1081/Our Very Own Happily Ever After

Our Very Own Happily Ever After
Date of Scene:	21 February 2016
Location:	Kaname Residence
Synopsis:	Madoka finally invites Homura over to meet her family and they have a nice dinner together. It's followed by a talk between Homura and Junko, before Homura and Madoka run along and have a conversation of their own.
Cast of Characters:	Madoka Kaname, Homura Akemi

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Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Everything is a hubub at the Kaname home. The scent of delicious cooking food wafts through the air in the form of strongly scented curry spices and Madoka rushes around making sure everything is perfect. She's more than just giddy as she invites the second person she's dated over to meet her parents. The difference is pretty noticeable but her parents go easy on her and don't tease her about it too much; after all it was their insistence that had months ago brought Takashi Agera to their home, not their daughter deciding it was time they should meet.

    The pink-haired girl rushes around and tries to make sure everything is perfect, though it's mostly just her worrying because their house is always kept neat and clean. For her part Madoka is wearing a short red dress that has a red bow at her collarbone and short sleeves, the skirt having a wide yellow stripe along the hem and a thinner white one just above it. It's a pretty but innocent thing and one Homura might remember seeing her in before, having worn it when she went over to give her her Christmas present. She's told Homura she shouldn't worry too much about how she dresses so long as it's somewhat nice, and pretty much everything Homura owns falls into that category.

    Tomohisa cooks in the kitchen, wearing an apron over a dark blue long sleeved shirt and tan slacks, carefully making sure everything is coming along perfectly. The table has long ago been set and Junko, wearing her usual classy business suit, sits with Tatsuya on the couch in the living room, reading a book to him to keep him distracted from the fact he's not being allowed to help cook- hot spices go very poorly with grabby hands!

    Madoka waits for a knock or a ring at the front door, ready to practically lunge for it when it comes. She's a ball of excitement and nervousness!

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura Akemi spends a long time debating what to wear. Madoka did say not to worry too much, but this is too important for Homura to want to mess up! Should she go with something classically girly? Should she go with something that looks professional and respectable? She's about to push all of her suits aside until she remembers how Junko usually dresses.

    After a while she decides that her best bet is to just wear something that represents herself accurately. The temptation to project 'an image' is strong, but Homura's come to think that nothing other than honesty would ever lead to anything good. Straying from that could only ever complicate things, and what's the point of meeting Madoka's parents if they don't get to see what she's really like?

    So Homura decides on something that she's comfortable wearing, while still putting on a good face. A long black pleated skirt that hovers just barely over the floor, purple button-up blouse tucked in, and a purple hair band that has decorative white roses on it. She passes on any jewelry, and only puts on a bit of makeup.

    She walks down the sidewalk leading to Madoka's house. She breathes in, and breathes out, slowly in an attempt to relax. She turns towards the Kaname household, looking at it for a moment before she decides to go in. "Alright. Let's do this."

    With a single leap, she reaches the window, holds up her hand to tap it, and then stops. "What the heck am I doing?" She quickly jumps back down to the sidewalk, brushes off her skirt, and walks towards the front door like a normal person. She notices the doorbell and pushes the button, then holds her hands together in front of her while waiting for the door to open.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    When Homura rings the doorbell she gets the same experience Madoka did the other day when she first went over to Homura's new house; the sound of stocking feet beating a quick path to the door. It opens up quickly thereafter, Madoka smiling brightly to her girlfriend, "Homura-chan, come in!" She steps aside so she can come inside, shutting the door behind her and waiting for her to take her shoes off before ushering her further inside, the front door being at the end to a long entryway. Even this far from the kitchen the scent of food will reach her.

    "You look beautiful," Madoka offers happily, reaching down to try to take Homura's hand so they can walk together. By the time they'd make it to the living room Junko has put the book away and is standing in the middle of the room, Tatsuya watching curiously beside her. Butterflies fill Madoka's stomach and she giggles a bit nervously.

    She gives a squeeze to the hand of the pretty girl with long black hair before walking to a middle space between them politely, "Homura-chan, this is my mother, Junko, and my little brother, Tatsuya. Mama, this is my girlfriend," blush, "Homura Akemi."

    Junko quite naturally appraises Homura as she appears, giving a polite enough short bow at the introduction and then speaking up first herself, "Ahh, so you're the one who's made such an impression on my daughter. She's told her father and I all about you, Akemi-san."

    Properly flustered Madoka lets out a little laugh, "Ahahaha... maybe a little." Tatsuya is intrigued by the newcomer and walks forward. It only takes a few moments before he reaches out to try and grab at Homura's skirt, only to be scooped up by Junko, who seemed to have expected this, "Oh, no you don't!"

    From inside the kitchen Madoka's father calls, "Dinner will be ready in five minutes!"

    "Thanks, Papa!"

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura smiles as she hears Madoka rushing to get the door. The thought that she will be spending the evening with Madoka is more than enough to make her happy, even if she's still a bit nervous. Those same butterflies are harassing Homura's stomach, too.

    When the door opens, Homura is still wearing her smile. "Hi, Madoka-chan." She steps in as she's invited to, taking a moment to slip off her shoes, showing black stockings underneath her black dress. "Something smells nice in here," she comments, indicating the food.

    Her cheeks turn slightly red as Madoka says she looks beautiful, and Homura accepts the offered hand. "Thank you, Madoka-chan. You look lovely as well."

    Homura walks towards the living room, nervousness bringing out a little bit more politeness than usual. Well, this is Madoka's family, right? She should show a proper amount of respect, and it's something to fall back on when she doesn't know what else to do.

    When she sees Junko standing up to greet her, she bows respectfully, roughly the same time that Junko does. She glances at Madoka when she says that her mother has heard 'all about her', only to smile at Madoka's reaction to it.

    "It's good to meet you, Kaname-san. I've heard nothing but good things about you. Madoka-chan's very proud of her family."

    Homura looks down as Tatsuya walks towards her, not sure what to expect, but Junko scoops him up before he can do anything. She covers her mouth to giggle, saying, "He's cute." Homura hears the comment about dinner and comments, "Oh? Is that what smells so good?"

    She's certainly focusing on the positive parts of this experience. After all, nothing bad has happened yet. Junko is cool, but she's capable of being very scary, and right now Akemi is the one being judged.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    "Doesn't it? Papa is such a good cook!" Madoka replies to her comment and she giggles happily when the compliment is returned, resisting the urge to lean in and kiss Homura. Not that that'd be a bad thing, but it wouldn't do to accidentally caught up in it when she knows her mother is waiting.

    Madoka smiles when Homura says she's proud of her family, because she really is. "Of course I am! Mama is so hard working and cool, and Papa is sweet and does so much to make sure we're cared for." With a little giggle she steps forward and ruffles her little brothers hair as Junko holds him, "And Tatsuya is very naughty and fun to be around!" The boy lets out a happy little shout as his hair is teased.

    "It's nice to finally meet you as well, Akemi-san. I was starting to worry Madoka was spending so much time over at your house she might forget she lives here with her family and should introduce us." Oh yes, Junko knows exactly which 'friend' Madoka has been spending time with; her daughter is yet still an open book to her. This, however, seems to be good natured teasing rather than any kind of accusation. "It's good to know she hasn't decided abandoned us and only come home for meals just yet."

    'M-mama!!" Madoka cries with a brightly blushing red face, while her mother lets out a single syllable chuckle, an even smile set on her face. Madoka's far too embarrassed to notice but she's having a good time teasing the two of them. Tatsuya, at least, picks up on it and wiggles around in his mothers arms while laughing. He's also the first to respond to Homura's question with a happy exclamation of his own, "Dinner! Dinner!"

    Madoka manages to regain enough control to nod, "Yes! Did I forget to tell you Papa would be cooking for us? He's making beef curry, I'm sure you're going to love it!" A short pause and she says quickly, "W-why don't we go get ready and sit up to the table? Aheheh..."

    Junko lets out a soft, "Hm," of a laugh as Madoka attempts to change the mood and get out of the teasing. She follows her daughter with her eyes for a moment before returning them to Homura and seeing how she's reacting to what's obviously going to be a night filled with good natured parental teasing.

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura nods. "So you've told me. I'm looking forward to trying it!" She also remembers him making something for the Last Chance Dance, but she doesn't remember what cover story Madoka gave for that, so she doesn't bring it up where her family could overhear.

    Homura smiles softly at Madoka as she brags on her family. She enjoys seeing Madoka happy, and even now she feels like she has to enjoy every moment.

    Then Junko speaks, and Homura gives her full and undivided attention. The teasing does cause Homura to blush a little, and while she feared an accusation it doesn't seem to be one, especially judging by Madoka's reaction and the way Junko seems to enjoy it. Well, if Junko wanted to get a reaction out of Homura, she certainly managed to get her just a little bit nervous.

    "Well, I enjoy spending a lot of time with her. Perhaps I'm being a little greedy, hogging her to myself, but I'm always happy when she comes to visit."

    Homura shakes her head at Madoka, "You didn't forget. I was just kidding you a bit. It does smell good, though. That part I wasn't kidding about."

    Madoka suggests that they go to the table, and Homura nods. "Alright. Lead the way." This isn't Homrua's first time in this house, but the last time she was walking through this place it had suffered some damage from Walpurgisnacht, and usually she only sees Madoka's room. She does kind of have to be led around.

    Homura notices Junko looking at her, and while her expression isn't the usual blank-faced stare she gives strangers, she's still wearing a face that is a little hard to read. Her eyes and cheeks are softer, her mouth is a flat line, and she's looking directly at Junko. She briefly offers a small smile. Secretly she's glad that she's only being teased, because teasing usually implies that things are going well, right? It indicates a friendly atmosphere, at least.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Junko's expression softens a little when Homura smiles to her. Homura knows enough about her to know how scary she can be, and can probably pick up rather quickly that she is very much being appraised. The Kaname Matriarch doesn't have to wear a sharkish expression to size people up, and is more than capable of doing so while putting on airs of comfort- she caught Takashi completely off guard in this same manner. Homura, however, hasn't done anything she knows of to deserve the stick so for tonight she only intends to offer the carrot unless her daughter's girlfriend proves she needs to do otherwise. She's always raised Madoka with a gentle hand and given her a long leash, and judging by how the girl has turned out she doesn't intend to change course now.

    "Come on, Tatsuya, lets get you into your high chair," she says when her light purple eyed gaze finally moves off of Homura. "Yay!" comes the predictable, cheerful response.

    In the dining room four places have been set at the table with Tatsuya's high chair having a child's plate of it's own, though it is pushed up to the table. Junko goes about getting him into it while Madoka asks her father if there's anything she can do to help. She sets a large serving dish full of rice in the center of the table, and ushers Homura to one end of it, the one she usually sits in. Her own spot is to Homura's right, with Junko at Homura's left, while Tomohisa will sit opposite their guest at the other end of the table, Tatsuya situated right between his parents.

    The evidence of cooking is clear in the kitchen though it's been kept very neat. The most surprising thing if Homura hadn't seen Madoka's father cook before is that every ingredient is there on the counters; even the curry powder used was prepared out of it's constituent ingredients. The large vegetable garden visible through the glass door is not just for show, and what wasn't grown by Tomohisa himself was bought from trusted specialty stores, including the high quality beef. He's obviously gone through a whole lot of trouble to make the meal a memorable one, but it's also no more than he does every night.

    If Homura ever wondered about where the love and care Madoka tends to show came from she only has to look as far as the man now carefully setting a large serving pot full of curried beef next to the rice.

    "Papa, this is my girlfriend, Homura Akemi! Homura-chan, this is my father, Tomohisa," Madoka says, repeating the same introduction she gave for her mother to her father. For his part Tomohisa takes a much more relaxed approach, "Welcome to our home, Akemi-san, and please enjoy yourself. Anyone who eats here at our dinnertable is family."

    Madoka makes a very happy sound as she sees what her father is setting on the table and eagerly sits up to the table at her designated spot, "It looks and smells delicious, Papa!"

