#he will give a shit about the lannisters forcing a young girl to marry one of them to steal her rights

[thewindsofwolves]

Jon Snow & Sansa Stark Book Parallels & Mentions 41/∞ : Jon refuses to steal Sansa’s birthright 

"How can I lose men I do not have? I had hoped to bestow Winterfell on a northman, you may recall. A son of Eddard Stark. He threw my offer in my face." Stannis Baratheon with a grievance was like a mastiff with a bone; he gnawed it down to splinters. "By right Winterfell should go to my sister Sansa." "Lady Lannister, you mean? Are you so eager to see the Imp perched on your father's seat? I promise you, that will not happen whilst I live, Lord Snow."  A Dance With Dragons, Jon I

[thebluelemontree]

I was just doing a AGOT re-read and I (though other people probably noticed it too) found something interesting. In Sansa I AGOT, she reveals what she likes in a husband: "... tall and handsome and strong, with hair like gold." In comparison, in ASOS it becomes: "tall and strong." There's no mention of "handsome." Is this Sansa merely growing and becoming less trustworthy about looks (something suggested in her TWOW preview chap. wrt Harry) or could this also be connected to Sandor? Thank you!

 She’s gradually maturing and developing a more complex view of appearance, attraction, and character.

Ser Harrold Hardyng looked every inch a lord-in-waiting; clean-limbed and handsome, straight as a lance, hard with muscle. Men old enough to have known Jon Arryn in his youth said Ser Harrold had his look, she knew. He had a mop of sandy blond hair, pale blue eyes, an aquiline nose. Joffrey was comely too, though, she reminded herself. A comely monster, that’s what he was. Little Lord Tyrion was kinder, twisted though he was. – Alayne I, TWOW.

It’s not as simple as her thinking a pretty face always conceals a rotten core.  Or that ugly people are more trustworthy.  What’s under the surface must be uncovered and looked at no matter who it is.  How could she know Tyrion was kinder than other Lannisters without seeing for herself his demonstrations of kindness?  In the misery of their forced marriage and everything that happened, Lannister promises rightfully meant dick to her.  It wasn’t his words, but his actions that gave Sansa more insight into his true character, as complicated as Tyrion is.  It’s no small feat because Sansa’s view of him is also sometimes colored by the ableist ideas she was brought up with, and they are terrible at communicating with each other.  She can see that there was a good man genuinely trying to do right by her inside the deeply troubled, misguided one who was also her enemy.  Tyrion has his noblest moments when he isn’t trying to get her to warm to him.  It’s when he’s standing up to Joffrey to protect her, which Sansa remembers most about him in hindsight.  I do kinda think she means “twisted” in more ways than just his physicality because she does seem to get that he’s carrying a lot of trauma without knowing all the details and the exact extent.  And how could she know Joffrey was a monster until the veil was torn from her eyes?  There’s a huge difference between seeing Joffrey as a 13-year-old spoiled brat with an ego and mean streak in AGOT, and then realizing it’s way more than that when he orders Ned’s execution.  No one saw the burgeoning sadist and murderer until it was all out there in the open.    

In the sample chapter, we do see her testing Harry’s honesty and prying him open with questions to find out what kind of man he is in regards to his past relationships and his bastard children.  That’s after their first meeting when he was rude to her.  She’s had enough experience with Sandor and Tyrion to know that under a prickly exterior can sometimes be a lot of pain, so she is giving him another shot despite the rocky start.  And Harry does sort of have legitimate reasons to be wary or resentful of this potential match with Littlefinger’s daughter.  She does end up getting to know some of the real Harry, such as he is.  The best she can say about him is that he has nice teeth.  He’s not an evil monster, but his looks are about the only thing to recommend him, which is saying Harry is very lacking in substance.  He’s actually a pretty typical overprivileged young man of his class, that includes being an irresponsible cad where women are concerned.  He’s got some traits in common with both Loras (his beauty) and Sandor (his bluntness), but none of their better qualities.  At least those two know how to be faithful.  Girls are brought up to look the other way with their husband’s infidelity, so as long as he doesn’t bring his mistresses or bastards home.  Wives are supposed to be satisfied with the stability and status of the marriage, and if all they have in common is the love of the children, well that’s a successful marriage in Westeros.  And what Sansa really wants is to go home, but if she’s got to suffer being married to this buffoon to do that, well, I don’t blame her for trying to find something, anything, about him she can get down with.  She doesn’t even seem to be that impressed with his looks either, and he does totally fit the bill of tall, strong, and blonde bridegroom.      

This is completely the opposite of how she first felt about Joffrey in early AGOT.  She admitted she didn’t know him, but she felt she was already in love with him.  He’s a handsome prince straight out of central casting, and the songs told her he was GoodTM.  Her main focus was bending over backward to conform to what Joffrey likes.  If Joffrey wants to go riding, suddenly she says she loves to ride when she very well doesn’t.  The difference in TWOW is that she isn’t blinded by Harry’s looks, and she wants to get to know him herself before deciding how she feels about him.  And no taking ANY shit from him either.  No free passes for pretty faces; however, she’s also gives Harry a fair chance to redeem himself from their first encounter.       

Sansa is allowed to take into consideration Harry’s attractiveness to her if there’s a possibility of spending the rest of her life with him.  It’s not a bad thing or shallow to want to be attracted to your partner.  A large part of her arc has been figuring out and accepting her evolving preferences in romantic partners.  Sandor is not the kind of guy a nice girl is supposed to like.  She’s also at that age of having feelings she’s not yet ready to deal with.  Having chemistry with someone can definitely increase their overall attractiveness, even if they aren’t conventionally handsome or beautiful.           

In Clash, she still thinks of Sandor as objectively ugly; however, when she really thinks about it, she realizes it’s his anger and harshness that she dislikes most.  But she also admits that she likes some of that ferocity in his personality.  Since she knows the origin of his disfigurement, there’s compassion for the trauma he suffered.  They have intimacy.  He’s a protector and an ally that she can rely on to be honest with her.  She can vent at him.  There’s a thing between them in spite of telling herself that he’s ugly or that he’s mean or that it’s Loras that is her ideal love interest.  How can she think about kissing Sandor in such florid detail when Ser Loras exists???  How does that make any sense?  It takes until Feast before she just accepts that Loras felt nothing for her and they had no real connection.  Her attraction to him is no longer enough to maintain the fantasy.  She can let that go without any sorrow or disappointment because she’s been growing up and moving past it before she’s even really conscious of it.  Her thoughts immediately turn to the kiss given by someone she knows had genuine feelings for her as a person.  She finally accepts that Sandor is attractive to her, they have chemistry, and that’s all there really is to it.  It doesn’t need to make any sense beyond people just wanting who they want.              

Could she still get the “tall and strong” cloaking she always wanted in the end?  Sure, but I think those qualities could be more incidental rather than something she’s going to be focused on.  It’s going to matter so much more if the guy cloaking her is someone she loves and who loves her for herself.  To even get to freely choose a marriage for love is an outcome that would be pretty hard earned by this point.  It’s not really about the ideal, it’s about what’s real.               

[daenerys-targaryen-moved]

I reread Dany's early AGOT recently, and this passage stood out to me: "For half a moon, they rode through the Forest of Qohor [...] there were great elk in that wood, and spotted tigers, and LEMURS WITH SILVER FUR AND HUGE PURPLE EYES, but all fled before the approach of the khalasar and Dany got no glimpse of them." TARG LEMURS??? What's your thoughts on this? I'm guessing it symbolizes the Westerosi Houses (Baratheons and Lannisters) and is foreshadowing her return? (1/2)

(2/2) My guesses as far as possible symbolism goes are this: the tigers and elk (Baratheons and Lannisters) ran from Dany's forces (the Dothraki) so that could foreshadow her return to the West/her battling them? But she barely got to look at the animals before they ran off, so could that foreshadow her not being in Westeros long (like, returning to Essos), or dying in Westeros? ;__;

Srry to keep spamming you lol, but I wanted your opinions. My fave ending 4 Dany is 4 her 2 realize that her heart is in Essos, not the West. So while she goes West for a while & helps with the LN/rules, she has the epiphany that she was trying to reclaim the IT for her family, not for her OWN happiness, and that her true home is Essos. I think of that line abt her wanting to be a sailor as a child; she craves domesticity, but has become more than that for the sake of others, to help them. (1/2)

(2/2) So I think a good ending for her is to get what she truly wants, after sacrificing her happiness for so long; a house with a red door, literally or metaphorical, that simple life she's always wanted: a home. Basically the reward of being able to rest after she has labored and did her duty as queen: freeing slaves, giving so much, etc, etc. I can just see her in this quiet, beautiful Essosi meadow where she's settled down with her closest friends and it just makes me so emotional. Thoughts?

Don’t ever apoligize for spamming me, lol! I love it when I get asks like this!

As for the Lemurs, Elk and Spotted Tigers being foreshadow for Daenerys choosing to leave Westeros and go back to Essos, I don’t know if I can say that I agree or disagree. I think it’s an interesting portion that grrm put into her story, but I don’t know if it means anything in terms of her endgame.

I’m on the same page with you where I want nothing more than for Daenerys to just be happy and free and surrounded by loved ones.

But Daenerys has an obligation.

Daenerys isn’t throne crazy and she isn’t power hungry like a lot like to paint her as. In fact, she wants nothing more than to go find the house with the red door, be simple common folk and be man and wife with Daario. Daenerys believed in Viserys once, her brother, her King, the true heir to the iron throne, but he died, and that responsibility fell to her.

“I was alone for a long time, Jorah. All alone but for my brother. I was such a small scared thing. Viserysshould have protected me, but instead he hurt me and scared me worse. He shouldn’t have done that. Hewasn’t just my brother, he was myking . Why do the gods make kings and queens, if not to protect theones who can’t protect themselves?” - Daenerys, ASOS

She doesn’t want the throne simply to have the throne, she wants the throne because she wants to help people. That’s who Daenerys is at her core, someone who just wants to help and protect people. She would abandon this quest for the throne if she could, but since it fell into her lap as the last Targaryen, and she has the willpower and the means to attain it, she knows that she must fulfill this quest or else all these people would continue to be murdered, enslaved, raped and harmed by those who are in power.

What’s so funny about 8.05 is that Daenerys said, “I have no love here, I only have fear.” which is such bullshit, considering they killed off those who did love her, because book!daenerys is used to be mocked, scorned and unloved. She is constantly surrounded by enemies because she’s the single thing standing in between a predator (slavers) and their prey (freed slaves). We see this when she is Khaleesi and stops the Khalassar men from raping the goat girls and women, when she brings them under her protection she’s cursed at and spat at. We see this when she frees the cities, because the slavers then form the Harpy to reclaim their slaves. Daenerys Targaryen isn’t unaccustomed to these things. She’s used to this kind of behavior, she’s used to this kind of treatment, it doesn’t deter her at all, because she knows that no one else will do what she is willing to do.

Dany agrees to marry a man she hates and sacrifices her happiness for the sake of her people:

… but Daenerys Targaryen had other children, tens of thousands who had hailed her as their mother when she broke their chains. She thought of Stalwart Shield, of Missandei’s brother, of the woman Rylona Rhee, who had played the harp so beautifully. No marriage would ever bring them back to life, but if a husband could help end the slaughter, then she owed it to her dead to marry. - Daenerys IV ADWD

“It is not,” she agreed, “but it is important to me that you should understand. My people are bleeding. Dying. A queen belongs not to herself, but to the realm. Marriage or carnage, those are my choices. A wedding or a war.” - Daenerys IV ADWD

When Dany is offered yet another choice to go to Westeros, and this time with a powerful alliance with Dorne, Dany sacrifices this for her people and still decides to marry Hizdahr:

“It would please me if he had turned up with these fifty thousand swords he speaks of. Instead he brings two knights and a parchment. Will a parchment shield my people from the Yunkai'i? If he had come with a fleet …”

“Sunspear has never been a sea power, Your Grace.”

“No.” Dany knew enough of Westerosi history to know that. Nymeria had landed ten thousand ships upon Dorne’s sandy shores, but when she wed her Dornish prince she had burned them all and turned her back upon the sea forever. “Dorne is too far away. To please this prince, I would need to abandon all my people. You should send him home.” - Daenerys VIII ADWD

Her desires and her wishes aren’t matched to her desire and need to protect people. Even in the most recent book, we see that Daenerys wants to simply be a young carefree girl who’s in love, but she can’t, because she has a duty.

She would rather have drifted in the fragrant pool all day, eating iced fruit off silver trays and dreaming of a house with a red door, but a queen belongs to her people, not to herself. - Daenerys IX ADWD

It was time, though. A girl might spend her life at play, but she was a woman grown, a queen, a wife, a mother to thousands. Her children had need of her. Drogon had bent before the whip, and so must she. She had to don her crown again and return to her ebon bench and the arms of her noble husband. - Daenerys X ADWD

A quote from Emilia Clarke,

“It’s not a kind of surfacey ‘I’m gonna take the throne cause I want it.’ This is her destiny and she can’t fight it. The only person that she can trust is herself. It’s a pretty lonely path that she’s going down.”

Daenerys finding unwelcoming arms in Westeros isn’t something that she’ll be shocked and upset and go mad over, as I explained above she’s used to that kind of treatment. Daenerys duty is to her people above all else. If the people don’t want her help, she won’t leave them still. Regardless of her own desires, her own needs, her own dreams, her duty is to the people who need her.

I agree with you, I want nothing more than for her to say ‘fuck this shit I’m out,’ but she won't, because she's not the kind of person to abandon those in need, as Tyrion said, she is an all above rescuer.

[dachi-chan25]

GoT Season 8 Episode 1: The Pointy End Recap

Gods I am back on my bullshit but I can't help it 'cause I had too many thoughts about yesterday's episodes.

