314/On A No Honorifics Basis

On A No Honorifics Basis
Date of Scene:	27 August 2023
Location:	Mitakihara General Hospital
Synopsis:	Homura Akemi visits Madoka Kaname during her stay in the hospital. Homura learns about the Witches who hurt Madoka, and Madoka learns a bit more about the magical world. They grow closer as friends.
Cast of Characters:	Madoka Kaname, Homura Akemi

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Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka's recovery has been miraculously fast. The kind of burns that she suffered on that fateful day in that especially violent Labyrinth (which is quite a statement in of itself), were the kinds of things that would take a normal person weeks, months, or even years to get over. Quick treatment, and magical help, cut that down by a lot. The doctors are saying that she might not have any scars. Eventually.

    However, she still has to get some exercise and fresh air to help her recovery, and she wasn't the one on suicide watch. The rooftop of the skyscraper hospital provides a nice place to walk around, and also to receive visitors at times. Madoka is sitting on a chair in the middle of one of the concentric rings of flowers on this roof, reading a textbook and doing some homework. There's an empty chair next to her with some of her stuff on it. Occasionally she picks up her phone and checks her texts, smiling at supportive messages from her friends, and texts back a thank you in response.

    Once in a while her arm aches, and she finds herself touching, fidgeting, and massaging it a bit. Sometimes the wind picks up and she pushes her papers down against her book to make sure they float away. Her papa has left her a bento that she occasionally eats from while studying.

    She takes in a deep breath, and then lets it out. The pink girl looks up at the air, and leans back. Considering that Witch a few days ago, could she really have done something different? She feels like an idiot for how things went, but... she can't think of anything she'd really change. Be more proactive about using Kyubey's telepathy in team settings, maybe.

    Madoka places her textbook aside and grabs her bento, starting to nibble on some of her papa's food as she looks up at the vast, empty sky.

TXT Magda Faust: Kaname-san? I came to your room, but you weren't there. Are you safe?
TXT Madoka Kaname: I'm fine. I'm just getting some fresh air.
TXT Magda Faust: Oh! Sorry to bother you then. If you need anything, please call or text me at any time. Heheheh. Maybe I should just get my own room here, based off how much time I spend at the hospital...
TXT Magda Faust: Heh...
TXT Magda Faust: Okaysorrybye.
TXT Madoka Kaname: It's okay! Thanks for checking on me!

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura knows a few things. Madoka had been in a Labyrinth. There had been several Puella Magi and some others present as well, but things had somehow gone wrong and Madoka was in the hospital. Not just visiting, but admitted, having been severely injured.

    Of course the dark haired veteran had immediately sent her condolences and well wishes. A small, generic but pretty bouquet of hypoallergenic and hospital safe flowers had been delivered, with a little card reiterating the get well soon message in handwriting. But Homura hadn't visited, not yet.

    There were reasons for this. The first being that Madoka probably wasn't actually able to receive visitors that weren't direct family members. After that, though? Homura needed time to think. She also needed time to fume, and get over the immediate emotions that completely clouded her judgments. Most Witches now to her were not particularly threatening. There were always exceptions, and being incautious or cocky was a quick way for even a Veteran to overlook something and end up injured or dead.

    But if Homura was alone and used her powers to their full capability she could, generally speaking, destroy most Witches with little to no risk. Most Witches had a hard time fighting back when frozen in time, after all.

    So the fact it was a Witch that seriously injured Madoka catches her by surprise, and she's angry at herself for it. But even more than that, when she hears there were multiple other Puella present and the civilian present still got hurt? It's easy for the direction of her anger to shift.

    So no. Even though running to Madoka's side the very second she hears is what every instinct, every cell in Homura's body tells her to do, she doesn't. Because she's very sure that if she did would end up saying things she couldn't take back, and what she needs to make is allies, not enemies.

    At the same time, the minor Youma and Familiar population over the next few days takes a shocking, sudden decline. She has to vent her frustrations somehow, and she happens to be a Magical Girl. Some weaker Witches get wiped out while she patrols, or rather rampages, about the city but she's already sure these couldn't possibly have stood against multiple opponents and found a way to put people in the hospital. After all, anyone who made a mistake big enough to get hurt against one of those likely made one big enough not to make it out at all. The thought doesn't help her mood.

    Eventually though, she does calm. Not completely. Not even near completely. But enough that she can direct it where it belongs: against the specific Witch that did this. Which means it's finally time to go and find out exactly what happened.

    And so Madoka gets a text from Homura, asking if it's okay to go see her. When the response comes, she learns she can, and that Madoka is on the roof of Mitakihara General Hospital. Good enough.

    It's only seconds later, only not instantly because that would probably freak the poor recovering girl out, that Homura is suddenly just there on the roof. There's no snap, pop, or bamf. She's just there, transformed and holding in her hands a rather large bouquet of Gerbera Daisies in a vase. Most are various shades of pink with pale yellow centers, but there are some reddish oranges, and a couple bright yellow as well.

    If Madoka looks, the doors to the elevator stand open a few moments, then close. It's the probably the best clue she'll have of how Homura's powers really work; they should have closed long ago even if she'd been running, and no footsteps were heard.

    "Madoka." The voice that speaks is a greeting, but the nominally stoic Homura can't keep emotion from leaking into her voice. Not when she's seeing Madoka sitting there with some remnants of what happened still showing. Still, she takes a couple of steps forward, characteristic click of her boots sounding on the hard rooftop, and holds out her hands, "These are for you."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka heard the ding of her phone, and took her eyes downward to look at her phone. It's Homura. Suddenly, Madoka's mood shifts. She gets to see Homura-chan today? Her response is swift and enthusiastic. Of course she'd welcome a visit from her. Once she sends the text, she starts thinking rapidly. Oh geeze, Homura is coming over. Should I change? Should I do something to prepare?