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura's smile brightens just a little more as Junko's expression softens. She expected to be appraised, and hoped to be found worthy, or at least not so unworthy as to get run out of the house. Despite knowing of Junko, Homura's experiences with her have been somewhat limited, even over many timelines, and never once has she been introduced as Madoka's girlfriend.

    As time goes on and it becomes increasingly clear that Junko does in fact intend to let her feel at ease, Homura relaxes, acting less like the emotionally distant girl that people at school know her as, and more like the girl that Madoka's come to know personally.

    Homura watches as the family moves around to prepare for dinner. She's a little unsure, and maybe a little envious, but she does move to the seat that she's ushered to, sitting between the two ladies of the Kaname family, and looking ahead at Madoka's father. She looks at the serving dish full of rice and her mouth begins to water. She really is anticipating good food, after all.

    The sight of the kitchen does earn a blink from Homura. So... he went through that much trouble? No one dedicates that much effort to something unless they really care about it, she assumes. It reminds her, in a way, of the amount of care she puts into protecting Madoka, or her work as a Puella Magi. In this moment, Homura is very glad that she decided to compliment his cooking earlier.

    Upon being introduced, Homura nods her head at Tomohisa, bowing slightly in her chair, but not much because, well... room.

    'Anyone who eats here at our dinnertable is family.'

    Homura tries very very hard to stop herself from saying, 'Not yet but I'm working on it.' A playful grin flashes across her face which quickly turns into a pleasant smile. "Thank you for having me over! It's nice to finally see Madoka-chan's family, which is so important to her."

    Someone reading between the lines might think that Homura's saying she's here because Madoka values her family. They wouldn't be wrong.

    She agrees with Madoka. "It does! It looks like you've put a lot of effort into it, even growing your own vegetables."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    When Madoka finally sits down up to the table she can tell by Homura's expression that she's relaxed a little, and that in turn gets her to relax a bit more also. She has absolutely no worry that her girlfriend won't get along with her family so long as she acts like herself. She was also hoping that Homura could enjoy sitting down with them for a family dinner rather than feel like she was under a microscope.

    Tomohisa smiles back to Homura in a gentle manner, and after he sits down he gives Madoka a quick look before replying, "It's the best way I know to ensure my family and our guests are eating only the best."

    For her part Madoka tilts her head for a moment before going, "Oh!" and starts dishing up Homura, quietly asking her how much she wants and letting her know not to worry if the answer is 'a lot'. She's certainly going to have a lot herself! Once she's done dishing up Homura she fills her own place with rice before putting the curried beef over the top of it, nearly bouncing in her chair in anticipation. She ends up waiting until everyone else has dished up, Tatsuya being saved for last because no one is going to expect him to mind his manners for so long.

    "Itadakimasu!" she says happily once everyone is served before digging in. "Mmm! It's so good! Papa's cooking really is the best!" It might sound like gloating but she really does love it. There's very little doubt her father could open a very successful restaurant with cooking like this, but it's just as obvious where his priorities lie as he happily watches his family eat.

    Junko and Tomohisa share a quiet loving look between themselves and Tatsuya has already made the area around his mouth a mess of curry sauce and grains of rice. Junko laughs a little, "Eat up, Tatsuya, you need to grow up big and strong like your father." He doesn't need any more encouragement than that.

    Homura is mostly spared from Parental Grilling during the first part of the meal, because it really is meant to be enjoyed. Once her ravenous phase is over Madoka very slowly slips her sock covered foot over and pokes her toe against Homura's ankle before brushing the inside of her foot against the back of her girlfriends, playing a gentle game of footsie and moving to wiggle her toes against Homura's stocking covered ones.

    Eventually Junko looks over, "Akemi-san, did your family fare well during the storm? Our home was a little roughed up but came through pretty well." She of course doesn't know that Homura actually saw the family house before she did.

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura nods to Tomohisa. Of course, she can understand that level of dedication, of making sure he's done everything he can do. She isn't sure how to put it into words, but she does respect it.

    As she sees Madoka's parents, she starts seeing parts of them that remind her of the girl she loves. In a way she's happy for Madoka, that she gets to grow up with such a happy family. Homura would only wish the best for her, so she's happy that she has it.

    When Madoka offers to serve her up some, she does say 'a lot', because she does want to try the cooking. Tomohisa has quite a reputation, through his daughter, and the food smells and looks delicious. She may as well try it, after all! Enjoying it is probably the best compliment she could give to it.

    Though, she still doesn't want to take too much, and she stops Madoka when she thinks she has a fair amount. "That's good. Thank you, Madoka-chan."

    She giggles at Madoka, then a moment later she repeats, "Itadakimasu!" When she starts to eat the beef curry that's been prepared for her, the first bite gives her a moment's pause. Wow, this really is good! She savors the mix of flavors, the beef, the spices, and the vegetables, chewing it up before swallowing. "It really does taste as good as it smells."

    She keeps eating, watching Tatsuya's antics and giggling. She really does think he's cute, but of course cute Madoka would have a cute little brother.

    Homura eats in relative silence while she watches the rest of the family. She's quiet up until the moment that Junko asks about her family, after which she finishes off the food in her mouth before saying, "Well, they don't really live here. I'm a transfer student, you see. I only live with my cat."

    She's wearing a wry smile, saying, "My apartment actually got thrashed when a building landed on it." She seems to be taking that incredibly well, actually. Considering that the story is basically 'my apartment was destroyed'. "It was insured and I was able to find a new place to live. My cat and I came out of that storm okay, and I was able to salvage a few items of sentimental value, so I didn't lose anything that couldn't be replaced."

    "I'm glad that your family came out alright, though. It was quite a storm, wasn't it?"

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka stops dishing Homura up when she tells her she's been given enough, "Okay! Feel free to have seconds if you want more when you're done with what you have." No one leaves the table hungry here, that's for sure. She watches Homura take her first bite and smiles very brightly. She looks over to her father afterwards, "Thank you, Papa! Dinner is wonderful as always." Her eyes shine a bit, because she's very happy he's made something so delicious for her girlfriend to try. She talks big about her family and is always pleased when they live up to her words.

    Tatsuya notices Homura looking at him, watching her for a moment with brown eyes before raising his plastic children's fork into the air and letting out a cheer before digging back into his food.

    Junko pauses a little as Homura speaks and watches her for a moment as she answers the question given to her. She gives a sympathetic look when she's told about the apartment being destroyed and rather than commiserating she offers advice, "If you haven't already gotten your money make sure to keep after your insurance company. Those cheapskates will often try anything to save a buck or two; get after them and don't let up until your claim is dealt with. If you make yourself a problem they'll cash you out quickly just to get you out of their hair; just don't let them buy you off cheap, make sure you get what they owe you." She lets out an aggrieved sigh, "As dirty as it is some would even be willing to put a girl and her cat out on the street through their delays just so you'll be desperate to settle. If they try anything like that let me know and I'll put an end to it."

    Suffice to say Junko Kaname has had to deal with a lot of insurance companies and their tricks over the last few weeks; that's the price of being an business executive in a city that was devastated by a 'natural' disaster. Tomohisa responds to Homura's comment about their family, "We're very lucky that none of us were injured. The shelter we stayed in was very safe; it was almost like we'd decided to go out camping for a weekend. Except Madoka, of course; we're very proud of you for helping." He turns a smile on his daughter, who returns it before laughing embarrassedly. She was helping, of course, just... not who she said she was.

    Junko speaks up again in a thoughtful tone, "I didn't realize you weren't living with your parents, Akemi-san; Madoka hadn't told us about that." Her eyes briefly go to the pink-haired girl, whose expression goes from embarrassment to one of 'oops' and finds her plate suddenly very interesting. "You go to the same school as Madoka, right? Is that why you transferred, for your education?" Junko asks.

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura nods at Madoka. "Alright, I will." There's a lot of food here, and a lot of it is healthy. Homura doesn't strictly need healthy food but she appreciates it when she can get it. As far as Homura's concerned, the Kaname family does live up to the hype. They've been more than kind to her already.

    Homura isn't sure how Junko will respond to what is essentially a sob story, though she's quietly grateful that she doesn't respond by feeling sorry for her. Instead she's given good advice and an offer of help? Homura's not sure how Junko sees her, but Junko has certainly earned a few points in Homura's book.

    "They did give me some trouble about some of the items in my house." Madoka might remember the ridiculously large screen she once had in her living room. "However, I did have credit card records and receipts for everything, and the lawyer I went to gave me some good advice. Fortunately it's not' a problem anymore."

    Homura shrugged, "Honestly, I felt like I had to get it done immediately, because it was nearly all I had aside from money in the bank. Maybe it was a bit stressful on top of everything else I had to deal with, but I wasn't too worried about the outcome. I did have people I could depend on."

    One could almost imagine a stressed out and temporarily manic depressive Homura dealing with shifty insurance reps. Considering the strength of her case and the amount of sympathy point she could generate on a moment's notice (14 year old girl, heart problems, lost entire house, living alone, good grades at a difficult school, etc. etc.), a court case over that would've been a foregone conclusion. Not that Homura would be underhanded about it, but it is her money.

    She smiles at Junko, saying, "Thank you, though. I'm glad to hear you'd be willing to stick your neck out for me like that. I try to be self-sufficient, but I always find myself relying on someone sooner or later."

    Tomohisa talks about the shelter. Homura is quiet for a moment, choosing to eat her food in order to hide her reaction.

    How many times, Homura? How many times has that not been the case? How many times has that shelter...

    She pushes the unwelcome thoughts out of her head, fortunately in time to finish her bite. This time, things worked out. This time, Madoka's family is alive, and so is Madoka. None of those other times really happened at all.

    "Madoka's very brave, and very kind." Homura smiles as she says so. "I'm sure the hospital appreciated all of the help they could get."

    Junko asks if she was transferred because of her education. Homura shakes her head because her mouth is full at the time. When she gets a chance to explain, she says, "I was transferred for medical reasons. I've had heart problems all my life, and Mitakihara General was the best place to receive care. I stayed in the area because I need to get checkups, and there's no telling when I'll have another problem."

    She shrugs, "That said, Infinity is a very nice school, and since I have the opportunity to get a good education, I may as well take it. The teachers and staff have been very supportive of my situation, and there's no reason to let my parent's money go to waste."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka is quiet while Homura tells her story to her family, mostly because she's still feeling chastened after realizing she accidentally withheld potentially information from her parents. On the upside not speaking up also means she can focus on eating, which she does eagerly, even taking a bit of seconds for herself despite the pretty large portion she served herself to begin with. She's no Usagi, but she's certainly not shy about eating food when it's this good.

    Homura talks about having some trouble but having handled it quickly and efficiently on her own, which earns her a look of mild surprise and respect from Junko. "That was smart, getting a lawyer involved. Even if it was just for advice letting them know you have legal options is a quick way to get their attention."

    There's little doubt that any jury hearing Homura's story would have twisted the heart of any judge or jury. God help the insurance company that trifled with her if she decided to play up her vulnerabilities; if she managed to sprout a few tears they'd probably start hearing terrifying words like 'fraud' and 'punitive damages'. No, the fact that they caved like a house of cards once they realized what they had on their hands really was a foregone conclusion.

    Junko waves off most of the compliment, "I wouldn't pass up the chance to stick it to a company that did something like that to an unaccompanied minor, but it sounds like you were plenty capable of handling them on your own."

    Madoka peeks at Homura for a moment as she eats her bite a bit slowly after her father speaks, but doesn't quite glean what's on her mind. Well, whatever it is it's upsetting her even if only a little, so she reaches beneath the table to give Homura's knee a soft squeeze before returning to her meal. The compliments given to her in front of her parents do put a smile on her face.

