Eat Drink and Make Merry 2025 Letter

[echoslam]

Dear Merry Maker,

I'm so happy this exchange is back for another year! My AO3 is echoslam, and this letter is just some additional information and prompts in case it's helpful. Feel free to make what you want! Food themes in fiction are an all-time favorite of mine, and I would be so happy to receive anything for one of my requests.

Sweet likes:
Any kind of AU, maybe bar, coffeeshop, teahouse, anything to do with food in general
Character studies and introspection
Dates revolving around food
Couples or friends cooking or dining out together
Domesticity, slice-of-life fluff, marriages and honeymoons
Humor and silly stuff
Picnics
Recipes as part of the fanwork
Lore or meta about canon food items
Competence kink/"Let them cook"
Someone looks cute while drunk

Sour likes:
Addictive substances
Any kind of horror
Food as an aspect of reward/punishment systems
Cakeverse or any other cannibalism AUs
Subversions of any sweet likes mentioned above
Obsession and possessive behavior
Death themes - major character death, unresolved grief, violent revenge for your lover's death or suffering
Poison
Revenge
Stockholm/Lima Syndrome

Spicy likes:
Aphrodisiacs
Any kind of oral
Sex while one partner is under the influence
Vampirism or other supernatural forms of feeding on someone during sex
PWPs are always welcome!
My smut exchange letters have more likes and previously requested tags

Art likes: (all styles welcome)
Action scenes
Book/cookbook covers/card art/stylized illustration formats
Characters reimagined in different art styles or settings than canon
Dramatic or romantic gestures
Characters just enjoying their food
Kitchen setting or scene from a Chef!AU
Aprons
Clinking glasses or making a toast
Any kind of silly meme pose
"Looking like a snack"

Do Not Wants:
Body waste kinks
Diaper kink
Futanari
Infantilization kink
Poly involving requested characters
Sex scenes featuring characters under 15
Use of the words "cunt", "simp", or "twat"


List of Fandoms:

9 R I.P. (Visual Novel)
Bartender: Glass of God
Deadly Premonition
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Harvest Moon: The Tale of Two Towns
Immortal Classic (TV)
Jewel in the Palace (Dae Jang Geum)
Meng Qi Shi Shen
MF Ghost (Anime)
Twin Peaks (TV 1990)


9 R I.P. (Visual Novel)

Hida Sayaka/Isshiki Misa
Koharu/Isshiki Misa

I loved the supernatural romances in this game, but I also shipped Misa with her bestie. Sayaka's budding codependency was fascinating to me, and I like to imagine her staying close to Misa emotionally.

Koharu's route felt like it was specifically designed to convert me, an avowed tsundere hater. Cooking prowess as gap moe is such a winning concept, and I love the idea of him sharing that interest with Misa.

Spoilers for the sequel that just came out are fine!

-A dessert date at Misa's favorite café

-Something that takes place post-game while Misa is building her career as a pâtissier

-Cooking a meal to impress Misa's family

-Something angsty where one of them nearly dies and Misa has to save them by "feeding" them her energy


バーテンダー 神のグラス | Bartender: Glass of God

I expected this anime to mostly be an opportunity for product placement (the Suntory sponsorship is very apparent, it's true), but it was actually such a relaxing watch! Kyoko and Yuri were my favorites, and I loved the competition arc where they got to interact. I'd just love to see anything more about them and their bartending. Feel free to include Ryu, Kelvin, or any of their other associates.

Kawakami Kyoko/Kinjo Yuri

-Yuri helping Kyoko to boost her confidence

-Coming up with new drink recipes together

-What happened that night they got left behind in Kyoto?

-Yuri shows Kyoko around Okinawa


Deadly Premonition

Emily Wyatt

I'm a fan of how SWERY65's games embrace his intense love for Twin Peaks, and playing this after finally catching up on the show was definitely An Experience.

Emily's bad cooking is such a meme in-game; I love to see it when she actually manages to make something tasty or at least eat a good meal. I'd love Emily gen or any ships with her you want to explore.

-Enjoying the local cuisine with Morgan or anyone else, maybe at the A & G Diner

-Anything relating to her cooking quests

-Getting a coffee fortune

-Any food-related ideas you have regarding the Red Seeds


Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Male Byleth/Ashe Ubert

I received a brilliant fic for this ship last year, but I just love this theme for them so much!

I really like how food plays a role in Ashe's supports as well as the backstory with his parents. Would love to see any of that being referenced as well as any of the craftable foods or teas. As for the relationship, I can see it in a variety of ways from angsty (power imbalance issues, fear of being judged, etc) to romantic and fluff. Anything works for me! Pre or post timeskip as well as any AU is great.

Something with only one-sided affection towards Ashe on Byleth's part is also fine.

For smut dynamics, I generally like sub (not necessarily bottom) Ashe

-Ashe cooks something for Byleth or vice versa

-Sneaking moments together in the kitchen or dining hall

-Enjoying cooking or food together as a couple at any point in time.

-Sharing a meal on the battlefield while serving any of the four factions

-Romantic tension while offering a vulnerary or other consumable

-Fódlan aphrodisiacs


Harvest Moon: The Tale of Two Towns

Farmer/Nori
Farmer/Mikhael

I loved how food played an important role in this Harvest Moon, from the monthly cooking competitions to the wide range of discoverable recipes. Nori and Mikhail were my favorite marriage prospects, and I would love anything more about them. Any name or gender is fine for the farmer.

