136/Dancing Petals Witch

Dancing Petals Witch
Date of Scene:	22 July 2023
Location:	Mitakihara Ward
Synopsis:	On the way to the school dance, Madoka finds a Grief Seed. She calls Homura for help, but by the time the fight is over it's too late to make it to campus on time. It's okay though, because Homura makes sure that Madoka gets her dance.
Cast of Characters:	Madoka Kaname, Homura Akemi

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Madoka Kaname has posed:
    It's the night of the big dance! The first dance that Madoka has been to in a while. She picked out a pretty white dress with cute little angel wings to wear. It was so exciting to go out! Her plan was to walk to the dance alone and meet up with friends along the way, since it really wasn't that far to get to campus from home.

    She hugged her dad goodnight for the evening, and ruffled Tatsuya's hair, before heading out for the evening. Junko was working late tonight, so Madoka will have to wait until she comes back before talking to mom. She walks happily down the sidewalk in her flashy white dress, wondering if what her mama said about "secret admirers" was true.

    A part of her hoped to see Homura there, but also... Madoka didn't want to bother her too much. Homura always seemed to take her position as a magical girl pretty seriously, and even if Madoka wanted to hang out with her she'd feel bad about wasting too much of her time. Her thoughts along these lines are interrupted as a small white creature jumps onto her shoulder out of nowhere.

    "You're here?" asks Madoka.

    <Is that a problem, Madoka Kaname?> the white creature asks.

    Madoka hesitates before answering. "I guess it doesn't matter."

    <By the way, you should be careful. There's a Grief Seed nearby.> Madoka stops in her tracks at the news, worried eyes looking wide at Kyubey. <It's about to hatch. If a Witch is born around here...>

    "I get it," says Madoka. She's still mad at him for reasons she hasn't explained, but... that's actually useful information. "Where is it?"

    <It's just one block that way. Are you going to call someone?>

    Madoka already has her cell phone out, turing down a side path towards the Grief Seed. She's sending a text to Homura, the one person whose number she has. As bad as Madoka might feel about taking up the other girl's time, she doubts that fighting a Witch would be wasteful in Homura's eyes.

Madoka: Homura-chan, there's a Grief Seed near where I live.

Madoka: It's at <address>. I'm here. It hasn't hatched yet, but I can't handle it on my own.

    Aside from calling for help, there isn't much that Madoka can do aside from sit and worry.

Homura Akemi has posed:
    There are benefits to living in the dorms. Homura is currently wearing something light and casual after taking a shower, looking through a selection of dresses she'd retrieved from her shield earlier and trying to finalize her choice before the dance when all of a sudden her cellphone chimes.

o/` PonPonWAYWAYWAY o/`

    Homura immediately stops what she's doing and turns around, snatching up the phone off her bed and flicking her thumb to unlock it before the second message even comes through. Her eyes narrow slightly and a moment later Madoka gets a text back.

Homura: On my way.

Homura: If it's going to hatch text me again and I'll hurry. Kyubey will tell you if you ask him.

    It isn't even an assumption that Kyubey will be there if Madoka is; in Homura's mind it's merely a fact. She looks over the dresses again and shakes her head, flipping her hair and putting on her usual black hairband.

    Fifteen minutes later Homura is hurrying down the sidewalk towards the address, moving at the pace of speedwalking. having already transformed and taken to leaping between rooftops to be able to ignore traffic and move faster. Once she's close it's easy for herself to find her own way to the budding Witch, making her way over to Madoka and Kyubey. Without a word she steps up to the Grief Seed and holds her hand out to it, frowning a little as a portal into it's barrier pops up around it in reaction.

    "It's too late to suppress it before it hatches. I'm going to wait until it does to destroy it." Her head turns and she looks towards Madoka. "Don't worry, it won't hurt anyone else like this. It'd just be a waste not to let it hatch." She's no Kyouko Sakura. She won't let a Familiar eat people for the purpose but if the only thing left is to wait a little while before it drops a usable Grief Seed she's not going to throw away something valuable to do it.

    "I'm going to traverse the Labyrinth before it hatches." A small frown before she reaches back and flips her hair, "You can come with if you want, but it might be dangerous. I'd rather you stay safe but Tomoe-san is showing you around already, and this is still safer than an active Witch."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Kyubey is absolutely here as Homura expects. There's no keeping him away from Madoka. He has too much damage control to do to leave Madoka alone.

