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“Bells, I am really happy for you and I am gonna let you finish—BUT I AM GONNA BE THE GREATEST TRICK OR TREATER OF ALL TIME!”

Hel then choked. “NO, NO!” She wailed, despite how much she secretly wanted that to be true. “I DID NOT TAKE HIS NAME!” She huffed again. “Gramps gave me his last name to borrow because I wanted a new one! So it is Hel Selie now!” She boomed proudly. Though that haughty tone didn’t stick, as Hel was eyeing Piper distastefully as Bella decided to let her off the hook, and the younger ghoul’s offer was less than desirable.

Yawn.

How displeased Hel felt was clear on her face.

“I do not care about your—“ She made air quotes with one hand – “first platinum album!” She cried. “If you want me to accept you, you will run from the fourth floor of the reaper dorms down to the first loudly proclaiming from the top of your lungs that you got mold!”

That was a drastically less hazing tactic in her head. The ghoul was still getting off easy in her opinion.

“Plus, even though we might be loosely related in the future, I will not be seeing any of you often.” Here, Hel stuck her tongue out. “So, get to running up those stairs little ghoul. I wanna hear that starlet voice of yours belting from the fourth floor.”

Whoa. There were some serious drama llamas going on here. She quietly soaked it up, even though she barely understood what was going on, because like chocolate and attention, drama was necessary to life.

It was hard to hide her crestfallen look at how little impact her trick left, though. It had been a bit at her old school! Then again, her old school was a fraction the size of Amity...and every was pretty much a reaper there...and knew each other...This is the big leagues, ghoulie she reminded herself. You gotta step up your game or get left in the dust. Don't be such a newbie!

Alright. Alright alright alright. Deep breath.

Piper's grin faded, replaced by something more determined. "I'll do you one better and sing the whole way through nonstop, up and down the stairs," she challenged them, though thank Jack Belladonna had intervened about the...mold thing. Gross. Gross.

Undoing the bandana at the too of her hair (which took a little reaching and pulling), she turned away from them and pulled her hair back some more to ensure it wouldn't fall in her face. Done with that, she twisted her torso to crack her spine, stretched out her legs, and viewed the stairs with some trepidation.

Four flights of stairs and back. Singing. Okay, okay...she wasn't in over her head this time. She could do this. Don't let them see you nervous.

Crap. Craaaaaaaaap. Why did she say non-stop??

Piper hummed snatches of notes to herself, both to buy time and to think of what key to go in. Her foot began to tap out a rhythm; if she had one, at least she could (hopefully) pace herself.

" ♪ Of all the reapers, they are many
Who want to be the best
But I know that there's plenty
Who for sure can't pass that test ♪ "

She began to descend the stairs in time, her voice getting slightly muffled the more she went; but hot damn she would start belting it once she rounded the next set of stairs.

" ♪ But above them, there are two names
Who would totally do so weeeeellll
Theirs names are Belladonna
And Heeeeeel ~ ♪ "

The honesty of Hel's reply regarding her last name warranted Belladonna to reach out to hold the ghoul's hand and give it a friendly, understanding squeeze. Naturally that did not last long as Hel crossed her arms in a huff, but the witch was not one bit bothered by that and instead turned back to Piper. With curiosity she watched her rearrange her persons, the witch terribly curious over how large and massive the younger ghoul's hair was and how one could get their own hair to mimic such fantastic over the top-ness. But with a smile she saw her off, giggling as the witch leaned out the doorway to watch the little bird begin her song as she hustled down the stairs. Maybe she was pretty adorable after all...
That song, at least, won Piper many points so that by the time she eventually returned, she would have a new witchy friend to call her own.

However, first there was the Valkyrie friend to deal with and Belladonna happily fussed over Hel in attempt to get them both over by the couch to sit. At least until what was in the bag was spoken aloud.
"Beg pardon?" The witch chirped back, obviously confused by the answer she had received. With a down turn of her eyebrows she helped herself to the bag, opening it up to peer inside. What she saw looked more like a murder scene to her than just a bunch of broken pieces, the witch turning back to Hel with wide, horrified eyes.
"Hecate Hel, what happened?! Are you alright? Do you feel funny? Are you... Why did you not tell me sooner? How are you doing? Oh my stars..."

A broken weapon was not a matter to be taken lightly, thus why the witch reacted so intensely. With a small noise she hurried over to her friend, grabbing her up in a large hug. What a terrible thing! And Hel had seemed so... So ok!
To think of one's weapon breaking, oh it was awful. Belladonna could have cried right then and there just thinking about what would happen if her own tarot cards just shattered. Or were ripped to pieces. Or-- Oh she couldn't bear to think of it.
So instead, Belladonna cuddled Hel close and gave her lots of doting attentions.

Give a ghoul moment to take it all in, Hel!
The witch pulled back to look Hel over, a hand reaching up to smooth down some of the Valkyrie's hair in a doting gesture.
"Rage did this?" Seven Hells, that Trick or Treater liked to cause problems! A frown formed on Belladonna's face as she considered it, her eyebrows puckering a bit from her worried expression. Even if Hel said she felt fine, it did not mean that she was fine. Of all things, the witch was succinctly aware of what it was like to say one thing and feel another, totally opposite emotion.
With a huffy sigh the witch dropped her hold on Hel to instead place both hands on the ghoul's shoulders.

"Hel Selie... I am not everyone. I am allowed to worry and fuss over you whether you want me to or not. Regardless if you feel the same way, you are my best friend in all of Halloween. So I am going to worry and fuss and dote on you all I want." As sweetly as she could the witch leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to Hel's cheek, a small apology for getting on the Valkyrie's nerves all the time.
With that done she huffed again, going into full on Mama Bells mode.
"Have you talked to anyone about this? What did Rage say when this happened? And its just your FEAR that's been affected, nothing else?" If that Trick or Treater had done anything else to Hel he would have one angry witch on his tail! Grrr!

Hel's bed head was one of the things the witch loved about her most!
Well, next to the take no one's s**t attitude, the love of a fight, the general exuberance for life, and tendency to always be positive. So really, the witch just loved Hel a whole lot for a variety of reasons.
"But we care for you that's why we worry!" She chirped with a smile. The smile felt less genuine a second later when Hel mentioned going to others first, Belladonna realizing with a sour feeling that she was not the first to know. Not even the first three, most likely! That was disappointing, especially after the sweet confession that Hel was her best friend!
Rationally, this was just how things were. People got busy, saw other people first and happened to bring up certain topics before others. It wasn't as though Hel had specifically tried to keep this bit of news from the witch, but Belladonna could certainly twist it to be that way. Why, Hel might never have said anything had the witch not asked her to come hang out. In a small, jealous way the ghoul turned her love for her friend into a competition that she had not won.

"Hmmm... Perhaps I can see if Mort might be able to find something. He is terribly good at researching..." He was the one to find that odd little lava pit thing with the fancy items at the end. Still, the witch gave the ghoul's hand a promising squeeze.
"If you are looking at this positively, then so will I." Belladonna gave Hel a smile before she let her go. "But if you need any help... Please let me know... We are friends..." And the witch so did love to help.

There seemed little else to speak on as Belladonna was reluctant to gush about her own problems since they remained the same and instead shrugged at her friend.
"Besides that, what all have you been up to? Things going well with Mac?" Pink eyes were batted at her friend feverishly before they darted to the door. When was that adorable little Piper getting back? Not that the witch could have scaled those stairs any faster...