Fancake

SGA: Can't Pretend by randommindtime

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 05:33:10 GMT

Posted by: mific

Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Characters/Pairings: John Sheppard/Rodney McKay, Ronon Dex, Elizabeth Weir, Carson Beckett, Miller, et al
Rating: Gen
Length: 00:03:45
Content Notes: no AO3-type warnings. Rapid cuts, flashing lights esp. at 3 min mark, canon-typical violence.
Creator Links: randommindtime on YouTube, and on AO3. The song's by Tom Odell.
Themes: Just like canon, Action/adventure, Families of choice, Friendship, Teams

Summary: "I guess that's love. I can't pretend. I can't pretend."

Reccer's Notes: This is one of the best of randommindtimes' fanvids, and it's about the intense connection between John and Rodney in canon, through all their dramas, losses and vicissitudes. It doesn't matter if they're very close friends, or lovers - the intensity's the same and both are natural extensions of canon. It's a powerful distillation of the show - one of my favourites, and very much worth watching.

Fanwork Links: Can't Pretend on AO3, and Can't Pretend on YT

comments

Hatchetfield: Honey and Green Apples by chlodobird

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 22:48:25 GMT

Posted by: susieboo

Fandom: Hatchetfield
Pairings/Characters: Wilbur Cross/Charlotte Sweetly, mentioned Charlotte/Ted and Zoey/Sam
Rating: Mature
Length: 2,150 words
Creator Links: AO3 profile.
Theme: just like canon

Summary: The Honey Festival is supposed to be the best night of the year in Hatchetfield. Unfortunately for Charlotte Sweetly, her husband ditched her, Ted Spankoffski left with another woman, and Bill delivered some bad news. Her night just kept getting worse—and then it got weird. After all, the Honey Festival is a time when things from the Black and White can walk the streets of Hatchetfield, and Wiley's got plans of his own.

Reccer's Notes: Charlotte is a thoroughly underutilized character in the Hatchetfield canon, and this fic reads exactly like how a Charlotte-centric episode of Nightmare Time might play out - down to using the script formatting. This has also really gotten me interested in Charlotte/Wiley as a pairing.

Fanwork Link: AO3

(Please add the Hatchetfield fandom tag! Thank you!)

comments

Keeper of the Lost Cities: Shattered Upside Down by bookwyrminspiration

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 19:09:33 GMT

Posted by: bluerosekatie

Fandom: Keeper of the Lost Cities
Pairings/Characters: Fitz Vacker, Sophie Foster, Keefe Sencen, Biana Vacker, Dex Dizznee, Maruca Chebota, Wylie Endal, Marella Redek, Tam Song, and Linh Song
Rating: Teen
Length: 366,049 Words
Creator Links: bookwyrminspiration on Ao3
Theme:
Just Like Canon (Featured), Epic Works, Gen, Friendship, Wings, AU: Fork in the Road
Summary:
When the world begins to crawl with unnaturally made monsters, the Keeper crew continue to fight like they always have. But a wrench is thrown in those plans when they themselves become less than human.
Reccer's Notes:
Although this is a complete AU in that it's a wingfic, the author's writing style is very familiar to canon and I genuinely mix up scenes from this fic with canon because I love it so much! The focus on the friendship dynamics between all the crew is excellent.
Fanwork Links:
Shattered Upside Down on Ao3

comments

Minecraft: Story Mode: Sproing! by Pinky G. Rocket

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 19:01:38 GMT

Posted by: bluerosekatie

Fandom: Minecraft: Story Mode
Pairings/Characters: Male Jesse & Petra
Rating: Gen
Length: 1,521 words
Creator Links: Pinky G. Rocket on Ao3
Theme:
Just Like Canon (Featured), Gen Works, Friendship
Summary:
As Jesse and Petra go on new adventures throughout the world and visit new lands, they come across a village- but not with the usual inhabitants that they've come to expect from villages and towns. But even in these new lands, remnants of a crisis one thought long past linger.
Reccer's Notes:
A super sweet little oneshot that incorporates a fun Minecraft mod and newer Minecraft versions near-seamlessly into a continuation of the main characters' adventures. Fits into post-canon and has callbacks to the first season.
Fanwork Links:
Sproing! on Ao3

