1435/The Tenshi Maru

The Tenshi Maru
Date of Scene:	02 May 2016
Location:	Uminari City - Central Harbor
Synopsis:	What happens when Homura gets a lot of money? She shows it off to Madoka, of course.
Cast of Characters:	Homura Akemi, Madoka Kaname

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Homura Akemi has posed:
    Today is a special day. There have been a lot of those lately, and Homura could reasonably argue that any day she spends with Madoka is a special one, but it is still totally a special day! She's invited Madoka to come along with her to see something special. She hasn't told her what it is yet. It's a S-E-C-R-E-T. In short, Homura wants to surprise her.

    Homura is wearing a very professional looking black suit, white undershirt, purple tie. Her hair, perhaps unusually, is tied behind her in a ponytail. She's driving a new shiny black Chevrolet Corvette that she clearly never had before, and seems to be managing the stick transmission pretty well. Her skill at it is probably not surprising, but the fact that she even has the car to begin with? It's definitely new, and it's not the surprise.

    "Thanks for coming with me, Madoka-chan. We're almost there. I just really want you to see this." Whatever it is, Homura is very happy about it. Her excitement isn't hard to pick up on, with the way she smiles and occasionally taps out a beat on the edge of the steering wheel.

    Madoka might recognize the route, or at least the direction they're going. Homura is heading for the Harbour, and they're nearly there. She's picking routes that show off the ocean view, and for some reason her purple eyes keep glancing at the docks in the distance. It's too far away to really see what's going on down there. It just seems like ships coming in, or going, or sitting there docked.

    For a moment, the view is obscured by a row of trees. The two are covered in shade as Homura drives on. She checks the GPS, which seems to indicate a route heading straight for the docks themselves. Whatever is going on, it's clearly happening there, and they've almost arrived.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Every day with Homura is a special day, but that doesn't mean some days can be more special than others. It also makes sense that these extra special days might come in groupings, as happiness at time spent together tends to breed more of the same. Madoka was asked to go see something special, and the fact that she wasn't told exactly what it was makes it plain that whatever it is a secret and that Homura is trying to build up excitement in lieu of some surprise or another.

    At first Madoka honestly didn't think much of that, though she is excited for any surprise Homura might have for her. At first she thought the car might be the surprise, and she had fawned over it a little because it is rather awesome. The fact that Homura isn't using her magic to drive it is also pretty amazing, but none of these things seem to be the -actual- surprise.

    And that got her thinking. She had, naturally, complimented Homura on how well put together and dashing she looked. It had been quite a while since she'd seen her wear a suit so nice without being prompted. As much as Madoka likes seeing Homura in beautiful dresses she likes seeing her so neatly dressed up in nice suits just as much, and she's said so several times. As she rode with Homura she at first talked happily, but as time went on and the ride continued she started to get a little quieter.

    Now she's looking out the window of the car and sending occasional shy peeks towards Homura, looking about as coy as the nicely suited girl had seen her in quite some time, hands set neatly in her lap. She's completely lost- she doesn't ride in cars often enough to know her way around from the actual streets as opposed to the sidewalks, and Tokyo is enormous. If she leapt to the rooftops to see the skyline she'd probably know right where they are, but as it is she doesn't realize they're moving in the direction of the Harbor- if she did it'd probably let her make a much more educated guess about where they were going and what the surprise is.

    But she doesn't, and so instead her mind works and works, grabbing onto a single idea and spinning it until it's blown completely out of proportion. Even though her expression is neutral there's a huge amount of excitement built up; she's more like a coiled spring waiting to release and jump than stone faced and unreadable. "I'm happy to go with you anywhere, Homura-chan," she replies, the excitement clear in her voice. What isn't clear is if it's happy excitement or... dread? No, not dread, but rather she isn't sure whether to be extremely happy or extremely cautious and unsure... but she is wound up and excited.

    Back to Homura's outfit. It really is nice and well put together; the black suit, the clean white undershirt, the eye-catching purple tie to give a splash of color and dispel any thoughts the wearer is stiff and unapproachable. Her hair being so neatly tied behind her- she looks as if every little thing is in place. Madoka likes that look on her; in a way it reminds her of the neatness of the jacket portion of her Henshin outfit; neat and crisp. It also reminds her of her own mother right before she heads off to work, so perfectly put together. And comparing someone favorably to Junko is, naturally, among the highest compliments Madoka could give. Homura is dressed to the nines and has a surprise for her, and Madoka is almost sure she dressed that way for her sake. Her mind spins, builds on that.

    If it had been a couple more days since the Walpurgis Night party perhaps the memory wouldn't be so fresh in her mind, but it is. And she really just can't help remembering a moment where the both of them were flustered and embarrassed. But then suddenly, as if coming to some sudden realization, Homura didn't seem confused at all. In fact she seemed so utterly sure of herself... as she told Hannah she would be most assuredly be invited to their wedding.

    And so Madoka sits in the passenger seat of Homura's shiny new Corvette, hands neatly set upon her lap while completely freaking out and going crazy inside her own mind.

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura glances at Madoka out of the corner of her eyes as she makes another turn. Madoka's excited, and Homura's excited, and they're both excited and Homura is so happy right now! Homura really has no idea what Madoka is imagining right now, but if she's in this much of a good mood then that's a good thing right? She loved the car, and she seems to like how Homura's dressed, and being admired by Madoka is always something that Homura likes.

    "It'll be fun, I promise. It'll be a reason for us to spend more time together, too!" says Homura, possibly making Madoka's imagination of the surprise even crazier. To be fair, she's never really been turned off by the idea of spending her life with Madoka, nor was she particularly shy about it yesterday. Unfortunately she has trouble remembering some parts of yesterday so that bit of teasing is a bit from her mind

    She rounds a corner, revealing the shipyard. It's... a bit of a dirty place in some ways. People moving boxes, people moving fish, people moving boxes of fish, the occasional puddle here and there on top of the concrete. Not exactly a romantic setting, or it might be, depending on what one chooses to romanticize.

    Homura drives up to one of the ships, parking her car in a space right in front of it, getting out before looping around behind the car to hold Madoka's door open for her. Homura makes a sweeping motion with her hand at the ship she's just parked next to. She puts her hands in her pockets and looks up at the vessel.

    It's... a large ship, to say the least. Larger than most of the other ships around by far. It has a long and wide deck, and part of the deck is significantly lower than the rest, and very flat. It looks as though if the ship were just a bit lower, a large part of that deck would be underwater. There are also cranes on this ship, long booms with hooks that are currently stowed and locked into place, but they look like they could easily be used to pull things out of the ocean. Very heavy things, even.

    The name of the ship is noticeable, written in white kanji against the red hull. The Tenshi Maru. Homura's purple eyes scan from one side of the ship to the other, before she beams at Madoka. "Well, here it is, Madoka-chan. I know this might not be the most romantic thing, but I think it's important for us. It's a salvage ship. The first, and so far only, one I've bought, actually. It also marks the beginning of the business I wanted to start, Salamander Salvage... as well as the more 'secret' business, the Contractors."

    She searches Madoka's face for her reaction. "Well... what do you think?"

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Most of Madoka's mind she's driven ever closer to their destination are varying pronunciations of 'oh my god', because what she's imagining is one of the biggest events she could imagine. Most, but not all. The times she isn't merely freaking out she's thinking of the consequences of what she thinks might be happening. Her parents would freak out, she's sure of that. As much as they love each other she's only been dating Homura for three months, and she's only fourteen years old. Her parents give her very free reign because they trust her to make good decisions but they've also shown a willingness to step in and intervene if they think things are going too far. She'd effectively have to choose between seriously angering her parents to an extent she'd never even come close to and abandoning Homura. Neither of those are good choices; it'd be an almost impossible decision.

    Would she be married before even entering high school?! That sounds like some kind of crazy anime plotline! 'That's Madoka Kaname- don't try for her, she's married.' ...it's ridiculous! It'd mean she'd have to move out of her parents house and... she likes living with her parents. She likes seeing Tatsuya grow up... he hasn't even started school yet himself. The wedding itself would be a massive event and incredibly complicated. There'd be so many magical people crammed into one place with so many nonmagical people from their families; they'd have to make so careful nothing happened. Which... would be almost impossible if Miss White were present; that woman is a loose cannon as much as she is well meaning. And she would be present, Homura said so herself.

    There are so, so many reasons it would be a bad idea not in general, but right now. As much as she's fantasized about it she's very aware that now isn't the right time. There's so much fun to be had just as girlfriends, anyway. They've only started to scratch the surface of the fun things they can do together, so why rush it? It isn't as if they're not as committed to each other as two people can possibly be, at least in her mind. Madoka fully intends to spend the rest of her life with Homura, no matter how long or how short a time that is, so it isn't like if it isn't made 'official' she might somehow decide she'd rather date someone else.

    So many reasons it isn't a good idea.

    But then there's the reason it would be: She'd be married to Homura. She'd be her wife, really and truly hers forever and ever and everyone would know it. In a way nothing could make her happier. One little reason it'd be good is enough to counterbalance all the negatives. So she's torn and unsure. And freaking out.

    Especially when Homura's words can be so easily misunderstood, Madoka having worked herself into such a tizzy that everything now revolves around this one idea. "I'm sure it will be!" Madoka says extremely fast, so wound up is she.

    And then they arrive, the sight of the docks and shipyard coming into view. At first it doesn't register, and than it hits her with almost physical force.

    Homura is going to propose to her in a filthy, grimy shipyard?!

    That's the danger of letting your mind get away with you; when everything revolves around one idea the fact that obviously proves it false gets taken along for the ride. As Homura gets out Madoka's face is a mask of extreme bewilderment. She isn't offended by the idea, she just doesn't understand at all. Maybe if they'd had some romantic moment here before, but...

    And then it hits her, plain as day. She was wrong. She completely misunderstood the situation. As she's rounding the car Homura can hear Madoka laughing hard for several moments as the tension that had built up inside of her unwinds and is released. Well it -was- ridiculous, after all. "Thank goodness," she says to herself as she undoes her seatbelt, because of course she wore it, taking in and letting out several deep breaths.

    Relief. She's relieved to have gotten it wrong. Homura opens the door for her, and finds Madoka in a cheerful, chipper mood. She's got no idea what the heck this is about because she spent so much time barking up the wrong tree, but she's happy. The pink-haired girl steps out of the car, walking away from it a few steps and towards the direction of Homura's sweeping gesture.

    Her eyes trail over the ship from back to front, going over the booms and their hooks, and the lowered central hull before finally reaching the name. Tenshi Maru. She understands the significance immediately; it's named after her.

