Tuesday's Best 10-26-2010

Good morning, my lovelies. Hope you're enjoying the Fall weather, and that you're dry, and comfy. Aradi and I have found you a couple of stories that'll for sure leave you nice and...warm. ;-) Want to come find out what they are? Well, let's get started then, shall we? Don't forget your towels, Kleenex, and fresh panties.

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Before I get down to the srs bsns of fangirling my rec, I’d like to revisit some old business.  Please join me on a tangent.

Just in case you’re one of those people who prefer to read completed stories, or in case you missed the previous recs, I just wanted to mention a few fics that have completed since I recced them.  Now you truly have no excuse not to try them.

Raw and Rosy, by tuesdaymidnight, and Ready For You, by bmango, have both ended now.  Go forth and enjoy some completed E/J slash, if you haven’t already.  (Or enjoy them again.  We don’t judge here.)

Conversed also recently finished Twinned, which I squeed about here.  Conversed was merciful/evil and blessed/tortured us with a tasty/heartbreaking prologue to a new fic the same day Twinned ended.  (This is where we slide off our tangent and back to the real post.)

Seventeen Men is the sequel to Twinned and the storyline picks up immediately after the events in Twinned.  It’s a little different in that it’s all JPOV, all the time, but that’s a good thing.  Who doesn’t love Conversed’s Jasper?

I recommend this fic with a warning:  bring your big girl/boy/pansexual angstypants because this is no romp in the fluffmeadow.  I can’t even tell you who the pairing is, because I can’t see through the big pile of soggy tissues that resulted from the prologue and first three chapters.  Okay maybe I exaggerate a bit, but does Jasper pining for Edward (and vice versa, we hope) count as a pairing?  (Please, please say it does.)

Seventeen Men opens with Jasper leaving Forks, for all the stupidest, best reasons.

Uncle Whit didn't have to say a single word after that.

He judged silently, and I soaked it up.

I wanted to turn 'round and head on home so much. So fucking much. I told myself that it was only for the summer.

I could take it for a summer.

Y'all know it took me years and years before I made it back to Forks.

You see what I mean about the angstypants?  I think I scared the dog when I wailed “Nooooo....”

We do get snippets of life “back home,” but this story is Jasper’s.  (It better have a happy ending or I may die.)  Jasper is finally clueing in to the things we readers realized in the previous story.

Y'all know that shit was hard to look at without forgettin' how to breathe, and thinkin' back I wonder if that moment - that solitary second when he smiled and looked right at me - was when things started to change inside me. Suddenly, I knew I wanted to be the one to put that smile on his face every single fuckin' day. I tried to deny it. I reminded myself that I only got to know the boy because of his crushin' on Bella Swan. Y'all know I had plenty of people to crush on of my own, and I ain't never been one for gettin' tied down. But, damn. Just damn.

I wanted him for my own.

That sure sounds like the verge of a HEA, except for the glaring problem of Jasper leaving.  (Noooooo....)

Just like with Twinned, if you need your slash with a primary slashy pairing, and NC-17 action from that pairing, this may not completely satisfy you.  (Not that we’re judging you, you smut-lover.)  I can’t say what will or won’t happen.  I can only guess based on Twinned and what we’ve seen in the first three chapters, but you know, I didn’t feel like I was missing anything at all with Twinned because the plot and characterizations (and smut) were more than enough to keep my attention.

So go read Seventeen Men, but be sure you’ve read Twinned first.  I need more people to flail along with me at every update.  Please pass the tissues.

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Ah, the joys of getting a strictly-canon writer to come out of their comfort zone, and create a beautiful piece of slash. Taking Cues by araeo is just such a story, and I was given prime seats to enjoy this particular ride. I even got to do the cattle-prodding *winks*.  

Edward has had his eye on the boy - Riley - who’s recently moved into his building, but has been too nervous/shy to pluck up the courage to do anything about it. Every day, he sees him, and it seems like the interest isn’t just one-sided.

When he finally does make contact, things seem to be stuck in the ‘friend-zone’ for a long time. This might have something to do with the fact that Riley appears to have a girlfriend - Victoria. They become good friends in spite of that, though Edward still entertains many a fantasy about Riley.

And then he decides that enough is enough. He needs to get laid, and if Riley can get it from Victoria, he can get some from someone else. He zeros in on his prospective lay for the night, things get interesting.

