#Kaladin Stormblessed imagine

[ineffablywriting]

swallowed oaths

When Kaladin wakes up beside Raya after a night of drunkeness, he feels the only honorable thing to do is marry her - which is what he's always wanted since they were kids. But Kaladin has never been as good with words as he is at sewing people together after slicing them with a spear.

When Kaladin proposed to Raya after waking up beside her, she felt her heart race and then break all within the span of a few words. All she's ever wanted was to marry the boy with the dark eyes and intoxicating soul. But not like this.

Or,

a story of a drunken night, a boy who lives by honor and a girl who just wants him to love her

Kaladin Stormblessed was broken. And not just physically. He watched Syl buzz around him as he lay there waiting for the stormlight to heal his broken bones and hoped for the millionth time maybe it would heal his broken soul as well.

But life had never been kind to Kaladin and he knew, though he’d never admit it, the only medicine his soul needed was forgiveness. And that was something Kaladin didn’t think he deserved. Something he didn’t think he’d ever earn.

Something he’d never give himself.

He pushed the thoughts of Tien and his men aside as his bones knit back together and his stormlight faded, all used up to glue together a man who didn’t think he was deserving of it.

“Kaladin! You alright, lad?” Teft called, landing beside him with a pouch full of bright gemstones. He threw them at Kaladin after Kaladin grunted at him, before flying off to rejoin the battle.

His most recent skirmish with Leshwi had drained him of energy as quickly as it had sparked some life into his soul.

This is what I am now, Kaladin thought, sucking in the stormlight and lashing himself back into the sky, a man who only feels alive when killing.

He ran his Syl-spear through a flying fused, red eyes burning out as he pulled her free. Another person dead at his hands.

He hated himself for it.

-

Maraya watched as a shirtless Kaladin carried a bridge across the plateau, his men lined up behind him.

It had become almost as ritualistic for her to watch him these days as it was for them to carry the bridge.

At first she didn’t understand why they still ran their bridges. It had been a long while since they’d had to do anything like a bridge run, yet the men continued to train. Continued to run that bridge back and forth under Kaladin’s stern orders.

And then one day she’d understood.

Normalcy was something that was lacking these days with Radiants and their squires, and the Parshendi with the Fused, literally flying through the skies.

Running a bridge? That was something normal. Something they could control. So, Raya assumed at least, Kaladin and the rest of Bridge Four ran their bridge back and forth until their muscles burned and their brains switched off.

Except for Lopen, of course. Raya still didn’t know what to make of him.

And normal for her these days was to watch the tall Alethi man with the dark, somber eyes, run a bridge with his shirt off.

She wasn’t the only one, of course. There were plenty of other young women scattered across the plateau, some watching from within the confines of their private palanquins, while others wore outlandish clothing and stood directly under the hot sun, all with the hopes of catching the gaze of the most intense man Raya had ever met.

Because, though he’d never admit it, Kaladin had become the most eligible bachelor in The Tower, something Adolin never failed to remind him of.

Raya smiled at the thought before immediately frowning again.

Something wasn’t right.

Bridge Four had come to the end of their training session and while the rest of the men gathered around Lopen, draining water skins, Kaladin walked off, away from the group of smiling men.

She thought maybe he was going to burn off some more energy like he sometimes did before joining his men, but this time Kaladin kept walking. All the way until he was off the plateau and passing through the Oathgate back into Urithiru.

Raya stood up, her frown deepening, and rushed over to the gate herself, nodding her thanks at the Radiant who was assigned gate duty today.

She had no chance of catching Kaladin, she knew that. Her legs weren’t long enough and- what was that noise, the thought to herself.

It sounded like someone heaving, struggling for breath. The surgeon in her immediately tuned into the noise and she followed it down an empty corridor. She could see the edge of a very slight shadow hidden inside a little nook. It was so faint that if she hadn’t been so laser focused she would have missed it entirely.

She rushed over to the person hidden in the darkness before slowing down. She had to think rationally. She didn’t want to spook whoever it was, but she also wanted to make sure they were ok.

She took a couple of steps, making sure to scuff her boots so the person in the shadows would hear and notice her presence. They moved further into the alcove at the sounds

“Uh- hello?” She called quietly, making sure to keep her voice soft and soothing. “Are you ok? My name is Raya, I just want to help.”

