501/'Chance' Encounters

'Chance' Encounters
Date of Scene:	29 October 2015
Location:	Mitakihara - Downtown
Synopsis:	Sayaka and Madoka are walking to the hospital to visit Kyousuke when Apatite makes an intended brief appearance, only to come into conflict with Homura. Threats are exchanged and Madoka makes a mess out of everything again. Twice.
Cast of Characters:	Sayaka Miki, Madoka Kaname, Homura Akemi, Kyouko Sakura

---

Sayaka Miki has posed:
    After being reunited only recently with Madoka, Sayaka was eager to introduce her to her friend (and secret crush) Kyousuke, in the hospital. The last few weeks had been pretty depressing for Sayaka, but with the pink haired girl in her life again, Sayaka felt just a little lighter..And she was hopeful that Madoka would be able to help her cheer up Kyousuke as well.

    They're currently walking through the park, taking a short cut to the hospital - Sayaka playing some classical violin music that she had picked up for Kyousuke in hopes that he will enjoy it. She's got her headphones turned up high, lightly swaying to the music as she imagines being in a concert, even if the last concert she went to had ended so badly.

    "So Madoka, how much time do you spend at the hospital and what kinds of stuff do you get to do there? It must be pretty stressful, no?"

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Apatite has found herself watching Sayaka again. Her stalking behavior has really upticked recently, despite her confusing and saddening conversation with Sayaka not long ago- it's strange, because Kyouko, when she is herself, would never dream of following Sayaka around, no matter how much she worried about her. But for Apatite, for some reason, she can't seem to help herself. Maybe it's because deep down, she's uncomfortable in the Dark Kingdom and doesn't want to stay there. Maybe it's because Sayaka is the only firm link she remembers to her former life, and even if she doesn't remember why, seeing the girl makes her feel better. Maybe it's because Beryl has, in a roundabout way, threatened Sayaka's safety if Apatite does not behave, and checking to make sure the Queen is keeping her bargain is part of the deal. Maybe it's all of the above.

    Regardless of the reason, though, Apatite is again lurking nearby as Sayaka and Madoka progress through the park on the way to the hospital. She wasn't intending to stay long- she usually doesn't ,it's not like she follows Sayaka around like a puppy for hours on end- rather, she simply drops by wherever the blue-haired girl is for a few minutes, makes sure she is ok, and then vanishes again.

    Today, she just happens to time her 'check-in' poorly. A pool of shadows beneath a tall tree swirls, and the tall red-headed figure steps out of them, appearing from nowhere. Her white coat flutters briefly around her ankles as her eyes scan the area, until they pick out Sayaka and Madoka walking together on the path in the park, not far away. She nods, reassured, and goes to step away again, back into the shadows, when she pauses, eyes narrowing on Madoka. Why did that girl seem so familiar..?

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka is walking alongside Sayaka, smiling a little as she sees her friend in decent spirits despite all the trouble she's had to go through lately. That she had herself been one of those troubles is a little saddening, but she's resolved to do her best to be a cheerful influence and try to put a smile on her friends face in order to make up for it. She would have come along to meet Kyousuke anyway but the fact that it was so important to Sayaka made her a little more eager for it herself.

    The question is a bit embarrassing since she was just a patient there herself but she hides her feelings for the moment, speaking a bit louder than normal to be heard through Sayaka's headphones, "Usually two afternoons a week, but sometimes it's a little more or a little less. It is a little stressful sometimes, but actually I think it's more calming most of the time, since my job is mainly just to keep people company and do simple little things to make them feel better. I'm not a doctor or a nurse, so there's not very much actual medical stuff I can do. But just being there for someone can really help! How a patient is feeling can affect how quickly they heal and recover."

    Since they're walking side by side Madoka looks around as she talks rather than maintaining eye contract, looking down when embarrassed and up towards the sky when she's being thoughtful. She looks to her friend after speaking, but something catches the corner of her eye as she does, though she doesn't recognize the magic for what it is. What she does notice, however, is the red haired woman and her distinctive white coat. She looks... vaguely familiar in a nagging sort of way, but that isn't what catches her attention. Instead it's those red eyes, first on Sayaka, and then herself.

