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There really and truly was plenty of time left until Christmasvel, with absolutely no need to rush or get in a tizzy or even mildly stressed out over the fact that one's presents for their friends had not all arrived in the mail or been finished. Really! There was absolutely no reason for Belladonna to burst into the Reaper Dormitories with such a stricken look on her face. Especially not when she held a number of mail parcels in her mitten covered hands, a fine indicator that she had received more presents. Yet still she stood there, covered with a light dusting of snow and effectively blocked the door for any other Reapers in or out. For just two seconds longer she needed to stand there and bask in the heat the building offered.
After her little barricade of the door, the witch took two steps to one side and began to stamp her feet against the floor in attempt to get the caked on snow and ice off her boots. If she wasn't careful she was going to slip and fall here in the hallway, which would be embarrassing on its own, as well as jeopardize a few of the packages in her arms.

Still, there is only so much time the witch can waste lollygagging in the foyer before another Reaper sweeps into the building and brings with them a strong gust of chilled air. With very little left to the witch, Belladonna instead helped herself to the empty common room where a fire blazed in the large fireplace. It would be totally acceptable for her to take a small rest near it! To just set her packages down far enough away that they could dry without worry of getting too warm, or too close to the flames while she could warm her cold fingers and melt the rest of the ice off the bottom of her boots.
"Most excellent." She cooed to herself with a tiny cackle. It was a good thing the other Reapers all appeared to be in their rooms, else the witch might seem a little off her kettle...

The fire was vastly distracting to the witch, especially considering how she had a distant aunt who could decipher the future from the way the flames moved and Belladonna currently busied herself with trying to do the same. It wasn't going well at all, for it just looked like a fire to her. All orange and bright with specks of yellow or bright red embers down on the bottom, nothing metaphysical or symbolic about it. Just a fire. All in all, it did an absolutely fantastic job of keeping her from noticing that someone had come into the hall, or that they had entered the common room shortly thereafter.
It wasn't until her name was spoken that she was pulled from her reverie, pink eyes happy to see who it was she knew. Yet when she saw the figure, it was at once very familiar and entirely foreign. Who did she know with lovely white hair, a penchant for periwinkle blue and such an odd crawl of black across her skin?
The name bubbled up and out before her brain had caught up, so that she stammered out a high pitched, "A-Anna?!"

With a clatter she was up and across the room, a tiny gasp elicited at the changes in the ghoul.
"My word, you look... Wonderful!" Really, she did! Perhaps a little cold, but it was a bit nippy outside being Last October and snowing and all...

Already close enough to the ghoul to touch, Belladonna could not help herself as a tentative finger brushed at some of the white hair. It had become stained at the bottom, as though the younger witch had sat down in a very nasty puddle, or accidentally spilled a bottle of hair dye onto the ends. The face was still Anna's, even the half that was now marred in darkness, and the way one eye glowed had certainly caught Belladonna's attention. There was absolutely no attempt to be subtle as she let her gaze rove over the ghoul, her own eyes alight to see how her little witch friend had changed. When she finally looked back up and smiled, she noticed that half her face was pink and the other half a purplish color the witch was all too familiar with thanks to one undead boilfriend.
"Ugly?! Whatever would make you think I would think that? Oh Anna, you look beautiful!" The word was emphasized with a bright smile and a bounce before the witch brought the ghoul into a hug. After that she happily ushered her to the couch where Belladonna could not help but bustle around her until they were both happily seated.
Anna really did look just lovely, all beautifully nasty and wicked. The witch was happy for her friend, but also a bit dismayed that she would never get the opportunity to sport such a gorgeous visage. Some ghouls really did just have all the luck!

"How have you been? Since last I saw you and since all of this! if it isn't too much, might I ask what happened?" Belatedly the witch looked back at the door, curious over where the ghoul's familiar was. Surely Shibey wasn't too far behind! (It was Shibey, right?) That was her bonded familiar, after all, and the pair seemed inseparable if not wholly at ease with the other.

