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This was not what she wanted to do.
Not one teeny, tiny, itty bitty bit. This was stupid, this wasn't worth whatever Belladonna was trying to achieve and it certainly wasn't going to help her learn to love Humans any more than she already didn't. In fact, it'd probably just make her hate everyone and everything and return to her room and never leave. Again. Again, again. Forever and ever, until the end of time, blessed be.
But for whatever insane reason she couldn't quite recall, here Belladonna was, wandering the little space of land that separated Amityville and the Lost Clans' new homes. As loathe as she was to do this, Belladonna needed a Horseman. Or Horsewoman. She wasn't going to be picky. Just someone she could talk at for a few minutes (because there was no way she was going to have a conversation about this) and then bolt on out of there.
Seriously, this was asking for trouble.

"Hullo! I'm Belladonna Divine... Hello? Hullo? Hullo! Augh~" Was it better to be utterly formal, or let her little accent start the conversation? Should she curtsey? Or was that somehow considered rude to the Clans? Were they like Demons, would it be best to keep part of her name hidden? Oh this was just getting ridiculous!
Quickly she paced back and forth, the little paper in her hands all crinkled and worried over, though she had memorized her lines, she still kept it close. Just in case she, yanno, got nervous and forgot something.
"Hecate, what am I doing?" The witch mumbled aloud with a small smack of palm to forehead. This was so stupid.
But, deep down in a place the witch didn't want to entertain quite yet, was the idea that she was going to meet an actual Horseman. The closest she had ever gotten to that was watching Medea lead them through Trance, and that had ended spectacularly. (No, no it hadn't at all.) So even if this turned out to be a big, giant, stupid mess of bad idea, at least she'd get to meet someone new. And maybe, if she was really, super duper lucky she'd get to make a friend!
But probably not... There were too many feelings on either side for her to really say that was something she was hoping for. Which was rather rude to the Horsemen (women), as it wasn't their fault... Not really? Maybe?
Uuuggghhhhh~

Though it took a few moments, Belladonna finally realized that someone was standing behind her. And someone very tall. The witch whirled around and was met with a brightly colored... Err, chest? Her eyes traveled upward until she finally found the face and she offered him a small, slightly startled smile.
Hecate, are all the Horsemen this tall? She wondered, trying to remember exactly why she needed one of them again... Something about... OH YEAH.
"Yes, actually!" Here the witch dipped into a quick curtsey and brought her paper back. "Um! I'm doing this school project... Over at Amityville, which is... There. Were you on your way there?" Curiosity won out and the witch couldn't help but sneak onto her tip-toes to look him over.
Such bright colors! Such luxurious fabrics! Maybe she didn't know much about the clans, but she thought he looked like Conquest. They liked pretty fabrics! Well, so did Death, so maybe she wasn't sure... Huh...

Anyways...
The witch flashed him a bright smile and tried to look as adorable as possible. The fact that his attitude indicated he would have none of her shenanigans didn't really spur the witch on, but she needed to get this done.
"So I'm doing this project and I need to speak with a Horseman. Its kind of a rehearsed speech and before I start, I need to know that its ok if I talk at you... I..." Here she paused to let out a heavy sigh and dropped her cute stance. "I don't know if I really agree with what I have to say, but... Can I say it anyways?"
That was a rather auspicious start to her conversation, but it was at least the truth. And as the witch had received so little of the truth lately, it seemed best to be as honest as possible. Even at the risk of looking like a total jackdamned idiot in front of a Clans member.
Maybe he'd at least let her touch his pretty robe? Just to see if it was silk or something else...

