Chapter 37

Sleepover: The Arrival

Kyoko abruptly felt something move, pressing against her butt. She straightened up, ready to knock out somebody's teeth, but the nearest customer was at the opposite end of the aisle, and looking at her expression with the kind of wariness usually reserved for rabid dogs and large, unleashed bears.

She narrowed her eyes for good measure, watching the man slowly back away as she reached in her pocket, grabbing the vibrating chunk of plastic. She looked at the thing, feeling a distinct case of buyer's remorse. Pink and green... what had she been thinking?

Yourluvslv: Hey, I'm getting ready to leave. Meet you at Madokas? =)

Kyoko chuckled, loving the power that came with assigning people names. Unfortunately, the pitiful phone she'd bought only allowed ten characters to be used. Loveslave had sounded too... depreciating, like Sayaka was some kind of tart or something, open to the public. That just wasn't the case. Myloveslave hadn't quite fit, and besides it felt like the phone was claiming her blunette for itself when she read that. She just couldn't abide the look of "u" and "ur", so keeping the whole "your" had cost her some crucial letters. But this way, it was almost like a secret code. All that mattered was that she knew what it meant.

Kyo: Ill b there in a bit luvslv

Sayaka stared at the last word, her face lit only from the light of her phone. She could hear her parents arguing casually as the readied themselves for another night out. Her atrocious spelling wouldn't be a problem if she had autocorrect, Sayaka thought smugly. She'd tried to explain the benefits of the better model's dictation capabilities: no more spelling needed! Way better than punching buttons, except for those unfortunate incidents that were bound to occur, like the time she'd sent that text to Hitomi about seeing a black hawk at the park. Really! A black hawk! It had been way bigger than she'd thought it would be. An unfortunate miscommunication; the green-haired priss didn't have to act so offended about the whole thing! She stared at the word for another minute before giving up, wondering if even her own phone's electronic brain could have deciphered what the red-head had been trying to say.

She heard the jangle of keys, and the door shutting. She looked at the time. Her thumbs began to tap across the screen madly.

Yourluvslv: ((+_+)) K. Thx again 4 coming, so xited to c u! (^_^) If you get there b4 I do, feel free to ring the doorbell. Madokas moms name is Junko, and shes got really nice ass

Kyoko stared at the green screen with its dull, somehow old-fashioned looking letters. She reread the last sentence a few times before figuring out she needed to page down, the small screen not accommodating the entirety of her friend's message.

umptions about ppl. Usuly, so b good. Remember, tho, call her Kaname-san plz. I'll be there in 20 min. If u take longer than that, I'll make sure Junko knows ur coming. (~_~;)

Kyo: Youu want me coming in Madaka s house? Only if you cvm to.!

The blunette felt her cheeks flush, and not in a playful way. She whipped back a response, noticing she was barely a third of the way through her ten minutes of waiting.

Kyoko wiped the tears from her eyes as she felt the phone vibrate again. A man poked his head over the aisle; she ignored him, glancing down blearily and trying to focus.

Yourluvslv: I told u not to say things like that! My parents check my messages. Plz stop.

Glancing down at the new message, Sayaka stood up, ready to leave a little early.

Kyo: that s what she sad

Yourluvslv: No (=^_^=)4 u!

Sayaka rolled her eyes with an indulgent smile, pocketing the phone and heading out with a small overnight bag crammed with the bare essentials. Three minutes later, she stumbled back into the apartment, out of breath, and went straight into her room. After a few minutes of stuffing pillows and plush animals under her blanket in the general approximation of a human, if somewhat larger than Sayaka herself was, she stepped back, satisfied with her handiwork. She even slapped her hands together, in that alternating way signifying a job well done and finished with.

Kyoko made her way to the counter, paying for the piles of snacks placed in the three baskets she'd grabbed upon entering the store. The clerk began unloading her selections, unable to keep from glancing at the seemingly fit and trim young woman who was buying such an... eclectic assortment of food. Kyoko was too busy puzzling over the emoticons to notice.

Giving her golden hair clip one last adjustment, the wind really having done a number on her shoulder-length locks, Sayaka turned the corner to Madoka's street. It was a long, private road; there was another three solid blocks of walking before she'd reach her home's driveway. As always, the blunette couldn't help feeling a mixture of admiration and jealousy. To live in such lavishness...

The sun had set, but this part of Mitakihara was always well-lit at night. Carrying her overnight bag slung over one shoulder, Sayaka started to hustle the remaining distance before slowing down to take out her phone.

