2026-03-10: Creativity
- Log: Creativity
- Cast: Ayame Watanabe, Maya Amano
- Where: Kazusa's Atelier (2XSlash, Aoba)
- OOC Date: March 10, 2026
- IC Date: October 07, 2012
- Summary: Maya and Ayame go into Kazusa's Atelier to try to investigate and understand what's going on with it. They get some fun out of it, but also understanding of a girl's troubles...
MONAD: A party led by Ayame Watanabe has begun the event Kazusa's Atelier: The Neo-Lunar Palace.
(|============= Monad - Kazusa's Atelier: The Neo-Lunar Palace =============|)
-==== Round 1: First Strokes - Challenge Level 1 ============================-
| Approach Options: Academics or Proficiency |
| Conditions: Skillful - Proficiency Up L1 and Stupor - Academics Down L1 |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-
You emerge in the courtyard of a grand palace. The palace towers, as if it
were reaching out to touch the night sky itself. It is made of gleaming
white stone and metal with silver ornamentation, and pulses of multi-colored
light race all over its surface.
In the sky behind the tallest tower, a pitch black void sits, ringed with
crimson fire, casting everything in a red light. From that ring an inky
blackness spreads, slowly consuming the night stars in the sky. And in the
center of the crimson ring, in the highest tower, something glints like a
red gem.
As you take all that in, a bitter, frigid wind urges you towards the open
gates of the palace for shelter.
The inside of the palace is lit by floating orbs of light encased in silver
and glass fixtures, and multi-colored pulses of light that trace intricate
patterns on the ceilings and walls. The halls appear deserted, but in the
distance comes a low, predatory growl. It steadily gets louder until a door
opens and someone urgently beckons your group inside, the door slamming shut
just before the growling was about to catch up.
You find yourself in a brightly lit workshop. The walls are lined with
shelves of different kinds of miniature but life-like statues, from humanoid
to beast to robot to mythical creature and beyond, all in various states of
completion. Your savior is a Sanguin Humor, an owlgirl with startlingly
bright yellow eyes and brown and gray feathers woven through her hair,
garbed in a red and black robe.
She explains that the palace isn't safe, and that strange things have been
happening ever since the imposter Princess took over: their Sister Star is
trapped in a never-ending eclipse, the sky turns dark, and monsters roam the
halls. The real Princess must be trapped at the top of the palace, but the
way up is blocked by a barrier. If you were to bring an offering of a
vessel, however... that might help you get to the highest parts of the
tower. After all, it is what the Princess loves doing most, so the owlgirl
Sanguin Humor urges you to follow her example.
The Sanguin Humor demonstrates by sitting down at a round workstation inlaid
with purple runes and a flat, obsidian-black disc on it. A wireframe springs
into life above it, and at her touch it is molded and shaped. A touch of a
rune on the workbench places a holographic paint brush in her hand, and she
starts to paint in skin, hair, and other details. When she finishes, she
picks up the disc and a new miniature statue is posed on top.
The Sanguin Humor hands your group a fresh disc, and there are a number of
other workstations. Your Academics could help with working out the controls,
while Proficiency will surely help with the creative process itself.
OOC: As a group, you'll be collaboratively creating a character! For this
round, don't worry about clothing or other embellishments; those will come
in later rounds. If you need some inspiration to get started, you can roll
on a table at
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Tir5tjha7KiTvF26HQYarS7s1imdmbdbXVTuf8_u
VbY/edit?tab=t.0.
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
With the Tie acquired from a friend, Ayame and Maya went to the internet cafe, and have logged in to the network...
As they emerge in the Atelier, Ayame looks around curiously. "A tower..."
Ayame's in blue today, in good spirits. The afternoon outside is replaced by the strange 'weather' in here.
"Reminds me of a game," Ayame comments thoughtfully. "I suppose that's not so unusual for a young girl's heart..."
But the bitter wind sees her go, "Brr!" and head inside. Once there, she looks at these pulses of light, the intricate patterns--and then that growl in the distance. "We might have to fight--"
Instead, they're brought in by an adorable owlgirl. She starts to explain...
"I thought so," Ayame says after the explanation. "She loves games! Well, I can work with that! Have you ever made a character like this?" Ayame wonders to Maya.
"It's easy; we just have to decide what we want her to look like and some intereting traits. I think dwarves can be very cozy, but I also like elves. On the other hand, someone with dragon features offers a lot of creativity..."