    Oh... Oh she's... She's already here.

    Madoka is a bit too low energy to be startled, but her wide pink eyes are fixated on the surprise Homu that has suddenly appeared before her. The elevator door closes in her peripheral vision. Was... was that even open before? Madoka wasn't paying that close attention to it, and the detail is quickly forgotten as her eyes go to the bouquet of Gerbera Daisies that Homura has brought.

    She blushes for a moment, surprised by the rapidity of events. She carefully sets her phone aside, and starts putting things back into her bag, which she then places on the ground next to her chair, leaving the other chair empty. When Madoka stands up, it's about as effortless as it should be, showing that at the very least there's no obvious long term disability from this. Madoka smiles brightly at her relatively new friend, with a little bit of pink still on her cheeks, as she reaches out to accept the vase.

    "You brought these for me? These are my favorites. How did you know?"

    That, more than the elevator door, might be the bigger hint to Homura's true nature, but that'll be something that Madoka figures out later.

    She smiles at the brightly colored flowers. They have no scent, so she can't exactly smell them, but she takes a moment to appreciate the beauty of the arrangement before turning her attention toward her visitor.

    "Thanks for visiting me, Homura-chan! I'm really glad you came by," says Madoka with a bright and friendly smile. "Sorry I haven't been very chatty lately. I've been sleeping a lot, actually. How have you been lately? Are you doing alright?"

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Loaded question after loaded question. Homura probably should have actually walked over and thought about how this would probably go. But she's never actually claimed to function on logic more than emotion. She just keeps her emotions close to the chest, a lot of the time.

    When Madoka has the presence of mind to ask how Homura knew about the flowers rather than assuming it was a coincidence, the Puella feels the temptation to tell her she'd heard her talking about it before. Technically, it's true! Just not this timeloop. That reminds her too much of Kyubey and his half-truths though. Not much time passes, but she can't seem to find an answer that won't freak Madoka out, until it hits her.

    It was a rhetorical question.

    Tension that had built up suddenly melts away. It might have melted all the way away, except that the reason she's here hasn't changed.

    "I'm glad you like them," she manages to reply, her voice somewhat more even than it was before. That's probably good, at least. She is, however, rather intentionally keeping her old stoic expression in full force. Luckily she's kept it up so often out of pure habit it probably doesn't even look amiss.

    The flowers are handed over, and Homura keeps her eyes on Madoka's. Emotions swirl through her, but don't show. Even in her eyes, which just look a little sad, and a little tired. So like they always do. "I'm sorry I haven't come sooner. I've been patrolling," she explains. She doesn't think she needs to explain further why she'd be doing that, or why it would be important.

    Her head shakes then, "It's alright. I'm sure you have too many people checking up on you to be too chatty with any one person in particular." Her eyes now do turn away from Madoka, looking to her things on the ground. "Especially if you've decided to actually keep up with your homework. Aiming for the honor rolls?" It's a minor tease, but showing Madoka she isn't completely incapable of humor is important.

    Of course, Madoka might not realize just how angry her injury had made Homura. But then, maybe she did. They were friends now, after all. "I've been keeping myself busy. I'm sure I'm doing better than you, with what you've had to go through." These answers are, of course, deflections. But not full ones. Madoka is smart, and more importantly has a higher emotional intelligence and empathy than anyone else Homura has ever met. Even through her stone faced mask she's sure the pink-haired girl will know she's upset. The deflecting answers are even a way to tell an emotionally intelligent person that very thing, without having to explain how much.

    "More importantly, how are you? I'm glad to see you're up and about." Homura will pause long enough for Madoka to actually answer this question. It is important to her. She actually does care about Madoka's well being more than her own vengeance.

    But that vengeance isn't going away.

    Once that question is answered she prompts what Madoka must be expecting. "Madoka, I want you to tell me what happened. Everything you can remember. You don't have to go into every detail, especially if they're painful to remember, but I need to know." She doesn't want to know. She needs to. She's being honest. Homura knows she's being demanding, but if Madoka is her friend, she deserves that honesty. It means she's trying a little less hard to hide just how much she cares about Madoka's well-being.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka keeps things close to her chest too. Mostly, those things are plushies, or other things she's hugging or cuddling. Not her feelings, though. Those are written all over her face, as usual. She has no idea that the questions she's asking could lead to anything hiding under the surface.

    All she really knows about Homura is that she cares very much, is very tough, is a bit shy, and says some mysterious things sometimes. Most of that doesn't really require a question in Madoka's mind, and she's not in the habit of sticking her nose into someone else's secrets. Especially not a friend's.

    Still, even though her eyes aren't on Homura at the moment, she still picks up on her friend's emotions. Homura controls her face well, but expressions aren't the only thing to read. The tenseness of her muscles, the sharpness of her breathing... even something like excess calm can hide a sea of anger. It's not that Madoka isn't paying attention. It's just that what might be a subtle sign to someone else is loud and clear to her. Maybe, at some point, she'll realize that's what it means to have intelligence.

    "I hope your patrols have gone well." There is a sadness to Madoka's tone that she doesn't immediately explain. It's one thing to know that someone's a magical girl. It's something else entirely to know first hand what kind of things they have to go through. Especially when they fight Witches.

    Madoka giggles lightly at Homura's teasing. "No, not me! I just... don't have much else to do. Maybe if I learn something..." For a moment, Madoka considers making a self-disparaging joke about how much trouble she gets into, but then she remembers something her mother said. She decides that Homura isn't the right audience for that.

    It's flattering to think that someone as cool as Homura cares about her specifically, almost too flattering for Madoka to believe, but whether Homura's concern is for others in general or focused on Madoka in particular... she probably wouldn't think it was funny for Madoka to call herself an idiot. No matter how much she might feel like one.

