PSL Post - Ky Kiske and Signum

[ridethelightning]

This post will be used for PSL threads between ridethelightning and brustriese.

Comments

1

[ridethelightning]

[It was a beautiful, warm spring day. A gentle breeze blew through the trees, bringing the scent of fresh flowers wherever it went. The sleepy town of Vale had just begun to wake up, along with one of its newest inhabitants.

Ky finds himself alone, on a dirt road, lying face-up. He had been woken up by the morning sun striking his face, and after reflexively reaching over to draw the curtains, realized that they weren't there. Immediately, he sits up and looks around, only to find unfamiliar territory in every direction.

Immediately, Ky's mind begins to race. Was he kidnapped? Did he enter a time slip, as Axl Low frequently found himself susceptible to? Or was he simply hallucinating? Regardless, as he'd be unable to find the answers by merely sitting on what could soon become a road full of busy travelers, he chose to stand up and walk around. Perhaps someone around town could give him answers.

...Unfortunately, as Ky would find out an hour later, they couldn't. He'd been able to glean that the town he was in was called Vale, and it was a small, mostly agricultural community well off the beaten path in some kingdom Ky had never heard of. When he'd asked where he could find transportation back to Paris, he was only met with empty stares. The fact that none of these villagers had ever heard of Paris, a world city, second only to London in terms of cultural and political importance, was beyond comprehension.

Furthermore, it sounded like Ky would have to find some way to settle in there. He's fortunate in that an old house is vacant, and the town needs a new patrolman -- perfect for a man of his experience. Thus, he begins to walk in the direction he was indicated, unaware that he's the only newcomer to this town to arrive in a strange fashion today. In fact, she may be coming into view as Ky approaches his new home...]

[brustriese]

[The benefit of being an Enforcer of the Time-Space Administration Bureau is that you're not only trained on what to do when you fall into a dimensional anomaly, but honestly expect to do so from time to time as a side effect of work.]

[The detriment is that the training mostly consists of "find someplace quiet and use a dimensional transference spell to get out of there", and when those spells don't work...well, suffice to say that Signum had spent most of her morning quietly out in an abandoned corn field, trying and failing to escape this obviously unadministered world and report back to Hayate.]

[And needless to say, she's in a fairly foul mood as she walks back in to town, beautiful weather aside. She'd been directed to the vacant house as well by the surprisingly helpful natives, and was unconcerned with why they were smirking as they told her about it.]

[She's also distracted enough to nearly run into Ky on her way there, warrior instincts aside.]

Hmph. Excuse me. I didn't see you there...

[ridethelightning]

[Ky himself was also distracted, but even so, he avoids contact at the last minute. Doing so forces him to yield the right of way, but oh well.]

No, I should also apologize. You see, I'm new here, and so I was lost in a mixture of thought and keeping my bearings. The fault partly belongs to me.

[He can tell that she's not happy just from her demeanor. Between that and his status here, he acts a bit more polite than usual to avoid a situation.

Still, he did say something that might catch her attention.]

[brustriese]

[Let it not be said that Signum sucks at the detective parts of her job. She'd just rather let everyone else do them. Let it also not be said she's going to get drawn into a lot of apologies when she's in a bad mood.]

New here? Do you mean you just arrived in town on a journey, or did you arrive from...elsewhere?

[ridethelightning]

[The expression on Ky's face turns to one of surprise. That was a different reaction than the one he has been getting all morning.]

...If by "elsewhere" you mean...if this is all alien to me, then yes. I hail from the city of Paris, but none here know that name.

[There's a tinge of confusion with that one, too. He still can't get over the fact that people here could just not know about the second-most important city in the entire world.]

Conversely, this town is allegedly within the Norad Kingdom, which I've never heard of until today.

Since you're asking, that means you, too...?

2

[brustriese]

[Today's assignment: defeating Wasps. It didn't sound like much of a challenge to Signum, but work was work, and it was evident she and her new companion were going to need resources to continue to exist here, let alone find a way back to their respective versions of reality.]

[She's still in casual clothes and apparently unarmed as they walk out of town; secrecy was likely unimportant here, but there was no need to freak out the locals.]

Well, pest control isn't normally my profession, but I should have some magic that will make it fairly simple.

[ridethelightning]

[Ky, meanwhile, is wearing his Sacred Order of Holy Knights uniform, with Thunderseal hanging from his belt. He rests a hand on its pommel.]

Are you a back line mage, then?

[He's noticed the lack of weapon.]

[brustriese]

Hm. Hardly. I just see no need to draw my sword to fight some insects. I'll bring it out if it gets tiring using magic without a Device, but as it is, why use a sword against bugs?

[ridethelightning]

Your magic is that strong, then? I prefer to use my sword at all times, since it amplifies my own aptitude. Both my sword and I favor the same element, so I get maximum synergy with it.

[brustriese]

Laevatein and myself are the same way - in fact, you could say we were made for each other. I just can't think of what possible use a sword could be against a three-inch-long...insect...

[She trails off as she hears very loud buzzing, and the duo come face to face with one of the man-sized giant bugs they call Wasps around here.]

...of course, I could be wrong.

3

[brustriese]

[Of course, while cleaning up very monsters around town paid decently, it wasn't an entirely steady source of income. Signum might not be from a real feudal-agrarian society, just one that copied the titles and systems of government, but she recognizes the potential to turn the land that came with the vacant house into other resources with a bit of work.]

[Of course, looking out at the weedy, rock-covered field that showed zero signs of recent cultivation made her question the value of the word "bit". Ky could find her looking at it rather distressed and attempting to formulate a plan.]

