' and he was warned, and he was assured:
( NULLA POENA SINE LEGE )
but you shall surely fail. ' knoll, former mage of grado. librarian for garreg mach. affiliated with the officer's academy. dash view header by the ever-lovely lina
•°. *࿐ knoll from fe8 (post-game canon, with full knowledge of all events that he can be present for), affiliated with the officers academy. librarian for garreg mach. written and adored by ruaidhrí.
i use small text whenever possible for my own readability (better chance of a whole reply being able to fit on my screen in its entirety without needing to copy/paste it elsewhere), and generally prefer it. but: if you need me to switch to regular-sized text do not hesitate to let me know.
Now that you’re done clearing out the monsters, there’s a spot of infrastructure you’ve been asked to attend to. It’s not buildings you’re constructing on this particular island, however. No, the more you look at the blueprints, the more obvious it is: from pitfalls to swinging axes to strange walls that punch out at you, it’s clear what you’re doing. You’re setting up a maze of traps. At the end of the day though, you’re being paid good coin, so you’d better put your back into it, yes? You will, after all, be testing your work for quality assurance. [Grants Lance +1]
"I suppose this is one way to handle this problem." His fingers glide over the blueprints, his brow furrowed together as he leans in to read. These traps will work to keep more monsters out, but he also worries about those who might wander in and be caught in the crosshairs.
"I think there need to be some sort of failsafe in place. As it is written, there are too many ways that this might be set off my some unsuspecting traveler. Before we begin our work, we need to solve that problem."
Knoll is the smartest man Duessel has ever met. Clever of mind and well studied, he hopes that Knoll might have a solution other than 'add a sign on the outside of island that reads keep out'.
"After that is settled, we can begin the real work."
knoll leans in close to look at the blueprints. his head comes to rest on duessel's shoulder, just for a moment. it's an intimate gesture, but a subtle one.
their task is peculiar. knoll does not understand it but—he supposes he doesn't mind. "no, you're right... the blueprints make this out to be a particularly dangerous place. a careful planner would have thought this through... unless danger is the goal?"
he doesn't know. maybe the traps are for some sort of... obstacle course...? he can't think of anything else that might fit the description. some sort of training exercise, or the like? still, duessel is right. whatever the purpose of all of this, there are too many ways to accidentally stumble into it.
he taps his chin, thoughtfully, and nods. "if we make it too obvious, then the traps themselves won't work for their intended purpose. whatever that is. but if the nature of the traps are too well-hidden then yes, we risk people stumbling in on accident."
unless that's the goal, of course, but he doesn't mention that. "let me think as we work."
Master your fears, lest they master you. A strange guru has just pulled into town, here to spread his agenda of curing people of their fears. For a small fee, he will treat you with exposure therapy, pushing your greatest ick into your face until you are forced to accept it. Scared of creepy crawlies? He’s got those. Heights bothering you? He has a course. Existential dread weighing on your shoulders? He might have to check the back. Come on down and get your remedy today! [Grants Faith +1]
She does not trust this guru. Not in the slightest. She tenses up when he asks those around her outright what they fear most in the world -- no buildup, but a promise to alleviate that fear for a price.
Azura does not think about her own fears, not because she is afraid of facing it but because there is no point in thinking too deeply about something that she would never consider sharing with a stranger. She closes her eyes for a moment and inhales, her lips pinched together in a slight frown as she listens to him move onto the next patron.
She's not sure what she wanted out of this -- perhaps it was a curiosity to be sated. Regardless, as she stands here and watches as a student explains their fear of spiders she notices the only other person in the room who has not volunteered to participate.
She looks at him. He's partially obscured by that hood, but she tries to get a good look at his face anyway. "You're not here to explore your fears," she says bluntly. "So why are you here?"
knoll fears relatively few things. it's not that he considers himself particularly brave, but rather... there is rarely a reason to fear much. either something can kill him, and so it will, or it can't, and then it won't. he feels anxieties ( many of them, if he's honest; rarely does he feel as though there's nothing to be nervous over ), sure, but fear? that carries with it a sort of get-in-your-bones kind of connotation. something that makes you tremble.
he listens as the travelling—peddler? is that what the man is? whatever he is... knoll listens as the man asks passers-by what makes them afraid. he makes note of different answers, and whether or not people even seem open to dealing with this.
he sees hostility, consternation, apprehensiveness... but some people seem to be helped by the exercise, he notes, as they come and go. there's no shortage of volunteers, and he admit he's interested in the strangeness of all of this.
a woman's voice cuts through his pondering, draws his attention. he turns to her, notices her trying to get a look at his face. he feels bad—but not bad enough to take it off.
