First Person, Present by AccioBourbon

Official Description:

Peter and Bella prepare to leave for college, but the most important lessons about life aren’t taught in a classroom. A story about getting out from under the expectations of others and learning to rescue *yourself.* An FGB story for Team Peterella.

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The Peter Anthology by Acciobourbon

Official Description:

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5362476/1/The_Twilight_25_Jumping_into_the_Deep_End

Word Count: 16,042

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#Trending Topic: Peterella

Peterella…

… or, “Peter who?”

Maybe it says something about how far we’ve come in Twilight fan fiction that an increasingly popular pairing is Peter and Bella. Tired of the plethora of You-name-it-wards, yet loyal to canon pairings and uncomfortable seeing Bella with Jasper, Emmett, or (shudder) Carlisle? But inside, you still want Bella to find a guy who’s strong, loyal, and sexy as hell? Ladies, meet Peter.

“Huh?”

I hear you all out there, puzzling till your puzzlers are sore. “Acky, who the hell is Peter?” Listen up, lovely readers. Here’s your canon refresher in ten seconds: Peter served with Jasper in Maria’s army, before falling in love with Charlotte, a newborn slated for destruction. They escaped together and later returned for Jasper, convincing him to join them as nomads in the more peaceful North. Peter and Charlotte returned in Breaking Dawn to line up alongside the other 57,000 vampires who showed up to support the Cullens against the Volturi. Whew.

In canon, Peter was such an incidental character that he can’t even really be called a secondary, as the rest of the Cullens and the La Push crowd are. For this reason, Peter can be used as a “blank slate,” especially in all-human stories, although several AU stories also make terrific use of him. This, in my opinion, is his biggest appeal for a writer; Peter is like a ball of clay, one you can shape into an “almost original” character, but without the negative baggage an original character might carry for some readers. Better still, he comes without preconceived notions, as some of the other secondary characters might.

And while many readers profess to be fans of strictly canon pairings, I’ve found that the Peter/Bella pairing is easier for them to accept, since they don’t have to deal with the absence of another canon couple, in addition to accepting whatever might have happened to Edward.

For example, I wrote an all-human Peter/Bella story line for part of my Twilight 25 last fall. Initially, I had a rather dark story in mind for the prompt called “Retribution,” in which a bitter, broken Bella, having remained a virgin at Edward’s insistence, is dumped by him when he goes off to college. Her self-confidence and self-esteem plummet, until Bella meets Peter at party and they share an intense, mutual attraction. Bella decides to vent her anger at Edward by divesting herself of her virginity with the help of Peter, who initially knows nothing of her plan or her lack of experience.

Because I couldn’t see either Jasper or Emmett agreeing to such a plan, I decided to use Peter, characterizing him as a slightly older, self-aware ”old soul” who had dropped out of college to return to Forks and work on his writing.

And then an interesting thing happened: I let Peter lead, and the story became less dark, more hopeful, and 180 degrees from where I started. With Peter, I gave Bella a guy who had enough life experience to be able to help her put her heartbreak into perspective, confront her anger and her grief, and finally, discover her “mojo.” Their relationship continued to evolve across other prompts.

SweetDulcinea is another writer who’s spent quite a bit of time with a human Peter in her Peterella story “Toxic,” in which Peter is the sexy guy in Bella’s past with whom she has some very incendiary sexual chemistry. Her Peter and Bella have some work to do, however, as they try to grow their relationship into something deeper and connect on more levels than just a physical one.

Sweet Dulci on writing Peter: “… I wanted to create a pairing where the readers needed to be convinced to want Peter and Bella together. Edward/Bella is natural for us, so even when Edward is an ass and Bella is an annoying little twit, we still cheer them on. In this case, it was my job as the author to create characterizations and a story that changed readers’ minds – that made them want to try a pairing that was different (and new to most of them).”

For a straight-up romantic Peter and Bella, Sweet Dulci also has a one shot called “The Prince of Crimson Tides.” That Peter is completely swoon-worthy, and well … let’s just say he offers his own “chivalrous gesture” during one particularly intimate scene. You will smile through this entire story.

Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I will tell you that Dulci and I both get our Peter inspiration from this guy, riiiiight here:

ElleCC sent us that photo to let us know what visual she and LaViePastiche used when they did some work with Peter characterizations. The photo went nearly viral across the fandom and is, in part, responsible for some of the surge in interest in Peter stories.

NCChris writes a Peterella story called “Gateway to the Rockies,” in which both Peter and Bella have painful pasts, but must learn to trust and rely on each other if they are ever to heal enough to be good together. Peter wants so much to be the man he believes Bella needs, and despite Bella’s misguided attempts to do what she thinks is best for him, he doesn’t give up on her or the relationship. I like the way Chris has used the other Cullens, and Edward is still a presence in the story, too.

NCChris, on why she writes Peter: “Well, I am a hardcore Jasper fan, so I spend a lot of my time thinking about who Jasper is, especially pre-Twilight. Peter is such an important part of Jasper’s history. I grew to love my ideas of who he might have been and through that, came to be interested in him as a main character as well as a supporting one.”

Interestingly, both Dulci and Chris mentioned the “blank slate” aspect of Peter’s appeal to them, as writers. (And they were completely unprompted by me, I swear!)

As I mentioned earlier, Peterella is featured in some AU stories as well, and for this part of the trend, I went to IdreamofEddy, or, as I call her, “The Source of all Things Peter.” Relatively early on, IdreamofEddy wrote a fascinating characterization of Peter in her epic Jasper/Bella story, “Colliding Meteors.” When she was preparing to write a Bella story using an original character, she decided to use Peter instead, based on her readers’ reactions to him in CM. And now we have “The Orbiting Meteor,” her current story in which Bella has survived heartache and grief several times over, landed on her feet as a college student in Phoenix, and is doing just fine, thankyouverymuch … until one night, while working at her waitress job, she meets a vampire who sweeps her off of those aching feet. This Peter is a complex character — easily one of the most layered ones I’ve read in Twific — and his devotion to Bella is rooted in mystery and a bit of the supernatural. To Bella, Peter is devastatingly sexy and romantic, intelligent, and most important to her, he is honest with her about what he is and exactly what she means to him. But this Peter is not without flaws, and his complicated and mysterious past is an issue with which the two must deal if their relationship is to really succeed.

IdreamofEddy relied on as much Twilight canon as possible to develop Peter. Based on his history with Jasper and his actions in Breaking Dawn, she describes him as “ … intelligent, trustworthy, civilized, and nonjudgmental. [His actions] tell me that he cared for those close to him and that he wanted to co-exist with his kind peacefully. All of this had great bearing on my characterization of Peter in both stories, while at the same time the lack of traits given to him in canon gave me something to work with and build on.”

Are you seeing the pattern here, readers? While we can infer some qualities for Peter from the series, the bottom line is that he is so vaguely drawn that we still can build him into the kind of partner that Bella needs. While we will always love our Byronic hero Edward, there is an increasing trend in Twific to portray him as an ass, and maybe that’s getting old for you. And while we love our Jaspers and our Emmetts, those characters can be problematic, because parts of their canon characterizations seem almost set in stone: Jasper is always intuitive and scarred in some way; Emmett is always fun-loving and immensely strong.

But Peter … Peter can be this:

I laughed under my breath and gave her the biggest grin I could manage before I locked my eyes with hers. I locked the hand I was holding and the arm attached to it down at her side and moved closer to her.

“A man had given all other bliss, and all his worldly worth for this, to waste his whole heart in one kiss upon her perfect lips.”

I watched her face and I watched her frozen form melt. Gone was the anger and embarrassment that had been building up. Those eyes that could burn a hole right through a normal human man softened, and now she was blushing again out of nervousness and attraction. Her vital heart had picked up again in pace, it’s constant thrumming singing to my own lifeless heart. She smiled and looked away shyly, biting that fat lip.

