realmofstories | First Shield | Is this what they call an Isekai?

Entry tags:

First Shield | Is this what they call an Isekai?

Characters: Ryotaro Dojima (King Arthur)
Campaign: Break
Format: Prose (But I'll match you)
Open or Closed: Open
Summary: The King has arrived, and he's trying to get the hang of the whole 'whisked away to another world to save it' thing. Come talk to him?

A: About the Town:

Clink, clank, clink--

"Ugh..."

If you followed the distinct sound of metal clicking and clacking together, you'd find yourself staring at an older man (maybe 40s?) in chain mail and parts of a suit of armor, with a cape, sword and crown to boot. He's rubbing his temple with his hand (Causing more clinking) glancing around, looking a little lost.

If he catches you looking at him, he straightens up, and turns your way-

"Pardon me--Ah."

He shook his head, looking even more annoyed, before continuing.

"Do you know where they sell normal clothing around here?"

Emphasis on 'normal'.

B: No horsing around.

If you happened by the lake, you'd see a new house had a appeared there. Well, perhaps it would be more appropriate to call it a castle. And standing infront of it would be an older man, staring down a pure white, large horse.

Fortunately, the horse seemed calm, and well trained, flicking its ears a bit but otherwise standing still. It was the man who looked a little unsure... as he offered up an apple to the horse, palm up.

"...I heard you guys like these."

The horses ears went up, and making a soft sound, the horse stepped forward, taking a bite out of the apple, it's tail relaxed along with it's nostrils.

At that, the man also relaxed, a small smile spreading on his face.

"Well, at least you're going to take it easy on me, huh?"

Maybe he'll let you pet the horsey...?

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The only reason he really catches her attention is because his armor rattles quite noisily. She herself is in one of her mermaid gowns as usual, hair dipping despite her attire being dry.

Considering how uncomfortable he is, the man's got to be another with an Aspect... possibly new.

"Hm... I'd have to walk you there. I would just give you directions, but I doubt those would do you any good if you're unfamiliar with the Index."

Glancing back towards her own residence... she guesses she has enough time.

His annoyance wearing off a bit now, he takes a moment to actually take in who he just asked for help.

...Wasn't exactly common to see a woman dressed like that just... walking around, but then, neither was wearing a near full suit of armor. Also, was her hair ...dripping water?

"I'd appreciate the help, if you don't mind."

He... bowed, though it wasn't the usual one a japanese person would do- one arm went to the small of his back, and the other to his chest as he bowed forward... only to stand straight again with a groan of frustration.

"Sorry, that's... not at you, it's..."

How to describe this? He rubbed he back of his neck, trying to find the words.

"I keep doing or saying things that seems off for me, but feel 'right' to something else... inside me. I guess it's that whole 'essence' thing, but its annoying as hell."

She doesn't understand why he was bowing - and in such a way too - but when he gets up and attempted to explain himself, it clicked.

"Don't worry. You'll get used to it... At least for you, it's courtly manners."

Proper chivalry as opposed to certain... modern interpretations of it. Chuckling under her breath, she turned and started walking.

"Come along. I only have about an hour to spare right now."

"Courtly Manners... yeah, that would make sense, considering my essense."

Considering how polite Japanese society is, you'd think that would be enough, but then, Dojima was always a little rough around the edges... no where to the exaggerated levels of Kanji Tatsumi, but still.

He frowned a bit at her chuckling at his expense, but he probably deserved it. Nodding, he followed after her.

"Sorry to bother you while you got something on the go..."

Looking her over, he was trying to assess who she was... or more so, what her 'aspect' could be.

Unfortunately, besides some stories he heard as a kid or some fairy tale books he read to Nanako, his knowledge of stories wasn't exactly... Robust. But still, water...

Some sort of, siren, mermaid? Otohime?...

If he asked, she'd probably tell him what she was laughing about, but she didn't elaborate on it otherwise.

"Don't worry about it. I don't really have anything else to do while it's going."

Walking ahead of him, she didn't really say anything, but after a while, she did glance over her shoulder.

"You can ask instead of staring, you know."