"i was just curious about this. i heard others talking about it and... i assumed it could not be as effective as that man is claiming."
the blizzard was not the worst of it. no, it wasn't necessarily ideal, but they had managed to find a place to wait out the storm quickly enough. it was less a proper shelter and more a cave that had no visible animal tracks, but it was something.
the snow was falling thickly, and knoll was honestly not the most used to this sort of absurdly bad weather ( an empire as large as grado has a few climates, but its geographical location means they are all relatively temperate ) and knoll felt woefully ignorant when it came to how dangerous this actually was.
still, all was not lost. while neither he nor andrei had prepared adequately, knoll had, at least, brought with him a thick, warm blanket. something he was carefully unfolding now.
"does it get terribly cold where you're from, andrei...?" knoll asked, wishing now that he was more versed in elemental magic. the storm descended outside, and the icy chill of the wind ( which thankfully the walls of the cave reduced from a real threat to merely an unpleasant circumstance ) made him reconsider even the idea of building a fire.
"what a mess... i certainly didn't expect the weather to get this bad this quickly..."
Celebrating TOA and the people who contribute to make our group what it is.
Repost, don't reblog. Only fill in what you feel comfortable sharing!
Happy anniversary, TOA! Here's to many more years spent together.
Name: ruaidhrí (said pretty much like the english name rory and if you want to spell it that way that's fine too, ik irish names throw people off)
Pronouns: he/him
Birthday (no year): 25th of october!
Where are you from? What is your time zone? i live in colorado and my timezone is MST
How long is your roleplay experience? i don't know exactly how many years since i sometimes have years where h don't rp but i've been rping on and off since i was 11-12.
How were you introduced to roleplaying as a whole? oh gosh, so ff.net used to have (maybe still has, i literally have not been on that site in ages) these like... forums? and i joined one for elder scrolls rp a little after oblivion came out. i was far and away the youngest one there but everyone was so nice in helping me turn my character into a proper oc with like... backstory, a real personality, etc. after that, i spent a lot of time using it to try and grow my creative writing skills.
How were you introduced to TOA? honestly i just stumbled across it randomly! i had just replayed a few fe games and was looking through some tags and thought it might be fun to try fire emblem rp (i'd done some on indie tumblr back in the day, as well as in an mfrp a little bit, but never fire emblem exclusive rp) so i sent arden to check it out and, well, here we still are.
Do you have any pets? simon (mini poodle), john hancock (tabby cat), and tim & geeb (fluffy black cats)
What is your favorite time of year and why? (Season, holiday, general period) early spring! i also like late fall for its temperature, but i dislike snow/sleet/wet socks so spring is preferable because it's not very snowy here!
What is your IRL occupation? blessedly unemployed (health issues have prevented me from working aha)... i used to work IT though!
Some interests and things you like/enjoy? i like birdwatching, reading academic articles about ancient civilizations, and making espresso drinks
What non-Fire Emblem games do you play? currently enjoying bg3 + doing a dragon age replay (in preparation for veilguard). outside current, i really like most single-player rpg type games (esp. with customizable character), stealth games (dishonored favorite), and Identity V is the first asymmetrical horror mobile game developed by NetEase for
Favorite Pokemon type & Pokemon: my favorite pokemon ever is alakazam (and its whole line) i've loved alakazam foreverrrrr! favorite type is steel, though! apart from my psychic baby most of my other favs tend to be steel types
Tell us some funfacts and trivia about yourself! oh gosh i'm so bad at fun facts...
- i can put both my feet behind my head but i can't touch my toes
- my favorite non-ancient empire to read about is austria-hungary
- my cat tim was rescued from Outside
How did you get into Fire Emblem? friend's cool older brother was playing a bunch of the games in a seemingly random order. when i'd hang out at that friend's house sometimes we'd sit and watch. i asked him to lend me some and he did!
What Fire Emblem games have you played? i have now played all of them! (last year when i answered this i hadn't technically played them all, but i'd seen playthroughs and watched let's plays of all of them at the very least)
First & Favorite Fire Emblem games: a bad translation of fe4 was first, por is still my favorite—but tbh there's not really one i dislike
List your 5 favorite Fire Emblem characters across the series!
