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staytinyville · 6 months

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Han

PLEASE REFER TO MASTERLIST TO GET FULL TAROT READING EXPERIENCE

↣ Summary: Having spent your entire life trapped behind the castle walls, the day you go out you meet a man who tells you that the life you thought you knew was all a lie. So you take matters into your own hands.

↣ Characters/Pairing: Han Jisung x fem!reader

↣ Genre: historical!au, fantasy

↣ AU/Trope info: kingdom!au, villager!Han, princes(s)!reader,

↣ Word Count: 1.6k

↣ Warnings: None

↣ A/N: Royal!aus got me fucked man. I love them so much. Especially game of thrones esque types. Han is such a boy I can see him being a blacksmith’s boy or something. One who wants to be like a knight.

THE TOWER

Sudden Change, Upheaval, Chaos, Revelation, Awakening

This is a card that signifies a large charge. Not just any kind of change but the one that would shake you to your core and leave you gasping for air. However just because this is a card closely related to a change that will leave you shook, that doesn't always mean a negative change.

While you may be thrown for a loop with this card, it is best to keep your feet planted to the ground and understand the turmoils that are coming with it. Not everyone can understand what this card has in store for them.

While the tower falls in the end, what you have forward to looking for is the rebuilding and the aftermath. You will be beaten and battered, but the results will come out in your favor.

XVI THE TOWER

“I'd like to go out into the city today.” You told one of the stableman.

They stopped giving hay to the horses, turning to look at you with raised eyebrows. “Have you asked your parents, my lady?”

“I'm just going into town outside the keep.” You frowned, thinking back to the time you did ask them. While you knew your parents were busy you didn’t think they would wave you off with a no.

“Not leaving the country.” You added.

“I'm afraid I only take orders from your parents. If they have not approved, I'm afraid I cannot do that for you.” The man went back to doing his chores.

You sneered at him, lips turning up. With a huff you turned around, stomping off. As a little girl you had always spent time adventuring around the castle grounds. Oftentimes you would find yourself climbing the walls little by little. You wouldn’t dare to crawl over the tall parts of the stone wall, but you did find spots that you could easily fall over. One such spot was a window in a hallway that looked out into a part of the city.

“Shit!” Your eyes went wide as your hands let go of the siding and you went tumbling down onto your back.

You hit the ground with a thud, your breath leaving you for a second causing you to gasp. The cloak you had worn was getting dirty with dust as you curled into a fetal position trying to lessen the pain. The fall wasn’t a huge one; it was a good five foot wall but the tumble still did cause pain from how you landed.

“Women falling from the sky?” Someone spoke up, looking at the wall you had just fallen from. “Must be my lucky day.” He was quick to help you up, dusting off some of your clothing. As you got a look at your face he frowned.

“Lady (Y/N)?” He asked, tilting his head.

“Yes. Thank you—” You paused for a moment as you took in his cute chubby cheeks.

It had been a long while since you had ever seen someone as adorable as him. You hadn’t even spoken to many men outside of the staff and your family so getting to meet one was a bit of a shock for you. He must have taken your pause as a question to who he was and he answered you.

“Han.” He nodded. “Han Jisung.”

“Thank you, Jisung.” You shook your head, bowing it in thanks for helping you up.

“Can I ask why you were climbing through that window though?” He asked you looking up at the castle wall.

“I wanted to leave the palace but they told me I couldn't.” You huffed, fixing your cloak and dress.

You furrowed your eyebrows as you saw his expression turn irritated.

“You actually want to leave the palace? Yeah, okay.” He scoffed, suddenly annoyed with you as he went back on his journey.

“Hey!” You called after, rushing towards him. “You don't know what it's like in there.”

“Hm. Never going hungry. Having all the luxury silks money can buy. Not having to lift a finger up for anything. You're right–sounds terrible.” He rolled his eyes sarcastically.

“It's not that.” Your voice turned soft, making Han feel sort of bad for the way he was speaking to you. “The staff doesn't let me do anything if my parents don't have a say in it.”

“Oh you poor thing.” He fake pouted.

“Stop patronizing me!” You huffed out, following after his steps again.

He quickly stopped causing you to bump into him. You gasped queitly, holding onto his arms to keep from falling over.

“Look, princess. I don't care what your parents do and don't do with you.” He told you. “You're just another noble lady coming to ruin our day by taking what we work hard for just to use it for personal gain. Your parents already do that as is.”

You were froed for a moment as you looked at him confused. Han raised a brow at your look, waiting for you to say something else.

“My parents?” You asked quietly.

“Uh, yeah.” Han spoke. “They are the worst. Always raising taxes, taking from us and not giving enough money. Who knows how they're still in power.” He began to head towards a shop on the street, dropping his bags at the entrance.

He turned around when you stood still in the middle of the small alleyway, frowning as he took in your confused expression. If he didn’t know any better it would seem as thought this was the first time you were hearing about this kind of thing.

“No.” You shook your head. “That can't be true. My parents always give to the people. They care for them.” You looked up at him, the look of denial clear on your face.

“You're so caught under their arms you don't even know the truth.” He whisepred, growing closer to you. “Did you know, your mother had a child killed because they ran into her while on the streets? Or that your father comes down to the brother every other week? You have no clue who you're living with.” He told you.

“I—I have to go.” You shook your head, tears springing in your eyes as you thought about all that Han had told you. “This can't be true.” You whispered to yourself turning around.

He had always heard about how the king and queen seemed to keep the princess under their care. But it was much deeper than that. The only time they were ever allowed to see her was when they would have parades and she would always be behind in a carriage. It was clear (Y/N) had hardly ever been allowed to go see the people.

But from the staff that did work in the castle, they had always spoken so highly of her. Saying she was the kindest of all her family and cared deeply about what they all thought. She was a studious person who saw the world as something that needed protecting. She was someone of justice–someone who catered to the needs of everyone with the right rule.

A much better ruler than her parents.

“Hey!” Han shouted, running after you. “Wait!”

When he reached you, you had been hyperventilating, thinking about all those lies you had been told. You knew Han had been right–you had seen the clues of how cruel your parents actually were. All those staff members who talked behind their back, didn’t try to go against their orders. All those times they would look at you in fear after hearing that you wanted to do something without their permission. You were blocking out the truth on your own.

Your chest began to tighten and your legs felt weak. You were close to falling over until Han held you up with his arms wrapped around you.

“Hey, hey. Look at me.” Han whispered, holding your face with his hands softly. They were calloused, rough due to his hard work. “I'm sorry.” He told you. “I'm sorry I told you all those things but you need to breathe for me okay? Deep breaths.”

You looked at him with tears falling down your cheeks, his thumbs rubbing them away. “Why did you help me?” You asked him quietly.

“Because I know what it's like to have an anxiety attack. I'm sorry I put you in that position.” He pulled you into his chest, allowing you to wrap your arms around him. His breathing was soothing you, bringing you back to the right state of mind. With closed eyes you knew what it was you had to do.

“It's okay.” You took in a deep breath pulling away from him. You gave him a smile, confusing Han for a moment. “I can't let them be those kinds of rulers. The people deserve better.”

“Like who?” He asked. “You?”

“I am the heir.” You let go of him, holding your head high as if you hadn’t just had a panic attack. “I'll fix this. I promise, Jisung.”

And you kept that promise. It was easy to create a rebellion against your parents and cause them to step down from their positions. You got not only the staff but also the council on your side–after you took care of the corrupt in it of course. With how much you had studied to become the perfect heir, you knew all there was to politics in the country.

