#2020 rec week theme

[kuwdora]

Saturday Morning Vid Recs - Women!

Back in January I told @poetikat that I wanted to share just a fraction of vids I’ve seen since I started vidding in 2007 that I love. Taken me forever to format the links into a post to share. I have several more posts half-finished and may show up on your dashboard in following weeks or months.

I'm reccing vids that are at least 1 year old, but most of these vids are 4 and 8 and 12 years old and sometimes older. These vids feature a variety of sources, characters, genres of music, genres of shows. Each of these vidders have their own style and the way they approach a song or a source. I love these vids, they're fun to watch, they're hot, mesmerizing, engaging, thoughtful, full of love and horniness and BAMFs and joy and struggle. I love. I love.

I give to you 23 vids for this weekend's theme:

Women!!

Learning to Fly by rhoboat. Beautiful Boxer (2004). A movie vid based on trans Thai boxer Nong Toom’s life. This song is so good showing her journey to learning to find herself and fly! Ako Te Reo by bironic. Rūrangi (2020). Ana learning Te Reo Māori. This vid is so wonderful! It's never too late to learn. Come on Feet by JinkyO. Pumzi (2009). The song choice and pacing is incredible for this Kenyan sci-fi film. Something has to keep us moving forward. Black Nails by fightingarrival. A League of their Own (2022). A Max vid that is a great look at her journey on the show. This vid makes me want to rewatch all her scenes all over again. Here, take this L. Damned if She Do by chaila. Borgen. This source is the Danish political drama Borgen. Birgette is so kick-ass and this song is perfect for her. She come alive when she dying. "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." Strict Machine by such_heights. Doctor Who. River Song. I’m in love with River Song so of course I have to rec this. I get high on a buzz then a rush when I'm plugged in you. Counting Stars by beccatoria. DC Animated Wonder Woman. Beccatoria has always done such a great job of vidding animated source and WOMEN!!!! Superstar by @heresluck. Buffy the Vampire Slayer. A Faith vid. This (one of many) epic Faith vids to come out of vidding fandom over the years. This vid lives rent free in my head. But I would pay this vid to live in my head because I love it so much. Never gonna be the same again.

Down & Dirty by @sweeter-than. Killjoys. A Dutch fanvid! A++ song choice for a character study showing her relationship with the Jacobi brothers and her general awesomeness. Make way. Cut Like a Buffalo by kiki_miserychic. Empire. Cookie Lyon fanvid! Cookie has all the skin in the game and she is so good at music, but damn there’s so much bullshit she has to deal with along the way. Yeah, you know I look like a woman but I / Cut like a buffalo / Stand up like a tower, tall / Then I fall just like a domino. Control: A Monstress Fanvid by garrideb. Based on the comic Monstress. You know this Halsey song + any woman who has been Going Through It is going to be a fucking ride. Great editing, amazing art. Fortunate One by @moocowmoocow The Expanse. CAMINA!!! DRUMMER!!!! A Sleater-Kinney cover of Fortunate Son is 10 million kinds of brilliance here for Camina and this source. I ain't no fortunate one. Celebrity Skin by @some-stars. Black Sails. This is an Eleanor and Max character vid. I repeat: Elenor and Max vid to Courtney Love’s music. Heed the warnings. This vid is so goddamn good. It better be worth it. Double Woman by starlady. Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame. So much awesomeness packed into this vid. Through the camera lens re-editing history gives imagination to the people. Wu Zetian and Shangguang Jing'er are awesome. Hooray for awesome ladies of the Tang Dynasty! Titanium by giandujakiss. Wonder Woman (the original tv show). She is titanium! Suffering Sappho.

Mirrors by @kuwdora. Snow White and the Huntsman. Queen/Snow. Lots of fantasy imagery and bdsm like themes since the Queen wants to suck the youth from Snow. Sex. Love. Control. Vanity. Lightning Field by bradcpu, a Legend of the Seeker fanvid of Cara/Kahlan. The imagery in this vid is outstanding, the tone the atmosphere. I have rewatched this more times than I can count. Strike me down, Give it everything you've got. Hands Away by chaila and beccatoria. Sarah Connor Chronicles/Fringe. Sarah/Olivia constructed reality fanvid that is constructed really really fucking well that you might forget that these are two different shows. I can't reach you. (Or, two messiahs walk into an alternate reality) Hurricane by @laurashapiro. Farscape and Battlestar Galactica, Starbuck/Aeryn.This vid is so epic and hot and incredible...Hot and sexy and can’t take your eyes off them. Two pilots walk into a bar. I Wanna Go by millylicious, a multi-source action vid Angelia Jolie tribute. This is fun and delightful. Space Girl by charmax. Multi-source space women and girls! My momma told me I should never watch Sci-fi but I did, I did, I did. Celebration by sweetestrain. Pop divas. Madonna, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, etc. Another one of my favorites of favorites. The connected imagery between all of these music videos still blows my mind, but goes to show you how pop music continues to build and evolve from each other. Plus sexy dancing. If it makes you feel good. Your Song by anoel. Multi-fandom. One of the most epic sapphic/wlw vids out there. I don’t wanna hear sad songs anymore, I only wanna hear love songs.

