Difference between revisions of "1039/Solid Ground"

Latest revision as of 20:54, 27 November 2014

Sir Bedivere (482) has posed:
To look at the barren and muddy earth of Dun Realtai, something terrible must have happened here. Putting aside the rainy weather, the earth itself might well feel somehow... lacking, compared to other places. It's entirely without life or vitality. This is a dead land to go by the feel of it.

A dead land turned into a giant mud pit, thanks to the autumnal rainy season. It rains more often than not, here, though today seems to be a rare day of sun. The light is weak and doesn't provide much warmth, but it's a welcome change from the cabin fever.

Sir Bedivere waits not inside the keep, but on the top of the hill, where the castle's courtyard is. There's an absolutely physics-defyingly massive oak tree perched atop half the courtyard, and it's in the tree's tangled roots that the knight waits patiently.

He's dressed not in armour but the light, loose common clothing of the peasantry – rough, homespun fabric that isn't half as loud as steel plates; though it's warm enough to mitigate the cold breeze. Across his lap is his battered, scarred sword; which he's studiously grinding back into shape with a whetstone. The scraping of stone against sword is audible downhill, and every so often he picks up the blade to sight down its edge, squinting.

There it is he'll wait for his guest, content to maintain his equipment 'til she arrives.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
This will be the first time she's visiting this place, but at least Toph isn't the type to get lost in new places. Though the lack of life in this place doesn't escape her as she treks through the mud, obviously not minding it even if she walks through it with bare feet. The bottom of her pants are even dirty at this point, and certainly there will be words from a determined miss Potts if she tries to drag all this mud in back home. But right now the blind girl isn't worried about that as she walks into the courtyard, raising a hand in greeting at the knight and even offering him a mock salute. "I think this is the first time we actually meet face to face, Buddyvere!" the young girl says with a grin. In her other hand she's holding a bag, and it smells suspiciously good. Seems she wasn't joking about bringing food and drink!

The sword he's working on catches her attention, and she walks forward. "Huh, been using it a lot, huh?"

Sir Bedivere (482) has posed:
Although he's busy caring for the sword, Bedivere is still keeping watch; so Toph's arrival doesn't startle him. He starts to raise a hand in greeting until he remembers that she's blind.

"Greetings. I believe so," he adds, deliberately ignoring the nickname. She's probably not going to change her mind on that, so he's not going to prod her on it. Or give it any more attention than he needs to. Sigh. "Not especially."

The steel of the sword is fine, but the blade has seen better days. It's light, lighter than most swords; notched and scarred from years of unrelenting use. Most of that use just isn't recent. In fact, she might sense that it's pretty insubstantial – not that it's a cheap blade, but it was probably never meant to be used so heavily, and it's long since outlived its life expectancy. Not very many knights kept and used their first swords.

He raises the sword, squinting at it as it flashes in the sun. "It is a very old sword. Most of its make do not last so long, but I have cared for it for fifteen years." Setting aside the whetstone, he climbs to his feet, picking up the nearby scabbard and carefully sheathing the blade. "But you did not come here for such wearisome things, did you? Welcome to Dun Realtai. I am sorry there is not more life to greet you here. Lady Stadler will be helping to regrow the land when spring arrives, but until then I fear it will be a dreadfully barren land."

Buckling the sword belt at his waist, he slips the whetstone into a pocket, gesturing. "Bring that, if you please, but there are a number of things I should like to show you around the village. Your 'earthbending' may help save the foundations of the hill, I think, if you are willing."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
Somehow Toph laughs when he seems to change his mind on waving. "Hey, I can see you waving, and even if I don't, you shouldn't worry, you know?" she chuckles. It's amusing how conscious her allies in the Union are regarding her blindness, really. Either way she walks over to stand in front of him as he works on tending to the sword. Hmmm.

"It's thinner than other blades, isn't it?" she asks, furrowing her brow. Not that she knows too much about swords, but she's perceptive, and the last year her metalbending is something she's worked on on a constant basis. "You haven't considered getting a new one at some point?"

After all, the sword is older than she is!

The welcome earns a nod, and Toph shrugs when Bedivere apologizes for the state of things. "Eh, that's okay. I've been to more quiet places. It's November, of course there won't be much growing here this time of year." As for why she came? "I promised to visit, didn't I? And you seem like you need some proper food and drink too, so... why not?"

