#pool noodle party

[kingcrow01]

DC/Marvel Pool Noodle Party 2024

Week 5 | Mercs & Murder Husbands

Marc Spector & Harley Quinn, 0 fics!

@dc-marvel-crossovers

Here’s the outline of the event for those interested. TLDR, This event celebrates relationship tags that have less than 30 works on ao3, both platonic and romantic. The rarest of rarepairs!

Inspired by Harley harassing interacting with Marc and Damian in chapter 20 of in labyrinths of reflections by @blackkatmagic, specifically these lines:

“Fuck the hell off,” he growls, and gets a hand on her face as she tries to kiss his mask. She’s wearing a lot of lipstick, and he'd rather not run around the rest of the night with a black lip-print on his face. 

and

Harley blinks at him, big eyes and blond pigtails and smeared makeup that makes her look like a raccoon with a hangover, and then laughs. 

Ho-ly-shit, I cannot begin to express how happy I am with this piece! Initially I was having a hard time with MK’s suit, to the point that I was contemplating just dropping the whole project. (I hate drawing superhero suits, why do I keep on doing this to myself) Like always, all it came down to was retaking my ref and utilizing that handy-dandy line of action, and I finished it pretty easily after that.

Damian was a last minute add-on, and I wanted to draw him on Marc’s right side and a head taller (kids are bigger than you think!) but I ran out of room on the page. I ran into the same problem with Harley’s mallet; I wanted it to be bigger, but with the angle it had to sit at to rest against her thigh, I kept it on the smaller side. 

This piece has made it very clear how limiting my sketchbooks’ size is. For example, I have an idea for another week in this event, but it literally wouldn't fit in this sketchbook so I’m not going to make it. Digital art 1: traditional, 0.

I tried out a new lining style as well, and I’m never going back. Before, I was making every line the same width, but it’s SO much more impactful with alternating line thickness! I attached the lined final sketch below. Do you see how much of a difference it makes?? (Written early May, so I've been using this style since.)

Details:

I think it’s silly that Harley’s boots are covered in blood, but not her actual weapon lol

Harley is as tall as she is because she’s standing on her toes in platform boots

The tattoo on Harley’s midsection is of ivy leaves (though, it’s not poison ivy) as a sort of homage to Ivy. Not that she’s dead or anything. They’re just. Lovers. So, tattoo.

I got to put NO WORK into shading the black parts of MK’s suit, and that was FABULOUS

I wanted to give her colored shoe laces, because I love small details like that. I would love to give characters any color of laces, but some of them seem to have negative meanings, especially on Doc Martens, so I went the safe route and gave her purple laces, which represents gay pride. Yes, I know she’s bisexual, but I felt like I didn’t have many options.

[dc-marvel-crossovers]

The DC/Marvel Crossover server is proud to present our summer Pool Noodle Party! Celebrating the rarest crossover pairs, both platonic and romantic.

Please come paddle around the shallow end of the pool with us and commiserate!

Courtesy of this post about ships that are too small to count as ships:

For our purposes, a “pool noodle” is a relationship tag that comes up with less than 30 hits on Ao3. Platonic (&) relationships count!

We have six themes. Each theme will have a week for posting creations (prompt lists coming soon) and a week for celebrating — giving feedback and leaving comments. We’ll share everything that was created the previous week and try to spread the love, but also post rec lists of our favorite older fics that fit the theme.

May 25 - June 7: “the big three,” aliens, androids archers, & (tech) wizards

June 8 - June 21: Who run the world? (Girls!)

June 22 - July 5: To hell (or Hell’s Kitchen) and back

July 6 - July 19: Supers (-heroes, -villains, -boys, -girls, and/or soldiers)

July 20 - August 2: Mercs & murder husbands

August 3 - August 16: We’re all in this together (poly ships and/or found families)

Any and all DC/Marvel crossover relationships with less than 30 fics on Ao3 are welcome.

Participants are strongly encouraged to get involved in feedback week and not only creation week! The unfortunate truth of the pool noodle is that it can feel like a very lonely way to float; crossovers are more likely to slip through the cracks of Ao3 searches, and they frequently don’t get the love they deserve. The best way to encourage more of them is to comment and let writers know that there’s an audience out there.

Prompt lists will also include a list of fics within the theme whose writers are open to podfic, art, etc, in case you’d like to do an “inspired by” work.

