued, "Dad–"

"Now," he ordered in a voice that meant I wasn't to argue.

I glanced over at the quiet Covey girl beside me, and she nodded reassuringly.

"It's fine," she said in a low voice. "Thanks."

I frowned, feeling guilty, but was forced to obey my father and leave. As I closed his office door behind me, I lingered for a few seconds longer.

"You should stay out of trouble, Miss Baird," he told her authoritatively. "We don't tolerate–"

"Y/N, c'mon," my father's second in command found me listening, stopping me from hearing the rest of their conversation.

I nodded reluctantly, hoping Lucy Gray wouldn't be punished, and followed the peacekeeper outside.

My dad hadn't uttered another word about the Hob incident when he came that evening. I was waiting for him to yell at me or punish me or something, but he didn't. it wasn't until the next morning, after half my night was spent thinking of Lucy Gray, when my mum told me I was grounded for the next month, only to leave the house for chores. School was finished for the summer now, so I wouldn't even be able to see my friends and Lucy Gray that way.

It was annoying, especially because I just wanted to check on her, but I couldn't exactly fight my punishment when I was caught red handed.

That same morning, my mum forced me to accompany her to the markets to pick up some things. I was lucky enough to see Y/BF/N hanging around, also buying some things, and subtly slipped away to see her as my mum asked about some carrots.

She instantly pulled me in for a hug, mumbling, "I was sure I'd never see you again. I heard what happened last night."

"It wasn't intentional," I said with a sigh. "But I'm grounded for the next month, so you won't be seeing me much."

"Y/N, you've gotta be careful," she said in disapproving voice. "No more sneaking around. You're lucky it was just a fight and your dad didn't find out everything else."

"I know, I know," I mumbled, glancing over my shoulder to see my mum still talking to the vendor. "I should get back to my mum. She might kill me if she sees me doing something other than helping."

Y/BF/N tried not to laugh as she nodded. "Good luck, Y/N. I'll see you around. Please, try not to get an extended punishment."

"Yeah, yeah."

By the end of the first week of my punishment, I couldn't take not seeing Lucy Gray anymore. So, I concocted the perfect plan to visit her on the way back from nipping to the markets for my mum, sneaking a detour to her and the Covey's place in the Seam. I could always use the excuse that there was a queue at the meat stall if my mum asked why I took so long.

After buying everything I needed, I headed straight for Lucy Gray's, anticipating seeing her. I hoped she wouldn't be upset at me, though I wouldn't blame her if she was, considering my father was the one who had punished her. Or, at least I was assuming he had.

When I knocked on her front door, I held my breath until she opened up. As soon as she realised it was me, she exhaled deeply before pulling me in for a hug. I returned it instantly, closing my eyes and savouring her presence.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't see you sooner," I said quickly. "I've been grounded and I wasn't allowed out. How have you been?"

She shook her head. "It's okay, I've been okay. He didn't do anythin' when you left, just yelled at me a bit then sent me home with a warnin'. I think he was just annoyed at you."

I frowned, but was relieved she didn't get the brunt of it. "Good. I mean, not good obviously, but it could've been worse."

She cupped my cheek, thumb rubbing gently on my cheekbone. "I'm sorry you got caught. It was Mayfair. She's still pissed at me and now you by association."

"It's not your fault," I told her, taking her hand and kissing it gently. "Have they been annoying you still? Her and Billy Taupe?"

"Not since then, no."

"Good," I breathed out with relief, before hugging her again. "I can't stay for long. My mum will be expecting me back. I'll try to visit when I can, but I won't be able to sneak out for at least another month."

She chuckled quietly. "It's okay. Try not to get in trouble, darlin'."

I cracked a small smile. "I'll try."

My punishment ended quickly enough and everything returned to normal, kind of. My dad had bigger fish to fry with work, and seemed to forget about my mishap at the Hob, so his suspicions of me disappeared and I was able to sneak out again sometimes. My mum was satisfied after my punishment and didn't suspect a thing afterwards.

I enjoyed another few weeks of my relationship with Lucy Gray before the energy in District 12 grew rotten once Reaping Day arrived. It was the tenth annual Hunger Games which meant a boy and girl would be chosen to fight to the death with tributes from the other eleven districts. It wasn't a happy time, for obvious reasons, and it was the worst part of the summer break. It was a slim chance of being picked, but a chance nonetheless, and all I could think about was who would be chosen.

The morning of the reaping, my parents pulled me into a group hug at the breakfast table, and I couldn't help but hug them back.

"I'm praying for you," my dad mumbled as he kissed the top of my head.

I smiled a little, hoping to reassure him, but I knew it wasn't genuine. It was a hard time for everyone today, but I always pitied my parents the most, knowing if I was chosen, they'd have nobody left and, somehow, the thought of leaving them alone was scarier than facing the Hunger Games.

My dad left sooner than my mum and I, needing to make sure all the peacekeepers were doing their job in the square where I'd be lining up soon. And then after my mum and I finished eating, she walked me down to take my place. After exchanging a final hug with her, she went to join the other parents in the crowd and I was left to find my place with the other sixteen-year-old girls.

Before I could even attempt to, Lucy Gray found me. I was going to ask her how she was, even wish her luck, but I didn't get chance to as she approached me with a determined expression before kissing me hard. I accepted the kiss, though when she pulled away, her hard stare met mine.

"I'm in love with you," she said the words we'd never uttered to each other before.

I widened my eyes, surprised, but a peacekeeper broke us up before I could reply, and we were separated though in the same line. Of course, it soon made sense why she'd chosen now to tell me how she felt.

She was chosen as tribute.

It all happened so quickly after that. Lucy Gray's name being chosen, the snake she threw down Mayfair's back, the mayor slapping her onstage and in front of the cameras, her song of defiance, and then her getting ushered into the Justice Building never to be seen again.

She was really gone. She'd been chosen to participate in the Hunger Games, which clearly had something to do with Mayfair, and I would never see her again unless she won. I could barely believe it, still in shock, even when the reaping ended and everybody began to disperse or rejoin their families.

"Y/N, I'm so sorry," someone said, and I turned to see Y/BF/N approaching me with a frown, pulling me in for a hug.

I was admittedly still in disbelief – denial if you will. Because she couldn't just be gone, not when she'd told me how she felt only minutes ago.

"Y/N!"

It was my dad. Y/BF/N pulled away as he found me, soon taking her place. Again, I was too awestruck to return the gesture. Lucy Gray. My Lucy Gray. Gone.

"I'm so glad you didn't get chosen," my dad said with relief. "I'm sorry about your friend, but I'm glad it wasn't you."

His words only bounced off me. I was too numb to acknowledge much more after that, stuck in my own head as my mum appeared and began to lead me home. I was quiet the whole way, trying to replay the events that had just happened. Only when I reached home and went to my bedroom did I finally realise all I'd lost in a single moment. And that's when the tears finally arrived.

How could she be gone?

I was swinging on the swing gently, next to Y/BF/N in the park. I appreciated her company, feeling a little better having someone who understood the severity of what Lucy Gray being gone meant to me.

"She might have a chance," I muttered with a broken voice. "She could hide. Wait it out."

"Maybe," Y/BF/N said softly, but I knew she didn't agree. It didn't matter though. Hope was all I had left at this point.

Since yesterday at the reaping, I couldn't help but think about what Lucy Gray was doing. Was she scared? Was she strategising? Did she stand a chance against the other tributes?

Fucking Mayfair and her jealousy was the cause of this, it had to be. Why else would Lucy Gray throw a snake down her dress? It meant she must have known. It explained why she told me she loved me before going in. She'd discovered Mayfair's plan. Why didn't I tell her I loved her too? Now she'd never know.

"Do you wanna go to the Hob tonight?" Y/BF/N asked as I continued to sulk.

I shook my head. I wasn't sure I could ever go to the Hob again, not when it held so many bittersweet memories of Lucy Gray and I. It was where I'd made my first move on her, where I'd watched her perform many times, where we'd shared our first kiss. How could I step foot in there again without seeing her everywhere?

After spending some time lost in my thoughts with Y/BF/N to keep me company, I left to go home for dinner. But before I made it there, I found myself making a detour for the Seam, where the Covey lived. I hadn't spoken to them since before the reaping, and if I was taking Lucy Gray's fate hard, I could only imagine how her family were feeling.

Only after I knocked on did I realise I had no idea what to say. What if they didn't want to see me? Or if I said the wrong thing? What if I–?

"Y/N," Barb Azure said once she answered the door. "Hi."

I swallowed hard. "Hey, Barb Azure. I– I just wanted to stop by and see how you were all doing. I'm sorry for not showing up sooner... I'm so sorry about Lucy Gray. And I just want you to know that I'm here if you–"

She suddenly hugged me, and I was glad because it said more than words could. I relaxed into her embrace, feeling comforted in our shared grief. I wasn't alone, even though it felt like I was at first.

"I'm sorry too," she muttered apologetically. "I know she meant a lot to you. We're here for you too."

I nodded, squeezing her tight.

[yoke9494]

Baby Bunny🐇 pt2

Sorry for the wait! It's a bit short. I've been getting my health in check so I haven't had alot of time to write. More coming soon! ♥️

Read Pt.1 Here.

_______________________

Sleep.

If you stay asleep you wouldn't feel the cold, if you sleep you wouldn't feel the fear or hunger that painfully ran through your body.

Sleep.... Why couldn't you just sleep!!

"Go to sleep my baby carrot. Tomorrow is a new dawn, the sunshine will chase away all the darkness.."

You began to weep when you swore you heard your mother's voice echo in your floppy ears.

Her soft voice was like a soothing melody that chased away the awfulness of the day, the fear of what goes bump in the night.

You curled in on yourself even tighter as you imagined her in her favorite rocking chair. Her spotted ears blending into her hair the same ways your's did. The smile she wore as she told your favorite little bed time story about the sun. You and all your siblings sinking into the mattress, your eyelids became heavier as her voice sang you all to sleep.

Oh how you missed it, being a child, at this moment.

You felt someone vibrate,no it was someone purring.. A heavy hand trying to get all the tangles out of your hair. "Y/n? You need to get up and eat what they gave us.. You'll get yourself sick.."

You didn't want to. Your body has given up..  "This is all sick Lucy.. Sick."

Who was Lucy?...