Disclaimer: So if you know me or my blog you know I don't root for D Targy (I write it like this cuz i don't want this post to pop up in her tag) and that she sometimes annoys the crap out of me, also i don't root for her bland ass romance or anything magical lizard related. I support House Stark 100% so ofc I believe in Pol!Jon (and more over I am a Jonsa shipper so ofc Imma write about that) and if you don't agree or don't feel confortable with any of those things this Recap is not for you (if you come here to troll I'll just ignore you anyway so don't waste your time and energy like that)

With that said let's begin!

.

-The episode starts with a young boy running to meet the Queen's entourage, we already see a lot of peasants and common folk gathered there, Arya sees the boy and smiles fondly (she is totally reminiscing when she did the same when King Bobby B visited WF) This shots made me feel very nostalgic as they parallel very closely S1.

Another parallel that it's included here is Jon and D arriving all regal couple like, I was just remembering about Bobby B and Cersei, and things are already on a visual side not working for them (d looks totally out of place with that flashy awkward coat, I mean the color, the cut, the red details, all of it makes her stand out like a sore thumb. On a visual level alone she does not belong there). The music is also worth noting, it starts off on a very ominious tone and then gets some heroic B bright undertones as Dr and Jon ride closer to he camera, but again falls into an ominious conqueror-villian entrance song.

The perspective shifts to Arya watching Jon and D riding (she doesn't seem happy to see D she kind of looks confused) but smiles when she sees Jon, we also see The Hound (Arya looks really confused, cuz she probably thought he was dead) and Gendry (she gives the cutest smiles ever,and yassssss Gendyra lives!!) riding behind them.

We get Varys and Tyrion riding in a carriage of sorts, and an unnecesary enuch joke *sigh* even Varys calls out Tyrion for it, and he is like idgaf cuz i got ballzzzz!! (Classy dude)

The common folk is not diggin this dragon kween business and obviously don't cheer or grovel at d's feet, she is very upset at this and Jon is like "I told you so", then the dragons approach and the people are terrified, they scream and run, worst of all D smiles and seems so smug (fuuuck her a thousand times, this proves she doesn't give a fuck about poor people unless they adore her, and that fear is just as well for her as respect, cuz this bitch is just like Cersei but dumber) and we don't really get to see Jon's reaction but come the fuck on!! This people Jon knows, some of them he has seen since he was a little boy, these are the people he is trying hard to protect and you think he is not gonna care for them just cuz d is pwetty?? Nah dude, he knows she cares about being worshipped (I meaaaan her long ass list of titles) but he thinks she is mostly harmless (may i remind you he still doesn't know about the TARLYS)

The camera follows the dragons and we see Sansa looking at them with worry (my poor girl, that's the adecuate reaction when you see monsters terrifying your people)

K, now we are seeing Jon in the courtyard, he sees Bran and immediately runs to him (you can clearly see Jorah helping D dismount in the background and that's hillarious cuz 2 seconds in WF and he is already leaving her ass behind in favor of his family), we even get a forhead kiss and Jon is pretty emotional at seeing his baby brother all grown up (tbh i find Bran's deadpan deliveries so funny, Jon looks confused af) he sees SANSA and biiiitch (I wanted to screenshot his face but I just gave up cuz it's very quick) the softness of his stare, the parted mouth, the way he just dives into her arms (Sansa stares at D while they hug like bih fuck off he is ours) . I want to address something real quick, yeah it was a shorter hug than we expected, but not less emotional ( Sansa was smiling and the look on Jon's face when he saw her) still it was 10000x times better than any Aegony scene because the affection is mutual Jon goes straight for a hug and Sansa opens her arms as opposed as Aegony scenes that rely heavily on D. Also I think this hug was shorter (and we see Jon pulling apart first) cuz d is watching, not only that but a lot of people are and i do think this season until the parentage reveal is out in the open they will be trying to keep their distances cuz they have feelings siblings are not supposed to have.

Jon asks for Arya, and Sansa says she is lurking somewhere with a smile (this reminded me of Cat asking about Arya on ep 1) and D approaches with the most forced smile ever, Jon introduces Sansa with her proper title first and then is like she is the kween D Targy forsaking all her thousand titles thank god. Also the first thing Jon says is that Sansa is his sister which I'll talk about later. So D tries (and fails) to be charming, saying how beautiful WF and the North (she says it's as beautiful as Jon said) and compares Sansa's beauty to it which had me wondering stuff.

A) so we never get Jon and D talking about Jon's siblings (another aegony is doomed moment) but he does mention briefly Arya and Bran cuz he thought they were dead, but Sansa??? Unless a thrid party brought her up he never talked about her which leads me to think D had no idea about Sansa being Jon's sister and that is why he breaks the hug and introduces he as his sister frist of all.

B) By talking about Sansa's beauty and how Jon talked about it, it implies they did talk about Sansa and that Jon said she was beautiful ??? Cuz that's the way D made it sound xdddd.

Ofc i think the A to be more like lyrics cuz Jon is playing his cards very close to his chest, but I thought it was funny.

Sansa brushes her of and delivers the WF is yours your Grace bs. Duuuude she is not even trying to be charming (she is corteous enough but barely) like she would have played the modest naive Maiden and said "not as beautiful as you, your grace" (bihhh d would have loved this shit) nor even a gracious thank you. And i wonder whyyy?? As far as she knows she is an ally, and yeah she doesn't trust her damn she doesn't even like her but that hasn't stopped her before like damn she was all charm when she met Roose and Ramsey for the 1st time and she hated them!!!! What I think is happening is that LF'S words are still in her mind about Jon marrying D, and Jon separated too quickly from their hug, and now he is standing beside this woman calling her queen, and yeah I see the jealousy maybe she doesn't know why fully maybe she is just starting to realize her feelings and is all projecting them onto the he betrayed the north's trust but I do feel it goes beyond that and it shows.

Bran interrupts before things get uglier with D and Sansa, with news about the wall, D looks shocked (bet she thought she was the only one who could control dragons) Jon looks like he is about to have a pánico attack.

They have a meeting with the northern Lords in the Great Hall (it is very curious that Jon is seated between d and Sansa, when befitting her new title D should be in the middle, D&D are driving this love triangle home) but from the get go we see that Sansa is the one running stuff and doing everything a queen should, she asks Ned Umbr about his people, he says they need more wagons and horses (I am sideeyeing D so hard at this moment) Sansa bids him to go to Last Hearth and bring as many ppl as he can.

Lyanna Mormont then proceeds to rip Jon a new one (but Lyanna like everyone else isn't really getting the full picture) and Jon looks at Sansa for support (like curious, as Lyanna is talking about D and she is his lady love and stuff you'd think he would look at her to gather strenght or resolution for what he is about to say but nope) but she is like 'dude you deserve it' and I would say she is right but like wasn't Sansa defending him to everyone that would listen last season ??? She literally said she respects Jon's desicions, nah this is her jealousy this is a go on prove me wrong, talk, give them (and me) and explanation of why u betrayed our trust for her. And Jon does look crushed when he sees he is not getting any support from her cuz if pol!Jon is right he did it! He listened to her, he was smarter than father and Robb, he brought an army home, and Sansa the one he did all this for still won't trust him that the North is his heart and home and he would do anything to keep it safe (like still pretty fucking unfair he wants sansa's blind faith without giving her anything in return but I get where he is coming from) and if pol!Jon is not real then they really destroyed Jon's character in favor of the blandest romance ever and I can't get behind that way of thinking because before I even shipped Jonsa I was a fan of both Jon Snow and Sansa Stark and I believe and support them both.

Honestly my boy doesn't even try to sell D, he is just like we need allies!! Tyrion just about gives up cuz he thinks Jon is a bumbling fool with no idea of how the game is played (lmaooo) and tries to sell D plus the idea that Cersei is sending them the Lannister army (I think is very important jon didn't mention this and I will go on about it later) Sansa is just about fed up with this bs, and asks a real important question about how da fuck is she supposed to feed this big ass army plus 3 dragons that she didn't account for and she doesn't have any obligation towards, like that's d's job, even worse d's haughty response (you can see Jon doesn't like this one bit) like honestly I had never felt more annoyed by d she is already a villian threatening Sansa in her own home for daring to care more about her people than about d's lizards, and i don't know how people are ok with that, like dude y'all are entitled to your own opinión and to loving your faves, but this shit was awfull.

We see carts of dragonglass in the courtyard, Gendry is giving instructions and Lord Royce is just leaving Sansa looking at all this activity when Tyrion approaches Sansa.

This is already to long and I have much to say about the Tyrion-Sansa convo, so let's go on in part 2!!

[ragnarssons]

Why is sansa wanting Northern independence such a bad thing? She could have gone at it at differently but she did talk to dany and Jon abt it straight up and they declined her. Why is she the only character not allowed to have wants and desires??

I was all supporting her until she decided that stabbing a member of her own family in the back was “a means to an end”. Jon asked her to keep his secret. He made her promise. You know who else did? Lyanna fucking Stark, begging her brother to protect her son. Jon! And Ned protected his nephew/”son” with his life, going so far as being hated (in some aspects) by his own wife and mocked by half the country because “uwu Ned Stark has a bastard!” He didn’t care about his reputation or his power or how people viewed him, he knew his family was more important than that. Sansa stans seem to ignore than on s7, Daenerys was advised not to go around in Westeros, like riding on horses and all, because as a Targaryen, related to the Mad King - both things that Jon ARE too! - her life was in danger. Because you never know: there still are Baratheon loyalists or even anti Targaryen people, whatever. Sansa - or the writers, idk? - is literally ignoring her brother’s safety, exposing him as a Targaryen to more and more people every minute. Don’t get me started on “well technically it’s Tyrion who snitched!” no it’s Sansa, and D&D say so themselves: she told Tyrion KNOWING he’d tell other people. Jon’s safety in all of that? Seems she didn’t give a fuck! Don’t get me started on her creating discourse around Daenerys and her advisors and Daenerys and Jon (her ALLY) at THAT MOMENT. Why now? Okay she doesn’t want Daenerys on the Throne, but if Daenerys dies before she gets to defeat Cersei, Jon has NO WAY to get to the Throne. He has no army, he has no political ally (outside of Varys but does he have a House?) the Unsullied, Dorne, Yara, the Dothraki, heck even the Second Sons who are basically the only force left, are loyal to Daenerys. The GC has more chances to rally to Daenerys than they’d ever do to Jon- why? Well because they’re from Essos! Who was in Essos being famous up there? Well Daenerys and no one else! So yeah he has his bro Tormund who is literally on the other side of the country, the Knights of the Vale who are??? Nowhere to be seen? Okay the Northerners follow him but they’re basically not enough against the GC. Not to mention that Jon has no dragon. If Dany loses, Jon dies, because he’s literally in King’s Landing, right there, with her. And do you have ANY IDEA (does Sansa?) of what will happen if Cersei learns about Jon’s parentage? I mean, on top of it all, he’s Lyanna’s son. You know, it’s not like Tywin Lannister got Elia Martell butchered because Rhaegar DARED to marry her and not his daughter Cersei. It’s not like the Lannisters can’t be THAT petty. So how is it smart to weaken Daenerys NOW? Also don’t get me started on the xenophobic-root of it all. Why does Sansa want the Northern Independance? Oh well because she doesn’t trust anyone! Fair! She doesn’t even trust someone who’s had half her army butchered and two of her dragons killed for her family/the war of the dawn. She doesn’t even trust someone who came forward with her, admitted “their weakness” (Dany loving Jon) straight forward to her. Sansa is literally exploiting Jon’s love for Daenerys rn to get to her goal, but I guess that’s morally okay because “she should be able to want thiiiings!!!” Want to talk about straight up? Guess what, she never came “straight up” to Jon about the Northern independance, they never talked about it, only about Jon giving up his crown. In fact, Sansa only voiced WHY she wants an Independant North to Daenerys: BECAUSE Daenerys was the one coming to talk to her, not the other way around. Before that, Sansa’s plan was just to act silently petty and full of disdain and that’s it. Had Sansa made ANY EFFORT to try and talk with Dany about it - other than with sheer animosity like in that scene - and Dany would have been like “it’s not even a question!” or whatever, I would have understood Sansa’s plotting better. But no, she never ONCE tried the “honest” road, literally talking to the Queen who was right there, she just plotted behind her back.Yara did it the honest way; she came, she was like “hey you need boats! I’ll give you boats and you help me with my home, okay??” and everything went FINE. How could Sansa not do that? Especially towards someone her brother LOVES! Whether or not Sansa thinks it’s “smart” out of Jon to love someone, he still does! Doesn’t she think killing the woman he loves and breaking his heart for a metal chair will DESTROY their relationship and her family?? And now, she’s plotting as far as planning to have her murdered, all that for HER goals (because jon. does not. want. the throne!). Jon getting the Throne would serve Sansa and all the people who are counting on the oppoprtunity of manipulating Jon’s ass once he’s king (*cough* Varys). All that because Sansa is so paranoid, so sure she’s “right” that she doesn’t even think about any other possibility. Heck, is it really paranoia? Because we literally have David Nutter saying it’s about jealousy and power! Imagine that? Sansa betraying her brother to gain power. That’s literally like Cersei killing Margaery right in front of Tommen’s nose. Even when his brother loves that woman, even when it puts her brother’s life in danger, even when Daenerys never even did anything to appear as an enemy to Sansa. Sansa has a roof over her head rn, because of Daenerys’ army: and her saying “we’ll never forget them!” about men she doesn’t even know to try and sound “thankful” was the fakest shit she’s ever said (she literally forgot about them already and whatever; the Unsullied, the Dothraki, they followed Dany out of love and loyalty, and the Starks are like “we wuv these people who died for the north but FUCK THEIR QUEEN!”). Like?? Do you even stop two seconds to evaluate the shittiness of all of this? The Starks are basically saying “we’re glad we had all this meat to protect our walls but now we don’t care about the woman who came to help us, we want her gone/dead!” WTF?? The Starks? Thinking like this??! It’d be like them throwing Theon’s body in a ditch, saying “welp he helped us but whATEVER!”. No, they somehow honored him. Because “he’s one of them” or whatever bullshit way of thinking they have now. Daenerys didn’t even gain a little bit of their respect, trust or anything, after all she did? Well!I wouldn’t be that mad if I were anti-Sansa. I’m so disappointed in what they did of her because Sansa is meant to be better than that! She’s NOT Littlefinger, she’s NOT Cersei, even tho she learnt from them. Sansa’s kindness of heart was ALWAYS what guided her journey - in the books at least and tbh in the show up until s5 where everything went to shit. I’m disappointed in people being blinded by fucking ships, ignoring what horrible writing this is. I don’t want Sansa to seem like a villain, and at least I thought she’d NEVER betray her brother. She did tho, and the fact that d&d and nutter are confirming that it’s nothing but to grab power gets me… what the fuck. I have a problem with Sansa not caring about human life when she’s thinking about her goals: because that’s NOT canon Sansa. That’s not book!Sansa. That’s not Ned Stark’s - I will not have a young girl butchered because my King sees her as a threat - daughter. She can want whatever she wants, but there are ways of doing things, stomping on other people isn’t a good way to get to your goals. If y’all need that lesson in life: here, take it, it’s free. (to be clear, I’m mad at Sansa like I was mad at Bellamy after ep 5x09, Bellamy wanting to save his friends wasn’t inherently bad, of course. His way of doing things tho, betraying clarke - his canonically best friend who thought died for him like 4 days ago - and using a - HER child - child as a pawn to do so? NOP! Sansa wanting to be free and safe isn’t bad, of course not! But betraying her brother and distrusting - to the point of wanting to kill! - a woman who has never done anything to harm her? NOP!)

