Happy Friday, everyone!

So one of the things I find interesting when dealing in a particular pairing is how fanfic writers 'imprint' so to speak on some of the first epic fics we love for that particular pairing. Otherwise known as, I fell in love with many pairings due to reading epic fics and have met other fanfic writers for those pairings that imprinted on the same fics I did. Certain headcanons are never the same after you read certain fics.

My friends dragged me kicking and screaming (by accident) into the Avengers fandom and Clint and Natasha in particular, but as much as I accept most major branches of characterization for the characters, I imprinted hard, hard, hard on ohladybegood's series, forgeries and fire. Though other fics for these characters have struck me as so, so right since, I've noticed that the ones that work the most for me, that hit me the hardest in reading or writing are the ones that fall in line with the characterizations in these two fics. (Her writing style didn't hurt either.)

Did you imprint any characterizations of Clint and/or Natasha at the beginning of this fandom? Are there any fics that to you are just right or that you strive to match in your own writing?

Obviously, we all write our own headcanons and characterizations and make the writing our own, but care to share your influences or the authors and fics that gobsmack you with their perfection?


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.)

A few weeks ago, I whinged to some of you about how disappointed I was that a total fluff piece I had written had received more hits and kudos in the space of 12 hours than my previous, more serious piece had in a week.

And that led me to thinking:  Exactly what moved me to consider -- even just for a moment -- that the one fic was somehow more worthy than the other?  Was I judging people's tastes (kind of odd, since I had written both pieces, obviously so that they would be read)?  Can we really compare apples and oranges?  And I think the answer is probably that yes we can, but not based on the premise that one is intrinsically better or more worthy of our attention than the other.  If I’m in the mood for an orange, no apple will ever scratch that itch, and vice versa. Both can be perfect, in their own way.

So here’s the thing:  I adore fluff.  And crack.  I love writing it, I love reading it, and I will be the first to stand up and declare that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with having no other authorial ambition than to entertain.  (After all, is that not why we read comics and go see films like “The Avengers”?)  We live in a world that makes demands on it in every direction, and sometimes we just need to escape, sit back and chuckle, or dream, or watch a penguin chasing a scientist across the ice on YouTube.

As the Bard said in The Tempest, “now I want spirits to enforce, art to enchant.”

For that purpose and no other, let’s have your thoughts and recs – tell us of stories that have amused or bewitched you; the times when one made you smile, or forget; or the reasons you love them.  Why you wrote one, and which one that is (self-recs are good!).  Or give us a new fluffy little something in a comment ficlet!  As you wish …

Here’s a couple to get you started (I picked those tagged as “fluff” or “crack” by the authors themselves):

eiluned’s The Pixar Movie Thing (rated T, no warnings)

sarea_okelani’s The Observable Universe (rated T, no warnings)

frea_o’s http://archiveofourown.org/works/614440 (rated T, no warnings)

And above all:  Have fun!

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.)

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.)

Welcome to a requested special recs edtion of All The Things Friday! Buckle up, members of the bar, because for this ATTF only we're venturing out into the wider Marvel universe.



We're always happy to have Clint and Natasha recs here at be_compromised even for things that aren't necessarily Clint/Natasha, if they have a focus on at least one of them, or showcase them particularly well, or if there's a fantastic group thing, we love 'em. We even have tags for them! But sometimes we come across a group fic that isn't really about them at all, or a Kate as Hawkeye rec that we'd really like to share, or another awesome female character we think how great it is that we've found something that treats ladies well, or a story about how Thor isn't a moron he's just alien, or a character that isn't even part of the Avengers but the rec is just so, so good... Well now's your chance to share with the bar!

Guidelines

1. If it features characters from Marvel, you can rec it! Go!

2. I know this is business as usually for our bar, but considering the topic just to reiterate: absolutely no chacater bashing, ship wars, or rubbish like that. We're here to share the love. Sometimes fics have pairings that people don't like, or have other things that aren't a reader's cup of tea, but we're going outside of our common territory of Clint and Natasha here so there's likely to be something that isn't someone else's cup of tea. It there's something you don't like, no need to comment on it; move on. Sharing the love. Thank you :)

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.)

