faderift | Cannot Find The Words

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Cannot Find The Words

WHO: Samouel Gareth and ANYONE
WHAT: A lots happened since the Fallow Mire. Sam reflects and keeps busy before getting shipped out again.
WHEN: Between returning from Fallow Mire and leaving for War Table operations
WHERE: Skyhold
NOTES: Just the usual.

{Magic Lessons - Before/During/After}
Even though Fallow Mire had been trying, it doesn't mean that he can just take a break from his lessons. Sam is progressing with his Spirit magic with the help of Lady LeBlanc, as well as learning to control Ice spells to a point, though having difficulty. He's also trying to get the grasp on Storm magic with the help of Roul.

{The Armory}
With the new shipment of ores from the Fallow Mire there have been numerous orders for armor and weapons. Seeing as his sparring lessons with Krem have been put on hold for now for... reaons, he spends most late afternoons/early evenings helping with the forges.

{The Library}
He's still having issues falling asleep since the bog so Sam spends a good amount of time in the library in the evenings. That's not the only thing keeping him up. There are a number of crumpled up papers on the floor as he tries to figure out what to say in a letter.

{Wildcard}

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The Library's one of the few places in Skyhold that Jamie doesn't normally go. It's not that he doesn't know how to read - he does - but what he knows how to read is a language that doesn't exist in this particular world. All the books here are a jumble to him, and without someone here to help him out with figuring out what all the little symbols mean, he's more or less been relying on using landmarks and such to get around.

However, since being allowed to join the Inquisition, he's figured he needs to try and start sorting the written language out, even if he's not looking forward to the notion of having to learn to read something new all over again. It's only been a few years since the last time, after all. But once he gets a notion in his head, he's stubborn enough to at least try to see it through, which is why he's in the Library now.

The scribbling and scratching noises coming from Sam's direction eventually wind up sparking his curiosity enough that he eventually looks up from his book to glance over in the direction of the writer. His book is upside down, but he doesn't even notice. The small wads of paper - well, that he notices. It's a familiar sight, and one that brings a small smile to his face, one that lingers a bit as he makes his way over to where Sam is, book still held upside down.

"So what problem are you trying to solve, then?"

It takes Sam a few moments to realize that someone was talking to him, ignoring the man a bit after the question, then slowly stopping when he notices a presence next to him. Looking up from the parchment he blinks, his eyes having gotten used to staring at something close up for a while now.

He doesn't know the man, but he has seen him around. At seeing the man smiling at him, he cannot help but give a small one of his own back. "How to put words onto paper. I'm having a right difficult time trying to come up with something. Did you need anything?" He hadn't disturbed anyone had he?

Strangely enough, being ignored for a little bit is familiar enough, too - although at least Sam does seem to realize he's being spoken with fairly quickly, and that means Jamie doesn't have to resort to what he usually has to do to get the Doctor's attention, which is tug on the Doctor's sleeve.

It does mean that his smile stretches a bit wider, and if Sam wants to take it as a friendly sign, well, he doesn't mind. It does turn into something a little more wry at the question, though, and he brings up his hand to scratch at the back of his head, a flicker of green from the shard visible for a moment.

"Ah, sorry. I'd not meant to disturb you. It's just all the papers reminded me of a friend of mine. When he's trying to figure out something the place usually winds up looking like this. Well, either that or he winds up writing all over the walls or the floor, but that's usually only when he's not got paper about. What part of it's got you stuck, anyway? Just what you want to say?"

Sam is quick to notice the patch of green as the man raises his hand to his head. One of the Rifters then. He hasn't met many of them, but it seems like he's getting to meet more as time goes on, especially now that people were more excepting after hearing they were able to close rifts.

At hearing the apology, he shakes his head a bit. He hadn't meant to sound like he was bothered that the man had spoken to him. He's just gotten used to people coming up and asking about having something crafted or seeing to a minor cut or something that weren't so important to go to the tents. The mention of a friend writing all over walls and floors does get him to raise his brows a bit more, accompanied by a wider smile.

