> Caught up with the be_compromised summer promptathon today. There's a great bunch of fics once again this year!

> bluemeridian has posted a rec list of happy-making things HERE that I'm working my way through tonight. I LOVE the Hawkeyes (Fraction) and Martian vids! Now onwards to the wordy things.

> Which has reminded me to check out this year's Vividcon. I found a handy database here. I'm in a vid mood it seems, so if you have recs you'd like to share then be my guest :)

> I have managed to finish a fic and am close to finishing a handful more. This would be great, except I have an awkward habit at the moment of working on a bunch at once, adding words to one until I stall and then moving onto the next and cycling back 'round again. So the fic I've finished? Is part five of the demon AU series but parts three and four aren't quite complete lol. Another that's close to being done is a how Clint and Jess met that's set prior to a much longer Clint/Nat fic in which Clint and Jess have been broken up for a while. Um. Oops?

> I'm hoping to finally see Spiderman: Homecoming tomorrow, yay!

> Finished watching The Bridge this week, which had me on the edge of my seat. My hat is off to the actor who plays Saga; fascinating to watch a non-neuro typical female lead character, who has a job as a competent police officer and navigates relationships, and it's just so well done. I also caved and bought American Gods even though I take forever to watch things and it will probably decrease in price by the time I get chance, because American Gods!

> I make up for my slow watching of tv and films with speedy reading though. Which reminds me that I need to update goodreads again...

> Any fic/vid/graphic/other recs that are happy or amusing? I think it's a good time for them.

To celebrate Civil War release day tomorrow here in the UK I bring to you a Civil War rec list! These ones have been sustaining me in my wait – and I’m going to wait a bit longer because a comic book friend told me today that they’ve over ordered the steelbook edition and a copy is mine if I want it, but I won’t see them again for a bit, but steelbook. These are my favourites of what I've read. Feel free to rec (me) more Civil War goodness in the comments!

( CIVIL WAR REC LIST )

I was having a geek out over The Martian on twitter today and I thought I'd share here too :)

So, The Martian, if you haven't heard of it, is an excellent book by Andy Weir about a man, Mark Watney, left behind on Mars when a storm strikes the Ares III mission. The plot is whether or not he can survive, and whether or not he will be rescued. But for all that it's a feel good, uplifting story about solving one problem at a time, people helping each other, and the sense of humour of the characters has you laughing. There's now also a film, staring Matt Damon, which is missing some of the book's content but captures the tone of the film wonderfully and makes me smile a lot. There's an extended edition being released with extra footage and two new deleted scenes, which unfortunately is US only. Which brings me back to twitter, because I promised some friends links to the extras that I'd found online. And then I also shared some recs. And we had a gif war. Because reasons.



( links to fun Martian things and have some gifs )

On the downside, the update I keep meaning to post hasn't happened yet, but on the plus side that's because fic has taken priority ;) I've written two in the past couple of weeks, both around 5000 words and both for the AU Exchange on be_compromised. The Masterlist is here and what i've read so far is seriously fantastic stuff. My gift was a wonderful apocalyptic AU with gorgeous writing and hope and I love it to pieces:

take the sky from me by sweetwatersong (PG13)
Summary: The end came as an announcement, a promise, a future of burning worlds and expanding stars. The end came and there wasn't enough room to save all of them, weren't enough ships to bring everyone beyond the reach of a hungry red sun.
But it isn't the end, not quite. Not yet. And there are stars still left in the sky...

( The first of the fics I wrote... )

Palindromes
by inkvoices for sandrasfisher
Rating/Warnings: Explicit sexy times, f-word swearing, mind games and brainwashing, assassins are assassins, (canon) age difference, off-screen in the past children handcuffed and made to shoot people
Summary: Isn’t it the same story whichever way you spin it? Tell me again, from the beginning.
Natasha Romanoff, born in America in January of 1971, doesn’t kill the kid who at some point came to be known as Clint Barton, born thirteen years after her in Russia. Instead she brings him in to SHIELD.
Author Notes: Thanks to franztastisch for (very speedy) beta reading and encouraging me to meet the Monday posting challenge.

