Completed Fic of the Week: 11/7/11

In the Shallows by Porcia

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6806523/1/In_the_Shallows

Review by IcarusToSun

Rating: M
Genre: Angst/Hurt/Comfort
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: Everywhere I look, something reminds me of him. Smells, words, colours, songs. For two years I've cried over him. The best thing that's ever happened to me. The love of my life. He left because we were hurting. Because I was in the shallows. 

In the Shallows by Porcia fell into my lap soon after it was posted on FF. The mysteriously poetic title called to me while fic diving one day and even though I wasn’t familiar with the author, I began reading. The summary hinted at angst, and it delivered just that in oodles. But what In the Shallows offers its readers is so much more. It’s a relatively short story, completed in 12 tiny chapters. Barely an eye full. But what it lacks in length it more than makes up in depth.

With poignant and skilfully chosen words, Porcia tells us the story of the joy of love, the sorrow of love lost, and the serenity of forgiveness. Mostly told through Bella’s point of view, the story opens on a sad note where we meet a 27 year old Bella still reeling from the sudden abandonment of Edward two years prior. The heartbreaking narrative makes it clear that she is far from over him:

The man beside me is wearing his cologne. Suddenly, I am seventeen years old again, my heart beats a bit quicker. After ten years, you'd think I would be used to it. After two years, you'd think I would have reversed the Pavlovian response I have to the smell. To the smell of him. (ch 1) 

The chapters leap back and forth in time as it is revealed how the two met and fell in love as teens. Seeing the encounter through Bella’s eyes, the intense draw she felt for Edward is clear to the reader:

Green eyes. Green, green, green, green, green. He's tall, awkwardly so. His hair is brownish red. Freckles. His freckles match mine. 

I'm convinced this is love at first sight. Green, green, green, green, green. (ch 4) 

As the chapters unfold, we find out a thing or two about the blissfully happy life they once had as well as the gut wrenching tragedy that led to Edward’s departure from Bella’s life. We learn that it was a decision made unilaterally by Edward, and that at the time Bella did not understand it and was more or less an unwilling participant in the dissolution of their marriage:

If I sign these papers... I will have no family. No husband. No sister. No mother. No father. I will lose everything. He knows this. He knows how important they all are to me. But he still wants this. Up to now I haven't fought. I keep the apartment. That's it. There's nothing of his I want. I just want him. But that's apparently not something I can get in a divorce settlement. (ch 5) 

Porcia does a magnificent job in depicting the journey that brings them back to one another again. Given its length, it’s a challenge reviewing the story that will do it justice without giving out too many spoilers. That being said, I wouldn’t be exaggerating one bit if I claimed that it’s one of the best love stories I have ever read. Some say that every story harbors a little part of its author in its folds. That statement is perhaps truer for In the Shallows than most. The concluding lines of the story, and the short AN that follows, touched me deeply and brought tears to my eyes. I couldn’t urge you strongly enough to read this special tale. It definitely deserves more attention.

Banner by JaimeArkin

WIP of the Week: 11/7/11

Over the Rainbow by EquiVamp

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5947500/1/Over_The_Rainbow

Review by FictionFreak95

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Adventure
Characters: Bella

Summary: School's out for the summer and Bella's about to take a journey to the otherside of the rainbow. She knows her Lion, Scarecrow and Tinman in real life, but will her trip over the rainbow be enough to help her find true love? 

“We’re not in Forks, anymore, Cullen.” 

Did you watch The Wizard of Oz when you were growing up? Maybe your kids watch it now? Maybe you don’t have kids but you still watch it like I do? Did you fall in love with the Scarecrow, the Lion and the Tin Man like I did? Did you read what I consider some of the fanfiction version of this story, Wicked, and see its fantastic Broadway show when it came to your town?

If you answered yes to any of the above, you are going to die for this fic.

Equi writes some straight up chill factor words in this crossover with laughs and heart clutches sprinkled in throughout as well. It is chock full of both Twilight moments and Wizardly moments and most of the Twilight cast at least makes an appearance. (P.S. not all necessarily are canon. *waggles eyebrows*)

So, starting out, Bella is in high school with a “strange”, brooding, outcast of an Edward…

"You know," he said suddenly, "If you had any kind of brains, you'd stay away from me." 