And then she saw him

Kaladin.

He was hunched over, hands on his knees as he took in huge gulping breaths of air as though there wasn’t enough oxygen in the world to keep him alive for much longer.

“Oh stormfather,” she cursed softly, rushing over to him.

“Kal,” she pulled at his arm gently until she was able to push herself into the tiny space in front of him. “Kal,” she called again, “look at me,” she urged him. She pulled at one of his hands until it was resting against her chest, right above her heart. She held it there with one hand before using the other to take his other hand and place it over his own chest. She could feel the frantic racing of his heart and tried her best to ignore the way her own broke for him.

“Breathe with me, Kal,” she murmured. He was still hunched over trying to make himself smaller, she thought, that when standing on her toes she could place her forehead against his own.

“Breathe with me, Kal,” she repeated again, over and over again, until finally Kaladin wasn’t gasping at the air, and the curtain of despair in his eyes faded enough that he could see her half standing in front of him.

“Raya,” he finally spoke, his voice raspy and broken. “I - sorry.”

“Don’t apologise,” she scolded him, her words fanning across his face. “This is not something you apologise for,” she said more gently.

Kaladin looked away from her and didn’t reply. But she knew he didn’t agree. She knew him better than he did.

Kaladin Stormblessed was a man with many burdens, most of which were not his to carry.

Her fingers twitched with the need to wrap him up in her arms and hide him away from the world, but she just swallowed the instinct back and tried to step away from him. She didn’t think he’d appreciate her advances, didn’t think he felt the same way for her at all.

Raya had been at Urithiru for two months now, having left with a small group from Hearthstone when Kaladin had come for one of his visits to see his family, and he’d never sought out her company. He’d never even introduced her to any of his friends.

Teft had noticed her, of course. Teft seemed to notice everything.

He’d come to find her one day and introduced himself - ‘if that storming boy won’t do it, then I’ll have to do it myself. Have to do most everything around here myself,’ he’d grumbled at her, while she’d stood there staring at him with wide eyes. His eyes had softened when they looked down at her, his words trailing off. ‘Don’t let the lad get to you,’ he’d told her. ‘He’s a fool, but he’s a fool who cares for you. Just doesn’t know how to show it. He ended things with Lyn as soon as you got here,’ he explained, while Raya had stood there unsure what to say. So Teft kept talking. ‘Claims it was mutual, and storms it probably was, no one wants to be with someone who’s heart is with someone else. Stormfather listen to me, I sound like a lovesick fool,’ and then he’d just walked away, leaving Raya in the Atrium, surrounded by strangers unsure what to think or feel.

Shaking herself out of the memory, she slid out of the alcove and back into the corridor where she could breathe freely again, without the warmth from Kaladin’s body tempting her to reach out and shake him into noticing her feelings for him.

“Come on, Kal,” she held out her hand for him, not caring that it was her safe hand, always covered by a glove. She thought the custom ridiculous but still wore it everyday.

Kaladin looked at her outstretched hand and then back to her face, his eyes - once again dark - piercing her soul and making her heart race.

There had always been something about Kaladin’s eyes that had drawn her in, even when they’d been younger spending their days running around Hearthstone chasing winds, there had always been something about Kaladin’s eyes. They’d always seemed endless, like the storm itself.

Back then, she’d always ignored the way he’d made her heart skip when he’d looked at her, because everyone knew he was going to marry Laral. And then everything had changed in the worst possible way. Laral was betrothed to someone else and Kaladin and Tein were both gone and Raya was left behind chasing winds that didn’t seem as friendly without them.

“You go, Raya,” he told her, his voice still gruff. He tried clearing his voice, ignoring the hand she’d held out to him until she awkwardly let it drop.

“Kal,” she took a step forward and froze when Kaladin seemed to shrink away from her. Storms, that made her heart ache painfully.

“Go, Raya,” he turned away from her. “I just need a moment,” and then, as though he felt bad for being so blunt with her, he explained. “Dalinar relieved me of duty today.”

“Oh,” Raya spoke without thinking, the surprise in her voice unhidden.