LJ|AO3
“Tell me, from the beginning.”
“I have told you. And I’ve told you that I’m probably telling it wrong.”

( A bit about the second fic... )

these are the days
by inkvoices for krilymcc
Rating/Warnings: PG13; part one may be triggering for money issues or social anxiety
Summary: Natasha came to Dunelm University with a plan. This plan did not include a roommate with no respect for privacy, an Olympic archer and his pizza stealing dog, or taking part in any crazy student fundraising.
Otherwise entitled: how Natasha survives her first year at university and learns not to let her degree get in the way of her education.
Author Notes: This is a UK AU, because ‘write what you know’, and universities in the UK don’t have mixed gender rooms (although they do have mixed gender halls of residence or colleges), so Hawkeye is not Natasha’s roommate. The other Hawkeye is ;) I hope this meets with your approval.
HUGE thanks to franztastisch, Dunelm’s Professor of Beta Reading and President of the Cheerleading Society.
Disclaimer: The university in this fic has an uncanny resemblance to a certain university in the North East of England. (The quote don’t let your degree get in the way of your education comes from an ex-Chancellor.) No affiliation or offence is intended. That said, this is work of fiction, so also I made a lot of stuff up ;)

part one on LJ|WIP on AO3
“Oh, hey, I guess we're roommates!”

I interept the usual...non-viewing because I'm clinging on to time management by my finger nails, but I'm working my way through the remix exchange fics on be_compromised and loving them and then I discover that I have two fics and they are both so. damn. good. So I'm reccing my own gifts. BECAUSE FICS OF AWESOME HERE PEOPLE.

Almost Home by sugar_fey (Teen and Up) Summary: ‘Home’ is a word in a language not her own Natasha has never longed for home.

This is a look into what 'home' means to Natasha and how she develops that meaning, steeped in imagery and character development. sugar_fey breaks down the concept, explores it through time and what choices and experience make us, throws in some gorgeous writing, and packages it up in a themeatic structure that works brilliantly. She always makes me see new things in this character. LOVE.

This Bitter Earth by franztastisch (Teen and Up) Summary: The only beautiful things here are her and the stars. And he can’t reach the stars. It's the end of the world, or the end of their world. There are Biblical references, and lots of dust. It's not all that happy, really.

franztastisch wrote me a dystopian AU with climate change and meta on stories. YES SHE WENT THERE. And wrote it in her usual gorgeous writing style, where imagery and metaphor are delivered simply and elegantly, just to finish me off.

I am a lucky, lucky, spoilt fangirl today :D

> I watched X Men: Days Of Future Past with the geek group yesterday. I think this is my favourite X Men film of the lot!

( SPOILERS BEHIND CUT )

...and now I have nostalgia for the X Men fandom.

> The other week I also watched Transcendence. Trailer here. It's a thinky film on artificial intelligence, how far we can/should go to change the world, and love. I enjoyed it, although there are some plot holes you could drive a truck through.

> I was also introduced to anime this week by my other half and a friend of his. Amusingly the film that they chose to start with, Ghost In The Shell, was far from as good as they'd remembered and they had sad faces afterwards. (Which I wish I'd photographed for posterity.) They're now searching for 'the good stuff' to redeem the genre.

> And have a bunch of fic recs:
Embiggen by thingswithwings (Gen) is Ms Marvel and America Chavez being brilliant.
It's All There in the Handbook by TrespassersWill (Gen) is an amusing set of graphics, which is the actual Stark Industries handbook with Pepper trying to get Tony to approve it.
Going Underground (Or: Five People Who Helped Save London, Even if They Didn't Know It) by CloudAtlas (aka franztastisch (Gen) is the missing scene/s of how Thor actually manages to make it to Greenwhich on the Underground. I should disclaimer that I beta read this, but it's hilarious and perfect, go read!
Escape Velocity by miss_pryss (Gen) is Lilo from Lilo and Stitch training to be a space adventurer as she grows up and, no, seriously, give this one a try.

