The Karaoke Bar: Will Madoka convince Homura to sing?!

Homura Akemi had approached Madoka after class. She wanted to talk to Takashi, but the presence of Takashi and the fact that he might overhear prevented her from just saying it outright, so instead she just asked Madoka about maybe doing something after school.

Somehow, this led to Homura agreeing to go to a Karaoke bar. She isn't really sure how that happened. Just suddenly she's going someplace fun with Madoka and that makes her happy.

Happy enough that she actually forgets about what she was going to ask about until she actually gets there. When she remembers she isn't that happy anymore.

When she walks into the karaoke bar she looks around at the crowd inside, looking for a place they can sit and talk for a bit. She looks towards Madoka for a moment and says, "Hey, so, umm... actually I wanted to ask you about something. Takashi-san, specifically... are you two... like... dating or something?"

    Madoka Kaname was really happy when Homura came up to her and asked about doing something together after school. In fact, she had to mentally chide herself about not doing that very same thing herself. They were friends now at her own request, after all, and even if things had gotten a little awkward with the events of the dance shouldn't that only be all the more reason for them to spend some time together and fix things?

    The last thing they had done together was go to a concert, so music was slightly on her mind when she thought about something fun to do with Homura. When school finally let out she was quick to say her 'see you tomorrow's to her other friends, before meeting up with her and striking out immediately towards the Neon District and her favorite Karaoke place, "Trust me, Homura-chan, it's going to be a lot of fun!"

    As they walked in she got a bright and excited look on her face, the loud music and the voice of some kid just having fun or some would-be Idol filling the room with catchy J-pop tunes.

    She follows alongside Homura to a table in a relatively secluded corner, her own excitement dampened a bit as she notices the dark haired girl's own mood getting a little lower- or is it just getting a little more unreadable? Then comes the question, and she bounces in her seat a bit from surprise, "Eh?!" She blushes ever so slightly, though it might be hard to notice in the Karaoke bar's lighting. She actually has to stall for a moment to consider how to respond.

    "Ah.. um...it's more like... 'something', I think?" If this had come up a week ago she'd feel a lot more comfortable talking about this. She doesn't like having things to hide. Not from anyone, but also not from Homura specifically because of how the other girl reacted upon seeing her in the hospital; you can't fake that kind of concern.

    "We aren't dating, or a couple or anything. But if he asked me on one I think I'd say yes," she admits. Her head is angled down, but her eyes raised to meet Homura's gaze. "I like him, Homura-chan, and he thinks I'm special, and we both... feel nice being around each other." It's so hard to explain! Especially when she knows Homura seems to dislike him so much.

    She lifts her head, "Homura-chan, why are you so worried about me being around him? I understand if you just don't like him..." She trails off, not wanting to complete wherever that thought is going just yet.

So, it's like that. Homura's face is blank. She was smiling before, briefly, while they were walking along, but now she's back to her blank, unreadable and slgihtly scowling face.

How does she feel about this? It's true that Takashi had been kindof a jerk to people Homura knew before, but compared to all of the other stuff that's happened that's relatively minor. It's true that Mamoru told her that Takashi had threatened Kyouko before... but Homura knows Kyouko, and if there's anyone in Mitakihara (or maybe even all of Japan) who brings out the aggressive side of people, it's Kyouko.

After a moment Homura says, "I'm a bit worried about you, because I think you're getting attached to a guy who frankly has a history of being rude, self-centered, and a bit of a jerk."

"Plus, you know... whenever someone starts paying close attention to you, nine times out of ten it's some magical jerk trying to threaten you or control you or take advantage of you in some way..."

"... though maybe I'm just being overly defensive over this. I mean, there's not much point in being protected if you can't actually go out and live your life."

Homura picks up a menu from the table and starts reading it, saying, "As your friend I feel obligated to warn you about him. I guess I just don't want to see you getting hurt..."

After a moment's pause, Homura frowns, places the menu down, and looks at Madoka, "Plus... saying that you're 'special'... that's a pretty dodgy way of saying it, isn't it? I mean, it's not like he's said he loves you or anything. You could take it that way, sure, but you could take it a number of other ways, too."