Hello, dear Bar! It's Friday, I just finished a fic I've been chipping away at for three months, and now I'm your host for the evening (or insert locally appropriate time of day)!

Today's theme is First Meetings. Back when I first sort-of-accidentally fell into this 'ship last spring, I spent a while feeling really lost because of the ambiguity around how Clint and Natasha's story actually starts. I'd never been in a fandom like this one, where everyone picks and chooses to make their own head canon. Turns out making those choices for my own head canon was one of the most fun things I've ever done in fandom, and now I'm a little obsessed with different versions of how they met.

- So, what's your head canon for Clint and Natasha's first meeting? Was it exactly like Natasha tells us in the movie, with Clint being sent by SHIELD to kill her, or is there a part of the story before that? Was there an epic fight, or was it surprisingly non-violent? How did it get decided that Natasha would work for SHIELD? Discuss!

- Rec fic/art/other things that have to do with their first meeting. I'm still new enough to this bar that I'm not sure I have much to add in the way of recs, but I'd love to see what other people come up with.

- COMMENT FIC ABOUT FIRST MEETINGS! (Sorry, I got really excited. :p ) To get us started here, I pulled some unfilled (as far as I know) prompts from ye olde promptathon spreadsheet that could have to do with first meetings and/or early partnership things. It would be awesome to see some fills for these, or feel free to share/prompt your own!

His personnel file was three inches think, and marked "Level Six." She licked her lips in anticipation. (from alphaflyer)

The first time she initiated an embrace wasn’t what he expected. She was desperately clutching him, fists curled into his shirt on his back, violently shuddering, and with her face buried against his neck. (from crazy4orcas)

"Before I knew what wanting was, I wanted you." (from sweetwatersong)


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.)

Not too long ago my family was sitting around watching “The Avengers” (because who doesn’t do that on occasion because REASONS) when a Clint/Natasha moment came onscreen. I don’t even remember which one it was, but I do remember my stepdad calming announcing to the room, “They have a history. You can tell.” His tone making it very clear what kind of history our favorite assassin pair has.

So if the 70-year-old retired schoolteacher can intuit Clint and Natasha’s relationship based solely on the canon that is “The Avengers”, what do the people who live and operate in said assassins’ universe think? What about people who see them only once in a while? Other superheroes? Average folks? SHIELD agents? Submit your recs – all types welcome!

To help things along, I provide the following:

The Doctor Is In: http://archiveofourown.org/works/468481 (all Avenger’s POV)
Hurry Up and Wait: http://archiveofourown.org/works/685824 (Steve’s POV)
The Skies Over Manhattan: http://archiveofourown.org/works/574373 (Steve’s POV)
[Title in Russian]: http://archiveofourown.org/works/571642 (Loki POV)
Of Languages: http://archiveofourown.org/works/410746 (all Avenger’s POV)
Looking for You (Or Anyone Like You): http://archiveofourown.org/works/458311 (Pepper POV)
Snapshots: http://archiveofourown.org/works/308916 (surveillance techs watch all of the Avengers, Clint and Natasha included)

(I'm posting from my phone because I'm at work. Hopefully it works!)

Hi all! This weeks All The Things Friday theme is Hidden Gems.

Those new shiny diamonds that have only just been uncovered. The lost or misplaced jewels, the ones discovered in the attic or at a car boot sale. The precious stones that may have been overlooked when in a treasure room full of precious things.

Rec us fics and vids and graphics and ALL THE THINGS that you feel are new and haven't received much attention, that are difficult to find, that were buried within events, fests, big bangs, or onslaughts of other great things and so perhaps have been discovered by less people than they ought to have been. Bring us the things that we haven't seen, that few of us have seen, that you really think we should see! BRING US THE SHINY.



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.)

Want to host an ATTF or suggest a theme for one?
GO HERE!

