#in the alethi script

[jewishdainix]

:)

[koravelliumavast]

this has both thaylen and alethi womens scripts if anyones curious.

[kaladinpdfs]

i love how the alethi were like bajerden is a stupid unholy name. he’s nohadon now <3 symmetrical as fuck <3

[onlycosmere]

ant_tree (paraphrased): Can you give me a fun fact about Sigzil?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased): He knows how to read Alethi women's script. He learned it in school.

[truthwatcher-vez]

ask game: 9 with rlainarin? ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

For ash-sokia, for the write a kiss ask game #9: a kiss in public. 

Author's Note: This fic started out light-hearted and then took a more serious turn during the writing process.  Many, many thanks to cosmere-play, rysn and Priscellie for beta-reading!

Content warnings for classism, speciesism, prejudice

Renarin fidgeted nervously as he and Rlain neared their destination for the evening, a classy new winehouse that had just opened up in an upscale part of the Breakaway market.  It was similar to the establishment on the Shattered Plains where Adolin and Shallan had first gone out together.  When Renarin had heard about the winehouse, it had seemed like a good choice for their first public date.  …Well, a first date somewhere outside of the usual haunts frequented by the members of Bridge Four.  Renarin had heard that this winehouse was supposed to have a relaxing atmosphere and a truly impressive list of wines.

Rlain had initially seemed hesitant about the idea, but ultimately he had given in to Renarin’s enthusiasm, and had agreed they should give it a try.

Renarin was so caught up in his own nerves that he almost didn’t notice the odd look that the master-servant at the door gave him as she double-checked his reservation.  As they were being shown to a table, Renarin thought he could feel her staring at his back.  There were whispers at the tables surrounding them, and someone sniggered.  Renarin flushed and tried to ignore it.  He’d grown too comfortable in Adolin’s shadow when he was among other Alethi lighteyes, forgetting how much Adolin’s presence protected him from being targeted as the ‘strange Kholin’.

Renarin took his time reviewing the wine lists, which were written out in Alethi glyphs as well as women’s script.  Rlain professed that he found the number of choices overwhelming, and asked Renarin for advice.  Renarin gladly obliged.  As he began sharing his expertise regarding all of the different wines, something in him began to relax.  Rlain listened attentively, offering questions here or there, and eventually they settled on some specialty wines from northern Azir.  A glass of sapphire for Renarin and a red for Rlain.

The wine really was excellent, and the alcohol took the edge from Renarin’s nervousness.  As the two of them continued to make comfortable small talk, Rlain raised a hand in a tentative gesture to request a refill of his water goblet.  Renarin noticed immediately when the signal was overlooked by the winehouse staff.  He followed up by flagging a servant himself, and the man quickly came over with a pitcher and refilled their glasses.  A little while later, the same thing happened again.  Then Renarin ordered them another round of wine--orange this time in accordance with the Codes.  Another master-servant brought Renarin’s wine over quickly.  Rlain’s… didn’t arrive.

Oh.  What was happening finally began to sink in.  The looks and the whispers hadn’t been about him.  Or they hadn’t entirely been about him.  Rlain had known, or had suspected this would happen.  He’d expressed hesitancy when they’d first discussed the winehouse--pointing out that darkeyes typically wouldn’t be allowed into such a place, and singers had the darkest eyes of all.  Renarin had brushed off the concern at the time, responding that Rlain was a Knight Radiant now, and Radiants belonged to a class all their own.

Apparently, not everyone agreed with that sentiment.

He was suddenly deeply mortified, because he hadn’t really spared a second thought about the situation from Rlain’s perspective.  Renarin had wanted to go out so that they could have a good time together, but he had caused Rlain pain without meaning to. 

“I’m sorry,” Renarin said abruptly, with genuine remorse.  “I didn’t mean for our date to turn out like this.”  He reached across the table and took both of Rlain’s hands in his own.

Apparently, not everyone had heard the new gossip that Dalinar Kholin’s son and the listener from Bridge Four were openly courting, either.  A brightlady at a nearby table gasped and visibly recoiled from them, shockspren forming and breaking in the air around her head.  Behind her, a master-servant on the way to deliver wine to another patron forgot her training and nearly fumbled her tray as she stared.  And at yet another table, an elderly brightlord in Bethab colors muttered something harshly under his breath, his brows drawing downward as he attracted a bevy of aversionspren.