    Junko and Tomohisa both give Homura a bit of a sympathetic look when she explains to them about her heart condition. It's might be something she didn't want, but a girl who has to be away from her family due to a heart condition is going to get sympathy if only because they're good people. Junko looks to Madoka afterwards and makes a soft humming sound, which causes the pink-haired girl to give a little tilt of her head. Her mother just smiles at her a little at her soft-hearted daughter before looking back to Homura, "It's good that you're taking the opportunity while you have it. Not everyone would, especially when they're under adverse circumstances."

    There's a bit of a nostalgic smile on Junko's face. Not because of the circumstances, but of taking the chance to get an education. She didn't take those chances when they were open to her and has instead worked her way to where she is through a whole lot of grit and effort. Making it to where she is now would have been a whole lot easier if she had paid more attention to schoolwork.

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura's eating a bit slower than Madoka, since a lot of her attention is on conversation, though she did avoid eating before coming, so she'd enjoy the food more. She's happy with what she's been given, and also happy that things at least seem to be going well.

    Homura smiles when Junko says she was smart. "Well, sometimes people just need to know that you're serious, and actions speak louder than words. I don't harbor ill will towards them. Most of the people being greedy are the people you never see, and the people you do see are just trying to make a living. Even so, it's important to show your strength sometimes. Just a necessary part of life."

    Homura doesn't want to sound too callous about it, or mean, but at the same time she suspects Junko might not necessarily disagree. At the way Junko responds to Homura's compliment, she giggles. "This time around, no. I guess I had to learn a lot about taking care of myself since I mostly live on my own."

    Homura tries to reassure Madoka by playing a bit of footsie with her, since she was kindof too nervous to respond earlier. She smiles at her to say that she's alright, though whatever was bothering her isn't something she can really share.

    Homura notices the sympathetic looks, she's seen looks like that before, but since she's with Madoka's family she doesn't feel a strong need to put up a tough front. She smiles, "Well, it's not without its problems, but we have good friends at Infinity, and they do help me. I guess we kind of have a thing now where if someone's out sick for some reason, someone else goes to get their homework for them. A lot of us are very motivated, and in more dire cases it doesn't hurt that we know someone who volunteers a hospital." She glances towards Madoka when she says that.

    "Really, though, I consider myself lucky. I have a wonderful girlfriend, I live in a very nice house now, and there's a lot going for me."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    "A lot of people will back down if you show them you're not to be trifled with," Junko agrees to Homura's assessment. "You give me the impression that you wouldn't have backed down if they tried giving you more trouble, though. It's good to see you're willing to stand up for yourself." In truth Homura seems to have a sense of worldly acumen that's beyond her years to Junko, and that's also the kind of thing she can respect. Having your wits about you and an eye for discerning the root of a problem can get you far; it's how she's made so much of herself, after all. That and good old fashioned hard work.

    Homura's comment after reacting to her waving off the compliment is likewise pragmatic, and Junko decides she likes her. Someone with pragmatism and wit is honestly a pretty good match for Madoka; those are largely her daughters largest flaws in Junko's eyes. She's incredibly sweet, but her kindness can so often lead to her being naive. Sometimes there are situations where there is such a thing as being 'too good', and in those Madoka would almost certainly crash right into those pitfalls.

    Having complimentary personality traits isn't the only important thing, of course, but at this relatively early stage it's probably enough, especially since Homura has been respectful and hasn't shown any signs of behaviors that make Junko weary. She seems nice enough, seems to like Madoka, and Madoka obviously likes her a lot as well. The business woman replies to Homura's continued conversation about schoolwork with a nod, but when she goes over the things she has going for her personally Junko smiles, "Yes, you do." It's pretty obvious by that specific smile and the fact her eyes go to Madoka with a soft expression she's picking out a specific item in that list. "Madoka is an amazing girl and I hope you can appreciate just how wonderful she is." High regard for family members seems to be a common trait among the Kaname's.

    Madoka, whose attention was split between eating, listening to the conversation, and playing footsie with Homura, perks up at the direction the conversation has turned and is suddenly giving a very bright and happy smile to Homura. She also blushes a bit at the compliment given to her by her mother. "Homura-chan tells me how amazing is all the time, Mama!" She's intending to build Homura up a bit but after a moment realizes just how self-aggrandizing that might have sounded and blushes even more brightly, squirming around in her chair afterwards.

    Junko laughs, "It's okay, Madoka, no one is judging you here." If she were in her usual spot she'd reach over and ruffle her pink hair, but instead she just smiles.

    "Eheheh, thanks Mama..."

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura certainly does consider herself pragmatic, and Junko isn't wrong to say that her acumen is beyond her (apparent) years. If showing this side of her means that Junko likes her more, then Homura can only consider that a good thing. "I wouldn't have, no. I'd rather just get along with people, if given the choice, but sticking up for yourself sometimes is important. Besides, it's not just me I have to worry about. I do have a pet relying on me, after all."

    Hard work is probably something that Homura and Junko have in common, because when Homura really cares about something she does throw herself into it. The only things that get neglected are thing that she doesn't care much about, and a lot of her toughness isn't just an act.

    Homura has started to think of Madoka as the conscience she never had, though Madoka might disagree with that. It would make her happy to think that she also provided something that Madoka didn't have. On the other hand, Homura does think that Madoka's a lot stronger than she thinks, though maybe now that she's a Puella Magi she'll start to see just how strong she is.

    Junko interjects when Homura says she has a wonderful girlfriend, and Homura honestly finds it endearing. The slight widening of her smile might say as much. "I do appreciate her. For as long as I've known her, she's gone well out of her way to be kind to people, myself included, and she's never been afraid to say what she means or do what she thinks is right. She means alot to me. I'm not going to deny that."

    Homura feels a little embarrassed saying that in front of Madoka's family, but it's the truth, and it's how she feels. It's about as much as she can say without getting too gushy. She notices Madoka's squirming and decides to add one more little comment.

    "Well, that, and she's very cute."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka has almost finished eating her seconds, and the rest of her family has finished theirs. Tatsuya hasn't eaten all of his food but the way he's pushing it around with his fork and playing with it means it's unlikely he's still hungry.

    "I can't fault you for that; it's much better in the long run to make friends than enemies," Junko nodes about preferring to get along with people over jumping straight to playing a trump card. As for the note of having a pet relying on her she laughs, "I suppose you do."

    Madoka would be happy that Homura thinks of her as having high morality, but would be quick to disagree that the dark haired Puella has no moral compass at all. She has started to realize some of her inner strength, but perhaps not the true depths of it.

    When Homura goes on to talk about Madoka's finer points Junko lets out a playful hum, "It certainly has been my daughter you've been dating. That sounds very much like her." Madoka herself shyly squirms a bit, though it's a bit more good natured than the deep embarrassment from a few moments before. She blushes quite a bit when Homura calls her cute, and even more when her mother adds her opinion, "Oh yes, Madoka is very cute isn't she?" She leans forward a little, "Didn't I tell you you had secret admireres?"

    Which just so happens to be -very- much the case where Homura is concerned, and so Madoka turns so red she starts considering hiding her face, which gets amused laughter from both her parents, and even Tatsuya quickly picks up on it and laughs along. It's happy, good natured teasing though, and something she probably should have expected bringing her girlfriend over for dinner.

    Tomohisa starts to get up, looking over to Homura, "Would you like any more before we put away the rest for later, Akemi-san?" Madoka takes this as a cue to scoop up her last mouthful of food despite her very red face. Not a bite will go to waste! Once she's finished she gets up and clears her plate and silverware over to the sink before grabbing some others and preparing to help do the dishes. Nothing in this house is going to get crusty!

    If Homura waves off seconds Junko will get up and go over to one corner of the kitchen and pour herself a glass of red wine into a glass before wandering back over, "They're going to be busy with the dishes for a little while, so why don't we go into the other room and relax for a few minutes, Akemi-san?" It's not hard to guess that this is at least a little bit of a set up- one on one time between the obvious front person of the two parents and the person dating their daughter.

    If Homura does eat more Junko will simply relax at the table with her wine until her guest is finished before making the same 'invitation'.

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura is actually glad that someone other than she likes Madoka about as much as she does, and thinks highly of her as well. Homura giggles a little as Madoka turns a brighter red. Secret admirer? Yeah, Homura will own up to that. That phrase describes how she was before she confessed at least. She nods as Junko agrees that she's cute, and admittedly she might be giving Madoka another reason to be coy.

    When Madoka's father offers her a chance to get seconds, Homura looks down at her mostly empty plate. Is she hungry? Not really. "I'm alright, thanks. It was very delicious!"

    It doesn't take her long to realize what's happening. The dishes are taken and being washed, Junko is staying behind and getting a bit of wine, and inviting Homura to the next room over. Homura isn't naive enough to think that this Junko isn't planning something, but can she blame her?

    Her daughter has been disappearing with her new girlfriend, staying the night with someone that the rest of the Kaname family hasn't even met, and now Junko wants to know who this girl is. Well, that's fine. Homura can accept that.

    "Sounds fine by me." Homura stands from the dinner table, and follows Junko into the next room. When the two of them are alone, Homura's eyes are on Junko. She's not suspicious of Junko in any particular way... but if any attack were to come at her, it would come out now, when the two of them are alone. Homura is mentally preparing herself for that, because it's not enough to stand up for herself if she angers Junko in the process. She wants to respond in the right way.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Once all the dishes are cleared, including Homura's since she's decided she doesn't need seconds, Madoka, her father, and her little brother start doing the dishes, both the ones they ate off of and the pots and pans used to cook the meal. This seems to be something that happens every night rather than some specific thing planned for tonight, but it does give Junko a good chance to pull Homura aside. When she sees her mother and girlfriend going to the other room Madoka smiles to Homura and gives her a little finger wave, looking to be in a pretty good mood.

    This is exactly when any 'attacks' would come. Junko takes a seat on the couch and motions for Homura to sit next to her, if not right next to her, and then swirls her wine around in her glass before taking a drink.

    She watches the dark haired girl over her glass. A savvy enough reader of people she can tell Homura is mentally preparing herself. She offers a little smile and gives a small shake of her head, "Don't worry, you're not getting ambushed. You haven't done anything that would necessitate that, so far as I know." Unlike a certain other someone who was asked over for dinner months ago. "I would like to get a chance to talk to you without Madoka hanging on every word and worrying over them though."

    She muses as she watches Homura, giving her another quick look over. "I have to say, I never thought I'd see the day when Madoka brought a girlfriend home. You sure have made an impression on her, though. You must have done something special to catch her eye, so well done." This is the one on one chat, but Junko seems to be in a much more relaxed mood than she was over in the kitchen. Maybe she was playing up the parental responsibility role for Madoka's sake? Or maybe she just wants to loosen up a bit after dinner.

    "Actually, I was starting to worry about her for a while. She was always interested in romance and worried what boys might think of her, but for the longest time she didn't show any interest in anyone specific. Or I suppose she didn't until that boy she was dating, but he was a bit of a cold fish. I can't say I was entirely upset when that didn't work out..." Her eyes look to Homura's and sparkle with a bit of mischief, only to make a soft, 'hmhmhm' sound that has shades of Usagi's 'fufufu'. "You, on the other hand, have lit a bit of a fire in her." She lifts her wine glass to Homura in a teasing toast, "So thank you. It seems I won't have to worry about my daughter deciding her calling is locking herself in a convent and becoming a nun after all."

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura does sit down next to Junko when offered, and when Junko tells her not to worry she lets out a deep breath. "Haha, well, I mean... I never really can tell." When Junko explains that she'd rather not have Madoka hear what they're saying, Homura understands that and nods. "Of course." After all, it would be better if Madoka didn't have to worry, especially if Junko means to speak frankly with her.

    Homura relaxes a bit as Junko does, leaning back in the couch. Junko talks about Homura having made an impression on Madoka, and having caught her eye. At the compliment, Homura smiles somewhat sheepishly. "I didn't really think I'd end up with a girl either, but it worked out that way. We were very good friends before we started dating, so I guess you could say we were already close. After a while I started realizing that I had feelings for her and well... I felt like I should act on them or I'd regret it."