And then the knight brings focus to something she did indeed notice when she arrived, and she frowns a bit. "Yeah, this place isn't exactly steady with all the rain, huh? It's been washing away the earth. Even a novice bender could mess this place up if they weren't careful!" Toph informs him even as she toes the dirty ground with her toes. "We can eat after we have been around the village if you want...?" It shouldn't take long for the greatest earthbender of all time to fix things, after all!

Sir Bedivere (482) has posed:
The knight blinks somewhat owlishly when told she can see him waving. How exactly does that work? Her eyes don't look like they can see; they certainly don't seem to be tracking him like someone with sight would. How very strange... but he doesn't ask about it right now.

"Aye, it's thinner. Much thinner, and most knight-aspirants commission a heavier blade when they are knighted, but I prefer a lighter blade. Eventually, mine will break. I have no need of a new blade until then, though. This one has value to me." Bedivere smiles a lopsided little smile, patting the sword's hilt. "It was the first sword I earned, when I became a knight-aspirant, and it has been the only sword I have wielded in the king's service. I will replace it someday, but not yet."

He dips his head in a nod when she makes her observation about the hill's state. "Aye. In better times there would have been roots to hold the hill, but the oak can only hold so much. The rest is in danger of crumbling if it continues, which it will." His brow furrows in an expression of worry. "I would be appreciative."

"Let us go to the most afflicted areas first." The knight leads the way. Though he seems to be in his prime, and his pace is brisk, something in the way he moves and places his weight suggests stiffness or weariness. Old wounds, maybe, or just the simple result of pushing himself too hard.

Following the west path back down to the village, he instead circles around south, where the hill's slope gets more steep; some rubble has been placed to shore it up, but it still looks and most likely feels like a mess waiting to happen. There are a few wooden braces as well, though more to keep the stone propped up than anything else. "Here. The villagers have shored up what they can under my instruction, but I fear there is only so much that can be done with stone and wood." He folds his arms, frowning in concenr. "Do you think you could do anything to make this incline more stable?"

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
A lighter blade might be easier to wield in some ways, she guesses. Not that she knows enough about swordplay to be informed enough to consider what sword would be best. But as long as Bedivere knows and is prepared for the fact that swords can't last forever... "As long as you don't end up with a serious disadvantage during battle," she says. "I'll watch your back if it happens while I'm there." There's no way she could idly stand by if her allies are in trouble. That's not how Toph does things.

The knight speaks the truth, that much is clear, and her feet can easily confirm what's going on with the earth here. And if the hill where to fall... well, that wouldn't be nice. People might even get hurt, and in even in a best case scenario it would be a whole lot of work to clean the entire mess up.

When he begins leading the way the young girl isn't slow to follow, and she notices that there is something in the way he moves. And rather than be quiet, Toph raises her voice to ask. "You okay there...? It seems like you're hurting." And while she doesn't look overly worried, there is some concern there in those pale unseeing eyes of hers.

They really have been trying to steady the hill, haven't they? The blind earthbender steps forward and crouches down to place a hand on the ground, closing her eyes as she seems to focus on something, and perhaps she doesn't listen too well to the words that Bedivere speaks at first. Some seconds pass after his question before she rises to her full height again, and she lets out a huff. "Who do you think you're talking to? I am the greatest earthbender of all time! Of course I can stabilize the area!" she declares, her voice lacking any kind of doubt. Without asking she pushes the bag with food and tea into his arms. "Hold this." It's not a request.

Then she steps forward and lets her head to to the side slightly as she cracks her knuckles. "The ground will shake and quiver a bit, but I'll do this slowly so nothing bad happens," she informs him, a pensive look on her face as she considers what only her sensitive feet can pick up and what the people who live here can't possibly know about the very ground they live on.

Sir Bedivere (482) has posed:
"It will not break yet," Bedivere reassures her. He knows his equipment, and he knows how much he can ask of it; and how close to breaking it may be at any given time. While his old armour tended to be routinely destroyed, he's much more careful about his sword. "Indeed, I rarely use it. I prefer more peaceable solutions."

Alone among his brother-knights, he had been the most reluctant to bare steel to solve problems, even though he had been a commendable tactician and the man whom generals answered to. Ironically, he'd never liked fighting.

The knight waves a hand dismissively. "Old wounds, in a manner of speaking." Is there anything that girl doesn't notice? It almost makes him sympathetic toward those times when he notices things Arturia would really prefer that he doesn't notice... "Nothing to concern yourself over."