Lucy was the cat from before. He had become more talkative and gave you his name when you and him were shoved in another metal cage, this time together. Eventually you gave him your name as well-- but that was about it.

Oh how you just wanted to die.. How you just wished to disappear-- things had gotten so bad since being brought to this new hell....

All because you didn't want to eat. Just one meal-- you skipped only one!

Your stomach was in knots, even the smell of the plain rice had you nauseous. But that wasn't a good enough excuse for the vile men around here, you were dragged out of the cage by your ears for being so ungrateful.

The dirty man had rolled you over and began to paw at your soft skin with his rough hands. He was going to use you like those other men used that poor songbird.

No matter how much your cried, scratched, and kicked. That only seemed to excite him even more!

But before his pants could drop down to his ankles. Your body jerked from a violent bang. A warm liquid rolled down your back..

He was shot right between his eyebrows. You don't know who he was, only the fact that he was the same man that pointed at your rusted cage days before.

He didn't say a word to you as he shoved you back into the cage. He didn't even seem disgusted that was was touching you while you were covered in another man's blood..

Only for him to come back after an hour to hose you down and throw you into another cage with Lucy.

And now here you are, slowly shutting down together..

His purring got a little louder as he curled up next to you. A way of trying to comfort the both of you and for warmth. "The sun will chase away the darkness. It'll be okay."

You let out a choked breath.. And turned to him with tears in your eyes. "What did you say?"

He shrugged. "The sun will chase away the darkness. It's stupid but it's from a story my grandmother used to read me. I guess it means there will be a brighter day tomorrow. And all the darkness of the previous day will fade away if you keep looking forward.. I know it's shit but it's all I got."

You nodded. "The story of the sun and the shadows.. My mother used to read it to me too. It's what I've been thinking about also.---"

The air became still as you both held in your breath. The sound of faded voices and muffled popping bounced off the walls.

A loud screech made both you and Lucy push down on your ears. Your teeth ground together as everything became louder.

Those popping noises? Gun shots..

Those voices? We're so many different tones screaming at on another. But your ears picked up on one.. The tone was foreign.. Broken English?

"You took my money and only send half shipment. I'm missing two!"

The voice began to speak in a language you didn't know.. You were so invested in the conversation that you didn't hear heavy footsteps walking down the concrete steps.

Until Lucy brought you closer to his body and hissed. His claws extracted and his back became stiff as it arched.

You nearly screamed when your eyes locked onto low lazy purple eyes. A man with gelled black and purple hair stood outside your cage. His slited eyes narrowed in on you as he began to purr.

Lucy out one arm around you and clawed with the other at the cage to get him away. The man didn't move an inch, he gave you a lazy smile and chuckled under his breath.

He stared at the two of you before letting out a happy sigh and stand up straight. You saw a tattoo on his neck as he crained it back to yell up the stairs.

There was that different language again... You wished you knew what he was saying.

More footsteps echoed as they came down the stairs. One by one new figures came into the room. Another male cat made Lucy almost feral. This one had the same purple eyes as the other, only this male seemed bored and had longer hair...

Next was another male, only a dog hybrid.. His black ears blended into his hair.. His eyes were of different colors-- one completely white with a large scar slicing through it.

The next figure sent fear running through your body..

Slowly he approached the cage. The closer he got, the more you huddled yourself closer to Lucy..

A snake hybrid...

He had long white hair that reached his shoulders. He had the same tattoo as the two other males, only on the shaved side of his head.

His slited black eyes looked evil as he smiled down at you and Lucy. His forked tongue flicked out to wet his lips..

He spoke to the others as he pointed at you. You didn't understand...

Lucy hissed when one of the male cats reached for the lock. It was the bored looking one with longer hair.

"What's happening?"

Lucy kicked at the cage and held onto you tighter. The other male stepped back---

Lucy let out a low growl. "They're going to take you.."

You felt sick.. wait-- how did Lucy know that? Could he understand them.

*Click.*

You both slightly jumped-- Lucy became stiff? Why-- looking behind him you gasped.

A gun was against the back of Lucy's head.-- a new male in another purple suit-- Wait! Your tail twitched when he bent down to get a look in the cage. He-- his white ears were popping out of pink pretty hair. They slightly bent as he peeked into the cage.

Another bunny! Someone who couldn't tear you apart with their teeth. Someone who wasn't a natural predator to your kind--

His nose scrunched up and he sneered at you. He looked eat you as if you were disgusting... He stood up and spoke to the others-- You understood one word! Or should you say one name? You heard the name Mikey a few times---

Lucy let out a pained whine and slumped against your body. You nearly fell forward from his dead weight. What did they do to him?! He had a  thin trail of blood coming from the side of his neck.

You could see the lazy eyed cat holding a needle!

You held onto Lucy when the bored cat began to open the cage. You tried to shake him awake but it was no use. There was no where to run-- you couldn't hide..

A burning sensation started at your neck and traveled to the end of your spine. A familiar feeling flooded your muscles, you felt so heavy as you tried to move. You Tried to shoot past between this mans legs to run! But the world became blurry and the last thing you saw was the other bunny looking down at you with amused eyes. The last thing you locked your eyes on was his smile. It stretched like it belonged to a mad man. Diamond shaped scars crinkled at the edges of said smile.

It was frightening.

Everything became dark. All sounds became muffled, except for that name. They were speaking about the same person again..

Mikey...?

...........

tag list: @yuyu12mm @acabis

[hippolotamus]

Fav lines game 💫

rules: share your favorite lines or paragraph you've written from one of your fics, posted or wip.

thanks for the tags @bidisasterevankinard @diazsdimples @tizniz @daffi-990 💖

since I'm indecisive and, like Stevie, do what I want, I'm choosing lines from each of my 'ships

Buddie - from honey, when you call my name

It’s okay. Eddie can ask for this. He can want this. Isn’t it just one of the (many) points Frank’s been trying to get across? That he doesn’t have to settle for the bare minimum of whatever life hands him? That he can request and desire and, most importantly, receive. And anyway, it’s Buck. Who would be more enthusiastic to give than him? “I, uh, want you to have me,” he whispers. “I‘ve never. Not with another person, but. I want you to.” Jesus Christ, for all the confidence he started with he sure can’t seem to find any now.  “It’s okay if you haven’t. If you’re asking what I think you’re asking.” Buck presses a kiss to his hair. “You can have it. But I need you to ask me.” Another soft kiss, so light that Eddie could have imagined it. “Need to be sure.” Eddie squeezes his eyes shut tight, only for a second though. Because he wants Buck to see, and maybe he wants to allow Buck to see him, here in this sacred space they’re creating. He tilts his head back, baring himself. Offering himself up for Buck to take.

Lutalia - from stay here honey (i don't wanna share)

“You’re not getting soft on me, are you?” Nat teases. “I might start thinking you want me for more than just my body.” Lucy snorts and rolls her eyes. “This is a one-time thing. Don’t get used to it.” “Well, if you’re interested…” She trails off, tracing a finger down the center of Lucy’s chest, over her abdomen, and dragging the sheet down as she goes. She pauses to rub the heel of her palm over Lucy’s neatly trimmed patch of coarse blond curls. Nat’s gaze turns darker, hungrier. Like she’d eat Lucy alive, which doesn’t seem like such a terrible thing. “I don’t mind going back to something more familiar. You know, in the spirit of putting you at ease.” “How very altruistic of you.”

David/Patrick - from I know all your secrets

“Don’t go.” The words are barely more than a whisper. Still, David may as well have screamed them for as raw, vulnerable and hollowed out as he feels. He bites down on the inside of his lower lip, a pitiful, broken attempt to hold himself together. If Patrick wants to leave, David won’t stop him. He’ll stay frozen in place, stone faced and unyielding, until Patrick is gone.  Once upon a time he would have tried for nonchalant, but that act is no good anymore. Patrick doesn’t just mean something to him now – he is everything. Anything less and David will crack, bleeding his emotions everywhere until there’s nothing left. 

Twylexis - from the with my heart in my lap wip

Twyla steadies herself, maintaining her hold on Alexis so they’re almost walking as one down the sidewalk. She’s a comforting line of warmth huddled against Alexis’s side. Her cheeks are pink and flushed from dancing, and her lips curl up in a satisfied smile.  “Wasn’t that fun?” Twyla stops abruptly to look up. “That was fun.” “Yeah, doll. It was,” Alexis assures her, tapping a finger to the tip of Twyla’s nose and indulging in the soft chuckle it earns her.  “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather have gone with Tommy? He was having a really great time dancing with you.” Twyla’s giddiness turns to something more subdued and vulnerable that makes Alexis’s heart twist and ache.  “No, Twy.” Alexis presses a kiss to the crown of Twyla’s hair, then tilts her chin to drown in a mesmerizing sea of green. “Trust me when I say there’s nobody in there for me.”

np tagging @stereopticons @shortsighted-owl @eddiebabygirldiaz @actuallyitsellie @filet-o-feelings

@queerbuckleys @bi-buckrights @chaosandwolves @elvensorceress @fortheloveofbuddie

@bucksbiawakening @giddyupbuck @saybiwithme @honestlydarkprincess @hoodie-buck

@indestructibleheart @jesuisici33 @kitteneddiediaz @thekristen999 @ladydorian05

@lemonzestywrites @lizzie-bennetdarcy @loserdiaz @loveyouanyway @monsterrae1

@rmd-writes @shipperqueen6 @spaceprincessem @spotsandsocks @statueinthestone

@slightlyobsessedwitheverything @steadfastsaturnsrings @the-likesofus @theotherbuckley @thewolvesof1998

@vanillahigh00 @watchyourbuck @weewootruck @welcometololaland @wikiangela

@wildlife4life @your-catfish-friend @mrs-f-darcy @drowsy-quill @a-noble-dragon

@blackandwhiteandrose and anyone else who wants to 😘

ps: if you want tagged in stuff like this click here

[chenfordspiral]

ch. 30 - lucky one

Lucy loves wearing Tim's shirts, a double date, a pep talk, and feeling baby move some more.

October 2026

They opt not to have an actual gender reveal. Sharing the news that they’re having a daughter by just casually throwing it into conversation and then see the wheels turning is as much fun as they imagined it would be, and also comes with all the tears they expected. Well, they did expect tears from Tamara, maybe from Genny and the boys, definitely Angela and maybe Nyla, but they did not expect for Grey to burst into tears because he was so happy that they’d get to live and experience the joys of having a daughter. His reaction all but cemented their decision that he’d be their little one’s honorary grandfather (as if that had ever even been a question before).

