The Salle, Monday Morning

[bitchprince]

The lack of classes meant Arthur would be spending more time in the salle than usual (if that was even possible), and he hadn't wasted too much time getting there that morning. His arm was coming along nicely, and so he took a practice blade for his left.

Might as well get some simple drills in while he waited.

[[ and open, but mild sp warning ]]

Comments

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah woke up in a terrific mood because there were no classes, and the play still had her buzzed. She bounced into the salle with even more energy than usual, chirped, "Hi Arthur!" and headed for the practice swords. And anticipated snark, but didn't care. That's how good her mood was.

[bitchprince]

"Dinah," Arthur greeted in turn, executing a decent slice on the dummy's neck. "You're... cheerful this morning."

For her standards, even.

[momslilassassin]

Ben had been thinking along similar lines. Besides, he'd been up for hours already working on various droids and was beginning to get a little stircrazy.

He walked into the salle, lightsaber hilt in hand, and nodded at Arthur. "Your Highness."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Classes are done! And summer workshops will be easy, and there's new kids to help out, and it's been a great week." She grinned at him as she got into position, stretching out her arms and shoulders before getting ready. "Aren't you psyched?"

[bitchprince]

"Ben," Arthur returned, narrowly skirting past adding the Squire bit again. He was learning. "Good morning." He was trying not to stare at the lightsaber too much. He was going to have to get used to them, after all.

[bitchprince]

No, he wasn't, because classes being done meant he had more time on his hands, and that was more time he'd wind up futilly wasting on brooding about how he was still stuck here. "I'd hardly get 'psyched' by something that small," Arthur said instead, and held up his sword. "We'll be running through a new drill today."

[withoutverona]

Romeo was glad to at least have something real to do; he'd spent three days thinking and researching and poking at things, now, and it hadn't gotten him any closer to a final decision on what to do after he left the island. This thinking-before-he-acted thing was going to make him more mad than he already was.

He watched Arthur practice for a moment or two before calling out. "Good morning."

[momslilassassin]

Ben gave him a small smile. He'd noticed the lack of "squire" and was trying not to look as pleased about that as he really was.

"I can work with a regular blade if you'd prefer," he said quietly.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Cool!" Dinah toned it down a little. Although not by much. "Ready when you are."

[bitchprince]

"No need," Arthur replied. There were some things he'd have to live with, that much had become clear. "It's a public salle. Your blade is your own."

[bitchprince]

Ah, Romeo. Arthur lowered his sword before he turned. "Good morning, Romeo," he said, "Returned to us, have you?"

[bitchprince]

Arthur would not roll his eyes. (Really, getting to play with swords was always good on his mood, so that most likely had something to do with it).

He ran through the drill fast the first time - heavier on the offensive - and then slowly the second. Paid special attention to his own footwork, so she could see.

[momslilassassin]

"I'm making a new one," Ben said, igniting this one with an easy motion, "but something about it doesn't feel right yet. I was hoping I could figure it out by working with this one a while."

[bitchprince]

Any attempt at not giving the blade at least a cursory glance? Now past him. Arthur didn't bother to disguise the look - that would be a worse weakness - but followed it to its send, and then returned his gaze to Ben. "The balance is off?" he asked. It was the only way he could place it.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

It was flashier and more aggressive than the other drills she'd been running; Dinah kind of hoped she'd get the chance to run it on Alice sometime soon. The footwork was trickier too, so Dinah concentrated on that when she ran it through the first time, at half-speed, keeping her sword moving as she did so. "We're still doing this even when we're at the cabins, right?"

[bitchprince]

"You're still early in your training," he said, following her steps closely, "Further to the left," he interjected, and then: "Leaving you too much time between drills would be irresponsible."

[momslilassassin]

Ben nodded. "The blade doesn't add any weight to the weapon," he said, "so the hilt has to be perfect. And right now it's not, and I don't want to risk taking this one apart to figure it out and then not have any weapon."

[withoutverona]

"So it would seem -- to graduate, at least, and for a few weeks after that," Romeo said. "After that, I don't know. How have things been here?"

He was already sitting on the mat to stretch out; impolite, he supposed, but he also knew Arthur was perfectly capable of deciding he was talking too much and it was time to fight at any point.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Translation from Arthur to Everyone Else: yes. "Cool." Another bounce, quickly stifled, and a second run-through, more careful with the footwork this time. A concern that had been bugging her surfaced as she did the slash upward, then across. "How are you going to know when I'm ready to do this in a fight?" Another small frown. "How will I know?" It wasn't the same as eskrima sticks. Way more complicated, and it didn't play to her strengths, so Dinah didn't feel like she could judge it yet.

[bitchprince]

"You'll know," he said, "When I tell you. When it comes naturally." Which might be a long time yet, if any. "Concentrating on acquainting yourself with your blade before you get ahead of yourself." Arthur passed a few more comments about shifting, places where she could stumble.

[bitchprince]

"Of course," he said, then paused, and added, "Don't they have blacksmiths in your time?"

[bitchprince]

He welcomed such faith in his abilities gladly.

Arthur joined him on the mat, but his own stretches were yet idle. "Same as they've been," he said, "No invasions, no strangeness beyond the regular kind." Also, a slow death for Arthur if things were going to remain this calm. "You won't be leaving as soon as you graduate?" Like Reno.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

The first part got an eye-roll, the second, a more considering nod. That... was gonna take a while. Which wasn't to say Dinah was going to quit, but...

"Tahiri got me a fighting staff for my birthday," she mentioned. Casually. Sort of. "And Leto and Blysse got me knives." A hum. "I need to practice the staffwork again. It's been ages."

Wait for it... wait for it....

[momslilassassin]

"For this, no," Ben said with a grin. "It's a test of a Jedi's skill, that we make the weapon we wield."

[withoutverona]

"Quiet as we can expect, then." Romeo shook his head from where it was bent over his knee. "And no. There's the shop, Yurika said something about finding a TA position -- and I need to work out where I'm going to go, first."

He wasn't going to think about Reno leaving until it actually happened. Denial was beautiful.