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“It's been a while, my dear friend.”
Rei settles into the chair across from him as he debates his response. The light filtering in through the hazy windows of the tea shop catches on silver and glides upwards to meet violet mirrors. It's a vision Rei has only seen in dreams for too long.
The wandering witch returns to town with little fanfare. It's antithetical and somehow so very him. He had once left with an amount of chaos and turmoil following in his wake that few had ever brought upon this place. Isn't it only natural that he contrasts that all these years later? A witch has to know when to show their hand.
“They say the same about a magician. You should see the human world’s magic, Rei! It's fascinating what one comes up with to fool the eyes, and yet they still decry actual magic in the very same breath!”
“...Don't read my mind, Hibiki-kun,” the chiding comes with no bite, “...So it is the same as always, then. The world is as unchanging as it has been for centuries.”
“I seem to remember you having aspirations to change that…!”
Rei pointedly does not meet his eyes.
“Hm, I do not recall any such thing… Perhaps my age is bringing with it the curse of memory loss…”
“Oh my, how tragic,” Wataru's spoon swirls something sparkling into the depths of his tea. “But nothing we cannot fix! Seeing me back here should begin to stir up the memories of the past, yes?”
“You're more insistent than ever, Hibiki-kun.”
“I have absolutely not the faintest idea of what you could mean!”
Rei shakes his head a bit. “I'm sure.”
The past is, in the end, the past. Whatever grand ideas he had formed when he was younger have no bearing on the present. He'd been foolish then, despite being viewed as infallible and all knowing. Such things had long been put aside in favor of facing reality. One could dream of changing the world all they liked. But Rei no longer held the desire to take on such an impossible burden. The current system works. Remain secluded from the human world, and they are not bothered.
A far better existence than returning to war.
“Well, you should visit the human realm with me sometime~ Perhaps you may find something that catches your eye.”
“I'm surprised you weren't too much for them…”
“When has that ever stopped me?" Wataru waves a hand. "Why, I might have been chased out of a town or two…”
“Heedless of expectation even there... Dare I ask what you did, exactly?”
“My tricks were too mysterious and magnificent! Would you believe I was accused of witchcraft!” his expression shifts as though he were horribly offended by this, a picture of one indignant over the sheer audacity of being accused of such a thing. It could almost be believed, if not for the fact that he is, in fact, a witch.
“What a horrible occurrence… None of us could ever have predicted that. You will not face such treatment now that you have returned, however. Who could never be suspicious of you…”
“Me,” Rei’s cup of coffee is refilled, though the culprit's gaze is fixed firmly on Wataru. “Stay away from my kids, Wataru-chin. I'm watching you.”
“Nito-kun! I had no idea you were a father now! How does a living doll come to watch over some bunnies, do tell m-”
Nazuna dodges the questions, as well as the tendril of hair reaching to pluck the carafe from his right hand and the hand reaching to snatch the pot of coffee from his left. “I'll kick you out of my cafe.”
“So cruel! So harsh! This is the welcome back I receive! Rei, do you hear this?”
A faint smile crosses his face. "Now, now, let's all calm down… The other visitors are watching.”
“Rei-chin, don't act like you're any better…” Thankfully for both of them, a crash from the kitchen distracts him before he can say another word, and then he's racing off as quickly as any of the rabbits under his employ.
“There he goes…”
Wataru's eyes follow after him with an intensity contradictory to his flippancy only a moment ago. “Many things have changed since I left, I see.”
...His voice goes quieter when he replies. "You've been gone for a decade, Wataru."
“...”
It's not a particularly long time to creatures that live for as many years as they do. Yet things change more quickly than even the passing of seasons.
If only the rest of the world would change with it all.
Magic cannot stop the passage of time or fix anything of importance. But Wataru has returned, so perhaps not all is darkness and gloom, whatever things may be like here or there.
“...Would you like to walk through town?”
Wataru seems to shake out of his thoughts as easily as that. Mask over the contemplation that they both know continues to brew. “What an excellent idea! Let us finish up here and go see what trouble we may find.”
“Indeed.”
The magical realm awaits with bated breath.