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moiraineswife · 3 years ago

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Mine - A Navani/Raboniel Fic

IT’S TIME FOR THE GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY.

Title: Mine

Rating: M Content warnings: Violence. Sexy violence. But still violence.

Summary: Set during Rhythm of War. THEORETICALLY it’s canon-compliant. Just gayer. After several failed attempts, The Pursuer sends men to bring him Navani, believing Kaladin will come to the Queen’s aid if she’s in danger. Raboniel takes issue with this, and refuses to allow them to take Navani.

Teaser: ‘“You will tell him that Navani is mine. If he may claim that Windrunner, then I claim her. He will not touch her. He will not send men to take her from me. He will not so much as think of her or utter her name without my knowledge and consent. She is mine, and I will send every one of his worthless soldiers back to Braize screaming if that is what it takes to make that known throughout this tower.”’

Link: AO3

It had been a long time since Navani had studied by candlelight.

Glowing gemstones had ruled her life for so long now. Woven into her hair as a symbol of status in Gavilar’s court.

Counting spheres as the cost of conquest had piled on her shoulders as her husband had drunk, and killed, and warred his way to glory, with no idea what she did in the background to prevent his fledgling kingdom suffering economic and social collapse in the wake of his passing.

Powering the fabrials that had brought her such joy and fulfilment, a constant support in her life.

Now the Stormlight that fueled the Radiants as most of her family was pulled into this war.

Raboniel preferred to work by candlelight. She said it soothed her, and reminded her of days when she’d been younger. Stormlight had not been plentiful for Fused in eras gone by. Odium had disapproved of it surrounding them, and Voidlight was a poor source of illumination.

Navani had to admit they brought a certain warmth to the small room she was ensconced in with Raboniel. They were alone together now, as Raboniel had just dismissed the guards, who had been visibly wilting, and told them to send a replacement team down to them instead.

There was no sound save the soft scratching of their pens on the notebook between them. Raboniel was studying her latest addition, making small, careful notations in the women’s script.

One could tell a lot about another’s script, Navani felt. Jasnah’s for example, was pristine, a perfect example of the women’s script, honed over much time. Dalinar’s was less practiced, with large, bold lines, each word somehow making its own statement upon the page.

Raboniel’s was sharper than Navani’s, more cramped. This was to be expected, given her unfamiliarity with it, but she wrote curiously, each spike and line written with a differing pressure or firmness, to a rhythm, she realised. Right now that rhythm was frantic, her eyes focused, entirely consumed by the work.

Navani understood that feeling. Like Raboniel, she had been many things to many people over her years. Mother, mentor, wife, queen. For herself, she was a scholar. Yes. A scholar. It was still sometimes difficult to ignore the words whispered in Gavilar’s voice at the back of her mind that told her she was nothing herself. Always defined by what she was to, and what she could get from, others.

Raboniel had helped her see things differently. This was who she was. Navani. Not Queen Navani. Not Brightness Kholin. Just Navani. Navani was a creator, an inventor, a scholar, a pursuer of secrets, and she thrived in this environment.

She felt the same way about Raboniel.

She was many things to many people as well. A mother, certainly, even now that Essu was dead, by her own hand, she would never stop being a mother. A soldier, and a war leader. A servant of Odium. An immortal Fused reborn. A Voidbringer, in the minds of many humans.

Raboniel, however, not the Lady of Pains, the Lady of Wishes, Ancient One, or General, just Raboniel was as Navani was: a scholar. She too thrived on this. She had ulterior motives, certainly, Navani had already seen several of them.

Yet even without them, she felt sure she would be driven, as Navani was herself, by the question, the seeking, the taste of new knowledge, the thrill of uncovering things that had been buried for millenia, of cracking puzzles buried in the very fabric of their world that no-one had ever cracked before.

In her heart, in the deepest, most fundamental fabric of her soul, Raboniel was a scholar. And in that way, mortal and immortal, Fused and human, their essence was the same. And it sang in harmony with one another in these moments, cloistered alone together, picking out the mysteries of ages gone by.

It was a strangely intimate process. Navani had always worked in groups before. She had flitted between ardents and engineers and storm wardens like an insect pollinating flowers, bringing little bits of insight or inspiration, but never lingering with any.

With this project, she had worked exclusively with Raboniel, for hours and hours at a time. They had only had one another to feed off of and consume with their theories, and thoughts, and ideas, and experiments.

She felt as though she knew this woman, felt as though she connected with her, in a way she had rarely done with another human so swiftly.

She adored the bones of Dalinar, she truly did. But it had taken a while to understand him. Part of the reason she had taken such time between Gavilar and Dalinar in their youth was that it took her a while to feel she knew a person, and was close enough to commit to them.

How wrong she had been, in mistaking Gavilar’s mask for the truth of him. While she had missed the good heart buried beneath the layers of scar tissue Dalinar had hidden it behind all those years ago.

Raboniel, though, she felt she knew her, knew her, beneath the blood and bones, straight to the soul, the moment they had first worked on Rhythm of War together, and she had looked into her eyes, and found that same bright, consuming, almost manic light gleaming in them that lived within her, too.

With a small nod, her rhythm shifting to one of satisfaction, Raboniel pushed the notebook back towards Navani, gesturing her to the new notes that had been made in the Fused’s hand.

As she bent to examine it, however, Raboniel sat up beside her, straight and intent, head turning towards the door. The way she sat when they were not alone, when she was a regal Fused, not a scholar.

Navani turned, too, and found six of the Pursuer’s Fused soldiers standing in the doorway.

Raboniel did not seem surprised. If anything she seemed...Resigned.

Navani was not overly aware of the situation in the tower, but she knew that tension between the Pursuer and Raboniel’s calmer, more reasonable rule were straining. Especially as his hunt for Kaladin continued to refuse to bear fruit.

Raboniel stood, and a power seemed to radiate from her, as if she were a perfect gemstone, containing an immortality’s worth of stormlight pulsing within.

She was rather impressed that the soldiers didn’t turn and flee at once, as Raboniel reached her height and stared them down without a flicker of fear, despite being outnumbered six to one.

“Our master has sent us,” the lead soldier said, red eyes gleaming as they flickered from Raboniel to Navani, still sat at the desk behind Raboniel, who suddenly felt like a shield against that hungry gaze.

“I thought that he might,” Raboniel replied, her rhythm becoming dark and tempestuous.

“Then you know why we are here, Lady of Wishes,” said another, taking a step forwards, “This can be resolved without any bloodshed.”

Bloodshed? Navani felt herself growing cold. On some instinct, she picked up the Rhythm of War notebook and began to try to surreptitiously move to the back of the room. Putting as much distance between herself and these men seemed the most sensible course of action now.

One of them noticed her, and began to hum in a loud, derisive rhythm, jeering, “See how it runs. The fear is obvious! She knows she is pursued.”

Pursued? They were here for her?

Raboniel glanced over her shoulder, long hair strands swishing around her like a cape as she did. She gave Navani a small nod, telling her she had done the right thing.

“Do not fear such as these, Navani,” she said, her rhythm soft but strong, pulsing against Navani, almost strengthening her, “They do not warrant any reaction from yourself.”

“It is true, then?” the lead soldier said, his rhythm scathing, his tone far bolder than any she had heard taken with Raboniel before, “You have grown fond of his human pet of yours, and it has made you weak, sucked the passion from you and put it into her instead.”

Raboniel actually growled at him, her rhythm becoming dark and dangerous, Voidlight collecting around her hand as she stared the soldier down, “Do not forget yourself, Devail,” she said, her rhythm an angry, swirling snarl of sound. “I am not some common Fused like Lezian, and if you speak to me in such a way again you will regret it for the rest of your pathetic immortal existence, I swear to you.”

Navani trembled and the words were not even directed at her. The soldier took a step backwards, humming softly in a rhythm of apology. As well he might.

Raboniel took a breath, and looked at each of the men in turn, giving them a long, piercing look, “Is this something you truly wish to do?” she asked them quietly.

“We’re under orders, Lady of Wishes,” the lead soldier said, “We’re not to use violence as a primary method of achieving those orders, but the Pursuer expects resistance. In that case, he says we are to achieve our goal at all costs.”

Raboniel hummed a sharp, destructive rhythm, “You would raise your weapons against me, truly?”

Oh Stormfather, Navani thought, trembling. This could turn ugly, well and truly. Raboniel was a competent warrior, she was sure, but she was primarily a scholar, thinker, and organiser, from what Navani had seen. The Pursuer’s men were among the most finely trained, as brutal and bloodthirsty as their master.

“We would take up arms against one who tried to defend a human, Lady of Wishes,” the soldier said again, his rhythm respectful, but firm.

Raboniel shook his head, “Lezian is a fool,” she hissed, “What does he possibly wish to accomplish with the queen that could be more than what I have accomplished with her?”

“He will use her to lure his prize,” the soldier Raboniel had named Devail said, an indecent hunger in his eyes as he once again looked past Raboniel to Navnai, cowering on the floor behind them, feeling like a hog in a pen at a slaughter market beneath that gaze.

“The Pursuer believes he can use the queen to draw forth Stormblessed,” the lead soldier said, “He would of course come to the defence of his queen were she threatened.”

“Or publicly executed,” Devail added, with a gleeful grin.

Navani quivered. She had rarely felt so helpless. She held the Rhythm of War against her chest, as though it could do anything to help her. She had no weapons, not even her customary painrial. She was tired, and weak, and fragile.

If Raboniel gave her over to these men there would be nothing she could do to stop it.

“He thinks to set an ambush for the Windrunner, using something the man will seek to defend to draw him to a place of contest, does he?” Raboniel asked, and her rhythm sounded strangely amused. Perhaps Navani could not read her correctly.

