Slash Guest Author Rec - annanabanana

I’m not sure why I qualify for this honor, but I’m happy to offer up some of the things that I’ve been obsessing over.  I honestly don’t start a lot of multi-chapter fics unless they come with a very reliable recommendation and I’m in that sort of mood.  So it’s likely that anything complete I’ve loved is something you’ve all read first!

I go through phases where I only read slash and then I flip back to mostly E/B stuff.  Right now the story I have on alert that I will read in line at the bank if it happens to update at that moment is:

We Were Here  by lola-pops

Summary: Upon waking, there's a brief, blissful period in which you don't yet recall the sins of the night before, but eventually, you have to open your eyes. I'm Bella Swan, seventeen years old, cheerleader. This morning I woke up in the wrong bed.

Here’s the deal: I don’t read High School fic.

Okay, that’s a blatant lie.  Actually, I read them but I rarely fall in love with them, or even understand why I continue to read.  With this story lola-pops has transcended that Mean Girls mates with a WB drama and spawns a story where the characters are going on 35 years old and live like overindulged trust fund twits stereotype I often encounter in Twi High School fic.  Yet at the same time she captures the atmosphere accurately--no cookie-cutter shapes--just real, well-rounded characters and a genuine experience.

Oh, and anything she writes is there’d-be-a-fire-in-my-pants-if they-weren’t-already-so-damp hot.  Also, it’s B/E and I dare you not to fall in lust with her Edward.

Dare. You.

Another story I’m loving (and waiting patiently for) is:

Conjunction  by fngrcufs

Summary: There was love. New love, old love, perfect love, imperfect love, too much love, not enough love, lost love. A love story that didn't end but couldn't last. F/F/M poly. Mature themes. AH. OOC.

Here’s the deal: I like threesomes... I mean *cough* conceptually, of course, however I rarely read a threesome that I truly enjoy--especially if it’s a story that isn’t just about the smut.  For that reason I don’t read many.  

This story is an exception.  It is beautifully told, well balanced between the characters, and my heart is as invested as my ladybits.

I’m not going to tell you who is in the pairing--it’s part of the mystery.  Read the prologue and you’ll see what I mean.  You also won’t be able to stop reading because you will have to know how it all fits together, and then you might just go tell the author how much you’d like to read more yesterday.  

Now a few other things I’m perusing and looking forward to:

For the Love of Women: A Twilight Femmeslash O/S Contest : I’ve read some of the entries already posted and am looking forward to MORE, even though my glasses are a bit steamy. Scamper over and enjoy the ladies.

Fandom Gives Back Fundraiser Spotlight: April Is Autism Awareness Month : This is a compilation fundraiser for Autism and I’m super excited about the authors who have signed up to participate.  I can’t wait to receive this monster pdf so I can load it onto my Kindle and take it with me everywhere I go.  Have smut, will travel!  (I’m also trying to get my act together to write a follow up for my E/J slash oneshot for this great and important cause.)

Finally, I must admit to something dark and nefarious...

I’m still reading quite a bit of slash featuring the boys... just not the Twi boys.

My name is Anna, and I’m a Harry/Draco addict.

Tuesday's Best 1-25-2011

Good morning, my lovelies! Hope today finds you well. We're well and truly into the new year now... crazy, isn't it? Anyway, Aradi and The Captain have found some slashy goodness for you to enjoy, so why don't we go see what's in store for us.

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Back in the summer, the wonderful In The Closet Contest gave us an amazing collection of slash one-shots, some of which we’ve gushed about here at TwiSlash.  There was one I meant to go back and love on a bit, and I was reminded of my rec-fail a few weeks ago when another update of this continued-and-now-completed story posted.

Blond Ponytail, by the wonderful Savannah-Vee (who writes Uncomfortable), is a highschool Edward & Jasper story.  The first chapter is the original O/S from the contest, but there are now two additional chapters.

Edward is content to be living in the closet, and Jasper is the new kid that seems to be causing trouble all over.  Oh, and only one of them can be the #1 running back.

