[backdated to Oct.3rd]

[fatedmagica]

{ vine }
Good afternoon, everyone! I'm really sorry to bother you all... I guess it's a bit weird to announce this? Today is my birthday! I'm turning fifteen! [ Sorta. ] And thinking about it, I realized that I don't know everyone else's birthdays yet... It's kind of a shame not to celebrate them, you know? So I guess what I'm asking is... well, would anyone mind telling me their birthday so I can make a list?

O-oh and... does anyone know where I could find some mint tea? And maybe... [ There's a bit of hesitance now. Madoka is embarrassed as she continues. ] A simple recipe that might be good for a date night..?

{ action ~ Homura & Madoka's apartment }
[ Birthdays felt strange when you were coming from post-death. Madoka's melancholy was short lived, however, in favor of cheerful baking. She had noticed Homura seemed to be up to something but did not voice her suspicions. Two and two had added up and Madoka realized that Homura was probably planning some sort of party... and she decided to play along with it. Maybe bake some cookies as well, to thank everyone for being so kind.

Which is what she is just finishing up now. With the cookies moved to a cooling rake, Madoka settles down to make some tea and... sit around anxiously. Not sure what to do. This whole suspecting a party thing is new to Madoka. Should she sit here? Maybe she should stop suspecting. That's rude. Her mother would scold her. Aah, what if she's ruining a sequence of events that everyone expects by sitting here making assumptions?

Madoka gets up a few times and wanders in circles around the room. ]

Comments

[swarmoflies]

...I don't properly know when me birthday is.

[fatedmagica]

Eh? None at all...? Why?

[swarmoflies]

Well for starters, this place don't use the same calendar as back home, near as I can tell. For another, me family's not big on keepin' track of such things.

[fatedmagica]

Really? You have a different calendar back home?

[ Madoka sounds impressed. She guessed that there were different things between home worlds, but she honestly hadn't expected that as a possibility. ]

What's it like?

[swarmoflies]

I dunno, it's a calendar. Got months, weeks, days. But called different, an' I don't know what the equivalents are.

[video]

[undefines]

That robot cafe had mint tea the last time I checked, but I wouldn't recommend drinking it.

[fatedmagica]

Why not? Is it not very minty?

[undefines]

It tasted fine. It just left me feeling freezing cold.

[fatedmagica]

Mint tea does kind of that effect, I guess. But don't worry, I think that's just part of it being minty!

Do you drink tea often?

[undefines]

Tea shouldn't make you the kind of cold that did. I couldn't stop shaking and practically nothing I did warmed me up. [...] Though I guess if you want to make a date out of it, it's a good excuse to be close to the other person.

Often...? Well... Sometimes. I wouldn't say I drink it that much. [Though there appears to be an abundance of it at the shrine, so she definitely has had a fair amount of it.]

[voice]

[cobbledtogether]

My birthday?

...I don't know.

[fatedmagica]

You don't...? That's so sad...

Maybe... maybe, is there a day you really like?

[cobbledtogether]

It is sad?

[She doesn't really understand the importance of a birthday in a way that is anything more than clinical, so she doesn't exactly get why Madoka might think that. The question, though...]

"Like"...? ...No. I do not think there is a date I have attached significant positive associations to.

[fatedmagica]

Mm... I guess, I've just always grown up looking forward to my birthday. It's kind of selfish and silly, but it makes me happy to think there's a special day when all of my friends and family think about how happy they were I was born... Not having a birthday just seems kind of sad...

... Hm. Maybe we should make up a special day for you?

[cobbledtogether]

Happy... [It's almost a whisper as she thinks it over.]

There is...my date of activation. However, the date upon my arrival to the Gardens did not align with the date that had been programmed into my databanks. Because of the discrepancy, it would not mark a year's time. [Which is the point of a birthday, isn't it?]

[hectorcantgofast]

Happy Birthday!

Hopefully I'm not too late with that.

[fatedmagica]

O-oh, not at all! Thank you, I-I'm honored you thought to wish me one at all!

[hectorcantgofast]

Everyone should be able to celebrate for themselves so don't worry about it.

[fatedmagica]

Hehe, thanks. Oh! When is your birthday?