"Let's make believe I'm brainless. Will you change your mind and come with us?" 

"No, probably not." 

A strong yet sweet and polite, to the extent that he won’t fight back when getting harassed, Emmett (totally swoon worthy)…

"Emmett, why do you let them harass you?" I asked. "You could take them all." And it was true. 

Emmett McCarty was no light weight, not physically anyway. He was as tall as Jasper, maybe taller, and he definitely had more muscle than any of the jocks in school. He was the only nerd on the planet who built better than Vin Diesel. 

…. "Its not right… to hit. Mom said, never to hit." 

And a seemingly heartless Jasper Hale…

"You are a goddamned tease. You should be my girl. On my arm. In my car." He paused for a breath and added, "In my bed." 

Complete with evil twin sister, Rosalie in tow…

"Try explaining to daddy that you weren't drinking when you are covered in the evidence… Does the chief know where his little girl is tonight?" 

I wonder if you can tell from these passages who will be who once Bella crosses over to Munchkinland!

In the beginning of the story, Bella decides to go to a carnival that just arrived in town with her girlfriends and runs into Madame Mary Alice who eerily tells her of her future… and to get a dog. *ded*

"Hmm… I see true love… and a great journey… three men and one is your destiny." 

"A great journey?" I asked. 

"Yes." 

"Where am I going?" 

"Vacation?" She asked. 

Uh, no. "You mean you don't know?" 

"Do you?" 

Before I could form a response she said, "Hush child." 

Child? She couldn't have been more than a few years older than me, if that. But I didn't argue. 

"Mm-hmm… yes…" she mumbled to herself as she stared at the ball. 

"What?" 

"Do you have a dog?" 

"No." 

"Get one." 

She later reluctantly attends a party, thrown by the evil Hale twins, one night and runs off after an altercation with Jasper, into a storm. That’s where the story really takes off. I can’t give too much away, I don’t want to ruin the introductions or the little twists and turns we get here but I will tell you this… Equi has weaved a delicious mixture of the two stories while adding in just enough original plot to make you sincerely fall in love with these characters even more so than you did in the first place.

Another bonus, Equi has put her very own original spin on the character’s descriptions that will make you think this is a whole new story all together, in some ways.

Thus far, this story is 16 chapters in and yet only has around 50 reviews, guys.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, just because it’s unknown, doesn’t mean it’s not epic.

Go, find equi, read this tale of twisted fates and destinies and leave her some lovin’ when you’re done because this story does not have nearly the amount of reviews that it should have, in my humble opinion that is.

One Shot of the Week: 10/31/11

Tripping the Veil by A Cullen Wannabe

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6402489/1/Tripping_The_Veil

Rating: T
Genre: Supernatural/Horror
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: When Bella, Edward, and their friends go on a guided tour of a supposedly haunted Mental Hospital, they all find that they have much more in common than they ever expected.

Ruibin Rua's Rec of the Week: 10/31/11

Six Weeks by syrrah

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7074757/1/Six_Weeks

Review by Ruibin Rua

Rating: M
 Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: I wonder how a story with no summary would go. Is anyone game to read it? Let's see... 

With this review, I realise that I am thwarting Syrrah’s challenge to read a story without a summary, but I really want more people to show their appreciation for this piece of writing, so I hope she will forgive me!

Six Weeks follows a teenage Bella who has graduated from high school and is spending the summer house-sitting with her mother, Renee, in a quiet seaside town. More important than the house, however, is the big, loveable canine, Hal, that Bella and her mom are also called upon to look after. Hal is a very real and important character in this story, as so many events and connections between the characters revolve around his presence.

Syrrah’s Renee has some of the canon characteristics of flightiness and ever-youthfulness, but her character is fleshed out well. Bella herself muses about Renee’s mothering skills, or lack thereof, as she was growing up.

