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cappymightwrite · 2 years ago

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“A snowflake danced upon the air. Then another. Dance with me, Jon Snow, he thought. You'll dance with me anon.” Please convince me this is related to future jonsa.

Dearest Stumpy ❤️

Apologies for the long wait on this one! As recompense here's an especially long answer!

Much like the Vale godswood passage in ASOS, Sansa VII, this imagery of dancing (and/or drifting) snowflakes is incredibly romantic. In an emotional sense, certainly, but also as an allusion to the Romantic movement, their reflective melancholy and reverence for the natural world — a literary movement we know GRRM is aware of and that I've talked about previously. I think that's why it is so striking and feels like there must be something being left unsaid there…

So, let's get right into it, looking first at this exchange though:

When Owen the Oaf began to dance with Patchface the fool, laughter echoed off the vaulted ceiling. The sight made Lady Alys smile. "Do you dance often, here at Castle Black?" "Every time we have a wedding, my lady." "You could dance with me, you know. It would be only courteous. You danced with me anon." "Anon?" teased Jon. "When we were children." She tore off a bit of bread and threw it at him. "As you know well." "My lady should dance with her husband." – ADWD, Jon X

What is quite remarkable and a bit weird about this interaction between Jon and Alys Karstark, which occurs prior to the quotation in your ask, is the use of the archaic word "anon" … or rather, I should say its misuse. Its usage above and in your asks' quotation are significant, I think, which is why I'm tackling it first and foremost. If we take a look at the Oxford English Dictionary, it has this definition:

So, with that meaning in mind, it becomes clear that while Alys meant to say, "You danced with me once before," her misuse of anon instead implies "You will dance with me soon/shortly." Jon immediately picks up on this fumble, though tellingly perhaps, he does not clarify this mix up to the reader, he simply repeats it quizzically and teasingly back to her. I'd wager that was very intentional on GRRM's part — an instance where he is encouraging his reader to do a bit of investigative work, instead of offering up a clear explanation right there on the page.

Realising her misuse of words, a flustered Alys throws a piece of bread at Jon — an action very evocative of Arya, imo. However, much like Ygritte at times evokes elements of both Arya and Sansa, so does Alys Karstark. Her throwing of the bread and her sisterly teasing suggest Arya, but her interest in dancing and her genteel tone ("It would be only courteous"), well, they very much evoke Sansa to me. But before I get into the ways in which Alys and dancing can be seen to hint towards Sansa and more specifically Jonsa, I want to look a little more into the use of anon.

An archaic, or old-fashioned, term, anon isn't out of place in the works of William Shakespeare for example, but it is also used by the likes of Tolkien as well:

Ever and anon Gandalf let blow the trumpets, and the heralds would cry: 'The Lords of Gondor are come! Let all leave this land or yield them up! – The Return of the King

According to the OED, it takes its origin from Old English, meaning "in or into (one state or course)." I don’t know if GRRM is aware of that earlier meaning, but it’s interesting to consider when we think about how dancing, or specifically the courtly dancing in ASOIAF, involves two people moving "in […] one state," in other words, together. Becoming one harmonious moving body. So, there is a sense of togetherness in the act of (paired) dancing, but also in the original use of the word anon as well.

In fact, the only instances in which this archaic word is used within the series is in the above passage and then again in the quotation featured in your ask! In both, it is specifically used alongside dancing, but also, it is used in a moment of separateness in relation to Jon:

On and on the wildlings came. The day grew darker, just as Tormund said. Clouds covered the sky from horizon to horizon, and warmth fled. There was more shoving at the gate, as men and goats and bullocks jostled each other out of the way. It is more than impatience, Jon realised. They are afraid. Warriors, spearwives, raiders, they are afraid of those woods, of shadows moving through the trees. They want to put the Wall between them before the night descends. A snowflake danced upon the air. Then another. Dance with me, Jon Snow, he thought. You’ll dance with me anon. – ADWD, Jon XII

In both moments in which dancing and anon are conflated, Jon stands notably apart, distinctly alone and separate… decidedly not "in […] one state or course" with another. Instead, he is a watcher, an observer. The above passage is arguably a quintessential Jon Snow positioning, physically emphasising his outsider status, his division from others… but then also highlighting it emotionally with that internal thought process. Earlier in ADWD, during the wedding festivities with Alys, Jon refuses her offer of a dance (the first "anon" mention), preferring to watch from the side-lines, a decision that seems somewhat like an act of self punishment. But for what reason?

What wall might Jon Snow wish to put between himself and his past? Between the Jon he was then, who "danced," and the Jon he is now… the Jon who might still "dance […] anon"?

Because while with Alys the use of anon is misused, in his later internal musings Jon uses it correctly. "You danced with me anon" vs. "You’ll dance with me anon." This correction is undoubtedly significant, detaching itself from Alys and instead signifying that the speaker of this second declaration and use of anon is not this newly introduced character, but someone else. Someone Jon already knows. Someone likely from "when we were children," from Jon’s life before coming to the Wall.

*cough* It's Sansa Stark. *cough*

A Dance with Her Husband

@astraphysical and I have speculated about how Sansa's dance partners in her TWOW chapter all reference Jon in some way, and even though it's been some time since we collaborated on that… I still stand by it and think it's a fun theory! Indeed, for both Jon and Sansa, implicit stand-ins and subtle references to the other arguably feature notably within their respective chapters. But looking specifically at the ways in which Alys Karstark mirrors and alludes to Sansa, it is interesting to note how dancing with one’s husband on your wedding day features in connection to both girls:

"My lady should dance with her husband." "My Magnar is not one for dancing, I fear. If you will not dance with me, at least pour me some of the mulled wine." – ADWD, Jon X

A lady should dance with her husband, Jon Snow says to Alys Karstark, a notion that speaks to the done way of things, to duty and honour, but also to his inherent romanticism me thinks. And this is a belief that Sansa Stark too shares, even in the worst of circumstances, with the worst of partners:

When the musicians began to play, she timidly laid her hand on Tyrion's and said, "My lord, should we lead the dance?" His mouth twisted. "I think we have already given them sufficient amusement for one day, don’t you?" "As you say, my lord." She pulled her hand back. Joffrey and Margaery led in their place. How can a monster dance so beautifully? Sansa wondered. She had often daydreamed of how she would dance at her wedding, with every eye upon her and her handsome lord. In her dreams they had all been smiling. Not even my husband is smiling. – ASOS, Sansa III

For albeit different reasons, Tyrion is likewise "not one for dancing," and so Sansa's dream of dancing with her future husband and lord, her expectation even, is thwarted. But unlike Tyrion, Sigorn does get up to dance, at Alys' insistence, regardless of his skill or how it might embarrass her and/or him. Again, this action of dragging him up to dance feels very Arya-like, but with the desire behind it — a love of dancing — strongly evoking Sansa:

The fish course was next, but as the pike was being boned Lady Alys dragged the Magnar up onto the floor. From the way he moved it was plain that Sigorn had never danced before, but he had drunk enough mulled wine so that did not seem to matter. – ADWD, Jon X

Similarly, Sansa's desire to dance trumps her propriety, but she does so without her husband as her partner and that is where Alys and Sansa divide.

Perhaps she ought to have remained beside her husband, but she wanted to dance so badly… – ASOS, Sansa III

Where Alys comes together with Sigorn in dance, "in […] one state" you might say, promising good things for their marriage, Sansa and Tyrion remain decidedly separate and alienated from one another — as they bloody well should, mind you! So, for Sansa this expectation of dancing with her husband remains tellingly unfulfilled, others "[lead] the dance," but perhaps she’ll dance with a true and wanted husband… anon. Because for both Jon and Sansa, this promise of a dance with a particular but unidentified partner is very significant and it is also strongly tied to the rituals of love and marriage. Once again, it is an example of their romantic sensibilities and deep held desires being in accord.

A Bastard and A Wildling Warrior

Just as a sidenote, the detail of Sigorn being "drunk enough [on] mulled wine" to have the courage to dance, even badly, is interesting when we remember that way back in AGOT, Jon I, Jon got drunk on "summerwine" and likely felt bold enough to express a few things he might not have otherwise:

[…] he was finding that he had a man's thirst, to the raucous delight of the youths around him, who urged him on every time he drained a glass. […] The procession had passed not a foot from the place he had been given on the bench, and Jon had gotten a good long look at them all. […] Sansa, two years older, drew the crown prince, Joffrey Baratheon […] Sansa looked radiant as she walked beside him, but Jon did not like Joffrey’s pouty lips or the bored, disdainful way he looked at Winterfell’s Great Hall. – AGOT, Jon I

So, not only are there potential parallels to be made between Sansa and Alys (who I’ll get back to in a mo), but also Sigorn and Jon. Just on a physical level, Sigorn is lean, like Jon, but with receding hairline that makes him appear older than he is (rip those luscious locks). Yet just as Jon is said to closely resemble Ned Stark, his presumed father, Sigorn is likewise a "younger, shorter version of his father" (ADWD, Jon III). Styr, we know, is described as "straight as a spear, all long wiry muscle, clean-shaved, bald, with a strong straight nose and deepset grey eyes […] he might even have been comely if he’d had ears," (ASOS, Jon I). So, obviously not a doppelganger in line with the likes of Waymar Royce… but Sigorn and Jon do share a few physical, character and behavioural traits:

Grey eyes — a typical Stark trait

A lean, or slender, physique

A strong resemblance to their “fathers”

An air of maturity related to their appearance and/or attitude

Thrust into a position of authority as a young man — Magnar vs. Lord Commander

Deep pride in and allegiance to their houses/clans — Stark vs. Thenn

Increased boldness/courage through wine drinking at a feast

They also share a certain romantic tenderness beneath a broody exterior:

"Sigorn," asked Melisandre, "will you share your fire with Alys, and warm her when the night is dark and full of terrors?" "I swear me." The Magnar's promise was a white cloud in the air. Snow dappled his shoulders. His ears were red. "By the red god's flames, I warm her all her days." – ADWD, Jon X

Call me an old softie, but I like to read the above two ways — his ears are red because of the cold, but also as a sign of tender bashfulness… a hint towards a romantic heart. And I think that reading is somewhat supported by how positively we’re meant to view this union between Sigorn and Alys:

[…] Lady Alys dragged the Magnar up onto the floor. From the way he moved it was plain that Sigorn had never danced before, but he had drunk enough mulled wine so that it did not seem to matter. "A northern maid and a wildling warrior, bound together by the Lord of Light," Ser Axell Florent slipped into Lady Alys’s vacant seat. — ADWD, Jon X

Hmm, "a northern maid" … and "a wildling warrior"? Interesting. Very interesting descriptions.

"Some of your own Sworn Brothers would have me believe that you are half a wildling yourself. Is it true?" – ADWD, Jon IV Mully cleared his throat. "M'lord? The wildling princess, letting her go, the men may say—" "—that I am half a wildling myself, a turncloak who means to sell the realm to our raiders, cannibals, and giants." Jon did not need to stare into a fire to know what was being said of him. The worst part was, they were not wrong, not wholly. "Words are wind, and the wind is always blowing at the Wall. Come." – ADWD, Jon VIII "I see what you are, Snow. Half a wolf and half a wildling, baseborn get of a traitor and a whore. You would deliver a highborn maid to the bed of some stinking savage. Did you sample her yourself first?" [Cregan Karstark] laughed. "If you mean to kill me, do it and be damned for a kinslayer. Stark and Karstark are one blood." – ADWD, Jon X "Ghost?" Jon was shocked. "Unless your lordship has some other white wolf, aye. I never seen him like this, m'lord. All wild-like, I mean." He was not wrong, as Jon discovered for himself when he slipped inside the doors. The big white direwolf would not lie still. He paced from one end of the armoury to the other, past the cold forge and back again. "Easy, Ghost," Jon called. "Down. Sit, Ghost. Down." Yet when he made to touch him, the wolf bristled and bared his teeth. It's that bloody boar. Even in here, Ghost can smell his stink. – ADWD, Jon XIII

In ADWD, Jon notably gets called "half a wildling" more than once, by his black brothers, Stannis Baratheon and Cregan Karstark… enough times for him to comment on it (see Jon VIII above), refuting the accusation, although only truly explicitly so within his internal thoughts:

I am not the trusting fool you take me for … nor am I half wildling, no matter what you believe. – ADWD, Jon XI

Ok, maybe he’s not a wildling per se… but there is something a bit wild about the boy, or there perhaps will be if we take the behaviour of his wolf as any indication. But anyway…

Winter's Lady

As explored above, Sansa and Alys most likely share a sincere love of dancing, but at the very least, certainly share an expectation of dancing with their husbands on their wedding day. In this way, Alys strongly evokes Sansa when we consider this connection to dancing, but also in how she is described and how she behaves too. Though, of course, a comparison to Sansa is never explicitly stated within the text, instead we find the much more expected and fondly familial comparisons to Arya, which follow a pattern first presented to us with Ygritte in ACOK. But just as with the Girl in Grey prophecy, you can never take the most obvious answer or explanation at face value!

As we know, Jon assumed TGiG must be Arya… but then it seemingly turns out to be Alys, though there are several inconsistencies there, key ones being she doesn’t arrive in grey or from the right direction. Ok, so it must be Jeyne Poole then? Jeyne Poole disguised as Arya, thus sort of aligning with Jon’s first instinct… but also not, and surely that's the twist? But hey! We’re forgetting someone! Someone who has been lurking in the subtext of every romantic female figure that Jon meets…

The girl smiled in a way that reminded Jon so much of his little sister that it almost broke his heart. "Let him be scared of me." – ADWD, Jon X

Alys Karstark reminds Jon of his "little sister," and who else could that be but Arya? Especially when we have proof of their shared fierceness in the following line (though that bravery is a trait held by all the Starklings, including Sansa, I'd argue). That’s all fine and dandy… but then we get the next bit of description and someone else starts to come to mind instead:

The snowflakes were melting on her cheeks, but her hair was wrapped in a swirl of lace that Satin had found somewhere, and snow began to collect there, giving her a frosty crown. Her cheeks were flushed and red, and her eyes sparkled. "Winter’s lady." Jon squeezed her hand. – ADWD, Jon X

It's not just Alys' love of dancing, her courteous nature ("It would only be courteous"), her desire to dance with her husband on her wedding day that creates a parallel to Sansa. The inclusion of melting snowflakes on their faces/cheeks, flushed cheeks, and her lacey wedding garb are also noteworthy:

The smallclothes were all silk, but the gown itself was ivory samite and cloth-of-silver, and lined with silvery satin. The points of the long dagged sleeves almost touched the ground when she lowered her arms […] The bodice was slashed in the front almost to her belly, the deep vee covered with a panel of ornate Myrish lace in dove-grey […] They brought her new shoes as well, slippers of soft grey doeskin that hugged her feet like lovers. "You are very beautiful, my lady," the seamstress said when she was dressed. "I am, aren’t I?" Sansa giggled, and spun, her skirts swirling around her. – ASOS, Sansa III Sansa drifted past frosted shrubs and thin dark trees, and wondered if she were still dreaming. Drifting snowflakes brushed her face as light as lover’s kisses, and melted on her cheeks. At the centre of the garden, beside the statue of the weeping woman that lay broken and half-buried on the ground, she turned her face up to the sky and closed her eyes. She could feel the snow on her lashes, taste it on her lips. It was the taste of Winterfell. The taste of innocence. The taste of dreams.[…] "What are you doing?" Petyr straightened his cloak. "Kissing a snow maid." "You're supposed to kiss her." Sansa glanced up at Lysa's balcony, but it was empty now. "Your lady wife." "I do. Lysa has no cause for complaint." He smiled. "I wish you could see yourself, my lady. You are so beautiful. You're crusted over with snow like some little bear cub, but your face is flushed and you can scarcely breathe. How long have you been out here? You must be very cold. Let me warm you, Sansa. Take off those gloves, give me your hands." – ASOS, Sansa VII

In the first passage, from ASOS, we have a description of Sansa's wedding garb, though at the time she was unaware of what this new outfit was intended for. What is striking, however, is how the combination colours — ivory, silver, silvery, dove-grey, soft grey — are not only the colours of House Stark, but also evoke a wintery landscape, especially a gentle flurry of snowflakes with "her skirts swirling around her." It’s a very romantic image, but so is the description of Alys Karstark in her wedding clothes… though it's always struck me as rather convenient, as opposed to realistic, that "a swirl of lace" just happened to be found for the occasion. Indeed, what use do men of the Night’s Watch have for such fripperies, I ask you?

