paulamoon1

[paulamoon1]

'Arya growing up pretty' doesn't mean she is going to drastically change her appearance or face. Because arya is already pretty. She does have some similarly to the ugly duckling turned swan story. But not exactly. Because arya was never ugly. She has always been pretty. She is just not well groomed. Always covered in dirt and messy hair. But arya already looks (and acts) like lyanna. And lyanna was very beautiful. Only her bullies sansa and jeyne say that shes ugly. But they are bullies who are trying to hurt her so their opinion is not true.

Other than them everyone who meets arya - be it the people that love arya or complete strangers they always call arya pretty. We known that ned and jon has always told arya she is pretty.

"Lyanna might have carried a sword, if my lord father had allowed it. You remind me of her sometimes. You even look like her."

x

She had never cared if she was pretty, even when she was stupid Arya Stark. Only her father had ever called her that. Him, and Jon Snow, sometimes. Her mother used to say she could be pretty if she would just wash and brush her hair and take more care with her dress

Other than them, lady ravella Smallwood tells arya she is pretty

"I'm sorry, my lady." Arya suddenly felt bad for her, and ashamed. "I'm sorry I tore the acorn dress too. It was pretty."

"Yes, child. And so are you. Be brave."

and even in braavos the kindly man tells arya she is pretty. And pretty enough to be a 'courtesan' who are the most beautiful women in the continent.

"You believe this is the only place for you." It was as if he'd heard her thoughts. "You are wrong in that. You would find softer service in the household of some merchant. Or would you sooner be a courtesan, and have songs sung of your beauty?

Also, the kindly man remarks (who is an expert on faces) , that aryas face is a pretty one.

He cupped her chin, turned her head this way and that, nodded. "A pretty one this time, I think. As pretty as your own."

Arya also have ton of swan symbolism.

The Lady that Arya would wear dresses for and act like a Lady(because she was kind to arya) ... is Ravella from House Swann. A "Swann" tells Arya she is pretty!

Add the fact that Arya literally sees 3 swans on a lake and wishes to be a swan. George adds beautiful bird imagery to her chapters like in the Mercy chapter where he compares her legs to bird wings. Even her water dancing is inspired by ballet where Arya actually wears pointy shoes and has the duality of Swan Lake interwoven in her story.

Also the fact that she is the only dark hair/grey eyes of Ned's children (Swan). Born amoung southern looking Tully siblings (ducks). Arya is figuratively born a Swan. So thats definitely important.

The only person who doesn't think arya is pretty is arya herself. Because of all the mocking and bullying has taken a toll on arya and she has internalized it. They why arya herself doesn't think she is pretty. But onlookers has always seen her beauty and commented on that even though arya doesn't believe it. But that is going to change as arya gets older. Also her next phase of training will likely be with a courtesans so she might regain some of her self confidence.

[paulamoon1]

Fun fact,in a storm of swords, Arya was ready to wear dresses and take baths for lady Ravella Smallwood. Because the lady was kind to arya.

Some of the women tried to put her in a dress and make her do needlework, but they weren't Lady Smallwood and she was having none of it. - Arya, ASoS

x

"I do not know who you are, child," the woman said, "and it may be that's for the best. Someone important, I fear." She smoothed down Arya's collar. "In times like these, it is better to be insignificant. Would that I could keep you here with me. That would not be safe, though. I have walls, but too few men to hold them." She sighed.

Arya even feels bad for ruining her dress.

"I'm sorry, my lady." Arya suddenly felt bad for her, and ashamed. "I'm sorry I tore the acorn dress too. It was pretty."

"Yes, child. And so are you. Be brave." (Arya IV, ASoS)

And later arya even remembers lady Smallwoods kindness and that she had called arya pretty. Because it meant so much to arya.

Arya spotted a yellow tent with six acrons on its panels, three over two over one. Lord Smallwood, she knew, remembering Acorn Hall so far away, and the lady who'd said she was pretty.

Just because lady Smallwood was so kind and understanding to arya, makes arya want to listen and obey her and even do things that arya wouldn't normally do. All it takes is a few words of kindness.