Kaladin laughed bitterly. “It was the right thing to do.”

“But not an easy thing to accept,” Raya whispered softly.

Kaladin turned to her with surprise.

“Don’t look at me like that, Kal,” she smiled softly, her words sad. “It’s like you’ve forgotten how well I know you - knew you,” she corrected herself. Glancing away and missing the frustrated frown on Kaladin’s own face. “Ok,” she finally said. “I’ll go. But if you need someone to talk to, Kal, I’m always around. I know you have Bridge Four now, and Syl told me Adolin looks out for you too, but if you’re ever in a bind, you’ve got me too,” she said gently, even if you don’t want me anymore, she thought to herself.

And then she walked away.

-

“You talk to Raya?” Kalain asked a buzzing Syl later.

He hadn’t been able to shake the surprise he’d felt at the admission that Raya had been talking to Syl, well, it was the other way around he supposed.

He’d made a mess of his friendship with her, he knew that. But what was he supposed to do?

Raya had blown into his life like a storm from his past. He’d never thought he’d see her again. And then, there she was, training with his father to become a surgeon.

It had all happened so quickly when he’d first seen his parents. They were alive, Raya was there and then everything had been overshadowed with the fact that he had a little brother.

He hadn’t known how to face her back then, how to explain to her that he’d failed to keep his brother safe and how broken he now was because of it. He couldn’t find the words to tell her how everyone around him seemed to die and he couldn’t let her be one of them. So he’d not said anything at all, and then he’d left Hearthstone, thinking that would be it. She’d hate him as much as he hated himself.

So he’d gone back to Urithiru, somehow confessed everything to Teft after drinking one too many cups of violet. He remembered Teft smacking on the head and telling him to grow up and nothing else of the night.

And now Raya was everywhere.

He’d gone to see Lyn as soon as she’d arrived in Urithiru to explain things to her, though he hadn’t been sure why or what he was going to say, only to have Lyn break up with him. He’d been upset but not surprised, and even a little relieved. It had been a confusing mix of emotions at the time.

He wasn’t a fool, Kaladin knew she watched him train. Those dark green eyes of hers piercing his soul as they tracked him during training. Yet he never approached her. Never looked at her, or even acknowledged her presence at all. It got him a berating from Teft every time. But Kaladin knew this was for the best.

He wasn’t good for her, and she was too good for him.

Syl landed on his shoulder. “I like her,” she declared. “Why don’t you speak to her?” she asked him with that childlike innocence of hers.

“It’s better this way,” he told her, shrugging his shoulders and trying to brush off her question.

Syl huffed at him and flew off his shoulder, floating in the air in front of him as they walked towards the tavern. Adolin had all but threatened to drag him there if he didn’t show up willingly.

“It’s not better,” she told him. “You’re always sad, and whenever she talks to you a little bit of the sadness goes away. I can see it.”

“It’s better for her,” Kaladin explained.

“No, it’s not,” Syl glared at him. “You make her sad when you don’t speak to her. She tries to hide it but I know. I can see it. I can sense it. You’re bad at this,” she told him, matter of fact.

Kaladin sighed. “I know.”

Syl was silent beside him for a while. And then she finally asked him, “why won’t you really speak to her, Kal?”

Kaladin didn’t reply as he opened the tavern door and for once, Syl didn’t push him. She really was gaining more and more sentience.

“Bridgeboy,” Adolin yelled, waving him over as soon as Kaladin was through the door of the tavern. He was sitting with Shallan and… Raya.

Her back was to him but Kaladin had always had a sixth sense for her and would have recognised her even if he’d been blind.

He clenched his jaw, a wave of irrational anger coursing through him. He felt himself suck in some stormlight instinctively before he realised what he was doing. What did he think he was going to do, stormlight couldn’t help him in this situation unless he used it to fly away. He considered it for a moment and realised how much of a coward that made him. “Bah!” he cursed under his breath. Syl watched him curiously, wondering what he was going to do.

“You can’t hide from her forever,” she told him, twirling around his head.

“I’ll kill Adolin,” he replied. “He did this on purpose. I don’t know how he knew, but I know he did it on purpose. Did you tell him?” he glared at Syl.