She doesn't live on much herself, and nutritionally, as well as in other categories, failed the Good Mothers diploma. She failed the Good Enough Mothers diploma in most areas, really. Flying colours and a chorus of trumpets attended her award ceremony for the Barely There Mothers Award, but following form, she failed to attend it herself. 

It’s these razor sharp observations that make the character of Bella so likeable and Syrrah’s writing so good. Bella doesn’t ask us to pity her, and Renee in this story isn’t actually a bad person either. In fact, she and Bella bond during their summer break and there are times when she was advising Bella that I found myself wishing I had had someone like her to guide me through the anxious teenage years. Bella is both a typical and atypical teenage girl. She doesn’t talk too much, obsess about her appearance or moon about Edward to the detriment of all else, but her heart is still open and she possesses an innocent wisdom that is lovely to read.

There is a dream-like quality to Syrrah’s writing in this story; sentences are typically sparse and sometimes even a bit vague or disjointed. You have to embrace the idea of feeling the words in order to truly enjoy a story like this. You won’t get long-winded descriptions or paragraphs - interestingly, Edward and Jasper are almost always described as Brown and Blond - and Syrrah allows the reader to fill in the detail of a landscape that she has painted with vivid colours and beautiful sweeping brushstrokes.

What day is it? I don't know. Doesn't matter. They're all sunny, blue skies, blue water. Someone banished clouds. I wake with the diamond light, the seabreeze shifting of the net curtains. 

This is a story about people and the connections they forge with one another, but don’t worry, this is also a Bella/Edward love story, albeit a far from conventional one! I love watching them interact, often in beautifully subtle, understated scenes, but there are also enough achingly lovely descriptions to set your heart racing.

Through the nights I have been imagining him, feeling delicious in my bones and nerves and skin, flushed softly pink as the unself-conscious me put fingertips to his cheeks, heart not so aflutter but steady and strong. Shared, exchanged breath, lip to lip, mouth to mouth, chest to chest, hip to hip. I've had knowledge of desire and I know what it can do; liquid fire, melting limbs, fall into you. Brown, us, soon. 

Curl up in a comfortable chair, or on your bed, with a mug of tea or a glass of wine, and let yourself bathe in this wonderful story. You won’t regret the experience.

Banner by JaimeArkin

Einfach Mich's Rec of the Week: 10/31/11

Belonging by forthelongestday

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6873760/1/Belonging

Review by Einfach Mich

Rating: M
Genre: Angst/Horror
Characters: Charlotte/Peter

Summary: A routine walk down an alley in Laredo sets into motion the events that end Charlotte's life, and sends her tumbling into a dark world full of hate and war. 

One of the things I love about fan fiction is how it allows us to fill in the gaps. I don’t mean it like that you pervs! I mean, the gaps in canon. The untold stories of Twilight. There are so many untold stories that could be based before the events of the books. Entire lifetimes that passed before Bella Swan was ever born. In those lifetimes are love stories as equally powerful as the one told in Twilight.

Belonging tells the story of how Charlotte became a vampire and met her mate, Peter. It’s dark, haunting and utterly entrancing. We begin the story at the end of her life, on the shadowy floor of a barn in Laredo. Charlotte awakens to a world painted in shadows, pain and death. Peter is her guide through this terrifyingly violent life, much to his apparent displeasure. Charlotte obligingly hates him in return. However, it is the silent, shadowy figure of Jasper that terrifies her more.

There are so many amazing things I love about this story, I don’t know where to start with listing them. I love that we see this world through the eyes of newborn Charlotte. Her fear, anger and curiosity mirror the conflicted kaleidoscope of emotions I went through while reading. Even though I know the Twilight universe, this part of it was still strange and new, which kept me hooked and fascinated to see what was going to happen next. Sure, I knew how Peter and Charlotte’s story was going to end, but it didn’t stop me from fearing for them and wondering how these two people, who initially have every reason to hate each other, will fall in love.

forthelongestday breathes life into these characters and brought me around to loving them dearly. Peter is an intriguing and enigmatic man. His entrance into the story is memorable and to be honest, damn sexy.
\

"You." The word came out as a growl, and my hand flew to my throat; I wasn't capable of such a sound.  

