#there's a million other fics that focus on that ship go read them leave mine alone

[mozart-the-meerkitten]

someone, commenting on my fic: I wanted you to write a (non canon) ship moment in this chapter

me: *looking at my tags that say nothing about shipping, at its "gen" ao3 label, at the fic that has had absolutely no shipping in it so far* what on earth made you believe I was writing a story with shipping in it

[fromiftowhen]

The Rookie: 3x09 Amber Thoughts/Spoilers

I have… a LOT of thoughts about this episode. Unsurprisingly, the majority of them are Chenford related, but I had a LOT of West and Lopez feels too, so. Here we go. I started to try to get my feelings out, but it just became me copying quotes that I either laughed or had other feelings about, so…

“Grey’s busy, and Smitty’s getting a back tattoo.”

“That’s --”

“Don’t ask.

-- When I say I laughed out loud. Jackson and Smitty’s relationship is one of the best callbacks this show does, and every mention of that ridiculous man is hilarious.

“But it’s super important she doesn’t get shot today.”

“No promises. You ride with me, you ride the rollercoaster.”

-- Nyla Harper is my favorite person. She was excellent in this episode, from the very beginning to the sweet moment at the end (that ending scene did NOT need to be about Nolan, this should have been solely focused on Lucy and Jackson and what they accomplished today, but I can’t say I’m surprised. But Harper made it better.)

Tim tossing the list out the window immediately.

“You know, littering is a $250 fine.”

“Worth it.”

Lucy pulling a backup list right out. They know each other SO well.

-- HILARIOUS. Although I’ll admit my guard was up the moment she pulled that list out and used the word “trickery.” It worked out differently than I thought it would, but… well. We’ll get to that.

“I knew my TO would be important to my career. But I don’t know. I didn’t realize how important you’d be to my life.”

-- I should have been more prepared for the Lopez and West feelings today. Their relationship probably started out the rockiest of all the TO/rookie pairings, and maybe rightfully so… but it’s become the least complicated, the closest to friendship the fastest, and their bond is just really something. Jackson was right - a LOT has happened in their 13 months together (yes, show, I remember exactly how long it’s been -- do you?) and they’ve both grown and changed in such wonderful ways. Angela looked sentimental the whole episode (while still being her badass, hilarious self) and West looked SO relaxed, it was such a lovely bookend to their first days together.

“I wish someone taught me how to be in this one.”

“Oh, so we are in a relationship.”

-- All the references to a relationship were good, if not entirely baity. But Tim’s delivery of that line was amazing and made me laugh out loud. He sounds so long-suffering and very much like an exasperated husband, and it really pinpointed one of the ways they interact that just WORKS so well. It just feels natural, and Eric Winter’s delivery was great.

“Tell me the truth -- Am I gonna poop myself?”

-- This entire conversation was so randomly hilarious (but added levity they all clearly needed then). Harper and Lopez are hilarious together and I truly wish the show gave us more of that.

“Don’t worry -- I will personally stand watch over your kid until you leave the hospital.”

-- Jackson West. I love you.

“I really hope our last shift together doesn’t end with that.”

“Yeah, me too.”

-- EMOTIONS.

Tim distracting her with her list. The man KNOWS her. And him acknowledging that she’s been to hell and back. Again, I say -- EMOTIONS. It was such a good callback to him knowing she needs to focus on work and order and process to remain calm in some situations.

“One look from you could send me into a tailspin.” And one day, it will again -- in an entirely different way, I am SURE. The way they both knew she was referring to Plain Clothes Day was great.

“I dunno. Smitty is surprisingly maternal.”

“That is the most horrifying idea I’ve ever heard, and I want it to be a reality show so bad.”

“Right? I would watch the hell out of that.”

-- Lowkey this was the most hilarious exchange of the night. I would also watch the hell out of that reality show. All these little moments made me miss Lopez and West together so much. Their scene at the end of the episode was lovely. All the times he thanked her. Please still let them interact often. The show NEEDS it.

“We did it.”

“No. You did it.” THE MOST TIM BRADFORD THING I’VE EVER HEARD.

“Office Chen impressed me with every decision she made today. I will miss riding with her.”

The callback to the evaluation in Plain Clothes Day. My heart skipped a beat, honestly. The way that Tim was looking at her in this scene while she read the note was… it was a lot, and apparently too much for me to process currently because that’s the most intelligible thing I’ve got to say about it.

“You don’t let anyone ever tell you you can’t do something. Not even me.”

-- WHILE HE HELD THE HANDSHAKE. This one line tells you all you need to know about Tim Bradford and his RELATIONSHIP with Lucy Chen, honestly. He knows she’s “as tough as they come” and has “been to hell and back” and he knows, even if it scares him, even if it gives him flashbacks to Isabel, that she can do it.

Her gift to him was such a nice callback. For a show that doesn’t seem to track or care about its actual timeline, they’ve done a wonderful job with callbacks especially this season, and especially Tim and Lucy related ones. All the Caleb/Rosalind stuff. All Isabel mentions. Multiple mentions of Plain Clothes Day and their first day riding together, etc.

Every. Single. Time. He has called her Lucy this season, I have had to compose myself, none more than in this episode. I do kind of wish they’d waited until that last moment to have him call her Lucy (to her face, we all know I don’t think the phone call scene from season one, although one of their very best moments, counts)... it might have felt slightly more impactful (although the moment in the season premiere was great in its own way.)

Honestly, it was a little weird for me watching the show tackle their final moments as TO/rookie because I’ve written so many versions of that myself? (And look, I’m not gonna lie, their version gave me feelings, but I liked mine better). I wish that truly lovely garage scene hadn’t come on the heels of that “confession” scene, but it did help make up for it.

You might have noticed that I specifically skipped over that “confession” scene in the shop. As soon as he started talking about lying and UC work, I said “ugh” and then immediately wrote the scene in my head -- down to her laugh, it was that predictable once you got the gist. And I’m going to be honest -- if I had written it, I would have deleted it.

I KNEW going in -- and I think most people will agree -- that this was not going to be a true confession. That we weren’t going to get a Chenford love confession tonight (and please, can we discuss that ‘canon’ and ‘endgame’ are not interchangeable for just a sec.) But the way it happened just felt SUPER ship baity, and using it in the promo even more so. I just felt super pandered to in a ridiculous way that didn’t leave me with the most pleasant feelings about the writers… the garage scene at the end definitely helped, but overall the confession scene left a sour taste.