Hope you like these recs! Follow the tags to keep up #saturday morning vid recs and/or #kuwdora recs

EDITING TO ADD: How to Leave Feedback on Fanvids

[bridenore]

Recs masterlist part three : past fests

I’ve been doing drarry recs posts every week for a while and it’s getting harder and harder to navigate through all theses posts. So here is a masterlist of all the posts I made so far.

Note : the masterlist is now split into three parts. I have apparently reached the maximum number of links you can include in a single post. Part one is here Favorites, authors, themes and length and part two is here Ongoing fests.

Last updated : March 25th 2024 (Added since last update)

Previous update : September 25th 2023

Past Fests (the last edition was held before 2022)

Big Bangs : Harry Big Bang 2015, HD Big Bang 2011, Draco Big Bang 2010, Big Bang Baby 2008, Big Bang Baby 2007, Big Bang Baby 2005

Consent fest : 2019, 2018

Daily Deviant : Banging Birthday 2020

Harry submits : 2012

HD Canon fest : 2011

HD Collab : 2019

HD Eight Year : 2015

HD Glompfest : 2019, 2017, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010

HD Holidays : 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007 winter, 2007 summer, 2006

HD Hurtfest : 2020 , 2016, 2015, 2014

HD Inspired : Animagus, Back to school, Mpreg

HP Creature fest : 2016

HD Remix : 2021, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015 , 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2007, 2006

HD Smoochfest : 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009

HD Tropes : 2019, 2016, 2014, 2013

HD World Cup : 2009, 2008

HP Animagus Fest : 2021

HP Creature Fest : 2016

HP Kinkfest : 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010

Special events :  Lock Down fest 2020

[bylerficrecweek]

BYLER FIC REC WEEK 2023

Calling all Bylers! There are so many talented and amazing creators in our community, and it’s time to show them some love! There are quite a few fics and authors that are very beloved by this fandom, and while they absolutely deserve all the hype they get, there are so many other amazing fics and authors out there waiting to be discovered! We want to help you shine the spotlight on your underrated faves and share the love.

How it works:

Byler Fic Rec Week will last from Friday, 3rd of March to Thursday, 9th of March. Each day will be themed around a different genre of Byler fanfic for you to rec your personal favourites of. Don’t be shy, share as many fics as you want that fit the day’s theme— the more the better! We’ll be reblogging all the recs that get shared to this account as an archive of hidden gems, and using the tag #BylerFicRecWeek2023. The specific genres for each day can be found here.

All you need to do to rec a fic is to share its title, the name of the author, and a link to it (You can embed hyperlinks to the fic and the author’s AO3 profile by highlighting the text, choosing the infinity symbol, and pasting in the URL). If you want to you can also add the AO3 summary, your own description, how it makes you feel, or anything about the fic that you think will make people interested in reading it. If the author has a Tumblr and you know the @ you can also tag them, so they know you like their fic enough to recommend!

You can share your rec lists by:

Posting them to your own blog. Make sure to tag #Byler so more people have a chance to discover your recs! Also use the tag #BylerFicRecWeek2023 so we can definitely find your lists to reblog!

Submitting them to this blog. Don’t feel comfortable making posting a list to your own blog for whatever reason? No worries, we’ve got you covered. Submit a list to us and we can post it for you. Note that posts you submit will include your username.

Sending them in as asks. If you’d prefer to use asks over submissions or you want to remain completely anonymous, feel free to send your recs in to us as asks! You can’t embed hyperlinks into asks, so please include the full URLs of any fics you share like this.

Other ways to get involved:

If you feel extra motivated, you can show your appreciation for your favourite fics with fanart, edits, gifsets, moodboards— however you like! If you tag fancontent for a fic you’re reccing with #BylerFicRecWeek2023 we’ll be sure to reblog it! Make sure to tag the fic’s author when you share your creation, because they’ll definitely want to see it.

Rules/FAQ:

NO NSFW. This blog will not post or reblog any submissions, asks, or posts made with the #BylerFicRecWeek2023 tag that contain NSFW fanfics. if you post a list containing multiple recs and only one of them is NSFW, we will still not share it.

Byler should be the MAIN pairing of any fics you rec for this event. Any side pairings are fine, but the fic needs to be centered on Byler.

There is no hard limit on how popular fanfics you rec for the event can be, but the main purpose of this event is to bring attention to smaller works and their creators. If you can, try to share recs for fics you haven’t seen talked about or that you feel deserve more attention than they get. Well-known writers and their stories are fantastic, but we want to help uplift other authors too.

Fics don't need to be completed for you to rec them! There are a lot of great ongoing stories that deserve to have more people on the hype train for new updates. That being said, please don't rec fics that have been confirmed  to be abandoned, or that haven't been updated since 2020. Anything that's received an update since then is fine to rec, as fics can come off hiatus at unexpected times.

Don't worry if you don't have fics to rec for each genre; you don't need to participate in every day to get involved.

