From: "L-Soft list server at Indiana University (1.8d)" To: "ARTF@MemoryAlpha.nil" File: "LOISCLA-GENERAL-L LOG9904C" ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 15 Apr 1999 14:20:17 +0200 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Celia Carvalho Subject: Re: [DeanCainFans] Vote for Dean Comments: To: deancainfans@onelist.com Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/mixed; Boundary="0__=tFLxBlm4mahiuT8jPuB51BXUlCCdkOrXaMl9wuYnjUTB7bUh7313hpl1" --0__=tFLxBlm4mahiuT8jPuB51BXUlCCdkOrXaMl9wuYnjUTB7bUh7313hpl1 Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline Thanks for posting this warning! We can vote up to 5 times for each favorite male on the list. I did vote 3 times for Dean and 2 times for David Duchovny... sorry! I also love this man. Anyway, the last time I voted, Dean had 29 votes. Keep voting for him! I can't understand why Dale Midkiff (from the movie Elvis & Me) has more votes than him! Thanks everyone! Celia. DonnieLovah%webtv.net@interlock.lexmark.com on 15-04-99 07:53:15 Please respond to deancainfans%onelist.com@interlock.lexmark.com To: deancainfans%onelist.com@interlock.lexmark.com cc: Subject: [DeanCainFans] Vote for Dean I am so sad to see that our man has only 3 votes on this site, and one of them is mine! Go vote for him, please!! http://www.freevote.com/booth/malechart --0__=tFLxBlm4mahiuT8jPuB51BXUlCCdkOrXaMl9wuYnjUTB7bUh7313hpl1 Content-type: text/html; name="att-1.htm" Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="att-1.htm" Content-transfer-encoding: base64 Content-Description: Internet HTML PEhUTUw+PGEgaHJlZj0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53dW5kZXJncm91bmQuY29tL1VTL1dJL1dpc2NvbnNp bl9SYXBpZHMuaHRtbCI+DQo8aW1nDQpzcmM9Imh0dHA6Ly9iYW5uZXJzLnd1bmRlcmdyb3VuZC5j b20vYmFubmVyL2dpem1vdGltZXRlbXBiaWcvVVMvV0kvV2lzY29uc2luX1JhcGlkcy5naWYiIA0K IGFsdD0iQ2xpY2sgZm9yIFdpc2NvbnNpbiBSYXBpZHMsIFdpc2NvbnNpbiBGb3JlY2FzdCIgaGVp Z2h0PTQwDQp3aWR0aD00Njc+PC9hPiANCg0KIDxmb250IGNvbG9yPXB1cnBsZT4gIA0KICAgPGNs b2NrPg0KPHA+Sm95DQo8YSBocmVmPSJodHRwOi8vd3d3Lmdlb2NpdGllcy5jb20vSG9sbHl3b29k L0NpbmVtYS85OTM1Ij5NeQ0KSG9tZXBhZ2U8L2E+PC9IVE1MPg0KDQoNCg== --0__=tFLxBlm4mahiuT8jPuB51BXUlCCdkOrXaMl9wuYnjUTB7bUh7313hpl1-- ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 15 Apr 1999 21:36:26 EDT Reply-To: LadyKa1e1@aol.com Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Lane Louise MacKenzie Subject: Re: A Very Patient Man (w/OT X Files) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 4/14/99 1:15:06 PM Pacific Daylight Time, Katzee112@AOL.COM writes: << <> ::Smiles because she has the chance to show off her useless knowledge:: I am somewhat of an X Files expert, and, yes, the Duane Barry/abduction arc was scripted around Gillian's pregnancy. If you look carefully, especially in the first few episodes of the second season (i.e. The Host), she's not our normallly streamlined Agent Scully. Whereas the writers of The X-Files were able to incorporate her pregnancy into the plotline (one scene abord the "alien ship" actually showed her fully pregnant, as though the aliens were performing tests), I doubt such a deviation would have been as believable on LnC. Plus, being an avid fan of both shows and in on the behind-the-scenes type stuff, I would have noticed the similarities. And I'm sure other FoLCs/X-Philes would have, too! In addition, I was thrilled that Lois and Clark waited till their wedding night. I strongly believe in abstinence before marriage, and it was really neat to see one of my favorite TV shows refrain from using sex to bring in viewers! Peace Love and Superman, Lane MacKenzie ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 15 Apr 1999 20:42:42 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kimberly Thomas Subject: Untitled Fanfic MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Myself and my friend Jeni (angelsvamptress@hotmail.com) started writing this story way back when Lois and Clark were newlyweds, or maybe before, back when it was just wishful thinking. In any rate, it was a long time ago. We were wondering what you guys thought of it (IE: Do you think we should finish it?). Any input is greatly appreciated. Thanks, Kim (kim@amalthea.net) *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Inside the Daily Planet, Lois and Clark are talking. Lois, "I still can’t believe that I’m Mrs. Kent. I mean, that’s just so-"You guys are not going to believe this. A hot story like this in our own little Metropolis and these guys beat us to it." He shows them a tabloid. The headline says, "Loch Ness Monster Makes a Big Move-to Metropolis Water Treatment Plant" Lois says, "Jimmy, don’t believe anything you read in there. The pictures are touched up and the stories are from some bum that got drunk on the cheapest bottle of wine that he could find." Clark and Jimmy look at each other. Perry enters from his office. "Jimmy, did I hear you talking about those tabloids? Those things are nothing more than a bunch of Elvis-impersonating phonies. You’d never find the real King in there, let alone anything else real. Now run this down to resource." Jimmy replies, "I’m on top of it, Chief." The phone rings, and Clark picks it up. The police are on the other end. "Can you guys get a hold of Superman? We’re having a little problem down at the water treatment plant." Clark says, "I’ll try to get a hold of him," and hangs up. "Lois, there’s a problem at the water treatment plant. You stay here; this is probably something to do with that tabloid. It should only take one of us." "Sure." Clark runs out of the newsroom with a gust of wind and a sonic boom. Lois says, "Not on your life, Mr. Kent." Then she picks up her purse and runs out of the newsroom. Superman is at the water treatment plant with the police. Everybody is looking at the water. "What’s the problem?" asks Superman. (In the background is a hysterical woman with the cops trying to calm her down.) One of the police officers comes forward and says, "This woman says she saw some kind of monster in the water. Do you know anything about this, Superman?" "Only what I read in the tabloids." The officer has an incredulous look on his face. "You read those?" Superman replies, "A friend showed it to me." The cop gives him a funny look, then says to him, "Just to prove that those tabloids are a crock and to keep other citizens from doing that," he gestures to the hysterical woman, "Could you x-ray the reservoir for us?" "Sure. No problem. Anything to help." Superman starts to x-ray the water and about halfway through it he notices something at the bottom. He says, "I’m not sure, but I do see something down there." I think you should vacate the premises. Lois comes up. "Clar-er-Superman; what’s the problem?" He replies, "You know that story in the tabloid this morning that Jimmy showed us?" "What about it?" "It turns out that the story may be true." "That’s impossible." "Obviously, nothing’s impossible; look at our marriage." Inside Mindy Church's headquarters, Mindy is at the head of a table, with some other guys around the table who are the heads of Intergang. "So, our little plan seems to be working. The media is sucking it up like we are going to do to Superman." "So, what exactly is our plan?" asks one of the other guys at the table. "Oh, boys. We’ll get to that, in time. Right now we have more important things to think about. Like, making sure everyone still believes in the Loch Ness Monster. Boys, time for phase two." Meanwhile, back at the Daily Planet, Jimmy is telling Lois, "I still think that you should reconsider asking Perry about writing up that story about the Loch Ness Monster before the tabloids wear it out. This is big news, and living here, you could get to it first." "Jimmy, we do news here, not garbage. I only write real stories," replies Lois. Clark comes up to Lois and gives her a mischievous smirk. Jimmy asks Clark, "Where have you been all morning, CK?" Clark replies, "Just covering the public’s latest reaction to the Loch Ness scare." Someone calls out, "Jimmy!" "Later, guys," calls out Jimmy as he leaves. Lois asks Clark, "So what did you see?" "Actually, to my surprise, I actually saw something down there, but I’m not exactly sure what it is yet," Clark says. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 10:45:03 +0200 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Celia Carvalho Subject: Re: [DeanCainFans] Re: Vote for Dean Comments: To: deancainfans@onelist.com Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Hey, This is great!!! I've checked and Dean is in second place with 921 votes. Yeah, I've been voting for him (I did again today), too, but the same happened to me. They won't let me vote for him anymore... But *you* haven't done it already, do it today! Celia Carvalho@lexmark.com DonnieLovah%webtv.net@interlock.lexmark.com on 16-04-99 07:38:08 Please respond to deancainfans%onelist.com@interlock.lexmark.com To: deancainfans%onelist.com@interlock.lexmark.com cc: Subject: [DeanCainFans] Re: Vote for Dean Wow did I ever start Something!!!! Dean is at this moment at 891 votes. The page finally figured out that I was changing users and voting over and over and won't let me anymore. You can vote 5x a day. So tomorrow, go vote again. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 05:25:25 +0000 Reply-To: hess2@mindspring.com Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Claire Hess Subject: Combo Re: Off Topic: Article in USA Today & Professional Writer In-Reply-To: <370EC0A4.95E19917@erols.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Combo Re: Off Topic: Article in USA Today & Professional Writers/Fan &Questions and Comments Thanks, Sandy, for posting the interesting article which illustrated Demi's point about the similarities between professional and fan fiction writers. Both have love hate relationships with the reactions of their fans. Both struggle with the question of when to heed and when to ignore their critics. Reading the comments of writers of shows I stopped watching, I realized that Lois and Clark is the only show that managed to keep me even when it suspended my disbelief. Lois and Clark addressed the problem that, for me, ended the Superman movies with II. Clothes do not a Superman make. For me, Lois and her breathless remark about the Suit coming off is more than a joke about Lois. It is also a Declaration of Possibilities! And thank goodness for all you wonderful fan fiction writers, because, as many Possibilities as have been explored, there is no end in sight, as each new fanfiction reveals. By and large, my preference is to assume that each story is it's own Bible. Sandy McDermin wrote: about "For The Good of the Child" >Why didn't we get to see Ellen's testimony > as opposed to Perry's -- or Ellen's as well as Perry's > It's too good not to show, especially since > she was a witness for the prosecution and, we are told, had a rough > time of it. In fact, we are later informed that Ellen hurt L&C's > case, making it almost essential -- for dramatic purposes -- that we > see it. > As Sandy says, "*almost* essential". Mulder's style and viewpoint give many internal reasons for not including Ellen's witness stand debacle. For example, not showing the testimony illustrates the isolation that Ellen has been forced into by the court proceedings. For some writers, introspection is showing, not telling. In this age of special effects, we often forget the value of the oblique reference. We all agree that sometimes, allusion can carry more horror, or titillation, or, in this case, devastation, than description. That shouldn't stop anyone from imagining, even writing Ellen's testimony. As Demi and Sheila and others have said, reworking a story is a valid premise for a work of fiction. If t'were not, there'd be no Shakespeare. The Bard wrote such interesting characters, but his plot is rarely, if ever, original. Not everyone is so successful. More often, rewriters fail their wills. Many only serve to illustrate the original author's point, even when the new story obviously misses it. But, in the end, The Cheese Stands Alone. Each story has to sell itself. I digress. This is way past my usual bedtime, but my authority figure is from home, and, while the cat's away, this mouse is catching up on all the back mail and a writing a few reviews of the many that have been stewing in my head for far too long. Now returning you to your regularly scheduled posts, klair El Clark: "Ah! So you do know." Lois: "How do you know?" Perry: "It's better you don't know. But, I don't know . officially. But then, if a man in my position, didn't know-unofficial ly, I wo uldn't be a man in my position." Perry White answers Lois and Clark in "Ides of Metropolis" by Deborah Joy Le Vine hess2@mindspring.com ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 05:25:26 +0000 Reply-To: hess2@mindspring.com Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Claire Hess Subject: Review was Re: S6, Ep 1, "Strained Relations" & 2 "For the Good In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Here be Spoilers for S6, Ep 1& 2 > Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1998 19:36:52 -0600 > STRAINED RELATIONS > Season 6, Episode 1 > By Barbara (bml44@AOL.com) and Pam Jernigan (jernigan@compuserve.com) This is a great opener to another wonderful season. Lois and Clark are wonderful together and with baby Laura. Lex is properly revolting. The story is gripping and well told. Using Ellen's private battles with addiction to enhance the credibility of the plot complication is one of those fanfic uses of a character which enriches our enjoyment of both the series and the fanfiction. Another is the opening paragraph > Tuesday, October 20, 3:05am > > Clark landed softly in the living room of their brownstone, carefully > closing the window behind him, not wanting to wake Lois or Laura. Floating > up the stairs to bed, he was drawn, as always, by the light spilling from > his daughter's room. 'His daughter,' he thought with a grin. This endearing moment put me strongly in mind of the ending of "Pheromone My Lovely", the only episode in which I remember Clark/Superman looking out at us and discussing something with the viewers. There it was Superman, but here, it is Clark. Since he does not say, "My daughter", the moment seems to me that he over hears us talking about his daughter. Happy with the phrase, he grins at us, and thinks back to us, 'His daughter.' Immediately we know how much this child means to him, how happy he is to be a parent. The scene continues to confirms this gloriously. There's plenty to love about the action in this episode as well. Jimmy as the instrument uncovering the situation, and his problems with his girl friend's father were wonderful. A favourite moment of mine is: > Penny was frozen to her chair. A bomb? To kill her father?? As > part of a plot by ... Dennis Shenckman??? She'd always thought he > was a bit of a weasel, came the inconsequential thought, but she'd > never have thought him capable of this. Love having that inconsequential thought. Somehow that makes the whole thing so much more real. In the midst of danger, we often have multiple levels of reaction, some very trivial. She then takes very constructive action to prevent detection, which is great fun for the reader to follow. >She heard movement; he'd be > exiting the office in a minute. She thought fast, and grabbed for > the Dictaphone machine, plugging the headset into her ears moments > before he emerged. She ignored him, typing industriously, > pretending to transcribe dictation. > > He stared at her suspiciously. "Penny?" > > She fought the urge to look up at the sound of her name, and after a > long moment, he moved on, apparently satisfied that she was in her > own little world. She exhaled a long shaky breath after he rounded > the corner. What was she going to do? Season 6/Episode 2 FOR THE GOOD OF THE CHILD By Chris Mulder (mulders@mindspring.com) Edited by Peace and Kathy Brown Mulder Moments! This thang is full of them. There's not only the wonderful moments like Clark floating Laura to sleep, and comforting Lois at the entrance to the courthouse, there's also funny ones, like Jimmy and Penny and the doorbell. Then there are the evil moments, or, the Lex moments, like the zoo. Thanks to Barb, Pam, and Chris for a truly episodish story, and to the whole Season Six crew for taking on the enormous task of producing a another whole season. klair El hess2@mindspring.com ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 11:38:40 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Peggy Mueller Subject: Re: Combo Re: Off Topic: Article in USA Today & Professional Writer Comments: To: hess2@mindspring.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Claire wrote: >By and large, my preference is to assume that each story is it's own Bible. I'm not sure if I'm interpreting you correctly here, Claire, but if you're saying that each fanfic creates its own universe where the characters conform to the author's own unique perspective on L & C, then I agree completely. I love reading any creative fanfic, even if L & C's behavior isn't in strict accordance with the characters as developed in the show, or with my own interpretation of them. :-) In particular, I love Lois revelation stories, whether Clark tells her his secret or she discovers it on her own, whether she is angry, thrilled, or totally blase about it. I've often thought that ABC should do a "Groundhog Day" of Lois revelations, with Clark being forced to repeat the revelation over and over again until he finally gets it right! (Hint to Clark: don't ask Lois to marry you *before* you reveal your secret. ;-) Peggy :-) gremlino@pathway.net ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 11:50:09 MDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: DEBRA GRAY Subject: Re: [Untitled Fanfic] Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Kimberly and Jeni - = Please finish this - you have me hooked already! = Debra G dlgray@usa.net Melisma on IRC ____________________________________________________________________ Get free e-mail and a permanent address at http://www.netaddress.com/?N=3D= 1 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 14:01:23 EDT Reply-To: Moped12646@aol.com Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: -Audrey Howard Subject: Re: [Untitled Fanfic] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Debra G wrote: >Kimberly and Jeni - >Please finish this - you have me hooked already! I second that! :c) -Audrey Moped12646@aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 20:17:11 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Yvonne Connell Subject: Closet fanfic writers MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit First of all, hello everyone. I've been reading the archives of this list for about a year now, and I've corresponded with one or two of you privately, but this is my big moment - when I come out of the shadows and post my first message . The thing is, I've been talking to a fellow fanfic writer about who amongst our friends and family know that we write L&C fanfic, and I got to wondering what the rest of you do. Are you all bolder than brass, tell everyone types, or are there some 'closet' fanfic writers out there like me? Yvonne (yconnell@ukf.net) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 13:39:33 MDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: DEBRA GRAY Subject: Re: [Closet fanfic writers] Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Ok, Yvonne, confession time! My family know that I belong to a writer's l= ist online, but that's all they know. When I was writing my Trek fic, which s= ome of you are reading, my dad caught a glimpse of it on the computer I was working on at the time. Well, I got a huge lecture about how I shouldn't = waste my time on TV (we grew up without TV) and all that sort of stuff. So now = I keep my fic ideas and occasional writing efforts to myself, except for wh= at I share with a carefully chosen group of like-minded friends. And I conside= r all of you members of that group. = I guess that came out sounding kind of bitter, and I guess I am, cuz I wo= uld really like my family to approve of what I do! Debra G dlgray@usa.net Melisma on IRC ____________________________________________________________________ Get free e-mail and a permanent address at http://www.netaddress.com/?N=3D= 1 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 22:16:07 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Eileen Barnard Subject: Dean Vote MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_007F_01BE8856.B9788180" This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_007F_01BE8856.B9788180 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Just to let everyone know that I have just gone in to vote again and = Dean is top of the list so come on keep those votes pouring in and he = can win - just as he deserves to. Regards Eileen eileen@barnard70.freeserve.co.uk ------=_NextPart_000_007F_01BE8856.B9788180 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Just to let everyone know that I = have just gone=20 in to vote again and Dean is top of the list so come on keep those votes = pouring=20 in and he can win - just as he deserves to.
 
Regards
Eileen
eileen@barnard70.freeser= ve.co.uk
 
------=_NextPart_000_007F_01BE8856.B9788180-- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 16:45:57 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Karen Ward Subject: Re: Closet fanfic writers In-Reply-To: <199904161933.UAA23453@radius.connectfree.net> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Hi, all! :) Yvonne asked: >Are you all bolder than brass, tell everyone types, or are there some >'closet' fanfic writers out there like me? I'm so glad you asked this, Yvonne (and it's great to see you posting to the list!), because I've been bursting at the seams to talk about this very thing. Personally, I have no qualms telling people about my little hobby, although I don't exactly go around adverstising. I admit that there have been embarassing moments when discussing the subject with a non-FoLC, but it's what I like to do and if my friends and family can't accept that, then that's their problem. However, most of my friends actually think my little writing hobby is "neat" and a few of them have actually asked to read my stories. I gotta admit, *that* blew me out the water . . . it was even more surprising when some said they actually enjoyed the stories (which I'm sure they only said because I'm their friend and they had to ). I guess I've been lucky enough to be blessed not only with some wonderful FoLC friends, but with some incredible RL friends who are tolerant, and even supportive of my little (okay, maybe it's not exactly "little") obsession. :) Leading my pack of supporters is my mom. She's never watched a second of L&C in her life, but she knows all about Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher, "the argh", time-travelling, soul-tracking, cloning, and whatnot. I think it's amazing that she's never once complained about it, either. However, what is even more staggering to me, is that she's probably my biggest fanfic fan. Perhaps it's because she's an English teacher, but she finds it exciting that I find such joy in writing about my favourite characters, even though they're merely television characters, and is always eager to read my fanfic. I couldn't imagine being a luckier person! Then Debra said: >When I was writing my Trek fic, which some >of you are reading, my dad caught a glimpse of it on the computer I was >working on at the time. Well, I got a huge lecture about how I shouldn't waste >my time on TV (we grew up without TV) and all that sort of stuff. So now I >keep my fic ideas and occasional writing efforts to myself, except for what I >share with a carefully chosen group of like-minded friends. And I >consider all >of you members of that group. Gosh, Debra, I'm sorry you don't seem to have gotten the same family support I have. :( However, I'm glad you consider us FoLCs "members of that group." I'm sure it's safe for me to speak for all of us when I say we're honoured to be considered your friends. :) In closing, I just have to say how lucky I feel to have met such a wonderful group of people as a result of my little (okay, I give up, it's not little - it's *really* *really* big) obsession. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I'd meet such incredible people, not to mention one of the best friends I've ever had the privilege of knowing, as a result. I just hope every FoLC has gotten as much out the experience as I have. :) Sincerely, Karen :) who's not sure where this spew came from but is glad to have it off her chest. :) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 22:40:27 +0200 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: NKWolke Subject: VD vignette MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8BIT Hi Folcies :-) A few weeks ago I had a very heated discussion with some German Folc-friends of mine, about who was responsible for the ‘waiting until the wedding night’. My own opinion clearly saw Lois as the main initiator for that decision, but my friends thought that there was no discussion about it that Clark was the one who wanted to wait. We couldn’t find a solution until I finally wrote this little vignette below. I think neither of us was right, because it more likely is like Jonathan said in JSN: In a partnership both members of that partnership make their decisions together. BTW there’s no real reason for me to post this vignette, except that I always wanted to post something here (I love it when other writers do that) and also that I was bored tonight (hubby is out, nothing on TV, no new story on the archive...). So while I was playing with the files on my computer I stumbled over that little story and thought I could try to translate it. No editor has seen it, and it’s already late in the evening here, so if my English is horrible, please bear with me! A little sidenote: I noticed that my story „The other Lois" starts with almost exact the same sentences as this story here. I’m embarrassed, but I assure you it’s just a conincidence. Enjoy Nicole AKA CKgroupie on IRC NKWolke@t-online.de "Virtually Destroyed" A missing scene by CKgroupie Lois opened the door to her apartment and had Clark enter in front of her. They hadn’t talked much since they had left the computer-center. The picture of Jaxon in his chair, the tormented expression on his face and the idea in which condition he now probably was, had marked deeply in their souls and they felt depressed. "I guess, we better start with writing down the story immediately, don't you think?" Lois asked and watched Clark uncertainly. Actually, she didn't really want to. Usually at the end of an investigation, she had this exciting feeling of satisfaction to again have done it, again uncovering an injustice, a crime or a scandal, but this time... Jaxon had been such a poor creature, with such a miserable life, more victim himself than perpetrator. Clark watched her face thoughtfully. She was pale and she looked a little bit shaken. He also was sure, that he didn't look much different himself. "What do you think if we wait until tomorrow?", he proposed. "To be honest, I have enough from that story for today. I don't think I would be able to write something reasonable tonight anyway." Lois nodded silently relieved. "Why don't you sit down and I make us a tea?", she smiled and pointed to the sofa. She turned around and opened the closet over the kitchen counter. "At least this time my cans are really in here." She heard Clark chuckle behind her and already had another remark on the tip of her tongue, when she suddenly remembered how the tea-thing had turned out the last time they had been in her apartment, back in the virtual world. There still were some things they had to talk about. "Clark", she therefore started, as they sat on the sofa a little while later, Lois cuddled in Clark’s arm. "We have to talk." „Hm-mm.", he murmured and laid his cheek on her hair. "You mean about 'the thing'?" Lois nodded. „Yes." They were silent for a moment, both searching for the right words to begin with. Finally Lois said: "I'm sorry that I reacted so insensitive during our conversation about it. I just was so surprised. I mean... I didn't expect *that*!" "You weren't insensitive, Lois.", Clark said gently. „I know that it *is* ... well a little bit unusual." He took her hand and closed his finger over hers. "There're probably not too many 30 year olds with that little experience." "At least not many who are as handsome as you are." Lois grinned but she sobered almost immediately again. She turned around to face him and looked at him curiously. "What I would like to know is: Why did you wait?" Clark thought about it for a moment. „You know, I think it wasn’t really a deliberate ‘decision’. The main reason for it is of course that I’m ‘different’. I always knew that I could never have an intimate relationship with a woman without letting her in on the secret. So the „threshold" as you called it, was probably much higher for me than for most people. Another reason for it is, that I’ve never been in a relationship were ‘it’ even became an issue. You know, I had girlfriends and I dated, but no relationship got so serious that I thought about doing this step." „Sex only in combination with real love...", Lois sighed. „I wish my own threshold had been a little bit higher, too. It would have spared me some unpleasant memories now. Although...", she furrowed her brow. „I want to be honest here. I thought I was in love every time and I always thought that the man I was with loved me, too. Only that it always turned out as a betrayal afterwards." Clark watched her sympathetically. „This time it *is* love, Lois.", he said quietly. „So mutch even that I can’t find the words to describe it." „I know.", Lois smiled. „And this time I not only believe it. This time I *know* it." She crossed her knees on the sofa and played absently with his hand. „What I still want to know is: Why did *we* wait?" Clark shook his shoulders. „Actually, I have no idea. I always had the impression that it was too early, for me? For you? I don’t know. Fact is, I didn’t want to pressure you and...", he grinned a little bit embarrassed, „...as you know now, I don’t have so much experience in the ‘pressuring department’ anyway." Lois chuckled. „True, you were a very good boy all this time." She took his hand and kissed it tenderly. „And I want to add, that I really thought it was cute. I still do." She looked down on their intertwined fingers. „I also can’t really say why I wasn’t a little bit more agressive myself. I guess I felt the same way you did. There were so many new issues in our relationship to deal with, the change from friendship to love, your secret, the engagement... I thought we needed time to slowly work out everything." For a while neither of them talked. Finally Clark slowly said: „We also don’t need to rush things now, Lois. We have our whole life ahead. A few weeks sooner or later won’t change that." Lois suddenly smiled and climbed on his lap. „Come on, aren’t you in a hurry now, after our... you know... experience in the virtual world?", she grinned and winked with her head to the bedroom. Clark chuckled. „Oh yes, I definitely am.", he said emphatically and tightened his grip around her waist. „But I’ve waited so long for you, now I’ll be able to wait a little bit longer, too." „Hmm... Superman.", Lois whispered and kissed his neck. „The man with the will of steel." „And not only the will, Lois.", Clark grinned. Lois laughed out loud. „Well, we’ll see that, flyboy." „How long is it to the wedding?", she asked a few minutes later. „Two and a half months." Clark answered. „Why? Do you think we should see it as the ‘magic date’?", he winked at her. Lois shook her shoulders. „What do you think?" „Actually I think it would be romantic.", Clark said. „Even if two and a half months seem to be *very* long from now." Lois grinned. „And they will seem even longer once I start to tempt that oh-so-steely will of yours.", she murmured seductively. „Oh boy." Clark sighed happily. The End ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 16:58:57 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Margaret Brignell Subject: Re: Closet fanfic writers In-Reply-To: <199904161933.UAA23453@radius.connectfree.net> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 08:17 PM 4/16/1999 +0100, Yvonne wrote: >The thing is, I've been talking to a fellow fanfic writer about who amongst >our friends and family know that we write L&C fanfic, and I got to >wondering what the rest of you do. Are you all bolder than brass, tell >everyone types, or are there some 'closet' fanfic writers out there like >me? Me, I'm *definitely* a closet writer I'm a fairly private person, so only my husband, one friend outside the circle of FoLC know about my writing. It took me *forever* to get up the courage to actually write something and if it hadn't been for Debby Stark, you'd still never know I was writing fanfic Thanks Debby, for pushing me into the spotlight:D Margaret ducking back into the shadows ****************************** Margaret Brignell brignell@capitalnet.com Ottawa, Canada %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% My fanfic now available at: http://www.capitalnet.com/~brignell/ ****************************** ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 15:59:00 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Tull, James [CORP/STL]" Subject: Re: Closet fanfic writers MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" >From MR. D8A's work email I cannot speak for my wife. But more likely than not I will just happen to mention that I am writing and reading fan fiction off the internet based on the lives of our favorite heroes and heroines. MR. D8A A.K.A. James Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path. NIV Please visit and explore my house at: http://www.geocities.com/area51/starship/7859 -----Original Message----- From: Yvonne Connell [mailto:yconnell@UKF.NET] Sent: Friday, April 16, 1999 2:17 PM To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU Subject: Closet fanfic writers First of all, hello everyone. I've been reading the archives of this list for about a year now, and I've corresponded with one or two of you privately, but this is my big moment - when I come out of the shadows and post my first message . The thing is, I've been talking to a fellow fanfic writer about who amongst our friends and family know that we write L&C fanfic, and I got to wondering what the rest of you do. Are you all bolder than brass, tell everyone types, or are there some 'closet' fanfic writers out there like me? Yvonne (yconnell@ukf.net) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 17:13:01 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Peggy Mueller Subject: Re: Closet fanfic writers MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Yvonne >are there some 'closet' fanfic writers out there like >me? I love your question! I'm *almost* a "closet" *fan*, period! When I go onto USENET and read what fans say about Star Trek or L&CTNAOS, I get comments like, "you're reading what people say about *television* shows????? You need to get a life!!!" (Well, I have one, thank you, and right now it includes watching my two favorite television shows, talking about them, and fanfiction! ;-) Peggy gremlino@pathway.net ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 17:44:11 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Sarah Wood Subject: Re: Groundhog Revelation Day MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 >> I've often thought that ABC should do a "Groundhog Day" of Lois revelations, with Clark being forced to repeat the revelation over and ov= er again until he finally gets it right! << That might make a great Round Robin fanfic. Sarah Wood ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 18:02:10 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Peggy Mueller Subject: New Fanfic -- Loises and Clarks, 1 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_00C8_01BE8833.3FD84400" This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_00C8_01BE8833.3FD84400 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Yet another story where the alternate CK finds his Lois... =20 =20 Frank comments and criticisms welcome. I particularly want to know if = any scenes are boring, irrelevant, tasteless, or just plain stupid. =20 Warning: PG-13 Loises and Clarks -- Part 1 "Clark, thank you for coming," said Lois, putting her arms around the alternate Clark and giving him a friendly hug. "I'm glad that I can help," said alternate Clark, looking toward Clark, = who had stepped forward to shake his hand. "What do we do first?" H.G. Wells coughed discreetly. "Yes, well; as I told you before, Mr. = Kent, at a critical time in your future, Tempus is going to convince this = world that you and Superman are the same person. In order to forestall = Tempus's revelation of your dual identity and the subsequent harm he renders to...hem...Lois, you must provide incontrovertible proof that Superman = and Clark Kent are two separate people. After you have appeared together as Superman and Clark Kent often enough to establish beyond any doubt that = you are two separate people, I can return the alternate Clark to his = universe." "So I guess we need to stage an event where you and I appear as Superman = and Clark at the same time," said Clark to his counterpart, "but it'll have = to wait until I come back from Geneva...I'm negotiating a peace settlement = this week. I have to leave in..." he looked at his watch, "...five minutes." = He paused and looked speculatively at the alternate Clark. "Maybe you = could take my place over there, and I could stay in Metropolis as Clark Kent." = He put an arm around Lois's shoulders. "But, Clark, he doesn't know anything about these negotiations," = objected Lois. Clark's face fell momentarily, then brightened. "I can brief him..." = his voice faded as he realized the impossibility of the task. "You've been preparing for this for weeks," said Lois, shaking her head. "How can you get him ready in just a few minutes?" "I could try," said the alternate Clark, trying to help. "I must be going now," said Wells, who had been listening quietly to = their conversation. "I'll leave you to work this out." "Wait!" called Lois. "When are you coming back? How long does the = other Clark have to stay here?" The door closed softly behind Wells's = retreating back. Lois sighed. "You're right, Lois; I don't have time to brief him. I'd better..." = Clark made a flying motion with his hand and Lois nodded. He spun into the Superman suit, gave Lois a quick kiss, then vanished with a whoosh. Well," said Lois, clasping and unclasping her hands. "Welcome back to Metropolis. *Our* Metropolis, I mean." She laughed, feeling awkward. The alternate Clark smiled rather nervously. It was harder than he had expected, seeing Lois again like this. When he had returned to his own dimension after the last time he had seen her, he had thrown himself = into his work, hoping to drive all thoughts of her from his head, with indifferent success. Now, for the first time, he began to have doubts = about taking on this assignment. When he had agreed to come to this = Metropolis to help, he hadn't expected to be alone with Lois in her house. Lois was looking at him now. "I'm really glad you could come," she = said. "And just in time to fill in for Clark at the Daily Planet. We tried to = get Perry to send him to Geneva to cover the negotiations, but Perry said = =91the Suits' wouldn't allow it...they want Clark to continue his investigation = of Congressman Koch. We've been trying to figure out how I could cover for him; I was afraid I was going to have to call him in sick every day. Clark nodded. "I'm glad I can help," he said. He followed Lois into = the kitchen. "You'd better get dressed for work," she said. "Clark's suits are in = the same place as last time." Clark nodded and whirled up the stairs, = pausing at the top to lean his back against the wall as he ran his hands through = his hair. Gosh, how was he going to stand this? He dressed slowly, not = trying to change at super speed. He needed time to think before facing her = again. Lois had burst into his life two years ago, uprooting his career, his impending marriage, and even his identity, and then had left as quickly = as she had come. Try as he might, he could not forget her; not least = because of the changes she had wrought in his life. For better or worse, she = had changed it forever. Seeing her again last year had unearthed all the tumultuous emotions = that his first contact with her had engendered. When he had been called to assist this world in the other Clark's absence, he had harbored a secret desire that Clark would never be found and that he could take his place = for good, a feeling of which he was heartily ashamed. For he had not = expected to feel so envious of the other Clark. He had fought his jealousy, but = it was so hard! His counterpart had everything: his parents were still = alive and very much a part of his life; he had his career...two careers...and thanks to his secret identity, a real life; but most of all he had Lois. Lois! Clark closed his eyes as he pictured the dark-haired beauty with = the unforgettable eyes who had tornadoed into his life and shattered it. = Not that he regretted it. He would not have foregone one minute of his time with her in return for all the comfort and security of his previous = life. He recalled her casual embrace of a few minutes ago. Even that small = token of regard had served to re-ignite all his carefully damped-down = passions. He grew warm just thinking about it. He sighed and made his way slowly down the stairs. ***** As the day wore on, Clark began to enjoy himself. It was a relief to be able to walk down the street and not be mobbed by strangers, and it was delightful to work with Lois, to be able to drink in the sight and sound = and smell of her, and to enjoy the occasional casual touch. This was such heaven! If only he could stay here...no, he couldn't think like that. = He mustn't allow himself to think like that. He looked at Lois as she sat = at her desk putting the finishing touches on her latest story. It felt so = good to be able to work with her like this! He looked down at his desk with = a satisfied sigh and began typing again. "Mr. Kent?" said a voice. He looked up from his desk to see a = middle-aged man standing before him. "May I speak to you for a minute?" "Sure," said Clark, getting to his feet. The man looked around uncertainly. "Could we speak privately...?" "This way," said Clark, leading him into the conference room. "Mr. Kent, allow me to introduce myself," the stranger began once Clark = had shut the door in the conference room. "I'm Phillip Hunt and I'm here on behalf of a friend." He paused to make sure he had Clark's attention. = "I understand that you know how to contact Superman," he said. "Ye-es, sometimes," said Clark, feeling how strange it was for someone = to be talking about Superman as if he were a different person. "But he's = locked up in a conference in Geneva right now and--" "Oh, this isn't an emergency. If you could just tell him about the situation the next time you see him... You see, it's about an incident = that occurred a year ago..." Clark listened as Hunt related a tale of a kidnaping that had occurred = in Kuran, a medium-sized city in the Middle East, a year earlier. Two = young Italian women had been abducted and held as hostages. Shortly after = their capture, one of the women had been found wandering the streets of Kuran, completely unharmed but considerably confused. She had memories of her abduction and several days of captivity, but was completely at a loss to explain how she had escaped. It was on behalf of the other young woman that Hunt was requesting Superman's help. Within a week of her kidnaping the Italian government = had been approached to make arrangements for her return, pending release of = two terrorists from an Italian prison, but no agreement had been reached and negotiations were soon terminated. No trace of her was ever found. At = the urging of Hunt's son, who had attended school with the Italian woman, = Hunt was requesting that Superman look into the matter. "I can ask him to do that the next time I see him," said Clark, "but," = he looked Hunt in the eye, "after all this time, you realize that there's a good chance the woman is dead." Hunt nodded. "I realize that. However, any news of the woman's fate = would be helpful to her family, if only to allow them to reach closure." "I'll do what I can," promised Clark. "I mean, I'll tell Superman the = next time I see him." The two men shook hands and Hunt departed, leaving = Clark lost in thought. ***** At home that evening Lois broached the subject that had been on her mind = all day. "When you were here last time, H. G. Wells said..." she paused, = almost afraid to ask, "you were looking for the Lois Lane of your dimension = and..." "And you wondered if we'd ever found her? No," said Clark. "And it = wasn't >from not trying," he added with a touch of bitterness. "I'm sorry," said Lois softly. "Right after Herb dropped me off he appeared again," continued Clark. = "But he looked older, and pretty well beat. He said that he had been = searching for Lois for six months, trying to pinpoint the exact moment of her disappearance, but without success. He had come back in time to the = minute he had returned me to my universe so he could give me the bad news immediately; he didn't want to leave me with false hopes." Clark gazed = out the window. "I'm sorry," said Lois again. She paused. "I know this sounds = insensitive, but have you tried...dating...anyone else?" "I've dated," said Clark, "but I've never actually been with a woman = since Lana." He blushed as soon as the words were out of his mouth. Why did = he have to tell her that? "You've never been with...?" said Lois, not quite certain of his = meaning. "You mean you and Lana had...you and...you mean you didn't *wait*?" Clark looked at her, confused. "Wait?" he said. "For what? Oh, you = mean wait for the ceremony? Lois! Nobody does that any more! It's not as = if we were a couple of teenagers! I mean, if it had been the first time for either of us, then--" "What do you mean, *nobody* waits any more?" said Lois in annoyance. = "That isn't true! But what are you saying? That it wasn't your first time? = Lana wasn't your first?" "Lana my first??" said Clark. "Are you kidding? Lois, I was almost = thirty when I got engaged! Why would you think I...?" he stopped, looking at = her flushed face. "You mean =91he' said that *you* were *his* first? Is = that what he told you??" "What he *told* me was the truth!" snapped Lois, stung by the = incredulity in his voice. "Do you think I wouldn't have been able to tell?" Instantly = she wished she had held her tongue. "You mean *you* had experience and he didn't?" Clark said in wonder. "And what's wrong with that??" said Lois, blushing furiously. She = wished that she had never started this conversation. "Nothing!" said Clark, holding up his hands in appeasement. "I'm just surprised, that's all." He changed the subject and their conversation turned to other matters. ***** The remainder of the two weeks dragged for Lois. It was such a strain, missing Clark as she did and having his counterpart so tantalizingly = close. She almost dreaded the evenings when she and Clark would be alone = together. Not that their time in the office was much better. She found herself touching Clark out of habit throughout the day, putting a friendly hand = on his arm, his shoulder, patting his chest, and each time, she would be recalled to her situation with a jerk of recollection triggered by the = flush that spread over his face. She knew how hard this was for him, and she = knew she shouldn't be contributing to his discomfort by touching him so much, = but she just kept forgetting. There was Clark standing next to her, looking like he always did, and it was the most natural thing in the world to = reach out for him. Her contact with Clark was always casual, and Clark initiated none at = all with her. She missed her own Clark's hand on her shoulder or around her waist when they worked at her terminal together. There were no more of = the stolen intimacies that she and her Clark had shared so often, = either...the quick kisses when they thought no one was looking. To make matters worse, she could often feel Perry's eyes on them; she = knew that he suspected something and could only hope that he wouldn't broach = the subject and give one of his fatherly talks to her or Clark. She breathed a sigh of relief at the conclusion of the two week period. Clark should be back from Switzerland now, she thought with joy. He's probably waiting for me at home right now! She raced through her story, putting the finishing touches on it in record time. Clark had already completed his latest story and had left the office an hour ago. "Lois! Where's that story?" bellowed Perry. "Done, Chief; I have it right here," she sang out as she sent it to = him. She snatched her handbag and headed for the door. "Look, Lois, Superman's back!" said Jimmy, pointing to a television = screen which displayed Superman assisting at a fire. "Wonderful! Metropolis has missed him!" said Lois, trying not to look = too radiant. She slowed her pace somewhat. There was no need to hurry now; = she guessed Clark would be busy with that fire for a while. She did some shopping on the way home, picking up wine and Chinese = takeout. The first sound that greeted her ears when she entered the house was the cascading of running water. She headed for the kitchen, where she found Clark at the sink, scrubbing at a stain on his Superman outfit. She = walked up behind him, put her arms around his waist, and hugged him, laying her cheek against his back. He stiffened and threw his head up, arching his back as he sucked in his breath with a hiss. At the same time Lois = heard a whoosh sound behind her and a voice say, "Lois!!!" ------=_NextPart_000_00C8_01BE8833.3FD84400 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Yet another story where the = alternate CK finds=20 his Lois... 
 
