Judges' Mention - Author: letmesign

Not knowing who the authors were as we read the entries, I had no idea that entries 50 and 91 were written by the same author. I enjoyed both entries, and now that I know the same person wrote both, I'm even more impressed. The author has taken on canon and AH, M-rated and T-rated, and done both beautifully.

I had the pleasure of reading FLJ_050 in the preliminary round, and it was one of my selections to go through to the finals for the Judges' Selection Round. This entry captivated me the first time I read it. Jasper is a homeless musician, his most prized possession an inherited violin...and the hopeful sentiment that came with it. His playing draws the attention of a crowd, and he is relieved earn enough money to eat that day. His playing also captures the attention of a homeless woman, Alice; he notices and follows her. He doesn't trust her immediately--the author beautifully conveys the cynicism of the marginalized and disadvantaged--but her directness wins him over. The ending of the story is sweet and hopeful, perhaps best summed up by this line: "'I don’t know you,' he murmured, bringing his hands up to frame her petite face. 'But I want to.'"

The author's descriptive writing is what really drew me in. I could feel the chill wind of Minnesota, where the story is set. I could hear the plaintive cry of Jasper's violin. I could feel the hope in his heart as he finally found someone he could trust. Thank you to the author for crafting such a lovely and engaging piece.

~

Like Legna, I had no idea these were written by the same person! They are such vastly different stories, appealing to what feels like very different audiences. “Cadence” is a T-rated human Jasper, while “Identities and Shadow” is an M-rated vamp fic.

This story takes us through a brief moment of Jasper's human time, his time with Maria, and beyond. The author so beautifully and clearly conveys the weight of emotion Jasper is under in brilliant sentences like this, "So when I am immersed in my past, I become immobile, standing still for days at a time as I wait for over a hundred years’ worth of agony to subside."

Jasper meets Alice, and very canon-like, his whole world is turned around. Their lemon is powerful, beautiful, and the tiniest bit funny when Alice says something cheeky to him -- just as I expect them to behave.

We're carried through Alice and Jasper joining the Cullen clan, Jasper's camaraderie with Edward, his bonding with Carlisle, the strengthening of his bond with Alice.

Even though this was "just" a one-shot, I felt like this was one of the most complete pictures of Jasper I've ever read.

- Legna989 and MsKathy

Link to author: letmesign with Cadence and Identities and Shadows

Host Mention - Favorite JILS: Copper Lily by s.meadows

Okay, unlike Elle, I am not going to make up some silly euphemism or whatever to explain what JILS is. Nope, you're not children, I am just gonna go ahead and lay it on the line, I'm gonna tell it to you straight: JILS stands for Jasper I'd Like To Snuggle. Yep, that's right, the Jasper you just wanna grab and squeeze and say, "Aw, don't worry boo-boo, it'll all be all right." And then, if you're like me, after he's all snuggled and feeling better he ends up turning into a JILF again, but whatever, we're not focusing on that part...

The human Jasper from s.meadows' "Copper Lily" was a JILS because, dang, boy has it pretty rough from beginning to end, but his pain is so subtle that, somehow, it kind of makes you feel worse. This is a Jasper/Maria fic and before you groan or get all scared about what a puta she is, this Maria will make you forget every notion you've attached to the name, at least in relation to Jasper and the Twi-world. This Maria barely speaks English, she is cute, demure, and smitten with her Yasper (omg is that not totally awwww?). They take baths together and he teaches her English and God, just writing this is making me misty. The story is incredibly engaging and when I first read it I thought it was very reminiscent of a Cormac McCarthy novel; when I re-read to write this blurb, I saw that she mentioned in her AN that she had been reading a lot of him before writing this, so I suppose that makes sense. She's rather brilliant with the imagery and dialogue - making it folksy and realistic and yet not totally annoying to read - and while her Peter is about the furthest thing from a PILF, he is rather hilarious in his...simplicity. His verbal gems, such as, "Jasper, I never thunk to ask you this before, but how come you speak Mexican so well?" had me giggling hard.

Of course this is a JILS story, which means there were more tears than giggles. S.meadows' Jasper, like Canonsper, is a man of few words and deep emotions - he is a man in love with a woman that his father, and society at large, I suppose, won't allow him to be. He cares not about the opinions of others and his devotion to Maria is unrelenting, even when his father makes it impossible for them. The story is a fantastic tale of love and the many ways it manifests itself, and I guarantee by the end you'll be wanting to snuggle this Jasper something fierce. Maybe even Peter too, dumb little guy that he is.

