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the-music-maniac · 4 months

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Not that I read mpreg all that often (not really my thing generally speaking) but I came across some "Sanji is pregnant" fics in the sanzo/zosan tag, and not nearly the same amount for Zoro. It got me thinking about the trope. I think the lack of Zoro fics here is a tragic oversight. I think we as a fandom are absolutely and tragically ignoring the potential comedy gold of Zoro being the one to be pregnant instead.

Because when people write Sanji, the general trend I'm seeing (upon scanning through some of the fics quickly) is that he's cautious about it. Conscientious, careful to make sure things are okay. Which - arguably I could see, Sanji is probably the more practical of the two (not by a whole lot but still)and he didn't have a good childhood. Sanji being pregnant is usually a fic about his heaps of parental issues, childhood trauma and angst - which is fun to read. It's good. It's amazing, even.

Zoro being pregnant is ONE HUNDRED PERCENT gonna be a COMEDY. We're talking about a man who once tried to fight Kuina holding like 20 bokkens. We're talking about a man who got stuck in wax and thought the reasonable solution was to cut off his legs.

The entire crew spends the next 9 months tearing their hair out, preventing Zoro from doing stupid shit (exhibit A: cutting off his own limbs). They spend the same amount of time trying to stop Luffy from gum-gum-grabbing Zoro and yeeting him anytime he needs to get them out of a sticky situation.

The crew (mostly Sanji) is on 24/7 prevent-zoro-from-drinking-alcohol duty (impossible). Chopper is constantly stressed in the later months cause no one puts it past Zoro to get lost somewhere, give birth out in the woods and come strolling back with a baby tucked under his arm. They have to start hiding Zoro's dumbbells.

Franky and Usopp design and build a nursery and spends the entire time suspiciously teary eyed. Sanji tries to pretend he's unaffected but spends an entire night creating a 9 month meal plan of all the nutrients Zoro and the baby are gonna need. Not even a day later, one of the crew finds him up at 2 am making a mountain of food because Zoro made the mistake of offhandedly mentioning he had particular pregnancy craving within earshot of Sanji. In the end Zoro has to sit on him to stop Sanji from running himself ragged.

Robin keeps spouting morbid childbirth facts and quotes from parental advice books in equal measure. Nami keeps going on shopping sprees for cute baby clothes and adding the cost of them to Zoro's debt. Brook keeps writing lullabies and trying to sing them to Zoro's stomach. Zoro 100% uses his pregnancy belly as an excuse to walk around without a shirt 24/7 without getting nagged.

Somehow word gets out that the famous pirate hunter Zoro is pregnant, and at the next big fight with the Marines, half the soldiers refuse to fight him and instead start telling him to sit down, take it easy, shouting advice at him etc. Etc. Zoro loses his shit a little bit and cuts their boat in half.

Mihawk, upon finding out, tells Zoro in no uncertain terms that that is his grandchild and he's expecting them to visit so he can meet the baby when they're born. Zoro vehemently denies that Mihawk is his father (he is). Zeff upon finding out, is almost as bad as Sanji when it comes to being a mother hen. Perona buys even more baby clothes for the baby. She buys one singular shirt for Zoro as a joke, and it coincidentally happens to be the exact same brand of "mama" crop top he was forced to wear in that one filler episode. Zoro tries to chuck it into the ocean (he fails).

I'm essentially saying it would be absolute chaos, and it would be the funniest thing I've ever read. 9 months of Marimo wrangling. Can you imagine the look on Zoro's face if one of the opponents he was fighting were to tell him that he's "glowing"?

PLEASE, I would actually wheeze myself to death. The best part is you can still have plenty of Sanji angst. He still has parental issues except now they're flavoured with "I'm not ready to be a father" and "I'm terrified I'm gonna become my biological sperm donor" and "please don't die because of childbirth complications, that happened to my mother(sort of, I know she died after but it kinda counts), and I can't handle that happening again to you". Lots of cute/tender moments of Zoro comforting and reassuring Sanji. We can even have Zoro angst. He probably views protecting his crew as the one and only job he's good for (not true but that's probably what he thinks). Not being able to fulfill that is probably not helping his self esteem, and that sense of uselessness warring with his need to protect the baby - but the contradictory thing here is that to protect the baby he HAS to sit back and let other people do that FOR him. That plus all the other restrictions, people treating him differently, but him at the same time refusing to view his own child as a weakness. Imagine the havoc that would wreak. Oh my god.

Y'all don't understand, I don't even read mpreg that often and yet this is literally my ideal fic HAHAAAAA

#we already know Zoro would be a good parent considering how he is with kids but pregnancy? different matter entirely #i don't know much about jimbei yet so sadly i can't write much about him feel free to comment any headcanons y'all come up with though #zosan #sanzo #zoro x sanji #roronoa zoro #black leg sanji #cat burglar nami #monkey d luffy #nico robin #op franky #op brook #god ussop #tony tony chopper #mpreg

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brucewaynehater101 · 29 days

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Okay, you know that hc where Tim Reincarnates as The Trash of the Bat Family? It got me thinking of him scamming and making the "Real League of Assassins". He integrates Pru, Z and Owens early, makes them his people (or assassins disguised as servants).

"Where's the coffee?"

Owens, pouring chamomile tea, "We're all out of coffee, Sir."

"Energy drinks?"

Pru, throwing a trash bag away. "All gone too, Sir."

He integrates Kon before he experiences the SA with Tana Moon and other ladies, and Kon becomes his bodyguard.

"Are we doing something bad?"

"Oh, we're doing something veeeeery bad. To Lex Luthor."

Tim rescuing Damian.

"You're Damian Al Ghul Wayne. You're an Al Ghul and a Wayne. You can do whatever you want. I'm not taking care of you."

Damian, not trusting this lying bastard, secretly follows him around. Tim knows Damian is, and begrudgingly just accepts Damian into his fold until he reaches Gotham again.

"If you die, Timothy, I will dominate the world, kill everyone, and then myself."

I love these additions so much!!!

The "Real League of Assassins" is such a petty name, and I live for it. Just Tim as a kid and his little League of Assassins (depending on how far back he went into the past and how soon he aquires the OG best assassin squad). It would be double hilarious if his "Real League of Assassins" doesn't actually kill anyone, but I also respect Tim's right to commit murder however he deems fit. I like to imagine how mad Ra's would get at the name.

Part of Tim's asshole cover comes from Pru. There's two ways this can go. One, Pru is her complete self in front of everyone (she will break someone's nose no matter their price tag). This causes major scandals and issues for Tim cause how could he hire someone who behaves like that? Or Two, Pru is creepily pleasant and respectful around other company, and Tim continues to act like usual around her. This causes people to pity Pru for having such a horrible boss.

I also live for Bodyguard Kon AUs. You know the two of them are playing a "I know your sickly Victorian child looking ass can beat me up, but I will pretend I don't know this until you tell me why" with a "please stop saving me from every small things because I know you know a sunburn isn't going to kill me." It's dealer's choice on how soon Kon finds out about Tim's vigilante gig. Also, if Kon is a bodyguard in this, is he also Superboy or the equivalent? Does he become a superhero once he finds out about Tim's heroism? There's no way Kon would stick around Tim if he believed the persona Tim kept up.

Cue Tim accidentally forming the YJ again, but this time it's hidden from the JL radars and is a closely guarded secret.