Oops. Guess she was more sensitive to assessing eyes than most... Or he was losing his touch.

"Forgive m--" A groan, "Sorry, old habits die hard, and I didn't know if its considered... polite to ask."

He rubbed the back of his head, looking a little sheepish.

"...And I don't know too many fairy tales, beyond what I've read my kid."

"It's fine. It's not uncommon to ask what someone's aspect is when you encounter them. I know I personally told several people within the first few days of meeting everyone."

It really wasn't a big deal to her.

"I can't say I know that many more personally... not unless it's perpetuated in media. Anyway, I'm the Sea Witch."

"Alright, I'll keep that in mind."

He nodded, then tilted his head as she revealed her own 'Aspect'.

"The Sea Witch... from The Little Mermaid, right?"

Even he knew that one, though after reading through one version of the book himself, he'd decided NOT to read that one to Nanako. Talk about a depressing ending... how was that a 'fairy tale', anyway?

"I figured it was water related, but wasn't sure if it was something from that story or more like Otohime."

Well, if she was going to open up to him about it, he should return the favor.

"...It's probably obvious considering the outfit and the 'courtly manners', but seems like I got King Arthur mixed up in me now."

And he didn't sound especially pleased...

"That's right. And don't worry. No one's made any sort of contract or request with me."

And as long as the Little Mermaid didn't, he would live a little longer lest his actions get him killed instead.

"I would think Otohime would wear something more elaborate."

She brought a hand to her hip and raised an eyebrow.

"King Arthur? Oh my... that's a story to be stuck with."

"...You don't sound keen on doing it, anyway."

Which Dojima could understand. After all, the witch's price for such wishes was rather... extreme. Who's want to do that to someone, especially knowing how the story ends?

"Maybe, but you have the composure of royalty, so I didn't think it wasn't that far off."

One might think Dojima was making a joke there, but his face was completely serious. Was that King Arthur, actually him or... Both?

"I honestly don't know a lot of the details about it, other what I learned just by picking up references here and there and tv shows or manga when I was a kid. Legendary Sword, Camelot, Knights of the Round table..."

He made a... rather uncomfortable face.

"...And some adultry, if I remember right."

"What do you mean? I love potentially condemning people to arbitrary retributions for their wishes, or for unknowingly being part of one."

Because the Prince ended up the center point of The Little Mermaid's wish, and one or the other ultimately had to die for the other to live. Still, she might be a little too harsh.

"My composure? No, this is normal for me. Not the dress, but everything else."

Odd compliment, but a different one. Old-fashioned, wasn't he?

Thinking about his Aspect, she nodded. "It was Lancelot with his wife... at least, I think. It's been a while, but the name stands out."

"Ah, sorry..."

Hit a nerve there, huh? He rubbed the back of his head, not sure what to say. So thankfully, she changed the topic.

"Hm, I see... that's reassuring." Someone calm and able to take charge in possible stressful situations. It was good to know someone else like that was here too.

Old-fashioned, country bumpkin, rough around the edges... there were a lot of things you could call Dojima.

"Lancelot... Yeah, now that you mention it, I recognize it as well."

There was a twinge of pain, discomfort-- betrayal? Burrowed in his chest from just hearing that name.

"I'm guessing there must be somewhere to do research on all these stories, right? I'd hope the man in charge wouldn't leave us totally in the dark."

"There's the Grand Library here in the Index. If you need a refresher on your story or any others, you'll go there. Still, one destination at a time..."

And he wanted regular clothes first.

Though, thinking about it, it would be interesting to see if he got kicked out because he couldn't move without making noise. Eh, no, the Library here was more lenient than that.

"Yeah, clothing first, then I can find the Library later on, so I won't disturb your work."

Because it was some sort of work she was doing, right?

The streets were winding, european in style, and just... fairytale like. Dojima would've definitely gotten lost here if it wasn't for the wo--

"... I just realised, I never actually introduced myself to you yet, just gave you my 'essense'."

Geez, this was embarrassing. What kinda detective was he?

"I'm Ryotaro Dojima. I'm a police detective in a small town... in Japan."

He said that last part tentatively, for all he knew, maybe Japan didn't exist where she was from.