Ayame will help lead the process, but she's msot interested in how Maya wants to express. Is this weird?
Well, it's a little weird.
MONAD: Ayame Watanabe has acted with Tutorial toward First Strokes! Diligence and Patra!
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
"I played Dobutsu no Mori when I was a kid, but we never had customization like this!" Maya looks extremely excited. "Do you think we can make a half-elf, half-dragon? Maybe elf ears--" Maya demonstrates by holding out a finger near the top of each ears, as if to demonstrate extending them. "--with dragon wings?" Maya flaps her hands open-and-closed quickly to mimic the beating of wings.
MONAD: Maya Amano has acted with Academics toward First Strokes! Base!
(|============================ Monad - Results =============================|) -==== First Strokes - Round 1 ===============================================- Maya Amano Academics Success Academics Base Fatigue: 0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ayame Watanabe Proficiency Success Tutorial Diligence and Patra Fatigue: 0 -============================ Party Conditions: =============================- Starting Conditions: Skillful-2 and Stupor-2 Final Conditions: Skillful-1 -====================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====- -==== Reach: 1/6 |= | ===================================================- (|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)
MONAD: Ayame Watanabe has drawn a new Challenge!
(|============= Monad - Kazusa's Atelier: The Neo-Lunar Palace =============|)
-==== Round 2: Finishing the Finery - Challenge Level 1 =====================-
| Approach Options: Charm or Understanding |
| Conditions: Bothersome - Charm Down L1, Skillful - Proficiency Up L1, and |
| Soft - Understanding Up L1 |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-
As you leave the workshop with your brand new vessel, the Sanguin Humor
tells you to seek inspiration as you make your way up the Palace to the
Manifest Gallery--you can use more of those workstations to add more to your
vessel as you go.
Thankfully the palace has teleporter pads that will help you ascend rapidly,
instead of having to climb endless stairs.
You eventually enter another workshop bustling with activity. There are
several Flegmat Humors here--catboys and catgirls--wearing elaborate
tuxedos, masquerade outfits, and even a magical girl in the corner. One
owlgirl Sanguin Humor is moving quickly between them, looking harried. She
has a tablet in hand, and as she attends to each costume a holographic
display with various sliders and other controls allows her to adjust the
costumes in real time.
The Princess loves to arrange performances, she explains, but there's so
much work to be done before the next one can be ready. You could just leave
her be, but...
There's another one of those workstations by the other exit. Maybe if you
used your Charm to flatter her efforts, or used your Understanding to
empathize with her overwork, she'd give you the pattern for one of those
costumes to add to your vessel.
OOC: Deck your character out in elaborate ballroom garb, or as a magical
girl or boy! If you need inspiration, you can roll against the table at
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Tir5tjha7KiTvF26HQYarS7s1imdmbdbXVTuf8_u
VbY/edit?tab=t.4udaqg4u09bm.
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
"Oh, fun!" Ayame answers. "I liked that one."
But Maya's excitement brings a smile to Ayame's face. "I think we can!" She makes the little figure with nice, extended ears, and dragon wings! She's very pretty, but also super cool...
Ayame is pleased, and so far, so good. Seek inspiration...
"I'm still not entirely sure how this helps," Ayame admits as they walk on, "But I suppose while we're here we might as well work at what we see..."
Performances. "Hmm."
"...Let's help her out," Ayame thinks of the Humour who is here trying to attend to each costume at once.
"You're working so hard!" Ayame tells her. "I think you're very creative! It's so hard to arrange everyone all at once, isn't it? Well, I remmeber when my daughter was set for a school performance, and..."
MONAD: Ayame Watanabe has acted with Mom Talk toward Finishing the Finery! Friendliness and Efficient!
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
Maya isn't sure how this helps, but she has to admit... it's kind of fun. A lot more fun than fighting shadows, for sure.
"I'm sure that you've had to make lots of costumes for your kids over the years," Maya says, nodding vigorously. "I know it's not the same, but if you had to dress up a half-elf, half-dragon, what would you put them in?"
Maya taps her lip, giving it some thought. She didn't have kids to dress up, but she did have a Licca-chan when she was younger and loved dressing her up.
MONAD: Maya Amano has acted with Interview Talk toward Finishing the Finery! Friendliness and Smarts!
