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kote-the-inn-keeper · 7 years

Text

Commissioned Writing - Evelyn in the Fishery

Fanfic with an OC based in the Kingkiller Chronicle universe.

All rights belong to Patrick Rothfuss for characters and setting, other than OC. OC belongs to @wand-er-er

Word count: 2250

Summary: A small glance into a day of Evelyn while she works in the Fishery on a brand new project she hopes will work.

It was early morning, the first classes of the day starting throughout the University. Not many people had early morning classes, since it was a hassle to get out of bed and wake up enough to learn. Most students were more than likely hungover, drinking in taverns over in Imre with friends to unwind from hard work and studying all day. Or, in some cases if someone was so studious, being up all night studying and trying to retain lessons. The University wasn’t known for being loud or creating much noise, so it was as quiet as ever. Some would say tranquil and almost regally so, while others found it stifling and pretentious; but such always depended on who was talking, and what kind of day they were having.

Thankfully, the Fishery was open in the morning. Not many people ventured in during such early hours, more so due to the place being more project oriented and having the ability to go in and out just about whenever to work on things. The Fishery was a dangerous place, full of tools and sometimes chemicals that sound easily cut off or eat away at someone unprotected or not paying attention. But, even so, the place was welcoming and somehow freeing to many who went in. With lanterns glowing and shining above in the high rafters, displaying different colors, sizes, and shapes, they were a contribution to the large and open space. Tables, work spaces, tools, and projects littered the currently nearly empty Fishery.

The single overlooking room, only accessed by a thick and heavy metal worked staircase, was currently inhabited; door closed and lights on. There were only one or two people in the larger, more open space and in sight. All working on projects of one kind or another in their own silence and focus. Basil was in for the morning, checking books and making sure maths had been done properly on items and materials people owed back to the Fishery for their projects. Among the few who were out on the floor working on projects was Evelyn. Carefully carving sygaldry into one of her brand new projects, she squinted and focused as much as she could on making everything

right. Sygaldry was no game, and one wrong shape and it would mean something else entirely. Which could make or break a project from doing what it was meant to. There was a reason why people were required to study the subject for so long before starting, and even then it took a long time to get just right.

Evelyn had a ton of personal experience with metals and sygaldry. Her family was known for smithing, so she and her older sister had a hand for such work. While her sister was more adept for traveling and working a business, she felt best with being at the University. With other skills that were fit for such a place, it wasn’t hard for her to fit in. Naming was among the skills, but, that was least important. At least, to her current project. No amount of naming was going to help her if she messed up on it now. She had spent months drafting and re-drafting such contraption, finally allowed to make the first prototype. Her attention was drawn away slightly for just a moment, hearing something not so happy grab her attention. Shaking her head, she squinted and went back to work, sticking her tongue out a bit from the corner of her mouth to steady her hand as she worked. It somehow always worked, even if she didn’t have the clearest of explanations. Seemed rare for Namers to ever have a clear explanation for anything, so she had come to understand and even see in others she knew.

“Your hair is in your eyes.” A gruff, but friendly and familiar voice said from a safe distance from her.

Looking up, Evelyn paused her work. “Oh. That would explain why I keep shaking my head.” She admitted, putting the contraption and the tool she was using onto the table softly. Pushing her black hair from her eyes, she carefully pinned it back with some clips she had on hand, revealing her bright and lively eyes. “Good morning, Master Kilvin!” She said happily, willing to take a break to talk to someone so kind. “What can I trouble you with?”

The master laughed, walking over and patting her shoulder easily. “And good morning to you as well, Re’lar.” He replied, “It isn’t what you can trouble me with, but I to you.”

“Hm?”

“Did you eat this morning? A good a hearty breakfast? It’s good for your mind and to keep your hands working proper. Great crafting hands even need good rest.” His Cealdish accent didn’t stop Evelyn from understanding, being Cealdish herself. It wasn’t uncommon for people to ask her for things he said in Cealdish, wanting to know if he was cursing or saying something rude. Mostly because she had been heard talking to him in Cealdish on multiple occasions, so people jumped to her to give them fun cursing or help them study the language.

“Yes, Master Kilvin. I did eat this morning.” She smiled, sighing softly at his worry. “I’m an adult, you know. I can handle myself rather well.”

“I imagine you can, Re’lar, but it seems more of you keep forgetting to relax and stop doing so much. All if you work to hard for too long. Enough come in here half asleep and unfed. I worry.”

Evelyn laughed softly. “You worry too much. We all appreciate it though. It’s very kind of you.” Picking up her project, she pressed her ear to it to listen, seeming immediately drawn away from the conversation. She knew it wasn’t done, but the project was complaining so much that it had yet to be complete. Things took time, and such a thing didn’t seem to wait patiently.

Kilvin raised a brow slightly to the young woman’s actions. He knew better than to interrupt or ask her what was going on, just waiting for her to set it down. “How is this project going? Basil told me you haven’t gone back in to get extra supplies or scrapped anything. Is that true?”

“Of course! I’m very careful. These materials don’t like to be bothered with much, but I have to bother them for the sygaldry. Which is going well too! I’m almost done with carving them in. Then I should be able to give it a few test runs.” Evelyn explained, seeming pleased with herself.

