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dearsnow · 11 months

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Hello!

Could I request a Jon Snow x female reader, where she is a seamstress for the Stark family and they become friends and talk during her visits to Winterfell and slowly become lovers?

A PATCHWORK OF BLOOD AND BATTLES

- you are a fighter, and so seems to be the needle stuck in your thumb. and, of course, the man that unintentionally put it there (jon snow x fem!seamstress!reader ⚠️ mentions of blood and a needle-based injury).

word count: 1058

a/n - this took absolutely forever to finish i’m so sorry 😭 i think this request was from literal months ago, but here you are!! i love this concept so much, i hope you don’t mind my artistic liberties :)

You have fought for everything in your life. For your right to simply exist in the same world as the nobles, for your trade, and most importantly, you have fought for yourself. You have climbed the ranks of peasantry with chipped nails and a needle, asking for more and getting less. Now, you have won. At least, you have won as much as the earth beneath your feet will allow you to win. You are a seamstress for one of the most prominent families in Westeros, and as you patch a hole in a fancy evening dress, you can’t help but smile.

The night is dark, but you are not unfamiliar with the flicker of a candle flame. Snow falls lightly outside, and the wind rustles your hair as it sneaks through your open window. As you thread your needle through the lacy fabric, your door slams open.

Your eyes widen as the needle between your fingers is driven straight into your thumb, sending a shooting pain through your entire hand. You let out a sharp yelp, clutching your injury. Who in the gods’ good name was slamming doors at this hour? And why the hell didn’t they warn you?

The thumb clenched between your hand is throbbing and dripping red around the needle still stuck in the middle of it. You look up at the man who startled you, eyes burning with distaste.

It’s him. Lord Stark’s bastard child, the one that sits alone at feasts. And the one that comes to you with sword slashes in his vests.

“May I help you?” You ask. Your finger is still in burning hot pain.

In truth, you have grown to like him. He is also someone who has fought for his status, though his came with a lot more cushion. You recognize the burn in him, the drive that your own eyes carry. He will do great things someday; you’re sure of it.

He looks at you like your hand is made of dragonfire. “Sorry.”

You press your lips into a thin line. You need to keep him on your good side if you wish to keep your job.

You tuck your hand behind your back, hoping he just drops off whatever garment he needs repaired and leaves you to nurse your sores. Unluckily for you, he is a gentleman.

He moves to kneel beside you, dark curls almost glowing in the dim lighting. He looks positively angelic as he reaches for your hand.

“My lord?”

“Allow me to help.” He utters, voice as soft as the wind. He is an honorable man, you cannot deny it. You have seen him in the courtyards during your visits to the castle. He is always improving and always helping others do the same. He gets it from his father, you assume.

You comply with his urges, slightly in fear that you will lose your position if you do not. That worry is always in the back of your head. Will sewing this neckline a millimeter too short cost you your life? Is this cuff good enough for Lady Stark? Are you up to the task? Your thoughts almost consume you long enough to not notice Jon Snow pulling the needle out of your finger.

Almost. You feel a sharp sting of pain, but you bite your tongue. He swiftly wraps the undershirt in his hand around yours. For a brief moment, his rough hands brush the tip of your pinky finger. You have never felt anything so electrifying.

The hairs on the back of your neck stand up like the angels have come for your body at long last. When he pulls away, your thumb shouts with new pain, but all you can focus on is the memory of his hand. You shake your head.

“Shall I call the maester?” He asks, ever the responsible one. You wave your good hand.

“I will be alright, my lord. I will wash and patch your shirt, if you wish.” You don’t exactly love the idea of taking the pressure off of your wound, but you must be willing to sacrifice your own comfort in this moment to assure your future.

He stands, and an owl outside hoots. His eyes flicker to the window, then back down to you. “Don’t worry about it. Keep the thing.”

This shocks you. It shouldn’t, but it does. He is being kind to you. For the first time in a long while, someone is being kind to you.

“I mustn’t, my lord.” You speak, hesitantly standing up next to him.

“It’s no trouble. I insist.” His voice is smooth, and the sound tickles your ears. You think you could hear him speak all night if you ever had the opportunity. Something in you wishes you did.

You nod slowly. It would be rude to further refuse it. That’s what you tell yourself, at least. You hope it is not the fact that you suddenly hope your finger never stops bleeding.

Jon turns to leave, exiting just as swiftly as he had come. You clutch his shirt, heart beating wildly in disbelief of what just happened. In that moment, you suddenly decide that you have another thing to fight for.

Gods, did you fight for it. You took every opportunity to see him, and it worked like a well-oiled hinge. From patching more sword slashes to custom-tailoring a pair of riding pants, you were able to take any of his sewing work off of your coworkers’ hands. And through that, you began to learn why exactly he was fighting.

He often sat in your quarters while you worked, and you were beyond glad for the company. Eventually, he began to open up as beautifully as a flower in spring.

