The Maple Seed Flies - Auto Gyro Design Quest

"The Hornet is the obvious choice, no?"

"I believe so. The Hartmann may present unforeseen many logistical problems, and if we're planning on selling the design…"

"Then we can't make things too difficult for our potential customers."

"No." Ichiro screwed his face up again, a clear sign that he was thinking hard, "Speaking of customers, I assume you have some in mind?"

"Ah…" That was an extremely relevant question, but you did not want to admit to your earnest, hard-working co-worker that you had not considered it in the slightest. It would make you look like a complete fool if you admitted that, thus far, you had essentially made everything but the aeronautics up as you went along - and some of that was so novel that it was your own wholecloth creation. Before you, nobody had ever built an autogyro, nobody had ever flown an autogyro, and certainly, nobody had ever sold an autogyro.

"Not yet, no. I'll need to speak to Tomomi and Michi about it. I'm no expert on local politics."

"Neither am I." Ichiro gives you the first smile you've ever seen cross his face, a tiny hint of something more than workmanlike indifference, "Not when it comes to selling planes, anyhow."

- - -

"Eughhhhh" You rub your hands across your face, feeling the stress even in those small muscles. Your jaw is tight and your brow feels like it's made out of knots. All you've done is spent an afternoon reading procurement reports for materials needed to prototype the new 'gyro and your body is rebelling.

Ichiro was right though - you needed a buyer. Without one, there was barely a point in beginning any sort of prototyping process.

Damn it, you just want to build autogyros. You didn't want this business of ordering parts and financial reports and seeking out contacts; it almost made you miss slumming it in a barn, pulling an engine out of a truck, and putting everything together alone. Almost. Even if the management side of things had never been your forte, the support you had working with a team mostly made up for it.

"Is everything okay, ma'am?"

And then there was this side of it; A girl sitting in a corner of your office, typing away without a word until she thinks it absolutely necessary. What exactly were you supposed to say to her? That you are tired, stressed, overwhelmed? She is barely more than a child, and one without the expectations of your birthright or position. No, instead you have to square your shoulders and carry on regardless.

"Fine, Miss Inoue. Just fine."

"It's nearly six, ma'am."

Surprised, you glance at the carriage clock on a shelf, then at the window. When you weren't looking, the light had changed from the brightness of the day to the warm orange of early evening. You already know from even brief experience that she won't leave the office until after you do. Perhaps... you should make sure that was sooner rather than later. Youths wandering around after dark did have an unfortunate habit of getting into trouble.

"Miss Inoue, may I ask you for some advice?"

"Ma'am?" Kiku's constantly bright and helpful expression has slipped into something more akin to fear and terror, "O-of course, ma'am, though I don't think-"

You hold up a hand before she can lose herself in preemptive apologies.

"I have been in your beautiful country for a few months now, and I have seen a number of wondrous and fine things. However, I inexplicably seem to have missed whatever it is you people do to relax."

"Oh!" She smiles and raises a delicate hand to cover her mouth as a tiny laugh slips out, "I had thought Mr. Asano already shown you?"

"Mr. Mr. Asano has taken me to a series of fine and raucous bars. I doubt I have ever had as much expensive alcohol before as I have had in my time here." Which you admit had been somewhat enjoyable, even if your stomach threatens to flip from the sheer memory of those drunken exploits. "But it is very clear to me that those bars are primarily the domain of the men. Where are the... social clubs? The group activities?"

"The… clubs? Well, I was in a music club in school…"

"What? No, that's not-" you slip back into Hesperian in frustration as you rub your hands over your face. Once again, you found yourself stumbling to explain a concept you didn't know the local term for. "That's not what I meant. How do I explain… In Europa we have these social clubs; you invite some of your particular women friends for discussions and perhaps a small drink. A meal if you are particularly close."

"Oh, I see!" You let out a relieved sigh as Kiku nods in comprehension. "Yes, we have places like that here as well. I can show you one, if you like?"

"That-" You say, closing your current report and laying your pen atop it, "- sounds absolutely perfect."

- - -

The entrance to the tea house is on a side street not far from the main offices of Asano Heavy Industries. A traditional wooden building tucked between newer construction, the door is flanked by a pair of carefully pruned yew trees, a splash of green in the urban environment. The Kissaten, as Kiku had called it, was little more than a Europan café with Akitsukini stylings. But, thankfully and as promised, the clientele was entirely female.

Kiku had only brought you as far as the door, excusing herself with the guarantee that she would be in work bright and early as ever. That suited you well enough anyway - socialising with a subordinate of such low rank was hardly your idea of a good time.

