1703/Salvation, and Trepidation

Salvation, and Trepidation
Date of Scene:	02 March 2015
Location:	Old Mitakihara
Synopsis:	Homura and Psyber visit Madoka's impromptu 'home' to learn more about her and the state of her world.
Cast of Characters:	2, 253, 720

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Kaname Madoka (720) has posed:
    Even though it's only mid afternoon, an aura of gloom still lingers over everything in the area of the four-year-old ruin. This feeling is a pervasive thing, so it's all the better Psyber - and Homura, perhaps - would find Madoka's domicile a few miles from that particular vortex of misery. Hers is a room on the upper floor of an eerily sleepy hotel on the outskirts of the so-called 'New Mitakihara'. All strewn about the outside are advertisements and brochures for the only tourist attraction this area could feasibly lay claim to: Mitakihara Ghost Tours. Still, this is not enough of a draw to accrue any sort of regular attendance, and the owner of the place hasn't even bothered to show up to work today. Rather, they've left a calling card on the desk that gives a number to reach them by whilst they work their supplementary job.

    Madoka's room is number 204, second from the right once one takes the flight of stairs nearest the lobby. It's obvious which it is because, after all, it's the only one with any lights on. The glass of the window is covered by thick, off-white blinds, but at at least one point there's a breakage in its cover. From there one can glimpse the inside, all of which is done up in a Western style as per some local custom that has withstood the onslaught of Walpurgis. The only thing of true consequence or note would be the desk in the Southwestern corner of the tiny room which is host to a massive stack of... drawings. Many of them depict familiar figures and, if one concentrates, some appear quite similar to Homura herself.

    Assuming one of the pair knocks, Madoka would call back that she's coming, arriving a rather prompt ten-some seconds after they had requested entry. She would greet them with a warm sort of smile that only barely withstands the shock of seeing Homura, if she's present. She would stare at her in a dumb silence for a few moments before bowing her head and standing aside. She would open her mouth to speak several times, but on none of those occasions would any words manage to escape her lips. So for a spell she would stand in the quiet of the approaching evening, shifting in place, hands squeezing one another for comfort at her waist.

    Eventually, though, she would work up the courage. "It's good to see you both again!" She fights to maintain that grin. "Ehehe... sorry it's so messy. If I had known you two were coming I would have done a better job of cleaning up, but... well!" She shrugs, glancing uncomfortably to a mess of drawings cluttering the ground under the desk. There are... so many there that they completely obfuscate a certain section of the floor. It's clear that someone's been rather busy, but something else would become apparent rather quickly too: they're good. -Really- good, in fact; she's probably been drawing every day for the past four years, and it shows.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber did come, and he's not alone. He figured Homura, for all her failings in social contact, wouldn't risk her academics and would show up to a class for an exam. From there, it was simply a matter of being a jerk.

    And that's why Psyber is probably dragging Homura through the hallway of a hotel with their wrists handcuffed together. Devious? Yes. Mean? Slightly. Necessary? Completely.

    "You're going to have to confront this one eventually and I refuse to let you backslide two or three years in a single weekend, Homura," Psyber notes as he walks along. When Madoka opens her door, Psyber is standing there. Homura is likely nearby, maybe behind him, maybe hiding against a wall just out of sight.

    "You don't need to worry about tidying up. This visit was a bit of a surprise on my part, because I thought you two should talk before your mutual problems created a further rift between you due to mutual martyrdom." He notes flatly.

Kaname Madoka (720) has posed:
    "M-Mutual... martyrdom?" It's not abundantly clear whether she's playing dumb or really has no idea what he's talking about, but either way her response would be much the same. She would lower her gaze to the ground, bite her lip gently, and shift in place, occasionally making eye contact with Psyber but doing her utmost to avoid the same with Homura for the time being. Without even thinking, she would suddenly utter a 'Sorry,' attempting afterward to brave all her reservations to lock eyes with the other puella for as long as she's able to endure. This turns out to be several seconds longer than she expects, but she still eventually, inevitably trains her eyes on some distant corner of the room again.

    After a while, she would continue. "I-I... you were just trying to help, and I got so upset. I'm really sorry, Homura. When I woke back up, I felt so bad, and I just..." What she -wants- to do is say that 'I wouldn't blame you if you were mad at me,' or to reiterate her apologies, or... something in that vein, but she doesn't. She knows that it wouldn't help, so she tries something else instead. "I just really didn't know what to think when I saw you again. I..." She takes a deep breath. This next thing is going to be hard to say out loud. "... I broke your soul gem. To make sure you couldn't become a witch. I saw you die right in front of me. Seeing you here now is... i-is..." She clamps a hand around her wrist. "It's a lot to take in. You didn't do anything wrong, I was just... really scared. Really hopeful, too, but..." She averts her gaze further. "... it's one of those 'mixed feeling' feelings."