He studies the cliff somewhat dubiously, trusting Toph to know her stuff, and also taking the bag when it's thrust at him without complaint. She seems to, and it isn't like he has very many other options. "The less you can shift the hill itself, the better. The castle's foundations lie atop it; I should not like to see structural damage so soon after it was rebuilt. But if there is no avoiding sacrificing the castle for the villagers' homes, I would prefer the villagers' homes be saved."

Witchcraft, he decides, but in this case he's not inclined to argue against it use too much. It'll keep Dun Realtai from turning into a very large pile of mud.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
In contrast, the little girl is more of a fighter than many adults, eager to display her skill despite her weaknesses and disability. Her bending and determination makes up for it, after all. Rather than the hot house flower her parents believed her to be, she feels far more alive when she can be of use, whether it is for teaching, bending or in the heat of battle. Sure, peace is good, but sometimes you have to knock some heads together. At least Toph is far from bloodthirsty, and she's no killer. There are ways to win without killing.

Fortunately for Bedivere it does appear that Toph accepts his explanation and merely nods, deciding not to prod further.

As she mentally prepares herself for the massive task ahead of her, Toph can't help but snort. "Don't worry, nothing will fall, you big worrywart," she clarifies. "I'll bend some of the hill into rock to keep it steady for years to come. Sheesh, you kinda remind me of Goldie, at first he wouldn't shut up about his house and that I shouldn't bend it into the ocean and all..." Men and their houses, seriously.

But the earthbender doesn't seem too offended at the indirect questioning of her skills, and she shifts her stance, digging her heels into the mud as she spreads her arms out in front of her... and then visibly begins to concentrate. Her brow furrows, and it looks as if her arms are struggling against an invisible weight. Underneath them it feels as if the ground is shaking just slightly, but Toph appears to remain calm as she slowly raises her arms upwards, fingers on her hands splayed out.

Sir Bedivere (482) has posed:
"If it were merely my own home, I would not mind so much." Bedivere folds his arms, settling his cloak more securely about his shoulders. He shifts his weight as he does, frowning slightly. "This is only a temporary position, after all, and after the winter solstice, this place should return to the hands of its rightful guardian."

Still, he doesn't interfere any more than that initial protest, watching her carefully. He himself is barely capable of the otherworldly – some might sense it in him, but it's weak; a guttering candle-flame when held up against the metaphorical floodlight of far greater magicians. He has enough wherewithal to maintain a Servant, and little more.

In fact he's awkwardly rubbing at the top of his left hand. She can't see it, but that's where the knotwork mark of his command seals are. This supernatural stuff always makes him a little nervous.

"Transofrm it to rock? You can do that?" Bedivere's eyes widen a little. "Truly? If that could be done for the rest of the hill, all 'round its perimeter, then no amount of rain could bring it down..."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
Even as the blind girl works, she grunts slightly at the question. "Of course I can! If I can turn rock to sand, then why shouldn't I be able to change the soil here to something firmer?" The suggestion he makes is actually what she had in mind. With a steady base for the hill, then the village and the keep would stand sturdy and firmly, and they would not have to worry about the ground disappearing under their very feet.

Right now it's shifting underneath them, but it's steady and going towards the hill, not away from it. And it should be felt even more firmly as Toph slowly moves her arms, then brings them forward in a split palm motion, eliciting a rumble from underneath their feet. "I just need to move enough material towards the hill to make it more compact..." she informs him. Strangely enough, it seems like the mud is being drawn back into the ground, leaving the water behind in puddles.

Sir Bedivere (482) has posed:
"Forgive me. I do not know how your, ah, art works." Bedivere tilts his head at the shifting earth underfoot, staggering slightly to keep his balance. In fact, he's eyeing the entire hill a little dubiously. "I am untrained in the, ah, otherworldly. My specialty is logistics, not magic."

Well, it's a fine point to split hairs over, but bending might as well be magic to somebody like Bedivere, or somebody from his era. If it looks like a duck and it sounds like a duck... even Merlin might agree this stuff may as well be magic.

He squints as he watches the ground shift, trying to convince himself it isn't an earthquake and the hill isn't going to come crumbling down. "I suppose that is understandable enough. Like packing wet sand. Or, in this case, mud. Does everyone from your world have training in such things?"

