#abiajan

[cosmereplay]

Hey if anyone's looking for ideas for a Stormlight fanfic they want to write, Femslash February is coming up! Have you ever considered:

Cord/Rysn has bodyguard to lover practically built right in

Shasnah (Shallan/Jasnah) is a classic slash pairing

There are five (!) female Windrunners: Lyn, Laran, Kara, Mela, and the one who is unnamed but not forgotten

Navani/Raboniel is hot and toxic science milfs hello

Evi, Ialai, and Navani used to hang out all the time back during the Alethi unification. There are ideas there

Shallan has ladies under her in the Unseen Court - I never saw her with Beryl or Ishnah but that doesn't prove anything

Rarepairs galore: Evi/Sja-Anat, Leshwi/Abiajan, Palona/Hesina, Malata/Hnanan, the list goes on.

What fics would you like to see/write?

[knight-of-skyloft]

What I'm hearing is I need to finish my Evi/Sja-anat fic. And my fic that has background Laral/Abiajan.

The Stormlight fandom is pretty small so like, we barely have 15 different authors in the first place, but Teleb/Kadash and Lyn/Laran seem to have gained some traction despite never interacting on page. There are a few Kaladin/Mink fics too, and a Renarin/Wit fic. And I'm sure there are other rare ships that I can't remember!

I don’t think the cosmere has enough really out there ships

Like sure there are a lot of non canonical ones but those are still typically fairly plausible, like sure kalmoash is never gonna be canon but they are close enough friends who interact that you wouldn’t have to change that much to add a make out section. Most fics on ao3 are just shakadolin which is such bland shipping that even the author is aware and supports it

Where are the “they met once in a filler episode that isn’t even canon but now has almost 400 works on ao3” or “they don’t even exist in the same universe but they have matching powers so true love” or “they are the same height” type of ships

I’m sure they exist but I’m asking for the type of shipping environment where you can find fics from 15 different authors where navani/teft or nale/skar just exist as a background thing in a shakadolin fic and nobody questions it because of course teft and navani are a thing and everyone knows nale and skar is popular

[thesamemery]

All right posting my reddit takes here:

If Lirin becomes Radiant, he should be an Elsecaller.

Even though Ivory is the only inkspren who's bonded, we saw in RoW that Blended was going to tell the other inkspren that the Recreance was not just on the humans, which could inspire them to make bonds again.

I don't know the Elsecaller ideals, but I can compare him to Jasnah. And I like the contrast between a queen and a darkeyed man from a small town.

In OB, Ivory calls Jasnah "practically a stone" for being stable and unchangeable and thinking "by facts." I assume the other inkspren also value this trait, especially since their cousin spren is logicspren.

I don't think there's another character who holds so strongly to their ideals as Lirin does for his pacifism. Even in the face of enemy invasion and execution for him and his family, he doesn't waver. In RoW chapter 1, Lirin's also compared to a stone by Abiajan. Kaladin says it seemed like Lirin could turn off his emotions when it came to patients. Venli calls Lirin a pragmatist. So everyone who meets the guy seems to agree.

At first I thought he should be a Truthwatcher or Edgedancer, since he'd have the surge of Regrowth, but I think that's too simple and predictable. First of all, I can't see Lirin sliding around on the ground like Lift does. Second, he doesn't need Regrowth for his powers to be related to his job as a surgeon. Jasnah makes medicine through Soulcasting and he could make surgical tools as well.

Speaking of Soulcasting, Venli says Lirins attitude "was so commanding and in charge." So I doubt he'd have trouble commanding air to change into stone, for example. I think Shallan had trouble learning to Soulcast at first because she begged instead of commanded, as we saw with Stick. This alone doesn't mean he should be an Elsecaller, just that he'd be a capable one.

He's also a bit of a scholar himself. He can write well with glyphs and predict storms like a stormwarden, and in RoW was trying to learn more about mental illness by listening to medical texts. In WoK, both Jasnah and Lirin call glyphwards superstition.

TL;DR: Elsecaller Lirin

[peachdoxie]

This post contains my liveblogged thoughts about the prologue and first chapter of Rhythm of War that was released on Tor today. Spoilers, obviously.

Rip Navani

Minor Aesudan lore, yay

Boxes of spren? What the fuck?

