Talnora: I wonder what the Homunculus demo for Coolest! is like...

2026-01-10T15:57:18Z

I wonder what the Homunculus demo for Coolest! is like...

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*'''Log: Interview with a Homunculus'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Kazusa Motojima]], [[Maya Amano]]
*'''Where:''' City Streets, Shibuya Ward, Tokyo
*'''OOC Date:''' January 06, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' Thursday, September 06, 2012 (AFter School)
*'''Summary''': ''Maya is on the street looking to get reactions to Apathy Symdrome for a report she's writing. She happens to run into two Shujin students—or rather, Wakana and Kazusa's Homunculus, and tries to subtly find out more about the danger Kazusa might be in.''

----

<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
<poem>
It's a thursday afternoon, and schol is out, so the hustle and bustle on Central Street is to be expected. Plenty of Shujin uniforms abound, of course, but also plenty of other local schools as well. It's warm--a little muggy, but not too bad, overall.

Everything is perfectly fine... as long as you're not a Persona User.

If you ''are'' a Persona User, however, you might catch a hint of something just plain ''wrong'' in the air, in a way that shouldn't normally exist outside of the Dark Hour or supernatural spaces.

Choosing to follow it through the throngs of crowds will eventually lead one to a pair of seemingly ordinary Shujin second years. White polo shirts, suspnders, plaid skirts. One of them, with long, straight black hair, a pink headband, and purple eyes, is chatting with the other, who has short brown hair in a bob and a yellow flower hair clip. Both stand about 5'2", with gymnast's builds, and they seem to be chatted animatedly about a planned upcoming shopping trip.

And the one with the pink headband is ''definitely'' not human, despite her cheerful, upbeat personality. It might not be readily evident what she is, but she reads as something wearing a human's skin.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
<poem>
Maya feels it tingling in the air.

She doesn't know what it is, but it's disconcerting. She feels as though she's left the apartment with the door unlocked and wide open, though she knows that isn't the case at all. And more unnervingly, Maya can sense a source for that feeling. It isn't inside her, either. No, when Maya turns to face the direction she can feel it radiating from, she sees a teenage girl, who looks as normal as she feels abnormal.

Maya rubs her ear for a second as Kazusa passes, mentally weighing her options. She was doing on-the-spot teen interviews for Coolest anyway, so it couldn't hurt to pull her aside and try to figure out what's going on, right?

"Excuse me," she calls out to Kazusa. "I'm Maya Amano with Coolest Magazine. Do you mind a quick interview?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
<poem>
''Both'' girls stop when Maya calls out to Kazusa, sharing a look before turning to look at Maya together.

The thing pretending to be Kazusa regards Maya curiously and with utterly no malaice in her expression, but both girls light up when Maya mentions Coolest. "Oh! YUou're from Coolest? I read that all the time!" says the second girl, the one with brown hair.

"Sure!" says the first in response to the interview request. She leans over to pull the second girl to her side, in a gesture that would be heartwarming if she wasn't reading as so utterly wrong. "You can interview both of us, right?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
<poem>
"Of course!" Maya says with a smile. There's no weird feeling emanating from the other girl; she wonders if she can feel it, but that's not exactly something she can ask as part of her interview questions.

"We're asking about Apathy Syndrome today. We're hoping to get the teenage perspective. Is that something you're both comfortable talking about?" Maya thinks back to Yukari. She really should have asked her this first!
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
<poem>
If the other girl, Wakana Oosaka, feels it, she doesn't seem to give any indication of it. Nor does... anybody else in the crowd parting around them or flowing past them now that they've stepped outside the flow of traffic.

"Apathy syndrome...?" asks Kazusa as she glances to her friend. "What do you think, Waka-chan? Do you want to?"

Wakana frowns a little as she considers it, and then slowly nods. "... sure. If you're okay with it." Both of them seem a little more somber now.

Kazusa looks to Maya and nods. "Okay, we're both up for talking about that."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
<poem>
"You mind if I record this?" Maya asks, rummaging through her bag for her phone. Mr. Bun Bun, tethered to a strap on her bag bounces from side to side as her hands grope inside the bag blindly.

Maya glances up as her hand successfully finds its target. "And what names should I use for you in the article? You don't have to use your real names if you don't want to."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
<poem>
Okay, not completely somber. The movement of Bun Bun catches both of their attention, and Kazusa cheerfully points it out. "Oh look, Waka-chan, isn't that so cute?"