    For Madoka's part, she nods to Homura's explanation. It wouldn't be fair to expect Homura to come all this way and get nothing from it. The pinkette walks closer to Homura, and takes her hand, saying, "I'd rather watch, if it's not too dangerous. I'll be sure to stay out of the way once it starts, so don't worry about me."

    Having Homura here makes things a little bit safer. Madoka could invite even more people, but if more Puella Magi come then there might be a fight over the prize. Besides that, even if Madoka has met a number of magical people so far, she hasn't made a lot of explicit magical contacts yet.

    Madoka tries to think of something to talk about while passing the time, but nothing comes to mind. She's too busy silently fretting. Her free hand fidgets with the folds of her dress. Just as Madoka thinks of something to say, Kyubey cuts in with a telepathic message. <Careful. The Labyrinth is opening. I hope you're ready, Homura Akemi>

    Madoka grips Homura's hand tighter at the news, with her other hand clutching her chest. Suddenly, the world around them changes.

    A flood of roses, spinning and growing in size, washes over their vision. When they pass and scatter, they are in a bright green field dotted with flowers of many colors: white, red, pink, yellow, orange, purple... all of them roses. In the middle of the field, the Grief Seed sits in a gilded birdcage, surrounded by a glow that seems to eat light instead of radiate it.

    No familiars are here yet, but something is off. If one looks closer at the fields, they might see a number of wooden coffins littering the ground. In the distance, there is a wrecked car resting on a white paved path, upside down and crushed, with a small plume of smoke coming from where the engine should be.

    Madoka releases Homura's hand and takes a step back. "I... is it hatching soon?"

    <It's only a matter of time at this point. You only have a short time to prepare.> Kyubey offers helpfully. His white tail swishes, and he jumps down from Madoka's shoulder into the grass. One paw reaches out to touch a rose, but there's no response.

    Madoka starts looking around for a place to hide, but it's hard to decide that when there's no telling where the Familiars might come from.

    The colors in here are a little more flat and faded, and the shadows are a little sharper. It's as if the world was cell-shaded.

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura's eyes widen a little as Madoka takes her hand. She stiffens slightly at first out of surprise, but relaxes shortly afterwards. It's... actually relatively dangerous for Homura not to have her hands free if there's danger, but there isn't yet so she isn't about to shake Madoka's hand off. Not by a long shot.

    "It'd be irresponsible not to worry about you, but I'll try to draw it's attention and keep you out of harm's way." As the Labyrinth expands around them Homura lets out an annoyed sound and clenches her teeth, jaw set. She's immediately into Serious Business mode, looking around her.

    Madoka lets go of her hand and her eyes narrow, taking on a hard expression, "Be careful! This Labyrinth isn't like the others. This Witch isn't trying to hide from us, it drew us immediately to the center." Which... is bad. In Homura's experience means it's going to be trying to attack everyone itself rather than relying on Familiars to bring people to it.

    She dashes away from Madoka, frowning at herself and immediately regretting both decisions, to let Madoka come with her and not immediately destroying the Grief Seed in the birdcage. She still could. ...maybe. Looking at it she shakes her head. If Kyubey weren't here she might risk strapping a time bomb to it, or near it, but she doesn't want him learning the secrets of her powers if she can help it, either.

    So she swings her arm wide and a single mortar falls out of her should, landing on the ground set up and ready to fire. A mortar shell is retrieved and handed to her left hand, just in front of her shield, while her right retrieves a pistol, her thumb flicking the safety off.

    The very second the Witch begins to hatch the mortar shell drops, launching in a high arc from the tube and aiming to land directly atop it, while Homura runs away from Madoka and begins firing at it with her pistol, doing her best to get in a heavy first trike while also drawing it's attention entirely away from Madoka.

    Really, this is a hassle. If she was alone she'd fire a few RPG rounds or set some C4 up and hose it down with a machine gun, but that wouldn't teach Madoka anything and Kyubey might be watching anyway. Worst of all she doesn't have very many good ways of protecting Madoka that don't involve her direct intervention. She makes a mental note to ask Mami Tomoe later about how she creates defensive barriers for kouhai tagging along with her.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka covers her mouth as Homura says that this Witch is different. It's true that it drew them directly in and they didn't have to walk to it. Did that really make it more dangerous?

    No, it makes sense. If the Witch isn't hiding, then it might be more confident in its fighting abilities. Do Witches have confidence levels? Madoka doesn't really know.

    The darkness seeping into the Grief Seed suddenly grows more spikey and moves more violently. There's a minor shockwave, enough to blow everyone's hair (and Kyubey's ears) back, as the Seed hatches. Just as the Witch is beginning to emerge, Homura's mortar shell goes off and the monster's inhumane shriek fills the Labyrinth.

