2026-06-15: A Big Step
- Log: A Big Step
- Cast: Maya Amano, Ichika Kawase
- Where: Aoba Way, Aoba Ward, Sumaru City
- OOC Date: June 15, 2026
- IC Date: November 25, 2012
- Summary: Ichika and Maya meet up again to talk, and Ichika gets a chance to talk to her mentor about the school paper she's getting started! Maya has a lot of useful things to say, but Ichika's glad just to get to talk to her anyway.
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
"So you started a school paper?"
Maya is sitting side-by-side with Ichika Kawase on a bench on Aoba Way. The weather was clear today and cold -- but not cold enough that Maya had felt the need to dig through the massive pile of clothes in her room to locate the thick coat or the warm gloves.
Maya knits her hands together as she leans forward, peering over at Ichika with interest. She was fortunate enough that Seven Sisters had a newspaper club established long before she enrolled. It sounded like a lot of work to start one from scratch. Hopefully the club sponsor was a good one!
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Ichika for her part is in her usual kind of outfit, sacrificing warmth for style--a short skirt, a tanktop, and a nice jacket as her main consideration to the chill. She does have boots, though! And... a rather alarming amount of spikes on her outfit, too.
Well, maybe not that alarming; Maya knows Ichika.
"Yeah!" Ichika continues, enthused. "It was kinda rough--we'd never had one, and definitely Kasu High isn't the kind of place where you expect... clubs and stuff."
"I'm not exactly... great at writing and stuff yet, so I needed to find somebody better to help, like... edit. But there's a girl who loves gossip enough on the student council to do the job--not that we're a gossip rag or whatever, but she likes to stick her nose into other people's business, so..." She laughs.
"Anyway my latest big story was on some places to find good fashion in Hirasaka without having to spend everything--most of us don't get a lot of cash from our parents, for obvious reasons, so they get by on what they can get or what they can work up through part-time jobs."
"I also did a profile on the student council... and of course, everybody's waiting for an interview with the Death Boss. ...Him included, heh."
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
Maya nods enthusiastically at the appropriate points in Ichika's explanation. Maya understands Ichika's passion well -- it's the same passion she felt when she joined the newspaper club in junior high and it was the same passion she still felt today -- even in spite of Editor-in-Chief Mizuno's constant quibbles.
"So are you going to give the people what they want?"
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Ichika's diction changes a little when she talks; when she talks about the paper she's not quite so rough as she is on a lot of other matters. And she is talking with clear passion.
"Yeah!" Ichika answers then, and grins. "I figure making people wait a little is good for..." What's the word? "Uhhh, anticipation! But, you gotta deliver sooner or later. So that's my next big plan."
"You want to see it when I do? He is an interesting guy. Not a lot of people could be the head Boss in their second year."
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
"Of course!" Maya sits up straight and claps her hands together. "I want to see your first issue, too!" Maya hums to herself, a new idea percolating in her head. She'll need more time to mull it over before she makes the actual proposal!
"Did you have any idea what you're going to ask him?" she asks. "I only know about him through his band." Naturally, she knew all about Gas Chamber!
Even though Maya didn't know him personally, there is something familiar about him, though...
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"You got it!" Ichika answers brightly. "We're almost ready..."
Hmm. What to ask... "A little," Ichika says. "That's the hard part--figuring out what makes an interesting story. I mean, he's going to want to talk about his band, and that's great, but we already know about his band. I want to hear more about what drove him to lead."
Something familiar... Well, Ichika wouldn't know about that.
"Maybe about his makeup routine, too," she says. "That visual kei style is pretty impressive."
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
Maya grins sheepishly. "It probably takes him longer to get ready in the morning than me." Maya barely has time to run a comb through her hair before she has to rush off to work. If it weren't for Ulala, she wouldn't have time to eat a bite for breakfast.
"But don't rely on your prepared questions alone!" Maya raises a finger. "Let your journalist's instinct kick in. Some of my best articles have come out of questions I came up on the fly based on how they answered another one of my questions."
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Ichika laughs back. "Maybe. You look great, though! ...Really unique style, too."
Heart jacket...
Maya has advice. "Oh, yeah? So you've got to be flexible in the moment..." Ichika nods firmly. "Ok, I can do that! Any other tips, Amnao-san?"
Journalist's instinct... Ichika likes to think she's developing one of those.
"I know I've got to practice my camera work, too. He'll be demanding on that front."
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
"Be flexible! That's a good way of putting it!" Maya grins. But other advice...?
"Make the person you're interviewing feel comfortable. Find a place where they feel at ease to interview them. Listen carefully to their tone so you know when to take a step back or move forward."
And as for photos? Well, Maya can't give much advice there. "I have a friend who's a great photographer. I can connect you with her if you'd like!" Sure, Maya's volunteering her without asking first, but she's sure Yukki would be happy to give a budding journalist a hand.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
With a smile back, Ichika waits for the next tidbit--and then considers it, tilting her head. "So you have to understand them a little emotionally, not just from what they say. That makes sense..." She remembers when Maya interviewed her that first time, after all. Maya gave a great example at the time.
Ichika taps the table thoughtfully, then, "Oh, really? That'd be great! I'm still pretty new at that part, too, but I've been practicing."
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
"I have too," Maya confesses, leaning in as if telling a secret. "I was partnered with a photographer until Editor-in-Chief Mizuno took her off the job. I've been trying to do my best to do my own photos in the meantime, but they're not as good as hers."
Maya didn't have the equipment or the knowledge to get the job done as well as Yukki!
"But I feel like I've gotten better, even if I'm not as good as she is! So the only person you should be comparing yourself to is your past self!"
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Ohhh, that sucks," Ichika nods along. "Must be nice to have a whole photographer. But I guess if she's specialized that's what makes her better at it, too." A beat, "I'd look forward to meeting her!"
Maya has gotten better, and--"Right. And my past self... didn't do any of this stuff," Ichika admits. "So I guess I'm doing pretty good by that idea, huh?"
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
"That's a big leap of improvement! Some people never get as far as trying -- but you've not only tried, you've also done it!"
Maya flashes Ichika a cheeky smile. "So when are you going to get me that issue again?"
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Ichika smiles, but it's a little shyer a smile than it was before; she's internalizing the idea that she's really doing all this. "Right," she says. "It's... really nice. I didn't think I'd get to... Well, you know."
Then she laughs. "I want to get this one out this week, so... Soon! I want to show you the big polished version, not just all my drafts."
"Sound good?"
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
"Sounds good!" Maya gives Ichika a thumbs-up. "I'm looking forward to it!"