Frank comments and criticisms = welcome.  I=20 particularly want to know if any scenes are boring, irrelevant, = tasteless, or=20 just plain stupid.
 
Warning:  PG-13
 
Loises and Clarks  -- Part 1

"Clark, thank you for = coming," said Lois, putting her arms around the
alternate Clark = and=20 giving him a friendly hug.

"I'm glad that I can help," = said=20 alternate Clark, looking toward Clark, who
had stepped forward to = shake his=20 hand.  "What do we do first?"

H.G. Wells coughed=20 discreetly.  "Yes, well; as I told you before, Mr. Kent,
at = a=20 critical time in your future, Tempus is going to convince this = world
that you=20 and Superman are the same person.  In order to forestall=20 Tempus's
revelation of your dual identity and the subsequent harm he=20 renders
to...hem...Lois, you must provide incontrovertible proof that = Superman and
Clark Kent are two separate people.  After you have = appeared together as
Superman and Clark Kent often enough to = establish beyond=20 any doubt that you
are two separate people, I can return the = alternate Clark=20 to his universe."

"So I guess we need to stage an event = where=20 you and I appear as Superman and
Clark at the same time," said = Clark to=20 his counterpart, "but it'll have to
wait until I come back from=20 Geneva...I'm negotiating a peace settlement this
week.  I have = to leave=20 in..." he looked at his watch, "...five minutes." =20 He
paused and looked speculatively at the alternate Clark.  = "Maybe=20 you could
take my place over there, and I could stay in Metropolis as = Clark=20 Kent."  He
put an arm around Lois's = shoulders.

"But,=20 Clark, he doesn't know anything about these negotiations,"=20 objected
Lois.

Clark's face fell momentarily, then = brightened. =20 "I can brief him..." his
voice faded as he realized the=20 impossibility of the task.

"You've been preparing for this = for=20 weeks," said Lois, shaking her head.
"How can you get him = ready in=20 just a few minutes?"

"I could try," said the = alternate=20 Clark, trying to help.

"I must be going now," said = Wells, who=20 had been listening quietly to their
conversation.  "I'll = leave you=20 to work this out."

"Wait!" called Lois.  = "When=20 are you coming back?  How long does the other
Clark have to stay = here?"  The door closed softly behind Wells's=20 retreating
back.  Lois sighed.

"You're right, Lois; = I don't=20 have time to brief him.  I'd better..." Clark
made a flying = motion=20 with his hand and Lois nodded.  He spun into the
Superman suit, = gave=20 Lois a quick kiss, then vanished with a whoosh.

Well," said = Lois,=20 clasping and unclasping her hands.  "Welcome back = to
Metropolis.=20 *Our* Metropolis, I mean."  She laughed, feeling=20 awkward.


The alternate Clark smiled rather nervously.  = It was=20 harder than he had
expected, seeing Lois again like this.  When = he had=20 returned to his own
dimension after the last time he had seen her, he = had=20 thrown himself into
his work, hoping to drive all thoughts of her = >from his=20 head, with
indifferent success.  Now, for the first time, he = began to=20 have doubts about
taking on this assignment.  When he had agreed = to come=20 to this Metropolis to
help, he hadn't expected to be alone with Lois = in her=20 house.

Lois was looking at him now.  "I'm really glad = you could=20 come," she said.
"And just in time to fill in for Clark at = the=20 Daily Planet.  We tried to get
Perry to send him to Geneva to = cover the=20 negotiations, but Perry said ‘the
Suits' wouldn't allow = it...they want=20 Clark to continue his investigation of
Congressman Koch.  We've = been=20 trying to figure out how I could cover for
him; I was afraid I was = going to=20 have to call him in sick every day.

Clark nodded.  "I'm = glad I=20 can help," he said.  He followed Lois into=20 the
kitchen.

"You'd better get dressed for work," = she=20 said.  "Clark's suits are in the
same place as last=20 time."  Clark nodded and whirled up the stairs, pausing
at = the top=20 to lean his back against the wall as he ran his hands through = his
hair. =20 Gosh, how was he going to stand this?  He dressed slowly, not = trying
to=20 change at super speed.  He needed time to think before facing her=20 again.

Lois had burst into his life two years ago, uprooting his = career,=20 his
impending marriage, and even his identity, and then had left as = quickly=20 as
she had come.  Try as he might, he could not forget her; not = least=20 because
of the changes she had wrought in his life.  For better = or=20 worse, she had
changed it forever.

Seeing her again last year = had=20 unearthed all the tumultuous emotions that
his first contact with her = had=20 engendered.  When he had been called to
assist this world in the = other=20 Clark's absence, he had harbored a secret
desire that Clark would = never be=20 found and that he could take his place for
good, a feeling of which = he was=20 heartily ashamed.  For he had not expected
to feel so envious of = the=20 other Clark.  He had fought his jealousy, but it
was so = hard!  His=20 counterpart had everything: his parents were still alive
and very = much a part=20 of his life; he had his career...two careers...and
thanks to his = secret=20 identity, a real life; but most of all he had Lois.

Lois!  = Clark=20 closed his eyes as he pictured the dark-haired beauty with = the
unforgettable=20 eyes who had tornadoed into his life and shattered it.  Not
that = he=20 regretted it.  He would not have foregone one minute of his = time
with=20 her in return for all the comfort and security of his previous = life.

He=20 recalled her casual embrace of a few minutes ago.  Even that small=20 token
of regard had served to re-ignite all his carefully damped-down = passions.
He grew warm just thinking about it.

He sighed and = made his=20 way slowly down the stairs.

*****
As the day wore on, Clark = began to=20 enjoy himself.  It was a relief to be
able to walk down the = street and=20 not be mobbed by strangers, and it was
delightful to work with Lois, = to be=20 able to drink in the sight and sound and
smell of her, and to enjoy = the=20 occasional casual touch. This was such
heaven!  If only he could = stay=20 here...no, he couldn't think like that.  He
mustn't allow = himself to=20 think like that.  He looked at Lois as she sat at
her desk = putting the=20 finishing touches on her latest story.  It felt so good
to be = able to=20 work with her like this!  He looked down at his desk with = a
satisfied=20 sigh and began typing again.

"Mr. Kent?" said a = voice.  He=20 looked up from his desk to see a middle-aged
man standing before = him. =20 "May I speak to you for a minute?"

"Sure," = said=20 Clark, getting to his feet.

The man looked around = uncertainly. =20 "Could we speak privately...?"

"This way," = said=20 Clark, leading him into the conference room.

"Mr. Kent, = allow me to=20 introduce myself," the stranger began once Clark had
shut the = door in=20 the conference room.  "I'm Phillip Hunt and I'm here = on
behalf of a=20 friend."  He paused to make sure he had Clark's = attention. =20 "I
understand that you know how to contact Superman," he=20 said.

"Ye-es, sometimes," said Clark, feeling how = strange it=20 was for someone to be
talking about Superman as if he were a = different=20 person.  "But he's locked
up in a conference in Geneva = right now=20 and--"

"Oh, this isn't an emergency.  If you could = just=20 tell him about the
situation the next time you see him...  You = see, it's=20 about an incident that
occurred a year ago..."

Clark = listened as=20 Hunt related a tale of a kidnaping that had occurred in
Kuran, a = medium-sized=20 city in the Middle East, a year earlier.  Two young
Italian = women had=20 been abducted and held as hostages.  Shortly after = their
capture, one of=20 the women had been found wandering the streets of Kuran,
completely = unharmed=20 but considerably confused.  She had memories of her
abduction = and=20 several days of captivity, but was completely at a loss to
explain = how she=20 had escaped.

It was on behalf of the other young woman that Hunt = was=20 requesting
Superman's help.  Within a week of her kidnaping the = Italian=20 government had
been approached to make arrangements for her return, = pending=20 release of two
terrorists from an Italian prison, but no agreement = had been=20 reached and
negotiations were soon terminated.  No trace of her = was ever=20 found.  At the
urging of Hunt's son, who had attended school = with the=20 Italian woman, Hunt
was requesting that Superman look into the=20 matter.

"I can ask him to do that the next time I see = him,"=20 said Clark, "but," he
looked Hunt in the eye, "after = all this=20 time, you realize that there's a
good chance the woman is=20 dead."

Hunt nodded.  "I realize that.  = However, any=20 news of the woman's fate would
be helpful to her family, if only to = allow=20 them to reach closure."

"I'll do what I can," = promised=20 Clark.  "I mean, I'll tell Superman the next
time I see=20 him."  The two men shook hands and Hunt departed, leaving=20 Clark
lost in thought.

*****
At home that evening Lois = broached the=20 subject that had been on her mind all
day.  "When you were = here=20 last time, H. G. Wells said..." she paused, almost
afraid to = ask,=20 "you were looking for the Lois Lane of your dimension=20 and..."

"And you wondered if we'd ever found her?  = No," said Clark.  "And it wasn't
from not = trying," he=20 added with a touch of bitterness.

"I'm sorry," said = Lois=20 softly.

"Right after Herb dropped me off he appeared = again,"=20 continued Clark.  "But
he looked older, and pretty well = beat. =20 He said that he had been searching
for Lois for six months, trying to = pinpoint the exact moment of her
disappearance, but without = success.  He=20 had come back in time to the minute
he had returned me to my universe = so he=20 could give me the bad news
immediately; he didn't want to leave me = with false=20 hopes."  Clark gazed out
the window.

"I'm = sorry,"=20 said Lois again.  She paused.  "I know this sounds=20 insensitive,
but have you tried...dating...anyone=20 else?"

"I've dated," said Clark, "but I've = never=20 actually been with a woman since
Lana."  He blushed as soon = as the=20 words were out of his mouth.  Why did he
have to tell her=20 that?

"You've never been with...?" said Lois, not quite = certain=20 of his meaning.
"You mean you and Lana had...you and...you mean = you=20 didn't *wait*?"

Clark looked at her, confused. =20 "Wait?" he said.  "For what?  Oh, you = mean
wait for=20 the ceremony?  Lois!  Nobody does that any more!  It's = not as if=20 we
were a couple of teenagers!  I mean, if it had been the first = time=20 for
either of us, then--"

"What do you mean, = *nobody* waits=20 any more?" said Lois in annoyance.  "That
isn't = true! =20 But what are you saying?  That it wasn't your first time? =20 Lana
wasn't your first?"

"Lana my first??" said = Clark.  "Are you kidding?  Lois, I was almost = thirty
when I=20 got engaged!  Why would you think I...?" he stopped, looking = at=20 her
flushed face.  "You mean ‘he' said that *you* = were *his*=20 first?  Is that
what he told you??"

"What he = *told* me=20 was the truth!" snapped Lois, stung by the incredulity in
his=20 voice.  "Do you think I wouldn't have been able to = tell?" =20 Instantly she
wished she had held her tongue.

"You mean = *you* had=20 experience and he didn't?" Clark said in wonder.

"And = what's=20 wrong with that??" said Lois, blushing furiously.  She = wished
that=20 she had never started this conversation.

"Nothing!" = said Clark,=20 holding up his hands in appeasement.  "I'm just
surprised, = that's=20 all."  He changed the subject and their conversation
turned = to=20 other matters.

*****
The remainder of the two weeks dragged = for=20 Lois.  It was such a strain,
missing Clark as she did and having = his=20 counterpart so tantalizingly close.
She almost dreaded the evenings = when she=20 and Clark would be alone together.
Not that their time in the office = was much=20 better.  She found herself
touching Clark out of habit = throughout the=20 day, putting a friendly hand on
his arm, his shoulder, patting his = chest, and=20 each time, she would be
recalled to her situation with a jerk of = recollection=20 triggered by the flush
that spread over his face.  She knew how = hard=20 this was for him, and she knew
she shouldn't be contributing to his=20 discomfort by touching him so much, but
she just kept = forgetting.  There=20 was Clark standing next to her, looking
like he always did, and it = was the=20 most natural thing in the world to reach
out for him.

Her = contact with=20 Clark was always casual, and Clark initiated none at all
with = her.  She=20 missed her own Clark's hand on her shoulder or around her
waist when = they=20 worked at her terminal together.  There were no more of = the
stolen=20 intimacies that she and her Clark had shared so often, = either...the
quick=20 kisses when they thought no one was looking.

To make matters = worse, she=20 could often feel Perry's eyes on them; she knew
that he  = suspected=20 something and could only hope that he wouldn't broach the
subject and = give=20 one of his fatherly talks to her or Clark.

She breathed a sigh of = relief=20 at the conclusion of the two week period.
Clark should be back from=20 Switzerland now, she thought with joy.  He's
probably waiting = for me at=20 home right now!  She raced through her story,
putting the = finishing=20 touches on it in record time.  Clark had already
completed his = latest=20 story and had left the office an hour ago.  "Lois!
Where's = that=20 story?" bellowed Perry.

"Done, Chief;  I have it = right=20 here," she sang out as she sent it to him.
She snatched her = handbag and=20 headed for the door.

"Look, Lois, Superman's back!" = said Jimmy,=20 pointing to a television screen
which displayed Superman assisting at = a=20 fire.

"Wonderful!  Metropolis has missed him!" = said Lois,=20 trying not to look too
radiant.  She slowed her pace = somewhat. =20 There was no need to hurry now; she
guessed Clark would be busy with = that=20 fire for a while.

She did some shopping on the way home, picking = up wine=20 and Chinese takeout.
The first sound that greeted her ears when she = entered=20 the house was the
cascading of running water.  She headed for = the=20 kitchen, where she found
Clark at the sink, scrubbing at a stain on = his=20 Superman outfit.  She walked
up behind him, put her arms around = his=20 waist, and hugged him, laying her
cheek against his back.  He = stiffened=20 and threw his head up, arching his
back as he sucked in his breath = with a=20 hiss.  At the same time Lois heard a
whoosh sound behind her and = a voice=20 say, "Lois!!!"

------=_NextPart_000_00C8_01BE8833.3FD84400-- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 18:03:14 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Peggy Mueller Subject: New Fanfic -- Loises and Clarks, 2 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_00D4_01BE8833.65B939E0" This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_00D4_01BE8833.65B939E0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Loises and Clarks =96 Part 2 Lois released Clark and jumped back in haste, looking from one Clark to = the other. "Which...?" She looked at the Clark she had just hugged, = still standing with his back to them, but with a tell-tale blush of red = on the back of his neck. Then she looked at the Clark standing in the = doorway, dressed in the Superman costume, his face and uniform grimy = with soot. "Clark??" she said. She looked back at the Clark she had just = embraced. "Uh-oh," she said. "What are you doing?" her Clark asked, hands on hips. "I guess I made a mistake," she said feebly. "How could you do that?" asked Clark. Lois, believing that he didn=92t = seriously expect her to reply to that question, didn=92t answer. The = alternate Clark, leaping into the breach, stammered and said that no = doubt Lois had mistaken him for her husband when she saw him with the = Superman suit. Clark whirled to face him. "Why were you wearing the Suit at that fire = anyway?" he challenged him. "I almost flew in on top of you! That would = have made a mess of everything!" "I=92m sorry," said alternate Clark. "I knew you had left Geneva but = there was still no sign of you so I thought I could risk Superman being = seen in Metropolis." "Well, you could have ruined everything!"exclaimed Clark "He=92s just trying to help!" interposed Lois, laying a hand on her = husband=92s arm. "Yeah, sure," groused Clark, shaking off her hand and stomping up the = stairs.=20 With a wry grimace at this un-Clarklike behavior, Lois turned to the = alternate Clark. "Thank you for all your help," she said. Clark=92s face brightened while he gave her his shy smile. "It=92s okay, = Lois. Just let me know if there=92s anything else I can do." He tried = not to watch her while she left the room and headed for the stairs.=20 "Lois!" he called after her. "I=92m going to go out for the evening. = I=92ll wear the...the Suit, so you won=92t need to be disturbed for = anything."=20 Lois turned and looked back at the alternate Clark. "Thank you, Clark," = she said gratefully. "That=92s very thoughtful of you." Clark looked up at her glowing face, thinking that the way she was = looking at him now more than made up for having to spend the evening = outdoors, flying aimlessly in circles. *** "I missed you," said Lois, following her husband into the bedroom. "Yeah, sure," said Clark, sulking.=20 Lois put her arms around his waist and drew him close. "Want me to prove = it?" she asked softly.=20 Clark wriggled out of her embrace. "Lois, how could you hug him like = that?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest. "How could I....?" Lois took a step back. "You=92re not jealous are = you?" Clark, for someone who=92s so smart, you can be *so* dumb = sometimes! When he didn=92t answer she tried again. "I thought it was = you," she said, waiting for him to understand what she was saying. No, = he didn=92t get it! Duh! She sighed in exasperation, folding her arms = and watching him through narrowed eyes while he paced back and forth, = talking at an uncharacteristically fast speed. "...gone for two weeks..." Lois frowned, trying to think of a way to snap him out of this. " ...come back to find..." "Clark, it was a mistake! I thought he was you!" she interrupted. "...hugging him...*hugging* him...!"=20 Lois threw up her hands. "Okay," she said, turning to leave the room. "Lois, wait, where are you going? Lois...?" "I=92m going to call my mother and see if she wants to go out for = dinner," she threw over her shoulder.=20 "Wha...?" "I could use some good company right now..." she added. "Good company...? Your mother? Lois!" Clark protested, racing in front = of her and blocking her exit. "How can you think about going out = tonight?? It=92s my first night back!" "And...?" said Lois. "I thought we could...we could..." "Yes?" she said, when he didn=92t continue. "Stay in tonight," he said, drawing a breath. "But you=92re mad at me!" she said sweetly. "No! No, I=92m not mad at you, honey!" said Clark earnestly. "Then you believe me when I say I missed you?" Lois drifted closer and = put her hands on his upper arms.=20 "Yes! Absolutely!" "And that I made a mistake when I hugged *him*?" She slid her hands up = his shoulders and around the back of his neck. "Yes," he said. "And that I want to spend the evening with you, alone, eating the = Chinese take-out I bought?" "Actually," said Clark, clearing his throat, "I bought Chinese take-out, = too." Lois smiled. "Why do I get the feeling that you didn=92t get yours at = Ralph=92s Pagoda?" she said.=20 ***** With the return of Clark to his wife=92s side, the alternate Clark=92s = position in Lois=92s life was relegated to the sidelines. By mutual = agreement, alternate Clark became Superman and spent his days and most = of his nights patrolling the city. Gone were the days when he worked at = Lois=92s side in the office, receiving her casual pats and other = physical contact with secret pleasure. Gone, too, were the evenings = spent exclusively in her company. Sometimes he joined the husband and = wife in their evening activities when spent inside their house, but on = such occasions he invariably felt awkward and out of place.=20 It hurt him, too, that Clark seemed to resent his presence so much. He = looked up to Clark with something approaching awe, and would have given = much to be able to please him. For the Clark of this world, though, it was perhaps harder. He was = grateful to the alternate Clark for agreeing to help him, and he knew = his wife loved him completely, but there was *that* between them that = bothered him. When he had arrived at home to find his wife with her arms = around the alternate Clark, whose body language completely betrayed his = feelings, he had felt rage and jealousy unlike anything he had ever = known. This was worse than when she had loved Superman and scorned = Clark. He hadn=92t really been able to be angry with her for loving = Superman so much...after all, *he* was Superman! And no more could he = blame her for being attracted to the alternate Clark, for in a way, the = alternate Clark was him, too. But at least he had some control over = Superman=92s actions, a control he lacked with the alternate Clark. "I know I shouldn=92t feel this way, Lois, but I just can=92t help it!" = he told her one evening when he was alone with his wife while Superman = was out patrolling the skies. "The whole time I was in Geneva, I just = kept thinking about the two of you alone here together, remembering how = you almost kissed the last time...and you almost kissed when you went to = his world, too!" "I should never have told you about that," said Lois regretfully. "No, it=92s okay, I want you to be honest with me," he said, hugging her = tightly. "I feel sorry for him," said Lois. "It=92s so sad that he has to be = alone." "That=92s just it Lois...why does he have to be alone? With all the = women on the planet why does he have to fixate on my wife?" "He=92s probably a lot like you," said Lois, taking his face between her = hands and pressing a kiss on his lips. "Once he=92s decided on a certain = woman, he can=92t think about having anyone else." "Does he have to pick the same woman?" grumbled Clark. Lois sighed. "We can only hope that he=92ll find someone else," she = said. "After all, he=92s not quite like you...he was surprised that you = had waited until the honeymoon..." "What???" Clark interrupted wrathfully. "Lo-i-is!! You mean you *told* = him???" "I didn=92t *tell* him, Clark, he guessed," said Lois. "Huh! Lucky guess!" snorted Clark.=20 "Clark..." "Did he just come up one day and say, =91Clark must have waited for the = honeymoon=92?" "Don=92t get sarcastic, Clark!" snapped Lois. "Of course not; he was = telling me that he...how lonely he was and that he hadn=92t been...been = with anyone since Lana Lang and when I said I was surprised he hadn=92t = waited for the wedding..." "He was talking to you about his love life???" Clark got to his feet. = "Lois!!" "It=92s not a crime, Clark!" said Lois. "And what=92s with you, anyway? = What=92s so bad with him knowing about your past?" She looked = searchingly at Clark, who had fallen into the sullens and didn=92t = answer her. "Oh! I get it!" said Lois. "This is a guy thing, isn=92t it? = A testosterone-induced contest of one-upmanship...and you=92re the loser = because you had less experience than he did? Is that what this is = about?" "No!" said Clark uncomfortably. "I just don=92t think = it=92s...appropriate...for a man who=92s living in *my* house with *my* = wife to discuss that subject with her!" He spun into his Superman = costume and prepared to fly away. "Clark, where are you going? You can=92t go out like that...Superman=92s = already on the job!" Clark stopped. He thought of stalking out of the = house on foot, but he realized that he really didn=92t want to fight = with Lois. Not tonight, when they had the house to themselves. He pulled = himself together, then bent all his energy to coaxing Lois out of the = angry mood she had fallen into. ***** Late that evening, the alternate Clark crept into the house and made up = his bed upon the sofa, glad that for once there were no noises upstairs = for his sensitive ears to detect. Instead of lying in his bed once he = had made it, however, he sat down with his head in his hands. He was = nervous about going to sleep because of the dreams he had been having. = Every night he dreamed of Lois, and it was getting worse. Last night she = had come to him and hugged him in the same way she had that day in the = kitchen, telling him to take her back to the other world with him...that = she wanted him, only him. It was such desolation to awaken to cold = reality after having these dreams that he didn=92t want to go to sleep = and risk having them again. He sighed. I have to get out of here, he = thought. ***** Meanwhile, the two Clarks staged a number of events where Superman and = Clark Kent appeared together, on camera whenever possible. But by this = time the tension between them had escalated to the point that it was = starting to become visible. One day Perry called Clark into his office and shut the door. "Son," he = said, "I can=92t help noticing that things between you and Lois aren=92t = all they should be. I don=92t know how long this has been going on, but = I seem to recall a chill between you two...oh, around the time of the = peace conference in Geneva." Clark tried not to show how glad he was = that the Chief had noticed the difference between the other Clark and = himself in relation to Lois.=20 "Now...uh..." Perry continued, "I don=92t know what=92s going on between = you two, but I want to warn you about...uh...letting it show too much in = public."=20 "Chief," began Clark, pressing his lips together. "Let me show you what I mean," said Perry, inserting a videotape into = the VCR. Clark watched the footage from yesterday=92s press conference, = which he, Lois, and Superman had all attended. He saw Lois go up to = Superman afterwards and place a hand on his arm. Then he saw himself = approach them and put his own hands possessively on Lois=92s shoulders. = It was a subtle movement, something that perhaps only Perry White, who = knew them so well, would have noticed, but it was enough to point out to = Clark the possibilities of a scandal of a different sort than the = revelation that he was Superman. He couldn=92t have people saying that = he was jealous of Superman or of Superman=92s relationship with his = wife! "Now, son, I understand that Lois has always had this special = relationship with Superman," said Perry, "but you=92ve got to realize = that Lois would never...I mean....why, she=92s completely in love with = you!" "Chief, I know what you=92re trying to say and..." began Clark. "You two had to weather some mighty unpleasant gossip last year and = I=92d hate to see a repeat of it," continued Perry, heedless of the = interruption. "Now let me tell you about a time when the King..." Perry = launched into one of his Elvis stories.=20 Clark escaped as soon as he could, grateful for Perry=92s friendly = warning and determined to mend relations with both Lois and the other = Clark. He was glad that Perry had noticed a difference when the other = Clark had substituted for him! Lois must act conspicuously different = around him! He tried not to smile too broadly when he returned to his = desk. ------=_NextPart_000_00D4_01BE8833.65B939E0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Loises and Clarks – Part 2

Lois released Clark and jumped back in haste, looking from one Clark = to the=20 other. "Which...?" She looked at the Clark she had just = hugged, still=20 standing with his back to them, but with a tell-tale blush of red on the = back of=20 his neck. Then she looked at the Clark standing in the doorway, dressed = in the=20 Superman costume, his face and uniform grimy with soot. = "Clark??" she=20 said. She looked back at the Clark she had just embraced. = "Uh-oh," she=20 said.

"What are you doing?" her Clark asked, hands on hips.

"I guess I made a mistake," she said feebly.

"How could you do that?" asked Clark. Lois, believing that = he=20 didn’t seriously expect her to reply to that question, = didn’t=20 answer. The alternate Clark, leaping into the breach, stammered and said = that no=20 doubt Lois had mistaken him for her husband when she saw him with the = Superman=20 suit.

Clark whirled to face him. "Why were you wearing the Suit at = that fire=20 anyway?" he challenged him. "I almost flew in on top of you! = That=20 would have made a mess of everything!"

"I’m sorry," said alternate Clark. "I knew you = had left=20 Geneva but there was still no sign of you so I thought I could risk = Superman=20 being seen in Metropolis."

"Well, you could have ruined everything!"exclaimed = Clark

"He’s just trying to help!" interposed Lois, laying a = hand on=20 her husband’s arm.

"Yeah, sure," groused Clark, shaking off her hand and = stomping up=20 the stairs.

With a wry grimace at this un-Clarklike behavior, Lois turned to the=20 alternate Clark. "Thank you for all your help," she said.

Clark’s face brightened while he gave her his shy smile.=20 "It’s okay, Lois. Just let me know if there’s anything = else I=20 can do." He tried not to watch her while she left the room and = headed for=20 the stairs.

"Lois!" he called after her. "I’m going to go = out for=20 the evening. I’ll wear the...the Suit, so you won’t need to = be=20 disturbed for anything."

Lois turned and looked back at the alternate Clark. "Thank you,=20 Clark," she said gratefully. "That’s very thoughtful of=20 you."

Clark looked up at her glowing face, thinking that the way she was = looking at=20 him now more than made up for having to spend the evening outdoors, = flying=20 aimlessly in circles.

***

"I missed you," said Lois, following her husband into the=20 bedroom.

"Yeah, sure," said Clark, sulking.

Lois put her arms around his waist and drew him close. "Want me = to prove=20 it?" she asked softly.

Clark wriggled out of her embrace. "Lois, how could you hug him = like=20 that?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"How could I....?" Lois took a step back. = "You’re not=20 jealous are you?" Clark, for someone who’s so smart, you can = be *so*=20 dumb sometimes! When he didn’t answer she tried again. "I = thought it=20 was you," she said, waiting for him to understand what she was = saying. No,=20 he didn’t get it! Duh! She sighed in exasperation, folding her = arms and=20 watching him through narrowed eyes while he paced back and forth, = talking at an=20 uncharacteristically fast speed.

"...gone for two weeks..."

Lois frowned, trying to think of a way to snap him out of this.

" ...come back to find..."

"Clark, it was a mistake! I thought he was you!" she=20 interrupted.

"...hugging him...*hugging* him...!"

Lois threw up her hands. "Okay," she said, turning to leave = the=20 room.

"Lois, wait, where are you going? Lois...?"

"I’m going to call my mother and see if she wants to go = out for=20 dinner," she threw over her shoulder.

"Wha...?"

"I could use some good company right now..." she added.

"Good company...? Your mother? Lois!" Clark protested, = racing in=20 front of her and blocking her exit. "How can you think about going = out=20 tonight?? It’s my first night back!"

"And...?" said Lois.

"I thought we could...we could..."

"Yes?" she said, when he didn’t continue.

"Stay in tonight," he said, drawing a breath.

"But you’re mad at me!" she said sweetly.

"No! No, I’m not mad at you, honey!" said Clark=20 earnestly.

"Then you believe me when I say I missed you?" Lois drifted = closer=20 and put her hands on his upper arms.

"Yes! Absolutely!"

"And that I made a mistake when I hugged *him*?" She slid = her hands=20 up his shoulders and around the back of his neck.

"Yes," he said.

"And that I want to spend the evening with you, alone, eating = the=20 Chinese take-out I bought?"

"Actually," said Clark, clearing his throat, "I bought = Chinese=20 take-out, too."

Lois smiled. "Why do I get the feeling that you didn’t get = yours=20 at Ralph’s Pagoda?" she said.

*****

With the return of Clark to his wife’s side, the alternate=20 Clark’s position in Lois’s life was relegated to the = sidelines. By=20 mutual agreement, alternate Clark became Superman and spent his days and = most of=20 his nights patrolling the city. Gone were the days when he worked at=20 Lois’s side in the office, receiving her casual pats and other = physical=20 contact with secret pleasure. Gone, too, were the evenings spent = exclusively in=20 her company. Sometimes he joined the husband and wife in their evening=20 activities when spent inside their house, but on such occasions he = invariably=20 felt awkward and out of place.

It hurt him, too, that Clark seemed to resent his presence so much. = He looked=20 up to Clark with something approaching awe, and would have given much to = be able=20 to please him.

For the Clark of this world, though, it was perhaps harder. He was = grateful=20 to the alternate Clark for agreeing to help him, and he knew his wife = loved him=20 completely, but there was *that* between them that bothered him. When he = had=20 arrived at home to find his wife with her arms around the alternate = Clark, whose=20 body language completely betrayed his feelings, he had felt rage and = jealousy=20 unlike anything he had ever known. This was worse than when she had = loved=20 Superman and scorned Clark. He hadn’t really been able to be angry = with=20 her for loving Superman so much...after all, *he* was Superman! And no = more=20 could he blame her for being attracted to the alternate Clark, for in a = way, the=20 alternate Clark was him, too. But at least he had some control over=20 Superman’s actions, a control he lacked with the alternate = Clark.

"I know I shouldn’t feel this way, Lois, but I just = can’t=20 help it!" he told her one evening when he was alone with his wife = while=20 Superman was out patrolling the skies. "The whole time I was in = Geneva, I=20 just kept thinking about the two of you alone here together, remembering = how you=20 almost kissed the last time...and you almost kissed when you went to his = world,=20 too!"

"I should never have told you about that," said Lois=20 regretfully.

"No, it’s okay, I want you to be honest with me," he = said,=20 hugging her tightly.

"I feel sorry for him," said Lois. "It’s so sad = that he=20 has to be alone."

"That’s just it Lois...why does he have to be alone? With = all the=20 women on the planet why does he have to fixate on my wife?"

"He’s probably a lot like you," said Lois, taking his = face=20 between her hands and pressing a kiss on his lips. "Once he’s = decided=20 on a certain woman, he can’t think about having anyone = else."

"Does he have to pick the same woman?" grumbled Clark.

Lois sighed. "We can only hope that he’ll find someone = else,"=20 she said. "After all, he’s not quite like you...he was = surprised that=20 you had waited until the honeymoon..."

"What???" Clark interrupted wrathfully. "Lo-i-is!! You = mean=20 you *told* him???"

"I didn’t *tell* him, Clark, he guessed," said = Lois.

"Huh! Lucky guess!" snorted Clark.

"Clark..."

"Did he just come up one day and say, ‘Clark must have = waited for=20 the honeymoon’?"

"Don’t get sarcastic, Clark!" snapped Lois. "Of = course=20 not; he was telling me that he...how lonely he was and that he = hadn’t=20 been...been with anyone since Lana Lang and when I said I was surprised = he=20 hadn’t waited for the wedding..."

"He was talking to you about his love life???" Clark got to = his=20 feet. "Lois!!"

"It’s not a crime, Clark!" said Lois. "And = what’s=20 with you, anyway? What’s so bad with him knowing about your = past?"=20 She looked searchingly at Clark, who had fallen into the sullens and=20 didn’t answer her. "Oh! I get it!" said Lois. "This = is a=20 guy thing, isn’t it? A testosterone-induced contest of = one-upmanship...and=20 you’re the loser because you had less experience than he did? Is = that what=20 this is about?"

"No!" said Clark uncomfortably. "I just don’t = think=20 it’s...appropriate...for a man who’s living in *my* house = with *my*=20 wife to discuss that subject with her!" He spun into his Superman = costume=20 and prepared to fly away.

"Clark, where are you going? You can’t go out like=20 that...Superman’s already on the job!" Clark stopped. He = thought of=20 stalking out of the house on foot, but he realized that he really = didn’t=20 want to fight with Lois. Not tonight, when they had the house to = themselves. He=20 pulled himself together, then bent all his energy to coaxing Lois out of = the=20 angry mood she had fallen into.

*****

Late that evening, the alternate Clark crept into the house and made = up his=20 bed upon the sofa, glad that for once there were no noises upstairs for = his=20 sensitive ears to detect. Instead of lying in his bed once he had made = it,=20 however, he sat down with his head in his hands. He was nervous about = going to=20 sleep because of the dreams he had been having. Every night he dreamed = of Lois,=20 and it was getting worse. Last night she had come to him and hugged him = in the=20 same way she had that day in the kitchen, telling him to take her back = to the=20 other world with him...that she wanted him, only him. It was such = desolation to=20 awaken to cold reality after having these dreams that he didn’t = want to go=20 to sleep and risk having them again. He sighed. I have to get out of = here, he=20 thought.

*****

Meanwhile, the two Clarks staged a number of events where Superman = and Clark=20 Kent appeared together, on camera whenever possible. But by this time = the=20 tension between them had escalated to the point that it was starting to = become=20 visible.

One day Perry called Clark into his office and shut the door.=20 "Son," he said, "I can’t help noticing that things = between=20 you and Lois aren’t all they should be. I don’t know how = long this=20 has been going on, but I seem to recall a chill between you two...oh, = around the=20 time of the peace conference in Geneva." Clark tried not to show = how glad=20 he was that the Chief had noticed the difference between the other Clark = and=20 himself in relation to Lois.

"Now...uh..." Perry continued, "I don’t know=20 what’s going on between you two, but I want to warn you=20 about...uh...letting it show too much in public."

"Chief," began Clark, pressing his lips together.

"Let me show you what I mean," said Perry, inserting a = videotape=20 into the VCR. Clark watched the footage from yesterday’s press = conference,=20 which he, Lois, and Superman had all attended. He saw Lois go up to = Superman=20 afterwards and place a hand on his arm. Then he saw himself approach = them and=20 put his own hands possessively on Lois’s shoulders. It was a = subtle=20 movement, something that perhaps only Perry White, who knew them so = well, would=20 have noticed, but it was enough to point out to Clark the possibilities = of a=20 scandal of a different sort than the revelation that he was Superman. He = couldn’t have people saying that he was jealous of Superman or of=20 Superman’s relationship with his wife!

"Now, son, I understand that Lois has always had this special=20 relationship with Superman," said Perry, "but you’ve got = to=20 realize that Lois would never...I mean....why, she’s completely in = love=20 with you!"

"Chief, I know what you’re trying to say and..." = began=20 Clark.

"You two had to weather some mighty unpleasant gossip last year = and=20 I’d hate to see a repeat of it," continued Perry, heedless of = the=20 interruption. "Now let me tell you about a time when the = King..."=20 Perry launched into one of his Elvis stories.

Clark escaped as soon as he could, grateful for Perry’s = friendly=20 warning and determined to mend relations with both Lois and the other = Clark. He=20 was glad that Perry had noticed a difference when the other Clark had=20 substituted for him! Lois must act conspicuously different around him! = He tried=20 not to smile too broadly when he returned to his = desk.