She was about twenty minutes early; not a big deal, Madoka always appreciated when you couldn't stay away from her. But lately, she'd needed more and more time to prepare herself, and Sayaka didn't want to put any undue pressure on the sometimes-fragile pinkette.

Where u at? she texted Kyoko, but didn't receive an immediate reply. Slowly, she walked the final block, gazing at the lit-up marvelousness of glass and hard, ultra-modern lines that was the Kaname Residence.

Her eyes shot up to Madoka's room, and sure enough, the blinds were open and the distinctly tiny girl could be seen throwing clothes up in the air, searching for something. Uh oh. Sayaka stopped. She couldn't help sighing; she'd told the girl again and again that her room was totally visible from the street. Close the blinds before you change; how difficult was that? Sayaka smiled to herself, but then the thought of some creepy stalker peeping in on the poor unsuspecting-

A distinctly cold presence sent goosebumps spreading down her back. The blunette slowly turned. Speak of the devil. Akemi Homura stood behind her on the sidewalk. Creepy. Sayaka unconsciously squared her shoulders, staring at the black-haired girl as self-confidently as she could muster. Except... how is it that her hair, which was so damn long, was perfectly in place?!

Homura used every ounce of self control to keep her eyes from narrowing dangerously at the blunette's smugly superior smile. Smirk, even. Taking lessons from her... partner, no doubt, the time traveler thought, again forcing her eyes to stare at the girl rather than roll back into her head. She saw the undisciplined girl's gaze dart to her hair, and could imagine her thoughts, having immediately noticed the blunette's own disheveled mess. She allowed a double handful of the glossy black strands to slip over her shoulder, giving her the opportunity to flip it over her shoulder arrogantly. Then she smiled.

"Why are you snarling at me?" Sayaka asked, angry at herself for breaking the silence first. Still, she wanted a little warning if the situation called for a transformation or something. She'd made a promise to Kyoko, but if she were to be put in a position where she had to defend herself...

This time, Homura couldn't keep her eyes from rolling. "It looks like Madoka's not quite ready," she said softly. Sayaka waited for a few moments, and the transfer student continued. "Perhaps we could take a walk. Around the block."

Sayaka noticed how the other girl's inflection indicated a statement rather than a question, and didn't like it. She glanced down at her phone, hoping for an answer from Kyoko, but of course it would have vibrated and lit up and she'd have noticed immediately if it had. Still, it never hurt to check.

"Fine. Got nothing else to do." She'd been watching the black-haired girl out of the corner of her eye, hoping to catch her in the act of sneaking a look at Madoka's room. Obviously she had, if she knew Madoka wasn't ready, but... she'd kept her eyes on Sayaka the entire time.

"Do you know this neighborhood? You could lead-"

"Cut the crap, Akemi-san. You know this neighborhood just as well as anyone, I'm sure. Just like you seem to know everything else." Homura chose to smile, bowing her head slightly as if at a compliment. Sakaya found it extremely aggravating. "At least you think you do," she muttered under her breath but loud enough for Homura to hear. The black-haired Magical Girl infuriatingly ignored Sayaka's weak rejoiner, pissing her off even further. The blunette made an overly-obvious noise of frustration. "No offense," she added, insincerely, "but I don't really want you at my back. Can't imagine why, just some irrational fear, I guess. So. You lead the way." The blunette nodded in a direction away from the Kaname's driveway.

Homura froze for a moment, thinking Sayaka was referring to what had occurred earlier today, before realizing the grudge-bearing power of the girl was harnessing the righteous indignation left over from the previous attempt upon her life, a week or more ago. That had been, well, more of a whim, a flash of... not inspiration, as much as fed-up frustration. Not her proudest moment.

"I... apologize." Homura couldn't help but want to stuff something inside the wide-open mouth of the blunette, her face stupid with shock. Instead, she continued, sensing an opening. "That was not my proudest moment. I... I can't justify my actions, Miki-san. Saying it had been a difficult day, a difficult week, would be both a gross understatement and a trivialization of your suffering."

Sayaka frowned, searching for any hidden barbs within the transfer student's words. Homura continued. "Perhaps, if we walked together? Side by side?" She knew it was the wrong thing to say, too heavy with implications of alliance. But the other girl gave her a funny look before taking a few steps forward. She paused when Homura didn't immediately position herself alongside, starting to walk again only when the transfer student had caught up.

