Confringentur 2; a Madoka Magica / Fate/Stay Night sequel
- Thread starter SVS
- Start date
- Crossover
Day 1 Chapter 10
- Location
- Around here
[X] Doka party time
Evidently, you weren't the only one to think of getting dressed up for Madoka's birthday party. While Sayaka and Kyouko are still wearing their school uniforms - though Kyouko has conspicuously freed herself from her uniform ribbon as well as her socks - Hitomi is wearing a very nice powder-blue button-down shirt and blue jeans. It's the same thing she wore on the day Archer told her she could be a mage; and you don't know why you're thinking of that just now. Your mind should be on Madoka, not Hitomi.
"My, you're looking rather sharp, Akemi-san," Hitomi says as Madoka introduces you to the others.
"Thanks," you reply. "Amy talked me into it, actually. She thought I should wear something cool for Madoka's party." You credit Amy, but Madoka was in no small part responsible for selecting the outfit you're wearing now. The black skirt, slim black jacket, and the shirt whose colour matches your eyes, were items Madoka helped pick out for you on your very first date together in this timeline.
The others laugh off your comment, with only Sayaka remarking "Cats can't talk, silly."
"But if they could, I wonder what they'd say?" Madoka adds. "They must have an entirely different perspective on things than we do."
"If you'd like, Madoka, you can ask Amy what she thinks of you the next time you see her." Madoka smiles, and you move in for the kill, adding "Actually, that might be sooner than you think. I'm taking Amy to the vet for her six-month checkup tomorrow after archery practice. If you'd like, you can come with me."
"Really? I'd love to, Homura-chan." Madoka nuzzles your cheek, squealing with delight as she says "I haven't gotten to play with Amy in a long time, now that I think about it. I'd love to go with you."
Kaname Tomohisa comes by with snacks, a large bowl filled with salty and sweet treats, from which Kyouko is the first to take. Chomping on a thick chocolate-covered pretzel stick as though it were a cigar, she says to Madoka "Well, yer the birthday girl, Pinkie. What d'ya wanna do?"
"Well..." Madoka chews on Kyouko's words as Kyouko chews on her pretzel. "It wouldn't be fair to Tomoe-san if I opened everyone's presents without her, so... I guess we could play some games? I've got stuff like Mario Party or Mario Kart we could play, if that's okay with you."
"I don't mind," you say. You've never played either; so far, the extent of your gaming knowledge comes from whatever titles Kirika shows you on her Wii, your copy of Pokemon, or the games at the mall arcade. "I've never played either before, but I'm willing to give them a try."
"Same," Hitomi adds. "I'm not usually one for videogames, but for Madoka-san's birthday I don't mind trying something new."
"Man, you two are so bo~ring!" Kyouko moans, rolling her eyes at your lack of experience. "But whatever. Sure, I'll play along; but I'm warning ya, I'm pretty damn good at Mario Kart if I do say so myself."
"If by good you mean you lose every time we play, then yeah, sure." Kyouko sticks her tongue out at Sayaka's comment, only to be met in kind by Sayaka sticking her own tongue out in return. You, Madoka, and Hitomi all roll your eyes at the pair, who soon straighten up as soon as Sayaka says "Alright, so I'll get us all plugged in and we can get started. You want the first round, Madoka?" Madoka nods, and Sayaka gets to work hooking up the game system. When she finishes,, she hands one of the controllers over to Madoka, and asks "Okay, so how are we gonna do this? 'Cause there's five of us and it's only a four-player game."
"Drawing straws for the first round seems like the most logical choice," Hitomi says. "After that, whichever of us comes in last switches with the person who didn't play." Hitomi looks to Madoka for confirmation of her idea; Madoka replies with a nod of her head.
After drawing straws, you are the one left to watch as Madoka, Sayaka, Hitomi, and Kyouko play the first round. That's fine; you can use the opportunity to learn how the game plays.
A half hour passes quickly when you're having fun with your friends and your girlfriend; in what feels like no time at all, the doorbell is ringing, and Tomoe-san has joined the party, carrying a delicately-wrapped present under her arm. "Tomoe-san, welcome!" Madoka says, taking the present from Tomoe-san and setting it aside with the others as she welcomes the final party-goer into her home. "How are you enjoying high school so far?"
"The work load is quite strenuous at times," Tomoe-san replies, greeting you and the others with a bow as Madoka leads her to the living room. "But I am enjoying myself, all things considered." Tomoe-san's eyes meet yours for a brief moment; you'll be having words with her and the others later tonight. "What about yourself, Kaname-san? Has your birthday been enjoyable?"
Madoka responds with an "Mhm! We've been playing Mario Kart while we were waiting for you, but now that you're here, is it okay if I open everyone's presents?"
"Of course, Kaname-san. This is your party, after all."
You'll hold off on giving your present to Madoka for last, letting Kyouko take the opportunity to muscle to the front of the queue with an "Open mine first!" as she presents Madoka with a small, floppy package that's more like a gift-wrapped pair of socks than anything else you can think of. Well, there's a reason for that. "Aren't they great?" Kyouko's present is indeed socks; but it's clear that care was taken in picking them out. "Look," Kyouko says, her outstretched finger tracing the lavender diamond pattern along the length of the long, knee-high black socks. "It's the same pattern that's on Spooky's magical girl outfit. Now you two match; ain't that something?"
Madoka smiles, wasting no time in sliding Kyouko's present onto her legs and feet as she says "They're lovely, Kyouko-chan. Thank you so much."