[ridethelightning]

[It's still somewhat early in the morning. Ky has bathed, gotten dressed, and cooked breakfast before getting ready to visit the town square and see what jobs have been posted on the bulletin board today.

After he leaves the house, he sees Signum standing over the parcel of land. Curious, he approaches.]

What's the matter? You look like something is troubling you.

[brustriese]

I was having a look at our resources here. I'm sure it has good potential as farmland, but I wouldn't know where to start.

[She thinks for a second, comparing her strengths to the task in front of her.]

...is "slash and burn" the name of a farming strategy, or a military strategy? I always forget.

[ridethelightning]

...Er...

[Ky is very sincerely hoping that Signum is merely joking. But he won't take the chance.]

It's a farming technique if you don't care about using the land for long. And, well...it wouldn't even be very effective here. It would eliminate the weeds, herbs, tree stumps, and branches, yes, but the rocks don't burn.

[brustriese]

Hm...

[In spite of herself, Signum is starting to think about this strategically - no guarantee it would be worth the effort she might have to put into it, of course.]

What would be the best way to deal with the rocks, do you think? Sledgehammer?

3

[brustriese]

[Liabilities: 1 cartridge and two locally-purchased healing potions (fighting monsters), a few hundred of the local currency (purchasing equipment).]

[Assets: sledgehammer, plow, cooler work clothes.]

[After performing the above accounting over the last day or two, Signum is spending today obliterating most of the rocks in the field that are too large to carry easily, moving in straight lines down the scarcely visible plow furrows and raising and smashing with the hammer in a practiced, almost meditative way. It's a little nostalgic for her, and even if nothing comes of the whole planting plan, she's getting to work up a good sweat and experiment with bare arms and covered legs for once.]

[She's also being rather noisy about it, having brought the kiai habit over from her swordsmanship, in case Ky was having any trouble hearing the smashing rocks.]

[ridethelightning]

[As this was happening, Ky was partaking in some midday tea.

"Was" because the noise interrupts him.

Leaving his mug on the table, he walks over to the window in the kitchen and catches sight of what is going on outside. He goes back, gets his tea, and returns to the window to watch as he finishes it off.

Eventually he does, and he then walks out into the sunshine. Holding his hand above his eyes for a few seconds to help them adjust to the outdoor light, he walks over to where Signum is working.]

I've heard of people using martial arts training to apply to household chores, or even to train by doing them...

[In fact, there was a film from the late twentieth century that involved that. Ky has never seen it himself, though.]

...but this is the first time I've heard a kiai applied.

[In spite of it all, he appears amused.]

[brustriese]

A hammer's not my weapon of choice, and these are fairly large rocks. I need whatever edge I can get.

[In reality, it's more just habit. Getting to smash something to pieces in something other than battle's a rare opportunity for her, and she's going for it with exactly the same gusto as she does a fight.]

[ridethelightning]

And I suppose it's wise to maintain the habit. If you accustom yourself to not using it when breaking a rock with a hammer or a stump with an axe, you might forget to use it in actual combat.

You didn't happen to pick up a second hammer, did you?

[He figures he might as well help if he can, or at least offer to.]

[brustriese]

I did not...although I did pick up a plow I was assured could be operated without animal assistance.

4

[brustriese]

[All their urgency aside, after Signum clears a part of the property's growing space and she and Ky work on a little bit more food self-sufficiency, several weeks pass without any progress on the returning-to-other-worlds front.]

[Signum, oddly, finds that she's not really minding. She'd never take a vacation voluntarily, but if she's going to be forced into one, a working vacation where she can beat up monsters and learn a few new skills is suitable for her. Even if by "a few new skills" we mean "watering plants on a schedule." She's still at a loss for cooking, but in addition to being a pleasant conversationalist, Ky is more than capable of complementing what skills she does have.]

[Regardless, summer comes to the strange world she's trapped in with this strange knight, and with it strange flyers in the town, one of which she takes home to look over.]

[ridethelightning]

[Ky, too, found himself enjoying Signum's company as the days turned into weeks. And as he had said before, as far as prisons went, this one was pleasant. When he wasn't fighting monsters outside of town or patrolling the streets of the town proper, he was either helping Signum out in the small field they have or cooking what they had bought and/or grown in the kitchen. This, as it turns out, was a blessing in disguise; Ky had been intending to polish his culinary skills, but had never had the time to do so -- until now.

When Signum arrives with the flyer, Ky is finishing off his breakfast with a cup of tea. He looks up when Signum walks in, smiles, and then notices the flyer in her hand.]

Good morning. What's that in your hand?

And I lost track of the plurks where we actually discussed this so bear with me

[brustriese]

[She holds it up, displaying some intensely cheery summer imagery.]

An advertisement for a festival the town is holding. Apparently there's quite a bit going on at the beach.

[ridethelightning]

[Ky leans in toward the flyer, looking to read it. From what he can tell, it's an annual celebration for the first official day of summer. Essentially, it's a beach party. Swimsuits are required, but they're offering rentals for those who have none.]

Yes, it looks that way. Were you interested in going?

[Even if Signum claims she isn't, Ky thinks he knows the answer to his own question. And if she does, in fact, deny her interest, he'll still push her to go, anyway. An opportunity to relax and have fun can and will benefit anybody, including Signum.]

[brustriese]

Well, it might be interesting, but I don't own a swimsuit here. Those are required, aren't they?

[Even she thinks that's kind of a weak excuse, she just doesn't feel like going shopping if she doesn't have to.]