Castles of Steel - Lesbians Good, Imperialism Bad

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Lieutenant Arisukawa Haruna

Balance Stats
❁ • ❁ Work / Life ❁ • ❁
❁ • ❁ Warrior / Princess ❁ • ❁
❁ • ❁ Radical / Respectable ❁ • ❁

Tactical Stats
Gunnery 0, Navigation +2, Command +2, Technology -4, Personal -2, Strategy +3

Stress: 3​


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PLEASE READ THE QUEST RULES BELOW

You collectively vote on the actions of Arisukawa Haruna, the first woman to serve openly in the Imperial Akitsukuni Navy.

This quest is set in a universe which is much like our own circa 1910, but with different politics, cultural norms, and ideas about gender and sexuality, as well as some unusual and advanced technology in places.

We are using this quest to explore themes like breaking the glass ceiling, divergent outlooks on gender and sexuality, colonialism and imperialism, and the place of royalty.

Content Warning
This quest goes some dark places.

There is violence, often explicit, often unfair, often against undeserving targets.

There are not always good options forward. The protagonist is not necessarily a good person.

There is implied content and discussion of sexual harassment and assault.

This is a world where people are often racist, sexist, queerphobic bigots. Sometimes, even the PC and the people they are friends with.

Voting Rules

We will tell you if write-in votes are allowed. If we do not say that write-ins are allowed, they are not. This is to prevent people from unrealistically hedging their bets.

You may proposal other options in a non-vote format, subject to approval, on non write-in votes.

We will tell you when a vote allows approved voting. If we don't say the answer is no, pick an option. We like making people commit.

Discussions makes the GM feel fuzzy.

Game Rules
When we ask you for a roll, roll 3d6. You are aiming to roll equal or under the value of your stat. If you succeed, Haruna gets through the situation with no real difficulties. If you roll above the target value, Haruna will still succeed, but this success will cost her something or add a complication.

Whenever Haruna loses something or faces hardship from a botched roll, she takes Stress. The more Stress Haruna has, the more the job and the circumstances she's in will get to her, and it'll be reflected in the narrative. Haruna must be kept under 10 Stress: if she reaches 10 Stress, she will suffer a breakdown and the results will not be great for her.

Haruna loses stress by taking time for herself, by making meaningful progress on her dreams, and by kissing tall, beautiful women.

Meta Rules
Author commentary is in italics so you know it's not story stuff.

Please don't complain about the system or the fact we have to roll dice. We've heard it before, we've heard it a thousand times across multiple quests. We're not going to change it, and it wears at our fucking souls.

Just going "oh noooo" or "Fish RNGesus Why!" is fun and fine. Complaining at length because you didn't get what you want less so.

If you have a question, tag both @open_sketchbook and @Artificial Girl. If you only tag one of us, you will be ignored. Seriously, we both write this quest.

And yes this is an alt-history type setting with openly gay and trans people, ahistoric medicine, and weird politics. Just... deal, please?

This quest employs a special system called Snippet Votes. Please read this post for more information.
 
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2-18: GO TO SCHOOL
  • Threadmarks
    • "...You should take the entrance exams, Aiko," you said after a moment, your voice quiet. "You're intelligent. Very intelligent. You could do very well at a good university. You're always talking about radios and electronics in your letters and I don't understand half of it. I think you could do great things in the future."

    Aiko blinked and stared at you, seemingly shocked by the conviction in your voice.

    "I… I'm glad you think so," she said, her cheeks turning a touch red and you find your own cheeks are also getting pink but you tried your best to ignore it. "But university costs money! I know the shop is doing well, but Junji is already going and I don't want to put any more burden on mom and dad than I have to…"

    "Don't speak like that," Yasuko said sharply from her own spot. "You're important to us, just like your brothers! If you get an education, so much the better. That way you can hire someone to handle the business when your father gets too old to do it himself. Though the Spirits know he'll be opening that shop himself every morning until he's one hundred…" She shook her head. "We've worked very hard to be as well off as we are and we want all of our children to have what we didn't, you know. Besides, Hideaki didn't have to pay for the Academy because he agreed to serve at least ten years in the navy and we've been saving up money. Don't worry about the cost! Just concentrate on doing your best at your studies."

    "Your mother is right," you said with a smile. Money had never been a concern for you and part of you (the hopelessly romantic part) wanted to offer to simply cover the cost of her education. The amount four years at a good university would cost wouldn't even be a ripple in the deep waters that comprised your family fortune. Hell, if you put away just some of the allowance provided by your family every month for the next year, it would more than pay for those four years.