As far as Damian, I absolutely love that quote you included. It's so Damian coded and I live for him threatening to take over the world. I also want to see Tim's reaction and how concerned he is over Damian threatening to kill himself. As an older brother, he legit could care less about Damian managing to kill the entire world. It's Damian wanting to die that scares him.

As far as the AU, Tim is trying so hard to distance himself from the Waynes that his dumbass shouldn't have picked up Damian in person. He was probably too anxious to leave it to someone else, but now he has a tiny suspicious assassin who reluctantly became fond of him.

There's a few different ways this can play out.

One, Tim picks up Damian in his vigilante costume and never unmasks to Damian. The little tot starts to think of this vigilante as maybe a brother before being given to Bruce (angst of abandonment tied with identity shenanigans. How soon does Damian realize that Timothy "Trash" Drake is the one to save him from the League?).

Two, Tim starts off with his secret identity in tact but reveals himself while traveling back. They bond, Damian is left at Bruce's, and, to the surprise of literally all the Waynes, the kid is seen constantly talking to the complete jerk Timothy Drake. Damian is actually nicer to this douchebag stranger than he is to some of his family members. What's equally shocking is how kind Tim is to Damian. Tim hasn't been cruel to children before, but he hasn't gone out of his way to be nice either. This cues investigations into Tim by the batfam.

Three, Damian refuses to go live with his dad and sticks around Tim when they return to Gotham. Depending on when Tim rescues Damian, Tim's fake uncle adopts Damian, and they become brothers legally. When Bruce finds out Damian is his son, he doesn't take the excuse, "I found him on the streets!" from Tim seriously.

#dc comics #dc universe #tim drake #dc au #damian wayne #kon el #dc prudence #thank you for the ask!!!!#y'all remember to be careful when adding romantic relationships to time travel #timkon is cute but the age difference (even though Tim's body regresses) could get spooky here

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agirlwithglam · 10 days

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How do I stop comparing myself to others and how can I feel fulfilled on my own without needing anyone else's validation?

hiii<3 i feel what you're going through, trust me i do. here are some of my tips that specifically worked for me + at the end i'll include some more recommended things to read/ watch.

how to stop comparing & feel fulfilled without needing anyone else's validation

how to stop comparing yourself:

start focussing and thinking about yourself more. lol ok i realise that may sound like "become self absorbed" but i suppose, to some extent, that is what im saying. you're becoming too interested in others' life around you if you find yourself comparing. its time to focus on you and up levelling yourself to the best version possible.

comparison = wanting their life style, yes? so when you find yourself comparing to others in your life, realise that its because you envy something that they have. maybe its money, popularity, prettiness, intelligence, etc. so its like a signal in your brain which is telling you: "i want this. but i dont have it." so now what can you do, work hard to get it.

focus on what you have. i read a quote once (i think its by Oprah Winfrey) and it goes: "if you focus on what you don't have, you'll always have less. but if you focus on what you do have, you'll always have more." instead of looking at other's lives and thinking "i dont have this, i dont have that", look at your own life and think "i have this, i have that."

feeling fulfilled without needing anyone else's validation:

self love. self love. SELF LOVE. self love will ALWAYS be the answer to this. learn to LOVE yourself. and if you dont, ask why!! i have a whole guide on how to develop self love HERE. Stop looking for love in others, GIVE YOURSELF THE LOVE FIRST!!

It’s you over them. Always. Always always always. Always choose you over them. If they want you to do something but you don’t, then you say “no. I will not do that” it’s scary? Oh boohoohoo, suck it up. Because if you are constantly doing stuff that others ask you to just for the sake of pleasing them, you are disrespecting yourself in the worst way. You are basically saying that what they want is more important than what i want and need. Ew. Don’t do that.

extra resources:

a guide to develop self love & confidence (by me)

vanilla's opinion🍰 edition 1: dealing with hate & not caring about what others think. (by me)

ways to stay unbothered (by @pastel-charm-14)

Self validation (by @prettieinpink )

Tam Kaur's youtube channel

Thewizardliz youtube channel

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bubblergoespop · 2 months

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My Top Aaron Quotes

men who are just constantly tired of everything>>>>>

“Well buckle up, wiz kid.”

“So yeah, I am gonna miss you. I’m really gonna miss you.”

“Sue me. Except don’t. My brain is already fried from the financials, I don’t need to throw legalese on top of that.”

“Fuck it. There’s nothing in here I can’t replace. I want you."

“Oliver”

“I didn’t say I wanted to spend the day with you, I asked if you wanted to spend the day with me. I asked first.”

"Ell"

“Hey, stop it. Because you know how much I like you running your fingers through my hair. Makes my brain go all fuzzy.”

“I appreciate it. And you.”

“Oh, it’s not playing dirty. It’s just me making you feel good.”

“I didn’t realise I was apparently dating an anthropomorphic backpack.”

“H-hey—stop it. You—no, your kisses are just… it tickled. Shut up. So what if my sides are ticklish, it’s not like that’s weird, you shit.”

“Oh, and now you can’t even find the strength to lift your head out of my lap, hmm? You poor thing. Who knew that being lazy could be so exhausting?”

“I love you very much. Now get off me.”

“You talked a big talk back then. But it turns out you’re just a cuddle-hungry softy after all, huh? Yes you are. At least when you’re still sleepy, anyway.”

“I also know you’re probably the kind to fly off half-cocked and make me chase you down with the SPF 50 like a madman. If for no other reason than to infuriate me.”

“Come here. Come closer. Because I said so.”

“I love you. And I love rain. And I love being with the person I love while it rains. Isn’t that a fun little combo?”

“You are very cute looking up at me like that.”

“Or is the thought of a few more minutes in my arms that much of an imposition? Asshole. Mmm. I love you too.”

“I can’t even try to say a nice thing without you having to get some snark into it, can I? No, I wouldn’t have it any other way. You brat. I love you just as you are.”

“You make me better. And that’s no small order when you’re talking about me, given the high level I already started at.”

“A man’s gotta eat. And you’ve always been my favorite thing on the menu.”

“Oh yes, you’re so put upon. Your evil boyfriend only makes you a whole breakfast spread, he won’t then also let you sleep in even later than you already have.”

“Eli”

“Yes, in a shocking twist, I do find your absence unpleasant. Perish the thought, right?”

“Time spent with the people I care about is important to me. It doesn’t have to be time doing anything special, it doesn’t have to be conversations about our future or some greater purpose or any of that shit, I just want to be with the person that I’m with.”

“Sure, there are plenty of ways to sleep on a couch just fine. It’s your hybrid approach that lands somewhere between gymnast and pretzel that tends to get you in trouble.”

“You’re okay. It’s gonna be okay.”

“If it feels like it's coming on again, come tell us, okay?”

“I only met them a handful of times. They're sweet. They laugh a lot. They spent most of the time giving Elliott shit, it was funny. Not in like a mean way, like the way you do when you love somebody that much. They were a good balance for one another.”

“God I sound old. And I feel old. And I’m not, but it feels like it. A grumpy old man. Might as well start yelling at kids to not play so loud in the neighborhood, really complete the image.”

“Stop calling me an old man, only I’m allowed to call me old. Don’t be mean. I’m in a vulnerable state. I need baseless praise.”

“Yes. Holding you feels very productive.”