Okay, like 6 weeks ago I said I would have a better idea. Mainly because I was going to research and make a chart and possibly fill in some amazing notes and examples...

and then life happened and none of this occurred. So... that being said you might better off skipping this week unless you have an opinion.

That being said, there seems to be a lot of fusion and crossover fics in the Avengers fandom. Fandoms like Harry Potter and The Hunger Games. To semi crossover/fusions with Clint Barton was William Brandt in MI4 to Phil Coulson as Mike Casper in The West Wing.

-A lot of the times I notice however that usually in these if Coulson is involved, the pairing we see is Coulson/Barton. So primarily as a N/C fan I ask is there any recs involving them in crossover/fusion related fiction?

-If you were to write a fusion or crossover fic with Clint and Natasha, what fandom? And how would it go? Would Clint be someone else? Would Natasha? Would it be like a Mr. & Mrs. Smith thing instead with the plot just be a replicated idea but catered to the heroes we know?

-What fandoms do you think fit well with The Avengers verse and the super spies?

Recs: I've made more updates to my Avengers fic recs masterlist. A good size chunk of the recs are Natasha/Clint (direct link) and many of the stories in the team/gen section feature one or both of them as well.

---

Fanart:
A Friendly Sparring Match. Plus three more Natasha & Clint pieces
Summary: I had Clint sketched with a shirt on at first. Then I said to myself: Self, what are you doing? So I took it off. In the interest of studying anatomy. For Science!

Cat Burglars
Summary: Inspired by the prompt: They could be breaking into a stylish supervillain lair, its flavor depending on what you like to draw, e.g. could be Bond-style or Gothic or futuristic...

Welcome to this week's ATTF with your hosts anuna_81 and shenshen77. Although we'd decided on this theme months ago, we'd never thought that we both would need some cute and cuddly so much this week.

Both anuna as well as I had a really horrible, no good week, and I'm sure we're not the only ones. So please shower us and yourselves with love and cuddles :)

Assassins being cuddly, puppies, kittens, babies, team feels, Clint and Tasha being kids, all the feels - everything that makes you go "awww" when you read it or look at it - bring it all.

• Is there anything you read or looked at that made you go massively "AWWW"??? We'd love your recs for fics and art!


• Or have you written something really cute and cuddly yourself? We'd love to know about it!


• You can post a pic spam, it's always nice to look at all the pretties :) (But remember the rules below ;))


• Last but not least - How about a little impromptu comment-ficathon of cute???? Let everyone know what adorable little scene you've always wanted to read, maybe someone else will be inspired. Did you have an awful week too? Try some therapeutic writing, lord knows everything I've tried to write this week was toothachingly sweet ;)

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.)

Hello dear bar! Today we'll discuss bodies and everything related. Which means things like: looks, body awareness, being physically fit, exercise, weight, injuries, scars. Also, body modification and enhancement, abilities, skills, body perception; age or lack of ageing if your version of assassins have been serum'd. What are your views/thoughts/ideas about these things? How do you feel about casting? Personally, I love how casting added and played into lot of our headcanons, resulting in deceptively soft looks for Natasha when she needs it (Iron Man2); while she still manages to be amazing, quick, very effcient fighter; and solid - steady - strong/somewhat older than Natasha look for Clint.

After spending a year in this corner of fandom, I know that most of our writers here take bodies and physical things into account while writing fics. I know there are all kinds of fics, dealing with injuries, with the human Clint and Natasha VS superheroes (Steve, Bruce/Hulk, Thor), and various limitations that come with human body; or how our assassins use their bodies as tools (Natasha in particular, which means she has to be both fit and take lot of care to maintain her soft and nonthreatening, attractive appearance). We've also done a fair share of wonderfully written body worship.

I'll drop you just a few fic recs from the top of my head (admittedly, most of them revolve around body worship, I hope you guys can bring in more. I'm not the best reccer around here! :) ):

1. Simple together by _samalander, written for the prompt: One of the things Clint loves most about Natasha's body is how it isn't perfect. Teen and up audiences, no warnings. Very very sweet reflection on Natasha through Clint's eyes.

