What's My Scene

[wontforgetyou]

WHO: Jamie and anyone who wants to bother him
WHAT: Experiments and Bagpipes and Fights, oh my!
WHEN: Roundabout nowish
WHERE: Kirkwall, The Wounded Coast
NOTES: Possible violence, probable questions, faint chance of bagpipes, definite Hoodoo Guru lyrics

Poking At Your Experiments
Being part of the group working with the rifts meant that Jamie wound up closing a fair few of them, but there was more to the project than simply that. The veil being as thin as it was in Kirkwall meant it was a good place to try out all sorts of things in an effort to see how the veil or the marks would react. While Jamie wasn't really the scientific sort, he was still a rifter and able to take part in whatever experiments other people came up with - even if that part involved him standing around and handing over various containers and tubes or whatever bits and pieces people were asking for.

That didn't mean that he had to sit there and do it quietly, though, and more often than not when he'd gotten drawn into playing assistant he wound up peering at whatever it was the other person was doing and occasionally reaching out a curious finger to see if he could get away at poking at some of the more gadget-like objects. Even if he couldn't get away with that, though, it wasn't about to stop him from asking questions...like he was doing now.

"So what's that do, then?"

The Wild Piper Of The Wounded Coast
The Inquisition quarters by the docks weren't really the best place for piping. They were crowded on the best of days, and even if Jamie'd been able to stay by himself in his shared room the walls were too far too thin for any proper playing to be done. The fact that he'd had to take in a new roommate once the Doctor'd disappeared simply meant that aside from the odd bit of maintenance, his pipes tended not to see the light of day.

Away from the city was a different story, however. He was already of the mind that further away he was able to get away from the city, the better it was, which is why he'd volunteered to go with this particular group tasked with gathering herbs along the Wounded Coast. The fact that it meant that he'd also be able to get to bring his pipes was an added bonus - but so far he hadn't had a chance to play anything. Instead, he was currently stuck with the task of hauling the plants that they'd found back to the main part of camp, and as he sets the latest box down, it was with just a touch of impatience. This part of things he'd be more than glad to be done with. Assuming, of course, that he'd get the chance to actually be done and not get roped into doing something else, but the only way to find that out was to ask.

"Here, are we done for now? Or is there anything else you wanted before I head off for a bit?"

Song Of The City At Night
Many places in Kirkwall were dangerous, especially once the sun set. While the criminals weren't necessarily as brazen as they once had been, the unwary could all-too-easily find themselves a target of one - or more - of the unsavory elements that called the city home. Even those who paid attention to their surroundings could find themselves surrounded in turn, something that Jamie had found out the hard way when a small group of thugs stepped out to block his path. Still, he wasn't daunted. No McCrimmon had backed down from a fight yet, and he wasn't about to start now. He had his reflexes, he had his dirk...and chances were if he was loud enough, he'd get somebody's attention. Whether or not it was somebody who'd be willing to help him remained to be seen, but he went ahead and raised his voice anyway, just to see what'd happen.

"Think you can take me down, do you? Aye, well, I wager you're in for a surprise."

Wildcard
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Comments

wounded coast; lbr she'd prefer pike-twirling

[arcaneadvisor]

Usually Morrigan would head off alone for whatever it is that she might require, unafraid of unfamiliar places or whatever reputation they might hold; the Fifth Blight, the Crossroads, elven ruins, and never forget the Orlesian Court, well it all had that effect after growing up in the rather infamous Korcari Wilds. But a group afforded being able to relax more than she might, to take in things missed when keeping the ears pricked up (sometimes literally, sometimes not) for danger so she'd tagged along.

Maybe not the most welcome of guests but no one can say no to someone able to take care of themselves and everyone else with them.

Watching Jamie out the corner of her eye, she smirks, tucking a slender plant inside one of her notebooks for later. "Whenever I have seen young men in a hurry to leave camp, there has been some-- how did Oghren put it? - Pike-twirling involved." And yes she says that as slowly as Morrigan can say anything, drawing out every syllable, every pause, taking her time checking that box in case she might want it.

understandably so

[wontforgetyou]

"Pike-"

Trust Oghren to come up with something like that, even if it's not that much of a surprise, given what he knows of the dwarf. Morrigan, on the other hand, he doesn't know at all - but not knowing her isn't about to stop his mouth from pulling indignantly off to one side, which it does about three seconds later.

"Och, that's not it at all. Can't a man have a wee bit of peace around here without having people question it?"