    Madoka really prefers it when Homura's face isn't so stony and impossible to read as it is now. She'd much rather see her smiling of course, but simply being able to get some hint of what she's thinking would be a big help, especially at times like these.

    She listens to everything Homura has to say before responding. "You're right; he can be egotistical, and rude to people. I'd prefer it if he wasn't, if he was nicer to everyone else. But he can also be very determined and thoughtful, and he's never acted mean towards me- I wouldn't put up with it if he did."

    She fidgets a bit with a menu herself but doesn't really read over it. "I've thought of that too. I thought about it a lot after we danced- that special is a very ambiguous word. But... I don't think I fault him for it, because I think I understand. I don't know why I feel so nice being around him, but I do. He's said he feels the same around me, and I believe him." She leans forward a little in her seat, "I really do, Homura-chan. I've looked into his eyes while he's talking to me, and I can see that he means it. I... don't think he does 'love' me as intensely as that, but he does care about me."

    This is the hard part. She has a reason to trust him beyond just words, but it's not something she can share with Homura. Madoka is a Bad Lair. She can't just flippantly make something up that works just as well as an analogue but isn't actually true. For one thing she knows Homura would see right through it, but more importantly she's just not willing to.

    So instead she'll tiptoe around it as carefully as she can. "I know you want to protect me Homura-chan, but you don't have to protect me from Takashi-san. If all he wanted was to threaten me, or control me, or hurt me he would have by now. I've been alone with him. He's had the chance," far more true than even Madoka realizes, "and he hasn't done anything like that."

    A waiter comes by and she gets a strawberry milkshake for herself. It's a good distraction to give herself some time to think That's important, because there's something she wants to say but has to be careful about how she does it.

    "Also, Homura-chan... I know you did it to protect me, but you really did go too far, at the ball. That wasn't right. It was rude and mean to Takashi-san. ...but it was also rude and mean to me. I don't want the two of you to fight, or to be so cross with each other, but I can't keep him from being angry with you when you do something like that." There, she said it. And now that the bitter part has been spoken she backs off the pressure a little and adds a bit of sweetness. "But if you're just warning me and telling me about your concerns, I'm actually glad you care so much about my happiness and safety to say it. I'm not upset that you interrupted us from... kissing. I wasn't ready for that, so thank you."

'I wouldn't put up with it if he did.'

Well, hearing that from Madoka is a bit reassuring. Just hearing her say that, instead of 'no he's not like that' or something else that sounds like denial, at least lets Homura feel like Madoka isn't just a lamb being led to a slaughterhouse. At least she's being rational about it.

On the other hand, when Madoka goes on about how she looks into his eyes, and how she's happier when he's around... What? Really? She really feels that strongly? "I have to admit, I'm a little surprised to hear someone say that about Takashi-san."

Homura also doesn't see Takashi x Madoka working out for very long. She believes fully that it's going to fail. She just isn't going to be mean enough to say it. Not to Madoka, anyways.

Now Homura hears that she's been alone with Takashi... and hasn't done anything to her. Well that simply isn't true, but neither one of them have enough information to really know that. Regardless, Homura feels just a little nervous.

There are some small changes in her expresison here and there. They aren't extreme reactions, but there are some body language cues that Madoka might start picking up on the more she hangs around Homura. It's clear that she doesn't much like the idea of Madoka dating Takashi, but trying to push Madoka wouldn't be protecting her. It'd be hurting her, actually.

... And that's why it stings a bit when Madoka mentions the ball. The edge of Homura's lip curls slightly downwards. She listens to all of what Madoka has to say before she responds. "I care about you, Madoka. You're very important to me, even if I can't really explain all the reasons behind that right now."

"That said I realize that I'm pretty extreme sometimes. Maybe I shouldn't have just butt in like that... honestly it didn't even bother me until he started looking like he was about to kiss you. It just... it was happening pretty fast. Usually 'quick involvement' is kindof a warning sign. People who are too quick to get close to you are usually trying to take advantage of you, while people who are more honest tend to be a bit slower or shy. I guess I just saw him as a threat."

