The Riverlands Web

[LongRider]

Glad to see you Bookie! Waiting for the next installment (when you're ready of course.)

Cheers!

:cheers:

[Booknerd2]

Glad to see you Bookie! Waiting for the next installment (when you're ready of course.)

Cheers!

:cheers:

Hey, what's up. Ok, here it is...

[Booknerd2]

Post Question: #4: The Wolf Pack dynamic: or how to name-drop Hot Pie and get him back into the story.

Hot Pie, my favorite pastry chef ever. A member of the Wolf Pack, who is currently perfecting the Westerosi version of the cronut, and an ex-Night’s Watch recruit. (Ok, hold your sides to keep from laughing at that last part.) But he was, er, for a bit.

What a surprising development his arc was to the series. I can’t get back those years of my life I lost. My worry for Arya and dislike of him was brief yet all consuming. Oh, I hated him when he entered the story. I imagined a long, very long journey for Arya/Arry where she had to fight off his bullying, no matter how tough or cool or how much we know our little scamp can rise to the occasion in impossible situations. Gender within the constraints of this world, size, strength, stamina, emotions, nerves, though she always finds a way to survive and move on, my girl just didn’t need this aggravation. Nor did she need Hot Pie tag-teaming with his sidekick Lommy of the Green Hands. I cringed when she met him and I thought that this terrible journey just got a bit more terrible. It was a sore spot considering what had happened with Ned and how she was cut off from all safety, completely on her own, and struggling to eat and survive with nothing but her scruples in Flea Bottom beforehand. We have all seen an asshole with issues that will just keep it up with the object of their torment, and never relent. Whether in books or in real life.

But I was wrong. Arya schooled him pretty quick.

And really he was just as frightened as she was, just as apprehensive about the future as Gendry and Arya was also. This was his way, inexcusable, but understandable, if not 100% forgivable of dealing with his fate, the loss of his baker mom, and his most probable fear of the motley assemblage of characters Yoren was travelling with: robbers, rapers, and the unknown in general.

I think of Hot Pie and Lommy as Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor in the jail scene of Stir Crazy.

“That’s right….we’re bad.” You know, let us just act aggressive and like assholes so nobody bothers us first.

I don’t need to reiterate. Arya did school him pretty quick.

So he started to let down his defenses over time. And it helped that she kicked his ass too. And he had some of the funniest scenes and lines in the series. He even cries out his own name in the heat of battle… until his self-imposed book retirement. He chooses to dodge any further dangerous pitfalls or any kind of threatening involvement to bake at the Inn of the Kneeling Man, which is named for Arya’s ancestor Torrhen Stark, The King Who Knelt.

And he lives on in the tv series currently, brought to life and bubbling over with all the humor and then some of the book by the wonderful portrayal by Ben Hawkey. But also, whether actor or direction or what have you, I think his inherent sweetness was really brought forward in the series too. Present in the book, but certainly more tangible in the tv series.

So, is it possible we will see him again? I know I sure as hell want to. In the tv series, I could watch over and over again, his armor observations, before the restrained yet cool exasperation of Gendry wrapping it up by offering deadpan and in a matter of fact fashion that he sold armor, and that is how he knows, is so subtle and so damn funny. And very Gendry of the book, I think too.

He is in the Riverlands. We always see a lot of action, drama, and hell, just a lot of major scenes at inn environments. They are public places, gathering points, and places for travellers coming from all sorts of points to converge.

I hold out hope that his comic relief offerings, his official status as member of the Wolf Pack, my hope for him to be initiated into the pack and meet the boss, Big Nyms, and his excellent rapport and the connection he developed with Arya and Gendry too will be revisited.

He could id her. He has lots of info regarding that time together with Arya and Gendry. And I love the underlying theme that nobody is safe. Sure, you can will yourself out of the game of thrones, have some stolen moments of peace and calm as you rise early, make dough, and count yourself lucky that you survived another day. Which makes me think that eventually he could be thrown back out into the turmoil for exactly that reason. Nobody is safe in Westeros. It is only temporary, well, if you are lucky.