And of course, now that they know they’re having a girl, they have no reason to hold back on shopping for baby supplies anymore. They already have a few things but they’d held off on buying anything big until Lucy was further along and they knew the baby’s sex. Which is why Lucy is all snuggled up on the couch after shift with her tablet and scrolling through one of the many websites she found to look for baby clothes.

“Find anything good?” Tim inquires when he comes back to join her, snacks she’d requested ten minutes ago in hand.

“Let’s just say I’m having trouble deciding which things not to get. It’s just all so stinking cute. Thanks,” she replies when he hands her the bowl full of strawberries with peanut butter and maple syrup.

“That sounds about right. Any favorites?” When the only answer he receives is silence, he tries again. “Lucy? Did you hear me?”

“Mh-hm.”

“Why’re you looking at me like that?” he asks curiously when he notices the way she’s staring at him.

“Gimmeyoushir’,” she mumbles around a mouthful of strawberry.

“What?”

She swallows. “Gimme your shirt!”

“I don’t- why?”

“Do I have to have a reason other than wanting it? Gimme your shirt!”

He lets out a sigh because he knows he can’t win. He also doesn’t really want to win because she’s pregnant and he wants her to be comfortable. So here he is, taking off his shirt even though he’s gonna be left naked from the waist up once again. “Here,” he says as he holds it out for her to take and then plops down on the couch next to her.

“Thank you,” she grins and promptly slips his shirt on over her own.

And really, seeing her obviously happy is worth every little thing she asks of him. She’s growing their baby, the least he can do is always make sure she’s okay. He thinks that’s the end of it and she’ll go back to scrolling through the internet, but then she’s suddenly crowding into his space and his arms are full of Lucy before he even understands what’s happening. She’s completely curled into him now, or well, at least as much as her ever-growing baby bump allows it, with her head resting right over his heart, one arm between them and the other curled around his waist.

keep reading on AO3.

[kaitou-kid-my-beloved]

A Little Ghost in a Bowtie (@livmadart's Phantump Conan AU)

(Chapter four of four!) (Prev) (Ao3 link)

Ah. So that is why the pidgey thought they’d be able to get more information from Conan. Conan wasn’t just a bystander, an invisible pokemon that happened to witness the crime, he was the victim. Phantump was ghost type, and while ghost types often weren’t actually ghosts… in this case, the old legends proved to be true.

Heiji had run into a few ghost types born of human souls before, but usually those were old ghosts, with decades or longer experience as pokemon under their belts. The one in front of him, just a meter away, in pokemon terms he couldn’t be more than two months old.

Wow. Wow. Heiji could barely imagine.

It didn’t seem like Ran-chan knew- how could she? It’s not something people really think about anymore, and she wouldn’t have introduced him so cheerfully if she’d known… Heiji imagined for a second what it would be like, to die, and come back- only to watch everyone he loved mourn him… he imagined what it would be like to lose Kazuha, only for her to be right next to him and never know…

Well. Since it was him, he’d know, but if he didn’t have his ability…

Darn. He did not envy Kudo- or, Conan? He’d seemed happy with the name when Lucie had called him that- Heiji would have to ask his preference later.

“My memory after that is a little foggy, b’cause, y’know, head trauma, but I remember them mentioning that poison made by their organization, and then they left me there. And now I’m here,” Conan was still talking, and Heiji managed to just barely comprehend his words through his own imaginings.

“...Ah, I… see.” Lucie managed, apparently dealing with her own feelings on the matter. Conan looked at her for a moment, before sighing.

“Pidgey didn’t tell you who I was, did she?”

“No. No she didn't,” Lucie said, short and terse. Heiji wondered if he would have to stop her from finding that Pidgey, and beating her up for not giving them all the vital information.

“Whoops, I guess,” Conan shrugged, unconcerned. Heiji supposed that apathy was a coping mechanism.

“Hattori-kun? Are you alright?” Ran-chan asked, cocking her head in concern.

Heiji looked up- he’d become so focused on the pokemon’s conversation that he’d completely forgotten he’d been talking to someone too- frick. It happened every once in a while, and was always a little embarrassing to explain. Not only that, he supposed his face may have shown a little of the many emotions he was currently feeling.

“Oh, yeah, I’m fine, totally fine,” He forced a smile on his face, mentally shaking himself off, and grounding himself to the moment.

“So, did you get what you needed?” She asked, offering him a wry smile.

“Oh yeah- I mean, yes. Yes I did,” He did his best not to look at the ghost of her best friend sitting in her lap.

“Well that’s good- I want to be of as much help as I can but… Well, Hattori-kun, I’m not going to tell you to stop investigating, because I know Shinichi wouldn’t have listened to me either, but, maybe be careful about all this? Don’t… Don’t bite off more than you can chew. For everyone else’s sake as much as your own.” Ran-chan squeezed her eyes shut, and held Conan closer to her. He was shaking- and he put his head down, curling his tail over his eyes.

Heiji gulped, taking in the weight of her words. Don’t end up like Shinichi. It was the opposite of what everyone had told him for so long, but they hit him right in the heart like no other message like it had. He could see exactly where being a reckless idiot had landed Kudo and for once… Yeah. He didn’t want that.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure he won’t get into anything too bad,” Lucie growled, placing a paw on Heiji’s head.

“Well, it looks like your Lucario is on it!” Ran-chan laughed, standing up. “You’ll have to let me battle her sometime!

“Yes please, Heiji, can we do that?” Lucie barked happily, lightly cuffing him over the head as he stood up too.

“Maybe next time we’re in Saffron,” He said, in response to both of them.

“Hey, Conan,” Lucie called to Conan, who was still held firmly in Ran-chan’s grasp. “You’re a wild ‘mon, right? Meet us outside, there’s still some stuff we’d like to discuss with you,”

“Uh, okay?” Conan warbled, confused.

“Well, Hattori-kun, it was nice to meet you- though when we see each other again I’d like it to be under happier circumstances,” Ran-chan said, a light smile on her face.

“Yeah, it was nice to meet you too,” he said, and he really did mean it. She seemed very nice- the sort of person Kazuha would be fast friends with.

He exited the agency with Lucie in tow, letting the afternoon sunlight fall on his face. He took a deep breath, and let it out. That had been… a lot.

“You said there’s more you wanted to talk about?”

Both Heiji and Lucie jumped this time. They leaned against each other to let the adrenaline pass as Conan faded into visibility in front of them.

“Does terrifying people just come naturally to ghost types??” Lucie hissed, taking a few steps back.

“Uh, I guess?” Conan blinked, as though seriously considering her query.

“Nevermind that- do you mind if we walk while we talk? I don’t want Ran-chan to think we’re just loitering outside,” Heiji said, sighing at Lucie’s words.

“I don’t mind- it’s not really like I have anything better to do,” He said, voice dry. “Though I’m mostly going to be talking to Lucie, anyway,” He sighed.

“Not exactly,” Heiji shrugged, starting off down the sidewalk. Conan paused, hesitating before following.

“...What?”

“It’s part of the reason we wanted to leave to talk to you more,” Lucie growled, a toothy grin splitting her muzzle. “Heiji can-”

“I can understand pokemon, yeah,” Heiji cut her off. She took a light hearted swipe at him, but it was worth it.

“You can-” Conan cut himself off, his blue eyes blowing wide. “Oh.”

“Yeah. I don’t really know why, it’s just something I’ve always been able to do,” Heiji shrugged nonchalantly as Conan put a nub of a hand up to his chin, thinking hard.

“It makes sense- since Lucie said that you came to the agency off of a tip that I was there, and that I would be able to tell you more about my case- but you couldn't have known to do that unless you also heard and understood that tip,” Conan mumbled to himself. It sounded… really eerie, with his whole echoing little kid voice thing he had going on. Heiji could say one thing though, he was definitely a detective.

“That’s right,” Lucie cut in. “Usually while Heiji is questioning people, I question local pokemon, and then we share notes!” She grinned. “It’s a system the police wish they could have,”

“The police don’t have my ability- most people don’t have my ability, so technically the things I learn from it I can only use as a framework since they’re not permissible in court,” Heiji sighed, rolling his eyes.

“Skill issue,” Lucie shrugged.

“Not entirely true, pokemon testimonies have been used in court cases before- especially in cases of ghost types like me, testifying at their own cases,” Conan started, “There’s just a lot of hoops you need to jump through in order to make it work, including finding multiple different avenues of determining testimony, and seeing if they all match up to determine what the pokemon is actually saying, so I mean, you could,” He said, flicking his tail absentmindedly.

“Been doing research?” Heiji raised an eyebrow.

“...Yes,” Conan sighed. “Listen, if death can’t stop me, bureaucracy won’t either,”

Heiji found himself laughing, despite the dark nature of the joke. Lucie was also snickering a bit, and Conan was smiling, so he didn’t feel bad about it.

“Speaking of that,” Lucie said, expertly steering conversation both exactly where they needed it to go, and to the most uncomfortable topic. “The men who killed you- you said you saw them again?” Lucie continued onwards, completely ignoring the concept of tact- though, that might be best for everyone for now.

“Oh, right,” Conan nodded. “I saw them on a train- Ran’s dad's friend was getting married, so they were taking a bullet train to Ecruteak. Those two guys just happened to be there- so I listened in on their conversations,” He said, floating a little ahead of Heiji and Lucie so he could face them while they walked.

Man, invisibility must be nice. Not that Heiji was willing to die to get it, just… it would be nice.

“That’s when I heard them mention their codenames,”

“Gin and Vodka, you said?” Lucie confirmed.

“Right- and I also heard them talking about how there was a bomb on the train, which is why I didn't follow them off at their stop,” He said, his eyes going a bit darker there at the end.

“Wow, yeah that’s a good reason,” Heiji nodded.

“Yikes,” Lucie agreed.

“Luckily I was able to cause enough of a ruckus to get the bomb out of the train in time, but it was close there for a second,” He breathed a latent sigh of relief.

“That’s… yeah,” Heiji just nodded. He wasn’t sure how else to respond to that.