    "I'm getting better. Honestly... I might be dead if not for the magical girls who were with me at the time. Magda Faust-san has been using her magic to heal me. That's the only reason I'm recovering as fast as I am. Or as... completely."

    Then Homura asks the big question. The tone of it the direct concern, makes Madoka blush a little bit. She looks away from Homura, hiding partially behind the big vase of flowers, looking down and away.

    "There was a Witch the other day in Juuban. I saw someone, Haruko, the one sharing a hospital room with me, get Witch Kissed. I tried to stop her. Other magical girls were in the area. I assumed they took care of the Witch, but I didn't go in after them. I opted to stay outside to make sure Haruko stayed safe. It's a Labyrinth, so... I don't think I need to explain that choice. I never got to see how that fight ended, and after a while it bothered me. So I went back there a little while later to see Haruko being dragged away by another Witch."

    Madoka places the vase down on one of the now empty chairs, and turns her body towards Homura. Madoka clasps her hands together in front of her and looks Homura directly in the eyes, her head tilted downward just slightly in a somewhat meek pose.

    "This time, it was at the train station. Haruko jumped into the barrier before I could reach her, and I jumped in after her. I thought I was alone, but other magical girls showed up behind me. I tried to chase her down, but familiars kept getting in the way. That Labyrinth... it seemed peaceful at first, but once we got past the first door it was... incredibly violent, even for a Labyrinth. Trains were crashing into each other, passengers were loading and unloading... letters were raining from the sky and everything was inky-black. Each and every thing seemed like a potential threat, and so I held back. I tried calling out to Haruko, but she wasn't responding."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka scratches the back of her hair, and looks off to the side. "My memory gets fuzzy after that. There was a platform there that stretched forever in both directions. That's where the trains were stopping. I was hiding behind Coco because she was helping me float around. Adelstein-san and Amy Faust-san were there, hunting the Witch. Some of the trains were crashing against the platform, and one of the trains was full of explosive canisters... that's the one that got me. It got most of us. I thought I was going to die. I..."

    Madoka pauses... she doesn't want to say what happened next, but she doesn't like lying. Even if she gets yelled at, Homura deserves the truth. "I almost made a Wish. Two things stopped me. Firstly... Kyubey... fell off of me. I thought he got incinerated, but he turned out to be fine afterwards. He found the exit to the Labyrinth and guided us out of it. Secondly..."

    Madoka hesitates even more. She frowns tightly. "... something made me feel like risking death was better than becoming a Puella Magi. I don't know why I thought that, but I did."

    Her arm starts bothering her again, and she reaches up to fidget with it. "I was barely holding it together after that. We escaped the Labyrinth, together. Adelstein-san took the hit worse than I did. If things had gone even slightly differently, if I hadn't been there to catch her, she'd be dead. Several of us would have been. I managed to call EMS. The others were talking about running and hiding, but I wasn't going to do that. Between me and Haruko, we had two burnt civilians and we needed medical care. I didn't care if we got caught. The Veil would just make something up for us, anyways. Once I felt safe, I just passed out."

    Madoka takes in a deep breath, and then lets it out. "We discovered after the fact that Haruko-san had two Witch Kisses on her. We think that there were actually two Witches in that Labyrinth, and they were fighting over which one of them got to eat her."

    She gets quiet after that. There was a lot to say, but she wanted to cover the important bits of what happened that day. It was nice, in a way, to be able to tell the truth to someone who would actually understand it. Someone who didn't already know, in any case.

Homura Akemi has posed:
    "I defeated some stray familiars, a few Youma, and even some Witches." That's actually extremely well, even for a Veteran. To say that Homura was driven would be an understatement. "I don't think either would be the one you ran into; they weren't any more dangerous than average."

    Homura's head tilts slightly to the side as Madoka starts to say something and then trail off. She knows Madoka well. Even so it takes her a moment or two to realize what had been intended. She's glad Madoka held off on it, and even gladder Madoka knew to do it.

    There's something different about Madoka this time. Or, no, wait. That's not it at all. Madoka isn't the one that's different, Homura is. She's actually letting herself get close, and she's remembering just how thoughtful and caring Madoka is. This is something she knows instinctively, in her bones, but there's such a difference between knowing a fact and experiencing it for yourself.

    More emotions swirl, but don't show. "I'm glad you're okay. I really, honestly am. I'll have to thank Faust-san for helping you." Once she finds out that Magda Faust is a Puella Magi there's little question where one of the Grief Seeds she'd acquired in her patrols is going.

    Then it's time for Homura to listen, and she goes solemn. Even with her face stony someone could tell, even if they weren't as smart as Madoka. The start of the story sounds... surprisingly normal. Madoka looked after someone instead of going into a Labyrinth? That sounds like the kind of thing she'd want to see happen, and a way to keep her out of the line of fire. Then the shoe drops. A second Witch. Homura's eyes lid slightly more, and she can already see what's starting to go wrong.

    Multiple Witches congregating is never a good thing. Even if it only means two fight's in a row, even Puella Magi get taxed and tired after fighting. They have augmented bodies, but they're still the same. Sodium and potassium ions get used up, making muscles weak and tired. If you know what to do you can burn magic to cheat the bodies natural fatigue, but it's expensive. If a hard, trained Veteran had been involved this wouldn't have happened, she's already decided.

    Homura lets her mask slip more, shaking her head as Madoka explains the violence of the situation. She holds onto her opinions but she already looks... it isn't angry. It's disappointment. Madoka might be able to tell it isn't directed at herself, though.

    "You thought dying would be better than becoming a Puella Magi?" Her thoughts are briefly cleared away when she hears that. That's... that's new. She hadn't heard the kindhearted girl say anything like that before. She knows instinctively Madoka doesn't mean being a Magical Girl altogether. She's been through too much to make that mistake.

