"Sometimes shadows need sunshine too. That's me! I'm the sunshine!"

‿̩͙⊱༒︎༻♱༺༒︎⊰‿̩͙

From: “Of Shadows That Shine: An Account of Notable Voidborn”

Compiled by Loremaster Theron von Stein, House von Stein
Year 742 of the Silver Reckoning

Entry XVII: The Anomaly of Persistent Light

...continuing our examination of voidborn who defy typical categorization, we come to perhaps the most perplexing case in recorded history: the individual commonly called Zephyr Void-Son.

Field Observation, Day 40:
The subject was located, predictably, making excessive noise. He had gathered a group of human children in the low market district of Frosthelm and was—against all voidborn instinct regarding light and attention—demonstrating “shadow-puppets.” His shadows did not form the threatening or melancholic shapes typical of his kind, but rather what appeared to be a dancing rabbit and a bird with comically oversized wings. The children's laughter seemed to cause his void-marks to shimmer with increased luminance. This is physiologically inconsistent. Void-marks typically pulse in response to emotional suppression, not... joy.

Interview Fragment with Elder Nox of the Whisper-Crag Clan:
“That one. Yes. We know of him. He was born under a new moon, the deepest dark. Should have been one of our stillest, our most profound. Instead... [sighs, a sound like wind through stones]. He came out laughing. The midwives were alarmed. His shadow refused to settle—it flickered. Like a guttering candle. We thought it a bad omen. Perhaps it was. But not for him. For the quiet, maybe.”

Notable Behavioral Contradictions:

1. Sustained Luminescence: While all voidborn can manipulate light absence, Zephyr's void-marks maintain a low-level glow even in full daylight. This is not a reflected light, but an emitted one. It is, for lack of a better term, a personal shine. It defies the foundational principle of voidborn as absorbers of light, not emitters.

2. Acoustic Signature: He is audible at a distance of 50 paces minimum. Most voidborn of his age and lineage can move within 10 paces of a trained observer undetected. His constant humming, whistling, and penchant for attaching bells to his person constitute a profound rejection of “Echo-Stealth.”

3. Social Gravitation: He seeks out company, particularly of non-voidborn. This is not for trade, espionage, or necessity, but for what he terms “chatting.” Recorded conversations are largely frivolous, concerning the weather, the quality of baked goods, and the exploits of a sun hawk he has improbably befriended.

Theoretical Postulation by Archivist Mirelle:
The prevailing theory among our house is not that Zephyr is failing to be voidborn, but that he is expressing a latent, dormant aspect of void-nature. If the void is pure potential, the absence that defines form, then perhaps his nature is to define himself by the absence of... voidborn traits. He is not-less. He is different-less.

Addendum—Personal Note:
I observed him for three days from the high arches of the Stormfall Bridge. On the third day, he noticed me. Instead of the expected cold acknowledgment or silent withdrawal, he looked up, waved with alarming vigor, and shouted, “HEY! YOU LOOK LIKE YOU COULD USE A FRIEND!” I retreated for further contemplation. The scroll on which I was taking notes, I discovered later, had a small, clumsily drawn sun in the corner. I have no memory of drawing it.

This scroll fragment is kept in the Von Stein Memory-Caves, Shelf 42, Row 7: “Anomalies & Pleasant Irritations.”

‿̩͙⊱༒︎༻♱༺༒︎⊰‿̩͙

ANNOUNCEMENT

So I'm currently moving to Saucepan... You know the situation here anyway, it was just a matter of time. I won't abandon Janitor completely, but I will mostly exist elsewhere (here)