"You're so on," she answered with a smile. The bartender's timing was perfect; and we were off to meet Riley. He looked surprised at who I had in tow, and if I wasn't mistaken, I thought he didn't look very pleased for a split-second.

Right, Masen...dream on.

"You up for some Cutthroat?" Riley asked, and I could tell the exact moment he decided to play along. After all, how many damn times had I done this for him and Victoria? He owed me. He grinned flirtatiously at my corseted friend, who stood just behind me and to the side.

"Perfect," she said. "I'll let one of you boys rack them." This last comment was delivered with a clever, sexy little smirk, like she knew something we didn't. Casually, she went to choose her cue, but I wasn't fooled. She knew what she was doing, and I had to admire her technique. It was confident, but relaxed to the point that she almost seemed not to care about the outcome. It was irresistibly attractive.

Since she'd made her selection, she leaned against a nearby high-top, sipping at her drink and watching the both of us. Riley was too busy eying her, so I set the beer aside and went to work setting up the game. My task put me very close to where he was standing, and when I had to lean in, he didn't back off.

I tossed him a smirk. "Don't help or anything." I shoved him in the shoulder as I walked by, and he stuck out his foot, almost managing to trip me. Smooth one, asshole. Fight like little boys in front of the woman you want to take home and fuck...with the very man you'd like to take home and fuck at the same time...

As I said, they get interesting. ;-) What happens next, you’ll have to read to find out. I’m still gunning for a continuation, because damn, if I don’t love the easy banter between Riley and Edward! So be sure to give her some love (and plenty of encouragement to stretch her slashy wings more often), and maybe we’ll see some more of these boys in future. 

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There you have it, folks. We hope you enjoyed this week's picks,  and that you'll be back next week to see what  Aradi and Captain Jezebel have in store for you. In the mean time, leave this week's authors some love. 

See you next week!

Slash Guest Author Rec - Sweetp1

Hey there everyone! I'm so excited to be writing a guest rec for Twislash Unveiled - I've been reading the site for a long time and it's both nerve-wracking and awesome to be writing the recs rather than reading them this time.
 

So, the stories I'm reccing today all have one thing in common - they're wolf/vamp. Like Aradi said a few weeks ago, the fandom needs more AU slash. While she wants the "real" vampire kind with BITING, I want more wolf/vamp slash.
 

The slashy corner of the Twi-fandom seems to be dominated (no pun intended) by AH stories, but it's the pairing of a wolf and a vamp that will immediately get my attention. I will admit to being something of an angst-h00r so the "forbidden" interspecies pairing of mortal enemies that is wolf/vamp slash is like an angsty (...imprinting angst, I-really- shouldn't-be-doing-this angst, but-I-hate-you! angst...) dream come true!
 

First up is Famous Last Words by Miz Turwaitheil.

"She's been on a killing spree in Portland," Alice said.

From the very first line of this fic, I was captivated.

Bella, unstable and mentally unhinged after her transformation, is on the loose. Edward, guilt-ridden and heartbroken, decides to go after her. Jacob insists that he is going along as well. Together, they travel across the country to hunt down the girl they once both loved.

While the plot itself is dark, and certainly earns it's angst label, it's the imagery and vivid descriptions that make this story a stand out for me.

The pavement of the alley is cracked and host to numerous black puddles. The few working streetlights cast a sinister orange glow over the brick walls and junk cars, the ragged people and skitter-eyed drug addicts across the street steadfastly looking the other way.

Bella's eyes are red.

Edward can smell blood, distant and nagging in the back of his head, and he can hear the girl who Bella had attacked whimpering into the cement—oh my god I'm going to die I'm going to die shit I never said I loved her I'mgoingtodie—but all he can see is Bella's red, red eyes.

"Edward," she says softly. "You came."

"Bella," he whispers. His voice breaks on her name.

"You came," she says again, mouth curving up into a perfect (unnatural) smile, gruesomely red in her white face. She takes a step forward.

The tone of this story is dark and haunting. The wretchedness and despair as Edward and Jacob go about their horrifying quest is so palpable, you can't help but feel heart-clenchy alongside them. Even as the Miz Turwaitheil paints this bleak and desperate picture, she somehow manages to weave together a subtle, yet touching, bond between Edward and Jacob. What starts out as open hostility, softly turns into something more, something so fatalistic that the reader is left with an overwhelming sense that there isn't any other path for these two.