Themes are relatively loose, so your ship might fit multiple themes — that’s fine! Entirely up to you when you post.

[sammialex]

Ahhhhhhh it’s so cute I’m gonna scream!!! Thank you @moonshinebindery for making such a gorgeous and adorable physical copy of To Have (and to owe) 🥹 what a perfect conclusion to @dc-marvel-crossovers 2024 pool noodle party!

[there-must-be-a-lock]

Clint Barton/Roy Harper ship manifesto and recs for @dc-marvel-crossovers Pool Noodle Party!

At this point I think more than half the fics in this tag were written either by me or for me, so I might be biased, but god do I love this precious little pool noodle. These two are so perfect together.

Not just the archery, but the self-esteem (or lack thereof) and self-destructiveness and big soft scarred hearts, and the stubbornness to keep fighting no matter what. They both deserve the kind of care and loyalty they’re always trying to give to others. I love them.

Taking ship name suggestions because I cannot keep calling this ArseEye.

Here, have some fics!

Hope It Leaves A Mark ch. 2 by @thepartyresponsible - every line of this ficlet is jam-packed with perfect characterization and gorgeously precise language. Features one of my favorite Clint/Roy parallels: their tendency to be underestimated because they look like hot messes. The juxtaposition of chaotic disaster and breathtaking competence is perfect.

Maybe he really is Arsenal. Because he might seem to carry himself with all the strategic acumen of your average inebriated raccoon, but so far every move he’s made has been absolutely beautiful. Clint’s prepared to admit he’s a little charmed by that.

To Have (and to owe) by @sammialex - peak mopey sad-sack self-destructive boys throwing themselves into a fight because they don’t value their own lives. Gorgeous use of imagery. Very whumpy, but they bring each other a little sunshine and hope too. This sums the pair of them up all too well:

…it’d been so long since Roy had a mission he wanted to complete, instead of a mission he half hoped he’d die for.

Soft target by @bill-longbow - Ronin!Clint and a Roy who’s struggling with sobriety. Angsty but so sweet. Something about Roy seeing himself in Clint but taking better care of him/having more empathy for him than he ever would do/feel for himself — yeah, that hits me right in the feels. Also with podfic and art!

There's something familiar about him Roy can't catch, but it might as well be because Roy recognizes that look from the mirror. Try and hurt me, nothing you can throw at me is worse than what I do to myself.

The Beverage Comrade by @sishal01 - pure fluff and adorable awkward flirting. The cutest pair of dorks. Also with podfic!

Okay earth, he thinks, I’m ready now to be swallowed up, please. Any time would be good.

To Roy’s surprise the crinkles around the guy's eyes only grow deeper, his mouth falling into an easy lopsided smile.

disasterosity by @bittercape - could function as a primer on why these two are fucking perfect together. Spot-on banter and wit and chaotic humor with just enough self-deprecation to ring true to character. Funny as fuck.

“You fished me out of a dumpster like two hours ago, nobody’s into that.”

“Don’t diss the dumpster life,” Clint says reflexively, and Roy laughs, loud and surprised.

[teeelsie-posts]

Chapters: 2/2 Fandom: DCU (Comics), DCU, Nightwing (Comics), Batman and Robin (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, MCU, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Hawkeye (Comics), Batman (Comics) Rating: Mature Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Clint Barton & Dick Grayson, Clint Barton/Dick Grayson Characters: Clint Barton, Hawkeye, Dick Grayson, Nightwing, Batman (Dick Grayson), Damian Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, Phil Coulson Additional Tags: Dick Grayson is Batman, Damian Wayne is Robin, Clint is Hawkeye, Comic: Batman and Robin Vol. 1 (2009), DC/Marvel crossover, Pool Noodle Party, Rare Pair, Clint and Dick knew each other in the circus, Circus Boyz!, Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Injury, Hurt Clint Barton, Hurt Dick Grayson, Identity Porn, of a sort, Damian Being Damian, Fluffier than These Tags Make it Sound, I just can't resist those H/C related tags Series: Part 19 of Bad Things Happen Bingo, Part 4 of Bad Things Happen to Dick Grayson Bingo, Part 5 of Clint Barton Bingo Summary:

“Are you good with all long pointy things, or just arrows?”

Clint nearly chokes but then something catches in the corner of his eye and he fires an arrow to his hard-left. A second later, across the room to their right there’s a yell and another asshole goes down. “Are you flirting with me right now?” Clint asks, nocking and firing his next arrow.