    She shrinks back closer to Sayaka, despite the fact that is actually closer to Apatite by a tiny margin, half hiding behind her and tugging on her friends arm to get her attention. "Sayaka-chan? Is that lady... staring at us?"

    Though not often rude the pink haired girl extends her arm and finger directly out towards Apatite.

Homura Akemi has posed:
Homura totally isn't stalking Madoka.

Well okay, she kinda sorta is, but she has reasons! Perfectly legitimate reasons that she will explain to no one and she will probably glare coldly at anyone who dares to ask.

Fortunately no one is asking, as no one seems to see the black-haired puella holding a magazine over her face, wearing shades that hide the fact that she's peering over the edge of the pages. Her eyes dart around, constantly, looking for the white rat who has yet to show himself today. Which is good. Good for him.

What Homura does notice, from her nearby bench, over the pages of her magazine, is a sudden appearance of dark energy. Her soul makes her very aware of it. When her shaded eyes move over to the source, Homura freezes.

Apatite? Here?

What does she want? Is this so-called Dark Kingdom after Madoka now? Homura has to be careful in how she approaches this. She doesn't move yet, staying on her park bench, but one might wonder if Apatite can actually feel Homura's eyes boring into her.

The fact that Madoka has noticed Apatite makes Homura a slight bit more nervous.

Sayaka Miki has posed:
    "Wow, I guess I never thought of it that way, but you're right. A patient's mood can totally affect how quickly they heal! So from now on, I'm gonna be as cheerful as I can for Kyousuke. And maybe when he gets out, I can tell him how I really feel abot him..."

    Sayaka blushes a bit as she speaks, not out of embarrassment, but maybe a bit shyness. She's definitely not ashamed of her feelings towards him, but she is still a little fearful of how he would react if he knew..What he'd think about her in return.."Well, Madoka-chan, I'll bet you can cheer up so many patients with your bright personality. I'm so excited to introduce--Huh?"

     She blinks, perplexed as she realizes that Madoka's attention has drifted away from her..Is she boring her with her fascination about Kyousuke? But no..There's definitely something..Or someone over in a shady spot by a tall tree nearby. And while Sayaka's not a magical girl yet, her senses are becoming just a little sharper to things that are out of the ordinary.

    When Madoka shrinks, Sayaka steps protectively in front of her, hands clenched, touching the baseball bat she now keeps hidden in her school bag. "Don't worry, Madoka-chan, I'll keep you safe.." She easily picks out the red headed girl from the shadows, taking a minute or two to get used to her new appearance..But oddly enough, Sayaka's own expression softens. "Kyou-chan..? You came back.." Sayaka relaxes a little, but still stands a bit in front of Madoka. Who knows, perhaps she will attack them this time. Sayaka's not so sure she'll listen to reason since the last time..

    Homura goes currently unnoticed, for now..

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Apatite hesitated too long. Madoka points right at her, and Sayaka notices her. For a moment, she isn't sure what to do- she hadn't meant to be seen. She doesn't know how to actually /deal/ with Sayaka, the girl makes her feel confused and sad and angry all at the same time for reasons she doesn't understand. She just wanted to make sure she was still safe.

    But now she's been spotted. She might still have just fled- but Homura's attention focuses on her, and Apatite /feels/ that as well. The Puella has energy, power, after all, and on top of that, it's a power that Apatite knows, even if she doesn't remember why she knows it. Homura's 'feel' equals 'threat' in her subconscious- a relic of their past relationship, which has been far from friendly.

    Ironically, even though they are essentially there for the same reason, they seem to have the same reaction to each other- Homura views Apatite as a possible threat to Madoka. Apatite views Homura as a possible threat to Sayaka- or at least, simply as 'dangerous', and she doesn't want anything dangerous here.

    And so, without acknowledging Sayaka and Madoka other than with a brief look, Apatite turns and begins to stride across the grass- straight towards Homura.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    This conversation will have to continue later, as though Madoka definitely catches Sayaka's admission of feelings for her hospitalized friend events conspire to keep her from remarking on them, as important as they are.

