#monthly sylvain

[darsarts]

late night study session

[brynn-lear]

Note: This is for December 2024's "Monthly Reader's Beloved" (aka supposedly monthly content I create based on a poll). I'm sad I don't have a lot of FE:TH content when this is an FE:TH-themed blog, so...

Dedue: It's been a few months since a strange man has kept you as his company. Your kidnapper has kept a jar of Duscur seeds since the day you've been held hostage. Each time you tried to run away or attack him, Dedue takes a seed out and bury it someplace else. You wonder what would happen when the jar's emptied... Better yet, just what was that one thing you desperately need to remember before all this...? [Post-Verdant Wind]

Ferdinand: Having been given his land and title back after assisting His Majesty in the war, Ferdinand found himself incredibly conflicted yet terribly empty. Just what even was worth doing when he had helped bury old friends...? Well, the now Margrave Gautier brought him a fine suggestion: find a wife to sire some heirs. Maybe Ingrid and Sylvain's recent wedding has influenced this sudden motivation he has. How else could you explain why his pursuit for your hand has been... relentless. [Post-Azure Moon]

Felix: With the war over, you decided to take a teaching position in the Officer's Academy alongside Felix. Once the boar had been slain, he had no interest in restoring his old stable life whatsoever. Instead, he uncharacteristically nods along and follows your lead. He's no longer the snarky and blunt man you knew. You desperately want to know just what goes on inside your friend's head... and a bottle of whiskey might just do the trick. [Post-Crimson Flower]

Ignatz: He missed you. He paints you daily. It's been half a decade since he last saw you. But... seeing you again... it feels... strange. You certainly didn't look like this the last time he saw you. Were you always this cold? This unmoving? Where has the light in his darling princess' eyes gone to? Your canvas is all blue. What must he do to restore it? Hold still. Let him paint your skin just right. [During Silver Snow]

[ulircursed]

TOA Aniversary Munday

From Neffi!

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: eri

Pronouns: she/her

Birthday (no year): 9/30

Where are you from? What is your time zone? Taiwan! GMT+8, currently 12 hours ahead of TOAST. Good news: the apocalypse hasn't hit the future yet!

How long is your roleplay experience? Probably around 10+ years at this point, unless running around as Pokemon on the playground counts, in which case more like 20 years ahaha

How were you introduced to roleplaying as a whole? I'm reasonably certain Fire Emblem was my first foray into tumblr RP, and Emmeryn was my first muse! There was a little indie community that I joined back then, though I haven't kept in contact with them

How were you introduced to TOA? I don't really remember, but all I know is that I lurked around the masterlist around the time of L&K but didn't pluck up the courage to join until nearly a year later when I saw there was a Reyson (shoutout to birdie!)

Do you have any pets? Nope! Moved around too much as a kid and current living situation doesn't support having one. Closest I got was sharing an apartment with my roommate's floofy cat for two years in college; his name's Chester and he was super adorable. I'd like to have a dog someday though!

What is your favorite time of year and why? (Season, holiday, general period) WINTERRRR I am a human furnace and summer is suffering. Every spring I start counting down the days to the next winter ahaha

What is your IRL occupation? I work at the counseling department in a junior college!

Some interests and things you like/enjoy? Learning languages, singing, obscure fun facts and watching Youtube video essays

What non-Fire Emblem games do you play? Used to be a big Pokemon person but I stopped playing the mainline games by Gen VII (not for lack of interest! RL circumstances changed around that time and I just never got back into the habit of buying those games); nowadays I play a few mobile games daily but that's about it

Favorite Pokemon type & Pokemon: Water; too many, but if I had to name just one I will probably say Rufflet

Tell us some funfacts and trivia about yourself! The first fun fact is that the moment I get asked questions like this I immediately go Brain Empty and this is why I rarely fill out toa monthly feedback forms dakfjslfj uhhhh my favorite color is blue! I joined an archery club in grad school (two years ago) to understand what shooting a bow feels like. I love swimming but haven't been to a pool for maybe like 9 years now. I really like going to zoos.