    When it finishes forming, the Witch is two stories tall, in the vague shape of a woman wearing a large black dress, shaped like an upside down rose. The woman wearing the dress looks more like a shadow or a silhouette, making her stand out starkly against the pleasant bright fields. There is a sword, resembling a rapier, piercing her chest from the front all the way to the hilt, sharp point coming out the other side and dripping with red fluid that resembles, but couldn't possibly actually be, blood. The rapier is size-appropriate for someone like her, which is to say that it's huge for a normal person.

    Homura's gunshots are the only noise happening, and the Witch flinches with the impact of every bullet, but such a large creature could not be easily stopped by a few shots, even if they are magical. To Homura's credit, they have the intended effect as the Witch focuses on the one who is actually threatening her and leaving Madoka mostly alone.

    "Watch out, Homura-chan!" shouts Madoka. "The coffins!"

    A quick glance would reveal what she's talking about. The coffins are opening, and various distorted yet vaguely-human shapes rise up out of them, each of them dressed in the same regal white-with-gold-trim uniform. It's either military dress or a very fancy school uniform. Each of them wears a rose over their heart as if prepared for a formal dance. Of the twelve that rise, ten are vaguely male of various heights, and two of them are feminine. Each of them has a rapier of their own drawn in their hands, and they are starting to charge towards Homura.

    The Witch is not yet attacking, instead taking a step back and watching with its hands clasped together over its lap. Apparently it's content to let its minions fight for it, at least at first.

    Madoka quickly looks around, for a hiding place. Kyubey has already found one. <Over here, Madoka Kaname!> She makes the split decision to trust the creature, and in this exact moment it's probably the right choice. The last thing that Kyubey would want is for Madoka to die right now, after all. There's a low hedge wall separating part of the white path from the rest of the battlefield. No Familiars or other threats are nearby, so Madoka hides behind the hedge and peeks out over the top. Kyubey is right next to her, similarly half hidden.

Homura Akemi has posed:
    The mortar seems to have done it's job if that screech is any indication, and Homura is relieved when all the attention seems to focus on her. Still, she doesn't have the luxury of savoring the feeling, knowing things only need a moment to go completely wrong.

    At the shout of warning she looks towards the coffins and frowns. If she ever had to fight this Witch again she'd know how to handle it better. A strange thought for almost anyone else, but it's the kind of mental note that might help Homura sometime in the future.

    As her gun runs out of ammunition she drops it and pulls out two more, dual wielding a pair of small pistols. With the Witch's focus on her she turns her attention to the familiars, planting her feet and holding her arms out to either side and firing three shots towards two familiars, turning and then repeating her attacks on a different pair. She isn't so much trying to destroy them as ensure all twelve are under threat. Even so, eventually a bullet catches one of them directly on the rose, and the Familiar explodes into a spray of yellow rose petals.

    "Madoka!" she calls out, "Do you still have that weed killer I gave you?" She almost feels foolish asking. Why would she have that with her when she was walking to a dance? Still... "If you do, spray them on the rose if one of them gets near you!"

    By now the familiars are all getting closer to her, ready to surround her. She drops the pistols once they click and prove empty. She stands in place, looking indignant and flipping her hair. It looks for all the world like she might have painted herself into a corner. If Madoka watches closely she'd see the Puella Magi calmly retrieving an ovular, studded green object from her shield, pulling the pin and releasing the catch to send the large silver arming trigger clattering away on the ground. She drops it just before Familiars lunge forward with rapier thrusts, and disappears, the grenade exploding half a second later.

    She immediately reappears on the other side of the Witch, still keeping a distance between herself and Madoka and looking for all the world like she teleported. More items are pulled from the shield. A large blue plastic five gallon gas can with the word 'Kerosene' on the side is the first thing, and another pistol is the second. She spins around a few times, a purple glow surrounding the can as she launches the kerosene can like a shotput towards the Witch in an impossibly perfect arc, her newest pistol ringing out once it's almost there and blasting holes in it that send the liquid fuel spraying in all directions.

    Unlike the previous pistols Homura slides this one back into her shield, looking stoic while her next weapon is retrieved. An honest to god flamethrower. She slings the backpack full of gasoline onto her back and flicks the something on the front of the weapon to light the pilot light, a hard look in her eyes.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    The Familiars are exactly as single minded and uncreative as Homura expects them to be. Some of them are already staggering and falling over just from bullets, only to stand up again mere moments later. It's only when the roses on their chests get disturbed that they begin to fall, one after another. Homura's tactic of bundling them together and hitting them with a grenade works like a charm. Kyubey, meanwhile, is watching Homura closely. He hasn't yet figured out what her deal is, but she's right to keep her guard up.