Heiji was a good highschool detective, sure, but he was starting to see why Shinichi Kudo was hailed as the best of them. Heiji had dealt with homicide after homicide, theft after theft after assault- but he’d never dealt with terrorists; never dealt with bomb threats, never dealt with syndicates, and never dealt with his own death. Kudo had seen and dealt with all of that, and just got up, and kept going.

He had died, and had still gotten up, and kept at it.

Heiji was a little mad at how much he respected the heck out of him for it. This was supposed to be someone he hated. But, well… It was always the name he’d hated- hated how it loomed over him, it was that reputation and the legend surrounding him that Heiji hated. But the person?

Heiji hated the name Shinichi Kudo, but he didn’t hate the name Conan; and he didn’t think Conan hated it either.

“Hey… Conan?” Heiji asked.

“Yeah?” The little ghost looked up at him, blue eyes shining in the sun.

“Do you… do you want me to tell her?”

Conan froze, staring at him. Slowly, he lowered his eyes down to the pavement. His nubs came to rest on that bowtie of his around his neck- and Heiji didn’t have to wonder who gave it to him.

“...No, I don’t want you to tell her,” He sighed.

“Why not?” Lucie asked, and Heiji elbowed her, just barely missing impaling his arm on her chest spike.

“She’s been through enough- she doesn’t need to go through… this too,” He said, his voice coming out in an echoey, pained keen.

Yeah. He’d been broken down, but he just… kept getting back up. Heiji really did find himself respecting this little, barely two month old pokemon.

“Well then… I guess I won’t,” Heiji sighed, putting his arms behind his head. “She told us to be careful, and we will, but I’m seeing this through to the end. And hey, maybe you will get to testify in court one day,” Conan snorted, but he raised his head, so Heiji counted it as a win.

“If you ever need anything else, you know where to find me. I’m a bit personally invested in this one, if you can imagine,” Conan smirked at him, and Heiji wondered if he’d made this many dark jokes before he’d died, or if this was a recent thing.

“Aaand we’re typically hanging around in Goldenrod if you ever need anything,” Lucie said, patting Conan on the head with a paw. “Just ask any pokemon, and they’ll tell you where to find us!”

“Thanks… I think I’ll take you up on that,” He laughed, and started drifting off back toward the agency.

“See you later, I guess,” Heiji said, sliding his hands into his pockets.

“Yeah, don’t die before I see you next!” Conan laughed, before fading away.

“Yeah, I’ll… Do my best,” Heiji responded, not sure if Conan was still there or not.

“So… feel like heading home and getting a lecture about running off to another city without permission?” Lucie asked.

“... Y’know what? I kinda am, actually,”

[nocteacakes]

Coriolanus has been looking for her ever since the games. Her scent is imprinted into his brain.

// snowbaird omegaverse 568 words

(prompt 'in a crowd' from snowbairdprompt on Twitter)

The Hob teems with people — other Omegas, other Alphas. Their scents clash with each other, and it overwhelms his Capitol nose; he isn’t used to so many Unclaimed people without suppressants. If he hadn’t thought it before, it’s blatantly apparent that he lives in a District now. Even so, he picks out her scent in the stuffy warehouse, and it gives him hope. In a crowd, in the zoo, in the arena — he knows that scent and he can — he will — find her anywhere.

When he sees her, it’s like a punch to the gut and a smack upside the head at the same time. They lock eyes and everything else falls away. She’s his — his songbird, his girl, his Omega to claim. Nothing else matters.

— Ω —

She likes swimming and he gets in because the water is cool. In the lake it's just him and her, and the water dulls all other scents so he can pretend there's no one else for miles. He can imagine it’s just them, that he's finally alone with His Girl, His Omega.

She kisses him in the middle of the lake with the hot summer breeze rifling his hair, and it feels like he's drowning in her. If this is how he goes, he will welcome death with open arms. Just not yet, not before he gets his fill of her. He’s ravenous for her; he can't get enough. He wants to consume her whole, carve out a place for himself in her and leave his mark on her forever. She's here, and she's real, and he can feel her bones underneath his hands, soft skin kissed by sun and now him. He follows a trail of water down her neck with his tongue.

Eventually, they climb out of the lake. She’s releasing pheromones in waves, so intense they nearly bowl him over. Suddenly, it feels too open, too exposed. He can't protect her like when they were in the water. He can’t know all the threats around her like in the Capitol.

The cabin door creaks on its hinges, and Coryo questions the stability of the one-room shack. As quickly as the thought comes, it leaves. He can't focus on that just right now. He can't focus on anything but gorgeous, lovely, enticing Lucy Gray, standing before him in a towel and her swimsuit, dark curls dripping lake water and big beautiful eyes full of trust for him. Her smell pervades the small space and Coryo can't hold himself back anymore. He reaches for her, and she reaches for him like she knows; she yearns for what's coming just as much as he does. Their kiss is an explosion; it rattles him to his core like that fateful day in the arena. She arches up into him, arms tight around his neck, and he pulls her to him, wet skin to wet skin and the curve of her delicate neck beneath his mouth. He sucks at her glands and she shudders along her whole body. He sucks harder, squeezes her side — a soft moan and she's limp against him, a pliable Omega for his taking.

"Coryo Coryo please please please." She whispers his name like a prayer — claim her and deliver her from her nightmares.

He does.

—— A/N: I'm still somehow fucking stuck on present tense and let me tell you, it's driving me BATSHIT. The backstory to this one is actually more crazy because I was thinking about muzzled Alphas lmao and Coryo being muzzled when he's in public. Maybe I'll turn this into a longer one-shot on AO3 because I kinda feel bad that I stopped before the fucking lol

[astoldbyaja]

Primal - Ch.11 ~AU Predator (Franchise)~

Being in that police station filled me with all kinds of emotions. I met Lucy’s father, Joshua, who hugged me almost immediately upon seeing me. He looked so relieved, I could only imagine the fear he experienced when hearing a club his daughter was at was shot up. He gave me his number just in case I ever needed anything, and said I always had help from him whenever it was needed. As relieved as I was to be around a survivor’s parent, I was still feeling somewhat drained from it all and, I had to make my leave.

Axel walked with me out to the parking lot.

“Thank you for coming here. I know you’ve been through a lot. How are you holding up?” he asked. As of right now, I really didn’t know what with the alien hunter coming in and out of my home, this heat wave, and the rise of gangs in the city. I felt at my limit. But I was not going to let him know that. I shrugged.

“I’m making it.” I replied.

“Do you have any family, anyone who can come and be with you?” he asked. I shook my head.

“I’m an only child of parents who passed long ago. Don’t keep too many friends around these days.” I replied as we were now standing beside my car. Axel nodded, his face seemed to agree with me.

“Yeah, I know how that is. Have you tried maybe going to therapy, speaking to a professional?” he asked. I honestly hadn’t, but right now I felt I needed to figure this out on my own, since I had way too much on my plate as it is.

“I haven’t but I know I should.” I replied. Axel nodded.

“Well like I said my door is always open if you ever need to talk. I know some good counselors who can talk with you too. You’ve been through something traumatic and just sitting up in that house alone isn’t healthy. I worry about you.” he explained. I nodded giving a gentle sigh and pulling my keys out of my pocket.

“Well I’m glad I have a cat to talk to. See ya later, Axel. Be safe out there.” I replied.

“Yeah you too, Teleya.” he said warmly, and I smiled and got in my car and returned home. Scorpion wasn’t there when I returned and he didn’t come back tonight. So most of the night, I snuggled with Pandora in the bed. Through most of the day, I continued my baby sitting on some weekends and going to work. Scorpion still did not return and parts of me were wondering if maybe I dreamed him up. Maybe the trauma from the shooting caused something inside of me to break and I imagined him as a coping mechanism. How I thought up a creature like that was beyond me. I was even talking to Pandora about how I saw the dead gang member’s faces when I slept. She would just stare at me from the end of the bed watching me.

I told her how I was afraid to go to sleep, and I wished I had more friends to talk to. Even though my situation was better than my last, I still didn’t fully feel as if I had a good quality of life. I thought about taking Axel up on his offer and talking to a therapist or a doctor, but the more I spoke to Pandora, knowing she was an empty vault I could fill with my thoughts and feelings, the more it brought me comfort. She took in everything I said and my words would be forever locked inside her body.

An entire month passed, and I had not seen Scorpion. Maybe he moved on to another planet or the planet he came from. Maybe he found a new mate. Maybe what he showed me with that… soul link wasn’t real. Maybe none of him was real. But the sounds of his shrills, his growls and even his purrs played in my mind. Even my body reacted to the thought of the low vibrations replaying in my mind. Often, I would squeeze my legs together when I found myself alone or even at work. remembering the time, he tried to take me on my back before Axel eventually interrupted us.

Rain poured heavily down on the rooftop and the harsh winds blew it sideways. The heat wave would be passing soon per the news and that was good. Pandora was curled up at the foot of my bed asleep. She was purring hard. I was also in bed merely playing on my phone. I was in a lavender gown merely relaxing. I loved the rain. Suddenly, a loud thud from above made me jump and look up. Pandora’s body jerked up, her head lifting to the ceiling. We were both silent and staring up at the ceiling. There was a rhythmic thud moving across the ceiling and we both looked into the hall. I was outside earlier, but came in and didn’t lock my balcony door since no one could get in it. I sat up quickly thinking someone was breaking in. I darted from the bed, Pandora scurrying off the bed and down the hall. I raised my pillow up and grabbed the knife I had kept under there and moved down the hall.

My body was shaking as I had a firm grip on the handle. Before I could even get to the end of the hall however, the door slid open and I gasped as heavy invisible footsteps entered the house. Water was pooling on the ground of the footsteps, and I swallowed hard as I saw bits of static. I panted gently, the burst of sudden movement finally catching up with me. More static was popping everywhere before a form appeared in front of me and there he was.

“Scorpion?” I asked. The yautja let out a shrill in response.

“Teleya.” the computerized voice of his mask responded. I noticed his armor was darker yet scratched and cut as if he were in some kind of fight. I noticed parts of his locs were pulled back. He had all kinds of weapons attached to him and slowly I approached him, the knife still in my hand, and I swallowed hard. Was he really here, or was this my imagination? His head tilted down some and I knew he was looking at the knife in my hand, but I refused to let it go.

“You came back… I don’t understand.” I replied softly, using my free hand to slowly move out to lightly poke at his chest. He was definitely real and thick and scaly feeling. He shrilled more.