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Tron (Movies): Outer Limits by badgerwitch

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 18:53:36 GMT

Posted by: bluerosekatie

Fandom: Tron (Movies)
Pairings/Characters: Rinzler & OCs, Sam Flynn/Quorra in the background
Rating: Teen
Length: 71,293 words
Creator Links: badgerwitch on Ao3
Theme:
Just Like Canon (Featured), Robots Androids & AI, Science Fiction, Alternate Universe: Fork in the Road
Summary:
Their entire world lay subject to Kevin Flynn's rules, except for the Sea of Simulation. There, there are no boundaries to the outside laws of the modern, connected world. ...Rinzler isn't done just yet. Post-Legacy. Unfinished.
Reccer's Notes:
A story starting off from the ending of Tron: Legacy, which follows Rinzler journeying across networks and being discovered by some human hackers in the process. Serves as an alternate canon continuation with a great premise and some fun Sam/Quorra in the background near the end. Although this fic is marked as complete, it is abandoned/discontinued, so if you hate cliffhangers, be warned.
Fanwork Links:
Outer Limits on Ao3

comments

Mega Man (Cartoon 1994): Double Trouble by jackalopez

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 18:40:32 GMT

Posted by: bluerosekatie

Fandom: Mega Man (Cartoon 1994)
Pairings/Characters: Mega Man & Roll & Dr. Light, Dr. Wily & Proto Man
Rating: General Audiences
Length: 4,075 words
Creator Links: jackalopez on Ao3
Theme:
Just Like Canon (featured), Science Fiction, Robots Androids & AI, Gen, Siblings
Summary:
Mega Man and his sister, Roll, face their toughest enemy yet! And it just so happens to be… Mega Man?!
Reccer's Notes:
A fun genfic recreating the canon's monster-of-the-week episode structure, including a cameo from another classic Rockman character, the Copy Robot. Super canon-accurate and an enjoyable read!
Fanwork Links:
Double Trouble on Ao3

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The Protomen: How To Draw a Circle by Anonymous

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 18:32:33 GMT

Posted by: bluerosekatie

Fandom: The Protomen
Pairings/Characters: Megaman & Protoman & Thomas Light
Rating: Unrated, estimate Teen
Length: 3,997 words
Creator Links: N/A, Author is anonymous
Theme:
Featured (Just Like Canon), Gateway Fanworks, Old Fandoms, Siblings, Robots Androids and AI, Science Fiction
Summary:
A spotlight thrums to life, its beam illuminating a bare-bones stage.
Reccer's Notes:
A script format retelling of Act 1 of the Protomen as a stage play, packed with references to the Orestia and Act 2 of The Protomen. Deals heavily with themes of generational trauma, cyclical revenge, and family issues, while following the canon story. As heartbreaking and beautiful, if not more, than the original album, plus, there's a great video podfic version also available on the Archive!
Fanwork Links:
How to Draw a Circle on Ao3

comments

Star Trek TOS: Equilibrium by PSW

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 20:49:51 GMT

Posted by: kingstoken

Fandom: Star Trek: TOS
Pairings/Characters: McCoy & Spock & Kirk
Rating: T
Length: 152,048 words
Creator Links: PSW
Theme: just like canon

Summary: McCoy's transport is destroyed in what appears to be a containment field explosion, leaving no known survivors. The truth, however, is not so simple as that ...

Reccer's Notes: McCoy is kidnapped by non-Federation aliens that force him to work for them in a medical capacity treating other kidnapped individuals. Meanwhile Kirk and Spock think McCoy has been killed in an explosion. I think this fits the "just like canon" theme because the quality, plot, and the writing of this fic is as good as any Trek tie-in novel, and may in fact be better. There is a quite a bit of hurt!Bones in this as he struggles to survive and try to escape the situation he is in. At the same time Spock and Kirk are trying their best to deal with their grief over the loss of their friend, and not always doing that in the healthiest of ways. All while there is a greater plot about these new aliens and what they are trying to achieve, and some original characters that I really enjoyed.