Emmett and I are standing in Jacob Black's kitchen, sipping on bottles of Bud when Jasper Whitlock shows up.

Late to the party, as usual.

His eyes dart around, like he's looking for someone – and stop when they find me.

I look away.

"I can't stand this guy," Emmett mutters. He raises the bottle to his lips. Lowers it. "Thinks the sun shines out of his fucking ass or something."

Involuntarily, my eyes travel to Whitlock's ass.

He's turned around, making small talk with some other guys from the team, and his ass in his jeans is just…

The 'situation' in my own jeans begins to stir again.

Edward’s “situation” is a delicate one.  He’s not out.  He’s never done anything with a guy.  His gaydar is really, really bad.  Fortunately for both of them, Jasper’s gaydar is just fine, and Jasper is quite assertive.

I really loved this Edward.  He’s not confused about his orientation at all;  he just hasn’t had a chance to do anything about it.  

So he’s adorably eager once given the opportunity.

Try Blond Ponytail for some sudsy-clean, cherry-popping fun.  (Also:  read Uncomfortable if you aren’t already.)    You’ll get to find out whether Edward or Jasper is the best running back.  Oh, and there might be some hot boy-love too.

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*blows kisses* Hello my dear slash lovers, Captain Jezebel back again with a new morsel for you to enjoy. Before I continue any further I have to say this one is not exactly the E/J smut of fluff I tend to rec, nor is it extremely angst ridden. I believe it rides the edge of just enough angst to get the seriousness of the story across without scaring those that can’t stand too much heartfail.

Tiffaninichole paints us the picture of a loving, sweet, patient Jasper trying to show a haunted, broken Edward that he is worthy of love in  Unconditional . An entry in the PostSecret Prompt Contest, this story all starts with the prompt:

I want you to want to hang out with me at 1 PM, not 1 AM.

And with that this entire premise was born. Edward lost and mentally battered after escaping the clutches of an abusive relationship doesn’t know how to let anyone in again. He is definitely afraid to love, and feels he is unworthy of anybody’s love in return.

Jasper sees the the pain of Edward’s past as a hurdle in their relationship, but being the understanding, caring man he is; is willing to work on it together, no matter how long Edward needs. He loves Edward, and that is enough for him.

Edward, often calls Jasper late at night and asks to come over and sleep in Jasper’s arms and although Jasper isn’t used to the pace this relationship is moving, he is willing to do things on Edward’s terms for now.

My phone beeps, waking me out of a dreamless sleep. I don't need to look at the now glowing screen to know who it is. Rubbing my eyes, I blindly reach for the phone and grab it off the nightstand.

Can I come over?

I type out a short reply before getting up and trudging to the bathroom to brush my teeth.

There's no point in changing out of my boxers, we'll just end up back in bed anyway. That's where he always wants to go.

We've been seeing each other for a few months and things have been progressing a little slower than what I'm used to. This whole situation is foreign to me and sometimes I wish it were easier. Sometimes I wish I had met him before the bastard who broke him.

But my mama always said that anything you want won't come easy, and I've never wanted anyone or anything more than I want him.

I'd go through the hard shit a hundred times if I got to hear that cute-ass snort when he laughs too hard, or see the way his eyes sparkle when he smiles that wide, goofy smile of his.

I just want to make him happy... and the fact that I can't always do that makes me feel pretty damn helpless most of the time.

Knowing Edward’s issues Jasper often waits til Edward is asleep in his arms to study his beauty and speak his heart. What happens one night, when Edward isn’t quite asleep as Jasper let’s out the feelings he has held back? Will Edward run?  Panic? Will it break them or make them stronger? You’re going to have to read it to get the answers. This was quite the enjoyable, slightly angsty/fluffy read. Please give it a peek, and remember to send your love to the author if you do. xoxo

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There you have it, folks. Be sure to leave these wonderful authors some love, and check back next week to see what Stolenxsanity and I have in store for you. 

In the meantime, don't forget about the Twilight No Stress Love Fest. There's plenty of time left to pick a prompt (or two, or three), and write your heart out or even get creative and make some artwork/banners or what have you.  Anything goes, as long as it's about love (won, lost, never had, broken). Come, join in and spread some love!

