#i was thinking something with oathkeeper

[obaewxn]

am i thinking about getting a j/b tattoo? absolutely yes

[teamaerialcombo]

sketches i did on a magma w/ my buddy o' pal @kojitheopossum :3c

[howdomaddie]

thinking about roxas's chosen keyblades being the ones that represent sora's relationships with both kairi and riku. considering the implication of roxas being his own person but simultaneously the living proof of sora's connection to the two people most important to him. chewing on it, even.

[melrosing]

is there evidence other than the Weirwood dream that Jaime will wield Widow's Wail?

the weirwood dream is a very strong hint but in this particular instance I think the most conspicuous evidence comes from outside the text itself lmao..... in fact two really stupid ass sources that I would never usually credit for anything but in THIS case....

gurm's livejournal suvudu cage matches for Jaime

yes im serious. for the uninitiated, grrm wrote a series of fanfic in which Jaime fights a variety of fantasy characters for a pan fandom bracket suvudu cage match series, u may have heard of the one in which Jaime slaughters Hermione Granger bc i for one will never stop talking about it. anyway it's not mentioned in that one, but in this journal entry (where Jaime fights a trial of seven), grrm equips Jaime with widow's wail.

now literally why would he do that if Jaime won't one day wield WW. there are plenty of other swords he could have given him. why not Oathkeeper, the blade that has actually passed through his hand?? but grrm didn't even have to mention what sword it was in the first place, he doesn't when Jaime attacks Hermione lol. so it seems to me that grrm is treating Jaime wielding WW as a foregone conclusion.

the fuckin show

Jaime wields widow's wail in the show. like in grrm's blog, his suddenly taking up the sword goes entirely unremarked upon (like does anyone mention this at any point whatsoever), so functionally there was no need to give Jaime the sword. it is nothing more than a visual easter egg, and the writers don't even seem to know what they want you to think when you notice it.

however they did understand at some point in the making of the series that the two swords were meant to represent something big. the first episode of S4 literally opens to an extended sequence of Tywin overseeing the making of oathkeeper and widow's wail, with music playing in the background etc etc.... like the episode is literally CALLED Two Swords. I could juuust about say ok sure write off the opening scene as a symbolic moment in which the Lannisters melt down the Stark legacy, but that doesn't explain why they'd also name the episode Two Swords. I think like everything else the writers knew this meant something once but didn't know how to follow through and didn't care to. there's a weirdly similar example in their using the (abridged) Maggy the Frog prophecy as the prologue to their opening episode of S5, where once again you are given the impression that something of great import is being conveyed that will have huge implications for the rest of the story.... but no when it comes to Tommen's death, Dany's arrival, Cersei's demise etc, it isn't even mentioned.

so, needless to say. they do this. the show is a really bad source for most asoiaf analysis, but you can induce the odd detail even despite poor execution, and sometimes (as in this case) because of poor execution. there was no need to charge these swords with import if you're only going to stick one of them in the character's hand as an unremarked upon easter egg.

so in summary yeah if the actual symbolism within the text isn't enough, I think grrm's blog and that show are bizarrely effective sources

[catofoldstones]

The thing about arya fans' argument that arya comes before sansa in the line of succession because robb disinherited her because of her forced marriage is the underlying misogyny and victim blaming of it, and their assumption that grrm thinks the same. We don't have jon [you know the actual person robb chose over sansa, and i think its time we start talking that the will specifically was about sansa and jon and that shit means something narratively] asserting that winterfell belongs to sansa despite everything and him not falling to the bait of stannis calling her a lannister, to just assume that according to grrm what robb did was OK. If people actually think grrm wants to show robb was right and girls truly are not important and thus his disinheritance of his sister's rights will be upheld, then they need their heads checked. Its not like he showed us that jaehaerys's sexism was what led to death of the dragons and downfall of targaryens even though grrm considers him a good ruler. Ultimately, catelyn will be validated when brienne saves either sansa or arya with oathkeeper and sansa will become lady of winterfell/qitn DESPITE robb's will. He [and arya fans] can suck it.

Hi soulmate anon,

Before we start, I have to let you know that one our previous posts was screenshotted and circulated in the arya stans circles because “we’re spreading our agenda on a neutral public platform” or something along those lines. Idk if you’ve seen that or not but I had to let you know before we go off kicking another hornet’s nest lol.

Anyway, that out of the way, to the Arya stans who are so hellbent upon removing Sansa from the Stark succession, Robb declared Jon as his heir, pushing Sansa further down the line (not disinheriting her jesus fuck) because through her Tyrion may lay claim to Winterfell, landing it in the hands of the Lannisters, exactly what Robb and Cat are trying to prevent. Robb didn’t “disinherit” Arya because he thought she was dead. Hope that helps.

WAIT!

the will being specifically about Jon and Sansa and that we need to start thinking about that narratively

SCREAM

Okay, I have now moved on (I have not). Though please feel free to talk about this more, I wanna know more. Guess I’ll now have to add jonsa tag to this answer hehe :P

I mean Robb did come from a place of “authority over the female members of his family” here with the will and that’s exactly the kind of thing we have to side eye. Taking it at face value and uncritically thinking about it is not a fair way to engage with the text I feel. You’re right when Jon himself reiterates Sansa’s claim over Winterfell, we are supposed to think twice whether Robb’s action was equitable or not. Stannis calls Sansa “Lady Lannister” to coax Jon into staking a claim over Winterfell so that Stannis gets a good reason to march to Winterfell and attack the Boltons (which he will anyway, but Jon’s, a member of the Stark family, support would mean political backing and reason). If we fall in the trap that Stannis thinks Sansa is now a Lannister, and therefore she is now a Lannister with no claim to Winterfell, then we’ve lost the plot and are coming from the same misogynistic hypocrisy (he wants Shireen on the throne if he dies but calls Sansa a Lannister, how does that work old man?) that destroys Westeros (your Jaehaerys example). And are no different from a crusty medieval era middle aged man btw.

It’s so fucking funny when the readers start emulating the same sexism that the author wants them to critique, and then start calling themselves feminists because they’re supporting a woman’s rights! Which woman’s rights besties? Because the one that clearly has them, you’re actively against her staking her claim. Wait till they read the books with their eyes open and realise that Arya comes at the end of the heirs to winterfell list, despite Sansa getting “disinherited” lmao. And I love Robb, he’s just a boy trying to do his best, but he truly made mistakes, especially with not listening to Catelyn. We also cannot deny the undercurrent of misogyny and chauvinism that Robb demonstrated with the will. Re Sansa’s rights and Jon’s decision to be with the Nights Watch. I will patiently wait for Catelyn to be validated and Sansa to be the Lady/QiTN not only because that subverts reader’s expectations and Westerosi patriarchal standards but because I want to see Sansa antis have a grand old meltdown.

[jaimexbrienne-fic-finder]

Wedding

May is Wedding month, so here are stories about weddings! Some are only about a wedding, some just have a bigger part about a wedding. There are lots more I can't remember right now, if I think of many more there will be a part 2!

Found Wanting by dreadwulf

Brienne is still convinced that the entire affair is a joke on her. Surely there is a real bride somewhere in the castle, who will be brought out once the crowd has had a good laugh at the cow in a satin gown. When she said as much to her intended, he said it was surely a joke on them both. Let them laugh, he said. What’s funnier is that Queen Daenerys made the match in the first place – she must have thought them intolerable to one another. The Beauty and the Kingslayer. Surely Brienne could see the humor in it?

Something Drastic by bearsofair

Brienne ducks out of a wedding reception early. Her "date" comes looking for her.

the battlefield between us (isn't here tonight) by robotsdance

“I missed you, ” Brienne says like she’s admitting something else, and Jaime wants to say it back to her in exactly the same way: loaded with all of the things they’re not saying. Let that truth settle between them, unsaid but at least somewhat spoken. That could be enough. To share that quiet understanding with Brienne, here, alone together in the middle of the woods, in the middle of a war, in which one of them will be on the losing side. That could be enough. I missed you too.

