#i will be doing more bran posting i have had this blog over a year and i do not post about my son enough

[atopvisenyashill]

Bran The Time Traveling Toddler

Yes that IS a reference to the Tyrion the time traveling fetus theory. The thing about MY insane theories is that they actually make sense and I’m right. Follow me please down the worm hole!!

There’s very clearly Someone Influencing things when it comes to the Starklings and even the overreaching plot in general - there’s enough weird magic surrounding them, whispering in the wind, that it’s a no brainer they’re being watched over. The question is WHO and WHEN. For me, personally, I think it’s Bran, and I think it’s an older Bran from the future (whether it be Bran In TWOW and ADOS or Bran post canon) trying to lead his siblings to safety.

Now, like my Harrenhal meta, I don’t think I’m saying anything new so much as compiling what people have said scattered across the interwebs. There’s a lot of theories about whether Bran can time travel, time travel in general in the series, how george has dealt with time travel before, and about the three eyed crow’s identity and I agree with bits and pieces of what other people have said - preston jacobs is a more famous example of this theory for example. But I don't want to get caught up on things like time travel paradoxes because, like, i don’t care about that, and george has talked about how time travel is more fantasy than scifi bc it’s just not really scientifically possible. do you know what that means? it means there’s no weird physical paradoxes because it’s ✨magic✨ and Bran isn't literally going through space and time. It's as Jojen says-

With two eyes you see my face. With three you could see my heart. With two you can see that oak tree there. With three you could see the acorn the oak grew from and the stump that it will one day become. With two you see no farther than your walls. With three you would gaze south to the Summer Sea and north beyond the Wall

Through his greenseeing abilities, Bran can see the whole of a lifespan, from conception to burial, and can pop out at any point in that lifespan, because a span of 100, 1000, or 1,000,000 years is all the same to the weirwood. So I don't think it's in the realm of Crazy Ass Theories to say that Bran is capable of a more magic based form of time travel. That he can whisper in people's dreams, on the wind, taking on the voice of the old gods themselves and doing his best to nudge things the way he needs them to be in order to keep the people he loves safe.

I also don't think Bloodraven is Three Eyed Crow (though I do think he also uses this metaphor of "flying" wrt magic, and that's why Euron also has a comment about flying in his dreams - I just don't believe that metaphor originates with Brynden himself. Rather, I think he picked it up from somewhere else), but instead, it's Bran, using the weirwood network to get all the pieces on the board he needs where he needs them to be for the endgame. Notice that Brynden doesn't seem to know what Bran is talking about when he mentions the Three Eyed Crow-

"Are you the three-eyed crow?" Bran heard himself say. A three-eyed crow should have three eyes. He has only one, and that one red. Bran could feel the eye staring at him, shining like a pool of blood in the torchlight. Where his other eye should have been, a thin white root grew from an empty socket, down his cheek, and into his neck. "A … crow?" The pale lord's voice was dry. His lips moved slowly, as if they had forgotten how to form words. "Once, aye. Black of garb and black of blood." 

Brynden mentions the watch, but doesn't mention the three eyed crow. Everyone simply refers to Brynden as the greenseer, not the three eyed crow, except for Bran himself, who simply assumes Brynden is the three eyed crow (and we know magical assumptions in this series are generally wrong!).

What’s double interesting to me about this “bloodraven is the three eyed crow” assumption is brynden himself makes his “a thousand eyes and one” comment - but doesn’t mention a third eye. Meanwhile, Bran’s narrative is obviously filled with bird references and the opening of his third eye from Bran feeding the crows on the towers before he falls then longing to go back to the crows afterwards, of a crow sending Jojen to “the winged wolf,” of his dreams of living as a bird in maester luwin’s rookery with his siblings - Jon Snow even compares him to a bird in their final scene face to face when he thinks bran has “fingers like the bones of birds.”

And notable that though both Rickon and Bran have a greendream where they talk to Ned in the crypts of Winterfell just before Ned is executed, Rickon makes no mention of a three eyed crow, but Bran explicitly sees him-

The mention of dreams reminded him. "I dreamed about the crow again last night. The one with three eyes. He flew into my bedchamber and told me to come with him, so I did. We went down to the crypts. Father was there, and we talked. He was sad."

"Shaggy," a small voice called. When Bran looked up, his little brother was standing in the mouth of Father's tomb. With one final snap at Summer's face, Shaggydog broke off and bounded to Rickon's side. "You let my father be," Rickon warned Luwin. "You let him be." "Rickon," Bran said softly. "Father's not here." "Yes he is. I saw him." Tears glistened on Rickon's face. "I saw him last night."

What that says to me is that the Three Eyed Crow has the ability to speak directly to only Bran and can only otherwise appear in a more ephemeral way to others. With the established rules about not being able to communicate properly with the past, I think this makes sense - being able to use the weirwood hivemind/greenseeing powers to appear in a different form to yourself but unable to appear in a concrete form to anyone else.

I think it's even likely we'll see Bran doing some of this nudging and whispering on page in ADOS or maybe as early as TWOW, but it won't be the exact same sort of "Bran can literally reach out and touch someone in a weirwood dream" that they had in the show with the later scenes. It'll be more like that very first scene in the show where we see Bran influence the past slightly - you know, when he calls out "father!" and young Ned turns around, having heard a voice on the wind-

And there's a direct parallel to ADWD here, where Bran is certain Ned heard him speaking in the godswood but Brynden says it's not possible (not possible for Brynden perhaps!)-

Lord Eddard Stark sat upon a rock beside the deep black pool in the godswood, the pale roots of the heart tree twisting around him like an old man's gnarled arms. The greatsword Ice lay across Lord Eddard's lap, and he was cleaning the blade with an oilcloth. "Winterfell," Bran whispered. His father looked up. "Who's there?" he asked, turning … … and Bran, frightened, pulled away. His father and the black pool and the godswood faded and were gone and he was back in the cavern, the pale thick roots of his weirwood throne cradling his limbs as a mother does a child.

It's not quite time travel. It's like the acorn and stump metaphor - Bran can't appear in his physical body in the past but he can make a bit of noise, perhaps even be mistaken for one of the old gods.

As TWOW and ADOS go on, I think we'll see Bran's powers grow (likely in ways that frighten him and horrify the reader), and we'll see the very beginnings of him influencing the plot that happens during the previous books, showing up in scenes we've already experienced, similar to the Ned scene above. I think this because, well...he's already done it!

Now, as for What Time Traveling Bran Has Already Done - it’s tricky because we have a LOT of magic users waking and shaking. I’m not including every single instance of weird whispering or funny birds here, just the moments I think are more likely to be Bran than anyone else because I think Bran mostly deals with his siblings. I imagine they're easiest to reach out to magically because they already have the ability to access magic, and they're also the people he cares most about. The most obvious to me is in A Clash of Kings, when Jon hears a voice on the wind, very similar to the young Ned scene in the show-

Jon VII in A Clash of Kings

The call came from behind him, softer than a whisper, but strong too. Can a shout be silent? He turned his head, searching for his brother, for a glimpse of a lean grey shape moving beneath the trees, but there was nothing, only … A weirwood. It seemed to sprout from solid rock, its pale roots twisting up from a myriad of fissures and hairline cracks. The tree was slender compared to other weirwoods he had seen, no more than a sapling, yet it was growing as he watched, its limbs thickening as they reached for the sky. Wary, he circled the smooth white trunk until he came to the face. Red eyes looked at him. Fierce eyes they were, yet glad to see him. The weirwood had his brother’s face. Had his brother always had three eyes?

Not always, came the silent shout. Not before the crow. He sniffed at the bark, smelled wolf and tree and boy, but behind that there were other scents, the rich brown smell of warm earth and the hard grey smell of stone and something else, something terrible. Death, he knew. He was smelling death. He cringed back, his hair bristling, and bared his fangs.

Don’t be afraid, I like it in the dark. No one can see you, but you can see them. But first you have to open your eyes. See? Like this. And the tree reached down and touched him.

This moment was when I really started paying attention to Weird Shit Bran Might Be Doing because of that line "not before the crow." Now, we know Bran mentions talking with Jon later on, in the very last chapter of the book, here-

 He could reach Summer whenever he wanted, and once he had even touched Ghost and talked to Jon. Though maybe he had only dreamed that.

But I think it's both Bran in the present and Bran in ADOS speaking here - brothers reaching out to each other in their fear, and future Bran piggybacking off that connection to send a warning (this is back in Jon VII, during the shared Jon-Bran dream as before)-

Then he realized he was looking at a river of ice several thousand feet high. Under that glittering cold cliff was a great lake, its deep cobalt waters reflecting the snowcapped peaks that ringed it. There were men down in the valley, he saw now; many men, thousands, a huge host. Some were tearing great holes in the half-frozen ground, while others trained for war...This is no army, no more than it is a town. This is a whole people come together.

Bran warns Jon of the wildling army headed their way because he needs the Night’s Watch to stop fighting the wildlings, get them safely out of the True North (so they can’t be reanimated as wights), and focus on the Long Night. When you read the passage, it seems as if Bran is trying to awaken Jon’s third eye - something present baby Bran isn’t concerned with, because he barely understands his own third eye awakening. But a Bran in ADOS or beyond would know exactly what to say and do to get Jon and himself to wake up! Not just because of the paradox, but because of his connection to his brother and his vast understanding of his own magic. Similar to the idea that “who would know how to motivate Bran better than Bran himself” who would know how to motivate Jon better than one of his beloved siblings?

Arya X in A Clash of Kings

In the godswood she found her broomstick sword where she had left it, and carried it to the heart tree. There she knelt. Red leaves rustled. Red eyes peered inside her. The eyes of the gods. "Tell me what to do, you gods," she prayed.

For a long moment there was no sound but the wind and the water and the creak of leaf and limb. And then, far far off, beyond the godswood and the haunted towers and the immense stone walls of Harrenhal, from somewhere out in the world, came the long lonely howl of a wolf. Gooseprickles rose on Arya's skin, and for an instant she felt dizzy. Then, so faintly, it seemed as if she heard her father's voice. "When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives," he said.

“But there is no pack," she whispered to the weirwood. Bran and Rickon were dead, the Lannisters had Sansa, Jon had gone to the Wall. "I'm not even me now, I'm Nan."

"You are Arya of Winterfell, daughter of the north. You told me you could be strong. You have the wolf blood in you."

"The wolf blood." Arya remembered now. "I'll be as strong as Robb. I said I would." She took a deep breath, then lifted the broomstick in both hands and brought it down across her knee. It broke with a loud crack, and she threw the pieces aside. I am a direwolf, and done with wooden teeth.

Once again, we have a voice - it seemed as if it was her father's voice - telling a Starkling to do something specific, reminding that Starkling of their ties to Winterfell, the north, and home. The voice she hears, speaking her true name, is the kick in the pants Arya needs to grab Gendry and Hot Pie and get out of Harrenhal. There's something interesting, engaging, heartbreaking, that when Arya is at one of her lowest points, lamenting the loss of her pack, and out comes the voice of one of her pack urging her to keep faith, and helping to inspire one of her best moments - I am a direwolf, and done with wooden teeth. Again, we have a voice trying to get the Starklings to wake up and face their reality!

Sansa in A Storm of Swords

That night Sansa scarcely slept at all, but tossed and turned just as she had aboard the Merling King. She dreamt of Joffrey dying, but as he clawed at his throat and the blood ran down across his fingers she saw with horror that it was her brother Robb. And she dreamed of her wedding night too, of Tyrion's eyes devouring her as she undressed. Only then he was bigger than Tyrion had any right to be, and when he climbed into the bed his face was scarred only on one side. "I'll have a song from you," he rasped, and Sansa woke and found the old blind dog beside her once again. "I wish that you were Lady," she said.

To be clear I think there’s a large change this is nothing. BUT. Considering Bran seems to be reaching out to his siblings, I like the idea that Bran, and magic in general, is trying to talk to Sansa but she can’t quite hear it. Winterfell and it’s magic and it’s family is calling it’s daughter home, even torn from her magical guide as she is, still trying to reach out through her dreams and through the animals around her. I’m desperately hoping that at some point in Sansa’s early TWOW chapters, we’ll start to see birds acting and speaking funny around her as Bran tries harder to reach his lost sister.

Theon Greyjoy in A Dance With Dragons

BUT. I don't think it's just the Starklings that get these messages from Bran - it's everyone he cares about, everyone he loves or will love. One of the other more obvious examples of this is Theon Greyjoy, himself clearly capable of some degree of magic, just like the Starklings-

The night was windless, the snow drifting straight down out of a cold black sky, yet the leaves of the heart tree were rustling his name. “Theon,” they seemed to whisper, “Theon.” The old gods, he thought. They know me. They know my name. I was Theon of House Greyjoy. I was a ward of Eddard Stark, a friend and brother to his children. “Please.” He fell to his knees. “A sword, that’s all I ask. Let me die as Theon, not as Reek.” Tears trickled down his cheeks, impossibly warm. “I was ironborn. A son … a son of Pyke, of the islands.” A leaf drifted down from above, brushed his brow, and landed in the pool. It floated on the water, red, five-fingered, like a bloody hand. “… Bran,” the tree murmured. They know. The gods know. They saw what I did. And for one strange moment it seemed as if it were Bran’s face carved into the pale trunk of the weirwood, staring down at him with eyes red and wise and sad. Bran’s ghost, he thought, but that was madness. Why should Bran want to haunt him? He had been fond of the boy, had never done him any harm. It was not Bran we killed. It was not Rickon. They were only miller’s sons, from the mill by the Acorn Water.

“he had been fond of the boy” please allow me this moment to contemplate killing myself thanks.

okay back on track but this is very self explanatory - we know Theon has some sort of capacity for magic because he had a vision of the Red Wedding in ACOK and unlike Jaime who just fell asleep on a weirweed tree, Theon was just up in bed. We see it again here, where Theon can hear a voice on the wind and then seems to see Bran’s own face in the face of the weirwood tree. Once again, the voice on the wind is trying to help a loved one of Bran’s find their way back to themselves, back to home. And Theon, for all the harm he has done, is still so so loved by Bran, and loves Bran in return.

Samwell Tarly III in A Storm of Swords

Sam made a whimpery sound. “It’s not fair …” “Fair.” The raven landed on his shoulder. “Fair, far, fear.” It flapped its wings, and screamed along with Gilly. The wights were almost on her. He heard the dark red leaves of the weirwood rustling, whispering to one another in a tongue he did not know. The starlight itself seemed to stir, and all around them the trees groaned and creaked. Sam Tarly turned the color of curdled milk, and his eyes went wide as plates. Ravens! They were in the weirwood, hundreds of them, thousands, perched on the bone-white branches, peering between the leaves. He saw their beaks open as they screamed, saw them spread their black wings. Shrieking, flapping, they descended on the wights in angry clouds. They swarmed round Chett’s face and pecked at his blue eyes, they covered the Sisterman like flies, they plucked gobbets from inside Hake’s shattered head. There were so many that when Sam looked up, he could not see the moon. “Go,” said the bird on his shoulder. “Go, go, go.”

Whoever this is - it's Bran!!!! - helps to save Sam and Gilly's lives, actively tells them to run for it, and just a little bit later, Sam is around to help save Bran in turn. I think there's also something to be said for the brotherhood connection here. They refer to each other as brothers in the book because of their connection to Jon; that connection to Jon, and therefore each other, means a lot to both Sam and Bran. There's a practical reason for saving Sam here in that he can help Bran in the "present" timeline, will likely help in the future, but more than that there's an emotional bond here and it seems to me that magic runs off emotions just as assuredly as it runs off of other important stuff like blood and and sacrifice and weirwoods.

Jon Snow XII in A Storm of Swords

With a raucous scream and a clap of wings, a huge raven burst out of the kettle. It flapped upward, seeking the rafters perhaps, or a window to make its escape, but there were no rafters in the vault, nor windows either. The raven was trapped. Cawing loudly, it circled the hall, once, twice, three times. And Jon heard Samwell Tarly shout, “I know that bird! That’s Lord Mormont’s raven!” The raven landed on the table nearest Jon. “Snow,” it cawed. It was an old bird, dirty and bedraggled. “Snow,” it said again, “Snow, snow, snow.” It walked to the end of the table, spread its wings again, and flew to Jon’s shoulder. Lord Janos Slynt sat down so heavily he made a thump, but Ser Alliser filled the vault with mocking laughter. “Ser Piggy thinks we’re all fools, brothers,” he said. “He’s taught the bird this little trick. They all say snow, go up to the rookery and hear for yourselves. Mormont’s bird had more words than that.” The raven cocked its head and looked at Jon. “Corn?” it said hopefully. When it got neither corn nor answer, it quorked and muttered, “Kettle? Kettle? Kettle?” The rest was arrowheads, a torrent of arrowheads, a flood of arrowheads, arrowheads enough to drown the last few stones and shells, and all the copper pennies too.

The Night's Watch seem to take this as some sort of divine sign, and Jon's friends take it as an excellent ploy from Samwell Tarly. But when Pyp confronts Sam over it a page later, Sam completely denies it -

“I had nothing to do with the bird,” Sam insisted. “When it flew out of the kettle I almost wet myself.”