"... but I reacted without thinking about it, and I'm sorry. It was rude to you. I don't really care if he's mad at me. There's always someone mad at me for some reason or another, and he's built up enough jerk points that he's more than earned a bit of rudeness. But I'm sorry if I hurt you."

    "Ehehe," comes the slightly nervous laughter at the comment of finding it strange anyone feels specifically good for being nearer to Takashi. "I don't think you're going to be the last person to say that. He made himself an... interesting reputation before I met him. I felt a little uncomfortable around him before, but now that I've started getting to know him a little better it's been the opposite."

    Her expression turns momentarily thoughtful, "He said something like that himself, though it was about me. He said that being around him made him feel warm and happy, and that he didn't feel that way around other people." She blushes faintly at the memory, both because of the flattery of it and be cause, shock and horror, she felt that way herself in that moment. "He sounded surprised, like he didn't think it was possible. That's a good way to be 'special', right?"

    It's clear by the way she talks that Madoka -wants- it to work out. She has never exactly been shy about saying she wished someone would send her a love letter, or confess to her, but maybe everyone took that as silly playfullness?

    Things grow a little more serious, and she listens to Homura speak before nodding, "I know you care about me, Homura-chan. You keep saying that I'm important to you, and I believe you, even if I don't know why. I wish you could tell me, but people like you," meaning magical girls and boys, "have a lot of secrets you need to keep, so I understand if you don't want to."

    Then a small nod, and she smiles. "Thank you. I forgive you, Homura-chan. If you're sorry then I won't even consider holding it against you." This is followed by Madoka closing her eyes and giving the other girl an awkward smile before saying in a good-natured tone, "Though it would make it a lot easier for me if you did care about him being angry with you."

    There's a slight step back in the conversation then, "That was happening very fast, but it wasn't," she thinks for a moment on the right word, "intentional? The last time we talked he said he'd only wanted the one dance with me to begin with. And he was going to excuse himself, but I stopped him.

    She closes her eyes again and lets out a sigh, remembering it, "We were both caught up in the moment. I know you might not be happy about it, but it was wonderful. Dancing slowly together when almost everyone else has already left, standing close to someone who makes you feel flustered and happy."

    She opens her eyes smiles warmly while leaning forward in her seat, "I hope that's something you can experience for yourself sometime, Homura-chan."

"It's not something I mean to keep as a secret," says Homura, "Not from you anyways. It's just not something I like to talk about. It's not a very happy topic." Homura glances around, making sure no once is listening, before she says, "You've seen me stop time before right? ... My wish involved time travel, going back into the past and preventing something terrible from happening to someone who has been very kind to me."

She reaches out to take Madoka's hand when she says that. "You were a friend when I needed a friend, and you were a wonderful magical girl. You even saved my life once. ... but Kyubey betrayed your trust and led you to a terrible fate, and I can't allow that or forgive it. So that's why."

When Madoka mentions 'I hope that's something ou can experience for yourself sometime', Homura winces.

"That kind of thing isn't for me," blurts out Homura, almost defensively, as if a nerve was struck.

"Oh, sure, there's people I've been attracted to for one reason or another..." She doesn't break eye contact when she says it, "... and there are people who matter to me, but at the same time I... I don't really feel like I can allow myself to be that important to someone, knowing that on any given night I might not make it back home."

Homura puts the menu aside, laying it down. "Sorry, I guess this isn't quite as fun as I thought it was going to be."%

    There's a small nod from Madoka when Homura mentions her being able to stop time. She had seen it; Homura had used it to help her run away from Riventon when he showed up to try and kidnap her. "You're... a time traveler, Homura-chan?" Her eyes widen a little, not quite able to keep the surprise and wonder from coloring her expression.

    And then things get even more surprising. Madoka blinks a few times, and it takes her several moments to realize exactly what it is that Homura means by that, though when her hand is taken she instinctively holds onto it right back. It's not that they're difficult to understand, it just takes her a little bit to actually believe someone would do that for someone like her.

