#evenfall university

[rohanneofcoldmoat]

appears that 2025's asoiaf calendar is locations so prayer circle for tarth

[xxlittle0birdxx]

The sudden silence was louder than if the entirety of all the denizens of Evenfall began to shout. Brienne’s footsteps came to a halt. She passed the reins to a nearby stable lad, then tugged self-consciously at her creased and stained tunic, squared her shoulders and turned on her heel. The man standing in the middle of the yard topped her own prodigious height by a number of inches. His ashy blonde hair tossed in the ever-present breeze. Creases fanned from his intense blue eyes. Dressed plainly, his only concession to rank was the quality of the wool and linen, and he wore and a Tarth sigil embroidered on the right shoulder of his jerkin. Brienne returned the man’s even gaze. ‘Father.’

[litgreadersroom]

Chaptered Fics

Incomplete fics are in italics

evenfall by rebelrayne hold your peace by Orphan Account Stand Up or Down? by Kittidot This time, I'm serious by PearlBracelet two steps from commitment by Orphan Account Welcome to Racer's by PearlBracelet

Oneshots - Villa/Post-Villa

A Sign. Any Sign. by PearlBracelet The Slip by i_boop_you This Time, I'm Serious(ly angsty) - The Original Chapters by PearlBracelet

Oneshots - Alternate Universe

A Flurry of Fate by EskiiX Atlantis by whatisreggieshortfor belly of the beast by wildberryjam Bruno and Miri Make a Porno by PearlBracelet Dylan Tucker Must Die by orphan_account One In A Million by tammyisobsessedwith Passing Ships by whatisreggieshortfor Play Pretend by Queen_Of_Boops Scream by i_boop_you Sex on the Beach by PearlBracelet Snow Joke by Queen_Of_Boops The French Connection by PearlBracelet Unforgettable by whatisreggieshortfor We Only had Last Summer by JustTuesdays

Bruno/Narrator

Jackhammer by thesepromises The (Ia)ins & Outs of Falling 4 You by ThoracicOrchid

[richincolor]

New Releases

Five new books coming out this week to add to your growing list. I'm reading Nigeria Jones for this month's review and I'm excited to get started. Keep an eye out for that upcoming review. What books look interesting to you?

Only This Beautiful Moment by Abdi Nazemian Balzer & Bray

2019. Moud is an out gay teen living in Los Angeles with his distant father, Saeed. When Moud gets the news that his grandfather in Iran is dying, he accompanies his dad to Tehran, where the revelation of family secrets will force Moud into a new understanding of his history, his culture, and himself.

1978. Saeed is an engineering student with a promising future ahead of him in Tehran. But when his parents discover his involvement in the country’s burgeoning revolution, they send him to safety in America, a country Saeed despises. And even worse—he’s forced to live with the American grandmother he never knew existed.

1939. Bobby, the son of a calculating Hollywood stage mother, lands a coveted MGM studio contract. But the fairy-tale world of glamour he’s thrust into has a dark side. Bobby is forced to hide his sexuality for fear of losing everything.

Set against the backdrop of Tehran and Los Angeles, this tale of intergenerational trauma and love is an ode to the fragile bonds of family, the hidden secrets of history, and all the beautiful moments that make us who we are today. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Nigeria Jones by Ibi Zoboi HarperCollins US

Warrior Princess.

That’s what Nigeria’s father calls her. He’s raised her as part of the Movement, a Black separatist group based in Philadelphia. Nigeria is homeschooled and vegan and participates in traditional rituals that connect her and other kids from the group to their ancestors. But when her mother—the perfect matriarch to their Movement—disappears, Nigeria’s world is upended. She finds herself taking care of her baby brother and stepping into a role she doesn’t want.

Nigeria’s mother had secrets. She wished for a different life for her children, which includes sending her daughter to a private Quaker school outside of their strict group. Despite her father’s disapproval, Nigeria attends the school with her cousin, Kamau, and Sage, who used to be a friend. There, she slowly begins to blossom and expand her universe.

As Nigeria searches for her mother, she starts to uncover a shocking truth. One that will lead her to question everything she thought she knew about her life and her family.

You Don’t Have a Shot by Racquel Marie Feiwel & Friends

Valentina “Vale” Castillo-Green’s life revolves around soccer. Her friends, her future, and her father’s intense expectations are all wrapped up in the beautiful game. But after she incites a fight during playoffs with her long-time rival, Leticia Ortiz, everything she’s been working toward seems to disappear.

Embarrassed and desperate to be anywhere but home, Vale escapes to her beloved childhood soccer camp for a summer of relaxation and redemption…only to find out that she and the endlessly aggravating Leticia will be co-captaining a team that could play in front of college scouts. But the competition might be stiffer than expected, so unless they can get their rookie team’s act together, this second chance—and any hope of playing college soccer—will slip through Vale’s fingers. When the growing pressure, friendship friction, and her overbearing father push Vale to turn to Leticia for help, what starts off as a shaky alliance of necessity begins to blossom into something more through a shared love of soccer…and maybe each other. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

The Iron Vow: The Iron Fey: Evenfall #3 by Julie Kagawa Inkyard Press

After leaping through the portal to Evenfall, Meghan and her companions find themselves in a terrifying new world where Nightmares roam and glamour is nearly nonexistent. As their magic wanes and the creatures of Evenfall rise against them, the race to find the Nightmare King grows ever more desperate. But what they discover–about Evenfall, about the Nightmare King, about themselves–will shake everything they thought they knew to the core.

The Nightmare King stirs. A world hangs in the balance. And as twilight descends upon all the realms of Faery, Meghan and her allies must make one more impossible choice. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

I’m Not Supposed to Be in the Dark by Riss M. Neilson Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

Seventeen-year-old Aria Cayetano dreams of ghosts. She used to see them too, but thanks to a special tea brewed by her grandfather, Aria’s connection to the spirit world has been severed. Until a decades old rosebush suddenly dies across the street, convincing Aria that something supernatural is happening in her neighborhood.

