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Some things had to be added, a controlled decent the most noticible of them. After all, what good was flight if it killed you? He was envious of the large appendages sprouting from Amikai's back. How much easier it had to be to trust your own limbs than unfeeling mechanics. Tensa's mind was already turning around again. If he could find a way to keep the wings straight when they stopped, the contraption would glide to the earth rather than that detrimental fall.

He waited by the door for Amikai's return from putting away the cart, toying gently with the broken contraption. It had been simple to assemble. As the Gehaka rounded about to the shop front, Tensa uncurled his hands palm up, to reveal the contraption to the light. The haka doll that had been taken for the ride was a small chibi version of Riyuyi himself. The eyes that were nearly perfect mirrors stared at Amikai with his smile.
"It's the first prototype of my greatest invention so far. You'll have to try and keep it secret, though. I was hoping however...You might be of some great assistance to my research. Do you consent? I promise you won't be on the odd end of any experiments."

Tensa slid the doll from the broken contraption and walked inside, his elation bouying his steps somewhat. The long tawny strands of hair danced behind him.

At that first faint voicing of dissent, Tensa froze in his tracks. How far really, was culturally acceptable? He was suspicious already, with just his clocks and his music boxes. He had been called unnatural, trying to replicate things done in nature artifically, and just doing things that didn't seem concievable. At the worst, he was even satanic and evil. After all, a HAKA in flight? After that, what next? Every Haka would just jump for the oppourtunity to abandon their gehaka and do things for themselves. Surely the entire social status would then be upturned, and anarchy would reign. Gehaka would all be out of work for sure.
The bitter silence stretched on for a long moment, with Tensa standing gargoyle-esque before his desk.

"Preliminary tests are always sloppy, Muruyama-san."

Could he help being a forward thinker? Could he help not wanting to be stuck in medieval times forever? Could he help not liking the current status quo?
Set into motion again, he pulled open a drawer and folded the contraption and the drawings inside, closing and locking it without a further word. At last he turned around and pointed to another box of assorted items, and short curved wooden boards he pulled out lying on the desk in the workspace.
"I recently had some boards cut for another clock body, but they're unsanded. Smooth and oil them for me please."

New papers emerged from within the confines of his desk, along with more brushes and ink as Tensa's never still mind began turning over new inventions that wouldn't upset anyone. How stupid he'd been, he ought to have known...He shook his head bitterly to clear those thoughts, pushing them away to focus on a new task. Fine, perhaps something Gehaka could use.

A single, load bearing occupant was slow work, had limited range and speed. A cart increased range exponentially, though speed was largely unaffected. Load bearing prohibited flight, in any rate, and since his own tamperings with flight were on the back burner, he had to try to devise a more practical method of ground transportation.

He had to call into play what he knew of physics, and he knew that there had to be wheels in the contraption... Pulleys shifted the effort to output in favor of output heavily. But where could he add a pully mechanism...?
Very quickly his earlier discomfort was put aside, and soon enough a serene melody began to drift through to Amikai, Tensa was humming to himself.

Setting down his brush in a cup of water, Tensa stood and stretched, flexing his fingers quickly to rid the stiffness from them. He wanted to see how Amikai was progressing. Lowering his humming in volume, Tensa stepped silently into his workroom, to see Amikai still bent over the wood, now easily oiling and staining the boards which had been rubbed smooth. Shavings and sawdust littered his floor. He'd have Amikai take the mats out and shake them when he was done. Stopping his hum completely, he leaned over the Gehaka's shoulders, careful not to touch a large wing.

"Looks good!" He chirped merrily, sliding out of the way of any sudden reflexive movements.

Tensa's mirror eyes gazed down warmly at Amikai, enjoying the dark gloss the sanded wood was taking on. The boards were cut along with the grain, and the lovely river like patterns snaking down the side made him especially proud of the turnout.

They were silent for a moment, until suddenly the raspy voice belonging to the dark haired Gehaka piped up again,
"I apologize," and Tensa's ears twitched to turn more towards him, but Amikai did not look toward him, "If I said something upsetting."

Tensa regarded the side of his head for a long moment, before sighing quietly.
"Do not trouble yourself. Even the best laid plans need someone with a sense of reality to examine it. After all, dangerous inventions are of no use to anyone."

As much truth as there was in it, he was simultaneously stepping on one of his dreams. Perhaps in the future...
"Say..." He paused, the gears in his head turning furiously, "What do you think of a device for gehaka instead? Something that would...Something that can allow you to move faster along the ground? Surely it's safer."