[tacitwhisky]

Jon of the Kingsguard, pt 1

Jon x Sansa - AU where Jon goes to Kingslanding instead of the Wall, there’s no war, and he becomes a knight of the kingsguard even as Joffrey marries Sansa / AO3 Link

Jon speaks the words of the Kingsguard kneeling in a sept of seven glass walls before seven southron gods that are not his own. Barristan Selmy touches his sword to either of Jon’s shoulders and Jon swears to these strange gods to serve a king he hates, to forsake lands and titles and to never sire sons or know a woman’s touch. When it is done, Selmy drapes a white cloak across his shoulders and bids him rise. “Rise as a knight of the Kingsguard,” the old knight tells him, “rise as our brother.”

Rickon. Bran. Robb. Those are my brothers. But that was a life ago in Winterfell, so Jon rises and clasps hands with Selmy and these new southron brothers of his: Jamie Lannister with his glittering eyes, scowling Meryn Trant, silent Arys Oakheart, cold eyed Preston Greenfield, bandy legged Boros Blount.

“Stand vigil until morning,” Selmy tells him. “Watch the candles and think on your vows. In the morning we will have need of you at the crowning of good King Joffrey and Queen Sansa.”

Once, Jon had meant to join the Night’s Watch and have black brothers in place of white, but his lord father had only shaken his head when Jon told him. “Before Bran fell you might have gone to the Wall,” Ned had answered. “But things are different now. When the winter wind blows the wolves must gather. And winter is coming.”

Stark words, Jon had thought bitterly, but I am no Stark, or have you forgotten, father?

But there was no arguing with Lord Eddard Stark, and so Jon had bit his tongue and done as he was told. When his father journeyed south as Hand of the King he had followed, a bastard stowed in the baggage train.

“Show them how fierce we northerners are,” Robb tells him as they clasp hands in the cold of the Winterfell courtyard, snow falling on the horses and riders and servants churning around them. He grins at Jon, just like when they were boys. “And give the girls at court a kiss for me.”

Jon laughs, but there is a lump in his throat that he cannot seem to swallow. “Tell Bran…” He starts, but he does not know how to finish. He’d wanted to go the tower where Bran lay in a sleep from which he might never wake, but in the end the specter of lady Catelyn’s cold gaze had kept him away. To every woman a bastard was a reminder of the faithlessness and lusts of men, but the bastard of her own husband was a special afront. All his life in a thousand small ways Lady Catelyn had made it plain he was no Stark: a cold look, a terse word, a flattening of lips in displeasure when he mussed Arya’s hair, and he is too afraid that something in him will crack like old brittle ice if she tells him that a bastard like him has no place beside her son’s sickbed. “If Bran wakes…”

“I’ll tell him you said farewell,” Robb finishes for him, and for a moment he seems already serious and solemn as the lord he will one day be, “when he wakes.”

The door behind Robb swings open, and Sansa slips out. She’s dressed in what Jon recognizes as her best dress, blue and grey wool fit to the slim of her waist and hips. “Have you seen Arya?” She asks Robb in an aggrieved tone. “The queen’s already in the wheelhouse, and Arya’s supposed to be riding with us.”

“She’s probably hiding from the queen.” Jon wrinkles his nose. “I know I would.”

Sansa glances at him as Robb chuckles, brow scrunching as though she’s just remembered he exists. To Jon it seems she’s always looking at him like that. Rickon and Bran and Arya are all too young to truly know what it is for him to be a bastard, but Sansa knows and like her lady mother never forgets. “Do you know where Arya is?” She tosses her hair, the red-bronze sheen of it flashing in the light, a quiver wobbling the edge of her voice. “She’s going to ruin everything.”

Jon sighs and whistles Ghost to him. It will be worse for Arya if she’s late. “I’ll help you look.”

Ghost rises to his feet and pads behind Jon as he turns and sets off across the yard. A moment later Jon hears more than sees Sansa hurry to catch up to him. “I don’t know why Arya has to be so difficult,” she says with a huff. “The queen is very gracious to let us ride with her, and Joffrey said he will keep his horse near the wheelhouse as we ride.”

Jon resists the urge to roll his eyes. “How brave of him to protect you from all the dangers of a king’s procession.”

“It isn’t a matter of that.” Sansa gives Jon a pitying look, the same she gives him when he steps on Jeyne’s feet during lessons with Winterfell’s master of dance. “It’s courteous of him to offer to attend us at all, and a lord’s courtesies show his true heart.”

Jon scowls. Joffrey is a little shit, he’d told Arya days before, but he doubts Sansa will laugh the way Arya had if he says it now. Of all his half siblings Sansa is the one Jon’s always understood the least with her love of dances and sewing and songs of knights and maidens. With Arya he could muss her hair or tease her and she would huff or laugh, but not Sansa. She is too like her lady mother with her red Tully hair and distant eyes. Sansa loves her songs of gallant knights and maidens fair, of brave deeds and beautiful ladies, and there are never bastards in songs.

They reach the stables, and Nymeria pads out to nose Ghost and Lady. Sansa’s nose wrinkles at the sudden scent of horse and hay, and she lifts the hem of her skirts above the churned earth and mud. And where is your prince now, he thinks darkly, or is trudging through mud a job only for bastards? He motions for her to stay. “I’ll fetch Arya,” he tells as he strides into the stables, mud sucking at his boots.

Inside stable boys bustle about leading horses from their stalls and saddling them while Hullen, Winterfell’s master of horse, stands with his arms crossed before him shouting directions. He catches sight of Jon and waves him to the back of the stable. “Your horse is saddled, Snow. And speak to your sister, gods know I’ve tried.”

Jon nods his thanks and makes his way back to find Arya perched on a bale of hay. He grins at her. “Hiding, little sister?”

“No.” Arya scowls. “I was trying to get Hullen to give me a horse. Father is going to make me ride in the wheelhouse with Sansa and the queen.”

“A wheelhouse sounds warm.” Jon rubs the nose of his horse and lifts the reins from where they’re looped around a post. “I’d much prefer that to riding in the cold.”

“Arya, come on.” Sansa appears around the edge of the stall, nose still wrinkled, Lady padding beside her. “The queen is already waiting and we’re late.”

“I don’t care. I want to ride with Jon.”

“You don’t have a horse, idiot.” Sansa tugs Arya’s sleeve. “Now come on.”

Arya grumbles but jumps down from the bale of hay, and Jon leads his horse to follow Sansa. Once out in the yard again Sansa makes to walk off, but abruptly turns on her heel and gives Jon a swift courtesy. “Thank you for your aid, Jon.”

Jon blinks, too surprised to answer, and by the time he opens his mouth Sansa has turned again and is dragging Arya across the yard. The sight of the two of them already beginning to bicker makes Jon grin, but in his chest there is a desperate ache as he pulls himself up into the saddle and looks about the Winterfell yard. How long will it be until he see it again, until they are all like this again? You knew this day would come eventually. Winterfell is the home of the Starks, and you have never been one. And so as he whistles Ghost to him and turns his horse to the gates of Winterfell Jon does not know what to think. Kingslanding is not the Wall, but neither is it Winterfell. Perhaps a bastard could make a name for himself there.

Weeks they are on the King’s Road, a fat snake of riders with snapping pennants and servants leading wayns heavy with tents and food and wine trickling southward. Every forest or field it seems they must stop for King Robert to go hunting or hawking or whoring. Of his lord father Jon sees little. He is always with the king, a chain of gold interlocking hands hanging heavy from his neck.

Much of his time Jon spends with the other Winterfell men or Arya. He has little interest in Joffrey or any of the squires and upstart sworn swords he keeps about him. A little shit, he’d called the prince back in Winterfell, and the longer their days on the road grow the truer Jon learns it to be. Joffrey can be gallant, even generous, among others, but when no one is watching his gold face falls away and he mocks and laughs at servants and his lessers.

It only makes it all the more galling the way Sansa fawns over him, the way she hangs on his every word and jest. Always together they are, a shining prince and his beautiful maid. It is enough to make Jon and Arya shake their heads and pretend to retch when no one is looking. Which often no one is. In Winterfell he’d promised Arya he would teach her what he knew of how to use a sword, and Arya forces him to keep the promise. Jon and her slip away for an hour or two from the camp every day and he shows her how to hold and swing and cut. The only one who notices is Mycah, a butcher’s boy who trails after them to watch some days.

For a week it lasts. They travel from Moat Cailin to the Trident, and on the day the sun dawns before the Inn of the Kneeling Man it all comes tumbling apart.

With Jory, the captain of his father’s guard, Jon’s been all day. He still has no idea why his father insisted he journey south with him, but so long as he is he’s determined to learn more of how to be a man. Beside him Ghost’s head shoots up and his lips pull back in a silent snarl. Jon follows his gaze to see Joffrey riding into camp with a bloody arm, Sansa ashen faced beside him.

A cry goes up from somewhere in the camp, and then chaos consumes it as men swarm around Joffrey and Sansa. Jon pushes his way through the crowd. Sansa’s face is pale, the sleeve of her dress ripped, but her eyes latch onto him. “Jon?” She says faintly.

Jon shoves back the bannerman looming over Sansa and steps beside her. “What happened?” He asks, and finds himself surprised by the anger thrumming through him. Of course Sansa is his sister, but they have never been close, not like Arya and him. And yet something ugly twists in his chest as he asks, “did someone...?”

Sansa’s mouth opens and closes like a gasping fish. “Arya…” She starts, and clutches Jon’s arm. “You have to find-”

But what he has to find is lost as Joffrey starts shouting. And that’s how the story comes out: of how the Stark girl had set her demon wolf on the young prince and maimed him before escaping. Sansa’s fingers fall from Jon’s arm as she turns to Joffrey, and forgotten again Jon slips back through the crowd to Jory’s side. “We have to find Arya before the Lannister’s do.”

“Go to your lord father and tell him what’s happened.” Jory pushes Jon toward the king’s tent. “Go. We’ll saddle the horses.”

As hard as it is in that moment not to simply jump on his horse and go tearing after Arya, Jon nods and does as he’s bid, sprinting away to find Ned.

Later Jon prefers not to think on all that happened after that: of how he and Jory found Arya miles from camp, of how small she’d felt in his arms as he held her tight, of the anger that boiled up into his chest as she told them with her eyes downcast of what had happened. And of after that, of how her fingers had dug into his arms like a hawk’s talons as they had to throw stones at Nymeria to make her stay away, of how how it felt like he was dragging a knife through his chest as he kneeled in front of Ghost and ran his fingers through his thick white fur a last time, looked in his red eyes and whispered for him to protect Nymeria and go north and find Robb and Bran and the rest of their pack, of how it was like cutting out a part of himself to ride away from where Ghost stood staring at him with his silent eyes as Nymeria slunk in the shadows behind him.

They brought Arya back to camp and she told her story: that Joffrey and Sansa had found her and the butcher’s boy beside the river playing with sticks, that Joffrey threatened them and Nymeria defended them. A slow fury filled Jon as Joffrey lied and lied and lied again, and Sansa refused to say the truth of what had happened. Never had he thought her possible of this, and he is sorely tempted not to stop Arya when she launches herself at Sansa. But all his anger had turned to cold dread as Cersei demanded Nymeria’s pelt, then Lady’s, and Robert did nothing to stop her.

The man that passes the sentence swings the sword. It is the northern way, and because of it Jon refused to take Arya and the stunned and silent Sansa back to their tent with Jory when his father ordered him to. Instead he’d stayed beside Ned as Jory fetched Ice and stood still and watching until it was done. Father will know if you look away, he’d told Bran only months before when they’d watched sentence passed over the Night’s Watch deserter, and Jon does not blink now. This is your fault. He knows it in that moment more truly than he’s ever known anything in his life. You gave Arya Needle, you encouraged her to play with swords. You’re the one who wasn’t there to watch her. You killed Lady sure as if you swung the sword.

Later he’ll learn of how the Hound ran down and slaughtered the butcher boy, but he is already gone searching for Arya by the time the Hound returns. He ducks through the door of a tent, but in place of Arya he finds Sansa with her knees hugged to her chest in a corner of the tent sobbing into her arm. He pauses, unsure what to do, all the anger he’d felt an hour before fled and cold and gone. “Sansa?” He asks tentatively.

Sansa looks up at her name, face splotched and red with tears, and before Jon can react she’s running to him, throwing her arms around his chest and clutching him to her, sobbing into his shirt. Jon opens his mouth to speak, but his own eyes are burning and he does not have the words. Instead he raises his arms and awkwardly wraps them around her, holds her as sob after sob wracks her slender frame.

