#giving tyrion a romantic love interest who legitimately loves him back changes everything

[hylialeia]

still thinking about it and I’m increasingly more convinced that the changes GOT made to Shae were ultimately only compelling by accident (well, by accident and by Sibil Kekilli’s performance) because they ultimately stemmed from a misunderstanding of Tyrion’s storyline and a desire to give him a tragic love story, to the detriment of both his AND Shae’s show characters

[janiedean]

Do you think Jonsa is going to happen? I did read some meta about foreshadowing and it's a "squint if you miss it" but there is stuff. For example. Jonnel/Sansa stark in the family tree. People say the fact that Jon didn't care about Sansa being wed to Tyrion, compared to Arya being wed to Ramsay means he his repressing his painful memories and how he has a secret crush on her.

... tldr and sorry for the harshness: no, but if you want to go into the details, with no offense to anyone shipping it of course:

as I already recently ranted, jon and sansa are in two totally different brackets - jon is a main five, sansa is in the following bracket, jon has the entire chosen one storyline plus being the center of the entire story going on, sansa has the I want the love story and I'll get it plotline which does not mesh with jon's so there's that;

sansa's story arc is admittedly painfully clear in the beginning as in: if she thinks she's going to marry a beautiful gallant pretty prince and she thinks it's joffrey who is like attractive and LOOKS gallant but we all know how it went, then she's going to end up with someone who is the total opposite, also if she wanted to be queen in the beginning then it means she's absolutely not going to be in the end bc her entire arc is about realizing that everything she wanted in the beginning is not what she truly wants, and since jon is absolutely poised to get kingship, divide the kingdoms and fuck off to the wildlings after there is no way that her storyline meshes with his like that;

sansa's only viable love interests at this point on page are sandor and tyrion, the end, which by the way are, guess what, not standard attractive and are two people who need to overcome their trauma but never treated her unfairly, and like... denying that in the text sansa is attracted to sandor (she MAKES UP that he kissed her, she dreams he comes to her on her wedding night, she's all like AH BUT JUST *I* KISSED THE HOUND etc like sorry but that's a thing never mind all the knightly investment subtext) and that sandor is her love interest on text is imvho absolutely senseless - you can ship whatever you want and realize that canon isn't going there and write fanfic, no one is gonna stop you, and I can accept the endgame theory from sansa/tyrion shippers even if I think sansa/sandor is it, but sansa/anyone else is absolutely out of the question;

also sandor is the only one sansa thinks about using all the criteria ned used to describe the knight he would find her which was better than joffrey bless whoever went and did the search (brave gentle and strong) and she doesn't use neither of those terms to think about jon, like there's more evidence for littlefinger based on that and idt lf is gonna be her intended;

they think they're siblings and like I know that saying 'BUT THE INCEST' in these books is not like an automatic NO because there's canon incest and the rival ship ie j*nerys also would be incest but like one thing is jc which is not endgame and plainly described as abusive/unhealthy, one thing is targ incests which like the narrative generally is like HEY THIS WAS NOT A GOOD IDEA ABOUT and one thing is falling in love with someone you thought was your sibling and you grew up with like that the moment you find out you're cousins - that... doesn't work like that. and like while I don't have a horse in this race and j*nerys is hardly my ideal endgame sorry but it's a lot more likely that jon would end up getting with someone who he never met before, was the sister of a father he never knew and doesn't even consider his father and he had no relation with before than with... someone he actually thought was his sister, even if he finds out she's his cousin that doesn't change it;

'repressing painful memories' jon has zero issue thinking about catelyn or sansa not treating him great so idk what he should be repressing;

arya vs sansa question: .... well that's like getting close to the entire point but not getting it, in the sense that while jon didn't take wf because it belonged to sansa - but he said he would have if ygritte had been alive and stannis said he could marry her and not val which I mean... says all honestly - technically he made vows saying he renounced his family which is the entire fucking point re arya - the point is that he didn't give those vows up for robb but he would for arya which was the one he was closest to which is what makes everyone else kill him and no he wouldn't have done that for sansa because she was the only one who kept him at a distance, but...

