[Closed Post] ..the sky will come for you once..

[lanselos_du_lac]

The day is warm and bright -- it's lovely, in fact -- and so Lancelot is doing his best to ignore the strange tension that has been dogging him over the last few days. He is, of course, keeping to his usual routine, which helps, and now he is in the little clearing where he and Magnus meet for training. He's waiting for Magnus to arrive, checking the straps of Arthur's shield while he waits, and doing his best to clear his head and focus up on what he has determined they need to focus on today.

Comments

[summerdude]

With a little flexing of his fingers, Magnus manages to get his hand firmly back around his hilt, and he surges up right in front of Lancelot, trying to make him stumble back so that he can get a swing in.

[lanselos_du_lac]

This turns out to be quite effective. Lancelot swallows a curse, staggering back, and reacts more strongly than he intends, swatting Magnus' blade away with his shield -- probably too hard.

(He is distracted. He knows this. He should have begged off for today. There is too much on his mind.)

[summerdude]

Magnus pulls back. It was hard -- not too hard; Magnus can withstand a lot -- but a lot harder than normal. "You good, dude?" he asks, staying at the ready and circling just in case this is a fake-out.

[lanselos_du_lac]

"Yes," Lancelot says, instantly. But just as he's about to move in again he stops, stepping back and swinging his blade down. He takes a breath. "Perhaps not."

[summerdude]

Magnus lowers his sword and his shield. "What's up?"

[lanselos_du_lac]

"I think-- perhaps we should stop for today."

Lancelot is frowning slightly, in spite of himself. It isn't Magnus' business, nor does he want to make it Magnus' problem.

[summerdude]

Magnus opens his mouth to protest, then closes it, squinting at Lancelot, like he's trying to read some kind of deep hidden meaning in this choice. Eventually he nods. "Okay," he says. "Um, I'm sorry if I, um. Stressed you out or something." By making him keep a secret for so long or whatever.

[lanselos_du_lac]

Lancelot shakes his head, saying evenly, "No, Magnus. It is naught to do with you. I just-- it is my fault. I should know better when I should beg off for a day."

[summerdude]

"Okay." Magnus hesitates a moment. "Do you, like. Need anything?"

[lanselos_du_lac]

"Only a little time," he says, trying to gentle his voice and clear his expression. He has a queer buzzing feeling -- all of his distractions and unsettled thoughts seem to be coming together, shaping into something he does not like.

Lancelot sheathes his sword and takes a breath. "Magnus, it's all right. I am not upset with you, and you've done nothing wrong. I am just off today. I would rather have a clear head when we spar. I can't be a good help to you otherwise."

[summerdude]

"Oh. Yeah, totally. Sure." Magnus doesn't state the obvious, which is that Lancelot is the first Sword Guy he's worked closely with who cares about stuff like headspace. He's pretty sure this is a good thing -- for Lancelot, at least, due to all of his trauma. "Um, feel better soon?"

[lanselos_du_lac]

Lancelot gives the tiniest of bows, "Thank you. We can begin again the day after tomorrow, as usual."

Then he leaves the clearing, setting off toward the mansion. He is annoyed with himself, still tense, obscurely nervous (?) at the knowledge that Susan confronted Magnus -- he had thought all was well, and that there was no cause for concern. He is mulling all of this over as he mounts the stairs; often, he would stop at his old room to stow his gear away, but today he simply goes straight to their shared room. He's watchful for Regina as he opens the door.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Susan is sitting at the desk, in a simple shift she never wears outside of their room, hair loose and still drying from her morning's wash. Regina is on the desk next to her, 'helping' by batting her pen every time it moves. "Hello, sweetheart," she says, not looking up from her notebook. "How was training?"

[lanselos_du_lac]

His frown does ease at the sight of her, but he likely sounds troubled when he responds. "I cut it somewhat short, today."

He turns a little to the side to start removing and putting away his gear.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Susan glances up at his tone and frowns, watching him sort himself out for a moment. "Is everything all right?" she asks, after a beat. "No one got hurt, I hope?"

[lanselos_du_lac]

"No one is hurt, no. Only my head is elsewhere, and I did not think I was doing well enough by Magnus."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Susan sets her pen to the side, and Regina immediately tackles it, sending it spinning off the desk and onto the ground. Ignoring the cat as she leaps after it, closing her notebook on the words Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian - October???, Susan leans forward. "What is it?"

[lanselos_du_lac]

Almost automatically, he says, "It is nothing."

He has his things put away, now, and he hesitates -- he has that same buzzing, frizzing feeling as before. "No," he says, a little carefully. He takes a breath, scrubs a hand over his face. "It is many things. I cannot sort it out."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Susan rises and circles the desk, approaching him, curling a hand around his face and leaning up for a hello kiss. "Shall I help?"

[lanselos_du_lac]

Lancelot softens at this, "An thou canst, yes." And he does bend to kiss her, sweetly.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

She smiles at him as she draws back, then takes a single step away to snag her ubiquitous mug of tea - this one is half-finished - before nudging him in the direction of the sofa. "Sit," she urges. "And tell me what's on your mind."

[lanselos_du_lac]

He sighs a little and does as she says, his expression thoughtful. Despite the nervous buzzing, he knows the question will continue to distract him if he doesn't ask it. "First I have a question -- didst thou speak with Magnus, about our training arrangement?"

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Yes, of course. Several weeks ago now, I think. Didn't I mention it?" (She absolutely did not. She had intended to, but was distracted by the arrival of the beach.)

[lanselos_du_lac]

"No, thou didst not." He sits for a moment, working to stifle the frown that is impending. "Why didst thou?"

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Well, because the secrecy had gone on for quite long enough, hadn't it? Months and months and months."