Sabrina wasn’t exactly on cloud 9. It was more of the rush that came after doing some complicated magic successfully. Except the magic that her and Roz had done wasn’t overly complicated. But it felt like their own brand of justice. Something to screw with the Vorerra kids who’d gotten Nick suspended from school, placing the blame for the stupid magic fight club squarely on him, all because Aidan had told them too. If they wanted to stop having horrendous visions of their worst nightmares anytime someone tapped a pencil or sneezed or did any other mundane little thing from the list Roz and her had come up with, then all they had to do was confess to the Headmistresses. That would trigger the ending of the spell.
Easy peasy.
She headed up the stairs of the mortuary and then toward the kitchen, wondering what she could put together for an afternoon snack before she started on her homework. She probably needed to fill Nick in on what Roz and her had done, but she’d leave that for when her friend was home as well. It was something they’d want to tell him together. Especially since Roz had helped talk her out of her crazier ideas. Feeding them to the hellhounds probably would have had some seriously bad consequences.
And she didn’t want the hounds to get any awful indigestion.
Oooh, were those cookies?
Those were cookies. Actually they were a lure, somewhat, the delectable scent meant to draw a peckish teenager to the kitchen for a snack - sure, technically Sabrina could just teleport away (Dan was aware) but he thought they needed to have a talk and he wanted to make sure he caught her at a decent time. Alone.
Because she was in trouble.
The connection between them wasn’t one that Dan kept tabs on twenty-four seven - but it was very much there, in case Sabrina found herself in a sticky situation and he needed to get to her. In case something happened. In case she attempted semi-complicated mental fuckery and he was pinged about it, and not in a pleasant way at all in this case - it was like a cat scratch, but not deep enough to draw blood. Just irritating, something that stung. The whole detailed situation with the spoiled Vorerra kids wasn’t something he was privy to, but he got the gist and he knew what she’d done. She shouldn’t have done it.
“Sabrina,” he leaned against the doorway for a moment, pushing off and stepping further into the kitchen. “You know that wasn’t right.” And she damn well knew what he was talking about too.
Well, crap.
She should have expected that Dan would know what had happened, what she had done. They were connected enough that he’d be privy to it in ways that others wouldn’t, but she honestly hadn’t thought that far ahead. Maybe she’d been a little hopeful as well that he’d just not dig or not be as attuned with that particular little situation. It wasn’t like he was checking in on her twenty four seven so it had been possible that he just wouldn’t know.
Except that wasn’t the case and she mentally chided herself for not throwing up some mental shields when she’d carried out the spell. Though that probably would have only alerted Dan even more that something was up.
Ugh.
Sabrina snagged a cookie, not quite looking at Dan as she sat down at the table. She wanted to actually get a bite in before they had this apparently inevitable talk.
“They deserved it.”
“It’s not on you to decide what they do or do not deserve,” he said, also snagging a cookie (they were chocolate chip peanut butter, one of Dan’s favorites - he still packed Sabrina’s lunches for school, and Claire’s, and he’d usually put one cookie in there too because the day was usually better with at least one cookie, something sweet). “Stick to doling out judgments for those souls in Hell, not these assholes.”
He sat at the table, after also pouring a glass of milk. “Wanting revenge is a normal, human thing - but it’s not healthy,” he added, and he knew Sabrina had a long life ahead of her - he wanted her to have a long life, a happy life, and he also wanted to be a part of it. As someone who would hold her accountable for her actions - he had a feeling she didn’t have much of that back home. Her aunts were great but Hilda didn’t seem the type and Zelda would have probably just congratulated her for showing restraint and not stuffing the offensive kids into the trunk of a car and setting it on fire. “Wanting justice is fine too but this type of revenge comes from a place of anger.”
A place of self-righteousness as well. It didn’t suit her.
Maybe it did come from a place of anger but Sabrina was fine with that. Sometimes letting anger fuel her was the only thing that fixed situations and this was a situation that needed to be fixed. The Vorerra kids and their damn teacher had gotten way too comfortable being seen as untouchable, of getting whatever they wanted because they could manipulate the situation. Maybe what they needed was to be knocked down a peg or two and it wasn’t like anyone else was willing to do that.
“It’s not like anyone else ever gives them any consequences,” she told him, before picking up another cookie. So why couldn’t her and Roz give them a taste of their own medicine? Besides it wasn’t even that bad and would wear off if they did the right thing. If they didn’t, well, then that was their own fault.
Granted, it was a shitty situation to be in - Dan recognized that. It was being caught in this tug of war between what felt like just turning the other cheek and seeking out revenge. Both options weren’t great - it was finding a way to change things without doing either that was hard. But giving in to anger was never a good thing - maybe Sabrina didn’t think so now, but that type of fury really caused harm, not only to others but her own self. Resentment hurt. Living with it hurt.