Tuesday's Best 1-18-2011

Good morning, my lovelies! Hope today finds you well. I know the weather here in the US has been a little crazy (and a lot cold, in most places), so I pray that everyone's safe and sound, and ready for another week. Aradi and I have found a couple of goodies to help you through the day, so let's see what they are, shall we?

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There are always those fics I waffle on reccing because they don’t update as regularly as I’d like, or there just aren’t that many chapters yet.  Again, maybe I can use my feeble mojo to generate some traffic and reviews and motivate another update.

The fic I really wish there were ten more chapters of is Love & Secrets by MinaRivera.  It is a younger Edward/older Carlisle story told from EPOV.  There are currently four chapters and a heartbreaking, begin-at-the-end-(maybe?)-style  prologue.

Edward has a chance meeting with Carlisle while visiting Tokyo.  For Edward, it is love and lust at first sight, and afterward he can’t get the stranger out of his head.

"Sweetheart, are you ok? Are you in pain?"

I looked into my mother's green eyes and saw her concern for me. "I'm fine, why do you ask?"

She looks straight into my eyes. "Well, you've been rubbing your chest every now and then since you sat down. Are you sure you're alright?" she asked me with a raised eyebrow.

I internally flinched at her last question. God, I could even hear the sound of his voice as he asked me that same question. And before I knew it, I felt tears gathering in my eyes. I couldn't deny the reality, anymore.

I missed him. He took a part of me with him when he left that garden, a part of me I'd never be able to get back, a part that I didn't want him to return. All within one surreal moment, I had lost myself in him. My heart ached without him, as if there was a huge hole missing in his absence. I couldn't get him out of my head, nor did I want to.

So Edward is hooked, and Carlisle is... well, we don’t really know.  Edward thinks he’s had an ill-timed meeting with an overseas stranger that he’ll never find again, until he finds out the man isn’t such a stranger and isn’t so far away.  It’s no surprise that Edward and Carlisle run into each other again, and the situation is ripe for angst (as if that wasn’t obvious from the prologue) and UST.  (Edward seems to spend much of his downtime having dirty dreams of Carlisle, so there’s plenty of action even when there isn’t any, if you know what I mean.)

I was wishing for moremmoremore of this story as soon as the first full chapter went up.  Even now, I would kill for twenty more chapters for so many reasons.  The premise is catchy (and who doesn’t love C/E?).  The glimpses of Tokyo (even though I assume we won’t see much more of that) were fascinating.  This Edward is a new spin on the often-done SpoiledLittleRichWard.  He’s the son of jet-setting stars, and of course he’s spoiled, but he’s not the asshole he ususally turns out to be.  He’s interested in food and cooking!  He loves his family.  He loves tattoos, and his best friend is a girl.  He’s really quite an interesting character and we’ve barely gotten to know him.

Side note:  MinaRivera is in Ecuador and says on her author page that she writes in both English (obviously!) and Spanish.  Can I just say how envious I am of people who can do that?  I’m barely coherent in one language!

Again, if YoungWard and Doctor C float your boat, try out Love & Secrets.  There’s UST and angst and Japanese culture and pervy young Edward.  And hopefully much, much more!

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Every once in a while, you come across a story that has you just go... “Unf!” I do, at least. Now of course, this happens fairly regularly, but what makes stories like My Kind of Blonde, by evieeden stand out, is that it delivers one kind of ‘unf’, only to turn around, and hit you again. And then again.

What am I talking about, you ask? Well, I can only give away part of it, or else it’ll spoil all the fun. The first thing that had me go ‘unf’, is a very lovely Geekward. At work. In the library. Need I say more?

He’s working the closing shift at the (college?) library, and has to deal with certain blonds. You know them - Lauren and Jessica? Yeah. They’re convinced Edward is either lying when he says he’s gay, or that they can ‘turn’ him straight. Mhmm, sure girls.

While poor Edward is trying to fend them off, they get interrupted by another blond. One much more to our boy’s liking. Ever the good employee, he of course sets out to see if he can help this student with his quest for certain books.