the entire damned point is that they have to reconnect as siblings. sansa going back north (which is gonna happen) and jon being there and most likely getting legitimized/getting robb's will etc means that they have, as adults (or at least... well not kids) realize that how she treated him was wrong and that they can build a relationship which means that each single text reference to each other which is really nothing romantic™ is posed to tell you THESE TWO WILL BE THE STARK SIBLINGS MEETING FIRST and since they didn't have a close rship before they will forge one now, but that doesn't mean that they're going to be romantic endgame, because jon's point isn't having the uber romantic storyline and sweeping a maiden off her feet and sansa already has at least one love interest posed to do exactly that and while their sl are absolutely meant to intersecate on a sibling finding each other again level they are off when it comes to romance;

also a j*nsa endgame would... imply that she becomes queen of the seven kingdoms and they stay reigning there when sansa is absolutely posed to stay in the north and do her own thing and jon is posed to destroy the united-westeros-because-a-targ-did-it legacy (which like... great bookend bc first legit targ king unites it, bastard stark-targaryen king who most likely is keeping the bastard name undoes it) and he is going to hate each second of it, so it doesn't add up with sansa getting her happy love song fairytale romance... which again she can get from other people that the text strongly pointed at already.

so: no because it makes no sense thematically for either of them and for that matter I don't even think jon*erys is eventual endgame tho I guess it has to happen at this point given the show mess idk but if either of them had to be j*nerys would make a load more sense and I still think that a targ restoration with two monarchs keeping on being monarchs is not what a dude who is obviously anti-monarchy has in mind for the endgame. like no offense to anyone into it ofc but again it has zero textual basis for being romantic endgame and it wouldn't even make either of them happy bc jon is not sansa's gentle brave strong knight and sansa isn't the kind of woman jon is actually into (ygritte reminded him of arya I mean) and idt he'd get romantic feelings for his sister who he's going to think of in that terms anyway so there's my two cents. and I understand that it's not smth that a lot of people would agree with but take it up with grrm because he's the one putting that in the text and not me X°D

[lesmotsincompris]

Thoughts on GoT S07E01

I’m a little late for this discussion, but since I decided to watch the show again I figured it would be nice to have my own notes here. 

For those who don’t know, I quit the show during season 5 (guess when). After that I’ve seen a couple of episodes here and there, a few loose scenes, but never actually watched the show regularly as I used to.

Until now.

For some reason I decided to watch it again. Maybe because it seems like one can’t escape the show these days, so I might as well watch it and form my own opinion about it.

Others have already expressed most of my feelings for this episode, but I’ll try my best not to be repetitive:

I confess I was a little nervous, like when you know you’re gonna see your ex in a party. In the end it was easier than expected, mostly because I barely felt anything. I wasn’t as angry as I expected to be, my eyes didn’t roll as hard as I expected them roll, but the big moments didn’t do much for me either. I always compliment the show’s direction, acting and setting, and indeed all of that was correct. But that’s it.

Arya

I’m not sure what to make of her? Several people poked holes on Arya’s contrived plan, so I won’t go there. I wanna question D&D’s goal with her in terms of themes/characterization (I know, I know). 

They paralleled Arya’s massacre with the Red Wedding itself, so are we supposed to assume it was a bad action? Mind you, in the books is Lady Stoneheart who is killing Frey by Frey and might be responsible for an upcoming Red Wedding 2.0, but LSH is hardly a character we’re supposed to root for. Arya also compares herself to a wolf and the Frey to sheep, but sheep are nice and fluffy, so more points to Arya Did a Bad Thing. Yet they ended the scene with triumphant music and an Empowered Smirk™, so what? Am I supposed to root for her? Am I supposed to think she did something awful?

The ‘Ed Sheeran and the Nice Lannisters’ scene makes this all the more confusing. It wasn’t a bad scene, though the Lannister soldiers were perhaps too nice (oh, the ever-changing patriarchy of show!Westeros, where the setting is oppressive or friendly to women depending on the needs of the plot), and that music was very much out-of-context. I’m surprised Arya didn’t say she was going “wherever whores go”.

Before I forget: is 'killing the men, sparing the women' D&D’s version of feminism? But why would Arya do that, really? Do we have any indication that no woman took part in the Red Wedding? That no woman could seek revenge against her just as she did with the Freys? This is the kind of stuff that earns D&D the title of faux-feminists, especially when even Arya’s way of preventing the child bride from drinking wine was quite misogynist.

Bran vs Evil Dead

How did Bran acquire his powers? He now has visions without weirwoods or ravens or anything, he simply ~knows~ stuff about Edd... But when/how did he learned all that stuff? He got a power upgrade simply because Bloodraven died? He says he’s the Three-eyed Raven now, but what does that mean, exactly?

My issue are not the powers themselves, because I do believe book!Bran will boldly go where no greenseer has gone before, but how those powers are suddenly more impressive than what we got last season. I didn’t watch the season properly so maybe this was explained.

Is it too much to hope that Edd (or anyone, really) is gonna send a raven to Winterfell saying that Ned’s legitimate son is alive?

The other Starks

I gotta say this is my least favorite plot, maybe because book!Jon and book!Sansa are among my favorite characters of anything ever, but here we have two stupid, jerk people who fail at basic communication because the writers don’t know how else to write conflict.

