June 25, 2021

The Rec Center #286

Hi folks! This week we’ve got articles about Fast & Furious and pandemic cosplay, a celebration of a truly delightful videogame artist, multifandom fic recs about ~pining, and more! — Gav

new stuff

“All dressed up with nowhere to go: Cosplaying in the pandemic” by Lauren Orsini at the Washington Post
A look at how cosplayers have been grappling with the lack of in-person events throughout the pandemic, including some beautiful photos of their work.

“Sung Kang’s Road Home: How His Fast & Furious Character Became a Lightning Rod” by Brendan Klinkenberg at GQ
An excellent profile of Sung Kang, the actor who plays Han in the Fast and Furious movies. A fan-favorite character who was initially envisioned as a walk-on role, his popularity went on to shape the arc of the franchise—and influence the public conversation about Asian representation in Hollywood.

“Supernatural prequel announcement reveals a rift among the show’s main cast” by Gav at the Daily Dot
There HAVE been some updates since this post was published, including Jared Padalecki having a private chat with Jensen Ackles, but if you’re puzzled about Why Everyone’s Talking About Supernatural Again, this is a quick primer.

older stuff

“How to Be Critical of the Things You Love” by Nawal Arjini at The Nation
“‘Fans have to have an ability to be wrong,’ Hanif Abdurraqib says, referring to himself. ‘To not understand, and be comfortable not understanding.’”

tumblr & beyond

“If you are one of my followers who does not watch Supernatural you may be entitled to financial compensation”

“actually palpatine is so fucking funny.”

a perfect description of elijah wood

Why videogame artist Ikumi Nakamura is an icon and a legend.

Garak, summarized.

fanfiction

This week we have one of fanfiction’s most important tropes: pining. Thanks so much to everyone who sent in a rec. — Elizabeth

“wake up and smell the roses” by sunshineforthesoul. 6.1K words, rated Teen.
Fandom: Check, Please!; Ship: Derek “Nursey” Nurse/William “Dex” Poindexter
Recced by: Rachel
Backstory: Webcomic about a hockey team at a fictional college in Massachusetts. Nursey and Dex are a pair of defenseman on the team who took a while to become friends at all.
Rec: This pair has been through a lot and I like nice things for them :D Also, Chowder’s long-suffering role as their best friend.
Content warnings: N/A

“Mischief is its own reward” by dalniente. 92K words, rated Teen.
Fandom: Megamind; Ship: Megamind/Roxanne Ritchi
Recced by: buginateacup
Backstory: Megamind is a story about a Supervillain who through a series of circumstances realises he doesn’t want to be the bad guy anymore. He also happens to fall desperately in love with his chosen damsel in distress.
Rec: Megamind was my darkhorse fandom for 2020. This fic is one of the best out of any I’ve read featuring a neurodiverse Roxanne, is very respectful of the way it treats trauma and is a genuinely beautiful story of two characters realising they’re in love. Also it has fake dating, only one bed and mutual pining. What more could you need?
Content warnings: Some mentions of past trauma

“Gold Dust” by Kihyunie. 70K words, rated Teen.
Fandom: NCT (Band); Ship: Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin
Recced by: macarmua
Backstory: Jeno and Jaemin are 20 year-old members of the k-pop group NCT, and best friends for the past seven years. None of this is relevant to the story.
Rec: Every one of Kihyunie’s stories is a work of art on its own, managing to put into words the hardest and most beautiful of feelings, but Gold Dust does so in a way that the emotional build up + release had me sobbing for an hour and then glued me back together afterwards. In Gold Dust, the main characters try to solve the ages old question of “what is a home, actually” in very different ways, all while traveling half across the world together, described in a way that shows the beauty and flavour of the places they visit while not glossing over the not so picturesque details of travelling. It’s bound to leave you both wanting to drop everything and travel and to fall in love.
Content warnings: N/A

“Knives Beneath Her Feet” by miss_lanyon. 4K words, rated Explicit.
Fandom: The Little Mermaid; Ship: Little Mermaid/Prince
Recced by: kawy
Backstory: Original flavor Little Mermaid as BDSM romance.
Rec: OG Little Mermaid chose to suffer and die to obtain a human soul, so I like that she at least enjoys the suffering.
Content warnings: Dubious consent, violence, BDSM (obviously)

“effeuiller la marguerite” by arriviste. 22K words, rated Explicit.
Fandom: Les Miserables; Ship: Enjolras/Grantaire
Recced by: Petra
Backstory: A modern setting Rule 63 (always women) take on the Les Amis group where they’re—as per the author’s tag—militant political lesbians.
Rec: I loved the take on the group dynamics here, how Enjolras is an untouchable ice queen but burning underneath, and the delicious pining Grantaire goes through.
Content warnings: N/A

“paint smears on sunny days” by SnowshadowAO3. 54K words, rated Explicit.
Fandom: The Untamed; Ship: Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian
Recced by: Kitty Climpson
Backstory: The Untamed is an epic fantasy drama set in ancient China, where Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian are soul mates/unlikely besties/star-crossed lovers navigating challenges and fighting monsters such as the “Tortoise of Slaughter” (no kidding) and ripping your heart out and tearing it into a million tiny shreds in the process. This is a modern AU, where LWJ is a composer and 5-year-old A-Yuan’s adoptive father, and WWX is his art teacher.
Rec: Despite the slightly unsavoury title (or is it just me?), this is just purest romance and fluff. The sweetest. I loved it so much, I literally read it twice in a row. The characters are well captured, and A-Yuan is predictably cute.
Content warnings: N/A

FINAL THOUGHT

This week’s call for recs is one we’ve done in years past: summer-oriented fic! Please use our submissions form, and be sure to include “summer” in the themes & tropes section. — Elizabeth