Blog run and moderated by: @apatheticlexicographer , @willelfanpage , @ice-sculptures , @aceoflanterns , @miwism , @super-nova5045

[ffviirarepairweek]

FFVII Rare Pair Week 2024

Urban Dictionary defines rarepair as “A ship or pairing that not many people ship or is very rare to find fanfiction and fanart of. Typically happens within small fandoms or with minor characters.” So what’s your favourite Final Fantasy VII related rare pair? Do you have more than one? Here’s a chance to showcase them and help them move up from being rare! Not all parts of the pairing have to be from FFVII, and you don’t have to do the same pairing or group for the whole week! ** Pairings can be romantic or platonic. ** Below we have a list of prompts for this year. Feel free to be as creative with those as you want to, and take your time working on your entries, but please don’t forget to post them on the right date if you can. (But remember, no matter how late it’s better than never!)

For this event we are using a category approach. You can use the category as a theme for your prompt and the listed items suggested ideas. If none of the prompts give you any ideas, don’t worry! You can create anything you like for the week, provided it involves a rare pair! The goal of the week is to celebrate and share our rare pairs more than to just follow a list. Be it art, writing, mood boards, or even fic recs, just spread the love!

Feb. 16 | Day 1. Weather. Sunshine. Rain. Storms. The weather can create a meaningful moment, or a huge inconvenience. 

Feb. 17 | Day 2. Unexpected Challenges. How does your pairing deal with an unexpected challenge? (For example, they come back home from a trip to find the pipes have frozen and they have no running water. Is one of them using the last of the drinking water to save their dying house plants while the other is desperately melting snow to keep the humans alive?)

Feb. 18 | Day 3. Favourite Things. From favourite things about each other to favourite items of clothing stolen to wear around the house (much to the other’s chagrin), or favorite things to do for or with each other.

Feb. 19 | Day 4. Near Death Experiences. For the angst lovers, the whumpers, this could be a true near death experience. For the lighter side, it could be something much less serious but someone is clearly being dramatic for sympathy. 😀

Feb. 20 | Day 5. Free Day/Combo Day. Combo space to mix and match prompts from this year (or a previous year’s list) or go wherever your canoe takes you!

Feb. 21 | Day 6. Events. Holidays, celebrations, traditions. Whether it’s a joyful day like a birthday or one of mourning like a memorial, there are many days throughout the year that bring us together. What’s a day that’s important to your pairing, or a time that brought them together for something that isn’t part of their regular day to day?

Feb. 22 | Day 7. Stories. Stories play a big part in our lives. They inspire, they entertain, they teach. Is there a story that your characters hold dear, or that they recount often to friends (or their kids)? (Or is there a story about your rare pair that you want to recommend to others today?)

Need more inspiration? Our past prompt lists can be found below, and you’re welcome to use any of them!

2023 List | 2022 List | 2020 List | 2019 List | 2018 List

Also, mod Asylos is taking requests for things to write again this year. That’s right, you can get something written for your rare pair, and not just do all the heavy lifting yourself. Send in your requests as an ask any time now up until the end of the event week. 

Please remember to include the week’s tag (ffviirarepairweek) within the first 5 tags or else we might be unable to find your work! We will NOT accept/reblog anything containing Character/Ship Hate, so avoid including those in your entries. Also don’t repost anyone else’s work as your own! You are welcome to reblog other’s posts, but credit where credit is due. 

You can submit your works on AO3 to the event collection at https://archiveofourown.org/collections/FFVIIrarepairweek

And if you have any questions, don’t be afraid of sending in an ask.

We hope it turns out to be a fun event for everyone!

[destielfanfic]

from the inbox, #9

From the inbox, #9, special edition - Destiel fic reccing Now and Then

Hi! First of all, your blog is absolutely wonderful! I wish there were a billion more like it for all pairings and fandoms lol. Do you know of any other good supernatural rec blogs?

As long as there were destiel fics, there were also dedicated fic reccers. Some stayed with fandom longer, some moved on faster, so, now we have a mix of active blogs and archived blogs. Here’s small collection of destiel fic rec resources that I’ve come across on tumblr. This is by no means a definite list and you are welcome to add your own resources in the notes! Let’s keep fic reccing craft alive and diverse!

Destiel Fic reccing NOW, currently active blogs in 2023

@profoundbondfanfic - an active and prolific destiel fic rec blog with dedicated mod team. Follow them on tumblr and have a rec every day!

@destielficbasket - a blog that reblogs a wide variety of destiel fic rec posts from other Tumblr blogs. All goods in one place!

@deancasfanficrecs - destiel fic recs and fic rec reblogs, lots of posts to chose from!

@destieltaggedfic - blog full of original themed fic rec posts, sorting destiel fics from different angles.

@mixtapebookclub - a tumblr blog for destiel fic podcast. Thematic podcasts and fic rec lists at the same time. There is also a Mixtape Book Club AO3 collection for your convenience. 

@cocklesdestielfiction - what it says on the tin! They have destiel, but they also have cockles recs and gif sets. Check them out!