“You are wise as ever Lady of Wishes,” the lead Fused said, with a small bow of the head, “This is indeed his intention.”

“And why should it work this time when he has failed twice already, with far more fixed and defensible locations at the shield points?” Raboniel demanded scornfully.

Devial took an angry step forwards but, wisely, his commander restrained him.

“I will not relinquish an asset to him for the sake of his wounded, failing pride,” Raboniel continued derisively, “Navani is of far more use to me than Lezian could ever fathom to put her to in his wildest moment of clarity and intelligence.”

“We are under orders, Lady,” the lead soldier said, “Our master was quite...Insistent.”

“And you think I cannot be equally so?” Raboniel said, crossing her arms over her chest and frowning. “Return to your master and tell him that he has no authority to issue me with orders in this tower, or anywhere. Tell him he should count himself lucky I do not escalate this insult and return him to Braize, screaming. And tell him that if he wants to request something of me in future, then I expect him to pay me the respect I am due and come himself.”

With that, she turned her back on them, as though done with them. Navani had to clap her safehand to her mouth to stop herself uttering a warning. It seemed so foolhardy for Raboniel to put her back to these men.

The tension inside her was vibrating like a lost tone. She could barely breathe for the pressure of it welling inside her. Her eyes flicked up towards Raboniel’s face and found it wearing a soft, reassuring smile.

“This was not an option our master will allow us to pursue, lady,” the lead soldier said, quietly.

The Fused behind him drew their weapons, holding them in distinctly aggressive postures.

Raboniel sighed heavily and turned slowly back to face them.

“Perhaps I was not clear enough, captain,” she said, her voice quiet and dangerous, “I am giving you this chance to return to your master and have him confront me himself. Take it.”

“I cannot, lady,” he said, shaking his head, “We were prepared for this eventuality, our master-”

“If your master wishes so much for me to bleed him,” Raboniel growled, “Then perhaps he can cease being so cowardly and face me himself.”

Devial made a noise of outrage at that, and several of the others hummed to an angry rhythm. “He already has his prey!” one of them called, “It would break centuries of tradition were he to pursue another before he has claimed the life of the Windrunner.”

“What a convenient excuse,” Raboniel said scathingly.

“We have no quarrel with you, lady,” the lead soldier interrupted, “We only want the queen.”

“Then that is your quarrel with me, captain,” Raboniel snapped, “Navani is mine. As I have made clear to your master, and indeed to all who reside in this tower. If you wish to harm her, or indeed remove her from this room without my authority, then there will be a quarrel.”

Navani felt almost breathless, as Raboniel glowered down at these men, heavily armoured, ancient, powerful, returned over and over to kill. And she stood her ground and stared them down to protect her.

A part of her wanted to protest, wanted to stop this hopeless fight before it began. Raboniel being killed might have once been a desirable outcome, but her honour in this moment would not allow the woman to get herself killed protecting Navani, when the outcome would be the same.

Yet these men terrified her. She did not want to leave this safe, quiet, candlelit room, her books, her scholarship, her safety that she enjoyed with Raboniel.

She stayed quiet. Cowardly. And watched with wide eyes.

“Then a quarrel it shall be,” the captain said, sounding resigned, but not altogether surprised.

They had expected this? They had expected Raboniel to stubbornly face her death rather than simply handing Navani over?

“Then come, quarrel with me,” Raboniel said in a dangerous hiss, drawing twin blades from her hips as she spoke, “And do make it quick, captain, I have work I must yet attend to tonight.

There was a moment. A single, eternal moment that hung in silence for a cluster of frantic heartbeats. Like the breath of calm and quiet before the full force of the stormwall was brought to bear upon the world.

Raboniel and the Pursuer’s men faced one another, Raboniel crouched low in an offensive stance, the men standing in a furious formation, weapons drawn, carapace gleaming, the flickering candlelight casting deadly shadows across their inhuman faces.

Navani cowered in her corner and whispered a soft prayer to the Almighty, hands clutched over her chest, wishing, absurdly, that she had a glyphward to burn.

Then the stormwall hit, and Navani pressed herself back against the wall, as if she could push herself into it and escape the cacophony of death and violence that erupted around her like a highstorm. She felt vulnerable, exposed, tied out to bear it alone, with no shield against what was coming.

Except that she was not alone. Raboniel stood in front of her, protective, a shield against the horrors that had come for her.

The Pursuer’s men moved forwards in a tight formation and they seemed, absurdly, wary. Though they were six warriors against one scholar, they seemed to actually fear Raboniel.

A heartbeat later, Navani understood why.

The men came for her, but she did not wait for them. In a single bound, she crossed the distance between them, and landed in their midst, blades flashing, teeth bared, hair flying like a banner behind her.

Navani gasped as both of her blades - thinner, and shorter, than a common lighteyes side sword, pierced both eyes of a Fused in the centre of the group. He went down with her landing on his chest, like a mink atop a thrashing rat, his flailing limbs knocking into his companions and sowing chaos in their tight formation.

Raboniel grinned a feral, dangerous smile at the others around her, then leapt, yanking her blades from the corpse of the Fused beneath her, and scraping along the carapace of the men before her.

The noise it made was awful, and Navani clapped her hands to her ears. The scraping, shrieking sounded like a dirge of death, and the men around her flinched at the sound of it.

This was clearly the reaction Raboniel had anticipated, for she sprang backwards out of the chaotic fray, putting her back once more to Navani, keeping herself carefully between her and the Pursuer’s men.

She jerked her chin towards them, inviting them to come and take her if they could, and Navani felt a chill of understanding.

In essence, this woman was like her. They were both scholars, driven by their passion for learning, for teasing the secrets from Roshar that it tried so hard to hide from them. But she was more. Far more. And one aspect of herself was this.

The Lady of Pains. A Herald in her own right. A Herald of Death. Bearer of devastation and violence. A woman who held a sword as easily as she held a pen, and unravelled men with as much skill and precision as she unravelled secrets.

She spun, both blades whirling through the air, flashing in the candlelight, casting terrible, dancing shadows against the walls. She caught another Fused in the throat and he stumbled, but Voidlight glowed from the wound, healing it.

Before that could complete, she stepped in to him and rammed her blade, designed, Navani saw now, to pierce armour - or carapace - into his chest, and Navani heard the telltale crack as his gemheart shattered.

A sword clattered against her back and she turned, snarling, blood flying from her blades, and parried the next swing that should have taken her head from her shoulders. She caught the blade between both of her own, crossed like a chasmfiend’s mandibles, and twisted, shattering the wrist of its bearer.

He dropped the sword, screaming, and Raboniel moved in as though she might have kissed him, but breathed out, engulfing him in a cloud of blackness that began to devour his flesh while he howled in pain, clawing at it and writhing on the floor.

Navani had thought herself a connoisseur of death. She had watched countless duels in her life, attended many wars. Her first husband had begun a war of conquest which had often spilled blood upon those closest to him. Her current husband waged a war for the world itself. Navani had seen the aftermath of battles, had even seen a few battles themselves.

She had never seen anything like this.

Raboniel moved faster than she would have believed, blades a silver blur, Voidlight rising from her skin as she swayed.

Dalinar and Gavilar had been skilled. They had talent, practice, and shards to cause devastation. But this? This was an immortal who had been singing to a rhythm of war and death at Odium’s bidding from the moment she had drawn breath.

She was like a shard all her own. Created to kill. She was like a highstorm, these men a foolish cry for it to quiet its winds, utterly lost to its fury and tempest.

One of the men cracked the head of a spear against her shoulder and she turned, grasping at the staff. It crumbled to dust at her touch, but the blade remained intact. It fell, as if in slow motion, and she snatched and hurled it across the room, lodging it in the forehead of another who dropped instantly.

The now weaponless man stared at her with eyes wide, full of fear, then full of nothing but death as Raboniel took both blades and rammed them, one on either side, into his chest, piercing directly to his gemheart.

Pain flashed unexpectedly into Navani’s awareness.

She looked down to find a knife slashing against her arm. A second later, it was at her neck, and she screamed, unable to stop herself, as Devial grabbed her and pulled her against him, blade held tight against her throat, sharp blade scraping the skin.

Raboniel turned at once, locking on to the sound. She stumbled, as the captain struck her from behind. Without looking, her entire aspect focused on Navni, she whipped a knife from her belt and flung it behind her, narrowly missing the captain, who had to dance aside to avoid it.

“Enough, Raboniel,” Devial panted, his breath hot in Navani’s ear, “I have her. Set down your blades. I promise I won’t torture her too much before I cut her pretty head off if you do.”

Raboniel stalked towards him, her eyes blazing like the fires of Damnation, burning with hatred and disgust, each step that of a calculating predator.

“Release her, Devial,” she breathed softly, a trickle of blood streaming from the corner of her mouth as she bared her fangs at him, “Or I will send you back to Odium begging never to be Returned again lest you be forced to face me and the torments I will unleash upon your worthless form again.”

Devial laughed, and pressed the blade harder against Navani’s throat in answer.

“So be it,” Raboniel whispered.

She moved blindingly, far more quickly than Navnai had yet seen from her. In an instant, she had the blade at her neck in her hands, and it vanished to dust in a heartbeat, Navani dropping to the floor and scrambling away from the battling Fused, clutching at her throat in terror.

Devial swung for Raboniel’s neck as his captain prowled around them, forcing Raboniel to keep one blade guarding her exposed back.

Navani wanted to help but storms. She was just a scholar, and she would only get in the way. All she could do was whisper another frantic prayer to the Almighty. Something she never believed she’d utter for Raboniel’s sake.

“You committed a gross slight against me just now, Devial,” Raboniel called to him, her eyes narrowed, “I will have you correct it before I send you back to Braize.”

“Oh?” he said, “And what was that?”