    She turns in place in a whirl, twintails flying out behind her to face Homura again, her smile big and bright as ever before hopping forward and hugging onto her, squeezing her tightly while bouncing on her heels. She laughs happily, "You actually did it! I'm so proud of you, Homura-chan! I love it!"

    Her bounciness and wiggliest calms, and she hugs warmly onto her well dress girlfriend, twisting from side to side. She pulls away after a few moments just enough to look up into Homura's eyes, "Congratulations."

Homura Akemi has posed:
    The fact that a wedding would be a terrible idea right now is exactly why Homura hasn't taken it seriously enough to even think it might be something that crosses Madoka's mind. In theory the thought of waking up next to Madoka every morning and going to sleep next to her every night is a wonderful one, but the reality of it is that they're years too soon for that. Besides, Hannah was just kidding, and Homura wouldn't do anything like that without planning out every meticulous detail.

    There's a bit of irony though, because the ring that people would freak out most about is the one that would likely, if people stopped making a big deal out of it, lead to a happily ever after. Meanwhile, the ring that cost Madoka her soul, is likely to bring her to an early death, and might very well bring about the end of the world, is the one that literally no one is making a fuss about. Perception is a funny thing.

    Though Madoka is right about one thing: There's no way Homura would propose to her in a place like this.

    Homura blinks at the sound of Madoka's laughter... is that relief? What exactly was Madoka expecting? After opening the door, she has to ask: "Are you okay, Madoka-chan?" It's Homura's fault for not making her intentions clear, but then how would that have been a surprise?

    Homura can't help but smile as Madoka gets excited over the ship and its implications, and there's a sparkle in Homura's eyes as Madoka sees the name. The dark-haired puella catches her beloved as Madoka embraces her, holding her close and being quietly happy that Homura gets to share this moment with the one person with whom she is so in love. She only releases Madoka when the pink-haired girl pulls away.

    "Thank you, Madoka-chan. There's still a ways to go, but things have started now." She smiles, and then looks up at the ship, wind blowing through her hair. She glances to the side, finding a metal ramp that leads into the ship proper. She turns to her girlfriend and asks, "Would you like to explore the ship with me? I still need to inspect it, but we'll be the only ones on board. I don't even have a crew yet."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    It is rather incredible the amount of confusion one misunderstood joke can make. If not for her missing it last night Madoka would likely have come to the conclusion that Homura, after thinking it through, wouldn't consider marriage a real option right now. Of course she might have come to that conclusion anyway if she hadn't let her emotions get the better of her.

    The danger of the ring on her finger isn't something Madoka likes to dwell on. If it were just a ring posing the danger it wouldn't perturb her so much but the fact is that the ring didn't just cost her her soul, it -is- her soul, held in compact form. The thing that could kill her early and bring about the end of the world is Madoka herself. Worrying about it is a dangerous proposition, because too much angst and fear can lead to grief, despair, and that very awful end. At the same time not worrying about it enough could lead to not being careful and the same result.

    It's been said that that result is inevitable... though that is objectively false. Death is a way to prevent becoming a Witch, and if there's one way than why can't there be another? By her very own wish Madoka has not only proven but actually created the fact that becoming a Witch isn't even necessarily the end. The proof of that fact is opening the door to a car for her right now. "I'm fine, Homura-chan," she replies with a smile.

    As she's told things have started Madoka's smile widens and brightens as a tingle of excitement runs through her. "That's great, Homura-chan! I'm so happy you're getting an opportunity like this. I've always told you I thought you'd be wonderful at running your own business, and I'm so proud to see you actually doing it."

    Her head nods quickly as she's invited on board. "Can we?" she asks excitedly, only to smile a bit more sweetly when told they'd be alone together. "I'm sure you'll find a crew quickly... but until then I wouldn't mind being alone with you on your new ship at all, Homura-chan." With a giggle she adds, "Or is it Captain Akemi, now?"

    She takes Homura's arm as if it was offered to her, holding into it with both of her own as she tends to do when she's feeling affectionate. She leans leaning her cheek up against Homura's shoulder while peeking up at her through her bangs, a happy and pretty smile set firmly upon her face. "Tell me all about it," she eagerly insists, "I want to know everything! What you're going to salvage, how you want to run your business, and everything about the Contractors, too!" Madoka is certainly the pretty girlfriend being shown the new ship and being given the grand tour, but she's far from only the pretty girlfriend and they both know it.

    That doesn't mean she can't play both parts equally at the same time, though!

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura remains blissfully unaware of the conclusions that Madoka was jumping to, closing the door behind Madoka after she leaves the car. Whatever she was laughing about, it must not be that important, or else Madoka would probably say it. At least, that's what Homura assumes.

    Madoka seems eager to come aboard, and Homura starts getting butterflies. She's never seen the inside of the ship itself, though she does have some idea of the layout from blueprints she read during the ship's construction, and she finds herself hoping that Madoka likes what they find.

    Still, nervous or not, Homura isn't one to chicken out once she's made up her mind. "Well, then let's go." She reaches out to offer Madoka a hand to hold, and whether she takes it or not Homura starts heading for the ramp. She considers for a moment the title of 'Captain', tapping her chin and thinking. Her tone is playful as she thinks out loud. "Captain Akemi. I don't hate the sound of that. Maybe I should get myself a captain's hat?"

    Homura does consider Madoka to be a very pretty girlfriend, but they both know it's more than that. They're partners, and that does mean including Madoka in on her business. That doesn't mean Homura isn't excited to show off her progress to Madoka as her girlfriend, either. They both play a lot of different roles in their relationship, and those roles often overlap with each other.

    The entrance to the ship is a door in the side of the hull. Homura opens it and holds it open for Madoka, letting her inside before she closes it. The inside of the ship is tight at first, painted white with pipes often coming out of the walls. The tight corridor continues on for a while, with doors leading off to crew quarters or the engine room, but Homura isn't interested in inspecting either of those just yet.

    No, the place she wants to go first is the Bridge, and the black painted arrows that point to the Bridge are the ones she tends to be following.

    "Okay, so Walpurgisnacht messed up a lot of buildings, right? That's why the construction industry is going so well right now. However, she also threw a lot of things into the sea. Parts of buildings, people's homes and their valuables, and so on. A lot of our local operations are going to focus on those things, reclaiming what people have lost and returning them... for a fee. Nothing ridiculous, just enough to make it worth our while. However, that's not where the big money is."

    There's a smirk on Homura's face, and a shine in her eyes, as she turns towards her girlfriend and explains. "Ship salvage is going to be where most of the money comes from. The Tenshi Maru will help us when it comes time to bring ships to shore, but it's also a front. I'll be able to bring ships to the surface through magic. Museums will pay a lot for a ship that has historical value, and even if I can't find a buyer the scrap alone is worth 200 million yen. A single ship is more than enough to pay a yearly salary for over 30 people, and finding them isn't even hard for me."

    She reaches out to touch one of the pipes as she walks past it, dragging her fingers across it just to get used to the feel of it. "However, that's not all. Salamander will also be a construction company, and a lot of the equipment that helps with salvage can also help with construction. Your mother is right. There's a huge market for construction right now, and I'd be crazy not to take advantage of that. Salvage is very hit or miss, but whether there's a disaster or not people will always need new buildings constructed. Having that stabilizes the company and allows it to survive."

    Homura beams, happily rapping her knuckles against the bulkhead as she walks by. "With that income we could retire before even entering high school! Not that I will, but I could! I could pay off the loans for the house, too. However, that's not even the most important point."

    She tilts her head, purple eyes shining at Madoka. "All of this is to support the Contractors. Did I tell you that idea before? I want to start an organization, called the Contractors, for magical people. Our purpose is to preserve and defend Tokyo, and also provide means to financially support the people who are secretly keeping this city together."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    This is only the second time Madoka has ever been inside of a large ship, the first time being when she was on one of Homura's destroyers as they prepared for the fight with Walpurgisnacht. She lets go of Homura's hand as the door is opened for her, stepping inside and looking around. "Wow, it's so big in here..."

    The difference is vast to someone like Madoka with so little knowledge or experience for two reasons, the fact that the destroyer was a military ship intended for battle rather than a commercial one very much not and the fact that the destroyer had spent a significant amount of time underwater before being raised by Homura's magic. The Tenshi Maru on the other hand is brand new, without even a crew to track in mud after it's initial construction with freshly painted bulkheads and everything exactly where it's supposed to be. It's utterly pristine.

    She follows Homura as she's led around, completely and utterly lost. But impressed! After a few turns she recognizes quickly enough they're following the helpful black arrows.

    "Right," she notes while Homura begins explaining, nodding as she walks through the ship a sense of wonder over her. Ships are generally regarded as cramped, but this is a time when being small is an advantage... it's more than big enough for her!

    "Getting even a few things of people's back that got swept into the sea would be very nice," Madoka agrees, focusing much more on the emotional and psychological impact of what Homura suggests than the material ones. "It must be horrible for people who important things. I'd have felt very bad for you if you were really upset about your apartment, but you were ready to move on. To someone who wasn't and lost everything, getting even a small piece of it back could mean a lot to them. It's really sweet of you to think of helping people like that, Homura-chan."

    She looks over to her girlfriend and smiles. It's not something she'd considered at all herself and it makes her proud that Homura would, and for being so thoughtful she can bask in the glow of the pink-haired girl's admiration as it's shined upon her. She keeps smiling in that proud and approving way as more of the business side of things is explained to her. The exact value of the ship's scrap goes over her head, but hearing it's a good salary for more than thirty people gets her to blink a few times, "Wow."

    She giggles softly when Junko is mentioned. "She usually is," she notes about her mother being right.

    "If you can afford a ship like this I think you'd already have enough money to retire," Madoka points out with a giggle. Of course Homura wouldn't do that, because she's driven. That's one of the thing that really attracts her; drive and passion is one of those things that draws her in and always have. It's even the very thing that drew her father to her mother.

    She thinks for a few moments about everything once the explanation is over, "It sounds like with the first couple of ships you'd have enough money to start doing construction." A pause, "Or maybe you're planning on starting both sides up at the same time?"

    Madoka smiles as Homura looks at her, giving a small shake of her head. "Not in that name, but you did talk about wanting to give new Puella options other than WPS if they wanted to use their powers to make a living for the work they're already going to have to do." She steps closer to Homura and reaches up to rest a hand on her upper arm, "I told you before I thought you'd make a great leader, and I still do. You care about the city and the people who protect it, and you have the passion to be able to help. I'm so proud of you, Homura-chan! You know I'll do everything I can to help you."

