Introducing Seki Hajime

Life, Organisation Association

Following the installation of an entire Imperial Palace within the bounds of the Matsumoto Black Galleon, Fubuki stepped back to admire her* work. Some of those already on the vessel had begun moving their belongings into the more spacious and luxurious Palace, but it was still quite early in the morning, and many others had yet to awaken. The world was still, the night sky vast, and the sun not yet risen in-   Fubuki’s peaceful reverie was broken by a sudden explosion of sound from somewhere below. It was hard to define anything but a single note amongst the cacophony, but the force of the wave was such that even the Matsumoto Black Galleon pitched and yawed in protest. As the noise faded, leaving nothing but a ringing in the ears, Aka no Kitsunebi approached her master to ensure everything was alright.

Looking over the side of the rail, the two could see what must have been the point of origin. Amidst the otherwise undisturbed forests rolling away from Wakigami, a section of flattened trees had been violently carved out in a circular pattern. For as brutal as it had been even at this distance, that sound must have been magnitudes worse up close; enough to snap trees like toothpicks, at least.   Deciding to check it out herself*, Fubuki leapt over the rail and floated down, buoyed by magic, until she* arrived at the scene of the explosion. There, near the epicenter, a small, sharp-eyed girl was strapping some enormous contraption back in place. The device looked something like a biwa, but was several times larger, and seemed equipped with a hodgepodge of mechanical gears, pipes, and valves. Spotting a dazed bear lying unconscious by a tree nearby, Fubuki could piece together what might have happened.   Normally, a traveler through the forest in the small hours of the morning might be startled to have a frosty-eyed oni woman float down from the sky upon them. This girl, however, seemed both relieved and impatient. She introduced herself as Seki Hajime, and suggested that it was about time an escort had arrived to bring her to Wakigami. That was a curious sentiment. Fubuki attempted some further verbal prodding that brought to light some of Hajime’s circumstances.   She had, until very recently, been a noble daughter. That explained her haughty, unflappable attitude and expectation of service. Hajime had been forced to learn music and other arts suited to a noblewoman, but had taken these pursuits into areas more favored by her analytical mind. And that explained the mecha-biwa strapped to her back. Now, she was exiled, although Fubuki did not press on why that might be, and was seeking a quiet workshop where she’d be supplied with everything she needed to continue her pursuit of engineering.   Perhaps wisely, Fubuki did not comment on the unrealistic nature of that goal. Instead, she* invited Hajime up onto the Black Galleon. Conjuring up a chair, the former noble was plunked down into it and lifted gently up above the forest into the sky. Hajime was at first enamored with the flying chair, and then the flying ship above. She was zealous in her questions about how that had been achieved, but lost interest entirely when told it was magic. The little mechanic did not, apparently, hold mystical arts in high regard.   Upon landing on the deck, Fubuki furnished Hajime with a new offer. She could stay here, in the mirrored palace that they’d just attached to the ship, and perform her research undisturbed. In exchange, Hajime would make her first project a means of propelling the ship through the air without the use of spells. Upon seeing what awaited her beyond that disembodied door, Hajime was finally put off-balance. This was shockingly luxurious, even for someone of her upbringing, and went beyond her already-unrealistic expectations. Hajime agreed, and immediately began setting up a workshop in an unused wing of the Palace.