The Salle, Monday Morning

[bitchprince]

Not that Arthur would admit it, but yesterday had helped to calm him down from the state of introverted confusion he'd been in since Thursday. He was no longer showing signs of such, or at least nothing that was as easily, visibly sedate.

He was, however, very focused on his own swordwork that morning. He'd asked Merlin to stand guard come with him into the salle, but now that what bothered him worst had gotten out, he was free to focus on his movements to ward off the rest of it. Slowly, carefully, and with full concentration, he lapsed into familiar patterns that were as easy as breathing by now.

[[ open salle, but I'll be SP in bursts until the evening ]]

Comments

[puppy_fair]

"The creatures where I'm from get a lot bigger and meaner than gryphons," Zack noted, and now he was the one circling Arthur, trying to find an opening. "Sometimes muscle and swords don't cut it. Heck, sometimes bullets don't cut it, either. That's what SOLDIER is for."

Well, that was part of what SOLDIER was for. But war was a bit of a given, and Zack remained blissfully ignorant of the President's quest for power at any cost.

[bitchprince]

"Sometimes they don't."

And Zack would best not tell anyone he'd gotten that acknowledgement.

"But it is our law."

He followed Zack's movements closely.

[puppy_fair]

Zack wasn't really the sort to run around blabbing about things like that, anyhow.

"I'll try to respect your people's laws while I'm around you," Zack decided, moving his sword up a bare inch and taking a half-step forward. Arthur was good- in a regular spar he was better than Zack was, there was no denying that. And focus was difficult for the puppy at the best of times. Maybe it would be better for Zack to stop looking for an opening, and instead try to wear him down with stamina and strength? "I can't make any promises in an emergency, but not pulling out my materia otherwise is easy enough."

Yes, that would be his strategy. He was running at Arthur again, bringing his sword downward and really putting his weight into it, now.

[bitchprince]

Arthur actually snorted out loud (way to reignite that latent small crush, Zack) at that. "That would make for a first," he said, and then Zack reached him and his sword came up, meeting Zack's halfway and, for once, actually straining to keep it there. Straining harder than he'd like.

[puppy_fair]

"It's the least I can do," Zack decided, bringing his sword down and around for a swing at Arthur's side, next, planting his feet firmly against the floor in an effort to put the same amount of force behind this attack, as well. "I imagine you'd do the same for me, if the situation was reversed, right?"

Sometimes, Zack had a pretty overactive imagination.

[bitchprince]

At this rate, Zack was going to put significant and lasting strain on his arms. Arthur would have to end this fairly quickly, get within a closer range and perhaps bodyslam him back into the ground.

... Zack should really come to Camelot and see him dealing with the rookie wannabe knights. Most of them lasted less than ten seconds with him in a fight.

"Whatever rules you choose to live by," he agreed, bringing his sword back up for an entirely too straining parry, "Although ours have been-- Limiting."

Yes, he didn't talk about it much, which was why he was trying to use this opportunity to get himself in closer range of that flank of Zack's that wasn't currently protected and busy trying to hack up Arthur's own flank.

[puppy_fair]

"I can imagine," Zack said soberly as he attempted to wiggle himself into a more guarded position with somewhat lacking results. "Being able to heal in the middle of battle and keep going with a fresh start kinda jumps to mind."

Not that Zack was going to be digging for the potions or anything anytime soon. But he would have been in pretty dire straits during his last spar with Deadpool if he hadn't had his Cure materia on hand, for example.

"Or did you mean something else?"

Too difficult to guard while attacking, and so Zack just wasn't going to bother. Up went his sword for another heavy downward swing, instead. Whatever Arthur had to dish out to his unguarded side, Zack would just have to cope.

[bitchprince]

Which meant that Arthur wasn't going to bother answering until he saw the result of his next move, which was a rather happy, full-on, weight-first bodyslam as his sword blocked and slid past the edge of Zack's. He might wind up stumbling after this one, but if it took Zack down before his own stamina gave up, it would be worth it.

[puppy_fair]

Well, it sent Zack stumbling, at least, cartwheeling one arm and trying to keep from ending up on his behind. What resulted was an almost humorous pose that involved one leg up in the air like... well, like a puppy taking a pee, really.

But dammit, he wasn't falling over!

[bitchprince]

Arthur was stumbling, too. That didn't mean he didn't see a good opportunity for a kick at Zack's remaining knee while he was at it.

It probably looked a lot like clowns beating each other up.

[puppy_fair]

Considering all of the wet paint, possibly even moreso.

