[OB] Kaladin and Jasnah as a couple

[Kazset]

Reliving an old thread, hello I want to contribute my grain of sand, the truth is that this thread is fascinating in the portrait you are making of Jasnah.
I personally don't care that Kaladin / Jasnah happens, but I really want this to happen for a reason, revenge on Shallan, the reason is simple the end of OB ends up disappointing the truth. Shallan takes a step forward and another back, does not recognize his real emotions.
 If Shallan's arc in the books to come is one of self-discovery in which she accepts all her other parts as being herself, then she always likes Kaladin and foolishly dismisses it. I don't care if Shallan ends up with Kaladin or Adolin in the end, I just want to see her reaction to accepting that she's lying to herself. In addition to where Shallan is afraid of being queen, Jasnah is more than worthy for the position and takes Kaladin by making him king, this route is too sweet. In the end, Shallan is how Navani is going to be longing for someone else ("And the same may happen to Kaladin"), in the case of Navani his decision is justified, in Shallan's it is simply emotional clumsiness.

[Use the Falchion]

@Ness Wiskey Welcome to the 17th Shard!

[CosmereanAntelope]

8 hours ago, Ness Wiskey said:

Jasnah is more than worthy for the position and takes Kaladin by making him king, this route is too sweet

But I’m hoping this would happen when Kaladin has got his marbles all in place because judging from what happened in OB, he might not be too confident in himself for that huge a position. Oh, and him and Jasnah have probably yet to have a civil conversation...?

[Harbour]

I just got very bad thought that Kaladin and Shallan wont cross their paths during the whole RoW, Shallan will be on her trip with Adolin, and Kaladin would have the business with Dalinar and Jasnah, and by the end of the book Shallan will decide to break up with Adolin and come to visit Kaladin just to see him and Jasnah being a couple.

That would the "Holy Yikes" moment for them all.

Edited June 16, 2020 by Harbour

[Frustration]

4 minutes ago, Harbour said:

I just got very bad thought that Kaladin and Shallan wont cross their paths during the whole RoW, Shallan will be on her trip with Adolin, and Kaladin would have the business with Dalinar and Jasnah, and by the end of the book Shallan will decide to break up with Adolin and come to visit Kaladin just to see him and Jasnah being a couple.

That would the "Holy Yikes" moment for them all.

Please no, I'm tired enough as is of the romantic sub-plot.

[Use the Falchion]

10 minutes ago, Harbour said:

I just got very bad thought that Kaladin and Shallan wont cross their paths during the whole RoW, Shallan will be on her trip with Adolin, and Kaladin would have the business with Dalinar and Jasnah, and by the end of the book Shallan will decide to break up with Adolin and come to visit Kaladin just to see him and Jasnah being a couple.

That would the "Holy Yikes" moment for them all.

I could see a variation on that: Shallan and Adolin find out they're expecting. They get back to Urithiru (or wherever their new base is if one is needed) and are ready to share the news, and either walk in on Kaladin and Jasnah in a romantic moment (nothing more than a kiss, but still unexpected) or she finds out through the Cultivationspren-vine that they are courting (because both are too busy to tell her and they don't think it's a big deal...or it's a secret). Shallan has a slight freak out and a tad bit of "grass is greener" syndrome, and is forced to admit that she and Kaladin could have been a thing. Then she quickly self-corrects her train of thought and focuses on making her relationship with Adolin the best possible thing she can. 

Drama, acceptance, closure, and improvement, and all of it possible within a chapter or two. Now I'm not sure it should happen. but it might be possible. 

[Karger]

14 hours ago, Ness Wiskey said:

but I really want this to happen for a reason, revenge on Shallan

I take it you are a proponent of this thread?

14 hours ago, Ness Wiskey said:

If Shallan's arc in the books to come is one of self-discovery in which she accepts all her other parts as being herself, then she always likes Kaladin and foolishly dismisses it.

I think it would be healthy for her to admit that she was attracted to him(she has but attributed it to Veil) but I would not characterize her dismal of those feelings as foolish.  She does not actually know much about him as a person nor has she spent a large amount of time with him.

14 hours ago, Ness Wiskey said:

this route is too sweet

I am not sure I understand the rest of this.  Also welcome to the shard.