The thing is -- the things she said? How he saved her? How the reason he’s protective of her is that he might have feelings too? Those are all valid things! And things that, at least in fic, I believe. But watching that scene, me, someone who can read something shippy in the TINIEST glance? I didn’t FEEL those things. I wasn’t nodding along like “yep, yep, that’s all true” -- there wasn’t a moment during that scene where they looked at each other and I thought “yes, this is hitting too close to home for one of them.” Maybe that’s just me. I don’t know.

And I don’t know if that’s because I was too in my feelings about being badly pandered to, or if it just wasn’t there, or what. But… just overall I’m left with a feeling that it was just an entirely unnecessary scene that probably didn’t serve the ship well, just judging by some reactions I’ve seen.

Those feelings though? The ones I wanted to feel in that confession scene? I FELT THOSE, every single one of them, in the parking garage scene at the end.

Every look was perfect. Every pause, the handshake (a hug would have truly saved the confession mess, let's be honest, but can't be picky), the way he looked at her as she read, THAT is the writers do SO perfectly right for Tim and Lucy (and I know the majority of that credit goes to Eric and Melissa, because the moments that are the most impactful are the looks that just can't be entirely scripted.)

Do I still ship them with every fiber of my being? Yes, and nothing the writers do or don’t do will change that. Will I still (eventually again) write a million words about them falling in love how I think they should? Yes. Do I need the show to stick to moments like in the parking garage -- real, honest moments between them? YES. That is what the show gets right about their relationship. If they can just stick to those moments -- and somehow continue them and make them believable even if they’re no longer riding together -- I’ll be happy.

Am I worried about their interactions now that they’re no longer riding together? Yes. Their chemistry is honestly the best thing on this show. Giving less screen time to Lopez and West together has been rough -- not only on the relationships aspect that so much drives the show but on the timing/pacing as well -- and I worry that their best characters/best ship not sharing as much screen time will not help either of these issues.

Maybe they’ll surprise me. I hope -- I think -- they will.

(Random, but things I still need from this season: A Rachel mention? Don't get me wrong, if they want to forget her, I'm cool... but it feels like (even a fake love) confession should have been the right time to be like "I know this is awkward, you're dating my friend..." Come on, show. I don't care about her, but you tried HARD to sell us on her last season, so at least give her a two second mention to update us on what is actually going on. The Lopez-Evers wedding. (Do I think it'll be THE Chenford event most people are hoping for? No. But I'm ready to be proven wrong.) A continuation on Harper's love life. UPDATE ME on my girl.)

[smegdwarf]

But Who Could Love Me? - Red Dwarf Fic (Rimmer X Reader)|Chapter 1 (1/2)

A/N: Did you really think I hold back? :P

Warnings: None, just fluff

Summary: Pretty much giving Rimmer the love he deserves 😌

Chapter 1

Your POV

Why was this happening? What was going on and how in the entire universe did you end up here? Scrambling to your feet and fumbling along the corridors, almost as if you had drunk several crates of beer on an empty stomach, you tried to figure out where you was and whether or not you was alone. After all there was only so much time before this was bound to happen again.

“Alright?” A voice boomed as a picture appeared on a screen near you.

“Christ!” You jumped back, almost falling to your feet again.

“Sorry didn’t mean to scare ya” The voice apologized “I’m Holly!”

“Where am I?” You stuttered, feeling the flickering approaching.

“JMC Mining ship Red Dwarf” Holly confirmed your suspicions.

“Is there anyone on this ship?” You asked, the flickering become more constant and harder to fight against.

“They’re in...” Before Holly could finish everything went black.

What felt like an eternity but was only a few seconds in reality you reappeared from your light bee with an almighty thud as you hit the metal wall of the ship.

“Did you guys hear that?” One voice exclaimed

“Probably another part of the ship falling apart ignore it” Another completely fed up voice grumbled as the door you had landed near opened.

“Sirs you might want to come and take a look” That was definitely a mechanoid.

“What is it Krytes?” A scouse voice asked.

“Ma’am are you ok?” The mechanoid asked as I finally opened my eyes.

“Oh great another human and it’s a female” The grumpy voice from earlier groaned.

“Alright Rimmer, keep your ‘h’ on” The scouser replied.

“Shut up Lister!” Rimmer growled.

“Mr Rimmer sir...” The mechanoid stuttered.

“What is it Kryten?” Rimmer rolled his eyes.

“I’m not human” You mumbled as you rubbed your eyes, the flickering feeling returning a little “Do you a medical bay on board?”

“Of course ma’am” Kryten looked over you concerned as you tried to stand up.

“I need to get there ASAP” You grumbled as you rubbed your eyes once more knocking your hair from your face and revealing what you truly were.

“You’re a hologram?” Rimmer stood stunned as you began to flicker in and out again.

“I need to go now!” You exclaimed as Lister and the remaining unnamed crew mate helped you to the medi-bay.

Hooked up to the red dwarf holo system, Kryten set up a scan to find out what was causing you to flicker out.

“You’re a hologram?” Rimmer repeated himself.

“Am I? I wondered why there was a big ‘h’ on my head?” You teased but it went straight over him.

“It appears your light bee has a crack ma’am, which is causing you to flicker in and out and glitch” Kryten eyed over the scan results as he explained the issue.

“Is it fixable?” You asked.

“Sure is ma’am” Kryten gave you a reassuring smile.

“And please call me Y/N” You smiled back.

“Hang on can’t the ship only maintain one hologram?” The unnamed crew mate pointed out.

“Shut it Cat!” Lister shushed him.

“A couple updates and a few adjustments and the ships system should maintain several holograms” You smiled “How long will it take to fix the crack?”

It was then that you noticed Rimmer had left the medi-bay, clearly not pleased about sharing the ship with another hologram. It didn’t take Kryten long to fix the crack and before long you were helping him update the hologram program to maintain both you and Rimmer.

“Well if you would excuse me ma’am I’ve got a load of Mr Listers laundry to catch up on” Kryten nodded in your direction “You’ll find the crew down the corridor on the left”

“Thanks Kryten” You smiled as you parted ways with Kryten to find the others “Hi, hope I’m not disturbing anything?”

Upon seeing you, Rimmer jumped up from his seat and took himself and the book he was reading to his bunk without a word.

“Of course not, sit down and help yourself to a beer” Lister grinned “Did Kryten fix you up?”

“He did and the hologram program has been updated to maintain both me and Rimmer” You replied earning a not so subtle scoff from the hologram throwing a strop.

“Ignore the smeghead over there” Lister rolled his eyes towards Rimmer.

Rimmer was a mystery, he avoided you at all costs for the 3 weeks you had been stuck on Red Dwarf. Even though in those 3 weeks you had become good friends with the rest of the crew. It was all about to turn upside down as Kryten had bad news to deliver.

“Are you coming?” You spoke towards Rimmer but you dared to look at him.