She aches to investigate it, but the rosebush sits on her ex best friend Derek Johnson’s front lawn, and she can’t question him because he hates her now. Aria doesn’t know what drove them apart years ago, but she does know Derek’s been acting strange for weeks, sneaking out in the dead of night to who knows where.

Then, days after the rosebush dies, Derek begins speaking to her again. At least Aria thinks it’s him. Until she discovers there’s a ghost inside of Derek that will take his life if it doesn’t find what it’s searching for. As Aria and Derek race to uncover the mystery, another kind of magic takes them by surprise: love. But Aria has to decide how far she’s willing to go to save Derek, especially when helping the ghost means tapping into whatever the tea has buried inside of her.

Bone-chilling and spellbinding, I’m Not Supposed to Be in the Dark is an alluring ghost story that’s about exorcising the past to find a future to believe in. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

[musing-and-music]

Obligatory OTP Asks - Braime 18, 20, 39 and 51 Thank you!

Thank you for the ask, dear anon!

I'll talk about Book!JB here, because there's so much to use to answer this ask!

18. How likely are they to have fur babies? How many and what kind?

I think it depends on the universe. I like Modern AUs where Jaime and Brienne have a dog (and sometimes it's Podrick), and I'm sure they could have one in book!canon. Given Jaime's love for horses, maybe those are the most likely to make their place in Evenfall Hall/Casterly Rock/any place they choose to live.

20. Who would get into a fight to defend the other's honor? Who tends to the other's wounds?

Jaime, I'd say. Canonically, we have Jaime (despite being delirious with blood and hand loss) shouting "SAPPHIRES" to defend Brienne's maidenhood, then slapping RonCon when he mocks her. So he's clearly capable of getting in a fight for her.

Brienne has already tended to Jaime's wounds (and cleaned more than blood in the process), and I'm sure she'd do the same again in the future

39. Who would rescue an injured animal and nurse it back to health? What would the other think?

I think Brienne is the most likely to rescue an injured animal, and she'd do her best to nurse it back to health. Jaime would protest at first, telling her she can't burden herself with another wounded creature, but he'd end helping her and getting attached to the animal as well

51. What’s a non verbal way they say I love you?

Touching/kissing each other's scars. With this gesture, they say they accept the other entirely, with their flaws and wounds. Since Brienne's scar on her thigh and Jaime's on his brow have both been inflicted by the other, it's also a way to remind themselves of the road they traveled since the time he was her prisoner.

From the obligatory OTP ask

[ao3feed-undertale1]

Between The Ones I Love

read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/52012840 by TheMsource The creaking of the door as it opened echoed around the room as a sliver of darkness exposed the shadowed hall beyond in a thin slit barely large enough for a mouse to prod through. Frisk blinked, confused. And suddenly the crack opened wide and a snowy white head of hair popped in. “Mom?” Words: 1422, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Series: Part 5 of Evenfall Fandoms: Undertale (Video Game) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: F/M Characters: Sans (Undertale), Frisk (Undertale), Elys (Undertale) Relationships: Sans/Frisk (Undertale) Additional Tags: Fluff and Angst, Wholesome really, Pregnancy, Family Bonding, Frans Monthly 2023, Alternate Universe - Evenfall (Undertale) read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/52012840

[note-katha]

Arcane History Notes, Courtesy of Ardis

Transcription and Taglist below the cut:

taglist: @falling-rivers @superwaywardangel @immawritethat @arynneva @likeicarusifall@aschenink, @writing-for-the-batfam, @ekrizdis, @wiccanchester, @spacebrick3

ARCANE HISTORY: EVERLESS HISTORY

CLASS: 04 LESSON: 04

Origins of Everless Magic - magic originated in Nevermore - a link was created between Nevermore and Everless in the 1450s. - originally magic was very well-known, shared between people easily, although only a limited number of people had access to any form of magic. - it was only in the early 1500s that Everless magic was classified and given names. - for the early times, informal universities were established in order to teach students magic. (actual schools began to pop up in the very late 1800s) - the number of those able to connect with Nevermore magic was far higher than the modern times. - previously it was about .05 of the population, dropping down to .01 over the course of the early 1600s. -  nevermore and nevermore-aligned people dropped even further, almost being completely eliminated in Everless. - Everless magic was organized heavily and recorded in great detail after this point. a note written: we can do more magic than our circles! (recommended after taking the circle magic class)

Interactions with Outsiders - during the late 1500s, a time of persecution occurred towards the magic and people of both Everless and Nevermore. - Called the ‘Midnight Era’, it represented a shift from public knowledge of magic to the underground and secretive nature now considered normal. - during this era, the violence and deaths near brought the end of Everless. - during this era, privacy and secrecy spells were created, becoming some of the first types of spells and potions taught to those learning magic. - during this era, witches ceased sharing information about magic to all and any outsiders. - during the 1600s, the era of the Salem Witch Trials, the need to seek out and educate people with magic that were unaware of it was made essential. - schools were created with the hope of protecting students, both aware and unaware from the threats that come from having magic. - finally, during the mid-1900s, an outcropping of people calling themselves “Hunters” arose, threatening the safety of Everless and Nevermore alike. (more detail given in Defensive Magic classes) - “be careful with whom you trust, it’s a difficult thing to have to deal with, but magic and society do not mix easily.” <- direct quote

[spacebrick3]

Evenfall University: Ring of Fire Part 1

So my own character of Mira Niemczyk is currently enrolled at @note-katha’s Evenfall University, and it seems that her adventures there need to be detailed! So without further ado, I present Mira’s adventures at Evenfall U!

Mira Niemczyk is brave. Foolishly, recklessly brave. She would die for her friends, and has only survived this long because she doesn’t have that many. Arrogant and stubborn, the type of person to whom warnings are no more than challenges and who very nearly launched her own satellite into orbit (it would have worked, too, if she hadn’t been ripped off with low-grade sulfur).

Mira Niemczyk also does not believe in magic. 

This is despite the fact that Mira attends one of the most prestigious magical universities in the country, and perhaps the world: Evenfall University, hidden deep within the forests of the northwest United States. This is also despite the fact that Evenfall only accepts those with proven magical talent or abilities. An impressive feat of cognitive dissonance.