[agrabes]

On 6/16/2020 at 1:21 AM, Ness Wiskey said:

Reliving an old thread, hello I want to contribute my grain of sand, the truth is that this thread is fascinating in the portrait you are making of Jasnah.
I personally don't care that Kaladin / Jasnah happens, but I really want this to happen for a reason, revenge on Shallan, the reason is simple the end of OB ends up disappointing the truth. Shallan takes a step forward and another back, does not recognize his real emotions.
 If Shallan's arc in the books to come is one of self-discovery in which she accepts all her other parts as being herself, then she always likes Kaladin and foolishly dismisses it. I don't care if Shallan ends up with Kaladin or Adolin in the end, I just want to see her reaction to accepting that she's lying to herself. In addition to where Shallan is afraid of being queen, Jasnah is more than worthy for the position and takes Kaladin by making him king, this route is too sweet. In the end, Shallan is how Navani is going to be longing for someone else ("And the same may happen to Kaladin"), in the case of Navani his decision is justified, in Shallan's it is simply emotional clumsiness.

Welcome!

I don't know if I'd go so far as to say I think there should be "revenge" on Shallan.  But, I do think you're right that something felt off about Shallan's sudden marriage to Adolin at the end of OB.  It felt like she decided she wasn't interested in figuring things out anymore and just wanted to take action so she didn't have to think about it anymore, or something.  Not that Adolin isn't worthy of her love, just that something felt rushed or off about the marriage.  The romance plot is not the only place this pops up - she does it in pretty much all aspects of her life.  I think there will be a pay off for this in RoW or SA5.  We will have a scene where she realizes that she's lost out by not being real and sort of bypassing the tough parts of her decision making process and it teaches her to stop doing it.

That said, in terms of Kaladin and Jasnah - I don't really care much about Shallan's relationship to them.  I don't think Kaladin and Jasnah go together, personally.  They're just too different and not really compatible as friends or lovers.  I think one of them would have to change significantly, or maybe Jasnah would show a side of herself we haven't seen yet since we don't know a ton about her yet as a character.  If you ask me, they'll remain respected colleagues but not interested in hanging out with each other "outside work."

Though I will say that if Kaladin and Jasnah did get together, I do think it would definitely cause a reaction from Shallan.  The guy she kinda/sorta had feelings for and the mentor she admires and it's implied she might have some subconscious attraction for getting together would be a tough one for her I think.  I think if Kaladin and Jasnah were together, their relationship would distract and diminish Shallan's importance.  Just like when Shallan was upset that Jasnah came back and suddenly Shallan was no longer top dog in terms of Radiants and intelligence/research, if Jasnah and Kaladin become a super couple I think it does the same thing to Shallan again.  I don't think this will happen, but it could be fun to read about if it did.

[+Wax]

Frankly, I thought Jasnah was either bi or a lesbian.  There's no single scene of her showing even a shred of interest in a man.  Just makes me wonder....

[Elsecaller_17.5]

4 hours ago, Wax said:

Frankly, I thought Jasnah was either bi or a lesbian.  There's no single scene of her showing even a shred of interest in a man.  Just makes me wonder....

There is a solid following, including myself, for asexual Jasnah.

[USS bridge four]

Personally all I want from any ship with Kaladin involved is Kaladin to just became a Father. Just think it would be funny. I'm suspecting we get some of this with Gavinor(did spell that right). I suspect we will see more interaction of Kaladin and Jasnah in the next book because of Gavinor and we will therefore see more of their dynamic and can make better assumptions with whether they fit or even if either would be interested at all.

[Karger]

7 hours ago, Wax said:

Frankly, I thought Jasnah was either bi or a lesbian.  There's no single scene of her showing even a shred of interest in a man.  Just makes me wonder....

Shallan mentions that many people believe she is ace.

 

[Kazset]

On 16/6/2020 at 9:10 AM, Use the Falchion said:

Welcome to the 17th Shard!

 

Thanks for the welcome comment.

On 16/6/2020 at 9:48 AM, CosmereanAntelope said:

But I’m hoping this would happen when Kaladin has got his marbles all in place because judging from what happened in OB, he might not be too confident in himself for that huge a position. Oh, and him and Jasnah have probably yet to have a civil conversation...?

The truth is that I also share the idea that there is very little to take in order to have a clear position. The truth is that my comment is only my personal judgment, it is not that I hate Shallan, it is just that I think that this woman has to hit the wall to understand when she is wrong.

 

On 16/6/2020 at 0:12 PM, Frustration said:

Please no, I'm tired enough as is of the romantic sub-plot.

