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Sam 25
- 25 years
- 11 boxes of books
- 1 word that counts
Says little and keeps every promise. Rows, reads biographies of inventors and quotes two lines of a poem when his own words run out.
“My word is my word.”
Nine pictures. No likes, no scrolling.
Sam is a fictional character from the world of ELSEWISE. He has no real account; there are no likes and no comments here.
What I like
- Fog on the river early in the morning
- The smell of fresh wood and glue
- Old books with other readers' pencil marks
- Fried potatoes with bacon and Lucia's lasagna
- Things that were broken and work again
- Victoria's laugh through a closed door
- Train rides with a window seat and a book
- Rocket launches, even the failed ones
What I don't
- Last-minute changes of plan. Unless they're Victoria's, then a little.
- Loud rooms where you can't talk
- Furniture that wobbles after the second move
- People talking behind someone's back
- Dog-eared pages
- Fighting the night before an exam
- Door frames that are too low
- When someone asks for help and then knows better
Typical Sam
- Rolls up his sleeves before anyone asks
- Always has a paperback in his jacket
- Puts tools back in order of size
- Answers a long text with one sentence that covers everything
- Stands up when an older lady comes to the table
- Rubs his beard when he's thinking
- Gets quieter when things get serious
- Carries Lucia's boxes before she has to ask
Sam is 25, studies mechanical engineering and is doing an internship in aerospace. He's running the numbers on a bracket for the solar panels of small satellites. It has to get lighter without breaking during launch. His supervisor, Dr. Hartmann, likes to say, “Up there, there's no roadside assistance.” Ever since, he checks every calculation twice.
He grew up surrounded by wood shavings: his Grandpa Karl started the Wagner woodshop, and his dad Bernd runs it. From Bernd he learned to pitch in; from his Grandma Hilde, to love poems and biographies. He likes reading about inventors best, especially the part where they almost gave up. When his own words run out, he quotes two lines and looks out the window.
He and Victoria have been together for a little over two years. Now they share a place in a new building, and the boathouse is just around the corner. Every morning he brings her the first coffee. The louder she gets, the calmer he gets. His wet rowing gear still ends up in the hallway.
What he's learning right now: to say what's going on inside him before it takes a poem. And salsa, with Mr. Ivanov, for Victoria. He isn't good at either yet. He isn't giving up on either.
I'll carry it up.
Sam
Start from the beginning.
Sam
That'll hold.
Sam
Went all right.
Sam
Six faces, one day
| Age | 25 |
|---|---|
| Height | 6'4" (1.92 m), with a rower's shoulders |
| Hair | chestnut-brown waves, always a little messy; plus some stubble |
| Always with him | a paperback, the leather backpack from his Grandma Hilde, the watch on his left wrist |
| Studies | mechanical engineering, currently interning in aerospace |
| On the side | has rowed for eleven years, reads biographies of inventors and knows lots of poems by heart |
| Family | twin brother Felix, sister Hanna; Grandpa Karl started the woodshop, his dad Bernd runs it |
| His flaw | would rather dodge a fight than say the one thing that needs saying |
| Star sign | Sagittarius, a classic one |
Stories with Sam
Victoria & SamTwo plans. One way.Victoria wants to be a forensic scientist, Sam wants to work in aerospace.→
Living Together & Fairness · Victoria and Sam · 5 min readI thought you had it
Victoria has to keep track of everything: groceries, laundry, mail, birthdays. Sam takes care of every task the moment she asks and can’t see what’s wrong with that. For Victoria, the remembering itself is the work nobody sees.
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Money & Independence · Victoria and Sam · 4 min readWe can afford it
Victoria wants the couch right now, paid from the shared household account. Sam wants an emergency fund first and says no. She feels held back, and he feels like his worry isn’t being taken seriously.
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Closeness & Consideration · Victoria and Sam · 4 min readNot tonight
Sam cancels the night they planned weeks ago because he’s wiped out after a brutal day. Victoria is disappointed, and Sam feels pushed to justify being tired. They both have a reason, and neither of them feels seen.
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Future & Equality · Victoria and Sam · 4 min readYour call
Victoria gets a big chance in the lab, with more responsibility and long evenings. Sam is happy for her but worried about her everyday life and asks a lot of questions. Victoria hears in them that he doesn’t think she can handle it.
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Family & Expectations · Victoria and Sam · 5 min readYour family, my family
Two family celebrations on the same day, and each of them tries to talk the other into going to their side. The scheduling question quickly turns into whose family matters more. And neither of them actually wants either family to lose.
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Choices & the Future · Victoria and Sam · 4 min readWe had a plan
Less time, surprise expenses, more work than they expected: hardly anything is left of their plan. Victoria wonders whether she expected too much. Sam doesn’t want every change to turn into a problem, and Victoria hears that he doesn’t care.
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