    When Sayaka steps in front of her Madoka almost instantly feels better, nodding and saying a quiet, "Thanks." She doesn't know it's a bat that Sayaka is quietly reaching for, and thinking it's her she squeezes her friends hand for a reassuring moment.

    Then when Sayaka relaxes and changes tone she notices immediately. "Kyou-chan... is that your friend who went missing? Is that her right now?" Most of the worry leaves her and she stands up a little straighter. "We should go over and talk to her!" She says quickly, not having heard any news of Apatite since the disappearance of Kyouko.

    She even starts to raise her hand to wave, stopping only when she sees the redhead start walking over towards someone else. Her eyes follow the course she's taking and- someone reading a magazine on a bench?

    It takes her a moment or two. "...Homura-chan!"

Homura Akemi has posed:
Homura doesn't want to be caught in this embarassing get-up, though clearly it's too late for that. In the space of one moment, Homura is suddenly gone, her magazine thrown into the nearby trashcan.

In the frozen moment in time, Homura blushes furiously. Of all the people to see her looking shifty... it had to be Madoka and Kyouko?! Could it be any worse? Homura has trouble imagining a worse scenario.

When time resumes, she's behind Apatite, leaning next to the tree that Kyouko was just leaning against.

"You wanted to speak to me?"

Homura glances over to Madoka and Sayaka. It's a bit too late to not be spotted. So instead she waves briefly at them, before turning her attention back on Apatite.

Sayaka Miki has posed:
    Sayaka reaches for her bat - just incase..But lets go when Madoka grabs her hand. No, best not to bring out a weapon, or else Kyouko might feel threatenned. Instead, her grip tightens on Madoka's hand, and doesn't let go when she calls out towards Kyouko.

    "Yeah, that's Kyouko, but, we have to be careful. She was somehow brainwashed by the 'Dark Kingdom'. Now she is convinced that she's one of 'Queen Beryl's generals.'" Glancing over at Madoka, Sayaka's eyes narrow, "She might still be dangerous, but I havent' given up on trying to free her from whatever evil magic has been cast over her. We have to be careful.."

    Sayaka wants to run and talk to Kyouko, relieved that she's still alive and alright - who knows what sorts of dirty business goes on in an evil place like the Dark Kingdom..However, she remembers how nervous Kyouko was the last time.

    She's about to make a decision to walk towards Kyouko..When the red head makes a beeline for...Homura? "Oh, what's she doing here?" strange, she almost looks like she was..Laying in wait, or something? But in this timestream, Homura has earned a bit of Sayaka's trust. Plus, she seems to be knowledgable about certain things. Sayaka also suspects she must be a magical girl, given her knowledge of Kyubey.

    "Homura chan..Careful! She's been brainwashed..She's working for the Dark Kingdom now.." Woah..How'd she get over there? Must be part of her powers! Sayaka decides to stay where she is for now, not wanting to crowd Kyouko.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Apatite blinks as Homura is suddenly behind her instead of in front of her. She has some vague sense of how Homura's powers work, but like everything from 'before', it's more like a feeling than conscious thought- she's not surprised by what Homura can do, but she doesn't remember the specifics. Even so, vanishing from in front of her and appearing behind her is sort of a threatening thing to do.

    Kyouko has always had good instincts- she's no deep thinker, but she often just seems to know what to do without having to think about it. As Homura's voice suddenly calls out behind her, the redhead is already spinning around, spear materializing out of thin air. Her spear is different now- it's the same basic shape, but the shaft is white, as if it were made of ceramic, the triangular blade covered in ornate white filigree between the red stripes, and with a more elongated tip. That tip slams into the tree right next to Homura's head, missing her by a fraction of an inch before she's even done speaking.

    Apatite grins that one-fanged, lopsided grin that Homura has seen so many times before. "Speak? Wasn't plannin' on speakin'. Just wanted to know what you think yer doin' here." She doesn't remember the Homura --> Madoka connection it seems.