(|============================ Monad - Results =============================|) -==== Finishing the Finery - Round 2 ========================================- Maya Amano Charm Success Interview Talk Friendliness and Smarts Fatigue: 0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ayame Watanabe Charm Success Mom Talk Friendliness and Efficient Fatigue: 0 -============================ Party Conditions: =============================- Starting Conditions: Bothersome-2, Skillful-1, and Soft-2 Final Conditions: Bothersome-1 and Soft-1 -====================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====- -==== Reach: 2/6 |== | ===================================================- (|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)
MONAD: Ayame Watanabe has drawn a new Challenge!
(|============= Monad - Kazusa's Atelier: The Neo-Lunar Palace =============|)
-==== Round 3: Fueling the Forge - Challenge Level 2 ========================-
| Approach Options: Charm or Guts |
| Conditions: Annoying - Charm Down L2, Bolstering - Guts Up L2, Bothersome |
| - Charm Down L1, Box - Add 1 Item/Money/Gear., and Soft - Understanding Up |
| L1 |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-
The climb through the palace seems endless--if you were to glance out a
window now, you would see the palace grounds as a distant circle, surrounded
by a sea of encroaching darkness on all sides.
The next room you walk into is a sweltering forge, tended to by an owlgirl
Sanguin Humor, dressed in a black tunic and white leggings. She greets you
and takes note of your vessel, and how you must be undergoing the Princess'
trial. She offers to forge a weapon that you can then add to your vessel,
gesturing to a workstation by the other exit.
But in order to do that, she's going to need some fire crystals for her
forge... crystals currently being guarded by a rather large Coleric Humor in
the shape of a dragon in the back of the room. Only its massive forebody
emerges from a cave entrance, with shimmering red crystals piled beneath it.
You can either use your Charm to convince it not to attack, or if you're
Guts-y enough you can just dart in and steal some. Either way, the Sanguin
Humor will forge a weapon of your choosing to be scanned into the
workstation.
OOC: Add a fantasy or medieval weapon to your character! If you need
inspiration, you can roll against the table at
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Tir5tjha7KiTvF26HQYarS7s1imdmbdbXVTuf8_u
VbY/edit?tab=t.9y0qg01lx15n.
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
It is more fun than fighting!
"Haha, yes," Ayame agrees with Maya cheerfully. "They really do expect you to make a lot of those yourself, too--the schools, I mean." But she considers. Thoughts...
"Let's make our dragon girl a magical girl!" she says. "Koume-chan really likes this one show lately, Lovely Remedy..."
"Some hearts here... space for her wings... Maybe some nice earrings for those lovely ears..."
Soon, they have their half-dragon elf all dressed up! And then it's on to trudge ahead through the palace. The sea of darkness lingers all around. Ayame actually starts to get a ittle out of breath by the time they walk into that forge. "Oh, I--I need to sit down a moment..."
The owlgirl offers them a weapon...
But the crystals they need are behind the Dragon's cave.
"I think... for an elven half-dragon, a bow sounds nice..."
"But I'm going to have to count on you for this one," Ayame says to Maya. "Do you think yo9u can convince the dragon to let us take some crystals?"
She'll be fine. In a minute.
MONAD: Ayame Watanabe has acted with Mom Talk toward Fueling the Forge! Friendliness and Efficient!
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
"Wow!" Maya looks on excitedly, nodding in approval at all of Ayame's fashion choices. Truly as expected from a full-time mother/part-time MMO player. "I wonder if we'll have to choose a name for her next..."
Maya hope so, even though she doesn't have the slightest clue what to name her yet. But before that, they have another challenge!
Unfortunately, they've got a beast of a Coleric Humor to take on first. Thankfully, Ayame's confidence in her as well as Maya Amano's 'Let's Think Positive' attitude combine to fill the young reporter with determination.
"Excuse me, do you mind answering a few questions?" she asks of the dragon-lookalike. "I'm writing an article on crystals and it seems with the amount you've accrued, you must be an expert..."
It's not lip service -- of course Maya Amano anticipates that a dragon with a horde of crystals would know a lot about them. And after awhile, Maya _does_ learn a lot that she didn't know. In fact, enough that she could probably write an entire article in Coolest about them (and now maybe she will!). But then comes the time to pop the question...
"I know this is probably forward of me, but do you mind if we take one?"