------=_NextPart_000_00D4_01BE8833.65B939E0-- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 18:03:39 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Peggy Mueller Subject: New Fanfic -- Loises and Clarks, 3 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_00E0_01BE8833.74D9E820" This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_00E0_01BE8833.74D9E820 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Loises and Clarks =96 Part 3 ***** The alternate Clark returned to the house earlier than usual that = morning. He had taken to patrolling the city at night and returning to = the house to sleep during the day to avoid Lois and Clark. This morning = he had been asleep for only a few hours when he was aroused by the sound = of a key turning in the lock. He sat up and hastily pulled the sheet = around himself as Jonathan and Martha Kent, recently returned from a = tour of Italy and Japan, entered. "Clark!" said Martha, hurrying over to = him in concern. "You=92re in bed!" "What=92s the matter, son, are you sick?" asked Jonathan, following his = wife.=20 Clark eased himself out of Martha=92s embrace in great embarrassment. = "Martha, I=92m not your Clark," he said. "It=92s me again. The Clark = >from the other universe." Martha pulled back in alarm. "Has something happened to Clark?" she = asked, her face turning pale.=20 "No! He=92s here; he=92s fine," said Clark quickly. "I just came to help = him with a problem." Rapidly he told the Kent=92s of the need to have = Superman appear in public simultaneously with Clark. "Well, thank you for coming, Clark," said Martha, reaching over to give = him a friendly hug. "It=92s nice to see you again, boy," added Jonathan, extending his hand. = Clark found himself blushing with all the friendly attention. Acutely = aware of his bare torso, he excused himself to run into the closet and = put on a shirt. Regaining his equilibrium once he was fully dressed, he sat down with = them and answered their questions, in particular their expressed = curiosity about his current nocturnal lifestyle. Although Clark was = careful to say nothing about the reason he had chosen to live this way, = Jonathan and Martha were quick to divine the truth. "Well," said Martha, = rising from the sofa, "It=92s nice of you to help Lois and Clark and = I=92m sure they both appreciate it." "Yeah," said Clark without much enthusiasm. A look passed between Martha = and Jonathan. "Would you like to have some of my homemade cookies?" asked Martha. "We = stopped in Smallville before we came here and picked up some to bring = with us." "Okay!" said Clark, his face brightening.=20 Lois found the three of them sitting comfortably at the kitchen table = discussing cookies and milk when she arrived a short time later.=20 "Martha! Jonathan!" she exclaimed. "And Clark, what are you doing home? = I thought you were covering the D.A.=92s press conference this = afternoon!" The embarrassed look on Clark=92s face told her of her = error. "Oh, you=92re the other Clark," she said, glad that she had = realized that fact before making the mistake of kissing him. "We really = ought to find another name for you to keep from confusing you with our = Clark. Maybe we could call you Alt-Clark."=20 "That sounds like a keystroke on a computer," protested Clark with a = laugh. "And this *is* =91our=92 Clark, too," added Martha, giving him a hug. = "We can call you =91ours,=92 can=92t we honey?" "Sure," said Alt-Clark, his throat tightening. The Kent=92s were always = so nice to him; he had never felt such a sense of belonging before. He = wished his own adoptive parents had lived.=20 It was at this moment that the Clark of this world pushed open the door = and entered the kitchen to find his counterpart seated at the table = between Jonathan and Lois, with Martha standing beside Alt-Clark=92s = chair with her arms around him. He felt a stab of jealousy, and all his = intentions to mend relations between his alternate and himself = evaporated. "Clark!" said his father, standing up to shake his hand and put his arm = around him. "How are you, boy?" His mother and Lois rushed over to hug = and kiss him also. The alternate Clark rose to his feet, feeling awkward = again.=20 "I think Superman should patrol the city," he said. "Clark," said Martha to Alt-Clark, telegraphing a look to Jonathan, "It = sounds like you two have appeared in public together often enough to = establish that you=92re two separate people, so what would you say to = spending a few days in the country with us?" "I could teach you how to fish," added Jonathan. The Clark of this world stared at his parents in astonishment. First = Lois, then his mom and dad! He really couldn=92t stand this! "Mom! = No-o!" he burst out. Flustered by the startled looks from the assembled = company, he searched for a reason to justify his objection. "We=96we = might need him here! We might need to have both Clark Kent and Superman = at the same time," he said lamely. "Clark, he=92d only be one phone call away," said Martha, with a look in = her eye that Clark didn=92t like.=20 "Yes, he could be back in Metropolis in minutes," added Jonathan. "I think it=92s a good idea," chimed in Lois, at a loss to understand = Clark=92s resistance to the perfect solution for alleviating the tension = in their household. "That=92s okay," said the alternate Clark, squirming in embarrassment. = "I=92ll stay here if you think I=92ll be needed." "Clark," said Martha, fixing her own son with her eye, "I=92d really = love to take a walk to that little park down the street. Why don=92t we = go there now?" "Mom!" protested Clark. "Right now?" "Now," said Martha firmly, taking his arm in a fashion that brooked no = objection. She led her son from the house. "So, Jonathan, how was Italy?" asked Lois brightly, seating herself at = the table again when the door had closed behind Martha and Clark. "Yes, how was it?" the alternate Clark asked, grasping eagerly at the = change in subject. "Italy was great," said Jonathan. "We met some really nice people. One = fellow had a rather sad story, though. His only daughter was kidnaped by = terrorists over a year ago and has never been found." "What did the terrorists want?" asked Alt-Clark. Something tugged at his = memory. This story sounded familiar somehow. "They wanted the release of some terrorists from Italian prisons. = Negotiations were underway for awhile, but the thing never really got = resolved. The young woman has never been found and the case seems to = have been forgotten by everyone but the girl=92s parents." Alt-Clark stirred as he recognized the story. Hadn=92t he written a note = on Clark=92s calendar to remind him of it? He=92d have to remember to = mention it to Clark.=20 The conversation drifted to other topics and the three were laughing and = chatting quite comfortably together when Martha and Clark reappeared. = Lois looked searchingly into her husband=92s face and was relieved to = see that the jealousy and tension that had plagued him for the last few = weeks seemed to have disappeared. He noticed Lois looking at him and = returned the look somewhat shamefacedly. Seizing a chair, he willingly = joined in the discussion, although he seemed a little subdued. At the first pause in the conversation, Martha turned to Alt-Clark and = said, "Clark, Jonathan=92s doing some heavy-duty work around the farm = right now and he=92d take it as a special favor if you would come home = with us and help him out." "Uh, I don=92t know," said Alt-Clark uncomfortably, shooting an uneasy = glance at his counterpart. Clark saw the look. "My dad would really appreciate the help," he said, = glancing at his mother. He leaned forward in his chair and spoke = earnestly to Alt-Clark. "I=92ve been wanting to go out there myself and = help him with it but I just haven=92t had the time." "And it won=92t be all bad, son," added Jonathan with a wink. "Wait=92ll = you taste Martha=92s apple pie!" "And her double-fudge brownies," said Lois, licking her lips. "Well, what do you say?" asked Martha. "We=92d love to have you." "I...when you put it that way, how can I refuse?" said Alt-Clark. ***** There followed a period of unalloyed enjoyment for Alt-Clark. Basking in = the warmth of the unconditional love shown by Jonathan and Martha Kent, = feeling completely needed and wanted for the first time in two months, = he gave himself up to the pleasures of domestic life. With the = exception of his brief interludes with Lois, he had never felt this = accepted since his own adoptive parents had died so many years before. = He had friends, of course, but before he had become Superman, he had = never been able to open up to them completely, and after his secret was = out, everyone treated him differently. The Kent=92s, on the other hand, = in knowing about his super powers and taking them fully for granted, = made him feel more at home than he had since he had first begun to = develop his awesome strength. Relations with his counterpart seemed to have improved, too, for Clark = dropped by occasionally to visit his parents and showed none of the = jealousy and animosity that had characterized their acquaintance before. = This pleasant state of affairs had continued for several weeks when it = was interrupted by a telephone call. "It=92s Clark," mouthed Martha to = the others. "What, honey? Oh, sure; he=92s right here." She shook her = head at Jonathan who had stood up to take the portable phone. "He wants = to talk to Clark," she said. Clark took the receiver from her in = surprise.=20 "Hello?" "Clark!" said his counterpart in Metropolis. "We need you to do = something for us. Superman has to attend another peace conference...in = Paris this time...and Perry wants Clark Kent to cover it. I was going to = do my usual routine of pretending to live at the hotel in Paris and = calling in my stories every day, but the Suits want me to conduct an = interview with Peter Marwick on the plane, so I need to have Clark Kent = fly over with him. And I=92m supposed to conduct an interview with = Marwick=92s wife when I get to Paris. Do you think you could cover for = me?" "Sure," said Alt-Clark, pleased and a little excited that his = counterpart was asking him for help. "When do I leave?" "Plane leaves tomorrow morning at nine," said Clark. "I=92ll be there," said Alt-Clark. "The Chief wanted to send Lois along with me, but I talked him out of = it," confided Clark. Alt-Clark felt a hot stab at the thought of sharing a hotel room with = Lois for a week. "Good thing you talked him out of it," he forced = himself to say through his disappointment. "Yeah," said Clark. "But I told the Chief that Lois can=92t go because = she=92s working on a hot story and now Perry=92s expecting something big = >from her and she doesn=92t have anything." Alt-Clark burst out laughing. "I=92ll bet she=92s mad," he said. "Whew! That=92s not the half of it," said Clark ruefully. "I=92ll be in Metropolis early tomorrow," promised Alt-Clark. "Okay, buddy, see you later," said Clark. "Oh, and Clark..." "Yeah?" "Thanks." ***** Alt-Clark said good-bye to the Kent=92s quite early the next morning. = Tears stung his eyes when Martha hugged him. "Have a good time in Paris, = honey," she said. "Take care of yourself, son," said Jonathan as he shook Alt-Clark=92s = hand.=20 Alt-Clark flew to Metropolis, where he picked up a suitcase packed with = Clark=92s clothing and let Lois drive him to the airport. It was good to = see her again! "I=92ll say good-bye to you here," said Lois, without = getting out of the car. Clark felt a pang of disappointment. He had held = a faint hope that she would go into the terminal with him and...but he = knew he shouldn=92t be wishing for this...give him a wifely kiss = goodbye.=20 "Okay," he said, concealing his frustration. He pulled out the suitcase = and began walking toward the terminal. "Oh, Clark," called Lois. He whirled and ran back to the car, leaning into the window. "Yes?" he = said hopefully.=20 "Remember, put your hands in your *front* pockets, not your back = pockets," she said in a low voice. "Clark always does that." He swallowed. "Okay, Lois, I=92ll remember." ***** The first few days at the conference passed uneventfully. Alt-Clark kept = his appointment with the man that "the Suits" had wanted him to meet, = fulfilling his obligation in that area. Then the news was = disseminated...the conferees were going to lock themselves in and forego = all contact with the press for three days.=20 Sitting in his hotel room, Clark considered what to do with his = three-day hiatus. He didn=92t want to stay in Paris and associate with = the other journalists because the more time he spent with people the = other Clark was acquainted with, the more danger that he would slip up = somehow in his masquerade. He could travel, but he had already traveled = extensively, and just wasn=92t in the mood for it. He couldn=92t go back = to Metropolis...no, definitely not, of course not, how could he even = have thought that! The Kent=92s, then! A smile curved his lips when he = thought of them. Next to seeing Lois, visiting the Kent=92s was his = favorite thing. Just as he was reaching for the phone to give them a = call, a news report on the television caught his attention. "...terrorist attack in Kuran. For three traveling executives, however, = it=92s business as usual." Clark paused before turning down the volume = on the television. Kuran! Where had he heard that name? Oh, yes, Philip Hunt had mentioned = it on his first day of substituting for Clark. The woman who had been = kidnaped by terrorists. He never had discussed that with Clark. What had = happened to the entry he had made in Clark=92s day planner? He looked at the darkening sky outside and came to a decision. What = would it hurt to go to Kuran and snoop around for a few days? ***** Lois awakened to find the sun in her eyes and groaned. Another day. = Another boring, pointless day. Stop that, she thought, giving herself a = mental shake. I won=92t give in to despair. I=92m going to get out of = this somehow; I know I=92ll think of something.=20 She glanced at her companion, asleep on the cot next to hers. They = needed to do their morning exercises together, but she was reluctant to = wake Gina. The girl was oblivious to the misery of their imprisonment = right now and there was no point in awakening her to the harsh reality = of their situation one minute sooner than necessary.=20 Lois went to the wall and made another mark next to the...five, ten, = forty, fifty...marks that were already there. Fifty-one days in this = place. And twenty in the place before that. She couldn=92t be sure, but = she believed that they had been held in captivity for more than a year. = She put her head in her hands. But what had happened to the three years = of her life prior to that? She remembered nothing of them. The last = thing she knew, she had been working on a story about gun-running in the = Congo. In 1993. Then suddenly, she didn=92t know how, she was being held = prisoner somewhere in the Middle East. How or why, she just couldn=92t = figure out. Every time she had seen her captors she had screamed and threatened = them, telling them that she was a U.S. citizen, a journalist named Lois = Lane, but they had only shrugged. And then one day one of the guards had = brought her a copy of the Daily Planet. A Daily Planet containing an = article with a Lois Lane byline. Lois Lane and Clark Kent, actually. = "There must be a mistake," she had screamed. "That=92s not me!" They had = brought her other papers, papers with pictures of the two reporters. = Lois was shocked at the resemblance between the imposter and herself. = Unless the newspaper had used an old photo of herself, the imposter = looked exactly like her. But it wasn=92t her.=20 It=92s not me, she thought. I=92m right here. And I never team up with = anyone. Ever. And if I did, it certainly wouldn=92t be with a pretty-boy = like that Kent guy.=20 Clark Kent.=20 She hated his picture on sight. She knew his type=96womanizing creeps = who preyed on women, pretending to be in love with her when all he = wanted the whole time was to steal her story...=20 She shuddered as if shaking off an unpleasant memory. It was the date on the newspaper that upset her, though. 1996. Three = years later than her last memory. *What happened during those missing = years?* Am I going crazy? Then the thought hit her. Maybe I am crazy. Maybe I=92m not Lois Lane; = maybe I just think I am. Maybe I saw her picture somewhere, noticed the = resemblance, and decided I wanted to *be* her.=20 No! NO! I *am* Lois Lane! I know I am. I know how to be a reporter, an = investigative journalist. I know how to track down leads, how to ask the = right questions in an interview. How would I know all these things if = I=92m not a reporter? She hugged her identity to her like a cloak.=20 ------=_NextPart_000_00E0_01BE8833.74D9E820 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Loises and Clarks – Part 3

*****

The alternate Clark returned to the house earlier than usual that = morning. He=20 had taken to patrolling the city at night and returning to the house to = sleep=20 during the day to avoid Lois and Clark. This morning he had been asleep = for only=20 a few hours when he was aroused by the sound of a key turning in the = lock. He=20 sat up and hastily pulled the sheet around himself as Jonathan and = Martha Kent,=20 recently returned from a tour of Italy and Japan, entered. = "Clark!"=20 said Martha, hurrying over to him in concern. "You’re in=20 bed!"

"What’s the matter, son, are you sick?" asked = Jonathan,=20 following his wife.

Clark eased himself out of Martha’s embrace in great = embarrassment.=20 "Martha, I’m not your Clark," he said. "It’s = me=20 again. The Clark from the other universe."

Martha pulled back in alarm. "Has something happened to = Clark?" she=20 asked, her face turning pale.

"No! He’s here; he’s fine," said Clark quickly. = "I=20 just came to help him with a problem." Rapidly he told the = Kent’s of=20 the need to have Superman appear in public simultaneously with = Clark.

"Well, thank you for coming, Clark," said Martha, reaching = over to=20 give him a friendly hug.

"It’s nice to see you again, boy," added Jonathan, = extending=20 his hand. Clark found himself blushing with all the friendly attention. = Acutely=20 aware of his bare torso, he excused himself to run into the closet and = put on a=20 shirt.

Regaining his equilibrium once he was fully dressed, he sat down with = them=20 and answered their questions, in particular their expressed curiosity = about his=20 current nocturnal lifestyle. Although Clark was careful to say nothing = about the=20 reason he had chosen to live this way, Jonathan and Martha were quick to = divine=20 the truth. "Well," said Martha, rising from the sofa, = "It’s=20 nice of you to help Lois and Clark and I’m sure they both = appreciate=20 it."

"Yeah," said Clark without much enthusiasm. A look passed = between=20 Martha and Jonathan.

"Would you like to have some of my homemade cookies?" asked = Martha.=20 "We stopped in Smallville before we came here and picked up some to = bring=20 with us."

"Okay!" said Clark, his face brightening.

Lois found the three of them sitting comfortably at the kitchen table = discussing cookies and milk when she arrived a short time later.

"Martha! Jonathan!" she exclaimed. "And Clark, what = are you=20 doing home? I thought you were covering the D.A.’s press = conference this=20 afternoon!" The embarrassed look on Clark’s face told her of = her=20 error. "Oh, you’re the other Clark," she said, glad that = she had=20 realized that fact before making the mistake of kissing him. "We = really=20 ought to find another name for you to keep from confusing you with our = Clark.=20 Maybe we could call you Alt-Clark."

"That sounds like a keystroke on a computer," protested = Clark with=20 a laugh.

"And this *is* ‘our’ Clark, too," added Martha, = giving=20 him a hug. "We can call you ‘ours,’ can’t we=20 honey?"

"Sure," said Alt-Clark, his throat tightening. The = Kent’s=20 were always so nice to him; he had never felt such a sense of belonging = before.=20 He wished his own adoptive parents had lived.

It was at this moment that the Clark of this world pushed open the = door and=20 entered the kitchen to find his counterpart seated at the table between = Jonathan=20 and Lois, with Martha standing beside Alt-Clark’s chair with her = arms=20 around him. He felt a stab of jealousy, and all his intentions to mend = relations=20 between his alternate and himself evaporated.

"Clark!" said his father, standing up to shake his hand and = put his=20 arm around him. "How are you, boy?" His mother and Lois rushed = over to=20 hug and kiss him also. The alternate Clark rose to his feet, feeling = awkward=20 again.

"I think Superman should patrol the city," he said.

"Clark," said Martha to Alt-Clark, telegraphing a look to = Jonathan,=20 "It sounds like you two have appeared in public together often = enough to=20 establish that you’re two separate people, so what would you say = to=20 spending a few days in the country with us?"

"I could teach you how to fish," added Jonathan.

The Clark of this world stared at his parents in astonishment. First = Lois,=20 then his mom and dad! He really couldn’t stand this! "Mom!=20 No-o!" he burst out. Flustered by the startled looks from the = assembled=20 company, he searched for a reason to justify his objection. = "We–we=20 might need him here! We might need to have both Clark Kent and Superman = at the=20 same time," he said lamely.

"Clark, he’d only be one phone call away," said = Martha, with=20 a look in her eye that Clark didn’t like.

"Yes, he could be back in Metropolis in minutes," added=20 Jonathan.

"I think it’s a good idea," chimed in Lois, at a loss = to=20 understand Clark’s resistance to the perfect solution for = alleviating the=20 tension in their household.

"That’s okay," said the alternate Clark, squirming in = embarrassment. "I’ll stay here if you think I’ll be=20 needed."

"Clark," said Martha, fixing her own son with her eye,=20 "I’d really love to take a walk to that little park down the = street.=20 Why don’t we go there now?"

"Mom!" protested Clark. "Right now?"

"Now," said Martha firmly, taking his arm in a fashion that = brooked=20 no objection. She led her son from the house.

"So, Jonathan, how was Italy?" asked Lois brightly, seating = herself=20 at the table again when the door had closed behind Martha and Clark.

"Yes, how was it?" the alternate Clark asked, grasping = eagerly at=20 the change in subject.

"Italy was great," said Jonathan. "We met some really = nice=20 people. One fellow had a rather sad story, though. His only daughter was = kidnaped by terrorists over a year ago and has never been = found."

"What did the terrorists want?" asked Alt-Clark. Something = tugged=20 at his memory. This story sounded familiar somehow.

"They wanted the release of some terrorists from Italian = prisons.=20 Negotiations were underway for awhile, but the thing never really got = resolved.=20 The young woman has never been found and the case seems to have been = forgotten=20 by everyone but the girl’s parents."

Alt-Clark stirred as he recognized the story. Hadn’t he written = a note=20 on Clark’s calendar to remind him of it? He’d have to = remember to=20 mention it to Clark.

The conversation drifted to other topics and the three were laughing = and=20 chatting quite comfortably together when Martha and Clark reappeared. = Lois=20 looked searchingly into her husband’s face and was relieved to see = that=20 the jealousy and tension that had plagued him for the last few weeks = seemed to=20 have disappeared. He noticed Lois looking at him and returned the look = somewhat=20 shamefacedly. Seizing a chair, he willingly joined in the discussion, = although=20 he seemed a little subdued.

At the first pause in the conversation, Martha turned to Alt-Clark = and said,=20 "Clark, Jonathan’s doing some heavy-duty work around the farm = right=20 now and he’d take it as a special favor if you would come home = with us and=20 help him out."

"Uh, I don’t know," said Alt-Clark uncomfortably, = shooting an=20 uneasy glance at his counterpart.

Clark saw the look. "My dad would really appreciate the = help," he=20 said, glancing at his mother. He leaned forward in his chair and spoke = earnestly=20 to Alt-Clark. "I’ve been wanting to go out there myself and = help him=20 with it but I just haven’t had the time."

"And it won’t be all bad, son," added Jonathan with a = wink.=20 "Wait’ll you taste Martha’s apple pie!"

"And her double-fudge brownies," said Lois, licking her = lips.

"Well, what do you say?" asked Martha. "We’d = love to=20 have you."

"I...when you put it that way, how can I refuse?" said=20 Alt-Clark.

*****

There followed a period of unalloyed enjoyment for Alt-Clark. Basking = in the=20 warmth of the unconditional love shown by Jonathan and Martha Kent, = feeling=20 completely needed and wanted for the first time in two months, he gave = himself=20 up to the pleasures of domestic life.  With the exception of his = brief=20 interludes with Lois, he had never felt this accepted since his own = adoptive=20 parents had died so many years before.  He had friends, of course, = but=20 before he had become Superman, he had never been able to open up to them = completely, and after his secret was out, everyone treated him = differently. The=20 Kent’s, on the other hand, in knowing about his super powers and = taking=20 them fully for granted, made him feel more at home than he had since he = had=20 first begun to develop his awesome strength.

Relations with his counterpart seemed to have improved, too, for = Clark=20 dropped by occasionally to visit his parents and showed none of the = jealousy and=20 animosity that had characterized their acquaintance before.

This pleasant state of affairs had continued for several weeks when = it was=20 interrupted by a telephone call. "It’s Clark," mouthed = Martha to=20 the others. "What, honey? Oh, sure; he’s right here." = She shook=20 her head at Jonathan who had stood up to take the portable phone. = "He wants=20 to talk to Clark," she said. Clark took the receiver from her in = surprise.=20

"Hello?"

"Clark!" said his counterpart in Metropolis. "We need = you to=20 do something for us. Superman has to attend another peace = conference...in Paris=20 this time...and Perry wants Clark Kent to cover it. I was going to do my = usual=20 routine of pretending to live at the hotel in Paris and calling in my = stories=20 every day, but the Suits want me to conduct an interview with Peter = Marwick on=20 the plane, so I need to have Clark Kent fly over with him. And I’m = supposed to conduct an interview with Marwick’s wife when I get to = Paris.=20 Do you think you could cover for me?"

"Sure," said Alt-Clark, pleased and a little excited that = his=20 counterpart was asking him for help. "When do I leave?"

"Plane leaves tomorrow morning at nine," said Clark.

"I’ll be there," said Alt-Clark.

"The Chief wanted to send Lois along with me, but I talked him = out of=20 it," confided Clark.

Alt-Clark felt a hot stab at the thought of sharing a hotel room with = Lois=20 for a week. "Good thing you talked him out of it," he forced = himself=20 to say through his disappointment.

"Yeah," said Clark. "But I told the Chief that Lois=20 can’t go because she’s working on a hot story and now = Perry’s=20 expecting something big from her and she doesn’t have = anything."

Alt-Clark burst out laughing. "I’ll bet she’s = mad," he=20 said.

"Whew! That’s not the half of it," said Clark = ruefully.

"I’ll be in Metropolis early tomorrow," promised=20 Alt-Clark.

"Okay, buddy, see you later," said Clark. "Oh, and=20 Clark..."

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

*****

Alt-Clark said good-bye to the Kent’s quite early the next = morning.=20 Tears stung his eyes when Martha hugged him. "Have a good time in = Paris,=20 honey," she said.

"Take care of yourself, son," said Jonathan as he shook=20 Alt-Clark’s hand.

Alt-Clark flew to Metropolis, where he picked up a suitcase packed = with=20 Clark’s clothing and let Lois drive him to the airport. It was = good to see=20 her again! "I’ll say good-bye to you here," said Lois, = without=20 getting out of the car. Clark felt a pang of disappointment. He had held = a faint=20 hope that she would go into the terminal with him and...but he knew he=20 shouldn’t be wishing for this...give him a wifely kiss goodbye. =

"Okay," he said, concealing his frustration. He pulled out = the=20 suitcase and began walking toward the terminal.

"Oh, Clark," called Lois.

He whirled and ran back to the car, leaning into the window. = "Yes?"=20 he said hopefully.

"Remember, put your hands in your *front* pockets, not your back = pockets," she said in a low voice. "Clark always does = that."

He swallowed. "Okay, Lois, I’ll remember."

*****

The first few days at the conference passed uneventfully. Alt-Clark = kept his=20 appointment with the man that "the Suits" had wanted him to = meet,=20 fulfilling his obligation in that area. Then the news was = disseminated...the=20 conferees were going to lock themselves in and forego all contact with = the press=20 for three days.

Sitting in his hotel room, Clark considered what to do with his = three-day=20 hiatus. He didn’t want to stay in Paris and associate with the = other=20 journalists because the more time he spent with people the other Clark = was=20 acquainted with, the more danger that he would slip up somehow in his=20 masquerade. He could travel, but he had already traveled extensively, = and just=20 wasn’t in the mood for it. He couldn’t go back to = Metropolis...no,=20 definitely not, of course not, how could he even have thought that! The=20 Kent’s, then! A smile curved his lips when he thought of them. = Next to=20 seeing Lois, visiting the Kent’s was his favorite thing. Just as = he was=20 reaching for the phone to give them a call, a news report on the = television=20 caught his attention.

"...terrorist attack in Kuran. For three traveling executives, = however,=20 it’s business as usual." Clark paused before turning down the = volume=20 on the television.

Kuran! Where had he heard that name? Oh, yes, Philip Hunt had = mentioned it on=20 his first day of substituting for Clark. The woman who had been kidnaped = by=20 terrorists. He never had discussed that with Clark. What had happened to = the=20 entry he had made in Clark’s day planner?

He looked at the darkening sky outside and came to a decision. What = would it=20 hurt to go to Kuran and snoop around for a few days?

*****

Lois awakened to find the sun in her eyes and groaned. Another day. = Another=20 boring, pointless day. Stop that, she thought, giving herself a mental = shake. I=20 won’t give in to despair. I’m going to get out of this = somehow; I=20 know I’ll think of something.

She glanced at her companion, asleep on the cot next to hers. They = needed to=20 do their morning exercises together, but she was reluctant to wake Gina. = The=20 girl was oblivious to the misery of their imprisonment right now and = there was=20 no point in awakening her to the harsh reality of their situation one = minute=20 sooner than necessary.

Lois went to the wall and made another mark next to the...five, ten, = forty,=20 fifty...marks that were already there. Fifty-one days in this place. And = twenty=20 in the place before that. She couldn’t be sure, but she believed = that they=20 had been held in captivity for more than a year. She put her head in her = hands.=20 But what had happened to the three years of her life prior to that? She=20 remembered nothing of them. The last thing she knew, she had been = working on a=20 story about gun-running in the Congo. In 1993. Then suddenly, she = didn’t=20 know how, she was being held prisoner somewhere in the Middle East. How = or why,=20 she just couldn’t figure out.

Every time she had seen her captors she had screamed and threatened = them,=20 telling them that she was a U.S. citizen, a journalist named Lois Lane, = but they=20 had only shrugged. And then one day one of the guards had brought her a = copy of=20 the Daily Planet. A Daily Planet containing an article with a Lois Lane = byline.=20 Lois Lane and Clark Kent, actually. "There must be a mistake," = she had=20 screamed. "That’s not me!" They had brought her other = papers,=20 papers with pictures of the two reporters. Lois was shocked at the = resemblance=20 between the imposter and herself. Unless the newspaper had used an old = photo of=20 herself, the imposter looked exactly like her.

But it wasn’t her.

It’s not me, she thought. I’m right here. And I never = team up=20 with anyone. Ever. And if I did, it certainly wouldn’t be with a=20 pretty-boy like that Kent guy.

Clark Kent.

She hated his picture on sight. She knew his type–womanizing = creeps who=20 preyed on women, pretending to be in love with her when all he wanted = the whole=20 time was to steal her story...

She shuddered as if shaking off an unpleasant memory.

It was the date on the newspaper that upset her, though. 1996. Three = years=20 later than her last memory. *What happened during those missing years?* = Am I=20 going crazy?

Then the thought hit her. Maybe I am crazy. Maybe I’m not Lois = Lane;=20 maybe I just think I am. Maybe I saw her picture somewhere, noticed the=20 resemblance, and decided I wanted to *be* her.

No! NO! I *am* Lois Lane! I know I am. I know how to be a reporter, = an=20 investigative journalist. I know how to track down leads, how to ask the = right=20 questions in an interview. How would I know all these things if = I’m not a=20 reporter?

She hugged her identity to her like a cloak.

------=_NextPart_000_00E0_01BE8833.74D9E820-- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 17:00:46 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Tull, James [CORP/STL]" Subject: Re: Closet fanfic writers MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" >From MR. D8A's work email Whoooraaay for Debby! You are a great writer Margaret. MR. D8A A.K.A. James Who is stuck at work watching the pixels on his computer do there merry dance letting me know that its working as fast as it can. Please visit and explore my house at: http://www.geocities.com/area51/starship/7859 -----Original Message----- From: Margaret Brignell [mailto:brignell@CAPITALNET.COM] Sent: Friday, April 16, 1999 3:59 PM To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU Subject: Re: Closet fanfic writers At 08:17 PM 4/16/1999 +0100, Yvonne wrote: >The thing is, I've been talking to a fellow fanfic writer about who amongst >our friends and family know that we write L&C fanfic, and I got to >wondering what the rest of you do. Are you all bolder than brass, tell >everyone types, or are there some 'closet' fanfic writers out there like >me? Me, I'm *definitely* a closet writer I'm a fairly private person, so only my husband, one friend outside the circle of FoLC know about my writing. It took me *forever* to get up the courage to actually write something and if it hadn't been for Debby Stark, you'd still never know I was writing fanfic Thanks Debby, for pushing me into the spotlight:D Margaret ducking back into the shadows ****************************** Margaret Brignell brignell@capitalnet.com Ottawa, Canada %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% My fanfic now available at: http://www.capitalnet.com/~brignell/ ****************************** ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 18:06:55 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Peggy Mueller Subject: New Fanfic -- Loises and Clarks, 4 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_00FC_01BE8833.E997C560" This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_00FC_01BE8833.E997C560 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Loises and Clarks =96 Part 4 ***** The alternate Clark arranged his burnoose more tightly about his face. = He had x-rayed every building on the east and west sides of Kuran and = was now tackling the south. He had obtained a picture of the missing = woman, Gina Gambini, from the Italian embassy, passing himself off as a = French journalist (my French accent wasn=92t too bad, he thought with = pride) before he had switched to the Arab clothing as a way of appearing = less conspicuous. He glanced casually through the building across the = street=96and stiffened.=20 *Lois was in that building!* He resisted the urge to fly to her.=20 Whoa, Clark, that=92s not Lois! You have to quit seeing the image of the = woman you love in the face of every brown-eyed, brown-haired beauty in = town! Especially this town! That can=92t be Lois; she=92s in Metropolis. = I know, because I talked to her when I phoned in my story to the Daily = Planet yesterday. Besides, this woman is so thin. And see how long her = hair is...down to the middle of her back!=20 Still, he was curious enough to keep watching. Then he saw the other = woman, who was just now getting out of bed. Gina. He heaved a sigh. = I=92ve found her!=20 Clark spent the rest of the day reconnoitering. He flew to a high = altitude and used his distance vision to study the layout. With the use = of his super-hearing he confirmed that the women were, in fact, = prisoners, that he was correct in recognizing Gina, and that the woman = who looked like Lois spoke with an American accent and was called Lois. = That last stunned him. What a coincidence! Or was it? Could Lois have a = doppelganger?=20 The more he studied the woman, the more uneasy he became.=20 She looks like Lois. An unkempt Lois, it=92s true, but still Lois. She = sounds like Lois. Her mannerisms, although not identical, are similar.=20 Well, whoever she is, she=92s a prisoner and I=92m going to rescue her = tonight! Clark waited for darkness to cover him before making his move. Dressed = in a black turtleneck and black pants, gloves, and ski mask, he flew = quickly to the building where the women were held captive. Floating up = to the fifth-story barred window with ease, he silently bent the bars = open. Once inside, he paused, listening to the sound of the women=92s = quiet breathing. He wouldn=92t be able to rescue both women at once. = I=92ll get Gina first, he told himself firmly (yes, that=92s right), = then come back for this woman named Lois.=20 Moving quickly, he snatched Gina from her bed, covering her mouth with = his hand while wrapping the sheet from her bed around her. He crushed = her to his chest and held her with one hand while he escaped from the = window and dropped rapidly to the ground. He wished he could fly her to = the Italian embassy, but he had to avoid giving her the impression that = there was anything "super" about this rescue, so he skimmed lightly and = rapidly over the ground, pretending to run. He dropped the bewildered = woman inside the embassy compound and whispered "you=92ll be safe here," = in Italian before taking to the skies in a rush of air. Now to get Lois! He floated to her window and stopped short in dismay at = the sight of her sitting up in bed, staring at the empty cot next to = her. Light from the hallway streamed in through the window of her room, = clearly showing her bewilderment. He must have made some sound, because = she turned now and looked straight at him, drawing in her breath in a = hiss of alarm. He held his breath. He could prevent her from screaming = if he moved at super speed, but he was determined to make this look like = a "normal" rescue. She was watching him, evidently trying to decide whether he represented = a bigger threat than her captors. He listened to her rapid heartbeat, = then in two steps swept her into his arms, pressing her face against his = chest so she couldn=92t scream. She didn=92t struggle at all, remaining = quiescent in his arms while he carried her to the window and dropped = slowly to the ground. As he ran quietly and rapidly away from the = building, however, he could feel her body tense as she prepared herself = to escape from him. Apparently she had decided she wasn=92t going to = wait around to find out if he was benign or not, but was planning to = make her getaway and take her chances in the streets of Kuran.=20 The elbow in his ribs didn=92t catch him wholly by surprise, nor did her = knee applied to what would have been a very tender place on a normal = earthling cause him any astonishment. It didn=92t hurt him, of course, = but he wished she hadn=92t done it because he knew he should stop and at = least pretend to be in some kind of pain. But he couldn=92t afford to = stop now, because his super-sensitive hearing had picked up the sound of = running feet behind them. Lois was surprised at her captor=92s lack of reaction to her aggressive = moves. She had elected to go quietly with him because she believed she = would have a greater chance of escape once she was outside her prison, = but now she was beginning to feel a little panicky. What kind of man was = this who could so easily withstand a knee applied to that sensitive = area? Was he wearing a shield of some kind?=20 It was going to be harder to get away than she had thought; he must be = very strong to have carried her down five flights, supporting her with = one arm while apparently holding onto a rope with the other. She pressed = her body against his. He was so hard=96he felt like iron! She was going = to have the fight of her life! Suddenly Lois heard shouts behind them, followed by a burst of gunfire. = She heard bullets strike the man in the back, but he didn=92t even break = his stride. In fact, he offered no reaction at all! He=92s wearing a = bullet-proof vest, of course, but still...he should have been knocked = down by the impact. Those weren=92t bb=92s hitting him! Another burst of gunfire was followed by a "ping" sound and Lois felt = something hot fall onto her neck and slide down the back of her shirt. Her captor was beginning to pull away from their pursuer when there was = a tremendous BOOM! followed by a blinding flash of light, and Lois felt = her captor being lifted off the ground by the impact of a tremendous = blow, even as her ears were deafened by his scream of pain.=20 He fell to the ground, crushing her with his body, and Lois thought for = an instant that he was dead. Amazingly, he rose to his knees, still = clutching her to his chest, then got up and ran a few steps toward an = alley, wrapping himself around her to the extent possible in order to = shield her with his body. He released her into the darkness, and as the = footsteps of their pursuer gained on them, whispered hoarsely, "Get out = of here, Lois. Run!" He spoke English! He jumped away from her, turning to face their pursuer. After running a = few steps, Lois couldn=92t help turning to watch. The whole street was = illuminated by a flash from the gigantic weapon in their pursuer=92s = hands as the man shot at her rescuer again. The blaze of light caught = her captor squarely in the chest and Lois caught her breath when he = howled in pain. The force of the blow lifted him up and flung him = against the wall of a nearby building. The beam of light from the gun = focused on a board leaning against the wall and Lois watched in horror = as the board disintegrated before her eyes. She was trembling in fright and wanted nothing so badly as to escape, = but she couldn=92t leave the man to be butchered by that weapon. = Searching the littered street for a club, she found a heavy board. Under = cover of the darkness, she ran silently behind the attacker just as he = unleashed yet another assault at the hapless man on the ground. Swinging = with all her might, she brought the board down on the head of the man = holding the gun and he crumpled without a sound. Breathing hard, Lois stood for a moment, then hurried to her fallen = rescuer. He had stopped screaming, thank heavens, but his breathing came = in hoarse gasps. He probably didn=92t have long to live, poor soul. = "Lois, I told you to leave," he rasped when she approached. Lois could = hear his irritation even through the pain in his voice and was amazed = that he could still talk. That weapon had just annihilated a piece of = wood into oblivion...how could he have survived it? Much less have = strength to speak?! "I couldn=92t leave you to face him alone," she said simply. She knelt = by his side, and pulling off the ski mask, peered down at him while she = tried to assess his condition. "Can you walk?" she asked. "Not yet," he said after a moment=92s hesitation. He moved impatiently = when she put her arms around him to help him get up. "Go," he said. "Or = at least, get that...thing...and...hide it...somewhere." He was = obviously speaking with great difficulty. Lois picked up the weapon and looked at it curiously. "What is this?" = she asked. "Some kind of laser?" "Don=92t...know. Get...rid...of it!"=20 Lois ran into an alley and stowed it under some debris, then raced back = to his side. She knelt again and placed her hands gingerly on his chest, = feeling for injuries. He clutched at her hands, pushing them away. = "Lois, go! Get out of here!" His voice sounded stronger. "What happened to your shirt?" asked Lois. "There=92s nothing here." His = chest was completely bare.=20 Lois continued to probe for wounds, conscious of a curious reluctance to = leave him. Whereas five minutes ago she had wanted nothing so much as to = escape from him, his importunities to try and get her to go away only = increased her determination to stay. "Lois!" "I=92m not leaving you," she declared.=20 "Lois, you put one man out of commission, but there may be others. Now = go away from here! Please!" He arrested her probing motion by snatching = her hands and holding them away from his body. In answer, Lois pulled her hands free and tried once again to help him = to his feet. He sighed and muttered something that sounded suspiciously = like "stubborn," then placing one hand on the wall and the other on her = shoulder, struggled to an upright position. "Can you walk?" Lois asked = again. He didn=92t reply, apparently having used all his energy to = regain his feet. Lois pulled one of his arms around her shoulder, = encouraging him to lean on her for support. They advanced down the = street, slowly at first, but with the man becoming noticeably stronger = with each passing minute.=20 "Turn...left...at...this corner," he said. "And...right at the next." As = she obeyed his instructions Lois wondered if she was crazy for not = making her escape when she had the chance. Clark was using his knowledge obtained by scouring the city in search of = Gina to guide them to a deserted section of town that was characterized = chiefly by ruined buildings on the verge of collapse. As they slowly = made their way through the squalid streets, he used his = still-functioning super hearing to find a building which wasn=92t = currently housing any of the down-and-outers who habitually inhabited = such dwellings. He needed to find a suitable place soon; he didn=92t = know how much longer he could continue. He didn=92t know what kind of = weapon had been used on him, but it had apparently caused some internal = damage. The burning sensation in his chest was almost unbearable, and he = had to stop periodically to succumb to paroxysms of coughing. "Here," he told her at last. "Let=92s go in this one." Lois assisted him = into the building and he rapidly scanned the room in which they found = themselves. "Upstairs," he panted. By the time they had reached the top = of the narrow stairway, he was crawling on his hands and knees. = "Stay...here...tonight," he said hoarsely. He collapsed into a heap and = lay motionless in the darkness. Lois knelt beside him. "H-hello?" she said querulously. "Are you...all = right?" She felt for him with her hands and came in contact with his = bare back. Putting her ear against his back, she heard a rapid heartbeat = and the raspy sound that accompanied each breath he took. At least he = was still alive! She ran her hands over him, turning his head to one = side to make sure he wouldn=92t smother himself by lying on his face. = "Are you awake?" she whispered. He slipped a hand into hers and squeezed = it by way of letting her know that he was still conscious. Lois sighed = and settled herself cross-legged on the floor, preparing to watch over = him through the night. ***** A tiny squeaking sound awakened her and she opened her eyes to see a rat = sitting in a pool of early-morning sunlight. It was less then two feet = >from her nose and regarding her intently. She squealed and sat bolt = upright, sending the rat scurrying.=20 Lois looked around and took stock of her situation. Sometime during the = night she must have lain down, pillowing her head on the arm of her = fallen companion, who was lying quite still beside her. For one panicked = second Lois thought he was dead. Then she heard him breathing and heaved = a sigh of relief that he was still alive. Her screech had not disturbed = him apparently. This might be a good time to see if she could assess the state of his = injuries. She sat on her heels and surveyed the unconscious man, who was = still lying where he had collapsed the night before. He had been dressed = in a black turtleneck, but something...she guessed it was that = weapon...had burned away most of the back of it, so that it hung on him = in tatters. Lois looked curiously at his prone form. She had known he = was strong, and as she looked at the well-developed muscles on his back, = she could see ample evidence of his strength. She ran her hands over his = trapezius and rear deltoids, feeling for injury. Finding none, she = decided to roll him over and examine him from the front. She did this = with difficulty...he weighed more than he looked, even after taking into = account his muscular build.=20 After turning him onto his side, she paused to wipe the sweat from her = face...it was already starting to get hot...and study his features. Even = with the grime on his face and the growth of stubble on his chin, Lois = could see that he was good-looking...maybe even handsome...but he was = deathly pale and his brow was creased as if he were in pain.=20 His breathing had a hoarse, croupy sound that Lois didn=92t like. She = leaned down and pressed her ear against his chest to listen to his = lungs, which told her nothing except that his breathing was = labored...and she already knew that. She placed her hands on his bare chest and began probing his pectoral = muscles for injuries. And found none. How could that weapon have burned = away his clothing and left his skin intact? Yet it had apparently = injured his lungs. She shook her head in bafflement as the man moaned = and stirred. "Does that hurt?" she asked, continuing to rub his chest. "No," he mumbled sleepily. "Feels good, don=92t stop." His body = stiffened and his eyes flew open as he realized what he had just said.=20 "What?" said Lois. She hadn=92t quite understood him. "Doesn=92t...hurt on the outside," he corrected himself quickly. He = closed his eyes briefly. He had been dreaming about Lois again; she was = running her hands over his chest and talking in a low voice. He had = been stunned to awaken and find that his dream was reality and he was = gazing into those luminous eyes that had haunted his dreams for two = years. =20 "Does it hurt to breathe?" asked Lois. She was relieved to see that some = color had come back into his face. "A little," he mumbled. "It=92s getting better though." He struggled to = sit up but couldn=92t quite make it. He concluded that he was definitely = the worse for all the walking they had done last night. He hoped that = his super strength would return soon so he could get her out of here = safely.=20 But first he wanted to find out who she was and how she had come to be = held in captivity with the young Italian woman. He took a deep breath. = "Lois, what are you doing here?" he asked. "Why were you being held = hostage?" "First I want to know...who are you?" countered Lois. "Do you work for = the government?" "No, Lois, I don=92t work for the government." "Then how do you know my name?"=20 Clark bit his lip, searching for an explanation that wouldn=92t involve = super hearing. "Gina told me when I dropped her off at the Italian = embassy," he said finally. "She was worried about you. Now please tell = me how you got there in the first place." For a minute Clark thought she = wasn=92t going to answer him; he recognized that mulish look from his = association with the other Lois. Then, apparently deciding that it would = be a relief to unburden herself from what had been troubling her for = more than a year, she told him everything. Clark listened with a rapidly beating heart to her tale of her pursuit = of a gun-running story in the Congo, followed by her strange appearance = in a hostage situation nearly three years after her most recent memory, = and the unwelcome news that the person she thought she was, Lois Lane, a = journalist with the Daily Planet, was not who she really was at all. "So = I don=92t know who I am or where I come from," she concluded. She=92s my Lois, he thought. I know it! But how can I find out for sure? = Let=92s see, I have it! "Who was President of the United States when you = went after your gun-running story?" he asked. "Charlton Heston," said Lois. "Did he get reelected?" Instead of answering, Clark fell back onto the floor. It=92s her, he = thought jubilantly! I don=92t know how she got into this universe, but = somehow she did! "Are you all right?" Lois asked, fortunately forgetting her question = about the president.=20 Clark nodded and closed his eyes. Lois looked at him in concern, = wondering what she could do for him. Suddenly she sprang to her feet, = her own parched throat and dry mouth reminding her that they were = lacking the most basic of human needs, next to air. What was she = thinking of? The man was injured; he must be in torment from thirst!=20 "I=92m going to go out and get us some water," she said softly, bending = over him.=20 That opened his eyes again. "No, Lois, you can=92t...not if you=92re = dressed like that!" he said hoarsely. "We need water," said Lois firmly, "and I=92m going to get some." She = vanished down the stairs. Clark tried in vain to get up so he could = follow her, but his strength was gone. As were all his powers. He tried = to follow her progress with his X-ray vision, and listen to her = footsteps with his super hearing, but they were just not functional this = morning. Unable to do anything to help her, he closed his eyes and = waited and hoped for her safe return, falling into a fitful sleep almost = immediately. ***** "You look better," Lois said upon her return. Indeed, she was greatly = encouraged by the improvement in his appearance. He had obviously felt = well enough to move around in her absence, changing his position to one = nearer the window where he was now lying in the sunlight.=20 And that pale, drawn look of pain was gone. When she knelt by his side = more color flooded into his face.=20 "I forgot to ask your name," she remarked. "C-clark," he said. "Okay, then, Clark; can you sit up?" she asked, holding a water = container to his lips. He pressed his lips tightly together and turned = his head away, reminding Lois of a baby refusing to be fed. "Lois, did you have anything to drink yourself?" he asked. "I drank...some...," she said.=20 "Well, save the water for yourself. I don=92t need it." "You don=92t need it?" she exclaimed. "Of course you need it! How can = you say that? You must be feverish!" She pressed the container to his = lips, spilling some of its precious contents. He put up his hand to wipe = his chin. "Lois, I=92m not losing water; I=92m not sweating and=96" "That=92s right!" she almost shrieked. "You=92re not sweating! You must = have heat exhaustion! I have to cool you off!" She began pouring water = onto her hand and dabbing it on his face. "Lois, stop! Lois, you=92re wasting the water! Lois! Lo-is!" He was = sitting completely upright now, reaching for the water container and = trying to remove it gently from her grasp. "Lois, stop this, please! = Save the water for yourself. I can get us more!" That got her attention. "You can get us more?" she said, her eyes = narrowing. "How?" Clark took a deep breath. He was feeling much better...still weak, but = his lungs seemed to be clear and some of his super powers were = returning...he had already shaved with the help of a bit of broken = glass. "How can I get us some more?" he said. "Like this." He cupped his = hands in front of his face and blew gently. His relief when he felt the = cool air hit his hands was immense...his cooling breath was back. Lois watched, puzzled, as a small cloud formed over his hands. "What are = you doing?" she asked. "Cooling the air," he said, "and squeezing the moisture out of it." Lois = stared in astonishment as water droplets appeared on his hand. How could = he do that? How could he possibly cool the air enough to condense the = moisture out of it? It wasn=92t humanly possible! She grew rigid. What had she just said? *It wasn=92t humanly possible.* = She sprang to her feet and turned her back on him while she mentally = reviewed everything she knew about him.=20 Last night...she had kneed him in the groin...that should have left him = lying on the ground and gasping in pain but he hadn=92t broken stride. The bullets she had *heard* striking his back...if he had been wearing a = bullet-proof vest, the bullets would still have knocked him to the = ground, knocked the wind out of him, bruised his back...none of that had = happened and...*and he wasn=92t wearing a bulletproof vest!* The weapon that had disintegrated a board and part of his shirt...it had = injured him, yes, but...think, now...shouldn=92t it have caused *some* = injury to his skin? Lois! Duh! Now, wait, don=92t panic yet...is there some rational explanation? Maybe = the first gun that shot him *was* a bb gun! If only I could look at the = bullets! Wait, maybe I have one here! She remembered the object that had = hit her shoulder and slid down the back of her blouse; maybe it was = still caught in her clothing. Yes, there it was. She pulled it out and = examined the curiously flattened bullet. Definitely not a bb. Lois = fingered it, thinking hard. It must have struck Clark and ricocheted = onto her, sliding down her blouse.=20 His body repels bullets. Flattens them. He can sustain injuries that would have most men screaming in agony. He can survive wounds from weapons that disintegrate wood. He doesn=92t need water.=20 He can cool the air with his breath. He=92s not human; he can=92t be! That mean=92s he=92s... Lois had seen the films, but at the time they = had seemed so far-fetched, so far beyond the technology currently = available... But here was proof that it was possible...there was no = doubt about it; this "man" was a cyborg, a cybernetic organism, like the = robots in Terminator and Terminator II.=20 Was this good or bad for her safety? Lois thought back to every move = this machine had made since she had "met" it. This cyborg obviously was = designed to "protect" rather than kill. Well, that was good! "Lois? Lois?" Lois became aware that Clark was talking to her and had = been for quite some time. She turned toward him. He was looking up at = her in concern. "I=92m sorry, Lois; I didn=92t mean to scare you. I just = wanted to show you that you don=92t need to worry about water and..." "It=92s okay, Clark," said Lois, slipping the smashed bullet into her = pocket. She had no trouble giving the robot her warmest smile. "It just = startled me for a minute, that=92s all." She sat down beside him again, = feeling all at once safer with him. "I don=92t suppose you can generate = enough water to take a bath," she said with a sigh. Clark smiled. "I can=92t promise anything more than being able to fill = the water jug," he said. "Let=92s see just how much water you can squeeze out of this dry air," = she said, beginning to hunt for crockery to contain the precious fluid. = She found several pieces of broken pots to catch the water as he cooled = the air. After drinking her fill and replenishing the water in the = container she had stolen that morning, she collected enough water to dab = onto her face and hands. "Turn your back," she commanded as she removed = her shirt so she could rinse her torso. Of course, modesty wasn=92t = really necessary around a robot, but she had decided that she wasn=92t = going to tell him that she knew his secret; because however benign his = behavior was now, he might become dangerous if he found out that she = knew his secret; he might be programmed to destroy anyone who discovered = it. When she had completed her own toilet, she looked down at him, feeling = much refreshed. The temperature in the room had dropped slightly with = the aid of his cooling breath and she shivered suddenly. "Here," she = said to Clark, "Let=92s clean you up a bit." She pulled off what was = left of his shirt and dabbed at his face and neck. "I can wash myself, Lois," he protested. "Uh-huh," said Lois, rubbing his smooth cheeks. That=92s another thing, = thought Lois. Wouldn=92t a real man have stubble by now? I thought he = had some beard growth earlier this morning, but it must have been dirt. = She poured some water onto his chest and began rubbing energetically. "Lois!" he said again. "Lois!" His voice rose as he scrambled backwards = across the floor, retreating in haste. "All right, all right, you don=92t need a bath I guess," she said, = amused that the robot had been programmed for modesty. She skimmed her = hand across his chest, collecting the excess moisture and flicking it = off. "Are you okay?" she asked. His eyes looked rather glazed and his = chest was rising and falling rapidly. "Yes," he said with difficulty. Lois sat back and looked at him in = puzzlement.=20 He seems so real! What if he=92s human after all?=20 Yeah, right. A human male who doesn=92t grow a beard and who can = withstand bullets, a knee to the groin, a weapon that disintegrates = wood, and...and...who also happens to be a walking refrigeration unit! = Yeah, sure, he=92s human! Duh!=20 I wonder what else he...it... can do. "I don=92t suppose you can generate food...?" she said hopefully. He laughed aloud at that. "If you can hold out until evening, Lois; I = promise I=92ll get you something to eat." "I can hardly wait," she said. He probably doesn=92t need to eat anyway, = she thought. Lucky him. She yawned. "I could use some more sleep," she = admitted, "But I don=92t like to close my eyes with those rats creeping = around." "I=92ll take care of the rats," he promised. Lois didn=92t reply. She slid to the floor and lay down on her side. She = flinched when he put his arm around her, then remembering that he was = just a robot and designed to protect her, she relaxed against his body. = She was pleased that he...it...had turned out not to be human. She felt = so much safer. Why did they design a robot to be so physically perfect, anyway? she = continued her musing. Oh, Lois, if you=92re going to take the trouble of = building a robot, you might as well make it cute and muscular like = Clark! Clark. Yes, even the name is funny...it sounds like the kind of = nerdy name that a technogeek would bestow on his creation. She smiled as = she moved her head to pillow it on her arm. "Here, take this," said Clark. He took his discarded shirt and rolled it = into a ball, placing it under Lois=92s head. "Thanks," she said sleepily. She clasped the hand that was draped over = her side and examined it closely, marveling at how real it looked. = Whoever manufactured him had done a magnificent job! She began to = enumerate all the things about him that seemed real and amused herself = by imagining how it had been done.=20 She could feel the heat of his body against her back and pressed against = him, snuggling closer. Body heat...that=92s real...I wonder how they did = that? When I find out, I=92m going to have the scoop of the decade! She = began planning the article she was going to write. She could already see = the headlines: "Cybernetic Organism Rescues Prize-Winning Reporter." Her = eyes drifted shut while she was delivering the acceptance speech for her = Pulitzer... Clark lay perfectly still, his eyes wide open. The way Lois had been = touching him! The way she freely ran her hands over his body! What was = with her, anyway? He sighed. He had longed to respond to her touch by = taking her into his arms, but he could see that there was nothing = amorous about her actions. Besides, he didn=92t want to seem to be = taking advantage of her in her present vulnerable position. He sighed = again, closing his eyes as he tried to get some sleep. The afternoon shadows were long when he woke up again. He looked around = cautiously, trying to identify the sound that had roused him. Voices! In = the street below! Swiftly he put a hand over Lois=92s mouth. He felt her = body tense with fear and put his mouth to her ear, whispering softly, = "Lois, someone=92s coming. They=92re going to search the building. We = have to hide."=20 Lois nodded to show that she had understood and he relaxed his grip. = Lois looked around the room frantically. Where were they going to hide? She lay motionless as she felt her companion leave her side. Her eyes = widened in astonishment at how effortlessly he picked her up and set her = quietly on her feet next to the window.=20 Clark snatched what was left of his shirt and stuffed it into his back = pocket.. Putting a finger to his lips, he crawled out the window, then = turned around and reached his hands back inside, lifting her and gently = pulling her outside. What on earth was he hanging on to? She sucked in = her breath in sudden alarm and clasped her hands around his neck. = Because it seemed safer, she wrapped her legs around his waist, too. = With his hands gripping the wall of the building, he edged away from the = window until they were out of sight of anyone who might happen to look = out. They waited tensely, Lois straining her ears. She couldn=92t hear = anything. "Are you sure..." she began in a soft whisper. "Shhh!" he hissed almost soundlessly. Then Lois heard the voices. Clark = was right; someone was searching the building. They waited an eternity = as the men searched each floor. They seemed to spend a lot of time = examining the signs of recent occupation in the room that Lois and Clark = had just vacated, but in the end they evidently decided that their = quarry had fled and abandoned the search in that building. When they were finally gone, Lois sighed and laid her head on Clark=92s = bare shoulder. He was breathing rapidly but otherwise showed no sign = that hanging by an eyelash outside a third-story window was causing him = any strain. Clark waited until he was certain that the searchers had left and then = inched over to the window and thrust her through it, diving in after = her. They landed in a heap on the floor, laughing breathlessly. "So you = really think we can get out of here tonight?" she asked him. "I=92m sure we can," he smiled down at her. "So we=92re going...where? The U.S. Embassy?" "I was thinking more along the lines of...Paris," he told her. "Paris!" Her eyes widened in anticipation. "You mean we=92ll fly? = Tonight?" He nodded. "Just a few more hours. Wait until dark." ------=_NextPart_000_00FC_01BE8833.E997C560 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Loises and Clarks – Part 4