Fanwork Links: AO3

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Stranger Things: In A Strange Land, by MrsEvadneCake

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 17:27:01 GMT

Posted by: runpunkrun

Fandom: Stranger Things
Pairings/Characters: Ensemble gen, with a focus on Steve Harrington
Rating: Teen
Length: 180,411 words
Creator Link: MrsEvadneCake
Theme: Just Like Canon, Gen, Epic Works

Summary:

Doom comes to Hawkins, Indiana. Population est. 30,000.

It's cold, that's all, and the breeze is kicking up. That's why Steve feels the chill go up his spine like someone dropped an ice-cube down his back.

"Why wouldn't I be real, El?"

"The Aboleth got you."

Reccer's Notes: This fic is just like a season of the show, with a new big bad and EVERYBODY (from S2) in it, the voices expertly rendered, and the story well told. Highly recommended.

Fanwork Link: In A Strange Land

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Round 187: Just Like Canon

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 15:19:23 GMT

Posted by: runpunkrun

Our theme for June is just like canon!

The tag for this round is: theme: just like canon

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.

( Rules! )

( Posting Template! )

( Promote this round! )

Reblog on Tumblr | Reskeet on Bluesky | Retoot on Mastodon

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“Subways Of Your Mind”, by FEX (AKA “The Most Mysterious Song On The Internet”): Fanvid, by hailey.

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 01:47:52 GMT

Posted by: full_metal_ox

(The full title is too verbose for DW’s header limit.)

Fandom: “Subways Of Your Mind”, AKA “The Most Mysterious Song On The Internet” (FEX song); Lostwave
Pairings/Characters: Gen; invitation to the audience.
Rating: General Audiences
Length: 3:16
Content Notes: No AO3 Warnings Apply; the song was identified and claimed in 2024; role-playing unreality galore in the comments.
Creator Links: (YouTube): hailey-ks7mg

Theme: Journey & Travel, Fanvid, Folklore & Fairytales, Gen, Non-AO3 Works, Research, Social Media

Summary: if you don’t know the song in this video it’s known as “the most mysterious song on the internet”. It’s a new wave/post punk song that was originally played on a german radio station between 1982-1984. no one knows it’s name or who created it, leading to a several year search for it’s origins that inspired me to make this edit.

i recommend watching whang’s videos on the subject if you want to learn more :)
• The Most Mysterious Song on the Internet - Tales From the Internet
• The Most Mysterious Song on the Internet UPDATE

driving ambiance + footage is of the autobahn motorway in germany and is from the channel rarbi.art
https://www.youtube.com/user/rarbiart/

note: this video was made for creative purposes only. all music and images belongs to the original creators. no copyright infringement intended.

Reccer's Notes: Commenter dj-ov2it’s summary:

People think of this as a meme but keep in mind. One singular day in early 80s northern germany, a couple thousand people were listening to this song and of those, a whole lot might have been driving a car. This exact video - albeit in an abstract sense - has HAPPENED before and those people are mostly still very much alive. Hell, my close relatives might be some of them.

Fanwork Links: the most mysterious song on the internet but it's playing on your car radio in 1980s germany, by hailey.

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Merlin: We Can Always Run by kairennart (Personaje), queerofthedagger

Sun, 31 May 2026 17:53:11 GMT

Posted by: sasheneskywalker

Fandom: Merlin
Pairings/Characters: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon, Leon & Arthur Pendragon, Morgana & Arthur Pendragon, minor Elyan/Gwaine, minor Gwen/Morgana
Rating: Mature
Length: 148,000 words
Creator Links: queerofthedagger Personaje
Theme: journey & travel, slow burn, road trips, hurt/comfort, fix-it, friends to lovers, angst (with a happy ending)

Summary: Arthur has always had distant dreams of leaving Camelot. They were never more than a wistful fantasy, at least once he grew up.

Finding out about Merlin’s magic changes everything though, and not only because Arthur would do more to keep Merlin safe than he cares to admit. What follows are secrets upon secrets, allowing the dreams to slip back in as all his father’s lies unravel around him. Slowly but surely, Camelot feels less like a home and more like a gilded cage, and Arthur isn’t so certain anymore whether he’s the right person to carry this legacy. If he even wants to.