@destieltropecollection - a very unique blog that collects themed self recs from the authors. Check out their neatly organized Master List Collection 2017-2022 or follow them to get the latest Destiel Trope Collection 2023 rec lists every day in May.

The Destiel Fan Survey Favs Collection on AO3 contains 2793 fics and 668 bookmarked fics that were chosen by destiel readers in several fic surveys organized by destiel writer @unforth. Check out this vast collection of reader choice fics!

Destiel Fic reccing THEN

@destielmybeatingheart-deactivated - what to say, this was the main blog for destiel fic rec back in the day. Unfortunately, the mod left fandom and later took down the blog and, with it, all their fic rec posts. See this post to appreciate what we used to have. In coming weeks, @destiel-fic-rec-lists will continue to reblog available destielmybeatingheart’s rec lists with updated links to AO3 when possible. You can find them under #creator: destielmybeatingheart tag. 

ask about other spn blogs like ours - this is 10 years old ask and a lot of blogs here are not active anymore or full of dead links, but if they are up, you can still browse them. The list includes some non spn fic rec blogs as well.

@deancasfix - destiel fic rec blog, reviews, rec lists and asks, last update May, 2020.

@deancasfanficnet - a blog to promote destiel fic writers, various posts, last update April, 2020.

@destiel-fics-for-you - destiel fic rec blog, reviews, rec lists and asks, last update June 2016.

Last but not least, don’t forget to browse our destiel fic challenge master post Where Is Destiel Fic In 2022 and occasionally check out @destiel-fic-rec-lists​ blog for fic rec lists made by other fans. (hint - all reblogs are tagged with their creator’s urls, so you can easily find their other posts on the blog)

Support and cherish your local fanfic reccer. You never know when you’ll need their help to find your next favorite fic!

Destiel fanworks on AO3 - 111,567 (May 8, 2023)

You can find previous From The Inbox posts here.

[undergroundkdrama]

#KDRAMAWOMENSWEEK 2023 | March 8th – 15th  2023

[alternatively: a week and one day to talk about and make things for women you appreciate in celebration of International Women’s Day] Inspired by @evansbrewster that’s no longer on Tumblr.com.

@kdramaladies will be hosting the event as well. I’ll reblog where I can and try to be present. Prompts courtesy of @dramaheroine who has dont 99.9999% of getting this week to happen, prompts and more, thanks so much. Gifs courtesy of @cuddlybitch, @haeyeongs and @orangesyellow. Thank you all so so much. Thank you to everyone that checks in about this when I am sure I’ll be sitting it out. KWW has been happening for eight years, this being the ninth which is nuts.

Please tag your posts #kdramawomensweek and/or @undergroundkdrama so they are easier to find, admire, and reblog.

Day 1: In Her Head

Women with rich inner worlds, full of hidden thoughts, desires and fantasies. Are her thoughts being revealed to the viewers in visually exciting ways? Think dream sequences, a touch of magical realism, voiceovers, a cut to a talking head or perhaps weird little animated cells…

Day 2: “It” Girl

2021 was all about Haves and Haves Not x2000. 2022 was the year of women in the legal profession. Tell us which of the characters fitting this year’s trend you have enjoyed the most and why. What made them better than the rest? Or what else do you think has been a popular theme/genre/topic for 2022 dramas? How did women fit into the equation? Here are a few examples: gangsters, “behind the scenes”, school violence, countryside living etc.

Day 3: The Help

Women holding everything together in the background, women who have to do all the dirty work, who do thankless labour regardless of the setting or time period. Servants, secretaries, domestic staff, cleaners, nurses, nannies, care workers, housewives…Let’s put some time aside to ‘celebrate those who don’t celebrate’ because they are too busy keeping things running.

Day 4: Bad Girls Club

Everyone loves an angst filled, angry revenge drama so lets talk about the women who seek revenge? Women who hold grudges and whose hearts are filled with rage. Women who hurt others (knowingly and unknowingly). Women who seek power over others and/or themselves in cruel ways. A day for celebrating women’s wrongs.

Day 5: Recommend Her!

Choose your fave – give us a Top 10 that you think she’d make e.g. Spotify Wrapped, her 2023 reading list, her watchlist. Personally, I think that Lee Yeo Reum from Summer Strike listens to a playlist like this (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3yrqVOEnwQG4z8czX8qD4k?si=36e45bbaeaad4892) as she walks around the village trying to make sense of who she is and what she wants. Today’s a day for projecting and recommending. Sneak your recs in here.

Day 6: Funny Girl Woman

We know women are funny, here’s your time to show love to the actresses who predominately act in comedies, female characters who you find hilarious and actresses who provide the perfect comedic relief every time they pop up onscreen.

Day 7: Lee Yoon Jung/Noh Hee Kyung OR Surprise!

Two pioneering women behind many of our classic favourite dramas. Think of this as a space for tributes to them, what you love about their dramas, Lee Yoon Jung’s direction, Noh Hee Kyung’s writing, your favourite female characters from their dramas… OR  Your favourite cameos by actresses! Who used their tiny bit of screen time in the best way possible?!