He was neglected and outright hated by Lady Stark, as he was the bane of her married life. He wishes to take the black and become a watcher of the wall. Most importantly, he does everything possible to maintain what little honor he has in his family.

Like you, he is a fighter.

Sometimes, in the quiet night, words spill from his mouth like he has never held them back. You do the same. And every once in a while, very softly, he takes your hands in his larger ones and whispers that he will fight only for you.

comments and reblogs are greatly appreciated!!

Taglist: @lovelyliliya @the-jess-life @hopelesswritergall @watercolorskyy @cecespizza01

#solar eclipse.#asoiaf #asoif/got #jon snow x reader #jon snow #jon snow headcanons #jon snow fanfic #jon snow imagine #game of thrones #game of thrones fluff #got x reader #game of thrones fanfiction #game of thrones fic #game of thrones preferences #jon snow preferences #a song of ice and fire #x reader #reader insert

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pixiecactus · 23 days

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i'm going to call this post book!gendrya for dummies (it's me i'm the dummy): i had always loved the parallel that gendrya share about being the third born child (we are five books in, and still to this moment we don't have another baratheon bastard introduced to us that's older than gendry, so the order for me is: mya, bella and gendry) and (if we go with the r+l=j theory, jon obviously is not ned's son... so we have robb, sansa and arya) but something that has never ocurred to me before, is that we obviously already know the plot point of "the seed is strong" and we have gendry directly telling ned how his mother used to have yellow/blond hair (this is my own headcanon, but i like to think that she had brown eyes as well) meaning that all children sired by robert baratheon shared his hair colour and eyes colour, so gendry in his colouring and looks does not resemble at all his mother and we know exactly the same thing about arya, how of all of the catelyn tully/stark's children, she's is the only one that has none of her mother's looks, she and jon had the stark look, long face and grey eyes, like her father (and jon's mother) and like all of the starks of old time (karstarks included), and meanwhile genetics in asoiaf had always been somehow really wonky if compared to how genetics work in real life, it always interested me this fact about arya, one could simply said that arya having stark's looks and colouring is to help the narrative of arya feeling like an outsider in her own family, just like jon, and to establish even more how deeply the jon/arya bond runs, even when she knows both of her parents, and it's a true-born daughter. so this post was me discovering another gendrya parallel shared between them, i don't think it's really important but hey, it's still there alright

#and yeah i know that mostly the conversation about gendrya's looks is centered about how they look like lyanna and robert reborn #and i absolutely think that part of their looks will come to play in the next books #like arya wears the north in her face and you mean to tell me no one is going to notice that a false arya was in her stead #if arya and gendry were lyanna and robert reborn i wouldn't even ship it in the first place #is so dear to me the fact of how gendry is the complete antithesis of robert baratheon #and now going to my own headcanon territory:#that's why i prefer to depict arya with a chesnut shade of brown hair #like catelyn's genes were really strong no joke about it #so that's why i like to think that arya subtlely has hair a shade lighter than jon due to her mother's genes #in the same way canonically jon has a darker shade of grey eyes #arya with chesnut brown hair is my way of potraying one of my favourites arya's quotes #“the woman is important too”#is this post completely self-indulgent? of course #i'm just here to post my s!ms and make self-indulgent posts #asoiaf #a song of ice and fire #house stark #arya stark #gendry #gendrya #arya x gendry #gendry x arya

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selkiewife · 2 months

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“I wish...”

A Song of Ice and Fire: A Storm of Swords, Tyrion X by George R.R. Martin | Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister in GAME OF THRONES: “The Laws of Gods and Men,” Season 4, Episode 6 | Alice in “Vinegar Tom,” by Caryl Churchill.

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saessenach · 1 year

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"No,” Jon Snow said quietly. “It was not courage. This one was dead of fear. You could see it in his eyes, Stark.” Jon’s eyes were a grey so dark they seemed almost black, but there was little they did not see. He was of an age with Robb, but they did not look alike. Jon was slender where Robb was muscular, dark where Robb was fair, graceful and quick where his half brother was strong and fast.

Robb was not impressed. “The Others take his eyes,” he swore.

Jon and Robb in AGOT | Bran I

EDIT | finished piece here

#asoiaf #valyrianscrolls #jon snow #canonjonsnow #robb stark #wip #artists on tumblr #asoiaf fanart #my art #fanart #digital art #procreate #house stark #agot #i have been using doodling as a reward for uni work and they just took life #i've always been interested in their similarities and differences #my bois #idk i hate the got cosumes with a passion and i think robb as essentialy a prince/duke's son whatever should have been a lot more....more #than whatever the brown leather combo was #alas this is just a personal preference!!!#and also jon was interesting to think about! he would not dress as ornately as robb #he would not wear the stark grey and white #but still ned wouldnt dress his bastard son in rags #so it was fun to work with this contrast!#it's mostly central & eastern european inspired historical fashion bc i am who i am #anyway bran i is fascinating and i love jons character introduction SO MUCH

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hewantshisbrideback · 5 months

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After years of living on the run under assumed identities and burying her past deep down where it couldn't be weaponized against her or her loved ones, her own name has grown near foreign to her. On the bright side, seeing as the press can't keep the name Princess Arya Stark out of their fucking mouths and off their fucking cover pages, the novelty will probably wear off in no time, she's sure.