“Nope!” she grinned at him, clearly pleased with what was happening. “I swear, I didn’t!” she insisted, seeming a little disappointed that she hadn’t thought to conspire with Adolin to do something like this sooner. Kaladin continued to glare at her.

“Bridgeboy, hurry up! There's someone I want to introduce you to,” he waved at Raya who was sitting across from him. She seemed as uncomfortable as he felt, her posture stiff as she faced forward and refused to turn to look at him. A part of Kaladin wished she would turn around.

“Quit scowling,” Syl hovered in front of him, her hands on her waist as she tried to mimic his face. “You’re going to scare her away,” she huffed.

Kaladin took in a deep breath and forced his face to relax with every step he took forwards.

He didn’t want to deal with this today.

He knew what Adolin was up to. He hadn’t been very subtle about him. Neither him nor Shallan. They'd been trying to set him up with someone ever since he and Lyn had called it on their relationship.

“Brightlord, Brightness,” he nodded at the two of them, using their formal titles to show his displeasure.

“Come off it, Bridgeboy,” Adolin grinned at him. “We’re all friends here. Sit.” he pointed at the seat across from him, right beside Raya. “This is Maraya.”

Kaladin finally looked at her, and found her frowning at the glass of yellow in front of her.

“Maraya,” Kaladin forced out, the name sounding so foreign on his tongue. He watched as Raya’s frown deepened and her hand tightened around her glass. It seemed as foreign to her as it was to him.

“Nice to meet you, Brightlord,” Raya finally spoke, glancing up at him quickly before looking away again.

Kaladin scowled at the title. He hated being called a brightlord, and he hated it even more when it was Raya calling him that. She glanced at him again when he didn’t respond, and her face blanched. He realised too late that he was glaring at her and rushed to smooth his face out but she’d already seen.

“I - uh, I think I should leave. It was lovely to meet you, Shallan. Thank you for the company, Adolin,” she spoke to them without formality and Kaladin hated how somehow he’d ended up the spoiled brightlord in this situation.

“Do you two know each other?” Adolin frowned, his eyes suspicious. He was a lot more inquisitive than he let people believe.

“No,” Raya said at the same time Kaladin said, “yes.”

She looked up at him with a surprised frown and he realised he was still standing.

He had only a moment to decide what he was going to do. Raya had already expressed her desire to leave, he could continue to stand and allow her to exit the booth, or he could slide in beside her and block off her exit.

He didn’t allow himself to overthink it and slid into the seat beside her.

She’d already begun to shuffle her way out, that when Kaladin sat down, the entire right side of his body slid against hers; and even through his uniform and her own clothes he felt his skin burn where they touched.

He wanted to jump back up and race out of the tavern, but he’d already sat down and Raya had moved away from him, leaving a cold gap between their bodies.

Adolin sighed across from them. “Ok, Bridgeboy, explain,” he said, waving over a waitress to take their orders. “Three yellows, please,” he said.

“Violet for me,” Kaladin and Raya spoke at the same time, looking at each other in surprise before turning back to Adolin immediately.

He smirked at the two of them. “Make that three violets. And keep them coming,” he added as an afterthought.

Neither Raya nor Kaladin argued.

“Now,” Adolin turned back to his companions. “I want to hear the whole story, from the beginning. And I’ll have questions,” he warned them.

Kaladin had never been so glad to see a glass of violet placed in front of him.

-

When Kaladin woke up the next morning, his head throbbed. He hadn’t burnt off the alcohol with stormlight before going to bed, so he sucked in some light now, burning away some of the pain but not all.

He groaned as he sat up, the bedsheet sliding down his bare chest. He glazed around trying to spot Syl but she was nowhere to be found.

It took him a moment too long to realise that he wasn’t alone in the bed.

Kaladin froze, his heart sinking and gut clenching at who could possibly be in bed beside him and what that implied.

No, no no!

He squeezed his eyes shut and sat frozen in bed, until the person beside him stirred and groaned.

He instantly recognised her voice and Kaladin felt his heart begin to race.

Stormfather, what had he done?

He didn’t think it had been possible to hate himself any more than he previously had. But he'd never been more wrong. Kaladin despised himself at this very moment.

