Reverie [The Distortionist x reader]

Chapter 4

(Art by madness-within-the-mirror on Tumblr)

You're making a wreck of broken glass

And leaving me a fuckin' mess

-----*-----

The car you'd rented growls as it drives off. You wave as it goes down the street and around a corner, its black sheen shadowed by the tree groves. You spin around halfway to face the building you want to go to.

Foreboding is seeping out of the jail's fogged windows. Its rusty red walls make it look meaner than it would otherwise. The general atmosphere of the peaceful street is ruined by the frankly haunted-looking building.

You inhale in preparation to face whatever is inside. You'd never been inside the jail; you didn't have any reason to. It was part of the mysterious unknown up until now.

With broad steps, you walk up to the door and turn the knob. On the other side, you discover a normal lobby. The downtrodden version of a lobby in your mind dissipates like steam in sight of reality.

One thing does surprise you, though. Stia is sitting on the loveseat inside the lobby. Is she here for the same reason you are?

"How may I help you?" the secretary leans over her desk to look at you, who are still in the doorway.

"I'm [Y/N] [L/N], a reporter from The Mara Press," you say, taking your credentials out of your briefcase. "I was wondering if I could get an interview with Christopher Pierre, the newly-convicted murderer?"

"The other lady asked the same thing," the secretary sighs. "Unfortunately, that's not something to arrange with me, ma'am. You have to talk with my boss, Ad-"

The back door bursts open, and in comes a person wearing a jacket the same color as the jail's paint job. You can't tell what gender they are on sight, and you are afraid to misgender them.

"Hello, Rue!" they greet the secretary, who sits up a little straighter. "Who are these?"

"Stia Gehenna, a lawyer, and [Y/N] [L/N], a reporter," she says in a tired tone. "They want to talk to Mr. Pierre."

"Ah, now that won't do." They shake their head. "But I may as well introduce myself. Greetings, my name is Adres Suzerain. It's nice to meet the two of you, but Chris is getting situated in his cell. He won't be available until tomorrow for questioning."

"I don't see any reason to wait that long," Stia comments from the couch, radiating her unique aura of strictness. She frowns as if she were deeply perturbed. "Each of us would take half an hour, at most. We'd stop bothering you. You wouldn't have to see any more of us, and we'd have what we want quicker. It wouldn't mess up any schedule."

"Oh, but why would I want to get rid of the two of you so soon after we've met?" Adres chuckles. "No, no... I insist! Come tomorrow, and you'll be able to interview Chris."

"Mr. Suzerain," Stia seethes, getting more frustrated by the moment. "As his lawyer (kind of), I have the right to talk to him. [Y/N] probably has paperwork as well. You still haven't given us a valid reason to postpone the interview."

"Right? Paperwork?" Adres laughs. "Those were only valid in the courthouse. Since this is the jail and not the courthouse, you need my permission. Something that I do not grant... until tomorrow!"

You've had your fair share of uncooperative people during your career, and the best way to beat them was to let them have it their way, even if you don't understand why they're being difficult. You'd think Stia's career would not be much different than yours in this way, but apparently not. Her cheeks are getting ruddy in annoyance and her lower eyelid is twitching.

"Mrs. Gehenna..." you say quietly. "Perhaps we should go."

"Miss, not Mrs. And I'm not leaving until he lets us in." She has a ring on the designated finger, so that must mean she was a widow. Interesting new information, but you're not trying to learn more about Stia.

Adres's lips formed a thin line at being called a 'he', but they quickly retort. "You'll be waiting until tomorrow," Adres replies coolly, examining their fingernails. "Rue, go get me some coffee, will you?" The secretary hurries out through the back door, not wanting to witness her boss's argument with a lawyer.

Adres glares dangerously at Stia, now that Rue is gone. "Stia-"

"Do not call me by my first name," she corrects them, glaring just as cruelly.

"Ah. Miss Gehenna." They perform a small mock bow. "Fine, then. But this is my jail, with my rules. You either come back tomorrow... or you don't come back at all."

Stia is about to retort, but you stop her. "Miss Gehenna, please... I need this interview. To lose this chance would be really bad," you say.

The woman bites her lip. "Fine!" she barks. "I don't care, anyway." She turns to scowl at Adres. "We'll come back tomorrow."

"That's lovely." They grin smugly. "See you then."

Once outside the jail's lobby, which now emits the same aura as the front of the building, you get in front of Stia, preventing her passage.

"May I ask why you were there?" you question.

"It doesn't concern you." Her voice is frosty. "May I ask why you were there? It's my right to know since I'm 'taking care' of Christopher, which that jerk doesn't seem to understand," she mutters the last part.

"Well..." You exhale in face of your failure of acquisition of knowledge. "I still don't have a motive for the murder. I'd like to ask him directly."

"That's what I thought it was." Her voice softens as she averts her gaze. "I don't have anything clear either. I wanted to speak to him to figure out if my assumption was true."

"What's your assumption?"

"If it's correct, you'll be the first one I'll tell. Come to the jail at ten o' clock tomorrow."

That is the last thing she says to you that day. She turns away, with shadows cast by tall trees dappling her figure. No goodbyes are exchanged as she walks along the sidewalk, in her own world secluded from all others.