<div style="text-align: justify;">Marissa really didn’t question Nanook’s attitudes, or ask questions that might be constructed as a lack of confidence in him. She didn’t believe him blindly, but for now, Marissa hadn’t seen reasons not to believe Nanook. <br/><br/>Despite being a people-pleaser, Marissa wasn’t a weak-willed person. She did for people because she enjoyed it, and felt comfortable and happy doing so, but she wasn’t the kind of person who would just try to please everyone without thinking about what she was doing. She wanted to please Nanook because she liked him, not because she hoped to get any advantage from it. <br/><br/>When Nanook commented about the appendage some people had, Marissa nodded. Of course, she knew that it wasn’t really a tail, but it was fun to refer to it this way in a joking way. “It’s still funny to think about people wagging their tails”, Marissa replied, before turning serious again. She nodded when Nanook said she didn’t need to worry about his suit shrinking. “Very well, I’ll just give it a machine wash then”, she finally agreed, since she didn’t want Nanook to think he was giving her too much trouble. Marissa smiled when Nanook said he had bought his suit at a thrift shop. “That makes sense”, she commented. “You can find some really nice things if you really look for them”, Marissa completed, not seeming bothered by the idea of shopping in thrift shops. <br/><br/>Feeling Nanook rub their noses together made Marissa smile. She really liked that kind of contact, and it made her feel that Nanook really liked her. <br/><br/>It was probably this knowledge that gave Marissa the strength she needed to tell the worst part of her story. The moment when her personality had split in two had been extremely painful, as it had separated her from a part of herself she wasn’t proud of. <br/><br/>Telling him about how she refrained from trying to save her own mother and knowing that Nanook wasn’t judging her made Marissa feel a lot better. When he said that he didn’t want her to go away, Marissa let out a deep breath. It was a real relief to be around someone who had seen the worst of her and still wanted her around. The kiss he gave her, warm and passionate, made Marissa even more sure that everything would be all right. Once the kiss was over, Marissa wrapped her arms around Nanook and let her head rest against his chest. “I’m sorry”, Marissa murmured softly. “You don’t have to think you have done anything wrong, you haven’t. I’m just… I had never told all of this to anyone”, she explained very quietly. <br/><br/>Pausing a bit and shrugging softly, Marissa closed her eyes for a moment when Nanook asked if there was something more to the story. “After my mother died, since I didn’t have a father or other relatives, I was put in a foster home. Then another. And another… I would spend a while in each home, and once the other one showed up, the family no longer wanted to have me around. I don’t really blame them”. With a sigh, Marissa continued. “Once I turned eighteen, I was finally out of a place to stay, and nobody really wanted me around. By this time, I was already here, so it wasn’t hard to find a job. My first job was at a bakery, and it was pretty good. Didn’t pay much, but I liked it. Of course, the other one got me fired. There were other jobs, until I ran into Wonderland Club. Everyone there is kind of… different. So, I felt welcome, you know. Nobody really judged me for her behavior, or for the days when I went missing. I was unhappy with her, but I was starting to get used to this life… until you showed up”.<br/><br/>Finishing her story, Marissa let out a deep sigh and rubbed noses with Nanook one more time. “There, now you know more about me than anyone else in the world”, she stated, her voice sounding tired. “But you do have a point about making sure other people don’t have to go through what I did”. Marissa took a deep breath. She seemed tired and pensive, as though her mind was working on some plans. “For now, though, I just want to have some water and rest with you here… if that’s okay”, Marissa finally completed, feeling perfectly comfortable with Nanook, even though she rarely felt that much at ease with anyone in such close proximity. It was as though she felt, more than knew rationally, that it was how things were supposed to be.</div>