Admittedly, Sansa is never called "a northern maid" or "winter’s lady" like Alys is, but such descriptions wouldn't be out of place regarding here, as we have Sansa’s ties to the north and her position/identity as a lady/maiden emphasised time and time again throughout the series. And "a snow maid" and "winter’s lady" feel fairly synonymous to me. Alys Karstark is also called a "a northern maid" by Ser Axell Florent, which could well be said of Sansa too:

"Sansa was a lady at three, always so courteous and eager to please. She loved nothing so well as tales of knightly valour. Men would say she had my look, but she will grow into a woman far more beautiful than I ever was, you can see that […]" – ACOK, Catelyn VII "I forgot, you've been hiding under a rock. The northern girl. Winterfell's daughter. We heard she killed the king with a spell, and afterward changed into a wolf with big leather wings like a bat, and flew out a tower window. But she left the dwarf behind and Cersei means to have his head." – ASOS, Arya XIII "[…] If Dontos and this northern girl helped murder our sweet king, it seems to me that they would want to put as many leagues as they could betwixt themselves and justice […]" – AFFC, Brienne I "[…] A young maid, three-and-ten and fair of face, with blue eyes and auburn hair […]" – AFFC, Brienne II I am Sansa Stark, Lord Eddard's daughter and Lady Catelyn's, the blood of Winterfell. – AFFC, Sansa I

I mean… no disrespect meant to you Alys, you seem like a nice gal, but… I mean… come on, now. If anyone is the OTMN/OTWL (One True Northern Maid/One True Winter’s Lady) of the series, it’s Sansa goddamn Stark. But to summarise, just from looking at that first usage of "anon," Jon's interactions with Alys Karstark, and Alys herself, we can get the sense that there’s something more going on here that isn't immediately apparent:

There are some mysteries in these books. There are some things that I’m gonna reveal later on that I’m planting clues for. There are some later plot twists that I’m foreshadowing. There are things that are gonna happen in Book 5 and Book 6 and Book 7 where I’ve planted a seed for it in Book 1. But I don’t necessarily want to give away my hand. So, what do I do when I plant the seed? Well, I plant the seed, but I try to do a little literary sleight of hand, and while I’m planting the seed, my other hand is up there waving and is distracting you with some flashy bit of wordplay or something that’s going on in the foreground, while the seed is being planted in the background. So hopefully the seed is there, the foreshadowing is there, but maybe you won’t notice it, because it’s surrounded by so many other things. [source]

The Significance of Snowflakes

I've kind of talked around your actual question and key quotation because I wanted to put it in context first before I really dive into it and pick it apart. But let's return to it fully now:

To recap, "anon" is used only twice in the series: in ADWD, Jon X and ADWD, Jon XII. In its first usage it is notably misused ("You danced with me anon"), as the meaning of "anon" refers to a future event, rather than the past. In the second and above usage, which refers back to that first mention, it is used correctly by Jon in his internal musings. Something about it suggests to me that this undisclosed voice is a familiar one to Jon, especially when we consider how Alys Karstark implicitly parallels Sansa and therefore acts as a sort of stand-in, or not quite right placeholder for her (a la Ygritte and Val).

Something else to ponder on is the possibility that this request, but also assurance of "dance with me, Jon Snow […] You’ll dance with me anon" is actually a recollected memory. This would marry the two past and future usages of "anon" — Alys' (mis)use, which referenced a dance shared when she and Jon "were children" and Jon's, which uses it correctly and points towards the future… though, a future dance also shared with someone from the past, a past previously thought walled up and left behind (... what are you fleeing from Jon? For those not in the know, check out my Byronic Hero meta ��).

So, past events and a foreshadowed future are important to consider here. Likewise, childhood and memory. But what is behind the importance placed on dancing, and moreover, on snowflakes?

As I said in my introductory paragraph, the Romantic description of dancing snowflakes alongside a request to dance and possible remembrances of the past/childhood feels strongly evocative of an earlier passage from ASOS and therefore one character in particular… Sansa Stark:

Outside the flakes drifted down as soft and silent as memory. Was this what woke me? Already the snowfall lay thick upon the garden below, blanketing the grass, dusting the shrubs and statues with white and weighing down the branches of the trees. The sight took Sansa back to cold nights long ago, in the long summer of her childhood. She had last seen snow the day she’d left Winterfell. That was a lighter fall than this, she remembered. Robb had melting snowflakes in his hair when he hugged me, and the snowball Arya tried to make kept coming apart in her hands. It hurt to remember how happy she had been that morning. Hullen had helped her mount, and she’d ridden out with snowflakes swirling around her, off to see the great wide world. I thought my song was beginning that day, but it was almost done. – ASOS, Sansa VII

The descriptions of Sansa entering the Eyrie's godswood that follow the above are some of my favourite passages in the whole of ASOIAF. But it’s interesting to consider how snowflakes in particular serve to connect Jonsa to one another through memory. Robb is described by both Sansa and Jon in their memories as having "melting snowflakes in his hair," and there is something quite melancholy about that association, the impermanence of it and the knowledge that Robb is no longer:

Robb had melting snowflakes in his hair when he hugged me […] – ASOS, Sansa VII "So do you, Sam. Have a swift, safe voyage, and take care of her and Aemon and the child." The cold trickles on his face reminded Jon of the day he’d bid farewell to Robb at Winterfell, never knowing that it was for the last time. "And pull your hood up. The snowflakes are melting in your hair." – ADWD, Jon II He thought of Robb, with snowflakes melting in his hair. – ADWD, Jon XIII

But more than that, the sight of snow in the godswood "took Sansa back to cold nights long ago, in the long summer of her childhood," but especially her last day in Winterfell. Similarly, the sight of snowflakes melting in his friend's hair reminds Jon of Robb, but also of his own departure from home — "the day he’d bid farewell […] never knowing that it was for the last time." Like Sansa, Jon too was setting off "to see the great wide world," and both have had that idealism challenged by adversity. The melting of snowflakes, and their connection to Robb, serve to highlight a past and safety that has been lost, a childhood that can never be returned to — it has melted away, just like the snowflakes.

But what does it mean when snowflakes aren’t melting, in hair or on cheeks? Can they still be connected to remembrance? What about the future, signified by snowflakes in motion, yet to settle?

It’s worth noting how infrequently "snowflake(s)" are actually mentioned in the series — only 28 uses across five books so far. Similarly, "flakes," used as a shortening for snowflakes, are also referenced even more sparingly, amounting to just 10 uses.

11 -> Jon = ASOS (3), ADWD (8) 5 -> Sansa = ASOS (5) 5 -> Bran = AGOT (3), ADWD (2) 4 -> Theon = ADWD (4) 4 -> Samwell = ASOS (1), AFFC (3) 2 -> Melisandre = ADWD (2)

It's unsurprising that Jon Snow would get the most mentions, as not only is he situated in the frosty north for the entirety of his story thus far, but he is also one of the most prolific POV in the series:

42 Chpts. -> Jon =GOT (9) -> ACOK (8) -> ASOS (12) -> AFFC (N/A) -> ADWD (13)

Most of Jon's snowflake references feature in ADWD, where he has the most POV chapters of any other character — just one above Tyrion, however. By comparison, Sansa and Bran, our second placers, have far less POV chapters (sides eyes GRRM), so they are perhaps all the more noteworthy:

25 Chpts. -> Sansa = AGOT (6) -> ACOK (8) -> ASOS (7) -> AFFC (3) -> ADWD (N/A)

21 Chpts. -> Bran = AGOT (7) -> ACOK (7) -> ASOS (4) -> AFFC (N/A) -> ADWD (3)

14 Chpts. -> Theon = AGOT (N/A) -> ACOK (6) -> ASOS (N/A) -> AFFC (N/A) -> ADWD (7)

10 Chpts. -> Samwell = AGOT (N/A) -> ACOK (N/A) -> ASOS (5) -> AFFC (5) -> ADWD (N/A)

1 Ch. -> Melisandre = AGOT (N/A) -> ACOK (N/A) -> ASOS (N/A) -> AFFC (N/A) -> ADWD (1)

It's clear that the number of snowflake references mirrors the number of POVs a character has… to a certain extent. But for me, what is especially interesting about this breakdown of references is that everyone, bar Sansa, is in the north at the time of their snowflake/flake mentions. By contrast, Sansa is in the Vale and the Eyrie with her references all taking place in a single chapter — ASOS, Sansa VII, aka the godswood chapter — where there are some very heavy allusions made to her past in Winterfell, as well as her involvement in its future restoration. So, she may be physically some distance from the north, but the emotional thrust of that long passage in the Eyrie’s godswood is nevertheless utterly wrapped up in imagery of the north… and in Jon Snow, funnily enough.

Comparing Snowflake Uses Across POVs

I think it’s always worth considering parallel imagery and word choice when it comes to seeking out hidden references and/or foreshadowing in a series like ASOIAF. With the snowflakes referenced in Jon and Sansa’s chapters, they are more often than not described as either drifting, dancing or swirling. Delicate and fragile, but in perpetual motion, not quite settled. Persevering.

But let’s take a closer look:

11 -> Jon = ASOS (3), ADWD (8)

Jon watched the flakes melt as they drifted over the flames. – ASOS, Jon I

Snowflakes speckled Tormund's broad face, melting in his hair and beard. – ASOS, Jon II

"Are all crows so curious?" asked Tormund. "Well, here’s a tale for you. It were another winter, colder even than the one I spent inside that giant, and snowing day and night, snowflakes as big as your head, not these little things […]" – ASOS, Jon II

The cold trickle on [Sam's] face reminded Jon of the day he’d bid farewell to Robb at Winterfell, never knowing that it was for the last time. "And pull your hood up. The snowflakes are melting in your hair." – ADWD, Jon II

When the last of the riders had disappeared into the trees, Jon Snow rode the winch cage down with Dolorous Edd. A few scattered snowflakes were falling as they made their slow descent, dancing on the gusty wind. One followed the cage down, drifting just beyond the bars. It was falling faster than they were descending and from time to time would vanish beneath them. Then a gust of wind would catch it and push it upward once again. Jon could have reached through the bars and caught it if he had wished. – ADWD, Jon VI

Melisandre raised her hands, and the ditchfire leapt upward toward her fingers, like a great red dog sprinting for a treat. A swirl of sparks rose to meet the snowflakes coming down. – ADWD, Jon X

Melisandre’s eyes shone as bright as the ruby at her throat. "Then come to me and be as one." As she beckoned, a wall of flames roared upward, licking at the snowflakes with hot orange tongues. Alys Karstark took her Magnar by the hand. – ADWD, Jon X

A snowflake danced upon the air. Then another. Dance with me, Jon Snow, he thought. You’ll dance with me anon. – ADWD, Jon XII

He thought of Robb, with snowflakes melting in his hair. – ADWD, Jon XIII

Above are all the references to snowflakes in Jon’s chapters, but I want to zero in on several comparable uses, in which there is an interesting combination of factors at play:

A few scattered snowflakes were falling as they made their slow descent, dancing on the gusty wind. One followed the cage down, drifting just beyond the bars. – ADWD, Jon VI

The snowflakes were melting on [Alys’] cheeks, but her hair was wrapped in a swirl of lace Satin had found somewhere, and the snow had begun to collect there, giving her a frosty crown. Her cheeks were flushed and red, and her eyes sparkled. – ADWD, Jon X

A snowflake danced upon the air. Then another. Dance with me, Jon Snow, he thought. You’ll dance with me anon. – ADWD, Jon XII

Across three chapters in ADWD, we find references to snowflakes used… but described in a very particular, delicate way:

Light snowfall -> "A few scattered snowflakes," "slow descent," "the snowfall was light," "a thin scattering of flakes," "the snow had begun to collect there," "a snowflake […] then another."

Dancing/drifting/swirling -> "Dancing on the gusty wind," "drifting just beyond the bars," "dancing in the air," "a swirl of lace […] the snow had begun to collect there," "a snowflake danced upon the air."

Blowing on the wind -> "Dancing on the gusty wind," "dancing in the air," "the wind was blowing," "a snowflake danced upon the air."

Let’s keep the above in mind as we move onto Sansa's uses!

5 -> Sansa = ASOS (5)

She had last seen snow the day she'd left Winterfell. That was a lighter fall than this, she remembered. Robb had melting flakes in his hair when he hugged me […] Hullen had helped her mount, and she’d ridden out with the snowflakes swirling around her […] – ASOS, Sansa VII

Outside the flakes drifted downas soft and silent as memory.– ASOS, Sansa VII

Drifting snowflakes brushed her face as light as lover’s kisses, and melted on her cheeks […] She could feel the snow on her lashes, taste it on her lips. – ASOS, Sansa VII

The wind flapped her skirts and bit at her bare legs with cold teeth. She could feel snowflakes melting on her cheeks. – ASOS, Sansa VII

Bar two, you could argue that all of Sansa’s snowflake references subtly mirror the four Jon usages I singled out above… or rather, his mirror hers…

She had last seen snow the day she’d left Winterfell. That was a lighter fall than this, she remembered. Robb had melting flakes in his hair when he hugged me […] Hullen had helped her mount, and she’d ridden out with the snowflakes swirling around her […] – ASOS, Sansa VII

Outside the flakes drifted down as soft and silent as memory.– ASOS, Sansa VII

Drifting snowflakes brushed her face as light as lover’s kisses, and melted on her cheeks. – ASOS, Sansa VII

Light snowfall -> "That was a lighter fall than this," "soft and silent," "as light as lover’s kisses."

Drifting/swirling -> "The snowflakes swirling around her," "the flakes drifted down," "drifting snowflakes."

What is absent, however, is any emphasis placed on the wind and how it carries these snowflakes. By comparison, in Jon passages where the above two factors are included it could be that the inclusion of snowflakes "dancing on the gusty wind," "dancing in the air," "the wind was blowing," etc., is meant to emphasise their motion even more so. And perhaps not just their motion, but also possibly their direction — towards Jon and therefore towards the north… just like the girl in grey:

[…] dancing on the gusty wind. One [snowflake] followed the cage down, drifting just beyond the bars. It was falling faster than they were descending and from time to time would vanish beneath them. Then a gust of wind would catch it and push it upward once again. Jon could have reached through the bars and caught it if he had wished. – ADWD, Jon VI […] flakes dancing in the air, but the wind was blowing from the east along the Wall […] – ADWD, Jon X So lovely. The snow-clad summit of the Giant’s Lance loomed above her, an immensity of stone and ice that dwarfed the castle perched upon its shoulder. Icicles twenty feet long draped the lip of the precipice where Alyssa’s Tears fell in summer. A falcon soared above the frozen waterfall, blue wings spread wide against the morning sky. Would that I had wings as well.– AFFC, Alayne I

I’ll come back to the significance of that easterly wind in particular in due course.

5 -> Bran = AGOT (3), ADWD (2)

A light snow was falling. Bran could feel the flakes on his face, melting as they touched his skin like the gentlest of rains. – AGOT, Bran V

Robb lifted his face to the snow, and the flakes melted on his cheeks. – AGOT, Bran V

The joy Bran had felt at the ride was gone, melted away like the snowflakes on his face. – AGOT, Bran V

The wolf let his tongue loll out between his teeth, tasting the frigid air, his breath misting as snowflakes melted on his tongue. – ADWD, Bran I

Snowflakes drifted down soundlessly to cloak the soldier pines and sentinels in white. – ADWD, Bran III

With Bran, references to snowflakes are typically soft "like the gentles of rains," but also often melting — against his face, on his tongue, on Robb’s cheeks. References to snowflakes makes sense in Bran's chapters as he spends the entirety of them in the north where snow is frequent. However, only once are they referred to as drifting (or any similar verb), so his inclusions aren't a perfect match to Jonsa's… nor are they perhaps meant to be.

Light snowfall -> "A light snow was falling […] like the gentlest of rains," "drifted down soundlessly."

Drifting -> "Drifted down."

Melting -> "Melting as they touched his skin," "the flakes melted on his cheeks," "melted away like the snowflakes on his face," "snowflakes melted on his tongue."