“You forgot my title when you addressed me in your scorn,” she said quietly, “I would remind you of it.”

With that she lunged for him, throwing another dagger as she did, catching the captain in the hand so he could not intervene as she and Devial slammed to the floor.

She rammed him through the stomach with both of her strange, pointed blades, pinning him in place as he writhed. Then she pressed her hand to him, forcing Voidlight into him, and caused his carapace to ignite, first like smouldering coals, then a roaring bonfire.

Raboniel did not seem bothered by the heat as it engulfed him, writhing and screaming beneath her.

She leaned in close to him, ripping her blades free of his abdomen, sending blood gushing from the wound it left, “I am the Lady of Pains, Devial,” she whispered to him, close and soft as she might to a lover. Then she rammed her blade into his chest and twisted, “My will in this tower is law. My word is final and absolute. And you will pay me the respect I am due by that title. Lest I remind you once more of its origin.”

Navani had thought she would use her second blade to end Devial, puncturing either his gemheart or his spinal cord to finish him.

Instead she rose from him, stepping away, leaving him writhing, consumed by flames and agony. His Voidlight supply healed him. Not fast enough to escape the death that was coming, but enough to prolong it, to ensure his last breaths would be spent in pain.

Navani found she could not feel too sorry, but she did look away from him, watching to where Raboniel stalked towards the last of the men. Their leader, the captain, who cowered on his knees before her.

He tossed aside his blade as she approached him, “I yield, Lady of Pains,” he said, voice cracking with fear.

“Oh?” she said, sounding faintly amused, “And you would have allowed me to yield to you, or to Devial, had I been so pitiful as to demand that mercy, would you?” she demanded, rhythm pulsing with derision.

“I, I-” the man panted, floundering, red eyes wide and terrified as he stared up at her.

“Do not answer,” she snapped, “I do not need to hear you lie to me as a final insult for this day’s nonsense. I do not wish to hear you speak another word to me while you hold this body, lest I be reminded of this encounter, and your worthless part in it. Do I make myself clear?”

The captain nodded frantically, humming to a remorseful, subservient rhythm.

“Good,” she said, coldly. “You will return to Lezian, and you will tell him that my patience with him is growing thin, and if he thinks to test it again, he will be sorry. As sorry as Devial, there,” she said.

As she spoke, she jerked her head towards the Fused behind them, now spasming and whimpering his last.

The echoing silence left in the wake of his death was somehow worse than his screams.

“You will tell him that Navani is mine. If he may claim that Windrunner, then I claim her. He will not touch her. He will not send men to take her from me. He will not so much as think of her or utter her name without my knowledge and consent. She is mine, and I will send every one of his worthless soldiers back to Braize screaming if that is what it takes to make that known throughout this tower.”

She gave the captain a shove, sending him stumbling away from her. He scrambled to his feet, hovering, waiting to see if there was more she wished of him.

“Get out of my sight,” she spat, waving a dismissive hand.

He bolted at once.

Navani sat, stunned, in the corner of the room, staring with wide eyes at the aftermath of what had happened. She put her fingers to her neck, feeling the faint cut there. It was not bad. Barely a scratch, in truth. But the memory of that blade against her skin, the feeling of the Fused’s clammy hands holding her, pressing her against him, as he spoke so lovingly of torturing her, made her want to claw herself out of her own body just to escape the memories.

She was jolted back to her surroundings as Raboniel walked to her and crouched down beside her.

She looked tired. Not physically tired, though. Voidlight, like Stormlight, would support her and stave off fatigue. She looked soul tired. The kind of tiredness that Navani saw when she looked into her eyes as she spoke of the war that had gone on so long for her.

She had been created to kill, made to bring death to this world on Odium’s orders. She did it well. So very, very well. But she was tired of it. Ready to rest, to sleep, at long last. She was rusted through to her core, done, and finished. The only death she wanted now was her own, Navani was sure.

“Are you alright?” Raboniel asked quietly, and Navani’s eyes snapped back to her eyes, focusing herself on them.

“I-” Navani said, her voice shaking.

She wanted to say that she was fine, and she was, in comparison to everyone else in this room, Navani had absolutely nothing to complain about. But the words wouldn’t come. Instead, she kept repeating that single sound, in a progressively higher voice, shaking violently.

“It will pass,” Raboniel said, gently, “Come here,” she coaxed Navani to her feet and led her into the small side room that connected to their study, away from the death.

She settled her on the couch, poured her some strong sapphire wine and pushed the cup into her hands. Then she glanced to the next room, where Fused were calling in their own language, crying out.

“Stay there,” Raboniel said quietly, “I will return for you in a moment.”

Navani almost laughed at that command. It was the most unnecessary she had ever been given in her life. She couldn’t have moved if a highstorm had torn off the roof and come ripping through the room.

Flashes of the battle continued to play out, against her will. Above it all, the look in Raboniel’s eyes as she had defended Navani.

That had been more than a woman protecting an important asset from a political rival. More even than a necessary academic ally. That had been...Real. True, fierce protectiveness. And her declaration that Navani was hers? That she would murder her way through all of the Pursuer’s men if that was what it took to keep her safe? Storms. Storms. It was too much.

She sat on the couch, staring into the violet depths of her wine, unable to bring it to her lips. It was taking all of her concentration and will to keep herself in check enough to stop it slopping over the sides with how her hands were shaking.

Raboniel re-entered the room a moment later, crouching down in front of Navani with a bowl of some kind of clear, strong-smelling liquid and some other supplies she could not take in.

“The guards I sent for arrived,” she said, quietly, “The Pursuer’s men drugged our earlier group, so that they would become more tired, more quickly, hoping I would send for replacements. I have asked them to put our rooms in order for us. They will take care of the-”

“You saved my life,” Navani interrupted, hoarsely.

She had been listening to what Raboniel had said, and a part of her mind recognised that it was important. But that part of her was composed, and in command, and poised. And Navani had never felt less like that in her life. So that part of her mind was most certainly not in charge at the moment.

Raboniel paused, watching Navani with a strange expression.

Then she set down her things and said, simply, “Yes. I did. You think I would simply have handed you over to them?” she asked.

“I would have, if I had been in your position,” Navani replied.

The words were coming out clipped and jerky. She was still staring straight ahead, not thinking clearly. What was she saying? She shouldn’t be telling her that. Next time she might not stand between Navani and those monsters.

Curiously, Raboniel smiled, “I appreciate your honesty, Navani,” she said to a quiet rhythm, “But I do not think it is true. You would not have allowed someone to take a friend in your care.”

“That’s what I am to you?” Navani asked, managing to tear her eyes from the spot on the wall she’d been fixating on, “A friend?”

Raboniel hummed a soft rhythm she could not interpret.

She did not answer, but gestured to Navani’s arm and said, “You were wounded, I would clean and stitch that for you, to prevent infection. I shall have the surgeons attend you tomorrow, but I do not want anyone else coming in or out of here tonight. It will be secured by my guards, and I will remain with you, in case Lezian attempts to strike again, thinking me weakened.”

Navani nodded numbly, barely taking in what Raboniel was saying. Then. Wounded?

She looked down and saw that, indeed, her havah was torn, and there was a long gash in her shoulder where Devial had first grabbed her. Made by a dagger, she thought? Or had it been his claws? She wasn’t sure. It was all a blur. It was all- Oh storms.

Raboniel was achingly gentle as she began to unbutton her havah, saying quietly, “I need to move this out of my way, to work on you.”

Navani nodded vaguely again. She would have let Raboniel do almost anything to her in this state. Some part of her, deeper than conscious sense or reason, trusted this woman. It had identified her as safe, the only safe thing left in her world.

On a base, instinctual level, that part had seen this woman stand before her, fight to the death to defend her, then come to her afterwards to care for her. In her frantic, terrified state, an anxiety beyond panic or hysteria, she clung to whatever instinct guided her to, and right now, instinct guided her to Raboniel.

Raboniel prodded gently at the wound in Navani’s shoulder, “Not bad,” she assessed, the quiet scholar returned once more, the feral, violent intensity of the battle gone now they were alone together again. “It will hurt, I am sure, but should cause no lasting damage.”

“It doesn’t,” Navani replied mechanically, as Raboniel began to clean it, “Hurt,” she added, rather foolishly.

Raboniel nodded, “Be grateful for that reprieve,” she said, wryly, “It will, once your mind catches up with what your body has just experienced.”

“It was so much,” Navani whispered.

The part of her brain that still had a wit left, chided her for the foolish comments, pointing out that Raboniel would not want to hear such babbling from her.

Raboniel only nodded however, “Your first time is always a lot. The next will be easier.”

Navani trembled and violently shook her head, “I do not want there to be a next time,” she said, swallowing hard.

“None of us ever do, Navani,” Raboniel said quietly, “Each time I am forced to pick up my blades and kill again, I hope it will be the last. It never is. I told myself I should stop hoping it will be, as that is foolish, and repeated evidence has been put in front of me that there will always be more. Yet some time will be the last. So I hope for it. Still. I hope for it.”

“I’m sorry,” Navani said, stupidly, as though she had anything to apologise for, as though any of this had been by her design, “That you had to kill again today on my behalf.”

“Do not apologise, Navani,” Raboniel said softly, removing a curved needle and surgeon’s thread from the small pile beside her, “For all the times I have had to kill most recently, you have been the most worthy reason I have done so.”

Their eyes met, and a flicker of warmth flared in Navani, pushing through the cold fog that had descended upon her after the battle.

Clumsily, she reached out and cupped Raboniel’s cheek in her hand, stopping her from looking away, and taking that warmth with her, keeping her in place, looking at her, for just a little longer.

“Thank you,” she whispered, voice hoarse again, but sounding more like her.