That was the very last straw.  Something in Renarin snapped, filling him with fury.  It didn’t often show itself, but he had his father’s temper.  Having to witness the insults to Rlain, and to the two of them together, was absolutely intolerable.

Renarin slid his chair out from the table with a long scraping sound that made conversations trail off and drew every eye in the winehouse.  Then he rose and walked around the side of the table to stand over Rlain, placing a hand firmly on the back of his chair.  He left a trail of bubbling angerspren in his wake.

The listener eyed him suspiciously.  “What are you…?”

Renarin drew in a deep breath as he scanned the entire room.  Then he attempted to channel his cousin Jasnah as he spoke out loudly, letting the tone of his voice drop to match the temperature of the snow caps outside the tower.

“The wine here is good, and the selection is excellent.  But the service is appalling, and the ambiance is even worse.  A brightlord’s guest is a brightlord’s guest, deserving to be treated with dignity and respect.  No one here is in any position to dare question whom a brightlord of the second dahn chooses to invite out for the evening.  Especially when that guest is a storming war hero and a Knight Radiant.”

Renarin looked down at Rlain’s upturned face, and raised his other hand to cup his cheek.  He spared a moment to hope that he wasn’t being too presumptuous, then he stooped down and firmly kissed him.

The kiss was chaste, determined, defiant.  He meant it to be a deliberate message to everyone else in the room.  You can’t ignore us and we’re not going anywhere.  This is something you’re just going to have to get used to.

Rlain went very still--not drawing away, but not exactly reciprocating either.  It caused a bit of Renarin’s anger to slide sideways.  You’re doing this wrong, he told himself critically.  He’d been attempting to help, but had just wound up messing things up, as always. 

Then the listener’s quiet humming changed subtly, shifting to something calmer.  Rlain leaned in and returned the kiss, and Renarin felt himself relax marginally.

When Renarin drew himself back up to his full height again, he quickly spotted the man whose clothing marked him as the head master-servant of the winehouse.  He glared and gestured pointedly down at Rlain’s wineglass, still sitting empty on the table.  The man got the message, and another master-servant quickly scurried over with the missing goblet of orange wine.    

Renarin returned to his seat, his anger slowly dissipating.  He felt the weight of Rlain’s gaze on him as the listener sipped at his wine, and it caused a flush to rise in his face.  “I’m sorry,” Renarin apologized again, as the ambient noise of the winehouse began to resume.  “I probably should have handled that differently.”

“Probably,” Rlain agreed mildly.  The cadence of the word was unfamiliar, and Renarin wished he understood enough about the rhythms to know which one Rlain was attuning right now.  “Still, you chose to speak up, to a room full of lighteyes.  I…no one’s ever really done that for me before.”  Slowly, he extended a hand across the table.  Renarin reached out and took it, twining their fingers together.

Renarin had acted out of anger in the moment, drawing everyone’s attention to them without even asking Rlain what he wanted.  That had been a mistake.  They were courting now, and situations like this would almost certainly happen again.  Moving forward, he resolved to do better.

As they continued to drink their wine in silence, Rlain spoke again.  “In my experience, people don’t change unless they’re given a reason.  I love Bridge Four, but they never would have let me carry a spear if I hadn’t made a point of asking first.”  He looked up and met Renarin’s eyes.  “So yes, I’m willing to make lighteyes uncomfortable if it causes some of them to confront their own perceptions of the singers.  If there’s a chance that it results in one tiny step towards singers being more accepted at Urithiru.”

Renarin nodded thoughtfully. Then he smiled at Rlain.  “Making lighteyes uncomfortable is kind of my specialty.”

Rlain smiled back at him.  “I appreciate that. Now why don't we take a look at the wine list again.  I’d be interested in trying that vintage from Tu Bayla….”

[cosmereplay]

Day 19: Partners-in-crime

Rated General, Venli/Rushu, very mild RoW spoilers Link to fic on ao3; Link to Cosmere Femslash February Collection

Venli wrote the phrase as she would usually.