    "I don't know what to say to that. I don't think you're wrong, but I wouldn't expect to hear it from you." Her words express her thoughts and help clarify them as she speaks.

    She waits until Madoka finishes, taking in a breath and sighing a little. "They should have gotten you out of there. If it was that violent, everyone should have stopped everything and gotten you and Haruko-san out. I don't know if Witches would fight over who got to eat a single person, but they will bitterly fight such an invader into their own Labyrinth."

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura waits for a few more moments to collect her thoughts. "Madoka, I know you've followed me into Labyrinth's before, and you've followed Tomoe-san. You were trying to look after Haruko-san, so you had different reasons this time, but it's important you know. It's very, very unsafe for you ever to be in a place like that. I feel confident enough in myself," and honestly in her ability to literally stop time, "to think that I can protect you, even in somewhere as dangerous and chaotic as a Labyrinth. Mami Tomoe-san is equally capable, as is Kyouko Sakura-san, though she's more reckless. The three of us are very experienced, and very capable."

    Now she shakes her head, closing her eyes, "The others that were with you clearly were not. The fact they didn't extricate you upon realizing the situation proves it. The fact they were fighting long enough without dispatching their target to allow a second Witch to invade is as well." She stops herself there, then frowns.

    Her purple eyes cast down, and now she's the one looking meek. "I'm sorry. You already know. You got hurt. You don't need a lecture from me. I just want you to remember; Magical Girls are wonderful and amazing, but they're not all as powerful as I am. If you place too much confidence in those that can't handle it, it becomes a burden and holds them back." She makes sure to look back up. "I don't just mean you, so don't take that to hard. I can do the same thing, if I ask someone to do more than they're capable of. Newer magical girls often don't know what they're capable of themselves, Puella Magi included."

    Finally she does what she always does when there are burdens on her, and she reaches back and flips her hair. "I'm glad you survived. That sounds like it was a horrible, desperate situation. I know how much you must have wanted to help, and there wasn't much more you could have done. You were doing the right thing by staying safe and keeping Haruko-san safe, and then a second Witch attacked and everything went wrong all at once."

    Homura looks right into Madoka's eyes. "Don't worry about the Witches. I'll find them and deal with them. They're obviously far too dangerous to let exist anymore, so I'll do what I have to do to destroy them both." It sounds like she's making a promise, and she is. There also isn't a shred of doubt or hesitation. Homura knows this is something she can do. She doesn't sound the least bit scared, despite the dangers she heard about.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    There's a moment of silence from Madoka. She has to... catch her breath, and sort out her feelings after that. She carefully listens to Homura's response. She doesn't stop her story, though she does wince when Homura says, 'I don't think you're wrong'. It confirms something that she didn't want to think about, didn't want to put too much faith in. It's validating, in some ways, to hear from a trusted source that your fears are correct. It's also horrifying.

    As for the relative skill levels and capabilities of the magical girls involved, as well as the Witches fighting, does say one thing. "There's one thing I do want to clarify, Homura-chan, to avoid a misunderstanding. We don't know when the second Witch showed up. For all we know, it was already there. Things happened very quickly. We did get Haruko out as fast as we could. This is what that looked like. Unless someone had super speed or teleportation, I don't see how they could do that any faster."

    She looks down at the ground, more at Homura's feet than Homura, "Well... you might have been able to do it. You seem to be pretty fast sometimes." Such as when you showed up. "If you had been there, we might have walked out with Grief Seeds instead of burn wounds. I've watched you solo Witches no problem."

    Madoka looks off to the side, still down. She feels bad saying what she's about to say, but Madoka doesn't lie. Not when the Veil isn't forcing her to. "Also... I think you're right. Lulu-san, I believe, had experience... but Amy-san and Coco-san... Amy-san I know for a fact is new. I'm still having to explain things to her and I'm not even a Puella Magi. I don't think she even had a mentor like Mami-san. Coco is... a support role. She's not meant to tank things, and I don't think she was prepared for what happened. She did help keep me alive, and she was the one I hid behind, but... You're probably right. I didn't really think of the team composition."

    Madoka frowns at the ground a bit, but then looks up at Homura, directly into her eyes. She narrows them, slightly. Not enough to be a squint, just enough that they aren't quite as open as they usually are. "You... aren't arguing against the 'worse than death' notion, are you?" Her frown deepens. "It's just that... in the same way that I feel you're important to me, I also felt like Wishing would only make things worse. I've told you about my dream, and how a lot of it didn't make sense to me. The fact that you matter to me was only part of it. The other part that I remember..." She pauses, bringing a hand to her face, covering her mouth slightly while turning her gaze downward. "... I remember trying to save people... but everything I did hurt them. The harder I tried, the worse I made things. I thought that I was just being insecure..."

    Her hands drop to her side, and she looks back into Homura's eyes with determination. "I still want to be a magical girl. I still intend to find some other way. I just haven't figured it out yet. When I do..." She steps forward, reaches out to take one of Homura's hands with both of her own, "... I want to work with you, to help you. If only one of us is a Puella Magi, then only one of us needs the Grief Seeds. I trust you... so much."

    Madoka steps back a bit, still holding onto Homura's hand for a moment. "Although... while Lulu-san and Amy-san might not have been able to handle this on their own, I do have faith in Teresia-san. She's friends with Lulu, and I know she wants to hunt those Witches, too. You might meet her in the field. Please don't underestimate her just because this went wrong. If you both work together and get along, I'm sure you can keep things safe for everyone."

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Something isn't quite jiving in Homura's head as Madoka clarifies some things for her. She realizes she's misunderstood something about what Madoka told her, but she also realizes that it's probably not important. She has an idea of the overall situation, and despite what she thought she needed to know when she showed up, she's coming to realize that the overview was more important than the specifics.