She doesn’t quite remember whether or not she in fact applied to the university, or if she was even aware of its existence until she received her acceptance letter. The tuition was affordable, and a chance for her to leave behind the state of Texas to cooler weather and slightly less irritating inhabitants*. She has cause to regret her decision, and cause not to, and at present rests somewhere in the middle.

Currently, she is sitting in the middle of orientation, listening to the professor drone on about their ‘circles of magic’, which honestly looks like a bootleg version of the Olympic rings. Not the most original design. There’s lots of words, none of them meaning anything - orientations are supposed to be fun, aren’t they, getting to meet the clubs and students and teachers at the school. And instead she’s sitting here, falling asleep with her head in her hands.

“Any idea when this is going to be over?” she whispers to the girl next to her, black-haired with glasses that seem too big for her face.

“No, I - stop talking!” She glares at her, pushing those same glasses up on her nose. “I am trying to listen to the professor! And you should too,” she says in a huff.

Mira rolls her eyes, dropping further into lethargy. Is there really no better way of conveying information than a lecture? A video, maybe, that she could watch in the comfort of her own home - dorm, whatever. Something with better visuals than rings stolen from one Mr. de Coubertin and someone who didn’t speak like they were giving a TED talk. “Any questions?” they ask, staring out across the assembled crowd.

Silence. “You should have lots of questions,” the girl next to her mutters. “Seeing as how you refused to listen to a word of it.”

“Actually, yeah,” she tells her with a wink, standing and trusting in her brilliant red, completely-not-dyed hair to get their attention. Or the fact that no one else wants to say anything. “Magic…-“ she coughs, already coming down with a cold. “See, magic! Isn’t! Real!”

She didn’t have to scream it. It wasn’t even a question like had been asked for. But that wasn’t going to stop her, because she is right and she knows it. It doesn’t matter if they’ve put together fancy special effects to draw circles in the air, if what they’re telling her is no more than a collection of lies. 

College is supposed to be a place of learning, isn’t it? Not a place of-

The other girl drags her down, color flushing across her face. “Stop talking!” she hisses, glancing around. “I didn’t intend - you - you cannot do that!” she stammers. “Why would you do that?”

They’re laughing at her. People are laughing at her because she told them magic wasn’t real. “Because it fuckin’ isn’t. Don’t tell me you believe what they’re selling, uh-“ She jabs a finger at her, poking the lens of her glasses. “What’s your name?”

“Samantha Venera, Third Circle,” she recites as if reading it off from a roll. “But - oh, no. Did you have to say that? And now the students are all looking at us - and they’re laughing, why did you even choose to attend if you refuse to believe in magic-“ She tugs at her collar, a fancy outfit in blue and white that looks more suited to an old-timey ball than college orientation. Somebody’s looking to make a good first impression, she notes to herself.

“Not like I had anywhere else to go-“ 

Her voice rings out a little too loud, and she realizes it’s gotten quiet. “Please! Stop! talking!” Samantha whispers again in desperation, and this time she listens.

“The First Circle of Magic,” the professor is saying, voice low, “is extremely dangerous. I beg you, please do not look into it.” Doesn’t sound like you’re begging, she notes. More like you’re warning us. “You could lose your life by doing so. And for those who think this is a joke, that we are warning you away for our own personal gain-“ Her gaze seems to find Mira- “we’re not. Unfortunately, we’ve been warned by the APA to not disclose the stories, so I’m afraid we can’t provide more details.”

Muttering breaks out among the students. “Absolutely not suspicious at all,” she says, turning back to Samantha. Or turning to where she was, because she and her enormous glasses** have already vanished into the crowd. “…huh.”

Her roommates blur by, their names going in one ear and out the other. Harmony Washington, thespian who is already hogging the shower and slumping dramatically against the walls. Aishwarya Kamal, whose claim to the hardest name to spell is only challenged by Niemczyk, and Nitya Nair, who arrives in the dorm to sleep and that’s it.

She should get to know them, but she doesn’t want to. Just more people. That is, until Aishwarya drags her from her bed and her laptop, to the kitchen and three boxes of pizza. “Look - I didn’t know what you wanted,” she says, flipping the lids open, “so we’ve got pepperoni, cheese, and vegan. So…have some pizza!”

It’s free real estate food. “Why?” she asks through a mouthful of the pepperoni. Aishwarya’s even managed to drag Nitya in from her nigh-incessant soccer practices, though she doesn’t seem pleased by it. 

“Because we are going to be friends,” she says, barely managing to keep the smile from her voice as the last of the group sits down. “Right? I mean, we’re living in the same space for at least half a year. I’d like to have that be a good relationship - and everybody likes pizza. No better way to begin, right?”

“Where’d you get it?” Harmony asks, looking at her slice in suspicion. “Not sure I trust the pizza shops around here.”

“Local place, just-“ she gestures vaguely towards the south- “down that way. Can’t remember what it’s called. It’s no, uh, Pizza Port, but - doesn’t matter. I mean, this is mostly for you, Mira, more than anybody.”

“…what?”

She rubs the back of her neck, looking guilty. “We, ah, we all know each other. We went to the same school, actually, and were in the same astronomy club and everything. So we’ve been introduced to each other a long time ago. So this is more about getting to know you, Mira…Niemczyk-“ She mangles the pronunciation, Nee-em-zeek instead of Nehm-check- “and about you knowing us.”

“Not a great start for being included in the group, is it?” she asks, perhaps a little more harshly than she’d like. “Not if y’all know each other and I don’t.”

“Well, there’s only one way around that,” Aishwarya replies, cheery demeanor refusing to be put out, “and that’s if we get to know you! So - where are you from? What’s it like? Why’d you come here?”

All more personal questions than she’d like to answer right now. “Houston, Texas,” she starts with, became that’s the easiest place to. “We’ve lived there for a while, and in Texas my whole life. Until now.” She shoots a glance outside, more to avoid eye contact than anything else, and sees that it’s pouring rain. Maybe she should have noticed from the fact that Nitya’s currently dripping water onto the carpet, but ‘noticing things’’ has never been her strong point. “Is it always this rainy here?”