    A brief glance is spared for Sayaka and Madoka, as Sayaka calls out for Homura to be careful, although that part should be self-evident by now. She does scowl a little bit as Sayaka mentions her being 'brainwashed'. This understandably makes her confused and uncomfortable, but she banishes those thoughts for the moment, focusing on Homura.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Since Homura has helped her escape danger by using her powers it isn't too hard for Madoka to figure out what caused the disappearing act, but the 'why' of it is utterly confounding. It's also a little disorienting to see someone there one moment and a magazine flying into a trashcan the next with the person completely gone; she has to blink a couple of times to realize what just happened. Her head turns a few times to try and find her again, and sees her behind Apatite, catching the wave and returning it with a weak one of her own.

    Then Sayaka clues her in to a whole number of things she's missed out on before, causing her to go through a mental version of the same type of confusion the disappearing Homura caused her a moment ago. "She- what? Brainwashed? 'Dark Kingdom?'" She has to take it on Sayaka's word that this is an evil group of some kind, though brainwashing people's friends tends make that easy to believe.

    "Then, if she's danger-" The spear materializes and gets stabbed into the tree with terrifying force, and suddenly Madoka is a flurry of action. "Sayaka-chan!" she shouts loudly enough to be heard by everyone, "We have to run! We have to run away right now!" She's squeezing onto Sayaka's hand fiercely, and even reaches over with her other one, leaning backwards and trying to drag her off in the direction they were going- towards the hospital.

    "Please, let's just go!" She knows how stubborn her friend can be, and preemptively begins arguing against the expected retorts, "I know you're worried about your friend and Homura-chan, but we need to leave before there's any fighting. I... I found out what happens when you try to fight without magic, you just put everyone else in danger, and end up in the hospital." Taking a cue from a certain someone's playbook she adds, "If she really is your friend and cares about you the best way you can help her is to keep yourself safe!"

    Throughout all this she's tugging on Sayaka's arm if she offers resistance, and if not just running with her away as fast as her legs can carry her.

Homura Akemi has posed:
Homura's long dark hair is the only thing disturbed by the sudden spear thrust right next to her head, locks pushed away from the wind, almost as if the strands of hair were briefly trying to flee. Yet if Homura feels even a fraction of fear, it doesn't show in those stone-cold purple eyes of hers. She's the very image of calm, the kind of calm only a hardened veteran can have.

She turns her eyes towards Sayaka, saying loud enough for her to hear, "Yeah, I've seen it. She still fights like the old Kyouko in some ways, but it's clearly different. I haven't had any luck reaching her either."

Talking over Kyouko's head like this amuses Homura on some level. There is too much buried rage in that relationship for Homura to not indulge in a few small trolls.

Turning her gaze back to Kyouko, she says, "Isn't it obvious? Or have you really lost so much of your memory? I'm just here to protect my interests."

With one fluid motion, Homura has pulled a shotgun out of nowhere and, in the blink of an eye, has leveled it at Kyouko. "What do you think you're doing here?"

Madoka and Sayaka start thinking of running. Internally, Homura is glad that Madoka isn't thinking of staying or making a wish. If Apatite and Homura do end up fighting again, then this would be a very bad place for non-magicals to be.

"Honestly, though. I'm surprised to see you skulking about here. You usually aren't the type to be quiet and subtle..."

"... unless you're stalking your prey."

Regardless of what reasons Kyouko has for being here, it's clear what Homura has already assumed. The thought that Kyouko might be after Madoka is enough to put Homura in a fighting mood.

Sayaka Miki has posed:
    When Kyouko summons her impressive spear and strikes out at Homura, Sayaka's heart stops for a moment..Homura's in trouble! But it seems she's underestimated her powers - in fact she has no idea what sorts of abilities that Homura is capable of. Is she just that darn fast..Or is there some other power at work here?

    For a few moments, Sayaka stands frozen to the spot as she watches the combat transpiring in a silent kind of awe. "But..But I have to help. I cant let her kill Kyouko-chan.."

    Although, glancing at Madoka, seeing the fear in her eyes, Sayaka realizes her number one priority is keeping Madoka safe..Dammit! She hates feeling so helpless! And again, Sayaka is caught in a moment of indecision, one hand fingering the bat, the other hand still grasping Madoka.