One final secret, one opportunity, and suddenly the dreams aren’t mere dreams anymore. Merlin wouldn’t be Merlin if he didn’t follow wherever Arthur goes, and as they try to outrun Uther’s manhunt for them, they have to learn to live a life that’s about more than duty, other’s expectations, and a destiny that has never once cared for them.

Or: Arthur long since expected that one day, he might have to flee Camelot with Merlin. He just never thought that he would be the reason.

Reccer's Notes: Fantastic fic about Merlin and Arthur traveling the world together, having adventures, helping people, being general badasses, and falling in love. I love the way Merlin and Arthur’s relationship develops throughout the story <3

Content Notes: canon-typical violence

Fanwork Links: We Can Always Run

comments

Due South: About a Riv by china_shop

Sun, 31 May 2026 12:19:20 GMT

Posted by: mific

Fandom: due South
Characters/Pairings: Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski, Ray Vecchio/Stella, Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski/Ray Vecchio
Rating: Explicit
Length: 9254
Content Notes: no AO3 warnings apply
Creator Links: china_shop on AO3
Themes: Journey and Travel, Road trips, Polyamory, Action/Adventure, First time, Friends to lovers, Post-canon

Summary: Fraser finds a 1971 green Buick Riviera in Ottawa, and takes Ray Kowalski and Diefenbaker on a road trip to Florida to deliver it to Ray Vecchio.

Reccer's Notes: A rollicking tale, interestingly structured in a series of 1st person POVs moving from Ben to Ray K to Ray V. They each elaborate on different aspects of the action plot (which involves a road trip to drive the Riv from Canada down to Florida), and on the developing relationships between Ben, Ray and Ray, the Rays often dissing each other and cutting in to say "what he didn't tell you was this..."
It's fun, interesting, with great characterisation, and the non-linear structure absolutely works. During all the drama, Stella quietly breaks up with Ray V in a believable, no-fault way, and it ends happily with Ben, Ray and Ray working things out together. Excellent reading!

Fanwork Links: About a Riv

comments

SGA: Pictures from a Moving Car by Punk

Sun, 31 May 2026 02:48:58 GMT

Posted by: mific

Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Characters/Pairings: Rodney McKay/John Sheppard, Walter Harriman
Rating: Gen
Length: 1000
Content Notes: no AO3 warnings apply
Creator Links: Punk on AO3
Themes: Journey and Travel, Roadtrips, Established relationship, Friendship

Summary: The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step of getting Rodney McKay in the damn car.

Reccer's Notes: A fun short fic (exactly 1000 words as it was written for the "pic for 1000" challenge) where they're back on Earth and John drags Rodney away from Science for a road trip. Lovely banter and companionship, and Rodney being very Rodney. Note that if you open 'reader view' in the AO3 post you can see the prompt picture :D

Fanwork Links: Pictures from a Moving Car on AO3
Podfic read by Punk on the Audiofic Archive

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Lord of the Rings: Die Wanderung, by Ithrenwen

Sat, 30 May 2026 13:55:15 GMT

Posted by: birdylion

Language: German

Fandom: Lord of the Rings
Pairings/Characters: original hobbit characters, cameo of elven characters
Rating: Teen and Up Audiences
Length: 50k words
Creator Links: Ithrenwen
Theme: Journey and Travel, Pre-Canon, Backstory

Summary:
"In den ältesten Erzählungen finden sich Andeutungen, daß sie einst in den oberen Tälern des Anduin gehaust haben mußten, zwischen den Ausläufern des Großen Grünwaldes und dem Nebelgebirge. Die Gründe, warum sie später das schwierige und gefährliche Wagnis unternahmen, über das Gebirge nach Eriador zu ziehen, sind nicht mehr bekannt. Ihre eigenen Berichte erwähnen, daß sich die Menschen vermehrt hätten und ein Schatten auf den Wald gefallen ist, so daß er sich verdüsterte, und sein neuer Name war Düsterwald." (J.R.R. Tolkien, Herr der Ringe, Einführung: Über Hobbits)

Reccer's Notes: Die Geschichte beschreibt die Wanderung der Hobbits über das Nebelgebirge, die im Intro von HdR nur erwähnt ist, und deren mögliche Hintergründe. Der Fokus liegt dabei sehr stark auf der Reise und ihren Gefahren und Schwierigkeiten, denen diese Gruppe von Hobbits dabei ausgesetzt war.