They walked for a few minutes in silence, Homura staring forward while watching the blunette out of the corner of her eye. Sayaka appeared to be absorbed in watching the sidewalk they strode along. Once, a car passed, illuminating the two girl's briefly. Homura's hair was so long and so black, when the light washed over them it seemed to Sayaka like the entire top half of the girl was invisible, matching the blackness of the night sky.

What the hell? Kyoko stared in amazement, her hand frozen within the bag of Wasabeef. Her fingers strained, compelled to return to her mouth, and she licked the wasabi and beef flavored powder coating her lips. Careful... careful... slowly, without even the slightest crinkle of the bag, Kyoko extracted several chips, carelessly aligning them with her fingers before popping them into her mouth.

Crunch. It was loud, especially inside her head. She paused, mid-chew. The two figures continued walking down the road, oblivious of the red-head hanging out along a fence. Not prowling, and certainly not creeping. She was just killing time, and enjoying a few of the goodies she'd brought for the event. Eying the mess of wrappers that littered the ground with the best of intentions, I should really clean that up before I leave, Kyoko nevertheless felt obligated to follow the pair at a discreet distance. Just in case.

She'd noticed Sayaka's outfit, and smiled approvingly at the challenge. It was the first time Kyoko had seen her in jeans; the red-head imagined she'd look better with some strategic trimming. And the sweatshirt she wore, with at least another shirt, possibly two, underneath... she was really trying to make it difficult. Kyoko, however, felt up to the task.

Idle rumination aside, she was curious. Why were Sayaka and Homura walking together, away from Madoka's house? She turned, gazing at the illuminated monstrosity of glass and flat lines, noticing something in one of the upper windows... she peered, leaning forward, seeing the tiny figure of a girl, indisputably in the process of taking off her-

Heart hammering, Kyoko ducked down as the headlights washed along the fence. Controlling her breathing, she waited for the car to pass, heading the way the two girls had gone walking. Kyoko considered her situation: unafraid to fight things that were trying their best to kill her, there was no way she could deal with getting caught peeping into a little girl's window.

Chuckling to herself ruefully, Kyoko gave one last glance back at the Kaname residence. A minute later, licking left-over flavoring from her fingers thoughtfully, she turned away and decided to follow after those two, wondering how much trouble they'd gotten into in the last minute.

"You seem troubled." Homura almost winced as she said it. The past few minutes had been tense, the blunette seemingly trying to outdistance her with the pace she was setting.

"Walking next to basically a maniac does have a tendency to make me uneasy."

Homura sighed, resolved to take her medicine. Kyoko had asked her not to share anything about her situation for the time being. She'd found that immensely interesting, not that she had a problem keeping things from Miki-san. It was the reason, that Kyoko somehow wanted to spare the girl from the knowledge of her inevitable doom. As if that would somehow help matters.

But an unspoken agreement had occurred in the aftermath of their "discussion." Kyoko had established herself as, effectively, the Alpha, and for once Homura had absolutely no problem with that. The crippling sense of overwhelming responsibility had faded, shifting its burden on to the other veteran's back. Since it didn't matter anyway, she could enjoy the ride from the back seat, this time. Right up until Walpurgisnacht.

But, as long as she was here... "That's not what I meant, and I believe you know that. Sayaka-chan." The blue eyes continued to narrow every time she called her that. "I noticed that you were looking... pensive." Sayaka's non-response prompted Homura to explain. "It means-"

"I know what it means!" Sayaka said, biting off each word. She was silent for a moment before speaking with just the slightest hesitation. "Thoughtful." She watched Homura, who was astute enough to obediently nod in affirmation. She collected her thoughts for a moment before continuing. "Meh, no big deal. Just, stuff, you know?" By the blank stare she was getting, Sayaka wondered if Homura maybe didn't know. "Well, I missed so much school last week, running around trying to save the city and almost getting murdered by a classmate," she said acidly, but went on after letting out a big sigh. "My dad's on my case, like I'm gonna get kicked out of school or something, and my mom... and then there's the thought of all the work that's piled up over a week... I can barely get the stuff we're assigned daily done, what am I supposed to- And don't even get me started about the whole Hitomi situation..." Sayaka paused, wondering why she was opening up to this cold vampire about all her stupidly normal problems. Once she'd started talking, it had been like a dam had burst, and the worries had condensed into words and flooded forth uncontrollably.