    "Ugh...Dammit...You're right, I have to get you to safety, Madoka!" She starts heading away from the fight, but she cant help but glance over her shoulder every so often, watching Kyouko worriedly, moving a little slower than she should.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
    Apatite finds herself staring down the barrel of a .45.. oh sorry, a shotgun. That's even worse! Her grin doesn't falter though- if anything, it becomes more predatory, her red eyes hardening. "I don't know what you're talking about."

    "And I really don't care." This second line is spoken by a /second Apatite/ who steps out from behind the tree, no doubt causing Homura's eyes to refocus for just a split-second, and when they look back, the first Apatite, spear and all, is gone- it's as if Apatite was briefly in two places at once, and then decided the new place was better.

    "But I won't have you putting her at risk." She doesn't say who 'her' is. Homura can probably figure it out. It's actually kind of hysterical, that both of these two powerful magical girls are concerned about keeping the two normal girls safe, and yet are distinctly putting them in danger by being overprotective and easily provokable.

    Apatite's eyes are drawn again to Madoka and Sayaka, as the former begins to drag the latter away. This makes a bit of the tension go out of her, but it doesn't change the fact that Homura pointed a weapon at her.

    "This isn't the time." She says, abruptly. Her eyes re-focus on Homura. "I don't know why, but you piss me off. If I catch you near her again, I won't stop to warn you first." This is problematic, as Homura tends to be near Madoka and Madoka is friends with Sayaka. The possibility for misunderstandings grows!

    For now though, it seems the situation is defused, as Apatite simply turns away and.. vanishes again, in a rush of dark shadows which seem to engulf her from the shadow of the tree, leaving no trace of her behind.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    The expected protests come. Sayaka is hesitating and not running as quickly as she should. When she hears her say she can't let Homura kill Kyouko there's a pang in her heart, and the tugging on Sayaka's arm becomes a little less insistant, though it doesn't stop. Running like this, it's almost impossible to tell that Madoka's hands are trembling, and not just from fear. "I know, Sayaka-chan, but we have to stay safe! She had been looking back over her shoulder but now she looks ahead, trying to hide the tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

    She's dragging her best friend away from someone important to them, keeping her from helping.

    It's horrible. She's horrible for doing it. Friends should try to help each other, not run away.

    But even as she thinks it her mind flashes back to Infinity's gym, and a single relatively tame, by magical girl standards, tentacle swipe that left her next memory being waking up in the hospital with the worried faces of her parents above her.

    She just can't face that again, not right now.

    "We just have to run!" she says, eyes closed now as she moves forward, away from the danger she doesn't realize is gone.

    The tears escape her eyes. She'll just have to be a terrible person today, if it means keeping Sayaka and herself safe.

Homura Akemi has posed:
Homura looks behind her as the next Kyouko appears, and when she looks back at the first Kyouko she's-- gone?!

Homura still needs to get used to Kyouko's new powers. Even if those powers aren't 'new' in the strictest sense, Homura has never had to deal with them before this timeline.

"Oh? I piss you off?" says Homura, a little coyly, as she turns around more fully to face Kyouko again. "And here I thought we were starting to be friends." Her tone of voice is clearly sarcastic, and maybe a bit bitter.

Then, within a moment, Apatite is gone. Homura speaks to the empty air where she was, saying, "I'll do whatever I need to do. No matter what it costs you. Or how little you like it."

When she turns back to look for Madoka and Sayaka, they are already fleeing. Homura could chase them, and with her powers she could catch up, but no... now really isn't the time. If Apatite comes after Homura again, it would be better if Madoka wasn't around.

"Kyouko-san you jerk," mutters Homura. "You're always doing this to me."

Sayaka Miki has posed:
    "Madoka-chan..." Sayaka murmurs, feeling confused and mixed up. Her natural instinct has always been to stand and fight, and even though she's on a different playing field, in a world suddenly full of magical and supernatural beings, that inborn instinct is hard to ignore.