Still unable stop her doting, Belladonna instead took the ends of Anna's hair and begin to carefully plait them, totally unaware of whether this was at all an appropriate thing to do or not. She'd just really missed the little witch and had to show her affection is some way! Nothing wrong with a bit of innocent hair braiding!
"Bonded? As in... He's not around anymore? Oh goodness, that must have been... Interesting." Most likely traumatic and jarring, but well... No need to bring it up.
As for the bow, the witch cooed appreciatively and even dared to let a fingertip trace down the bow's side. She smiled widely back at Anna.
"And you like it better? Than Shibey, I mean?"
Somehow Belladonna would have guessed it to have made the ghoul more outgoing, not having someone to question her every move, but... Well, everyone was different, so maybe she'd just have to ask after it. It wasn't as though Anna was unused to the older ghoul's torrent of questions, as she'd been on the receiving end of them a time or two. But today they had time and the witch wasn't in any hurry, so it would be nice to just sit and chat with her friend.

In a gesture of interested thought, Belladonna tapped a finger to her own chin lightly. How very curious this all was! To think that Anna bonded with a familiar that was not born with her, then transformed him into her own weapon. Curse magic was funny stuff, indeed and the older witch lightly wrinkled her nose at the whole of it. It sounded very confusing for darling Anna! But Belladonna only smiled at her friend.
"I am glad to hear you're enjoying it more!" But before she could say anything else, the younger witch let fly a little rant that really showcased her true feelings. For a moment Belladonna could only blink in astonishment, for Anna rarely let herself be anything but wholly polite and proper. But to hear her actually get a little angry?
Oh, it was precious.

Belladonna let out a laugh and grabbed the ghoul close for another hug.
"Don't you dare apologize! That is how you feel and you should not ever be sorry for your feelings!" After a squeeze Anna was released and the witch beamed at her friend. "I am sorry Shibey was being so rude to you, but I am much happier to hear that you are happy." Once more she patted the ghoul's head and lightly tousled the ends of Anna's hair.
"Besides all this excitement, what else have you been up to?"

"Hecate alive, it is a marvelous adventure!" The witch laughed bright and loud, her eyes twinkling at the ghoul. Both her hands wrapped around one of Anna's and lifted it between them, a link of friendship and hope. "No one should expect you to know exactly who you are. There is plenty of time for you to decide that on your own. And it should be an adventure! A fun, if occasionally difficult, adventure. But one that at the end of you will look back upon with fondness and gratefulness that you came out the other side knowing, and having learned so much about, yourself."
Hopefully all that made sense, but even if it didn't, Belladonna was looking at Anna far too fondly for it to mean anything bad.

"And if anyone gives you a hard time about it, let me know. I'll set them straight!" Obviously she meant this in a violent way, for she playfully shook her fist at the ghoul with a small, if very kitten-ish and not at all scary, growl.

It was good to see Anna looking so much happier now after her formerly worrisome state and the older witch smiled happily at her. But the smile immediately turned into a surprised look at the question presented to her. Not in a million years would Belladonna think she knew herself, not fully. But she could not bring herself to tell Anna that when she looked so hopeful and in need of some help. So with a small, but sad smile, the witch sighed.
"Not very long ago, someone I love very much had something terrible happen to him and he was dead for all intents and purposes. While he was gone I realized I was strong enough to go on and had plenty of time to figure out who I was and what was important to me. Now that he is back, he still suffers and I must use my own light to keep us both afloat. It is hard, but if I had not lost him, even for a short time, I would not have learned that as soon as I did."
That might not be what Anna was looking for, nor very happy, but it was the truth. And that would certainly help much more than anything else.

Terrible it had been and terrible it continued to be, as much as Belladonna tried her best to keep it from being as such. But when Anna tried to work it all out, the older witch stayed quiet, a sad little smile on her face. The lull in conversation was a moment that she took to look down at her hands, silently counting her blessings and tallying up her sins.
Thankfully there was little time else to fret for Anna spoke again and Belladonna turned back to her.

"He still is a student. And it is difficult to explain, but the best way I have to tell it is that he, along with a handful of other students, made a sacrifice for the greater good. They gave themselves up to help us and somehow came back." A small shrug interjects her words. "I do not know anything other than that, I am afraid."

While it would have been easy to continue to wallow with such a willing onlooker to her pain, Belladonna had honestly had enough. She instead turned up the brightness of her smile and reached out to squeeze Anna's hands.
"But I shall have my scarily ever after and so shall you! So do not be afraid of trying to find yourself, alright? Things will work out and if you ever need help I am here for you!"