How did you get into Fire Emblem? My older brother introduced my younger brother and me to Japanese FE4 when we were kids, when we knew absolutely no Japanese and just messed around the first map and never beat it. I properly started playing when I was in high school, with FE7 being the first game I beat! I normally count my official FE gaming journey as starting with 7 in high school :'D

What Fire Emblem games have you played? All the mainline ones except 1-3 and Echoes (I'm...... working on it)

First & Favorite Fire Emblem games: FE7; FE3H

List your 5 favorite Fire Emblem characters across the series! You can't do this to me man. UHHH ok Lucius is my very most favorite FE character. Andrei needs to be here. I lump the Heron sibs as one unit for questions like this. Tibarn. Sylvain. There are probably a dozen more but

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! HONESTLY Andrei thanks to the Oosawa manga. His arc changed my brain chemistry permanently

Any Fire Emblem crushes? 😳 I don't think I've really crushed on fictional characters before ahaha

If you’ve played (or are familiar with) the following games, who was your first S support? Who would you S support nowadays? - Awakening: Chrom I think; uhhhh Lon'qu or Cherche?? - Fates: Silas I think???; I'm currently partway through a Birthright playthrough and I seem geared to S support with Jakob so him - Three Houses: Dimitri; started my first and only Myleth run a few months back and I'll probably go with Miss Thea :flushed: - Engage: None; man I don't know

Favorite Fire Emblem class? Bishop

If you were a Fire Emblem character, what would be your class and stats? Would you be playable? I think I could be a War Cleric wielding a giant hammer. If you don't go to bed on time I will forcibly join your army and make you

If you were a Three Houses character, what would be your affiliation? Blue Lions I guess!

If you were an Officers Academy student, what would be your boons, banes and potential budding talent? Axe boon, Reason bane, Riding budding talent

If you were an Engage character, which nation would you originate from? Brodia

How do you pronounce TOA? TOE-uh

Current TOA muses: Just me and my bow man for the moment

Past TOA muses? Leanne, Lucius, Altena, Nino

Who was your first TOA muse? If you no longer have them, can you see yourself picking them up again? Leanne was my first! Honestly she always lives in a cozy little corner of my head, so she can be back at any moment if RL permits

Do you believe you have a type of character you gravitate towards writing? Nice Girls (gender neutral) who have no quarrel with 99% of the world. As you may be able to see, Andrei does not fit this mold.

Do you have characters or types of characters you don’t think you can handle writing, but wish you could? Flirts. They're so much fun to read but I don't think I could flirt my way out of a paper bag irl so I would never know what to write

What kind of scenes, situations etc do you believe you enjoy writing the most? I honestly love fluffy cozy fun friendshippy situations!!! Again, Andrei is not conducive to this. I mean I do also like painful scenes but--

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”? that Yngvi AU where Brigid never disappeared because things will still go to shit but the circumstances would be so different. Honestly Brigid doesn't even need to explicitly be there for this to work so if any Gen I Jugdrals ever want to do this then I grip you

Favorite TOA-related memories? So many, but the West Faerghus Croc lives rent free in my brain forever.

Present or past tense? I started off with past tense, but now default to present. When the stars align and I notice my partner using past tense, sometimes I will also switch, but not always.

Normal size text, small text, no preference? Small text, though I am happy to switch for my partner's preference if needed!

Got any potential muse delusions to share? 😉 Waves goodbye to my faceless Glenn delusions honestly thank u new anniversary ruling for saving me from those eternal brainworms

[slotumn]

Prompt for 3H fans:

You're building a cabinet post-canon, and you can assign anyone who's not Byleth, Shez, lords, retainers, or royals with obligations to other nations (so no Petra) to lead the following positions/departments:

Domestic affairs & administration (includes stuff like infrastructure, territory planning, etc)

Military & defense

Science & medicine

Education

Economy & finance

Law & justice

Agriculture & natural resources

Diplomacy & foreign affairs

Who do you pick? (Hopes characters allowed)

Basically it's a build your own house, except it's for an actual post-war government instead of just monthly missions at the academy.

My own picks + reasonings under the cut:

Domestic affairs: Lorenz

Like I said in this post, he's a practical guy. He'd get the roads fixed and the mail system running and he'd be good at negging the local lords into cooperating with the new government.