"No need to apologize, you aren't disturbing." Sam gives a shrug, eyeing his paper for a moment then sighing. "Just... trying wondering if just saying 'hi' is enough, or I should try and fit eleven years worth of stuff into a letter."

"Ah. Aye, I could see where that'd be a bit tricky to figure out."

He wasn't much of a letter writer himself, but it wasn't hard to see where something like that could make actually getting things down on paper a bit tricky. Especially if the writing was like he thought it might be, given the book he was looking it. However, that last part he wasn't entirely sure about, and he wound making a small, thoughtful noise in the back of his throat before glancing down at the (still-upside down) book that was in his hands.

"Is it all in odd wee drawings like in this book?" He turned it towards Sam, so he could see the dwarven runes for himself. "Think you might want to come to some sort of compromise if that's the case. Otherwise you're as likely to wind up with your hand cramping as not. Besides, that way you'll still have other things to talk about. Er, write about, anyway."

Seeing the book being offered to him, Sam turns a bit more and leans forward to get a better look. It's easy to read what it is seeing as the book is facing the right way for him. "Yeah, just like this. Though it is easier if you're reading it the right way," he offers, taking the book and flipping it so it isn't upside down for the man.

"I suppose if it is long I could run into the issue of cramping, but that's true for any writing, right?" Sam shrugs lightly at that with a smile.

"Oh."

A faint grimace crossed Jamie's face as the book was turned around, as he mentally kicked himself for a moment for not having realized that the book was the wrong way 'round. The expression didn't last long, his face smoothing back out fairly quickly - but now that he knew, he wasn't about to make that mistake again, and the book stayed exactly the way Sam had placed it.

"Suppose that's true," he agreed then, not actually clarifying if he meant that for the part about the book or the part about one's hand cramping. As far as he was concerned, it worked to cover both - but it was the writing part of things that he eventually picked back up on. "Is it someone you'll think won't write back, then? That could make a difference with how much you want to include, maybe."

It isn't the first time he's had to correct someone on how they were reading a book. A smile spreads over Sam's face at remembering that in a nearby alcove he had done the same for Sal, but he could actually read the books. "It's not an issue of them not writing back; I'm writing to my father and my aunt. It's been a long time since I've had contact with them. I cannot be certain they're still living where I'm sending it."

"And if they're not, there's likely no real way for a letter to get to them, unless someone happens to know where they're living now."

Even then, there's no guarantee sending it on would reach them. Letters could be lost, or intercepted by the Redcoats, or any number of things. Not that there's Redcoats here - or anything that's even like England - but given what he's seen of this world, it's likely very much the same. He purses his lips for a moment, considering.

"Are they very far away, then? Far enough that a trip back there wouldn't be easy to do?"

Right on point stranger. Even if the letter did get there what if there wasn't anyone there to receive it? "All the way to Ostwick in the Free Marches. Would have to cross the sea then it's a trek across the coast east then north. Would likely take at least a few weeks, if not more to get there. I'm not exactly in the position to take that much time away from the Inquisition either, we need all the healers we can get. Not to mention I'd probably go on my own which isn't safe, or that I'll be going on a mission soon anyways."

"Suppose you could see if there'd be a group that'd be willing to go to gather healing supplies, but it does sound like it'd not be something that'll work out. At least not any time soon."

As he continues to consider, one hand drifts up to cup his chin, a finger tapping idly at his lips in thought. The other rests on his book, although he's more or less forgotten it's there, at least for the moment.

"Could always write a extra copy of the letter if the cramping'll not bother you, in case something happens to the first one. Or send a short one to start and draft a longer one with everything you'd want to say in there, but I think when it comes down to it it's up to you how much you want to say in one go."

"I think that's getting a little ahead of myself, don't you think?" Sam chuckles at how enthusiastic this guy was getting. Actually come to think of it- "I don't think I caught your name. Ser-?"

That- oh. To his credit, Jamie winds up looking somewhat sheepish as he realizes he's been rambling on and hasn't even thought to say who he was.