4 -> Samwell = ASOS (1), AFFC (3)

He stared upward at the pale white sky as snowflakes drifted down upon his stomach and his chest and his eyelids. – ASOS, Samwell I

A snowflake landed on Sam’s nose. – AFFC, Samwell I

"So do you, Sam. Have a swift, safe voyage, and take care of her and Aemon and the child." Jon smiled a strange, sad smile. "And pull your hood up. The snowflakes are melting in your hair." – AFFC, Samwell I

A light snow had begun to fall, the big soft flakes drifting down lazily from the sky. – AFFC, Samwell I

Like Bran, snowflakes are not out of place in Sam's chapters given the northernly environment in which they are set. In fact, his uses could be said to share the same intent as Bran's — setting the scene, evoking Robb Stark, etc. — though interestingly they are at times described as drifting.

Light snowfall -> "A light snow," "soft flakes."

Drifting -> "Snowflakes drifted," "soft flakes drifting."

Melting -> "The snowflakes are melting in your hair."

4 -> Theon = ADWD (4)

The first flakes came drifting down as the sun was setting in the west. By nightfall snow was coming down so heavily that the moon rose behind a white curtain, unseen. – ADWD, The Turncloak

Lord Ramsay commanded Abel to give them a marching song in honour of Stannis trudging through the snows, so the bard took up his lute again, whilst one of his washerwomen coaxed a sword from Sour Alyn and mimed Stannis slashing at the snowflakes. – ADWD, The Turncloak

Outside the snow was coming down so heavily that Theon could not see more than three feet ahead of him. He found himself alone in a white wilderness, walls of snow looming up to either side of him chest high. When he raised his head, the snowflakes brushed his cheeks like cold soft kisses. – ADWD, A Ghost in Winterfell

The hot water filled the air with clouds of steam, melting the snowflakes as they came drifting down. – ADWD, Theon I

Theon's snowflakes are notably mentioned whilst he is at Winterfell, and also whilst he is in the godswood. He's been described as Jon's foil by GRRM, so it is interesting to me that where for Jon snowflakes arrive with a light snowfall, for Theon these similarly drifting snowflakes are instead falling "so heavily." There is some softer imagery with the description of the snowflakes brushing his cheeks "like cold soft kisses," but there is little romance to that, or the context of that scene.

Light snowfall -> "Cold soft kisses."

Drifting -> "The first flakes came drifting down," "drifting down."

Heavy snowfall -> "By nightfall snow was coming down so heavily," "outside the snow was coming down so heavily."

Melting -> "Melting snowflakes."

2 -> Melisandre = ADWD (2)

Snowflakes swirled from a dark sky and ashes rose to meet them, the grey and white whirling around each other as flaming arrows arced above a wooden wall and dead things shambled silent through the cold, beneath a great grey cliff where fires burned inside a hundred caves. Then the wind rose and the white mist came sweeping in, impossibly cold, and one by one the fires went out. – ADWD, Melisandre I

A few snowflakes drifted by the open window, floating on the wind. – ADWD, Melisandre I

Now, Melisandre is an interesting one. Only one POV chapter in the series so far and yet she gets a couple of snowflake mentions that line up with the imagery used in Jon's and Sansa's chapters.

Light snowfall -> "A few snowflakes."

Drifting/swirling/whirling/floating ->"Snowflakes swirled."

Blowing on the wind -> "The wind rose," "floating on the wind."

I think the second reference, in particular, stands out since it ticks all three requirements, with the softness of the snowfall (indicated by their sparseness) being key, I think. Why is that interesting? Well, what has Melisandre been wondering about throughout her chapter? The girl in grey.

A Snowflake Danced Upon the Air from the East

The identity of TGiG has been long speculated about and I’m someone, like many Jonsas, who believes that she will be none other than Sansa Stark. By working on this meta though, I feel like I’m even more convinced that that’ll be true. Considering the above, I get the sense that when certain factors occur alongside one another — light snowfall that drifts/dances/swirls — what we’re getting is an implicit reference to either Jon in a Sansa chapter, or Sansa in a Jon chapter. The slight difference between them, however, is that for Jon we have the added factor of the wind carrying these snowflakes… as though towards him:

A "gusty wind" carries these "dancing" snowflakes, "drifting just beyond the bars" of the winch cage Jon is travelling in. A snowflake just out of reach, but then drifting closer, so close that "Jon could have reached [out] and caught it if he had wished." A snowflake. A snow maid. Interesting.

A snowflake danced upon the air. Then another. Dance with me, Jon Snow, he thought. You’ll dance with me anon. – ADWD, Jon XII

Again, in the quotation from your ask, we have mention of "a snowflake," and that singularity possibly being significant. Though, as we saw previously, there being a singular snowflake isn't a prerequisite for a potential Sansa reference in Jon’s chapters, at least imo. But it's intriguing, nonetheless. Returning to the wedding between Alys and Sigorn, what's also intriguing is this:

"All praise R'hllor, the Lord of Light," the wedding guests answered in ragged chorus before a gust of ice-cold wind blew their words away. Jon Snow raised the hood of his cloak. The snowfall was light today, a thin scattering of flakes dancing in the air, but the wind was blowing from the east along the Wall, cold as the breath of the ice dragon in the tales Old Nan used to tell. Even Melisandre's fire was shivering; the flames huddled down in the ditch, crackling softly as the red priestess sang. Only Ghost seemed not to feel the chill. Alys Karstark leaned close to Jon. "Snow during a wedding means a cold marriage. My lady mother always said so." He glanced at Queen Selyse. There must have been a blizzard the day she and Stannis wed. Huddled beneath her ermine mantle and surrounded by her ladies, serving girls, and knights, the southron queen seemed a frail, pale, shrunken thing. A strained smile was frozen into place on her thin lips, but her eyes brimmed with reverence. She hates the cold but loves the flames.He had only to look at her to see that. A word from Melisandre, and she would walk into the fire willingly, embrace it like a lover. – ADWD, Jon X

Snow is positioned here as an ill omen, signifying a "cold marriage" if it falls on your wedding day , and yet we've seen from the interactions between the wedded couple that so far that hasn’t come to pass, in fact, they look set for a pretty warm and happy marriage. So maybe this talk of prophetic superstitions is just a distraction… but a distraction from what?

The snowfall was light today, a thin scattering of flakes dancing in the air, but the wind was blowing from the east along the Wall, cold as the breath of the ice dragon in the tales Old Nan used to tell. Even Melisandre's fire was shivering; the flames huddled down in the ditch, crackling softly as the red priestess sang. Only Ghost seemed not to feel the chill. – ADWD, Jon X

Light snowfall, dancing snowflakes on the cold wind… and yet "Ghost seemed not to feel the chill." Indeed, if the behaviour of Ghost is any indication… Jon Snow may be Queen Selyse's opposite in the sense that he hates the flames but loves the cold. Loves a snow maid. Loves winter’s true lady. Will love the girl in grey on a dying horse, running from the hunters… travelling from the east, blowing towards him on an easterly wind:

The girl. I must find the girl again, the grey girl on the dying horse. Jon Snow would expect that of her, and soon. It would not be enough to say the girl was fleeing. He would want more, he would want the when and the where, and she did not have that for him. She had seen the girl only once. A girl as grey as ash, and even as I watched she crumbled and blew away. – ADWD, Melisandre I "Hills. Fields. Trees. A deer, once. Stones. She is staying well away from villages. When she can she rides along the bed of little streams, to throw hunters off her trail." [Mance] frowned. "That will make it difficult. She was coming north, you said. Was the lake to her east or to her west?" Melisandre closed her eyes, remembering. "West." – ADWD, Melisandre I The snowfall was light today, a thin scattering of flakes dancing in the air, but the wind was blowing from the east along the Wall […] – ADWD, Jon X

Because if Long Lake is to the west of her, then the girl in grey will be coming to the Wall from the east… "Blowing from the east along the Wall," just as Melisandre saw in her flames; a girl who "crumbled and blew away," who is fleeing, riding north on a dying horse, in motion, on her way to Jon Snow's side. As I've said, it’s not a brand-new theory to believe that Sansa is going to be the real girl in grey, but I think that these dancing snowflakes (an allusion to Sansa) blowing in from the east further supports that conclusion. Building on that, I wouldn't be surprised if, much like in the show actually, Sansa's arrival coincides with a swirl of drifting snowflakes, dancing on the north-easterly wind.

And it's not just in Jon's chapters that the direction of east, or a wind blowing in from the east, occurs:

Alayne's apartments in the Maiden's Tower were larger and more lavish than the little bedchamber where she'd been kept when Lady Lysa was alive. She had a dressing room and a privy of her own now, and a balcony of carved white stone that looked off across the Vale. While Gretchel was tending to the fire, Alayne padded barefoot across the room and slipped outside. The stone was cold beneath her feet, and the wind was blowing fiercely, as it always did up here, but the view made her forget all that for half a heartbeat. Maiden's was the easternmost of the Eyrie’s seven slender towers, so she had the Vale before her, its forests and rivers and fields all hazy in the morning light. […] […] A falcon soared above the frozen waterfall, blue wings spread wide against the morning sky. Would that I had wings as well. – AFFC, Alayne I

Like a lady in a song, like "some willowy creature who sits up in a tower" (ADWD, Jon IX), Alayne Stone resides in the Maiden's Tower, "the easternmost of the Eyrie's seven slender towers." From her tower, she looks out to the east, wishing that she had wings to carry herself away…

They are all convinced she is a princess. Val looked the part and rode as if she had been born on horseback. A warrior princess, he decided, not some willowy creature who sits up in a tower, brushing her hair and waiting for some knight to rescue her. – ADWD, Jon IX

East. East. She is coming from the east. A drifting, dancing snowflake on the light gusty wind. Beyond the bars of Jon's cage — both physical and abstract — almost within his grasp. Almost. And not some willowy creature, not even a snow maid, but a real living girl, saving herself, rescuing herself, but in need of some help too.

A snowflake danced upon the air. Then another. Dance with me, Jon Snow, he thought. You’ll dance with me anon. – ADWD, Jon XII

And as the snowflakes drift, on a gusty eastern wind, their touch as light as lover's kisses, they will dance with one another anon...

Hope this answer and my thoughts were worth the wait! xx

#cappy's thoughts #jonsa #jon x sansa #dancing snowflakes #i do take a while but i try to deliver!#hopefully a good read :)

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reginarubie · 2 years ago

Note

Sansa is connected with Medusa. Winged creature(winged wolf) and with serpent's in hair(silver hairnet with black amythest). She was used as pawn to kill Joffery and there were rumours about her doing witchcraft for escaping as wolf. But I think Dany is also a Medusa. Winged creatures can be Dragons. What do you think?

Ciao anon!,

you pose an interesting question and I think the matter of mythology in asoiaf is extremely interesting and that certain character might embody more than one singular mythological figure. Just look at Cersei (Venus and Eris) or Daenerys (Inanna/Astarte/Ishtar and Hecate) or Arya (Athena/Enyo and Hecate).

Sansa, herself, on the same line of thought might embody more than just one mythological figure. Some are already confirmed (like the Medusa and Persephone connection) others are just potential while sustained by textual evidence (Psyche, Gunnlöd and Isis for example).

As always, some premises are in order. Firstly I am in no way an expert on this subject and matter, I form my opinion and deliver it to you, based off the researches I do and the classical studies I did in high school, but I am in no way pretending to either an expert nor to hold the complete truth of it, so if anyone knows better please come forward for I enjoy learning on every subject.

Secondly, when speaking of ancient mythological figures, exactly as for goddesses etcetera, we have to take in consideration that during the span of time in which they've piled up, they have suffered from mixing, merging and shaping to serve the purpose and means that the author wanted them to serve. So it's never a clean-cut interpretation and often these figures embody elements that we'd not approach together (desire/death, for example, or love/destruction, like I have analysed in the Venus meta pertaining Cersei and Daenerys, x).

So, now, let's hop onto the first confirmed connection you have cited:

MEDUSA THE GORGON AND THE MAID AT THE FEAST WITH PURPLE SERPENTS IN HER HAIR

"I dreamt a wolf howling in the rain, but no one heard his grief," the dwarf woman was saying. "I dreamt such a clangor I thought my head might burst, drums and horns and pipes and screams, but the saddest sound was the little bells. I dreamt of a maid at a feast with purple serpents in her hair, venom dripping from their fangs. And later I dreamt that maid again, slaying a savage giant in a castle built of snow." — Arya VIII, ASOS

I am not digressing on the whole ‘(...) the saddest sound was the little bells’, I am not digressing on the whole ‘(...) the saddest sound was the little bells’ connected to war and destruction and — damn I totally am, in that other meta someone requested about Daenerys/Cleopatra (@sansaissteel this is all your fault, I want you to know, you fiend, I adore it).

Anyhow, back on track. We know, for sure, that Sansa is the maid at the feast with purple serpents in her hair, their fangs dripping with venom, as she wears the silver and black amethyst hairnet to Joffrey's wedding feast — and I've already said it, but purple is not only the colour of sorcery and power, but also of royalty and Sansa is royalty, by being princess in the North to her brother Robb, but I am digressing on colour codification and this is neither the place neither the time; just let it sink in that the only women who wear shades of purple/lilac are Daenerys a former princess turned queen, Sansa a princess and Arya another princess; three girls born as royalty as three are the Gorgons? mhhhh— and that inside the gems of the hairnet was the poison used to killed Joffrey (the strangler).

"There was murder in them!"

"Softly, my lady, softly. No murder. He choked on his pigeon pie." Dontos chortled. "Oh, tasty tasty pie. Silver and stones, that's all it was, silver and stone and magic."

The bells were tolling, and the wind was making a noise like he had made as he tried to suck a breath of air. "You poisoned him. You did. You took a stone from my hair..." — Sansa V, ASOS

By your description of Medusa, I assume you are talking about the most ancient myth associated with this particular gorgon, the one by which she was already born with serpents for hair and the capacity of turning to stone those who looked in her eyes, she also had wings, like her other two sisters.

In this, more ancient, essentially greek-migrated-from-the-east version of the myth Medusa was the daughter of the ancient marine deities, Phorkys and Keto, and she had two sisters, she was also the only mortal of the three gorgon. Perseus, demigod son of Zeus, kills her by beheading her, retaining her head for its properties (turning those who met her eyes to stone).

But, personally, I think Sansa represents better the roman version of this myth, the one narrated by Ovidio, whom transformed Medusa into a very beautiful woman whose most beautiful asset was her long hair, who Poseidon had sex with inside a sanctuary of Athena, who, furious at this, condemned the girl to become a monster, making of her beautiful hair serpents and making sure that she could meet no one's else gaze anymore, making sure her beauty became her curse. Mostly because Sansa was not a Medusa to begin with, she still isn't, as she was unaware of the purpose of the hairnet, and was framed thanks to it, and is aghast when she understand it. Also, it recalls nicely to the fact that Sansa's beauty resides much also in her thick, curly, auburn hair — so much that Cat thinks she'll grow more beautiful than her, when she recalls about brushing her hair — and the fact that after she was made of a Medusa she is forced to hide her identity for safety reasons and thus has to dye her hair dark, thus taking away part of her own beauty and identity.

She's still beautiful and charming — as proved by the fact that not a single lord or lady dismiss her and her role as de facto great lady of the Eyrie, and they hate LF, so they don't do it out of respect for him — still, her identity is put under trial here.

Also, as you yourself state, Medusa is a winged creature with serpents for hair and Sansa — who has worn poison in her hairnet — is being framed for Joffrey's murder — becoming a murdress, and herein comes the connotation of the name Medusa for ‘becoming a monster/ or lovely who does evil’ — and people say (a metropolitan myth if you'll like) that she killed the king with a spell — much like Medusa killed with her eyes only — later turned into a wolf with bat-like wings and flew away.