    She would glance sheepishly to Psyber once she finishes, and then to Homura. Phew. That was -not easy-, but it wasn't quite as difficult in a smaller group. She's still getting used to the guardian angel, but somehow he seems to make a good, natural conversational medium. And, well, he seems like he might be a good social barometer, too, which is why she focuses on him after she's done talking. To see how she did, sorta.

    And then it's back to silence. She just wants this whole thing to be over. If she had her way, this whole interpersonal fiasco would just dissipate and she would hug her, and cry, and...

    ... no. No crying. She's not sad, remember? Not. Sad.

    Sigh.

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
    "It's... more like four or five years," Homura corrects Psyber, as she is mercilessly dragged through a hotel by the wrist. Not that she is resisting it much, but one can tell she is very unhappy about the precaution taken against her just kind of disappearing, for all intents and purposes.

    Well, either way, it's correct, she can't duck this one forever. Probably. She'd argue she can TRY and it would be very hard to stop her, though.

    "It's fine. I'm familiar with how people get when they're full up on grief. And as sources of it go I'm... probably a big one." She fidgets, at the mention of Madoka having had to break her Soul Gem. "I've had to do that too. To friends. Dear ones. I've also seen you do it to save me once, and I know it demolished you. I had a lot of time to get used to it, though, so it's a bit of an unfair comparaison."

    Tug tug.

    "Can you untie me now?"

    Back to Madoka. "A-Anyway, please don't worry about it so much. I know how you feel. It's not your fault, and I was probably a bit too harsh questioning whether you were living up to the other me's desires. I can't really claim I went my entire run without going against your wishes myself."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "Yes."

    Psyber says to Homura, producing a set of keys and unlocking the handcuffs binding the two of them together. With both of them talking to eachother a bit more, he doubts Homura will run away, barring Madoka having another period of despair. But he believes the odds of this are incredibly low.

    After taking off the handcuffs, they're put back into his jacket pocket and he goes to find a place to sit down. He's still pretty injured from last night, and it shows in various places. Bandages on his neck and a few other spots on his face covered up with gauze or tape. He'll let the two girls talk about their problems for the time being.

    The comment about mutual martyrdom is addressed eventually, "Your simultaneous desire to self-sacrifice for the other would lead to a perpetual and damaging series of escalations if this hadn't been directly addressed and if I hadn't forced you two to talk to eachother."

Kaname Madoka (720) has posed:
    "O-Oh." Madoka would begin to fidget a little herself, now. Some of what Homura said made her horribly sad and other parts of it were just as relieving, so holistically her response inspires something closer to 'melancholy' than anything else. Still, she would maintain her smile; tinged with a sort of sullenness though it may be, it's nowhere near as empty as it was before. It seems like she's already begun to heal slightly if only by being in the presence of other people. As such, her words may come off sounding a bit more dreary than she intends:

    "I... had actually been hoping that things were better in your world -- that things were a little different, somehow, I mean. I would have liked it if yours was a world where we could work with Kyubey to really help the world instead of having to lie to eachother, and be scared, but..." She would put her hands together, continually running one across the other. "I guess that was pretty silly of me." She barely stifles another sigh. To Homura especially she would look far too much like a kicked puppy.

    To the next reassurances, though, she would nod. She never knows how to take it when people try to absolve her of guilt, but at the very least she knows how she usually responds when they try. First, she would shake her head. "No, no, it's okay. It's alright. Just..." Her fidgeting would cease, if only long enough for say the next few statements. "Just, I promised Homura - my Homura - that I would be happy with the life she gave me after she made her wish. So when you said that I would be failing you if I wasn't..." She hugs herself somewhat. "... it was scary. It felt like she had come back to yell at me. It felt like I broke that promise." She would look to her seriously for a moment. "... I can't... um... I want..." She's tripping over her words. How can she even say this?

    "I want to be happy for you, Homura. For both of you. Just, it's scary to think that I haven't always been happy because that would mean that I had been lying all this time. It would mean that I had already failed her. So... s-so..." Her grip on herself tightens slightly. In ultimatum, she can only mutter, "... I don't know."

Kaname Madoka (720) has posed:
    Psyber... would just get a long stare. W-What? She's not... -entirely- sure that she even knows what he's saying, but if she had to hazard a guess, she would assume it was /exactly the thing she had just admitted to/. Geez, is she really that transparent? Or does this guy really just know that much about her from the get-go? Either way, she would blush faintly at the thought, hanging her head in some expression of embarrassment. She would make a series of tremulous, almost mournful noises, but eventually they would let up with a shy swallow. For lack of anything better to say, she would just affirm,

    "... right."