They walked another minute before Homura determined the blunette was not going to continue, and had formulated a response. "I cannot help you with your friend's betrayal," she began, but was interrupted immediately.

"Hitomi didn't betray me-" Sayaka began angrily, mad that the black-haired transfer student would presume to judge her friend... until all the bundled up thoughts and emotions of the previous week began squirming around inside her stomach, all at once. It was startling, how powerful the discomfort was, but what amazed her more than anything was that it felt so much duller, like her guts were getting punched instead of stabbed. Despite her dour mood, she felt astoundingly reassured without exactly knowing why. "I mean, not really."

"I stand corrected," Homura conceded. "I won't help you with your homework, since that defeats the whole point, Sayaka-chan," she continued with just a hint of superiority. It was getting just a little easier to say without choking. "But I'd like to, humbly, offer some advice about the problem you're having with your parents." She took a breath, missing the dangerous glint in the blunette's eyes as she composed her thoughts. "I know-"

"What do you know about problems with parents?!" Sayaka cried incredulously. As the words echoed across the open, manicured lots of the middle-upper class residents of Mitakihara, the blunette couldn't help but feel disgustingly petty and cruel. It was truly a desperate attempt to remain misunderstood, using the fact that an orphan didn't have parents as part of your argument.

Homura paused, falling behind a step. Sayaka felt guilty, but walked ahead another several paces before realizing the other girl had stopped. It took every ounce of self-control she had not to just keep walking, away from the uncomfortable situation and even stranger girl. "Akemi-san," she began, "I'm sorry, that was stupid-"

"I do know," Homura whispered. It wasn't angry, like Sayaka had expected. Or even sad. It was... matter of fact.

Wisely, Sayaka kept her mouth shut, determined to keep her foot out of it. She simply watched the girl intently, with a sprinkle of wariness. The transfer student continued. "Being an orphan doesn't mean you never had parents, Sayaka-chan. It simply means, you do not have them anymore." The way she said it, again just as emotionless as before, like reading an obscure fact out of a book, was almost chilling. "When I was young, much much younger," she sighed, "both of my parents were alive. I had never imagined the world could exist any other way," she thought, trying to remember back to the carefree days before she understood what all the doctor visits and shots and tests and things had been for, when it had all just seemed to be about the ice-cream her father had rewarded her with, each time, at the end. But it was murky, hazy. It left her unsatisfied, feeling like she'd failed. "Now, I can hardly remember them," she said in a whisper. The only sound for several moments was that of shoes against pavement.

How is this supposed to make me feel better? wondered Sayaka as she tried to subtly dab at the corner of her eye. Homura's pain was tangible, infecting her.

"I was forbidden from doing certain things, things that other kids were able to do without the slightest consideration. So when I'd run, or try sliding down the stairs, or go outside, things any child wants to do... I wasn't even supposed to play outside. I quickly learned that there were consequences for my decisions. Like every child, I thought it was all so unfair. It's you who can't imagine." Homura paused, seeing the liquid sheen of pity gathering in the blunette's eyes. Hating it, but knowing it was necessary for the girl to see her as a person. "Which is ironic, since I believe you could. Maybe you can. You've always been more sympathetic than is good for you." She tried to say it lightly, not like it was a terrible curse and a fatal flaw all wrapped up in a guarantee of death. "Just not with me." Not even in the early timelines, back when she'd been so uncertain of herself. Sayaka had not made those early days easy or pleasant, and Homura couldn't help but let this color her opinion of the blunette. Just not tonight, she determined firmly.

"So yes, I know what it's like, to get in trouble with your parents. I was much, much younger, but that doesn't make it any less real. I, too, often thought ill of my parents. Especially my father, the one who set all of those constricting rules over my life. I was too young to hate him for it, but I remember the resentment clearly.

"This is my... gift, my peace offering to you tonight, Mi-. Sayaka. Chan." Sayaka blinked several times. "Take it for whatever it's worth. I said some things, I can no longer even recall exactly what. But they were... hurtful. I spoke these words to my father, and-" both girls swallowed loudly, "and, one day, as I should have known was coming, his heart gave out. He'd been at work; I hadn't gotten to see him, to talk to him after... after what I said.

