Palindrome

Hidden Among the Shadows - A Supernatural Inspired RP

“I was thinking more of a… consultant of sorts. Maybe a PI ir biunty hunter eventually when I get good at avoiding the cops.” The Penny from three years ago would've had a conniption hearing that sentence. Penny smiled at that thought. She has definitely come a long way.

“Sure. Let’s go see the trailer together.”

After Penny had gotten ready for the day, she and Christian popped over to visit with the owner of the trailer that Penny liked. It was a fairly new trailer and didn’t really need any renovations unless Penny wanted a different look. Penny wasn’t too concerned with color or look though. She just wanted something that was sturdy, safe, and going to last her a long while.

The inside was fairly spacious and very clean. Penny nodded, satisfied. The cupboards in the kitchen were big and the eating nook had plenty of natural light and soft blue cushions. A few curtains, a new mattress, and her small amount of belongings would make the place feel like a home.

“Well I’m pretty satisfied with this one. It’s has storage space, it’s almost new, and the would-be couch is comfy enough. I could put some new cushions on there to make them more comfortable. Especially for you if you’ll be hanging out all night. The bathroom isn’t even too bad.” Penny looked to Christian to see what he thought. This was his first time shopping for something so mundane and human. Penny looked forward to his opinions.

Hidden Among the Shadows - A Supernatural Inspired RP

"My head hurts a little bit, but it's not too bad, actually. I'm a little surprised," She laughed quietly. She took the newspapers Christian had set down on the table and flipped through them. There were a couple of inexpensive RV's listed, but they looked like they needed a lot of work and Penny didn't want to have to worry about that. She had enough money to buy a new one and a truck that should be sufficient to carry it. She'd be really low on funds after, but that's what a good job would be for. Maybe she could get something that let her work from home. Penny felt a light flick on in her brain and she looked at Christian with wide eyes.

"What if I did like, bounty hunting? Like, P.I work? I don't exactly have the qualifications, but if I'm gonna learn how to fight to be a hunter, then why not find people that are missing? It doesn't matter if they're missing because of what goes bump in the night or just really awful humans, but it could be super rewarding. I'm sure that some people put out rewards for missing people? I'd be able to travel too with a camper." Penny looked at Christian for validation or denial. "I'd get a job to save up money before I do end up working that," She added.

She flipped through a few more pages in the newspaper, but put it aside when she didn't see anything of interest. "Maybe I could work at like McDonalds or something. Not my ideal job, but I heard they start people with no experience for a decent pay." She muttered to herself, going to grab her laptop and returning to the table with it. She opened it up and pulled up an RV website to browse. On the third page, she found one that looked really nice and was within her price range.

"What do you think of this camper?" She turned the laptop around so Christian could see it. Penny realized how domestic this whole scenario was and it gave her a warm feeling inside.

Hidden Among the Shadows - A Supernatural Inspired RP

Penny's face flushed when she saw Christian sitting at the table with breakfast and looking through newspapers. She had thoroughly beat herself up this morning after waking up once she remembered she kissed him on the cheek the night before. Friends kissed each other on the cheek all the time, right? She was never drinking again.

"Good morning! You have quite the spread here." Penny observed, eyeing the coffees and sugary drinks until her eyes landed on the teas. Her eyes brightened and she sat down, opting for a green tea packet. "You're always doing nice stuff like this for me when you don't have to. Thank you." She took a long sip of her tea and sighed happily into it. She noticed Christian scanning through various newspapers and she tilted her head. Not many people looked at newspapers these days. It wasn't super uncommon, but it wasn't frequent either.

"Find anything interesting?" Penny took a bite out of the toast that sat on the table in front of her. The remote was next to Christian and so she grabbed it and turned the TV on to the news station. Penny was unsurprised to see newscasters in front of the vampire house. The police found tons of blood at the crime scene and were determined to find the culprit who supposedly murdered a bunch of college students... though no bodies were found. Penny hoped that they wouldn't try to track her down and question her since she used to be their neighbor. "They shouldn't be able to track that back to me... right?"

Hidden Among the Shadows - A Supernatural Inspired RP

“You’re right. I’ve been thinking about that for a while, actually. I’ve got enough money in savings to last a while, but I’m going to need some sort of income.” Penny had quit her library job and hadn’t really started looking at jobs, but now that she had time on her hands and was in a better space, it was time for her to look for a new job and either an apartment or hose.

“What if I bought one of those really nice trailers? I can sell my car, buy a truck, and haul the trailer. That way, if I ever leave, I’ll always have somewhere to stay?” She looked at Christian, wanting his opinion on the matter. Penny started feeling just slightly lightheaded as the alcohol finally hit her. “I’m going to bed and then I’ll look for jobs in the morning.”