> I put aside the many, many *whimpers* unfinished fics that I've been working on to start my remix fic today. First draft is now completed, at 1460 words. HA! It's only a first draft, but I actually finished something! I also jotted down some notes for an Avengers fusion with the Lazarus comics, because, y'know, I needed more unfinished fic ideas *shakes head at self*.

> I read The Maze Runner by Jame Dashner, because we caught a trailier of the film at our last cinema trip and it looked good. Alas, I was sadly disappointed. The plot is mediocre and I thought there would be more of a twist with the maze puzzle. I wasn't made to care about the characters. And there's only one girl. Who's in a coma for most of the book. And there's no plot point reason for this. The fact that a girl shows up is apparently a big, end of days, everything will now change sign. Um, no, that is not what the introduction of a female character should be just because she's female without any plot reason at all. If any girls at all are part of these war games, then why is there only one? And what's with the solving everything surprise telepathy? Okay, I own the remaining two books in the trilogy as I got them as a set in The Works, so I'll see if they get better. On a day when I feel like wasting my time with them.

> Comics this week: Lazarus 8 (if you're a fan of dystopian stories and detailed worldbuilding and you're not reading this comic then you're seriously missing out), What If? Age of Ultron 4 (vaguely interesting thoughts on a superhero as a concept instead of an individual), Original Sin 0 (I haven't read Nova yet and I've never read much about the Watcher and I still found this raised a few feels), Guardians of the Galaxy 14 (YAY Captain Marvel to the rescue! Yay Groot! Uh, okay, future story), and Elektra 1 (the art in this is a thing of beauty, gorgeous colours and really dynamic. Just, I don't think this story is for me. This is the opposite problem to my not liking the art of She-Hulk *head desk*. I may try the next issue, for the gorgeous, gorgeous art).

> Recs: I haven't been able to get this MCU vid, Hey Ho, by thuviaptarth out of my head. How to describe...it takes the legacy of heroes and war and provides a new perspective, with spot on musical to image timing, great choices of moments to showcase, and is really thought provoking.

On the fic front hurrah for card games by recessional (PG, no Winter Soldier spoilers) is Maria, Steve, Clint, and Natasha playing poker, which goes about as hilariously as you'd expect. Next New Message by fabrega (Teen and Up, definitely Winter Solider spoilers) is one of the most amusing where-was-Clint stories to happen post Cap 2. And in Breakfast for Dinner by thingswithings Teen and Up, nothing to do with Winter Soldier) Carol Danvers (aka Captain Marvel) joins the MCU Avengers in a ridiculous, amusing, wonderful story (which makes me wish once again for more ladies in everything) - today's title from this!

> And in case you didn't already know, Joss Whedon released his latest film, In Your Eyes, worldwide on vimeo. You can see the tralier and rent it HERE. I also managed to watch the first three minutes somewhere on vimeo following a trailer link, but I can't find that one again, bah. If the internet likes me I'm going to try and watch this tonight :)

> Geek Trip to the roving comics fayre on Saturday, but apparently there was something else going on the same day because a lot of the regular folks weren't there. Including the main graphic novel guy, so no cheap graphic novels for me, meh. I did find a load of Astonishing X Men comics though - Phil Noto cover art and stores written by Marjorie Liu? Yes please *grabby hands*. Later we flipped a coin between The Lego Movie and The Grand Budapest Hotel, as we fancied something amusing, and The Lego Movie won. It was indeed amusing. With a theme tune that I still can't shake out of my head, and that's where this week's title is from *grins*. Since it was also a geek trip following my birthday I got spoilt with geeky things, including Hawkeye and Black Widow style wrapped presents, one of which was a Skottie Young Black Widow t-shirt (!!!), and three gorgeous arty birthday cards. Also Avengers badges and I'm going to see Ed Sheeran in October! I am a lucky, lucky person :D

( arty awesome birthday cards )

> On the box: I have watched this week's The Walking Dead and am now one and a half episodes away from the end of season three of Buffy. Yeah, I'm bad at tv.

