#knollandvoid

[jehannandancer]

» reunions in the sand

@knollandvoid, continued from here:

🥂 "This is a surprise-- it's been some time. It's Knoll, correct?" Tethys smiles at the mage and extends a coconut, complete with a small umbrella and a fruit toothpick. It's been some time since she's seen him, and while not close, she considers her comrades at arms from Magvel as important people in her lives. "Sit down with me, have a drink. The coconuts here are amazing."

Knoll turns to look backwards from where he stands on a rocky outcropping overlooking the sea, confused by the sudden appearance of a familiar voice. He wishes for a split second that they had met again in some other place. His robes really aren’t made for places like this, all the water makes the wet sand stick to his clothes where they brush the ground, and that has him feeling more than a little embarrassed to be seen by an old comrade in such a state. Then he remembers, he couldn’t be on a beach, certainly not with Tethys. He’s left for Garreg Mach, his allies from Magvel are probably all back home. This must be a dream, he’s just exhausted from the travel and imagining an old acquaintance. Still, there’s no harm in indulging the fantasy of being with a familiar face again.

He awkwardly stumbles towards the dancer, removing his hood as he goes before reaching out and taking a coconut from her. “I’m sorry for taking so long, I was,” he trails off, “lost in thought. It’s good to see you again Tethys, I haven’t got to share a drink with anyone from home for too long.”

Tethys simply shakes her head in understanding, not minding the initial silence from the man. It’s her that appeared out of the blue, with a drink that was meant for someone else, but she soon forgot who it was originally for. To share it with a former comrade, felt right, if not fitting.

“Staring at the sea does that to you. You don’t have to apologize for reflecting. Besides... It’s the perfect view to drink to.” Tethys stands by him and looks out at the sea herself, a gentle, cool breeze passing by them, strands of scarlet swept along, her bangles lightly jiggling. It was a peaceful day. A welcomed change, but its still... conflicting for the dancer.

She takes a small sip from her drink, eyes fixated on the never-ending blue in front of her.She wonders briefly if this was just a very long dream if not or the distinct memories from the previous battle. Some people that she hasn’t seen before, or hasn’t seen in years popped up all of a sudden too, like Knoll. Was he at the monastery too? She can’t seem to remember, some parts of her brain muddled up and incredibly hazy. 

She turns to the mage this time around, curious of his own worries. “So what plagues your mind, Knoll? Surely it’s not troubles from home?”

[displaced-tactician]

📚 (They haven't really interacted yet so feel free to ignore this, but I'm curious what she could dig up on Knoll)

Morgan’s Tome Entry for Knoll. Still Accepting.

(Please recognize most of this is written in a code she made back in her original timeline. Part may be written in the past, and some in the present depending on the character. This is the translation not what a character would read.)

Research: Quiet, secluded, and hard to read. Knoll probably isn’t someone you can learn about just from observation. A few quick and easy things to note: likely a magic user of sorts and has spoken about a Prince Lyon and a place called Grado on the few occasions I’ve overheard conversations. He seems extremely attentive, analytical, and focused. Yet he also seems decently kind to individuals who do approach. Is this a rouse?

Pros: Analytical mage, likely able to help decipher unknown texts and books. Perhaps even research more obscure topics. The level of attentiveness also brings a layer of accuracy and trust in their findings. Lastly, due to their secretive and quiet nature I don’t imagine many will be able to get information from them.

Addendum: I wonder if they’re a good person to help with my research?

Cons: Secretive and quiet. Hard to read and hard to gather information on. As a non-native to Fodlan, it’s even harder as I’m unaware as to who their comrades and friends are. 

Tactical Benefits: Unknown at the moment. According to the marks at Garreg Mach they seem to be a mage. Nothing stands out immensely. Requires more observation. In battle there are other mages to trust more at the moment.

Lingering Questions:

Who is Prince Lyon? 

If they’re a high court mage, they may have extensive information on forbidden arts, magics, items, etc. It would explain his quiet demeanor. What does he study? How does he study? Is he useful?

[jehannanmage]

Ewan nods and smiles brightly in spite of the rain, beyond thrilled Knoll had not only recognized but remembered him, too. It’s kind of odd... he doesn’t recognize it consciously, but something in him intuits the subtle movement and what it means... The protective shift reminds him a little of his sister. Is the other mage looking out for him?

He’s touched, but puzzled.

“I don’t know if I’d say mastered,” he notes with a shake of his head, though his smile remains. “It’s an odd mix between what I know of Fodlan’s take on Luna and Magvel’s. Still have a few quirks to sort out. Functional though, at the least! Anyway, thank you! Hearing that means a lot. Saleh always believed in me, but sometimes, being his pupil, I couldn’t help but wonder if he was just a smidgen biased, haha.”

Rocking back and forth from heel to toe, the Jehannan mage looks out over the ocean, eyes full of wonder. Knoll was right. To rush, when it came to the ancient magics, would be folly. No matter how natural it feels at his fingertips, even more so than anima (which had come to him as a rather large surprise, in truth), there was always danger in the unknown. Any kind of magic could hurt (he need only think back to the Thoron Incident), but when it came to dark magics...

One need tread lighter than ever, lest they lose the very fiber of their being.

Or so he’s heard, anyway. He’s in no hurry to test it out, regardless.

“Yeah, let’s!” he chirps in agreement, preparing to head out when he feels the weight of something drop on his shoulders. A cloak. Knoll’s cloak.

If he were a cat, he might have purred in delight. He settled, instead, for grasping hold of it and nestling into it with no small gratitude. To refuse would be rude. To accept the loan with dignity, however... That, Ewan could do.