    Then suddenly Homura is pointing a gun at Kyouko and Sayaka stops in her tracks, "Homura, dont!" she calls out..But then a moment later, Kyouko - both of them - have teleported away..Wait, two Kyoukos?! Sayaka didn't know she could do that too! But then Homura seems pretty powerful too, what with the teleporting or moving fast or whatever she's doing..

    But it seems the threat has passed..At least Homura has no more reason to fight and Sayaka breaks free of Madoka's grasp. "It's okay! It's over..She's gone.." glancing over at Homura, she begins to walk back towards her. Homura seems to know a lot of stuff about magical girls..About Kyubey. Does she know much about Kyouko, possibly?"

    "Homura-chan! Thank you, for protecting us.."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Run, run, run. Away from danger, away from herself.

    That's the plan, anyway, but Madoka's grip isn't strong enough to hold on to Sayaka when she's actually trying to get away. Physically she's not very strong at all, and Sayaka is an athlete- facts she's always been keenly aware of but has mostly resulted in her relying on her friend. In a situation like this, however, it shows just how impossible it would be for her to actually hold her friend back if she had to.

    Luckily Sayaka has a very good reason for doing so this time and even as Madoka lets out a little yelp of shock as she stumbles from the sudden lack of a counterbalance she's filled with a sense of relief. Mostly filled anyway; there's no escaping her prior actions or her own harsh judgment of them.

    The stumble gives her the chance to quickly lift her sleeve and brush the tears off of her face, and now that the moment is over no more come. Sayaka might have a hard time noticing since she hadn't seen her for so long, but Homura could likely instantly recognize the telltale signs of hidden grief.

    She turns around a moment after Sayaka and follows after, walking a bit quickly to keep up while looking around carefully. "Is she really gone?" she wonders aloud, staying vigilant for now. When they make it back over to Homura she gives another weak wave, "Hi again, Homura-chan." A little sigh with some added fake exasperation, "We should do something together soon so things like this isn't the only way we meet outside of school."

    Then a pause and a tilt of her head, "I think Homura-chan does know a lot about magical girls, but what does Kyouko-chan have to do with Kyubey?"

Homura Akemi has posed:
Homura turns around to face Sayaka and Madoka as they approach her and--- wait, Sayaka is thanking her? It's been a few timelines since that ever happened.

The shotgun vanishes into Homura's shield, and Homura kindof stands there awkwardly. "It's no problem... but... I still don't know what she was after."

If I see you near her again...

Near who? Kyouko doesn't care about Madoka, and she has little reason to think that the Dark Kingdom does either. Could it be about Sayaka...?

No, no that's crazy. Those two have fought so much in past timelines...

Then again, knowing how many times Kyouko has tried to save Sayaka... is it really that much of a surprise?

She's pulled away from her introspection by the attention she's getting from Sayaka and Madoka.

"So... are you two alright?"

Madoka was crying, notes Homura. It's a punch to her gut whenever she sees that, but what is she going to do? Puella business is usually very tragic, which is why Homura wants Madoka to stay away from it to begin with.

"Hi Madoka-chan," says Homura. "... we should, though when things like this happen I often have to worry."

Madoka asks a question, and Homura responds to it. "I know a few things, sure. Kyouko is a Puella Magi, and Kyubey is the one who turns girls into Puella Magi. Those two actually know each other pretty well."

"I don't know much about the Dark Kingdom, though. I've fought a few of their monsters, but before this... 'Apatite', as Kyouko-san apparenly calls herself now, I haven't had a direct confrontation with them."

Sayaka Miki has posed:
    Sayaka doesn't turn around to face Madoka until she reaches Homura. She's anxious to ask her about Kyouko, although she really doesn't know how well Homura even knows the red head. Still, she seemed somehow..Wise about a lot of things. Glancing over at Madoka, she checks her once over to make sure she's alright. Hopefully there were no stray bullets or anything that might have grazed her..

    She only barely catches sight of Madoka brushing away something from her face..What was that, tears? Whatever it is, Sayaka only catches a brief glimpse of something not quite right in Madoka's expression and it causes her to frown softly, "Hey, Madoka-chan, are you alright? I hope I didnt knock you off-balance or something. It's alright, we're safe now.."

