ATTF: Hidden Gems

[sugar-fey.livejournal.com]

Hello, lovely bar patrons! I hope you've all had a good week.

This ATTF is all about the hidden gems of this lovely fandom. Here is the space to rec great fics that, in your opinion, have flown under the radar and deserve more readers. Authors get more readers, readers get to see fic they might have otherwise overlooked, everyone wins!

Please provide the title of the fic with a link, the author's name, the rating and whether there are any warnings listed, as well as a brief statement about why you recommend this fic.

Feedback is love in fandom land, so if you find a fic from these recs that you enjoy, it would be great if you could let the author know your appreciation in the form of kudos, comments etc.

Here are some recs of my own to start off:

Hyperfocal Distance, by frea_o. Rated Teen, warnings for non-explicit violence, threats of non-con and human trafficking. The journalism AU you've always wanted! This is what a truly great AU should be, where everyone still feels in character, but the new setting brings out their traits in surprising, fresh ways. It's also long and plotty, so if you want a fic to sink your teeth into, this is the one.

Dust and Love and Sweat, by _samalander. Rated Explicit, warnings for graphic violence. Mission fic that ends in very, very hot, beautifully written smut, with great insight into what makes Clint and Natasha tick. What more could you want?

Here the City Code is Lock and Load, by Sproid. Rated Explicit, no warnings listed. I'm a sucker for a good post-apocalyptic AU, and this one is great. It manages to give you just enough of a glimpse at what might have happened to give you an idea, but ultimately the focus is on Clint and Natasha's relationship and how they cope under difficult circumstances. Definitely give this one a read.

Things to remember:
1) Always label NSFW (Not Safe For Work) stuff in the title and post under a cut.
2) Fic and artwork needs to have a rating and warnings (or you can say that you’ve chosen not to use warnings).
3) For people with annoying internet connections, say in the title if a comment is graphic/images/gif-heavy and post picspams under a cut.
4) Have a damn good time! (Because if that’s not happening then this post has clearly failed.)

Comments

[alphaflyer.livejournal.com]

One of my all-time favourite AUs is by inkvoices, namely "history is what you've travelled on and take with you"
(http://archiveofourown.org/works/906905) The dystopian mood, the small details and the characterizations are just wonderful. If you're looking for gems, this one sparkles.

Another one is Better Seen from a Distance (http://archiveofourown.org/works/948209) by Jadesfire, which intercuts events in Budapest with those in Manhattan, and aftermath. really quite interesting structurally, with pitch-perfect characterizations (especially of Clint, at least as I see him) and well-written.

Edited to add that the Sproid story is great -- I just re-read it the other day and was completely sucked in by the world the author built.

[sugar-fey.livejournal.com]

Ooooh, I haven't read that Jadesfire one. Excellent, this post is doing its job!

(weird, I didn't get a notification for your comment. :/)

[shenshen77.livejournal.com]

(I didn't get notifications either, it seems that LJ was buggy the last couple of days :/)

Rec

[bookowl0216.livejournal.com]

I highly recommend Bruises by Tahllydarling. Here's the link to it on FF. https://m.fanfiction.net/s/9380516/1/Bruises

She's got some other great clintasha stories too, but this is her opus in my opinion.

Never committed on here before so I'm not sure of the drill. But the story is rated M.

Re: Rec

[alphaflyer.livejournal.com]

Welcome to the bar!! Happy you decided to de-lurk. :-)

[spyforaday.livejournal.com]

This author has the "Demon" series that is brilliant, but this story is the crowning jewel (in my opinion). It has espionage, feels, action, feels… it has it all. I hope you enjoy it. I absolutely LOVE this story.

The Demon They Threw to the Wolves (https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9568338/1/The-Demon-They-Threw-to-the-Wolves) by TortiQuercu: It has the usual Clintasha violence and salty banter. Here's the author's summary: It's hot in Morocco. Hawkeye and the Black Widow are on a simple reconnaissance mission when the parameters are suddenly and violently altered.

[shenshen77.livejournal.com]

Oh, this sounds intriguing! I definitely have to read it soon.