Sayaka is up next, calling Kyouko a "Showoff" as she presents Madoka with a book-sized and poorly-wrapped package. You can still see some of the cardboard underneath. "Mine's gonna blow Kyouko's socks right off your feet, Madoka. Now, I know how much you love magical girl anime, so..."
Sayaka's present is a boxed set of anime Blu-Rays, for a series called Senki Zessho Symphogear. The name is familiar to you; you didn't watch it, but you know Madoka did, and the name is familiar to you through Madoka. But apparently, "Oh, that's a really good series," Madoka isn't the only one to have enjoyed it. That was Tomoe-san who just spoke.
"Wait, you liked Symphogear?" Sayaka asks. "For real? I thought you only liked really classy stuff, Mami-san."
Tomoe-san shrugs. "Kure-san turned me on to it a few months ago, and I guess I fell in love with the premise of magical girls who are also singing idols."
Madoka nods, saying "And the main character is voiced by Yuuki Aoi, too; how cool is it that the main character sounds just like me?" The main character of this series sounds like Madoka? Suddenly, your desire to watch this series has gone up significantly.
Hitomi is up next, presenting Madoka with a present that is tall and thin. "Be careful," she says; Madoka is, taking her time and unwrapping the present delicately. "It's handmade, actually." Your eyes can hardly believe what they're seeing as Madoka unwraps Hitomi's present, a delicate glass sculpture depicting you and she as you hold hands. "I made it using a bit of magecraft. It took a few tries to get the sand to behave the way I wanted it to, but I think it's my proudest creation."
Madoka is beaming as she sets the glass sculpture aside, and she says "Thank you so much, Hitomi-chan! It's beautiful."
Before Tomoe-san has the chance to present Madoka with her present, Kyouko speaks up, saying to Hitomi "Hey, you never answered my question earlier. How far'd you get with yer new boyfriend? Figure if yer gunna toss around romantic sculptures like that it's as good a time as any ta ask about yer love life. So how about it?"
"Well, we've gone on plenty of dates together; we've held hands, we've kissed-"
"Nah, that ain't what I meant, Seaweed."
"Impropriety may not bother you, Sakura-san, but I'm saving myself for marriage, and Makoto-san knows it. We've done no such thing. Though..." Hitomi's eyes flutter dreamily for a brief moment, and under her breath where she thinks no one can hear her, she adds "I wouldn't mind marrying him, all things considered."
"What's your boyfriend like?" you ask Hitomi. "Forgive me, but until today I wasn't even aware you were seeing anyone since you broke up with Kamijou Kyousuke. How did you and your boyfriend even meet?"
"Well, I'd hate to gossip on Madoka-san's birthday..." But from the look in her eyes, Madoka wants to hear the story just as much as you do. "But alright." Hitomi smiles as she says "I met Makoto-san on my first day at Chigasaki. He introduced himself to Sayaka-san, Sakura-san, and me, and offered to be our guide if we needed anything while we were attending school there. Well, when I looked at our class assignments, he and I were in the same class, and things just kind of... Happened, from there. He was so charming, and smart, and kind; he was understanding when I'd tell him about how distant Kamijou-kun and I were growing; I never felt like he was taking advantage of me during those last few months when Kamijou-kun and I were still together. When we finally broke up, asking Makoto-san out on a date just seemed like the most natural thing in the world to me." Then, a melancholy look comes over Hitomi's face, and she adds "I wish I hadn't kept him from all of you; I believe you all would find his company quite agreeable; but as I told Sayaka-san over lunch, I was afraid that if she found out how quickly I'd moved on after Kamijou-kun she would be angry with me."
"And I told you, you've got nothing to worry about." Sayaka wraps an arm around Hitomi's shoulder, saying "Why don't you introduce us, officially? If you think we'd like him, then what's stopping you from showing off your arm candy now that he's public information?" Sayaka does the same thing to Tomoe-san, pulling her in with her other arm and asking "You've got a boyfriend now too, don't'cha? Why don't you bring him along too? We could have ourselves a big old couples' get-together!"
"Well, no," Tomoe-san is forced to say. "We broke up recently, I'm afraid. I'd rather not talk about it." But Tomoe-san pushes through the bad news, and passes her gift over to Madoka. "I admit I'm not always the best at gift-giving, I'm afraid, but I do hope you'll enjoy this."
Even if Madoka doesn't enjoy Tomoe-san's present, the tea set is quite lovely to look at. "It's so pretty, Tomoe-san," Madoka says, placing the set aside as gently as she had for Hitomi's glass sculpture. "It'll be perfect to use with the cake papa's made."
And it is. Tea and cake with everyone is lovely, though tinged with a hint of nostalgic sadness. Hitomi aside, these are the girls you've fought alongside in countless timelines. Even though the Madoka and Sayaka of this timeline are not puella magi, seeing them enjoying tea and cake with Tomoe-san reminds you of days you had once thought better. These days are even better than those days, fortunately, because Madoka and Sayaka are alive, safe, and happy.
There are only two presents left for Madoka to open; yours, and Kirika's. "This is from Kirika," you say, handing the present from your big sis to Madoka. "I don't know what it is, but she wanted to make sure I gave it to you." With a nod, Madoka opens Kirika's present, finding inside an unmarked CD in a generic CD case. There's a small, handwritten card included which reads "Homura- This is kind of for you as much as it is for Pinkie. Don't watch it until it's just you two. I'm sure you'll both enjoy yourselves. - Kirika"
"What is it?"
