"Yeah," you agree with Mami. "Yeah, let's go make dinner." You glance around at the others as they pull back. "You're staying for dinner, right?"
Madoka nods vigorously, her pink hair bouncing, while Sayaka gives you a listless smile. "Y-yeah, wouldn't miss you and Mami's cooking."
Homura glances from Madoka to you, and nods.
You stand, the huddled little group parting to give you room. Mami puts her hands up in a familiar gesture, and you pull her to her feet with a smile.
As you walk to the kitchen with Mami at your side, and can see Madoka give Homura an anxious, worried glance, tentatively reaching out to gently touch the girl on the back of her hand. Homura gives her a startled look in response.
You sigh as you step into the kitchen.
Mami pauses on hearing the sigh, and tugs at your sleeve, feather-light. She looks very small as she glances up at you, her shoulders hunched and apprehension swimming in her eyes. "I-I'm sorry, S-Sabrina," she whispers, voice still hoarse and wavering. "Y-yo-"
You pull her into a tight hug. "Don't be. There's nothing to be sorry for," you murmur into her hair.
Mami shakes her head. "Y-you w-wanted to tell Madoka and S-sayaka properly, b-but I-I r-ruined that," she whispers.
"No, Mami," you say. "You
didn't. And
I'm sorry, Mami, that I had to bring it up again." You hug her tightly, trying to comfort her.
Mami hugs you back.
A minute later, she stirs, and you loosen the hug to let her step back, keeping your arms loosely around her. You give her a smile, one that she returns, albeit weakly.
"We should prepare dinner," Mami says, scrubbing at her face with the back of her sleeve.
You take her hand again, pulling the Grief away from her Soul Gem ring with a thought. You take the time to cleanse your own, too, the Grief wisping into the air to join the marbles in your bag - you'd put the instruments away after you were done with them. "Only when you're ready, Mami," you say softly. "We can order in if you don't feel up to it."
"N-no," Mami says, putting on a smile. It's small and weak, but genuine. "We invited them over, after all."
"Alright," you say, moving towards the refrigerator and retrieving the dumplings, minced meat, and other ingredients.
Mami pulls a bag of flour out from the cabinet, and you frown, considering, before retrieving some eggs, too.
You rinse the chopping board, and start chopping up cabbage for the batter as Mami tends to a frying pan, heating it up and adding a little oil for the gyoza.
Mami already has a batch of dumplings sizzling in the covered pan by the time you're ready with the okononiyaki batter. You squint at the stove, reaching for another pan. Just enough space, you think, and you reach for another pan, shuffling beside Mami so that you're nearly hip to hip.
She shoots you a quick smile as you heat the pan, before pulling her pan lid open and beginning to lift the dumplings out with a deft touch and a pair of long, wooden chopsticks. You bump her hip lightly with your own as you pour batter into the pan with a loud hiss.
"The gyoza smells delicious," you say to Mami as you shift the pan, making sure the pancake cooks evenly.
"Thank you, Sabrina," Mami smiles at you.
Dinner doesn't take too long for you to finish, and between yourself and Mami, you bring out plates of dumplings, perfectly browned on their bottoms and steamed to perfection on their tops, with accompanying saucers of vinegar and finely sliced ginger, and a single large pancake topped with minced meat and mayonaise.
Someone's turned the television on by now, Madoka, Sayaka and Homura sitting on the plush sofa. Sayaka's unseeing gaze is locked on the television, blue eyes distant and disappointed. Similarly, Homura's keeping her eyes on the television. Mostly. If you weren't expecting it, you'd probably have missed it: lightning fast flickers of her violet eyes to Madoka, and then back to the television.
Madoka, for her part, is wringing her hands in a slow, rhythmic motion, attention divided between the two girls at her sides.
Homura's the first to notice your arrival, her gaze shifting off the television to look at you. She rises to her feet, and ghosts over to help take the plates from you.
Madoka jumps to her feet. "Ah! Let me help!" she says.
"Nah, that won't be necessary," you call over your shoulder as you turn and head back to the kitchen to grab a stack of clean plates and utensils.
When you return, Mami, Homura, Madoka and Sayaka are all seated at the table, the television still playing in the background. Mami pats the space beside her with a tentative smile, and you move over, settling down and handing out plates and chopsticks to eat with.
"This looks delicious!" Madoka says, the cheer only slightly forced.
Sayaka nods. "It does!" she says, with a little more energy than she'd had previously.
"It looks good," Homura agrees quietly as she accepts a plate and pair of chopsticks from you. Her violet eyes meet yours briefly before flicking away, back to watching Madoka.
"Thank you!" Mami says. "Shall we eat?"
A chorus of agreements later, you all dig in.
You hunt for conversational topics to break the dismal silence around the table. Can't discuss anything about Kyuubey, or entropy, or even really magic. Can't talk about what you've been doing as a magical girl. Can't talk about family, you've already gone through school as a topic.
"So..." you say, looking around. "Are there any good shows coming out?"
Madoka looks up, chewing a mouthful of gyoza and swallowing. She looks at you, a small smile on her face, and offers, "Well, there's that one flying mecha show."
Mami looks faintly interested. "Oh?"
Sayaka glances up too. She snorts, and shakes her head. "It's not very good... it's a harem anime," she says. "They should just take the boy out."
"Ah... but if they took the boy out, then they can't do romance," Madoka says.
Sayaka shrugs. "The girls are more interesting, anyway. Could just pair them up."
You blink, and look at Sayaka, then Homura, who's chewing through a mouthful of okonomiyaki.
Madoka's also giving Homura a funny look, one which she transfers to you and Mami. Homura looks at
you, poker face firmly in place. Mami blushes faintly, ducking her head and picking up another dumpling.
Sayaka blinks. "Did I say something wrong?"
"No... no, you didn't," you say, shaking your head with a smile.
Sayaka raises her eyebrows at you suspiciously, but seems to let the matter drop. "There's also that magical gir- ah, sorry."
Mami shakes her head. "N-no, go on," she says.
"Um, well," Sayaka says awkwardly. "It's made by that one guy, though, I forgot his name, but he always does fluffy, happy stu..." She jerks, as if she was nudged under the table, and falls silent, instead picking up her chopsticks again.
Another awkward silence ensues, and you listen to the television as the news comes on.
"...gas explosion in Sendai. Thanks to the heroic efforts of local emergency services, there have only been three fatalities so far despite extensive damage. Investigations are still ongoing as to what might have caused such a disaster. In other news..."
Three fatalities.
You suppress a sigh, and return to eating your meal.
[] Write-in
=====
Hmmhmm.
I'M ACTUALLY DONE SOMETHING! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