Which makes me think that growing up catelyn wasn't particularly understanding or kind to arya. We know that septa mordane definitely wasn't. Otherwise arya would have been a little more inspired to do more ladylike things and would feel less like disobeying her mother, if only arya was asked kindly and shown more understanding and compassion.

[paulamoon1]

There is literally a stark Sansa that was meant to inherit winterfell but was taken by her younger brother

Sansa’s Rebuilding Winterfell Scene

From: thelustybraavosimaid

I really want to concentrate on the snow castle scene as it is something I see over and over again and how fandom views it is so vastly different from my own reading. I know a lot of people put stock into Sansa’s snow castle scene, but if you really look at the scene and break it down it isn’t foreshadowing of her rebuilding WF at all, but a concerning scene of how much Sansa is starting to rely and depends on Baelish. People like to remember the building of the castle as if it is some wholesome moment in isolation, but not who she is building it with - one of the main antagonist of the series. And in the end her snow Winterfell is smashed and in ruins, just like Sansa’s dreams of the past.

The chapter opens with Sansa feeling nostalgic for home, she is melancholy because the Vale is small and empty and there is nothing to do, she misses home and happier times. She is worried about what happens to her now. She goes out into the snow and begins to play and eventually her thoughts of home start to form into a snow castle of Winterfell, but

Her bridges kept falling down. There was a covered bridge between the armory and the main keep, and another that went from the fourth floor of the bell tower to the second floor of the rookery, but no matter how carefully she shaped them, they would not hold together. The third time one collapsed on her, she cursed aloud and sat back in helpless frustration.

Sansa has trouble building it - it is falling apart because she doesn’t have the knowledge to put it back together. Sansa needs Petyr to do the difficult parts for her. To me this isn’t a good sign, Baelish is a bad guy, we don’t want Sansa to need or rely on his help to build Winfterfell or anything - which he had a hand in destroying, her family and everything afterwards were directly from his machinations. This scene has Sansa starting to trust Baelish more, starting to rely on him, notice his good judgement, as she becomes more reliant and comfortable around him.

Each time Sansa is stuck, “Again he had the answer.”

This scene also has creepy romantic overtones of Baelish helping Sansa, being by her side, doing what he can to make her happy, see her smile, and they even playfully flirt a little (I’m not saying that Sansa is flirting on purpose, just that it is written with those overtones), again disturbing as she is getting more comfortable being around him, getting used to his closeness, even after he lied to her and she knows what he did in KL. Foreshadowing how much closer these two may become, especially as Baelish will keep pressing (and with Lysa gone there will be less barriers for him and this proves true in later chapters.)

“Your smile, my lady. Shall I make another for you?”

“If you would.”

“Nothing could please me more.”

…

They made a tall tower together, kneeling side by side to roll it smooth, and when they’d raised it Sansa stuck her fingers through the top, grabbed a handful of snow, and flung it full in his face. Petyr yelped, as the snow slid down under his collar.

Sansa has started to become more comfortable around Baelish - this should be concerning. She works up the courage to ask him about his lies.

“As was bringing me here, when you swore to take me home.”

She wondered where this courage had come from, to speak to him so frankly. From Winterfell, she thought. I am stronger within the walls of Winterfell.

His face grew serious. “Yes, I played you false in that … and in one other thing as well.”

Sansa’s stomach was aflutter. “What other thing?”

Sansa attributes this to Winterfell, but really it is all from Baelish’s charm or  grooming. Petyr is a non-threatening courteous well mannered person, a smooth talker, even a flatterer, ready with a compliment to ingratiate himself to others. Some see though this, others fall for it. Which way will Sansa fall? Right now, Sansa is becoming more comfortable around him, she isn’t afraid to ask him pointed questions. Then he kisses her.

Sansa tried to step back, but he pulled her into his arms and suddenly he was kissing her. Feebly, she tried to squirm, but only succeeded in pressing herself more tightly against him. His mouth was on hers, swallowing her words. He tasted of mint. For half a heartbeat she yielded to his kiss … before she turned her face away and wrenched free. “What are you doing?”

Petyr straightened his cloak. “Kissing a snow maid.”

