Let's Try This Again
Samuel Wordsworth
Book maker/seller

Age: 34 | Height: 5' 5" | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 10 - Strg: 28 - Dext: 25 - Endr: 27 - Luck: 25 - Int: 1
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#43

"I see. That's...good, then. Relieving." Sam smiled, glad to know he wasn't going to have yet another thing causing him strife with the guild if his friendship with Loren progressed. There was a part of him though that very briefly felt sorry for Zariah, with her seemlessly endless amount of enemies - he thought she must have been very lonely.

He looked up with warm eyes as Jigano reached over to pat his hand. "Thank you. By the way...I've been meaning to ask you something. What do you think about marriage? Just...as a whole? You've been with Rory a while, is all I was thinking, and well...Bastien and Rexanna are married." Really, the only reason Sam was asking this was to try and make sure he'd be invited if such an event was to occur - the paranoid part of his brain that tried to provide scenarios for him to be upset about, rational or not, had really gone wild with this one.

Samuel
He took a step but then felt tired
He said, I'll rest a little while
But when he tried to walk again
He wasn't a child


Jigano Silversmith
the Sage
Provost of the Loreseekers Soul Shepherd
Portal Guardian
Age: 36 | Height: 6'2" | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 30 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 38 - Luck: 42 - Int:
ISUMA - Mythical - Griffin (Venomous)
Played by: Cirago Offline
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Posts: 3,914 | Total: 7,219
MP: 10170
#44
The sudden shift to talk of marriage caught the bard entirely by surprise and he just blinked at Sam for a moment, much like a startled deer might. Bastien and Rex's marriage had been unfortunately held while he'd been Blighted - and he was still a bit miffed that they couldn't have waited until after the Roses had been planted and the infected individuals healed enough to attend - but before he could get properly annoyed Sam's implication had him smiling ruefully.

"Ah, you mean, will Rory and I ever get married? I... don't know. We're already happy together, and he's not particularly fond of any of the gods who we might ask to bless it. I'm not sure what marriage would really change about any of that... but we've also barely been together for little more than a year. We love each other, but that's... it's far too short a time to decide to pledge yourself to someone for a lifetime," he said with a soft smile for the bookmaker. "At least it is for us. Give it another year or two and then we'll decide if we want an official ceremony or not." And if he could coax the hunter into letting him invite Ludo to such an event, though it might make some of the other guests uneasy. Given Nate's recent infidelity he wasn't quite sure what to say in return, but he cleared his throat a little awkwardly and soldiered on. "What about you? How long do you think you would be with someone before deciding to marry them?"
Samuel Wordsworth
Book maker/seller

Age: 34 | Height: 5' 5" | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 10 - Strg: 28 - Dext: 25 - Endr: 27 - Luck: 25 - Int: 1
MIA - Regular - Ragdoll Cat
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#45

Sam listened to Jigano's response with some well placed nods, privately relieved he wasn't going to have to worry about not being invited to any ceremony any time soon. Though he also found it interesting to hear Jigano's take on the situation, always having valued his opinion.

"Oh, um..." He frowned, looking at his hands. Sam's initial response was any time at all, as long as we loved each other, but he suspected that was not the wisest answer he could give and after he'd considered it for a minute, not the one he actually felt. "I think...if we'd lived together for a little while...maybe a year. I like to think by then I'd know and trust them. First I'll need to have a relationship that lasts that long though, of course..." There was a laugh, but it was a little sad.

Looking back to his book, Sam reached over to dab at the ink and see if it was dry. "I'm often quite embarrassed when I see people my age doing things I find difficult so easily. I feel like...I stayed a child until quite late and now I'm trying to catch up. It...makes me worry I won't be able to find a good relationship." He sighed, frowning off into the hall.

Samuel
He took a step but then felt tired
He said, I'll rest a little while
But when he tried to walk again
He wasn't a child


Jigano Silversmith
the Sage
Provost of the Loreseekers Soul Shepherd
Portal Guardian
Age: 36 | Height: 6'2" | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 30 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 38 - Luck: 42 - Int:
ISUMA - Mythical - Griffin (Venomous)
Played by: Cirago Offline
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Posts: 3,914 | Total: 7,219
MP: 10170
#46
Sam and romance was always a wild ride of a combination, in Jigano's experience with the bookmaker, but his friend had experienced a couple of relationships now and had some fresh insight to bring to the discussion that Jigano didn't. The bard was genuinely interested in what his friend thought, and if it had changed since last year. He nodded understanding of the 'year' Sam suggested but his expression shifted to sympathy at the difficulty in finding a relationship that lasted that long. Perhaps Sam just set his expectations too high...? Raised on stories of fairy tale romances, he seemed enamored with 'happily ever after', or he had in the past. Nate's infidelity had been a blow to that, one that Jigano regretted his friend had to learn, but hopefully it would make his next relationship stronger for it.

