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moiraineswife · 3 years ago

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Jasnah and Wit - Presentation Meta

Part 1 of the great saga of Witsnah “WELL ACTUALLY” metas I plan on doing bc y’all have just pushed me That Far.

Well hello there. I’m GRUMPY. And what I do when I’m grumpy is I channel it into a little thing called spite meta. That’s what this is. It’s me angrily yelling for several thousand words about why this thing is a GOOD thing, actually.

Today’s subject, the much controversial post Rhythm of War canon pairing that is: Wit/Jasnah.

So let’s (angrily) explore why this is actually a positive thing for both characters, on a nuanced, meta, character analysis level. Because that’s the only level that I have.

I admit, I was sceptical and uncertain. But when I actually sat and thought about this for a hot second...It started making a lot of sense to me. And then I thought about it for, like, a hot minute, and it made a LOT of sense to me. And now I’ve thought about it for a hot month, so come. Step into my thoughts, and I will explain my perspective on this all…

Firstly we’re going to talk about clothes. Yes, clothes. Clothes and what they symbolise for this pair, together and individually.

He was immaculate, as always, with his perfectly styled hair and sharp black suit. For all his talk of frivolity, he knew exactly how to present himself. It was something they’d bonded over. - RoW, 64

Wit and Jasnah have bonded over the idea of presentation and the effects it can create. Both of them have used this idea to great effect multiple times in the series. Wit displays himself as a more appropriate form of an Alethi highprince at war - a crisp, tailored, military suit in a colour that makes him instantly and easily identifiable in a crowd. It’s part of his subtle mockery of those around him - that the King’s Wit is a better presented highprince than the REAL highprinces. It also makes him recognisable, and it makes him seem professional and able to move easily in high society.

Equally, we’ve seen him take the guise of a poor beggar so as to sneak into Kholinar and go unnoticed and dismissed when he sneaks into the palace to recover Design in Oathbringer.

Jasnah, meanwhile, gives a memorable and impactful speech to Shallan at the beginning of Words of Radiance about the illusion of perception. About how by presenting herself as a princess, looking the way others expect, she is able to effectively use her authority. And would be able to similarly do so if she simply convinced people she was a princess, by manipulating their perception of her.

Both Jasnah and Wit understand this idea - of presenting yourself, not necessarily in the way you want to look, but in the way you want others to look at you. Creating for them the thing you want them to see, which enables you to better be that thing.

It also runs deeper than that. They’re not just people who like to dress well. They understand that this has a power to it. They understand the effect it will have over others. And it’s this deeper thing that I believe they’ve bonded over.

Because they don’t simply appear put together in their clothes; they appear put together in their everything. Wit and Jasnah are people who are consistently calm and composed regardless of the situation. They do it in very different ways. Jasnah with calculating stoicism and intellectual calm. Wit with indifferent frivolity and nonchalant acceptance of what’s happening around him.

The core effect is the same. When the walls are crumbling down, the armies are sweeping in, and everything’s on fucking fire, Wit and Jasnah are two people you expect to be able to look to for direction and a bit of sanity amidst the chaos.

They’ve both cultivated personalities and personas that revolve around appearing and seeming in control and unperturbed whatever is happening. It’s like their whole Thing.

So the presentation is not only about clothes and make up, it’s about who they are deep down as people. The fact that they’re always the strong ones. Always the ones in control. Always the ones who aren’t panicking despite the fact that everything’s on fucking fire.

They’re people that others EXPECT to behave a certain way. There’s a predictability to them. A dependability. In Wit’s case, it’s that you can rely on him to be esoteric, confusing, and unpredictable, but still.

There’s a pressure in that. There’s a pressure in always being THAT put together. In always being THAT on top of things. In always being THAT person who can never break down screaming when things go wrong because that’s not who they are and not what people expect. They have to be more than that. They have to be BETTER than that.

They’re also people that other characters tend to other/deify. Shallan remarks several times about Jasnah being inhuman/beyond ordinary people, and even goes so far as to compare her to the divine, despite her being a heretic.

Wit, meanwhile, gets asked if he’s a Herald, has that odd air of always knowing things that he shouldn’t, and being in places he shouldn’t at the right times.

They’re both ‘positively’ outcast. And I don’t mean that in an overly posh English way and being positively outcast, darling. What I mean is that, instead of being shunted outside of the circle of normality, they’re both placed on pedestals above it. Which is a different sort of outcast, but comes with its own package of problems.

And this brings us to: vulnerability. Because they’ve bonded over this presentation thing, but they’ve ALSO bonded over the fact that they’ve found someone they don’t have to do that around all the time. Someone they can let their guard down with and just be themselves. Someone they don’t have to present and perform for. Someone they can just be HUMAN with.

So we’re going to look more closely at the clothing aspect of this. Because there’s symbolism here, and it deeply interests me. With a focus on Jasnah, because Wit’s a mystery by design, and Jasnah’s got some more intentional stuff going on here I feel, re narrative symbolism.

So from the moment we’re introduced to her, Jasnah always looks immaculate. She always looks perfectly put together. Shallan remarks multiple times on her havah, on her make up, on the intricate and perfectly done braids of her hair. Which is a little bit gay on Shallan’s part (which is valid) but it’s also significant, symbolically.

I talked already about Jasnah’s idea of ‘power is an illusion of perception’, but I feel it’s worth coming back to. Both because of how much it shapes Shallan, but also how much it shapes Jasnah, and informs what we know about her.

Jasnah is ALWAYS put together. She is ALWAYS perfectly made up, the absolute ideal of the perfect Alethi princess. Even in scenes of distress or ‘downtime’ scenes - such as waiting for Shallan in the hospital, or visiting her after her betrayal, or the relatively more relaxed setting being on board the Wind’s Pleasure. The text makes a point to note that Jasnah is perfectly done up and presenting exactly as she wishes.

The times we see slips in that are DEEPLY interesting to me.

The first one I want to look at, briefly, is That Controversial Scene in the way of kings, where Jasnah uses Soulcasting to kill the men who attacked her and Shallan in the alley.

Just prior to this we see her bathing, where Shallan still remarks on how composed Jasnah is. This is also part of her presentation. She’s entirely naked, but that illusion is still up. She’s still more in control than other people are fully clothed.

What I find interesting is the specific note that Jasnah does not take the time to have her hair braided before she sets out with Shallan. It’s mentioned as being unbound a few times.

Symbolically, I like this, because I feel like it speaks to a slight loosening of her usual control. There’s something about that scenario that sets Jasnah on edge. There’s something about it that makes her feel.

Besides, men like those…” There was something in her voice, an edge Shallan had never heard before.

What was done to you? Shallan wondered with horror. And who did it?

Shallan is unnerved because Jasnah seems calm. But I get the sense, from this line, and from the intense repetition of how unnaturally composed Jasnah appears, that her composure is a front. And that if we had her perspective on this scene, it would look very different from how Shallan imagines it.

There’s something driving her here. Something beyond the logic she explains to Shallan, about making the city safer, about the guards not doing anything, about how innocent women will not be able to protect themselves from this, and how she wanted those men gone. All of which I believe is true, but that line from Shallan, and the way in which Jasnah goes about this...It feels personal. There’s something else going on behind the scenes that we don’t know or understand.

Regardless. This is the first time we see Jasnah step out of the cultured, reserved, stoic scholar. She’s something other than an ideal Alethi princess and studious mentor in this scene. And the detail of her hair being unbound, contained, wild, for the first time since we’ve met her feels..Significant. It’s an important detail to linger on, I think.

Which brings us to the next exception to Jasnah’s exceptional presentation rule: her murder!

Even in the scene before where we see Jasnah, arguably, the most vulnerable that we’ve seen her, in the cabin when Shallan confronts her about her fear of the upcoming apocalypse. It’s only a moment. Only a moment of genuine emotion that Shallan manages to glimpse before the mask comes back.

This was not the Jasnah that Shallan was accustomed to seeing. The confidence had been overwhelmed by exhaustion, the poise replaced by worry. Jasnah started to write something, but stopped after just a few words. She set down the pen, closing her eyes and massaging her temples. A few dizzy-looking spren, like jets of dust rising into the air, appeared around Jasnah’s head. Exhaustionspren.

Shallan pulled back, suddenly feeling as if she’d intruded upon an intimate moment. Jasnah with her defenses down. Shallan began to creep away, but a voice from the floor suddenly said, “Truth!”

Startled, Jasnah looked up, eyes finding Shallan—who, of course, blushed furiously.

Jasnah turned her eyes down toward Pattern on the floor, then reset her mask, sitting up with proper posture. “Yes, child?”

The text notes in this segment that Jasnah’s poise and presentation is a mask, but it also describes it as her ‘defenses’. This is her armour. It stops people looking too close. It stops them reading her emotion, her weaknesses. This is also one of very few times we see Jasnah attracting spren in the series.

However, even in this scene, clearly exhausted, overworked, and overwhelmed, Jasnah remains perfectly put together. All of her armour, her immaculate havah, her make-up, her braids, are all in place. Even in this moment.

Which makes a stark contrast to the next scene we find her in where she’s dressed only in a “thin nightgown”, and is lying on the floor with a sword in her chest. The vulnerability of unexpected assassination.

When next we see Jasnah, in the epilogue, is when she’s freshly spat out of Shadesmar after an apparently harrowing ordeal.

Her clothing was ragged, her hair formed into a single utilitarian braid, her face lashed with burns. She’d once worn a fine dress, but that was tattered. She’d hemmed it at the knees and had sewn herself a glove out of something improvised. Curiously, she wore a kind of leather bandolier and a backpack. He doubted she’d had either one when her journey had begun.

Even in another plane, apparently being hounded and in fear of her life, she’s managed to acquire some appropriate clothing, a glove, and a damn bandolier. Because of course she has. Perception. Iconic.

After that we don’t see her out of anything beyond her famous havah-braids-make up combo. Even when she’s with her family, and Navani remarks in her setting down the mask of the queen, she remains masked. There are still defences up. She never fully lets her family in on her plans, or her thoughts and fears.

No, the next time we see her symbolically, and emotionally, vulnerable: is with Wit. Perhaps for the first time, fully, without ANY of her usual masks and pretences, and under her own steam and of her own volition.

Locked away in a central room on the second level—sharing no walls with the outside, alone save for Wit’s company—she could finally let herself relax.

She DELIBERATELY picks a house with a second floor, and an interior room with no outside walls, with multiple fabrial traps to warn of assassins or intruders. But she manages to relax in Wit’s company. There’s a trust there. An understanding. A much needed vulnerability.

Clothing wise, in this scene Jasnah is dressed only in a nightgown and a dressing gown, and is carefully noted to have her safehand uncovered. Jasnah isn’t Vorin, strictly speaking, but she’s still been raised her entire life in a society that views safehands as something inherently sexual/to be hidden. So much so that she takes the time and care to sew herself a safehand glove while in Shadesmar. So all of this is a fairly Big Deal. It’s a Big Deal for anyone. For Jasnah? More miraculous than Kaladin giggling.

Jasnah Kholin is not vulnerable. Jasnah Kholin is never unguarded. Jasnah Kholin never willingly lets her guard down. Jasnah Kholin is absolutely as paranoid as Elhokar, if not more so.

She’s made herself a BUNKER at this point. She’s in an interior room, surrounded by traps, there’s spheres sewn into her dressing gown, and she has a wholeass BOAT waiting for her in Shadesmar JUST IN CASE someone manages to get through: guards, an entire BUILDING, multiple rigged traps, then her, with her plate, her blade, her Soulcasting ability, and all of her wit and skill, to somehow manage to wound her badly enough that she has to retreat to Shadesmar.

This woman does not do trust. She does not do vulnerability. To the point that it is absolutely 1000000% a fault. This IS Jasnah’s greatest flaw. Her isolation. Her mistrust. Her paranoia.

Anyone that comes into her life she’s suspicious of. She blithely warns Shallan about Kabsal stating he’s only using her to get close to Jasnah to steal from her/kill her.

We dismiss this, and look at it as brilliance/Jasnah knowing all, because she’s right. But it’s flawed brilliance. Because it’s the ‘broken clock’ fallacy, you know? If you suspect EVERYONE around you of being an assassin...Well, some of them will be.

Jasnah’s paranoia is another meta, however. But the point here is that: Jasnah doesn’t do anything by halves. She has an ideal for how she wants to live her life and she COMMITS to it. And part of that is her presentation, and the perception she projects, to an unhealthy degree, even around trusted family.

So the fact she has found someone she can relax all of her INCREDIBLY strict and overzealous masking and enforced personal presentation? Is both very significant in terms of her relationship with Wit, but also herSELF?

Because Jasnah NEEDS this. She needs it like Kaladin needs therapy yesterday.

Jasnah is a “strong independent woman” but if you double down on that idea, and follow it up with “Jasnah is a strong independent woman who doesn’t need a man/anyone” then you are absolutely 1000% missing the whole entire point of her character.

All the Stormlight characters are deconstructions of classical fantasy tropes, to varying extents.

Jasnah is the ‘strong independent woman’ trope except asking what if you ACTUALLY apply that to an actual human person? What would that do to them? How would that hurt them? And what it does is everything Jasnah is.

Which has been done so MASTERFULLY because we look at all of these flaws, and these objectively negative things that she does to cope with having this label slapped onto her, and we golf clap quietly in a corner and go ‘wow that’s so badass, that’s so cool, let’s totally romantacise all of these actually deeply worrying coping mechanisms and not look at them at all until Brandon smashes us in the face with them like a baseball bat with the nails of Jasnah’s trauma pounded into it’.

Okay maybe that was SLIGHTLY dramatic. But my point is: Jasnah’s apparent omniscience can also be looked at as extreme paranoia and mistrust.

Her independence and ability to ‘get shit done’ on her own, to the point she doesn’t tell another living soul about the LITERAL APOCALYPSE for more than HALF A DECADE is actually self-inflicted dangerous isolation.

Her constantly being poised, and on her game, and never displaying any emotion is actually extreme repression, to the point her own MOTHER describes her as ‘having the empathy of a corpse’.

Her consistent othering by all of the other characters, from her ward to her mother, deifying her, and othering her, and considering her immortal is actually putting her on a pedestal and cramming an INCREDIBLE amount of pressure to reach an impossible, unattainable, and inhuman level of perfection that becomes so normalised and commonplace that her return from the dead is just like ‘well yeah that’s just Jasnah’.

And all of these things are INCREDIBLY unhealthy!!! They’re not something any real person should have to do just to exist. Especially not in the middle of an apocalypse. When her father was killed in front of her. And then her brother was murdered. And the apocalypse she tried to warn everyone about is happening. And she’s the most experienced Radiant. And she’s also suddenly a queen of her kingdom. Which has been taken over by the enemy btw. And they’re in the middle of a war. And people are dying. And she’s responsible for those people dying. But also some of her highprinces are treacherous bastards. And oh look here’s a couple of slightly mad Heralds she’s taken charge of and- OH MY GOD PLEASE LET HER NAP!?

Again. Slight hyperbole on my end but I feel like I’m #Justified. The point is, her suddenly, after FOUR books, having a single person that she can confide in, and be vulnerable with, and admit she’s afraid, and uncertain, and doesn’t know what she’s doing, and isn’t sure she can actually do this, is not ~anti-feminist~ and it’s not “out of character” and it’s not damaging her ideal it’s actually deeply positive, and healthy, and a symptom of Character Growth.

Jasnah’s is choosing Wit. With her eyes wide open. And she has some reservations about things, because she’s JASNAH, of course she does. But she listens to him. She confides in him. She lets him see HER. She lets him help HER. She admits that she needs that help. She actually says to him, out loud, with full human words, to his face, right in front of him, that she’s frightened. SHE ADMITS THIS!!! Jasnah’s having all this stealth background character development that y’all are sleeping on but I am personally deeply hype about.

And it’s because Wit UNDERSTANDS her. And she understands him. And this is really the crux and core of this whole relationship for me, you know? This whole idea around them always being The Strong One. and finally FINALLY (for him, too) having someone that they don’t have to be strong for. Or regal. Or composed. Or poised. Or in control. Or even knowing what the fuck they’re doing.