Batman leans back a little and peers over his shoulder around the corner at where the arrow has taken out another gunrunner. He whistles appreciatively before turning his attention back to Clint. “I think I might be. Hypothetically, if I was, would it be working?” His smile is wide and really fucking charming. He’s casually positioned against the tank with his arms crossed when a bullet pings about a half-inch from his head but Batman doesn’t even flinch.

If Clint were the type, he might’ve swooned at that.

COMPLETE!

[wyxan]

Clint Barton 💜 my favourite blonde.

Commission, for the lovely @sammialex’s charity 😊 thank you for trusting me with this, for making it so fun, and for cheering my attempts to make artistic choices!

If you’ve not yet read Sammi’s fic To Have (And to owe) doooooo it, it’s beautiful. It starts with this banger opening line and doesn’t disappoint from there:

The thing was, the thing was, Clint had loyalty stamped right down to his bones because it was the only thing he’d ever had to pay with.

[somesortofitalianroast]

Of playboys, vigilantes, and dumpsters

Title: Of playboys, vigilantes, and dumpsters Link: AO3 Series: DC/Marvel Crossover Pool Noodle Party Fandom: Batman - All Media Types, Superman - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Daredevil (TV) Participant: SomeSortofItalianRoast Square filled: DC/Marvel Crossover Summer Pool Noodle Party: June 22 - June 28: To hell (or Hell’s Kitchen) and back Archive warning: No Archive Warnings Apply Rating: General Audiences Pairing: Natasha Romanov (Marvel) & Bruce Wayne Tags: Bruce Wayne is Batman, Bruce Wayne is Brucie Wayne, Human Disaster Matt Murdock, Background Matt Murdock/Natasha Romanov (Marvel), background Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne - Freeform Word Count: 1,008 Summary: Bruce Wayne finds Daredevil in a dumpster. What is it with this town?

@dc-marvel-crossovers

[dodlles]

Pool Noodle stars

[dc-marvel-crossovers]

Pro tip for pool noodlers!

Hey rarepair shippers, I'm about to change your lives.

The AO3 Primary Ship Search add-on for Firefox (it's called AO3 First Tag Search for Chrome) adds this little checkbox to the AO3 advanced search page

And if you check the box, the search only returns fics where the pairing you entered is the first one tagged. This is better than the otp:true operator imo because it will show fics with secondary/background pairings too as long as your preferred ship is the main one.

You can even use the add-on in Firefox or Kiwi browser on Android mobile.

Have fun 😘

(more ao3 tips here)

[sergeant-macho-nacho]

pool Noodles, 3d printed Iron sights, 3d printed Glock mags

[frog50animation]

Pool Noodle Chibi YCH

[kingcrow01]

DC/Marvel Pool Noodle Party 2024

Week 1 | “The Big Three,” Aliens, Androids Archers, & (Tech) Wizards

Clint Barton/Dick Grayson, 17 fics

@dc-marvel-crossovers

Here’s the outline of the event for those interested. TLDR, This event celebrates relationship tags that have less than 30 works on ao3, both platonic and romantic. The rarest of rarepairs!

This is Clint and Dick in Chapter 6: 16/17 for @acornsontheground's wonderful fic Winter Quarters. The feeling of this piece was Clint’s life going down a darker path, both of them helpless as they’re ripped away from each other. That's all I'm going to say, because I don't want to spoil too much for anyone who hasn't read it!

I used the details of Clint having blue-green eyes, freckles across his nose, and growing much taller and stronger when he was 16. Clint is wearing the dark purple sweater Dick’s mom made for him in chapter 4 when he was 15, and it’s gotten tighter on him as he’s gotten older! I used orange behind their hands, their only point of contact, because of the role the orange groves had in strengthening their bond. It also had the added bonus of looking like a beautiful pink sunset, which I’m not complaining about.

There was almost a Captain America logo on Dick's shirt, since Clint gifted him a comic run in chapter 4, but I didn't want to detract attention from their hands and the general gloominess of the piece. I still don't know why Dick's arm turned out more vibrant than his face, but this happens a lot; is it the camera angle? The lighting? Still something to learn.

[dc-marvel-crossovers]

The pool noodle flotilla launches in two weeks! More information here.

For our purposes, a “pool noodle” is a relationship tag that comes up with less than 30 hits on Ao3. Platonic (&) relationships count! Any and all crossover pairings with under 30 existing fics are welcome.