    Homura might know Madoka a bit more than she's giving herself credit for, because Madoka has been keeping a magical emergency kit in her purse ever since that day on the beach. There's not much to it, just a first aid kit and the spray bottle of enchanted RoundUp. Sometimes she brings a pocket knife with her, but not when she goes to school because that's bad. Mami's ribbon would be here too, but it despawned shortly after she got it.

    "Huh?" Madoka asks, "That thing?" She reaches into the white purse she brought with her. Frantically, she searches through her various things, silently hoping that her dad hasn't used it all up by mistake.

    <Behind us!> warns Kyubey.

    Her search is interrupted when a rapier suddenly stabs through where Madoka was half a second ago, getting stuck in the hedge that she was hiding behind. She just narrowly avoided danger thanks to the Incubator's warning, as a thirteenth Familiar snuck up behind them. While the shorter, masculine Familiar is busy trying to pull its sword out, Madoka finds the spray bottle and aims directly for the rose. One spray is all it takes, and it explodes harmlessly into white petals.

    Maodka's a little pale, but... compared to what else she's been through, this is what she's come to expect. Somehow having her life directly threatened isn't nearly as scary as the thought of losing a friend or being forced to abandon someone.

    <Nice thinking, Madoka!> encourages Kyubey. <With instincts like that, you could absolutely be a magical girl!>

    Madoka isn't sure what to feel about that. "T... thanks?" Having this subject come up around Homura is awkward, even if everyone here knows she's thinking about it.

    With the last of the Witch's defenders dead, it makes a strange unearthly noise that almost sounds like 10-15 people clearing their throats at once. Its shadowy head tilts, and it seems completely unaware of where Homura is up until the moment it gets splashed with enchanted kerosine. It turns around, with a distinct lack of emotional response, or at least one that a human would recognize. The kerosine drips down her black upside-down rose dress as the Witch turns to face its assailant, and the elegant-looking (for a monster) magical creature reaches up to pull the giant rapier out of her chest. It screams in its inhuman way as the blade comes out, red liquid like badly-animated blood dripping down. It's almost as if the framerate of this Witch is lower than that of reality. A black rose grows out of her chest where the sword once was, closing the wound.

    Moving forward suddenly, the Witch thrusts the Rapier down at Homura, the blade being almost as wide as the Puella Magi is tall. It follows up with a series of thrusts, putting no thought into the fact that being right next to a flamethrower-using Homura is exactly where it doesn't want to be.

Homura Akemi has posed:
    That... was close. Too close. Homura's face is pale as she hears Kyubey call out. No, letting Madoka come with her was a terrible idea. If not for that white rat she could have already finished this, and had a much easier time keeping track of Madoka as well. She can at least let out a small sigh of relief as she sees the burst of white rose petals, but with a close call she's not letting this last any longer.

    Her head tilts up towards the Witch as it retrieves it's own rapier, eyebrows angling sharply downward as she glares at it. "No more chances." It stabs down towards her and Homura goes in what is likely the last place it expects- even closer. She leaps towards it, high enough to end up above the Witch, vaulting over it's shoulder. When she reaches the apex of her jump she pulls the trigger, and a long tongue of flame reaches out for the Witch as gasoline is hosed out onto it while being fed through an open flame.

    Kerosene she spread immediately ignites on contact and the Witch is suddenly a mass of flames, it's enormous rose petal dress alighting, as well as it's large, shadowy body. Anywhere the liquid got is now covered in flame. Even when she lands on the other side of the Witch Homura is taking no chances, emptying the fuel tank her of her flamethrower in a single long burst, standing there and holding down the trigger with an angry expression even after the flaming fuel stops spraying, only releasing it once the inevitable defeat of the Witch causes the Labyrinth to begin destabilizing. "Hurry up and die already."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka decides that she really should be watching her own back, and so she tries to get out from behind the hedge. It's at that time she hears and feels a subtle rip from her dress, and when she looks back she sees one of her cute white wings impaled by the Familiar's rapier. She doesn't even have time to whine over this as she lifts up the edge of her long white dress and sprints towards different cover. Her spray bottle is held up to her side as if it were a gun. Madoka has seen too many action movies.