You accused your father of war crimes and adultery. Your mother was outraged with this–having now known. She had tried to side with you, saying you were perfect for the throne. However you accused her of murder and fraud. Bezzling the crown’s money for her own luxuries. They tried to fight against you but you had the soldiers and citizens to back you up.

And so now you sat at the throne, a metal crown on your head to signify your new position. A large smile graced your lips as you saw someone walking up the steps. He took a glance at the guards at your side but when he saw you come to a stand and walked down the steps to meet him he didn’t find it in himself to worry.

“You kept your promise.” He told you, looking up at the crown.

It was his most prized possession after you had asked him to make it. He added in his own touch as per your request. You wanted it to serve as a reminder that he was the one who opened your eyes.

“I told you I would.” You answered. “Thank you for helping me.” Your face softened, feet shuffling closer to him.

Your hands twitched at your side, wanting to reach out for him. But he knew with the look in your eyes that there would be a moment for that. Alone and away from the prying eyes of others.

“Thank me by giving me food.” He teased.

“All you can eat.”

Tags : @cultofdionysusnet , @sandsofire , @k-vanity

#cultofdionysusnet #kvanity #sandsofirenet #stray kids x reader #stray kids #han jisung #stray kids imagines #han x reader #han x y/n #han x you #han jisung x reader #han jisung x you #han jisung x y/n #stray kids fanfic #stray kids scenarios #stray kids fluff #skz #tarot

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intrepidacious · 2 years

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👋 meeting for the first time🔪 knife against the throat💘 love at first sight

For the blurb thing! If you'd like

rewritten

pairing: outlaw!steve rogers x f!reader (yes you read that right)

word count: 734

warnings: medieval-ish!AU, the good old knife against the throat trope, mention of arranged marriage, this is longer than a blurb probably should be but oh well

please note that my blog is rated 18+. minors dni. ageless/empty blogs will be blocked without warning.

a/n: asdghd my first thought was that's just the plot of winter soldier but my head is really in that historical!AU headspace rn so i went a different route. love ya <3

----

As stories went, yours was off to a bad start.

You left home in the middle of the night mere hours after your parents announced they’d be marrying you off to the neighbour’s son within the week.

You were their only child, their miracle child, and you’d played the obedient daughter for them all your life. They’d depended on you all this time, and you’d learned to keep your dreams of adventure quiet early on. You were, however, not willing to give them up completely to be nothing more than a blacksmith’s wife.

You’d only been running for three days, and even though you stopped to rest for no more than a few hours at a time, your progress was slow. Not for the first time, you wished you could have taken your family’s horse, but that’d simply felt too cruel. Now, your feet were swollen and blistered when you wrangled them free of your worn-out boots, and you didn’t have enough water to wash the dust off your face.

At least the nights were still warm.

You were still more than a day’s travel from the nearest harbour where you planned to sell the ring your betrothed had forced onto your finger to the first pawnbroker you could find and take the next ship far away from here. You were just about to settle down for the night in the shade of a large tree when a rustling noise had you jolt upright again.

To your advantage, you’d been hidden in the shadows of a low-hanging branch. It was easy to surprise the man stumbling upon you, to slam his back against the tree with all the strength your panicked body permitted, and to hold your knife against his throat.

Your heart stumbled at the sight of him.

He was tall, with a mop of golden hair and a cropped beard, his eyes wide as he beheld you.

“I know you,” you said, almost in shock, because you’d seen his face before, dozens of times, printed on the wanted signs that were distributed all over the area where your village lay. The bounty to be paid to whoever caught the Captain was worth more than a hundred gold coins.

The notice said he broke a dangerous criminal out of prison and stole a huge sum of money from the king himself. But people whispered. It was an innocent man he freed, they said, and the money went to those in need and no one else.

You weren’t sure what to believe, but you found yourself unable to look away from his face.

The picture staring down at the villagers failed to capture how blue his eyes were, even in the pale moonlight, or how they crinkled when he looked at you.

“Milady,” he said softly, and you felt his throat bob against the knife you still held there. “Might I suggest you let me retreat a step and we start anew?”

His voice made your heart flutter. Strangely, it didn’t make you afraid; the shiver that went through you was anything but unpleasant. So you nodded curtly and lowered your knife.

“I am not a lady,” you told him, lest he planned to kidnap you for ransom.

The Captain merely smiled at you, and again, your heart skipped a beat. Slowly he crossed his hands in front of his chest, tilting his head ever so slightly before he spoke again.

“What else shall I call you then, dearest?” You didn’t answer him. He didn’t seem to mind, because it was but a few moments before he spoke again. “What does a not-lady such as yourself seek in the middle of these woods at this hour?”

“Safe passage across the sea,” you confessed, as if you couldn’t help yourself. It was like he had bewitched you to be nothing but truthful to him. Maybe it was those deep blue eyes.

His smile turned into a grin, more relieved than devious. “That,” he said, “I can provide you with, should you so wish.”

He reached an ungloved hand towards you and you felt heat rise to your cheeks. Your fingers balled into a fist to hide the ring, but as you looked at him, you thought his face to be nothing but honest and kind.

As stories went, this might well be the twist you had longed for all these years.

You took his hand.

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build-a-blurb ask meme

#steve rogers x reader #steve rogers x you #steve rogers drabble #steve rogers blurb #ren 🐝#inbox #rewritten

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spidercakes · 4 years

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SpiderCakes Masterlist

People have asked about masterlists before and I’m usually too lazy to make them but I decided I’d organize today so here goes! I’ve made the list according to the themes/ tropes of the fics I’ve written. Starker unless labeled otherwise. A lot of these are ABO and also something else but they’re labelled accordingly. Appropriate warnings are attached to each story.

The list is below the cut because its very long.

ABO

Confessions of a Slutty Omega- ABO AU in which Peter is a YouTuber and Tony watches his channel. More of a synopsis than an actual story.

Best Friend’s Kid: fic preview in which Tony is fucking his best friend’s kid.

Random ABO AU- based off this prompt: the first time Tony really holds Peter down with his entire weight as they fuck. Peter absolutely loves the loss of control.

Traditionalist Peter: older alpha Tony and young traditionst Peter in which Peter.

Another Random ABO AU: high school AU, based off this prompt: An Abo in which omegas when severally distressed emit an high pitched call that alerts their alpha.

Prep School AU: Big ‘ol pile of smut tbh.

Young Peter: based off this prompt- 16 yro omega!peter massaging tony's knot with his hands.

Bitchy Tony: fem!Omega!Tony and alpha!Peter where Tony is well known for being a real bitch to anyone who tries to court him.

Angst AU: based off this prompt: Tony is an alpha but Peter is a beta. They can’t be together as laws prevent alphas from mating with betas so they pine in silence.

Cheerleader!Peter Punk!Tony: HS AU cheerleader Peter and punk Tony, smut.

High School AU: what’s on the tin, including a little pining.

Slutty Peter AU: Peter is used to being in charge, but Tony takes over.

High School AU: fem!omega!Tony and alpha Peter.

Gossip Girl AU: Peter is surprised to find himself on a gossip blog he’s never heard of.

CNC Young Peter: 16 year old omega Peter and alpha mob boss Tony.

Married Tony: omega Tony is married unhappily to Justin Hammer and cheats with younger alpha Peter.

50′s AU: fem omega Tony and alpha Peter.

Heat Fic: Peter helps Tony through a heat.

Beauty Queen AU: beauty pageant AU with omega!Peter and alpha!Tony.