And then just as sudden as she’d thrown herself at him she is pulling away, pushing him aside and fleeing out into the camp, leaving Jon standing alone and confused in the doorway of the tent.

He eventually finds Arya hiding in a tree, comforts her best as he can. She blames Sansa and Cersei and Robert, but Jon knows the truth, knows that it should have been him instead of Ned that swung Ice. The man that passes the sentence swings the sword. It’s why the next day Jon refuses to meet Sansa’s red rimmed eyes when they stumble into each other at the door of the tent. She tries to catch his gaze and her lips part as if she’s going to speak, but he mutters an apology and pushes past her before she can, anger and shame coiling in his gut.

Next Jon sees Sansa she is on her horse beside Joffrey, lovely as a sigh in her blue dress, and when she glances at him her eyes hold the same distant look they always have.

They never speak of what happened.

AN: This was supposed to be one of those lyrical oneshots that gracefully dip in and out of events and time, but it kind of, uh, grew in the telling. I went back and forth quite a bit on whether I should add the Jonsa tag or not. Ultimately I did decide to put it there (for now), because I think if you’re into Jonsa you’ll enjoy it, but do note that the romantic elements of this story are not at all overt, so fair warning.

[ansheofthevalley]

I’m coming for the Salt Throne™, so watch out.

I’m sorry but I’m afraid I must interrupt my joyous broadcast of Stark goodness brought by the last teaser because I have encountered this on the sansa tag.

 At first I wasn’t going to engage, because I was really fucking happy about the teaser. But then I thought, you know what, fuck it, some people need to know some facts and I’m gonna give it to them. Also, I stayed up till 4 am writing this shit but tumblr wouldn’t let me queue it, so now I’m writing it all over again. Second also, this person has been commenting on my posts that I clearly tagged “Sansa Stark” and “anti targ restoration”, so they’re stalking the tags, and since they’re doing that, there’s a high chance they’ll read this.

So let’s start, shall we?

First things first

Imagine being this pressed. At this point, you’re just grasping at straws, my friend.

I’m going to go point by point, since this person took the time to do the same about an anti sansa stark post but posted it on the sansa stark stark nonetheless

Point number 1: comparison with Jaime

I’ll give you that this parallel works, given that both characters start the series at a very good point: Jaime is a Kingsguard and Sansa has just gotten betrothed to the Crown Prince. But let’s examine their journey since then. Jaime ends up season one as a war prisoner of Robb Stark, the Young Wolf and King in the North after Robb won in battle, while Sansa ends up being a political hostage in King’s Landing after watching her father die. It doesn’t get any better for any of them, Jaime, in a secret exchange with Cat, promises to deliver Sansa and Arya, so then it begins his adventures with Brienne in the Riverlands, while Sansa is humiliated and assaulted in front of court. Then, while he got out of the Starks cells and thinking he could make his way to King’s Landing all on his own, Jaime loses his right hand and that’s a low point for him, actually, that’s his lowest point. Meanwhile, Sansa finds confort in the arrival of the Tyrells and her betrothal to Joffrey is put aside in favor of Margeary and there are even hints of a new betrothal between her and Loras, it’s starting to look good for Sansa, until Tywin puts a halt to those plans and brokers the marriage between Tyrion and Sansa: now she’s married to the enemy, the enemy that would ultimately kill his brother and mother. If it were possible, it gets worse for both of them: just as he arrives to King’s Landing, Jaime bears witness to the murder of his son on his wedding day, something Cersei was quick to blame Sansa for. So now, Sansa is a presumed kingslayer and a fugitive. Jaime, now changed by his experiences, tasks Brienne with finding both Stark girls, to keep his promise to Catelyn Stark. Season one Jaime wouldn’t have done that, just saying. Sansa escapes to the Vale under the “protection” of Littlefinger. There she realizes the want for home, for Winterfell, the place she wanted to leave as a teenager. Now she realizes the value of home. Both have to fulfull the role of head of the family: Jaime when Tywin is murdered by Tyrion and Sansa after Robb’s death. They are both tasked with the reconstruction of their houses: Jaime in a military way, Sansa in a political way. As Tommen ascends to the Throne, Jaime has to demonstrate that the Lannisters still are a force to be reckon with, even without Tywin. Sansa comes back to Winterfell to marry Ramsay, to reconnect with the North and its people and to find a way to avenge her family. By the end of season six, they both fully embraced their roots: Jaime is a Lannister and Sansa is a Stark. And we see that in season seven. Jaime is loyal to his House and Cersei till the end of the season and Sansa will defend the best interests of her people. It took them a lot to get where they are now, but that’s what happens with characters like them. They are perceived as perfect by everyone around them, but they have their insecurities and they go through a number of trials and tribulations before they evolve and become better than they were.

Point number two: Cersei vs. Sansa. Two (very) different people

Cersei is very much her father’s daughter, capable of lying and manipulation. This is pointed out throughout the seasons, by various characters, and is the biggest compliment you could pay Cersei. She always believed to be the best bet to take House Lannister to new heights, but always overlooked by her father, in favor of her brothers.

 Now, the scroll Sansa was forced to write. I’m going to repeat that. Sansa was forced to write that scroll to his brother. She was forced to do it by Cersei because she truly believed it would save her father’s life. You also wildly misinterpreted Maester Luwin’s response (what a shocker):

 Robb: Treason? Sansa wrote this?  Maester Luwin: It is your sister’s hand, but the Queen’s words

 It’s after this exchange that Robb decides to call his banners and declares himself to be in open rebellion to the Crown, until they release his father and sisters.

 But let’s go back to Luwin’s line for a bit. You’d know, especially if you read A Game of Thrones, that Sansa doubted in this moment. She had doubts about writing that letter. But she did it anyway. Why? Because she thought Cersei was good and someone worthy of trust. She really thought she was doing the best she could in saving her father’s life. Like worst case scenario, he’d be sent to the Wall, but he’d be alive. Also, let’s not forget she was thirteen years old.

Point number three: Sansa and her love of stories and the disregard for femininity 

Sansa is an idealist. She loves tales of knightly valor and romance, the story of Jonquil and Florian the Fool being her favorite. She appreciates and favors all that is femenine: she sings, she draws, she embroiders, she plays intruments. She’s a lady through and through. And there’s nothing wrong with that. That’s the way she was brought up. Being the Warden of the North’s eldest daughter, both of her parents knew she would have to marry someone important, not some minor lord. And with those prospects, she would be educated to be a proper lady.

I won’t get into Arya’s line since this post is getting long enough, but it shows how the show itself views women with femenine traits as inferior to women with more masculine traits. After all, we all know the GA, at that point prefered the likes of Arya and D@ny to the likes of Sansa and Catelyn.

When Sansa says she’s a stupid girl with stupid dreams who never learns, she’s chastising herself. She came to the capital a girl full of dreams and hopes, only to find people that would lie, use and abuse her, while she had to remain the perfect little lady if she didn’t want another beating. She’s chastising herself for having dreams, something every thirteen-year-old should have, but in her case, she’s been stripped from them. And she blames herself for that, when in reality, it isn’t her fault. It’s the fault of the adults that use her as a pawn to their games as she were a thing. 

So no, Sansa isn’t stupid and she certainly isn’t like most girls. She learned to navigate the turbid waters of court in order to stay alive. She never gave up hope or sacrificed her kindness.

1 extra point for trying, tho

Point number four: The moon door and Lysa Arryn

Tyrion’s experience with the Moon Door was under a sham trial for the attempted hit on Bran, which means it was public. We know from season seven that it was Littlefinger who orchestrated the assesination, in hopes to frame the Lannisters and thus creating more friction between the two houses and drive away any suspicion anyone could have that Lysa and Baelish killed Jon Arryn.

Sansa’s experience with the Moon Door was private, it was just her Lysa, and then Littlefinger. Lysa was growing paranoid of Sansa, she accused her of sleeping with Littlefinger (in which she wasn’t entirely wrong: Littlefinger was grooming Sansa and kissing her without her consent). Let’s not forget that Lysa has been in love with him since he was fostered at Riverrun. At this point, Littlefinger had married Lysa; she thought it was out of love, but he did it to secure power in the Vale. Ultimately Littlefinger interferes, getting Lysa away from Sansa, and then he threw his wife through the Moon Door proclaiming he only loved one: her sister.

So again, two very different situations. But I’ll give you points for trying hard.

Point number five: Cersei vs. Sansa part deux. Sansa and Cersei are not parallels, they are foils

It doesn’t take a genius to understand that those two lines are there to illustrate how different they are. Sansa can’t sleep, worried and tormented by the loved ones she cannot safe. There’s not a single thing in her manner or face that shows any trace of vengance, just sadness and grief. The only time we get to see Sansa get revenge is when she killed Ramsay. That was personal. She endured months and months of abuse at the hands of that monster. He killed her little brother. His family took part in the Red Wedding, killing many on the Stark men and bannermen, his brother, his sister-in-law and their unborn child and her mother. He was hers to kill. It was in name of all of those he hurt and killed. Cersei, on the other hand, is completely consumed by vengance. Her line demonstrates that she won’t rest until she had killed everyone that wronged her and her family. She’s been asking for Sansa ever since she fled King’s Landing, she tried to hunt down her own brother (not that she had much love for him, but still), she blew up a whole part of the city just to get rid of her political enemies. She drank wine and smirked while that happened. She killed a young woman in front of her mother, and had her watch as her daughter died. She had the septa from the walk of shame tortured and abused by the Mountain repeatedly. There’s a level of darkness in her actions, a level of monstrosity that rival that of her son’s. 

Again, extra points for trying reaaally hard

Point number six: Cersei vs. Sansa part tres (since you insist on drawing parallels between the two when actually they’re foils, but whatever). The matches that never came to happen: Cersei & Rhaegar / Sansa & Joffrey

When Tywin was Aerys’ Hand, he promised Cersei that one day, she would marry Rhaegar and be Queen. We know from the flashback scene with young Cersei and Maggy the Frog, that she wanted to be Queen. She wanted the power the crown brought, something she undoubtedly learned from her father. Unlike Cersei, Sansa wanted to be Queen, yes, but it was all a childhood dream. It was her love for songs and stories that led her to believe that fair Queens ruled the Kingdoms and were loved by the people. She never wanted power, she never even grasped at the real implications of wearing a crown after her father died. She learnt the hard way that Queens weren’t fair and loved, that they could be fearsome and cunning.  There’s actually someone more fitting for the parallel you’re trying to draw between Cersei and Sansa:

Both Cersei and Margaery want to be Queen for the power the Crown brings: it’s a way to give power to their House, it’s a way they can influence and shape the country in the way they want (though Margaery was more graceful and a better Queen that Cersei could ever be).

Since this got a little long, I’ll leave you with this book quote that finishes to paint Cersei and Sansa as foils:

Cersei:  “The only way to keep your people loyal is to make certain they fear you more than they do the enemy.” Sansa:  “I will remember, Your Grace," said Sansa, though she had always heard that love was a surer route to the people's loyalty than fear. If I am ever a queen, I'll make them love me.”

And yes, Sansa is a Direwolf that grew up between Lions. But that doesn’t mean she grew up to become one. She grew up and survived them. I’ll leave another quote from ACOK, after Sansa is humiliated at the hands of Joffrey and his Kingsguards:

Sansa: “I am loyal to my beloved Joffrey.” Tyrion: “No doubt. As loyal as a deer surrounded by wolves.” Sansa: “Lions, she whispered without thinking.”

[wendynerdwrites]

Meta Repost: A Study in Adaptation and "Empowerment"

Book!Sansa:

Often spouts off random historical and literary trivia, referencing various Westeros myths, historical events, and figures such as Queen Naerys, Aemon the Dragonknight, the twin knights Ser Arryk and Ser Erryk, Baelor the Blessed and his trials walking through the snake pit, the lineage of House Tyrell and how it traces back to Garth Greenhand, the Arryn family tree, Florian and Jonquil, and Jenny of the Oldstones and Prince Duncan. Has an encyclopedic knowledge of every house and sigil in Westeros. Can also read and write better than her much older brothers, play two instruments, and eventually gets to the point where she can sniff out little plots of Littlefinger's.

Show!Sansa:

Thinks "shift" is the rude word for dung. Doesn't appear to have any actual interests or skills beyond sewing (sometimes), eating lemoncakes, and fawning over boys.

Book!Sansa:

Can identify Barristan Selmy and Renly Baratheon on sight, even when she's never met them before.

Show!Sansa:

Doesn't even recognize the man whose life she saved, and doesn't pick up on the fact that Tyrion and Shae know each other despite their obvious signals.

Book!Sansa:

Carefully inspects a secret message she gets for signs of a trap, carries a knife with her to a clandestine meeting and threatens the person there just in case it is. Spends months plotting a potential escape, even trying a different route independent of her former plans when her co-conspirator is evasive and slow to act. Also refuses to speak to any of her maids, who she knows to be spies immediately. By Joffrey's wedding, though she doesn't know about the poison, she does know she's meant to escape and already has things packed. She immediately realizes who was behind the poison and how it was transmitted through her hairnet, which she knew would play a part in her escape without being aware of the poison plot. Does not trust her "rescuer" at all, refusing the food he offers her and confronting him on his lies, constantly trying to work out what he's up to.

Show!Sansa:

Just sort of sits around and cries a lot without any sort of active involvement in insuring her escape. Trusts Littlefinger even though there's no reason to because he says he's her friend. Just sort of randomly gets accosted by Dontos months later in a garden and accepts his random and suspicious gift without any hesitation or questions asked. Later happily walks into the home of the family that killed hers for "revenge" without any knowledge of what the actual plan is, what the situation is, or means to protect herself or take action in case things go wrong. Is eager to bond with Tyrion at first because he promised he would never hurt her (a promise Joffrey made her before almost verbatim), even kneeling to him at once with little prompting. Also blindly trusts this random maid for no reason. And is totally okay with believing Ramsay has "already fallen for her" with no question as to how she's supposed to handle things if he hasn't. Also trusts the broken down Theon (whom she has already verbally abused) with an errand integral to her escape from Winterfell. And just blindly offers up her secret identity (while being wanted for regicide) to a bunch of strangers after having been betrayed repeatedly.