“Yeah. Let me just rub it on that pretty face for a little bit…”

“ It’d be fine. Almost as fine as you. I’m tired, I’m allowed to be stupid.”

“El, I have never hated you. You’re my little brother, I love you.”

“No the windows are mirrored glass. You should know that, you worked here.”

“Whose is it? Louder”

“Thank you baby. Yeah, thank you for trusting me like you do. […] All I wanna do is prove myself worthy of that trust.”

#haven’t don’t one of these in a while #been busy okay #redacted aaron #bubbler’s top quotes #redacted audio #redacted asmr #redactedverse

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your-turn-to-role · 1 year

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also. i absolutely adored what lovm did with the pass through fire quote

but then it makes me emotional about the original context, so i have to share that too (minor plot spoilers ahead)

because it wasn't originally to do with the ashari at all. it was from patrick rothfuss' guest character, a blacksmith named kerrek, who helped vox machina fight against the dragon in westruun, and helped keyleth personally through some difficult stuff (he may yet appear on lovm, but given the context of the quote now i doubt we'll get all of it)

and a little after kerrek's episode, patrick rothfuss actually made a legit letter from kerrek to keyleth, with a present inside, and left it with matt until whatever point in the plot she was able to recieve it

which by coincidence was one of the hardest moments in the whole campaign for her

and this letter had marisha legit crying in the episode, because it's just. so beautiful, and so needed. and it goes:

Keyleth,

I write to let you and your companions know that the repair of Westruun is proceeding well. I will not bore you with the details. Suffice to say that our children are well-fed and safe, our elderly and infirm are cared for and comfortable. Without the help of you and yours, this would not be the case.

The folk in charge argue constantly, but that is to be expected, and it is no bad thing. They all want the same good things in different ways. I listen, mostly, and do what I can to make sure that they listen to each other. Without listening, nothing good can happen.

The town... when I say the repair is going well, it is a hard thing for me to talk about. I am not a particularly clever man, and much of this is new to me. When you make a mistake with metal, you can melt things down and start afresh. It is irritating, and it costs in time and soot and sweat, but it can be done. There is a comfort in iron, knowing that a fresh start is always possible. But a city is not a sword. It is a living thing, and living things defy simple fixing. Roots cannot be reforged. They scar, and broken branches must be cut and sealed with tar, and this makes me angry, as it always has, and my anger has no place to go.

It was easier when I was young. I could use my anger like a hammer against the world. I was so sure of myself and my friends and my rightness. I would hammer at the world, and breaking felt like making to me, and I was good at it. And while I was not wrong, neither was I entirely right. Nothing is simple.

I do not work in wood. I am not brave enough for that. There is a comfort in iron, a promise of safety, a second chance if mistakes are made. But a city is more a forest than a sword. No, it needs more tending than that.

Perhaps a city is like a garden, then. So these days, it seems I have become a gardener. I dig foundations in the earth. I sow rows of houses. I plan and plant. I watch the skies for rain and ruin. I cannot help but think that you would be better at this, but circumstance has put both of us in our own odd place. You are forced to be a hammer in the world, and my ungentle hands are learning how to tend a plot of land. We must do what we can do.

Did you know that there are some seeds that cannot sprout unless they are first burned? A friend once told me that. She was... she was a bookish sort. I think of gardening constantly these days. I wear your gift, and I think of you, and I think it is interesting that there are some living things that need to pass through fire before they flourish.

I ramble. You have the heart of a gardener, and because of this, you think of consequence, and your current path pains you. I am not wise, and I do not give advice, but I have come to know a few things: sometimes breaking is making. Even iron can start again. And there are many things that move through fire and find themselves much better for it afterward.

I have enclosed a gift. Once it was a sword, but it has changed. It is a small thing, and silly. Please forgive an old man for his foolishness. Still, I hope it brings you some small comfort.

Kindly, Kerr.

and the present inside the envelope? a ring, engraved with the phrase "I have passed through fire."

#hi i saw a gifset of marisha getting the ring and im emotional again so have the full letter #god patrick rothfuss i know you're a professional writer but how are you so good at this #cr1 #the legend of vox machina #keyleth #kerrek #cr thoughts

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actual-changeling · 5 months

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Crowley does NOT want to run - A Summary

A small while ago, I wrote an extensive meta post about why Crowley's primary survival response is not flight, why exactly it is fight instead, and how it shows up throughout the centuries.

You can find the original post here, which is quite long but goes into way more detail than I will here.

I'm frankly getting tired of people claiming that Crowley always wants to flee, that this makes Aziraphale "right" in going back to heaven, and using it generally put Crowley down. It's a fundamental misunderstanding of who he is as a character and what that means for their relationship.

So, because long posts can scare people off, I will provide a summary.

Now, let's get into it, here are the reasons why Crowley is not a runner:

the Starmaker fought for their stars and against heaven in the revolution, which ended up with them falling and Crowley the demon emerging

by opposing existing rules and defying heaven's authority, he automatically started a fight; you cannot not fight under those circumstances

he continues to question God and defies both heaven's and hell's commands repeatedly, see Job, the subtextual implications that he saved children from the flood, hanging out with Jesus and taking him traveling, proposing the Arrangement, and acting based on what HE decides is the moral thing to do over and over

just because a fight is not physical doesn't mean it isn't one

Crowley's first response to the impeding apocalypse was to start coming up with a plan to stop it, Aziraphale had to be talked into it and only agreed for selfish reasons

to quote myself: The reason why both heaven and hell absolutely loathe him is not because he is a runner; it's because he constantly and consistently defies them. He fights.

Crowley wants to deal with the Gabriel problem and attempts to come up with plans over and over again while Aziraphale shoots him down and solves exactly nothing

Crowley is the one who wants to fight the demons outside to protect the humans inside the bookshop, meanwhile Aziraphale is abusing his powers to put on a puppet show with human beings

in the final fifteen, he does not suggest running away, he suggest finding a new safe space, because the bookshop can now be accessed by both sides without problems

the one and ONLY TIME Crowley actually wants to run away is not at the bandstand—he is talking about 'if' and running as a contingency plan—but later when he finds Aziraphale on the street; in that moment, he is 100% certain (and correct) that hell is about to drag him down to torture him for all eternity. Who wouldn't run from a fight you cannot possibly win?

When Aziraphale refuses to come, he STAYS AND FIGHTS despite everything, because freedom means nothing to him without Aziraphale there.

Questions? Feel free to ask them (politely), but please read the original post first and see if I answered them there.

#alex talks good omens #good omens #crowley #crowley meta #good omens meta #good omens season 2 #go2 #aziraphale #aziracrow #crowley x aziraphale #ineffable husbands #ineffable wives #ineffable spouses #ineffable divorce #the final fifteen

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am-i-the-asshole-official · 1 month

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AITA for refusing to buy my friend gold?

I (f/33) have a very good friend (f/39) who is Hindu and an Indian immigrant, and this year she invited me and my wife (33) to celebrate Diwali with her. My wife and I are white canadians and not religious. We’ve been friends with her for almost a decade, but in the last few years have become very close and now she is basically family. We happily accepted.

We brought over food and the stuff to make paper lanterns, and we had a lovely time. The problem came when near the end of the night, when my friend told me that it’s been so long since she had people to celebrate Diwali with, and she was getting excited for presents. I didn’t know Diwali included presents so I hadn’t brought her anything, besides the craft supplies and food, she said that was fine and we could get her something next year.