    She feels so out of her league right now.

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
    "Our world reached a different conclusions than yours to the threat Walpurgisnacht posed. It... improved things, in some ways, but made them worse in others. I wouldn't consider it better, or worse, than yours. Different. That's all. I'm working on fixing that, but that's not something that can be done overnight."

    If it could be, Homura already would have.

    She considers Madoka, tries to read her body language. The matter of the promise, well, she just said it herself. Homura strayed from her promise numerous times, in spirit. Maybe not if you only consider the letter of it, though. So she can't talk, too much anyway. She sighs.

    "It's fine if you broke your promise, as long as you realize it and try to fix it. All I meant to say was that you... seem unhappy. And even if you weren't able to be until now, it's not too late to start. I don't think, as an entity, I'm capable of being angry at you. Especially not back then. If her ghost is still around and watching you, it's probably... fidgeting uncomfortably and rooting for you, no matter what you do. Disliking you simply isn't a possibility."

    But, well, Psyber is also right about their inability to let the other self-sacrifice. In a way that should be anyone's first sign that these two will never reach a suitable ending, because their suitable endings are mutually exclusive.

    "... so... don't feel too bad about it. But, going forward, seeking happiness would be healthier for you. I don't know how you survived that long in that state. Soul Gems get corrupt pretty fast. That's why I think you should find a way to be happy, so that the Union's services aren't required."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    For his part, Psyber is remaining quiet. He doesn't have a great deal to say to Madoka or Homura that he feels can help their conversation and is mostly content to let the two of them talk out their problems now that they're both recovered from the mutual shock of one another existing in alternate iterations.

    Out of politeness, he elects not to smoke. Instead, he simply takes a stick of gum out of his pocket and unwraps it, chewing it idly as the two talk. It's a very passive role, and one which has him pretty silent, but that's just how this is playing out for him so far.

    He rests the back of his head on the wall behind him and shuts his eyes.

Kaname Madoka (720) has posed:
    Madoka is rather reticent as Homura continues. She would ask what 'other solutions' she was talking about, but she doesn't even know where to start. She would say something about keeping her promise, but she would rather save that for a time when she's not locked in a fierce internal qualm over whether she had kept her promise or not, and what that promise even entailed. In a way, it's true -- her mind is a battlefield between Homura's wish for her to be happy, and her eagerness to deny herself happiness because she had not been happy because. She's on the cusp of realizing how useless and contradictory these thoughts are, but she isn't quite there yet. And until she is... well. She glances meekly to Homura, again. She hopes that she'll be patient with her and forgive her in the meantime.

    At the very least, though, it seems the mental image of her Homura cheering her on just beyond her awareness makes her feel a bit better. It coaxes another smile to her face, and her nervous gestures would finally halt if only for a moment. Her scrunched hands would fall to more neutral positions at her sides, and she would begin to sway faintly. Her eyes would narrow, and glisten. She's probably fighting back tears, but in the end, she succeeds. Well, mostly; she still has to squeeze her eyelids shut to forestall a deluge of emotion for at least a couple of seconds.

    Though... oh. That last thing. That's something that she might finally be comfortable sharing. "Um." She would begin. She immediately begins to lock back up, but she doesn't falter just yet. "You know... how you asked what your wish was in this world? Well..." She would glance at her soul gem ring, urging it to change forms for the purposes of demonstration. Cupping her hands around it and holding it gingerly to her chest, she would say, "... you... you wished that I could never..." Stop. Swallow. Okay. She'll be okay. "... that I could never... n-never..." Deep breaths. In, out. In... "... become a witch."

    The final words of that statement are said with some haste, but immediately she would hold out her soul gem in demonstration. She would point to the minuscule amount of corruption that her gem had accrued since two days ago. "Look." Slowly but surely, she can see a change. Tiny, almost invisible amounts of the stuff transform back into pink of their own accord over time. It's self-replenishing, and to some extent it could serve as proof of Madoka's statement. Once she's satisfied, she would call the thing to transform again and slip it back around her finger.

    "So that's why. I've still had a few times where I've been incredibly sad, like before... but I've never been able to become a witch. Also, because of that, I've actually been able to absorb the corruption from other soul gems when they've been really bad. It's a power I'm happy to have, but it's dangerous, and I know I should be careful with it." She would flash a smile. "So don't worry about that... if you can help it." She would giggle, but she's not quite that upbeat yet.