Day 8: Timeslip

What if time travel really existed? What if two female characters from different dramas, from different tv eras could meet? How are they connected? Why should they meet? Think of this as an opportunity for you to travel back in time.

Please also feel free to be inspired by the prompts from previous years (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2020 Part Deux, 2021, 2022).

[yeehanfrf]

Week 15 Recs: Loud & Proud

For Week 15, we celebrated the start of Pride Month with the theme "Loud and Proud," for fics about queerness, transness, and Pride events!

Behind the cut, you'll find the fics gathered from the Yeehan community, organized by rating and then alphabetically by title.

General Audiences

Embrace Your Colors by elisabomb (kurama3173) [2,459 words] Reccer comment: "Cole 'bi panic' Cassidy and ow at pride parade. Very warm fic that never fails to make me happy"

Jesse McCree did not have a crush on Hanzo Shimada, because Jesse McCree did not like men. Jesse repeated the thought like a mantra as he smoked his third cigar of the day. He was nearly forty. He knew his preferences. Some people liked the same gender, and he loved a lot of those people, but he just wasn’t one of them. So why, all of a sudden, was his brain stuck on the image of his teammate, fresh out of the shower and in nothing but a small white towel slung around his hips?

Enough by b_ofdale (beesinspades) [1,242 words]

A quiet evening at Gibraltar and a bet sprout an old memory.

Weekend Getaway by Mish_chan [1,495 words]

Cole and Hanzo stop at a bed and breakfast for a weekend of relaxation and Pride. Much Fluff.

Teen and Up

A Distant Promise by SadakoTetsuwan [1,374 words]

The strangest thoughts drift through Jesse McCree's head when he's lying in bed with his greatest love and greatest rival--a distant memory of a promise which is finally coming due.

Shimada Dreams of Sushi by delicaterosebud [24,344 words]

As the owner of a mediocre taco shack with tanking reviews and multiple health violations, the last thing that Jesse McCree needs is competition - competition, specifically, from a sushi bar so popular that it drove every other restaurant in the neighborhood out of business. From the very day that Shimada sushi opened its doors, Jesse had hated that restaurant with a burning passion. ...So how does he end up working for the man who runs it?

Mature

Arrival by midgetnazgul [6,757 words] Reccer comment: "'Arrival' by midgetnazgul (rated Mature) is a WIP, but I love what's there"

Jesse has had a tough life and a long road to really growing up, even into his thirties. Today marks the most profound step he's ever taken, and the hardest: attending Tucson's Pride Festival and being out as completely as he ever has been. His time has come to truly arrive, and he's...not ready, but the closest he'll ever be with Hanzo by his side. And Hanzo could stand to do a bit of growing of his own.

Explicit

Hanzo, Denial is Not a River in Egypt by Eunicorne [2,375 words]

Jesse likes Hanzo. He's glad that Hanzo likes him back. There's only one problem. Hanzo doesn't think he's gay.

---

That's it for Week 15! Thank you so much to everyone who submitted a recommendation.

If you happen to find a fic you love using this rec list, be sure to leave the author kudos and a comment! Even "I found this fic because someone recced it" is a lovely thing to say.

Coming up for Week 16: "You Don't Want Sand There," or fics with summer vibes.

In the meantime, you can also check out the Week 14 recs here, or check the full list of past and future themes here.

---

Curious about the icon and some of the fic titles? This rec blog supports #EndOTWRacism, a fan campaign asking the AO3 to make good on its 2020 promises to address racist harassment on the site. Fans of color deserve to feel safe and welcome in fan spaces. To learn more, please visit @end-otw-racism and read their Call to Action.

[carlos-in-glasses]

Fic Rec Friday!

Thank you for the tag @welcometololaland @reyesstrand @firstprince-history-huh @strandnreyes @rmd-writes @lutavero ❤️

With the theme this week being a fic with a twist/ a fic that surprised you, I’m wholeheartedly recommending the 4x04 coda beauty that is Wait in the Fire by @reyesstrand - I was totally absorbed and then I found myself in the midst of an actual jump scare! Not an easy thing to pull off in writing - but it’s handled with so much skill. I loved it!

I’m late to this so tagging anyone who sees this and wants to do it - please @ me! I ❤️ you.

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

(belated) reading update: may 2023

upon realizing I was over a week late on my book report for May I considered just waiting until the end of June and rolling the two together, but thing is that I have a Theme for June (spoilers: it's the very predictable theme of only reading books by and/or about queer people) and lumping them together will really throw that off, so! onwards we go.

I should also say that this will be a real shorty, tied with March for the LEAST amount of books I've managed to finish in a month so far this year. in March that was because the month mostly revolved around a weeklong vacation to crash at my mom's place on the beach with a gaggle of friends, which was very fun but seriously cramped my time to read for pleasure. May ALSO saw a very exciting weeklong trip to a brand new city (WHAT'S UP NEW ORLEANS) as well as genuinely some of the shittiest and most harrowing events of my adult life so far so. can't blame a bitch a bitch for slipping!

ANYWAY.

what have I been reading?