Wakana smiels and nods enthusiastically. "It really is! Where'd you get him from?"

But to the pertinent question. "Oh, sure!" says Kazusa. "Are you just using it to take notes...?"

"I'm fine with it too," adds Wakana right after.

And then names! "I'm Kazusa Motojima," replies the first girl. "You can use my real name, as long as we don't talk about my family's company or my father's work." She says 'family's company' like she expects it to be recognized.

That's very likely the ''Motojima Corporation'', a family-owned business that produces consumer electronics, video games, and consoles. Depending on how much one knows (or is willing to research), they might recognize that her father is Kazuki Motohima, the current CFO.

"And I'm Wakana Oosaka!" replies the second. Not as recognizable, but it might still be useful if one were to start asking around about Kazusa.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
<poem>
"You're right!" Maya says with a wink. "I can type pretty fast on my smartphone, but it's a lot easier for me to transcribe a recording later on my computer." Her mobile was still good for taking quick notes during a discussion, but it wasn't ideal for interviews.

Maya recognizes the name immediately, though; electronics, video games, consoles -- those are all things that are heavily consumed by teenagers, and it was Maya's responsibility to know what all the teens were getting into!

"No business talk," Maya says firmly, but cheerfully as she taps the screen a few times to bring up her recording app. She presses the button with the red square on it and --

"We're on!" she says. "Let's start off with an easier question first. What was your first encounter with Apathy Syndrome? How did you feel?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
<poem>
Kazusa got it right. "That makes a lot of sense!" says Kazusa cheerfully. "That means you can replay it as many times as you want later, right?"

Video games are definitely a thing kids are into--and definitely a thing Kazusa won't talk about on the record. (Or on background, or anything else.)

But Maya is okay with those terms. "Good!" says Kazusa with a smile. "It's not my place to talk about such things anyway." It might be understandable that a teenager wouldn't want to talk about her family's company, but that choice of phrasing might be... a little odd.

The first question comes, and both girls seem to think about it for a moment.

"Well," starts Wakana, frowning a little. "I haven't run into it personally, but..." She looks to Kazusa. "Didn't that one girl on our team have... a cousin, I think?"

Kazusa slowly nods, "... yeah, I think you're right. Didn't she get better...?"

Wakana shakes her head a little. "I'm not sure... she doesn't talk about it a lot, does she?"

"That's too bad," says Kazusa with a sympathetic frown, while also being utterly inhuman just below her skin. "I haven't run into it either. I guess... it's kind of sad? But... they'll figure out a cure for it eventually, right...?"

"Yeah, the science keeps getting better, doesn't it?" echos Wakana.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
<poem>
Maya nods. "That's the hope!" she says, in her typical upbeat manner. "It sounds like your teammate doesn't talk about it, but do your family or friends?" Maya had interviewed a few people and it seemed Apathy Syndrome had been normalized so much that it was rarely, if ever, the topic of conversation. They weren't even unnerved by the people with Apathy Syndrome lingering in the streets anymore.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
<poem>
Kazusa and Wakana shake their heads. "She doesn't, no," confirms Kazusa.

"Though... maybe we should ask?" Wakana suggests to Kazusa.

"Sure, if you want," says Kazusa to Wakana earnestly, which, for some reason, seems to cheer Wakana up.

But family and friends? "Not really," says Kazusa with a shake of her head.

"I hear them talk about Psychotic Breakdowns a lot more," adds in Wakana. "Kazu-chan, remember that incident with the train operator?"

"Oh yeah!" says Kazusa. "didn't a bunch of people get hurt? That's kind of scary, isn't it?" Not to mention there was a public resignation over the event, not that these two girls bring that up.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
<poem>
This might be Maya's chance to prod a little about things outside of that special report she was working on. Like that weird feeling she was still getting from Kazusa.

"There's been a lot of weird phenomenon lately," Maya agrees, nodding. "Has there been anything you've personally witnessed?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
<poem>
It's an excellent chance to take. But sadly... not one that will bear fruit. Or at least, not the fruit that Maya might be hoping for.

Kazusa quickly shakes her head. "I don't think so... what about you, Waka-chan?" she aks, looking to her friend.

"Well..." considers Wakana. "... weren't you telling me about that haunted house trip you went on?"