I asked her what sort of gift she would like, and she said gold was the traditional gift and, I quote “but make sure it’s above 10 karat or it’s basically tin, I’d just throw it away.”

I thought this was a joke at first so I laughed, which made her confused. I explained that I would never give anyone gold as a gift, I’ve never even gotten my wife gold, we couldn’t even afford wedding rings. When she still looked confused I tried to clarify, and asked how much is a gift of gold, traditionally (since I’ve never bought gold, I had no idea how much it would cost.)

She told me a minimum of 500 dollars.

At this point is the behaviour I think might make me an asshole, because I was laughing in complete disbelief very openly. I told her that was completely insane, and I would happily spend every Diwali with her and get her a gift, but there was no way I was buying her 500 dollars worth of gold, ever, especially not if it was a yearly thing.

I know that in India, my friend was of a pretty high caste socially and her family is well off, and here in Canada she is an accountant who owns her own condo, and is looking to buy more property and become a landlord. My wife and I live frugally, we’re blue collar and both from working class families. An average amount I spend on a Christmas or birthday gifts for someone I’m close to would be about 20-50 bucks.

After I’d explained all this to her, I could tell she was disappointed and it had made her sad and confused. Part of me feels bad for laughing at her tradition, especially since she made the effort to include us and has no family here to celebrate with. But it honestly boggles me, and makes me a bit mad, honestly, which I know is unfair since it’s just differences in how we grew up, but I can’t help feeling annoyed and like she’s not seeing her privilege.

This has been compounded by the fact that for Christmas, which we also celebrated with her, she actually gave us gold, worth quite a lot, in the form of a special coin. We’re not the type to display fancy stuff, so it just sits in storage now. But I’m worried she may expect tit-for-tat, even though the only way we could possibly afford to give her gold back in exchange is if we sold what she gave us which we are definitely not supposed to do.

We still hang out constantly and we will continue to do so, she is a for-life friend for a lot of reasons, and I’d love to make her holidays and celebrations special, but this is just a sticking point for me, and I find myself feeling/acting like a prick every time it’s brought up.

So, AITA? Does anyone have suggestions for this situation?

#aita #am i the asshole

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transdimensional-void · 1 year

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jon, sansa, and “my half brother”

i’ve noticed that this particular jon quote is something of a rorschach test wherein your reading of the line is colored by your view of sansa:

He missed the girls too, even Sansa, who never called him anything but “my half brother” since she was old enough to understand what bastard meant. – AGOT, Jon III

those who assume the worst of sansa read this as “once sansa learned i was a bastard, she changed how she referred to me in order to constantly remind me of my inferior status.” a slightly more charitable reading would be something more like, “once sansa learned i was a bastard, she stopped seeing me as equal to her other brothers.” both assume that sansa originally called jon “brother” and changed to “half brother” once she learned he was a bastard.

those who are more inclined to a favorable view of sansa, though, might instead read it as “once sansa learned what the word bastard meant, she chose to call me something else.” this reading assumes that a younger, more ignorant sansa called jon a bastard without understanding what she was saying--but changed what she called jon to “half brother” once she did understand.

i tend to believe the second reading is the correct one because it better fits both the context of the quote and the evidence presented by sansa’s own words and actions throughout the series. in terms of evidence, we never witness her calling jon a bastard to his face, whether in her memories, his or anyone else’s--and we do witness her conscious care for courtesy and kindness toward those she interacts with no matter what she thinks of them inwardly. as for the context of the quote, jon thinks this about sansa in the midst of a chapter where people at the wall are repeatedly calling him bastard derisively, as well as the mocking “lord snow.” but the section where the line about sansa appears is a section where he is thinking nostalgically about his siblings back at winterfell. it makes sense that he is missing sansa’s courtesy of not calling him bastard to his face right at that moment.

but i noticed that the pre-released alayne chapter from twow actually subtly gives us sansa’s perspective on the above agot jon quote.

in the chapter, she meets harry hardyng for the first time, and the very first thing he does is call her “littlefinger’s bastard”:

“If it please you, I will show you to your chambers myself.” This time her eyes met Harry’s. She smiled just for him, and said a silent prayer to the Maiden. Please, he doesn’t need to love me, just make him like me, just a little, that would be enough for now.

Ser Harrold looked down at her coldly. “Why should it please me to be escorted anywhere by Littlefinger’s bastard?”

All three Waynwoods looked at him askance. “You are a guest here, Harry,” Lady Anya reminded him, in a frosty voice. “See that you remember that.”

sansa blushes in embarrassment and has to work hard to hold back her tears. she finds his treatment of her hurtful. but why? because a boy she wanted to like her was mean to her?

well, fortunately for us, sansa herself tells us what is most upsetting her about the interaction, later when she is able to discuss it in private with littlefinger:

“And how was your first meeting with Harry the Heir?”

“He’s horrible.”

“The world is full of horrors, sweet. By now you ought to know that. You’ve seen enough of them.”

“Yes,” she said, “but why must he be so cruel? He called me your bastard. Right in the yard, in front of everyone.”

sansa isn’t upset merely because harry was mean to her. what she is fixated on the most is the cruelty of his calling her bastard to her face in public. she is shocked that someone would be so callously cruel. keep in mind that this is a post-KL arc sansa who, as littlefinger helpfully points out in the same scene, has already experienced many of the world’s horrors. and yet, harry’s behavior here still shocks her.

jon tells us that at a young age, sansa learned what people meant when they called him a bastard, and that changed how she spoke to him. thirteen-year-old sansa tells us she thinks it’s shockingly cruel for a nobleman like harry to publicly call a bastard a bastard. with these two facts in mind, what sense does it make to conclude that younger sansa was going around intentionally reminding jon of his bastard status through her choice of language?

once again, someone inclined to assume the worst of sansa might choose to read her response in the twow chapter as “she can dish it out, but she can’t take it” and see it as her finally learning how her treatment made jon feel. however, in jon’s quote above, he explicitly says that she “never called him anything but ‘my half-brother.’”

in other words, jon himself tells us that he never heard her call him “bastard,” at least not once she had learned what the word meant. in other words, even if you are assuming the worst of sansa, based on jon’s own testimony, her treatment of him (always calling him “my half-brother”) was better than harry’s treatment of her in the twow scene (calling her a bastard to her face in public). it is also, importantly, better than the treatment jon is receiving from many of his “brothers” at the wall in the scene his quote comes from him.

if we interpret sansa’s decision to call jon “half-brother” through the lens of her twow alayne chapter, i believe it becomes abundantly clear that in the jon scene, he is reminiscing nostalgically about sansa’s kindness in choosing not to call him a bastard. sansa’s choice of “half-brother” was a reflection of her understanding that calling him bastard was shockingly cruel behavior.

#asoiaf #sansa stark #just a little literary analysis #perhaps someone else has already pointed this out and i've missed it #if so please let me know so that i can link your post!

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neerons · 1 month

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Some of Clavis Lelouch’s best quotes + Cyran's bonus quotes

"Tell me, Emma, what do you think is the best way to wake someone who's really bad at waking up? (...) That's right, you stab them." (—Clavis talking about Chevalier to Emma)

"Finding such a handsome man in your room is enough to leave anyone breathless. Take your time. I know I'm easy on the eyes. (...) Oh, nice reaction! There's nothing like a good AHHHHH to get me in the mood."

