Aircraft Design Company- Matsura's Planes Are Always Fastest!

You spent the first few days in Artemis not straying far from the hotel. You were simply exhausted from the journey and the work, and that bed really was quite soft. The others only went out in groups to do tourist-y things, Kibe lugging around Hasagawa's camera and taking pictures of everything for him. You weren't really up for a big social expedition right now, so you spent a lot of time in the lobby. You had considered going swimming, but you didn't own any western swim wear and you were also fairly sure walking the halls of the hotel in them would be frowned upon. There were change rooms at the pool but that was a whole other can of worms...

You didn't like swimming that much anyway. Swimming is for fish and sailors.

You spent a lot of time sketching the city outside your window. You had a beautiful view; you could see the Towers of Parliament easily out your window. The city seemed to stretch on forever, chimneys and coal smoke and steep roofs disappearing into the fog and near-constant rain. You got to watch in awe as a new, massive steel-ribbed zeppelin drifted over the city every night, one of the Dysklandic airlines with service direct between the capitals. One of those might contain the Dysklandic crew and plane...

Finally, on one chilly autumn afternoon, after checking the skies (clear), you decided there was nothing for it. You put on your best clothes, threw a coat over it, and walked out into the streets. You were in the largest and most modern city in the world, and you were going to enjoy it, practice your Albian, and get a good drink.

It started to rain about ten minutes after you left.

---

You had a few advantages in your adventure. Kibe had given you a map of the city with some helpful notes in Akitsukuni, like the big red STAY OUT lines around several districts and various arrows pointing to various attractions. Your first stop was to buy an umbrella at a nearby stand. After spending what felt like an hour trying to figure out how to pay from the pile of coins in your pocket (you were an aircraft engineer you should be able to understand currency how are there 13 half-pennies in a florin and 2 florin in a shilling but a shilling makes 20 pennies????) (?????) you braved the streets again with your modern black umbrella and wandered the streets, looking into curio shops and taking in the sights as best as you could.

The streets of Artemis were a rather strange place to be. For one thing, everyone was tall, and most of them were wearing hats which made them even taller. It made you feel even more isolated in your clothing. Secondly, they spoke about you as if you weren't there, or more likely as if they didn't expect you to understand. Questioning your clothes, appearance, and gender everywhere you went. It was rapidly getting maddening.

You eventually found something you knew Yachi would love in the form of a little steel model of the Artemis Bridge, about four inches long, which had an actual little winch system. You knew he had a passing interest in architecture from your date, so you figured he'd appreciate it. You found a post office to ship it back ahead of you with a cute note. "Sure, it's impressive, but ours is longer." You were walking out of the office when you realized the innuendo, and it took every ounce of your willpower to commit to it.

Your hunt for a bathhouse went... rather more poorly. You soon discovered that, rather than a luxurious place to clean off and relax in hot water, Albian bath houses were industrial affairs catering primarily to the poor, and people were washing clothes and dishes in the same water they washed their bodies. Fucking ew. You turned right around and headed out to look for a drink.

Kibe had told you that any building with a sign whose illustration didn't make any sense was a pub. You passed over a few examples that seemed too sensible before finding one which depicted a headless woman swinging a snake at a police officer. You observed the place through the window from the other side of the street for a while to learn the etiquette, then you steeled yourself and walked in.

"Oi, lookit this one! A Cathayman!" The bartender said immediately upon your entry, and all eyes turned to you. Murmurs and some laughter broke out. "What boat you get lost from, huh?"

You walked right up to the bar, leaned over it like you saw the regulars do, and remembered the words Kibe taught you. "One fucking beer, please."

The pub burst out laughing, but the hostility in the space was much lessened. The bartender immediately slid you a glass (a pint) of dark amber liquid and you took it to a table, sat back against the padded chair, and took a sip.

This is when you came to the sudden realization that your entire life was a lie. Akitsukuni beer didn't deserve the name. Spirits help you, you'd never touch another drop of the stuff. This was the best beer you'd ever had, and you were pretty sure this was their cheap swill. A new world was open to you. Westerners couldn't make food to save their life, but when your beer was this good, who cares?

Your incursion for a quick drink became somewhat more involved. You got some (predictably terrible) food with your second pint, and found yourself entertaining a few guests to your table as you ate. Alcohol was rapidly making up for the lack of confidence with the language.

"I am a big aircraft design back home. Made the racer for my country. Fastest plane that goes." You explained, breaking out your sketch paper as you did so. "You foreigners are in for a surprise, you know?"

"I bet it ain't even that fast. How would you even know?" A man with a rough red beard said. "What, you run along side it?"

"There's a..." you swirled your finger around as you searched for a word, then gave up. "There's a thing on the wing. Air makes it spin and spin makes um, electricity, uh..." You pointed to a wire leading to an electric light until somebody guessed. "Yes, e-lect-ricity. Makes a little stick move on numbers to tell how fast you go."

You sketched out an anemometer as you spoke to try to show them how it worked. They didn't seem very interested in the mechanics, but you noticed that sketching seemed to make them treat you a lot better. It probably humanized you to them, made you seem intelligence despite your broken Albian, and apparently it was working because people seemed a lot more friendly. They weren't talking like you couldn't hear them anymore, and they didn't speak to you like an idiot when they saw you could draw.

"You got plans, Cathayman?" A woman asked as you sketched her for her friends.

"I am not from Cathay. I am from Akitsukuni. My name is Matsura Asuka." You insisted until they repeated it and got it right. "I have no plans. I am just doing tourism."

This was followed by a babble of suggestions from around the table of places to go and events to take part in. You heard something about a music hall, and after confirming that such a place would not involve any dancing, you asked for directions to one, took your leave, figured out how to pay, and flagged down a cab to get to Wessex Music Hall.

The setup was very interesting. A little theater with a raised stage, there were tables set out (with more, even better beer) and there was a woman on the stage in a white and green dress singing something. Much of the hall was singing along, and even though you only understood maybe every other word (it sounded somehow vaguely patriotic while also using a lot of Kibe's favourite words) the sheer energy of the room made you grin.

You took a seat near the back, and after a few minutes (you could see the waiters discussing your presence in the distance) a woman came over and took your order. Your inquiry into what they had to drink returned some things you'd never heard of before, and you picked one name at random before settling in. The woman finished her song to applause and whistles, she bowed and left the stage, and the next act made their way down the stage.