meitachi | some recs and some TMI

# Awesome Bonamana drum cover is awesome

# The Spoon Theory - If you click on nothing else in this post, please click on this. 2 pages to make you think.

# Top Chef Masters' finale last night thrilled me.
I really was so torn about who I wanted to win because they were all so talented. I loved that they were all friends and clearly respected and admired each other; very professional with none of the stupid drama that happens on the regular Top Chef. I also love that they were battling it out to win money for charity, because that makes me even more happy to root for them. So I am pretty pumped that Marcus won because, dude, he's young, he specializes in world cuisine, he had an amazing journey and story, and he had a great cause to fight for. But I'm also really glad Susur Lee made it up there because, hey, Asian solidarity, right? His story made me wibble a bit too. And Rick - less childhood struggles, I think, but very very impressed with the way he cooks and the way he challenged himself to step outside of his seafood comfort zone. Awesome all around. :)

# The Wonder Girls/2AM concert in STL in July was just cancelled and I am more disappointed than I expected considering that it was my ex who suggested we go (with a group of others), since I had no idea they were even coming. I confess: I know and care very little about 2AM but Wonder Girls. A chance to see Sunye live! :( And I've heard sweet things about Sohee-in-person and I love Ye-eun and now I am :(! On the other hand, Adam Lambert is in town in early August. Hmm.

# SPN is being turned into an anime; I know you've all heard about it but I will reiterate it anyway. At fist I didn't know how to feel about it, then I was horrified, and now I am just loling imagining how exponentially batshit the fandom will be afterwards. Samu to Deen wa CHO KAWAII desu! ^__^ THEY ARE SO BISHIE.

[Supernatural the Animation] will be a 22-episode season that will cover the storyline of the live-action version's first two seasons.

The anime project will not only remake the best episodes from the live-action version, but also depict original episodes not seen in the live-action version. Those original episodes will include prologues of the Winchester brothers' childhood, anime-only enemies, and episodes featuring secondary characters from the live-action version.

(some links)

Also:

(11:44:07 AM) meiface: oh god i have forgotten all my fangirly japanese ):
(11:45:00 AM) meiface: i'm trying to think of the japanese for "very" as in "very cute" and i keep thinking in Korean. ;__; jinjja kawaii. yay for mixing languages

# Today I bought a miniature coffeemaker (it brews 5 cups, is digital and programmable, and IS ADORABLE). It has brought me much caffeinated joy. Everyone should celebrate with me.

# And now 2 fic recs from

spn_j2_bigbang. They are predictably Sam/Dean and and J2.

2naonh3_cl2 questions why we are even fandom friends (she ships the blasphemous gay pairing rather than the fraternally incestuous gay pairing :3). I don't know either: she spent the afternoon reading Pillar Pair. I was stunned and appalled and told her righteously that Tezuka has all the emotional passion of a brick wall trying very passionately to obstruct the way or hold up a roof!

Actually, no, because I am really not at all emotionally invested in ship wars from a fandom long past, but I was amused.

So these are my 2 recs!

Supercross by lazy_daze
Sam/Dean | AU | NC-17 | 51k
Summary: Set in a world where competitive team stunt biking shows – explosive entertainment performances full of tricks, talent, fireworks and music – dominate the world of freestyle motocross biking, this story follows Sam and Dean Winchester as they deal with their lives, bikes, flips, tricks – and love.

Orphaned as kids when their father crash-lands a double backflip attempt, Sam and Dean grow up as part of his stunt team Winchester's Hunters; adopted by the group as family and rising to be the best two riders on the team, they grow up in this isolated world, where there is nothing more important in the boys' lives than biking and each other.

Two things loom on the horizon to threaten Dean's perfect little world: the new stunt team rising on the scene threatening his team's chances at the ultimate competition; and the strange new crippling tension between him and his brother that threatens to change – or even ruin – everything he holds dear.

Reaction: First, because it is the first thing that will strike you: FUCKING BREATHTAKINGLY GORGEOUS ART. Even if you do not read this or ship this all, CLICK THE LINK TO SEE THE ART. Omfg.

Okay, next: Sam/Dean AUs are usually not at all my thing, but I was intrigued by the premise and I trusted lazy_daze to do a good job. I love AUs! So, um, this was totally and completely worth it. It wasn't hard at all to get into the universe and there was a wee bit of infodumping/worldbuilding at the beginning, but it smooths out as the story progresses. It's very engaging and actually got me excited about the competitions.