Sansa raises valid points, but the place to raise them was pre meeting and not during the meeting. And I can see no reason why she and Jon couldn’t have sit down to discuss their common strategy before this gathering, but this isn’t the first time the writers use lack of previous communication as a source of conflict for the Stark siblings.

Much like the Kingsmoot or smallfolk everywhere, crowds in the show are there just to fill a room, but they have no opinion and no influence. They just cheer for whoever is talking.

I’m already done with Lyanna Mormont, but she’s one of D&D’s pet characters. Faux-feminism strikes again in her speech: teaching girls how to fight too is actually super important in this moment, but this point could be delivered without diminishing the importance of knitting. It’s winter, knitting is more useful than ever. But hey, knitting is usually associated with ~girly things~ and D&D like to show how Empowered™ their female characters are by having them dismiss typically female activities, so there you have it. It’s not the first time something like this happens, so I have no reason to believe it will be the last.

I love Alys Karstark in the books, yet here I felt nothing. Who is Alys Karstark in the show? Why is that moment supposed to be meaningful? The Northern theatre was so confusing over the last two seasons that I can barely keep track of who was an ally and who wasn’t, and mostly I wasn’t invited to care.

Much like Alys, Jon’s struggles with leadership also belong in his tenure as Lord Commander. We see Sansa complimenting his skills, but we don’t see any actual demonstration that Jon is a capable leader. You know what, book!Jon was ten times the leader show!Jon is, but book!Jon paid for his blind spots and struggled with the job because the job is hard. Show!Jon is incompetent at best, but keeps being rewarded because we’re told he is a good character, so he must obviously be a good leader. Remember GRRM’s remark about Tolkien and good kings? D&D are writing the exact kind of fantasy story that GRRM criticizes in his books. Oh the irony, it hurts.

“When I was Lord Commander I executed men who betrayed me”. Well, technically you had already died and resurrected, so you were no longer Lord Commander and only a common murderer. But if you were still LC, then it means death didn’t release you from your vows, so you’re now LC or a deserter and have no business being King in the North. You can’t have both, but D&D want both so let’s have it. Nobody questions this because of reasons.

Speaking of D&D trying to have it both ways, I’m always a fan of Sansa burning Littlefinger, but the effect is undermined when in the very next scene she says how much she depends on him. They need the Vale men, very well, but I can’t see why they wouldn’t at least try to use Lysa’s murder or the Bolton Marriage Plan against LF. And, you know, preventing the icepocalypse is in the Vale men’s best interests too, so it’s not like they’ll just go home.

Repeat after me, children: Ned and Robb weren’t stupid. They made mistakes, yes, but everybody in this series makes mistakes. Those mistakes didn’t cause their deaths, no more than being backstabbed means you threw your back against someone else’s knife. Honor isn’t a mistake, kindness isn’t a mistake. Compare Ned’s legacy vs Tywin’s legacy and you’ll know that. Book legacy, that is.

Jon is a bit of a jerk during this episode and I can’t see why he would think Sansa admires Cersei… and then Sansa is silent and admits Cersei taught her a lot. I give up. No, wait, I remembered that famous Sansa book quote, if I’m ever queen I’m gonna bomb all my enemies.

The Lannisters… and Euron?

Speaking of Lannisters, I fail to see how Cersei is still queen. She has no claim, she has no army to force her presence in the Throne for much longer, and she just bombed the Vatican with everybody’s favorite pope plus Princess Diana inside. Knock, knock. Who’s there? Not an angry mob because that would require D&D to remember that smallfolk are a thing and exists.

How does Cersei knows everything she does, from Tyrion being promoted Hand to Jaime releasing his brother? Does she read the scripts too?

‘A dynasty for us’ is my new pick up line. Hey baby, I want to build a dynasty just for us.

‘Do you think I listened to father for 40 years and learned nothing?’ Well, D&D listened to GRRM for five books plus several meetings and learned nothing, so it’s not impossible.

Everybody already made all the good jokes about Euron’s rockstar look, I knew I should have watched the episode the night it aired!

The Brotherhood without Stoneheart

Probably the moment that worked best? Kind of undermined by Sandor’s lust for violence last season, but hey, I’ll take what I get. To be honest I didn’t remember anything about the father/daughter, so this undermined the scene a little bit too. It’s amazing that D&D expect us to remember those two, but Tysha? Naaaah who’s Tysha man nobody is gonna remember that better pretend she didn’t exist.

Two more nitpicks that are not actually that nitpicky. One: that fire vision came super easy and super straightforward for Sandor. Why? Can anyone do that? It makes Melisandre look an idiot.

