Welcome to Gaia! ::

It was like letting a snowball roll down a hill, Hel supposed. As it rolled, it kept going, and it got bigger. Speaking to Ying and apologizing to the Horsewoman got her thinking, especially with Ying’s current situation. There was nothing funny about heart ache. Hel knew this, and she knew it well…and it just took her a while to really see it, and to experience it, and to work her way through it.

When she thought about Ying…another ghoul came to mind, and a thought had sprung up so quickly, and resonated within her so soundly…how could she ignore it? Snowball effect. That was what this was.

Maybe she had grown up a bit in the past year? Not a lot, but a little bit, at least? Salbei definitely had something to do with it.

Hel let out a soft snort as she climbed the stairs of the demon dorms, to a room she hadn’t been to a very, very, very long time. She made her way down the hall, and idly pulled at her fingers until she stopped at one door in particular. Lizzy’s. Raising her hand, Hel rapped her knuckles on the door, and then waited.

The ghoul was actually feeling a bit anxious. The last time she had seen Lizzy was Octobers ago…where she had kicked her a** in the gym while berating her…hrm. Okay, maybe a bit more anxious than before, definitely.

The door was opening, this was it—

Hel stared.

Oh…uh…

She squinted.

Lizzy looked like she had just woke up…but Hel didn’t come that earlier! 9 am wasn’t early, right!? Hel was a bit perplexed, especially when the ghoul seemed to greet her and wave a bit even. Uh…Hel tilted her head.

“…Good morning…” She drawled slowly, still squinting at the ghoul. “…Did…I just wake you?”

Oh…okay then….well…

Well…

Hel shifted from one foot to another anxiously. She was never one to beat around the bush, so it was best to just keep that going and roll with it. Once she was assured Lizzy was coherent, she nodded her head a bit and opened her mouth.

“I am going to take some of your time…there is a matter I must speak to you about…Can we speak in your room?” She gestured to it.

Hel seemed relieved, if not a bit thankful when Lizzy let her into her room. The ghoul stepped in, and rested her fists on her waist. She looked around for a moment, and couldn’t help but muse that the last time she was in here, it was to deliver some pretty awful news with a boil. Maybe it was irony she was back in here again, more or less a year after that…to try to make amends…?

Not one to beat around the bush though, and just cut to it, Hel did exactly that. She spun on her heel, and turned to face Lizzy.

“I came to apologize.” She informed the ghoul, her expression serious, her gaze intent on the spider demoness. “For…well, everything that happened to you that involved me. I could not see it at the time, just how much anything I had said or did would affect you…and it is only now, after so much time has past, that I can look back and realize that there is nothing more painful than any ache or pain that happens here.” Hel placed a hand over her chest briefly, before she let it drop.

“I just want you to know, that everything I said or did, was never done with the intention of ill will to purposely cause you harm. It was not. Everything I said or done was purely driven by my own selfish desires, and I did not care who or what got harmed because of them, and for that, I apologize to you.”

Hel heaved a silent breath, and looked at the ghoul, waiting.

Hel wasn’t sure what to expect exactly…after all, she hadn’t made an apology on this scale before. “Ah…” She looked down briefly, and her brows furrowed. She was silent for a moment before she looked up. “I know it does not change what happened but…I did not want you to think you were forgotten or that this could easily be overlooked…” Hel reached up to rub the back of her neck, frowning briefly.

Welp…she wasn’t sure what happened now.

“…But?” Hel echoed, her brows furrowing. ‘But’ was never a good start to anything. She watched the ghoul walk past her to the bed, tilting her head at the sheepish way the spider demoness seemed to avoid eyed contact with her before finally looking up. Hel didn’t join her on the bed, and at her question, Hel thought that wasn’t as bad as she had been expecting.

Okay, this wasn’t a problem.

“Ah.” Was all the reaper said for a moment, idly rolling one of her shoulders as she hummed over how to put her words together. “Ya. I know it has.” Hel replied. “Just a few Octobers shy of a year, and there is no excuse…nor would I even try and give one.” She paused. “Honestly, Lizzy…it just took me that long to see how I had wronged you. If someone had tried to approach me about this before now…” Hel’s brows furrowed. “No…I would not have thought anything about how I was acting…nor would I have possibly cared. I have had some revelations as of late though…and well…things just clicked into place for me, and I could finally see.” She rolled both of her shoulders and looked at the ghoul.

“Plus I do subscribe to better late than never.”

“Ya.” Hel nodded. “Better late than never…” She trailed off for a moment, scratched her jaw, and then listened.

The ghoul’s eyes widened briefly before her expression relaxed. Wow. She actually wasn’t banking on hearing ‘you’re forgiven’ at all…nor was she even entertaining a fancy thought of hearing it. So color her surprised when she did. “Thanks.” She replied, and then nodded her head. “…Ya…I think that is very understandable.” To have been upset and angered. Lizzy had that right at her. Hel reached up and rubbed the back of her neck. “Ahhh, Lizzy.” Hel made an aggravated sound. “…to be bothered because you thought that I thought you were detestable…Sheesh.” Hel made a face. “I hope you realize that I am pretty selfish, not at all mature most times, and anger driven the rest of the time…and I was just mad at you back then. I was angry. I say and do a lot of ******** stupid things when I an angry that I do not mean. I get mean…but I never truly thought you were detestable. I was mad at Mot, I was mad at myself, I was mad that a best friend of mine seemed to be hurting, and, unfortunately, you were someone I could unleash that onto…” Hel paused.

“And we all make mistakes.” She gave a laugh. “Jack, do I know that. We all make mistakes, and we learn. I am learning.”

“Ya. We did not.” Hel agreed with a nod, and yes, she got it. She also didn’t mind how Lizzy kept repeating herself either. If anything, it just helped to assure her that, this time, she was doing the right thing…and it that someone did appreciate what she was doing. Hel snorted softly. “…Well…I will not say everyone…but I learn from my mistakes better than by doing the right thing.” Hel reached up to rub the back of her neck, and heaved a resigned and amused sigh. Yup. She’d probably always ******** things up first before she did the right thing. Oh well. Better late than never!

Hel paused again, and once more, found herself at a loss as to what to say next.

“…Erm…” Her brows furrowed. “…Ah…I would like to ask how you have been…but I can not help but feel like it would be a stupid question…is it?”