"Think you're not the only one getting ahead of themselves, to tell you the truth." Setting the book to the side, he offers out a hand, although luckily it's not the one with the shard in it. "And it's Jamie. Jamie McCrimmon, but my friends just stick with Jamie. Sorry about that. I've wound up having to figure out more than one puzzle in the past few years. I'd not realized I'd started to make a habit of doing so."

Sam doesn't think twice about raising his own and clasping Jamie's in a firm grip. "Samouel Gareth. Everyone just calls me Sam. Nice to meet you Jamie."

Pulling his hand back, Sam shakes his head a bit at the apology. "Don't be sorry. Just don't think I can handle more puzzles then the ones I have right now. For one I'm making this letter a lot harder then it should be."

"Sam it is, then. Nice to meet you, too."

Maybe they've not talked for all that long, but Sam seems like a decent chap so far, and he's certainly glad to make the other man's acquaintance. He does have to wonder about the mention of other puzzles, though, and it shows briefly as he tilts his head and gives Sam a faintly curious look.

"Well, if you've that many, maybe it'll help to get rid of one. If I actually had anyone to write to here, I'd just not worry about it so much and just start writing. Let whatever's going to be said be said, aye?"

Ah, that's right. As a Rifter, Jamie didn't have anyone he knew in this world. Oddly enough that reminded him of how it was in the Circle, suddenly being taken from what he knew and being separated from loved ones. He had so much to say, but now that he could? Nothing.

"If you were able to write to them... what would you say?"

And that was the question. If he could write to the Doctor, or Zoe - or even Victoria or Ben or Polly, for that matter - what would he say? His teeth scraped over his lower lip as he considered, then after a moment he nodded to himself. Aye, that would be it.

"First I'd tell them that I was doing okay where I was. Let them know that I'd made it through getting here alright, and that I wasn't getting in any trouble." He paused for a moment, then gave Sam a sheepish look and added a touch wryly, "Well, not too much trouble, anyway. They'd not believe me if I said I'd gotten into no trouble at all."

Which probably said more than he should probably say about how often he tended to get into trouble, but that didn't really bother him. Thinking about his friends, on the other hand, reminded him rather keenly for a moment about how they weren't here - and the lines of his face shifted and settled into an expression that had a touch of something wistful to it.

"And...I'd tell them that I'd rather be back there with them, if I could. Because I miss them."

Edited (icon edit) 2015-12-27 03:54 (UTC)

Having been brought here, thrown into a different place, taken from people you know... it wasn't very hard for him to empathize with that. Well, to a point; he doesn't quite know what being brought to another world was like.

"That would be a nice letter." He couldn't write anything like that though, but it did give him some ideas. "Sorry you got dragged into all this. Hopefully we'll figure a way to send you all back."

"Aye, well, we'll see."

Personally he wasn't all that confident that something'd be figured out, but he'd been wrong about that sort of thing before. Maybe he'd be wrong this time too. Sam meant well, though, and he appreciated it. Enough so, in fact, that he wound up giving the other man a small smile.

"But I suppose if I'm going to have to be stuck somewhere, here's not such a bad place to be. The folk here are pretty good sorts." Present company included. "Can't say as I mind pitching in for them, to tell you the truth. Ah...don't know if that'll help any with your letter, though."

It was good to hear that Jamie wasn't having too many issues here. Though for how long he might keep saying that was yet to be seen; they were in the middle of a war, and there was a lot more to Thedas then what was here in the Inquisition.

"Not in particular, but the help is appreciated. I feel better on what I might write though, which I have to thank you for."

Whatever the future would hold for him, he'd figure that out when it came. For now, it seemed that he'd been able to lend a hand in some small way. That he couldn't say he minded being able to do at all.

"Glad to have helped, then. Think I should let you get back to it, though."

After all, that letter still needed to be written - and for all he'd helped, it probably was better that he gave Sam his space so he could get back to doing just that. He took a moment to retrieve the book he'd been holding, holding it up with a small smile.

"And I'd best put this back before I forget about it completely. See you later, maybe."

"It was good meeting you, Jamie. I'm sure we'll run into each other at some point. Thanks again for the help." With a smile he gives the Rifter a small nod in farewell, watching as he walked off to put away his book before going back to his letter.

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Cannot Find The Words

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