    Junko mentions starting to worry about Madoka, and Homura looks and tilts her head. At the mention of Takashi, Homura's eye slides off to the side. She shakes her head and looks back at Junko, saying, "I can't say I'm unhappy about that either, or particularly surprised." She decides not to elaborate on that unless asked.

    Then Junko mentions not having to worry about running off to join a convent as a nun, and Homura immediately blushes. "W-well, I mean. We haven't--" Oh geeze, what should she say here? She takes a moment to recover from the teasing and decide what to say.

    "Well, we're both very affectionate. It's something we have in common. I don't think she'd join a convent, though. She enjoys being coy too much."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Junko gives Homura a slightly cunning look, "You didn't read it wrong. If I did have reason to be upset with you you'd be hearing it now. The only worry I have is that Madoka has been spending so much unsupervised time with her girlfriend, including spending nights- at least I assume you're the friend she's had so many sleepovers with." A small shake of her head, "But I won't blame you for that, you haven't been in a position to let us know you lived alone and you didn't try to hide it once you did."

    The woman studies Homura for a moment when she mentions not having expected to end up with a girl herself, deciding after a moment to take her words at face value. "I'm not surprised; Madoka has always been good about making friends. Well, mostly." She lets out a worried sigh and gives a soft shake of her head, "She didn't take the move to America as well as I hoped. She wasn't unhappy... but she didn't fit in very well with the other kids there. Sometimes I wonder if I shouldn't have thought that decision over a bit more, about how it might affect her."

    She laughs suddenly, "Here I am talking about silly things; you probably don't want to hear about the worries of an old lady." Junko takes another sip of her wine and gives Homura a knowing smile when she responds to her words about Madoka's previous relationship coming to an end. "You don't have to say a thing about that, I understand all about rivalries in love. I wouldn't expect anyone to cheer on their competition."

    Homura's blush and stammering gets more laughter out of Junko and she gives the dark haired girl a teasing grin, "That's good to know, at least. I'm afraid if I found out you had I'd be obligated to chaperone you kids around, and I don't think any of us wants that."

    Madoka enjoys being coy? That gets more laughter from her mother, "She always has been a bit too innocent. She actually enjoys playing that up? That's a nice scoop, I'll have to tease her a bit more about you in our morning conversations." A bit more seriously she notes, "I didn't actually expect her to lock herself away, but Madoka becoming a nun... You must know her well enough to see it; she cares about looking after others far more than she does looking after herself."

    Junko laughs a bit ruefully, "You wouldn't believe the number of times she came to us asking after our credit card number to donate to some charity or another. Sometimes it seemed she was trying to give her allowance away every other week; before we moved back to Tokyo I'd cut it back to 2,000 yen a month and doled it out week by week. Poor girl, there were far too many people in that place looking to take advantage of the kind. Though she did eventually find one or two that were actually doing what they advertised."

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura nods as Junko confirms what she suspected. "I wouldn't have blamed you if you did have a complaint, but I'm glad to hear that you don't."

    Junko talks about the amount of unsupervised time that Madoka and Homura have spent together. Well... "Yes, that was me." Homura may as well own up to it. "I live alone, and I enjoy the company."

    Homura considers Junko talk about her time in America, and taking Madoka along with her. Maybe Madoka didn't fit in with them much, but at the same time... "I've never once heard her complain about her time spent in America. If anything it's made her a bit more... multicultural? I mean, I remember eating Thanksgiving dinner with her and some of her friends, and that never would've happened if she didn't go. Aside from that, when she did move back here, she did resume the friendships she once had."

    Homura nods as she talks about rivals. "Rivalry about sums it up. I doubt that I could give a fair or objective statement about him, and I don't really want to badmouth someone either."

    Homura considers Junko being a chaperone. Well, that's a lot better than simply trying to end the relationship or something. Still, she's also glad that Homura can honestly say that nothing untoward happened.

    Homura nods as Junko starts talking about Madoka being maybe a bit too kind, and a bit too generous. "Yeah... I mean, don't get me wrong. Your daughter is wonderful, but I do get kindof... worried about her sometimes. She cares a lot about people, and she has a lot of empathy. I could see how a younger Madoka might get taken advantage of someone trying to exploit that."

    Homura chuckles, "It's one of the things I love most about her, but it's also something that concerns me sometimes. Still, all I can do is try to tell her what I think, or point out when she might be taken advantage of. She does actually listen to me, which is nice, but you know... in the end she's going to do what she wants."

    Homura glances away, before adding, "... and well, when she turns that kindness on me, I guess I feel like I should live up to it. You know... give back to her in kind."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    The sound of a happy family washing dishes can be heard back in the kitchen, Tomohisa and Madoka doing most of the work together while Tatsuya mostly watches, learns, and plays with bubbles. When it's time to dry he'll be a lot of help, though! Energetic arms can make good circle motions.

    Junko smiles a bit as Homura owns up to her actions, "I can't say that I didn't do worse when I was your age and if you're living alone I can hardly blame you." No, not because she's a lonely girl. Because she has no one to either ask permission or forgiveness to. It's an example of turning a downside to your advantage, so far as she sees it.

    "Being a bit more cosmopolitan certainly won't hurt her. It's good to hear she hasn't said anything bad about her time there." Maybe she was just too busy volunteering to go make friends? Wishful thinking probably, but it must have taken some of the edge out. "Thanksgiving dinner, I remember Tomo making that up for you all. It was nice seeing her waddle off with all that food." She laughs at the memory; Madoka was really loaded down with it all. "The best part was knowing she had so many friends she needed that much. You kids must have had fun that night."

    Junko takes a sip of her wine and then nods a bit dismissively to the further comment on Takashi; she's letting it go quietly since the girl wants to let it go. "Madoka is a very good girl," she agrees when Homura calls her wonderful before highlighting some of the downsides to her kindness. "It's her highest strongpoint and her lowest weakpiont at the same time. I've waited for the day to come when she was going to be hurt by it badly, but even when she's seen how things really are she's managed to pick herself back up so far."

    The short purple-haired woman lets out an aggrieved sigh, shaking her head at some past revelation or another, "Poor thing. It makes me happy she's been able to carry her disposition all the way through childhood though. I've raised her as well as I know how but even then I feel lucky to have such a kind and well mannered child."

    A soft, playful, 'Hm," is made then as Homura glances away. "You like it when she turns her kindness on you? I suppose I know a little something about that as well." Her eyes wander off towards the kitchen where most of the sounds of water have died down, now replaced with muffled clattering and clinking as things are put away. "Some advice from one woman to another? The wild ones might be fun to love, but the kind ones are worth keeping. I've never once regretted choosing to raise my family with someone so loving."

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura chuckles as she remembers that Thanksgiving. "That's right. Her father cooked all of that, too. We loved it, by the way." She thinks back to that time. Mamoru was missing, but a lot of the Puella Magi had ended up at his empty apartment for one reason or another. Homura specifically because she was following Madoka around. "It was a reason for us to get together for a meal, so we took it, and we chatted and talked about this and that. It was fun."

    Junko says she's waited for the day when Madoka's kindness would lead to her getting hurt badly. Homura's mind immediately goes to Kyubey. "I know there are people who would, but I can't stand that. Someone who goes out of their way to help people shouldn't be treated like a fool." There is a small amount of bitterness in Homura's voice, underneath the voice of pleasantness.

    Homura smiles as Junko continues to talk well of Madoka. "Her kindness seems almost invincible. I don't think she'll ever lose that. I've seen her remain kind and compassionate when others would lose their patience or be mistrustful. I think that's probably what impressed me the most, actually. Sometimes I think that it's like... she's not just doing that because she thinks she should. She's doing it because that's who she is."

    Homura hears Junko's advice. She's saying that she should keep Madoka? She giggles at that, a little embarrassed. If that was another tease it was successful. "That sounds like good advice. Madoka-chan's a keeper, I'll give her that." Was that her blessing to continue dating? Homura certainly takes it that way.

    "I'm happy that I'm in her life, and I wouldn't trade her for anything. She means alot to me. It feels like we've been dating forever, and I have to keep reminding myself that it's been less than a month."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Junko smiles at Homura, "You should tell Tomo. Madoka always lets him know his efforts are appreciated but it wouldn't hurt to hear it from some of her friends." Her expression turns curious as Homura responds so strongly to her comment about people taking advantage of Madoka's kindness. "Ah, you must have met some. Every city has it's seedy underbelly, whether it's in the shadows or hiding in plain site. The Mitakihara District has mostly been a very good place to raise children, but even it is no exception."

    Madoka's kindness is invincible? "I hope you're right," Junko says wistfully, "It would be a shame if she ever did. She's made it this far, just a few more years and she'll be an adult." She pauses for a moment after she says it, laughing and giving a small shake of her head, "She really will, won't she? Ah, to think she's grown so much already. I really am getting to be an old lady." She perks herself back up, "I can't worry about that yet while I still have Tatsuya. Something tells me he's going to be much more difficult than Madoka when he gets to be her age."

    Junko's next smile to Homura is a mysterious one while the girl wonders if that counted as her blessing. It was intended as simple, honest advice but she's willing to let Homura think what she will. She does have that wanted blessing, after all.

    "If you appreciate her as much as you seem to than I have no issue with you two dating. You've certainly convinced her of your value in her life and I trust her judgment until you give me reason not to." Such as ostentatious gifts of jewelry with a value higher than anything Junko has ever seriously considered buying for herself.

    After moment she reconsiders, "Actually, there is one rule I'd like you to take seriously. I know how parties can get even under the best supervised conditions," because Junko was always the one causing the mayhem in her day, "but no getting her drunk." A small pause and her lips curl up into a wide grin, "I'm reserving that right of first refusal for myself for when she's finally of age."

    Having said her piece there she stretches before standing up, "It sounds like they're finishing up in there; I'm sure you'd like to get back to her."

Homura Akemi has posed:
    "I will! He puts a lot of dedication into his craft and he produces good results. That's something I can respect in anyone." Homura's smile is a bright one, and then it wavers for a moment at Junko's next comment.

    "Yeah well. Maybe a few times. Enough to know to keep my guard up." Her head tilts to the side, hair shifting behind her. "Still, in the end, I think Madoka's way of doing things is better. I feel like I could learn a few things from her. In some ways I already have."

    Is Mitakihara a good place to raise children? Well, it isn't terrible, if you don't mind the Incubators. "I wouldn't know. I guess it's not something I've had to think about before. Still, it's a nice place to live. I enjoy it here."

    Homura chuckles. "I don't know if her kindness has limits, but if it does I've never seen them." On the other hand, Madoka did give her soul away to help Homura, and also to help people in general. Is there anything more she could do but that? Could there possibly be any limits beyond that? Homura doesn't think there could be.

    On the comment about Tatsuya, Homura glances over to the kitchen. "Tatsuya seems like a cute kid. A little mischievous, but that can be endearing."

    Homura's gifts to Madoka have included things like chocolates and a huggable plushie shark, in other words she got her things that she thought Madoka would actually like instead of something she felt obligated to wear... and something she might've gotten hurt over. Homura actually resents that necklace for a couple of reasons, some more valid than others.

    Her voice is sincere and maybe a little sweet. "Then I hope I never give you a reason not to, Kaname-san."

    Homura perks up as Junko mentions one rule she'd like Madoka to follow, and that she'd like Homura to take seriously. When she hears the rule she grins and then looks away. "That explains a few things. Sometimes, in even the most innocent parties there's someone spiking the punch..." 'Sometimes', she says. 'Someone', she says. "... and she's always tried to avoid drinking that. Of course, officially my friends would never do something illegal like drink alcohol, but on a more... realistic note I'll respect her wishes, and yours. I'll try to make sure there's always something non-alcoholic for her to drink."

    Homura turns her head towards the kitchen after Junko speaks. "Well, I'd like to!" She stands up, looking towards the kitchen.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Junko nods to Homura as she talks about keeping her guard up, smiling a little when she talks about Madoka's way being better, "It sounds like she's made quite the impression on you." An understatement in her eyes, but she doesn't press her opinion any further.