Two: death doesn’t affect Beric that much, as it didn’t affect Jon. I mean, what’s a little dying, right?

Sam Potter

Fun fact: I had to interrupt this episode because my dinner was ready… and I interrupted right before the Oldtown montage, so I had the benefit of watching all that shit and food and shit being associated with food with a belly full of actual food. Yay! Having Sam perform humble tasks while in Oldtown is a good concept, but this was deliberately meant to be gross. Why? We just don’t know. Happy shitting!

How many episodes Sam wasted in learning what Stannis had already told him ages ago?

Hey, refresh my memory: what was Gilly’s arc over the last four seasons?

Creepy Jorah is still creepy and still being framed as romantic. Great.

Daenerys

I honestly expected this would be my favorite moment this episode. The show is always good with visually impressive moments, and the scenery and sountrack do help. It was indeed a nice scene, but that was it.

‘Home’ is a very dear concept to book!Dany - whether this ‘home’ means Westeros, the house with a red door, etc is another issue, but this has been a major motivation for her during her journey. Show!Dany’s journey was more erratic, so the moment lost a bit of its emotional significance.

Who is show!Dany? What was her arc? What has she learned? How is she any more prepared to rule Westeros than ADWD!Dany? What does she want? To rule Westeros, but why? How? What do her supporters want? Missandei and Grey Worm just want to follow their white savior, but what’s in it for Tyrion or Dorne or Olenna? They’re just supporting her because they hate the other candidate more?

(wait, I take that back, that actually happens a lot)

It’s still a pretty scene, but eh. I legit thought I would be more excited to see this. And I agree with everyone that pointed this would be better as the ending of a season than the ending of a first episode.

Also let’s trash Stannis, because why not, right?

Extra comments

Gee, look at all that foreshadowing about the Wall falling, I wonder if something bad is gonna happen soon.

Now that they got rid of the direwolves, can’t they use the extra budget to pay for better wigs? Sophie Turner’s was especially bad, but Emilia Clarke’s wasn’t that great either.

Lol what’s with the black battle dresses and shoulder pads. That looks so silly and anachronistic. I usually like the show’s costume choices (ignoring all their reasoning for it in-universe, that is), but those outfits are just ugly.

I really, really don’t like the design for the Night’s King. Too artificial, too Power Rangers villain. And ah, it’s so D&D to center the threat of the Others in one single dude.

---

See you next week, y’all!

[sheikah]

The pro-Daenerys and pro-Sansa meta no one asked for.

So I felt compelled to write this in response to the growing ugliness between the Jonerys and Jonsa fandoms. It’s something that puzzles me and makes me sad. It’s no secret to anyone that I am a Jonerys shipper, but that doesn’t mean I dislike Sansa as a character or hate the Jonsa ship in general. What does bother me, though, is the constant bickering over which will be canon, and the constant attacks from each side aimed at the female protagonists in an attempt to devalue the opposing ship. 

I don’t understand these attacks and to me they just perpetuate the damaging tradition of female competition over a man. I realize all of this is fictional, but in most cases of the Jonerys/Jonsa feud I see people tearing down Dany or Sansa in order to legitimize the ship in question by saying that Jon could only be with Dany because Sansa is weak or only be with Sansa because Dany is evil, etc. What’s worse, I stumble upon a lot of fics where the main conflict is a love triangle in which usually Dany but sometimes Sansa becomes a villain character. Think about this for a second. A complex, interesting, multi-layered female character who is not canonically a villain in either case being used as a mere obstacle to a romantic ship, thereby creating a love triangle and feminine competition that doesn’t--and probably won’t--canonically exist. Maybe it’s the feminist in me screaming, but that makes me so, so sad.  Now, fic writers can and should write whatever they want, and I am actually a huge fan of the love triangle trope. But in this case, it is being fabricated out of thin air and the end result is a lot of hate thrown at these women because of imagined scenarios in which they fight over Jon Snow.  So now that I have given you this lengthy preamble, here’s a post about why, as far as I’m concerned, that would never happen--because Dany and Sansa are actually very similar. I believe that both women are confident by this point of the series and would not chase a man who is divided in his feelings for them and, in my opinion, they would actually be great friends.

1. Dany loves and protects women.

I feel like the idea of Dany fighting Sansa for Jon’s affection goes fundamentally against her character. 

Dany would not try to destroy another woman’s happiness that way. We have seen her defend other women and display a special concern for women on several occasions. 

In season 1, Dany used her power and influence to save the women in the shepherd village from rape at the hands of the Dothraki. We all know how this turned out, but it is the first instance of her trying to stand up for women and establish them as something more than property in Dothraki culture. 