MONAD: Maya Amano has acted with Interview Talk toward Fueling the Forge! Friendliness and Smarts!
(|============================ Monad - Results =============================|) -==== Fueling the Forge - Round 3 ===========================================- Maya Amano Charm Success Interview Talk Friendliness and Smarts Fatigue: 0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ayame Watanabe Charm Success Mom Talk Friendliness and Efficient Fatigue: 0 -============================ Party Conditions: =============================- Starting Conditions: Annoying-2, Bolstering-2, Bothersome-1, Box-0, and Soft-1 Final Conditions: Annoying-1 and Bolstering-1 -====================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====- -==== Reach: 3/6 |=== | ===================================================- -==== Loot So Far: ==========================================================- Items: 1, Money: 0, Gear: 1 (|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)
MONAD: Ayame Watanabe has drawn a new Challenge!
(|============= Monad - Kazusa's Atelier: The Neo-Lunar Palace =============|)
-==== Round 4: Oh, It's One of These - Challenge Level 2 ====================-
| Approach Options: Academics or Proficiency |
| Conditions: Annoying - Charm Down L2, Bolstering - Guts Up L2, Clumsy - |
| Proficiency Down L1, and Educational - Academics Up L1 |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-
As you keep climbing ever higher, through stairs, teleporters, and endless
hallways, it's clear you're reaching ever-dizzying heights: A quick glance
out a window now reveals that palace grounds are a speck of light in the far
distance below you, leaving you almost suspended in a void of darkness.
The next room you enter might be a bit confusing at first. It seems to be a
maze of tight corridors, but there are also some rather large stone blocks
littered about. You can push them, but they're too smooth to find purchase
on to pull them back, so you might want to be careful how you arrange them.
Thankfully, you discover a screen that shows the layout of the hallways and
the locations of all the blocks, plus a button that will let you reset
things to how they were when you first entered.
You can use your Academics to plan a path forward to the exit on the other
side, or your Proficiency to help with moving those heavy blocks.
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
"I hope so!" Ayame says. "What will we call her..."
Maya's determination sees her talk to the dragon!! And the dragon peers down at her. "Small one," the dragon says, "You have done well to seek my expertise..." Her voice rumbles and shakes the room, but she is willing to answer those questions, especially with Maya's expert interviewing. And eventually...
"Ordinarily I would char the bones of any who sought to steal from me... but you instead have come to appreciate my crystals. Very well. You may have one."
Ayame cheers for Maya when she returns. "Great work!" she says, and stands up. "And I'm feeling much better."
The next humor makes them a crystalline bow with beautiful crystal-tipped arrows for their little Vessel, and Ayame walks with Maya ahead. They're sso high up now...
"Oh," Ayame says and frowns, "A block puzzle..."
She sighs. "Well, nothing for it but hard work! The way to make this easier is to remember that in most of these games, the blocks have a center of gravity..."
MONAD: Ayame Watanabe has acted with Tutorial toward Oh, It's One of These! Diligence and Patra!
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
"Should I move this one?" Maya calls, looking over her shoulder. She gestures at the first of many blocks they'll be moving. "Which way?"
Using Ayame's guidance, Maya will attempt to navigate through the puzzle. What she lacks in physical power, she makes up in energy... but will it be enough to get through this puzzle?!
MONAD: Maya Amano has acted with Proficiency toward Oh, It's One of These! Base!
(|============================ Monad - Results =============================|) -==== Oh, It's One of These - Round 4 =======================================- Maya Amano Proficiency Success Proficiency Base Fatigue: 0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ayame Watanabe Proficiency Success Tutorial Diligence and Patra Fatigue: 0 -============================ Party Conditions: =============================- Starting Conditions: Annoying-1, Bolstering-1, Clumsy-2, and Educational-2 Final Conditions: Educational-1 -====================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====- -==== Reach: 4/6 |==== | ===================================================- -==== Loot So Far: ==========================================================- Items: 1, Money: 0, Gear: 1 (|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)
MONAD: Ayame Watanabe has drawn a new Challenge!
(|============= Monad - Kazusa's Atelier: The Neo-Lunar Palace =============|)
-==== Round 5: The Manifest Gallery - Challenge Level 3 =====================-
| Approach Options: Guts or Understanding |
| Conditions: Bless - +1 to Group Roll (Per Character), Bolstering - Guts Up |
| L2, Educational - Academics Up L1, and Hard - Understanding Down L1 |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-
You've ascended high into the palace, and the halls are in rough shape. The
pulses of light that ran along the walls are all dark now, many of the
magical lights are flickering rapidly, and there are deep, goinging claw
marks embedded into the floors with alarming frequency.