Book!Sansa:

Sees Lancel Lannister, a young man who taunted her and took active part in her abuse, bleeding on the floor from a terrible wound, and makes sure he sees a maester, just in time to save his life.

Show!Sansa:

Looks at the physically and psychologically tortured and mutilated Theon Greyjoy, who can barely walk or speak properly anymore, and tells him that she doesn't care what Ramsay does to him and later tells him that she'd do everything Ramsay did to him if she could.

Book!Sansa:

Fights off Lysa Arryn when she tries to kill her by grabbing her by the hair and pulling herself from her mad aunt's grip.

Show!Sansa:

Just cries and fidgets helplessly as she is abused even more and is utterly helpless until Petyr comes to save her.

Book!Sansa:

Risks herself to save Dontos, talks Joffrey out of running down a beggar woman and instead convinces him to throw her a coin because she knows it would be better if he appeared gentler. Listens to Cersei preach about how fear is the only way to rule and, even after all the terror she's experienced and all the awful people she's seen rise to power through violence and fear, reflects internally that love is definitely, surely the better path to loyalty and devotion and vows that if/when she is queen, she will make the people love her.

Show!Sansa:

Is so oblivious that she doesn't understand what poverty is and has to have it explained to her. Upon learning that Theon didn't kill her brothers and instead killed two farm boys, doesn't seem to give a shit that two other innocent children were still fucking murdered.

Book!Sansa:

Is often threatened and taunted by Sandor Clegane The Hound and always responds with kindness, courtesy, and sympathy. When he responds to a compliment upon their first private interaction by taunting her, telling her a violent story, and belittling her, she is sweet and kind. She stays this way even after he threatens her life. Then she includes him in her prayers. When he breaks into her room, forces her onto a bed, holds a knife to her throat, and demands a "song", she responds with a kind and soothing hymn that calms him, reminds him that there is goodness in the world, and gets him to back off. Eventually this helps inspire him to change his life entirely and pursue a path of peace and public service.

Show!Sansa:

Just acts generally freaked out by the Hound, even though his threats are FAR less explicit and only ever accompanied by well-meaning advice. Is not sexually assaulted by him the night of the Blackwater, just sort of talks to him and rejects his offer to help her escape. There is no sign that she thinks of him again.

Book!Sansa:

Is offered a marriage to Willas Tyrell, heir to Highgarden. While she is attracted to Loras and has a sort of schoolgirl crush, she notes that he doesn't care for her too much. Upon being told Loras is off the table, accepts this without a second thought and turns her thoughts to the scholarly, disabled, older Willas, whom she has never met. She eagerly awaits and fantasizes about him because it is her path out of King's Landing and her new friend Margaery assures her that he is kind and intelligent. Knows him to be disabled, and actively thinks about how she won't care if he's fat or unattractive like his father. She still sees him as her rescuer, a man she is eager to marry despite his disability, and decides she'll make him love her and give him sons. Upon having the marriage to Tyrion sprung on her (after she's in the damn dress, when she is dragged to the sept and told she's going to get married and raped whether she likes it or not), she looks at his disfigurements and acknowledges that he is not so bad as the rest, and notes that he was kind to her once, even while actively insisting she just doesn't want to marry a Lannister (any Lannister, regardless of appearance). Still manages to hold back her tears for fucking HOURS and hold her resolve through numerous threats, sexual assaults, and humiliations that happen throughout the day. Refuses to kneel at first because she's just so fucking sick of being expected to just take the cavalcade of abuse, but eventually does kneel and kiss her husband because she feels bad about people laughing at him. Feels active pity for him (even after he molests her, even after she finds out her mother and brother were killed by one of his family's plots, even though she doesn't trust him), despite her constant fear of him raping her and her ongoing trauma, all while withholding her secrets and still pursuing escape.

Show!Sansa:

Is totally into marrying Loras, constantly waxing on about how hot he is even after she's alerted to the Tyrion marriage weeks ahead of time. Seems far more interested in his pretty hair and nice ass than his personality or getting the fuck out of King's Landing (something that only occurs to her when Margaery brings it up weeks later. It never occurs to Sansa because she's too busy staring longingly at Loras's pretty hair to consider this). Mulls on about the contrast in her suitors' physical appearance, despite Loras's repeat displays of a complete lack of interest (which she never seems to recognize). Upon learning of the new marriage arrangement, spends hours crying as she gazes at Loras. Kneels immediately at the wedding when prompted, then later totally starts confiding in and bonding with Tyrion (even after learning of the Red Wedding, she tells him the real reason she goes to the Godswood for no fucking reason).

Book!Sansa:

Notices hostilities from Loras at once. Upon learning the Tyrells want her for political purposes, just accepts this and decides to make the most of it. Highgarden is still a lovely place, she'd be safe, and she can make Willas love her even if he only cares about her claim right now.

Show!Sansa:

Never notices how uninterested Loras is and talks about how she "feels like she is in a dream" even as Loras is looking around with an "EWWWW! GIRLS!!!" face.

Book!Sansa:

Cares for the sickly, disabled Robin Arryn all while firmly instilling some (grievously needed) boundaries upon him, managing at thirteen to be twenty times the mother thirty-something Lysa Arryn was. Even manages to get the epileptic, panic-attack prone kid across a narrow mountain path a mile into the air beset by winds as she talks him down from an attack. Is the only one who can control him, and is adored by everyone in the Vale for it.

Show!Sansa:

Never takes responsibility for anyone, never really charms anyone, is totally content to just leave her cousin with some people she doesn't trust to set off to wherever the man in her life wants her to go (even without knowing where that is).

Book!Sansa:

Manages to get some of Littlefinger's plans out of him, and learns of his means of accomplishing his goals. Keeps all of these things in mind constantly and notes subtle facial ticks and movements he makes when he is wearing his "Littlefinger" mask and playing people.

Show!Sansa:

Just sort of takes his word for it when he says she should marry Ramsay for "vengeance" without asking for specifications as to how. Later is willing to accept the plan B of just "making Ramsay hers" even though he's a fucking Bolton and that doesn't really clear up how this is supposed to lead to vengeance. She takes Littlefinger's word for it that Ramsay has fallen for her. Is totally okay with being left in the den of her enemies without any means of protection.

Book!Sansa:

Charms and manipulates people she needs with subtle hints of snark. Uses this to not only occasionally talk Joffrey out of violence, but later starts seducing Harry the Heir, acknowledging that she needs him to like her even if she doesn't like him.

Show!Sansa:

Openly antagonizes Ramsay when she even bothers to interact with him, showing no sign of trying to "make him hers" or confirm that he's fallen for her. Continues to taunt her rapist and abuser even after he's revealed how dangerous and temperamental he is.

Book!Sansa:

Knows immediately that Marillion is a creep, that Lyn Corbray is a fucking scumbag, that Harry the heir is a douche.

Show!Sansa:

Can't even realize how much of a psycho Ramsay is even after he parades his torture victim around, doesn't realize Loras isn't into her, doesn't realize that maybe the mutilated, brainwashed, obsessively obedient and cowed Theon might not be the best person to trust with her one means of escape from his master.

Book!Sansa:

Actively forces herself to think as her alternate identity "Alayne", purposely picks clothes that will disguise her better, thinks up little details to add to her character, and tries to be careful around people who might recognize her, like Bronze Yohn Royce.

Show!Sansa:

Can't even think to cover her distinctive red hair when walking out in the open. Later just decides a dye job is enough to hide herself even after she's dispensed with the false identity. Travels out in the open and greets people as Sansa Stark even though SHE IS STILL WANTED FOR FUCKING REGICIDE.

Book!Sansa:

Doesn't really trust anyone. The last person she trusts is a man whose life she saves (who turns out to just be acting on Littlefinger's orders). After that, no one, though she still tries to reach out and make friends.

Show!Sansa:

Randomly trusts this random old lady with a dumb plan, walks into the dark Bolton kennels at Myranda's bidding, then lets her bathe her, reveals her secret identity to strangers in the Vale, trusts Theon with the candle plot. But either dismisses or insults almost everyone she encounters.

Book!Sansa:

Intends to go into the North with an army and proclaim her rights to Winterfell.

Show!Sansa:

Let's Littlefinger lead her all the way to Moat Caillin without a word about where they're heading. When she finds out they're heading to the Bolton-controlled Winterfell, agrees to go with only a small group of guards (despite the price on her head and the war torn area), and is later way too cool with letting Littlefinger ditch her for King's Landing without even leaving the guards. Is ready to just rely on Stannis winning and just handing over Wardenship of the North, even though none of these things are assured.

Book!Sansa:

Doesn't voice all of her thoughts to anyone, particularly regarding her loyalties. Twice she tries to warn Margaery away from marrying him. The first time when there is a cover of singing and tons of pressure. A second time without prompting or pressure, purely out of the goodness of her heart, and only when she is riding out in the middle of the Kingswood with Margaery, where she is far more assured of privacy. Takes a similar route with Dontos, only meeting him in the godswood.

Show!Sansa:

Will openly talk about hating Joffrey to a maid hired by the Lannisters right smack dab in the middle of the Red Keep.

Book!Sansa:

Carries a dinner knife with her to a clandestine meeting just in case it is a trap, even threatening to stab a potential attacker. Makes frequent trips at night to meet with her ally, using religious fervor and prayer as an alibi to the point where she spends hours upon hours during the day praying in the sept to reinforce this show of piety. It fools everyone, including her usually perceptive husband who expresses an interest in getting to know her. Even after she's escaped and she's accused of regicide, people talk about how pious she was.

Show!Sansa:

Grabs a corkscrew and instead of using it as a weapon (or grabbing a knife from her food tray) against her rapist (who likely sleeps next to her after he's done raping her), uses it to.... pick a lock? And then just walks out in broad daylight in front of her rapist's men, expecting not to be caught. This works until it doesn't.

Book!Sansa:

As of the latest installment, is making close friends, has figured out a way to draw all the power players in the Vale to the same location, is charming Harry the Heir and all the Vale lords, eating lemon cakes, dancing, eavesdropping on Littlefinger's conversations, and caring for a sick kid.

Show!Sansa:

As of the latest installment, is (kind of?) rescued by a man when he kills her husband's mistress, grabs her, and they jump off a wall. This is after weeks of being locked in a room where she is raped and beaten nightly and spending some time in a tower.

Book!Sansa:

All this happens ages 11-13

Show!Sansa:

All this happens ages 13-15.

Game of Thrones defenders and creators:

The Sansa of the show is smarter, stronger, more likable, and more active. She's actually started to play the game. We wanted to make her more empowered. This seasons especially was all about her taking action and putting the skills she's learned to good use, no longer being a bystander who sits around and weeps but actually being a player. This Sansa is no weak little girl!

Me:

Yeah, I can totally see how people think this is a progressive show that makes the "weak, passive, stupid, mean-spirited, shallow" Sansa of the books a more likable, resourceful, intelligent, empowered, and stronger character. Look how much better she plays the game! Look how likable they've made her! Look at that black dress! Yes, this show DEFINITELY improved upon the source material and gave us a far more feminist and empowering storyline. The show gives us a Sansa who can FINALLY play the game! This is the Sansa who knows what she's doing, who is a REAL player, who isn't some weak, shallow, stupid damsel in distress. I'm so glad they went in this direction, it's so much more empowering! Yay! A Sansa who is finally learning and taking on a cool and active story!

[delusaedisillusa]