Everyone has their theories about people warging Mormont's crow of course. I think what's interesting to me here is that Jon is really wrestling with the idea of leaving the Watch for Winterfell, in which case Janos Slynt was likely to take over command. Someone like Slynt being in charge when the Long Night is coming is a bad idea, and here, Mormont's bird directly contributes to Jon staying where he needs to be - watching over the wildlings and making sure they aren't turning into Wights.

(And this is getting into my other theories here, but IF Sansa as the Girl In Grey is true, I think this is a neat sort of timeline fixing - almost as if Bran is saying “no, not yet, the pieces aren’t aligned, Jon can’t leave yet, Brienne isn’t at the Vale to get Sansa, I haven’t trained enough, Jon still keeps slapping his hands over his third eye so he can’t see, I need to give myself more time here.”)

Bran II in A Game of Thrones

But...it's not just his family and friends that I think Bran is trying to help here, and of course, if he IS the Three-Eyed Crow, he isn’t YET. What I think is going to be a big climactic part of Bran's story is self sacrifice, giving up some of his own power, his own happiness, to save others. Yes, part of this is my absolute refusal to accept Borg Hivemind Fantasy Police State King Bran in that he will say NO to the hivemind, but I think there's something magical here as well!

I think in order to access great power you need to be willing to put your own body on the line.

Jojen mentions having gotten sick with "greywater fever" shortly before his greendreams started

Dany experiences a miscarriage then literally walks into fire in order to hatch her dragons

both Beric and Catelyn have to quite literally be gruesomely murdered in order for Thoros' fire magic to work to bring them back to life

Melisandre has to physically give birth in order for her shadow assassination to work

on and on it goes. In order to be capable of great power, you can’t just have a willingness to throw someone ELSE onto the pyre but yourself as well. But Bran is pushed out of the window instead of willingly jumping. Or...

The wolfling was smarter than any of the hounds in his father’s kennel and Bran would have sworn he understood every word that was said to him, but he showed very little interest in chasing sticks…Finally he got tired of the stick game and decided to go climbing….

The wolf did as he was told. Bran scratched him behind the ears, then turned away, jumped, grabbed a low branch, and pulled himself up. He was halfway up the tree, moving easily from limb to limb, when the wolf got to his feet and began to howl.

Bran looked back down. His wolf fell silent, staring up at him through slitted yellow eyes. A strange chill went through him. He began to climb again. Once more the wolf howled. “Quiet,” he yelled. “Sit down. Stay. You’re worse than Mother.” The howling chased him all the way up the tree, until finally he jumped off onto the armory roof and out of sight.

I think this is future Bran, finally becoming the Three Eyed Crow, inside Summer. Summer shows no interest in the game and it’s only then that Bran decides to go climbing. Future Bran is sacrificing himself for the greater good - but can’t stop his mournful cry of the fate that awaits his own young self.

[agentrouka-blog]

Hello, Rouka! I love your blog and the way your mind works. Thank you for all you contribute to the fandom. I saw your post about Jon not becoming a NK and wondered whether you think there is a possibility of Bran becoming the leader of the Others instead? What if the "King Bran" spoiler GRRM gave D&D actually meant a Night's King Bran ending instead of King of Westeros (or the south at least) Bran? I feel like he's being led toward something like that through his connection with the weirwoods, but perhaps his arc is about rejecting that type of power and choosing non-magical leadership instead?

Hello, and thank you so much for your kind words! :)

My take on the Night King is that there's more than a little of Stannis in there, a leader who succumbs to the seductive call of otherworldly power. The Night King and the Corpse Queen mentally enslave his fellow Night's Watch brothers (potentially through warg-like powers?) and make unspecified sacrifices that may or may not resemble those made by Craster. It takes an alliance of enemies to defeat them.

He brought her back to the Nightfort and proclaimed her a queen and himself her king, and with strange sorceries he bound his Sworn Brothers to his will. For thirteen years they had ruled, Night's King and his corpse queen, till finally the Stark of Winterfell and Joramun of the wildlings had joined to free the Watch from bondage. After his fall, when it was found he had been sacrificing to the Others, all records of Night's King had been destroyed, his very name forbidden. (ASOS, Bran IV)

All of this reeks of blood magic, to the point where I see the corpse queen as a metaphor for this icy version of blood magic, if she is not a priestly figure similar to Melisandre.

I don't think that this represents a concrete leadership position over the Others, certainly not in the future. (I think the ice threat will be definitively ended.) But it's a template of abuse of power that fits villains like Stannis or Dany, and it may touch on an ancient crime committed by a Stark in connection with blood magic and is likely related to the Starks' inherited warg powers.

I do think that Bran is connected to this tale, in terms of a parallel, as he too is enslaving Hodor with his mind and unable to resist the temptation of abusing his warging ability. He could become the Stark that turns evil, if he chose. He is the representation of the ancient history of House Starks that likely needs correcting. All those Brandons...

"Some say he was a Bolton," Old Nan would always end. "Some say a Magnar out of Skagos, some say Umber, Flint, or Norrey. Some would have you think he was a Woodfoot, from them who ruled Bear Island before the ironmen came. He never was. He was a Stark, the brother of the man who brought him down." She always pinched Bran on the nose then, he would never forget it. "He was a Stark of Winterfell, and who can say? Mayhaps his name was Brandon. Mayhaps he slept in this very bed in this very room." (ASOS, Bran IV)

His growing power and his ability to see and even manipulate the past may even end up leading Bran into a position that seems like a mirror to Daenerys with the Dothraki. She is more than likely going to unite the khalasars at Vaes Dothrak, or at least defeat the current leadership, cause immense destruction to their holy site and end up leading a sizable new army of dangerous warriors.

Bran seemingly taking up a position of power, leadership or influence over the wights or in collusion with the Others is a very plausible development in the lead-up to his return South and the resolution to this threat. The weirwood cave is unlikely to remain safe for long. The crone-like Bloodraven married to the tree, drawing Bran into his world, mirrors the dosh khaleen. If Vaes Dothrak faces destruction, so does this strange underworldly cave world.

It's for Bran to decide whether he wants to choose blood magic and follow that dark part of his heritage, or whether he wants to right some wrongs and sacrifice his powers and his dreams, turn away from the corpse (queen) and fight for human life.

[esther-dot]

I feel like GRRM's update for the first time confirms that not all will be the same in the ending as we have seen on screen. Bc what else can we make abt the deaths? Who died we cared abt? Rickon, Jamie, Cersei, Daenerys, Theon (oh, Euron too, lol). Any of these surviving changes the story significantly, as well as any death that we haven't seen on screen (looking at you, Tyrion!) What are your thoughts on this update Dot?

Don’t laugh about Euron, anon, @istumpysk will come for your ass. 😂

I read that update and wondered what prompted him to write that because it gave me a similar feeling to reading his post GoT finale post. @kazetoame saw my tags and filled me in:

Thank you @kazetoame!!! I didn’t know what was happening but it felt prompted by something specific. Now we know!

On the positive side, I think he’s making progress because he’s thinking about the reception of the book and I definitely felt like this was his effort to get the audience hyped. Now knowing that may be to benefit HOTD rather than be about TWOW arriving soon...well, I don’t know. I’m still pleased by the vibe. However, I’m doubtful this is as new/exciting as we want it to be as far as it giving more information.

Here’s part of his post GoT blog from May 2019:

And this is part of the one he posted today:

He also talks (again) about his characters that weren’t included or D&D killed off

To me, the two posts sound fairly similar. Even the discussion of the ending feels about the same to me. Now he says “Some things will be the same. A lot will not.” Back in 2019 he said:

I understand why people want to latch onto “Characters will live! Others will die! A lot will be different!!!” But I suppose I’m hesitant to think he means what we want him to mean because even today he was still saying this:

He prefaced all the talk about characters living/dying and when with this comment, so I don’t think he’s changed his mind about what his endpoints are or even the major beats. How things will transpire, sure. But those important moments he’s had in his head for years/decades? The things he has told us time and again over the course of years that he told D&D? The things the fandom wants to believe are strictly their fuckery? Like say, Stannis burning Shireen, King Bran, Dark Dany? I still think that’s all from him. The endpoints? I still think those are his. That may just be my pessimism speaking, and I am certainly not trying to persuade anyone to agree, I just read that and thought...this is (almost) the same post.

My thought about ASOIAF characters not making it to the end who did in GoT was Cersei, which @kazetoame said as well:

Our minds! Although, my one hesitancy there is that I always thought Jaime and Cersei died together, and for some reason I didn’t think he’d be axed before seeing Tyrion again? But it could be Edmure, Davos, Gendry, Tormund (who for some reason feels like a very safe bet to me)…I mean, it doesn’t have to be one of the characters that is preeminent in our minds. I thought Cersei because in my head Aegon takes KL before Dany arrives and is winning over the people and that plays into why Dany kabooms the place. The Dany v Cersei idea seemed like a show thing to keep fans from realizing Dany was the final baddie, not Cersei. But like I said, it could be a number of characters. I’m not sure that someone dying sooner necessarily means a remarkable difference in the endgame. It may mean certain things (like the burning of KL) make far more sense though.

I also thought the comment about characters living in ASOIAF who died in the show is (potentially) a very misleading idea. I already see people hoping Dany survives, but it could be someone like Melisandre, we could see Benjen again, Edd could survive, Missandei could live, I reblogged a post suggesting Selmy. I know he doesn’t mean it badly, he’s just doing his job and trying to help the shows set in his world succeed, but it seems cruel to bring up this idea in such vague terms when we all know the fandom at large only cares about Dany surviving so they will take it as the confirmation of that. I am sure that isn’t the person he’s thinking of. Fingers crossed Rickon lives! And if he does, a lot of fans have pointed out that Sansa should be Robb’s heir as she is older, that progress means less sexism and that the eldest regardless of gender should inherit, so I’m not sure that Rickon surviving has to change her ending. I’m not counting on it, but it’s nice to think about. My point is, Martin can be honest, but his honesty still leaves a lot of room for us to deceive ourselves. I’m trying really hard not to.

So, to me, the post felt similar to what he wrote after the GoT finale only a little more focused in his desire to hype people for his books and convince them TWOW is still worth reading. He knows how the end of GoT went over, and I think that’s part of why he’s again trying to point out that there will be stuff we don’t know in his books, and he really did spend a while emphasizing that. Yay! But I also think there are reasons other than just trying to be nice to us that leads him to make these comments, and I’ve already seen articles pop up saying he is reassuring fans his series will end differently...and I just don’t know that that is an accurate reflection of what he was trying to say. There will be a lot of differences in the particulars, I know that. But will the things we really care about be dramatically different? Sadly, I’m still doubtful.

[in-my-feels-probably]

hey love!! I just saw your follower celebration post and first of all wanted to congratulate you!! 💗 second of all, wanted to thank you for making such a post and inadvertently bringing me to your blog, which I’d somehow missed in the countless binge-reads across fandoms on this hellsite! cant wait to read through more of your stuff, I’ve set a reminder on my phone to start this weekend! ♡

if it’s ok, I’d like to go for option one with either Jon Snow or Brienne of Tarth (I know Brienne isnt on your masterlist so if you’re more comfortable writing for Jon that’s perfectly ok with me!!), my name’s Heather, Im 5’0” and I’ve got shoulder length wavy light blue hair; personality wise I’ve got some dark lore (trauma but in a cool way 😎) which has caused some severe memory issues, but generally speaking Im very bubbly, excitable, and overall the furthest thing from the broody character you’d expect from a backstory like mine lol. my reasons for loving Brienne and Jon are much the same: their strength in the face of prejudice, the morally golden characters they’ve become despite their emotional hardships, and their equally protective natures which Im a total sucker for! naturally, I am in love with them both so a romantic blurb over a platonic one would make me feral 😌

in terms of prompts/scenarios, I really dont have anything specific in mind, Im just so excited to see what you write for either of these characters!! please dont feel at all rushed to do this, and if for any reason you arent comfortable writing it, I completely understand and respect your decision and I’ll look forward to your next works!! hope you have the most wonderful day! 🥰♡

hi :)

first off, thank you so much for the kind words. i hope you enjoy my work, let me know what you think! (and im apologizing for some of my older stuff, it’s a little rusty.)

second, if you scroll down my page a little bit, i’ll tag you in it, i have a post about all the characters im currently accepting requests for. so if you have any requests, i’ll gladly take them.

so i’m actually not doing this followers celebration anymore, i’ll do another one like this for 700 which should be semi soon, i’ll do a full one of these for you went it comes.

but i feel bad that you typed all this out, so i’m gonna do a quick version of what i was doing for the celebration. and again, if you think of a scenario and like any of the characters i write for, i’ll gladly write an x reader for you.

i’m gonna go with jon, since i’ve done one of these before for him, and he’s on my list of characters i’ll currently write for. but i do think brienne would like you a lot, too, for similar reasons.

jon very much understands what it’s like to have trauma but in a cool way. except he broods, you don’t. you’d definitely balance each other out, which he’d appreciate. i think he’d find it inspiring to see someone who’s been through some shit, but still chooses the optimist outlook. he’d strive to be more like you. he’s such a strong person, he’s overcome so much, and i think he’d really value having a person who’s had similar experiences. he’d connect to you purely based off the fact that he can relate on a deeper level. you’d bring him his little joys in life. he couldn’t help but fall for you when he’d see you standing tall and stoic, smiling in the face of adversity. he’d think you were the bravest person he’s ever known. his personal hero.

he’d understand that your memory issues stem from trauma. he probably has them himself, trying to recollect his childhood. but i think he’d find it endearing that you’d forget little things, especially if you grew up in the north together.

when you both finally made your way back to winterfell, you and sansa would share stories and memories. jon would sit with you, softly smiling.

“that was the year bran was born, love,” he’d gently correct.

you’d furrow your brows, shaking your head. “no. i’m quite sure, it was rickon.”

“it was neither,” sansa interrupted, grinning. “neither were born that year. father had his hands full, and my mother promised him peace and quiet for a summer. but bran was already born, so rickon would’ve been next.”

you’d smile, turning to jon. “i was closer.”

he’d sulk and you’d laugh, squeezing his hand. “we were both wrong. why are you pouting?”

he’d squeeze back, his eyes softening. he couldn’t help but give you a small smile at the sound of your laugh.

“i hate when you’re right. it’s far too often.”

you’d smile back. “get used to it, love.”

—

i hope you enjoyed this. thank you again for participating, im sorry i couldn’t write more. i hope i’ll see you for the next celebration, and thank you for supporting my work. i hope you enjoy it. i’ll tag you in that post for characters im currently accepting requests for, in case you want to send me one :)

[jackoshadows]

The ASoIaF fandom can be so frustrating sometimes.

It’s okay to admit that one doesn’t like this or that character. There’s nothing wrong in disliking a character.

I am pretty open on my blog about my indifference towards or dislike for Sansa because of her stans. I don’t make disclaimers about how much I love the character before proceeding to criticize Sansa. I am not a Sansa stan and that’s okay. My blog is a place for me to jot down my thoughts and celebrate characters, books and shows I do like. If you love Sansa as a character, block me, don’t follow me etc.

What’s obnoxiously annoying are the folks who claim to love all the characters the same and then give their ‘unbiased’ opinions which are held up as canon facts because they came from neutral book reader experts. To hell with that nonsense.

These posts reek of hypocrisy and double standards. It often tears down some characters while subtly propping up others - and it’s gobbled up by the wider fandom as unbiased interpretation of the text.

One example is pushing forth the notion that calling Arya pretty (Something that both her father and brother tell her she is in the books) is wrong, it’s sexualizing her, it’s okay for Arya to be ugly, she’s canonically not pretty because Cat/Sansa said so and no other interpretation is allowed etc. And then the same person who says all this celebrates Sansa’s beauty and ships her with a 27 year old man who falls in lust with Sansa.

Or when they say that the Arya-Lyanna (and Sansa/Lyanna parallels, because it’s always important to mention Sansa with respect to Lyanna even if said person claims to not care about Lyanna as a character) parallels are overrated and not important and they don’t care about Robert’s Rebellion characters but on their blogs there’s all these posts, fanarts and meta about Elia Martell - a Robert’s Rebellion character.

A so called book expert would note that GRRM has several characters outright compare Arya to Lyanna or mistake Lyanna for Arya in the books while Sansa has no such comparison. But no, the unbiased book expert thinks that the Arya-Lyanna and Sansa-Lyanna parallels are equivalent and are both overrated.That post just annoyed me excessively into writing this long ass rant post.

Why are these neutral, unbiased folks so interested in stripping away from Arya’s story?

In the books Jeyne Poole is masquerading as Arya Stark - but that story is only Jeyne’s, has nothing to do with Arya or Arya’s importance to the North. 

Arya is a strong warg, Nymeria and her wolf pack are a ‘Chekov’s wolf pack’ that GRRM has hung on the wall  -  Our expert opinion is that Direwolves are not all that important in the grand scheme of things.

