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Odd Couples


Stormcatcher

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GRRM seems to have a thing for unexpected or unconventional pairings. Just look at Tyrion and Sansa's marriage (who would've predicted that in the first book?), Sansa's interaction with Sandor, and Littlefinger's perving over her. then there's Tyrion's relationship with Shae.

Other than those two, we've got Jon, a member of the NW with Ygritte, a wildling. And Sam too, with the added bonus of him regarding himself as craven, and the wildlings being seen as scary savages. Then there's Daenerys' unfathomable interest in the Daario peacock joke, and prior to that her marriage to a Dothraki Khal (which turned out to be an unexpectedly 'happy' marriage while it lasted). A happy (while it lasts) gay relationship in a middle ages fantasy (Renly/Loras). Cersei and Jaime's twincest, Jaime's growing interest in masculine, honourable and unattractive Brienne (especially contrasted to his previous unrivalled interest in beautiful, ruthless Cersei). There's also the random f/f scenes with Cersei/Taena and Dany/Irri. There are probably many more.

My point to this is to ask what future odd couples would surprise you the most? One that's completely random and out of the blue. Daenerys/Tyrion? Davos/Osha? Sam/Sarella? Brienne/Sansa? JonCon/Darkstar? Who even knows. Or what odd couple could you see working (for political reasons or whatever else)? I think Dany/Jon is an odd couple (regardless of Jon's parentage), but it seems to be a fairly popular choice for political reasons.

And while we're at it, which of the current odd couples do you think is oddest? I'd definitely go for Tyrion/Sansa's marriage, and Jaime/Brienne's UST (though I'm a big fan of the latter).

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Arianne and Jon is one such possibility but, again, it would be a political match more than anything else.

It would help to soothe all enmity between the Targaryens, Starks and Martells, which, given the fate of Lyanna Stark, Elia Martell, Rhaegar Targaryen, Quentyn Martell, Brandon Stark, Aegon Targaryen, Rickard Stark, and Rhaenys Targaryen, will take some doing.

Still, I think they certainly qualify as an odd couple. Their upbringing and personalities are so different as to be almost comical.

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I actually don't think most the pairings are odd at all. It's somewhat the norm to do the 'beauty/beast' thing (like Sansa/The Hound or Tyrion). Or the whole "from very-different worlds" thing (Jon/Ygritte)... etc.

I think most of the pairing are pretty standard fare, really.

To me, the only (somewhat) unique one is the Jaime/Brienne... only cuz its a reversal of the typical beauty/beast pairing -- so that's a nice little change.

ETA: Spelling error. Oops.

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@Faint, I think Arianne/Jon would be quite odd, due to their personalities, backgrounds, etc. Even their symbolism or what-have-you - Dorne is all fiery heat and sand, whereas the Starks (Snows!) and especially the Night's Watch are about the hardship and dangers of winter and cold.

@Intransigence, Nymeria/Pounce is now my OTP. Ha, :D

@Pod the Impaler, Oh, I'd kill to see an Edd/Val relationship, or even just more interaction with them. Or just some scenes of poor Edd with all the spearwives at his new home. :lmao:

I actually don't think most the pairings are odd at all. It's somewhat the norm to do the 'beauty/beast' thing (like Sansa/The Hound or Tyrion). Or the whole "from very-different worlds" thing (Jon/Ygritte)... etc.

I think most of the pairing are pretty standard fare, really.

To me, the only (somewhat) unique one is the Jaime/Brienne... only cuz its a reversal of the typical beauty/beast pairing -- so that's a nice little change.

ETA: Spelling error. Oops.

I think pairings like Sansa/Sandor are still odd, though not necessarily necessarily unique in the beauty/beast aspect. I find Tyrion and Sansa more unexpected though, because of the age differences, the fact their houses are opposed by the time they marry, and that Sansa was betrothed to Joffrey for so long. I also like the fact with Jaime and Brienne that the woman he grows interested in after being single-mindedly infatuated with his sister for so long is a woman who's practically the exact opposite to her.

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What I see out of these odd couples is an expansion of something that GRRM has done really well. At the beginning we saw each of the characters in the role they were born to play, surrounded by the people expected to guide them into the expected role (Parents, uncles, brothers, sisters, etc) But the war and all that went with it has meant the major charcters are on their own, being allowed to be who they always could (should!) have been. Some sink (Cersea), some fly (Jaime, Jon) and some soar (Sansa, Ayra, etc)

We are who our friends are in many ways.

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I've been told that Brienne/Sansa and Ned/Robert are odd-does that count?

I think they count as odd. Brienne/Sansa interest me because though they have such well matched personalities, they've never met (despite Brienne's fruitless searching) and their idea of 'the ideal partner' fits each other well, but they'd never consider it so (for Sansa, Brienne is the perfect knight that she dreams of, but is no beautiful man).

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