Winter is officially here, and we've yet to receive word on when season 8 of Game of Thrones will debut. Up until this point, not even Jason Momoa telling the world he stopped by the set and learned about the finale could warm our cold, wight-like hearts.
But that all changed over the weekend when resident GoT badass Maisie Williams posted an adorable throwback photo that'll melt your heart faster than you can say "wildfire."
Simply captioned, "day 1," Williams let her cherubic smile and energetic eyes do all of the talking.
Williams was a mere tween (age 12) when she stepped onto the GoT set and had no idea just how far the series would take her. All she really wanted during this period of adolescent youth was to purchase a laptop, The Verge reports.
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Flash-forward to the present day, and that same starry-eyed girl has become a role model, the latest Marvel mutant, and the epitome of red carpet fashion/beauty #goals. Oh, and did we mention that you don't want to mess with her if you want to escape unscathed? Because, yeah, she's been trained to put the smackdown on someone nearly twice her size.
While the actress recently told BBC Newsbeat that she's ready for the series to wrap up so she can have more time and freedom to pursue other roles, I – and presumably many other fans – aren't so eager to let Arya go. We've followed her story for years and let the young heroine into our hearts. Some fans even grew up alongside her, just as my peers came into adulthood along with the stars of Harry Potter.
I'm such a fan of Arya that I'd go so far as to advocate for a spin-off. Even if her character doesn't wind up winning the game of thrones, there could be so many avenues ripe for exploring. Heck, you could even make a reality-type series if she's sick of the dark drama. In this show, the valiant young Stark could settle into a more normal lifestyle where she tackles challenges like remodelling Winterfell and planning non-lethal parties for her friends and family. Think of it as the Westerosi version of Keeping Up With The Kardashians. (Yes, this is a desperate plea for Williams to reconsider her stance.)
In the end, what's even more important than my fandom is Williams' happiness. May any adventure fill her with the same childhood wonder she experienced on her first day on the set of GoT.