Playmate: omega Tony teaches omega Peter how to please an alpha. Intended as multichap but I have yet to write more.

Young!Peter: Tony needs to be married by 21 or he doesn’t inherit Stark Industries.

Tease Peter: best friend’s kid trope featuring Peter the tease.

High School AU: coy Peter makes Tony work for his attentions.

Intern: Tony takes an interest in his new omega intern.

Omega Run: Peter tries to outsmart the alphas only to get outsmarted by Tony.

Just The Tip

50′s AU- ABO also, based off this prompt: how about tony letting peter put just the tip in him as a reward, and they both like it so much they go all the way.

Young Peter- based off this prompt: Mmmm how about horny 16 yo Peter using the “just the tip” argument to convince guilty!Tony.

Late Bloomer Peter- based off this prompt: Omega!Peter is a very late bloomer. Neither he nor Tony realize Peter’s going into heat until it’s too late.

Just the Tip: ABO AU, dubcon, the one that started my fascination with this trope.

Teacher Student: This fit into like four categories on here but I put it here. Just the top with teacher Tony and student Peter.

Bratty Peter: ABO AU, based off this prompt: maybe Peter is being a brat and says he wants to ride Tony but Peter teases him by only putting the tip in.

Half Asleep Peter: ABO AU, based off this prompt: Peter is half-asleep and Tony comes home late from work, Peter tells him he’s tired. Smut ensues.

Fic Ideas (feel free to adopt any of these!)

ABO fic Idea- Meant to be long form, may never get to.

Whatever this is- WinterIronSpider, mentions of incest.

Prep School Idea- definitely starker, more than likely would have included a lot of smut and drug use lol.

Bodyguard AU: half crack half serious.

WinterIronSpider: ABO WinterIronSpider idea.

Urban Fantasy AU: vampire!Peter and incubus!Tony.

Funky BDSM YouTube AU: Tony and Peter do BDSM demonstrations and occasionally themed episodes where they try to use holiday objects as like BDSM equipment.

Royal AU: Tony loves Peter, shouldn’t because blacksmiths can’t love princes.

Naive Peter: young very naive omega Peter who gets fucked by older alpha Tony.

Mob AU: Peter gets involved with Tony after he gets in over his head with Quentin.

Random AU: Peter has had a crush on Tony ever since May started working for the Starks.

Actor AU

Karma Got is Kiss for Me

Age Difference: fic snippet in which Peter, looking for a little adventure, runs into Tony.

Mob AU

Angelic Peter: ABO, based off this prompt: angelic little omega peter who mob boss or biker tony takes a liking to.

More Bratty Peter: based off this prompt: You can’t lose your temper like this every time you get a bit upset.

Kidnapping AU: Tony deliberately kidnaps Peter because he has no patience for domestic violence and is basically offended that Beck sucks.

Smol Omega Peter: ABO AU featuring jailbait Peter.

Prequel to Smol Omega Peter: How they met in the above fic.

Shifter AU: based off this prompt: shifter au where everyone has a designated animal as well as abo.

Heir to The Mob: high school ABO AU featuring Tony as heir to the mob boss throne.

Barely Legal!Peter: ABO featuring mob boss Tony with barely legal! Peter.

Kidnapped!Peter: Peter gets kidnapped, Tony does something about it.

Mob Boss Peter: ABO Peter sleeps with Tony to intentionally fuck with mob boss Steve, whom Tony is married to.

Kept!Peter: Tony finds Peter in trouble and saves him, then chooses to pamper the hell out of him.

Stripper!Peter: mob boss Tony favors Peter when he visits the club.

Bratty Peter: Tony has to leave to take care of some things, Peter doesn’t care for that and reacts badly.

Mob Boss Peter: mob boss Peter featuring subby Tony who adores him.

Baker!Peter: Tony stark is a well known mob boss and he meets and falls in love with Baker! Peter.

Figure Skater Peter: mob boss Tony takes a liking to figure skater Peter, marriage to Quentin Beck be damned.

Harassed!Peter: mob boss Tony sees Peter being harassed and steps in.

Soulmates: mob boss Tony didn’t think he had a soulmate.

Superior Iron Man

Merperson Peter: based off this prompt: Tony takes down a rival corporation and discovers a hidden aquarium where they have captive merman!Peter.

Manipulative!Peter: based off this prompt: SIM being manipulated by an evil and/or mischievous Peter?

SIM AU: SIM!Tony manipulates MCU!Peter into coming home to his dimension with him.

Kidnapped Peter: based off this prompt: SIM had kidnapped Peter from the MCU dimension to replace his Peter that was murdered- SIM uses Extremis to wipe Peter’s memories.

WinterIronSpider

Pre WIS AU- based off this prompt: Peter and Tony love each other but Peter is worried about his super strength when they fuck so Bucky steps in.

High!Peter AU: WinterIronSpider high!Peter and soft Dom Tony AU feat. Bucky, the Added Element.

CNC Fic Preview: badboy type Tony and cheerleader! Peter with a splash of Bucky in there too. Incomplete.

Taboo

Stepbrothers AU: ABO featuring jealous Tony and a dash of winterspider.

Sequel to Stepbrothers AU: more jealous Tony and a dash of spidershield.

Another Stepbrother AU: WinterIronSpider- Alpha Tony shares his omega step brother Peter with alpha Bucky.

Age Difference: based off this prompt- Peter at a picnic with Tony, Peter in little daisy dukes or something similar and summery while eating watermelon.

Non-Con Politician AU: based off this prompt- Tony comes across something shameful the young, up and coming, idealistic politician peter parker has done in the past, and holds it over his head.

Teacher/Student

Tease!Peter: based off this prompt: Peter’s flirting not so subtly and tony ignores it until peter shows up in a short skirt and he can’t take it anymore.

Established Relationship: Peter and Tony discuss the future. D/s elements, smut.

Bathroom Fun: pure smut.

BDSM

Across The Stars: WIP, Peter takes a job as Tony’s sub to pay Ben’s medical bills after he's shot and falls into a coma. I’m only tagging this one as it links to all the other chapters.

Dom!Peter: 5 part series in which omega Peter learns he has a thing for domination and alpha Tony learns he has a thing for submission. Incomplete.

Teacher/Student AU: based off this prompt: Teacher/student (maybe an established relationship) with a whole lot of teasing. Dom Peter.

Dom!Peter: based off this prompt: Tony’s had a really long and horrible week at work and just wants to be good?

Sub!Tony: Peter accidentally becomes Tony’s Dom.

Edging: Tony edges Peter within an inch of his life.

Dom!Peter: Tony meets Peter in a club.

Drabble: Dom Peter and subby Tony.

Met Online: wherein Peter and Tony met online and decided to recreate a fantasy or two.

Miscellaneous

Trans!Tony AU- exactly what it says on the tin, smut.

High School AU: Exactly what’s on the tin, with smut/ fem Peter.

Serial Killer AU: exactly what’s on the tin.

Exhibitionist!Peter: Tony isn’t looking forward to his trip home because he knows he’s just going to be compared to his brother Steve the whole time. Peter helps.

So Sorry, Mr. Stark: Rumor has it Tony hates being called ‘Mr. Stark’ but that’s not the real reason he doesn’t want anyone calling him that.

5+1 honeymoon AU- based on this prompt: 5+1 honeymoon in which they stop their honeymoon five times to save the world and one time that they do not.

Acolyte Peter: Tony needs a replacement for Pepper and she suggests Peter.