So you find yourself seated in a corner, admiring the fine decor, sipping at a steaming cup of locally produced tea, and basking in the chatter of women's voices. Woodcuts hang on the walls, images of women dressed in fine silks conversing, dancing, engaged in some sort of ritual with a length of cloth stretched between them. A pair at the table next to yours spoke in hushed whispers as their fingers met in that tender way friends engage with each other.

Yes, this was what you had wanted. The civility and intimate respect shared between those of the female sort.

"May I?"

A voice shook you from your musings on the habits of the fairer sex and you looked up to meet the eyes of another. Tall, well dressed, with sharp features and deep black hair tied into a bun, she was gesturing to the chair at your tables.

"Of course, please do." you reply as formally as your limited language skills allow, pulling your notebook over to allow her some space.

"Ah, you speak Akitsukini!" the stranger says with a bright, beautiful smile.

"Only a little, I am afraid. Not nearly as much as I would like."

"Most Europans hardly bother with that much. I'm Imiko Ashihara."

"Baronesa Helena de la Cierva."

"Baronesa…" She rolls the Hesperian word around her mouth like a strange new food, "I'm not familiar with it. What does it mean?"

"It's the equivalent of your Akitsukini baron."

"Ah, nobility! Would you prefer me to bow or curtsey? I forget which one Europans prefer from their women." Her face is serious, seemingly determined but the glint in her eye gives a hint of humour.

"We prefer to be called Helena." You didn't tend to share your given name often, since it was important for someone of your station to maintain a sense of propriety. That said, this was enough of a social occasion that you felt obligated on the matter.

"Oh, a happy coincidence!" She spins a bracelet on one wrist, "I prefer Imiko over Doctor Ashihara. May I ask what you're doing here and not reclining at the Imperial palace?"

"I doubt the royal family even knows I exist. No, I'm far too busy building aircraft to spend my time resting in the opulence of rank."

"Oh, you're a modern woman, I see."

"As modern as they come."

What thought is racing through Cierva's head?
[ ] I should get to know her. What do women talk about here in Akitsukini? Fashion? Shopping? Art?
[ ] What are the odds I'd be approached by a doctor, of all people? This might be an excellent chance to feel out a potential buyer...
[ ] I'm just here to relax. Work can be saved until later, though it wouldn't hurt to get her card.

CW: Internalized homophobia/comphet makes a brief appearance.

You'd have to remember to thank Kiku tomorrow- Her recommendation had not only given you a place to unwind, but a chance meeting with a medical professional as well. Maybe you could drop some subtle questions into the conversation and find a clearer idea of what local hospitals might need, or maybe even get yourself a buyer.

"So… you are a doctor?" Ah, yes. Well done Cierva. The subtlety of your questioning is beyond compare

"I am, yes. I worked very hard to get into medical school, but I made it." She pauses, seeming to study you, "But you're Europan; you must be used to lady doctors."

It was true that Hesperia - and most of Europa by extension - was egalitarian in opportunity, even if you sometimes felt it was closer to separated in practice. But coming to Akitsukini had still been a shock. You were exposed to a level of casual, normalized sexism that would have been unthinkable back home. The way men treated women here was bleak, leaving a foul taste on your tongue whenever you were exposed to it.

"I had never seen a male doctor before I came to Akitsukini - That is, I obviously knew that they exist; men must see doctors as well. But I had not seen a male doctor in a professional sense until very recently."

You'd realized a month or so ago that you'd allowed your regular schedule of check-ups to fall by the wayside. Given that you were now living in Akitsukini for the foreseeable future, it only made sense to find a local professional. One with proper medical training, of course. There was no sense in going to some quack who'd ply you with 'traditional' herbal nonsense instead of sensible, modern treatment. But it had still been something of a surprise to walk into the office and find a slightly fussy middle-aged man, instead of the matronly, stern-faced woman you'd half-expected.

"Oh, you poor thing. I'm sure that must have been a shock to the system."

Imiko's expression radiated concern, so much so that you couldn't help but be taken aback. Did she think you were such a fragile creature that you'd be shaken by the slightest touch of a man? Her expression reminded you of the way your mother would look at you when you were a child. It was not a positive point of comparison.

"It was… Acceptable. The man seemed confident in his training."

"For sure, for sure, but this is why I want to open a women's clinic here in Kanagawa. Not only is the sea good for body and soul, but I think if women had the option of being treated by other women, then that would provide better results as well."

