ID: Painterly rendering of a close-up of Renarin and Warform Rlain's hands. Rlain's hand, reaching up from below, holds a sphere glowing with stylized whisps of Stormlight that give an impression of roiling activity and potential. Renarin's hand is poised elegantly from above, his long, slim, tan fingers and thumb a hair's breadth from touching Rlain's thumb and palm. Seriously, Renarin missed his calling as a pianist with those fingers. The sphere illuminates their skin in the darkness and glints off Rlain's carapace, which forms delicate curves and surprisingly sharp-looking points. Over a backdrop of black are an assemblage of vibrant glass shards with swirls of color melted into them.
Thinking about the Elhokar/Aesudan branch of the Kholin family a lot.
2nd pic is an older Gavinor, Oroden, and Shadolin kiddo...don't know what will happen in Wind and Truth but I want to think theyd make a good trio in the later books ;-;
"We are grateful to have you here for many reasons, Leshwi," Jaxlim said, "though currently, coming to our defense against those Shardbearers is the reason we sing to Praise."
"That is well," Leshwi said, then to everyone's surprise, she knelt in front of the Five, humming to the Rhythm of Supplication. "I have seen to your defenses, and they have been tested to your satisfaction. In return for my service, I wish for you to give me one of the Blades won during the battle."
Jaxlim glanced at the others, and she could sense that the thought disquieted them. Leshwi's service to the listeners had been faithful, but still quite short. After a few minutes of deliberation, they agreed.
"I do not know if one of the First-Rhythms warriors would be willing to give up a Blade that they have won. We will ask, but we will not demand," Abronai said to Determination.
Leshwi hummed loudly to the Rhythm of Craving. "It is a specific sword I want," she said. "It is seven feet long, straight, with a crossguard like the legs of a songling. The hilt is long, like that of a two-handed sword. It has curves etched into the sides, like a spring wind."
"That is...quite specific," Jaxlim said. "Is this a sword you used to own in a previous life?"
Leshwi's humming changed to Mourning. "I did not own her," she said. "She was...my friend."
Knowing that, the Five brought the warrior who had won the sword, and explained the situation. The sword was passed on, reluctantly, but the way Leshwi sang as she touched it for the first time made it clear that they had made the right choice.
Jaxlim hummed to Praise. "I have been practicing my Radiant powers, Leshwi. I could Transport you to the Realm of the Mind, if you would like to meet her."
Leshwi's rhythm faltered, the Rhythm of the Lost mixing with Praise. "Yes," she pled. "I would like to see Riah again."
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Cosmere Mini-Bang art!! My partner was @stew4 and I got to make art for their very touching college/human AU Rlainarin fic! I had a lot of fun working on this one! Any time I get to humanize Rlain is a delight.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
They're character study pieces about Adolin (focusing on his relationship with Maya) and Renarin (focusing on their gender identity), and they feature fabulous art from @horizonproblems and @heliosandsonchariotco. Go give 'em a read if you like Stormlight!
Finally the day is here! Here's the collab I've been working on alongside with @truthwatcher-vez and @havens.end (insta) for the @cosmere-mini-bang
Haven and I did ilustrations for Progression. A beautiful fanfic by @truthwatcher-vez starring Renarin and Rysn and a moment of truly understanding between them. Such lovely characters I've loved since the first time I met them reading the stormlight archive.
You can read the fic here
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
I think this is the first time I can say I am living something as big in terms of fandom. I am really happy about finding the cosmere and people with the same love and interest in it. 💕
I wrote a missing scene fic for the Cosmere Mini-Bang challenge, and two talented artists (Mei_lfong and Havens.End, both on Instagram) created art to go along with the fic!
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
This ask was nice and flexible, because 'sing' is part of so many words. I picked the word that was probably the most expected one!
(If this WIP chapter wasn't so long, I'd have finished it already.... Just one more scene to go!)