    On the note of Mitakihara being good for kids Junko comments, "It is, and for many of the reasons you've seen for yourself. The best healthcare around, and the best schools. Those kinds of things are important once you decide you're ready to start a family of your own. That and good jobs to pay for it all, but Mitakihara has no shortage of those either, if you're willing to work for them."

    Tatsuya is mentioned and Junko laughs, "He's going to be a little hell raiser once her starts school, seeing how far he can push their limits without getting into trouble. It'll be fun seeing how the teachers react to him; if they're expecting another Madoka they're going to get a surprise." Which to her is rather endearing, yes.

    "Good. I think we'll get along as long as you're trying." She can't help but laugh as Homura explains about the parties and how Madoka acted, "Madoka knows how I feel and always tries to do the right thing. I told her not to drink alcohol until she's an adult, so it doesn't surprise me if she tries to keep away from the punch." She gives an amused smile to the sometimes and the someones, and a smirk at the 'official' word on her behavior.

    Overall she laughs again, "I'd say this chat went better than the last one I had. It's nice to meet someone Madoka is dating that doesn't require ultimatums."

    With that she heads back into the dining room, Tatsuya immediately going to her, "Mama! Mama! We cleaned the dishes!" She bends down and scoops him up, tossing him a bit before setting him back down, "Did you help your father and sister? Good job! Hmhm, before long you'll be able to do the dishes all on your own." The boy lets out a, "Yay!" as his mother ruffles his hair, only to pause afterwards and look confused. That... might not be a good thing, he suddenly realizes!

    Madoka giggles at these antics, only to walk over to Homura. "Hehe, sorry about that, but it's my job to help clean up. It's always worth it when it means eating one of Papa's meals." After a moment she smiles, "Oh! We made you a container with leftovers for tomorrow, too. It's in the refrigerator now so make sure to remind me to get it for you before you go." She's definitely not expecting to kick her girlfriend out right away! After all, she hasn't been here that long.

    The pink-haired girl peeks over at her family a bit, and then steps closer to Homura to pull her into a close hug, "I'm glad you were able to come over. I should have invited you a long time ago."

    Then, much quieter she whispers, "Did it go okay?"

Homura Akemi has posed:
    "She has," is all Homura says on the matter of Madoka making an impression on her. It's not as if she could really explain that Madoka saved her life, or anything magical that happened, let alone anything that happened in other timelines!

    Homura... actually doesn't have much in the way of parental advice in her own home, so getting good advice from someone she respects is actually a nice thing. She nods and listens to it. "I hadn't thought about it that way, but it's true. I guess whatever's advantageous for me is also going to be advantageous for other kids my age. There are a lot of good jobs around here. Now's an especially good time to get into construction work, I hear." She doesn't really want to talk about WPS that much, though she does think her cover story was good enough. She'd just... rather avoid a topic than lie.

    She giggles at Junko's description of her youngest child. The mental image of him raising hell at school is amusing. "As long as he's as strong as his sister I think he'll be fine."

    "She is a good person though. I won't deny that." At the mention of 'the last conversation' and 'ultimatums', Homura grins slightly. "Well, I never could have a normal, polite chat with him, either." It's probably a good sign that Junko and Homura can dislike the same people, right?

    Homura watches as Junko returns to her family, and she watches the exchange between Tatsuya and Junko with a giggle. When Madoka comes up to her to chat, Homura turns to her with a smile. "It's alright, Madoka-chan. I enjoyed getting to know your mother better." Leftovers? Homura actually lights up at that. "I'd like that. Your father cooks so well."

    When the hug comes, she wraps her arms around Madoka in turn, holding her close. She whispers back, "It went great. We got along pretty well. I would've come sooner, but you know... I guess I was always busy."

    After a moment's pause, Homura adds, "Your mother likes to tease, doesn't she?"

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    "A lot of young men and women are going to be breaking into the construction field over the next year or two, both in the field and in offices. If I was just starting out again that's where I'd look." Her eyes narrow and shift around a bit and she quiets down as if talking to herself more than Homura, "Not just the general work either, specialty is where the real money is. Anyone can build a bridge or a skyscraper, but there must be dozens of tech manufactories that got wiped off the map, and cleanrooms and strict tolerances mean value. Hmm..."

    She taps her chin a little and seems to make a mental note and giving a little nod before looking back to Homura. "It was polite enough until he heard the word 'no'," Junko notes casually before heading to the kitchen.

    After finishing putting away some of the last cooking utensils that all hang up in specific spots Tomohisa gives a quick look to Junko, who returns it with a small smile and a nod. In many households it might be the father who's the front and face of a family, but this household operates differently than most and seems to do just fine for it.

    Madoka giggles when Homura brightens at the leftovers, "Yep! You should get enough that you can get two small meals out of it." Pause. Bright smile, "Or one really big one!" It's pretty obvious which choice -she'd- choose, there.

    Madoka rests for a moment in Homura's arms after hugging her close, enjoying the comfort of it and figuring she can at least do this much in front of her parents. "It did? That's... really good!" she whispers excitedly, getting a bit bouncy and bubbly in Homura's arms. That's the best news she's heard all day!

    Junko likes to tease? A womanly voice can be heard perhaps a bit closer than expected, "You two lovebirds can go hide and kiss now if you'd like." Homura can feel Madoka tense and make a quiet, high pitched squealing noise before the sound of both of her palms hitting her face at the same time. Oh. My. Gooooooooooood.

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura's thoughts aren't that far off from Junko's, actually. How much was thrown into the sea, and how much would people pay to get that back? A lot of it would be water damaged, of course... but a lot of things? Stuff that would be in airtight safes or other forms of protection? The really good stuff would still be valuable.

    Salvage work might not be the most glamorous of jobs, but it doesn't need to be. It just needs to provide money and a front for something else. Homura's no magical engineer, but there must be some that are either unwilling to or tired of working with Eclipse.

    Still, if Homura wasn't sure before, she's sure now. Junko is dangerous. Dangerous in a way that Homura likes and can respect. Already she's thinking of opportunities, not just as advice but as something she'd like to do. Well, if she does end up lasting with Madoka, she at least knows she can get along with her family.

    At the comment about Takashi, Homura chuckles. She nods knowingly, as if she is not surprised at all. "That sounds about right."

    "Or one meal for two~," teases Homura. She wouldn't be bothered at all if she got to have -two- delicious meals with Madoka out of this. Someone might say that Homura has something of a one-track mind here.

    Homura happily holds Madoka as she reacts cutely, only to start as Junko's voice is heard. Homura's reaction is a mix of blushing, laughing, and smiling. She looks at Junko, shaking her head. 'You got me that time!'

    Homura's voice is still a whisper as she leans towards Madoka. "Well, Madoka-chan? Do you want to go... hide somewhere?"

    To kiss and cuddle, obviously.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Junko Kaname is not a woman to be trifled with, and many people don't learn that lesson until it's too late. She's effectively made it as far in life as she's wanted to and more often than not the only reason she hasn't made it father is because she simply hasn't decided she wants it yet.

    Madoka smiles and giggles as Homura teases her. She certainly wouldn't mind a bit of leftovers herself and it's all the better if it means spending more time with her girlfriend. And if she has a one track mind for wanting to spend time with her? Madoka is more than okay with that, too.

    Junko gives Homura a teasing smirk when she looks over and shakes her head, only to give the two some space.

    Madoka's response once she gets her wits about her is a whining, "Mamaaaaa!" Because that the only proper response to being humiliated by a parent over romance in front of your girlfriend, right? Unfortunately for her this only draws laughter once more from all three member of her family, leading her to respond to Homura's question with a, "Yes. Please, yes! Oh my gosh! Why did she have to say that out loud!" She starts walking to the living room, not yet sure if she'll stop there or make the turn up to her bedroom for some real privacy.

    Oh, who is she kidding? Off to the bedroom to kiss and cuddle it is.

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura happily follows Madoka into the living room, and even all the way to her room. On the way up the stairs, when she's pretty sure the other members of the house won't hear her, she teases Madoka further by making squeaky kissy noises with her lips. She waits until the door is closed (whether it's Madoka who closes it or Homura) before she really starts to speak.

    "I think that went very well. She even told me that I should keep you~." Homura flips her hair as she walks towards the middle of Madoka's room. She turns to face Madoka with a smile, bending forward to lean towards her, smiling in her mischevious way. "She's about like I remembered, and fortunately I don't think she particularly dislikes me. If she did, she had ample opportunity to say something."

    She stands up straight, looking at the wall. "I think with... that out of the way, that was probably the last thing I was really worried about, so I'm glad it's done and I'm glad it went well. I almost expected something a bit... more difficult, but if she's not going to run me off then I'm not going to complain."

    She goes up to Madoka, throwing her arms around her. "Sorry. I guess I'm just excited. I'm happy that I can get along with her. She did mention that she didn't want you touching alcohol, but... I mean you were avoiding it anyways. If that's the only thing I have to worry about that's not a big deal."

    She rests against Madoka for a moment, holding her close and nuzzling against her. "Thanks for having me over, Madoka-chan. Thanks for introducing me to your family. It means a lot to me."

    She giggles softly, then says, "Though... I'll have to remember to leave normally when I go. When I first approached your house, I lept up to your window before I realized what I was doing."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka makes a verbal complaint as Homura makes kissy noises at her, shaking her head quickly from side to side at all the teasing she's had to endure. It could have been worse, but it was an awful lot!

    She'll go ahead and shut the door after Homura walks through. When she turns around to face Madoka again she'll find that her girlfriends face is still closer to the shade of her hair than it is of her usual skin tone. She can't help giggling when Homura says that her mother told her to keep her. "I'm really happy it went well. You two are the two most important people in my life, so I'm glad you were able to get along."

    Madoka tilts her head a little, "You were expecting it to be more difficult? I guess she can be intimidating, but Mama is very fair." She takes a little step forward, holding her hands behind her back, "You've been nothing but wonderful to me so I didn't think you had anything to worry about, Homura-chan!"

    Suddenly she has Homura's arms around her and everything seems even better, her own arms slipping up beneath Homura's to hold her close, "It's okay! I'm glad you're excited." A little pause and then a slight tease of her own, "It means you're excited about being with me, and I like that..." No alcohol? That came up? "Oh. Well, she's told me not to so I usually don't." Except that one time when she got upset, but that was also the one time nobody actually spiked the punch!

    The nuzzles are returned and Madoka is happy to hold Homura and let her rest against her. "You're welcome, Homura-chan. Thank you for coming and having dinner with us." She giggles a bit, "It's not that big of a deal, you know? You can come over as often as you like. I'm sure Papa wouldn't mind cooking for an extra person either." A pause. "Though Mama might not always be around. She comes home late as often as I do," she notes with a giggle.

    Madoka looks over to her window and laughs at Homura's admission, "That's bad! It's a good thing you didn't make it down the stairs before you realized. That would have given Mama quite a shock!"

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Poor Madoka, getting teased from all directions. Is nowhere safe? Still, Homura means it affectionately.

    Madoka's glad they can get along? Homura remembers something similar being said about Takashi, and Homura had to disappoint her back then. She's glad she didn't have to disappoint Madoka a second time. "We did. I guess I wasn't setting off any red flags for her."

    Homura nods. She doesn't know what Junko was like with Takashi, but she does know that Junko is the kind of woman who isn't weak. "Anyone who has real power over you can be scary, Madoka-chan. Still, she was fair, and if there's anyone I've tried to be good to it's you." She squeezes Madoka. "If the worst I had to deal with was some teasing, I think I can live with that."

    Madoka teases her, and Homura responds by giving her a kiss. After a moment, she pulls her lips back just a little. "I am excited about being with you~!"

    Homura nods at Madoka about the alcohol. "Yeah... I noticed you tended to avoid it, though I guess I didn't know the reason behind it."