    It's been so long, Sayaka has forgotten about some of Madoka's little mannerisms. While Sayaka's natural instinct has always been to run towards trouble, Madoka always wanted to avoid trouble. That's probably how they first met and befriended each other, because of a bully..

    Sayaka would ask Madoka more, but right now, her mind is filled with thoughts of Kyouko. Glancing back at Homura, she smiles warmly at her. Although she doesn't know her well, Sayaka really wants to trust her.

    "Homura, it's good to see you again..Kyouko was captured and brainwashed by the Dark Kingdom. The last time I ran into her, I thought I was starting to break through. I think she still remembers me, but she doesn't understand why..Do you think it's possible to break whatever spell's on her? I know she's doing this against her will.."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    They both notice she's upset, though Madoka only recognizes that Sayaka does; Homura's stoic expression doesn't change. "I'll be okay, Sayaka-chan. I was just... remembering the stupid thing I did the other day that got me hurt." It's half true, at least, and lets her sound genuine. She wants to be happy and cheerful for her friends, not mopey.

    Hearing that Sayaka thinks she actually started to get through to a brainwashed Kyouko would make her feel even worse about herself. If that's true than going over and talking to her could have really helped and done some good, maybe it could have eased tensions between Apatite and Homura instead of escalating to shotguns pointing in faces.

    However she hears something else first that suddenly captures her full attention. 'Kyouko is a Puella Magi'.

    The puzzle pieces fall into place. The vague familiarity, the name, the powers, the weapon. It all suddenly fits together perfectly.

    "Kyouko... Sakura. Sayaka-chan, your friend is Kyouko Sakura?!" She pales a little and takes an instinctive step back, holding one arm up in front of her chest with a hand closed into a fist. She looks positively stricken, though not in the same terrorized sense as before. "How can you be friends with Kyouko Sakura?" she says, rather than asks, speaking things as she thinks them, "She kidnapped me!"

    A half beat later she freezes, only to peek at Sayaka and Homura briefly.

    She probably shouldn't have said -that- part out loud.

Homura Akemi has posed:
"Yeah it's... good to see you too, Sayaka-san." Homura is still a bit weirded out, probably because of what she was doing a moment before. Is it possible to creep your own self out like that?

Fortunately for Homura, that's not the topic of conversation.

"Well," says Homura, "I don't really know. I'd have to ask some friends of mine but... I doubt they know either. Considering some of the things I've seen before, I wouldn't put a lot of faith in being able to undo it..."

Homura flips her hair outward before saying, "That said, if you do plan to save Kyouko Sakura, and if you do think you can reach her, then by all means. Just don't be careless. Even as a Puella she's dangerous. I have no idea how she's going to react with things as they are."

Homura watches as Madoka puts the pieces together. Yes, Madoka, it's the same Kyouko. You didn't realize that?

Actually it is a surprise that Kyouko and Sayaka are getting along in this timeline.

Wait--- what? What?! WHAT?!

Homura's eyes widen, every muscle tenses, and her teeth gnash. Her growing rage is not difficult to detect.

She speaks a bit too loudly when she says, "When did this happen?!"

Homura looks Madoka dead in the eyes. "What did she do with you? Where did she take you?!"

During this instant, Homura completely and fully no longer cares if Kyouko lives or dies. Well, she cares significantly less than usual, at any rate.

Sayaka Miki has posed:
    For some reason, Sayaka doesn't seem surprised to hear that Kyouko's a Puella Magi. As if she already knew, all along. Nor was she surprised to see Homura use her powers just now. But then, the last time they had met, Homura had pretty much told her about Kyubey and how she should be careful about making a wish.

    What does surprise her however, is when Madoka drops a bombshell about Kyouko. In fact, it makes her totally pass right over the part about Madoka apparently doing 'something stupid' the other day.

    Oddly, the last words she had heard from Kyouko the other day were something along the line of, 'I'm not the person you think I am..'. She...Kidnapped..Madoka!? Her Kyouko did!? But that couldn't be right..Could it..?

