[ Voice ]

[bydesign]

[ Madoka's voice comes over the journal singing!! ]

Happy birthday to me~! Happy birthday to me~!

Happy birthday [ ........ nope too shy to go on. She cuts herself off with giggles at and is almost audibly covering her face. She still sounds pretty pleased though; ] Ah, never mind, forget that! It's too embarrassing!

But, back when everyone was still at Isla Empieza, did anyone see somewhere that might have cake? Just a small one would be fine...

Comments

[bydesign]

She gave me all the measurements, but I forgot to ask for instructions...

[infinitime_loop]

We need further instructions? I thought you just... mixed the ingredients and put it into a mold...

[ When she says it out loud, it suddenly doesn't sound very helpful. ]

[bydesign]

Is it that easy?

Watching papa cook always seemed really structured. Um... [ trying to remember.... but yeah she's got nothin' ] Well, I'm sure it'll be fine. You mix it all together anyway, right? So it'll be fine!

[infinitime_loop]

[ worrying intensifies ]

Structured... well, we'll figure something out.

[ They arrive back at the ship in short order, and Homura begins unpacking the ingredients, transforming into her outfit to pull out the sacks of flour ]

Madoka, did you ever watch your father bake a cake?

[bydesign]

I've... Been in the room when he baked. [ but usually that meant half-watching over Tatsuya so she hadn't really been paying attention. ]

[infinitime_loop]

... aaah.

[ Well, there goes THAT hope. Homura lines up the ingredients on the table, if only to stall for time, but it only makes the task before her seem more daunting. ]

Could you please pass me a bowl...?

[bydesign]

Of course. [ Madoka is happy to be helping! She grabs a mixing bowl and hands that over. She also goes about getting a whisk and other utensils they might need. ]

I would have asked him to teach me if I'd known he wouldn't be making them for me anymore. [ ... When she says it she means because of where she is, but afterwards realizes that it also applies to... Well, not existing anymore. She visibly hesitates for a second, opening a drawer. ]

[infinitime_loop]

Thank you.

[ Oh, right, other utensils. Homura frowns at the ingredients, trying to figure out which should go in first- but then she looks back up at her friend, the bowl in her hands forgotten. ]

[ Honestly, Madoka acts so... so normally that it's so easy to forget just how much she's sacrificed. Homura looks back down, turning the bowl over in her hands. ]

... he taught you a lot of important things, didn't he.

[bydesign]

[ She finishes setting out everything she thinks they might need and possibly somethings they don't need at all, who even knows.

Talking about the positives seems to cheer her up a bit. ]

Yes. Him and Mama are both really good role models.

[infinitime_loop]

[ Homura sets the bowl down and smiles faintly. ]

I remember a little bit. I was intimidated by your mother at first, but... they're very nice people.

[ Granted, back when she wore her braids and glasses, Homura was intimidated by a LOT of people. ]

[bydesign]

[ How to say it nicely... Because she does genuinely think it's a good thing... But... ] Yeah, Mama is definitely... Ambitious.

[infinitime_loop]

[ To say the least. ]

It seems to have worked out for her.

[bydesign]

Hehe! [ sounding a bit prideful lol ] Well, you can't get anywhere without ambition, after all!

[infinitime_loop]

[ ... oh, Madoka. ]

I suppose she's rubbed off on you a little.

[bydesign]

You think so? I've always thought I take after Papa more.

[infinitime_loop]

That's probably true.

[ Homura opens up the bag of flour, picking up a measuring cup. ]

But... the wish you made was nothing if not ambitious.

[bydesign]

Anything else would be such a waste.

[infinitime_loop]

Honestly... I'm still surprised that it worked. That there was enough power for it to work.

[ She remembers how Madoka destroyed Walpurgis Night in one shot, using so much power that she burned herself out immediately afterward, but for that to be enough to rewrite the universe... ]

[ Homura blinks, brought back to the present by a more pressing matter: cake. ]

Madoka, could you show me the instructions Hajime wrote for you?

[bydesign]

Me too, to be honest...

Ah, right. Here. [ Madoka has to flip through a couple pages in her journal before she finds the right page. She sets the journal on the counter so they can see it easily. ]

[infinitime_loop]

[ Homura leans over, frowning thoughtfully at the page. ]

One and a half cups of flour... that seems like a small amount for a normal-sized cake.

[ Dutifully measuring it out anyway! ]

[bydesign]

I didn't mention to her how many people it would be for, but... Well, if it's not enough we can just make another, right?

[ Madoka works on measuring out the sugar, in the meantime. ]

[infinitime_loop]

[ She pours in the flour and starts cracking the first egg into the bowl. ]

We might have to do that anyway, if everyone on the ship wants some- ah.

[ Homura looks a little embarrassed as she fishes out a few pieces of eggshell. She can't help but think about what Madoka said earlier about crafting explosives and baking cakes... ]

If this was a bomb, we'd be in a lot of trouble right now.

[bydesign]

I still believe in you. [ even if you just got eggshells in the mix IT'S FINE!! a-okay!! honestly there's only so much for her to be doing so she can't complain much while Homura does all the work. ]

I want to share with everyone, for sure.

[infinitime_loop]

[ NO, EVERYTHING MUST BE PERFEEEECT- well ]

... thank you.

But I wonder if I'm going soft.

[ This is probably the longest she's gone without fighting anything, really. ]

[bydesign]

I'd kind of like it if we had the opportunity to go soft.

But... If you'd like, we could practice fighting together. There's no real need to conserve your energy with me around, after all.