Twisted Wonderland: Glorious Masquerade - Let the Bell of Solace Ring

Chapter 2-9: Serious Craftsmanship

The group continues walking around.

And Rook spots something that catches his attention, "Well, let's take a look around at what's for sale, shall we?" He then walks to the shopkeeper, "Bonjour, monsieur. What fine weather we're having. A perfect day for treasure hunting, is it not?"

"Bonjour! Yes, I agree absolutely!" The shopkeeper says, "Have a look at whatever you like, s'il vous plait!"

"Merci!" Rook happily says.

"Oui!" The shopkeeper says.

"Sooo, uhhh... Are you from the Shaftlands, Rook?" Idia asks, surprised.

But Rook answers, "Non. My homeland is the Sunset Savanna."

Really surprised, Idia asks, "Then how are you fitting in so well?!"

"Yeah, by the way you act, it's like you were born and raised here," Ruggie adds.

"You honor me. It's because of how bright, friendly, and beautiful the people of this city are," Rook answers, "I read up a bit on Fleur City beforehand and found that it's practically bursting with art. One of my favorite plays is set in this very city, in fact. The potential new discoveries I could make set my very soul aflame!"

"Too much energy... I can't deal..." Idia responds.

"Ah, and we have stumbled upon some beauteous works already," Rook says.

The group soon arrives at another stall to see cute little wooden figures.

"Look at the tiny wooden figures on sale here. Are they not delightful?" Rook says.

"Huh, neat. Those are some real old-fashioned toys," Ruggie says.

Silver then says, "...Hm, I see a lot of similar figures at the other stalls as well."

"Yes, they're one of our traditional crafts," Rollo says, "No one knows their exact origins, but people have made them for a long time. Old wooden figures have been found within our school's bell tower as well. Oftentimes, they're sold with miniature wooden houses."

"Oh, you're right. There are model buildings for sale too. They're pretty big," Silver says, seeing the models of the buildings.

Then Rollo looks at a specific model, "This one is a model of Noble Bell College. See the bell tower in it?"

"This one here looks familiar to me. And so does this one..." Rook says, "Why, they're identical to the view we saw from the bell tower! It's a miniaturized version of the entire city. Delightful!"

Ruggie also says, "Neat. But they're still just chunks of wood, right? I mean, kids' toys are usually pretty cheap."

But then Idia shouts, "NOW JUST WAIT A MINUTE, RUGGIE!"

"Woah, geez! I didn't know you could yell that loud, Idia," Ruggie reacts in shock.

India picks up one of the dolls and says, "Look closer. See the joints?"

"What's this about joint locks now?" Silver asks.

"The shoulders, elbows, and wrists are all articulated parts designed to be moved," Idia says, and presents the features.

"Yes, that's a more modern one," Rollo says, "They used to be carved whole from blocks of wood. But over time a demand for greater levels of detail arose, and they began making the parts separately, so I'm told."

"Both techniques take serious craftsmanship! These figures are incredibly detailed, Ruggie!" Idia says.

"So?" Ruggie questions.

"This isn't some garage kit. It's fully scratch-built from wood. I've never seen ANYTHING like this before!" Idia says, getting excited.

Again, Ruggie questions, "...So?"

"These have to have been made by some famous master craftsman!" Idia says.

But Ruggie doesn't care, "Don't care. Wood's still just wood. If it's not valuable, I'm not interested."

"Hey, don't knock it. A detailed figure like this could fetch hundreds of thaumarks, EZ," Idia says.

"Huh?!" Ruggie says, confused.

And Idia says, "Well-made figurines aren't just toys. They're works of art. You wouldn't believe the premiums they can go for."

"These ones here are a few thaumarks each. Are you saying I could get a hundred times that on resale? Or even more?!" Ruggie says, now taking an interest, "Okay, you've piqued my interest! Tell me all about 'em!"

India smirks, "Whee hee hee. I'll get some for Ortho, too."

"Oh, good, I'm glad Idia's enjoying himself. He's been so quiet, I was worried he might be feeling under the weather," Silver says, and turns to Rollo, "Thank you, Rollo."

"Well, that wasn't the point I was trying to make, but still..." Rollo replies.