[hectorcantgofast]

I don't know. I mean, I would know if we were using the same kind of calendar system as they do here.

[fatedmagica]

Oh wow, you too? I didn't realize so many people came from worlds with different calendars! I guess that was really ignorant of me.

[hectorcantgofast]

Don't worry about something like that. It's not like you would have known.

[mistressurd]

Well happy birthday my dear. Goddesses don't celebrate birthdays, since time passes for us differently then in the human world. We are near eternal, so even if we celebrated them, we wouldn't remember when they were.

[fatedmagica]

Really...? That sounds so complicated... does it ever get difficult? Not being able to even remember when...

[mistressurd]

Not really. Our birth is not as important as other dates in our lives, like when our angel awakens, and when we make our different Goddess ranks.

[fatedmagica]

I see... I guess that for a goddess that does make sense! I'd never thought of it that way...

Maybe we can celebrate some of those dates together, then!

[mistressurd]

Hmm, perhaps. It might be good to help forget that we are trapped in a land that wants us to make love with other girls.

[fatedmagica]

Eh? M-m-make... [ She turns a bit red. ] I have no idea what you mean! [ She does. ]

[mistressurd]

Oh I think you do. I am the Goddess of Love self proclaimed..

[reaction] omg I didn't realize you had put this up yet

[heartovertime]

[D-Did Madoka mean to mention that in front of everyone?]

[action] and now this

[heartovertime]

[Carrying a box, Homura can't help but catch the scent of cookies as she comes in the door. Cookies? She hadn't baked anything here, opting to bake the cake elsewhere this time. But now this scent in the air...

Now everyone that's been invited, whether to help or simply show up, is about to turn up, she's ready to start heading up the set-up. But then she spots Madoka, in the living room.

Oh, she had forgotten the important part of planning a surprise party, to make sure Madoka was elsewhere...

Now...it's probably too late, Madoka surely heard the door open.]

[fatedmagica]

Ho--

[ Madoka stops herself. She heard the door open, yes, but she isn't sure what Homura is planning. A surprise, she'd figured... so is she supposed to react to the door opening or did Homura not mean to do that?

Ah- but she already started saying Homura's name, what should she do... ]

Ho, home sweet home! [ She blurts. Knowing that her attempt to cover up her mistake failed, Madoka hangs her head. ]

[heartovertime]

[Home sweet home? Madoka didn't just come back too did she?

If she had, Homura would have seen her earlier, wouldn't she? She had taken some time to get up the stairs carrying the box and everything.

...There's no use hiding it now. Homura lets out a little, nigh silent sigh before putting on a smile. Well, this is good too, isn't it?]

I'm home!

[She carefully takes off her shoes to step further into the apartment, making no attempt to hide what she carries.]

[fatedmagica]

[ And Madoka smiles. She can see what Homura carries, but more than that it's those two words that make Madoka smile.

"I'm home!"

Every time she thinks about how they live together she gets that warm and bubbly feeling in her chest. ]

Welcome home, Homura! I hope you had a safe trip out?

[heartovertime]

Mm, I did.

[For now she'll take the opportunity to set her things down on the dining room table, avoiding talking about them for the moment unless Madoka brings them up.]

[Homura takes an exaggerated whiff of the air.] Did you make something, Madoka?

[fatedmagica]

Oh, yes! I baked cookies!

[ She stands up and walks to the cooling rack, picking one up delicately before crossing to Homura. ]

I wanted to celebrate together!

[heartovertime]

[Watching Madoka move across the apartment, Homura freezes.]

Oh? [There's no help avoiding it now.] Sorry... I didn't plan this out well enough, I think...

[But she manages a sheepish smile. Madoka, she's too sweet to get mad over something like this.] But um...if it's alright with you, the truth is I invited some of our friends to come have a party...for you.

[fatedmagica]

Really? Homura, thank you!!!

[ Madoka is far from unhappy. Even though she had some suspicions, Madoka can't contain her excitement. ]

That's perfect, Homura! You're the greatest!

[heartovertime]

[Homura looks down a little with a smile and pink cheeks.] It's really not that much...

Sorry, actually it was supposed to be a surprise but...