Brienne would understand.

What Jaime says instead is “Marry me.”

The Lion, the Wench, and the Wardrobe Trailer by GilShalos1

Jaime Lannister’s entire acting career has been built on playing reckless cads and heartless villains – ever since a scandalous death on his first film, Kingslayer, was quickly hushed up at his father’s behest. Nearly fifteen years later, acclaimed director Olenna Tyrell has announced her retirement: after one last film, Oathkeeper, inspired by the mythic story of the Long Night. She wants Jaime to do what he does so well, play into his on-screen persona and off-screen reputation, and be a villain for the ages in her final film. But to make sure his infamous ways don’t interfere with production, she requires his personal assistant to keep him on the straight, narrow and sober. Brienne Tarth, in her first job on a film set, finds herself tasked with keeping the impossible Jaime Lannister under control …

Something Blue by Aviss

Jaime Lannister was a wedding planner, though he sometimes missed his old job where he was actually allowed to kill people. Ten minutes with his latest clients and he was already convinced they should not get married. He wasn't a marriage counsellor though, he wasn't invested in this Hunt and Tarth wedding beyond the planning of the ceremony.

Never A Bride by CourtingDisaster

(Modern AU) Wedding bells are ringing in Westeros. After an unpleasant first meeting, Brienne and Jaime find themselves being thrown together over and over as their friends and family marry off. After all, as Tyrion likes to point out, there really aren't any other groomsmen tall enough to escort everyone's favorite bridesmaid...

Over the course of several weddings and receptions, Brienne and Jaime form a sort of truce, perhaps they even become friends. But Brienne isn't going to let the atmosphere of romance carry her away, no matter how handsome Jaime is...is she?

Vows by theworldunseen

Jaime Lannister profiles the most interesting and romantic weddings in the country for his super popular blog, The only problem? His own heart has been stomped on, and it might have ruined weddings for him forever. When he finds out about a woman who’s going to be in her twenty-seventh wedding party, he thinks writing about her might be his way back to loving weddings. But Brienne Tarth isn’t anything he ever expected.

What happens in Sunspear (doesn't) stay in Sunspear Series by Luthien

Brienne wakes up the morning after a night on the town in Vegas Sunspear, with unexpected company in her bed - and that's just the first surprising discovery she makes.

My Best Friend's Wedding by wildlingoftarth

A desperate Brienne hires a “professional party date” to accompany her to Renly’s wedding on Tarth. It’s just a weekend – what could go wrong?

so keep me close. by SeeThemFlying

Brienne pines for her husband, Jaime, who she is convinced is not madly in love with her.

[fizzyfishepicgaymer]

Sethno (Sethos & Cyno) relationship analysis pt. 1!

I've been contemplating if I should post it here but it's my job to spread the sethno agenda everywhere so HERE WE GO!!!! I am here to present to u (whoever is reading this) this fairly long in-detail analysis of the relationship between the General Mahamatra, the current vessel of Hermanubis, Cyno and the current leader of the Temple of Silence, the former vessel of Hermanubis, Sethos to explain why their relationship is so interesting and hopefully to get more ppl to understand them better! (and also, bc… well… someone had to do this and since no one else was willing to I decided to take my chance and have a go at analysing their relationship and compiling everything we know about them so far *thumbs up emoji*)

NOTE - Will update this as more content gets released/more parallels are revealed!

Contents:

Comparing their visual designs

Who is Hermanubis and how did he shape the course of their lives?

Oathkeeper (Cyno's 2nd story quest) - Sethos's introduction as a playable character (NPC at the time of release) and his interactions with Cyno

Mirrors/parallels with each other

Sethos’s story and voicelines – finalising their relationship: who are Sethos and Cyno to each other and why are their lives so intertwined/their stories so inevitably interconnected?

Conclusion! (or more like a few last words from me)

Now, to clear one thing up before we get on with this – I AM IN NO WAY OR FORM forcing anyone to ship them or see their relationship in a romantic light, despite the fact that I do ship them myself. U are free to think about them as u wish, I’m just here to give my opinion and vision of them because I feel like many ppl are misinterpreting their relationship or even throwing it out of the window completely bc they just don’t get it (and that rlly hurts to see so I had to do something about it). ALSO btw just so u are aware, English is not my first language and I’m not great at analysing things and so if I word something in a slightly strange or unusual way or if I repeat myself too many times then I apologise, I genuinely tried my best to make this the best that I possibly could make it to be because these 2 and their relationship means a lot to me, and I’ve been having a crazy hyperfixation on them since the day when I finished Oathkeeper and went insane over their dynamic and potential. AAAAAAAND that’s all I have to say for now, so let’s get onto the essay! :3

!!! SPOILER ALERT FOR CYNO’S 2ND STORY QUEST “OATHKEEPER” AND SETHOS’S VOICELINES AND STORY! I recommend u to finish the quest and take a look through Sethos’s character profile before u read this! 

PART 1 - Comparing their visual designs!

As we likely already know (or might have guessed), Cyno and Sethos were designed to be visual counterparts of each other, and their designs use the same/similar colours to different extents! Cyno has medium length white hair while Sethos has long dark brown hair with some white/grey highlights. Their eye colours – Sethos’s bright green eyes and Cyno’s red eyes – are opposite each other on the colour wheel. Sethos’s primary outfit colour is white with dark brown as the secondary colour, while for Cyno it’s the opposite – his primary outfit colour is dark brown with white as the secondary colour. The colour that stands out the most in Sethos’s outfit is orange on his scarf, complimented by dark purple, while in Cyno’s outfit it’s the dark purple that stands out the most, complimented by orange, though of a different shade to the orange in Sethos’s outfit. Both of their designs also include golden accessories or ornaments (and in Sethos’s case, many of them are shaped like an hourglass, the symbol representing his Ba fragment), and another detail I’ve noticed is Sethos’s golden armband on his left arm kind of “matches” the mark on Cyno’s left arm (not sure on what it is called though). So, I guess u can say that their designs complement each other well, as well as “mirror” each other! (Note – THEY LOOK INSANELY GOOD TOGETHER I’M OBSESSED WITH THEIR DESIGNS sorry I just had to add this)

(also - this part was inspired by @ cynoimpact ‘s mini comparison thread on twitter that was made after the 4.6 Special Program where Sethos was first shown!)

As for their drip marketing arts u can also notice some interesting parallels in them – the poses are somewhat similar but Cyno holds his polearm in his right hand behind him while Sethos holds his bow in his left hand in front of him, and their free hands are lifted to be at the same level as their faces or slightly higher.

Cyno’s default signature outfit is called the “Heart of the Scales” (and according to the wiki, the Chinese name for it is 衡断之心 (Héngduàn zhī Xīn) meaning “Heart of Judgement”) – does that ring a bell? If not then I will tell u that in Ancient Egypt there was a strong belief that after a person dies, they will be judged in the Hall of Maat by placing their heart (conscience) on the scales representing balance and justice and weighing it against an ostrich feather (known as the feather of Maat) representing purity, truth and balance. If the heart balanced with the feather of Maat, then the person would pass the test and gain eternal life. Now, back to the Heart of the Scales, its description reads:

“Cyno's outfit. This garb displays the General Mahamatra's dignity and the just principles he sticks by. It was a rather complicated piece to commission due to Cyno's request for the custom-made head ornaments and requires regular maintenance.”

Meanwhile, Sethos’s default signature outfit is called the “Golden Sandstrider” (again according to the wiki, the Chinese name for it is 金沙行者 (Jīnshāxíng-zhě) meaning “Golden Sandwalker”) and its description reads:

“Sethos's outfit. The lapel is the shade of golden sand, embodying the vast desert that raised him, as well as his faith.”

Not much to say about this but it does go back to the point that Sethos’s design links in very closely to the ToS, SPECIFICALLY his Ba fragment as there is A LOT of hourglass-related ornaments/elements in it.