Sensitive!Peter: based off this prompt: Peter trying to top but he's too sensitive so he either has to stop or ends up finishing too fast.

Rock Star Tony AU: exactly what's on the tin with a moodboard.

Wedding Fluff: exactly what it says on the tin.

Crack AU: Peter and Tony have been in an on again off again relationship since high school and they both happen to be in town for the same event.

Rabbi’s Nephew Peter: literally exactly what’s on the tin, preslash.

Spoiled Peter: exactly what’s on the tin.

WingFic: based off this prompt: a wing fic/soulmate AU where when you meet your mate, your wing colours combine so that you get your mates colours on your secondary feathers.

Zoom AU: Peter introduces his class to all his pets with funky names.

Vacation AU: Peter, Ned, and Liz all vacation in Italy before going off to college.

Bratty Peter: based on this prompt: bratty!Peter possibly with an over accommodating Tony?- in which Peter mostly only pretends to be a spoiled brat.

Diety!Peter: Tony is chosen as that years sacrifice to his village’s god by priest!Howard.

Urban Fantasy AU: urban fantasy starker AU featuring vampire!Tony.

Possessed!Peter: crack AU- Tony possessed Peter, Peter forces him to deal with the consequences.

Sex Slave AU: Headcanons around what this would look like.

Witch!Tony Familiar!Peter: Exactly what’s on the tin.

Sequel to Witch!Tony Familiar!Peter: Tony want to propose.

Camping!AU: Tony fucks Peter against a tree.

Prompt!Fic: Peter teases Tony.

Umbrella Sharing: exactly what’s on the tin. Fluff.

Possessive!Tony: Peter teases possessive Tony and it goes in his favor.

Snowball Fight: Peter hits Tony with a snowball by accident and that’s how they meet.

Pop Star!Peter Rock Legend!Tony: exactly what it says on the tin.

Media: media outlets have a heyday with Tony’s new relationship with 22 year old Peter.

Dumped!Peter: Tony comforts Peter after he gets dumped.

Cat Burglar Peter: based off prompt: Peter is a famous cat burglar and Tony is a police officer trying to catch him.

College AU: fluff mostly.

High School AU: 3 part series in which punk Tony gets with seemingly innocent Peter. The last part is linked, but all three parts are attached to the third.

Sleepy Starker: fluff piece that’s exactly what’s on the tin.

Soulmates: you don’t see in color until you meet your soulmate.

Random AU: Peter is upset that Tony never seems to mention him on social media.

Non Powered AU: Peter’s friends are really confused on what his new job is.

Moodboards

Serial Killer!Peter Detective!Tony

A Star Is Born

Kept!Peter Mob Boss!Tony

#starker #tony stark x peter parker #starker fanfiction #starker masterlist #winterironspider #masterlist

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luninosity · 4 years

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fanfic writers tag game!

I was tagged by the marvelous @musette22 for this lovely fanfiction tag game that was devised by the clearly very brilliant @thewaythatwerust, to discuss some of the fics I’ve written over time! Thanks so much! 💖

Let’s see, I shall tag... @thebestpersonherelovesbucky @turtletotem @gerec @whtaft and @ninemoons42 <3

Which of your fics…

* Did you think would get a bigger reaction/audience than it got:

Ah, a tricky one! I feel like I never really have expectations - I just write words because I can’t not! But maybe lines of light, which was my Steve/Bucky Fake Character Death Trope fic - it’s sort of a weird little fic, but I wanted more of that trope, but maybe that’s just me!

* Got a better reaction than you expected:

Oh, goodness - just about all of them! I remember being so shy and so nervous to share any of my writing, years ago, and now I write things that people seem to like...I think probably never mind the why and wherefore surprised me most, though! That’s my TJ Hammond/Johnny Storm fic, and when I started writing it mine was literally the third fic on AO3 for that pairing, and for that small a fandom, I’ve just been amazed.

Also, of course: I’m constantly amazed by how much people love Like Sugar! It was the biggest thing I’d ever tried to write, and it made me a better writer along the way, and I suspect it’s the Evanstan fic/series people might remember most, from my fics? (Also also, if original-fic-inspired-by-an-Evanstan-drabble counts: the love for Character Bleed has been overwhelming!)

* Is your funniest:

...am I funny? I don’t know! *waves hands about* I feel like I never set out to “write something funny,” but then again I like terrible puns and wordplay, so there’re probably funny lines in most fics? I hope?

Honestly maybe every inch of north and south, which has the Chris-turned-into-a-puppy plot, or Now That I’ve Found You, Stay, because giant patriotic dildos, or some of the banter in just a couple lovebirds, because I love Chris and Seb in that one. Or some of Bucky’s pulp fiction stories in tales to astonish. Or all the TERRIBLE autumn-related puns in the current Evanstan fic, A Place Not Far Away!

Or we could go REAL old-school and pull out the McFassy semi-crack fic in which James gets magically cursed to turn into a kitten. There’s that.

* Is your darkest/angstiest:

Ahahahaha. Um. *stares in Characters Having Emotions*

Okay, okay, um... Aside from certain specific chapters of Like Sugar and Amateur Cartography, it’s either The Tones That Tremble Down Your Spine (Bucky needs all the softness, after this! of course so does Steve...) (sometimes I think about adding a chapter, because it ends a little abruptly, but I also wanted it to - not everything’s 100% resolved, but it’s clearly on a healing trajectory!) ...

...or, over in Cherik-land, I hope we rise to the occasion, which does have a hopeful ending but is painful, or the balancing act stories (also Cherik) which were...personal in many ways (also originally written over on Livejournal, because I’m old).

* Is your absolute favourite:

Impossible! *laughs* It’s always the current story I’m (actively) writing. Which at the moment is the Evanstan autumn fluff-with-porn A Place Not Far Away. I don’t know if it’s my favorite-favorite, but it’s nice to get back to Evanstan and I love fall.

* Is your least favourite:

Also impossible! There’re things I love about all my stories. If I have to...maybe It’s Time To Bring This Ship Into The Shore, mostly because Michael’s such a dick to James for a lot of it. Which is also true in Loving Days (why was that a plot point in a few of my McFassy fics?) but I think I did a better job with his redemption in that one, and showing how much he changed and tried harder. And with Ship & Shore I wasn’t super-knowledgeable about the soul-bond trope (it was a request-fic) so I never felt quite sure I’d done it well enough!

* Was the easiest to write:

Amusingly, considering how epic and glorious and long the whole series became, I’d say Like O, Like H - the first Like Sugar Evanstan story. It just flowed. It knew what it wanted to be, and I tried to keep up. (Lovebirds was also one of those, as was the TJ/Johnny fic, never mind the why and wherefore.)

* Was the hardest to write:

the sound of rain on tin. It’s been the fic I’ve had the hardest time with ever. It’s my own fault for trying to do too much in terms of plot - sort of AU, an Evanstan-Stucky crossover, Lovecraftian elements - and then starting to post before I had it all properly sorted. I do know how it ends in general terms, I promise! but resolving plot/action has never been one of my strengths, and we’ve hit the point where I actually have to figure out How To Fix The Magic Portal-Thing, and I don’t feel like I’ve got it worked out well enough.

I mean if you all just want me to write the emotional Sebastian talking to Steve Rogers (and maybe a little curious kissing) and Chris talking to Bucky, and then *poof* suddenly Seb and Bucky are back in their respective universes and we get Emotional Reconciliation Scenes and Love Confessions, that part’s easy. I’ve had stray bits of those scenes done for years.

