I Declare This Love On A Ficster Day — FF Recs from @KStew411

I had a whole plan for how I was rec’ing stories for the week, but then I found a new fic and fell in love with it and there went my plan. See? This is why I shouldn’t make plans. The second I decide to do something, inevitably something else happens to throw me off course. I really need to stop trying to plan how I do this. I never stick to it anyway.

I have a quick request to make of my fellow fic readers. A lot of stories have moved, are moving, or are about to move to alternate fanfic sites like Twilighted. I know Twilighted is not the easiest site to use; however, I would like to ask that we not bother the ficsters about our problems with that website. If you’re having issues with Twilighted, they have a FAQ section and a “contact us” feature. Please use them, instead of bugging the ficsters about why you can’t log on or access their new chapter. They don’t know, and they won’t be able to help you. They don’t get paid to write these stories, and increasingly, they’re dealing with a lot of headaches getting their work out to us. I would love it if we could all take a moment today and tweet our favorite ficsters to let them know we’re still reading, reviewing, and supporting them and their stories, despite the current issues going on.

“The Unaccompanied Soul” by JMCullen09

I flipped the fuck out after reading this story. I was browsing through my latest fic search, saw this interesting title with its dark banner and mysterious summary and decided to give it a go. Lately new fics have either been striking me as awesome or horrible, so I wasn’t sure how this one would play out. I read it. I sat and stared into space for ten minutes after finishing it. Then I read it again. Then I flipped the fuck out. I usually hesitate to recommend a story with less than 10 chapters, but I can’t wait on this one. I’m currently on my third read-through and am pulling it apart, looking for clues and foreshadowing. The plot is built largely on a mystery, so pardon the vague summary. Bella and Alice, on the cusp of heading off to college, get invited to hang out with Rosalie and Jasper Hale and the cool kids one Friday night. Despite Bella’s misgivings, they head to an abandoned mental hospital (I can’t help but envision The Frighteners set) to check out if the local rumors of a haunting are true. Bella gets separated from the group and hits her head and then… Well. I can already tell we’re not going to like learning about Edward, so let’s put an ANGST/ABUSE warning on this story. That said, the treatment of everything from the mental hospital to Edward has been amazingly sensitive and respectful, so I don’t think this will be a blood and guts story. But it will be angsty, and it will be difficult. But it’s also beautiful. The thing with Edward and Lancelot–I was kind of choked up for real reading it. Not once but twice! It’s such a small thing but the care in detailing it makes it everything. I am picking this story apart obsessively because I know there are little things already that will become big deals down the road. I really can’t emphasize enough how much you all need to be reading this fic. It’s special.

Another fic, after the jump!

“Retail Therapy” by cosmogirl7481

Since the first story I rec’ed is sort of heavy, I decided to keep the lighter of my original planned rec’s for this week to go along with it. A dose of champagne to chase the heavy draft, if you will. “Retail Therapy” is one of Bestie’s rec’s. She gets really nervous about recommending stories to me, which makes no sense, because she’s never wrong. This story isn’t straight fluff but isn’t total angst either. Career-driven Bella meets Edward one night in a bar, has a one-night stand, thinks she’ll never see him again, then–surprise–runs into him again. Except maybe it wasn’t such a surprise to Edward. This is a strong Bella. She’s capable and willful, but very intelligent and has a wry sense of humor. It’s no wonder Edward falls for her so completely. Their relationship unfolds pretty realistically, given the circumstances. Bella is an up-and-coming young executive with her company, an upscale department store called Fineley’s (my dad managed a department store when I was young, so I really get a kick out of the details of Bella’s job). She’s goal-oriented and very Type A, and super defensive when people assume she has slept the way to the top (her boss is the handsome Michael Newton–my guess puts him in his mid-to-late thirties). Edward is vaguer about his job, just saying he works in “investment” and his family has a charitable foundation. Though it can get a bit heavy between Bella and Edward, there are some lighthearted moments throughout, making for a nice, swingy tone in the story. I have really enjoyed this one over the last few weeks, especially as Edward’s big secret (when doesn’t Edward have a secret?) has come to light. I can’t wait to see how Bella reacts when she confronts him. One thing about this Bella, she speaks her mind. It makes for a highly entertaining read. If you’re looking for something fluffy but with an edge, “Retail Therapy” is for you.