lightningdark | Reading

birdylion posting in

Fandom: Leverage
Pairings/Characters: Maggie Collins, Eliot Spencer, Alec Hardison, Parker (Leverage), Amy Palavi
Rating: General Audiences
Length: 711 words
Creator Links:

Hagar
Theme: food & cooking, gen

Summary: Her ex-husband's associates are occasionally useful. For example, when Maggie has a really bad feeling about her latest client.

Reccer's Notes:
Maggie visits the brewpub looking for help regarding a client of hers. It's lovely how the food she is served there acts as kind of character description for the relationship between her, Eliot, Hardison and Parker.

Fanwork Links: What friends are for on ao3

full_metal_ox posting in

fancake

Fandom: Mo Dao Zu Shi
Pairings/Characters: Gen; M/M; Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian; Lan Yuan, Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji, OCs
Rating: General Audiences
Length: 2,442 words
Content Notes: No Archive Warnings Apply, anonymous author, autobiographical incident, Chinese diaspora feels, inappropriate choice of rabbit food, racist microaggression, secondhand embarrassment
Creator Tags:
Based on a True Story, yes my mom really couldn't find a basic cake and so we had to go with bread, Fluff, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Baking, Icing, Frosting, AHAHAHAAHAHAHAHH THOSE ARE TAGS, Michael's (the store) makes a big appearance, Father's Day, but idc if it's not father's day yet, I was inspired, Inspired by Real Events
Creator Links: none
Theme: Food & Cooking, Cultural Differences, Family, Fluff, Modern AU, Slice of Life

Summary: In which Sizhui and his Baba ice a loaf of bread for Father's Day (plus some angst, but we don't really have to get into specifics do we?)

Author’s Notes:

something i wrote while having writers block

enjoy

(also stay safe and wash your hands and quit going outside if you are)

this isn't really asian rep it just happened when i was 10 and i typed for two hours also its may and here we are with a fictionalized crackheaded version of what happened

yes there were mean girls

… lan zhan's the one getting the cake because his personality's the closest to my dad's but like my dad cut off the frosting and we ended up using the bread for other stuff

Reccer’s Notes: The Chinese-American author posted this anonymously on 8 May 2020 for U.S. Asian and Pacific Islander Month, apologizing that “this isn’t really asian rep”; given that the canon creator is Asian, her target audience is Asian, the characters are Asian, and the OP is Asian fictionalizing their Asian family’s real-life experience, I personally don’t see how it can avoid being Asian Rep.

The author’s self-consciousness—both at the time of writing and in retrospect—is flying from the ramparts, and arguably an integral part of the story. They never did emerge from anonymity, and they’ve since deleted the story—which is a shame, because this is a valid slice-of-life in the Lynda Barry vein, with the OP’s imaginary friends as proxies. Since there seems to be no identifying information that could be used to trace them, I don’t think posting a Wayback Machine capture will expose them to further embarrassment.

And let’s not be like the Mean Girls at Michael’s, okay?

Fanwork links: a loaf of bread is not a substitute for a blank cake

Current Mood: discontent

pronker posting in

fancake

Fandom: Dark Shadows

Pairings/Characters: Roger Collins, CC Female, Which Would Give Away Too Much If Named

Rating: G

Length: 2,394 words

Creator Links: AO3 Profile

Theme: Food & Cooking

Summary: Roger meets a friend for dinner who shares his discomfort regarding marriages.

Reccer's Notes: Roger remains one of my favorite Dark Shadows characters, acted superbly by Louis Edmonds, a veteran of stage costume dramas. He always wears period clothing with impeccable insouciance despite figure-hugging trousers, wing collars, and Victorian handlebar moustaches. In this fic, we see how much food presents an opportunity for revealing, soul searching reflections with a sympathetic friend, in fact so much that they don't even eat until the last paragraph or so. The universality of sharing food provides a letting down of the hair, so to speak, voluminous in his friend's case and not-so-much in his. There's an absolutely delightful twist at fic's end. Also, the AO3 profile mentions Author's website, WickerManStudios which contains stories along with more personal content.

Fanwork Links: Mysterious Circumstances

Current Mood: awake
Current Location: comatose in bed
Current Music: birdsong

mific posting in

fancake

Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Characters/Pairings: Gen. Teyla Emmagan & Rodney McKay & John Sheppard & Ronon Dex
Rating: G
Length: 7229
Content Notes: No AO3 warnings apply.
Creator Links: fiercelydreamed on AO3, anatsuno on AO3, anatsuno on Audiofic Archive
Themes: Food and cooking, Team as family, Friendship, Hurt/comfort

Summary: The thing was, John had never been good at patient, and Teyla looked like okay was a couple galaxies over from wherever she was now.

