#the Starks are almost always non-factors as well. the ~leaks~ never get into how THEY feel about it or how they react to it.

[beavesaintmarie]

every single GOT ~leak~ these days follows the same formula. a few popular fandom theories, mixed in with HELLA shipper/character biases topped off with j/n always getting over having his entire fucking WORLD turned upside down after the R+L bomb is dropped in like RECORD TIME so he can get back to what REALLY matters.................fucking his aunt.

[killthebxy-archive]

You write and understand Jon so well that I'm interested to hear your opinion of how Jon would react to seeing Theon again. I don't know if you've seen the leaked photos of their meeting in Season 7 but I wanted to know if you think they can reconcile both in the book (if they get the opportunity to meet again) and show?

inquisitive grey walkers (always accepting)

first of all, thank you very much for the compliment ♥

          now… i am going to start by speaking ABOUT THE SHOW, where the matters go as follow: Jon knows that Bran may still be alive, because Sam told him about their meeting. Jon knows that Rickon was killed by Ramsay, right in front of him. meaning, he’s aware that the claim that Theon burned his little brothers alive as mean to solidify his grasp on Winterfell, back in the day, is false. also, Theon is the one who saved Sansa from the Boltons, at the risk of his own life — i will assume that season 7 will start some weeks/ months after the Battle of the Bastards, so surely Sansa will have plenty of time to tell Jon this tale (if she hasn’t yet, while they both were at Castle Black). as well, to fill him in on all the horrors Ramsay inflicted on Reek.

          where does this leave us, then? Jon knowing that, likely, if Theon had never betrayed Robb’s trust, his brother might still be alive — same for Catelyn, none of the horrible events at the Red Wedding would have taken place, probably. also, certainly, Winterfell would never have been wrecked as it was and the good folk of the castle (maester Luwin, Ser Rodrik, Old Nan, Mikken, etc) would still be alive — chances are, the Boltons would never have succeeded in claiming a seat that had ever belonged to House Stark. i have no doubt that Jon deeply resents Theon for this, not to mention the two of them never really got too along back when they were younger.

          on the other hand… he cannot blame him for killing Bran or Rickon — for setting them lose in the world, perhaps, but not for their deaths. and, again, i have no doubts that he is extremely grateful to Theon for what he did for Sansa. if we zoom out, without Theon, Sansa would have never escaped Winterfell and, in turn, the battle would have never happened and, therefore, they would never have reclaimed the castle. so, to romanticize this a little, Theon was both the alfa and omega for Winterfell; the reason why it fell and the reason why it is now being reborn from its cinders. 

          and the North remembers. Jon may not be a Stark (in the show, actually, he is technically a Targaryen), but he holds his father’s values to heart, and he is not a boy anymore. he’s matured immensely ever since leaving home, and the people he’s met and the sights he’s witnessed have contributed to vastly broaden his horizons and to capitalize on his empathy — Jon has become very good at understanding and relating to other people’s feelings, and to see the world from their own perspective. he is, literally, the first non-wildling (if we exclude Mance Rayder and his mixed heritage) to see the free folk for what they are —men and women and children like any other, whose only sin was to be born on the wrong side of the Wall— and to take efforts to break such a traditional view (he died for this lbr). 

          because of this, then, i dare say that, above anything else, Jon will be very conflicted in his feelings towards Theon, once they meet again in s07, and surely his father’s former ward will provoke a lot of ambivalent feelings. on one hand, he holds a lot against Theon and i don’t think he’ll ever forgive him for betraying Robb; on the other, he also owes Theon Sansa’s life and, indirectly, the reclaiming of Winterfell, as I mentioned. i am not sure if the show will make him pend more towards revenge or towards forgiveness, but my own personal take on it is a middle ground. i honestly doubt Jon would ever seek revenge of his own on Theon, but i doubt he’ll fully trust him again, either. most likely, they will form an alliance based on mutual necessity, especially because the Iron Fleet could be a valuable asset in the Battle for the Dawn.

          now, ABOUT THE BOOKS! where do we stand in the books, and what is different? Jon does not know a thing about Bran, because Sam respected the promise he made to Bran and never opened his mouth about it, though it costed him dearly (heartbreaking chapter in AFFC tbh). Rickon is somewhere lost with Shaggydog and Osha by the shores of Skagos, as far as we know. meaning, Jon believes Theon did immolate both his little brothers and no doubt hates him for such — in the Jon chapters, he almost always refers to Theon as “Theon Turncloak”, which speaks enough in itself. the whole Red Wedding thing is just as relevant, but the books contemplate even something more: Jon doesn’t officially know that Theon managed to flee Winterfell, the only thing he knows of this mess comes in that one letter Ramsay sent to him — claiming that Stannis and Mance are dead, and that he wants to cut off Jon’s heart and all those lovely things. Ramsay also says he wants his bride back, implying that ‘Arya’ left together with Reek, but honestly the vibe this chapter gives me is that Jon never even processed this. right before being betrayed and killed, it was his plan to ride to Winterfell and settle the matters himself — meaning, he likely intended to fight Ramsay one-on-one and rescue ‘Arya’ himself, since Melisandre’s plan seemed to have been an utter flop. therefore, the protecting factor of having saved one of his sisters does not benefit Theon in the books. 

          for all this, then, i believe that book!Jon would be much less lenient towards Theon — for not only he believes him to have cruelly and cowardly murdered Bran and Rickon, but he never managed to do anything to redeem himself, either, so to speak. and, if GRRM brings Jon back for TWOW and/or ADOS and he chances to meet Theon, i wouldn’t be surprised if they end up in a real fight or even Jon wishing to sentence him to be executed for treason — if he’s not connected to the Night’s Watch anymore, that is, and must not need be neutral. in my opinion, the way things are right now, the only thing that might have Jon be slightly more condescending towards Theon would be by taking a look of him and realizing what sort of human ragdoll Ramsay has made out him.