"I think it's a movie," you say, though you aren't entirely sure. "The card says not to watch it until it's just us." You shrug; Madoka shrugs; you hand Madoka your present. "I spent a very long time thinking of what to get you," you say. "I hope you enjoy it."
[ ] What did you get Madoka for her birthday? (write-in)
Evidently, you weren't the only one to think of getting dressed up for Madoka's birthday party. While Sayaka and Kyouko are still wearing their school uniforms - though Kyouko has conspicuously freed herself from her uniform ribbon as well as her socks - Hitomi is wearing a very nice powder-blue button-down shirt and blue jeans. It's the same thing she wore on the day Archer told her she could be a mage; and you don't know why you're thinking of that just now. Your mind should be on Madoka, not Hitomi.
"My, you're looking rather sharp, Akemi-san," Hitomi says as Madoka introduces you to the others.
"Thanks," you reply. "Amy talked me into it, actually. She thought I should wear something cool for Madoka's party." You credit Amy, but Madoka was in no small part responsible for selecting the outfit you're wearing now. The black skirt, slim black jacket, and the shirt whose colour matches your eyes, were items Madoka helped pick out for you on your very first date together in this timeline.
The others laugh off your comment, with only Sayaka remarking "Cats can't talk, silly."
"But if they could, I wonder what they'd say?" Madoka adds. "They must have an entirely different perspective on things than we do."
"If you'd like, Madoka, you can ask Amy what she thinks of you the next time you see her." Madoka smiles, and you move in for the kill, adding "Actually, that might be sooner than you think. I'm taking Amy to the vet for her six-month checkup tomorrow after archery practice. If you'd like, you can come with me."
"Really? I'd love to, Homura-chan." Madoka nuzzles your cheek, squealing with delight as she says "I haven't gotten to play with Amy in a long time, now that I think about it. I'd love to go with you."
Kaname Tomohisa comes by with snacks, a large bowl filled with salty and sweet treats, from which Kyouko is the first to take. Chomping on a thick chocolate-covered pretzel stick as though it were a cigar, she says to Madoka "Well, yer the birthday girl, Pinkie. What d'ya wanna do?"
"Well..." Madoka chews on Kyouko's words as Kyouko chews on her pretzel. "It wouldn't be fair to Tomoe-san if I opened everyone's presents without her, so... I guess we could play some games? I've got stuff like Mario Party or Mario Kart we could play, if that's okay with you."
"I don't mind," you say. You've never played either; so far, the extent of your gaming knowledge comes from whatever titles Kirika shows you on her Wii, your copy of Pokemon, or the games at the mall arcade. "I've never played either before, but I'm willing to give them a try."
"Same," Hitomi adds. "I'm not usually one for videogames, but for Madoka-san's birthday I don't mind trying something new."
"Man, you two are so bo~ring!" Kyouko moans, rolling her eyes at your lack of experience. "But whatever. Sure, I'll play along; but I'm warning ya, I'm pretty damn good at Mario Kart if I do say so myself."
"If by good you mean you lose every time we play, then yeah, sure." Kyouko sticks her tongue out at Sayaka's comment, only to be met in kind by Sayaka sticking her own tongue out in return. You, Madoka, and Hitomi all roll your eyes at the pair, who soon straighten up as soon as Sayaka says "Alright, so I'll get us all plugged in and we can get started. You want the first round, Madoka?" Madoka nods, and Sayaka gets to work hooking up the game system. When she finishes,, she hands one of the controllers over to Madoka, and asks "Okay, so how are we gonna do this? 'Cause there's five of us and it's only a four-player game."
"Drawing straws for the first round seems like the most logical choice," Hitomi says. "After that, whichever of us comes in last switches with the person who didn't play." Hitomi looks to Madoka for confirmation of her idea; Madoka replies with a nod of her head.
After drawing straws, you are the one left to watch as Madoka, Sayaka, Hitomi, and Kyouko play the first round. That's fine; you can use the opportunity to learn how the game plays.
A half hour passes quickly when you're having fun with your friends and your girlfriend; in what feels like no time at all, the doorbell is ringing, and Tomoe-san has joined the party, carrying a delicately-wrapped present under her arm. "Tomoe-san, welcome!" Madoka says, taking the present from Tomoe-san and setting it aside with the others as she welcomes the final party-goer into her home. "How are you enjoying high school so far?"
"The work load is quite strenuous at times," Tomoe-san replies, greeting you and the others with a bow as Madoka leads her to the living room. "But I am enjoying myself, all things considered." Tomoe-san's eyes meet yours for a brief moment; you'll be having words with her and the others later tonight. "What about yourself, Kaname-san? Has your birthday been enjoyable?"
Madoka responds with an "Mhm! We've been playing Mario Kart while we were waiting for you, but now that you're here, is it okay if I open everyone's presents?"
"Of course, Kaname-san. This is your party, after all."
You'll hold off on giving your present to Madoka for last, letting Kyouko take the opportunity to muscle to the front of the queue with an "Open mine first!" as she presents Madoka with a small, floppy package that's more like a gift-wrapped pair of socks than anything else you can think of. Well, there's a reason for that. "Aren't they great?" Kyouko's present is indeed socks; but it's clear that care was taken in picking them out. "Look," Kyouko says, her outstretched finger tracing the lavender diamond pattern along the length of the long, knee-high black socks. "It's the same pattern that's on Spooky's magical girl outfit. Now you two match; ain't that something?"
Madoka smiles, wasting no time in sliding Kyouko's present onto her legs and feet as she says "They're lovely, Kyouko-chan. Thank you so much."