The truth is that it happened to me that when I read SA for the first time, it already seemed incredible to me without the need for any romantic plot and if WoR had ended with Shallan and Kaladin simply knowing each other as friends, he would have had no problem. The point is that rereading all the books is heavy for me exactly because of the love triangle between Adolin - Shallan - Kaladin. After part 4 of WoR a good part of OB is invested to analyze and compare Adolin and Kaladin, I find it hard to reread the chapters where that Triangle is delved into.
It is not that with Adolin and Shallan I cannot accept that they are together, it is that in the end everything is very confusing, everything is resolved in a very bizarre way. In Mistborn something similar happens in the second era with the Marasi - Wax - Steris triangle, but it seems to me that everything is much more spun, at first I wanted a Marasi - Wax to happen but with the running of the pages the Final resolution seemed more than acceptable with Wax-Steris.

 

On 16/6/2020 at 0:22 PM, Use the Falchion said:

I could see a variation on that: Shallan and Adolin find out they're expecting. They get back to Urithiru (or wherever their new base is if one is needed) and are ready to share the news, and either walk in on Kaladin and Jasnah in a romantic moment (nothing more than a kiss, but still unexpected) or she finds out through the Cultivationspren-vine that they are courting (because both are too busy to tell her and they don't think it's a big deal...or it's a secret). Shallan has a slight freak out and a tad bit of "grass is greener" syndrome, and is forced to admit that she and Kaladin could have been a thing. Then she quickly self-corrects her train of thought and focuses on making her relationship with Adolin the best possible thing she can. 

Drama, acceptance, closure, and improvement, and all of it possible within a chapter or two. Now I'm not sure it should happen. but it might be possible. 

Regarding that, I already read the prologue of the Fourth novel that was published, in a fragment of the text Navani thinks exactly the same things as Shallan from Kaladin but with Dalinar, I think something similar will happen to her, she will be longing for Kaladin Your good time and possibly in the future can be put together. But there are things that do not fit me of this theory, SA are 10 books divided into 2 epochs, so quite possibly many main characters that are now no longer there or disappear that may include Shallan or Kaladin, so the fact that they may come together in the future I do not see the truth very clearly.
The truth is that, if Shallan admits that it was a mistake not to accept that if he liked Kaladin, it is enough for me to get a smile.

 

 

On 16/6/2020 at 3:45 PM, Karger said:

I take it you are a proponent of this thread?

I think it would be healthy for her to admit that she was attracted to him(she has but attributed it to Veil) but I would not characterize her dismal of those feelings as foolish.  She does not actually know much about him as a person nor has she spent a large amount of time with him.

I am not sure I understand the rest of this.  Also welcome to the shard.

Excuse me if I imply that I hate the character of Shallan, but the truth is that no, I just want she to admit that She were wrong, I don't care who I end up with.

Thanks for the welcome.

 

On 17/6/2020 at 3:05 PM, agrabes said:

Welcome!

I don't know if I'd go so far as to say I think there should be "revenge" on Shallan.  But, I do think you're right that something felt off about Shallan's sudden marriage to Adolin at the end of OB.  It felt like she decided she wasn't interested in figuring things out anymore and just wanted to take action so she didn't have to think about it anymore, or something.  Not that Adolin isn't worthy of her love, just that something felt rushed or off about the marriage.  The romance plot is not the only place this pops up - she does it in pretty much all aspects of her life.  I think there will be a pay off for this in RoW or SA5.  We will have a scene where she realizes that she's lost out by not being real and sort of bypassing the tough parts of her decision making process and it teaches her to stop doing it.

That said, in terms of Kaladin and Jasnah - I don't really care much about Shallan's relationship to them.  I don't think Kaladin and Jasnah go together, personally.  They're just too different and not really compatible as friends or lovers.  I think one of them would have to change significantly, or maybe Jasnah would show a side of herself we haven't seen yet since we don't know a ton about her yet as a character.  If you ask me, they'll remain respected colleagues but not interested in hanging out with each other "outside work."

Though I will say that if Kaladin and Jasnah did get together, I do think it would definitely cause a reaction from Shallan.  The guy she kinda/sorta had feelings for and the mentor she admires and it's implied she might have some subconscious attraction for getting together would be a tough one for her I think.  I think if Kaladin and Jasnah were together, their relationship would distract and diminish Shallan's importance.  Just like when Shallan was upset that Jasnah came back and suddenly Shallan was no longer top dog in terms of Radiants and intelligence/research, if Jasnah and Kaladin become a super couple I think it does the same thing to Shallan again.  I don't think this will happen, but it could be fun to read about if it did.

I think the same, I think that not everything has been said in relation to Shallan and Kaladin, it seems to me that the topic will be taken up later.