The northern girl. Winterfell's daughter. We heard she killed the king with a spell, and afterward changed into a wolf with big leather wings like a bat, and flew out a tower window. — Arya XIII, ASOS

So, wings. Of the Starklings only Bran and Sansa are connected with this image of the winged wolf. Sansa, as most women, connotated negatively (as a witch) and Bran as some sort of all-powerful mage. Which actually shall bring the twist because I believe Sansa to be the more innocent out of all her siblings, barred for Rickon, and Bran will have an hard time breaking free from Bloodraven, tho he ultimately will and in doing so he will reject the winged wolf and never fly again. Sacrificing magic, which can mean so much to him, for the good of the Realm and thus posing himself as the best prospect to lead the realm. Sansa, instead, is supposed to rule the North and she will do so by shedding the veil of this false accusation of being a Medusa, by proving she's her father's daughter first and foremost. Besides, I live for the Sansa Stark/Cregan Stark parallels and Sansa being appalled at Joffrey's end and her unwitting, unwilling part in it reminds me of Cregan schooling everyone as to why a king, even an opposing king, should be killed with honour, in battle, and not by poison. Sansa too washed her hands off the South in the same way as Cregan refused to stay and serve as Hand.

Anyway, digressing is a nice activity, but I will never come to end of this reply if I keep this on.

Sansa is also deeply connected with Jenny of Oldstone, flowers in her hair and dragonfly theme associated with her; and we all know that Jenny was married to Duncan, who refused his right and claim to the Iron throne to stay with her. Kind of like Jon refused his claim and right (Robb made him his heir, not that he knows yet) and everything he ever wanted for his sister *cough* cousin *cough* Sansa.

“Winterfell belongs to my sister Sansa” — Jon Snow, hidden Targaryen ‘prince’

“By right Winterfell should go to my sister Sansa.” — Jon Snow, hidden Targaryen ‘prince’

As a footnote, in some forms of the myth Medusa is pregnant by Poseidon when she's killed and posthumous she births Pegasus and Chryasor (a giant wielding a golden sword); so she's connected to another winged creature — which, again dragonfly (Sansa is connected to dragonflies and thus Jenny of Oldstone and her prince Duncan) and dragons.

Jon (hidden Targaryen — dragon, winged creature/direwolf, crow) and Sansa (‘winged’ wolf — little bird) mhhhh why does this sound like a pattern?

So, yes, without doubt Sansa does have some parallels in some form Medusa, but I think it will more of a Sansa shedding this forced image of Medusa imposed on her by her being framed for Joff's murder, than her embracing her inner gorgon (murdress). She'll probably skirt the line, but in the end as the red keeps creeping back under the dark dye, Sansa will always remain Ned Stark's daughter as I have analysed here (connected with LF trying to trap her in his schemes) and here (connected with her choosing the pear instead of the pomegranate LF offers).

THE GORGON AND DAENERYS

On the contrary, Daenerys is embracing her inner gorgon. As we've seen when she embraces the dragon (winged creature) capable of killing from distance (dragonfire), as she flees Meereen on Drogon's back.

‘Mother of dragons, mother of monsters (...) if they are monsters, so am I’ — Daenerys Targaryen

And she embraces both the more ancient form of the myth as, just as Medusa, Daenerys is a children of three from an incestous marriage between sibling coming from an ancient line of people (gods) lost in time (the valyrian), just like the Ovidio-version she starts off as a lovely maid which circumstances make of a gorgon, the point is, in this case she is her own perpetrator. She's the one who chooses to do the blood-rite deliberately knowing what it entails, she's the one who embraces the dragon, as I have analysed in this series of metas (x, by the title of blood magic and dark rites), she's the one who keeps embracing the dragon.

She's a lovely maiden, especially when AGOT starts, and her beauty is again mainly focused on her physical traits, her valyrian silver-gold locks and her amethyst eyes, and she's called the silver queen. And, after her blood ritual, and her death and resurrection (this is my personal theory) she lost all of her hair and they have become so brittle because of the stress, that she can't get them long again and styles them short, without braids (if not little ones) and bells instead.

[I won't digress on ‘(...) the saddest sound was the little bells’ connected to warcraft and destruction, I won't. Not now, but I really want to]

Also, just as Medusa posthumously birthed Pegasus (a winged horse, Perseus rides) and the giant with the golden sword...Daenerys too, posthumously imo (again for that theory of resurrection in asoiaf) ‘births’ children. Three dragons (one of which, Drogon, serves as her winged ride — she flees Meereen on dragonback) and if we have to go by the dark AA theory one of them (Drogon, again) might be the Lightbringer (the sword of AA)...even if the rider of Viserion (golden) might actually be connected with this point.

Anyway, you catch my drift. Daenerys chooses to embrace her inner gorgon, her inner Medusa (lovely face capable of great destruction — which coincidentally might be one of the interpretation of her name, as I have already said in the previous ask about her and the Venus parallels, as Daenerys seems to me like a merging of the greek names Deianira and Iris, which would mean ‘extremely beautiful woman capable of great destruction/destructress of mankind’) and this is where her arc is headed imo, though that remain to be seen.

So, yes, of course Daenerys has parallels with Medusa as well, though, as always with these two (Dany and Sansa) they are rivals, they are moral opposites (one shedding and refusing her imposed mask of Medusa, the other embracing it). Unsurprisingly, really.

On a footnote, red keeps creeping back in Sansa dyed hair, while Daenerys’ hair have difficulty growing back — again one rejects the gorgon the other embraces it.

And we could cut it here, sadly, now you have unleashed an long-ass analysis of possible mythological figures connected to Sansa and I won't stop. Sorry, it was your mistake really for stoking my curiosity.

— joking obviously, but I won't stop here.

So get your seatbelts ready.

PERSEPHONE, QUEEN OF THE UNDERWORLD AND SANSA STARK ~ THE MYTH OF HADES AND PERSEPHONE REVERSED

Petyr cut a pomegranate in two with his dagger, offering half to Sansa. "You should try and eat, my lady."

"Thank you, my lord." Pomegranate seeds were so messy; Sansa chose a pear instead, and took a small delicate bite. It was very ripe. The juice ran down her chin. — Sansa VI, ASOS

It sounds like a wolf, thought Sansa. A ghost wolf, big as mountains. — Alayne II, AFFC

Sansa is deeply connected with Persephone, goddess of spring and queen of the underworld. She's often connected with the pomegranate, not only is she served some — and refuses it choosing the pear instead and I've already analysed what that means for her and LF, who is fulfilling as a foil her Hades in the previously linked post when I spoke of her shedding her Medusa' mask — but she also thinks that when she blushes she looks like a pomegranate. Which makes me think that Sansa refused LF because he is just a foil, a dark look-a-like who truly isn't, of her true Hades who will not try to manipulate her to eat the pomegranate, but will make of her inherently a pomegranate by making her blush 'cause of love.

And, who is currently laying dead in a pool of his own blood (red as the pomegranate) in a snow field?, someone whose death she has felt and that she is foreshadowed in the very same passage as to led him back from the realm of dead and bring him back to life and spring in a reversal myth, Hades brought Persephone to the Underworld and kept her there, Sansa will lead Jon back from the realm of the dead, giving his life back meaning and purpose (like she did in the show) and will possibly help him through from winter to spring, as I have analysed here.

Also, as I have said more than once, Sansa is the first child of Ned and Cat born of love and in Winterfell, but she's also the first Stark kid born after winter (Robb was born during the false spring and the Rebellion — and in fact he creates the North as an independent kingdom but loses it; Jon if the book goes by show will do the same and he should be born in the year of false spring/nearing the fall back of winter), but before the long summer, which has been lasting for 9 years (approximatively since Arya's birth) while Sansa is eleven by the time AGOT starts, so it stands to reason she might be born during spring or at the very beginning of spring.

And Persephone was the goddess of spring and she's connected with Jenny of Oldstone by wearing flowers in her hair, just like the iconography of Persephone, who often is depicted with flowers in her hair.

Also, in the myth, Hades was pretty lax with his punishments (usually it would just suffice running some errand — perilous often — for him and he was done with it) but when Persephone sat beside him on her throne — ah as we said in my high school when we learned of their myth ‘meglio andare all'inferno d'estate, che d'inverno’, ‘better to go to the underworld in summer than winter’ as in winter Persephone was in her tenure as queen of the Underworld — and would administer justice beside her husband, often delivering punishment and justice to the souls that came to Hades' court.

And, as Jon is more focused on “I don't need to trust you to have need of you”, Sansa whole journey in the Vale is aimed at her becoming the one administering justice the same way as Ned was the one to deliver justice when he was lord of Winterfell. Which is why I always grimace at how undeveloped is the scene of LF's trial and execution, based on the whole arc of Sansa in this respect.

So, here's what I think about her confirmed (in part) connection with Persephone.

Let's hop onto the unconfirmed (yet) ones.

GUNNLÖD, THE WINE OF POETRY AND SANSA STARK

And later I dreamt that maid again, slaying a savage giant in a castle built of snow." — Arya VIII, ASOS

So, the connection with Gunnlöd is pretty interesting and actually a bit obscure but I feel like it's greatly pertinent to Sansa and her whole arc at the moment, fulfilling both the role of the original Stark lady and the Stark lord bastard son of Bael the Bard.

Gunnlöd is a figure of the norse mythology, and she's a giantess, daughter of a giant (lord/king of a castle) who is kept prisoner in her father's castle and forced to brew and care for three kettles with beverage she shall not let anyone taste on her own father's order.

You can see where I am aiming for, don't you?, Sansa is posing as Alayne Stone, bastard daughter of Littlefinger, whose family's sigil was the Titan of Braavos and that is highly associated and connected with the giant the same maid of the feast (Sansa) shall slay in a castle build of snow (Winterfell, the whole point of Sansa building Winterfell from snow and using LF's lessons against him as she embrace her identity as Ned Stark's daughter is something I've already discussed about here).

Anyway, point is Gunnlöd is dutiful and obeys her father, but when Odin comes to her, after a long travel very thirsty and ask for a sip of the drinks she is moved by his pleas and offers him to drink, Odin then proceeds to seduce her and offers to obtain three sips in exchange for three nights of passion. Gunnlöd accepts and Odin complies, and after having offered her the three nights he drinks the whole beverage, escaping and sharing it with the rest of the gods of Asgard after having fled in form of an eagle. The beverage he drank was the wine of poetry and thus Odin stole the gift of poetry from Gunnlöd.

Though, other versions of the story, want Gunnlöd to have fallen in love with Odin and have willingly helped him and that he himself would think back on his time with her with fondness, displaying some kind of affection toward her as one of his lovers.

I like this parallel, one because Gunnlöd who is imprisoned in the castle of her father to guard his secret powers (poetry — A harp can be as dangerous as a sword, in the right hands — something we know, by Arya, that her sister is very good at composing) is the one who makes sure, wittingly or not, that that power is no longer possession of only her father, which makes me think of Sansa whole arc posing as Alayne, learning all of LF's secrets and modus operandi to then use them against him, once again (just like in their Beal and original lady Stark version) fulfilling two roles at once (Bael's bastard son and the lady Stark) the one of Gunnlöd and the one of Odin, also since, ya know ‘red keeps creeping back (like a thief):

"You wrong me, ser. I am no thief!"

Ser Roland placed his hand over his heart. "Then how do you explain this hole in my chest, from where you stole my heart?" — Alayne I, WOW

Especially since, as it's hinted at in the text, is possible Sansa shall use her abilities to spin a story, to forward the rise of House Stark and the restoration of the North.

Just as Gunnlöd crippled her father thanks to her offering the gift of poetry to Odin, in the same way Sansa will cripple LF by using his secrets against him.

So yeah, pretty obscure and relatively unapproached until now, but I stumbled upon this one and I loved it.

PSYCHE AND SANSA STARK (rif)

I've already spoken a bit of the parallels between Sansa and Psyche in the previously linked post about the parallels between Cersei and Daenerys and Venus (linking the story of Eros and Psyche with the younger, more beautiful queen prophecy) I won't digress here further than that simply because I mean to write a meta about it (so, if you are interested stay tuned for that), so let's just say that Sansa has some connection with Psyche as well as Cersei/Venus spiteful of her — for her beauty — marries to a monster/Tyrion from whom Sansa is stolen by Eros/Jon).

And lastly, one of my favourites of these unconfirmed (yet) possible connections:

ISIS, GODDESS QUEEN OF EGYPT AND SANSA STARK

(...) the wind was howling fiercely. It sounds like a wolf, thought Sansa. A ghost wolf, big as mountains. — Alayne II, AFFC

She was a Stark of Winterfell, a noble lady, and someday she would be a queen. — Sansa I, AGOT

Sooooo this might be my favourite (or one of) mythological connections for Sansa ever, and it is mainly Jonsa (I mean, we know that Sansa will play a role as lady — queen — in the restoration of the North when spring comes, and that she'll play an important part in Jon's whole resurrection debacle, as the show has hinted and as that very passages in Alayne II, AFFC and Sansa VII, ASOS hint toward at, and in the political game.

Isis might be one of the few mythological figures that might be perfectly embodied by Sansa.

So, the myth goes that Osiris is king of Egypt and he has a wife, Isis, and they have two other siblings, a girl Nephthys (who was associated with death and decay — keep this in mind it'll be helpful later —) and another male, Seth. Seth, grow envious and jealous of his brother abducts him and puts him in a coffin and sends him off, imprisoned and becomes king of Egypt.

Isis goes in search of her brother-husband coffin and finds it, returning with him to Egypt. Seth, enraged, then tears Osiris to pieces and scatters all pieces in different directions, thus thinking his brother gone for good.

Isis, distraught, with the help of her younger sister Nephthys, searches and finds all the pieces of Osiris (save for his manhood) and bends him back together, making of him a living mummy and the king of the Underworld; later she gives Osiris a son, Horus, whom she puts on the throne of Egypt after he has dethroned Seth (in some stories Isis takes pity on Seth and Horus beheads her to then magically give her back her head and reconcile with her).

Now... Nephthys is connected to death and decay.

Isis, on the other hand, was the picture of the perfect wife of Egyptian times, and her attributes (besides a crown with the solar disk — sun and the moon as for Sansa and Arya — has also wings — again, dragonflies and winged wolf/little bird imaginary) are also linked to Sansa, she taught Egyptian women to sew and manage a household, she was content to stay in the back but offered fierce and fearsome protection to her husband and her son thanks to her wit.

What more, at the beginning of Egyptian society she was mostly obscure and unattended goddess, but she grew in importance as Egypt became richer and stronger, until she became known as one of the most important goddesses of the Egyptian pantheon and ended up as being recognised as the epitome of the queen of Egypt and a example of virtuous and dutiful, clever and intelligent as well as protective wife and queen.

Just see this and think of Sansa and Arya, and Jon (currently dead but that died to go save Arya and that will stitched back together by Sansa, and will probably return as the fiercest protector of his sisters, Arya and Sansa).

Arya who is right now an acolyte of the Faceless Men, servant to the God of Death, that, just like Nephthys, is connected thus with death and decay.

Well...it makes sense to me, does it to you?

As a footnote, the images are not mine, credits to the authors, I simply found them on the net.

As always, thank you for your ask!, it was very interesting and sorry if, after replying your question I ended up taking the tangent and creating a whole ass essay on figures you had asked nothing about...but it sounded compelling and interesting to me, so I said why not?, hope you enjoyed the read!

You can find my other mythology essays here:

Cersei vs Daenerys — Venus decoded

Jonsa mythology — Jonsa foreshadowing, part VIII: Love and Psyche

Jonsa mythology (2) — Jonsa foreshadowing, part IX: Osiris and Isis

As always I wish you a very nice day!

#ask the hag #anon asks #mythology and asoiaf #greek-roman mythology #norse mythology #Egyptian mythology #gorgon #medusa and sansa stark #sansa stark #persephone and sansa stark #psyche and sansa stark #gunnlöd and sansa stark #jonsa #isis and sansa stark #dark daenerys #medusa and Daenerys Targaryen

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dollslayer · 4 years ago

Text

The Stand-In

CEO!Bucky Barnes x Reader

Summary: Stood up by your date and stranded in one of the nicest restaurants in town, Bucky Barnes just can't let that stand.

Warnings: slight angst, smut, oral (m & f receiving), deepthroating, unprotected sex (wrap it before you tap it !), if I missed anything let me know!

W/C: 3,807

A/N: I wrote this for @simsadventures 6k mixed adventure challenge (Congrats!) w/ a restaurant setting and the line "If you could just hold my hand and be quiet, that would be nice". If you like it please reblog and comment and tell me what you think! Cheers!

p.s. - Come check out my other fics or find me on AO3 (same name)!

