RECS: June 10, 2012

[bethbethbeth]

I'm pretty sure that watching this Phil-centric Marvel short and this trailer for the forthcoming Jeremy Renner film The Bourne Legacy might have been responsible for the abundance of Phil/Clint in this update *g*



Avengers - Marvel

AliuIce0814 (aliuice0814 on LJ): Your AI Holds the Answers (Avengers/Iron Man. Tony, Bruce, the rest of the Team, Jarvis. "Sure, he's the one who suggested it, but Tony's more interested in finding out how falling from space didn't kill him than in chowing down on shawarma." A missing scene from a missing scene, and...yeah, it could very well happen just like this.)

BlackEyedGirl (black_eyedgirl on LJ): "Untitled" (Avengers. Tony/Clint, sort of...but mostly Gen. "Tony isn’t paying a whole lot of attention when Barton appears in his lab." Post-movie, and…Clint knows that something is wrong. Really pretty perfect, with Tony as the most right person Clint could have gone to in these circumstances.)

boombangbing (boombangbing on LJ): "Direction" (Avengers/Captain America. Steve/Darcy, Tony, Fury, Jane, others. "Steve is not ninety four years old, he's barely twenty seven and he has no idea what he's doing. It's a good thing he's not the only one." So, Steve being a virgin, as he is here, is just about believable, but if you go with the premise, this is a completely charming story - and Darcy's no-filter personality works really well with this Steve. "Adorbs," as they say)

cognomen (shawarma-palace on tumblr): " How Many Scientists Does it Take to Screw in the Stark Tower?" (Avengers/Hulk/Iron Man. Bruce/Tony (Pepper) "Stark had poked right through that, deliberately learning a foreign field of scientific study just to be able to converse on the same level as Bruce could - and with a true understanding of the subject. He realizes now that it was a calculated move. Stark had pierced his shell the way minor upsets or pokes with sharp objects couldn't do." Post-movie, Bruce pov, and...yeah, just the right tone. Both Bruce and the story are respectful of Tony’s relationship with Pepper, too, which I appreciate.)

eleanor_lavish (eleanor_lavish on LJ): "She's a swell gal, with a gun in her hand" (Avengers/Captain America. Steve/Natasha. "Steve thinks Natasha Romanoff is the most impressive girl he’s ever met." Sparring as foreplay and learning each other's boundaries: what could be better? Really lovely. I'd like to see more of this!)

Femme (femmequixotic on LJ): "Bigmouth Strikes Again" (Avengers/Thor/Iron Man. Tony/Loki, Pepper/Phil (implied), Others. " Tony doesn't think he and Loki actually have a thing going. Well. Not until Tony fucks it up, at least." Established relationship and...how did these two get together? Ordinarily I'd care, but not in this case because the relationship - even as Tony tries his damnedest to sabotage it - is perfect, for Tony/Loki values of perfect. And the story itself is a perfect combination of funny and sexy and serious, with an honest engagement in some actual family and relationship issues. So good. Potentially spoilery content information: Something much like adultery, even though Tony's a bit blinkered initially about being in a committed relationship.)

jai/lordessrenegade (lordessrenegade on LJ): "Not to Say the Things We Mean" (Avengers. Clint/Phil. " "It took me four years to trust Phil Coulson to have my back," Clint told the bot. To its credit, it just gave him Coulson's mildest smile and said, "I know how to wait."" Post-movie, with all that implies about Phil...and yet! Rather...emotionally draining, but ultimately happy.)

Kellifer_fic: " I Take My Children Everywhere (But They Always Find Their Way Home)" (Avengers. Phil/Clint, Team! ""Oh my god," Phil groans, smacking a hand over his face just as a tiny Tony Stark marches up to him and very determinedly and with great gusto, kicks him in the shin." There's...an incident, and both Tony and Steve are de-aged. Just totally adorable – except for the five percent of the time that it's a little scary)

Lady_Ganesh (lady_ganesh on LJ): "Soft Skills" (Avengers. Steve, Tony, Pepper, the Team. "The team tries to bring Steve Rogers into the 21st Century. It mostly works." I could read sweet, semi-domestic, Steve-centric team building gen like this all day. Seriously.)