From Chapter 9 of Son of Thorns:
It was the Nightwatcher. She hadn't changed at all in the years since Dalinar had last come to the valley. A large and vaguely humanoid being composed of green mist, drifting above the ground. She had emerged silently from the side of the clearing, pulling herself forward on too-long arms.
She was slowly heading towards Rlain.
Singer, the whispering voice that was a multitude of voices brushed against Dalinar’s mind—though it was obvious that the Nightwatcher was not speaking to him. It has been millennia since one of your kind has visited.
For the WiP ask game. Your word is marbled or vines
Heh, good call! The word "vine" appears 13 times in one of my current WIPs.
From Chapter 9 of Son of Thorns:
You have to let this happen. This is Renarin’s best chance.
Within him, Tumi pulsed to Consolation. Rlain took a deep breath, then reluctantly turned to follow after Drehy. The lanky Windrunner had already moved past a curtain of trailing vines and vanished into the greenery.
Top 10 Minor Stormlight Characters I Want To See More Of
Don't get me wrong. I will take 1500 pgs of Kaladin being Kaladin and Shallan being Shallan etc. etc. But there are some characters who just don't get very much screentime who I would LOVE to see featured in Stormlight 5. Here are my Top 10 picks!
[Contains spoilers for Stormlight!]
#10: Zu
I do love me some Windrunners, Lightweavers, and Bondsmiths, but I'd love to see some of the other Orders get featured too. Zu is a Stoneward (like Taln!) and she seemed cool in her brief appearances during the Shademar diplomatic trip. There's that bit about how she seems to be better at combat than her known background would suggest and how she seemed super perceptive...but mostly, I'm not gonna lie, I just want to learn more about Stonewards and cool ladies.
#9: Thude
I mean, since Stormlight 4 ended with [SPOILERS INCOMING WHOOP WHOOP] Venli finding the Listener community hidden away, I assume we'll get more from them in Stormlight 5?? I hope so! Thude in particular seemed cool: I feel like it was largely due to him that some Listeners escaped from Odium, and I'd just like to spend more time with those characters. Venli's mom too!
#8: Those two cute Ardents
I had to look up their names: Ashir & Geranid. They're the cute couple of Ardents who live on a Reshi Island and seem to be living their best lives? Ashir likes to eat sweet food and cook, and as a man this would be scandal were he not an Ardent. And Geranid is doing science experiments on flamespren. I would love to see what they're both up to these days!
#7: Axies the Collector
I just like learning about all the different spren, I think. And so Axies was a fun character to follow around. He needs to meet Kaladin so he can learn that imprisonment spren are real!
#6: Cusicesh
This is that big huge spren in Iri that rises out of the water at the same time every day and cycles through faces--we meet them in the Axies the Collector chapter. And I dunno! Something about Cusicesh just captured my imagination! What are they the spren of exactly?? Why are they so punctual?? What does it all mean?? I don't really expect to find out, to be honest, but I would love to visit there again.
#5: Azure
I know Azure is a major character in a certain other series, but she was a fairly minor part of Stormlight. But she was great! I don't know if she'll really be coming back--her heading off into Shadesmar felt final--but Nightblood is still on Roshar so maybe? I'd love to see more of her interactions with Rosharans!
#4: Malata
Here again we see my desire to just see more of the orders! We haven't seen much of the Releasers, and I'd like to see more. I don't want them to be written off as the "evil" order or something, and I think Malata is an interesting character.
#3: Dieno (The Mink)
Like, not only is Dieno a super interesting character in his own right, but he also provides a much-needed Alethi-critical perspective, I think. I'd definitely like to see him more in Stormlight 5!
#2: Cord
I mean, Cord was featured heavily in Dawnshard, but I'd say she's definitely more of a minor character in the main Stormlight series. And I'd love to see more of her! She's tough, cool, hopefully gay for Rysn...and I'm also a big fan of Rock, so I like seeing members of his family. I also appreciate that Rock & Cord have such different outlooks but still seem to have a really (rock?)solid relationship. Stormlight can use more healthy families, you know?