A SONG OF INTERVIEWS AND FAKE NEWS: ARYA'S RETURN

#arya stark #jonrya #hewantshisposts #valyrianscrolls #arya #not tagging other characters bc i know that like some people will read these headlines and think im an asshole #even tho the entire point is that this is what popular media does and its poking fun at that #and also bc like obviously this is very arya focused lmao #needleheart #even the shipping aspect is just implied #asoiaf #a song of ice and fire #hewantshisaus #hewantshisedits #hewantshiscontemporaryau #i usually prefer to use olivia hussey or jennifer connelly but margaret has great photoshoots and (unfortunately for her) lots of pap pics #hewantshiscoverpages #i really want to write stuff for this au and have lots of ideas but alas. i shouldn't even have been working on this #esp when i already said i was gonna finish the last gods edit first dksjgfhfdjg

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witchthewriter · 1 year

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𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞

⤷ gender neutral, ambiguous race, and any size reader. Requests are open, thank you for reading!

Warnings: mentions of self-harm & self-harm scars, how reader got self harm scars, gets dark at some points, I do go into detail about self harm (kinda). Please don’t read if it will upset you xx

ᴹᵃˢᵗᵉʳˡᶤˢᵗ

𝐉𝐨𝐧

・Stiffened when you showed him.

・He thought they were battle scars

・Jon wasn’t very good at talking about the aftermath of traumatic events - only good at surviving them

・But he knew you were opening up; being vulnerable. And that’s never easy. So he thought you were being really brave -

・He came and sat beside you on the bed, slipping his hands into yours.

・You rested your head against his shoulder and he rested his head against yours

“Whenever you want to talk ... about it. You, we, can.”

・You huffed out a laugh and squeezed his hand. He squeezed back. and ran a thumb over the back of your hand.

・The fire burned bright in the fireplace, sparks popping here and there

・And even in the silence, you felt comfortable. You knew Jon meant it. He didn’t want you to tell him if you weren’t ready. Because he knew he was spending the rest of his life with you.

・So there was no rush. No need to feel pressured.

・When you were ready, you would tell him, but for right now. You just needed to take it slow.

𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐲

・Sympathetic

・Wanted to touch and trace every part of your injuries

・Asked questions but then apologised if she was being too forward

“You can tell me whenever you’re ready, I’m sorry if I’m bringing up old memories-”

“No, no, it’s okay. I knew you would be curious, it’s fair for you to have questions.”

・She led you over to the bench in her room that was infront of a large window. The sun was setting and although the view was breathtaking, Dany couldn’t keep her eyes off of you

・She hadn’t heard of self-harm; not in this sense. She knew people took risky behaviours, drank, took poppy of the fields to feel numb. But she didn’t know of this.

・Dany had judged when she was younger, but now ... she understood that the world was brutal, and unforgiving.

・Her legs wrapped around your waist as yours did the same to hers.

・You showed her every injury and at first she wanted to know how you did it, but after a while ... it was like she couldn’t stomach it

・Not you. She had seen horrors, unimaginable horrors, but you... not you.

“I will do everything in my power to make sure you never feel like that again.”

・Her words hit hard, and you let your tears slip freely

・She held out her hand and you lent your cheek against it

“I love you, ñuha prūmia,” (I love you, my heart in High Valyrian)

𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐫

・Not much for words

・He thought they were scars someone had given you

・And you thought, ‘fuck it, he’ll have to find out one day.’

・So you explained it to him, trying your best to keep your tone light.

“...I did it to myself.”

・Sandor didn’t really react... he didn’t shake his head, or yell, or berate you.

・It took him a few minutes to process it, but he actually ... understood. On some level, he identified with that type of pai.

・ Not that you could see it on his face though. He looked, well, very dazed, but sad

・You were about to explain more about it, when his next actions shocked you.

・Sandor, the Hound, the man who killed, maimed and slaughtered. Got up, walked over to you and took your head in his hands

・He didn’t say anything, just looked into your eyes.

・And ever so slowly, he moved his forehead to rest to yours. His nose brushed your own, and then he leant down to wrap his arms around you and shifted his head to your neck.

・He held you, in this sort of protective cocoon.

・Like he was saying the world can’t get to you now

・That pain will never be felt again

・And you wrapped your arms around his middle and pushed yourself against him. Wanting to melt into his arms.

𝐀𝐫𝐲𝐚

・Blinked. Once, twice, three times.

・And then her eyes softened and her head moved to one side

“The world is cruel, but I wish it had spared you.”

・You couldn’t meet her eyes, because they had teared up and you couldn’t stop them from falling

・Shaking your head softly, you slumped to the ground and leaned against the cold wall.

Whispering, you said, “It didn’t spare me.”