Arya is pretty - why needlessly call Arya pretty, it adds nothing to Arya’s story and is all about sexualizing a child.

Arya-Lyanna parallels - why do we need these parallels, Arya is distinct and interesting without them.

These aspects are all important parts of the character’s story. There are so many very well written essays exploring these concepts with respect to Arya’s journey of self discovery in the books, the narrative significance of her parallels to Lyanna, her bond with Nymeria and her warging talents. For those who are interested, here are two bloggers who actually like Arya and have written about her character and character arc.

https://donewithwoodenteeth.tumblr.com/meta-masterlist

https://ashotofjac.tumblr.com/tagged/arya-stark

Some of these same people will rush to condemn any reading of the books that does not have Sansa wielding power at the end as being ‘Sansa hate’. But they will have no issues to undermine and devalue Arya’s actual book story, the relationships she has, the parallels she has, the skillsets she has, her appearance, her importance to the current story happening in the North.

There is a whole ass plot currently in the books of Northerners rallying for Arya Stark and preparing for battle against the Boltons for Arya Stark. But that’s not important because it’s actually Jeyne Poole and Arya’s story is about sailing off west of westeros.  But hey, Sansa will definitely go North and hold power and that’s like 100% happening because we are the unbiased book experts and we say it is so.

Or when all else fails - Arya is a Mary Sue, she’s a fantasy character, she’s a ‘strong female character’ because she fights with a sword, people like her because she’s a tomboy who fights. Sansa is realistic, Sansa is complex - but here are all the essays that basically transfer Arya’s complexity and story to Sansa - because it fits more with their fave, because these aspects would fit better with the traditionally feminine character even though they never tire of talking about how GRRM is deconstructing tropes. Because the trope deconstruction is only applied to Arya, Jon and Dany. Never Sansa.

And honestly, why are these people reading a high fantasy series if they hate fantasy and fantasy characters so much? We love Sansa because she’s so non-magical! Then go read non-fiction books. They also twist Jon, Arya and Dany into ‘fantasy’ characters - despite these characters going through some very real and human experiences. What’s fantasy about Arya’s experiences in war torn Westeros, Jon dealing with bigotry at the wall, Dany trying to rebuild Meereen, while dealing with famine, disease and insurgency?

Or how Jon and Dany getting any kind of happy ending or becoming rulers would be so boring, sweet, predictable, conforming to tropes, a happy ending etc. But Sansa getting love, romance, going home, becoming the Stark in Winterfell, getting her fairy tale ending - that’s totally what GRRM is going to do! No trope deconstruction there!  In may ways, Benioff and Weiss’ ending is not all that surprising -  Mad Queen Dany, Jon remaining a bastard with the freefolk, Sansa having power as a leader - are all popular theories among bnfs in the fandom. D&D wanting to wind up the show quickly with easily found fan theories is not that much of a stretch.

ASoIaF reddit is equally frustrating. Instead of Sansa stan bnfs on tumblr who pretend to like Arya and Dany while subtly undermining their story and importance, on Asoiaf reddit it’s Stannis stans who dislike Jon and Dany because these characters present a challenge to Stannis. The mere suggestion that Jon may play a role in the battle against Ramsay sends them into frothing at the mouth rage. They hate Jon, Jon is a Gary Sue because he dared advice Stannis - the greatest general ever - on Northern military strategy. Never mind that Jon grew up in the North and learned from Ned, how dare Jon Snow know more than Stannis! Unacceptable!

And I love Stannis Baratheon. I want Stannis to crush and defeat the Boltons. But unlike reddit dudebros, I can see that he is a secondary character, a tragic character who is most probably going to perish and Jon takes over because Jon Snow is a central protagonist in the story.

I feel it’s the same with Sansa. IMO, GRRM clearly doesn’t see Sansa in the same way as he does Arya, Jon, Dany, Tyrion and Bran. Whenever he is asked questions about the books, book plots, long term arcs, endings, age gaps etc it’s these characters he often brings up and references. It’s these characters who are important to him.

And that’s why there’s a lot of undermining and undervaluing of these character’s and their stories, them being described as fantasy characters, tropes, Mary Sues and Gary Sues, ableist rhetoric about Tyrion and Bran to undermine them.

I am damned certain that if it was Sansa who had all the parallels to Lyanna, or if she was the warg, or Jeyne Poole was impersonating her, this would all be ‘VERY IMPORTANT’ and on all the gifsets and essays. But she isn’t. So fandom bnfs are reduced to talking about how these aspects are not all that important anyway.

It’s like how this quote - ‘You may be as different as the sun and the moon, but the same blood flows through both your hearts’ turns up on gifsets every other day on the Arya tag but this quote - ‘Sansa could never understand how two sisters, born only two years apart, could be so different. It would have been easier of Arya had been a bastard, like her half brother Jon. And Jon’s mother had been common, or so people whispered’ very rarely does and will not get reblogged when it does.

Or when Sansa sees Joffrey trying to kill Arya and sides with Joffrey or when Sansa throws Arya under the bus and tells the Lannisters that it’s Arya who is the traitor - just sisters being sisters y’all!

It’s all about maintaining a certain narrative about Sansa - and when others point out her actual relationship with Arya in the books, we are accused of hating and wanting Sansa dead and how we should be criticizing Tywin and the Mountain instead. This is nonsensical whataboutism and ignores that people talk about  these aspects of the books because sometimes bullying, getting mocked for one’s appearance, abuse and neglect from parental figures etc. can resonate with certain readers unlike getting one’s head smashed in by Frankenstein.

At the end of the day, I wish these people would be honest about the characters they like and relate to. We are all biased. That’s why our opinions and interpretations are subjective. There’s nothing wrong in saying, hey, I like Sansa more than Arya or Dany, I relate to her character more.

I relate to Jon Snow a lot, I see things from his POV, I would disagree with the characters who disagree with Jon,  I enjoy his story at the Wall and the North. My interpretations of the text are therefore colored by my bias towards Jon. 

For others, it’s Dany or Sansa or Arya or Tyrion or Jaime. And that’s okay because these are fictional characters and liking one more than the other is not going to earn anyone woke points and lead to women’s rights.

And finally, there’s nothing edgy or cool about disparaging the central protagonists of a high fantasy series as being fantasy characters - go read other books if one is not into fantasy.

[rhaenyra-first-of-her-name]

So what's your issue against Sansa since you like to reblog from antis who literally make up flaws about her and call her "evil" for literally being a CHILD in the first book. She made mistakes but one can't forget that she was young and naive and didn't understand what was going on with the Lannisters and what they were really like. But in later books she understands more and is growing and changing, but you guys still want to blame her from the first book and not give her a chance? really?

Right off the bat with the accusations.

With Sansa? Very little tbh. It's her stans. It's their blatant dishonesty that irks me.

I happen to like canon Sansa far more than her 'popular' fanon version. Canon Sansa is a complex, nuanced and interesting. Not the the most interesting but interesting.

I sympathize with her and her difficult circumstances.

But I didn't even say anything about Sansa as a character in the post that probably brought you here. But since you went through my blog and asked, let's roll with it.

I am afraid that I would need receipts and proofs of that bcoz I have never reblogged anything that made up Sansa 's flaws and called her 'evil'. I have neither personally done so nor my mutuals and the people I happen to follow. If you want a proof of anything I am saying, I would be glad to show you.

So are at least half of the characters in asoiaf. So are Dany, Arya, Jon and Bran.

But apparently only Sansa gets an excuse about being a child. Not Dany. Not Arya. I have heard what Sansa stans say about Dany and they don't seem to care that even Dany is very young and just 2 years older than Sansa. Arya is even 2 years younger than Sansa but nope.

Yes, she has made mistakes like the rest of the characters but her stans are the ones who try to whitewash everything so excuse me if I am mad about it as I rightly should be.

Sansa 's mistakes include bullying her younger sister. I am sorry but I condemn bullying even though I take her age into account. It also includes her general disregard for other people (Mycah, Arya, Jeyne, the Vale knight who died in the Hand 's tournament, Jeyne 's father, Jon) so excuse me that it bugs me. It should.

Betraying her family is there too. Not to forget, she's currently poisoning her cousin and a child- SweetRobin

Yes, she's growing and getting better but that doesn't miraculously vanish her past mistakes. This doesn't work like algebra for me. She is yet to acknowledge most of them.

Not knowing who the Lannisters were is on Sansa. Not just her age. Arya is younger and she knew. By the time Sansa betrayed Ned; the Trident incident had happened, Lady was killed on Cersei 's order, Joffrey swung a sword over her sister's head and Ned had been attacked by Jaime Lannister in the streets of King's Landing. Jaime killed three Northmen.

Even her father's arrest didn't break her bubble. They called her father, a traitor and she took their side. They killed her friend's father and she still believed them. If it took Joffrey killing Ned to break her bubble, she has no one but herself to blame for putting herself in that situation.

It's a fact that Sansa choose two people she hardly knew over her own father.

If there was anyone else at Sansa 's place, the fandom won't be so forgiving.

But tbh I have more of a problem with how this fandom doesn't want to acknowledge her mistakes and flaws rather than what Sansa did herself. It's very infuriating.

How do people expect her to grow if they don't even want to acknowledge her flaws and mistakes?

When apparently they're very capable of doing it, in case of Arya and Dany. To the point of exaggeration.

The double standards and hypocrisy of her stans is appalling.

A chance you say, Sansa had a chance for four more books now and I am yet to see her acknowledge her part in the downfall of her family. I understand her difficult circumstances and that's why I am not expecting something drastic from her in that situation. But a mere acknowledgement in her own mind would be deeply appreciated and that's the least of she can do.

As to why I or other people bring up the first book the most, it's for two reasons. 1) That's when she did her biggest mistakes and these are not something you can ignore. 2) that's also the book she has most agency in. When characters have agency is the time they're most judged for. People/ characters are judged more for what they do, than what they had to do.

The last thing I would say is this: understanding her flaws and actions, including her mistakes, is a wildly different concept from justifying them.

I hope this answer is enough. I might be up for further discussion if it's kept civil.

[solitaria-fantasma]

Um for the Super Ghost AU I am just imagining that The Question managed to figure out basically everything about Gawain and the Mystery Skulls, but instead of it being his paranoia getting to him it's because he accidentally learned Gawain was a ghost, wanted to learn why he's a ghost and then he was going down the rabbit hole and by the time he climbed out of it he's just wondering what is Gawain's life, unlife, whatever and the life of his brother. Just, this came to me and refused to leave.

((*cracks knuckles*))

Question hadn't seen sunlight for nearly six days, and it had finally paid off.

He leaned over his hands on the edge of the desk, staring at the pin board before him. It was crisscrossed with color coded strands of yarn, and little push pins that held up photographs, newspaper and magazine clippings, and printed Internet screenshots. It wasn't the most complicated web he'd ever built, but it tied up neatly, and that was enough. Not every mystery had a a million twists to unwind.

The trail started in London, England, and stretched all the way across the Atlantic to a tiny town in Texas, USA, barely large enough to be a speck on a map. He had birth records, school enrollment records, science fair awards, promotions, Visa applications, mortgages, home appliance purchases, swing dance trophies, company picnic photos, a missing person's report, and an obituary, all leading to a giant question mark scribbled over a photo of a young blond man, with the word 'whereabouts?' written beneath it.

This photo connected to the next item in the chain with a quick arrow of blue, and another long, arching arrow connected a birth record from earlier in this leg to the same thing - a newspaper article from that small Texas town, talking about the mysterious case of a young boy with amnesia being found on the steps of a local restaurant. There was an article about the boy's adoption just a few months later, and then another article congratulating three local kids and their dog for solving a small time mystery.

The chain ran through several articles like this one, and the kids grew older as their mysteries evolved from misplaced mail and lost pets to package theft, poltergeist activity, and cryptid sightings. More and more, the articles talked about ghosts, creatures of urban legend, and even sightings of demons and occult activity. Around 2008, the newspaper articles became printed blog posts, and seemed to be written by the kids themselves.

Question laughed quietly to himself. Kids after his own paranoid heart, all three.

The articles came to an abrupt halt in 2014, with a missing persons report for the amnesiac boy (now an adult), and a series of articles about a groundbreaking prosthetic limb, developed by a genius young man who tested his prototype on himself after tragically loosing his own arm. There were a few more articles about the prosthetic, and a few photos to go along with them that showed the blond man from previous articles, and then there were a few clippings of local tabloids from a truck driver who swore he'd been carjacked by 'a flaming skeleton with great fashion sense'.

There was silence for a month or two, and then concurrent newspaper articles and blog posts about the miraculous return of one Lewis Pepper, thought to be dead from the same tragic caving accident that cost his best friend his arm. The blog posts about the supernatural returned, and the prosthesis research seemed to slow down. Coincidentally, a young man named 'Merlin Knight' with an eerily familiar face was hired at the local auto shop.

Question wondered if the entire town was playing dumb, or just stupid. The only real change was the clothing, and that long blond hair being braided.

This employment record connected all the way back to the obituary from the first leg of the chain, and proceeded on to connect with screenshots from a social media account of a robotic body, and the building of what would be, within a few month's time, the town's own local hero.

Question breathed out through his nose. A local hero who would go on to help save the world, and found the Justice League itself. Had that been part of the plan?

The web wrapped itself up quickly from there. Supernatural skills and abilities not possible by modern science, knowledge of other realms and creatures only known to mythology, and the tiny little clues he'd been hoarding and observing for a full year all pointed to the same conclusion. It wasn't as fantastical as it sounded, in all honesty, though Green Arrow had looked at him stranger than usual when he'd first said his conclusion out loud.

There were legitimate aliens, sorcerers, and demons in this reality - why not ghosts, too?

There was one final piece missing from the web, however, and he was out of clues to tie in. There was a near twenty year gap between the last known sighting of Gawain Kingsmen, and the appearance of 'Merlin Knight'. What had the man been doing for all that time? There had been no sightings of anyone even remotely matching the appearance of Gawain or 'Merlin' anywhere in that time, and without even the slightest whisper of a rumor on an Internet forum or library archive, there wasn't much more he could do to find out.

Question straightened up from the desk, and rolled his shoulders to try and stretch them out. There was no way around it.

He was going to have to get more...direct from here on out.

.......

"What does a dead man do for twenty years?" Gawain froze with a potato wedge half-raised to his shoulder at the question, and Bran - unwilling to wait for her snack - leaned her head down to snatch it up anyway. Gawain turned his yellow LED eyes over to Question, who had planted himself in the chair across the table without so much of a 'hello', and tilted his head.

"...I'm sorry," He apologized. "But I'm not sure I know what you mean."

"I know you do." Question leaned one elbow on the table. Bran nudged Gawain's still-raised hand, hoping for more potatoes, and the hero absently picked up another wedge to feed to her. "I know most people believe the 'advanced AI' cover story, but I'm not most people. I know you're a ghost possessing an armored suit like that old anime." The potato wedge vanished, and Question wondered if the little ghost was actually eating it, or just storing it for later.

That was a mystery for another time, regardless.

Gawain had turned to face him fully, now, and his two other ghostly companions were now peeking out of hiding from behind his shoulders. They weren't hostile, but their stares were, nonetheless, intense, and Question smiled behind his mask. He knew he had their full attention, now.

"How did you find out?" Gawain asked, keeping his voice low.

"I saw you from the ground in that fight with Mr. Sorcerer Superior, Magnus Creed." Question replied. "You ran into that warding slip like a bird into a clean window. A robot wouldn't have been stopped by mere paper and superstition." Gawain tilted his head slightly to one side.

"Some superstitions hurt." He argued, just the slightest bit defensive. "...what was your question, again?"

"What does a dead man do for twenty years?" Question asked. "There's a two decade gap between your presumed death and your reappearance. You could stand to work on that secret identity, by the way." He advised. "Someone's going to notice your resemblance to a dead guy from twenty years ago, if you ever let down your hair." Gawain's LED eyes narrowed, and one of the spirits - Chopper, the one with the upright spines - hissed in response.

Vixen walked by with John Stewart at her side, and both Chopper and Gawain made a visible effort to drop any outward signs of irritation. Question remained where he was. People were used to seeing him tense and suspicious, by now. It wouldn't raise a single eyebrow.

"...I was lost." Gawain spoke up quietly once Vixen and John had passed out of earshot. "I woke up in the middle of an unfamiliar forest, and I just couldn't get out. Not for a while."

"You were lost in a forest for twenty years?" Even Question sounded skeptical. "I've seen what you're capable of. You should have been able to handle a little thing like being lost."

"It was ten years," Gawain retorted sharply. Bran raided his plate for the remaining potato wedges. "And I wasn't just...born being able to do that stuff. I had to grow into it. I had to learn." A strange gust of air blew past the table, scattering someone's forgotten paper plate and napkin to the floor, before Gawain unclenched his fists, and visibly calmed down. Question still didn't move.

"Death...does things to you." Gawain lowered his voice again. "To your mind. You can't think straight for...a long time - and that's if you're lucky." He lowered his hands to the table, and Bran automatically wound herself around one arm with a pleased sound. "I found my way out of the forest after ten yes, and then I went...home. To Tempo."