[spyforaday.livejournal.com]

I promise you, you will be hooked by the end of the first chapter. It is truly one of the best I've ever read. And I've let the author know about our bar in hopes of adding another patron. :)

[shenshen77.livejournal.com]

Hehehe, nice :D More patrons are always welcome! And I'll take your word for it, gonna put it on my to-read-list :)

[anuna-81.livejournal.com]

A(nimal)vengers (http://archiveofourown.org/works/894091) by our very own shenshen77 is one story I will always rec, because I love it so much. It's an AU, in which Clint and Natasha work for animal police and, in words of the awesome author, protect those who have no voice. The wonderful woldbuilding aside (and it is wonderful, and I'm probably biased because I've been there for the worldbuilding process and watched this story grow like a beloved flower), it's the deep, very human compassion that makes this story stand out in my mind. It's a story about Clint and Nat if their lives had been more normal, but till bear the familiar flavor of heartbreak. They're still them and they're still (super)heroes, but on an everyday scale. And it's fluff. And there are puppies. Enough said, right? Rated teen.

Compass rose universe (http://archiveofourown.org/series/74062) by sweetwatersong is a wonderful, and for me unusal AU in which Clint is a merman (half human and half shark, of all things) and Natasha is a pirate). The unlikely pair of course has interesting adventures, and all of it is wrapped in gorgeous prose. Two stories in this 'verse so far, one rated teen and one general.

[sugar-fey.livejournal.com]

Seconding both those recs, they're wonderful!

[shenshen77.livejournal.com]

Thank you :D I'm so glad you like A(nimal)vengers!

[sweetwatersong.livejournal.com]

\o/ Thank you so much!

[shenshen77.livejournal.com]

Eeep, thanks for the rec, sweetheart! And your words actually made me tear up! I'm so glad you like the fic as much as I do *hugs*

And I'm totally seconding the rec for the Compass rose universe, I hope for more stories in that 'verse soon :)

[sweetwatersong.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :D Bad side of being on a road trip: virtually no internet access. Upside of being on a road trip: lots of time to think about this 'verse. Which has been, so far, mostly facepalming because Clint or appreciating how I'm an evil, evil person at heart. So with any luck, more stories will indeed be coming out soon. :)

[sugar-fey.livejournal.com]

I'm so excited to hear that, I love this universe you've been building and I can't wait to see more!

[sweetwatersong.livejournal.com]

I have no words but "Thank you!" <3 I'm so very glad you enjoy the 'verse that you are actually responsible for getting me to write!

[topaz119.livejournal.com]

Amanuensis' Don't Call It The Little Cherub Either (http://archiveofourown.org/works/686212) from last year's V-Day mini-promptathon always reduces me to helpless giggles.

[shenshen77.livejournal.com]

I just re-read this and it's still as hilarious as the first time :D Thanks for the rec!

[bookowl0216.livejournal.com]

I highly recommend Bruises by Tahllydarling. Here's the link to it on FF. https://m.fanfiction.net/s/9380516/1/Bruises

She's got some other great clintasha stories too, but this is her opus in my opinion.

Never committed on here before so I'm not sure of the drill. But the story is rated M.

[sugar-fey.livejournal.com]

Welcome to the community, and thanks for the rec!

[sweetwatersong.livejournal.com]

Welcome! Pull up a seat, order a drink, and most of all just have fun. :)

[crazy4orcas.livejournal.com]

One of my favorites is Movement and Distance (http://archiveofourown.org/works/522335) by cat_77. Rated: Explicit. Summary: Sometimes separating yourself from a situation isn't enough. Sometimes you need to move to see where you've been. I love the Clint/Natasha relationship in this one. And -- Wingfic!

Also check out cat_77 's Fine Print (http://archiveofourown.org/works/602021). Summary: Always read the fine print. Or the one where Natasha is a Disney Princess. This one's just really clever and Natasha gets to show off her business aptitude.

Check out cat's other fic too, she has a neat series going, Respiration (http://archiveofourown.org/series/42997), it's not Clint/Natasha, but they do have a great friendship in it.

[shenshen77.livejournal.com]

cat_77's fics are amongst my all time favorites, so I can't believe that I can't recall reading the first two :D That has to be remedied asap!

I'm absolutely seconding the rec for Respiration, this series is lovely and I love their friendship here.