Raya sat up beside him, blessedly holding his bedsheet to her chest.

Kaladin clenched his jaw and swallowed, hating himself more because he liked having Raya beside him. It felt right, Storms curse him.

“Kaladin?” she spoke softly, wincing at her own voice. Kaladin knew how she must be feeling, but couldn't bring himself to say anything. For once in his life, Kaladin had no idea what to do.

“Storms, what have I done?” he whispered, anguished.

“Kaladin,” Raya put her hand on his naked shoulder and he flinched away from her, as though her touch burned him. “It’s ok,” she tried to reassure him.

“Ok?!” Kaladin whirled on her. “None of this is ‘ok’. There is no honour in what I have done.”

“We.”

“What?”

“What we have done, Kaladin. I am as much to blame. I am sorry,” she looked down, her cheeks red and eyes sad. And all Kaladin wanted to do at that moment was to wrap his arms around her and bury her inside him where no one could harm her. Himself at the very top of that list.

“Storms, storms, storms!” he cursed again, finding his pants and slipping them on before moving out of the bed. “Get dressed,” he told her, turning his back to her and walking to the washroom.

Raya sat there for a minute, trying to push back the tears that threatened to fall, before getting dressed herself. She was halfway to the door when Kaladin walked back in, a determined gait to his stride.

“Where are you going?” he asked her, looking at her face but never meeting her eyes.

“I - I thought you wanted me to leave,” she admitted, shuffling where she stood.

“No,” Kaladin shook his head. “We need to fix this.”

“Kaladin, I don’t know if you’ve forgotten all your medical training and replaced it with swinging spears and swords,” she said sarcastically, unable to hide the bitterness to her words, “but there is no fixing this.”

And the he said something Raya had only heard him say in her dreams, something she’d thought would only bring her joy and never the amount of hurt it did in that very moment.

“We’ll get married.”

AN: please let me know what you think and whether it’s worth writing a part two. I’m still trying to get myself into the mindset of writing Kaladin and Syl. They’re…tricky haha.

[artistatthedisco]

By the Stormlight <click for detail>

Kaladin, Shallan, and Adolin having a uh, moment (or two) together. Shallan is quite literally glowing.

Based on this post from @hyoukanee

[swagspren]

Final battle in TWoK Kaladin being like fuck you, fuck this, you’re promoted, fuck you (adolins feelings are hurt edition), fuck you (dalinar is receptive to this kind of thing edition) really unlocked something in me like hey do that again

[seirei-bh]

Booboo Stewart would be a perfect Kaladin in real life

[wuffgang-ameowdeus-moozart]

kaladin and renarin should bond over people constantly telling them to eat. they should found the let me starve in peace club together where they shit talk everyone who keeps telling them that all their problems could be solved by eating.

[halftametigers]

not saying i have a thing for asexual former slaves, but its weird that it happened in my two favorite pieces of media i've read this year

[taravangians-storming-balls]

something quick for my kaladin, shallan, and moash spotify playlists

[thehalfbloodfreak]

Does everyone think that Kaladin is gonna die? Am I crazy for thinking he’s going to live for the second half of the series??

[koravelliumavast]

I think about this moment often.

[pocketramblr]

An AU about someone being lost at sea, please.

oooooh fun prompt ok

1- After Tien's death, Kaladin just... leaves. he supposes he's a deserter, but he doesn't care. He just runs, like the wind, away. No one catches him, most hardly see him. If they do, he just seems like an exhuasted traveler not to be bothered. He keeps going, until he's away from Sadeas princedom, away from all of the pointless, terrible Alethi squabbles.

2- He ends up in Thaylenah for a bit, offers his skills as a guard, a fighter, and on rare occasion, a medic. People are initially wary of the tall Alethi man, but Kaladin is honorable and there's just something about him that... draws people in. Eventually, he ends up helping protect merchant ships, and finds he likes being on the sea- he can race up the rope ladders and leap from mast to mast like a windspren, and it's almost like he's flying. He becomes protective of the crew, especially the younger boys, and he does what he can to make their lives easier.