    She nuzzles against Madoka. "You're welcome. I was happy to come." So, Homura can come over if she wants? "I'd like that. It's fine if Junko isn't always around. At least this way people won't be surprised if they see me up here with you."

    She giggles at Madoka's reaction. "Oh my god could you imagine? I don't know how I'd be able to talk my way out of that one."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka can't imagine what red flags Homura could have set off if she was minding her manners and didn't get into a discussion about how awesome guns and bombs are. The main reason she isn't worried is because she knows that Homura's feelings for her are honest, and she knows it about as well as it's possible to truly know anything in this world after having gotten a direct insight into her mind. If Homura was trying to pull something over on her then Junko would probably sniff her out, but that wasn't the case at all.

    Then again Madoka's the daughter, not the parent, nor does she really have to worry about any such terrifying parental visitations herself, so she might have a hard time understanding. "She probably saw you as the same loving, pretty girl I do."

    There's a nod, and Madoka's smile widens as Homura squeezes her, the pink-haired girl pressing close, "You -are- good to me. You hug me and kiss me and care for me lots, and you're always happy to see me and talk to me!" She gets a kiss and very happily returns it, making a happy mmm against her girlfriends lips. "I'm excited to be with you too!" she replies, sneaking in to give Homura a kiss of her own, this time with over exaggerated kissy noises, breaking into a small fit of giggles afterwards.

    Then there's the mention of alcohol and Madoka is momentarily perplexed. "Well... alcohol is for adults, and we're not adults yet. We're not supposed to have it?" True, her mother told her not to have any, but that's the reason why her mother told her that, right? To Madoka it really is as simple as that. Also that time she was given the spiked punch without knowing that it kinda burned!

    "Hehe! I'd like it too. I think it would be nice if my family was used to seeing you around. Maybe I'd even be able to kiss you in front of them without getting teased after a while." As for her mom not always being around Madoka nods, "Mama works very hard at her company, so she's out late a lot." In no small part due to the fact corporate culture in Japan largely means going out drinking with your boss and coworkers every night.

    Madoka smiles and shakes her head, "You'd have no choice but to stop time and either come up with some excuse or pretend like it never happened." Talk about a red flag!

Homura Akemi has posed:
    If anything Homura's been the one trying to stop Kyubey from pulling one over on Madoka. Still, Homura's more than used to being accused regardless of whether or not it's fair. The fact that she actually breaks the law as a matter of course doesn't help much. She's come to more or less expect it from people, though perhaps it's natural that adults would be a bit more mature than that.

    Guns and bombs are awesome, on that note, but who wants to talk about work during a family dinner? Totally a faux pas.

    (Well yeah there's also the whole illegal thing.)

    "I hope so. At the very least she didn't see a threat to her daughter, so I guess it's alright."

    Madoka kisses her back, makes cute kissy noises, and Homura giggles right along with her. On the topic of alcohol, Homura just shrugs. She can't really argue with that logic. It's not as if Homura drinks as often as others do. Occasionally she will, but there's often something else she'd rather be doing, and often it requires all of her motor skills. Such as ice skating or dancing.

    Homura's not going to repeat what Junko said. Not going to tell her if Junko hasn't, since she's not sure it's supposed to be a surprise or not.

    "It'd be nice, yeah. I mean... it'd be better that way, if they were used to seeing me around." Homura blushes at the mention of kissing her in front of your family, and then giggles, "Madoka-chan, you're actually really bold aren't you? You really like to kiss me in public."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka makes a bit of a pout, "It wouldn't be fair if she saw you as a threat to me. You've done more to try and protect me than anyone." And by an incredibly large margin, too. "If that's what she thought I'd convince her it wasn't true."

    Ice skating and dancing are both things Madoka likes doing very much, and the only time there has been alcohol around when neither of those were going on was the meeting Homura and Mami had to prepare for Walpurgisnacht. And technically speaking that required a clear head for those who weren't dealing with brainwashed significant others.

    Madoka blinks and pulls back in the hug a little bit, "What?! You think I'm bold? It's not like that! I just... I think that if I'm being honest about how much I like you it shouldn't matter to me if we're in public or not. It doesn't really bother me if people see how much I care about you, because I do care about you! I don't want to kiss you more -because- we're in public. I just, um... want to kiss you all the time."

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura giggles at Madoka's pouting. "Really, it's fine! I'm just a worrywart sometimes. You know that. Everything worked out alright, so it's fine."

    Homura looks off to the side, wondering if she offended Madoka, or if she accidentally phrased it as something more terrible than what she meant. "I don't really have a problem with it, and I don't really mind it. Especially if it's just about being honest. I think some people would glare at us over it but it's not really their business." Or maybe some people already do and she just doesn't notice because, well, usually she has something else she's paying attention to. Such as Madoka, or kissing.

    She shakes her head. "I'm not trying to say that you are doing it just because we're in public. I mean we're always kissing either way. We both know that, and I do think that anyone who saw us doing that wouldn't doubt what kind of relationship we have. I was... more... making an observation? And not really stating an objection?"

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka giggles softly, "That's true." She reaches up behind Homura to pet her hair for a moment, "You do worry a lot. I'll try to be better about remembering that. It's a part of you!"

    Madoka pulled back far enough too look at Homura but not much more than that. Close hugs make it hard to look someone in the eye. "The only reason I wouldn't want to kiss you is if it was really bad manners because of something that was happening or where we were." She looks up a little with a thoughtful expression, "I guess I never asked if you minded. Even if you don't maybe it wasn't very thoughtful of me."

    Homura shakes her head and Madoka feels a little bad, feeling like she gave off the wrong impression. "Aww, no, it's okay! I didn't think you were." She leans in to hug Homura again, trying to smooth and pet her hair comfortingly and reassure her. "I really like being with you, and around you. And you have to know how much I like kissing you. I mean... I, um, do like being teased and when you make me blush a little," as in perhaps not as much as her mother laid on her tonight.

    She tilts her head a bit, "I guess... normal kisses and other romantic things don't really bother me in public. But if, um, we started laying down together and kissing for more than a minute at a time then I think it might be a little much in front of other people. Ehehehe."

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura smiles as her hair is petted, keeping her arms around Madoka while they talk. "Even before making my wish things didn't go this well for me, so maybe it's just a bad habit. Still! Everything went better than expected, so I'm happy about that."

    Madoka mentions bad manners, and Homura considers that. "True. A lot of time we're off doing something romantic, so kissing during a date is actually pretty normal. I suppose there could be bad times to kiss... I probably wouldn't want to just start endlessly kissing during a fight or something." It's true that Madoka didn't ask, but Homura didn't really object either. "Well... I mean. I don't know. I mean if something did bother me I would bring it up. Though I might not bring it up when other people are around."

    Homura considers what Madoka says, and nods. She holds Madoka tighter as her hair is smoothed and petted. "I like kissing you too, Madoka-chan. I like kissing you and holding you and being close to you. At the mention of teasing she slightly raises an eyebrow. "Your mother lays it on thick, doesn't she? Well, maybe she's just happy for you, since... we do make each other happy." Though, Homura will try to remember to keep her teasing at 'a little'.

    Madoka talks about what kinds of things she'd be comfortable with. Homura considers it. "Yeeeah. I mean couples are going to kiss. That's just a thing. I'd have to agree that lying down in a public and kissing for hours would probably be a bit much. I guess all things considered though our relationship is..." Homura tries to find the right word. Does 'innocent' fit? "Well... the way we express our love is physical, but it's also like... aside from the kissing a lot of stuff we do is stuff we did as friends. I guess there's not a whole lot we'd actually have to hide."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka happily stays close to Homura, arms around her and petting her hair with one hand while they talk. She's finding it a very nice happy medium between sitting next to each other and kissing so much conversation collapses. "I'm happy too! I was really hoping Mama and Papa would like you too." A giggle, "And I knew Tatsuya would!"

    The thought of kissing and getting lost in it in the middle of a fight gets a giggle out of her, "Well... maybe if it wasn't a serious fight and you used your time magic..?" Her next giggle is playful and it may be hard to tell she's mostly trying to see what Homura's reaction to that is. She smiles sweetly at her next words, "That's so sweet, you wouldn't want to embarrass me in public."

    She wiggles in a bit closer as Homura holds her tighter, only to blush when her mother's teasing is brought up. "Oh, um... some of that was my punishment." She lets out a sigh, "I -really- should have told her you lived alone. I forgot at first, and then I kept putting it off until, well, she found out tonight." She blushes more and shakes her head, "I won't make that mistake again..!"

    When Homura changes kissing to a few minutes to kissing for hours she starts shaking, only to be heard laughing a few moments later. "Kissing in public for hours! Wow, that would get a lot of attention. I don't think I'd ever hear the end of it!" She then laughs a bit harder, "Especially if it was at school!"

    They express their love physically? Hm. Madoka pets Homura's hair a bit more, getting a bit more flirty about it, combing her fingers through the hair and letting her fingers brush against her scalp. "I do like touch you. Being close feels very nice." A tilt of her head, "But... I also like telling you that I love you a lot. And I like doing nice things for you and surprising you."

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura blushes slightly as Madoka calls her sweet. "I wouldn't want to embarrass you, no. Or myself, either. I mean... people don't really need to see us fight or anything like that. It's just... yeah, not something I'd want to do to... either one of us."

    Homura holds Madoka comfortably. Sure they aren't kissing, but it's nice to talk, too. Hard to talk with your mouth full of... your girlfriend's mouth. "Haha, yeah, maybe if it wasn't serious. For all I know there might be some kind of magic out there that is actually powered by kissing, so even then there might be a time for it."

    Punishment? Oh, for forgetting to mention that? "Ah... haha, yeah. She um. She seemed a little concerned about it, but she trusts you. She was actually... happy that I didn't try to hide it." Homura giggles. "It's in the past, though. She didn't seem particularly mad or anything."

    Homura's a little worried when Madoka starts shaking, only to smile when she hears her laughing. "I don't think we ever would." She snerks. "Especially at school.

    The petting gets more flirty, and Homura starts scratching Madoka behind the ear. "I do tell you I love you, too. We say that a lot. I mean, we don't only touch each other. I think the way you surprised me the other day ways very cute. I do try to give you nice things, too."

    She rests her head on Madoka's shoulder. "I do love you, and I'm glad we get to spend so much time together."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka smiles, "You wouldn't want either of us to get upset. My sweet Homura-chan~."

    She considers magic that is powered by kissing and idly wonders why she couldn't have -that- instead of her Puella Magi powers. It's a very silly thought that ends with, "Maybe if you wished you could purify your Soul Gem with kisses instead of Grief Seeds?" Truly that would be a fearsome Puella, able to use enormous magic attacks constantly! ...if they were dating someone.

    Madoka looks slightly abashed, "Yeah. If she thought I did it on purpose I'd probably be in a lot of trouble. Telling her one thing when something else is true..." she shakes her head, "Mama wouldn't put up with lying!" Which is actually an educated guess because Madoka has never lied about anything major to her parents.

    "Definitely not at school!" A little pause and a playful smile, "But alone together... all the time!" A happy giggle, and she leans her head to the side to nuzzle into Homura's hand. "We do lots of things for each other, but you're right that we also do cuddle and snuggle a lot." She slips her arms out from around Homura to instead run her hands gently over her girlfriends arms, brushing her fingertips over them while smiling.

    "I really like touching you. You're warm and comfortable, your skin is soft and your hair is silky. Even before we were dating I loved hugging onto you and cuddling with you. After I started getting to know you better I've always felt safe and comfortable around you." She blushes a little, "I really like hugging, but I don't always feel safe. It takes me a little while to get comfortable with people. At first I was hugging you a lot because you were one of the only people I was comfortable with that I thought wouldn't mind it, but then I started wanting to do it all the time even when I didn't feel... needy? Anymore."

    She hugs back onto Homura and starts petting her head when it rests on her shoulder, "I love you too, Homura-chan. I always enjoy spending time with you no matter what we're doing."