#1: Hesina
But the number one character I want to see more of and my actual motivation for writing this list is Hesina! I feel like Hesina has appeared quite a few times--certainly more than some of the others on this list--but her scenes usually also involve Kaladin and Lirin, and Kaladin and Lirin usually dominate the interactions. I am desperate to see more Hesina-as-Hesina, not just Hesina-dealing-with-the-father-son-drama-that-is-her-constant-background. I'd love to see Hesina interact with other characters too--I think there was been tumblr discussion of Hesina interacting with Adolin or more with Rlain: that'd be great! Honestly, I would take ANY Hesina POV section, as I'm not sure we've ever had one?
For ash-sokia, for the write a kiss ask game #9: a kiss in public.
Author's Note: This fic started out light-hearted and then took a more serious turn during the writing process. Many, many thanks to cosmere-play, rysn and Priscellie for beta-reading!
Content warnings for classism, speciesism, prejudice
Renarin fidgeted nervously as he and Rlain neared their destination for the evening, a classy new winehouse that had just opened up in an upscale part of the Breakaway market. It was similar to the establishment on the Shattered Plains where Adolin and Shallan had first gone out together. When Renarin had heard about the winehouse, it had seemed like a good choice for their first public date. …Well, a first date somewhere outside of the usual haunts frequented by the members of Bridge Four. Renarin had heard that this winehouse was supposed to have a relaxing atmosphere and a truly impressive list of wines.
Rlain had initially seemed hesitant about the idea, but ultimately he had given in to Renarin’s enthusiasm, and had agreed they should give it a try.
Renarin was so caught up in his own nerves that he almost didn’t notice the odd look that the master-servant at the door gave him as she double-checked his reservation. As they were being shown to a table, Renarin thought he could feel her staring at his back. There were whispers at the tables surrounding them, and someone sniggered. Renarin flushed and tried to ignore it. He’d grown too comfortable in Adolin’s shadow when he was among other Alethi lighteyes, forgetting how much Adolin’s presence protected him from being targeted as the ‘strange Kholin’.
Renarin took his time reviewing the wine lists, which were written out in Alethi glyphs as well as women’s script. Rlain professed that he found the number of choices overwhelming, and asked Renarin for advice. Renarin gladly obliged. As he began sharing his expertise regarding all of the different wines, something in him began to relax. Rlain listened attentively, offering questions here or there, and eventually they settled on some specialty wines from northern Azir. A glass of sapphire for Renarin and a red for Rlain.
The wine really was excellent, and the alcohol took the edge from Renarin’s nervousness. As the two of them continued to make comfortable small talk, Rlain raised a hand in a tentative gesture to request a refill of his water goblet. Renarin noticed immediately when the signal was overlooked by the winehouse staff. He followed up by flagging a servant himself, and the man quickly came over with a pitcher and refilled their glasses. A little while later, the same thing happened again. Then Renarin ordered them another round of wine--orange this time in accordance with the Codes. Another master-servant brought Renarin’s wine over quickly. Rlain’s… didn’t arrive.
Oh. What was happening finally began to sink in. The looks and the whispers hadn’t been about him. Or they hadn’t entirely been about him. Rlain had known, or had suspected this would happen. He’d expressed hesitancy when they’d first discussed the winehouse--pointing out that darkeyes typically wouldn’t be allowed into such a place, and singers had the darkest eyes of all. Renarin had brushed off the concern at the time, responding that Rlain was a Knight Radiant now, and Radiants belonged to a class all their own.
Apparently, not everyone agreed with that sentiment.
He was suddenly deeply mortified, because he hadn’t really spared a second thought about the situation from Rlain’s perspective. Renarin had wanted to go out so that they could have a good time together, but he had caused Rlain pain without meaning to.
“I’m sorry,” Renarin said abruptly, with genuine remorse. “I didn’t mean for our date to turn out like this.” He reached across the table and took both of Rlain’s hands in his own.
