- Blinkie by beegurl13 -
- Tribute by lellabeth and Shneezles -
When we were approached about writing the tribute to A Pound of Flesh, we were beyond excited. Think squeeing. Think all-caps. Think Dior Rob pictures. That excited, because we both love this story and its author so much we have to make up new units of measurement to describe it (squillions is a personal favourite). But then we realised that everyone loves this story. Everyone can flail-talk about it. It’s one of the most-known and best-loved fics within the fandom, and it was our job to write about it.
No pressure, then.
The story starts with Isabella as a child, attending a charity event with her senator father. After a violent attack that left Isabella wracked by inescapable nightmares more than a decade on, she vows to honour his legacy by helping those who need it. This takes the form of her working as a tutor in a prison, where she meets Cullen. He’s snarky from the get-go, testing the patience and sanity of everyone around him. The first meeting between them is electric, an instant battle that Isabella refuses to back down from.
What he could do to silence those plump, pink, self righteous lips… fuck…
I mean, honestly, who the fuck did she think she was?
No one ever spoke that way to Cullen.
No. One.
Ever.
She sees something in Cullen that no one else can or will, something broken. Something she wants to fix.
So strong but so fragile. Masculine but impossibly sensitive. Hard around the edges but terrified within them.
To describe much more of the story would be to spoil the way the plot unfolds, but this fic is on everyone’s top lists for a reason. Reasons such as these:
"I swear to God, my heart, it beats only for you. It always has."
"I love you with all that I am, and I will always love you that way."
"She's here. She's here with me. I'm safe."
Yeah. Turns out that underneath all that cocky swagger, Cullen is pretty damn swoony.
A story as multi-faceted and complex as A Pound of Flesh deserves a brilliant writer, and jaxon22 more than fits that title. Her writing seems effortless, the different threads of the story woven together in a way that leaves you unable to stop reading. The character development is some of the best in the fandom.
Then there’s the UST. So strong and so lingering, it almost defines the term. Trust us when we say Cullen and Isabella more than deliver what the spark between them promises. These two take the lemons and make a never-ending supply of the best lemonade you’ve ever had, and they do it well.
And, of course, who could forget Peaches?
We wanted to end with a line about A Pound of Flesh being an epic love story, but unsurprisingly, jaxon22 does that best:
Theirs was a love that was beyond words, beyond reason, beyond even the two of them. It was indescribable, inexplicable, but unbreakable and unyielding. It simply... was.
It was a love that many never found and no one could ever extinguish.
It’s of no surprise to anyone that A Pound of Flesh has been picked up by a major publishing house. Though there are mixed opinions on P2P, we’re both beyond happy and excited for jaxon22 and her success. The names might have changed, but the characters will live on.
This is the type of story that deserves to be read by everyone.
Bratty-Vamp
- Blinkie by beegurl13 -
- Tribute by beegurl13 -
- Tribute by Plummy -
The Lemonade Stand
- Tribute by beegurl13 -
There are certain events that occur in your lifetime you'll never forget. You will always remember where you were, what you were doing, and who you were with. You'll tell your story over and over, again and again, and no matter how many times you tell it, it still never quite seems real. This is one of those events for me.
It happened on a Monday evening late in July a few years ago. It still makes me teary just thinking about it. It was unexpected, unprovoked, unbelievable. Yet it happened. I was sad, confused, worried, shocked, and to be honest, really proud of the guts it took to do it.
Bratty-Vamp pulled her stories and disappeared from the Twilight fanfic fandom.
Do you remember what you were doing when you heard? Did you get the news on Twitter or on Facebook? Or were you maybe reading one of her stories and clicked for the next chapter only to see a blank screen with a little “Story not found. Unable to locate story” message? Did you witness the panic and hysteria that ensued as people frantically tried to find copies of The Best Man or Love on Wheels? Did you refuse to close your tabs that were open to Click and Strum chapters? Weep just a little when someone mentioned My Escort or In Vain? Perhaps you wondered how an author and stories you took for granted – believing they'd always be there – could simply vanish into thin air. I think a lot of us did.
As time has gone by and new people have entered the fandom, I've heard many times, “What's this 'The Best Man' story? Who was Bratty-Vamp? I can't find her stories.” It makes me sad that so many have missed out on the brilliance that was gifted to us by a sweet woman named Kat, and the simple, honest, and realistic stories she shared with this fandom. Bratty-Vamp was quiet, kind, entertaining, and she could tell a story like no one else. I'm pretty sure the hardest I've ever cried in my entire life was when I read her story The Best Man. I was completely blind-sided by a certain event, and for chapter after chapter, I sobbed so hard I couldn't breathe. It was horrible, and yet I couldn't stop reading. I had to know what was next. And it was worth it.
