Mar. 20th, 2026 03:18 am
Captain America: The Undertaker's Children by rosepetalfall
Fandom: MCU
Pairings/Characters: Bucky Barnes, Steve Rogers
Rating: Gen
Length: 15k
Creator Links:
rosepetalfall
Theme: siblings, family
Summary: Bucky’s dad always says what they do is important.
“We give people the dignity they deserved in life,” he says, seriously.
Uncle Danny laughs at that. “Jimmy-kid,” he says, “your old man has got some real trumped up notions of what it is we do. Death ain’t beautiful. We just help create the illusion that it can be.”
Reccer's Notes: This is a really interesting look at Bucky's life before the war, and his family, and all the things that shaped him. The OCs are very well drawn and I love the details and thematic resonance of the family business.
Fanwork Links: The Undertaker's Children
Pairings/Characters: Bucky Barnes, Steve Rogers
Rating: Gen
Length: 15k
Creator Links:
Theme: siblings, family
Summary: Bucky’s dad always says what they do is important.
“We give people the dignity they deserved in life,” he says, seriously.
Uncle Danny laughs at that. “Jimmy-kid,” he says, “your old man has got some real trumped up notions of what it is we do. Death ain’t beautiful. We just help create the illusion that it can be.”
Reccer's Notes: This is a really interesting look at Bucky's life before the war, and his family, and all the things that shaped him. The OCs are very well drawn and I love the details and thematic resonance of the family business.
Fanwork Links: The Undertaker's Children
Mar. 20th, 2026 02:46 am
Les Mis: Some Friendlier Sky by AMarguerite
Fandom: Les Misérables - Victor Hugo
Pairings/Characters: Cosette/Courfeyrac
Rating: teen
Length: 125k
Creator Links:
AMarguerite
Theme: siblings, humor, novel-length, epic works, old fandoms, book fandoms, small fandoms, AU, fork in the road, family, everybody lives, crack, female friendship, fixit, happy endings, just plain fun, politics, rare pairings,
Summary: Courfeyrac falls through the roof of no. 7 Rue de l'Homme Armé, taking down not only the ceiling, but the carefully built walls Valjean has constructed around himself and Cosette. Wacky hijinks ensue.
Reccer's Notes: This fic is madcap and fun in all the best ways. The shenanigans and hijinks are wonderful ... and at the core of those shenanigans and hijinks are Courfreyac and his siblings, as they draw Cosette into a quirky but loving family. (And also try to get everyone safely through cholera and a failed revolution.) I love all of the distinct and interesting characters, both canon and OC. I love the shenanigans. I love that Cosette gets a chance to truly blossom and form friendships. It's wonderful
Fanwork Links: Some Friendlier Sky
Pairings/Characters: Cosette/Courfeyrac
Rating: teen
Length: 125k
Creator Links:
Theme: siblings, humor, novel-length, epic works, old fandoms, book fandoms, small fandoms, AU, fork in the road, family, everybody lives, crack, female friendship, fixit, happy endings, just plain fun, politics, rare pairings,
Summary: Courfeyrac falls through the roof of no. 7 Rue de l'Homme Armé, taking down not only the ceiling, but the carefully built walls Valjean has constructed around himself and Cosette. Wacky hijinks ensue.