・And you started to sob

・With light footsteps, she ran over to you and sank to her knees

・Looking around she found something you could use to blow your nose and wipe your eyes

・Then she stayed with you, unmoving, until you were ready to talk

“I want to know everything. When you’re ready.”

・You shifted so your head was in her lap and she stroked the hair out of your face.

・Although she wasn’t the best with physical affection, she remembered what her mother did to her when she was young. She also remembered how safe, and how loved she felt.

・So she stroked your hair and gently ran her fingertips over your features.

・Even if this was how you fell asleep, she would stay in this position until you woke

𝐉𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞

・Perplexed and had a lot of questions about your scars, but was still supportive.

“You never sought any help from the maesters?”

You scoffed, “and what good could a bunch of old men do? They would ask questions and my mind wasn’t ... it couldn’t handle any questions.”

・He nodded and sat on the chair, facing opposite you.

“I guess we all do some self-damage in one way or another.”

・You were a bit embarrassed in bringing it up. Like you had a secret that could ruin how Jaime saw you

“I think your way is probably the healthiest...” He said and walked up to you

・Jaime gave you the lightest, most tender kiss, then closed his eyes and lent his head against yours.

・Wrapping his arms around you, he swayed from side to side (knowing that movement calmed you down)

“Safe. You’re safe with me. Now and forever.”

・You nuzzled into his neck and took a deep breath in.

・He rubbed up and down your spine, while planting a kiss on your cheek

・You knew Jaime brought this warm light with him, wherever he went. Especially when he was with you.

𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐚

・Is the most understanding, because during the times in King’s Landing then being sent to the Bolton’s... she did indulge in self harm

・It was in places that no one would see

・So when you opened up about your own self-harm, she immediately went to you, and held you in her arms.

“I understand, I understand,” she said over and over, stroking your hair and holding you to her chest

・You could feel her heartbeat; steady and strong.

・You didn’t notice when the tears started to fall, but they did - and didn’t stop until someone knocked on her door, asking if you wanted dinner

・She had looked to you and you had shaken your head

“No thank you,” Sansa called out and you heard the shuffle of feet leaving the corridoor

・That night Sansa had opened up about her own experiences and you both cried in each other’s arms

・You stroked each other’s faces and cried about the hurt that you both endured. Even at times you held the other as they screamed into a pillow (it’s liberating trust me)

𝐏𝐨𝐝

・He was so sad

・But tried his best not to show it, but you caught a glimpse of it.

・So SO SO SUPPORTIVE

“Are you still doing it now? Have you got a way to stop doing it? Should we make some sort of ... plan?”

・Knows exacty how you’re feeling just by looking at you - even when you’re trying to conceal you’re true feelings. He just ... knows.

・Has a plan for you, even if you can’t think of one

・There’s herbal remedies if you can’t sleep, bandages and salves in case you do self-harm again

・He even learned how to stitch in case ... well ... you know

・Absolutely no judgement when you told him about the self-harm. He had tears in his eyes, and knelt beside you as you told him everything

・Didn’t interrupt you, or make you feel as though it was burdening him

“I want to know everything about you. You mean the world to me.”

・Is more upset that you had to go through certain experiences / feelings. Wish he could have been there to support you during those times

・Only asks questions when he gets your consent to do so

・Is so steady with the questions as well

・Holds you tight every night after that, and when he’s away, he’ll write little reminders and notes so he doesn’t feel so far away

𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐞𝐫𝐲

・Didn’t fully understand what you meant, because self harm was a foreign thought to her.

・She always had a plan, or her thoughts were always certain. Her grandmother helped with that, because of how grounded and honest she was with/for Margaery

・It was a bit intimidating telling her but you knew you had to at some point. And in your mind, you thought this would make or break your relationship

・You were honest and told Margaery exactly that - and she was shocked

“My dear, my absolute love,” she held your hands in hers and put them to her lips, “I love you. And this is not ... there is nothing wrong with how you expressed yourself. You did what you had to, to survive.”

・Tears sprung in your eyes when she said that

・Because that’s exactly what these scars were - memories of a time when all you could control was your self harm.

・Asked when was the last time you did it and if you were still doing it. If you were still, then she would ask to see - in case of infection or if the maester needed to get involved

・Then she promised you that you would never need to self-harm again

𝐎𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐧

・Kissed you, every part of you

“I am so sorry you felt so ... low, that you felt like you had to do this to yourself.”

・Led you to the bed and brought over the wash bowl, wash cloth, called for food and wine

“You will never feel like that again, I promise.”

・He kissed the inside of your palms and held them to his face, where he looked you in the eyes and smiled sadly

・Washed you from head to toe, (every part of you), wiped your face and helped you move into bed

・He held you close, bringing you the cup of wine and making you a plate of food so you didn’t have to get up

“Tell me whatever you wish to.”

・He was so tender and caring

・Oberyn truly loved you, every part of you, and not just superficially. But the whole of you. Your personality, your thoughts, memories and experiences. Everything that made you, you.

