96/Catching Up

Catching Up
Date of Scene:	16 July 2023
Location:	Penguin Park - Penguin Playground
Synopsis:	Saya and Madoka catch up on rumours
Cast of Characters:	Madoka Kaname

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Sayaka Miki (32) has posed:
It's a sunny Sunday afternoon and while it's warm and bright, there is a cool gentle breeze that makes the heat a bit more bearable. Sayaka is out in the park today, thankful that there are no kids playing in the playground as she does enjoy playing on the equipment even if she's getting a bit old for it now.

Dressed in denim shorts a white tshirt and running shoes, she looks ready for another baseball game and maybe that's why she Carrie's that baseball bat around with her a lot lately. It sticks out of her school bag resting on the ground next to the swing set that she sits on, listening to some classical music on her cellphone as she swings.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka is out today, walking through the park and enjoying her day off. The weather, for the moment, is nice and there's no reason not to take advantage of it. She's out in a long white summer dress, carrying a pink purse with her full of some small supplies. As she gets close to the playground equipment, the pinkette notices Sayaka on the swings.

    "Sayaka-chan!" she calls out, not yet noticing that she's listening to music. Madoka starts running towards her friend with a smile, and when she gets close enough she waves. "Hey, Saya! What's up?"

    Madoka has nothing negative to say about using the swings. In fact, she finds a swing of her own and sits in it, gently rocking back and forth to burn off a bit of excess energy.

Sayaka Miki (32) has posed:
Sayaka Miki closes her eyes, tossing her head back as she tries to swing as high and as fast as she possibly can. Honestly she's always enjoyed the rush that came with it, especially the jumping off part once she swung as high up as possible.

She's so caught up in her music lightening and swinging at the moment that she doesn't hear Madoka as she calls out to her..But when she waves, Sayaka blinks and snaps out of it, turning off her music and slowing down, pulling out her earbuds.

"Madoka-chan! Hii!" she smiles and waves cheerfully at her, "How have you been? Feels like forever since we' ve hung out.." of course summer school is always more intense and probably keeps a lot of students busy this time of year.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka smiles brightly to Sayaka-chan and nods. "Eheh. We haven't seen each other outside of school since... we saw each other getting ice cream?" She taps her chin thoughtfully. Did something happen back then? She doesn't remember. She shrugs it off. Summer heat probably made her forget.

    Madoka's eyes go to Sayaka's bag. "I see you've still got your bat. Are you getting into baseball lately?" She's pretty sure she remembers that part at least. It's not outside the realm of believability for Sayaka to get into sports like that.

    "Things have been... kinda weird for me actually," she glances off to the side, but then turns back to Sayaka with a smile. "But I've made some new friends!"

Sayaka Miki (32) has posed:
Sayaka Miki glances at the bat and laughs a bit, hopping off the swing. "Oh! This bat you mean? Eheh...Well..I have been playing baseball a lot lately, but.." she pauses, looking like she wants to say something important but frowns slightly at something Madoka says.

"Huh? What do you mean...Weird..?" her blue eyes narrow slightly, curious if her weird is the same as her own..

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Weird... Madoka pauses for a moment to think about this. How much could she tell Sayaka? It's a strange thing to admit, and she might get laughed at, but Sayaka is a friend who Madoka can trust. The pinkette looks ahead, slowly pushing back and forth on the swing with her foot. "Well, it's like..."

    "... This is gonna sound weird, but the other day on the beach I was attacked by a large plant monster. Someone..." she decides not to mention the transfer student by name, "... gave me a bottle of RoundUp to help fight it off. A lot of other weird things have happened lately. I keep thinking I must be dreaming, but it keeps happening."

    She turns back towards Sayaka before saying, "A creature named Kyubey said it would offer me a wish in exchange for a contract, but a lot of people keep telling me not to trust him. I feel like there's a lot more going on than we realize."

Sayaka Miki (32) has posed:
Sayaka Miki frowns, peering intently at Madoka with a very serious expression on her face. "Plant Monster huh? We're you trapped in a weird, trippy..Mazelike environment? Because..Because I believe you either way and I know for sure it's not crazy because I once experienced a crazy creature.."

And then she mentions Kyubey and she laughs! "Hah! I knew he would ask you next, he said he was interested in a friend of mine..But I'm glad I don't have to keep those secrets anymore.." she frowns at something she says..

"Wait people are telling you not to make a wish? I was told the opposite, that I should hurry and make a wish already, so I'm not dragging people back.."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka frowns as Sayaka seems to relate very similar experiences. So... it really is real, and Sayaka is part of this too. Her eyes go wide when Sayaka mentions that someone was telling her to hurry up, and she shakes her head fast enough to make her pigtails swish about.