Reccer's Notes: This fic is madcap and fun in all the best ways. The shenanigans and hijinks are wonderful ... and at the core of those shenanigans and hijinks are Courfreyac and his siblings, as they draw Cosette into a quirky but loving family. (And also try to get everyone safely through cholera and a failed revolution.) I love all of the distinct and interesting characters, both canon and OC. I love the shenanigans. I love that Cosette gets a chance to truly blossom and form friendships. It's wonderful
Fanwork Links: Some Friendlier Sky
Tags:
- fandom: les miserables,
- length: 80.000 & more words,
- theme: au,
- theme: au: fork in the road,
- theme: book fandoms,
- theme: crack,
- theme: epic works,
- theme: everybody lives/nobody dies aus,
- theme: family,
- theme: female friendship,
- theme: fix-it,
- theme: happy endings,
- theme: humor,
- theme: just plain fun,
- theme: novel-length fic,
- theme: old fandoms,
- theme: politics,
- theme: rare pairings,
- theme: siblings,
- theme: small fandoms
Mar. 20th, 2026 02:43 am
Ballet Shoes: With Love, Posy by Deepdarkwaters
Fandom: Ballet Shoes
Characters/Pairings: Posy Fossil
Rating: General
Length: 5203 words
Author Links:
Theme: siblings, family, female characters, gen, book fandoms, old fandoms, small fandoms, future fic
Summary: "There was a terrific row when Nana found out I'd only written one letter so she's sent me to write to you all properly, only I don't have anything left to say now and I do think it's silly to have to copy out the same letter twice." Posy Fossil's letters to her sisters from ballet school in Czechoslovakia, 1936-1938.
Reccer's Notes: Ballet Shoes is a delightful story about three sisters in 1930s Britain, their guardian, and their nanny. At the end of the story, one goes off to Hollywood under a studio contract, one goes to live by an aerodrome to learn to fly, and the youngest (Posy) goes to Czechoslovakia to be trained as a ballet dancer. Posy, the youngest, loves her sisters but is also self-centered and focused on her dancing. This is the first time she's ever been away from her sisters since she was a baby, and the letters trace that relationship even as they're hundreds and thousands of miles apart. But no matter how far apart they are, no matter how different their lives are, they still love one another.
deepdarkwaters captures Posy's character, and her relationship with her sisters, perfectly.
Story Links: With Love, Posy
Characters/Pairings: Posy Fossil
Rating: General
Length: 5203 words
Author Links:
Theme: siblings, family, female characters, gen, book fandoms, old fandoms, small fandoms, future fic
Summary: "There was a terrific row when Nana found out I'd only written one letter so she's sent me to write to you all properly, only I don't have anything left to say now and I do think it's silly to have to copy out the same letter twice." Posy Fossil's letters to her sisters from ballet school in Czechoslovakia, 1936-1938.
Reccer's Notes: Ballet Shoes is a delightful story about three sisters in 1930s Britain, their guardian, and their nanny. At the end of the story, one goes off to Hollywood under a studio contract, one goes to live by an aerodrome to learn to fly, and the youngest (Posy) goes to Czechoslovakia to be trained as a ballet dancer. Posy, the youngest, loves her sisters but is also self-centered and focused on her dancing. This is the first time she's ever been away from her sisters since she was a baby, and the letters trace that relationship even as they're hundreds and thousands of miles apart. But no matter how far apart they are, no matter how different their lives are, they still love one another.
Story Links: With Love, Posy
Mar. 19th, 2026 03:36 pm
The Pitt: Now You Know by cold_cereal
Fandom: The Pitt
Characters/Pairings: Michael "Robby" Robinavitch/Dennis Whitaker, Trinity Santos, Jack Abbot
Rating: Explicit
Length: 24,437 words
Creator Links: cold_cereal on AO3
Theme: siblings,
Summary: When Whitaker accidentally sends a dick pic to Dr. Robby, he never thought it would end like this.
Reccer's Notes: Well now...
With a summary like that you would expect nothing more than a PWP, but this is the furthest from that. We all know that Whitaker comes from Broken Bow, Nebraska and grew up on a farm with 3 brothers. But we never get any of that backstory - toxic or good - in canon.
Well that backstory shows up here, almost like there needed to be a wonderful plot to go along with the accidental dick pic share. We get to see Whitaker's parents and his brothers - and how he and one of his brothers escaped that small-town/small-mindedness. I'm not saying his one brother that "escaped" the mentality is all that great, but I know these small-town folks. Hell, I'm related to a lot of them. And I can read a compliment from what sounds like a bigot trying to do better, even if they don't have a frame of reference for that.
Basically, this is a fic about getting out of a small town, and leaving the small-mindedness behind.
Fanwork Links: Fic on AO3.
