Chapter 35 – Best Reviewer Award

Chatter throughout the commercial break focused entirely on GT's historic win. Sharper walked onto the stage after the song had come to an end, the atmosphere in the opera house jovial once more, with the jewel theft and other goings on pushed to the back of everyone's minds.

"And we are back!" Sharper declared. "This is the next-to-last segment of the show as we get to the final awards for the evening! To present the award for Best Reviewer, give it up for Invader Johnny!

Invader Johnny stepped out to knowing applause, as he himself was known for his thoughtful and numerous reviews. Sharper handed him the winning envelope and Golden Rufus, and then stepped aside as the teleprompter began scrolling the next bit of copy.

"Giving reviews on a fanfic can be a tough thing. They can be either a couple sentences long or an entire page. But it gives the author a good barometer of how much interest there is in their stories. Sometimes, that one review changes everything for a writer. In fact…quick audience poll of our amazing writers. How many of you have been impacted by a review you've received?"

Every writer's hand in the audience rose high, some people holding up two hands.

"There you have it. So when you read something, everyone, never underestimate the importance of leaving a review, no matter how big or how small. Tonight's nominees for Best Reviewer are..."

Celioxa (on Ch 51 of And You and I by Niaxi, review signed 10-1-20)

I was eating some cookies before going to bed (Don't judge), checked my phone for messages and saw an email about a new chapter from you, which I, like you said, did not except at all.

You made me choke on my cookie.

bcbdrums (on Ch 98 of Random Tales of Drakgo by Gothicthundra, review signed 2-22-20)

you know when you spend too much time at one thing, and you're already tired, and then you just want to leave because your drained of the thing? i felt that for drakken in this chapter. poor dude having to go through all that mental turmoil. which you wrote amazingly well! watching him get more and more distracted by seeing his exes and shego kissing people, trying to talk himself out of it, and then ending up with that awful memory of the gauntlets. i was happy for him being distracted by eddie in the end.

i looooooove how you portray all the villains! i can hear the canon characters' voices every single time. and some barely get any lines, and still, you manage to put them out there authentically. i'm loving the bromance thing going on with duff and monkey fist, and adrena being so (expectedly) over the top, and camille's family coming from a certain lifestyle... and the image of drakken kissing cleopatra was hilarious!

i want to comment on the end again, because it was so surprisingly calm after all the tension and it felt so good to see drakken being able to just settle for a moment into something familiar, even if he isn't keen on being with eddie right then. it was a very-needed peace in what i'm sure is more chaos in the immediate future. can't wait for more!

split-n-splice (on Ch 11 of There's Christmas—and Christmas by bcbdrums, review signed 12-29-20)

oohhhhh boy oh boy Shego is really going all out there...poor Mama Lipsky's gonna be in for a shock.

I'm wheeeezing over Drakken letting slip about the tanning bed in the lab. LOL

ahhh yes. This is the typical sassy Shego we all know and love~ and boy is she getting sassy. haah~

AHAH! What's this? Mama Lipsky starting to get it now?

Mention of the ring makes me nervous...like it might be lost soon...HHHHHHHhhh...

Shego's all No Filter and stirring the pot. haah~ What a lovely picnic indeed.

AAUUUGGGHHH Mama L has gotta warm up to Shego someway, somehow...eventually...if only she weren't so judgy and quick to jump to all the wrong conclusions..

OH SWEET OBLIVIOUS MAMA LIPSKY. I THINK MY LUNGS ARE ABOUT TO COLLAPSE, I'M LAUGHWHEEZING MYSELF TO DEATH HERE OVER THE "GANG" ASDLKFUGH

What a splendid picnic this is turning out to be~! LOL

Shego commenting on the sandwich and lakdjsf MY SUSPICIONS. ARE CLIMBING. I AM DEAD CERTAIN...

I can't say I needed the image of Mama L trying out tanning but lol it's there now and I almost hope she bites.

OHHOHOH, gold diggers comment, WAS THAT A JAB AT SHEGO?

Shego IS a trouble maker and that's why he loves her~ uwu I wish to see her cause MORE trouble, even~!

Man, Mama L's got an attitude, I love it. Shego's got a bandaged leg and on crutches, and Mama's all sour she had to carry the ice chest? PPSSHHH lol She is so MEAN and COLD, sheesh. Totally disregarding that maybe her son wants someone obviously special to him around for the holidays...psshh

This is not going over well, not at all~ I love it :'D

writerchic16 (on Ch 19 of Random Tales of Drakgo by Gothicthundra, review signed 2-25-20)

The past few chapters have been my favorites so far! Finally Drakgo has the green/blue discussion and it did NOT go as expected, lmao. Love Drakken thinking Shego was an alien but not bothering to ask. I also appreciate the nod to the Lilo & Stitch crossover, I watched that show too back in the day.

The chapter with sneaking into Kim's house was priceless from start to finish. And going back further, I liked that their New Year's celebration did not end in a Drakgo kiss but in an unexpected conclusion. Onward!

Gothicthundra (on Pandemic by bcbdrums, review signed 4-22-20)

Alright let me begin with... this was a lot I very much enjoyed starting my morning with this... Okay so I made notes... and I feel a fic of this girth need a very decent review, in which I hope to convey.

First... I can see where it ended and I am SOOOOO glad it continued... because I was sobbing like a fool at the dream sequence (so glad I didn't have work today because they're gonna start thinking I start my day with breakdowns).