2. Appreciation by shenshen77, explicit, warnings for NSFW/sexual content. When Clint returns from a solo mission a little worse for wear, Natasha is more than a little surprised by how shook up by the thought of almost losing him she is. Cue cuddly assassins being cuddly and reaffirming bonds through touch, smell, taste and sound.. This has to be one of most beautiful body appreciation stories I've read. Wonderfully realistic as well and very sweet.

3. Human, slightly worn by sugar_fey. Rated mature, if I recall correctly there is sexual content but I think it's not graphic. Warnings: there are allusions to PTSD, since the fic deals with aftermath of New York battle and Clint being manipulated by Loki. I love this so much because it takes into account things like age, tramatic experiences and their cumulative effect on someone like Clint.

4. Sweat by SidheRa. Rated explicit, warnings for explicit sexual content. Clint and Natasha pull a crap surveillance detail, but they eventually figure out a great way to deal with the boredom. Pure and unapologetic body worship fic written from Natasha's POV, and very enjoyable read.

5. Miracle by frea_o. Rated teen and up audiences, no warnings. I love this story for many reasons, one of them being an original take on Natasha's enhanced body and how a sudden event during a mission changes it - and there are unexpected consequences.

6. Let him be by ashen_key. Rated gen, no warnings. Natasha takes care of Clint while he's having a migraine. I have a soft spot for this fic because I suffer from migraines and I enjoyed this take on both characters - one dealing with pretty bad pain and other doing their best to help out.

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.)

I've been meaning to make a rec post and several others have had the same ideas, so let's put them all in the same post! Share the coolest works you have come across lately. Be sure to include why it's so awesome, all necessary warnings, and links.

Here are my recent favs:

Oxycodone Days by Naja Melanoleuca. This is an almost frighteningly realistic take on the relationship and psychology of our two favorite assassins. The author does not include warnings, so be aware that it is fairly dark, includes past mentions of child abuse (physical and sexual), thoughts of suicide, and contains violence as well as sustained scenes of torture. EDIT: alphaflyer is also correct in pointing out that Tony seems OOC. Still excellent!

Into the Fire by Naja Melanoleuca. The sequel to Oxycodone Days, about four times as long and more violent. Together these are two of the best fics I have read in a very long time. In particular Clint is very, very in character with the MCU Clint that we all know and love. Again, very dark.

Daddy's Little Princess by TashaBlackWidow. Clint adopts a puppy. So cute! No warnings, but lots and lots of adorableness. :-)

The Golden Arrow by sneakronicity. Clint is Robin Hood. The Avengers are the Merry Men. Tasha is Maid Marian. Yep, they went there. And it's awesome. :-)

Strange Bird by CloudAtlas. Hawk!Clint. I've probably recced this before. But I just love it. :-)

So what do you recommend? Share!!

Hey guys!  I don't know if you're familiar with the Alliterative Domiciles series by Vera_DragonMuse over on AO3, but if you haven't read it, get thee over there and fix that!  The first few focus on Tony/Pepper/Bruce, but Clint and Natasha have their own chapters as well.  Nothing overly graphic, but there is a bit of violence in one of the chapters.  Anyway, I wanted to make sure to rec this because Part 9, Breaking Open, was written for me for the AO3 fundraiser and I absolutely LOVE it!

Here's a link to the series on AO3:

http://archiveofourown.org/series/21334

I'm not sure just what kind of Clint/Natasha trail I was surfing, but I came across this artwork of them as lions.  Yes, LIONS.  It's fantastic and I just had to share.  The artist, TastyCoffee, has done a whole series of the Avengers as lions and there a few Clint/Natasha ones.  Check it out.

Here's a link to deviantart to my fave Clint/Natasha one:

http://browse.deviantart.com/?q=clint+natasha+lion#/art/Clint-and-Natasha-3-371772656?_sid=4d9dc72e

I hope everybody has a great evening!

I just wanted to share these fics I found with you all, because I have a burning love for UST and these ones are glorious.

