That Which is Infinite, by jadeddiva

That Which is Infinite on  FFnet

Official Description:

He keeps trying to tell himself this was a good decision, but there is lingering doubt in the back of his mind about bringing an innocent into this game. Barbara Gordon, meet Batman. Post Batman Begins, during The Dark Knight.

Batman Begins/Dark Knight - Rated: T - English - Drama - Chapters: 12 - Words: 32,241 - Reviews: 113 - Updated: 8-8-11 - Published: 4-7-07 - Barbara G. & Bruce W./Batman - Complete

Never tried a Batman fic?

You don't need to know much about the Batman mythology in order to fall in love with this story, and the main character, Barbara Gordon. That Which is Infinite takes place during the events of The Dark Knight, but again, you don't have to have seen it. All you need to know:  Bruce Wayne is a billionaire playboy by day and the dark knight Batman by night.

Barbara Gordon: librarian and Batman fangirl

Barbara Gordon runs a fan website that follows Batman's every move. He knows it's just a matter of time before she puts 2 and 2 together and figures out he's really Bruce Wayne. Batman works alone but maybe if he enlists her help he can keep an eye on her. But what if she becomes more to him than he anticipated? Her first assignment: researching a new criminal that has emerged in Gotham. One who leaves Joker playing cards at the scene of each crime.

This is a totally unique take on Barbara Gordon. Instead of having her don the cape and tights under the mantle of Batgirl, the author, Jadeddiva, brings Barbara into the realworld feel of the Nolan-verse. She writes a fantastic Barbara! Filled with the intelligence, wit and snark that I love. Jadeddiva also creates little twists in the story, allowing it to take place within The Dark Knight, but maintaining an original take on the material. She also captures the sheer horror of a city subjected to the madness of the Joker. 

I love the tension that is built between Barbara/Bruce and Barbara/Batman. It's rated T but Jadeddiva keeps you guessing about where the relationships are going. Oh, so much love for this fic! It's only 12 chapters long, complete, and she's currently writing a sequel (yay!). I read a lot of Batfic and this is one of my all-time favorites. 

Tempt My Tongue, by Savage7289

LINK to Tempt My Tongue

Official Description: Bloodthirsty vampire Edward Cullen has but a single goal in his pointless existence – lose his virginity with a human. He will stop at nothing to entice the unusual girl he saves in the street, but can he claim her body without killing her? AU, EPOV, M Twilight - Rated: M - English - Angst/Drama - Chapters: 10 - Words: 50,674 - Reviews: 2520 - Updated: 4-18-12 - Published: 10-1-11 - Complete

I read Tempt My Tongue in one night, devouring chapter after chapter. Savage likes to get inside the head of a dark Edward and unabashedly let him reveal some of his psycho, stalker, monster tendencies. And this Edward's got some tendencies. This Edward has embraced his existence as a human blood-drinking vampire. As this story starts out, it delves into the lifestyle of a vampire - the hunt for prey and the mindset of not valuing human life. 

Edward is on a quest to find a girl he can lose his virginity to by fucking and killing her at the same time -- a feat he has been unable to accomplish after years of trying (he always ends up killing them before it gets that far).

Edward is exciting and unpredictable because he doesn't see any point in fighting against his monster nature. Being EPOV, Bella plays little role in this story beyond that of the object of Edward's obsession. He does insane and desperate things just to be near her and protect her.  As he starts acting a bit insane when it comes to Bella, he has no desire to fight that inclination. I really enjoyed reading this story and trying to figure out how much of that monster he'll allow himself to be.

Savage's trademark twists and turns keep you guessing the entire story. Lots of surprises. There's so much more I want to kvell about but I'll refrain so you can experience the fun of discovery that seems to characterize the Savage stories I've read. For those thinking Tempt My Tongue sounds too much like Hide and Drink, I'd like to mention that this is a totally different Edward. This story also differs in playing closer to canon and being a tighter 10 chapters long. 

If you like a darker Edward, check out Tempt My Tongue.

Note: There's a disclaimer at the top of the story that you should read regarding Savage's no-holds-barred approach to fic. It's not for everybody.

It's been awhile...