[ARYa_Nym]

Hot Pie was terrified of Arya before and judged her. It would be way worse if he ever met Mercy as an example. Plus, before Arya left for Braavos she said that Gendry and Hot Pie were never really her pack. I think it's good that she realizes that she can't just say someone is a pack member without knowing if they even want to be in her pack.

[Le Cygne]

I hold out hope that his comic relief offerings, his official status as member of the Wolf Pack, my hope for him to be initiated into the pack and meet the boss, Big Nyms, and his excellent rapport and the connection he developed with Arya and Gendry too will be revisited.

Awesome, the Wolf Pack. :lol:

Pack members come and go, Arya wistfully notes, but perhaps this link will ring a ding ding:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat_Pack

[Booknerd2]

Awesome, the Wolf Pack. :lol:

Pack members come and go, Arya wistfully notes, but perhaps this link will ring a ding ding:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat_Pack

I did not know about the "visiting members."

We have Captain Blood/Robin Hood, the Joker, and Professor Higgins too. Awesome!

(Errol, Cesar, and Rex. I love those guys.)

[LongRider]

Poor orphaned Hot Pie, bad enough he was an orphaned Southron boy going North and for sure didn't know what he didn't know. Tried to bully the smaller 'Ary" only to find Ary wasn't to be bullied. :box:

Ary became Arya and saved Hot Pie's life a time or two. Hot Pie found his niche at the inn and stayed on when asked. I think he had had enough of traveling, danger and terrorism. Can't blame him. He's still in the Riverlands and who knows, perhaps he's helping the Blackfish. :wideeyed:

Wouldn't that be something. :lol:

[Booknerd2]

That's is what I am trying to give some head space to: from impossible to not very likely to likely. Just different scenarios.

What would be a nice entree back into the story for Hot Pie? It would totally be something really funny, yet that element of danger will always be there.

I'm even wondering if it would be more likely that he runs into Gendry before Arya, if possible.

[LongRider]

Hot Pie was more of a follower and of course Arya felt she was his 'leader', ie; pack leader. When he decided for himself to stay on at the Inn I think she was really surprised and hurt. He had skills and found a chance to use them and hopefully find some stability and safety.

Unlike Arya, he had no family that he mentioned so the Inn was a good stopping place for him. Also since he had no family, Riverrun may not have had much appeal to him, it was Arya's family, highborn family. The folks keeping the Inn were smallfolk like Hot Pie himself. That fact may have actually felt comforting and welcoming to him.

[Father of Hosts]

Off the top of my head, it parallels with Nymeria again. Her pack is terrified of her and she schools the boys that get out of line. I would venture that Nymeria doesn't consider them as her "real" pack. I wonder if, with the possibility that Nym is heading North, the rest of the pack may not follow.

It turns the pack more into a force of chaos, a la the leaderless (this is debatable, of course) BWB and Nymeria would now be searching for her old pack, perhaps like Arya is destined to. No clue on how to work Hot Pie into this but I'll work on it.

Personally, the thought of the leaderless pack of wolves seems like an interesting development in the Riverlands that might play into any upcoming drama.

[Booknerd2]

Off the top of my head, it parallels with Nymeria again. Her pack is terrified of her and she schools the boys that get out of line. I would venture that Nymeria doesn't consider them as her "real" pack. I wonder if, with the possibility that Nym is heading North, the rest of the pack may not follow.

It turns the pack more into a force of chaos, a la the leaderless (this is debatable, of course) BWB and Nymeria would now be searching for her old pack, perhaps like Arya is destined to. No clue on how to work Hot Pie into this but I'll work on it.

Personally, the thought of the leaderless pack of wolves seems like an interesting development in the Riverlands that might play into any upcoming drama.

Reading your post reiterated Arya's leadership for me and stuff stuck out for me. For everything that happened between being with Yoren, to Harrenhall, and later with BWB, though Lommy and Hot Pie didn't make it up until the end when Arya is taken by the Hound. She made many of the decisions, especially the crucial, high risk one of escaping Harrenhall. Really, Hot Pie and Gendry weren't keen to begin with, they knew the risks, but the still followed her. And there were times that Hot Pie and Lommy had to be schooled, or times that Gendry didn't agree with her, yet he deferred. Really, Gendry was like a second in command. He offered her advice, if he had doubts about something, he let her know and why that was, and he even would almost give Lommy and Hot Pie directions, or tell them off too, and it was usually in sync with what Arya was trying to do: make heavy decisions to survive each day on their journey. And also it was mighty difficult traveling with Weasel, a small, very frightened toddler too.