    So, instead, she would turn to Psyber. "But! If you don't mind, I'm curious about you two too!" Then her eyes would scroll to Homura, then back again. Back and forth, back and forth. "How do you know eachother? Oh, and Homura, what are you doing now? Do you have any new hobbies?" Thank God, she finally found her way to normal conversation that normal girls and sweet uncle figures should be having together. Finally!

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "I'm her father. Adoptive father, anyway."

    Psyber says immediately, without even opening his eyes as she asks how he knows Homura.

    "I came to Mitakihara some years back as part of my gig as a Union Paranormal specialist and I stayed with it front to back," He explains in a relaxed tone. Or maybe he's just tired from his injuries after last night. Either way, he continues, "After it was resolved out, she came to work for my business along with a few other Puella Magi. She began attending college near my office, too, to train to go into the same work as me."

    He smiles a bit and says, "She's actually one of the few people in my life I truly feel I've helped out with no severe failure on my part. I couldn't be more happy to know her."

Kaname Madoka (720) has posed:
    "H-Huh??" Her eyes go wide. Her jaw drops slightly, and she has to cup a hand over her mouth for the sake of modesty. She would resume her fervent glances between Homura and Psyber, and by then it's abundantly clear that she is -shocked-. It's a good sort of shock, though, and when she comes out of it she's smiling and even going so far as to clap her hands together in celebration. This is likely the most excited she's been since they've met. "-Wow-!" Her cheeks would almost be pink at this point. "Really, wow! That's amazing! I'm so happy for you, Psyber! And I'm happy for you too, Homura! I'm so, so, so glad that you found someone to take care of you like that, and...!" Oh, but she's probably getting carried away. She would clamp that hand over her mouth for a few more moments until she calms down, but it's obvious from the distinctly joyful creases at her eyes what she's feeling.

    Though, college. That makes her a bit more contemplative. Had she ever finished High School? She can hardly remember. She's attended other schools to get closer to other magical girls, b-but... she shakes her head. No. She doesn't want to think about that right now. That part of her life is over now, and this is a happy moment. She doesn't want to spoil it. Still, other facets of that notion make her grin more and more. Glancing back to her drawings again, she ponders finally entering into college for an art degree. Maybe she could become a concept artist, or a professional painter, or... eee~. The thought makes her a little giddy, honestly.

    For now, though, she would just repeat: "Really, that's so sweet. I'm so glad you two could be there for eachother."

    Seeing her like this now, she could almost - almost - be the other Madoka. But there's still something missing.

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
    "... oh. That's..." Huh. That is a different wish, for sure. She supposes it's not too surprising, after all if she had the latent potential to loop time like she did and CREATE universal forces, then doing something impossible like immunizing someone to the rules of the world... isn't that much of a stretch. If she'd thought about it then that might have been a better outcome. Ugh. Oh well. The irony of thinking 'it's not like I can go back and fix it'.

    She's about to reply when Psyber chimes in. Homura chokes, evidently on air, but if she had been drinking or eating it'd be even worse.

    "H-He doesn't... take care of me, it's just... a thing. R-Really," she tries to explain, without a whole lot of credibility. She sighs.

    "It's not as great as it seems. I mostly attend class, study a lot, and get in over my head helping the Union with whatever in my spare time. While trying to keep Mitakihara safe and not lose Kyubey from sight, but that's easier said than done."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "Homura is pretty independant. It's rare that she ever needs my direct intervention on a situation," Psyber notes, supporting Homura's claim that he doesn't take care of her. Just don't count today as direct intervention.

    "So," Psyber asks, completely tangenting off the original topic without even opening his eyes, "Do you just live in a hotel room? That doesn't seem too enjoyable."

    Kind of a direct question, but that's just how he is.

Kaname Madoka (720) has posed:
    Madoka miiight sneak a smile as Homura fumbles over explaining her relationship with Psyber, but she's not the type to point anything out out loud. Nope! So instead she just wraps her arms behind herself and sways, looking content as can be. For a brief moment, though, almost as fleeting as the bat of an eyelash, she might see a bit of her Homura in this one. The girl who was always shy, who she would help in class, who she would look out for... wow. Again, just how different this one is from the one she knew starts to hit her in full. Something happened to her. Whatever happened in her Mitakihara changed her in ways that she would probably never be able to understand. And that makes her frown. Again, she's torn between her desire to ask for details and her desire to leave her alone, but... she can't help worrying, a bit. These are similar to the worries she felt when she saw Kimiko, but on account of their origin they're just that much more outstanding in her mind.