- LaViePastiche

Link to story: Copper Lily by s.meadows

Host Mention - Favorite JILS: Footfalls Echo in the Memory by inside-the-disarray

Honestly, by the end of “Footfalls Echo in the Memory” by inside-the-disarray, I wanted to snuggle everyone in sight, including Alice (and if you know me at all, you know that’s significant).

I won’t give too much away, because the uncertainty that surrounds Jasper, and how it unfolds, is part of what ups the snuggleability factor, but to give you the basics.... Jasper is a CIA operative who vanishes after a mission. Alice finds him in an alley in Morocco, and when he wakes up, he has no memories of who he is or how he – a blond, blue-eyed guy with a southern-American accent – ended up in a foreign country. Tiny flashes of his life start to come to him slowly – “I speak fluent Arabic. And French. And Farsi I believe, though I haven’t had the chance to actually test that one yet.” – but the majority of who he was is lost. He can’t even explain the “B” tattoo on the inside of his arm.

We follow Jasper (aka. Ben), Alice, and Bella, as they all deal with life following Jasper’s disappearance and discovery in the alley. Jasper’s deepening feelings for Alice are tainted with frustration about what he doesn’t know, and I found myself reading his journal entries (a smart way for inside-the-disarray to share his real worries and concerns) wondering if each tiny surfacing memory would be what would break open his world.

Bella, his fiancée, tries to contact him and is stonewalled by the CIA, and her memories about how things used to be and how things were supposed to be are heart-wrenching.

Alice’s unwavering love and support of him, even though she knows it could all go to hell at any moment if he remembers just the wrong (or right) thing, is beautifully moving.

The contest was filled with sad and broken Jaspers, and this one – who lived a dangerous life but fell victim in a completely unexpected way – deserves to be at the center of a massive #jaspersnuggle.

- ElleCC

Link to story: Footfalls Echo in the Memory by inside-the-disarray

Host Mention - Favorite Use of Edward: Shameless Developments by SweetDulcinea

There were a few stories scattered through the contest that used Edward and/or Bella, depending on the main pairing, in particularly creative ways. For example, "Riders on the Storm" by teacupsNmints - an Edward / Jasper pairing - featured a Bella motorcycle. When I read "Shameless Developments" by SweetDulcinea, I knew immediately that this would be the most creative of the lot.

"Shameless" opens as an Alice / Bella story. They have been dating for three years and have a lively and healthy relationship, both sexually and otherwise. It is after Bella first meets Jasper, Alice's childhood friend, and Bella feels an undeniable attraction to a man for one of the first times in five years, that we are introduced to "Edward."

"Edward," along with "Carlisle" and "Jake," is a featured player from Bella and Alice's nightstand drawer. He is described as a "big boy" and is brought out for particularly..... rousing bedtime sessions.

While I loved this story for many reason aside from Edward's role - and I worry the Edward gals may riot in indignation - I have to admit I was thrilled to see the sparkle peen truly in action.

- ElleCC

Link to story: Shameless Developments by SweetDulcinea

P.S. Extra kudos to AG for her brilliance with this banner. As she said to us, "you know you wanna giggle."

2nd Place Judges' Selection: You Know What You Are by shalu

"You Know What You Are" is a very intriguing alternate universe in which Alice is human, but the Cullens and Jasper are still vampires. Even more interesting is that Jasper had found the Cullens on his own, many years before this story takes place, but, without Alice, was unable to maintain their vegetarian lifestyle, and was eventually ousted, necessarily, from the Cullen coven. shalu shows the profound impact that Carlisle's ultimate disappointment had on Jasper. It seems to have been a last straw of sorts, and when the story begins, we find Jasper at Volterra.

Shalu has managed to paint a very vivid rewriting of the canon history. By doing so, she aptly shows just how pivotal Alice is to Jasper's humanity. We're always told this, and always believe it faithfully, but now we can actually see what Jasper might have been like on his own all those years. Alice's eventual introduction into this story is nothing short of captivating. Without giving too much away, I'll just quote canon and say, "Never bet against Alice." The characterization in this story is so in depth, that it almost has the feel of a multi-chapter story. We're given so much with just Jasper's internal dialog alone, that the story is skillfully weaved in lush paragraphs, particular imagery, and an especially unique and emotionally resonant inner voice.

It's some pretty angsty shit, negl, but honestly, it just kind of makes me want to hump his vampy jock.

- AngstGoddess003

Link to story: You Know What You Are by shalu

Pairing: Jasper / Alice

Jasper / Alice accounted for 39 of the final 120 entries (32.5%).

Pairing: Jasper / Other

While most entries paired Jasper with Alice, Bella, or Edward, there were some that did not (or had some sort of combination of A, B, E).