English description, for the curious: The story describes how a group of hobbits made their way from the upper valleys of the Anduin, where they lived in earlier times, over the Misty Mountains. The story focuses on the travel itself and its dangers to which which this group of hobbits were subject.

Content Notes: depictions of violence and fighting, character death

Fanwork Links: "Die Wanderung" on fanfiktion.de

@runpunkrun Could you maybe add the tag "language: deutsch"?

comments

Heated Rivalry: I Was Raised Out in the Cold by LavenderProse

Thu, 28 May 2026 08:31:42 GMT

Posted by: mific

Fandom: Heated Rivalry
Characters/Pairings: Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov, OMC
Rating: Explicit
Length: 10,048
Content Notes: no AO3 warnings apply
Creator Links: LavenderProse on AO3
Themes: Journey and travel, Mutual pining, Established relationship, Huddling for warmth, Missing scenes

Summary: He crowds Shane into the hood of the car, hands up under his shirt and jacket again. October is getting cold; nights are getting colder. The places where Ilya is touching him are the only parts of Shane’s body that are warm right now. Maybe that’s why he wraps his arms around Ilya’s neck and clings to him, though he doesn’t necessarily surprise himself with it. They don’t even kiss for a moment. Ilya busies himself breathing into the crook of Shane’s neck, trying to regain control. Shane opens his eyes and gazes over Ilya’s shoulder at the dark field and realizes that an utterly foreign feeling has risen up in him. It’s Ilya’s broad shoulders and beautiful hair between Shane and the world and he feels — small. Protected.
“Oh my God,” Shane whispers, completely ashamed of the feeling and hungry for it. It curls warm in his stomach. His toes arch inside his shoes. Something about being so close to this man, something about Ilya putting himself between Shane and — the world. Whatever lurks in the deep night. It’s a feeling like a ghost, something that Shane isn’t allowed to look directly at except for moments like these. Quiet and dark.

Shane, Ilya, Vermont. Meeting in the middle.

Reccer's Notes: This is set during the episode four montage of hook-ups, with Shane and Ilya driving some distance (and in Shane's case, crossing a national border) to meet up a couple of times in Vermont, midway between Montreal and Boston. At this stage they still haven't admitted their feelings, but the logistics, and an unexpected interruption, lead to them spending more time together than usual. Excellent writing, amusing and poignant, with lovely intimacy and hotness. Great sense of place in both locations where they meet (surprisingly outdoorsy for city-boy Ilya, especially given the weather). Recommended!

Fanwork Links: I Was Raised Out in the Cold

comments

Heated Rivalry: Scott Hunter's Life-Changing Road Trip by Cricket_Writes

Tue, 26 May 2026 10:44:15 GMT

Posted by: mific

Fandom: Heated Rivalry
Characters/Pairings: Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov, Scott Hunter/Kip Grady, Cliff Marleau, Eric Bennett, Carter Vaughn, Yuna Hollander, David Hollander, Greg Huff, JJ Boizeau, Hayden Pike, Jackie Pike, Gloria Grey, Svetlana Vetrova
Rating: Teen
Length: 6606
Content Notes: no AO3 warnings apply
Creator Links: Cricket_Writes on AO3
Themes: Journeys and Travel, Road Trips, Friendship, Teams, Families of choice, AU: Fork in the road, Pining

Summary: “Holy shit,” Carter says from the stall next to Scott, also staring at his phone. “Did you all see about Rozanov and Hollander?” The way Vaughan says it, it doesn’t sound like good news. Carter thrusts his phone in Scott’s face, and he takes it, pulls it back so the headline will focus. HOCKEY STARS CAUGHT IN STEAMY AFFAIR, the headline proclaims, and Scott skims through it quickly. Rozanov and Hollander, years—years?!—worth of videos and photos leaked. Scott is in an NHL locker room, watching his worst nightmare happen to someone else. Holy shit.