*****

The alternate Clark arranged his burnoose more tightly about his = face. He had=20 x-rayed every building on the east and west sides of Kuran and was now = tackling=20 the south. He had obtained a picture of the missing woman, Gina Gambini, = from=20 the Italian embassy, passing himself off as a French journalist (my = French=20 accent wasn’t too bad, he thought with pride) before he had = switched to=20 the Arab clothing as a way of appearing less conspicuous. He glanced = casually=20 through the building across the street–and stiffened.

*Lois was in that building!*

He resisted the urge to fly to her.

Whoa, Clark, that’s not Lois! You have to quit seeing the image = of the=20 woman you love in the face of every brown-eyed, brown-haired beauty in = town!=20 Especially this town! That can’t be Lois; she’s in = Metropolis. I=20 know, because I talked to her when I phoned in my story to the Daily = Planet=20 yesterday. Besides, this woman is so thin. And see how long her hair = is...down=20 to the middle of her back!

Still, he was curious enough to keep watching. Then he saw the other = woman,=20 who was just now getting out of bed. Gina. He heaved a sigh. I’ve = found=20 her!

Clark spent the rest of the day reconnoitering. He flew to a high = altitude=20 and used his distance vision to study the layout. With the use of his=20 super-hearing he confirmed that the women were, in fact, prisoners, that = he was=20 correct in recognizing Gina, and that the woman who looked like Lois = spoke with=20 an American accent and was called Lois. That last stunned him. What a=20 coincidence! Or was it? Could Lois have a doppelganger?

The more he studied the woman, the more uneasy he became.

She looks like Lois. An unkempt Lois, it’s true, but still = Lois. She=20 sounds like Lois. Her mannerisms, although not identical, are similar. =

Well, whoever she is, she’s a prisoner and I’m going to = rescue=20 her tonight!

Clark waited for darkness to cover him before making his move. = Dressed in a=20 black turtleneck and black pants, gloves, and ski mask, he flew quickly = to the=20 building where the women were held captive. Floating up to the = fifth-story=20 barred window with ease, he silently bent the bars open. Once inside, he = paused,=20 listening to the sound of the women’s quiet breathing. He = wouldn’t=20 be able to rescue both women at once. I’ll get Gina first, he told = himself=20 firmly (yes, that’s right), then come back for this woman named = Lois.

Moving quickly, he snatched Gina from her bed, covering her mouth = with his=20 hand while wrapping the sheet from her bed around her. He crushed her to = his=20 chest and held her with one hand while he escaped from the window and = dropped=20 rapidly to the ground. He wished he could fly her to the Italian = embassy, but he=20 had to avoid giving her the impression that there was anything = "super"=20 about this rescue, so he skimmed lightly and rapidly over the ground, = pretending=20 to run. He dropped the bewildered woman inside the embassy compound and=20 whispered "you’ll be safe here," in Italian before = taking to the=20 skies in a rush of air.

Now to get Lois! He floated to her window and stopped short in dismay = at the=20 sight of her sitting up in bed, staring at the empty cot next to her. = Light from=20 the hallway streamed in through the window of her room, clearly showing = her=20 bewilderment. He must have made some sound, because she turned now and = looked=20 straight at him, drawing in her breath in a hiss of alarm. He held his = breath.=20 He could prevent her from screaming if he moved at super speed, but he = was=20 determined to make this look like a "normal" rescue.

She was watching him, evidently trying to decide whether he = represented a=20 bigger threat than her captors. He listened to her rapid heartbeat, then = in two=20 steps swept her into his arms, pressing her face against his chest so = she=20 couldn’t scream. She didn’t struggle at all, remaining = quiescent in=20 his arms while he carried her to the window and dropped slowly to the = ground. As=20 he ran quietly and rapidly away from the building, however, he could = feel her=20 body tense as she prepared herself to escape from him. Apparently she = had=20 decided she wasn’t going to wait around to find out if he was = benign or=20 not, but was planning to make her getaway and take her chances in the = streets of=20 Kuran.

The elbow in his ribs didn’t catch him wholly by surprise, nor = did her=20 knee applied to what would have been a very tender place on a normal = earthling=20 cause him any astonishment. It didn’t hurt him, of course, but he = wished=20 she hadn’t done it because he knew he should stop and at least = pretend to=20 be in some kind of pain. But he couldn’t afford to stop now, = because his=20 super-sensitive hearing had picked up the sound of running feet behind = them.

Lois was surprised at her captor’s lack of reaction to her = aggressive=20 moves. She had elected to go quietly with him because she believed she = would=20 have a greater chance of escape once she was outside her prison, but now = she was=20 beginning to feel a little panicky. What kind of man was this who could = so=20 easily withstand a knee applied to that sensitive area? Was he wearing a = shield=20 of some kind?

It was going to be harder to get away than she had thought; he must = be very=20 strong to have carried her down five flights, supporting her with one = arm while=20 apparently holding onto a rope with the other. She pressed her body = against his.=20 He was so hard–he felt like iron! She was going to have the fight = of her=20 life!

Suddenly Lois heard shouts behind them, followed by a burst of = gunfire. She=20 heard bullets strike the man in the back, but he didn’t even break = his=20 stride. In fact, he offered no reaction at all! He’s wearing a=20 bullet-proof vest, of course, but still...he should have been knocked = down by=20 the impact. Those weren’t bb’s hitting him!

Another burst of gunfire was followed by a "ping" sound and = Lois=20 felt something hot fall onto her neck and slide down the back of her = shirt.

Her captor was beginning to pull away from their pursuer when there = was a=20 tremendous BOOM! followed by a blinding flash of light, and Lois felt = her captor=20 being lifted off the ground by the impact of a tremendous blow, even as = her ears=20 were deafened by his scream of pain.

He fell to the ground, crushing her with his body, and Lois thought = for an=20 instant that he was dead. Amazingly, he rose to his knees, still = clutching her=20 to his chest, then got up and ran a few steps toward an alley, wrapping = himself=20 around her to the extent possible in order to shield her with his body. = He=20 released her into the darkness, and as the footsteps of their pursuer = gained on=20 them, whispered hoarsely, "Get out of here, Lois. Run!" He = spoke=20 English!

He jumped away from her, turning to face their pursuer. After running = a few=20 steps, Lois couldn’t help turning to watch. The whole street was=20 illuminated by a flash from the gigantic weapon in their pursuer’s = hands=20 as the man shot at her rescuer again. The blaze of light caught her = captor=20 squarely in the chest and Lois caught her breath when he howled in pain. = The=20 force of the blow lifted him up and flung him against the wall of a = nearby=20 building. The beam of light from the gun focused on a board leaning = against the=20 wall and Lois watched in horror as the board disintegrated before her = eyes.

She was trembling in fright and wanted nothing so badly as to escape, = but she=20 couldn’t leave the man to be butchered by that weapon. Searching = the=20 littered street for a club, she found a heavy board. Under cover of the=20 darkness, she ran silently behind the attacker just as he unleashed yet = another=20 assault at the hapless man on the ground. Swinging with all her might, = she=20 brought the board down on the head of the man holding the gun and he = crumpled=20 without a sound.

Breathing hard, Lois stood for a moment, then hurried to her fallen = rescuer.=20 He had stopped screaming, thank heavens, but his breathing came in = hoarse gasps.=20 He probably didn’t have long to live, poor soul. "Lois, I = told you to=20 leave," he rasped when she approached. Lois could hear his = irritation even=20 through the pain in his voice and was amazed that he could still talk. = That=20 weapon had just annihilated a piece of wood into oblivion...how could he = have=20 survived it? Much less have strength to speak?!

"I couldn’t leave you to face him alone," she said = simply.=20 She knelt by his side, and pulling off the ski mask, peered down at him = while=20 she tried to assess his condition. "Can you walk?" she = asked.

"Not yet," he said after a moment’s hesitation. He = moved=20 impatiently when she put her arms around him to help him get up. = "Go,"=20 he said. "Or at least, get that...thing...and...hide = it...somewhere."=20 He was obviously speaking with great difficulty.

Lois picked up the weapon and looked at it curiously. "What is=20 this?" she asked. "Some kind of laser?"

"Don’t...know. Get...rid...of it!"

Lois ran into an alley and stowed it under some debris, then raced = back to=20 his side. She knelt again and placed her hands gingerly on his chest, = feeling=20 for injuries. He clutched at her hands, pushing them away. "Lois, = go! Get=20 out of here!" His voice sounded stronger.

"What happened to your shirt?" asked Lois. = "There’s=20 nothing here." His chest was completely bare.

Lois continued to probe for wounds, conscious of a curious reluctance = to=20 leave him. Whereas five minutes ago she had wanted nothing so much as to = escape=20 >from him, his importunities to try and get her to go away only increased = her=20 determination to stay.

"Lois!"

"I’m not leaving you," she declared.

"Lois, you put one man out of commission, but there may be = others. Now=20 go away from here! Please!" He arrested her probing motion by = snatching her=20 hands and holding them away from his body.

In answer, Lois pulled her hands free and tried once again to help = him to his=20 feet. He sighed and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like=20 "stubborn," then placing one hand on the wall and the other on = her=20 shoulder, struggled to an upright position. "Can you walk?" = Lois asked=20 again. He didn’t reply, apparently having used all his energy to = regain=20 his feet. Lois pulled one of his arms around her shoulder, encouraging = him to=20 lean on her for support. They advanced down the street, slowly at first, = but=20 with the man becoming noticeably stronger with each passing minute.

"Turn...left...at...this corner," he said. = "And...right at the=20 next." As she obeyed his instructions Lois wondered if she was = crazy for=20 not making her escape when she had the chance.

Clark was using his knowledge obtained by scouring the city in search = of Gina=20 to guide them to a deserted section of town that was characterized = chiefly by=20 ruined buildings on the verge of collapse. As they slowly made their way = through=20 the squalid streets, he used his still-functioning super hearing to find = a=20 building which wasn’t currently housing any of the down-and-outers = who=20 habitually inhabited such dwellings. He needed to find a suitable place = soon; he=20 didn’t know how much longer he could continue. He didn’t = know what=20 kind of weapon had been used on him, but it had apparently caused some = internal=20 damage. The burning sensation in his chest was almost unbearable, and he = had to=20 stop periodically to succumb to paroxysms of coughing.

"Here," he told her at last. "Let’s go in this=20 one." Lois assisted him into the building and he rapidly scanned = the room=20 in which they found themselves. "Upstairs," he panted. By the = time=20 they had reached the top of the narrow stairway, he was crawling on his = hands=20 and knees. "Stay...here...tonight," he said hoarsely. He = collapsed=20 into a heap and lay motionless in the darkness.

Lois knelt beside him. "H-hello?" she said querulously. = "Are=20 you...all right?" She felt for him with her hands and came in = contact with=20 his bare back. Putting her ear against his back, she heard a rapid = heartbeat and=20 the raspy sound that accompanied each breath he took. At least he was = still=20 alive! She ran her hands over him, turning his head to one side to make = sure he=20 wouldn’t smother himself by lying on his face. "Are you = awake?"=20 she whispered. He slipped a hand into hers and squeezed it by way of = letting her=20 know that he was still conscious. Lois sighed and settled herself = cross-legged=20 on the floor, preparing to watch over him through the night.

*****

A tiny squeaking sound awakened her and she opened her eyes to see a = rat=20 sitting in a pool of early-morning sunlight. It was less then two feet = >from her=20 nose and regarding her intently. She squealed and sat bolt upright, = sending the=20 rat scurrying.

Lois looked around and took stock of her situation. Sometime during = the night=20 she must have lain down, pillowing her head on the arm of her fallen = companion,=20 who was lying quite still beside her. For one panicked second Lois = thought he=20 was dead. Then she heard him breathing and heaved a sigh of relief that = he was=20 still alive. Her screech had not disturbed him apparently.

This might be a good time to see if she could assess the state of his = injuries. She sat on her heels and surveyed the unconscious man, who was = still=20 lying where he had collapsed the night before. He had been dressed in a = black=20 turtleneck, but something...she guessed it was that weapon...had burned = away=20 most of the back of it, so that it hung on him in tatters. Lois looked = curiously=20 at his prone form. She had known he was strong, and as she looked at the = well-developed muscles on his back, she could see ample evidence of his=20 strength. She ran her hands over his trapezius and rear deltoids, = feeling for=20 injury. Finding none, she decided to roll him over and examine him from = the=20 front. She did this with difficulty...he weighed more than he looked, = even after=20 taking into account his muscular build.

After turning him onto his side, she paused to wipe the sweat from = her=20 face...it was already starting to get hot...and study his features. Even = with=20 the grime on his face and the growth of stubble on his chin, Lois could = see that=20 he was good-looking...maybe even handsome...but he was deathly pale and = his brow=20 was creased as if he were in pain.

His breathing had a hoarse, croupy sound that Lois didn’t like. = She=20 leaned down and pressed her ear against his chest to listen to his = lungs, which=20 told her nothing except that his breathing was labored...and she already = knew=20 that.

She placed her hands on his bare chest and began probing his pectoral = muscles=20 for injuries. And found none. How could that weapon have burned away his = clothing and left his skin intact? Yet it had apparently injured his = lungs. She=20 shook her head in bafflement as the man moaned and stirred. "Does = that=20 hurt?" she asked, continuing to rub his chest.

"No," he mumbled sleepily. "Feels good, don’t=20 stop." His body stiffened and his eyes flew open as he realized = what he had=20 just said.

"What?" said Lois. She hadn’t quite understood = him.

"Doesn’t...hurt on the outside," he corrected himself = quickly. He closed his eyes briefly. He had been dreaming about Lois = again; she=20 was running her hands over his chest and talking in a low voice.  = He had=20 been stunned to awaken and find that his dream was reality and he was = gazing=20 into those luminous eyes that had haunted his dreams for two = years. 

"Does it hurt to breathe?" asked Lois. She was relieved to = see that=20 some color had come back into his face.

"A little," he mumbled. "It’s getting better=20 though." He struggled to sit up but couldn’t quite make it. = He=20 concluded that he was definitely the worse for all the walking they had = done=20 last night. He hoped that his super strength would return soon so he = could get=20 her out of here safely.

But first he wanted to find out who she was and how she had come to = be held=20 in captivity with the young Italian woman. He took a deep breath. = "Lois,=20 what are you doing here?" he asked. "Why were you being held=20 hostage?"

"First I want to know...who are you?" countered Lois. = "Do you=20 work for the government?"

"No, Lois, I don’t work for the government."

"Then how do you know my name?"

Clark bit his lip, searching for an explanation that wouldn’t = involve=20 super hearing. "Gina told me when I dropped her off at the Italian=20 embassy," he said finally. "She was worried about you. Now = please tell=20 me how you got there in the first place." For a minute Clark = thought she=20 wasn’t going to answer him; he recognized that mulish look from = his=20 association with the other Lois. Then, apparently deciding that it would = be a=20 relief to unburden herself from what had been troubling her for more = than a=20 year, she told him everything.

Clark listened with a rapidly beating heart to her tale of her = pursuit of a=20 gun-running story in the Congo, followed by her strange appearance in a = hostage=20 situation nearly three years after her most recent memory, and the = unwelcome=20 news that the person she thought she was, Lois Lane, a journalist with = the Daily=20 Planet, was not who she really was at all. "So I don’t know = who I am=20 or where I come from," she concluded.

She’s my Lois, he thought. I know it! But how can I find out = for sure?=20 Let’s see, I have it! "Who was President of the United States = when=20 you went after your gun-running story?" he asked.

"Charlton Heston," said Lois. "Did he get = reelected?"

Instead of answering, Clark fell back onto the floor. It’s her, = he=20 thought jubilantly! I don’t know how she got into this universe, = but=20 somehow she did!

"Are you all right?" Lois asked, fortunately forgetting her = question about the president.

Clark nodded and closed his eyes. Lois looked at him in concern, = wondering=20 what she could do for him. Suddenly she sprang to her feet, her own = parched=20 throat and dry mouth reminding her that they were lacking the most basic = of=20 human needs, next to air. What was she thinking of? The man was injured; = he must=20 be in torment from thirst!

"I’m going to go out and get us some water," she said = softly,=20 bending over him.

That opened his eyes again. "No, Lois, you can’t...not if=20 you’re dressed like that!" he said hoarsely.

"We need water," said Lois firmly, "and I’m = going to get=20 some." She vanished down the stairs. Clark tried in vain to get up = so he=20 could follow her, but his strength was gone. As were all his powers. He = tried to=20 follow her progress with his X-ray vision, and listen to her footsteps = with his=20 super hearing, but they were just not functional this morning. Unable to = do=20 anything to help her, he closed his eyes and waited and hoped for her = safe=20 return, falling into a fitful sleep almost immediately.

*****

"You look better," Lois said upon her return. Indeed, she = was=20 greatly encouraged by the improvement in his appearance. He had = obviously felt=20 well enough to move around in her absence, changing his position to one = nearer=20 the window where he was now lying in the sunlight.

And that pale, drawn look of pain was gone. When she knelt by his = side more=20 color flooded into his face.

"I forgot to ask your name," she remarked.

"C-clark," he said.

"Okay, then, Clark; can you sit up?" she asked, holding a = water=20 container to his lips. He pressed his lips tightly together and turned = his head=20 away, reminding Lois of a baby refusing to be fed.

"Lois, did you have anything to drink yourself?" he = asked.

"I drank...some...," she said.

"Well, save the water for yourself. I don’t need = it."

"You don’t need it?" she exclaimed. "Of course = you need=20 it! How can you say that? You must be feverish!" She pressed the = container=20 to his lips, spilling some of its precious contents. He put up his hand = to wipe=20 his chin.

"Lois, I’m not losing water; I’m not sweating=20 and–"

"That’s right!" she almost shrieked. = "You’re not=20 sweating! You must have heat exhaustion! I have to cool you off!" = She began=20 pouring water onto her hand and dabbing it on his face.

"Lois, stop! Lois, you’re wasting the water! Lois! = Lo-is!" He=20 was sitting completely upright now, reaching for the water container and = trying=20 to remove it gently from her grasp. "Lois, stop this, please! Save = the=20 water for yourself. I can get us more!"

That got her attention. "You can get us more?" she said, = her eyes=20 narrowing. "How?"

Clark took a deep breath. He was feeling much better...still weak, = but his=20 lungs seemed to be clear and some of his super powers were = returning...he had=20 already shaved with the help of a bit of broken glass. "How can I = get us=20 some more?" he said. "Like this." He cupped his hands in = front of=20 his face and blew gently. His relief when he felt the cool air hit his = hands was=20 immense...his cooling breath was back.

Lois watched, puzzled, as a small cloud formed over his hands. = "What are=20 you doing?" she asked.

"Cooling the air," he said, "and squeezing the = moisture out of=20 it." Lois stared in astonishment as water droplets appeared on his = hand.=20 How could he do that? How could he possibly cool the air enough to = condense the=20 moisture out of it? It wasn’t humanly possible!

She grew rigid. What had she just said? *It wasn’t humanly = possible.*=20 She sprang to her feet and turned her back on him while she mentally = reviewed=20 everything she knew about him.

Last night...she had kneed him in the groin...that should have left = him lying=20 on the ground and gasping in pain but he hadn’t broken stride.

The bullets she had *heard* striking his back...if he had been = wearing a=20 bullet-proof vest, the bullets would still have knocked him to the = ground,=20 knocked the wind out of him, bruised his back...none of that had = happened=20 and...*and he wasn’t wearing a bulletproof vest!*

The weapon that had disintegrated a board and part of his shirt...it = had=20 injured him, yes, but...think, now...shouldn’t it have caused = *some*=20 injury to his skin? Lois! Duh!

Now, wait, don’t panic yet...is there some rational = explanation? Maybe=20 the first gun that shot him *was* a bb gun! If only I could look at the = bullets!=20 Wait, maybe I have one here! She remembered the object that had hit her = shoulder=20 and slid down the back of her blouse; maybe it was still caught in her = clothing.=20 Yes, there it was. She pulled it out and examined the curiously = flattened=20 bullet. Definitely not a bb. Lois fingered it, thinking hard. It must = have=20 struck Clark and ricocheted onto her, sliding down her blouse.

His body repels bullets. Flattens them.

He can sustain injuries that would have most men screaming in = agony.

He can survive wounds from weapons that disintegrate wood.

He doesn’t need water.

He can cool the air with his breath.

He’s not human; he can’t be!

That mean’s he’s... Lois had seen the films, but at the = time they=20 had seemed so far-fetched, so far beyond the technology currently = available...=20 But here was proof that it was possible...there was no doubt about it; = this=20 "man" was a cyborg, a cybernetic organism, like the robots in=20 Terminator and Terminator II.

Was this good or bad for her safety? Lois thought back to every move = this=20 machine had made since she had "met" it. This cyborg obviously = was=20 designed to "protect" rather than kill. Well, that was = good!

"Lois? Lois?" Lois became aware that Clark was talking to = her and=20 had been for quite some time. She turned toward him. He was looking up = at her in=20 concern. "I’m sorry, Lois; I didn’t mean to scare you. = I just=20 wanted to show you that you don’t need to worry about water=20 and..."

"It’s okay, Clark," said Lois, slipping the smashed = bullet=20 into her pocket. She had no trouble giving the robot her warmest smile. = "It=20 just startled me for a minute, that’s all." She sat down = beside him=20 again, feeling all at once safer with him. "I don’t suppose = you can=20 generate enough water to take a bath," she said with a sigh.

Clark smiled. "I can’t promise anything more than being = able to=20 fill the water jug," he said.

"Let’s see just how much water you can squeeze out of this = dry=20 air," she said, beginning to hunt for crockery to contain the = precious=20 fluid. She found several pieces of broken pots to catch the water as he = cooled=20 the air. After drinking her fill and replenishing the water in the = container she=20 had stolen that morning, she collected enough water to dab onto her face = and=20 hands. "Turn your back," she commanded as she removed her = shirt so she=20 could rinse her torso. Of course, modesty wasn’t really necessary = around a=20 robot, but she had decided that she wasn’t going to tell him that = she knew=20 his secret; because however benign his behavior was now, he might become = dangerous if he found out that she knew his secret; he might be = programmed to=20 destroy anyone who discovered it.

When she had completed her own toilet, she looked down at him, = feeling much=20 refreshed. The temperature in the room had dropped slightly with the aid = of his=20 cooling breath and she shivered suddenly. "Here," she said to = Clark,=20 "Let’s clean you up a bit." She pulled off what was left = of his=20 shirt and dabbed at his face and neck.

"I can wash myself, Lois," he protested.

"Uh-huh," said Lois, rubbing his smooth cheeks. = That’s=20 another thing, thought Lois. Wouldn’t a real man have stubble by = now? I=20 thought he had some beard growth earlier this morning, but it must have = been=20 dirt. She poured some water onto his chest and began rubbing = energetically.

"Lois!" he said again.  "Lois!" His voice = rose as he=20 scrambled backwards across the floor, retreating in haste.

"All right, all right, you don’t need a bath I = guess," she=20 said, amused that the robot had been programmed for modesty. She skimmed = her=20 hand across his chest, collecting the excess moisture and flicking it = off.=20 "Are you okay?" she asked. His eyes looked rather glazed and = his chest=20 was rising and falling rapidly.

"Yes," he said with difficulty. Lois sat back and looked at = him in=20 puzzlement.

He seems so real! What if he’s human after all?

Yeah, right. A human male who doesn’t grow a beard and who can=20 withstand bullets, a knee to the groin, a weapon that disintegrates = wood,=20 and...and...who also happens to be a walking refrigeration unit! Yeah, = sure,=20 he’s human! Duh!

I wonder what else he...it... can do.

"I don’t suppose you can generate food...?" she said=20 hopefully.

He laughed aloud at that. "If you can hold out until evening, = Lois; I=20 promise I’ll get you something to eat."

"I can hardly wait," she said. He probably doesn’t = need to=20 eat anyway, she thought. Lucky him. She yawned. "I could use some = more=20 sleep," she admitted, "But I don’t like to close my eyes = with=20 those rats creeping around."

"I’ll take care of the rats," he promised.

Lois didn’t reply. She slid to the floor and lay down on her = side. She=20 flinched when he put his arm around her, then remembering that he was = just a=20 robot and designed to protect her, she relaxed against his body. She was = pleased=20 that he...it...had turned out not to be human. She felt so much = safer.

Why did they design a robot to be so physically perfect, anyway? she=20 continued her musing. Oh, Lois, if you’re going to take the = trouble of=20 building a robot, you might as well make it cute and muscular like = Clark! Clark.=20 Yes, even the name is funny...it sounds like the kind of nerdy name that = a=20 technogeek would bestow on his creation. She smiled as she moved her = head to=20 pillow it on her arm.

"Here, take this," said Clark. He took his discarded shirt = and=20 rolled it into a ball, placing it under Lois’s head.

"Thanks," she said sleepily. She clasped the hand that was = draped=20 over her side and examined it closely, marveling at how real it looked. = Whoever=20 manufactured him had done a magnificent job! She began to enumerate all = the=20 things about him that seemed real and amused herself by imagining how it = had=20 been done.

She could feel the heat of his body against her back and pressed = against him,=20 snuggling closer. Body heat...that’s real...I wonder how they did = that?=20 When I find out, I’m going to have the scoop of the decade! She = began=20 planning the article she was going to write. She could already see the=20 headlines: "Cybernetic Organism Rescues Prize-Winning = Reporter." Her=20 eyes drifted shut while she was delivering the acceptance speech for her = Pulitzer...

Clark lay perfectly still, his eyes wide open. The way Lois had been = touching=20 him! The way she freely ran her hands over his body! What was with her, = anyway?=20 He sighed. He had longed to respond to her touch by taking her into his = arms,=20 but he could see that there was nothing amorous about her actions. = Besides, he=20 didn’t want to seem to be taking advantage of her in her present=20 vulnerable position. He sighed again, closing his eyes as he tried to = get some=20 sleep.

The afternoon shadows were long when he woke up again. He looked = around=20 cautiously, trying to identify the sound that had roused him. Voices! In = the=20 street below! Swiftly he put a hand over Lois’s mouth. He felt her = body=20 tense with fear and put his mouth to her ear, whispering softly, = "Lois,=20 someone’s coming. They’re going to search the building. We = have to=20 hide."

Lois nodded to show that she had understood and he relaxed his grip. = Lois=20 looked around the room frantically. Where were they going to hide?

She lay motionless as she felt her companion leave her side. Her eyes = widened=20 in astonishment at how effortlessly he picked her up and set her quietly = on her=20 feet next to the window.

Clark snatched what was left of his shirt and stuffed it into his = back=20 pocket.. Putting a finger to his lips, he crawled out the window, then = turned=20 around and reached his hands back inside, lifting her and gently pulling = her=20 outside. What on earth was he hanging on to? She sucked in her breath in = sudden=20 alarm and clasped her hands around his neck. Because it seemed safer, = she=20 wrapped her legs around his waist, too. With his hands gripping the wall = of the=20 building, he edged away from the window until they were out of sight of = anyone=20 who might happen to look out.

They waited tensely, Lois straining her ears. She couldn’t hear = anything. "Are you sure..." she began in a soft whisper.

"Shhh!" he hissed almost soundlessly. Then Lois heard the = voices.=20 Clark was right; someone was searching the building. They waited an = eternity as=20 the men searched each floor. They seemed to spend a lot of time = examining the=20 signs of recent occupation in the room that Lois and Clark had just = vacated, but=20 in the end they evidently decided that their quarry had fled and = abandoned the=20 search in that building.

When they were finally gone, Lois sighed and laid her head on = Clark’s=20 bare shoulder. He was breathing rapidly but otherwise showed no sign = that=20 hanging by an eyelash outside a third-story window was causing him any=20 strain.

Clark waited until he was certain that the searchers had left and = then inched=20 over to the window and thrust her through it, diving in after her. They = landed=20 in a heap on the floor, laughing breathlessly. "So you really think = we can=20 get out of here tonight?" she asked him.

"I’m sure we can," he smiled down at her.