It's been almost a year since I've posted here. I've been dancing from fandom to fandom, tasting the goods that are offered within. I gotta say, nothing compares to the Twific fandom in terms of community, active conversation around fic, and the sheer volume of stories available.

I stopped reading Twific for awhile but over this past summer I found myself poking around on Fictionators and in A Different Forest. My desire to share recs of some of the must-read fic I have come across has brought me back here. I don't anticipate this being anything fancy, just recs of great stories I've read and think you should read, too. Expect recs of Twific and fic from other fandoms (Batman, Justice League, Hunger Games, etc.).

*waves at whomever is still following this blog*

The DC Comics reboot brings the SEX

There were 3 particularly controversial #1 issues from DC’s reboot of 52 titles: Red Hood & the Outlaws, Voodoo, and Catwoman. 

In Red Hood, Starfire is written as a robot peen jockey who goes from one cliche porn pose to another, seemingly offering up her goods for the pleasure of the viewer. There’s nothing more boring than an inconsistently written character with no emotional connection. (For more, check out Michele Lee's 7 year old responds to new Starfire and says it all.)

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I saw the cover of Voodoo and wanted to love it so badly. The art is GORGEOUS (Sami Basri) but the story is draggy and one-note. Almost all of the visuals are of the main character stripping or in some state of undress. For no reason other than that naked women are pretty. Not sure what the creators were thinking, and what audience they were writing it for. But is sure was pretty.

o0o

Besides being controversial as well, I’m not sure why Catwoman keeps getting lumped together with these duds. I LOVED CATWOMAN! That does not seem to be a widely held opinion. 

Yes, Catwoman is also very sexual and provocative, but that is exactly what they advertised it to be. From the cover where she’s upside-down dripping diamonds into her cleavage, to the very first couple pages of Catwoman halfway dressed. All signs point to a hypersexualized goodtime. 


Laura Hudson, of Comic Alliance, wrote an interesting response to Starfire in Red Hood, and Catwoman. I gotta disagree with her thoughts on Catwoman, though:

I mean literally, why is that last page a full-page splash of Batman actually penetrating Catwoman? Why do we need to see that? What does it accomplish or tell us about the characters that would have been lost if that page had been omitted? The answer is nothing. They just wanted to see Catwoman and Batman bang on a roof. 

Yes, and so do I. I absolutely do want to see Batman and Catwoman bang on a roof. The Catwoman title is rated T+ (Teen plus) so all is Kosher. Also, the creators have been thoroughly upfront that this is a sexy Catwoman who you will see acting sexily. For better or for worse, that’s how they’ve chosen to go with her. If that’s not what you want out of your Catwoman, don’t read it. 

This scene has context within a story. It’s not like Batman showed up like a pizza boy or plumber who came to bang. It establishes an interesting dynamic that sets up a crazy attraction that Bruce fights to keep at arms length. And Catwoman, as a character, is not without potential depth. She will hopefully be developed into an interesting, multi-layered character over the next few issues. This issue has already established that Catwoman has a pretty tragic past that we presume will play into who she is in the present. And all of that leads up to a frickin HOT scene with Batman. She’s practically fully clothed, they’re not porn posed. There’s no backarching, cleavage showcase in that final page. If anything, it’s more realistic and awkward.  

The sheer amount of story and character set up alone sets Catwoman apart from Red Hood and Voodoo. But beyond the impact of this first issue, Catwoman is a character that could be something great and who I look forward to learning more about. Starfire and Voodoo have so far been pawns used by their creators to provide gratuitous displays of curves and skin. I think Catwoman is the book whose #2 I’m most excited to read. I hope its potential becomes even more clear with future issues, retaining its distinction from the other controversial books.

An Adventure in Batman/Wonder Woman Fic

My Latest Ship

My pal @einfach_mich sent me a link to this article that asked, with the DC reboot, Should Superman Hook Up with Wonder Woman? That got me thinking...

In my opinion… It’s Bats and Wonder Woman that need to explore a relationship. It would never be long lasting or as iconic as Lois & Supes, but it would be compelling as hell! 

He couldn’t rely on his fop playboy persona, he’d be forced to be Bruce Wayne and let someone in. Total new ground. He’d have to experience vulnerability and trust. There is so much story that could emerge from such an attempt at a human experience. It’d be humanizing for both of them.