Concerning Jasnah, I thought the same but reading this thread it made me realize that the Kaladin - Jasnah can work and it is exactly because they are opposite what makes it work, their approaches are so different, that a term can be reached Middle, that would make Kaladin not so noble and doubt so much about what actions to take, in Jasnah it would cause her not to be so Machiavellian and cold when it comes to making decisions.

16 hours ago, Wax said:

Frankly, I thought Jasnah was either bi or a lesbian.  There's no single scene of her showing even a shred of interest in a man.  Just makes me wonder....

The very fact that I have shown no interest in any man also seems very curious to me, the only man I have read who smiled at him was Kaladin, we will have to wait if it is confirmed in the end how Jasnah identifies herself.

10 hours ago, USS bridge four said:

Personally all I want from any ship with Kaladin involved is Kaladin to just became a Father. Just think it would be funny. I'm suspecting we get some of this with Gavinor(did spell that right). I suspect we will see more interaction of Kaladin and Jasnah in the next book because of Gavinor and we will therefore see more of their dynamic and can make better assumptions with whether they fit or even if either would be interested at all.

I also think the same, Kaladin at the end of OB is a character who reaches a quite high degree of maturity, seeing him as a father figure of Gavinor does not seem bad to me.

Edited June 19, 2020 by Ness Wiskey

[Karger]

13 minutes ago, Ness Wiskey said:

Excuse me if I imply that I hate the character of Shallan, but the truth is that no, I just want you to admit that you were wrong, I don't care who I end up with.

She does admit several times that she does not really know what she is doing. 

[Kazset]

1 hour ago, Karger said:

She does admit several times that she does not really know what she is doing. 

Sorry for the mistake, I was referring to She (No You) , I correct now.
Well, in the end OB, she comes to the resolution that Veil and Randiant are different people, she has to admit that they are the same person, at least I think so.

[+Wax]

19 hours ago, Elsecaller_17.5 said:

There is a solid following, including myself, for asexual Jasnah.

She’s no Nun!!! She dresses to impress.  So, I just can’t see the the asexual angle.

Other than that untethered scene released after WoR release, she has had no first person viewpoints.

She’s got that adversarial vibe going against all women:-

- Navani (Navani complained about Jasnah growing up too soon)

- Shallan (didn’t want her)

- Brother’s wife (wanted to assassinate)

just makes me think that she’s a headstrong lesbian.

 

 

 

Edited June 19, 2020 by Wax

[Aminar]

4 hours ago, Wax said:

She’s no Nun!!! She dresses to impress.  So, I just can’t see the the asexual angle.

Other than that untethered scene released after WoR release, she has had no first person viewpoints.

She’s got that adversarial vibe going against all women:-

- Navani (Navani complained about Jasnah growing up too soon)

- Shallan (didn’t want her)

- Brother’s wife (wanted to assassinate)

just makes me think that she’s a headstrong lesbian.

 

 

 

Women don't dress up for sex. They dress up to show they speak the language of fashion. Jasnah has to speak that language well because she's defying custom. In order to be respected while a heretic she has to be perfect at pretty much everything else. It has nothing to do with her sexuality or lack thereof.

 

The rest of your point is bad stereotyping. 

Edited June 19, 2020 by Aminar

[animalia]

I got the impression that for Jasnah it wasn't that she didn't have romantic and/or sexual feelings but that she felt marriage would be a restriction to achieving her full potential.

Edited June 19, 2020 by animalia

[agrabes]

6 hours ago, Wax said:

She’s no Nun!!! She dresses to impress.  So, I just can’t see the the asexual angle.

Other than that untethered scene released after WoR release, she has had no first person viewpoints.

She’s got that adversarial vibe going against all women:-

- Navani (Navani complained about Jasnah growing up too soon)

- Shallan (didn’t want her)

- Brother’s wife (wanted to assassinate)

just makes me think that she’s a headstrong lesbian.

 

 

 

Theory on why women dress in any particular way aside, I don't think your conclusion that Jasnah is a headstrong lesbian follows at all from any of the points you've made.  I mean, come on - just dressing nice without any sexual context does not imply she's doing it to lure people in.  Jasnah does not ever act in a flirty or sexy way, which is much more important in revealing her motives.

Even if she does have an adversarial vibe going with other women, that doesn't mean she's a lesbian.  I also don't think she really has an adversarial vibe going with women.  She just takes a while to warm up to people.  She has a good relationship with Navani.  Her relationship with Shallan is a little rocky, but that's sort of a mentor/mentee, student becomes the teacher type rivalry and the rockiness mostly comes from Shallan's side.  Wanting to assassinate her brother's wife is an objectively good decision though a bit cold, knowing what we know about her after OB.