"Oh, that," says Kazusa, loking a bit embarrassed. "I really don't know why I went on that stupid trip, I mean-- there was someone pretending to be a ghost, but it had to have been special effects, right?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
<poem>
A year ago, Maya wouldn't have given something like this a second thought; after all, pranks like this were commonplace when Maya was growing up.

But lately...

"Are you sure?" she asks, leaning slightly forward. "Did someone actually come forward and confess to the prank?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
<poem>
Kazusa tries to smile cheerfully. "Of course it had to have been! It was in one of those hotels 'known' for being haunted, I bet it had to have been one of the hotel staff."

"Can we... change the subject, please?" she adds, after a moment.

"Other strange events... Wellll..." Wakana winces a little, casting a gllance to Kazusa.

Kazusa looks to her and lowers her voice, "Oh, yeah, ''that''... I don't really want to talk about that, though," she says with a frown.

"... yeah, me neither," says Kazusa quietly.

The First Change of Heart happened at Shujin, didn't it? Though clearly they don't really want to talk about that teacher, Kamoshida.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
<poem>
"It's not a problem -- we don't have to talk about anything that makes you uncomfortable." Maya tried to keep the people she interviewed as comfortable as possible and this was a sensitive topic.

"We used to have people using Ouija boards and Tarot Cards when I was in junior high and high school, but things are a lot more serious these days," she hums, trying to navigate to a safer topic. "I used to make a friend do a reading for me every week and read my horoscope every day."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
<poem>
"Oh you're into that too?" Kazusa says, instantly cheerful again. "I was thinking of getting into Wang Long Fortune-Telling! Have you ever tried it?" Coolest! is published in Sumaru, Wang Long started in Sumaru, it seems like an easy question.

"Ohhh, yeah," says Wakana after a moment. "That's the one that started in Sumaru, right? Wasn't there some big thing on TV a while go?"

"Exactly!" says Kazusa cheerfully. "Wanna come try it with me sometime?"

"Sure!" said Wakana. "How about we try going down there this weekend? Do you have anything planned?"

Kazusa turns a little downcast. "Welll... I'll have to see if outo-sama lets me..."

Wakana's enthusiasm instantly dampens, too, and she reaches out to touch her friend's arm. "Oh, yeah, well... don't worry, we'll go one of these weekends, okay?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
<poem>
"I haven't been either," Maya says, rubbing her earlobe. "Maybe that would make a good article."

She was having problems with this particular article anyway; it seemed that students reacted in one of two ways: ambivalence or discomfort. And she had the feeling that at least some that projected an ambivalent reaction were actually uncomfortable, too.

"Thanks for the interview." Maya taps her phone and ends the recording. "I think I might have an idea for a new feature now."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
<poem>
Maybe it would make a good article. "I'd read it!" says Kazusa cheerfully.

"Yeah, me, too!" adds Wakana.

But Maya thanks them for their help. The thing that is not human smiles at her one last time. "Oh, you're welcome!" Kazusa says cheerfully. "Sorry if we couldn't say much about Apathy Syndrome... I hope we still helped a little."

"Oh, are you going to do that feature on Wang Long Fortune-telling, then?" asks Wakana curiously.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
<poem>
"Yes. It might be better to focus on something lighter! I'd be interested in your perspective if you decide to go, too."

Maya tucks her phone back into her bag then rummages through it again, this time for her Coolest Business Cards. Once she finds them, she snatches a pen and from inside the bag, writes a message on the back of one of the cards.

That's the one she hands to Kazusa. "My business email address and phone number are here. Let me know what you think after you pay him a visit!"

On the back of Kazusa's card reads a message in Maya's messy scrawl. 'If there's something going on that you need help with, call me at this number instead,' she wrote, and she included her personal mobile number.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
<poem>
"Of course, if we run into each other again, sure!" says Wakana, to telling Maya of their experiences.

They accept the cards, ajnd Kazusa smiles, "Oh, sure! We can do that. Hopefully we can do that soon." But it takes a curious look from Wakana for Kazusa to turn over the card. She reads the message and gives it a curious look.

The thing that is only a monster weariong a teenage girl's skin looks up to Maya and gives her a warm, genuine smile and says, "Thank you, but... nothing's wrong, silly!"

She does, however, put the card away. "But thank you for the interview, Amano-san!"

"Thank you, Amano-san!" Wakana echoes, as the two teenage girls turn to leave.
</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 1]]

2026-01-06: Interview With a Homunculus - Revision history

Talnora: I wonder what the Homunculus demo for Coolest! is like...