Raboniel placed a gentle hand over Navani’s, then smiled and, sounding faintly amused as she hummed, said, “I appreciate the sentiment Navani, truly, but I need two hands to finish my stitching.”

Navani blushed as she realised she had clutched onto Raboniel’s hand without realising, seeking to anchor herself in this moment of chaos and terror. She released her, and focused instead, watching Raboniel’s movements as she stitched.

The pattern was not the one favoured by modern human surgeons, but the stitches were neat, precise, and well-judged. She was obviously practiced.

“I wouldn’t have thought this was a skill you would need to have,” Navani said, finding that she needed to say something, unwilling to let the moment lapse into silence, “Given that you can use Voidlight to heal yourself.”

Raboniel hummed quietly, nodding, “This is true. But it was a skill I had acquired before I became Fused.” She looked up to see Navani’s curious look, and explained, “My mother was a seamstress, many years ago, and she taught me.”

“You remember it?” Navani asked, amazed, “From so long ago?”

“I maintained the skill, over many years, and many returns,” she explained quietly, “It was not something that I wished to lose. I taught Essu, also, when she-” she faltered for a moment, and Navani squeezed her hand. Raboniel took a breath and continued, “I wanted her to have skills beyond what Odium wished her to know in order to kill. I thought, perhaps, it may help, to have an anchor, something familiar, not drenched in blood, to return to. It was not enough.”

She trailed off, and though it made her feel as though she were being repeatedly stabbed, Navani allowed the silence to swallow them, not wishing to interrupt Raboniel’s moment of grief.

A guard glanced into the room as Raboniel finished up, and Navani jumped so badly that Raboniel almost tore out the row of stitches she’d just finished.

Resting a hand gently on Navani’s knee, Raboniel turned and said, “Speak.”

“The area is secure, Ancient One,” the guard said, giving her a salute, “We will remain in the outer chamber, with you and the Queen protected here. If we see any of the Pursuer’s men, we shall call for you at once.”

“Thank you, Vardwi,” Raboniel said, nodding in thanks to the guard, who withdrew with a respectful nod.

“Will they come for me again?” Navani found herself asking.

The usual filter that existed between her brain and her mouth seemed to have broken, and she could not stop her tongue giving voice to her fears.

Raboniel looked at her, eyes steady, intense, “I will not lie, they may,” she said quietly, “But if they do the result shall be the same. They shall not have you. Though we Fused are of Odium, you will find that I can keep my oath as well as your Bondsmith, Navani.”

“You would do that?” she breathed, “You would cut down your own, possibly anger Odium...For me?”

“You have proven yourself, Voice of Lights,” Raboniel said simply, placing hands on her knees and starting to rise, “And you are mine. Under my protection and in my care. It would shame me, were I to allow Lezian to harm you. It-”

She broke off suddenly, swaying slightly in place, putting a hand to her head. Navani reached out to steady her, alarmed, guiding her back down onto the couch she was on.

“What is it?” she asked, sharply, alarmed.

Raboniel groaned, “It appears that I have a dagger in my back,” she said, conversationally. Her eyes twinkled as she glanced to Navani, “I might have suspected you as the source of it, if I did not know better Navani" she murmured with a smile. “I will need to ask you to remove it, however.”

“What?” Navani said, feeling suddenly a little faint.

“It appears I have shifted the blade while moving, it has nicked my lung, which is beginning to fill with blood. It’s a rather unpleasant sensation,” Raboniel informed her matter-of-factly, as if there was a problem in one of their experiments. “Voidlight has healed me as it can around the wound, but cannot repair my lung while there is a dagger in the way. I will need you to take it out.”

Navani swallowed as Raboniel turned in place, and she spotted the hilt of the dagger protruding from her back, just beneath her ribcage.

“Stormfather,” she whispered hoarsely. She reached out to grip the hilt and pull it free, but her hands were shaking so badly. “I, I can’t Raboniel,” she said, staring at the blade, at the blood leaking from the wound, remembering the terror that had only just passed. “My hands- My hands won’t stop shaking, I can’t, I-”

Raboniel turned, wincing as that shifted the blade again, and held Navani’s hands in her own, “You can,” she said, her rhythm comforting. “It is only shock, Navani, it shall pass. But I need you to do this for me now, do you understand?”

“Yes,” Navani whispered, taking a deep breath and trying to master herself, “Yes, I. Yes.”

Raboniel turned in place again, coughing and spitting up blood as she did so. Navani trembled, then wrapped her freehand around the hilt of the dagger, bracing the other against Raboniel’s back.

“Are you ready?” she asked, shakily.

“Make it quick,” Raboniel answered, “One, swift motion. And do resist the temptation to try to ram it into my gemheart, won’t you?” she added, glancing over her shoulder and smirking, “That would be rather poor repayment, don’t you think?”

“I wouldn’t,” Navani said, and knew that it was true.

Once she might have done. Once she would have taken a knife willingly presented to her in the back of this Fused, and thrown it all to the winds in an attempt to rid herself, and this tower, of her. But she couldn’t. She knew that. And not just because Raboniel had risked her life to save her tonight.

Navani took a deep breath, then yanked, swift and sure as she could manage. The knife resisted her, the skin having healed up around her, and Raboniel buried a scream in the cushions of the couch beside her as Navani tore the wound open again.

Then her body slumped, relaxing, and Voidlight began to heal the wound, leaving Navani quivering with a knife in her hands.

Raboniel turned and took it from her, gently, then used a handkerchief to wipe the blood from it before handing it back, hilt first.

“You should have some way to protect yourself,” she said, firmly. “Even if you have no training, it is not too difficult to ram the sharp end somewhere that seems painful.”

Navani nodded and accepted the blade with trembling hands. Then, with nowhere to currently sheathe it, and no desire to be in contact with it, and the memories it carried with it, she set it aside on the arm of the chair.

“What now?” she asked, slightly tremulously.

“We shall rest,” Raboniel said, firmly, “It is late, and you look as though you’re ready to faint with exhaustion and stress.”

She got to her feet, and Navani found herself grabbing for her hand again, saying urgently, “Where are you going?”

Raboniel crouched down and covered her hand with her own, squeezing, “To speak with my guards,” she said, humming to a soothing rhythm, “And to inspect the defences they have set up against Lezian’s men for tonight.”

“You will return?” Navani asked, feeling an absolute fool the moment the words were out of her mouth, yet somehow grateful to her fool self for asking it, so she might hear the answer.

Raboniel hummed in affirmation, “I will not leave you, Navani,” she promised quietly, “I shall remain here tonight with you. And none shall harm you. I swear it.”

Navani nodded, then released Raboniel and allowed her to step from the small side chamber back into the main study to converse with her guards.

Trembling, Navani managed to will enough control into her shaking legs to get them to carry her to the small writing desk in the corner.

There, she took a scrap of parchment, brushpen, and ink, and painted a glyphward of thanks, which she burned in one of Raboniel’s candles.

***

#navoniel #raboniel #navani kholin #rhythm of war #stormlight archive #rhythm of war spoilers #stormlight archive spoilers #my fic #navoniel fic #stormlight fic #mine #text post tag #long post #i havent posted enough GAY #im a BAD LESBIAN #VERY BAD LESBIAN

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preservationandruin · 4 years ago

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Rhythm of War Liveblog, Part 1

Let’s DO this, gang! I’m extremely excited for this book and to see what happens in it, so buckle up and get ready for a wild ride with me, because I can genuinely say that I have no idea what’s going to happen in this one. Oathbringer left us at what felt like a solid end of act one (initial villains defeated, main villain has been seen, characters have had a solid victory) so I’m not sure how this one will go.

Also, I just want to say before I go into the actual liveblog, I love the fact that Sanderson opens the book with his credits and includes crediting someone who acted as expert on Dissociative Identity Disorder for helping write Shallan. I know that in the past I wasn’t particularly articulate or aware of Shallan as a character with DID while writing my liveblogs, and I’m going to attempt to be better about that going forward.

That said, let’s get going! I geek out about the front materials as always, and then we get our Obligatory Feast Flashback as Navani deserves better and I grow blisteringly furious with Gavilar for small things before we even hit the real reasons to be furious with Gavilar Kholin. Content warning: discussion of abuse in the context of a relationship

We open with a beautiful color map of Roshar, which I always love seeing--love this weird-ass supercontinent, gang--and then a diagram of Urithiru, including a sense of how far it extends underground that honestly looks like a picture of how much of an iceberg is underwater. I recognize parts of this--we may have had this diagram before--but I didn’t pick up on exactly how massive the place was. The chasmfiend barely reaching the fourth floor sketched in conveys a mind-blowing sense of scale. Also, nice to have a diagram of which gate goes where and a full list of where they go; Panatham, Rall Elorim, Shinovar, Akinah, Azimir, Thaylen City, Narak, Kholinar (F in the chat for Kholinar, honestly), Vedenar, and Kueth.

There’s another diagram of essentially a series of lifts within Urithiru, and a cross-section of the atrium that again does wonders for a sense of scale--and then we have our obligatory Gavilar’s Death Flashback! This time, it’s Navani, who is stuck figuring out where, logistically, to put the drums we see the Parshendi playing in every other feast flashback. Apparently, Navani bullied Amaram into sharing his grain stores with everyone, and if you thought Amaram being dead would mean I stopped dunking on Amaram, you clearly don’t know how petty I can be.

Okay, so let me get this straight. Gavilar invited one of the world’s most prominent artifabrians--someone in Navani’s field, or at least adjacent to it--to Kholinar, didn’t tell her, and then saddled her with organizing his entire feast? Navani. Navani, honey. May I recommend a service to you.

So Navani is the one who had to organize the ENTIRE feast, because Aesudan wasn’t doing anything, Dalinar was drinking, and Gavilar was off being cryptic with Amaram and the fucking Sons of Honor or whatever the Pretentious Asshole Men’s Club call themselves. And Navani is there trying to do the work of an entire administration, feeling horrible imposter’s syndrome both about her passions and about her job. Also, Navani sees Dalinar and is like. Actually I need to go get some air right now immediately.