OK. So, maybe he looks really scary because he could squish me, but that's ok! Drat, I would totally be taller if I had worn actual heels and not these tiny baby heels. Waaahhhh~
The witch's mind raced with worry, but she kept her smile fixed on her face, trying to melt the icy exterior of this Horseman. Though, at his comment about Amityville, the witch couldn't help but let the tiniest, littlest bit of snark sneak into her sugary voice.
"That's alright, we try to stay away from you too." Before he could really react to that, Belladonna jumped at the opportunity to outline her points.
"OK. So! Let's see... Attacking humans is apparently bad? If you attack a human, you could hurt a... Minipet? Wait, what?"
Had she not looked over this pamphlet? Or had she just copied it and decided to wing it? Belladonna, way to not plan ahead. "That's not true... Is it?"
How could she have never heard of that before?! It was so... Something that she would have heard of, what with her love for animals. Weird...

Regardless of that, Belladonna quickly moved onto her next point.
"Um, scare gently. It says to scare them with a poke. You here, Mr. Tall and Broody could probably just stand there and they'd wet their pants." She giggled at that. "And obviously, weapons are bad. And against the law, soooo. Last point is... You know what, take it from me. Don't hug a human. They get unnecessarily angry, its ridiculous."
So maybe she had run the last 3 points together and totally failed to actually articulate her last point. Regardless of that, she looked at the paper before she crumbled it up.

"You know what's really ridiculous? This! DETH is a stupid organization." Belladonna pursed her lips before she gave another curtsey to the Horseman. "I do apologize for taking up your oh-so-precious time. I'm sure you have... Important... Horseman duties." Quickly she placed her hands behind her back and rocked gently up onto her tip-toes. "What are those, exactly?"
And then she noticed his fan and let out an appreciative "Oooohhh" at how pretty it was. It had feathers and everything! All she had ever wanted was a pretty feather from one of the clans!

"Well, yeah!" The witch replied with a wave of her hand. "You're so tall. And yanno, brooding." OK, that wasn't a very good explanation. Try again! "What I mean is... You're perfect for scaring and not even trying." That'd have to do, as it was incredibly difficult to explain to a brooding person how exactly it was that they went about doing their brooding. It wasn't something someone as cheery as Belladonna could imitate, least she look like she was making fun of him and what with the way he kept side-eyeing her, she'd rather stay on his good side as best she could. Assuming he actually had one of those.

"Humans are... Not that cool." The witch heaved a sigh that momentarily blew her red bangs off her forehead and shrugged shortly after that. "Like I said. Deth is... Silly. They're all about peace with Humans, but its only certain Humans we have problems with. And nobody wants peace with them." Maybe it was best not to discuss the Hunters with a total stranger.
What an uncouth underling you've become!
A small squeak escaped the witch as she dipped down into a lower curtsey than before, spreading her skirts out properly as she said in her grandest voice, "We haven't been introduced! I am Belladonna Divine, Year 2, Reaper, Witch. Its lovely to make your acquaintance, Sir...?" In case he wanted to be less forthcoming with his own name, she looked up at him, batted her eyelashes and gave the tiniest little bounce. Just enough.

It was true that Belladonna was vastly curious over the duties Mr. Tall and Brooding had to get to, but first things first: Accessories!
"Your fan is absolutely lovely." Her reply was a coo that barely held the magnitude of her compliment. "Feathers are one thing the Clans have perfected. Such gorgeous little touches." The witch sighed longingly, one hand to her cheek as she wistfully remembered her request from a certain then-not-boifriend to bring her back a feather. Naturally, things had taken a rather nasty turn and he was not able to fulfill her request, but it didn't mean she couldn't still admire them. And desire for one of her own. Just one! She wasn't particularly picky! Not that she would go around asking the Horsemen for feathers or anything... But maybe if she could make friends with Mr. Tall and Brooding, he'd be kind enough to bestow one upon her! Its not like it was totally unheard of... Clans members and students being chummy! Right? Maybe?
Eh, Belladonna would wing it and see where it goes. Hecate knows, Mr. Broody might take his brooding a bit too seriously for her liking. After all, she had accosted him and talked nonsense at him, so she certainly wouldn't blame the poor thing if he were to deny her request.
But it certainly never hurt to try...