Angerspren, like boiling blood, began to well up in a small pool at her feet. Calm, Navani, the rational side of her mind said.

What’s that theory that Navani is gonna be a Dustbringer because she finds order in chaos or something?

I wonder if the border dispute and misdrawn maps are relevant as anything other than a source of conflict.

Today, she’d do her job—though a part of her felt like an impostor. However prestigious her ancient lineage might be, her anxiety whispered that she was really just a backwater country girl wearing someone else’s clothing.

Inch resting....

‘“…Being able to bring them back and forth from Braize doesn’t mean anything,” one said. “It’s too close to be a relevant distance.”

“It was impossible only a few short years ago,” said a deep, powerful voice. Gavilar. “This is proof. The Connection is not severed, and the box allows for travel. Not yet as far as you’d like, but we must start the journey somewhere.”

A box again. I’m guessing this is one of the “boxes of spren” from earlier, though why Kris would tell Aesudan is beyond me. And we know Gavilar captured a Voidspren, so I’m guessing that “them” refers to Voidspren, which were trapped on Braize. But what the fuck? Braize is “too close to be a relevant distance,” if I’m reading the antecedent correctly. Where the fuck are they trying to go???

The king was speaking with two men that Navani vaguely recognized. A tall Makabaki man with a birthmark on his cheek and a shorter Vorin man with a round face and a small nose.

So Gavilar was meeting with Nale and whoever the other guy is. Which means that Nale knew about the Voidspren, yet was killing nascent Surgebinders anyway?

The Vorin man wrung his hands, reminding Navani of the palace steward, though this man seemed much younger. Somewhere… in his twenties? Maybe his thirties? No, he could be older.

Interesting. Navani is having difficulty placing this man. We’ve seen this with I think both Vasher and Vivenna on Roshar, where people aren’t sure exactly how old they are. I am not sure what to make of this.

Plus, you need to know that another of us is here tonight. I spotted her handiwork earlier.

Hmm. “Of us” makes me think that he means of him and Nale, which means he’s a Herald. Has this been established yet? I can’t remember. And I’m betting the woman is Shalash.

“I want out. This is the only way…”

Okay, so this guy who is probably a Herald thinks that whatever Gavilar is doing is the only way out of being a Herald, I’m guessing? I am starting to think that maybe my theory that Taln was murdered (not that he gave in) has some more merit...

“I believe I have managed to soothe Amaram’s pride. He might take [Jasnah] back, and her time is running out.”

HA HA GET FUCKED AMARAM

Also, Gavilar’s a fucking asshole to Navani. No wonder she was fine with marrying Dalinar. He’s an absolute sweetheart compared to Gavilar, even as a drunk.

“I have discovered the entrance to the realm of gods and legends, and once I join them, my kingdom will never end.”

Cool so we’ve got what, megalomania? And “the realm of gods and legends” well that fucking narrows it down. Is he referring to Braize? The Cognitive Realm? The Spiritual Realm? What he thinks are the Tranquilline Halls?

What was she doing? Praying for her husband’s death?

Holy fucking shit. Navani sure got what she wished for. I bet that’s gonna eat at her.

Anyway, on to Chapter 1. We’ve got the five narrators listed. Kaladin (thank goodness), Shallan, Navani, Venli, and Lirin. An interesting mix. This narrows down the main narrator to be either Navani or Lirin. I guessed maybe Navani, but Lirin was never on my list. Darn. I guess this means I’ve lost the bet with myself that Lopen is the main narrator. Ah well. Ngl though, I am very intrigued to read from Lirin’s POV, especially when he interacts with Kaladin. He’ll be the first person we’ve read from who knew Kaladin before he went off to war.

Also, probably won’t liveblog this chapter much, since I’ve already read it.

Lirin sensed a search for identity in the way Abiajan and the other parshmen acted. Their accents, their dress, their mannerisms—they were all distinctly Alethi. But they grew transfixed whenever the Fused spoke of their ancestors, and they sought ways to emulate those long-dead parshmen.

I have the feeling this is going to be vital to Venli’s storyline. The singers only hold loyalty to the Fused, but I don’t know how far that will go. And we know that Venli began to tell of the listeners at the end of Oathbringer - which is probably a closer identity to theirs than the ancient Fused, who are still probably reliving their glory days (the sane ones, at least).

Ah man. I can’t wait for the next chapter to find out what happens.

