Wow! Wow, wow, wow!
Sunkist, that was fabulous! Really, really fabulous.
It took me most of the day to read it, since I was squeezing in chapters where I could, but it was well worth it. I really, really enjoyed reading this!
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You did a marvelous job of capturing the feel of an S2 L&C, that "friendship on the verge of more" feeling, while still staying true to the Smallville versions of the characters. I was especially impressed with your dialogue -- I could definitely hear TW and ED throughout the story, even while they were doing L&C-type things. The plotting was also very well done; lots of twists and turns and tons of details! Yet the story never bogged down; it was very nicely paced.
I also enjoyed all the episode rewriting you did; fans always know best, don't they?
Interesting explanations for various Smallville mythos stuff -- the caves, Jor-El's contradictory personalities, Jason/Genevieve -- and I loved all the different outcomes for the various side characters. (And hey, anyone who can get Lana out of the picture has my vote.
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You also put a fabulous twist on the revelation: "I want to know, but I want you to be ready for me to know" (paraphrased) -- so low-key, but so great. Our Lois would only do this in WAFFy fanfic, but it feels perfectly in character for ED's Lois to respond this way. I think you nailed it. (And I adored the way Clark lost his fascination with Lana the more time he spent with Lois, and Lois's confident prediction that she was going to "save him" from his Lana obsession -- boy, did she ever.
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Wonderful ending, too ... you brought them basically to where our L&C would pick up, only better, in a lot of ways, because they already have feelings for each other and suspect that they've found "the one". Now they just need to grow up a little and get back in the same city and ... rediscover each other.
(And yes, I was very excited to see your teaser for a sequel, since I was all ready to beg for one. I would love to see what you do with a 20-something L&C, settling into their careers at the DP and finally being willing to explore their feelings for each other. Please say you are planning to write it!)
Oh, and btw, I enjoyed all the little L&C references -- "Lex Luthor will never live in a cage", boxers vs briefs, Centennial Park, etc. LOL, the SV readers won't get it, but I noticed and appreciated.
Sunkist, thanks for posting the link to your story here. I haven't read all that much SV fic, but I am definitely interested in reading any future stories that you do. I'm a tough critic, and I was very, very impressed.
Kathy