    As much as Madoka's plans have been ruined, she's not having nearly as bad a time as the Witch who is now covered in flames. It screams, in that strange eldritch way that Witches sometimes do. It flails, it burns, it wilts. It drops its giant rapier as the large rose on its chest catches flame, slowly turning into ash as Homura keeps the stream of fire burning. The altered reality of the Labyrinth ripples, warps, distorts. The green fields dry up, the sky fades away, and the Witch's personal world simply vanishes. Madoka, Kyubey and Homura are left on the sidewalk, with Madoka kneeling near the ground next to... nothing. The cover she was ducking behind simply wasn't there anymore.

    Looking around to make sure things are safe, the pinkette stands up and starts brushing off her dress. The cloth costume wing was lost in the Labyrinth, leaving her back ornamentation asymmetrical. Her cheeks are a bit flush, and she finds herself wondering why she even went in. Was she worried about losing Homura? That seems silly in retrospect. Even though Madoka tried staying out of sight, she's still left feeling like she was in the way.

    The Grief Seed is resting close to Homura's feet, now empty and ready to be used. Kyubey's tail flicks. <If that's all, I think I'll be on my way.> Madoka waves at the creature's back as it leaps away, but doesn't really look at him. It lands behind a lamp post and is just... gone.

    Madoka's pink eyes are on Homura, and she frowns slightly. Suddenly she thinks of something, and pulls her phone out of her purse. "Oh shoot! We missed the whole dance!"

    Looking over her shoulder at where her missing wing used to be, she adds, "Well, maybe it's for the best."

Homura Akemi has posed:
    When the Labyrinth disappears Homura can finally breathe easy, taking in a long breath and letting it out slowly through her mouth. She flicks off the ignition switch for the pilot light of the flamethrower, which still has some fuel in the line, and then stows it back in her shield. She'll need to remind herself to refill it later.

    She reaches down and snaps up the Grief Seed, looking at the purple gem on the back of her hand. ...all things being equal, this was a pretty efficient kill. She only had to timestop once, guide one fuel can full of kerosene with magic, and do some powered jumps both in combat and on the way over. She might be willing to be proud of herself, if not for the fact that Madoka came so close to getting killed she's lost part of her dress.

    The Grief Seed gets stuffed into the shield as well as she walks over towards Madoka, her gaze a half glare at Kyubey as he runs away. She doesn't like to think of what might have happened if Madoka hadn't had her phone number. The first words out of her mouth once she's near to the pink-haired girl is, "I'm sorry about your dress. It looks nice on you, but now it's damaged..."

    At the mention of the dance she nods a little. It was a relatively short trip over, but it'd be a slower one back. And as quickly as the fight ended, it wasn't nothing. She keeps herself from frowning. She could actually get them there in time... but there are secrets she wants to keep. It's not time, yet. Especially not when beady red eyes might still be cast in their direction, from an unknown location.

    "I suppose there will be other dances," she responds, considering for a moment before noting. "I was hoping to see you there, actually. I was getting ready when you called me." Something occurs to her, "If we hurried we might make it, but I'd have to go change." Not that she hasn't already used her magic to quickly change her outfit once for Madoka's sake already.

    She looks around again, somewhat awkwardly this time, and notes. "If you were hoping to dance there's nothing stopping us, you know. I wasn't planning on showing off for anyone." Did... she just admit her entire reason to go to the dance was because she hoped Madoka would be there?

    Well. It wasn't as direct as that, and might need some inference, but such a guess wouldn't be wrong.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka closes her eyes and shakes her head at the mention of the dress. "It's fine. I knew it was dangerous. I should have been paying better attention instead of being impressed." Her hands fidget as her pink eyes look off to the side. "I'm not sure how to explain it to mama or daddy, though." She's not one to lie, especially not to her parents, but she's not sure how to tell the truth about this. If she's lucky, maybe they wont ask. "Besides... I can always remove the other wing. At least then it'd look right."

    It's probably a good thing that Madoka doesn't know what Homura's thinking, or else she'd be beating herself up over it. The last thing she'd ever want to do is make someone who has it as hard as Homura does feel bad.

    Madoka clasps her hands behind her back and takes a step closer to Homura, with a smile. "Thanks for coming as soon as you did. I hope it was worth your while. At least this time you get to keep the Grief Seed."

    Thinking about Homura's first suggestion to hurry back, Madoka shakes her head again. As much as she'd love to go, she'd be going alone and hoping to find friends there. Attending a dance without a date can sometimes feel like a waste of time. The second suggestion, on the other hand, catches Madoka's attention. "A dance? You mean... here? Or close by?" Later she will think about the implications of Homura's words, but for right now she's hoping to salvage whatever fun there is to have.