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cygnea · 7 months

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DAERON TARGARYEN by iris-pinrong

The greatest threat to Rhaenyra’s reign was not Aemond One-Eye, but his younger brother, Prince Daeron the Daring, and the great southron army led by Lord Ormund Hightower.

#valyrianscrolls #asoiaf #fire and blood #daeron targaryen #fanart #I like both versions of the armor for this art but I do slightly prefer the hightower version more because it gives a softer look

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aeriondripflame · 7 months

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my mind has been developing this delusion world in which tywin lannister was the mad king’s sugar baby. aerys was “vain, proud, and changeable, traits that made him easy prey for flatterers and lickspittles” (awoiaf p.190). upon becoming king, he fired his father’s older and wiser hand and named tywin in his place, making tywin the youngest hand in the entire history of the seven kingdoms, but how did we get there?

there were childhood friends. tywin served as a page in court and we know from genna that tywin mistrusted laughter due to hearing too many people laughing at his father. at this point in time, the lannisters were a laughingstock or at least tywin wholeheartedly believed this, so the subsequent friendship he makes with the crown prince thrusts him upwards in status and into higher scrutiny. tywin is the elder, but aerys is the prince. they spend years together with the established dynamic of aerys being the one with power and tywin (albeit his friend) his servant. it is only when tywin dares to step outside this master/servant dynamic aerys has cooked up, that they begin to fall apart.

they go to war together. aerys chooses tywin, a newly made knight, to knight him. this was the war of the ninepenny kings, he could have chosen gerold hightower. he could have chosen roger reyne, or any number of distinguished knights and commanders, but no he chose tywin who had likely just been knighted himself. for added context, during this war tywin’s father stayed at home with his mistress rather than taking to the battlefield. nearly a year later, aerys is crowned and tywin is named hand of the king. as hand of the king, tywin is allowed any expense, any decision, literally allowed to do anything he wants at aerys’ leave (up until their toxic breakup era).

something that always fascinated me within this was why after gaining power of his own merit and name does he make his father’s mistress do a walk of atonement? at first, i believed this to be a way to embarrass his father further from the grave and cement his notoriety. however, right after he forces the walk of atonement, aerys and tywin rule the kingdom from casterly rock for a year (awoiaf p.194). if we believe that tywin has a subconscious or conscious shame in regards to using aerys’ fondness for him (whether you want to see it romantically or not) for seize of power and political gain, the walk of atonement is so interesting as it is a public self-flagellation of a transactional relationship that he himself mirrors. it is after this very act that aerys holds court (and tywin) at casterly rock, the scene of the crime in a sense. here tywin is, like his fathers mistresses in the same very home, flattering and bootlicking the same man for money, influence, and power. it is only after this year in casterly rock where tywin is forced to reconcile with these similarities that their relationship dissolves.

in conclusion, tywin was playing sugar baby to aerys and their relationship soured when tywin decided he wished for power that was truly his own rather than through aerys.

#additionally in regards to joanna. i view tywin and joanna as having like trauma bonded over being aerys’ mistresses #asoiaf #guava.txt #tywin lannister #aerys targaryen #aerys ii targaryen #the mad king #aerwin #tywin sugar baby au (or is it?) this is just my preferred canon interpretation thanks for coming to my ted talk #might write an aerys viewpoint on this but essentially aerys is insecure he knows the only reason he’s in power is bc of his name #he knows others think tywin a better fit and he likely does too so he abuses their power dynamic and lowers it from friends to that of #servant and master so that it makes him feel less insecure. he’s also one sided in love with tywin and likely has been his whole life. yea.#the question is: what was the last straw at casterly rock?#i think aerys gave him jewels or like clothes or some shit that his father did for his mistress and he like lost it. bam! tywin is here #this was not supposed to be so long god. i didn’t even get into my jaime thing 😥#house lannister #tywin sugar baby au

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myrxellabaratheon · 3 months

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The Throbb power imbalance: a pet peeve of mine

I’ve been thinking a lot about if posting this or not, but as it’s a trope which is getting more and more popular I think I should at least explain why I said multiple times that A. I don’t really dig it and B. I don’t really think there is any power imbalance between them. (I know, who cares? you might ask, and honestly I don’t know but still)

So, let’s start saying that, differently for most of the other tropes in ASOIAF, there isn’t a “real life” translation of Theon’s situation in history (the closest I can think about it’s Vlad the Impaler’s childhood years and whatever Richard III did to his nephews during the Two Roses War, when it comes to highborn hostages, but both situations are different enough) which makes it difficult to really grasp the dynamics if the story was real.

Then, surely there is a sort of power imbalance between Theon and Ned and that’s not what I’m discussing here.

The problem is that Theon is Ned’s hostage and it’s been decided by Robert so when Ned dies Robert should have “confirmed” that Theon situation stayed immutate (hostages aren’t hereditary, especially not highborn ones and especially not when they aren’t taken hostage by the person but their captivity is decided by someone else). Considering that Robert dies before Ned, Theon is “free” the moment Robert dies, technically (because it’s Robert who took him hostage, not Ned).