“Y/N, Rimmer we need to get to starbug NOW!” Lister burst in, Krytens bad news had to wait.

While Lister run ahead it left you and Rimmer walking to spacebug alone in complete silence. Lister had filled you in on Rimmer, on why he is the way he is and why he seemed to hate you with every inch of his hologramatic being. He didn’t trust anyone and perceived everyone as a threat due to his crappy upbringing and constantly being shot down. It was clear the man had issues but it would be wrong of you to treat him differently because of them and it didn’t help that the rest of his crew liked to play on his insecurities. If anything you just wanted to be acquaintances if friends wasn’t possible.

After all piling into Starbugs cockpit Kryten filled everyone in, an abandoned ship was slowly flying by Red Dwarf and it was up to this crew to check it over for remaining crew or supplies that could be useful on ship.

“Rimmer are you still sulking?” Lister decided to spark a conversation, apparently at the expense of Rimmer.

“I’m not sulking, I just don’t see why we need to check this ship, we’ve already got an extra crew mate on board ...we don’t need anymore” Rimmer kept his eyes on the console in front of him as he spoke however you couldn’t take your mind of the fact he referred to you as a crew mate. Maybe he’s finally warming up to you.

“Maybe we’ll bump into Ace?” The Cat decided to join in, Lister has briefly mentioned Rimmer’s alter ego Ace and from what you could gather everyone but Rimmer liked him.

“Ah I love that man” Lister joined in as Rimmer let out a groan “The only version of Rimmer that can be considered a man”

“Alright guys give it a rest, how would you like it we were teasing you?” You shut them down, noticing Rimmer turning from his screen to look at you for a split second from the corner of your eye.

“Did you just stand up for Rimmer?” Lister turned to face you as did Kryten and The Cat.

“Is that so wrong?” You raised your eyebrow.

“Yes!” Lister, Kryten and the Cat said in unison.

“Well you’re all a bunch of smeg heads” You grumbled.

“Ooh Y/N cares about Rimmer” Lister teased as Rimmer let out a tut.

“Have we reached the ship yet?” Rimmer growled as the ship came to a sudden stop with a jolt.

“Erm ...maybe” The Cat smiled awkwardly, clearly too interested in the drama in the cockpit than the spaceship we were hurtling towards.

“Here’s the plan, Y/N, Lister and the Cat look for any remaining crew members, Kryten and I will look for supplies” Rimmer ordered, he may not officially be an officer but 3 million years into deep space with the last human, a robot and a half cat wasn’t going to stop him pretending to be and it wasn’t until he looked up from getting ready that he noticed Lister, Kryten and Cat already down the corridor of the abandoned ship.

“Have fun you two!” Lister shouted down the corridor.

“Smeg!” Rimmer grumbled “Come on”

Of course Rimmer wasn’t pleased to be left alone with you and as much as you wanted to get to know Rimmer better you knew it was not going to be easy.

“Just to set the record straight I had nothing to do with this” You put it out there as Rimmer kept his focus on searching for supplies.

“Uh huh” Was the only response he was willing to give.

“Fine” You muttered under your breath as you too looked for supplies to take back.

“Nothing in here, onto the next room” You let Rimmer boss you about, after all standing your ground against him would just end in a fight.

“Yes sir!” You replied sarcastically, earning a frown before he walked off.

After a few more rooms it was clear there wasn’t much to salvage besides a few crates of lager, medical supplies and a bunch of stationary that only Rimmer would’ve spotted.

You and Rimmer sat in Starbug in silence as you waited for the others to return, Rimmer completely blocking out his surroundings as he went through his new haul of pens and notebooks. You knew Rimmer wasn’t like the others, as much as he hated to admit it he was shy and very awkward, his interests were on the opposite end of the scale to Lister and the Cat and he had clearly built up some very high walls in need to protect himself. Watching the way his face lit up over his new stationary made you smile, a smile you were completely unaware of until Rimmer looked up.

“Shouldn’t the others be back soon?” You immediately tried to change the subject as Rimmer tried to put his focus back on his notebooks but unbeknown why, he was struggling.

“Listy? Can you hear me?” Rimmer poked a button next to his monitor.

“Having fun Arnie?” Lister teased once more through the reciever.

“Have you found anyone?” You jumped in, you wasn’t in the mood to hear him taunt Rimmer more.

“Nah we’re heading back to Starbug now! What about supplies?” Lister replied.

“Found a few crates of lager and some medical supplies but that’s about it” You explained, leaving out Rimmer’s stationary supplies to save him from the teasing.

“Nice, we’re a few minutes away, see you guys soon” And with that the cockpit went silent.

Even though Rimmer acted as though he was ignoring everything it was obvious he had picked up on you leaving out his haul to spare him as his foot suddenly started tapping the floor beneath it not sure how to deal with the emotions he was currently feeling.

Rimmer was proving to be a tough nut to crack, either only talking to the boys, remaining silent or even leaving the room in some cases. He did talk to you but only when it was absolutely necessary and it became an extremely regular thing for the rest of the crew to run off and leave you alone together.

Another day ...or night ...it was a guessing game half the time and even if it did turn out to be midnight it didn’t stop You and Lister chowing down on a hefty bowl of cereal.

“Thanks Krytes” You smiled as Kryten placed a bowl of your favourite cereal and juice on the table in front of you as you remained focused on the book you was reading.

“You’re welcome ma’am!” Kryten smiled before scuttling off, after all there was always bound to be a basket of Listers socks and underwear in desperate need of cleaning.

“Hmm that’s good” You happily munched away on your breakfast, noticing Lister hanging over the side of his bunk from the corner of your eye “Don’t even think about touching that guitar”

“Yes please don’t” Rimmer walked in, eyes down on the papers in his hand.

“Alright jesus” Lister whined as he threw himself back in his bunk.

“Good morning Arnold” You called him by his first name in an attempt to get a reaction from him.

“Morning” Rimmer mumbled looking up from his notebook for a short second before looking back down, he definitely noticed.

“What are you up to?” You asked trying to spark up a conversation with the hologram sat opposite you.

“Probably studying to fail his Astro-navs again” Lister teased.

“Oi!” You shot Lister a look.

“Do you ever stop talking?” Rimmer snapped at Lister.

“Ooh someone woke up on the wrong side of the ship this morning?” Lister set off on his mission to piss off Rimmer.

“Shut up” Rimmer growled.

“Just ignore him” You spoke only loud enough for Rimmer to hear as he looked up and spotted the book you were reading.

“You’re reading the space corps directives?” Rimmer raised an eyebrow at the book.