> Books read: I started the week off by reading The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer and then I didn't pick up another book for the rest of this week because I needed to digest that one, and to get over the ouch. It's a very well written story about grief and mental illness. It also contains a character with Downs Syndrome, which is always great to see, but feels a little like the story has been overloaded with this character and two characters with mental illness being in the same family. Which can and does happen, but also smells a little like the author is throwing as much difference as possible at the reader. And then that character is the one who we know from the start is dead, so, yeah, not great awareness raising there. Those are the only two things I find a bit problematic. Other than that, it's very good. Not one for when you're feeling down though - it made me cry.

> This weeks comics: Agent of Asgard #2 (alas, no Avengers, but the God of Lies has met a character who only hears the truth, so that could be interesting), Jupiter's Legacy #3 (woah, time jump! But interesting), and Magneto #1 (yes, I got the Skottie Young cover ;) This feels a but like 'what Magneto does when he's not being a super villan' in the style of Hawkeye and Black Widow, and I'm not sure this interests me).

> Recs: I love Sherlock fics where Molly is a strong character, where she grows into her own, but fics like the breath that passed from you to me by rsadelle (Sherlock, Molly/Sherlock, Mature, 14,843 words) remind me that a Molly who can be an idiot when it comes to Sherlock isn't necessarily idiotic or less strong than any other type of Molly.
I also read a bunch of Hunger Games fics this week. Have three (bring tissues):
Out of the Night: An Interview with a Mockingjay by athousandwinds (Katniss/Peeta, Teen and Up, 2440 words) After twenty-five years, Katniss Everdeen breaks her long silence to speak to our star reporter.
To the Victor, The Spoil by Annakovsky (Katniss/Haymitch, Explicit, Underage, 13,360 words) No berries, no mockingjay, no rebellion. Katniss killed Peeta in the arena, and now she has to live with herself like every other victor.
Valor, Valeria by aimmyarrowshigh (various pairings, Explicit, 8643 words) Gale sells and Finnick is sold, and there is no honor in Panem. aka two boys grow up in two different Districts and life is easy for no one.

> On the box: I am behind with very many tv shows at the moment, oops. I am, however, up to date with The Walking Dead ('nooo, go the other way!' is becoming a thing I say often this season, for goodness sake characters) and I am three episodes from the end of season three in the big Watch Buffy The Vampire Slayer In Order challenge. No films this week.

> Books Read: The Girl With All The Gifts (excellent dystopian future novel, the changes in viewpoints never distract from the story, and interesting thoughts on choices at the end of humanity as well know it), The Poison Eaters and Other Stories by Holly Black (an absorbing short story collection full of fairytales with sharp edges, including the short story that came before the novel The Coldest Girl in Coldtown so it was fun to see how the novel grew from that, and two stories set in the Tithe 'verse), and Fables Volume 1: Legends In Exile (this was okay, but not as good as all the hype made it out to be. I appreciate that it's the first volume at the start of a long ongoing series, so does it get better? Should I stick with it?)

> This weeks comics: Hawkeye 15 (from which today's post title comes from; so many 'caught with your pants down' jokes, so, so many. Also, people having fun with spotting names and words in the crossword cover? There is a lot of 'BRO', ha), Secret Avengers 16 (I'm not entirely sure I got the point here. Has Bobbi, along with Daisy and Bucky, escaped the wierdness of SHIELD's memory games whilst the others haven't, is that the point?, Serenity: Leaves On The Wind 2 (when is the more?!), Origin II 3 (it's okay), Guardians of the Galaxy 12: The Trial of Jean Grey Part 4/6 (these tie-ins make me want to read the earlier Gaurdians comics, I should do this).