She can just...Be. She can ask questions. And show uncertainty. And admit to fear. And to doubt, of herself, of the other Radiants, of humanity in general. And have someone to look to, when everyone is ALWAYS looking at her.

It’s the beginning of an actual support system. Because she needs this SO badly. Because she has her family but she also...Doesn’t have her family? She looks after them. She protects them. From assassins, and then from what was happening in the world/her role in it. Because there’s that line in Oathbringer that she has, about people loving her but still hurting her.

Navani mentions that after she hit adolescence (and after her parents locked her in a dark room and let her scream herself hoarse because they called her mad, lol) she withdrew. And she no longer asked questions. And she no longer wanted a mother, or a support figure, or someone to take care of her. She rejected all notions of that. Because there was something broken there. That trust was gone. And Jasnah will set aside the crown, and the mask of the queen around her family, but she is only fully vulnerable, and fully HERSELF with Wit.

And I cannot understate (i feel like I’m doing a Good Job of not understating this here people) how absolutely fucking ESSENTIAL that is.

Jasnah is NOT a machine. She is not a divine being beyond trauma and pain. She is a human being who has suffered, and who has responses to this.

Jasnah accepting Wit’s support and companionship is as big a step in processing and healing from her trauma as Kaladin accepting he can’t protect everyone and does not deserve to always carry that guilt.

I don’t care if you don’t like the ship. I don’t care if you think it was rushed (there was...a year long time skip. Things did not remain in stasis. Things changed. This is an interesting narrative device bringing us into them and letting us extrapolate backwards). I don’t care if you hate the bones of Hoid and never want to see him on screen: I DON’T CARE.

If you have any respect and regard for Jasnah as a character I need you to acknowledge that this relationship is a positive and healthy thing for her. I need you to see that it’s a step forwards. I need you to see that, from a purely narrative standpoint: this is a thing that should be celebrated for her.

In terms of Wit, too, this is a good thing. I am not about one-sided relationships where only one person is getting something out of it. Even when that one person is the light of my life Jasnah Kholin who deserves all the things ever.

For all his talk of frivolity, he knew exactly how to present himself. It was something they’d bonded over.

Coming back to this RoW quote let me make things as abundantly clear as possible re why I’ve bonded over this ship: They’re kindred spirits. They understand each other. In a way that no-one else has understood them for Jasnah possibly ever, for Wit in a very very very very very very very very very long time.

They’re both brilliant. They’re both intellectually at the pinnacle of humanity. They both know that. They’re also both damaged. They both cover up that damage with a carefully crafted presentation. Jasnah’s is regal composure and Wit’s flamboyant nonchalance, but it’s a mask in both cases.

They understand each other. And they understand the need to have what they’ve found in one another: someone they don’t have to be that way around. Someone they can just be with. Someone who understands why they have to be that way with everyone else; but can give them the freedom to be themselves.

Such parallel. Much power. Very choice.

I was gonna talk about Other Stuff in this meta but lol. 4k words of clothes screaming later and I feel like maybe this should be part 1 of an ongoing saga. Ahem.

The take away from this is: I totally understand why Brandon put these two characters together. For the amount of characters he has, he actually has relatively few romantic relationships. None of them are done on a whim, and they’re always healthy, mutual, and positive for both characters. They make sense, in short.

And these two as a pairing makes sense. On more than a “”””business transaction””””” level of them wanting and getting information out of one another. It makes sense even if there was no Desolation, and no threat to the world, and they were two randomers who met in a tavern and connected.

There’s a personal connection there. There’s an intimacy, and an understanding, and a sense of looking into another person’s eyes and saying ‘yes. You know. You feel it too’. They go through life in much the same way - standing out, never quite fitting, never finding anyone on their level that can relate to them or compete with them or challenge them.

They have someone who can fulfil them. Someone who can actually meet and exceed their abilities for once. But equally someone who can ground them, and meet them at their lowest point, and allow and even encourage that vulnerability.

TL;DR: this relationship is positive for both characters, and healthy, and important for both and this is a hill I WILL fucking die upon. Just watch me.

More metas to follow. Bc I have more to say. Not as long as this one, in all likelihood, bc I feel like this is the Lynchpin argument for this pair. But still. More to say.

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libralita · 4 years ago

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Rhythm of War Chapter 17

Boy…if people think I was anti-Shallan, just wait until they hear about my opinions on Jasnah in this chapter.

Is this metal aluminum? Because I’ve wondered if you can make aluminum armor against shardbearers

You update the map every few days. There’s a google maps joke here somewhere.

So how many people have you found doing the nasty? Also can you get Shinovar?

Oh nooooooooooooooooo Wit

“Navani had known this man for a few years. Yet he was… different now. Navani often noted him and Jasnah whispering in conspiratorial tones during meetings. He treated Navani—and, well, everyone—as if he knew them intimately. There was a mystery about this Wit that Navani had never noticed during Elhokar’s reign. Perhaps he molded himself to the monarch he served.”

My stress levels have dramatically increased. This cannot be good.

Is Wit’s sword awakened? Someone must have asked this and I’m sure the answer is RAFO.

We’re going to Ishar’s place.

I have bad news for you all: all the heralds are mad.

Sounds good. Wonder it’s going to turn terrible.

“Family and Wit, Navani thought as the lanky man, dressed all in black, walked over to fetch some wine. She couldn’t tell if the rumors about those two were true or not, and hadn’t felt comfortable asking. Strange, that a mother should feel so unwilling to chat with her daughter about intimate matters. But… well, that was Jasnah.”

Rumors????? Between Jasnah and Wit? Oh boy is this going to ruffle some feathers.

Jasnah, darling, when is Dalinar not stubborn about anything?

“I know,” Dalinar said, as Navani sat next to him and put her hand on his shoulder. “But I have this terrible feeling, Jasnah. It whispers that there is no way to win this war. Not against an immortal enemy.

Is this like…normal fear and worry about the fact they’re facing a bunch of immortal beings plus an evil force of evil…or something…else.

Don’t count your chickens before they hatch translate very oddly on Roshar.

“Of course it worries me,” Jasnah said. “However, I’d prefer ardents actively participating in politics, as opposed to the behind-the-scenes smoke screen they use now. This will give them more opportunity for power, yes, but also expose their actions to increased public scrutiny.”

Okay, hear me out, last chapter we saw that Gavinor is old enough to string together a sentence.

“This will be for the good of Alethkar in the long run,” Jasnah said. “Economically and morally. Uncle Dalinar’s objections are valuable. I will listen, figure out how to respond to such challenges…”

Or maybe it’ll give you a chance to change your opinion? Or at least not be so heavy handed when the world is fucking ending? I just…don’t trust Jasnah. Later in this chapter Taln and Ash come and I get that Jasnah wants to get information in order to help save the world. I get that. But it just feels like she’s using these very broken people in order to get what she wants. And this idea of freeing the slaves feels like it’s part of some sort of plan. It may be for good reasons but I don’t trust Jasnah.

Also, during Brandon’s live streams, he has said that he is most like Dalinar and Jasnah. Sir, with all due respect, never run for office. Both these individual, in positions of power, stress me out to no end. Please just let the toddler run the show.

Any way back to the chapter.

I feel like Navani is going to go through a Sazed Hero of Ages phase.

Ash sighed loudly, pacing. Not in thought as Dalinar had, but in a way reminiscent of a caged animal. “I didn’t know anything of what the Bondsmiths did. That was always Ishar’s purview. My father would occasionally discuss matters of deep Realmatic Theory with him—but I didn’t care for it. Why should I? Ishar had it in hand.”

“He forged the Oathpact,” Jasnah said. “The… binding that made you immortal and trapped the Voidbringers in another realm of reality.”

“Braize isn’t another realm of reality,” Ash said. “It’s a planet. You can see it in the sky, along with Ashyn—the Tranquiline Halls, you call it. But yeah, the Oathpact. He did that. We all simply went along with it.” She shrugged

First, Ash feels like an angsty teenager, which is really funny. Second, do you people know what she means by Realmatic Theory????? It sounds like Jasnah doesn’t. Which is good because I want to see her reaction to finding out that there are other planets with other gods and other people. It will be hilarious.

Oh??? We’re addressing Shinovar? And they’re very aggressive??? We’re doing this now? Rhythm of War can be surprised as: Oh, we’re doing this now?

Nonononononononononono Jasnah stay here.

#rhythm of war #row #row spoilers #rhythm of war spoilers

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houndpitspub · 4 years ago

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I dont think a fictional character has ever made me feel the level of DEEP concern shallan davar has. Someone please get this girl a therapist.

#i think its bc a lot of her unhealthy behaviors are things i can recognized and relate to as things ive done and felt so yeah #its fun #abby reads the stormlight archives

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beyond-far-horizons · 4 years ago

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Rhythm of War reactions so far (half way through.)

I caved despite mountains of work and I’m half way through Rhythm of War! So many cool things so much I could scream about, so many cosmere links! Bit right now I’m just gonna throw it out there that I think Thaidakar is a dragon like Hoid’s friend. No idea if this is true (and don’t confirm or deny til I’m through the book please.)

Spoiler reactions for RoW so far and rest of Cosmere Book (poss) so far under the cut. If you do respond please don’t spoil me for the rest of the book!

KALADIN!!! My baby! My boy! Someone help him! Someone give him a hug! But he is doing so well and I love his solo quest/Die Hard in the Tower at the moment. I loled officially at Kaladin Stormblessed the Psychiatrist who discovers group therapy! It’s a little on the nose to be honest but I still liked it.

F*ck Moash #noredemption. Although LOL that Kaladin is officially a thorn in Odium’s side (payback time pal!) and yeah I BET you want to turn him. I admit I loved this section. Enemy/hero connections are always so interesting to me and the metastory with the Shards is the most interesting part of any cosmere book to me apart from maybe Kal-centred stuff. I love seeing the hints of how the emotions/properties of the Shard play out in the narrative/characterisation as it’s one of the main themes in my own WIP and magic systems. Odium seems to break the power of Shards by targeting their main Intent (as someone else suggested). I predict Kaladin will stick with Honor and conquer the Hatred in his heart as Dalinar did. Also ‘Son of Tanavast’...I don’t think Kaladin is physically Tanavast’s son but I think spiritually he is, which is why he suffers so. He’s def key to something, protected from harm but for a better reason than he is led to believe. We’ll see.

Poor Shallan! This book is heavy on the mental illness although I am glad it is being addressed in Epic Fantasy and Sanderson’s integration of it with his magic systems is inspired. I really hope Shallan can get through this, she deserves it. PATTERN WTF??? Please no.

I’m much more of a Shaladin/Shalladin (official ship spelling please?) fan and tbh that put me off reading this book at first because I felt really betrayed about how things were developed in OB. I felt it cheapened the deep connection they made in the chasms in WoR to have it as a ‘passion’ thing from Veil etc. Having said that Adolin and Shadolin really shine in this book so far and Shalladin would be a bad choice for both of them right now. (WoB states he developed the love triangle as an echo of a previous thing - most likely Gavilar/Navani/Dalinar and rereading WoR, OB and the start of RoW underlined that both Navani and Shallan commenting on Kaladin/Dalinar’s intensity.) That said I’m really warming to Adolin. I really hope he resurrects Maya and the scene with him demanding a trial with the Honorspren was great. PheonixWright!Adolin (Objection!) Nale can be the lawyer for the opposition.

WHIMSY. INVENTION. MERCY. VALOUR!!!!!!!! Also Harmony getting on the scene! Go Sazed. My first thought about the sword he mentions was Kaladin who keeps fighting with the protect/kill thing throughout the book and series but he’s not connected (Connected) to Scadrial (yet). Same for Nightblood and Szeth so I’m not sure. Also I feel and hope that Sazed is a lot wiser a Vessel than many of the originals. Who knows as we mostly haven’t seen them esp in their original uninfluenced selves. Also what’s the issue with Mercy? I get a really creepy feeling from that tbh. It’s interesting how a supposedly wholesome Intent could be twisted.

Talking about that...Rayse/Odium...I like that we are getting hints of more human feelings from him but I’m still not convinced by the whole Passion/Hatred thing. His Shard’s name is Odium - Hatred. That is a very specific emotion. From WoB it’s indicated he might be lying to himself but he doesn’t seem that hateful to be honest and neither do a lot of his forces. I mean I was expecting Dark Lord levels of torment. It makes it more interesting, but I’m a little concerned the concept of ‘Passion’ being tainted by this association in a meta way. Unless Odium used to be Passion and it got twisted by Rayse which is possible but the text at present doesn’t really support that...hmm. Looking forward to the showdown between him and Dalinar/Kaladin and Hoid - yesssss!

Also Hoid....WTF is going on with Jasnah??? I mean I could ship it but...yeah what is going on? Also this frustrates me because Brandon is being very coy with Hoid’s knowledge here and I feel this doesn’t work in the narrative and characterisation. I feel we need a scene establishing Jasnah/Dalinar trying to force Wit to say what he knows and him establishing to them (and us) that he can’t be forced. Because right now he’s just blithely being allowed to waltz around wisecracking with cosmere-saving knowledge in his head that could be vital to Jasnah and Dalinar and...they are just letting him? Bit of a stretch. I know they likely can’t force him and need to keep him on side but we need to see that.

Ghostbloods!!!! I confess I like Mraize far more than I should. Until he hunted Lift and then I wanted Kaladin to kick him off the side of the tower. That was a shame to me - there are so many possibilities to a book (like Atium I guess) and one I was really hoping for after the shock/horror of the attack of Urithiru was realising there were some seriously powerful people there who could combat the Fused - Kaladin, Lift, Mraize and Zahel. I just really want to see Zahel let go and kick some ass properly and tell everyone his secret. Still it makes sense that Mraize would play both sides and I guess it’s more interesting that way but still screw him! (Pun intended because I still like sexy bad guys.)

Navani - the engineering sections can be difficult to get through but I’m so here for her arc and her scholarly battle of wits with the Lady of Wishes. (Again with the complex enemy/protag dynamics). I LOVE that there are so many multifaceted women (and femalen) characters at all levels and esp a STEM older female character. I hope she becomes the new Bondsmith of the Sibling although it’s again a little on the nose considering she is married to the first one.

The Singer stuff is interesting to a certain extent and Leshwi in particular is cool but I admit I’m just not as invested (lol) in them as I am in the rest of it. Fingers crossed for Venli and Rlain to win the day though (also again I love the genderflip of those two and her having to pretend to want him as love-slave which is usually what happens the other way around. Brandon is getting really good at this stuff and I appreciate it.)

I’m sad we missed some key development in the timeskip but I guess for pacing this was important. Some of the casual language still annoys me esp when Brandon’s worldbuilding is so interesting as it just seems lazy and out of place. I know some people like it but it’s my opinion that seeing things like ‘neat’ and ‘teenagers’ brings me straight back to 21st Century America when I had just been in a world of Stormlight and Greatshells. There’s better ways of conveying those ideas than reverting to our slang developed from a specific subset of our world. Anyway....

Overall enjoying it much more than I though. Onward!

#stormlight archive #rhythm of war #spoilers #brandon sanderson #shalladin #kaladin #shallan #I can't tag them all but you get it #don't comment on anything beyond C64 please

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themulberrytree · 4 years ago

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character sheet.

full name: Shallan Davar pronunciation: Sha-Lahn Dah-var (fuck IPA i am not doing that shit again)

nicknames: strong one (by hoid), love, dear (by adolin), storming woman (mostly by kaladin)

height: 5′6″ age: 19/20 (rosharan years) / 21-22 (earth years) zodiac: gemini (donut ask me when her bday is i donut have a date yet) languages: (spoken/written): veden (native), alethi, azish, selay (moderate skill in speaking only) thaylen (reading/writing only).