- KNOLL (promoted to number one he's my special guy)
- reyson
- canas
- ashnard
- pandreo
Who was the first character ever to make you go “ooh I like this one in particular” and why? Can be any context and reason! QUAN—i have such a distinct memory of seeing him come in but i don't remember my initial thought, only that he would have my heart forever
Any Fire Emblem crushes? 😳 vander. duessel. hardin.
If you’ve played (or are familiar with) the following games, who was your first S support? Who would you S support nowadays?
- Awakening: first was sumia! i don't have a set nowadays because i've done a different one on each playthrough
- Fates: first was xander, would probably still do xander if i were to replay
- Three Houses: first was seteth, if i replay i'll go for hanneman
- Engage: first was pandreo! next time i plan to do ivy though
Favorite Fire Emblem class? i like shapeshifter classes! beasts, dragons, laguz, etc. i just think they're fun to play with
If you were a Fire Emblem character, what would be your class and stats? Would you be playable? oh gosh, i'd be an infantry axe unit probably. middling starting stats but high growths if you really work at making me good (there would be heated debates over whether the necessary time investment would be worth it)
If you were a Three Houses character, what would be your affiliation? black eagles!
If you were an Officers Academy student, what would be your boons, banes and potential budding talent? axe boon, heavy armor bane, budding talent in faith magic (could be classed into an fe:a style war cleric and it would be my suggested goal)
If you were an Engage character, which nation would you originate from? i want to say brodia!
How do you pronounce TOA? 🤔 toh-ah
Current TOA muses: just knoll <3
Past TOA muses? robin, niles, almedha, reyson, hardin, iago, perceval, lachesis (i think that's all?)
Who was your first TOA muse? If you no longer have them, can you see yourself picking them up again? my first muse was m!robin and thankfully i am spared any temptation on picking him up as he is currently being written.
Do you believe you have a type of character you gravitate towards writing? (If you filled this out last year, has this changed in any way?) i'm kind of all over the place, aren't i? i like characters where i can poke at hidden depths but ones who aren't too closely guarded. i like characters who are shy, withdrawn, standoffish, guarded, etc. in some way but who open up when spoken to. i don't think this has changed since last year, i've been writing for a long time and kind of know my comfort zone.
Do you have characters or types of characters you don’t think you can handle writing, but wish you could? boisterous/loud and over the top characters always challenge me, but i've never really managed to make them work, which is a shame because i tend to enjoy lively characters!
What kind of scenes, situations etc do you believe you enjoy writing the most? (If you filled this out last year, has this changed in any way?)
-i love writing threads where setting/scenery is a focus, where i get to sort of use the landscape as a bit more than set-dressing
- i enjoy throwing my muse at characters who mistrust him for whatever reason, and like to explore the kind of slow, mutual understanding that comes from two people getting to know one another
- i really just like putting him in situations in general, forcing him to socialize—he's a very withdrawn character so any excuse to have him meet new people is very enjoyable
Do you have any scenario in mind for your muse(s) that gets you thinking “man I hope I get to write this one day”? nothing specific! i have kind of an arc for him but it's loosely-defined right now
Favorite TOA-related memories? HAPPYLAND WAS SO MUCH FUN. sincerely i loved the interactions he had there <3
Present or past tense? i default to present, but adapt to what my partner prefers on this!
Normal size text, small text, no preference? small text, bolded dialogue. just easier for my eyes to take it in that way.
Got any potential muse delusions to share? 😉 oh gosh. i recently had to go down to just one muse because my health is not so good, but i will admit i already have a few delusions. if i can get myself back to a spot where i feel like i can write a second, someone may return.
“I’m good- woah!” Though the creature doesn’t move, the waters do, and in an instant Forde is sat in front of it. Though he’d spent this entire battle fighting it, Forde hadn’t had a moment to appreciate the sheer scale of the beast they were fighting.
This must have been what the others saw… before they were chucked overboard.