...Jacob is not asleep. He's pretending to be, but Edward knows the difference in his breathing from too many hours spent awake and listening to his quiet workings of his lungs. Edward doesn't try to read Jacob's mind, but it nags at him, how Jacob is still thinking about something in the early, early hours of the morning.

The clock doesn't change. Edward waits.

"You're awake, aren't you," he says finally.

He can feel Jacob tense beside him.

"I know that you're not sleeping. What's wrong?"

After a moment, Jacob rolls over, propping his head up on one hand and studying Edward with opaque eyes. "Can't you see inside my head?" he replies.

It should sound more scathing than it is, but once again, the darkness and the quiet are working against him, leeching out the bite in the words and leaving behind only resignation.

Edward lets his eyelids flutter close, and reaches out to Jacob's mind. Tonight, the usual barriers aren't up, and tendrils of their thoughts connect.

So fucking sad. I miss Bella, miss the old times. I can see right through you, you know, I know who you are. I want the truth. I want a new life. I want you.

Famous Last Words is an older story, published in 2008 and is probably a fic that is under the radar to some extent, but is one that is well worth checking out. Seven succinct and stunning chapters that left a lasting impression on me - it's the first fic I give if anyone asks me for a Jakeward rec. It's also what I would term "slash-lite" (as in no graphic lemons) so perfect for any slash newbies or for anyone still hesitant about a Jacob/Edward pairing.


Howl by Dahlia J Black is a one-shot that I recently stumbled upon by (very happy) accident. I saw it was Seth and of course I clicked through straight away.
 
Set post-BD the story starts out with Seth trying to control his thoughts in relation to his infatuation with Edward Cullen. Anyone who knows me will not be surprised that at this point I was rubbing my hands together in glee! I settled myself down for a slashy little dose of my two favourite boys, only to discover in my slash-haste I'd neglected to read the story pairing correctly.

Seth breaks through some brush and finds Jasper leaning against a tree a few feet away. He seems to be waiting for something and Seth slows down, coming to a halt beside the tall, lean vampire. He doesn't know whether to un-phase or not, so he just shifts awkwardly from paw to paw, waiting for Jasper to say something.

"Change forms, please. We need to talk." Jasper's voice is curt and he is looking at Seth in the most peculiar way, making him feel exceedingly uncomfortable.

Seth reluctantly shifts back to his human form, and stands before Jasper, naked and towering above him by a good few inches. Despite his superior stature, Seth feels like he's at a disadvantage.

Seth doesn't have a chance to open his mouth to ask a question before Jasper is lunging forward, pressing Seth roughly against the tree behind them. Seth lets out a low, startled growl, not knowing what to make of the situation.

"Seth." Jasper's voice is a husky whisper as he presses a cool palm to Seth's cheek.

"You wanted to talk?" Seth squeaks uncertainly.

"Yes," Jasper responds but stays silent for a long moment afterward. When he finally speaks again, his ochre eyes are black and startling. "I don't want you to visit the house anymore."

I don't want to give away all of DahliaJBlack's secrets but I will say that this story is full of surprises. Awesome slashy surprises. This is quite a short piece (hence my vagueness) but in 3k the author manages to convey so much. The writing is all at once raw, and yet restrained, and she captures both the vampire and the wolf characteristics so well. This is a story that stayed with me for a long time, and is an excellent little one-shot if you don't mind something a little bit different.

Lately, I have found myself moving away from the big "saga" type fics, and seeking out short completed fics. There's something quite satisfying about reading a 20-30k'er in one sitting (and not having to wait for updates). Always one foot on the ground by lts29 is just 4 chapters, and is wolf/vamp...but it isn't slash. It's Edward and Leah.
 
I'll admit to being hesitant at first, but soon found myself lost in this intriguing AU story.
 
One of the things I enjoyed most about this story was the characterizations. Leah is one of the more fascinating female characters in the series for me and in this story we get to see her both feisty and vulnerable. In a universe where Bella doesn't even exist, lts29 creates a believable and plausible story where an inexperienced (but not stubbornly chaste) Edward finds himself captivated by a heartbroken and angry Leah.

 

His hand went automatically to the fly of his jeans and he pressed the heel of his hand into his erection, closing his eyes when he felt the pleasure shoot through him. He hadn't masturbated in quite some time, a sibling or parent always catching him as he was leaving to go hunt alone, so he was going to relish this opportunity.

