The Salle, Monday Morning

[bitchprince]

Yesterday night at Reno's had involved more drinking, but unlike Saturday, Arthur had taken some care in what he consumed. That meant he was reasonably free of a hangover as he strolled into the salle early that morning, taking his usual practice blade for the time being.

Merlin had followed him there, of course, and was now present in the salle going about his morning duties. He occasionally cast the boy a glance between drills, mostly to determine if any of the previous night's weirdness still held up.

[[ open salle, and merlin modded here with permission ]]

Comments

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

There was no affection weirdness!

Merlin was very casually sitting in the corner, poking at his phone. This texting bit was proving to be rather interesting!

[bitchprince]

Which might have been why, after yet another drill, Arthur put his sword aside to go for his Blackberry.

Not that he couldn't talk to Merlin, considering that he was right there, but it would be an interesting experiment.

He fiddled with the keys for a moment.

youre doing it wrong

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin squinted at that for a moment. And then at Arthur. Phone. Arthur. Phone.

Huh.

After more than a few moments he managed to text back.

prat.

[bitchprince]

the phone does not excuse your lack of manners, Arthur replied, fiddling with the Blackberry in order to demonstrate his clear expertise in the field.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

As if! Merlin had read the bloody book, you know.

I hav only folowed in youre example

The iPhone was screaming in horror over the spelling.

[bitchprince]

Arthur rolled his eyes at the response while he checked the state of the dummy, then launched into another short drill before he actually bothered to respond, himself.

my manners are fine. as is my spelling unlike yours which seems to resemble that of a braindamaged hog

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

Fiona came nice and early and made her way straight to the practice blades to get things started right away.

...fear, Arthur, she's cheerful again.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

It was rather nice of the thing to beep, letting him know when these things were delivered. Even if he could simply watch Arthur as he typed.

That earned an amused snort and a shake of Merlin's head as he replied.

its bettere in latin.

[bitchprince]

Well, that just meant there was something horribly wrong with the world.

"Fiona. Glad to see you've managed to turn up," Arthur said, with his particular take on grace. He turned to watch her while he waited for her to get hip ready.

[bitchprince]

god help me if i live to see the day your chicken scratchings actually read like something.

It was good practice. And if Arthur got sick of it, he could always toss something at Merlin's head from here. Up to and including verbal insults.

[withoutverona]

Romeo took a long hot shower that morning, then went to the diner for a pot of strong coffee and bacon and eggs that he ended up shuddering at instead of eating. But by the time he got to the Salle, he felt fairly human.

Like a human who wasn't going to drink again for a long time, but human.

"Good morrow," he said, as if this were a normal day and not his last here. "Staffs?"

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

"I told you I would," she reminded him as she walked over, her steps still light.

"And I showed up the last time. Just left before you finished a drill. What're we doing today?"

[bitchprince]

"If you think you can manage it," Arthur said, gracefully, and lifted his chin up at where the staves were kept. "One more time."

[bitchprince]

"It's not turning up unless I get to speak to you, first," Arthur returned. He gave his sword a slight swoop. "You've been keeping up with your practices?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

And it appeared to keep the conversation neatly ordered on Merlin's phone. In case anyone ever wanted to read just how bad they were at this.

im bettere at it now! not evaryone learns form birthe

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

She gave him a flat look, as if to tell him that he was welcome to be exact but that he could keep 'insulting' to himself.

"Yes, of course."

She'd even started to see what she could manage with a sword and the tessen, but she didn't mention that.

[withoutverona]

"For now. I'm not letting you out of trying this again at homecoming," Romeo informed him firmly as he selected a staff and tried to twirl it.

It was ... getting easier. Not fluid yet, but he no longer looked like a complete incompetent.

"How are you feeling?" he added.

[bitchprince]

there is no third e in better merlin.

After another beat, that was followed by,

but if i started id be here all day

Arthur cast a look over his shoulder to see how his messages were being received.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

He just got an amused look for that.

"It works just fine if you understood it!"

[bitchprince]

Arthur, being Arthur, found great joy in ignoring said look entirely. And visibly, at that. "Good," he said.

He nodded at the dummy. "Let's see you take that on, and we'll see about changing things up."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah hadn't been drunk at all this weekend, or gotten beaten up at Fight Club, so she was both cheerful and energetic as she bounced in. "Hey, guys." She headed over to the sword rack and told Arthur, "A friend of mine might be stopping by to watch before we do some extra practice. Griff. That's no problem, right?"

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

She glanced at the dummy.

"What would you like me to do to it?" she asked him with a tilt of her head.

[bitchprince]

"No, it doesn't," Arthur retorted, then seemed to stalk off to get another practice sword.

Which was exactly why about a minute later, speaking does not make up for your intolerable writing ability. or your laziness. or your lack of decorum. at least your ears work

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

they arre large for a reasone

[bitchprince]

to capture flies ignore orders and keep your hair up?

Turns out insults to Merlin's masculinity also worked over the phone.