Sam's worry did bring a smile to Jigano's face, even if it wasn't the most appropriate, but he grinned ruefully at his friend and shook his head. "And what does that make me?" he teased lightly. "I didn't have my first serious relationship until I was, what, twenty-eight? There's nothing wrong with taking your time and having standards, Sam. Rushing into romance, feeling like you have to be in a relationship to be valid... that's not likely to work out in the long run. It's okay to be sure of yourself first, and to take the time to find the right person. Being Ascended gives you more time than most to find them, without losing your looks," he added with a chuckle. His humor faded after a moment though, blue eyes growing a little concerned. "But if they aren't also Ascended, it means that you'll eventually outlive them someday, too," he reminded his friend gently. "You'll have to watch them grow old and die while you continue on... and their soul will go to Mort while yours goes... wherever the Voice keeps Ascended souls, away from everyone else." It was not the most pleasant of considerations, to know that even if Sam found someone he loved among the mortal races that they would have a brief span of decades together before being torn apart for eternity. Only another Ascended might give him that fairy tale love he seemed to crave, but if that love faltered or faded as it had with Nate it would make for some very awkward 'family' reunions.
Samuel Wordsworth
Book maker/seller

Age: 34 | Height: 5' 5" | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 10 - Strg: 28 - Dext: 25 - Endr: 27 - Luck: 25 - Int: 1
MIA - Regular - Ragdoll Cat
Played by: lancydulac Offline
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Posts: 3,135 | Total: 8,707
MP: 0
#47

"Mmm...I don't just mean my first relationship, though...I didn't have any friends until then either, and I still feel odd doing things on my own that I really should be better at by now..." Sam sighed. He'd managed to get over a lot of it, but he still sometimes felt himself looking around for an adult when he stocked his store or when some new calamity occurred.

Though speaking of things to sigh about, Jigano's mention of his mortality had him nodded sadly, looking off as he played with his fingers. "I've spoken to The Voice about that. It makes me sad, to think of everyone growing old around me...I..I think for the moment the best thing for me to do is to try and enjoy the people surrounding me as they are and as I am, not to focus to much on the future." Maybe it was naive, but he felt he might regret focusing too hard on eventual disaster when it finally came.

Samuel
He took a step but then felt tired
He said, I'll rest a little while
But when he tried to walk again
He wasn't a child


Jigano Silversmith
the Sage
Provost of the Loreseekers Soul Shepherd
Portal Guardian
Age: 36 | Height: 6'2" | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 30 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 38 - Luck: 42 - Int:
ISUMA - Mythical - Griffin (Venomous)
Played by: Cirago Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,914 | Total: 7,219
MP: 10170
#48
"You're learning as you go, that's all anyone can do," Jigano reassured his friend with a smile. "And just because other people make it look easy doesn't meant they aren't also struggling," he pointed out with a wry chuckle. "I think you'll find that quite a lot of people feel similarly to you, they just work hard to hide it in public." 'Fake it til you make it' was the advice all young bards started out with, after all. He suspected quite a few other people did, too.

For someone who lived for love as desperately as Sam seemed to, Jigano hesitated to say anything that could come across as too cruel, but before the bookmaker gave his heart away a third time the bard wanted to make sure it would be with someone that wouldn't break it again - even accidentally or inadvertently. It was a relief to hear that Sam had already considered it - even if he did mention the Voice. "That's very wise," he said gently instead of reacting to the goddess's name. "On Caido especially. Happiness... has often been fleeting, at least for me. Holding on to it when we can find it is all any of us can do. Appreciating what we have and what we've had in the past..." He smiled ruefully. "It's hard, sometimes, to remember the good times when there's been so many bad ones, but I admire your strength in choosing to take that path."
Samuel Wordsworth
Book maker/seller

Age: 34 | Height: 5' 5" | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 10 - Strg: 28 - Dext: 25 - Endr: 27 - Luck: 25 - Int: 1
MIA - Regular - Ragdoll Cat
Played by: lancydulac Offline
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Posts: 3,135 | Total: 8,707
MP: 0
#49

"Some people make it look very easy." Sam sighed, but he supposed Jigano was probably true in a more general sense. "Thank you, though. A lot of people would have...called me annoying and stopped talking to me by now." He certainly had plenty of experience with that.