Sayaka is up next, calling Kyouko a "Showoff" as she presents Madoka with a book-sized and poorly-wrapped package. You can still see some of the cardboard underneath. "Mine's gonna blow Kyouko's socks right off your feet, Madoka. Now, I know how much you love magical girl anime, so..."
Sayaka's present is a boxed set of anime Blu-Rays, for a series called Senki Zessho Symphogear. The name is familiar to you; you didn't watch it, but you know Madoka did, and the name is familiar to you through Madoka. But apparently, "Oh, that's a really good series," Madoka isn't the only one to have enjoyed it. That was Tomoe-san who just spoke.
"Wait, you liked Symphogear?" Sayaka asks. "For real? I thought you only liked really classy stuff, Mami-san."
Tomoe-san shrugs. "Kure-san turned me on to it a few months ago, and I guess I fell in love with the premise of magical girls who are also singing idols."
Madoka nods, saying "And the main character is voiced by Yuuki Aoi, too; how cool is it that the main character sounds just like me?" The main character of this series sounds like Madoka? Suddenly, your desire to watch this series has gone up significantly.
Hitomi is up next, presenting Madoka with a present that is tall and thin. "Be careful," she says; Madoka is, taking her time and unwrapping the present delicately. "It's handmade, actually." Your eyes can hardly believe what they're seeing as Madoka unwraps Hitomi's present, a delicate glass sculpture depicting you and she as you hold hands. "I made it using a bit of magecraft. It took a few tries to get the sand to behave the way I wanted it to, but I think it's my proudest creation."
Madoka is beaming as she sets the glass sculpture aside, and she says "Thank you so much, Hitomi-chan! It's beautiful."
Before Tomoe-san has the chance to present Madoka with her present, Kyouko speaks up, saying to Hitomi "Hey, you never answered my question earlier. How far'd you get with yer new boyfriend? Figure if yer gunna toss around romantic sculptures like that it's as good a time as any ta ask about yer love life. So how about it?"
"Well, we've gone on plenty of dates together; we've held hands, we've kissed-"
"Nah, that ain't what I meant, Seaweed."
"Impropriety may not bother you, Sakura-san, but I'm saving myself for marriage, and Makoto-san knows it. We've done no such thing. Though..." Hitomi's eyes flutter dreamily for a brief moment, and under her breath where she thinks no one can hear her, she adds "I wouldn't mind marrying him, all things considered."
"What's your boyfriend like?" you ask Hitomi. "Forgive me, but until today I wasn't even aware you were seeing anyone since you broke up with Kamijou Kyousuke. How did you and your boyfriend even meet?"
"Well, I'd hate to gossip on Madoka-san's birthday..." But from the look in her eyes, Madoka wants to hear the story just as much as you do. "But alright." Hitomi smiles as she says "I met Makoto-san on my first day at Chigasaki. He introduced himself to Sayaka-san, Sakura-san, and me, and offered to be our guide if we needed anything while we were attending school there. Well, when I looked at our class assignments, he and I were in the same class, and things just kind of... Happened, from there. He was so charming, and smart, and kind; he was understanding when I'd tell him about how distant Kamijou-kun and I were growing; I never felt like he was taking advantage of me during those last few months when Kamijou-kun and I were still together. When we finally broke up, asking Makoto-san out on a date just seemed like the most natural thing in the world to me." Then, a melancholy look comes over Hitomi's face, and she adds "I wish I hadn't kept him from all of you; I believe you all would find his company quite agreeable; but as I told Sayaka-san over lunch, I was afraid that if she found out how quickly I'd moved on after Kamijou-kun she would be angry with me."
"And I told you, you've got nothing to worry about." Sayaka wraps an arm around Hitomi's shoulder, saying "Why don't you introduce us, officially? If you think we'd like him, then what's stopping you from showing off your arm candy now that he's public information?" Sayaka does the same thing to Tomoe-san, pulling her in with her other arm and asking "You've got a boyfriend now too, don't'cha? Why don't you bring him along too? We could have ourselves a big old couples' get-together!"
"Well, no," Tomoe-san is forced to say. "We broke up recently, I'm afraid. I'd rather not talk about it." But Tomoe-san pushes through the bad news, and passes her gift over to Madoka. "I admit I'm not always the best at gift-giving, I'm afraid, but I do hope you'll enjoy this."
Even if Madoka doesn't enjoy Tomoe-san's present, the tea set is quite lovely to look at. "It's so pretty, Tomoe-san," Madoka says, placing the set aside as gently as she had for Hitomi's glass sculpture. "It'll be perfect to use with the cake papa's made."
And it is. Tea and cake with everyone is lovely, though tinged with a hint of nostalgic sadness. Hitomi aside, these are the girls you've fought alongside in countless timelines. Even though the Madoka and Sayaka of this timeline are not puella magi, seeing them enjoying tea and cake with Tomoe-san reminds you of days you had once thought better. These days are even better than those days, fortunately, because Madoka and Sayaka are alive, safe, and happy.
There are only two presents left for Madoka to open; yours, and Kirika's. "This is from Kirika," you say, handing the present from your big sis to Madoka. "I don't know what it is, but she wanted to make sure I gave it to you." With a nod, Madoka opens Kirika's present, finding inside an unmarked CD in a generic CD case. There's a small, handwritten card included which reads "Homura- This is kind of for you as much as it is for Pinkie. Don't watch it until it's just you two. I'm sure you'll both enjoy yourselves. - Kirika"
"What is it?"