    "What!?! Madoka-chan..Are you sure it was Kyouko and not someone else that just looked like her? And if she was doing it while she was brainwashed, well it certainly wasn't her fault!" Of course, that must be the case! Kyouko is a nice girl, she'd never do such cruel things!

    "That's it, isn't it..?"

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Suddenly Sayaka is looking shocked and Homura is looking... well, simply murderous, actually. For several moments Madoka remains rooted in place, almost too afraid of what repercussions her words might have to say any more. But with Homura right there, staring her right in the eyes and demeaning to know what happened she can't hold out for long.

    "She forced me to go with her to another Puella Magi's house, ah, Mami Tomoe's?" Inwardly she can only cringe, "B-but she looked really surprised to see me and looked upset with Kyouko for kidnapping me! Kyouko wanted to kidnap me because-"

    She almost wants to cry again now, worried about how Homura will take it, "Because she knew I was important to you, and wanted to hurt you..." That sits in the air for a few moments, "B-b-but it was all over really quick! I was able to call for help and Mamoru-kun came over and started to take me home after Kyouko-san left. And, ah, um.... that's why I was there in the Labrynth with all the paint."

    She looks simply miserable as she looks over to Sayaka. It would be so much easier to lie, to tell her friend she isn't sure, that it could be someone else. And she really wants to. But Madoka is a terrible liar, and she doesn't want to intentionally help her friend delude herself. "I'm sorry, Sayaka-chan. I really am, but I'm certain. She looked a little different then, but that was her. This was, um, a few months ago... was she brainwashed then?" A tiny hopeful hint to her voice.

Homura Akemi has posed:
"Mamo-kun knew about this," says Homura, very tensely, "And he didn't TELL ME?!"

Homura reaches up to pull on her hair. She turns away from Madoka, saying, "Of all the... and Mami-san, too? I knew she had a bad side but I can't believe... I mean... why would she ever...?"

Homura's white knuckles have a death-grip on her hair right now. She's not even looking at the other two, turned away from them. She's shaking. "She wasn't brainwashed back then," says Homura. "I remember that night. She tried to ambush me and throw me into the paint. When I later felt sorry for her, stupid as I was to do so, and tried to save her life, she spat in my face."

Homura releases her hair, drops her hands to her sides, and mutters. "I... I can't talk right now. Sorry, Sayaka-san, Madoka-chan. I... need some time to reconsider some things. A lot of things. And I don't really have a lot of information to help you, sorry."

Homura starts to walk away, well storm away really, and with the pace she's keeping it would be hard to catch up...

... Except that she stops, and turns around. Her head is tilted downwards, and her hair covers her eyes in shadow, but she does say one more thing.

"Actually... thinking back then... she had her reasons. I don't... I don't like what she did, but we were enemies back then. Some very horrible things happened to Kyouko-san, at the hands of people I knew. She was probably trying to get revenge for that..."

It's a hard thing to confess, but Kyouko would be more than happy to volunteer that information if pressed. Well, she would if she remembered it.

"I still don't think she should've taken it out on you, Madoka-chan, and I'm very sorry that you were caught up in something like that because of me, but... I can see why she did it."

Homura turns around again, and continues to leave. She doesn't stop this time.

Sayaka Miki has posed:
    Sayaka just stares at Madoka and Homura, speechless. Kyouko...Did those things!? Just out of spite? To use her as a weapon agains someone else!? What a cruel, despicable thing to do! Is this what she was warning Sayaka about before? But WHY didn't she ever tell her, even before she was brainwashed?

    Of course...She was too ashamed, but she couldn't even trust Sayaka with her secrets!? It makes her REALLY mad. She clenches her fists, gritting her teeth. Sayaka would really like to punch Kyouko now, even if she IS brainwashed, and isn't totally to blame for her current actions.

    "Kyouko....What on earth was she thinking!? She kept all of this from me..." she glances over at Homura as she tries to explain some things about Kyouko's past...But, to take it out on an innocent. "I just don't....I cant believe it..Dammit, Kyouko!!" little tears roll up in her eyes, tears of anger..And perhaps sadness. How could she?