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Madoka's words are like a soft gentle caress on Homura's soul. For someone who has long been accused and has also accused herself so many times in the past, having someone like Madoka tell her that what she's doing is good and sweet is nice. She can't really deny that her intentions are to lessen the impact of Walpurgisnacht even further, and to give people back what they lost, but it's one thing for her to plan that and feel okay about it and it's something else when the one person she cares about most approves so openly of it.

    "If it wasn't for the sentimental value it might not be worth people's time or money. Especially after there's been several months worth of water damage. Still, people's safes might contain important papers, and sometimes a piece of jewelry or other item has a lot more value in meaning than the material components. I don't know if there's a lot of money in it, actually. We'll have to see. Call it an experiment, I guess."

    Thinking back to the apartment, Homura smirks. "You know, I still miss the giant wall screen sometimes. Still, all things considered, you were the one person I cared about most. I would've been sad if Amy got hurt... but anything else in that apartment was expendable. I needed it to save your life, and defeat Walpurgisnacht. I got what I wanted from it. I couldn't ask for anything more than that."

    She smiles to Madoka as she mentions the price of the ship being more than enough to retire on. "Haha, it's true. If I wanted to I could live a very leisurely life. I still am, sort of. That's how I can afford that car we drove here in. I don't like to flaunt that much, but people have expectations of a leader. Showing up in a nice car like that, and in a suit like this..." Homura grips the edge of her suit jacket. "... shows that you have money to spare. They assume you're confident and that you have reason to be. When people don't know you, they judge you based on so many strange things like that."

    After a pause, she also admits, "... it's also a nice car. I don't hate it. Not gonna lie."

    At the mention of starting up construction, Homura shakes her head. "Not at the same time, but soon. I'd need money and time to set up things, start getting help, win some contracts, and so on. I think the biggest thing is just hiring the right people. Still, the earlier I can get to that the better. I'm already lagging behind most of the competition when it comes to post-Walpurgisnacht rebuilding, but there will be projects for that for years."

    So, Homura hadn't mentioned the name of the Contractors yet. Makes sense. She was still thinking about names when she spoke to Madoka about it last. "Yeah, that's right. It's the same thing, though I don't know if I want to limit it to Puella Magi. See, when I worked for WPS, I saw a lot of people who were just in it for the money, and there's nothing particularly wrong with that. People need to eat, but we shouldn't have a system where only the bad guys get to eat."

    Homura pause before a door, one clearly labeled as the way to the Bridge itself. "I know many people who defend this city say they don't need compensation, and maybe they don't, but I also know of a few people who could use the money and support. I just want people to have the option, so I guess I'm creating that option."

    She pushes the door open, leaving it ajar, and starts to walk inside. The bridge itself has a lot of windows, a solid row of them making up a significant part of the wall. Outside, the two of them can see the docks, the ship itself, the ocean beyond, and the Tokyo skyline in the distance. There are many seats around, the vast majority of them being in front of some console or another. The captain's chair is, predictably, in the middle, right next to the navigator's station. It's a little cramped, but it's also very space efficient, and the only people here are a couple of girls so it isn't exactly crowded.

    Homura walks up to and sits down in the captain's chair, folding her hands in her lap and looking out at the view beyond.

    "It's so weird. It's weird to look at this ship and think that I legitimately own it. You know, even though I use those battleships to fight Walpurgisnacht, I don't think I go to the bridge very often."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    "No, I understand," Madoka agrees when Homura mentions the sentimental value. "There might not be enough money in it to make money, but there might be enough to keep doing it anyway. If there's not, well... that probably just means people have gotten all the sentimental value back that they need." She says the last part skeptically, as if it's more of an idea she's floating than something she's sure of.

    Madoka looks away shyly for a moment when Homura says she was the most important thing to get through Walpurgisnacht unscathed. She knows it's true and has accepted that for a while now, but it's still humbling to think about, especially when they're discussing very real things taken away or destroyed. "You can get another wall screen," she notes with a giggle once she emerges from her moment of meekness. "If not for your house than for the Contractors. I thought it was really useful when you were explaining Walpurgisnacht to everyone, I don't see why it wouldn't be again."

    She smiles along as Homura admits she could have easily retired and lived in leisure, though they both know that would only be the nonmagical side of things; they're both Puella Magi and rely on Grief Seeds. She smiles a bit wider when the car and suit are brought up, along with the reason for them.

    Homura says she likes the car, and Madoka walks up to her, looking at the lapels while reaching out and delicately running her fingers beneath them, pinching the fabric lightly between her thumbs and forefingers just enough to feel it better and give the slightest tug. Her soft pink eyes turn upward and she says in a quiet voice, "I don't hate the suit, either." Her hands reach up and tease Homura's purple tie, tugging on it a little and then straightening it back out before stepping away while her eyes sparkle with flirty mischief.

    The topic moves on to the construction side of the company and Madoka adds, "You'll be a little behind on getting the best talent, too. I'd say you might be able to ask Mama for help but... I think you'll actually be in competition with her." There's a faint apologetic tone as she notes that. Competing with Junko Kaname in anything business related is a scary proposition. "School did just start, though. There might be some people who graduated high school or college and are looking for jobs still. And if you want good office talent there's probably a lot of college students who'd appreciate paid internships."

    Not limiting it to Puella Magi? Well, okay yes that makes a lot of sense to Madoka now that she's said it. "That's true. Puella are more vulnerable but they're not the only ones who would benefit. I think it would do everyone some good if they didn't have to worry about their magical life interfering with making a living. Not everyone has to, but some do." She shakes her head emphatically, "No, you're right. It's really silly if people doing bad things are able to offer more than people doing good things, or only doing good things." WPS without a doubt does some good things. The problem is they also do bad things as well.

    "Giving people work and mentorship without doing anything to conflict with their morals or ethics, that's what this is all about. Or... I think it is. I don't see anything wrong with rewarding people for doing the right thing, anyway. I think it's very noble if they don't need it, but not needing it doesn't mean they shouldn't get it anyway."

    Madoka follows through to the bridge, walking right up to one of the forward windows and looking out across the ship, bay, and skyline. Her eyes go back to the deck of the ship and her cheeks flush as she remembers it's name. She turns around and smiles at Homura, "It's beautiful."

    She walks back over at a slow pace, holding her arms behind her back in carefree fashion. "You didn't have to go to the bridge because you were using magic. You didn't need a crew to tell it what to do or make it work. You can still use magic if you want... but this ship will be much more useful to you if you give it a crew and issue orders so it'll work when you're not here."

    She twists a little from side to side, looking down at the sitting form of her girlfriend while smiling. "But it's still yours. All yours." Homura will find herself having to move her hands because Madoka steps closer before turning around and carefully sitting down, scooting back and cozying up in her lap. "What are you going to ask of your Tenshi first, Captain?" she asks playfully.

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura shrugs her shoulders as Madoka floats the idea. "Yeah, maybe." She's not sure either. "If nothing else, it will be a good test run for the ship, and for the crew. Just a bit of practice to get them going, before the really hard jobs come up."

    At the mention of getting a new wall screen, Homura responds, "Yeah, I don't think there's much room for it in the house. It's a big house, but that apartment had a tall ceiling, and the house doesn't really have that kind of vertical space. Maybe I could get a smaller one there. For the Contractors, though? The office would be a good place to set one up. There's no telling when it will be important for a meeting or strategy discussion, and like you said it has been very useful before."

    Madoka walks up to her and inspects the suit, and Homura is suddenly still as her girlfriend looks her over. 'I don't hate the suit, either.' Homura sheepishly grins, giggling as her beloved admires her.

    Homura leans forward to kiss Madoka, whispering as she pulls away, "Thank you, Madoka-chan." She notices Madoka's sparkling eyes and just... gazes, for a moment. Enjoying the view.

    Competing with Junko... yeah. That part is scary for a number of reasons. "Well, she's not the only game in town, and I won't always be competing with her directly, or even necessarily often. I wouldn't be surprised to run across her sooner or later, though." Homura considers the prospect of paid internships. Hmm. "With Infinity around, I bet there'd be some really good talent, too. That is if their school doesn't already overwork them. Of course... I already have someone I'd want as my secretary." She winks playfully at Madoka.

    "Yeah, and Puella are the ones who have to do it as a job anyways, so they'd have the easier time adjusting, but I mean... WPS still seems to find people of all kinds to work for it. I wouldn't be surprised if other people wanted to come along." Homura still finds it strange, being so business minded, but... it also feels right somehow. This is something she needs to do.

    Homura nods sharply. "No, you're right. I want to promote cooperation and provide job opportunities, but I also want to allow for freedom of choice and I don't want to force people to do something that they aren't morally comfortable with. I suppose that's why I want most of the magical people the Contractors hire to be... contract employees. The less we tie each other down, the more freedom we'll have to act. At least that's how I see it."

    As an aside, she mentions, "... Doing things that way also gives us a chance to cooperate with people we might otherwise not want to tie ourselves to long-term."

    Madoka admires the ship, and Homura is happy. She thinks it's beautiful? She couldn't think of a better reaction. "I'm glad you like it. The one it's named after is beautiful, too." As Madoka approaches Homura's captain's chair, Homura listens amicably. "That's right. It will need to run without me, especially since I'll still have other responsibilities and obligations."

    She notices Madoka about to sit on her lap, and she suddenly moves her hands to the armrests. Once Madoka seats, Homura wraps her arms around Madoka's waist, allowing her to cozy up as much as she'd like. "Ah, what should I ask of her first? Hmm." She reaches up to scratch the back of Madoka's neck. "A simple little trip would be nice. See if the engines are running okay. See how it handles. I wonder if there's a nice spot we could go visit."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    A test run for the ship and crew? It'd certainly give them a good chance to get to know each other and work with each other under a situation less stressful than the raising of a ship. A chance to learn to work together as a team is something Madoka would certainly encourage.

    "It has. And if it's in your office like you're saying it'll make you look cool and important!" Which is something they were just saying was important for a number of reasons, right? Though Homura didn't actually say her office in particular, Madoka just took it that way.

    Madoka smiles to Homura as she grins and giggles, closing her eyes and happily accepting the kiss. They open back up as it breaks and Homura whispers to her, looking up to her with her sparkling eyes. "You're welcome, Homura-chan."

    A small shake of her head is given, "No, there's a lot of other people competing too, and I'm not really sure what kind of construction she works on. I do know she's always looking for the most talented people though, so if she's still hiring you might have trouble wrestling the best away from her." There's a certain assumption there that Homura will be looking for the best, but in her eyes why wouldn't she be?

    'I already have someone I'd want as my secretary.' That gets a playful giggle out of her and she twists a little from side to side again, "You know I'd be happy to be your secretary, Homura-chan. I already have the outfit ready to go and everything."