As for the "leaderless pack of wolves" that has got to be entertained as a possibility and looked into eventually. Well, if one thinks the Nymeria and Arya reunite one day. I am hoping so, just because I am trying to have Arya and Nyms back together like the good old days of Winterfell in book one, when Big Nyms was a pup. That is more of a sentimental thing for me. Big Nyms will never be that pup again. She's seen and done too much, obviously. There may come a time though when Nymeria "steps down" as "commander" of her pack. If Arya and Nyms reunite, they can't exactly travel to the end of the series with a massive wild bunch of wolves numbering in the hundreds or more. Many of us think that those wolves are going to wreak some major havoc before the bow out and the curtain closes. Whether it is they go North, attack Freys, or a number of theories people have.

[ARYa_Nym]

I don't think Nymeria has to give up her pack. It could just mean that Nymeria never reintegrates into society which I think is more likely. She preys on innocents. What's to stop her from killing the smallfolk in the North like she does in the Riverlands? Nobles too for that matter. Some place like the wolfswood is better for her to live. The other direwolves aren't living with humans like that. They seem fine. ETA: I'm not referring to her siblings here. I'm referring to the majority of direwolves. Benjen mentioned hearing them on his ranges.

Some thought Ned telling Arya that the lone wolf dies but the pack survives alludes to her dying but still having the pack when she goes on in Nymeria. In that case eventually (2 years tops) there would be no more Arya. Only Nymeria and the pack.

[Booknerd2]

Just an update…

I wasn’t able to post on Riverlands Web for a bit. You don’t know what you’d like to do next. You get that block from time to time. An empty well, if you will. And why post crap when your brain is empty just for the hell of it?

I try not to.

Some of the upcoming stuff requires a lot of back-checking too, so that takes time. Inn of the Crossroads is going to be the death of me, for example.

But hindsight can be magical. And today it was. I went from page 1 and up to refresh myself and to see what we covered. I remembered points that were made, laughed my ass off at the jokes, remembered how much I love that damn horse and direwolf, and really marveled at what came together here. And we are only on v.1.

Just an aside… When we get to v.2 I will fix the first post and re-post the OP that has all the general info on it so if anyone needs a refresher you don’t have to go back to v.1 to do that. I will also do a post question recap. We can cover anything at anytime. That is just to get a ball rolling here and there.

But now to what I really wanted to say. I have to say thank you. I can rant and type funny stuff and laugh myself silly, but it would be nothing without all the wonderful posters we’ve had, contributors that come back for seconds and thirds, and if I’m lucky even more. It is just too much, this everything that is going down and the amount of characters, and hell, even objects that are all converging in this Riverlands stuff. We haven’t even chinked the glacier yet.

And especially, I would like to thank LeCygne for your phenomenal. mind-blowing posts. You have given me more holy crap, whoah, was-I-dead-when-I-read-that- chapter, because-I-did-not-pick-up-on-that moments, than I could ever count. LOL!

I really see it as an interactive graphic organizer and then some, or a really great Mad Libs with people filling in blanks all over the place.

So for tomorrow’s post…next is Jaqen H’ghar.

Um, it is going to be interesting…

[Booknerd2]

Post Question #5: Who the hell is Jaqen H’gar? What is it with that guy?

So…what is with that “jacket” guy? It took me forever to pronounce his name, so thank God the show filled me in on that one. R’hllor had been causing me stress enough too, and I always drew a blank when I wanted to post and killed the spelling of R’hlllor for the longest. I said everything from “Jack-in” to a very French “Jacque-un” to an….uh …”Jack-quinn.”It just sounds like something Hot Pie would make in a bakery. No, forget that, that is when I got it wrong once and it might have rhymed with marzipan. Maybe I even called him Jacqueline once...