3- But then, tragedy strikes. Kaladin is, as is so often the case, the only survivor of the crew. He barely manages to get the merchant to a safe shore before passing out. People are wary of him again, that a ship with an Alethi went down, even if the merchant is sure about him having nothing to do with it, trying to get everyone to safety. Kal quietly moves on, between a few other ships.

And then it happens again.

4- Kaladin, alone now on a smaller boat, just him and a single windspren. The others left when there were no sails to fill, but this one stayed, dancing around him still. Kaladin half thinks he's gone mad from dehydration when she speaks to him, tells him which way to paddle his makeshift plank of an oar, to one of the several tiny islands that dot the seas from the mainland. It has plants on it, she says, and though they hunker down for highstorms, they don't know to be wary of human footsteps- he can get some food.

Kaladin, at that reminder, asks when the next highstorm is- it can't be too long from now, surely. The windspren flits nervously and says she doesn't know- but he has to try.

On that little island he huddles under his overturned boat, clutches the rockbuds he'd harvested with numb fingers, and tries not to drown.

Somehow, he doesn't.

5- Kaladin learns the area, what coves to hide in, what to avoid, where to harvest. He's quite sure he's hallucinating Sylphrena, though she's very put out whenever he says that- but then one day, a ship passes and- he has to try. He paddles close enough to see the Thaylen sailors, who immediately hail him and help him up.

The man who pulls his half-starved form over the boat says his name is Yalb, and that between Kaladin and the princess's ward, he's quite had his fill of Alethi Recklessness today.

Kaladin isn't sure what to say to that, and just looks past him to see a young woman with flaming red hair gaping at him, and beyond that- a very rich lighteyes lady staring at him- and Sylphrena on his shoulder- with a little too much contemplation.

[christophernolan]

Listen I get that Kaladin has strong Ace vibes but I’d love to see him in a relationship. It would be SO FUNNY to see how he deals with all those complex feelings.

[casualatienjoyer]

i need a vin/kaladin hair length per book chart

[sorchasolas]

I didn’t forget abt this i just wrote wayyy too much and i needed to consolidate

(Disclaimer: using Marching Band terms, not Drum Corp, but they’re all their canon ages in this.)

•Dalinar is obviously the Band Director/Composer, and I have no other notes other than he played Trumpet in highschool/pre BD

•Kaladin as Drum Major & former Colorguard/Auxiliary Captain; he also knows how to play the flute. Because hahaha.

•Despite the assumption that since Kal was Colorguard Cap, B4 is Colorguard. WRONG!! Colorguard is a healthy mix of the Edgedancers, B4, and the Lightweavers. Godeke and Lyn are the current Co-captains of the Colorguard (since their numbers have expanded by alot) though Kal still helps out alot. The rest of B4 are either in percussion or trombones— Teft, Sigzil and Rock are staff (coordinators/“go do that” people) and Leyten is the uniform and prop handler. My excuse is that B4 was the original staff and members when Dalinar made the band and just got super close over that one season there was like one person from each instrument max.

•Navani is the prop maker, and does a wonderful job at it <3 She mostly designs them and oversees their creation, and then shows band members how to move them, then isnt seen for the rest of the season

•Adolin designs the Colorguard equipment (flag silks and other stuff) and the uniforms for the band, because of course he does.

•Hoid, Navani, Jasnah, and Shallan (I remember the books mentioning she can sing im running w it) are also all composers— improving on and working on the music Dalinar composes/adapts :)

•Lift is in the band not bc i aged her up but because ive decided shes Super Good at colorguard so she got into the band (ik its basic to put her in colorguard, i do see her as like a clarinet or mellophone tho)

•Shallan as Wood Wind Captain (Hoid feels like a WW instructor to me more than a Captain), ofc Skar as the Percussion Captain (ykw Teft as their instructor), and i can see NO ONE else but Moash for Brass Captain. (Tried to not have two B4 as Captains, literally couldnt think of anyone else) (Dalinar is the instructor for them?? They dont rlly have their own instructor Dalinar js helps when he can its okay theyre adults they can handle it)

•Renarin cannot do Marching bc of his epilepsy, but is in an orchestra (bit basic but hes so Violin) and helps sew/ tailor the uniforms and with show coordination (like their dots an stuff)

Stormlight Drum Corp/Marching Band AU. Will elaborate once im back from marching band rehearsal

[cosmerelists]

Conversations Happening In The Stands When Kaladin Broke Relis' Shardplate Through A Kick in the 4v1 Duel

As requested by anon. :)

This anon wanted me to imagine what people said when Kaladin--just a normal darkeyed guard so far as anyone knew--freaking cracked a dude's shardplate by kicking it during the 4v1 duel. So here are some conversations I think might have happened in the stands!