    "That was me? The person you made a wish for... was me?" her head tilts a little to the side as the enormity of what that means hits her. "Homura-chan, you keep telling me how dangerous it is to accept Kyubey's contract, and how he can't be trusted, but you were willing to put yourself through all of that yourself just for my sake?"

    As usual Madoka has an extremely hard time understanding and accepting just how far people are willing to go for her, Homura especially. Homura's words do go a long way towards explaining why she would feel so strongly and so after those moments of questioning confusion she accepts them.

    She gets up from her chair and walks around the table to stand next to Homura, making sure to keep a hold on her hand the whole time. "If you've done that for me, I really need to thank you." She leans in unless Homura stops her and gives her a hug- and not a quick one either, but a gentle long lingering one.

    "That's not right, Homura-chan," she whispers softly. "You have the right to be happy. No... you -should- be happy. If you've done so much, you deserve it."

    Then it's her turn to frown, though just a little, "You're already important, Homura-chan. To me, and to others. If you didn't make it back home... we'd all be very sad. All of your friends."

    She then quickly shakes her head, "Don't be sorry! I'm glad you asked me to talk. I'm the one who should be sorry, not being able to see how much I meant to you, even after you've tried to tell me."

    Assuming she managed to get ahold of her hug in the first place she'll ease up a bit more, "Besides, we still have plenty of time left to have fun!"

Homura blushes for a moment, which looks really strange on her mostly blank face. "Honestly, it's not as noble as it sounds. I didn't know all the details back then... if the 'back then' is even the right word for that. Honestly when I first made the wish I had no intention of preventing you from wishing. But... as time went on, as I kept needing to travel back, over and over... I started to realize that all Puella Magi will eventually meet the same fate..."

"You asked me to prevent you from being tricked." Homura chooses not to mention the part where Madoka also asked Homura to shoot her Soul Gem before it became a Grief Seed. She still thinks about it, though, and there's a hint of sadness when she brushes past it. "I guess that's what I've been trying to do. I honestly think you'd still be a wonderful magical girl. I just want to find a way that doesn't involve Kyubey, if you're still interested in being that."

Homura doesn't pull away when Madoka tries to hug her, putting her arms around Madoka in turn. Madoka can hug her for as long as she wants. Homura doesn't mind. Homura does bury her head against Madoka's shoulder, though. Almost like she's hiding there.

"It's kind of you to say that... maybe things are different now. I don't know. I just have so much to deal with that I hadn't really ever given it serious thought. It's not like my problems will ever really go away."

"... and you don't have to be sorry. I never really explained it to you. I never really did find a good way to say 'Hi, I'm from the future where we're best friends. Nice to meet you!'... I tried a few times and it just felt like I was pressuring you."

Madoka pulls Homura away from that line of thought when she mentions having plenty of time left to have fun.

"Right... this is a karaoke bar, isn't it?" Homura glances towards the stage. "Um... I don't know many songs though..." Homura's blank face hides the growing hints of stage fright that are slowly begining to nag her. Just a little bit of moemura is still in her, it seems. On the other hand, this is a chance to do something with Madoka, right? "... um... is there something you wanted to sing?"

    "If I was a magical girl and we were friends then you must have known the contract meant fighting Witches. If you were willing to do something like that just for me, than I really am lucky to have you as a friend." She really means it, and her voice reflects that. The few Witch labyrinths she's been in have been utterly terrifying, traumatic experiences for her.

    It takes a moment for Madoka to realize that Homura meant she had gone back in time more than once, and her hug becomes tighter when she does. "So that's why you've always been so adamant. It's because I asked you to?" She closes her eyes and shakes her head. She honestly can't imagine what would cause her to ask something like that, having already become a magical girl. Just what kind of 'fate' must Homura mean for it to be as bad as all that?

    "I'm... not sure whether I am or not, Homura-chan. I want to help protect people, and I think I'd be happy being able to fight alongside you and your other friends without having to just stand by and watch it happen." She takes in a little breath and shakes her head, "But everything you and the other magical girls do, it's all so scary. I've seen people get hurt fighting so many times." A pause, "I've seen Miss White's medical records." It scares Madoka, to imagine being put in the hospital with such awful injuries so often.

