Wit to Shallan, and Wit to Kaladin?

[S. Stormy she/her]

This is something that puzzled me in reading Wit's stories/interactions. If y'all could offer input, that'd be cool.

I noticed that it seems like Wit is a lot gentler when he tells Shallan a story/talks to her than when he tells Kaladin stories/talks to him. For example, in Rhythm of War, in the Dog and the Dragon, Kaladin says, 

Quote

"Your flute!" he said. "You found it?"

"This is a dream, idiot." Wit said. "It's not real."

This seems a bit harsh, considering all Kaladin's been through in the past ?week?month?(technically we don't know that Wit knows that, but I've just gotten used to assuming Wit knows everything. And he could probably figure out something's going on, judging by Kaladin's exhaustion/"close to giving up")

We also have the story of Fleet(or at least that scene):

Quote

Kaladin sighed as Wit continued to pluck out notes. “If I play along today,” Kaladin asked, “will that get rid of you?”

“I will leave as soon as the story is done.”

“Fine. A man went to jail. He hated it there. The end.”

“Ah…” Wit said. “So it’s a story about a child, then.”

“No, it’s about—” Kaladin cut off.

Me.

“Perhaps a story for a child,” Wit said. “I will tell you one, to get you in the mood. A bunny rabbit and a chick went frolicking in the grass together on a sunny day.”

“A chick… baby chicken?” Kaladin said. “And a what?”

“Ah, forgot myself for a moment,” Wit said. “Sorry. Let me make it more appropriate for you. A piece of wet slime and a disgusting crab thing with seventeen legs slunk across the rocks together on an insufferably rainy day. Is that better?”

This seems... unnecessary. It is really funny, but it's a seemingly random jab at Kaladin, who I'm not sure needs it or could benefit from it.

In Wandersail, Wit doesn't exactly insult Kaladin, but he does intentionally misinterpret what Kaladin says to annoy him, kind of a lot.

And while Wit still is very gentle and sweet to Kaladin at times, he is also quite salty sometimes.

 

Whereas with Wit, at least in the chapter The Girl Who Stood Up, pretty much the meanest things he say to her are "I thought you knew this story", "Skip? Skip part of a story?", "Wrong answer. She was both", along with some interesting debates. But other than that, he's loving and kind and comforting to her, a sharp contrast to how he treats Kaladin a good chunk of the time.

Does anyone care to offer their ideas for why this is the case?

 

P.S.

I am aware that Wit is a worldhopper and is more commonly referred to as Hoid. But I prefer calling him Wit.

Edited July 9, 2022 by Shallan Stormblessed
Adding info

[+Invocation]

I think it could be some combination of the fact that she's a Lightweaver, so he relates to her a bit more than he does Kaladin (even if his Yolish Lightweaving was not exactly the same as her Rosharan equivalent) and the fact that he has seen her as a child and an adult both. 

[Luckspren she/her]

1) Kaladin's male, Shallan's female. it comes naturally to most males to be gentler to girls than to boys.

2) I think Shallan in general needs more comfort than Kaladin.

3) Insulting Kaladin seems like more fun than insulting Shallan, personally.

[HOID WANTS INSTANT NOODLES he/him]

I think Hoid might have a bit of a protective instinct towards shallan, almost fatherly. It isnt that he insults kaladin an unusual amount just that him not insulting Shallan is unusual

[CosmicSieve]

I think it is a combination of Wit having first met Shallan when she was a child, and Shallan's reaction to seeing him again once she was an adult. She gave him a big hug, and quite disarmed him. I really love their relationship.

[Greywatch she/her]

I feel like Hoid knows Kaladin isn't going to break if he teases a little "meanly". Shallan has different needs.

[S. Stormy she/her]

1 hour ago, Luckspren said:

2) I think Shallan in general needs more comfort than Kaladin.

I'm not sure I agree with this? I mean, I feel like Kaladin needs the same amount of support Shallan does, but he doesn't want to admit that to himself.

1 hour ago, Luckspren said:

3) Insulting Kaladin seems like more fun than insulting Shallan, personally.

Oh yeah, definitely. Kaladin's my favorite, but I ain't denying what you say.

23 minutes ago, CosmicSieve said:

I think it is a combination of Wit having first met Shallan when she was a child, and Shallan's reaction to seeing him again once she was an adult. She gave him a big hug, and quite disarmed him.

That's a good point. I also wondered if Wit liked Kaladin more at first so gave him the flute, then Kaladin lost it/didn't try to learn how to play it, then lost favor in Wit's eyes. I think he felt an emotional attachment to that flute...

Who knows.

3 minutes ago, Greywatch said:

I feel like Hoid knows Kaladin isn't going to break if he teases a little "meanly". Shallan has different needs.

Yeah, he knows Kaladin can take it. Also Kaladin is a little more prone to being unfair and less likeable than Shallan(yes I know that in the fandom, they get the same amount of hate[maybe Shallan gets more? I don't know] but I mean as people, Adolin in WoR thinks of Kaladin as unlikeable, but falls in love with Shallan immediately). So Wit finds more there to tease.

[Spren of Kindness she/her]

I think a lot of it is a personality thing.  Different people react in different ways.  So Wit, who is good at reading people, can make choices on how to treat those he interacts with. It's the same thing I've done occasionally with kids, despite being pretty terrible at reading people.  You can figure out where they are, and then respond in a way that makes them comfortable, or that they understand.

I've noticed that Kaladin is more blunt, so that's how Wit responds.  A little more sarcastic, more likely to insult, but still showing understanding.  And that works, from what we've seen.  Shallan comes from a completely different background, has a different personality, and has different issues and therefore, Wit responds differently.

[LordFlea]

I think part of its down to the fact that Kaladin is prone to self pity when he has particularly bad bouts of depression. Wit has the right idea with being a little harsh here, self pity doesnt help anyone.

 

Shallan on the other hand grew up in a toxic and abusive household, when shes in a low place, compassion and empathy helps her realise that shes not the awful person she thinks she is.

 

When he talks to Dalinar he doesn't for one second shrink from the atrocities of Lighteyes rule and war, pointing out the countless dead and enslaved. Dalinar needs to here these things so he can confront his own nature and actions and become a better man and leader.

 

Lastly with The dog and the dragon, we see Wit treat Kaladin with such incredible care and compassion. Wit knows that Kaladin is frayed incredibly thin, closer to giving up then ever before.

 

I think Wit knows exactly what he's doing when interacting with these flawed, often fragile beings.

Edited July 10, 2022 by LordFlea

[Green Hoodie Mistborn he/him]

I think Hoid adapts his strategy to different "students" 

... and also agree he has a massive soft spot for Shallan. I think he feels her struggles more than others.