Reccer's Notes: A touching hurt/comfort story set after the team rescues Teyla from Michael. Although Teyla and her baby are back in Atlantis, she's slow to recover and remains low and depleted. Rodney has a plan to cheer her up, though, involving food, and he ropes John in to help. It was I think written in the hiatus before the last season so a few minor details have been jossed, but that doesn't matter. This is the best sort of found family story, with them all rallying around to support Teyla. Lovely.

Fanwork Links: Battle Potato, and there's an excellent podfic read by anatsuno.

chibifukurou posting in

fancake

Fandom:The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System
Pairings/Characters: Luo Binghe/Shen Yuan
Rating: T
Length: 14.5k
Creator Links: CheckersXIV
Theme: Food and cooking, (Five) Things, Complete AU

Summary: Luo Binghe has accepted his life for what it is: a dull repetition of a burned-out passion for a job. Back when he started his "Not Your Mother's" cooking channel on youtube, he had been ready to face the world. Now he just wants the world out of his face. When he hits one more bump in the road, he can't really say it's too surprising considering that the universe seems to just hate him.

And yet, the universe sends him to Shen Yuan.
_
Or 5 times Shen Yuan accidentally distracts Luo Binghe's attention from his videos, and the one time Luo Binghe gets his.

Reccer's Notes: This theme was a good excuse to go back for a reread. I love a fic where the point isn't so much falling in love as growing into the kind of person ready to love and be Loved.

5+1 is always a fun framing device. Particularly when combined with in universe comment section. And I love that this js a broad world with various people who know each other from various settings in it.

Fanwork Links: The Way to a Man's Heart is His Stomach

22degreehalo posting in

fancake

Fandom: The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System
Pairings/Characters: Luo Binghe/Shen Yuan
Rating: T
Length: 143,334
Creator Links:

mellicindi
Theme: Food & Cooking, (Secret) Hobbies, Asexual & Demisexual Characters, Alternate Universe - Modern, Book Fandoms, Canon LGBTQ+ Characters, Characters of Color, Disability, Families of Choice, Favorite Fanworks, No Canon Required, Novel-Length Fic, Trauma & Recovery.

Summary: Shen Yuan isn't lonely. He's just overseas in a new city, trying to muddle his way through a business degree, and dealing with the side effects of his stupid intestines trying to kill him. So, maybe he sometimes watches ASMR to cope with his too-quiet apartment. Maybe he has a little bit of a parasocial-relationship-thing going on with one particular cooking ASMR channel. It's 2016, who doesn't? The point is, he's content with his quiet life.

And then Shang Qinghua strong-arms him into watching one Hallmark Christmas movie, and it all goes to hell.

Or: Shen Yuan is a Hallmark movie protagonist, Luo Binghe is a Lifetime movie protagonist, and somehow they make it work.

Reccer's Notes: I read this fic over three days right in the middle of Battleship and it instantly became one of my favourite fanfics of all time. I could seriously gush for hours about this fic and its themes: the recurring thread of food as a love language (especially given protagonist Shen Yuan's digestive disability he's too self-conscious to talk openly about), the differing nature of familial, romantic, and friendship bonds and the varying privileges and presumptions behind each, this Luo Binghe's long-term trauma that manifests in the best goddamn depiction of Borderline Personality Disorder I've seen outside Crazy Ex Girlfriend seemingly entirely on accident - and among all of that, it's just a goddamn well-written story, incredibly easy to read and funny and heartfelt and true to its characters while being 100% readable fandom-blind and just - if any of the above appeals to you, I really can't advise anything other than to read it ASAP. <333

Fanwork Links: Life is (not) a Hallmark Movie

denynothing1 posting in

fancake

Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Pairings/Characters: Rodney McKay/John Sheppard
Rating: Explicit
Length: 22,349 words
Creator Links: lamardeuse on AO3
Theme: Food & Cooking

Summary: Author's Summary: In which Rodney is a famous TV chef and John is a lobster fisherman. I am not even kidding.

Reccer's Notes: This is a complete SGA AU featuring Rodney, John, Ronon, and Teyla as the only SGA characters, surrounded by a community of OCs, most of whom are women. The writer notes, "[This is] Pure AU crack. You have been warned. Based on my forty-second reading of the back cover of a random Harlequin and my internalization of romantic comedy conventions through innumerable films and books for the past thirty-odd years."