People From Bloomington (Budi Darma, 1980; trans. Tiffany Tsao, 2022) - a strange short story collection set in the Bloomington, Indiana, where the Indonesian Darma studied during the 1970s. these stories take the mundane drama of Americana and turn it on its head, crawling deep into themes of alienation and ostracization and the ways they turn people against themselves. over and over again Darma tells tales of lonely boarders driven to obsessive and antisocial behavior by the loneliness that eats them alive amid pleasant-looking suburbs. the prose is overall a little on the dry end for me to really love it, but I do think about how fucked up these protagonists are, like, constantly.

High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America (Jessica B. Harris, 2011) - a delight! an absolute gosh dang delight! Harris is a PUN FULL INTENDED delectable writer who takes you on the most unexpected tour of how African foodways have shaped the culture of US cuisine. beginning with the obvious roots of the transatlantic slave trade and journeying on to America's first Black restaurateurs and sit-ins at diner counters, there's no facet of culinary life too small to be interwoven with Black American history, and Harris eagerly explores them all while painting a vivid picture for her readers. this book will absofuckinglutely make you hungry, so it's a good thing that recipes are included in the back.

Gay Bar: Why We Went Out (Jeremy Atherton Lin, 2021) - a heady powerhouse of a read, seamlessly blending the historical with the editorial with the personal. Lin's on a journey to resurrect the history of the gay bars that shaped he and his husband's intertwined lives - from their roots before his time, the state he found them in as a young man searching for a place in the queer scene, and their apparently dwindling status in the 2020s. Lin's writing is dreamy and grimy, unflinching and romantic, horny and bored all at once. this isn't an uncritical glorification of the gay bar but an interrogation, the pressing question of what community even means and where on earth it's going.

D'Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding (Chencia C. Higgins, 2022) - that's right, still on that kick of reading one romance novel a month. if you spend any amount of time perusing lists of LBGT book recs, particularly LBGT romances, it's inevitable that you'll run into D'Vaughn and Kris. this book has so much #representation that it's pretty much catnip for list compilers: both leads are Black lesbians, D'Vaughn is fat and not yet out to her very Christian mother, and Kris is a butch Afro-Latina (and also part of the most marginalized community of all: influencers). but what about the story, is that actually good? straight up no, not at all; I feel pretty comfortable saying this is maybe my least favorite of the romance novels I've read so far. totally aside from lackluster writing, clunky exposition, and slapdash plotting, this book is uninterested in engaging with its central premise - Kris and D'Vaughn meet on a reality show where they are paired up to plan a wedding in 6 weeks without letting their families figure out that their relationship is a sham - to such an absurd and infuriating degree that I have to wonder why Higgins even bothered.

that's all for now, June will hopefully be MUCH more full considering I've already finished three books and still have nearly three weeks to go + a whole heap of queer books checked out from the library! xoxo

[lagaans]

thinking about dizzee kipling & the get down & how the characters and stories that made me who i am are not always the characters or stories i talk about a lot (in present day at least) anyways in early 2020 lockdown i worked from my bedroom alone all day and then 4 or 5 days a week i would walk to my friend's apartment bc she was like 1/2 of my irl interaction for the week and some days we would watch ~her~ show like the one that really was a big part of her (parks and rec) and i showed her my favorite show (the get down) and she was getting into embroidery so i gave her my favorite pair of jeans to embroider, it took like 6-8 months for her to return them with a fun planets/UFO theme, including some abstract green aliens circling one of the legs which is anyways something i love, but one of them has on a purple tuxedo and a matching top hat, and there's a tiny little bi flag embroidered on the coin pocket so. even tho i don't think about that show as much anymore dizzee & rumi are literally with me always and also can u believe we live this life with such potential for special moments and people that understand us and that can also somehow be encapsulated within a pair of a jeans!!!

[hermithomebase]

i got into dream through wilbur too lmao. i got into wilbur’s mc but videos and then by extension got Really into schlatt and actually hated dream for banning him from the smp. like i was like “this guys such a cunt who does he think he is” and then i listened to him talk more abt his reasoning and was like Okay That’s Reasonable and then kept getting recced his videos (i did not watch) and then i got top surgery august 2020 and spent the entire week after BINGING everything dream, george, and sapnap had uploaded until that point and was dreaming in cubes lmao. i have been here entirely too long - bird

BIRD THIS IS FUCKING BEAUTIFUL..

i really love the common theme of "this guy sounds like a total arrogant egotistical cunt" and then people listen to him actually talk or explain himself and they're like "oh. oh he's just like, some guy" like it really shows how easy it is to paint someone as a bad person through word of mouth and misrepresentation. also u just gave me a Great idea of what to watch when i eventually get my surgery

[bridenore]

Recs masterlist part two : ongoing fests

I’ve been doing drarry recs posts every week for a while and it’s getting harder and harder to navigate through all theses posts. So here is a masterlist of all the posts I made so far.

Note : the masterlist is now split into three parts. I have apparently reached the maximum number of links you can include in a single post. Part one is here Favorites, authors, themes and length and part three is here Past fests.