The lion's mistress - last chapter

"The whore has to go. Jaime will never see her again." He was his big brother, the saviour of the family and the quintessence of being a Lannister. Cunning, powerful, the one who cared about him, the one who had tried to make another Kevan out of him. Tywin was Kevan's God, Genna's hero, Tygett's rival, the King's hand, Lord Lannister, destroyer of two houses, punisher of poor defenceless women. The great lion of house Lannister. He couldn't look him in the eyes, he had always joked about Tygett and his incapacity not to take everything so seriously. He wished so much that he could just laugh, reject this story with a simple shrug of his shoulders. He desired. But he wasn't able to. "I'll take her away" He turned the back to his brother, he would take the poor girl away. Away from the dangerous beast that he called brother. The girl refused to take any milk of the poppy. The maester tended her wounds, two servant girls took care of her. He didn't post any guards since his brother didn't want to punish her any further. She was safe. He laughed bitterly. "Cersei, we have to talk" She was sitting on her windowsill, pale with swollen purplish neck "I... tried to... stop them" The words came painfully slow, the worst thing were her begging and fearful eyes. 'Believe me please' this was he could read. She didn't need to feel sorry, it wasn't her fault. He was the one who destroyed her. "Cers...Sweetling, I know. I don't blame you, but you see, this changes everything…" "Jaime…" She rasped, he hastened by her side and noticed how she winced from his touch. "Sweetling you can't be Jaime's mistress anymore." "But, but…" "Sweet girl, Jaime will marry Lysa Tully and Lord Tully will not tolerate you… Ever." He paused observing the girl. "You see this marriage is very important, it's a pity you both are so young, he just can't keep a mistress before marrying. He crowned you his Queen of love and beauty before half of Westeros! Lord's Tully pride will not accept this…" He knew he had to add a further injury "...Jaime will not accept what happened to you either…" She had been a strong and proud little thing, but after what she had gone through he wasn't surprised she started to wail. Raw and heart wrenching. He had dreaded this. She tried to speak but he couldn't understand the words. "I'm with child" She sobbed full of phlegm and pain." .Jaiiimeeee" Fools, golden fools. Jaime, the girl and worst of all himself. She would alternately cry and speak. With him only. Tywin was on his way to Kingslanding and Gerion was glad. Jaime's stay was prolonged to his nephew's dismay and his own relief. Tywin would take care that Jaime would be away from the Westerlands for a year or more. He knew how much his nephew hated to write, and he felt awful reading Jaime's letter to him and for Cersei. His love for her, his wish to make a babe as soon as possible. 'Please uncle Gerion take care of her.' One could say he was taking care of her. Still he felt the lowest as he made her believe that due her spoiled status Jaime wouldn't have wanted her anymore. That the men were surely sent by Lord Tully. That she needed to go far away, to have her child. As he saw how desperate she was he knew he had to give her some hope thus he lied again. He lied about pleading her cause and maybe after some time when Jaime would pardon her and Lord Tully would forget her, he would take her back to Jaime... Awful lies. She couldn't stay in Westeros if Jaime shouldn't find her. He had wished to tour the Free Cities as long as he could remember, but this journey would forever leave a bad taste in his mouth. He spoke with Lena about his journey and to his surprise she was adamant to come with him. Trying to reason with her wasn't possible. She didn't wish to marry and this was the reason they had started their tryst. "No one will marry a barren and spoiled daughter, no matter how rich my dowry would be." She had stated. Intelligent and funny, Lena. "If I travel with you my father will not be able to sell me to that awful fat merchant with seven children. Spoil my reputation more" A female presence would have been good for the girl, he told her as much about Cersei's life without divulging Tywin's role in her misfortune. Lena's eyes shined strangely as he told her about Cersei's pregnancy. Gerion Lannister, his mistress, the mistress of his nephew and his crew sailed on the "Laughing Lion". No one felt like laughing. She was miserable, she looked so young and lost, despite the pain she must still have felt she didn't lament. During the night she forgot her stoic behaviour. She cried and called for Jaime. He didn't know if it was the pregnancy or the motion sickness, but she vomited all day. He almost hoped she would lose the babe, so she could start a new life, but Lena told him the child would give Cersei the strength to survive. Unfortunately Cersei didn't open herself to Lena, when she wasn't puking, she watched the sea, when she spoke she could only talk about Jaime and the son she was carrying. "She hopes Jaime will take her back if she'll have his son" Lena suffered with the girl, but sadly they remained strangers to each other. Lena wasn't a noble, but her family was rich, Cersei the bastard daughter of a whore and an unknown father… no, the two ladies didn't have much in common. The ship ride wasn't the happy laughing matter he had dreamt about. It was uncomfortable and painful and he was happy as a they reached Lys. In Lys he rented a small sunny house. A house Cersei didn't leave for the whole duration of her awful pregnancy. The birth was something he wished he would forget someday. Her not ending screams and suddenly the silence. Lena came out radiant, smiling through tears a wailing bundle in her arms. "Did she die?" "No, look at this little jewel, she is perfect, isn't it?" "I mean Cersei…" He looked at the little bastard. Jaime's first born daughter. A squealing pink thing. So little, so precious. He didn't fight as Lena put her in his arms. "Hello, little cub. You are the pinkest thing I've ever seen. What's the name of this sweet darling?" He asked Lena. "Cersei wanted to name her Jaime, but I think she believes she is a boy. The maester gave her a generous amount of milk of the poppy. Oh you are the cutest little girl, Gerion she looks like you!" "She is a Lannister she can only be beautiful...how is Cersei?" "She is sleeping!" Did he hear some contempt? "Now this little lady and I will go to the wet nurse. You are hungry aren't you, my little cub?" Cersei was still weary as he spoke with her. "Cersei, you did wonderful. Your daughter is beautiful" "Daughter?" She chewed the word confused. "Yes, she is healthy and...pink and without a name." "Jaime, my son Jaime" she fought to keep her eyes open. "It's a girl. You have a daughter." "Jaime. Jaime." "How long does she have to take the milk of the poppy?" A week passed and Cersei was still abed, still drugged. He was afraid, childbirth scared him, his mother passed away soon after his birth, he didn't want for the girl to die. With Cersei dead everything would be easier, but she suffered enough, she didn't need to die to simplify the life of the Lannisters. Lena was holding the babe in her arms, already a familiar sight for him and everyone else in the house. Lena was always with the babe. She slept in the room with the wet nurse and the babe. "Gerion, she is hurt, the maester gave her something to stop the milk flow and this makes her sleepy." "Wouldn't it help if she nursed the little one?" The babe was becoming more beautiful everyday. He marvelled, the little thing survived the rape, the journey and she came out pure and clean, little pouty mouth, golden hair and green eyes. A little Jaime as a girl. "Do you think she is fit to be a mother? Gerion, she is a child herself, she can't be trusted with such a task." "Lena, we will not stay here forever. Cersei needs to be trusted with this task, she is the mother. I'll leave money enough for a tutor for… the child needs a name!" "The child needs a name and a family" She was firm and she looked in a way he didn't want to understand. They had taken her baby away. It had been awful, Lena and the midwives had bossed around. Push, breath. Blood and shit and pain. So much pain. And then the babe came out. All this pain for a daughter, a daughter she never saw. Ser Gerion asked her to name the child, Jaime should have named his daughter. Ser Gerion could name her. A bastard she may be, but still a Lannister. Gerion named her Joy. Not Joanna for the daughter of a whore. A servant brought her in the late morning. The babe screamed and Cersei was glad as Lena took her away, this way she could sleep. She didn't want to think. Cersei feared not to be as beautiful as she had been anymore. Lysa Tully with her auburn hair, big blue eyes and her tight virgin cunt infested her dreams. Jaime had loved her breasts, he hadn't been able to keep his hands or mouth away for too long, her breasts would have sagged if she had nursed Joy. Her own mother hadn't nursed her and she had grown just fine. The wet nurse with the enormous teats had surely more milk and Lena had approved her decision. The bitter potion that the maester gave her made her so sleepy, she hadn't any force to hold her little girl, not like her daughter seemed to mind. Joy was always crying, the few times the nanny and Lena allowed her to hold her. She preferred Lena and Gerion. She didn't know what her feelings towards her daughter were. If only she would have been pregnant sooner, Jaime would have never had done this to her. She loved how delicate and beautiful she looked, just like Jaime. After the birth she had cried her breasts full with milk, her body not understanding that it was over. She was just Cersei, not the maid slut, not the lion's mistress, not the used whore of Lannisport. Now that she wasn't with Jaime's child in her womb, she felt how empty she was. She would never feel whole without him. She had wanted to be the mother of Jaime's child, but his daughter rejected her like her father before. She exploded one night as she had wanted to hold her, one of the servants had brought her a cup warm wine with egg and sugar, this helped her to sleep. Joy had been sleeping peacefully, Cersei had been almost afraid to bother her, but she was her mother! A mother should have been able to kiss her baby. Joy had opened her eyes and after recognising her, started to cry. The late hour, the wine, the memories of all the pain she had endured...Cersei felt hate towards the loved and pampered babe. Her voice dripped with venom "I forgot Lannisters don't like whores! But you aren't a Lannister. You aren't better than me. Your grandma was a whore, your mother is a whore. Your father will never recognise you, like mine didn't. Why are you always crying? Why don't you like me, you little bastard? You are like me, no one wants you. You will become a whore like me. You are no better." She was yelling, shaking the babe, Joy was crying at the top of her lungs. She never heard the nanny and Lena shouting, suddenly Joy was gone, and someone was hugging her. "You didn't want me to nurse my baby because I'm a dirty whore." She wasn't sobbing anymore. Lena had been outraged and would have liked to yell at her, but he ushered her out the room. "No, it's just, you are a child yourself, just a little girl…" "She hates me, I'm her mother and she doesn't want me, Jaime doesn't want me, no one wants me…" Maybe Lena was right. "I know what she had to suffer, but I know that Joy deserves more than the girl could give her. It isn't her fault, but she was raised to be a whore, what she had to endure was awful, but it doesn't change the fact, she will not be a good mother. Joy is a Lannister, don't you want her to be happy and safe? No one would touch a Lannister, but the daughter of a whore is free, wild. She is adorable! She could be my daughter, our child. Think about this." He explained her Lena's plan. They would raise Joy as his and Lena's daughter. She would get enough coins to live comfortably, the house, a few servants, a tutor to teach her to write and read. She nodded. He'd believed it would be a good idea to take her outside for a walk. They would travel back in a fortnight, Lena was happy and couldn't wait to come back with 'their' daughter. They had strolled at the port, Cersei was slender and even more beautiful and womanly than before, in Lys her beauty surpassed those of the women around her and many men looked after the girl. She was stiffer than before after they walked by a brothel. Looking at him strangely. In the night she visited him. "I'm not a Lannister but I pay my debts too." She whispered stripping her nightgown. "Cersei, sweet girl you don't need…" "Don't you like me?" What a question. She looked like the Maid in flesh, and Gerion's body couldn't help but responded to her beauty. He hadn't slept with Lena in months and… "You don't want this" He stated, her hands were trembling. He wouldn't sleep with an unwilling woman. "But I have to, and you will not hurt me" Her voice was flat and unsure "You have to? Well you are young and if you want to take a lover…" "I'm not supposed to sell myself?" "Why would you? I told you, you can live here…" "And you showed me the brothel where I can work." She was still naked and trembling. "Please put your robe on. You don't have to be a whore anymore. I'm rich, my family is rich, my brother was...generous" He hated calling the man who hurt her generous. "Your bills will be paid. If you want to sleep with someone it will be because you want to." "I want Jaime…" She threw herself in his arms, he hugged her back. In his mind damning his body, his brother and men generally. They took Joy away from Cersei. The route to Lannisport was an easier one, Lena sang and played with 'their' daughter. Back at home they decided to live together at Casterly Rock, his family accepted Joy. Jaime came back. He had to lie again. It wasn't a lie, it wasn't a lie, it wasn't a lie "Jaime, she was a whore. Whores lie. She was scared you'll like your bride more than her and since she wasn't pregnant she fucked some other guys. This way she could have greeted you with a pregnant belly and you'll have recognised her bastard as your own." "Don't be disappointed, whores are like...rats, they try everything to survive. As she saw her plan was ruined she packed her things. It's for the best, she'll be back at King's Landing, with people she knew." Jaime believed him. Every world he had spoken. Why not? He trusted him, he was his uncle but more like an older brother to him, he bought him his first pony, his first woman. Images of her hunted him. Her body beaten and bruised. Her screams as she birthed Joy. That night as she tried to seduce him. The brave girl, the crying girl, the shaking girl. He would be a father to her little girl, but it would never be enough. In this moment he saw how the innocence left in his nephew's eyes died The same way it died in Cersei's. They still were beautiful and golden, but something in them was lost He believed him, of course he did and left him with a nod. He couldn't bear to be near Jaime, couldn't bear to taint the poor girl no more. A quest. This is what he needed. Doing something heroic or dying while trying. Lena would care for Joy and with a mission to fulfil he would maybe be able to forgive her, himself and the whole mess. "I'm going to find our ancestral sword" He dreamed of her every night She fucked some men, men without a face, but sometimes even friends of his. Soldiers, bakers... it seems to him that every man he spoke with, would visit him in his dreams. She moaned, screamed wild and beautiful. An obscene bacchant shamelessly offering her body to all the cocks around her. A whore in body and soul. He saw her everywhere even in his children's faces, in uncle Gerion's little bastard...everywhere. It didn't help that she was as blond and green eyed as his family. He could have choked on his hate. In bed with his wife he had to control himself, Lysa wasn't Cersei. He wouldn't hurt her. He bedded his wife every second day, but he hadn't slept in her room, not even one night. After he spent himself inside her, he would thank her and would go to his chamber, with a hunger that the couplings with his wife couldn't assuage. She had replaced all his blood with poison and it burned him from within. He would find her. She would look at him with the smile he had thought was her genuine smile, the innocent smile of a young girl, she would lie to him, maybe she would cry and throw herself in his arms. She would kiss him, lure him with that lush rotten treacherous body of her. He would play her dirty game, he would suppress the urge to kill her and instead he would kiss her, he would offer his pardon and take her back with him, in her new home. Her new home would be a basement without windows, without light. He would rip her clothes and put some chains on her. She would only allowed to be on all four like the bitch she was, she would have to eat without using her hands. She would loved to bathe and to be clean, would have to shit and piss in one of the corners. He would fuck her from behind, no more kisses and caresses for the whore, took her hard only for his satisfaction. He would knock her up, not the one child she had wanted before finish her career, no she would whelp each year, without any help, like an animal, and he wouldn't miss a birth, he would be there to see her suffer. He didn't have any idea what to do with the bastards, but he would make her believe he would kill them. The stunning butterfly would become an ugly, sagging, deformed creature. Her skin wouldn't drink the sun, her eyes wouldn't blaze anymore. She would finally stop haunting him. How long could she last? She would lose her mind, but just before, he would wrap his hands around her pale throat and it would end. And he would have paid his debt She dreamed of him, every night. Sometimes she dreamed that he stopped the men that had raped her, he would wrap her in his cloak and take her far away. In the free cities, she would be his wife, have his little beautiful blond curled children, and he would love and respect her. One day they would go back and he would be the Lord of the Rock... She hated this dreams, because they couldn't become reality, in her bed she cried remembering that they did rape her and that she had lost their daughter. Her favourite dreams were the one when he would find her. He would beg of forgiveness, he would swear he didn't give the order, that he'd killed her tormentor and that he still wanted her. He would kiss her and she would be warm again, he would love her and she would be clean again. He would be there for her, he would protect her. She would tell him about their Joy, their perfect little girl, and she would live with her daughter at Lannisport. Maybe they would even have another child, but she wouldn't insist about it, she would respect his wife and be happy with the time he could spend with her. She didn't crave power anymore, she just wanted to be near him, to be loved by him. Because he was her dream, he was what she has wanted to be. He was her knight and she wanted to lean on him, how she had loathed the foolish dreams of the girls, but now she ached to be his. He would come, he loves her, her mind had been wrong, she hadn't listened to her heart. Her heart was sure. He loved her. Sometimes she was afraid, after the men that had tainted her, would he still want to touch her? She couldn't admit to herself that she was scared of his touch, would she feel the brutal hands of her tormentor on her? That night she had a beautiful long dream, Jaime was her husband and they had three golden haired children… She wept in her sleep, like every night since her rape, but those were tears of joy. He would come for her, a Lannister always pays his debts.