    But let's not think about that. Let's think about something else. "Oh, that's right! The Union!" She would lightly pound her fist into her palm in a gentle 'Eureka!' gesture. "If... I'm being honest, I don't really know what the Confederacy and the Union are fighting over, but I know that they -exist-. And I heard that the Union was the best one for people who want to help other people, so here I am!" There's a brief pause while she contemplates what else to say. "Though, if I could ever help you two somehow, that would make me really happy. Really, if you ever need anything - anything at all - just let me know! I'll do everything I can to help. But you both probably know that, right?" It seems like she's finally managing to make the whole 'they know everything about me, I know nothing about them' thing less disconcerting in her mind. Good? Probably.

    But, ah, yeah. Hotels kinda suck! But she wouldn't say that out loud. "Eheh... yeah. It can get kind of lonely, and I do miss home. But I didn't really know what else to do. I mean, I've been following Kyubey since I left Mitakihara, and..." Erk. Oh, God, she ended up wrapping back around to that subject somehow. She looks to Homura and swallows a little. She... she should do her best to avoid that subject. Yeah. Yeah, she really should. "... so, I haven't been in one place for a very long time. I've had to look for witches and stuff, you know? And I've tried to help people wherever I can."

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
    "The Union and Confederacy fight over how they wish to handle all of existence. It is fairly simple, in the end. The Union believes in total freedom and does not want to impose itself overmuch, whereas the Confederacy has a more iron-fisted idea of how to make the world a better place. Neither is out to make the world a worse place, from their own perspective, it is merely a clash of ideals," Homura explains, more or less like a book, as if she'd had to explain this before.

    Of course, the answer will change based on who you ask.

    At the mention of travel, she considers offering Madoka a room in the loft, but... would... living under the same roof as all her dead friends really be a good idea? It seems like torture.

    "You could stay at the Heaven or Hell tower, if you wanted. It's not luxury but it's pretty good, and it's where I spend most of my time lately between everything else. I... what happened to your parents, and your brother?"

    Please say 'they're okay I'm just distancing myself to keep them out of trouble'. Pleeeeease.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber tilts his head a bit and then opens his eyes, "I was going to offer her a room at the tower, but Homura pre-empted me it seems."

    Psyber smiles at Homura and nods his head, "I can't promise you the tower will be quiet or peaceful, but it will certainly never be boring if you wish to have an apartment in my office." He says to her seriously.

    "Only if you wanted, though."

Kaname Madoka (720) has posed:
    "Really? Wow. That sounds like something from a book." Case in point. "Come to think of it, though, isn't the 'Multiverse' like... a huuuuge mixture of a bunch of smaller worlds, like mine? And yours? That sounds like something from a story, too. It's sort of weird to actually be living somewhere like that." Again, she would appear to be on the verge of a sweatdrop. "Honestly, when the person who first told me about the Union did, I thought that too. I thought I was dreaming. And like I said before, I never thought... you..." She would shift uncomfortable a moment. "I never thought I would see -you- here. You know? You've been here for a while so you're probably used to it, but I... it's... I don't know." She would glance off to the side for a moment. Her expression becomes distinctly quieter, if only for a moment.

    "But... you know, even after saying that, I have to admit that it's not as weird as it could be. After I became a magical girl... I didn't feel like that was real, either. I thought I had to be dreaming. And everything happened, and then I was all alone, and... that was like a dream, too. I don't know if it feels more like I'm dreaming now or like I've woken up from a really long nightmare. Even though it isn't over, and even though it's... s-so selfish to... to think that now that everyone is gone..." Her eyes are glistening again, but the vibe that was present when she broke down before isn't there. This is probably the more healthy sort of rambling. "... I can't help it. I'm glad. I'm glad to not be alone anymore. It was really scary, Homura. It was really, really scary. Seeing you here makes things a little better, but... if I ever slip up, if I ever make you feel weird because I'm confusing you with my Homura... I'm sorry. I don't want to do that to you, but... I missed you." Now she actually -is- crying. "I missed you so much. And Sayaka, and Mami, and Kyouko, and... are they all okay, too?" She just barely stops herself from asking to see them.

    She stops for a moment to rub away her tears with her sleeve. She's sniffling, but... well. Even if it's a bit forced, she looks like she has a better command of her emotions than she did before. She probably owes some of that to her soul gem being clear. For now, though, Homura's question. Her... her family, yeah. Rather than saying anything out loud, she only gives a deep, heartbreaking smile. She shakes her head, closes her eyes, and is completely still for a moment. When she finally has her wits about her again, she just says, "Tatsuya would have been four in three weeks." Somehow, she manages not to cry this time.

    But she is silent for a while -- a long, long while. She puts a finger to her chin at Homura's suggestion, though, and nods when Psyber formally makes the offer. She's... she's too tired to put up any resistance about this. She doesn't want to live alone in hotels anymore. She doesn't want to live like she has been any more. Moving away from Mitakihara -- no, from her world -- could be her ticket to a better life. So, she nods. "... I would like that. Just give me some time to get my stuff together, okay?"