“Yeah why not?” You smiled as you flicked the page, Rimmer’s eyes shot back down to the paperwork in front of him.

“I wouldn’t bother, we ignore practically all of them” Lister chimed in.

“Correction Listy ...you ignore all of them” Rimmer looked over at Lister sprawled out in his bunk.

“They are rules and rules are for goodie goodies” Lister huffed.

“Rules exist for a reason” Rimmer replied sternly.

“Rules are made to be broken Rimmer” Lister grinned “Not that you’d have the balls to do that”

“Alright that’s enough Lister” You shot Lister a look that shut him up instantly “Every conversation doesn’t have to end in you belittling Arnold”

And it was with that last sentence that Rimmer had up and left. This is how most days panned out, you’d finally get a conversation going then Lister or The Cat would butt in and insult or berate Rimmer. Being 3 million years into deep space you could understand that there wasn’t much to do and boredom would ensue but it wasn’t an excuse to treat Rimmer the way they did, especially knowing what they know about him.

“So are you staying on Red Dwarf then?” Lister asked, eyes fixated on the screen in front of him as he played his video game.

“I don’t know” You sighed, trying desperately to focus on the book you were reading and not on the nonsense in your head.

After a month or so of space exploration with the boys from the Dwarf you had obtained a substantial book collection ...a collection you knew was sparking the interest of Rimmer although he’d rather die again than admit it.

“What do you mean you don’t know?” Lister paused his game to look at you.

“I love Red Dwarf I really do but I know someone doesn’t like me being here” You mumbled.

“Ahh don’t worry about that smeghead” Lister grinned.

“That’s quite hard when you lot keep leaving me alone with him” You grumbled, there was sounds of movement outside the doorway of the crews living quarters to which you assumed was Kryten “I’ve tried my best Dave and he still ignores me”

“You know what he’s like, he’s Rimmer” Lister tried to comfort you but it wasn’t helping, Rimmer being Rimmer was the problem, his personality was so much different to the others which made him all that more interesting but trying to get through those walls was like breaking them down with a plastic spoon, long and tiring.

“How do I get through to him Lister?” You grumbled once more “I’m not a bad person”

“Talk to him” Lister turned back to his game.

“You know he just ignores me” You sighed, maybe there something more than even you were aware of going on “I just want him to feel comfortable around me, I try and start up conversation, I’m nothing but nice to him and I stand up for him when you lot are being smegheads”

“Awh come on winding Rimmer up is fun” Lister smiled.

“Maybe you should take his feelings into consideration every once in a while” You scolded Dave as you left the crew quarters, seeing a faint blur of blue dash down the corridor. It wasn’t Kryten walking past earlier after all, it was in fact Rimmer, the one who you had just been talking about to Lister and he had clearly heard everything as he scarpered away to avoid being seen.

You spent hours traipsing the floors of the dwarf trying to find Rimmer but if there was one thing he was definitely good at it was a hiding.

“Rimmer please come out from where you’re hiding? I just want to talk” You called out with no response until a few moments later there was a loud bang and an ‘oh smeg!” coming from Starbug “Arnold I know you’re in there?”

After a few seconds of silence and no answer you opened the door to let yourself in.

“Can we talk?” You asked as Rimmer sat with his elbows resting on the console and his hands resting at the back of his neck.

“I heard everything by the way” Rimmer mumbled.

[heliopauseentertainments]

21 27?

fanfic end of the year asks

Below the cut for length.

21. most memorable comment/review

That's hard to say because I've gotten a fairly large number this year with how some of my WIPs have turned out.

I've gotten a lot of comments that stood out. Which one had stood out the most because my brain just... does not have that information without trolling through my AO3 inbox (which needs some more filtering options when you've got 700+ in there imo) is tricky to answer. I wish I could filter by fic or commenter or something, anything to make finding them again a little easier.

So how about a recent one that really stuck with me (by @justroddy on Reforged (chapter 55):

“Even Megatron hadn’t escaped unscathed, streaks of black up and down his arms and across his chest.” Is this possibly because... of Megatron perhaps crushing a certain speedster in a relieved hug?

“Rodimus had been comfy on a familiar lap when Prowl wasn’t demanding Megatron’s attention for repairs. Rodimus opted instead to take hold of the large black hand nearby. For now, he would focus on the tingling warmth where their palms touched.” Hey fellas is it gay to sit on your co captains lap and hold his hand

“But being lovingly—protectively—scooped up while coated head to toe in grime tends to leave contact transfers. Proof that he hadn’t imagined it, that he’d been missed and worried over.” *breathes in deeply* *screeches*

“Rodimus wondered what it would be like to feel around underneath the plating when this mech had been at his peak millions of years ago. That thought made his engine turn over with an excessively eager rumble.” Watch out rodimus you’re being horny on main

“He figured out what it was that made his spark spin itself dizzy, that made his plating tense and tingle, that made him want to reach out and simply hold, that made him feel comfortable and safe whenever his co-captain was nearby.” Hoo boy is it happening? Is it happening?

Okay I can’t copy and paste the ENTIRE ENDING of this so it will have to suffice for me to say that ALL of the kiss scene and bits thereafter were PERFECT and SWEET and BEAUTIFUL,,, Rodimus being such an absolute GOOF trying to be dramatic about it but screwing it up and worried Megs will toss him off but instead Megs just,, gently readjusts them so they can kiss properly,,,,

And. Megatron saying he doubts their “relationship” was ever really pretend, and the soft little smile,, auuuIUuugHHHHHh,,,,

This fic is one of the only three things keeping me sane rn and god do you deliver the serotonin

That gave me incalculable glee.

For funsies, I've pulled another fun one from another fic of mine by @cili-ai on An Unintentional Voyage (chapter 4):

Aw, Ratchet is to value to disregard. How kind of Megatron to bodyguard him. 🥺😂

“At best, you’ll find some remains. Those… rocks that organics have inside their bodies instead of proper endoskeletons.” omg, organic internal rocks, I love it!! At first I thought he was going to be talking about fossils but--- bones! XD !!! <3

“Helping other people is good, even if all you can do is your best, even if that best is to be present. This line is so sweet, and so true! Sometimes all you can do is show up and stand for what is right, and its so important for people to be there for each other, I love this! Poor G1 Megs, ratchet wont be intimadated by any counter and the words are so foreign!

Its nice to read that megs doesn't want to physically hurt Ratchet. (what a high bar for the ship, they have a ways to go still! XD <3)

Their sass and bickering argaf, loving it all so much!

Ratchet is going to ask for the signal's hand in spark? The twist! You better work fast megs!! XD

That cliffhanger! What a way to leave us! Thanks for updating, I'm super loving this fic and ahhh so curious to see what happens next and where you take it! <3

27. favorite fanfic author of the year

Let's see. Lemme check my read history really quickly to try and remember what I've read.