THIS is a very disturbing scene, not only because Baelish is passionately kissing her, but how Sansa is reacting to it. She feebly tried to squirm… why feebly?

For half a heartbeat she yielded, again why? GRRM is having Sansa acknowledge to herself that a part of her liked it (she yielded?), or at least wasn’t trying as hard to escape (feebly) his attentions. All of this is displaying a disturbing softening towards Baelish from Sansa, one that should disturb the reader. When she finally pushes back…

“You shouldn’t kiss me. I might have been your own daughter …”

“Might have been,” he admitted, with a rueful smile. “But you’re not, are you? You are Eddard Stark’s daughter, and Cat’s. But I think you might be even more beautiful than your mother was, when she was your age.”

“Petyr, please.” Her voice sounded so weak. “Please …”

We know what Baelish has always been after, but I think this is when Sansa finally realizes it, at least she can’t ignore the possibility. Sansa might not really understand what is happening dynamically to put it into words, but subconsciously she knows she can not anger or upset Baelish, so her reaction is to submit and do nothing. Maybe even give him a bit of what he wants? or perhaps it was just her curiosity? Either way, she is weakening because she doesn’t know what else to do and so can’t risk doing anything. Even to herself her conviction for him to stop sounds weak and thus unconvincing… before she can really process what just happened Robert arrives and starts to smash the castle and Sansa inadvertently grabs and tears his doll.

They led the boy away. My lord husband, Sansa thought, as she contemplated the ruins of Winterfell. The snow had stopped, and it was colder than before. She wondered if Lord Robert would shake all through their wedding. At least Joffrey was sound of body. 

The air is colder because it was her happy memories that were warming her up. Her wishing for the past (Winterfell and happier times with her family) is quickly smashed and in ruins as her hard cold reality sets in. The real Winterfell is still in ruins and lost to her, she is ‘engaged’ to another unsatisfactory man-child, and her bleak situation and future are again in front of her.

Her dreaming of the past, snow Winterfell is a broken ruin, you can’t go back, you can only go forward. Winterfell (The North) doesn’t need to be rebuilt like it used to be, when it is rebuilt it will be new and improved to reflect all the lessons the children (not just Sansa) have learned a long their journey not continuing the same ‘old’ ways.

A mad rage seized hold of her. She picked up a broken branch and smashed the torn doll’s head down on top of it, then pushed it down atop the shattered gatehouse of her snow castle. The servants looked aghast, but when Littlefinger saw what she’d done he laughed. “If the tales be true, that’s not the first giant to end up with his head on Winterfell’s walls.”

Her violent actions disturb everyone, but Baelish laughs. Not only does he find the situation amusing, but he just got away with kissing Sansa, or Alayne his ‘daughter’ right under so many watchful eyes, right beneath Lysa’s balcony. He is probably on some power high in this moment. He got what he wanted again and is laughing at the world (I don’t know but this is my feeling, but I really hate him in this moment).

Sansa is in a temper because she is frustrated and doesn’t know what to do and can’t really say anything. She wants to escape from all the problems that she really isn’t equipped to deal with, but can’t do anything herself..

I will tell my aunt that I don’t want to marry Robert. Not even the High Septon himself could declare a woman married if she refused to say the vows. She wasn’t a beggar, no matter what her aunt said. She was thirteen, a woman flowered and wed, the heir to Winterfell. Sansa felt sorry for her little cousin sometimes, but she could not imagine ever wanting to be his wife. I would sooner be married to Tyrion again. If Lady Lysa knew that, surely she’d send her away … away from Robert’s pouts and shakes and runny eyes, away from Marillion’s lingering looks, away from Petyr’s kisses. I will tell her. I will!

Sansa is relying on her aunt to really solve her problems, she wants it to be her aunt that sends her away. Why? Well Baelish still can’t go against her aunt, and if Lysa wants her gone, Baelish can’t argue the point, Lysa is still the one with power in the Vale. It gives Sansa a barrier of opposition to all of them and makes Lysa the one they have to deal with. At least this is Sansa’s way of thinking. This is similar to her wanting to asking Robert / Cersei to allow her to stay in KL in AGOT. She can’t convince her father, so she goes to someone he will have a harder time dealing with to get what she wants. Sansa is trying to find others with more power to side with her so she has support. That way it isn’t on her to fight (passive-aggressive). Again, the strategy makes sense when only seen from her POV. Little does she know how far Baelish is willing to go to secure what he wants and that Lysa isn’t as powerful as she thinks.