    Again, she tries not to interrupt, though when Madoka suggests Homura might have been able to save Haruko she gives a small nod, "I could have." It isn't gloating, it's the simple, distilled truth.

    When the composition of the team fighting that day is explained to her she nods again to show she heard. It's about as much as she thought. A backline supporter, one decent fighter, a raw newbie, and two helpless civilians, one of which was Witch Kissed. That's a recipe for disaster; there's no one even left to fight, if the two who can are spending any time at all on protection duty. Mami Tomoe and Kyouko Sakura can produce barriers and forcefields. Homura herself can effectively be in multiple places at once by stopping time. There's a reason they're good at working with others, and shepherding new fighters and civilians. No one like that was present, and there were two Witches, not one.

    'They're all lucky to have gotten out alive. Kyubey must have been been salivating knowing what Madoka was walking into. It's nothing other than dumb luck his body was destroyed instead of Madoka. I bet he was hoping Haruko and Coco was killed right in front of her. That would probably have done it.'

    She keeps her face as impassive as she ever does, but things only get heavier from there. She's asked about arguing against being a Puella being a fate worse than death, and she shakes her head briefly. There's a larger explanation coming for that, but it can wait. She tries not to frown at the explanation of the dream. It doesn't jive with the other part she heard, but that probably makes sense. Dreams are strange, and Madoka's inner demons of self doubt and uncertainty are known to her but that doesn't mean she really understands them.

Homura Akemi has posed:
    But what Madoka says after that catches her by surprise, as does it when her hands are taken. Her purple eyes blink a few times, and the mask is suddenly gone, that surprise and mild confusion showing on her face. It makes her look... younger? It doesn't last long, but the mask doesn't go back into place. Instead her eyes narrow slightly, and her mouth becomes a thin line as her jaw sets and she makes a decision. Now she looks resolute.

    She hears what Madoka says about Lulu, Amy, and Teresia, but the words aren't fully absorbed, because of what she's decided upon. Madoka takes a step back but keeps her hands. Then, Homura's tighten, holding them back suddenly. There's a whirring sound, her the gears spinning in her shield before it turns 90 degrees and stops.

    The world is suddenly strange. It's dimmer, for one thing. But it's also incredibly quiet. Quiet enough that Madoka will probably notice her own breathing and heartbeat. The ruffle of her clothes, and Homura's. As the Puella Magi shifts, the sound of her boot scraping the ground almost sounds shockingly loud, because all other sound has suddenly ceased. A bird is up in the sky, frozen in place. The flowers in the garden being blown by a gentle wind are bent over slightly. Everything is stopped, except the two of them. Time is frozen.

    Homura sighs again, and as she does she deflates, as if the need to keep her back straight has gone while a weight has also been lifted from it. "If you're going to trust me, it's only fair that I trust you too." She releases Madoka's left hand with her right, and motions around. "This is my power. It's why I can move so quickly. It's why I can keep you safe if you're in a Labyrinth with me, and it's why I can fight most Witches with impunity." She pauses for effect and then states the fact in simple words, "I can stop time."

    She lifts the held hand, her shield still rotated, attached to her left forearm, "Anything that I'm touching can move with me." She shakes her head lightly, "I've been doing my best to keep this a secret, to make it look that I can teleport, because as long as someone isn't aware of what I can do, I'm almost unstoppable. If someone tries to shoot me or swing a sword at me I can choose not to be there anymore. And if someone tried to do the same to you and it was the only way, you wouldn't be either."

    Now she nods, going back to the important topics, "That's why, yes, if I had been there, Haruko-san would have been safe. You would have been safe. I would have had all the time in the world to get you out. I could have taken whatever time I needed to investigate what was happening and still act decisively. You probably think I'm much stronger and cleverer than I actually am, because every time you've seen me 'teleport' I've had time to think, to line up my shots, or reload."

    She continues talking. She knows this is probably a lot for Madoka, but really none of it is actually that important to explain. Madoka will be able to realize just how powerful the ability to freeze time is on her own, when she thinks about it later.

Homura Akemi has posed:
    "More importantly? We're more alone right now than we've ever been before. Even if he's spying on us Kyubey can't see us, or hear us right now. You said I'm not arguing against becoming a Puella Magi being a fate worse than death. Well, you're right, I'm not arguing against it because in some ways it is. A Puella Magi has no choice but to fight. They can never stop, forever, no matter how much they want to, and you already know why. If we run out of magic, we die, and the only way we can get more magic is getting Grief Seeds, by fighting Witches. True, we could live on the charity of others, but if those others are Puella Magi we might as well consider ourselves to be stealing their life force away from them. Stealing the magic they might have needed to get in that one extra powerful attack, or burst of speed needed to stay alive."

    She takes in a breath, and continues. "But it's more than that. We're still Magical Girls. Unless we've somehow found a profound reason to stop fighting, perhaps achieving some major goal or finding contentment, if we stop fighting we're giving up hope, and giving up hope is the one thing a Puella Magi can never do. If we stop hoping, the only thing left is despair, and the only thing left for a Puella Magi that's given in to despair is death. We know our duty. Fighting and destroying Witches is our job. We made a Contract, and don't think for a second that Kyubey would ever let us forget that."

    She hardens her gaze, forcefully pulling up her reserves of willpower. She makes herself think of horrible, awful times she's survived. Times far worse than what has her currently angry with Madoka getting hurt. There's so much to draw upon, an unending supply. "You probably feel like you want to cry after hearing me say that, but you can save your tears. Remember what I told you, Puella Magi have no choice but to hope. The fact that I'm still here with you now means I still have my hope. I remember my wish, my reason for fighting. I was given a chance to do the impossible, to break reality and bend it to my will because there was something about it that I felt was wrong. Standing with you here, now, hearing that despite all the dangers you've seen and pain you've suffered that you still want to find another way, to become a magical girl and fight by my side?" She squeezes Madoka's hand a little tighter, "That tells me that everything I've done up until now has been worth it. I've seen terrible things, I've felt a lot of pain, and I've suffered. But none of that compares to knowing that you trust me, and care about me."