There’s also imagery related to their Ba Fragments in their designs! Cyno’s helmet has the eye motif at the back, and Sethos’s scarf has the hourglass motif, and I will come back to expand on this when discussing their lore!

And of course, we can’t forget that during their fight in the Rite of Duels in their Hermanubis enhanced states, Cyno’s claws are black/dark purple while Sethos’s claws are white – once again, clearly meant to contrast with each other and compliment their designs! In terms of visions, they are both Electro vision wielders which means that they have certain ideals/traits in common (yep, despite being almost polar opposites in many ways) – I will come back to this at the part discussing their lore!

[rohanneofcoldmoat]

Always been kinda funny to me that Jaime reads Brienne's behavior during the last leg of their trip to kingslanding as her still loathing him and is offended by it (gods know why I bother, i should have left her for the bear after all, etc.) when it's really not that different from how we've seen her act around people she ostensibly likes.

The homely young woman had kept to herself all through their journey, spending most of her time with the horses, brushing out their coats and pulling stones from their shoes. Any task Catelyn asked her to turn her hand to, Brienne had performed deftly and without complaint, and when she was spoken to she answered politely, but she never chattered, nor wept, nor laughed. She had ridden with them every day and slept among them every night without ever truly becoming one of them. It was the same when she was with Renly, Catelyn thought. - ACOK Catelyn V

She is the least companionable creature I've ever had the misfortune to meet. The wench rode well behind and a few feet off to the side, as if to proclaim that she was no part of them. She looked more comfortable dressed as a man, but nothing would ever make her look handsome. Nor happy. Once out of Harrenhal, her usual pighead stubbornness had soon reasserted itself. That much Brienne could do, but her sullen silences soon began to fray his good humor almost as much as Qyburn's endless attempts to be ingratiating. - ASOS Jaime VI

She's also dealing with some very fresh grief on both the roadtrips in these chapters (first for Renly and then for Cat). But of course, the respect Jaime's built up for her competence and the way she embraces ideals that had long ago been corrupted for him is making it intolerable that she still seems to dislike him even after all they've been though together. Though in all fairness, Brienne is still probably a little wary of him. I think it's his giving her Oathkeeper that really cements the fact that she can feel safe trusting him. As she herself remarks, Oathkeeper is not the kind of gift you'd give to someone as a jape, it's proof of his sincerity, and independent of their oath to Catelyn, by sending her on such a quintessential chivalric quest he is affirming that he sees her as an equal, and perhaps something of a knight in her own right.

[masteraqua]

one of the only real complaints i have about kh1 is that some keyblades are obsolete the moment you get them

metal chocobo and olympia are functionally earned at the same time in the same coliseum tournament, and the latter outperforms the former to such a significant degree i don't know why they even bothered including it

oathkeeper, oblivion, and divine rose are all given to you in such a short time span, provided that you know where to find them, that it's kind of baffling, and divine rose makes the others look like a joke. oathkeeper can at least compete in MP, but oblivion? useless, especially if you didn't happen to find it at the earliest opportunity

oblivion would have made more sense as a story reward in end of the world, i think. maybe integrated in such a way as to imply riku's presence behind the scenes as he's working with mickey to find the door to darkness--something sora doesn't know about at this point

[perfinn]

dinner and diatribes

jaime lannister x oc

wc: 2.7k

summary: a bastard of house manderly, alarra snow, is assigned to keep watch over the northern army’s most valuable captive: ser jaime lannister. jaime supposes she’s as interesting as things are going to get for him here.

cw: very mild and canon typical fatphobia, otherwise nothing really!

read on ao3, divider by saradika

Jaime Lannister does not understand Northmen and their honour. 

They call themselves oathkeepers and no doubt consider themselves the very picture of honour and respect. Yet they treat him, the most important prisoner they’ve ever had their hands on, like a dog. (Actually, they treat their dogs better.) But in the same breath, they treat their bastards with some modicum of respect and give them a seat at their table. At least from what he’s seen. 

Jaime knows that if his father ever deigned to sire a bastard, he’d never so much as acknowledge the child. (He barely considers Tyrion a trueborn child, Jaime thinks rather bitterly.) But northerners, apparently, don't share a similar sentiment. Ned Stark’s bastard had shared a dining room with them when they went north to visit Winterfell, and now a bastard girl has been given the most honourable task of keeping watch over his cell– no, his cage. Cage is a far more apt descriptor for what he finds himself in. 

He’s not sure of her name, but one of those dreadful looking men-at-arms had called her Snow. He supposes he doesn't need to know anything else. Usually, he’d not put too much thought into a bastard. But this one is pretty, for a Northerner. And he has nothing else to do. Nothing else but stare at her and convince himself she’s pretty enough to waste time on. She has in her hands a needlework hoop, a thick fabric and a pattern he can't discern from his current distance. Curiosity born of sheer boredom gnaws at him, similarly to the hunger that gnaws at his stomach. She may be as good a distraction as any from his mounting starvation. Gods, he’ll be a rake by the time he gets out of this. 

“What are you doing?” His voice is rougher than he means it to be, more ragged than his usual charming, smug tone. 

The girl jolts with surprise at hearing his voice, turning her head to face him with her needle still poised in her hand. “I’m… not supposed to talk to you,” she says. Jaime can tell she’s trying to seem tough and stubborn, but it doesn't quite work. 

“No one’s around,” he says, inching forward as much as his chains will let him. “Give a poor man the time of day.”

She stares at him in silence a moment, glancing around to see that their corner of the camp is all but empty, save for a few men-at-arms who’ve dozed off into a half-drunk slumber. The great armies of the north, Jaime thinks with bitter amusement. This is who I let capture me?

The girl moves then from the upside down crate she’s been perched on to get closer to him, kneeling on the cold grass and lifting up the half finished piece to show him. It’s a long pattern of tridents in a sea of blue waves. A small part of a larger piece, Jaime supposes. 

“Tridents,” he says, dully. “What, for where we travel?”

“No,” she says. “It's a gift for my half-brother’s wife. Better to wear a trident than pillows.”

Jaime’s lips quirk in amusement at her disdainful tone. “Your trueborn brother?”

She nods. “Ser Wylis Manderly,” she says. “For his wife Lady Leona.”

“You're a Manderly?” scoffs Jaime, looking her over. “No, I don't believe you. You’re not nearly fat enough.”

The girl shifts, moving back to her crate with a discontented frown. “Well, I’m not a Manderly.”

Jaime frowns when she puts distance between them again. He shifts in an attempt to gain a more comfortable position, but chained to a post as he is, that is something of an impossible task. “I suppose not. You're a Snow. But still, Lord Manderly’s daughter are you?” When she offers him no response, he goes on. “You must look like your mother.”

She lifts her gaze to him with the sort of distasteful scowl only a Northerner could give. “Yes, I do,” she says. 

“I pity your mother,” he says, leaning back and enjoying the way her scowl deepens. “I’ve seen your father. I wouldn't want to have that on top of me.”

The girl scoffs, looking back down at her stitching and continuing the work, though more aggressively this time. 

“Did your mother give you a name?”

“Yes.”

“Is Yes a Northern name?”

“Is infuriating a Western trait?”

Jaime smirks. “I rather think so.”

The girl looks up at him, trying her best to silence him with a glare. “I’m done speaking to you. I wasn't supposed to speak to you at all.”

“Oh, come on,” he pleads. “Please. What harm can I do like this?”

“Wendel says you’ve got a way of talking that tricks people,” she says. “He said I shouldn’t let you do it to me.”

“Yes, I heard him. It’s hard not to hear him,” Jaime grumbles. “Alas, you cannot stop me from talking. I’m quite adept at pestering. I’ll talk until you decide that talking back will shut me up.”

“Do as you wish,” she huffs, looking back down at her hoop. 

