#I guess we're like a slow burn fanfic haha

[disease-danger-darkness-silence]

I'm working on making Raven a replica of the 4th Doctor's scarf. The 4th Doctor is their favorite and his scarf is iconiqué lol. This and the ring I'm going to make them (out of titanium, because they're allergic to like... Every metal but titanium, tungsten, and platinum) is my marriage gift to them.

I like titanium; it's strong, and Raven doesn't think they're strong but they are, they're the strongest person know. Their birthstone, alexandrite (or pearls but that's not a stone, fuck that) is extremely tough, as well, and I'm hoping to score some shards of alexandrite to do a tiny Warhammer inlay for them. I'm going to get a titanium ring inlay blank, because honestly, I don't have a lathe right now, especially not one that can handle titanium, and the absolutely tiny forge I have cannot melt the shit - it barely melts iron and aluminum.

@nagia-pronounced-neijia once wrote a silly, fun, comfort-food sort of fanfic that I still adore to this day: Operation: Exploding Jellyfish! I love it so much. I remember it, almost 20 years later, because I loved the opening scene where Cloud talks about the ring he wants to propose to Tifa with.

Very few things that glitter are actually gold. At least, not in Edge. It had been the same way in Midgar.

Good thing for Cloud he wasn't shopping for gold. Or silver. Gold and silver were soft metals, worthless save for their shine.

No, Tifa deserved something special. Unique.

Strong.

Diamonds and steel. He wanted diamonds and steel.

I think about that every time I think about Raven and jewelry in general. I never buy or make them jewelry, even though I can, because they deserve the vest.

Titanium and Alexandrite. They're my diamonds and steel.

Anyway, back to the knitting.

I'm an idiot and decided to use chunky yarn (just the Hometown line from Lion yarn. It's soft, it's cheap, and I can get it anywhere bc it's sold at Walmart. I'm poor) on a basic-ass #5 knitting needle, because the OG was knitted and not crocheted.

I should have just gone with crochet, even though it won't look right, because my hands are KILLING me. I can only add a few rows a day because of my arthritis and the current weather. God, I'm old.

The original was stockinette, but stockinette always made my hands hurt bad, even before my arthritis got this bad.

I'm also not making it 24 feet long, like the original. I'm aiming for 10-12 feet once I've blocked it, so it can still wrap around the neck. I'm making the stripes the same lengths as the original, because Four used it to measure all the time. So all of the bits are going to be specific lengths.

The "inside" (where all of the color transitions will be, because I'm very lazy with my knitting transitions and have a stripe on one side) will have small hidden pockets for doodads, like a yoyo or a sonic screwdriver (yes, I'm making a 4th Doctor screwdriver replica because why not? I have a 3D printer, may as well), or a cell phone or keys. They'll be designed to be in the bit that wraps around the neck, so it won't bulge on the parts you see.

It's a basic-ass scarf but I'm putting a lot of love into it for them. They're always cold, too, so...

Anyway, I'll be trying to update about the scarf here as a way to hold myself accountable, but I'm also gonna like. Crochet more.

As we start packing for our indeterminate time away from Carson City, I am gonna need to keep myself in line with something physical. Knitting and crocheting (with a brief departure for sewing a present for my daughter) is basically gonna be my thing.

Well, that and Darktide.

[skibasyndrome]

Hey Simon 💜,

1, 2,4, 36, 39, 41, 46 and 47 for the fanfic ask :)

Hope you have a lovely weekend!!

Hi Sophia 🥰 Thanks so much for sending in an ask! I'll try my best to reply with the tiny catalog of read fics I have available haha.

favorite fanfic of all time

I cannot possibly answer something as... final as this lmao. I'll just name my recent faves again (sorry for tagging you guys again):

The most beautiful boy by thelovelysarcastic (not on tumblr? idk?)

Treasures and Treachery by itsme_hi_imtheproblem/@iwouldnevergetintofanfic

Ivy by unfortunate17/@unfortunate17

2. favorite writer of the fandom

You see... now I have a very similar problem, lmao. Toooo many amazingly talented people whose writing I am obsessed with, to possibly decide, but I'll give a few definite faves:

@earlgrey-lateatnight (RubyIntyale), @ungaroyals (embracedthevoid), @unfortunate17, @darktwistedgenderplural, @iwouldnevergetintofanfic (itsme_hi_imtheproblem), @stretchoutfics (strechoutandwait), ... (and I'm sure I'm already forgetting people and fics arghhh)

4. the fanfic you would recommande for somebody not in the fandom

Honestly? All of my favorites.

But I actually did send a link to you can stay by origamifrogs/@princewillesothermom to my bf @alkalinetrios yesterday because I was like "I don't care that you're not involved, you HAVE to read this". (it's beautiful and heart-wrenching and a masterpiece)

36.   your favorite trope

So if we're learning one thing here today, it's that I am highly indecisive. God, I love so many tropes. I think it'd be easier to ask which tropes I don't like, I guess?

But I definitely love a good slow-burn, a good friends-to-lovers or enemies-to-lovers or strangers-to-whatever-to-lovers with everyone suffering from being painfully in love. I guess I just very much love reading about them falling in love and being dumb about not noticing that it's mutual lol. Yeah I think that's it, something like mutual, very lovesick pining.