-Slice-of-life moment around the farm, in town, or on the mountainside

-Date at the café in Bluebell or the tea house in Konohana

-Flirting while competing in the cooking contest alongside or against each other

-Enjoying or preparing a favorite dish together

-Fashion or music themes, in keeping with Nori and Mikhail's interests


Immortal Classic

Hwang Geum Hee (Immortal Classic)
Hwang Geum Hee/Oh Gun Woo (Immortal Classic)
Hwang Geum Hee/Seo Yeong Joo (Immortal Classic)

The kimchee drama! I loved how this show really committed to the themes of food and family history. Geum Hee was such a plucky and determined protagonist, and I loved her interactions with the rest of the cast.

Geum Hee and and Yeong Joo's relationships with Sung Joon are fine to mention.

Geum Hee/Gun Woo: Gun Woo was doomed by Second Lead Syndrome, but his angst was so good to watch. I'd be equally happy with mutual feelings or one-sided pining on his part.

-Another round of Gun Woo struggling to confess his feelings on a restaurant date

-Anything about their careers in traditional medicine

-Gun Woo doing something to help Geum Hee in her struggles or appreciating the food she makes

Geum Hee/Yeong Joo: They started off really rocky with Yeong Joo as the designated opponent for Sung Joon's affections, but they could have been amazing together! They're both passionate about so many of the same things, and their dynamic is perfect for a rivals to lovers arc.

-Bonding over their shared passion for food and science

-Studying the cherished recipe book together

-Traveling the world and trying new foods or getting inspiration

-AU where they meet under different circumstances


대장금 | Jewel in the Palace (Dae Jang Geum)

Choi Seong Geum
Lee Yeon Saeng & Seo Jang Geum (leaning towards romantic shipping would be fine for this as well)

THE iconic food drama imo. I loved the attention paid to Jang Geum's friendship with Yeon Saeng as well as the political machinations that she had to fight against. Would equally love to see either the light or the dark side of this classic.

-Anything about Lady Choi using food for Evil

-Yeon Saeng and Jang Geum deeping their friendship through food

-Jang Geum sharing her medical food knowledge with Yeon Saeng

-Palace intrigue involving food


萌妻食神 | Meng Qi Shi Shen
aka "Cinderella Chef" or "Adorable Food Goddess"

Ye Jiayao/Helian Jing

A fun show about a talented chef who transmigrates back to the Song Dynasty. Cute foodie fluff is awesome, but I'm aware the novel this is based on is much, much darker, and I wouldn't mind that being referenced too. I'm into saving Jing from his Second Lead Syndrome status, haha. I'd be happy for him to be attracted to Jiayao whether he thinks of her as a man or a woman.

Subbed series on Youtube: Season 1 | Season 2

(Season 3 is only available to subscribers, but for my request I am totally fine with ignoring it)

-Anything with Jing being wowed by Jiayao's amazing food

-Jiaoyao tries to teach Jing how to cook

-Alternate ending where they return to the modern world together and Jiayao keeps her career as a chef


MF Ghost (Anime)

Beckenbauer/Kanata Rivington
Kanata Rivington
Michael Beckenbauer

I love that the Kanagawa landscape is as lovingly animated as the cars in this show! It's great to see how Kanata gets so excited about the local culture and cuisine, and Michael's an ice king that I think would be really amusing to defrost. I ship them together, and I'd also be thrilled to see either of them! Referencing any events of the anime or manga is fine!

-Blissly enjoying a shared or solo food item or drink

-Butler service Kanata (the Silverstone café scenes are such a gift)

-Michael getting to have his fave currywurst

-Kanata showing off a tofu dish. Takumi totally would have taught him some.

-Pocky Challenge? The exchange does overlap with 11/11

-Kanata getting hyped over a local specialty or fun snack food


Twin Peaks (TV 1990)

I loved seeing the cast enjoy their food in this series, and I'm down for even more. (Coffee, pie, donuts, diner goodness!?) Feel free to get as weird with this request as you'd like. References to Fire Walk with Me and The Return are fine.

Audrey Horne

I'm up for Audrey gen or any Audrey ships you have ideas for. I'm interested in all of her canon relationships as well as potential interactions with anyone she hasn't officially met in-series. I just really like seeing her acting on her impulses.

-Cooking something or acquiring food or drink to please herself or for a loved one

-Something about food service operations at the Great Northern

-Appreciating local cuisine (maybe via inspiration from Cooper or someone else?)

-Using food in a plot against someone

Norma/Shelly

It always made me happy to see these two! The Double R is such a central part of the Twin Peaks food scene, and I would love any details about it or what it means to Norma
(I like to think that her mother was wrong about her food and that it was actually delicious).

Having them be together through a canon divergence or AU is great, but I'm okay with mentioning their canon relationships as well

-Slice of life or prep work at the Double R Diner (or slice of life that goes weird in a Twin Peaks-y way)

-Shelly learning things from Norma or being spoiled by her

-What if it was Shelly rather than Hank who helped Norma revamp the Double R during the M.T. Wentz food critic subplot?

-Hurt/comfort with food assisting in providing the comfort



Thank you so much for your time! If any clarification is needed, please let me know.