Rubbing rhythmically now, he flipped through some of his favorite mental images that he had collected over the years. The flapper girl didn't really work for him and neither did the Vargas girl. He was looking for something a bit more modern. He wasn't sure who he was kidding, really, going through these motions. He knew who he would be thinking about. It was the same person he had been thinking about for months. Leah Clearwater, but not the one in Sam and Jacob's minds, but the one from the parking lot. Young and happy, full of life and sexual vigor. The image of long legs wrapped around him and a strong hand in his hair had haunted him for months and he was looking forward to indulging himself to vivid images of Leah's black eyes looking at him with the same look of adoration and love that she had given to Sam shining in them and the imagined feel of her breasts pressed against his chest.

His mind was too far gone to stop and think about why Leah had occupied so much of his mind lately. His hand moved to the button of his jeans and he was eager to get this show on the road. His action was stopped by the sound of brush and tree limbs crashing behind him and the choppy, swirling thoughts of an incredibly angry person. He darted to the left, out of its way, immediately realizing that the person's thoughts were moving much too fast for a human. A distinctive smell was in the air, but it was one that Edward had never smelled before and couldn't recognize.

You'll have to read for yourself to find out what happens next but I will say this story has everything - a little bit of angst, a little bit of smut, a little bit of omg-HOW-is-this-going-to-end? Speaking of the end, one more thing I absolutely adored about this fic was the ending. It was so satisfyingly right, in a way that a sudden imprint, or finding your vampire-mate could never be. lts29 does say this is part 1 of a longer story (and I for one am anxiously awaiting to hear more from these two) but at the same time the story is complete in itself. If you enjoy reading clever AU stories that leave you thinking about canon in a whole new way, Always one foot on the ground will not disappoint.

 

And that's it from me and my wolf/vampy recs. Thanks to Nae for asking me to contribute to the blog and I hope you'll check out the stories. If you do, please leave the authors some love!

Tuesday's Best 10-19-2010

Good morning! I hope this day finds y'all well, happy, and possibly horny ;-). If you're not already, I'm pretty sure our finds for today'll help you along. The Captain and I set out to find some yummy slash, and I think we succeeded. Want to see? Of course you do. So let's go!

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Hello my lovely slasheroos! Captain Jezebel here with a funny, sweet, sexy, unfy (yes it’s a word in my vocabulary) one shot starring the first couple of slash; Edward and Jasper. This entry for the In The Closet Contest had to be one of my favorite’s because of the light sexy feel to it. Don’t get me wrong I love angst and see the need for it in fic, but too much can make me insane. So when contests get flooded with angst I tend to look for the ones that make me smile, or run for the nearest towel.

Show Me Yours ; a collaboration between TwiBoy and his ficwife YogaGal does both. Edward and Jasper are the two gorgeous men that make up a happy couple, blissfully in love. When Edward walks in on Jasper watching a hot, young gay boy on a voyeuristic website he doesn’t get mad or jealous. In fact Edward is kind of intrigued and teases his boyfriend about the whole thing. They set up a private webcam session and thus (as they put it) ‘a video exhibitionist is born’.

Edward and Jasper realize how much they love the thrill of putting on a sexy show for others to watch. Quickly it becomes an addiction for them, and a regular part of their bedroom activities.

Of course, it takes some maneuvering to line up the laptop with a good view of the bed. Big boy Ruxxxpin doesn't mind giving us direction one bit, before or after we get the webcam lined up. He expresses his gratitude with a loud, growling orgasm as I have Edward on all fours screaming out his own.

We quickly become addicted, getting off on how others get off watching us; it was surreal. While making love to Edward had always been a rush, it's even more so in front of the camera, especially when only one person is watching, and we can hear their voices through the laptop speakers. Although, with a public chat room, and a couple dozen voyeurs, going back and reading viewer comments in chat provides for some interesting pillow talk.

Think you have this story figured out? Nope...bet ya don’t...not yet at least. Enter ?POV, yep that’s right this amazing twosome give us a little mystery within their tale. Who is this person, why are they watching Edward and Jasper? What are they thinking? Why don’t you go pop over and read it for yourself to get the answers. Believe me this story takes the most adorable twist at the end, I know you’ll love it just as much as I did. 

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Ahhh, Slash/Backslash, the place to find many a gem! And boy-howdy, did I find one, today! Not only is it slashy, it’s BDSM. And it is yummmmmmy! Walk Away, by hidingfromsomeone, is about Edward and Jasper.