“I didn’t do anything. But next time, don’t be intimidated by these status-crazed nobles. You don’t owe them anything—not even a smile. If someone looks down on you, look down on them in return. Otherwise, your self-worth will start to plummet. Never abandon your self-respect just to calm the situation. I know you’re a wonderful person—I wouldn’t have chosen you as my wife if not.”

"You succumbed to delusion."

"You weren't paying any attention to me at all. I got so lonely, I almost died!"

"...I want to make love to you."

"I'll tell you a secret about Chevalier. You want to know right? I bet you do. (...) He likes romance novels, but the reason for that is... Me. (...) One day, I secretly added to his pile of books... I put a book that boasted its dewy, spicy romance in the pile."

"Haha! When you're as handsome as I am, you look good no matter what state you're in. You just need better understanding of aesthetics." (—Clavis to the "Obsidianite soldier")

"Haha! You don't need to apologize. Who says only kids are allowed to be bouncy? What's wrong with adults being genuine about loving the things they love?"

"Oh, the things you say! Don't you realize you threaten to unleash the beast that hides behind this gentleman's visage?" (—Clavis' thoughts about Emma)

"What a fool I was to think I was done falling in love with you. The depths I could fall for you seem endless."

“We can do it on the table, or by the windowsill again, if you like. Ah, but I don’t recommend the floor—not unless you’re into that.”

"Wait, wait, wait! (...) Chevalier, you cannot possibly be trying to replace the words 'I love you' with that one kiss. (...) Why else would Emma have dressed up so beautifully? It's all so she can hear you say those three words! (...) Yes, not all things need to be said, but there is a purpose in giving words to feelings. That's how you can bring them into the real world. Chev, you can't let Emma guess how you truly feel forever. Just tell her. (...) The average person can't read minds like you do. Don't assume that Emma knows everything just because you do." (—Clavis to Chevalier, in Chevalier's route)

"I would never allow my lovely fiancee to live a life of fear. And so I must take it upon myself to indulge her in a life of joy." (—Clavis' thoughts about Emma)

"I'm charming, aren't I?"

"Here you are, alone in a secret room with a handsome prince. Why are you only interested in those lifeless husks? (...) That's a little offensive, you know."

"Haha! Go to hell." (—Clavis to Chevalier)

"Goodness, I've never visited that bookstore, and to think it was hiding a gem all this time..." (—Clavis' thoughts about Emma)

"Dear me, it looks like they started running the second they spotted me. Haha! That's optimistic of them. " (—Clavis talking about Yves and Licht to Emma)

"You could at least call it artistic. My handwriting conceals talent that would surpass that of a genius artist. (...) It's readable. So long as you take the time to decode it! Haha!" (—Clavis to Jin)

"Ah... Hahaha! I can't believe you headbutted me! You should've slapped me, at least."

"There's no rule that says you have to drink alcohol once you come of age. That said, it might be more romantic to let you get drunk and then take care of you until you sober up. Wait here, I'll just get some—"

"Of course, I'm not trying to criticize your own personal standards for good and evil. But throughout our lives, we're constantly being confronted by our perceptions of good and evil. And there are times when we might regret it later, if we decide to be critical of something simply because 'it's evil'. Our own individual standards for good and evil may not always be aligned with the kingdom's standards for good and evil. And if that happens, wouldn't you want to remain true to your own standards? To what you believe is good and right?"

"So you're comfortable drinking. I'll keep that in mind." (—Clavis' thoughts about Emma)

"(...) I'm well aware that of all the princes, I was the one most loved by his mother. Although I suppose it's not really a surprise, given how adorable and cute I was. (...) Haha! Why are you apologizing? There's no rule that says we can't talk about the deceased. And there's no need to feel guilty, either. I'm not some silly child who gets all worked up just from thinking about her." (—Clavis talking about his mother to Emma)

"I love drawing attention to myself, you know that. I wanted everyone in the palace talking about me, so I made it seem as if I'd gone missing." (—Clavis to Sariel)

"...You're surprisingly sweet on Emma, aren't you?" (—Clavis to Chevalier)

"Well obviously, because I like rabbits. And from what I know of rabbits... They may seem aloof, but they're actually very sweet and loving, and if you're lucky, they'll even let you see that side of them. I think they're adorable. And despite being delicate and easily frightened, they won't run from anything—they'll stand their ground and put on a brave face. I can't think of any other creature that instills in me such an urge to protect them. You see? Everything about them is lovable." (—Clavis talking about Emma secretly)

"But that's why Rhodolite is so well-balanced. If we all agreed with Leon, the kingdom would constantly be in danger from outside. If we all agreed with Chevalier, it would end up a dictatorship."

"You're about the only person who willingly visits the brutal beast's lair."

"Just so we're clear, this doesn't even count as a setback to me. I've tasted defeat countless times at the hands of a brother more beastly than anyone in Obsidian. I've never once made the right choice. I'm a loser, constantly making mistakes, and constantly being laughed at for them. (...) When you fail, it's easy to give up. It's easy to think your ideas are wrong, and yield to the right choice. But this is what I do. Every time I fail, I get up again, and I fight even harder, so that next time, maybe I won't fail. I don't care about what's right for the kingdom. I stay true to what's right for me, and that's the only way I've found any meaning in my life. Even if what I believe to be right and true is actually wrong, and even if I'm called evil and wicked for doing what I do... I'll fight against the brutal beast's methods with everything I have in me. And I'm not going to die until I've made him kneel before me, and accepted that my beliefs are just as righteous as his are. (...) And since I've spent my life tasting nothing but defeat, I think I can declare this with some certainty. So long as you go on living, you'll never really be a loser. Because there is no such thing. Even if you lost this time, you just have to win next time to be the winner. And if nothing else, you'd be able to die a prouder man than you will now. (...) Today's failures will lead you to tomorrow's hope. Always, as long as you don't give up. And that's why I'm going to get up and try again. What about you? Are you going to die a dog's death here?" (—Clavis to the "Obsidianite soldier")

"What a shame... Were my hands not bound right now... I'd already be making love to you."

"Haha! Not a chance. I adore her." (—Clavis denying disliking Emma to Gilbert)

Cyran's bonus quotes:

"(...) Prince Clavis lies incessantly, so feel free to ignore everything he says. (...) Everything. You've no need to be worried about his feelings, or even keep him company. And it might be in your best interests to refuse to eat any of this." (—Cyran talking about Clavis and his cooking to Emma, in front of Clavis)

"You're still half-asleep, aren't you? You're a disgrace." (—Cyran to Clavis)

"When we finally catch up to him, I think we should team up and give him a good scolding!" (—Cyran talking about Clavis to Emma)

"Since you left me behind like that, I've decided to hold a grudge against you forever. (...) Do it again and I'll throttle you, master or no. Just so you know." (—Cyran to Clavis)

"My Lady, I'm afraid that Prince Clavis's plan is truly stupid. A prince in his right mind would never even plan such a thing, and the average person would recoil in shock at the very idea of it."

"Prince Clavis, you can't just go casually tossing your head in her lap like that. My Lady, you're more than welcome to slap him awake at this point."