I think I'm going to actually have to go with doomspoon888 (Spoon888 on Tumblr). I'm not tagging them because I've never interacted with them at all and don't want to be weird about it. I binged so much of their stuff this year. Just absolutely inhaled almost all of their stuff. Heck, I've reread a lot of it too.

[padfootagain]

Stranded (II)

Part 2 : Lifetimes

Here's part 2 for my first Obi-Wan fic! Hope you like it! Do you want me to do a part three? Then tell me :D If I have enough people wanting me to write more, I'll make one last part.

Gif not mine

Word Count: 3671

Night had fallen on Hoth, and with it, the temperatures. The drop was starting to seriously worry you. You had a vest on, and a pair of leather boots and trousers, but your clothes were hardly warm enough to protect you from such cold. Your teeth were chattering, you had wrapped your arms around your legs in an attempt to keep as much heat as you could, but it was far from enough to keep you warm. By now, you could barely feel your hands and feet as you forced your fingers and toes to move.

Once again, for what seemed to be the hundredth time, really, you passed your fingers before Obi-Wan’s lips to check if he was still breathing. But you felt the burning warmth against your fingers, and you heaved a relieved sigh.

For how long had you been stuck in that cave, you have no clue. You quickly gave up trying to keep a count on the flying minutes. And as the light from outside was entirely blocked by the fallen rocks, you couldn’t use the sun as a marker either. Only the change of temperature made you guess that it was night-time now, but you couldn’t be sure of anything.

"It’s getting colder, isn’t it?"

Obi-Wan’s voice made you jump, bringing you back to reality. You slowly nodded.

"It must be night," you told him. "I just hope it won’t get any colder."

He sat up, his movements slow, but he shook his head when you tried to argue against it.

"I feel better," he explained, although you weren't sure if he meant his words or was simply trying to reassure you.

He reached for your hands, and winced at how cold they were.

"You're so cold…"

He moved closer to you, until he could wrap his brown Jedi cloak around your two frames. He moved an arm around your shoulders, and you leaned into his embrace without any resistance. You couldn't help it… the way you noticed how easy it was for you to fit in his arms…

If only he weren't a Jedi, and you weren't a Senator. If only there wasn't a war raging on. If only you had met in different lives… Or perhaps you had. And perhaps you had shared one or a million happy lifetimes together, but this time, it was a destiny apart that was set for you.

You couldn't help but smile at your own silliness. What could even make you think that he felt the same?

He wrapped his hands around yours again, protecting you from the cold. His fingers were still stained with the red traces of dry blood, but you ignored that detail, just like he did. Slowly, softly, delicately, his thumbs brushed against your knuckles, and the touch made your heart shake. You let your eyes close.

You wanted to remember this. This… this was the closest you would be to him, you guessed so at least. And you wanted to take this memory with you when you both escaped this cave.

The way his calloused hands brushed against yours, the warmth of his frame passing through you, his arm holding you against him, the rhythm of his chest rising and falling with each breath he took and let out, the warm air that left his parted lips only to brush against your hair…

If only this could last forever.

You both remained motionless but for Obi-Wan's brushing fingers for a long while. Your breaths through the frozen air drew crazy patterns before your faces. The plants all around you were still the only source of light, lighting up the passage just enough for you to see the opposite wall.

And the temperature continued its fall…

"You're shaking," Obi-Wan let out in a breath, and his remark finally made you realize your own movements.

"I'm… I'm still so… so cold," you stuttered through chattering teeth.

He tightened his hold on you, but he was shaking as well. His strengths were waning more and more every second that flew by, he felt dizzy. He was losing focus all over again. And he knew you could feel it in the way he held you. He didn't mind though.

No news from Anakin for now. And although Obi-Wan didn't doubt for a second that his friend would find him, the question that remained was: would he found the two of you in time, or would the cold have killed you by then?

Obi-Wan kept on looking for a plan, a way out, some trick to warm you up, but there was no idea crossing his mind. None that would work at least. He was too weak to fight any droids. He was probably even too weak to move these stones away from the entrance… Would your chances of survival be higher in the wreckage than here? He wasn't sure…

He looked at your trembling lips that were slowly turning bluish. He tried to figure out in which direction his instincts were guiding his path. But as he rested his eyes upon you once more, it was pretty clear that he would have done anything to keep you safe.

There was nothing to protect you from the cold in that cave. Nothing could make the situation better in here. He couldn't sense any droids or lifeforms beyond the wall. It seemed pretty safe to go out again. He would probably lose his last strengths in moving these stones away, but he might succeed. And if you stayed, this cave might turn into your tomb…

It was worth a try.

He lifted his hand towards the stones and tried to focus as much as he could, but managed only to make the rocks tremble at his first attempt, none of them moved.

You looked up at him with eyes full of questions.

"What are you doing?"

"You might have more chances if you stay in the ship for the night. You can find blankets and other supplies to keep you warm there."

"Can you walk back to the ship?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Of course, it matters!"

"It's the middle of the night. After that trick of ours, the droids will probably not be sending another wave before sunrise, they will suffer from the cold too. You can find a better shelter in the ship. You won't need my protection for the night. And anyway, you're taking my lightsaber with you. You seem to be good at wielding it."

"I'm not going anywhere without you."

"You won't be needing me, but you need to get better protection from the cold."

"Of course, I need you."

"My mission is to make sure that you reach Coruscant alive, and I intend to complete my mission. Now, just do as I say, please."

You moved away from his arms, the air coming between the two of you right where the other was a second before making you both shiver.

"I am not leaving you here."

"You must."

"I won't do it."

"Look… Senator Y/LN, you have to trust me on this."

"Of course, I trust you, General. That's not the point!"

You had started to raise your voice, and he followed your lead without even noticing, until it was too late and he couldn't go back in time to erase the anger in his voice.

"Then get out of here. It's too cold, we won't make it through the night!"

"I won't leave you behind! We either both go or we both stay!"

He heaved a sigh. A sadder expression formed on his features, but a calmer one as well. When he spoke again, his tone was once more soft, almost delicate.

"I can't stand, Y/N. You have to go to the ship and find a place to take cover."

"What if I come back here with blankets?"

"It will be too cold in the open, you won't be able to make the journey back."

"How can you know that?"

"I know. I just do."

"Well then, it's settled. I'm staying here."

"Have you not listened to a single word I've just said?"

"You're the one who doesn't seem to understand my decision, here, Kenobi!"

"You must save yourself!"