"Your parents had moved away by then." Question knew. He knew how the story of the living family had played out, from there. "Your brother was living with your uncle, and your friends were off at college." Gawain's shoulders drooped, and the third spirit - Griflet, if he remembered right - patted at the side of his helmet sympathetically. Chopper was still glaring at him.

"They had." Gawain made no effort to hide the disappointment in his voice. "I guess I couldn't fault them for not wanting to stay in town after all they went through, but back then, I didn't know it had been ten years. It only felt like a few days, to me."

"That must have been difficult." Question said, and he meant it. Sympathy wasn't really his thing, but Gawain was being cooperative, so it was the least he could do. "And the other ten?"

"I was hiding." Gawain laughed humorlessly. "I somehow convinced myself that my family-...that my brother, and my uncle, would be afraid of me, if they saw me like that, and I just...never came forward." He shrugged. "I just sort of watched, and listened, and followed them for another ten years, and I thought that was pretty good, you know?

"I couldn't interact with them, sure, but at least I could still see them. It was...better than nothing." The hero fell silent, for a few moments, and then looked Question in the eye. Or...as close as he could get. The featureless mask tended to throw off people's frame of reference for facial features. "What are you going to do now?"

"Absolutely nothing." Question casually leaned back in his own chair. "I've already put the pieces together. This was just the last piece I needed to finish the story." He stood up, and pushed the chair in under the table. "This time, I just wanted to satisfy my own curiosity." Gawain seemed surprised, and remained sitting as Question walked out of the cafeteria.

He could feel four pairs of eyes burning into his back, but for once, being watched didn't bother him. Curiosity killed the cat, they said, but satisfaction brought it back, and Question was very much satisfied with this answer.

Now, he could focus on more important matters...like the long-ignored connection between Girl Scout cookie sales and the appearance of crop circles in Midwest America.

[thoughtsandgrumbles]

Snow White and the Three Queens

Many metas have explored the parallels to Snow White in the series, and the parallels are strong with Jon, Arya, and Sansa all playing the Snow White role. 

However, one major parallel seems to be missing: the poisoned apple. While there is a lot of discussion of green apple Fossoways and red apple Fossoways, it’s hard to extrapolate to get to the poisoned apple. Brienne and a tavern in Oldtown both have a lot of cider in their stories, but I’m not sure if it is related. And Arya, Sansa, Dany, and Cersei all have poisons in their plotlines. 

I wonder if an apple substitute will be used. Recently @agentrouka-blog mentioned the importance of scenes involving a blood orange and a melon in Sansa’s and Arya’s plots. Melons seem to have a lot to do with heads and smashed heads. Oranges, especially blood oranges, seem to have a lot of meaning but I’m not sure what yet. 

See below the cut to see the Snow White parallels. Please note that a lot of these ideas have been written by other people over the years, but I can’t remember who wrote them or where I read them. 

Snow White starts with a Queen sewing at a window looking at the snow says  “Would that I had a child as white as snow, as red as blood, and as black as the wood of the window-frame.”

Lyanna was in a tower and probably looked out a window. The snow though was probably in her mind. 

Her son, however, Jon Snow, ends up with the dark-haired Stark look.

Snow White’s father marries again, and the new wife doesn’t appreciate that Snow White is a rival for her own beauty.

This is a less exact parallel, and I’m certainly not anti-Catelyn, but Catelyn does worry about Jon and his heirs’ potential rivalry for the claims of her children.

The Queen, Snow White’s stepmother, who has a magic mirror, asks a huntsman to take Snow White into the woods and kill her. The huntsman has pity on Snow White and instead brings a boar’s heart back as proof he killed Snow White.

This is a fragmented parallel, but after Nymeria bites Joffrey on the Trident, Cersei sends the Hound and Jaime, Cersei’s mirror, into the woods to hunt for Mycah and Arya. As Jaime notes later, Cersei wanted Arya killed or maimed for what happened to Joffrey. 

The Hound kills Mycah. Luckily, Jory finds Arya.

But after Cersei demands a dead direwolf form Robert, Lady takes the place of Arya and Nymeria, and Ned kills her. However, Cersei gets no part of Lady.

The Queen eats what she thinks is Snow White’s heart.

On another hunt, Queen Cersei arranges for King Robert’s death by drugging his wine, and he is killed by a boar. 

Cersei eats the boar with relish: “ There has never been a boar so delicious. They cooked it with mushrooms and apples, and it tasted like triumph."

Snow White finds a small cottage belonging to seven dwarfs, and they let her stay in return for housekeeping services.

Here is a slight twist. Tyrion actually takes Sansa to the Hand’s tower after she is beaten by Joffrey in Court. 

He offers to let her stay there guarded by one of his Mountain Clans. However, Sansa refuses so she can still escape with Ser Dontos.

The Queen finds out Snow White is alive and visits her as an old peddler selling stay laces to lace up a bodice. Snow White lets her in, and the Queen laces her so tightly she loses her breath and falls down as if dead. The dwarfs return and cut the laces, and Snow White begins to breathe and return to life.

Cersei gives Sansa a dress for her wedding to Tyrion. It’s a woman’s dress with a “waist so tight that Sansa had to hold her breath as they laced her into it.”

Marriage to Tyrion doesn’t make Sansa collapse as if dead, although she gets close several times, but it is a strong shift in circumstances.

The Queen again finds out Snow White is alive and this time comes to her as another old woman selling a poisonous comb. Warned by the dwarves, Snow White does not want to let her in but opens the door when the woman shows her the beautiful comb. The Queen combs Snow White’s hair, and Snow White falls down senseless. The dwarves return and take out the comb, and Snow White revives.

Here the Queen gets switched up. Sansa gets a hairnet with stones of poison from Dontos, who got it from Littlefinger, who is carrying out a plan with the Queen of Thorns. 

It is the Queen of Thorns who adjusts Sansa’s hair:

"You do look quite exquisite, child," Lady Olenna Tyrell told Sansa when she tottered up to them in a cloth-of-gold gown that must have weighed more than she did. "The wind has been at your hair, though." The little old woman reached up and fussed at the loose strands, tucking them back into place and straightening Sansa's hair net. 

It’s interesting to think why Olenna is called the Queen of Thorns. She is not an actual queen. It is a mark of respect for her strong political power. But was it necessary for GRRM to have this nickname instead of something like “The Thorn of HIghgarden.” Could it be partly to make this parallel?

Again, Sansa is not physically hurt by the hairnet’s poison, but it makes for a strong change in circumstances and leaves her imprisoned in a new but different situation.

Finally, we get to the famous poisoned apple. This time Snow White is on her guard, but the apple is white with red cheeks, and the Queen had poisoned only the red part. She eats the white part to put Snow White at ease and then Snow White eats the red part and falls down dead. This time the dwarfs cannot revive Snow White. The Queen’s envious heart found rest as far as an envious heart can find rest.

This is a part of the story I can’t figure out. Has it happened or will it happen later in the books?

Who will play the Queen? If the other Queens are Cersei and the Queen of Thorns, should it be Daenerys? Will it be Cersei again? Is it somehow Selyse? Is it even a reverse, and this time Sansa is the queen or acting as the queen?

Are the safe white and poisoned red parts of the apple somehow analogous to the green and red Fossoways? Or is it something else? As I’ve said, I’ve looked through the story for apple imagery have haven’t found much that seems to predict what will happen. There’s some cider imagery in Brienne’s and Aemon’s passages. @agentrouka-blog posted about blood orange and melon imagery connected to Sansa and Arya fighting, and I thought perhaps melons or oranges are taking the place of apples in this story.

The dwarves lay Snow White on a bier and mourn her for three days, but they don’t want to bury her because she looks so alive. Instead, they put her body in a glass coffin upon a mountain and one of the dwarves always stays by it. Three birds also come to weep for Snow White, an owl, a raven, and a dove. Snow White lays there for a long time until a king’s son comes into the forest and asks for the coffin. The dwarves won’t sell but ultimately give it to him at his request. As the prince’s servants carry it away on their shoulders, they stumble over a tree trunk, the apple is expelled, and Snow White opens her eyes.

Here I think the role of Snow White returns to Jon. Jon’s body will perhaps be preserved in an ice cell. Perhaps Melisandre will resurrect the body as Mirri Maz Duur  resurrected Drogo’s body using blood magic.

This is a minor part of the Snow White story so it may not happen, but will there be an owl, a raven, and a dove who mourn Jon? I have no idea about the owl. But Bran and Sansa could be the raven and dove.

Then, I think, as @fedonciadale has suggested, that Sansa will wake him using her song magic.

The king’s son invites Snow White back to his father’s palace to marry him, and Snow White goes with him willingly.

This could be Jon or Sansa inviting the other both to Winterfell and to get married. 

The Queen is invited to the wedding. Before the wedding, as she has each time she tried to kill Snow White, she asks her mirror who is the fairest, and this time, the Young Queen is the fairest. The Queen at first decides not to go, but she has no peace, so she decides to go to see the Young Queen.

And when she went in she knew Snow-white; and she stood still with rage and fear, and could not stir. But iron slippers had already been put upon the fire, and they were brought in with tongs, and set before her. Then she was forced to put on the red-hot shoes, and dance until she dropped down dead.

GRRM may not use this part of the story, but if he does, it’s difficult to tell who will play the Queen. 

The idea of a Young Queen suggests Cersei, and the idea of the fire suggests Dany. 

The Queen is forced to dance, which in ASOIAF is usually a war. Perhaps all three queens (Cersei, Olenna, and Dany) will die before the dance is done as in the show.

Anyway if you have thoughts on this, I would welcome it. 

[aegor-bamfsteel]

You ever noticed that the Blackfyres aren't known for murdering any children, but the Targaryens did murder children, murder hostages, murder people who had already surrendered, and even lured an innocent Blackfyre to Westeros and then murdered him? Are these not despicable war crimes? I have never heard of Bittersteel doing any of this no matter how desperate he was. Also, it makes me kind of sad that Alysanne Osgrey died as a silent sister (punishment) in KL even though Eustace was a dick.

I did notice, friend anon, and that’s why I’m running this blog! Before anyone argues that “this is the medieval era there is no Geneva Convention”, I’d like to say that there were rules of conduct for war, both in Westeros and in the European Middle Ages. The Targaryens violated many of them.

We know that murdering unarmed boys, especially those with whom one has a close relationship, is considered pretext for war and generally immoral from aCoK and tPatQ. Theon Greyjoy is called a turncloak and a kinslayer for supposedly killing Bran and Rickon. The Dance of the Dragons was started or at least escalated beyond negotiation by the murder of 6-year-old Jaehaerys in front his mother and siblings, on the orders of Prince Daemon Targaryen. Bl00draven killed 12-year-old Aegon Blackfyre in front of his father, killed Daemon when he tried to reach his son, and killed Aemon (also 12) when he tried to rally the troops with the sword Blackfyre. He is derided as a kinslayer by the smallfolk, but allowed to maintain his position on the council and even becomes Hand of the King.

We know that denying someone a (fair) trial is cause for war in the backstory to asoiaf; the true cause of Robert’s Rebellion was Brandon and Rickard Stark’s executions by wildfire/strangulation at the orders of King Aerys II. When Daemon II Blackfyre saw Bl00draven’s banners coming to arrest him, he asked for a trial by combat. He was pulled off his horse, kept in prison for a number of years, and then died under mysterious circumstances. Bl00draven did not lose his position despite a flagrant violation of kingdom law. Likewise, Aenys Blackfyre was denied a trial when he was seized by the Hand Bl00draven, and executed. Bl00draven was actually punished for Aenys’ murder, but very lightly (see below).

We know from aSoS that murdering hostages is a crime punishable by death. Rickard Karstark led a small group of men to murder the surrendered captives Tion Frey and Willem Lannister in their cells, resulting in his execution by King Robb Stark. Bl00draven killed Daemon II eventually, either from neglect or because he was no longer useful as a preventative measure. He is allowed to remain Hand for over 10 years after this crime.

We know that killing men who have already surrendered is also illegal using the same example. Someone, whether Bl00draven or Aerion Brightflame, murdered Haegon while he attempted to give up his sword in a clear gesture of surrender. Yandel, no Blackfyre sympathizer by any means, confirms the immorality by calling the action “treacherous.” Neither suspect was punished, as they were still free to argue that Aegor Rivers should die for treason.

Violation of guest right or of killing someone under a peace banner is one of the most sacred customs in Westeros. Its violation by the Freys against the Starks and Tullies marked a turning point in the War of the Five Kings, when the rule of law had broken down and men could no longer be assured of peaceful negotiation. Bl00draven promised Aenys Blackfyre safe passage to Westeros to participate at a peaceful Great Council, and immediately seized then executed him without trial for no legal reason, thus besmirching the crown’s legal authority. This was such a horrific violation of Westerosi legal custom that Bl00draven was actually punished for it after a trial in which he was allowed to speak in his defense. He was sentenced to death, but had his sentence commuted to a lifetime at the Wall; 200 of his secret police (and Prince Aemon) went with him and he was allowed to keep the only ancestral sword the Targaryens still had. Just to emphasize how light of a punishment this truly was, Bl00draven was soon made Lord Commander, but later deserted his post (a crime also punishable by death) to become the last greenseer.

The conclusion is: the Targaryens (although particularly Bl00draven) committed war crimes against the Blackfyre family that are considered horrible in-universe, even by their supporters. They cannot simply be written off as “acts of war” any more than the war crimes of the Freys, Boltons and Lannisters can be in the main series. 

Some talk about Protagonist-Centered Morality under the cut:

The Blackfyres, from what little we know of them (but we know little about the Third and Fourth Rebellions, and twoiaf makes sure we know the Targaryens are guilty) do not seem to be the type to break the code of conduct war; in fact, each of them (except Daemon III and Maelys) showed an adherence to the rules of war to their detriment (Daemon I stopped to give a wounded enemy medical aid, Daemon II tried to prove Glendon Ball’s guilt of theft in a trial by combat and thus stop his torture by Gormon Peake, Haegon tried to surrender his sword so that his men might live, Aenys tried to attend a great council and argue for a nonmilitary solution to the Targaryen-Blackfyre conflict). I’m willing to bet that the Blackfyres except very probably Maelys never personally committed a war crime on the same level as Bl00draven. 

As for Aegor Rivers, his pressing need to escape during the First Blackfyre indicates he didn’t mean to rip/slice/cut Bl00draven’s eye out in their duel (or I’d condemn him for torture). The mobile app GRRM’s World of Ice and Fire says he led the sacking of Qohor for failing to keep their end of a contract for the Golden Company, which is not moral and could very well have led to war crimes, but until/if we get more detail (the app isn’t even canonical) I’m holding off on analyzing what happened. As it is, that’s the worst thing he’s ever accused of doing and we can be sure no Targaryen was involved, so I take it as a given that Aegor certainly did not commit atrocities against the Targaryens.

It makes you sad that Alysanne Osgrey died as a silent sister (punishment) even though Eustace a jerk. I’m glad that you understand people don’t have to be perfect victims (they can be rude, drunk, hold conservative views) for us to feel sympathy when they have to outlive all of their children and when the government bans their free speech. I wish your opinion was more accepted by the fandom, and for more people to understand that Protagonist-Centered Morality is by no means the only lens to viewing a story.

[talpup]

Light In the Darkness: 17

Please remember this fic is rated mature and has warnings of violence, abuse, sexual tension, eventual sexual behavior, and other possible triggers.

***If you prefer reading off AO3 here’s the link for that: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20887595/chapters/54556873

I write for my own enjoyment, but edit and post for yours.  If you enjoyed reading this at all please comment and let me know.  It’s the only thing that encourages me to keep editing and posting.

Thank you to those who have left hearts.  And a special THANK YOU to those who have recently left comments or re-blogged. They really mean a lot.

Taglist: @captncappuccino

17.1

The following morning Venice and Teris entered the dining hall.  At the sight of Yami wearing the belt she had given him, Teris smiled and looked away blushing.

As they served Venice whispered.  “Did you see?  He’s wearing the gift you gave him.”

“I would hope so.”  Teris said trying to keep her tone and butterflies under control.  “His other belt was in such bad shape I doubt a bit of it would be usable as scrap.  It’s a wonder he hadn’t bought himself a new one.”  She added wondering why he hadn’t.

It wasn’t as if the pay of being a Magic Knight left one wanting. Granted the pay raised as your rank did but even as First Class Junior Magic Knight Yami should have been able to use the income from a pay day to get himself a decent belt.

Venice stared blinking.  “After weeks of thought and searching.  That’s the reason you decided on the belt.”

“What?” Teris said looking at friend.

“It’s so utilitarian.  Giving a needed gift.”

Teris shrugged.  “He liked it.”

“I’m sure he did.”  Venice grinned.  “I’m sure he imagines it’s your arms wrapped around his waist in place of that belt.”

“Stop it!”  Teris hushed looking away and blushing.

“Oh, don’t tell me that such a thought never entered your mind when you made your decision.”  Venice called after her as Teris turned and made her way to the table.