"Sir," the man corrected, raising his right eyebrow in a perfect arch. His skin had a strange pattern etched into it, every few inches semi-circles shone just a little lighter on his flesh, and had I not known better I would have sworn they were teeth marks. The patterns stirred a memory within me, and in that moment I could just barely see his face in a memory of an alley in Laredo; I could almost feel his hands on my shoulders and teeth against my throat, and I bolted backward from him; my back against the wall. 

  The man laughed darkly, "The danger I present to you has mostly passed." 

The most intriguing aspect of this story is the chance to see pre-canon Jasper from the point of view of a member of Maria’s newborn army. Here we get a very different, much darker version of the fandom’s favorite Texan.

Hate, pain, fear, desolation...  

It all wound around my neck in a tightening noose, and it was no wonder that Jasper's victim didn't fight back; I couldn't even move a finger with all these constricting emotions flowing over me. He was savage, brutal, and when he finished with the one he turned on the two standing closest to him and ripped each of their limbs off before kicking them off to the side, paying no mind to the screams of agony that tore from their mouths. 

 

He pivoted in place slowly, glared into each of our eyes as he blanketed us in acknowledgment, and we all nodded our understanding tentatively. This was not a man to defy, no matter the order. 

In the end this is a story about two people finding each other and finding love under the worst of circumstances. Their careful, compelling dance is fascinating to watch even if you know how it will all end. After all it’s not about the destination, but the journey, right?

If you love AU vampire fic, especially if you love pre-canon and wonder about the world that Jasper lived in before he found the Cullens, Belonging is the fic for you.

TheUnderStudy's Rec of the Week: 10/31/11

Real Plastic Trees by Hotmessica

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7148003/1/

Review by TheUnderStudy

Rating: M
Genre: Romance
Characters: Emmett & Rosalie

Summary: In the pages of every high school yearbook, there is a girl that everyone thinks they know. I'm her, and sometimes, I don't even know myself. But he does. A/H

There are not a lot of Rosalie/Emmett stories in fandom, but this one was a perfect slice of heaven. Co-authors, Mer & Jessica, have placed our blondie and monkey man in high school. This story is a search of Rose’s journey to discover her true self. This is one of the best written Rosalie’s I have seen in a while.

The first chapter is a bit of a revelation for Rose. She is starting to remove her ‘rose’ colored glasses and realizes that maybe she wants something more. She is the it-girl, the senior, the rich girl with the similarly classed besties and a boyfriend that is expected of her. So why is she not happy?

“Scrolling through my contacts list, I scan every name, thinking about whom I could call to talk this through before I do it. Usually all life decisions, major and minor, involve the input of Jess and Lauren, but lately I've felt this inexplicable distance from them. They seem so happy, so content in their relationships, in their skin. They truly seem to enjoy everything we're doing, the way we're living, and if they're not, they've given no indication otherwise. They're always so much more involved than I am, planning the parties, the outings, reveling in their popularity. They seem to thrive on it all. At this point, I'm just along for the ride, and barely.” – Chapter 1 

I love this Rose, even in the first chapter. The ladies have written her with her usual snark and roughness, but we also see the inner workings – the heart of the bitch people think she is. As Rose begins to break out of her old skin, shedding the life that she once thought was for her, she understands that maybe it was all fake and nothing was real. Yet, one night Emmett McCarty changes all that and with a simple extension of his hand, Rose gets a taste of how the over half lives.

The story may not have an Emmett POV, but we see him so clear through Rose. He is strong, yet over-protective. He is charming and flirtatious. His ego could swallow you whole, but his dimpled smile warms your soul. There is no way Rose can resist him. He introduces her to some people she has seen around her high school, but never really given them a chance. However, Edward Cullen, who was once in her social circle, is a familiar face with this new group. She thinks that maybe she can fit among them too.

Bella looks from Edward to Jasper and back again. "Keep it up, you two. Rosalie's never going to hang out with us again." 