“I return.” he replied in scaly English, and I watched as he pulled some tubes out of his mask, the hissing of air escaping was high. He then began to remove his mask revealing his white orbs. His large mandibles clicked some, his familiar scar still distinguished. He was real. He is real. I finally felt my fingers loosen around the knife and slowly it slipped from my hold and hit the ground. Scorpion didn’t even seem bothered by it.

“You were gone for so long.” I said to myself. I meant to think it but I couldn’t stop myself voicing. Scorpion let out a low snarl before raising his hand and I watched it move to the back of his armor.

“Had… hunt to… complete.” he said in a rough, thick tone. A hunt? And now I watched as he removed a long black object. I looked at it curiously wondering what it could be. Finally, he held the object out to me, and I realized it was a long spear with a black blade at the end. It had what looked like beads wrapped around the neck of the blade. I had never seen something so beautifully crafted. Scorpion held this spear closer to me with some force. What did he want me to do with it? Slowly I raised my hands to gently touch it. However, he let it go and quickly I grabbed it so it wouldn’t hit the ground. It had some weight to it and immediately I held it to my body to stop it from hitting the floor.

“What is this?” I asked admiring the spear more. Scorpion shrilled.

“Gift… of my victory. I give… to you… my mate.” he answered. I looked from the spear to him completely taken aback. He was giving this to me? Slowly, he got down one knee before me and bowed his head to me shrilling some and my eyes widened at what he was doing. Why was he doing this? After a few more seconds of silence, Scorpion stood back up and towered of me. I looked up at him again wondering what it was he was wanting me to do. I then looked back at the spear. It stood a few feet above me. It was beautiful but it definitely did not look to be of this world, that was for sure. I then looked back up at him and nodded up at him.

“Thank you.” I responded. Scorpion shrilled lowly, and his hand raised to gently slide over my neck. I could feel the sharpness of his claw against my flesh. I was sure with little pressure he could slice my skin open and it would be so easy. He continued to shrill lowly staring down at my neck. It didn’t take long to realize, he had been gone for an entire month and for this month, he had not heard me sing. So, taking a familiar tune of the Little Mermaid I gave him what he wanted. I started out low like before and as I began to sing higher, Scorpion’s entire body seemed to react, tightening up at the sound of my voice. His arms flexed, the muscles seeming to tense. I continued on until he was moving upon me like he once did, backing me into the wall, and purring deeply against my body to the point his purring vibrations poured into my body. Now I felt I had goosebumps, my insides shaking and my vaginal muscles once more were starting to have a heartbeat of their own. I felt my voice crack some as I could feel the strange sensations growing inside me.

How could his purring do this to me? I harmonized some more finally transitioning my singing from the Little Mermaid to Reminiscing with Grandma from the movie Anastasia. I would usually just harmonize through the entire song matching the speed and the music. It wasn’t hard to make up my own harmonizing for it. Now Scorpion’s arms were pressed into the walls, his nails digging into them causing slight holes. And now I suddenly felt his sharp mandibles against my neck and now I gasped. I was too nervous he would cut me if I made a wrong move. I was frozen against the wall, the spear still pressed to my chest and his body now pressing into me. I then feel something wet and warm slide up the side of my neck and I looked down with my eyes only. I couldn’t believe he was… licking me.

I could hear the low shrilling and growling emit from his body as he finally leaned back from me and immediately that heart beating between my legs sped up. I closed my eyes trying to calm myself.

“I smell… your… pheromone.” he said lowly, and my eyes snapped open and I looked up at him and then away with embarrassment.

“W-well it’s your fault. You’re the one purring and licking me. Any woman’s body would respond.” I muttered.

“Then you are… ready to mate then.” he said. Before my brain could process the fact he made a statement and not asked, I found my gown once more ripped to shreds and I was down on my back in the hallway with this large yautja looming over me with deep sensual white eyes.

[dangerously-human]

Obviously I share the universal outrage at the US localization dampening the emotional impact of the scene in The Creeping Shadow where Lucy returns to Portland Row by way of removing a very well-placed swear for emphasis. ("What the hell's this?" has character, pizzazz, oomph that its successor simply lacks.) But I also thought this was especially strange given that the US versions do include the swearing in other places - why drop it here? So I've been trying to note if that changed at any point in the series, and the answer is yes, in TCS. There's one "hellish" removed early on in the series, but that almost strikes me as an oversight, given that nothing else is. The earlier books do a bit more with "cookies" instead of "biscuits" and the like, which slows down slightly as the series progresses, but let me just say I'm still early on in this third read - left off at Lockwood appearing at Lucy's door - and the experience of these first couple chapters was so laughably altered that I'm realizing I got an entirely different vibe reading the US version previously.

What initially caught my attention was Lucy's self-congratulatory comment on her freelancer lifestyle that she "knew how to survive. I knew when to Listen and Look, I knew when the use my rapier, and I knew when to get the hell out." You can imagine how that went in the US version, naturally, and it gets across less of Lucy's more recent confidence and the toughness/untouchable air she's trying to convey. Later, when Lucy's chatting with Harold at the furnaces, he asks (US), "Why don't you partner with Anthony Lockwood again?, and I do get why the localization team would not use "hook up" considering the ~implications~ here vs. across the pond, but I do think you lose the more personal connection implied with the original phrasing (also I get a good giggle out of the latter being more awkward for Lucy). Lots of other little things that aren't particularly impactful changes but also aren't exactly hard for the average American to figure out in context (wardrobe vs. dresser, tea time vs. dinnertime), but the one that really got me was Lucy's descriptions of her neighbors. I did not realize how much the US version had sterilized these from the original - the laundry girl is not Chinese in the US version; the landlady is not Czech and does not drink vodka. Which like, part of me would like to laugh about American kids not being allowed to even hear about alcohol, but I think it's pretty clear those choices were made to remove stereotypes, and while I guess I get the motivation, jeez, you really can't leave the story as it was originally told? OH WAIT, I almost forgot the best part! Where in the UK version the linoleum in the kitchen section of Lucy's Tooting flat is "coming loose," in the US version, it's "curling up." FOR WHY?!

I expected differences, but there are so many things I'm seeing in a subtly altered light now that I'm reading them as they were intended.

[ikeasupremacy]

Hiii I love your blog! What music do you think Lockwood and Co listens to at Portland Row?

oh my days hello! thank you so much, this is such a good ask! i feel like, if spotify is around during the problem, they have a group spotify account for sure! but i definitely have a lot of thoughts about their personal music tastes :)

(everything mentioned has the spotify link attached!)

lucy is probably a fan of artists like lizzy mcalpine, phoebe bridgers, taylor swift, olivia rodrigo. sweet hibiscus tea (post by my mutual that i adore) is such a lucy song, as well as iris by the goo goo dolls! her favourite taylor swift album is speak now all the way, and maybe midnights too! when she first met holly she made an angry girl feminine rage playlist about her with all sorts of feral taylor/olivia rodrigo music. she's the kind to listen to pop rock music on full volume in her room screaming every word of it and i am so here for it :D

george would listen to conan gray for sure! he also listens to lizzy mcalpine but he's more of a mitski, arctic monkeys, rex orange county type of listener. kid krow is one of his most loved albums, and his favourite taylor swift album is red! i also feel like he would listen to classical music sometimes, especially george cubbins! piano hits the sweet spot, and he plays it in his earphones while he's at the archives on a case / reading comics while curled up with tea. (RAAHHHH i can imagine it so well somebody write a fic)

lockwood definitely bullies george for listening to classical music, but theres a hc floating around tumblr that he plays piano -> he probably plays a few of george's favourite pieces for him! but as for music taste? he listens to taylor swift (for sure). he claims his fav album is reputation but it's actually 1989. he listens to lana del rey and his favourite album is norman f*cking rockwell or ultraviolence, and he probably dabbles around with the weeknd and older drake music! i feel like he also listens to coldplay!! he probably has a subtly named playlist with songs that remind him of lucy (first song on there is lucy lucy by betcha)! during the famous grocery store incident lore, a shitpost involving a lot of locklyle, one of the many hcs is that he played his lucy playlist instead of the group one time and was just like 😳

the skull probably asks lucy to play peaches by jack black just to see lockwood dramatically leap to the piano and sing along "soulfully" to it, saying lucy instead of peach every time LOL (he is belting awfully and hitting all the wrong notes and it is pissing EVERYONE off)

but as for a group playlist, just a blend of all their music tastes really. a lot of taylor swift, and they would listen to the radio often! (english people will know) they listen to radio 1's morning podcast with greg james while doing up breakfast!

idk that image is so nice to me, quiet mornings at 35 portland row with the radio on, humming to a random song. music is literally integral to so many things imo, and i love the idea that l&co play a lot of it! thank you so much for the ask <3

[fandomsnfluff]

If you wanna chat, which brother do you think has the most ticklish horns/wings/tails? I think the hc that their demon attributes are ticklish is super cute :)

HI HELLO YES I WOULD LOVE TO sorry i had a final to do today so i was gone yesterday oops 😭 BUT I'M HERE NOW HAHA (and guess what since i'm writey i made a lil mini hcs post since i really couldn't decide !!!! ;o; )

luci - i'd say his horns are more sensitive to touch generally rather than ticklish, maybe around the base if you gently dig your nails in a bit, but overall he's not used to having them touched and could potentially find horn massages soothing. his wings, on the other hand, can actually be quite ticklish if you gently dig into the center of them like with your hands in the claws shape lol. also noticeably shivers if you gently trace along a single feather.

mammon - i'd say his horns are probably the most ticklish of the brothers lol (if not just the most ticklish brother generally sdfjkhsdf). idk just looking at their curled shape gives me really strong ticklish vibes, like if you drag the pad of your finger along them he'll be reduced to hiccupy giggles before curling in on himself skjdhfsd. his wings are probably highly ticklish too, digging in between the bones will DESTROY him. be careful tho cuz they're thin and bony and might hurt if you get like RIGHT on the bones 😭

levi - his horns are much more ticklish-sensitive to light touches, touches with more pressure give him more of a massage-like sensation. it's similar with his tail, too; feather-light touches especially along the middle and end of his tail will absolutely cause him to thrash and scream with laughter.

satan - similar to lucifer, he strongly prefers to have his horns massaged and has that general sensation along them anyway. his tail isn't hyper-sensitive to touch imo, bc personal hc that it's covered in poisonous spikes that don't have very many nerve endings.

asmo - EXTREMELY ticklish wings and horns. like tbh they're probably more sensitive than any other part of his body. just the lightest touch along either of them, especially when he's not looking, is enough to send him into a fit of wailing laughter. but i'm here to encourage you to do it anyway 👀

beel - i'd imagine touching along his horns gives him kind of a feather-light, almost tingling sensation, not quite ticklish but still a satisfying feeling nonetheless. it usually ends up feeling like a massage to him, his cheeks turn a light pink and he'll purr while brushing up along your hand. but be careful with his wings, they're highly delicate and sensitive to touch in the way where he prefers to just not have them touched at all.

belphie - massaging his horns is a great way to get him in a good mood, they might tickle a bit around the center, right where they curl away from his head, but more often than not he'll just fall asleep under your fingers. his tail, on the other hand, can actually be quite ticklish! of course, he uses the end as a secret weapon for himself, but if you flutter your fingers along the hairs at the end it'll SEND him. that technique will probably get the best reaction out of him, for gently combing your fingers through the fur on the rest of his tail will most likely be met with purring, maybe a few ticklish giggles.