Teris sat in her usually seat across from Yami.  She patted the bench space beside her.  “Slide over here Olsen.  I can’t take any more of Venice this morning.”

Olsen obliged all too happy to sit closer to her and speak with a lesser chance of Bronn hearing.  He leaned over.  “Did you--”

Teris looked up at him.  “Is that a black eye?  What happened to you?”

“Oui!” Venice called coming around the table.  “You’re in my seat.”

“I didn’t see your name on it,” Olsen said.

“I always sit there,” Venice told.

“Doesn’t mean it’s yours.”  Olsen shot back.

“Captain.” Venice called whining.

“We don’t have assigned seats.”  Jax said sounding bored.  “Find another one.  Preferably out of the room where I can’t hear you bicker.”  He finished to himself but still loud enough for everyone to hear.

Venice smack Abril’s shoulder.  “Scoot.”

Abril shook her head.

“Why?” Venice asked the girl.  “It’s not like you have a usual seat. You’re either seated across from Gendry or beside him.”

“That’s right.  I don’t have a seat.  I have seats.”  Abril said stressing the ‘s’.

“Then go sit in your other one,” Venice said.

Abril shook her head again.  “I want to sit beside Teris today.”

“You could always come sit beside me.” Tobin offered from Yami’s right as he pushed Bran up the bench a space to make room for Venice.

Venice wrinkled her nose.  “I’d rather sit beside Iban.”

“Then do so.”  Olsen said gesturing to his usual seat.

“I don’t want to sit next to Iban.”  Venice whined stomping a foot. “Iban’s creepy.”

“I appreciate that.”  Iban smirked, appearing as if he truly did.

“I--”

“I don’t wanna hear another word outta you.”  Bronn barked silencing Venice’s words.  From his seat to the right of Jax, who sat at the head of the table, the Vice Captain turned to look at Venice and pointed.  “Sit down and shut up.  Now.”

“Someone’s in a temper this morning.”  Teris muttered.  She tilted her head and looked at the guys.  “Is it a Black Bulls or a class thing?”

“What having a temper?”  Yami asked.  “Cause I’ve seen my fair share of royals angry at seemingly nothing.”

“Experienced it too.”  Tobin added nodding.

“No.” Teris said making a face.  “The physical violence.  Before coming here I’d never seen a person raise their hand let alone physically hit anyone.”

“You should talk, Princess.”  Yami smirked thinking of her whipping Bronn with the belt she gifted him last night.

As if the gift hadn’t meant so much already.  Seeing that and wearing the thing that had beat Bronn made his bruised neck worth it.  Heck, he probably would’ve gladly suffered a broken neck just to see Bronn suffering Teris’ wrath unable or unwilling to do anything physically because she was a girl and a royal one at that.

“Yami told us what happened.”  Olsen whispered.  “Though his shirt likely covers the worst of it, you can see the welts and bruises on the back of his hand and neck.  The one at the neck is rather poetic if you ask me.  After all the times he’s grabbed us by the scruff of the neck it serves him right.”

Teris’ eyes widened.  “You mean—I—but I didn’t hit him that hard.”

“Guess you were angrier than you thought,” Yami said.

Teris looked down the table at Bronn.

“And he didn’t kill me?”  She breathed in wonder.

“He took it out on these two.”  Yami said looking from Tobin to Olsen. “And rightly so if you ask me.”

“What? I wake you up with a bucket of cold water one time and you turn traitor.”  Tobin complained.  “I’ll remember this next time I have to wake you.”

“What’s going on down there?”  Venice called from the other side of Abril. “I can’t hear a thing.”

“Should’ve stopped when I told you to.”  Teris called to her friend.

“I’ll keep on for all to hear if you continue your lip.”  Venice threatened.

Teris’ head snapped to her.  “You wouldn’t.”

“That belt looks really fine on you, Yami.  Like the way the subtle leather hugs your hips?”  Venice questioned wickedly.

“Venice. Stop it.”  Teris squeaked.

“All of you stop it!”  Bronn silenced.  “Mother of mana.  It’s like a school of rowdy children live here, not a squad of Magic Knights.”

“I haven’t said anything,” Abril told.

“Shut up girl.  You know you can be the worse of them when you want,” Bronn said.  “In fact, the youngest of you is the best behaved.”

“Thank you,” Teris said.

“You’re sixteen,” Yami said.

“Yeah,” Teris nodded.  “My birthday isn’t till October.  Even then I’d still be the--”

“Second youngest.”  Tobin cut in pointing to his right at Bran.

In all honesty Teris had forgotten about their newest member.  But, it wasn’t completely her fault.  The boy was just so quite.

Looking to Bronn, Teris said.  “He’s only been here eighteen days.  Who knows.  He could be the worst out of all of us.”

Just then a mouse scampered down the center of the table passing the Magic Knights.

Venice let out a squeal.

Abril tried to catch it as it passed in front of her.

“It’s only a mouse.”  Abril said hushing Venice.

Venice gave a violent shiver.  “I can’t stand those things.  Get it away!”

Teris pulled her plate closer and Tobin tried to spear it with his fork as the rodent continued down the table.

It stopped in front of Bran, whiskers moving as it stood on it’s hind legs.

Bran laughed silently.  He pulled a small piece from his muffin and placed it before the mouse.

“Possession magic.”  Olsen said softly, as they all watched.

Teris looked back at Bronn.  “Calling rodents onto the table to feed them during meal time.  You call that the best behaved?”

Bronn watched a moment in discomfort.  Captain Jax had assured him that the boy could only posses lesser thinking creatures but, if Bronn was honest with himself, he knew he wasn’t all that smart.

Iban smiled at the antics a while before lifting his hand off the table and turning his fingers.

The mouses neck turned at an unnatural angle.

Bran’s head shot up, eyes clearing as he look for the cause of his furry friends death.

“Don’t use your magic at the table.”  Iban said, returning to his food. “It’s unseemly.”

Bran looked down at the mouse.  Scooping it gently up, he stepped out of the bench and left the room.

“You forgot to take your plate to the bin,” Bronn called.

“I’ll do it.”  Tobin said and pulled the boys plate beside his.

“I’ve never felt sorry for a mouse before.”  Abril softly admitted.

“Iban.” Olsen said, sliding closer to his friend.  “You creep everyone out when you do things like that.  Didn’t you just tell the boy that using magic at the table was rude.  And after you just did the same.”

Iban looked away ignoring Olsen.

The Black Bulls finishing their breakfast in uncomfortable silence.

17.2

Closing the door to his office Jax gestured to a seat.

Magic Knights Commander Greywright shook away the offer.

Sitting himself, Jax asked.  “To what do I owe the honor, or should I say trouble, Commander?  Hope it’s nothing involving my light and dark magic users again.”

“There’s Wild Fire burning northwest of Saussy just twelve miles south of the Spade Kingdom border.”  Greywright said looking ill at ease as he fidgeted with the mission ordered the Wizard King had written up himself.

“Fire’s happen in the wild all the time.”  Jax shrugged.  “Not so much during this time of year but still not unheard of.  Don’t see why it requires intervention from the Magic Knights unless it’s directly threatening the populace, cattle, or farms.”

“Not a wild fire.”  Greywright said.  “Wild Fire.”

“Oh.” Jax blinked in surprise.  “That definitely requires our attention. But transporting, owning, and making Wild Fire is illegal.  Even the Clover Kingdoms own stores of the stuff is highly guarded, it’s where abouts only known to a handful of high ranking officials including the Wizard King and yourself.”

“I’m well aware,” Greywright said.  “Hence our concern.”

“You didn’t by chance have a slip up with our kingdoms stores did you?”

The Knights Commander shook his head.

“So the next likely bet is the Spade Kingdom or, I suppose less likely, some local upstart looking to--”

“It’s the Spade Kingdom.”  Greywright said pacing.  “It’s too close to the border with them not to be.”

“How bad is it?” Jax asked beginning to worry that this did have to do with Yami and Teris after all.  And just when things surrounding them had been quiet for a few months.

“From what we can tell, it was one small container and hasn’t spread much thus far.  But with the autumn winds known for picking up as the sun sets it’s only a matter of time before it becomes unmanageable.

“So all hands on deck.”  Jax said, getting to his feet.

Greywright shook his head.  “Just a handful of Black Bulls.”

“But you just said--”

Greywright held up his hand.  “If after a few hours it looks like your squad is incapable of containing it, contact me and more Magic Knights will be sent.”

“This doesn’t feel right Commander.”  Jax said.

“Of course it doesn’t!  Wild Fire so close to the Spade Kingdom border. Don’t think for a second they’ve forgotten about those two.” Greywright said, referring to Yami and Teris.  “Who knows?  They might have done this to draw them close to the border or have them left behind for abduction.”

“So--”

“So if that’s their aim.  We’re not going to make it easy on them.” Greywright interrupted setting the mission order down on the Captain's desk.

“So what?”  Jax asked.  “They sit this one out?”

Greywright shook his head.  “We separate them.  Just in case capturing them is the Spade Kingdoms objective.”

“They won’t like--”

“They’re Magic Knights.”  Greywright said, silencing whatever argument the Black Bulls Captain had been about to make.  “Two very powerful ones given their age and rank.  Teris is to stay at base while you, Bronn, Olsen, and Iban head out with Yami.  Yami’s dark magic should be of more use to you than Teris’ light magic in this circumstance.”

Jax couldn’t disagree.  In fact he had internally mourned the lost of Yami’s dark magic when he had thought the two would have to sit this one out.  “I don’t see how Iban’s blood magic would be of use in this.”

“I don’t either,” Greywright admitted.  “But his name is on the mission order.  Sir Jorah must want him there for a reason.

“Iban’s from the Spade Kingdom.”  Jax said, mostly to be difficult cause he was angry.

“His grandparents escaped from the Spade Kingdom and sought refuge here,” Greywright corrected.  “You of all people should remember that Jax. You’ve fiercely made the distinction enough times to others.  Or perhaps you question his allegiance to the Clover Kingdom?”

“I question his care for the sanctity of anothers life, anyone's life. I just saw the man use his blood magic to kill a mouse that was simply eating some bread on the dining table during breakfast this morning.”

“What was a mouse doing on the dining table in broad daylight?” Greywright questioned in disgust.

“That’s not the point.”  Jax said, shaking a hand.

“If there’s rodents roaming around like that it’s a problem and should be a point.”

“The point is.”  Jax stressed, trying to stay focused.  “Iban is a person that requires constant vigilance to be around.  Sure, he’ll help you if you need it but he may not provide immediate assistance, instead opting to take the chance to take you apart wanting to see just how your insides work.”

“Sounds like a really good guy you got there, Jax.”  Greywright said dryly. “Still, the order stands.”

“And after we deal with the Wild Fire, that we’re hoping doesn’t get out of hand and require a call for assistance?”

“Bronn, Olsen, Iban, and Yami are to stay behind and investigate,” Greywright said.

“Isn’t that what Magic Investigations is for?”  Jax questioned.

“I’m just telling you what the mission order on your desk says.”  The Knights Commander said thinking the same.  “We need to know for certain if the Wild Fire came from the Spade Kingdom.  And if not from the Spade Kingdom, then who.  We also need to learn if there are any more containers Wild Fire on our side of the border and if there are, find them.”

“So the four of them say behind to learn these things.  And if any containers are found?”

“Contact me immediately.”  Greywright said.

“I still don’t like sending Yami out that close to the Spade Kingdom border when he doesn’t know their interest in him.”  Jax said.

“It’s our hope that now that he and Teris can control their magics interaction that the other kingdoms interest in them has died.”

“That’s a fools hope and you know it.”

“Are you calling the Wizard King a fool?”  Greywright asked with heated sternness.

Jax shook his head, not trusting himself to speak.

Greywright sighed.  “Look.  Sir Jorah doesn’t care for this either but they’re Magic Knights--”

“You keep saying that as if to relieve your guilt and make you feel better.”

“At attention.  Now.”  Greywright barked.

Jax snapped to attention.

“In case I haven’t made it clear, my patience with you ran out the day you allowed Julius to attempt his fools errand in taking those two to Magic Investigations.”  Greywright seethed in front of Jax’s face.  “Now.  What are you going to do?”

Jax repeated his orders with the same sharp solemnity as if he was before the Wizard King and King Kira Clover, repeating the Magic Knights oath with a battalion of his comrades.

“Sir?” Bronn said entering the office.

Jax didn’t even turn his eyes to his Vice Captain.  Bronn straightened seeing his Captain standing at attention.

“What is it Vice Captain?”  Greywright asked leaving Jax as he was.

Bronn swallowed looking from the Magic Knights Commander to Jax and back. “That little twerp is here again looking for Teris and refuses to leave till he’s spoken with her.  Something about family business.”

“The Silva’s and Nova’s are meeting.”  Greywright put together.  He turned to Jax.  “Despite your reservations things have worked out. Where’s Teris now?”

“I do not know, sir.” Jax answered smartly.

“Out training with Yami,” Bronn told.

“Send Olsen to take Nozel to Teris and fetch Yami while you a Bronn quickly gather what you need for the mission,” Greywright ordered Jax.

“Mission? What mission.”

“Your Captain will fill you in,” Greywright told.  “At ease and dismissed.”

17.3

Yami eased up in his attacks allowing Teris to catch her breath and get her bearings.  Both were drenched with sweat the kicked up dirt sticking to their moist bodies making them itchy.  Teris squirmed trying to get the back of her shirt to scratch her back but the top was soaked through and suck to her.

“Come at me.”  She said beckoning him with a hand.

“Whatever progress you’ve made is undone by your arrogance,” Yami told.  “I out weigh you.”

“And I will use your weight against you when you charge me, just as you taught,” she said.

“A real attacker wouldn’t be so obliging.”

“Good thing you’re not a real attacker.  Now come at me.  Unless you’re afraid the student has become the master.”

“Hardly.” Yami smiled and charged.  He went under her attempt to use his momentum to roll him over her and lifted her off the ground.

Teris gave a cry of shock as she rose up in the air only to then be taken down to the ground.  Yami was careful not to ram her overly hard or put his full weight and strength into laying her out on her back. Just enough for her to feel it.

Teris blinked, giving her head a shake.  “That was new.”  She said looking up at him.

His legs laced with hers Yami used his core and arm strength not to crush her as he laid on top of her.  “Told you.  Your arrogance was your undoing.  Now try to get out of this.”

“I can’t.  You’re too heavy.”

“I can think of half a dozen ways you could get out of this off the top of my head,” he said.  “Do it.”

Teris released a short breath irritation.  Yami smirking down at her. Teris made a quick move with her right arm that had landed above her head.

Yami grabbed it and pinned it down.  “That won’t work.”  He said shaking his head.  “Even a novice will see it coming a mile away. Try again.”

She glared at him and thought.

“Come on Teris.”  He urged.  “You can do better then this.  Think.”

Teris imagined her left leg rising as she pushed against him with all her worth.  Thinking it might be enough to at least squirm away if not hook her left leg around and turn the tables.  She sighed as if defeated, relaxing.

Yami smiled internally and slowly relaxed as well letting her believe she had gotten her way.  He felt her muscles tighten before her left leg ever started to rise.  In one swift motion he kicked her leg out from under her causing it to fall flat like the right and swung his right leg over her left.  On his knees he pulled his legs together sandwiching hers tightly between his.  Finally he dropped more of his weight on to her before letting up ever so slightly.  “Nope.  Try again.”

Legs bound between his.  Right arm pinned.  Teris couldn’t see a way out.  He out weighed and out muscled her.  She didn’t have her quickness or his momentum to use against him.  “It’s impossible,” she said.

“No it isn’t.  I can think a three ways you could easily get out of this.  Try again.”

Teris blew out a breath turning her head to the side and thought.  Her eyes brightened.  Light burst from her left hand.  Yami quickly clasped his right hand over hers snuffing it out with his dark magic.

“Remember what we agreed.  No magic during physical training,” he scolded.

“But I couldn’t see another way out,” she complained.

“Your problem.  Not mine.”

“On a side note,” Teris commented.  “You’re reaction time has gotten quicker.”

He looked at her.  “You think so?”

“Six months ago you wouldn’t have gotten to me in time to stop me.” She said noticing just how close his face had gotten to her when he had reached out to stop her magical attack.

Yami looked down at her noticing too.  His eyes took in her neck, watching how it moved as she swallowed, the thump of her pulse beneath her skin.  He studied her lips as she pulled them nervously between her teeth just to release them the pressure turning them redder than before.  Finally, his eyes reached hers capturing them just as tightly as he had captured the rest of her.  He felt her chest rise and fall with every breath she took, noticing how her breathing had shallowed and quickened despite the lack of physical exertion. Between his legs her own began to squirm, another form of wanting stirred forcing him to lift his hips further off her.

Yami took a breath and thought of something that would quickly silence the growing excitement her squirming hips and legs were causing.  Nozel. It worked.  Only it too well as the next thing he heard was the royals harsh voice.

“What are you doing to my Intended?”  Nozel seethed.