    It's only after this long effusion of words that she realizes just how close to a confession it might sound, which she hadn't at all intended it to be, so her cheeks color pink and she looks away, the fire that she'd been showing dying down to a quiet, steady flame.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    To say that Madoka is taken aback by the sudden shift in light is an understatement. Her first thought is not that Homura has stopped time, even after hearing the click of Homura's shield. No, distortions in light are one of the signs of a Labyrinth, and considering what she's just been through it sends a chill down her spine. Her first thought isn't something like 'oh cool' or 'wow this is strange'. Her first thought is 'well if this has to happen again, at least I'm with Homura-chan'.

    After all, even if it's been a while since she's seen Homura fight, the memory of her trouncing Witches while seeing others struggle against them has a way of driving home just how impressive she is.

    It's only when Madoka looks more closely, and hears Homura's words, that she realizes just what has happened. A few things click into place. "You can stop time..." She looks around briefly, seeing the birds float completely still in the air, studying the flowers that no longer sway in the wind, but after a moment she stops.

    She returns to her original pose, close as she can, and states, "If we're assuming that someone is watching us... and you want to keep it a secret... we should probably be careful of how we look when time starts up again." A moment later, she adds, "... I guess you would have already thought of that, huh?"

    That Homura would share this with her, even if she didn't have to... that Homura would show vulnerability to her, both emotionally and strategically... It's a lot to take in. She's silent for a moment, which gives Homura time to explain. She starts to hear her own heartbeat, though Homura's words easily drown it out. Madoka tilts her head to the side while looking at Homura and listening to her.

    It's true what Homura assumes. In as far as Kyubey could ever feel emotion, he is probably experiencing whatever is close to 'frustration' for him, having gotten so close only to lose it at the last minute. The delicate balance between keeping Madoka alive long enough to not only Wish but Witch, but also to keep her pressured enough to make a choice, was hard to maintain in a situation where Madoka walked through a door and into a warzone. Having other Puella Magi yell at him right in front of Madoka probably wasn't that great for his goals, either. You can bet he's watching. You can bet he's thinking about how he can control the narrative, turn this around, and try to convince Madoka to give him what he needs. She, alone, would be enough to fill his quota. He'd even sacrifice other magical girls in order to get her to just make a Wish.

    With time stopped such as it is, if Homura looks hard enough, he might see his beady red eyes somewhere. You can be sure he heard what Madoka said about being a Puella Magi, if not here then elsewhere, and is already thinking about how to change her mind. Right now, he benefits by being the only available option to her. How long will that last? How is he going to close the deal?

    Madoka, however, is mostly unaware of all of that. All she knows is that Kyubey's Wishes are real, and that he has a lot of unsatisfied customers. Not that Madoka can blame them. He leaves out important details, and doesn't seem to respond emotionally to the feelings of others. Madoka reflects upon that, and also reflects upon Homura's words.

    Madoka's feelings remain plain on her face. She's sad, and what's more: she's processing the fact that she actually feels pity for someone she genuinely admires. How could someone so strong be so sad? "I probably would cry, Homura-chan, if I haven't cried so much already. I want to hold you in my arms and tell you everything's going to be okay, but I don't have the right to say that as I am now. I wish I was the kind of person who could keep a promise like that. I wish I could be that hope for someone."

    Her own hand tightens around Homura's. There's a lot that she could say right now, a lot that she wants to, but she's still searching for the words. When she speaks again, her voice is soft and low.

    "I know you have."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    She shakes her head, her swishing pigtails being one of the few things moving in this space. "You have to have suffered. You have to have watched friends die, to lose people right in front of you. You had to have seen people fail. I was inches away from dying. If something like that happened to someone less lucky... of course someone would..." Madoka feels herself choking on the words. After a moment, she decides that the hard part to say is also the easiest part to guess. Especially since Homura seems pretty aware of her over all. "I'm sure I've only seen a small fraction of what you have, and that alone would scar someone. To endure all of that and still, after all you've gone through, still think that it's worth it. Whatever you wished for must really mean a lot to you."

    She says this without irony or guile. There is no hidden humor or agenda here. Madoka is not even asking what the Wish was about. Homura has told her so much already, and she's also explained pretty clearly why she keeps her secrets. Madoka already feels close enough to her already. One day she will look back on this conversation, and the other times that Homura has said very similar things, and reconsider it with a new insight. As it stands, for the moment, Madoka will simply stand here and be impressed.

    And also giggle softly at Homura's slight blush. Well, Madoka isn't the only one doing that today.

    "Thank you for sharing all of this with me, Homura-chan. You didn't have to do this to earn my trust or respect, you already had those. You didn't have to drop your mask either, but I'm glad that I can understand you a little better. I do trust you, and I do care. You're one of my most precious friends, Homura-chan."

    Madoka keeps holding Homura's hand, and smiles at her with gentle eyes. She now understands better the weight of a Wish, and what it really means to make one, as well as to endure the destiny that follows. Maybe, if Madoka ever felt something that sincerely, she might change her mind. For now... it's better to wait. "Something wrong with reality... that you wanted to change... That's what a Wish really is, isn't it? That's why Kyubey keeps talking about Godhood. It's not something one should waste on something silly..."

Homura Akemi has posed:
    It's strange how Madoka sometimes talks down about herself when she's obviously very smart. She realizes that they'll want to be careful about how they look when time resumes without even needing to be told, the first time she's been exposed to this kind of magic. Truth be told, keeping the type of magic she uses from Kyubey is almost as important as anyone else. After all, who knows who Kyubey would tell if he knew, or how he'd use the knowledge to try and trick Madoka.

