markofthebrave | [Written/Action] .002

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[Written/Action] .002

So, we can use these things to contact everyone? That's pretty neat ~~if really really weird.~~ I think I'll start of writing, though, because talking to a book still seems like something Dock would do.

That's got to be annoying, for so many people to look at something if you just want to talk to one or two people. The guide said something about being able to filter these things? But I don't really see how that could work...

Tormod, you can have your cape back whenever you want. Have you found a place to stay yet?

And hey, if there's a Hugo or a Derek out there, I'd like to talk to you for a few minutes.

[So not one to stay copped up in the house, Katara is going to pack up her journal and her waterskin and bundle up. They're in the middle of a cold snap, but now that she has shoes the freezing doesn't really bother her so much. She's going to head on over to the grocery store to get some soup ingredients and check out the other buildings. She's friendly! Feel free to say hello!]

ETA [Voice]
Hey Toph! I'm at the grocery store, do you want anything?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[She probably won't think he's cute for very long anyway! His laziness usually kills that for people. |D He shrugs.]

We're not really expecting trouble at the moment. Just trying to be prepared. The barrier is meant to protect us from the things on the outside. In the six or seven months I've been here now, we've only experienced one breach in the barrier—that was when we were attacked by these ugly jerks we call the Third Party. They came from the east. The ruins would also be something to be concerned about, I guess, since we can see them, but we can't get to them.

[That would do it. She pauses for a few moments to match up what he's said with what she knows.]

This is the same Third Party that they're offering to let us out to fight, right. I didn't know they'd attacked here as well... [Great. They were even less safe than she thought. This is all very frustrating and if he's paying attention it will show on her face.]

[He nods. He definitely understands her feelings of frustration. Most people react that way. |D]

Seems like it. We handled them just fine back then. From the sounds of it, we aren't going to have to deal with them in such large numbers like we did back in August. But that's why it's important that we're prepared. That's why it's my job to make sure that the barricade we built all those months ago is in decent shape, just in case something does happen.

[She'll nod as well. Her experience in the North Pole had definitely taught her the importance of good fortifications.]

So the fort is to help keep watch for enemies from the east... are you going to have people manning it once it's built? [She hopes Toph won't volunteer for that too. Despite Caesar's reassurances about this Hugo guy, she still doesn't like Toph going out there without her or Sokka or Aang. She'd insist on going too if she would be any good at all in a desert.]

And where's this barricade?

No idea yet. The fort isn't my project—I was just asked to provide some support since I was gathering up people to help with the barricade. The man in charge of the project, however, is named Yuan, and he was appointed to the task by my brother, so I know he must be reliable. I would think the fort will only be used in the situation that it actually becomes necessary, though. It would be troublesome to have people stay out there all the time, since the desert is quite the walk from here.

The barricade? It's on the eastern edge of the village, in between the village and the mountains. Kind of hard to miss. [Nevermind that it's not marked on the map, sob, but let's just pretend that it is.] For now, we're only working on strengthening that, but in the future, we'll expand it to cover more of the village.

Oh. I haven't been up to the mountains yet. [She'll pause for a minute to chew over what he's said. Katara is still thinking like an invader... if they'd come upon an abandoned Fire Nation fort while they were looking for a place to start the invasion, Sokka would have danced with glee.]

It sounds like you have a lot of confidence in your brother and your friends. Maybe you could tell me a little bit more about them? All I keep hearing from everyone is how many dangerous people are here, and I know that Toph can take care of herself, but I'd like to know a bit more about who she's going out there with.

[Have a wry shrug] I'd go with her myself, but desert fighting isn't exactly my strong suit.

Me, either, but I'm told there isn't anything interesting up there. A hot spring, apparently, but that's about it.

More about them? [Hmm, what could he say...] My brother is Albert Silverberg. He's also a strategist, and I guess you could say he's kind of an important figure within the village. As I mentioned before, Hugo is my general. He might be young, but he's a great leader. As for the others going along, there's a man named Kratos—he's a friend of Yuan's, but I don't know much about him otherwise. There's also Derek, who seems to be good with carpentry and working out in the desert. Finally, there's a mage named Rune. His skills in magic are incredible. Individually, each of them is completely capable, so working together should make things really easy.

[He's in charge of a project, building a barricade someplace he'd never seen? That thought aside, she listens closely - he's claiming these people are very skilled, and considering the type of people she's met so far that could very well be the case, but that doesn't help her with the most basic question: if it came down to it, would they leave Toph or help her? She'll meet his gaze very directly.]

If it was you going out there, would you trust them?

[Ah, no, he's never been to the mountains, but the barricade is literally on the edge of the village. Just outside the forest to the east, before the mountains. |D S-sorry if that wasn't clear?

He doesn't hesitate to answer her question, however, and he speaks confidently.]

Absolutely. In fact, I would go out there if I could, but the barricade is my business, not the fort. [And his brother would kill him if he messes any of this up.] The group going out there is a relatively small one, I suppose—it's certainly no army, but this is the very reason I sent Hugo along with them. He knows how to bring even the most diverse people together. He's also the kind of person to help anyone who's in need, even if they're someone he doesn't necessarily like. He's someone I'd trust with my life.

...and I suppose if all else fails, there's Rune. Teleportation is his specialty, so if something goes wrong, we already have his word that he'd get everyone out of trouble as quickly as possible.