Which brings us back to the fact that Robb and Theon have no obligation toward each other in that sense (and I’m not even bringing their friendship into the mix which will make things even more complex). Theon wasn’t even obligated to follow Robb in war tbqh, not by any law — he does because he’s the one suggesting Robb to call the banners and has that weird unresolved daddy issue with Ned, but still.

Also Robb isn’t Theon’s liege lord or king and never could he be! Theon is an ironborn and the heir to the Iron Islands (that’s the reason why he’s been taken hostage in the first place). If you pay attention, he never calls Ned “my lord” and refers to him as Lord Stark and nobody asks him to bend the knee to Robb or swear his loyalty to House Stark because he DOESN’T have to! One of the things I loved the most about the show is that when he does bend the knee he does it because it’s Robb he’s pledging ALLIANCE to (no obedience)!

- Am I your brother, now and always!

- Now and always.

- The King in the North!

And even when he calls him “Your Grace” later on he’s clearly teasing. (And it’s even more tragic because Theon would WANT Robb to be HIS king when they are both aware he’s not). And even when he goes back to the Islands his idea is the one to propose an alliance between them.

So where does the idea of power imbalance comes from? From Theon’s own chapters! He’s the one who feels like he’s not enough for the Starks (and generally it’s not like anyone but Robb made him ever feel differently). The entire power imbalance thing comes from the fact that he always wanted to be a Stark and considering that he’s never been allowed to, he feels like he’s not worth them (this also bodes well with the entirety of Theon’s character). And the point is: in my honest opinion, it’s waaaay better if the power imbalance is only perceived (especially in a shipping situation).

#throbb #theon greyjoy #robb stark #got #game of thrones #asoiaf #a song of ice and fire #this is the position I’ll die on #it’s my opinion and my pet peeve #I enjoy power imbalance fics too #it’s just that I prefer when it’s not all the fic is about #because historically and politically it makes no sense #and people forget about the fact that theon comes from a great house too

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melrosing · 4 months

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Ok speaking of changes GOT made… is there any changes you like? I struggle to find big moments, but there are small additions I love. Like Ned praying before he dies, Robb hitting the tree when he finds out, the chemistry that Kit Harrington and Rose Leslie have…. But there are very few structural changes I think improve the story.

hmmm so I can't lie there is a LOT I just don't remember anymore about the show, so wringing my mind a little to come up with something.....

I won't mention things that I think were adapted well (like Ned's execution) as those aren't adaptational changes. and I also won't mention things that I like the idea of (e.g. Jaime's dyslexia) but not the execution (they made out it was part of the longrunning 'stupidest Lannister' joke).

and like.... well I'm stuck already lmao?? I'm not even trying to shit on the show I just feel like it was a consistent exercise in either understating GRRM's work or butchering it entirely. so I can think of only a few things:

I can't find the link to where I talked about this at length but the scene in which Jaime and Ned duel in the streets of KL was a good one imo. I think it was more in character for Jaime to just recklessly fight Ned himself, and a neat parallel to what I suspect will happen between Ned, Arthur and Howland - in that when Ned is attacked from behind by one of Jaime's men in the midst of their fight, Jaime angrily ends the duel bc his man has essentially dishonoured it. I think Ned's fight with Arthur will end as it did in the show (with Howland stabbing Arthur from behind and Ned finishing the job, bc he needs to reach Lyanna), and this is like a parallel to show Jaime and Ned have the same principles, yet each have broken them in times of desperation. My personal theory is that this was a change GRRM recommended - the parallel seems notable to me, and not one that would've even occurred to D&D, esp. given they never gave any particular shit about Jaime's story. And this may sound spurious but I recall that GRRM remembers in an interview, saying the weather was different in the show version of the scene than in the books.... which makes me think he was maybe onset for this one, possibly because of the rewrite??

I'm v much in favour of ageing up the youngest characters. My ideal starting ages for the youngest characters in AGOT would've been Jon/Robb/Dany - 18, Joffrey/Sansa - 14, Arya - 12, Bran - 10. To me they all feel much too young for the roles they play in the story, and it occasionally kills my suspension of disbelief

I way prefer the book’s version of the Red Wedding but I do feel like Catelyn's single cry of despair works better than the book's manic laughter. maybe the laughter was a more vivid image for the books idk

I do actually like how we see Robb's grief onscreen it's very movingly played by Richard Madden. I also love Catelyn's expressions as Robb rides back from the Whispering Wood, like both these scenes are great reminders of their mother/son relationship in a setting where they aren't really allowed to be just that. and like just Michelle Fairley tbh I really like her work as Catelyn even though I don't like how the character was adapted more generally

Breaking the 'concept but not execution' rule just to say I think it was definitely a good idea to explore the High Sparrow as this weirdly charismatic figure so we can see how others might be taken in by him, even whilst we see the extremes of his faith. but that subplot was not executed well at all so fuck it