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
Even as Toph works with bending more mass towards the hill, it stands steady. And it looks like she takes this seriously, a look of concentration on her face. "Nothing otherworldly about this, Buddyvere! It's just bending," she explains as if it's as natural as breathing. Which to her, it is.

As for the details? "I'm drawing the earth out of the mud and changing it to something more dense, really! And you don't want sand here... I'll do what I can do change as much of the hill and its foundation to rock, that way it will be steady." It would be a bad thing if the earth was all washed away here and it all came tumbling down. When the knight asks about whether everybody from her world is a bender, she can't help but snort. "No... and honestly? Most of the earthbenders I met don't understand earth the way I do. For them earthbending is only about fighting! For me it's how I live!" Another forceful push with her hands, and Toph turns her hands slightly before pushing her hands forward yet again. "It's the only thing I'm really good at, and you bet I'm damn good at it! Not everybody from the four nations are benders, and well... there's only one airbender left, unfortunately." With that Toph lowers her hands, fiddles a little with her radio, and then she steps closer to the hill, taking some steady steps as she slowly but steadily moves her arms. More and more water puddles form around the area, and it does look like Toph is slowly working up a sweat.

Sir Bedivere (482) has posed:
To the explanation that it's normal, the knight just blinks owlishly; first one eye, then the other. Going by the slightly blank look on his face, he can't really comprehend the ability to literally move mountains as anything but freakish and supernatural. Maybe he'd better have a chat with Merlin later.

Actually, no. Loros would give him more of a straight answer. Merlin would mess with him for his own personal amusement, like he does with every other person.

"No, no sand." Sand is a terrible thing to build anything on. It shifts, it moves, and it crumbles. Even when it's compacted down into sandstone, like granite, water and temperature changes can cause it to rot, eroding from within. "Aye, stone would be better. There's no more solid a foundation for anything than good, solid rock. Why anyone would have wanted to build a castle on this, I've no notion. Though, I suppose in better times, this place was less threatened by the seasonal rains."

There would have been plants to anchor the topsoil, one would hope, and it wouldn't have been half as desolate as it is now.

He folds his arms, one hand absently snagging the edge of his cloak and pulling it tighter around himself. That breeze is chilly. "Four nations? Forgive me; I know little of your world, or this 'bending...'"

His eyes flick around them, regarding the puddles somewhat dubiously. "Fascinating," he adds, under his breath. Who would have thought that someone could literally create a stone mountain out of mud? In his mind, he's probably just chucking it into the 'supernatural' pile, because that's honestly the best explanation he has for it. Witchcraft!

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
"I know how the earth works far better than you," Toph reassures him. "I don't care for doing a half assed job and have you whine at me later for not doing things properly! Even less if it means that people would get hurt!" If people are to live here, it needs to be steady and safe, there's no question of it. Maybe there would be more plants here if the ground gets healthier... That does give her some ideas.

The blind girl takes a deep breath, then starts walking around the hill, not minding the wet puddles that she steps into. "The Earth Kingdom. The Fire Nation. The Water tribes. The Air nomads. Each nation can bend a different element... bending is something you're born with, and most people learn how to properly use their bending when they're still kids. I learned from studying the badgermoles myself, the original earthbenders," she explains.

All in all, Toph remains focused on the task at hand, and it takes a while before she has walked around the entire hill. At this point there's a shallow lake surrounding the hill, which does seem a bit taller than before. Toph herself has a faint sheen of sweat coating her forehead, and she breathes deeply as she places her hands on her knees and leans forward. "Okay, the base is steady now... just... gotta compact the top of the hill next."

Sir Bedivere (482) has posed:
"I did not say that you do not," Bedivere points out, watching the hill. "Merely agreeing that sand would be foolish to build on no matter what the structure. I have seen it done before, and it has never lasted."

He follows her, but he seems content to let her take the lead. Toph knows where they need to go; she knows the earth, after all. He dutifully carries the bag of tea and food with him as he does, cloak rippling in the breeze.

It seems as though there's a shallow moat at the base of the hill, now. Bedivere considers it with narrowed eyes, frowning. It's too shallow and too narrow for defensive purposes, but maybe it could be turned into something useful. It could be stocked with fish, perhaps...

"Hm?" Oh. Four nations, four different types of benders. That makes sense. As much sense as anything she's told him makes, anyway. Maybe it's better in the context of actually having lived or travelled there. "There were many more than four in my world, but I do not remember anyone having such skill as this 'bending' you speak of. Perhaps Master Merlin could accomplish something similar, but such things are rare indeed, and he is a rarity even among other magicians."