"I think it's a movie," you say, though you aren't entirely sure. "The card says not to watch it until it's just us." You shrug; Madoka shrugs; you hand Madoka your present. "I spent a very long time thinking of what to get you," you say. "I hope you enjoy it."
[ ] What did you get Madoka for her birthday? (write-in)
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- Location
- Around here
This was an uncomfortable whopper to write, and I still didn't manage to fit in everything. There's still some conversation topics that will have to be postponed until the next update because I couldn't make a good segue into them. As it stands, I'm not sure how good my segues into what I did cover are.
- Location
- St. Petersburg
"alive"
Ominous. Is it a collection of our most embarassing photographs?
No ideas of my own for the present, sorry.
PlaguePaladin
The Bird Lady
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[jk] The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird. An advanced, long-range strategic reconnaissance aircraft, capable of Mach 3 and an altitude of eighty-five thousand feet!
I like Swedish15's idea the most, though I still don't think it's the most perfect we could do. Not like I can say anything; I've got no clue myself.
I like Swedish15's idea the most, though I still don't think it's the most perfect we could do. Not like I can say anything; I've got no clue myself.
While it's in her 100 questions thing, she does own a smartphone in 2012. What differentiates the iPod Touch from a regular internet-connecting touchscreen smartphone?
- Location
- Around here
So you do read my Christmas list! Fun fact- The SR-71's all-titanium construction is what makes it my dad's favourite aircraft.
But no, guys, in all seriousness, actual votes would be appreciated here. Don't just slack off until
PlaguePaladin
The Bird Lady
- Pronouns
- She/Her
In that case, I'll just take Swedish15's semi-vote.
[X] A practice bow; while you don't want the 'doka to fight, archery is something that will connect her with you and your family.
[X] A practice bow; while you don't want the 'doka to fight, archery is something that will connect her with you and your family.
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To be honest, I just didn't have any ideas. Practice bow is a good one though!
[X]A practice bow; while you don't want the 'doka to fight, archery is something that will connect her with you and your family.
-[X] with two dozen pink fletched practice arrows.
It's perfect. Sentimental enough but not something extreme. Just one addition!
[X]A practice bow; while you don't want the 'doka to fight, archery is something that will connect her with you and your family.
-[X] with two dozen pink fletched practice arrows.
It's perfect. Sentimental enough but not something extreme. Just one addition!
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- Location
- UK
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] A practice bow; while you don't want the 'doka to fight, archery is something that will connect her with you and your family.
Sounds like a good present
Sounds like a good present
I liked it! The update had a smooth flow to it and how you switched between topics of conversation felt natural. Plus, Homura being super smooth always makes me smile.
[X]A practice bow; while you don't want the 'doka to fight, archery is something that will connect her with you and your family.
-[X] with two dozen pink fletched practice arrows.
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PlaguePaladin
The Bird Lady
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Well I changed my vote to reflect Jefardi's addition, but uh...
1. Practice arrows don't exist. Regular arrows are practice arrows.
2. Where is Homura keeping the arrows? Up her rear? Arrows are kinda large in bundles, especially 24 of them.
1. Practice arrows don't exist. Regular arrows are practice arrows.
2. Where is Homura keeping the arrows? Up her rear? Arrows are kinda large in bundles, especially 24 of them.
- Pronouns
- Mr
[X]A practice bow; while you don't want the 'doka to fight, archery is something that will connect her with you and your family.
-[X] with two dozen pink fletched practice arrows.
Alternatively we could just make the bow itself Pink instead if the arrows are that tricky to conceal. Or maybe just lower it down to a dozen.
-[X] with two dozen pink fletched practice arrows.
Alternatively we could just make the bow itself Pink instead if the arrows are that tricky to conceal. Or maybe just lower it down to a dozen.
[X]A practice bow; while you don't want the 'doka to fight, archery is something that will connect her with you and your family.
- Location
- Around here
As someone who has experience with archery, you are both right and wrong. While practice arrows might not exist, barring some all-plastic construction meant for children just getting into the hobby, practice arrowheads do exist. They're blunt at the tip so they don't penetrate very far. They're still dangerous if you point them at someone, but it's the difference between survivable penetration and severe internal injury.
Jefardi is probably thinking of arrows with blunt heads when he says practice arrows.
The length of the arrows is going to depend on a few factors, such as
- The size of the bow Homura bought
- The draw weight of the bowstring (this can be tweaked depending on the ability of the user to draw the bowstring)
- Madoka's upper arm strength and ability to draw the bowstring
Speaking from personal experience, I wouldn't recommend buying arrows for someone unless you know what their draw strength is. If you'll all recall, Madoka's magical girl bow didn't have a drawstring, so even if Homura knows what size of bow to buy for Madoka, she wouldn't know what draw weight would be appropriate for Madoka, nor would she know what size arrows to get. Frankly, the bow would be plenty. If Madoka wants to get into archery later on, she can go with Homura to get a string of the proper draw weight and arrows of the proper size, but for now just the bow would be plenty.
WanderingTwix
Posting something good once in a full moon
- Location
- United Kingdom
Practice arrows don't exist? No problem; just magic some up! How? Magic!
PlaguePaladin
The Bird Lady
- Pronouns
- She/Her
As a person who has also practiced archery, I didn't actually know this. Maybe it's because they didn't have these at the store I went to.
Even if we assume the usage of something small like the hankyū, a compound bow, or something small like that, arrows are still on average about the length of an arm.