He raised an eyebrow suggestively at that, but didn't say anything. "I need to find your section on Victorian pornography."

My breath caught, not exactly sure what my reply was supposed to be. It almost sounded like he was flirting with me, but I didn't want to push my luck and end up embarrassing myself.

"Victorian pornography. Right. Is that what you're studying?" I asked as I began to type into the library's search engine.

"Sort of."

Well now...certainly an interesting study topic, wouldn’t you think? It’s definitely one that has our boy more than a little flustered, especially as Mr. blond explains himself.

Whether they’re successful in finding books on that topic or not, you’ll have to read for yourself. Believe me when I say, that what they find, is very well worth reading.

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There you have it, folks, another couple of delightful goodies to sink your teeth into. Be sure to leave these wonderful authors some love, and check back next week to see what Aradi and Captain Jezebel have in store for you.

In the mean time, run on over to The Twilight No Stress Love Fest being hosted by naelany and OnTheTurningAway. It's not a contest, so no judging, no stressing. It is, however, anonymous, so that we all get to have some fun guessing who wrote (or made, as art is also very much welcome) what. There are 45 prompts you can use however you please - just one, or combine several, your choice. All of them revolve around love and Valentine's Day. Come on, have a go. It's only 500 words minimum. Who doesn't want to spread a little love around, eh?

Slash Guest Author Rec - Hidingfromsomeone

I must say that this is an honour! Little old me on Twi Slash. Thank you naelany who offered me this most prestigious of positions! In the interest of balance I’ve got a mixture of complete, WIPs, E/J and non- E/J and something completely out of left field. I hope you enjoy.

In the interests of jumping in at the deep end, allow me to start with a one shot which was an entry for the In The Closet Contest. It’s called Show Me Yours by Yogagal and Twiboy, starring Edward and Jasper, a webcam, and one kinky voyeur! There’s a lovely, rather satisfying twist in the tail which I thought was very clever. The smut is hot, the characters are well rounded and to top it all, it’s super well written. Needless to say, I rather empathised with the last, ?POV section. Lovely little story to get your slashy motor purring.

If you’re not reading Uncomfortable by Savannah-Vee then um, where have you been?! Again this story started out as a contest entry, this time for Slash/ Backslash. This is not an instant gratification fic, there’s definitely plenty of UST which is building to what I’m hoping will be a rather explosive climax. At the outset Jasper is dating Alice, but he soon realises that he has deep, dark desires for Alice’s brother Edward. It’s being told exclusively from JPOV and in a very clever narrative style which really gets you into Jasper’s head. I would say this is a must read for any slash fan but I would not blame you if you decided to wait for it to be completed before you start it!

And now for something slightly different.

Say Something Else  by vampireisthenewblack is a heartbreaker, so if you like angst then this is definitely one for you. It’s Edward/ Alec, and later Edward/ Seth. Edward has just returned home to Forks from London, where he was living with his boyfriend Alec. He’s in the depths of depression after he lost Alec to a drug overdose and finds himself falling for Seth as the younger man helps him with his grief. The story is told beautifully in a series of flashbacks which take you right into Edward’s head and heart. Complete, and with some lovely smutty outtakes too!

I debated with myself over this next one, but I actually really like it and since it completed over 15 months ago I thought that if you’re newer to twi-slash, it may never have hit your radar. It’s called Acting Out by eroticfan, and it’s unique in a few ways; firstly it’s a High School fic, secondly it’s Edward/ Jacob, and thirdly, they’re in a three- way polyamorous relationship with Bella. There’s a little bit of angst as they all try to figure out how the relationship is going to work and enough smut to keep me happy, which is saying something! Give it a go. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