Rubbing his jaw with his free hand, he considers the winded earthbender. "Rest a moment, first. The hill will not go anywhere, now; it can wait a few moments."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
Toph nods when Bedivere suggests that she rests, and she reaches a hand out, and two rock pillars rise from the shallow water, and Toph allows herself to flop down on it. "Might as well eat before the food and tea gets too cold..." she says, pulling up her feet to pick at her toes briefly. "There are different ways to earthbend too. There are sandbenders, people who bend mud better than raw earth... and I figured out how to metalbend nearly a year ago... Some firebenders can bend lightning too. Dunno about waterbending if there are different types to that, or airbending..." she shrugs.

But she quickly perks up again, grinning. "So! Hope you like Chinese food and oolong tea!" she declares, then leans over to take the bag from him and hand out one of the containers and a flask to him. "Dig in!" She herself is not slow to grab some chopsticks from the bag and open her own container of fried noodles and vegetables.

Sir Bedivere (482) has posed:
The knight tries not to look too disturbed when bam, suddenly there are pillars where there weren't any a few minutes ago. He settles for easing himself to a dry patch of ground, sitting down cross-legged. And then he's presented with a container and a flask, and probably a pair of chopsticks, and he stares at them for a few seconds.

Part of him had hoped he'd left those confounded things behind at the Tohsaka estate, but no, apparently they return now to mock him. At least he had insisted on learning how to use them properly... and he's not really picky as long as the food isn't incredibly spicy.

"I have had it before, though this is different." Restaurant fare, maybe. "The household I was staying in before I came to Dun Realtai was fond of such foods, and cooked them often. Though, it is not what I was accustomed to." He prods at the noodles with his chopsticks, frowning. "Such things were not known in Albion... not as they are, anyway." Though, he recalls, Arturia seems to have a fondness of the stuff. How and why, he's not sure; he doesn't dislike it, but it's strange. "Hm."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
"It's not dangerous," Toph points out when Bediverse acts all fuddy duddy about the pillars. As for the food? "I got some food from Gaoling on the way. Even Goldie likes the food there, though he's more into pork dumplings. I felt more like noodles though." So deal. "I grew up with food like this... though a bit fancier." There is some curiousity on her face though. "So where's Albion? Is it where you come from, Buddyvere?" she inquires with genuine curiousity. Heck, it would give her a chance to eat while he talks. At this point the food isn't overly hot, and the tea is perhaps just a tad colder than most people would prefer.

Sir Bedivere (482) has posed:
"Albion is an isle. I lived there for many years, but it was not my home." Bedivere stands back up, setting his container and canteen down for a few seconds. Unbuckling his scabbard from its belt, he uses the tip to draw a rough shape not entirely unlike Great Britain in the mud.

"This is Albion, and this mark is where Camelot was." He marks a point on the southwestern part of the isle, digging a divot into the mud. "But that is not actually where I was from." Moving north, he digs out part of a shoreline on the northern side; the size suggests some kind of mainland. "I came from here." The northern part of the shore is marked, with a similar divot like Camelot's. "Albion is where I lived for many years, but it was not my home."

Actually, it's all educated guesswork. She seems to be able to sense the earth, so maybe she can tell what he's doing. He's not entirely sure about how that works.

"My apologies, if you cannot sense this; I do not know how your, ah, abilities work."

He frowns at the makeshift map, sidling over to the eastern side and prodding at it. "In truth, though, we had knights from much further away in the Round Table. Sir Palomedes hailed from far to the east, the Holy Land, or close to it... and there were at least two others from Dál Riata, where I came from." He grins, but the expression is a little sour. "Small wonder there was such resentment in the nobility. The top echelon of the knights were not even from Albion itself..." he mutters, mostly to himself.

