Chapter One: What is it that I feel?
The day had been going relatively the same for Margatroid Alice. With the exception of the surprise letter from her mother, she had kept up the same routine that she had been doing for the past three years, eight months, two weeks, and one day. The letter had been a standard, asking about her well-being, and if she had any interests. And her reply would be the same. "The past [X] months have been good Mother. I've been feeling well, and Hourai and Shanghai want to visit you. And no, I don't have any interests."
Then came the surprise knock on her door, followed by it being opened. "Oui, Alice, you here?"
"In the study," she said, getting up to greet her guest. Kirisame Marisa walked into the study, ridiculous grin shining from underneath a sheath of messed up hair. "Marisa, you look like you fought Aya. Again."
"Flew here in a hurry, daze. Guess who got invited to a birthday party!?"
"You?"
"Both of us, daze. Come on, it's for that green-eyed friend of Yuugi's!"
"And what time is it scheduled for?" Marisa looked up at the ceiling, "Ummm, seven-thirty?"
"Marisa. It's four."
"So?"
Alice sighed, palming her face, "Why on Earth, the Moon, or in bloody Makai would we go to a party three and a half hours in the future instead of wait!?" Sometimes, her best friend irritated her beyond belief. Wait, scratch that, Marisa irritated her almost all the time.
"Oh, right." Marisa went to the living room, with Alice following, before flopping on the couch. "I guess you can entertain me."
"And why should I?"
"Cuz you love me, daze!" The false statement infuriated her, but left her feeling weird. So, for the next three and a half hours, Alice took a break from her schedule and talked. Marisa droned on about her latest escapades, what had been happening at the Scarlet Devil Mansion, and other such things.
Eventually, the time to depart rolled around. "Godsdamn, you take forever, daze." Alice had been setting her dolls on guard duty when she left, something which was a little time consuming, though not as much as Marisa complained it to be.
"Yeah, well Cirno and her idiot squad had been nosing around a week ago, and for having such small brains, they are tenacious little things." Taking to the air, Alice wondered if this party would actually be worth her while.
…
"So, that was interesting daze." Marisa was lying back on her broom, flying blind. Alice soared next to her, "That's an understatement."
"They'd make a cute couple." Alice gave her friend a little look, but didn't remark. She had actually been thinking the same thing. Her mind drifted back to what Satori had said, about how a human could become a Youkai. It left her hollow, something that the bitter cold air whipping bye didn't help with.
"Wanna touchdown and walk the rest of the way?" Marisa had cracked her eye open, noting Alice's shivers. "Sure." They descended to the ground, on the outskirts of the Forest of Magic. IT was better than flying, but the air still had Alice's teeth chattering. She glanced at Marisa's scarf, feeling envious. And weird.
"So, I really like how Mizuhashi's place ended up looking after everything had been said and done," Marisa said, tromping ahead of her. Alice grunted an agreement, blowing on her hands and rubbing them together.
Marisa noticed. Unknown to Alice, or anyone in fact, she had feelings for the blonde doll maker. Now, that didn't mean fake, "let's-be-friends-with-benefits" feelings. So, when Marisa noted how cold her friend was, she decided to make a move.
"Hey, want to go to my place and warm up?" The question caught Alice off guard. "Why?" The question itself didn't irritate her, but she just wanted to go back to her house and sleep. She most certainly didn't want to spend the night at the messy abode of the Ordinary Magician.
"Well, you look cold. My place is closer, and probably warmer." 'Please say yes,' Marisa thought. Normally, she wouldn't try for subtle. But this wasn't Reimu, Alice was a whole different species than the Miko.
A funny feeling had crept into the corners of Alice's mind. It was a new feeling, that's for sure. But it was similar to another, less pleasant but more familiar emotion. "I-I'm good." 'What's with the voice-crack?' she scolded herself.
'Well, here goes nothing.' "Come on, you won't regret it." Marisa grabbed her friend's hand, bent on dragging the girl to her house if she had to now.
'Well, maybe for a couple minutes, I gu-' Her thought was cut off as something strange happened. A new thought, all encompassing filled her mind. An emotion. "No Marisa, I'm good."
"Yeah, well I'm not taking no for an answer," Marisa replied back playfully. "Marisa I mean it, let go." "Nope."
"Let go!" She tugged her arm, trying to get out of the witch's grip. " " 'What does that even mean?!'
Something snapped inside her. A thought that was strangely alien, but hers none the less. "Marisa!" she snapped her hand out of the other's grasp.
"I hate you!"
It almost felt like someone else was saying those words. Alice watched as Marisa's face betrayed emotions. Playfulness. Realization and Shock. Confusion. Acceptance. Sadness. Blank. The Magician pulled her hat down and scarf up. "Good bye Alice."
Marisa passed the doll maker, a hollow feeling within her. She took off into the air, not noticing the being watching them.
Alice watched as her friend passed her. Well, not her friend anymore. 'Did I really say that? Do I mean it?' She guessed she must. She walked off into the dark forest, not quite sure what she felt.
~So, how is it? I'll actually be writing now, got everything nice and fixed up. AlicexMarisa is my favorite pairing of all time, and so I love and hate the song that this will be based off of. This takes place around another one of my fics, Negative Love, in case anyone is confused about the birthday thing. Does this feel rushed? Or is it me? And that being? Well, more about it later on. How is it?
And so we go!