>Recs: things that are especially wonderful that I found this week are we might fall (steve rogers character study vid) by turquoisetumult in which Steve always gets back up and that, that's a superpower, and one he had right from the start. And Introduction To Western Literature by igrockspock (Avengers, Clint/Natasha, Teen and Up, 2645 words) in which in the beginning books and reading are the only things that Natasha has in common with the rest of SHIELD. This one is booklovers story, definitely, and that last line, YES.

be_compromised was one year old on Tuesday, which I can hardly believe O.O I've met so many wonderful people through that comm, had so many great experiences, done so many new things, and, wow, really, all of it happened in a year?! In case you missed it, there's a friending meme and a party post where fun is happening :D

coldqueen5 on tumblr made this gorgeous graphic for my fic The Nature Of Dust! (First time someone has arted me!)

There is a Clint Barton and Kate Bishop Hawkeye Trailer by puffabilly on Youtube, with Jeremy Renner and Jennifer Lawrence.

texts from the avengers continues to crack me up.

This is a story of girls and comics that made me smile.

Thoughts and speculation on Jane in Thor 2 which made me more excited for this film. 'Forget Asgard,' I was saying, 'I want to see more Team Science!' But what about Team Science in Asgard.

Mark Ruffalo learns about Science Bros. Be afraid and amused.

On the art front here are some things of wow: sweet Tony and Dummy, sad Tony and Dummy, Tony with an armour variation, Cap and his own art, Clint and Kate in an Avengers UK style, I found the avenging angels again, sleepy avengers, Clint and Natasha, and more Clint and Natasha.

Spoilery Iron Man 3 things that made me go OH and AWWW and HOW DID I NOT SEE THAT?! in no particular order: here, here, here, here, and the track from the credits (which I've downloaded and added to my avengers playlist, BECAUSE).

And in comic stills bullshit is Clint Barton's not so secret power, Natasha only paralysed Clint for a week, some many funnies in all new x men, and one of my favourite (astonishing) x men moments.

happy Thursday :)

Ready for halfamoon? It's a celebration of women in fandom that runs from Febrary 1st-14th and I've never yet managed to catch it live. This year I'm working on a batch of Marvel Ladies icons - ladies from the Marvel films, 100 icons so far and I've only covered three films. Um, oops? (I'm having fun. Discovered when iconing screencaps of Peggy in Captain America that when she's being badass with a gun she has red nail polish on, hadn't noticed that before.)

I did do a bunch of Ladies recs for International Woman's Day last year. I feel the urge to do another, either for halfamoon or International Woman's Day again. Because of fics like sugar_fey's Conversation Over Tea and frea_o's The Bechdel Test. And because 'Women Being Awesome' is a tag on AO3 and I love that.

Other ladies things I've spotted recently: there's a multifandom women comment ficathon and a heroinebigbang happening, and I recently read an interesting post from YA author Sarah Rees Brennan on ladies in writing. If that's a bit too rage inducing, try her Real Lady Sleuths post as well or instead - I love that one, and I went back and reread it. Not tempted? Allow me to share two snippets from that:

When World War II started, her friends begged her to come home. Lee Miller instead became a photojournalist and correspondent for Vogue, and thus one of the first female war correspondents of World War II. Her pictures of the concentration camps are famous. In 1945, just after Hitler died and after a long day photographing Dachau, Lee Miller was photographed by the Life magazine correspondent, naked in Hitler’s bathtub, with her combat boots and army uniform beside her.

and

GESTAPO: BRING US NANCY WAKE! THE WHITE MOUSE IS OUR MOST WANTED CRIMINAL! WE WILL GIVE YOU FIVE MILLION FRANCS!
FRANCE: That is like twice as much as you’d pay for any of the dudes.
GESTAPO: Seems about right.

