Monday, July 4, 2011

Slash Guest Author Rec - ICMezzo

ICMezzo's Twislash Unveiled Guest Review

Hi everyone!

What can I rec for you that you haven't already read? Funniest stories? Best vampslash? E/C fic? Well, certainly I love all of those things, but I'm sure these lists have already been compiled at one time or another, so I decided to try a different approach.

Recently I read my first HP fanfic (Reparations, of course). No, I'm not going to rec H/D stories, but there was a moment in Reparations that I thought was just so completely perfect, that I told everyone I knew about it, whether they wanted to know or not. (For the record, it was ch 7 when Harry and Draco trade croutons for bread while Ron looks on, in what has to be the most exquisite exchange of carbohydrates ever.)

Anyway, it gave me an idea as to what I should rec for you. And so, I give to you...

[Drum roll, please, because, yes, I'm that dramatic...]

ICMEZZO'S TOP 10 MOMENTS IN TWIFIC!!!!  

Yesssss! So, here we go, in no particular order, my fave ten little moments in Twislash fic that I believe are, for one reason or another, absolute perfection. Some are poignant, others hilarious, clever, or hot as hell, but all deserve to be read. Enjoy!


1. “Stay” by avioleta (www.fanfiction.net/s/6176997/1/)

...Edward leaned over Carlisle's shoulder to whisper in his ear. "I think we should fuck. Tonight." Carlisle, who was marking papers at his usual corner table, stopped dead.

"What on earth for?" he managed after several seconds.

Edward rolled his eyes. "Should I draw you a chart? Or, I know. A list. I'll make you a list."

Avioleta writes Carlisle/Edward with a rare grace, and “Stay” is no exception. Read this story. It's sparse, yet potent, rather like the black tea Edward serves up. It's truly lovely.


2. “Your Biggest Fan” (chapter 8) by OftheDamned (www.fanfiction.net/s/5321072/8/)

My eyes snapped open, taking in a stricken Jasper. He was sitting back on his heels, one hand clapped over his mouth and panic in his eyes.

"Oh my god, Edward," he breathed. "I'm so sorry." He was shaking his head frantically, and started pulling his fingers through his curls. Now I knew why his hair looked like it had seen better days.

"What?" I asked, startled and confused. It's not like I had pushed him away. I was right there, with him. Did I do something to turn him off? Had I taken too long to respond? If he'd wanted this, why had he stopped? The question immediately plagued me.

"I'm so sorry," he kept muttering. "I'm not, I mean I won't… I didn't mean to. I'm so sorry."

His rambling was making me tense and self-conscious and before I could even think about the consequences I blurted, "Why did you stop?"

Of course, I regretted it as soon as I said it. I wanted to turn away, to hide my face and pretend I hadn't really just said that. He didn't need to know I wanted it.

He was staring at me though, with his wide, ice-blue eyes. I was caught, pierced to the spot.

We eyed each other warily, each sizing up the other. I don't know what he saw in my face, because his expression never wavered. Finally, in a low but forcedly-neutral voice he asked, "Did you want me to keep going?"

OftheDamned's negotiation of the first kiss between two boys who both want it but aren't sure the other does is just the right blend of sweetness and nerves and chapped lips. This WIP is full of great moments, so this is just one tiny sample of the perfection contained therein.


3. “Last Night” by YogaGal/Lawn Girl and PerfectlyPersuasive (www.fanfiction.net/s/6224865/1/ or www.fanfiction.net/s/6224792/1/)


Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re: Last Night

Well, I'm going to send this to you before I change my mind. It's not nearly as titillating as your picture, but it sums up how I feel right now.

If you need me, I'll be hiding under the covers...

Edward Cullen
Harvard Law '11

"The Law is Reason Free from Passion." – Aristotle


Okay, so the idea of an e-mail exchange between geeky Edward and cool boy Jasper is hilarious, and who hasn't been on an e-mail chain with a “Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:” subject line? But out of all the fic I've read, I never laughed harder than I did when I clicked the link Edward included in this e-mail. Now, I should say, you really do need to read the beginning of the one-shot first for the link to have the same effect. But it's short, and full of awesome and stray underwear and mimosas. Go read it.


