[A blink right back, though hers is far more confused and still burning off that energy that got her fur to frizz out in the first place.]

A -

A joke...?

[ Laaaaughing! ]

They were being silly, so I was being silly back! I would neeeever marry someone without going on a date first.

Mmm... Your friends are a little... Intense though. I'm sorry that fight broke out...

Oh - r-right, the... the marriage thing was a joke - [For a moment there, she thought Mari meant being her best friend was a joke.
Boy, good thing she cleared that up without her needing to ask.]

Yeaaah, um; Ibuki's friends are a lot like Ibuki, herself! Intense! [Said with intense inflection, of course.]

It's not your fault, though! Lucas-chan is, um... Ibuki's his very first ever friend, y'know? So he's probably a little protective and stuff.
He's a lot nicer when you get to know him! Like, he builds explosives and stuff and lets me play with'em!

[Like she said. Intense.]

But... were you serious about wanting to be Ibuki's best friend?

[ She's not really liking this 'Lucas' character. Hmph. ]

E-Explosives?? That's... Quite the hobby...!

But. Yeah. I do want to be your best friend. You're one of the nicest people I've met here. I really like you.

[... Oh. One of the nicest people she's met, huh...
And she really likes her, huh...
Ibuki can't help looking away at that, bringing her hands up in front of her to fiddle with her rings.

She doesn't... want to tell Mari about everything her class has done. Not yet. It's way too soon.
But she can at least allude to there being something serious about being her best friend, right?]

Um - in that case, uh... is there anything...
Anything Ibuki might do that could change that? Like, uh - let's saaaaay... -- hypothetically!
But, let's say... Ibuki's stole stuff before. Just totally robbed a place.

Would that make you change your mind?

I would have to see it with my own eyes to believe such a thing.

[ Mari smiles a little softer. ]

You don't have to give me reasons or hypotheticals. That isn't who you are.

What we've got going is good.

Are... are you saying you don't care if Ibuki might've done some real bad stuff?
'Cause, it's like...

[Her own smile dissipates, and she stares down at her claws as she fidgets with them.]

... I-it's real bad stuff.
Are you sure you're okay with it? Like, really really sure?

[ Pout. ]

Ibuki-chan? Do you not want me to like you for who you are?

No! No, that's totally not it!

[Said as her hands come up in a half-reassuring, half-defensive gesture - palms out and fingers splayed.]

It's just... um...

... Look.
If Ibuki's gonna tell you this stuff for real, you gotta promise you won't freak out, okay?
She just... doesn't wanna make Mari-chan feel like she should be scared.

[Of herself, specifically. That's the implications, here.]

Okay...?

[ But Mari has never met anyone with a History before and that's not exactly comforting for the upcoming subject matter. ]

Listen... If you don't want to...