Had Belladonna known in any way shape or form that Sir Mengyao had not quite decided his feelings on her, she would have done everything in her power to further his confusion. Since she didn't, she could only continue on in her usual manner, which meant she would talk quickly in a high pitched voice and do a great deal of bouncing.
"Their taste in fashions is decidedly subpar." A sage nod was added for affect, and the witch momentarily entertained the idea of relating her story of Mr. Plump and Angry who had his color scheme all wrong, but Sir Mengyao carried on. For a moment Belladonna paused to consider his words, but finally she shook her head.
"If you crushed them, you wouldn't have any fun. Its best to treat humans as a cat treats a mouse it is unwilling to kill. There is a great deal more pleasure in that." Her smile was bemused and had a bit of the devil in it, but she clasped her hands behind her back and stuck out her chest and continued to smile, all out refusing to speak of extermination. It wasn't her place, and it certainly wasn't the time.

"Mengyao..." It was a funny word, one she hadn't encountered before, so she tested it out. Later on she'd make it a little song on her way home, just because she could and she liked the way it sounded, but for now she let it go.
"Mistaken? Perhaps. Then again, maybe not." Another cheeky smile was given, but she quickly shook her head and brought one hand out that she held up as though she were pointing at something in the sky. Odd, as there was nothing above worth mentioning...
"If you don't mind, I have just a few more questions." A bat of eyelashes, a sweet smile, what was she getting at?
"If you're not going to Amityville, then where are you headed? Did you make that fan yourself? Did a friend make it? Or did you buy it at a store? Do they have stores where you come from, I thought the Clans were self sustaining? Or is it perhaps more as though you do not have chains, like Bloodbucks or Forever 666?" Her questions were all asked in quick succession, in her sweetest voice and spoken at all once. It could certainly be said that her lung capacity was truly amazing.

His insistence that Conquest was the end all, be all certainly rubbed the witch the wrong way, but it didn't stop her smiling. Oh Jack no, that would have ruined all the fun. Instead she shrugged idly as she rolled back onto her heels, her pointy toed shoes pointed up.
"Your opinion on fashion is certainly fascinating. But I think boxing oneself into one type of aesthetic and not straying from such would get a bit boring." Said as though she were idly discussing the weather or the state of the roads, it was almost imperceptible that the witch had essentially called him boring. Almost. The little glimmer of mischief simply wouldn't stray from her gaze.

Entertaining, perhaps. But the fact that Sir Mengyao so carelessly and callously talked of killing humans did make the witch a little queasy. Why, she looked like a human save for her pink eyes and giant hat. Sure she could use tarot cards to slice her opponent to ribbons, but upon first look that wasn't immediately apparent. So while the witch didn't feel any sort of kinship for humans, she still didn't like hearing what Mengyao had to say about them.
And just as she was about to open her mouth and say something else about how killing is really like harming a defenseless, baby treat, the witch thought about it.
The Clans had their home, culture and nearly all their people destroyed. By Humans. Not only would it have been insensitive for the witch to speak of how killing humans is bad, it also would smack heavily of superiority. Maybe Sir Mengyao shouldn't kill humans, but its not like he would listen to Belladonna anyways. Now was not the time nor the place for a lecture, so the witch only scurried onto the next topic.

Massively pleased by his ability to so accurately reply to her questions without any real hesitation, the witch felt she could forgive his arrogance. After all, the Clans had lived by themselves for so long it was only natural that they'd get a little puffed up.
"You don't know what a Bloodbucks is? Oh my Hecate, you're missing out on so much!" With a few quick steps she had put herself next to him and looped an arm through his. Or, well, as easily as one only around 5'2" could do that with someone towering over a foot taller than they. "Since you weren't going anywhere, you won't mind going with me to Bloodbucks. Since you don't know what it is!"
Oh this was grand! He could tell her about his life, they could bond over a muffin and the witch could happily say she had a new friend! Perfect.
As she tugged him in the general direction of the Maul, she smiled brightly and nodded.
"Life is too precious to not be enthusiastic about it."