And the story is exactly as advertised: a light-hearted, rom-comical, persnickety fish-out-of-water meets laid-back fisherman romance.

Fanwork Links: story on AO3

Current Mood: hungry

denynothing1 posting in

fancake

Fandom: Hockey RPF
Pairings/Characters: Sidney Crosby/Evgeni Malkin
Rating: Explicit
Length: 10,281 words / 1hr podfic
Creator Links: thehoyden on AO3, exmanhater on AO3
Theme: Food & Cooking

Summary: Unlike Nealsy, Evgeni can cook his own food when he has it. He’s perfectly capable of making breakfast. His kitchen is well-equipped, and he’s got some good basic cooking skills down. In short, he is not going to starve to death if left to his own devices.

None of this seems to matter to Sid.

Reccer's Notes: This is a story about seduction by breakfast. As the title says, there is a clear game plan at work here -- possibly more than one. Much of the charm of the story is in how oblivious the determined seducer is to the effect he is having and how bewildered his target is that it's not clear how willing he is to be seduced.

Bonus: the descriptions of the ever-more-elaborate breakfasts are fantastic.

There's an accompanying podfic by exmanhater that is a delicious listen as well.

Fanwork Links: story on AO3, podfic on AO3

Current Mood: hungry

mific posting in

fancake

Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Characters/Pairings: John Sheppard/Rodney McKay, Evan Lorne, Simpson, Radek Zelenka, Laura Cadman, Sam Carter, Daniel Jackson/Jack O'Neill, Stackhouse/ Markham
Rating: Explicit
Length: 7963
Content Notes: no AO3-type warnings apply
Creator Links: yin's old site on Wayback, yin_again on AO3, yin on LJ
Themes: Food and cooking, First time, Complete AU

Summary: Rodney looked at the prep area and nodded decisively. "How do you feel about waffles?"
"I love waffles," John said with a grin.

Reccer's Notes: This is the initial and main story in yin's Clean Plate Club 'verse, in which John's a sought-after photographer and Rodney's a chef turned food stylist (he prepares and arranges food for perfect photo shoots). It's a fun meet-cute with clever dialogue, great characterisation and a very hot first time. It's enormous fun, even if the "hero food" meticulously arranged by Rodney is actually dressed with glycerine and motor oil!

Fanwork Links: Clean Plate Club on Wayback (scroll down a little and you'll see this fic and the others in the 'verse.)
And yin also recorded it as a podfic, here.

denynothing1 posting in

fancake

Fandom: One Direction
Pairings/Characters: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan/Zayne Malik
Rating: Explicit
Length: 81,459 words / 9.5hr podfic
Creator Links: hattalove on AO3, frecklebomb on AO3
Theme: Food & Cooking

Summary: Louis couldn’t be prouder of his bake, but there’s something—there’s something. Something about Harry Styles and the earnest way he measures, pours, mixes, scrapes. Something about the tip of his tongue poking out of his mouth as he knocks the air out of his batter.

Or, a Great British Bake Off AU in which Louis cares about winning and winning only, Harry is made of sunshine and rainbow sprinkles, and Niall sticks his nose into other people's business. Also featuring Liam as Louis's best friend-slash-concerned mother, and Zayn as a macaron connoisseur.

Reccer's Notes: I love GBBO AUs to pieces and this is one of the very best I've found. This story features characters in their early 20s who love baking for a variety of reasons. They are mostly charming but can be very stressed and vulnerable. They find joy in being good at what they can do with batter and dough, but can also be tough on themselves as well as others. IOW you've seen these characters on the show itself at times. : )

There's an enemies-to-lovers progression happening for one half of the main pairing that is exasperating and very human until it reaches the point where it's also very hot and very fun. The writer deserves a cake stand and a big bouquet for managing to weave all these elements together into a very satisfying story.

There's a marvelous podfic version of the story by frecklebomb as well. It's one of my favorite listens.

Fanwork Links: Leave It To the Breeze by hattalove, podfic by frecklebomb

Current Mood: hungry

beatrice_otter posting in

fancake

Fandom: Batman
Pairings/Characters: Jason Todd, Tim Drake
Rating: teen
Length: 46k
Creator Links:

Megaerakles
Theme: food, fork in the road AU, domestic, family, fixit, gen, happy endings, secret identity reveal,

Summary: Tim is prepared to take the steps necessary to ensure that Bruce will not feel obligated to adopt Tim when a comatose Jack Drake inevitably dies. But what could be better than preventing Bruce from ending up with a son he doesn't want? Bringing back the one he does.