I loved how at the start neither knew what their relationship should be but no one was talking.. AND talking... oh goodness. Shego wondered why he didn't say anything... and the not so subtle hint he didn't talk because he was afraid he'd ruin it because he thought she didn't like hearing him... my heart at that moment...

You know what I'm starting with Drakken in this story, despite Shego being the POV we follow.

He was SPOT on... from his emotional fixations, his obsessions with work, his nerves... his freaking breakdowns... I'm not getting into deaths in this story because my heart is not strong enough... so we're not talking about that... his defeat and breakdown outside her door because he thought she didn't love him anymore... was SO Drakken. He's not used to having someone love him that way that even the smallest argument or push back would shatter him, especially in your AU timeline... he's yet to succeed at anything... thus he expects failure and fallouts.

Shego... oh Shego... her internal monologue and fears... the panic... the pullbacks... Uhg... her need for clarification but her fears to ask... GIRLLL we all been there. Uh! She's such the strong character but I LOVE when she is depicted as having insecurities… WHICH ALL HUMANS have... I digress. Oh man, when those hormones kicked in... I could tell right away in your writing when it did I was like "Oh man... those hormones coming in strong." AND I love how power problems are legit what's in the air right now. LOL.

The baby... THE BABY! I was so happy and so panicked throughout this thing because... BABY!

Also Junior and Shego's bromance *Italian kisses the air* Perfecto!

Let's Talk about the end... which I know I harassed you for because I am Drakken and I will whine and brood like a toddler... but you know I would have read and reviewed anyway but I am SOOO glad it was happy. Teetering them on being neutral/good but also hinting at possible villainy... The wedding... THE HENCHMEN

You know I love me some Henchmen drama... you know... so I loved that they we're included so well and uhg... poor Phil... NO I WILL NOT DISCUSS THE DEATHS!

In conclusion to this lengthy review... I am recovering from the roller coaster but it was a good ride... and it was brilliant as always... Beautiful! 10/10 would recommend!

MakeWolfStarGayAgain (on Ch 9 of Mad Angry, Mad Crazy by bcbdrums, review signed 2-22-20)

It's only been a DAY? This whole thing is a WILD ride.

Excuse me Shego but having a tattoo of your name is NOT NORMAL BEHAVIOR these two need to GET IT TOGETHER.

BUT PISTIS IS BACK I thought we flung that girl off a cliff a whole multiple chapters ago ethwioerjwe my poor brain can't take it (but also don't stop pls).

Invader Johnny tore into the envelope.

"And the Golden Rufus for Best Reviewer goes to...BCBDrums!"

BCBDrums approached the podium with a triumphant smile. She received the Golden Rufus and held it above her head, to further cheers from the audience.

"I've gotta say..." she began once the applause died down, "after submitting 1,712 signed reviews on FFn... (as of this ceremony) and many unsigned because I was too lazy to log in... And with several reviews being so long they broke the character limit on the review box, and I had to log out to submit a 'part two' to complete the review in question... I don't usually say things like this, but I honestly feel like I deserve this award. This really, really means a lot to me. Thank you!"

There was another roar of applause from the audience, fully in agreement with BCB's sentiment as she lifted the award in the air again before Sharper joined her at the podium.

"Congratulations BCB, for winning the Best Reviewer award!" Sharper said with a grin.

"Thanks, Sharper!" BCB replied warmly as she admired her seventh Golden Rufus for the evening.

"It's no big!" Sharper said before turning to the audience. "We will take another commercial, break but when we return, we will present the Best Story of 2020. Stay tuned!"

Phoebe Bridgers' "I Know the End" played in the background as the commercial break began. No sooner had the house lights risen than were Kim and Ron approaching Wade, who had stayed at the far end of the front row after his last award presentation.

"Okay Wade, lay it on us. Was it really Game Controller and Electronique?"

Wade grinned enigmatically. "The evidence was circumstantial at first, but I think we have enough to arrest—"

"What about my jewels?!"

The trio cringed, startled by Bonnie's sudden arrival.

"I put tracking devices in key pieces of your jewels before the ceremony," Wade revealed, "when we moved them from the vault to your office."

Bonnie blinked in astonishment, her face reddening in anger.

"Why didn't you say something before!? Where are they?"

"Shhh!" Kim hushed her, stepping closer and stopping just short of covering Bonnie's mouth. "We need to arrest the suspect first."

"And without causing a major incident, you know, like at every Fannies ceremony since forever?" Ron added.

"We can probably retrieve the jewels no problem," Wade added quietly, "they're just in a limousine outside."

Bonnie took a breath and Kim glared at her. She lowered her voice. "Whose?"

"Excuse me," a voice interrupted, and the four startled to have been snuck up on by none other than Dr. Amy Hall, "have you seen my Monty?"

Bonnie crossed her arms and tapped her toe in frustration as the other three exchanged looks. Ron spoke up after a moment.

"Come to think of it, I haven't seen him since intermission. How 'bout you Rufus?"

The naked-mole rat shook his head and hopped up on Ron's shoulder to peer around the auditorium in search of the simian villain.

Amy frowned and walked away, looking across rows as she ascended the aisles. Once she was out of ear-shot, Wade lowered his voice again.

"We found some DNA evidence on a napkin we took from Game Controller," Wade said. "And combined with the security footage and the tracking in the jewelry, I think we're set."

"I'll tell Dr. Director," Kim said, reaching into her purse for her Kimmunicator.

"But who has my jewels!?" Bonnie asked in a harsh whisper.

Before Wade could reply, a loud shriek rang out in the back of the auditorium.