Military & defense: Holst

He's a good general with real-life experience, and is one of the people who's been trusted to do his own thing militarily in canon and was mostly successful with it (it's what he does offscreen in 3H). Mainly dealt with Almyrans but wasn't a slouch at Gronder against the Empire, either, so I assume he's flexible too.

Science & medicine: Manuela

Look, she might be a hot mess in personal life but I think she's one of the few people who'd be able to do a government job while also having insight and firsthand experience the field she's assigned to. Other possible candidates (Hanneman, Linhardt, etc) for this are better suited as researchers instead of ministers imo.

Education: Seteth

He's overprotective of Flayn, but when it comes to youth who aren't his daughter he's far more reasonable and pretty good at giving advice. Other candidate was Hanneman, but again I think Hanneman is more research professor than a minister in a government.

Economy & finance: Marianne

To be specific, Marianne with Margrave Edmund's tutelage. House Edmund is the money house™. And honestly I don't see many others in the cast who'd be anywhere near suited for this position. Anna doesn't count, merchant mindset and nation-running mindset is different.

Law & justice: Ashe

He wants to follow law/some sort of code and he has a sense of justice, but he also knows from firsthand experience why/how people break the law, so he wouldn't be unreasonably rigid/unyielding in the affairs. Also the token Faerghan of the administration; many others here are Leicesterian (can't help it I have GD bias) but I'd want a unified Fódlan's cabinet to have people from all regions.

Agriculture & natural resources: Leonie

This is probably my most unconventional pick, but my reasoning is that this department would especially require familiarity with on-site/field conditions, and Leonie already has some of that (from a hunter village) + would be willing to go around looking at things herself as needed. Sorry about your dream of leading a mercenary band Leonie but I'm going to stick you in this position until the continent gets back on track. Other possible candidates were Marianne or Lorenz considering their paired ending, but I think they fit the other positions above better. And Bergliez may have the Empire's breadbasket but I am not assigning Caspar or his dad to this position.

Diplomacy & foreign affairs: Ferdinand

He's good at talking, wouldn't mind the tiring schedule of being sent everywhere, and even has an actual ending where he becomes a foreign minister. Other possible candidates were Sylvain or Cyril, but I'd be afraid of Sylvain getting into some sex scandal abroad and Cyril would need more education and training (specifically in Government Official Speak™, if you send him as is he will cause a scandal by calling a foreign official a dumbass to their face).

[linkedsoul]

Hello! Long time Stories of Qelt fan and now a fan of your new story inspired by Baldur's Gate! I was wondering whether you were still planning on publishing SoQ and whether you were gonna write more about these new characters and their world! Your writing is superb and I absolutely ADORE medieval fantasy stories (it's my hyperfixation). No worries if not, I was just curious! Hope you are doing well ❤️

Hello!! <3 Thank you so much for your kind words, it makes me very happy!! <3

I'm still planning on publishing SoQ! For now I'm still monthly publishing on Patreon, but I am planning on eventually doing a biiiiiig rewrite to make it, less, huh, chunky. It's over 200k words just for the first book! I know people here have managed to devour it in one go and loved it as it was, but I'm painfully aware it would be far harder to market to an audience who hasn't followed the project from the start hahaha. It's also something I started writing when I was... eighteen I think? and there is a lot I would now change and improve because I got better as a writer, because I figured out stuff as I was writing that I didn't implement early enough due to the monthly publishing format, etc.

As for Nai and Sylvain (thank you for loving them btw!! <3), I definitely want to explore more of their story in either other short stories and drabbles, or, if it feels right, a longer project like a novella or a fully fledged novel. I'd definitely love to explore their pasts and their respective relationship to REDACTED. For now, there's a lot I don't know about them, and I sort of look forward to learning more myself as I write! <3 It was fun to work on a brand new story and characters without having to think much about worldbuilding, consistency, or even a set future for this project.

Hope you are doing well too! <3

[alloarocharactershowdown]

Here is the bracket for the Alloaro Character Showdown! Please let ve know if there are any mistakes. Because of how many contestants there are, the first round will be divided into four parts, with eight polls each.

[ID: A 64-character bracket featuring the characters listed below the cut. End ID]

Art for Jess by @kindaorangey - [link], art for Sister Carpenter by @terra-toma - [link], art for Clover Martinez by @layaart - [link]

Underneath are all of the characters!