Jason agrees to the Replacement's stupid, stupid plan to invite some strange adult man he's never met to come live with him, if only to keep the idiot alive long enough for him to serve his purpose in the Great Red Hood Revenge Scheme.

Might this new roommate situation have an impact on either of their worldviews? Surely not...

Reccer's Notes: Both Tim and Jason are oblivious idiots in the best way in this. And Jason shows love through cooking (and teaching how to cook).

Fanwork Links: Say Uncle

beatrice_otter posting in

fancake

Fandom: MCU
Pairings/Characters: Steve Rogers/Maria Hill
Rating: Gen
Length: 3107 words
Creator Links:

tielan
Theme: food, working together, friends with benefits, female characters,

Summary: Maria can manage professional colleagues with Rogers, but she values her place in S.H.I.E.L.D more.

Reccer's Notes: Tielan's specialty is female characters who get overlooked by the rest of fandom, and I love the way she writes Maria Hill: a complex woman doing a difficult job in a world that doesn't respect her. And I love the way she writes Steve: a man who deeply and sincerely respects (and falls for) competent women.

Fanwork Links: Dinner In Other Languages

kingstoken posting in

fancake

Fandom: Sherlock Holmes (Books/Granada)
Pairings/Characters: Holmes/Watson
Rating: G
Length: 1114 words
Creator Links: MadamzelleG
Theme: food & cooking

Summary: Holmes never orders dinner for himself, but Watson has long since stopped asking why. Instead, he allows the quiet ritual to unfold—Holmes sipping his coffee, stealing a bite here and there from Watson’s plate with effortless precision. In the warm glow of the Café Royal, amidst the murmur of conversation and the clink of silverware, an unspoken understanding lingers between them: Holmes takes, and Watson never minds.

Reccer's Notes: An intimate little scene of Watson and Holmes dining out together. With some exploration of Holmes' canon issues around food, but not in clinical way, more like Watson observing Holmes.

Fanwork Links: Ao3

runpunkrun posting in

fancake

Photograph of steel spoons and spices in a dramatic setting with added text that gives it the look of a gourmet magazine cover: September 2025. Food & Cooking, at Fancake. Steel teaspoons are arranged in an elogated oval to suggest a fish, with the bowls acting as scales and some of the handles left visible to create the fins and tail, giving the creature a spiky appearance. The concave bowls are dusted with a powdery orange spice for color and one spoon at the front of the fish is filled with a coarse black spice to create an eye. The fish is on a black surface with a rough texture and around it are three skinny green peppers, a mound of salt, a mound of orange spice, and a dipping bowl filled with a clear amber liquid.

Our theme for September is food & cooking!

The tag for this round is: theme: food & cooking

If you're just joining us, be sure to check out our policy on content notes. Content notes aren't required, but they're nice to include in your recs, especially if a fanwork has untagged content that readers may wish to know about in advance. Because food can be a sensitive subject, you might want to indicate things like disordered eating, food allergies, dieting, weight loss or gain, food policing, fatphobia, and body shaming.

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mark posting in

dw_maintenance

Per the dw_news post regarding the MS/TN blocks, we are doing a small code push shortly in order to get the code live. As per usual, please let us know if you see anything wonky.

There is some code cleanup we've been doing that is going out with this push but I don't think there is any new/reworked functionality, so it should be pretty invisible if all goes well.

mific posting in

fancake

Fandom: Person of Interest
Characters/Pairings: John Reese/Harold Finch, Lionel Fusco, Jos Carter, Bear
Rating: Explicit
Length: 4697
Creator Links: astolat on AO3, silverkat1620 on Audiofic Archive, kalakirya on Audiofic Archive
Themes: Marriage of Convenience, Friends to lovers

Summary: "Harold," John said, "are you asking me to marry you for your money?"
"Well, Mr. Reese," Harold said, "given how much of it you've spent already, I don't really see how you can complain."

Reccer's Notes: This story is deeply based in canon and yet, despite having only a partial grasp of the show and never having watched more than a couple of seasons, I still find it easy to follow, and it packs an emotional punch. The reason for the marriage of convenience this time is financial, to strengthen John's cover story and explain a recent massive outlay of funds. This isn't one of those stories where there's a prolonged slow burn after they marry - despite the pragmatic reason and their initial obliviousness, they're kissing like it's their job even before the celebrant pronounces them hitched. The characterisation is perfect, and there's a wonderful original character in Miriam Hechel. This fic is a gut punch in the best way on a number of levels - from unexpected attendees at the wedding, to John's catharsis afterwards, to the very end when it seems someone powerful in the shadows made sure their wedding day was undisturbed. It's a lovely story, beautifully written, and there are no less than two excellent podfics.