    "I'm not saying I don't want to be a magical girl like you, because deep down I know that I do. I just don't know if I'm ready for that right now, especially when there are good things I can do without fighting." She'd never been a hospital volunteer before, had she? And likewise how many times before a few days ago could she have been said to successfully talk magical girls out of fighting with each other- though Homura might not know about that just yet.

    As Homura buries her head in her shoulder she'll just remain there, letting her take as long as she needs. She can't imagine the burden going through time so many times must have put on her, so she'll do her best to let her have this moment of respite.

    "If you'd have said that to me when we first met, I probably would have thought you were crazy," she says, intending to lighten the mood a little. "But after everything I've seen you do, and how far you've gone to protect me, I believe you."

    She would continue hugging Homura, but she does want to do something fun with her while they're here. So she pulls away, doing so in a way that has her hands brushing down one of Homura's arms so she can take a hand with both of hers and begin pulling her out of her seat and towards the stage, smiling happily.

    "I'll think of something," she comments mysteriously, picking up a tablet computer that acts as the song selector. She stares at the list for a few moments, tapping here and there before smiling even more. That done she gets a pair of microphones and hand's one over the singer on stage nears the end of their song.

    When it ends she pulls Homura up onto the stage, and the accompanying video begins to play. She's all smiles now, looking at Homura.

    It's a song the'd heard together at the concert, not so long ago.

Homura smiles, though Madoka might not see it until Homura pulls her head away from Madoka's shoulder. "You don't have to... but I know you, and what kinds of things you'll want to do. You're very brave, no matter what happens, and you've always been like that. If and when you do decide to fight alongside us, I just want to make sure you're making the right choice, and that you wont regret it later. I wont tolerate a situation where you've been pressured or conned into it."

"... and it is scary, but you toughen up after a while. Kyouko, Miss White, Mami, myself... we've all gotten used to it."

Homura is suddenly pulled away from the hug and from her seat... and towards the stage?! Well... it's alright... right? I mean... if Madoka wants to... but still!

"You'll think of something?! What..." Homura stares down at the microphone that is suddenly in her hands.

The song starts playing, and she watches the video. Oh thank god, it's Yoko Kanno. This... this is something she could probably manage.

Homura likes the artist, but she still doesn't know the words that well. She'll have to rely upon the prompt just to get through the song. Fortunately no one here really expects her to sing well.

    Madoka looks embarrassed. It's terribly confusing to have someone who you've seen fight, and fight like a complete badass veteran, tell you that you're brave no matter what when you've never been in a single fight and wonder if you could even manage to keep from visibly shaking if attacks were being sent your way. She'll just have to take Homura's word for it.

    "I'll try not to make any rash decisions about it, Homura-chan," she replies. 'Try'. She knows herself, and she hasn't exactly been the most even headed person when it comes to magical occurrences. Just the other day she didn't run away from a situation she knew she should have; but then that turned out alright, didn't it?

    Upon reaching the stage Homura is very lucky that Madoka is a kind, sweet girl. Maybe if she had Hannah's personality she'd fire up some hectically paced J-pop song that required a strong vocal range and the ability to powerfully emote, but Madoka isn't quite that cruel.

    She'll allow Homura a nice easy warm-up song, first.

    The music starts playing and she leans in, "Let's sing the whole thing as a duet," she suggests. She'll lead off when the lyrics start to show up on the screen, taking the lead and singing along to the easy music. Her voice isn't at it's best since she just started singing but she must sing karaoke often because she's able to follow that ball bouncing over the words with good timing and manages to carry the tune well enough, even if not quite on the key the song was originally written for.

    The end of the song is repetitious enough that she can follow the music instead of the prompt, so she turns her eyes instead to Homura, smiling as she sings. Yes, the meaning of picking such a song as Strangers was not entirely lost on her when she did it.

    When the song finishes she smiles happily, "You did great, Homura-chan! I'm going to do one more, I think." Not that she can right away, since they're sharing the main stage, but she starts to select another song. "Do you want to sing with me again, or just watch?" A playful tone in her voice.

