#wokp

Renarin here is doing math problems for fun, and is writing number glyphs. We see this kind of behavior mirrored in Shallan’s brother Wikim in canon, but I get a similar sense of the scene here. Yes, in both cases, men are allowed to do math and write numbers, yet I would wager that it’s meant to be used in the context of business or somethingl like that. Practical math. Wikim and Prime!Renarin’s habits of “math for math’s sake” seem to edge too close to scholarship and femininity. Even when confronted over it here, Renarin is on the defensive. He “hedges” that it’s okay for men to write numbers, but it’s definitely something that Merin was uncomfortable finding.

I feel like this represents a lot of the differences between canon!Renarin and Prime!Renarin too. I called it (I freaking called it) that Renarin would be interested in persuits that are more traditionally feminine in Vorin culture, like we see here, though I think canon Renarin is drawn more towards engineering than math.

See, canon Renarin feels he needs to hide, deny, and suppress those parts of himself. He already sees himself as not masculine enough to be the son a Highprince deserves, and so he suppresses his interests in these things, and denies that they exist. He hates seeming weak, and I’m guessing this is due to his ‘blood weakness’ which Prime!Renarin seems to lack. Renarin would never dare follow is more feminine interests (and also, I theorize, would never enter the ardentia) because it would be a sign that he truly has failed and isn’t masculine at all.