Side A

Round 1 Part 1

Suki (Avatar: The Last Airbender) vs.

Alonzo (Cats)

Lord Dominator (Wander Over Yonder) vs.

Lydia Martin (Teen Wolf)

Umetarou Nozaki (Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun) vs.

Toph Beifong (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Moonshine Cybin (Not Another D&D Podcast) vs.

Agent 3 (Splatoon)

MK (Monkie Kid) vs.

Kaworu Nagisa (Neon Genesis Evangelion)

Sasha James (The Magnus Archives) vs.

Katsuya Serizawa (Mob Psycho 100)

Hawks (My Hero Academia) vs.

L Lawliet (Death Note)

Jess (Loveless) vs.

Fenneko (Aggretsuko)

Round 1 Part 2

Ashton Greymoore (Critical Role) vs.

Kaname Date (AI: The Somnium Files)

Gumi (Vocaloid) vs.

Boromir (Lord of the Rings)

Optimus (Transformers) vs.

Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle)

Double Trouble (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power) vs.

Alix Kubdel (Miraculous Ladybug)

Arthur Lester (Malevolent) vs.

Grog Strongjaw (Critical Role)

Sister Carpenter (The Silt Verses) vs.

Touka Kirishima (Tokyo Ghoul)

Kento Nanami (Jujutsu Kaisen) vs.

Makoto Sunakawa (Ore Monogatari!!)

Anakin Skywalker (Star Wars) vs.

Benrey (Half Life VR But The AI is Self Aware)

Side B

Round 1 Part 3

Ansem, Seeker of Darkness (Kingdom Hearts) vs.

Thalia Grace (Percy Jackson and the Olympians)

Reagan Ridley (Inside Job) vs.

Mina Ashido (My Hero Academia)

Iñigo Montoya (The Princess Bride) vs.

Sylvain Jose Gautier (Fire Emblem)

Kurapika (Hunter x Hunter) vs.

Ikuyo Kita (Bocchi the Rock!)

Jazz Fenton (Danny Phantom) vs.

Taylor Swift (Dungeons and Daddies)

Buffy Summers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) vs.

Jeff Winger (Community)

Kou Yamori (Call of the Night) vs.

Willow Park (The Owl House)

Matt Murdock (Daredevil) vs.

Dean Winchester (Supernatural)

Round 1 Part 4

Miles Straume (Lost) vs.

Jake English (Homestuck)

Tahani Al-Jamil (The Good Place) vs.

Papyrus (Undertale)

Clover Martinez (The Last 8) vs.

Rita (The Penumbra Podcast)

Denji (Chainsaw Man) vs.

Arataka Reigen (Mob Psycho 100)

Yor Forger (Spy X Family) vs.

Teruhashi Kokomi (The Disastrous Life of Saiki K)

Anya Jenkins (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) vs.

Anne Boonchuy, Marcy Wu, and Sasha Waybright (Amphibia)

Yuri Plisetsky (Yuri On Ice) vs.

Miles Edgeworth (Ace Attorney)

Kenma Kozume (Haikyuu!!) vs.

Ramuda Amemura (Hypnosis Microphone)

[egittae]

activity check _ may

status: passed!

(claims are waiting to be processed)

SKILL POINTS EARNED:

+1 (monthly)

LANCE D+ > C

REWARDS:

blessed lance

CLASS ACCESS:

cavalier lance fighter

EVENT REWARDS:

[ ethereal ball 2024 ]

dancer class starry saddle blanket

CURRENT SKILL POINTS: 6

◈ ◈ ◈

NEW SUPPORTS OBTAINED!