Basically, there's no evidence that Jasnah is a lesbian.  There's very little evidence she's asexual - only that she never attempts to enter a romantic or sexual relationship on screen (I mean it's Sanderson, so there won't be on screen sex).  There's also a small amount that she is either straight or bi - that she considered marrying Amaram at one point which may or may not mean she was interested in a sexual relationship with him at some point.

[Elsecaller_17.5]

6 minutes ago, agrabes said:

Basically, there's no evidence that Jasnah is a lesbian.  There's very little evidence she's asexual - only that she never attempts to enter a romantic or sexual relationship on screen (I mean it's Sanderson, so there won't be on screen sex).  There's also a small amount that she is either straight or bi - that she considered marrying Amaram at one point which may or may not mean she was interested in a sexual relationship with him at some point.

I agree here, there's no solid evidence in any direction. But it is fun think about.

[+Wax]

7 hours ago, agrabes said:

Theory on why women dress in any particular way aside, I

My point was with dressing was around the asexual bit.  It’s not just women (can be men as well), I think if someone was asexual, then example would tend toward a less emphasis on clothing appearance.  Average would still work, but Jasnah dresses like a celebrity.

 

7 hours ago, agrabes said:

I also don't think she really has an adversarial vibe going with women.  She just takes a while to warm up to people.  She has a good relationship with Navani.  Her relationship with Shallan is a little rocky, but that's sort of a mentor/mentee, student becomes the teacher type rivalry and the rockiness mostly comes from Shallan's side.  Wanting to assassinate her brother's wife is an objectively good decision though a bit cold, knowing what we know about her after OB.

There was a scene with Navani where she complains about Jasnah growing up too soon. There is coldness there.

Quote

“Navani said, staring into the distance. “Do you know that? It was almost like . . . like once Jasnah climbed into adolescence, she no longer needed a mother. I would try to get close to her, and there was this coldness, like even being near me reminded her that she had once been a child. What happened to my little girl, so full of questions?

[Karger]

7 minutes ago, Wax said:

There was a scene with Navani where she complains about Jasnah growing up too soon. There is coldness there.

Navani is a very warm person and Jasnah is not.  That is the source of some personal tension and aggravation.  However they do have a great relationship. 

Quote

No, none would think Jasnah emotionless if they’d witnessed that tearful reunion between mother and daughter.

8 minutes ago, Wax said:

Average would still work, but Jasnah dresses like a celebrity.

She is a celebrity.  She understands that as a pariah her ability to project her power socially and politically is enhanced markedly by her ability to present herself well.  I am heterosexual and dress like a total slob because I don't care about projecting social or political power.

[Greywatch]

36 minutes ago, Wax said:

My point was with dressing was around the asexual bit.  It’s not just women (can be men as well), I think if someone was asexual, then example would tend toward a less emphasis on clothing appearance.  Average would still work, but Jasnah dresses like a celebrity.

This is not true of asexual people; we can care about our appearances very much. I, like most other people, dress for me. It doesn't have anything to do with being sexually appealing.

[Hessi's Ward]

 To be honest, I'm not the biggest fan of this theory for certain reasons which are:

1. Neither of them is in a rush to get married. Kaladin is perfectly content with having Bridge Four as his family and being single. Jasnah prioritizes the protection of her family and all of humanity before romance and with the world ending, I don't think she would have the time and desire for romance and she could always lean onto her relatives for emotional support.
2. A marriage could be problematic for Jasnah's reign. As a monarch, marriage to a member of a foreign royal family or high nobility is rarely done unless for bilateral alliance or straight up merging two nations. There isn't any reason for marriage for alliance purposes with the Coalition established and she could always use the promise of military aid instead of her hand in marriage if an alliance is needed. Also, she already has Gavinor as her heir and she might want to present herself as a reigning regent a la ancient Japanese ruling empresses until Gavinor comes of age.
3. They have very different principles. Jasnah and Kaladin are both very protective toward their families but there is a fundamental difference in their perspective. Kaladin is very much the idealist to Jasnah's pragmatist and we have seen how much friction that difference had caused. While their arcs are to be less "extreme" about their principle, I don't think they would see the other's trait as something they seek in their partner though they could still become friends who debate about philosophy over chouta.
4. Their coping mechanisms don't complement. Jasnah is a person who pulls more into her shell when she is stressed while Kaladin gets even more stressed when in isolation even though they both share a trait of poring over a chosen mission even harder when under stress. Jasnah isn't exactly the comforting or joking-through-crisis kind of person and is not the best at emotions. Kaladin is the type who would invest a lot of time and effort into his friends and basically being the mom friend which would not yield the best response from Jasnah.
5. They can develop as characters without being a couple. While being more empathetic is a big part of Jasnah's personal arc, it is something she is capable of doing herself as shown in her interaction with Renarin in the temple. With a life-changing field trip to conquered Alethkar being a possible storyline for Jasnah in RoW, she could come to the conclusion of genocide being a bad and unethical idea herself. She could even interact with the listener POVs to have a more intimate understanding of their kind and more information to build a better, less genocidal solution as that lack of information was what hinders her from making better decisions. As for Kaladin, his arc is about acknowledging he couldn't save everyone and with Lirin getting a POV and just being present in his storyline, he could learn to grow calluses and let go without having to be in a romantic relationship.