Yeah I agree that Jon and Ygritte having a slightly more charged romance also works. In the books Ygritte comes and goes quite quickly and I think there is something to be said for lending a bit more gravity to that relationship. I don't think they necessarily had to be the grand romance that the show makes them out to be but I didn't hate it

I might be forgetting other things that worked because some seasons I haven't seen since like 2015, but honestly it just doesn't work for me as an adaptation. things I liked in the show before reading the books feel completely naff in hindsight, knowing how they were supposed to play out, so..... eh

#ask #anti got #asoiaf #edit: sorry this originally said I prefer the show’s red wedding I do NOT 💀💀💀

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dearsnow · 2 years

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WINTER CHILL

- when you find yourself bent to the whims of the common cold, your lover takes it as a challenge. (jon snow x gn!lannister!reader, established relationship fluff, reader with hair, part of the standstill collection but not a part of the main storyline)

word count: 711

STANDSTILL: The arrival of the Lannisters and Baratheons in Winterfell has caused the world to quiet for just a moment- a moment long enough to last lifetimes.

a/n - my first non-main-plot standstill fic!!!! in this one, you have an established relationship with jon, so it’s later in the timeline than i have written :) also i have covid rn, that’s why i wrote this 😭

“Stay away,” You sniffle, pulling your blanket closer to your body and away from Jon. “I don’t want you to fall ill.”

He brushes a stray lock of hair behind your ear. “I’m strong. The sickness won’t take to me like it does you.” There’s a caring sort of gentleness in how he holds both your hands in his, kissing them like he isn’t afraid. Like he isn’t terrified of your family name nor your affliction or even the rumors circulating you and your father. You realize, in that moment, that the connection threading between your fates is strong in sickness and in health.

His warm forehead presses against your feverish one and your heart doubles its pace. These soft moments, the ones spoken through the brushing of your skin to his, are just perfectly Jon. “Don’t worry.” He murmurs, voice sending you a slight vibration. “I’ll be alright.”

You believe him. As much as you worry about him, you’ve been craving his presence for days. That night, you let him sleep in your bed again. You fall into your familiar pattern of kissing him good night and holding his body against yours before you fall into the best sleep you’ve had since you banned him from your presence.

The next morning, you wake to empty sheets and a hushed conversation right next to your closed door.

“That was a foolish idea, you know how easily you succumb to sicknesses.” It’s Sansa, voice quiet but riddled with concern.

“It doesn’t matter, I’ll come out of it sooner or later. I needed to be with them.” Jon’s voice is stern and urgent, like he’s trying to wrap up the conversation. As they speak, going back and forth about what Snow should or should not do, you begin to understand that your lover is a big fat liar.

“So, you lied to me?” You call. The door muffles your voice just a bit, but the people on the other side can hear your intent clear as day. You can almost see the panic on their faces.

“It’s not what you think.” Jon says quickly, cracking the door open. “I didn’t expect you to be up this early.”

You raise your eyebrows. “Avoiding the question, are we?”

He hesitates before Sansa fills the silence. “Yes. He’s so stupid, he gets sick more than the rest of us combined and yet he still waltzes into your room like he’s trying to die.”

“Well, to be fair, I don’t think this illness will put me to death,” Jon protests. You and Sansa crack knowing smiles.

“Oh, the fancies of true love.” Sansa laments.

You smile. “There’s nothing quite like it.” Jon’s eyebrows furrow into his signature broody scowl, causing you to laugh for the first time in a while.

“Well, I’d better fetch the maester,” notes Sansa, giving an overdramatic curtsey. “I’m sure you’ll need him sooner rather than later.”

You stare at him for a few heartbeats. “Jon Snow. Did you really endanger yourself for a few kisses?” There’s a hint of seriousness in your tone, but you decide to drop the anger for a moment. It’s endearing, really- the unwavering love he constantly displays for you. Reckless, yes, but sweet even more so.

“I wanted to lie with you for one night, is that so bad?” Judging by the look in his eyes, there’s so much he isn’t saying. A hidden whirl of ‘I care’, a pinch of ‘I love you’, and a heaping of ‘I need you like air, as you need me like earth’ spiral in his mind, and you can see it all. He’s not very good at hiding his emotions. Not from you, anyways.

Your eyes soften further. “It’s not. I just wish you would be more careful.” As much as you love him, one person going through a bout of illness is enough.

“I will, I promise.” He takes your hand in his. “Allow me one more night and I’ll be out of your hair.”

You sigh as he rubs his thumb over yours in an attempt to win your favor. His insistent eyes stare at you so hard you think he might burn a hole into your head.

“You drive a hard bargain, Snow, but it’s a deal.”

Reblogs are greatly appreciated!!