    Madoka doesn't know much about WPS or it's employees but she's certainly noticed that a whole lot of people seemed to know Hannah at the party last night. Her reach is certainly rather wide and it gives a lot of credence to Homura's thoughts on hiring non-Puella. "They do, though I think WPS might have an advantage. Hannah isn't a Puella Magi, and she had you to help her with people who are. You're, well, a real expert. You probably know more about Puella Magi than anyone other than Kyubey. I think it'd be foolish to say Puella Magi are the only people with special circumstances and needs. We might want one person at least who was more knowledgeable about that."

    Madoka looks up towards the ceiling of the bridge thoughtfully, "I suppose they could be a contract employee too, but it might be better if someone better in tune with their needs was around full time." She looks back to Homura, "It'd also make it less, um... Puella Magi centric? Even if it isn't really people might think so because we're both Puella Magi." With the unstated fact that the two of them are obviously in charge, or at least at the top of the food chain with heavy influence with the one that is in her case. A sheepish look, "I... don't really have anyone in mind. It's just something to think about."

    Madoka's head tilts from side to side as she weighs options, "It would let people who didn't agree with our goals to leave without much hassle. I'm not sure if it'd mean it'd be hard to feel like much of an actual team. That might be something to worry about later on, though, once things are established." She nods in understanding to the bit about working with people on a more short-term basis.

    She giggles a little as Homura calls her beautiful in a sneaky way. When Homura accepts her into her lap she lets out a happy sigh, smile widening as the arms go about her waist and hold her there. She gets rather cozy, but is calmly cozy rather than wiggly so as to keep Homura's suit jacket relatively unmussed. Relatively. "Mmm, this is a nice seat," she comments, and not about the captain's chair. A happy shiver runs through her at the scratch to her neck and she lets her eyes close.

    A little trip? She perks up for a moment, "I think I know a good spot. It's not anywhere in particular- just out on the ocean away from shore. Away from the city the stars are a lot brighter, and if you can get away from all the light they're supposed to be spectacular. That would be amazing to see." A moment later she adds more quietly, "And very romantic..."

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Cool and important. Homura considers that. It is what she was saying earlier, regarding the car and the suit. "That is a good point, and it was a great way to track information, which will be important if I'm managing a large company." Homura rubs her chin. Madoka's making a lot of sense right now. "I'd also want to put one in the meeting room, because crowding everyone into my office might be counter-productive depending on how many people we end up having."

    There really is no reason why Homura wouldn't want the best. Especially since she can pay for it. Especially since she wants the company to not only survive, but thrive. Most talented, and most motivated too. "Yeah. That'll be rough," she chuckles, "but I'll survive. Who knows? Maybe we'll work together a few times. It doesn't have to be all competition. Actually, I'm curious about how your mother would react if she learned that you were working for one of her new competitors. I hope it won't turn out to be trouble for you."

    She softly smiles at Madoka as she says she'd love to be her secretary, but she gets a bit more serious. "Of course, I'd really be giving you a lot more responsibilities than just a secretary. I think this is a good opportunity for the both of us to learn how to take care of ourselves. If we already have significant experience and a good reputation before we even graduate from college, then that puts us well ahead of the curve. Not to mention it's a chance to save up money for whatever major we'd want to pursue, or anything else we'd want to do."

    Homura's probably making a big assumption in thinking that she'll survive that long, but since she doesn't know if and when she'll die she may as well plan on making the most of her life while she's here.

    "More than likely we might want an expert for each magical girl type. Someone who knows cures well, someone who knows device well, so on and so forth. I don't really think there's one single person who knows the needs of every type of magic user, but if we found such a person then we'd have a boon."

    Homura taps her chin as she considers it. "Doctor Shelby might know a lot of things. Mamoru-kun might know about that kind of thing too, but I know Mamo-kun doesn't really need a job."

    Homura considers the idea that it might make them feel like less of a team. She frowns at that, but then shrugs. "I don't really think I want to be on a 'team' with Kyouko, though. Mami, maybe. Possibly Sayaka. Maybe a few others, but any permanent members would probably be exceptions and not the norm." She pauses, considering that for a moment, and then shrugs. "On the other hand, just because I think that way now doesn't mean I won't change my mind later. We can adjust our methods as we see what works and what doesn't."

    Homura grins warmly as Madoka shivers at her touch. There's something of an ego boost that comes from being able to make someone else happy, especially if it's someone important. "Out on the ocean. Looking at the stars? That sounds rather nice. I'd like that."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka isn't sure how big the company might end up but the idea of enough people crowding into even a large office that they're pressed up against each other while Homura gives a presentation gets a laugh out of her. "Also having one in a conference room would be a really good idea. That way you could use it for big meetings or personal ones, and you could even test how a presentations looked on such a big screen in your own office ahead of time."

    Most talented and motivated would certainly be a prize, but then if Homura has proven anything it's her ability to devote herself to a task even against the odds if it means enough to her. Madoka lifts her hand to her mouth and giggles into it, giving Homura a bit of a mysterious look. "If?" she finally says skeptically when she lowers it. "Mama will be the first person I tell! I'll have to explain why I'm gone even more often, especially since I have so much I'm doing already." Her 'plate' is starting to get incredibly full, especially considering some of the other things she's been thinking about lately. Something's going to have to give at some point and she'll have to start making decisions about what's most important to her. "I think she'll be proud of me for getting involved in something like this even if it isn't with her, especially once she sees I'm doing it because it's important to me. Mama..." she shakes her head, "she's never told me I shouldn't do something I wanted to; I don't think she'll start now."

    Her smile isn't mysterious at all when Homura says she'll be more than just a secretary. "I hoped so, but I still want to be your secretary too! I like the idea that I can always be near if you need me, and I don't mind doing menial things alongside important ones." She gives a little shrug, "A lot of the things I do at the hospital when I volunteer are menial, but they're also very important and someone needs to do it."

    Madoka's assumption is equal to Homura's but with a very different spin. "It would be nice to have good things to put on my resume... but if we're going to start our own company why would I need one? Maybe it's bold of me, but I don't see us failing if we're doing our best and working together." Madoka is nothing if not eternally hopeful and optimistic and when you add confidence and pride into the mix can sometimes be the result. She expects them to be so far ahead of the curve that the curve becomes irrelevant. ...though to be fair starting a salvage and construction company at their age kind of is already. After a moment of pause she adds, "Saving up money for if we decided to do something else major together is a really good idea, though."

    Madoka can't help but be really happy when Homura takes her comment to it's logical conclusion, "I think that really would be the best way to go about it, if only we could find enough people like that." She isn't quite so assured that it's possible if only because the available pool of magical heroes is vastly smaller than the general population. It isn't as if there are dozens of Senshi, Guardian Knights, or Prism Keepers running around. "If we can even find one person who isn't a Puella Magi I think it'd be very good for us, though. Perceptions can be very important."

    She can't manage to hold back the giggle that comes, "I think if there is such a person it would be Mamoru-kun. But he has so much he has to deal with, and right now he really deserves a bit of a break." She turns her eyes upwards towards the ceiling of the bridge again, "And to be honest, I can't even imagine Mamoru-kun being an employee of yours or mine for some reason. I'm not sure I could give him orders with a straight face."

    As for Doctor Shelby? "I haven't met her but you might talk to her if you think she's a good fit. Just the fact that she's a Doctor," of dubious legality or otherwise, "would be a really good asset for us. Any kind of healing that didn't put a strain on our magic would be a big deal and so would being able to offer medical services of a magical nature to any of our employees, contract or not."

    Homura doesn't want to be on a team with Kyouko? Madoka lets out a little sigh. She doesn't blame her. Can't blame her, really. Not after all the things that have passed between them. Of course she'd be incredibly happy if all that bad blood, all those hatchets could be buried and everyone could be friends. But she's already said earlier that things didn't have to be perfect for her, only good, and she meant it. "I understand. It's not really a good idea right now for a lot of reasons... maybe later, but not now." Which is rather similar to another completely different proposition she was thinking about earlier. "It would be amazing if we could be the 'Holy Quintet', but everyone would have to learn to see things from each other's perspectives a whole lot more for something like that to last."

    She's being a realist rather than an optimist as she speaks about that subject and she can't help if a little bit of sadness and frustration enters her voice simply because it's against her nature. She knows that other people have a much harder time seeing the better sides of each other than she does; what she doesn't understand is why it has to be that way, only that it is.

    Luckily there are very nice happy things to think about to cheer her up, like sitting in Homura's lap and thinking about looking up at the stars with her on the deck of the ship while snuggling up together under a blanket. Her mind may have improvised those last bits on the spot. "It would be nice. Whether we had a crew or it was just the two of us." She makes a bit of a face, "I wonder if it would be bad to be so close in front of them, and in front of employees. Normally I wouldn't care but it's not really... professional." And being professional is also a part of the image they talked about projecting with nice clothes, fancy cars, and wall sized computer screens.

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura nods emphatically as Madoka talks, tilting her head curiously as she laughs. "Yeah, that's right. I think it'd be very helpful. It'd be a lot better than having a whiteboard or something... though realistically it might be wise to have those too, even if it isn't the center of attention."

    So, Madoka intends to tell Junko. Homura doesn't mind that, and she'd assumed as much, but all the same it felt important to ask. "Well, I certainly don't mind your mother knowing that I'm a CEO." She flips her hair to the side. Yeah, she's bragging a bit, and she knows it, but she's not exactly stretching the truth here. "If she's okay with it, then that's a good thing. She doesn't seem to mind you being a candy striper, and she doesn't seem to particularly mistrust me."

    Homura's smile turns a bit sly at the thought of having Madoka always close to her. She's glad that Madoka is willing to menial things, since Homura assumes it also means she'll be humble, but at the same time... "Yeah, I get that, but I don't want people thinking they can just walk over you, or somehow try to go over your head with me. If you see something happening that you don't like, I want you to be able to act on it without needing me there to carry the whip. That's why I want to tell people that when you speak as my secretary that you're speaking for me."

    That is not the kind of authority that Homura would want to give to just anyone, and even now, for someone who hates being blamed for someone else's actions, it's a little uncomfortable, but this is Madoka. It's a sign of how much she trusts Madoka that she's even willing to go that far.

    Homura shrugs as Madoka mentions that they probably won't fail. "Maybe we won't, but unexpected things happen. In case of the unlikely we'll still have a good advantage. More to the point, we might decide that we want to change careers some time in the future. Of course, if we're still doing well by then, we'll have plenty of money to get started in a brand new business. I wouldn't say I was worried about it, but I feel comfortable..." she flips her hand in the air as she considers her words, "... building my proverbial house on a solid foundation, to use a metaphor."