THOR ON AN ELEPHANT, anuna_81 has written a fic called I wanna read you (like a good book, baby) (explicit content (sex and language); established Clint/Natasha; pre movie) that references, and was influenced by, my fic The Child Takers (R, follow link for warnings)! My flail, it is epic and ongoing!

anuna_81 took the bit She can talk about films and art that she has never seen, books that she has never read, places where she has killed but never taken the time to truly look or explore. She is required to know and that is all. and wrote a hot, steamy, literary, oh my gosh, seriously full of literary/reading/wordy references thing of beauty.

The summary is: Clint takes all of her in, from head to toe, and feels a bit like he's standing in sunshine. Not the blistering kind. Nice evening glow that's just warm enough to settle into. (Aka, Clint comes home tired and goes to bed, but doesn't sleep.) And it contatins such gorgeous phrasing as Reading, reading, reading; finally getting to know all those books she could talk about, but had never held in her hands. and Some books are too good not to be reread, he thinks distantly when she kisses him, slow and hot. Some chapters stick to your fingers and burn a mark on your mind, and you come back for more. Always come back for more. YES ALL OVER <3

The reveals are now live for Secret Santa 2012 over at be_compromised!!! Be sure to dive into the wonderful on the Masterlist.

On the one hand I am a tiny bit disappointed, because I didn't get chance to read anywhere close to all of them before the reveals went up. There's something great about reviewing anon. creative works, that part where people know that's what you thought, not what you think of them, y'know? I hope people still think I’m being honest, because I still intend to go through them ALL :D

I’m hugely excited to be able to say that always_a_queen wrote my gift Comfort and Joy (fic, PG, implied sexytimes and mild language). Summary: 'Tis The Season: Clint and Natasha (and the whole team) and the holiday season. Or: The Avengers celebrate Christmas and everyone gives Natasha unwarranted advise about her love life. I say again, I LOVE THIS TO PIECES! I love Natasha’s voice, I love all of the details, I love how Clint and Natasha are shown to be so complimentary, just right for each other, and I love the theme of comfort and joy, of Christmas being togetherness whether happy and perfect or not <3

It's also exciting to get to chat to people about the gift that I made: The Nature Of Dust for sugar_fey (R for sex, see post for warnings) Summary: Fic with accompanying collage of graphics/manipulations and icons for the prompt 1930s dustbowl AU. Clint and Natasha are members of a travelling circus. Dark/supernatural elements a la Carnivale optional but very welcome. When I read that sugar_fey had left that prompt I really hoped that her giftee would fill it. Then I was her giftee, which was all kinds of well now I had to put my writing where my wish was! I LOVED getting to play with the prompt, however much I struggled with it at times, so much so that I got carried away and made graphics as well and I ended up writing the longest fic I have managed to actually complete in years, wow.

To everyone who helped me with research questions about 1930s America and curses, this was why and thank you for all your help and interesting chats! And oodles of thanks to my beta readers, the amazing and amazingly helpful rthstewart and lar_laughs, who put up with me sending lots of things back to them time and time again, who read speedily, who caught mistakes, who gave me lots of thinky thoughts, and made everything more <3

I also got to play with a fantastic graphics team for Secret Santa: daxcat79, frea_o, hermyfan, oresteia, and purely_distel. There are links to the icons, gift banners, organiser gift graphics, and participation graphis on the Masterlist as well. Do add taking a look at all the shiny to your Secret Santa 2012 tour, which was brought to you by our Awesome Organisers Of Awesome anuna_81 and cybermathwitch :D

I’ve been trying to catch up on some be_compromised Secret Santa wonderfulness, because I want to comment on as much as possible before the reveals, and it seems that I didn’t post here about my gift…even though I’m pretty sure I did *side-eyes LJ*.

If you haven’t seen it, it’s Comfort and Joy, currently Anon. by always_a_queen (PG for implied sexy times and mild language; Avengers; Clint/Natahsa, Thor/Jane, Tony/Pepper, and (overt hints of) Steve/Maria) Summary: ’Tis The Season: Clint and Natasha (and the whole team) and the holiday season. Or: The Avengers celebrate Christmas and everyone gives Natasha unwarranted advise about her love life.