“Tennyson.” She said quietly. – “The Orbiting Meteor”

Or this:

“And, Bella?” I gesture between her and me. “We’ll do this again, when the time is right. And when I have you in my bed, you’ll be staying there for a while. There will be no getting up and rushing off after the next time we make love. That’s a guarantee. And there many not be many of those in a relationship, but you’ve got that one from me.”Twilight 25: Jumping into the Deep End (Awkward)

Or even this:

He stopped me and rested his hand on my neck. “Hey, can you look at me for a minute?” I did as he asked. “I’m thrilled about this idea, but I don’t want you to feel pressured either. I don’t know where you and I are going, but since you told me that you could possibly be moving here, I’ve wanted it so bad. It’s selfish, but I can’t help that.” I smiled at his confession, feeling butterflies dance in my stomach. “I want you to know that this week isn’t just about some fling for me. I’ve always cared about you, and I would never use you. – The Prince of Crimson Tides

I read reviews for Peterella stories (even those written by others, because I’m just weird like that) and I see a common thread running through many of them: “I never thought I’d read Bella with anyone else but Edward, but I love Peter;” “I’m strictly an Edward/Bella girl, but I LOVE this;” “Who is this Peter, and where did he come from?”

And the best of all: “More Peterella, please!”



In addition to Peter, AccioBourbon loves Emmett and Rosalie and reading wonderful stories that feature Twilight’s secondary characters. She’s still learning to juggle her real-life responsibilities with her writing, and she often stumbles badly in this regard. She writes “Inconceivable,” a Rosalie/Emmett story, as well as various Peter/Bella one-shots. She wishes to thank Kassiah for her patience and her faith that she would get this done.

Inconceivable by AccioBourbon

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5268283/1/Inconceivable
http://twilighted.net/viewstory.php?sid=7681


Official Description: Rosalie Hale has wanted to be a mother for as long as she can remember. But what seems easy for other women turns out to be an obstacle that will soon consume her, stressing her marriage and affecting every relationship she has.


Legna says: When Kassiah asked if I would be willing to write a guest rec for Inconceivable, AccioBourbon‘s fantastic Emmett/Rosalie AH story, I jumped at the chance. Not half an hour before I got Kassiah’s email, I had been lamenting the fact that this lovely story has fewer than 200 reviews after nine chapters. Needless to say, the Fictionators’ decision to include Inconceivable in this week’s recommendations could not be more timely, and I am the very lucky reader who gets to recommend it.

I will cop to being one of those people who wouldn’t necessarily pick up an EmRo story if I were just casually browsing for something new to read. I am not alone. Stories that don’t feature Edward and Bella prominently just don’t have the readership that Edward/Bella stories do, and at the most basic level, I understand why. But for anyone who has gotten burned out on our favorite star-crossed lovers or is looking to branch out but still stay within canon pairings, I can’t recommend Inconceivable enough.

This story focuses on Emmett and Rosalie’s efforts to get pregnant – “Operation Get Rosalie Knocked Up,” or GRKU, as Emmett puts it – and as the title suggests, it’s not as simple as wham, bam, here’s the baby, ma’am. Rosalie and Emmett excitedly tell their loved ones about their plans at a holiday dinner full of happy family news, but as months go by with no bun in the oven, the reader can’t help but worry that they jinxed themselves by doing so.

AccioBourbon (“Acky,” as she’s fondly known) wisely takes the first chapter to set up Emmett and Rosalie’s relationship. I was drawn to this couple right off the bat. They joke, they quote movie lines like it’s a competition, they even argue with each other…in short, they seem like people I could know, and like, in real life.

Acky joins other notorious Emmett aficionados like hmonster4 and qjmom in writing an Emmett who is completely swoon-worthy – the type of Emmett you want to throw down and take home to meet the parents. Rosalie herself sums up his appeal best:

In violation of the laws of nature, he was not only adorable and sexy as all get out, but he was also silly and sensitive and unfailingly supportive. True, he left his dirty clothes all over the floor, drank juice directly from the container when he thought I wasn’t looking, and finished the last of the coffee without making more. But he was still like a best girlfriend — with big benefits.

And did I mention he plays hockey, too? This Emmett has all of the most appealing canon qualities – his good-natured attitude, his loyalty, his strength, his dimples – and he’s also smart, driven and successful. This is no frat boy joking about bodily functions.

Inconceivable’s Rosalie is a perfect match for Emmett. As with Emmett, Acky has managed to include the best of Rosalie’s canon qualities while making her relatable and likable. This Rosalie is tenacious and focused, and commands respect with the raising of a single eyebrow. She’s also loving and devoted to her family, and she wants more than anything to be a mom.