I somehow get the feeling that that might or might not end well.Practice arrows don't exist? No problem; just magic some up! How? Magic!
Yup, the blunted 0.50$ field tips. Not the broadheads.
A good dozen properly fletched arrows are more costly then a decent new recurve. Trust me, it gets expensive fast with arrows. I'd never give someone just a bow, especially a beginner. Just the sizing of the arrow makes for it to be personalized to a large degree. Plus you are going to have colours that you personally pick out for the fletching, the sleeve (or whatever that bit of the arrow the feathers are attached to is called) and knock. All on top of the fact that the shaft of the arrow is its own colour and God forbid you decide to get cameo arrows to be cool. Never do that.
Point I'm trying to make is that Homura got arrows that go with the bow unless she decided to be a bitch.
In my personal opinion, anywho.
Alternatively it could be a beginner compound bow which could be adjusted for a lot of variance on her upper body strength.
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- Location
- Around here
Yup, see Jefardi's response. Just not the part I'm responding to below.
I'm not saying that Homura wouldn't have gotten arrows to be a bitch. In fact, I'm saying about the same as you're saying here.
The bow Homura remembers Madoka using didn't have a string and the arrows were made from mana, so there's no way for Homura to know what Madoka's draw strength is or what the proper length for arrows of that draw strength would be, meaning it would be better if Madoka went with us to get her arrows sized than it would be if we made a guess (and happened to guess wrong). I don't expect Homura to make Madoka pay for her own arrows, but I don't believe Homura would have picked arrows up at random without knowing this stuff.
... Unless we're getting her a compound bow and don't want to deal with the above. But then we're losing out on a possible date opportunity. Your choice.
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So the bow, while a great idea, may be impractical. Why not keep it as a surprise date gift in the future?
For now, why don't we go with something simple, like Homura buying 2 copies of a book she wants to read - one for herself and one for Madoka? Simple, but personal and something they can bond over. Suggestions welcome if this seems like a good idea.
For now, why don't we go with something simple, like Homura buying 2 copies of a book she wants to read - one for herself and one for Madoka? Simple, but personal and something they can bond over. Suggestions welcome if this seems like a good idea.
Day 1 Chapter 11
- Location
- Around here
[X]A practice bow; while you don't want the 'doka to fight, archery is something that will connect her with you and your family.
You hand Madoka your present. "I spent a very long time thinking of what to get you," you say. "I hope you enjoy it."
You hold your breath as Madoka opens your present, and do not release until the last of the wrapping paper has been peeling from your careful selection. "Homura-chan, I..."
In Madoka's hands is an archery bow. "Don't get the wrong idea," you say," hoping your present won't inspire Madoka in a counter-productive manner. "I know you don't have the time to join the archery club with me. Even so, it's something that could connect you with me and my family, and if you'll let me I'd love to teach you." You wait, but when no response comes from Madoka you add "If you don't like it, I can return it and get you something els-"
"No." Madoka's voice is commanding, even through that single word. " It's a very thoughtful gift, Homura-chan," Madoka says as she sets the bow aside. "I understand why you wanted to give this to me; and, to be honest, I wouldn't mind learning archery with you as my instructor. It's just, well..." Madoka looks at you, with a look on her face which you can't quite place. "Shouldn't it have come with some arrows as well?"
"Ah, well, about that..." You scratch at the back of your head, reminding yourself very much of Sayaka when she makes the same gesture. "It's usually a good idea to have the arrows fitted to the person who's going to be using them," you say. "Since I didn't know how far back you could safely draw the bowstring, and I thought you might want to pick out your own colours for the arrows as well, I decided I'd rather wait to see if you liked my present before committing to buying you any."
Madoka smiles, cuddling against you as she says "So, that means I'll get to go shopping with Homura-chan to pick out arrows?" You can't help but smile as well, and when she says the words "It's a date, then," it's as though no one else exists but you and Madoka. You hate to admit it, but you can't actually recall when the last time you and Madoka went on a date was.
"Of course. Anything for you, Madoka."
"Then, when do you plan on making time to teach me archery?"
With the timing of Madoka's clubs versus your own club, the only day you might be able to invite Madoka to one of your club meetings would be Thursdays. But then there's also the coming... Whatever, Archer told you about. You have no idea how long that's going to take to wrap up. If it's anything like the lead-up to Walpurgisnacht, you might not be free until the middle of next month. If that's the case... "Winter break is coming up soon. Maybe I could teach you when we're out of school for the break?"
Madoka's cheeks flush a brilliant scarlet at the thought, and she croons "Being taught archery by Homura-chan in the snow... It sounds so romantic..."
"Not ta be rude or anything, but ya do remember that we're here too, right?"
Kyouko's words do indeed remind you that you and Madoka aren't alone. There are four other people in the living room besides you and she. "Sorry," you say sheepishly. "I didn't mean to exclude anybody. Um... I guess the same applies to the rest of you; winter break is coming up soon. Does anybody have plans?"
Sayaka is the first to speak up. "I'd kind of like to go ice skating," she says. "I mean, I know that's not enough for the entire winter break, but it's something I'd like to do, anyway. Maybe it's something we could all do together?"
"Ice skating sounds like it would be fun," Hitomi adds. "Would it be acceptable if I invited Makoto-san with me?"