To me, the building of the castle is the least interesting part of this scene and to ignore the part Baelish plays in this scene is to completely miss the entire point. You can’t remove Baelish from this scene when you read it and it is filled with unsettling implications. The scene isn’t a soft moment of Sansa dreaming about Winterfell and rebuilding it, it is a subtle manipulation of Baelish working his way into Sansa’s good graces by pretending to help her with what she wants in order to gain access to what he wants (her). It shows that she is weak to him, she doesn’t know how to deal with him, and all of her efforts to do something on her own fall apart and she needs others to help her. She is too dependent still, and even when she wants to resist, still needs to go to others to do the heavy lifting.

This dependency is what hinders Sansa, when you must rely on others, you are also tied to their will, wants, and desires. Sansa is being pushed more towards Baelish, as he seems to be the most stable and reliable one in the room, her other options are severely volatile and/or lacking; but he is also the most dangerous to deal with. This is highlighting how Sansa reliance will only increase once Lysa is gone, the one person (from Sansa’s POV) who might have stood a chance against him in the Vale, in terms of power. Baelish’s confidence and competences give a false sense of security to Sansa (”Again he had the answer.”). And that not only is she susceptible to his charming words and manner / grooming, but that she has displayed a feeble resistance and willingness to submit to them as she has few others to turn to and can’t afford to lose him as a protector.

[paulamoon1]

I don’t care how unlikely it is, the thought of Gendry, Jon, Nymeria and Lady Stoneheart meeting halfway to Winterfell to kill Ramsay for demanding the real Arya to be brought to him is fucking hilarious

[paulamoon1]

Arya recalls her and baby Bran’s first visit down the crypts (Arya IV, AGOT)

[paulamoon1]

Also Sansa’s mind set alines more with Cersei, little finger, and Varys. They believe in using others to obtain what they want instead of them fighting and making personal sacrifices for obtaining what they want.

The end justices the means. She doesn’t care who she must step on as long as it gets her what she wants.

What so far has only turn her into a tool for her family’s enemies.

And that can be point to Arya maturity but also her values. She kills only when justified being to avenge someone she loved or when someone has done an unjust act against an innocent. She is younger than Sansa so age is not an excuse to be the way Sansa is. She just chooses to be that way.

the "stark sisters uwu" crowd loves to project themselves into this fictional sibling dynamic so much. every post they make is "my sibling and i used to hate each other but now we love each other... so that's why arya and sansa would do the same... so totally normal sibling behavior" (sorry not sorry, but nobody cares about your own relationship with your siblings)

Arya was one of the first characters created. Sansa came about as a total opposite b/c too many of the Stark family members were getting along and familes aren't like that. Thus, Sansa was created; he ended by saying they have deep issues to work out. (source)

that's what grrm said about their sibling relationship, what part of d e e p i s s u e s is so difficult to understand?

[paulamoon1]

Friendly reminder that no matter how much sansa stans deny sansas bullying of arya, or dismiss aryas trauma by it, the author grrm has confirmed that arya and sansa have "deep issues" between them. And they are not going to go away. (X)

Arya and sansa are not going to have happy sisters reunion. They are going to have deep conflicts between them. And im here for it.

Asoiaf is not a happy family, family must love each other story. There are conflicts between most siblings. That are never going to get solved. For example cercei and tyrion, dany and viserys, the greyjoy brothers. Sansa and arya never had a normal relationship and never will. Sansa bullied arya all her life and arya has sever trauma because of it. Her self esteem has taken a hit and arya still thinks about it. Its never going to be alright between sansa and arya. Its ok for them to not get along. Family don't always get along and sometimes siblings are more toxic to you than strangers. Thats what asoiaf is all about.