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS.

hair colour: rich, deep red, only red. eye colour: bright blue skin tone: shallan is very fair, though she spends as much time in the sun as she can, so her face is dusted with freckles. body type: slim and slender. unlike the curvaceous body type often seen on alethi women, shallan is much smaller both in figure and stature. she could be mistaken for delicate, at first glance. as she spends more time training with her blade, her body becomes much more defined and muscular, but she will never achieve any kind of bulky muscles, she simply does not have the body type.

accent: her natural veder accent would be considered low, given shallan’s isolation out in the countryside. she can speak in a more posh (re: acceptable) accent, but she has little reason to do so. dominant hand: right posture: shallan has the posture of a perfect vorin lady, back straight and shoulders back at all times. when sitting, her freehand always covers her safehand, placed delicately in her lap unless she is sketching. when walking, her hands are clasped in front of her. she is rarely animated in her posture when speaking, and depending on her company, she works hard to blend in. when alone, shallan may slouch when studying, or do her work in a very unlady like fashion on her bed. if she trusts her present company, they may witness this lapse in acceptable posture, but only if she trusts them.

CHILDHOOD.

place of birth: jah kaved hometown: some hick town in the middle of the countryside. birth weight / height: 6 pounds, 3 ounces. 18 inches. manner of birth: natural first words: pa siblings: (all elder, all brothers) helaran, balat, twins: wikim and jushu parents: lin davar, and an unnamed mother, malise davar (step mother), all deceased. parental involvement: shallan remembers a somewhat happy childhood (although the likelihood of that being the case is up for debate). her mother taught her how to draw, and was in charge of shallan’s education in the early years. much of her early years have been forgotten due to the trauma of shallan’s witnessing (see: committing) her mother’s murder. she did not speak at all for half a year afterwards. from that point on, her father became overbearing, and with each year he was less of the man shallan had first known. he was violent towards two of her brothers and the servants, often scaring away tutors, so shallan’s education in those critical years was sporadic at best. her father demanded complete obedience, and any deviation on her part meant that a servant got beaten in her place. in order to spare them and placate her father, shallan worked hard to draw little attention to herself and obey. it was her father who also chose her devotary (purity) rather than her having the opportunity to choose for herself.

ADULT LIFE

occupation: she is the ward of jasnah kholin, having managed to convince the woman she was worthy of wardship at seventeen. after being taken in, shallan begins her education in scholarship, fine tuning her skills in making logic based arguments, study, and critical thinking.

on the shattered plains, she secures work with highprince sebarial as a clerk while maintaining the work in finding urithiru that she started with jasnah, and working to infiltrate the secret group known as the ghostbloods.

she latter assumes a more public role as a knight radiant, the first of the order of lightweavers in centuries. while her status as a radiant is known, she works very hard to keep her work covert. she deals in spywork and information, and uses her lightweaving to form disguises for herself and associates. she has also used her abilities to battle unmade, work oathgates, and help run reconnaissance in kholinar.

as highprincess, her duties would include helping manage affairs of the realm and detecting intrigue to better aid her husband.

close friends: lmafo what are those????? jk, her brothers, later adolin, renarin, kaladin, jasnah (sort of, more teacher/student) wit/hoid (when he’s around). relationship status: verse dependent, married to adolin kholin in canon financial status: her family is destitute, and shallan herself has little experience in personally handling money. that being said, she knows how to balance finances and plan expenses. when working for sebarial, she manages to secure a comfortable pay from him, her later marriage secures her financial security, though her status as a radiant could’ve done that too. driver’s license: she could probably drive, but would be terrible at it due to the fact that she’d keep lookin out the window. she has little experience on horseback, but can manage. criminal record: technically none yet, having managed to get away with murder twice. she had also stolen successfully from jasnah kholin.

SEX & ROMANCE.

sexual orientation: bisexual romantic orientation: biromantic, could be polyromantic preferred emotional role: submissive (someone pls force her to accept comfort i am beggin) | dominant | switch | unsure preferred sexual role: submissive | dominant | switch | sex repulsed | libido: she’s basically DTF anytime and anywhere, and yes, i wish i were kidding, but she’s just horny on main. turn ons: she’s into more traditional kinds of attractiveness, people who look put together. but she really enjoys some kind of hint at wildness, hair that won’t quite stay, a kind of subtle ruggedness. post-battle disheveledness is HOT. allow her to talk about her studies, things she’s working on or wanting to start, she’ll love that. don’t be afraid to talk about your own interests, she goes off on her own a lot, so she’ll want someone with their own hobbies too. be kind, be willing to grow and change and share. be there if she asks. laugh at her absolutely fucking awful jokes. on the more physical side, not being afraid to show affection in public. that spot on the neck below the ear? yeah, kiss it. leave a mark. kiss the inside of her wrist. do not be afraid to be rough with her, she’s not easily hurt and she doesn’t always like being treated like a china doll. go to town. BUT you must also be good at taking your time. tenderness is a good trait to have in every day life, but if you can translate that into the intimacy of the bedroom, give her a slow buildup, ur golden. turn offs: unnecessary rudeness, lack of independence. anyone who treats her like she needs protecting, or thinks she needs to confine herself in some way, for any amount of time. never laughing at her terrible jokes, or indulging her seemingly random curiosities. being a skybreaker. love language: physical touch is primary, but quality time and words of affirmation are also great. relationship tendencies: shallan has a tendency to fall fast. even when she’s telling herself to be careful and take things slow, it’s easy to pull her in and have her grow an attachment on a superficial level fairly early. she’s good about letting the other person lean on her for support, but she’s not so great when it comes to sharing anything deep about herself. she has a habit of trying to mold herself into what she thinks the other person would like, and clinging to that. if confused she might play around with feelings, though she’s not fully aware she’s doing it. she’s big on positive reinforcement, she’ll let you know if she enjoys your company, and when she’s invested in the relationship, she’ll look for fun ways to spend time with that person. she might attempt to appear more serious and mature than she is, but her silliness will slip out. when she loves though, she loves completely, and a distracted heart is settled once she makes a decision about what she wants.

MISCELLANEOUS.

character’s theme song: flowers, from ha.des.town iris, goo goo dolls moth’s wings, passion pit: this is more a general vibe. i picture it when shallan is in a creative spurt. sun, sleeping at last: for the same creation aesthetic. fire drills, dessa (for when she finally Snaps. and also some lines just really Hit)

hobbies to pass the time: drawing is the big one. she’s always got her sketchbook and something to draw with on hand. it’s an art she’s perfected and uses it both for her lightweaving, and to relax. she enjoys scholarship, exploring history is of a special interest, but taking a closer look at the local flora and fauna is just as fun. she’s naturally curious, so if something grabs her attention, she will want to take a look. she also enjoys discussing what she’s working on with other people, sometimes just so she can use them as a sounding board, but also because they might have insights she doesn’t. it’s very fun for her to explore ideas. she likes going on walks, exploring the area around her. just spending quality time with people she enjoys too. mental illnesses: Dissociative Personality Disorder is the big one. ADHD, PTSD, some depression. physical illnesses: None. left or right brained: right fears: CONFINEMENT. she fears vulnerability and relying others, but she also craves it quite a bit. she fears being understood completely because she’s certain there isn’t anything left to love if someone were to see everything. she fears what she can’t understand, and losing the people she loves, more than she already has. self confidence level: extremely low. she projects an air of self confidence, but frequently downplays her talents. she finds it completely astounding that adolin might actually find her attractive in any sense, let alone be interested in her as a person. her trauma and what she precieves as crimes has left her feeling hollowed out, because she is so terrified of someone really Seeing her, she works hard to hide those corners of herself from others and often feels like she’s failing at even that. vulnerabilities: shallan keeps secrets. too many of them. and she can often dig herself into a pit and struggle to get herself out, and even when she’s in that deep, she has difficulty asking for help. she doesn’t always think things through. her dpd can leave her particularly vulnerable depending on which personality is in control (veil in particular has trouble seeing the Big Picture). it’s easy to goad her into a fight (of the verbal variety) and she will stop at nothing to have the last word. if you have members of her family to hold over her, that’s a good tool. and shallan cannot resist a good mystery, that is a surefire way to pull her in.

tagged by: @luck-crowned tagging: @marblecarved (for mary, emma, or horace!), @melnchly (meg or ros), @minastiriiths, @arturiusrex, @gxtenoughnxrve, @ambiidexter, and @arborvitas

#c. shallan #this took me several days of fact checking the books for some shit lmafo #anyway meet my garbage daughter

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luchibelle-throughthecosmere · 4 years ago

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RoW: chapter 18

We start the chapter with small talk about the other members of Bridge Four, reminding us that Rock left to the Peaks and stating once more that Teft is awesome. And then... THE FOURTH BRIDGE FINALLY ARRIVED TO URITHIRU. 🥳🥳

Here we go, this will be long... VERY LONG. Lots of Laral, Lirin, Hesina, emojis and letters in bold. No one will analyse this chapter as deeply as I just did, you were warned.

Kaladin alighted on the deck, returning the salutes from the Windrunners left to guard the ship. “I’m sorry the trip took so long,” he told the gathering refugees. “At least it’s given us plenty of time to get things ready for you.”

All those chapters with Kaladin being depressed made me think he was doing nothing but he killed himself to make the place as comfortable as possible for his parents and neighbours. 😱😱 Kaladin is so precious.

Once they get off the space ship Kaladin starts the tour and won't stop talking for the rest of the chapter. No grumping. He was a kid on a candy shop. 🍬🍭 I had never heard him speak so many words in so little time.

His parents ducked under the obstruction. They’d left Kaladin’s brother with Laral’s children and their governess.

Laral's children, the unthinkable has happenned. 😭 They tried to warn me but it didn't make it hurt any less.

She seemed to be recovering from the loss of her husband, though Kaladin thought he knew her well enough to see through the front.

💔 Kaladin can deny it as much as he wants to but even after years of separation he still has a deep connection to Laral and worries about her a lot. 💕

When he was young, Kal didn't always understood her. Laral was always more mature and they weren't in sync. The time lapse has changed that and now I believe Kaladin would be able to understand her in a deeper level and (hopefully) comprehend why she was forced to side with the Roshones. 💏

It will be fun to watch how they interact without Tien, Laral was lowkey jealous of him because he was the only one who could make him feel better when he was going through a bad times, specially during the the Wip. 🌧💧 In recent years, Shallan and the Kholins have tried to do that for him and it would be nice to see how Laral reacts. *prays* If only she was given enough page time to trully explore that.

On another note, now that Kaladin is Highmarshall, does he surpass Laral in rank?

“It is spectacular,” his mother said. “Though I’m a little more stunned to hear you referring to Brightness Navani Kholin by her first name. Isn’t she queen of this tower?”

First, the Kholins have kind of become his family so he is allowed to do that (also, they are family since Aeshudan and Hesina are related). 🤷‍♀️ And second, Navani "Queen of the Tower" Kholin. We approve.

Behold Lirin talking about strata with Shallan. And get ready for a bunch of witty jokes between Hesina and Shallan. 🙈🙉🙊 THEY NEED TO INTERACT ASAP.

Let's skip the metals discussion for another time or else this post will never end.

... Hesina said. “I’m pretty sure that’s not how it works. In any case, maybe we should let Kal show us on to the prepared rooms. He’s obviously excited.”

“How can you tell?” Syl asked. “I don’t think he ever gets excited. Not even when I tell him I have a fun surprise for him.”

You can tell by how much he is babbling about Urithiru and the Kholins.

Boots count: 1 👢 (@/Artists on tumblr, we need a rat in a boot) 👨‍🎨👩‍🎨

Watching Lirin obsess. Hearing Hesina trying to get him to pay attention to the people around him. The fond way Lirin took the jokes, playing into them by being comically stern.

They love each other a lot. It's so refreshing to see that, a mature couple. Navani and Kholin are mature but they haven't been together in a relationship for as long as Kaladin's parents have. 😍 They are the paragon of love, nothing has made them grow apart, only stronger together.

Part of him wished he could simply be their little boy again—wished they didn’t have to intersect with his current life, where they would undoubtedly start hearing of the things he’d endured and done. The things that eventually had broken him.

So he didn't tell them. 😠😡🤬 Storms, storms, storms!

Laral will get that corner room, which is the largest, with a private balcony.

Of course.

“What’s at the top?” Lirin asked.

“Meeting rooms for the Radiants,” Kaladin said. “There’s nothing on the very top—just a flat roof. The view is great though. I’ll show it to you sometime.”

How about a lashing/flying trip? This would be a perfect opportunity to deepen their bond and show Lirin what being a Windrunner trully means for Kaladin.

Their rooms speak so much about them (and how well Kaladin knows them and how much he loves them).

Hesina was always an intelligent woman, stocking her with books 📚 will allow her to learn new things and make good use of her wisdom.

Oroden, child of peace, has toys 🧸 chosen by Syl. What kind of toys did she choose? 🐭 She shouldn't be trusted after the rat incident.

And Lirin, who is overwhelmed with emotion, won the lottery because he was reassured of his utility, has more instruments than he ever imagined and Kaladin will be joining him again. He just won 💎x1000 diamond broams.

“They say they’ve found a way to infect people with a weak, easily overcome version of a disease—which leaves them immune for life to more harsh variants.”

That's a vaccine, in case you were wondering.

AND FINALLY... Kaladin as a surgeon? 🙊🙉🙈

🎶 *suspense music* 🎶

This was one of my predictions, so it's good to see it happenning. Now, as happy as I am that Kaladin will get a change at being a surgeon, let's be cautious about it. He has a second chance at it but it doesn't guarantee that "Lirin was always right", Kaladin has changed a lot and maybe he can't be a surgeon anymore. Let's celebrate with caution.

#rhythm of war #rhythm of war spoilers #row spoilers #spoilers #cosmere #stormlight archive #the stormlight archive #brandon sanderson #chapter 18 #kaladin stormblessed #laral roshone #lirin #lirin stormblessed #hesina #hesina stormblessed

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chasmfriend · 7 years ago

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I am still not entirely sure how to put most of this into words. I won’t give a blow-by-blow account of all of my thoughts and reactions -- just the upsetting parts. The ones that almost made me give up on the series, and the ones that haunt me still. Much of it is deeply personal and I worry about being so vulnerable in this space, but I’m going to try anyway.

This is raw and very long.

(Despite how this will sound, I did not hate the book. This doesn’t capture all of my feelings towards it. Sometime I’ll talk about the things that I loved as well. There are many of those.)

Oathbringer reactions in detail below the cut. SPOILERS for the entire book.

When I first read The Way of Kings, I was thrilled to find an accurate portrayal of living with depression. The way Kaladin’s mind lies to him, the way that even if external things are going well, it doesn’t really change his mood. It’s not a cure. He can’t always control when he stumbles. That spoke to me, and is the main reason why that book became my favorite.

Then Words of Radiance came along. I found myself identifying with Shallan’s avoidance strategies as well, but instead of feeling happy about that, I was furious with her. I’ve worked hard to stop being avoidant and learn to deal with difficulty, and seeing those same behaviors in someone who is NOT learning to be better, only better ways of not facing things, really angered me. I’ve talked at length about her character and my frustrations with her.

So, when Oathbringer started with Shallan getting worse instead of suddenly being all fixed, I was delighted. She hadn’t earned a way out of the mess, after all, through one moment of confession at the end of WoR -- it should take time and effort to fix. Watching her fall to pieces because of her fragmenting herself gave me joy because it makes so much sense.

Then there’s Chapter 82, where Shallan talks with Wit in Muri’s house.

I know the place Shallan is. I know the regret and self-hatred she’s feeling. Not because I’ve been responsible for multiple deaths, but her emotional state rang true to me. It’s familiar.

Then this:

WIt stepped over to Shallan, then quietly folded his arms around her. She trembled, then twisted, burying her face in his shirt.

“You’re not a monster, Shallan,” Wit whispered. “Oh, child. The world is monstrous at times, and there are those who would have you believe that you are terrible by association.”

“I am.”

“No. For you see, it flows the other direction. You are not worse for your association with the world, but it is better for its association with you.”

I was moved by Wit’s concern. But he is wrong. Shallan IS actually worse for her association with the world. It is beating her up. She can’t handle it well. He acknowledged that earlier, and then downplays it here.

After that, Wit continues the story. He explains that “beyond the Wall was God’s light.”

The light brought hardship but also illumination. Wit justifies this by asking if Shallan would rather go back to not being able to see.

She says NO.