Penny stepped into Christian’s space and stood up on her toes. She pressed her lips to his cheek in a quick kiss before smiling and walking to her room. “Thanks for listening to my rants and for being so supportive. Goodnight.”

Hidden Among the Shadows - A Supernatural Inspired RP

Penny looked up at Christian and closed her eyes to give a smile. "Thank you, Christian. Perhaps once I've learned all that I need to know, or am at least comfortable with fighting, then we can leave Oklahoma." Penny felt her phone buzz in her pocket and she pulled it out. Charles was calling- which caused Penny to furrow her eyebrows. She glanced up at Christian before answering and putting it on speaker.

"Charles? Is everything okay?"

"Hey Penny. Just wanted to let you know that Annie and Dylan patched me up real good! I didn't want you to worry." His voice sounded slightly pained, but remained jolly.

"I'm glad you're okay. Listen- I know I told you I would give you my answer in the morning, but I've been doing some thinking tonight," Penny cleared her throat. She was going to wait, but she already made her decision. There was no need to drag it out. "I appreciate your offer. You're really sweet and I'm grateful to all three of you for all you've done these last two days. I can't go with you, though."

There was a long pause on the other end and then a heavy sigh. "I'm not going to lie, Penny. I really like you. You're sweet, kind, beautiful, strong... I'm a little sad, but hey, it is what it is! Thank you for giving me a chance. Just answer me this: Is it because of Christian?"

Penny paused. Would it be terrible of her if she said yes? "Maybe. We're still mourning my friend. It feels wrong to leave him, but also... There are a few things I have to figure out."

"Well, hey, whatever it is you have to do, I hope it goes smoothly. If you ever need help again or decide you want to travel with us, there's always a spot open for you. You know how to get ahold of us. You're going to be one hell of a hunter, Penny."

"Thanks Charles. Travel safe. Bye." Penny hung up the call and placed her phone on the counter with a grin. "Well, there's that." She took another tequila shot from her wine glass before pouring another one and offering it to Christian. "No dates, no boyfriends. Just training."

Hidden Among the Shadows - A Supernatural Inspired RP

Penny put her empty wine glass down on the coffee table and she looked down at her hands. Her cuticles were red and raw from her biting them in the theater while waiting for Charles. "He said that I could go with him tomorrow and that he and the others would teach me everything I needed to know."

What Penny really wanted to say was on the tip of her tongue, but she found she didn't have the courage to utter it aloud. She sat up and eyeballed the tequila sitting on the counter and she nodded. Liquid courage, that's what she needed. She stood up, grabbed her wine glass, and marched over to the kitchen. She poured a small amount of tequila in her wine glass before downing it in one gulp. It burned going down and she coughed slightly, placing her glass on the counter. Her face felt a little warm and her brain a little fuzzy, but it wasn't unbearable. "I told him I would tell him my answer in the morning," she trailed off. "I'm gonna turn him down," she said succinctly.

Penny whirled around to face Christian. "I know you can probably appear wherever I am in the world, but I don't want to leave without you. It feels like I'll be leaving you behind and I don't want that." She was rambling at this point, but she found she didn't care. She was tired of dancing around her confusing feelings for Christian. Yes, he was her friend and she wanted him to know that she valued his companionship- whatever that might entail. "I want you to stay by my side and give me hunting tips and help train me, because-" she put a hand to her head and leaned back against the counter. "Because while Charles helped me, you're my friend and I care about you more than I care about him, Annie, or Dylan."

Hidden Among the Shadows - A Supernatural Inspired RP

"He'll be fine, I think. At least, he claimed he would be. He had some bruises and scratches, but I couldn't see anything else that was wrong. He was holding his side, so maybe he broke a rib?" Penny took another bite of her ice cream and spoke around it. "I feel so bad. If I hadn't said anything, he wouldn't be injured." Penny swallowed and brought her feet up onto the couch, tucking them underneath her. Her knee brushed against Christian's thigh in the process. Penny swirled her spoon around her bowl, mixing the ice cream into a milkshake consistency, slightly upset at herself. "I was going to help, but I guess I just realized I'd be in the way. I don't know Latin, or martial arts."

Penny put her bowl of ice cream down on the coffee table and switched it for her wine glass. "And then, in the car, he asked me to leave with him tomorrow." Penny drained her wine glass after her statement, the air heavy. The aromatic liquid slid down her throat, warming her chest. Penny wasn't much of a drinker, therefore had a hard time holding her liquor. Now, this didn't mean she was irresponsible. It just meant she stopped drinking a lot earlier than most others did. Even after a glass of wine, she felt warm and her brain a little buzzed. She put her glass down with a sigh before grabbing her ice cream again.

