It's Parent-Teacher Midafternoon At The Ol' Secret Training Grounds [closed]

[summerdude]

Magnus, who now definitely knows that many mansion residents keep specific daily schedules (thanks Galahad!), can reliably find Hanguang-jun whenever he needs him. (Unless it's the part of the schedule when Hanguang-jun is alone with Wei Wuxian, in which case Magnus can find him but, for the sake of his own mental peace, elects to never ever do that unless it's a genuine emergency.) He can also reliably find Galahad, Sunny, at least one of their shared fathers, Tress, and sometimes Claudius, except Claudius's unpredictability is genuinely unpredictable, as opposed to, say, Tally's unpredictability, which is predictably unpredictable.

Lancelot is definitely a regular schedule kind of guy, but outside of their training sessions, Magnus has no idea what it is. Magnus asks Galahad since Galahad is his go-to calendar and schedules guy; Galahad's brow wrinkles infinitesimally in the way that, on someone else, would be an incredulous, laughing 'what are you up to?' and his lips quirk when Magnus clarifies that he has really reasonable regular normal reasons for wanting to know. (Then Galahad tells him Susan's schedule, which is helpful, because Magnus is generally interested in avoiding her.)

All of this to say that Magnus doesn't actually manage to track Lancelot down and give him a heads up on the same morning he non-randomly encounters Hanguang-jun after dropping Sunny back with their dads, and impulsively asks "So, wanna do parent-teacher conference day? Me and Lancelot train after lunch in that clearing way out past Dads' house."

Whatever. He'd cleared that it was okay with Lancelot at, like, some point, so it shouldn't be too much of a surprise.

So in the end, Lancelot gets about thirty seconds' warning that Hanguang-jun will be joining, between when Magnus rocks up, practice sword in one hand, shield in the other, and Jack flying around behind him, calling, "How's it going, Swordmaster Dickface^*? We've got company today," and when Hanguang-jun alights from Bichen.


*He's still workshopping appropriate nicknames

Comments

[lanselos_du_lac]

As it happens -- as Lancelot probably should have guessed -- it is much easier for him to keep pace with Lan Wangji when wielding his blade one-handed. It also gives him more opportunity to attempt to telegraph his own moves less clearly. He does not have the sort of maneuverability that Lan Wangji's cultivation allows, but he certainly can act with a little less of the expected discipline and more creativity.

It is a very rewarding challenge.

He parries several of those swings, then twists to present his unarmed side while bringing his own blade in with a swing from above.

[summerdude]

Magnus is definitely enthralled, by now. He feels like he should be taking notes or something. Mental notes will have to do. Hanguang-jun and Lancelot are moving really fast, but even as he's watching them, he's running what he can understand of their moves through his mind, step by step, trying to figure out how he could replicate them or counter them.

[lightbearinglord]

The rhythm of their sparring is a satisfying one, at once predictable and intermittently surprising. This is not a battle; it is a conversation, and perhaps an easier conversation than any he and Lancelot have ever tried to have with their words. They don't know one another well, but Lan Wangji has seen the glimpses of their surprising commonalities.

He nearly takes the bait, and it is only through a practiced twist of his own blade, upward rather than sideways, that he meets Lancelot's swing to block it.

[lanselos_du_lac]

"Christ, I could wish for a shield," Lancelot breathes, laughing as he backs up enough to reset his stance.

[summerdude]

For a brief, thrilling second, Magnus considers what would happen if he flung a shield at Lancelot's face in that moment. Ultimately, though, he decides to just sit and watch.

[lightbearinglord]

"You may have a shield if I may use my cultivation more heavily," Lan Wangji suggests, lightly. It is difficult to tell whether he is or is not serious.

[lanselos_du_lac]

Lancelot grins, "I hesitate to agree to that, as I've seen some of what thou'rt capable of. I doubt I am a match for thee, under those circumstances."

[summerdude]

"You should both go ham," Magnus suggests from the sidelines. "And throw Jack in the mix, too. He could use a workout."

[lightbearinglord]

"That is a very bad idea," Lan Wangji says, although he still sounds relatively lighthearted by his standards.

[lanselos_du_lac]

"I would agree," fairly jovially.

[summerdude]

"Suit yourselves," with an exaggerated eyeroll.