Aauggh. This is so frustrating to me.

Any avoidant person would so much rather go back to the time before light, because they are so focused on trying to escape the hardship that the sacrifice of the learning would actually be a good trade to them. I’m not saying it’s the correct perspective, but it is much more accurate psychologically than Shallan instantly deciding that The Suffering Is All Worth It, based on a few words from a tricksy not-Herald.

I have no complaints about Wit telling her to accept her failures and herself. There’s really not much else to do; we can’t change who we are and what we’ve done (which is a major theme of this book). Nothing to do other than accept it and keep trying to do better.

I hope this doesn’t end up being an instant fix for Shallan. This and her later conversation with Adolin felt so...inadequate to me.

I’m going to touch briefly on Dalinar’s character arc before I get to where I nearly gave up reading the Stormlight Archive altogether. He had escaped being haunted by his past as a way for him to grow into being a better person (this is brilliant -- well done, Cultivation), then his memories returned when he was able to deal with them. He was pained, but accepted the responsibility for what he’d done, accepted the pain as the cost for his actions, swore the next Ideal, and Ascended. So wonderful. I couldn’t identify with his path at all, but I applauded that it worked for him.

That’s a little dishonest. I’m honestly mad at Dalinar for figuring it out. He’s a totally different kind of person from Shallan, and from me, and he’s the kind who could figure this out a bit more easily. Following along with his recovered memories, seeing him crippled by the pain and regret, was brutal for me. Because I empathize with the pain but haven’t found the resolution, so when the characters work things out, I don’t always follow along with them and then I find their ability to figure it out and find peace, frustrating. It’s a shadow of a possibility for me, leaves me with the pain of the struggle without the catharsis. Instead of triumphant, I end up melancholy and kind of jealous.

A few days after I finished the book, I told my husband about what I was experiencing. He is much wiser than me, and doesn’t have the tendency towards avoidance that I have; he encourages me to be honest and face things. What he said in response to everything I tearfully told him, was so close to what Dalinar actually did in the book, that it annoyed me. (We both laughed about this.)

So, that was basically where I was as I read through to the end of the book. Very strong reactions, lots of rawness and pain.

What I should have done was stop reading for a few days. I should have spent some time getting back on my feet. The last thing I should have done was keep reading.

But when you’re in the middle of the avalanche, you don’t have a choice. I didn’t know what was ahead. I couldn’t have known, though I feel like I should have known better. I was not in a good place to deal with it.

Reminder that second only to Kaladin, my favorite Stormlight character is Renarin. I love his quiet steadiness, how supportive he is, how determined to do the right thing...

Renarin Kholin was a liar. He was no Truthwatcher.

...I could not believe it. This went against so much that I had believed in that my heart cracked and I got ANGRY. Did Brandon actually expect me to go along with this?...

It was such a deep betrayal that it tore me right out of the book. I didn’t care what was going on with Lift or Szeth or Kaladin. The Renarin parts were so far between, but I was frantic to get to them.

I was sure I was going to see Renarin, my lovely sweet boy, turned into an enemy and killed by Jasnah. I cannot describe how mad I was at Brandon for this.

We had been promised a Renarin POV in the book. And this is how it began:

Renarin Kholin knew he wasn’t actually a Knight Radiant.

WHAT. Just...what…

Everything was falling apart in me. This was not the world I thought it was.

I was sure in those moments that if Renarin died by Jasnah’s hand, I was done. I was not willing to grow so attached to a character I saw so much value in, only to have it ripped away.

I’ve read Sanderson before. I know that characters aren’t always as they appear. This was so different. I didn’t know I had this line drawn in me, and I felt that if Brandon crossed over it, I didn’t care to keep reading, because the risks were too high. It was too deep a cut.

I kept reading.

Jasnah didn’t kill Renarin. Brandon stepped right up to that line but didn’t step over it.

I suppose I should feel like it’s all okay then, but that unexpected rise of emotion, the horror and anger, I can’t explain what that did to me as a reader. The disillusionment persisted. The book ended, with moments where I should have felt triumph, but I was still reeling.

Did I like the book? It was a good book, I think, with lots of amazing parts. Teft’s journey was great. Kaladin’s not finding the Fourth Ideal was fantastic (I should probably explain this at some point). But I hated the experience of reading Oathbringer. It was dark and confused and left me angry and full of pain. It brought up far too much feeling without resolving it. I don’t blame the book itself; it’s how it resonated with me on a personal level.

I am sure my perspective will be a bit clearer with rereads. Already, with several days of processing this monster, I feel better than I initially did towards it. But it was not the journey I had imagined.

#this book was so rough for me #i know all of this is visceral and not rational #no idea if this makes sense #i was surprised by the depth and fierceness of my reactions #but i have gone from uncertainly about the book #to liking it quite a bit #the dust from these internal catastrophes is starting to settle #damn you Brandon #damn you for bringing up this much emotion #oathbringer #stormlight archive #cosmere #spoilers

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nightblink · 7 years ago

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Blink Reads Oathbringer - Chapters 31-32, Interludes I-1 to I-3

Short one this time, but it’s the end of Part One and the Interludes, so I can start the next one off directly at Part Two.

Chapter Thirty-One – Demands of the Storm

Finally we get another Kaladin chapter. I've missed you.

No wonder nobody's heard news out of Revolar for a while now.

[laughs] Again thinking like a soldier, Kaladin. Cities usually aren't so organized as warcamps; they grow in a more organic fashion.

(As ever, Kaladin is proud of the newest of his adoptions.)

There's going to have to be a complete social upheaval one way or another. No more Parshmen, maybe eliminate slavery entirely. That's certainly something you can throw your weight behind, Kal. To take part in a war, though…

I love how Syl is hiding between his collar and hair. Those glorious, thick curls are serving a purpose other than just making him pretty, for once.

A Parshman in warform, and with a strong Rhythm! But not with red eyes – warform isn't one of those associated with Voidspren. Whoop, but there is a red-eyed one, and they're calling that kind/form 'the Fused'. Definitely Odium at work here.

Yep, time to make like the wind and fly.

Syl, let him have the gloryspren! Still, Syl getting jealous-protective of Kaladin omg

Kal, she's not a GPS

Hovering above a city as a storm roars in probably isn't the best place to talk to Syl about ethics, but it definitely needed to be said. For all that she's been with him for quite a while now, she still has a rather limited view of the world, and doesn't always understand the chain of cause-and-effect.

“It's about what you see as right and wrong.” “For once, I'd like my moral code to not come with a list of exceptions at the end.” Thank you Sanderson for giving them time to talk about that part of the bond and Oaths, because that's needed to be discussed for a while now.

Thank goodness he saw the people and got down to help them. It was hinting from the start that they were out in the open and vulnerable to the storm.

OOP, ONE OF THE FUSED

Dark stormlight? Dark stormlight? Will that be fueled by normal highstorm Investiture, or only the Everstorm?

Aaaaand they can fly. Of course they can.

...are you seriously going to argue with the Stormfather to stop the storm itself. I- of course you are. The Kholin Extra(TM) has been rubbing off on you, hasn't it.

Well, that didn't work. You being you, though, you're still going to try and save the ones down below.

!!!! Did. Did you just airbend. This must be one of the unique combination feats of Gravitation+Adhesion – unless it's something that can be accomplished via Gravitation alone. Whatever it was, you managed so save people. Not all of them, but some.

“Just listen to the piece of nature incarnate, okay?” Syl you are a delight.

Chapter Thirty-Two – Company

Tea and shock blankets – at least Palona knows what this girl needs right now.

Oooo, so that's where Renarin knew the name from – possibly in combination with Truthwatcher abilities, but it's good to know that Re-Shephir is part of their actual mythology.

Imagining a human eventually getting warped into that is terrifying. If the Unmade were Splinters of Odium, perhaps they once hosted in humans and eventually changed them like the holders of the Shards.

If the rest of the Unmade are creepy body-horror things, then I'd suspect the cremling-guy from Edgedancer, no matter what he said. That was nightmare fuel.

Let everyone shower you with compliments, Shallan, you deserve it. Bravery is in standing up to things that terrify you.

Wait, is that…?

It is.

Jasnah: [waltzes into Urithiru half a year late with Starbucks] What'd I miss.

Jaaaassssssnaaaaaaaah~

End of Part One

Interlude One – Puuli

Excited for the new storm? You mean the Everstorm? Well, to each their own….

[squints] Are you killing all of this lady's husbands? You are the lighthouse-keeper. Then again, sailing on Rosharan seas is a dangerous business. Especially on the stormlands-end of the continent.

Ooo, this must be in the New Natanatan area. But blue skin was an Aimian trait if I remember correctly, and nothings been noted about your shadow

….”hidden island of the Origin”. Say what now. Mythology or forgotten history, I wonder…

'They'll arrive when the night is darkest.' - And they come to destroy. Could be Voidbringers, could be the rest of the Unmade. Either way, I doubt they're allies.

Interlude Two – Ellista

A monastery! Oh man, please give us a scene of Vorin ardents flipping their shit over the return of the Knights Radiant.

Okay, so it's not about the Radiants, but we've got Arguing Ardents. However, they're arguing in a library. She should have knocked them upside the heads for that.

This poor woman cannot get any peace to simply read!

When in doubt, abandon the populated places entirely. Good choice.

….are you reading a bodice-ripper romance. You are. And you're having the time of your life.

This thing is all overblown purple prose and it's amazing. Good to know that Roshar has a flourishing trade in scandalicious romance novels.

Are ardents even supposed to be allowed stuff this raunchy?

“Important works.” Terribly important. Essential to the future of all Roshar, this reading.

[snorts] Opaque politics? My dear Ellista, perhaps that might be true of Navani, and formerly of Gavilar, but the rest of them? Hah.

These translations the ardents are working on could be the key to information later on, now that we know the libraries of Urithiru are ruined (hopefully not beyond repair, but not holding out hope for that).

HE READ THE ROMANCE TOO. AND THE SEQUEL

“has to choose between a strapping naval officer, a Thaylen banker, and the King's Wit.” ….did Hoid write this. Did Hoid write this dirty romance novel just for the sheer glee of it.

“Sequels always have to be bigger.” Taking a potshot at yourself in your own book, Sanderson? At least you have a good sense of humor about it.

Interlude Three – The Rhythm of the Lost

Venli?! Oh I have a bone to pick with you over how you treated Eshonai last book-

Rhythm of Craving? Oh that's not good. Command Rhythm being related to Appreciation… I'm not sure what to think about that, because on one hand it goes towards emotional manipulation, but on the other it's more of the Kholin “show honor to your men and they shall return it” vibe. It's treading a very, very fine line.

New Voidspren, one that looks like “rolling lightning”. Possibly the same type of spren that transforms them into stormform.

Oooo, Venli is not happy about not being the one giving orders. Did you think that because you spearheaded the plan for the Parshendi change to stormform and the summoning of the Everstom that you'd be elevated to a position of greatness?

[winces] You just wanted to save your people. Terrible choices with terrible consequences, but you felt backed into a corner. Decisions or extinction.

Ah, so 'lesser spren' are used for the form-changes, got is. Perhaps not even sentient ones.

Oh. Oh no. That's Eshonai, but the blade is materialized. That can only mean…

Fuck. Fuck. I really, really wanted you to be alive. Fuck. I'm really distraught over this, give me a moment.

….

[flings open second-story window] ESHONAI DESERVED BETTER!

I'm going to have to write an Eshonai+exile!Adolin swordbros AU myself to rectify this goddamn tragedy on some level.

[deep breath] Okay. Okay. Back to the continuation of canon. Eshonai's dead, Odium-spren Ulim just wanted to find her for the Plate, but Venli… Venli's singing a Rhythm of mourning – an old Rhythm.

Shiiiit, no wonder the Parshendi hate people touching their dead. Mutilating the bodies to look for gemhearts? That's fucking sickening.

YEAH, GO VENLI. SNAP BACK AT THAT ASSHOLE

“the spren of redemption” aaahahahahaha bullshit

Wait, can Voidspren – even just spren in general – sense Shardic influence? How else would Ulim know that the Alethi “stink of Honor”? And would he recognise, say, a Scadrian by the feel of Ruin and Preservation permeating them? Or, better question, the influence of a Shard on human-types transplanted from Yolen, as opposed to humans created by Shards in the image of the Yolenese, like Scadrians? (My theory that Rosharan-humans were created rather than transplanted grows.)

[hums] He didn't deny that “your ancestors” were dead, only said they were in charge. It's not a spren in charge then, but some kind of ancient Voidbringer(s) – perhaps not actually alive, but returned (hah) somehow? Or maybe both, if the Voidbringer(s) is/are bonded to a Voidspren.

Oh, Venli

….you're attracting a spren. A true spren. Ohhhhh……

#oathbringer spoilers #blink reads oathbringer #end of part one: is fabulous #interludes: confusion and hilarity and also fury

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lhs3020b · 7 years ago

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End of the oaths

I finished reading Oathbringer earlier. I leave the book somewhat dissatisfied.

Spoilers aplenty, and commentary inside...

I think Oathbringer suffers partly from the Mass Effect: Andromeda problem - its world is stuffed to the gills with deeply-unsympathetic people.

The best I can say for Dalinar is that I didn’t entirely hate him by the end of the book. He does, at least, have the decency to feel guilty about what he did at Rathalas. But, and it’s a big but, what he did was horrible. He had an entire city burned alive. In the Real World, this is the sort of unhinged horror that even the Nazis tended to shy away from.

So, the main viewpoint character is literally guilty of genocide. Charming. It’s no wonder, really, that Odium tries to claim Dalinar as one of his own.

Also, his story is creepy on a meta level. He’s basically trying to do what everyone on Scadriel thought the Lord Ruler had done - unite the world in the face of a supernatural threat, and defeat said threat on the field of battle. And of course we know what happened after the Lord Ruler’s “victory” over the Deepness - a thousand years of entirely-unnecessary human misery.

Oathbringer is redeemed somewhat by some of the secondary characters. Jasnah’s return is welcome. Navani clearly has some interesting stories to tell. And Shallan’s growing skill in Lightweaving and illusion-making seem to echo her own descent into dissociation and denial about her own traumas. Even Venli manages to be interesting. And seeing Szeth start to assert himself and ask questions was a wonderful sight.

Kaladin, sadly, has no character development of any kind. He remains an awkward mix of mopey, idealistic and frankly rather-useless. It’s fair to say that he basically goes the entire book without really succeeding at anything.

As for what we now know about Roshar ... well, it’s nice to have one theory confirmed, but the external origin of humanity isn’t a huge surprise. Humans are obviously massively-maladapted to Roshar’s surface conditions. It always seemed likely that their origin must have been somewhere else.

I was also somewhat-unconvinced by the supposed cause of the Recreance. Realistically, it’s hard to see the Alethi being much-perturbed by a revelation like that. They’re imperialistic conquerors with a might-makes-right ideology ingrained into them. If Dalinar’s actions at Rathalas - against other humans! - apparently weren’t beyond the pale, then why would they be bothered about a distant historical conquest of non-humans? In fact given their ideological structure and their self-narrative, I would have thought they’d have been pleased by it. “Look at this world that we won on the field of glorious battle, taking it from those too weak and inferior to defend themselves? It is now ours by right!”

(Yes, the Alethi are proto-fascist. All you really need to get to torchlight rallies, massive Party banners and one-way trains taking the unwanted to the camps would be an Industrial Revolution. Perhaps fortunately, fabrial technology probably can’t supply one, as it has no obvious pathway to mass production.)

I did enjoy bits of the book. But, Roshar remains a deeply unpleasant place, and it is full of some deeply unpleasant people.

#LHS reads #Books 2017 #oathbringer

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trr-mason · 5 years ago

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The Way of Kings Reveiw

“The Way of Kings” is a fantasy novel that builds a world in the land of Roshar. A place where gemstones are infused with light that that not only illuminates the common homes of the people but is the fire underneath that continues to stoke an ongoing war the Alethi and the Parshenndi. This novel is presented from the viewpoints of several characters who are each at the epicenter of changes that are being made in the world, despite their different circumstances. Through the eyes Kaladin, Shallan Davar, and Dalinar Kholin Brandon Sanderson masterfully brings together an almost tangible world of magic, mystery and betrayal.

