Fourth floor common room, Saturday afternoon

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

Sometimes the best way to spend a day was sacked out on a couch with all kinds of junk food watching really bad horror movies. Dean had decided that today was such a day. So here he was ensconced on the couch in the common room surrounded by lots of snacks that were really bad for him, watching a movie on Sci Fi that was so bad he was halfway certain that forcing someone to watch it would be labelled a crime against humanity.

Just what he'd wanted.

[ooc: open like an open CR]

Comments

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

Privately, Dean thought he'd like to have a word or ten with Penelope's mother, but he didn't let any of that show on his face.

"Thanks for the compliment," he said softly. He nodded toward the ring she was staring at. "That some kind of family heirloom?"

[bad-nose-job.livejournal.com]

"No," she said softly, curling her fingers into her palm. "I was engaged over Christmas."

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"Yeah?" Dean cocked his head as he regarded her. "You don't look like someone who just got engaged," he observed.

[bad-nose-job.livejournal.com]

"I don't particularly feel engaged," she commented in a small voice. "It's not exactly been left up to me." Penelope peeked over at him, seeing if she could judge what he was thinking by the expression on his face.

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"So this was a family obligation kinda thing?" Dean asked sympathetically.

[bad-nose-job.livejournal.com]

"Not... exactly. It's more a means to end the curse," she replied. "I will become a normal girl. If I can get Edward to love me... the curse will be broken and my nose, it won't be like this anymore. I can be myself." She paused, but explained further by adding, "I'm an heiress so the match is beneficial for him as well."

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

Dean absorbed that and then asked, "So is it Edward specifically that's needed to break the curse?"

[bad-nose-job.livejournal.com]

"No, not specifically. But the man in question does have to be a blue-blood," she replied.

Penelope looked mildly sheepish. "I'm taking too much of your time away from your really really bad movie, Dean. I'm sorry."

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"I can watch bad movies any time," Dean said, waving his hand at the tv. "Talking to friends is much higher on the list than bad movies."

[bad-nose-job.livejournal.com]

"Thank you," she said, ducking her head somewhat. For as much as she hated people staring at her, having friends and keeping them were more important.

"There is one good thing to say about my future, I suppose. It's already been written so I can look forward to no surprises." And she realized by saying that out loud, just how awful it might sound. She wouldn't complain and would rather talk about him, anyway.

"What will you do when you leave here?"

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"Going to meet up with my best friend and we're going to go hunting ghosts and demons and shit," Dean said.

[bad-nose-job.livejournal.com]

"Oh."

...

"Oh. That's, um, nice."

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

Dean chuckled. "Yeah, I know it's not exactly a normal profession..."

[bad-nose-job.livejournal.com]

"But it's a real one?" she asked, curious.

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"More like a calling," Dean said, tilting his head to the side.

[bad-nose-job.livejournal.com]

Penelope bit her lip, considered him thoughtfully for a moment.

"Do you hunt... witches?"

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"Sometimes," Dean said. "Depends on the witch."

[bad-nose-job.livejournal.com]

She nodded and ate a chip.

Then, "Witches are bad creatures; they should be hunted and destroyed."

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

Dean glanced over at her. "I take it it was a witch that made the curse?" he guessed.

[bad-nose-job.livejournal.com]

"Mhm," she murmured, reaching up to cover her nose. "A very long time ago."

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

Dean reached over and pulled her hand away. "You don't need to do that. Really, it isn't that bad." He thought for a bit. "Y'know if we could find out more about the witch, we might be able to figure out how the curse works and how to break it without you having to marry someone you don't like." He paused. "Or at least neutralize it enough that something like a nosejob would work."

[bad-nose-job.livejournal.com]

Her hand went back to her lap when he pulled it away from her nose. "Having my nose fixed is not surgically possible, Dean. My parents checked into that when I was a baby. But the other? I might could help you with that, at least concerning what I do know about the curse. I would love nothing more than to be free," she said, admitting the last very quietly.

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"Well then," Dean said with a smile, squeezing her shoulder reassuringly, "that's what we'll do then. Because you deserve to actually get engaged to someone who makes you smile."

[bad-nose-job.livejournal.com]

"Between me and you, I hope that isn't for quite some time," she told him, smiling. "But perhaps we can get together and discuss this in not such an open place?"

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"Sure. Just name the time and place."