    With a smile and a confident shine in her eyes, she adds, "Though, I agree. If we succeed we won't have any use for resumes, except for the times when we'll be reading someone else's." Wink.

    Homura nods as Madoka says that perception is important. It really is, after all. One of the most important things is that she wants the Contractors to have the right image. "I agree. We'll have to see who we can pick up. It'd be nice if we could have the best of everything, but it's more likely that we'll have to make do with who's around."

    At the thought of hiring Mamoru, Homura shrugs. "Yeah, I can't imagine that. I have no qualms working with the guy but ordering him seems a little... strange, all things considered. I mean... he has that whole whole 'prince from a past life' thing." At the mention of Shelby, Homura grins. "Well in some ways, she's already on my payroll. Mine and Mamo-kun's technically, but it's not a formal employment. I think she doesn't like to be tied down, so we probably won't be able to hire her full time. If I can catch her, then we'll see. I guess that's another thing with Mamoru, though. Even if we don't hire him per say, he's been decent when I've done business with him."

    Homura hears Madoka's sigh, and she somewhat guiltily looks away. She almost got upset about this topic before... but she wanted to hold her tongue. Now, though, things aren't so perfectly romantic that she's worried about ruining the mood, and actually this is a good time to talk about it.

    "It's a matter of trust. I can know her, and I can know her reasons, and I can even understand and sympathize with her, but that doesn't mean I trust her to be on her side. Kyouko-san is a girl who has survived terrible tragedies. In a very real way, she was betrayed by the one person she sold her soul for. I think it's because of that she doesn't like to trust people. She even broke off her partnership with Mami after that happened."

    Her tone is even and matter-of-fact, and she's trying to state it as simply without letting her emotions enter her voice too much. It's not that she's hiding them from Madoka, but she wants to be fair and reasoned rather than emotional about it. "... However, the fact remains that Kyouko is a very competitive person. She's not afraid to turn your weaknesses against you if it suits her, and she's not afraid to put a division between you and your friends or potential allies if she decides to target you. Because of that, I can't really rely on her. Mami Tomoe is honest enough to be trusted, and if she decides to turn against me she will at least tell me about it. Sayaka Miki is too harsh on herself to not be honest."

    Homura shakes her head. "I can't expect her to simply heal her emotional scars or change her perspective, either. She has reasons for being the way she is, and I can't argue with her, but understanding her doesn't necessarily make her my friend."

    Homura doesn't really like telling Madoka bad news like this... but... when it comes to magical affairs, for Puella Magi it's always a matter of life and death. She can't afford to not be honest.

    Homura blushes for a moment at the thought of being cuddly and intimate in front of employees. "It might be rough, considering on our anniversary we could barely keep our hands off each other, but you're right. It wouldn't be very professional. Maybe if we know nobody's looking..."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    "If you can have both for just in case I don't see why not," Madoka agrees about whiteboards. "If the power goes out it'd be good to have another option."

    Homura puts the best possible spin on her position and Madoka can't help but giggle, "Exactly! I don't think she'll realize just how serious this is at first but once we get going I think Mama is going to be very impressed." The only thing better than having her girlfriend impressing her mother would be for Madoka to impress her herself. "She encouraged me when I started volunteering so I think she'll be fine with this too." A bright smile, "Especially if you pay me well!"

    Would people try to walk over her? Madoka considers that for a moment and realize that some might, and maybe not even on purpose. Getting to see the CEO is a big deal, after all, and people might not take her seriously since she's also Homura's girlfriend. It'll be there mistake, but it's far from impossible. "I'll try not to let that happen. Especially if you want me to make decisions for you when you're not around. I really appreciate that you're willing to give me such a big role, Homura-chan. I'll do my best to never give you a reason to regret it."

    The realism Homura holds as far as resume's and experience goes is a practical enough one that Madoka can't help but find herself agreeing. She closes her eyes and nods, abashed. "Okay. You're right. It doesn't hurt to make ourselves look good personally as well as the company. Who knows, we might want to run for a political office or something like that some day?" Not that Madoka has any such aspirations, but she does know a certain young girl who does.

    Madoka nods a little at the mention of making due, especially as 'the best' might be more interested in working for themselves anyway. That is, after all, what Homura had decided for herself after her time working for Hannah and WPS.

    At the mention of Mamoru though she blinks a couple of times and tilts her head, "That's... not really what I meant. It's more... he's kind of like an older brother to me, in a way, so it'd seem really odd to be in that kind of position. He helped me out a lot when I first moved back. I could probably see working with him as an equal, but it'd be very strange trying to think of him as an employee." She looks upwards again and considers for a few moments. "I guess if he was a prince in a previous life that might explain some of it? I know he really likes being at the top of his class and can be a bit of a perfectionist." Not things she considers downsides, but she'd already expressed some of her own. The fact he probably wouldn't be interested does make much of this conversation moot in the first place.

    Then the topic of conversation goes to the other Puella Magi, and Kyouko in particular. Madoka doesn't interrupt, letting Homura get all of her thoughts out before responding. When she does it's with another sigh. "I agree. She's too unpredictable to be a part of a group like this that's trying to maintain a really good reputation. She really is a lot like Hannah-chan in that way; there are times when she can be completely well meaning and have good intentions at heart, but there are other times when that seems to go completely out the window. She's trying to change and be better, and a lot of that is because of Sayaka-chan, but it'd be really hard to trust her to always keep the Contractors in mind."

    After a moment she giggles a little, "To be honest, I'm not sure she'd want to be anybody's 'full time employee' when it comes to the magical world. I'm not sure Kyouko-san really cares what anybody thinks of her except for Sayaka-chan." A slightly pained expression and rubs at the back of her head, "And if Sayaka-chan is actually serious about joining WPS Kyouko-san might become a whole lot more unpredictable anyway. Eheh..."

    She looks away and says in a mopey but not completely dejected manner, "I understand your reasoning, and I don't disagree with it. I just... wish it wasn't that way." Being mopey and sad doesn't mean she can't manage to make lemonade out of her lemons, though. "I'm not really being fair to you, am I?" Madoka's eyes turn back to Homura and she smiles sympathetically, "It's a really big step for you to want to rely on anyone. It was a big deal when you were able to accept me as a partner, but in a way it's even bigger for you to be able to trust anyone other than us." She steps forward and takes both of Homura's hands in hers, one in each, squeezing them lightly. "I'm proud of you for that too, Homura-chan. I really am."

    As for being cuddly when they know no one is looking? "Tinted glass on the windows to your office, got it!" She says it like a joke, but in reality she's completely serious.

Homura Akemi has posed:
    "Oh, you'll be well paid, my dear. Of that I can assure you." Homura's voice has a certain amount of mischievous pride in it. "You'll be my second in command, after all. If we do really well, we might be able to take home enough money to make your mother envious." Homura smiles very widely. Is she starting to love money a bit too much? Maybe it's just the taste of success. Money means she can get things without feeling guilty or needing to hide them, so it has advantages. Still, she decides she probably shouldn't go too far down that road, but at the same time people should be compensated for their work. Above all, she wouldn't want to shortchange the one she loves most.

    "For now I want to put the majority of the money I get into growing the company. However, if it takes off, I could easily take home about three times what I made at WPS. The better the company does, the more we can afford to spend on ourselves."

    One of Homura's reasons for putting Madoka in such a high position is that, really, she doesn't want to have a company that does things Madoka would frown upon. Homura certainly is capable of doing some very cruel things, so having Madoka be a part of the decision process will help her maintain the 'heroic' mentality. It amuses her to think that whoever was responsible for passing out consciences gave Homura's to Madoka.

    She cants her head and watches Madoka happily as she makes her promise. "Thank you, Madoka-chan. I wouldn't give you that much leeway if I didn't trust you completely, but you are my partner. In many very important ways."

    Homura rests a hand on Madoka's shoulder as she looks abashed. "Still, you make a good point. As long as we keep things going, we won't have to worry about impressing an employer." At the mention of running for a political office, Homura widens her eyes and laughs somewhat awkwardly. "I don't know if I'd be into that, but you never know, right?"

    Homura blinks as Madoka mentions Mamoru being like an older brother. She considers that and looks off to the side. "Yeah, I guess I can see that. I don't think seeing him as a brother would bother me personally, but I can understand it being weird." She shrugs, then adds, "Well, we don't necessarily have to employ someone in order to work alongside them."

    On the topic of Kyouko, Homura frowns, and then looks down at the ground. "I wish it didn't have to be that way either. Maybe things will be different in the future. I don't know." On the topic of Sayaka joining WPS, she looks out the window. "She has brought it up several times before. I think she's serious, but I can't imagine that going well. I can't imagine Kyouko-san taking it well either."

    She turns to look at Madoka, and blushes ever so slightly when Madoka says that she's proud of her. The smile comes back to her face when Madoka takes her by the hands. "Thank you, Madoka-chan. It really means a lot to me, that you're always being so good to me."

    On the subject of tinted windows, Homura's smile becomes a smirk. "Well. We'll be in charge of a big company, with many secrets. We'll need our..." She raises one of her hands to cup Madoka's cheek. "... privacy, clearly."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka giggles and shakes her head, "If my pay made my mom envious I think you'd be better off raising everyone else's pay instead." She considers for a moment, "Did you know that Mama and Papa had our house specially designed and built?" Money isn't usually something Madoka flaunts but it's safe to say her family is extremely well off on her mothers single income. "Growing the company is the best idea since you want it to do so much. To be honest I wouldn't mind if I wasn't paid very much at all until we have everything going properly, especially the Contractors."

    It's safe to say that Madoka is plenty happy being the moral compass for Homura and new company. If she has a strong influence there shouldn't be any horrible moral or ethical issues coming out of it unless it grows so large she can't possibly keep track of it all. Though let's be honest, it probably will if all their plans are borne out. That's where hiring managers and staff that also have a commitment to good, clean business practices and an ethical mindset comes in. It's pretty likely that Homura will have Madoka try to talk her out of some of the 'most talented, most motivated' because their motivation leads them to caring too much about results. Hannah's a perfect example of someone's motivation leading them to believe the ends can justify the means.

    Madoka smiles softly, "Thank you, Homura-chan. It makes me happy you're so willing to share your life with me. I'm glad we're going to do something like this together, too. It seems like a big step... but I like that."

    She snuggles a bit in Homura's lap, giggling at the mention of secrecy. "No corporate espionage on our watch!" She lets out a sigh and leans her cheek into Homura's hand, "Privacy is good." She turns in her lap, kicking her legs up over the short armrests if she has to and wrapping her arms around her neck and leaning against her. "You're good to me too, you know. Naming your first ship after me, that's so very sweet." She leans in enough to give Homura a soft kiss in the cheek.

