To me, life was a heartbeat in time and a breath of air. Jasper showed me it was truth, justice, faith, love, and fear. He dared me to be different. He encouraged me to defy the rules of my world and create my own. And on my last day, he took it all. Jasper/Bella Rated M
I absolutely love Oracle Vas’ writing, so I was very excited to see that she had started a new story. Just the summary alone was intriguing, especially, "And on my last day, he took it all." I couldn't wait to dive into this story.
I like the fact that Cris took SM's story about what happened at the baseball field with the nomads and made it her own. That's exactly what should have happened, IMHO. I think I shivered when I read that Jasper had a look of pleasure on his face after he destroyed the nomads. I knew then and there that this was going to be good. Edward in this story is his typical overprotective self but he does let Bella spend time with Jasper. Jasper is supposed to be helping Bella adjust to the idea of becoming a vampire. I'm sure that if Edward knew some of what Jasper is teaching Bella, he wouldn't approve at all.
With Jasper, Bella starts to see her world in a different light. He doesn't sugar coat with her, and he especially doesn't help when she falls. I think the methods that he uses with her are supposed to make her stronger. I think he wants her to be a leader and not a sheep, following others around.
I can't entirely figure out Jasper and his real motives with Bella. I'm not sure if they are supposed to be mates and he wants her to live up to being HIS mate or if he indeed is playing a game with her, only to kill her in the end. Either way, I'm completely loving Jasper and really starting to enjoy the growing, stronger Bella.
One other thing that I absolutely love is that Cris gives me even more reasons to hate Edward. He really is a douche.
This story is wonderfully written, very intriguing, and it opens my mind to a new way of thinking about Jasper, Bella, and the whole Cullen Coven. I have enjoyed every bit of it and I can't wait for more.
Thank you, Cris, for sharing this incredible story with us.
It wasn’t such a difficult decision to choose Oracle Vas’ Conversations with My Killer as our Group Fic Pic this month. Typically, we all nominate stories individually and then blind poll to get our winner for the month, and to be honest, I can’t remember now which of us sent the email first about CWMK. All I know for certain is that on one of my rare times on Twitter, I saw a tweet run through the masses that Oracle Vas had published the first chapter in what would become a multi-chap Jasper/Bella VAMP fic.
Key word for me - VAMP.
You see, I simply hardly – if ever – read AH, and while Oracle Vas had always come highly recommended to me, there was always another vamp fic available to be read. But when I saw that tweet go out, I flocked – just like everyone else - to see what kind of goodies were in store for us fine readers.
From there began a, “Have you read CWMK?” email spree. We never actually voted this month for GR – we just naturally came to the conclusion that this was the story we would all use for our Jasper-focus – not just because it’s an incredible and incredibly-written story but because it caused and still causes much debate.
Right from Chapter One, Oracle Vas has held my attention. She is a very gifted writer, and I was struck immediately by how different her Bella and Jasper are from a lot of the stories out there. Actually, there are some very fine and original characterizations available to us by some very talented writers, some of whom I know and call friend, so it was just fantastic to read another author whose work is both respected and original.
The first thing that strikes me immediately about Oracle Vas is her writing style – sarcastic, witty, hysterically funny...and most of all, insightful. CWMK takes a different look at Twilight, where the baseball confrontation turns out to be eight shades of different from what we all know to be “true”. In this altered universe, Bella and Edward have just happily moseyed along in their relationship to the point where it is now post-graduation and they, or Edward rather, is planning their wedding. But Bella is at a crossroads, unhappy about her relationship with Edward, and she is questioning her sense of self. She wonders where the real Bella has disappeared to during the course of her relationship, and she is now trying to take a stand to find the girl who used to have tastes, needs, and desires all her own.
Jasper, who is Alice-less in this story (she’s always been out of the picture physically for reasons all her own, and thus Bella has never met her in person), makes Bella think in this story. He questions why she won’t do, say, or think what she’s really feeling. He tips Bella’s axis of the world with his caustic presence, and it is only with Jasper that Bella truly reveals herself. He unhinges Bella and is completely unpredictable. But through Jasper, Oracle Vas makes her readers think too. I personally look forward to each update simply because I want to see Oracle’s spin on life, the universe, and everything in between – and if it means the Mud Prophet brings me this insight...well, you won’t hear any complaints from me. As well, the sheer mystery of Jasper’s presence in the Cullen home – what his role is both there and with Bella – is truly intriguing. I have my own hypothesis, but I’m not sharing.
Now, based on the title of this story, you may wonder, “Um, will this story be angsty? Will there be an HEA? Do I want to read a story that may not turn out ‘well’ in the end?”
The answer?
Yes, you do. And Oracle herself gives us the reason why through a conversation between Jasper and Bella:
With that, the subject was dropped, and his capricious wanderings led him over to my desk. He picked up a book and thumbed through it. "Louisa May Alcott. I am unfamiliar with this one."
A Long Fatal Love Chase. "It wasn't published until over a decade ago."
"May I borrow this after you're done with it?"
I found it interesting how this time he was borrowing, not that I was going to complain. It actually seemed natural to share with him. "Borrow whatever you like. You can take the book now. I've already read it."
Jasper ran a finger over the lettering on the cover. "A title like this tells the whole story, yet people will still read the book. It's a curious thing."
"Not really. I want to know why she ran and why he chased her. I want to know how long she lasted and who died. The title may give a hint to the end, but the path to that ending is what interests me."
The main concern for many who might decide to read CWMK is whether Jasper is…well, just going to kill Bella in the end. But death can mean a human-vamp alteration, too, so the title is definitely open to much speculation.