"(...) despite all that, there was one fool prince who stormed into the camp where the prisoners were being held. Yep, I'm talking about the idiot prince currently sleeping like a babe in your lap."

"From the way he acts, it's easy to mistake him for a fool and a scoundrel, but... at heart, he's the kindest, most compassionate man I've ever met." (—Cyran talking about Clavis to Emma)

"...So where is he, this handsome man? (...) ...You're a total mess right now, you realize. You look dreadful. Want me to get you a mirror?" (—Cyran to Clavis)

"My Lady, I truly am sorry, but... I've been ordered to inform you that, and I quote, 'your prince is in grave danger and needs you to rescue him! Ahaha'! (...) ...He insisted I include the 'ahaha' at the end." (—Cyran delivering a message from Clavis to Emma)

"Very well. I'll inform him that you said to die in pain and agony." (—Cyran talking about Clavis to Chevalier)

#as usual I might add more later #clavis lelouch #ikémen prince #ikeprince clavis #cyran rose #ikemen prince #ikemen prince quotes #ikeprince #cybird #cybird otome #otome game

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sinligh · 26 days

Text

i want peace,

not the measured one that life offers me from time to time like a band-aid that will be ripped off before I heal

I want it like a graft,

patching up the exposed areas that i scraped off of my soul to feel lighter..

to move on.

I’m trying to write an independent story from all the tragedies of the women around me

digging my own plot with my nails on the exact same rocks that were used

to stone them..

carrying the guilt of that, the way they carried the shame of existence. The only difference is i refuse to ask for forgiveness.

sometimes it feels like all my feelings are over felt, if not by me then someone else.

I've seen it over and over again I, the eye of an outsider

or that of the storm

stood still when it all spiraled around me, I held on to the rubble,

and cemented myself back together

more often than not, I did it with rage so whenever i got spilled, like blood under an old rug,

with all my particles separated into different identities, unseen, uncared for while i floated in an astral projection status

Ironically, the core was always one

rage, rage again…

aging rage!

It's all that i know, it's all the shades.

I exist, Like an ugly bruise

Violet fading to blue, violent, contrasting the softness that i long for.

I can't seem to explain my existence to anyone, not even myself.

a bruise, self inflicted or not, I can’t stop examining it, obsessively

dissecting pieces of my soul, trying to find a marker for the malicious cells that overgrown my own.

In the daylight I get fascinated by the way it changes colors, and when sleep sits heavy on my eyelids i press on it harder,

curious to where will i draw my threshold line.. do i know how to exist without all this pain?

am i just a phantom of coping mechanisms, and survival instincts,

Shades of hysteria, along with estrogen ?

this world constantly seems bigger than me, that’s my only comfort.

•••

• Quotes: Taylor Swift/ Charles Bukowski/ Henry Miller/ anne sexton/ Louis Tomlinson/ Anaïs Nin/ Rainer Maria Rilke.

•original context: Sinligh

•Art reference:

1. painting by marta astrain. 2. Omen, 1886, by Emile Corsi 3. Oil paintings by Jen Mazza 4. Art by Liu Yuanshou 5. Art (detail) by Arthur Gain

•••

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charmedreincarnation · 1 year

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My main focus right now is tapping into the void, and a few people just made a post about how to use states to become a void master, but I guess I’m failing to grasp the concept of feeling something when you’ve never felt it before. To me it’s like someone saying: Feel what it would feel like to cut your leg off even though you have never felt that before. How?

When you have stuff thrown in your face in your 3D that is very unwanted and serious, how do you practice relaxation and feeling free of all your burdens?

How do you get into the state of the wish fulfilled if you constantly have things in your physical world that are screaming for your attention?

I 100% know manifestation is real, and I 100% know the void is real, I just want something to click for me because so far, it hasn’t. And I consider myself a pretty smart person lol, I guess I just want encouragement idk

I understand how challenging it can be to stay in the state of a wish fulfilled, especially when you are surrounded by distractions that are screaming for your attention. In today’s world, there are so many external factors vying for our attention, making it difficult to take the time to practice relaxation and to achieve the freedom from our burdens that we all so desperately need.

Some general basic tips I always encourage no matter the situation is for starters Try to start with basic breathing exercises or mindfulness techniques. These can help to calm your mind, allowing you to focus on being present and open to the possibilities. As you become more aware of your thoughts and emotions, it’s important to practice self-compassion. Acknowledge and accept the emotions you feel without judgment or criticism. Remind yourself that these emotions are normal and not indicative of any lack of power on your part.

Another powerful way to get into the state of the wish fulfilled is through visualization. Visualize yourself achieving your goals, picturing with detail how it looks and feels when it’s finally all achieved.

Finally, find a healthy, supportive tribe that can help keep you accountable and motivated to maintain the state of the wish fulfilled. Tumblr is a start but always try to Surround yourself with people who lift you up and can offer guidance when needed.

I’m also going to share some Neville Goddard quotes that deeply resonated with me.

“Put yourself in the state of mind in which you have already attained your desire, live in its attainment.” Keeping a positive mindset is essential when aiming for big changes, as it will help you keep sight of the goal even when times get tough. It helps you to see life as if you have already achieved it.

“Imagination is the creative force of the universe. To create you must be able to picture the thing desired in your mind.” Imagination is crucial for the fruition of something desired. It helps you to become mentally aware of what it is you want and how to go about attaining it.

“Your inner confidence and ability to believe will bring about miraculous results. Dream lofty dreams and as you dream, so shall you become.” Having faith in yourself and believing that what you are working towards is achievable will bring great results. It will give you strength to keep going and faith that in the end you will have what you desire.

“Wishful thinking is powerful and can shape our reality. If we wish strongly enough, our wishes will become reality.” Literally Knowing that your wishes can shape reality is a powerful concept, and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. When we feel the weight of our wishes, we understand the power we possess to bring about change in our lives and those around us.

, “Always stand strong in the assurance that completing your desire is inevitable. Act as though you have already got what you want. Make it real in your mind first, and then it shall be real in your outer life.” Believing that something is inevitable helps us to stay focused on our goals, and to never give up even when it’s hard. Knowing that if we make it real in our minds, our desired outcome will manifest in our outer lives, is incredibly motivating.

But it's important to keep in mind that the Void is accessible to all of us, no matter what our prior experience may be. The trick is to shift your perspective and open your mind to something that is beyond the 3-dimensional space we inhabit. It requires a certain level of detachment from the physical world, and a willingness to explore the unknown. Ultimately, mastering the Void is all about learning to trust yourself and your intuition, and allowing yourself to explore the depths within. By tapping into these deep states of being, we can access inner peace that may otherwise be inaccessible in our current realm. So it doesn’t really matter what I say or anyone you seek guidance says, because at the end of the day it’s within you and once you access it, it’s really because you let go.

I also want to emphasize this part of the question “I’m failing to grasp the concept of feeling something when you’ve never felt it before. To me it’s like someone saying: Feel what it would feel like to cut your leg off even though you have never felt that before. How?” I think it’s a great concern but you’re overthinking it.

Imagine you're in a forest. You're walking along, observing the beauty of the trees, plants and creatures around you. Then suddenly, you come across a clearing. In the center of this clearing is a lake. The lake is inviting and reflective. You can see yourself in the lake, and as you look closer, you notice something else—a key floating on its surface.