    She relaxes like that, snuggled up close in the Captain's chair. Her expression goes from a smile to a more neutral thoughtful one, her gaze out one of the windows and not really focused on anything.

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura considers, holding Madoka in her arms. "I kind of assumed it, considering your mother." She reaches up to scratch behind Madoka's neck again. "That's sweet of you, but I don't want to underpay you, and I don't need your mother disliking me because I'm not paying you enough. Maybe I'll just match your paycheck with mine." If Madoka does without then so will Homura. That's fair, after all. The last thing she'd want to do is take advantage of Madoka's kindness.

    "I think we'll have enough if we don't go crazy with it. This boat alone was a huge expenditure, though a necessary one, and I still haven't picked out an office." Homura closes her eyes and almost winces when she thinks about the expenses. She has enough... but ugh. For the moment she misses the days when the biggest price tag she had to worry about was her house payment.

    Homura snuggles her cheek against Madoka. "It makes me happy that you're so willing be a part of my life. It is a big step, and in some ways it might be a scary one, but I couldn't think of anyone I'd rather be making this step with than you."

    'No corporate espionage on our watch!'

    Homura giggles softly, not wanting to be too loud because her lips are close to Madoka's ears. Madoka calls her sweet, and Homura can't help but sigh lovingly. Holding Madoka like this... she wasn't exactly planning on being romantic tonight, but... being so cuddly, she kind of wants to. "You're the one I love, so... I can't help but want to be good to you."

    Homura closes her eyes, contemplating for a moment. "You know... we could go see what the captain's quarters are like. Or..."

    Homura grins, an idea coming to her mind. "We could go out to sea, like you wanted. I don't necessarily need a crew to drive this ship, after all."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka starts to nod a little in response to Homura's words, only to stop and enjoy the light scratching on the back of her neck. "A lot of people who start companies don't pay themselves because of how much needs to go back into it to keep it running. I'm not planning on moving out anytime soon, and if I did it'd probably be with you anyway. I like having money to buy clothes and snacks, but a real salary is much more than I'd need for that." She closes her eyes as she thinks about it, "I understand that you want to be fair to me, I just think I'd want to invest my money back into the company anway."

    Her head shakes a little at the note of going crazy with money, only to giggle softly at the mention of the cost of the ship. "You paid the money for something brand new and top of the line," a guess but probably a good one, "I'm not sure how much money we'll need to run the Contractors. I wouldn't be surprised if most of Miss White's money to run WPS goes into the laboratory she showed us last time. I can't really see us needing something like that, so whatever we use for a base would probably be the biggest cost. It's not like we need to spend money to use our magic, not unless we could buy Grief Seeds from somewhere."

    She rubs her cheek back against Homura's and smiles, "I wouldn't want to take it with anyone else." Suddenly she breaks into a fit of quiet giggles, lifting a hand and covering her mouth. "The Captain's quarters? You already have so many bedrooms to snuggle with me in, though I wouldn't mind another." She turns her head to look at Homura, "Quarters on ships are supposed to be extra cozy, right? That sounds like fun~!" Or at least it is when you don't at all mind being pressed right up against the person you're sharing it with!

    She considers the idea of going out to sea right now, "It would be fun, but it might make the dock workers suspicious if they knew it didn't have a crew yet."

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura frowns slightly, and then her lips twist in a few different ways before she says. "Alright. That's fair." Paying Madoka less annoys her on a prideful level but speaking pragmatically Madoka's actually right and Homura knows it. "I guess it's a bit different for me because I live on my own. Neither one of us really have expensive tastes, and both of us are still supported by our parents, though that's less true for me. As long as our needs are met I guess it's not really a problem. I mean... I need the company more than I need the take home pay, and technically speaking my money already is invested in this."

    She rests her head on Madoka's shoulder, saying, "I could just give you shares instead. That way you still get to take something home that has value. Not to mention, by being a shareholder you'd have a say in the company no matter what happens." She laughs a little awkwardly. "Of course, I'd have to figure out how exactly that works, but I'm sure I could figure it out, or hire someone who knows."

    Homura considers how much money it'd take to run the contractors, doing some internal math. "When I worked for WPS, I made on the order of 12 million yen a year." Roughly $120,000 a year. "Of course, part of that was because I was a veteran and an expert. A newer magical girl would likely be paid maybe half that. Maybe a bit less. 5 million yen a year, maybe. So the cost would likely be somewhere in that range, depending on how many we had working for us."

    The black-haired girl shrugs. "I doubt we'd need a laboratory. Especially not one with holding cells and... very thorough containment procedures. We're building a fleet, which is expensive, but you can't exactly trade magic for money." Homura scratches her chin. "We could buy grief seeds from non-Puella who hunt witches but don't need them, but it's probably not wise to create more competition for Puella Magi." Well, it's not wise if you want Puella Magi to live anyways. "I'm not sure I'd ever want to sell any of mine, either."

    Homura closes her eyes, enjoying the closeness to her girlfriend. "... also, on that one, I don't really like the idea of dealing with dangerous magical artifacts. I mean, I almost got killed once because someone was mind-controlled by an alien artifact. I don't want to be the cause of that happening to someone."

    Homura giggles as Madoka says she has enough bedrooms to snuggle her in as it is. "It's true! We have so many wonderfully snuggly options." Extra cozy is one way to put it. Homura certainly doesn't mind being pressed up against Madoka~! "Well we're here to inspect the ship, aren't we? We can't overlook something as important as that!" Homura tries to remember from the blueprints where it was. Not far from here.

    "It's true, they might suspect something. There are people here all day long, so it's not like people wouldn't see a purple glowing ship starting up and floating away. They also might notice the ropes untying themselves." Wouldn't that be an interesting thing to see. Probably no one would prove anything, but it would start the strangest rumors!

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka nods, "I don't have any expensive houses to pay for. I do get some expensive things but usually my parents will help pay for them if they think it's worth it." She giggles, "Like the dress I wore for our anniversary, and the one I wore to the dance." On the comment of shares she hums softly, "I suppose... though I'm not sure anyone should own the company other than you and me. I think that's one of the big problems Hannah-chan has, that she gets her money from people who can tell her to do bad things." Of course Homura may have already given people ownership stakes in order to get the money to buy the ship and set up the company- she doesn't know. She doesn't really have that large a grasp on how companies are run and set up aside from things she's picked up from her mother, and it's not like she's ever sat down with her and asked how it all works.

    When Homura rests her head on her shoulder Madoka lifts a hand up and strokes her hair, running her hand over the surface of it gently. She then gives a little shake of her head, "I don't think it'd be good to create that kind of market, not when they're something we need to live. If someone really wants to sell us Grief Seeds they can work for us on contract to fight Witches and give them to us after if they're not a Puella Magi."

    Madoka hadn't heard about the little incident with Raising Crash, and she blinks her eyes and suddenly looks at Homura with worry, "They can do that? When did that happen, Homura-chan?" She starts fretting over Homura as if this was somehow something recent, stopping only when she realizes she's being silly and nuzzling against her instead.

    "Snuggly options are the best options," Madoka replies playfully, only to lower her voice and add, "Except maybe kissy options," before saying even quieter, "or options that are both at once..!" She's quick to agree with the fact they're here to inspect the ship, "I don't know much about salvaging or ship engines or how they're run, though maybe I should learn, but I can tell you if I think your quarters are nice." She looks back towards the door they entered the bridge through and pouts- it'd be asking a bit much to have Homura carry her there when they're so small. Instead she reluctantly gets up out of Homura's lap and holds her hand out, offering to help her up with a smile.

    A soft giggle, "I'd feel bad if the shipyard people got worried it was floating away and started trying to keep it at the dock."

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura thinks back to Hannah, and frowns at that. The thought of some idiotic money-obsessed jerks sticking her nose into her business does not please her at all. Especially when part of that business is very secret. "That's true, but the thing is... we can completely control how many shares we sell, and who we sell them to. Hannah-chan started up working from a completely different angle. She didn't have the magic power to drag ships from the bottom of the sea to sell, and while I technically could've I didn't really think of it as a source of income back then. She had to get money from Eclipse and shareholders in order to have any at all. On the other hand, if you and I are the only people who get shares, then we'll still completely own the company, and we'll be able to keep it under our control."

    "That's part of why I didn't want to rely on Eclipse to get my money, and also why I didn't want to take out any loans. Everything here came out of my pocket." Homura explains, closing her eyes as Madoka pets her hair. "Though you're right. We shouldn't let others take control of our dreams like that. They could only mess them up."

    Homura nods, rubbing her cheek against Madoka, as Madoka agrees with her. "Besides, most magical warriors are kind enough to give them out for free. We wouldn't want to put an end to that."

    The Raising Crash incident gets Madoka's attention, and Homura is suddenly embarrassed. Oh geeze, did she ever even mention it to her? "W-well, I mean. It was months ago. Back in... September, I think." Homura remembers the day it happened, as well as the day after. "... Mamo-kun actually took care of me back then. He let me stay in his apartment until I healed. I didn't go to school that week. That was like... a month before the Yoko Kanno concert."

    As Madoka gets up, Homura releases her, taking her offered hand as she gets on her feet herself. She keeps holding that hand. "You can learn if you want to. You'll probably pick up on a lot of it just by hanging around the company that deals with it. I had to do a bit of research before I got started, but I think I could still stand to learn more."

    The thought of people panicking over the ship floating off gives Homura a giggle. "I'd feel bad for them, too. It'd be embarrassing if they came to rescue us only to find us cuddling somewhere."

    Speaking of cuddling, Homura heads for the door leading off of the bridge, leading Madoka down the corridors for what should be a short trip.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    "I don't think shareholders would be very happy if they found out what so much of their money was going towards." This isn't so much a condemnation of lying to them because they couldn't possibly understand magic so much as the fact that Hannah could, technically speaking, have the rug yanked out from under her at any moment. Madoka imagines she'd find a way to salvage some of, or even a lot of, her work but that doesn't mean it wouldn't be an incredibly large setback. That's not the type of thing she wants to happen to them, and moreover she doesn't want to give anyone who might have nefarious ideas a foot in the door. "If we're going to put so much work into it I don't want to let go of control unless we decide we want to move on to something else."