The book starts off with a huge hook, setting in the feel of the world. Brandon Sanderson starts off by both setting the mystical nature of the world, but they also set scene of the big conflict going on in the overall world (the war between Parshendi and the Alethi). This comes as one of the main antagonists of the novel, Szeth-Son-Son-Vallano, kills the king of the Alethi people. The driving power to this display is that it comes from Szeth’s perspective, as he uses storm light, a magical power source in this world, to essentially make things orient their gravity in different direction, which he calls lashing. Not only does he have this power to lash, he also has one of the most powerful weapons in this world, a shard blade. The battle is intense and draws you in to see the what, how and why that event happened and throughout the novel that question is looming over your mind. As you see each character’s different viewpoint you begin to see different aspects to the whole truth.

The land of Roshar is displayed in many different viewpoints, from the dark corridors surrounding a recently killed king by his mourning brother, to a bustling city from the eyes of a young woman filled with wonder. The wide variety of places and settings are woven together as the books structure includes changing character perspectives depending on the chapter. This lead to a lot of mixed emotions as you move between chapters and for me it became frustrating at ponts only because I wanted to know how someone was going progress further only to find myself at the end of a chapter and I had to wait for the next time it was in their perspective to find out what happens. The way the chapters are laid out also shows these cryptic messages at the beginning of each chapter, which at a certain point you forget but at the end those all tie together and that underlying tension of what those things mean was very satisfying to put together at the end of it all.

No matter what section of the world you are in Brandon Sanderson fills it with characters who have rich backstory and deep convictions. Kaladin, being the main perspective of the novel, is an educated man trained in the ways of the soldier and the surgeon yet has been reduced to a slave. His main plot struggle comes as he tries to escape the prison of personal dread and self-pity as he brings together a group of low life slaves and brings them to fight alongside him as he discovers the nature of a power, he didn’t even know was within himself (Similar to those shown by Szeth-son-son-Vallano). There is a huge Character development in each of the different characters, even those who don’t have their perspective shown in the novel. Brandon Sanderson doesn’t use the circumstances of each of the characters as the sole reason for their growth, but he shows the inner battles each of them go through as they make the decision to become better and do better. For each of them it is definitely a choice to rise up, they all have the opportunities to fall, all of their choices are fought for, they all have the path presented to them that they could just give up and try to live apart from all the conflicts in their live yet they don’t.

With each of the different aspects of this novel I was super impressed I feel that the book all together was full of great characters, a very vivid world (both positive and negative in its vividness), and a plot that has so many levels, even within the different characters. Overall I find it to be very immersive, yet as you read you can get a little confused by the changes in timelines and character perspectives. Despite the minor flaws that I see as simple reading comprehension problems, I have found “The Way of Kings” to be extremely enjoyable and would recommend it to anyone who was looking for a whole new world to explore.

#thewayofkings #Stormlightarchives #bookreveiw #10 out of 10

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moiraineswife · 4 years ago

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Drawn In - A Witsnah Fic

IT’S TIME FOR NEW CONTENT.

Title: Drawn In

Summary: Pre Rhythm of War: Jasnah and Wit's first kiss. Canon compliant. It's soft and it's fluffy and a little dramatic in places (bc Wit) but it's what they deserved!!!

Teaser: 'Counter to the vicious rumours and harsh jibes, Jasnah was still human. She did not experience lust the same as others that she knew. But she was also not a frozen husk of a woman, devoid of need, or want for companionship and comfort.

A part of her longed for this connection with another person, this intimacy, this want that she increasingly found only with him.

He was dangerous, yes, but he made her feel safe. He made mock of everyone around him, but for her he made sense, and certainty, of things she’d never thought to understand. He was a roamer, a drifter, a wanderer, untethered and bound. But he was hers.'

Link: ao3

Commission Link: Have me write other cosmere characters

“So Investiture will be found on planets with one Shard or more?” Jasnah said, speaking the words aloud as she wrote them shorthand in her notebook.

Conversing with Wit was always a stimulating process. He seemed to view each conversation as something of a duel. The chance to spar, to test his opponent, feel them out, offer them new challenges, new quips that required responses, new information that needed to be processed, new barbs to return in kind. It was invigorating.

Lately, they had been spending more and more time together. He was the Queen’s Wit, and as such he accompanied her to most public gatherings she attended, as was proper.

Something that was decidedly less proper, by Alethi standards, was the amount of time they were now spending together alone behind closed doors.

Nothing untoward had happened between them. Not yet. At times she wondered if she had fabricated the impression that it could. Then she would catch a glint in his eye, the edge of a smile curving across his clever mouth, the way his eyes sometimes darted to her lips as they spoke.

There was flirtation, too. Gentle, for the most part. He was not from this world, but he knew the Alethi well enough never to push too hard or too far. Even if she was not, strictly speaking, Vorin, the society they played within was, and there were rules that had to be abided to.

Outside of that, she had never been one for flowery compliments, or overt, blunt attempts at seduction. They felt hollow and insincere to her, not to mention distastefully brusque. It reminded her of Amaram’s entitled insistence in his pursuit of her. She did not like being made to feel she was a hog bound at the end of a rope to lure the waiting chasmfiend.

She preferred something altogether more subtle and cerebral than the usual Alethi courting methods. Someone who would dare to draw close to her, to tease at implications of what might, to pique her mental curiosity, stimulate her mind, who worked to connect with her, truly, on the most important levels.

Wit...Wit was dangerously skilled at that. And he seemed to know it was what she wanted, seemed to read the eagerness, and the intent, in her responses.

Indeed, she had considered courting him. Truly courting him, and allowing him to court her.

So much so that she had discussed it with Ivory. He was the only person whose view on the matter she considered worth taking. Had he protested, she would have heeded him, and regardless of how invigorating she found Wit, it would have gone no further.

However, Ivory, like her, was intrigued. He felt it would be a ‘good new avenue to explore for her personal growth’. She didn’t view it quite as logically as that. There was some feeling behind her own interest. More than some, if she was honest.

It was late, now. They were tucked away together, deep in her chambers of Urithiru. If anyone heard of it there would be a great scandal. She was, as far as Vorin society was concerned, a single woman. She would be expected to be chaperoned, to ensure Wit didn’t try anything inappropriate with her.

Wit seemed to consider the very definition of what each people he visited ‘inappropriate’ to be his own personal playground. He liked to establish himself within the boundaries of propriety, then slowly test, and push, and pry at them. And occasionally set them on fire and watch them burn with barely restrained glee.

He had revealed much to her in the time he’d spent as her Wit. She’d met him before, of course, and guessed at his nature and origins, but she had coaxed more concrete answers from him now.

He was an ancient creature, unlike anything she, or anyone else upon Roshar, had met before. He had visited other worlds, had witnessed their destruction, as well as the birth of the Shards that now held sway in the Cosmere at large.

The knowledge he held within his mind was incredible, incomparable.

The Heralds had been a revelation to her, as a dedicated historian. They were history come alive, walking, talking, sharing their truth with her.

Wit was the same. Yet so much more. For he was the living history of not only her planet, but many more besides.

Jasnah relished this time they spent alone together. Speaking with him, learning the secrets he carried, the keys to understanding her powers, and the powers of Roshar and beyond.

He seemed to thrive upon her questions, as much as she thrived upon asking them. He was a showman, she knew, a performer. He liked to have an audience to play to. He had stories in his soul, and his purpose was to give them to others, as he felt was appropriate.

“Quite correct,” he replied, absently, not looking at her but making some note on the papers he had propped on his legs.

He was lounging back in his chair, boots up on her desk, which she permitted when they were alone together. If that was his comfort, she would not complain. She was not Dalinar, with military discipline drilled into her. She would not chide a man for sitting as he would in a moment of private companionship.

There was a stack of parchment balanced on his raised thighs. She suspected he was taking his own notes on their conversation. He had done so before, after she had made some observation he’d actually found original and interesting enough to write down.

She hadn’t thought, after all his years of life, that she would be able to provide him with anything he had not already experienced from someone else. It seemed that she had been wrong, and that he found her as intoxicating and stimulating as she found him.

She didn’t object to him writing, either. She found the tradition of forbidding a person from their potential passions or interests based upon some arbitrary concept like gender a foolish prohibition.

Although, not having to deal with men in the hallowed spaces of her research had been refreshing, at times. Excluding a rough half of a population's minds from any topic was ridiculous, she felt.

Besides, Wit had learned to read and write long before Rosharans had even thought it unseemly. He was beyond such things. Indeed, some days he’d confessed to her he was beyond such things as gender.

“And it can exist in multiple states?” she continued, pushing her thoughts back to the topic of Investiture, stopping them wandering down avenues far darker, and more mysterious, in regards to her and her Wit, “As a gas, such as the mists you described upon Scadriel,” she had to glance at another notebook to check the name of the planet. Wit nodded vaguely, “As a metal,” she said, “Like our Shardblades,” another nod, “Or as a liquid, like that gathered at the Well of Ascension.”

“Indeed,” he said, making another few marks with his pen, still not looking at her.

She didn’t mind that, either, but she did lean over to peer at his paper to see just what he was so engrossed in.

She was surprised to see that he wasn’t writing at all. Instead, he was sketching, with delicate movements of a charcoal pencil he must have filched from her desk drawers while she’d been occupied. It was a rather impressive, and rather detailed, rendition of her.

Jasnah as he saw her. Her eyes alive, focused on her work, hair unbound, cascading around her shoulders and down her back. Fingers deftly making some notation. Her face beautifully sculpted by sweeping lines of black against the tan parchment.

It was a very different style from Shallan’s, reminiscent of the drawings he had given her to help identify the Heralds. It was less focused on realism, imprinting every aspect of a moment captured in time, and more stylistic. Obviously his work.

There was...A care to his movements, and such an intimacy to his creation that, absurdly, she found herself having to fight down a blush.

“That’s beautiful,” he murmured, glancing up at her, making swifter, surer strokes with his pencil, “If you’d just hold that pose for a moment more, my dear,” he said, as if this was the purpose of their meetings together.

“I’m not supposed to be posing, Wit,” she said, composing herself, forcing herself to sound queenly and proper. And perhaps overcompensating, by the flicker of the smirk that he gave her. “I’m supposed to be learning. From you, I might add.”

“We’re both old enough and ugly enough to do more than one thing at once, I think,” he replied blandly.

Then he stopped and looked up at her, a faint glint in his eyes.

“I do apologise,” he said, putting a hand to his chest and giving her a slight bow, without removing his feet from her desk, “I forgot to whom I was speaking for a moment.”

He reached out and deftly slid a knuckle under her chin, angling her face more towards the pool of light that shone from the goblet of spheres on her desk.

“You’re not quite what I should define ‘old’ just yet,” he said, the smile pulling apparently irresistibly at his lips.

“Wit,” she said, rolling her eyes, using the motion of turning back to her notes to cover the slight shiver that had pulsed through her at the intensity of his attention upon her a moment before.

“No, please,” he said, cupping her chin gently between his fingers and turning her back to face him once more. “I’m almost finished,” he said, almost breathless, intent, “You can spare me a moment, surely? For the sake of art, Jasnah.”

“You know I don’t care over much for art, Wit,” she said, though she did not pull away from him this time, drawn in to the faint glimmer in his eyes, the plea in his tone.

His touch was strangely electrifying. As if there was Stormlight in his fingertips, sparking between them where his body met hers. The smallest of connections, yet the broadest of implications contained within such a simple gesture.

“I know,” he said, with a dramatic sigh, “One of your very few failings, Brightness. We all must have at least one, I’m told. Except me of course.”

“Of course,” she returned, rolling her eyes again, even as she found herself suddenly, dangerously, drawn in to those bright, sharp blue eyes of his.

“There’s just...Something wrong,” he said, cocking his head to one side, studying every line of her face.

“Oh?” she said, feeling a spike of alertness breaking through the fog of her intoxication.

“Yes,” he said, frowning, “Something not quite right. I think it’s your mouth.”

“My mouth?” she repeated, confused, until she followed his gaze down to his sketch of her.

“Mm,” he agreed vaguely, nodding, “Your lips have such a precise, sculpted quality to them,” he murmured, his thumb rising from her chin and tracing ever so tenderly over them.

She had to restrain herself from closing her eyes and leaning in to him. It had been a long time since she had allowed anyone to touch her as intimately as this. It had been a long time since she had wanted anyone to touch her as intimately as this.

“I don’t think I’ve managed to capture it correctly,” he said, mirroring the motions he was making against her skin on the parchment, shaping her mouth more precisely.

Lines of flesh and lines of charcoal, and breathless daring held together in the stillness between his words, neither of them moving, neither so much as breathing through them. Held. Captivated. Connected.

“That is a shame,” she said, finally, forcing herself to get some words out.

She should draw away. She should put a stop to this. Should direct them back to their studies. This was more than he had ever dared with her before, further than he had ever pushed his teasing flirtation and gentle courting. She should not allow it. He was dangerous. The pull she felt to him was dangerous. The smart, the logical, thing to do was to walk away. To halt this before it began.

She didn’t.

She didn’t want to, Storm it. Her world had ended, and she now struggled in the muck, and blood, and ash that remained to see what she could salvage. It was cold, hard, lonely work. As it had been for all those years she’d worked alone, in shadows, unseen, unwanted, untouched.

Counter to the vicious rumours and harsh jibes, Jasnah was still human. She did not experience lust the same as others that she knew. But she was also not a frozen husk of a woman, devoid of need, or want for companionship and comfort.

A part of her longed for this connection with another person, this intimacy, this want that she increasingly found only with him.

“Perhaps,” he said, then paused, licking his lips, almost as though he was nervous. Do it a part of her willed him, say it. Please. “Perhaps a closer look?” he murmured.

She nodded, expectant. But when he slid from his chair and cradled her face in his hands, kneeling in front of her, he only traced the shape of her mouth with a tip of his finger, leaving her disappointed.

Yet she could see the want in his deep eyes, the gentle intrigue, the spark of daring that had led him to reach out and put his hands on her as he had tonight. With far more intimacy and familiarity than he’d ever risked before.

“Wit,” she said quietly, dislodging one of his fingers.

His eyes flicked to hers, and she felt her heart fluttering in her chest, as if she were an awkward teenager, fumbling into her first exploration of romance.

She forced herself under control, and made sure her voice was level when she said, “Do you want to kiss me?”

He blinked once, startled, then a smile spread across his lips, tentative, still, as if a part of him wondered she might be asking so she could put an end to those thoughts.

But he nodded, “I do, Your Majesty. Most improper thoughts for a Wit to harbour for his queen, I admit.”

“More improper still if they are reciprocated,” she said very quietly, watching his smile flare in his eyes at that.

“Indeed,” he said, now sounding almost breathless, as if he could not quite believe what was happening.

This feeling was likewise mutual.

“If you want to kiss me, Wit,” she said, “Perhaps you should stop dancing around it, and just do it.”

He held himself, suspended by shock, for a single heartbeat. Then he moved, surging towards her like a highstorm’s flood. One hand cupping her cheek, guiding her, the other sliding deft fingers deep into her thick hair.

Then his mouth was on hers, finally, and she was closing her eyes and sinking into him, and he was moving gently against her. Drawing away for a beat, heavy lidded eyes meeting hers, seeking approval, which she gave. Then again, his lips against hers, heat pulsing between them like a freshly infused gemstone.

“Ah. Yes. That helped,” he said, smiling softly at her, making to turn back to his sketch, as if that had been the only purpose of their embrace.

“Yes,” she agreed quietly, “I think that it did.”

Her tone held him in place and he bit his lip, giving her a small half-smile, no longer keeping up the joke of his sketch. Indeed, he let it slip from his lap, the pencil dropped from uncaring fingers, his attention focused entirely on her now.

“I’ve been wondering if you were ever going to allow me to do that,” he said, still sounding a little breathless, though Stormlight should have dealt with any purely physical exertion.

“I’ve been wondering if you were ever going to try,” she admitted, her fingers stroking absently at an out of place curl of black hair at his forehead.

