The Salle, Monday Morning

[bitchprince]

It had been two weeks since Arthur had gotten some proper salle practice in, and he was rather happy to return to the practice without much in terms of danger slipping its way in. It was good for his muscles, strained from recent combat, and it was good for his mind, to hear his sword shifting cleanly through the air, in motions that were as much a part of him as breathing.

Occasionally, though, he would sneak glances back towards the bench on which Merlin was seated, as plans began to form and shape themselves. Perhaps all should beware. Perhaps they shouldn't.

Either way, Arthur was in a good mood today. That was perhaps the scariest thing of all.

[[ open salle! ]]

Comments

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Merlin has to watch his footwork?" Dinah asked, correcting her own stance and speed. "He's polishing a sword." And not with his toes, at that. "And everyone here is kinda crazy, Merlin."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin frowned at that. "Francine's not. Nor is Arthur."

[bitchprince]

"I'll have to give you that," Arthur told Merlin. Seriously. "And I wasn't talking about Merlin's footwork, unless you have very strange ideas about sword polishing."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah turned swung stepped, turn-swung-step, then realized he'd been talking about eye-of-the-beholder madness for Merlin. Not footwork. "Francine's not." Yeah, no comment on the Pendragon guy. "And most people are crazy in a good way here."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

What you say?

"...there's a good crazy?" Hey, he only knew the 'Let's kill the prince because we've gone mad and hate Uther!' type before.

[bitchprince]

"That depends on how little brains they have," Arthur advised Merlin. "And keep concentrating, Dinah."

Yes, he was going to keep talking and distracting her anyway. What of it?

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Step, step, stab to the count of Arthur's words, ha!

"Zack is good crazy. People who run toward the screaming and fires and zombies are good crazy." More mischief, eyes on the sword, though, take that, Prince guy. "People who blow up dragons instead of letting other people get eaten 'cause that's more self-preservational: good crazy."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Zack's not mad either," Merlin replied. "He knows what he's doing. A bit... eager, but not mad."

No, that would be the odd red man in the costume.

[bitchprince]

"It's not crazy," Arthur had to contribute, "It shows courage, fortitude and strength of character."

Yes, he was actually including Merlin in that.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"And is crazy, if you go one step further and fight dragons and super-villains. At least according to lots of people in this century." Dinah shrugged, okay with that by those standards. People who Just Didn't Get It didn't matter. And wow, was that a compliment from Arthur to Merlin? Seriously?

Cool.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Who else will?"

[bitchprince]

"It was a duty for us in the name of the people of Canadia," Arthur replied, keeping his eyes on her blade. "What's so mad about that?"

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah had to grin at Canadia. "Oooo Canada," she sang. "My home and native laaand-- And mostly they'd expect the government to take care of it, without thinking of how, I guess."

Slice, slice, and very careful disemboweling stroke, yay. "Or wonder why we weren't getting paid."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

The government? But that was Arthur back home. Well, him and the King.

"People get paid to do this? Wouldn't they want to help out without expecting something in return?"

Oh, naive Merlin.

[bitchprince]

"It is the government's responsibility to protect the people," Arthur said, nonplussed, "Pay hardly comes into it, unless you mean taxes."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah wasn't sure if this was a definition thing or a cultural thing, but, hey. Break it down to simple stuff, right?

"Police and firemen get paid with our taxes to do dangerous things, and even though everyone respects them for it and expects it, they still get called crazy sometimes. Good crazy. But still." She paused to look over at Arthur. "Constable Elson? Helping us on his own time. Because his bosses wouldn't believe in magic. That's dedication. And all his co-workers would just call him crazy." She looked over at Merlin, and frowned a little in confusion. "Well, how else are they going to live?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Well, working of course."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah gave him a look like now he was just Weird Crazy. "That is their work, Merlin."

[bitchprince]

"The police are like knights," Arthur observed, "Although it seems they have less duties to mind."