Characters/Pairings: Michael "Robby" Robinavitch/Dennis Whitaker, Trinity Santos, Jack Abbot
Rating: Explicit
Length: 24,437 words
Creator Links: cold_cereal on AO3
Theme: siblings,
Summary: When Whitaker accidentally sends a dick pic to Dr. Robby, he never thought it would end like this.
Reccer's Notes: Well now...
With a summary like that you would expect nothing more than a PWP, but this is the furthest from that. We all know that Whitaker comes from Broken Bow, Nebraska and grew up on a farm with 3 brothers. But we never get any of that backstory - toxic or good - in canon.
Well that backstory shows up here, almost like there needed to be a wonderful plot to go along with the accidental dick pic share. We get to see Whitaker's parents and his brothers - and how he and one of his brothers escaped that small-town/small-mindedness. I'm not saying his one brother that "escaped" the mentality is all that great, but I know these small-town folks. Hell, I'm related to a lot of them. And I can read a compliment from what sounds like a bigot trying to do better, even if they don't have a frame of reference for that.
Basically, this is a fic about getting out of a small town, and leaving the small-mindedness behind.
Fanwork Links: Fic on AO3.
Mar. 18th, 2026 07:10 pm
陈情令 | The Untamed: Moments of Revelation by Meyari
Fandom: 陈情令 | The Untamed
Pairings/Characters: Jiang Cheng & Wei Wuxian & Jiang Yanli, Jiang Cheng/Nie Huaisang (background), Wei Wuxian/Lan Wangji (background), Lan Xichen, Jin Zixuan, Meng Yao, Wen Zhuliu
Rating: R for Graphic Depictions of Violence and Major Character Death
Length: 133,987 words
Creator Link:
meyari
Themes: Siblings, Time Travel Fix-It, Women Being Awesome, Trauma & Recovery
Summary: As the Jianghu collapses around Jiang Cheng's ears, his borrowed core begins to fail. Wei Wuxian has one final trick up his sleeve, though the only person who can use it is the one person who has no core of his own: Jiang Cheng. Time travel may be impossible for everyone else, but Jiang Cheng has one slender, delicate chance to save the entire world. Of course he has to take it no matter what the cost might be.
Reccer's Notes: As soon as I saw this month's theme, I thought of this story. While time travel fix-its and core reveal fix-its are both common in the fandom, this story handles both tropes in ways I haven't seen any other story do. It also features amazing original characters, including several badass women of the Meishan Yu sect, and gives Jiang Yanli one of the best storylines I've ever seen. The rating is because there's still a war, and some characters still die, but it's a far different war, and they are far different deaths.
I do feel like I have to provide a caveat that this could use a serious line edit, by which I mean there is a grammatical or spelling error in nearly every sentence. It really says something that, despite this, I couldn't put the story down, and devoured all 100K+ words of it in the space of two nights.
Fanwork Links: Moments of Revelation (please note that this is archive-locked to AO3-registered users)
Pairings/Characters: Jiang Cheng & Wei Wuxian & Jiang Yanli, Jiang Cheng/Nie Huaisang (background), Wei Wuxian/Lan Wangji (background), Lan Xichen, Jin Zixuan, Meng Yao, Wen Zhuliu
Rating: R for Graphic Depictions of Violence and Major Character Death
Length: 133,987 words
Creator Link:
Themes: Siblings, Time Travel Fix-It, Women Being Awesome, Trauma & Recovery
Summary: As the Jianghu collapses around Jiang Cheng's ears, his borrowed core begins to fail. Wei Wuxian has one final trick up his sleeve, though the only person who can use it is the one person who has no core of his own: Jiang Cheng. Time travel may be impossible for everyone else, but Jiang Cheng has one slender, delicate chance to save the entire world. Of course he has to take it no matter what the cost might be.
Reccer's Notes: As soon as I saw this month's theme, I thought of this story. While time travel fix-its and core reveal fix-its are both common in the fandom, this story handles both tropes in ways I haven't seen any other story do. It also features amazing original characters, including several badass women of the Meishan Yu sect, and gives Jiang Yanli one of the best storylines I've ever seen. The rating is because there's still a war, and some characters still die, but it's a far different war, and they are far different deaths.