[jodiwalker]

These Are the Best Things Happening on ‘Game of Thrones’ Right Now, Part II

Hey y'all, something bad is coming on Game of Thrones, so just real quick, let's remember the good times in episodes 3 and 4, when teenage assassins were reuniniting with their teenage ruler sisters and teenage psychic brothers. When Littlefinger was getting ragged on so hard. When Jon and Davos had nothing better to do than chalk up the cave walls of Dragonstone with little bitty zombie drawings to prove a point and flirt with Missandei, respectively.

There were Catspaw Dagger references for the most careful of watchers, Jon saying "I'm not a Stark" as a Targaryen dragon flies overhead for the mildly observant viewer, and there's Jon and Dany touching each other's wrists in caves for everyone else who's just like, I don't understand what's happening here, I've never understood what's happening here, I don't care what's happening here, but I will be here until it's all over and Dany has married her nephew, SO HELP ME R'HLLOR.

So, once again, this is not a recap, not a review, just a simple, definitive, and all-encompassing list of The Best Things Happening on Game of Thrones right now (which is to say last week and the week before):

Almost Everyone Playing the Game of Thrones Is a Baby-Child

It suddenly became clear in episode 3 that while the lead characters in Game of Thrones don't seem particularly young when they are commanding their armies and large, magic animals—when they come face to face in a throne room, they suddenly seem like two particularly formidable and hormonal teenagers facing off at a Model United Nations simulation. Except, y'know, one of them recently died and was resurrected by a thousand year old sexy priestess, and the other has a bunch of giant toddler dragons and, like, ended slavery, I think.

I'm, of course, speaking of Dany and Jon, the two most popular rulers at Westeros High. Now, since Kit Harrington and Emelia Clarke are each 30, you wouldn’t think they would seem that young…but they're also both, like, 5'1 if they're an inch, so when they first came face-to-face in episode 3, they more often resembled a couple of adorable Shiba Unus tussling over a Kong ball and sniffing each other's butts, instead of two rulers arguing over getting to save the world in the specific way they want to.

In that sense, their first meeting was a particularly precious reminder of how young they still are. Yes, all the GoT kids were aged up three or four years from the books at the start of the series, but Dany and Jon are still only 22 or 23 as they fight to save the world from heretofore unknown evils—and by that, I of course mean Queen Cersei making ever woman get her goofy pageboy haircut. 

When Missandei announces Dany like one of Blair Waldorf's be-headbanded lackeys, Game of Thrones briefly turned into a Disney Channel Original movie, bringing along all the clashing dynamics of darkness and precociousness a DCOM denotes. You can practically hear Missy saying, "You stand in the presence of Daenerys Stormborn, President of the Student Council, rightful member of the A/B Honor Roll, rightful owner of a used Ford Prius she got as a reward for said A/B Honor Roll, Haver of an Afterschool Volunteer Internship at a Veterinary Office, Breaker of Bullies, the Sister of a College Sophomore Who Lets Her Wear His Old Fraternity Formal Shirts So People Think She's Cool, Voted Most Likely to Play with Fire and Like It a Little Too Much, and the Survivor of a Particularly Bad Case of Strep Throat Last Year.

You scared yet Jon Snow, you creepy-loner-who-doesn't-know-he's-hot-and-smokes-cigarettes-behind-the-school-but-secretly-makes-all-As-and-has-a-heart-of-gold-Patrick-Verona-lookin'-ass, you?

If Dany hasn't stood up on the Iron Throne and tearfully choked her way through a rendition of the "10 Things I Hate About Jon Snow" by the end of all this, I will be shocked. Because, as we will discuss later, Dany doesn't hate King Jon (King Snow? No, that doesn't sound right, does it Davos)…not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all.

The Stark Children Are Happy…Well, As Happy As a Live Stark Child Can Be

Of course that's not even mentioning the actual children roaming around Winterfell with severe PTSD and a recently developed case of the huggies. Sansa's running the Stark show at Winterfell while Jon is away at Dragostone giving up all his weapons and doing arts and crafts in the underground caves, and in her time as a prisoner of various evil families, she seems to have picked up quite a knack for organizing grain supplies and commanding that leather be added to armor because the dipshits apparently haven't heard that WINTER HAS COME.

I thought Sansa would be cool for like an episode or two and then go back to being dreadful, but her recent transition from Little Sister to Big Sister inside the walls of Winterfell seems to be suiting her well. When Meera finally brings Brann back home and after dragging his 6'4 ass all over the North, she gets exactly zero sibling hugs because her brother died protecting Brann—justice (and a warm shower) for Meera—but the newly minted Three Eyed Raven gets a sweet embrace from big sister Sansa. 

He returns the love by informing Sansa that now he can see everything that's ever happened in the world, including the worst night of her life when she was forced to marry Ramsay and he raped her.

Hey Brann, I know it's not your fault that Jaime Lannister pushed you out of a window, and your dad got beheaded, and Theon fake-torched you, all setting you on a fan-least-favorite path toward becoming the Three Eyed Raven but—you totally suck! Someone else can tell Jon he's a Targaryen if it means you having to be all weird to your sisters now that you're finally, gloriously, wonderfully reunited. In this extended high school analogy I've been drawing, Brann is the kid who took one philosophy class at the community college for extra credit and thinks he knows everything now. You don't know shit, Brann!

Okay, fine, Brann knows some shit, and is obviously intended for some higher purpose in this game of thrones or he surely wouldn't have been—quite literally—dragged through all seven seasons. I just wish that purpose was being a nice supportive brother to his super-survivor sisters, which brings us to…

ARYA IS BACK AT WINTERFELL AND SHE SPARRED WITH BRIENNE AND MAYBE THEY CAN GO LADY-ARMOR SHOPPING TOGETHER NOW, WHAT'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD?!

As it turns out, the already disparate Stark children have become even more contrasted with time and (grueling, awful, traumatic, painful, oftentimes unbelievable) circumstances. Sansa, who was a pretty girl who wanted to marry a prince, is now the Wardeness of Westeros' largest region with a keen political mind and a dude who would fucking love to marry her that she's constantly mocking. Arya was a tomboy who had a real good time at her afterschool swordsmanship lessons, and has since grown into a stone-cold assassin who cuts people's faces off and magic-pastes them onto her own face, then feeds those recipient of the face-cutting to his own family, and then also kills that entire family. Brann has turned from a boy who liked to ride horses into Westeros' creepy Miss Cleo, and also, he no longer goes by Brann, and also, is a pretty constant dick to the women in his life.

That all kind of made me love their reunions even more though. Arya saying, "Do I have to call you Lady Stark?" as her first greeting to Sansa was incredible. Sansa replying, "Yes," very much in the way of Old Sansa, but then turning around and hugging Arya and bonding with her about how much pain they've lived through and how everything they used to know is dead except for each other was even better. And Sansa telling Arya that "Brann has visions," in the same tone of voice you might warn a guest that your little brother has recently gotten really into making his own chainmail was EVEN BETTER.  There was also Jon all the way over at Dragonstone being all "She's startin' to let on" when Tyrion says that Sansa is smarter than she lets on—love those two, sure hope Littlefinger doesn't turn them against each other and shatter my heart into a million pieces!

But simply the best was watching those three rough and tumble Starks wheel and walk their way back from the Weirwood tree and into their home at Winterfell, down a couple family members, not really sure of who they've become, and probably on the brink of being murdered by ice zombies, sure…but they're also together—three lone wolves restored to a pack—and, for now, they're alive.

Of course, it is hard to ignore all that side eye Sansa was giving Arya as she sorted that out that Lil' Sis super-duper was not kidding about having a murder list. But Sansa isn't on said murder list, and hey, she also once fed a dude to his (canine) children, so maybe this girl gets it. Maybe everything will be fine and once Jon and Dany save the world, they can all go in on a family beach house together and parasail on dragons. Speaking of…

THAS-A-MUTHAFUGGIN-LOOT-TRAAAAAAAIN

I've always thought of Weiss and Benioff as kind of cool young dudes who were surprisingly hot and surprisingly married to Amanda Peet (which I would want to brag about in Emmy speeches too, no shade). But for some reason, recently, they've started to seem more and more to me like kind of clueless dads who, were we ever to see their legs in the after-show interviews, would be wearing pristine New Balances with loosely fitted light-wash jeans.

I don't know if it's because I recently fell into a deep dark YouTube black hole where I watched clips of a panel where Sophie Tuner and Maisie Williams interviewed B&W and just keep making fun of them for being old (of note, Sophie Turner is really funny). Or if it's because they're quite literally getting older and making this show where they have to spend three million dollars to light 20 real people on fire in order to make it look like 1,000 fake people are being lit on fire has probably aged them an extra decade.

But mostly I think it's because now that they're out from under the shadow of GRRM they can stop pretending they're dead inside and let their TV pathos flags fly, and that alone makes them seem a lot less hard than they used to. Them talking about how Dany and Jon it's so obvious Jon and Dany have developed feelings for each in the cave scene was just adorable. Guys! They've had like, two conversations, and neither one has made a single inappropriate "bend the knee" joke which they obviously would if they were two real life 19-year olds falling in luv in a cave.

All this is to say that, I am so thankful to them for bringing GoT to my television, but truly, only two dumb dads could have taken this insane, explosive, dragon-fueled battle and called it…"The Loot Train Attack." Or as I prefer to call it: the mutha fuckin' LOOOOOT TRAAAAAAIN!!!

There is nothing that I can personally write that would make the battle where Dany brought dragons to a sword fight at the counsel of Jon any better than it already was, so I'll be brief: It is in episode 4 of season 7, at the end of the Loot Train—LOOT TRAAAAAAAIN!—battle, as Jaime charges Daenerys with a giant spear, that it became clear just how impossibly complex this web of character has become. It used to be impossible to root for anyone because they were all either evil or definitely going to die in the next episode exactly because they weren't evil. No more.

I had no idea who I would choose to live and die between Jaime and Dany. And that is perhaps unique to me because in this game of thrones, everyone can choose their own winner and we can all be simultaneously right and wrong. Just as the people of Westeros are born into certain houses, we all have our allegiances. But the time is coming for us to also make important choices, because things can only be happy reunions and convenient river dives and spare Sand Snake killings and flirty-cave-fun-times for so long. Sides will be chosen, alliances will be made, and main characters will start getting their heads chopped off again. Weiss and Bennioff might be out dads, but if TV has taught me anything—and it has taught me literally everything—it's that tough love is the most rewarding form of parenting.

And also that women always keep their bra on during sex—except for right here on H-B-O!

[starclanwhy]

Stark Warrior Names

I love character analysis. I love traditional naming. I thought it’d be fun to assign a warrior name to each of the Starks! Disclaimer : this is based purely on how the characters are depicted in the novels, not the tv series. 

Lord Eddard Stark is known for his morals. He’s a good man to everyone, even to thosethat don’t deserve it. He treats absolutely everyone with respect, kindness, and dignity. He executes people himself, he makes an effort to be close to and listen to all the people he employs. He mourns and cares for all of his men. Hell, Ned mourns and honors dead mean that aren’t even his and that he never even knew. He took in Jon Snow and treated him as his son. He did the same to Theon Greyjoy, even though Theon was an absolute fucking prick the entire time. He teaches his children to love, to be just and fair. It’s a no-brainer that Ned is a -heart cat. I’d argue that Ned is a model -heart cat, and the kind of person that comes to mind when you think about the -heart suffix. He’s such a good man, he really is. As a Stark, he would have a long pelt. He could be a dark tabby, whether grey or brown I really can’t decide. His warrior name would be Stoneheart.

Catelyn Tully has auburn hair, so she’d be a red cat. Because she’s from Riverrun, I think she’d be a shorthaired cat, which would just makes going north more miserable for her. As for her warrior name, I really want to give her the heart suffix. I really do. Catelyn is a fucking badass. Her morals aren’t the same as Ned’s, she’s not as forgiving or kind. But damn it, she follows her duties and honor until the end. She is obstinate and takes matter into her own hands. She went to King’s Landing by herself immediately after Bran’s attempted murder. She took Tyrion hostage herself. She went to the Eyrie herself to warn her sister and to try to solve the Lannister problem. Catelyn went with her son to war to guide him, provide counsel, and help make alliances. Even as Lady Stoneheart, she continues to deliver justice, even though her sense of it is now twisted and obscure. But I think this side of Catelyn only came to light after she married Ned, after becoming a mother, and only when she was pushed into doing these things. When she talks about her childhood at Riverrun, she always mentions playing with her siblings and being naive and that’s pretty much it. She would have earned her warrior name there, and I really don’t think she displayed any noticeable skills or traits. I think (and I know) that she deserves the heart suffix, but because she wasn’t like this as a young adult, her name would reflect that. Her warrior name would be Hollyfur.

Robb Stark is a just man just as his father was. He was about 15 when he gets thrown into a leadership position, and he does his absolute best to take care of his land, his people, and his family. Robb tries to be the best damn Ned Stark he can be, even though he’s still just an inexperienced teenager. You can see him trying to do what’s right, and I think the fact he marries Jeyne Westerling after deflowering her really exemplifies this. But, Robb is more renounced and known for his war and fighting skills than for being a good leader. His narrative and arc doesn’t focus on him juggling serious moral decisions, and focuses more on him winning battles. Even so, his individual fighting skills aren’t renounced, especially in comparison to characters like Gregor Clegane and Robert Baratheon. It’s mostly the strength of his army as a collective that makes him so strong. As a result, he would not be a -heart or a -claw cat, and would instead be a -fang cat. He is said to look more like his mother than father, with auburn hair, so he would be a longhaired dark red cat, and his warrior name would be Russetfang.