[paulamoon1]

Also they both sworn the same thing when they decided to lose who they once were to join the blacks and the house of black and white

Jon’s

I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children. I shall wear no crowns and win no glory. I shall live and die at my post. I am the sword in the darkness.

Arya’s

You will be no one's daughter, no one's wife, no one's mother. Your name will be a lie, and the very face you wear will not be your own.

They both believe they could have a life where they were not being judge because he bastard and she an uncommon high born lady.

Jon when he though he could be with Ygritte and the free folks and he would just be Jon and not Jon the bastard of Ned.

While Arya thought she could run away and live as outlaw with Gendry that way no one will judge her unconventional and unlady like behaviour.

How they were both drown to people who reminded them of each other.

“He said it with me just like Jon used too back at winterfell” arya about gendry

“Jon had never met someone so stubborn, expect maybe for his little sister Arya”

Even when George said he change his plot when he decide to expand his original trilogy , he did leave a lot of strings that still strongly foreshadow Arya and Jon as one of the couples.

He kept them emotionally connected while apart.

Jonrya Foreshadowing

You know whats strange, in the famous passage where Ned tells Arya she will marry a king, she is told she will have sons…

“You,” Ned said, kissing her lightly on the brow, “will marry a king and rule his castle, and your sons will be knights and princes and lords and, yes, perhaps even a High Septon.”  To which Arya replies “…Arya screwed up her face. “No,” she said, “that’s Sansa.”…”

Then we see Jeor Mormont saying this to Jon:

  “..They will garb your brother Robb in silks, satins, and velvets of a hundred different colors, while you live and die in black ringmail. He will wed some beautiful princess and father sons on her…”

Now prima facie there’s no relation between the quotes. Although I beg to differ for several reasons :

1. Both Jon and Arya have king/queen foreshadowings present in their arcs.

2. Canon is littered with countless hints and foreshadowings about these two ending up together. Hints that continue all the way upto A dance with Dragons, so the whole ‘oh that’s only because they were originally supposed to end up together but all that was scrapped’ doesn’t really apply.

3. It’s ironic the way GRRM ties up these foreshadowings together. In Arya’s case, it is very adroitly disguised by Arya stating ‘That’s Sansa’ because conveniently enough Sansa is betrothed to a future king at the time. Whereas in Jon’s case, the foreshadowing is cleverly disguised because Jeor Mormont seems to be talking about Robb (who is King in the North by then) but it is only later in the series when the reader realizes the truth of Jon’s parentage does one realize …wait a minute…the words could very easily apply to the heir apparent not only of the Iron Throne but also the North (because Robb’s will wasn’t just made to keep up with Westerosi legal formalities). But most importantly, Jon is told Robb will marry a beautiful princess…which can be interpreted to mean Jon himself will marry a princess (Arya is born a lady but thanks to Robb, she is now a princess). Arya is told she will marry a King and rule his castle, which can be taken to mean that she will become Queen through marriage (Jon is not only heir to the Iron Throne but also a contender for the Northern kingdom). All in all, I’d say that these two quotes tie up rather neatly.

Y’all Jonrya babies will be boys. It’s freaking canon!

Martin, you sneaky genius you!

[paulamoon1]

She wondered if he would still call her “little sister.” I’m not so little anymore. He’d have to call me something else. -ASOS, Arya VIII (insp. x, x)

[paulamoon1]

Reason why I do not like Sansa. She doesn’t care about anyone other than herself.

god, agot!sansa is even more unbearable than i remembered, this is exactly why i can't get to like her character, she's so self-absorved and classist is not even funny.

i'm sure sansa girlie has her moments, but this is why i will never agree with people screaming down other people throats that "sansa is the kindest person to ever exist" when we have her in page being classist with a girl from a noble house, who is her best friend, mind you

like all these quotes are about jeyne poole, her bestie:

"By then Septa Mordane had returned, alone. Jeyne had been feeling ill, she explained; she had helped her back to the castle. Sansa had almost forgotten about Jeyne."

"Of course, Jeyne had been in love with Lord Beric ever since she had first glimpsed him in the lists. Sansa thought she was being silly; Jeyne was only a steward’s daughter, after all, and no matter how much she mooned after him, Lord Beric would never look at someone so far beneath him, even if she hadn’t been half his age."