All stories by Karu-DarkAngel
[ Clint/Natasha | R | all complete ]
[ warnings: violence, injury, swearing, buckets of UST ]

A Different Call
Natasha Romanova was almost eight hours into her third day in Ekaterinburg when she noticed that she had a tail.

Killing Time
Since Clint Barton has brought her into SHIELD all Natasha has been doing is sitting around idly... now she's pissed and about to beat up some agents.

In This Together
It is her first mission for SHIELD, and of course Natasha Romanoff's babysitter has to be Clint Barton of all people.

Playing Games
Natasha Romanoff, Clint Barton, a bullet, a cabin in the alps and a drinking game that is way more than that.

Seriously, for the scorching UST alone these are fantastic. And nothing happens and it's fantastic, and the first time I read them I simply couldn't stop grinning because really, UST is what I want from C/N fics 50% of the time. In these, Natasha is also older than Clint and that just adds another level of awesome.

Hi, everyone, I’m your host for this week’s ATTF. :)

This week, I’d love to talk about Clint and Natasha’s run-ins with law enforcement agencies. After all, SHIELD isn’t the only agency out there, and as powerful as they are, there are probably times when working with other agencies is a necessary evil (CIA, FBI, ATF, INTERPOL, etc).

Of course, let’s not forget that Clint and Nat may have had run-ins with government agencies *before* joining SHIELD. They might very well have been on any number of watch lists and “Most Wanted” lists, and they might have run afoul of local law enforcement in various countries. I assume that SHIELD probably expunged their records, but there may still be people out there who would recognize the names of “Hawkeye,” and “The Black Widow,” and wouldn’t think of them as the good guys. (There may also be those who simply don’t approve of assassins, government sanctioned or not.)

And that only covers canon compliant possibilities. :) Imagine all of the crossover potential with crime shows (a number of which are, coincidentally, set in New York). And there are so many great AU possibilities as well.

So, I’m throwing the door wide open this week. :) Feel free to chat about all things Clint, Nat, and law-enforcement related - discuss, write fics, rec them, or post prompts.

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 good time! (Because if that’s not happening then this post has clearly failed.)

To start things off, a question and a prompt:

Question: How do you think Clint and Nat would be viewed by other agencies? They have SHIELD’s respect, but if someone from another agency knew even just the barest outline of their histories, would they be suspicious? Wary? Angry that they’re working on the government’s dime, instead of locked up somewhere?

Prompt: “This is a warrant for your arrest.”

Hello! I am this week’s ATTF host (again)! And today’s topic is the much loved Alternate Universe, or AU.

BUT more specifically than just AUs, this is about Clint and Natasha, and how you make Clint and Natasha Clint and Natasha when you’ve taken away a great deal of what makes the canonically Clint and Natasha.

SO what do you see as being fundamentally Clint and Natasha? The part of their personality and/or character that identifies them as themselves, whether they are circus performers or ex-cons or teachers or regular high school students or whatever.

For Clint I think it is (among other things) being loyal, stubborn and slightly self-sabotaging. For Natasha I think it is (again, among other things) being a fighter, in control of her emotions and quite wary. But that's just what I think, and I don't write very often so what do I know? :P

So, discuss! Rec! Argue! (Politely!) Have fun!

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.)

( A couple of excellently in character AUs (imho) )

Heyy! I'm your host today for this Friday's round of All The Things! So, today we're going for ALL THE AVENGERS.

So obviously, we all love Clint and Natasha being badass and competent together; swanning all over the world and being awesome. But they are, of course, part of a larger organisation (SHIELD) and part of the Avengers to boot. So, how do they get on with all these different people? Do Clint and Tony enjoy annoying the hell out of everyone? Does Natasha find every second sentence out of Darcy’s mouth vaguely baffling? Let us know!

So! Today I want one of two things from you lovely people:

> Thoughts and headcanons on who Clint and Natasha would/n't get on with (Avengers and SHIELD) and why, and...
> Recs of stories showcasing the best of Clint and Natasha’s relationship with others (SHIELD or Avengers)!