The key is a representation of your desire. It's been there all along but you just hadn't noticed it. You become excited and want to reach out and grab the key. However, if you've never actually reached out and felt your desire before, it may seem impossible or pushed away.

To help envision how to grab and feel what you desire, try to imagine that there is an invisible force field around the key. You can't see it, but you can sense it. You want to reach out and grab the key, but this invisible force is holding you back from doing so. To break through this barrier, you must take action, no matter how small. Take a few steps closer and break through this invisible barrier by actually reaching out your hand and taking the key.

The feeling of grasping the key in your hands is a representation of how it feels when you reach out and feel your desires. When you have taken the key in your hands, it is a tangible proof that you can indeed make your desires come true.

We can use this same analogy to understand that reaching out and feeling our desires requires us take action, (accepting it is ours no matter what l!) just as we had to take action to break through the invisible barrier in order to get the key. Sometimes, taking that first step is the hardest part, but it's worth it when the result is feeling our desire from within and having the tangible proof that we can make our dreams into reality.

I can type up as many paragraphs and analogies as possible but seriously nothing compares to your inborn power I’m begging you to recognize. We can only get so much encouragement and motivation from others until it just becomes over consumption and counter intuitive.

#void state #law of assumption #manifesation #neville goddard

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babybells123 · 11 days

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Why Jonsa compels me.

You know, part of if not all the reason that I find myself thoroughly and continually compelled by Jonsa in such a way that no other Asoiaf ship (or fandom pairing for that matter) does is because of how much it intrigues me from a character, intertextual, and literary/artistic standpoint. And how I’m constantly unveiling new (fascinating) things.

From a character level, I want more than anything for Jon and Sansa to love and be loved in its purest form. For them to finally attain the sweetness after all the bitter. For it to be this unadulterated thing brought into the light - that inspires hope, dreams and peace. Not just in themselves, but in the people who surround them. In Winterfell itself, (perhaps even the realm). That prospers and is unrelenting despite the darkness. I don't and will never subscribe to the rhetoric that either of these characters (namely Sansa, who suffers from this periodically) should be punished and have humility instilled in them by being paired with a fundamentally bad/evil character. Or that either of them should end up all alone, dying withered and without having experienced love and family and life - when they only possessed it for such a small portion of their lives. These are teenagers who have lamented their inadequacies after loss and trauma and abuse. Who just want to go home, who yearn to restore Winterfell to what it once was. Who wish for children and romance - but who have told themselves they can never have it in its most genuine untouched form.

But above all, these are teenagers just wanting to be loved, more than anything else in this world - they want placement, they want a home, and home to them is equated with love.

"She could feel the snow on her lashes, taste it on her lips. It was the taste of Winterfell. The taste of innocence. The taste of dreams." (ASOS, Sansa VII).

"Yet he could not let the wildlings breach the Wall, to threaten Winterfell and the north....For eight thousand years the men of House Stark had lived and died to protect their people against such ravagers and reavers . . . and bastard-born or no, the same blood ran in his veins. Bran and Rickon are still at Winterfell besides. Maester Luwin, Ser Rodrik, Old Nan, Farlen the kennelmaster, Mikken at his forge and Gage by his ovens . . . everyone I ever knew, everyone I ever loved." (ASOS, Jon II).

They draw strength from their blood.

"Then you must do what needs be done," Qhorin Halfhand said. "You are the blood of Winterfell and a man of the Night's Watch." (ACOK, Jon VI).

"He was the blood of Winterfell, a man of the Night's Watch." (ASOS, Jon VI).

"He has Stark blood in him. The blood of Winterfell." (ADWD Jon IV).

"I am not your daughter, she thought. I am Sansa Stark, Lord Eddard's daughter and Lady Catelyn's, the blood of Winterfell." (AFFC Sansa I).

In Sansa's case, it is to remind herself of who she is at her core. That she isn't Littlefinger's plaything, or this political claimant, or a traitor's daughter, Lady Lannister any of that. She is Sansa Stark, and her blood will one day carry on the Stark name. And it will be in her own right.

And in Jon's case, it also exists to remind himself of who he is at his core. I can't place the quote right now, but GRRM has stated that despite not knowing who his mother is, Jon knows who he is, deep down. And my interpretation is Jon's core values, his honour, his worth. It has various meanings, but I find it all the more powerful when it's in reference to who Jon is as a person. To how he chooses to take action, seek justice, protect and love despite those flaws, inadequate qualms, insufficiencies. And I truly believe that is GRRM's allusion there.

Jon may not know who his mother is, but he knows who he is at his fundamental core. It's a matter of finding it and having the courage to wear it on his sleeve. And I think that is so vital for self-preservation and to live, to prosper.

When I consider Jon and Sansa together, I consider this mutual healing. And I'm not only talking about Jon endeavouring to retain his humanity after what happened to him, after the knives have swallowed him whole and he's uncertain, unsure, untamed. I expect to see that happen, and I anticipate for Sansa to guide him through that with gentleness and tenderness that he hasn't truly known. But even more so, It's about Jon finding acceptance within himself. I can imagine a scene with Sansa lamenting that Jon is a Stark "you are to me" and It's just so much more emotionally grounding for it to come from the girl most distant to Jon (the poetry of it all omfg).

But Sansa needs that reassurance from Jon as well, desperately.

"Sansa Stark went up the mountain, but Alayne Stone is coming down. It was a strange thought. Coming up, Mya had warned her to keep her eyes on the path ahead, she remembered. "Look up, not down," she said . . . but that was not possible on the descent. I could close my eyes. The mule knows the way, he has no need of me. But that seemed more something Sansa would have done, that frightened girl. Alayne was an older woman, and bastard brave." (AFFC, Alayne II).

And I believe he will be the one to help her with that.

"the wind was howling fiercely. It sounds like a wolf, thought Sansa. A ghost wolf, big as mountains."

.....

"Snow? Yes, it would be Snow, I suppose."

"She had not thought of Jon in ages. He was only her half brother, but still . . . with Robb and Bran and Rickon dead, Jon Snow was the only brother that remained to her. I am a bastard too now, just like him. Oh, it would be so sweet, to see him once again. But of course that could never be. Alayne Stone had no brothers, baseborn or otherwise." (AFFC, Alayne II).

Although she is meant to be assimilating into this Alayne Stone faux-identity, we see Sansa having the thoughts pertaining to the North, WF, home, Jon. Cracks beneath the surface where it is Sansa who had possessed that thought, who possessed that feeling, not Alayne. She will not allow Alayne to consume her. But it will be undoubtedly difficult, and only someone from the sweet memories of home and her childhood, perhaps a mirage, something that only existed as a conception rather than a fleshed out person. And I believe that is how Jon sees Sansa too. The reunion is where they will know each other deeply, intimately, truly. Down to the bones, inside out. And in regards to Sansa's reclaiming of identity, of the suppression of her own feelings and twisting of circumstance in order to cope with her trauma - Jon could help her there. It'd be a learning curve for both of them, as I said - mutual healing. But that doesn't that make it all the more beautiful?

These are two strong characters disguised by the author under shallow differences: Oppositional climates, but the same disillusioning experience. Assimilation into a different identity, but the same hold onto the "blood of Winterfell," the same strength drawn from rebuilding from the ashes. Opposite social standing parallels; quite literally living in each other's shoes, and reasserting that distant (fond) connection to each other despite it.