Now I’m all riled and desperately want this to happen!

So, now I'm on a Bats/WW jag. And what's the first thing you do when you land on a new pairing? You find the stellar fic that's been written that explores that relationship.


Finding the Fic

I read a fantastic article from Penthouse Magazine called "Holy Hookups, Batman!" It's all about how fanfic allows for the exploration of Batman's sex life. Especially aspects of his relationships that they'd never let you see in the comics or movies. 

There were interviews with the authors of some of the major fics of the various Batman ships, as well as excerpts from each fic. The article gained much street cred when the fic representing the Batman/Catwoman ship was Chris Dee and her Cat Tales, which is an epic fic I LOVE that's been going on for 10 years. 

Other fics I'll check out after reading this article:

 - the Batman/daughter of Superman fic Truth and Justice, by JC Roberts

 - the Bats/Supes slash fic Kansas, by A Darker Knight

In discussing Batman/Wonder Woman fic, the article introduced me to In Darkest Light, by Meljean Brook.

In Darkest Light by Meljean Brook

Official Description: 

A strange encounter with Batman leads Wonder Woman on a darker journey than which she is familiar. Batman/WW shipper fic. Mature themes Language/sexual situations/some mild violence

DC Superheroes - Rated: M - English - Romance - Chapters: 5 - Words: 83,622 - Reviews: 124 - Updated: 4-16-02 - Published: 11-1-01

Wonder Woman had some personal tragedies, recently losing her mother, and is doing some soul searching. A curious encounter with Batman brings her to Gotham where she takes on Batman's methods and sees the affect he has on the city and its citizens. She starts questioning her mission of spreading peace in man's world and wondering if she's helping or hurting. Meanwhile, both Diana and Bruce struggle against the crazy attraction they feel for one another.

Here's an excerpt:

She advanced on him. "Bruce Wayne is just a function of Batman. Dick is a function of Batman. Everything you do is a function of Batman." Her anger built. Standing toe to toe with him, she said, "Cold, calculating Batman. Don't let anyone in, don't care about anyone." She knew it wasn't true; she had seen how he cared for his family, his city. But she couldn't stop. She pushed against his chest.

He didn't budge. Taking a deep breath, he said, "Diana, don't. I'm sorry. I know this is about Hippolyta, but don't --" The anger swelled, overwhelmed. She grabbed his costume, lifted him, slammed his back against the cave wall. She put her face close to his.

"Don't mention my mother," she whispered dangerously. She dropped him, stepped back. Her breath hitched. What was she doing? Yet she still didn't stop. "You don't have a monopoly on grieving for your parents, Batman," she said.

The change came over him so quickly and he moved so rapidly that she barely had time to register it before he reversed their positions, holding her up against the wall, pressing himself against her. He was furious, she realized.

"Careful, Princess." His voice was soft. She wished that he would rage, would match his anger against her own. His eyes stared down into hers, the shadows making his irises look like midnight. He suddenly buried his nose in the crook of her neck, inhaled. She felt the brush of his tongue, and her anger started to change to desire.

"I feel, Diana," he breathed into her ear, and pushed his hips into hers, pressing his erection against her belly. His mouth trailed fire down the line of her jaw. She tilted her head back, parting her lips. He brought his mouth close to hers; their breath mingled. "I'd like nothing more than to take you up to Bruce Wayne's bed and fuck you until you scream my name out loud--" Her eyes widened, in surprise and arousal, "--and to lose myself in you. But I can't." He let go of her, stepped back, leaving her filled with frustration instead of anger.

"Why?"

He smiled grimly. "Hawthorne spent his life looking for the secrets of men's hearts; I've spent my life searching for mine. And what I've learned, Princess, is that inside of me is a scared boy who just wants his parents back, and its dark in there. I walk a fine line; the difference between me and the Joker, Diana, is control. And if I let go of this control, give into lust, then what's next? I give into my desire to finish the Joker off once and for all? Then maybe I'll decide to take out someone else: Two Face, or some punk on the street. It won't stop."

Diana stared at him, amazed that he had opened up to her like that. And every sense told her that he was telling the truth, that he believed absolutely in what he was saying. She knew he was better than that, though. Stronger.

