"I see you've eaten. That's good."

Thinking he was dreaming, almost mistaking the voice for Heks', Rædnael nearly forgot he was in a holding cell in the police station, running so far back in his dreams to his days in Heks' foster care.

But the bare walls of the holding cell mercilessly glared back at him, as he sighed and got up, rolling his aching shoulders and back before looking to the cell's bars.

Somehow, Sofia didn't look more intimidating in her uniform than she was in the outfit he first saw her in.

"Y-yes, ma'am...thank you," he nodded rubbing his eyes, blinking awkwardly as he noticed she was opening the cell. "Umm...what is—?"

"Come with me. I want us to talk in private," she gestured to him to come out, smiling as he seemed suspicious of her intentions. "Just asking some questions that I don't want anyone else to interfere. No handcuffs, too. Just follow me closely."

Feeling like it will be rude to ask further, Rædnael clumsily got out of bed, legs still stiff from sleep, and followed closely behind Sofia as he was told, trying his best to ignore the looks around him, which seemed to have reached him with greater intensity with how much shorter she was from him.

Leading the halfling into an interrogation room and closing the door behind them, she gestured him to sit down and started by handing him a bag with whatever little belongings he had in his pockets, which Rædnael quickly hugged close to his chest.

"I want to ask you a few questions," she reiterated, sitting in front of him, "and I want you to be honest with me. But..." Sofia paused, looking at the worried halfling, "...you don't have to provide names. Yes and no will suffice. Okay?"

"Yes, ma'am," he nodded, glancing between her and the table.

"Your disguise...if you couldn't make it yourself, do you have an artifact that grants you a disguise?"

Rædnael pursed his lips, hugging his bag closer and nodding. "It's not here, though. I mean...you went through it..." his voice died down quickly, embarrassed.

Sofia nodded, and the halfling realized that she wasn't writing anything down. "Can you use it whenever you want?" she asked, humming as Rædnael shook his head. "Hmm...limited uses, then?"

Rædnael took a deep breath, nodding again.

"You ID as Rodrick...did you get it from the same source as the artifact?"

He shook his head, letting out a sigh of relief that she didn't go farther down that line of questions. "Why was your work permit just for one day?"

"I was...supposed to do a trial shift. In cleaning. I-I can show you the texts," he started fumbling to open the bag and get his phone, but Sofia stopped him. "Sorry...um...it was supposed to see if I'm good to work, and I was supposed to get issued a permanent permit to go to the mixed district...not in a disguise."

"Of course, with limited uses," she smiled softly at him. "Why didn't you get a permit before to look for a job?"

"I couldn't afford applying for one," Rædnael confessed. "And...it's why I was at the Withering Lilly...I wanted to leave before they gave me anything but—" he pursed his lips when she stopped him again.

"This isn't the last time you delved into this...is it, Rædnael?"

It was then that it dawned on him. They had to have gone through his phones. They knew about the screenshots and his weird questions to Lionel. He turned pale fast as dread took over him again, squeezing his eyes as tears spilled out the corners.

"You were threatened, weren't you?" She asked quietly, sighing as he nodded. "Well...Lionel didn't spill anything, he knows better. And...I don't think it'll be fair to tie you into the Moray refinery."

Rædnael's eyes shot up, shocked. "You...but...even at the Withering Lilly—?"

"Forensics show that you never even touched the vials. With no prior criminal history, we can't actually convict you," she assured him, "and it looks like the threats were directed both at you and at Lionel. While we'd appreciate an anonymous tip, I understand it's something you were in no position to think about."

"You...you do?" Rædnael was taken aback at the compassion and understanding. At how genuine it felt.

"I do. Even if you weren't using the most legal means, it looks like your goal was gainful employment. Something that'll keep you from getting in with a bad crowd. Is that right?" 

Rædnael nodded again, vigorously, as if worried that Sofia might get doubts building up if he wasn't quick about it. "I really meant to work my first shift after I..." he paused, losing what little energy he had gathered, slumping in his chair. "After I...told Lionel I'm moving away...so we can't meet. I couldn't tell him I was the same halfling he chased across the district with a vengeance, but...guess he was destined to find out..."

"You...really never meant to hurt him, did you?" Sofia asked calmly, leaning over the table.

"Of course not," Rædnael sighed deeply, looking down in shame. "I knew he was attracted to a pretend version of me, but...I thought that if he knew the pretend part is only in looks..." his jaw set, and he wiped at his eyes again, "I'm sorry, that's...a bit too much, isn't it?"

