fandomhighdorms | Behind the Dorms, Tuesday Afternoon

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Behind the Dorms, Tuesday Afternoon

"Okay, guys," Zack said, stepping to the forefront of the Reserves meeting and grinning, his hands on his hips. "Today we're going to follow the lead of the Magic Reserves, and start focusing on sharing the more specific talents of the people in this group. But with a twist! While plenty of the stuff that they have over in the Magic corps is specific to just the person giving the demonstrations, the benefit to working physically is that plenty of the skills that each of us have can be taught to one another! Maybe you've got proficiency in a weapon that nobody else here seems to know, or else you've got awesome tracking skills and think that we could stand to learn how to use them, too! Or you might have something as simple as a training exercise that you've seen put to use back home that you think we could benefit from, here. If you have something to share with the group, I'm sure we'd all be thankful that you offered up the time to teach us!"

Zack, for example, would teach the group the fine art of smuggling cookies into serious meetings of an almost militaristic nature. The trick, of course, was to leave them in his pockets and give them to people who asked nicely.

And Arthur would be onto him eventually. He was just keeping an eye out. "So if you are prepared to share, step up to us this week. You may bring your own tale to the front this week, give us a demonstration, and please come up to have a word with us if you would like to demonstrate some time in the coming weeks, or would be willing to offer your services in training, or leading the reserves through a training exercise. We are here to learn from each other as best we can, and so each other is the best resource we've got."

He gave a nod to those gathered, then took a step back. Only to take a step back later to give his own round-up.

[[ ~~wait for the~~ ocd up! ]]

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In case you'd like to give a short talk and demonstration this week; for more comprehensive demonstrations or exercises in later weeks, go to the guys.

Arthur cleared his throat. "As a knight of Camelot," he said, "I have recieved training in a great deal of areas. Our primary weapon is the sword, primarily the arming." He patted the blade at his side. "But I'm also more than happy to share my knowledge of the quarterstaff, the bow and crossbow, the flail and the spear, among others. I run a practice on Monday morning if anyone is interested in actual training. As it stands... I'll keep to a demonstration of the sword, if it's right with you," and on that, he shot those gathered a slight smile.

Then he settled into stance, running through a relatively simple attacking drill-- mentioning the point of the measured, precise blows within. "It's the best weapon for duels as well," he said, "But the sword is primarily meant for one purpose: to kill, and kill swiftly. All you need is one blow to end someone's life for good."

"But you can kill with one blow using the quarterstaff as well," Mat replied with a tiny smile. "And anyone can find and hone a great bloody tree branch."

Guess which was Mat's chosen weapon?

"A quarterstaff is good if you like the blunt work," he agreed, "And it allows some of the same grace as a sword. Is that you volunteering, Mat?"

"Oh, why bloody not," Mat said with a cocky grin. "Does it mean I get to thump you in front of all these people?"

Arthur rolled his eyes loftily. "You're welcome to give it a try next week," he said, graciously.

"You can even use your sword if you like," Mat said, just as graciously. "It would be good to let them see how to defeat a nobleman's weapon."

"A staff for a staff," he said, lifting an eyebrow. "Let's keep this fight even."

"Oh, I'm not sure it will be even," Mat replied with a laugh.

Cocky bastard.

"Oh, don't worry," said Arthur, finding his glove far more interesting than Mat, "I'll make sure there's something left to send back to your mother."

"Care to wager on it?"

Oh, Mat.

Arthur sighed. It was somewhat exasperated. "This is a contest of skill, the matter of honour will be enough," he said, "Leave your coin where it is."

Mat almost pitied the prince from the obviously impoverished nation who couldn't put up coin for a simple wager.

"I prefer to put my coin with other coins," he replied with a grin. "It feels less lonesome that way."

Camelot was one of the richest nations in Albion; Arthur was just an overachiever with parental issues and a Paladin's disposition. "Well, I hope the lot of you find comfort in that arrangement in your pocket."

Re: Step Up and Talk!

bloody-luck.livejournal.com - 2009-11-17 19:33 (UTC) - Expand

"You can," Gabrielle agreed with a slight frown. "Personally I prefer not to, but that means it's just as important to know how you can use a staff to kill."

Mat winked. "Oh, absolutely, but sometimes people won't take a good battering to the head as a hint that they should stay down."

Like the bloody footpads who tried to kill him, for instance.

"No," Gabrielle conceded, eyebrows going up just a bit in a did you just wink at me? expression. Usually, this was what she relied on Xena for. "But a staff's useful for dislocating joints or breaking bones, too, if you know where to hit."

Of course he'd winked at her. She was a pretty girl and it was how Mat was built.

"But in extremely tight quarters, when there's no room to swing the staff," like, say, the captain's quarters on a ship, "your options can be limited," Mat replied.

"That's true." Gabrielle looked like she was a bit cornered, but not about to back down. Don't talk to her about ships; she'd likely get horribly seasick just at the thought. And then there might have to be pressure point usage and eating of disgusting things because her tastebuds weren't working. "That's usually when I try to run."

Or get taken hostage. Shh. What? She'd probably break her hand trying to punch someone.

"Generally by the time I'm using the staff, it's too late to run," Mat said a little bitterly.

"Half the time it's too late to run whether I'm using it or not." She'd said she'd try to run, after all, not necessarily that she succeeded at it. "Not your first choice?" Gabrielle asked, curious.

"To have people trying to kill me?" Mat replied. "No."

Gabrielle narrowed her eyes and looked at him in don't-get-smart-alecky-with-me exasperation. (It didn't take much to get her to that point some days.) "The staff. As a weapon."

"I'd bloody prefer not to have to use one at all," Mat said, "but the staff--or my knives--is what I choose."

Gabrielle made a face at the mention of knives, but she had to nod emphatically. "I'd rather not either, if I can avoid it. And I won't kill." She had Xena to do that, for all the good it would do in Fandom.