I know she's teasing, but really, it's moments like this that make me want to spend more time with them. It's so easy to see the real friendship between them, to feel it, and I bask in the warmth of it. It feels so different with my crew. There's no posturing here; there's a depth, a trueness to all of them and how they interact with each other that I never knew I always craved. 

Alice nudges me with her elbow and I look over at her, returning her soft smile. "You look happy right now," she whispers. 

Coming from anyone else, the statement would sound insane or at the very least completely cheeseball. But Alice is so like that, just telling her truth. And I suppose it's my truth, too. "I am happy right now," I whisper back. 

She smiles wider and squeezes my arm, then turns back to the computer. "Okay, so these are amazing," she says in a louder voice. Jasper and Emmett are rough-housing and shit-talking, but in my periphery I see them pause. Emmett shoves him until they're hovering behind us. Bella and Edward hop up, too, and they all crowd around us and murmur their agreement. Emmett's palm comes to rest at the base of my neck, making me shiver. 

"Hey look, you got my good side every time," he says, leaning down so that his forearms are resting on the back of my chair. His cheek brushes mine; I can feel the stubble growing in, can smell the grass and cool air and spice on his skin, and my heart skips a beat. 

This moment is perfect. I feel like I'm living inside of a picture, like I've captured something that I want to tuck into a picture frame next to my bed so I can forever remember what this is like. 

"That, in and of itself, is a win, Ro," Edward says. – Chapter 10 

This is a great story that I absolutely enjoyed from beginning to end. There is plenty of drama, comedy, cliffhangers, angst, and a sweet lemon that sex doesn’t have to always be written so descriptive. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. I loved this story for its creativity, giving life to our canon couples, and giving us a Rose we can learn from.

Honorella's Rec of the Week: 10/31/11

Inappropriate Touching by Jenjiveg

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7091486/1/Inappropriate_Touching

Review by Honorella

 

Rating: M
Genre: Humor/Romance
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: While OCD Edward works on his mental health issues, he meets a girl...who has problems of her own...not the least of which is chronic clumsiness. OOC, AH, BxE. Rated M for future lemons and language. 

I don’t know about you, my fellow fic h00r, but these days a story has to have a USP, as well as plenty of UST, in order to grab my attention. Jenjiveg’s Inappropriate Touching is just such a story. It is stuffed with wit, originality and heart, and so many unique and interesting voices and stories.

If you are going to go down the OOC route then why not think big? Here are not one, but two, ginormous dorks. I love a geekward and you cannot get geekier than this one. Edward is seriously afflicted with OCD. His life would be impossible if it were not for the love and support of his brother Emmett and wife Rose who live across the hallway. On a rare mission venturing outside his apartment, he encounters Bella, herself crippled by social anxiety disorder.

Take a deep breath, reader. Jenjiveg can pull this off, and does so with style. Her Latexward, so-named because he can achieve little without donning a pair of latex gloves, is adorable. His condition is a serious one and his backstory heart-breaking, but there is plenty of comedy too and surprisingly little angst. He is innocent and charming and we see his loveliness through his close relationship with his brother and sister-in-law and his shrink, Carlisle. He is desperate to overcome his illness and is struggling every day to make the huge adjustments needed to live a more normal life. Into the mix explodes his almost uncontrollable sexual attraction to Bella, in conflict with his need to remain in control via his compulsive urge to maintain cleanliness and order in his life.

I begin each day by measuring all the food in my pantry.

I used to measure twice in the morning, then measure my breakfast, then all food again after breakfast, twice before lunch, then just lunch, then all of it after, then twice before dinner, dinner, and then three times after dinner. Sometimes I would get up in the night and measure it all again. 

I had weened myself off of all but one measurement a day, and I did not measure my meals (I just estimated). 

The morning after I met Isabella Marie Swan, I forgot to measure my food. 

I was preoccupied. If I didn't already have an unmanageable set of obsessions, I would have thought she was one of them. 

I didn't even remember until I went to bed Wednesday evening. I pulled back the sheet, climbed into bed, recounted my day, and realized I had forgotten to measure my food. 