"So we’re going...where? The U.S. Embassy?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of...Paris," he told = her.

"Paris!" Her eyes widened in anticipation. "You mean=20 we’ll fly? Tonight?"

He nodded. "Just a few more hours. Wait until=20 dark."

------=_NextPart_000_00FC_01BE8833.E997C560-- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 17:05:24 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Tull, James [CORP/STL]" Subject: Re: Groundhog Revelation Day MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" >From MR. D8A's work email Actually the idea tickles my muse. (At this point my wife groans over the fact that we have no less than 6 fanfics in the oven and there surely is no room for any more.) :,-) MR. D8A A.K.A. James Proverbs 3:5-6 The pixels are done dancing! I can go real home! Please visit and explore my house at: http://www.geocities.com/area51/starship/7859 -----Original Message----- From: Sarah Wood [mailto:SarahWood@COMPUSERVE.COM] Sent: Friday, April 16, 1999 4:44 PM To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU Subject: Re: Groundhog Revelation Day >> I've often thought that ABC should do a "Groundhog Day" of Lois revelations, with Clark being forced to repeat the revelation over and over again until he finally gets it right! << That might make a great Round Robin fanfic. Sarah Wood ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 18:14:36 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Peggy Mueller Subject: New Fanfic -- Loises and Clarks, 5 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0161_01BE8834.FC6E0C20" This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0161_01BE8834.FC6E0C20 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Loises and Clarks =96 Part 5 ***** Alt-Clark surveyed the ground below, mentally reviewing his knowledge of = this section of Paris. There should be a small park...ah, yes, there it = is. He shifted the precious cargo in his arms and slowed for a landing. = "Here we are," he said, setting Lois on her feet with a flourish. Lois = shivered in the cool evening air, straining to see her surroundings in = the darkness. "Flying...Paris...what next?" she asked. "I hope it=92s food, bath, and = more food...in that order," she added.=20 Clark smiled. "If you can wait five minutes while I get some money, I = think I can accommodate your wishes," he told her rather formally. "Five minutes? Where are you going to get money in five minutes?" she = asked. But she was speaking to empty air.=20 Somewhat more than five minutes had passed before she heard the whoosh = that signaled his return. She stared at him in astonishment. It was = dark, but not so dark that she couldn=92t see that he had cleaned = himself and changed his clothes. He was dressed in a casual shirt and = slacks with a jacket slung over one shoulder. "That was quick," she said = blankly. "Bread?" he asked her, holding a bag toward her. She thrust her hands = greedily inside and pulled out bread and cheese. "Do you want to go = somewhere else to eat, or do you want to eat here?" he asked. "Okay, I = guess it=92s here," he said, smiling as she tore off a chunk of bread = and devoured it along with the cheese. He guided her to a bench and = watched in amusement while she ate every crumb, washing the food down = with the bottled water he had brought her. She finished by popping some = grapes into her mouth and crunching them zestily. "Okay," she sighed. "I=92m ready for that bath now." He took her hand = and led her to a hotel where he booked them a room.=20 "I don=92t have much money so I just got us a small room," Clark said = apologetically when he had closed the door behind them. "Only one bed = and=96" "A bath," said Lois prayerfully. "With hot and cold running water." She = raced for the bathroom. "See you in an hour," she said. Clark smiled and followed her across the room. "Lois," he called, = knocking on the bathroom door. "I=92m going to go out for awhile, okay? = I=92ll see you later." The bathroom door flew open again and Lois rushed out, flinging her arms = around him. "Thank you!" she said, hugging him hard.=20 ***** Clark was still smiling as he searched shops for clothing for Lois, his = Lois...he was sure of it. After she had gotten over the shock of = learning that he could fly, she had relaxed completely in his arms and = talked non-stop during the flight from Kuran, telling him enough of her = past life to convince him that she was indeed from another = universe...*his* universe. He experienced a tingle of pleasure when he remembered how it had felt = to have her arms wrapped so trustingly around his neck. He was surprised = at how readily she had accepted his super powers, almost seeming to take = them for granted. From what he had heard of the rocky courtship of the = other Lois and Clark, it had taken that Clark nearly two years to win = his Lois--he didn=92t know why--maybe it had been difficult for Lois to = accept the fact that Clark was an alien with super powers. He smiled and = there was an added spring to his step as he continued down the street. *****=20 There was no sign of Clark when Lois emerged from the steamy bathroom = more than an hour later. Lois looked around drowsily, then slid under = the covers of the bed. I should stay awake and wait for him, she = thought. I have to let him know how much I appreciate this. I have to = thank him... She drifted off to sleep. It was morning when she awoke. At first she couldn=92t remember where = she was, and then the memories came flooding back. She was free at last! = Free to get answers to all her questions and free to pick up the pieces = of her shattered life...whatever it was. She sat up and swung her legs = over the side of the bed, then drew back in surprise. She had almost = stepped on Clark!=20 She put her hand over her mouth, smothering a laugh. What in Sam Hill is = he doing on the floor? The bed=92s certainly big enough for two! She = smiled as she realized the delicacy that must have led him to give her = the bed.=20 I spent most of the last two days in his arms, for Elvis=92s sake! What = difference could one more night possibly make? And his consideration = isn=92t necessary anyway, considering that he=92s a robot! A nice robot, = too...a good listener...I guess a robot doesn=92t have any compelling = need to talk!=20 Lois smiled. With his special talents he could really come in handy = around the house. Should I ask the government if I can keep him? I know = what my mother would say...!=20 She giggled suddenly. "Lois?" Clark opened his eyes and looked up at her in bewilderment. She = had collapsed onto the bed and was laughing helplessly. In a flash Clark = was sitting next to her. "Lois, what=92s the matter? Are you okay?"=20 "Clark!" Lois said, sitting up and leaning against him. Impossible to = tell him what she had been thinking! "C-clark!" She laid her head = against his chest and listened to the thud of his heart. Should I ask = him how much it would cost to build a cyborg like him? She giggled = again, then raised her head and looked up into the brown eyes that were = watching her in puzzlement. "Yes," she said, "I=92m okay." She smiled = and put her arms around his neck, running her fingers affectionately = through his hair. Clark drew in his breath sharply, then opened his mouth to speak. = "Lois..." he began.=20 The harsh ringing of an alarm cut off whatever he had been about to say. = He reached over the bed and shut off the cheap clock that he had = purchased the evening before. "I have to go," he said, rising. He = paused, regarding her thoughtfully. "Lois, I have urgent business to attend to today; I probably won=92t be = able to get away until dinner, not even for lunch. I know it=92s a lot = to ask, especially after all the time you=92ve spent in captivity, and I = know you must be anxious to resume your interrupted life, but could you = please just spend the day here, in the hotel...or at least in this = area?" He placed some money on the dresser. "Here=92s some money so you = can buy meals. I=92d like to take you out to dinner tonight; we can talk = then, and maybe I can get away tomorrow so we can go to the library..." "The library!" Lois ejaculated. "Yes," Clark smiled at her rather ruefully. "=91cause I have a feeling = you=92re not going to believe what I=92m going to tell you; you=92re = going to require corroboration." His smile broadened at the expression = on her face. "So please, don=92t try to get in touch with Perry, or your = parents, or anyone from your old life..." Lois started. He knows about = Perry White! "Lois. Are you listening to me? This isn=92t just about you = and it isn=92t about me...there=92s a lot at stake here. I=92ll answer = all your questions, I promise, so will you please, please, just wait for = one more day?"=20 Lois stared at him while he talked, pleading with her as if he expected = her to be unreasonable about the whole thing, when he didn=92t even know = her well enough to know that she *could* be unreasonable! "I have to go now," said Clark. "Or I=92ll be late. I=92ll see you = tonight." "Okay," Lois said. In an instant he was gone, and seconds later Lois heard a sonic boom. She wandered over to the dresser, absently fingering the money he had = left there. Where should I go for lunch?...somewhere that these = down-and-out clothes won=92t matter, and that=92s going to limit my = choices! Wait a minute...what=92s in this bag? She opened it and = fingered the lingerie wonderingly. How did he know my size? And why did = he buy underwear for me and nothing else...? Her eyes fell on the bag on = the floor. She reached inside and pulled out a pair of women=92s shoes. = Looking around in eager anticipation, she at last saw the skirt and = blouse hanging on the hook. ***** Superman sighed and ran a hand over his forehead. Funny, I can lift a = spaceship into orbit or fight fires all day without strain, but just a = few days of this negotiating stuff and I=92m beat! He raised his tired = eyes and scanned the room, coming to attention with a jerk. Who=92s = that? Lois??! Mindful of the hordes of curious onlookers in the hall, he = moved cautiously toward her. He had almost reached her side when she = turned and saw him. Alt-Lois looked with mixed feelings at the super hero bearing down on = her. She had spent most of the day in the library in an attempt to find = out what Alt-Clark had alluded to so mysteriously before he left. Old = periodicals had proved to be quite informative, disclosing the = mind-boggling news that her new acquaintance was not a robot but an = alien, a man from another planet who, as nearly as she could tell, spent = practically his whole life rescuing people. Receiving no pay for his = efforts, he supported himself by unknown means. He was loved and revered = by every honest person on the planet, it seemed. Well, no wonder, if his = rescue of her was typical... She had leaned back in her chair, tapping a finger reflectively against = her lip. Darn! I was beginning to think of him as *mine*, my own = personal ticket to a Pulitzer, but he=92s already been "discovered." She = sighed and began searching through the computer for a reference to the = earliest known Superman sighting. Maybe there=92s a story in here = anyway... Minutes later she pushed back her chair vehemently, almost overturning = it in her haste. Lois Lane, the *imposter* Lois Lane, was the first = person to see Superman! Had someone gotten rid of *her* so that this = imposter, posing as a renowned journalist, could lend credibility to = their claims regarding this "man?" At that point she had leaped to her feet and hurried to the hotel where = the newspapers said the negotiations were being held, in a frenzy of = excitement to get to the bottom of this matter. Now, in the hall, when she turned and saw Superman, saw the look of the = glad recognition in his eyes, she geared herself for a stringent = inquisition effort. "Lois!" Superman whispered when he reached her side. "What are you doing = here? Did Perry send you?"=20 "No, Perry didn=92t send me; I needed to see you," she said, caught off = balance by his abrupt questions. "But where are you staying? Lois, you=92re not staying in a hotel room = with *him*?" Superman said. "Staying with him? Certainly not! The only one I=92ve been staying with = is *you*!" she said irritably. "Staying with me? What are you talking about? Lois!!! He didn=92t tell = you that he was *me* did he??" gasped Superman, aghast. "Tell me that =91he=92 was =91you=92??? Clark! What are you talking = about?"=20 "Superman, this isn=92t your Lois," interrupted a voice behind them in = an urgent undertone. Lois turned to see a handsome man in glasses, = sharply dressed in a wool suit, approaching them. "You=92ve got that right!" snapped Lois. "I=92m not *anybody=92s* Lois!" Superman was staring at the young man, who looked familiar to Lois. "Not = *my* Lois??" Superman whispered. "You mean=96?" He looked questioningly = at Alt-Clark, who nodded almost imperceptibly while shrugging at the = same time, as if to tell Superman that he didn=92t know how or why.=20 Alt-Clark gazed thoughtfully at Alt-Lois, realizing that she had visited = a hair stylist and wondering how it happened that she had chosen the = exact same style that the Lois of this world preferred.=20 After staring at Alt-Clark in disbelief, Superman turned and looked = closely at the thoroughly ruffled young woman standing beside him. = "Clark," she was saying to him, "we need to talk." Superman frowned at = the use of his name. "Couldn=92t you keep her out of here?" he asked the alternate Clark = through clenched teeth. "I had no idea she=92d think of coming here," returned Alt-Clark. "Well, you might have guessed that she=92d--" "Oh, you have such good control over *your* Lois, I suppose?" retorted = Alt-Clark, and watched with satisfaction as Superman bit his lip.=20 "Well, just get her out of here, won=92t you?" Superman said testily. = Alt-Clark took Lois=92s arm gently. "Hey!" she said, jerking it away from him. "Watch it, buster! Or = you=92ll end up on the floor!" "Lois." Alt-Clark bent his head, whispering in a compelling manner. = "This Superman isn=92t Clark; Clark=92s waiting for you outside. Will = you come with me, please?" She looked suspiciously at him, then at = Superman, who nodded. "Quick, Clark! here come some cameramen!" whispered Superman.=20 Alt-Clark glanced over his shoulder in dismay, then hustled Lois from = the room, shepherding her outside the building. "Wait!" said Lois. = "What=92s going on? He called you Clark! Is that your name, too?" She = peered at his name tag.=20 In reply, Alt-Clark merely said, "Wait here; Clark=92s on his way." "But...!" began Lois. She sighed when she saw that she talking was to = open space. Moving over to a bench, she sat down, tapping her foot = impatiently. A gust of wind ruffled her hair only minutes later. "Lois!" Alt-Clark = said, striding toward her. He had flown to his room and exchanged Clark = Kent=92s business suit for the more casual attire in which he had been = appearing before Lois. Removal of his glasses completed the identity = change and he hoped fervently that without them Lois wouldn=92t notice = his resemblance to Clark Kent. "Will you tell me what=92s going on?" she asked him. "And don=92t tell = me that you=92re not Superman! How dumb do you think I am? It=92s not = just that you=92re a dead ringer for him, but how many men can fly and = repel bullets like=96" "Lois, I=92m not Superman," said Clark, rubbing a hand over his face. = "At least, not *that* Superman, and=96" "What do you mean, you=92re not *that* Superman?" asked Lois. "How many = supermen are there? Are you invading the earth?" Clark couldn=92t help laughing. At sight of Lois=92s face, though, he = sobered immediately. "Lois, I wanted to wait until I had time to sit and = talk this thing through with you...I have a feeling it might upset you." = He led her gently away from the building. "You know the novelist H.G. = Wells...?" ------=_NextPart_000_0161_01BE8834.FC6E0C20 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Loises and Clarks – Part 5

*****

Alt-Clark surveyed the ground below, mentally reviewing his knowledge = of this=20 section of Paris. There should be a small park...ah, yes, there it is. = He=20 shifted the precious cargo in his arms and slowed for a landing. = "Here we=20 are," he said, setting Lois on her feet with a flourish. Lois = shivered in=20 the cool evening air, straining to see her surroundings in the = darkness.

"Flying...Paris...what next?" she asked. "I hope = it’s=20 food, bath, and more food...in that order," she added.

Clark smiled. "If you can wait five minutes while I get some = money, I=20 think I can accommodate your wishes," he told her rather = formally.

"Five minutes? Where are you going to get money in five = minutes?"=20 she asked. But she was speaking to empty air.

Somewhat more than five minutes had passed before she heard the = whoosh that=20 signaled his return. She stared at him in astonishment. It was dark, but = not so=20 dark that she couldn’t see that he had cleaned himself and changed = his=20 clothes. He was dressed in a casual shirt and slacks with a jacket slung = over=20 one shoulder. "That was quick," she said blankly.

"Bread?" he asked her, holding a bag toward her. She thrust = her=20 hands greedily inside and pulled out bread and cheese. "Do you want = to go=20 somewhere else to eat, or do you want to eat here?" he asked. = "Okay, I=20 guess it’s here," he said, smiling as she tore off a chunk of = bread=20 and devoured it along with the cheese. He guided her to a bench and = watched in=20 amusement while she ate every crumb, washing the food down with the = bottled=20 water he had brought her. She finished by popping some grapes into her = mouth and=20 crunching them zestily.

"Okay," she sighed. "I’m ready for that bath = now."=20 He took her hand and led her to a hotel where he booked them a room. =

"I don’t have much money so I just got us a small = room,"=20 Clark said apologetically when he had closed the door behind them. = "Only=20 one bed and–"

"A bath," said Lois prayerfully. "With hot and cold = running=20 water." She raced for the bathroom. "See you in an hour," = she=20 said.

Clark smiled and followed her across the room. "Lois," he = called,=20 knocking on the bathroom door. "I’m going to go out for = awhile, okay?=20 I’ll see you later."

The bathroom door flew open again and Lois rushed out, flinging her = arms=20 around him. "Thank you!" she said, hugging him hard.

*****

Clark was still smiling as he searched shops for clothing for Lois, = his=20 Lois...he was sure of it. After she had gotten over the shock of = learning that=20 he could fly, she had relaxed completely in his arms and talked non-stop = during=20 the flight from Kuran, telling him enough of her past life to convince = him that=20 she was indeed from another universe...*his* universe.

He experienced a tingle of pleasure when he remembered how it had = felt to=20 have her arms wrapped so trustingly around his neck. He was surprised at = how=20 readily she had accepted his super powers, almost seeming to take them = for=20 granted. From what he had heard of the rocky courtship of the other Lois = and=20 Clark, it had taken that Clark nearly two years to win his Lois--he = didn’t=20 know why--maybe it had been difficult for Lois to accept the fact that = Clark was=20 an alien with super powers. He smiled and there was an added spring to = his step=20 as he continued down the street.

*****

There was no sign of Clark when Lois emerged from the steamy bathroom = more=20 than an hour later. Lois looked around drowsily, then slid under the = covers of=20 the bed. I should stay awake and wait for him, she thought. I have to = let him=20 know how much I appreciate this. I have to thank him... She drifted off = to=20 sleep.

It was morning when she awoke. At first she couldn’t remember = where she=20 was, and then the memories came flooding back. She was free at last! = Free to get=20 answers to all her questions and free to pick up the pieces of her = shattered=20 life...whatever it was. She sat up and swung her legs over the side of = the bed,=20 then drew back in surprise. She had almost stepped on Clark!

She put her hand over her mouth, smothering a laugh. What in Sam Hill = is he=20 doing on the floor? The bed’s certainly big enough for two! She = smiled as=20 she realized the delicacy that must have led him to give her the bed. =

I spent most of the last two days in his arms, for Elvis’s = sake! What=20 difference could one more night possibly make? And his consideration = isn’t=20 necessary anyway, considering that he’s a robot! A nice robot, = too...a=20 good listener...I guess a robot doesn’t have any compelling need = to talk!=20

Lois smiled. With his special talents he could really come in handy = around=20 the house. Should I ask the government if I can keep him? I know what my = mother=20 would say...!

She giggled suddenly.

"Lois?" Clark opened his eyes and looked up at her in = bewilderment.=20 She had collapsed onto the bed and was laughing helplessly. In a flash = Clark was=20 sitting next to her. "Lois, what’s the matter? Are you = okay?"=20

"Clark!" Lois said, sitting up and leaning against him. = Impossible=20 to tell him what she had been thinking! "C-clark!" She laid = her head=20 against his chest and listened to the thud of his heart. Should I ask = him how=20 much it would cost to build a cyborg like him? She giggled again, then = raised=20 her head and looked up into the brown eyes that were watching her in = puzzlement.=20 "Yes," she said, "I’m okay." She smiled and = put her=20 arms around his neck, running her fingers affectionately through his = hair.

Clark drew in his breath sharply, then opened his mouth to speak.=20 "Lois..." he began.

The harsh ringing of an alarm cut off whatever he had been about to = say. He=20 reached over the bed and shut off the cheap clock that he had purchased = the=20 evening before. "I have to go," he said, rising. He paused, = regarding=20 her thoughtfully.

"Lois, I have urgent business to attend to today; I probably = won’t=20 be able to get away until dinner, not even for lunch. I know it’s = a lot to=20 ask, especially after all the time you’ve spent in captivity, and = I know=20 you must be anxious to resume your interrupted life, but could you = please just=20 spend the day here, in the hotel...or at least in this area?" He = placed=20 some money on the dresser. "Here’s some money so you can buy = meals.=20 I’d like to take you out to dinner tonight; we can talk then, and = maybe I=20 can get away tomorrow so we can go to the library..."

"The library!" Lois ejaculated.

"Yes," Clark smiled at her rather ruefully. = "‘cause I=20 have a feeling you’re not going to believe what I’m going to = tell=20 you; you’re going to require corroboration." His smile = broadened at=20 the expression on her face. "So please, don’t try to get in = touch=20 with Perry, or your parents, or anyone from your old life..." Lois = started.=20 He knows about Perry White! "Lois. Are you listening to me? This=20 isn’t just about you and it isn’t about me...there’s a = lot at=20 stake here. I’ll answer all your questions, I promise, so will you = please,=20 please, just wait for one more day?"

Lois stared at him while he talked, pleading with her as if he = expected her=20 to be unreasonable about the whole thing, when he didn’t even know = her=20 well enough to know that she *could* be unreasonable!

"I have to go now," said Clark. "Or I’ll be = late.=20 I’ll see you tonight."

"Okay," Lois said.

In an instant he was gone, and seconds later Lois heard a sonic = boom.

She wandered over to the dresser, absently fingering the money he had = left=20 there. Where should I go for lunch?...somewhere that these down-and-out = clothes=20 won’t matter, and that’s going to limit my choices! Wait a=20 minute...what’s in this bag? She opened it and fingered the = lingerie=20 wonderingly. How did he know my size? And why did he buy underwear for = me and=20 nothing else...? Her eyes fell on the bag on the floor. She reached = inside and=20 pulled out a pair of women’s shoes. Looking around in eager = anticipation,=20 she at last saw the skirt and blouse hanging on the hook.

*****

Superman sighed and ran a hand over his forehead. Funny, I can lift a = spaceship into orbit or fight fires all day without strain, but just a = few days=20 of this negotiating stuff and I’m beat! He raised his tired eyes = and=20 scanned the room, coming to attention with a jerk. Who’s that? = Lois??!=20 Mindful of the hordes of curious onlookers in the hall, he moved = cautiously=20 toward her. He had almost reached her side when she turned and saw = him.

Alt-Lois looked with mixed feelings at the super hero bearing down on = her.=20 She had spent most of the day in the library in an attempt to find out = what=20 Alt-Clark had alluded to so mysteriously before he left. Old periodicals = had=20 proved to be quite informative, disclosing the mind-boggling news that = her new=20 acquaintance was not a robot but an alien, a man from another planet = who, as=20 nearly as she could tell, spent practically his whole life rescuing = people.=20 Receiving no pay for his efforts, he supported himself by unknown means. = He was=20 loved and revered by every honest person on the planet, it seemed. Well, = no=20 wonder, if his rescue of her was typical...

She had leaned back in her chair, tapping a finger reflectively = against her=20 lip. Darn! I was beginning to think of him as *mine*, my own personal = ticket to=20 a Pulitzer, but he’s already been "discovered." She = sighed and=20 began searching through the computer for a reference to the earliest = known=20 Superman sighting. Maybe there’s a story in here anyway...

Minutes later she pushed back her chair vehemently, almost = overturning it in=20 her haste. Lois Lane, the *imposter* Lois Lane, was the first person to = see=20 Superman! Had someone gotten rid of *her* so that this imposter, posing = as a=20 renowned journalist, could lend credibility to their claims regarding = this=20 "man?"

At that point she had leaped to her feet and hurried to the hotel = where the=20 newspapers said the negotiations were being held, in a frenzy of = excitement to=20 get to the bottom of this matter.

Now, in the hall, when she turned and saw Superman, saw the look of = the glad=20 recognition in his eyes, she geared herself for a stringent inquisition=20 effort.

"Lois!" Superman whispered when he reached her side. = "What are=20 you doing here? Did Perry send you?"

"No, Perry didn’t send me; I needed to see you," she = said,=20 caught off balance by his abrupt questions.

"But where are you staying? Lois, you’re not staying in a = hotel=20 room with *him*?" Superman said.

"Staying with him? Certainly not! The only one I’ve been = staying=20 with is *you*!" she said irritably.

"Staying with me? What are you talking about? Lois!!! He = didn’t=20 tell you that he was *me* did he??" gasped Superman, aghast.

"Tell me that ‘he’ was ‘you’??? Clark! = What are=20 you talking about?"

"Superman, this isn’t your Lois," interrupted a voice = behind=20 them in an urgent undertone. Lois turned to see a handsome man in = glasses,=20 sharply dressed in a wool suit, approaching them.

"You’ve got that right!" snapped Lois. = "I’m not=20 *anybody’s* Lois!"

Superman was staring at the young man, who looked familiar to Lois. = "Not=20 *my* Lois??" Superman whispered. "You mean–?" He = looked=20 questioningly at Alt-Clark, who nodded almost imperceptibly while = shrugging at=20 the same time, as if to tell Superman that he didn’t know how or = why.

Alt-Clark gazed thoughtfully at Alt-Lois, realizing that she had = visited a=20 hair stylist and wondering how it happened that she had chosen the exact = same=20 style that the Lois of this world preferred.

After staring at Alt-Clark in disbelief, Superman turned and looked = closely=20 at the thoroughly ruffled young woman standing beside him. = "Clark,"=20 she was saying to him, "we need to talk." Superman frowned at = the use=20 of his name.

"Couldn’t you keep her out of here?" he asked the = alternate=20 Clark through clenched teeth.

"I had no idea she’d think of coming here," returned=20 Alt-Clark.

"Well, you might have guessed that she’d--"

"Oh, you have such good control over *your* Lois, I = suppose?"=20 retorted Alt-Clark, and watched with satisfaction as Superman bit his = lip.

"Well, just get her out of here, won’t you?" Superman = said=20 testily. Alt-Clark took Lois’s arm gently.

"Hey!" she said, jerking it away from him. "Watch it, = buster!=20 Or you’ll end up on the floor!"

"Lois." Alt-Clark bent his head, whispering in a compelling = manner.=20 "This Superman isn’t Clark; Clark’s waiting for you = outside.=20 Will you come with me, please?" She looked suspiciously at him, = then at=20 Superman, who nodded.

"Quick, Clark! here come some cameramen!" whispered = Superman.

Alt-Clark glanced over his shoulder in dismay, then hustled Lois from = the=20 room, shepherding her outside the building. "Wait!" said Lois. = "What’s going on? He called you Clark! Is that your name, = too?"=20 She peered at his name tag.

In reply, Alt-Clark merely said, "Wait here; Clark’s on = his=20 way."

"But...!" began Lois. She sighed when she saw that she = talking was=20 to open space. Moving over to a bench, she sat down, tapping her foot=20 impatiently.

A gust of wind ruffled her hair only minutes later. "Lois!" = Alt-Clark said, striding toward her. He had flown to his room and = exchanged=20 Clark Kent’s business suit for the more casual attire in which he = had been=20 appearing before Lois. Removal of his glasses completed the identity = change and=20 he hoped fervently that without them Lois wouldn’t notice his = resemblance=20 to Clark Kent.

"Will you tell me what’s going on?" she asked him. = "And=20 don’t tell me that you’re not Superman! How dumb do you = think I am?=20 It’s not just that you’re a dead ringer for him, but how = many men=20 can fly and repel bullets like–"

"Lois, I’m not Superman," said Clark, rubbing a hand = over his=20 face. "At least, not *that* Superman, and–"

"What do you mean, you’re not *that* Superman?" asked = Lois.=20 "How many supermen are there? Are you invading the earth?"

Clark couldn’t help laughing. At sight of Lois’s face, = though, he=20 sobered immediately. "Lois, I wanted to wait until I had time to = sit and=20 talk this thing through with you...I have a feeling it might upset = you." He=20 led her gently away from the building. "You know the novelist H.G.=20 Wells...?"

 

------=_NextPart_000_0161_01BE8834.FC6E0C20-- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 18:16:30 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Peggy Mueller Subject: New Fanfic -- Loises and Clarks, 6 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0195_01BE8835.4085B020" This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0195_01BE8835.4085B020 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Loises and Clarks =96 Part 6 ***** Lois Lane stepped off the elevator into the Daily Planet newsroom, her = mind preoccupied with the latest turn her investigation had taken in her = attempt to unveil a scandal involving Senator Halley. She knew something = was up immediately; the covert glances of mingled sympathy and amusement = >from her co-workers told her that. "Lois, when is Clark coming back?" asked Kristine from Travel. "When the negotiations are over," said Lois shortly, not liking the = insinuating smile on Kristine=92s face. "You=92ll probably be glad to see him again, and I *guess* that he=92ll = be glad to see you, too," said Kristine, with a smug look. "You have all = my consolation," she added with false sympathy. "I don=92t need your consolation!" snapped Lois to Kristine=92s = retreating back, tossing her head. She had to fend off several more = insinuating remarks before reaching her desk.=20 "Lois," said a voice at her elbow. Lois turned to face Jimmy Olsen. "I = know what everybody=92s saying, and I just wanted to let you know that I = don=92t believe a word of it! If it were anybody else but CK I=92d say, = =91why not?=92, but not him. Not CK."=20 Lois turned toward him in bewilderment. "Jimmy, what on earth...?" she = began. "Lois!!!" bellowed Perry. "I want you in my office. NOW!! Jimmy, = didn=92t I tell you to pick up the Merlion photos...?" "I=92m on it, Chief," said Jimmy hurriedly. He nodded sympathetically at = Lois and scurried away. "Lois," said Perry, closing the door to his office, "I got you tickets = on the next flight to Paris...it=92ll get you there at 10 a.m. local = time." "Chief...," began Lois. "Now, Lois, uh...uh...I know you=92re working on the Halley case, but = this is more important. And Clark...not that I believe a word of it, of = course; why, that boy worships the ground you walk on...but Clark would = benefit by your presence in--" "Perry, what is this about Clark?" asked Lois. "Lois, I know that you two haven=92t been on the best of terms lately, = but you can take it from me that these little tiffs don=92t mean much in = the big picture of a marriage. The important thing is not to let it come = between you--" "Chief, what are you trying to say?" asked Lois in some amusement. = Between her co-workers=92s remarks and Perry=92s bumbling conversation, = she thought she was beginning to get the picture...the alternate Clark = must have found a girl in Paris (good for him!), and had been seen with = her somewhere. "Do you think that Clark...? Perry, I can assure you that = whatever Clark is doing in Paris has nothing whatever to do with me!" "Now, honey," said Perry. "That=92s...an...uh...open attitude, and I = know a lot of people take that approach to marriage, but I=92m telling = you that when something like this happens, it=92s as if a wedge were = being driven--" "Perry, please believe me; *nothing* has happened. Clark and I are = getting along fine, no wedge has been driven between us, and I don=92t = need to go to Paris!" "Uh-huh," said Perry. "You=92d better go home and start packing." It wasn=92t until Lois watched an LNN newscast at the airport that she = discovered what had given rise to all the gossip. In footage taken at = the peace talks, the camera focused on Superman, who was talking to a = man and a woman. As the lens zoomed in, it showed a full frontal shot of = Clark, his name tag clearly visible as he glanced furtively toward the = camera and hustled a dark-haired woman out of camera range. It wasn=92t = funny, but somehow Lois couldn=92t help laughing. ***** "So let me get this straight," said Alt-Lois. "You=92re masquerading as = Clark Kent so that Superman -- who is really Clark Kent, the Clark Kent = of this world not ours -- can pretend to be a different person than = Superman so the xenophobes don=92t attack Lois Lane -- the Lois Lane of = this world, who is married to Clark Kent -- is this right? How am I = doing so far?" "That sums it up," said Alt-Clark, smiling as he laid down his fork = after finishing the last of his dinner. Alt-Clark had found Lois to be = so suspicious, so convinced that he was hiding something from her, that = he had decided to tell her everything, including the part about Clark = Kent and Superman being the same person. If Lois were a permanent = resident of this world, he wouldn=92t have risked giving her Clark=92s = secret, but since she really belonged in the alternate universe, he = guessed it was okay to tell her.=20 Lois put her forehead in her hand. She hadn=92t believed Clark at first = when he told her that they were both from an alternate universe, but his = story seemed to check out; Elvis Presley had never been President of the = United States...hadn=92t made it past 1977, in fact, and Charleton = Heston had never been President, either. And other events bore out what = he told her. Still... She was convinced that there was a trick in here somewhere, but the hard = part would be ferreting it out. ***** When she woke up the next morning, Alt-Lois found a message from Clark = stating that he expected to be busy all day, covering the negotiations. = He added that if she wished, they could go out for dinner this evening = when they could discuss plans for getting back to their own universe. = (Didn=92t that sound funny??) He had left a roll of money for her, also, = explaining that La Colline was rather formal and she might want to buy a = dinner dress. ***** Mrs. Lois Lane/Kent surveyed the throng around Superman, wondering how = she was going to approach him, much less speak to him privately. He had = apparently spotted her, however, and very quickly maneuvered himself = through the crowd, striding towards her with a worried frown on his = face. "Hello, Superman." Lois spoke with careful casualness, but there = was a spark of joy in her eyes.=20 "Hello, Lois," he said. There was no answering spark in his eyes. He = bent his head and said in a low voice. "Didn=92t Clark tell you how = important it is not to be seen here?" Lois gaped at him. "No! I haven=92t even seen Clark. Apparently he = didn=92t get any of the messages I left for him telling him that I was = coming."=20 "You haven=92t seen Clark?" said Superman, staring at her. "He hasn=92t = told you anything?" "Told me what?" asked Lois, beginning to get nervous. "Told you that..." Superman paused, staring at Lois=92s hand. She was = holding her bag in her right hand, pressing it against her abdomen, and = she had placed her left hand, with her rings clearly displayed, on top = of the bag. "Lois???" he gasped. "What?" Lois looked at him in concern. "Lois, when did you get here?" he asked. "Did Perry send you?" Lois = nodded, a worried frown at her husband=92s peculiar behavior appearing = on her forehead. Superman began smiling at her with such loving = tenderness that she felt compelled to caution him.=20 "Careful, Clark," she whispered. "People are watching." "Listen," said Superman in a low voice, "we need to get away from here. = Why don=92t we meet for dinner tonight? I can get a tux and..." "Clark, someone might see you," Lois objected. "All the journalists will be attending a special banquet tonight. And = besides, we=92re not that well-known in Paris," said Clark. "Nobody will = recognize us. Why don=92t you meet me at La Colline at 7?" "La Colline?" "Yes, it=92s new, it=92s dark, and people mind their own business there. = Nobody will be paying any attention to us." Clark paused. "There=92s = Bricard looking for me; I=92d better go now." Lois sighed. Wouldn=92t you know; she had neglected to bring a dinner = dress...she had expected her Clark to be too busy with the negotiations = to be able to slip away and take her out. Now she=92d have to spend the = afternoon shopping. She hurried away. ***** Alt-Lois dressed with care in her new dinner dress. It felt so good to = be able to dress to go out again! Hearing Clark=92s knock, she moved = quickly to the door and unlocked it, looking up into his face as the = door swung open.=20 He didn=92t say anything for a minute. "Hi," he said finally. His eyes = told her that he liked what he saw. "You=92re early," she said brightly. "Am I? I=92m sorry," he said, looking worried. "That=92s all right," she said, patting his chest. "I=92m ready." She = took his arm as he escorted her to the street to hail a taxi. Clark=92s spirits, which had soared when Lois moved closer to him, = plummeted when the couple arrived at the restaurant and he discovered = that he had forgotten to bring his wallet. "I-I=92m sorry," he stammered = to the cab driver, "if you=92ll just wait a minute..." "I=92ve got it," sang out Lois, pulling bills from her purse. "No, Lois..." began Clark. "Don=92t be silly...it=92s all yours anyway," she hissed, handing the = money to the driver. "I=92ll go back to the hotel and get my wallet," said Clark tensely when = the cab had left. "I=92ll be right back. I=92m sorry, Lois." "It=92s okay, Clark," she said, annoyed at the delay but trying not to = show it, "I=92ll wait here until you get back." Having had a taste of = the speed he was capable of, she expected him to reappear almost = immediately. He didn=92t, though. She stood near the street, feeling = more irritated with each passing minute.=20 After waiting for almost fifteen minutes, she decided to go into the = garden behind the restaurant. She glanced at her watch. Almost 7:00. He = should be here by now...a gust of wind was followed by a whoosh sound = and suddenly he was standing in front of her.=20 He strode toward her with such a look of heartfelt gladness on his face = that it took her breath away. "Not quite as quick..." she began, then = gasped as he swept her into his arms, bending her backwards over his arm = as he took possession of her mouth in a passionate kiss. Lois was = stunned! Never had she been kissed like this before...not by Clark, not = by anyone! Her body went completely limp and he had to support her with = his arm. Lois couldn=92t think, couldn=92t act; she was a ragdoll in his = arms. She was drowning in the sensations his embrace was rousing in her = body when she heard a voice behind her. "Lois!!!" said Clark=92s voice. She saw the eyes of the Clark who was = holding her slide past to look at someone behind her. He sprang upright = and dropped her, causing her to lose her balance. She would have fallen = had he not quickly snatched her up and supported her with his arm while = he continued to stare at some point beyond her left shoulder. She turned = to see Clark and a woman who must surely be the other Lois Lane standing = beside him. Shaken by the kiss she had received from one Clark, Alt-Lois = could only gape at the expression of jealous rage on the face of the = other. She looked from Clark to Clark, not sure which was which, while the = Clark who had kissed her was looking from her to the other Lois, = apparently in a similar quandary. He snatched her left hand and looked = at her fingers. At the same time Alt-Lois noticed the wedding band on = his left hand. Clark dropped her hand and began to stammer an apology, = his face scarlet.=20 "You must be the other Clark," whispered Alt-Lois. "You seem to be comfortable here," said Alt-Clark, his face white with = rage, "so I guess I=92ll be going." He vanished in a gust of wind. Still shaken by the kiss, and even more so by the look of jealousy on = Alt-Clark=92s face, Alt-Lois looked uncertainly at the other Lois, who = had stepped forward to take her husband=92s arm. "Hello, Lois," Lois = said, surprisingly calm for someone who had just caught her husband in a = passionate embrace with another woman, "I=92d welcome you to our world, = but I can see that my husband has already done that...and far more = pleasantly than I would have, I=92m sure." "Lo-is!" said Clark, still quite red. "I-I=92m sorry...it was a mistake," whispered Alt-Lois. "I-I=92d better = go find *him*." She slipped away, her head in a whirl.=20 *****=20 Lois looked up at her husband, who was watching her uneasily. "I guess I = made a mistake," Clark said finally. Lois folded her arms across her = chest. She didn=92t reply, merely raising her brows in an expression of = polite incredulity. Clark leaned forward as if to kiss her, but she = stepped back with a haughty look on her face. "Come on, honey," said Clark, shifting his feet uncomfortably. "I=92m = sorry, I made a mistake. I thought she was you." Lois stretched out her left hand, preening her fingers while looking = pointedly at the wedding and engagement rings which identified her = beyond any doubt. She wasn=92t really mad at Clark, but she wasn=92t = going to let him off the hook that easily, not after the way he had read = her the riot act when she had mistakenly hugged the alternate Clark! She = glanced at her husband again, surprising a look of longing on his face = which softened her immediately. "Well," she said, pretending to consider the matter, "I guess I can=92t = really get too mad, since I made the same mistake myself." She put her = hands up to Clark=92s neck and straightened his tie. "And now, it seems = to me that so far *she=92s* had more of a welcome from my husband than I = have, so..." "That can be remedied," said Clark, taking her into his arms. He bent = his head to kiss her, then raised it again in his "listening" attitude. "What is it?" asked Lois. "What do you hear?" "She=92s calling him," said Clark with a grimace. "She=92s standing in = the street shouting his name." Lois gave a gurgle of laughter. "Do you know any better way to get in = touch with you guys when you=92re flying around somewhere?"=20 She laced her fingers together behind Clark=92s head and yanked his head = down firmly. "Can we stay focused here?" she asked with her mouth on = his. Clark pulled her more deeply into his arms as he opened his mouth = in enjoyment of her kiss. Lois moaned softly, wrenching an answering = moan from Clark. "Lois," mumbled Clark as she unbuttoned his jacket so she could slip her = arms underneath it. "Mmmm?" she said. "Would you mind if we don=92t have dinner at La Colline?" Lois smiled into the kiss. "It depends on what you have in mind = instead," she said without removing her lips from his. "Would your = counter-proposal by any chance include a hotel room?" "It may even include breakfast," Clark murmured. "Mmmm, I=92ll take your offer under serious consideration," said Lois = dreamily. "Oh, no!" "What?" said Clark. "What if *he* comes back?" "Oh, yeah. Well, maybe we can get a motel room somewhere..." "He hasn=92t been staying in the room," said Lois suddenly. "At least, = he didn=92t stay there last night." "How do you know?" Clark asked sharply, drawing back to study her face. "The maids hadn=92t done the room yet when I arrived this morning, and = the bed hadn=92t been slept in," said Lois simply. "And don=92t give me = that look, Clark." "Sorry," said Clark. "Honey, if he hasn=92t been staying there, then..." = he paused. "I=92m going to go tell him not to come back to the room!" he = declared. "How long will it take you to find him?" objected Lois. "He=92s in the street now, talking to the other Lois," said Clark, = spinning into his Superman outfit. "I=92ll be right back!" he promised = before he vanished.=20 Lois sighed and leaned back against the fence. ***** When Alt-Clark heard Alt-Lois calling for him, his first impulse was to = fly away. Let the other Clark deal with it, he thought angrily. Let him = explain why his wife (or someone who looks exactly like her) is standing = in the middle of the street yelling his name over and over. Alt-Clark = had never been so angry as when he had seen his Lois in the other = Clark=92s arms, being thoroughly kissed by him. His jealousy and rage = almost choked him. That Clark has everything! He has two adoring = parents, a private life that shelters him from his public persona as = Superman, and his *Lois*! Isn=92t it enough that he has all that, = without taking away my only chance for happiness, too? Does he have to = take *my* Lois??=20 For Clark had no illusions about Lois=92s reaction to that kiss. The = look she had given the other Clark! She had never looked at *him* like = that! And her body language when she was melting in Clark=92s arms! Her = posture had proclaimed her emotions more clearly than any words!=20 He hovered in the air, groaning, while he tried to decide what to do. = Alt-Lois was still in the street, calling his name...he guessed he=92d = better go to her. He ran a hand through his hair then plunged to the = earth. "Here I am, Lois," he said, emerging from behind a tree. "I=92m here." Lois turned toward him in annoyance; she had been upset when he hadn=92t = responded to her calls. "You didn=92t need to run away like that," she = began angrily. Then she looked at his unhappy face, taking in his = disheveled hair at the same time. Why is he so upset that I kissed the = other Clark? she wondered. This is so strange!=20 Remembering her earlier suspicions that there was some kind of story = hidden in this mess, she stopped berating him and said simply, "Are you = ready?" She took his arm.=20 "Ready?" said Clark. "Yes; you promised me dinner, remember?" "Oh, yeah, well, I...I just don=92t feel like it now, Lois. I=92ll see = you home and then..." "And then what? No dinner? Look, Clark, we still have to eat," she said = impatiently. Clark stared unhappily before him, not speaking. "*I* have = to eat," said Lois. "So rather than going out to dinner why don=92t we = have a picnic instead?" "A picnic?" Clark stared at her. "Yes. We can pick up some sandwiches, or maybe bread and cheese and a = little fruit, maybe some wine...and eat in the park. There must be a = nice park around here." Clark gazed at her without speaking, his expression showing that the = idea found favor with him.=20 At that moment a gust of wind blew Lois=92s hair across her face as = Superman suddenly appeared in front of them. "Hello," he said, folding = his arms across his chest. "Hello," said Lois faintly, startled by his abrupt appearance. Alt-Clark = looked away, not speaking. "Lois, I want to apologize, about before..." began Superman. "That=92s okay; I guess we both made a mistake," said Lois. She glanced = at his chest, then raised her head quickly...where were you supposed to = put your eyes when he was wearing that suit...? "I hope that your = wife..." her voice trailed off. "It=92s okay," smiled Superman. "She understands." "She sounds very sensible," said Lois. "I=92m glad that *some* people = understand how someone can make a mistake." She looked pointedly at = Alt-Clark, who was still standing sulkily to one side.=20 "Clark, I have a favor to ask," said Superman, moving to Alt-Clark=92s = side. He engaged him in low-voiced conversation. After reaching an = agreement with Alt-Clark, he flew away again, leaving in another gust of = wind that blew Lois=92s hair awry. "Lois, I just don=92t feel like going out to dinner tonight," said Clark = as soon as Superman had disappeared.=20 Lois looked at him in frustration. Why was he still mad about that kiss? = Well, she wasn=92t going to let his glum mood stop her from = investigating! She really needed to talk to him! Lois put her hands on = her hips and confronted him angrily, "You mean I don=92t get any dinner = tonight? Because you=92re mad about that...that...mistake?" Clark looked sulkily at her, trying to make up his mind. He had been = about to come out of the sullens a few minutes ago, until Superman=92s = appearance, and Lois=92s obvious reaction to the man in The Suit, had = brought back all the jealous feelings. Still, she seemed to want to = spend the evening in his company, and she really did need to eat, = so...he shrugged.=20 "Okay, why not?" he said, his face beginning to lighten. Lois took his arm, pleased to see that he was coming out of his dark = mood. "So let=92s go!" she said. ------=_NextPart_000_0195_01BE8835.4085B020 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Loises and Clarks – Part 6

*****

Lois Lane stepped off the elevator into the Daily Planet newsroom, = her mind=20 preoccupied with the latest turn her investigation had taken in her = attempt to=20 unveil a scandal involving Senator Halley. She knew something was up=20 immediately; the covert glances of mingled sympathy and amusement from = her=20 co-workers told her that.