    "Do your best at your studies and strive to do your best and get into a good school. That's the best thing for you and for your family. I don't think you'd be happy staying in Shimazu and working as a clerk in the shipyard the rest of your life. There's too much of a spark in you, Aiko. There's a light that wants to be seen--you ought to let it shine so that others can see you as brightly as I do," you continued. Wait. Was that too much? That was too much. Shit. Hell. Oh Spirits. You sat back and pretended to be very interested in your tea as your cheeks turned very bright indeed. Yasuko, seemingly (and blessedly) ignorant of your embarrassment nodded her agreement.

    "Haruna--may I call you Haruna--is quite right," she said, continuing as you gave a little nod in affirmation. It was strange to have her be so familiar, being a commoner and all, but it felt natural already. "You must do your best. It's what we want."

    "I--I will, mom…" Aiko seemed as taken aback by your words as you were. "I promise. I'll make you proud."

    "I'm home!" Kenji's voice as the front door closed. "Busy today. Lot of people have leaky roofs." He paused as he entered the room, took in your presence with a taciturn nod, then sat down to light a cigarette. "Ah. Welcome back, Lieutenant Arisukawa."

    "I'm honored to be back," you said with a slight sitting bow. "I'm only staying the night--I have a train to catch up north in the morning. My ship is getting a big refit so all of us officers get the next couple months off. How fortunate. I get to see my family and perhaps spend the new year at home. I'll be back for the wedding, though."

    "Good. Looking forward to it." He said with one of his small smiles. "Hideaki says he'll be home the week before New Year's."

    "Oh, good." You were privately relieved that Kenji had arrived to save you from further embarrassment and the evening passed away without incident. There was a simple dinner, and you went to bed early with the excuse that you had an early train to catch. The next morning you had breakfast with the family, though you didn't see a lot of Aiko before she hustled out the door to school and Kenji, who ate breakfast quickly, drank a prodigious amount of black coffee, and then headed downstairs to open the store. So it was Yasuko who saw you off into the rain-soaked streets with freshly laundered clothes.

    "We look forward to having you at the wedding. Really, it honors us so much just to know that you care so much for our Hideaki to even think of coming," she said, bowing deeply. "And Aiko is so fond of you."

    "A-Ah thank you. I'm very fond of her, too," you said.

    "I can see that," she had said. "Please travel safely."

    "I will," you said. Then you had headed off to catch your train.

    The trip back north had been comfortable, if excruciating in its slowness. Instead of the usual five days of sitting numbly in a first-class compartment (and the brief change over to a ferry and then back to a train) you had to spend an extra day waiting while drifts were cleared off the line once you got further north to where snow was more common. When you stepped off the train at last in Tokei, it was cold (freezing) and crisp and clear, though. It was refreshing, almost. You tugged your navy coat tighter around you and headed out of the station with your seabag over your shoulder.

    Waiting for you was a car with uniformed driver who bowed to you, took your bag, and opened the door for you. It felt strange. You had been living in a world where no one did such things for so long… It didn't feel wrong, just strange. Like getting the feeling back in your hand after it had fallen asleep. The drive to your family's home felt like it took ages but finally the car pulled up, you stepped out, and another servant took your bag as you headed inside.

    After the cozy warmth and good humor of the Kishimoto home, entering the sparse main hall of your family's home felt positively frigid by contrast. True, all of the rooms of the Kishimoto household (not counting the store) could be fit into this hall if laid out flat together, but there was none of the familial warmth and happiness you associated with that place. It just felt formal. Your mother, you knew, was likely home. Your father was out dealing with politics or whatever it was he dealt with. You also knew your mother would expect you to be 'properly dressed' and so you went first to your room where you changed your clothes. Your old kimonos still fit, but felt different. You had lost weight in some places, put it on in others, and the measurements weren't quite right any longer. Looking into the mirror, you put your hair up, touched up your makeup and then headed for the south-facing tea-room where your mother usually spent her time.

    As you expected, she was there.

    "Haruna. Welcome home." Her voice was cool and collected and poised just like it always was. Like it always had been. You bowed slightly, then carefully sat opposite her as a servant put down a tray with tea, anticipating the demand.

    "It is good to be home, mother," you replied quietly, waiting for her take her own tea before you took yours, just as you had always been taught. "I hope you've been well."

    "I have. And I you, especially after that horrid business in Joseon."

    "I'm well. It was unfortunate, but such is the service." You said. Short, diplomatic. It wouldn't do to let her know how many nights you'd lost sleep, the nights it almost felt like you were back there.

    "These are the things I was worried about. Women should not have to be exposed to such… events. Outside of the defense of the home, of course." She added that as an afterthought. You both knew that those preparations were more tradition than practicality in this age. Or had been, until you.