She shrugs, over by the sink as she pours herself another glass of water. “I think so? That’s the stereotype, at least, but I don’t know if it’s true.”

“I wonder if it’s magic?” Harmony says, standing and walking over to the window. “It’d be fitting, don’t you think? All those stories that they can’t even tell us-“ Lightning flashes, framing her in a halo of jagged light- “and the rain pours down outside, washing away any of the evidence. Footprints, paths, light - it’s all gone, swept away by the unending torrent. Maybe it’s how they keep their secrets-“

“Monologuing,” Nitya says without even looking up. “Because maybe it’s just the damn rain.”

“Alright, alright. I’m just saying. This is literally a magical university, why couldn’t they have magic rain? There’s water witches, air witches, nature witches like you, Aisha - they could do it.” With another faux-forlorn glance out the window, she goes back to her seat - nearly knocking over her drink in the process. “Maybe they just do it for fun. Two students falling in love, they turn on the rain for the dramatic argument that leaves both convinced the other one will never speak to them again-“

“About half - 170 out of 365 - days in Seattle had rain,” she replies, looking at her phone. “So either there are lot of people having their dramatic arguments and falling out of love, or it’s just the weather. Yes, I know there are that many people here,” she says, cutting off Harmony’s counter, “but I don’t think it’s magical rain.”

At least the conversation isn’t on her anymore. Or it wasn’t, until Aishwarya turns back to her and she curses herself for tempting fate with that statement. “So? Houston have less pointless arguments?”

“Not really.”

“Any of your friends going here, too, and you weren’t lucky enough to room with them?”

“No.”

“Do you know what you’re planning to major in?”

“Not sure.”

“What circle - what magic you have? Why did you come to Evenfall?”

“Second-“ though there’s no such thing- “and…“ There’s no good way to put it, so the best she can offer is a shrug and an “eh.” There are some things you don’t start out by telling people, especially not if you want to make friends. Why she came to a magical university while not believing in magic is one of them. “You?”

Though she’s clearly less than satisfied with Mira’s answers, politeness demands she answer. “Nature - I’m studying to be a doctor - have been almost all my life, from those little doctor’s kits to interning with a lab technician. Because I don’t think there’s anything more amazing than being able to save lives-“

“We’ve all heard the spiel, Aisha.”

“Mira hasn’t!” she says, not trying to deny that there is a spiel. “And what’s wrong with trying to convince people? There’s a shortage of doctors in the world, you know, and especially a shortage of magical doctors. What if Harmony there were to get hurt, then who would treat her? Sirens can’t just walk up to any hospital.”

“A siren?” Mira doesn’t even realize she’s asked it until it’s out of her mouth. “I thought - what?”

“You don’t know?”

“Know what? I thought this was a school for people with ‘magic’?” She hates being told she doesn’t know, and hates it even more when the other person is right.

“And those from the Nevermore,” Aishwarya explains. “Magical - well, they’re…people, but with magic…more imbued in them than something they can control. Sirens, for example, don’t have control - technically - Harmony?” she asks at last, finally admitting she’s lost.

She sits up from where she’s thrown herself dramatically into the chair. “Yes? I’m a siren. And I’m studying to be an actress. I mean, it’s kind of the route you go, because we’re good at the whole-“ she gestures to her throat- “voice thing. I could show you,” she says, with the eagerness of someone who almost certainly will whether you accede. 

“…sure,” says Mira.

“Alright, I think I’ve got it,” says Harmony, except it’s Mira’s voice. She has to press a hand to her throat to check that it’s not her speaking, because she can see Harmony’s mouth moving but hear her own words. “How is it? I can’t really tell if I’ve got it right-“

She nods hurriedly, just wanting her to stop. “Yes - yes, that’s my voice and I don’t like it.”

“You’re no fun,” she says again, switching back. “But, that’s what we sirens can do. It’s weird, you know, finding out you’re not wholly human. Like, I got a letter and it said “hey, you know all these people? Well, you’re not one of them. Come to Evenfall!” 

“And you did?”

The look she gets for that comment - a fairly innocent one, really, given the options - feels overdramatic. Like everything about Harmony, she supposes. “Um, yeah. What was I supposed to do, go to some normal college and pretend that I didn’t have gills? No, I don’t actually-“ she adds, seeing her glance- “but shut up.”

“And that’s the story,” Nitya says. “Now I really do have to go, since I think they’re running practice late. In the rain. Nice meeting you Mira, I suppose-“ it doesn’t sound like it- “but I do have to go.” She picks up the soccer ball from the corner, spinning it in her hands and spraying everybody else with water before pushing through the door. 

“That was abrupt,” Aishwarya says, frowning.

Harmony glances out the window, grimacing as a flash of lightning races across the sky. “Her fault for getting into sports,” she says, pulling out her tablet and flicking through it. “At least plays are inside, most of the time.”

The group dynamic has dissolved, and Mira takes that as her cue to leave. It’s a chance to get back to the normal world, a place where things like magical rain and sirens aren’t something she has to deal with. Not that anything at Evenfall can be called normal, not how the word is usually meant. Back to a point where she can pretend things are normal, then.

She’s always been good at that, pretending things are normal. It’s how she got here, and why she’ll stay. 

*this message paid for by the State of Washington

**much like Pluto and its moon Charon, Samantha’s lenses are large enough that the two of them should be considered a binary system rather than that of a single body

I’ll use my current tag list for this, since this will be just a short AU/story thing, but please let me know if you want to be added or removed! @lady-redshield-writes, @no-url-ideas-tho, @ratracechronicler, @ken-kenwrites, @ravenpuffwriter, @cirianne, @lonelylibrary @maxbeewriting, @endlesshourglass, @thebloodstainedquill,  @anip-ocs, @note-katha @dreamwishing, @incandescent-creativity, @fatal-blow, @danafaithwriting, @wri-tten, @writingwhithotchocolate, @katekyo-bitch-reborn, @klywrites and @dogwrites!