"Lois, when is Clark coming back?" asked Kristine from = Travel.

"When the negotiations are over," said Lois shortly, not = liking the=20 insinuating smile on Kristine’s face.

"You’ll probably be glad to see him again, and I *guess* = that=20 he’ll be glad to see you, too," said Kristine, with a smug = look.=20 "You have all my consolation," she added with false = sympathy.

"I don’t need your consolation!" snapped Lois to=20 Kristine’s retreating back, tossing her head. She had to fend off = several=20 more insinuating remarks before reaching her desk.

"Lois," said a voice at her elbow. Lois turned to face = Jimmy Olsen.=20 "I know what everybody’s saying, and I just wanted to let you = know=20 that I don’t believe a word of it! If it were anybody else but CK=20 I’d say, ‘why not?’, but not him. Not CK."

Lois turned toward him in bewilderment. "Jimmy, what on = earth...?"=20 she began.

"Lois!!!" bellowed Perry. "I want you in my office. = NOW!!=20 Jimmy, didn’t I tell you to pick up the Merlion = photos...?"

"I’m on it, Chief," said Jimmy hurriedly. He nodded=20 sympathetically at Lois and scurried away.

"Lois," said Perry, closing the door to his office, "I = got you=20 tickets on the next flight to Paris...it’ll get you there at 10 = a.m. local=20 time."

"Chief...," began Lois.

"Now, Lois, uh...uh...I know you’re working on the Halley = case,=20 but this is more important. And Clark...not that I believe a word of it, = of=20 course; why, that boy worships the ground you walk on...but Clark would = benefit=20 by your presence in--"

"Perry, what is this about Clark?" asked Lois.

"Lois, I know that you two haven’t been on the best of = terms=20 lately, but you can take it from me that these little tiffs don’t = mean=20 much in the big picture of a marriage. The important thing is not to let = it come=20 between you--"

"Chief, what are you trying to say?" asked Lois in some = amusement.=20 Between her co-workers’s remarks and Perry’s bumbling = conversation,=20 she thought she was beginning to get the picture...the alternate Clark = must have=20 found a girl in Paris (good for him!), and had been seen with her = somewhere.=20 "Do you think that Clark...? Perry, I can assure you that whatever = Clark is=20 doing in Paris has nothing whatever to do with me!"

"Now, honey," said Perry. = "That’s...an...uh...open=20 attitude, and I know a lot of people take that approach to marriage, but = I’m telling you that when something like this happens, it’s = as if a=20 wedge were being driven--"

"Perry, please believe me; *nothing* has happened. Clark and I = are=20 getting along fine, no wedge has been driven between us, and I = don’t need=20 to go to Paris!"

"Uh-huh," said Perry. "You’d better go home and = start=20 packing."

It wasn’t until Lois watched an LNN newscast at the airport = that she=20 discovered what had given rise to all the gossip. In footage taken at = the peace=20 talks, the camera focused on Superman, who was talking to a man and a = woman. As=20 the lens zoomed in, it showed a full frontal shot of Clark, his name tag = clearly=20 visible as he glanced furtively toward the camera and hustled a = dark-haired=20 woman out of camera range. It wasn’t funny, but somehow Lois=20 couldn’t help laughing.

*****

"So let me get this straight," said Alt-Lois. = "You’re=20 masquerading as Clark Kent so that Superman -- who is really Clark Kent, = the=20 Clark Kent of this world not ours -- can pretend to be a different = person than=20 Superman so the xenophobes don’t attack Lois Lane -- the Lois Lane = of this=20 world, who is married to Clark Kent -- is this right? How am I doing so=20 far?"

"That sums it up," said Alt-Clark, smiling as he laid down = his fork=20 after finishing the last of his dinner. Alt-Clark had found Lois to be = so=20 suspicious, so convinced that he was hiding something from her, that he = had=20 decided to tell her everything, including the part about Clark Kent and = Superman=20 being the same person. If Lois were a permanent resident of this world, = he=20 wouldn’t have risked giving her Clark’s secret, but since = she really=20 belonged in the alternate universe, he guessed it was okay to tell her. =

Lois put her forehead in her hand. She hadn’t believed Clark at = first=20 when he told her that they were both from an alternate universe, but his = story=20 seemed to check out; Elvis Presley had never been President of the = United=20 States...hadn’t made it past 1977, in fact, and Charleton Heston = had never=20 been President, either. And other events bore out what he told her. = Still...

She was convinced that there was a trick in here somewhere, but the = hard part=20 would be ferreting it out.

*****

When she woke up the next morning, Alt-Lois found a message from = Clark=20 stating that he expected to be busy all day, covering the negotiations. = He added=20 that if she wished, they could go out for dinner this evening when they = could=20 discuss plans for getting back to their own universe. (Didn’t that = sound=20 funny??) He had left a roll of money for her, also, explaining that La = Colline=20 was rather formal and she might want to buy a dinner dress.

*****

Mrs. Lois Lane/Kent surveyed the throng around Superman, wondering = how she=20 was going to approach him, much less speak to him privately. He had = apparently=20 spotted her, however, and very quickly maneuvered himself through the = crowd,=20 striding towards her with a worried frown on his face. "Hello,=20 Superman." Lois spoke with careful casualness, but there was a = spark of joy=20 in her eyes.

"Hello, Lois," he said. There was no answering spark in his = eyes.=20 He bent his head and said in a low voice. "Didn’t Clark tell = you how=20 important it is not to be seen here?"

Lois gaped at him. "No! I haven’t even seen Clark. = Apparently he=20 didn’t get any of the messages I left for him telling him that I = was=20 coming."

"You haven’t seen Clark?" said Superman, staring at = her.=20 "He hasn’t told you anything?"

"Told me what?" asked Lois, beginning to get nervous.

"Told you that..." Superman paused, staring at Lois’s = hand.=20 She was holding her bag in her right hand, pressing it against her = abdomen, and=20 she had placed her left hand, with her rings clearly displayed, on top = of the=20 bag. "Lois???" he gasped.

"What?" Lois looked at him in concern.

"Lois, when did you get here?" he asked. "Did Perry = send=20 you?" Lois nodded, a worried frown at her husband’s peculiar = behavior=20 appearing on her forehead. Superman began smiling at her with such = loving=20 tenderness that she felt compelled to caution him.

"Careful, Clark," she whispered. "People are=20 watching."

"Listen," said Superman in a low voice, "we need to = get away=20 >from here. Why don’t we meet for dinner tonight? I can get a tux=20 and..."

"Clark, someone might see you," Lois objected.

"All the journalists will be attending a special banquet = tonight. And=20 besides, we’re not that well-known in Paris," said Clark.=20 "Nobody will recognize us. Why don’t you meet me at La = Colline at=20 7?"

"La Colline?"

"Yes, it’s new, it’s dark, and people mind their own = business there. Nobody will be paying any attention to us." Clark = paused.=20 "There’s Bricard looking for me; I’d better go = now."

Lois sighed. Wouldn’t you know; she had neglected to bring a = dinner=20 dress...she had expected her Clark to be too busy with the negotiations = to be=20 able to slip away and take her out. Now she’d have to spend the = afternoon=20 shopping. She hurried away.

*****

Alt-Lois dressed with care in her new dinner dress. It felt so good = to be=20 able to dress to go out again! Hearing Clark’s knock, she moved = quickly to=20 the door and unlocked it, looking up into his face as the door swung = open.

He didn’t say anything for a minute. "Hi," he said = finally.=20 His eyes told her that he liked what he saw.

"You’re early," she said brightly.

"Am I? I’m sorry," he said, looking worried.

"That’s all right," she said, patting his chest.=20 "I’m ready." She took his arm as he escorted her to the = street=20 to hail a taxi.

Clark’s spirits, which had soared when Lois moved closer to = him,=20 plummeted when the couple arrived at the restaurant and he discovered = that he=20 had forgotten to bring his wallet. "I-I’m sorry," he = stammered=20 to the cab driver, "if you’ll just wait a minute..."

"I’ve got it," sang out Lois, pulling bills from her=20 purse.

"No, Lois..." began Clark.

"Don’t be silly...it’s all yours anyway," she = hissed,=20 handing the money to the driver.

"I’ll go back to the hotel and get my wallet," said = Clark=20 tensely when the cab had left. "I’ll be right back. I’m = sorry,=20 Lois."

"It’s okay, Clark," she said, annoyed at the delay = but trying=20 not to show it, "I’ll wait here until you get back." = Having had=20 a taste of the speed he was capable of, she expected him to reappear = almost=20 immediately. He didn’t, though. She stood near the street, feeling = more=20 irritated with each passing minute.

After waiting for almost fifteen minutes, she decided to go into the = garden=20 behind the restaurant. She glanced at her watch. Almost 7:00. He should = be here=20 by now...a gust of wind was followed by a whoosh sound and suddenly he = was=20 standing in front of her.

He strode toward her with such a look of heartfelt gladness on his = face that=20 it took her breath away. "Not quite as quick..." she began, = then=20 gasped as he swept her into his arms, bending her backwards over his arm = as he=20 took possession of her mouth in a passionate kiss. Lois was stunned! = Never had=20 she been kissed like this before...not by Clark, not by anyone! Her body = went=20 completely limp and he had to support her with his arm. Lois = couldn’t=20 think, couldn’t act; she was a ragdoll in his arms. She was = drowning in=20 the sensations his embrace was rousing in her body when she heard a = voice behind=20 her.

"Lois!!!" said Clark’s voice. She saw the eyes of the = Clark=20 who was holding her slide past to look at someone behind her. He sprang = upright=20 and dropped her, causing her to lose her balance. She would have fallen = had he=20 not quickly snatched her up and supported her with his arm while he = continued to=20 stare at some point beyond her left shoulder. She turned to see Clark = and a=20 woman who must surely be the other Lois Lane standing beside him. Shaken = by the=20 kiss she had received from one Clark, Alt-Lois could only gape at the = expression=20 of jealous rage on the face of the other.

She looked from Clark to Clark, not sure which was which, while the = Clark who=20 had kissed her was looking from her to the other Lois, apparently in a = similar=20 quandary. He snatched her left hand and looked at her fingers. At the = same time=20 Alt-Lois noticed the wedding band on his left hand. Clark dropped her = hand and=20 began to stammer an apology, his face scarlet.

"You must be the other Clark," whispered Alt-Lois.

"You seem to be comfortable here," said Alt-Clark, his face = white=20 with rage, "so I guess I’ll be going." He vanished in a = gust of=20 wind.

Still shaken by the kiss, and even more so by the look of jealousy on = Alt-Clark’s face, Alt-Lois looked uncertainly at the other Lois, = who had=20 stepped forward to take her husband’s arm. "Hello, = Lois," Lois=20 said, surprisingly calm for someone who had just caught her husband in a = passionate embrace with another woman, "I’d welcome you to = our world,=20 but I can see that my husband has already done that...and far more = pleasantly=20 than I would have, I’m sure."

"Lo-is!" said Clark, still quite red.

"I-I’m sorry...it was a mistake," whispered Alt-Lois. = "I-I’d better go find *him*." She slipped away, her head = in a=20 whirl.

*****

Lois looked up at her husband, who was watching her uneasily. "I = guess I=20 made a mistake," Clark said finally. Lois folded her arms across = her chest.=20 She didn’t reply, merely raising her brows in an expression of = polite=20 incredulity. Clark leaned forward as if to kiss her, but she stepped = back with a=20 haughty look on her face.

"Come on, honey," said Clark, shifting his feet = uncomfortably.=20 "I’m sorry, I made a mistake. I thought she was = you."

Lois stretched out her left hand, preening her fingers while looking=20 pointedly at the wedding and engagement rings which identified her = beyond any=20 doubt. She wasn’t really mad at Clark, but she wasn’t going = to let=20 him off the hook that easily, not after the way he had read her the riot = act=20 when she had mistakenly hugged the alternate Clark! She glanced at her = husband=20 again, surprising a look of longing on his face which softened her=20 immediately.

"Well," she said, pretending to consider the matter, = "I guess=20 I can’t really get too mad, since I made the same mistake = myself."=20 She put her hands up to Clark’s neck and straightened his tie. = "And=20 now, it seems to me that so far *she’s* had more of a welcome from = my=20 husband than I have, so..."

"That can be remedied," said Clark, taking her into his = arms. He=20 bent his head to kiss her, then raised it again in his = "listening"=20 attitude.

"What is it?" asked Lois. "What do you hear?"

"She’s calling him," said Clark with a grimace.=20 "She’s standing in the street shouting his name."

Lois gave a gurgle of laughter. "Do you know any better way to = get in=20 touch with you guys when you’re flying around somewhere?" =

She laced her fingers together behind Clark’s head and yanked = his head=20 down firmly. "Can we stay focused here?" she asked with her = mouth on=20 his. Clark pulled her more deeply into his arms as he opened his mouth = in=20 enjoyment of her kiss. Lois moaned softly, wrenching an answering moan = from=20 Clark.

"Lois," mumbled Clark as she unbuttoned his jacket so she = could=20 slip her arms underneath it.

"Mmmm?" she said.

"Would you mind if we don’t have dinner at La = Colline?"

Lois smiled into the kiss. "It depends on what you have in mind=20 instead," she said without removing her lips from his. "Would = your=20 counter-proposal by any chance include a hotel room?"

"It may even include breakfast," Clark murmured.

"Mmmm, I’ll take your offer under serious = consideration,"=20 said Lois dreamily. "Oh, no!"

"What?" said Clark.

"What if *he* comes back?"

"Oh, yeah. Well, maybe we can get a motel room = somewhere..."

"He hasn’t been staying in the room," said Lois = suddenly.=20 "At least, he didn’t stay there last night."

"How do you know?" Clark asked sharply, drawing back to = study her=20 face.

"The maids hadn’t done the room yet when I arrived this = morning,=20 and the bed hadn’t been slept in," said Lois simply. = "And=20 don’t give me that look, Clark."

"Sorry," said Clark. "Honey, if he hasn’t been = staying=20 there, then..." he paused. "I’m going to go tell him not = to come=20 back to the room!" he declared.

"How long will it take you to find him?" objected Lois.

"He’s in the street now, talking to the other Lois," = said=20 Clark, spinning into his Superman outfit. "I’ll be right = back!"=20 he promised before he vanished.

Lois sighed and leaned back against the fence.

*****

When Alt-Clark heard Alt-Lois calling for him, his first impulse was = to fly=20 away. Let the other Clark deal with it, he thought angrily. Let him = explain why=20 his wife (or someone who looks exactly like her) is standing in the = middle of=20 the street yelling his name over and over. Alt-Clark had never been so = angry as=20 when he had seen his Lois in the other Clark’s arms, being = thoroughly=20 kissed by him. His jealousy and rage almost choked him. That Clark has=20 everything! He has two adoring parents, a private life that shelters him = from=20 his public persona as Superman, and his *Lois*! Isn’t it enough = that he=20 has all that, without taking away my only chance for happiness, too? = Does he=20 have to take *my* Lois??

For Clark had no illusions about Lois’s reaction to that kiss. = The look=20 she had given the other Clark! She had never looked at *him* like that! = And her=20 body language when she was melting in Clark’s arms! Her posture = had=20 proclaimed her emotions more clearly than any words!

He hovered in the air, groaning, while he tried to decide what to do. = Alt-Lois was still in the street, calling his name...he guessed = he’d=20 better go to her. He ran a hand through his hair then plunged to the = earth.

"Here I am, Lois," he said, emerging from behind a tree.=20 "I’m here."

Lois turned toward him in annoyance; she had been upset when he = hadn’t=20 responded to her calls. "You didn’t need to run away like = that,"=20 she began angrily. Then she looked at his unhappy face, taking in his = disheveled=20 hair at the same time. Why is he so upset that I kissed the other Clark? = she=20 wondered. This is so strange!

Remembering her earlier suspicions that there was some kind of story = hidden=20 in this mess, she stopped berating him and said simply, "Are you=20 ready?" She took his arm.

"Ready?" said Clark.

"Yes; you promised me dinner, remember?"

"Oh, yeah, well, I...I just don’t feel like it now, Lois.=20 I’ll see you home and then..."

"And then what? No dinner? Look, Clark, we still have to = eat," she=20 said impatiently. Clark stared unhappily before him, not speaking. = "*I*=20 have to eat," said Lois. "So rather than going out to dinner = why=20 don’t we have a picnic instead?"

"A picnic?" Clark stared at her.

"Yes. We can pick up some sandwiches, or maybe bread and cheese = and a=20 little fruit, maybe some wine...and eat in the park. There must be a = nice park=20 around here."

Clark gazed at her without speaking, his expression showing that the = idea=20 found favor with him.

At that moment a gust of wind blew Lois’s hair across her face = as=20 Superman suddenly appeared in front of them. "Hello," he said, = folding=20 his arms across his chest.

"Hello," said Lois faintly, startled by his abrupt = appearance.=20 Alt-Clark looked away, not speaking.

"Lois, I want to apologize, about before..." began = Superman.

"That’s okay; I guess we both made a mistake," said = Lois. She=20 glanced at his chest, then raised her head quickly...where were you = supposed to=20 put your eyes when he was wearing that suit...? "I hope that your=20 wife..." her voice trailed off.

"It’s okay," smiled Superman. "She=20 understands."

"She sounds very sensible," said Lois. "I’m glad = that=20 *some* people understand how someone can make a mistake." She = looked=20 pointedly at Alt-Clark, who was still standing sulkily to one side.

"Clark, I have a favor to ask," said Superman, moving to=20 Alt-Clark’s side. He engaged him in low-voiced conversation. After = reaching an agreement with Alt-Clark, he flew away again, leaving in = another=20 gust of wind that blew Lois’s hair awry.

"Lois, I just don’t feel like going out to dinner = tonight,"=20 said Clark as soon as Superman had disappeared.

Lois looked at him in frustration. Why was he still mad about that = kiss?=20 Well, she wasn’t going to let his glum mood stop her from = investigating!=20 She really needed to talk to him! Lois put her hands on her hips and = confronted=20 him angrily, "You mean I don’t get any dinner tonight? = Because=20 you’re mad about that...that...mistake?"

Clark looked sulkily at her, trying to make up his mind. He had been = about to=20 come out of the sullens a few minutes ago, until Superman’s = appearance,=20 and Lois’s obvious reaction to the man in The Suit, had brought = back all=20 the jealous feelings. Still, she seemed to want to spend the evening in = his=20 company, and she really did need to eat, so...he shrugged.

"Okay, why not?" he said, his face beginning to = lighten.

Lois took his arm, pleased to see that he was coming out of his dark = mood.=20 "So let’s go!" she said.

------=_NextPart_000_0195_01BE8835.4085B020-- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 18:17:15 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Peggy Mueller Subject: New Fanfic -- Loises and Clarks, 7 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_01A7_01BE8835.5B1B1BA0" This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_01A7_01BE8835.5B1B1BA0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Loises and Clarks -- Part 7 ***** Later that evening, in a hotel room across the city, Mrs. Lois Lane Kent = was reclining on her husband=92s chest, describing circles on his body = with her index finger. "I=92ve missed that," she sighed, resting her = head on his shoulder. "I could tell!" chuckled Clark. "The way you lunged at me when=96" "*I* lunged at you?? It was you who grabbed me...!" "You *lunged* at me," said Clark firmly. "Well!" said Lois, tossing her head and moving a little away from him. = "...if you didn=92t like it..." "Who said anything about not liking it?" asked Clark, catching her and = drawing her close. "I=92m glad Perry sent you over here," he added, = kissing her lightly on the forehead. "Yes, after he saw that tape I guess he thought he was doing us a = favor...well, I guess he really *was* doing us a favor!" "Tape? What tape?" Clark asked blankly. "Oh, you haven=92t seen it?" said Lois. "It showed Superman and Clark = standing together, with Clark looking guiltily at the camera and trying = to hustle a woman out of sight." She stopped as realization dawned on = her. "That must have been the other Lois!" she exclaimed. "No wonder he = was trying to hide her!" Clark had been deciphering Lois=92 statements with a puzzled look. "You = mean...Lois, it doesn=92t look like Clark=92s trying not to be seen on = camera with a woman, does it?" he asked with a frown. "That could look = like he=92s...like I=92m seeing someone while I=92m staying here in = Paris!" "Clar-rk, hel-LO!" said Lois. "That=92s what I=92m trying to tell you! = It *does* look like you=92re seeing someone...that=92s why Perry sent me = here. He=92s trying to help us reassemble our faltering marriage!" Clark was regarding her with an awful expression. "You mean to tell me = that Perry thinks I=92m cheating on you?" he demanded. "Not just Perry," said Lois, "...everybody! You wouldn=92t believe what = I=92ve been through...all the expressions of false sympathy, excluding = Jimmy, who assured me that he didn=92t believe a word of it! And = Kristine in Travel...who has the hots for you, Clark, even though you = always deny it...Kristine coming up to me with a smirk and telling me = how sorry she is...and I just know she=92s going to really go after you = when we get back..." Clark rolled onto his stomach with a groan, piling the pillows on top of = his head. "Clark, are you listening to me?" asked Lois, removing the = pillows. "Alt-Clark and I have already thought of how to explain it..." "Alt-Clark and you?" said Clark, sitting up and scowling at her. "Why = are you two working with each other to retrieve *my* reputation...?" "Clark, you just take that frown right off your face! Forget your silly = jealousy and listen to what I=92m telling you!" commanded Lois. "I ran = into Alt-Clark here at the hotel this evening just before I left to meet = you for dinner. We shared a cab to La Colline and planned the whole = thing on the way to the restaurant. We=92re going to say that the woman = was a source who wished to remain anonymous...it=92s as simple as that!" "Okay, I think that=92ll work," said Clark, thinking it over. He looked = at Lois. "So you shared a cab to the restaurant? I was wondering how you = two managed to appear at the same time." "Yes, and I=92ll admit I was a little worried when Alt-Clark told me = that he=92d left alt-Lois there. In fact, I wasn=92t all that surprised = to see the situation that had arisen because of mistaken identity." "I wish I could have foreseen it," said Clark with a grimace.=20 "And Alt-Clark! Did you see his face?" said Lois in wonderment. "We Kryptonians don=92t like to see our women in the arms of other men," = Clark explained, tucking a strand of Lois=92 hair behind her ear. "Your women!" said Lois, taking umbrage at his terminology. "*Your* = women!" She tried to push his grinning mouth away as he began to kiss = her. "Oh, you=92re teasing me!" she said in sudden realization. "Clark, = you=92re going to have to stop doing that!" "Lois, you=92re going to have to stop taking the bait!" said Clark, = mimicking her tone. He put his arms around her and fell backwards, = pulling her on top of him.=20 "Clark..." said Lois thoughtfully, pushing herself up with her hands. "I = think the four of us should get together and talk." "Mmmm," said Clark, pulling her down and kissing her ear. "Maybe we could go on a double date tomorrow to some restaurant," said = Lois, raising herself up again, "*not* in Paris, of course, we don=92t = seem to be having the best luck in Paris, and I=92m sure we would run = into someone who recognizes us, so we=92d have to go to a city where no = one knows us..." "Honey?" "Yes, Clark?" "Can we talk about this later?" "Why? Do you have something better to do?" "I was just wondering if this Earth woman, who is *not* mine, except in = the nicest sense of the word, would consent to repeat her earlier = performance...?"=20 Lois=92s laugh came from deep in her throat. "She just might, if she = received the right persuasion." She squealed suddenly. "That doesn=92t = count!" she said, giggling. "What does?" asked Clark, drawing her head down and fastening his mouth = on hers. ******** The next evening... Alt-Clark set Alt-Lois down several blocks from the restaurant. "Are = they here yet? I don=92t see them," said Alt-Lois.=20 Alt-Clark shook his head. "I scanned the area before we landed and = there=92s no sign of them...oh, here they are." The alternate Lois and = Clark watched as Clark gently set his wife on the sidewalk.=20 "I=92m worried about this Elvis convention they=92re having in Atlanta = tonight," said Lois. "What if Perry decides to come? We should have = checked it out before we came." "What??" said Clark. "Ms = =91Rush-into-everything-regardless-of-the-consequences=92 wants to check = things out ahead of time? This is a first!" He grinned at the look Lois = gave him. "I don=92t think we need to worry; Perry probably doesn=92t = know anything about it."=20 "Are you kidding? Of course he knows about it," said Lois. "He always = does."=20 "An Elvis convention...?" said Alt-Lois. "Here. In Atlanta. Tonight," said Lois. "Oh, no," said Alt-Clark with a worried frown. "Relax," said Clark airily. "He=92s always too busy to attend these = things. And besides," he added, "what are the odds that he=92d come to = *this* restaurant even if he *is* in Atlanta?" "Are we going to stand out here all night or are we going to eat?" asked = Lois impatiently. Clark looked tolerantly at his wife. "Getting antsy aren=92t we?" he = teased. When Lois tossed her head irritably, he offered her his arm with = a grin.=20 The two couples entered the restaurant, where they found themselves = under the gaze of several bemused diners. "Must be one of those = =91identical twins dating identical twins=92 things," someone whispered = as the maitre =91d seated the foursome. After they ordered, Alt-Clark watched his Lois closely, jealously = watching for any signs that she had a preference for Clark. As the meal = progressed, however, he began to relax as he realized that Alt-Lois was = a good deal more interested in the other Lois than in her husband.=20 For her part, Alt-Lois, who had been quite suspicious of her = counterpart, unbent as the last of her doubts about the veracity of = Alt-Clark=92s explanation of the two universes and the presence of two = Lois Lanes and two Clark Kents vanished. Moreover, she found herself = actually enjoying Clark=92s quiet charm and the unabashed openness of = the other Lois, with whom she found she had more in common than = identical appearance.=20 The foursome spent some time speculating on H.G. Wells=92s failure to = reappear and return Alt-Clark to his own universe, and then Lois opened = another topic for discussion. "So you don=92t know how you moved through = space and time to become a prisoner in Kuran?" she asked Alt-Lois. "No, but I=92d like to find out," said Alt-Lois, "...among other = things." She looked at Alt-Clark. "Didn=92t you tell me you=92ve been = free-lancing to supplement the Kents=92s income?" she asked. "Yes. I submit articles under Clark=92s name and he gives the money to = me," replied Alt-Clark. "Good," said Alt-Lois briskly. "I have several ideas for stories, and as = long as we=92re stuck in this universe, I might as well begin working on = them. The story I want to begin with is the abduction of Gina and her = friend. Gina and I became quite close when we were in captivity = together." "And I=92d like to learn more about that weapon you told me about," said = Clark soberly. "It sounds dangerous," said his wife with a shudder. "If Lois hadn=92t = been there..." her voice trailed off and she looked at Alt-Clark in = concern.=20 Clark put his arm around his wife=92s shoulders. "It sounds like = something Superman should look into," he said. "Maybe two Supermen," said Alt-Clark, catching Clark=92s eye. "Good,"said Alt-Lois. "You two can be my back-up." "*Our* back-up," said Lois. "I=92m coming too." "No!" exclaimed Clark. Immediately he wished he=92d held his tongue. "What do you mean, =91no?=92" said his wife, looking at him as if she = doubted her ears. "Uh...I just think it=92ll be boring; and I=92m sure Perry wants you to = finish the stories you=92re working on now..." said Clark lamely. "But *I=92m* not working on any stories," said Alt-Lois, "and it=92ll be = the perfect project for me to work on while we=92re waiting to return to = our universe." "It=92s too dangerous," said Alt-Clark flatly. "We don=92t know why you = were kidnaped, but whoever did it may want another shot at it..." he = subsided under the frantic signals Clark was sending.=20 Alt-Lois had opened her mouth to argue the point with him, but catching = Lois=92s glance, she closed it again, guessing that she and her = counterpart could decide later how they could persuade the men that they = would be indispensable on that mission...=20 When the dessert menus were handed round, Alt-Lois leaned against = Alt-Clark=92s shoulder and casually placed her fingers on his arm. = "I=92m ready for dessert, aren=92t you?" she said. Alt-Clark sat quite = still for a minute, then nodded, his face flushing. Lois removed her = hand hastily, a little surprised at his reaction... She cleared her = throat. "Does anything look good?" she asked. "Yes..." he said, not meeting her eyes.=20 Noting that he was staring rigidly at the menu in his hands, Lois gently = removed it from his grasp, rotating it until it was right side up. "Hmm, = Chocolate Hazelnut Cake with Buttercream Frosting," she read. "That = sounds nice. Or...Decadent Fudge Cake with Bittersweet Chocolate = Meltaway Glaze. What do you think?" "Okay...," he managed. "Okay, what?" she said in amusement. "Which do you want?" "Uh...," he turned toward her, meeting her eyes at last, and Lois caught = her breath at the expression in their dark depths. "Which do you want?" she repeated, tearing her gaze away with = difficulty. Her voice trembled slightly.=20 "Have you decided?" the waiter=92s voice interrupted their discussion = and Alt-Lois was forced to turn her attention to him and their dinner = partners again.=20 As soon as they had finished dessert, Lois nudged her husband. "It=92s = late; let=92s go back," she said. Quick to take the subtle hint, he = stood up and allowed her to precede him to the door. Turning his head to = make a remark to Alt-Clark, he didn=92t notice the gray-haired man who = stopped short in astonishment at sight of the group. Lois saw him, = though, and turned quickly to warn the others. Too late! Alt-Lois, who = had seen and recognized Perry White, dodged quickly behind a waiter, but = Perry had a full view of the two Clarks. "Lois?? Clark???" said Perry. "I thought you two were in Paris! And..." = he left the rest of his sentence unfinished, but looked pointedly at = Alt-Clark and then at Clark, obviously seeking an explanation. "P-Perry!" said Clark. "Uh, we...uh..." "Flew in for the evening!" said Lois hurriedly. "Well, I can see I=92m paying you too much, if you can afford to fly = >from France just to have dinner!" said Perry, but his voice lacked = conviction. He fixed his eyes on Alt-Clark. "Son, I don=92t believe = I=92ve had the pleasure..." he extended his hand. "Uh, Perry, this is my...uh, my cousin, Clark." "...Kent..." said Lois at the same time. "...uh! Yes, Kent. Uh, I mean his name is Kent Clark," stammered Clark. = "He lives in...um...Tokyo." "Kent Clark?" said Perry. "Yes," Lois interposed hurriedly. "Clark is a surname on Clark=92s = mother=92s side of the family and you know how these Southern families = have a tradition of giving their children family surnames..." "Southern family?" said Perry, raising his eyebrows. "I thought you were = >from Kansas, Clark." "Uh, yes, but my mom is from...that is, some people on her side of the = family...are...uh...are from South Carolina," as he told this lie he = gave Lois a fulminating glance, which she returned with good measure. It = hadn=92t been *her* idea to come to Atlanta for dinner in the middle of = an Elvis Presley convention! "Well, son, I=92m pleased to meet you," said Perry to Alt-Clark, who had = remained mute throughout this exchange. "You look a lot like your = cousin! Best not come to Metropolis; you could get into some mighty = sticky situations if people started mistaking you for each other!"=20 Perry nodded in farewell and sauntered toward the bar, where he planned = to wait for the others in his party. He was smiling broadly. "So = that=92s how they=92ve been doing it all these weeks," he muttered to = himself, an added spring in his step. "I=92ve been wondering how...hell, = it=92s great to know the old news hound still has it!" ***** Alt-Lois quietly rejoined the group outside the restaurant. "That was = close," she said. "Do you think he suspects anything?" "I think he...knows...everything," said Clark hollowly. "Except the part = about you being from an alternate universe, that is." "Shall we go?" asked Lois, impatient at all this standing around. She = caught her counterpart=92s eye. "We=92ll get together in Paris to talk = about...that other thing," she said. Clark scooped up his wife before = she could make any rash arrangements to explore Kuran with Alt-Lois. He = was going to have something to say about that...not that it would do any = good, he thought with a rueful smile. He looked at the other couple, = wondering if Alt-Clark would have any more influence over the other Lois = than he did over his wife. Probably not. Well, if he couldn=92t persuade = his wife to stop taking chances, then he was just going to have to take = special care to watch over her, that=92s all. He nodded in farewell to the couple from the alternate universe, then = took off with a whoosh. Left alone together, Alt-Lois and Alt-Clark felt an awkward silence = develop between them. "I like that dress," said Clark, making a vague = gesture with his hand. "It gives you..." he searched for a word to = describe how the gown outlined her shapely figure, "...depth," he = produced. Depth??=20 Lois repressed the laugh gurgling up from her throat. "Thank you," she = said gravely. "Well," she added. "I guess we should..." "Yeah," said Clark, clearing his throat. Lois moved closer and put her arms around his neck in preparation for = the flight. Without meeting her eyes, Clark lifted her and rose quickly = into the night sky. Clark was quiet as he carried her through the warm night air and Lois = thought in vain for something to say to break the silence. She was = beginning to get drowsy and felt the urge to rest her head on his = shoulder. But...better not do that, she cautioned herself, remembering = his reaction in the restaurant when all she=92d done was touch his = arm...not if I don=92t want to go for a swim in the Atlantic Ocean... Clark was staring straight ahead, still not speaking. Lois sighed, = tightening her grip around his neck, and found that she was unable to = resist putting her head on his shoulder after all... The End ;-) ------=_NextPart_000_01A7_01BE8835.5B1B1BA0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Loises and Clarks -- Part 7

*****

Later that evening, in a hotel room across the city, Mrs. Lois Lane = Kent was=20 reclining on her husband’s chest, describing circles on his body = with her=20 index finger. "I’ve missed that," she sighed, resting = her head=20 on his shoulder.

"I could tell!" chuckled Clark. "The way you lunged at = me=20 when–"

"*I* lunged at you?? It was you who grabbed me...!"

"You *lunged* at me," said Clark firmly.

"Well!" said Lois, tossing her head and moving a little = away from=20 him. "...if you didn’t like it..."

"Who said anything about not liking it?" asked Clark, = catching her=20 and drawing her close. "I’m glad Perry sent you over = here," he=20 added, kissing her lightly on the forehead.

"Yes, after he saw that tape I guess he thought he was doing us = a=20 favor...well, I guess he really *was* doing us a favor!"

"Tape? What tape?" Clark asked blankly.

"Oh, you haven’t seen it?" said Lois. "It showed = Superman and Clark standing together, with Clark looking guiltily at the = camera=20 and trying to hustle a woman out of sight." She stopped as = realization=20 dawned on her. "That must have been the other Lois!" she = exclaimed.=20 "No wonder he was trying to hide her!"

Clark had been deciphering Lois’ statements with a puzzled = look.=20 "You mean...Lois, it doesn’t look like Clark’s trying = not to be=20 seen on camera with a woman, does it?" he asked with a frown. = "That=20 could look like he’s...like I’m seeing someone while = I’m=20 staying here in Paris!"

"Clar-rk, hel-LO!" said Lois. "That’s what = I’m=20 trying to tell you! It *does* look like you’re seeing=20 someone...that’s why Perry sent me here. He’s trying to help = us=20 reassemble our faltering marriage!"

Clark was regarding her with an awful expression. "You mean to = tell me=20 that Perry thinks I’m cheating on you?" he demanded.

"Not just Perry," said Lois, "...everybody! You = wouldn’t=20 believe what I’ve been through...all the expressions of false = sympathy,=20 excluding Jimmy, who assured me that he didn’t believe a word of = it! And=20 Kristine in Travel...who has the hots for you, Clark, even though you = always=20 deny it...Kristine coming up to me with a smirk and telling me how sorry = she=20 is...and I just know she’s going to really go after you when we = get=20 back..."

Clark rolled onto his stomach with a groan, piling the pillows on top = of his=20 head. "Clark, are you listening to me?" asked Lois, removing = the=20 pillows. "Alt-Clark and I have already thought of how to explain=20 it..."

"Alt-Clark and you?" said Clark, sitting up and scowling at = her.=20 "Why are you two working with each other to retrieve *my*=20 reputation...?"

"Clark, you just take that frown right off your face! Forget = your silly=20 jealousy and listen to what I’m telling you!" commanded Lois. = "I=20 ran into Alt-Clark here at the hotel this evening just before I left to = meet you=20 for dinner. We shared a cab to La Colline and planned the whole thing on = the way=20 to the restaurant. We’re going to say that the woman was a source = who=20 wished to remain anonymous...it’s as simple as that!"