4. “Where you belong” by SadTomato (www.fanfiction.net/s/6929916/1/)

"I didn't-oh, fuck, Edward-I didn't ask you to stay for this," I tell him, tightening my grip on his hair. He's on his knees in my walk-in closet, sucking my cock like he's desperate for it. I was putting my laundry away when he walked in, naked, and pushed me up against the wall. . . .

"You're so good at this," I tell him, loosening my grip in his hair. I brush it back gently and continue encouraging him. "Edward ... are you a good boy?"

His eyes squeeze tightly closed and he nods without losing his rhythm. The hand on my cock drops down, and I can see Edward's arm moving as he starts to stroke himself in time with the movement of his mouth.

"Look at me, baby," I urge him, scratching my fingers lightly across his scalp. "You make me feel so good. You're my good boy, you are."

He stops moving, my cock buried in his throat, and lets out a muffled groan. His fingers are digging into my hip and he wavers a little, his eyes never leaving mine.

"Are you coming, Edward?" I whisper, and he doesn't need to answer; his eyes tell me everything I need to know.

Note, this one-shot has some pretty serious warnings attached. Heed them. If this isn't your cup of tea, feel free to pass. That said, this E/C fic explores challenging subject matter in an incredibly skillful way. Also, I'm fairly certain the image of Edward on his knees on these scene will never leave my brain, and I am more than okay with that.


5. “The Substitute Guest” (chapter 7) by arn24601 (www.fanfiction.net/s/6722169/7/)

The falling snow had transitioned into freezing rain . . . There was now an icy glaze over every surface. Edward had never seen anything like it in person before. When his flashlight swept the path in front of him, the light glinted off glittering tree branches and frozen evergreen needles. Each limb was delicately encased in perfect crystal. When he reached out an inquisitive hand to touch one, it had snapped off with a crack.

As beautiful as the ice was, it had turned the hike from a slight inconvenience into something treacherous and deadly. They hadn't gone a hundred yards until Edward had lost his traction. Jasper tried to keep him upright, but the slippery surface ensured that they both went down together. Luckily, all the boys lost was their pride. Edward shuddered to think what the consequences would be for a broken ankle or leg in these conditions. Even if one of them could go get help, the other would freeze to death before it arrived.

And so, Jasper had suggested that they slow their pace and hold on to each other for support. Edward readily agreed. In unison, their boots crunched through the top layer of ice into the softer snow below, and they meticulously made their way step by step down the mountain. Jasper recommended that only one of them have a flashlight on at a time to conserve battery power. If both of them failed at the same time, they could freeze to death wandering around in the dark.


Maybe this scene captures my attention because of my eternal love for both the winter and the wilderness, a combination that is both stunningly beautiful and potentially deadly. Regardless, new author Arn's description of Edward and Jasper hiking down the mountain and trying to unearth a vehicle in the middle of the night during a snowstorm is so vivid that it had me shivering on an 80-degree summer afternoon.


6. “Get the Party Started” by ArcadianMaggie (www.fanfiction.net/s/6169098/1/)

“...I'm just going to lie here. I'm still mad at you, you know."

"Yes, I know. That's fine. You just relax. You don't have to do a thing. I'll do all the work. You just enjoy yourself."

"I may fall asleep. It was an exhausting day."

Okay, so you and I both know that ArcadianMaggie is an amazing writer. Her “I Wept Not” is epic, of course, and full of many, many exquisitely beautiful scenes (her description of the Alaskan landscape in chapter 17 is one of my favorites). But I have to say, this little slice of conversation between a Jasper eager to have some fun with his petulant Edward, still bounces around in my brain months and months after reading this little one-shot. It's just perfect, full of personality. I dare you to try to fall asleep while Jasper has his way with you, Edward!


7. “Science is an Art Form” by AngstGoddess003 (www.fanfiction.net/s/6285084/1 )

Edward hit the streets. Well… he hit the campus sidewalks. Okay… actually, he hit the student parking lot and waited for his pal, Ben, who actually made friends around here.