"In any case, that is it." Actually, it's a pretty accurate map, probably picked up from studying books with modern maps; he has a keen eye for detail, something that had served him well in the past. "Apparently it is a famous place in the histories of many worlds, for there are many who recognise my king, and some who even seem to recognise my name. Although, like Albion is not my place of birth, Bedivere – Bedwyr – is not my original name." He sighs, shaking his head and ripping a short piece off the frayed edge of his tunic, using that to wipe the mud from his sword's scabbard. "Truly, it is unsettling to be recognised by those you have never met once they have heard your name."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
If he had drawn on paper, then it would have been rather useless for Toph. But as long as he draws in something that she can actually feel, then it makes it somewhat easier for Toph. Even if she's mostly used to thinking in a more three dimensional way. But the blind girl nods even as she slurps her noodles. But she nods. "Oh, I can sense it. Anything earthbased I can feel, and I see through sensing vibrations in the earth." Patting the pillar she sits on, she grins. "As long as I am touching the earth, I can sense practically everything around me!"

It's interesting to hear just how different the members and allies of the Union are. And to hear that he comes from far away. The comment about nobility? That causes her to snort. "Most nobles have something stuck up where the earth doesn't shine anyway, they resent everybody and everything that doesn't fit into their narrow view."

There's a curious look on her face however, and she swallows the food in her mouth. "... what is your real name then?" She doesn't expect to have heard it before anyway, and she's just curious. But fear not, Bedivere. It doesn't mean she won't stop calling you Buddyvere!

Sir Bedivere (482) has posed:
Bedivere shifts his weight, glancing down at the rudimentary map as he listens to her explanation. That seems to make sense, considering what he'd observed with her behaviour. She doesn't move like someone who's blind.

He had seen blind beggars in the market squares, feeling their way past cobblestones and obstructions with crude canes, but none of them had moved with the same confidence that Toph shows. It seems a curious way to sense the world, but who is he to judge?

"Some were acceptable." Bedivere smiles as he regards the map, but the expression is a little weary. "Most were not. I am commoner, myself, and foreigner as well; there was some resentment when I was appointed marshal, and I presume that is why, among other reasons." He sighs, sitting back down on a dry patch and resuming slurping his own noodles. Quietly, of course.

What's his real name? "Ah. My name. You will not hear it in the tales or the legends; it seems that I fulfilled my duty admirably, in that regard. I strove to mask details of myself, throughout my tenure in Camelot, for additional details about myself would only have called her decisions into question, and cast doubt upon her rule. The legends and tales will not remember it, but I am Fionnlagh of Dál Riata." His smile is crooked. "A pleasure to formally make your acquaintance."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
No, Toph does not move with uncertainty. Every step she takes is determined, and she carries herself with confidence despite her small stature. Rather, she walks as if she were much larger than she really is, not afraid to take up space and make her way wherever she is going.

"Eeeeh, if they had a problem with you, it was exactly that. Their problem. Not yours. Who cares what those dunderheads thinks?" she asks and takes a sip of her tea. When he begins babbling about why he changed his name though, she listens intently. Man, he really is set to do what he can for his king, huh? It's not often you find loyal people like that, but it's... admirable. He sticks up for what he believes in, even though it might make things harder for himself. The kind of approach that Toph can respect. Even if she herself would never hide who she really is, but then again, not everybody can do things the earthbender way, now can they? What matters is that he's actually doing things for the right reasons and with his heart fully in it.

When he finally does pronounce his name though, Toph blinks, holding her chopsticks still. A noodle slips down and falls back into the container. And Toph blinks twice more. "Okaaaaaay. I'm not even going to try to spell that," she finally settles for, then shrugs and resumes eating. Though she does nod when he makes things more formal than they need to be. Yeah yeah, nice to meet you too, even though they did meet earlier before she began working on the hill. She'll remember the name, but it doesn't appear like she thinks it's a big deal.

Sir Bedivere (482) has posed:
"Heh. It was more complicated than that. Although it ultimately fell, the business of administrating Camelot was a delicate balance." Bedivere shakes his head. "As satisfying as it might have been to take a more direct approach, such was simply not possible. The success of Camelot was always more important than my own personal satisfaction."

He looks down to the map again, thinning his lips as though in mild dissatisfaction. Loyalty has always been the cornerstone of his service; even the legends remembered that much about him. Often, the stories associated him with the beginning of the king's reign, and also the end. He had indeed been loyal – to his detriment.

"Fionnlagh? Easy." He scratches it out in the mud, before wiping down his scabbard again. It'll be nice when things are growing here again and he can just take a branch or a loose stick from something. "Like so."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
The girl is almost done eating her food, but she does blink when Bedivere begins writing... except in a way that doesn't make sense to her, and she blinks. "... that doesn't really make sense to me," she sighs, then she reaches out with her hands and gestures to the ground in front of Bedivere... and a series of dots raise up. "I only know how to read Braille. This is how you spell Bedivere. I think." Who knows how you spell all of these various names? "Goldie made a glove that converts normal letters on paper to Braille symbols for my fingers, that's how I get through my lessons," she informs Bedivere, then stuffs her mouth full to finish off her food.