Reccer's Notes: This is a reversal of canon, as Shane and Ilya are outed much earlier and that kick-starts Scott into coming out and resolving things with Kip. After the public outing, Scott, Carter and Eric embark on a long (there and back) road trip from New York to Shane and Ilya's very suddenly organised wedding in Montreal. It's a lovely fic told from Scott's POV, in which Shane and Ilya are crucial but largely in the background, and are overwhelmed by the support of their friends, teams, and family, while Scott finally gathers the courage to love Kip openly.

Fanwork Links: Scott Hunter's Life-Changing Road Trip

comments

Mo Dao Zu Shi: [Podfic] Night Bus, by flamingwell.

Mon, 25 May 2026 22:26:40 GMT

Posted by: full_metal_ox

Fandom: Mo Dao Zu Shi
Pairings/Characters: M/M; Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji/Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian
Rating: General Audiences
Length: 57 words; 26:47
Content Notes: No AO3 Warnings Apply; winter weather as relentless atmosphere and adversary; public transportation as a liminal zone; possible unreality—the situation is open to interpretation.
Creator Tags:
Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Podfic, Podfic Length: 20-30 Minutes, Audio Format: MP3, Audio Format: Streaming, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending
Creator Links: (AO3) flamingwell, (Tumblr) flamingwell
Theme: Journey & Travel, Hurt/Comfort, Inspired Work, Modern AU, Non-Fic Recs: Fanart, Non-Fic Recs: Podfics

(Image description (Cut for length): ( Continue. )

Summary: When he came to, the bus was on the freeway. The windows were dewed with drops of melted snow that shone with captured light. Outside, traffic was at a standstill. Dingy slush covered the roads, gradually accumulating as snow drifted down from the woolen sky, the flakes picked out in sharp contrast where they plunged into the light of streetlamps and headlights. Wei WuXian laughed softly to see it. When he turned away from the window, he saw that the beautiful man from earlier was still sitting next to him, watching him with an expression that might, optimistically, be called inquisitive.

“The snow,” Wei WuXian said, gesturing outside. “It looks like champagne bubbles, only going the wrong way.” He laughed again, and rubbed his head. “Have you ever felt drunk, but been pretty sure you weren't drinking? Haha, no, never mind me. I'm just tired.” He rubbed a hand over his face, wanting desperately to sleep.

Podfic of Night Bus by Suspicious_Popsicle.

Author’s Notes: (Cut for length): ( Continue. )

Reccer's Notes: Suspicious_Popsicle’s tale of an encounter between a sore-pressed traveler and a mysterious benefactor in an isolated and enveloping environment, with the ambiguity of possible supernature in play and a twist ending that leaves room for continuing speculation, has many of the elements of a classic Old-Time Radio drama, in the fashion of Quiet, Please or Lights Out!

flamingwell understood the assignment. Her delicate and hushed narrative voice is a perfect vehicle for the subject, animated by Wei Wuxian’s nervous chatter—gradually devolving from restless to febrile to fading—and punctuated by Lan Wangji’s dark temple-bell solemnity.

Fanwork Links: [Podfic] Night Bus, by flamingwell: https://archiveofourown.org/works/77059901
Collections:
Mic-bearing Podtriarchs
Voiceteam Mystery Box 2025

comments

Lord of the Rings: My Adventure, by Belladonna Baggins née Took, by Thimblerig

Mon, 25 May 2026 10:36:11 GMT

Posted by: birdylion

Fandom: Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, The Silmarillion
Pairings/Characters: Belladonna Took
Rating: General Audiences
Length: 11440 words
Creator Links: Thimblerig
Theme: Journey & Travel, Action/Adventure, Backstory, Epistolary, Female Characters, Gen, Pre-Canon

Summary:
Gandalf exclaimed once: 'That I should live to be 'Good morninged' by a son of Belladonna Took!' Bilbo's mum has a story to tell and this is it. Holidays by the Sea, Elves, and much Falling in the Water.

Reccer's Notes:
This is such a lovely story about Belladonna Took, an adventurous hobbit herself. We read/hear it as she writes it down while pregnant with Bilbo, and she tells the story of a journey she took when she was younger and "less respectable". It's an action adventure and quite fun to read and listen to, a really nice background for her.