Last updated : September 30th 2024 (Added since last update)

Previous update : March 25th 2024

Ongoing Fests (the last edition was held in 2022 or later)

25 days of Harry and Draco : 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2015, 2014

Big Bangs : HD Reverse Bang 2022, HD Big Bang 2021, HD Big Bang 2018

Draco tops Harry : 2024, 2023, 2021, 2020, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011

Drarry mini bang : 2024

HD Erised : 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013

HD Fanfair : 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2010, 2009

HD Fangfest : 2022

HD Kidfic fest : 2024

HD Mpreg : 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011

HD Owlpost : 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020

HD Suds Fest : 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020

HD Wireless : 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017

HP Bodice Ripper Fest : 2023, 2022

HP Drizzle : 2023, 2022, 2020, 2019

HP Soulmates : 2023

HP Trans fest : 2023

HP Unleashed : 2023

LCD Drarry : 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019

My Bloody Valentine : 2022, 2021, 2019

[roosterbox]

Fic Rec Friday 9/8/23

Title: He Does Not Know

Rating: Not Rated

Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Category: M/M

Fandom: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)

Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova, Andy | Andromache & Booker | Sebastien & Joe | Yusuf & Nicky | Nicolò & Quynh | Noriko

Characters: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani, Nicky | Nicolò di Genova, Andy | Andromache of Scythia, Quynh | Noriko, Booker | Sebastien le Livre

Additional Tags: Angst with a Happy Ending, lets be real the angst is very short lived, Temporary Amnesia, Canon Temporary Character Death, temporary insanity, Touch-Starved, gratuitous use of commas, Reunions, Immortal Husbands Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova, Nicky | Nicolò di Genova Needs a Hug, Several Hugs Actually, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, kissing someone's hand can be so romantic actually, no beta we die like the old guard doesn't, shaving as the 6th love language, Nicky gets a makeover for the first time in 500 years, Team as Family, listen I just think they should get to cry

Summary: Water closes over the top of the metal coffin, and Nicolo prays to a God he no longer believes in for a quick and lasting death.

Or, Nicky is in the Iron Maiden. Through it all, he forgets everything including his own name, but somehow holds onto the knowledge that someone is coming for him.

———

Today’s theme, I suppose, is Canon Divergence. Either that or “Not being able to die would really really suck, actually.”

I love that we stay with Nicky throughout the story, from the horrific early parts, to the softness of the latter ones. We’re with him through it all, and we feel for him. His despair, and his longing (for Joe, or for salvation), but also his determination. Through it all, he persists. I adore that about him.

That isn’t to say that the others aren’t wonderful too, though they don’t show up until later. Joe is lovely as always, and I especially like seeing Quynh, who seems very cool. From what I understand, she isn’t really in the movie (not properly at least), so I like seeing how fic writers utilize her.

The soft, loving scenes between the group (but especially Nicky and Joe) after his rescue are so beautifully tender. A perfect counterpoint to the terrible things that came before. Nicky’s situation in this kind of reminds me of something Captain Jack Harkness went through in Torchwood. In that, Jack was buried alive (hard to bury him dead when he can’t die), and had to deal with resurrecting and then dying via suffocation over and over again. With something like that in mind, I don’t think immortality would be all it’s cracked up to be by some people, you know?

But everything works out in the end. Even if it takes him several hundred years, Joe will always find Nicky. And I will have my sweet, sweet fluffy goodness, lol.

This is a lovely fic, well worth reading.

———

Next Week: Steddie time again! I know you love ‘em!

Next week’s fic kiiiiinda matches the Canon Divergence theme (which I totally did not plan by the way!). In it, we go on the adventure of a lifetime with Eddie, and his evolving relationship with Steve. From sometime in season 2 (I think? Having never watched the show, it can be hard to tell), through season 3, and into season 4. It’s quite beautiful to see how things shift between them over the course of the fic. But for that, you’ll just have to wait and see, now won’t you?

Until next time…

[ffviirarepairweek]

FFVII Rare Pair Week 2023

Urban Dictionary defines rarepair as “A ship or pairing that not many people ship or is very rare to find fanfiction and fanart of. Typically happens within small fandoms or with minor characters.” So what’s your favourite Final Fantasy VII related rare pair? Do you have more than one? Here’s a chance to showcase them and help them move up from being rare! Not all parts of the pairing have to be from FFVII, and you don’t have to do the same pairing or group for the whole week! Below we have a list of prompts for this year. Feel free to be as creative with those as you want to, and take your time working on your entries, but please don’t forget to post them on the right date if you can. (But remember, no matter how late it’s better than never!)

For this event we are using a category approach. You can use the category as a theme for your prompt and the listed items suggested ideas. If none of the prompts give you any ideas, don’t worry! You can create anything you like for the week, provided it involves a rare pair! The goal of the week is to celebrate and share our rare pairs more than to just follow a list. Be it art, writing, mood boards, or even fic recs, just spread the love!

Feb. 16 | Day 1. Valentines/Galentines/FriendsDay. February is the home of Valentine’s Day - do they celebrate? If it’s a platonic pairing, do they do something on that day to celebrate their friendship?