* Have you re-read the most:

Like Sugar, in part for continuity as I worked on later stories and in part because I’m really kind of proud of it.

* Would you recommend to someone reading your work for the first time:

Depends on what genres they like! I’m probably best known for - if anything - Like Sugar, and I think it’s pretty representative of my writing in terms of loving tender kink-with-emotions! But the person would have to not mind Evanstan RPF and soft Dom/sub kink and arranged (sort of) marriage tropes.

Other than that, for Evanstan, maybe Sweet Disposition (the third version of the clothes-sharing fic!); or (baby won’t you please), which is the Chris And Seb Go To A Sex Club For Research For a Role fic, or tempt me, tease me, which is...Sebastian leaves an unsatisfactory date with someone else (brief and random) to go pick Chris up from a bar, and then there’re lots of revelations about Feelings, and also porn-with-emotions. Those last two ‘feel’ similar in my head for some reason - mood, maybe, or story arcs about revelation and discovery.

...for Stucky, maybe when and where our eyes meet (Bucky falling asleep! soft blankets!)...or tales to astonish, because it’s such fun!

...if you want to go a bit older, I have weird affection for my first-ever Cherik fic, Know That It’s True, which is a Cerebro hurt/comfort fic, and then I love the slow development of the McFassy in No Wonder, No Wonder, which I occasionally still think about trying to revise as original, but it’s so character-driven that it’d be hard, but I love the feel of it, the hints of magic and the setting...

* Are you most proud of:

Like Sugar! At the time it was the biggest story I’d ever tried to write, both in terms of length and in terms of world-building and planning and characters growing closer together. Character Bleed got more complicated in terms of needing multiple outlines and plot, eventually, but I couldn’t’ve done that if I hadn’t done Like Sugar first.

* Has your favourite line/exchange/paragraph (share it):

Too hard to pick! There are so many!

I sometimes say it’s this one, from tempt me, tease me, though not always:

“If you’d like,” Sebastian offers, “we can even tell them I borrowed your key and lost it, if you don’t mind asserting small untruths to hotel personnel.” Big blue half-plastered Captain America eyes stare at him some more. “…Chris?” “You…” One hand waves, a partial gesture, pulled back at the last second. As if Chris has meant to reach out, and thought better of that. “You really would? You wouldn’t, y’know, mind?” Sebastian half-smiles. Thinks of cars with broken-glass windows in Romanian capital-city streets, thinks of students waving flags and cheering with feral glee, thinks of saucer-eyed childhood memories and songs of revolutionary fervor and desperate upheavals of optimism like birthing-pains. Chris Evans is beautiful and genuine and real, and Sebastian would do far worse things, would splinter his body and perjure his soul, to give Chris one more day in which to eat pizza and laugh and clap friends on the shoulder with a broad happy hand. “No,” he says, “I wouldn’t mind.”

Or, from the WIP - the next chapter of A Place Not Far Away - because my favorite is often what I’m currently working on, there’s this! Enjoy? <3

They both watch Sebastian for a second; he’s nodding, jotting down a quote, hair bouncing with the motion. His fingers are quick and tanned, gathering notes; his jacket’s casually open, and dirt’s left a scuff on his right boot.

He’s a New York City reporter in a black leather jacket and a stylish sweater, but he’s also a reporter who doesn’t mind getting dirty and will run through a corn maze and helped set out signs the first day Chris ever met him.

Carly pats Chris’s shoulder, says, “Enjoy yourself,” and heads off to supervise some historical blacksmith demonstrations. The sky shimmers in clouds and satin and magic and unfallen rain.

Sebastian bounces back over. “That’ll be fantastic, she was so excited, she’s already thinking about next year, which is so perfect for a pull quote, and it’ll get people thinking ahead about coming here then!”

Would you come back, Chris doesn’t say. Would you come back next year, next month, next week, even if your story’s done? Would you stay and not leave?

He can’t ask that. This is Sebastian’s job.

He says, “That’s awesome. You want lunch?”

“Absolutely. I haven’t eaten my way through your menu yet. Recommendations?”

“Classic Oktoberfest? The whole German sausage, potato, onion thing? That one’s popular. And, um, baked apples. In maple cream sauce.” Food. He can talk about food. Promoting their menu. Not getting down on both knees and promising to bring home every pumpkin Sebastian likes, if that’ll make those happy eyes stay at his side.

“Sounds good.” Sebastian’s eyebrows go up, beckoning Chris into the joke. “And I do like sausage.”

“I like your sausage,” Chris tells him, and Sebastian’s laugh is a splash of sunshine through clouds and cold and tree-branches that stretch to the sky.

#fanfic ask thing!#meme thing #musette22 #yay!#my fic #evanstan #stucky #cherik #mcfassy

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theuntamednarrator · 4 years

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Shenanigans on the High Seas

from @trensu, the blog that brought you WangXiantics, and from that other blog that just, like, screams a lot in the tags, comes the AU that we all desperately need because, frankly, we’re a little dehydrated from crying over the Nie Bros (drumroll please)

PIRATE AU!!!

You know you want it

the Zidian is Jiang Cheng’s ship. he inherited it from his mother, who was known as the Violet Spider, Scourge of the Seven Seas

before she retired, Captain Yu had two first mates she’d trained since childhood, Wen Qing and Luo Qingyang

after Captain Yu retired they got married and are now Pirate Wives with an-all female crew aboard the Yiling Matriarch

her bright red sails are just as feared as the purple sails of Zidian or the sable sails of Ghost General

any man who sets foot on the Matriarch best be prepared to lose it, and the leg it’s attached to

rumour has it that every carpenter from beijing to budapest pays the Matriarch a commission, for keeping them in work making peg legs, but that’s just a rumour

JC captains the Zidian alongside his first mate Jiang Yanli

the rumours about her say that she’s the reason there’s so little murdering done by those aboard the Zidian

but the crew know she once ordered a captive tied to a chunk of bait and thrown overboard near Shark Reef Bay

granted, she let the crew fish him back out after the first bite, and Jin Zixun never said another word about Captain Wei Wuxian until he was ransomed

but still

speaking of WWX, he captains the Ghost General, though far from doing any actual captaining he’s usually to be found up in the crow’s nest with a bottle of rum and his flute

luckily, his trusted first mate Wen Ning is more than capable of handling the General

his very favourite targets are the Jin Company’s slave traders, and most of his crew are former captives who chose to stay with him after their rescue

regardless of how drunk he might be, no one can fight like Captain WWX, except perhaps JC and JYL, they did grow up together after all!

because WWX was a foundling fished from the wreckage of a vanquished merchant ship by the Violet Spider at age 6 and taken to the island hideaway where her lover, former merchant sailor turned stay-at-home-dad Jiang Fengmian, is raising their two children

because this is a HAPPY AU DANGIT, and we deserve ONE AU where these two don’t traumatise their children

Captain Yu and JFM are in fact very, very happy together and raise little WWX together alongside JYL and JC

Captain Yu and JFM met when she raided his ship

he offered himself and all the gold aboard in return for his crew’s lives

she thought him rather striking and went about setting him up on a little island she knew, very out of the way, where she can visit as often as she likes

JFM is DELIGHTED by this turn of events, which he loudly denies has anything to do with Captain Yu’s famed skill with a whip

while JFM was settling into his sugar baby life, his crew were returning back to their home port to report to JFM’s business partner, Lan Qiren, that the Violet Spider had killed JFM and taken all their gold

