HOLY FUCK FINALLY. I FINALLY GOT THE GODDAMNED MAGICAL PUPPETS.
Had to go to the Connecting Spire and grind Spellweavers, but I finally got them and got the scenes I needed.
Fear Owls can go suck it, I don't know if it was just me having absolutely horrid luck or what, but I don't want to see one of them ever again.
Also, something I just found, there's a button within the Connecting Spire that opens up a path on the first floor of it. This leads to a basement full of Chickeners, High Chickeners, and Rare Chickeners. They have super high speed and tend to run away, but if you can kill them, they give you a SHIT TON of exp. I recommend putting all of the girls to Queen to learn Royal Bind, and getting two to learn Emboldening Command. Like that, bind order goes from Rare > High > Normal. They can't avoid if they're bound, and they can't run away if the girls bind them before they do.
edit for the sake of no double post: Does anyone know where the hell you get "Ancient Mana"?
nevermind, you get it via defeating the Incarnations Of Mana (the optional bosses you summon with the Mana-calling Seed)