You shook you head, but didn't reply as he opened his mouth to speak again. You waited for him to break the silence around you again, but he didn't. Not right away. Instead, you heard the roaring wind from outside echoing through the cave.

His expression changed so quickly in just a few seconds. First, he was worried, almost afraid. Then he was sad. And finally, he was wearing this stern mask again.

"Your work at the Senate is vital to the Republic. You must do whatever it takes to survive through the night."

His tone was cold now. Blank. Did he really mean it? Was it everything you were to him then? A Senator? Not even a friend? You had known each other for years, and now… of course, you had never acted on your feelings, and of course you didn't see each other on a regular basis but you thought… you thought you were at least a friend to him.

He fled your gaze, bringing his blue eyes down to stare at the dusty ground. He couldn't lie to you while looking at your eyes. It was the only way to make you believe that he meant all these words of his. If he put distance between you and him, then perhaps you would listen to his plea and save yourself.

But seconds flew away and you remained silently staring at him. And after a while, he couldn't avoid your glance anymore. He forced his expression to remain blank as he looked up again.

He could see he had failed though. He could read it in your eyes. You did doubt him now, but your will to stay had not faltered. This stubborn glim was still alit in your eyes.

"You don't mean that," you shook your head, your voice both defying and fragile, almost breaking and yet passionate.

He heaved yet another sigh, and as he stared into your eyes, he knew there was no need for lies. If he was to convince you, it had to be through honesty instead.

"Y/N, you have to take your chance. For me. For many years now, we have been friends… and you have always trusted me. Trust me again, just one last time."

"But that's the thing, Obi. I can't let it be the last time."

There were tears shining in your eyes before you could control yourself. You sucked in a shaky breath. The mere thought that this could be the last time you saw him…

"The Force is with me," he gave you a sad smile. "Y/N, please…"

Slowly, his fingers rose to brush your cheek. The gasp you made… you were certain he heard it, but actually, he was too distracted by his own pounding heart to notice.

Your skin against his… he had dreamt about such a simple gesture. He had dreamt about it being allowed. He had wished for it to happen. He had wished for the knowledge of how it would feel to brush his thumb across your cheekbone. Such a tiny, simple gesture, and yet, it had accompanied his dreams for years now.

It might have been his last chance to know how it felt. So, for once, he stopped worrying about the Jedi way. He stopped worrying about protocol. He stopped worrying about right and wrong and allowed and forbidden. Instead, he worried only about what his heart had desired for years, but that he had always refused for himself.

It was such a simple, innocent gesture, after all. Just a tiny touch. A caress. It barely felt like a breeze. He was dying, it seemed like a good last will…

"You have to save yourself. For me. Please, live for me."

A tear rolled down your cheek, and when he made a movement to move his hand away, you took it in your own, guiding his fingers back to your cheek, until his palm was set on your jaw and he was cupping your face.

"I could never live with myself if I left you here, Obi-Wan," you shook your head. "How could I live knowing that the prize to pay was your life? I can't do it. It's my life, and it should be my choice. And my choice is to stay with you. Obi-Wan, you… I…"

Your voice broke, and he brushed the tear away from your cheek.

Before he could react, you had buried your face in his shoulder, and were holding on his shirt as if your life depended on it.

"I can't leave you."

"You must…"

But you shook your head, your tears falling by now and wetting his beige shirt.

"I love you too much to let you die."

A whisper. Barely a breath. Just a sound he could have missed but by some miracle, he didn't. Just a few words, but how meaningful they were…

Was he right though? Was it all real? Or was he losing sight of the line between reality and illusions because of his wound?

But suddenly there was a crazy hope alit in his heart. He should have felt guilty for it. The Jedi in him should have pushed the feeling away. But who was he to push away love forever? At the end of the day, he was but a human, flawed and incomplete, and if you were his weakness, then what a beautiful weakness he had…

He wrapped his arms around you at last, holding you against him, closing his eyes, memorizing this moment. He wanted to be able to remember this feeling… even if it was just to remember it as he drew his last breath. Actually, it made the perfect last thought. The weight of your body leaning against his, your warmth spreading across his chest and arms, your breath warming his shoulder, the softness of your hair…

He couldn't help but notice how perfectly he fitted into your embrace.

He took a deep breath, tightening his hold on you a little. His head was spinning all of a sudden. How much time did he have left before he would fall to unconsciousness again? He had to say it… he had longed to say it for so long.

He pressed his lips to your ear, his beard tickling you in a way that made your heart beat even more frantically.

"But I love you too much to let you die too."

You pulled away suddenly, just enough to be able to look at his eyes. Searching for an answer, you stared right into his soul. Was it true? Had you heard him right? Was it all real, or just your mind playing tricks on you in this desperate hour?

But you read the answer in his gentle smile, in the fondness on his features as he looked back at you, at the soft glimmer in his eyes that told you he found you the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. He did mean it. He meant it, every word of it…

You ran your hand through his beard and up his jawline, across his cheek and up to let your fingers disappear in his hair that partly fell before his eyes. He melted under your touch.

"It's my life," you shook your head, and there was such determination in your eyes, the battle to change your mind was definitely lost. "I am the one to choose how to use it. And I would rather die tonight by your side than have to live a hundred more years without you."

You noticed the gasp he took, and how hard it was for him to breathe. He seemed to think for a moment, but eventually, a smile formed on his face.

"You really are the most stubborn woman I have ever met, you know?"

You both let out a chuckle, before you finally bent to this urge of yours. How many times had you stopped yourself right at this moment, backed away and pretended like the connection had never happened? You had lost count long ago. You would not try to count any longer. You were ready to bring back that count to zero.

You cupped his cheek and crushed your lips to his. And at first you didn't think he would kiss you back, and you were almost okay with it. He was a Jedi, after all.

But then, his hands moved to hold your face, his thumbs brushing against your cheeks, and when he did kiss you as well, you were certain to have found heaven.

 ---------------------------------------------------------------

 Anakin checked the radar in his hand again. The wreckage was close…

In the sky, the sun was slowly rising with the dawn, painting the heavens with golden shades. The cold was vivid, biting at his cheeks. The wind was deafening. It was such an unhospitable planet…

"Master! There!"

He turned towards his Padawan, and followed the direction she was pointing at. Indeed, he could guess the shape of a stranded ship under the snow.

"Come on, Snips!" he urged Ahsoka as he started to run towards the wreckage.

It had taken longer than he had planned for him to find Obi-Wan's crashing site. The snow made it difficult to spot the signs.

He had not encountered any droids on his way to the ship, and he wondered if they had given up on you and his former master. He hoped so, at least…

But most of all, he hoped he wouldn't be too late.