It was a familiar argument. Back in Europa, it was widely accepted that keeping a certain distance between the spheres of men and women was for the best. But that idea had never sat particularly comfortably in your chest. You'd always felt a sense of unease and frustration taking tea with the ladies of Hesperian court, a product of boredom with the conversation and disinterest in learning the social graces expected of you. But the only obvious alternative had been the men's clubs, which you'd never be allowed within forty feet of.

So, as you grew older, you'd found yourself blowing off more and more of the social gatherings expected of someone of your station. Instead, you locked yourself inside a country barn, spending your days reading books and building aircraft.

The urge to divest, to have spaces of one's own that you could go to, was sensible. Natural, even. But Imiko's almost infectious enthusiasm for the idea seemed painfully naive to you. Besides, you doubted that Akitsukini could simply import how you did things back home as simply as they could machine tools. The men here certainly wouldn't accept a threat to their position in society, for one, and you couldn't even begin to guess how their supposed third genders could be fit into the Europan model.

"There are other places without clinics, are there not? Rural townships and the like?" You attempted to deflect.

"Of course there are, and that's a real problem. But consider; we have cafes and other places for women like us- women who prefer a certain natural distance from men. Why not medical care as well?" She leans forward, tapping a finger on the table to drive her point home.

'Women like us.' That feeling of discomfort that has been growing in your chest slides down into your gut like foul sludge. You knew your lack of a grasp on the language had slipped again, that there was an implication to Imiko's turn of phrase that you'd missed, because the first meaning that lept to your mind was… something that didn't bear thinking about.

You waited quietly for your conversation partner to continue, refusing to let the froth of discomfort and frustration show on your face.

"How about you?" she asks, leaning forwards across the table, "What attracts you to rural life? Already trying to escape the mayhem of city living?"

Imiko smiles as she speaks, a slight upturn in the corner of her mouth and a sparkle in her eye. You know you're being teased, but you don't mind particularly. After all, she'd given you the perfect opportunity to bring up the hospital 'gyro.

"No, I-" Did Mr. Asano want to keep your work a secret? You didn't believe he'd said anything about it. If your assumption was mistaken, you could ask for forgiveness later. "-I am working on an aircraft. I have designed it for transporting those who are injured; it could work to extend the reach of hospitals and clinics out into those under-serviced areas. It could even take doctors out to places with no medical facilities at all."

Imiko's - or rather, Dr. Ashihara's - expression shifts from playful to serious in a moment, a businesslike air radiating off her as her attention is gripped. You had her now.

"I can see the appeal, but don't they need long open spaces to get up and down?"

"That is the beauty of my design. It barely needs a runway. With the right design, it could even land on the flooded rice fields if needed."

"That's fascinating. I would love to know more."

"Do you want to come to the factory? Tomorrow?"

Imiko's smile returns as her expression shifts back to playfulness.

"Eager to see me again?"

You furrow your brow. Once again, you felt uncomfortably like you were missing something important about what she was saying. At the same time, you would be lying to suggest she wasn't an excellent conversation partner- it's not like you've found a way to make friends outside of work.

"Yes. You are… I am sorry, I still struggle with words… You are interesting? I would like to know more about you."

"I'd like to know more about you, Baronesa." Her pronunciation of the Hesperian word is off to your ear, but the way she lingers on it feels… dangerous. Her eyes are fixed on yours, her fingers resting on her bracelet that looks so pretty on her wrist. After a long, breathless moment, she breaks her look and reaches into her small bag. Pushing a thin cream card across the table, she speaks again, "I'm afraid it's just my work card, but feel free to call on me."

"Tomorrow, then?" You ask, eagerly.

"Oh, it's a date."

- - -

You sit in the main room of the offices, glaring at the draft plans for aircraft in front of you. You're tired. Sleep last night had been difficult, and you'd spent most of it rolling back and forth in your bed, as thoughts of your conversation with Dr. Ashihara, of Imiko and her coded language, passed through your restless mind. The birds were singing by the time you finally drifted off, and the sounds of an awakening city dragged you from your bed long before you were ready for the day to begin.

Nonetheless, you have work to do. You would like to have a finalised design ready by the time the good Doctor arrives, even if the prototype isn't entirely complete. Your lack of a strict budget is a blessing in one sense, but it has also left you feeling nervous and uncertain. How much can you spend? How much will it all cost? Spend less and you risk sacrificing the design's integrity, spend more and nobody will buy it.

These are brand new considerations for you, and it's hell. But you can still throw yourself into the act of creation itself, and find comfort there.

Where should you focus your efforts on the plane?
[ ] Maximise capability with no regard for cost.
[ ] Minimise cost as much as possible at the expense of capabilities.
[ ] Try to find a balance between cost and capability (+1 Stress)