Hidden Among the Shadows - A Supernatural Inspired RP

Penny got up from her spot on the couch and opened the door. Christian stood there with a bag of alcohol and ice cream. She smiled and opened the door to let him in. She grabbed the bags from him and placed the items out on the counter. She grabbed two wine glasses and two bowls. "I know you don't eat or drink, but you can use these if you want," Penny grabbed her corkscrew and uncorked the wine, pouring half a glass. "Rocky road? How did you know this was 'break up' ice cream?" She joked. She sipped her wine and made her way to the couch.

Penny was silent for a moment before she decided to drop the bomb right off the bat. "We ran into a demon at the movie." She took a bite of her ice cream and shook her head. "I should've just ignored it, but I told Charles I saw something weird and he went to look. He got beat up pretty badly." Penny looked at Christian for his reaction. What did reapers think of demons? Clearly, they were bad, that much Penny surmised. She's heard all kinds of stories of deaths and possessions with demons, but she never thought they were actually real. Though penny realized she must have some sort of flaw in her logic. She believed in God, so if he was real, why wouldn't demons be?

Hidden Among the Shadows - A Supernatural Inspired RP

Penny smiled at the note Christian left, his handwriting neat and precise. It was for sure a lot nicer than her own. Penny pondered on her night and wondered if it was one that needed the ice cream or alcohol he offered. Penny shrugged and decided, why not both?

"Christian, I think we need ice cream and alcohol for this one." Penny called out, hoping she wasn't interrupting something important. Penny was once again reminded how thoughtful Christian was and how he was truly living up to being one of the best friends she's ever had. Ice cream, alcohol, and gossip after a date? Penny grew excited over the prospect of having someone to spill all the details and her secrets to. Penny went to her room to change out of her nice clothes and swap them for something more comfortable. She put on a tank top and some sweatpants before opting to take off her makeup and then sitting on the couch to turn on some TV while she waited. It was around eleven in the evening, but Penny was too awake to find time to feel sleepy.

The vampires she fought yesterday weren't strong enough to do tons of damage to her friends, but the demon Charles faced was able to do some pretty good damage. Penny thought about Charles' offer, but she already knew she was going to turn him down in the morning. She wanted to get stronger, yes, but she wanted Christian to be the one to train her and help along the way. Charles made it sound like hunters usually worked in pairs. Perhaps, Penny could ask Christian to be her partner. Perhaps he wouldn't be able to interfere too much, but he could be emergency backup if she so needed.

Hidden Among the Shadows - A Supernatural Inspired RP

Penny rushed out into the lobby after getting Charles' text and her eyes widened when she saw him injured. "Charles! Are you okay?" Penny approached him and hovered, not knowing where he was exactly hurt or where to put her hands. "I- I can call Christian! He's a doctor!" Penny stammered, knowing full well that he wasn't. She cursed at herself for trying to bring Christian into the situation again.

"No need for that, Penny. I'm okay. Got thrown around a bit, but nothing a few days of recovery won't fix. I've faced worse." Charles put his hands on Penny's biceps, gripping them gently and assuredly. "Are you okay?"

Penny dropped her shoulders and nodded. She looked up through her lashes and gave a fatigued smile. "Besides making me worry, I'm okay. Sorry I ruined our date."

"You didn't ruin it, that demon did," Charles chuckled and wrapped Penny in his arms. He felt her tense up slightly and he released her and stepped back. "I'd offer to buy you dinner, but I should really get my wounds checked out."

Penny shook her head. "No need for dinner. I had plenty of popcorn and candy. You go and get some rest. I know you, Annie, and Dylan are leaving town tomorrow."

Penny wanted to escort Charles to his car due to his injuries, but he refused, saying a gentleman always escorted a lady no matter what. When they got back to Penny's hotel, Charles stopped her from getting out of his car. He fidgeted for a second before speaking, "Listen- I'm leaving tomorrow, but if you don't have anything keeping you here, we'd love to have you. We can teach you the ropes, train you in fighting techniques..."

"Charles, I... I don't know. I need some time to think about it. I'll call you in the morning?" Penny felt bad holding out on him, but she truly didn't know what to say. She wanted to learn, but something felt off. Not about her new friends, but about leaving. It almost felt as if she would be leaving something behind and she didn't know what. "Thank you for tonight. You've been really sweet."

Penny got out of the car and waved goodbye before heading up and into her hotel room.