When he'd asked her if she knew who he was, he was expecting her to ask if he was the Devil. Almost everyone asked him that. Poor fools wouldn't recognize Satan if they encountered him on the street. Wouldn't believe him if he introduced himself by name. But th-
Well. She didn't seem to make that common mistake. The question about punishing children was a clear enough indicator she knew exactly what was going on.
"Not only children Kirsten. And even still, not all of you who behave like children are short in your years. Yes?" He had answered by reflex. Though, now he stopped to think about it... "You're questioning me? That isn't how this works. I'm not here for twenty questions girl. And if anything needs to be asked, I'll ask it." He stepped closer to the bed, leaning over her.
"You heard about me from your Grandmother. She warned you about the consequences of your actions, and you continued to behave as you had. Did she never tell you the whole story? Yule isn't some grand celebration. Not exclusively. There are powers that govern this realm. And this time is a reckoning. As each of your years ends, and a new begins, you humans start with a clean record. Your various goods or evils punished or rewarded. You've not seen me before this day have you? And yet you *know*how you've conducted yourself. How you've treated those you interact with, supposedly care about. Tell me Kirsten, what do you think that says about the state of your fresh start every year? I'm out of room on your list. And without your dear old Granny here to weave her old magics, there's nothing standing between you and the gates of fire."
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