LQR, who had secretly been in love with his best friend and business partner for years, declares the Violet Spider his ARCH NEMESIS and sets about trying to destroy her

when his brother and sister-in-law die and leave his two nephews in his care he ropes them into the feud

the Lan Brothers both join the merchant navy and are the very most eligible bachelors polite society has to offer

they hate all pirates of course but especially the unholy trio of Zidian, Ghost General, and the Yiling Matriarch

this makes it VERY awkward when Lan Wangji finds himself THROWN OVERBOARD during a terrible storm, rescued by WWX, and dragged aboard the General

at first, recognising the uniform, WWX keeps LWJ under his eye by tying their wrists together with a length of rope for absolutely no other reason definitely not cause he’s cute, nope, no sir

later, LWJ manages to snatch a sword and an EPIC DUEL ENSUES *cue he’s a pirate (main theme) from PotC here*

they’re in the rigging, they're sliding down the sails, they’re fighting up and down the deck

LWJ is HORRIFIED to realise at one point that WWX is laughing

even worse, he, LWJ, is having fun??? wtf he’s never had fun in his life how dare

after the fight ends in a draw LWJ and WWX come to an Understanding and have many deep and meaningful conversations as they sail back towards port

both of them fall madly in love of course, but Pirate!WWX and Midshipman!LWJ are just as emotionally dense as the OG varieties so there’s A LOT of pining

Seriously- so. much. pining

they probably battle a sea monster at some point because that’d be sick

finally, they arrive back at the port and WWX asks (sadly, because pining) where he should leave him and LWJ says (sadly, because pining) that any of the Gusu Cloud piers is fine

and WWX laughs because how funny! my dad used to be a merchant sailor for the Gusu Cloud Company

which is how LWJ discovers that the ‘dad’ WWX has been telling stories about for literal WEEKS is actually his uncle's now not-so-long-lost-love!because they are both Disaster Drama Gays™ they decide they simply MUST do this Right. After all, it’s an Epic Reunion™!!!

LWJ convinces his uncle to come out sailing with him (even though LQR has not boarded a ship since JFM was lost, cue sweeping nostalgic music and distant stare into montage of the two of them in their Youth)

they row him blindfolded out to the island where JFM and Captain Yu live and the moment LQR sees JFM it’s jaws to the floor.

there are tears

JFM puts his hands on LQR’s shoulders and says ‘my old friend. you never said’

they hug

it’s adorable

don’t roll your eyes it’s adorable and you know it

Captain Yu and LQR still Do Not Get Along

their Epic Rivalry™ continues but now it’s just morphed into them trying to outdo each other in displays of affection

JFM’s little island house soon holds more jewels, gold, fine silk, and artwork than half the royal coffers of europe

family dinners are a DELIGHT

JC freaking runs whenever his father hosts Captain Yu and LQR for dinner

because 1) god dad, you're so embarrassing, and 2) HE DOES NOT WANT TO HEAR ANYTHING THEY GET UP TO BEHIND CLOSED DOORS THANKS

JYL thinks it's sweet and loves seeing her dad so happy

WWX does the pirate-time equivalent of a bro fistbump with JFM, like, NICE.

LWJ is very quiet but secretly loves it because he, as we all know, is That Bitch

‘A wedding! I love it! drinks all round!’ – WWX, probably, when the three finally announce they’re getting married

the wedding is WILD

there’s a whole lot of dancing, WWX is in the thick of it of course

LWJ wants so badly to ask him to dance but he still hasn’t told him how he feels (because emotionally dense disaster gays, remember?)

he finally has to go outside after WWX somehow convinces LQR to dance a jig with him which means WWX has officially asked everyone to dance except him

he goes and sits in the tidal rockpool, and his billowy white shirt is all wet and see through when WWX comes stumbling out of the party calling for him

WWX sees LWJ silhouetted by an endless horizon of ocean and stars and dies. he's quiet for the first time in his whole life

then LWJ turns and sees him so of course WWX has to go down and talk to him. he may be a pirate but he’s not a barbarian (unlike some certain nies we could name but won’t he’s definitely not still salty about the arm wrestle incident with Captain Nie’s ‘little brother’ eh he’s not much of a fighter but he’s great with languages yeah right his wrist still hurts sometimes bloody barbarians)

‘ah lan zhan lan zhan! you aren’t allowed to run away; we haven’t had a dance yet. even your uncle danced with me surely you can’t say no!’ *pouts*

lwj.exe has stopped working

but of course he can’t deny WWX anything so he makes to head back inside

now wwx.exe has stopped working

because to HELL if he’s sharing wet LWJ in a see though white shirt with the rest of those imbeciles

‘ah, um lan zhan lan zhan we can hear the music from here just fine can’t we? let’s just dance right here?’

and of course LWJ says yes

so the two of them just dance together on the edge of the ocean, waves lapping over their bare feet

until a particularly big one knocks them flat (listen, it’s a trope for a REASON dagnabbit)

WWX ends up sprawled over LWJ’s chest and he’s laughing and apologizing

but LWJ is just looking at him, wreathed in stars, eyelashes so wet and glittering, the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen

WWX notices how still he is and they just pause for a moment and stare at each other

doesn’t really matter who kisses who but they are kissing and it’s wet and salty, there is sand in their teeth, and they absolutely do not give a flying dutchman

they don’t even register the cheers and catcalling until JC runs up and dumps a bucket of water over their heads

because dammit he hasn’t spent months running out of every room his parents and LQR are in just to watch his big brother pop his cherry get it on on the beach

the rest of the gang are all watching from the porch

WN and LXC look very awkward and embarrassed

JYL looks fond and is shaking her head

JC meanwhile is having a heated argument with WQ because there were bets on you see

WQ ‘pouring a bucket of water over them is cheating I’m not paying you one penny JC’

JC ‘I’m a pirate why on earth would you expect me to play by the rules pay up Captain’

WWX and LWJ sneak away while they’re all arguing

The General has one new crew member when she next sails out

ANYWAY married gay pirates wangxian having adventures AU is what we’re saying

Also for your consideration other delightful Pirate!AU options include:

naval officer!lwj chasing down pirate!wwx (think norrington/sparrow if Disney weren’t COWARDS);

high society!lwj in love with blacksmith-turned-pirate!wwx (the Elizabeth Swann/Will Turner dynamic, except with Swann in the forge fight because we said so);

davy jones!lwj pining for calypso!wwx (carving your heart out = chest brand anyone? seriously, just imagine LWJ setting foot on dry land for the first time in 13, 16, 10 YEARS, playing the song he’s composed for his love and WWX IS NOT THERE!!!!)

#the untamed #wangxian #pirate!au #trensu tells stories #theuntamednarrative #long post

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tacitwhisky · 5 years

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Jon / Sansa Reread - Arya I, AGOT

< Previous Chapter (Jon I) | Next Chapter (Jon II) >

In which Arya is not good at sewing, she hangs out with Jon, and the two of them watch Joffrey be a dick.

The main action of Arya I is essentially two scenes and interactions: Arya with Sansa, and then Arya with Jon. But despite its simplicity, there’s a lot going on in this chapter. Jon I introduced the first really big conflict in the Stark family (Jon vs Catelyn), and Arya I introduces the second (Sansa vs Arya). It also our first real introduction to Sansa; not just her as a person, but a character in her element and the social sphere she’s most comfortable in.

Martin has said before that he originally created Sansa as a contrast for Arya and to introduce some conflict into the Stark family, and that’s very much in evidence in these first few chapters, starting with how in the second paragraph of her very first POV chapter Arya is already being contrasted unfavorably with Sansa by Septa Mordane.