“Okay, let’s see how it looks now!” Rushu said in her characteristically light tone.

Venli demonstrated the new letter shape by writing a phrase in the listener script. She hummed to Annoyance.

“I have to admit, it is easier to tell the letters apart.” She hadn’t considered the effect of practice on the letters she’d devised, and once she was writing fluidly, two of them had started looking too similar. 

Rushu bared her teeth and nodded. “That’s great!”

Originally, Venli hadn’t wanted to leave the listeners, but her mother’s restoration had reassured her that short visits could be okay. And the benefits were numerous. She could influence trade to benefit her people. She had the ear of Queen Navani, too. All Venli had to do was ask, and she would be given the resources to make her the most famous listener in history.

Timbre pulsed to Reprimand inside her. Okay, so Rlain might have been the one who got her access to Navani’s scholars. But still, the work, and the credit, was going to be hers.

Venli glanced at the human woman beside her, suddenly feeling guilty. “Your adjustment to the eleph is going to make the listener script much clearer. Thank you,” she said to Appreciation. 

“Oh, what Rhythm is that?” Rushu asked, and started digging through her mass of papers. “Hold on, I want to write it down.” Apparently she was also working on a notation for the Rhythms to help humans, though Venli didn’t think it would be particularly helpful. You either heard them or you didn’t.

Still, she wanted to give something back. Rushu had not just been helpful, she’d been uncommonly cheerful, and the feeling had started rubbing off on Venli. 

“Appreciation,” she said, and Rushu, unable to find whatever page she’d been looking for, started a fresh one, jotting something down in Alethi.

“Can you hum it again please?” Rushu asked, and Venli drew a breath.

Just then, Venli heard a rumble. “Is it possible to hear a highstorm from up here?” she asked to Confusion, looking out the window. She didn’t see any storm.

Rushu grabbed her stomach. “Oh, storms!” she exclaimed. “I mean, not a storm! The storm is in my stomach,” she said, baring her teeth again. It was either a smile or she was in pain. It was hard to tell with humans.

“In that case, let’s get you some dinner.” Venli started to separate her own stack of pages from Rushu’s drifting piles.

Her study partner moaned, looking at a wrist fabrial. “Don’t worry about it, Venli,” she said. “The dinner window is closed. I’ll just have to wait until breakfast.”

Venli turned to look at her to make sure she’d heard properly. “What do you mean, dinner window? Can’t you just open it again?”

Rushu laughed. “It’s an expression. In the ardentia we have specific times that we’re allowed to eat, but sometimes I forget it’s time to eat and I have to wait until the next time starts.”

“That’s crazy,” Venli blurted, then attuned Reprimand at herself. That was a rude thing to say about someone else's religion, even if it was true.

Timbre pulsed to Determination inside her gemheart, and Venli started to hum in agreement. “Come on, let’s get you some food!”

“But…it’s against the rules!” Rushu leaned in close, speaking in a whisper.

“Well you may not be crazy but your rules are dumb,” Venli decided, and started putting away her pages. Who ever heard of being hungry, and having food, but not being allowed to eat? Venli stood and took Rushu’s hand before she could argue against her own nutrition any longer. “Come on!” she said to Confidence, and led her out.

Soon, Rushu had allowed Venli to direct her to the ardents’ kitchens, though Rushu’s eyes were getting wider and wider as they approached. The smell from the kitchen was acidic to Venli’s tastes, but she was sure that Rushu was used to it.

“Tell your stomach to stop rumbling,” Venli whispered. She drew a breath of Stormlight and poked a hole in the stone of the doorframe, allowing her to peek inside.

“I can’t,” Rushu complained. “It just does its own thing. Oh, it smells so good.”

There was a man inside, bald and robed like an ardent. He was sitting at a large table in the middle of the kitchen and reading a small book. At the far end of the room was a large cauldron with steam rising from it. Venli shook her head, wondering at the strangeness of the Alethi.

“Okay, you draw out that man, and I’ll grab a bowl of nasty curry for you,” Venli whispered.

“What do I say!?” Rushu whispered with those wide eyes and bared teeth. She clung to Venli’s clothing.