Fanwork Links: My Adventure, by Belladonna Baggins nee Took on ao3
Podfic of My Adventure, by Belladonna Baggins nee Took read by the author

comments

Lord of the Rings: The Long Road Home by Scribbler

Sun, 24 May 2026 17:51:05 GMT

Posted by: birdylion

Fandom: Lord of the Rings
Pairings/Characters: Boromir; Faramir, Aragorn, OCs
Rating: Teen and Up Audiences
Length: 95,516 words
Creator Links: Scribbler
Theme: Journey & Travel
Previously recommended by beatrice_otter for the themes pre-AO3, fixit AU, plotty fic, novel-length, family (link to rec)

Summary:
Against all odds, Boromir survives Amon Hen. Ashamed and filled with remorse, he goes on a quest for redemption. Bound by his promise to a sick man, Faramir keeps the secret of his brother's survival. But as secrets are wont to do, the truth comes out eventually and Aragorn journeys north to bring Gondor's prodigal son home.

Reccer's Notes:
Although previously recommended for other themes, this fic is perfect for Journey and Travel as we follow Boromir's travels through Gondor and beyond while he tries to regain the honor he feels he lost on Amon Hên. Again and again he meets new people and sees how the war impacted their lives.
The story encapsulates the aspect of "wandering" that first drew me to LotR: how immediate the surroundings are when you're out by yourself, how much shelter and food matter for this kind of travel, or weather and season. The story spans over a few years, during which he sometimes stays in a place for a few months, often out of necessity. I love how the story shows the physicality of Middle Earth, so to speak. You can feel the distances.

Content Notes

Among other things, this story contains
- canon-typical violence
- death of a beloved pet

Fanwork Links: The Long Road Home on ao3

comments

SGA: Looking for Lamour by trinityofone

Thu, 21 May 2026 09:41:59 GMT

Posted by: mific

Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Characters/Pairings: John Sheppard/Rodney McKay
Rating: Teen
Length: 5473
Content Notes: no AO3 warnings apply
Creator Links: trinityofone on AO3
Themes: Journeys and Travel, Road trips, First time, Friends to lovers, Pining

Summary: “Don’t be silly,” John says. “You’re Bob and I’m Bing; now get in the car and let’s go find ourselves a Dorothy.”

Reccer's Notes: A classic road trip fic, with John and Rodney meandering across the USA toward California. Eventually, after some pining on John's part, the inevitable happens and the trip becomes a metaphor for them wandering towards each other.

Fanwork Links: Looking for Lamour

comments

Mo Dao Zu Shi: Night Bus, by Suspicious_Popsicle.

Wed, 20 May 2026 19:04:03 GMT

Posted by: full_metal_ox

Fandom: Mo Dao Zu Shi
Pairings/Characters: M/M; Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji/Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian
Rating: General Audiences
Length: 3,343
Content Notes: No AO3 Warnings Apply; winter weather as relentless atmosphere and adversary; public transportation as a liminal zone; possible unreality—the situation is open to interpretation.
Creator Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting
Creator Links: (AO3–locked) Suspicious_Popsicle, (Dreamwidth) suspicious_popsicle,(Tumblr-locked) suspiciouspopsicle

Theme: Journey & Travel, Hurt/Comfort, Modern AU

Summary: When he came to, the bus was on the freeway. The windows were dewed with drops of melted snow that shone with captured light. Outside, traffic was at a standstill. Dingy slush covered the roads, gradually accumulating as snow drifted down from the woolen sky, the flakes picked out in sharp contrast where they plunged into the light of streetlamps and headlights. Wei WuXian laughed softly to see it. When he turned away from the window, he saw that the beautiful man from earlier was still sitting next to him, watching him with an expression that might, optimistically, be called inquisitive.

“The snow,” Wei WuXian said, gesturing outside. “It looks like champagne bubbles, only going the wrong way.” He laughed again, and rubbed his head. “Have you ever felt drunk, but been pretty sure you weren't drinking? Haha, no, never mind me. I'm just tired.” He rubbed a hand over his face, wanting desperately to sleep.

Author’s Notes: For firesonic152.
For my friend, who got stuck on a bus and sent me photos. XD

(See the end of the work for other works inspired by this one.)