Wit smiled more broadly at that, taking her hand and gently brushing the knuckles against his lips, “I did promise you that I would never leave your questions answered.”

He leaned in for a second kiss but she pulled back, frowning, “You leave my questions unanswered all the time, Wit.”

“I do not!” he said, affronted, placing a hand over his chest.

She gave him a flat look, “You disappeared for three weeks last month. Upon your return I asked you where you had been and you told me that you had ‘gone fishin’,” she said, badly mimicking the accent he’d used.

He smiled and rubbed noses with her, which was the last thing she’d expected, and startled her so much she almost missed his reply.

“Technically, my dear, that was an answer," he said, smiling innocently up at her.

She just stared at him, unimpressed.

Wit raised a finger, “I promised you I would give you answers. I said absolutely nothing about those answers being of any use to you.”

Jasnah sighed, then kissed him again. That seemed to take him by surprise, which was pleasing. She found herself smiling against his mouth, and he against hers, and they broke apart, both laughing softly, unable to maintain the kiss.

“So” Wit said quietly, his eyes flickering up from her lips to meet her gaze, “This is something we do now, is it?”

“I assumed when you said that you wanted to kiss me, that implied more than once,” she replied with a small sniff.

Wit smirked at her, “Rather presumptuous of you, isn’t that, Your Majesty?” he said, waggling his eyebrows at her in a way only he could get away with doing.

“Not if I’m right,” she said evenly, “And I am, aren’t I?”

Wit grinned at her, “This is one of things about you I’m so inordinately fond of, Jasnah.”

“My ‘unfettered, unyielding, and quite boundless arrogance’?” she asked, smirking slightly at the memory.

Wit paused, then cocked his head and said, “Ruthar?”

She inclined her head, confirming that suspicion. His grin broadened.

“If you’re right, I don’t think that’s arrogance. I think it’s justified confidence in oneself in that circumstance,” he said, musing.

“So I am right, then?” she said, feeling a ridiculous flutter of nervousness as she asked the question, as if he might now turn around and reject her, after everything.

Wit stroked her cheek with his knuckles and said quietly, “Given that I’ve been thinking about nothing but kissing you again since last we stopped I’d say that yes, your hypothesis has some merit.”

“I thought I already told you what you should do if you want to kiss me,” she replied, “I am not fond of repeating myself, Wit, you know this.”

“I do apologise, my Queen,” Wit breathed, already leaning in, the words pressed against her lips a moment before his mouth met hers again.

When he drew back again, Wit cupped her face between both hands, gazing up at her, intent, and said quietly, “This is what you want? I am what you want?”

“Yes, I believe so,” she replied composedly, “I have already come to the conclusion that this is a mostly appropriate course of action to pursue.”

Wit raised an eyebrow at her and she actually blushed, turning away from him, feeling ridiculous. She had taken charge earlier, had all but commanded him to kiss her, but now she was stumbling around him like a teenager who had never so much as had another person hold her safehand?

“I am not accustomed to this kind of conversation,” she admitted, trying to reassert herself, though feeling horribly awkward at the same time, “It has never been my forte.”

He just shuffled in a little closer, and she realised that he was still kneeling on the floor in front of her while she sat primly at her desk. Storms. What a ridiculous man.

She stood up then said, “Come, let’s sit somewhere more comfortable, if we’re to have this talk now.”

Wit stood up as well, but put a gentle hand on her arm, “We don’t have to talk about anything right now,” he said, “It was a kiss. Which may turn into more kisses. Or it may not. We don’t have to define anything just yet, if you aren’t ready for that.”

She stared at him incredulously.

“Did you hit your head on something as you were standing?” she demanded.

He blinked, confused.

“Have you forgotten entirely who I am?" She went on, "I can’t think why else you would say something so ridiculous to me.”

He snorted with laughter at that.

“Of course, of course,” he said, waving a hand, “How foolish of me, to attempt to put a woman at ease and remind her she’s under no obligation to me because of a single kiss we shared in the heat of a moment.”

Jasnah sighed again and rubbed her forehead, wincing.

It had been some time since she’d had to navigate a romantic relationship and she...Well she hadn’t been exactly good at this to begin with.

She opened her mouth, but Wit just put a finger to her lips and spared her the trouble of making an even larger storming fool of herself.

“It’s quite alright, my dear,” he said, eyes twinkling in a way that she found, frustratingly, both irritating and enticing all at once, “In fact it’s rather refreshing. It’s the apocalypse, after all, we haven’t time to waste with pointless pleasantries and empty reassurances. Lead on, your Majesty.”

Still grinning, he slid his hand into hers and allowed her to draw him over to the reclining couch she had set up on the opposite side of the room to her study desk. A place for more relaxed reading or meditation.

They both settled themselves, Wit still smirking at her, and she withdrew her hand from his and clasped it in her lap, not looking at him.

“So,” Wit said, leaning in, and raising his eyebrows suggestively, “You’ve, let me make sure I get this correct,” he cleared his throat, and his already deep voice lowered even further as he said in a breathy, exaggerated, voice, “‘Come to the conclusion that I am a mostly appropriate course of action to pursue’ have you?”

She stared at him flatly, and in direct counter to his hyperbolic seduction, which had intensified to the point that he was now fluttering his eyelashes at her, replied as matter-of-factly as she could, “Indeed. Ivory and I have already discussed it together at some length.”

That made him sit up, suddenly dropping the act, which surprised her, as she’d expected him to drag at least a few more minutes of torment out of it.

“You spoke to Ivory about us?” he said, in normal tones again.

“Of course,” she said, frowning slightly, unsure why he thought this so worthy of remarking upon, “Any relationship I am involved in will directly impact upon him. It was only right that he be allowed a say in it.”

“You wish to embark upon a relationship with me?” Wit repeated, a little dazed, as though she’d just swung a heavy weight into the side of his head.

“Yes, Wit,” she said, then narrowed her eyes and drew away from him, “Unless you are only interested in a physical distraction with me,” she added, feeling suddenly cold at the prospect, “In which case this ends here, with no further conversation required on the matter.”

“No,” Wit said, quickly, his voice gentle and reassuring.

He reached out and took her hand to stop her retreating from him. When she hesitantly allowed this, he squeezed it and scooted closer, bumping his shoulder against hers in a manner that he apparently saw as affectionate.

"Not at all, Jasnah,” he said, shaking his head. Then he paused and added, “The kissing was very pleasant, I must admit. But there is more here, Jasnah, much more.”

He met her eyes, and there was a depth to him he had rarely allowed her to see there. Knowledge, and history, and life and all of it focusing entirely upon her and this moment. It was almost overwhelming.

She nodded slowly, running her thumb absently back and forth on the top of his hand, “It has been some time since I have connected with someone the way I have with you these past months,” she confessed quietly.

Despite the fact that she had kissed him mere minutes before, despite admitting she had spoken with Ivory about him, despite the fact she’d all but told him that she wished to embark on a relationship with him...That revelation made her feel suddenly vulnerable. Almost to the point that she instinctively withdrew, before he saw, before he could use it as a weak point to hurt her.

But something in him held her there. Like a Windrunner balanced on a surge, suspended above a chasm, unable to fall, to retreat to the ground where it was safe, and familiar, while the thrill of the flight kept them airborne, free, unwillingly to remember what life had felt like before this intensity, this rush of feeling and joy.

Wit nodded to her, squeezing her hand again, stopping her from falling, as she had so many times before, “I feel the same way,” he admitted, “You are a truly extraordinary woman, Jasnah Kholin,” he breathed, huffing a soft laugh and shaking his head. “And I would be lying if I tried to claim that I had seen this coming. I doubt even Cultivation-” he broke off, shaking his head.

Taking a breath he composed himself, and met her eyes once more, tenderly cupping her cheek in his hand. She allowed him, once again feeling as though something in his touch was electrified, as though something sparked between them at the merest brush of his skin against hers.

“You took me utterly by surprise, Jasnah,” he said, his voice now soft and sincere, “I knew you were a woman of uncommon beauty, of unsurpassing intelligence, and wit, even before I joined your court,” he added, seemingly unable to stop himself. Then he sobered, his voice gentler, more serious, “But I could never have predicted the effect that you would have on me. How stimulating your companionship could be, how addictive spending time with you could become.”

She nodded, barely conscious of the gesture, then she cleared her throat and said, “Is this your long winded, Wit way of telling me that you want to be in a relationship with me as well?”

Wit laughed at that, but it was a fond laugh, not meant to mock or hurt. He stroked his fingers through her hair and said, “Would it be more direct and obvious if I just kissed you again?” he asked.

“I certainly don’t think it could hurt,” she replied flatly, even as something in her chest fluttered in excitement at the prospect.

He did just that, but broke away before she was ready for it to end and said, “Jasnah Kholin.” She didn’t have a chance to reply before he was kissing her again. “I am telling you now,” Another kiss. “In no uncertain terms whatsoever,” He kissed her once more. “That I absolutely,” Another kiss. “Without a doubt,” She was smiling now. “Or a shred of hesitation,” he kissed her once more. “That I, your Wit,” he leaned in for another kiss but met only her finger, pressed against his lips and blocking him.

He raised his eyes to meet hers without drawing back from and said, the words mangled by the press of her finger against him, “Am asking you if you would-”

“Wit,” she groaned, shaking her head, even if she was still smiling at his antics.

He straightened up, also grinning, and said, “I want to be in a relationship with you, Jasnah. A romantic relationship. With you as my partner. If that is something you think would please you?”

In answer, to be quite sure he understood her completely, she kissed him again.

***

#jasnah kholin #hoid #witsnah #stormlight archive #rhythm of war #witsnah fic #my fic #jasnah fic #hoid fic #jasnah x wit #text post tag #long post #mine #I SPAWN ONCE MORE #WITH CONTENT #SOFT CONTENT #MWAHAHAHA

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moiraineswife · 4 years ago

Text

Worth - A Stormlight Fic

Back at it with my Jasnah/Wit crimes. Come. Feast on my content.

Title: Worth

Summary: Set pre Rhythm of War, probably fairly early on in Jasnah and Wit's foray into romantic territory (though tbh they're early on in RoW, so this is probably like...a month before or something). Anyway. Jasnah takes a moment to herself to Think Deep Thoughts about the world. Wit joins her and they Think Deep Thoughts together.

Honestly it's just them vibing with each other for the whole fic because I get a serious kick out of that aspect of their dynamic and I really enjoy writing it. I don't know how else to sell this to you. I feel like at this point if you're here you're here for good. So enjoy.

Teaser: "Jasnah was respected, certainly.

She might even be loved, by her family, whom she loved deeply in turn.

But she was rarely liked. And seldom wanted.

When the impenetrable tides of the Cosmere pushed someone towards her like Wit, though? Someone who not only seemed to actually like and want her, but also understand her? Well, then she was only human.

Human, and lonely. So lonely. Craving things others did not seem to believe she actually wanted."

Link: ao3

Commission Link: Have me write other cosmere characters

Sometimes, Jasnah forgot that the world was beautiful.

Academically, she knew that it was. She understood the quest of artists and poets to capture it, just as she sought to capture and unravel the mysteries of the past. Different types of scholarship, but both worthy, she now saw.

Yet practically, day-to-day, she did not often have the luxury of thinking about it.

So much of her life had been spent inside, enclosed by stone walls, buried in dusty books, surrounded by towering shelves, not mountains. The cold glow of spheres had replaced the warm kiss of the sun for her for so long now.

She had never resented her surroundings. They had made her feel contained, safe. The points by which she might have been approached, or attacked, could be easily identified, countered, and understood, when inside. It was a controlled environment, and that was the kind she preferred.

Strange, though, that close confines should make her feel protected now, considering…

Well, it did not do to dwell on that. Besides. It was the darkness that truly conjured up those particular Voidbringers.

She gave herself a little shake, refocusing on what unfolded before her, like a masterwork painting she had been included in. A single brushstroke in the centre of the piece, an afterthought, there merely to demonstrate how small humanity was in comparison to the expanse of nature.

Her chambers, by design, did not have a balcony. The danger it might allow in had not been worth risking for the sake of a pretty outlook and some fresh air. As a Radiant, she did not need to breathe, fresh air or otherwise. And if she needed something nice to look at while in her interior rooms, she’d ask Shallan for a sketch.

Still. It was pleasant to stand out here, for a moment.

The meeting she’d attended in Dalinar’s chambers had concluded, and the others had left almost at once to deal with other business about the tower.

This had left Jasnah to a rare moment of solitude and free time, when no-one expected her to be anywhere, so she had been free to simply be where she was.

In a rare impulse, she had taken the liberty of stepping out onto the balcony, and now she savoured this small gift she had afforded herself.

She missed the peace of being alone. Save Ivory, of course, but he was as much a part of her as her blood or bones, and did not count.

Urithiru was absolutely the place she needed to be. The goal of her long years of solitary research had been accomplished. It was time to move on to the next, and this tower was its natural staging ground.

Yet a part of her wished for those days. Solitude had been her blessing and her burden, back then, but now she only thought of it fondly.

She had been free, undisturbed by others and their needs, to do as she had wished to do. She had been unconstrained, unbound, save the pressures she had placed upon herself.

The burden of a dying world no-one else had noticed or heard screaming, as she had, had weighed upon her, and her alone. Like the Herald, Taln, for all those years, she had held the weight of Roshar and all those who lived upon it. Unknown. Unseen. Ignored.

Now that burden was shared. She had others that would listen to her, that could help. A good thing. For in bearing it alone, despite her torment, her pains, and her best efforts, she had failed. Again.

A part of her missed her peace, however. There was little of it to be found here.

She smiled wryly at herself, drumming her fingers on the balcony’s stone rail.

Wit would likely have had something to say had he been privy to her current musings. Something sarcastic, yet blended with enough insight to be profound all the same.

Satisfy a chull’s most basic wants and needs - food, water, shelter - and it would be content.

Satisfy a human’s most extravagant, outlandish and unnecessary wants and needs, and they would immediately discover new ones. Most likely contrary to the ones that had just been fulfilled.

Yes. he would like that idea. She tucked the thought away to share with him when he returned. He had been gone for a few weeks now, off doing whatever it was that he did. She did not begrudge him his travels. He had to do as he felt he must, and at her side was not always where he thought he was needed.

Though she did not chastise him, she did envy him, at times. What must it be like, to have the freedom to travel, not only across Vorin Roshar, but to other worlds.

He told her of it sometimes, at her urging. He would never say what he specifically was doing there, but she didn’t much care about that. She didn’t want the details of his adventures. She wanted to know of the places he had them. What other worlds looked like, felt like, what their history revealed of them, how they differed from Roshar, how and why culture had evolved there.

Some of their most stimulating talks involved these things. Jasnah had found herself dreaming, as she had as a girl, of fantastical places that felt so tangible, so real, yet out of reach.

Wit would return soon, she believed, and bring tales of other worlds. For now, she let herself simply watch her own as it turned around her.

Thick clouds swirled overhead, like blots of ink dropped into water, expanding and encompassing. They created a cavernous ceiling so far above, making her feel enclosed, but also free.

The vastness of it made her feel small. So small. So insignificant to this world she had tried to save. Likely it neither cared nor noticed. That gave her a strange sense of comfort. It was nice, for once, not to be seen, not to feel the weight of eyes and expectation upon her.

A wild songling flew past at her eye level, sculpting the sky with its wings, trilling in warning of her presence to others she could not see.

Wind blew through the mountains around her, rising, and falling, and echoing in a song that seemed just for her.

Yes. This world was beautiful. This was what she fought for. These quiet moments. The spaces between the words of the history books. The moments no-one thought to write of, but which they lived for.

She had become so deeply entrenched in saving the world, lately, that she hadn’t taken enough time to appreciate precisely what she was saving. It was good to look out, now, to take a moment, to remember.

This was her world. If Odium wanted it, he would have to pry it from her bloody, clawing fingers. And she would not make it easy for him.

The door behind her opened, and Jasnah felt herself tense, alert. Ivory, on her collar, always keeping watch for her, murmured, “Wit. He comes to find you.”

She smiled, in spite of herself.