1. 

"Storming hell--did you see that? That guard just kicked that guy and now the guy's shardplate is cracked!" "Oh…..okay. This makes way more sense now." "It…It does??" "Yeah! This is obviously staged." "….Staged?" "Ha ha, come on! You can't KICK shardplate into cracking! That can't be real shardplate. It's clear this whole thing is staged. Probably some sort of machinations that Dalinar and Sadeas came up with together." "Man, if you start with that stupid conspiracy theory again…" "I'm TELLING you! Their FEUD is FAKE and they are DATING!" "…Just watch the duel."

2.

"Uh…was that cracking sound the man's legs or the Shardplate?" "It must have been his legs! Poor guy." "No! He's getting up! I think…I think it was the Shardplate!" "He….he broke the Shardplate by KICKING it?" "No…it must have already been cracked...right?" "He did knock the Shardbearer over, though. With the kick." "Y-Yeah….I guess he never skips leg day…" "…" "…" "This duel just keeps getting crazier!"

3.

"Ugh. I don't think Relis is ever gonna live this down. Imagine being knocked over by a dude with no armor and a spear." "A darkeyed guy with no armor and a spear." "Yeah…humiliating." "We gotta uninvite him from brunch." "That's harsh but fair."

4.

"Hey, uh…just how strong are darkeyes' legs?" "They appear to be very, very strong." "Do you think I should treat my employees better?" "That's your takeaway?!"

5. 

"I didn't realize Relis' shardplate had grown that weak! Even a kick could crack it!" "Ha ha, yeah! And that guard was TOTALLY knocked over even so!" "Shardplate is so strong and magnificent, but if you strike it when it is very, very weakened, even normal human strength can do it in." "That is definitely my takeaway too." 

6.

"I knew Bridgemen's arms must be strong from, like, carrying the bridge. But I didn't realize their legs were so strong too!" "Well, what do you think they were using to run all that way?" "Still, though!"

7. 

"Oh Almighty I think he broke his legs!!!" "No, no--he's fine! Look!" "But…I could have SWORN they bent weirdly for a second." "Don't be ridiculous--what, do you think his legs just magically healed?" "No…that would be ridiculous." "Ha ha yeah!"

8.

"I can see why Dalinar chose a bridgeman to be his head guard." "Yeah." "I'm afraid." "I'm afraid too."

9. 

"I can't imagine caring that much about my job." "Hmmm?" "If my bosses' sons were in danger like that, I'd be like, 'Whelp, good luck with that.'" "That man's a guard, though." "I'm a guard." "Oh…right." "And I'm telling you. I ain't kicking any enemies in Shardplate for my boss." "That's just a healthy work-life balance." "Do you think we should give Stormblessed one of our pamphlets?" "If he survives, then definitely."

10.

"[sighs]" "…Why are you sighing dreamily?" "It's just--imagine being the sort of man where if you see a fully armed Shardbearer heading for your beloved, you immediately attack! Even if you have no armor or weapons and your life is on the line!" "He has a spear." "Spears don't count as weapons in a Shardblade duel." "Well but -- wait. Did you say 'beloved'?" "Um, yeah. What fight are YOU watching?" "Ugh. If you start in with that STUPID conspiracy theory again…" "I'm telling you! Adolin and Stormblessed are DATING and that red-haired chick is just their BEARD!" "...Just watch the duel."

[its-cosmerely-an-obsesh-wound]

Is Kaladin Stormblessed the ultimate fictional example of being so competent and good at your job that you have to do everyone else's jobs, too? Just imagine his resume and references at this point. My dude is Employee of the Eon.

[bowlingwithplanets]

Please help

Why is it when I think of Kaladin Stormblessed do I imagine the human version of Spirit.

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