A Guarded Surprise

[tummyflowers]

Who: King Richard (tummyflowers) & Magnus Burnsides (ruffboi) & The Royal Guard!
What: Magnus and Richard have concocted a plan to train the new trainees. It's worked so well, why not try it on the other newbies?
When: This week
Where: Throughout Olympia, along several patrol routes
Warning(s): idk, maybe language and blood?


[It starts with an idea. Every great moment does, when two minds come together and realize that they can accomplish great deeds together. This is what had happened to Richard and Magnus some days ago. Now it was time for them to put that brainstorming effort to work. Since being assigned responsibility of the armory, Richard had been lending a hand in helping outfit and train some of the new recruits drawn in from the Olympian natives. They'd been young and keen lads who didn't entirely seem to grasp Richard's lessons, but they were still trying their hardest. And finally, after all the drills and strange parables of heroic valor, they were off on their first real patrols throughout the city. Richard had kindly volunteered to accompany them, even though he was very likely less equipped to do the job than they were.

Only once they were in the heart of the city did their real training begin, because Richard had enlisted the help of the swolest man he knew, a musclebound ginger with a brawny, hairy chest and an axe to match. He'd play the part of the violent criminal and give a chance to give the recruits some real hands on experience. Richard couldn't be more proud!]

OPEN PROMPT

[After some success(??) with the recruits, the two decide that it wouldn't be such a bad idea to help their fellow refugees who are equally new to the guards. It's a bit of a boring job, so something like this would surely spice things up and provide some motivation. So using his access to the patrol schedule, Richard has gone out to the city to join some of his fellow guards on their patrols all while a silent, lurking figure waits in the shadows... ready to strike.]

(tl;dr: fellow guards can have Richard show up on their normal patrols, only for Magnus to jump out and attack them! They're more than welcome to fight back and even beat up the poor guy! And yell at Richard too! It's for morale, right?)

Comments

[song_of_ice]

Old friend?

[He wasn't sure if that was what they are exactly, given the way their interactions often went. Before he could comment or linger on the strangeness of that term, a door suddenly slammed open and there was someone charging at Jon's flank.

Instinct came into play, honed from so many battles and attacks at the Wall. He twirled out of reach, drawing his sword in a deft motion and pointing it in preparation for a fight. It only took seconds for him to be in a defensive position with his weapon ready, but took longer for him to recognize this for what it was.

His sword hovered as his mind filtered what they both were doing and a sour look dawned across his features. Oh. Somehow, he wasn't surprised. He didn't know Magnus, but he knew Richard. The man's idea of "help" was as warped as his idea of "kings."

He sheathed his sword, looking between them in exhaustion.]

You're looking to get killed.

[tummyflowers]

[Wow that was anticlimactic. Richard watched the entire exchange with keen interest, but Jon had already put his sword away! How was that even a fight!]

Really? You get accosted by some ruffian and your first instinct is to put your weapon BACK? Good gravy on a biscuit, but you're more hopeless than I thought.

[ruffboi]

Yeah, what he said.

[Stopping when Jon stops, though. If the dude drew his sword that fast, Magnus can tell he has the reflexes to fight, and chose not to. Given that, he's not going to fight either.]

If I was a real ruffian, you'd be in big trouble. I'm the one with a weapon out, I'm not getting killed. [But he puts the axe back on his back.]

[song_of_ice]

You're not a ruffian or a threat, so I won't fight you.

[It's as if he wanted to be impaled.]

It wouldn't make for a good guard if I attacked anyone that took me by surprised.

What are you doing?

[tummyflowers]

Obviously checking to see if you're a good guard. Which... I hate to break it to you my friend, but I don't really think you're going to make it.

[Richard shakes his head, tsking admonishingly at Jon's embarrassing display. Seriously, what kind of guard DOESN'T attack anyone who takes them by surprise? That's the whole point!]

[ruffboi]

No, no, no, Richard, come on. He's just got his own personal style. I respect it. Some would rush over and kill the attacker right away, and some have a more cautious approach like my man here.

[He drew his sword, after all. The fact that he doesn't want to kill anyone who attacks him is admirable, probably.]

You'll make a good guard, buddy. That's the Magnus guarantee. [Jon, be relieved, this tool thinks you'll do okay.]

[song_of_ice]

[He's about to make an angry retort towards Richard, pointing out the man's inability to use a sword and how that factored into him being a guard, but Magnus interrupted.

Jon's left perplexed, feeling as if this is some sort of initiation or test and he had passed, at least in someone's estimation. But he isn't sure if it's something he should be proud of. This entire encounter was ridiculous.]

Is this the assignment you received? Pretend to attack guards during their patrol? [He looked at Richard.] What happens if you're caught off guard?

[tummyflowers]

Well, more or less. [It's a fairly liberal interpretation of his orders. So... basically he was doing what he was told.] And that wouldn't be a problem. I can't say I'm ever really on guard. I've always been a very open kind of person. I keep an open surprise attack policy with all my fellow guard and guard consultants.

[But he does relent on Jon, at least! Magnus makes some good points. And Jon did seem to know how to use a sword, which was a particular plus really.]

[ruffboi]

Yeah, more or less, it's kind of an assignment. Some clever fellas came up with this training exercise.

[Winking at Richard. A big obvious wink.]

[song_of_ice]

A training exercise. [He looks specifically at Richard.] Learn to use the sword before asking others to use it. All it takes is one angry man to swing at you and you're finished.

[He doesn't know Magnus enough to lecture him, but the man seemed to have sense enough to recognize the time to fight and the time not to.]

How many have attacked you since you started doing this?

[tummyflowers]

Ah, right. Yes, the sword. Right on that!

[He leans in close to Magnus to whisper whisper:] Don't mind him, he's just sore after I upstaged him when my sword was stuck in a tree. Poor lad.

[He stands upright again and claps his hands merrily.] So would you say three or four? Not including the ones we started with.

[ruffboi]

[In a very loud whisper back.]

Yeah, gotcha. Kid's got a good head on his shoulders, but he's got a long way to go.

Yeah, four or five, plus Richard's recruits. Lot more to go!

[song_of_ice]

[He can't make out what they are whispering, but it still manages to rankle him.]

Either you heal quickly or they haven't managed to hit you.

[They were lucky, but that could only last so long.]

What will happen if one manages to injure you badly?

[Or worse?]

This isn't a game.

[tummyflowers]

Oh please, have you seen Magnus? He's a towering pinnacle of masculinity that we could all learn something from. I really doubt someone is going to give him anything more than a few cuts or bruises or abrasions or concussions. It's nothing he can't handle.

[Maybe if Jon tried to be a little more like Magnus, they wouldn't have even needed to do this in the first place!]