[(Ah, that's good to know. She will appropriately realign her opinion, since that should have been more clear to me.) As he speaks, Katara listens intently. If he's paying attention he'll notice subtle cues that she's relaxing, her shoulders becoming less tense and she leans a bit back in her seat.]

I know someone who sounds a lot like your friend, and so that's really good to hear. Thank you.

[Caesar's glad to see she's relaxing a bit, at least. He can understand why she's concerned, though he kind of wishes there was more he could do to reassure her. Maybe a little smile will help? He does that, then, and shakes his head at her thanks.]

Don't worry about it. I'm confident that things will work out.

[She is still not happy about Toph going out there 'on her own,' and she hates the feeling of not being able to help, but knows that she'd be the weakest leak in a desert fight. She'll respond to his smile with a full one, feeling a little bit better about this whole thing than she has since she figured out what was going on. Maybe this place won't be so bad, maybe she'll even be able to make new friends! And maybe... maybe they can all work together to find a way home.]

It's good to see so many people working together in order to help defend the town and find a way home. How long have you been here?

[Well, she definitely seems to be feeling better, so that's a good thing. He normally doesn't explain these kinds of things to people who aren't involved in his work, so it was a little strange for him.]

The people here tend to be disorganized and at times, have a very one-track mind, but when they set themselves to a task, you'd be surprised what they can accomplish. I've seen it myself! [And though that comment can probably be taken the wrong way, his tone should show that he means well. Tactlessness is his specialty, you see. He pauses at her question.] Me? Uh... seven months now? I dunno. I forget.

[Seven months. That still seemed so long... but him forgetting scares her a little. This place was better than a Fire Nation prison ship, but they still have to concentrate on getting out.]

With so many different people from so many different places, it's no wonder that they'd be a little bit disorganized. But I'm sure, with a common goal, that they can put all of their different abilities to good use.

[Speaking of putting abilities to good use...] Are you planning on having them work on the barricade now? It seems like the snow would get in the way of the construction... maybe I could help with that.

[Pfft. He remembers. He even remembers the date. He's just being a brat. |D Caesar nods at her statement, though. She's got a good attitude. It's even reassuring him a bit.]

I think so, too.

For now, we're focusing most on preparations. That is, gathering up the necessary materials not only to build but also to make sure that we're in good shape to even do this. Once we actually start working, I'd like to fix up what's already there. The barricade was built in haste, and is about six months old itself now. It's impressive that it's even stood for this long, but a lot of it will need to be reinforced or replaced. That should be easy enough to handle with the snow still around. [...] Of course, if you'd like to help, I'd really appreciate it. The more help, the better, after all.

[She nods.]

That makes sense. I can help with the building, the lifting and things as well, but my bending should still be strong enough to get rid of the snow and make sure that it doesn't get in the way of the construction. I haven't tried anything big since I've gotten here, but moving a bit of snow around shouldn't be a problem.

Oh? You're one of those benders, too? [Wow. Even after being here this long, he was still amazed by some of the skills the other villagers had.] That would be really helpful. We could get a lot more done without all that stupid snow in the way.

I'm a waterbender. [It's easier to demonstrate than explain, so she pulls the water and ice out her glass of water and has it swirl around her hand without touching it. To further show how she can help with snow, she freezes it all, again keeping it from touching her hand, then turns her rotating ice bracelet back to water and ice, sending it back to the glass with hardly a splash. Showing off? Maybe a little. But she also just wanted to see how hard it would be.]

This place... it's messing with how strong my bending is. So I don't know how long it will take to clear the area or if I'll be able to keep the whole thing clear in a storm, but getting it clear in the first place should only be a matter of time.

Not bad. [He doesn't mind the demonstration, really! This stuff is actually kind of cool.] Things should be warming up soon enough anyway, so there's no reason to exert yourself. If anything, you can look at helping us as practice for yourself—you'll have to get used to doing that stuff all over again here, since this place messes with everyone's powers.

[She nods earnestly] Yeah, it seems that way. [She makes an annoyed face for a moment. Stupid power draining.] And I don't mind using it to help this way, I think it's a good thing for the village to be protected as much as it can be.

[Business taken care of, she's shifted over to being curious.] So how did you get put in charge of the barricade project?

My brother asked me to do it. He either had other things on his mind, or he just wanted to keep me busy. Possibly both. [Shrug.] Either way, it's been a while since I've had any real work to do, so I don't mind too much.

[You sir, inspire curiosity.]

So... you said you were a strategist and Hugo is your general... are you coming from a place that was at war too? And is your brother like... your commanding officer?

[Caesar lets out a snort at her second question. It was an unconscious reaction. Really.]

Uh... no, not exactly. My brother and I come from a family of famous military strategists, but we didn't work together. A person's style of strategy depends heavily on their personality, so it's not uncommon for their ideas to clash. We were at war before I arrived here, though, yes.

[...OK, so he doesn't work for his brother, but as for the rest you might as well be talking an ancient air bison]

...I can see how different personalities could make ideas clash, but I'd think that they'd also help enhance a plan so that you could fill in any holes. So military strategy is like... the family business? Is that because your world has been at war for a long time?

Each strategist has their own way of thinking. Even if they have a similar goal, their methods can differ greatly, and they aren't always willing to compromise if they feel that their method is best.

Wars happen, but we're strategists more because it's tradition. It's just what we've always done. Back home, everyone's heard of the Silverberg name.

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