Yami turned his head but made no other move while Teris struggled to get up beneath him.  “Your what?”

“Yami.” Teris reprehended pulling against his hold in an effort to free her arms.

Yami relented and pushed himself to his knees.  Standing he held his hand out to assist her but Teris didn’t accept his offer, quickly getting to her feet on her own.

“I’m so sorry.”  Olsen said eyes wide appearing as if he truly was.  “If I had known--”

“We were training.”  Teris said dusting off her hands.  “Nothing more.  What do you want Olsen?”

“Yeah.” Yami said staring at Nozel who’s heightened mana he could sense clearly as the royal glared back.  “Why are you here?”

“Nozel has come to speak with Teris and Captain wants you back at base.  We have a mission,” Olsen said.

“Then whatever you want to say will have to wait.”  Teris told Nozel making her way to the new arrivals.

Yami followed picking up his sheathed katana that had been left on the sidelines while he and Teris spared.

“Only Yami.”  Olsen said holding his hands up to Teris.

“What?” Teris asked confused.

“Captain only called for Yami.”  Olsen told her sadly.  Before she could ask he went on.  “I don’t know why.  But you’re to stay behind on this one.”

Nozel smirked a fraction as he waited for Yami and Olsen to leave.

Teris and Yami looked at each other.

“Sorry.” Olsen said once again sounding truly apologetic.

Yami didn’t move, instead he put his had on Teris’ lower back.  He didn’t need to read her Ki to know that she was on edge by Nozel’s appearance.

“Jax said to hurry.”  Olsen told Yami, his voice rising as he tried to rush him.

“Go.” Teris urged looking up at him.

Yami rubbed the fabric of her tank top between two fingers looking from her to Nozel.  Finally he looked back at her and said.  “We’ll finish where we left off when I return.”

At that Teris’ heart skipped a beat.  She watched him and Olsen quickly disappear at the sharp bend in the path and continued staring.

Nozel waited for her attention to turn to him.  When it still didn’t after several excruciatingly long moments he asked.  “What kind of training was that?  I’ve never seen the likes.  Nor would I want to again.”

Teris turned to the Silver Eagle, his meaning clear enough.  “Physical combat.  Speaking of things one wouldn’t want.  I thought I told you never to call me your Intended.”

“It’s what you are,” Nozel told.

“It’s what Fyntch and your father believe me to be.  You know very well I have no intention of marrying you.”

“Not this again.”  Nozel uttered under his breath sighing heavily. “Teris--”

“No!” She slapped away his hand as he reached for her, her stance readying, without thought, like Yami had taught her.

It took a moment for Nozel to trust his voice, his expression unable to hide the anger and pain he felt.  “There is no need to defend yourself so, Teris.  I’m not going to attack or force myself on you.  Such a thought would never enter my mind.”  He thought of Yami sitting on top of her, her hands pinned to the ground and wondered if the foreigner had done something to cause this fear in her.

She relaxed and stood normally, embarrassed.  “I know.  Sorry.  It’s just the adrenaline is still pumping and--”

Nozel couldn’t help it.  He had to know.  Cutting over her words he asked.  “Has Yami ever--”

Seeing where he was going Teris shook her head and spoke over him.  “Mana, no!  Yami would never.  More over he’d likely kill anyone he believed had such ideas.”

Unable to look at her, Nozel nodded once put at ease.  “That’s good. Mind you, I’d do the same.”

“It’s not a competition Nozel.  You don’t have to play the dutiful future husband.  I already told you.  I’m not marrying you.”

Nozel look at her wondering where she got the idea that he had ever been playing a part.

At his expression Teris cajoled.  “Come on Nozel.  It’s not like you’re looking forward to following your father’s orders anyway. On our best days we couldn’t get by without arguing at least once when in each others company.  Since becoming Magic Knights it’s only gotten worse.  Can you imagine us wed?  We’d kill each other.” She huffed shaking her head.  “I understand you’re worried about your father’s displeasure.  But think about how much happier you’d be once Lord Silva gets over my refusal.  He’ll marry you to some well-bred, sweet, docile, proper young lady who will honor you and your family and do all she can to please you.  After dealing with the mess that is me he’d be a fool not to and Lord Nathyn is no fool. The only reason he’s likely still upholding this intention for us to wed is cause of some sense of honor bound obligation he feels at having agreed to it.  It surely isn’t cause I’ve given him any reason to hope I’d make you or House Silva a good wife and Lady; which we both know I won’t.”

At length Nozel asked her.  “So what do you plan on doing?”

“I’m hoping to prove myself and make Knights Commander,” she said.

“I know that.  And not that you can’t do it but, what if that doesn’t happen in time.  Your father and Fyntch won’t be pleased at your disobedience.

“Fyntch won’t.”  Teris growled thinking of how her brother abused his magic.

“I won’t let you be cast out of your family and banished from the kingdom,” Nozel said.  “And we both know that’s what your brother would see done as a last measure to force you to do his will. So I ask again, what do you plan on doing?”

Teris took in an unsteady breath.  Granted it was always in the back of her mind on some level, but to say it out loud made it seem more real. “If I can’t prove my worth to the kingdom by becoming Knights Commander that’s exactly what’s going to happen.  I’ll be cast out of my family and very likely banished from the Clover Kingdom.”

Nozel stared at her incredulous.  “You find the thought of marrying to be worse then that?”

Teris looked away her fear at not becoming Knights Commander raising it’s head.  Finally she said.  “I refuse to marry someone I don’t love who doesn’t love me in return.”

The remark hurt and turned him bitter.  “Or do you believe that foreigner will fight to free you from your family ties?”

Teris looked up sharply.  “I don’t know.”  She said dangerously.  “I haven’t mentioned any of my troubles to him.  Nor do I plan to. Either way, I wouldn’t let him.  This is my problem.  I’ll solve it myself.”

“For the love of mana, Teris!  Don’t you understand.  There is no solving this.  You either become Knights Commander or don’t.  If you do.  You’re free.  If not you must obey your family and marry me or be cast out and banished forever.  Do you really want to spend the rest of your life like Yami.  A foreigner.  Never accepted.  With no friends or family.”

“The Black Bulls are his friends, his family.”

Nozel released a growling breath.  “You’re a silly girl, with romantic dreams.  You’ll grow up and get over it.”

“No.” Teris shook her head fiercely.  “I won’t.”

Nozel watched her struggle with herself.  Part of him couldn’t wait till she grew up and submitted to it all while another part of him wanted her to fall in love with him and get her way which just happened to be what their families wanted as well.  He could picture them married and laughing as they thought back to this time and the foolishness of it.

“What do you want Nozel?”  Teris questioned at last.

“For you to stop--”

“No.” She snapped.  “Why did you come?”

“I received a letter from my father this morning.  In it he said that we would be resuming our families annual gathering for you birthday.  I know how Fyntch doesn’t notify you of these things so I thought I’d do you the favor.”

Teris closed her eyes sighing heavily.  She supposed it had been too much to hope that last years cancellation hadn’t been a one time thing. That now that she and Nozel were Magic Knights the annual gathering would cease all together in respect for their duties to their squads and the kingdom.

Nozel watched her wishing he could be like more like Yami and touch her with easy.  The imagine of Yami on top of her flashed through his mind unwelcomed.  No, Nozel thought, he wouldn’t change who he was in an effort to win her affection.  There was time enough to earn it when they were wed.

Nozel made his way up the path, leaving her, without word.  As soon as he was certain he was out of sight he looked down at his trembling fists.  He forced his fingers open, each one complaining painfully having stiffened and cramped in position.  Looking down at his hands he was eight bloody half moons marring his palms where his nails had dug in, four on each hand.  He would never hurt Teris but he obviously wasn’t above harming himself he thought ruefully.

[oadara]

Hey, now with three episodes left and another war coming their way, when do you think Jon and Dany will get married? Also, a stupid question, but what's with Tyrion betraying Dany? Why? I spent the last year avoiding all spoilers and info about the show and now I keep seeing this. P.S. I love your blog, it's always been a light in times of darkness for Jonerys shippers

Hey friend!

Thank you, I’m really glad you like my blog. I’m just going to use you ask to answer a bunch of other questions sort of related. Please forgive me for hijacking your ask. 

First things first, let’s talk about how the Night King was killed. 

Foreshadowing for the end of the Night King

We are all freaking out because the end of the Night King and his army of the dead was not something most of us expected to happen so soon, nor did we expect it to happen the way it did end up happening. Personally, I feel like there are many loose threads that have yet to be probably taking care of in regards to the magical storyline. Having said all that, there was foreshadowing for how things did end up going down. On my prediction post on April 9, 2019, I wrote the following (you can read the rest of the post HERE)

6. The Valyrian steel dagger that Bran gave to Arya will play an important role, perhaps even be used to finally destroy the Night King.

The dagger was quite prominent throughout season 7 including making an appearance in one of the text Sam was reading in the citadel, perhaps it’s even one of the texts he brought along with him to Winterfell. We are clearly meant to see this as an important object.

Going off this I believe that Arya’s training as a Faceless Men is important to the endgame. I don’t think she went through that training just to get revenge. The Faceless Men worship the gods of death and the Night King has been described as Death incarnate, so there very well could be a connection there. If we take GRRM at his word and we won’t see the typical fantasy trope of the good guys coming together to destroy the evil monster, then the other very typical fantasy trope of the hero battling the monster in a sword fight might not be the route that GRRM goes in. It might very well be that in order to destroy the Night King characters will have to work in unison to do whatever needs to be done to destroy him.

I don’t know how one destroys the Night King but perhaps it has something to do or it’s tied to the shard of dragonglass the Night King has in his heart.

Now, I was wrong about the other stuff and didn’t think things would go down exactly as they did, however, I did recognize the importance of the dagger and that it would play an integral role in destroying the Night King. 

So, now we find ourselves having dealt with the dead is time to deal with the living. Now, we actually had foreshadowing for that as well, and I actually picked up on it right after season 7, however, I completely ignored myself and decided to take my prediction in a different direction. But let’s look back to what I wrote on September 19, 2017, season 7 was very much present on my mind and this was my immediate impression after watching the season (you can read the full post HERE)

Generally speaking, I think we’ve been going about predicting the ending of the series the wrong way. Most of us assumed (not wrongly) that the Wight Walker/Others would be the final enemy, the last battle of the series. But now, I don’t think that will be the case.

While the WW/Others SHOULD have been the ultimate enemy (in-universe) and threat to all of Westeros, they won’t be. Why? Because the nature of man is to pursue and retrain power and even battling a natural disaster (the WW are somewhat symbolic of climate change) won’t dissuade those who want to retain power, to give it up. Think of our current issues with climate change, while it might seem like a no-brainer to combat it many people don’t care or don’t want to fight it because fighting it would diminish their bottom line, i.e. the money.

Having said that I believe that the Wight Walkers will be defeated by the end of episode 4. I think they’ll come pretty far south but I don’t think they’ll get to King’s Landing.  

So having dealt with what should have been the ultimate threat to humanity our heroes, those who survive should be able to go home and have nice quiet lives. But unfortunately, our heroes live in Westeros so the war is still not over for them. There is one more enemy that they must battle but this is not some mythical antagonist, no just a human one: Cersei Lannister assisted by Euron Greyjoy (in the books it’ll be the reverse).

I’m not sure how Cersei’s defeat will go down but if the Red Keep hasn’t gotten kaboom yet, it probably will. I still believe in the Valonqar theory so Jaime will bring an end to his twin sisters reign. I think she’ll be defeated by either the end of episode 5 or the beginning of episode 6.

I’m not quoting myself to brag because I ended up being completely wrong about how things unfold. but at some point, I was right, when I allowed my instincts to guide me. 

Having said all this, what I’m really trying to get at is that there was clear foreshadowing for how things were going to go down this season. We all just chose to ignore it, but the foreshadowing was there. Which means that anything that happens from now on should have already been foreshadowed. 

What we need to do now is to accept what we are being told and not what we would like to see. This is something I say all the time but it’s hard for me to do as well, as the evidence above shows. 

Tyrion’s Betrayal

Before I answer your ask on Jon and Dany, I want to answer your ask about Tyrion’s betrayal. 

I believe it was last fall when Frikidoc told us the Tyrion would be tried in episode 6 for betraying the Starks. 

After season 7 my initial instinct was that there was something off about Tyrion. I couldn’t put my finger on it, however, in that same post from September 19, 2017, I replied to a comment:

I can’t see anyone dying after Cersei, so it’ll have to be before that or during it.

I think Jaime’s death is a good bet. In the past I would never have guessed Tyrion but, I donno, after this season I can see it happening. There was something off about him.

I’ve always thought that there would be a good chance that Jorah would die and I still think that’s the case.

For me to feel that way, they had to be putting something out there for the audience to pick up on. Again, later on, I chose to ignore it, but the feeling had been there. So, the foreshadowing is there if the story goes that route. 

There are other clues in the books that hint at Tyrion’s betrayal and you can read those HERE.

Now, to Jon and Dany. 

This morning has been extremely frustrating for me as it seems the entire fandom has forgotten all the foreshadowing that has been laid out throughout the series not only for the union of Jon and Dany but also for their child. 

 The parallels and connection between Jon and Dany have been laid out on countless metas and post so I will not reiterate them again here. However, I will note, what I would consider, the foreshadowing we’ve been given the last two season. 

Marriage between Jon and Daenerys

First, the theme of “togetherness” that was introduced in season 7. This word is woven throughout almost all the interactions Jon and Dany have with each other. It’s actually the last thing they say to one another when Dany agrees to sail to Winterfell with Jon. 

Additionally, Littlefinger very pointedly tells Sansa, before he dies, that a marriage between Jon and Dany would make the unstoppable. I’m paraphrasing here. Again, touching on the theme of “togetherness” introduce in relation to Jon and Dany. 

This season, we have Davos boldly announcing that what Westeros needs is a just Queen and am honorable King and that Jon and Dany would make an excellent pairing in that regard. This is as bold a statement as it comes and a truthful one. 

Point being, that the themes surrounding these two have always pointed to them coming together to form a complete package, two halves of a whole. I see no reason why they wouldn’t be married. 

By the way, this isn’t even taking into consideration Jon’s Targaryen heritage and how beneficial it would be for the two of them to unite their claims. 

Jon and Dany’s Child

The first hint of this is from season 1, however, it doesn’t get picked up again until season 6 when Dany tells one of the khals who is holding her hostage that she will never give him a son. 

In season 7 we get no less than 5 clues hinting at a child between Jon and Dany.

The first conversation between Tyrion and Dany where he brings up the issue of an heir. (This happens in the Painted Table Room)

The second conversation between Tyrion and Dany where he once again brings up the issue of an heir (I think this one is by the fireplace)

When Jon tries to return Longclaw to Jorah, beyond the Wall, Jorah tells him to keep it so that he can pass it on to his children. 

When they are sailing back to Dragonstone after the Wight Hunt, Dany tells Jon that the dragons are the only children she’ll ever have. 

At the Dragonpit, Dany and Jon once again talk about Dany’s belief that she can’t have children but this time Jon challenges the veracity of what Mirri Maaz Durr said. 

They went out of their way last season to let us know that a child between Jon and Dany was something that could very much happen. You don’t get this amount of foreshadowing for nothing. 

The moral of the story here is, that what happened in episode 3 did have foreshadowing, we might have read the foreshadowing incorrectly or missed it all together but it was there. 

So, in short, I still expect Jon and Dany to marry. 

TTFN

[esther-dot]

I have a confession to make (we really need confession boxes again but like, secular). I can't ship show!Jonsa because Jon looks like my actual real-life brother. I'm okay with book!Jonsa just because he's like a completely different character and I don't imagine the show-version in my head. So idfk know how Sansa's going to deal with it but it's going to be juicy. Lol!!!!

I'm just thinking of the moodboards, gifsets, and fics that we show Jonsa shippers have posted that must have made you close the app in horror. 😂 Kudos to you for surviving the fandom despite us!

The thing about book Jonsa is that Sansa romanticizes a brother/sister love early on in the books:

"Who cares about your stupid dancing master?" Sansa flared. "Father, I only just now remembered, I can't go away, I'm to marry Prince Joffrey." She tried to smile bravely for him. "I love him, Father, I truly truly do, I love him as much as Queen Naerys loved Prince Aemon the Dragonknight, as much as Jonquil loved Ser Florian. I want to be his queen and have his babies." (AGOT, Sansa III)

So the revulsion we feel isn't quite the same feelings she has or even Westeros more broadly which, as much as they disapprove of incest as a practice, still had a soft spot for/celebrated specific instances of it. There's additional commentary/spec on the impact of this on Jonsa by agentrouka-blog (link).