Thankfully Jigano praised his attitude rather than criticised the Goddess or way of life that had made the problem, which Sam appreciated. He couldn't do anything about it, so he didn't want to argue about that; as much as he found just accepting it difficult, it was all there was to do. "I've sometimes wondered...if maybe I could find someone that was long lived too...like a Fae, or another Ascended that won't cheat on me--" Something like a sardonic, bitter smile crossed his face. "--Or...maybe a Demi God? If they live longer? Well, I don't know. You can't control who you fall in love with, anyway." He shrugged, knowing that truth well indeed.

Samuel
He took a step but then felt tired
He said, I'll rest a little while
But when he tried to walk again
He wasn't a child


Jigano Silversmith
the Sage
Provost of the Loreseekers Soul Shepherd
Portal Guardian
Age: 36 | Height: 6'2" | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 30 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 38 - Luck: 42 - Int:
ISUMA - Mythical - Griffin (Venomous)
Played by: Cirago Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,914 | Total: 7,219
MP: 10170
#50
"Then they don't know what they're missing out on," the bard reassured his friend with a quirked smile. "And you didn't want to waste your time on them, anyways." Sam was a good person, even if he was overly trusting and misguided in his religion, Jigano thought. Still, there were far worse flaws to have than a good heart and an earnest scholar's ways, and Sam at least had good intentions, even if they often disagreed on what the results of those intentions would eventually be - when it came to the Voice.

"A Fae might be unlikely," he admitted wryly, "though not impossible. You can't guarantee that someone won't cheat on you, though. All you can do is hope that it works out in the end. Demigods... I don't know what to expect, to be honest. They seem to have their own rules, bent and reshaped by the gods they come from." He shrugged lightly. "All we can do is watch and take notes on the ones we know so we have a record to compare whatever the future brings to what's come before. We certainly seem to be heading into the most exciting period of history since the great war three hundred years ago." For better or, more likely, for worse - for all of them. Mortals never prospered when the gods went to war, not in any history he'd ever read of his own world.
Samuel Wordsworth
Book maker/seller

Age: 34 | Height: 5' 5" | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 10 - Strg: 28 - Dext: 25 - Endr: 27 - Luck: 25 - Int: 1
MIA - Regular - Ragdoll Cat
Played by: lancydulac Offline
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Posts: 3,135 | Total: 8,707
MP: 0
#51

Sam smiled to himself, looking down, clearly a little embarrassed by Jigano's compliment but pleased too. "Thank you."

He laughed at Jigano's admission. "I'm hardly expecting to romance a Fae." Sam was well aware that as a whole, the people of the Greatwood hated the Ascended, especially those that had been present at the opening of the Mathair portal. Still, he had recently met a couple of Fae  who had seemed at least willing to talk - it was the start.

"I wish I lived in boring times." Sam whined, leaning onto the table with his arms folded and his chin on the edge. "And could just make books studying history or architecture. I never wanted to be important." Not that he really was, not quite yet - but he was certainly dancing around the edges of events enough to be mentioned in a book one day about the era. That thought sat oddly with him.

Samuel
He took a step but then felt tired
He said, I'll rest a little while
But when he tried to walk again
He wasn't a child


Jigano Silversmith
the Sage
Provost of the Loreseekers Soul Shepherd
Portal Guardian
Age: 36 | Height: 6'2" | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 30 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 38 - Luck: 42 - Int:
ISUMA - Mythical - Griffin (Venomous)
Played by: Cirago Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,914 | Total: 7,219
MP: 10170
#52
"Probably for the best," Jigano mused teasingly. "You seem to like taller men, from what I've seen." And any Fae gentleman who might be interested in Sam (in spite of his unfortunate contribution to the Mathair's corruption) would certainly be shorter than the slender bookmaker.

"I wished we all did," Jigano agreed whole-heartedly. "I had enough adventure for several lifetimes on my world. It would have been nice to come here and find a place I could rest..." Not that he'd ever have settled for it, he knew. Not before he'd met Rory, at least. Now, though? Now it sounded wistfully tempting, and he was drawn to following his mate's example and retiring from the world for a time.

Blatant selfishness, he knew, but still. Let someone else shoulder the weight of the world for a change. 'No hero,' Safrin had called him, and would it really be so bad to accept that for a time?

"Mmm. You could always ask the Voice to let you retire early?" he suggested, half-teasing though he knew it wasn't much of a joke. Still, Sam had chosen to put himself at the heart of the conflict with his active support of the Voice, no less than Jigano had done with Ludo.
Samuel Wordsworth
Book maker/seller

Age: 34 | Height: 5' 5" | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 10 - Strg: 28 - Dext: 25 - Endr: 27 - Luck: 25 - Int: 1
MIA - Regular - Ragdoll Cat
Played by: lancydulac Offline
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Posts: 3,135 | Total: 8,707
MP: 0
#53

Sam laughed with a distinct embarrassed flush as Jigano pointed out his type. "Well..um...y-yes I do normally like big men. Though..if a shorter man was good to me, and kind...I wouldn't absolutely rule him out." After all, he believed love could occur between any two people, no matter what - he once would not have said Remi was his type, but the soft ache in his chest clearly showed that hadn't mattered.