Arya’s stitches were crooked again.

She frowned down at them with dismay and glanced over to where her sister Sansa sat among the other girls. Sansa’s needlework was exquisite. Everyone said so. “Sansa’s work is as pretty as she is,” Septa Mordane told their lady mother once. “She has such fine, delicate hands.” When Lady Catelyn had asked about Arya, the septa had sniffed. “Arya has the hands of a blacksmith.”

There’s a perception in fandom that Sansa and Arya fundamentally don’t like each other or that Sansa was condescending to Arya, but something that’s underrated is just how much the two are actively pitted against each other by Septa Mordane. And this is as good a time as any to mention that Septa Mordane fails epically in her role as a mentor and is kind of a dick. It’s one thing for Septa Mordane to not want to encourage Arya’s more rambunctious interests, but it’s entirely another for her to constantly beat Arya down and reinforce her negative self image.

It’s unfortunate in a lot of ways that Arya’s POV comes before Sansa’s. It’s a known psychological phenomenon that your first impression of someone else really does affect how you see them: there’s a study (wish I still had the link) where two groups were given the same list of actions someone took with the only difference being a negative or positive news story they had the group read about the person before the list of actions. Sure enough, people who read the negative news story rated that person’s actions as more negative, while the people who read the positive news story rated their actions as more positive.

With Sansa all her negatives as a character are front loaded, and our perception of her is permanently tarnished by Arya’s frustration and issues with her. This has the cascade of making the reader judge Sansa more harshly than they should for everything she does later.

She looked glumly at her sister. Sansa was chatting away happily as she worked. Beth Cassel, Ser Rodrik’s little girl, was sitting by her feet, listening to every word she said, and Jeyne Poole was leaning over to whisper something in her ear.

“What are you talking about?” Arya asked suddenly.

Jeyne gave her a startled look, then giggled. Sansa looked abashed. Beth blushed. No one answered.

Arya is pretty clearly excluded from this group, though considering what they’re talking about it’s not that surprising.

“Joffrey likes your sister,” Jeyne whispered, proud as if she had something to do with it. She was the daughter of Winterfell’s steward and Sansa’s dearest friend. “He told her she was very beautiful.”

“He’s going to marry her,” little Beth said dreamily, hugging herself. “Then Sansa will be queen of all the realm.”

Sansa had the grace to blush. She blushed prettily. She did everything prettily, Arya thought with dull resentment. “Beth, you shouldn’t make up stories,” Sansa corrected the younger girl, gently stroking her hair to take the harshness out of her words. She looked at Arya. “What did you think of Prince Joff, sister? He’s very gallant, don’t you think?”

We can see here in Sansa holding court a lot her natural leadership qualities that will make her a good lady or queen someday. She’s kind when she corrects Beth, and doesn’t embarrass her. She also tries to include Arya in the conversation now that’s she engaged in it. I think there’s a tendency to read this interaction as Sansa fishing for a compliment, but there’s no actual reason to read negative intent into it. She really does seem to just be trying to include Arya.

“Jon says he looks like a girl,” Arya said.

Sansa sighed as she stitched. “Poor Jon,” she said. “He gets jealous because he’s a bastard.”

It’s worth pointing out that Sansa isn’t completely off base here. If Jon’s first chapter showed anything it’s that he is remarkably bitter about the cards life has dealt him and it’ll be an ongoing aspect in this chapter too. So while it’s dickish of Sansa to dismiss Jon’s opinion because of his birth, she’s not actually wrong on the substance of it.

“He’s our brother,” Arya said, much too loudly. Her voice cut through the afternoon quiet of the tower room.

“Our half brother,” Sansa corrected, soft and precise.

It’s the same thing here with her calling Jon their half brother. Sansa is the Stark most aware of formalities, and there is a formal distance between Jon and the other starklings that even he observes (for example back in Bran I where he called Robb “Stark”). There’s a legitimate argument to be made that’s Sansa’s simply being precise here and not trying to distance him from them.

That’s not how Arya perceives it though; for her to be bastard is to be other (we’ll see this again in a minute), so when Sansa says, “He gets jealous because he’s a bastard” Arya immediately interprets that as Sansa othering and distancing Jon. Thus why her answer is that Jon is their brother despite Sansa not actually saying he wasn’t related to them. Bastard is other, and Arya is closer to Jon than anyone.

I actually think since we don’t get Sansa POV of this interaction there’s enough ambiguity to support either reading depending on your headcanon: she may simply be being precise and formal, or she may be trying to distance Jon from them. Or maybe a mixture of both.

Of course, because we’re in Arya’s viewpoint and already preset to think the worst of Sansa, I imagine most readers interpreted it the second way on their first read, which would then make them dislike Sansa: we’ve had two chapters to empathize with Jon, so just by narrative law our first loyalty is to him, and we’re currently in Arya’s viewpoint and thus biased towards her interpretations of events.

“Arya, why aren’t you at work?” the septa asked. She rose to her feet, starched skirts rustling as she started across the room. “Let me see your stitches.��

Arya wanted to scream. It was just like Sansa to go and attract the septa’s attention. “Here,” she said, surrendering up her work.

The septa examined the fabric. “Arya, Arya, Arya,” she said. “This will not do. This will not do at all.”

Everyone was looking at her. It was too much. Sansa was too well bred to smile at her sister’s disgrace, but Jeyne was smirking on her behalf. Even Princess Myrcella looked sorry for her. Arya felt tears filling her eyes. She pushed herself out of her chair and bolted for the door.

This is one of the pettier and crueler things Septa Mordane does. Instead of minimizing Arya’s embarrassment, she amplifies it so she can preen and cast herself as long suffering. She truly is the worst.

There’s also an interesting thing going on here where Arya’s attributing things to Sansa that aren’t actually happening. First she blames Sansa for attracting Mordane’s attention, then thinks thinks Sansa is internally pleased at her embarrassment but just isn’t showing it. In both instances there’s no actual proof this is what's happening, but again we run into that cascade of negativity in how the reader sees Sansa. It also dovetails perfectly with the negative trope of the snooty feminine older sister that Sansa already falls into.

It wasn’t fair. Sansa had everything. Sansa was two years older; maybe by the time Arya had been born, there had been nothing left. Often it felt that way. Sansa could sew and dance and sing. She wrote poetry. She knew how to dress. She played the high harp and the bells. Worse, she was beautiful. Sansa had gotten their mother’s fine high cheekbones and the thick auburn hair of the Tullys. Arya took after their lord father. Her hair was a lusterless brown, and her face was long and solemn. Jeyne used to call her Arya Horseface, and neigh whenever she came near.

Again we see a zero sum dynamic between Sansa and Arya: there’s only enough femininity for one of them, and Sansa already used it all up (again attributing something to Sansa that she actually has no control over).

It’s also interesting to note that I think a lot of people actually conflate Sansa and Jeyne when it comes to their treatment of Arya: even I internally thought that both of them called Arya horseface, when the paragraph very clearly states it was just Jeyne. And while Sansa doesn’t seem to have shut Jeyne down (though I can’t remember if she ever knew Jeyne was doing that), it is worth noting that Sansa doesn’t bully Arya, and outside of arguments doesn’t seem to antagonize her.