[preservationandruin]

Rhythm Of War Liveblog Part One, Part 1 (Chapters 1-2)

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On to Part One of Rhythm of War, after I finish screaming at the ghost of Gavilar Kholin. Actually, we can’t wait for that, I’m never going to be done screaming at the ghost of Gavilar Kholin. 

Our POVs are Kaladin, Shallan, Navani, Venli, and Lirin--so Kal’s family is coming back to prominence, I guess. It’s a short update, but I gotta go to work. 

Lirin talks about the ethics of continuing a hopeless fight, Syl lets loose an “I told you so” first thing, we see a new and terrifying variant of Fused, I come up with a new, more accurate name for the Sons of Honor; Veil finally gets kidnapped; I start getting philosophical about the ethics of continuing a hopeless fight; and Kaladin organizes an airlift. 

Epigraphs for this part seem to be a lecture that Navani gave on how to trap spren in fabrials, so that’s cool.

Alright, so our timing here is a year after the fall of Alethkar, and Herdaz has been next on the Voidbringers’ target list. They’ve been fighting the entire time, but the voidbringers have intensified their assault and now refugees are pouring into the villages in Alethkar; Lirin is insisting on examining everyone as they come in, making sure that he can find people who need treatment early. The leader of Hearthstone now is Brightness Abiajan--from the name, I’m assuming she’s one of the singers. 

Also, apparently someone is coming through this line today that Lirin is anxious about. Abiajan comes to talk to Lirin, wondering if he has no compassion because he’s so numb to others’ suffering--he explains that he has to numb it to survive as a surgeon. She mentions that he set her arm, once, when she was a child. Also, hilariously, Abiajan says that plaguespren cause plague and that the idea that it’s improper sanitation is superstition. 

Laral, Kaladin’s childhood friend, is helping out now, determined. Apparently the person that Lirin is worried about is a Herdazian general; Lirin does see him as responsible for much of the current strife for continuing to fight; however, he’s not going to turn him in, and instead has contacted Kaladin to come pick him up while Laral helps Roshone make a distraction. 

Lirin’s condemnation of continuing a hopeless war as something that just gets people killed and is stupid (”Heroism is a myth you tell idealistic young people. It got one of my sons killed and another taken from me”) makes sense and is deeply sad. It’s also a good second perspective on the fact that so much of Roshar’s narrative has been about being forced to choose between two bad options and having the resolve to find another path or stick with the honorable thing--Lirin here is a reminder that that’s not always an option and sometimes makes things worse. “I obey the person who holds the sword to my neck, General, same as I always have.” 

Heroism isn’t always an option. Heroism can get you killed and hurt the people around you. You have to be willing to take responsibility for that in order to try heroism, and that’s some of what Kaladin has had to struggle with, too--the fact that he can’t protect everyone and that his actions will lead to death sometimes.

Also, shoutout to Roshone for actually making a distraction here, good on you buddy. Anyway Lirin noticed that the parshmen always focus on what appears to be the person being seen to rather than, say, the people carrying the litter--probably because they’re used to the people doing those menial tasks being unnoticed and unspoken to, and have absorbed that norm of society? I don’t know, but Lirin is exploiting it. 

Oh man, someone has visited Hearthstone, someone who Abiajan refers to as having blessed them, and she demands that Lirin come with her and that nobody leave the town. It’s one of the Fused, and it’s interrogating people about Kaladin--and they noticed that Kaladin was there, and Lirin notes that he barely recognizes Kaladin anymore, referring to him as the “harsh man Kaladin had become.” 

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, just let Kaladin babysit people this book, let him rest, he deserves it. I mean, what’s happening is him having to fight again, but he deserves rest.  

Cut to Kaladin’s perspective, Syl is delivering an “I told you so” about them being spotted, which is so relentlessly on-brand. Kaladin notes that he’s not looking at Lirin to avoid giving Lirin away, and also because “he knew what he would see. disappointment. So, nothing new.” 

HEY. SOMEONE LOVE AND APPRECIATE KALADIN STORMBLESSED PLEASE HE’S DOING HIS BEST. 

Meanwhile,  Kaladin is learning the different “orders” of Fused; he’s mostly dealt with the shanay-im, “those of the heavens,” who share the flight of windrunners. Apparently Jasnah posited there would be ten orders, logically, and Dalinar--offering no explanation for how he knew--said it would only be nine. I mean, at this point if anyone knows Odium it’s Dalinar. 

