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Hel had heard rumors...er, well, they weren't rumors. It was gossip, and it was something she'd known for a while, but couldn't find the time to do until now. Gene and Xiu, after graduating, had opened up a cafe in town. She needed to visit, obviously. Alumni connections and all that, but it'd also been a very long time since she'd seen either of them.

Especially Xiu. Though she had fell out of contact with the Baku, the ghoul was always a thought in the back of her mind, and now she was going to go about rectifying it.

The reaper's entrance into the cafe was marked by the loud WHOOSH of the door opening, followed by the very dominating presence of Hel. This was followed up by the valkyrie's over sized raven familiar, poking it's large feathered head into the cafe after her with a 'kweh?'

"OOOOOOI!" She hailed, waiting for someone to address her back as she scanned the cafe.

It was taking a tad too long for Hel's impatient standards, and the reaper looked around as her hands planted on her hips. Hrm. She didn't see Gene or Xiu...was this not the right place?

Luckily, the crisis was averted at the arrival of Xiu.

Hel's head snapped towards the Baku and she immediately froze, dark red eyes going a bit wide. The reaper didn't move for a long moment before she started again, but this time, very slowly. She circled around the demoness carefully, keeping her hands in sight, and approached her like a human might approach a Unicorn:

Something rare and mythical that would startle and disappear at any sudden movements and never be seen again.

The familiar on the other hand, had paused as well...if only to stare at it's reaper's newest antics.

Drawing closer, Hel then did opposite of what she was currently doing, and rapidly closed the distance between her and Xiu, banging her hands loudly on a counter between the two. An eager and excited grin split her face. "Xiu! Is that you, friend!?"

"Indeed it has! Far too long!" Hel returned the action, wrapping her arms tightly around the Baku, but went further. She swept the ghoul up and spun her around in a circle before she set her down. Pulling back a bit, Hel's hands rested warmly on her shoulders as she got a better look at her.

"And time shows it! Look at you! You look good, Xiu!" She grinned, and then couldn't help but reach up to pinch her cheeks. "All grown up!" The reaper laughed, and one hand left the demoness to gesture to the cafe. "And running your own business! How wonderful! How did the last bit of school treat you before graduating, eh?"

"Good, I am glad!" The grin was probably permanent on her face at this point. Hel didn't think anyone would skate by to graduation without some bumps and bruises, but making it out whole, for the most part, truly was a best case scenario. She was glad Xiu was one of those.

The reaper laughed. "I know I look amazing!" She shot Xiu a wink, and then shook her head a bit, blowing some of her bangs out of her eyes. "Things are going well! I can not complain--" Here she paused, and then leaned in to whisper to Xiu conspiratorially. "Except that I am not married yet." She pulled back and grinned once more, letting go of Xiu's shoulders with some more affectionate squeeze. "I am the personal assistant to the head Trick or Treater and a Treater myself!" Her tone as she spoke was very proud. "I focus less on scaring though, and do more adventuring, scouting, and treasure hunting. I travel a ******** ton!"

A chitter sound from behind snapped Hel's attention back. "Ah, right!" Hel jabbed a thumb at the horse-sized raven that came up behind her, craning it's neck over Hel's shoulder and cocking it's head to get a good look at the Baku. "Also, this is my familiar, Famine! New addition since we last saw each other, eh?"

"It does not make me feel any better!" Hel replied with a laugh, and then did a fist pump. "It is my existence's dream." She grinned at the Baku as she grasped her hand. "You want to come along with one day?" She offered. "I got sent on a five October long trip some time ago, but they are not usually that long! A few days to a week usually. Sometimes a month."

As her familiar brought up, Hel's eyes rolled up to the ceiling as she rubbed her chin. "Jack..." The reaper muttered. "It has been forever ago, friend!"

While Hel thought about it, Famine stepped around her and moved up to Xiu, towering over the Baku and then craning it's head down to inspect her very closely. It bobbed it's head this way and that, and then rubbed the top of it's head against the side of Xiu's before lightly nibbling on some of her hair.

"Hey! Stop that, you--" Hel idly waved her hand at her familiar, who waved one of it's wings back at Hel in a mock slap fight.

"...End of my third year! Right before I graduated. Found Rage in the bird park, ya!? Challenged him to a battle and he shattered my spear. Literally shattered! b*****d! Anyways--Was not certain what to do! I had never heard of a reaper's weapon breaking before, so I kept the pieces in my closet and some time passed and next thing I knew--" Hel reached out to grab the wing that was flapping at her, and at this point Famine was starting to preen Xiu's hair.

"This b*****d bird came out of the closet." It was uttered with incredibly fondness though. Hel couldn't imagine not having a sentient being as her constant companion.

"Oooooh come on, Xiu~" Hel sing-songed at the demoness. "Just a few days? Ya? Gene is more than capable of holding down the fort, I am certain!" She grinned, still holding onto Famine's wing. "Ha, ya! Just thinking about how long is a bit shameful..." Hel then shrugged. "Ya, same! But it worked out--" She then pointed to the collar around the large bird's neck.

"I also acquired an artifact that allows this bird to transform back into a spear! Then back into a bird again--- it is the most useful!"

Hel then tugged on the wing, pulling the bird back and away from Xiu. "Jeepers, knock it off!" She then looked around the bird, grinning at Xiu. "Say, friend! I can try some of your food, ya!? As a paying customer of course!" Her grin widened. "It would be a shame if I did not!"

Hel just grinned widely at the Baku, and waggled her brows in an unspoken: Do it, Xiu, do it.

Famine was more than happy to oblige Xiu to her silent request, and in fact rolled it's head and pressed it into the demoness' hand. It cooed happily, and Hel rolled her eyes heavily. "Ham." She hissed to the raven, who just made another coo sound. The reaper turned away, and went to go claim herself a seat, setting herself heavily into it. "Bah, no! I insist on paying!" The reaper replied adamantly. "This is a business, ya?"

Hel let out a loud hum, before she grinned once more. "Bring me your meatiest and heartiest dish! I will try that!"

("Do not encourage, Xiu.")

"Oooooh~" A brow quirked, and maybe she found it a bit ironic that Gene was in the business of food...being a ghost and all. Regardless--- "Ya! That sounds most wonderful!" She grinned at the ghoul, and then raised her hands and waved them at the Baku. "Ack, no! Stop it with your free things, you!"

She shook her head, and laughed. "I am not fond of cake, anyways!"