Ordinary Magicians Still Get Sick.

Magician's Broom.

"D'you really have to carry me like this?"

"Why not? It's not like you're that heavy. Just be glad you landed outside the shrine and not on it."

"Yeah yeah, sure."

Soon enough, Reimu carefully approached the shrine's entrance, cautiously removing Marisa's shoes before stepping in, leaving them by the door.

There was a futon on the floor, where Marisa knew Reimu slept, from her many trips to the shrine. The shrine maiden carefully let the magician down onto her futon as she went back out to get a spare.

"Wait, wait," Marisa harshly coughed, "Are you making me stay over?"

Reimu turned around, leaning against the wall, "I wouldn't say making you, but I don't feel like dragging you back to your house, especially when it might rain."

The shrine maiden stepped away into a separate room, before returning with a similar-looking futon, alongside a wet towel. The futon looked like it was brand-new compared to Reimu's personal one, perhaps it had never been used.

Reimu handed the wet towel to Marisa, with the magician promptly putting the damp fabric against her forehead, removing her iconic hat and placing it to the side. The fabric was soft, and smelled strangely nice.

Reimu neatly rolled the spare out next to her futon, with Marisa carefully shuffling over to it.

"Have you had anything to eat?"

"Not much, I was on my way to get food and medicine, but that didn't exactly go to plan."

"Jeez, isn't Alice your neighbour or something? Why didn't you get her to help you?"

"Didn't think I should, she could of gotten sick too." Marisa pouted, attempting to justify, but Reimu wasn't having it.

"And so your solution was to go out in public while ill. You're going to be the death of me..."

Marisa giggled at Reimu's harsh yet caring frustration, until her eyes lighted up, suddenly reminded of something she left behind.

"Oh, can you grab my broom? I don't want the fairies stealin' it."

The shrine maiden sighed and obliged, unenthusiastically stepping out of the shrine, leaving Marisa to tend to herself.

It was eerily quiet, without the other in the room. All Marisa could hear was the wind, and the pitter-patter of rain beginning to fall from the sky. Reimu was already too far away to hear her footsteps, and it felt like the world was empty without her presence.

Not even a second went by, and Marisa found herself a bit impatient, subconsciously tapping her foot against her futon, waiting for time to pass by so that Reimu could return, and they'd resume to their usual banter. The banter that, to her, made hours feel like seconds that ran by as soon as they came.

Teasing that shrine maiden she admittedly adored was one of her favourite hobbies, and although being ill was a downright pain, it gave her the opportunity to get through that pain by doing what she loved.

Reimu was going to hate her for how much of a nuisance she was going to be, but she knew the shrine maiden wouldn't be so cruel as to leave her suffering, even if she said she was tempted to. And she loved her for that.

But then a cynical thought stuck into her mind, that maybe she was being a burden, and that Reimu was just too prideful to let her go off by herself.

'Nah, that wouldn't be like Reimu,' she knew in her heart, 'She would make it obvious if she didn't want me hanging around...'

But even though she had known that shrine maiden for so long, unfortunately she hadn't learned to read her mind just yet.

She sighed, turning that thought away in her mind, leaving it for time to tell her truth.

As if she was on cue, the shrine maiden her thoughts and feelings were so concerned about had reappeared, the magician's broom in hand, soaked with rain, and very cross.

"You were right, the fairies did try stealing it."

Marisa loudly snickered, a childish, warm smile appearing on her face, turning away nearly every negative thought she had during those moments by herself.

Never change, Reimu.