(and if you liked it, don’t forget to check out @note-katha‘s actual Evenfall University story and their stellar characters! We’ll be meeting them soon enough…)

[magic-free-space-blog]

Magic-Free Space

Hello, and welcome to the Magic-Free Space! In here, there’s no magic. It’s that simple. And if anyone tries to bring their Circles of Magic or whatever pierdolę thing they make up next, then - well, they’re not allowed here!

For there’s no magic, no matter what *cough* people *cough* might say. I think the standard Arthur C. Clarke is likely appropriate here - “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic” - and vice versa, you understand. What people think is magic is just technology - hell knows I don’t know how stocks or that works, and it could be magic - but it ISN’T.

To conclude: no magic

[quaking--aspens]

A few friends/classmates of mine made tumblrs apparently. Give them a follow!

@keylimestudytime @justsingtheblues @raspberryartblog

[keylimestudytime]

Study Introduction Post?

Hello! I’m Lime, a freshman college student at a, uh, small college!

I’m planning to go into Astrobiology and in order to manage my class load, I thought I’d revive my studyblr-ing past. I have a blog somewhere from my high school time, but new school new me, I guess!

So, some facts about me!

- I’m 18! Turning 19 in a few months though. - I dance, with....no affiliation with the dancer Lime, I swear. - I really like note-taking? I may or may not have an obsession with pens and making nice notes but I have fun, which probably sounds weird, I know. - Uh, I really love history! And nature! And photography! - I’m semi-fluent in Japanese, my step-mother taught me and my family and I are working together to learn Swahili, which is my mother’s native tongue.

That’s kind of it, so yeah! I’ll see you guys around, I guess?

date: september 27th 2022

[captainelliecomb]

WIP Wishlist Round Nine

It’s the first WIP Wishlist of the year, and I come to you with five Jaime/Brienne stories I wish would update right this moment.

The Kingsguard by LadyRhiyana (12,343 words, first posted 31 May 2020, last updated 14 Jan 2022)

Summary: In which Princess Brienne goes to university, and Jaime is her bodyguard.

Things I Love: Modern AUs with Brienne as a princess, why Selwyn joins the rebels, Jaime the undercover Kingsguard, the way they annoy each other to no end, Brienne’s friendships, the way they protect each other, the history of Evenfall Hall, Lannister sibling dynamics, and spring break shenanigans. 

The Warrior, The Stranger, and The Chance by JailynnW @jailynn24 (96,443 words, first posted 13 May 2019, last updated 29 Nov 2020)

Summary: Out of all the ways he thought about dying, death by stoning wasn't even on the list. He always envisioned himself in battle with a sword in his hand and honor on his side. He should have known that wasn't going to be how it played out.

Things I Love: Time-travel S8 fix-it, Jaime’s voice, a Brienne who feels like an interesting mix of show and book, events that are a mix of show and book, Genna Lannister, and Brienne and the Blackfish.

To Look On Tempests: Or, How to Find Yourself Without GPS by GilShalos1 (52,401 words, first posted 06 April 2021, last updated 14 Sep 2021)

Summary: Jaime Lannister has walked away from the events that have ruined his life. Brienne Tarth is hiding from the thing that's ruined hers. Their paths cross. Or - Of all the fields in all the world, you had to camp in mine: two damaged people, bad weather, and dick jokes.

Things I Love: The healthy and unhealthy ways Jaime and Brienne deal with the trauma, Brienne’s family, the depth of the damage they’ve each lived through, Tarth in all its small town feeling within an island, the painful, oh so incredibly awkward, uncomfortable, sweet growing relationship, Brienne being a fighter, the writing itself, rhythm, word choice, descriptions.

sinking into my veins by miss_universe @missxuniverse (764 words, first posted 22 Aug 2019, last updated 24 Aug 2019)

Summary: Snippets of a Venom AU.

Things I Love: It’s a Venom AU! Brienne as the symbiote. Pod and Brienne’s friendship. “And we are not sweetling, we are Knight.”

everything you see (is all for your taking) by EllisJay (26,477 words, first posted 04 May 2021, last updated 11 June 2021)

Summary: When his brother signs him up for a course on sexuality, Jaime isn't amused, but he is intrigued by the powerful blonde leading the workshop. His pride may keep him there for the first class, but it isn't what has him coming back for more.

Things I Love: Brienne confident, experienced, and gentle with the people who need her to be gentle, Brienne’s amazing students and how she interacts with them, Oberyn’s work with Brienne and his flirtations, the double entendres, Brienne’s masturbation lesson blowing Jaime’s mind when he puts it into practice, flirtation on top of flirtation. 

[sdwolfpup]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth Characters: Brienne of Tarth, Jaime Lannister Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, 5 Things, Pining, inability to translate the other person's love language, they work it out, discovering one's future by engaging with the past Summary:

Four rooms Brienne and Jaime discover in rundown Evenfall Hall, and one they return to.

---------------

I was really intrigued by @paintingcranes​ prompts when they crossed the Knight Writing path, but I didn’t want to sign myself up for a 20k+ idea because I only had a week before the first posting day and I wanted to get the fic done. Thankfully, slipsthrufingers stepped up and walked me through the one that intrigued me the most, this photo of an abandoned space:

Paired with the Mary Oliver quote they prompted as well--“Attention is the beginning of devotion”--I knew I had to try it. 

This fic had a few awkward starts and stops before I settled into it, but once I figured out what I was doing, it flowed pretty well. 

Thanks to Brynn again some more forever for beta’ing, and to slips for the jam session and encouragement, and forbiddenfantasies for just being herself and holding my hand. 

[mrsjadecurtiss]

I thought every lord had to be trained in the practice of sword...so they would have a strong physique...why Roose seems so small and delicate? Explanations?

why Roose seems so small and delicate? Explanations?

Despite his soft voice, Roose is not exactly "small and delicate" - this is what we know about his physique:

It was almost evenfall when the new master of Harrenhal arrived. He had a plain face, beardless and ordinary, notable only for his queer pale eyes. Neither plump, thin, nor muscular, he wore black ringmail and a spotted pink cloak. - Arya IX, aCoK

Which sounds like an average man's build. He is never explicitly described as being either short or tall, so he is probably of middling height. He also is not a young man anymore.