“There are ways you can create change, or help lessen Nick’s suspension, without hurting them - and no, you didn’t hurt them physically. But messing with their heads is still hurting them.” They could probably sit here and debate the ethical part of this situation for hours, and Dan doubted he’d change her mind - but hopefully he could at least get her to see the other side of things for a second.
Unfortunately, he also had this sinking feeling he’d need to dole out some kind of punishment - just having her listen to his Dad Talks wasn’t actual punishment, sadly. “Geliara’s Headmistress is reasonable. There needs to be some kind of fair trial, and not just taking the word of the Vorerra teacher and those kids - we can all push for that. I have your back and others do too.” Other Outlanders, teachers at the school - Dan just didn’t want the cycle to keep going, because now that Sabrina got revenge they’d want to get her back for that and so forth and forever. Not happening.
Sabrina was digging in her heels, stubbornness in full bloom as she munched on her new cookie. She might have looked fairly serene but inside she was a mess of anger and annoyance even as she poured herself some milk for herself as well. She knew Dan meant well but she thought he was wrong about this. If others had their back at the school they should have said something at the start, not wanted to do so now when everything had already played out.
“If they were being reasonable there should have been one of those in the first place.” But there hadn’t been. They had just accepted what the Vorerra kids and teacher had said. Which was bullshit considering the Vorerra teacher had been one pushing for the fight club to happen so the kids could work on their magic in other ways.
Besides, the Vorerra kids messed with people's minds all the time. It was what they were gifted at. Maybe now they’d think twice before doing it to anyone in her circle. Not that they could prove it was her or Roz who had done anything to them.
“Maybe there should have been, but that didn’t mean you had the right to go and play judge and jury all on your own,” Dan sighed. “I’ll go to the school, Sabrina. I’ll talk to the Headmistress myself. And mind tricks don’t work on me, if any of them try.” He’d be able to snuff it out - but he wanted to do this, because he didn’t think what had happened to Nick was necessarily fair either. Sure, he signed up for that Fight Club trying to prove some masculine point and it was a mistake - but he didn’t deserve to take the brunt of the fall, while the other kids got off scot free.
He’d do what he could to help Nick and Sabrina both. Now as for that other part - the punishment. “You’re going to remove that hex,” he told her - she wouldn’t like it, but he was bracing himself and he’d stand his ground. “And for a week you’re not going out. Just school and come home.” Honestly, he’d never punished anyone before - Claire, yes, he and Allison handled that. It was just that punishment for a teenager was a lot different than punishment for a six-year-old. Mostly that was early bedtime and no dessert.
A week without friends, burgers, milkshakes, roller skating, or wandering in the woods - that might seem like an eternity, but he didn’t want it to go much longer than that. Being too harsh wouldn’t help anything either.
“I’m not removing it.” She wouldn’t. Not until something was actually done and Nick wasn’t the only one thrown out to the wolves, punished for starting something he hadn’t even formed. Besides, she’d need to work with Roz to remove it and she didn’t want to. It was staying.
“But sure, school and home.” She’d ask Hazel or Nick to take the hounds running and could just work on reading through more of the Book of Names and determining which souls would be released or not. Seemed fine. Even if she thought this was stupid.
Sabrina picked up her bookbag and floated her empty glass over to the sink. “I’m going to my room.”
“Yes, you are,” Dan countered - and maybe she wasn’t going to remove it right now, but he wasn’t going to wait for the Vorerra brats to go to the Headmistress, fall to their knees, and confess their guilt themselves. Because that wouldn’t fucking happen, and Sabrina likely knew it as well. “I’ll go to the school tomorrow and once this gets worked out into something resembling a more fair outcome, you’re removing it. And if you won’t, then I’ll find someone who will.” She wasn’t the only witch around here schooled in mind fuckery.
That was probably the best they were going to do, some kind of begrudging middle point met - even if he thought it was wrong she had done it in the first place, but he couldn’t force her to realize why. The only thing he could do was stick to his guns, and maybe she’d thank him later. For not letting her get away scot free, like those other kids who never faced any consequences for their actions. Just look at how well they turned out as a result of super lax ‘do whatever the fuck you want’ parenting.
Doubtful that ‘later’ would come anytime while he was still alive, but hey. He could hope.
As for going to her room, well, fine. He probably wasn’t Sabrina’s favorite person right about now though he guessed he couldn’t blame her for that. “Alright - “ No floating dishes for him, he got up and set everything in the sink himself, to give it all a rinse. “I’ll see you later.” His tone was less harsh than before, softened from when he told her she had to remove that hex or whatever it was - because he didn’t like having to do this but nothing was perfect.
Not even in this weird life in Vallo, but that was okay too. They’d survive. They always did.