The Sam/Dean is a little too easy in my opinion but since it's sharing the spotlight with the world and the plot, I don't mind that it's not a front and center Dramatic Piece About Why I'm Fucking My Brother, Part XI. lazy_daze manages to work in enough doubt and Dean headspace to keep it mostly credible. There's also a very strong family dynamic built up with the team and solid OCs that are very much individuals but don't overshadow the main plot points (i.e., the competitions and the SamandDean). Also, the sex is hot, but not even the big draw for me here. It's the worldbuilding and the plot and, omg, the outrageously good art.

In Becoming Who We Are by elizah_jane
JA/JDM, J2 | AU | NC-17 | 82k
Summary: Fresh out of school with a degree from the University of Washington, Jensen meets and falls for Jeff Morgan. He may not know what he wants to do with his life, but for the first time since leaving Texas, he feels like things are coming together. Jeff seems like the perfect guy, right up until it all falls apart, and Jensen is left wondering where he went wrong.

A couple failed relationships and a few years later, Jensen's decided that one-night stands are preferable to dates. He's got his friends and his roommate, Sophia, for everything non-sex related, after all. Until Sophia decides to move in with her boyfriend and Jensen's stuck trying to find a new roommate. At Sophia's insistence, Jensen meets Jared Padalecki and the two become fast friends. Only, the more they get to know each other, the more obvious it is that there's something there. But Jensen is unwilling to risk losing Jared's friendship for the possibility of more. Unfortunately, if he doesn't get things figured out, he might lose Jared anyway.

Reaction: (Basically c/p-ed from my stupidly long essay-length comment - yes, guys, I FUCKING DELURKED AND LEFT A THESIS BECAUSE THIS FIC WAS THAT DESERVING OF IT. Think of that what you will.)

I was immediately turned off at the beginning because Jensen/JDM is so much Not My Thing, but I gave it a shot because I know I've enjoyed the author before and I am a total sucker for lengthy fic (over 80k, unf).

So I admit I did sort of make faces at Part I. Uh see here:
(2:10:53 PM) meiface: oh my god jensen/jdm sex scene oh my god WHERE IS MY COFFFE
(2:10:59 PM) meiface: SKIMS URGENTLY

BUT I kept going because elizah_jane told a wonderful story. Her writing was engaging, her Misha and Clare were hilarious, and she even had me buying into the JA/JDM romance (with reserve haha). But once I hit Part II, I was practically curling my toes with glee because I knew I was committed and I knew that the fic would deliver. It so absolutely did. :D

[NB: If JA/JDM is really really really not your thing, you should be able to skip directly to Part II (i.e., 4/9) and just read the J2 bits, but I think it's a more emotionally fulfilling fic overall if you read the beginning too because you can actually see how Jensen's changed/grown.]

The ease of the friendship between Jensen and Jared made me so happy - to the point where I think I would've even been okay if they hadn't ended up together! Blasphemy, I know. But even though I as a reader knew what the author was doing with the conflict and crossed wires, it was such a fun and emotional ride to see them slowly figure it out. (I love the rom com storyline, I admit it. It's emotionally satisfying for me when done well and it was done really well here.)

I also wanna say that the fic really, really hit a believability kink for me when Jensen was jealous but not being a total douchebag about it. I am weird about how jealousy is handled in fics a lot of times because while it can be hot, often it just makes me uncomfortable because the author's actually unintentionally showing how much the two guys don't trust each other or don't actually want the best for each other despite the "of course they're meant to be!" brush the fic is supposed to be painted with. So I'm very, very happy that was handled so well.

Um, the UST was scorching and a lot of times I'm bored by the time the actual sex happens, but not in this case. By the end of this fic I actually was curling my toes in glee because the fic progresses past Jared and Jensen getting together and does the work of showing us that they were really good together beyond just the sex.

Also, the fic did not drag on at any point because the pacing was pitch-perfect, imo, and flew by. This is going to be one of my favorite J2 fics of all time. ♥!

SO THE TMI GOES HERE:

fuck, that left me shivery and emotionally satisfied. like how i think amazing sex is supposed to feel like? no cuddles afterwards though D:

but worth it 110%. my standard's been raised: i will expect amazing sex to top this this feeling or it will not qualify as amazing.

...I think that is a ringing endorsement, right?

/wraps up post, mops up after self.

some recs and some TMI

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