Aquatic Chimera is stunned! Does not attack
Forde can’t waste the opportunity Knoll’s given him. He reaches for his tome- his tome… his tome? In his haze he must have dropped it, but his precious morningstar is still in his teacup. Very soggy now, but still usable?
he's breathing heavily now—this battle is wearing on him. it's not the combat itself, not really, though he knows he's been hurt enough that he likely should have keeled over by now—
( something to thank forde for, later, he thinks )
—but here they all still are. he takes a breath, watches forde attack and miss.
a shame, it would have been nice to have this over and done with. it's not that he's not enjoying the game, because he is. to fight without the risk of death, or so it seems, is refreshing, even if he doesn't really understand the purpose of all of this yet.
"you two can rest. allow me," he begins, focusing, as he grasps his tome.
he frames it as a helpful act, but he has not forgotten the actual point of this, the significance of the final blow. all the damage he has done, all he has taken as well, will be for nothing if this does not end here.
the final blow is what matters, isn't it?
Knoll 5/10HP hits Aquatic Chimera 1.5/10HP with Banshee [Roll: 19 - 4 = 15, -1.5HP]
TO DREAM OF WHAT ONCE WAS activates! Aquatic Chimera 0.5/10HP
Lifetaker Activates! +0.5HP, Knoll 5.5/10HP
he hits it—hard, harder than his previous attacks before in this game. the creature stubbornly hangs on but he's not done yet.
The next few minutes pass Forde by. It feels like he’s no longer in control of his body, instead watching a stranger make the actions he would make. Water never filled his lungs, so he probably wasn’t knocked overboard. And he thinks he raised a tome - though he couldn’t say which one.
Gerome calls out to him, but Forde can’t make out the words. All he can hear is that terrible song, that glass ball sinking, soon to reach its inevitable demise.
Then the music stops.
Forde is no longer afflicted with DEPRESSION.
Forde blinks, aware of his surroundings again. But it takes another wave to the face to fully snap him out of it.
“Agh! Pleh-” He does his best to spit out the water, but the salty taste remains. Gerome’s been knocked out of his teacup again (but he should be able to save himself again), and Knoll looks… really rough.
Forde 4/10HP critically hits Knoll 0.5/10HP with Heal [Roll: 20 - 4 = 16, natural 20, +6HP] Knoll 6.5/10HP
Well-Deserved Break! Forde gains +4 avoid for the next phase.
“Holding up alright?” Forde asks. He can’t bring himself to ask about the song, but he wonders if the others were similarly affected. At least… it was over?
this whole situation is... messy. knoll braces himself for another attack, but that isn't enough to keep him from tumbling into the water again.
it takes him a moment to right himself, and he has no choice but to watch as the fight continues around him. he isn't able to help. this is not a surprise, he supposes, and yet...
such a shame.
Aquatic Chimera10/10HP* hits Knoll5/10HP with Man Overboard! [Roll: 14+8 = 22; -0.5HP] Knoll4.5/10HP
Knoll 4.5HP has been knocked Overboard so cannot attack.
it's as he pulls himself back into his little boat that his head finally clears. maybe the water helped, or maybe it was because the creature had stopped singing.
Knoll is no longer afflicted with DEPRESSION.
he is able to focus again. this, at least, puts some clarity in his eyes, and in his magic. he feels it work again, leeching away at his own life and that of the creature.
the unsteady waters pick back up, however, but not enough to move the boats. he's in that thing's path again, and he knows that if he goes under, he will surely falter for good this time.
it's a shame he has to use these this early. selfishness is not in his nature, but he really does not want to be out so soon. how pitiful a performance that would be.
Knoll uses 2 treats to add 2 to rotation total.
to set it up this way... to ensure gerome will be the one thrown into the water is cruel, isn't it? but if it's him or knoll... and he looks tough. durable. able to take a beating.
he grimaces as the water rushes over him, but he stays in his boat. this is—precarious! his own magic comes so close to finishing him off. but just as he thinks that, he feels forde's healing magic wash over him. his head perks up.
"forde...! i... believe i owe you one... after this."
he will not waste this chance. if he can stun the creature, they can all get a reprieve. he steadies his feet on this unsteady water to the best of his ability and casts.
he sees his magic hit, and takes a breath as he feels some of its life leech into him, rather than out into the world itself. he breathes a sigh of relief.
this might be enough to help him survive this. it's a windfall at least. it remains to be seen if it will be enough.
"it should be stunned for a moment...! both of you, are you all right...?"
“Great job, both of you!” Forde cheers on his teammates as they successfully hit the creature. The waves are momentarily still, and somehow the beast’s blank unmoving form is more terrifying than when it was splashing around.