Main Masterlist

7 PM

Your best Jimmy Choos click gingerly as you walk up to the hostess stand at one of the most popular restaurants in Manhattan. He had made the reservation in your name, which you gave to the hostess. She takes a minute to consider you, cocking a brow as she silently clocks your ASOS cocktail dress. You looked chic enough that she could forgive you. Her moment wasn’t lost on you, this part of the Upper West Side was so stuffy so you put on your best.

Feeling slightly self-conscious about your attire you brushed the feeling off quickly. He would be here soon and he’d reassure you how beautiful you look. When you’d met for coffee he’d make you feel so sexy and confident with how sure of himself he was. So when he asked you to dinner at one of the most renowned places in the city and said he wanted to talk tonight you accepted immediately.

“Right this way” the hostess said and broke you out of your self-doubting stupor and guided you towards a some-what secluded table towards the back of the restaurant.

“Here are some menus for you two, if you’d like anything to drink while you wait, your waiter should be here soon”, she sent you an artificial smile and turned on her heel back to the stand.

You picked up a menu and it left you reeling at the prices. You had half a mind to text him and see if he wanted to go somewhere else. Based off of the way he dresses and how he had tipped the barista on your first outing you thought better of it. He’d said he wanted to treat you, so you’ll let him.

7:15 PM

You decided to wait to order anything to drink until he got here, too afraid of the price tag attached to any bottle of wine on the menu.

You took a sip of your water and checked your texts for the second time since sitting down. Still nothing, you didn’t want to text him just yet, you knew he was busy and you didn’t want to seem overbearing. You knew he was a CFO and he’d be coming from the financial district when traffic was insane. You could forgive him. You take another sip of your water hoping it’ll wash all of your doubts away. Besides, it’s not like he’s late-late, he’s like, fashionably late, he’s working-man late.

7:30 PM

Okay, so he’s late-late, don’t panic. Sometimes things happen, he’s only human and this is only your second date.

Your waiter approaches the table again, eyebrows raised expectantly at you. The smug look on his face says he’s thinking what you’re too afraid to.

You order yourself a $25 martini. Your waiter promises to return and you finish off your water.

Time to craft the perfect text that says ‘Hey I’m here, where tf are you?’ without actually asking where the fuck he’s at. You tap away nervously on your phone.

‘Hey, I’ve got a table towards the back, closer to the end of the bar’ Perfect.

7:45 PM

You’re still sitting solo at the table, you feel the beginnings of humiliation creep into your features. You feel warm, your brows form a seemingly permanent crease of worry, and you are trying everything in your power to suppress the tears you felt building up.

You don’t make eye contact with your waiter when he stops by again, playing it off like you were sending a text. But you tell him you’ll be right back so that he doesn’t give up your table.

You walk quickly to the bathroom hoping no one will notice your trembling face. You feel just like a middle schooler that got dumped at the dance. You make it to a bathroom stool and dial your best friend, Wanda.

“Is everything okay? You’re supposed to be out with your mystery date aren’t you?” She had answered almost immediately.

You sniffled a bit and took a shaky inhale. “Y-yes, our reservation was for 7 and he put it in my name, I texted him once already but I don’t wanna seem too overbearing for a second date, y’know? But something feels off. I don’t know, maybe I’m being crazy.”

“You’re definitely not being crazy, it sounds fishy to me. If he doesn’t answer in five minutes I want you to leave and come straight over. I’ll have white Russians and Drag Race waiting for you” Wanda always knew just what to say, just how to make you feel. You were grateful for her.

You sighed into the receiver. “Thanks, babe, I’ll let you know what happens either way”. You hung up and grabbed some toilet paper to dab at the corners of your eyes. You knew you’d need an extra minute to compose yourself as you faced the truth.

He’s not coming, he’s not texting me back, he probably regretted setting the date which is why he put the reservation in my name, I won’t be hearing from him again. Just pay your tab, smile, and leave. You got this.

7:52 PM

Checking your appearance in the mirror one last time you let out a final sigh and push open the door back to the dining room. Your walk to your table begins to slow when you notice someone is sitting at your table. A rather tall, unfamiliar someone.

Did the waiter really give away the table? I’ve been gone all of 7 minutes! What do I even say to this stranger? Should I just grab my bag and go? Hopefully it’s still there.

Your final steps towards your seat are nervous and uneven. The man in the chair opposite yours must’ve heard you and he faces you. You’re struck with an unfamiliar but extremely handsome face. The look of surprise must be tangible because he laughs and slight wrinkles form at the edges of his eyes. Who the fuck is this guy? Well he hasn’t stolen my purse so there’s that.

“I-” You lean over to grab your purse when you’re cut off mid-apology.

“I’m so sorry, sweetheart, you know how it is at work. Sit down, I ordered a bottle of wine for the table”. The man said.

You sat down slowly and felt so stiff and uncomfortable in the chair. Were you being pranked? Was this part of some very elaborate joke? Before you could ask any of those questions the man reached across the table and grabbed your hand.

“If you could just hold my hand and be quiet, that would be nice” He said as his thumb grazed your knuckles. You were slightly stunned by his boldness. You complied, if only out of shock and hoped he’d explain himself a little better or let you go in time for you to make an exit.

He leaned in closer to you, to anyone else it would’ve looked like an intimate moment during any normal date. He looked you in the eyes while he kept hold of your hand and you realized how warm he was, how clear his eyes were. You took a deep breath through your nose and tried to play it cool.

“I’ve been at the bar for a while now, it seems like whichever idiot decided to stand you up made a grave mistake.” Your brows pinched together and he continued, “I was with a friend talking business but he left and you look like you needed to be saved from the incident so here I am. James Barnes, but you can call me Bucky.”

You were unsure what to do with the information just given to you. Yes, it would’ve been embarrassing to pay your tab and leave alone after sitting there for almost an entire hour by yourself, but it was also embarrassing that this man had noticed and you certainly didn’t need anyone looking at you like some damsel in distress.

You caught yourself from scoffing completely and schooled your features. “I… appreciate that you’d do that for me but I don’t want anyone’s sympathy, especially not a date.” You tried to pull away when his hand gently squeezed yours.

“Please- I- I didn’t mean to make it sound like I’m doing this out of pity. Whatever happened here is unfortunate, yes. But you’re also very beautiful and you’re here by yourself so why not ‘shoot my shot’ as I believe the kids are saying these days? Think of me like a stand-in for the other guy, but y’know, better” he replied playfully.

A very brief moment of contemplation was solidified by your lack of notifications on your phone. Why not? He’s good looking and he’s doing you a favor.

You had to at least afford a small chuckle at that. “So ‘Bucky’, huh? Well I don’t have any cool nicknames but you can call me by my first name.” You gave it to him and he repeated it back to you, a wry smile on his face.

8:05 PM

Still no texts from him but you did text Wanda to tell her everything worked out and there’d be details to come. She’d go into full on mama bear mode if you hadn’t updated her.

“So, Bucky, what do you do? Do you live here in Manhattan?” You asked before taking a sip of your wine (which you didn’t dare check the price of per bottle).

“Brooklyn, actually, but a lot of my business is here. Have you heard of Buchannan hospitality?” He asked.

Your brain snagged itself on that name. That sounds familiar? Where have I seen that? Oh wait! Didn’t you see him in the Forbes ‘30 under 30’ list last year?

You’d meant to answer him but unfortunately all that came out was a confused “Forbes?” at which he laughed a little bit and nodded.

“Yeah you might’ve seen me there. I own some hotels and lounges around Manhattan and Brooklyn. What do you do?” He had brushed off his accolades so quickly, wanting instead to know about you, this random girl that had been stood up.

Shit, your mid-level marketing job doesn’t stand up to this in the least. You took a sip of the wine and answered him, explaining you were second in command of your small company’s marketing department.

He seemed genuinely intrigued and you two ended up talking business and swapping office and university disaster stories until the main course arrived. You dug into your meal, savoring the taste and relishing in the unusual turn of events.

8:47 PM

The plates have been cleared away and the wine glasses refilled. Bucky was proving to be great company and as oddly as it started you were grateful to be sitting here with him. You’d nearly forgotten about your would-be date and decided to check your phone one last time.

You had 11 unread texts, 10 of them from Wanda wanting a play-by-play and one of them from the man that had stood you up. You opened it and sighed. ‘Can’t make it tonight, baby, promise to make it up to you soon’.

You scoffed to yourself. He’s not gonna say where he’s been? Or even say sorry? Douche.

You put your phone away and looked back up to Bucky who was eyeing you with playful curiosity.

“Lemme guess, that was the guy who was supposed to be seeing you’s sorry ass excuse followed by a flimsy apology” He said as he drank from his water glass.

“You’re 1 for 3. It was him but he didn’t apologize or try to explain himself. Should’ve known when he put the reservation under my name and not his that something might be up and when he wasn’t there on time.” You said more to yourself than to Bucky.

“What’s his name?” Bucky asked.

“His name’s Brock Rumlow,” Bucky’s expression changed just slightly at this. “I think he works at some firm in the financial district. We only ever went out the once before this so I don’t really remember.” You explained. “What? What’s that look for? Please don’t tell me you know him”.

“Sorry to say that I do. Sorry to say I know his wife too” He said a little more quietly.

You felt humiliated all over again, the same feelings that you experienced in this very seat not an hour ago still had you by the gills it would seem.

Bucky reached for your hand again, running the pads of his thumb across the ridges of your knuckles in an attempt to calm you.

“I’m sorry sweetheart, I didn’t mean to make you upset, but you definitely ought to know that Rumlow is no one that deserves your time” Bucky said in earnest.

His words were nice but you’d need some time to get over this embarrassment on your own. In the meantime, you really were enjoying Bucky’s company so you decided to let it distract you.

Bucky flagged down a waiter, signaling him to bring the check. He took one glance at it and set his card inside. As you reached for the bill with your own card in hand he gave it to the waiter before you could even get a peek. He was so nonchalant when he looked at you.

“Don’t even think about it. So tell me, is the night over or are you game to spend a little more time on me?” He asked. This is the second time he’d been dominant but kind in one breath. You weren’t entirely sure how you felt but you didn’t dislike it.

If you went home you’d just be wallowing in your own self pity, or you’d go to Wanda’s and do it but if you go with Bucky you could delay that feeling for a bit longer. Out with a stranger it is.

“Where to?” You asked him.

9:59 PM

A private booth on the top floor of what he said was one of his favorite lounges turned out to be where to. You were relieved to find there was no dancing, as you had two left feet and half a bottle of wine by now. When you got to the booth you stuck with water, knowing you’d need to get yourself home.

Bucky had insisted on one glass of champagne ‘to chance encounters’ he’d said. You agreed but just one. You found yourself closer to him while you talked, your knees touched and his hand found its way to your leg. It didn’t dare to move higher up, just staying there like a comforting weight almost while you conversed.

You were rambling on about the time you and your cousin took your dad’s car for a joyride when you were 14. You were laughing the whole thing off when you realized he wasn’t laughing with you. You had worried for a moment that you’d bored him when you saw the soft yet intense look in his eye and tilted your head with curiosity.

“You’re very beautiful, you know that right?” He didn’t let you answer as he shifted closer. “I’d like to kiss you, is that alright with you?”

Oh. You were caught off guard by the abruptness of his question. Suddenly shy, all you could do was give a small nod and bite your lip in anticipation. His full lips were soft and almost as warm as his hands, which were holding you in an embrace. One of your hands had made their way to his hair and one on the outside of his lower thigh. You sighed as you kissed him back.

It was soft but insistent, things became a little more passionate as you swiped your tongue into his mouth and you both let out a small moan. You didn’t want to stop kissing Bucky, it just felt right.

He finally broke the kiss as one of his hands still rested at the nape of your neck. You were breathless, this man had kissed the daylights out of you. If he could do that with his tongue imagine what else he could do with it. You were both panting softly, sorting through what to make of things and where to go from here.

“I don’t know about you, but I wanna keep doing that, but this might not be the best place for it. You can say no if you want to, and you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to, but I’d love to take you home and treat you right” He said with unwavering eye contact.

Well how on Earth could I say no to that even if I wanted to? Wait doesn’t he live in Brooklyn?

“Let’s go back to mine, probably closer” You said. He nodded in agreement and sent a text to his driver to come pick you both up.

10:40 PM

You did indeed find out what else that tongue of his could do, you were finding out right now. He had made you cum once from his tongue alone already but he added to thick fingers and started pumping them into you, making a scissoring motion that hit you just right. You arched your back and pushed his face in deeper as you cried out, signaling your second orgasm.

Completely drunk in the afterglow of it, you wanted to keep this feeling forever. You wanted to show him what you could do too. You got up albeit with a little shakiness and hovered over him. You kissed his neck and slid your hand down to meet his groin. He was still in his briefs and you pulled the elastic band down with ease.

His cock sprang free and you had to hide the slight surprise you felt looking at the sheer size of him. You were always told you were good in bed so time to really put yourself to the test. You kissed your way down to his pelvis and your hand started working him. Staring back up at him you maintained eye contact while you kissed the dab of pre-cum that pooled at the head of his dick.

He shuddered but you kept staring at him, and in what you have to say was a pretty proud moment for you, you held his gaze while you took him slowly and in one go. You closed your eyes and moaned, feeling him in the back of your throat.

“Shit, oh my god. Are you gonna…?” He was lost for words so you decided to answer him by getting to work. You started slowly, up and down, letting yourself get used to his size and reminding yourself to breathe through your nose and stay relaxed.

His moans were growing louder and his breathing heavier, you knew he was close and you were wondering if he was going to let you finish him. You got your answer when he pulled you off of him by the hair.

“As bad as I want you to finish what you started, I wanna feel you first.” He panted.

“So what’s stopping you?” You asked playfully. A small shriek escaped you as he flipped you under him. He lined himself up with your entrance and thrust in slowly. You could tell he was using a lot of restraint but that was quickly forgotten as you remembered how big he was. You suddenly appreciated the slow pace.

As he became fully sheathed inside of you you let out a loud moan that was quickly silenced by his lips on yours. A few more small thrusts and he was nearly fucking your cervix. You felt unbelievably full.

“Had no idea how talented that mouth was of yours, doll. Trying to make me cum without getting to fuck you though? Now that’s just cruel. I think you need to pay for that, don’t you?” He asked playfully as his thrusts became a little harder and forceful.

You could only nod and moan as he picked up his pace. Your hands clung to his shoulders for dear life and you whimpered and keened while he railed you into your mattress. Finally getting used to the feeling you reached down to play with your clit.

“Did I say you could touch yourself?” He asked in between grunts.

Your eyes rounded and you shook your head.

“I wanna be the one to touch you. Make you cum. Only me.” He forced out as he replaced your fingers with his. He made tight, quick circles around your clit but didn’t let up on his pace as he fucked you closer and closer to a third orgasm.

“Your pussy’s making it fuckin’ impossible for me to hold out any longer, need you to cum, sweetheart. Cum all over my fuckin’ dick.” His words sent you right over the edge and you did as you were asked.

Not two seconds later he cried out and emptied himself inside of you, sending a few final pushes into you before taking himself out and dropping down on his side.

You leaned over and kissed him with what little breath you two had left. Your sweat mixed together but you didn’t mind.

His hands provided that comforting weight as he brought one to your shoulder and the other to your hip. He kissed the tip of your nose and watched you begin to drift off to sleep. He could probably use the rest himself and decided to close his eyes for a bit.

9:30 AM

You woke up in a half empty bed, but before you could let yourself be too disappointed you heard the sound of your shower turning off. You padded down to the bathroom and opened the door to find Bucky toweling off. He gave you a lopsided grin.

“Good mornin’, I would’ve asked you to join me but you looked so peaceful I didn’t wanna wake you.” He explained. “If you’re not sick of me, do you maybe wanna grab some breakfast?”

You shook your head and reached past him to turn the shower back on.

“No way. I make the best pancakes and as a thank you for everything last night, I insist on making some for you.” You smiled up at him, hopeful he’d agree.

“Well I hope you know what you’re up against, I’m a very insatiable man.” He joked back.

You hit him with a washcloth and laughed. “Oh believe me I know. Gimme 15 and I’ll be right out.”

He nodded and closed the door behind him. You let your mind wander back to last night as you washed off the sweat that lingered from the night before.

