rriverrunning

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She remembers.

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acok catelyn v / affc brienne iii

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ok back here again because these two excerpts are soooo interesting to look at together. brienne and catelyn's relationship is really deeply important to both of their characters, despite the relatively brief amount of time they spend together on-page, and imo its significance to the story doesn't end with catelyn's death.

in the yellow highlights, catelyn and brienne bring up the notion of doing things for the living vs. doing things for the dead (there's also a lot going on thematically in the green, but that's for another post lol). this question is extremely prominent in catelyn's chapters, especially as we see the way she is changed by grief. in earlier parts of acok, she brushes off offers of revenge for ned's death:

she also makes a similar argument to brienne to stop her from essentially throwing her own life away to kill stannis on renly's behalf. (sidenote: knowing how brienne ends up in the last published chapters wrt lady stoneheart and jaime (living as of yet, unlike renly), and the general difference between brienne's feelings for renly vs jaime, this is something i'm personally really interested to see play out).

as the books progress however, the intense amount of loss and grief catelyn experiences throughout changes her view on this: after hearing about bran and rickon's alleged deaths, we see her savoring roose bolton's gift of theon's flayed skin, when just a book previously she was thinking of how seeing the lannister's heads would change nothing for her (after ned's death). and of course, this culminates in her final chapter after she witnesses robb's death and kills jinglebell, an innocent, with her own hands.

but while as readers we saw this evolution (devolution?) from catelyn's pov, we also have to remember that this isn't the cat that brienne knew. throughout asos brienne also experiences a lot of character development, but even so continues to think of the version of cat that she left at the end of acok, still acting on behalf of her wishes.

therefore i am so, so interested to see how this theme plays out for brienne (i haven't finished affc yet lol) because i think there's definitely something going on here with her competing allegiances: to the catelyn of her memories vs. lady stoneheart vs. to her living daughter(s but brienne thinks arya is dead) vs. her relationship to jaime vs. hers to the people of the riverlands/protecting the innocents who are casualties of their lords' actions. she's a character so defined by her idealism and desire to do the right thing -- though she often struggles to determine what the right thing is -- in a way that catelyn, who is quite jaded and tends to prioritize family and close personal ties, is not. and now that catelyn (or something close enough to her, at least in brienne's eyes) is walking around having been reduced to her desire for revenge, brienne is going to have to confront these theoretical questions about duty to the living and the dead in a very, very literal physical way.

acok catelyn v / affc brienne iii

[rriverrunning]

also this (paradise lost book ii lines 761-766)

cersei lannister coded (paradise lost book iv lines 458-478)

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cersei lannister coded (paradise lost book iv lines 458-478)

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House Tully!

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you’re not allowed to be this cute when everything is so awful

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acoksuckers (fan name for people who really like a clash of kings)

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has anyone ever done catelyn x maege mormont. au where instead of sending maege to the neck robb has her escort catelyn to seagard before the red wedding and through the days on horseback and cold nights in inns or keeps catelyn grows fond of lady mormont despite how different they may seem... she has an understanding of her grief and struggles like no other... would it be so wrong for her to find comfort in her arms on their long journey north... etc etc.

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every time i reread a catelyn chapter i'm reminded of just how GOOD they are

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acok catelyn v / affc brienne iii

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“i am not made to be a mother. i need to fight.” is a DELICIOUS quote all by itself but catelyn giving it right back with “then fight… but for the living, not the dead.” like thanks for confirming that we’ll be seeing brienne at the long night queen xx

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House Tully!

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Can I have a minute of your time? I am Mohammed from Gaza. I do not want to talk much about my story. I am married and have two children. I am a simple young man living in Gaza. My situation was good. I worked in a correspondent hospital and my job was good. I provided for my family and myself. Our life was very sweet and our days were beautiful. The war came and destroyed everything. There was no home, no work, no life. Everything was gone. My wife and children traveled to Egypt for treatment. My wife has a blood clot and my son has an electric shock in the brain. I am in Gaza. I cannot see them or communicate with them to check on them. They live alone in Egypt. There is no one by their side. They cannot provide them with a living, treatment, or rent an apartment. I live in a tent with my family, which consists of my mother, father, sister, brothers, their wives, and children. I cannot live in the difficult conditions that Gaza is currently experiencing. I hope you will listen to my story and donate to me so that we can live in this difficult situation. gofund.me/9fb27249

sharing for reach!

[rriverrunning]

Catelyn describing the southern rain:

"...soft and warm. Catelyn liked the feel of it on her face, gentle as a mother's kisses. It took her back to her childhood, to long grey days at Riverrun."

Ned describing the southern rain:

"It beat down on Ned's head, warm as blood and relentless as old guilts."

Ned really does not miss the chance to describe how much he fucking hates everything about this place, does he?

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Please listen carefully Please listen carefully🙏 I need you to read this..🥹

On the seventh of October I am teacher Mahmoud Atta. I work as a teacher teaching secondary school students.

On October 7th, I was getting ready to go to school. On October 7th, while I was getting ready to go to school, my life was completely turned upside down. Israel declared war on Gaza. After that, they announced their entry into the roads and cities and forced us to leave the city from Khan Yunis to Rafah

.

We passed through a road called the Road of Death. Tanks were everywhere. Bullets were raining down. We passed through a road called the Road of Death. Tanks were everywhere. Bullets were raining down. If you survived, your brother would not.

We've all seen the end of the world movies on the big screen. We have all seen end of the world movies on cinema screens, but what we saw was real and not imaginary. I wish it was imaginary.

We finally arrived in Rafah Finally we arrived in Rafah, the safe city as it is called, but where to go? The sea is behind us, the weather is freezing, and the borders are closed with Egypt on the other side and Israel on the third and fourth sides. I found myself making a tent out of nylon for myself and my family.

No water, no electricity, no food, no place to go to the bathroom, no life. I wish I had died sooner.

We returned after a long time to our city.After a long time, we returned to our city. The first sight was that a giant monster had entered the city and left it in ruins, so much so that I did not recognize my house or my neighborhood. Oh my God, is this Khan Yunis?

fI searched to find my home, to find my apartment, which contained my memories and my most beautiful days, destroyed. I searched to find my home, to find my apartment, which contained my memories and my most beautiful days, destroyed.

Today I stand before you to search for Today I stand in your hands to search for any help to restore myself again thanks to you.. I am waiting for your help

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oh they're so tethered