"She chose a simple dress of dark grey wool, plainly cut but richly embroidered around the collar and sleeves. Her fingers felt thick and clumsy as she struggled with the silver fastenings without the benefit of servants. Jeyne Poole had been confined with her, but Jeyne was useless. Her face was puffy from all her crying, and she could not seem to stop sobbing about her father."

like sansa i get you, how bothersome of your best friend to have her father killed, and she's even daring to show a physical response to the news.

[paulamoon1]

Thinking about how jayne poole and theon greyjoy were antagonistic to arya and jon and kind of envious of their stark blood, but then they are forced to be in arya and jons position and realized life is not a song for arya and jon at all. Its hard to be arya and jon. And now they are going to the wall with jon snow being their last hope for protection.

[paulamoon1]

Sansa as a character is very exhausting. Also haft of the time she is in her head and sees the world around her with a very unrealistic and narrow minded filter.

And what will they do to me? Sansa found herself thinking of Lady again. She could smell out falsehood, she could, but she was dead, Father had killed her, on account of Arya. She drew the knife and held it before her with both hands.

- Sansa II, ACoK

I'm sorry, but what? She's still on this lie? After she finally sees Joffrey and Cersei for who they truly are, she still blames Arya for Lady's death? The only people responsible for Lady's death are Joffrey and Cersei. Lady would still be alive if Sansa and Joffrey had minded their own business and let Arya play at swords with her friend, Mycah. Lady would still be alive if Joffrey hadn't attacked Mycah. Arya only attacked Joffrey to protect Mycah, and Nymeria only attacked Joffrey to protect Arya when Joffrey started attacking her.

None of this is Arya's fault. Sansa's just the same immature brat she was in AGoT.

[paulamoon1]

Jonsas say Jon will do anything for Sansa and he's Sansa's hero and blah blah blah, but canon tells a different story.

Jon Snow straightened himself and took a long deep breath. Forgive me, Father. Robb, Arya, Bran...forgive me, I cannot help you. He has the truth of it. This is my place. "I am...yours, my lord. Your man. I swear it. I will not run again."

- Jon IX, AGoT

Sansa who? Sansa's not even in his thoughts, let alone the concept of helping her.

[paulamoon1]

if i had a nickel for every time a bastard boy is devotedly loyal to arya stark and his memory of her, i would have two nickels.

that's not a lot, but it's funny it happened twice

[paulamoon1]

Saying Arya is pretty (which is supported by the text by the way) and that her appearance does matter to her story... you know...because of all the ugly ducklings motifs and because she looks exactly like Lyanna,the Helen of Troy figure of the book, doesn't take away from Sansa being beautiful.

I just don't get why when we say: "hey both girls are beautiful in different ways" and you have to jump in and say: "no, Arya is the ugly one actually". Arya growing into her beauty doesn't actually matter to Sansa's story at all, why do you care if Arya is beautiful too ?

And to be fair, we, Arya fans, talk about Arya's appearance a lot, But here is the thing, it is reactionary, we wouldn't double down on it if this idea that Arya was ugly wasn't commonly accepted by the fandom.

[paulamoon1]

Arya with the skull of Balerion and Daenerys with Drogon by Justin Sweet

[T]he greatest of them, Balerion, the Black Dread, could have swallowed an aurochs whole, or even one of the hairy mammoths said to roam the cold wastes beyond the Port of Ibben. (AGOT, Tyrion II)

Another skull loomed ahead, the biggest monster of all, but Arya did not even slow. (AGOT, Arya III)

This time the monsters did not frighten her. They seemed almost old friends. Arya held the candle over her head. With each step she took, the shadows moved against the walls, as if they were turning to watch her pass. "Dragons," she whispered. (AGOT, Arya IV)

The Dothraki looked at her hatchlings uneasily. The largest of her three was shiny black, his scales slashed with streaks of vivid scarlet to match his wings and horns. "Khaleesi," Aggo murmured, "there sits Balerion, come again." (ACOK, Daenerys I)

[paulamoon1]

get yourself a man, who's ready to start a war for you :)