Masha's Roulette #6
Welcome to the sixth issue of my weekly random grab-bag of recommendations newsletter, where I will show you some things to read and some things to listen to, and my solemn promise that at least one item in here will be new and interesting to you.
First, Some Things to Listen To
I spent my weekend tabling at a convention, and so that is the theme for this week! The playlist for the convention was interesting: a lot of classic 80s pop hits and Gay Culture Icons, but also half the persona 4 soundtrack, the opening theme to deeply cursed anime Domestic Girlfriend (which does slap and I love Minami's voice but god the anime this beautiful song is attached to), and at least 4 different songs from Yuri!!! on Ice. My beloved. Also A Cruel Angel's Thesis came on and someone asked me what the anime was called because they only knew the name for it in Chinese. I would also like to recommend my other favorite Minami song Lilac, which is more upbeat and optimistic than Crying for Rain, and also this song in Russian I was recently recommended. "My dearest (feminine), I am not that far away. You could kill me without embracing me."
Now, Some Things to Read
Here are some fics and one extremely iconic Tumblr post about tabling and attending conventions.
How to Talk to Strangers Without Passing Out, and Other Tips for Your First Artist Alley by ellipsometry
Fandom: Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Pairing: Sylvain Jose Gautier & Bernadetta von Varley, Rating: G Word count: 1.7k
Summary: “And, anyway, I figured out—" It’s alarming to see a guy like this – tall, conventionally attractive, alarmingly normal-looking in a way that makes him stand out against the candy-colored artist alley offerings – actually stumble over his words. “I do know you. It’s Bernadetta, right? I’m a huge fan of your writing! I didn’t know did art stuff too!”
Ah, Bernadetta thinks, hand itching toward her purse, and the sweet promise of pepper spray inside. So this is how I die.
Bernadetta goes to her first Artist Alley, and meets her biggest fan.
Winnie wrote this for me and therefore it is literally everything I have ever wanted in my life.
Happy for Now by ScarlettStorm
Fandom: The Untamed/Mo Dao Zu Shi, Pairing: Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian, Rating: E Word count: 80k
Summary: Wei Ying abandons her suitcase to investigate the sleeping situation, already coming up with a hundred reasons not to inconvenience Lan Zhan by stealing half of her fucking bed, and then gets a better look at it.
It’s huge. Wei Ying has seen a king bed before, and this is bigger than that. Is that a California King? Is that what those huge-ass orgy beds are called? There are parking spaces smaller than this bed. Wei Ying has lived in apartments smaller than this bed.
“You know,” Wei Ying says thoughtfully, “I’ll level with you. I was gonna volunteer to sleep on the couch, or steal some pillows and blankets and sleep in the bathtub, but then I saw this monstrosity. Lan Zhan, look at this fucking bed.”
Lan Zhan rests her hands on the room divider, her face softly amused. “I am looking.”
“We could tend a whole herd of sheep on this bed,” Wei Ying says, warming to her subject. “We could cross the Pacific Ocean and weather any storm on this bed. Fuck, Lan Zhan, I could stage an entire community theatre production of Chicago on this bed.”
Or: There was only one bed, but that part's fine, actually.
Rule 63!Romance Writers AU.
In This Same Space (stay for a minute) by Hyeyu
Fandom: Haikyuu!!, Pairing: Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Rating: T Word count: 24K
Summary: Yahaba rolled his eyes, reaching up to peel Tooru’s hand away from his face. “He’s not going to magically appear just because I said something nice about him. Iwaizumi-senpai isn’t actually a demon, y’know.”
“Wouldn’t be surprised if he were,” Tooru muttered mutinously as they resumed walking. “There isn’t anything off with my costume, right?”
“You’ve already asked me this nine times this morning, senpai. It looks good, no, I don’t see anything out of place, people are going to eat it up and take a billion photos with you and seriously, why do you care so much about what Iwaizumi-senpai is going to-”
“I do not fucking care,” Tooru hissed through a gritted smile as he waved to a couple of familiar faces rushing past, “about what that pedant says about my cosplays. I do not.”
In which Oikawa is a fairly well-known cosplayer, Iwaizumi is the irritatingly talented doujinka who regularly spots errors in his costumes, and their booths keep ending up located beside one another at conventions, much to Oikawa's dismay.
And they were tablemates. Oh my God, they were tablemates.
TRUCKBRU by copperbadge
Fandom: Marvel, Pairing: Gen, Steve Rogers and Tony Stark focused, Rating: G Word count: 2.2k
Summary: Tony's idea of a food truck is...interesting.
Part of an AU where all the MCU people work in the NYC restaurant industry but stands up well on its own.
The Orangutan Story by winchysteria on tumblr
A very short and funny story about an Edgar Allen Poe conference.
Feel free to email back with recommendations of your own!
I'll be back next week with more things to listen to and read!