To finish, I know that this sort of contradicts the whole concept of Twi- slash, but I’ll make it brief and hope that I get away with it. I recently gave in to peer pressure and read a couple of Harry Potter/ Draco Malfoy fanfics. Now, my reason for not doing this before (I’m a huge HP fan), is that no one does those characters justice like JK Rowling does. Also, innuendos about the size of Harry’s ‘wand’ freak me out. However. After reading Reparations, and the sequel Foundations by Sara’s Girl, I think I might be converted... to the point where I’m plotting out my own Harry/ Draco slash story (shh). It’s canon compliant with the exception of the Deathly Hallows epilogue (the acronym EWE means Epilogue, What Epilogue? It took me a while to figure that one out.) Harry works as a Healer at St Mungo’s and is assigned to work in the department of Magical and Chemical Dependence (rehab for wizards, in short), where Draco is a department head. It’s a slow burn and you really feel that this is a realistic representation of who the seventeen year old Harry and Draco could turn into, given six years of growing up time. I’d happily put my slash rep on the line to rec this one to you guys. (And bonus! Both fics are complete!)

Special Announcement - The Twilight No Stress Love Fest

From Whitlock-Masen

OnTheTurningAway and naelany are hosting The Twilight No Stress Love Fest, which started this past Sunday! We wanted to spread a little love around and thought that Valentine's Day would be perfect. However, we didn't want another contest, so we took a page from the HP fandom and decided on a prompted fest. To find out more, go to http://community.livejournal.com/twi_love_fest/283.html


We want everything: canon, non-canon, slash, poly, AU, AH - as long as there's love involved. All entries must be anonymous, though, as we're planning to let people have a little fun at the end by guessing who wrote what – or even who created what. That's right – we don't only want stories, but we want your art, too. Banners, drawings, manips, whatever you like. Bring it!

Tuesday's Best 1-11-2011

Good morning, my lovelies! Hope you're all safe and warm, where ever you are. It's a balmy 29 degrees where I'm at... 29 Fahrenheit, that is, so let's see if we can heat things up a little, shall we? I'm sure The good Captain and Stolenxsanity can help us with that! Don't forget to grab a blanket (to snuggle up under, of course!), and a fresh pair of panties just in case ;-)

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Bonjour mes chéries. Captain Jezebel here once again to share a sweet slasheriffic story with you. What do you get when an author originally planning a one shot, and her beta decide the story would be better told in more than one chapter? You get a mini story that is completely awesome, and you’re happy the author decided to give you more yummies to read.

You Speak To Me is a E/J fic told masterfully in four chapters by Bbebar. Jasper believes himself to be  ‘regular, straight-laced and square’, however he longs to be extraordinary. He is an average man with dreams of being more. A middle school teacher, he finds himself the representative for his school at a motivational seminar. Hoping for something different in his life he actually volunteered for the job most would cringe over or be forced to do.

Edward Cullen is a very well known, successful motivational speaker. He is enigmatic, and his words are thought to have an extraordinary impact on all those that hear him speak. In fact Jasper realizes within minutes of first seeing, and hearing him that Edward is exactly what he wants to be; extraordinary. Jasper is quite taken immediately.

My first impression is a series of snapshots, my brain unable to process them as a whole. Tall, copper red hair, lean, muscles, fitted gray shirt, low-slung jeans, black boots...each image bombarding me so quickly my eyes don't know where to focus. It takes what seems like minutes, but is in reality mere seconds, for all the pieces to fit together. When the final one clicks into place, I am dumbfounded.

Edward Cullen hasn't uttered a single solitary syllable out of his perfect mouth, yet I know without a doubt that he is the most dynamic individual I've ever been in the presence of. And, he is nothing like I expected he would be.

I am rendered speechless as if I've been punched in the gut. I literally cannot peel my eyes off him. He is magnetic, a force field holding all surrounding objects in his orbit, and I am a willing satellite.

When he finally speaks, I am transported. His voice is like melted chocolate, smooth and decadent. I can practically taste it on my tongue. But more than that, the words coming out of him are so heartfelt, they cut me open and leave me bleeding. My ears are buzzing, and I only catch bits and pieces; his thanks and gratitude for the overwhelming reception. I believe him. This man is either an Academy Award caliber actor, or he's truly the most genuine and humble person alive. Nothing about him says jaded. I am at a loss to understand how this madness has not gone to his head.