Well, drat, there goes the armor in the Grand Library.

The streets were fortunately the same as yesterday; given the fairytale settings, no guarantee they would remain quiet or a new building wouldn't make an appearance.

Glancing back at him over her shoulder, he doesn't have to give a name, but she wouldn't stop him either.

Also, he doesn't have to see her eyes darken a bit at the mention of Japan.

"... Naomi Kimishima. I'm a medical examiner in America..."

He's been smacked for being too loud at libraries when he was a kid and even a teenager, he's not repeating that, thanks.

He couldn't help notice her expression change when he mentioned his home country. But he wasn't going to press it. she probably had her reasons, especially considering her name indicated her family may have been from Japan itself.

"Medical examiner?" He actually looked... relieved? Relaxing a bit more as they kept walking. Someone who worked with something he could relate to, something concrete and practical in this topsy turvy place.

"That's something I can understand, at least. Evidence gathering is one thing, but what you guys do at the lab is something else."

It'd be interesting to talk shop with her sometime, see what Americans do differently first hand from someone who worked with them, as opposed to second hand knowledge and dubs of their crime shows. But... perhaps another time.

"Either way, thanks for the help, Kimishima-san."

"Quite... It probably wouldn't be my profession if I still lived in Japan, of course. Not a highly desirable job and all."

And she doesn't know if attitudes had changed since her departure, but that was the end of that discussion.

"Just... Naomi or Kimishima, Detective. No honorific needed. And don't thank me just yet; we haven't arrived at the store."

But it was getting closer. They would both see it shortly in another block or so.

"...Maybe not, but it's an important one."

Being able to work with dead bodies took a special kind of mental fortitude, after all. He was fine with it by now, able to compartmentalize it easily... most days. With most people.

But he was only human.

Still, he could understand what she meant in other ways. Naoto Shirogane hadn't hidden her gender for fun after all. He knew the attitudes, especially in his town, weren't much better than they used to be.

It was frustrating, honestly. If a person did good work, who cared what gender they were? And despite his annoyance at times, he couldn't deny Shirogane's good work.

"...Alright then, Kimishima." Naomi felt far too familiar to him, but he could handle 'Kimishima' no problem. Odd though, maybe she was just used to being in America for too long?

Or... the added honorific reminded her too much of Japan. He was getting the distinct impression her departure hadn't been a pleasant one, but that was just inference and gut feelings. Another conversation for later, maybe, but he wouldn't push on this obvious sore spot.

The shop soon came into view-- it was hard to miss, with the large, faux spool of thread and needle on either side of the door, with measuring tape and scissor, and drapes of fabric cascading down the outside walls. Dojima sighed at the sight, rubbing his temple.

"... It looks like something out of an amusement park."

Wasn't hard to get him to agree to that... and he didn't seem to object to Detective. That was fine he'd probably find it awkward if she just called him 'Ryotaro' out of the blue, but 'Dojima' felt too formal alone. No, no, she'd have to think of a nickname for him other than Detective... King would probably do from his Aspect and Essence.

Staring towards the shop in question, she rested a hand on her hip and looked his way.

"You'll have to get used to it. Fantasy Victorian faire is the standard."

He was not at all Kingly. Did he come off as actually Regal already? Damn this essence...

"I will, I will..." He reassured her, giving her a small, wry smile, "I'm going to let myself complain for at least one day before I make myself get over it."

That was fair, right? But glancing back at the Shop, he sighed.

"... Well, better face the music and see what's actually in there for clothing. Thank you again for the assistance, Lady--"

A groan, and he shook his head.

"Kimishima, I appreciate you putting up with me."

Edited 2019-07-13 05:17 (UTC)

"Alright. Just don't complain to the actual citizens. They seem somewhat upset for one reason or another... Haven't asked them yet." Didn't want to bother asking them. What if one of them asked her to fix it; or for the ability to fix it themselves? Ugh...

Even she doesn't look very amused at almost being called Lady Kimishima. No formal titles for her.

"You're welcome. If you need my help again for some reason, just ask for the Under the Sea Apothecary... I didn't name it, but it functions."