MORION - B ODIN - C DHEGINSEA - C RAJAION - C RAFAL - C- SYLVAIN - C- LINHARDT - C- ARVAL - C?

and a lot of memories :)

[spacenutspod]

Quasar H1821+643.X-ray: NASA/CXC/Univ. of Nottingham/H. Russell et al.; Radio: NSF/NRAO/VLA; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/N. Wolk This image shows a quasar, a rapidly growing supermassive black hole, which is not achieving what astronomers would expect from it, as reported in our latest press release. Data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory (blue) and radio data from the NSF’s Karl G. Jansky’s Very Large Array (red) reveal some of the evidence for this quasar’s disappointing impact on its host galaxy. Known as H1821+643, this quasar is about 3.4 billion light-years from Earth. Quasars are a rare and extreme class of supermassive black holes that are furiously pulling material inwards, producing intense radiation and sometimes powerful jets. H1821+643 is the closest quasar to Earth in a cluster of galaxies. Quasars are different than other supermassive black holes in the centers of galaxy clusters in that they are pulling in more material at a higher rate. Astronomers have found that non-quasar black holes growing at moderate rates influence their surroundings by preventing the intergalactic hot gas from cooling down too much. This regulates the growth of stars around the black hole. The influence of quasars, however, is not as well known. This new study of H1821+643 that quasars — despite being so active — may be less important in driving the fate of their host galaxy and cluster than some scientists might expect. To reach this conclusion the team used Chandra to study the hot gas that H1821+643 and its host galaxy are shrouded in. The bright X-rays from the quasar, however, made it difficult to study the weaker X-rays from the hot gas. The researchers carefully removed the X-ray glare to reveal what the black hole’s influence is, which is reflected in the new composite image showing X-rays from hot gas in the cluster surrounding the quasar. This allowed them to see that the quasar is actually having little effect on its surroundings. Using Chandra, the team found that the density of gas near the black hole in the center of the galaxy is much higher, and the gas temperatures much lower, than in regions farther away. Scientists expect the hot gas to behave like this when there is little or no energy input (which would typically come from outbursts from a black hole) to prevent the hot gas from cooling down and flowing towards the center of the cluster. A paper describing these results has been accepted into the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society and is available online. The authors are Helen Russell (University of Nottingham, UK), Paul Nulsen (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian), Andy Fabian (University of Cambridge, UK), Thomas Braben (University of Nottingham), Niel Brandt (Penn State University), Lucy Clews (University of Nottingham), Michael McDonald (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Christopher Reynolds (University of Maryland), Jeremy Saunders (Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Research), and Sylvain Veilleux (University of Maryland). NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center manages the Chandra program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Chandra X-ray Center controls science from Cambridge Massachusetts and flight operations from Burlington, Massachusetts. Read more from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. For more Chandra images, multimedia and related materials, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/mission/chandra-x-ray-observatory/ Visual Description: This composite image shows a quasar, a rare and extreme class of supermassive black hole, that’s located about 3.4 billion light-years from Earth. At the center of the image is a bright, white, circular light, similar to the beam of a flashlight if it was pointed directly toward you. A fuzzy, bar-shaped structure of red-colored radio light, slightly larger than the width of the white light, surrounds the circular structure. The red bar also extends above and below the white light, stretching in a somewhat straight line from about the one o’clock position to the seven o’clock position on a clock face. On either side of the red bar, X-ray light is present as blue, wispy clouds of hot gas that are brighter closer to the red and white features. The brighter clouds represent more dense gas. News Media Contact Megan WatzkeChandra X-ray CenterCambridge, Mass.617-496-7998 Jonathan DealMarshall Space Flight CenterHuntsville, Ala.256-544-0034

[goldoanheart]

April Activity Check Passed!

total points: 36 -> 37

[monthly skill point]: +1 to sword (sword rank d. rank up!)

other points: n/a

claims:

rank chart: armourslayer (+iron sword)

classes: myrmidon

Housekeeping

waiting on partner:

the moon and you in a transparent sky (artur)

opportunity of memories (sakura)

questions of love (serra) (reason or faith +1)

just candlelight should do (ashe)

a breath of fresh air (ares) (vampire au)

the bean bites back (edward)

yes, it is i lady lyndis… and her loyal kent? (sylvain) (authority +1)

friends in far places (ike)

leonster? i hardly know her (katarina) (any weapon +1)

you know fliers are weak to arrows (valter) (bow +1)

my good friend micaiah (derogatory) (leonardo)

what the (big) dog doin? (artur) (riding +1)

itty bitty axe buddies (kiran) (axe +1)

of mice and men? (dimitri) (any skill +1)

falling with style (raven) (riding/flying +1)

linus pushes kurthnaga into a locker (linus)

let me close my eyes in peace (delthea)

cotton guarding from a cotton scoundrel (chad) (pokemon au)

completed:

here be dragons (sephiran) (2425 words)

dropped:

golden hour

[darsarts]

he needs help cleaning up

[evoldir]