“Thank you,” she told Ivory, whose careful observation of the world around her, covering her blindspots, was the only reason she felt even a little safety these days.

Excitement rose in her at the thought that Wit had returned. A part of her, that quiet, cautious part that whispered always of what might hurt her, warned that her eagerness in this moment was more dangerous to her than any blade or poisoned bread had ever been.

She acknowledged that. She would be a fool not to. She was no sheltered child any longer, believing that if a person loved her, they would be incapable of ever hurting her.

Yet, for all she valued her solitude, loneliness was something else entirely.

She would be a liar if she claimed to not have felt lonely these past few years.

Jasnah did not need people. She had built a life for herself that all but ensured she would never need anyone else for any reason ever again.

But she could want them.

That feeling was rarely mutual, however.

Oh, Jasnah was respected, certainly. She was renowned as a scholar and well-regarded in many academic circles. She was sought after and coveted as a means of cosying up to political favour or power. She was needed now as a queen, a thinker, a Radiant.

She might even be loved, by her family, whom she loved deeply in turn.

But she was rarely liked. And seldom wanted.

Jasnah did not often dwell on that. She would not waste her precious time wallowing in self pity like a hog in crem. She had far better things to do with herself than that.

Human, and lonely. So lonely. Craving things others did not seem to believe she actually wanted.

At times she had felt like the last member of a dying species. Alien. Unable to properly fit with anyone around her, no matter how hard she tried.

Then Wit. Another who did not fit his world. Someone who saw her, and knew, they were of a rare kind. And by some stroke of luck they had found another like them. Two topaz spheres in a basin full of diamonds.

She felt it as he stepped up behind her, slow, footsteps deliberately loud so she knew that he was there. Then he put his arms around her, clasping his hands in front of her, holding her to him.

“What are you thinking?” he asked, quietly, resting his chin on her shoulder.

“What makes you believe I’m thinking anything?” she replied, absently reaching up and carding her fingers through his neatly styled hair.

“When are you not?” he returned, smoothly, nuzzling at her neck. Not to entice, simply...For intimacy’s sake.

She had, incredibly, found herself missing his strange little physical displays of affection while he was gone. So she allowed this. He was always more prone to such bouts when he’d been away for a time.

“Mm, a point,” she allowed.

“Come then,” he said, breath pleasantly warm on her skin, “A clip for them?”

“A clip?” she repeated, frowning.

“Ah, yes,” he said, as if he’d just remembered something. Likely which planet he was on. Literally. “A small metal coin. Not from around these parts,” he explained, confirming her hypothesis.

“And what would I do with a small metal coin that’s not from around here?” she asked, amused.

It had likely been nothing more than an honest slip on his part, a forgotten habit, but she always liked to see what she could tease from these little lapses.

“Oh I’m quite sure you’d think of something,” he said, lightly, “Perhaps even something somewhat clever, knowing you.”

“Indeed,” she said, “And what will you do with my thoughts, should I give them to you?”

“Torment them,” he said, promptly, “Twist them, and turn them, and then make them dance for your entertainment while wearing that lovely purple havah that suits you so well.”

She smiled.

“Come then,” he said, “Tell me what wondrous, profound, revelatory thoughts the great Jasnah Kholin has been thinking on upon this lonely balcony of Urithiru?”

She breathed in the crisp mountain air, and said, simply, “I think that this world is beautiful, Wit.”

Another man might have made some empty comment regarding her own beauty, which would have done nothing but put her off. Fortunately, Wit knew better.

He only rested his head on her shoulder again and said, with uncharacteristic reverence, “Yes, it is.”

“Beautiful,” she repeated, “And worth saving.”

He perked up at that, and though she couldn’t see his face, she could imagine the expression on it as he planned to do with this thought exactly what he’d said he would.

“If the world were ugly,” he said, musing, “Would it then not be worth saving in your estimation, my dear? Very judgemental of you.”

“If I didn’t consider ugly things worth saving, I’d have allowed someone to assassinate you months ago, Wit,” she replied.

“How kind of you to forbid them,” he said lightly, not missing a beat, "It’s been attempted recently, then?” he added, with an indecent kind of interest.

“Yes. Three times.”

“Thrilling. A good assassination attempt every so often does wonders for one’s reflexes. Not to mention their sense of self-importance. After all, no-one ever tries to assassinate the unimportant,” he observed.

She might have noted how strange it was that someone was pleased to have been the subject of an assassination attempt. But this was Wit, and that was therefore expected behaviour from him. Not worthy of any special consideration.

Instead she drummed her fingers on the stone rail in front of her, considering.

“I’d permit the next one to slip through my defences to keep you on your toes,” she told him drily, “But I fear if your head becomes any more inflated than it already is, it may explode and ruin my new havah.”

Wit laughed loudly at that, and in so doing yielded their little verbal sparring match to her. A token of her victory.

He kissed her neck gently, and she could feel the smile on his lips as he did so. That made her feel warm.

“In any case,” she said, settling more completely against him, allowing him to hold her more firmly against him, their bodies melding more as she relaxed into it, “I don’t think a world is capable of being ugly, Wit.”

“That, my dear, very much depends,” he said lightly.

“On what?”

“On how you feel about sand,” he said, with a dramatic sigh.

“I feel that it’s coarse, stubborn, and irksome to find unexpectedly in your shoe,” she deadpanned in return, “Based on that I think we’d get on just fine, given that we seem very much alike.”

Wit huffed an amused laugh against her neck at that. “I assure you, I would be much happier to find you in my shoe than sand, Jasnah. Far more so were it my bed, in place of my shoe,” he added, his voice deepening as he said it.

She smiled faintly. She would not object to spending that time alone with him tonight after his absence. They always bonded more deeply afterwards, and she enjoyed the pleasurable distraction it provided. A nice reset for her mind.

“Later, perhaps,” she murmured softly, “If you earn your place there.”

“You wound me, Jasnah,” he said, allowing the mood of the conversation to flow smoothly back to light, neutral ground again, without the heat of loaded implications. “You know I always do my utmost to remain by your side as your Wit.”

“You have done satisfactorily in that area thus far, I will admit,” she allowed.

He did make a good Wit, and she had employed him on more than one occasion, to the general devastation of his target.

“And in other areas?” he prompted, resting against her once more.

“Mm, I’m still considering.”

Wit smiled against her once more, then stretched up and kissed her temple as he said, “I think that you’re right, dear one.”

“I may require you to be more specific, Wit,” she said, smiling slightly, “As I’m often right.”

He chuckled, “Quite correct. In this case, I believe that you’re right in saying that a world cannot be ugly. Not in a way that makes it unworthy of saving, at any rate.”

“No,” she agreed, softly, “Especially since this world still has heart, left, Wit, and that alone is worth preserving.”

He hummed softly in affirmation, then said, “Do you know, Jasnah, I do believe that I’ve missed you.”

“It’s been three weeks, Wit,” she said drily, “You’ll notice you survived my absence.”

But she smiled, in spite of her words, and that warmth flared in her again.

She believed him when he said things like that. In truth, she believed him when he said most things. They may be convoluted or misleading, but they were not outright lies.

“And you?” he said, nuzzling at her like an axehound puppy under a blanket again, “Did you survive without your Wit?”

“Barely,” she deadpanned.

Then she softened, because she enjoyed this game between them, this playful back and forth that kept them both sharp and engaged, but she was discovering something deeper that existed beneath the surface of it. And she felt that worth noting, too.

Placing her hands on top of his, she said quietly, “I am glad to see you back, Wit,” her smile genuine. “Life tends to be more interesting when you’re around.”

“My dear,” he replied, in mock outrage, “This almost implies that I have a purpose in being here.”

“Further evidence that you don’t count as art, Wit,” she said lightly, smiling.

“ Further evidence?” he repeated.

“Didn’t we already discuss your beauty? More specifically its lack?” she replied, falling comfortably back into rhythm with him.

“Jasnah!” he exclaimed, “I worked very hard when sculpting this face to make it as aesthetically pleasing as possible!”

“To chasmfiends?”

He snorted.

“You are truly irresistible, dear,” he told her, tone half genuinely fond, half playfully wicked.

“Really?” she prompted, expecting the follow-through.

“As irresistible as a man lashed to a chull being pulled irresistibly along behind it as it rampages freely through the plains,” he said, completing the sequence of their dance.

“Chulls don’t rampage, Wit,” she said flatly.

“Well then pretend that they do. For the sake of art , Jasnah,” he returned.

She smiled, then glanced over her shoulder at him, eyes bright, twinkling. He didn’t seem offended or at all hurt by her jibes but-

“Did I take that too far then?” she asked, bluntly.

She liked that she could ask him those kinds of questions, with the knowledge that they would be taken with the sincerity she intended, and without judgement. A part of her still feared the answer.

“Not at all,” Wit replied.

Though his tone was still light and jovial, she felt herself relax again. That was the truth, for he did not tell those sorts of lies.

“I haven’t had such a pleasantly stimulating conversation since, well, since our last,” he added, and there seemed a genuine fondness in his words.

She smiled again, as he punctuated this last with a soft kiss, which she dipped back slightly to receive. Then he pulled her close, hands resting comfortably against her, chin on her shoulder once more, following her gaze out over the mountains.

They stood in silence for a while, enjoying one another’s warmth and company.

Then he punctured the moment like a stray arrow to the lung by commenting, conversationally, “Have you considered that were I an assassin, this would be an excellent position from which to stab you?”

Jasnah tensed. She did not flinch, she did not . He was joking. She knew that he was joking. He had told her, quite openly, that he could not physically harm another living person. Curiously, she believed that.

She still reacted to his words as if they were an attempted strike at her.

Then she took a breath, and allowed her shardplate to manifest around her. It was always there, safeguarding her, protecting her, but it felt good to bring it into existence in this moment.

Wit laughed lightly, but the sound seemed to be lacking his usual humour.

She turned to face him at last, sliding out of his grip. He brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear and cupped her face with his hand.

“Always prepared,” he said softly, “Always ready for the worst to happen at all times. I know that. I know your fears, and I should not have made light of them with a jest. I apologise.”

She nodded, allowing her plate to fade back into the cognitive realm again.

Choosing to ignore the latter part of his statement, and its implications, she said, “We’re at war, Wit. It’s only reasonable to be on your guard at all times.”

Wit smiled again, that knowing, almost sad look. His hand rested gently against her cheek and he said, “What a convenient excuse that must be for you, Jasnah.”

She turned away, out of his gentle caress. Yes. It was a convenient excuse. He was getting in too close, learning to read her too well, he-

No. She shut those feelings down and took a deep breath.

He was right, of course. It was hard to trust a world that had dealt so much pain to her. Hard to trust people when they always hurt you. Even the ones that loved you. Especially those. She couldn’t articulate that to him yet, however. She was unsure if she even wanted to.

Wit seemed to sense that, and he slid his fingers under her chin, gentle but firm, and coaxed her to look up at him again. “There will be a time you can relax, Jasnah. It seems impossible to conceive of it now, but you will feel safe again. Some day.”

She leaned forwards, pressing her forehead to his. How sweet that would be if it were true. How nice it would feel. She said nothing, because she did not believe, but did not want to undermine his sentiment.

“We will save it, Jasnah,” he murmured to her, “Your beautiful world.”

She smiled, “Then perhaps we might actually enjoy it,” she said, thinking back on her earlier musings.

Wit smiled, “No, my dear,” he said, and she withdrew, frowning slightly, to look at him, “Then I will show you new worlds for you to study and learn of and feast upon.”

She smiled at that, very broadly, for it was the first time he had so directly stated, without flowery implications or vague hints, that he would like her to accompany him.

“Even the ones covered in sand?” she asked, amused.

“For you, Jasnah?” he said, eyes twinkling, “Why yes, we can even go to Taldain. If you insist.”

“I do, Wit,” she said, turning back to look out across the mountains, taking his arm and coaxing him to put it around her once more, enveloping her in his warmth.

Safety, even in the open.

“I wish to see it,” she said, closing her eyes and allowing herself a moment to imagine, “I wish to see them all.”

#jasnah kholin #Hoid #stormlight archive #cosmere #rhythm of war #jasnah x wit #wit #jasnah fic #jasnah x wit fic #text post tag #long post #fic #my fic #mine #I FORGOT TO CROSS POST THIS HERE

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beyond-far-horizons · 4 years ago

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Rhythm of War non-spoiler final thoughts

Okay wow so I’ve finished Rhythm of War! When I should have been doing my course work...hmm

Wow. I still don’t know how to feel about it. It was a real rollercoaster, that’s for sure, there were many fistpump moments, many ‘oh sh*t no’ moments and lots of juicy meta stuff.

Navani, Kaladin, Adolin, Shallan, Jasnah and Dalinar all had their arcs and moments esp the first two. I felt Shallan and Adolin had some fantastic bits but were rather over-shadowed by the final section.

Navani shines in this book, I absolutely love her. It is wonderful to see such a multifaceted older female character get the arc they deserve. She’s allowed to be what she is - brilliant scholar, queen, mother, wife, child of Honor and she has an amazing foil too which I won’t spoil. Let’s just say the opposing side really gets fleshed out and we learn alot more about the singers and through them Roshar itself.

Talking of Roshar and the deeper meaning, there are moments it is just beautiful. It really touches you, does what Epic Fantasy should - gives you the sweeping visas, the wonder, the terror and then those quiet deep moments of realisation. How Brandon weaves the levels of magic systems into this is just masterly.

Kaladin fans like me are going to be pleased because he fills this book yet again but it is a bumpy ride both for him and scared characters like Shallan, Brandon doesn’t shy away from wounds life has inflicted upon them. Adolin is a treasure and I grow fonder of him each book (although yes I’m still disappointed about Shadalin okay, no i will not get over it!)

Nice to see more of Bridge Four too, you’ll know what I mean when you read it, there’s some interesting surprising in here both from them and the singer flashbacks that give you a more rounded view of the previous books. Also from Shallan’s arc.

#FuckMoash #NoRedemption I hate with Odium levels of hatred right now.

There’s a very interesting new pairing which will raise eyebrows (mine were definitely raised). I won’t spoil it though. Brandon very cleverly uses the established worldbuilding to make it a lot hotter than it has any right to be or that Brandon would ever write otherwise, which deserves some appreciation even if you aren’t into it. I think I am though, the narrative def makes it work although I’m...wary....for reasons...It may p*ss some people off though who had strong convictions about one of the characters’ shipping choices or orientation. I for one felt it was a very valid possibility given how they’d expressed themselves previously and also how this manifests in our world shall we say. I think Brandon in this and other things is continuing to do his research, listen to readers and betas etc and develop as an inclusive, nuanced writer which is fantastic.

That being said there were still some clangers for me. I’m not an out in out fangirl of Sanderson although I do really enjoy the cosmere books. I find his haphazard inclusion of modernisms to be sloppy and jarring. Also we do get several unwitty, rambling ‘Wittisms’ (I do like Hoid, I just want to like him more as this character archetype is one of my favourites, yet sometimes Brandon writes him in just an...unfunny way...sorry just my 2 cents.) And there is a section where a certain hero is tortured and tempted that could have been much better executed in my opinion. Similarly the time skip and the underuse of certain characters was a bit frustrating. However there were many more great sections and the pace is fairly fast, if a little choppy. Much faster than WoK for sure.

There’s def more magic system and cosmere revelations and Brandon really seems to know the science behind his stuff which can be confusing but also impressive. I’m really interested to see how these things will be taken on in other cosmere books.

There’s alot more to say but finally...something big happens towards the end that I am....not sure how to feel about. It has major implications for the end of the series and the rest of the cosmere. Brandon certainly wrongfoots you and changes the game in interesting ways but...I’m not sure I like it. I’m not sure I’m in board with it. It is an exciting twist for sure - you’ll be swept along, but long term...hmm. No matter what happens there is trouble ahead for our heroes both in Roshar and beyond but there is much to cheer about.

Overall hmm prob 3.5 to 4 stars out of 5. It’s a great ride, all you expect from a Stormlight book but that twist at the end took the edge off for me.