Or insinuate things, for that matter, which he's starting to suspect given the way she's drawing out her words. Either that - or she's having him on, which means that either way his mouth is going to stay firmly tugged off to one side while he makes a brief gesture towards the herbs he'd gathered earlier.

"Look, do you want the box or not? It's not sorted yet, but I've no been shirking. There's plenty in there that's useful."

[arcaneadvisor]

Young men are always interesting to watch in the same way it's interesting to watch a wild animal; you know enough about them to hazard a guess but you don't know what goes on inside the head that makes you tilt your own to the side as if that might make you understand them better.

"Alistair," dry, still somehow lofty as if she's somewhere very far-off from all this, "was quite accomplished by the time 'twas at an end."

More than you wanted to know about Alistair, more than Alistair wanted you to know about Alistair, she'd wager.

"Peace does rather depend on your definition of it, does it not? Some men shall never have peace. They shall stalk it all their lives, reach for it with hands outstretched, grasp and grab yet ever shall it slip through their fingers. Your being here is proof enough of how little peace there is." Morrigan rises, stretches out the pop in her back (no one likes to admit to getting old but at least the stories will speak of The Witch of the Wilds, daughter of Flemeth then arcane advisor and she can quietly slip back out of them again) as she makes to inspect them. "The wind on the Wounded Coast blows and Free Marcher mothers will say your face will stay that way young man."

She's told Kieran that. Anyway-- "There are a few things I had hoped we might find here that we have not, likely further off the beaten track."

[wontforgetyou]

Way more than he wants to know. On the plus side for Alistair it's the sort of knowing that Jamie is going to stuff far, far back in his mind and never let see the light of day again, so neither one of them will have to worry about coming up at some unexpected time. The comment about his face freezing the way it is, on the other hand, is something he's heard plenty of times before, although at least this time there's at least something different thrown in. His reaction is still more or less the same, even with that - which is to say his mouth twists a bit more and he winds up with an expression that's the exact opposite of what he actually winds up saying.

"Ha ha, very funny."

Still, that sort of expression never winds up lingering long with him, and it's only a matter of seconds before his face smooths back out again into something more like its usual self, only with a touch of something thoughtful added in. She's not wrong about how little peace there actually is throughout Thedas - and, more specifically, here as well. If she's gotten it in her mind to go wandering off looking for things off the beaten path, it'll be risky. And even though a part of him knows full well that she'll likely be able to take care of herself (and any bandits unfortunate enough to come across her path), there's another part of him that knows he'll never forgive himself if he lets her do that and something goes wrong.

With a sigh, he resigns himself to not getting to play the pipes for awhile longer and goes over to fetch a satchel and sling it across his body. If they're going off the beaten track, it'll be easier to carry plants in - and keep his hands free if trouble does turn up.

"Alright, then, let's go find these things of yours. Hope you know where we're going to start, though, because I'm thinking if it's off the beaten track we've got more than few places to choose from there."

[arcaneadvisor]

Very good Jamie, let it sit there and fester until perhaps there's an unfortunate drinking game or another deep dark terrible piece of knowledge and the lesser of two evils must come out.

"Should you chance to spend much time in Ferelden, what great many wisdoms you'll hear from the old soothsayers."

Still, she does prefer this to Kirkwall as she ever does. Even as isolated as Skyhold was for most of the world and even when she had thought she craved contact with so many away from the Wilds, growing up so very alone then surrounded by so many people? More than tiring, it wearies her. Kirkwall is so much worse with the added insult of their lodgings being the Gallows, being forced to stay where mages were once confined when she never submitted to one before so she needs this. Even if there are probably many things with teeth and claws and bodies made of little more than the Fade itself on the prowl. At least the worst of the Tal-Vashoth will be gone though the Qunari would have more ire for her than those who left the Qun would but honestly she'd rather not chance it outside of those who've chosen to join with the Inquisition.

"Do bring that curious thing of yours," she comments as she dusts herself off, tucking the notebook shut to tuck into one of her pouches. "I seek the Harlot's Blush Flower, some grow near the mouths of caves."

This is a serious plant required for serious reasons.

Experiments

[youwonscience]

Her talk with Hermione had been, while draining, oddly encouraging too. It reminded Cosima that she could work on multiple projects at once, for one thing, and when she returned from Orzammar she was determined to do some proper experimenting.