In season 3, Dany makes it a point to save Missandei from Master Kraznys and take her into her care. This is not something she needed to do. She doesn’t need a translator and was easily able to take the Unsullied without Missandei’s assistance or friendship. But she saw how Missandei was mistreated and wanted the opportunity to give her a better life. The famous line, “But we are not men,” just further illustrates Dany’s awareness of the plight of women in this culture and her desire to fix that. 

In season 6, when Dany is held captive by the Dothraki horde and has been placed with the Dosh Khaleen, she is kind to the young, widowed khaleesi who brings her outside the tent, understanding and sympathizing with her situation. 

But these women seem to love their chains--they feel the Dosh Khaleen is not a terrible situation to be in. They are an obstacle to Dany’s freedom but she understands their reluctance to question their status and doesn’t view them as her enemies. She liberates them, only burning the khal’s men who sought to harm her.

Finally, at the end of season 6, Dany forms an alliance with Yara Greyjoy, knowingly and willingly establishing another woman as leader of the Iron Islands. While a woman like Cersei sees other queens as dangerous competition, Dany seeks to aid, protect, and elevate other women. 

We have no reason to assume that she would treat Sansa Stark any differently, and (as I will argue below) their similarities would probably lead to a meaningful friendship if they spent enough time together. 

2. Sansa craves (and deserves) friendship.

Sansa’s character has changed noticeably through the course of the series. I would argue that the only person to change more is Jaime Lannister. When we first meet Sansa she is selfish and a little rude. But I can’t fault her for this--she’s a teenage girl, and one who starts the series in a place of considerable privilege. 

But when that is taken away from her, Sansa becomes noticeably kinder and more understanding of other people. While she used to be annoyed by and somewhat mean to Arya, the loss of her little sister seems to affect Sansa and she misses that companionship. 

She first tries to replace it with Margaery Tyrell, who seems to care genuinely for Sansa’s wellbeing--something Sansa isn’t used to at court, where everyone has questionable motives and hidden agendas. Sansa and Margaery’s friendship was sweet and offered us a glimpse of a happy, grateful young girl who was giddy at the prospect of marrying Loras Tyrell and eager to develop a closer friendship with Margaery. 

Again, as we all know, that doesn’t exactly go according to plan, and Sansa’s next option is Shae. While Shae is only her handmaiden, Sansa seems to trust her and is thankful for her support in moments like the one when Sansa starts her period and tries desperately to hide it from Cersei. She doesn’t have a mother to talk to or a sister or any close friends, so she relies on Shae to help her. In this moment, Shae does. Shae tries to protect Sansa and even tells Tyrion that she loves the younger girl. 

But jealousy sours this relationship when Shae believes that Tyrion actually wanted his marriage to Sansa, causing so much trouble that Tyrion is forced to remove Shae from Sansa’s service, leaving her alone again. 

After that happens, Sansa is left with no one but Tyrion himself, and after Joffrey’s death her only ally is Petyr. He cannot fulfill the role of friend and confidant because their relationship is very sexually-charged and he clearly sees Sansa as a younger, lovelier version of Cat--his lost love. Yet Petyr throws her into the Bolton’s clutches where it becomes immediately apparent that Sansa’s only friends are the rugged Northerners. But Ramsay puts a stop to that very quickly when he flays the woman who tries to help Sansa, and with no one but the Boltons themselves, Theon as Reek, and Myranda, Sansa is alone again. 

Sansa has almost given up on finding someone who can truly be her friend, as evidenced by her very well-placed distrust of Myranda from the beginning. 

This is why Sansa is so willing to forgive Theon and to accept Brienne’s service the second time--because she has realized how lonely and desperate she is for a companion, someone to trust. 

At the end of the day, Sansa is like a lot of us. A girl who fantasized about a beautiful life and grew up to realize it hardly works out that way for anyone. This experience hardened her. She is stronger and smarter than ever before but she isn’t heartless and still needs other people in her life. So I feel like meeting a woman like Dany wouldn’t arouse territorial feelings of jealousy in Sansa, who we already know doesn’t want to take the Iron Throne. Instead, she would see a kindred spirit--a woman who has also suffered, been used by men, lost everything, but emerged victorious and strong. 

3. Dany and Sansa have a lot in common. 

Although they lived very different lives and followed very different paths, Dany and Sansa have a lot of similarities that make both women such interesting and enjoyable characters to watch and read about. 

Both women have had, at one point or another, magical creatures: Dany’s dragons and Sansa with Lady the direwolf.

Both women have lost their parents. Both women have lost two brothers. 

Both women have been raped, if we are going by the show!universe. Dany was raped on her wedding night by the khal. Sansa was raped on her wedding night by Ramsay.