    You thought of the woman bleeding on her lovely dress. She didn't mean those women, of course. A million guilty feelings flooded through you. Did men feel the same about this violence? Did Kenshin lie awake at night, remembering shooting into the crowd, unable to get the press and blood and smell out of his head? Did he see the man he had shot in his dreams the way you saw the girl in her pretty blue and white dress and the student, grasping at your boots? Was this a weakness of yours, or your gender?
    "I have endured, mother." Was all you said.

    The conversation turned to more domestic affairs, resuming as if you'd never left. She wanted to know again if you would consider any of the suitors still asking after you, for the sake of grandchildren if nothing else. ("You'd hardly have to see the man. Trust me, five minutes will do.") You, of course, refused. You weren't necessarily opposed in theory to the whole continuation of your family line thing, but it would be difficult to fit around your career (there was yet to be any concession to maternity like in the Western militaries). Furthermore, your theoretical future husband would have far more use for you at dinner parties and social functions than at sea, even if he were the sort no happier with the marriage bed than you. It was unlikely you could keep up the sort of minimum-contact marriage more common in lower classes.

    You talked about art and social events, the ever turning family drama that had, until you left for the Academy, taken up much of your time. Who was in favour, who wasn't, who was courting who, marriages and children and so forth. You were finding it somewhat hard to care about the details. You wanted to talk about your career, the last nine months of service, but this simply wasn't the place.

    You asked about your younger brother Shigeyori. He was eleven and a very shy child. Your mother said he was currently in the south for schooling in a special academy: they wished to break him of his nervousness so he could be of some use in the family vocation (that being war, politics, and existing as obscenely wealthy socialites). You knew it was necessary, but it was uncomfortable to you. If only the two of you had each other's temperaments: it would probably be easiest. You could simply be the dutiful and reclusive child, not rock the boat, get married for your mother and live the life that was planned for you, and Shigeyori could command ships and win battles and nobody would question his being there.

    Finally, your mother had some social engagement to get to, and you were let go. You made your way through the halls to your old bedroom, which was neat and preserved exactly as you left it. It was still early, but you had a servant retrieve your futon anyway, citing the exhaustion of travel. That felt strange, too. You had been used to maintaining your own bed since you'd been reminded that there were no servants at the Imperial Naval Academy to make cadets' beds for them after the first time you had forgotten to make your bed in time for morning inspection. It had become habit.

    This would, hopefully, get out of whatever dinner events you would find yourself obliged to attend. Lying snug, you pondered the next few weeks. Somehow, you already missed the throb of the ships' engines and smell of salt and coal exhaust. Even more, you missed the cozy smallness of the Kishimoto's home. The thought of more intermitable days of awful, distant conversation with your mother and the sort of serene, sterile social functions of your old life seemed a nightmare.

    At least the New Year was coming up, which meant New Years Eve parties. The grand release valve of all the stress built up from a year of being reserved and in your place. The logic was simple: anything that happened on New Years Eve was fair game, because come morning, who cared what happened last year?

    The problem was deciding what you wanted to do.

    Name as many as you like. The more you name, the more likely the night goes hilariously awry. Each option will remove 1 Stress.
    [ ] You haven't gotten laid since that time in Nokor of all places. Find some fun party with a lot of other silk girls. Forget about all your worries in the arms of someone pretty and try not to think about all the stress of the year to come.
    [ ] You were already going to drink to excess, of course. But you could make a real go at it and get properly, indecently trashed. What's the worst that could happen?
    [ ] Take one of the cars from the garage. Sure it's cold and icy and probably stupidly dangerous to be out in a fast moving vehicle and sure, technically you've never driven a car, but you've helmed boats and it can't be that hard. You just want to go as far and as fast away from the old year as you can.
    [ ] You know whose party needs crashing? Your cousin's party. Sure, it was a very formal event featuring the prime minister and heads of industry and foreign ambassadors and a lot of the Admiralty and the Army High Command, but she was your cousin, and you were her favourite.
    [ ] Write In (Subject to Approval: She's going wild, but she's still a princess.)​
     
  • Threadmarks
    • [X] You haven't gotten laid since that time in Nokor of all places. Find some fun party with a lot of other silk girls. Forget about all your worries in the arms of someone pretty and try not to think about all the stress of the year to come.
    [X] Take one of the cars from the garage. Sure it's cold and icy and probably stupidly dangerous to be out in a fast moving vehicle and sure, technically you've never driven a car, but you've helmed boats and it can't be that hard. You just want to go as far and as fast away from the old year as you can.
    [X] You know whose party needs crashing? Your cousin's party. Sure, it was a very formal event featuring the prime minister and heads of industry and foreign ambassadors and a lot of the Admiralty and the Army High Command, but she was yourcousin, and you were her favourite.

