#elhokar

So...since Rosharan men can't read (typically), they're probably really used to interpreting pictures, right? Therefore, I bet they'd be really good at sightreading the cultural import of our emojis! Hence this list.

🙃 [Upside-down smiling face]

Lopen: Oh! This is a happy man who is hanging upside down! Lopen: It must be used to convey sincere joy and whimsy!

2. 😎 [Smiling face with sunglasses]

Elhokar: I'm not sure what that man has on their face... Elhokar: Yet I am overwhelmed by the feeling that this person... They are very cool... Elhokar: Perhaps the coolest person in the world...

3. 🙂‍↕️ [Head nodding vertically with blue lines indicating motion]

Rock: Wow! A joyspren emoji! Sigzil: I think the face could look happier but yes, that is surely what that is.

4. 🖖 [Vulcan salute]

Szeth: Sadly, that man's fingers may be broken. Kaladin: Eesh, yeah. Kaladin: I wonder why they have an emoji for that. Szeth: Must be a violent culture...

5 🤑 [Face with dollar-sign eyes and a green tongue with the dollar-sign on it]

Teft: Oh dear. Teft: This person is clearly very sick. Teft: That is what I look like after a...particularly rough night.

6. 🥳 [Partying face]

Szeth: The strangely colored, conical head... Szeth: The long blue tongue... Szeth: Some sort of monster, but of what kind I do not know.

7. 🤜[Right-facing fist emoji]

Teft: That's a punch. Moash: Yup, a punch. Skar: Nothin' else it can be, really.

8. 🤛 [Left-facing fist emoji]

Teft: Wow. They have multiple punch emojis. Moash: Well, you never know which direction you might need to punch someone. Skar: This culture... They must do a lot of punching...

9. 🤡 [Clown face]

Szeth: The white skin... Szeth: The emphasis on the huge, wide eyes... Szeth: They have a Shin emoji.

10. 🥰 [Smiling face with hearts]

Pure self-indulgence, friends! I think if we paired Cosmere characters with the cutest animal for them, this is what we'd end up with. Naturally, we are ignoring canon ecology here.

[All links go to wikipedia!]

1. Szeth with a baby bearded dragon

It's actually sitting on his shoulder. They both stare in the same way. Like father, like son.

2. Elhokar with a fluffy chicken

It looks fabulous, he looks fabulous. In my head, the fluffy chicken has its own basket that Elhokar insists on calling its palaquin.

3. Vin with an extremely large Bernese Mountain Dog puppy

When she flies, she carries it against her chest in a large sling. And yes, it definitely does have puppy goggles.

4. Adolin with one of those miniature horses

Yes, Adolin has regular-sized horses and those are great too. But we're going for cuteness, so please imagine Adolin with a miniature horse that is resting its head in his lap, if that's a thing that miniature horses do.

5. Tress with a puffin

It's an adult puffin because I looked at pictures of the baby ones and I think the adults are actually cuter. It's standing on Tress's shoulder, and it's on one leg.

6. Wayne with a jumping spider

(My wife insists that they're cute, okay?) Just think of Wayne teaching the spider a little dance. Or so he claims. It's possible the spider taught him this dance. There are a lot of jumps.

7. Shallan with a baby highland cow

Because those are the fluffiest cows I know. It's up to you whether your brain has made this a tragic two-headed calf on Shallan's lap or, like, a regular one.

8. Lift with hamsters

There's one in each of her hands, so relaxed they are certified Hamster Pancakes, and one on her head.

9. Sazed with an elf owl

All you need to know is that this is the world's smallest owl. Imagine Sazed with the world's smallest owl on his shoulder or possibly (dare i say it?) cupped adorably in his hands.

10. Venli with a baby bunny

Just imagine Venli not only having a baby bunny, but also deciding that she will protect it with her life.

11. Kaladin with a kitten

I am definitely thinking about a still I saw from the Samurai Cat movie, where the samurai is holding a white cat in one arm, cuddled against his chest, and has a sword in his other hand. That's Kaladin with his kitten, in my heart.

12. Yumi with a pet rock

Moash punished Elhokar as Elhokar punished his parents, but Moash punished Gavinor as Elhokar punished him.

Merry Christmas week! If Santa existed in the Cosmere as a being that children were encouraged to believe in, would various Cosmere characters have done so as children?

1. Jasnah: No

Baby Jasnah: If Santa Claus were real and could enter every house on the planet in just a single night, the Alethi military would already have captured him in order to turn his technology toward the war effort. Navani: ... Baby Jasnah: [peacefully eating a candy cane]

2. Elhokar: Yes

Baby Elhokar: [hiding under the blankets] Baby Elhokar: A-Any second now... I'll hear his terrible footsteps upon the roof... Baby Elhokar: T-The terrible specter, whom no defenses can keep at bay... Baby Elhokar: S-Sometimes I think I see a flash of red in the mirror... Gavilar: [overhearing this but not bothering to get out of his chair] Gavilar: There might be something wrong with that kid.

3. Vin: Yes

Reen: ...And on Christmas, the mistiest and darkest night of the year, that terrible agent of the Lord Ruler, called Santa, will enter the houses of all of the bad children and EAT THEM ALIVE! Baby Vin: [wide-eyed with terror] Reen: Sleep tight!

4. Sarene: No

Eventeo: But if Santa isn't real, then how come you have this present here from Santa? Baby Sarene: How come Santa has the same handwriting as you, Daddy? Eventeo: ... Baby Sarene: I think we can cease the charade.

5. Oroden: Yes

Hesina: ...Having thus saved the family's Christmas, Santa went flying off through the cold winter sky! Oroden: S-Santa can fly? Hesina: He can, yes! Oroden: He's a Windrunner just like big brother!! Hesina: ... Hesina: Sure, let's go with that!

6. Tress: Yes

Baby Tress: I mean... If I had those powers, I would definitely use them to give presents to everyone... Baby Tress: Santa just makes sense!

7. Shallan: Pretended to

(Adult) Shallan: ...So then Balat, who was trying to be a good brother, told me all about Santa, and I wanted him to feel good about trying, so I pretended to believe it... Shallan: ...Only later I found out that HE knew I was only pretending to believe, but he pretended that he didn't know I was pretending so that I would feel good about doing something nice as his sister! Shallan: Plus, talking about Santa was the only way to drown out the sobbing from the other room, you know? Adolin: ...And this is your, uh, funny holiday story?

8. Steris: Hasn't decided yet

Baby Steris: Father, I DID the calculations. Baby Steris: There is no way for Santa to visit all the houses in even one city--to say nothing of the whole world--in just one night. Lord Harms: But Steris... Santa is magical. Baby Steris: [heaving a huge sigh] I obviously accounted for the possibility of him being even a Mistborn! Lord Harms: But what is Santa is a full feruchemist who spends all year storing both speed to go fast and healing so that his body can withstand the huge forces involved? Baby Steris: ... Baby Steris: !!! Lord Harms: Merry Christmas, Steris.

9. Kaise: Will believe anything for presents

Kaise: [loudly, so that her parents downstairs can hear her] Kaise: Santa, if you're real, please bring me a huge tower of chocolate candies for Christmas! Kaise: I'm sure my adorable belief in your existence will continue if only I receive a huge tower of chocolate candies for Christmas! Kiin: ...Subtle.

10. Wayne: Does eventually