Bratty-Vamp was a dependable writer. Most of her stories were pre-written, so she updated each day. That was something her readers really loved about her. She also kept the emotions in her stories truthful and honest, and her characters were flawed and real. As her stories unfolded, we readers were able to bond with the characters. We were able to get to know them and care for them. We were invested in their lives, in their stories. Bratty-Vamp had a way of pulling us in and not letting us go until the last chapter was posted, until the story was marked as complete. And even then, we were still begging for more, only to be surprised and delighted a week or so later when her next tale would begin. Once more, we were enchanted and in love with her Edward, wanting to be her Bella, and craving friends like Alice and Rose, or Jasper and Emmett.
Bratty-Vamp was on Twitter and Facebook, but she was always quite reserved. She was the definition of class and grace. She wasn't close to a lot of people in the fandom, but she did have a few good friends. I was lucky enough to consider her a friend, and I always hoped she felt the same about me. While most saw the sweet, humble side of her, I was privileged to see a more rowdy, naughty side. And it was incredible. She was funny, and dirty, and silly, and refined, and crass, and quick-witted; overall, a true gift to our fandom. And I miss her every day. Not just her stories, but her. I remember once she told me she didn't think anyone would ever notice if she disappeared from fanfic. I told her she was wrong, that it would be madness in her wake. I only hope that somehow she was able to hang around long enough to see that I was right – that she was loved and admired and appreciated and respected. That she is missed. Not just her stories... but her. The woman. The writer. The creator. The friend.
Do yourself a favor. If you haven't read her stories, find them. Read them. Love them. You won't be sorry. She was, is, and always will be one of my favorite authors, and I know I'm not alone when I say that. Bratty-Vamp was a light in this fandom, and she will forever be missed. But luckily for us, her stories live on in PDF form. And they're remarkable.
And if ever our sweet Bratty-Vamp reads this little tribute, I just have this to say... I miss you. Every day. And you know my email. Don't make me come find you. I'll even let you call me Beulah. Or Bernice. Or Bridget. Or Becky. But only you. :)
Bratty-Vamp always ended her chapters in the same style, usually something along the lines of, “Reviews are like Rob's kisses. Leave one.” So...
Bratty's stories are like rays of sunshine from Heaven. Bask in one.
- Blinkie by beegurl13 -
- Tribute by Plummy -
Writing about Twilight fanfiction is a notoriously difficult task often veering closer to armchair psychology than an analysis of content, style, and merit.
There are as many opinions as there are readers, and the biggest stories - those juggernauts of the early TwiFic era - have developed factions who will defend their position on this Edward or that Bella with the kind of heat usually reserved for politics or religion. So when asked to write about my love for Clipped Wings & Inked Armor, I felt a justifiable caution in my task.
Most fics have a similar structure: a grave injustice visited upon a reluctant hero that results in his brutal behavior toward others, which causes self-loathing and a need to wield extreme control. Add a heroine with the courage and ability to hold her own in the face of adversity, who is also capable of catalyzing the hero's redemption, and you've got yourself the making of a fandom favorite.
And while many stories follow this model, the best also contain mysterious and meaningful moments that bind a reader to the narrative; lines of dialogue readers whisper to each other like sacraments, a magic word that casts a spell to stunning effect.
Apadravya.
And with this single utterance, an entire fandom was bewitched.
hunterhunting doesn't reveal this piercing until a third of the way through the story, but it's done to devastating effect - confirmation that Edward's world of kinky sex and ready violence is no mere affectation. In this character, HH created an Edward that belongs in the pantheon of all-time greats, because this isn't just a rich kid with a sad history and a piano; this Edward is a motherfucking badass. Which is a good thing, since Clipped Wings & Inked Armor is more Hunger Games than Fifty Shades, a fight not just for Bella's survival but his own.
This Edward exists in the middle space between a horrific event and his own tenuous recovery. There is no innocent Bella to balance out his darkness, and every page is filled with uncertainty: the clicking of the stud on Edward's tongue as he runs it back and forth against his viper bite, the razor against Bella's hip as he skims her skin, the bitterness of the pills she chews.
At the end of the day, hunterhunting (now Helena Hunting) wrote a story that followed a familiar formula, but conformed to her own set of rules, and in the process created a new Edward that was suddenly obvious, as if he'd always existed. From her story sprung new Tattwards, Inkellas, tumblrs, Pinterest pages, blogs, contests (and I'd bet a lot of tattoos), and inspired others - including me - to be brave and write our own Edwards.
