Third Floor Common Room, Tuesday Afternoon

[bitchprince]

After completing his go at Gun Club, Arthur returned to the dorms only to realise he didn't much feel like dealing with Leto yet. He'd come up with a proper revenge later. Right now, he craved a chance to sit somewhere, to fight off the sense that was dawning in the wake of yesterday's upset. He sat, and idly considered the Teevee.

Maybe she's just afraid to lose a friend, Merlin had said, and while Arthur was not going to stretch as far as to call her that aloud, he had to admit that the expression on her face had... seemed...

It was easier, dealing with sorcerers, when all you did was distract Father and find them quick shelter elsewhere. Here, there was little escape from them. No matter what he did, they would remain, and the honest truth was that he bore them very little ill will.

Wasn't his father. He'd seen too much damage caused by it not to be wary, but...

Of course, that made him think of Liir. He wasn't going to let thought of his conduct around him make him cringe.

So he sat. Subdued. Thinking.

[[ open common room! ]]

Comments

[lovemykilt]

"Glorious deeds of valor, eh?" Priestly wracked his brain for a 'glorious deeds of valor' sort of song.

He didn't know a whole lot of those.

"Oh, I know:
They met on the battlefield banner in hand.
They looked out across the vacant land.
And they counted the missing, one upon one,
None upon none.
The war it was over before it begun.

Two little kings playing a game.
They gave a war and nobody came."

Okay, so maybe it was an ironic sort of glorious deeds of valor song.

[bitchprince]

Arthur stared at him for a moment.

Then his poor attempt at a stoic expression failed, and he started laughing.

"What kind of a ridiculous tale is that?"

Very amused.

[lovemykilt]

Priestly shrugged, wearing a smile of his own. "I dunno, man, the whole 'valour of glorious deeds' or whatever didn't really stick around? Most of the war songs I know are ironic."

[bitchprince]

Arthur simply shook his head. "War isn't worth anything if there isn't a good cause, something more than bloodshed," he said, "I agree, but... that doesn't render the art worthless."

He paused. "Still, two kings alone, without their armies- they can't have been very good."

[lovemykilt]

Priestly looked over, not bothering to contain his surprised, slightly impressed expression. "Yeah, I'm thinking their subjects didn't really respect 'em a whole lot."

[bitchprince]

"A real leader makes sure his people know he'll carry any burden they do," Arthur said, leaning back against the couch. "I don't think this war had any support in reality."

[lovemykilt]

"True. I actually had kinda a similar conversation with your friend Merlin. If a king or a president or whoever should only be eating well and playing games and stuff if the people he or she's ruling get to, too."

[bitchprince]

"Very insightful," Arthur said, dryly. "And if the people go to war, so should their king," he continued, with a nod. "Nevermind that no just king would be eating while the people are starving."

This... might have been a big blow-up point between him and his father.

[lovemykilt]

Priestly broke into a grin. "Man, exactly!" He offered his hand. "I owe you an apology, man. After the whole drunk thing, I totally had you pegged as just an arrogant asshole."

[bitchprince]

"After the whole 'drunk thing'," Arthur said, dryly, "I had you pegged as an idiot. I guess some apologies are warranted."

He looked at Priestly; looked at his hand. Took it, and shook it once. "I suppose this proves..." he paused. "Something."

[lovemykilt]

"Possibly something about neither of us assuming things when one of us is trashed?" Priestly shrugged. "Mind you, I still think you could benefit from some of the revolutionary literature of the last couple centuries, but I kind of think everyone could."

[bitchprince]

"You would." Arthur's eyebrows wiggled in temporary (Britishly deadpan) amusement.

[lovemykilt]

Fortunately, Priestly had a decent grasp on dry wit. And was generally in a good mood, anyway. "Hey, we are living in a revolutionary world and I am a revolutionary girl. Boy. Man. I'd say you get the point but I have the feeling Madonna's kinda going over your head?"

[bitchprince]

"I got the part where you said you were a girl?" Arthur offered, smirking.

[lovemykilt]

"Yeeeeah. I kinda figured you'd catch that part. Oh well."