“... Thank you.”

🌧 The storm hits without warning, and Ewan seeks shelter in a copse of trees. Except it seems he's not the only one. Eyes grow wide as he somewhat recognizes the other. "You! You're that shaman! From uh... Grado...?" Curiosity compels him to continue. "Knoll, was it? We didn't really meet or anythin' but... I remember admiring your dark magic from afar..." Then, a thought, and Ewan conjures a small, vibrant moon over his palm. Luna. "Look! I've started learning it, as well!"

Not exactly eager to get wet Knoll had decided to hide from the rain beneath a cluster of trees as soon as the downpour started. It’s not exactly surprising someone else would have the same idea, but what does shock him is who joins him, and even more so than that, the magic the young boy could wield now. “Yes, that’s right, and you’re Ewan, from Jehanna.” Almost instinctively he moves to provide the younger mage more protection from the storm. “I’m certain you’ll be a master of dark magic far more powerful than I am if you’ve already mastered Luna. Just make sure not to rush into anything.” Knoll tries to smile, it’s heartening to see someone so young, especially a boy from Magvel like Ewan, be interested in ancient magic. He can’t help but think of how similar Ewan’s openness is to the prince Lyon he knew when they were younger. “Now, let’s see if we can’t find a way out of this rain,” he says, as he leans down, removing his hooded cloak and wrapping it around the boy so he won’t get any wetter. Sure, Knoll’s other robes will probably be soaked, but if dark magic has taught him anything, sometimes a sacrifice is worth it. Especially when it’s an act of kindness this small.

[theofficersacademy]

Activity Check: October

We’ve conducted the activity check for the month of October!

If your muse is both:

Not listed below

Has made the activity requirement for this month (3 IC posts, regardless of any exemption status)

you may claim your activity skill point! Simply add it to your Total Skill Points on your stats page and allocate it wherever you please. If you have reached a new letter rank and would like to claim a new ability, please message the Masterlist.

Warned:

none

Booted:

Marianne von Edmund @birdwhisperer

Sylvain Jose Gautier @gallantgautier

Knoll @knollandvoid

Chrom @exaltbound

Flora @hoarfrost-knife

- The House Leaders

[theofficersacademy]

Activity Check: September

We’ve conducted the activity check for the month of September!

If your muse is both:

Not listed below

Has made the activity requirement for this month (3 IC posts, regardless of any exemption status)

you may claim your activity skill point! Simply add it to your Total Skill Points on your stats page and allocate it wherever you please. If you have reached a new letter rank and would like to claim a new ability, please message the Masterlist.

Warned:

Knoll @knollandvoid

Corrin (M) @schoolingcorrin

Flora @hoarfrost-knife

Booted:

Dedue Molinaro @loyaltestament

- The House Leaders

[making-dough]

♠  ~ Some nights she liked to look up at the stars and wonder about her sisters. Were they both striving under the same stars she was? Was Florina still serving her friend, that Lady Lyndis of hers? Was Fiora finally free from those burdens of hers? Were they both happy and free from worries? It might be fanciful. It might even be disguatingly poetix but some nights she wondered if  they were both staring up at the same stars she was. That the three sisters of Ilia were still connected by the stars.

She did all of her star-gazing alone, of course. She’s still got a reputation to maintain. Well, on nights where she didn’t find her star-gazing spot taken up by this…shady bookworm? Yeah, that was the best way to describe this hooded man right here.

A brief moment passed. Where her pride and her nostalgia warred within her. Nostalgia won out when the man mentioned home. Home, huh? She looked up and searched for the Archer. The constellation of her birth. The tip of his arrow always pointing north. To the icy, mountainous land she called home. Ilia.

The waves crashed their way upon the shore, their roars drowning them both. She gave a brief, uncharacteristic murmur. A far cry from her usual carefree demeanor. “Yeah, they are. Especially that one.”, she spoke, pointing out the North Star. “It points home.”, she added, almost as a clarifier. An afterthought. Do you think about home as well?, she almost wanted to ask. She didn’t, of course. She refused to show such weakness in front of this stranger. So, she kept silent and let the waves speak for her. And yet, her gaze was still fixed upwards. Almost in longing. For the home whose icy winds banished its sons and daughters. The home she cannot return to without her weight in gold. For even in a dream, the North Star still shines.

💫 to go stargazing with my muse

The cool night air was exactly what knoll needed. He was used to being tucked away in dark corners reading, or in forests and ruined temples when he was with Ephraim and Eirika. Even the few times he had traveled through the desert with them hadn’t given him any idea what to expect at the beach. The sand here was wet and he certainly wasn’t a fan of that. Still, he’d rarely seen a night sky like this, the deep otherworldly blues and purples seemed to blend with the water and he might not have been able to tell where one began and the other ended if not for the gentle waves that occasionally rocked the bright reflection of those glimmering stars. The sight almost made this strange dream worth it, hopefully he would still be able to remember all this after he woke up. One of the other royal mages  had once suggested they build a great tower to read the secrets of the stars, Knoll hadn’t particularly cared for the idea then, but he was starting to see the appeal. Still, he wasn’t alone. A little ways away he could see a woman standing there, watching the stars much the same way he was. Knoll had never been any good at starting conversations, but he was going to have to figure it out if he wanted to learn the secrets of reversing time, and a dream seemed like a perfectly good opportunity. “They’re beautiful aren’t they? Nights like this almost make me more appreciative all that I’ve seen since leaving my home for Garreg Mach”