But finally you reach your destination: the Manifest Gallery. Though high,
arching doors you step into a large gallery space: Flegmat Humors, catboys
and catgirls in all manner of fantastical costumes and garb mill about,
observing miniature animated statues placed on display in various poses or
looping animations. For the moment, this room still appears to be brightly
lit and in good shape.
An owlgirl in orange robes trimmed with yellow--a Sanguin Humor--ushers you
forth to a small altar with a receptacle for the disk you've been carrying.
She explains that all you need to do is to place the disc in the altar and
name your vessel. When you do, the image hovering over it vanishes and is
placed on display.
The Sanguin Humor thanks you for your offering, and hopes that with enough
offerings they'll be able to convince the Princess to let down the wards
guarding her chambers. She presents everyone in your party with two gifts:
* You have gained the Key Item PRINCESS' FAVOR!
A sign that you have completed the offering of a vessel and
gained recognition by the Princess. It features a crescent moon
encircling a lily, both carved out of moonstone and set against
a small, round black pin. It glows faintly in the dark.
* You have gained the Unique Item FIGURINE OF <Name>!
Hey, it's <name>! This figurine is finely detailed and posed in
the middle of a fierce attack. This is to commemorate the
journey you took to offer a vessel to the Princess. Please treat
them well!
The Sanguin Humor is about to invite you to explore the Gallery when a
hulking, snarling wolf batters its way past the doors. It might have been a
palace guard once, as evidenced by the bits and pieces of armor still
clinging to its body, but as it stands it is fully under the Homunculus'
sway: a Melanc Humor. It roars, causing the Flegmat attendees to scream and
scatter. As they do, it begins to criticize the wasted effort spent on the
fancy costumes and on creating the offerings.
And it will criticize everyone in the party, too, especially anybody acting
in ways that don't confirm to rigid gender norms.
You'll need to use your Guts to battle the beast and subdue it, or you can
try to be Understanding and rally the Flegmats to help with the process.
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
"Yes!" Ayame agrees with Maya. "That one, there, and... Ah! Let me push this one to go with it..." Ayame will help, of course, but she's not very strong. Maya's boundless energy does most of the trick. And they do make it through the puzzle!
How high up are they?
The Manifest Gallery is here, and Ayame looks around at all the figures in their costumes. The miniature statues... Hmm. "So ours stands out nicely, don't you think?" Ayame says to Maya. But there's a little altar... "Hmm. I think I'll call her... Lady Scalebright. Does that work for you? We can do something else, too! Something more Elven."
But there, they receive--REWARDS.
She offers the figurine to Maya once they have it. "Would you like to keep her?" she wonders. "I--"
The wolf barges in!!! With its roar, the Flegmat's start to scatter...
"AND YOU!" he roars at Maya. "I hate your vibe! Hearts? Pink guns? It's so GIRLY!"
Then he roars at Ayame, "And you! You're OLD!"
Ayame scowls. Then she looks around to the potted plants. "There's gotta be some wolfsbane around here somewhere..."
She'll rally the humors in a minute.
MONAD: Ayame Watanabe has acted with Green Thumb toward The Manifest Gallery! Empathy and Focus!
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
"Wouldn't your--" But before Maya can get the words out, she's very rudely interrupted.
"What's wrong with having pink guns? Or with being older?" Maya intentionally avoids using the word 'old'. She definitely doesn't consider Ayame that! "You must be really insecure to be so critical of others! What happened to make you so bitter?"
Maya might be trying to get the story here... but she's also antagonizing the creature with her bold declarations. Will it be enough of a distraction for Ayame to successfully rally the Flegmats against it...?!
MONAD: Maya Amano has acted with Get That Story toward The Manifest Gallery! Amrita!