Feb. 17 | Day 2. Music. Making music. Listening to music. Dancing to music. Workout music. Theme songs. (Or maybe putting on a song and taking inspiration from that song on what to write.)

Feb. 18 | Day 3. Self Care. Spa days. Cooking for each other. Bubble baths. How do they relax together, or give each other space to relax?

Feb. 19 | Day 4. Costumes. Masks. Disguises. Undercover. Parties. Holidays. Roleplay.

Feb. 20 | Day 5. Transitions. There are many transitions in life that can be meaningful. The transitions of night to day, the transitions from one job to the next, a move from one place to another, from single to married to widowed. What’s a transition that was important to your characters?

Feb. 21 | Day 6. Combo Day (mix and match, take any prompts and combine them!)

Feb. 22 | Day 7. Free Day

Need more inspiration? Our past prompt lists can be found below, and you’re welcome to use any of them!

2022 List

2020 List

2019 List

2018 List

Also, mod Asylos is taking requests for things to write! That’s right, you can get something written for your rare pair, and not just do all the heavy lifting yourself. Send in your requests as an ask to this blog any time now up until the end of the event week. 

Please remember to include the week’s tag (ffviirarepairweek) within the first 5 tags or else we might be unable to find your work! We will NOT accept/reblog anything containing Character/Ship Hate, so avoid including those in your entries. Also don’t repost anyone else’s work as your own! You are welcome to reblog other’s posts, but credit where credit is due.

You can submit your works on AO3 to the event collection at https://archiveofourown.org/collections/FFVIIrarepairweek

And if you have any questions, don’t be afraid of sending an ask.

We hope it turns out to be a fun event for everyone!

[cap-ironman]

2020 Rec Week: What-If Wednesday!

We all love Steve and Tony, whether in happiness or tragedy, whether they're in high school or old men sitting on a porch, riding dinosaurs or flying through space. Canon arcs or movie endings can leave us feeling bereft and determined to create a "fix-it", or inspired to expand on what happened behind the scenes. Fanworks can range from canon divergent to being set in completely alternate universes! On What-If Wednesday, we'd like to know which non-canon-compliant fanworks you love — your favourite AUs, the perfect moment for canon divergence in your opinion — we welcome recs for fics, artwork, podfics, vids, manips, edits and more!

Note: Please mark major warnings for your recs, and let us know why you’re reccing a work.

2020 Rec Week Themes and Schedule

All New Monday, June 15th: Recently posted works that feel like they were created in 2012.

Tropey Tuesday, June 16th: "Team movie nights!" Come and rec works that have your favourite tropes.

What-If Wednesday, June 17th: Time to rec some AUs! Canon divergence, no-power alternate universes, soulmates… send them all in!

Tell-All Thursday, June 18th: Tell us about your highlights of 2012 or your favourite moments of canon, and share why you love Steve/Tony! Explainers welcome.

First Five Friday, June 19th: Share your firsts with us! The first 5 fanworks that made you fall in love with Steve/Tony, the first 5 people you subscribed to, the first 5 works that you created, the first 5 collabs you did with others, the first 5 anything!

Not-Fic Saturday, June 20th: A rec day highlighting fanworks like moodboards, manips, fanvids, podfics and artworks!

Cap-IM Sunday, June 21st: Rec all your favorite works created for a cap-ironman challenge!

There are several different ways to participate:

Comment with your recs on the themed daily posts that will go up on our Dreamwidth and Livejournal communities. (Anon commenting allows everyone to participate, even if they don’t have an account.)

Reply to a day's Tumblr post that will go up on our Cap-Iron Man Tumblr with your recs.

Make a Tumblr post with your recommendations, mention the @cap-ironman Tumblr and tag it with #capimrecweek within the first five tags on the post (you can DM or email us the link as well). Please include the day’s theme somewhere in the body of the post. On the dedicated day we will reblog posts for the day’s theme on our community Tumblr and later include them in 2020 Rec Week masterlist.

If you have any questions, please let us know in the comments to our announcement post, send us an ask on Tumblr or email us at cap.im.events@gmail.com.

[yeehanfrf]

Yeehan Fic Rec Friday: Week 13

It's Yeehan Fic Rec Friday again! With so many new and returning Yeehan fans, why not shine a light on all the incredible fanfic we've accumulated over the years?

Every Friday, I'll post a theme and take fic recs that fit the theme. Then I'll compile them into a full list for your convenience.

This week's theme is "It's About the Yearning," or all about fics featuring pining, whether it's mutual or otherwise. Give me all the aching, all the tension, all the ooey gooey in-love feelings (or characters hating the ooey gooey in-love feelings)!

To submit a fic here on Tumblr, you can go straight to the askbox. (Don't worry; anon is on!)

To see last week's recs for the "Simple Pleasures" theme, go here! To see the list of past and future themes, go here!

Curious about the icon? This rec blog supports #EndOTWRacism, a fan campaign asking the AO3 to make good on its 2020 promises to address racist harassment on the site. Fans of color deserve to feel safe and welcome in fan spaces. To learn more, please visit @end-otw-racism and read their Call to Action.