And, if you combine the fact that Sansa perceived that relationship as something beautiful with the revelation that Sansa had a crush on a guy that everyone recognizes as a Jon stand-in...well, it feels like a set-up for odd, pre-parentage reveal, feelings:

"Bronze Yohn knows me," she reminded him. "He was a guest at Winterfell when his son rode north to take the black." She had fallen wildly in love with Ser Waymar, she remembered dimly, but that was a lifetime ago, when she was a stupid little girl. "And that was not the only time. Lord Royce saw . . . he saw Sansa Stark again at King's Landing, during the Hand's tourney." (AFFC, Alayne I)

Notice that the descriptions of Waymar and Jon feature some of the same key words:

Ser Waymar Royce was the youngest son of an ancient house with too many heirs. He was a handsome youth of eighteen, grey-eyed and graceful and slender as a knife. Mounted on his huge black destrier, the knight towered above Will and Gared on their smaller garrons. He wore black leather boots, black woolen pants, black moleskin gloves, and a fine supple coat of gleaming black ringmail over layers of black wool and boiled leather. Ser Waymar had been a Sworn Brother of the Night's Watch for less than half a year, but no one could say he had not prepared for his vocation. At least insofar as his wardrobe was concerned. (AGOT, Prologue)

"No," Jon Snow said quietly. "It was not courage. This one was dead of fear. You could see it in his eyes, Stark." Jon's eyes were a grey so dark they seemed almost black, but there was little they did not see. He was of an age with Robb, but they did not look alike. Jon was slender where Robb was muscular, dark where Robb was fair, graceful and quick where his half brother was strong and fast. (AGOT, Bran I)

There's a post by the usurpersdog about similarities between Waymar and Jon (link) and another by princess-in-a-tower more focused on the Jonsa implications (link), and I know there are more that I'm just not finding at the moment. But, basically, I'd agree with everyone else who has pointed it out before that it all reads like Martin has intentionally prepped Sansa to a) romanticize Jon, b) romanticize loving him even before parentage reveal.

I assume Martin will go for it and make Jonsa struggle with knowing their feelings aren’t quite right, but if the focus is on the heartache of an impossible situation, I think that can pretty easily lure people into Sansa’s way of thinking about it which would undoubtedly invoke her stories/songs, assuring herself, and the audience, of a certain context for the development of what is unacceptable to us/their world. The way she compares herself to a lady in the song and we have so many in-world stories/songs Martin could/will weave into this…I think he’s done a lot of work to create a pathway for it. Sympathy is a very powerful thing, and this wouldn’t only be a forbidden love but an impossible one, only, it isn’t, not really, so the audience’s relief would echo Sansa’s post parentage reveal. So much potential there!

Happy to be your Jonsa confessional, anon! <3

[avatarsarny]

Post S8 Arya/Gendry? With a cherry on top?

Well, anon, since you asked so nicely. Just in time, bc I really needed to get this out of my system. This is for @gendrie, @gendryadempsie, and @starrynightshade, whose blogs and fics have kept me sane over the past few weeks of D&D’s clownery. Thank you guys for feeding us with that sweet sweet Gendrya content throughout :)

For context: In my head, everything ended similarly to D&D’s bad fanfic version with some notable adjustments: Jon is not exiled to the (nonexistent) Night’s Watch; he decides against being king and goes to bring the Wildlings back down to the North with Tormund (bc the lands beyond the wall are a barren wasteland wtf) and thereafter settles at Winterfell to be Hand to Queen Sansa. Bran is made King of the 6 kingdoms as he was in the show, with Tyrion as his Hand and ruling with his council. Jaime did not turn on Brienne in the last moment, didn’t erase years of character development, and instead left to kill Cersei himself, finally realizing the disease she really was, and became Queenslayer for the good of the realm. He survives Daenerys’ attack on KL and is serving Bran in the new Kingsguard, under Brienne the Commander. 

Finally, Arya does not randomly decide to become Christopher Columbarya and sail the ocean blue, erasing years of her own journey to finally be home with her family again, no sirs, she finds Gendry after the sack of KL, after she realizes what Sandor was trying to tell her to do, to choose life, and tells him to ask her again. You can guess the rest from what you read below :)

And in keeping with the pack survives narrative (bc that’s what good writing is about!! Consistency!!) the Starks remain closer than ever, visit each other often, and don’t end up alone and separated! Hope yall enjoy!

P.S… Okoye. You’ll see why soon. definitely not taken straight outta black panther Ahem. Continue.

“And reinforcements from the Stormlands will arrive tomorrow, Your Grace, if I’m not mistaken. Lord Buckler of Bronzegate sent me a raven saying twenty ships worth of food and supplies will be here just after sunrise.”

Bran nods in approval and looks up at the sunlight streaming in through the windows of the newly - reconstructed King’s solar. Daenerys’ rampage had left little of the Red Keep standing, but some of the personal chambers had remained mostly intact, so the new King and his council lived in close quarters for the past three months while they supervised the city’s recovery. There were still many injured and many more starving, so Bran called upon every Lord and leader in Westeros, high and low, to contribute whatever they could to the city’s smallfolk; who had suffered the most.

Bran glances over at the man across him. His blue eyes are bright with belonging and purpose, his dark hair is gradually breaking free of the short crop he had sported when Bran had first met him, and he wears fine leathers in same way his father and uncles had, only this time adorned with clawlike marks on the shoulders of his tunic.

The young King smiles at this observation. Stags don’t have claws. But he can think of another animal that does. 

Gendry catches his King’s gaze. “What is it, Your Grace?”

Bran’s smile grows ever so slightly. “When is my sister returning, my Lord? It’s been a fortnight since her last raven.”

Gendry sighs and looks out a window, where the city gates rise from the sea of ruined buildings far out in the distance on one end, and the azure waters of Blackwater Bay lay calm and still. “I’m not sure. She said she wouldn’t leave Queen Sansa at Winterfell until she’s made sure she’ll be well protected.”

“Won’t Jon be there soon?”

Gendry blinks. “Yes - er - I didn’t know that until this morning - got a raven from Tormund. How’d you find out?”

Bran throws him an unimpressed glance. “Well I am the three eyed raven. I flew over Jon and Tormund’s group last night. They’ve settled the Wildlings in some unoccupied lands about a day’s ride from Winterfell. Sansa wants Jon to be her Hand, and it looks like Jon’s agreed to it.”

Gendry nods slowly, trying to process the King’s extraordinary statement in a way he can understand. “I’ve heard of your abilities, Your Grace, but forgive me, I’m not sure how one flies when they can’t even walk. But if what you say is true, then you can see where your sisters are, too, can’t you?” He grins then, and maybe in front of a different King he’d be punished for his audacity, but Bran is no ordinary King. And Gendry has never been one to worship the ground at a highborn’s feet. 

But he’ll fight for any one of the Starks. Arya and her family time and again showed kindness and mercy to the common folk, and beneath their ferocious direwolf fangs they shared a gentleness for the innocent that Gendry had rarely seen among the rich and powerful. Even Sansa, the Red Wolf of the North, held a great tenderness concealed beneath her icy, calculating exterior, and people everywhere adored her for it.

Bran’s smile widens into a true grin, then. A feat so rare Gendry thinks he should get Grand Maester Samwell to check on their King’s health. 

“Yes, I can see everything. Anything, anywhere, at any point in time. But sometimes it’s nice to put it all away for a while, and be a normal man. Or at least act like it,” he replies. “I did see Arya, by the way. It appears she’ll be staying in Winterfell for a few more weeks before she starts her journey back here.”

Gendry’s face falls, but he catches himself and hopes the King doesn’t notice. The least she could do is send a raven, but she’s been oddly silent since her last message to him, and he’s getting worried. If she doesn’t send more word soon, he’ll go off to Winterfell himself.

Bran quirks a brow at him. “Storm’s End needs someone like you, someone who will take care of the people. Your uncles left the Stormlands in such disarray, but the Stormlords are willing to follow your command. Don’t worry about my sister, she can handle herself.” He smiles serenely at the former blacksmith.

 But what about me? Gendry thinks. Does she not understand that every day we’re separated feels like an eternity to me?

None of it will mean anything, if you aren’t with me, so be with me…

It will be nearly four months since Arya left to help Sansa settle into her role as Queen in the North. Four months since he last held her in his arms, since he tasted her on his lips and felt the warmth of her smile, since he saw the heat and tenderness in her gaze she reserved only for him. 

She had sought him out after the Dragon Queen had stormed King’s Landing, after Jon drove a dagger through his aunt’s heart and liberated all who would come under her tyranny. She had been covered in ash and blood and he’d never felt more fear in his entire life, that he would have to watch her die like this, but she was mostly unhurt, the blood had not been hers, not all of it.

“Ask me again,” She’d rasped, coughing out grey soot and clutching at him for dear life. “I thought I wouldn’t come back from Kings Landing. I was going to die there, and I couldn’t do that to you, I had to refuse,” She whispered, tears falling from her eyes and down her grimy face. “I couldn’t hurt you.”

And oh, she had never looked more beautiful, he had never loved her more fiercely than he did in that moment, not even on that night they thought would be their last, when she had kissed him down in the Winterfell stores and made breathless, frantic love to him. “You could never hurt me, love,” he’d said, wiping her tears away and crushing her to his chest. “I know you don’t want to be a Lady, I’ve always known. We can go wherever you like. Do whatever you want. I’ll follow you anywhere you go, till the end of my days,” he promised, and released her so he could kneel before her in the ash and dust. “My life means nothing without my family. Please be my wife. Please be my family, Arya of House Stark.”

And with that, she’d tackled him into the rubble with all the strength she could muster, and kissed him senseless. “I love you,” She’d breathed against his lips, “I will be your family. Your - your wife,” she broke off in a quiet moan, as he moved to press searing kisses down her throat. She held his face in her hands, stilling his sweet movements to look earnestly up at him. “And I will lead by your side, Gendry of House Baratheon.”

He stared at her in shock, his hands coming up to bracket her own. “You - you want to rule the Stormlands with me?”

Arya smiled at him, even though it hurt to do so and her face was bleeding. “I want to be here for the people who can’t protect themselves. I want to make our world a better place than the one we grew up in…I couldn’t save them in King’s Landing,” she’d paused as more tears trailed down her cheeks, and he dutifully brushed them away with the pads of his calloused fingers. She would tell him about the girl and her mother, later. The little family that had saved her from the stampede, only to end up burnt beyond recognition in the end. “I have to make sure this never happens again.”

Gendry kissed her forehead, the bit of it that wasn’t cut open. “As m’lady commands,” he’d murmured, threading their fingers together. “Now let’s get you a maester.”

“I also need to teach you how to use a fork, none of those idiot lords will respect you otherwise.”

He laughed and scooped her up into his arms. “I’ll need all the help I can get. I don’t know any other rich girls willing to teach me.”

Part 2 coming soon :)

[tomakeitbeautifultolive]

Hey! I recently found your blog and saw you believed in N+A=D, which is a theory I read a few years ago and really enjoyed,, I plan on reading your more in dept analysis on your site when I have time, thanks for putting it together! I really like this theory since it mirrors J and D even more and it also removes the rape and Aerys' madness in general from D. Now a question: do you believe this theory will be discussed in the show (only 2 eps left) or is it gonna stick to the books if it is true?

A woman after my own heart!  This theory is the dearest to my heart! @ktwrites and I have expanded the theory much more than wherever you last heard it, I assure you. (For anyone wondering, this is our site)

First, thank you SO much for recognizing that this theory mirrors Jon and Dany even further!

That’s the part that hooked me in, too. If Jon is rumored to be born of rape but actually born of love, shouldn’t Dany be, too? I think the pair of them having parents with star-crossed, tragic love stories is actually perfect for a pair that comes together to break the wheel that drove their parents apart in the first place.

All of the anti arguments about Daenerys vanish, since let’s face it, they usually come from (homogeneous) Stark stans. Dany gets the blame for what Aerys did before she was born, gets accused of sharing his madness, and also, the incest. If this theory is true, Jon and Dany are downgraded to cousins rather than aunt/nephew. Fucking everyone in Westeros are cousins. Rickard & Lyarra, Tywin & Joanna…

Also, then these lines about “I am the last Targaryen,” and “A Targaryen alone in the world is a terrible thing,” and “The last dragon.” Then actually mean something literal.

I do have a page on the site about show clues, but fuck it - I’ll add some here.

The Dragon and the Wolf?

But… Jon’s a dragon. I don’t make the rules. He is Aegon Targaryen - Dragon, fire. Sure, he has Stark blood. But if Jon is a Stark, then Sansa, Arya, and Bran are Tullys (I don’t make the rules). So… who is ice and who is fire? Right now it’s more like The Dragon and the Dragon and A Song of Fire and Fire.

Curiously, the new Mother’s Day card (I know, I know it has Targ symbols) features an icy border:

And okay. Dany’s aversion to fire, which many relate to her being a Targaryen… maybe it has more to do with the ice in her veins? After all, we see Jon burned by fire:

And later wearing a bandage on his hand:

Meanwhile, we have Jon able to survive a deep dive in freezing cold water that probably would’ve killed a normal person - maybe the fire in his blood? This is all wild speculation now, so I’ll stop lmfao. One other thing though, in Fire & Blood, Alysanne’s dragon Silverwing refused to go past the Wall, it sounds almost like there was some sort of magical barrier there. Meanwhile, Dany has no problem getting past it. Which could just be plot convenience, admittedly.

Like in the books, the fallen direwolf (symbolizing Ned) at the beginning of the series has six pups. Ned has five children (so far as we know).

Dany and the color blue:

Now, I know what Michelle Clapton says about Dany always wearing blue - “Dothraki power color” Which is strange to me, since blue is one of the rarest pigments during this time period. I know, it’s just a show. Dany looks good in blue. Maybe that’s all it means.

But Stark women have a tendency to wear blue, likely as a nod to the blue ‘winter rose’, in which the Stark lady in the Bael the Bard tale is literally referred to as a winter rose.

Likewise, Dany wears greys and purples (if she is Ashara Dayne’s daughter, then purple would be her mother’s house color):

The Starks have a tendency to ride white horses. White is a Stark color. Jon has always ridden a black horse, which is a Targaryen color.

(Yeah, Dany rides a black horse beside Jon in S8, but she also tends to wear red colors while in his presence… bride of fire, eh?)

While Ashara Dayne is never mentioned on the show (I don’t think Rhaella is, either… despite Dany always wearing that ring, which is never explained in the show proper, rather in BTS stuff or interviews). Ashara Dayne is mentioned in the history and lore for the Season 6 DVD Extras.

Daenerys’ costume also shares similarities with Ned’s, in the way she wears her cape as well as the diagonal chain across her chest:

Ned has interesting reactions toward Dany’s assassination attempt. He doesn’t seem to give two shits about Viserys, telling Robert that if he makes it to Westeros, they’ll throw him back in the Narrow Sea, meanwhile Ned is chin-wobbling upset after hearing it’s too late to reverse the hit on Dany’s life. Arguably more upset than he was after seeing the dead body of a freshly murdered child, Mycah (though that’s debatable, I’m sure). There are some interesting transition scenes between Dany and Ned, particularly my favorite:

And then there are early promo photos where Dany and Ned are put together:

In season 7, Daenerys says Dragonstone does not feel like a homecoming, and she goes and touches Dorne on the Painted Table immediately thereafter:

There’s a curious line from Cersei during the Dragonpit meeting, saying basically she couldn’t trust Dany’s word, but could trust Jon’s word because he’s Ned Stark’s son. The shot hangs on Dany as she speaks the line about Ned Stark’s son (watch the clip here):

We’ve got other lines too, about how when Jon is elected King in the North, Lyanna Mormont says, this:

“I don’t care if he’s a bastard, Ned Stark’s blood runs through his veins.”

(But it doesn’t…) Even Dany is talking about Ned:

“I was born at Dragonstone. Not that I can remember it. We fled before Robert’s Assassins could find us. Robert was your father’s best friend, no? I wonder if your father knew his best friends sent assassins to murder a baby girl in her crib. Not that it matters now, of course.”

Varys knows damned well Ned tried everything in his power to prevent her murder (I wish he’d fucking tell her, whether or not she’s Ned’s secret bastard).

There are rumors we’re getting Robert’s Rebellion/Tourney at Harrenhal flashback next episode (I don’t know whether I believe it), but Wilf Scolding did have a mysterious deleted Instagram post indicating he was filming - so maybe we’ll see Ned and Ashara, too? Fingers crossed.

If everyone is talking about how Jon and Dany parallel Duncan and Jenny, which is a pairing comprised of a common girl and a dark-haired Targaryen prince… then just maybe Jon gives up his claim for say, a bastard girl? Dany being a Stark bastard and associated with flowers/roses, possible CotF relation via Stark blood… might make her have more in common with Jenny than if she were a Targaryen? 🤔

There may be more, I haven’t done a full, proper rewatch in a while, I admit. Probably too late now, lol. I’d say that there is a big “WTF” twist coming so there’s a chance - many attribute this to a leak involving Tyrion but… I feel like that was something that was foreshadowed, unlike Hodor/hold the door.

All that said though, I’d say the likelihood of this ending up on screen probably is slim. But again, we have a wealth of evidence on our site that must mean something. GRRM basically admits that the lemon tree mystery means something (and no, I don’t buy that it means the betrothal to Quentyn because he was more or less a non-issue anyway).