Also, this Fused has learned not to do single combat, which is Kaladin’s normal mode of dealing with them. I wonder if the order they’re modelled after affects their behavior--honorspren create windrunners, and agreeing to a one-on-one duel is a very honorable thing to do. Maybe there’s more connection there than either side wants to realize. 

Ok, so what we know about this new Fused: 

Teleports via shooting their spren forward, then forming a new body of voidlight and stone where they end up. 

Probably elsecaller-linked (teleportation and then forming things out of energy) 

Favors exploiting teleportation to allow for a grappling fighting style and sneaking into blind spots extremely quickly (big rogue energy) 

Teleportation ability is extremely costly, can only be done three times before needing to recharge on Voidlight. 

Does not teleport instantaneously; the spren-travel can be outrun, as Kaladin does by lashing himself forward five times (so, approximately five times the speed of gravity on Roshar, which is not gravity’s speed on earth, is faster than them; they’re considerably slower than light, even though that’s what they look like)

Can’t transport objects/make them from voidlight; clothing is a hair wrap and weapons are fragments of their skin

He leaves but tells Kaladin to watch for him; it also seems like Kaladin’s depression is coming back. Syl shows up to talk to him, wearing a different style--she’s been taking fashion notes from Adolin, which is hilarious. 

Meanwhile, Veil is wandering around the Sadeas warcamps, irritated that she hasn’t been kidnapped yet, or even mugged. Also, Veil and Shallan are apparently teaching Radiant to appreciate humor, which is great. Adolin and his soldiers are apparently backing her up for this hopeful kidnapping, which is reassuring--I’m glad she’s not going it alone, although she’s very competent. She’s pretending to be a merchant who has a way in past Dalinar’s tariffs and is also implying he doesn’t have the authority to demand them. 

Ooh, specifically Shallan is hunting the Hypocrite’s Association, which is what I’m calling the Sons of Honor for the moment I guess. For a moment, while they’re doing accounting, Shallan starts having a bit of a memory come back; Veil suggests it might be time to remember everything, but Shallan shuts that down. 

Apparently, in the grand tradition of Sadeases not knowing when they’re beaten, Ialai is plotting treason. Ialai, how did that go for the last two Brightlords Sadeas? I’m begging you, quit while you’re...behind, honestly. But still alive. Anyway, the wine was drugged--finally--so they have officially been kidnapped! 

Back to Kaladin,  Syl is trying to convince him that it’s easy to sleep, he just has to lie down and pretend to be dead for a few hours (oh, Syl, honey, you’re trying to help but that’s not...that’s not it) but Kaladin is noting that it feels like life is strangely disconnected for him, like it keeps going for everyone else and he’s in stasis. 

Chronic depression is a bitch. 

Syl cheers him up by doing a terrible Kaladin impression, though. I love her. Kaladin goes back to talk to the singers, telling them that there’s a shelter half an hour to the east and telling them not to fight if they don’t want to die. They, of course, fight, which Kaladin doesn’t like; it’s very Alethi of them, though, to throw themselves forward. 

Again, we’re back to whether or not there’s heroism in fighting a fight you can’t win. Even with Ialai, kind of--continuing to fight against Dalinar when she can’t win it. Hopeless fights are all well and good when your protagonists do them and it works, this part seems to be pointing out, but what if they fail? And how does it feel to be on the other side of them? 

Anyway, the others retreat, and Kaladin gets to meet with his mom and baby Oroden (who pronounces his name as “Gagadin;” i’m gonna CRY). Syl always appears to Kal’s family. Also, apparently Kaladin was dating Lyn, which is wild because I’m almost positive based on her appearance last book that she’s gay as fuck, and she broke up with him. Also, Syl and Hesina are ganging up on Kaladin and it’s great. 

"It’s demonstrably unfair that I have to deal with both of you at once,” Kaladin said. 

Meanwhile it also turns out that the Radiants haven’t been supporting Herdaz because they saw it falling as inevitable, but it’s continued fighting against all odds. Another perspective: is it alright to abandon others fighting a fight that you assume is impossible, when it could be winnable with your strength? 