"Whitlock," Ben said, nodding. "Yeah. The artsy bohemian guy. Art major. I think Angela has sociology with him?"

Edward was wanton in his thirst for knowledge.

Where's he from? To which campus social group does he foremost conform? What music does he like? Does he live on campus? Does he own any pets? (Edward was terribly allergic.) Yet, Edward couldn't bring himself to ask the most important question: Is he romantically available?

Ben, who was long ago accustomed to Edward's random tangential obsessions, obliged him as much as possible, which sadly, was not nearly enough to satiate him.

"I mean, I don't, like… really know him," Ben explained with no small amount of annoyance.

Yeah, the author had me at the warning (“Gratuitous use of suspenders”). The writing is terribly clever, and I'm certain I could have chosen any number of moments in this fic to share with you, however, the image of suspender-wearing Edward “wantonly” grilling his friend for information on Jasper, strikes me as particularly  hilarious.


8. “Rough Seas” (chapter 1) by MySlashyFriend (www.fanfiction.net/s/5255472/1/)

"If you want me to, I'll do it," he whispered.

I pulled away and stared at him. He looked determined, his eyes serious with not a hint of fear, but the strong set of his face was not enough to mask what I knew his thoughts were. He would be doing this for me. For him, this sacrifice would be too much, and I hesitated, not able to decide if I wanted to accept it. But if I was losing him anyway, would it be so bad to accept this from him before he left?

I knew I was going to.

I kissed him again, deeper this time. When I pulled away I went straight for his neck, whispering into his ear, "I need you to do it."

This fic features sailors on the open seas finding relief in each other, and ngl, it's fantastic. The exchange above highlights the disparity of their needs, and has stuck with me for everything it doesn't say as well as what it does. This is J/E, in what was originally a one-shot, though it has now been expanded to three chapters. It is well worth your time, if you haven't already read.


9. “Alpha Xi Omega” by Whitlock-Masen (www.fanfiction.net/s/5814898/1/)

...Jasper's fingers tangled in my hair, pulling my head up so that I was looking at him in the mirror. "Don't hide your face," he whispered, and made sure I understood before he let his hand roam down my back, coming to rest on my hip.

His right hand moved to my thigh while his left gripped my shoulder, and he began moving slowly, his hips pulling away and then thrusting back into me forcefully. His movements were deliberate, and his eyes were constantly in motion, alighting on my face in the mirror before they drifted to the right, watching our bodies in the full-length mirrors on the wall.

I followed his gaze, a quiet, "Oh, fuck," tumbling from my lips when I saw the seductive way his hips rolled. I'd never been with anyone who moved the same way. He didn't thrust in and out horizontally, the way I'd come to expect. Rather, his hips stayed against mine, a rocking motion driving him deeper within me, letting him pull away before he was back again.

Okay, from start to finish this has to be one of the hottest one-shots out there, and the dancing is just as sweaty as the lemon. Edward watching Jasper's sexy-as-hell movements in the mirror? There are no words. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need a cold drink.


10. “Raw and Rosy” (chapter 10) by TuesdayMidnight (www.fanfiction.net/s/6031117/10/)

I closed my eyes.

"Do you want this?" I whispered.

I could only ever give him what he wanted.

"I think so," he whispered back.

This dialogue occurs at a moment that would be critical in most fics—seconds later Edward and Jasper kiss for the first time. However, in a story full of climaxes, the kiss is only a bump in the road, not a whole lot more revolutionary than their new found knowledge fact that a ping-pong paddle is excellent for spanking. But even though these boys aren't about to fall in love, they do respect and care for each other, a balance that is struck beautifully in these words, without caving to the expected romance tied to the subsequent first kiss.

xXxXx

I guess it goes without saying that if you haven't read these stories, I believe they are well worth your while.  So click those links and get going! And by the way, thanks so much to Naelany for offering me the chance to fill your heads with my favorite fanfic moments.

Happy Reading!
-ICMezzo :)

P.S. I'm sure you have your favorite little fic moments as well, no? I'd love to know what they are if you want to share by commenting below, or you can always find me on Twitter!

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