Both women entered into marriage arrangements to advance themselves politically so that they might avenge their families and take back their rightful homes. Dany, at Viserys’s behest, married Drogo for his army so that she might overthrow Robert Baratheon and take back her kingdom. Sansa married Ramsay at Petyr’s behest so that she might ingratiate herself to Ramsay and eventually take Winterfell for herself.

Both women have vengeful streaks, and it’s badass. Dany and Sansa aren’t murderous villains, but they recognize the necessity of violence as a means to an end and as a tool of vengeance. Dany’s burning of the slavers’ fleet was one of the most intense moments in the entire series and I will never forget it. It was also amazing when Sansa had Ramsay killed by his own hounds in an epic display of poetic justice.

Both women are still softhearted and loving despite their many hardships. We can still see love and compassion in Dany’s treatment of her friends and her dragons. I especially liked her gesture of giving Tyrion the Hand of the Queen pin, and her decision to forgive Jorah and urge him to save himself. Sansa displayed similar kindness in her gesture of sewing Stark clothing for Jon to symbolize his true status as a member of her family. 

4. Their friendship would be mutually beneficial, and also really sweet ^.^

Last but not least, here are my cheesy ass headcanons about what would happen if these two spent a significant amount of time together at King’s Landing or Winterfell, and became friends. 

--Dany seeing snow for the first time, and Sansa--who is apparently the Westeros Champion Snow Castle Architect--showing her how to sculpt things in it. 

--Sansa showing Dany how to wear her hair with more of it down in the Northern style, and Dany fixing Sansa’s hair in intricate braids. 

--Dany giving Sansa advice about men and sex, since poor Sansa has not had a positive sexual experience yet. 

--Sansa being a welcome and valued member of Dany’s council meetings, because Sansa’s time at court is a valuable asset and Dany recognizes that. 

--Both of them swapping funny but totally endearing stories about what it is like to live with Tyrion, the hilarious wino. Tyrion being super uncomfortable that his two favorite gals are always walking around arm-in-arm giggling and whispering conspiratorially in his direction. 

--Both of them being girl power af and disrupting the fuck out of the patriarchy by making the most important decisions and strategizing like a couple of bosses.

--Trying to borrow each other’s clothes, but Sansa’s are hilariously big for Dany because of the height difference, and Dany’s dresses show even more skin on Sansa and are totally impractical in the Northern climate. So Sansa, expert seamstress extraordinaire, sews Dany some nice furs. 

--Both women being important parts of Jon’s life, and vice versa, and all of them working together to leave the world better than they found it because that is literally like Dany’s motto now.  

Wow, okay, so if you read all of that, thanks for being interested in my ramblings. Hopefully I convinced someone that we should all love each other and be friends lol. I know none of those headcanons will happen because there is no time for people to be cute and friendly with a war happening and everything. But a girl can dream.

P.S. My super-smart bff @oadara expressed interest in my ideas on this, so I’m tagging her now :D

[astormofships]

Pick Your Darling: Holly

“Don't think there are no second chances. Life always offers you a second chance... It's called tomorrow.”

Ship name

Sprinting Lion. Wind and Flame. You called him a lion or a golden knight, and he teased you by saying you were bossy.

Meeting

In King's Landing, at court.

First impressions, the way it used to be before it became romantic

Like everyone else, you were not impressed by his reputation. But not because he was the Kingslayer, mainly the fact that he sounded presumptuous and insolent. Were all Lannisters raised this way? Probably. Unlike most ladies, you were not resigned to your fate: women were to marry a noble man and give him heirs, dutifully obeying their lord. The only way this plan could have worked was if you were the man. Your bride would be treated fairly and with more freedom of speech and actions, if there was one to begin with. Settling down, even if the match was interesting, was not your cup of spiced wine. Fortunately you were not from a big house, simply another lady from the Riverlands. You had been given the notorious Frey's proposal, seeing that Walder was the father of many offsprings, legitimate and bastards. And gladly declined, with a great amount of effort put in the politeness to avoid further scorn from this spiteful house. Independent then, but still demanding and whimsical like a lady could be. That's how Jaime viewed you. Until you started to talk to the other. It couldn't be described as a clash, nor even a spark. But maybe like two strangers walking in the same tight way and having to turn your shoulders and upper body a little so you don't collide with the person and keep walking. Well, it would be like that, without the going away part. You'd both walk in circle, like in combat. But merely assessing and a little bit captivated. You'd be flames floating and circling but never touching. Was it all decent and understandable mental imagines? I hope so xD Mutual respect slowly grew, same as friendship. Leadership was in your bones, but none really fought for control: Jaime was more physical and would take charge in battle or if protection was need, same as strategy. He didn't mind following your plans of the day, why ever not? It's not like you'd force his hands and make him do something he utterly despised. You met three years prior the War of Five Kings, but sometimes he was on duty and you were not always present. When he returned to King's Landing with his golden hand, for example, you were there. That's when the big talk occurred. But when the knight was back to see his sister as the new queen, you were not. He missed you but was glad you were far far away from her clutches.