Has she never broken a rule before? Venli wondered. What kind of life did she lead? She looked Rushu in the eyes, taking her by the shoulders. “It doesn’t matter. Just distract him,” she said to Confidence. She patted Rushu on the back, then opened the door, hiding behind it.

Rushu groaned. 

“Oh, hello Rushu,” the man said, and his tone sounded especially dead, even for a human. “You really haven’t changed since you were young, have you? I keep telling you, if you just apply yourself, you will remember when it’s time to eat. Stop ignoring your body’s signals.”

“Ardent Annilan,” Rushu said. “I’m so sorry to interrupt you but…but…”

Come on, Rushu! Venli thought.

“...but there’s been a disturbance upstairs and…and they need your help to clean up!” Rushu stammered.

The ardent sighed deeply, then slowly left with heavy footsteps, passing Rushu in the hallway. “If I’ve told Hillin once, I’ve told her a thousand times...” he mumbled angrily as he passed.

Venli snuck in, then started opening cupboards, looking for bowls. 

“Why didn’t you help, if they need someone so bad?”

“They, uh…they asked me to get more people.”

“So? Off with you then! Find more people to help! I won’t be cleaning up messes all on my own,” the man's voice echoed from the stone hallway.

Venli heard a squeak, then quick footsteps that faded away. Storms, they should have decided on a meeting place. And where were the storming bowls? 

Always in the last place you look. She could almost hear her mother’s voice, tinged with Amusement, as she found them in a low cupboard, with literally every other door in the room hanging open.

As she started ladling the curry into the bowl, Venli heard heavy footsteps approaching. Now that Rushu was gone, he’d apparently decided not to bother even checking out her lie.

Venli was trapped!

---

“So, how did you escape?” Rushu asked through a mouthful of food. They were sitting together in a little-used hallway. Venli had found her scurrying around on the floor above, seemingly unable disobey the other ardent’s instructions even though she couldn’t complete them. Poor woman. Venli was going to have to help her get used to breaking stupid rules.

Just then, a small hand reached out, holding a flatbread. “She Elsecalled. I saw it.”

“Lift?” Venli asked to Surprise, though if anyone was going to find them in a dim corridor, Lift would've been one of the first on her list.

Rushu eyed the flatbread, then took it greedily. “Oh. Thank you!” she said, and immediately started digging in.

“Hey, I was trying to be mysterious,” Venli complained. “I would ask what are you doing wandering random halls, but…it’s you.”

The girl bared her teeth, her chin held high. “I remember those who forgot their flatbread!” she said with her hands on her hips, then scampered off.

Rushu laughed, and Venli hummed to Amusement. Their eyes met.

“Thank you,” Rushu said around her food. 

“You’re welcome,” Venli said to Praise. “You deserve food when you’re hungry.”

“I–I don’t know about that, but thank you anyway,” Rushu said, more softly, and this time Venli could tell that she was smiling.

Timbre pulsed to Anticipation inside her, but Venli spoke to Appreciation. “I’m glad I could do something good for you,” she said. “I’m not used to people thanking me.”

“And I’m not used to people putting up with my forgetfulness,” Rushu said.

They looked at each other again, and Rushu passed her a piece of bread. As they chewed together, Venli thought, well, maybe she wouldn't mind sharing a little bit of scholarly credit with Rushu.

[lost-boys-chapter]

teaching myself alethi women's script, normal activity for a thursday night. to be honest it's just a bunch of triangles. i actually have thoughts about it but I know just the right amount about linguistics to be consciously incompetent and im afraid to share them but... this is very interesting tbh

[hinumay]

Watching a breakdown of the new Wind and Truth spoilers RAFO just called to the 17th shard if they've translated the new Alethi writings from the chapter..

And It made me realize that the fandom literally has an organization of Cosmere Scholars irl.. that is named after the in world Cosmere Organization who goes out the universe documenting stuff and etc

... They also hold the keyes to the real life Coppermind Wiki, that's named after a form of magic in universe that can hold information...

And they can just translate one of the the in world scripts anytime..