After a hot dream, and a up close and personal meeting; both Edward and Jasper realize there seems to be a connection between them. What they choose to do with this knowledge is all up to them. Will Jasper finally be brave enough to take that step towards extraordinary? You have to read to find out.

Fair warning to those that don’t like their slash boys dabbling with the velvet purse....Jasper is originally with Alice in this fic which helps to keep him quite confused about his reaction towards Edward. I don’t want to give too much away, but I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet little story very much. So why not give it a read, and don’t forget to leave the author some love if you do. 

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Greetings my lovelies! I know that we’re already a couple weeks into the new year and, thus, weeks away from Christmas, but I couldn’t not share this lovely rec that I’ve chosen for this week. I would have loved to rec it sooner but, unfortunately, it wasn’t posted until after the holidays had come and gone. I promise you, though, this will be my last holiday themed rec as far as the foreseeable future goes. I can’t promise that’ll last, but I’ll do my damnedest to stick to it.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get on to the reason we’re all really here since I’m sure it has nothing to do with listening to me ramble about, well, nothing.

I bring you The Eggnog Effect by the lovely and talented bananapancakes7 who’s penname never fails to make me hungry. Let me start with this gem of an opening line which I could not  help but nod my head in agreement with:

Eggnog fucks me over every single year.

I know that the narrator here isn’t the only one who has had a similar problem, and I also know that it can’t just be me either. Granted, I haven’t had eggnog in years but that’s beside the point.

So, amusing opening to draw me in? Check.

That perfect little story segues flawlessly into an endearingly hilarious anecdote that makes one laugh - or, well, it makes me laugh, anyway - as well as informs us of who the narrator of this tale is.

Well, perhaps I'm exaggerating. There may have been a handful of innocent years of my life when eggnog didn't interfere with my holiday plans. But I can date the dangers of eggnog back to my fifth Christmas, when it made its first appearance - and reappearance. Being a kindergartner, I understood 'the rules' of life, one of which was listening to adults. That didn't mean I actually listened. If I had, I would have respected that my father said, "The eggnog is just for Mommy and Daddy and their friends, Jas. But Mommy put cherries in the Hawaiian Punch for you."

As far as I was concerned, having cherries in the Hawaiian Punch was for babies. It was the first time I was allowed to freely walk around during my family's Christmas party, and since I wasn't required to hold the hand of a parent all night, I wanted the cool, forbidden, eggy drink that was for the older people. I was a big boy, after all; I even had a Big Wheel to prove it.

You'd better believe that as soon as my mother turned her back, I pilfered a half-gallon jug of eggnog out of the fridge and booked it upstairs to my blanket fort to consume the whole damn thing. With my steal, I felt like a pirate. I was invincible and daring. And, in true pirate fashion, I guzzled and Arrrgh'd and bounced around my fort singing, 'Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Rum'. Of course, being five, I hadn't understood that this particular jug of eggnog actually contained rum, which my father had spiked earlier that evening.

So, in the span of fifteen minutes, my little five year old self had swallowed almost a full half-gallon of milk and liquor and egg product while jumping up and down. You do the math. When I returned to kindergarten, my 'What I Did Over Christmas Break' story should have been a special tale of a drunken fall down the stairs, throwing up all over the Christmas tree, a trip to the emergency room, and my first hangover. But I was a kid and overzealous about the Nintendo I'd gotten from "Santa", so I shared that story instead.

Admit it, you laughed, right?

Anyway, bananapancakes7 goes on to weave a cringe and laugh worthy tale with the effects of eggnog as a catalyst - at least in his mind - for a myriad of not-so-great events in our dear Jasper’s life from the tender age of five.

The story continued on from there to outline his day-to-day which, coincidentally, includes a crush on his co-worker - whose ass he admires from afar at the same time every morning. Except, of course, for the morning of the day that this story takes place during. I digress, though.

Crushes. Asses. Admiration. Oh, and Edward. An Edward whose sexuality is currently unknown but an Edward nonetheless.

I waste a few more minutes straightening my desk, then stand. Since my part of the office is empty, I unbutton my shirt and reach into my bag for my sweater - a dark green cashmere my mother gave me last Christmas - the only festive looking thing I could find this morning. My laundry's atrocious.

