Reverie [The Distortionist x reader]

Chapter 20

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

Now you're the monster

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"[Y/N]?" Stia pulls you out of your own head.

The small smile that was gracing your lips melts away, your fantastical memories scurrying away when faced with the thought of shame for remembering them. "What?" Your silverware clinks against the plate as you spear a steamed vegetable, trying to convince Stia that you were, in fact, paying attention to the supper so gracefully served by her.

"What are you thinking about?" she asks in that soft voice of hers.

"Well..." you sigh, not knowing how to skirt around the matter. But this is Stia you're talking to, she's a good person to talk to. "Chris."

"Oh?" Her fork stops nudging the food around her plate. "...Well, tell me, why does he make you smile?"

"He's just... fun, you know? And he's actually thoughtful... sometimes."

"[Y/N]... You do know that-"

"I- I don't really know why, okay?" you interrupt, then pause in embarrassment for doing so, but you continue soon enough. "It's kind of like... I like his presence in small doses. When that happens, it can be a really fun day. But I know that larger doses will lead to manipulation, so don't worry about that, I know it already. My reflection makes it very clear."

"..." She exhales. "You forget he killed your old friend, Nancy."

"That was an accident on his part. A big accident, sure, but still an accident. I keep his act in my mind at all times, actually, it's just... Ah, I don't know. A friendship with him isn't viable in any way, shape, or form, I know that! But it still happens anyway, y'know?"

She glances away, seemingly disappointed, but you can't be totally sure she's feeling that emotion.

Quietness occupies the space, only broken after a few seconds by you. "I remember that I had dinner with him once, in his mind realm," you start, trying to justify your feelings. "It didn't end well, but I think it's a good representation of time spent with him. It's fun, but it's not good to put too much trust in it."

Her eyes are half-closed, but after a moment of thought, she looks back at you. "I assume you only smile thinking about him because you had a good time at the carnival, correct? Otherwise, you'd still be bitter about the ending of the dinner."

"Yes, actually," you say. "At the Casta Carnival, he made me let myself go. It was the most fun I've had in a while. That's something I can really praise him for."

"I can't say this enough: try to be careful, alright?"

"Of course!"

"Hm..." Her hand goes to cover her mouth. "I want to try something."

"What is it you want to try?"

She pushes the chair away from the table and rises above the spread of a simple supper. She shows a smirk that was more sad than mischievous. "I won't be a perfect replacement for the Pierre boy, but I could try to at least be spontaneous like him. I hope this makes you see you have more options than him... He's not the only friend that can make you feel something, alright?"

"Wait, what do you-"

She stalks over to a side table next to her sofa, where a radio sat, undisturbed up to when her fingers turn it on. Radio static crackles through the still air until she rotates the dial, cycling through stations silent because of the darkness outside the closed windows, stopping only when she's satisfied with a slow song melodically coming out of the speakers.