"It wasn't just the irrational fear that my words had somehow broken his heart," Homura continued softly. "I could recognize the foolishness of that belief way back then." Sayaka jerked back as if slapped. She'd just been thinking, Oh no she broke her father's heart! "But, as smart as I thought I was, it took me a long time to realize my true problem; I'd never have a chance to take those words back." Another sigh, utterly forlorn. "Never be able to tell him, when I finally realized what he'd been doing, that I understood. The rules, the consequences... it had all been for me. Me and my pitifully weak heart."

Homura let out an uncharacteristically long sigh, deep and tired. Sayaka blinked the moisture out of her eyes, having never seen Homura look so... vulnerable? Maybe not that, exactly. Human? That might have been closer. Stupid Akemi mind tricks! Sayaka tried to refocus the guttering flame of resentment within her. This girl was messing with her head...

No wonder she's so messed up! Poor Homura! Sayaka couldn't help the thoughts, even as she mentally kicked herself for a fool.

Kyoko was leaning along the side of a house, this one with less glass but a similar geometry to the Kaname residence. Her one hand carried two bulging bags stuffed with an assortment of items; bags, cans, and boxes. The other cradled her stomach.

*Gurgle* "Ohhh," Kyoko moaned softly, feeling her belly churn unpleasantly. Damn wasabi and beef to hell! She brought her hand up to pull back some errant strands of hair, and the smell of the flavored powder on her fingers was just about enough to send her over the edge. Her face contorted as what felt like a molten knife began poking around the bottom of her stomach, from the inside.

Not tonight, she thought in utter frustration. Wiping the beads of sweat that had broken out on her forehead, Kyoko rummaged around in her bags, taking out what looked like a small bottle and holding it up in triumph. A passerby who had been in the position to notice her, and had not been alarmed at the fact that she was lurking outside of a residence in a prestigious neighborhood after dark... this hypothetical passerby would have noticed the girl seem to tear the top off of the bottle, holding it up as she leaned her head back. The contents did not pour out in a torrent, but instead seemed to ooze out, plopping wetly in the red-heads mouth as she slowly squeezed the bottle flat.

Smacking her lips in the way that made Sayaka so upset, Kyoko felt better for a moment, the delicious chocolate milkshake taste of the Papico a welcome respite from the leftover wasabi flavor, which was causing her mouth to water unpleasantly. Something a little cool to soothe the fires down below, Kyoko thought, belching loudly. A cat meowed in alarm from behind the window she stood next to, and she decided it was time to move along.

Until her stomach made another noise, horribly liquid-sounding. "Ooohhhh..."

*Ding-Dong*

Madoka heard the doorbell ring and tried to contain the squeal of excitement that threatened to burst up out of her lungs, sail up her throat and push its way out of her mouth. And then she realized, tearing across her room to the door and throwing it open, all of those things were already happening!

"YYYEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYY!"

A muffled voice from behind a door down the hallway shouted something, but Madoka was heedless, scampering down the stairs in bare feet. She slid to a halt at the door, panting lightly. Straightening her pink shirt, emblazoned with a picture of a puppy with huge, mournful eyes, she took a deep breath and opened the door, feeling it puff out between her lips as a smile cracked across her face-

The smile faltered, its fate suddenly uncertain. "Ah, hello, Kyoko-chan!" Madoka attempted, trying not to stare at the pained, upset look on the other girl's face. She looks like she really doesn't want to be here, the pinkette worried. She glanced around anxiously for Sayaka, but the blunette was nowhere to be seen.

"P-please, come in!" she said bravely, frustrated at her stuttering starting up. She was so nervous around this girl. Not the good kind of nervous, like she'd felt while waiting for the minutes to tick by up in her room. It was the other kind. Nervous nervous.

Kyoko grunted something, and Madoka shook her head helplessly. "I'm sorry, what-"

"Bathroom," the red-head muttered through clenched teeth.

Madoka blinked. "Ahhhm..." It wasn't the question that flustered her so badly, it was the unexpectedness of it all. Kyoko-chan hadn't even greeted her, or taken off her shoes, which looked to be rather-

Then the red-head was rushing by her, heading upstairs and leaving a trail of muddy foot prints behind her. "Um...!" Madoka tried, but the older girl disappeared. She heard the sound of doors opening and closing. "IT'S DOWn here," she tried, but her shout died almost before it got out. "Upstairs isn't for guests," she added ineffectively. She looked down, wondering. It hadn't rained since last week; where had Kyoko managed to get her feet dirty? She sighed and went to grab the scrub brush.

*Ding-Dong*

Nothing. Sayaka looked back at Homura, feeling awkward just standing there. Reading the other girl, Homura stepped up to stand beside her rather than behind, continuing to stare at the door. A minute passed, and Sayaka reached out a finger.