Forde uses the stillness to heal his teammate. He steadies himself, breathes deeply, and fires off his spell. Unlike his previous attempts, he hits his mark.
“Hey!” He calls out to Gerome. “My name’s Forde, I don’t think we’ve met. If you need healing, just let me know, alright?”
The three of them might be soaked to the bone, and they may have had some issues with their accuracy, but things were looking up! Forde took a moment to adjust his position, leaning on the rim of the cup. As he closed his eyes, a song rang through his soul.
Aquatic Chimera 10/10HP* hits Forde with Melancholic Song [Roll: 13], Forde is afflicted with DEPRESSION.
The song was like an abyss, a glass ball plummeting into the depths, never to return. Its only fate was to fall, with only the relief of destruction in its sights.
Suffice to say, Forde didn’t feel like attacking the creature right now.
Another wave swept over him, but he didn’t particularly care. He was used to it, that was what he told himself. Though he was effectively sitting in a puddle right now, it was fine. He supposed at the very least he could heal Knoll again, if he could muster the energy.
Forde 7/10HP heals Knoll 4/10HP with Heal [Roll: 11 - 8 = 3, +1HP] Knoll 5/10HP
Well-Deserved Break! Forde gains +4 avoid for the next phase.
the relief of healing magic is something he will not turn down in this state. as it washes over him, he breathes a sigh, content. it is refreshing to know he is currently too valuable to leave to the waves, if only by virtue of the reprieve he can grant with his dark magic.
"thank you, forde...! as ever you are a steadfast ally...!"
he feels himself weaken a little more, but knows that the beast weakens as well. it seems to falter for a moment, but he isn't foolish enough to assume it would be that easy.
though it falters, it seems to restore itself somehow, back at the level of vigor it displayed previously. he grimaces as it prepares to do something different. no longer a known quantity.
Aquatic Chimera 10/10HP* hits Knoll with Melancholic Song [Roll: 3 + 4 = 7], Knoll is afflicted with DEPRESSION.
the song that emerges from the creature is bitter and melancholic. it reminds him of the bad times, of hopelessness, of failed research and a lack of results and the way his own steps had faltered when he had followed his prince.
what was the point in continuing on? there is nothing to—what was wrong with him, to be doubting himself now?
he doesn't even try to get out of the way of the next attack. not that he would be able to anyway. futility drags him ever onward toward a destination he cannot concieve.
another healing spell washes over him. this one feels lackluster beside the last. he cannot even bring himself to thank forde, though that has more to do with his own lackadaisy than any fault of forde's he's sure everyone else is still doing fine ( not that he can bring himself to check ).
Wiping the soggy hair from his eyes, Forde sees Knoll clambering back into his boat. That was reassuring, he wasn’t sure if a rescue mission would be possible in waters this choppy. Speaking of which…
Knoll rolls 0.
Gerome rolls 0.
Forde rolls 1.
Rotate by one [Gerome -> Forde -> Knoll]
Forde ducked into his teacup as the waves tossed them around again. He grimaced as one wave practically jumped over the boat, glad he wasn’t taking it to the face again.
When the waters settled (relatively speaking), Forde popped his head up, and found he was much closer to the creature than before. Looking around, he saw that Gerome had been knocked out of his boat this time.
“Are you alright?” He called out, unsure if his words would reach the man. With him bobbing around like this, it was unlikely his healing would have any effect. “How about you, Knoll?” By his count, the dark mage had been knocked out of his boat, then attacked by waves once. He didn’t think that was bad enough that healing was a priority.
(And really, Forde needed to sort out his aim lest he waste a healing spell)
Proving his point, the teacup shook again, and Forde’s spell shot off towards the sky. Really, he could be taking a nap by the shore and be as useful as he was right now.
he grimaces as he gets unsteadily to his feet. this is a mess, he's never had to fight on such an unsteady type of terrain before. perhaps someone with more combat experience might enjoy the challenge of it...
he tries to channel people like that, and plants his feet more firmly on the ground as he watches one of his teammates fall overboard this time. the attack that hits him instead comes more roughly than the last.
he shakes it off, pleased as he sees his passive magics still at work, damaging the creature even when his team cannot. if he can stay alive, he can work with this... maybe.
