exsilium | ♔ video ||

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♔ video ||

[somewhere out beyond the city there begins the shakiest video post ever. it's clear that whoever handles this device is not accustomed to using anything like it--but eventually, it rights itself, with some muttering and swearing, and then hello, there's Arthur, in his full armor, standing in the barren outlands. there's a smudge of dirt and blood on his forehead, but otherwise he's very clean and presentable and princely (all indignity of technological unfamiliarity aside).]

I am Prince Arthur of Camelot, recently brought to this place. I do not take kindly to being pressed into service, but as our captors have said, they have no choice in our being here. [yeah right. even with his princeface on, he sneers a little at that. but.]

If we take what we have been told as truth--that there is a force that threatens all of our kingdoms--then our way is clear. We are not united, but this threat gives us common cause. [though the way his mouth tightens when he says that indicates how very not pleased he is by that.] I am not content to wait to be told what to do when my kingdom is threatened. So it falls then to us, to organize ourselves. The training sessions that this Initiative provides--I have found them to be wanting, yet they can be used to our purposes, should we chose to.

But we must first know what strength is ours, and what weapons we have been given. No force can be organized without this information. And if this United Earth presumes to steal resources from our kingdoms, we must know what it is that they would look to steal, so we can better protect against these threats when the time comes. And it had best come soon.

I have set the task of collecting this information to my servant, Merlin, wherever the idiot's gotten off to. He will ask each of you in turn, or else you may come to him.

[and you will answer, that's the message here, and with an imperious nod, he reaches to--fumble around with the device again, and the rest of this is muttering.]

Damn-- thing--

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[Well, he conjured it, of course.]

I simply found it. And it's not as if you're any better; you do the same thing when the knights aren't available!

I don't botch it quite as badly as that. D'you really think you're going to learn anything useful that way?

I don't think it's a futile practice.

It's futile unless you already know what you're doing. If you don't know what you're doing, you might as well take your sword and cut down a tree with it, for all the good it does you.

[which is unthinkable swords are not treated in that way. Arthur sighs--oh Merlin you idiot--and shakes his head.]

Just come here already.

Are you in your room, then?

Could we train in my room, Merlin? Would there be space enough?

[Clearly NO.]

I'm out beyond the city, but I've started on my way back.

So I'll meet you at the borders, then.

Just see that you're on time.

[either he's smirking or smiling, or something in between. it's difficult to say.]

On time for wha-- oh, forget it. I'll be right there.

[Cutting the video feed WOW RUDE MERLIN. But you know what, he is there on time, so there.]

[VERY RUDE but he will pay for that later. not that training was going to be any fun anyway.

it's sheer luck that Merlin finds Arthur, probably. the city is a large place. there are likely not that many entrances and exits, and the large flat expanse of dead land surrounding it guarantees that it is not so difficult to see people approaching--but even so, it has to be luck, or else Arthur would have to be nearly impressed with his servant.]

Ready to stop being so idle?

I'm hardly idle, you know. Simply because you think I am doesn't mean I actually am.

Is that so. Then what have you been doing, Merlin, do tell. Besides hacking apart dummies. I've seen that one for myself.

I wasn't hacking it apart, I was training. On a dummy, yes, but only because I didn't have someone else to practice on.

I suppose the effort is a good start, given your usual laziness. But as you're here--

[and he draws his sword. so casual!]

Ah.

[With a bit of a pinched expression, he draws his own sword and holds it ready (he remembers that much, at least).]

Don't look so excited, Merlin. I realize this is a rare opportunity, training with me--it's a bit wasted on you, but--

[He uses his sword to push up on Merlin's, bringing it up higher.]

We'll make the best of it. Stronger grip.

[He scowls a little-- but he also does as Arthur commands, gripping it a bit tighter.]

For once, I think I'd like if you asked me if I'd like to do something.

You would like to do this. I already know that, as I witnessed your sad attempts at earlier practice. Parry first, like this--

[And he takes a half step back to demonstrate, and gives Merlin a sharp nod.]

Go on.

[He copies the action as best he can-- and he's honestly not bad at it, thanks to previous lessons from Arthur himself. He's certainly no knight, but it's a good parry.]

[not bad, that's about the highest compliment to expect. and it might be a good sign that Arthur's already thinking it so soon. it's not as if he actually thinks Merlin is quite as useless as he's always going on about--just mostly that useless.

but he doesn't say that compliment aloud, he only nods, and takes another half step back, hefting his sword in his hand.]

When I step forward, step back and catch the blow.

[and he does precisely that, slowly swinging his sword down in an overhead strike.]

[Arthur moves slowly, but he needn't have-- almost automatically, Merlin slows time a little, giving himself plenty of time to comprehend the instruction and follow it to the letter. Step back, right, and bring his sword up a bit more-- and he parries the blow quite neatly, holding Arthur at bay for a few seconds.

But the side-effect of that, of course, is that to Arthur, Merlin will have moved shockingly fast. Oh, well. He's lithe enough, surely it's understandable he has a turn of speed about him.]

Merlin!

[because one second he's a few steps away and the next-- That wasn't just a turn of speed, that was lighting-quick movement, which is something Arthur never would have expected from clumsy oafish Merlin--]

What the hell was that!

[A beat-- and then, with a little grin:]

Reflexes? I don't know, sire, perhaps I have some sort of hidden talent for this sort of thing.

[And he ought to be more nervous than he is-- but really, it's not as if he hasn't done this sort of thing before. Arthur's never suspected, why would he now?]

Since when?

[and he actually isn't suspicious because it's Merlin. this is precisely the sort of things that go on around Merlin. he's a weird little fellow who attracts weirdness and there's probably some explanation for it, something to do with, oh, the pub most likely. never mind that there isn't a pub here; Arthur doesn't actually think it's to do with the pub. the pub is just a default Merlin excuse/reason for strangeness.

well, one of. if there's ever a reason for his strangeness.

he stares at Merlin dryly, as his surprise recedes.]

And why don't you ever show that much hustle when there's chores to be done?

It's only to do with swords, clearly.

[He gives him a winning smile.]

Are we going to go again?

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