Though well past forty, [Roose] was as yet unwrinkled, with scarce a line to tell of the passage of time. - Reek II, aDwD

I thought every lord had to be trained in the practice of sword...so they would have a strong  physique...

Sword training is usually part of a lord's education, and we also have a textual implication that Roose has been trained or at least has some experience because he knows how to judge swordfighting:

"Bulls are strong. Bears. I have seen my bastard fight. He is not entirely to blame. Reek was his tutor, the first Reek, and Reek was never trained at arms. Ramsay is ferocious, I will grant you, but he swings that sword like a butcher hacking meat." - Reek III, aDwD

He also owns a suit of armor and weapons:

Back where the press was thickest at the center of the column rode a man armored in dark grey plate over a quilted tunic of blood-red leather.  - Reek II, aDwD

She could hear the sand shifting around inside as Elmar pried open the lid and pulled out a chainmail hauberk. "Do you think it's clean enough?" As Roose Bolton's squire, it was his task to keep his mail shiny bright.  - Arya X, aCoK  

Bolton buckled on his belt, adjusting the hang of sword and dagger. - Arya X, aCoK

However, this does not necessarily mean that Roose is a great physical fighter himself; just that he has enough experience to know what proper fighting looks like (like how people say, "you dont need to be an artist to critique art"). If he was trained at arms in his youth and watched many people fight in his life, he would be able to judge another fighter's prowess. A suit of armor is also necessary to command status and respect in a military context, even if he prefers to command from the back. Roose is an able and confident military commander.

Apparently, his age is also already seen as "getting old" in-universe:

"My father [Gulian Swann] is an old man, my lord. Well past forty. His fighting days are done." - Jaime VIII, aSoS

So with Roose being the same age, he would have aged out of the prime fighting days in any case.

We also get the implication that even in his youth, he probably never risked his life in 1:1 battle or got into any serious confrontation, since he has no scars to tell of it (which the text deliberately contrasts with his battle experience):

Though Roose had been in battles, he bore no scars. - Reek II, aDwD

The text also never makes note of his fighting abilities, and no character ever comments on his skill at arms; usually he is instead noted by others for his cunning and caution. He does not have the trained body of a regular fighter (being described as "soft", contrasting characters like Tywin), and he has a cautious personality and stays out of danger, making it appear that he does not enjoy the thrill of physical 1:1 battle and prefers other hobbies in his freetime; seemingly not honing the craft much beyond his assumed youth's training and keeping a layman's knowledge for the hunt and self-defense. Since nobility is inherited, a lord does not need to actually be the physically strongest in his land as long as he can still project his authority, which Roose is able to do; and for actual physical fighting lords have guardsmen and soldiers.

We do know that he enjoys the hunt, which provides an opportunity to kill and use his weaponry in a more controlled context that does not endanger his life the way warring and swordfighting does (as hunting was a popular sport for nobles).

"I will hunt today," Roose Bolton announced as Qyburn helped him into a quilted jerkin. - "Is it safe, my lord?" Qyburn asked. "Only three days past, Septon Utt's men were attacked by wolves. They came right into his camp, not five yards from the fire, and killed two horses." - "It is wolves I mean to hunt. I can scarcely sleep at night for the howling." - Arya X, aCoK

The hunting of hart was most frequently done with the help of hounds, called hunting “par force”. In this method, the lay of the hart was found and then hounds were used by a hunting party to corner down or tire the harts in the chase. Once the hart was slow enough, the leading man of the hunting party would kill it with sword or spear. Boars and wolves were two other notable animals which were hunted in a similar fashion.  - medievalchronicles

While we have many lords that enjoy warfare and tournaments and built a reputation as fearsome fighters, we also have plenty of lords that are strategists and readers or otherwise not martial for plenty of reasons including personality, illness/disability and age; and more who are just mediocre swordsmen or excel in other areas. Being martially talented is advantageous in a patriarchal society as it shows masculinity and strength, however there are other qualities that can make someone be respected as well, as long as they dont appear pathetic or weak. Ned for example was a powerful lord, even if he wasn’t the strongest swordsman in his family.

My assumption is that training at arms is part of the standard education for a young noble, since it is an expected skill for a man in their patriarchal society; Being able to handle a sword is useful in many situations, and a lord is also expected to lead his men to war and thus have some martial knowledge as well as project a certain strong/masculine image. However, if a lord becomes a great swordsman/tourney fighter or just stays at a basic/mediocre level seems to depend on his own personality and if he has a passion for the craft (though there can be other factors influencing his decision, like expectations from his family).

[Since Roose is not a PoV and we know little about his past and nothing about his childhood, this meta has a lot of speculation that could be contradicted in future books. But from the Information we know, these are the conclusions i draw for characterization.]

[richincolor]

We have eight books to kickstart February! Which ones are on your TBR list?

This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi HarperCollins

To all the world, Alizeh is a disposable servant, not the long-lost heir to an ancient Jinn kingdom forced to hide in plain sight.

The crown prince, Kamran, has heard the prophecies foretelling the death of his king. But he could never have imagined that the servant girl with the strange eyes, the girl he can’t put out of his mind, would one day soon uproot his kingdom—and the world.

Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Tomi Adeyemi, and Sabaa Tahir, this is the explosive first book in a new fantasy trilogy from the New York Times bestselling and National Book Award-nominated author Tahereh Mafi.

The Iron Sword (The Iron Fey: Evenfall #2) by Julie Kagawa Inkyard Press

As Evenfall nears, the stakes grow ever higher for those in Faery…

Banished from the Winter Court for daring to fall in love, Prince Ash achieved the impossible and journeyed to the End of the World to earn a soul and keep his vow to always stand beside Queen Meghan of the Iron Fey.

Now he faces even more incomprehensible odds. Their son, King Keirran of the Forgotten, is missing. Something more ancient than the courts of Faery and more evil than anything Ash has faced in a millennium is rising as Evenfall approaches. And if Ash and his allies cannot stop it, the chaos that has begun to divide the world will shatter it for eternity.