“What are you constructing here again?” He asked, placing his hands on the table and looking over all the tools and scrap metals she had cast aside. He listened as a few other students entered in the late morning time, knowing he would have to start making his checking rounds in a little while to make sure no one was struggling or misusing any tools.

Evelyn looked up to Kilvin and smiled brightly, adjusting her grab on the contraption in her hands. It wasn’t very large, but just enough to need both hands to hold it safely. “It’s a defense mechanism! It’s to help people who deal with break-ins and the like -- for store owners who want a bit more protection for their stores. Stuff like that. I have it loaded with springs and clamps, so when it’s activated it’ll grab whatever triggered it into use.”

Kilvin ran his hand through his beard again, squinting softly. “Sounds dangerous… Like a weapon. You know how I feel about weapons, Re’lar. I have told other Re’lar many a times no to their projects because of what they can be used for.”

“No, no. This won’t hurt anyone! It’s just meant to stop someone from getting away so easy, or at least startle them into running away. I can show you how it works.” She replied, blowing strands of short black hair from her face. “See, ideally someone would be hanging this up around a door or have it set on the ground near an entrance.” placing the odd shaped hunk of metal onto the edge of the table, she finished one last bit of sygaldry, then moved away. “Like this! And then if someone moves by really fast it’ll activate and grab onto them. Look!” Evelyn backed up enough for Kilvin to start opening his mouth in worry as to if the contraption would work or hurt her. A bit late on stopping the young woman, she took off in a decent run past the almost hexagon shaped anti-break in invention. Only getting maybe two steps past it, the thing seemed to leap off the table and latch onto the first thing it could grab. With a loud clunk of an open, springs released tensioned thick metal fingers in a claw formation, clamping down on her arm.

Oh, that hurt more than she imagined it would. It was far too tight, almost crushing her bones.Which, in turn, made her stop immediately and give a shout. Before she could even start wiggling her fingers between the metal squeezing harder down on her arm, Kilvin stepped in and easily got a grab on the metal fingers, pulled them apart, and ripped the whole thing in two. Evelyn gave a sheepish half smile, holding her arm tenderly and biting back tears of pain. That had been some rather angry metal, maybe she had placed them in the wrong places after all.

“No more testing.” Kilvin said shortly, tossing the metal scraps onto the nearby table. “You know better than to test things on yourself -- first prototype at that!”

“Yes, master Kilvin.” Evelyn whined, looking down in shame. She really thought those had been the perfect blueprints. Nothing seemed wrong with them. The amount of force the anti-break in or anti-stealing contraption did was way more than enough to get someone to drop whatever they were taking or trying to get too. But, it was also enough to break a lower arm or an ankle if on for any longer than her intercepted time. Perhaps the springs were wound too tight, or she used the wrong mix of sygaldry and made it too strong. While there were benefits in hurting someone out to hurt someone else, she never wanted to

hurt anyone.

Giving a loud sigh, the master rubbed his face. “Go to the Medica and get that looked at. The grip might have done something to your arm, with a grip like that, I would not doubt it did something.”

“I’m alright, it was just surprising.” She lied, looking at the bruises already forming on her arm.”I’ll just have to try harder and do better the next time. I can do it, I already have a few ideas on how--”

“Medica. Now.” Kilvin ordered, putting a hand on her back softly and leading her away from the work space. “I will clean up your space for now. Go and make sure you are not out of commission. Such great crafting hands not working for a long time would be a shame. Besides, you have been in here all morning working on that thing. You need to go out. Eat. Study something else.”

Evelyn frowned as she was removed from the work space, but understood it was needed. Didn’t mean she was going to be happy about it. “I just ate breakfast! It can’t be that late in the day. Someone just walked in.”

“Hm? When?” He asked, slowing to a stop and looking confused. “And it has been hours. It is almost noon, Re’lar Evelyn. As much as I enjoy your hard work, you have other studies. And new blueprinting to do.”

She groaned, looking up and pouting. “Yes, I know, I know. And someone with red hair came in a little before you came to see what I was doing. So… a while ago I guess. I don’t know if they are there anymore.”

Kilvin looked towards his office, squinting softly as he tried to see if anyone was over there. “Hm… Re’lar Kvothe must be up to something then. Go to the Medica. Thank you for telling me. And no more testing out projects on yourself.” With that, he patted her head with his massive hand, comparable to a bear paw in size, before walking off to his office.

“Alright, thank you Master Kilvin.” She replied, watching him go. Looking to her arm again, she knew someone in the Medica was going to give her an ear full. Be it a new student or Mola. It’d been awhile since she last saw Mola around, so going to the Medica wasn’t such a bad idea. Though her attention was wandering off to Kilvin’s office, trying to see if she could spot the University infamous ‘demon blood’ Kvothe. It didn’t take a genius to know a lot of the stories about him were obviously fake, but others were more intriguing. All she really wanted to do was met him in person; he seemed interesting enough. Hopefully she would run into him one day, or maybe one of the girls knew him. She could always ask one of them.

“Medica!” Kilvin shouted, leaning over the railing near his office and seeing Evelyn still standing there in one of her thoughtful dazed looks.

Jumping in surprise, she looked down and quickly left the Fishery for the day, doing off to the Medica as asked by master Kilvin.

#ooc #mun humming #my writing #oc in canon universe #*dabs* it was fun to write tbh #i hope it was to your liking #thank you for commissioning me!!!!!!!#commission

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