    Tread carefully, Homura Akemi.

She wants to do a duet? Alright. When Homura's portion of the song comes up, she starts singing. Well, she tries to. Her voice cracks at first, like she's unsure how to use it. Over time, though, she starts singing loud enough for people to hear, and she finds her confidence in the fact that at least they're having a good time.

Homura faces down Witches on a regular basis. She wont back down from a mere stage! Not even if it was a Karaoke Witch! ... Even if it's clear that she has no idea what she's doing.

Just go with it, Homura.

One thing that unbalances her slightly is the lyrics, once she really starts thinking about them. Did Madoka plan this out?

By the end of the song, Homura at least feels somewhat confident. Confident enough to not go running off the stage, anyways. She's still convinced that her singing is terrible, and she's not wrong about that either.

Madoka's words seem to indicate different, though. "I did?" she sounds, a bit surprised. Whether or not Madoka means it or is just being nice, it's still uplifting to hear that.

"I want to sing with you," says Homura, maybe a bit bluntly. Or maybe she's just being frank. She came here to have fun with Madoka. What's the point if she's just going to sit back and watch?

"Whatever you want is fine. I'll just have to keep up."

She's putting on a very brave face.

She also has no idea what Madoka is plotting, so that helps.

    As they exit yield the stage a boy goes up and sings the intro to the latest Kamen Rider series. His voice is pretty good but he's missing enough of the lyrics that if the Karaoke Witch were present she'd be sending her familiars at him.

    Madoka was definitely thinking about the lyrics and which of the Yoko Kanno songs they'd listened to would be suitable, but she hadn't exactly been plotting this situation out weeks in advance. That she found something meaningful on short notice is mostly a happy accident, but one she'll take.

    "You did! Especially for your first song today without warming up first." If Homura was maybe a bit stiff or off key it doesn't bother Madoka at all, what's important is that they're singing together on stage and having fun! The blunt response brings a bright smile to her face, and she waits excitedly for the boy to finish his set.

    When it's their turn again Madoka leads Homura up onto the stage, giddy with excitement. "Just follow my lead, Homura-chan. And try to relax and have fun!" Wait, this is a song, right?

    The song is selected Madoka makes a pose. She''s not even looking at the prompt this time. Then the peppy, upbeat music starts and she picks the lyrics up right away. Her voice is more cheerful than it's supposed to be, but she clearly cares far more about having fun than getting a perfect score, and she knows the song by heart.

    As she starts moving to the beat of the music and playfully trying to drag Homura into it too something even more terrifying becomes apparent.

    She knows the dance by heart, too.

Homura listens to the guy singing the Kamen Rider song. Another show she hasn't really gotten into. She stopped watching TV a long time ago because they'd just play the same episodes for every timeloop, time after time after time... She's gotten sick of them by now.

Now that she's been in this timeline for much more than a month, she wonders how many of her once-favorite shows have actually progressed. Maybe there's even a season finale or two that she should catch up on...?

She's pulled off of that line of thought by Madoka leading her back onto the stage. That part is fine. Homura did say she wanted to sing with Madoka. She meant it. Wait, what does Madoka mean by 'just follow her lead'? There's going to be a prompt, right...?

What? Madoka's dancing? And Homura's supposed to dance, too? Well it's not like Homura's never danced before, but that's usually either ballroom dancing or DDR, not whatever this is!

Fortunately Homura's in good enough physical condition that she can actually keep up with the motions, though she has to keep her eye on Madoka at first just to see what hse's doing. Needing to constantly swap her focus between Madoka and the prompt proves a challenge even for the mighty Homura.

Her performance is not that stellar, compared to Madoka who actually knows the song and dance, but she tries! Oh how she tries. Even when she constantly misses cues, gets the move backwards, or just sings the wrong part of the prompt because she lost track of where the ball is on the screen... no one can say that she didn't give it her best shot.

At the end of it, Homura says, "You're really into this, aren't you?"