"Jon. said,"Winterfell belongs to my sister Sansa." (ADWD, Jon IV).

"By right Winterfell should go to my sister Sansa." (ADWD, Jon I).

Despite being offered the chance of lordship, a family, love - everything Jon has ever truly wanted, he rejects it on this basis. He sets himself apart from the rest that have tainted Sansa, have clung to her like a vice, that don't allow her to exist in her truest self.

"I am a bastard too now, just like him." (AFFC, Alayne II).

And as we know, Sansa has been subconsciously (and then made the conscious assertion) modelling her Alayne Stone persona after Jon.

And you have that physical difference. At the beginning Sansa has a more inherent connection to the South (knights, chivalry, the faith, Tully appearance). Whereas Jon has a more inherent connection to the North (Night's Watch, Weirwood resembling Direwolf, old gods, northern features). Geographical opposites essentially experiencing similar disillusioning journeys. Jon learning that not all Night’s Watchmen are noble like Benjen, Sansa learning knights and princes and everything she has idolised as not as chivalric as she believes.

(But Sansa will find that true knight in Jon - it’s his unconventionality in appearance, a ‘black knight’ that has continuously upheld values Sansa believes in, and has fulfilled her wishes unknowingly, that leads me to this conclusion, but I digress.)

You can read more about this concept of parallel journeys here (there is some excellent analysis as early as 2012.

https://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?/topic/72119-from-pawn-to-player-rethinking-sansa-x/page/18/

So we have established cultural differences. Visually, it’s pretty obvious. Sansa is auburn-haired, blue eyed, beautiful. Jon is brown-haired, grey eyed, plainish?alongside the presentation of a traditionally masculine and traditionally feminine figure. GRRM has done this intentionally, he has made them as different as possible on the surface.

But both of these kids can be hotheaded, naive, a bit stuck up, and rather defensive and when it comes to what they idealise. (Let’s add snarky in there as well lol). You can pick up on this from their behaviour/actions/thoughts circa AGOT . And you know what ? I’m glad for such character flaws, it just makes them all the more compelling. But it makes them very similar.

Now as I’ve stated, it’s perhaps more difficult for readers to discern this if they’re not reading deeper than the surface level differences. it's easier for readers to consider them insignificant to each other personally and on narrative standpoint… because why would they give them any thought?? If they’re not consciously thinking of each other a lot, and there’s no on page interaction, then why should we care about analysing their relationship at all?

And well, many Jonsas will say ‘ah, you see that’s what makes them so very interesting’ you have to wonder why the author did not convey explicit on page interaction, or gave them much conscious thinking of each other. It’s not always about what the author includes but what the author omits. Even if a character says something that is…contradictory to their character. (Jon’s willowy creature line is self-contradictory because he’s shown on multiple occasions how much he actually appreciates gentle woman, and this boy is a romantic at heart). Can it perhaps be inferred that Jon says this because of repression. Because he’s a complex, fleshed out being who internalises and represses things he actually wants).

“He wanted it, Jon knew then. He wanted it as much as he had ever wanted anything. I have always wanted it, he thought, guiltily. May the gods forgive me. It was a hunger inside him, sharp as a dragonglass blade.” (ASOS Jon XII)

I mean, we even see Ned do this in his chapters. He doesn’t really think about Jon a whole lot, or the fact that Jon isn’t his biological son - but people infer that from the Lyanna references, ‘promise me’ the tower of joy etc etc it’s prettyyy clear that Ned is quite literally repressing that truth and has buried it away so it can never see light. It’s living tucked away in his long term memory, and not even the reader is privy to such thoughts. So if the author can do this for Ned, why not other characters?? Well, the thing is - he does. Because he instils complexity - he makes them raw and human. It’s why Sansa misremembers the events of Blackwater to cope, and Jon tries (and fails) to ignore every impulse to ride south and avenge his family.

But the thing is, people choose to be selectively blind and I'll say it, take things at face value. When you dig beneath the surface, that's when it all starts to make sense. And whew, you realise the potential.

But we know there is no malice between them. We know there is love in perpetuity albeit distant (but that does not lesson it). We know that Jon is not blind to Sansa's "radiant" beauty, we know that he appreciates her romanticism because he is romantic himself, we know that he associates her with softer imagery - singing, brushing out her wolf's fur, that she is appreciative of courtesy. We know that he protects her claim. Multiple times. We know that Sansa includes him in her prayers, that she empathises with him in the Night's Watch, that she models her bastard status after him and that she thinks of how utterly sweet it'd be to see him again, to be in his arms again (or maybe it'll be for the first time?

And then there is how they exist in this subconscious place. The compatible dreams of having a family.

"If I give him sons, he may come to love me. She would name them Eddard and Brandon and Rickon... In Sansa's dreams, her children looked just like the brothers she had lost. Sometimes there was even a girl who looked like Arya." (ASOS, Sansa II).

"I would need to steal her if I wanted her love, but she might give me children.I might someday hold a son of my own blood in my arms. A son was something Jon Snow had never dared dream of, since he decided to live his life on the Wall. I could name him Robb. " (ASOS, Jon XIII).

The blood of Winterfell (as I have previously discussed), the similar idealism, a steady belief in honour, in some goodness left in the world, the falling in love with people who are almost identical to each other (See Waymar being a more handsome version of Jon and Ygritte being a plainer version of Sansa), our beloved chapter transitioning with Jon never being far from Sansa's suitors, the unconscious answering of a hero, snow equated with security, home, Jon. "The Snow of Winterfell."

And of course there is that extra source material, there is the allusion to the inverse songs/stories, the ashford tourney and Jon's similarities with Valarr Targaryen, Jonnel 'One Eye' and Sansa Stark getting married.

The literary influence. The Pre-Raphaelite art, the Byronic influence, the just...sheer Bronte-esque I heard you from the other side of the realm and I shall find you even though the narrative is consistently against us... the human.heart.in.conflict.with.itself. William Faulkner.

I couldn't possibly compile every possible reference and discussion in this singular post, but here's what I can say: Jonsa compels me because of how much in line with the overarching theme of the narrative is . For hope to prevail despite all the darkness. A dream of spring. A dream of better futures, the taste of "innocence" and "dreams." I'm not expecting a fairytale ending, but I am expecting sweetness in some form. And the complexity that Jonsa would undoubtedly bring to the characters, to the audience, to the narrative cannot be understated. It's utterly profound and I believe that's why it is so threatening to the vast majority of the fandom.

It isn't just the human heart in conflict with those of Jon and Sansa, it is also the human heart in conflict with those of the audience. A Song Of Ice and Fire will never be easy on the reader, and when something this textually rich is built up, to then assume that the author has inserted all this in as mere coincidence severely discredits him as a writer. To assume that the author will go by the 'safest' option is disingenuous. To believe that this series will be like any other fantasy series is disingenuous. To believe that the author would go down the most conventional route to appease the general fandom is...disingenuous. I mean, this is the same guy who wrote the Red Wedding, to be clear. And that unpredictability and sheer subversiveness was clear from the first chapter. He is twisting fantasy on its head. He is twisting characters on their heads and everything we expect of them. And if people are this riled up by a theory well... I believe that is exactly what GRRM has intended.

#jonsa #jon x sansa #asoiaf #what is it that compels you about Jonsa?#they're beautiful and poetic to me #meta

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