"Sure, why not?" Sayaka's eyes roam the living room; of everyone here, only Tomoe-san is single. You're pretty sure Hitomi just gave Sayaka an idea; and you know how dangerous it is for Sayaka to have ideas. "We could make it one big couples' thing! Madoka and Homura; me and Kyouko; you and Makoto-" Sayaka turns from Hitomi to you, adding "Heck, you could even bring Kirika and her girlfriend along! All we'd have to do is make sure Mami-san finds a boyfriend before winter break, and we'd be all set!"
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Miki-san," Tomoe-san says, attempting to calm Sayaka down form her fervor. "There's no reason to rush love, after all. I'm sure I'll find someone eventually as long as I keep an open heart."
The party slowly dies down after that. The six of you play more rounds of Mario kart until it grows boring, passing around snacks and cake until everyone had eaten their fill. One by one, the other guests file out. "We'll go on ahead," Tomoe-san says to you. "I imagine you and Kaname-san will want some time to yourselves without us."
"Just don't take all night," Kyouko adds as she finishes kissing Sayaka, deeply, but briefly, as she chooses to part with Tomoe-san instead of her girlfriend, who instead is going home with Hitomi. "We still got our usual meeting tonight, and I ain't gunna stay up all night waiting fer you two ta finish being all kissy-kissy."
"Like you're one to talk," Sayaka says. "You'd make them wait all night if it was a choice between them or an all-you can-eat buffet."
"I'll turn yer face into a buffet."
You try not to think too hard about what Kyouko meant; you try not to think too hard about Kyouko at all, actually. This is Madoka's birthday, so you should be thinking about her. "Well, shall we see what Kirika-chan's present is now?" Madoka asks, just in time to tear you away from not thinking about Kyouko on Madoka's birthday. "I'm really curious to see what she gave me."
"Same," you say, allowing Madoka to lead you up to her room. It's just you and Madoka now, once the door is closed behind you, and with great hesitation - you're reasonably suspicious that whatever Kirika's present is, it'll cause you just the right amount of grief - you inset the CD into Madoka's player. Nothing happens for a few moments as the CD boots, but then-
"Hey." Kirika appears on the player's screen, waving into the camera as she sits on Oriko's couch. You look to Madoka, and she looks back at you. You weren't expecting a personal address. "First, since I know work'll have me too busy to be there myself, this is me saying happy birthday to you, Madoka. You've been a really great girlfriend for my little sis, and I'm glad she's got you in her life. So, thank you, for being there for her. I know it means a lot to her as well. I, uh..." Kirika scratches at the back of her head, staring away from the camera for a moment as she says "I'm not really that great at stuff like this when it's not for Oriko, so I'll just cut to the chase and let you see for yourself. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!"
What follows next is a slideshow of photographs, depicting you and Madoka, though sometimes just yourself, in all manner of situations and environments. Some were taken during your time at Shirome while the school at Mitakihara was being rebuilt, and in those pictures you and Madoka are wearing the crimson uniform of the Shirome junior high. Some pictures leave you wondering when or how they could have been taken - you assume they were all taken by Kirika - and other still leave you wondering how Kirika got her hands on the originals in the first place. There are more than a few pictures in the slideshow depicting you in glasses and braids. The slideshow ends on a single picture, of you and Madoka seated on a park bench, with a colourful heart of pink and purple drawn around your faces alongside the words "Madoka+Homura - 2011-Forever"
Madoka is crying as the slideshow ends, and as she wipes away her tears she asks you "Can you let Kirika-chan know how thoughtful her present was?"
"Of course." You check the time on your phone; it's just past eight. Kirika is likely out of work by now, and she and Oriko must be meeting up with Tomoe-san and Kyouko shortly. You hate to pry yourself away from Madoka, but work leaves you no choice. "I'm sorry," you say, giving Madoka a kiss goodbye as you two part for the night. "But I've got to get going. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Right. I'll see you tomorrow, Homura-chan."
[ ] What's on the agenda for tonight?
-[ ] The new witches
-[ ] The fake Grief Seeds
-[ ] Archer's bad news
-[ ] Other (write-in)
--[ ] What about them? (write-in)
You hand Madoka your present. "I spent a very long time thinking of what to get you," you say. "I hope you enjoy it."
You hold your breath as Madoka opens your present, and do not release until the last of the wrapping paper has been peeling from your careful selection. "Homura-chan, I..."
In Madoka's hands is an archery bow. "Don't get the wrong idea," you say," hoping your present won't inspire Madoka in a counter-productive manner. "I know you don't have the time to join the archery club with me. Even so, it's something that could connect you with me and my family, and if you'll let me I'd love to teach you." You wait, but when no response comes from Madoka you add "If you don't like it, I can return it and get you something els-"
"No." Madoka's voice is commanding, even through that single word. " It's a very thoughtful gift, Homura-chan," Madoka says as she sets the bow aside. "I understand why you wanted to give this to me; and, to be honest, I wouldn't mind learning archery with you as my instructor. It's just, well..." Madoka looks at you, with a look on her face which you can't quite place. "Shouldn't it have come with some arrows as well?"
"Ah, well, about that..." You scratch at the back of your head, reminding yourself very much of Sayaka when she makes the same gesture. "It's usually a good idea to have the arrows fitted to the person who's going to be using them," you say. "Since I didn't know how far back you could safely draw the bowstring, and I thought you might want to pick out your own colours for the arrows as well, I decided I'd rather wait to see if you liked my present before committing to buying you any."
Madoka smiles, cuddling against you as she says "So, that means I'll get to go shopping with Homura-chan to pick out arrows?" You can't help but smile as well, and when she says the words "It's a date, then," it's as though no one else exists but you and Madoka. You hate to admit it, but you can't actually recall when the last time you and Madoka went on a date was.