"It doesn't have to be that way. It might not happen like that," she argued.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose as if fighting a headache. Or an inner battle. "I never am going to take that chance and find out."

Diana bit her lip as two more truths hit her with the force of a locomotive. Her own truths.

She was in love with the Batman.

And he would never, ever allow himself to love her back. 

Masen Days by purelyamuse

Description: 3rd Place Winner in the Boys on Boards contest! Now an EXPANDED multi-chap! Bella meets Masen at the local skate park. He's a quiet, mysterious loner. She wants to help him, love him even. Will he let her? Or will he skate away like he always does? AH

Twilight - Rated: M - English - Romance/Angst - Chapters: 6 - Words: 11,735 - Reviews: 419 - Updated: 9-19-11 - Published: 8-16-11 - Edward & Bella

It's been about 6 months since I've started reading a new fic.  And wouldn't you know, it's purelyamuse who drags me back into the fold, kicking and screaming.

She says that I helped push her to write her first Edward/Bella, being the citizen of Switzerland that she is. Having started her current WIP, I am thrilled to have had any hand at all in her writing it. I started reading Masen Days because I wanted to support purely for the fic's readalong, but now I'm jonesing for my next hit. 

I thought I wasn't going to be able to get into Twific anymore because I had gotten too jaded and eye-rolly regarding character cliches, misunderstood Edwards, and poorly developed Bellas. But given purely's taste in fic, I should've known she would provide something delicious. Here's why you should read it:

SIMPLICITY IN STORYTELLING She doesn't try to pretend to offer the be-all-end-all telling of an epic tale. She gives swift glimpses into the interactions between Masen and Bella, which are stylistically so appropriate, given the sparseness of their communication. And purely uses this subtleness to showcase the heart that exists in the smallest of gestures. Also because of this, her story doesn't get weighed down by the pull of unnecessary description. She's a no-wank kind of a writer. And that's EXACTLY what the doctor ordered.

SWEETNESS & NON-EXPLOITATIVE ANGST I love how purely's fic is so very much in line with the kinds of fic she likes to read. There is so much sweetness in her simplicity. And she's able to incorporate the angst of Masen's family life in a way that seems more like an extension of a character's background/experience, as opposed to a lot of fic, where angst is used as an exploitative means to draw in a reader who seeks resolution. The sweetness in the story offsets the underlying sadness in a way that's very true to the Masen character. And I continue to read, not because I need some kind of answer to the mystery, but because I'm addicted to the interactions between Masen and Bella. It'll be nice to see more of the onion as the story unfolds, but I'm in no rush.

I LOVES ME SOME UST I expected a bit of innocence in her storytelling just because I know she likes the HS negotiations of first love in the fic she reads. I was pleased to find it's a realistic portrayal that I could connect with -- and HS me was no innocent. We don't know how virginal Bella is and we know very little about Masen's experience, but these things don't seem relevant in the world of the little moments they share. Bella's got the internal monologue of a girl who definitely feels a hunger but won't act on her ravenous potential because she respects the personality and needs of the other person too much to risk defiling their relationship by jumping too soon. What results is a fantastic build of UST that seems true to their personalities. I grow even fonder of Masen when I see him reaching out for what seems more like a human connection than an amorous one.

IT'S A FUN, QUICK READ I thoroughly enjoyed every heart-happy chapter thus far! I'm in love with these characters and can't wait to see where it goes.

I thought I'd read her story out of politeness but her writing and the charm of her characters won me over on their own merit.

And finally, she's working this like a pro. First of all SHE UPDATES REGULARLY. Every Monday. She also offers her readers outtakes and glimpses into Masen's mind via little journal entries on her blog. Such brilliance in providing her readers some nosh in between each meal, to satisfy the cravings.

I come bearing gifts

Via tumblr, I've found lots and lots of fun things to download and enjoy. I figured I'd put them all in one place and share with my friends at the same time  :)

DOWNLOADS superlist

Batman superpost

Fantasy movies

Complete Disney movie catalogue

NonDisney movies

a bunch of great movies

Tim Burton filmography

Superhero movies

DC animated films

White Collar 
(TV show starring Matt Bomer, who I picture as Dick Grayson)

Friends

Lost, season 6

random music (Andrew Bird, Miles Davis)

...