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Knowing how Puella Magi work, such a Wish would probably end in something terrible. Like the Puella in question becoming desperate to kiss after their significant other leaves them. Or maybe she gets a reputation as 'that weird girl who always kisses people at random'. Or she'd have to kiss someone she hated just so she could live. There are a number of ways that could go wrong that Homura decides not to say out loud.

    Homura thinks about it for five seconds and says, "Well, at least you and I would be safe. If we made a wish like that we could probably stay alive forever." She makes a single-syllable chuckle. "I have to wonder what kind of powerset that would lead to. I might not have my time manipulation if I made a wish like that."

    Homura considers how Junko would react in the case that Madoka lied to her... or if Homura lied and she found out. Between the two, Madoka's the one who knows her best. As fra as this loop is concerned, Homura just met her, and even in other timelines she never really was that close to her. "Well, you don't have to lie on my behalf. I wouldn't want to do that to you, especially not with your mother. It's one thing to forget to mention something, but right now I'm very glad that I decided to be honest with her."

    A giggle. "Oh yeah, definitely when we're alone. We both enjoy it, so there's nothing wrong with that." She shivers at the brush of Madoka's fingertips, and scoots just a little bit closer. "I like being touched by you, too~. You're always sweet and gentle, and I've wanted to be with you like this for a very long time."

    She nuzzles against Madoka. "I'm always happy to be held by you, my little angel. You're my sweetheart, and I've always wanted that."

    She reaches up to play with one of Madoka's pigtails, squeezing it between her fingers a few times and getting a feel for its fluffiness.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Knowing how Puella Magi work you might end up with some awful power like having to kiss Witch's and Familiars in order to fight them. Valentines Day might have ended up the bloodiest one of the year if a Witch had crashed it and decided it deserved to kiss all the lovers itself. One could almost imagine the red lips of it's curse with a dark, hickey-like background behind it.

    Madoka giggles, "Kyubey wouldn't like that one bit. That kind of Puella Magi might not ever have to fight Witches at all, they could use magic for whatever they wanted and kiss to keep going." Not that if it was Madoka she wouldn't use the power to fight in order to help people anyway. Now that she has power she isn't the type of person to be able to stand by and just watch terrible things happen around her without trying in some way to put an end to them.

    When she's told that she doesn't have to lie Madoka actually ends up getting a little bit morose. "I do though. Not on your behalf, but I do have to lie. I can't tell her anything about magic, or what me or any of my friends are caught up in. Not even the ones who aren't Puella Magi. It's... well, it's not a downside I'd thought of. I thought I'd always be able to tell Mama anything. She's so smart; I've always relied on her advice but now there are so many things I'd like to ask her opinion on that I simply can't." She looks up and smiles, "That's not really fair, though. I couldn't ask her about any of it before I made the contract, either, so in a way it didn't change anything except make me realize it."

    On to the much happier topics of kissing and touching her girlfriend! "It's so nice having a girlfriend who likes being close as much as I do. I like that I can hug you or touch your hair as much as I want when we're alone, and I like it even more that you'll enjoy it just as much." She giggles softly as Homura shivers, happily nestling against her as she moves closer. Her cheeks color at her girlfriends words and she smiles, "Being yearned for like that makes me feel really good about myself. I never thought someone would say such nice things about me."

    The nuzzle earns Homura a soft kiss to the top of her head, "I'll hold you and cuddle you and cradle you as much as you want, Homura-chan. I love being your little angel and your sweetheart." Another pensive moment before Madoka says quietly, "I remember the first few times we spent time together with each other. Seeing you smile... you looked so happy and so sad at the same time. I thought to myself, 'I want to see her smile more. I want to make her smile so much that the sadness in her eyes is gone.' It wasn't supposed to be romantic, but I've wanted to make you happy for a long time."

    Madoka's pigtail is exceedingly soft and fluffy, partly because she got herself all nice and cleaned up in preparation for Homura coming over for dinner. It's squishier near her ribbons and fluffier further from them, fit to be a whimsical feather duster should someone find a practical way to use them. In response Madoka rests her hand against the back of Homura's head and instead starts rubbing her back in slow circles with the arm she's hugging with, perhaps a tiny bit reminiscent of the massage she gave her the other day.

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura considers Madoka's response. Yeah, actually she would have to lie, or at the very least she'd have to hide things. Maybe it's silly to think that she'd always be able to be honest with Junko. Homura doesn't like that, but this is the choice Madoka made, and she's made far worse sacrifices in the past. "I suppose that's true. You wouldn't be able to rely on her for everything. It seems unfair, since she clearly loves you."

    'Yearn' is definitely the word, Homura thinks. "I'm really happy that we get to have so much together. I knew that I could show you love and affection, but I never knew how happy I'd be to be loved in return." She kisses Madoka on the cheek, before snuggling up close to her. "You've done so much for me. You're everything to me. I don't think anyone could make me as happy as you do."

    Homura looks up at Madoka when she says she wanted Homura to be happy. She can't help but giggle. "Well, you succeeded. I remember one time I went into a WPS meeting, and people must've noticed I was happier because they asked if I had gotten a date or something. Of course, that was before we were actually dating, but it was you who made me that happy. So thank you for that."

    Homura squeezes Madoka in her arms as her back is rubbed, and she sighs contentedly. She rests on Madoka's shoulder again, closing her eyes and enjoying the closeness to her girlfriend. Homura's hand brushes against Madoka's side, sweeping up and down.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka nods a little, "It's more unfair to her than it is to me. I've always been able to go to her about things that have made me upset, but now there is a major part of my life that she can never know about. I wouldn't do that to her, except I think it would be even worse if she actually knew the things I was involved in."

    She smiles happily as she's kissed on the cheek, blushing a bit as she's told she's Homura's everything, nodding a little. "I don't think anyone could make me as happy, either." She doesn't want to bring up a sore point but to her it's more 'something in the past' than a point of contention, "That's what I was trying to tell you before, at the hotel room. I wish I had told you that sooner, before it was too late to do anything about it..." Suddenly she giggles, "But I'm much happier that I can let you know how I can feel at all! Things might have gone better, but being here in your arms, how could I be upset with how things have turned out?"

    The mention of there being a meeting where everyone noticed that Homura was much happier almost brings tears to her eyes, "That really is what I've wanted. I think you deserve happiness after all you've been through. Being able to make you happy, love you, and be loved by you at the same time... it really is a dream come true."

    She leans her head against Homura's when her shoulder is rested upon, nuzzling her cheek against Homura's hair. She lets out a happy sigh as her side is rubbed, closing her eyes and enjoying this closeness with Homura.

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura holds Madoka comfortably in her arms. It's more unfair to Junko? Well, yeah probably. "If she knew, she might just worry about you all the time. Every time you got upset when I told you something, or when you found out something terrible on her own, she'd have to go through that. Assuming she even understood it to begin with." Magic protects its own secrets very well, to the extent that magical girls almost don't even have to worry about it.

    Homura thinks back to the hotel room. She couldn't have woken up any happier, only to feel terrible before even leaving her room. That was probably one of the lowest points of her life. "I guess I just couldn't understand that. Not until I could feel what you really felt. I didn't think I was anything special... I thought if I died you could find someone else who loved you. Though even if you did, they might end up making a similar sacrifice."

    Madoka's giggle brings a smile to Homura's face, and she kisses her again. "... but now that I know how you feel, I could never leave you. Not when I know how much it would hurt you. Besides, you gave up so much for me, knowing full well what you were getting into. I could never disrespect that wish."

    Homura catches a glimpse of the tears in Madoka's eyes, and a finger comes up to brush her tears away. "You have helped me so much. Truth is... I was on the edge of turning into a Witch for the past several timelines, and the only thing that kept me going was the fact that I could just reset if things got too bad. I always had a second chance until now."

    Homura nuzzles into Madoka's neck, letting her girlfriend rest on her. She lovingly pats Madoka's side, before sliding her hand around Madoka's back, rubbing her there for a moment.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    "She wouldn't 'just' worry. If she knew what I was a part of was so horrible?" Madoka closes her eyes and makes a nervous smile, "Eheheh. She'd be a lot like Hannah-chan, I think. She'd be ready to rip the world a part to make things better. I do want things to be better, but I don't want Mama to have to worry about things like that." This is very much a case where magic being unrecognizable to the population at large is a big help.

    Madoka nods a little, hugging her girlfriend close as she talks about that awful day, "Maybe. I might have been able to find someone who loved me but I never would have been able to find someone who loves me as much as you do, and I'm not sure I could ever love somebody else as much as I love you." She returns the kiss, squeezing Homura in a close hug, rocking back and forth in her arms. "I've felt the same way about your wish ever since I learned about it. You've devoted yourself to me and given up so much to me, and all because you care about me so much." She blushes a bit, "You know better than anyone else what it means to give yourself for someone. We both feel the same way for each other. I could never leave you, either. I don't think I could ever want to."

    Madoka smiles again as the tears are brushed away, "I'm glad you survived long enough to make it to me. I'm going to do my best to make sure you never need a second chance like that again."

    Madoka lets out a happy sigh as she's nuzzled, patted, and given a rub to her back. She squeezes on Homura and then reaches up to stroke her hair, petting her hand over it while relaxing. Is there anything better than being in the arms of her loved one?

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura smirks at the thought of Junko getting involved in the magical world. "You know, I could almost see that. I'd hope that your mother would be a bit nicer about it, but she's a force to be reckoned with. In a way I'm glad I don't have to compete with her." She giggles. "I'd almost feel sorry for anyone who got in her way. Almost." Homura has to wonder whether or not such secrecy is saving Junko from the magical world, or saving the magical world from Junko.

    Would anyone love Madoka as much as Homura does? Homura has a hard time thinking that Madoka's wonderfulness isn't self evident, but she's pretty sure that there's no one around currently who loves Madoka as much. Outside of her family anyways. If there were such a person, they'd be protecting Madoka right alongside Homura.

    "I guess we really are meant for each other, then. I couldn't have fallen in love with a better person. We really are right for each other. I don't know why I didn't see that before." Her legs dangle over the edge, and her foot moves close to Madoka's, rubbing the top of Madoka's foot with the sole of Homura's. "I was, and still am, willing to do anything for you, because I love you. That will never go away."

    To never need a second chance again... that would be nice. "I hope I never need to. With both of us together, we can tackle anything. I believe that now."

    If there's anything better than this, Homura's never felt it.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka giggles softly, "I don't think she'd be so quick to take any advantage to get power. She's very good at knowing the best ways of doing things and when there's something she wants she does everything she can to make sure she gets it." She thinks for a moment, "Papa once told me the reason she works so hard is because she enjoys the challenge and pushing herself to her limit. He said her dream isn't her job or her company, it's the lifestyle she gets out of her career. She really would be scary to have to compete with, wouldn't she?"

    Madoka smiles, "I think we are. Meant for each other, I mean." She gives a little shake of her head, "I didn't see it either, at least not like this. I knew I wanted to be a close friend of yours but before you told me the way I acted was a tease I never realized it could be as wonderful as this."

    When the top of her foot is rubbed Madoka smiles, snuggling closer to Homura. "There are going to be more difficult times, I know we can't be so lucky as to be past all our trials. Even if we could save every Puella Magi and change the way they work like Hannah-chan wants there would still be things to protect people from. But I'm sure you're right, with you and me together I think we can get through anything."

    The only way being close with Homura could be better is to somehow be even closer. In which case...

    Madoka gives Homura's arm a little tug, moving away from her and then scooting up further onto her bed. She tries to draw Homura along with her, laying down on her side and hoping to get her girlfriend to cuddle up next to her.

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura nods. Madoka knows Junko a lot better than Homura does, but even from the conversation that Homura had with her she's formed a certain opinion of her. "Yeah... I think you're right. She's highly motivated, and it's not hard to tell. She's also the kind of person I'd want on my side rather than opposed, which I guess is why it's such a good thing today went so well."