I do like the flip-side of the book one “Dalinar sees Navani at a feast and immediately goes deer-in-the-headlights terrified”, though, although I’m so glad Navani waited for him to sober up and get his shit together before actually tapping that.

Okay, Navani finds Gavilar and someone talking about Braize. The specific quote is “Being able to bring them back and forth from Braize doesn’t mean anything, It’s too close to be a relevant distance.” They’re speaking about a box that allows travel and wait, Gavilar is having this meeting in Navani’s Study???? THROW. THE ENTIRE. MAN. IN. THE. GARBAGE. PUT HIM IN THE TRASH.

Anyway, he’s meeting with a tall Makabaki man with a birthmark on his cheek and a short Vorin man with a round face and a small nose; they don’t have home kingdoms named, so I’m actually willing to bet they might not be Rosharan at all. Certainly they’re speaking about worldhopping, and outside of the Rosharan system given that Braize is too close a distance to be relevant. They’re speaking over inverted gems, the ones that have been charged with voidlight and are glowing violet darknesses. OH I WAS WRONG, THEY’RE NOT WORLDHOPPERS AFTER ALL. One mentions that “another of us is here tonight, I spotted her handiwork earlier” and the Vorin man snaps at the Makabaki, who he calls Nale.

Alright, how many Heralds are in this goddamn building tonight?? It’s at least four.

Okay, returning to my earlier comment about throwing the entire man in the garbage, Navani accuses Gavilar of not treating her like a person and instead like a machine and internally mentions that he’s never hurt her, but there have been “words. Comments. Threats.”

He goes on to tell Navani to tell Jasnah to take Amaram back because “Few other suitors will consider her; I’ll likely need to pay half the kingdom to get rid of the girl if she denies Meridas again.” He also refers to her as Navani’s daughter, not their fucking child. I’m going to kill this man! Navani points out that she doesn’t like Amaram and Jasnah can do better, which she’s 100% right about as always.

Honestly, if Jasnah married Amaram, Amaram would be dead. He would have died on the wedding night. She would have killed him and I support her wholeheartedly. Actually, it would have solved a lot of problems. Anyway I don’t know why I expected any better than this from a man who was friends with Amaram.

Navani threatens Gavilar’s legacy by pointing out that she has control of how he’s seen in the future, pointing out that his children, Dalinar, and his nephews still love him because they don’t know who he really is, and she could change that--and then he flat-up starts negging her.

Navani ends up so furious that she draws in the glyphs for Death, Gift, Death, in the shapes of Gavilar’s tower/sword heraldry. She then points out that the next day he’ll be giving her gifts, that he’s not like this to anyone else, just to her--and she blames herself, but that’s not right.

This is abuse. That is textbook cycle of abuse. The incident of abuse is followed by a period of appeasement so that the abuse victim doesn’t leave and thinks things can be better. Navani says that Gavilar is kind to the others, but if he genuinely cared about his children and brother, he wouldn’t speak about them like that even in anger. He’s been consumed with his own ego.

And then he dies. Navani is stunned, but she doesn’t grieve him, and decides to be the better person, giving him his legacy and pretending for the sake of everyone else that he wasn’t a monster.

“Gavilar had left his life as he’d lived it: with grand drama that afterward required Navani to pick up the pieces.”

Throw the whole man away. He doesn’t deserve that fucking legacy. No honor for abusers.

#rowliveblog #row spoilers #throw gavilar kholin in the fucking trash #navani kholin protection squad #herald sighting

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peachdoxie · 4 years ago

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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.

#stormlight archive #stormlight spoilers #rhythm of war #anecdotes by peachdoxie #peachdoxie liveblogs stormlight

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who-is-this-weirdo · 4 years ago

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Some flower symbolism with the Draconic Gods Polycule !

Let's get started with Parangone ! The lawful good one of the group !

As the godess of Justice, I couldn't not associate her with anything but Black-Eyed Susans (wich represent justice according to Wikipedia) ... and it actually look pretty good with her palette ... also, Parangone is BabeyTM

Let's continue with Khiakurah ! The Chaoticneutral/evil of the band

I used two types of roses (Black for the death that she bring along her way and blue for the mystery that her existence is) and Bird's foot trefoil to represent vengeance, which she wants to take against the relative who killed her (*cough* The Scarlett King because she is one of his sisters *cough*) and the revenge she wants to take about the other gods for "brainwashing" Parangone and Braize into trapping her and keeping her captive under a mountain.

Did I just talked about Braize ? The neutralgood ? Yes I did !

The First hero of Lunaris, The god of afterlife and king of hell ... yup, that's him, that's the boy.

The red spider lily is here to represent 1: The afterlife 2: sad memories he have of capturing Khiakurah 3: My boyfriend, the person who inspired Braize is a huge weeb and this flower is pretty popular in anime

The Angrec (lil white flowers) to represent royalty (because u'know ... king of the deads ...)

And some Gladiolus for the honor, strenght ect ect (Because he is the first hero of Lunaris, the other dimension where he lives and where Khiakurah got "teleported" after her "death")

So yeah ... some Oc stuff ... pround of it

#Oc #Dragons #Scp lore Oc #Khiakurah #Braize #Parangone #The Draconic Gods Polycule #YES THEY ARE A POLYCULE #Khiakurah is Pansexual and Demiromantic #Parangone is Biromantic and Asexual #Braize Bisexual/romantic #Parangone and Braize are cis #Khiakurah is a weird gender topic

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libralita · 4 years ago

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Rhythm of War Prologue to Chapter 1

So Mr. Sanderson decided to grace us with a preview of chapters 7 and 8, I won’t be talking about those here, just alluding to them at the ending. However Tor has also decided to drop the fact they’re starting to share the Rhythm of War previews…right now. So uh…don’t read if you want spoilers.

Prologue

NAVANI MY QUEEN

“Gavilar had invited not only the highprinces, but their relatives. And every highlord in the city. And he wanted a double-sized Beggar’s Feast. And now… drums?”

Why…? Did—Did Gavilar plan for his death?

““There are twice as many soldiers as usual loitering around the palace tonight,” Navani said. “We’ll have them help you set up.” Posting extra guards, making a show of force? Gavilar could always be counted on to do that.”

Aw…aw man—I mean it wouldn’t have made a difference because Szeth is Szeth but oh man.

Wait. Was that Aesudan—her daughter-in-law, Elhokar’s wife—standing near the fountains?

OH NO

Aesudan saw Navani and smiled brightly. The joy seemed genuine, which was unusual—at least when directed at Navani. She tried not to take Aesudan’s general sourness toward her as a personal affront; it was the prerogative of every woman to feel threatened by her mother-inlaw. Particularly when the girl was so obviously lacking in talents.

OOF

Kris. Brandon sure does like that name.

“Your son abandoned me there, I’ll have you know. When I find that man…”

TALK SHIT ABOUT MY SON I WILL SMACK YOU

“Aesudan claimed to care about propriety and manners, but she’d insert herself into a conversation between men without bringing her husband along as an excuse.”

Do Not Trust

“Vev’s golden keys!”

Interesting

“However prestigious her ancient lineage might be, her anxiety whispered that she was really just a backwater country girl wearing someone else’s clothing.”

Give. Me. Navani. Backstory.

““…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.””

W-What are you doing to the Heralds?

CONNECTION!

So the other Herald with Nale is not Nezrien, Nale or Taln. Probably not Ishar so that’s probably Kalak. Interesting.

“He took her hand, forced apart her fingers, and removed the sphere. She didn’t fight him; he would not react well. He had never used his strength against her, not in that way, but there had been words. Comments. Threats.”

MMMMMMMMMMM

“Besides, I don’t care for Amaram. Jasnah can do better.”

Oooooooooooooooooooooooo

“No mediocre effort by someone like Dalinar or my son could undermine that—and I personally doubt Elhokar could rise to even mediocre.”

Shut up—you jerk!

Also I fucking knew Gavilar was a bitch to Navani.

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

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

This seems like a very abusive relationship which I CALLED

“even a few rare anguishspren, like teeth growing from the walls.”

Bitch what the fuck

Did Gavilar have some sort of emotional allomancy ability. I am just realizing how weird his family and ever treats him.

“I will be the better person, Gavilar, she thought, closing his eyes. For what you once were, I’ll let the world pretend. I’ll give you your legacy.”

No, ugh we have to open up this wound.

Chapter 1

Yay we get more Navani chapters—hopefully she’ll go into her backstory and her how relationship with Gavilar, perhaps she will come to terms with the fact that she has to figure out what Gavilar was up to because everyone in her family seems to think Gavilar’s farts smell like roses.

Also I’ve already read this chapter so I won’t have too much to say about this one.

I find having a Lirin chapter very interesting because we get the perspective of, he doesn’t really care about who holds the sword, as long as he can help people

Also I feel bad for him because he’s like “please don’t be Kaladin, please don’t be Kaladin, please don’t be—” Kaladin: “SURPRISE MOTHERFUCKERS!” So yeah.

Also based on…other previews, I have a very bad feeling for what’s about to happen.

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

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eeveekholin · 4 years ago

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RoW Reactions for Prologue and Chapter 1

Gavilar doesn’t deserve you Navani.

Nale was directly involved with what Gavilar was doing? I don’t remember that being explicit before. I should have reread Oathbringer before this, shouldn’t I? Also, they’re trying to go to Braize!!!

“I dEaL iN sEcReTs YoU cOuLd NoT hAnDlE, nAvAnI.” Shut up Gavilar.