Fanwork Links:
Love and Marriage - the text
Love and Marriage - podfic by silverkat1620
Love and Marriage - podfic by kalakirya

starwatcher posting in

fancake

Fandom: The Old Guard
Pairings: Nicolò/Yusuf
Characters: Nicolò, Yusuf, Andromache, Quynh, Nile, OCs
Rating: Explicit
Length: 14,400 words
Creator Links:

Sixthlight
Theme: Marriage of convenience, Diplomatic marriage, Complete AU, Historical AU

Summary: There can be no misinterpretation or confusion on Yusuf’s part when what Duke Nicolò says is “But I didn’t want a husband, what does my brother think he’s doing?”

Reccer's Notes: Arranged marriages may be common in wealthy families -- but when the groom doesn't know a marriage has been arranged, and certainly doesn't want one, it throws a wrench in the works. Nicolò rejects the idea of marriage, and Yusuf can only accept that -- but everyone around them really, really want the two men to be married. Yusuf doesn't know how to do the seduction that Nile suggests, but a friendship slowly grows between them, and then more, which leads to a thoroughly satisfying ending.

Content Notes: None

Fanwork Links: Diplomatic Complications, by Sixthlight at AO3

starwatcher posting in

fancake

Fandom: The Old Guard
Pairings: Yusuf/Nicolò, background Andromache/Quynh, hint of potential Nile/Booker
Characters: Nicolò, Yusuf, Andromache, Quynh, Booker, Nile, OCs
Rating: Explicit
Length: 24,600 words
Creator Links:

sharkie335
Theme: Marriage of convenience, Complete AU, Historical AU, Diplomatic marriage

Summary: Genoa managed to destroy Tunisia's navy, leaving the royal family to sue for peace. A treaty was struck, and Yusuf was offered in marriage to the King of Genoa's second child, the Princess Veneranda.
At least, that was the plan.

Reccer's Notes: Yusuf has no choice but to make a political marriage to bring peace between Genoa and Tunisa... but when the bride-to-be runs away with her lover, Nicolò it forced to become the substitute marriage partner. Yusuf and Nicolò find they are well-pleased by these developments... until they learn that Nicolò's father and brother have decided to hold Nicolò's mother for ransom. Throw in escape under cover of night, each enjoying copious amounts of married sex, a touch of palace intrigue as Nicolò doesn't know if his family's actions will reflect on his position, and we have a thoroughly enjoyable story.

Content Notes: This is an alpha/omega universe, but the story doesn't make a big deal about that; it's treated as just ordinary life.

Fanwork Links: A Fine Arrangement, by sharkie335 at AO3.

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Page Summary

birdylion in fancake - Leverage: What are friends for, by Hagar
full_metal_ox in fancake - Mo Dao Zu Shi: a loaf of bread is not a substitute for a blank cake, by Anonymous.
pronker in fancake - Dark Shadows: Mysterious Circumstances by WickerManStudios
mific in fancake - SGA: Battle Potato by fiercelydreamed
chibifukurou in fancake - SVSSS: The Way to a Man's Heart is His Stomach by CheckersXIV
22degreehalo in fancake - SVSSS: Life is (not) a Hallmark Movie by Mellicindi
denynothing1 in fancake - Stargate Atlantis: Romance at the Roadkill Grill by lamardeuse
denynothing1 in fancake - Hockey RPF: Game Plan by thehoyden
mific in fancake - SGA: Clean Plate Club by yin_again
denynothing1 in fancake - ONE DIRECTION: LEAVE IT TO THE BREEZE
beatrice_otter in fancake - Batman: Say Uncle by Megaerakles
beatrice_otter in fancake - MCU: Dinner In Other Languages by tielan
kingstoken in fancake - Sherlock Holmes: Tea, Coffee, and a Bite of Beef by MadamzelleG
runpunkrun in fancake - Round 178: Food & Cooking
mark in dw_maintenance - Code deploy happening shortly
mific in fancake - POI: Love and Marriage by astolat
starwatcher in fancake - Old Guard: Diplomatic Complications by Sixthlight
starwatcher in fancake - Old Guard: A Fine Arrangement by sharkie335

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