I've just removed my shirt and tie and am completely bare-chested when I hear my name.

"Jasper?"

You would think someone had shouted it into a megaphone. I jump and spin to find Edward staring at me in slight shock before he clears his throat, seeming embarrassed to find me half-nude.

"You - I - Alice - you're the only one not at the party," he says quickly. He takes a drink out of the cup he's holding and clears his throat again. "She told me to threaten you if you don't get your ass over there."

"Oh?" I say, chuckling. I let my shirts dangle by my fingertips. I don't mind stalling to cover myself. I work out. "What are you going to do to me, then?"

Yeah, I’d probably ask the same question. Maybe. Okay, that’s very unlikely, and also beside the point. Half-nude Jasper and flustered Edward for the mother fucking win. But, there’s still the issue of the as of yet absent eggnog, with the exception of a small mention previously. You know it’s coming otherwise the title would be something completely different and this probably wouldn’t be amusing me as much as it is.

My turn to laugh. "Well, cheers to that," I say, holding up my cup to his. We 'clink'. All is well. I take a sip without looking and swallow because I'm expecting punch.

I'm wrong.

This is not punch.

This is not punch.

This is…

…not punch.

Oh, God. No. No. Why? Why didn't I look? The cups are not clear. They're red. I should have looked. I should have checked. Shoulda, woulda, coulda. Oh, God. It's eggnog. It's eggy-ness and noggy-ness and it's sliding down my throat.

But, and there’s always a but, all is not lost. I’d love to tell you exactly how this story ends because I’m overexcited and I love it that fucking much. So why not, right? I could give you every little detail, just get it all of my chest, and be happy about it. Mostly. Except if I did that then you all wouldn’t have a reason to read it for yourselves which is what I hope I’ve convinced you to do.

I can say, though, that Edward comes to the rescue and drags Jasper off to an empty and secluded office. What happens next? Well, you’ll have to read it to find out. It’ll be worth it, even if only for the laughs.

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There you have it, folks. Another week with awesome stories to check out. Be sure to leave these wonderful authors some love, and come back next week to see what Aradi and I have in store for you.

Tuesday's Best 1-4-2011

Good morning, my lovelies. Hope you had a good start to the new year. As always, we're here to help make your Tuesdays a little hotter, a little sweeter (and yes, at times also a little sadder, but such is life). Today, however, I think it's safe to say it'll be a little sweeter, so grab a blanket to snuggle under, and let's check out what Aradi and Stolenxsanity have found for you today.

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Good drabble fics are like crack.

Just a little taste, to get you hooked.

Just a little more, to keep you.

Just a string of cliffies to make you twitch helplessly.

Just a little progress, to make you scream “OMFG just give me the next line.  Just one more line!”

Just an author (or two) who are evil, evil pushers.  (Yes, I’m looking at you SorceressCirce and Naelany.)

I complain, but I love them so much.  (The drabbles, not necessarily the evil, evil authors.)  A frequent fix.  A quick read.  What’s not to love?

(twitchtwitch)

My latest drabbly love was Beyond the Gaze of a Boy by Whitlock-Masen (as part of Fandom Gives Back).  It’s Edward & Jasper and is high-school sweet.

Squeals and laughter fill the backyard, but our little corner is silent. "Look," she says finally, "I think you're being ridiculous. He's been watching you all afternoon."

My frown deepens as I mumble at my hands, "Yeah, because I keep fucking staring at him."

I can feel my cheeks burning, but the heat is nothing next to Bella's hand on my knee. I look up to find her deep brown eyes focused on mine. "You're wrong," she says simply. When I don't speak, she adds, "Can't hurt to try, right?"

(It really can’t!)

Drabble stories like this are perfect for a daily fix, but since this one is complete you can read it all at once for a quick burst of fluffy joy.  I love all the Whitlock-Masen stories (and Naelany’s stories, and SorceressCirce’s stories), but this one was especially nice to fight off the winter drearies (Edward and Jasper around a pool.. mmm...).  When you read it, leave your love for Whitlock-Masen, and the generous participants in FGB who have brought us all so much good reading.