This matters because Sansa and Jeyne despite being lumped together in Arya’s head, actually occupy very different positions within Winterfell. I wish I had bookmarked it, but I just read a meta the other day about how galling Arya’s existence must’ve been for Jeyne; no matter how much closer she is to Sansa or better at feminine pursuits, Jeyne because of her birth will always be lower than Arya, never Sansa’s true sister. Which is kind of fascinating when you remember that Jeyne will later be forced to be Arya when she’s married to Ramsay. She gets what she wants, but very much not how she wanted it.

(this also makes me want to read a Jon x Jeyne AU. No? Just me? Fine)

It hurt that the one thing Arya could do better than her sister was ride a horse. Well, that and manage a household. Sansa had never had much of a head for figures. If she did marry Prince Joff, Arya hoped for his sake that he had a good steward.

Being canonically bad at horse riding and math are strangely enough two things people tend to forget about Sansa. Partly I’m sure it’s that this isn’t in the show, and partly it just doesn’t really jive with the rest of Sansa’s character. Being able to manage a household is part of the westerosi feminine ideal, and so it doesn’t really make sense that she’d be bad at it, especially considering how well she is at logistics and managing a household later on in the Eyrie. Chalking this one up to early installment weirdness seems fair.

By now Septa Mordane would certainly have sent word to her lady mother. If she went to her room, they would find her. Arya did not care to be found. She had a better notion. The boys were at practice in the yard. She wanted to see Robb put gallant Prince Joffrey flat on his back. “Come,” she whispered to Nymeria. She got up and ran, the wolf coming hard at her heels.

They [Arya and Nymeria] arrived, flushed and breathless, to find Jon seated on the sill, one leg drawn up languidly to his chin.

This is a very Jon pose; composed, thoughtful, intent. It’s actually low-key one of my favorite descriptions for just how much it tells you about Jon in just a few words. It’s also very in keeping with how Bran described him in his chapter as slender and quick and graceful. Jon in these early chapters and from the viewpoint of Bran and Arya has a very different physicality to him than later when things are solely from his viewpoint. In these early chapters he’s a little more bishie than later; partly because he’s younger, partly because men don’t think there appearance as much in fiction.

Which all on its own is interesting to contrast with Tyrion who is exceptionally aware of his body at all times, and the female characters who are much more attentive to what they wear and how they look. I tend to think it comes from Martin’s, however subconscious, male gaze, but it also fits westeros: women from a young age are socialized to view themselves as sex objects and to be hyper aware of their attractiveness and appearance. It’s sadly not that different from the real world.

Jon gave her a curious look. “Shouldn’t you be working on your stitches, little sister?”

Arya made a face at him. “I wanted to see them fight.”

He smiled. “Come here, then.”

Arya climbed up on the window and sat beside him, to a chorus of thuds and grunts from the yard below.

“A shade more exhausting than needlework,” Jon observed.

“A shade more fun than needlework,” Arya gave back at him. Jon grinned, reached over, and messed up her hair. Arya flushed. They had always been close. Jon had their father’s face, as she did. They were the only ones. Robb and Sansa and Bran and even little Rickon all took after the Tullys, with easy smiles and fire in their hair. When Arya had been little, she had been afraid that meant that she was a bastard too. It had been Jon she had gone to in her fear, and Jon who had reassured her.

Arya’s fear that her outsider qualities stem from bastardy hints at just how much damage Catelyn’s ostracization of Jon seeps unintentionally into the rest of the starklings. As we saw when Sansa called Jon a bastard, Arya equates bastardy with otherness. It’s no doubt one of the reasons she’s so close to Jon as they both don’t feel like they fit. That and his unquestioning acceptance of her less feminine coded interests.

And just like when he gave up having his own wolf so Bran and the other starklings could get theirs, we see again just how much Jon loves his siblings. It must’ve stung for Arya to so blatantly unhappy about being like him, but he wasn’t bitter about it. In general with his siblings Jon doesn’t get bitter (outside of some stuff with Robb), only when the rest of the world intrudes.

(this also marks the first of many, many, many times Arya thinks about Jon mussing her hair. It gets old)

“Why aren’t you down in the yard?” Arya asked him.

He gave her a half smile. “Bastards are not allowed to damage young princes,” he said. “Any bruises they take in the practice yard must come from trueborn swords.”

“Oh.” Arya felt abashed. She should have realized. For the second time today, Arya reflected that life was not fair.

“The Lannisters are proud,” Jon observed. “You’d think the royal sigil would be sufficient, but no. He makes his mother’s House equal in honor to the king’s.”

“The woman is important too!” Arya protested.

Jon chuckled. “Perhaps you should do the same thing, little sister. Wed Tully to Stark in your arms.”

“A wolf with a fish in its mouth?” It made her laugh. “That would look silly. Besides, if a girl can’t fight, why should she have a coat of arms?”

Jon shrugged. “Girls get the arms but not the swords. Bastards get the swords but not the arms. I did not make the rules, little sister.”

Like with Tyrion last chapter, we can see here the seeds of Jon’s later ability to empathize and understand other marginalized groups. Jon’s narrative is a constant examination of his own privilege and then using his bastard status as a way to extend sympathy and understanding. This is something he’s challenged with again and again.

It’s also reminiscent of Bran I where he was sympathetic to Bran but also didn’t hesitate to tell him the truth. Jon as a person is fiercely loyal and kind to those he cares about, but doesn’t coddle. Like we talked about last chapter, because of his position Jon is keenly aware that the world is not fair.

Jon watched them leave, and Arya watched Jon. His face had grown as still as the pool at the heart of the godswood. Finally he climbed down off the window. “The show is done,” he said. He bent to scratch Ghost behind the ears. The white wolf rose and rubbed against him. “You had best run back to your room, little sister. Septa Mordane will surely be lurking. The longer you hide, the sterner the penance. You’ll be sewing all through winter. When the spring thaw comes, they will find your body with a needle still locked tight between your frozen fingers.”

Arya didn’t think it was funny. “I hate needlework!” she said with passion. “It’s not fair!”

“Nothing is fair,” Jon said. He messed up her hair again and walked away from her, Ghost moving silently beside him.

I find it endlessly hilarious how extra Jon tends to be in these Winterfell chapters; it’s a good writing tip though. Teenagers in general tend to be extra.

Show Comparison

I’m putting this as its own section this time because both of these scenes are almost entirely missing from the show: in the first episode we see Arya bored at sewing before she runs off to hang with the boys, but there’s no confrontation or dialogue with Sansa. And the second scene with Jon simply doesn’t exist.

While on the surface these aren’t big cuts, and were most likely simply due to time constraints and attempts to streamline things, they do subtly change the characters and speak to an underlying difference in how D&D see Arya and Sansa: feminine arts become something Arya generally despises because she thinks they’re dumb, not something that she dislikes because she’s bad at them and there’s no place for someone like her in her society.

We also miss her “the woman matters too!” exclamation, which is a far cry from her “most girls are dumb” line later in the show. It’s a subtle shift, but an important one.

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This wraps up Arya I. Overall it’s a strong chapter, and an interesting introduction to Sansa: not a favorable one because of the POV, but one that’s consistent with her character. We won’t get her perspective on her relationship until both of them are well on their way south, but luckily for us we won’t have to wait that long. Next reread will be Jon II where he has the infamous scene with Catelyn at Bran’s bedside, and then the chapter after that will be Sansa I.

If you’ve got any questions or comments hit me up on my asks; I love talking with you all.

Previous Chapters:

Bran I

Jon I

Next Chapter (Jon II) >

#reread #jon snow #arya stark #sansa stark #jonsa #agot #got #game of thrones #a song of ice and fire #meta #asoiaf #asoiaf meta

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