Tensa leaned back to consider his question seriously. His light blonde hair cascaded around his shoulders, long enough even while pinned up to do such a thing. He rubbed absently the fabric of his green kimono as he thought.
"No...Not faster than a horse. But, I'd imagine you could get close, but without all the upkeep a horse requires."

Tensa's eyes glittered with the thought, staring though he was at the far wall. He was off somewhere again, beyond the clocks and the shop, beyond financial worries or burden. There was only innovation, of progress. His smile was wispy and faint- dreamy even for a moment.
"No...Shoe-ing the horse, no..." he waved his hand in small circles, unfamiliar with the duties required for horses, "No brushing them every day, no..." He smiled, "No picking up the...leftovers on the street."

The golden skinned Haka smiled serenly at Amikai, his earlier tension all forgotten now. He was too absent minded to be uptight, though that very feature about him led to gossip, and more than his fair share of trouble.
"Honestly, do you think it's another useless idea?" He seemed to be seeking some sort of approval before continuing his investigation into the matter, though why he'd be so eager to take a Gehaka's advice was beyond most Hanze.

Tensa's eyes were almost like sheer mirrors when his eyes were fully opened, only revealing what most Hanze's did when his eyes were half closed. It was a most unusual feature indeed, almost chillingly unnatural when he stood motionless, his impassive stare directed at someone, with their own reflection also staring them down.

His gaze was warm as he watched Amikai with a sort of fondness, apparently unfamiliar with the phrase 'it's rude to stare.' He twined his long fingers together as his employee set up the oiled planks and gave him a sidelong glance, a crooked smile upturning his normally stoic features.

"No flying, and no fireworks, I promise." He said with a grin, "I cannot guarantee no crashes, but that is a risk one even takes while walking." He stopped talking suddenly, his eye becoming slightly critical. He slid from his position and disappeared from the workroom for a moment, stepping outside and walking out toward the back of the shop.

He returned moments later, wringing out a tan cloth. He'd dipped it in the well dug behind his shop, and it still glistened with cool water. He also withdrew a small sliver of soap and ran it along the cloth, not enough to lather, but enough to wash the grime from Amikai's hands and neck. Water alone would make it worse-- but the small amount of soap would have him clean in a jiff. He held out the cloth to his employee, expecting it to be taken and used.

The sun had crested to its apex, signaling noon. Right on cue, every clock in his shop chimed in tandem, twelve beats, then fell silent.
"Lunch time. Come back at on--" He stopped himself thinking, "Don't stall too long, but give yourself plenty of time to eat. If you need it, here..." He dropped six hours' worth of pay onto the workdesk beside Amikai.

Tensa withdrew himself from the older gehaka quietly and resumed his place at his desk. He took up the brush again and pondered over his parchments, clearly making modifications to his plans.

Tensa had spared a disparaging look to the floor at the mention, noticing only now the spatters on the tatami mats. Fortunately, they were built for more wear than water and soap, but unfortunately needed a bit of a cleaning. If anything, the water cleared away some of the smudges and was more noticeable that way.

The Gehaka's starting at the chimes caused Tensa to flinch slightly as well, though he was used to the sound, he expected a wing, or something, as an instinct. He smiled however, though Amikai seemed thoroughly startled. He'd hopefully become used to it, as Tensa had, and come to enjoy it, because once the original shock wore off, the harmony all the clocks held became apparent. He watched from his bench as Amikai rubbed off the back of his neck from the oil and sweat and fled his little shop, looking more than a little distressed.

For a moment, he wondered if he was correct in dragging Amikai so far and so frequently out of his comfort zone, but the gehaka had to do rougher jobs than his tinkering in the shop, and he'd get used to it quickly. He seemed an adaptable fellow, if a little...what was the word...self defeating. His little catches were not lost on Tensa, who could be extremely perceptive when it suited him.

Then again, he could also be as dense as a rock also. The Haka stared off into space, pondering his employee when a disgruntled 'Hmph!' Sharply took him from his reverie. Sitting up, he spotted a well dressed Haka he had not met before, escorted by two Gehaka, both clearly swordsmen, and one Haka child.

"Hello! Welcome to Riyuyi's Machinations, how can I help you?" He chirped, eternally friendly. The Haka child had heard a music box one of his friends owned, and learned it came from this shop. Meaning to outdo his friend, he came looking for a better one, one of those boxes with a tiny koto player inside. The golden skinned Haka smiled as he helped his customers, as he would be when Amikai returned.