    "I think I'd be upset with you if you did rely on Eclipse for money, but I think I remember you telling me they were part of the reason you didn't want to get paychecks from WPS anymore." It honestly goes to show how much Madoka trusts Homura and how much she believes in her. She in truth knows very little about Eclipse other than the fact that they have a hand in WPS and are responsible for some of the more negative aspects of the things it does and the fact that they're a shady, untrustworthy, and potentially morally upsetting group in Homura's eyes. Even that first part she only 'knows' because of things Homura has told her, though Hannah didn't exactly deny it when Madoka talked about it in person. It boils down to the fact that she mostly considers them bad because Homura said so; the veteran Puella's opinion is something she weights heavily in her own decision making.

    Back in September? "Oh..." Madoka looks down, "I was still laying low back then, trying to stay away from things that were magical. I actually managed it for a little while, but then things started getting crazy again." She smiles nostalgically, only to giggle, "In the end I'm glad I wasn't able to hide forever because this way I got to know you so much better and now I can help protect people from all the things I thought were so scary. They're still dangerous, but usually not scary at all in the same way, not when I can stop them myself." The nostalgic smile comes back again, "That was a really nice concert. I'd still like to do something like that for Usagi-chan and Mamoru-kun, but I'm not sure what that'd be."

    She tugs on Homura's hand as she stands up, squeezing it afterwards and walking towards the door out to the hallway they entered from, stepping through first and then letting Homura lead her on from there. "I should probably start by learning the halls of this ship a bit more. ...but not until we've broken in your new room!"

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura considers, and wonders, just how much the shareholders would complain if they knew what was going on at WPS. She's met some of them, granted they worked for Eclipse anyways, and were magic-aware. "I don't think Hannah-chan would just allow that to happen easily, even if technically it could be done. I wouldn't put it past her to have some tricks up her sleeve. I agree we shouldn't allow anyone else to do that to us, however."

    Madoka would've been upset if Homura relied on Eclipse? ... Well, Homura's not exactly surprised, but it's not something she considered. "... I wouldn't rely upon them. I wouldn't rely on anyone whose employees kidnapped you, even if their other employees rescued you later. Besides, I know full well how they treat Hannah. Aside from that, I doubt they'd agree with our mission statement, because I do intend to oppose them when necessary."

    Homura thinks back to when Madoka was avoiding the magical world. "I really don't blame you. A lot of really terrible things happened, and I guess I was pretty much doing whatever I could to convince you to stay away. I suppose you were going to be brought into it after all. Who knows... maybe it's fate. Maybe there really was no avoiding you becoming a Puella Magi... but as long as you're alive and happy, then I'm alright with it."

    Homura shrugs at the mention of doing something like that for Mamoru and Usagi. "I don't know. He's never said anything about it, but I think Mamoru gets nervous when people are too generous to him. I don't remember if I told you this, but when he was captured by the Dark Kingdom Usagi-chan wanted to sleep in his apartment. You know... because she missed him. The problem is that the Dark Kingdom knew that location and if she slept there she was putting herself in danger. So I moved all of his stuff to a new apartment, one paid for by a secret account that Mamoru and I shared, and I froze time so that no one could possibly see me move his stuff or where I was going. I was just doing it because he had done so much for me in the past, but the way he was acting... I don't know. I don't think it'd be wise for me to be too sweet to him."

    She winces a little. "That probably sounds really weird, saying it out loud, doesn't it?"

    Homura smiles at Madoka as she says she'd want to know the insides of the ship more. "I'd be happy to show you around. I could show you a map, too. After we cuddle, of course~."

    Homura Akemi leads Madoka to the captain's quarters, opening the door and holding it open for Madoka. The inside of the quarters is... well, it's about the size of one half of a hotel room. The carpet is blue. The furniture is mostly wooden, birch specifically. The bed is there, and it's small. It's barely big enough to not be twin sized but it isn't exactly queen sized either. There are two pillows on it, but you'd be kidding yourself if you think two adults could actually fit there without touching each other. Fortunately Homura and Madoka are pretty small, and 'not touching each other' isn't exactly on the itinerary.

    The rest of the room is very small, and even the furniture is small. There's a small desk, a small metal cabinet next to the desk, a small dresser, a two-person white couch, a small coffee table next to the couch, and chairs surrounding the coffee table. It's very packed considering how small it is, but it's also very space efficient, and there are shelves hanging from many of the walls.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka laughs a little nervously, "That's right, Riventon is a member of Eclipse, isn't he? I'm not sure if I ever even told Hannah-chan that he kidnapped me. I guess it's not something I like to think about too much or dwell on, but I don't think that's something I have to worry about near so much anymore; I can defend myself now!" Which she feels she proved the last time she saw him.

    She then lets out a little sigh, "I understand how he feels a lot of the time if he's easily overwhelmed. I think once he's able to spend time with Usagi-chan and they don't have any more scary things happening to them for a while he'll start getting a bit better about things like that. He might calm down if things are a bit more normal, I mean. I don't know how upset he'd be if it was obvious I was just returning the favor, but maybe I should just try to get him some more of my father's lunches. He never seemed to mind that."

    Maps are good and Madoka could probably figure out where things are in the ship with one but, "I'd love a tour of the ship, Homura-chan. But only after we 'inspect' your quarters; I'm feeling snuggly!" She steps inside when the door is opened for her, looking around. "It's very nice, and bigger than I thought!" She looks at the bed, just a bit bigger than a twin, and smiles brightly. "It's perfect, Homura-chan! We can fit on that with just a little bit of extra space to wiggle around on."

    Her head turns this way and that as she inspects the furniture and the carpet. "Wood and blue, hmm..." She walks from place to place with a thoughtful expression, checking out the shelves, the desk, and the cabinet. Afterwards she walks to the couch, leaning forward with her finger on her chin, only to turn and face Homura with a bright smile on her face, arms held behind her back. "The white couch makes it obvious. ...penguins! The carpet will be like the ocean. They'd be so cute in here!" She hugs her arms against her chest and twists from side to side, only to take a few steps back and sit down on the bed. "If it was just a little bigger I think I'd want Matilda to stay here, too!"

Homura Akemi has posed:
    "You did! I certainly don't feel like I have to worry about you getting carried off by that jerk." That's the truth. Homura says it as plainly as she feels it. "You did defend yourself. I was so proud of you, Madoka-chan!" Okay, that bit might be half trying to be a confidence booster and other half just adoring Madoka in general but it's not false.

    She frowns at the conversation of Mamoru, and she looks away, eyes tracing the piping of the wall. "I don't think it'd be you that's the problem actually. If you did it it'd be fine. Just... it's all weird and complicated. I don't blame him for being skittish. He's been hurt, and I know how that feels because I've been hurt, too. I just don't want him to think that I expect anything from him, you know? I just want to be his friend, that's all." She sighs. "I should probably just tell him that, just to make it clear, but it seems so weird to bring it up out of the blue."

    They get to the captain's quarters, and Madoka starts looking over the room. Homura, meanwhile, is studying Madoka, watching her reaction. She grins at the mention of being able to fit in the bed together with just a bit of wiggle room, but she tilts her head at the mention of the white couch and... penguins?

    Wait is Madoka thinking about actual-- wait, Matilda? OH! Oh. Oh right. No that makes a lot more sense.

    "Penguins." Her smirk gets wider, and she's stifling a giggle because oh god Madoka is just adorable. "Yes! Penguins. I think they'd look great in here. Maybe as couch pillows and plushies and..." Homura leaves the sentence in case Madoka wants to fill in that blank with other ideas.

    The thought of Madoka putting her own personal touches to this room is pretty heartwarming to Homura. Most of the rooms they stay in are either completely Madoka's or completely Homura's, but this could be like a shared space...

    'Almost like being married,' is what she doesn't say. Just because they're way too young for it to be convenient, that doesn't mean she doesn't like the idea!

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka smiles softly to Homura when she hears her girlfriend and partner say she was proud of her, "Thanks, Homura-chan."

    When the awkwardness is explained a bit better Madoka blinks slowly a few times. After a few moments she looks really confused. "But... you have me. Why would he think..?" She shakes her head a little, and suddenly her confusion melts away as she giggles, "Maybe he's as oblivious as I was, only it's the other way around?" She giggles again with a slightly different tone before saying in a sneaky tone, "Maybe we could make out in front of him, when we're not doing anything with him but he's nearby. I bet that would set him straight." Her eyes sparkle a little, "And it'd be fun, too!"

    Her head nods quickly up and down, "Yes, penguins! Bigger ones do make really good pillows, and small ones look really cute as decorations. If they're the same type you can even say they're families, hehe!" She looks over to the bed again, slipping off her shoes(she should have done that the moment she stepped into a carpeted room, oops!), before pushing back the covers and slipping beneath them, opening them a bit more after sliding all the way to the far side.

    She doesn't say anything, instead just looking at Homura sweetly.

Homura Akemi has posed:
    "Nooo, see there's this thing called polyamory and... Like... " Homura starts to explain it. She's making hand gestures to explain it. She stops. Then she just flips her hands. "You know what? Never mind. To put it short, 'already being in a relationship' isn't necessarily an obstacle for some people."

    "And no, that'd have worked by now if it was going to. We've made out in front of like... everyone else, including one of his oldest friends and classmates if we're being perfectly frank. I'm sure word got around, and I didn't exactly hide it when I delivered your bento to him. Like... I've done pretty much all I could think to do to make it clear. Besides, I don't even know if that is the problem. Like... all I really know is that he's suddenly really awkward, and I don't really even know if it's me or if it's just how he is now? Or if I just caught him at a bad time and maybe he's just really busy? Like. I could just be making it up in my head, you know? Which makes it weird to talk about."

    After a pause she says, "... and no, I'm not into that! I love you, okay? Like... it's like ice cream. There are a ton of flavors, and even though everyone sees 'vanilla' as the default, the reality is like... how many people really pick vanilla if given a choice between that and something more extravagant like... chocolate chip cookie dough? A certain number of people, maybe, but I mean... we aren't exactly vanilla, either. Vanilla with chocolate and strawberry swirls, maybe, or... something. Still, in many flavors of ice cream you still have vanilla as a base with other stuff mixed in and so even if few or none of us are actually eating pure vanilla a lot of us are kind of eating vanilla in some form or another."

    Homura pauses for a long time. "I forgot where I was going with that. Other than like... I acknowledge that other flavors exist but I like the flavor we currently have."

    After another pause. "Also honestly if he is polyamorous and thinking along those lines and we start making out in front of him that might not clear up anything at all. It may actually give him the exact opposite idea."

    God what is she even talking to Madoka about?! This is... not... "You know what? I'm sorry I brought this up, can we go back to the part where we're about to cuddle?"