Jaime shrugs, taking a dramatic breath in before beginning to speak. “So, who is your mother? A servant? A whore? A lesser noble lady that your father sullied then spurned? Someone else entirely? Although, I cannot think there’s many more options.”

“Seven hells,” the girl curses under her breath.

“I’ll settle for whore,” Jaime decides, making her shift and bristle. “I suppose your name isn’t actually Yes, is it? Is it Jeyne? Seems everyone is named Jeyne. It is as safe a bet as Jon for a male.”

“Gods be good, man!” The girl eventually exclaims. “You are like a high lady’s wretched little yapping dog!”

Jaime grins. That did not take long. “Tell me and I may stop.”

“You may?”

“I cannot make a promise I don’t know that I’ll keep.”

She looks at him, eyeing the grime on his skin with disdain. “My name is Alarra. And my mother was Wynafryd and Wylla’s wetnurse.”

“Ah, a wetnurse! I was remiss not to consider a wetnurse in the list of potential mothers. So, were you born to provide your nieces with more milk?”

“No,” Alarra hisses. “No, I was not. Do not dare imply my lord father forced himself upon her, you wretch.”

“Alright,” he surrenders, raising his hands as far as they’ll go. “Perhaps he was not so fat twenty odd years ago. But she must have been a beauty to make a loyal man stray.”

She glances at him with less venom then, setting the stitching down in her lap. “She is,” she says. “She's not dead, mind. She's in White Harbour, still.”

“And does she approve of her little girl marching south with the great Northern army?” Jaime asks, secretly glad she’s dropped her front of animosity. 

Alarra huffs, smiling wryly to herself. “Not exactly. But I wanted to do something with myself. So I asked Wylis if I could be of any help and he said I could join the army and help around the camp. I did not expect this to be the job I was given, but…”

“I’m a very important charge to have, Lady Snow,” he defends. When she’s not so angry or closed off, she really is quite pretty. 

“I suppose. I even got to speak to King Robb. Or, well… he spoke to me.”

“How exciting. And what did your boy king say?”

“Your king is a boy too,” she points out. “He said, ‘Watch him vigilantly.’.”

“Wow,” remarks Jaime, unimpressed. “You're all but his right hand woman.”

Alarra scoffs. “I didn't say he said much to me. But it is exciting, I suppose, to be acknowledged by a king when one is so far below him.”

Though he can't put his finger on why, Jaime feels discontented by the idea that she thinks herself so below him. It's objectively true that a bastard girl is leagues below a king– even if that king is an insipid child claiming dominion over the North, he’s still the trueborn son of a lord. But he dislikes that Alarra believes it. Has she no fire? No contempt for her station?

“You’re oddly silent,” remarks Alarra after a moment. “I had almost forgotten how you looked when you weren't talking.”

“And I think I have forgotten how you look when you’re not frowning. I much prefer it.”

Alas, it makes her frown again. Jaime wishes, perhaps for the first time in his life, that he had not spoken. 

“Do not mock me,” she says. However, she moves to kneel by his cage again. 

“I’m not. You're pretty for what you are.”

“That's not a compliment.”

Jaime frowns. He thought it was a compliment. He opens his mouth to speak again when they’re interrupted by heaving footsteps and someone clearing their throat. 

Alarra bolts upright, scrambling to her feet and turning to face the intruder. It’s a man-at-arms, carrying a bowl of something steaming in one hand and a cup in the other. He scowls at Jaime, but his face softens a might when he looks at Alarra.

Jaime is reminded of the twisting hunger in his gut as the smell of it reaches his nose. Stew, he thinks, and spiced wine. Gods, he’d debase himself for some of that. 

He can see Alarra smile up at the young man, and Jaime is not ashamed to say that the sight of her smile creasing her cheeks stirs something inside him, and is similarly unafraid to account this to the fact that she’s the only woman he’s seen apart from Catelyn Stark– who he can't find himself attracted to for sheer dislike of her. 

“That smells good,” says Alarra, approaching the man. “Better than what we’ve had.”

“Finally had a chance to send hunters out,” he says, handing her the bowl. “It's rabbit stew. Were you talking to ‘im?” 

Alarra glances back as the man jerks his head in Jaime’s direction. “Only in hopes of shutting him up,” she mumbles.

“Well, you’ll want to be careful with that one,” says the young man, northern accent thick to the point that Jaime can barely understand him. “‘Eard the others saying he’ll get in your ‘ead.”

“My half brother told me so,” she nods, taking the bowl and cup from him with quiet gratitude. “You needn’t worry. I’ve a strong resolve.”

“Aye,” says the man-at-arms, smiling at her. Jaime is amazed that he does not spit at the bastard girl and instead seems to look fondly upon her. “You’re stubborn blood. Still, don't you let ‘im make you any promises. Gods know he won't keep ‘em.”

Alarra offers the young man-at-arms a tense smile. “Is there any food for him?”

“He’ll get fed when the king’s wolf has had ‘is fill.”

Alarra nods, thanking him again for the food and going to sit back down after he's given her a gentle pat on the shoulder. Jaime watches Alarra, for once silent. He leans his head back against the post behind him, inhaling deeply like the smell of the stew might fill his belly. 

Alarra glances at Jaime a few times as she eats, clearly wanting to say something but hesitating. Jaime wagers a few silent guesses as to what she wants to say– Why did you kill the king? Did you really fuck your sister? Are you going to promise me gold so I’ll let you go?

“Has anyone fed you?” she eventually says, and Jaime is stumped into stunned silence for just a moment. 

He flounders for a response for a moment before landing, quite eloquently, on, “Er, no.”

Alarra looks down at her food contemplatively, then back at him. He’s stunned she’s even considering it. Thus far the best food he’s been given was rotting bread and dirty water. Jaime doesn't want a bastard girl’s pity, but he thinks he may just need it. He’d beg if she asked him to. Hells, he might do it unprompted. 

“When I’ve had my fill,” Alarra begins, glancing around. “You can have the rest.”

“Really?”

Alarra nods. “I’ll need to hand feed you. I can't undo your shackles.”

“At this point I’d let you spit it, chewed up, into my mouth and thank you for it,” he says. Alarra snorts a laugh, covering her mouth. A smile tugs at Jaime’s lips, despite the hunger and the cold, the sound of her laughing makes him feel just that bit warmer. 

“I’ll use the spoon,” she assures, smiling at him. Jaime wagers a guess that she won't need so much more to have her fill. Though much of her is hidden in heavy woollen fabrics and furs, he can tell she's a woman with some shape to her. She doesn't look like she’s ever starved, which he supposes is more than some bastards can say. She finishes her last few bites before shifting closer to him, gesturing for him to come that bit closer. 

Jaime comes forward as far as the chains will let him. He ought to be humiliated, he knows, at the prospect of being hand fed by a bastard girl, but it smells so good he cannot find it in him to mind. First she lifts the cup to his lips, tipping warm spiced wine into his mouth that he drinks greedily. The wine is dry and bitter beneath the spices, certainly no fine Arbour vintage. Yet, Jaime feels it must be the best thing he’s ever tasted. 

Alarra lowers the cup before he can drink his fill and a pathetic sort of whine leaves Jaime’s throat. Alarra frowns at him. “You’ll need something to wash it down,” she chastises. 

“I’m not a child,” Jaime says sharply. “I don't need a bastard girl telling me when I can and can't drink.” 

Alarra then deigns to poke him gently on the forehead, carefully avoiding the wound there. (Which Jaime thinks may be beginning to fester.) Jaime is too stunned to even protest. She lifts the bowl then, filling a spoonful for him. “You’re lucky I’m feeding you at all.”

Jaime presses his lips together, leaning his forehead against the bars. “You’re a strange sort of woman.”

“Why?” She lifts the spoon to his lips, and Jaime greedily takes it into his mouth. He groans at the rich taste of the sauce, the tender meat of the rabbit which melts in his mouth– again, not nearly the finest food he’s ever eaten, but it tastes to him now like the seventh heaven.