"i'm all right! forde, and—our new friend seems to be in the same predicament i was in not long ago...!"
he cannot afford to dwell on that, though. soaked and shivering though he is, he picks up his tome and casts.
his spell lands and he cannot help but smile at its effectiveness. again, it's the small victories. success comes down to a series of them, all the well-timed little things.
"The Hero gets to decide which one person from their hunting party gets eliminated from Happyland! Maybe you should strike a bargain if you think you won't win? To the victor go the spoils!”
Just a week ago, Forde was relaxing by the beach. Now, he was gripping onto his teacup-shaped boat for dear life, as he and two others spun across the lake together. If that wasn’t enough to worry about, there was a giant creature lurking in the waters beneath them, a griffon peering at them from atop a waterfall, and the threat of elimination… maybe one of those wasn’t quite as bad.
The waves settled, but Forde’s stomach did not, as he quickly learnt what ‘seasickness’ was. He hoped he’d have a moment to calm himself, as he’d ended up further away from the beast than his companions.
He knew Knoll, of course, but the other man was a stranger to him. And it seemed the beast was eager to get to know all of them, as it rippled through the water, sending more large waves towards them.
“Bleh!” Forde spat out water that was far saltier than any lake had the right to be, as the attack washed over him. He was thoroughly soaked now, his clothes and hair uncomfortably clinging to his skin. Oh, and he seemed to have lost his hairband.
Forde grabbed his (double check it’s the right one) offensive tome, and flipped it open. Droplets of water danced on the paper, but the pages were unaffected. Still usable, it seemed.
this game is very different from the last. instead of the agency of moving actively through a space, this time he finds himself thrown through it rather rapidly even before the creature they are to fight emerges.
he supposes there is some excitement to it, though! and he's paired with forde, who he likes even if they have not spoken too much, as well as a man he does not know, but who he assumes will be perfectly pleasant as well.
"hello forde. it is a pleasure to see you again, even in unusual circumstances."
he takes note of the fact that neither of these people are among his teammates in this game, but he isn't sure what that actually means in context.
either way, he will do his best not to embarrass himself.
he feels his dark magic already pulling the life of the monster before them, as well as from himself. nothing comes without cost, though, and he is more than willing to pay it in his efforts to—what are they doing again? fighting... a monster? heroically?
Aquatic Chimera 9/10HP** hits Knoll 9/10HP with Man Overboard! [Roll: 16+4 = 20; -0.5HP] Knoll 8.5HP
Knoll 8.5HP has been knocked Overboard!
he begins to speak, but is cut off as the creature knocks him from his little boat.
it seems it doesn't like him—it's fine, he gets that from time to time. he's an acquired taste, he's told.
he scrambles, nearly dropping his tome but thankfully dropping it within the boat.
Knoll 7.5HP has been knocked Overboard so cannot attack.
he struggles, coughing and spitting water, and pulls himself back up, but knows he will need to take a moment to recover before he can bring himself to attack.
not to mention the time wasted by all of this kerfuffle.
Ransom is such a strong word. Not false, mind, but strong nonetheless. "If she cares for this, she will surely return for it," Andrei says, "The best course of action can be determined then, depending on how cooperative she is."
Though, judging from her actions just now as well as what he remembers from the ball, the answer may well be 'not very'. Kliff's attitude might be the optimistic outlook on teamwork, but that does not mean it is the accurate one. Still, there is nothing stopping him from making an attempt if he wished. If, by some stroke of luck or outstanding interpersonal skill he manages to obtain their fourth roommate's cooperation, it is just one less problem for all of them down the line.
He turns back to their accommodations. "There are at least enough beds for everyone, even if she does end up staying in the room," Andrei says. The layout and dilapidated feeling is overall reminiscent of the dormitories in the Abyss, though the sunlight streaming in from the open window sets a much different, almost more welcoming tone. He turns to Knoll. "I've no preference where I sleep, so I would not mind if our arrangements were made by your decision."
He sets the stuffed bear on a tabletop far from the window, so that the girl could not simply reach in and take it, before giving the room another cursory glance with a sigh.
The 'Happyland staff' couldn't possibly keep them here for too long, could they?
he supposes the girl does not need to be cooperative... but it will be easier on all of them if she is.
but a headache saved for the others means less moving parts for him to observe. he not so secretly hopes she remains peculiar. still, there's a lot to look at here, and if he doesn't end up able to observe every one of his roommates... well, it will be what it will be.
for the moment, he focuses less on that and more on who is here, and what they are supposed to be doing. he suspects strangeness ( but ideally only the strange sort and not in fact the dangerous sort ) afoot in the coming days, and he suspects he'll need to rest to prepare. there's a great deal of uncertainty present, and andrei's paranoia might be just a little bit contageous.
he tries not to let it show, and looks at the remaining two in the room.