Equipping a proper lab was proving to be a challenge, though, and she looks up at Jamie's question. "Oh! Um. So I've been experimenting with lenses for magnification. There's not a ton of glass laying around in Thedas, or at least not in Kirkwall, but I managed to trade for some flasks." She gets up to come over properly. "Since I don't have the skill or the materials to grind precise lenses out of them, I'm trying to use water to let me get a closer look at things. I'm experimenting with drops versus fuller flasks. I'm not a physicist, but I remember a few things about convex and concave surfaces."

[wontforgetyou]

"Oh, aye, I see."

He didn't, not entirely, but at least he's familiar with the notion of magnifying something. Now, anyway. A few years ago, it might've been a different story, but luckily he's learned a few things over those years - enough that he does wind up nodding in some understanding, as opposed to looking completely blank.

"The Doctor told me about those. Something that's convex curved a certain way, right? Like- like the outside of a sphere. And concave is the other way around, like if you're looking at the inside of a sphere. Or a cave."

Okay, well, maybe not all caves, but that particular analogy made the most sense in Jamie's head. So caves it was.

"What is it you're going to want to be looking at though? Tiny wee beasties?"

[youwonscience]

"Exactly it," she says, of his description of lenses. "Advanced instruments use combinations of them, but even a simple convex lens can get you some rudimentary magnification. Not enough," she says, with a sigh, "to see things too small for the naked eye, but you can see more detail. I'd like to get a better look at the anchor shard, for one thing."

[wontforgetyou]

"Right, like those microscope things!"

Those were plenty advanced, from what he'd seen, and he still remembers what'd it been like to use one to look at a piece of what they'd thought was weed only to discover wriggly things inside it. When she mentions the shard, he turns his hand towards his face, glancing down at the faintly glimmering bit of magic that's embedded into it.

"Wonder if there's wriggly things in that too," he wonders - more to himself that to Cosima, but he fixes that part when he looks up at her again, brow faintly knit as he starts to try and think his way through the problem.

"What if you could get some of that fancy glass they make in Orlais? Would that help at all, do you think?"

[youwonscience]

"Totally like a microscope," she agrees with a grin. "And that's one of the questions I'd like to answer. Are the rifts reacting like chemicals would, the way that, like, vinegar bubbles when you dumb it on bicarbonate of soda? Or is it something more like life?" The subjective experience of closing a rift felt like it required concentration, but it's a sole data point.

"Orlesian glass might help. Hell, at the university someone might have even invented microscopes. But I get the sense that they'd need some persuading to give us access, if so."

Wildcard!

[eolasemah]

During one of his nighttime walks, Jamie would find himself lit by a glowing green light quite like his own, growing brighter as its owner approached. And there stood Sina in her nightgown and shawl, smiling faintly and leaning against the doorway that led to the dockyard where she resided with Nari.
"I don't see the point of streetlamps, when they have us," she observed, a bit sadly, nonetheless happy to see Jamie. It had been a while; she hadn't spoken to him since before the move, and found he was a sight for sore eyes.

[wontforgetyou]

It wasn't often that Jamie's own mark was visible, nowadays. More and more often he'd taken to wearing gloves, unless he was in the Gallows or out helping to close one a rift. Tonight, though, his mark'd been aching, and he'd decided to take a small risk on the way back to his own shared room at the docks. Seeing Sina heading towards him, he was glad he did. If he'd not, then she might have missed him, and it'd been far too long since they'd had the chance to talk.

Not to mention, the marks made it easier to see the faint smile on her face. It was one that he matched with with a rueful smile of his own as he headed over towards the doorway.

"Aye, put some wings on us and we'd be a regular pair of lightning bugs. It'd almost make it worth being stuck with these things. How've you been, Sina? I wasn't sure where you and Nari'd set up or I'd have come by sooner."

[eolasemah]

Anyone might think she looked eerie, like someone telling a ghost story with a candle just under her face, but people who knew Sina knew better.
"Oh, fine," she replied, stepping forward to hug Jamie, a habit she'd picked up since moving to Skyhold and wasn't about to let go of anytime soon.
"I got married."
No big deal.

[wontforgetyou]

Hugs are good. Quite good, as a matter of fact, and he's more than happy to return the favor, wrapping his arms around her. He's fully intending on hugging her for as long as she's comfortable with the hug, but her words wind up throwing him for just enough of a loop that he stops earlier than intended to give her a look of surprise instead.

"Oh ay- Wait, you got married?"

