I did this last Christmas as well, but this one will be different, as I'm once again using a randomizer to choose characters. For the record, I didn't fix the results except to omit anyone who appeared in last year's list and to nix any repeats in this one. Let's see what gifts they choose!
Thanks to @imtheseventh for requesting that I do this again! :)
1. Marsh gives Spook...a book
Spook: Oh, thank you, but I think Kelsier already got me this book? Marsh: Look more closely. Spook: [holds up two books side by side] Spook: See? Kelsier got me Hemalurgy for Dummies and you got me...oh. Hemalurgy Not For Dummies. Marsh: [taps eye spike knowingly]
2. Spook gives Fort...a coupon
Fort: "Fifty percent off women's slippers"? Spook: I heard you like deals--that was the best one I found! Fort: [pats him on the shoulder] Every bargain hunter has to start somewhere...
3. Fort gives Allrianne...a bracelet
Allrianne: Wow! It's actually pretty nice--thank you! Fort: You're so welcome! Fort: After a lot of hard work, I got it basically for free! Allrianne: You...didn't spend any money on it? Fort: Practically none! You're welcome! Allrianne: ... Fort: What?
4. Allrianne gives Raboniel...a pink dressing gown
Allrianne: What I see when I look at you is a woman who needs to relax and feel beautiful. Raboniel: [carefully examining the robe] Raboniel: No safehand sleeve, I see. Raboniel: Are you trying to seduce me? Allriane: EXCUSE me?! Raboniel: Listen, I get that from human woman more than you'd think..
5. Raboniel gives Elegy...a book of Sudoku puzzles
Elegy: ...I don't understand. Raboniel: I can see that you're trying to fight off the insanity that threatens to consume you. Raboniel: I know...something about that. Raboniel: It is helpful to keep the mind focused, occupied. Elegy: ...with number puzzles? Raboniel: Well, it's either that or going into weapon manufacturing, but Navani gave me a dirty look when I tried to buy you a bomb kit.
6. Elegy gives Marasi...a book
Elegy: My people do not have much, but I collected a book of our native stories for you. Elegy: Since your people seem to want to know about us so badly. Marasi: ...I don't know what that last part means, but thank you! Marasi: Aww, it's a book of stores for kids? How cute! Marasi: ... Marasi: Do they ALL end with children being consumed by ghosts? Elegy: Shades. And yes. Marasi: Thanks anyway? Elegy: What do you mean "anyway"?
7. Marasi gives Vin...a nice pen
Marasi: I-I mean, what do you give the woman who has everything?? Marasi: You did EVERYTHING in your life and set the bar so amazingly high with all of your powerful exploits! Marasi: S-Seriously I couldn't even FATHOM what do get the Ascendent Warrior for Christmas! Marasi: A-Anyway, since you have that nice pen anyway, I-I thought maybe you could sign something for me... Vin: ... Vin: What exactly happens in the future?
8. Vin gives Syl...the design for a mistcloak
Vin: You're sort of wind, right? Vin: Back home, the mists loved to play with the tassels on my mistcloak. I thought wind might be similar. Syl: [has already changed her form so that she appears to be wearing a mistcloak] Syl: Why do I feel so unbelievably cool?? Vin: It has that effect.
9. Syl gives Nale...coal
Nale: ...Are you telling me that I should build a nice fire and relax? Syl (arms crossed, glaring at Nale): I'm telling you that trying to KILL children means you get COAL Nale: The child in question gave me a hug when she confronted me. Syl: Yeah, well, I'm an Honorspren, not an Edgedancer.
10. Nale gives Denth...jail
Denth: ... Denth: It is literally Christmas. Nale: The law cares not for holidays.
11. Denth gives Charlie...a cat plushie
Charlie: [eying the cat plushie nervously] Charlie: Y-You're a bit of a bastard, huh? Denth: I don't know what you're talking about.
12. Charlie gives Marsh...a really nice bottle of rum
Marsh: This looks...expensive. Charlie: W-Well, you know. Charlie: When you draw the literal personification of death out of a hat for Secret Santa, you, uh...don't blow it off. Marsh: ... Marsh: I'm actually quite pleased.
ishar: behold the power of my Mega Depression!! you cannot possibly--
kaladin: yeah, yeah. the Mega Depression. we've all felt it. anyway, here's wandersail
yOu HaVe tO rEaD tHe cOsMeRe BoOkS iN tHe RiGhT oRdEr Or YoU wOn'T kNoW wHaT's GoiNg On!
Gancho, Doug, my brother in Adonalsium (Highly), I'm going to hold your hand when I say this:
Not knowing what's going on is the default state for Cosmere protagonists.
Even Wit, who's whole deal is standing over there in the corner smirking like he knows what's going on, doesn't have a single rusting clue.
Read the whole Stormlight Archive backwards for all I care, you'll still find yourself better informed than Kaladin Stormface
I like how Szeth's spren's name, 12124, has the following properties:
1 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 4 = 10
1 × 2 × 1 × 2 × 4 = 16
It contains both of the Cosmere's most popular lucky numbers
Marsh: Sees Moash with crystal spikes in his eyes
Pulls out his iron eye spikes.