#standstill ; jon snow ❄️#solar eclipse.#asoiaf #jon snow x reader #jon snow #jon snow headcanons #jon snow fanfic #jon snow imagine #game of thrones #game of thrones fluff #got x reader #game of thrones fanfiction #game of thrones fic #game of thrones preferences #jon snow preferences #a song of ice and fire #x reader #reader insert

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shieldofmen · 1 year

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It’s been on zero for awhile

#jon snow #asoiaf #asoiaf fanart #castle black #the nights watch #rip jon snows sanity 😔#i dont blame him for preferring to count beets #BEATS having to interact with everyone around him #no one told him being the cool action hero was gonna be this insufferable >:(

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gendrie · 1 year

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i actually think the end of arya’s twow arc could play out a lot like the end of dany’s in agot.

in agot, dany asks mirri maz durr to heal drogo, but she betrays dany's trust, kills her unborn child, and leaves drogo comatose. he’s not dead, technically, but he’s not alive either. he’s an empty shell. the takeaway is stated plainly: “look to your khal and see what life is worth, when all the rest is gone." dany mercy kills drogo and prepares his body for the funeral herself. then she brings dragons back into the world. when the smoke clears away dany can see that those who are left in the khalasar are “hers now, today and tomorrow and forever” dany goes from a frightened girl to an empowered woman, the mother of dragons and a queen in her own right.

in asos, arya makes beric dondarrion swear to her that he will reunite arya with her mother. he’s actually good to his word; when the bwb find catelyn’s body (on the riverbank courtesy of nymeria/arya) after the starks were betrayed at trw he gives her the kiss of life. she rises, but she is not truly alive. she’s filled with hate and now, as lady stoneheart, all she has left is revenge.

in twow, if/when arya goes back to the riverlands she will meet lady stoneheart and, likely, give her the gift of mercy. that’s not her mother, but a shade of catelyn’s darkest impulses. arya spent a lot of time in the hob&w preparing bodies so i imagine, like dany, arya will take this responsibility on herself. catelyn stark will be put to rest with the proper tully funeral rites the freys denied her.

obviously, arya is not going to hatch dragons, but she does have a direwolf with a huge pack of wolves that arya thinks are “fierce and terrible and hers.” theres no better time for arya to finally call nymeria back to her. and i do think arya has to actively do so. she sent nymeria away and only she can bring her back. arya will claim control over the wolf pack and the brotherhood and those in the riverlands still loyal to the starks. arya will feel whole and confident in her identity. she will no longer by a scared little girl, but a leader, in earnest, and ready for the battle ahead.

#asoiaf nonsense #arya stark #my eyes snapping open @ 2am with this one #the situations are not exactly the same but theres potential parallels imo #i hate how vivid my speculations are now #i wouldve greatly preferred to go in with no expectations

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fromtheseventhhell · 11 months

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Do you think it's true that GRRM said that Sansa wasn't a Stark anymore after Lady's death? I've seen the interview passed around before but I'm not sure if it's an official thing

In regards to the conversation about the dire wolves and the Starks the point was made (I forget by whom) that Lady was dead and Sansa still alive to which I replied that Sansa wasn't really much of a Stark anymore. IIRC (this is a little hazy), at this point GRRM kind of leaned back in his chair, smiled and said something to the effect of "A very astute observation." (source)

I'm assuming this is what you're referring to. To answer the question, I wholeheartedly believe that George said something along these lines. A majority of fandom disregards it for obvious reasons but it definitely makes sense within the story. Now, he obviously isn't saying that Lady's death means Sansa isn't literally a Stark anymore, and that's the perspective I often see people use to refute this idea. She still has her Northern and familial connections and no one is debating that.

The fact is though that the Direwolves are a big aspect of identity for the Starks, on top of being the living embodiment of their sigil. They are soul-bonded, connected through magic, and they're going to be very important in the upcoming books. We have Nymeria and her large pack, Jon (most likely) warging into Ghost before his death, Rickon's direwolf being used to confirm his identity (and it's very likely he's developed his warging), Bran has a very strong connection with Summer and it's helped him develop his abilities, etc. All very tangible, plot-relevant aspects. The direwolves are also connected to each other and aware of their siblings, and Lady's death is acutely noticed by them. Sansa is, literally, disconnected from the other Starks in that aspect. George wouldn't have just put that in the story if it wasn't meant to mean anything. If he wanted Lady alive, he would've found a way to keep her alive. I don't think this means Sansa is destined to die, forever lose her identity as a Stark, or anything else particularly bad because of it. I just think that within the context of the story, her losing her direwolf is of some significance 🤷🏾‍♀️

#ask #anon #asoiaf #I also don't think it's a coincidence that she's the most southern leaning Stark #she loves the culture and even prefers the seven over the old gods...of which the direwolfs were a gift from so #she misses home and her family naturally but she isn't connected to the Northern plot like the other Starks #from a narrative standpoint that means something #and no I don't consider LF's /promises/ as part of the Northern plot #Lady's death wasn't /the death of Sansa's innocence/ cause that's not what the direwolves represent 😭#I'm sure George didn't spend books building up the direwolfs for no reason call me crazy

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