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.)

( Here's my two cents (why do I use that phrase I'm British) )

And some Recs of Fabulousness (in my opinion)
(And if no one's noticed, I'm totally doing this because I NEED MORE TEAM FIC IN MY LIFE PEOPLE)

Aggie2011's Vantage Point Universe
[ ff.net | Clint/Natasha, Pepper/Tony | R | A LOT OF WORDS | 17 stories so far | warnings: sex and violence, basically; see each story for specific warnings ]
A universe revolving around Hawkeye/Clint Barton, from his circus origins, through the army, his year as a contract assassin, being picked up and working for SHIELD and eventually his time with the Avengers.

This is the universe I base a great deal of my Clint and Coulson interaction off (basically all the stories), and my Clint and Tony interaction (Trust). I also like Clint’s interactions with Bruce and Steve (Arrow Man) and with the whole team later on (Vantage Point onwards). No disrespect to the author, but I find her platonic relationships more believable than her romantic ones. However, if you like Clint and you like mission fics, here’s a good way of spending a whole bunch of hours. :D

Skies Over Manhattan by alphaflyer
[ AO3 | Clint/Natasha, Pepper/Tony, Thor/Jane | 32,000 | warnings: the aftermath of mind control ]
Two master assassins, a demi-god, a super soldier, a man with breath-taking anger management issues and a billionaire in a flying suit. They're supposed to be on the same team.

OK this is the story of fabulousness that I use for the bench mark of everyone’s interactions with everyone else. Ever. Because alphaflyer, the wonderful person she is, somehow wrote everyone exactly how I wanted them. Kudos to you!

Also because of this: She has learned over the years that Clint never gets drunk – too many shitty memories associated with that concept. But when he’s relaxed, his inner juvenile delinquent comes out and he likes to fuck with people’s serenity, just to see what they do. Can I have 100 stories about exactly this please?

( and some more )

As an aside, does anyone know of an Avengers genfic comm? Pretty please?

Hey guys. I'm looking for fanfic recs, but specifically those fanfics that are hosted on fanfiction.net, as I'm pretty up-to-date with LJ and AO3 Clint/Nat stuff.

I would like any Clint&Nat or Clint/Nat stuff (though no pregnacy/kid fics please) and good team fics (gen or canon pairings). In return I give you my favourite ff.net fics, all of which I highly recommend.

Clint and/or Nat centric
> Aggie2011's Vantage Point Universe. [link takes you to Aggie2011 profile page] This a huge series centred around Clint, his relationship with Phil and SHIELD and later, Natasha and the other Avengers. There's 16 stories so far, from various points along the timeline.
> 5 stories by rollingplains [link takes you to rollingplains profile page] Five short stories about Clint and Natasha's relationship. UST abounds! :D
> Origin of the Debt and Recovery by Sinkme. Origin of the Debt is still, alas, a WIP. But damn is it a good one. Clint's "different call" and what it meant for him. Recovery is fantastic on every level; strangely, it is Maria that finally gets through to Clint.
> Samsara by xahra99. A gen mission fic. Clint and Natasha are sent to Tibet to recover a knife.
> The Carnival by ladygris. Clint takes Natasha to a carnival. It helps.
> La Vie Des Morts by element78. When Clint and Nat fight, it's the others that suffer.
> And then the much recced and ever brilliant Two for the Show and Upon this Winter's Night by mousie tongue. If you haven't read these, what have you been doing!? (Warning apply, please check)

Team fics
> Every Denny's in America by Sookie Starchild. Thor and Steve like Denny's.
> Fine by Sinkme. You're not allowed to say you're "fine" in Avengers Tower.

Hurt and Comfort - Assassin Style

Greetings, Best Bar on Earth :)

It's time for a confession, I believe, so here it goes:
Hello, my name is Shen and I'm an h/c addict. *waves to group* I hope I'm not alone in this, but I seriously doubt it :)

( This way to the group session :) )

Hi all!