I do feel like I have to provide a caveat that this could use a serious line edit, by which I mean there is a grammatical or spelling error in nearly every sentence. It really says something that, despite this, I couldn't put the story down, and devoured all 100K+ words of it in the space of two nights.
Fanwork Links: Moments of Revelation (please note that this is archive-locked to AO3-registered users)
Mar. 17th, 2026 09:38 pm
Pride and Prejudice: The Rich Are Always Respectable by Elizabeth (anghraine)
Fandom: Pride and Prejudice
Pairings/Characters: Darcy/Elizabeth, Georgiana, Jane/Bingley
Rating: Teen
Length: 75k
Creator Links:
anghraine
Theme: siblings, old fandoms, book fandoms, novel length, AU, family,
Summary: Without Lady Catherine's interference, a family catastrophe throws Darcy and Elizabeth down wildly different paths.
Reccer's Notes: This series is very much Darcy/Elizabeth, but they spend a lot of it going down separate paths. And on those separate paths, their closest relationships are with their siblings--Darcy and Georgiana, Jane and Elizabeth. I love the care that is taken with all of the different relationships in this story.
Fanwork Links: The Rich Are Always Respectable
Pairings/Characters: Darcy/Elizabeth, Georgiana, Jane/Bingley
Rating: Teen
Length: 75k
Creator Links:
Theme: siblings, old fandoms, book fandoms, novel length, AU, family,
Summary: Without Lady Catherine's interference, a family catastrophe throws Darcy and Elizabeth down wildly different paths.
Reccer's Notes: This series is very much Darcy/Elizabeth, but they spend a lot of it going down separate paths. And on those separate paths, their closest relationships are with their siblings--Darcy and Georgiana, Jane and Elizabeth. I love the care that is taken with all of the different relationships in this story.
Fanwork Links: The Rich Are Always Respectable
Mar. 17th, 2026 09:25 pm
Marvel: Geriatric Road Trip, 2015 by what_alchemy
Fandom: Marvel
Pairings/Characters: Steve/Bucky
Rating: Gen
Length: 4k
Creator Links:
what_alchemy
Theme: siblings, AU, family
Summary: Bucky was the eldest of four.
Reccer's Notes: Bucky has four younger siblings, and in 2015 they are elderly, crotchety, and determined to go see Steve Rogers. Getting there is an ordeal, and what they find there is a surprise. I love the way the characters are so well-drawn and realistic, and I love the humor.
Fanwork Links: Geriatric Road Trip, 2015
Content notes: racist and homophobic language
Pairings/Characters: Steve/Bucky
Rating: Gen
Length: 4k
Creator Links:
Theme: siblings, AU, family
Summary: Bucky was the eldest of four.
Reccer's Notes: Bucky has four younger siblings, and in 2015 they are elderly, crotchety, and determined to go see Steve Rogers. Getting there is an ordeal, and what they find there is a surprise. I love the way the characters are so well-drawn and realistic, and I love the humor.
Fanwork Links: Geriatric Road Trip, 2015
Content notes: racist and homophobic language
Mar. 17th, 2026 08:50 pm
Vorkosiverse: The Emperor's Brother by Lanna Michaels (lannamichaels)
Fandom: Vorkosigan
Pairings/Characters: Kareen Vorbarra, Alys Vorpatril, Gregor Vorbarra, Ivan Vorpatril
Rating: Gen
Length: 13k
Creator Links:
lannamichaels
Theme: siblings, family, secret identity reveal, female characters, old fandoms, book fandoms, AU, female friendship,
Summary: Kareen protects her children.
Reccer's Notes: This is such a fascinating AU about Kareen, Alys, Gregor, Ivan, and what might have happened.
Fanwork Links: The Emperor's Brother
Pairings/Characters: Kareen Vorbarra, Alys Vorpatril, Gregor Vorbarra, Ivan Vorpatril
Rating: Gen
Length: 13k
Creator Links:
Theme: siblings, family, secret identity reveal, female characters, old fandoms, book fandoms, AU, female friendship,
Summary: Kareen protects her children.