(|============================ Monad - Results =============================|)
-==== The Manifest Gallery - Round 5 ========================================-
Maya Amano Guts Success
Get That Story Amrita Fatigue: 0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ayame Watanabe Understanding Success
Green Thumb Empathy and Focus Fatigue: 0
-============================ Party Conditions: =============================-
Starting Conditions: Bless-0, Bolstering-2, Educational-1, and Hard-2
Final Conditions: Bolstering-1 and Hard-1
-====================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====-
-==== Reach: 6/6 |=====| ===================================================-
-==== Loot So Far: ==========================================================-
Items: 1, Money: 0, Gear: 1
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)
(|============= Monad - Kazusa's Atelier: The Neo-Lunar Palace =============|)
-==== Round 6: Pitfall - Challenge Level 1 ==================================-
| Approach Options: None |
| Conditions: Chest - Add 2 Item/Money/Gear. and Revelation - The best |
| result. |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-
After a fierce battle with the Melanc wolf, you manage to subdue it enough
for the Flegmat denizens present to move in to take care of it. This means
you have enough time to have a proper look around--you can't ascend up the
tower yet, but there's still plenty of other things in the Atelier left to
explore.
You find a small movie theater, attended by a Sanguin owlgirl dressed in
purple robes and a white mantle. She lets you know that the next showing is
about to start, and that admission is free with the Princess' Favor.
Once you settle in, an old, grainy video springs to life on the screen. It's
summer break, and an excited, middle school-aged Kazusa and Kazuhiro
excitedly greet their grandparents as they arrive for a week's stay on
summer break. (The grandparents are Shigeki and Kae Motohima, a husband and
wife team who are a legendary game designer and artist duo who made some of
Motojima Corporation's earliest video games.)
During the week, Kazusa and Kazuhiro get to take a trip to Motojima
Corporation's game development studios, getting to see their grandparents'
offices, how games are made, and even play in an arcade of old Motojima
arcade cabinets. Kazuhiro has a fun time, but Kazusa is enthralled,
particularly by her grandmother's art.
So much so that when her father Kazuki, a tall, stern-looking man with short
black hair, comes to pick them up, Kazusa excitedly tells him she wants to
make games like baachan and jiichan.
This incenses the father, who immediately begins to berate her choice to
chase a meaningless creative profession. Kae immediately moves to usher
Kazusa and Kazuhiro out of the room, but not before Kazua's expression
crumbles. The memory fades out with Kazuki and Shigeki openly arguing.
As the lights come back on, you find a golden treasure chest waiting at the
front of the theater. Opening it, you find a new weapon: it's made of
polished black metal, leather, or wood, and elegantly designed with silver
accents. It glows with black light when used.
In non-supernatural spaces it doesn't glow, of course, but it still appears
to be a high-quality cosplay accessory.
Final Loot: 2 Items and 2 Pieces of Gear!
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
Maybe Ayame's kids would love the figure! Or maybe she'd have to explain where it came from... it's ahrd to say!
"It doesn't suit a hard-boiled reporter to be feminine!" the wolf insists. "You should pick one! Woman or reporter!"
But the wolf is called insecure and growls about it. "This Atelier used to be beautiful! I used to protect the Princess! But now everything is DARk and GLOOMY and I'm mad about it!"
Ayame does rally the others, though she doesn't actually feed the wolf poison. This time.
Eventually they win... And it's kind of disturbing for Ayame to watch catgirls swarming the Wolf to get rid of it. Oh well.
But as they walk, they find a little movie theatre. "Maybe we can come to understand her better if we watch her... movie?" Ayame suggestss.
But as they watch, she frowns. Eventually... Ayame sighs. "Controlling your children, again," she says. "It's so hard for parents to understand... I hope I never do that to mine."
But there's a golden treasure chest and--
"Oh!" Ayame picks up a beautiful shortsword, and smiles. "This could be useful.."
Then she looks back to Maya. "I think I understand her situation better, now... I hope we can help her."
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
Maya jolts to her feet when Kazusa appears on-screen. "Wait! I know her." 'Know' might be a bit of a strong word, but she did encounter her not too long ago. And something definitely seemed off... off enough that Maya offered her her card.
She hadn't ever heard back, though. But... what does this place have to do with Kazusa? And what was there to be critical of? Kazusa knew what she wanted to do -- her family should support it, the way Maya's mother supported her when she said she wanted to be a journalist.
The way Maya was sure Ayame would her own kids when they were ready to choose their own course.
"If something's done something to her, we'll have to stop it!" Maya gives Ayame another enthusiastic nod. Thankfully now, they had what they needed: the knowledge to know what was going on and some extra supplies to help them in their quest.