I love it to pieces and I left a huge comment saying why, but basically this has so many wonderful details and moments and thoughts and feelings and team things and pop culture references and perfection in it that I can’t help but love it, topped off with a theme of Christmas being about togetherness, whether that’s a happy and perfect kind of togetherness or not, which is what Christmas is for me <3

I also got a late be_compromisedpromptathon fill surprise today: Congratulations on an Excellent Kill by igrockspock (link to AO3, also here on LJ; Teen and Up; Avengers; Gen) Summary: In which Natasha discovers that Hallmark does not in fact make a greeting card for every occasion.

This has all the hilarity you’d expect from Natasha looking for, or making, greetings cards appropriate for SHIELD, but they way it’s done is a perfect blend of hilarity with FEELS. This was, again, a long comment required fic *grins*.

On a side note, I think I have four modes for commenting on creative things: 1) things I loved with things you might want to improve/think about, 2) I really, really liked it, but I don’t have time to comment much right now and/or everyone else has already said everything, 3) let me show you all the thinky thoughts you just gave me! and 4) you just destroyed my brain; inability to comment coherently. My commenting is based on the state of my brain: can I be constructive right now, can I say anything that hasn’t been thought of, I can’t help but think, and ability to think gone. A lack of long comment does not mean I didn’t love things, I feel I should point this out :)

I’ve been working my way through all of the things that I have bookmarked. People, I have a lot of bookmarks *stares*. These are some of my favourites from the most recent Avengers things that I’ve read – and by some be warned that this rec list isn’t short, because this fandom produces amazing amounts of wonderful. Here be genfic, friendship fic, Clint/Natasha fic, multiple pairings, and some arty things to finish it all off. Enjoy!

( a huge pile of Avengers fic recs and a bundle of Avengers arty recs )

> The BBC have released a missing scene Doctor Who P.S. about what happened to Brian and the Ponds after The Angels Take Manhattan. So, serious spoilers, people. And grab a tissue.)

> If you haven't heard the news, Agent Coulson is back in the SHIELD TV show (link to one of many articles). Does that mean that the show is set pre-Avengers? Or are the conspiracy theorists in with a chance of being right? Let the speculation commence! (And if the Agents in this show would like to speculate about Clint and Natasha on their coffee break whilst Coulson smiles enigmatically I WOULD BE OKAY WITH THAT.)

> Creative Support Group - The Beta Edition happening over at be_compromised. A chance to discuss anything and everything about beta reading, as a beta, a writer, or both.

> The War Was in Color by Settiai on YouTube remains the best STEVE FEEEEEELS vid ever. Footage from both Captain America, The Avengers, and The Avengers extra footage/deleted scenes. The editing is superb, the use of black and white fantastic, the matching of the lyrics to the clips amazing, and the story telling wonderful. FEEEEEELS.

I posted a html guide for livejournal over on be_compromised that's a bundle of things I've picked up over the years. I don't think of myself as tech savvy, so do join the html party and add your own hints and tips! I've already picked up a few from the comments :) I also updated the rules on the profile page and the Guide To Tags and Tagging, and added more tags. Phew!

I got my Secret Santa assignment and I'm so excited! The only problem is that it's given me ideas and I don't know which one to write and I want to research all of them anyway!

I'm working on a Big Post of Doctor Who with my reaction to the last episode, this half of the season that we've had, and a bunch of recs for fic, vids, and meta. My attention keeps getting caught by more things to look and read, oops, but I'm getting there.

In the meantime, have a handful of recs.

Recs: 3 Harry Potter, 1 Sherlock BBC, 1 Avengers

From the Desk of Minerva McGonagall by selmak (at the minerva_fest) PG, 6700 words, summary: In all her years as a Head of House, Minerva McGonagall had never sent more than ten letters home to a parent in any given year. Then Fred and George Weasley came to Hogwarts. Perfect Minerva, perfect twins. Smiles and feels.