And there may be a chance GRRM is saving twists for his book, especially considering this:

My best guess would be Barristan Selmy, since in the books, over in Essos, nowhere near Jon, he’s bringing up that Dany looks like Ashara’s daughter, and by this point we don’t really need a red herring for Jon Snow’s mother, since most readers had figured it out.

[the-marvel-wars]

I need to talk about GoT 8x02

My thoughts on Game of Thrones 8x02 (grab a glass of wine because it’s a fucking ride and a half)

This will be moved over to my new blog for nerd reviews, Sounds Like Nerds.

WARNING: THIS WILL BE VERY SPOILER-Y AND FULL OF SWEARING!

PLEASE, IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THIS EPISODE, DO NOT READ THE SPOILERS!

IT’S SO HARD TO STAY AWAY WHEN YOU’RE CURIOUS AS HELL, BUT PLEASE DON’T LOOK AT THESE SPOILERS IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE EPISODE!

SPOILERS WILL BE BELOW THE CUT, SO IF YOU DON’T TURN AWAY NOW, I CAN’T BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SPOILERS YOU WILL SEE.

THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE.

ALRIGHT!

Let me be very clear that this episode brought about a slight meltdown for me. The little moments these characters had with one another broke me in half, and next week, I’ll be dead entirely. Resurrect me only to watch these episodes because life will mean nothing after “Avengers: Endgame” and GoT 8x03. I’m tired, dazed, very confused, and on the verge of a complete breakdown. While I still have some energy, here we fucking go.

That opening STILL gives me goosebumps after all these years, not gonna lie.

I lost my whole uterus when Daenerys stared down Jaime and was like, “yo, I always thought of how I would kill you. Here you are” (rough translation). I was like, “BiTcH nOoOoOoO”

ALSO, DAENERYS, HOW DARE YOU QUESTION TYRION! I FELT LIKE I WAS HALLUCINATING! Someone get me some water!

Sansa, a fucking goddess, the QUEEN IN THE NORTH, A RED WOLF. I DON’T GIVE A HOLY SHIT. I LOVE HER. I WANT HER IN MY LIFE FOREVER. TOUCH HER, AND I WILL BURN THE WHOLE WORLD TO THE GROUND!

“The things we do for love” -Jaime, 1x01

“The things we do for love” -Bran, 8x02

Me, during that scene:

Brienne standing up for Jaime the way she did is not helping my desperate need for them to get together. I’m trying to put OUT this fire, not add fuel to it, ffs.

When Sansa began speaking to Brienne after that, I was terrified that Sansa would be like “you vouch for him? You would fight beside him? Then you will suffer the same fate as him.” I was like, are they gonna get fed to the dragons? TaKe Me InStEaD!

Sansa giving Jaime a pass because of her respect for Brienne cleared my skin up, and I will breathe easier until I see Endgame on Thursday night. help.

LISTEN! Here’s my issue! Daenerys’ look at Sansa infuriated me when Sansa gave Jaime a pardon of sorts. Then, she’s like, “UH, JON! WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THIS?!?!?!?!” like she’s just magically gonna get what she wants because they’re having………….the sex. Jon’s not gonna turn on his sister/cousin. I’m sorry, but don’t.

Bran just keeps staring at people. Just get that kid a blindfold, he’ll be less of a creep.

Me at Bran the ENTIRE episode:

Let me say this, I knew from the moment Arya did that little eyebrow lift at Gendry in the beginning of the episode, that they were gonna sex by the end of it. I’ve shipped it since they first met, and I will ship it until I die.

“It’s gonna be safer down in the crypt” -Gendry, totally oblivious to the little assassin Arya’s become.

���I know death. He’s got many faces. I look forward to seeing this one.” -Arya, giving me goosebumps while throwing dragonglass at a post. What a little fucking queen. Oh, God, take me away.

I lowkey want Arya to stare right into the face of the Night King, right into the face of death, and I just want her to say “not today” as a callback to season 1 and her training with Syrio Forel. Ugh. SHIT.

“Bran looks like a coconut” -my friend, 2k19

“At least Cersei won’t get to murder me” -Tyrion, giving me goosebumps because Bronn’s got that fucking crossbow of poetic justice, and I WILL NOT HAVE IT! TOUCH TYRION, AND I WILL RIOT!

Podrick has also gotten so much better with the sword, and I AM JUST SO PROUD!

“I’m not the fighter I used to be, but I’d be honored to serve under your command if you’ll have me” -Jaime, giving Brienne the credit she has always deserved, but that’s not even the best part. What happens later is what truly had me weeping.

I just want Jorah and Daenerys to kiss one time in a ship-fulfilling way. I just want him to be happy. I NEED him to be happy. Jorah fighting on behalf of Tyrion made me love him all the more, and if he dies, I WILL RIOT AGAIN!

The Sansa/Daenerys interaction had me quaking. I was literally sitting on the couch, head in my hands, shaking. I was both angry and relieved. While I’m upset they’re being pitted against one another, I’m relieved that they’re staying true to their characters. Sansa is true to her home and her people, Daenerys just wants to take what is rightfully hers (I mean, as we all know, it’s not TECHNICALLY hers *cough* Jon Snow). They’re both such headstrong women, and I hope they come together at some point. The women of this show would bring the entire population of Westeros to their knees.

Theon and Sansa reuniting had me in tears yet again. This episode was so fucking emotional for me, but I know that next week will break me even more.

“I want to fight for Winterfell, Lady Sansa, if you’ll have me” -Theon Greyjoy, reformed.

Those two have been through so much together (too much, really), and so much on their own. The fact that they are together again makes me so emotional. JUST KILL ME!

That little girl that Davos served made me cry AGAIN! He was reminded of Shireen. He wants to protect the little girl he couldn’t save.

Tormund TACKLING Jon like a quarterback was hilarious as shit in such a touching scene.

“The big woman still here?” -Tormund Giantsbane, the man who just wants some fuq

Seeing my favorite characters gathered around the command table made me shake with pure fucking fangirl excitement. It’s what I’ve wanted from the beginning.

“I took this castle from you. Let me defend you, now” -THEON GREYJOY oh my god, just bury me at this point with my collection of Marvel comics, my Star Wars pajamas, and my replica dragon eggs. Just put me to rest because I can’t. I cannot. I have been unable to can. No.

“We’re all going to die” -Tormund, putting it all out there like it’s no big deal. It’s a VERY BIG DEAL

Missandei and Greyworm having their little moment just drove home my fear that one of them is going to die before the end of the season, perhaps by the end of the next episode. WHEN YOU MAKE PROMISES IN THIS SHOW, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO KEEP THEM! YOU FUCKING FICTIONAL CHARACTERS SHOULD KNOW THIS!

Ghost just chilling in the background of that scene with Sam, Jon, and Edd is a whole 2019 mood. He gets no attention, barely any screen time, and others may not even notice him. But not us. Not us.

I’M BEING SO SUPER SERIOUS RIGHT NOW, IF SAMWELL TARLEY DIES, I WILL FUCK EVERYONE UP IN THE WORST POSSIBLE WAY! I SWEAR TO THE WHOLE UNIVERSE! SAM IS THE LAST GOOD, PURE, INNOCENT CHARACTER IN THIS GOD FORSAKEN WORLD, AND IF HE GOES DOWN, I’M GOING DOWN, TOO! I WILL HAVE A COMPLETE AND UTTER MELTDOWN, AND MY THERAPIST WILL BE GETTING A CALL AT 10:30 AT NIGHT! IF HE DIES, YOU’LL CATCH MY WHOLE ASS PICKETING IN A WALMART PARKING LOT, WEEPING.

*ahem*

sorry.

The scene with everyone around the fire was such an incredibly beautiful scene.

Also, Tyrion pouring Podrick a full cup when Brienne clearly said “HALF” is a wholeass mood.

I’m scared that the characters by the fire are the ones who are going to bite it in the next episode, and I’m not ready. I’m just gonna blackout.

TORMUND TELLING THE STORY OF HOW HE GOT THE NAME “GIANTSBANE” MADE ME CACKLE. A BEAM OF PURE LIGHT IN THIS SAD, TERRIBLE UNIVERSE! I’m still laughing.

Arya and Sandor drinking together. Leave me alone, I’m weak. I can’t talk about this right now. I’m too emotional about it still. One of these little shits is gonna die in the next episode, and I just cannot.

“I fought for you, didn’t I?” -Sandor Clegane, coming in at the last moment to rip the soul from my body. Thanks.

HeLp!

“I’m not spending my final hours with you two miserable old shits” -Arya, about to go get her freak on with Gendry ;)

When Arya started talking about Gendry’s experience with women, my friend and I both looked at each other, knowing exactly what the shit was gonna happen. It was gonna be weird, but it was gonna happen no matter what.

When Gendry finally admitted that he had been with three women, I was like, “Arya’s gonna say some smooth shit, like “want to add a fourth?”” but I was gonna be happy no matter what because these two are cute as shit together.

Me, when they were doing...the...sex:

Also me:

“Women can’t be knights” -Brienne, laying down some realness

AND THEN JAIME KNIGHTED HER, AND I CRIED LIKE A LITTLE BITCH! I TURNED INTO A PUDDLE ON THE FUCKING GROUND BECAUSE I HAVE WAITED FOR THIS MOMENT FOR SO LONG! BRIENNE DESERVED THAT TITLE MORE THAN ANYONE I’VE EVER KNOWN, AND THIS WAS SO INSPIRING TO WATCH!

I cried, babies cried, my dogs probably fucking cried.

“ARISE BRIENNE OF TARTH, A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS”

oh my HOLY ASS!

I’m crying for my giant baby right now.

LYANNA MORMONT BEING A BABY QUEEN!

“I pledged to fight for the North, and I will fight!” -Lyanna Mormont, a little beast.

I PLEDGED TO FIGHT FOR THESE CHARACTERS, AND I WILL FIGHT FOR HER!

Sam gifting Jorah his family’s sword just drove home my suspicion that they won’t see each other again because ONE OF THEM IS GONNA DIE! SO HELP ME GOD, I WILL BURN IT DOWN! I’M GONNA FUCKSTART MY TV NEXT WEEK, AND I’M GONNA THROW UP!

Jenny’s Song.

Jenny’s Song.

Jenny’s Song.

shit.

Jon telling Daenerys about his lineage had my heart POUNDING in my chest. I DO NOT want this to be a rivalry. I don’t want it. I do not...want it. Not at all. I want it a negative amount. None want. Will not support.

I’m not ready for next week.

I’m not ready for any of this.

I will never be ready!

MY LITTLE, GROWN UP BABIES ARE GOING TO DIE! I’VE WATCHED THIS SHOW FOR LONG ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT NOT EVERYONE IS MAKING IT OUT OF THIS SHIT ALIVE! I’M GONNA GO DOWN WITH WHOEVER DIES NEXT WEEK. I WILL BE BURIED WITH THEM, SO HELP ME ASS! I’M GONNA PUKE!

Honestly, this episode made me so fucking emotional. I think it sunk in that these characters I’ve been following for so many years through the books and show, are likely to meet their end so soon. I’m just having a hard time grasping this concept, and it started to sink in tonight. I’ve read these books since I was a young teen, and I started watching the show when it was coming out (against my father’s wishes). I’ve followed these stories for such a long time, and a lot is going to happen this week for me, between Endgame and this upcoming episode. I’m experiencing too many emotions, and my body may just decide to shut down altogether. Who knows?

[frazzledsoul]

For the character meme, Jon Snow of course.

Oh, nonnie, as if my love for Jon Snow could be distilled down to a single blog post. But I will try.

How I feel about this character: There’s an old theory from Idol fandom (okay it’s my theory, I came up with it) that you tend to take on the personality of the person you stan. It seems to me that GoT fandom kind of slants this sideways and most Jon Snow stans who are divorced from the wretched shipwars are aggressive den mothers who only seek to protect our boy at all costs (and this goes for Kit as well). Jon was a Stark boy through and through: he had the same noble, generous, purehearted, self-sacrificing, recklessly heroic blood that flowed through Ned and Robb’s veins and I loved him for it. Jon was never going to be that conniving, ambitious political mastermind that people keep trying to convince me that Book!Jon is: he was too good for that. He’s the prototype of the teevee boyfriend I always end up falling for: the grumpy man’s man who doesn’t seek attention or acclaim, who may seem like he hates everyone and everything but who is selfless to the core and will do anything for his loved ones. 

These attributes, of course, are not valued in Westerosi society: they got Ned, Robb, and Jon murdered. In the end, Jon remained true to the spirit of his Night’s Watch vows and sacrificed everything he had for the good of the realm: his lover, his title, his family, his reputation, any acknowledgement of the things he had helped accomplish and fight for. No good deed goes unpunished, and the ungrateful kingdom that had asked so much of him wasted no time in tossing him away. But the fates give, and the taketh away, and sometimes they give back: his heart’s desire was eventually delivered to him in the form of his punishment. His destiny was more than just a consort to whichever queen comes out on top, or an action figure whose only purpose in life was to vanquish that specific supernatural foe: he deserved to live a free, happy, and long life far away from the civilization that abused and disdained him.

Oh, and living a life completely free of politics with his outcast friends, best friend/lover and dog sounds like a perfectly blissful existence to me. In the end, Jon got the ending he deserved.

All the people I ship romantically with this character:

Jon/Tormund: I could write a thousand metas about how this is the show’s most functional and believable romance, but this post is already getting too long. Jon and Tormund started off as enemies on the opposite side of a war, but Jon gained Tormund’s trust and literall died to save his people: Tormund repaid that loyalty by fighting by Jon’s side for his wars not once but twice. Tormund is the only one to unconditionally love Jon and accept him after everything he’s done, and he was the one who waited at the Wall for Jon to come back to him. Jon wanted to reject both Winterfell and Kings Landing and run away with Tormund long before the final sacrifice was asked of him: unlike Jon’s other romances, they have fought on the same side for a long time and want the same life and future. Jon belongs in the wild with his giant ginger husband, and they will have a good life.

Jon/Ygritte: The ultimate doomed romance and the show’s best het romance. Nothing in respectable society made Jon as happy as he was with Ygritte.

Jon/Dany: Okay, I knew this was an epic disaster a million miles away and yet this stupid show made me ship it anyway. Even if Dany hadn’t turned out to be a mass-murdering lunatic, it was always doomed: she craved power and conquest and he hated those things. So yes, doomed, doomed, DOOMED in canon … but in AUs where things are twisted slightly enough to make things work, I do still enjoy it. But only in AUs.

My non-romantic OTP for this character: 

Up until that wretched council scene, I would say Jon/Sam. Sam Tarly is now dead to me. I don’t feel that way about Davos or Gendry or Yara or even Grey Worm, but I do feel that way about Sam. Sam knew about Jon’s heritage and warned him about Dany early on and actively encouraged him to break ties with her because of what she had done to his family, but when Jon is finally the one to take her down Sam isn’t willing to support or defend him. He doesn’t speak up for Jon’s claim, he doesn’t defend his actions, he doesn’t even argue against Jon’s execution. When Jon takes the fall for an act that Tyrion was equally conspired in and he is the one punished while Tyrion is placed back in charge and his brother is instituted as king instead, Sam not only doesn’t fight it but uses the situation to supposedly leapfrog over all the trained scholars above him to institute himself as Grand Maester (?) in Bran’s administration instead of honoring his vows to either them or the Night’s Watch. Oh, and I guess the celibacy requirement is excused for him, too, because while there’s wiggle room for a girlfriend and an adopted son, I’m pretty sure Gilly’s second pregnancy violated it.

It doesn’t seem fair, but now that I think on it, their friendship was mostly one-sided: Jon sacrificing and protecting, Sam needing to be protected. So yeah. Sam is forever ruined for me. Unfortunately, since Sam is supposedly GRRM’s stand-in I half suspect he’s not going to ask Sam to keep to any of his vows and have him placed in a high-profile position he hasn’t earned in his version of events as well.

So I’m going to pick Jon/Arya here. I think that’s the only relationship Jon had with anyone besides Tormund that wasn’t sullied by the end. I have faith that Arya will steer her boat around in a few years and visit her brother again, despite the nonsensical assumptions of those script directions.

My unpopular opinion about this character: Jon was justified in killing Dany. She murdered thousands of innocent civilians and was prepared to murder more. By the middle of 8.05, I would have handed a knife to anyone who wanted to kill her, so I wouldn’t have minded if Jaime or Arya did it, either. The only thing I fault Jon for is in (temporarily) excusing her behavior. But I refuse to condemn him either for killing her or remaining conflicted about it afterwards.

My other unpopular opinion is that he actually got a happy ending with the only people who truly appreciated him. But I don’t think I’m alone on that one.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: I wish that Jon had gotten credit for the things that he had accomplished, and that he hadn’t had to face nearly every person who used to trust him turn their backs on him. I wish he had chosen to go into exile instead of being forced there, even if he would willingly embraced the same fate. And I wish that we could have seen him established in Wildling society and to know that Jonmund was officially canon.

But in the end, I was less dissatisfied with his ending than I was with almost everything else, and it was what I cared about most. Jon ended up where he needed to be.