Chasing Sugarplums [ Almond Cookie x Reader ] Human AU

3 || All In the Day's Work

The particular interrogation room you enter had gray walls and brown tiles. The room was split in two with a wide glass window on a wall and a door. The other room only had a table with two chairs opposing each other. The side you enter, however has nothing. Not even a single chair or decoration.

Hardtack, the hostage-taker from earlier is on one of the chairs, far from the door. On his wrists are the familiar sheen of Almond's handcuffs, connected to a crackle on to the metal table. He had a grim expression on his face. He looks at you, with a certain stare, something that made you feel uneasy yet pity for him. Almond enters after you. He tells you to listen to the interrogation.

You nod, and manifest your pen and notepad the same time he does as well. He opens the door to the other side and enter. You can hear his footsteps from that side of the room. The way the tired detective drags the chair and sits on it. He places his notebook on the table, pen in hand.

"Nice to have you here, pal." He faces Hardtack, "You know full well why you are here. We do this the hard way or the easy way, up to you."

Hardtack looks at Almond with a vindictive stare. There it was again, you thought, the same stare he gave Almond during the negotiation phase. Hardtack must have a past experience that made him hate authority, you concluded. Either that or it's something personal. Hardtack then looks at the glass window, to you directly, then back at him.

"So what?" The man says, "You had them talk to me into bringing me here?"

"Do you hate me that bad?" Almond leans in, crystal blue eyes not breaking from Hardtack's brown ones. "Is this what it is? You hate me so bad that you just had to get my attention?"

Hardtack is quiet, but unwavering under Almond's gaze. The officer from earlier enters quietly. Looks at you and sighs. He stands near you also facing the glass window. You look at him, a quick glance, then back at the interrogation scene.

"I'm asking you a question." Almond's voice somewhat rises, making you tense. "What went on in your mind to do it?"

"Desperation," Hardtack says, "It ain't easy for non-magic folk to live in an all-magic city..."

"You're angry huh? Why not move?"

"You think I'm rich?!" Hardtack scowls. It makes you flinch, but Almond stayed stoic, unbothered.

You write down in your notepad, part of the lesser minority, despises authority. The officer beside you glances at your notes and scoff silently.

"Listen up, because its the only thing you can do, pal." Almond says, "We can really do whatever we can to give you a helping hand," Almond leans in even more, "But with that attitude," He shakes his head once, "We can't do jack shit for you."

Hardtack bites his lip. You write down, tolerance. Your eyes flicker up, and write down again, Discrimination.

There was this silence, "So you're gonna tell me why." The detective says.

Hardtack looks again at you, through the panel, to the officer and then back at the Head Detective. His hands shuffle, nervously.

"I don't want to be looked down upon, just for not having the ability to posses magic. It's great and all," Hardtack scoffs, "But the fact that our pay is based off on that and the incentives too..." hardtack pauses. Then he managed a sigh.

"Why didn't you apply for help in the Relations Center?" Almond asks.

"You'd think they'd help a guy like me who has nothing to show for?"

"You work hard in your job, that's show enough." Almond replies, arms crossing, "Where did you get the poisoned bombs?"

"There is this guy that sells them for public use."