Apparently, not everyone had heard the new gossip that Dalinar Kholin’s son and the listener from Bridge Four were openly courting, either. A brightlady at a nearby table gasped and visibly recoiled from them, shockspren forming and breaking in the air around her head. Behind her, a master-servant on the way to deliver wine to another patron forgot her training and nearly fumbled her tray as she stared. And at yet another table, an elderly brightlord in Bethab colors muttered something harshly under his breath, his brows drawing downward as he attracted a bevy of aversionspren.
That was the very last straw. Something in Renarin snapped, filling him with fury. It didn’t often show itself, but he had his father’s temper. Having to witness the insults to Rlain, and to the two of them together, was absolutely intolerable.
Renarin slid his chair out from the table with a long scraping sound that made conversations trail off and drew every eye in the winehouse. Then he rose and walked around the side of the table to stand over Rlain, placing a hand firmly on the back of his chair. He left a trail of bubbling angerspren in his wake.
The listener eyed him suspiciously. “What are you…?”
Renarin drew in a deep breath as he scanned the entire room. Then he attempted to channel his cousin Jasnah as he spoke out loudly, letting the tone of his voice drop to match the temperature of the snow caps outside the tower.
“The wine here is good, and the selection is excellent. But the service is appalling, and the ambiance is even worse. A brightlord’s guest is a brightlord’s guest, deserving to be treated with dignity and respect. No one here is in any position to dare question whom a brightlord of the second dahn chooses to invite out for the evening. Especially when that guest is a storming war hero and a Knight Radiant.”
Renarin looked down at Rlain’s upturned face, and raised his other hand to cup his cheek. He spared a moment to hope that he wasn’t being too presumptuous, then he stooped down and firmly kissed him.
The kiss was chaste, determined, defiant. He meant it to be a deliberate message to everyone else in the room. You can’t ignore us and we’re not going anywhere. This is something you’re just going to have to get used to.
Rlain went very still--not drawing away, but not exactly reciprocating either. It caused a bit of Renarin’s anger to slide sideways. You’re doing this wrong, he told himself critically. He’d been attempting to help, but had just wound up messing things up, as always.
Then the listener’s quiet humming changed subtly, shifting to something calmer. Rlain leaned in and returned the kiss, and Renarin felt himself relax marginally.
When Renarin drew himself back up to his full height again, he quickly spotted the man whose clothing marked him as the head master-servant of the winehouse. He glared and gestured pointedly down at Rlain’s wineglass, still sitting empty on the table. The man got the message, and another master-servant quickly scurried over with the missing goblet of orange wine.
Renarin returned to his seat, his anger slowly dissipating. He felt the weight of Rlain’s gaze on him as the listener sipped at his wine, and it caused a flush to rise in his face. “I’m sorry,” Renarin apologized again, as the ambient noise of the winehouse began to resume. “I probably should have handled that differently.”
“Probably,” Rlain agreed mildly. The cadence of the word was unfamiliar, and Renarin wished he understood enough about the rhythms to know which one Rlain was attuning right now. “Still, you chose to speak up, to a room full of lighteyes. I…no one’s ever really done that for me before.” Slowly, he extended a hand across the table. Renarin reached out and took it, twining their fingers together.
Renarin had acted out of anger in the moment, drawing everyone’s attention to them without even asking Rlain what he wanted. That had been a mistake. They were courting now, and situations like this would almost certainly happen again. Moving forward, he resolved to do better.
As they continued to drink their wine in silence, Rlain spoke again. “In my experience, people don’t change unless they’re given a reason. I love Bridge Four, but they never would have let me carry a spear if I hadn’t made a point of asking first.” He looked up and met Renarin’s eyes. “So yes, I’m willing to make lighteyes uncomfortable if it causes some of them to confront their own perceptions of the singers. If there’s a chance that it results in one tiny step towards singers being more accepted at Urithiru.”
Renarin nodded thoughtfully. Then he smiled at Rlain. “Making lighteyes uncomfortable is kind of my specialty.”
Rlain smiled back at him. “I appreciate that. Now why don't we take a look at the wine list again. I’d be interested in trying that vintage from Tu Bayla….”
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