Well, what do you know. He hadn't thought she was with anyone like that, but it has been awhile - and it's entirely possible that she's met someone and there's been something going on for some time, only he's not known about it. It doesn't change the fact he's quite pleased for her, and a broad smile winds up crossing his face as a result.

"Hey, congratulations! Who to?"

[eolasemah]

Sina doesn't mind when he steps back, and folds her hands in front of her with a mild blush to her cheeks. She nods. "Sorrelean, First of Clan Ashara," she explains, "our clans are united now. It's a relief for all of us, though if you ask me my clan got the most out of it."

City at Night

[wardeneructate]

Someone heard him alright. Though he hadn't really been planning on helping anyone out today, he figured might as well. After he finished pissing on this wall here after a night of drinking who knew what. Who knew what because even Oghren couldn't be sure. He'd just sort of been swallowing without looking or asking really. Pretty much a normal night of drinking really.

So once he was done shaking it out to make sure he wasn't going to look like he pissed himself, he tucked back in then hauled up his axe to go towards the sound of the voice. What he found was what looked like a kid surrounded by some thugs. Or smugglers. Or who knew what in these parts.

"Seems like you're having some fun over here. I could always use a good fight when odds are stacked against me." Seriously, Berserkers loved this sort of thing.

[wontforgetyou]

For all of Jamie's bravado and Oghren's willingness to fight, the head thug (or smuggler, take your pick) was unimpressed, letting out an almost derisive snort as his eyes flicked from the Warden to the rifter and then back again.

"A surprise? From a dog-lord in a skirt and a- what did that beast we took care of the other week call those dwarves again?" he called back to his men briefly before answering his own question, the mocking sneer on his face plain to see. "Oh, right. Short Mouth. I think not."

One sure way to get Jamie to bristle was to call his kilt a skirt - and his mouth tightened into a thin line at the comment, his hand dropping to hover near his waist. A couple of men obligingly laughed at their bosses words, and the leader smirked and stepped forward, drawing his blade. His men followed suit, their weapons plain enough to see even in the relative gloom of the street they were on.

"All I see are a couple of gulls carrying around things they don't need. Things that'll fetch us a nice bit of coin, once we've relieved you of them."

[wardeneructate]

Oghren pulled his axe off his back, a grin coming to his drunk face as he moved closer. "Short mouth, huh? Probably the last thing you want to be calling me."

He wasted no more time before he actually rushed the group with a roar. He was small and drunk but he was pretty fast and he could hit hard. There were benefits to being a berserker, after all. One of them being that all anger was fuel for power as he went to get as close to as many as he could before swinging that axe around.

Apparently Oghren had a goal to make them regret their words and he had no problem with possibly taking a limb or two to do it.

[wontforgetyou]

The leader's smirk quickly vanished as he realized what'd happened. This wasn't the plan. The plan was that they'd intimidate the pair of them into giving up a bit of coin and their weapons. Maybe what they were wearing as well, with a bit of luck - it was always amusing when they could send their marks off into the streets with only the smallclothes on their backs. It was clear the dwarf hadn't been kidding, though, and the leader muttered a curse under his breath before yelling for his men to take Oghren down.

That was probably a mistake, as it meant there were even more targets for Oghren's axe...but it did give the leader the opening he'd hoped for, and as the other men closed in, he slipped back towards the edges of the fight, his eyes fixed on the berserker and his movements. He didn't have any intentions on being on the wrong side of that axe, not if he could help it.

Jamie, on the other hand, had started to circle the fight. The thugs that had been headed his way had found themselves suddenly having to try and avoid getting their limbs cut off. They'd decided to react accordingly - well, except for the first one who'd gotten hit and staggered back to lean against the wall, his sword arm hanging uselessly at his side. He was mostly just bleeding a lot.

For now, Jamie ignored him, forgoing the option of drawing his dirk in favor of bringing up his hands up, cupping one over the other as he cracked his knuckles and waited. As one of the men managed to avoid a blow that'd been directed at him, he wound up staggering back, away from the larger melee into a position that left him open, and more than a bit vulnerable - and Jamie saw his chance. He sprang into action, leaping at the other man, fist already cocked and aiming at the other man's head in an attempt to land a good, solid punch. The move came along with a yell - maybe not something as primal as Oghren's roar, but it was still a cry that was meant to strike fear into the heart of the enemy, even if the enemy was from another world and not likely to understand what was being yelled.