He and Ahsoka explored the carcass of the ship, but there was not much left. Distorted and melted metal. Cut and burnt wires. Traces of flames and pieces of your droid. Only broken things and traces of a violent end. The smell of ashes still lingered in the cockpit.

The young Togruta found the signs of medical supplies being taken away as well, and Anakin soon found the traces of blood Obi-Wan had left in his wake. They followed the traces out of the ship but snow had covered the rest of the tracks. He cursed under his breath, reaching for the commlink on his wrist.

"Obi-Wan, can you hear me? We're at the ship, where are you?"

But he was met with only silence.

"Obi-Wan!"

Again, no voice answered, only the roaring wind.

"Didn't Master Kenobi speak of a cave?" Ahsoka thought out loud. "And if he was wounded, they couldn't have gone far."

"You're right, Snips. Let's move on. Keep your eyes open."

They advanced through the snow, looking across the white and dark surface of the cliffs in search of a cave or any kind of crevasse. The wind didn't carry snow, but it was icy temperature was enough to make it difficult for the two Jedi to keep their eyes open. Anakin felt like it was cutting his cheeks open. The strength of the raging squalls was impending their movements, coupled to the thick layer of snow that sometimes was up to their knees, it was greatly slowing their pace.

It lasted for only a few minutes, but to both of them, it felt like an eternity. Until finally, Anakin spotted the entrance of the cave. And somehow, he knew Obi-Wan was inside.

"There!" he cried at Ahsoka as he ran towards the dark hole in the cliff.

As he stepped inside sliding a little over the icy ground, he took in the sight of the battle that had been raging on, before noticing the fallen stones that seemed to block the way…

He didn't think and merely rushed to the rocks, starting to dig.

"Snips! Help me out!"

But Ahsoka was already by his side, pushing the stones and the debris of droids away as well. And eventually, they broke through.

You were both sitting against the wall, your arms around each other and Obi-Wan's cloak wrapped around your frames. You seemed both unconscious.

"Obi-Wan!" Anakin called, hurrying by the Jedi's side and softly shaking him. "Obi-Wan!"

A few seconds passed, and for a moment, Anakin thought of the worst. That was it. He was too late. Once again, he was too late to save someone he loved…

But Obi-Wan's eyes finally flickered and opened, and Anakin and Ahsoka couldn't refrain a relieved sigh.

"Anakin…"

His voice was hoarse, low, barely audible, and yet it was such a comforting sound.

"Anakin, how come you're always late?"

They all let out a chuckle.

"That's because you always invite me at the last minute."

You stirred in Obi-Wan's arms, and finally opened your eyes as well. As you realized that rescue had arrived, you finally moved away from him, and Ahsoka helped you to your feet and then to walk while Anakin was taking care of Obi-Wan.

The walk back to their ship should have been rather quick, but both Obi-Wan and you were too exhausted to move fast.

But eventually, you reached the starship, and you both lied down on two benches separated by barely a meter.

"We'll soon be out of here, hang on," Ahsoka reassured you, before following her Master and R2 inside the cockpit to take off.

Obi-Wan and you looked at each other for the first time since you had lost consciousness together the previous night.

And slowly, he reached for your hand.

And slowly, you reached for his.

Was this story forbidden? Undoubtedly. Were your duties incompatible? Society seemed to think so. Was it a good idea to go against institutions and rules to be together? Wisdom would have you answering that it wasn't.

But did you love him? With all your heart. And did he love you? With all his might. And you didn't want this life to be one of these lives where you and him couldn't love each other.

Maybe for once, it could be enough. At least, for this moment...

********************************

Taglist : @ponycake27 @horsesreign @xinyourdreamsx @jbluevelvet @notkeppeki @daynigt-dreamer-stuff @fudgeflyss @stuckupstucky @snek-shit @suchatinyinfinity @i-padfootblack-things @yana-versio @madamrogers

[mfackenthal]