He chews and swallows quickly, clearing his throat before answering her. “You don't seem particularly bitter about being a bastard. You're kind. Doubt you’d ever admit it though.”

“This is not kindness,” she says, giving him another spoonful. “This is decency.”

Jaime makes the choice to savour this bite. He can see there's not much in the bowl, perhaps two more spoonfuls. He ought to make it last. He chews it slowly, watching her face. There's a crease between her brows as she frowns quizzically. Jaime wonders if she were to relax, would there be a line there from how often she frowns? Northerners do so much frowning, perhaps indeed this crease is the face she was born with. 

“Decency indeed,” he hums, contemplative. “People are very kind to you for what you are. Even Lady Cat did not spit at you.”

“A bastard is best if he’s useful,” she says quietly. “I’ve proven myself so as often as is possible. I do not laze about and expect for people to respect me because my father is a lord.”

“Yes, but even Catelyn?”

Alarra smirks, scraping him up another spoonful. “I repaired a rip in her ladyship’s dress faster than she’s ever seen, so clean she could not tell it was ever ripped at all.”

Jaime smiles. “A useful bastard indeed.”

She feeds him the last two spoonfuls and Jaime closes his eyes a few moments to savour the lingering taste on his tongue. He opens his eyes, gazing quietly at Alarra as she looks down to grab the cup of wine. He wonders, briefly, if he's ever seen a woman so beautiful. It feels as though Cersei couldn't hold a candle to the way Alarra looks in the waning torchlight.

(Some part of him is certain that this feeling is only so potent because she’s been the one to ease the ache in his shrinking stomach, but a larger part cannot believe anything but that she's some rugged sort of angel.)

She brings the cup back to his lips, offering him the smallest of smiles. “And you? You’ve been decent to me for what I am.”

“Well,” he says, swallowing the last mouthful with a contented smile. “I’m finding you’re not so terrible.”

[thaliajoy-blog]

List of Targaryen women who were/could have been heirs to the iron throne or rulers in some independant way for a lil art project.

Gonna focus a little bit more on this from now on and we'll see for the tarot card 😅.

- Rhaena Targaryen : at a time when the iron throne's inheritance rules weren't clear, Rhaena Targaryen was several times considered as a potential heir to her father ; after her birth, and after the demise of Maegor. It's kind of a technicality but whatever ; she was her father's oldest child, and she also could have been a regent to her daughter Aerea in other circumstances.

- Aerea or Rhaella Targaryen : both put there due to the heavy suspicion that they were swapped. Aerea was the official heir to two kings, Maegor & Jaehaerys I, and she should have been the heir of her father Aegon (the Uncrowned). Rhaella was considered the true heir by Rogar Baratheon, to counter Jaehaerys & Aerea's claims.

- Daenerys Targaryen (I) : Never officially called heir, but as the firstborn living child of Jaehaerys & Alysanne she would have unoficially been the heir until her brother Aemon was born.

- Rhaenys Targaryen : "The Queen that Never Was", arguably had the strongest claim in accordance with andal law to succeed Jaehaerys on the IT but the Great Council of 101 did not validate her claim (and even put it lower than that of her own son's).

- Rhaenyra Targaryen : Officially the heir of her father, even after her brothers were born. Ruling queen of Westeros (a contested title).

- Jaehaera Targaryen, last living child of king Aegon II (title also contested). Though never officially heir and in some way passed over for her cousin & husband Aegon III, she would have been the more natural heir for her father.

- Baela Targaryen & Rhaena Targaryen : technically heirs of Aegon III before his brother Viserys II returned. Baela was the oldest & most natural heir but the council of regents did not like the idea of her being queen & prefered Rhaena, so who was the actual heir is a bit complicated.

- Daena Targaryen (plus Rhaena & Elaena ?) : Sister of Daeron I and Baelor I, but passed over in the succession when they died, in favor of her uncle Viserys II. Considered by some to have been the most natural heir of her brothers.

- Aelora Targaryen : Official heir of her uncle Aerys I after her twin brother died.

- Daenora Targaryen : Aelora's younger sister, passed over in the succession (possibly because of her age as well as her gender, despite the precedent set by her sister) in favor of Maekar, her uncle.

- Vaella Targaryen : claim dismissed by a great council, despite being the most legitimate candidate by andal law standards (only child of Maekar's eldest son).

- Daenerys Targaryen III : last known living Targaryen after her brother's passing and as such, last Targaryen heir to the Iron Throne. Queen of Meereen by conquest.

Bonus :

- Visenya & Rhaenys Targaryen : Consorts of Aegon I, but said to be the queens to have wielded the most power & in the history of the Seven Kingdoms (sat the Iron throne in the absence of their husband).

- Alyssa Velaryon : not a Targaryen by birth, but she was the consort of Aenys I Targaryen & the main regent for his son Jaehaerys I.

- Alysanne Targaryen : consort of Jaehaerys I, said to have had a great amount of influence on the governing of the realm.

- Saera Targaryen, her claim was mentioned during the great council of 101 I think ? Her sons tried to put their own forward on account of her being their mom so it should count for something.

- Daella Targaryen, daughter of Maekar I. Actually older than Aegon V, her brother, so take that as you will ?

Links to other art projects :

1) Asoiaf Tarot deck

2) Asoaif ladies + special swords

3) Asoiaf OCs list !

[ilynpilled]

These two characters are usually not in the same conversation because they are pretty isolated from each other’s stories, but I talked to one of my Dany mutuals about this and there is one thing in particular that I desperately want to see happen down the line. The duality of fire is such an integral part of this series: its function as a representation of passion, emancipation, and light along with destruction, corruption and death. I think it is supposed to speak to the multifaceted nature of power in general. Jaime’s relationship with fire (wildfire in specific, the most corrupted version of it) is pretty singular, especially among PoVs, because of his trauma. He associates it with Aerys, and then later Cersei. To him, it means destruction, corruption, and death. It represents the epitome of the abuse of power. So what I would find very poignant is the redefinition of it for him in particular during The Long Night.

I am very convinced Jaime will be present: George spending time on him training again as a competent fighter feels like something with a function beyond a LSH confrontation, the whole Oathkeeper and Widow’s Wail thing for JB, and trauma being packaged deliberately with TLN imagery: “In his dreams the dead came burning, gowned in swirling green flames. Jaime danced around them with a golden sword, but for every one he struck down two more arose to take his place.” Then the prophetic weirwood dream in general: “The shades dismounted from their ghostly horses. When they drew their longswords, it made not a sound. ” “They were armored all in snow, it seemed to him, and ribbons of mist swirled back from their shoulders. ”

His trauma is so focused on the fact that Dany’s father used something of such great power for something so deeply evil and destructive: “Jaime saw green flames reaching up into the sky higher than the tallest towers, as burning men screamed in the streets. I have dreamed this dream before.” For us to see the daughter of that man use it for the exact opposite, to repel death, through his eyes at some point would be one of the best ways to communicate and really drive home that duality that permeates this series regarding fire. It is not just fire that is being redefined, but power in general: who wields it and how.

Not to mention Jaime’s relationship with Rhaegar. Deep inside of Jaime’s mind Rhaegar was the “good king that never was”, something he still clings onto despite how much he represses the idealist romantic boy he used to be:

Rhaegar had put his hand on Jaime's shoulder. "When this battle's done I mean to call a council. Changes will be made. I meant to do it long ago, but . . . well, it does no good to speak of roads not taken. We shall talk when I return." Those were the last words Rhaegar Targaryen ever spoke to him.

On the morning after the battle, the crows had feasted on victors and vanquished alike, as once they had feasted on Rhaegar Targaryen after the Trident. How much can a crown be worth, when a crow can dine upon a king?

He rues Robert, and aspects of Barristan’s character’s commentary of who you represent and choose to serve are more subtly present in his story too.