    Little word to the wise, pick either lots of booze, or driving, but NOT BOTH. First learning how to drive, on a icy road, while drunk, is literally asking for trouble. And not the fun kind, more like the "Your ribcage now is all over that tree" kind.
     
    [X] Take one of the cars from the garage. Sure it's cold and icy and probably stupidly dangerous to be out in a fast moving vehicle and sure, technically you've never driven a car, but you've helmed boats and it can't be that hard. You just want to go as far and as fast away from the old year as you can.
    [X] You haven't gotten laid since that time in Nokor of all places. Find some fun party with a lot of other silk girls. Forget about all your worries in the arms of someone pretty and try not to think about all the stress of the year to come.
     
    [X] You haven't gotten laid since that time in Nokor of all places. Find some fun party with a lot of other silk girls. Forget about all your worries in the arms of someone pretty and try not to think about all the stress of the year to come.
    [X] Take one of the cars from the garage. Sure it's cold and icy and probably stupidly dangerous to be out in a fast moving vehicle and sure, technically you've never driven a car, but you've helmed boats and it can't be that hard. You just want to go as far and as fast away from the old year as you can.
    [X] You know whose party needs crashing? Your cousin's party. Sure, it was a very formal event featuring the prime minister and heads of industry and foreign ambassadors and a lot of the Admiralty and the Army High Command, but she was yourcousin, and you were her favourite.
     
    Noooooo! Aiko is love! NTR is trash!

    [X] Take one of the cars from the garage. Sure it's cold and icy and probably stupidly dangerous to be out in a fast moving vehicle and sure, technically you've never driven a car, but you've helmed boats and it can't be that hard. You just want to go as far and as fast away from the old year as you can.
    [X] You know whose party needs crashing? Your cousin's party. Sure, it was a very formal event featuring the prime minister and heads of industry and foreign ambassadors and a lot of the Admiralty and the Army High Command, but she was your cousin, and you were her favourite.
     
    I'm very hesitant about the driving option, since that just screams car wreck ending in her or someone getting badly hurt or killed.
     
    Ramble said:
    Noooooo! Aiko is love! NTR is trash!

    [X] Take one of the cars from the garage. Sure it's cold and icy and probably stupidly dangerous to be out in a fast moving vehicle and sure, technically you've never driven a car, but you've helmed boats and it can't be that hard. You just want to go as far and as fast away from the old year as you can.
    [X] You know whose party needs crashing? Your cousin's party. Sure, it was a very formal event featuring the prime minister and heads of industry and foreign ambassadors and a lot of the Admiralty and the Army High Command, but she was your cousin, and you were her favourite.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    You aren't in a relationship with her. :V
     
    [X] You haven't gotten laid since that time in Nokor of all places. Find some fun party with a lot of other silk girls. Forget about all your worries in the arms of someone pretty and try not to think about all the stress of the year to come.
    [X] You were already going to drink to excess, of course. But you could make a real go at it and get properly, indecently trashed. What's the worst that could happen?
    [X] You know whose party needs crashing? Your cousin's party. Sure, it was a very formal event featuring the prime minister and heads of industry and foreign ambassadors and a lot of the Admiralty and the Army High Command, but she was your cousin, and you were her favourite.

    [X] You bought a hand cannon. There's lots of noble twits around. Entice one of them to challenge you, then humiliate them at the range.
     
    [X] Take one of the cars from the garage. Sure it's cold and icy and probably stupidly dangerous to be out in a fast moving vehicle and sure, technically you've never driven a car, but you've helmed boats and it can't be that hard. You just want to go as far and as fast away from the old year as you can.
    [X] You haven't gotten laid since that time in Nokor of all places. Find some fun party with a lot of other silk girls. Forget about all your worries in the arms of someone pretty and try not to think about all the stress of the year to come.

    Ramble said:
    Point.

    I still say it's NTR. And NTR is trash. I can have opinions.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Can you not talk about weird fetish terms in this chat please?
     
    [X] Take one of the cars from the garage. Sure it's cold and icy and probably stupidly dangerous to be out in a fast moving vehicle and sure, technically you've never driven a car, but you've helmed boats and it can't be that hard. You just want to go as far and as fast away from the old year as you can.
    [X] You haven't gotten laid since that time in Nokor of all places. Find some fun party with a lot of other silk girls. Forget about all your worries in the arms of someone pretty and try not to think about all the stress of the year to come.
    [X] You know whose party needs crashing? Your cousin's party. Sure, it was a very formal event featuring the prime minister and heads of industry and foreign ambassadors and a lot of the Admiralty and the Army High Command, but she was your cousin, and you were her favourite.
     