Jon Snow, on the other hand, is known for his fierce morals. His narrative and character arcs do revolve on him having to make serious decisions that test his loyalty and morality. He’s forced to make tough decisions every day, and in the end, he always tries to do what is right for everyone. Even as early as the first book, you can see Jon’s morality. He takes care of Samwell Tarly when he joins the Wall, protecting him and caring for him when no one else will. He makes an effort to understand the wildlings, and doesn’t let the black brothers kill them unjustly. He takes Satin under his wing when everyone else hates him for being a male sex worker. He looks past people’s pasts and sees the good in everyone, believing they can be redeemed. Jon is only 18 years old. He’s doing his best and he’s doing a damn good job. He most absolutely deserves the -heart suffix. If the theories are true, then Jon Snow is half Targaryen. In a Warriors setting, I think the Targaryens would have pure white fur to represent their silver hair and pure blood heritage. Which would possibly make Jon a pure white cat, or perhaps a white cat with black ear tips. This would only make him more of an outcast compared to the other Starks, and I think would also go well nicely with the fact that Ghost is white too. His warrior name would be Iceheart.

Sansa Stark would have the -cloud suffix. Hear me out on this. The stereotype for -cloud cats is that they’re meager, meek, and submissive. I know this isn’t what she’s like. I know Sansa is an incredibly tough, young teenage girl that uses her intelligence, wit, charm, and introspection to survive. But I also think it’s her patience, gentleness, and cool demeanor that allows her to survive. She is calm, collected, and submissive when she needs to be for her safety, but she does not take shit from anyone and doesn’t let others take advantage from her. Sansa is able to calm down Joffrey and Sandor. She is patient with Robert Arryn and goes along with everything that Littlefinger does in the Eyrie. I think all this compliance and ability to stay calm and collected in such terrifying situations, and the way she’s still gentle and kind even after everything she’s been through, would earn her the -cloud suffix. Her suffix is not implying that she’s a doormat, but that she wields these traits as her strengths. Sansa’s name would be Poppycloud. Genetically, she’d be a tortoiseshell, but she looks like her mother, making her a mostly dark red, longhaired tortoiseshell.

Arya Stark has a fierce disposition and attitude. She’s aggressive, blunt, wily, rebellious and stubborn. Her personality would allow her to be a -storm cat, but skills are given priority over personality when it comes to naming. She is agile, quick, and sneaky. She loved the training Syrio gave her, prefering the swift, light battle style of water dancers over the way the Westerosi fight. Arya is training to be a Faceless Man. The other characters call her Arya Underfoot and Weasel. She’d be a -tail cat, of course! Arya looks like her father, but because of genetics she’d still be a tortoiseshell cat. A mostly brown, shorthaired tortoiseshell. Her warrior name would be Mousetail.

Brandon Stark could have been a -tail cat too, had he not broken his spine. Climbing requires a great deal of agility, quick thinking, and skill. Well now he’s honing his spiritual abilities, and that’s what his current storyline is focusing on. He hates doing it, he still doesn’t want to do it, but damn if he isn’t getting pretty good at it. He doesn’t have any other really noticeable skills or personality traits, so I think he would earn the -leaf suffix because of it. He is said to have auburn hair like his mother. His warrior name could have been Squirrelstep if he had not been thrown off that tower, but now his warrior name would be Squirrelleaf.

Hell if I know what Rickon Stark is, he’s a fucking 3 year old. He doesn’t get much exposition, and everyone, including GRRM, pretty much forgets he exists. He’s too young to have any skills and his personality could still change dramatically from now until he becomes an adult. But when he’s travelling north, he becomes wild, aggressive, and unruly. So does Shaggydog. From what little we see about him, I think he would be a -storm cat. While it’s said he looks more like his mother, I don’t think it’s mentioned that he had red hair. He could be a longhaired black cat with long, unkempt fur, and his warrior name would be Nightstorm.

[entireoranges-creativity]

Was It Worth It?

Title: Was It Worth It? Fandom: Game Of Thrones Ship: Braime For:  Moody Blues Lyric Challenge (#16 And you can see your world slip through your fingers) Note: Cross posted on AO3 Disclaimer: I don't own don't sue

Jaime finds himself unable to move as he stares at what appears to be a window looking out to a green pasture of a clear blue day; he knows it's more then that, as his heart begins to pound.

"You died for her. Was she worth it?" A voice fills the room, it almost seems to becoming from within him. Before him the image flashes away to a black and slowly something new appears. Cersei and himself as children. Laughing, a sense of innocent portrayed in all their features. Jaime relaxes. He couldn't recall that memory but he could recall the joy it brought him, a joy he held onto for all his days. Only Cersei could ever do that. She was made for him, he for her. Yes anything for her was worth it.

Without permission the scene is removed as another replaces it. Of this Jaime remembers. Him and her together in the throws of passion, he knows that was the day they went from two souls to three. He knew then and knows now that shame should have filled him. It never does. That view from the window lasts a even shorter period of time before its gone. More follow that Jaime knew, he was apart of; going by at almost rapid speed. Was she worth it? Yes.

"I've seen enough!" He calls out. Green pasture and the blue sky returns.

"You have yet to see the truth. You only knew the Cersei she selected and allowed you to see. You have blinded yourself to anything else."

"I don't care."

"You have died for her. You need to understand what you did." Gone is the neutral image and back to Cersei, without him this time. She again is young, not as young as the first time, but perhaps ten? She is by a their old friend Melara whom vanished and presumed died years ago. Jaime gasps as he watches his sister violently push her down a well, a sinister smile on her face.

Next is her looking down at two small babes, twins? He knows not these children, she seems to though. She picks up one of the children cradling it softly in her arms and without a word and even an expression of joy she twists its head snapping its neck. She drops the now deceased child on the ground, walks to the other, to his relief the window becomes black again.

"She killed those she preseved to be a threat."

"She had to do what needed to be done." Jaime's voice is weak, still shaken by the last image. He had heard of this rumor, her killing some of Robert's bastard. But this? Like that?

"You say and you believe she was faithful to yo..."

"I know she was not. I understand why though. They meant nothing to her." Jaime interjects. He did know that of Cersei shared her bed and self with others, but he had shared himself with someone else as well. How could he judge an act he too was guilty of? The voice gives a low almost bitter laugh.

"You think it was only a few times. You want to believe they meant nothing. Face the truth Jaime. Understand what she really was!" Rapid session of images return in which Jaime can barely understand what's in front of him, but sees enough to comprehend. Cersei in bed with an unknown man. Cersei on her knees taking in a man's cock. Her screaming with pleasure as taken from behind. More and more, he can't even attempt to count. Of the guys involved he knows a few, most though strangers to him.

"Stop it!" Jaime cries out.

"You died for her." It comes out as a fact.

"She...had her reasons." He tries to justify what he had seen, attempts to push away the anger flooding through him.

"Her actions and selfishness caused the deaths of..."

"Don't say it." Jaime begs.

"Your children. It's a truth you can't deny."

"I don't want to see. Please." He begs, praying to the Gods he could close his eyes and the window stays on the green pasture and nothing else. To his relieve his desire is fulfilled.

"You gave up everything for her. While she did nothing but take from you. Now do you understand the truth? Was it worth it?!" Jaime lowers his head, shaking it slowly.

"Sevens what have I done?" He questions to himself.

"Now look at what could have been. What you would of had if you possessed the intelligence to have opened your eyes." Before he can react, even though he knew there was no point. Before him now through the window is himself and Brienne. The gray in his hairs have increased, yet he seems younger. He has his arm around her waist pulling her into him, her eyes looking down, both smiling. He himself lowers his eyes to try to look at what she is seeing. Another gasp falls away from him.\. A baby.

"I..."

"There is more." Jaime stands in disbelief as what he assumes to be the future that could have been flashes by. One child. A second joins. Then the family becomes an unit of five. Jaime laughs as the next time he sees the growing crew there are twins.

"Of course." He mutters.

"Seven in all." The voice informs him.

"Seven? Seven children? I only saw five..."

"I never claimed every moment of your future was perfect. No one is allowed that. But it would have been damn close."

"I took that from her. Gods she looked so happy."

"You stole that from yourself. And the world. The influence and changes created by the actions and pure hearts of some of those children as they grew.' the voice seizes for a moment 'would have changed the whole of the world in ways you can never understand."

"I didn't know. I thought Cersei was worth it. I believed she was my soul mate. I was..."

"You were a fool Jaime. I ask you once more; was it worth it?"

"I already told you it wasn't! I made a mistake! Gods I made a mistake!" He begins to sob in a fashion he had not done since his mother had left his life.

"Do you want to fix it?" Asks the voice in a more gentle timbre.

"What? I can fix it?" Jaime repeats almost in disbelief.

"Aye. I can bring you back. Back to the earth and return life to you. But that future is not guaranteed. You have to work for it. There will be pain and heartache."

"I don't care! If she is by my side and she'll have me. Yes please. Let me go back to her!" He pleads.

"Very well. Just so you know very few are given this chance do not squander it Jaime."

"Why me?"

"Because some men are worth it. And the future is worth saving." Before Jaime can ask or even say anything else he feels himself being yanked backwards, the window becoming smaller and smaller until it no longer exists. Then it felt all the world as if he had fallen from atop his horse, landing hard to the ground, his chest on fire, struggling to catch his breath.

"Are you alright?" He opens his eyes that he had been aware that had become shut. Winterfell. Her chambers. Which had quickly and rather unoffically become their chambers. This is where he sat for nearly an hour weighing his options of what to do about and for Cersei, where he ran like a damned fool breaking the heart of the one whom laid in the bed. He hears her shuffle into a sitting position. He turns towards her, his eyes spilling over with tears.

"I'm so sorry."

"Jaime! What's wrong?!" Her tenderness and compassion for him...Cersei she could never...

"I was a fool Brienne. I thought I was destined to be just like her. I helped carve her partially into the person she has become. My sins.' He pause taking a shaking breath 'my sins and things I've done for my sister or because of her I can never erase from my soul. And now she's out there. A monster. But alone..."

"Jaime?" There is a fear in the word.

"I wanted to go with her. I do deserve whatever happ..."

"You don't. You're not your sister."

"I know Brienne. I know. I want a new beginning. I want to live with you. Not to die for her. She had her chances." Brienne has crawled out from the bed and sits next to him squeezing his thigh.

"You are a good and worthy man Jaime."

"Am I worthy of you?"

"More then you'll ever understand. I love you." In the time erased for him she had said the same and it had almost pulled him back, almost stopped him running. Jaime lifts his head, eyes wide once more. The idea he nearly left her with that memory burnt into her soul especially when she was so well guarded and protective of her heart, even after they had begun to lie together she struggled with it. To hear her now actually say the words in environment worthy of them both? This is a love pure and true.

"Took you long enough wench." He teases realizing his silence may have elapsed for too long.

"Go piss off." They hold each other's glace in a silent battle of will before erupting into a fit giggles.

"I love you too. I was wondering...' Jaime shifts on the bench. 'if you'd be interested in..."

"Spit it out already!"

"Will you marry me?' Her reply doesn't come verbally rather as a kiss, hard and forceful. 'So you need time to think about it?"

"Gods best be prepared because I'm gonna kill you."

"They already had me. But they sent me back...to you." Brienne pulls away eyebrows raised.

"Jaime? What are you talki...."

"Don't worry about it." He returns his lips to hers. It doesn't take long for them to return to the comfort of the bed to do almost everything but sleep.

They married the day after Sansa became the Queen of the North. There were conversations, sometimes forming into temporary arguments on what the future held. Stay in the North as Brienne continued to serve a Stark girl as she promised all those years ago? A place in which Jaime had no role and little respect from those whom called it home; not as if he could place blame on them. The Lannister's had been pretty much sacks of shits. Do they go to Kingslanding, help rebuild the destruction and assist a new King find his way? The memories of everything lost and of the decision that once had been made; he couldn't face it. Then it was decided a fresh start was needed, at least a fresh start for him and they made a home on Tarth.

The years passed by and Jaime kept his promise of never squandering this chance. With each child born to them he knew what they represented and only hoped his influence shaped them in the ways promised. As they did grieve when the Gods took two of their babes from them; the second born minutes after her birth and their sixth child couldn't fight the fever and sickness that his siblings were able to when at four years. Even with the pain and feeling his heart ripped into tiny pieces, he still was thankful for every day.

"It was worth it." Jaime says softly barely above a whisper.

"What my love?" Brienne asks leaning in.

"I once gave up everything. I literally died..."

"What is father on about?" He smiles at the inquiry.

"It's just the sickness talking." After all these years though Brienne never asked for details when he'd bring up these references; she always suspected something had occurred.

"It matters not anymore. Only this does. Only you guys." He coughs violently, his chest feeling heavy.

"Oh father!" Their oldest always wore the badge of being equally the most headstrong and sensitive leans forward as she grips his hand trying not to cry. Jaime closes his eyes, having becoming too heavy to keep open. Brienne lets go of a strangled sob. Gods he wants to hold her one last time.

"Shush mother. Shush." She was now in the care of the children. Grown, almost all married, save for one whom joined the Kingsguard. Gods how did I get so lucky? A tiny smile crosses over him. The tightness in his chest is overwhelming, but he's at peace. And just like that he's gone from world once more.

The window is there, with the green pasture and blue skies. He laughs, a younger mans laugh, the tiredness in his bones, the weakness in his muscles all but gone. This view from this window was the same one that greeted him for forty three years from the balcony of his and Brienne's room. He never made the connection before, perhaps the Gods arranged it that way?

"You did good Jaime. Your legacy is worthy to remember for years and years." The voice speaks gently.

"Brienne? When will I....?"

"Not for awhile. She'll struggle for awhile but..."

"She'll be fine. They all will. If you can tell her to take her time. I'm not going anywhere." From behind him Jaime hears a door open and unlike last time in this place he can move and even though not told one way or another he walks slowly towards it and through it. The same pasture from the window, people milling around, he just stares, trying to understand. Then he notices his mom, holding hands with his second to youngest, he hears a shout from a voice that could only belong to Tommen. Ghosts and memories from his life, those he loved, cared for, and those whom cared for him long before his birth. So many souls. He searches for a moment for her, for Cersei...

"She wasn't allowed into this place." He turns to Myrcella.

"I..."

"Not everyone was worthy. You almost weren't. But I'm glad you found your way to us."

"Me too. Gods me too."