Fwd: Postdoc: Chile.GenomicsSeaweedHolobionts

Begin forwarded message: > From: evoldir@evol.biology.mcmaster.ca > Subject: Postdoc: Chile.GenomicsSeaweedHolobionts > Date: 1 February 2023 at 09:18:57 GMT > To: rdmpage@gmail.com > > > > The Millenium Nucleus for Marine Agronomy of Seaweed Holobionts (MASH) is > an interdisciplinary research group dedicated to the study of the biology, > microbiology, and genomics of seaweed holobionts, and oriented towards the > development of a marine agronomy for seaweed aquaculture. MASH research > focuses on three pillars of marine agronomy: understanding and controlling > traits of interest for seaweed aquaculture, designing breeding strategies > that maximize selection efficiency to obtain improved strains, and > managing the genetic resource for sustainable seaweed cultivation. Seaweed > holobiont biology, resulting from the interaction of seaweeds and their > associated microbial communities, is at the core of our research. > > See https://ift.tt/x7YFGjR for further details. > > MASH seeks applications for a postdoctoral research scholar in > the biological interactions between seaweeds and their associated > microbiota. Candidates should have a degree in Biology, Biochemistry, > Biotechnology, Engineer or Biocomputing Science and be educated at PhD > level. Experience on metagenomic data analyses, microbiomes studies or > environmental microbial ecology using NGS is required. Basic knowledge > of seaweed biology is expected but not mandatory. The candidate will be > expected to dedicate fully to research in an active and interdisciplinary > research-oriented environment. > > Position is for one year, renewable for up to two years. Appointments > should preferably start as soon as possible. > > Applicant will be requested to apply for national grant FONDECYT for > postdocs.  The postdoctoral researcher will be working essentially > at the GEMA Center for Genomics, Ecology & Environment, Universidad > Mayor (Campus Huechuraba, Santiago, Chile), with Dr. Nicole Trefault > (https://ift.tt/01iKFMs) who > oversees microbial ecology and genomics in MASH. He will also interact > with other MASH researchers dedicated to seaweed population genetics and > genomics, ecophysiology and mathematical modelling of metabolic networks > of the seaweed holobionts. > > Monthly salary will be $1.500.000 (Chilean Pesos) before taxes, about > US$ 1.800. > > Evidence of the candidate’s capacity to independently conduct > interdisciplinary research, strong skills and interest in data analysis, > manuscript writing and presenting at national and international > conferences is required. > > The postdoctoral research scholar will take on the following leadership roles in the project: > - Analyses, integration, and interpretation of NGS data of microbial communities, in association with host seaweeds’ genetic diversity and genomic features for an in-depth characterization of the seaweed holobiont in farms and natural populations. > > - Writing manuscripts and peer-reviewed articles, reports and other materials for > the Millenium Nucleus. > - Research support with other activities that further the Nucleus objectives. > > Complete applications will be reviewed beginning February 27, 2023 until the > search is closed. > To apply, please submit to nicole.trefault@umayor.cl, with subject: Postdoc > Application MASH, and attach the following information: > - Cover letter > - Detailed CV > - Contact details for three references > > > > Sylvain Faugeron > > IRL3614 Evolutionary Biology and Ecology of Algae > Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas > Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile > Av. Bernardo O'Higgins 340 > > Santiago - Chile > > +56-223 54 26 47 > > Sylvain Faugeron

[gauldheri]

@ephemeralove

Sylvain stares at the crisp, white paper on his desk, begging the letter to write itself. It was bad enough having to update his father monthly about his progress at the academy but how did he even address this missive? His hand hesitates at the top of the page for a few moments before he decides to take the plunge.

Dear Anon, To whom it may concern,

Hey there,

Feels pretty weird to address each other so vaguely, doesn't it? I understand this assignment is supposedly anonymous (how do we get credit for it?) but surely a pseudonym can't hurt. Maybe Forest would do the job. Something like that.