    Last edited:
    Offering to pay for Aiko's four years at University is hopelessly romantic yes. On the other hand,

    []Convince your mother to set up a scholarship to send promising young women across the country to University

    But maybe the time for work isn't just yet.
     
    [X] Take one of the cars from the garage. Sure it's cold and icy and probably stupidly dangerous to be out in a fast moving vehicle and sure, technically you've never driven a car, but you've helmed boats and it can't be that hard. You just want to go as far and as fast away from the old year as you can.
    [X] You haven't gotten laid since that time in Nokor of all places. Find some fun party with a lot of other silk girls. Forget about all your worries in the arms of someone pretty and try not to think about all the stress of the year to come.
    [X] You know whose party needs crashing? Your cousin's party. Sure, it was a very formal event featuring the prime minister and heads of industry and foreign ambassadors and a lot of the Admiralty and the Army High Command, but she was your cousin, and you were her favourite.

    Cause a diplomatic incident by hitting on / sleeping with some Albanian diplomat's daughter in front of everyone? And then drive her away in a really fast car?
     
    [X] Take one of the cars from the garage. Sure it's cold and icy and probably stupidly dangerous to be out in a fast moving vehicle and sure, technically you've never driven a car, but you've helmed boats and it can't be that hard. You just want to go as far and as fast away from the old year as you can.
    [X] You haven't gotten laid since that time in Nokor of all places. Find some fun party with a lot of other silk girls. Forget about all your worries in the arms of someone pretty and try not to think about all the stress of the year to come.
    [X] You know whose party needs crashing? Your cousin's party. Sure, it was a very formal event featuring the prime minister and heads of industry and foreign ambassadors and a lot of the Admiralty and the Army High Command, but she was your cousin, and you were her favourite.

    Here's to hoping that we end up meeting that Caspian spy at the party without her recognizing Haruna out of uniform, seducing her, then handcuffing her to the bed afterwards and turning her in.
     
    [X] Take one of the cars from the garage. Sure it's cold and icy and probably stupidly dangerous to be out in a fast moving vehicle and sure, technically you've never driven a car, but you've helmed boats and it can't be that hard. You just want to go as far and as fast away from the old year as you can.
    [X] You haven't gotten laid since that time in Nokor of all places. Find some fun party with a lot of other silk girls. Forget about all your worries in the arms of someone pretty and try not to think about all the stress of the year to come.
    [X] You know whose party needs crashing? Your cousin's party. Sure, it was a very formal event featuring the prime minister and heads of industry and foreign ambassadors and a lot of the Admiralty and the Army High Command, but she was your cousin, and you were her favourite.
     
    [X] Take one of the cars from the garage. Sure it's cold and icy and probably stupidly dangerous to be out in a fast moving vehicle and sure, technically you've never driven a car, but you've helmed boats and it can't be that hard. You just want to go as far and as fast away from the old year as you can.
    [X] You haven't gotten laid since that time in Nokor of all places. Find some fun party with a lot of other silk girls. Forget about all your worries in the arms of someone pretty and try not to think about all the stress of the year to come.
    [X] You know whose party needs crashing? Your cousin's party. Sure, it was a very formal event featuring the prime minister and heads of industry and foreign ambassadors and a lot of the Admiralty and the Army High Command, but she was your cousin, and you were her favourite.
     
    [X] Take one of the cars from the garage. Sure it's cold and icy and probably stupidly dangerous to be out in a fast moving vehicle and sure, technically you've never driven a car, but you've helmed boats and it can't be that hard. You just want to go as far and as fast away from the old year as you can.
    [X] You haven't gotten laid since that time in Nokor of all places. Find some fun party with a lot of other silk girls. Forget about all your worries in the arms of someone pretty and try not to think about all the stress of the year to come.
    [X] You know whose party needs crashing? Your cousin's party. Sure, it was a very formal event featuring the prime minister and heads of industry and foreign ambassadors and a lot of the Admiralty and the Army High Command, but she was your cousin, and you were her favourite.
     
    [X] Take one of the cars from the garage. Sure it's cold and icy and probably stupidly dangerous to be out in a fast moving vehicle and sure, technically you've never driven a car, but you've helmed boats and it can't be that hard. You just want to go as far and as fast away from the old year as you can.
    [X] You know whose party needs crashing? Your cousin's party. Sure, it was a very formal event featuring the prime minister and heads of industry and foreign ambassadors and a lot of the Admiralty and the Army High Command, but she was yourcousin, and you were her favourite.
     
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