It’s that time of month again. Since the J/B fandom broke me, and I now read WIPs, often to frustration that is entirely my own fault, here are some WIPs I wish would update right now.
Not listed in each Things I Love section: Jaime and Brienne. That’s a given for these.
Round One and Round Two and WIPs From Those Lists That Were Updated
We Built it Slowly, Stone by Accidental Stone by Durincorporated (75,000 words, last updated January 2021)
Summary: In the wake of the Battle for Winterfell, the survivors begin to plan the future that had seemed so unlikely when the dead were marching south. A new King in the North is named, weddings are had, marriage proposals are made, and the Dragon Queen names another Hand. (Jaime/Brienne, Tyrion/Sansa, Arya/Gendry, Jon/Daenerys)
Things I love: Sansa and Daenerys finding common ground, trust, and friendship; Arya and Daenerys doing the same; Arya and Jaime arguing their way through conversations about honour and love and survival; Sandor protecting the shit out of the Stark girls; some people being alive who weren’t otherwise alive as of the start of season 8; more practical ways to go to war.
An Old Lion Amongst Young Wolves by Angelic_Temptress (50,000 words, last updated December 2020)
Summary: “The raven your brother sent from Dragonstone promised a Lannister army, yet here you are with no garrison, no cavalry.” He took a deep breath and a step forward. “My sister had no intention of aiding the North in this war with the dead. I came to warn your brother and his Dragon Queen.” (Jaime/Brienne, Tyrion/Sansa, some background Jon/Daenerys and Arya/Gendry)
Things I love: Arya and Sansa friendship; Sansa’s clever playing of the game; complicated, difficult incursions of the dead more than just one hard-to-see long night; dialog that is smart, and witty, and sarcastic; more practical ways to go to war.
possess the power by jellyb34n (35,000 words, last updated August 2020)
Summary: “Mjolnir,” Brienne breathes. She can feel Jaime’s eyes sharpen on her, the discomfiting intensity with which he has begun watching her of late. She can never properly meet his gaze when he looks at her that way, so she just flicks her eyes to the edge of his face. “May I —”“By all means,” he interrupts. She can hear the smirk in his voice. She sets her jaw. His jeering will not deter her. She is unworthy, she knows. All she wants is to touch: to know, just for a moment, the feel of something so powerful it can judge one’s heart, one’s very core. With only the pads of her fingers, she touches the handle. The supple leather gives way to cool silver. Some tightness loosens in her chest, and she grows more bold, traces her fingers along the bifurcations tenderly. She imagines that Mjolnir seems to waken under her touch. It’s impossible, she is unworthy, nothing she has done or ever will do could ever make her worthy, but just for a moment —“Lift it, wench,” Jaime says, breaking through her thoughts as he moves to stand beside her. (Jaime/Brienne, Sansa/Margaery, Arya/Gendry)
Things I love: It’s a Thor AU! How could I not be excited about this. Plus good mix of lore; wonderful character interactions; stressful, engaging adventures; fun look at Westerosi politics.
The Jewels that Bind by WackyGoofball (16,000 words, last updated October 2017)
Summary: Jaime Lannister rushes to save his brother from execution at the hands of Lysa Arryn, only to stumble into a much bigger trouble than he ever anticipated when he set out from King’s Landing in a desperate quest to rescue Tyrion. A mystery knight comes to their aid, but the knight's identity is likely even more mysterious than the nature of his entrance into the lives of the Lannister brothers. As Jaime tries to unravel just what happened that led to his brother's imprisonment, he starts to realize that there is a problem in the Seven Kingdoms reaching far beyond a bad rule at the hands of Robert Baratheon as people continue to be sacrificed to the White Walkers, a secret well kept from those in power, or rather, an issue that keeps getting ignored so long it does not concern them. And while Jaime wants nothing but return home, he finds himself bound to undertake a journey to battle back the Others, who continue to creep their way across the Wall, along with the mystery knight whose past may hold the answers to unlock the secrets of a song long since forgotten: The Song of Ice and Fire. (Jaime/Brienne, Jaime & Tyrion)
Things I love: To hurt myself because this hasn’t been updated since 2017 and only has one chapter but I still read it and I still want more. Curious worldbuilding, snark, interesting adventures, secret stories.
And a new section, inspired by Round Two: WIPs I Subscribed To That Are Now Complete But Remained On My Subscription List Until Today
A Ghost Here Amongst the Living by extra__credit and winterkill @kurikaesu-haru (85,000 words)
Summary: Tywin Lannister's death forces his three estranged children to return to Casterly Rock and confront the ghosts of their shared past. They're joined by skeptical City Watch constable Brienne of Tarth, and her assistant Sansa Stark, who just wants to see a real ghost. (Jaime/Brienne, Tyrion/Sansa)