IC Inbox: Penance

[moderatelycompetent]

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september event | action

[polydeukes]

[Hope fills them in after the fact, likely when they're trading texts about Hope's recently appearing uncle. She waits until Landon comes back, getting her own sleep and recovery in so that she can be fully present for him and not still drowning in her own drama.

She doesn't realize the waves of euphoria has started sinking in, but she should have taken it as a clue something was up when she started making an aggressive amount of baked goods.

(Look, he's probably sad, cookies are a good pick me up. She's not sorry about it.)

She puts together a batch of sugary deliciousness and makes her way over to Landon's suite to knock on the door. When he answers, she holds up the plate and flashes him a small smile.]

Hey. Hope told me what happened.

[She glances down at the plate.]

I'd like to say these aren't I'm sorry you died cookies, but they're kind of I'm sorry you died cookies.

[moderatelycompetent]

[The strangeness in his return had been cause for alarm at first. He'd talked about it with Hope, and fretted with her over the implications of it all. But today, it doesn't feel like it's as big of a deal. It's wild how much of a difference a day can make.

His smile is bright as he greets Josie, and he reaches for a cookie in thanks.]

It's better that it was me and not someone else, probably. Hope would never forgive herself if she ended up really hurting someone. [And it would be a heavy thing to consider, if the cookie wasn't there to be a distraction.] Are there chocolate chips in these?

[polydeukes]

There's a variety. Chocolate chip, sugar, and a couple shortbread. I had some energy to burn.

[She offers them up with a small shrug.]

Take your pick.

[moderatelycompetent]

[He reaches in for a chocolate cookie before backing away to give her room to enter.]

I know what you mean. I've been feeling great today. You think Krampus is making the rounds in Hell? [And if he is, would they actually care about it?]

[polydeukes]

[She shrugs as she follows him in, peering around the suite as she does. She can't remember if she's actually been to Landon's or not.]

Honestly, at this point I wouldn't be surprised. Everyone else is here, why not Krampus too?

[moderatelycompetent]

[His suite is a little sparse in the common areas, with much of it still the default, aside from Faith's stuff. Faith kind of spreads out.]

It might even be a break if it's him. I don't think anyone had to lift a finger the last time. It's pretty convenient.

[polydeukes]

I guess that depends on whether or not Santa is in Hell too. He's the one who did most of the heavy lifting.

[moderatelycompetent]

I don't want to think about Santa being in hell. That would murder my inner child.

[polydeukes]

Neither do I, to be honest. He was pretty cool.

[You would have liked him, Landon, were you not off finding Raf's dad.]

[moderatelycompetent]

[It was an important trip to take, but it doesn't mean he wasn't invested in the stories about Christmas-in-October when he came back. It sounded awesome.]

Did he really start bodyslamming people?

[polydeukes]

Only Krampus. And it was kind of amazing. You wouldn't really think that a guy of his size would be that limber.

[moderatelycompetent]

Maybe he's like the Kingpin. Six hundred pounds but it's all muscle.

[polydeukes]

[She smirks.]

Or like Popeye. Only instead of spinach, it's Christmas cookies.

[moderatelycompetent]

Santa's real superpower is never having to worry about diabetes.

[But -- right, there was something more serious they were supposed to be talking about, wasn't there? It's so easy to let that slip away, he nearly forgot.]

So... When you said Hope told you what happened, did she tell you all of it? Because while you're here I might need to ask some witch questions.

[polydeukes]

She said that she killed you while she was a vamp? Something related to the nightmares. And it took a really long time for you to come back. She waited the whole time.

[She is here to answer any witch questions though. That's what having a designated witch friend is for.]

What do you want to know?

[moderatelycompetent]

Yeah. That too, but. [He hesitates.]

Look, it's better if I just show you, okay? Wait here.

[Rapidly disappearing cookie in hand, he'll leave her to settle down while he vanishes back into his room for a moment. He returns with a duffel bag, and pulls out what mostly looks like a pack of folded sheets. He hands it to her as he takes a seat nearby and grabs a refresher cookie.]

[polydeukes]

[She eyes him for a moment as she takes the sheets, before starting to unfold them. She's assuming that he's not just handing her sheets and there's probably something inside.]

Is this something that came with you from home?

[moderatelycompetent]

Yeah. Probably more like it came in me.

[She's unwrapping a thin arrow, still such an untarnished gold that it finds a way to glitter in dull overhead lighting.]

[polydeukes]

[She catches the implications of that and she looks up at him, eyes wide.]

This is the thing that ...

[She suddenly doesn't want to be holding this arrow anymore, but he wants her to study it, so she will, peering closer at the golden exterior.]

Where did it come from?

[moderatelycompetent]

I'm not really sure. There was a break-in at the armory back at school. Maybe it came from there? The necromancer got a hold of it eventually. [He leans closer, though tries to keep from going too deeply into her space.]

Is there anything weird about it to you?

[polydeukes]

Maybe? I might have to spend more time with it.

[She lets it drop out of her eyeline before turning to face him.]

Okay, so the whole things about werewolves and silver is a myth, but it's not out of line for a specific element to play into supernatural weaknesses. A lot of the time, they have to do with their origin stories. Like ... with vampires, Hope's grandmother channeled a white oak for longevity, so wood from that specific tree could kill the Originals, and the vervain that grew at the roots could prevent compulsion and could weaken them. As that trickled down to normal vampires, it became wooden stakes from any tree, plus the vervain allergy.

[She glances down at the arrow again. And this long lesson on supernatural vulnerabilities is because Emily has no idea if the arrow is spelled, so she wants to hedge her bets.]

So maybe gold has something to do with the phoenix origin story?

[moderatelycompetent]

So I guess that means I should be researching more about where phoenixes come from. [It never seems like there's enough time for vanity projects with everything else that's happening.]

I never had a problem with gold before this, though. Granted, I've never been stabbed with gold before...

[polydeukes]

Yeah, it's weird. Like, wolfsbane and vervain cause an immediate reaction for werewolves and vamps, but vampires can handle all the wood they want until they get staked or shot with it.

[So ... it's complicated.]

[moderatelycompetent]

That would mean that the problem is with me? You just need any golden arrow, not this specific one?

[polydeukes]

Theoretically?

[She doesn't really know. She needs more time to do some research, and figure out what it really means.]

But I'll see what I can find out. The library is huge here, maybe there's some text in there that has the answer.

[She's not her dad, super researcher. But she picked up a few things and knows her way around a library.]