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To say that Belladonna had forgotten about the promise to chat with Lifen would have been a lie, for she had not forgotten. She had simply misplaced the memory in favor of focusing on any number of other things. Namely repeatedly trying to save the school and her loved ones from all the nasty little problems that always seemed to pop up every few months at the school. So when a knock came at the witch's door, she was not horribly surprised by this as she almost always had someone knocking at her door for any variety of reasons, and most times Mort still knocked because she had a habit of locking the door she hadn't been able to break despite how many nights he'd stayed with her.
The words did not puncture the wood so Belladonna called out a bright greeting as she swung open the door and found not anyone she had expected. Most people stood taller than her, so to see someone on her own level was a surprise all its own, but to meet a pair of mismatched eyes was even more so.
"Lady Lifen! Goodness I-I had not expected you! What a wonderful surprise!" Her surprise look split into a wide smile as she curtsied at the Horsewoman. Normally she would have just hugged her, but the Conquest ghoul always looked so fragile that the witch hesitated.

Once she rose from the curtsey she waved her into the room, flapping her hands a bit in nervousness. A Clansmember had never visited her room, let alone visited her! Well actually yes Sal had done both, but he felt more like a skeleton dressed in a multitude of layers than a Horseman.
"Come in, come in! It is so good to see you! How have you been? Tell me Mr. Taller Than-- Ah, Mengyao has confessed his ardent love for you!" There was no way he could have covered that particular thread even had he wanted to.
As the witch fluttered about making a nice space for her on the couch and feeling terribly under dressed in a simple summer dress, Belladonna couldn't not help but think she had seen Lifen some other time besides during the last attack on the Hunters. Hmmmm, it seemed a far away memory, something fuzzy and strange... When had that been?

The room Lifen stepped into was well lived in, as evidenced by the numerous knick knacks, items and various frivolities that it held. The room was clean, free of dust or dirt and most everything was neatly organized. A few miscellaneous items lay scattered on odd places (a hair brush was on the desk rather than the small vanity, books had been piled on the bedside table, bolts of cloth were strewn off the back of the chair by the sewing table), but save for the half finished garments Belladonna currently pulled off the couch, everything was nice. Pink with lots of black, a few shades of lilacs and lots of yellow stars and moons danging from lamps and ceiling fans and edges of furniture, but very nice. Cozy, perhaps, if one was not off put by all the pink.
"I am always willing to accept your company!" The witch chirped as she bounded from couch to sewing table, dumping the clothing she had been working on unceremoniously to the chair. Most of them slipped off to the floor, but the ghoul seemed unaware of that fact since she turned on her toe and bounced back to the couch. With a happy flop she was on one side, smiling widely up at Lifen as she collected her voluminous skirts back to herself. Or at least her side of the couch. The Horsewoman's words wiped that smile away as Belladonna instead took on a more worried expression.
"Oh dear! I do so hope things are alright now! It would be a travesty if they were not. And should they not be alright, please do not at all hesitate to ask for my help. I might not be able to do much, but even a little is better than going it alone!"

But whatever could it have been that threatened the people Lifen cared for? Whatever it was, it must have been very grave indeed... As much as Belladonna was curious, she did not know Lifen well enough to actually ask after it. So instead she did the next best thing: Made sure to give Lifen a very curious, if horribly sweet, look.
As for the Horsewoman's assumption over the witch's own well being, Belladonna could not help a small laugh nor stop the hand she rose to touch at the back of her neck.
"Oh! Yes, well enough, I suppose!" She conceded with another nervous laugh. "Ill luck tends to follow me around like a lost foxfire, but thankfully I have... Very good friends who help me through the worst of things." Which was, all in all, extraordinarily true though it felt only very recently that she had needed them so much.
However, it was the small laugh and flush of the woman's face that brought a full smile back to Belladonna's own.
"He did and he didn't? That cad!" It was joke, of course, but she still flapped a hand at Lifen. "If you have the time, I would love to hear the story."
Little detective? Why! No one had ever complimented the witch with such a glorious term before. So pleased with herself, Belladonna did not at all bother hiding the wicked smile that crossed her face.

"A-a gift!? For m-me?!" The wicked grin turned into shock at Lifen's offer, for the witch was not in the habit of receiving gifts. Mostly she gave them so to be on the other end was a pleasant surprise. Her shocked face turned into a meek smile that she turned toward the horsewoman.
"Oh goodness, I could never say no to such kindness. Especially not from you!" But oooohhh what could it beeee?? OUO//

Had Belladonna been privy to Lifen's private thoughts, she would have most happily invited the Horsewoman to bring her favorite book and pick a spot for a quiet afternoon. The witch would even have gone so far as to promise not to chatter on too much, at least not the entire time. As much as it would have been nice to have such a conversation, the one that sprung up instead was a bit more interesting.
A gasp came first at the mention of the Seven Kings and the witch hastily hopped more of herself onto the couch, partially so she could lean forward to look at Lifen with wide pink eyes.
"You were there too? Oh! I bet you were his Queen, weren't you? What did the kingdom look like? And the Gold kingdom, that is horribly fitting for him, don't you think?" While initially the little trip to the Green Kingdom had caused the witch an intense amount of grief and woe, now that it was over she was much more at ease with everything. Maybe some things still lingered to hurt her heart, but all in all it had turned out spectacularly well.
Turning a bit quieter now, she sat back and twisted the edge of one pinkie between her opposite thumb and forefinger.
"I was in the Green Kingdom. Mort was King. He made a splendid King in his home of lush verdant, it was beautiful... And he named me his Queen too." In a manner of speaking, of course.
Hearing Lifen speak of the drain she felt from the experience, however, made Belladonna sigh in agreement. Since Mort didn't remember anything, it meant that carrying the memory was left solely to the witch and while it had ended fairly well, it was still something she could not share. At least, not until now.

"Does that mean he remembers his experience?" She began softly, more somber but still very curious. But all her curiosity seemed to halt, or at least morph into surprise, when Lifen mentioned Insanity.
At that point, every other question was called off. Belladonna had to pause to let this knowledge sink in, for someone as kind and sweet and patient as Lifen had the affliction? And Mr. Tall As Houses too? That wasn't fair! These people had already lost their home, but they had to carry this disease in their core too like some awful reminder of a home they could never return to?
The witch could have cried for them right then and there.
"I am... Aware of Insanity, yes." The quiet voice she had spoken with before took on a more gentle tone. "My boilfriend, Mort, has unfortunately been... The recipient of it recently as well... It is... Difficult at the best of times and unbearable at the worst." She would not even try to imagine what it was like to live with it on a daily basis.

And while the witch could not really offer any solutions, she could offer the Horsewoman some comfort. In that regard she dared to stretch out a hand to lightly lay atop one of Lifen's on the parcel, a sweet smile turned up for her.
"We are always confused by the people we love. But it isn't always like that, so just keep hope."
But then it was time for gifts! Ah! YES.
With relish the witch energetically unwrapped her present, her excited expression turning quite quickly into astonishment when she beheld was had been given unto her. Careful fingers pulled the garment up to see its full length, all blue swishy fabrics with gold details.
"Oh my goddess alive, this is gorgeous... Lifen did you make this?!" Without a word the witch stood up and twirled the gown around, inspecting various pieces of it with wide pink eyes. It was not only intricate, but stunning in its complexity. And all for her!
"Can I try it on now?"