Kitchen by akane42me (PG-13)

[elmey.livejournal.com]

Oh good. It's summertime, and someone foolishly gave me the keys to the van: ROAD TRIP! I'm planning to spend the month poking around in some interesting corners of MFU, and hope you'll have as much fun exploring as I will.

Fandom: MAN FROM UNCLE
Pairing: none
Length: 1776 words (that's NOT why I picked it for this weekend)
Author on LJ: akane42me
Author Website: Memories Section of akane42me's LJ
Why this must be read:

akane42me is not just a good writer, she's one of those writers whose original take on the world always manages to surprise; her stories are filled with wonderful details and a skewed sense of humor that bubbles out at the most unexpected moments.

OK, so the title Kitchen doesn't exactly make the heart go pitter-patter, but boy, the story will. It's a story about coming home tired after a mission, so tired that your conscious mind can't maintain the veneer of normalcy that gets you through the day; the reality of the dangerous, violent life you live starts to seep through. It begins on low heat, but pretty soon you're caught up in it like the frog in the boiling pot--just as Illya gets caught up in a nightmare in Napoleon's kitchen.

Wedged between the wall of the cupboard and the boxes of spare clips and bullets was a large book. The title, "The Joy of Cooking" was printed in dark letters on the shiny white spine. Illya pulled the cookbook out in disbelief. When he opened the book, the pristine dust jacket buckled stiffly and the binding cracked. Never used. No surprise there. However, there was quite a surprise to be found on the flyleaf.

Kitchen

Comments

[frau-flora.livejournal.com]

Annie has written lots of great stories but this is by far my favourite. Great rec!

[elmey.livejournal.com]

\o/ 4-0 \o/

I'm just surprised it wasn't recced before. Blew me away first time I read it, what a wonderfully perverse imagination :)

[frau-flora.livejournal.com]

\o/ indeed! Now Spain, hope you'll support us!

what a wonderfully perverse imagination

Yes, and she's such a nice person. I wonder where that comes from... ;-)

[elmey.livejournal.com]

Now Spain, hope you'll support us!

My father is German and is staying with us for the summer. I wouldn't dare root for anyone else!!

[frau-flora.livejournal.com]

I bet he's hoping for a Germany/Netherlands final! Say hello for me and ask him if he remembers 1974. :-)

[periwinkle27.livejournal.com]

Wonderful rec. The contrast of Illya's memories to the cookbook is very powerful.

[elmey.livejournal.com]

The story develops in such an unexpected way. I love Annie's writing.

[akane42me.livejournal.com]

Sending you bunches of big squishy hugs for recc'ing the story. The awesome comments in my mail have given me a terrific and much-needed boost. Thanks billions! Thanks to my friends for the kind feedback here on crack van as well.

[elmey.livejournal.com]

You know of course that this is all just an underhanded way of urging you to write more. Keep that notebook with you at all times please!

[akane42me.livejournal.com]

I do not carry a purse, so have stuffed notebook down front of pants. Getting funny looks from neighbors.