Our first theme is "the big three: aliens, androids archers, and (tech) wizards." Hackers, Paleolithic weapons, interplanetary romance, etc.

Prompts for new fic:

Robin Hood AU 

Mia Dearden & Kate Bishop

Eddie and Venom work at the Daily Planet 

Tony and Roy in rehab

Venom finds a new host 

Kree identity shenanigans

“I’m a doctor, not a _” 

Oracle & Jarvis 

Clint and Dick knew each other in the circus 

Starfire meets the Marvels 

If you'd like to participate, but not as a writer, you can make fanwork for an existing fic! We have an Ao3 collection here of pool noodle fics whose authors have given permission for art, podfic, playlists, and moodboards inspired by their work.

Below are a few that specifically fit this theme, for fanwork and/or just for your reading enjoyment! Please feel free to share your own recs and tag us, or submit rec posts here for us to publish during feedback week.

Soft target by @bill-longbow - Clint Barton/Roy Harper, G

The Beverage Comrade by @sishal01 - Clint Barton/Roy Harper, G

Love at first bark by @bill-longbow - Clint Barton/Roy Harper, G

Make It Up As We Go Along by @there-must-be-a-lock - Clint Barton/Roy Harper, teen

Shoot Off by @there-must-be-a-lock - Clint Barton/Roy Harper, explicit

To Have (and to owe) by @sammialex - Clint Barton/Roy Harper, explicit

my surprise, one hundred stories high by @capriciouswrites - Clint Barton/Jason Todd, G

Hawksnest by TheologyDiscography - Clint Barton/Jason Todd, teen

Draw & Release by @artaxlivs - Clint Barton/Jason Todd, explicit

a magnificent slice of stardust by @bittercape - Tony Stark/Roy Harper, teen

Star Spangled by @there-must-be-a-lock - Steve Rogers/Roy Harper, explicit

(just like a puzzle) with no pieces missing by @mightymightygnomepriest - Frank Castle/Roy Harper, explicit

Vanilla by @there-must-be-a-lock - Clint Barton/Slade Wilson, mature

coddled, not shirred by @bittercape - Eddie Brock/Venom/Jason Todd, explicit

Coming Night by @bittercape - Venom/Tim Drake + Jason Todd/Roy Harper + Clint Barton/Dick Grayson, explicit

These open doors by @bill-longbow - Clint Barton/Bucky Barnes/Roy Harper, mature

Got Lost In The Game by @there-must-be-a-lock - Clint Barton/Roy Harper/Jason Todd, explicit

[sammialex]

@wyxan is a star a gift a talented and meticulous PRO!!! Look at this amazing Clint they drew for me 🥹 check out their commissions next time they’re open!!!!!!

Inspired from the quote below, from my fic To Have (and to owe). Originally written for @there-must-be-a-lock and the @dc-marvel-crossovers pool noodle party.

What a view. Roy wasn’t even embarrassed that his jaw was on the floor. Golden skin for miles, with vivid purple bruises dancing across flexing muscles, streaks of dirt and blood smeared on whatever had been exposed during the fight.

“Catch up, baby,” Clint teased, walking backwards toward the open door to Roy’s bedroom.

[there-must-be-a-lock]

Jason Todd/Frank Castle ship manifesto and rec list!

For @dc-marvel-crossovers Pool Noodle Party.

These two are both scary motherfuckers when they want to be. Between the guns and the vengeance — yeah, the surface-level similarities are clear. But they’re also people whose core motivations are a) loss and b) a sense of justice. They lost faith in the ability of others to protect the people they love, and so they decided to do it themselves. They get a lot of shit from the other vigilantes in their respective circles for their methods of doing so; I think the lack of judgment coming from the other person would absolutely draw them together.

And at first glance, I think they can both easily be written off as angry characters, but both of them have a massive soft, caring streak under all that Kevlar and grumbling. It comes out mostly in the way they look out for (and fight on behalf of) the innocent — women, children, dogs… they’re both natural caretakers, but they’re rarely allowed to express it, and I think that caretaking is a huge part of what I love about the idea of their dynamic. They only allow themselves to be soft and to be taken care of because they’re with someone who also respects their strength.

Fic recs! Most of this tag belongs to the amazing @mightymightygnomepriest and @bittercape! Please go check out their work if you want more of this pairing — every one of their fics is great, not just the ones I’m quoting here.

forever trusting who we are by @bittercape - like I said, it’s the caretaking for me! This is peak softness, and I love the lived-in feel of the unspoken communication that comes from a long term relationship.