Jasper, who is in a vanilla relationship with Alice, has a secret. He’s a sub. For Edward.

I definitely didn't identify myself as a gay man, but my relationship with Edward was possibly the most important one in my life. As promised, he took me to deeper levels and higher heights than I ever thought possible, but it wasn't just about sex. It was about my need to let go and let someone else be in charge of my body and his need to take control of another. I was made to be with him in a way that I couldn't seem to fit with anyone else.

Whether or not Alice knew about my relationship with Edward was possibly the only source of guilt on my part regarding the entire arrangement. When I first met her I was with Esme, and Alice sort of knew I had more than just a platonic relationship with the woman who was actually my Domme. But it was never spoken about explicitly.

There were times when I introduced Alice to more kinky stuff in the bedroom and although she enjoyed it, there was a definite limit there to what she was up for. There wasn't a sadomasochistic bone in her tiny little body so the idea of whipping or being whipped did not sit well with her at all.

In the back of my mind I've always thought that she was aware of my kinks and her inability to fulfill them, and it was for that reason that she overlooked my mysterious disappearances a few times a week. There were only so many times I could go to the gym and the last time I checked, a rowing machine didn't leave you with red welts across your ass.

Ah, yes, a little difficult to hide certain aspects of the life he leads, isn’t it? But if you think that this is the worst of it (or least, depending on your point of view, I suppose), then think again. Because not only is Jasper doing all of this behind Alice’s back, but something is changing. Inside of him.

Revelations he never expected to have, are slowly encroaching on his conscious - and his conscience. Jasper has some decisions to make - and make them soon. Or he stands to lose everything (mind, this is my speculation, so take that with a grain of salt).

I would say more, but that would really give far too much away. Yes, even with as long as that one-shot is. But, good news! There’s already a second chapter up, and there is a promise of more to come! Granted, as time allows, but I’ll gladly take it (and be begging for more!). 

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Mmm, quite lovely, don't you agree? I hope you enjoyed these reads as much as we have. Leave the authors some lovin' (and perhaps a plea or two for more...just remember to be nice. But what am I saying, y'all slash h00rs are always nice, right? Right.). Check back next week to see what Aradi and I have for you.

Tuesday's Best 10-12-2010

Good morning, my lovelies. Hope you're all having a great day, and that you're ready to see what Captain Jezebel and Aradi have in store for us today. I know I am! So grab your towels, Kleenex, and a fresh pair of panties, and settle in for a good read. Here we go!

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Two things are guaranteed to catch my eye in a fic: angst and a mystery.  The mystery doesn’t have to be the whodunnit type (although those are fun too).  Some of the best are simply “how did we get here?”

When the Night Comes is Drizl's first slash story, and the first chapters bring far more questions than answers.  Why did Jasper leave Forks for Chicago and never go back?  Who is the ghost that haunts him?  What exactly happened between Jasper and Edward?  What has Edward been doing all these years?  All we seem to know for sure is that Jasper’s been running from his past, but his miserable life doesn’t seem like it could be much better than whatever he left behind.

Jasper grudgingly returns to Forks because his Mama is about to die, and we start getting pieces of the puzzle through his conversations and high-school flashbacks.  The boys apparently began as previously-happy, previously-hetero friends and teammates.

"With your arm, we should crush them," he said bringing out the crooked grin again.

"Yeah? Do you think we'll be able to hook-up on a few long pass routes?"

His face lit up. "Hell yeah, they have one decent cornerback, but I'm faster than him." He laughed and lunged at me, but I was able to slip out of his grasp. We ran down the beach laughing and taunting each other. He finally tripped me up, falling on top of me. His green eyes were almost black as he hovered over me. Strange sensations fluttered in my stomach. Must be the fucking Jack mixing with the beer I had been drinking until Edward fucking Cullen leaned forward and brushed his lips against mine.

My entire body seized up. Was this actually happening?

"Oh fuck," he muttered. "I'm so sorry...I didn't mean...oh fuck...please Jasper...don't...I gotta go.."

He jumped off me, disappearing down the beach before I could even sit up. I ran my finger across my lips and groaned. Edward Cullen had just sort of kissed me and fuck...I kinda liked it...what the fuck did...I jumped up and started sprinting down the beach.

Like I said, “previously-hetero.”  Whatever the impending doom of their young relationship is, the writing was on the wall from the beginning.  