    "That's right. We'll want to take the same position when I resume time. We could also your things and leave all at once to make it look like everything. There will be small discrepancies either way." Of course Kyubey will notice, if he is watching. It's adding up all the details over time that will let him figure out the kind of magic she wields in the end.

    "That isn't true," Homura replies, unable to accept the self admonitions just now. "You're one of the most caring people I know and that's enough for me to think you have the right to say it. If you didn't want the best for people you never would have gotten hurt and you wouldn't be in the hospital now. So for now know that even hearing you say that you want me to be okay," she can't repeat the part about being held in Madoka's arms for fear of her voice breaking, or squeaking, "helps me and makes it easier to do what I need to do. Knowing there are people as good as you in it makes this world worth fighting for."

    Really, it's hard to get closer to the core of Homura's beliefs better than that. The only way you can is to make it 'Madoka is what's worth fighting for', but she doesn't feel ready to put it in those terms for the girl herself just yet.

    'Whatever you wished for must really mean a lot to you.'

    "It does." The mask might be down, but Homura is still controlling her emotions. She's glad when Madoka doesn't ask her about her wish. It'd be a prime time to do so, and she wouldn't want to ruin the moment by needing to tell her that she wasn't ready to explain that yet.

    "Maybe I didn't have to, but I want to. It's because you trust me that I want to be worthy of it, for it to be mutual." It's a strong, logical statement that makes a lot of sense when thinking about building a relationship with a potential ally, but this is obviously more than that. That's why her voice is quiet when she says it.

    "And you're one of mine, Madoka." It might be pointedly noticed, or possibly has been already, that she isn't bothering to use an Honorific. Usually that's the kind of thing you only do with very good friends, or family. There's really only two ways for Homura to address the girl in front of her. A respectful 'Kaname-san' that speaks to her natural inclination towards politeness and 'Madoka', which contains all her true feelings of deep friendship and companionship for the girl. After all, who could be closer to her than the person her entire life has revolved around for twelve years of looping repetition?

    She considers the words about the true nature of a wish, and the comment about Godhood. "It's the way I look at it. Someone might make a simple Wish for something they merely wanted but I wouldn't expect things to turn out well for them once they realized the cost. If Kyubey talks to you about Godhood, you probably have the potential to become one through his Wishes if that's what you decided you wanted." Her eyes cast downward again, thinking for a moment about the 'godlike' Witch she'd seen that surpassed even the mighty Walpurgisnacht. "But to wield the powers of a god, you'd need godlike magic. It might be fun for a while, until you used up every Grief Seed trying to maintain yourself, and then died." It's speculation more than knowledge, and her tone of voice reflects that. It might explain some things though, since the only real thoughts she'd given to such considerations before was, 'It's over,' and 'I hope I can go back before that wall of nothingness gets here'.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    "If we get too far out of place," says Madoka after some thought, "or can't make it look good, then making it look like we teleported back to the room might be better." With a slight smile, she adds, "That is, if you wouldn't mind walking me back to my room, Homura-chan." Then, more thoughtfully, and maybe less playfully, "On the other hand, I wouldn't want you to spend too much of your magic."

    Madoka considers Homura's feelings, and the various little hints she's picking up along the way. It's clear that Homura feels very close to her, as the jump between 'Kaname-san' and 'Madoka sans honorific' is pretty huge. It's not that Madoka minds it, but she certainly notices it. As far as she's concerned, it's perfectly fine for Homura to address her that way. Any thoughts that Homura might see her as more than a friend, however, are dismissed as wishful thinking.

    Homura didn't directly address being held in her arms, either. That also gets noticed, though Madoka isn't sure what that means. She doesn't press further, and she didn't mean it in any context other than what she said it.

    "People as good as me?" she repeats. "You're one of those people, you know. Someone recently told me that I was a hero, and she wasn't the first. I'm sure they were talking about... the medical side of what I do, taking care of the non-magicals who get hurt, so I'm can't really deny that without insulting..." Pink eyes drift down to the roof they're standing on, "... all of the people who work here." Then they dart back up to Homura's. "... but there's nothing especially good about me that isn't also good about you, Homura."

    She drops the honorific. She's not going to use it if Homura doesn't.

    "You are worthy of my trust. You've earned that." Madoka's tone of voice is soft and sincere, as is her smile which very much touches her eyes. There's an undertone of melancholy here, which is only natural given the subject of their conversation. "I wouldn't be this open with you, otherwise. It's one thing to be honest, but it's another thing to open up to someone."

    Of course, even now, she's holding some things back. She also senses that Homura also is. Madoka isn't the kind of person who'd interrogate, and she wants to prove her trustworthiness before she asks anything else. Besides, Homura has made it clear that she'll share when she's ready to, even if Madoka doesn't ask at all. Maybe, if that's the case, it's better to simply wait.

    As she considers the notion of Godhood, she cants her head to the opposite side, and gazes past the horizon. "I don't see the point in becoming a god for it's own sake. You're probably right about the level of magic that would eat up, too. If I ended up burning through Grief Seeds, I'd be making things hard not only for myself, but all of the Puella Magi as well. Even beside that, though... I'm not interested in doing something like that 'for fun'. In a way, that'd be just as trivial as wishing for cake."

    She frowns, this time more deeply than before. No, actually, it's pretty rare for Homura to see Madoka frown like this. "... or wishing for a boyfriend. Sometimes the way in which these wishes are granted, in of themselves, might send someone into despair. I suppose that's another reason why I don't trust Kyubey. He doesn't really seem to understand what's... appropriate. That, or he doesn't care."