Cleans them on his shirt.
Pops them back in.
“So my eyes aren’t deceiving me! we’re just doing knock off brands of everything now, huh?”
If the Era 1 Mistborn gang and the Stormlight characters happened to meet up, what would that be like?
[Includes spoilers through Rhythm of War & Era 1 Mistborn!] 1. Dalinar & Elend
Elend: And THEN the council voted ME out! Man, democracy is just so hard!
Dalinar: Have you considered straight-up tyranny?
Elend: A-actually, yeah. Unfortunately.
Elend: It just…works so well…
Dalinar: I know.
Dalinar: Let’s not dwell on it.
2. Shallan & Vin
Vin: My mom tried to kill me.
Shallan: Same.
Vin: Luckily I had my brother who cared for me. But he also had a cruel streak.
Shallan: Yeah—trust me, I know.
Vin: I trained as a thief & con artist for a while.
Shallan: Oh hey, me too! And that’s fun, but I also like wearing nice clothes and marrying someone socially above my station, you know?
Vin: Yeah, same!
Shallan: But also…I’ve murdered, just, so many people. Including family!
Vin: Killed my boyfriend’s dad.
Vin: And ex-fiancee.
Vin: And brother.
Shallan: Yeah, the murders just keep coming!
Vin: Crazy how that works.
3. Straff & Sadeas
Sadeas: Knifed in a hallway by my nemesis’s son. Right into the brain. Eye popped and everything.
Straff: Literally cut in half by a giant sword wielded by my son’s girlfriend. My horse, too.
Sadeas: Bro.
Straff: Bro.
4. Breeze & Sebarial
Breeze: Well, it certainly is nice to relax with a glass of wine & let the other characters make the jokes, isn’t it?
Sebarial: …why did I just get you wine??
5. Sazed & Sigzil
Sigzil: And as a Worldsinger, I learn about other places and then share that knowledge to bring people together.
Sazed: That’s simply wonderful! I think feruchemy would work so well for you!
Sigzil: It does seem like an amazing power.
Sazed: Also, do you ever want to, just…
Sigzil: …strangle Hoid?
Sazed: Yeah.
Sigzil: Yeah.
Kelsier: Yeah!!!
Sazed: Kelsier, get to your own section!
6. Spook & Lift
Lift: So you…eat metal. And it gives you powers?
Spook: Yeah. I get my power from burning Tin.
Lift: After you eat it?
Spook: After I eat it.
Lift: Sucks to be you! I get my power from PANCAKES.
7. Marsh & Navani
Marsh: …and with these metal spikes piercing my body, I gained a number of powers. Also immortality. Apparently.
Navani: I am so horrified. And so intrigued. You’re going to make SUCH good research!
Marsh: The horror doesn’t, you know, put you off?
Navani: Nah, you should have seen my last research partner.
8. TenSoon & Kaladin
Kaladin: So you are a…puppy?
TenSoon: Well, I have the ability to consume the bones of a canine and then take on this shape.
Kaladin: [nodding]
TenSoon: That doesn’t…disturb you at all?
Kaladin: I don’t know enough about dogs to judge.
9. Zane & Szeth
Zane: And basically, with the voice of God constantly in my ear encouraging me to kill, I did that! Kill, I mean.
Szeth: Obeying an unknown disembodied voice because you thought it might be god? What foolishness.
Zane: Didn’t you obey a rock?
Szeth: That was DIFFERENT.
10. Kelsier & Moash
Kelsier: The thing is—aristocrats just gotta be murdered, you know?
Kelsier: You look into their faces, see the reflection of their endless crimes, and just think, “Yup. Murder time.”
Kelsier: And some people are like, “Kelsier, stop murdering everyone!”
Kelsier: And it’s like—do I tell YOU not to do what YOU’RE good at?
Kelsier: I’m good at three things! Survival. Starting cults. And murder.
Moash: …
Moash: I think I love you.
*clenches fist* kaladin would want me to keep going
The Kaladin/Szeth chapters of Wind and Truth are so fucking funny.
We've got Kaladin and Syl going to therapy, picking up hobbies while doing their best impression of a dead spouse montage
And then on the next perspective over we've got Szeth playing the world's most terrifying game of Mega Man
Looking back at Wind and Truth, I'm really glad I didn't reread any of the previous Stormlight books since Branderson had graciously decided to send half of the characters to the fucking Flashback Realm™️ so that you are essentially forced to reread all of the important scenes anyways...
Wind and Truth theory fact. Gavinor did not grow to hate Dalinar for the atrocities he had committed, but rather as a natural consequence of having to watch your grand-uncle tell your dad that he's banging your grandmother 10000 times back-to-back.
Nah, all those other women were just Kaladin training for the real prize: Shallan's Mom
Truly amazing how Kaladin MostElegibleBachelor Stormblessed fumbled SO many baddies in the span of like 3 years (Tarah, Moash, Shallan, Adolin, Lyn) but Szeth McSerial Killer managed to lock down the first elegible woman he met after his Main Quest was over
No arm, no powers, 195 felonies on his record, BALD, but he still got his lady 🫡🫡🫡🫡 Truly a Chad.