“Jasnah will marry Amaram.” Shut up Gavilar

“I personally doubt Elhokar could rise to even mediocre.” SHUT UP GAVILAR CHALLENGE

HOLY SHIT okay okay okay I’m not okay first of all the emotional abuse holy shit that was unpleasant to read holy shit like yeah we knew he and Navani had stopped getting along but UHHHHHHH that’s MUCH WORSE THAN I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE and second of all Navani burning a glyphward praying for Gavilar’s death?!?!?! ON THE NIGHT HE DIES?!?!?!?! I’m not okay.

Oh and also, like, those chapters in OB where Navani is managing everything while Dalinar relapses are 100x sadder now.

Oh also this idiot thinks he’s going to live forever. lol. Rot in hell Gavilar.

I have an immense need to hug Navani now.

HOLY SHIT NAVANI IS A MAIN POV FOR PART 1!!! MORE NAVANI!!! OH MY GOSH I NEED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO APPRECIATE THIS!!!

“A surgeon must not weep” oh god is it time to cry about Kaladin some more? Kaladin Stormblessed weeping hours?

Dieno used to be a slave? Well that’s going to make his interactions with Kaladin very interesting.

OH SHIT KALADIN IS HERE BABEY! IT’S FIGHT TIME!

#rowspoilers #row spoilers #stormlight #i'm not okay

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thefreshfinds · 5 years ago

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BROOKLYN UNITY FEST:

There is strength in numbers and the Brooklyn Unity Fest went ahead to prove that theory in their 8th annual event. If someone were to question "Where Brooklyn at?" the proof would be front and center. Ultimately the Brooklyn Unity Fest gave back to its community in a major way!

Aside from its free giveaway on Summer Jam tickets, bikes and t-shirts — there was also a Fabolous Way 3 Point Contest and Stomp the Violence Dance Contest.

From the basketball courts, vendors, face painting, multiple stages and even a bouncy house — the festival made sure to bask in its pride.

Overall, everyone was very accepting. Once the performers went onstage their was a common ground shared between the younger and older generation.

Not only were their crowds of kids doing the Stanky Leg, but there was all smiles and a fascination towards the new age sound. Many of the artists recieved new fans but their main focus was giving their all in the name of hip-hop. The genre has taken them to new heights and for that matter they encourage others to follow their dreams. In a word, there was no other place that I wanted to be! The Brooklyn Unity Fest had great vibes. No wonder Brooklyn is the Most Thorough Borough! Their community is willing to give a lending hand if needed be.

Although I wasn't able to interview all of the performers, here are some phenomenal creatives (you read it right) that I had an opportunity to speak with:

1. JU-MO and E-MONEY TAGS: If you're wondering where the boosters at, you don't need to look any further. These two are willing to go the distance because they're asking the same thing! Originally from Brooklyn, NY — JU-MO's moniker stands for "Just Money" and his government. The MC even utilizes his creativity and goes as far as to create wristbands with all the currencies and his own clothing line thats displayed on a manequin! If that isn't cool enough then his music will heat things up, since that's its true purpose. Besides this, E-Money Tags is who he is. He's just happy and is living his best life. "They don't like us" and that's perfectly fine. JU-MO and E-Money Tags plan on spreading love, happiness and unity regardless. Go and stream “We the Boosters” now. It’s on all platforms. Music video coming soon.

INSTAGRAM: @its_just_money

2. AUDREY JACKSON: Humble, brave, dedicated and passionate Audrey Jackson has been singing since she was 2 and performed from 5th grade on up! However when she got to college and sung the national anthem for the Philadelphia 76ers thats when she started going full force with her career. Sultry by nature, Audrey Jackson heats things up with her vocal range and charisma. Before going onstage she talks to God and her grandma. She also asks them to be with her and wears something of her grandmas for more positive energy. One line that resonates with her is: Whenever someone push your back against the wall say I’m hear to stay. Her mixtape Misunderstood is coming soon and features Jahlil Beats. Instagram: @Iamaudreyjackson@Itsallmusicthemovement. Rel Carter director of A&R for Roc Nation. Her album called “ No Handouts” is available on every digital platform. Love triangle is available now on all digital platforms.

INSTAGRAM: @iamaudreyjackson

MUSIC LINK: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6yAL4ht3Igo

3. RICH CHINO and HOLLI TV: Rich Chino radiates love, not only in real life but also in his music because that’s what hip-hop means to him. Even when he’s taken a few L’s, Rich Chino would never wish harm upon those he cared for. He’d just rather not have them in his circle. A lot of people may say that Rich Chino has changed because he does his own thing but one thing is certain: He’ll always win. His track “Calling Mommy” is a dance song at most and makes one get up on that floor to show all the moves. His best friend Holli TV also did music and hops on a track from time to time but he’s mostly a comedian. A word of advice for inspiring creatives: Be yourself, be consistent and never let the hate affect you. Word on the block is that others respect the grind too, so how could they ever stop? Stay tuned for more content from Holli TV, go and stream “Calling Mommy” on SoundCloud.

INSTAGRAMS: @richchino + @hollitv

MUSIC LINK: https://m.soundcloud.com/user-171933865/richchino-calling-mommy

4. LIL POOKA: CEO and founder of VSF the label — Lil Pooka, defines himself as an entrepreneurial artist. Always two steps ahead, he invest into his future by thinking in the way of a business man. Even though things are just starting for him, Lil Pooka has been creating music since he was 12 years old. Hip-hop is life for the reinforcer and he says that it’s half of him. “Hip-hop is a great way of self-expression.” Lil Pooka adds. One who gets hyped off an all-around grind, Lil Pooka prays for good vibes and new beginnings. Lil Pooka will always look to be a big influencer. For the culture, Lil Pooka says to “never cap.” Always tell your truth, no matter what. Stay tuned for new music soon.

INSTAGRAM: @lipooka

MUSIC LINK: https://m.soundcloud.com/cashoutday

5. SELF MADE STREETS: Putting his ego to the side, Self Made Streets makes things happen with one movement at a time. From the jump, he keeps it real and leaps into a sound that’s meant to inspire. Yet it all derives from his personal upbringings. “I’m reinventing myself right before your eyes.” says Self Made Streets. Still, as he teaches the generation — Self Made Streets is also learning and progressing. It’s two of the things he takes with him on a daily basis. Aside from an MC, Self Made Streets is an entrepreneur who believes in the power of change. Stream his latest tape No Turning Back. It’s on all platforms.

INSTAGRAM: @selfmadestreets

6. KING BRAIZE: An intricate wordsmith who reps the Garden State, King Braize lives to tell a message. His motto “Inspire yourself” speaks volume and pushes one to keep going (with or without support). King Braize is the voice of his people and brings awareness to the inequality between African American’s and todays era. Along his journey he wants peace, patience and happiness. He lives to focus on love because what is a better way to celebrate those that you hold close to your heart? What’s more important to him is just trusting the process. Follow the #KrownMovement and listen to his music. It’s available on all streaming platforms.

INSTAGRAM: @kingbraize

MUSIC LINK: http://kingbraize.com/inspireyourself/

7. KHING JUS WURK: Khing Jus Wurk gives the music era something different. Instead of advocating drugs or sex — he uses his craft to enforce change and inspiration. He’d like for more kings to push kings because we have enough that are at war. For now though, Khing Jus Wurk will be the first to break the stigma(and to put in the overtime). If you haven’t grabbed a copy of XXL magazine, go and do so. Khing Jus Wurk made an appearance. Also make sure to stream his tape #3DayWeekend. It’s available on all platforms.

INSTAGRAM: @khingjuswurk

MUSIC LINK: https://tidal.com/browse/artist/10033147

8. TEMMY BRIDGES AND DANYOSONN: Two who had to go and get it — Temmy Bridges and Danyosonn have been grinding for years. Originally from Canada, Temmy Bridges now lives in Brooklyn. He started rapping 7 years ago, but took it seriously once he saw that people were catching a vibe from it. Ultimately, hip-hop is a freedom of speech for him and with that, comes a risk but Temmy Bridges faces it head on. He’s willing to switch up the tone at all cost. Secondly, Danyosonn’s moniker was passed down from the Great Sensai. And while he has the boom, ba and bam — Danyosonn doesn’t use his talent to brag. Instead he uses hip-hop to relay how he feels because when words can’t get the energy across, his music does. Danyosonn has been on a non-stop grind since he was 16 years old. For him, the journey because in his bedroom where he put together his own studio. Even when he moved to Virginia, Danyosonn stayed consistent and has ran with it since. Now Danyosonn is working on a project that’s set to be released on July 4th. Make sure to check out “Stuck” ft. Temmy Bridges when it releases too! While others try to rent a place in the rap game, the duo shows why they own it. In the words of Danyosonn, they’ve just been ballin’ out like every season.

INSTAGRAMS: @temmybridges + @danyosonn_mns

MUSIC LINKS:

A) TEMMY BRIDGES: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AENtVG1md0M&feature=youtu.be

B) DANYOSONN: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=10cRHp3dGnQ&feature=youtu.be

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aristarshower · 6 years ago

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Cosmere update???

alright y’all might remember that at some point this year i read stormlight archive and when i tried to understand Hoid better I got into Cosmere(I made one post abt it so I don’t expect anyone to remember it lmao! Also pls ignore that post it was more self deprecating than I would like!)

Anyway, I am finally done with reading all the books and I am slowly making my way through coppermind and wobs and there’s so much here!!!!!!!!!

I read everything in the wrong order and I knew nothing about Adonalsium or the shards for the entirety of my stormlight read so I made some very wrong assumptions lmao. I’m gonna put everything here cause I feel like it and I also know no one else who’s read the books to discuss this with.

(Disclaimer:It’s 1 am and I’m amped up on painkillers and I know very little compared to all the overwhelming data in this fandom. I didn’t even know what RAFO or WOB meant until day before yesterday.)