The New Girl by Jesse Q. Sutanto Sourcebooks Fire

Lia Setiawan has never really fit in. When she wins a full ride to the prestigious Draycott Academy on a track scholarship, she's determined to make it work even though she's never felt more out of place. But on her first day there she witnesses a girl being forcefully carried away by campus security. Her new schoolmates and teachers seem unfazed, but it leaves her unsure of what she's gotten herself into. As she uncovers the secrets of Draycott, complete with a corrupt teacher, a golden boy who isn't what he seems, and a blackmailer determined to get her thrown out, she's not sure if she can trust anyone--especially when the threats against her take a deadly turn.

Required Reading for the Disenfranchised Freshman by Kristen R. Lee Crown Books for Young Readers

A striking debut novel about racism on elite college campuses. Fans of Dear White People will embrace this activist-centered contemporary novel about a college freshman grappling with the challenges of attending an elite university with a disturbing racist history--that may not be as distant as it seems.

Savannah Howard sacrificed her high school social life to make sure she got into a top college. Her sites were set on an HBCU, but when she is accepted to the ivy-covered walls of Wooddale University on a full ride, how can she say no?

Wooddale is far from the perfectly manicured community it sells on its brochures, though. Savannah has barely unpacked before she comes face-to-face with microagressions stemming from racism and elitism. Then, Clive Wilmington's statue is vandalized with blackface. The prime suspect? Lucas Cunningham, Wooddale's most popular student and son to a local prominent family. Soon, Savannah is unearthing the hidden secrets of Wooddale's racist history. But what's the price for standing up for what is right? And will telling the truth about Wooddale's past cost Savannah her own future?

A stunning, challenging, and timely debut about racism and privilege on college campuses.

Respect the Mic: Celebrating 20 Years of Poetry from a Chicagoland High School by Hanif Abdurraqib (Editor), Peter Kahn (Editor), Dan Sully Sullivan (Editor), Franny Choi (Editor), Tyehimba Jess (Foreword) Penguin Workshop

For Chicago's Oak Park and River Forest High School's Spoken Word Club, there is one phrase that reigns supreme: Respect the Mic. It's been the club's call to arms since its inception in 1999. As its founder Peter Kahn says, It's a call of pride and history and tradition and hope.

This vivid new collection of poetry and prose -- curated by award-winning and bestselling poets Hanif Abdurraqib, Franny Choi, Peter Kahn, and Dan Sully Sullivan -- illuminates just that, uplifting the incredible legacy this community has cultivated. Among the dozens of current students and alumni, Respect the Mic features work by NBA star Iman Shumpert, National Youth Poet Laureates Kara Jackson and Natalie Richardson, comedian Langston Kerman, and more.

In its pages, you hear the sprawling echoes of students, siblings, lovers, new parents, athletes, entertainers, scientists, and more --all sharing a deep appreciation for the power of storytelling. A celebration of the past, a balm for the present, and a blueprint for the future, Respect the Mic offers a tender, intimate portrait of American life, and conveys how in a world increasingly defined by separation, poetry has the capacity to bind us together. -- Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Midnight Horizon (Star Wars: The High Republic) by Daniel José Older Disney LucasFilm Press

Two hundred years before the events of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, in the era of the glorious High Republic, the Jedi are the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy!

Another exciting young adult adventure featuring Jedi and Jedi Padawans as they fight the nefarious villains known as the Nihil!

The New York Times bestselling series continues....For light and life!

And We Rise by Erica Martin Viking Books for Young Readers

A powerful, impactful, eye-opening journey that explores through the Civil Rights Movement in 1950s-1960s America in spare and evocative verse, with historical photos interspersed throughout.

In stunning verse and vivid use of white space, Erica Martin’s debut poetry collection walks readers through the Civil Rights Movement—from the well-documented events that shaped the nation’s treatment of Black people, beginning with the “Separate but Equal” ruling—and introduces lesser-known figures and moments that were just as crucial to the Movement and our nation's centuries-long fight for justice and equality.

A poignant, powerful, all-too-timely collection that is both a vital history lesson and much-needed conversation starter in our modern world. Complete with historical photographs, author’s note, chronology of events, research, and sources.

Murder of Crows (Lethal Lit #1) by K. Ancrum Scholastic Inc.

Lethal Lit follows Tig Torres, a Cuban American teen detective, in her hometown of Hollow Falls. In season one of the hit podcast, Tig used her smarts and fearlessness to track down the infamous "Lit Killer," a serial killer who staged his murders after death scenes from famous books. But there's no rest for courageous, mystery-solving teens in a place like Hollow Falls, and though the Lit Killer is now behind bars, his protégé, Tig's classmate and crush Oly, has disappeared!

And that's not the only game afoot. Tig has caught the attention of the town's local armchair detective group, the Murder of Crows. They're obsessed with Hollow Falls' dark past and fixated on a dangerous search for the missing body of the town's founder. There are rumors about what's buried with the body that could be life-changing for whoever finds it, and with a mission like that underway, it's not long before a member of the Murder of Crows turns up dead.

Tig, along with her friends Max and Wyn, steps in to help, but the stakes are getting higher and the hunt more deadly. Someone's willing to kill to keep the town's secrets buried, and if Tig's not careful, she'll be the Murder of Crows' next victim.

This original Lethal Lit story takes place between Seasons 1 and 2 of the podcast, and features a brand-new, never-before-told story starring Tig Torres and her sleuthing friends!

[ddagent]

Hiii if hot Instagram dad Jaime maybe decided he wanted to do some fun maiden day activities to post onto his account and dragged long suffering Brienne into it, I would love that. (I will die for that universe)

Thank you so much for the prompt, Anon! This is not *quite* what you asked for; consider it a mild reboot of the insta!dad Jaime ‘verse. I hope you enjoy it all the same. 

“This is a passenger announcement. Flight 8OATH7 to Storm’s End is delayed. Please check the departures board for further information.”

Brienne let out an almighty groan that was shared between her and the other passengers wanting to leave Braavos. A quick glance to the departures board showed that the two-minute adjustment in departure time had now extended a full two hours. Several of her fellow passengers headed off to the bar or duty-free shops. Brienne just slumped into her seat. At least it wasn’t Sevenmas she was missing. Just Maiden’s Day. 