Any new house on the lake or river will get noticed by Roxas, given how often he uses them for travel. So, naturally, he's drawn to the new castle-like house, which he swims up to from the shore in his merman form.

He watches the man at first, partially because he's curious, and partially because he's never seen horses before. He watches the man feed the horse for a couple of minutes before he finally ventures forward, coming to rest in the shallow water.

"Are those yours?"

"Huh-?!"

Well, that broke him out of the quiet tranquility of the moment. He turned around quickly to where the voice came from, chiding himself for having not heard anyone's foot steps--

"..."

Wait. The voice came from... the lake?

Dojima blinked, then, looked down from where he stood...

And stared in disbelief for a moment.

"...What are you, the little mermaid?"

He couldn't make out the boy's bottom half in the water, so it was mostly a joke.

Mostly.

"Huh? Yeah, actually. At least, that's my Essence."

He didn't mean to startle the guy, but well, here they are. He's surprised that this guy got his Essence so quick, but there were others who knew of his story before he did.

"I haven't seen you around before, or this house. So, you're a newcomer?"

Huh. Well, it wasn't exactly hard to guess while he was in water like that.

"Yeah, only arrived a day or so ago."

He reached back, giving the horse a pat on the face, before stepping over to get a closer look at the kid. He looked about... Hrm. Around Shirogane's age? Maybe younger... then again, Shirogane was so short, and Tatsumi so tall, you wouldn't guess they were in the same grade.

"Name's Ryotaro Dojima... and you are?"

Roxas, in turn, swims forward some more, coming closer to the shore. Like this, his tail could be seen clearer from the water, and he was more sitting on the bank than basking in the water.

"That would explain why I haven't seen you before. I'm Roxas. Welcome to the Index, I guess."

Huh, so the kid really did have the full tail...

But wait, the little mermaid was a girl, right? ...So did gender not matter here in terms of what Aspect you could get?

...Suddenly, Dojima was a little thankful he had gotten King Arthur, and not something like an Evil Queen or the like...

"Thanks for the welcome."

Roxas? What an odd name. What language was that, even?

"How long have you been here?"

It certainly didn't seem that way, given that Roxas was a merman despite having the Essence of a mermaid. Though, if one were to ask him if he thought it weird, he'd shrug it off.

"Hmm... It's been a while. I was one of the first to arrive here. Not quite a year, so... I think about eight months?" He nods; yeah, that sounds about right. Now that Roxas thought about it, it's been a long time he's been here. Time really did fly here in the Index.

"So if you need any help with anything, I can try to answer your questions, if the Library hasn't already."

"...This has been going on that long?"

Dojima's eyes narrowed, displeasure clear on his face.

"...And that 'Storyteller' is pulling in kids your age?"

It was one thing to call on someone like him or Naomi, but Roxas was a teenager, younger than Souji, even. He shouldn't have to deal with something like this.

"The library, huh... I went there yesterday, but I'm probably going to have to go back."

His expression became more tired, sighing.

"Seems my Aspect has a rather... extensive, varied story."

"Yeah. It doesn't feel like that long, though. And we've only repaired a few stories so far." It's weird to think he's been here so long, but at the same time, it didn't feel all that long at all.

"Well, it's true, but, it's not like I was brought here by force. He asked, and I agreed. I had the power to help, and have fought monsters before, so I thought I should come." He says it plainly, because, well, it was true. And if the Storyteller was to be believed, it's not like he was truly 'gone' while he was here. Sora's heart would still be safeguarded while he was here.

"Oh yeah? What's your Aspect?"

"..."

Power to help, huh? Didn't that sound familiar...

"Kids like you should be going to school and having fun with friends, not worrying about fighting monsters or saving the world."

But, then, what did he know? It wasn't like he'd been able to solve that case... if anything, he had probably been a burden to Souji and his friends.

...Thinking about it all, it still was a blow to his pride as a detective, and as a guardian of his nephew and father to his daughter. So, he pushed it away as he answered the kids question.

"King Arthur. Ever heard of him?"