Though I'm not against Jasnah and Kaladin being friends or even friends with (tax) benefits, I don't see why they need to be in a relationship especially with two couples already established and that whole subplot in Oathbringer unless a very specific kind of buildup happens in RoW.

On 6/16/2020 at 1:21 PM, Ness Wiskey said:

Reliving an old thread, hello I want to contribute my grain of sand, the truth is that this thread is fascinating in the portrait you are making of Jasnah.
I personally don't care that Kaladin / Jasnah happens, but I really want this to happen for a reason, revenge on Shallan, the reason is simple the end of OB ends up disappointing the truth. Shallan takes a step forward and another back, does not recognize his real emotions.
 If Shallan's arc in the books to come is one of self-discovery in which she accepts all her other parts as being herself, then she always likes Kaladin and foolishly dismisses it. I don't care if Shallan ends up with Kaladin or Adolin in the end, I just want to see her reaction to accepting that she's lying to herself. In addition to where Shallan is afraid of being queen, Jasnah is more than worthy for the position and takes Kaladin by making him king, this route is too sweet. In the end, Shallan is how Navani is going to be longing for someone else ("And the same may happen to Kaladin"), in the case of Navani his decision is justified, in Shallan's it is simply emotional clumsiness.

I don't think Kaladin can be that petty to his friend and, arguably, new Tien figure. While Shallan still needs to learn to manage her emotions, I think she does realize that she was attracted to Kaladin but also realized that Adolin can support her better. 

On 6/18/2020 at 10:24 PM, Elsecaller_17.5 said:

There is a solid following, including myself, for asexual Jasnah.

On 6/18/2020 at 5:28 PM, Wax said:

Frankly, I thought Jasnah was either bi or a lesbian.  There's no single scene of her showing even a shred of interest in a man.  Just makes me wonder....

What about sapphic aroace Jasnah?

On 6/19/2020 at 3:06 PM, Wax said:

She’s no Nun!!! She dresses to impress.  So, I just can’t see the the asexual angle.

Other than that untethered scene released after WoR release, she has had no first person viewpoints.

She’s got that adversarial vibe going against all women:-

- Navani (Navani complained about Jasnah growing up too soon)

- Shallan (didn’t want her)

- Brother’s wife (wanted to assassinate)

just makes me think that she’s a headstrong lesbian.

 

 

 

Asexuality doesn't always entail asceticism and even then Kaladin is arguably also ace or at least demisexual and he can't really be described as monk-like. Also, I don't really get why being adversarial toward other women means she's a lesbian when female Alethi courtiers can get really mean to each other and the examples you have listed don't really support your idea. Jasnah doesn't like being mothered (abandonment, to a mental asylum no less, probably did wonders to Jasnah's maturity and trust in her mother), knows that she is not a good teacher, and wants to protect her family from possible usurpers. We also got Jasnah chapters in Oathbringer and she didn't really spare a thought on anyone's attractiveness which could always be attributed to the world literally ending but there should at least be one cute scholar in Urithiru, right?

In regards to how she presents herself, she is not only a renowned scholar, she was also a princess and dressing up is practically in the job description. For ladies, the court politics is basically one big oneupmanship event in every aspect and with people already talking rust behind her back, Jasnah can't afford to give them another chink in the armor. She is totally a power dresser and she would dress the part down to the tiniest detail even if she doesn't care about looking attractive.

[Elsecaller_17.5]

1 hour ago, Hessi's Ward said:

What about sapphic aroace Jasnah?

Huh?