MODERN AU: Because I could not help myself The CEO of Valyrian Steel Auto, Aerys Targaryen, died in a fire. It apparently started because of a car, then the others followed. Jaime, son of Tywin, the CEO of Lannister Bank and rival of Aerys, was also in the building and miraculously got out unscathed. A nasty rumor was born out of a tragic accident: was he responsible, did he do it for his family? Jaime claimed that Aerys had gone mad and wanted to burn everything, so he tried to stop him. Cameras confirmed this theory although people remained suspicious for some reason.  In any case, it wasn't a story you publicly spoke of. Besides, the show must go on right? So that's what he did. Rich, charming, proud but still a bachelor nevertheless, the man was not necessarily a workaholic yet still gave his all into his job. Which included the Olympic Games in the fencing field, no less. You saw a lot of landscape as a globetrotter and decided to assist the games with some friends once. It was a shock to the world when he finished Silver Medal. It was only five years later that you really met. He was no longer often on the spotlight nor in the media but you recognized him anyway. His face didn't change. Remember the floating flames circling around each other metaphor? Well, it did not vanish but there was indeed a spark this time. Your charismatic auras and bold, fiery personalities matched and did not succumbed to shyness. Sure, there was an attitude to him and you seemed quite spirited, but you got past those fairly quick. It all started when you regularly did jogging together once a week in the morning. Ah, the competitive strike! Eventually you exchanged numbers, when both were seen less and less at the park where the running usually begun. Busy schedules or no motivation, to be honest. Coffeshops or lunch were the go to options, although the perspectives enlarged when you two became better and actual friends. He loved you for accepting him for what he was and not judging him based on the rumors. He did not try to repress your outbursts and hobbies, which was something you were deeply appreciative of. Jaime dared fuelling it, mostly amused by this side of you. I meant, what, that blond guy could be one of a kind too. Hearing you sing was familiar, whether it was meant for personal satisfaction, to initiate duets, be a thorn in the arse or supposedly cheer him up. Idealist, you tried to change the world and went to several protests. Internally desperate to be a better man, he accompanied you from time to time; to avoid his family or for the sake of going, that is the question. He didn't like you going alone and told you so. Sweet sentiment, but you attempted to placated him by adding that your friends usually joined. Pointing out their absence, he rolled his eyes when you shrugged and replied that he was there if anything bad happened but knew that it was not entirely false. There was no need for protection whatsoever seeing that they were more often than not peaceful. It's not that Jaime was ashamed to express his emotions, but he simply was more of a touchy guy if he liked the person and that's why you got a pat on the back, arm draped around your shoulders, hugs... and it wasn't a problem. It was easier to grab his arm and drag him to a new adventure, haha! Something.. evolved, when you saw someone you disliked as you were taking a walk. Noticing their arrival, you didn't think too long and immediately asked for a favour, high-pitched voice and exaggerated smile. Frowning, his eyebrow arched but what happened next was a surprise: pulling him towards you, soft lips clashed against his. It lasted maybe 15 seconds maximum. Letting him go gently, you looked around and was relived to see the person gone. Turning around to face your friend, you were greeted by a pair of lips. A gasp left your mouth, but the kiss ended much quicker than the first. You blinked at him, he stared back with a pleased smirk. That's how a friend with benefits deal was created. When the atmosphere turned to a sensual nature, there was no struggle for dominance either, if only as foreplay or it being playful. You did what you felt like doing, period. As long as the other was comfortable with the turn of events, of course. Jaime was a man, he was used to be the one who initiated or actually be on top, and such things. But with you, the tables could be reversed. He could let go. That was it, though. No kisses out of the bedroom, no romantic public (or private) display of affection, no special gifts unless for birthdays... it was safe to say you knew what you wanted and what you did not want. He respected those wishes. Until he couldn't anymore. To his credit, he managed several months. Nearly a year! But silly feelings had to fuck shit up as if life was a movie. But he was a brave man and wanted to be honest. Even if your response was negative and put an end to what you had together.