[nalu-gifs]

Prompt: Lucy comforting Natsu as he explains when he thought DiMaria killed her (maybe with a flashback of Natsu trying to revive Lucy while within DiMaria's stopped time)

Thanks for the ask, anon! I wandered a little off prompt, but it got me thinking about how both Lucy and Natsu had moments where they were convinced that the other was dead. I imagine that's a trauma that would only start to truly set in once the conflict is resolved. I may write another ficlet at some point regarding the second half of your prompt (Natsu trying to revive Lucy).

AO3 link here.

Hope you enjoy!

~~~

You're Alive

Pale morning light spilled over the horizon as a new day dawned in Magnolia, brighter than any morning they had seen for a long time.

The celebrations lasted throughout the night. Everyone was beyond exhausted, to be sure, but the adrenaline and sheer exhilaration of winning the war drove all the members of Fairy Tail, along with their many wizard allies, to drink, dance, and laugh side by side within their half-destroyed guild hall. They had won. Zeref and his empire had been defeated. Acnologia would no longer torment them. And that was surely cause for the boisterous merriment which ensued.

The sunrise met with a good number of slumbering figures, strewn everywhere from the floor of the guild hall to the debris-littered grass outside and the cobblestone streets beyond. At last, fatigue had caught up with them, and most couldn’t muster up the energy to make it home before passing out—though, perhaps they were also reluctant to leave each others’ sides after the perilous battle. When this all began, no one could be sure who would make it out alive.

It was this thought that kept slumber at bay for Lucy as she gazed across the sea of unconscious bodies. She smiled at the peaceful faces of all her friends, bruised and battered, but alive. Juvia rested against Gray’s chest. Erza and Jellal had been sitting with their backs against the wall, an appreciable gap between them, but tipped toward each other in sleep so that their heads and shoulders pinned together. Elfman snored loudly with his two sisters wrapped tightly in each arm. Cana sat bent over a table, Gildarts’ coat draped tenderly over her shoulders. Romeo curled up next to Macao with such boyish affection that Lucy hadn’t seen since before their lost time on Tenrou. All around, signs of deep friendship and family could be found. Lucy was sure there was no greater concentration of love in the world.

Her gaze drifted to the side. She wasn’t surprised to find Natsu staring back at her—well, it wasn’t staring exactly; his eyes were glazed over, eyelids heavy with exhaustion, and his vision seemed unfocused, as if whatever he saw existed in another time and place. Considering all the energy he’d expended in fighting both Zeref and Acnologia, it was a wonder how he remained awake at this point. Not to mention, the dragon slayer had certainly also partied hard throughout the night. However, throughout the overnight revelry, Lucy had noticed the same thing she observed now: he couldn’t keep his eyes off her. More often than not, when she looked at him, he already had eyes locked on her. Even across the room, cackling with Gray or racing Gildarts through a beer, he seemed unwilling to let her out of his sight, as if doing so would allow her to disappear in a wisp of smoke. Though, the only reason Lucy was aware of his unusual behavior was because she, too, felt the irresistible and absurdly frequent urge to confirm his existence. She could still feel the sting of his sudden disappearance on the streets of Magnolia, that horrible moment—among the worst of her life—in which she thought she had failed to rewrite his story. In that moment, she thought she had lost him forever. So now, whenever her eyes started burning at the thought, she needed to look at him, to see him, to know it was only a nightmare. Her Natsu was still here.

Lucy exhaled a soft sigh and smiled at her partner and best friend. “Natsu…you look exhausted. Why don’t you lay down and get some rest?” She spoke softly, careful not to disturb the sea of slumbering guild mates.

“Nngh…” he grunted in reply, eyes still fixed on her.

Her spirit yearned to stay awake, though her body fought against it more and more with each passing second. Lucy knew if she sat here much longer, she would succumb to the sweet allure of rest. And she wasn’t ready for that quite yet. Neither, apparently, was Natsu.

“Do you want to take a walk?”

He nodded.

Once outside, Lucy drew in a deep breath of the cool morning air. The dust had finally settled, although the faint smell of smoke lingered on the breeze. “I can’t believe it’s finally over,” she breathed. “The past few days have been…a complete whirlwind. It’s a lot to process. I can’t wrap my head around everything that’s happened.”

She stopped short when Natsu’s hand shot out from behind and gripped her wrist. Lucy turned to face him and found a renewed attentiveness in his dark eyes, along with an unexpected shine.

“Lucy, I—” he began but cut off.

The celestial wizard thought she might crumble under his sudden direct, intense gaze, but then his brow twitched, and his eyes fell to the ground. His fingers, however, still wrapped tightly—almost painfully—around her wrist. After a moment of silence, Natsu seemed to realize this, then slowly released her and flexed his fingers. “I’m…glad you’re okay,” he said at last. “When I thought Dimaria had…y’know…and I thought I would never…” Natsu struggled to find the words, whether due to exhaustion or hesitation, or a combination of the two, Lucy wasn’t sure. “I haven’t had the chance to explain to you how much that really…made me go crazy.”

“I think I have a pretty good idea,” Lucy replied with a breathy laugh. “I did see Dimaria right afterward. She called you…a…” Lucy then trailed off, not wanting to refer to Natsu as a monster, not even in quoting someone else. “Point is,” she pressed on, “I know you wanted to avenge me.” Behind Natsu, she watched a crow take off from the top of a half-crumbled stone pillar.  “I’m grateful for that.”

Natsu grunted and shook his head. “No, that’s not—it wasn’t about avenging you, or revenge, or anything like that. It was…” He looked back up at her face with such a troubled tilt to his brow that Lucy’s breath caught in her throat. “I held you in my arms, and you were dead. Gone, forever. I failed to protect you. And I just…lost it. Because I couldn’t bear losing you.”

Lucy swallowed, her throat tight. She had spent so much time dwelling on her own pain after thinking she had lost him that she had completely forgotten he, too, thought he had lost her. Her eyes began to burn, and she realized Natsu’s also brimmed with tears. She’d seen him cry before for his friends. For Igneel. He burned with such passion, fought desperately for those that he loved; it was one of her favorite things about him. He had risked his life time and time again defending his Fairy Tail family. But to her knowledge, he had never fallen into a despondent rage…except for her sake.

What did that mean?

“You’re here, and you’re safe, and I know that,” Natsu continued, his voice uncharacteristically quiet and strained, “but for some reason, I can’t shake that feeling. I’m afraid to close my eyes, because I might see ya like that again…just like I saw Igneel after he died.”

Lucy took a minuscule step toward him. She wondered if he would be admitting all of this to her if he wasn’t operating within a state of complete exhaustion. She wondered the same thing about herself as she responded:

“I’m scared, too,” she whispered. “When you went to fight Acnologia, and I didn’t know what happened, I thought…you…” Lucy wiped an escaped tear from her cheek, then she glanced down and saw with shock that Natsu’s hands were trembling. Without a second thought, she reached out and grabbed them, pulling them to her chest where he could feel her pounding heart. “I’m here, Natsu. I’m okay. It’s okay. It’s over.”

Natsu nodded, somewhat numbly, and a few tears spilled from his eyes. After a moment, he withdrew his hands just far enough that he could wrap them around her instead, pulling her into a tight hug. Lucy wrapped her own arms around him in return, grateful for the warm shelter of his embrace.

“I love you, Lucy,” he whispered.

“I love you, too,” she whispered back.

Lucy was not sure exactly what either of them meant by those words, but right now, that mattered little. All that mattered was that they stood here together, in front of their precious guild hall, as the light of a new day spilled over them with the greatest promise of all: a future.

[islaytonlost]

How many fingers am I holding up?

I definately did this in order. Anyway Whumptober day 1! It is day 1 shush.

In which Lucy is hit over th ehead by a suspect and gets a particually nasty concussion. Alfendi frets. Mostly because she cant remember who she is.

“Lucy? Lucy?” a deep silky male voice drifts through the haze. She groans, “that’s right Lucy my dear, towards my voice.

A low groan emits from deep within her, escaping out her mouth, “whhhh” she couldn't seem to get her lips to move right, couldn’t seem to get round the other syllables.

She tries lifting her head instead, to see the source of the voice.

“DON’T!” A shock of red hair bobs into view, “don't be so stupid a to dream of moving Baker! Not after what just happened. Were his eyes yellow?

“Who are you?” she manages to get out, lifting her head a little further, a hand goes to cradle the back of her head.

There’s silence from the other person as he holds the back of her head, before he curses, “Where the hell is that ambulance? If Baker dies none of you are making it out alive tonight!”

“What?” her eyes finally focused on the red headed man, messy curls falling haphazardly from his scalp. An unkempt beard and striking yellow eyes that were focused off in the distance.

There was another voice, one she couldn’t seem to really focus on, “calm down”

“Calm! You expect me to stay calm?!” The man holding her head yelled. Lucy groans again, his voice drilled into her head. Every sound seemed to drill into her head.

“Sorry, sorry Lucy,” was it her imagination or had his hair just changed colour? Could people’s hair change colour? Purple now. Maybe his hair was burgundy. Maybe it was the flashing red and blue behind him.

“Who?” she repeats again, her own voice too loud. Still, she needed answers.

The man’s brow furrows, “I’m Alfendi,” she blinks at him, except she forgets to open her eyes, “no no no, Lucy, look at me”

The man sounded so desperate, she really should look at him. She had to try. Her eyelids were so heavy.

“I’m Inspector Layton” there was a touch of desperation to his tone, his words rushed from his lips, “Lucy, Lucy!”

She manages to lift her eyelids again. Another arm wraps around her torso, pulling her into the mans lean body. For some reason she found this soothing. He was so warm.

“That’s it Lucy, just keep those eyes open, how many fingers am I holding up?”

The hand moves gently away from the back of her head and hovers in front of her face, lucy squints, “three?”

A sigh of relief as his hand moves back to her head, “good. I’m sorry you got hurt Lucy. It was my fault. I should have seen her coming.”