Man

Cosmere

I feel like Marasi learning about the Ghost Bloods right now

[cosmereplay]

[ID: A digital illustration of Kaladin standing on an open metal platform. In the background are many snowy mountains. The clouds in the sky reflect warm sunlight that might indicate a sunrise. Syl is flying next to his head, looking at Kaladin with hands under her chin and smiling in excitement. She is a tiny woman made of blue light, wearing a dress that flares above her knees. She has puffy wind swept hair. Windspren spiral around Kaladin in the shape of leaves made of blue light blowing in the wind.

Kaladin is laughing openly with an adorable expression. His smile is wide and carefree, showing his white teeth, pronouncing his smile lines and dimples and squishing his eyes closed. Kaladin is a tall man with tan skin. His wavy black hair is half held back from his face, with the rest reaching his shoulders and lightly blown by the wind. He has pale brands on his forehead. He has thick black eyebrows and closed eyes with epicanthic folds. He is wearing a mostly blue uniform. A high necked white undershirt, a blue shirt on top of it with a split collar, and on top of that a knee-length blue coat with blue and white cords on the shoulders, with another golden-brown cord under his right arm. There is a pin with the Windrunner glyph on the inside of his left coat lapel. His trousers are a darker blue. He is holding the railing with his left hand. His right hand is pressed against his stomach, over his brown belt, probably because he is laughing so hard. His left leg is slightly crossed over his right as he leans back. On the top right corner of the illustration there are three lines of black text in the Alethi women’s script that read “'Many things that seem threatening in the dark become welcoming when we shine light on them' - Uncle Iroh”. @chumsterfire's black artist’s signature and the year 2024 is on the bottom corner. End ID. Thanks to K for the ID!]

I like to imagine this as a moment during flight training. Kaladin gets caught up in the fun and the sunshine and he couldn't help but laugh at a happy moment.

[jewishdainix]

Happy Chanuka, stormlight fans :D

[Image ID: two pictures of pages of a notebook with vertical lines. The first one is an alethi glyph that reads "chanuka", the second is "chanuka sameach", which means "happy hanukkah" in hebrew, written in the alethi women's script. Both are written in a blue pen. End ID]

[koravelliumavast]

New reaction image

It says get fucked in the alethi womens script.

[miss-sprocket]

I'm no calligrapher but I've been touching up my alethi women's script, what do you think?

[somewhere-south-of-neutral]

There are people who think post-Nightwatcher Dalinar would be homophobic? Dalinar "Sometimes just because something is traditional doesn't mean it's right" Kholin? Dalinar "Learned the women's script to write a book" Kholin? Dalinar "when people were mocking his other son who is actually canonically gay for his gender non-conforming interest in science he made a point of supporting him by going to the engineering meeting" Kholin? Dalinar "The Alethi are canonically pretty accepting of gay people already anyway" Kholin? Dalinar "I will bring men together" Kholin? Homophobic?

Since when?

Haven’t read a shakadolin fic in years but I love the trope in them of Dalinar being homophobic and all like nooooooo I don’t approve of you dating a man Adolin! Dump Kaladin immediately! When like. In canon Dalinar is Not Very Fond of Shallan and deeply respects Kaladin. like I think you’re getting it backwards. I think Dalinar would be like son I don’t approve of throuples. Divorce your wife immediately

[onlycosmere]

Practicing some Alethi Calligraphy by CelesteB1998

Deleted: Wow, that's pretty good! What does it say? (I am a good Vorin man and don't read women's script)

CelesteB1998: Something Shallan would kill me for suggesting - the "Jam Tomorrow, Jam Yesterday, but never Jam today" scene from Alice through the Looking Glass.

[figgldygrak]

In the last chapter of Oathbringer, Dalinar says “you said pronouns have a gender in women’s formal script” when asking about masculine I and Navani says “you can use the neuter, like an ardent.”

This implies that Alethi spoken language does not have gendered pronouns (which would explain no one being confused about The Sibling using they/them). It also shows that when gender pronouns are used, ardently use neutral ones. That does make the gendered pronouns normally used for ardents seem strange.

[sebarial-the-economist]

Calligraphy practice by an unknown Alethi student, possibly the daughter of one of Navani Kholin’s engineers.   Found in Urithiru, believed to have been created c 1175 Translation: “The I Hate Amaram Club” “Fuck Gavilar” “Moash is stupid”