Jaime snorted. "It's not Aerys I rue, it's Robert. 'I hear they've named you Kingslayer,' he said to me at his coronation feast. 'Just don't think to make it a habit.' And he laughed. Why is it that no one names Robert oathbreaker? He tore the realm apart, yet I am the one with shit for honor." "Robert did all he did for love." […] “Robert did all he did for pride, a cunt, and a pretty face." He made a fist . . . or would have, if he'd had a hand. Pain lanced up his arm, cruel as laughter. "He rode to save the realm," she insisted. To save the realm. "Did you know that my brother set the Blackwater Rush afire? Wildfire will burn on water. Aerys would have bathed in it if he'd dared. The Targaryens were all mad for fire."

And because he deserved to die. "I have made kings and unmade them. Sansa Stark is my last chance for honor."

Dany is destined to succeed in the places that Rhaegar was doomed to fail, they have a plethora of parallels, so her reawakening that hope in Jaime in some form too would be something I would love to see actually.

Jaime is one of the characters that does have a very emphasized relationship with Rhaegar and his children. The guilt is very present, other than the reevaluation of his father, it might also be building to something concerning Rhaegar’s legacy: be it Jon, Dany, or even FAegon. He also has guilt regarding Dany’s mother:

And dragons, lurking down below. He remembered the sullen orange glow of the coals in the iron dragon's mouth. The brazier warmed a chamber at the bottom of a shaft where half a dozen tunnels met. On the floor he'd found a scuffed mosaic of the three-headed dragon of House Targaryen done in tiles of black and red. I know you, Kingslayer, the beast seemed to be saying. I have been here all the time, waiting for you to come to me. And it seemed to Jaime that he knew that voice, the iron tones that had once belonged to Rhaegar, Prince of Dragonstone.

"You're hurting me," they had heard Rhaella cry through the oaken door. "You're hurting me." In some queer way, that had been worse than Lord Chelsted's screaming. "We are sworn to protect her as well," Jaime had finally been driven to say. "We are," Darry allowed, "but not from him.”

Prince Rhaegar burned with a cold light, now white, now red, now dark. "I left my wife and children in your hands." "I never thought he'd hurt them." Jaime's sword was burning less brightly now. "I was with the king . . ."

For an instant, the deep red clouds that crowned the western hills reminded him of Rhaegar's children, all wrapped up in crimson cloaks.

Dany is one of the most raw representations of hope in this story, so I would love for that to be a through line with multiple PoV characters she interacts with. She is the fire in the title. Not to mention that fire is already associated with life, light against darkness, very directly in Jaime’s prophetic weirwood dream:

Brienne’s sword took flame as well, burning silvery blue. The darkness retreated a little more.

The fires that ran along the blade were guttering out, and Jaime remembered what Cersei had said.

“the flames will burn so long as you live” “when they die so must you”.

[jellyfishvibes]

Khdr Keyblade thoughts So, as we know, dr characters are based on norse gods and i'm assume they keyblade they all wield is like starlight in that its a training keyblade that is a keychain given and not 'their' keyblade so based on said norse mythology dr character keyblade names/ideas

Odin - Odins named weapon is Gungnir, a spear that had runes carved into its tip, made by dwarves known as the Sons of Ivaldi

Xehanort - This man is not norse Eraqus - Neither is this guy

Hermod - Hermod has very little about him in the mythology that i found, he is a messenger and rides down to Hel and back to try and revive Baldr? He is given two rings a cloak to give to other people on that trip? got a theme of 9 going on with ring for 9 days to get to Hel and being given a ring that duplicates itself every 9 days making 8 new identical copies of itself, idk not alot here

Urd - One of the three Norns, specifically the one of the past, i would love to see a matching keyblade trio for these three (Skuld being the future and the one of the present usually being anglicized as Verdandi, and i don't think she has appeared yet) Strings of fate and weaving themes are big for all three along with the world tree Yggdrasil, but Urd specifically has a big connection to the well they water the tree with and live near, as its called the Well of Urd

Vor - From my quick research she might be the same as a valkyrie Geiravor who wields a spear but also has the winged horse imagery you could draw on, also i have found her name might mean oath and has associations with oaths and contracts, so something similar to oathkeeper maybe? something like Oathbreaker?

Bragi - (you know, before the plot happened) Is the god of poetry and also possibly music? also he has a rune on his tongue? he is characterized as the court poet of the aesir and something poetry based would fit, maybe in the form of a kenning as there is a dialogue where he explains them, you could also pull from the blood of Kvasir which is said to be the 'mead of poetry', also a great place to put a poetic irony name

Baldr - A Vala predicts his death, Vali's birth and the killing of Hoder and Frigg crying as a result, He has bad dreams and Odin goes to Hel to talk to a Vala about it, he forces her tell him who kills Baldr, who will avenge him and who will weep for him, He is given Draupnir (The ring that duplicates) on his funeral pire and Odin whispered something in his ear before hes pushed out to sea, a majority of him in the mythology is just about that one time he died, the easy target is something mistletoe themed but i am leaning more towards the 'everyone needed to weep to bring him back' theming, maybe with the 9 rings idk, the only name ideas i have are something along the lines of whispers or secrets to allude to the Odin secret thing, Murmured Mystery or something like that? (Fun fact his heartless is called Hringhorn, which is the name of Baldrs ship in mythology, making the final boss turns into a boat theme in Xehanorts life originate from Baldr)

Heimdall - Gjallarhorn is the horn that heralds the beginning of ragnarok and Gulltoppr is his golden mained horse, He is the protector of the Bifrost and has foresight and keen senses, notably his eyesight and hearing, there is a theory that Gjallarhorn could be translated as 'horn of the river Gjoll' a river that seperates the living and the dead, and also that the poem telling of where the horn is my not be referring to it but to Heimdall's hearing which may mean there could be a mirror between him and Odin, as Odin leaves his eye in Mimir's well for knowledge, Heimdall may have left his ear there, he is ripe for a foresight-didn't see his death coming poetic irony name and beyond that the god is very associated with gold so probably a good aspect to design with

Helgi - Helgi is a hero in mythology who falls in love with and marrys a valkyrie, Sigrun, due to slaying Hunding he gets the moniker 'Hunding's bane', he is killed by Sigrun's brother and there is a story after his death where he appears one night ontop of his burial mound to Sigrun, His hair covered with frost, his body covered with blood and his hands are wet, which he explains are becuase of all the tears she has shed for him, they spend the night together and he has to leave in the morning, she spend the rest of her life waiting for him again, which i latch onto cause a frost themed weapon for him would be a really cool contrast to his very classic norse hero design, also more easy valkyrie imagery to pull from aswell, having some thematic kind of match between his and Sigurn's keyblades would be cool

Hoder - The blind god who accidentally killed Baldr with something made of mistletoe (its said Loki made the mistletoe int a spear but Hoder shoots it like is an arrow so???), so also easy mistltoe imagery, he is also killed by Vali to avenge Baldr, depending on the version Hoder is either completely innocent and tricked into it by Loki or much less innocent and more active in the murder, one of the lines of translated poetry i latched onto was His hands he washed not, his hair he combed not, Till he bore to the bale-blaze Baldr's foe. A keyblade name along the lines of blood on hands/unable to wash away the sin would fit kh Hoder, or even a subversion of Destiny's Embrace, as she is kinda stuck in the fate of both her and her brothers death but goes along with it (she swung first) something like Cradle of Fate, or Destiny's Grasp, something that leans a little more negative (*Hoder and Kairi parallels in here about being tangled in fate and have destinys entwined with death, The Kai in Kairi means death after all)

Sigrun - Sigrun is a Valkyrie, she first meets Helgi when leading 9 other Valkyrie, his story happens, her brother tells him of what he did to Helgi and she curses him, forcing him to live in the woods and survive of carrion and she dies early of sadness and is reborn again as a Valkyrie, Her name aslo apparently means Victory Rune, valkyrie imagery? idk there isnt alot here, probably something matching Helgi tho (Its cute that in the like 1 cutscene we have of her and Helgi they pair up without words and seem to be besties/ always standing near each other)