I know his last name. Well, his supposed last name rhymes with “cigar.” That is so not real. Really, where does this clown pick up his fake-sounding alias names? Sounds like a cat coughed something up. I still mess it up. Or wasn’t he the lead singer in Van Halen once after Roth? Or maybe a cartoon barbarian?

No there is no Sammy or the Horrible in there that I know of.

Er, moving right along…

You name it; I have heard it. I have had friends of mine struggle with the name too. “Yo, am I saying this right?” Like I had a friggin’ clue when I started reading. Sorry, can’t help you.

He has always been a cool character, way before the show gave us a visual interpretation. But thanks a lot, Tom W.

Do you really think I am going to attempt to spell his name? I still can’t spell R’hllor right. I had to double check before I posted this. But damn, I see a lot of ladies rave about him and love this guy. Well, I have to admit, he is awfully cute. I have seen him used as an avatar, and you have to take a second look. Who is this guy? Was his meeting up with Arya a good thing, a manifold bit of luck, or something we will all regret, including her?

It is like Severus Snape. Before Rickman…have you seen the U.S. editon Snape illusstrations? Not attractive. He looks like Gargamel from the Smurfs at 80. And rightly so. He was not planned to look and act and have the Rickman magic and magical vocal chords. I read the series before Jaqen was cast. He did not read sexy to me. He scared the crap out of me. The courteous part of him was eerie. Good job.

Great casting. He really is great and has done a fine job. It really fleshed out the character and developed other dimensions and facets. The montone voice, and unruffled cool demeanor and register is perfect for a friggin’ mysterious assassin. The creepy deaths he concocted translated to screen too, with the mystifying way he operates. Though, he is nice to Arya. And when he is about to die in a fiery inferno death trap wagon, he still has impeccable manners. Rorge and Biter don’t even mess with him. Or they might have off screen earlier and he dealt with it with precision. What did he say or what did they see that they knew, leave homey alone? Not answered. Or they sensed it…something about him wasn’t quite right.

I imagine that the only way he could make sure he could get them off his back was to do something? Show something? They never messed with him and they were inches away and locked up with him, somewhere in the black cells, but even closer in the wagon.

And I am guessing that Yoren knew something because he took him and locked him with them in the wagon. So I am guessing he was told his crime/rap sheet from way back in KL.

So the cute face and dreamy blue eyes is just a nice contrast but balances out “mysterious assassin killer,” with great manners, your grandmother would love.

And they did a great job toning down, yet making work, the hair from the book in the series. It could have been bad. It could have looked like a cross between Ronald McDonald, Lily Munster, Bride of Frankenstein, Sweeney Todd, Jessica Rabbit, or Rogue from X-Men.

And the third person stuff…it is creepy. You know if someone tried to talk to you in real time you would run the hell away. It is Tom. He makes it okay. Or don’t talk, or if I hold my ears I can just look at you, and make it better. No scratch that, forget the words and Yoda speak. His voice is nice.

Let’s practice and review:

-A man thinks you are awfully cute. (Ok, he didn’t say that I just made that one up.)

-A man has done no singing for Van Halen.

-A man has better hair than all the characters an idiot, a woman named booknerd2 has named.

-A man did not tell a woman named booknerd2 to cross out idiot when referring to a woman named booknerd2.

-A man might just be sexy like a man named Alan Rickman as Snape.

-A man knows not what a cartoon Viking with red hair is, or what a cartoon is. There are no Sunday Funnies in whatever land I come from originally that I am not going to share with a man or woman or anybody!

(We know for sure it isn’t Lorath! Right?)

-A man thinks a woman named booknerd2 should move the hell along with her post question…

“Whatever, Jacket Cigar, whatever. Really, you are lucky you are cute. And If I didn’t think you could kill me in my sleep with a pinkie without anyone knowing and get out in time, I would take that much longer. But I would like to keep my face, if you don’t mind. I’m not stupid. Maybe I could relax when we find out more about this FacelessMan crap. And who you really are. Because the little I do know so far, scares the crap out of me.

That would totally stink if he threw that face away and is not as cute as his alias was. Maybe he should have scraped it off the floor, or whatever happened to it, thought twice about it, and shoved it in a pocket for later. We like the Jaqen persona. Was Pate cute? I can’t remember there were too many Pates. And the Alchemist, sounds like Captian Hook from Peter Pan. So unattractive I might add….

