Work Text:
Paranormal Detective roamed Inference’s office, finishing some unfinished work he had left. The streets were empty, moonlight was shining through the window and the calm feeling of the night eased the tension of his roaming thoughts.
Ms. Lockheart plagued his mind ever since she disappeared. Leaving him with a kiss and the doubt that who he had met that night wasn’t truly her. Staring at the pages filled with words yet nothing made sense to the man, letters began to blur and jumble together.
Blue eyes scanned, traced, reread the same lines for an understanding yet nothing made sense at the moment.
His fingers lost strength to hold up the papers which led them falling gently onto the desk.
‘I should take a break, overworking the mind could permanently damage it...pretty sure.’
Paranormal sighed and got up to make himself a cup of coffee.
The sound of the machine wiring, slowly preparing the coffee for him, it all felt so empty. Filling yourself with a substance to stay awake for what? Work, lack of sleep, any other possible reasoning? The mug below the machine slowly filled with dark coffee, but instead of instantly grabbing it after the last drop, the detective just stared at himself from the reflection of the drink.
Eye bags, slightly messy hair, and less accessories on as of right now, just an overall disheveled look that horribly reflected the current man he was now. When Paranormal first met Lockheart he was different, confident, clean but still messy with a few mistakes here and there. He was still the same smart witty man but he changed a bit for the worst after her disappearance.
Paranormal had only met Lockheart in person twice yet he couldn’t help but want to be in her presence once more. ‘I hate this.’
Why was he missing Lockheart when they had such little time together, there should be no correlation that makes him miss her this much to the point he can’t work or focus.
This feeling was useless and not helping his work, it’s annoying, it hurts, it’s aggravating...
Paranormal snapped out of his long thought and began pouring some milk and sugar into the mug to make its taste bearable. He made his way up the stairs of the office for his break, opening the window and taking in a breath of fresh air. Mug in hand still hot to the touch, but the cool wind of the night helped chill the coffee a bit faster.
‘Where was Lockheart now, was she thinking of me as much as I thought of her? How did that one conspiracy go where if you feel a chill it’s because someone’s thinking of you?’
Paranormal drifted his mind off the current case he was assisting Inference on, every lead they had led them to a wall with nothing beyond.
‘Is that why I’m at the window, so I could simulate the feeling that you are thinking of me?’
A loud sip from the mug dragged out, filling the silent night with some sort of noise.
‘Isn’t it kind of messy for me to want more from you? I had only learned how your mind works through our letters and only when I finally met you in person I learned your personality…’
Another sip.
‘I have known you through words for who knows how long, yet I hardly really know you Ms. Lockheart.’ Slicking back some of his loose strands Paranormal proceeded to take a quick swig.
‘Ms. Lockheart, you disappeared because you are wanted by the authorities. Show up one night after the crime as a final goodbye to me with no follow up of when we could meet up again. How could I not be upset at you.’
The blonde tried going for another sip but instead realized nothing was flowing down to his lips, he drank it all.
A tear began welling up slowly, flooding his right eye and streaking down his face. Emotions were beginning to overwhelm him as he couldn’t stop thinking of Ms. Lockheart.
‘You practically lived up to your nickname Ms. Lockheart…a phantom girl. You are a ghost to me the harder I think about it. Your touches felt soft like silk tracing my skin, I sometimes think your presence was all in my head with how quick you were to disappear, and not only that but when I try to get more information about you, nothing.’
If you think about it, it’s as if the lovely lady of the Crystal Palace ‘ghosted’ him.
‘I hate that you did that, you don’t owe me context as to where you’re going or why, and nor do I expect more from you but it still doesn’t stop the hatred I have for what you did.’
.
.
.
‘I wish you could look me in my eyes when you leave, you locked me in a room as you made your escape, I trusted you to close my eyes for your getaway, and at our third meeting I finally got to see you but you looked so different from who I had known.’
Paranormal’s mind circled as he remembered Ms. Lockheart’s new look, a faint white streak, adorned in black leather, lace, and gold tools. She was in more revealing clothes showing her shoulders, stomach, and shape or her legs-
‘...’ The detective didn’t like where his mind was moving towards so he shook his head left and right.
‘She changed so much…but why?’
Her outfit had some snakes, and more snakes scattered around her outfit.
What did it all mean?
What did it mean? He turned his head behind to the filing cabinet with most of the case files. Specifically the one containing all the information on the Mélodis Family.
‘Well, she had snakes so…’
The detective pushed himself off the window sill and sat on the floor to scour for words or information on Ms. Lockheart’s new appearance.
Paranormal Detective, former member of the ghost club and current member of Mr. Inference’s detective agency, a man with such experience should know that looking back will make going forward harder.
Emotions are placed aside, he’s looking back into files for the future case.
‘Yeah.’
That’s why the man was looking back, to make sure it can help with his job! Not because he misses Ms. Lockheart.
Oh who was he kidding, this was a selfish reason and he knew it. All he could think about was Lockheart, Lockheart, Lockheart.
“Lockheart…” Oh how it hurts to say her name aloud.
Paranormal’s fingers quickly ran through the files to find the one he was looking for.
Skimming, skipping, AHA!
‘Got it.’
He opened the file and skipped through the other Mélodis members until he got to an unfamiliar file. Another dead end. There was close to nothing about her, hell, there wasn’t even a picture!
The blonde detective gripped the paper in frustration, his fingers crimping up the edge of the page.
He was running in circles, why couldn’t he make up his mind? Ms. Lockheart completed a part of him he wasn’t able to fill himself with, other than the metaphor of his heart, her intelligence was just as attractive as the woman herself.
“Ms. Lockheart if you hear me…please. Leave me alone.” Paranormal began to weep on the ground, throwing the file to the side.
Curling into himself, placing his arms over the back of his neck and allowing the tears to fall. What a pathetic sight of a grown man weeping alone in the middle of the night. Paranormal silently whaled to himself, he didn’t like thinking of Ms. Lockheart every hour of the day and nor did he want to forget her.
“WHY CAN’T I MAKE UP MY MIND!” He yelled into his legs.
-
Outside the window, a blonde woman dressed in black sat nearby to listen in on the detective. She expected something boring like desk work, but instead there she sat watching the man become a wreck of himself.
“Oh detective- I’m sorry…” The woman sat on top of the roof and slowly maneuvered herself closer to the window. Golden claws latched onto the window’s edges, feet propped onto its toes on the window sill, and bright purple eyes wandering through the glass.
She couldn’t turn away, it hurt so much watching the blonde man cry for the woman he longed for.
A woman she no longer was.
One hand gently placed itself onto the glass, tracing the silhouette of Paranormal on top of it. “I’ll be there with you soon…I promise, please wait for me a little longer.” Her eyes slowly flooded with tears, and as they overfilled her eyes they caressed down her cheek.
As much as Lock Core wanted to face Paranormal, she knew it wasn’t for the best.
“Goodbye detective.”
The woman fell backwards onto the cold stone streets and began to walk away.
Tap tap tap, a few steps ahead.
Tap Tap tap, a few steps faster.
Tap Tap Tap, a few buildings passed.
TAP TAP TAP, lights blurred as Lock Core ran faster away from Inference’s office. It hurt so much, why did she come back to see him.
-
Paranormal Detective rolled onto his back, tears dried, and eyes baggy as he was too exhausted from the weeping session.
“Lockheart…” He covered his mouth with his right hand and turned towards the window.
He swore he felt something was there, something familiar…
“You plague my mind Ms. Lockheart, so please live up to the name and disappear from my head like the Phantom Girl that you are.”