❖ ００３ ; ＶＩＤＥＯ

[graciousness]

[ Gwen is sewing.

There is so much time to fill these days that she takes these projects, uses them to pass her hours and keep her mind occupied with simple things rather than her worries and lord knows she has plenty.

In her lap, a dress is laid, more of a gown of silks in shades of royal blue and lighter blue. It is an impressive piece, one she is working on for many weeks on from the look of her fingers, she had poked herself with the needle more than once.

Still she works, sewing what looks like a golden embodiment on the edges.

Beside her is a cup of tea and actually, it's not the gown she wants to talk about. ]

It's rather brilliant.

[ she takes the cup, sips her tea. ]

Are they really tea-leaves? I have never heard of any leaves that can make something so wonderful. In Camelot we only have water and if you're fortunate you have milk.

[ and ale and mead and wine, but Gwen never tried those. ]

N-not that I mind the milk and the water. Or Camelot, really, I miss it quite often but -

[ she's doing it again isn't she? the babbling. She stops, smiles. ]

It is rather brilliant. Where can one find those...tea leaves? Where do they grow?

Comments

[drowns]

The dress you're making is beautiful. Are you a seamstress?

And there are tea crops. They're like any other plant. You can barter for them here; they're quite inexpensive.

[...hold it.]

Please excuse me, but did you say 'Camelot?'

video.

[graciousness]

[ she looks down at the gown, passes her fingers above the fabric ]

I oft mended the gowns of the Lady I served. It was little things at first and then I simply learned how to fix embroidery and little by little I learned how to sew them.

[ she sews her own, though they are of a simpler fabric, dyed cottons, mostly. ]

Camelot, yes. It is where I am from.

[solitaire]

What, no ale?

[graciousness]

There is that, and wine too, yet I never tried those.

[ startled that he may think she judges, she corrects herself. ]

Not that I mind those who do! Nearly everyone do, I am simply not the type to visit taverns.

[video]

[fantasticforcefields]

[Gwen is giving off something of a feeling of vulnerability, and Sue will mother anything that holds still long enough. She flips on her netbook to reply.]

In the Far East. India and China, mostly.

[She thinks those terms for that part of the world are old enough that someone claiming to be from Camelot will recognize them.]

[video]

[graciousness]

[ Being one to mother others herself, it is not often someone tries to do this for her. ]

Are those kingdoms?

[ a handmaiden, she knows to read and write, but has never learned much of the world outside of Camelot. One day, when Gwen is queen, she will know and learn much more. These days, she is humbly honest in her lack of knowledge. ]

[Video]

[obliterating]

You've much skill with a needle.

[Video]

[graciousness]

I've had many years of practice.

[ she inclines her head. ]

Thank you, my Lord.

[video]

[medicating]

You like that, you should try sweet tea. You drink it cold, though.

[And he's sure every Transport from any version of the modern UK has just felt a shudder go up their spine...]

[video]

[graciousness]

Is it also made of tea leaves?

video;

[medusalith]

Camelot?

[ Medusa has nothing to say on the matter of tea, except that it exists and she prefers wine over everything else. ]

video;

[graciousness]

[ But Medusa, tea is obviously the best thing since mead. ]

My kingdom, the place I lived at before I came here.

Video;

[sleepingvalkyrie]

One of my roommates here has introduced me to such a drink. [ A small smile.] Drinking leaves is not a common thing amongst my people, either.

[ Perhaps amongst the Vanir but, well. She is not Vanir.

Her expression shifts to one of admiration for the gown. ]

Is that all your own work?

Video;

[graciousness]

I never heard of it at all in Camelot, it is a pity. It seems rather easy to make.

[ but at the question she flushes with gratitude, inclines her head. ]

It is, my Lady.

video

[futurarex]

[there's a great many questions that can be asked here, but let's begin with the simplest.]

Are you sure you're not drinking some medicine? [and a bit more suspiciously:] Who did the leaves come from?

video

[graciousness]

[ Are you suggesting your once and future queen is doing drugs? ]

The marketplace, t is a very common drink, my Lord.

video

[wearsblack]

Hello Gwen. I see your dress is coming along.

[From the looks of the feed, he's face down on his mattress, his chin propped up on his arm as he stares down into the tablet.]

video

[graciousness]

Yes, my Lord. It is done in form, but there is some embroidery to be finished, on the sleeves and the edges and the laces are not quite as I wanted. I might do them again.

[ there is something to be said about Gwen devoting her nights and days to a gown Morgana might burn upon sight but Gwen doesn't dare to even think about it. ]

video

[ladyofrivendell]

[The dress is what catches her attention.]

You are very talented.

video

[graciousness]

[ oh well, she inclines her head to that, smiles at the compliment. ]

Thank you, my Lady. It is very kind of you to say.

video;

[scinlae]

A dress? [ Morgana wills her face to look indifferent, but lack of sleep wears down on that mask like the ocean wears down the shore. It is not as affective as she'd like to think. ]

video;

[graciousness]

[ She seems torn between wanting to hide the thing and admit that it is already too late now that she had seen it.

She only meant to show it to her when it's done.

She settles on the latter. scolds herself. True, she thought Morgana would ignore her and the dress both.

Perhaps it's a comfort that she didn't. ]

Yes.

[ can you tell she's nervous? she's a little nervous. Or you know, a lot. ]

video

[affections]

( Good God, a fellow Englishman. Woman. Nevermind. This is very exciting. )

Mm, tea is rather fantastic. Although, and please forgive me, but since you mention Camelot ( whaaaaaat ) and your accent is not so terribly unfamiliar, might I assume you're from Britain? Or some-- some version of Britain? Because tea is very much our national drink, in the time I hail from.

( or it was, when things were a bit less... apocalyptic. )

Have you had coffee, yet? It's from a plant, too-- a bit more bitter than tea, but amazing if you need a kick to get you through a bit of hard work. Or through anything, actually. It's from the beans, though, rather than the leaves.

( Speaking of, someone is new and has been drinking too much coffee to help her cope. )

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[graciousness]

Britain?

[ forever puzzled. ]

Camelot is a kingdom, my lady. One of the five in the the land of Albion. Though some may call it Britain, perhaps I have yet to hear of it.

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[accidentalgenocide]

[ She's definitely checking out what you're doing with interest, Gwen! ]

Oh, what a lovely dress! You must be very skilled!

[ Oh right, she asked a question ... ]

-- Ah, and as for tea ... I believe you can make tea out of most any plant. I have had teas made with many flowers before that were quite nice.

video

[graciousness]

My lady is very kind. I am not a royal seamstress by any means, but I have been mending gowns all my life and I learn how to sew since I was a little girl.

[ also what flowers. ]

One can make tea out of flowers?

video;

[isinganyway]

You've never even heard of tea?

video;

[graciousness]

Not before I came to the city, my Lady.

[worldliness]

Let's see...Camelot, King Arthur, England.... And they drink black tea there. "There" meaning where Camelot used to be in modern times, I mean. They grow way to the east of where you lived.

[graciousness]

He is only a Crown Prince.

[ erm. ]

Arthur. The king is Uther. Have you heard much of Arthur, my Lord?

[ all the curiosity but wait, tea! ]

Then in the future, tea will be common in Camelot?