Imagine. He could take my flash drive, and there goes all my Re-Thinking Romance and Riverlands Web drafts. Screw that! I’ll move on.

Ok, so anyway…

Ok, your real name is Jaqen H'gar if my real name is booknerd2. Uh-duh. Would I lie to you?

Black cells are for worse criminals. Did he mean to get caught to get in? Otherwise what was he doing? How bad does that have to be?

Ok, Lorath. Totally made up name. Sounds like a Star Wars reject place. Ok, it is a legit place in the World of I&F. How come Shae doesn’t talk like a moron in the third person? Does he design his manner of speak…ok, then he gets an A for cute and D- for creativity and cohesion.

Ok, the next part is totally on me, and totally my paranoia issues because I love Arya and Gendry, and I will share any speculation that pops randomly in my head. If it popped and caused worry, I have to tease it out. So…with Rorge and Biter dead, Hot Pie and Jaqen know who Gendry is, that he is close to arya, can identify them both, and that KL is seeking Gendry out but he got away.

I always worry about who has information that can hurt characters I love, in case they have an agenda down the road, or use it to benefit themselves. You never know what the author is going to write.

It gave me pause for thought and a hint of cause for worry, and it just scares me because we know nothing of Jaqen, except that he is not Jaqen. He sent Arya to Braavos and hooked her up with the same people he works for. I get that he saw something special in her. He didn’t want to lose track of her. Why has not been answered through. And are the motives entirely good or bad or a bit of both too.

Nobody is safe in AOIAF. How many times did it look like someone was doing a helpful deed for someone, and they end up getting screwed in the long run, or worse, dead?

Is it me? Do I truly think your average FM just up and recruits like that? He wanted her in there for a reason?

Just kindness of heart? No or maybe. Impressed with her? Yes. He tries to help her. He says he owed deaths to R’hllor, owed her for saving him, and just killed twice for her and had a mini-prison break out. And then he shows her the face change. He is not supposed to do that. The dude in Braavos would have slapped him silly. YOU DON’T REVEAL TRADE SECRETS….I am not an FM and even I know that! You wait until a recruit is way in and you are actually at the place as a trainer. Right? Did I miss something?

My boy Gendry was constantly on her case and looking out for her. This all happened right under his nose….which also gave me pause for thought.

So Jaqen is not him, whoever he truly is. So he is no longer Jacket Cigar. For a time he was also the Alchemist, and is now that Pate guy. So we don’t know who the hell he is, what is his deal with Arya, what he is trying to do, etc.

Mysterious assassin killer…Mysterious period.

She saved him, he first gave her three lives, but she did trick him and the third act changed. He seemed cool with it afterward, resigned during, but I still panic. I can’t forget that she forced his hand, and if he had any qualms about giving that coin and how it would actually change her path, for good or bad.

He knew she was a girl, but kept up with the boy persona, and kept it to himself. Quick on the uptake…only Gendry figured it out too.

He is at the citadel. Was in the Riverlands…but we don’t know if he was trying to get to the Wall first, was that why he got “caught” and brought to KL and the Black Cells? I mean, maybe he thought he could stay and infiltrate better if he was recruited for the Watch. Why not just go North and knock on the door and volunteer. They need recruits badly. Was that not the plan and he did get caught or side-tracked?

Unclear at this point, but so many theories out there mentioning books, keys, dragons, a special object, Aemon, the Citadel, Sam, Alleras, you name it.

Now for the future as it is connected to the Riverlands Web. Would he go back there? For what reason then? Or is his time in the Riverlands over? Do you think he knows about Arya and Braavos and what she has been doing? How her progress was going? In general, do you think he meets up with her again? Any other questions or thoughts to ponder on Jacket Cigar?

[LongRider]

Post Question #5: Who the hell is Jaqen H’gar? What is it with that guy?

.....snip....

I imagine that the only way he could make sure he could get them off his back was to do something? Show something? They never messed with him and they were inches away and locked up with him, somewhere in the black cells, but even closer in the wagon.

And I am guessing that Yoren knew something because he took him and locked him with them in the wagon. So I am guessing he was told his crime/rap sheet from way back in KL.....