The rhythm of checking and mending gear is a familiar one, and Jason is comforted by the hiss of the whetstone against an already-sharp blade, as familiar as breathing.

Slightly less familiar is the way Frank leans against him when he comes back from packing up their gear. His weight is heavy against Jason’s back, seeking contact like a big cat.

can’t start a fire without a spark by @mightymightygnomepriest - Frank is literally in the rain trying to rescue a puppy in this. It’s so ridiculously endearing. There’s also caretaking (of course) and some sexy sexy sex.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jason catches sight of a calendar. He wonders if he’s been a good enough boy this year that Santa’s delivered him a dilf.

Probably not.

Even if We’re Just Dancing in the Dark by @daddyswickedqueen - a remix of the previous fic on the list, but god damn I love Sagacity’s take on this premise. The inner voices of both characters are so well done.

There’s a low laugh that could, in other meteorological conditions, make Jason shiver. Right now it’s too fucking cold and wet to tell.

Jason stays right where he is. This goddamn puppy is going to be warm and dry tonight or he’s going to commit war crimes. Again.

Parting is all we know of Heaven, (—and all we need of Hell.) by llamallamaduck - Witcher fusion! I know very little about the Witcher fandom but was able to follow without problems, and the glimpse at the world was more than enough to have me wanting more. Great characterizations.

“I’ve been around for a while, kid,” says the Witcher, shifting. Automatically, Jason’s eyes snap to track the movement. You can’t not pay attention to that shit. He’s not even making any threatening gestures; he’s rubbing his temples with one hand and is propped up by the other. Nevertheless, Jason wants to curl his shoulders, bare his teeth and show he’s not easy prey.

Make This Easy by @thepartyresponsible - it has once again been 0 days since somebody in the crossover server recced a TPR fic, and for good reason. Significantly darker than the others on this list; this is not a happy story. But it involves one of my favorite descriptions of Jason of all time:

There’s some kind of predator under his skin, the same way there’s one under Frank’s. Maybe this kid’s teeth run a little closer to the surface, but Frank still recognizes his own. It’s just weird as hell to find someone like him caged up in a body like that. He wonders if that’s what he looked like in his early twenties, some unholy mashup of empty eyes and soft edges, baby fat barely lingering on a body already smelted into a weapon.

He was never that pretty, but Russo used to be. Maybe that burning match energy is something boys like them learn early. Self-immolation as a form of self-protection. Nobody’s going to get their hands on them if they’re already on fire.

[teeelsie-posts]

Chapters: 1/2 Fandom: DCU (Comics), DCU, Nightwing (Comics), Batman and Robin (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, MCU, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Hawkeye (Comics) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Clint Barton & Dick Grayson, Clint Barton/Dick Grayson Characters: Clint Barton, Hawkeye, Dick Grayson, Nightwing, Batman (Dick Grayson), Damian Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, Phil Coulson Additional Tags: Dick Grayson is Batman, Damian Wayne is Robin, Clint is Hawkeye, Comic: Batman and Robin Vol. 1 (2009), DC/Marvel crossover, Pool Noodle Party, Rare Pair, Clint and Dick knew each other in the circus, Circus Boyz!, Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Injury, Hurt Clint Barton, Hurt Dick Grayson Series: Part 19 of Bad Things Happen Bingo, Part 4 of Bad Things Happen to Dick Grayson Bingo, Part 5 of Clint Barton Bingo Summary:

“Are you good with all long pointy things, or just arrows?”

Something catches in the corner of Clint’s eye, and he fires an arrow to his hard-left. A second later, across the room to their right there’s a yell and another asshole goes down. “Are you flirting with me right now?” Clint asks, nocking and firing his next arrow.

Batman leans back a little and peeks over his shoulder around the corner, taking another look at the field of play. He whistles appreciatively before turning his attention back to Clint. “I think I might be. Hypothetically, if I was, would it be working?” His smile is wide and really fucking charming.

He’s casually positioned against the tank with his arms crossed when a bullet pings off the tank about a half inch from his head but Batman doesn’t even flinch.

If Clint were the type, he might’ve swooned at that.

My entry for the @dc-marvel-crossovers Pool Noodle Party: Clint and Dick knew each other in the circus.  Circus Boyz!