Vala - A Vala was a norse woman with the ability to fortell the future and perform sorcery, often translated as "seeress", "prophetess", "staff bearer", "wise woman" and "sorceress", and the staff bearer in that group intrigues me, they are often connected to Freyja, thers not alot of stuff to work with beyond magic themeing unless you'd pice a specific Vala

Vali - Vali was a son of Odin and Baldrs brother, after Baldrs death he was born and grew to become an adult in one day to avenge him by killing Hoder and binding Loki in the entrails of his son, hes the god of flight and to symbolize this he has a cloak made of raven feathers that when raised looks like wings, very omen of death he is, theres not very much more about him beyond his role in the story of Baldrs death, this line Then did Váli | slaughter bonds twist Makes me think a name along the lines of Bond Breaker or Twist of Bonds might fit (i will note that hes the one who warns the group Hoder has disappeared, leading to Sigurn's, Helgi's and Heimdall's deaths by malificents hands)

Vidar - A god associated with vengance, he is fated in ragnarok to kill Fenrir to avenge his fathers, Odin's, death, he has the moniker "The Silent God" and it is mentioned that he is as powerful as Thor and that he has thick shoes? called 'the possessor of the iron shoe' which might be in reference to the description of him killing Fenrir putting emphisis on him using his foot to hold the dogs lower jaw open, fenrir is already a keyblade in the series and making his keyblade a match for it might be fun, Iron Soul or something along those lines might be a good name for it, i would fully lean into the shoe sole-soul pun for a name, and making a silver blade to Helgi's gold might parallel the kingdom key/kingdom key d duo, idk why they would parallel but like thats where my mind immedately goes (its interesting that both Vali and Vidar are fated to survive ragnarok and are in the group that survive malifcents attack, and the four in the attack are fated to die in mythology, Hoder obviously, Heimdall to Loki in ragnarok and Sigurn and Helgi both in their story, and possibly ragnarok cause i think the valkyrie and warriors of valhalla both fight in it)

[docholligay]

Do you think having such a personalized and detailed headcanon makes it harder to enjoy fic about the show/game that's written by others?

I mean sure, probably.

But unfortunately things I adore, for people named Doc who are me, fall into one of two buckets:

The character work and plot in this show are incredible, I find myself turning it around in my mind like a rotisserie chicken. I constantly discover new things about the show/book/game or the characters in it. I do not read fic about this, because why would I? Every answer I search for is in the text. I want to talk about this with someone, but about what is THERE, not what could be there. Ex: The Haunting of Hill House, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Piranesi, Bioshock:Infinite, Watership Down, Yellowjackets, among others.

The concepts of this could be amazing but are handled so fucking badly so consistently, in a shocking contrast to how INCONSISTENT the character work is, that all I want to do is steal it and make it better. All i want to do is turn it into something that doesn't suck ass when you look at it too hard. So I am going to take it SO seriously, and I am going to develop the rich inner lives for these characters that they lack, with intense backstories and families and motivation for how they got to be the person we know, or know sometimes, in certain episodes or shorts. Ex: Sailor Moon and Overwatch are the biggies here obviously, this is actually not an emotion I feel very often. I don't have intense backstories and extra-textual feelings and ideas about most of the stuff I read and watch, these two are just my Spiders Georg.

So! The odds on me being into something in the correct way to make me want to Seek Treasure Elsewhere but also I have a chill enough attitude about how the characters are that Any Dream Will Do is almost nil. I do not in ANY way mean this in a shady way, but I mostly read published adult fiction for entertainment and not fanfic. I am very picky about my fanfic. So, "plus these two new red and blue girls into Starbucks" often won't work for me, because the reasons to have Haruka and Michiru meet in a coffee shop are completely different from any of the reasons Fareeha and Angela might meet in a coffee shop, and so many of those types are archtypical plug and play stuff. Honestly, I have skated the idea of making a cheat sheet of fanon archetypes of various characters and buying a typewriter to sell 100-200 word 'quick fic' at cons with my sister. That's how common it is to use these archetypes. This is not a criticism! At all!

But, to take the two couples above, I have read so much BORING SHIT about both HM and FA that I could throw up. Lesbian couples have a lot of very milquetoast writing about them, and a lot of meet-cute which isn't really my bag.

But there are authors I love! @oathkeeper-of-tarth was and is one of the best harumichi writers out there and we don't even have all the same headcanons. The rare occasions @verbforverb decides to grace me with "Jewish Mercy I don't Have To Write" I pop a can of bubbly in the tub. And on both fields of battle @keyofjetwolf has stuff I've had bookmarked for years, and there are some things even within Rei's backstory and history that we disagree on.

Actually, to that point what I like is good writing. You can write me into believing nearly anything. There are things I believe about Amelie when I'm reading @lemon-embalmer's stuff that when I go back to my own world, aren't true, but when I'm in her world who the fuck cares, I'm having a great time. EVEN MORE to the point, I read @moonlight-frittata's stupid sun and moon lesbian League of Legends shit and I would rather shoot myslef than know ANYTHING about the game, but unfortunately she has a beautiful turn of phrase and plot flow to her work that I just....read anyway, because it is good. Fucking @tallangrycockatiel had me like 25 pages or so into a story before I was like, "OH SHIT, IS THIS SLASH??? WAIT I DON'T WANT TO READ ABOUT BOYS' LOVE!! NO!!" *hits next page* And I still could not care less about that podcast and would never listen to it, and if I did I would be massively disappointed because to my mind, her John and Arthur are the actual article, and whatever the fuck is going on in the source material can eat my dick.

So, yes, I DO think that having a very particular point of view is going to mean I back out of a story where like, "Lena stepped out of her Chelsea flat, custom leather high heels clicking against the step" sometimes, or, you know, "Haruka put down her copy of War and Peace, each meticulous note codified by a color-coded tab. Blue was for historical references to research, green for character analysis, yellow for themes, blah blah blah*" But I am actually shockingly open minded in what I will read, often to the point that I'm reading stuff from SHIT I DO NOT LIKE OR CARE ABOUT, because the quality of the writing is excellent. So, also no.

*I met someone who read books like this and I suddenly realized what the literary equivalent of 'knowing someone is a serial killer' was.

[tidetower]

What’s the reason behind ‘tidetower’ as in like the ship name for addaeron?

It’s just a symbolic variation of a ship name. (Eg. jonerys has snowstorm/braime has oathkeeper/daemyra has rogue’s delights/etc). So for addaeron, something like tidetower fits.

Daeron is, in a literary sense, a character who has a tower motif. He’s positioned as a lone figure who seems to stand apart from his family. Towers, especially ones that are lighthouses, are often seen as lonely structures in the middle of a landscape. The Hightower is a functioning lighthouse. Towers are also used to provide a vantage point that one can use to observe and watch out for danger. Daeron’s role in the war was to be a scout.

Flying Tessarion ahead of the main column, Prince Daeron had proved invaluable as a scout, warning Lord Ormund of enemy movements. Oft as not, the queen’s men would melt away at the first glimpse of the Blue Queen’s wings.

In general, quotes about towers fit Daeron really well because of the role he plays in the story. His actions at Bitterbridge can be viewed as fitting this other tower quote because of how Daeron is positioned as both avenging an injustice done and yet creating harm to others all the same.

Literally speaking, he lives in a tower. Daeron cannot simply leave and return to his family in King’s Landing because he is a dutiful son. So he must remain in his tower (he is a dragon in a tower!). When he does finally leave his tower, it is to fight for the Greens.

Addam has a level of freedom that being a sailor gives him. Since he is the bastard child of a nobleman, and his true identity was kept hidden for so long, I think it’s safe to say Addam spent a great deal of time at sea and not at home (where he might’ve risked being recognized as looking too much like a Velaryon).