#stormlight archive #brandon sanderson #rhythm of war

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moiraineswife · 7 years ago

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how about: HOGWARTS HOUSES for Stormlight Archive characters

dammit i am ALWAYS here for Hogwarts house headcanons. This is gonna be long bc, like, I take this sorting thing Seriously. But really, it’s just an excuse to do a bit of deep character meta and I am ALL ABOUT THAT SHIT. I got deeply carried away. I don’t even care. I’m not even a smidge sorry. I live for this. And I had a lot of thoughts/feelings abt the Stormlight characters.

Kaladin - Hufflepuff: Kaladin is a fucking hatstall, right. I can be tempted by all of them, and I think my impulse instinct says either Gryffindor, or perhaps Ravenclaw. But, actually, I think I want to put him in Hufflepuff? He definitely has some Gryffindor tendencies and motives, and I think there’s a decent-sized pinch of Ravenclaw in there, too, but his heart is all Puff to me. I think, at his core, Kaladin is using Ravenclaw/Gryffindor methods to fulfil his Hufflepuff ideals. He’s a protector. He’s very concerned with right, and wrong. He’s loyal af, too. And he cares. He cares so deeply and it kills me. And I just...I need badass Hufflepuff Kal, okay?

I don’t think Kaladin has ever wanted to be a great man. I don’t think he’s ever wanted to go down in history, or to be remembered. He rejects the title ‘Stormblessed’, he allows it, but he doesn’t thrive in it in the army, the army he joined so that his brother wouldn’t have to go to war alone.

I don’t even think Kaladin wants to be a hero.

I think he just wants to do what he feels is right. I think he just tries to be a good person.

He’s undoubtedly dedicated, and undoubtedly patient. I think he takes the most pride in nurturing things. He sees the potential in others, and I think he tries to give them ability to grow into it. He wants to save lives, and his preference for doing that is in being a surgeon.

He’s grown up watching his father be isolated from his community to an extent. He’s seen him receive no money, no glory, no praise, no real reward from others for helping and saving them. He won’t be remembered in history books. He doesn’t even really get thanked by the people he labours to help, not overtly, at least.

The biggest tension in Kal’s backstory is the decision he has to make between being a soldier, and being a healer. I think the motivation behind both of them remains the same: Kaladin the healer, Kaladin the soldier, Kaladin the slave: they all want to help people, they all want to save the lives of everyone they can.

And I think the decision that Kal finally makes, the choice to become a surgeon, highlights the Hufflepuff in him. He chooses the quiet path. He turns his back on the glory, the adventure, the heroism implicit in becoming a soldier. He rejects that life and he chooses one he’s seen for himself to be one of quiet servitude. He chooses to do his best every day, whether or not that’s ever recognised or praised.

He chooses the patient, quiet, unassuming path.The path that will require patience, and dedication, and hard-work. He gets forced down the path of being a soldier, and dragging up those old tensions and issues. But at the end of the day I think what matters is truly and purely just doing the right thing, helping people, regardless.

And I think, through everything, this is the core aspect of himself that he retains:

He gathers young soldiers to them, and protects them. He stops them dying in this battle, fully aware that they’ll likely die in the next one, or the one after, or the one after.

He tries to save the man in the slave wagon with a cough from death, even though he’s a slave, and will likely die when they reach their destination, or soon afterwards, anyway.

This is the man who looks at a group of slaves who’ve all literally been condemned to death and decides that he’s going to save them. He’s going to keep them alive. He’s going to heal their wounds, and save their lives, just so they can go back to running bridges and dying the next day anyway.

This is a man who continually picks and fights unwinnable battles not because it will gain him any glory, not because it’ll make him a hero, not because he’ll be remembered, not because he’s brave, but because it’s the goddamn right thing to do.

Shallan - Ravenclaw: Shallan is another tricky one (actually they kind of all are? None of them are super, instant clear-cut. Well, except maybe Adolin, but he’ll have his turn in a minute).

There’s a lot of Ravenclaw in there, naturally. Her thirst for knowledge, her creativity, her originality, her out-of-the-box thinking are all Ravenclaw.

But there’s a good bit of Slytherin in there too, I think. I always get stuck on characters who are just consumate, against-all-the-odds survivors. Who just grit their teeth and find their way to make it through any way they can just screams Slytherin to me. And Shallan has that survivor-tenacity in spades. Her Lightweaving lends itself towards Slytherin too, I think, the manipulation/cunning aspect of it.

I think, though, I’m going to go with Ravenclaw for Shallan. At her core I think is the desire to understand - whether that’s the world around her, the people in it, or even herself. She’s got that deep thirst for knowledge, her creativity. I think she’s mostly defined around those attributes. So she’s like, Ravenclaw motivations with Slytherin methods (and I always lean towards the motivations when sorting).

I also don’t think she wants to be the way her Slytherin side comes out. In a different life, I don’t think she’d have that same kind of cunning that she has. But I think she’s always going to be a budding scholar. She’s always going to be an artist. She’s always going to have that quirky, out-of-the-box way of looking at life. And I also think, given the choice, she’d choose Ravenclaw.

Jasnah- Slytherin: I think on the surface, Jasnah seems easy to sort. People just sort of impulse ‘Ravenclaw’ bc of the scholar in her and then move on. But I enjoy being contrary.

She’s kind of like the other side of Shallan’s coin, I feel. She’s got Ravenclaw and Slytherin in her, but in her case, I think the Slytherin traits present more strongly, I think they motivate her more, and I think they’re parts of her that she accepts, even prides, and encourages, where Shallan tries to suppress.

Jasnah is a scholar. Like Shallan she’s drawn to collect knowledge about all sorts of things. The difference with her, though, is the way in which she and Shallan see that knowledge. Shallan sees it as a treasure, as a thing worth pursuing purely for its own merit and value, she just wants the knowing for the knowledge’s sake.

Jasnah sees knowledge as a weapon. I’m pretty fully convinced of this, tbh. I think she looks at every piece of knowledge that she has, analyses it, evaluates it, and then wonders what she can do with it. History will help her understand the past, its people. Her current line of study is in the Parshendi, who assassinated her father, and then plunged them into war. Oh, and she’s also trying to prevent an apocalypse. She’s searching for knowledge, she’s searching for understanding, but she’s also searching for weakness.

I think there’s also a fair amount of ambition and drive in Jasnah. I don’t think you get to the level she is, and attain the amount of respect she has, as a scholar and a person, unless there’s some ambition in you.

I think Jasnah also...I think anything she does she wants to be the best at. I don’t think she’s capable of doing things by halves. If she’s doing something, she’s going to excel at it. She doesn’t do things casually, or idly, it’s not in her nature. If she does something, she dedicated, she’s driven, and she’s determined.

There’s also a decent bit of cunning in Jasnah. I think it gets sort of...underplayed/not considered too much because she’s so cool and rational about everything. And I think the word ‘cunning’ tends to make us think of selfishness, and self-serving. But Jasnah definitely is cunning. The opening of WoR shows that: she’s got bloody underground contacts with assassins, and she makes it clear she’s willing to use them. She also bribes them to not target her family/to warn her if there is a threat to someone she cares about which is...Genius.

The entire confrontation in the alley with the men she kills with her soulcaster is also pure cunning. She knew precisely what she intended to do. She lured those men to that spot, she manipulated them into thinking that they were harmless, and then she killed them. That’s all pure cunning, and it’s also pure Slytherin.

That scene I think summarises the core of Jasnah’s character for me tbh. It shows how she weaponises both her knowledge (of soulcasting, for one thing, but also about people), and her abilities. It’s an obvious, instant, display of her sense of morality. I think it hints at the survivor in her, a thread of her is unravelled in that scene, and it’s going to get tugged on and expanded out at a later date I’m sure of it. It’s also a demonstration of her cool, rational brand of cunning and manipulation.

Her being a heretic totally fits with this too. There’s that headstrong determination to know her own mind, and to practice it, regardless of how others feel about it. That idea of rule-breaking being a Slytherin trait is definitely at play here. Jasnah plays by no-one’s rules but Jasnah’s.

So. Yes. I will die by Slytherin!Jasnah tbh. Like u can fight me on this, I will fight u.

Alssooo I’m getting aware I’m wiffling even more than usual, so, to spare u all, the rest are going under a cut. Ur welcome.

Dalinar- Gryffindor: The exchange of Oathbringer is, I think, like the soulcaster scene with Jasnah, is one of the biggest character moments for Dalinar, and I think it argues the whole point point rather well:

Dalinar exchanges this iconic, unparalleled, incredible weapon, for the lives of a group of men most consider worthless.

Dalinar smiled, wrinkle lines extending from the corners ofhis eyes. “Coincidentally, that is the exact value of a Shardblade. So today,you and your men sacrificed to buy me twenty-six hundred priceless lives. Andall I had to repay you with was a single priceless sword. I call that abargain.”

I think this is totally and completely genuine. I think he really and truly means this. And I think that, in understanding that, you understand Dalinar. He’s The Blackthorn. He’s a powerful, iconic, incredible warrior. But this is why he fights. This is what he truly values. This is who he truly is; who he truly wants to be.

There are a lot of other things thrown in there too, his loyalty, his views on right and wrong, his striving to be not a great man, but a good one. And I think this is what’s at his core. He’s undoubtedly brave, undoubtedly courageous. He’s noble, and honourable. And this is what he calls honour. This what upholding his honour means. It means leaving no man behind. Valuing each and every single life. Saving them all. Protecting them all. That’s what gives him his courage, and his bravery, and his honour. That’s what he lives for.

Adolin- Gryffindor: I feel like Adolin is the only character who hasn’t given me a fucking headache in this post (what a good soul). The boy’s a Gryffindor. Honestly. All that boldness. All that bravery. All that courage. All that daring. He’s literally the poster-boy for Gryffindor house, bless him.

Adolin ‘Fight Me’ Kholin.

Really, though. Adolin is such a good, strong heroic character. His motto in life is ‘courage first, consequences later’. I think he does what needs to be done. I think he’s very principled, and has very strong convictions and ideas on what has to be done, and what doesn’t. (*cough* Sadeas *cough*)

And I think he has more than just battle courage (though he obviously has spades of that). But I think he also has the courage to stand up for what he believes in. The courage to stop and say ‘no’ when he thinks something is unfair. The courage to stand up to his superiors when he disagrees with them. The courage to take a stand and make his thoughts known. And I think he has the courage to know when to stop fighting, when to put down his blade, when to save a life, rather than taking one.

I also think, and this is perhaps straying into the bounds of headcanon land, but I think that Adolin is one of those people who understands what true courage is. I think he’s someone who can get to the point of complete and utter terror, and have the strength of will to grit his teeth and be get things done. He’s a good lion boy, and he’s doing his best.

Renarin-Gryffindor:

My beautiful little autistic sprout

In so many ways Renarin seems opposite to his brother and his father. They’re both shardbearers, both warriors. They’re both defined by their loud, bold bravery on the battlefield, at court, in pretty much everything they do. They’ve got big voices, and big personalities, and big hearts, and that’s all so very obvious.

I think Renarin lives in their shadows, almost. But I think that he’s just as brave as they are, and I actually think that kind of courage actually defines him? Renarin kind of strikes me as a Neville-like Gryffindor? No-one is really quite sure why he’s there. No-one really sees his courage, or his strength, least of all himself. But it’s there. It’s been there every moment of every day.

Renarin just has a quiet courage, and a quiet strength. He’s not got the big voice, or the big personality of his father or his big brother, but he’s definitely got the heart, and he’s definitely got the courage.

There’s always been a little bit of rebellion in Renarin. For years people have been nudging him, gently but firmly, towards the Ardents. They encourage him to settle down, to indulge in scholarly pursuits. They think that’s what he is, where he’ll be happier, where he’ll be more comfortable. And for all those years, Renarin has had the courage to say no.

And I think that does take courage. It takes courage not to do the easy thing, which is to simply give up, and meekly allow himself to take the easy road. Renarin isn’t a born warrior, isn’t a natural fighter. But he has the bravery and the strength to push back and say no, this isn’t who I am, this isn’t who I want to be, when people try to usher him towards the Ardents. It takes courage to maintain that rebellion, to keep saying no, this isn’t me, this isn’t what I want to be, especially when he doubts himself quite as much as anyone else. But he keeps going all the same.

Renarin, I think, is afraid. I think he’s afraid every day. It’s a quiet fear, to match his quiet strength, but it’s there. He’s insecure, and uncertain. He doesn’t quite know himself. He doesn’t fully know his place in the world. He’s a misfit. His brother and father are strong, gallant, heroic warriors and then there’s him. And I think it takes courage to be an outsider in that way. It takes courage to know, every day, that you don’t fit, that people whisper behind your back, that they feed your own insecurities. He’s not as good as his father or his brother, yet he’s always by their sides. He’s always there, in the limelight, where he’s expected to be, and he doesn’t allow himself to be hidden away, or to hide himself away. He has the courage to believe in himself. To believe, somewhere, deep down, in his value, in his potential. He has the courage to defy the whisperers and the gossips and the ones that say he’s not brave, not strong, not really anything.

He goes to Kaladin, and he asks to be a part of Bridge Four, and I don’t think people fully understand the courage that requires for him. Because this isn’t just him doing something a little bit odd, and more than a little bit against tradition and everyone’s expectations, which is brave in itself. This is him opening himself up for ridicule from pretty much every side. This is him isolating himself even more than he already is. This is him going against his father’s will. Going against tradition. Going against everything his status demands from him. But it’s also him going perhaps the one place he’ll fit even worse than the place he already does.

Dalinar and Adolin respect and, most importantly, accept Renarin. They go out of their way to understand him, (which I will likely yell abt at a later point bc yes, good, this is the kind of rep we need. But that is not a debate for here). But they’re his family. They love him, they’re used to him. They understand, if not completely, at least a heck of a lot better than anyone else, what happens when he stims, when he becomes overwhelmed/meltsdown. They understand how he communicates/how he processes things. They understand when he goes nonverbal and needs a little time to himself. They understand, and so they accept, they include.

And Renarin turns his back on that. He steps out of his comfort zone in the biggest way possible. He goes to this group of people and he asks to train with them. He’s the only lighteyes in a group of darkeyed former slaves. He’s outright mistrusted by some (looking at u Moash), and even if he’s respected by the others, he’s never accepted. They aren’t natural around him. They won’t talk around him, they act awkwardly and uncomfortably around him, they won’t fully include him, they think that he’s strange, and they don’t understand him or accept him.

He stands out in Bridge Four more than he will ever stand out anywhere. And he knows that this is what’s going to happen. He knows that he’s joining a group where he will be more different, and more of an outsider than anywhere he’s ever been in his life. He knows he won’t be accepted. He knows he’ll also likely be mocked and talked about by the nobility for mingling with the kinds of Bridge Four and reducing himself to their level.

But he does it anyway. He refuses to let the bridgemen’s attitudes dissuade him. He refuses to let himself be talked out of it. He goes back to them. he keeps going back. Despite their attitudes, despite not being included, despite being even more isolated, despite the disapproval and mistrust and dislike pouring in from every angle, he keeps going back.

And like, idk about u, but that screams ‘courage’ to me.

Oh and then there’s the whole ‘jumps into arena to defend my older brother against trained, skilled shardbearers bc ‘yolo’ kind of courage. He ticks that box, too. In case u were wondering.

Anyway, yes, give me smol, shy, awkward little Gryff Renarin. Who becomes a Gryffindor and everyone sniggers behind their hands and says he’s just trying to be his father/his brother, something he’ll never be. And he bears it all. Because somewhere inside he knows the truth. He knows that a part of him maybe does just want to be like his father and his brother. But a bigger part of him knows that, deep down, this is truly who he is, this is where he truly belongs. There’s potential in him, and he has the courage to chase it, even if no-one else does.

Okay the rest I either don’t have as strong Thoughts about, or I’m really not sure enough about them to put them in a certain place one way or the other. And also this is ridiculously long because I have 0 fucking self-control and also I am Tired*. So, in short, we’re going to cut things off here. If u made it this far: well done u, i don’t think i would have, god bless ur sweet soul.

*I 100% reserve the right to come back to the rest later and bore u all to death again with my intensive waffling.

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