Why didn't people bring video recording devices to the Salle on Monday mornings?

Aaand down Zack went, though the leg that was in the air was now swinging upward somewhere toward Arthur's behind even as Zack toppled. Arthur didn't expect him to fall over without at least making it worthwhile, did he?

At least he hadn't grabbed at him again.

[bitchprince]

Oh, for the love of--

Arthur's eyes went big as Zack did not just kick me in the arse flitted through his head. He had a footprint that said Yes He Did, but still.

Arthur glared down at him for a minute. "Don't," he said.

Then, after a moment, "No, it's not that."

[puppy_fair]

A big, innocent grin was all that Zack could really muster up in his own defence while he was being glared at like that.

"It was wide open," he shared, possibly even a little smugly, even while he was sitting on his own rear on the floor. And then, after another moment, "What is it, then?"

[bitchprince]

"I cannot accept new knights outside of our code," Arthur said, after a moment. He was going to trust Zack wouldn't share any of this, "And magical creatures threatening our lands? If blunt force doesn't hurt them..."

[puppy_fair]

Zack's grin faded to a grimace pretty swiftly, there.

"... People get hurt?"

Either innocents, being hurt by the monster, or else...

"Like, if somebody were to break the law, and use magic to get rid of it. They'd still be... breaking the law."

[bitchprince]

"They'd be breaking the law," Arthur agreed, taking a step back. Funny how when he lowered his sword, he wasn't giving it any fancy swoops or twirls to rub it in a little. "Which is punishable by death."

[puppy_fair]

Zack let that soak in a little before he found his feet again, and once again his sword was set to rest on his shoulder.

"I think... If someone were to step in, using magic to handle a monster that would have killed everyone otherwise and knowing what their sentence would be..." He hesitated a moment, not certain if he should really say it, considering the law. But then, maybe it was just something that had to be said anyhow. "They saw other lives as more important than their own. A person like that would be something of a hero, even if nobody else ever agreed."

[bitchprince]

Like Lancelot.

Or Merlin.

Arthur's mouth curled into a distant smile, and then he turned, pacing towards the racks to put his training sword aside. "There are things I wish I could do," he admitted; it'd been too long since he'd gotten to talk to anyone about honour and heroism, the way the knights knew it.

[puppy_fair]

"About the law?" There was another moment's pause as Zack thought the whole mess over, keeping his eye on Arthur. "My mentor back home keeps telling me, 'Embrace your dreams. And above all else, protect your honor as SOLDIER.' It looks to me that with something like this, it still holds, SOLDIER or not. And that doing one feeds directly into the other, as well."

Which was Zack's roundabout way of suggesting that, instead of wishing something could be done, maybe it was more important to start looking for avenues to do it.

[bitchprince]

"He is my father, Zack," Arthur pointed out; and it wouldn't be the first time he'd gone behind Uther's back. "It isn't my place to question his laws in public." There were certain kinds of careful phrasing he probably wasn't going to lose until his father well and truly died. "As prince of Camelot, I'm sworn to uphold its laws. That doesn't mean I don't do what I can."

[puppy_fair]

"Prince means you could be king someday," Zack noted. "I'm sure you've given thought as to what to do about it then?"

Zack couldn't ask Arthur to just take propriety and toss it from a window. Even if right and wrong seemed to be written in black and white in this situation, it was so much more muddled than that. It was Arthur's dad who was doing all of this.

[bitchprince]

"It doesn't mean I could," Arthur simply said, "It means I will, barring an untimely death."

You idiot implied.

It was Arthurese for 'yes, I have, and it scares the hell out of me but I'm not telling you that.'

[puppy_fair]

Hey, if someone had offered the throne to Zack on a silver platter, he would have turned it down in a heartbeat. Even if Arthur hadn't told him that, he could well imagine.

"Well, then don't die," Zack replied, letting the implied you idiot slide easily enough to the side. "If there's anything I can do, for you or for Camelot, let me know."

It was all said so soberly, compared to Zack's usual chirp. This was heavy stuff, after all.

[bitchprince]

In that moment, Zack reminded him so much of Lancelot it practically hurt. He wasn't going to insult that gesture with an 'I can handle it'; instead, Zack got a slight bow of Arthur's head.

"You're a good man," he said, "What your mentor said, about keeping your honour -- don't let anyone take it from you."

The practice sword fell back into place where it belonged.

[puppy_fair]

"I won't," Zack said dutifully with a small bow of his head. "And keep sight of yours, Arthur. It's that much more important for you, I think."

A king without honor would be...

Well. Terrifying.