    Madoka looks around, and considers her offer. A part of her thinks it would be nice. A dashing young magical girl swoops in and saves the young maiden in danger, and then offers her a dance. She'd feel awkward teasing Homura about that, but she can't help but giggle at the thought.

    The pink-haired girl leans forward and cants her head to the side. She smiles brightly at Homura with her eyes closed. "I would like that, Homura-chan. It's okay if we didn't make it to the dance, as long as I get to spend time with good company."

    Was that a flirt? Madoka didn't intend it as such. She's still pretty innocent about such things, but that doesn't preclude her from saying something flirty on accident.

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura nods a little to Madoka. Nonverbal communication like that... actually takes more active thought than she'd like. In the past she might have just stared at the other girl with a stony faced expression that might leave Madoka feeling uncomfortable or judged for paying attention or not. "It's something you always have to remember. Even if you had the ability to fight like me, being aware of your surroundings is one of the most important tasks you can have. For an experienced Magical Girl it's almost never the obvious attack that gets you; it's the one you don't see coming, or don't understand."

    She hadn't intended to lecture Madoka but upon even a moment's thinking about it if she didn't teach anything directly then what was the point of letting her into the Labyrinth in the first place? Homura Akemi was not in the business of pointlessly endangering the life of Madoka Kaname.

    As for the dress? Homura's spent far too much time around Kyubey not to see an easy way out of that problem. "Just tell them it got caught on something you didn't notice on the way and by the time you did it was gone." Lies of omission. Naturally.

    As for being worth her while, she does give Madoka something of a blank look, "Madoka," is it strange she doesn't use honorifics, "I will always hurry to your side if you're in danger. It will never be 'not worth my while', Grief Seed or not." Her purple eyes stare into Madoka's for several long moments, and her jaw sets briefly. The faintest bit of color shows on her cheeks as she starts, "You are..." she looks away, her voice soft but reserved, "my very first real friend." There's more meaning to that than Madoka can even know. But both in all her life and in this specific timeloop? It's the truth.

    She doesn't let the moment hang for very long though, because there's something else needing doing now. Whether Madoka's words were flirty, intentionally or otherwise, seems to not have broken past Homura's still-extant partial external facade. Almost as if she was reaching into her shield to pull out a shotgun her hand disappears behind it. A small stool is retrieved and set on the ground shortly followed by a large boombox. Without even looking towards Madoka she sets the boombox on the stool, hits the power button, and then jabs a finger on the play button of-- is that a cassette tape player? Where would she even get one of those these days?

    With little warning the sound of a soulful, yearning saxophone begins playing. Homura turns to Madoka and takes a single step towards her in a single motion, holding her hand out. "Madoka Kaname, may I have this dance?"

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Situational awareness is something that Madoka could work on, even without being a magical girl. Maybe it's something she could ask Inai-sensei about later, since that's very much a self-defense matter. The pink haired girl pays full attention to Homura, nodding along. If she's going to keep getting involved in these things, it's her obligation to stay alive as long as she can, which means not making mistakes.

    Still, she wasn't entirely here to learn. She dreaded the thought of waiting outside, silently wondering if she had just sent Homura to her death, and not really knowing what was going on until the other girl came back out. Using telepathy to check up on Homura in the middle of a fight would just make things worse, too. Putting herself at risk was less worrisome than that, even if it was foolish..

    Madoka nervously laughs at Homura's suggestion. Nothing about that is technically a lie. Maybe if Junko comes home drunk she won't think to poke holes into that explanation. "I mean... maybe. I don't want to be dishonest, but I don't think they'd understand even if I told them the whole truth." Madoka remembers some of the drain victims she's seen before. They didn't remember a thing, and some of them acted like she had a concussion or something.

    She's pulled out of that line of thinking when Homura addresses her so... directly. The way Homura talks makes Madoka's cheeks change to match her hair. She is incredibly flattered and yet also she feels sorry for the other girl, not in a condescending way but in a way that makes Madoka think that only the most ridiculously unfair universe would leave someone like Homura all alone. No one who tries as hard as she does deserves that kind of isolation.

    Madoka already knew that Homura was someone important to her. Her dream told her that much. Now... she's starting to understand why. A month ago she didn't really believe in premonitions, but with all of the magic she's seen she can't really discount the idea.

    "Homura-chan..." Madoka starts to say something, but Homura is already starting up music. The idea that the veteran Puella would use her shield not just for weapons but other things gets a giggle out of Madoka, and when Homura asks her to dance...