NezumiPi (NezumiPi on ff.net): "The Avengers Time Bomb Initiative" (Avengers. Clint/Phil, eventually, Team. " The Avengers are now a team (sort of), but they're still lost creatures." Post-movie, and excellent team building. Potentially spoilery content information: Steve is surprised by the casual acceptance of same sex relationships initially and some of his comments - well meaning from his perspective, are pretty homophobic. He learns better.)

Pandelion: ”Searching (For Something Somebody Stole)” (Avengers. Phil/Clint, The Team. ““This is a dream,” Clint says slowly, eying the man seated on his couch. / “Yes,” the man says. “This is a dream. Just like the last one and the one before that and the one before that and on and on.” He waves a hand, as if that’s not very important. “Sit down; I’ve got a lot to say, not much time to say it and I will not kiss it better if you fall on your ass in the middle of it.” / Still a bit wary, Clint perches on the edge of an armchair. /“ To start, my name is Phil Coulson, agent of SHIELD.”” A really cleverly done post-movie fic [so...spoilers for the movie!], with more than a hint of magic realism.)

paperclipbitch (paperclipbitch on LJ / giveyourlovelovegiveitallaway on tumblr): "although it's so romantic on the borderline tonight" (Avengers/Hulk. Natasha/Bruce...just about, Fury, others. " “You shouldn’t google yourself,” Natasha tells Bruce." Wonderful characterizations for both Natasha and Bruce...very real. This isn't one of those easy 'happy ever after' kind of stories, but there's a pretty wonderful gentleness to it, all the more surprising because of who - or rather what - these two characters can be some of the time.)

screamlet (screamlet on LJ): "Brain, Tongue, and Heart" (Avengers. Tony/Bruce/Pepper - eventually, Steve, Natasha, Clint, Thor, Everybody. "After the failed debut of Loki as supreme ruler of all humans, the Avengers left on Earth piece themselves together using JARVIS, The Sound of Music, science, war games, and anything else they can find." I'd say this is 'team building,' but it's not an easy post-movie fix where everybody moves into Stark Tower and they're all instantly 'besties.' What it is though is a really smart and engaging story, sometimes/often funny and sometimes wistful and sometimes sweet - and always good.)

sinuous_curve (on LJ and saystheheart on DW): "Come On Up To The House" (Avengers. Phil Coulson/Nick Fury. "Their door looks like every other door on their floor; silver numbers that’ve needed a good polish for the better part of a decade and and matching handle and lock. When Phil slides his key in, the zero in the middle of 407 retracts and a retinal scan pushes out. He lines his right eye up to the green light and ten seconds later hears the cheerful boop that means he’s him and welcome to come inside. " A rare glimpse at the domestic life of two people who you'd imagine would have no domestic life)

SomeoneElsesDream (canadiangoddess on LJ): ”When Your Heart Beats (Next To Mine)” (Avengers. Clint/Phil, the Team, Others. “Clint falls prey to an evil villain and is left transformed into a woman. He doesn't handle it as well as would be expected. The story where Clint is a woman, Phil is terrified, Tony is a laughing bastard, Bruce gets to be a geneticist, Natasha is (not so) surprisingly helpful, and Steve gives great hugs.” I’m always a little wary of reading genderswap stories, because so often they become either not-my-thing crack or are too misogynistic (intentionally or otherwise) for me to read. This is neither, just a smart story, with a Clint whose responses to this change in his life ring true and a really great Phil.)