Also, apparently the Mink likes to sneak away from his guards without letting them notice, and he’s done it again here. That’s pretty impressive, I’ve got to say, although Kaladin is aghast at the idea of leaving one’s men behind like that (of course). 

Also, Kaladin organized one of Navani’s platforms to essentially airlift out all of Hearthstone. Trying to save as many people as he can, even still. 

[knight-of-skyloft]

1st quadrant: Rlainarin- (10, 10); Kaleshwi- (9,8); Kalainarin- (5,7); Shakadolin- (10, 7); Evi/Sja-anat- (1, 3) (although I think I should have put it at 1, 5)

2nd quadrant: Laral/Abiajan- (9, -4); Corysn- (10, -7); Lyn/Laran- (9, -9)

3rd quadrant: Jaswit- (-6, -8); Renoash- (0, -1)

4th quadrant: Stormthorn- (-6, 3); Kalmoash- (-10, 5)

I cannot sleep. I present to you: THE METHOD.

let me know where you'd place your ships 👍

[cosmereplay]

I got inspired by this post by @knightsgaydiant

[knight-of-skyloft]

New favorite Stormlight ship is Laral/Abiajan just because it'd be really funny if Laral continued her Hearthstone's citylords/cityladies streak

[knight-of-skyloft]

Hey OP I mean this in the best possible way, how did you crawl into my mind and dig up my headcanon that Kaladin finds Vai after the war and helps her reunite with Khen and Vai and Khen settle in Hearthstone which is still being run by Abiajan and is becoming a mixed singer/human community and then Vai becomes really close with Oroden and meets Gavinor through him? Was it psychic powers? Did you use psychic powers?

I know everyone is on the Oroden/Gavinor bandwagon, but think of this:

Oroden, Gavinor and Vai (Sah’s daughter), power trio.

[knight-of-skyloft]

RoW Ch. 1:

"Such a curious memory," she said. "That life feels like a dream now. I remember pain. Confusion. A stern figure bringing me more pain-- though I now recognize you were seeking to heal me. So much trouble to go through for a slave child."

"I have never cared who I heal, Brightness. Slave or king."

"I'm sure the fact that Wistiow had paid good money for me had nothing to do with it." She narrowed her eyes at Lirin, and when she next spoke there was a cadence to her words, as if she were speaking the words to a song. "Did you feel for me, the poor confused slave child whose mind had been stolen from her? Did you weep for us, surgeon, and the life we led?"

"A surgeon must not weep," Lirin said softly. "A surgeon cannot afford to weep."

"Like a stone," she said again, then shook her head.

I'm just. Abiajan was the only one of Hearthstone's former parshmen to come back. She's back in the city where she was born, where she grew up, with an ancient singer name and a sleeve over her safehand, living among the people who saw her as livestock while she was a slave trapped inside her own mind. Her mind was restored one year ago. How much can you learn in one year about running a city? But she's trying her damndest, because she may not be human but she sure as shit is Alethi, and Hearthstone for all its faults is her hometown.

She asks Lirin if he remembers setting her arm. If he felt for her. And when he says a surgeon cannot weep, she says he is heartless, that nothing moves him, that he could not have looked at her and seen a child any more than a stone could.

[knight-of-skyloft]

Your online persona is definitely singer thoughts

I opened this ask as I was composing a text post about Abiajan in my head so uhhh I'd say you are correct 😂

[gal-palanaeum]

Consider this a state of the fandom update on femslash, in the Stormlight fandom at least! Feel free to use this for your own ideas of what you like and don't like for your own submission.

You can always create a new pairing as well! I know one of the ones in the back of my head is our Hearthstone cityladies, Laral and Abiajan...

If you have any personal favourite ships to add, please do! We'd love to see them!

I'm getting jazzed by all this f/f shipping happening! F/F ships are often underrepresented in fandom, and Stormlight is no exception. Let's uplift femslash!! What's your favourite femslash Stormlight ship, based on what's currently available on ao3?

Honourable mentions, all with one fic:

Shallan/Lyn

Jasnah/Hesina

Navani/Ialai

fem!Kaladin/fem!Adolin

Shallan/Azure

Raboniel/Leshwi

Lyn/Leshwi

Shallan/Tyn

[knight-of-skyloft]

I can't believe Laral/Abiajan has no votes so far, I wanna see her get the Leaders of Hearthstone hat trick