**I always wondered why Jaqen H'gar was in the black cells, another mysterious issue with him.

And the third person stuff…it is creepy. You know if someone tried to talk to you in real time you would run the hell away.

**I think the third person talk with him because he is (a) no one. So, instead of saying "Jaqen H'gar sees a boy become a girl." He says "A man sees a boy become a girl." Do all the FM talk that way? Well, when they are not 'in character' perhaps they do.

Ok, the next part is totally on me, and totally my paranoia issues because I love Arya and Gendry, and I will share any speculation that pops randomly in my head. If it popped and caused worry, I have to tease it out. So…with Rorge and Biter dead, Hot Pie and Jaqen know who Gendry is, that he is close to arya, can identify them both, and that KL is seeking Gendry out but he got away.

I always worry about who has information that can hurt characters I love, in case they have an agenda down the road, or use it to benefit themselves. You never know what the author is going to write.

**About Jaqen knowing that Gendry is wanted by KL< good point. But also remember, he left Harrenhall and went down to Oldtown, so hopefully it's not an issue with him.

....

Is it me? Do I truly think your average FM just up and recruits like that? He wanted her in there for a reason?

Just kindness of heart? No or maybe. Impressed with her? Yes. He tries to help her. He says he owed deaths to R’hllor, owed her for saving him, and just killed twice for her and had a mini-prison break out. And then he shows her the face change. He is not supposed to do that. The dude in Braavos would have slapped him silly. YOU DON’T REVEAL TRADE SECRETS….I am not an FM and even I know that! You wait until a recruit is way in and you are actually at the place as a trainer. Right? Did I miss something?

****When Arya outsmarted him with the 3rd death, it revealed to him that she was really quite a clever thinker. And then she suggested and went along with the Weasel soup which showed Jaqen she had talent and would use it. That's how I read it.

My boy Gendry was constantly on her case and looking out for her. This all happened right under his nose….which also gave me pause for thought......

**Good point.

Mysterious assassin killer…Mysterious period.

....snap...

In a general sense, what happens in Oldtown could affect all of Westeros and including the Riverlands. So who knows, perhaps he'll save the day.

:P

[Booknerd2]

Quotes in purple by LongRider.

**I think the third person talk with him because he is (a) no one. So, instead of saying "Jaqen H'gar sees a boy become a girl." He says "A man sees a boy become a girl." Do all the FM talk that way? Well, when they are not 'in character' perhaps they do.

Big question. Big headscratcher…Kindly Man sounded all Yoda/Mr.Miyagi too so maybe? Everything was mysterious and vague sometimes in the House. And I have seen so many theories doing some research. Some people postulate that is him, or if he was sidetracked from original goal/assignment, it was more his original id. Like Arya was no threat to him, he was helping her/wanted to recruit her, so he was more "himself." Some think it is another persona, and when he parts from Arya, that seems highly likely. Other stuff too. And there is other stuff I want to say but I have to try the spoiler box. Never had to do it, so I want to do a test first before I post.

**About Jaqen knowing that Gendry is wanted by KL< good point. But also remember, he left Harrenhall and went down to Oldtown, so hopefully it's not an issue with him.

Totally agree. He may even be ok with Arya, and my paranoia is all for nothing. But…he recommended her. I think she doesn't last as FM and she is on her way out eventually. Can that affect anything? I am more concerned, if I ever need to be, for down the road.

[Le Cygne]

And especially, I would like to thank LeCygne for your phenomenal. mind-blowing posts. You have given me more holy crap, whoah, was-I-dead-when-I-read-that- chapter, because-I-did-not-pick-up-on-that moments, than I could ever count. LOL!

How sweet! Back at ya! Super thread! :)

[Le Cygne]

Unclear at this point, but so many theories out there mentioning books, keys, dragons, a special object, Aemon, the Citadel, Sam, Alleras, you name it.

Now I have thoughts of Van Halen mixed up with Jaqen H'ghar. Thanks a lot. :lol:

I think he's glamoring when he changes face (not the hard face change they do with Arya), so if that adorable face is not really his (and I really want it to be his), then he's likely glamoring that, too.