"it makes no difference to me where i sleep... but it's poor luck to sleep in a bed facing south, so i'll take this one," he says, sitting on the one nearest to him. "i suppose we should all rest to prepare for whatever is to come."
"Knoll," Andrei looks up from the piece of paper the professor had supplied for him, with the names of their teammates written upon it. Some notes had been added to the people from whom he'd spoken to, and he briefly indicates the paper to the other as he speaks.
"There is a professor — the one with the red hair — who is organizing a dinner for the team. He's sent me to collect the orders of those attending," he explains. Aside from their mishap with the ice cream so many months ago, food preference hadn't exactly been something he'd thought to ask Knoll about. "What is it that you would wish to have?"
dinner?
knoll is not picky, per se, but he does dislike strong flavors ( most flavors really ) as well as anything rich, anything overpoweringly salty, anything wet, or anything with too much meat...
he does not say any of this, however, instead he merely pauses to think about it.
"bread. and... something green. if you would please pass that on. a salad, or something else that is very light."
he would also kill for a cup of tea, something hot to trick the body into cooling down, a trick he knows from having lived in one of the warmer parts of grado... but that is something he can arrange for himself, of course.
"thank you for asking. and please pass on my thanks to the one arranging for dinner as well."
He feels just a little out of place here. His suitcase had been packed for warmer weather, of course, but he didn't think he would have needed to forgo the undershirt and keep the overshirt open in order to keep cool. The dark blue of the floral pattern does go quite well with his complexion, but he completely missed the point by pairing it with orange swim trunks.
Unaware of his fashion error, he finds Knoll quickly after they've been assigned teams. He doesn't know how he feels about 'snakes' and 'rats' -- the two teams they've been sorted into -- but surely there's no deeper meaning to this.
He smiles, just a little, as he sees him huddled up in many layers. It makes sense, and perhaps it is more sun safe than all the sunblock he's put on himself, but he cannot help but smile at how very Knoll that is.
His hand comes to rest on his shoulder. An easy gesture, one that he is slowly becoming used to. "Have you found your teammates?" he asks, then slides his hand down between his shoulder blades. "And are you doing all right? It's very sunny."
knoll knows just enough of what to wear and not to wear that the general's outfit draws a smile from him.
the colors clash, but the view of the older man's chest and stomach is not something he would ever complain about. he tries not to make it obvious that he's looking, per se, but the general is... well, he is very handsome, and knoll is only human.
the smile that forms on his face is soft, though, and genuine besides. he himself is wearing as many ( breathable ) layers as he can without overheating, complete with a floppy hat to keep the sun off his face, but he worries he will still end up with a burn.
"i have... spoken with some of them, yes. they all seem—" wonderfully peculiar, "—very nice."
talk of the sun agitates him, however, as if reminding him that the wretched thing is there.
"i'll be fine, general. but thank you for worrying."
Even on a beach island vacation, Camilla would find a way to keep her title of “juice lady.” Where she found the supplies, for both non alcoholic and alcoholic drinks, or the cart she managed to hitch to Barbie to drag everything along with her was unimportant. It was juice time.
“Here darling! Something to cool off.”🍹
beverages? now, this sort of made this place feel a bit fancier... though, it looked as though this was not one of the strange island performers ( was that what they were? ) but instead another person he recognized from the monastery. they hadn't, to his memory, spoken, per se... but he remembered her.
she had a distinctive look to her, did she not? rather dramatic. intense. something in her eyes.
he takes a drink, something non-alcoholic and ( he hopes ) not very strong in flavor.
The young mage’s perception granted a keen awareness of the girl, but he never could have even imagined such an outcome—and he was a thinker. The grace with which she leapt through the window could only be compared to that of a dancer who had trained since birth, leaving everyone else in the room stunned.
But she had left something—a teddy bear—and the bow knight retrieved it once the shock had settled. In all truth, the young mage was rather unsurprised that one such as her held such a possession, but he was curious as to why she even came in the first place. Kliff considered himself an awkward person, but he could at least ignore people if needed. Then again, it wasn’t his place to worry about, even if he couldn’t help feeling a tiny bit bad for her …
“I can go after her … I’ll leave you two to the sleeping arrangements since this housing isn’t exactly 5 stars. I’ll take the floor if it comes to it—prioritize everyone else.”