    Homura thinks back to the time she told Madoka she was being romantic without realizing. She giggles, "That was when you were brushing my hair, right? And then Sayaka came over. I remember that. It was everything I could do not to confess to you right then, but the timing was wrong. I think maybe that was the worst tease of all, loving you and not being able to say it."

    Homura considers the prospect of there being more difficult times. It's more or less an assured thing, but there's one advantage she probably won't have anymore: her knowledge of future events. "I don't know what will happen, but we've gotten this far. We have many fights ahead of us, but we have our friends this time around, and we have each other."

    Homura feels the tug on her arm, and she thinks she knows what's coming next. She follows Madoka's invitation, scooting up onto the bed and lying down next to her. Homura takes Madoka back into her arms, holding Madoka tight. Homura's purple eyes close as she feels Madoka's warmth, and listens for her heartbeat.

    "I can't get over how happy I am that we've gotten this far. This is better than anything I thought possible. No matter what happens, I'll fight to make sure that this timeline is the one that sticks. We won't have to lose anything else, no matter what I have to do."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka giggles and nods, "I was still hurting a bit over Takashi-kun breaking up with me, so it would have been a pretty bad time. I'm not sure how I would have responded. I think in the end we probably would have ended up like this anyway, but it might have been a lot more embarrassing than it was." She then blushes brightly, "Besides... I really like when you did tell me. That was an amazing night." Pause, "And morning!"

    Madoka rubs Homura's back, knowing that it must be difficult for her having to deal with not knowing what will come after having had so much knowledge for so long. "That's true... but I really do think that's been true for as long as you've been in this timeline, too. It seems like people's personalities are the same, but there's so many people you'd never met before and so many other dangers that all you ever really had here was a good guess." She smiles and shakes her head, "But in the end it was this timeline, the one you didn't know the future for, that turned out the best."

    Madoka giggles nervously, "I know that isn't -really- because you didn't know what was going to happen before, but it might be a good thing to tell yourself if it starts bothering you despite the fact that you have me and our friends."

    She snuggles to Homura, hugging her arms around her before relaxing in her arms, closing her eyes and sighing comfortably. Homura listens to heartbeat, and Madoka listens to Homura's breathing.

    "Don't get over it then," Madoka replies playfully. "This really is something amazing and wonderful. That we could end up this way together, it's a miracle all it's own. And I think it's the kind of miracle the universe wanted to make happen, not one we had to force on it. It feels too natural for that."

Homura Akemi has posed:
    "Yeah... it just didn't feel right." Homura thought as much back then. "Maybe we would've ended up like this anyways, and I'd have been happy, but part of loving you is being concerned about how you feel... and especially how I make you feel." Homura pauses for a moment, thinking about how she was back then. "It's funny. I feel like we've been dating a long time, but that night actually doesn't feel that long ago."

    When she thinks about the night Homura and Madoka did decide to try being romantic, Homura giggles. "That was fun, wasn't it? We already liked to cuddle. We just added kissing on top of it."

    Homua's back is rubbed, and she thinks about Madoka's response. "Well, my knowledge of the future has never really been perfect. Butterfly effects and other things made each timeline drastically different. I think some timelines were even like parallel universes in of themselves, because they were so different." She nods. "Still, though, you're right. I don't really need that. I just needed to learn my lesson, and quit pretending that things didn't matter to me."

    She smiles, hearing that reassuring heartbeat. Proof that Madoka is alive, and that Homura has won. Maybe her fight isn't over, but she's overcome a major hurdle, and that's reason enough to be happy. In some very real ways, that heartbeat represents Homura's life's work.

    "You're right. We don't have to get over it. It's wonderful, and every second that passes is something precious that we didn't have before. If this is a natural miracle, then maybe that means it has a better future than the miracles we had to wish for."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka listens to Homura's explanation, nodding a bit. Afterwards she smiles and comments, "Then you should be proud of yourself, because you make me feel happy, comforted, and loved!" She flushes a little, "It seems like a long time to me, but maybe that's because of how embarrassed I was. It's so strange to think about that now! Making you think I'm romantic is a very good thing now, not a bad one."

    Madoka giggles happily, "It was very fun. Cuddling with you in the snow was really neat. And when you kissed me, um... well, that was amazing."

    More backrubs are given as Homura talks to her, gives her a bit more view on her past experiences. What she feels about them now might be a lot different than how she felt about them at the time. "I'm glad you learned that lesson. I'm glad you don't have to hide you emotions from yourself anymore."

    As Madoka rests against Homura, snuggled safely in her arms, her heartbeat slows a little because she's so comfortable and relaxed. Also because she just laid down. Right now fear and anxiety are unknown. Though excitement isn't, and if Homura wants to hear her heart beat faster all she has to do is whisper something romantic or kiss her.

    "'Miracles and magic are real', right? I don't think the ones Kyubey grants are the only ones. All the old stories about people falling in love and living happily ever after, maybe there really is something truthful and real about them." She giggles softly and shifts around a little so she can nestle a bit more against Homura, hugging against her with her arms, "Isn't it nice that 'ever after' is the beginning of a new story instead of the end?"

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura smiles, and chuckles. "I'm glad that I make you feel that way. I feel the same when I'm around you. I hope to always make you feel that way when I'm around you." It seems like a long time ago, hm? Well, it kindof was. "Well, I do think of you as romantic, my little angel. Showing up at my house dressed like a secretary isn't something I'll soon forget... and those pillows. Every time I look at them I smile, because I remember all the times we've cuddled. Just like this."

    Speaking of happy memories, Homura laughs. "Oh my god. I was so nervous then. I wasn't sure what you'd say, or if you'd shy away from me or something. That all seems so silly right now."

    Homura's smile falls when she thinks about it. She really was hiding from a lot. She still thinks that some of her feelings are very dangerous, but maybe it's okay if that danger is on her side. After all, it's love, so what harm can it possibly do? She smiles again, looking at Madoka. "I'm glad, too. What I have now is stronger than the hope I had before, and it's not going to let me go. I'm never going to lose it."

    Homura considers increasing that heartbeat. Madoka likes that kind of thing, right? Her back is getting rubbed, and she rubs Madoka's back in turn, before reaching up to scratch the back of her neck. "Beloved Madoka-chan. Sweet, beloved, beautiful, adorable Madoka-chan. My little angel. You fill me with so much joy, my little angel. Pride, too."

    Miracles and magic are real... Homura had spent a lot of time wishing that they didn't, but this was the life she lived. Stories of people falling in love and living happily ever after... "Yeah. Maybe there is. Maybe you have to fight for that happy ending, but we have fought, and right now we're winning."

    'Isn't it nice that 'ever after' is the beginning of a new story instead of the end?'

    "I always wondered what happily ever after meant. Seems like an odd place to end the story, but if it's just the start of a new one then that's even better. I want to be a part of that tale... the one about our very own happily ever after."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka nuzzles her cheek against Homura when she calls her her little angel, only to giggle at the mention of how she dressed up. "I still have the outfit. Any time you feel like having your own personal Secretary Madoka just let me know~!" The mention of the pillows and remembering cuddle times gets Madoka to wriggle a bit closer into Homura's arms, pressing herself tightly up against her girlfriend and snuggling her close, so that they can feel each other's heartbeats in their chests.

    "But you're so cute when you're nervous, Homura-chan," Madoka teases. "I wasn't sure right away either. I... did need a little convincing. But you're so -good- at convincing me loving you is right!" She giggles playfully and shifts a bit so she can lean in and kiss her girlfriend softly on the lips. "Hehe. You have my everlasting friendship and my deepest love! I'd hope that makes for a stronger hope."

    Madoka mmms happily as her back is rubbed, and gives a tiny shiver when her neck is scratched. The stream of compliments comes in and she blushes warmly, and of course her heart skips half a beat and speeds up. "Homura-chan, you're a real sweet-talker tonight!" She giggles as the pet name is used again, squirming a little in embarrassment at having so many sweet things said about her. "You really think all of that don't you? I'm so lucky to have someone who likes me so much! I want to be your sweet, beloved, beautiful, adorable little angel forever."

    Madoka smiles warmly, "It is! It's the start of a new life together rather than apart. Even if we have troubles, and even if those troubles are sometimes between us," as unlikely as that seems now it's not crazy to think they might have fights, "that life is going to be so much better and happier than what came before it. A life with you... that's what I want now."

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura blushes as Madoka mentions still having that costume. "That really is such a cute costume. You're so good to me, it makes me so happy." Homura's arms welcome Madoka as she snuggles closer, wrapping tightly around her girlfriend to absorb her love and sweetness. She hears Madoka's heartbeat, and Madoka hears Homura's. Homura's heart thumps in her chest, softly but rapidly. She's calm and excited at the same time, especially as she thinks about seeing Madoka in that outfit! "I would like seeing you in that again someday."

    Thinking back to the day, and how she felt, almost feels alien compared to how Homura thinks now. "I remember thinking... I don't know what. Like... I guess I just thought I could say that without you getting upset at me, really. I wasn't even thinking about what would happen after. Your reaction was cute, though."

    She grunts happily. "I'm glad I have those things, and they are pretty good at staving off despair. I rarely have an unhappy thought these days, which is not what I'm used to, but I appreciate it. Especially since it's something that you give me."

    Homura giggles as she's called a sweet-talker. "Well, of course I'm talking sweet, because I'm talking about my sweetie!" After her giggle fades, she speaks softly. "I do feel that way about you. I always will, forever." Homura's sure about that. Feelings that last for over a decade have a tendency to keep going.

    "No matter what trouble comes, I'm always going to love you, and I'm going to act on that love." Even if Madoka disagrees with it. Of course, Homura hopes she won't, and she hopes that she can continue respecting Madoka's wishes enough that it doesn't become a problem, but Homura does have her own way of doing things. Even if she learned her lesson, she's still very much Homura. "Whatever trouble happens, even if it's between us, I will always love you, and I will always want to be with you no matter what."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka giggles softly, especially when she can hear Homura's heart rate pick up a little. "Then I'll be sure to wear it again, since you like it so much."

    "I'm glad you thought it was cute. And I'm also glad you told me how you felt." She's quiet for a few moments before adding, "I think I might have felt very bad about it later if you told me and I'd gotten upset. Maybe I might have if you had said it while I was dating Takashi-kun, but it wouldn't have been right. Even if I wasn't able to return your feelings it would have been wrong of me to reject them completely, or be upset at you for feeling them. I'm really happy that didn't happen. I'd be very cross with myself if I hurt you like that."

    She rubs Homura's back with her arms, "I want to keep giving you happy days, and days without any unhappy thoughts. I don't worry about things nearly so much anymore either. It's easy to look on the bright side when I get to see your pretty face and hug you every day."

    Madoka giggles happily at being called Homura's sweetie, and makes to give her a gentle, sweet kiss in response. "I love you, Homura-chan," she whispers, keeping her message simpler this time.

    She takes in a very deep breath and then lets it out as happy sigh, cuddling against Homura as she exhales. Her cheeks warm to a light pink, liking the thought of Homura acting on her love. "I feel the same way," she says quietly. "I'll always love you."

Homura Akemi has posed:
    "If I had said it while you were dating Agera-san, I'm..." Homura pauses, and considers, "... well, there's no way I could do that. I would've been a terrible friend if I had put that on you. I didn't want to do that. If I did something like that and got hurt, I would've deserved it."

    She giggles. "Yeah, it's easy for me to look on the bright side, too. We don't have Walpurgisnacht hanging over our heads like a swinging pendulum anymore. We've got so much going for us right now."

    Hearing Madoka's whisper, she responds with another whisper, "I love you too, Madoka-chan."

    She nuzzles against Madoka, and kindof trails off. Today has been a very full day, and Homura's a bit tired. This conversation, like many before them, seems like it may end not because they ran out of things to say, but because one or both of them started getting tired.

    Still, being here, with Madoka, and feeling her warmth and kindness... Homura could never let this go.