"I asked him how he changed his face... Jaqen used magic."

"All sorcery comes at a cost, child. Years of prayer and sacrifice and study are required to work a proper glamor."

"The key?" He's still polite!

The key was old and heavy, made of black iron; supposedly it opened every door at the Citadel. Only the archmaesters had such keys...

As they walked, he slipped his hand up into his sleeve. He could feel the key, safe inside the hidden pocket he had sewn there. Maester’s robes were full of pockets. He had known that since he was a boy...

"I want my dragon."

"To be sure." The coin appeared...

Pate grabbed it from his hand. The gold felt warm against his palm. He brought it to his mouth and bit down on it the way he'd seen men do. If truth be told, he wasn't sure what gold should taste like, but he did not want to look a fool.

"The key?" the alchemist inquired politely...

"Who are you?"

"A stranger. No one. Truly."

"Oh." Pate had run out of words. He drew out the key and put it in the stranger's hand, feeling light-headed, almost giddy...

And then there's Mercy:

Her boots were lumps of old brown leather mottled with saltstains and cracked from long wear, her belt a length of hempen rope dyed blue. She knotted it about her waist, and hung a knife on her right hip and a coin pouch on her left. Last of all she threw her cloak across her shoulders. It was a real mummer's cloak, purple wool lined in red silk, with a hood to keep the rain off, and three secret pockets too. She'd hid some coins in one of those, an iron key in another, a blade in the last. A real blade, not a fruit knife like the one on her hip, but it did not belong to Mercy, no more than her other treasures did...

Also this, just before:

Yet they brought him money: leather purses plump with gold and silver and the square iron coins of Braavos. The old man would count it out carefully, sorting the coins and stacking them up neatly, like with like. He never looked at the coins. Instead he bit them, always on the left side of his mouth, where he still had all his teeth...

The kindly man was waiting for her at the House of Black and White, seated on the edge of the temple pool. The ugly girl sat next to him and put a coin on the lip of the pool between them. It was gold, with a dragon on one face and a king on the other. "The golden dragon of Westeros," said the kindly man. "And how did you come by this? We are no thieves."

"It wasn’t stealing. I took one of his, but I left him one of ours."

Dragons, coins and keys, secret/hidden pockets...

[Booknerd2]

Now I have thoughts of Van Halen mixed up with Jaqen H'ghar. Thanks a lot. :lol:

I think he's glamoring when he changes face (not the hard face change they do with Arya), so if that adorable face is not really his (and I really want it to be his), then he's likely glamoring that, too.

"The key?" He's still polite!

And then there's Mercy:

Someone I know was saying it like "Hagar" and it was so funny, so I had to throw that in there.

I was staring at a blank document and that Post 5 just poured out. Like the whole first part is very silly, but really, it was like trying to joke around when someone is overtired or punchy. For every question about him, five more pop up like a Hydra. This character can drive someone nuts…trying to figure out what is going on. From what we see of him or "hims" and then through Arya's FM training, some stuff jives and some stuff doesn't seem similar.

Thank you for adding this. I was cracking a joke about the physically putting on or off a face. I was creeped out in that Arya scene, but still, I should have mentioned that he changes faces with magic. Surely, he can do both if he had to. Ew…..

I figured out how to mark a spoiler so I will get back to other stuff when I can. Gotta type it up first.

But the funny thing is this…yeah, this character is a mystery. But so is my ever-changing theories or beliefs regarding him. I typed, a long time ago, like a mini-punch list of what to cover on the Riverlands Web, and then saw people's posts when they made recommendations and i started a list.

Under Jaqen…and some others. When I typed the name, if I had a few things I wanted to say about them and I didn't want to forget it, I typed it off the top of my head. Well, those were other possibilities of him that I wanted to explore. I am a total walking contradiction with this guy! Some of the stuff looks nothing like what I posted.

So how I feel about this character changes over time. If I took something to mean one thing, it changes. Certain things with him can be taken different ways.

When I put it together I will throw it out there.

[Le Cygne]

I think Jaqen definitely banged the bathhouse attendant, that much is certain. The one who wouldn't go away. Arya waited patiently, and she wasn't budging.