    Talk about penguins is a welcome reprieve, and Homura covers her mouth again. "Oh my god families with little penguin babies?!" She can't hold herself back now. She giggles and doesn't stop. "Okay. Okay. Now I know I made the right choice by dragging you along with my harebrained schemes."

    By the time her giggle fit ends, Homura notices that Madoka has already entered the bed. She takes off her own shoes, meekly smiles and puts her hands behind her back. She slowly walks forward, pausing to scuff her foot. "Aw, shucks."

    When she reaches the bed, she collapses into it, rolling to press herself against Madoka and wrap her arms around her. "I love you, Madoka-chan."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka tilts her head some more, blinking a few times. 'Already being in a relationship isn't necessarily an obstacle for some people.' "...oh."

    She nods along with Homura for a while longer, only to smile when the subject is changed. She smiles happily, "I know. You tell me how you feel to me all the time." She looks up for a few moments like she sometimes does when thinking about something. "I don't know, I think chocolate chip cookie dough can be good from time to time. Vanilla is really good for when you don't want something too sweet though. I think the best part of vanilla is that it goes so well with other things. You can put sprinkles on it, or caramel, or hot chocolate, or strawberry sauce and it always goes well. Sometimes you really want chocolate though and nothing else will do, and the more chunks and fudge it has mixed in the better."

    Madoka giggles, "And of course ice cream kisses make all ice cream better~! Cones are good for a little but bowls and sundaes are better for a lot. Every once in a while you just have to have a banana split, they're so yummy!" She looks teasingly at Homura, "I already know what your favorite flavor is though~. Madokaloupe~!"

    The note about making out in front of him being potentially a bad idea is made and Madoka suddenly looks confused again, " I... thought we were talking about ice cream now? You want to talk about that agian?"

    Pause, smile, "Yes! That's the best part."

    Madoka giggles and nods quickly, "Yes! Families with baby penguins! And if we can find one... maybe we could even get a couple eggs!" At this point she has a full on gigglefit.

    As Homura climbs into the bed Madoka pulls the covers over her, wrapping her arm around her in the same moment. She lets out a very long happy sound somewhere between a yawn and a sigh, pressing back against Homura and rubbing her hands over her back. "I love you too. So much." She presses a quick kiss to Homuras lips and then slips her head over her shoulder, tilting her head to nuzzle against her girlfriends for a few moments, pigtail squishing fluffily and tickling her cheek. "You're so snuggly you're even cozy to cuddle with while wearing a suit."

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Homura stares blankly at Madoka. She blinks a couple of times. Okay. "You're into that? I... Well I mean... I... Maybe we can... try things if---" Homura hears the rest of what Madoka says and goes from a blank face to blushing furiously. "I-I don't even... get... what th--" Then she hears what Madoka says at the end and... laughs. It's a very awkward laugh, but it is a laugh. "Uh--- y-yeah so ice cream! Ice cream is delicious. Especially with kisses!"

    That whole conversation was embarrassing for Homura and she really doesn't feel like getting into it again. If it went over Madoka's head then maybe that's for the best. Count your blessings Homura.

    Wait... what would her blessings be, anyways? She doesn't get many. Well that's not true, there's Madoka. And then there's Madoka. ... plus there's always Madoka. Then Madoka and after that Madoka and of course after that is another Madoka and then...

    "A couple of eggs," repeats Homura, giggling and shaking her head. "I never would have thought of it, but now that you bring it up I admit that I love it." Homura just imagines herself looking stone faced and emotionless, sitting in a captain's quarters filled with penguin decorations and penguin-related paraphernalia.

    Her arms are around Madoka, she's lying down next to her, she's cuddled up to her, and things could seriously not be more perfect right now. She feels the kiss against her lips and presses into it, closing her eyes to enjoy the moment. "Hehe, you're cuddly no matter what you wear, my sweetheart." She reaches between them to pick up the end of her tie, and then brushes it against the back of Madoka's neck to tickle her, holding her close as they nuzzle against each other.

    "Well, I approve of this cuddle spot so far. How about you?"

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka isn't sure what it is about ice cream that's making Homura blush so hard, but seeing her girlfriend blush like that is enough to make her heart beat quicker. She's just so cute! And if she's a bit awkward that makes her even cuter. If she knew the context she was failing to realize Madoka would probably be embarrassed herself, but in this she's blissfully ignorant.

    Madoka would like to think Homura has -some- blessings that aren't herself, but she certainly wouldn't be upset to hear just how thankful Homura was to have her. Or, well, to be reminded of it; she's heard it and seen it for herself several times already.

    "Yes! And it might be hard to find, but the centerpiece will be a very stern penguin with bushy eyebrows wearing a captains hat sitting on the desk. He can be a real stickler sometimes but it's only because he's so dedicated to his crew!"

    Madoka squeezes Homura tightly to her as they snuggle together in the small bed. She rubs her back with one hand and plays with her hair with the other, first stroking over the long locks and then brushing her fingers through and lightly scritching her scalp with her fingernails. She lets out a soft eep, giggling as the tie tickles the back of her neck, a shiver running through her. "I'm glad you think so because I love being close to you; being held by you and holding you."

    She leans her head into Homura's again, her ear brushing over her girlfriends, only to nod in response, "I think it's wonderful. It's actually nice having somewhere small and cozy."

    She shifts around, pulling her arms out from around Homura and setting them on her shoulders like she sometimes does when they're dancing, only to carefully roll on top of her. Her forearms are laying across the other girl like this, and she props herself up a little, the blanket having hiked up a bit, covering half of her head and falling over the two of them like an obscuring tent. Madoka looks down at Homura with a faint blush on her cheeks and smiles, closing her eyes afterwards and lowering herself enough to kiss her, pressing into it lightly before nibbling and sucking gently on Homura's lips with her own, first her bottom lip, followed soon after by her top. It's a little more intense than normal, but not quite deep impassioned kissing. It's soft and slow, loving and tender, and just a little bit needy.

Homura Akemi has posed:
    Sometimes ignorance really is bliss. Homura is always happy to be adored, though even Madoka's innosense can fluster her sometimes.

    Well okay. Not every blessing Homura has is Madoka. At least one of them is Amy! ... plus she does have a lot of good things going for her. It's just that Madoka takes the top bajillion slots on the chart.

    The thought of a bushy-haired penguin captain sitting on her desk just makes her laugh more. The more she hears how silly it is the more she wants to make it happen. Frankly, if team evil gets to have freaky light shows and creepy architecture, then team hope and love should be able to have something cute and adorable.

    "Maybe one of the penguin can be a fisher, and just have his fishing hook dangling over the back of the couch. Oh! And another penguin can have a surfboard, and shades, and the smaller penguins all look up to him and try to emulate him but their shades are too big and won't stay on."

    Homura nuzzles against Madoka as her girlfriend says she loves being close to her. "I know dear, but go ahead and tell me anyways. I love hearing how you love me, and how happy I get to make you feel."

    About the cuddle spot, she whispers, "I know, right? I like our other cuddle spots too but this has some nice advantages!" Homura doesn't open her eyes until she notices Madoka moving, and happily lays on her back as Madoka rolls on top of her. She smiles lovingly at her little angel as arms are draped around her shoulders, and when the kisses come she parts her lips, both making them easier to suck on and also letting Homura suck on Madoka's lips in turn.

    Homura's arms move down Madoka's back, resting gently around her waist. One of her hands moves up to rub Madoka's back, between and around the shoulders, caressing her like this as the two exchange intense, sweet kisses.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    If you can't count an adorable kitten as a blessing your life is probably inundated with overly cute things.

    The penguin family is growing! Madoka giggles for a few moments, "It's looking up to it's idol and trying to be just as cool? That would be adorable! It might be hard finding a soft and squishy surf board though. Hmm...."

    Tell her anyway? Madoka smiles and presses warmly against Homura, "You're so warm, and you're soft enough to feel comfy and cozy, but not so soft that I can't squeeze you really close and tight." She lets out a little coo and brushes her cheek against Homura's, "You're skin is so soft, and when I hug you or kiss you in just the right way I can feel your heart beat faster in your chest." She lets out a happy sigh, "The way you hold me makes me feel so nice. I love it when you squeeze me back and hold me tight, and when you brush the back of my neck or touch my hair. It makes me feel cherished and adored, and I love feeling that way."

    Madoka whispers back, "It's nice having lots of different places to snuggle." A playful giggle comes from her, "This one is extra secret, too. Especially while we're all alone on the ship. I bet you knew when you brought me here I wouldn't be able to risk bringing you somewhere cozy and snuggling with you~. I might want to stay here for the rest of the day."

    She lowers herself more so she's pressing down against Homura by virtue of her weight alone, or perhaps any hugging or squeezing the other girl gives her. The sweet kissing being returned makes Madoka's heart quicken a bit, which can be felt as she rests this way, so warm and close. She keeps kissing on Homura's lips and parts her own, making happy and enjoyable sounds as they share their love and affection for each other, smiling a little into the kissing as her back is rubbed.

    After a little while she kisses Homura deeper but remains slow and gentle, enjoying the experience calmly instead of letting passion get the better of her. When she finally breaks the kiss it's only to whisper, "I love you, Homura-chan."

Homura Akemi has posed:
    A soft and squishy surfboard. Hmm. "I guess I could look on the internet for one? Or... hmm." She thinks back. "You know, I wouldn't be surprised to find something like that in a gift shop around here."

    Homura asks and Homura receives. She lies still as Madoka recounts the number of things the pink-haired girl enjoys about her. It makes her feel all warm inside to hear such sweet things said about her. She squirms happily as Madoka talks to her, holding her tight. "Oh Madoka-chan~. You really love all those things about me? How can I help but love you and want to be affectionate to you when you're so good to me? Every moment of every day I spend with you is wonderful. Even looking forward to spending time with you is wonderful."

    Homura giggles at the mention of this cuddle spot being extra secret. "It's true. I doubt anyone would think to look for me here, when there's no one else on board! I didn't know for sure that the captain's quarters would be so cozy, but... well, the thought may have crossed my mind." More quietly. "I mean... the thought is always crossing my mind." Her finger traces small pictures in Madoka's back. "I'm pretty tempted too, to spend all day with you."

    As Madoka lowers herself, Homura's loose embrace tightens, holding the pink-haired girl close and comfortable. The kisses from Madoka are soft and sweet, and they relax Homura in ways she never would have thought possible before dating the love of her life. For a while only noise she makes is the occasional soft smack of the lips and the breathless sigh.

    Madoka takes it slowly, and Homura is more than happy to accept what Madoka is giving her. Her hair is splayed behind her back like a silky fan, her arms are around her beloved, the two of them are alone and everything is perfect.

    "I love you too, Madoka-chan."