The rest of the garbage is under the cut.

Sel:

I could not find an answer to this anywhere? So hopefully someone here knows? Whose voice talked to Raoden in the perpendicularity when he went Hoed??? Was it devotion or like a shadow/splinter???

Are people from Ire the same generation as Elantris era?

Is there a connection between Iri and Ire??? I actually mistook Ire for Iri in secret history and got confused for a bit lmao.

Nalthis:

What happens if someone from Nalthis gives their breath to someone from other planets? No one can take breath but you can just give it? Will it stick just as well???

I did not Vasher or Vienna when I read SA and I didn’t make the connection after I read warbreaker either. That was a big coppermind surprise. I need to reread sa so forgive me if I make mistakes.

I’m guessing Lightsong saw the sequel in the painting but is it possible for him to see Roshar?

We know Nightblood sucks in investiture(?) it seems easier on Nalthis or Roshar but how would that work on Scadrial or Sel or Threnody or Taldain??? Will it just eat the mists? Turn the sand black? Hurt the shades?

Can Nightblood be used in hemalurgy as a spike? What metal is it made of? Does the type of the metal affect the way breath sticks to it(other than aluminium)? Where does the investiture go?

Can you bring the dead back by giving them Returned breath? (Not as a lifeless) Also can one Returned give breath to another Returned dead to bring them back? Can dead Returned be turned into lifeless??? Can a Returned’s breath be stolen using hemalurgy? How would hemalurgy even work on breath?

What will Hoid do if he ever gets his hands on Nightblood?

Scadrial:

Did Hoid use a lifeless to paddle through the preservation’s perpendicularity in Secret History? It looked like he awakened something???

Did Kelsier pin his cognitive shadow to a body? Whose body did he use? Is he using single spike to keep Harmony out? Is he now like a Returned? Is he still mistborn?

Is Ironeyes a fullborn now?

Can nicrosil store all types of investiture? Can Scadrians use the bands to access other investitures?

Can we alloy godmetals? Like Lersium and Atium make Ettmetal??? But what if we combine Lerasium with some other godmetal? Like honorblades(those are honor’s body right?)?

Can someone ascend by burning a lot of Atium or Lerasium?

Can Kandra burn Lerasium? Will they become mistborn if they do? What about mistwraiths?

What happens if Koloss burn Lerasium?

Is it weird that when I read Ettmetal can’t be burnt cause it explodes with water, I thought ‘ooh sandlings can eat it then!’?

First of the sun:

I really really want a book on this planet!!!!

Whose perpendicularity is on First of the sun??? I can only think of Odium tbh. He can see the future. He can get into people’s head(a bit like ruin but we know where ruin is???). Do we know where Odium’s perpendicularity is? Is it on Braize or Roshar? It could be small cause he is so far off.

I also wondered if this could be Hoid’s secret base? He did gather investiture for some reason? Maybe concentrating that on this planet caused a tiny perpendicularity? Can perpendicularities exist without full shards? It would also explain the weird powers???

Taldain:

When will we get full Khriss backstory????????????? I love her.

Threnody:

How did Nazh get off the planet?

Is Evil a shadow/splinter of Odium or Ambition? I thought the shades were Ambition’s but the Evil is Odium’s. Or maybe Ambition is still alive(the power not the person?)

What does Aluminium do to shades?

Roshar:

I’m love Roshar!!!!!!!! Best world!!! The whole world is crabs stacked on each other!!!!!!

So Roshar seems like the closest to Yolen for me??? In one of the wobs brandon said there are tiny sentient dragons on yolen(correct me if I’m wrong) and that there are three sentient races, dragons are one, humans are two and the only other sentient race we’ve seen so far are Parshendi? This is assuming that Cosmere does not have races other than what was on yolen.

Are Sleepless dragons or maybe a type of dragons? Is that what frost meant when they said they observe?

On a related note, what the hell happened to Aimia?

City of shadows-shadows like shades?

Ok so when I first read sa I didn’t know abt shards so I assumed there were three gods Unity, Honor and Cultivation. Odium killed Unity first and then came for Honor(I actually assumed odium honor and cultivation killed unity first??? something abt the reaction odium gave when dalinar ascended??? I’ll find the quote that set me off someday). The sibling is Unity’s shadow like stormfather or nightwatcher. Now I know Dalinar probably changed the shard name to Unity when he ascended like Harmony did?(I am still very confused. I’m hoping a reread will make this clear.)

Is Cultivation the shard from silent divine? The whole disease for power sounds like a boon and curse???

Which other god did humans have before Odium chased them over to Roshar? Odium was going exclusively for shards? Did cultivation come over from another planet in the same system and brought humans with her??? coppermind says honor and cultivation settled on Roshar so was there a third shard? Is that shard related to the sibling?

Is Cusicesh the sibling? I only have the pronouns to go on for this? Stormfather used they and Cusicesh was said to have both male and female faces?

So spren freeze when recorded? Does that mean once their cognitive aspect is fixed they also become fixed? Is that what happened to Cusicesh? It was recorded that they appear the same way in the same place and that just happened?

(Why am I so fucking obsessed with this one damn spren?)

I also want more about Axies and Aimia in general??? Can the Iriali or the Aimians (Sian? non sleepless ones) become knights radiant?

Can parshendi bond with the unmade?

Is there a parshendi shard? Are they all human?

Is kalak shin???(He looks like a child?) (According to a quiz I took, I am a WillShaper!!!)

I wanna know more about Willshapers!!!!!!!

Why does one of the heralds have horns????????or is that just a helmet and im an idiot?

Was Jazrien tanavast at some point???(I know a shardholder can survive a splintering!)

Did Odium make Hoid averse to hurting people? Like the shard on Obrodoi is instilled with hate for Hoid? Can Odium instill a intense hatred of harm in Hoid? Is that what pissed Hoid off or Odium did it cause Hoid was pissed off???

So the waters especially rivers and oceans are one continuous bead because they think of themselves as a whole? So what if we get enough soulcasters? Can we turn the whole of them into something else?

How did Nazh get Shallan’s notes from the ocean? What happens when things sink into the ocean in cognitive realm? Do their beads become a part of the big ocean one or they just lie on the surface?(Does this make sense?)

If origin is honor’s perpendicularity then how did dalinar open it? Like can one shard have two perpendicularities?

What are dawnshard? did vyre kill jazrien with a dawnshard? could they be cultivations body???

Was honor splintered on shattered planes? or city of shadows????? Or aimia???

Are the major human cities so symmetrical cause they are landing spots for the space ships??? After so many years of crem the ship should just look like windblades???

Did eshonai die cause she bonded a spren and her plate and shardblade started screaming and she got overpowered in the highstorm???

Renarin and Lift can heal people together now???

Stormlight looks like breath in cognitive realm? What does mist looks like???????

Cosmere:

Is it possible to become savant on other types of investiture?

Can Adonalsium see future? Did Adonalsium choose to get shattered? Could Adonalsium have influenced Hoid to do what he does like preservation and his plan? Is there a threat to cosmere from outside(all i can think of is another galaxy crashing into it?)? Was the holder of Adonalsium killed?

So one big theme of Cosmere is rebirth so is Adonalsium gonna be born again?

What is the scar constellation? The tear also nags at me for some reason???

Who is Senna???(Preservation mentions them once??????)

#cosmere #brandon sanderson #cfsbf #cosmere fandom #am i doing this right #are those the right tags #someone scream at me #my head hurts from so much lore

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kingjasnah · 3 years ago

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I don't think he's gonna die.

I think he's gonna wind up holding the Oathpact and is going to spend the timeskip on Braize. And when I thought about it, twice now he has faced insurmountable odds. He had the WoR duel against 4 shardbearers. And won. And he had the fight in Shadesmar in RoW 1 against many. And won. He is not a stranger to one versus many, like, say, a Herald would be.

And the things that made me wonder if this might happen is a) Shallan seems set up to become a world hopper after RoW and I don't think she would leave Adolin for that and I don't think he would leave Renarin for that so shenanigans would have to happen, b) I think Dalinar is going to be removed from the picture somehow (death, Ascends, or becomes a Fused), and c) Renarin is a main character in back half and I could see his plot being him dealing with being Highprince (with his husband Rlain) and all drama involved with that and all his other stuff, and the only way that would happen is if Adolin isn't around

omg yaaay the reforged oathpact theory!!! a personal fave of mine even if i think it's gonna be kaladin who goes.

I agree with your points on shallan and dalinar, but im not sure if renarin is gonna be slotted in the highprince role. of course im basing this (again) all on vibes but if the back half of the series does take adolin and dalinar out of the picture im more inclined to believe there will be a complete dissolution of alethkar as it is. now the thing that interests me is of course how adolin's maya bond will affect things. most heralds weren't bonded to spren iirc and adolin is only quasi-bonded but i suppose the extent of their connection could be explored in braize. this is a fun theory i just think there are too many parallels with kaladin and taln for me to discount my own :)

#kaladin even saying the ten spears go to battle nine spears break line in OB u kno #i do really like the oathpact theory tho when they addressed it in row i was clapping and cheering #asks

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moiraineswife · 4 years ago

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Jasnah Meta - The Importance of Context

AKA: PLEASE stop saying that Jasnah is pro-genocide when she is. Not. At all. In any way. Shape or form. Whatsoever.

TL;DR: Nowhere, at any point, in four ginormous books of text, does Jasnah ever say ‘you know what’s great? Genocide.’ She never even implies. It she never even actually, seriously, suggests it. Please stop saying she does as though it’s canon I lose 12 years of my life every time it’s mentioned.

AND NOW FOR THE LONG VERSION BECAUSE Y’ALL KNOW I CAN’T LEAVE IT AT THAT!!!!!