Reccer's Notes: A modern AU account of a snowy night when Lan Wangji serves as Public Transit Guardian Angel to an exhausted, dissociating, and hypothermic Wei Wuxian—who has been in far more trouble than he realizes.

(Until the summer of 2023, shanks’ mare and Dayton, Ohio’s city bus system were my primary modes of transportation. This hazy grey winter ghost-story-or-is-it? is anchored in Suspicious_Popsicle’s concrete lived-in detail, nailing the experience of looping interminably around just to shelter from the elements, waiting for the next opportunity for a stop or transfer (better hope you have at least a day pass and a sympathetic driver, and that you don’t drowse off again!) And of trudging wearily forward through the hostile frigid weather in sodden Vimes’ Boots! Boots! Boots!

Suffice to say that the idea of rescue by a steadfast, devoted, and ethereally handsome Saint Bernard held a profound appeal.)

(This hits similar narrative pressure points to willowcatkin’s Guardian fic The White Umbrella, recced here.)

Fanwork Links: (AO3-locked): Night Bus, by Suspicious_Popsicle : https://archiveofourown.org/works/16792465
Collections: fics that cured ser’s depression
Inspired Works:
Little Talks, by firesonic152.
[Podfic] Night Bus, by flamingwell.

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Bungou Stray Dogs: tell me we do not live in vain by valleykey

Mon, 18 May 2026 19:59:12 GMT

Posted by: sasheneskywalker

Fandom: Bungou Stray Dogs
Pairings/Characters: Dazai Osamu/Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Dazai Osamu & Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Length: 57,127 words
Creator Links: valleykey
Theme: journey & travel, trans & non-binary characters, ambiguous relationships, non-sexual intimacy, road trips, hurt/comfort

Summary: Fyodor’s weak heart thuds violently within its cage of flesh and bone, ba-thump. Dazai’s knife kisses cold on the skin of their throat. They swallow, and the bob of their Adam’s apple against it draws blood.

“Alright,” Fyodor decides, “let’s find a way to die.”

// In the Decay’s aftermath, Fyodor and Dazai quietly slip through the cracks, and set on a journey.

Reccer's Notes: After Fyodor’s defeat, Dazai agrees to a double suicide instead of killing him and the two set off on an unexpected road trip. It’s a fantastic exploration of Dazai and Fyodor’s characters and their relationship. The themes of recovery, philosophy, religion, disability, gender, mental health issues, codependency, and intimacy are handled beautifully, and the writing is absolutely gorgeous <3

Content Notes: suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, self harm, right to suicide stuff, progressive & disabling genetic condition, religious elements, codependency, more detailed content notes in the author's notes

Fanwork Links: tell me we do not live in vain

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Schitt's Creek: Fifteen Hundred Miles, by MoreHuman

Mon, 18 May 2026 18:52:10 GMT

Posted by: birdylion

Fandom: Schitt's Creek
Pairings/Characters: David Rose/Patrick Brewer
Rating: Mature
Length: 30758 words, 2:56h podfic
Creator Links: written by MoreHuman, podfic available by Amanita_Fierce
Theme: Journey & Travel, Canon LGBTQ+ characters, AU

Summary:
It’s an attractive thought, that changing your life could be as easy as doing a hard thing.

Instead of moving to Schitt’s Creek, Patrick decides to hike fifteen hundred miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, through the wilderness, alone. He ends up meeting someone else with something to prove.

Reccer's Notes:
This someone, obviously, being David Rose. The story has them meeting while both solo-hiking the PCT and running into each other again and again. The "Journey and Travel" part is not just a backdrop for a different first meeting and getting together. Instead, the difficulties they face on their journey feel true to my experience of long distance hiking in spirit if not in detail, loving and awe-inspiring descriptions of the landscape included.

The fic also inspired a very well produced podfic that is 100% worth listening to if you like podfics.

Fanwork Links: Fifteen Hundred Miles on ao3
podfic of Fifteen Hundred Miles on ao3

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Theme Reminder: Journey & Travel

Mon, 18 May 2026 18:08:46 GMT

Posted by: runpunkrun

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