Oh, but she was really looking forward to spending Maiden’s Day with Jaime. 

Slipping her phone out of her pocket, Brienne scrolled to Home and pressed the call button. After a few rings, a confident little voice answered. “Lannister-Tarth residence. This is Catelyn speaking. Who are you?”

Brienne felt herself beaming at her eldest daughter’s phone manner. “Cat, it’s Mummy. Is Daddy around?”

“Mummy! When are you coming back? We miss you!”

“I miss you too, Little Lion. I’ll be home soon. Can you put Daddy on?”

“Sure.”

There was a clunk, then a long pause, before Jaime came on the phone. Excited babbles came over the line, and Brienne could just envision Jaime in their foyer at Evenfall, holding their youngest in his arms. “Hey. Everything okay?”

“Not great. I’m stuck in Braavos; there’s not a flight out for at least two hours. I don’t think I’m going to get home today.”

“It’s okay, Brienne. We can celebrate Maiden’s Day tomorrow, or the next day, or whenever. Love you.”

“Love you too.”

Ending the call, Brienne settled back into the uncomfortable plastic seat made for a person at least a foot shorter than her. The other passengers were on their phones, playing games such as Angry Dragons or Game of Tarts; more than a few were scrolling through social media. Brienne followed suit. She opened up her ravenmail account and replied to a few emails; the university wanting an update on her latest findings. Unfortunately, the Braavosi artefacts she had been sent to authenticate were frauds. After she’d done that and sent a text to her Dad, asking him to check in on Jaime and the kids, she went to open up her own accounts. That’s when she heard it. 

“—I guess we’ll have to celebrate another night. Sweetling, we love you, and I can’t wait for you to get home.”

Two seats down were three young women dressed for sun and fun rather than Brienne’s ill-fitting business suit. They were staring longingly at one of their phones. “He is just so hot. He’s such a great dad and clearly an amazing husband.”

“Did you see the snap of him doing topless push-ups with his kids on his back? Oh-em-gee, I nearly died.”

“What about the one at the zoo? All tanned and muscular picking his daughter up to look at the lion cage? He is hot a-eff. I swear, every time I look at his Quip feed, my ovaries hurt.”

The three young women continued to drool over Brienne’s husband, or the hot Dad at kingofthe_pride. He’d had the Quip account since Catelyn was born, wanting to show off adorable pictures of their baby girl while he was a stay-at-home-dad. The account had grown popular as Jaime was earnest, loving, and downright gorgeous. Users on Quip had followed him from being a first-time Dad to looking after their boy, Brynden, and their youngest, Joanna. It brought in a little sponsorship money and a lot of unwelcome DMs. He screenshotted her the best ones, along with some personal pics just for her. 

Loading Quip, Brienne found Jaime’s most recent story. He was in their garden, Joanna climbing on his shoulder while the other two gathered round to stare at the phone. “So, I just got a call from my wife that she’s stuck in an airport departure lounge and won’t be able to come home tonight. Which is a shame, because these three cubs were going to stay at Grandad’s.”

Jaime offered the camera a sultry wink that would melt most women. Hells, Brienne had been married to him for nine years, and she was still a puddle! “I guess we’ll have to celebrate another night. Sweetling, we love you, and I can’t wait for you to get home.” 

All three of their children waved at the camera; Brynden and Ser Roar blowing her a kiss. It disappeared onto the next story – Jaime’s sister, Cersei, wine tasting at her vineyard in Dorne – before Brienne clicked back to his account. There was another post already. 

“Oh–em–gee, they’re making Maiden’s Day cards together.”

The picture was, in fact, in the children’s playroom. The large mahogany table that had once sat knights of old was now covered in card, glitter, and felt tip pens. Jaime’s shoulder-length hair was pulled off his face, his grin wide and bright, as Joanna helped him pour sapphire-blue glitter into the shape of a heart. Brynden was working on his letters in his own handmade Maiden’s Day card. Catelyn was drawing something else. 

kingofthe_pride: Couldn’t get to the shops, B. Handmade okay?

Brienne chuckled, especially at the next picture of Jaime holding up Catelyn’s drawing of Ser Galladon of Morne and his sword. 

kingofthe_pride: Little Lion misunderstood the task. Think you might enjoy it better than mine. 

Already the picture had a ton of likes and plenty of comments. Brienne tried to avoid deciphering the string of emojis following several of them; instead, she focused on the smiles of her husband and children. An email from the university diverted her attention, but, when she returned, there was another post from Jaime. 

kingofthe_pride: All your partner wants for M-Day is flowers, chocolates, and a sword. 

It was a photo of Jaime in the Evenfall museum on Tarth; a crimson bow attached to the exhibit glass holding Oathkeeper. Brienne barked out a laugh, startling a few nearby passengers including the young women who had been drooling over her husband. The next few posts were equally touching: Jaime and the children making flower crowns (#myqueenofloveandbeauty); Jaime and the children making chocolate cupcakes (#knight-feast). 

Shaking her head, Brienne opened up her messenger app and found her husband’s name. 

B: I love you.  Ser Husband: I know. I’m very lovable.  B: And modest.  Ser Husband: Well, that picture of me with a flower crown has over 600 likes already.  Ser Husband: I just wanted to lift your spirits while you’re stuck in a dingy airport lounge.  B: You did. Thank you ♥ Ser Husband: Would you like a kingofthe_pride exclusive? B: Always. 

The next photo was a selfie. Jaime was in her study; the last of the afternoon light streaming in and highlighting the blonde in his hair and the crow’s feet around his eyes. The angle was off: there were no pixels of his muscular arms or tight abs. He was just a forty-year-old Dad taking a poorly aimed selfie, and staring at the camera with so much love it made her heart ache. 

B: I miss you.  Ser Husband: I miss you, too. 

“This is a passenger announcement. Flight 8OATH7 to Storm’s End is now boarding Please check your ticket information and proceed to Gate 14.”

B: See you soon x