"Okay, I think that’ll work," said Clark, thinking it = over.=20 He looked at Lois. "So you shared a cab to the restaurant? I was = wondering=20 how you two managed to appear at the same time."

"Yes, and I’ll admit I was a little worried when Alt-Clark = told me=20 that he’d left alt-Lois there. In fact, I wasn’t all that = surprised=20 to see the situation that had arisen because of mistaken = identity."

"I wish I could have foreseen it," said Clark with a = grimace.

"And Alt-Clark! Did you see his face?" said Lois in = wonderment.

"We Kryptonians don’t like to see our women in the arms of = other=20 men," Clark explained, tucking a strand of Lois’ hair behind = her=20 ear.

"Your women!" said Lois, taking umbrage at his terminology. = "*Your* women!" She tried to push his grinning mouth away as = he began=20 to kiss her. "Oh, you’re teasing me!" she said in sudden = realization. "Clark, you’re going to have to stop doing=20 that!"

"Lois, you’re going to have to stop taking the bait!" = said=20 Clark, mimicking her tone. He put his arms around her and fell = backwards,=20 pulling her on top of him.

"Clark..." said Lois thoughtfully, pushing herself up with = her=20 hands. "I think the four of us should get together and = talk."

"Mmmm," said Clark, pulling her down and kissing her = ear.

"Maybe we could go on a double date tomorrow to some = restaurant,"=20 said Lois, raising herself up again, "*not* in Paris, of course, we = don’t seem to be having the best luck in Paris, and I’m sure = we=20 would run into someone who recognizes us, so we’d have to go to a = city=20 where no one knows us..."

"Honey?"

"Yes, Clark?"

"Can we talk about this later?"

"Why? Do you have something better to do?"

"I was just wondering if this Earth woman, who is *not* mine, = except in=20 the nicest sense of the word, would consent to repeat her earlier=20 performance...?"

Lois’s laugh came from deep in her throat. "She just = might, if she=20 received the right persuasion." She squealed suddenly. "That=20 doesn’t count!" she said, giggling.

"What does?" asked Clark, drawing her head down and = fastening his=20 mouth on hers.

********

The next evening...

Alt-Clark set Alt-Lois down several blocks from the restaurant. = "Are=20 they here yet? I don’t see them," said Alt-Lois.

Alt-Clark shook his head. "I scanned the area before we landed = and=20 there’s no sign of them...oh, here they are." The alternate = Lois and=20 Clark watched as Clark gently set his wife on the sidewalk.

"I’m worried about this Elvis convention they’re = having in=20 Atlanta tonight," said Lois. "What if Perry decides to come? = We should=20 have checked it out before we came."

"What??" said Clark. "Ms=20 ‘Rush-into-everything-regardless-of-the-consequences’ wants = to check=20 things out ahead of time? This is a first!" He grinned at the look = Lois=20 gave him. "I don’t think we need to worry; Perry probably=20 doesn’t know anything about it."

"Are you kidding? Of course he knows about it," said Lois. = "He=20 always does."

"An Elvis convention...?" said Alt-Lois.

"Here. In Atlanta. Tonight," said Lois.

"Oh, no," said Alt-Clark with a worried frown.

"Relax," said Clark airily. "He’s always too = busy to=20 attend these things. And besides," he added, "what are the = odds that=20 he’d come to *this* restaurant even if he *is* in = Atlanta?"

"Are we going to stand out here all night or are we going to = eat?"=20 asked Lois impatiently.

Clark looked tolerantly at his wife. "Getting antsy aren’t = we?" he teased. When Lois tossed her head irritably, he offered her = his arm=20 with a grin.

The two couples entered the restaurant, where they found themselves = under the=20 gaze of several bemused diners. "Must be one of those = ‘identical=20 twins dating identical twins’ things," someone whispered as = the=20 maitre ‘d seated the foursome.

After they ordered, Alt-Clark watched his Lois closely, jealously = watching=20 for any signs that she had a preference for Clark. As the meal = progressed,=20 however, he began to relax as he realized that Alt-Lois was a good deal = more=20 interested in the other Lois than in her husband.

For her part, Alt-Lois, who had been quite suspicious of her = counterpart,=20 unbent as the last of her doubts about the veracity of Alt-Clark’s = explanation of the two universes and the presence of two Lois Lanes and = two=20 Clark Kents vanished. Moreover, she found herself actually enjoying=20 Clark’s quiet charm and the unabashed openness of the other Lois, = with=20 whom she found she had more in common than identical appearance.

The foursome spent some time speculating on H.G. Wells’s = failure to=20 reappear and return Alt-Clark to his own universe, and then Lois opened = another=20 topic for discussion. "So you don’t know how you moved = through space=20 and time to become a prisoner in Kuran?" she asked Alt-Lois.

"No, but I’d like to find out," said Alt-Lois, = "...among=20 other things." She looked at Alt-Clark. "Didn’t you tell = me=20 you’ve been free-lancing to supplement the Kents’s = income?" she=20 asked.

"Yes. I submit articles under Clark’s name and he gives = the money=20 to me," replied Alt-Clark.

"Good," said Alt-Lois briskly. "I have several ideas = for=20 stories, and as long as we’re stuck in this universe, I might as = well=20 begin working on them. The story I want to begin with is the abduction = of Gina=20 and her friend. Gina and I became quite close when we were in captivity=20 together."

"And I’d like to learn more about that weapon you told me=20 about," said Clark soberly.

"It sounds dangerous," said his wife with a shudder. = "If Lois=20 hadn’t been there..." her voice trailed off and she looked at = Alt-Clark in concern.

Clark put his arm around his wife’s shoulders. "It sounds = like=20 something Superman should look into," he said.

"Maybe two Supermen," said Alt-Clark, catching = Clark’s=20 eye.

"Good,"said Alt-Lois. "You two can be my = back-up."

"*Our* back-up," said Lois. "I’m coming = too."

"No!" exclaimed Clark. Immediately he wished he’d = held his=20 tongue.

"What do you mean, ‘no?’" said his wife, = looking at him=20 as if she doubted her ears.

"Uh...I just think it’ll be boring; and I’m sure = Perry wants=20 you to finish the stories you’re working on now..." said = Clark=20 lamely.

"But *I’m* not working on any stories," said = Alt-Lois,=20 "and it’ll be the perfect project for me to work on while = we’re=20 waiting to return to our universe."

"It’s too dangerous," said Alt-Clark flatly. "We = don’t know why you were kidnaped, but whoever did it may want = another shot=20 at it..." he subsided under the frantic signals Clark was sending. =

Alt-Lois had opened her mouth to argue the point with him, but = catching=20 Lois’s glance, she closed it again, guessing that she and her = counterpart=20 could decide later how they could persuade the men that they would be=20 indispensable on that mission...

When the dessert menus were handed round, Alt-Lois leaned against=20 Alt-Clark’s shoulder and casually placed her fingers on his arm.=20 "I’m ready for dessert, aren’t you?" she said. = Alt-Clark=20 sat quite still for a minute, then nodded, his face flushing. Lois = removed her=20 hand hastily, a little surprised at his reaction... She cleared her = throat.=20 "Does anything look good?" she asked.

"Yes..." he said, not meeting her eyes.

Noting that he was staring rigidly at the menu in his hands, Lois = gently=20 removed it from his grasp, rotating it until it was right side up. = "Hmm,=20 Chocolate Hazelnut Cake with Buttercream Frosting," she read. = "That=20 sounds nice. Or...Decadent Fudge Cake with Bittersweet Chocolate = Meltaway Glaze.=20 What do you think?"

"Okay...," he managed.

"Okay, what?" she said in amusement. "Which do you=20 want?"

"Uh...," he turned toward her, meeting her eyes at last, = and Lois=20 caught her breath at the expression in their dark depths.

"Which do you want?" she repeated, tearing her gaze away = with=20 difficulty. Her voice trembled slightly.

"Have you decided?" the waiter’s voice interrupted = their=20 discussion and Alt-Lois was forced to turn her attention to him and = their dinner=20 partners again.

As soon as they had finished dessert, Lois nudged her husband.=20 "It’s late; let’s go back," she said. Quick to = take the=20 subtle hint, he stood up and allowed her to precede him to the door. = Turning his=20 head to make a remark to Alt-Clark, he didn’t notice the = gray-haired man=20 who stopped short in astonishment at sight of the group. Lois saw him, = though,=20 and turned quickly to warn the others. Too late! Alt-Lois, who had seen = and=20 recognized Perry White, dodged quickly behind a waiter, but Perry had a = full=20 view of the two Clarks.

"Lois?? Clark???" said Perry. "I thought you two were = in=20 Paris! And..." he left the rest of his sentence unfinished, but = looked=20 pointedly at Alt-Clark and then at Clark, obviously seeking an = explanation.

"P-Perry!" said Clark. "Uh, we...uh..."

"Flew in for the evening!" said Lois hurriedly.

"Well, I can see I’m paying you too much, if you can = afford to fly=20 >from France just to have dinner!" said Perry, but his voice lacked=20 conviction. He fixed his eyes on Alt-Clark. "Son, I don’t = believe=20 I’ve had the pleasure..." he extended his hand.

"Uh, Perry, this is my...uh, my cousin, Clark."

"...Kent..." said Lois at the same time.

"...uh! Yes, Kent. Uh, I mean his name is Kent Clark," = stammered=20 Clark. "He lives in...um...Tokyo."

"Kent Clark?" said Perry.

"Yes," Lois interposed hurriedly. "Clark is a surname = on=20 Clark’s mother’s side of the family and you know how these = Southern=20 families have a tradition of giving their children family = surnames..."

"Southern family?" said Perry, raising his eyebrows. = "I=20 thought you were from Kansas, Clark."

"Uh, yes, but my mom is from...that is, some people on her side = of the=20 family...are...uh...are from South Carolina," as he told this lie = he gave=20 Lois a fulminating glance, which she returned with good measure. It = hadn’t=20 been *her* idea to come to Atlanta for dinner in the middle of an Elvis = Presley=20 convention!

"Well, son, I’m pleased to meet you," said Perry to=20 Alt-Clark, who had remained mute throughout this exchange. "You = look a lot=20 like your cousin! Best not come to Metropolis; you could get into some = mighty=20 sticky situations if people started mistaking you for each other!" =

Perry nodded in farewell and sauntered toward the bar, where he = planned to=20 wait for the others in his party. He was smiling broadly. "So = that’s=20 how they’ve been doing it all these weeks," he muttered to = himself,=20 an added spring in his step. "I’ve been wondering how...hell, = it’s great to know the old news hound still has it!"

*****

Alt-Lois quietly rejoined the group outside the restaurant. = "That was=20 close," she said. "Do you think he suspects = anything?"

"I think he...knows...everything," said Clark hollowly.=20 "Except the part about you being from an alternate universe, that=20 is."

"Shall we go?" asked Lois, impatient at all this standing = around.=20 She caught her counterpart’s eye. "We’ll get together = in Paris=20 to talk about...that other thing," she said. Clark scooped up his = wife=20 before she could make any rash arrangements to explore Kuran with = Alt-Lois. He=20 was going to have something to say about that...not that it would do any = good,=20 he thought with a rueful smile. He looked at the other couple, wondering = if=20 Alt-Clark would have any more influence over the other Lois than he did = over his=20 wife. Probably not. Well, if he couldn’t persuade his wife to stop = taking=20 chances, then he was just going to have to take special care to watch = over her,=20 that’s all.

He nodded in farewell to the couple from the alternate universe, then = took=20 off with a whoosh.

Left alone together, Alt-Lois and Alt-Clark felt an awkward silence = develop=20 between them. "I like that dress," said Clark, making a vague = gesture=20 with his hand. "It gives you..." he searched for a word to = describe=20 how the gown outlined her shapely figure, "...depth," he = produced.

Depth??

Lois repressed the laugh gurgling up from her throat. "Thank = you,"=20 she said gravely. "Well," she added. "I guess we=20 should..."

"Yeah," said Clark, clearing his throat.

Lois moved closer and put her arms around his neck in preparation for = the=20 flight. Without meeting her eyes, Clark lifted her and rose quickly into = the=20 night sky.

Clark was quiet as he carried her through the warm night air and Lois = thought=20 in vain for something to say to break the silence. She was beginning to = get=20 drowsy and felt the urge to rest her head on his shoulder. But...better = not do=20 that, she cautioned herself, remembering his reaction in the restaurant = when all=20 she’d done was touch his arm...not if I don’t want to go for = a swim=20 in the Atlantic Ocean...

Clark was staring straight ahead, still not speaking. Lois sighed, = tightening=20 her grip around his neck, and found that she was unable to resist = putting her=20 head on his shoulder after all...

The End ;-)