One of the surprises for me in this fic was Alice.  So often in slash she’s a one-dimensional background character.  She’s the evil ex, or the devastated ex, or at the very least a psychicmeddlesomepixie hag.  Here she’s actually three-dimensional.  This Alice is hurt, but still a friend.  She’s helpful, but not selecting outfits.  She’s also integral to the story and not just background sparkle.

When the Night Comes is mainly told in JPOV, and is fairly dripping with angst and heartache.  If you are looking for fluffy bunny tales, look elsewhere.  Both boys bring a lot of baggage to the table, and I suspect there’s still more as the current 15 chapters don’t contain the complete backstory.  Drizl updates with lovely regularity, and I can’t wait to see the past and present storylines play out.

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*big hugs* to my fellow slashaholics. Captain Jezebel again bringing you another of my favorite Slash Backslash 2.0 entries. Being a HUGE lover, of the canon couple of slash I thought I had pretty much read every type of /ward or /sper available in fanfic. There were the dicks, the sweet ones, the lost ones, the slutty ones, even the ones that were slightly effeminate. After I began reading The Measure of a Man by PolkaDotMama I realized I had never read an extremely feminine and flamboyant Edward, and I wondered to myself why that was.

Jasper is a business man who is openly gay everywhere in his life, except at work. While attending a teahouse hosted by Geisha’s, with his colleagues, Jasper meets someone that catches his eye... Edward. This man causes him to stop and rethink everything he has ever known about what he finds attractive in a guy. In fact the draw he feels towards Edward surprises and entices his mind and body, despite what his past dictates to him.

I couldn't stop thinking about Edward either. In the end, seeing him won out over what "my type" supposedly was.

And it won out day after day.

It won out when I finally brushed my lips against his oh-so-soft mouth and tasted him through the fruity tang of his chewing gum.

It won out when we went dancing and all attention was drawn to us.

It won out when we sat at a restaurant and his laughter soared across the room, encouraging stares and whispers.

None of that mattered as I took him home three months after our first date and pressed him into my bed for the first time.

Edward is sweet, sexy and spends his life in full color. He is way more ‘out loud’ than anyone Jasper has ever been attracted to but the spark is evident to them both. When Jasper questions his ability to be with someone that may embarrass him in public; or worse cause him to be outed at work he needs to figure out what it is that truly makes a man.

The answers he finds at the end of his reflection may just shock him. However sometimes you need to understand that you love, who you love ‘ regardless of any silly standards and rules you have set up for yourself. Will Jasper embrace this new discovery of himself or will he succumb to his past limitations? You’re going to have to read it to find out peeps, I can’t say much more here without giving too much away.

I will say this... In many slash stories, so much emphasis is put on Jasper and Edward being somewhat “manly”. I loved the fact that PolkaDotMama colored outside the lines a bit and gave us an amazingly perfect, utterly fantastical, sexy as fuck, flamboyant Edward. I enjoyed this story so freaking much. Okay silly fangirl gush over...and just a note....this is not meant as any disrespect to slash authors....I LOVE slash. I mean duh look where I am...*giggles*  Stop by and give it a read, but don’t forget to leave her some love if you do.

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And there you have it. Another couple of great reads, just waiting for you. Be sure to leave these lovely ladies some lovin', and check back next week to see what the good Captain and I have for you then.

Slash Guest Author Rec - Stolenxsanity

Today is National Coming Out Day. It seems only fitting (to me, at least) therefore, that the wonderful Stolenxsanity, author of Verum Quod Eventus, should take the stand today as guest author. 

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So, a few months ago naelany asked me if I would be interested in writing a rec post for TU. We settled on a date and since this was months ago (June, I believe), I thought I had a lot of time. And then I forgot about it until she reminded me last week. Cue the scramble for fics and my general indecisive-slash-easily distracted nature and here I sit writing this the day before I'm supposed to get it to her. Awesome, right? So, here goes nothing.

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If anyone knows me, they know how much I absolutely fucking adore queenofgrey. She is, in my opinion, an amazing writer (and this has nothing to do with the fact that I pre-read for her occasionally, promise). In fact, I love her so much that when I read her Slash/Backslash entry, Dirty Laundry, I almost boycotted the contest myself. To sound absolutely cliché she had me at hello. Or, in this case, I was hooked with the very first sentence:

Gay men like ass.

