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Mkay. [pause] Thanks...

It's no problem at all. I'll see you later, then. Rest well.

[And smiling softly, she'll quietly exit the room and close the door behind her.

...

A shame, really. To see her open up like this, and it'll slam shut the moment things revert back to normal. But... haha. This marks them even, doesn't it? It's not like Marisa hasn't caught her at an emotionally vulnerable time once, before. Still, it's her life. As restricting as this facade of a town is, Marisa's future is her own. The Witch of Love would never be truly happy, stifled by artificial molds that keep you 'alive' more than make you truly 'live'.

Ciel's usually one to choose sweet lies to bitter truths, too, but this is an exception. Even if she knew that Marisa hasn't been doing well, ever since the droning of Patchouli during the appearance of those portals. Exceptions aren't unusual per se, nothing rare in that! Just...

Hm.

...No hard feelings, hopefully. Okay?]

[Later, when Ciel returns, Marisa isn't in her room. She's not in the kitchen or the now empty basement. Nope, she's sitting on the roof with a six pack next to her, two cans already empty and another open in her hand.]

[Ciel isn't going to chase after her. She might not know Marisa well, but she has a decent understanding of the true gravity of what she's done - or at least, she hoped. If the girl is well enough to be out on her own, she could likely use some time alone.

So she heads straight back into the house, whether she notices Marisa on the roof or not, and will be taking care of some minor chores before starting preparations for dinner.

...

Just putting on some rice though, for now. It'd be far too idealistic, if not presumptuous, to go for anything more.

She'll eventually step outside again, about maybe an hour later. Is Marisa still there?]

[Judging by the empty beer can that just rolled off the roof, she still is.]

[--Ah, then she'll think fast and catch that before it hits the ground! Littering is bad, sheesh.

...

Still on ground level while she looks up to the sky. It's getting dark already, at least daylight length simulation's done properly in Mayfield, in accordance to the current season.]

May I join you, Marisa?

[She'll neutrally call out from beneath the porch.]

[There's a long pause, almost as if the request hadn't been heard, before...]

Yeah.

[The witch is sitting with the other empty cans about her except the last one open in her hand. Her gaze is on said can.]

[Well, she can't deny to feel a little relieved. What WOULD she have done, if Marisa said no?

...

Eh, she didn't have that solid of a contingency plan, so it's just as well that she agreed, with or without pause.

With a light hop, Ciel lands on the roof, before pacing over and settling down a few feet next to Marisa. A bit behind her too, the beer cans are taking up a good amount of space too. She'll then gingerly set down the empty can she picked up from below besides the existing pile. It'll be easier to pick them all up later, once it's time to clean up.]

How are you feeling? [Only sort of looking towards the blonde witch with a sideways glance. They can still take it slow and easy, hmm.]

[She doesn't even look up when Ciel joins her.]

Trying not t'feel. 's'easier that way.

[She may or may not be sober right now...]

[That's answered with a mild click of her tongue.] Geez, don't say that when you've already been drinking. Besides, as a Magician, you know there are more practical ways. Isn't that like indulging too, going at it like this instead of some other means?

[She may or may not be purposefully pushing her usual naggy self...]

Sh-shut up. You're not-- [her voice cracks there a little] -- my mother.

[And she chugs the rest of the can.]

Then think of it as friendly advice.

[...]

Do you want me to go fetch a blanket? The weather isn't going to get any warmer.

Not cold. 'Sides, I can use my magic again if I do.

...guess I should thank you. [And that's as close as she gets to actually thanking her.]

Aha. That would be a good warm-up, in more sense than one. Hm?

[she holds back a soft sigh.] And you know it's okay. [she... appreciates it, but they both know there's no need for either side to mention it, don't they?] It's the right thing to do, I'd like to think. Plus, no matter what you remembered or forgot, you still knew what you wanted. That's admirable.

[Marisa finally looks over, dropping the can with the other empties.]

...why wouldn't I?

Well...

[She leans back, it's her turn to dodge Marisa's eyes now.]

Do you think that what a person wants is synonymous, to what makes them happy?

To some it is.

But not all, right? It depends. Some people might mistake something that's actually pitiful for happiness, others might not even know what they want at all. So if the base is already flimsy, a memory rewrite could really be damaging.

[All third person, of course. Always third person. But Marisa might or might not pick up a mildly deprecating edge in her quiet tone...]

Pretty sure a memory rewrite is damaging no matter what. Not everyone can handle the pain. Sometimes the monster is too scary to face. Just because someone know what they want doesn't mean they can stomach getting it.

[She flops on her side, back to Ciel.]

...still better to be in pain than to never feel any of it ever.

That's true. If it isn't, then something must be really wrong with that person, aha. It seems like all boils down to willpower, or something like that.

Not any, no, but not all, either. It's hard to draw a concrete line with stuff like those.

[back to back is ok. it's not like this conversation is personal in any way, shape or form, right.]

Or they're stupid. Or just... want a break. It was nice... at times. To not feel it all.

My, how harsh. [she sounds vaguely amused as she keeps going without skipping a beat.] "Ignorance is bliss", yes. Little white lies are okay sometimes, though. There are certain things people don't really need to know about, if they can get away with it. It only makes sense: the less upsetting things you're aware of, the happier you'll be off overall. ...Theoretically, anyway!

You know what I meant.

[It was nice, in a way, to think Patchouli had just been some girl she'd liked who's family moved to Westport instead of the woman she loved that was killed by the town and gone for good. But only for a little bit. Even knowing the pain, she wouldn't give it up willingly. It was part of who she was.]

Mm, I suppose I do. This whole town still feels like a dream, sometimes. Both too idyllic and too twisted, to truly be real.

[a beat.]

You'll see her again once you go back home though, won't you? Maybe not carrying these specific memories, but Marisa Kirisame will definitely meet with that girl again.

I know. It's one of the things that keeps me going. [pause] But I still know what I had here with her will never be back home. It was something here that made her fall in love with me. She doesn't love me back home...

But at least she'll still be there.

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