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[ The two sit outside the mall now, recouping after the fight. A long, long talk with Todd Howard and a half hour of WICKE’s magic helping to put everything back into place was all it took for the issue to be mostly resolved. As for the mech? Todd just threw that in his “Don’t Think About It” closet, where all the things he didn’t want to think about went. ]
[ The semi-permanent sunset hung above everything, beaming down on DOROTHY and WICKE as they sat against the mall’s front wall. ]
[WICKE]: So… for the record, you could probably guess this: not a normal day for me! At least here, it’s not. Back home, maybe.
[DOROTHY]: How come he’s such a thorn in your side?
[WICKE]: He wants my city so he can build a buncha crap on top of it, but he’s never really successful. He’s got the pockets to commit, but he’s real narrow-sighted. He’s basically extended family at this point; he acts like he can live without me, but I know he’d be sad if I stopped engagin’ with his schemes.
[WICKE]: Not that I really… like the guy. He’s just as common as a house spider. You get used to it, even if you don’t like it.
[DOROTHY]: [ She thinks to herself about her own enemies. The toes she’s stepped on, the forces she’s played with unknowingly… ]
[DOROTHY]: And you’re okay with that? The constant threat, knowing you and your friends and family could be in danger?
[WICKE]: Oh, believe me, I worry. Just not about Moe; I got a handle on him. He’s nowhere near as bad as he was back there.
[WICKE]: I worry about all the other stuff. Getting my friend’s son to school when she can’t, making sure I can pay taxes on time, perfecting my magic skills… that’s the real trouble. Ya can’t just hone in on the outside when what’s inside is way louder, y’know?
[WICKE]: …I’m guessin’ you don’t have that luxury, though.
[DOROTHY]: [ She nods. ]
[WICKE]: The way I got a grip on Moe is by realizin’ he’s hot air. He talks the talk, and sometimes he can walk the walk, but he works best in his own comfort zone. And that comfort zone of his is real easy to break into.
[WICKE]: You’re gonna meet lotsa people like him, who keep tellin’ you all these wrong things about you. And sometimes it’ll be really hard to hear, but that’s what they want. They think they can just waltz all over ya. But that’s where they’re wrong.
[WICKE]: You can be so much stronger than they could ever imagine. But you can’t do it alone. You gotta trust people, let ‘em in.
[WICKE]: …And hey! Look at us! Neither of us would’a beaten Moe if we didn’t have each other’s backs. Granted, I was bein’ thrown around like a chew toy, but! I backed you up when you needed it most, ‘n’ you did the same for me.
[WICKE]: You can be nervous, Lord knows I am. All the time. Sometimes I still don’t think I’ve got it. But when you find the right people… you know you did.
[WICKE]: Does that make sense?
[DOROTHY]: …
[DOROTHY]: I was wrong to be so distrustful of you before.
[DOROTHY]: Truthfully, I can’t apply everything you’ve said to myself. Not right now, or at least, not as cleanly.
[DOROTHY]: But the vacation was… eye opening. Even if it only lasted a few hours.
[WICKE]: “Lasted?”
[DOROTHY]: [ She pulls out a ticket from her pocket. It’s flashing white, steadily. ]
[DOROTHY]: I’ve only got so long here.
[WICKE]: Ah… yeah, should’a known.
[DOROTHY]: Yeah, not much of a vacation when it’s only about three hours.
[WICKE]: Well, it gets you off the Quinn, doesn’t it?
[DOROTHY]: I suppose so… I’ll try and reach out more there. It’s been rough recently, not much in the way of positive outcomes on my end, but…
[DOROTHY]: I can make do. I always find a way.
[DOROTHY]: ...You’re good, Wicke. You treat people well.
[WICKE]: Of course! How else would I treat ‘em?
[WICKE]: And you’re no slouch yourself. Whatever’s weighin’ you down isn’t gonna last forever, I promise.
[DOROTHY]: [ The ticket was flashing faster and faster now. ]
[DOROTHY]: Stay strong out there, Wicke.
[WICKE]: You too! I’ll keep you in my heart ‘n’ mind.
[ The two shook on it, DOROTHY smiling for the first time since she arrived in the Lilac. ]
[DOROTHY]: [ Then, the ticket flashed white one more time, losing all color before… ]
[DOROTHY]: [ She faded away, gone in a few seconds as if she was never there at all. ]
[WICKE]: ...Huh.
[WICKE]: [ She sat back down against the wall, staring up at the sky and reminiscing about the strange turn of events that day. ]
[WICKE]: [ Truth be told, she sometimes didn’t believe her own words. It’s hard to buy into confidence when inadequacy is far louder. But she’s always been able to bounce back, and she hopes that DOROTHY can too. ]
[WICKE]: [ She’s always had the power. ]
[WICKE]: [ She just has to learn it for herself. ]
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