The Salle, Monday Morning

[bitchprince]

Unlike his tired mun Arthur was fresh and early back in the salle. Now that the weather had died down, he had a lot of exercise to catch up on. And he was devoted to getting that done right.

... Pity those poor training dummies.

Pity them greatly.

[[ open, but SP for the next hour as I head on home ]]

Comments

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah was hoping she was more healed up than she thought, and would be able to lift a sword without having it hurt too much. "Morning," she chirped, heading for the blades.

[bitchprince]

Arthur eyed her. "What is the state of your wounds," he said. Admire the lack of question marks there.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Because really, what else can you do when faced with imperatives?

"My head feels okay. None of the cuts are infected." Her side was still sore, but she wasn't sure how that translated into lifting things. "And I guess we'll see about the picking up a sword..."

Okay! She could pick it up. With both hands. Dinah slid Arthur a sideways look, wishing she'd thought to get here early and try to find a workaround first. Because trying to lift it beyond waist-height, maybe not so possible.

[bitchprince]

Arthur watched the spectacle for a few seconds before striding up and purposefully reaching for the hilt of the blade. "That's enough," he said, "You'll lose the arm at the rate you're going."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"I wouldn't--" Dinah tried to protest, then grimaced, because her side was already feeling stretched and like it wanted to cramp. "Fine. Sticks. I can do sticks." Or she could go stir-crazy and go outside to create a snow tunnel to the beach!

[bitchprince]

"Take the lightest eskrima you can find," Arthur said, glancing towards the rack of weapons. "And no intensive drils."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah managed not to stomp over to the rack, then sighed, grabbing one and twisting it in her left hand. Yeah, that worked. Nothing pulled there. She tried with her right arm, and that wasn't too bad, but nowhere near the usual range of motion. Light drill, fine. "Maybe I should have had Karla heal it up," she grumbled, heading for the nearest practice dummy.

[bitchprince]

"Maybe you should," Arthur agreed, idly, "But there's no way you're doing your usual drills in this state, and the longer I keep you in here, the least likely you are to hurl yourself off a cliff for a thrill."

Arthur, as Merlin would put it, only did that if he felt like he had something to prove. Which in Arthur's opinion was totally better.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"I would wear a parachute first," Dinah said with dignity. Or something approaching it. "Or if it was a really short cliff."

Left hand. Whap-whap-whappity-whap! Right hand. Whap-whap--okay, slower. Damnit. Whap. Whap. Whap. Whap.

[bitchprince]

"Yes, do keep on breaking bones, it's good for your constitution."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah made a face, and pointed out, "You're even worse than me." She stopped to massage her shoulder, and said more soberly, "I'm not power training with Azula again. Not because you ordered me to. It's just not a good idea."

[bitchprince]

"Well, I have been known to exhibit a great amount of sense in my judgement."

Like Dinah saying 'I don't take your orders' would keep him from taking the credit.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Whap! Motivating her, even when she's wounded, that's Arthur.

"I have to talk to her about anything else." Dinah slid him another look, and said, "If there's martial arts training, I'm not doing it alone. Roy suggested a spotter. It sounded like a good idea."

[bitchprince]

"You realise," Arthur said, shooting her a dubious look, "That there are many possible trainers at this school, some of which have actually proven themselves to manage a measure of composure and restraint."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"But that would mean quitting." He got that, right? Not quitting? Not just losing?

[bitchprince]

"Dinah, I don't think anyone is pulling your tenacity or idiot courage into question at this point," he said. More looks, yes. "There is nothing here for you to prove."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"...wow. That was kinda like a compliment. Almost." Dinah quirked a smile at him, then hit the practice dummy extra-hard. She grimaced, hit it again. "I learned a lot from her," she said, more subdued. "I don't like the possibility of missing out. But." Whap. Whap. Ow. "Right."

[bitchprince]

"Don't get used to it."

He only did those backhanded, anyway. Well. Except for certain people. Sometimes. When no one else was in the room.

"But think carefully about what you risk your neck for. Someone might need it for a better cause somewhere down the line, the poor sods."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, no fear." She'd always defend him to people who said he was a jerk, but that also always left room for her to yell at him in person.

It was completely equivalent and made equal sense.

And Arthur was making sense again. Damnit. "Point." Whap. Whap. Talking to Azula was looking even more important now. "...Thanks."

[bitchprince]

"Don't thank me." Brought to you for about 90% by Arthur's relative inability to take anyone's thanks. "I've put over a year of training in you, I don't want to see it go to waste."