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It was just another day in the Forest of Magic. Birds were singing, flowers were blooming... perfect day for a spot of tea. Which was exactly what was happening in a rather fancy house within the forest, home of the doll-making-and-using Youkai magician known as Alice Margatroid.
The homeowner and who you could say, her friend; the ever studious, and to Alice, ever annoying human magician, Marisa Kirisame, were finishing up doing just that. Of course, much to Alice’s chagrin, their teatime conversation about their crafts had turned to a direction she didn’t really like it going into “No, in all of my life, I’ve never really had a romantic relationship, if even one that went anywhere. Not everyone can be like you, Marisa.”
Marisa hums, glancing aside as she ponders what to say. What comes out is something that slightly lacks in tact, but she figures it‘s the best way to ask without having to break things down into too many chunks “So, I take it that means you’ve never kissed anyone before? Ever?”
“Marisa!” Alice says with a huff, crossing her arms over her chest and turning away from the other blonde magician. She just stands there for a moment, and Marisa sighs. Way to go. She thinks of apologizing, but suddenly gets an answer as Alice nods, still turned away “That’s right. I’m not particularly the type to just go right out and do something like that, or allow someone to so easily.”
“Yeah, there’s no denyin’ that, ‘Risu. But don’t worry too much about it, there ain’t nothing wrong with being like that. I’m just particularly, well...”
“Inconsiderate and insensitive? A gauche boor?”
Marisa sticks her tongue out at Alice for a second, and then smirks “Yeah, those. But the point is, I’m not all that good at that sort of thing, so gimme a break yo!”
“The moment I give you a break, I’ll have already lost, Marisa,” Alice says, rubbing the bridge of her nose. Gods, the woman could be such a headache sometimes. Such a pretty, intelligent headache... That following thought right there made her head hurt all the more. In the back of her mind, she just wanted to grab Marisa and make that never kissed someone fact dead and buried. Thank goodness she was more rational than that!
“Haha, true. Plus, it wouldn’t be very fun for either of us for me to win so easily. Besides, I already won, my curiosity has been rewarded. Although...!”
“‘Although,’ what?” Alice is hit with a twinge of dread. What was Marisa going to say now?
“I wonder what would happen if we remedied the whole ‘never been kissed’ thing?”
DAMMIT. The dread had been warranted, because as soon as those words come out of the magician’s mouth. She knew that was probably what Marisa was going to say. Why the hell did she even ask?! “Marisa. No.”
“Sorry, I just had to put that out there,” Marisa says with a nervous grin “I knew you’d just probably say no, but I might as well try anyway. Because me not trying? That’s how I lose.”
“Hmph, noted. So, who, praytell, were you going to suggest I go out and kiss? Just curious.”
“Go outside and kiss some random stranger or someone we know? Nah, don’t be silly. You go and do that, and you’ll be on the Bunbunmaru’s front page. I meant me.”
Oh, of course it was Marisa. Her almost constantly annoying sorta-friend and rival and deep-down in the pit of her stomach crush was the one she should kiss. Ugh, it was tempting, so tempting. She had to say something to nip it in the bud, but that’s not what happened “If I did even go through that asinine suggestion, what’s stopping you from telling someone else I allowed this?”
Marisa... bowed her head, closed her eyes, and sighed “Alice. I would never do that. It would just be between the two of us. No one else would have to know. Just think of it as me giving you a little courage for the future, if it ever comes up. Look, if you say no... I won’t ask again. Ever.”
“You promise?" What Alice had said only moments ago about giving breaks and losing? She forgot all of that the moment she decides to say those words.
“Promise. So, anything else going on?”
“I mean, do you promise that if I do this, you won’t tell anyone.”
Marisa’s eyes go wide at that, to her, unexpected response. “I... yeah, of course I promise. If anyone found out about this, you wouldn’t be the only one being the talk of the town. Whatever you decide, I’m still your friend.”
“Alright, Marisa,” Alice says in response, giving a small nod to confirm her agreement “Just practice, right?”
“Yeah, just practice. No more than that. I promise, on my magic, and on my soul.”
Alice couldn’t believe she was going to do this. But, might as well get it over with. After all, once this was over, this would never be brought up again. That, and it would get that deep-seated tension a bit of a release. Then she could stop worrying.
Marisa steps over to her friend, coming almost face-to face with Alice, smiling, and maybe even blushing a little. Alice is just outright blushing, the rest of her expression outright neutral “It’ll just be one, ‘Risu. No more than that, promise.”
“J-just do it already,” Alice says, grumbling a little as he leans forward, Marisa doing the same, until...
Their lips came together slow and soft, not putting too much pressure on each other as they shared the lighest of kisses, the both of them pulling their heads back a little after the fact. They looked at each other again, blue eyes blinking while gold shift from side to side a few times.
“See?” Marisa chuckles, smiling at Alice and looking generally pleased with herself “That wasn’t too bad, now was it? I think you’ll be fine now, right?”
“I will, Marisa. Thanks.”
The dollmaker nods with her reply, the other woman smiling before she turns around and begins to go for the front door, hands preparing to turn the knob. Before she can, however, a pair of hands not her own suddenly cover hers with their own warmth.
“...Eh?”
“Wait. Just one moment, alright?”
“What is it, hmm?” Marisa asks, slightly perplexed as she turns to face Alice again. She’d made good on her promise to get Alice to be able to have the courage to kiss whoever she’d been falling for, so what could it be? Had she forgotten something? No, she still had her hat on and everything so that couldn’t be it. What did she...
Her thoughts were interrupted when the dollmaker knelt down slightly and touched her lips against hers again; only this time with a bit more pressure than that practice kiss just moments before. By the time ‘...want?’ popped into her head, it was already over. The magician’s cheeks immediately warmed, and she managed to murmur out “Alice, I...”
“Just to show you that that really helped do what it was supposed to. Let me be able to kiss the person I was falling for. pretty sure... you know who it is.”
Marisa couldn’t help but laugh. It most certainly did. Pushing herself up onto the tips of her toes again, she gives Alice another brief peck, before nodding and heading outside for real this time, the other girl making no move to stop her. Her movements flutter, feet skipping as she grabs her broom off of the porch and puts it into its riding position, and takes off with a small wave and a smile, the latter of which doesn’t vanish from her even once she’s out of sight.
Alice leans against her doorframe and watches her take off and disappear over the canopy and the horizon, her smile not vanishing even when she closes the door.