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji is too polite to say outright that, no matter how disrespectfully he speaks to his teacher, he doubts Magnus wants to see Lancelot so utterly defeated. And thus he merely bows to Lancelot, who was nonetheless a worthy opponent and partner in this. "Thank you."

[lanselos_du_lac]

Lancelot returns the bow with one of his own, more formal bows. "As I thank thee. I would gladly spare again."

[summerdude]

Magnus looks between the two of them. "Wait, you're done? Who won?"

[lightbearinglord]

"Neither of us. As I said: learning was the objective."

[lanselos_du_lac]

"Aye," agreeably. He turns to Magnus, "And didst thou learn anything?"

[summerdude]

"Yeah," says Magnus promptly, pulled back from asking who won at learning by Lancelot's question. "First of all, you should both fight each other and Jack at the same time. Second of all, I need robes. It was easier to track Lancelot's moves," and this is probably not just because they're more familiar to him after their months of dedicated training? "And harder to tell what Hanguang-jun was doing underneath them." He squints at Lancelot. "That's the times he surprised you, right? When his clothes were, like, billowing?"

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji appears faintly surprised, but genuinely intrigued, by this takeaway. He is of course used to sparring with other cultivators, who are often wearing clothing just as loose as his own. He glances at Lancelot, interested to hear the answer.

[lanselos_du_lac]

Lancelot smiles, not so much surprised as pleased that Magnus is actually thinking through this. "Yes, some of the time. It is true that the robes make it more difficult for one used to either clothing like this," plucking at his own shirt, "or armor. But also, his sword is different and thus the techniques differ. I am not well familiar with how one best wields a blade such as his, and so less able to understand what his intentions may be."

[summerdude]

"She's a jian," Magnus says, promptly, with an expression on his face like he's puzzling out the differences in techniques. "Double-edged, and can accommodate one- or two-handed fighting. No shields, traditionally. And yours is a longsword, which can also accommodate one- or two-handed fighting, but the shortest longswords are generally still longer than the longest jian. I think maybe that's part of the difference. Even though Bichen is pretty long for a jian, I bet when you train with one there's an expectation of closer quarters than training with a longsword. And both of those are different from Norse swords like Jack... like, Norse swords are still double-edged... and a little longer than most jian, but still in the same blade-length ballpark... but they're specifically meant to be used with a round shield and against non-sword weapons like axes. Longswords and jian both can be used in more ways than most," with a strong emphasis, "Viking swords, because most Viking swords aren't the strongest sword in the world and can't fly themselves around." He's definitely making direct eye contact (hilt contact?) with Jack as he says this, but then he blinks and looks away, as if something new has occurred to him.

"Hanguang-jun, was the backflip a way of building space in close combat? ...when you're fighting other cultivators, does that open you up to attacks that you can't block, or does it serve as a kind of block because you're moving so fast? Does it even work? I think Lancelot could probably interrupt one next time, and it would probably knock you off-balance." It's a very Magnus-Chase-during-Battle-Practice-type move, which is to say it's not very economical of movement, and sometimes someone might drop a chunk of masonry on your head halfway through if you're not careful about it.

[lightbearinglord]

Pleased by Magnus' apparent attentiveness to the details of differing swords, Lan Wangji listens with his hands now folded behind his back. He pauses for a moment to be sure Magnus is finished asking questions, and talking, before he answers. "It works, or I would not do it. It builds space and introduces an additional direction in which my body can move. Lancelot could try knocking me off-balance, but he might find it more difficult than he anticipates."

[lanselos_du_lac]

"I think," Lancelot says, clearly working through the logistics of this, "that I would need to see or sense that he was about to do this. If I had a shield, I might then try to close the gap and force him into a different stance or attempt to disrupt the motion. I do not think, however, that with one such as Hanguang-jun it would be a simple matter, or likely to succeed."

[summerdude]

"I dunno, I think you could figure it out," Magnus insists. "It's -- no offense, Hanguang-jun, but it doesn't seem to be very economical, movement-wise."

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji gives Magnus a mild sort of look, trying to determine whether this is a sincere concern or an effort to ruffle him. If the latter, it won't prove effective. "None taken."

[lanselos_du_lac]

"Perhaps not for us," thoughtfully, "though maybe moreso for thee than for myself. Hanguang-jun has abilities and power far beyond mine own. That may make such expenditures more effective and less costly."