So I was thinking all day yesterday and though significant part of today what I should put into the intro part of this post, considering our topic. I mean how do you talk about crack and humor? I find it's hard to define it, so I looked for some help. Here's what Urban Dictionary says:

1. crackfic
A type of fanfiction (or original fiction) that is intentionally unbelievable and insane; often humorous. Usually short, one-shot stoires.


2. crackfic
A type of fiction where it is believed that the author must be on crack to have written such a story because it's so bizarre or off the wall
Often, a facial expression after reading one of these crackfics is 'O.O' or 'O.o'


cybermathwitch just shared this bit of comic-verse with me:



(That's Wolverine, Spiderman and Clint, discussing a show called "Dog Cops". In which, apparently, actual dogs are involved. I'd say this is a good illustration of what crack is and how it's supposed to work - make you tilt your head just slightly and crack up about the idea, the content or both).

From a writer's perspective, crackfics (and humoristic fics) are a special kind of challenge. I like layered humor, with lots of references and good banter, so that's what I try to write myself. I know that writing crack makes me think outside the box, which is fun and good for my writing skills. Crack is often funny, but there are examples when it's not - while the premise of Tangled up in blue by im_ridiculous might sound cracky (Clint as a country music singer), the final product is everything but funny. It's an in-depth take on a man who owns little but his regrets, his messed up life and considerable problem with alcohol. (If you head over there to read - I linked you to most recent chapter, where are the links to previous chapters, make sure you read the warnings:)

Humorous or not, I find crack is often the best when it explores things, even subtly, so it gives us both the thinky thoughts and laughs as we read. For the occasion of the Valentine's Day Mini Promptathon I wrote two crackfics - It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage (teen, warnings for language and hospital setting) one in which Clint and Natasha are movie stars for a prompt inkvoices had left. I poked fun at entertainment industry and celebrity world, but also attempted to come up with Avengers - movie paralels. Hopefully that worked out. The other one was Bop Bop Baby (rating: mature; warnings: some language and sexual content), for multiple prompts, but basically SHIELD Valentine's Day tradition and one thing that came up in promptathon post discussion, namely Clint singing boyband songs to Natasha. (If there is off the wall idea, that has to be one). A particularly big challenge regarding this fic was coming up with pop culture and musical references and making them work within story. It was fun (and dear God, you should have seen my writing playlist), but I think all the effort paid off.

Enough of tooting my own horn, I have some recs for you, and mind you, the purpose is to enable you to post your own recs - to fanfiction, but also videos and art that you find cracky and funny. Also!! Link us to your own cracky and funny works, be it fic or art or vids! Tell us about cracky scenarios you'd like to see written or turned into art! Everything goes, as long as it's funny and fun and Clint/Natasha flavored.

1. Love you like a love song by alwayslera -- in which Natasha and Steve are trying to understand pop songs, and the team doesn't get spared. Clint/Natasha, Steve and Natasha friendship. The author warns for lot of angst and some fluff. A very funny, chock-full-of-feels stuff.

2. Bechdel test by frea_o; in which Tony has concerns for his teammates and ends up verbally ass-kicked by Natasha and Maria Hill. You can have three guesses on which Team Clint is. Apart from being a funny fic, it's also a clever take on the purpose of Bechdel test.

3. Similar to a piece of string by ashen_key in which Natasha is called to work and Fury ends up looking after BlackHawk baby. Guys, just think- Nick. Goddamn. Fury. BABYSITTING. Need I say more? No warnings.

4. They Will Rock You by hufflepuffsneak which was just posted, and written for the mini promptathon prompt "Knight's Tale AU". As far as I can tell, we're off to a great adventure with fake Sir Clint and his friend Steve who plan to enter knight tourneys just to raise enough money for their purposes. There is a certain Lady Natasha as well, along with Sir Fury, Jane the Blacksmith, Lord and Lady Stark, Darcy Lewis, the Princes Odinson, Father Banner and the Winter Knight. I just read and loved it.

Enough from me! You guys know what to do! :D