I'm in the Blue Lions house, Faerghus is my homeland. Pretty surprising how much milder the weather is here, despite being up a mountain. The food is exquisite too. Company is hit and miss but it still beats being cooped up at home. It's exciting to finally have the freedom to be myself. Whatever that actually means.

How about you? What does home mean to you? Hopefully you're not too homesick here. Are you enjoying classes?

Best regards, Woody? Forest? Bark? Nothing sounds right so just call me whatever you like.

P.S. Sorry this is pretty short. It's not that I don't care; hopefully it'll feel less like talking to myself after we swap a couple.

It's not a brilliant composition but Sylvain reasons that if he doesn't send it now, he probably never will. Besides, it's not a letter to father who would scrutinise every word and punctuation mark looking for errors before actually reading it. At least, he hopes not.

letters to no one

Trends are cyclical, so they say. The latest and greatest in fads sweeping Garreg Mach is the return of ~penpals~ except, erm, this time it isn’t just for fun. No, this time it’s a school-wide assignment! Students (and faculty!) are intended to be paired at random, so you could wind up with just about anyone as your partner. Of course, if you’d rather exchange letters with your friends, there’s nothing saying you can’t rig the system just a little…

[libertyreads]

September TBR--

Here is a stack of books I’d like to get to this month. It’s a lot of pages so we’ll see how far I can get. I have a ton of rereads and a ton of Mystery/Thriller novels and seasonal reads. Time to get into the Fall Mood, Y’All.

1. Supernova by Marissa Meyer--A YA SFF novel. This is the third and final book in the Renegades series. This is a reread for me since my husband and I are discussing it for our podcast. It’s a world of superheroes and villains and that grey area in between.

2. The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes--A YA Mystery novel. Another reread, but this time it’s in preparation for the next book coming out. In this one, Avery is surprised one day when she finds out that a Texas billionaire has left her almost his entire estate. She’s forced to move into his mansion with his family and try to workout the riddles and the major question of why she was the one chosen.

3. The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (New Release)-- A YA Mystery novel. This is book number two in the series and I’m so excited for this one. I’m trying to go into this one knowing as little as possible. But there was a pretty major twist at the end of book one so I’m hoping it continues on from there.

4. In the Hall with the Knife by Diana Peterfreund-- A YA Mystery novel. Yet another reread in preparation for the next book in the series to come out. This is a Clue Mystery series novel. Set at a boarding school in rural Maine, this one takes place during a blizzard and is the perfect Isolated Closed Circle Mystery.

5. Ace of Spades by Faridah Abike-Iyimide-- A YA Mystery novel. This is another Mystery/Thriller set in a boarding school and I’m so excited for this one. An anonymous texter called Aces brings two students’ dark secrets to light.

6. Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell--A YA Graphic Novel. I picked this one up at an Indie bookstore a while back. The store really didn’t have much in the way of things I enjoy, but I saw this and immediately thought of Fall so I grabbed it. I believe this is supposed to be a graphic novel set on a pumpkin farm and following two best friends during their last year working on this farm before they go off to college. It should be a great seasonal read, but more importantly, quick.

7. The Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch-- An Adult Fantasy novel. Book #3 in the Gentleman Bastard series. And I’m so nervous because it’s the last book that’s been published and I don’t want to have to wait for the next one. The series is about a con artist who was raised under the tutelage of a master con artist in Camorr. Here we get to see a character that’s been mentioned throughout the first two books for the very first time. I’m so excited for that and I can’t wait to see what new cons we’re up to now.

8. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire-- Continuing my reread. Moving on.

9. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen-- A Middle Grade Survival novel? This is a husband book pick for the podcast. We’ll be reading it at the end of the month. I don’t know a ton about this one. I know it’s from the 1980s and involves a plane crash and a kid having to survive in the Canadian wilderness.

10. Only Human by Sylvain Neuvel-- An Adult Sci-Fi novel. This one I’m getting kind of frustrated about because I ordered it almost two weeks ago and I’m pretty sure the post office lost it. But customer service won’t do anything for 5 more business days. Hooray! Anyway, this is the last book in the Themis Files and I’m so excited and nervous to see what happens next. Especially after the way book two finished. The whole series is about first contact with aliens and alien technology.

[symbolism-of-a-rose]

[allisallies]

//that being said: ship with me