10:15 AM

You set down two plates stacked mile-high with pancakes and bacon. You held your coffee mug up to his and clinked against it.

“To chance encounters” You said with a smile.

#bucky barnes x reader #CEO!Bucky Barnes #ceo!bucky barnes x reader #modern AU #marvel fic #marvel x reader #fluff #little bit of angst

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littlemix-styleblog · 3 years ago

Photo

Throwback Little Mix Leaving Global Music Studios | 8th September 2020

Perrie

Jumper - Alexander Wang volume flag mock neck jumper: $1,006 $603

Trousers - OFF-WHITE Touch Strap Trousers In Neutrals: £1345 £1008

Sunglasses - Balenciaga Reflective Shield Acetate Sunglasses: £295

Bag - Prada Saffiano leather pouch: £495

Leigh

Top - Nanushka Agnes buttoned blouse: Sold Out

Trousers - NANUSHKA Cecelia Vegan Leather-Trimmed Crepe Pants: £394.73 £153.82

Bag - Fendi Black Leather Kan I Logo Embossed Top Handle Shoulder Bag: Sold Out

Jesy

Jeans - Alexander Wang pack mix hybrid cargo jean: £320

Sunglasses - BALENCIAGA Ski cat-eye acetate sunglasses: £295

Bag - SAINT LAURENT LARGE KATE CHAIN BAG IN BLACK TEXTURED LEATHER: Sold Out

Shoes - ASOS DESIGN Engage stilleto boots with bum bag: £45

Jade

Top - MadeWorn Grateful Dead Tie-Dye Tee: £142.43

Bag - MCM WORLDWIDE Trilogie Stark Backpack in Visetos: £895.00 £626.50

Phonecase - Jade Thirlwall x Skinnydip Flames Shock Case: £18

#Throwback #Little Mix #Jade Thirlwall #Leigh Anne Pinnock #Jesy Nelson #Perrie Edwards #Alexander Wang #Off White #Balenciaga #Prada #Nanushka #Fendi #Saint Laurent #ASOS #MCM WORLDWIFE #MadeWorn #SkinnyDip

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tulaladd · 3 years ago

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世界最遅tulaladd2020best DL list

年間ベストを始めて以来、初の事態。

なんと9か月遅れのポスト。あと3か月で次の年ベスの発表時期じゃないですか…唯一にして最大の理由が、もちろんあるにはある。

暗夜行路のような唄声が車内から眺める某庁舎前の雪景色と甘酸っぱい感情を喚起させるRY Xや、このリストには登場しない自分用に作ったプレイリスト（日本語ラップ編、シティーポップ編）をひとりで何度も諳んじては胸を焦がした。それらの音楽が本来持つ資質にプラスして思い出補正でランクインした作品がいくつかある（最たるものがサントラ部門かな）。そんな変化があった2020年でした。

それを除けば、音楽ライフは基本的に前年を踏襲。つまり引き続きapple music依存��で、DIG活動もほほ休止（荷物の山に埋もれたタンテをセッティングし直せるまともな精神状態じゃなかった…）。落第生の体たらくをここ何年も続けてるわけです。とはいえ昨年と比べれば、リスト入り作品の数が格段に増えた＝それなりに楽しい音楽生活が営めていたのも事実。その充実を支えたものがアルゴリズムって点がものすごく納得はいかないけれど。（毎年書いてるけど、手当たり次第サブスクを横断する中で「もう一度聴きたい」と思えたものが以下のDLリスト。感覚的には昨年より緩い5枚に1枚。それでも昨年比3倍の約250枚！）

いつまで延命できるか分からないローカルラジオを継続できたのもラッキーだった。相変わらずみんなとあーだこーだ言いながらいろんな曲を聴く時間が音楽ライフを豊かにしてくれました。感謝。過去最高に音楽への熱が薄いテキストになっちゃうけど、9か月遅れだと致し方なしか。

三ツ星評価のうち、エル・ミシェルズ・アフェアのシングルはラジオの一戸くんレコメン、今年も熱量が持続しているサウスロンドン・ジャズ・シーンのマンスール・ブラウンEPはおなじみWOZNIAK星くんのオススメ、ほかにも人から教わってお気に入りになった作品が少なくないのは、サブスクじゃ届かないリアルの強みが感じられて、そこだけは希望があるのかな。

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特筆するとすれば、Bartosz KruczynskiのEARTH TRAX以来追い続けてきたリズムセクション・インターナショナルが、旬のサウスロンドン・シーンと地下ハウス/テクノ・シーンのメルティング・ポットだったことが分かって興味が再燃させられた個人的な事件。そのセンセーションのグラウンド・ゼロにあたるTHE COLOURS THAT RISEの発見が今年No.1の成果かな。

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唯一職場で音楽談義ができるために相互レコメンに特化したLINEを展開中のT氏に教えられたエディ・チャコンのアルバム、そのエディの復活劇を手掛け、若林恵さん経由でずっぽりハマったソランジュ『A Seat At The Table』の禅的ミニマリズのデザイナーでもあることが事後に発覚したジョン・キャロル・カービーの2人は、今年ならではの幸福な時間の中で何度も繰り返し聴いた一生の思い出確定盤。ジョンなんか3カテゴリーに分かれてのランクインだもんな。　

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さて2021年。あと3か月しかない。今年はやる？やらない？いろいろ越えるべきものが多くすぎてそれ以前の問題かもしれないなけど。

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【TECHNO / HOUSE / (NU)DISCO / ELECTRONICS】 ★★★THE COLOURS THAT RISE / Grey Doubt ★★THE COLOURS THAT RISE / 2020 EP（2017） ★★THEO PARRISH / Wuddaji ★★Machinedrum / A View of U ★Kuniyuki Takahashi / Flying Music EP ★Oneohtrix Point Never / Magic Oneohtrix Point Never ★VLADISLAV DELAY / Rakka ★LUKE SLATER / berghain fünfzehn ★Jayda G / Both of Us / Are U Down EP ★TSHA / Flowers EP ★DISCLOSURE / Energy ★DARKSTAR / Civic Jams ★Chari Chari / We Hear the Last Decades Dreaming ★HUNEE / Boiler Room : an hour with HUNEE（DJ Mix） ★Autechre / SIGN Arca / @@@@@ BURIAL / Chemz FOUR TET / Sixteen Oceans JAMES BLAKE / Before EP GLOBAL COMMUNICATION / Transmissions Sampler JOHN FRUSCIANTE / Maya TRICKFINGER / She Smiles Because She Presses the Button EP TRICKFINGER / Look Down, See Us EP 60 Miles / Swamp 2 Sea EP EARTH TRAX / LP1 EARTH TRAX / LP2 BIG YAWN / No! HIATT dB / Palimpsest EP GL / You Read My Mind DJ SOFA / Elsewhere Junior I - a Collection of Cosmic Children’s Song Mr President / One Night feat.Celia Kameni & Cindy Pooch J.A.K.A.M. / ASTRAL DUB WORX Inner Science / Made パソコン音楽クラブ / Ambience EP LOCUSSOLUS / Locussolus（Expanded） Various Artists / South DAN KYE / Small Moments OFF THE MEDS / Off The Meds BASSO / Proper Sunburn - Forgotten Sunscreen Applied By Basso（2019） Copenema / Dexia a Musica Tocar（2019） Seahawks / Eyes of the Moon（2019） Jayda G / Significant Changes（2019） MMM / Que Barbaro（2013）

【HIPHOP / R&B / BEATS / FUNK】 ★★★EDDIE CHACON / Outside（Laraaji Remix） ★★EDDIE CHACON / Pleasure, Joy and Happiness ★★Lil Narnia / Pain Extract ★★VHOOR / Baile & Sauce ★AG CLUB / Halfway Off the Porch ★MAC MILLER / Circles ★THUNDRCAT / It Is What It Is ★WILMA ARCHER / A Western Circular ★OXP, ONRA & POMRAD / Swing Convention ★DJ KRUSH / TRICKSTER ★BENEDEK / Bene’s World（2017） JOHN CARROLL KIRBY / High feat.Eddie Chacon & Nailah Hunter THE WEEKND / After Hours DRAKE / Dark Lane Demo Tapes POP SMOKE / Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon IVAN AVE / DOUBLE GOODBYES MOSES SUMNEY / græ PETER COTTON TALE / CATCH NNAMDI / BRAT Yves Tumor / Heaven Ta a Toutured Mind Teebs / Ardour（10th Anniversary Edition） Wajatta / Don’t Let Get You Down Lapalux / Esrevoinma EP Kutmah / New Appliance THE HELIOCENTRICS / Telemetric Sounds VULFPECK / The Joy of Music, The Job of Real Estate JOHN CARROLL KIRBY / Lazzara（2019） Various Artists / Kutmah presents : Sketchbook Radio Archives, Vol.1（2018） Invisibl Skratch Piklz / The 13th Foor（2016） D-STYLES / Phantazagorea（2002）

【JAZZ（the New Chapter） / WORLD】 ★★★MANSUR BROWN / Tesuto ★★★JOHN CARROLL KIRBY / My Garden ★★KAMASI WASHINGTON / Harmony of Difference EP（2017） ★JOHN CARROLL KIRBY / Love Theme ★MANSUR BROWN / Shiroi ★JEFF PARKER / Suite for Max Brown ★CHICAGO UNDERGROUND QUARTET / Good Days ★TOM MISCH & YUSSEF DAYES / What Kinda Music ★KAMAAL WILLIAMS / Wu Hen ★ROB MAZUREK & EXPLODING STAR ORCHESTRA / Dimentional Stardust: ★ORLANDO LE FLEMING / Romantic Funk : The Unfamiliar ★SAM WILKES / WILKES（2019） ★YUSSEF KAMAAL / Black Focus（2016） ★ZSOFIA BOROS / Local Objects（2016） JYOTI & GEORGIA ANNE MULDROW / Mama, You Can Bet! BUTCHER BROWN / #KingButch BRAXTON COOK / Fire Sign PAT METHENY / From This Place Fabiano do Nascimento / Preludio SAM GENDEL / Satin Doll SAM GENDEL / Pass If Music（2018） SAM WILKES / Live on the Green（2019） BRANDON COLEMAN / Resistance（2018） KIEFER / Superbloom（2019）鈴木良雄 / モーニング・ピクチャー（1984）鈴木良雄 / ウイングス（1987） JOHN EBERSON, BJ0RNAR ANDRESEN, PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE / Mind the Gap（2001）

【（INDIE）ROCK / （INDIE） POP / SSW】 ★★★EL MICHELS AFFAIR / Reasons feat.Bobby Oroza ★★EL MICHELS AFFAIR / Adult Themes ★★THE FLAMING LIPS / American Head ★★SUFJAN STEVENS / The Ascension ★★FLEET FOXES / Shore ★★COLDPLAY / Everyday Life（2019） ★★RY X / Unfurl（2019） ★★THE WAR ON DRUGS / Lost in the Dream（2014） ★PHOEBE BRIDGERS / Copycat Killer feat. ROB MOOSE - EP ★Mk.gee / A Museum of Contradiction ★PEEL DREAM MAGAZINE / Agitprop Alterna ★BLAKE MILLS / Mutable Set ★THE STROKES / The New Abnormal ★CHS / Jungle Sauna（2019） ★KINDNESS / Something Like A War（2019） ★〝Blue〟Gene Tyranny & Peter Gordon / Trust In Rock（2019） ★STATE RIVER WIDENING / Early Music（2003） BIBIO / Sleep On The Wing Jonsi / Shiver JEFF TWEEDY / Love Is The King REAL ESTATE / The Main Thing ANIMAL COLLECTIVE / Bridge to Quite LITTLE DRAGON / New Me . Same us JAGA JAZZIST / Pyramid TAME IMPAlA / The Slow Rush TRAVIS / 10 Songs SORRY / 925 JOSEPH OF MERCURY / WAVE Ⅱ Khruangbin / Mordechai Various Artists / Hiding From the Landlord HOWLING / Colure DEVENDRA BANHART / Ma（2019） LANA DEL REY / Norman Fucking Rockwell（2019） DAVE GROHL / Play（2018） CRITERIA / En Garde（2003）

【PUNK / HEAVEY / EXTREAM】 ★★envy / The Fallen Crimson ★★lang / There is no reply, but sweet wind blew（2018） ★envy / LAST WISH（Live at Liquidroom Tokyo） ★SLIFT / UMMON ★HORSE LORDS / The Common Task ★coriky / coriky ★Sans Visage, Look at moment / Split Single ★Sans Visage / moments（2017） ★LIGHTNING BOIL / Sonic Citadel（2019） ★Harvey Milk / Courtesy and Good Will Toward Men（2006） DEFTONES / Ohms Converge / Endless Arrow JESU / Terminus JESU / Never JESU / Ascension（Delux） KRUELTY / A Dying Truth XIBALBA / Anos En Infierno Various Artists / Speedy Wunderground Year 4（2019） RUSSIAN CIRCLE / Russian Circle Audiotree Far Out（2019） EARTH / Live at Third Man Records（2017） THE ARMED / Only Love（2018） THE ARMED / Untitled（2015）

【AMBIENT / NEW AGE / DRONE / MINIMAL MUSIC / EXPERIMENTAL】 ★★JOHN CARROLL KIRBY / Conflict ★★Dukes of Chutney / Hazel ★HEATHERED PEARLS / Cast ★SAM PREKOP / Comma BING & RUTH / Species FRANKIE REYES / Originalitos IAN WILLIAM CRAIG / Red Sun Through Smoke WINDY & CARL / Allegiance and Conviction JONNY NASH & SUZANNE KRAFT / A Heart So White JOHN CARROLL KIRBY / Tuscany（2019） JOHN CARROLL KIRBY / Meditation In Music（2018） JOHN CARROLL KIRBY / Travel（2017） ALEXANDER RISHAUG / Shadow of Events（2011）【CLASSIC / OST】 ★LUDWIG GORANSSON / Tenet OST ★JOHN WILLIAMS / Double Trouble ※from OST of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban（2004） DUSTIN O'HALLORAN / Ammonite OST KAMASI WASHINGTON / Becoming（Music from the Netflix Original Documentary） DUSTIN O'HALLORAN / Lumiere（2011） BETH GIBBONS, The Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra & Krzysztof Penderecki / Henryk Gorecki: Symphony No.3（2019） ANTONI WIT, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra(Katowice) & Polish Choir of Krakow / Henryk Gorecki: Symphony No.2（2001） ZSOFIA BOROS / Local Objects（2016）【DOMESTIC（without HIPHOP）】 ★★★METAFIVE / 環境と心理 ★★GEZAN / 狂（KLUE） ★★downy / 第七作品集「無題」 ★★岡村靖幸 / 操 ★★崎山蒼志 / ソフト　※FEVER LIVE ver. on YouTube ★★SILENT POETS / dawn（2018） ★WOZNIAK / Vegetable Home Run ★Ai Aso / The Faintest Hint ★jan and naomi / YES ★mei ehara / Ampersands ★ディーン・フジオカ / Neo Dimension ★LUNA SEA / Make a vow ★坂本慎太郎 / 好きっていう気持ち / おぼろげナイトクラブ ★Cuushe / Waken ★sassya- / 脊髄（2019） ★小袋成彬 / Piercing（2019） ★She Her Her Hers / stereochrome（2014） WOZNIAK / Lost WOZNIAK / Double Face mouse on the keys / Arche 5kai / Untitled #2 KAN SANO / Susanna Ovall / Ovall（2019） mabanua / Blurred（2018） D.A.N. / Aechma ふさえ / そのまま相馬智行 & 鳴海徹朗 / 春の闇 jan and naomi / Neutrino 王舟 / Pulchra Ondo 春ねむり / LOVETHEISM 井出健介と母船 / Contact From Exne Kedy And The Poltergeists（エクスネ・ケディと騒がしい幽霊からのコンタクト）吉田一郎不可触世界 / えぴせし岡田拓郎 / Morning Sun blgtz / Feature EP Coff / Tiny Music（2019）【DOMESTIC（HIPHOP）】 ★★DJ CHARI & DJ TATSUKI / GOLDEN ROUTE ★★Weny Dacillo / Hapitable Hotel ★Hideyoshi / Dead End Adventure ★GG UJIHARA / WEAKNESS EP（2018） ★DJ CHARI & DJ TATSUKI / Time feat.Yo-Sea & KEIJU（2019） ★GG UJIHARA / WEAKNESS EP（2018） KOHH / worst KEIJU / T.A.T.O. Sauce81 / S8100 MARTER / Weltraumasthetik 2020 Normcore Boyz / MEDIAGE なみちえ / 毎日来日徳利 / REVOLUTION starscream & Page Hiiragi / Ghost(s) DJ CHARI / GAME（2019） YOUNG HASTLE & GG UJIHARA / YOUNG UJIHARA EP（2019） Weny Dacillo / AMPM EP（2017）

#tulaladd2020best

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amphtaminedreams · 4 years ago

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If We Can’t Have the Parties, At Least We Have the Coats: Lookbook no.13

Hi to anyone reading,

It’s been a weird winter, right?