But even if Jasper does do away with Bella and it’s not an HEA, which I highly doubt, I still want to know how Bella “dies” by the Mud Prophet’s hand, as well as the path to that ending. This is what interests me, and I believe it would – or should – interest you too.
One thing I must say for this fic, as well as the author’s other works, is that it gets some people talking. She is original, imaginative, and always thinks outside the box, which is something that so many readers love about her stories. You can’t not feel something for her fics, whether it be love, hate, excitement, annoyance, frustration, anger, angst, whatever. She takes you in such directions that you always have a reaction of some kind. And that is why her fics are so talked about.
With this newest story, she takes the canon characters, actions, events, everything and twists them into this original version all her own. Her characters are complex and intriguing and for the most part react as you would expect – imperfectly. SM’s characters and story were so perfectly lined up sometimes that you could almost see the ruler she used to write it. But something that I always enjoy is the ‘realness’ of the characters. They fuck up and make mistakes and sometimes go through the hardest of times, but they tell an amazing story along the way. This is what makes a great story.
Personally, I have trouble reading this one because I want to bash Bella’s head in. While I have read all that is out there now, I may wait until it is finished so I can read it all in one go or something. While it’s great writing, sometimes she pushes it a bit too far for me and I start seeing this whole yo-yo effect happening, like with Bella here. First, she’s whining about Edward and that not everything is perfect but she doesn’t do anything about it. Then when she tries to talk to him, she again lets him off the hook but still continues to whine. So it drives me nuts waiting for her to grow some balls and stand up for herself, see?
I guess the beauty of it is that you are learning everything as Bella does and feeling her frustration. The problem is that I try to put myself in her shoes when I read and I can’t because I keep wondering why she doesn’t just ask certain questions or do certain things, etc.
So, like I said, you can’t not have a reaction to this fic. It’s original and crafty and makes you think, definitely – the trip to the pound shows you that in glaring colors. So I urge everyone to give it a try and see what you think, then tell us!
Oracle Vas' new story is intriguing, mysterious, erotic, enticing... Oracle, who previously brought us First Love Lost and Last Love Found, two AH J/B fics, is in the process of writing an AU vamp fic for us. Set in SM's world and following SM's “rules”, Oracle's story veers away from Twilight at the baseball field. Actually, it veers a bit before that – Alice is not physically present in this one, having left the family before Bella arrives to pursue....something. And Alice and Jasper were only ever friends. But in general the story is going in the same direction as SM's.
Bella's marriage to Edward is fast approaching, orchestrated with Alice's assistance from a distance. After the wedding comes the Moment of Truth, when Edward will change Bella . Just like in SM's world, in Oracle's world it was a compromise – “Marry me and I'll change you.” Jasper has, for some reason, been 'assigned' to her to help her address issues and answer questions about her upcoming immortality. It's all very strange to Bella and to us the Reader. Everyone behaves very oddly when it comes to Jasper. Case in point – they will be moving from Forks when Bella is changed. Esme is, of course, already planning things for the new house, like...the room arrangements, and she doesn't have Edward and Bella, who will be honeymooners at that point, sharing a room. In fact, she has Bella sharing a suite with Jasper “Because he'll need to be nearby,” Esme explains, to have easy access and to deal with Bella's newborn-ness. Nobody, including Edward, finds this odd. Bella, however, finds it quite odd. In fact, the more she pays attention, the odder she finds ALL of their behavior concerning Jasper. And so do we.
Jasper seems to be taking his role as tutor quite seriously, and he forces Bella to think and to question her decisions – decisions about Edward, decisions about her choice, decisions about EVERYTHING she thinks she knows. It's a fascinating glimpse into vampire life and it makes me think about things I haven't thought of, either. The Mud Prophet is teaching Bella SOMETHING, but we're not quite sure it's what Edward had intended. In fact, I'm pretty sure if he knew what was going on that the “lessons” would end. No, they aren't fooling around behind his back, but Jasper is definitely leading Bella in a direction that will take her away from being Edward's easily-controlled pet. In the process, Bella seems to be starting to have what might be construed as inappropriate feelings for her teacher. And I get the feeling Jasper is starting to have some pretty inappropriate feelings himself. For instance, a grocery shopping trip to the local animal shelter, where Jasper is DETERMINED to force Bella to pick out his next meal, ends up with Bella finally growing a set, and by the end of the scene Jasper is threatening Emmett bodily harm if he even THINKS about touching “our dog”. Now, PART of me thinks – ooohhh, how sweet. But this IS Oracle Vas, so I'm withholding final judgment on THAT situation. I'm not sure the dog won't yet end up as Jasper's dinner, just to prove some sort of point.
The title just about tells us how the story will end...sort of. Maybe. “Killing” can have more than one meaning in the world of SM's vampires, so...I personally have high hopes that its not the sort of “killing” that is, well, of a more permanent nature. But you know what? If she DOES end up being killed dead, I don't think I'll mind. It's all about the journey – as Oracle has Bella remind us, point blank, at one point. And so far, it is one fascinating journey.
One of my favourite J/B authors has once again graced us with a new fic. To say that I was excited when I saw a new story alert from Oracle Vas in my inbox is an understatement.
I remember one of the Lambs saying that a good fic stays in your head hours after you've finished reading it. This is the same for CWMK. True to Oracle Vas' style of writing, this story had me wanting more from the get-go. The more the chapters that were presented, the more the questions that were embedded in my mind. Is it safe to consider this a mystery genre? Not really, but it does makes you think. Honestly, it confuses the HELL out of me, but not to the point where I was so frustrated I wanted to bang my head repeatedly against the wall. It made me want to google for more answers, it made me spam the rest of the lambs so we could discuss it. I am in awe of how Oracle Vas can affect her readers this way.