Sofia chuckled, leaning her chin in the palm of her hand. "I think it's just right. Looking at you now...both Rædnael and Rodrick look to me like they're both very sincere in who they are. And I can hardly tell them apart."

Rædnael looked up, tears welling in his eyes all over again as he tried to find his voice.

"Awh, you poor dear. You really didn't have a lot of people being nice to you," she figured, handing him a small pack of tissue paper, which he took from her in a shaking hand. "No wonder you fell for Lionel giving you some pastries. But now maybe you should work on getting some for yourself. I'll try to contact your employer about what happened so he can give you another trial shift. No promises, though."

"So...You're letting me go?"

"With a warning. Off the record."

After getting out of the interrogation room, Sofia has helped Rædnael to fix himself and make sure he got all his stuff back, when a familiar, annoyed voice approached them.

"What's he doing out of his cage?" Lionel's voice came through in a huff, as he stomped over to the two of them, but as Rædnael shrunk back from his aggressive approach Sofia stepped forward, placing herself between them.

"Rædnael is being sent back home, due to a discrepancy in the report," she explained, not sounding too happy about his choice of words. "The call mentioned an unauthorized exile, while in truth it was about a halfling, with a one-day temporary permit, set for this date and signed by a reputable employer."

Lionel's mouth opened and closed with a few incoherent noises that sounded like the beginning of words, all of them shut down by a harsh stare from Sofia, that the halfling could sense even standing behind her. "So we're just...you're just—"

"Yes, I signed his release and resolved this report," she confirmed, standing firm despite some murmurs rising from around the stations, all quieting down with warning glares from the officer. "He's been absolved of the Withering Lilly case, too," she added, her voice sounding almost as though she knew it'll get him angry.

And sure enough, Lionel's face grew a few shades of red and pink, and Rædnael could've sworn he heard one of his teeth pop. "So he's just gonna be running free?"

"I think he's been running enough, thanks to you. And once he gets a work permit at the mixed district, yes, he'd be walking around there freely...on his break time, at least," she smiled at Lionel, raising her hand up before he could argue again, "in fact, to make sure he'd be safely at home as soon as possible so he can get a proper rest - you're going to drive there."

This time Rædnael has joined the incoherent mumble, immediately feeling unsure about the decision, while Lionel realized he couldn't argue with his superior, and instead grumbled all the way outside. "Ma'am, are you sure—?"

"Sofia," she turned back to him, "you know my name already," she added, reaching up to pat down his hair, nearly causing the halfling's knees to buckle at the gentle touch brushing across his horns. "And don't worry, all police cars have a camera inside and out, with recorded sound, and he knows it too. I don't expect one short ride would bring you together but...maybe it'll get him to see it another way."

Rædnael had to hold himself back from crying again at her tender approach and the softest touch as she patted his cheeks.

"Thank you, Sofia...so, so much."

The ride back was tense, as both had expected it to be.

Rædnael wanted desperately to say something, anything, but the air felt practically volatile. Even with Sofia saying he couldn't do anything to harm him, he really didn't want to feel like he was antagonizing Lionel.

He had hurt him enough.

And yet, as they went into the demon district, he felt like he had to try anyway, knowing that once again he might not have another chance. And perhaps if they really never meet again...maybe whatever happens won't matter.

"I didn't mean to hurt you, Lionel..." he said quietly, tensing up as he saw the officer's hands tightening on the wheel, enough for a squeaking sound to escape from beneath his palms. "Really, I didn't. You're a good person, and...I'm sorry I wasn't what you were looking for," he looked down, fidgeting with the edge of his shirt, as his tail nervously tapped the empty backseat next to him. "But you're a kind, and caring person...even if you can be scary sometimes—"

"Shut up—"

"And I'm sure you'll find someone that's right for you, too—"

The police car came to a screeching halt in the middle of the street, and Rædnael could hear the door next to him unlock.

"Get out...That's your stop..."

While it clearly wasn't, Rædnael didn't care to argue. It was close enough and he could walk it.

But his heart still ached for the heartbroken, betrayed officer.

The officer who clearly thought "Rodrick" was the one.

"Take care, Lionel..." he parted while undoing his buckle, too busy with hurrying out that he didn't notice his tail lingering behind, looping around Lionel's arm once before they both jerked at the light touch, Lionel shaking his hand and Rædnael yanking his own tail away, embarrassed.

"Tch...just hope I don't see you again," Lionel growled and rubbed his arm like it was covered in slime, locking the doors to the patrol car as soon as they were all closed, making a sharp turn around and speeding back to the station.

Rædnael watched him drive away, feeling his tail wag in his own grip.

Oh...that's not going to be easy at all, isn't it?