A winter that I REALLY did not need to buy as many clothes for as I have. You WILL save loads of money during this lockdown, I told myself. You WILL. And yet here I am in December, in exactly the same financial position I was in March. You would think that making the switch to an environmentally friendly wardrobe would mean I own less but now I no longer have the guilt of supporting fast fashion to hold me back, I’ve accumulated more clothes than ever. Part of a sustainable wardrobe is also about reducing your consumption so now I’ve mostly made the move towards only supporting transparent companies/small businesses, I can move onto the buying less part. I haven’t thrown any clothes away but still, I am not the clothes rescuer I think I am-more just an overdraft abuser. To add to that, for those of us actually following the rules (half the people I went to secondary school with flaunting their apparently unaffected social lives on Instagram, I’m looking at you) there aren’t actually all that many opportunities to wear new outfits. Not to go too first world problems, but it is a little shit when getting dressed up and doing your makeup is one of the things that you do to help you feel a little better, especially when the seasonal (and situational in these times) depression kicks in.

So yes, I have been extra af recently and combatted this with the decision to start making an effort to outfit plan for the most basic of tasks. We’re talking a full face of makeup and accessories for going into town to get a coffee or to meet a friend for a walk. I mean, I still go to Tesco in my trackies but if I’m seeing somebody else, I am sure as hell going to treat it as a reason to wear something nice. See the winter outfits section of the lookbook as your inspiration to do the same because I can guarantee you the sense of normality forcing yourself to take makeup off at the end of the day brings will actually make you feel a lot better. Genuinely the mark of exceptional times. We’ve also got the few days relief period over Christmas in the UK where we’re allowed to mix with a maximum of 3 other households, and ignoring the fact that it doesn’t really make any sense given that the number of people you could end up mixing with depends on the size of the households and is realistically completely arbitrary (I have a lot of feelings about how fucking moronic half the decisions this government has been making are but then again, what’s new?), I’m sure those of you with big families are gonna be partying. I’m only spending Christmas with my immediate family but I thought I’d put some more festive outfits together anyway. I know, I know, it sounds like I’m just bullshitting an explanation as to why I put this lookbook together when in reality I’m trying to make myself feel better about the damage to my bank account buuuut it really is more a case of being inspired by my Depop finds and if you are trying to quit fast fashion, I can’t recommend the app enough (especially if you know what you’re looking for). As I did in the last lookbook, I will make sure to include the tags of all the people I bought these pieces from but I also thought it might be helpful to make a note of some of the descriptors I used to find them so you can get more of an idea how to find the things you’re looking for too, as well as prices. I did include the names of the shops I bought the few fast fashion items I styled from too, mostly earlier this year or at some point over the last couple of years, on the basis that they may be a useful search prompt if you’re looking for something similar or the exact item-the majority are no longer available (disclaimer: I haven’t bought anything from Boohoo in a longgg time) to buy but you might be able to find an account that’s selling a used version. Don’t be put off by that-I’ve had to wash a couple of pieces but for the most part, that hasn’t been necessary. Charity shops usually wash things before they put them out, so you have nothing to worry about there either-I expect that they’re particularly thorough at the moment considering the COVID crisis.

Enough rambling from me for now! Enjoy!

-(SOCIALLY DISTANCED) PARTY SZN LOOKS-

Powder Blue Wide Brim Felt Hat/Fedora: £16.99

Structured White Mesh Oh Polly Mini Dress w/Ruched Detail: £27

Black PVC Beret w/Red Flame Detail: £14

Red Fit and Flare Dress w/Satin Corset & Tulle Skirt: £12

Black PVC Vintage Platform Boots w/Red Flame Detail: £27

White Satin Corset w/Straps: £8

Pinstripe Cropped Blazer Co-ord Set: £12.50

Oh Mighty Strappy Contrast Corset: £27

Contrast Check Cigarette Trousers: £15

Pink Topshop Gingham Blazer Co-ord Set BNWT: £35

White Strappy Corset w/Suspender Detail: £10

White PVC Beret w/Black Flame Detail: £14

Reworked Strappy Patchwork Sports Cropped Tee: £10

Black Combat Cargo Trousers: £5

Strappy Tie-dye Pretty Little Thing Corset BNWT: £15

PVC/Vinyl Zip-up Mini Skirt w/Belt Detail: £9

White Satin Cowl Neck Mini Slip Dress: £8

Urban Outfitters ‘90s Style Celestial Print Mesh Babydoll Dress: £15

-(SOMETIMES PRACTICAL) COAT SZN LOOKS-

UNIF Colour Block Oversized Jumper/Sweater: £25

Topshop Dark Wash Denim Kick Flare Jeans w/Frayed Hem Detail: £16

Vintage ‘70s Style Brown Faux Suede Western Blazer/Jacket: £15

Black Velvet High Neck Bodysuit w/Keyhole Detail: £4

Topshop Paisley Print Chiffon Midi Dress: £15

Brandy Melville Cropped Motorcross Slogan Slogan Tee: £13.60

Ragged Priest Gingham Cargo/Combat Trousers w/Utility Style Buckle Detailing: £33

Black Kappa Logo Beanie: £12

White Platform FILA Disruptors in Good Condition: £55

Black Fur Bucket Hat: £8

Celestial Silver Moon Detail Chain Belt: £18

Black Satin Cowl Neck Detail Midi Slip Dress: £15

Floral Print Platform Boots: £10

Blue Denim ASOS High Rise Mom Jeans: £12

Brown Vintage ‘70s Style Afghan Coat w/Fur Trim: £25

Teal Wide Brim Felt Hat/Fedora: £10

Topshop Floral Print A-Line Jacquard Mini Skirt: £7

Lana Del Rey Screen Printed T-Shirt: £9.99

Vintage Corduroy Contrast Stripe Trousers w/Kick Flare: £28

Anyone that read to the end, thank you so much as always and I hope this shows just how many in-trend pieces you can find second hand! I know I'm SUPER far behind to the point where it’s closer to the F/W2021 shows now than it is since the S/S2021 collections were showcased but I decided I am going to do a full length fashion week review. I also have a few moodboards planned and my next is gonna be one focussing purely on plus sized fashion as the feedback that I got from my New Style Icons post was that I could have included more bigger girls; I am so, so, SO passionate about body positivity and fat acceptance, especially since I know my own relationship with my body would be so much better if this kind of movement was more prominent when I was younger, so I don’t for a minute want anyone to think it was my intention to be exclusionary in any way. It bears repeating that I genuinely appreciate feedback in any form (as long as it’s not too mean and presumptive, lol) and I hope the next post doesn’t disappoint! It hasn’t been a good year for cinema due to COVID having lead to theatre closures, however I still do want to do another film tier ranking in the new year as that is something I really enjoyed doing last time. Any more suggestions are welcome!

As always, my inbox is always open if you need someone to talk to or just wanna chat about a post:-) I am constantly on the look out for new blogs to follow and people to interact with so any communication is welcome. I’m not sure if I’ll get another post finished before we enter 2021, SO I wanna say that I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and that this shitshow of a year DOES come to an end at 11:59PM on the 31st because THOSE MEMES ABOUT IT TURNING DECEMBER THE 32ND ARE NOT FUNNY! Here’s to our second attempt at our first year of the roaring twenties (because this past year it feels like we skipped them and went straight to The Great Depression, the likely incoming recession denial is real) and to happier times and good health for everyone.

Lauren x

DISCLAIMER: Background in the first 2 images are mine, others are not. I found them on Pinterest so not sure of the artists but if you do know, drop me a message so I can credit them!

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mrsjadecurtiss · 4 years ago

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Your thoughts on your Roose ships made me interested in all three of them for their very different dynamics. Do you have any (shippy) scenarios you'd love to see art for? Vivian

Hiii Vivian, sorry for the long wait! Glad you found my thoughts interesting :''')

From my Roose ships, currently i'm the most into Roose/Catelyn and Roose/Barbrey :) No direct preference, do the one that appeals to you most! :D With both of them im fine with both just hanging out/interacting and more romantic art, whatever you're most comfortable with.

Scenario wise...

Roose/Cat:

Roose/Cat is the one where i most often think about affectionate scenarios like hand touches, kissing... Usually I ship it as branching AU during the war of the five kings (I never ship Roosecat while Ned is alive); They would need to be secretive because societal circumstances wouldnt approve, like a secret romance, i think that's always exciting (reminds me of medieval romance tropes). I also like the angle that after Ned's death she'd like to have someone to find comfort in, and maybe could be somewhat comforted by how callous he is as some sort of toxic way to cope with grief, maybe also leaning into him awakening some of the traits in her she'd get as stoneheart...

Arranged marriage AU (post aGoT, idk why Robb would demand it but suspension of disbelief on that part) is also interesting... It is not a marriage for love obviously so not really a happy wedding, but also not a miserable affair because he is at least somewhat her age and behaves politely... Mixed feelings from Cat's side obviously because she just had such a happy marriage... Interesting contrast between her looking past Ned's cold exterior into his good heart, and Roose being similarly outwardly reserved but then so morally bankrupt... Maybe she would still find something to like, it could again lean into what i said about finding comfort in the darkness

If you want canon scenes, I love their interaction in Catelyn VI aSoS, Roose still wet from the rain, offering her a piece of Theon's finger skin... Cannot get enough of that scene what did he mean by this!! Also any speculative interactions between them during the war of the five kings where it fits in canon is great for me.

I also kind of like the idea of Stoneheart x Roose, i love the sort of vampire x human vibes (i like roose vampire AUs the most when he is the human... after all a guy who gets leeched would be the victim of a vampire, not the vampire himself). Can lean a little into romance novel art lol

Roose/Barbrey:

With them it's a bit more about the tension... Barbrey is independent and can exercise power in her role as the Widow of Barrowton, and so she would never marry him or even indulge in a romance because that would mean giving up her own power... As his wife she would be his property (compare this meta), so they can only truly be equal if they are never together; meaninig she is the one best suited to be his partner for the same reason that she can never be his partner, I find that contrast so fascinating. Though for the sake of AU i also indulge in openly romantic scenarios ;)

For canon scenes, they obviously share some in the books which i love (Reek III and a Ghost in Winterfell, aDwD). I also find scene ideas of them before the events of Asoiaf interesting, especially the time when she is already a widow; them meeting at events and festivities or her coming to the Dreadfort to visit her sister, I imagine she and Roose get along well and have some fun chemistry (though NOT in a cheating way, i think Barb would never do that to her sister and be offended if he tried anything)... They would also bond over Domeric especially after Bethany's death... Could imagine them meeting at Barbrey's wedding, or when Domeric is dropped off at Barrowton when he becomes a page...

With both of the ships, while i do like explicitly romantic prompts like kissing, im almost more interested in like romantic tension and undertones... secret hand touches... or scenes of them bonding over something... I love good buildup, tension, implication, slow burn, that kind of stuff.

Hope this wasnt too rambly!! Feel free to hit me up if you have more questions :D

#asks #secret santa #vivian #Anonymous

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miaswetnambcu · 4 years ago

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References

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clairetastic · 6 years ago

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little mix x asos

#dont @ me for not including leigh bc i literally watched the video through like 5 times and she didn't get a behind the scenes shot #and im pressed #jade thirlwall #jesy nelson #leigh anne pinnock #perrie edwards #little mix #little mix x asos #clairetastic #jadeameliasource #dailylmgifs

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jadespetal · 4 years ago

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#leigh anne pinnock #little mix #lpinnockedit #dailylmgifs #littlemixedit #littlemixlove #leigh x asos #gif #*

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its-in-his-dna · 8 years ago

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Leigh On X Factor Australia November 14, 2016

Boots: Ka Pow Over The Knee Boots, Sold Out

#leigh anne pinnock #little mix #leigh exact #leigh clothes #x factor #x factor australia #australia #asos #boots #over knee boots #thigh boots #performance

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joanna-lannister · 6 years ago

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Meta: Will the Lannisters end like the Targaryens?

WARNING: possible mentions of spoilers/leaks

@fcrncody Thank you Ana, my partner in crime, for being my beta reader! 💖

First of all, this theory is purely for the show, not the books (even if I'm gonna use some quotes from it). I do believe the fate of some characters will be different, I could be wrong tho.

"History is a wheel, for the nature of man is fundamentally unchanging. What has happened before will perforce happen again." I'm quoting G.R.R.M here but as a big History nerd, I always say that History repeat itself and I think that what's going to happen with the Lannisters : their downfall will be a parallel to the Targaryens one at the end of Robert's rebellion. I have this theory in mind for almost 2 years now and since I keep thinking about it, I needed somewhere to write it down.

During the rebellion, we had 4 Targaryens still alive : Aerys, Rhaella, Rhaegar and Viserys (plus Dany and Jon on the way). I'm not sure if I should count Maester Aemon since he took the black and I don't count Elia and Rheagar's children since he disinherited them. Now for the Lannisters, we have Cersei, Jaime and Tyrion still alive, plus baby!Lannister on the way. I think their deaths or possible survival will be a mix of how these last Targaryens died or survived.

First, the Lannisters have always been connected with the Targaryens one way or another:

Tywin wanted Cersei to marry Rhaegar and she wanted it to

Tyrion and his obsession with the dragons

Jaime killed Aerys

Tywin used to be friend with Aerys and his Hand

Cersei and Tyrion both used wildfire

Joanna was harassed by Aerys

And I could go on...

But one of the biggest connection we can make between the two houses is the incest. The perpetual incestuous marriage between the Targaryens slowly brought their house to the extinction and Cersei and Jaime's relationship caused the war of the five Kings and thus, their own downfall. They have been compared to the Targaryens more than once, by themselves or by other characters.

The Targaryens wed brothers and sisters for 300 years to keep bloodlines pure. Jaime and I are more than brother and sister. We shared a womb. We came into this world together. We belong together. - Cersei, S01E07 You Win or You Die

Tyrion: Sins? The Targaryens... Cersei: Wed brother and sister for hundreds of years, I know. That's what Jaime and I would say to each other in our moments of doubt. It's what I told Ned Stark when he was stupid enough to confront me. Half the Targaryens went mad, didn't they? What's the saying? Every time a Targaryen is born, the Gods flip a coin. Tyrion: You've beaten the odds. Tommen and Myrcella are good, decent children, both of them. - S02E07 A Man Without Honor

You think I disapprove? Why? Because people disapprove of that sort of thing where you are from? They disapproved of Oberyn and me where you are from. Here no one blinked an eye. 100 years ago, no one would have blinked an eye at you if you'd been named Targaryen. - Ellaria, S05E09 The Dance of Dragons

We could marry him to Myrcella, once we've sent Sansa Stark back to her mother. That would show the realm that the Lannisters are above their laws, like gods and Targaryens. - Jaime, ASOS

"I am sick of being careful. The Targaryens wed brother to sister, why shouldn't we do the same? Marry me, Cersei. Stand up before the realm and say it's me you want. We'll have our own wedding feast, and make another son in place of Joffrey." She drew back. "That's not funny." - Jaime, ASOS

Then, we have Tywin and his ambition. He wants to outshine the Targaryens and build a dynasty that could last 1000 years.

The future of our family will be determined in these next few months. We could establish a dynasty that will last a thousand years. Or we could collapse into nothing, as the Targaryens did. - Tywin, S01E07 You Win or You Die

Cersei wants to emulate her father.