thingswithwings (thingswithwings on LJ/DW) " Stark, A.E., and Banner, R. Bruce. (2013). "Biodosimetric Tools for Measuring Induced Isomeric Transition in Inverted Paired States." International Journal of Radiation Biology 89.9, 43-85." (Avengers/Hulk/Iron Man. Tony/Bruce, Tony/Pepper. " "And so," Tony concludes triumphantly, "you owe it to science, to yourself, and to the people of New York City to have tons of hot awesome monster sex with me."" Basically, Tony and Bruce - with Pepper's amused and interested consent - find ways to have sex...of all types. Plus, Science Bros! Very smart and very hot. Potentially spoilery content information: A little sadism, a little masochism, a little polyamory - all consensual, and Tony is - as one might imagine given the summary - a bit of a size queen, because this is the Hulk he's mostly having sex with.)

valtyr (valtyr on LJ/DW): "Team Building Activities" (Avengers. Steve/Tony eventually - but mostly TEAM. "Fury's a beautiful princess. Clint's plotting a Communist revolution. Rhodey's not sexy. Wall-E's not a documentary. Clint's not gay but he does give a great blowjob. This fic is not an AU. " Written before the movie, so yeah, AU for the way almost everybody meets, and please note that Tony still loves Pepper, even while he's falling for Steve. Some serious moments [sexual orientation crises and, you know, superhero stuff], but a lot of laugh-out-loud funny moments as well.)

yugimutos/weatheredlaw (yugimutos on tumblr): "you taste like birthday, you look like new year" (Avengers/iron Man/Hulk. Bruce/Tony/Pepper. " And they each know, in this moment, what it means to be loved unconditionally." Gentle and loving and all three of them are really trying to make this work, especially Tony. Very sweet.)

Due South

Alex51324 "First One Thing, Then The Otter" (Fraser/Kowalski. " When the guys find signs of a sea otter living in a Chicago pond, Fraser is strangely reluctant to investigate." A bit of a case story and a bit of a relationship story and honestly? The frankly adorable images this story conjured in my mind while reading made it all worthwhile. Was it deep? Not particularly, and yet - potentially spoilery content information: Fraser's a were-otter! Then Ray becomes a were-otter! How could there be any bad there? *g*)

Andeincascade (andeincascade on LJ): "Ublarpassik" (Fraser/Kowalski. "There is no glimmer of sun on the horizon. There has been no sunrise for thirty days." it's Benton and Ray's first year living together in Inuvik and...not everything is easy. A smart and insightful and loving story.)

Phantom of the Opera

Michellemybelle25 (author's website here): "Let It Bleed" (Erik/Christine...sort of. "An aggressive outburst and its consequences." Following Christine's conversation with Raoul on the roof of the opera house, she returns, rather unwillingly, to the Phantom's lair. Erik is both sympathetic and not-at-all sympathetic, and Christine...would probably do better if she were very far away from Paris.)

Sherlock Holmes

pir8fancier (on LJ/DW): "Having Been Told" Note: there's a short prequel - "Tell Me" - that can be read here, although "Having Been Told" can stand alone. (BBC. John, Mycroft, Molly, Lestrade, Sherlock. "He didn’t believe and he believed." John in the wake of Sherlock's 'jump' and he's really not doing well at all. Emotionally wrenching and very smart. Potentially spoilery content information: A lot of self destructive drinking on John's part - and, of course, a great deal of discussion of suicide.)

Speranza (cesperanza on LJ/DW): "Up Or Artistic Lush" (BBC. Sherlock/John. "12 across," John said, waving the folded newspaper. "Superficially attractive deception largely after pool with promises of payment: twelve letters." Wonderfully voiced and sexy and funny. No proper cases, but case-adjacent moments, while John is still [mostly] not gay. Very good.)

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Afterword: Have you recently read something that you loved, especially in one of the following fandoms: Avengers, Discworld, Doctor Who, Harry Potter, Lewis, Sherlock (all varieties)? Or have you written something that you think I might enjoy reading? If so, leave a link below!

Comments

[grey853]

Thanks so much for your Sherlock recs. I really enjoy them.