    There's a hint of disappointment in Madoka's voice at that last bit. For her, this is about as close as she gets to bitterness.

    "If there was a fundamental flaw in the rules of the universe I felt like I could change, I might consider that, but even then I'd have to be careful. If my wish affected something as basic as gravity, that alone would be a disaster."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    This is about as much thought as Madoka has put into her potential Wish up until now, at least in this timeline. It's the first time she's allowed her mind to wander beyond the question of whether or not Kyubey can be trusted.

    Madoka closes her eyes, and then shakes her head emphatically. "It doesn't matter, though. I'm not going to deal with Kyubey. It's probably mean of me to use him for my own ends, but I don't think I owe him what he's asking for."

    She pushes her thoughts aside, and looks back to Homura with a smile. "I'm glad that I met you though, Homura. You're really nice to talk to."

Homura Akemi has posed:
    "I don't mind. So why don't we start picking things up for the walk? I keep them safe in my shield until we get to your room; we'll only need one trip, that way. Because if they stop touching each other, Madoka will end up frozen in time again. Not that Homura couldn't just resume the contact after, but it might start to get disorienting. Without any objections, she'll do just that, and start guiding Madoka around. She'll pick up some of Madoka's papers and push them into the back of her shield, whereupon they simply disappear inside of it, a little line of purple magic showing.

    "You do have heroic tendencies," Homura notes, trying to make lighter comments so she doesn't provoke a series of denials, "a lot of people would run away and worry about saving themselves instead of thinking to help others instead. It's normal for people to think of you as brave and heroic for something like that." She considers for a moment, also looking down at the hospital beneath their feet before noting, "Heroism isn't a zero sum game. Even if you don't think you're doing as much as some people, you're doing enough to get noticed by others. If you can, you should let yourself be proud of that."

    Talk eventually goes towards metaphysics and wishes and Homura listens to Madoka's current view on them. "I agree, in a way. Wishing for instant gratification is the same, whether it's for cake or godlike powers. You're also right about the uncertainty of results. I doubt Kyubey would give a straight answer if you asked him, maybe because he doesn't know himself. I'll tell you what I think, just don't think of it as a rule of law." She stops to collect her thoughts for a moment. "I think the important thing is knowing yourself and being very sure of what you want. If you wish for the latest boardgame because you love boardgames, you'll get it and you might be happy. But it will only keep you happy for so long, and you might be upset when there's a next newest boardgame, and you don't have it. If you're a little more insightful, you might wish for a special magical boardgame that will always be fun and make you happy. You'll probably never be upset about what you specifically wished for-- but you might end up fighting so often you don't have time to play it anyway. That's one of the things that drags people down the most. What you wish for doesn't have to just be worth using your one wish on, it has to be worth fighting for, and fighting for for the rest of your life.""

    Homura shakes her head a little, "It's subtle, but I have to believe we really do get what we wish for. We just have to be very sure it's what we actually want, and that it's worth it. I wouldn't blame someone for not thinking it through enough and then getting angry, thinking they were tricked and didn't get what they asked for. That's why it's so important to try and make sure potential Puella know what they're getting into." She lets her eyes lid in annoyance, "It's particularly deceitful of Kyubey to be offering Wishes like this to young, impressionable girls that think the latest gossip at school has next week's test the weight of the entire world behind it."

    She's... just going to ignore Madoka noting she might actually go for altering laws of physics. See, this is why they're talking in time stop. God save Homura if Kyubey heard Madoka saying things like that, even if is saying moments later that she's not going to trust Kyubey. The problem with Kyubey is that he loves taking advantage of people who have literally no choice in the matter.

    "I like talking with you too, Madoka." She's quick to respond on that note, however.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka nods, and starts placing things in my bag. She places it on a chair and opens it so that Homura can put stuff in it, too. If Homura thinks that her shield is a safe place to store papers, then Madoka will trust her on that, but she suspects that having everything in her school bag will be better.

    The vase of flowers, on the other hand, probably will not fit into the bag. She picks them up, smiles at them for a moment as she thinks of how considerate Homura is, and then hands them to her timestopping friend. "These too, probably. Thank you again, Homura."

    Madoka blushes lightly at Homura's praise. She doesn't deny it, even if humility demands otherwise. To keep insisting that it isn't true would be to call Homura, Teresia, and Rune all liars. Not to mention, none of the doctors and nurses would tolerate that kind of self-deprecation. Even if it embarasses Madoka to say that. "I guess I wouldn't want to be a magical girl if I didn't feel that way, but... I'm not sure I'll get used to that kind of praise. Thank you, Homura."

    Maybe one day her humility will give way to confidence, if she keeps hearing that often enough.

    Homura's thoughts on metaphysics and philosophies regarding Wishes makes Madoka think a bit further. She quietly listens as she considers the words of a veteran. The difference between getting a board game you want versus getting a magic board game, makes her think. One might also simply wish for enough money to buy whatever games they want, or the ability to create games out of thin air. Maybe one could even have the power to design their own games, do the balance and playtesting in their head, and then produce a well polished and fun game with the snap of their fingers. They could have a different game every night... and then still not have any time to play them.

    Then the comment regarding school gossip makes her immediately frown again. It's... a harsh statement. One that comes from experience. Thing is though, she can't fault Homura for pointing out the obvious. If anything, it makes Kyubey all the more sinister. It's only because they're in timestop that Madoka even mentions what she'd go for, because at this point her opinion of Kyubey is getting pretty low.

    Madoka feels bad for lying to Kyubey and pretending that she's still interested. Even if she knows he deserves to be led on like that.

    She checks one last time to see if everything's in order, and then smiles to Homura, holding gently onto her hand. Madoka's particularly happy about that, and not just for time magic reasons, but that's a conversation for another day. "Ready to go, Homura?"