I understand we're in a war for survival. I understand whoever loses dies. I understand whoever wins could launch a dynasty that lasts a thousand years. - Cersei, S07E01 Dragonstone

The parallel is clear here, I have even made a gifset. The funny thing in that conversation between Tywin and Jaime is the fact that Tywin points out they could collapse into nothing when it's already happening, because of his own children. And again, he compares himself to the Targaryens. Foreshadowing?

Before talking about each characters, I want to say that if this theory is correct, I don't think Jaime and Cersei will die together. This show is full of plot twists, irony, parallels and yet, anti-parallels and the characters don't get what they want, this is not a Disney fairytale. And dying together is something they both want, they expressed it numerous times, in the show and in the books, maybe too much?

Bronn: How do you want to go? Jaime: In the arms of the woman I love. - S05E04 The Sons of The Harpy

We've always been together. We'll always be together. We're the only two people in the world. - Cersei, S06E06 Blood of My Blood

I cannot die while Cersei lives, he told himself. We will die together as we were born together. - Jaime, ASOS

We will leave this world together, as we once came into it. - Cersei, AFFC

If he were dead, I would know it. We came into this world together, Uncle. He would not go without me. - Cersei, ADWD

It's so obvious, as viewers (and also readers sometimes), we expect it to happen. The cast keep telling us how unpredictable the end is, I honestly take everything they say with a grain of salt but I think I'll make an exception for this time. Also, the writers omitted the Valonqar part in Cersei's prophecy. On purpose? So we are going to be surprised if Jaime is indeed the Valonqar? I find it weird when it's already obvious like I said and when they dropped clues back in S7.

Cersei:You murdered your own brother. Euron:You should try it. Feels wonderful. - S07E01, Dragonstone

Olenna: She'll be the end of you. Jaime: Possibly. - S07E03, The Queen's Justice

But I could be wrong and the writers will choose the easy path... However, while it's tragic for Jaime and Cersei to die together, killed by each others, I think it would be even more painful for their characters to die apart. Like us, they expect to die together. They are twins, they spent their whole life together and they think it will always be that way, Cersei only feels complete with him... and ripping Jaime away from her? Yeah, sadly poetic.

And now for the characters...

JAIME: ↳ Rhaegar / Aerys

I start with Jaime first since I think he's going to die first.

Source: (x), (x)

In the first still (from the 8x02?), he's wearing a Northern regular armor, similar to the one Robb used to wear. In the EW promo, the armor is almost the same but more more redish, more Lannister, and looks a little like bit the one Podrick used to wear back in the previous seasons.

I presume the costume change will happen after the battle in 7x03. My guess is that battle will not be the last. Wrapping the White Walkers storyline in 1 episode? No, impossible. The war will happen in two times: first that battle, Winterfell is destroyed and the White Walkers are still a threat, Jaime comes back to King's Landing (with the Starks?) [if I remember Nik was spotted on the King's Landing set, could be for this or something else] and then another battle and Jaime dies during this one by the hand of Night King.

Why the Night King? Simple. One of the most important moment in Jaime's life was when he killed the Mad King, a man obsessed with fire. He was mocked all his life for breaking his vows, nicknamed Kingslayer, when he took the right decision.

And then when the king turned to flee, I drove my sword into his back. "Burn them all," he kept saying. "Burn them all." I don't think he expected to die. He ... he meant to... burn with the rest of us and rise again, reborn as a dragon to turn his enemies to ash. - Jaime, S03E05 Kissed by Fire

Most people in the fandom think he will kill either the Night King or the Mad Queen, I bet on the other way. I admit I also thought about Dany becoming the Night Queen and killing him, a nice parallel since he killed her father but I don't see her branding a sword even if she becomes the Night Queen so I stand with the idea of the Night King, a creature made a ice. Honestly, a Kingslayer murdered by a king? What an irony... And, A Lannister always pays his debts.

That was for the Aerys part, now for the Rhaegar part. They are both warriors and if Jaime dies in a battle, it will already be a parallel with Rhaegar dying at the the Trident. Nik also said that Jaime's obsessive love for Cersei "follows him until his very last scene of the show". At first, I was; okay my theory is wrong but then I remembered that quote about Rhaegar:

Rubies flew like drops of blood from the chest of a dying prince, and he sank to his knees in the water and with his last breath murmured a woman's name. - Daenerys, ACOK

We don't know for sure who was the woman Rhaegar mentioned but Jaime murmuring Cersei's name would completely fulfill the parallel with him. And again, a bit ironic here since Cersei wanted to marry Rhaegar.

CERSEI: ↳ Rhaella / Aerys

Now, Cersei, the next who's going to die, in my opinion. I think she will behave somehow like Aerys at the beginning of the season but her death will be a total parallel to Rhaella, and by extent, Joanna and possibly Lyanna.

Source: (x), (x)

Like Jaime, with the costume change, Cersei is wearing the Lannisters colors again. Someone on tumblr (I don't remember who, I'm sorry) said that her grief is over and it could mean she will subvert the villain trope or something along the line. I do agree with the grief part, that's why I don't think she will lose baby!Lannister. Why would she wear her house colors if she had lost her child?

Source: (x), (x), (x), (x), (x), (x)

Notice she has the Lannister sigil back too, as a necklace. It was a link with Myrcella and after Tommen's death, she never wore it again. Only as embroidery on her gowns. The pendant is strategically placed on her "bump", it fits her character; she's (was) a mother, she's pregnant and that child is the future of her house. Also, some people said we can see a baby bump. I personally disagree, I believe it's only the dress.

I know part of the fandom will scream at me that she's not pregnant or she will have a miscarriage because of the prophecy. First of all, I do believe she's pregnant (or at least she thinks she is) and of course, a miscarriage is still a possibility. Second of all, prophecies are tricky, ask Melisandre. The prophecy was already debunked back in S1 when Cersei told Catelyn about the black haired boy she had with Robert.

I lost my first boy, a little black-haired beauty. He was a fighter too... Tried to beat the fever that took him. - Cersei, S01E02 The Kingsroad

Yet, Maggy still mentioned 3 children:

Maggy: The king will have 20 children and you will have three. Cersei: That doesn't make sense. Maggy: Gold will be their crowns. Gold their shrouds. - S05E01 The Wars to Come

Since she was also pregnant with Robert's child in the books, we know pregnancy doesn't count for that prophecy to work. Now, in the show, she gave birth to that boy. He was sick, or got sick, but was alive. My conclusion is that the birth doesn't count either. The only fact that matter is if she raises the child. So Cersei could carry her pregnancy to term and give birth to an healthly, surviving child if she dies in in childbirth or soon after. Which brings the Rhaella parallel.

And again, I know most Cersei stans (and JxC shippers) hate that idea. I confess I wasn't pleased at first but now, the more I thought about it the more it feels like a full circle. Motherhood has always been an important theme in Cersei's journey.

First, her mother: Cersei was a little girl when Joanna died in the most gendered way. She was traumatized by her death and she grew up resenting her little brother for this.

Second, her love for her children: one of the main reason that drives her to do some... things. She repeated countless times how much she loves/loved them and tried to protect them and yet, they all die. Cersei "sacrificing" her life for her last child and giving him a chance to survive is not so far stretched.

Now, how it's going to happen... Maisie said :

After reading the scripts I went back and watched season 1 again, because so much of it refers back to that season. There are so many scenes that will look similar. And also I watched just to remind myself of the arc I've taken already. I wanted Arya to go full circle and try for some kind of normalcy like when she was younger.

I'm not sure if Maisie is only talking about Arya here, however we already know we are going to have a parallel with Jon and Daenerys arriving at Winterfell like Cersei and Robert back in the season 1. Then, if the leaks are proven to be true (Euron forcing Cersei to have sex with him and her saying she "enjoyed" it as much as she did with Robert), we can assume their relationship will be similar to the one she had with her previous husband. I think Cersei will lie and pretend that baby!Lannister is Euron's child just like she did with Robert and Joffrey, Myrcella and Tommen.

Jaime: Who will you say is the father? Cersei: You. - S07E05 Eastwatch

Remember that? I'm pretty sure it was a red herring for Cersei playing Euron in the season 8. Now, we all know what happened to Robert before he had the chance to learn the truth so I bet on Cersei killing Euron in the middle of the season, maybe during the 8x04? Or maybe Jaime. Could be another parallel with:

Ned: Has he done this before? Cersei: Jaime would have killed him. - S01E07 You Win or You Die

After Euron's death (or shortly before), I predict the Starks (moslty Jon) coming to King's Landing to seek refuge or an alliance because Winterfell is destroyed and they have no other choice. Lena and Kit were spotted on set (and I think Sophie too). It could be a decoy but let's say it's a real scene. Jon looked like he bent the knee to Cersei, I believe we will have a replay of the famous scene with Ned in S01E07.

You must be gone by then ... you and your children. I will not have their blood on my hands. Go as far away as you can, with as many men as you can. Because wherever you go, Robert's wrath will follow you. - Ned, S01E07 You Win or You Die

I think Jon will propose the same deal to Cersei : giving mercy to her and her child (and maybe Jaime and Tyrion) if she leaves King's Landing/Westeros after the end of the war if she accepts to help them (bet we'll see Qyburn's scorpion again). I see her somehow accepting it unlike the first time and maybe that person who said she will subvert the villain trope was right, after all we have that quote:

You love your children. It's your one redeeming quality. That and your cheekbones. - Tyrion, S02E01 The North Remembers

Once the war is won, and Jaime probably dead, the Starks break their promise and want to judge the Lannisters for their crimes, which would be a little parallel with Aerys, when he opened the gates of King's Landing and let Tywin take the city. And like Rhaella, she will escape to her ancestral home, maybe with Tyrion and the help of Qyburn.

You'll be queen. For a time. Then comes another, younger, more beautiful, to cast you down and take all you hold dear. - Maggy, S05E01 The Wars to Come

It would fit the prophecy. She has nothing left, no power, no crown, her brother/lover is dead... She loses the throne and survives the game. Again, a bit ironic since she's one of the biggest player since the beginning and the one who instaured the famous:

When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground. - S01E07 You Win or You Die

And then, she dies tragically giving birth... Yeah, full circle.

TYRION: ↳ Viserys / Maester Aemon?

Tyrion... Oh Tyrion... He's the one I'm on the fence, for every theory that I have, honestly. He escaped deaths numerous times but all good things come to an end. I feel we don't have enough clues about his future death or his possible survival. Of course we have that famous quote:

In my own bed, with a belly full of wine and a maiden's mouth around my cock, at the age of eighty," he replied. - Tyrion, AGOT

Or that one:

One day, after our queen has taken the Seven Kingdoms... I'd like to have my own vineyard. Make my own wine. The Imp's Delight. Only my close friends could drink it. - Tyrion, S06E08 No One

I don't think that's gonna happen but if my theory is right, I assume he will take Viserys place, mixed maybe with Maester Aemon, but like I said, I'm not sure if I should count him as a Targaryen. We still have moment that tho:

Jaime: Tell me you're not thinking of taking the black. Tyrion: And go celibate ? The whores would go begging from Dorne to Casterly Rock. I just want to stand on top of the Wall and piss off the edge of the world. - S01E02 The Kingsroad

If the White Walkers are defeated, I see no reason to build another Wall and no reason to have another Night's Watch, I think it's more like a metaphor for Tyrion being casted away from Westeros and going in exil, and raising his nephew/niece.

Source: (x), (x)

Unlike his siblings, Tyrion's new costume is more subtle. He doesn't seem to wear the Lannister colors and yet... In the first still we got for the S8, he is wearing the usual outfit he has since he joined Dany Team: same shape, same colors... and in the EW promo, his clothes doesn't look really different at first because they are still black and he still has the Hand of the Queen's pin but they are! The shape of the jacket is similar to the one he used to wear in the first seasons, the clips are back and golden and the sleeves have hints of gold.

Source: (x), (x)

The patterns aren't the same tho but we can guess the connection with his family will be back once he comes back to King's Landing after the destruction of Winterfell.

Like I said for Cersei, once the war is over, I believe the Starks will want to judge him for his family's crime. Not sure if he's going to escape with his sister, it would fufill Viserys parallel but I think he will be captured/imprisoned for some time like he was during the S1. Then, he either escapes or the Starks send him in exil with baby!Lannister.

Now, why would he raise baby!Lannister? I think the clues are in the S7 finale. When Tyrion learned Cersei was pregnant during that emotional scene, they made a secret pact. No one know what is it about, neither the viewers or the characters (including Jaime). The only thing we can speculate is that this pact will ensure the safety of the child. And maybe the throne.

You say you can't have children, but there are other ways of choosing a successor. The Night's Watch has one method. The ironborn, for all their many flaws, have another. - Tyrion, S07E06 Beyond The Wall

Our child will rule Westeros. - Cersei, S07E07 The Dragon and the Wolf

During the S7, Tyrion was concerned by the possible lack of heir after Dany's death, now he has a potential one. The fandom think Cersei betrayed the pact by not sending her troups in the North and that Tyrion is too naive for believing her but... is it true? Yeah, Cersei said to Jaime she didn't trust their brother and she was lying the whole time but nowhere she informed him about the pact and the fact she broke her promise... Why? I always wondered if Tyrion wasn't the one behind the idea to not send the soldiers North. And from the leaks, it looks like he's trying to buy some time. And honestly, look at his costume in that episode:

Source: (x), (x)

Like for EW promo and the previous seasons, the jacket have the Lannister shape and the pattern, while slightly different, looks similar to Tywin's jacket. Everyone always screamed how Cersei's gowns was inspired by Tywin but here...

That pact is gonna bite him in the ass, but maybe not the way we can imagine. I mentioned above a possible parallel between Cersei and Lyanna and it wasn't only about the "dying in childbirth" trope; it was about Cersei asking Tyrion to take care of her child, like Lyanna did with Ned. Unlike Lyanna and Ned, Cersei and Tyrion have a complicated relionship; they hate each others but yet, I think deep down they somehow "love" each others. And Cersei knows her brother loves(d) her children (except Joffrey but that's another story).

I loved them. You know I did. You know it in your heart if there's anything left of it. - Tyrion, S07E07 The Dragon and the Wolf

I don't want to destroy our family. I never have. - Tyrion, S07E07 The Dragon and the Wolf

Cersei: I only care what it cost us. It cost us our future. Cersei: If there's no future, then why are we here? Why did you allow me to come? - S07E07 The Dragon and the Wolf

She knows her child will be safe with him. Add the fact: Cersei asking the man; she blamed her whole life for the death of her mother and dying the same way, to take care of her child and Tyrion, who was considered like the black sheep of his family, raising the future of his house: again full circle.

BABY!LANNISTER : ↳ Daenerys / Jon?

I'll be quick here. While I do think in the books that child will never exist, if this theory is correct, in the show, I believe he will survives and take either Daenerys or Jon role, but mostly Dany. If Tyrion dies, then I assume the Starks will raise him and he will not know who are his real parents like Jon but seriously, a blond baby? LOL. If Tyrion survives, then Dany.

We already have a little parallel with Dany and her conception during the 7x03, even if the circumstance are a little bit different. And if Cersei dies like Rhaella, it would be a complete replay of Dany's birth.

Then, Tyrion raises him like Viserys, but in better way, you know. I don't remember if D&D spoke about a flashforward for the end of the show but I could see that happening: the Starks living happily and the last scene is baby!Lannister being introduced and saying he wants to avenge his family/take what should be is. What goes around, comes around... for the Lannisters, for the show.

TIMELINE :

I have made a little timeline of how I think these events are going to happen but some of them can switch, I guess?

Great battle in 7x03, Winterfell is destroyed

Jaime comes back to King's Landing

Euron dies

The Starks seek refuge/an alliance with Tyrion

End of the war - Jaime dies

The Starks betray the alliance

Cersei escapes to Casterly Rock and die giving birth

Tyrion takes care of baby!Lannister

I'm not sure if my post makes sense, it feels more clear in my mind to be honest and I feel like I forgot a bunch of stuff but I really wanted to post it before the premiere. Now, I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who have that theory in mind and if you have read all of this, first thank you and second, you probably think I'm crazy so I'm gonna hide under a rock...

#i won't tag any characters or the show #because i don't want people to come into my house #with spikes and forks #claiming how dumb i am #i'd rather it to stay between me and my followers #i'm so anxious tbh #it's the first time i do something like this #marie speaks about got #mine : got #tw rape mentions #tw miscarriage

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