And that, to me, is a truly magical feat.
- Blinkie by beegurl13 -
- Tribute by MrsSpaceCowboy -
Fic-diving can be a wonderful experience. It can also be a horrifying one. There are many fic rec sites out there, but one of the most consistent throughout the years has been The Lemonade Stand. The staff is composed of a lovely group of fic lovers who are dedicated to finding gems in the world of Twilight fanfiction and sharing them with us.
For years, there were weekly polls of recommended reading. The winners are still listed and linked, so if you’re afraid you might have missed one, or if you’re relatively new to the fandom and interested in some classic, well-written fics, you can still access them easily on the TLS site. While we no longer vote for favorites, the ladies behind the blog still bring weekly recommendations to their subscribers. GREAT recommendations.
There’s also a section for newly-begun fics in the TLS Nursery. The focus is on stories that have started posting within the past 30 days. This has evolved, as well, with a special preview feature being added to the blog recently. There’s nothing like getting the hot scoop on a new story directly from your favorite authors before the first chapter has even posted! That’s exactly what the crew at TLS has started providing the fandom. How lucky are we?
Very.
In the mood for a one-shot? Well, they’ve got that covered, too, in the Lemon Drops section of the site. Want some hot summer love but don’t have time for a full-length fic? Or maybe you’re looking for some down and dirty holiday humping? TLS has already done the work and found perfect, quick reads for you. All you have to do is pick your poison.
My favorite thing about TLS is the support the staff gives the authors in our fandom. Updates from our tried and true veteran authors are posted in the Facebook group, sometimes before the author even has a chance to announce a new chapter. Another great thing? The ladies at TLS are always looking for new talent and new stories, and posting links for those, as well.
Our fandom is blessed to have this hardworking, dedicated group looking out for us and bringing us the gift of great fanfic. If you’ve never checked out the blog, trust me. You’re missing out. Stop by and check it out. Or you can join the fun in the Facebook group! It won’t take long for you to see why this Fandom Achievement Award is well-deserved.
Thank you, TLS, for years of great fanfiction recs. We’re looking forward to more.
- Blinkie by beegurl13 -
- Tribute by Lisa A. Hollett -
Have you ever had someone just catapult into you like a comet and your life is forever altered? That’s TheFicChick. And it’s fitting that her arrival into our fanfiction (and real) lives reads like a line from one of her stories: Life is made up of moments. You never know when one will change your life. (Departures)
In August of 2012, you couldn’t make a move in the fandom without someone asking if you’d read The Purple Banana Hammock. So many people had rec’d it to me that I had the tweeted link to the story faved no less than three times. And it was worth every accolade.
But where did she come from, this anonymous wordsmith? Turns out she’d been here with us all along. Quietly reading and writing, but never posting. And then one day she decided to take the chance and started to share with us the gift of her words.
Departures. Like a lot of fics she wrote early on, this was a one-shot. A one-shot many of us were willing to mortgage our lives to get her to continue. Here was a duty-bound Edward, committed to fighting for his country, but still in search of a girl to commit his life to. And Bella. Smart, self-sufficient Bella who wanted to take pictures of the very world he was trying to get out of. They corresponded mainly by email, beautiful missives of hopes and humor and hot sexytimes.
The Practicum. Light, fun, smile-inducing. Teacher Swan and Coach Cullen. Sex-Ed Class. Bananas. Condoms. What could be better? A friendly, margarita-drinking heroine who took a hometown job to look after her dad and a sweetly inexperienced soccer-playing hero who so memorably asks, "Can I…just…the tip?"
Infinite Visibility. This wasn’t the first time TheFicChick broke our heart and put it back together again. But it was one of the most meaningfully poignant. She warned us with her disclaimer identifying this story as a Twilight/Remember Me crossover. And some didn’t take the chance. But for those who did, the sheer strength and genius of her writing in this story knows no equal. He grins, the familiar smirk chasing the uncertainty from his face. "We have all the time in the world." Team Bella forever.
TheFicChick has written many, MANY other fics there wasn’t space to mention here. There’s too much brilliance for one single write-up. Like many people whose stories we’ve read, TheFicChick went from being an anonymous someone whose stories we alerted, and she turned into a real friend. Her grace, poise, and all-around linguistic awesomeness have made her an asset to this fandom and to the lives of those of us within it.
And, J? I was drinking while I wrote this. As you would expect. And as you deserve. <3
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