    This dance is luckily intended to make the dancer look completely silly, and it takes guts to get up there on stage and attempt it. So the audience is kind in their judgment and claps along and cheers! Audience? Of course, no one attempts Kyary Pamyu Pamyu without a good number of the people in the Karaoke bar taking notice.

    As the song moves into the chorus it gets quicker and harder to track the specific lyrics, though at least it has a steady, persistent beat to it. The beat also makes it easy to dance to, which for Madoka mostly involves following along with Kyary's silly music video antics with a bit of give here and there so she can hold her microphone close enough to be heard.

    "Pon Pon way way way, Pon Pon way Pon way Pon Pon~!"

    She's practically skipping around and beside Homura as she sings, and though she is terribly embarrassed by all the people watching, as evidenced by the color of her face, she's having way too much fun to let it affect her.

    Once the song really gets going she's bouncing around the stage almost continually, and when it finally ends she hugs her arms around Homura's neck and laughs happily beside her. "I love this kind of upbeat music," she agrees in response. "Thanks for singing and dancing with me, Homura-pon!" she teases happily.

    She does unfortunately have to give up the stage again, but she definitely just got what she came here for!

    Homura might have to make sure there wasn't anyone filming that; it's Weapons Grade teasing material.

The dance is lively, the music is upbeat, and there's something distinctly Madoka about it. The only real surprise is that Homura hasn't seen her dance like this before. Well, one month really isn't that long of a span of time, after all. The more time passes, the more Homura realizes how little insight that one month even gave her.

When the song ends, Homura's eyes pass over the crowd, wondering if she sees anyone with cameras or cell phones who might have tried to film this. Not that she's sure she knows what to do if she found one... but she can't help but be curious.

Oh well. If people see her having fun with Madoka, so what?

"I was happy to," says Homura, as she's hugged, still a bit confused by this whole experience. The dancing was an unexpected surprise, but she's at least agile enough to keep up with it.

... Homura may or may not spend some time practicing this dance in private so she isn't caught off-guard by it next time. If there is a next time. Well maybe she'll practice it or maybe she wont. No one will ever know because she'll never confess to it for a second.

They'll never see it coming. Just one day there will be a pon pon-ing Homura-chan and no one will know what to do about it.

As Homura follows Madoka off the stage, Homura admits, "That was actually a lot of fun..." Whatever awkwardness she felt up there wasn't so terrible that she wants to flee, and it's good to see Madoka be happy for once.

"Thanks for coming here with me, Madoka-chan."

    Madoka turns in her microphone and then bouncily makes her way back to their table with Homura, humming a little along to the tune of the song they just sang together. She claps her hands together as it seems Homura enjoyed herself. This kind of playfulness is a lot like the kind of goofing off she could see at the start of various timelines while Madoka walked to school alongside Sayaka and Hitomi, before the month of ceaseless tragedies got going into full swing.

    This time she has still seen some tragedy, and has experienced things that scared her and made her cry but not so much or something so horrible as to start completely overwhelming her ability to enjoy her daily life when something bad isn't happening. After all, in this bizarre world she's made many new friends, and hasn't lost any to tragedy.

    "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, Homra-chan! I hope we can do this again some time." As they get back to the table Madoka's strawberry milkshake seems to have arrived, and she takes a happy sip of the sugary pink drink before offering some to Homura, seeing that she hadn't ordered anything for herself. "Hm? You're welcome, Homura-chan. Thanks for asking me to do something with you. I'm always happy to, whenever you have the time."

Homura forgot to order anything...! Oh well, she had other things on her mind at the time. Such as 'oh my god i'm going to go up there and sing what do i do what do i do'. It's only now, that it's over, that she suddenly realizes that she forgot about food.

But Madoka offers a bit of hers, and Homura says, "You're sure it's okay...? Well, alright," before taking a sip of it. She doesn't want to take too much, though. Maybe she should just order her own, really.

"We should! We should do stuff like this more often."

Homura isn't really sure what adventure to drag Madoka off to (or be dragged off by Madoka to), but there's always something to do, right?

Maybe one day Homura will introduce Madoka to her cat.