    Madoka doesn't hesitate in her response, holding up her dress and giving Homura a slight curtsey. "I would love to, Homura-chan." Then she takes Homura's hand, stepping closer and wrapping her other arm around the black-haired girl's back, as dancers do.

    Madoka doesn't know why, but something about this feels natural.

Homura Akemi has posed:
    "You're right about that. They won't understand even if you tell them truth, so it's best to tell them something simple that won't get them confused. You're already going to need a reason to miss the dance; that's going to be harder to explain than how an accessory behind you you can't see ended up damaged." Homura feels a little bad telling Madoka her explanation was going to be even harder than she was already considering, but it's better than having her find out and scramble when her parents asked her how the dance went the next day.

    Not giving Madoka time to reply or think too deeply on her words right now is intentional. At the same time, the intention to dance with her is just as honest so she doesn't see anything wrong with it. As Madoka takes her hand and steps close, Homura sets her hand at her hip.

    This is where she gets to cheat a little. This should be the first time she's ever danced with Madoka Kaname, but it isn't. It wouldn't be right to say they'd danced a lot, but they have enough for Homura to know that she knows how to dance, and that she's good at following.

    Homura hasn't taken dancing lessons or anything like it, but fighting and dancing have a lot in common. Smooth, efficient motions, excellent awareness, so as not to bump into anything or step on toes. Amazing balance and coordination.

    It isn't a slow, simple dance that begins. With plenty of room it's more of an extravagant ballroom dance she sweeps Madoka into, immediately taking a large step backwards and pulling Madoka along with her, turning so her partner's white skirt flares a little, holding gently onto her hand while guiding with the hand at her hip. Somehow Homura knows what Madoka will respond to, how to guide her. So she sweeps her around the area, seeming to ignore everything around them while dancing with Madoka on the sidewalk. And yet, when there's a tastelessly discarded soda can on the ground she artfully sweeps it aside with a small kick to her heel. Did it just stop right next to the nearby recycling bin? Why yes, it did!

    At first she keeps Madoka close, but once her dance partner is able to process the motion and settle into it Homura releases gives a push with the hand on her hip and raises the held hand, neatly spinning Madoka around. When she pulls her back in she's even more showy, transitioning immediately into a dip, bending the pink-haired girl backwards and neatly supporting her by an arm about her waist, pausing a brief moment in that position before continuing again, her expression calm and even. It's almost like that stony mask-like look she sometimes gets when she isn't thinking, except this time it has a small but happy smile.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka, consistently over many timelines, has always liked Homura on some level. It's only natural that they would have danced before, at least a few times. Maybe there were timelines where they didn't miss today's dance, or maybe there were times when they had more pressing things to do. Madoka wouldn't know about such alternate realities. All she knows is that Homura seems to really know what she's doing.

    Everything seems, to Madoka's point of view, almost too perfect. She isn't the most experienced dancer, but she knows how to follow a lead. When she's a little slow or maybe too fast, Homura seems able to compensate. With Homura, her mistakes don't even feel like mistakes. They're just part of the dance. Soon, Madoka stops doubting herself, and lets her feet naturally follow the rhythm of the music, her eyes looking deep into her dance partner's. Her cheeks stay flushed.

    The sudden, and yet smooth and artful kick of the wayward can, breaks Madoka out of the trance that she didn't realize she was in. She giggles, and quietly notes how thoughtful Homura is.

    The slight push takes her by surprise, but she thinks she knows what's coming next. Twirling is, after all, one of the first flourishes a dancer tries to learn. Even if it's not the easiest. She's a little bit unsure as she spins, but Homura knows her so well, and predicts even her slightest hesitation. However, it doesn't quite stop where Madoka expects. Suddenly, she is caught in a dip, and if her partner were anyone other than the time traveling Puella, the pink haired girl might have ended up on her back.

    Instead, she is caught, looking up at Homura with blushing cheeks. Her eyes are wide open, lie a doe. Her white dress hangs from her legs, barely touching the ground. She doesn't know what she's feeling right now, but it's a lot, and if someone as pretty as Homura tried to kiss her right now, Madoka wouldn't stop her.

    Of course, that would also make interactions awkward the next few times they spoke, and Homura might want to wait for a better time. Already, Madoka's going to be processing her feelings about the black-haired beauty.

    On the bright side, no one in the Kaname household is going to be overly worried about her dress if she comes home with a blush like that.

    Instead they'll have a very different set of questions.