The young mage set his stuff down in a relatively out-of-the-way corner and made for the exit.
… what am I about to do ..?
Do you recall the young mage’s thoughts regarding interaction? Well, he actually came with a minor intention of trying to break through his shell, so ignoring people (even if he wanted to) wasn’t necessarily on the table.
With a deep breath, Kliff prepared to go hunt down the lost roommate with one last take as he made his way out.
“You can if you want,” the young mage began, pointing towards the teddy bear, “but I’m not particularly sure taking that thing for ransom is the best way to deal with our own teammate.”
knoll is—surprised ! to say the least, when the girl leaps out from beneath one of the beds and is out of the room before he can really react to it.
there's something very interesting about such an outcome, suggestive of a particularly peculiar or perhaps unstable ( but not likely dangerous ) individual. knoll makes a mental note to look into this girl later... and hopefully speak with her as well. there's no need to overwhelm her by attempting to speak with her now, though.
he glances at andrei, then at kliff, and shrugs his shoulders.
there's nothing for it. andrei's suggestion makes him quirk a brow, however. "ransom? i see. an interesting way to handle this situation. though you're right, we may require her cooperation later, and this is one way to get it. hold onto that—we may also be able to merely trade it for good favor."
many possibilities, he supposes.
he suppresses an amused smile at the situation. now is the time to be serious. is he really the only member of faculty in here? how disorganized—he hardly counts!
his gaze turns to kliff. "go after her if you wish. if only to reassure her that we aren't going to attack her... it may not be a bad idea..."
This place was … interesting, to say the least. The Officer's Academy had sent people to help with construction, but it seemed that those tasks were already completed. From grand gazebos for the “Naughty or Nice” event to a worn out ancient temple for the “Stone Cog” challenge—they had even built residential areas, albeit temporary ones.
And they wanted the supposed-to-be workers to participate in a form of show? This is not what the young mage signed up for.
But alas, he was here, and he found himself in a room with three other participants; a dark mage, a bow knight, and … someone else (she appeared to be at a loss for words at the moment). Having gone through the list, it was now his turn to introduce himself.
“I'm Kliff. I'm just a mage, to be honest. Nothing fancy.” The young mage glanced around the room, recounting each person's stated strengths. “As for what I bring to the table … I'm fairly perceptive—but don't ask me to do much physical work.”
the other student—kliff, a mage, as he said by way of introduction, information knoll marks down mentally for later but otherwise does not linger over for long—is a new face, but andrei is familiar.
knoll had noticed that andrei had seemed on edge since he came into the room. knoll hadn't meant to set him on-edge with discussion of his abilities in combat ( this is half a lie, he had perhaps wanted to poke at andrei a little ) but he's amused to see everyone follow suit. the powerful influence of social expectation.
he begins to unpack his luggage. he doesn't know how long they will be there ( longer than he wants to be? most definitely, but that's all he knows ) but he doesn't intend to live out of a suitcase for all of it.
"physical work? who would ask you to do such a thing?" he asks, looking at kliff properly for the first time. surely the labor side of things is over. he's about to say more when he hears another sound from—under one of the beds? it's not clear.
instead of risking an incorrect guess, he merely announces to the room at large: "i know you're there. please come out... there are four spots to sleep, so i know the fourth of our number must be hiding here, and i think i can hear you."
an island... getaway? knoll is uncertain about the parameters of this game, and was reluctant to volunteer in the first place ( it would be more accurate to say he had been volunteered by someone else at the monastery, but that is neither here nor there ) but there is nothing that can be done now, nor is he the sort to let himself act as a burden upon a team. he will try his best to acquire as many... points as possible.
even if he does not understand it.
' the happiest team will be named the winner ' was what was said, but that seems difficult to measure. he's curious about their metrics and methods.
there will be time for that later. for the moment, he's dragging his luggage into the room he's been assigned to. setting down his bags, he turns to look at the rest of the room.
"should we introduce ourselves? if we're meant to be teammates, i mean. i am knoll, you may know me as one of the librarians at the monastery and... to the table i bring a bit of dark magic and... a helpful demeanor."