Roxas goes briefly silent at those words, his gaze flicking down just for a moment. Going to school and having fun with friends, not having to worry about saving the world... yeah, Roxas would have loved a life like that. Just a simple life of jokes and ice cream, school projects and sunsets. If it were his call to make, he wouldn't even wield a Keyblade.

But alas, those decisions were out of his grasp. Heck, he's lucky enough to even be here, rather than residing in Sora's heart. Outside of here, he doesn't even have a body to call his own.

Still, that was a conversation he didn't want to spring on a newcomer. So, as quick as that silence was, Roxas pushes it away, instead focusing on the man's essence.

"King Arthur? No, I I haven't. But there's a lot of stories I hadn't heard of before coming here. I've never even heard of my Essence before coming here."

"Really? The little Mermaid is pretty famous where I'm from."

Not that he could really see why. But then, people seemed attracted to tragedy and drama, and that story had it in spades.

"...As for King Arthur, the story goes he was a legendary King of a country called England, a long time a go. Built up a castle city called Camelot, had a group known as the 'Knights of the Round Table', so that none would feel unequal to the other when they sat together."

He glanced back at his horse, letting a sigh slip through his nose.

"Of course, it all fell apart due to infighting, ends up with him dying, but with the potential to come back when England faced it's greatest threat. There's more to it, but it's... complicated."

Dojima didn't feel like adding in the adultery. After all, this kid couldn't be more than what, 14, 15?

"That seems to be the case. Some people here have heard of these stories, and others haven't. I guess they're told in certain worlds and not in others."

That's how he's taking it, at least. Different worlds were weird that way.

Roxas listened carefully to the story, and a small frown spread on his face. "That doesn't sound like a very happy story." Though, he's starting to realize that's rather par for the course with a lot of the stories here.

"Other worlds..."

That was something Dojima was still having trouble wrapping his head around. Science Fiction and Fantasy were outside his wheelhouse, after all. He was pragmatic, logical... leaving behind all those childish thoughts ages ago.

"...Yeah, neither does yours, honestly."

Which is why he was worried about it. If the story 'played out', would Roxas...?

No. He didn't want that-- he couldn't let that happen, even if it went against the story's original intent. He wasn't going to let this boy die on his watch over something stupid like that.

"I don't know if mine was supposed to have a 'happy ending'; it was more for drama and tales of 'Chivalry' and Knights being heroes, than anything else."

"Yeah. I know."

He was sort of spoiled about his story's ending by Shizuo, and then he got to read it for himself. He knows how sad the ending of his story is, and it's a little frightening how close to home it hits to him.

"I've kind of wondered why they seem to end so sadly." Because it seems like a lot of them end up hurting in the end, or having a more bittersweet ending. At least, for the stories he's heard.

"But wouldn't a story about knights being heroes end a little... you know, heroic?"

...Well, that was a hell of a question to ask a man he just met. Especially one who only read stories like this for his daughter.

"Not, all of them end sadly," A pause that felt far more awkward to him than he'd want to admit, "A lot of them do have 'happily ever afters'.

Dojima sighed, taking a seat on a stone near the shore.

"But I guess your story was about... unrequited love. Wanting to be something you weren't for the sake of love. Mine..."

What had he read about Arthur? Thinking on it now, trying to pin point the actual 'moral' of the stories...

"...Was about what an Ideal King should be, what knights who believed in chivalry should strive for. He did die defending his kingdom from his nephew's plot to take over--" That was an uncomfortable thought, flashing back to his nephew, who was definitely not a traitor, and then to someone more fitting the description,

"And there was the promise he'd return when England needed him most. It's not happy... but I guess it's not supposed to be. It's more a guide, and a promise."

"Yeah?" Roxas does perk up at that. This looks like someone familiar with a lot of stories, so if he says a lot of them have happily ever afters, he'll trust his words.

He listens to Dojima talk about King Arthur, about how a man does so much for his kingdom, and how he had been there for his kingdom even after his death. A part of him can't help but think of Sora's selflessness, and how much King Arthur's story reminds him of it. He smiles softly.

"He sounds like a really good Essence to have. And if he's you're Essence, that must say something."

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First Shield | Is this what they call an Isekai?

A: About the Town

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B

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