I’ll leave you with one last hit, because I’m nice like that.

"Is there anyone you want?" he whispers.

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It seems only fitting that before I go into this weeks lovely rec that I wish all you wonderful, and loyal, readers a very Happy New Year. I can’t believe that it’s 2011 already. Last year seemed to disappear in the blink of an eye, almost literally. I hope that, so far, the new year has been a good one for everyone of you out there, and that it continues to be amazing.

Now, on to my rec for this week: An amazingly fluffy-sweet Edward/Jasper one-shot, 12 Days, written by the lovely and extremely talented, naelany. I chose this story as my rec before I knew what today’s other rec would be. I must say, though, it’s rather fitting.

As for the story? While I’ve said this before, it still holds true - and likely always will - when talking about a story penned by naelany. The introduction of the main characters, as well as the plot, is flawless. You’re not sitting around trying to figure out what’s going on, or who’s dating who. In the way that I’ve come to expect, while everything isn’t laid out in a bland, “telling” way, it’s not obscured behind vague or metaphorical references either. It just is. And what it is, as far as I’m concerned, is perfect.

Everything but the angel was already in its place. I sat down heavily on the dining room chair, staring at the beautiful red and gold angel. She'd been in Jasper's family for years, though you'd never be able to tell with how well kept she was. He had inherited her when his gran had passed away four years ago. Unlike angels you could get nowadays, this one had a porcelain head, and hands.

It was always Jasper who'd place her carefully on the top of the tree, but he wouldn't be here until Christmas Day this year. His work had sent him to Burlington, Vermont, where they'd opened a new office. He and eight others had been temporarily relocated there to help set everything up, and assure that the new management had everything under control before coming back to their regular jobs here in Seattle.

Alice came to stand behind me and wrapped her arms around my neck, resting her chin lightly on the top of my head. I placed my hand on her arms where they crossed, and sighed. "I miss him, Ali..."

I know, I know … bad place to leave you hanging but, trust me, there is no heart fail here.

The story continues with Edward at home, and given a task. A task that confuses him, but helps him to get through the long days ahead.

We sat and talked for another half an hour, and he hinted again at there being a surprise on Christmas Day that I had to figure out from the clues he'd be sending me. I was dying of curiosity, and tried several times to get him to give it up, but he wouldn't have it.

"Darlin', you best be putting your energy to use figuring this thing out, or you might not get it at all," he threatened. "And there's not a chance in hell you'll weasel it out of me...or anyone else!"

That made me pause. Anyone else? Who, besides Alice, was involved with this little scheme of his?

Almost as if realizing he'd said too much, he said, "Ah, never you mind. Point is, you need to do this on your own, sweetheart."

A task that, even though he tries desperately to figure out what the answer to this task is, he doesn’t quite get it. At least not initially, and not without a little bit of obvious prompting.

Oh, Edward, I adore you still even if you are a little slow on the uptake.

He combed his fingers tenderly through my hair, and sighed softly. "God, I love you, Edward. Thank you."

Wiping my eyes, I cleared my throat and said, "I love you, too, Jazz. So much."

I know, out of context, the above doesn’t make much sense but, just trust me. It’s the perfect just-about-at-the-end to a lovely story. On that note, while I also love the fuckhot smut scenes that naelany is more than capable of writing, even without that aspect, this story was perfect. In fact, I’d even go so far as to say that it was made all the better because of the absence of it. Crazy, right?

Even still, this story is wonderful. It’s the perfect anecdote to all the angsty and heart faily stories that are out there. It’s like a breath of fresh air and a bright ray of sunshine. My suggestion to you? Drop everything and give it a shot. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

Check back again next week to see what the good Captain and Stolenxsanity have for you then. In the mean time, we hope you'll enjoy the recs from this week.

Twislash Unveiled wishes all of our wonderful readers and contributors the happiest, healthiest, and hottest of New Years! (And by hot, y'all know I'm not talking Fahrenheits or Centigrades ;-) )