The MFackenthal Show with Birthday Girl @lilyofchoices

banner by @whenyourheartskipsabeat

~~~~~

Megs: Hello hello hello! Today is a very very very special day and I am so excited to announce my next guest.  Please give an extra special welcome to our birthday girl, Lily!

The crowd stands up and cheers as Lily comes from off stage, waves to the crowd and gives Megs a big hug!  When Lily sits down, the audience get quiet. 

Megs:  Wow!  Look at how you command this crowd, Lily.  This group loves you!  I cannot believe you have only been here since March.  

Lily: I know!  It feels like it has been so much longer. 

Megs:  So, how did you come up with your tumblr handle? 

Lily: I hate coming up with names and titles. They are the bane of my existence. Just ask any of my friends on tumblr I’m constantly asking them for help or whining at them. Thank the gods I have help. So my tumblr handle is super boring and unoriginal. It is my name (well one of my middle names) and I’m “of the choices fandom” so...of choices. Yeah, you can groan. It’s bad. I know.

Megs:  Are you really telling me, MFackenthal, that your handle is unoriginal?  

Lily: laughs 

Megs: Anyways, tell me, what brought you to the fandom? 

Lily: Well, I live for crazy and this site definitely delivers on that. Joking, kinda. In all honesty, I created that tumblr on a whim after I went looking for more fanfic to read.  I found @perriewinklenerdie @hopelessromantic1352 and @ahumanmishap and loved their writing.  Their writing inspired me to just go for it!   I created this blog just to post shit and geek out with myself about the newest chapter releases and share whatever fics I discovered. I never in a million years expected to find so many friends and awesome people.

Megs:  But find so many friends you did!  

Lily:  Yes, I did!  They’re all amazing. Well … takes calming breath I’ve had my fair share of disagreements in this fandom and while the haters are hard to deal with and they can get exhausting, they are far, FAR outnumbered by those in this fandom that are here to have fun and be crazy and silly and don’t care if your opinions differ from their own. I live for those types of beautiful people that make this fandom amazing! Plus have you seen the level of talent from the writers and artists in this fandom? I’m constantly in awe of them all.

Megs:  The talent amazes me every day!  Speaking of talent - what’s your favorite work that you have created? 

Lily: Damn girl. You are asking all the tough questions. Why ya gotta do that to me? 

Megs:  laughs and shrugs her shoulders  It’s kinda my job, girl! 

Lily:  smirks  I guess I'd have to say that I love the first chapter of my Merida fic. I wrote it as a distraction, a break if you will, from my real life writing which is dry and boring. We had all just made our way through the Open Heart chapter where Ethan tells mc that Naveen is dying and then Pb won’t let us even hug Ethan. I desperately wanted that so I decided to write it. I’m going on chapter 32 of that fic now. I need help. Oh, but my favorite as far as fandom reactions goes was definitely the chapter where that dirty rat stabs Merida. Y'all lost your minds and it was hilarious.

The audience gasps.  “Oh yeah, I remember that chapter.”  “Landry is the worst.” Members of the audience whisper. 

Megs: I remember that chapter.  I feared you’d go the way of @laniquelovewrites and kill Merida! 

Lily: winks

Megs: shakes her head Do you have any advice for other writers or artists?  Especially those from within the fandom? 

Lily: Well, talking to all you not-yet-writers out there - take the ducking leap lovelies! Do it! Don’t worry about language, grammar, flow, tempo, timing, editing, just write it. I rarely edit mine beyond a cursory review. And ya know what? This fandom loves whatever you give us. And I’m at the front of that line waiting to read it. Seriously! Tag me in anything you write! 

Also, don’t be concerned about likes and reblogs. My first fic only got like 15 likes when I first released it. It’s hard not to get caught up in wanting likes and reblogs and comments. Hell, I live for them. And ya want to think that a lack of those means no one likes it, but trust me, there are plenty of people enjoying your work that don’t like, comment, or reblog. Try not to focus on the likes but on your fic and know that there are those out there enjoying the hell out of it!

And I’m always willing to review anything and everything. If you want someone to look it over first, I am here for you.  But I warn you now, I will encourage you to share it with everyone.

By the end of this little speech, the entire audience is up and clapping.  Standing ovation. 

Megs:  Look at that crowd, Lily.  It’s obvious that you speak the truth.  

Lily:  Whispers to Megs: Don’t worry - I can get them all to sit down. Ask me about the choices books. 

Megs:  So Lily, have you read all of the choices books? 

Lily:  I feel like I’m going to have to duck behind this couch as soon as I say what I’m about to say. No, I’ve not played them all. I’ve played most. I tried to play The Freshman, Big Sky Country, Sunkissed, and America’s Most Eligible but I couldn’t. I have replayed countless books. Thomas, Ethan, Sonia, the entire Perfect Match crew, the entire Nightbound crew, and Jake - I’ve played all of their options.

Now Megs, I have only admitted this once and after this we will never speak of it again hangs head in shame I am a sucker for one particularly hated Choices book. Want to take a guess? I've, no joke, replayed this more times than I should admit. No one will follow me after this. I...I, love Home for the Holidays. 

Lily gets up and ducks behind couch while many in the crowd sit down.  

Lily:  This is now my home. I will live back here so no one can see me in my shame. 

Megs:  walks around the couch to sit with Lily loudly saying: Well, as I enjoyed that book a lot and very much miss Nick, if you live back here then I will have to live back here with you … but this is kinda a crappy place to continue this interview so I’m gonna move back to front of the couch, okay?

Megs walks back around the couch and sits down.  

Well, you did get people to sit down, Lily.  Gives her audience the stink eyes.  Where were we?  Oh yes, which book is your favorite? 

Lily: stands up behind the couch Well, I’m going to stay behind the couch at this point because I'm not going to say Open Heart and I know I'm going to hear about it. Hero is my favorite book. It was the first I played and I absolutely loved it! The art! The characters! The story! It had it all! If Pb doesn't give me Hero 2 in 2020 I’m not sure what I’ll do now that they’ve teased me. But I’ve also learned that they like to tease me.  Lily jumps over the couch in a superhero type move and lands sitting down next to Megs.

Megs: Nice moves!  So who is your favorite OTP? 

Lily: I will always say Detective Jason Shaw and my mc Ashtyn Stark to this question. I loved the book RoD until the end when our option of which side to help disappeared and we had to help MPC. I was so excited to see a book that allowed you to pick which side to help, Police/Brotherhood, MPC, or both. You should know by now that I love the villains and all I wanted was for my mc to side with Shaw. 

Bryce and Harper are another OTP for me. I found a few others out there that ship this but @tallulahshh is a godsend when it comes to this ship. Her fics on these two are so amazing! For reals, you should all check them out. She will convince you that this is the ship to be on. 

Megs: Gasps!  I should kick you off this couch for loving a Bryce ship over an Ethan ship.  YOU WRITE FOR ETHAN!  

Lily:  What can I say?  The heart wants who it wants. 

Megs: Yeah, yeah.  What do you do when you’re not producing work for the fandom?  What else do you do for fun? 

Lily: I teach Latin and Formal Logic and I also write (journalism and academic pieces).   My fanfics are my break from my dry writings. I know y'all are dying to read about how Latin could revitalize the modern American educational system. I love to cook, read, hike, and spend time with my family. I live in the city now but I'm a country girl at heart. Give me open fields to run through, dense forests to explore, water to kayak on and I'm a happy one.

Megs:  That sounds wonderful.  Lily, one last question - do you have any questions for me? 

Lily: Ah, you should not give me this power. What non-LI would you make a LI if you could and why? I must know, please tell me!

Megs:  Oh, that’s easy - Bastien!  The drama is already built in because of his part in the Tariq plot and damn @stopforamoment, @bobasheebaby, and @lolablackwrites have made that man irresistible. 

A second and more strange one is actually Emerald Phan from High School Story: A Class Act Chapter 2.  She’s technically an adult when I’m (MC) technically a high schooler … but I would date this gal.  She’s gorgeous!

Before you leave, Lily, I need to ask one last thing of you.  Please close your eyes. 

Lily closes her eyes

@msjpuddleduck, @anxious-arliah, @meindraws, @keepcreative, @brightpinkpeppercorn, @tallulahshh, @twin-skltns all come on stage, pushing a large cart with a beautiful cake that says “Happy Birthday Lily!”  They all start singing Happy Birthday.  The entire audience joins in. 

As soon as people start singing, Lily opens her eyes and smiles really big.  

Lily: Oh my gosh, you guys, I love it!  

Megs:  Happy Birthday, Lily!  We’re all sooooo glad that you’re here.  Blow out your candles, beautiful!

Lily: Takes a deep breath and blows out the candles in one puff. 

The audience cheers!

Megs:  It’s cake for everyone!  

Those on stages start cutting and plating the cake.  Others start handing a slice to everyone in the audience. 

Megs:  And that’s today’s show everyone!  Thanks for coming!  Join me next time when @hopelessromantic1532 will be the guest star.  Have a GREAT week and please, join me in wishing @lilyofchoices a wonderful birthday! 

~~~~~

I’m guessing @lilyofchoices will get this when she wakes up - but it should be officially her birthday right now!

And now for the tags.  If you want to be added to the tag list for these or removed, please let me know!

@hopefulmoonobject @queen-among-writers, @hopelessromantic1352, @lilyofchoices, @msjpuddleduck, @theroyalweisme, @lady-kato