The Threads of Sisterhood by hondagirll PG, warning for some characters dying of old age, 4000 words, summary: Lucy was an accident. Or rather, five moments in the life and times of Molly and Lucy. Gen. This is a really lovely look at how a younger-than-everyone-else Lucy would be different, that everyone is different anyway, and that in the end it doesn't matter, because she's Molly's sister.

The Peculiar Resilience of the Refugee by Squibstress Teen and up, warning for brief, non-explicit reference to sexual abuse, Gen, 7777 words, summary: After the war, Petunia takes refuge at the Three Broomsticks. Leapt into my favourite Harry Potter fics with it's layers, hints of Muggles and Squibs and differences in the Magical World without beating the reader over the head with them, it's subtleties, and the believability of this friendship.

Fairy Tale of Regent's Park by Basingstoke two stories that are teen and up overall, 6163 words total, AU, summary: There is a swan, and he's not named Sherlock. And there is a duck, and he's not named John. I found this gem the other day. Give it a try. It made me smile a lot.

And There Are Deserts Still by Amy Teen and up, Gen, 9310 words, I would warn for acting without choice/being triggered/past brainwashing, non-fatal violence, and identity questioning, summary: "Freely we choose, and what we have chosen to become stands in judgment over what we may yet hope to be." Also, Clint bakes muffins. The friendship and understanding between Clint, Natasha, and Coulson in this is a thing of beauty, this fic explores the ideas that it considers wonderfully, and there's a depth to everything that I love.

Natasha, Pepper, Jane, Peggy, Sif, Darcy, and Maria. All in one vid. In a vid by kaydeefalls. Which, for those of you not in the know, means storytelling, musical moments matched up perfectly with clips, things like the boys being relegated to the role of love interests for a change, and masses of feels. FEELS, I HAS THEM. So many that I can't even rec this properly, but, oh my heart, it NEEDS to be recced.

So What by kaydeefalls HERE on livejournal also with downloading links or HERE on vimeo.
Summary: A tribute to the kickass ladies of the Avengers cinematic universe.

Now if you'll excuse me I have to go watch it again and again and again...

Edit: And whilst I'm having an Avengers Ladies day, have you seen the tumblr a softer marvel that remixes the a softer world comics? Well this text, whatever the remix, has always been one of my favourites. This remix of this text though owns my heart:

You’ve probably already seen these, because I’ve spotted them on my friends list, but if you haven’t you really need to: a Budapest film poster from princess-protectionprogram and a Black Widow film poster from alicexz. They’re gorgeous and I can’t stop staring at them.

And I leave you with a fanmade Black Widow film trailer:

I’m working on organising my bookmarks and favourites again. This time hopefully I won't accidentally delete things *shakes head at self*. Anyway, found these that I meant to share and haven't, so sharing:

THIS Avengers thing made me laugh.

THIS from a interview with RDJ and Scarlett Johansson on the Avengers sums up a lot of what has annoyed me in the media surrounding the Avengers release, but I’m so pleased that here Scarlett doesn’t let it slide.

HERE is some feminism from 1915 that made me feel better.

And HERE is a Natasha being kick ass graphic. Makes me think of dark!fic or early years Natasha.

HERE is gorgeous Clint/Natasha artwork from lettiebobettie on tumblr.

HERE is a Renner gif set from the start of MI4 (very minor you-could-get-it-from-the-trailers spoiler) that cracks me up. HIS FACE.

HERE is a gif set of Matt Damon saying why Jeremy Renner is right for Bourne Legacy. Huge amounts of agreement from me :D

There are many great things happening at such-heights’ Avengers kissing fest over on dreamwidth and THIS with Agent Hill and Fury is one of my favourites.

And finally HERE is a fun tumblr mashing up the Avengers with other Whedon things.