    She can't always be stubborn.

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
    "It's big, yes," Homura says, RE: the Multiverse. "When I first joined it was out of necessity for survival and help. I guess that's the service I offer others now, like a lot of others."

    There's a moment of hesitation as Madoka asks about the others. She decides to be honest. "They are. After the... after we 'resolved' our situations, we combined our Union salaries to buy a large loft, refit it into a single roof for all of us. If you... really want to see them, we can arrange that, but maybe you should take things slowly. Adapt first. I don't want you to do things that'll make you unhappy." That's her main worry, anyway. "And... the same is true for me. If I make you uncomfortable because I treat you like we're close friends, please say so. One Madoka or another doesn't really... matter to me. Madoka is Madoka. So this'll be a bit awkward. For a bit."

    The mention of her brother causes her to frown a bit. Guess that answers that, past tense and all. How wrong things must have gone for things to take such a horrible turn. "It's alright. I know it won't bring anyone back, but you'll meet a lot of people in the Union, and hopefully they'll become like a family to you."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Homura has more to respond to than Psyber, because Homura is more in touch with the majority of the Puella Magi. The half-angel kind of shifts in his chair a bit from the discussion and then slowly crosses his arms. He's wavering on how to approach or what to say, mostly out of not wanting to interrupt Homura. This is because, of the two of them, Homura is vastly more qualified for delivering information to Madokas.

    "Of course, I figure you'll need time to pack," Psyber eventually says to the pink haired girl, a hand coming up to raise off his arm and wave dismissively, "I'll need some time to get you a room arranged, anyway. Probably radio the office ahead and tell them you're coming."

Kaname Madoka (720) has posed:
    The final remark about the size of the Multiverse gets a nod from her, but it's clear she's much more interested in hearing about Sayaka and the others. It's probably a good thing, then, that Homura's warning follows it so quickly; otherwise she might not have been able to resist asking to see them. It's true -- it was strange enough seeing Homura again, and when she has a chance to let things sink in, it might be a little harder on her than it is now. As she herself had acknowledged, she's functioning on adrenaline afforded her by shock at the moment. Any judgments she makes on her own mental condition would be skewed so horribly as to be useless. So when she finally reaches the end of that thought train, she gives another, deeper nod of agreement.

    "You're probably right." She exhales. "I... can't help being excited to see you all again, but..." But, it will be hard. These are people that she saw go insane, that she -killed-. She can almost forget about that in the majesty of the moment, but when she slips for even the most fleeting second it becomes hard to look at Homura. More than that, it becomes hard to even share a room with her. Getting over that is going to take time. Just like it will take the other puella magi time to adjust to her, it will take her a while to adjust to them. Divorcing the guilt she attributes to her iterations of each girl from the new ones will probably take a long time if it ever happens, but it's... it's something worth working toward, and definitely something that she'll hope for. Even if when she wakes up tomorrow she'll probably be hiding herself away for fear that she doesn't deserve the opportunity instead.

    If she's being honest, though, there's something magical about what Homura just said -- that 'Madoka is Madoka'. A little weird, maybe, just a bit, but much more reassuring. It's better to be friendly an awkward than it would be for them to act like complete stranger. In fact, if she had reacted in that second way - it's Homura-chan, so she never would've, but even so - she would probably have lost control of her emotions much earlier on in the conversation in Mitakihara. Having someone close to you not recognize you is a whole different level of surreal, and a much higher echelon of 'painful'. Or, at least, she assumes that it would be. Probably best not to muse on the possibility too much.

    And probably even better not to consider the possibility that there are people who will see her like that in this world, too. But the less said of that.

    When Psyber talks again, she almost jumps. Not because he sounds scary or anything, but because she'd become so lost in thought. This whole thing is still... pretty really weird! It'll take some adjustment for everybody. The first adjustment, though, will be a rather merciful one, she thinks: the move. "O-Oh! Yeah! I actually don't have much -- just a small suitcase of clothes, a toothbrush, stuff like that. So it shouldn't take me very long to pack!" She intentionally leaves out the fact that she still has Guo-san, that massive stuffed bear from her bedroom, because even in such close company it would make her feel a bit shy to mention it. She's older now, after all, but she doesn't feel like she's aged a single day.

    After that? She doesn't really know what to say. Idly, she might begin picking up her scattered drawings and arranging them into stacks on the desk, slipping them into a folder for transport. She's pretty eager to get the heck out of here, actually!

    And, no, that has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that Hastur offered to make her cream stew.

    Absolutely. Nothing.