"Creag an tuire!!"

Hermione does what she wants, okay?

[bookish_lioness]

Over the years, Hermione has found - with great reluctance, of course - that working herself to exhaustion is actually counter-productive, and so she makes it a point to maintain a careful schedule of recreational time when things start becoming difficult. As it so happens, one of her more constant distractions over the past few months has been Jamie, and so she decides now that turnabout is fair play.

With any luck, she wouldn't be dragging him away from anything important, though he has every opportunity to turn her away as she knocks upon his door. She'll feel foolish, granted, but she's certainly not the type to force fun on anyone.

When Jamie answers, Hermione smiles and holds a hand out towards him. "Hullo, Jamie. Mind if I steal you for the afternoon?"

as is only right!

[wontforgetyou]

As it happens, Hermione has excellent timing. So far today, Jamie has spent the entire day mending. Not clothes, in this case, but bits and pieces of leather armor - doing things like putting new straps on vambraces and gauntlets, strengthening seams and generally making sure that everything's in the best shape it can be. For all that he's familiar enough with that sort of work that it's easy to do, it's tedious work, and the look he gives her is one of sheer relief.

"Yes, please!"

There's nothing important that still needs to be mended, and he's more than happy to set that aside and take her hand, smiling back at her with one of his lopsided smiles as he lets her lead him away from the room.

"You can steal me at any time, but I'll take the afternoon for a start. Where to, then?"

[bookish_lioness]

Hermione is pleasantly surprised that Jamie is so agreeable, but somehow, she doesn't really feel like asking after it. After all, he might realize that he has something else that warrants his attention, and just this once, she'd like to be a little selfish and encourage him to be sociable.

Or, well, as sociable as he can be when it's just the two of them.

"Well, if I steal you for much longer than the afternoon, then this impromptu lunch date might run into supper," she tells him, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "Not that I much mind, but the food might run out and force us into a proper restaurant. Then I wouldn't be stealing you so much as sharing you with other people."

[wontforgetyou]

There's sociable and there's spending time with Hermione. While he doesn't have any real objections about the first one, the second one is much more appealing - although he definitely doesn't mind the notion of there being a wee bite to eat as well. Food and good company sounds like just the thing to him, although he can't help but chuckle just a little bit.

"Och, I don't know. The idea of lunch turning into supper's no such a bad one. I daresay we could come up with something clever to keep it just the two of us."

What that is exactly, he's not sure, but give him a bit and he might be able to come up with some sort of an idea. For now, though, he's happy to give her hand a squeeze in return and let her lead the way - sort of. There's enough curiosity on his end as to where they might be going that it's not long before he gives into it. Hopefully she doesn't mind some questions along the way.

"Although it sounds like you might have a wee bit of plan there already, Hermione, if you're already thinking that whatever food there'll be is bound to run out. Do I get to know what you've in mind, or is it a surprise?"

Song of the City at Night

[justice_is_blond]

He's a little on the tired side, making his way up from Darktown toward the Gallows one step at a time, reminding himself of the warm bed he'll get to crawl into that night when he hears Jamie. For a brief moment he's confused, thinking he's being spoken to. Then the situation dawns on him and Anders takes a slow, deep breath before summoning up his energy and pulling his staff off his back.

"Two surprises, even. Maybe more. It could be a night full of surprises." He reaches Jamie's side and gives the Rifter a slightly tired smile. "Welcome to Kirkwall, here are today's bandit selection, likely trying to replace the ones that got killed last night instead of asking how they got killed last night."

[wontforgetyou]

"Oh, aye, so I see. Take it it happens a lot, then."

The timely arrival comes as more than a bit of relief, although he's careful not to let it show on his face. Two against a lot are better odds than one against a lot, especially when the second one happens to be Anders. With a bit of luck, maybe one or more of the bandits will realize that sooner rather than later and make it easier for all of them.

He's not about to assume that's going to be the case, however - and even though he sends a quick smile back in return, he also keeps an eye on the bandits, ready to shift into a fighting stance at a moment's notice. At least one of them, a large, burly bearded fellow, looks as though he's considering making that a necessity, starting to move forward before a small, slim man with a hooked nose holds up his hand and stops the larger man in place.

"Now, now, Madox. Don't be so hasty. Our new mage friend does have a point, even if he and his young companion are more than a bit overconfident. Please, ser, do enlighten us as what has happened to those unfortunate souls. I would be very interested in hearing why we should be so frightened."