    "I was told by a couple of people that it sounded too good to be true. Taking a contract is only one way to become a magical girl, and one of the most dangerous ones. If you make a wish, it should only be once you're sure that all other options are exhausted."

    Madoka looks down to the ground with a frown. "Someone also told me that if you run out of magic, you might die. Which means you might not always be able to save someone who really needs it. I don't know if I'd trust someone trying to pressure you into making a wish, Sayaka-chan."

Sayaka Miki (32) has posed:
Sayaka Miki chuckles a bit. "Heh, it sure does sound too good to be true, doesn't it? I mean..There are probably other people who need those wishes more than we do..On the other hand, knowing that all those scary monsters are out there and feeling helpless to protect myself is a little scary.."

She picks up the bat, running her fingers along its length. "That's the real reason I carry this around, but.." she blinks slowly, "Wait, you can run out of magic and die? Really..?"

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka nods when Sayaka mentions others needing the wishes more, and she kinda sympathizes with the blunette's reasons for having a bat.

    "Yeah, that's what I was told." By Homura, at least. Madoka doesn't have any reason to believe that her new friend would lie about that. So much of what was said about being a Puella Magi sounded scary.

    "So far I've been lucky. The plant monster didn't have a maze, but there was another monster who did. Mami-sempai told me that it was called a Witch, and that's the kind of monster you'd have to hunt if you took Kyubey's contract."

    Madoka shakes her head, "I don't know what to do. There are a lot of magical people around who seem to want to help, but there are other people who use magic to hurt others. I hate sitting by the sidelines and not doing anything, but I'm not sure what to do. I've started taking self-defense classes at school. I don't know how much they'll help against a monster, though."

Sayaka Miki (32) has posed:
Sayaka Miki nods and sighs. "Yeah, it's pretty scary..Who knew this secret world was going on around us all this time without our knowledge? But on the other hand if we are given the opportunity to make a wish, maybe we can make a positive difference in the world.." she smiles,taking a swing at the air with her bat.

"I mean, we could wish away the bad people and monsters? Wouldn't it feel good to make a difference in the world?"she frowns down at the bat and nods, "Yeah, I signed up for self defence too, but you're right, even with self defence and a baseball bat, even then we might be helpless against big scary plant monsters and the like..I'm not really sure what to do.." she sighs.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    The subject of wishes does always get Madoka thinking. What does a girl wish for, when she has money, good health and a loving family? Affecting the world in a positive way... sure, but in what way? "That would be nice. If I could make things better for everyone else, I think I'd be really happy with that. Even then... I think I'd want to make sure I was making the best choice I possibly could."

    Madoka looks down at the ground. A part of her really does want to be a magical girl, but she's also the kind of person who wants to make sure she's doing the right thing, the right way. "I'm just worried about being tricked. I guess that's why I'm not sure. I can't really make a wish for myself. I have everything I could ever want. I don't have to suffer like others do. Maybe I just don't know any better."

Sayaka Miki (32) has posed:
Sayaka Miki hmms, staring at her bat still, shrugging slightly. "I suppose, if there was one thing in the world you were prepared to risk your life for, it would be worth it...I've been thinking, but..I dunno. I keep thinking if I could help someone else who needs that wish more than me, maybe it would be worth it, but.."

She smiles, "Actually I met these three Puella magi at the hospital where I was visiting Kyousuke..They seemed pretty happy, they were using their powers to heal patients and hasten their recovery.." she lets that comment hang in the air, as if uncertain if she should voice the rest of her thoughts out loud.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka hears what Sayaka's saying, and hears her mentioning Kyousuke. Poor guy. Madoka thinks about what Sayaka is saying and something occurs to her. Would Sayaka really...? But then...

    "How is... Kyousuke doing lately? I know the things have been hard for him since the wreck. Is he holding up alright?"

    Madoka starts to suspect that Sayaka might have a wish in mind. She's not sure she would blame her, really, but... Madoka also doesn't want to lose a friend.

    "Did... those Puella Magi help Kyousuke?" That might be an unfair question to ask, considering that there might be a limit on how many people they could heal. Maybe someone with a broken arm who will mostly recover on his own might not be the biggest priority. Madoka feels bad asking it, but she was curious.

Sayaka Miki (32) has posed:
Sayaka Miki smiles thinly and tightens her grip on the bat, "He's..He's not getting any better. He's slowly relearning how to walk again, but.." she sighs, "The doctors think it's highly unlikely he'll get the use of his hands ever again, and forget about playing the violin. I've tried to cheer him up but he's pretty depressed.."

As for those Puella Magi, she shrugs, "Hmm well they seemed pretty busy but they're always around the hospital so I'm sure we'll meet again and hopefully next time I can convince them to heal him..But I'm not exactly sure of the extent of their powers but it's worth a try, right?"

She seems hopeful at that..

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Forget using his hands? Madoka's hands rest on the ropes of the swing, and she grips them tightly. If Kyousuke can't use his hands any more...