Asking the Voice to 'retire early'...Sam raised his eyebrows at the suggestion, was about to make a joke in return, but then he actually considered it. "I suppose...it would depend, if I were at a point where I wanted to make that decision, if I had anything left to work towards or..or to be here for. One day I suppose I might not...but right now, I do." A sombre thought, but true enough.

Samuel
He took a step but then felt tired
He said, I'll rest a little while
But when he tried to walk again
He wasn't a child


Jigano Silversmith
the Sage
Provost of the Loreseekers Soul Shepherd
Portal Guardian
Age: 36 | Height: 6'2" | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 30 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 38 - Luck: 42 - Int:
ISUMA - Mythical - Griffin (Venomous)
Played by: Cirago Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,914 | Total: 7,219
MP: 10170
#54
"It's good to keep an open mind," Jigano agreed, lightly teasing but mostly serious as he reached for a writing quill to twirl, staring at it idly, and remembering the one he'd given to Caiside, the magical one that could write one's thoughts...

"You'll live a long time, Sam. It's something to consider, at least. Taking time for yourself, someday. Though I understand why you can't right now, even if I don't agree with the specifics." His smile was wry, the vitriol having faded as they had gotten used to each other's roles. Friends outside of their religious duties, even if they would work against each other within them. "Still, I'm glad to have you around the Guild more often right now. It's getting big enough that I need some more help around here, and--" He blinked as his magic jangled discordantly in his chest and suddenly he was holding two quills, one of which looked very similar to the one Caiside had been given, but one of them resembled Isuma's coloration and plumage instead of the simple grey goose quill he'd initially picked up. "....Oh," he said weakly, wondering what he'd just done.



Jigano has used Master Creation Magic to make:
Type: Grey
Self-writing Quill | A quill that can hear thoughts and record them when asked to by the author of the thoughts.
Samuel Wordsworth
Book maker/seller

Age: 34 | Height: 5' 5" | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 10 - Strg: 28 - Dext: 25 - Endr: 27 - Luck: 25 - Int: 1
MIA - Regular - Ragdoll Cat
Played by: lancydulac Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,135 | Total: 8,707
MP: 0
#55

"Mmm. Maybe one day I'll date a man withou--" Whatever Sam was going to say, he seemed to decide better of it, laughing suddenly and covering his mouth with a shake of his head. "Never mind. Sorry."

Sam nodded to Jigano's words and opened his mouth to say he was happy to help, when suddenly there were two quills in Jigano's hands where before there had only been one. "...Did you...mean to do that?" He asked, reaching out to gently touch the tip of one of the feathers, as if to check it was real.

Samuel
He took a step but then felt tired
He said, I'll rest a little while
But when he tried to walk again
He wasn't a child


Jigano Silversmith
the Sage
Provost of the Loreseekers Soul Shepherd
Portal Guardian
Age: 36 | Height: 6'2" | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 30 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 38 - Luck: 42 - Int:
ISUMA - Mythical - Griffin (Venomous)
Played by: Cirago Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,914 | Total: 7,219
MP: 10170
#56
Whatever Sam's ideal man would be lacking, Jigano wouldn't find out that day. The shock of the feather appearing in his hand startles his teasing intentions right out of his head and he could only blink down at the feather for a minute until Sam's hand reached out to touch it. The blue-tipped vanes were soft and real and the Provost let out a slow breath of surprise as set the original goose quill down. "No..." he said slowly. "I didn't. And it feels like something might have... hmmm. Sort of... snapped? In my magic?" There was a definite sense that whatever he'd just done, he wouldn't be able to repeat it any time soon.

He reached over to collect a nearby inkwell and a blank page, the inked the quill's tip and set it upon the paper, frowning thoughtfully as he began to think of some words.

Wicker Women are a type of carnivorous tree native to the Woodlands of the Hollowed Grounds and the Greatwood. Though rooted in one place their branches can move--

As the words appeared on the page he let out a small laugh that held a hitch of sorrow in it as he shook his head and smiled wryly at Sam. "It's similar to the quill I gave to Caiside before he... before he died at LongNight. It writes the thoughts of the owner when asked to. A useful addition to a Loreseeker's inventory. I... I think I'll keep it in the Guildhall for now, though, rather than give it to anyone specific. That way any of our colleagues can use it if they need to."


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