a/n: Liville's lullaby is set to the tune of "You Are My Sunshine" (mostly bc that's the only lullaby tune I could think of that most people would know lmao)
It was the night before the reaping, and Sejanus was a mess.
Liville hadn't been aware until recently that Sejanus truly did skip every single reaping day. She didn't know that was even allowed. All her life the reaping had been a mandatory school and state event.
But Sejanus's parents always allowed him to skip. And now they were tearing that privilege away.
"I will not go," he kept saying to his parents, over and over. "You can't make me go. I won't."
"You should've been going all your life," his father said to him. "It was foolish for us to allow you not to. Now look at you, destroyed by a simple holiday."
"Ma, don't make me go," he begged. "I'll do the mentorship, but don't make me sit there and be silent as they tear people away from their families."
"This is for your best interest," Mrs. Plinth kept saying. "It'll help make you less sensitive to it. It'll be better for you later on. Easier."
"You've both become as evil as this horrid country," he seethed to them.
Liville remained in her room, as she tried to do whenever they fought about the reaping. Which had been about five times a day since they brought up the idea of the mentorship.
"You will be going to the reaping tomorrow morning, and that is final," Mr. Plinth said, strictly and clearly.
Liville heard loud footsteps coming up the stairs. She flinched as her door burst open. Sejanus came into her room, shutting the door behind him.
"Sejanus," she gasped. "If your mother sees you in here-"
She stopped herself, unable to finish as she saw his devastated expression.
Liville had been sitting at her desk. She was about to stand for him, but didn't have time. Because Sejanus marched over to her, dropped to his knees in front of her, rested his head on her lap, and started sobbing.
Liville went completely still.
"He better not have just gone into her room," she heard Mrs. Plinth snap from downstairs. "Strabo, tell him he's not allowed in there."
Sejanus clung to her legs, crying into her like he was the only one that could save him.
She snapped out of her surprise. She touched him gently, consoling him with softness and whispers. "Sejanus...Oh, Sejanus..."
"They can't do this to me," he sobbed. "I won't do it. I won't do it."
The bedroom door opened. Mr. Plinth entered, looking angry. He opened his mouth to shout at his son to get out of Liville's room immediately.
But then he saw the state of Sejanus.
Mr. Plinth's eyes softened, and he gave a low sigh. He sent one concerned look to Liville, before closing the door, leaving the two alone.
It seemed Mr. Plinth knew Liville was the only one that could take care of him right now.
"Come over here, Sejanus," she said softly. "Right here, with me. Right here."
Placing her hands on his shoulders, she stood him up. Her pajamas were wet with his tears. She walked to the bed, taking a seat beside her pillows. She then had Sejanus lay on her bed, resting his head on her lap again. He buried his face into her, like he was hiding and knew she would protect him from the world.