    She frowns for a moment and then nods. "I mean, you could always ask and see what they say. If they're healing people already, they might be willing to help."

    Her index finger fidgets with the rope. Her slight swinging has stopped. "Just... whatever you do, be careful okay? I know Kyousuke's important to you, but you're important too, Sayaka-chan."

    Madoka's mulling over her feelings now. She doesn't want to bring up the idea of Sayaka wishing for Kyousuke to get better, but... it has to be crossing Sayaka's mind. Madoka knows that already.

    "They must be pretty nice people if they're helping others at a hospital. I know their magic isn't free for them, so it's very kind."

Sayaka Miki (32) has posed:
Sayaka Miki sighs and nods, "I know..You're afraid I'll make a wish for Kyousuke..But maybe I won't have to if they can help, just have to find them again.." she smiles, "And I don't think Kyubey would be tricking us, maybe we just don't know enough about Puella Magi yet. I guess we can just ask em more questions..Did you say you met some Puella Magi too?"

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka laughs nervously and looks at her friend. Sayaka called her out on it. She blushes a little and admits, "You got me!"

    She nods a couple of times and says, "I've met a few. There's Mami-sempai and Homura-chan. Both of them go to Radiant Heart like us. I also saw a red-haired Puella... I forget what her name was. I think it started with a K? She seemed a lot more aggressive than anyone else."

    With a frown, she adds, "Homura-chan said that being a Puella Magi was really hard for her. She seemed sad, but... also, deep down I think she seems really sweet. Just... in a bad situation."

Sayaka Miki (32) has posed:
Sayaka Miki hams and nods thoughtfully, "Yeah I've seen Mami-senpai and Homura-san at school but I don't know them well. I didn't realize they were Puella Magi too.." when she mentions the red head, Sayaka grimaces, "Oh, Cherry Spear-san? She still has not given me her name but she was the one who initially rescued me from a witch. She's pretty abrasive though, I dunno what her problem is..I think she thinks I'm just getting in the way..Heck she's often clashing with other magical girls.."

She arches a brow at mention of Homura. "Oh really? Maybe I'll have to have a chat with her..She seems pretty quiet and not terribly sociable.."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka tilts her head at 'Cherry Spear-san'. The rest of that... sounds familiar. "Yep. That sounds like her alright. It almost seemed to me that Homura was trying to avoid a fight with her, so maybe she just has that reputation. Mami seemed to know her, but they didn't get much of a chance to talk because there was a Witch. Kyouko wanted the Grief Seed, but there were other magical people there who weren't Puella Magi."

    Madoka has no idea how cold Homura is when she's not around. She'd probably be surprised to hear otherwise. "She... in her own words, is solitary." Well the exact words were 'cold and solitary', "She seems like the kind of person who has difficulty making friends, but I don't think she's mean or anything."

Sayaka Miki (32) has posed:
Sayaka Miki frowns "I just don't get what her problem is..She was trying to stop other magical girls from hunting a familiar and started attacking them..I guess we should be wary of her. Homura-San..I guess I just don't know her that well, but I hope she can be trusted.."

She smiles and shakes her head, dropping the bat and reaching for Madoka's hands, "Listen, Madoka-chan, we may not have super powers but I'm sure we can find creative ways to defend ourselves. And maybe we should hang out more with these Puella Magi except for Cherry-spear San until we decide for ourselves if it's what we want..But most important, we gotta stick together!"

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka shakes her head. "I don't know either. I'm sure she has her reasons, but we should still be careful."

    Her hand meets with Sayaka's and gives it a squeeze. She nods emphatically. "We should! I think a lot of these Puella Magi know more than we do, so it might be best. I don't think any of them have gone out of their way to hurt me."

    With a smile and a slight cant of her head, she adds, "I'm sure that the more we know, the better choices we can make. And... whatever you choose, I'll try my best to support you, Sayaka-chan."

Sayaka Miki (32) has posed:
Sayaka Miki nods, frowning a bit, probably still thinking of Kyousuke. "Yeah..Ditto, whatever happens, I'll support you too! And, I'll be sure to introduce you to Magda-chan, Adalinda-chan and Teresia-chan..They're really nice, they seem like foreigners but they're very cheerful and upbeat. You're right! it is very generous of the: to use their powers to heal others like that..That must be reward enough for being a magical girl.."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka knows that Sayaka isn't gonna forget about Kyousuke anytime soon. She's a bit worried, considering what Homura said, but she also knows that Sayaka is headstrong and might not listen to her even if insisted not to. Besides, some fates might be worse than death...

    She just hopes that it doesn't end in regret.

    Madoka nods and says, "Sure! I'd like to meet them sometime. They seem like nice people. They must be pretty tough too, if they can make it in that kind of life."