PLEASE NOTE! THERE WILL BE SOME MINOR RHYTHM OF WAR SPOILERS IN HERE. PLEASE AVERT YOUR EYEBALLS IF THIS IS A DISTRESSING CONCEPT TO YOU.

So first things first, let us discuss The Scene Itself:

“Yes. The answer is obvious. We need to find the Heralds.”

Kaladin nodded in agreement.

“Then,” Jasnah added, “we need to kill them.”

“What?” Kaladin demanded. “Woman, are you insane?”

“The Stormfather laid it out,” Jasnah said, unperturbed. “The Heralds made a pact. When they died, their souls traveled to Damnation and trapped the spirits of the Voidbringers, preventing them from returning.”

“Yeah. Then the Heralds were tortured until they broke.”

“The Stormfather said their pact was weakened, but did not say it was destroyed,” Jasnah said. “I suggest that we at least see if one of them is willing to return to Damnation. Perhaps they can still prevent the spirits of the enemy from being reborn. It’s either that, or we completely exterminate the parshmen so that the enemy has no hosts.” She met Kaladin’s eyes. “In the face of such an atrocity, I would consider the sacrifice of one or more Heralds to be a small price.”

“Storms!” Kaladin said, standing up straight. “Have you no sympathy?”

“I have plenty, bridgeman. Fortunately, I temper it with logic. Perhaps you should consider acquiring some at a future date.”

So the only time Jasnah actually brings up this concept it’s to, hyperbolically, point out that asking the Heralds to return to Braize and trap the Fused may not be the worst idea.

She’s not actually suggesting this as a valid or legitimate tactic. It’s to contrast the plan Kaladin just called her ‘insane’ for suggesting (I bet that’s gonna hurt a million times more than it already does in 900 years when we get Jasnah’s book and backstory but hey. Back on topic) and point out that, in the face of the apocalypse, this is the kind of level they have to think on.

I’ve already talked about the nuances of this scene at length here, so I’ll just do a quick summary: Jasnah is not as composed about any of this internally as she makes out to be - even what she suggests with the Heralds.

When we see her alone with Ivory, reading Taln’s repeated mantra, Ivory notes that she’s troubled. The words (and where he was/how he was being treated when they were recorded) is enough to trigger a twenty year old flashback in her.

This scene is one of the clearest moments (along with the Kharbranth thug scene, I suspect) where Jasnah’s outward projection of her internal feelings and thoughts least matches up with reality.

In spite of the inflammatory remark that sparks this all off, she doesn’t want to assassinate any Heralds. She quite clearly says she wants to “see if one of them is WILLING to return to Damnation.” She wants to have a conversation with them, understand the Oathpact, and see if any of them would consent to buying them some time. She is not suggesting they knife one of the Heralds in a back alley. That’s Moash’s job.

This is supported by what she does in canon. Jasnah is actually the one who recognises Taln and Ash and, somehow, manages to persuade them to join her at Urithiru and help. She treats them with nothing but dignity and respect in her scenes with them in Rhythm of War, and tries to find out more about the Oathpact and their options - as she said she wanted to do.

But since Jasnah is a Kholin, which means the ‘D’ in her DNA stands for DRAMA, she doesn’t say that, instead she says: “let us find the Heralds and kill them.” (I love her so much y’all. Ahem. Anyway).

But there’s method to this madness, too. Please click the ‘keep reading’ button to discover why! (have to turn my own posts into clickbait bc they’re so long I have to put in a cut to spare ur dashboards).

Jasnah likes to push people. She likes to force them to think, and consider all angles of a problem, and come to terms with their own thoughts and opinions. This is one of the things that frustrates Shallan about Jasnah in TWOK:

Shallan caught a victorious glimmer in her eye. She wasn’t necessarily advocating ideas because she believed them; she just wanted to push Shallan. It was infuriating. How was Shallan to know what Jasnah really thought if she adopted conflicting points of view like this?

-TWOK 36

Jasnah doesn’t want to brutally murder the Heralds and force them to return to their maddening idea of hell. But in phrasing it as she does, she can get an insight into Kaladin. Despite the fact we know him very well at this point, this is, this is the first time Jasnah has interacted with him on-screen, and only the second time she’s met him ever.

“That Windrunner. What do you think of him, Shallan? I find him much as I imagined his order, but I have only met him once. It has all come so quickly. After years of struggling in the shadows, everything coming to light—and despite my years of study—I understand so very little.”

Oathbringer, 33

Jasnah in that scene is deliberately being as exaggerated, ruthless, cold, and harsh as she can get away with. She’s trying to push Kaladin. She wants to bait responses from him, to get an idea of what kind of man he is, and what he stands for. She focuses entirely on him on that scene, and the reactions we as readers get see that as well.

“If you wish, Captain,” Jasnah snapped, “I can get you some mink kits to cuddle while the adults plan. None of us want to talk about this, but that does not make it any less inevitable.”

“I’d love that,” Kaladin responded. “In turn, I’ll get you some eels to cuddle. You’ll feel right at home.”

Jasnah, curiously, smiled.

Jasnah likes to be pushed as well. She likes to have people push back with her, and stand up for themselves, assert themselves, make their arguments. She all but encourages Dalinar to publicly do so in RoW.

Socially, in spite of Kaladin’s rank or status as a Windrunner, it’s probably 100% Not Acceptable to ask an Alethi princess if she wants a basket full of eels to cuddle because she is one, effectively. But Jasnah’s unphased - and even pleased - by Kal’s response. She likes that she’s seeing this from him, that he’s unguarded, and passionate, and more than willing to go toe-to-toe with her, which few people are.

Also, because I foresee potential problems in this meta that I would like to nip in the bud right now, I don’t think that Jasnah is doing this to play with people? That’s not really in her nature or who she is. There’s a purpose to everything she does, and there’s a purpose to her doing this, too.

With Shallan it was to encourage her to think for herself and form her own thoughts and opinions. Just before in that scene, Shallan asked why Jasnah couldn’t just tell her what to think and what was the right philosophy to have in life. Jasnah replied it was something she had to discover for herself - and that’s how she approaches all of their studies.

Jasnah never teaches Shallan what to think, or even what happened, despite that being the meat of her study. Instead, she teaches Shallan how to think, how to study, how to learn, how to critically reason, and how to form and argue her own thoughts and conclusions.

With Kal, I think it’s a quick and brutal way of quickly getting to grips with a new, very important, element in what’s going on in her world. Remember, too, that one of Jasnah’s most obvious aims, aside from protecting the world, is protecting her family. And Kaladin is very close to everyone that she loves and holds most dear, while she knows nothing about him.

However, something else that’s important to note, which, for me anyway, RoW all but confirmed: Jasnah has low cognitive empathy.

She’d come to realize, early in her youth, that she didn’t approach relationships the same way everyone else seemed to. Her partners in the past had always complained that she was too cold, so academic. That had frustrated her. How was she to learn what others felt if she couldn’t ask them?

Chapter 99 really was an absolute fucking gift, I mean really. Asexuality AND low empathy, all in one go. What a delight.

This little snippet can be read as her being asexual, potentially, but I actually think it reads more heavily and obviously about her being neurodivergent? And specially low cognitive empathy. Brandon says that, to him, Jasnah is not autistic spectrum, but you just keep giving me more evidence to say she is buddy!! Anyway. Diagnostic debates aside.

I would guess some of y’all don’t know what the heck I mean by ‘cognitive empathy’ (I didn’t before I researched all of this a couple of years ago).

There are two types of empathy, in strict psychology terms (and then there’s the colloquial way we use it to just mean ‘a good person with feelings’ which drives me BANANAS but that’s a rant for another day):

Affective empathy - which basically means ‘this person around me is happy/sad/excited, I am also now feeling that way. Because emotion is infectious like a cold! How thrilling’.

Cognitive empathy - is the ability a person has to pick up on/know what others are feeling without having to be told. Using tone/body language/facial expression etc etc. It’s something I, and a lot of other autistic people, are bad at.

So is Jasnah!

Her previous partners disliked her probably verbally vibe checking them every other week to find out where they were at. Jasnah was frustrated because how the heck else is she meant to know wtf?? What an absolute mood this woman is. Anyway.

This revelation/confirmation makes a LOT of Jasnah scenes make a lot more sense. Including: chapter 64, and her insistence, to the point of it almost being illogical, that she fight without her Surgebinding to try and get as clear a picutre of what her soldiers are facing as she can. Jasnah starts off that chapter by saying she’s never actually been in a war before, and states throughout that she wasn’t prepared for what it was actually like.

Her low empathy means that, without a personal context/experience to relate to and draw emotional experience from, she struggles to understand exactly what her troops are going through.

Obviously she knows that ‘war is bad, battles are scary and not fun’. But she has no way of emotionally relating/truly understanding what they’re feeling. This is one of the reasons I think it’s so important to her, despite Ivory’s chiding, to do it that way so that she can understand.

Similar thing is happening here with Kaladin. Jasnah struggles to instinctively Get Vibes from people, so she goes about things in a very scholarly way.

She does research and makes notes (see: her little folio on the highprinces (which, by the way, misses out on several important aspects of them Shallan picks up on pretty quickly by the power of Intuition), she asks questions - and she sets up scenarios that push people into blatant emotion so she can observe and get an idea of what makes them tick.

TL;DR TAKE TWO: Jasnah does not want to murder all of the Singers. Jasnah never says she wants to. Jasnah only uses it as a ‘see, asking the Heralds to go back to Damnation isn’t actually that bad now is it?’ hyperbolic counterpoint after Kaladin asked her if she was insane. Jasnah is not actually what she pretends to be in that scene. She is but a hapless gay who cannot detect emotions so she has to conduct her Vibe Checks differently from other people. She is highly valid in every way and i stan her.

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