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
    "I'm sure they'll be excited to meet you too. I don't think any of them will treat you any differently just because you're from another world. I'm sure Sayaka won't be able to keep her hands to herself in a bid to verify you're real and aren't hiding a goatee." A bit of a groan. To Homura's sadness, Sayaka has never really changed. Even a slightly older and more mature Sayaka is still... unfortunately, herself.

    "But. We'll get to that when we do. Let's make sure you're comfortable for now. Tell us about the state of your world, maybe we can help. And... a personal favor, never allow your Kyubey to meet mine. The less you tell him the better. I'll explain why another time, but please try to keep him so distracted he just sticks to your world." Easier said than done, she realizes.

    Idly, the Puella Magi glances towards the few belongings Madoka has, namely the drawings scattered all over. "A-Ah... you still draw? Can I see?"

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "You know, Boston has a lot of local colleges that could put you in a good art program," The half-angel notes absently and abruptly, as if it were just a passing thought instead of him trying to really dig in and do Homura a solid.

    "I bet, since Homura is gonna get her license soon, she could probably drop you off at one of the Boston colleges during her commute to the college where I teach," Psyber adds, rubbing his chin and humming. Someone like Homura, though, will know that there's no way he's as innocent about it as he actually is.

    The truth? He spotted how happy Homura was in her Heaven when she and Madoka were college students. He might be trying to give her just a tiny slice of that.

Kaname Madoka (720) has posed:
    Oh, Sayaka. That gets a giggle from her. Fortunately, she doesn't think that she could grow a goatee if she tried. "Hehe... it's kinda nice to hear that she's the same way here, too. I've missed her a lot. I had known her a lot longer than you and Mami, even, so..." Again, she can't fathom a way to complete that statement, so she just lets it stand. Her eyes narrow a moment, and her look becomes one of a certain, serene sort of reflection -- 'nostalgia', were it to assume physical form, would likely create a face with an expression very similar to hers at the present moment. She could say how Sayaka was the first one to become a witch, or how Kyouko left after they fought her, or how Mami almost went insane afterwards... but she won't. It might help to talk about it one day, but not now. Right now it would just ruin the mood.

    Though, that next thing. "Um." How... how do you respond when someone asks about the state of your world? It's a broad thing to talk about, but she's going to assume she means things related to puella magi. Witches. Et cetera. "Well... there are witches. I haven't seen as many of them lately, though, because I've been near Mitakihara. The only things to fight here are familiars." She shifts in place. "It's... weird around this area. Walpurgis attacked four years ago, but I could swear the familiars that came with it are still here. They haven't become witches, and they haven't moved. At all. I think that's a part of why people think it's haunted -- familiars latch on to anyone who comes by." So, Mitakihara itself is apparently in pretty dismal shape. But what about other places?

    "I've heard about some things happening around Osaka, too. There have been a lot of suicide reports and other things that make me think there are witches in the area. And --." Should... she say this next part? Well, of course she should, but she's a bit apprehensive. What will they want to do about it? She'll just have to see, she guesses. "And Kyubey went to Fukuoka. He's going to a new city - Higurekawa, I think? - to recruit magical girls. That's actually why I'm here right now." Immediately after she says that last bit, though, she becomes nervous. Cue much more erratic squirming. "... b-because I follow him around sometimes. I try to help fight witches, and they seem to pop up a little more often when he's around. Eheh." Not a lie, but there's obviously more to what she's saying than that.

    Though, her drawing. That's a thing she can talk about more easily. She would take a deep breath and open up her folder, handing it over to Homura. What she sees inside is... actually very impressive. There are landscapes, many of them focused on very traditional views of sakura blossom trees by riversides. One near the front of the collection seems to be a play on 'Great Wave off Kanagawa', just with a wave of candy in the foreground instead of water. The further along she goes, though, the more she starts to see... darker things. Interspersed with things like the sweet tsunami are illustrations that seem to mimic the bizarre aesthetic qualities of witch's barriers. One of them seems to be a collage of colored wool that shows both Oktavia and Ophelia depending on which direction you look from.

    Past all that, though, you have stacks and stacks of portraits. Drawings of Mami, drawings of Sayaka, drawings of Kyoko, and, naturally, many drawings of Homura herself. There's obvious improvement the further back she looks, indicating that she's organized things chronologically with the older sketches in the front. By the time she gets to what is perceivably 'the end', they look almost professional.

    While she's looking them over, Madoka would look to Psyber and blush. Like. Crazy. "O-Oh, geez, I'm not good enough for anything like that! It's just a hobby... j-just something I do for fun and to pass the time, you know?" It's clear from her fidgeting, though, that she likes the idea.