"Uh!" It was that tut-tutting sound, a warning that the blunette hated more than almost any other. It was the sound her mom made, Uh-uh, no you won't be doing that, young lady!

"What?" she asked sharply, digging out her phone to make sure nobody had called. Nothing, not even a message from Kyoko. I wonder where she is...

"Just be patient."

Sayaka glanced at the black-haired girl who stood staring at the door. "Um, nobody's come to open the door, genius. What am I-"

"Whoever's inside heard it. They're clearly occupied. I doubt, however, that we will be forgotten about."

"Well yeah, but..." Sayaka trailed off. "Maybe they didn't, um, hear it the first time." That sounded pretty weak, she knew how the chime played throughout the home, and she knew that Homura knew that as well. "Fine." She crossed her arms, almost hoping that nobody would come to let them in and they'd be standing out here waiting like a couple of morons when Kyoko showed up, and she'd be all like 'Why are you standing there?' and she'd say 'Homura thought'-

The door opened. A tired, frazzled looking girl poked her head out from behind the door. "Suh-Sayaka... Homura... nice of... you to... come..." she panted, opening the door and holding the stitch in her side painfully.

Sayaka noticed Akemi-san's eyes darting around the room, searching and uncharacteristically unconcerned with Madoka's obvious state. "Madoka-chan, what's going on?" she asked, stepping in and seeing the apron and bare feet, taking in the out-of-place hair and the bucket of sudsy water at her feet. "Are we, um, early?"

With a brave face, Madoka shook her head. She'd frantically been scrubbing away at the stairs for the past fifteen minutes, carrying on an embarrassing conversation with her mother across the hallway where Kyoko had disappeared. Hopefully the girl hadn't heard half of what her mother had been talking about; her cheeks erupted in fire just thinking about it.

She'd almost fled, but had endured in order to clean up the mess Kyoko had created. Unintentionally, I'm sure, Madoka tried to think charitably. Just an... accident. An unfortunate accident.

But now, her friends were seeing her like this. Flustered. Out of breath from running upstairs from the basement, where she'd been filling the bucket with fresh water and soap. She'd run halfway up to get the door before deciding that leaving the bucket under the running faucet would have been a bad idea. Reaching the bottom, she considered that her friends would only take a moment to be let in, but halfway back up she began to wonder if she'd already let too much time pass, afraid that the bucket would overflow and spill suds everywhere. She hesitated for another twenty seconds or so, debating, but finally noticed the white mass of bubbles rising up over the sink, and made it all the way down, determined to resolve her dilemma once and for all.

Sayaka could sense Madoka's immanent tears, and gave her a playful hug to try to keep them at bay. Homura stood uselessly, wandering towards the kitchen and poking her head inside. Useless. "Hey, it's so good to see you Madoka-chan, you have no idea!" Her warmth seemed to break through whatever was bothering the girl, and the pinkette gave a wide, relieved smile.

"Oh, Sayaka-chan, I'm so so so happy you're here, that you're okay." Madoka gave a big sigh, feeling the comfort of the taller girl's strong arms flowing over her, soothing away her worries. Then she remembered. Breaking away, she apologized. "Just one minute," she promised, grabbing the bucket and walking up the stairs. "I'm almost done."

What on earth? Sayaka wondered. Sure enough, her friend bent down and began vigorously scrubbing away at the immaculate staircase... immaculate except for a series of faint stains, Sayaka realized. "Madoka-chan, why are you-"

Just then, one of the hallway doors opened, and there was a loud flushing sound. Who flushes after they open the door? Sayaka wondered. To her dismay, she recognized the long legs and short shorts that emerged from the bathroom.

"Don't anyone go in there for around thirty-five, forty-five minutes," Kyoko warned, not the least bit surprised to exit a bathroom to a room full of stares. It had happened before, after all.

Madoka seemed to wilt as she and Sayaka both blushed in different shades of embarrassment, then someone gasped as the master bedroom door opened and Junko emerged.

That was kind of a tease, don't be mad, its just getting warmed up. I apologize for any inconsistencies about the Kaname house, or any obvious texting errors.

Thanksgiving for all the wonderful reviews and wonderful reviewers! Please please lemme know if you have anything you'd really like to see.

And a following Muse that made me get off my ass, metaphorically at least, and get this out sooner rather than later.