“What?” She had absolutely no idea what this man was about. She liked his voice though, so silky and smooth. His face seemed kind of nice too, underneath all that disorder.

“You work with me Lucy, we catch killers. You convinced me to go on a stakeout mission… So come to think of it, this is all your fault really,, last time I’m listening to you,” he was talking a bit too fast for Lucy to understand everything he was saying.

There were tears in his eyes tho, so she reaches up and slaps him in the face.

“Sorry,” her eyes widened, “trying to…” she couldn't find the words to get to the end of that sentence, “stop crying”.

“I can’t seem to,” his voice was a deep velvety rumble, “last time I forgot something like this it went very badly.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Oh no Lucy, dear, never be sorry.” he clinged to her.

He clung on to her as the strange people loaded her into the ambulance. He held her hand while people shone lights in her eyes and yelled instructions.

He held her hand and when they touched the back of her head she screamed as pain blasted out her senses and when she woke up the man with red hair was standing over her, yelling at the strangers.

Lucy smiled, he must be some kind of angel, standing over her. Protecting her.

When she woke up in the hospital he was still there. Reading the paper by her bed.

“Prof!” She grinned.

“Lucy!”

[misc-obeyme]

to the 🪿 anon - your oc Pandora sounds really cool!! i also want more thirteen content 😭 I'd love to see her interact with others more. I can only think of the Battle for the Bread memory card and then that other one with her and Mammon (Panic something?)

I just end up daydreaming about scenarios between characters (and then never writing them down) BUT I'LL GET THERE... EVENTUALLY

I had an idea I wanted to talk about and I've totally forgotten. Anyway, LEVI BIRTHDAY CARD NEVER CAME HOME AND I'M SO SAD 💔 I SPENT SO MANY VOUCHERS, and unlocked so many spaces in devil tree (OG you got 75 devil points after unlocking 400)

WAIT I REMEMBERED MY IDEA, OKAY, UM, HOW DO YOU THINK DEMONS COMPARE TO HUMANS IN TERMS OF- I can't think of the word. Not durability. Endurance? Hm..

Because I'm thinking about Luci and Dia always having tons and tons of paperwork, and wondering if their hand ever cramps. Can demons develop arthritis?? (I ALWAYS COME UP WITH THE SILLIEST QUESTIONS/IDEAS I'M SORRY)

This came up in my mind because we finally got approved to get product in (brand new empty store), and we've been stocking nonstop. On Fri/Sat, me and another manager were in charge of floral AND breaking down everyone's boxes and throwing them out (15+ people who were instructed to throw their cardboard at the end of the aisle to work product faster)

So like, 9 hour shift both days, and my hand is curled around this tiny box cutter for a majority of it. I was switching between opening boxes in floral, and then doing laps around the store every hour to break down and collect everyone's trash. And understandably, it hurt to move my fingers on Sunday lol. I admit I also have a tendency to push myself because I want to get things DONE and move on.

Today I was stocking jewelry so no breaking boxes, just unwrapping beads. My fingers are doing a lot better AND THE AISLE LOOKS SO PRETTY.

Anyway, I wonder if they do get hand pain, and if Barbatos has a cream or pain relieving tea. I need him to teach me his ways.

- ✨ anon

My anons communicating through the ask box 🥹

Anyway, I did not get the Levi bday card, either. But I don't usually try too hard for the bday cards in general. I usually pull once or twice and that's about it. (Obvious exceptions are Barbatos and Solomon. They're the only ones I'm allowed to be weird about when it comes to bday nightmares. Yes I have rules for myself lol.)

Okay, so I've actually considered whether or not I think demons get things like carpal tunnel and like arthritis is a similar situation. And personally, I don't think they do. Because imagine Barbatos, if you will. Certainly a repetitive motion such as whisking or stirring ingredients could give one carpal tunnel if done enough. And that guy is constantly baking. Can you imagine Barbatos ever getting carpal tunnel?

I just think that demons live for so long, they would have to at the very least not get such issues as quickly. They live too long, you know?

BUT. I do love the idea of Barbatos having a little cream that he rubs into his wrists and hands as prevention. And I don't doubt that he knows of such things, too. Hang on why am I remembering a chat about this?

Yeah, I got a daily chat where Barbatos was like "Ciaran there's something weird in the fridge what do you think it is?" And it turned out to be some hand lotion that Diavolo had made for him, but he thought it was some freaky food substance.

I was so touched because awwww Diavolo looking after his old hardworking butler! But it doesn't really say if it's meant to like... relieve hand pain, it's just like yeah some kinda cream lol!

Anyway, I think demons likely either don't get such issues at all or they get them, but it takes a lot longer due to their lifespan situation. Either way, I also think that Barbatos is the one to ask about pain relief... I don't doubt he knows about all the perfect tea blends and likely the perfect types of creams and such, too.

As for you, I must recommend hand stretches. I get wanting to get things done, but if you push yourself too much you could accidentally cause yourself real and long lasting damage! Honestly all you'd need to do is put that knife down for like five minutes and roll your wrist around, maybe do that claw pose with your fingers and move 'em around, you know how it is!

But I'm glad you're feeling better now and I hope you get to do some things that don't put such a strain on your hands!

[melanielocke]

The Stars Collide - Chapter 21

I have written some more this week and am currently working on chapter 22. The romance isn't there yet but I promise there's going to be progress in that department somewhere in the upcoming chapters. I apologize if anything in the therapy part of the chapter is inaccurate. AO3 | Chapter list

When Thomas woke that morning, Alastair wasn’t there. For a moment, he was worried something might have happened. Then he saw the alarm clock. 11 in the morning, no wonder Alastair was no longer in bed. Thomas rarely slept this late, but he had gone to bed rather late last night. He quickly changed into his clothes before going downstairs in search of Alastair. He found some of his mother’s leftover pancakes in the kitchen and ate them before searching the house for Alastair.

He found his husband in the library and Thomas remembered he had given Alastair instructions on how to get there the other night. Alastair did not notice him enter at first. He was curled up on the sofa, a blanket around his waist, nose in one of Thomas’ books. He looked so peaceful for a change as he pushed a lock of black hair out of his face, wholly focused on the book he was reading.

Thomas cleared his throat. ‘Hey.’

Alastair looked up. ‘Hey. I was wondering where you were.’

‘I just woke up,’ Thomas said. ‘Do you like the library?’

‘It is wonderful. And the view is nice,’ Alastair said. ‘I’ve never seen a forest like this before.’

‘Mind if I join you?’

‘No, that’s okay.’

Thomas sat down next to Alastair, and checked the cover of the book Alastair was reading. It was the first in a long queer fantasy series Thomas had read when he was a teenager.

‘I found this book,’ Alastair said. ‘There were seven of them on the shelf so I assume the series is complete?’

‘Yes, it’s complete.’

‘Good. I don’t like having to wait for the sequel to the book I read yesterday,’ Alastair said. ‘Endings like that should be illegal.’

‘You should see the ending of book six,’ Thomas said. ‘And I had to wait for almost two years for the final book. It was torture. You’re lucky you get to read them all in one go.’

‘It seems like I won’t get bored here,’ Alastair said. ‘Even if I have to stay inside for now. But I’d love to go walk in the forest here. So far we’ve decided I can go but only accompanied by a guard and that would kind of ruin it.’

‘What about Cordelia?’ Thomas asked. ‘She would qualify as a guard, right?’

‘Yes, that’s true. She’s gone pumpkin picking with Lucie today, but I decided I’d rather stay here and read. Maybe she’d like to accompany us for a walk sometime.’

‘Pumpkin picking… you don’t think they’re bringing anything home?’

Thomas was already considering different pumpkin recipes in his head. Pumpkins were popular in Lightwood, especially this time of the year and he knew lots of recipes. Would Alastair like a soup? But he’d just made butternut squash soup the night before, so that might be too similar. What about pasta? Yes, that was it. Creamy pasta with pumpkin and mushrooms and lots of fresh herbs.

‘Lucie wanted to carve some pumpkins for extra protection,’ Alastair said. ‘I imagine you could use the insides for cooking, otherwise it would be a waste.’

‘Have you ever made a pumpkin lantern before?’ Thomas asked.

‘Not really, it’s not a thing we do on Turan,’ Alastair said. ‘Nor do I think it’s common in the Fair Palace area.’

‘No, it’s a Lightwood province thing,’ Thomas said. ‘Because pumpkins are so popular here. There are also places they use turnips instead.’

‘Apparently Lucie can make them into protective charms.’

‘True. But it’s also just fun. We should try it too,’ Thomas said.

Lucie and Cordelia returned in the afternoon with a large grocery bag. Cordelia unpacked on the kitchen counter and revealed several orange pumpkins along with a few other types.

‘Pumpkin picking was lots of fun, and I could buy these for way cheaper than at a grocery store someplace else,’ Cordelia said. ‘You should try it sometime, Alastair. There weren’t that many people around.’

‘Maybe,’ Alastair said. ‘Apparently I can go out when you’re there to protect me. Stars, that sounds weird.’

Cordelia rolled her eyes. ‘What, you think I’m not a good fighter? I could easily take you, when’s the last time you practiced?’

‘I know, I know,’ Alastair said. ‘I’m going to go back to it. Someday.’

Thomas and Alastair spent the rest of the afternoon working on an orange pumpkin together. Thomas mostly let Alastair try it himself, but he’d never done it before and needed help or instructions sometimes.

‘It looks bad,’ Alastair said. ‘How do I fix it?’

‘It looks fine.’

‘The eyes are asymmetrical. His face looks awful,’ Alastair said. ‘I won’t be protected by a pumpkin with two different eyes.’

‘Okay, the right eye is slightly smaller so maybe we can cut out a little bit more?’ Thomas suggested.

Together, they cut away little pieces until the face looked somewhat acceptable. Around the same time, Lucie and Cordelia were finished with their pumpkin. Cordelia had never done it before either and Thomas was curious how she’d fared.

‘And done,’ Cordelia said with a proud look on her face.

She turned around the pumpkin, showing a perfectly symmetrical and rather creepy face.

‘I hate you,’ Alastair declared.

‘You’re just a sore loser.’

‘I am not.’

‘You are too. You only ever want to play games you know you can win at,’ Cordelia said. ‘And when you lose to me at chess, you refuse to play again.’

‘I don’t like pumpkin carving,’ Alastair declared and he walked away.