Who took the first step

No one? I mean, he is in love with Cersei. There is no doubt. Right? I'd have made a light-hearted and romantic ship if it was set in modern era, but unfortunately we're staying in Westeros and its ancient period.His everlasting duty to the Kingsguard wouldn't match with your need for travel and fear of commitment. Because if there's someone who'd pour all his heart into a relationship, that's Jaime. He'd shower you with love and protect you from anyone and anything. Once upon a time, the knight would have declared his infatuation as he slipped into your chambers and try to woo you, consequences be damned. But he matured, even if he had been a man for a while, and took another approach: discussion. Issues were adressed, you two got angry at some point but calmed down, although the outcome was not what he had hoped for: he could not leave the capital or Tommen's services and you did not want to stay. Nor could you, if Cersei knew. You did not know for certain about their romance in spite of the rumours written by Stannis Baratheon, but it remained a risk if they were true. There were kisses but love could not have a place in this world. That is, not for you two. Jaime didn't want it to be that way and yet knew that you were right. Alas. Out of sight, out of mind? This method could help, in the end. It did, slowly, when you left for Essos. There would always be this “what if” lingering in the back of your minds, however. In another life, if the Old Gods and The New were merciful.

Who approves, who disapproves

Again, no one? No wait, Tyrion might ship it!

Brienne, bless her soul, is in the middle because she cares for Jaime and would be happy to know he's found a better love. But isn't she in love with him too?

CERSEI.

The best friend and the one you get along with the least

Arya would be a lovely travelling partner and would be fond of your passionate and free spirit. Dany would know your mind and soul like no other, and Sansa would be quite hot and cold but there'd be a hint of confusion.

If she thought something was going on between his twin and you, definitely Cersei. Joffrey and Theon wouldn't be impressed even though the latter might want to get in bed with you.Catelyn is your opposite.

If somebody else fancies one of you

If Dany didn't exist, Daario could have had his eyes on you. Brienne might have feelings for Ser Jaime.

The best and the worst

Accuse me of turning into a zodiac blog if you must, but like air and fire, you blend well together. Strong reminder of Gemini and Leo, truth be told. Ok, astrology over.

He is what a knight in shinning armor should look like

He loves your hair and likes to caress or play with them when he gets the chance

There is no man like him and there is no woman like you

Common passion and desire to fight for beliefs and principles

How you did not blindly dislike him just because he killed a mad king, but rather for his personality

His snark

The banter

The tales of all you've seen and learned while away from your homeland

The surprising honesty

Sharing dreams

The arrogance and sass turning to meanness

He can get annoyed when you are too theatrical, especially if you catch him on a bad day

Good things not lasting

Hogwarts Houses

House Lannister values influence, wealth, power and position. They are shrewd, family oriented, clever and ambitious. They are Slytherins. But Jaime is a Gryffindor, in my humble opinion. His need for justice and quest for redemption, to become a better man and start on a new base, his bravery in general and boldness makes him a lion. Remember when the Bloody Mummers wanted to rape Brienne numerous times? Well, she was his captor but it didn't stop him for saving her. He does not enjoy cruelty, nor would let it happen if  his eyes witnessed it.

Happy to learn and fond of liberty, standing for what you believe in and comfortable to lead could have made you a Gryffindor but your ability to manipulate if need be, along with the characteristics mentioned at the beginning could refer to Ravenclaw.

Seven Deadly Sins and Virtues

Lannisters are arrogant and proud, thus Pride could be an automatic answer. But Lust (for love, human touch, acceptance, the good things in life...) works too. Let's not forget the Broken Tower moment in Winterfell, how/why/when it happened.But Jaime is a kind person, despite his bad deeds. He does not approve of wickedness and violence for the sake of it. That reminds me of Kindness.

Dramatic, determined to live life as you see fit, leadership... hm, Pride. Being extroverted might refer to being friendly and sociable. Loving to learn about new cultures, fighting for what you believe in could be associated with Kindness as well.

Who is the sun, who is the moon

Golden hair, infamous reputation, red and gold being the colours of his house, chivalry... you could believe him to be the sun. But Jaime is more complex than he seems to be, keeps secret with no intentions to harm others. He would go trough hell and return victoriously for his loved ones. He possesses a public persona, confident and handsome.

Fair in skin, eyes and hair, that would make you look like the moon although your hair is red. Idealist with a fondness for dramatics and singing along with a touch of manipulation results in you being the moon.

Endgame or not

No.

Who I truly ship you with regardless of the request’s details

Jaime is a nice choice! But so is Tyrion. You would be dynamic and an aesthetically odd yet pleasing couple. There would be a je ne sais quoi to your relationship. Both afraid of commitment, you might take a chance together without pressuring the other into anything. Small in size as the world loves to remind him but smart and brain filled with knowledge, you'd love to hear him talk about lands you never visited and their cultures, sight, traditions, their inhabitants, et cetera. For someone so eager to discover the world, you seemed out of reach and it would make him happy to catch your entire attention if only for a moment.