So, I got up and went to the kitchen to get started. I was upset, because this could cost me two hours of sleep, and I had a session scheduled with Dr. Cullen tomorrow. I always wanted to be especially well rested on those days.

Unbeknown to him, Edward is spotted on the street by Bella, and followed to a party. Despite her own limitations - social interaction is so difficult for her that she avoids all but the most necessary - Bella is a feisty character who takes this story by the scruff of the neck and makes it happen. It’s going to take a particular sort of gal to manage this Edward, and here we have her. She knows what she wants from the start and she gets it despite her own issues and the obstacles Jenjiveg puts in her path. Bella’s inner voice, so at odds with her the face she presents to the world, is a delight:

There's a moment when I first wake up...really before I'm fully awake...when I'm confident and I say the right thing and I don't trip over my own feet. 

I snooze each morning for at least an hour trying to hang on to that moment; desperate in my attempt to right the social ineptitude of yesterday. 

This morning, I was thinking about him, that guy, THE guy, the man, the one. My Mr. Darcy, Bruce Wayne, or Malcolm Reynolds. You know, the one who is everything you want a man to be plus all the things you'd feel a little dirty asking for? 

Yeah, I met that guy...And then...I ran away from him. 

I know what you're thinking: "Oh, honey, he turned out to be Wickham, or The Joker, or Jayne Cobb didn't he?" 

Well the answer is no. Mhn. OK, not exactly...

Their relationship develops through letters in the initial weeks. It’s a charming device and suits this story, and, like the rest of the fic, features a curious mixture of the innocent and the profane. Their feelings grow. Bella is very keen “to do the mating dance to get him into my pants”. I anticipated a long lead-in before any this pair could get together but I needn’t have worried, Bella makes sure it’s not long before Jenjiveg lobs the reader a great big, fat juicy lemon unlike many you’ll have read before.

Edward took off his gloves, which caused temporary feelings of dejection on her part...but when he proceeded to procure a fresh pair from a box he kept in a drawer under the bench in front of the sofa, Bella bit her lip and fidgeted with her hands in her lap, looking longingly at Edward. 

The UST went from poisonous to deadly in a flash. 

Eyes dilated, Edward clapped the lights out in the living room and crawled across the ottoman to cup her face. He wasn't about to kiss her, but he needed to touch her as soon as possible. 

Bella threw her head back, baring her neck and reveled in the feel of latex, which may surprise most people to know is quite slippery if only a little pressure is applied. She sat on her hands to keep from grabbing his hands or his dick, she couldn't choose which. 

As his hands ghosted over her from chin to neck and then achingly slowly to cup her breasts, Bella moaned. This sound created a feeling in Edward that was so strong, it momentarily trumped his OCD. 

Pulling her to the edge of the chair, he leaned in, one hand resting on the outside of her upper thigh, teasingly close to her ass, the other anchored to her breast. He kissed the top of the cupped breast over her shirt, eliciting an even louder response. Then, he moved his hands to the highest buttoned button on her shirt, looking at her intently for permission to proceed. 

She nodded, mouth agape, and he deftly opened her shirt, exposing her bra: black lace, see-through. 

Edward now had a fetish to call his own.

And that’s just the start. I won’t spoil the rest.

The angst is in short supply so far, but there are plenty of obstacles to love’s young dream. In an interesting plot twist, we discover that Bella’s twin sister, Alice is secretly married to Edward’s sister-in-law Rose’s brother Jasper and determined to keep Edward away from Bella. Alice is a monster, overbearing, scheming and horrid, she is everything that Bella is not. Her and Jasper’s (BDSM) relationship is far from conventional, and through it, Jenjiveg has Alice confront her awful behaviour and horrible personality in an interesting and moving way. I must also mention the awesome Emmett and fantastic Rose. Their scenes with Edward are just comedy gold.

Latexward and Droolella (not so keen on that moniker as his Bella is a feisty little thing and it doesn’t do her justice) are on a fascinating journey. The depth and severity of Edward’s condition is not underestimated but Jenjiveg often plays it for laughs and keeps the action fast-moving and lively. There is so much to enjoy and lots more to come. Do give this sweet, funny, affecting story a try.