"Of course. Anything for you, Madoka."
"Then, when do you plan on making time to teach me archery?"
With the timing of Madoka's clubs versus your own club, the only day you might be able to invite Madoka to one of your club meetings would be Thursdays. But then there's also the coming... Whatever, Archer told you about. You have no idea how long that's going to take to wrap up. If it's anything like the lead-up to Walpurgisnacht, you might not be free until the middle of next month. If that's the case... "Winter break is coming up soon. Maybe I could teach you when we're out of school for the break?"
Madoka's cheeks flush a brilliant scarlet at the thought, and she croons "Being taught archery by Homura-chan in the snow... It sounds so romantic..."
"Not ta be rude or anything, but ya do remember that we're here too, right?"
Kyouko's words do indeed remind you that you and Madoka aren't alone. There are four other people in the living room besides you and she. "Sorry," you say sheepishly. "I didn't mean to exclude anybody. Um... I guess the same applies to the rest of you; winter break is coming up soon. Does anybody have plans?"
Sayaka is the first to speak up. "I'd kind of like to go ice skating," she says. "I mean, I know that's not enough for the entire winter break, but it's something I'd like to do, anyway. Maybe it's something we could all do together?"
"Ice skating sounds like it would be fun," Hitomi adds. "Would it be acceptable if I invited Makoto-san with me?"
"Sure, why not?" Sayaka's eyes roam the living room; of everyone here, only Tomoe-san is single. You're pretty sure Hitomi just gave Sayaka an idea; and you know how dangerous it is for Sayaka to have ideas. "We could make it one big couples' thing! Madoka and Homura; me and Kyouko; you and Makoto-" Sayaka turns from Hitomi to you, adding "Heck, you could even bring Kirika and her girlfriend along! All we'd have to do is make sure Mami-san finds a boyfriend before winter break, and we'd be all set!"
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Miki-san," Tomoe-san says, attempting to calm Sayaka down form her fervor. "There's no reason to rush love, after all. I'm sure I'll find someone eventually as long as I keep an open heart."
The party slowly dies down after that. The six of you play more rounds of Mario kart until it grows boring, passing around snacks and cake until everyone had eaten their fill. One by one, the other guests file out. "We'll go on ahead," Tomoe-san says to you. "I imagine you and Kaname-san will want some time to yourselves without us."
"Just don't take all night," Kyouko adds as she finishes kissing Sayaka, deeply, but briefly, as she chooses to part with Tomoe-san instead of her girlfriend, who instead is going home with Hitomi. "We still got our usual meeting tonight, and I ain't gunna stay up all night waiting fer you two ta finish being all kissy-kissy."
"Like you're one to talk," Sayaka says. "You'd make them wait all night if it was a choice between them or an all-you can-eat buffet."
"I'll turn yer face into a buffet."
You try not to think too hard about what Kyouko meant; you try not to think too hard about Kyouko at all, actually. This is Madoka's birthday, so you should be thinking about her. "Well, shall we see what Kirika-chan's present is now?" Madoka asks, just in time to tear you away from not thinking about Kyouko on Madoka's birthday. "I'm really curious to see what she gave me."
"Same," you say, allowing Madoka to lead you up to her room. It's just you and Madoka now, once the door is closed behind you, and with great hesitation - you're reasonably suspicious that whatever Kirika's present is, it'll cause you just the right amount of grief - you inset the CD into Madoka's player. Nothing happens for a few moments as the CD boots, but then-
"Hey." Kirika appears on the player's screen, waving into the camera as she sits on Oriko's couch. You look to Madoka, and she looks back at you. You weren't expecting a personal address. "First, since I know work'll have me too busy to be there myself, this is me saying happy birthday to you, Madoka. You've been a really great girlfriend for my little sis, and I'm glad she's got you in her life. So, thank you, for being there for her. I know it means a lot to her as well. I, uh..." Kirika scratches at the back of her head, staring away from the camera for a moment as she says "I'm not really that great at stuff like this when it's not for Oriko, so I'll just cut to the chase and let you see for yourself. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!"
What follows next is a slideshow of photographs, depicting you and Madoka, though sometimes just yourself, in all manner of situations and environments. Some were taken during your time at Shirome while the school at Mitakihara was being rebuilt, and in those pictures you and Madoka are wearing the crimson uniform of the Shirome junior high. Some pictures leave you wondering when or how they could have been taken - you assume they were all taken by Kirika - and other still leave you wondering how Kirika got her hands on the originals in the first place. There are more than a few pictures in the slideshow depicting you in glasses and braids. The slideshow ends on a single picture, of you and Madoka seated on a park bench, with a colourful heart of pink and purple drawn around your faces alongside the words "Madoka+Homura - 2011-Forever"
Madoka is crying as the slideshow ends, and as she wipes away her tears she asks you "Can you let Kirika-chan know how thoughtful her present was?"
"Of course." You check the time on your phone; it's just past eight. Kirika is likely out of work by now, and she and Oriko must be meeting up with Tomoe-san and Kyouko shortly. You hate to pry yourself away from Madoka, but work leaves you no choice. "I'm sorry," you say, giving Madoka a kiss goodbye as you two part for the night. "But I've got to get going. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Right. I'll see you tomorrow, Homura-chan."
[ ] What's on the agenda for tonight?
-[ ] The new witches
-[ ] The fake Grief Seeds
-[ ] Archer's bad news
-[ ] Other (write-in)
--[ ] What about them? (write-in)