Soon proved to have “sea salt in their blood” as well, growing up in their grandsire’s shipyard and going to sea as ship’s boys before the age of eight. […] Marilda of Hull owned seven ships, and her bastard sons were always serving on one or the other.

The sea is often associated with freedom (as a contrast to towers which represent captivity). The rising and falling of the sea is known as a tide, which in a metaphorical sense, shows a change or renewal. This is a perfect description for someone like Addam (Addam of Hull -> Addam Velaryon). Addam is a character who has a great rise to power as his family’s heir (the family seat is even called High Tide) and yet he still falls into disgrace when he gets condemned as a traitor. So the flow of his character arc is well represented by the tide.

Just like Daeron, Addam also has a duty to fulfill. In Addam’s case, it is as the new heir to High Tide and that’s not something he can simply abandon. Even if it means he has to fight for the Blacks against Daeron.

Another connection between their symbolism is that Addam and Daeron couldn’t have met unless Daeron was at separation from his family by being sent away to Oldtown (tower). Addam and Daeron wouldn’t have been on opposite sides of the war if Addam wasn’t seeking that connection & validation from his own family by becoming the heir to Driftmark (tide).

Also, a lighthouse watchtower might seem like a lonely structure but it does always have the flowing sea for company. 🤭 Another way to view this is that Addam would be coming to Oldtown just for Daeron and leaving in order to return back to his family (like the flooding and ebbing of the tide). 😔

[jackoshadows]

Thinking of the parallels between Jaime/Brienne and Jon/Arya and the contrasts between Jaime/Cersei and Jon/Arya.

We start with the swords. I spy similarities in the writing where Jon gifts Arya a sword and Jaime does the same for Brienne.

First, it’s a gift.

“I have something for you to take with you, and it has to be packed very carefully.”  Her face lit up. “A present?” 

“You could call it that. Close the door.” - Jon, AGoT

“I have a gift for you.” He reached down under the Lord Commander’s chair and brought it out, wrapped in folds of crimson velvet. - Jaime, ASoS

Then there’s the unveiling.

By then Jon had pulled off the rags he’d wrapped it in. He held it out to her. Arya’s eyes went wide. Dark eyes, like his. “A sword,” she said in a small, hushed breath. The scabbard was soft grey leather, supple as sin. Jon drew out the blade slowly, so she could see the deep blue sheen of the steel. - Jon, AGoT

Brienne approached as if the bundle was like to bite her, reached out a huge freckled hand, and flipped back a fold of cloth. Rubies glimmered in the light. She picked the treasure up gingerly, curled her fingers around the leather grip, and slowly slid the sword free of its scabbard. Blood and black the ripples shone. A finger of reflected light ran red along the edge. “Is this Valyrian steel? I have never seen such colors.” - Jaime, ASoS

And then there’s the naming, where both Jon and Jaime name the sword, for Arya’s ‘love’ of sewing and Brienne finding Catelyn’s girls for the oaths promised.

“I almost forgot,” he told her. “All the best swords have names.” “Like Ice,” she said. She looked at the blade in her hand. “Does this have a name? Oh, tell me.” “Can’t you guess?” Jon teased. “Your very favorite thing.” Arya seemed puzzled at first. Then it came to her. She was that quick. They said it together: “Needle!” - Jon, AGoT

Before she could think to refuse, he went on. “A sword so fine must bear a name. It would please me if you would call this one Oathkeeper. ” - Jaime, ASoS

This then leads to the first instance of Jon/Arya (and Jaime/Brienne) being written as foils to Jaime/Cersei with Cersei’s anger at the difference between how she and Jaime were treated growing up as children.

"Yet even  so, when Jaime was given his first sword, there was none for me. 'What  do I get?' I remember asking. We were so much alike, I could never  understand why they treated us so differently. Jaime learned to fight  with sword and lance and mace, while I was taught to smile and sing and  please. He was heir to Casterly Rock, while I was to be sold to some  stranger like a horse, to be ridden whenever my new owner liked, beaten  whenever he liked, and cast aside in time for a younger filly. Jaime's  lot was to be glory and power, while mine was birth and moonblood."  - Cersei, AFfC 

And while Arya’s parents did treat her differently to her brothers, she did end up getting a sword because Jon Snow gifted her with one. Jon Snow who recognizes what it is that Arya is actually interested in, what it is that Arya wants, who understands the unfairness of the patriarchy where Arya is concerned and proceeds to try and fix in some small manner. 

And yet for as much as Jaime claims to love Cersei, giving up Casterly Rock and becoming a Kingsguard to be with her, he does not seem to either understand this side of her or acknowledge it any way. Given the constant reminders that Jaime and Cersei are very close to each other from birth, does Jaime even know of Cersei’s resentment and try to address it? Have conversations with her about it? Given what we know of pre - one hand Jaime and his initial interactions with Brienne, I doubt it. In fact Jaime is surprised at Brienne’s prowess and strength given that she’s a woman.

She is stronger than I am.The realization chilled him. Robert had been stronger than him, to be sure. The White Bull Gerold Hightower as well, in his heyday, and Ser Arthur Dayne. Amongst the living, Greatjon Umber was stronger, Strongboar of Crakehall most likely, both Cleganes for a certainty. The Mountain’s strength was like nothing human. It did not matter. With speed and skill, Jaime could beat them all. But this was a woman. A huge cow of a woman, to be sure, but even so … by rights, she should be the one wearing down. - Jaime, ASoS

And while Cersei resented that Jaime got Casterly Rock and the swords, there is understanding and empathy on both sides where Jon Snow and Arya Stark are concerned.

“Why aren’t you down in the yard?” Arya asked him. He gave her a half smile. “Bastards are not allowed to damage young princes,” he said. “Any bruises they take in the practice yard must come from trueborn swords.” “Oh.” Arya felt abashed. She should have realized. For the second time today, Arya reflected that life was not fair. - Arya, AGoT

Jaime only gets to this place of seeing Brienne as an equal in ASoS, after interacting with her, starting to respect her skill and accepting her as a fellow warrior and trusting in her to keep his oaths to Catelyn.

He swayed with the motion of his horse, wishing for a sword. Two swords would be even better. One for the wench and one for me. We’d die, but we’d take half of them down to hell with us. - Jaime, ASoS

With Jaime’s gradual change in feelings towards Cersei and Brienne, we get that final contrast between Jaime/Cersei and Jon/Arya - possibly also where Jaime/Cersei ends once and for all and where romantic Jon/Arya may start with a resurrected Jon reuniting with an older Arya. Yes, this is about the letters.

“Does my lord wish to answer?”

I love you. I love you. I love you. Come at once.

“No,” he said. “Put this in the fire.” - Jaime, AFfC

“What do you mean to do, crow?”

 I want my bride back … I want my bride back … I want my bride back …

“I think we had best change the plan,” Jon Snow said. - Jon, ADwD

Keep in mind that by laws and oaths sworn, as a sworn brother of the Kingsguard, Jaime can and most probably should defend the queen in a trial by combat and still Jaime refuses to help. Meanwhile, Jon Snow is prohibited by laws and sworn oaths to step in and help Arya and yet he decides to endanger the neutrality of the NW by going to war with Ramsay Bolton.

Jaime is as done with Cersei as Cersei was done with Jaime when he returned without a hand. Meanwhile Jon Snow is just getting started, breaking his sacrosanct NW oaths and rallying an army of Wildlings to go attack the Warden of the North for Arya.

And following through on here, I think there will be a very different reaction from Arya to a scarred Jon Snow - and yes, depending on how Jon is resurrected he may have a lot of scars or never healing injuries like Ladystoneheart and Beric Dondarrion - compared to Cersei’s revulsion at Jaime’s stump. Their bond and love for each other goes deeper than the lust and infatuation based on beauty and looks between Jaime and Cersei.

So yes, I think Braime makes for some nice parallels with Jonrya, while Jaime/Cersei work as foils to Jon/Arya.