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
    "Ah, I see... so then your world has something going on that we didn't experience. I hope that you'll allow us to help, then," Homura answers, following the exposition on Madoka's problems. The aftermath of Walpurgisnacht isn't something they ever experienced-- to see that there's more to it than just the one super Witch showing up is kind of hard hitting. It's an iceberg, basically.

    In this world, anyway.

    "When you're settled, we can go take a look at those other cities. Figure out what's wrong." Then a glance towards Psyber, and a nod. "That's true. If you really wanted to continue school, I'm sure Psyber can set you up. I guess it's important to think about what will happen when there's nothing left to fight, if there ever is." Still awkward, though, to think there's something beyond that now.

    Then a shake of her head. "I think your drawings are pretty. That was a side of you I could always look up to. And it's a nice way to keep your friends alive." That's a bit sappy even for her tastes, but not entirely untrue. "So, maybe you could try an art school. It'll help keep your mind off... everything."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "We'll definitely investigate whatever you want. I just have ONE rule about my office." Psyber holds up a single finger, "No Satan Cat. He's not allowed in my office. I'm trying to set up wards to tell me when he enters, so I can find and shoot him. Or keep him out entirely."

    "No Satan Cat." He repeats the point, folding his hands behind his head.

    "Art Colleges, though, I think you could get that goin. Create a folder of your work, send it a few places. I think it's a good idea for you, Madoka."

Kaname Madoka (720) has posed:
    Phew. She didn't ask about her helping Kyubey. Good. That will be a harder thing to explain, but... well. Deep down she knows that Homura won't blame her, but she still isn't looking forward to telling her that she's basically been helping recruit magical girls for the past four years. She hasn't been able to desensitize herself to the horror of seeing girls transform into witches yet and likely never will, but what else could she do? Even if there was nothing else -to- do, she still has that persistent tendency to blame herself. And she'll probably keep doing so for a long, long time to come. At the offer to help, though, she would give a small nod. "Yeah. I haven't been able to figure out much on my own, so it would probably help a lot if other people could come look at things. J-Just... when there's nothing else going on."

    Truth be told, Madoka would very much like to have the chance to 'save' other puella magi. It was something she could never do before, but if Homura is here now - and if the others are alive like she says - then they must have found some way to keep living. Maybe they could apply that here and help people? She certainly hopes so.

    But, school! And art! She starts blushing the moment the subject is brought back to the fore, and Homura's compliments only exacerbate this. "Ehehe... you really think so? Thanks." Keep her friends alive... yeah. It gave her a certain measure of solace to draw her friends smiling, together, and happy. Especially since she had only had the chance to meet Kyoko and Homura so soon after things had been set in motion, it was nice to be able to imagine what a world where they had just been allowed to live normally would have been like. Going to school, having tea with Mami, just having fun... thoughts like that are soul healing. It's not why she started loving art, but it's definitely why she became so attached to it over time. For now, though, she just sways in place a bit. "I'll think about it."

    Psyber's words pique her curiosity even further, though. I mean, she already -has- a folder! It's... probably not formatted correctly and it almost definitely wouldn't pass as a formal portfolio, but she at least has her stuff together. So it probably wouldn't be too difficult to send her stuff in for examination! Suddenly, a subtle warmth begins to stir in her chest. She might bounce in place a few times to communicate the excitement that, even beyond her notice, has begun to mount over the idea. Yes, this is definitely a thing that she'll be thinking about in the near future. "I do too~!" The reply is almost musical, and very upbeat -- more in keeping with the Madoka standard the two of them are probably more used to.

    That other thing, though. "Satan... Cat?" She gives a long, long tilt of her head before it clicks for her. "... oh." Her head straightens out and she might sneak a smile. "Satan Cat," She echoes. "That's a really, really silly thing to call him, but okay. I don't think I would want him there anyway." She doesn't hate him, no, but that certainly doesn't mean that she likes him either.

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
    "Kyubey has a very poor reputation. It probably doesn't surprise you. I can't deny he's working for something that's... universally good, in the grand scheme of things, but his methods disregard human life. Is a wish really worth what happens afterwards for most people?" It's not, although one would argue Homura couldn't be here without that wish, so there's a silver lining in that somewhere.

    Homura gives a soft sigh afterwards, considering the time investment it'll be to investigate a whole new world like hers. At least she can do preliminary work in hers, get city information and maps, but this isn't going to be a walk in the park.

    Sadly, it seems Homura has run out of things to say. She just kind of stands there in front of Madoka, extra awkwardly. It has been a long day, and this is still really... weird, even by Multiverse standards. At least things seem to have mostly resolved themselves, and they've found out some important things about this Madoka and her world.