Thomas hesitated for a moment, and then went after him.

‘You don’t have to follow me everywhere,’ Alastair said when he noticed Thomas was still there.

‘I just wanted to check if you’re alright.’

‘And you don’t have to. Can I just be pissed off in peace for a change?’

Thomas couldn’t help it, he started laughing.

‘What?’ Alastair hissed.

‘Nothing, it’s just funny when you get so worked up over a pumpkin,’ Thomas said. ‘It’s cute.’

‘Don’t patronize me. I’m not cute.’

‘Sure you are,’ Thomas said. ‘And it’s fine if you’re just a sore loser. But I was worried there might be something else going on and you needed support. You know you can come to me if you need that, right?’

‘Yeah, sure. But right now, I’m just pissed off. How does Cordelia suddenly become a master pumpkin carver? She’s never done this before either!’

‘She had help. Lucie has done this a lot. They ward off people who mean you harm, remember?’

‘So you’re telling me Lucie did most of the work, whereas I had to struggle through the whole ordeal with just “instructions”?’

Thomas sighed. ‘I wanted you to have fun. Would you have liked it anymore if it’d turned out better but I had done all the work?’

‘No,’ Alastair admitted.

‘It doesn’t have to be a competition, right? And it’s tricky,’ Thomas said. ‘Maybe the next one will turn out better.’

‘Alright,’ Alastair said, still annoyed. ‘I’ll try it once more.’

The second pumpkin did turn out a lot better. Alastair learnt from where he made mistakes, and even carved up the piece he’d taken out into fangs to place back into the mouth.

Thomas was left with a lot of leftover pumpkin flesh, and started making pumpkin pasta for dinner, while also saving some of the flesh for a pie later.

Within a few days, Alastair settled in at the house and Thomas loved to see him comfortable here. He was viewing Alastair more and more like his husband. Except, of course, that Alastair didn’t know Thomas had feelings for him, or that Thomas longed to touch him. Matthew had told him to stop making assumptions about what Alastair wanted, to stop being ashamed of wanting sex and maybe he had a point. But he was still terrified of what would happen if Alastair felt pressured into sleeping with him once Thomas confessed his feelings.

‘I have my appointment with my therapist,’ Alastair said that afternoon. ‘Do you want to join? This appointment is when she explains the diagnosis and treatment plan, and she said it might be good to take someone with me.’

‘Of course. It’s online, right? Wait, I know the perfect place to set up.’

Thomas felt honored that Alastair wanted him to join, that Alastair trusted him enough. He knew that couldn’t have been easy. Thomas set up a large screen in his father’s study, which would make an online appointment far easier. His father used this set up a lot for meetings with other politicians and planets, and Thomas had quickly warned him that he and Alastair would be using the room.

Alastair logged onto the online portal the therapist’s office used, and a few moments later he received a call.

‘Good afternoon, Alastair,’ the woman said. ‘I see you’ve brought someone. I’m Mira, pleasure to meet you.’

‘Thomas. I’m Alastair’s husband.’

Alastair was a little anxious about bringing Thomas along, but he figured it might be a good way to build trust between them. Alastair had never felt safer than now with Thomas, but that did not mean he felt quite safe yet.

‘Today’s appointment is meant to discuss our diagnosis and treatment plan. It’s going to be a lot of information, I wouldn’t expect you to remember everything, but that’s why it’s good you’ve brought your partner. Two remember more than one.’

‘My power is reliable enough that I will remember,’ Alastair said.

‘Right, of course. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them. I’m going to start with a summary of what you told me last week, and please correct me if you disagree with anything. You regularly have nightmares and trouble sleeping, and flashbacks into the past. You also told me how sometimes you would very suddenly feel scared or helpless, and that you didn’t understand what was going on and what that meant. You also experience anger, heavy mood swings, combined with periods where you feel numb.

Based on those symptoms, combined with what you told me about your experiences with both your father and your late husband, you meet the criteria for PTSD, and more specifically, complex PTSD.’

Alastair nodded. ‘I thought it might be something like that. Though I’m not sure what’s the difference with complex PTSD.’

‘Complex PTSD happens after what we call complex trauma. This is usually ongoing trauma, or a combination of multiple traumatic events. Alongside nightmares and flashbacks, you can also experience what we call emotional flashbacks. These are harder to recognize as flashbacks because instead of reliving a certain event, you relive the emotions you experienced then, such as feelings of fear and helplessness. We think these very sudden breakdowns you experience are emotional flashbacks.’

Alastair had never heard that term before, but it did make sense. While he could never quite predict when he’d have such a breakdown, there were patterns. Back when he and Charles had just been married, Alastair used to have them after being around Matthew all the time. Matthew, who back then regularly smelled like alcohol.

‘I didn’t know about that, but it makes sense.’

‘People with complex PTSD also often experiences the heavy mood swings you’ve described as well as feeling numb, or even symptoms of dissociation. From the way you spoke about your symptoms last week, we suspect your self esteem is very low. Do you think that’s accurate?’

Alastair first wanted to say no. No, his sense of self was rather accurate, and he hated himself because he was a bad person. But he guessed it still counted as a low self esteem if it was true.

‘I think so,’ he said.

‘We also suspect you might be autistic, based on the way you make contact as well as your struggles with communication, hypersensitivity to sounds and your tendency to have very deep and specific interests.’

‘What?’ Alastair asked.

He had not seen that one coming. He’d never really given it much thought, why he struggled so much socially. Mainly, he didn’t like other people much. But at the same time, he did long to be loved and was failing miserably at that.

‘This was not something you’ve considered before?’

‘Not really,’ Alastair said.

‘I did consider it,’ Thomas admitted. ‘Christopher and Lucie are both autistic. You could talk to one of them about it if you like, they’re both quite knowledgeable on the subject.’

‘I could try that. But couldn’t my social difficulties be a PTSD symptom?’

‘It’s true that PTSD can also come with social difficulties, especially because you struggle with trusting others. However, we did talk about your early childhood a little and you mentioned that even then you struggled with making friends.’

‘That’s true,’ Alastair said. ‘My father thought I was weird as a child, but my mother didn’t. I think that might be because I’m more like her.’

‘Autism is often heritable,’ Mira said. ‘It’s possible it runs in your family. Based on last week’s intake, I cannot diagnose you with autism yet as that requires another assessment, one where you should bring someone who knew you when you were a child, such as your mother.’

‘My mother lives on Turan. So I guess she could come if it were also online,’ Alastair said. ‘But what would an assessment add? Because you can’t treat autism, right?’

‘No, but it does make a difference for your PTSD treatment,’ Mira said. ‘Autism puts you more at risk for most mental illnesses, but you might also present symptoms differently and respond differently to therapy, so I do think it is valuable to figure out if you are autistic. I think it would benefit you to be able to understand yourself better. There is a waiting list for assessment, but I can put you on it.’   

‘Okay,’ Alastair said. ‘That’s alright. But do I have to wait for the assessment before I can start therapy?’

‘No, I don’t think that would be a good idea,’ Mira said. ‘There are several options for what kind of therapy would be beneficial for you, and I would recommend a combination of several. I also think you might benefit from medication. Is that something you’ve considered?’

‘A little,’ Alastair said. ‘But aren’t there a lot of side effects?’

‘There can be side effects. However, I’m not a doctor and can’t prescribe medication. I could schedule an appointment with a psychiatrist to discuss medication. You can ask your question then and decide if you want to try medication.’

Alastair wasn’t sure yet if he wanted to take medication, but it might be good to be able to discuss that with someone who knew more about it. If it would help him feel better, then he was willing to try, but it was difficult to imagine taking medication would do that much, especially considering so many of his symptoms were related to what had happened to him. Medication couldn’t change that, but then neither could therapy. All he could hope for was find better coping mechanisms.

‘Alright,’ Alastair said.

They discussed several types of therapy, and Alastair didn’t really know what would happen and what he needed, except that he didn’t think group therapy was for him. At least not now. Having to discuss his trauma and feelings within a group would likely only make him shut down, talking about it with just a therapist was difficult enough. Mira explained that treatment for c-PTSD was long and intensive and he would likely need several different forms of therapy, but they would start with a combination of psycho education, trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy and possible schema therapy and then would later start EMDR.

Alastair was rather overwhelmed from all the new information after the appointment. Mira had sent him some information on all the different types of therapy and some general information on medication, which he would go over later. He had expected it would be a lot, and he had expected he would have PTSD, but the treatment was going to be far more intensive than he’d anticipated.

‘Does it make you feel more hopeful?’ Thomas asked.

‘What do you mean?’

‘Knowing that they have a treatment plan, that they have so many different forms of therapy that could help you,’ Thomas said.

‘Maybe. I don’t know how effective it’s going to be,’ Alastair said. ‘But I’m willing to give it a try. I don’t want it to stay like this either.’

‘No, I imagine not. I really hope they can help you, and if there’s something you need from me, please let me know.’

‘I will,’ Alastair said, knowing full well that he would likely not.

Asking for help just wasn’t something he knew how to do and no matter what he did he could not convince himself to do it once he needed to. After all, Thomas already did far more for him than he deserved, how could he ask for more?

@alastaircarstairsdefenselawyer @life-through-the-eyes-of @styxdrawings @justanormaldemon @ipromiseiwillwrite @a-dream-dirty-and-bruised @amchara @all-for-the-fanfiction @imsoftforthomastair @ddepressedbookworm @queenlilith43 @wagner-fell @cant-think-of-anything @laylax13s @tessherongraystairs @boredfangirl16 @artist-in-soul @leslutapologist @ikissedsmithparker