Short and to the point. No flowery language or excessive but completely unnecessary verbiage just to say that one thing. Perfect, or at least I like to think so. Dirty Laundry is comedic while still being absolutely, mind-blowingly hot and queenofgrey has a way with words that just ... well, it's something that you have to read to appreciate.

"Ah, the age-old hero routine," I laugh, getting back on track. "He's pulled that for me at least a million times."

"Yeah, so he said. I mean, right after he said, BAM! Take that, fucker! And then, he kissed my sister. You might have met her. She was going on and on about a washing machine tonight."

My cheeks flush again, and we laugh a little. Then, there's tension, but not from the mention of our siblings saddling up in the Maytag rodeo. It's roundabout five in the morning and I don't know him and he doesn't know me and we're both atop the same bed. And, at least one of us is gay. Every move I make – from the twitch of my toes beneath the covers, to the depth of my breathing – is calculated, and I fear that anything too sudden might scare him away. But, then, he stretches out across the bottom of my bed, and yawns, and he looks like a little kitten, only, you know, six-foot-something and with a penis I want to fondle. Bestiality? Really, Self?Jesus, I feel it. I feel the fabled penis that I want so badly to fondle pressing right into the heel of my foot, and I wonder if he's the one with a leg-and-or-foot fetish, after all. First, his hip on my hip, then his knees on my toes, now this. I really don't care how weird it seems. He can hump my leg like a dog in heat, if he wants. I just want him out of those clothes and under me, on top of me, whatever. Or, you know, I can swing a footjob. Whatever. Jesus. Then,

Still here? Alright then, let me wax poetic about the author and this story if that's what it takes to convince you that you need to stop reading this immediately, go read the story, then come back and continue.

I know there are some stories out there you can tell were written by females that wish they had a different set of equipment (I can't think of any off the top of my head but they must exist!) and, thus, don't really know how to write a gay male that isn't a flaming homosexual (not that there's anything wrong with that but, I digress). Queenofgrey did not have that problem. This story reads like it was written by a gay male (ahem, I promise that the author is in fact a straight female, in case you were wondering). She does this with finesse and comedy and, well, with things like this:

"So worth—" He moans and shifts his hips up, his dick entering my throat. I take it like a champ, then back off to breathe, and he continues with, "the black eye."

Now, I'm a man. A horny, gay man. One with a perfectly sizable and beautiful cock against my lips. But that, that right there, intrigues me. I quirk a brow and ask him, "What's a blowjob got to do with your face?"

"Put my dick back in your mouth," he almost whines, but I'm not moving. "I'll tell you later."

"No." I lick the tip of his dick so softly, then sit back on my heels, begin to stroke myself through my boxers. "I can wait."

I'll be here when you finish the story with another lovely rec for you .... ;-)

Now, as much as I love a good slash story (and I do love me a good slash story, NEGL), I'm a sucker for well-written Jasper-centric story. I have been firmly on Team Jasper since long before the movie was cast and that stance has not changed since. I love me some Jasper, in general, possibly more than I love slash (see above side note). This brings me to my second rec, I Do by the lovely ladies of Whitlock-Masen. I feel like I should point out right from the get-go that I'm not rec'ing this story because it was written for my birthday (though that might have a little to do with it).

On FFn, I Do is listed as a Jasper fic and the summary isn't very telling either. In fact, it's safe to say that the pairing is mostly unknown until you get to the end (though that's not to say that you can't figure it out beforehand, there's just no definite mentioning of who is with who until the end. Sneaky, sneaky). So, in the spirit of not giving anything away to those of you who have yet to read it, I shall be just as ambiguous and sneaky, but leave you with this:

I wasn't nearly drunk enough to want to do anything stupid - nor did I have any intention of becoming so. I felt myself relaxing, though, some of my frustration with Emmett fading away...right up until he let out a wolf whistle and began calling out suggestions to the girls. One of them giggled and licked her lips, running her finger along my waistband as I shot Emmett an annoyed look. He just grinned and winked as he polished off his beer.


The girls continued their little performance with what little they'd had on for clothing disappearing along the way. Bare breasts in my face on the one night I wouldn't be touching any wasn't really a pleasant experience, and I allowed my mind to wander again. Most other guys might have killed for one last hurrah, but I seriously didn't want it. I was happy to be faithful to the woman I loved, in every way.

A faithful man - what's not to love? A faithful man by the name of Jasper? Unf. Need I say more?