[bethbethbeth]

You're so welcome. There are a number of wips I'm following that are coming to an end now, so there should be more Sherlock in the next update.

[grey853]

I'm looking forward to it. I try not to read WIP until they're finished. I've been burned far too many times!!

[bethbethbeth]

Same here...although now that my main fannish "job" is reccing, I'm a little more willing to sacrifice myself on the altar of incomplete stories. :)

[regan_v]

God yes. I am totally on the edge of my seat waiting for Lindentreeisle's conclusion to her HP/Sherlock crossover, for example.

[ariadneelda]

Omg thank you for that Tony/Clint rec! And for once I'm glad it's a link to LJ because AO3 just refuses to load right now, as it does so often lately. I still haven't looked at the rest of your recs but I'm sure I'll find more things to read. Thank you! :)

[bethbethbeth]

I've been having luck with just hitting refresh three or four times. Basically, AO3 needs a server as big as a house (or...new code. no way can they add art/vid capability until this is sorted out)

[regan_v]

Heh. And here I was about to start typing up my own recs post for the week. More mono-fannish than yours, I'm afraid.

*smootches*

[bethbethbeth]

I'm excited about your upcoming recs; I've been so immersed in Avengers that it's been hard for me to keep up with Sherlock (blasphemy!!)

[indiw]

Hi -

I really like your recs page - I skimmed through your master post to try to be sure I wasn't linking you to something already rec'd, but, well - sorry if it's duplicate? I've been stalking icarus_chained on AO3 (when it's working) - I really liked the following (I've read most of icarus_chained's Bruce and Tony works)

The Deus Ex series (I have a soft spot for Jarvis)
http://archiveofourown.org/series/18821
This AU ficlet "The Long Line of Locks":
http://archiveofourown.org/works/418321

This was the series from icarus_chained that sucked me in - the "Tony and Bruce" series - I mean. Second story in, Hulk cuddling Iron Man. *beams helplessly*
http://archiveofourown.org/series/17981

This bit with Nick Fury and Tony Stark is just fun "Covered":
http://archiveofourown.org/works/400510

... Right. Here's where I put in the disclaimer that icarus_chained probably doesn't know who I am, as all I've done is drop Kudos, and perhaps a comment or two. Um. I'm going to quit now before I rec anything else from the same author...

[bethbethbeth]

Thanks so much! And seriously? Even if icarus_chained was your bff, I'd still appreciate the links. :)

[indiw]

^^ I thought I'd do a quick one or two rec, and then as I scrolled through - I kept thinking, oh! I liked this one a lot. And this one and this one and - oops, better stop now... ^___^

[gurrier]

Yay, thank you! Got a long internet-less period coming up, so I'm grabbing all the long fic I can, and you're a great source.

Turnabout being fair play, a few things I've enjoyed recently (and really need to comment on) are
Genius Loci by silverpard, Sherlock, but mostly concerning a sentient London; Foreign Country by wonderfulwrites, an Hermione/Severus/Lucius story where lack of communication and events in the war come back to haunt them all; and Dragon Heartstring in Ebony, Nine Inches, Quite Stubborn by what_alchemy, a HP/Sherlock post-Reichenback crossover.

[bethbethbeth]

Excellent...thanks!

(and yes, internet-less periods are sort of torturous, aren't they? Hope you find lots of good things to read!)

[mtl]

Thank you soooooo much for the Avengers story recs. I have dived into this fandom and don't want to come up for air yet.

[bethbethbeth]

You are so, so welcome!

What pairings are you most interested in??

[mtl]

I've been open to most pairings if it's a good story. Though I do have a fondness for Bruce/Pepper/Tony and for Loki/Thor. Also loving the gen team fics.

[molly_o]

I have to thank you for reccing thingswithwings' journal-article-that's-too-long-to-type fic. I don't generally read Tony/Bruce, so I would never have found it otherwise, but it's a *great* story. (And I especially love that it references Larry Niven's "Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex.")