Reccer's Notes: This is such a fascinating AU about Kareen, Alys, Gregor, Ivan, and what might have happened.
Fanwork Links: The Emperor's Brother
Mar. 17th, 2026 09:38 am
Round 185 Theme Poll
April will be a Flashback round where we revisit a classic theme from the early years of the comm.
Poll #34378 round 185 theme poll
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: Just the Poll Creator, participants: 94
Pick the next theme of fancake:
Arranged Marriage
47 (50.0%)
Forced Proximity
22 (23.4%)
Threesome
25 (26.6%)
Tags:
Mar. 17th, 2026 01:43 am
Vorkosiverse: The Cukoo, by callmecasandra
Fandom: Vorkosigan
Pairings/Characters: Gregor Vorbarra, Ivan Vorpatril
Rating: Gen
Length: 7k
Creator Links:
callmecasandra
Theme: siblings, AU, fork in the road, family, gen, old fandoms, book fandoms
Summary: Gregor need not have worried.
Reccer's Notes: Gregor Vorbarra is Emperor of Barrayar, and he has monsters in his family tree. His father Serg was a rapist and a murderer who died when he was a small child (and Serg's own father Emperor Ezar arranged his death), and his great uncle was Mad Emperor Yuri who was paranoid and homicidal and awful. Gregor understandably has issues about his family.
But what if Ezar had seen the sort of person Serg was, and how many monsters are in the family tree, and not only made sure Serg died before inheriting the throne, but also ... made sure that Serg would not father the next emperor of Barrayar?
This is a short but compelling AU. The series is marked incomplete, but there are no dangling plot threads and it hasn't been updated in over a decade.
Fanwork Links: The Cuckoo
Pairings/Characters: Gregor Vorbarra, Ivan Vorpatril
Rating: Gen
Length: 7k
Creator Links:
Theme: siblings, AU, fork in the road, family, gen, old fandoms, book fandoms
Summary: Gregor need not have worried.
Reccer's Notes: Gregor Vorbarra is Emperor of Barrayar, and he has monsters in his family tree. His father Serg was a rapist and a murderer who died when he was a small child (and Serg's own father Emperor Ezar arranged his death), and his great uncle was Mad Emperor Yuri who was paranoid and homicidal and awful. Gregor understandably has issues about his family.
But what if Ezar had seen the sort of person Serg was, and how many monsters are in the family tree, and not only made sure Serg died before inheriting the throne, but also ... made sure that Serg would not father the next emperor of Barrayar?
This is a short but compelling AU. The series is marked incomplete, but there are no dangling plot threads and it hasn't been updated in over a decade.
Fanwork Links: The Cuckoo
Mar. 17th, 2026 01:36 am
Star Wars: Lonely In Your Company by Darkmagyk
Fandom: Star Wars
Pairings/Characters: Leia Organa
Rating: Gen
Length: 2k
Creator Links:
Darkmagyk
Theme: siblings, gen, family,
Summary: “We were very close.” Sola says, and Leia smiles her politician's smile in response.
This woman is convinced she and her sister were the best of friends. And she’s telling the secret daughter, from a secret marriage, all about it.
Leia doesn't need the force to know it wasn't true.
Reccer's Notes: This is about Padmé and her sister Sola, but it's also about Luke and Leia, and about family, and about memory.
Fanwork Links: Lonely In Your Company
Pairings/Characters: Leia Organa
Rating: Gen
Length: 2k
Creator Links:
Theme: siblings, gen, family,
Summary: “We were very close.” Sola says, and Leia smiles her politician's smile in response.
This woman is convinced she and her sister were the best of friends. And she’s telling the secret daughter, from a secret marriage, all about it.
Leia doesn't need the force to know it wasn't true.
Reccer's Notes: This is about Padmé and her sister Sola, but it's also about Luke and Leia, and about family, and about memory.
Fanwork Links: Lonely In Your Company