39. a trope you would like to see (more) in the fandom

Oh idk, I don't think I have enough of an overview to really say something I missing, but as a never-fully-recovered former emo kid I'd love to see some more of the stuff the MCR fandom had for example, like idk... vampires obviously, but also ghost stuff or like tragic angsty historical fics or idk. I guess just some dark stuff? For funsies lol.

41. How do you choose the fic you read

Firstly it's gotta be Wilmon-centric, then I look at the word count, and compare that to how much time I have lol, then I read the summary and idk? I guess either the writing style needs to catch me immediately or it needs to be some original premise. Or a retelling of one of my favorite scenes, that also catches me lol. So I guess I just base what I want to read on the summary. Oh, or a trusted mutual/friend recommends it!

46. did you stay awake up to an veeeery unreasonable hour to finish a fanfic

Yeeeeeeep, very much do that, probably too often. Sometimes my eyes will be falling shut, but I tell myself I gotta push through, there's only x chapters left lol

47. WIP or not WIP

Yes WIP!!!! I love WIPs for soooo many reasons, most of all because it's such a fun journey and because the waiting just kind of heightens the excitement for the next chapter!

Send me a fanfic ask

[bun-z-bakery]

what inspired you to write sunny days and echoes of deception? Honestly I think your story telling is very interesting! I haven't seen anyone make a DogDay x reader story like yours. That's what drew my attention in!

Same with echoes, the au is an interesting take, we usually see Vanessa as the "bad guy" but never the reader. Will you post more chapters soon? I hope you didn't stop writing for them!

Hi hi! Thank you so much that's so sweet! But ofc I admire all of the dogday x reader writers, if it wasn't for my hyper fixation and reading all the amazing stories I probably wouldn't have started posting anything, so I gotta give them credit!

My main inspiration tends to be kdrama, LOTSSS of daydreaming and music! The whole "write for yourself" plays a part in it too, I love family drama, fluff, slow burns, betrayal, scandals so why not write it but with characters I love? In a way I guess it's a bit self indulgent but isn't that kinda the whole point of writing fanfics? Haha

Also yeah I think it's a 50/50 with Vanessa fics, not complaining but sometimes I wanna see the reader causing problems for everyone 🤭 I'm going to post again soon! I already have a few chapters written I just havent been able to post much because we're taking care of a family member right now :3

[gaygoetia]

To return the favour, I'd like to hear your thoughts on Theon/Jon too, please. :)

Hi! Absolutely 😊

When I started shipping it

I don't remember specifically when I started shipping them but I remember reading the books and being fascinated by all the parallels between them. I'm pretty sure I was already shipping them by the time A Dance With Dragons came out in 2011 so it's been at least 10 years! (which makes me feel old as hell lol)

My thoughts

Too many to put down haha. These characters are perfect for the "enemies to lovers" trope. In canon they have such an antagonistic relationship on the surface but they have more in common than they realise and deep down they do care about each other.

What makes me happy about them

I love how different they are in complimentary ways. Jon is repressed and uptight so could learn a thing or two from Theon's "I do what I want" attitude but Theon is an irresponsible, insecure mess so he should really take a leaf out of Jon's book! They're not afraid to call each other out in ways I think are really beneficial for their development but they also understand better than most what the other is going through so there's a sense of mutual understanding there too.

What makes me sad about them

Well if we're talking about canon definitely the constant tragedy that plagues them both lol. I guess I'm also sad that they don't realise (yet?) in canon how similar they both are and how the things they hate about each other are actually rooted in familiar insecurities.

Things done in fanfic that annoy me

I hate when fanfic strips them of all their flaws (when that's literally what makes them so interesting!) to the point where they feel like totally different characters.

I also am not a fan of incest in fanfic and unfortunately it's pretty rampant in this fandom (for understandable reasons). I'm cool with other people shipping what they want but personally the moment incest comes up I usually stop reading.

Things I look for in fanfic

I am not someone who gravitate towards fluff or pre-established relationships. I love fiction which explores complex emotions and the messy reality of being a human being (especially one with a fuck ton of trauma and/or internal biases to work through)

Snowjoy isn't a particularly popular pairing (especially since the show ended) so I'll usually read any fic with them in lol. But my favourite tropes for them are slow burn, enemies to friends to lovers, fake dating and modern AU's.

I also love fics which explore or touch on mental illness, addiction, toxic masculinity, internalised homophobia and toxic friendships/relationships

Who I'd like them to end up with, if not each other

I truly do ship Theon with almost every character lmao. Theon/Robb, Theon/Jeyne, Theon/Patryk and Theon/Sansa are a few that come to mind. That said, in fic where he ends up with women I need him to have character development where he learns to respect women before I can root for them.

Jon I ship with fewer people but I can get on board with Jon/Satin, Jon/Ygritte and Jon/Sam.

My happily ever after for them

In canon its hard to think of one that would make sense tbh. Probably either Theon joining the Night's Watch and them being together there or them going beyond the Wall and living together as wildlings. I'm personally not a big fan of Jon as Lord of Winterfell/King in the North in general but especially when it comes to this pairing because I think it would create an uncomfortable power imbalance after everything Theon has been through.

Who is the big spoon and who's the little spoon?

I think they switch! I think Theon has a soft spot for being the little spoon though after a lifetime of wanting to be one but feeling too self conscious to ask.

Favourite non sexual activity

Definitely agree with you about the bickering haha.

Bonus

If you like this pairing you may enjoy this playlist I made for them (depending on your music taste):

It's an indie-rock playlist based mostly on their pre-Ramsay dynamic.