Homura Akemi has posed:
    If it was anyone else Homura wouldn't be able to lead like this. There's no one else she could dance with, both past and present, that she'd pay enough attention to to notice all the subtleties and details. She doesn't push Madoka to dance faster or more elaborate than she can handle, but she does move quickly and intricately enough to make it exciting. She certainly doesn't care about any little mistakes Madoka might make in the process.

    To Homura there's only a few things that matter. Madoka missed a dance she was going to because something bad happened, so she wants to make it up to her. She wants Madoka to have had a good night, and have had fun dancing despite the interruption.

    But also, Homura wants to have fun dancing with Madoka, too. It's actually something of a luxury to let herself have fun. But it's been weeks and though things started hectic there are no signs of Walpurgisnacht showing up, or of anyone else gathering enough power to threaten the entire city, or the entire world. She isn't going to let herself get lax, but she doesn't need to furiously prepare for any specific calamity. So she can give this to herself, dance here with Madoka to a song that's probably more romantic than she realizes even though she picked it out specifically and had it ready to play, and have fun.

    In the dip she gazes into Madoka's eyes. She admires the look in them, and the expression on her face. She looks perfect like that, caught and slightly blushing. It's an expression she'll be remembering for a long time.

    It doesn't even occur to her to kiss Madoka though; she's not going to try to kiss someone she just told was her first real friend. That she has more feelings than just that for her is certain, she wouldn't be trying to sweep her off her feet if she didn't. The emotional closeness and connection is more than enough for Homura right now. It's times like this, when she can honestly be friends with Madoka and have fun with her that reminds her again of just how important her mission. And how worth it everything has been, if she can find a way to make things work in the end.

    The moment passes and she lifts Madoka up from the dip, pulling her away, spinning together with the other girl held close, dancing in looping, spinning circles that suggest she'd be better off in a long flowing skirt than the short frilly thing her transformed state gives her. It'll have to do. Just like Madoka's little mistakes, it doesn't bother her at all. She's dancing with Madoka and even if someone passing by might think they look beyond silly or ridiculous it wouldn't matter to her at all.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    The song playing has certain meme implications that Madoka isn't entirely unaware of, but it's also a song that stands on its own. For an occasion like this, it's perfect, and the pink girl will probably remember this night fondly whenever she hears this song, though for now it doesn't have any implications beyond a fun night with a new friend. Maybe this is all she really wanted anyways, to have fun and dance with someone she cared about.

    In a way it's even more special. This isn't a moment she's sharing with the rest of the school. This is something she's only sharing with Homura. If anyone thinks it looks silly, Madoka would emphatically disagree, because sometimes the best moments are just like this: unplanned, messy, and sincere.

    Madoka lets the romance of the moment pass. If Homura wants to connect with Madoka, then she's making all of the right moves, and if the pinkette ever figures out why Homura is so good at this, well... it wouldn't exactly be offensive, if she knew the full story.

    When she comes out of the dip, the red of her cheeks fades a bit. As she spins round and round and round with Homura, at one point she closes her eyes and giggles. As cute as this moment is, and as mature it might seem, a part of her is reminded of kids holding hands and spinning around in circles. When her pink eyes open again, looking deep into purple, she wears a soft smile. If nothing else, Homura is a true friend, and someone Madoka feels that she could trust intrinsically.

    Whatever sloppiness Madoka has, she's not worried about it anymore, because Homura's not worried, and if Homura isn't treating her like an embarrassment then Madoka doesn't feel like one.

    "You're a wonderful dancer, Homura-chan," she says. "Do you do this a lot?" It's an innocent comment and question, because Madoka is an innocent person, and there's no hidden motivations here. As far as Madoka is concerned, they're just friends having fun together, and that's all this is. It is, however, a lot of fun, and the pink-haired girl's bright smile makes that clear. "Next time maybe we should go together. Assuming we can make it."

Homura Akemi has posed:
    "Not as much as I'd like," Homura replies. It's not a complete answer, but it's not a lie either. The full truth was that she didn't dance all that often. If she wasn't on good terms with Madoka, there might not be a reason to go to dances at all. Making sure no one attacked the school would be important... but it might even be more important to make sure nothing attacks while a large number of the cities protectors are busy in one location. The Witch that appeared tonight might punctuate that.

    The dark-haired Puella slows as the song nears it's end, "I'd like that. Keeping people safe and fighting Witches always has to be one of a Puella's top priorities, but I'd be happy to go with you to the next dance." She considers for a moment. "Maybe I can walk you to the dance next time, so something like this won't be a problem." If she'd been there from the start they'd still have had plenty of time to make it.