Sir Bedivere (482) has posed:
"Ah. No, I suppose not," he replies, somewhat crestfallen; not because she couldn't understand, but because he hadn't thought about that. Trust him to worry about things he couldn't possibly have foreseen.

Shifting his weight, he scuffs the ground with his boot, absently tamping it down and testing the solidity of the rock. Quite solid, as though it had always been rock.

...Hopefully the winter-witch won't mind them tampering with the ground a bit.

"I do not know that language." The knight rubs at the back of his neck, regarding the raised dots dubiously. "In truth, letters and writing were something of a rarity in Albion. Such was the education of the nobility, but commonfolk did not know their letters or their sums. I forced myself to learn, that I might better serve the crown, but it was not something many knew."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
"It's called Braille, it's letters for blind people that we can feel underneath our fingers," Toph explains and holds up her right hand so he can look. Sure, she has some callouses there, but in general her hands are dainty and without visible scars. "My fingers are more sensitive than most it seems, I can tell the dots apart easily at this point."

To hear that commoners did not know how to write or do simple math... that makes Toph look confused. "Okay, I like the sound of your nobility less and less. Heck, most people from my world can read! And I'm sure that if I weren't blind my parents would have made me read until my eyes fell out!" the girl declares with a snort. "And math is important too! Sheesh... talk about dunderheads." She reaches out and does a sweeping motion with her hand, and the Braille writing sinks back into the ground. And with her food gone, Toph slides off of the pillar and back onto her feet. "Let's get done with this so we can be sure that the keep will be standing too. Anything else you want me to work on after that? Want a river to drain all this water or something?"

Sir Bedivere (482) has posed:
"Aye, it sounds as though you've had practise with it." Bedivere leans closer to examine her fingers. Calluses suggest hard work, though in her case it's probably a case of working with earth more than anything else. His own hands are callused, but the specific patterns suggest a life of swordplay and melee weapons.

The knight folds his arms, considering her with his head tilted slightly.

"Oh, do they not use Braille in your world? Something from elsewhere in the multiverse, then..." He pronounces the unfamiliar word a little awkwardly, but it's clear what he means. "It is strange, the things one finds in other worlds; things that could not even have been dreamt."

Ah, and back to work. He ducks his head momentarily, as though chagrined that he of all people needs to be reminded of duty. "Ah. Yes. Hm. A drainage channel would not be unwelcome, I think. Perhaps, if it were possible, circle the base of the hill – outside the bounds of the village – where the water can drain into. I would prefer it not be outside merely the keep; if it were below the village, perhaps it might be made into a useful channel, stocked with fish, or something similar." He looks back to the earthbender. "What do you think...?"

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
The question makes Toph shake her head. "No, I... thought the people in the Union were joking at first. Then Goldie insisted that I had to learn how to read and write. Braille is common in the modern versions of Earth, it seems..." she shrugs. Wasn't that kind of how it first began? With her starting to take lessons and stopping by Malibu on a regular basis... until she began moving her things in and occupying that one guest room which now has become her own room. "Yeah... the multiverse is weird. But in a good kind of way," she agrees with a smile.

Back to work. And Toph nods her head at the request. "That's easily done!" Maybe it would be best to line the channel with rock to make sure the water doesn't soak into the ground, she muses. "I'll do that after I'm done with the top of the hill, now let's go!" And then the young teenager marches up the hill, eager to finish up these things. At least she gets to be useful here, and then the people here don't have to worry about the hill falling apart.

Sir Bedivere (482) has posed:
"Ah, another wonder of the modern era." In spite of words that might seem mocking, Bedivere seems earnest. There are so many wonders to come of the years that would follow Camelot's reign. Clean drinking water, medical supplies. "That makes more sense. No, I do not believe such a thing existed in my era."

He rubs his jaw with his free hand, thoughtful. His expression softens, his smile faint. "Aye. It is a good thing. It's given to me second chances I never would have dreamt of."

All too soon he's dragged back into work, though, practically pulled along up the hill to finish the work that Toph had started – all in all, a good day, especially for the people who call this place home.