The business of getting pregnant is not always pretty, and Acky doesn’t shy away from descriptions of medical tests and procedures, or from the very difficult emotional hurdles a couple faces – both individually and together – when they struggle to conceive.

This story has made me cry and laugh and think and feel. It’s really a hidden gem, although I hope it won’t stay hidden for long.

Kassiah says: Right off the bat, NGL to you; I had an epiphany when I read this. I have been wrong all along. I’ve seen the banner for this story on Twilighted and clicked on it so many times, it’s not even funny. Every single time, I’d read the summary and think- Rosalie? ugh. She’s like my 3rd most hated character. Don’t ask me why. She just is.

Not too long ago, though, I clicked on HMonster‘s rec for AccioBourbon‘s delicious contribution to the Twilight25. When I read that and literally begged this girl for more, I knew something was wrong with me. I mean, I BEGGED. Why was that cause for alarm? It’s Peterella. Peter with a cleft chin and black hair that’s not bronze and sriking blue eyes that aren’t emerald and all hot and muscley and just-not-so-Edward-but-I-want-him-anyway Peter. And I thought to myself, if this author could make me beg her for more of that–well, maybe I could take a chance and check out her Rosalie too. Not like that ::rolls eyes::

Back to my epiphany. All the whining that I have been doing, about how I can only read stories that focus completely on Edward and Bella to be fulfilled and happy? Not true. I was wrong. This. This story totally changed my mind.

AccioBourbon’s Inconceivable tells the story of Rosalie and Emmett as they deal with infertility. The characters are well developed and endearing. The dialogue goes from serious discussion to witty ban
ter flawlessly. The plot is realistic and
amazing. Bella and Edward are happy AND together, and I do not find myself skimming over the R/Em parts to find out what’s up with them. That in and of itself is miraculous for me. I’m invested in the characters, all of them. And I find myself rooting for Rosalie to get what she wants rather than my usual wishing for someone to toss a dog bowl in the direction of her pretty face.

I couldn’t agree more with Legna about Accio’s ability to retain the canon characteristics that we love about Rosalie and Emmett, yet not allow them to weigh us down with monotony. Rosalie has lived her life and is happy; althought she’s always wanted to be a mother, she doesn’t let that stand in the way of living. At first, she is so excited about it because of Emmett’s enthusiasm. Also like Legna said, Emmett is smart and swoonworthy, not just some jock who jokes around all the time. I surprise myself in saying this is absolutely one of my favorite Emmetts ever as well as one of the best Rosalies that I have ever read.

Trying to find a quote from among the many that I love so much was hard for me. I figured it is always a good idea to go with hot:

“And how will I fix it if I don’t even remember what normal used to be?”

“I do,” Emmett said, in a low voice. He took a step closer toward me.

“I used to back you up against a wall and stand this close.” He stopped until our faces were just inches apart.

“I’d slide my hands across your face, and lay one hand on the back of your neck and bury the other in your beautiful hair. I’d kiss both of your eyelids, both cheekbones, and finally your mouth, starting with that bottom lip. And we’d kiss until your knees gave out and I’d catch you under your arms.” A particularly dirty, evil smile spread slowly across Emmett’s face. “You used to cross your legs tight, because you said all the blood rushed to the space between them.”

“So … yeah,” Emmett breathed into my mouth. “I remember how it used to be.”

Anytime I read a story that isn’t about Edward and Bella, which admittedly isn’t often, I try to think “if this were E/B, would I like it? If the answer is an unequivocable yes, then I know it’s just my prejudice. Inconceivable is a story that would without a doubt garner all kinds of praise if its main characters were E/B, but since she has so authentically taken all of the good things that we love about Em/Ro and added in a bunch of delightfulness, it’s even more wonderful. I admit that I really love the details about my favorite couple that she provides, too. There are a few really sweet E/B scenes. js.

This might be my longest review ever. I would just like to appeal to every reader who, like me, normally would only read E/B to take a chance with Inconceivable. It’s an amazing story by an amazing author. You’ll be glad you did.