------=_NextPart_000_01A7_01BE8835.5B1B1BA0-- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 18:26:30 EDT Reply-To: KCrane1865@aol.com Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kate Crane Subject: Re: New Fanfic -- Loises and Clarks, 1 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I'm excited to read this new fanfic, and pardon my computer ignorance, but does it indeed require downloading or is the entire text contained in the e-mails? Kate ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 18:35:12 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kathy Brown Subject: Re: VD vignette In-Reply-To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable At 10:40 PM +0200 4/16/99, NKWolke wrote: >Hi Folcies :-) >A few weeks ago I had a very heated discussion with some German >Folc-friends of >mine, about who was responsible for the =91waiting until the wedding night= =92. >My own >opinion clearly saw Lois as the main initiator for that decision, but my >friends >thought that there was no discussion about it that Clark was the one who >wanted >to wait. If you listen to the conversation Lois and Clark have in the episode, Lois says "I've been skittish and you've been so understand (that I was wondering if you were skittish too)." This makes it perfectly clear to me that *Lois* has been the one to demure when things get heated (being skittish) and Clark is the one "being understanding" about it. Further, when Lois asks that question (is Clark skittish, too), he denies it, but follows up with "my experience has been a bit different" which launches his virginity 'confession'. Finally, when Lois freaks out about the added "pressure" of him being a virgin, Clark stops that line of discussion quickly, telling her that he knows she's "the one" so he has no worries about making love to her. So, again, to me, the dialogue in VD makes it clear that Lois has been holding back and Clark is the one who just didn't want to push. Now, didn't you and I have a discussion on IRC one night about how the translation to German in this episode confused the issue? That the word "skittish" doesn't translate easily and another word was chosen? Maybe that is the bone of contention with the other German fans you were talking with? Kathy ______________________ Kathy Brown kathyb@springnet1.com KathyB on IRC ______________________ ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 18:41:34 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kathy Brown Subject: Re: New Fanfic -- Loises and Clarks, 1 In-Reply-To: <5c2aca67.24491316@aol.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 6:26 PM -0400 4/16/99, Kate Crane wrote: >I'm excited to read this new fanfic, and pardon my computer ignorance, but >does it indeed require downloading or is the entire text contained in the >e-mails? >Kate I received it as 7 emails, each containing the text of that part (1-7). However, I did notice that parts 4 & 6 were longer than the others (36K & 25K) and on AOL, those parts may have saved as attachments instead of showing up in the email message itself. This is a problem I've struggled with in posting S6 episodes, and I've learned that the highest I can go in each part is about 21-23K without AOL people telling me I messed up. ;) So, general rule, if you want people to be able to read more easily, keep your parts under 22K each! :) Kathy ______________________ Kathy Brown kathyb@springnet1.com KathyB on IRC ______________________ ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 19:39:11 EDT Reply-To: MsLoisette@aol.com Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: No Name Available Subject: Re: VD vignette MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Now while Clark obviously wasn't as skittish or not skittish compared to Lois, I have a different opinion. I think Clark was skittish about the whole sex issue. He was just doing the typicial male behavior. He was actually like everything was kewl and that we wasn't worried about this whole intimacy thing. Nothing is wrong with this behavior. I respect Clark for feeling like this. And if they weren't a little concerned about the whole sex issue then they wouldn't been having the conversation in the first place. Alexis ;-.) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 19:43:16 EDT Reply-To: DUNNFOUR@aol.com Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Laurie Dunn Subject: Re: Closet fanfic writers MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit That's me, Yvonne, a closet "fan." Only, my husband and teenage sons know I've been so Nuts about Lois & Clark for so long... which is also why this list is so great. It is nice to be among friends! I so rarely even watch tv, that it is amazing that I became so taken with this show. The subsequent fanfiction, which so often rivals the original shows, are true opium for the addicted . LaurieD ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 19:44:32 EDT Reply-To: MsLoisette@aol.com Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: No Name Available Subject: Re: New Fanfic -- Loises and Clarks, 1 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Speaking of Part 7 I don't think I received Part 7! =( Could someone send it to me? Also Part 4 was kind of goofy on my computer screen so i was wondering if someone could send that part to me without the file attachment. Just as a normal email. Thanks. Alexis ;-.) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 19:51:26 -0400 Reply-To: x-lander@geocities.com Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Mark Safransky Subject: Re: New Fanfic -- Loises and Clarks, 1 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I seem not to have received parts 2 and 3. Could some kind soul forward them to me so I can read what appears to be a great story? Mark x-lander@geocities.com ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 18:57:53 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Farah Meitzen Chisham Subject: FYI: Listserv info Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Just to let you know, On Saturday, April 24th, 8-10am, the Listserv gods will be upgrading LISTSERV to version 1.8d. For those of you who may look at the web interface on your browser, there may be a change in appearance. So, in other words, it may be down for those 2 hours. farah farah :) farah@chisham.com ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 19:03:10 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kathy Brown Subject: *If you are missing parts ... Re: New Fanfic -- Loises and Clarks, 1 In-Reply-To: <3717CCFD.F26E25A3@geocities.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" If you are missing parts to this or any story, remember you can find all posts made to this listserv at: http://listserv.indiana.edu/archives/loiscla-general-l.html The posts are archived here almost immediately after they are distributed to our mailboxes, so you don't need to wait. That will save you from having to request resends, etc. Kathy (who *really* need to put this on a macro ) ______________________ Kathy Brown kathyb@springnet1.com KathyB on IRC ______________________ ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 20:32:14 EDT Reply-To: Eraygun@aol.com Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Eileen F. Ray" Subject: L&C Fanfic Writing Session Saturday, April 17, 1999 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi Everyone, Skip week is over, so, we hope you can join us for our regular fanfic writing session, on Saturday, April 17, 1999. This week's premise: Dr. Klein's new colleague at Star Labs is brilliant, young, attractive, and apparently hopeless smitten with him ;). But is her romantic interest in the good doctor real or is it just a way of getting close to Superman? And if it is a ploy, who or what is behind it. We would still like to hear from you if you have any story premises of your own that you would like us to explore together. You can either email them to me at: eraygun@aol.com Or better still, just bring your ideas with you when you join us this Saturday or for our weekly "story bouncing" sessions on Wednesdays on#L&CFicOrg, starting around 9:00 PM EDT. We generally meet Saturdays starting at 3 PM EDT and try to start writing fairly soon thereafter. You can come and join the fun at any time, however. We are usually there for several hours since writing a story takes time. Since #L&CFanfic is on occasion "invite only" please message if you want to join us. If an official "inviter" is designated, we will let you know. Some of us should be hanging out on #Loiscla. A note on procedure here ;) : When people need to be caught up on the story in progress after being bounced off IRC or just joining the session late, please try and avoid pasting the story directly into the channel window. Please do that in a private message or dcc-chat window instead. Hope to see you all there! Cheers, Eileen ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 17:53:51 PDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Rachel TenHaaf Subject: Re: [Closet fanfic writers] Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain Well, I'm going to admit that I'm a closet fanfic writer in general. People *know* that I write, but not what it is, which is partly supported by the fact that I was published before I started writing LnC and they all saw that. Most of them don't think I should write and that I'll, as they put it, grow out of it, but they tolerate it as long as my other activities don't suffer. I only have one friend who knows that I write fanfic and she thinks I'm nuts, but loves me anyway. Isn't she sweet? :) Her boyfriend reads it too. Well, that's my bit. Rachel "Bella" rae@usXchange.net wink54321 on IRC ICQ# 36254001 _______________________________________________________________ Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 19:04:20 MDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: DEBRA GRAY Subject: Re: [New Fanfic -- Loises and Clarks, 7] Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Peggy, I loved this so much that I recommended it to a whole bunch of peo= ple on IRC today, not all of whom are on this listserv, I don't think. ;) Rea= lly, this was funny, touching, universe-switching - I'm sorry, I don't have en= ough adjectives! Please keep up the good work. Debra G dlgray@usa.net Melisma on IRC ____________________________________________________________________ Get free e-mail and a permanent address at http://www.netaddress.com/?N=3D= 1 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 18:17:02 PDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: genevieve mactavish Subject: Re: untiled fanfic.... thanks!!! Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain Kim and I (Jeni) would like to thank all you who sent comments to us... well be sure to relay the rest of the story when we're done ;-) _______________________________________________________________ Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 21:26:30 EDT Reply-To: Zoomway@aol.com Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: The Zoomway Subject: Re: Combo Re: Off Topic: Article in USA Today MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 4/16/99 10:37:00 AM Central Daylight Time, gremlino@PATHWAY.NET writes: << I'm not sure if I'm interpreting you correctly here, Claire, but if you're saying that each fanfic creates its own universe where the characters conform to the author's own unique perspective on L & C, then I agree completely. >> For me, there's two types of continuity. There is Lois and Clark's history of events as established by the series. The show's "canon" in other words. When this established continuity is diverged from, it becomes an "Elseworld" story. A story where a "what if" creates an alternate history. For example, I recently wrote a fanfic where Lois acquires Clark's powers (Ultra Woman) in second season before she knows that Clark is Superman. This leads to the second form of continuity -- *character* continuity. The makeup of Lois or Clark's general nature, the elements that establish them as unique individuals. Personally, one thing that can instantly destroy my enjoyment of a story is having Lois and Clark written so out of character that I start saying to myself, "who *are* these people?" Even if the history/continuity parameters are changed, the "essence" of who the characters are internally should remain fundamentally true. For example, when the Clark from the alternate world's Metropolis was introduced, certain aspects of Clark's *history* had changed (the Kents died when he was ten years old, and he was engaged to Lana Lang) or aspects of his self image (low self-esteem) differed slightly, but the *truth* of "Clark Kent's" heart and soul was still there. The "Vat Man" clone raised by Lex to do his bidding and be evil, couldn't fight innate, fundamental aspects of Clark's true nature. In the end, despite all of Lex's indoctrination, the *truth* about Clark won out. This is personal taste, of course, but if Lois and Clark are so out of character that the fanfic could be titled Mickey and Minnie The New Adventures of Steamboat Willie, then I'm not interested However, if good attention is paid to the character continuity, regardless of how the history continuity might change, I'll enjoy the story. Meet Me in Kansas City, by Chris Mulder, for example, changed all the history of how Lois and Clark met, but Lois and Clark themselves remained true to their characters, and so I loved the story. I also feel the series itself had an underlying immutable spirit and truth. No matter how dark things got, or frustrating at times, good would eventually triumph over evil, love would conquer all and Lois and Clark would find a way to be together. So again, I have favorite authors who keep this spirit alive and I enjoy their fanfic immensely. When I run across a story that does not "hold these truths to be self evident" I just stop reading and move on ;) I'm not even likely to write the author and debate the issues where we differ, because again, I think that's all a matter of personal taste. Nor would I *ever* rewrite an author (an earlier thread) no matter how strongly I disagreed with her/his take on the characters or the spirit of the series. I'm not talking about someone sending a story to another writer privately, a story that hasn't been edited or posted anywhere and *asks* that fellow writer for suggestions, but rather I'm talking about a finished, edited and posted story that another writer feels compelled to arbitrarily rewrite (even if only a line of dialog) to suit his/her personal taste. Would someone walk into an art gallery and start painting over another artist's painting because he didn't like the style and thought it would look much better his way? Not without getting arrested Fanfic, though an amateur art form, *is* an art form, and so should be respected as such no matter how much anyone else might disagree with that specific writer's interpretation. Once a story is finished and posted, it's always fair to review it, analyze it, or criticize it, but it should never be seen as an opportunity to reedited and rewrite someone else's finished work. I'd never alter something another author has written and then say, "There now. Don't you think my version is better?" I should get a brick between the eyes for that and I'd deserve it! In the end, what we get out of fanfic or put into it, is all personal interpretation and taste, not unlike what we got out of the series itself as individuals. A fanfic can be mechanically well written with perfect grammar and not one mistake, but if I personally can't hear or see Lois and Clark saying and doing what is contained in that fanfic, then it won't work for me or hold my interest. Likewise, if I write something that goes against other fans' interpretations, they won't be happy with my story either. This is inevitable. There likely won't ever be a fanfic that pleases everyone, but I think that's a good thing. It means we're all pretty unique ;) Zoomway@aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 22:21:17 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Jedi Subject: Re: Closet fanfic writers Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 08:17 PM 4/16/99 +0100, you wrote: >The thing is, I've been talking to a fellow fanfic writer about who amongst >our friends and family know that we write L&C fanfic, and I got to >wondering what the rest of you do. Are you all bolder than brass, tell >everyone types, or are there some 'closet' fanfic writers out there like >me? > I have yet to write a L&C fanfic but I have written or at least started about 20 different fanfics. I start writing them, but I have trouble finishing them. I love reading fanfics, I have nearly 500 megs worth of stories on my computer. Tanya jedijenny on irc ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 22:17:37 EDT Reply-To: Larus2407@aol.com Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: No Name Available Subject: Re: New Fanfic -- Loises and Clarks, 1 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 99-04-16 19:40:11 EDT, you write: << However, I did notice that parts 4 & 6 were longer than the others (36K & 25K) and on AOL, those parts may have saved as attachments instead of showing up in the email message itself. >> ALL the parts came in as attachments on AOL but part 4 was mime encoded and I can't open it! --Laurie ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 22:22:18 EDT Reply-To: Larus2407@aol.com Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: No Name Available Subject: Re: Closet fanfic writers Comments: To: DUNNFOUR@aol.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 99-04-16 19:47:04 EDT, DUNNFOUR@AOL.COM writes: << I've been so Nuts about Lois & Clark for so long... which is also why this list is so great. It is nice to be among friends! I so rarely even watch tv, that it is amazing that I became so taken with this show. The subsequent fanfiction, which so often rivals the original shows, are true opium for the addicted . LaurieD >> Oh my! The Lauries have something in common beyond their names! --Laurie (the Ord one) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 22:53:13 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Peggy Mueller Subject: Re: Combo Re: Off Topic: Article in USA Today Comments: To: Zoomway@aol.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit From: The Zoomway > >This is personal taste, of course, but if Lois and Clark are so out of >character that the fanfic could be titled Mickey and Minnie The New >Adventures of Steamboat Willie, then I'm not interested This is where we differ, then. While I *prefer* stories where L & C stay in character (after all, love of L&CTNAOS is what drew me to fanfic in the first place!), I still enjoy stories where they aren't necessarily in character, or that differ from my own interpretation of their characters. A good story is a good story, no matter what. --snip-- A fanfic can be mechanically well written with perfect grammar >and not one mistake, but if I personally can't hear or see Lois and Clark >saying and doing what is contained in that fanfic, then it won't work for me >or hold my interest. Unless the writing style or grammar is so poor that it makes the story incomprehensible, bad grammar usually doesn't stop me from enjoying a fanfic. I've read many fanfics that moved me to tears or laughter because the author still managed to get his/her point acorss in spite of the poor grammar. >Likewise, if I write something that goes against other >fans' interpretations, they won't be happy with my story either. I say again (speaking only for myself!) that I've loved many, many fanfics where the author's interpretation differs from mine. Sometimes these stories have caused me to change my own interpretation, sometimes not, but either way, I still enjoyed the story! :-) Peggy :-) gremlino@pathway.net ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 23:05:25 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Peggy Mueller Subject: Re: New Fanfic -- Loises and Clarks, 1 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sorry about all the problems receiving this fanfic, everybody. If anyone wants me to send them all or part of the story divided into smaller parts, please email me and I'll send it to you. Peggy :-) gremlino@pathway.net ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 23:18:18 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Sandy McDermin Subject: Re: Combo Re: Off Topic: Article in USA Today MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Nor would I *ever* rewrite an author (an earlier thread) no matter how > strongly I disagreed with her/his take on the characters or the spirit of the > series. I'm not talking about someone sending a story to another writer > privately, a story that hasn't been edited or posted anywhere and *asks* that > fellow writer for suggestions, but rather I'm talking about a finished, > edited and posted story that another writer feels compelled to arbitrarily > rewrite (even if only a line of dialog) to suit his/her personal taste. Would > someone walk into an art gallery and start painting over another artist's > painting because he didn't like the style and thought it would look much > better his way? Not without getting arrested This is not a museum. It's a writing list where people are learning >from each other. > Fanfic, though an amateur art form, *is* an art form, and so should be > respected as such no matter how much anyone else might disagree with that > specific writer's interpretation. Once a story is finished and posted, it's > always fair to review it, analyze it, or criticize it, but it should never be > seen as an opportunity to reedited and rewrite someone else's finished work. > I'd never alter something another author has written and then say, "There > now. Don't you think my version is better?" I should get a brick between the > eyes for that and I'd deserve it! I don't think anyone deserves to get a verbal (I hope, verbal) "brick between the eyes" for trying to be helpful. It would be my suggestion, as someone who was on the unwelcome receiving end of just such a response last September, that a FAQ be written making it clear what is and is not expected, helping to draw a distinction between this list and some other writing lists which do in fact encourage such detailed interaction. This would be a positive result to a very unfortunate occurrence and perhaps keep someone in the future, who may be used to a different milieu, from going through what I did. Sincerely, Sandy ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 17 Apr 1999 06:49:49 EDT Reply-To: Zoomway@aol.com Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: The Zoomway Subject: Re: Combo Re: Off Topic: Article in USA Today MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 4/16/99 9:50:53 PM Central Daylight Time, gremlino@PATHWAY.NET writes: << This is where we differ, then. While I *prefer* stories where L & C stay in character (after all, love of L&CTNAOS is what drew me to fanfic in the first place!), I still enjoy stories where they aren't necessarily in character, or that differ from my own interpretation of their characters. A good story is a good story, no matter what. >> Well, I was sent some VR5 fanfic once, but I had no idea who the characters were, so it wasn't even a matter of them being interpreted by me as "right or wrong" because I never saw the show. Even though the story was well written -- *shrug* -- I had no emotional investment in these characters and so I lost interest in the story. I didn't care enough to even know how it ended. Good, bad or indifferent, I didn't *feel* anything for them. With fanfic, I want to be able to recognize the characters I fell in love with, and if I can't, then the fanfic doesn't interest me. With a non-fanfic piece of fiction, like a novel, the author introduces the characters to the reader so that the reader can learn enough about them to care about them and what happens to them. I cared about Oliver Twist and Tom Sawyer because the author introduced them to me and let me learn more and more about them as characters The series introduced Lois and Clark to me and let me learn more and more about them. It's that interpretation that I love to see in fanfic. Again, just my preference. >>>Unless the writing style or grammar is so poor that it makes the story incomprehensible, bad grammar usually doesn't stop me from enjoying a fanfic. I've read many fanfics that moved me to tears or laughter because the author still managed to get his/her point acorss in spite of the poor grammar.<<< That I'd definitely agree with. I don't care if a writer has great or less than great technical writing skills, as long as he/she writes the kind of story I love to read, I'm with that writer from the intro to "the end". Happily signing all the way ;) >>>I say again (speaking only for myself!) that I've loved many, many fanfics where the author's interpretation differs from mine. Sometimes these stories have caused me to change my own interpretation, sometimes not, but either way, I still enjoyed the story! :-)<<< Fortunately, I don't think there's going to be a right or wrong answer on this issue because it all gets down to personal taste. I don't like deathfic or stories where either Lois or Clark cheats on the other no matter how well written. It's like a friend of mine who has a severe allergy to peanuts. It wouldn't matter how magnificently you prepared a dish that contained peanuts, her reaction would be quite averse ;) In a message dated 4/16/99 10:19:11 PM Central Daylight Time, smcdermin@EROLS.COM writes: << This is not a museum. It's a writing list where people are learning from each other. >> If the scenario were changed to a library then, and someone went after the books he thought he could write better, I don't think it's much more flattering a depiction. I'm talking about *completed* stories. I'm not sure what the educational value would be of rewriting someone's finished work. It would seem to me that would only illustrate the taste of the person doing the rewriting. >>>I don't think anyone deserves to get a verbal (I hope, verbal) "brick between the eyes" for trying to be helpful. << I think "suggestions" and "rewriting" are two very different things. Especially if the work is a completed, edited story. If someone asks for rewrites, I think that's fine, but to suddenly leap in and reedit and rewrite someone's completed story seems as though neither the writer nor the editor is being respected. >>>It would be my suggestion, as someone who was on the unwelcome receiving end of just such a response last September, that a FAQ be written making it clear what is and is not expected, helping to draw a distinction between this list and some other writing lists which do in fact encourage such detailed interaction<<< I think that's true of high school writing courses as well, at least back in the dark ages when I attended But fanfic isn't a writing assignment, it's someone's creative interpretation of a source material, in this case Lois and Clark. Another writer's interpretation can't really be seen as correct or superior over someone else's, and so why rewrite them? It gets back to choice and individual taste. Like I said earlier, there's certain types of fanfic I avoid, like deathfic, because it's just not appealing to me. I don't even think I could be objective appraising one much less rewriting one. I've seen dialog that doesn't "sound" like Lois and Clark to me, but it would never occur to me to copy and paste that writer's dialog and then rewrite my version of it. Obviously it *already* sounded like Lois and Clark to *that* writer or he/she wouldn't have written it that way. It doesn't matter if it doesn't sound right to me because it's not *my* story. I don't mind someone reviewing something I've written and saying, "I don't think Lois would have said that," or "I don't think Clark would have reacted that way," because with that type of criticism, I can give reasons for the choices I made. However, when the reviewer turns into my ghost writer, I feel that person is foisting her interpretation on me, and by so doing, she isn't asking me *why* I made a certain choice, but deciding for herself that it was wrong and thus had to be rewritten. There are certain writers I will send a story out to *before* it's a completed and posted work because they have a style and take on the show and its characters that is similar to mine, and so I find their appraisals valuable for the type of story *I* like to write. I never write a story with the idea of pleasing everybody. That's just impossible. When I write a story I want it to reflect what I believe is true to *my* interpretation. Once my story is finished and posted, criticize it or even nitpick it to pieces, but do *not* rewrite it ;) I believe there are all kinds of writers on this list, but no two of us, not even those of us who are fairly like-minded in our approach, would write the same story premise in an identical manner. That's why I would never presume to rewrite someone else, and I would hope they would grant me the same respect. Zoomway@aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 17 Apr 1999 07:07:02 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Margaret Brignell Subject: To Critique or not to Critique? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" I thought I'd jump into the fray regarding public criticiques of fanfic. Personally, I prefer to have any critique done privately. This is probably not a very "professional" attitude, but I'm *not* a professional writer. I write for fun and to give others pleasure. I do not aspire to becoming a professional writer. I correspond with people who *are* professional writers and to be perfectly honest I'd *hate* that kind of life. Being critiqued publically, for me, indicates that I'm being judged on something I never intended...being a professional writer. When I was in grade 11, a gym teacher berated me in front of the entire class because I would never become an Olympic athlete due to basic personality flaws that we won't go into here I really resented that she was judging me on standards that had no relation to *my* reality. I didn't care if this woman was an Olympic athlete (she was), I didn't care that she was my teacher (I was just grateful I didn't have her for Latin as well!) I had never expected to be, or wanted to be, an Olympic athlete. So, for me, her critique of my "work" was a waste of time. Her whole view of athletics was competition. In her view we were all supposed to prepare ourselves for local trials and then regional trials and so forth until we were trying out for the Olympics. Me, I just wanted to be able to walk the whole length of the balance beam without falling off! (Actually, I'd have preferred to have never gotten up on the balance beam at all, but that's a whole other ball of wax) As for fanfic, I just want to write a story that people enjoy. To be publically critiqued feels to me that I'm being judged on standards I had no intention of meeting in the first place. I think part of it too is that public critiques seem pointless. Once the fanfic is "published" it's a bit late to try to fix it. (I really depend on my proofers to point out as many problems as possible, so I can fix them *before* I "publish" the story:) I *much* prefer to have someone write to me privately and tell me about that boner I've made, so that the whole world doesn't know what kind of idiot I've been. If it's something easily fixable I'll do it (after I'd posted my half of SwapMeet to Debby's site, Phil Atcliffe pointed out that one phrase I'd used implied the exact opposite of what I'd intended, so I revised that one sentence). If it's not easily fixable, I just hope and pray that no-one else finds me out To give you another one of my food analogies (stop groaning) it's kind of like you've spent the whole afternoon preparing dinner for twelve, only to be told in front of the whole group, that you really should cook your spinach with ginger, it tastes *so* much better. The spinach is already cooked and there to be eaten. A "better" way of cooking spinach might be useful for the *next* meal, but pointing it out in front of the group at this one seems pointless and sadistic. Coming to me after the meal, and telling that it was great, but had I thought about using ginger rather than garlic with my spinach, would be much more helpful and less embarressing all round. I write fanfic. If you like my story that's great, I'd love to hear from you:) If you've found a problem with my fanfic please write to me privately, and we can discuss it! But, *please*, if you're going to critique me publically, at least give me a chance to tell you *why* I cook my spinach with garlic *before* you go public:) Margaret ****************************** Margaret Brignell brignell@capitalnet.com Ottawa, Canada %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% My fanfic now available at: http://www.capitalnet.com/~brignell/ ****************************** ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 17 Apr 1999 13:50:05 +0200 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: NKWolke Subject: Re: VD vignette MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8BIT Hi Folcs :-) Kathy your mail lists exact *my* arguments for my opinion that Lois was the one who wanted to wait. And actually in your story "winners" you offer the IMO most logical explanation for their hesitation to be intimate, along with some parts of Gorn's stories. There's one sentence in in Gorn's "going, going, gone" that kind of sums it all up for me. She writes: "But Clark understood the woman he loved well enough to know that for Lois, her moments of greatest abandon were her moments of greatest vulnerability." I took Lois bad experiences as a reason for her being "skittish" and the conversation in Virtually Destroyed manifested this opinion. It's the only time we hear them talk about it and obviously it was clearly Lois who hesitated so far and behaved "skittish". But my friends had other arguments which I couldn't deny either. For example they said that in the relationship as a whole Lois is almost always the one who makes the first step. She's the one who throws her fears aside and confronts him in WWW, she initiates all those conversations about him running away, she throws herself in his arms in JSN so enthusiastically that he almost looses his balance , she is the one who brings up the conversation about 'the thing'and finally she's the one who intitiates those kisses which lead to the bed-tumbling-scene in VD. The other Folcs saw this as a clue that she's a very passionate person and that she, as far as Clark is concerned, follows her heart and not her brain. Another argument was that they didn't want to see Lois as some kind of "psycho" who's licking her wounds in that new relationship with Clark. One of my arguements was for example that Clark says in OP: "It's not the m-word that makes it forever for me Lois. My love is forever, because... because it just *is*." For me that showed that Clark didn't wait for marriage, but for being "sure" and with Lois he was. But my friends found that it would show a wrong picture of Lois' love for Clark if we let him be sure and her be careful. Her love for him is as big as his own, once she made her decision to marry him she's as comitted to him as he is to her. So their view of that conversation in VD was a little bit different. In their opinion Lois maybe was skittish so far, but the fact that she brought up the topic showed for them that she wanted progress in that department of their relationship. There seemed to be no compromise. Neither of the parties were able to live with the other side's opinion until I wrote this vignette. Suddenly I thought that we made a way too big deal about the question . Maybe all the reasons we found were responsible for the *conversation* in VD, but not for the waiting afterwards? VD aired at the beginning of December, right? And the wedding was planned for February 11th. That is not such a *very* long time to wait, is it? What if they just made a mutual decision, because they thought it was romantic and because they wanted to make their wedding-night something special? BTW, Ann, thank you for your kind words about my English. You're right, writing directly in English *is* easier for me, but since I could never express myself as good in English as I can in German, I naturally write most of my stories in my native language and only occasional try to translate them. take care Nicole AKA CKgroupie on IRC NKWolke@t-online.de ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 17 Apr 1999 13:50:07 +0200 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: NKWolke Subject: Re: Closet fanfic writers MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8BIT Hey Folcs :-) I'm definitely a non-closet fanfic writer. My whole family and all my close friends know about it. I'm in the lucky position to be the "weirdo" anyway, so people just look at my Lois & Clark obsession with a kind eye like "Our Nicoletta is so weird, but in a funny way." They don't pay too much attention to it. My Mom has read my stories (and her comment was: "Couldn't you write something to make money with?"), my husband had to read at least one of my stories (and his comment was: "Nice, but too much of this Lois&Clark sh.." Isn't he a Darling?) and finally my best friend has read my stories, too. At least she liked them! She actually said that if the TC-series had a little bit more Lois&Clark and less of the "stupid Gangsters" she would have watched it, too! take care Nicole (*I* don't think I'm weird btw, I feel perfectly normal.) AKA CKgroupie on IRC NKWolke@t-online.de ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 17 Apr 1999 14:46:12 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Eileen Barnard Subject: Re: Groundhog Revelation Day MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sarah wood wrote < I agree - I think this would make a really great Round Robin fanfic - how about all you great writers out there think about it. I would love to read it and I think it could turn out to be really funny. I hope you will think about it. Kind regards Eileen B eileen@barnard70.freeserve.co.uk ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 17 Apr 1999 15:07:14 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Eileen Barnard Subject: Re: To Critique or not to Critique? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Margaret I have read your EMail and I have to agree that any kind of critique should be done in private. I think personally that criticism, whether constructive or otherwise, is almost always best dealt with in private and not aired to the public. However, praise is another thing, because when FoLCs air the praises of a particular piece of fanfiction that has been published on the list or in the archives, then this is very often a way of getting your fanfiction read by as many people as possible. I loved the story about the spinach as it reminded me of a girl I work with. She didn't agree with something that one of my other co-workers had said. She berated him in quite a nasty and thoughtless way in front of everybody in the office, belittling his opinions and forcing hers onto everyone. I pointed out privately to her that perhaps it would have been better to have spoken to the other person privately instead of holding him up to ridicule in front of everyone else. Her reply was, I thought quite brutal in that "it does people good to be embarrassed once in a while." Good for whom? I pointed out that it wasn't just our co-worker who had been embarrassed but that the rest of us had been just as embarrassed. Needless to say, the best day for me was when she was transferred to another department and I didn't have to put up with her crass behaviour any more. With kindest regards Eileen B eileen@barnard70.freeserve.co.uk ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 17 Apr 1999 09:53:30 EDT Reply-To: Aerm1@aol.com Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Ann E. McBride" Subject: Re: Groundhog Revelation Day MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 4/16/99 5:46:21 PM Eastern Daylight Time, SarahWood@COMPUSERVE.COM writes: << > I've often thought that ABC should do a "Groundhog Day" of Lois revelations, with Clark being forced to repeat the revelation over and over again until he finally gets it right! << >> What a terrific idea. Ann ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 17 Apr 1999 10:46:44 EDT Reply-To: Aerm1@aol.com Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Ann E. McBride" Subject: Re: VD vignette MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 4/17/99 7:51:19 AM Eastern Daylight Time, NKWolke@T-ONLINE.DE writes: << but since I could never express myself as good in English as I can in German, I naturally write most of my stories in my native language and only occasional try to translate them. >> Now that you have let us English speakers read one of your stories, I have a request. Could you please share more with us when you get the time to translate or find someone else to translate them? I'm sure most of us would love to read more. I would go to the German site, but I only know French, and my son who is learning German is NOT sympathetic to my Lois and Clark addiction. (even though he is the one who introduced me to the show in the first place.) Ann ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 17 Apr 1999 10:52:41 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Sandy McDermin Subject: Re: Combo Re: Off Topic: Article in USA Today MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > In a message dated 4/16/99 10:19:11 PM Central Daylight Time, > smcdermin@EROLS.COM writes: > > << This is not a museum. It's a writing list where people are learning > from each other. >> > > If the scenario were changed to a library then, and someone went after the > books he thought he could write better, I don't think it's much more > flattering a depiction. I'm talking about *completed* stories. I'm not sure > what the educational value would be of rewriting someone's finished work. It > would seem to me that would only illustrate the taste of the person doing the > rewriting. I'm not sure the analogy fits very well. Completed, published work is reviewed everyday -- sometimes in great detail. Just look on Amazon, book magazines within newspapers, daily newspapers, book groups across America, a conversation between two people who have read the same novel, etc. But, is this list similar to that? Well, since I've always considered the list a place for writers to post fanfic, discuss it, discuss fanfic writing, and writing generally, I think it is different -- or I hoped so. Most of us don't get to see 99.9 percent of L&C stories written until they're publicly posted. So, any constructive conversations which might have occurred on the vast majority of stories, can't -- except between the author and the reader in private. There are many conversations which could (and should) be public, enriching the entire list and helping everyone with their writing, rather than keeping the discussion amongst a small group. You keep referring to "rewriting others to make them sound like someone else," but that's not the purpose at all. The point is to share writing skills eminating from our various backgrounds and abilities and (in my case) pathetic education in english -- to discuss sentence construction, plot development, phraseology, whatever. Not to say, I'm right and the author is wrong, but to say, this is something I've either read, done, or am trying to work on in my own writing -- this is what I might have done with this passage or story. What do you think? Why did you write it this way or that? (And, hopefully the response isn't verbal abuse.) > >>>I don't think anyone deserves to get a verbal (I hope, verbal) "brick > between the eyes" for trying to be helpful. << > > I think "suggestions" and "rewriting" are two very different things. > Especially if the work is a completed, edited story. If someone asks for > rewrites, I think that's fine, but to suddenly leap in and reedit and rewrite > someone's completed story seems as though neither the writer nor the editor > is being respected. Well, I don't think interaction between writers, trying to work with each other to improve their writing is disrespectful. It seems to me, we should respect each others intentions, motivations, and trust each other to be open and honest about each other's work without being viewed as destructive. > >>>It would be my suggestion, > as someone who was on the unwelcome receiving end of just such a > response last September, that a FAQ be written making it clear what is > and is not expected, helping to draw a distinction between this list and > some other writing lists which do in fact encourage such detailed > interaction<<< > > I think that's true of high school writing courses as well, at least back in > the dark ages when I attended I'm sorry I don't understand your point. Are you saying the suggestion is high-schoolish? But fanfic isn't a writing assignment, > it's someone's creative interpretation of a source material, in this case > Lois and Clark. Another writer's interpretation can't really be seen as > correct or superior over someone else's, and so why rewrite them? It gets > back to choice and individual taste. Like I said earlier, there's certain > types of fanfic I avoid, like deathfic, because it's just not appealing to > me. I don't even think I could be objective appraising one much less > rewriting one. As I said above, it's not about rewriting people. Everytime I've made comments on someone's story -- detailed or general, in private or in public -- I'm not rewriting the author. I'm saying these are the questions I have about your story, this is the way I might have done it -- not because I'm better than you and you should immediately change your work, but because I want to know why you did it your way. And, what do you think of my way? Maybe you can teach me something that I can use in my writing. As for avoiding certain types of fic, I don't *generally* do that. I read certain types of fic more readily than others. And, I evaluate them all in the same manner. This has been my error. > I've seen dialog that doesn't "sound" like Lois and Clark to me, but it would > never occur to me to copy and paste that writer's dialog and then rewrite my > version of it. Obviously it *already* sounded like Lois and Clark to *that* > writer or he/she wouldn't have written it that way. It doesn't matter if it > doesn't sound right to me because it's not *my* story. I don't mind someone > reviewing something I've written and saying, "I don't think Lois would have > said that," or "I don't think Clark would have reacted that way," because > with that type of criticism, I can give reasons for the choices I made. > However, when the reviewer turns into my ghost writer, I feel that person is > foisting her interpretation on me, and by so doing, she isn't asking me *why* > I made a certain choice, but deciding for herself that it was wrong and thus > had to be rewritten. Well, if someone says to a writer, "I don't think Lois would have said that," or "I don't think Clark would have reacted that way," they are voicing a disagreement in interpretation -- whether you want to label that as calling the author wrong or not. What I try to do in order to be constructive is not just say, I don't think this paragraph works well, e.g., that it's a bit unwieldy or whatever. But I try to give an example of what I mean. The author can disagree (as many have and many will) and give reasons for the choices they've made *if they so choose* or completely ignore it. But, it's definitely not a call "to man your battle stations." > There are certain writers I will send a story out to *before* it's a > completed and posted work because they have a style and take on the show and > its characters that is similar to mine, and so I find their appraisals > valuable for the type of story *I* like to write. I never write a story with > the idea of pleasing everybody. That's just impossible. When I write a story > I want it to reflect what I believe is true to *my* interpretation. Once my > story is finished and posted, criticize it or even nitpick it to pieces, but > do *not* rewrite it ;) I believe there are all kinds of writers on this > list, but no two of us, not even those of us who are fairly like-minded in > our approach, would write the same story premise in an identical manner. > That's why I would never presume to rewrite someone else, and I would hope > they would grant me the same respect. I would hope, too, that when someone does post comments on a story -- no matter what the detail -- they be given the benefit of the doubt about their intentions. There are different ways of looking at and doing things, including commenting on stories or interacting with other writers. As you say, people are not the same. Instead of assuming the worst of them -- especially amongst a small community who have been interacting for years -- it might be more conducive to continued goodwill if everyone be a little kinder and less personal in their words -- at least publicly. No more bricks between the eyes, I appeal to you. Sandy ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 17 Apr 1999 16:45:09 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LabRat Subject: Re: Combo Re: Off Topic: Article in USA Today MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hey guys! Been following this one with interest and I think, Sandy, that you're missing the point of what Zoom is saying. You can slap me down for that one if you like, (you can too, Zoom, if you don't mean anything of the sort! ) but it just seems to me that the both of you are saying the same thing and aren't really at the cross purposes you seem to think you are. I don't think that Zoom is disagreeing with you, Sandy, about constructive criticism or responding to posted stories with helpful comment - or any of the other things you mention below with much more eloquence than I could here. What Zoom means by rewriting (I presume - treading very carefully here before I get accused of rewriting your posts, Zoom ;) is someone writing their own story which changes a story written previously by a fellow author because they think the original author didn't do it the 'correct' way, then posts it without asking the original author first and publicly tells everyone that it's been written 'right' now. And I agree with her that that is a completely different thing to the kind of examples of helpful suggestions and critiques that you mention below. I agree with *you* that discussion and criticism of posted stories and skill sharing on this list is healthy and helpful to the writer. The point I'm making is that I think Zoom does too. At least, that's what I'm getting from her posts. I don't find anything in what she's saying that says she thinks there shouldn't be discussion on the list or privately between an author and those who read the fanfic. Everyone's entitled to their opinion. And you're entitled to voice them. Personally, I'm of the opinion as regards my own fanfic, that if you put your work out in the public arena then you have to accept that people are going to discuss it publicly. That's just the way the cookie crumbles, IMHO. And I'll take any opinion - good or otherwise, public or private - it's all grist to the mill and all helpful, whether I agree with it or not. Which isn't to say that I wouldn't be mightily ticked if I was skimming through the Archive looking for fanfic and discovered someone had rewritten my story without bothering to mention it to me in passing because although they liked the idea, it hadn't been written correctly. In other words, it hadn't been written the way *they* would have written it. Well, naturally not. They *didn't* write it. As Zoom has mentioned, give 20 writers the same plot idea and you'll come out with 20 different stories, no two the same. None of them will be wrong. Just different. It's being told that you did it wrong, not that someone has a varying opinion that is just as valid as yours was that sticks in the craw. 20 writers could rewrite my stories and I wouldn't give two hoots.....so long as they acknowledged that my version was as worthy and as true to the characters as theirs is and that all of us are equally 'right'. And all other considerations aside, I still think it's just plain polite to mention it to the original author before you post. It's a plain matter of common manners to me. Anyway, sorry to butt in and I may be completely skewed in these perceptions, but I'm sure you'll both mention that if I am. :D I just think you're in more harmony than you're assuming you are. The following passage >from your posts (and forgive me for moving it out of context here) Zoom wrote: >> I think "suggestions" and "rewriting" are two very different things. >> Especially if the work is a completed, edited story. If someone asks for >> rewrites, I think that's fine, but to suddenly leap in and reedit and rewrite >> someone's completed story seems as though neither the writer nor the editor >> is being respected. And Sandy responded: >Well, I don't think interaction between writers, trying to work with >each other to improve their writing is disrespectful. It seems to me, >we should respect each others intentions, motivations, and trust each >other to be open and honest about each other's work without being viewed >as destructive. ......seems to me to be a perfect example. From way back in the peanut gallery here, you both seem to be saying the same thing. Your 'interaction between writers', Sandy, is equal to Zoom's 'suggestions'. There's no contradiction there between both opinions. And the latter half of Zoom's comment, about rewriting and reworking a completed work is clearly a different kettle of fish entirely. You, Sandy, seem to acknowledge just that in your latter statements - which, again, I agree with - when you say that the author you yourself send suggestions to has the final choice on whether they accept those suggestions or not. Clearly you seem to hold the same views on that as Zoom does. The author can't have the final say if someone doesn't mail them with the suggestion, but writes it into a brand new story and posts it instead without mentioning it because they think what the original author did was 'wrong'. Anyway, for what it's worth......I agree with both of you and thank you both for your eloquently expressed opinions on the subject. :D LabRat :) > << This is not a museum. It's a writing list where people are learning >> from each other. >> >> >> If the scenario were changed to a library then, and someone went after the >> books he thought he could write better, I don't think it's much more >> flattering a depiction. I'm talking about *completed* stories. I'm not sure >> what the educational value would be of rewriting someone's finished work. It >> would seem to me that would only illustrate the taste of the person doing the >> rewriting. > >I'm not sure the analogy fits very well. Completed, published work is >reviewed everyday -- sometimes in great detail. Just look on Amazon, >book magazines within newspapers, daily newspapers, book groups across >America, a conversation between two people who have read the same novel, >etc. > >But, is this list similar to that? Well, since I've always considered >the list a place for writers to post fanfic, discuss it, discuss fanfic >writing, and writing generally, I think it is different -- or I hoped >so. Most of us don't get to see 99.9 percent of L&C stories written >until they're publicly posted. So, any constructive conversations which >might have occurred on the vast majority of stories, can't -- except >between the author and the reader in private. There are many >conversations which could (and should) be public, enriching the entire >list and helping everyone with their writing, rather than keeping the >discussion amongst a small group. > >You keep referring to "rewriting others to make them sound like someone >else," but that's not the purpose at all. The point is to share writing >skills eminating from our various backgrounds and abilities and (in my >case) pathetic education in english -- to discuss sentence construction, >plot development, phraseology, whatever. Not to say, I'm right and the >author is wrong, but to say, this is something I've either read, done, >or am trying to work on in my own writing -- this is what I might have >done with this passage or story. What do you think? Why did you write >it this way or that? (And, hopefully the response isn't verbal abuse.) > > >> >>>I don't think anyone deserves to get a verbal (I hope, verbal) "brick >> between the eyes" for trying to be helpful. << >> > > >> >>>It would be my suggestion, >> as someone who was on the unwelcome receiving end of just such a >> response last September, that a FAQ be written making it clear what is >> and is not expected, helping to draw a distinction between this list and >> some other writing lists which do in fact encourage such detailed >> interaction<<< >> >> I think that's true of high school writing courses as well, at least back in >> the dark ages when I attended > >I'm sorry I don't understand your point. Are you saying the suggestion >is high-schoolish? > > > But fanfic isn't a writing assignment, >> it's someone's creative interpretation of a source material, in this case >> Lois and Clark. Another writer's interpretation can't really be seen as >> correct or superior over someone else's, and so why rewrite them? It gets >> back to choice and individual taste. Like I said earlier, there's certain >> types of fanfic I avoid, like deathfic, because it's just not appealing to >> me. I don't even think I could be objective appraising one much less >> rewriting one. > >As I said above, it's not about rewriting people. Everytime I've made >comments on someone's story -- detailed or general, in private or in >public -- I'm not rewriting the author. I'm saying these are the >questions I have about your story, this is the way I might have done it >-- not because I'm better than you and you should immediately change >your work, but because I want to know why you did it your way. And, >what do you think of my way? Maybe you can teach me something that I >can use in my writing. > >As for avoiding certain types of fic, I don't *generally* do that. I >read certain types of fic more readily than others. And, I evaluate >them all in the same manner. This has been my error. > > >> I've seen dialog that doesn't "sound" like Lois and Clark to me, but it would >> never occur to me to copy and paste that writer's dialog and then rewrite my >> version of it. Obviously it *already* sounded like Lois and Clark to *that* >> writer or he/she wouldn't have written it that way. It doesn't matter if it >> doesn't sound right to me because it's not *my* story. I don't mind someone >> reviewing something I've written and saying, "I don't think Lois would have >> said that," or "I don't think Clark would have reacted that way," because >> with that type of criticism, I can give reasons for the choices I made. >> However, when the reviewer turns into my ghost writer, I feel that person is >> foisting her interpretation on me, and by so doing, she isn't asking me *why* >> I made a certain choice, but deciding for herself that it was wrong and thus >> had to be rewritten. > >Well, if someone says to a writer, "I don't think Lois would have said >that," or "I don't think Clark would have reacted that way," they are >voicing a disagreement in interpretation -- whether you want to label >that as calling the author wrong or not. > >What I try to do in order to be constructive is not just say, I don't >think this paragraph works well, e.g., that it's a bit unwieldy or >whatever. But I try to give an example of what I mean. The author can >disagree (as many have and many will) and give reasons for the choices >they've made *if they so choose* or completely ignore it. But, it's >definitely not a call "to man your battle stations." > > >> There are certain writers I will send a story out to *before* it's a >> completed and posted work because they have a style and take on the show and >> its characters that is similar to mine, and so I find their appraisals >> valuable for the type of story *I* like to write. I never write a story with >> the idea of pleasing everybody. That's just impossible. When I write a story >> I want it to reflect what I believe is true to *my* interpretation. Once my >> story is finished and posted, criticize it or even nitpick it to pieces, but >> do *not* rewrite it ;) I believe there are all kinds of writers on this >> list, but no two of us, not even those of us who are fairly like-minded in >> our approach, would write the same story premise in an identical manner. >> That's why I would never presume to rewrite someone else, and I would hope >> they would grant me the same respect. > >I would hope, too, that when someone does post comments on a story -- no >matter what the detail -- they be given the benefit of the doubt about >their intentions. There are different ways of looking at and doing >things, including commenting on stories or interacting with other >writers. As you say, people are not the same. Instead of assuming the >worst of them -- especially amongst a small community who have been >interacting for years -- it might be more conducive to continued >goodwill if everyone be a little kinder and less personal in their words >-- at least publicly. No more bricks between the eyes, I appeal to you. > >Sandy > ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 17 Apr 1999 12:04:55 EDT Reply-To: JuliHale@aol.com Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Juli E. Hale" Subject: Re: To Critique or not to Critique? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hey Y'all! (I'm from Tennessee :-)) I just thought that I would jump in on this thread. I enjoy reading every Lois and Clark fanfic that I can get my hands on, so I obviously don't have the time to critique every one of them--or that's all I would get done. However, every once in a while, a fic touches or amazes or inspires me in a way that makes me want to let the author know. In that instance, I usually post to the list--if for no other reason than to draw everyone else's attention to what I've found. I guess what I'm getting around to is that this list is for the discussion of fanfiction, and therefore if someone posts their fic to it, then it is my assumption that they are opening themselves up to a public critique. Isn't that part of what the list is for--to help/guide/discuss the items posted? (Unless, of course, they stated their preference in the introduction.) If posted to the fanfic archive only, perhaps that author should recieve critique privately. Hoping that made sense, Juli :-) ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 17 Apr 1999 11:24:06 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Farah Meitzen Chisham Subject: Re: To Critique or not to Critique? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" I believe there are different types of critiques: 1. Making fun of in a way to purposefully do damage. 2. Saying it "just plain sucked" in either not so many words, or too many words. 3. Flaming. 4. Saying: "I loved the part when.... I just wish Lois/Clark/other character didn't react that way, I wish they would have...." or "I think could have described this particular scene better by..." 5. Publically speaking out when it's not a constructive comment. I'm sure I missed a few and some may overlap, but some good critique is necessary and it is what gives us other fanfic writers ideas on how to develope parts of characters or a story line. Not all critique is bad. When you post something on a list for 300+ people to read, some of their comments may not seem positive, but it is hard to read tones of voices by just typing them out. NOTE to readers: If the person does NOT put : "Comments are welcomed" at the bottom of their story, it may be a good idea not to post something like "The beginning was terrible..." NOTE to writers: If you do put "Comments are welcomed" at the bottom of your story, read them with an attitude that you'll think about it the next time you write a particular story. And if you don't care and think the idea is stupid, either post saying, "I wanted to write it this way because..." OR trash the message :). I, on one hand, love to read comments from authors why they wrote a scene/character their way because I tend to enjoy the fanfic more. I makes me climb inside their mind to see their ideas. Also, no one should flame anyone publically. If you don't think it'll be constructive and may come across as a "meanie post"; rewrite it. Please. If all critiques of stories were to be done privately, I wouldn't learn a thing. I suggest to the authors that want private email to post something like "Comments are welcomed at me@here.com." or "Private comments are welcomed." At 07:07 AM 4/17/99 -0400, you wrote: >I thought I'd jump into the fray regarding public criticiques of fanfic. >Personally, I prefer to have any critique done privately. farah :) farah@chisham.com ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 17 Apr 1999 13:59:06 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Demona (Angel Of The Night)" Subject: Re: Writing Criticism/Rewriting In-Reply-To: <2da60576.2449c14d@aol.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" First of all, I've been following this thread on the list for a while now, and I have to say, I tend to agree with Zoom, for the most part. I think we've (all of us) fallen in love with Lois & Clark and have very personal opinions on how we prefer to see their characters written, or their stories unfold tangentially to the series. I also think (and I've said this and been flamed for this in the past ;P), that in so far as the actual *process* of writing is concerned, a writer of fiction really should get everything out of them *creatively* first, and then worry about the mechanics of it, later. That, of course, is my opinion only. But it is a concept which I've watched help so many potential writers out there actually discover that they _did_ have a tremendous amount to offer with their work, where before they'd always been told they "couldn't write". Because they weren't following someone else' mould. Zoom said: <> I so completely agree with that. A lack of perfection in mechanics is not a reason (to my mind) to put a cork in a person's ideas and imagination until they've come out a perfect clone of someone's English professor. There is much to be said for clarity and for our 'woefully inadequate schooling system' out there -- however those are issues which I feel can very easily fall moot when the concept of 'FANfic' arises. Truly, within the realm of fanfiction, some of us want to be incredible, perhaps even 'professional' writers eventually. But there is no such thing as a PROFESSIONAL FANFIC AUTHOR And there are also others of us (especially many first time authors) who have a difficult enough time simply translating our emotions and ideas into words, that to have to deal with a mechanical slam in the face later on, or a 'rewrite' for that matter, is enough to send that person *and* their ideas, scurrying away in search of safety. Where's the benefit in that, ultimately? Writing taps our souls! As any artform, it needs to be released so that the ideas get out there, no matter how awkward it may initially be, and so that a writer *can* begin to grow. I don't think we need to REWRITE other people's work, especially if we 'disagree' with what it says, I think we need to discuss it, and to ask the author questions. Approaching other people's creative work is a delicate artform in and of itself ;) I hope you'll all permit me to use an example within another artform that I'm very close to. When I direct a show (simply for example), I don't physically place my actor's bodies in the position(s) I'd like them to be in, nor do I speak their lines for them first and expect them to imitate my voice and intonation. I'm the director, I COULD do whatever I wanted to do, but *as* a director, I don't feel it's my responsibility to act every role in the show Some directors do, but I would argue.. not the good ones. ;) So, I ask my actors questions. They're artists in and of themselves. I want; I *need* for them to make their own discoveries. One cannot discount those very *important* elements which each individual brings to any piece of work... or you'll never truly see what that piece of art *could* have become. Likewise... Sandy Wrote: <> I don't think one should rewrite another author's story at all, even if you think you're simply trying to exchange your opinion with theirs in that particular way. You cannot structure your 'exchange' in the form of redoing that person's work (or a portion thereof) without steamrolling their essence in the piece. That is the 'painting over another artist's canvas' metaphor which, I believe, Zoom was referring to. That is also why it's wrong. Whether an author chooses to post a 'draft' of their work to a list for comments and ideas, or chooses to send it to personal editors who share their story visions and can assist them in matching whatever misplaced mechanics might exist -- the very basis of their work, their *ideas* are still something which I personally feel we need to respect, especially on this list. Discuss them: Certainly. Debate them: Absolutely. But not rewrite them; not within the contect of the author's own original piece. At 06:49 AM 17/04/1999 EDT, Zoomway wrote: >I was sent some VR5 fanfic once, but I had no idea who the characters >were, so it wasn't even a matter of them being interpreted by me as "right or >wrong" because I never saw the show. Even though the story was well written >-- *shrug* -- I had no emotional investment in these characters and so I lost >interest in the story. I didn't care enough to even know how it ended. Good, >bad or indifferent, I didn't *feel* anything for them. >With fanfic, I want to be able to recognize the characters I fell in love >with, and if I can't, then the fanfic doesn't interest me. With a non-fanfic >piece of fiction, like a novel, the author introduces the characters to the >reader so that the reader can learn enough about them to care about them and >what happens to them. I also agree with this, I think the key is in whether or not an author actually does do at least a measure of character creation in their story. As fanfic authors, many of us rely heavily on the fact that 99% of our readers will have all the backstory they need to enjoy our work. We often begin in the middle and never have to worry about the rest. ;) If, for example, the author who wrote your VR5 story had not relied on the fans already knowing who his/her characters were, you might have had a different opinion of the piece, perhaps. I say this because even when we write fanfiction, some of us create completely new characters in addition to (Lois & Clark) -- and when we do that, fans may even come to love those characters as well. ;) As a fan author myself, the concept of 'new characters vs. established characters' is something which I've encountered in more than one series forum. And I do feel that it's ironic you mentioned this; it's made me decide to do something I've never done before and would never normally do: Post a portion of a fan letter on this list. Every time I get feedback from people who let me know they've been moved in whatever small way by something I've written is an extremely gratifying moment for me, as I'm sure it is for a great many authors who share their work, especially as fans. However, this particular letter touched me as a fanfic author in a completely new and undiscovered way because of the fact that it was written by someone who never watches the show I'd written for! ;) This letter, before I quote it, has been edited to leave out the nature of the series it speaks of, as well as the person who wrote it, suffice it to say that it's a direct example of what Zoom was speaking of above, only perhaps, in reverse. I am not posting it in order to disagree with her point (as I already mentioned, I do primarily agree). I'm posting it because it fits in so exactly with what she's said. This fan doesn't generally read other work beyond her primary show interest(s) either, and for the exact same reasons Zoom spoke of. ;) LETTER PORTION: < ...I am [enjoying this] much more than I thought I would originally considering I didn't watch the show or know much about any of this. The imagery is incredible! This whole creative writing process is also still very amazing to me - to see the work unfold. My hat is off to you and all the writers out there. How much of you goes into each of these stories you write? Where do the concepts come from? Do you visualize your ideas or do they just kind of come to you? I guess never having this ability - it just simply astounds me, what you all do! >> For the very reason that fanfiction is generally such a focussed medium in just the way Zoom outlined, having been able to read this letter was very special for me, as an author. I think there *is* the potential out there to enjoy other fan 'series' work without knowing the characters from television or film, if the author works to build a modicum of character backstory in any given piece, and if the premise of the story is a universal one. Of course, it's not the same to create a new character as it is to do a little recall on the backstory of an already established character, but I think that can be acheived. I also think it doesn't happen very often because most fans write for their own group. Indeed, fanfic authors are often more than content with reaching their own people primarily, they don't need or want any more than that. That's natural and normal and perfectly right as far as I'm concerned. However.. I do think it's *possible* to bridge the gap, if an author really wants to do it. Now then, that's enough of a book from me, I'll grab my hat and end it there. ;) Take Care All, Demi ___________________________________________ Demi aka Demona nightangel@home.com http://fantasia.simplenet.com/lcfantasy/ "Far away, long ago, glowing dim as an ember. Things my heart used to know, things it yearns to remember.." - 'Anastasia' (excerpt: 'Once Upon A December') I went to the doctor, I went to the mountain. I looked to the children, I drank from the fountain. There's more than one answer to these questions, pointing me in a crooked line. The less I seek my source for some definitive The closer I am to fine. - Indigo Girls ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 17 Apr 1999 13:33:43 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Tull, James [CORP/STL]" Subject: Re: New FanFic -- Loises and Clarks, Spoilers! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" >From MR. D8A's work email No complaints from me. I just have to share what a great fanfic this is! It will definitely be on my list of nominees for Kerths 2000. I think that the way you used Martha to straighten out Clark's attitude concerning the Alt-Clark was perfect. Implied with no detail. I can just hear in my head the tongue lashing she probably gave him! As a detailist I have a hard time just implying things, I want to explain it all. So I admire your ability to pull it off. I had a hard time reading it without LOL in some parts. (I was reading this at work while I waited for the dancing pixels on my computer screen to tell me that it was ready for my attention.) This sounds like a part one of two story. If so you have a waiting audience. MR. D8A A.K.A. James Proverbs 3:5-6 Stuck working on a Saturday watching the dancing pixels on three different computers. The other two are dancing while I type on this one. Please visit and explore my house at: http://www.geocities.com/area51/starship/7859 ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 17 Apr 1999 15:37:56 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: ninety-six and i planted poppies Subject: Re: Closet fanfic writers << The thing is, I've been talking to a fellow fanfic writer about who amongst our friends and family know that we write L&C fanfic, and I got to wondering what the rest of you do. Are you all bolder than brass, tell everyone types, or are there some 'closet' fanfic writers out there like me? >> I've enjoyed reading everyone's comments on this question, and now I've finally found some time to share my own. Nearly all of my friends and immediate family (parents, brother) know that I write fanfic. I've also explained it to a few acquaintances and they've been surprisingly understanding about it (and I hope they aren't laughing behind my back later ;) I've even shared some fanfic with a former English professor of mine. Initially, my family wasn't too enthusiastic about it. (Heck, my brother still isn't, but that's probably mostly because it's important to me, so he feels he has to devalue it- typical younger brother ;) After my mom actually read what I wrote, though, she came to respect it a bit more. I think once she saw it wasn't a passing phase, she began to accept it since it was important to me. As for my friends, many are just shocked that I'd (voluntarily) write 100+ page stories, for fun! -Christy kubitc@kenyon.edu ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 17 Apr 1999 16:20:18 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Pam Jernigan Subject: Attachments Comments: To: Blind.Copy.Receiver@compuserve.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Is there or is there not a rule against sending attachments to the list? Because the fanfic "Loises & Clarks" is showing up in my box as both tex= t and attached files, and the attached files are giving my mailer absolute fits -- I've been trying for the past 40 minutes to download my mail, wit= h very little success. It may be a terrific fanfic, but it's not endearing= itself to me at the moment. Maybe it's just my poor antiquated mail program, but I'm also just ornery enough to think that we should stick to text on principal; that makes the posts accessible to the widest amount of people. = Some people also send their posts as HTML files, which I can't read witho= ut a whole lot of trouble, so I delete those. Now, I'm not assuming that anyone cares a whole lot but I thought I'd mention it for those who just have Netscape (or whatever) set to a default and have been assuming that everyone out here could handle those. PJ who's getting enough sleep, really... !^NavFont02F03150006MGHHJ^AC2E ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 17 Apr 1999 16:53:23 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Sandy McDermin Subject: Fanfic Bloopers MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Someone recently mentioned the excellent term "fanfic bloopers" which reminded me of something I thought I'd share. I've been receiving both public and private feedback on "Little Man, Super" and enjoying every single sentence of it, but there were two comments which particularly got me scrambling to go back and see what in the world I had written -- one was drawing my attention to an out-and-out error but the other was quite interesting. Comment #1 (otherwise christened by me, "my Y2K problem"): >I'm about 1/3 the way through your newest story. I'm enjoying it >tremendously so far! The reason I'm writing is because there is one >*glaring* typo right at the beginning that I simply can't ignore and >*must* tell you about. I hope you don't mind. It's simple, really. I >quote below: >> Lois leveled a deadpan look, quickly dismissing his Pollyanna >>prediction. "As I said Clark, this isn't funny, nor is it Kansas. This >>is the 1990s in the suburbs of Metropolis. When your parents were >>raising you, there was no such person as Superman. No one had even >>dreamt that anyone could do what you do. What's more, no one was >>looking to make a connection between you and super powers. We don't >>have that luxury. You've heard the rumors. If anyone saw Jonny do >>*anything* -- anything at all -- all of this talk we've been trying to >>laugh off would suddenly become very serious -- most of all for him," >>she concluded in a sudden rush, waving toward their levitating son. >My problem is the reference to the 1990's. Given that Jonny is what, >seven years old?, this story would have to take place in the next >century, not in this one. :-) >So...I'm suggesting you change the 1990's reference to 'the 21st >century', or something like that. >You're probably thinking that I shouldn't get hung up on something like >this, but I *really* like what Lois says here, and I don't want your >reader to fall out of the story--that is, have their little suspenders of >disbelief slip off their shoulders, as happened to me. :-) Well, not only did *that* reader fall out of her suspenders, but so did I. (Real swift, McDermin. You were never very good at simple math.) I corrected that one as quickly as I could get Genevieve to ignore her family to post my change. ********** Comment #2 (the "hmm" blooper): >One thing in your story bothered me. When Clark finds Jonny at >Francie's apartment, she asks him how he found them. Clark tells her that >Bibbo sent him, but Clark wasn't at Bibbo's, Superman was. I have a feeling >you know this, but I'm not sure what your intention was. And I responded: >Actually, XXXX, I had no particular intention. I think we can call it >a mistake, but let's call it Clark's mistake and not mine..... >I wonder if anyone else will spot this. Good job. *********** However, the more I considered this second "catch," the more I thought, "what a great blooper!" Not only might Clark, being "only human," make such a mistake, but it also could make for an interesting follow-up story *if* the Francie character ever paused to think, "Well, Clark Kent said *he* got the information on my whereabouts from Bibbo, but Bibbo says he gave *Superman* the info." It made me stop and wonder whether I should even correct this blooper for I think it actually adds something very human (okay, it's *my* humanity, but I'll let Clark borrow it) to the story. So, have any of you ever made a blooper which enhanced a story rather than detracted from it, making you think, "hmm, not a *bad* mistake, after all?" Sandy smcdermin@erols.com http://www.erols.com/nightsky/Sandy/ ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 17 Apr 1999 17:42:57 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Peggy Mueller Subject: Re: Attachments MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sorry, Pam, and anyone else who's having problems. This is my fault; some of my emails were too large. My apologies. Peggy :-) gremlino@pathway.net -----Original Message----- From: Pam Jernigan To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU Date: Saturday, April 17, 1999 4:18 PM Subject: Attachments Is there or is there not a rule against sending attachments to the list? Because the fanfic "Loises & Clarks" is showing up in my box as both text and attached files, and the attached files are giving my mailer absolute fits -- I've been trying for the past 40 minutes to download my mail, with very little success. It may be a terrific fanfic, but it's not endearing itself to me at the moment. Maybe it's just my poor antiquated mail program, but I'm also just ornery enough to think that we should stick to text on principal; that makes the posts accessible to the widest amount of people. Some people also send their posts as HTML files, which I can't read without a whole lot of trouble, so I delete those. Now, I'm not assuming that anyone cares a whole lot but I thought I'd mention it for those who just have Netscape (or whatever) set to a default and have been assuming that everyone out here could handle those. PJ who's getting enough sleep, really... !^NavFont02F03150006MGHHJ^AC2E ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 17 Apr 1999 21:40:43 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kathy Brown Subject: Re: Attachments In-Reply-To: <199904171620_MC2-7260-F785@compuserve.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 4:20 PM -0400 4/17/99, Pam Jernigan wrote: >Is there or is there not a rule against sending attachments to the list? > Because the fanfic "Loises & Clarks" is showing up in my box as both text >and attached files, There is a rule about not sending attachments to the list, but in this case, it wasn't intentional on Peggy's part. She just made her parts too big for some people to read. In this case ... >Maybe it's just my poor antiquated mail program, I think it's your poor antiquated program. Seriously, though, AOLers seem to have the problem, but this is the first I've heard of a regular ISP. It must be your program, since I use Eudora Light (the free one) and I had no problem reading it. As for how to get rid of those attached files, have you tried setting your emailer so it only accepts files under a certain size limit? When I do that in Eudora, it skips anything on the server larger than that. Then I can go back and get the large files when I have more time, when the connection is more reliable, what have you. It's not as good as being able to delete a file on the server, but on the few occasions I've been in a bind like yours, this was how I got around it. Good luck! Kathy ______________________ Kathy Brown kathyb@springnet1.com KathyB on IRC ______________________ ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 13:06:19 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Eileen Barnard Subject: Help Please MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_01CC_01BE899C.3FE617A0" This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_01CC_01BE899C.3FE617A0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hello everyone Sorry to be asking for help yet again but as you are always so helpful, = I'm sure you can give me some information again. Could anybody tell me the usual start age for children to go to school = in America. I would like the set up explained to me if possible. In the UK most state educated children would start at a nursery school = >from approximately three years onwards and then graduate onto primary = school when they are five. They stay at primary school until they are = eleven and then go to a secondary school. Most schools are called = comprehensive schools and they stay there until they are sixteen, which = is when they sit their GCSE exams (General Certificate of Secondary = Education). Students who are going to take GCSE's have mock exams a = year before they sit the actual exam to try and determine what their = expected grades are and to find out if particular students need help in = certain areas to bring their grades up. Kids would then get the choice = of either leaving school or staying on at a sixth form college to sit = their A Level examinations (Advanced Level) and would apply to = university during the second year they are at the college. A lot of = kids choose to take a year out to work before they take up a university = place, so their formal education would finish around the ages of around = twenty one, twenty two. At public and private schools, the set up = varies but not by much and all schools have regular testing at the ages = of five, seven, eleven, thirteen and fifteen, with some schools holding = yearly school examinations - my sons go to a Technical College and they = have this. Could one of you kind FoLCs explain the American system to me - = particularly the beginning part when kids are just starting school. Thank you all in advance. Kind regards Eileen B eileen@barnard70.freeserve.co.uk ------=_NextPart_000_01CC_01BE899C.3FE617A0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Hello everyone
 
Sorry to be asking for help yet = again but as you=20 are always so helpful, I'm sure you can give me some information=20 again.
 
Could anybody tell me the usual = start age for=20 children to go to school in America.  I would like the set up = explained to=20 me if possible.
 
In the UK most state educated = children would=20 start at a nursery school from approximately three years onwards and = then=20 graduate onto primary school when they are five.  They stay at = primary=20 school until they are eleven and then go to a secondary school. Most = schools are=20 called comprehensive schools and they stay there until they are sixteen, = which=20 is when they sit their GCSE exams (General Certificate of Secondary=20 Education).  Students who are going to take GCSE's have mock exams = a year=20 before they sit the actual exam to try and determine what their expected = grades=20 are and to find out if particular students need help in certain areas to = bring=20 their grades up.  Kids would then get the choice of either leaving = school=20 or staying on at a sixth form college to sit their A Level examinations=20 (Advanced Level) and would apply to university during the second year = they are=20 at the college.  A lot of kids choose to take a year out to work = before=20 they take up a university place, so their formal education would finish = around=20 the ages of around twenty one, twenty two.  At public and private = schools,=20 the set up varies but not by much and all schools have regular testing = at the=20 ages of five, seven, eleven, thirteen and fifteen, with some schools = holding=20 yearly school examinations - my sons go to a Technical College and they = have=20 this.
 
Could one of you kind FoLCs explain = the American=20 system to me - particularly the beginning part when kids are just = starting=20 school.
 
Thank you all in advance.
 
Kind regards
Eileen B
eileen@barnard70.freeser= ve.co.uk
 
------=_NextPart_000_01CC_01BE899C.3FE617A0-- ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 17 Apr 1999 20:30:51 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Pam Jernigan Subject: New FOLC Alert: Pam's back :) Comments: To: Blind.Copy.Receiver@compuserve.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Okay, now that I've had my cranky post of the day, I thought I'd post something more positive ... (sorry, Peggy, for venting in your direction -- I figured out later that it was probably just Compuserve screwing up, and from what little I've seen of your story, it looks excellent, so I'm looking forward to reading it :-) Anyway, I am back from the hospital and in fine shape. Thanks, Chris, for posting Marissa's vital stats (both sets! ). Thanks, also, to everyone who's sent congratulations and good wishes, either publicly or privately -- I appreciate every note, even though I can't respond to everyone individually. I've always said that FOLCs are the nicest group = of people I know, and you guys just keep proving me right :-) What Chris didn't tell you guys is how exciting the labor and delivery really was! After two and a half weeks of false labor, the real thing went *extremely* quickly. (Warning: some details of labor follow, nothing= *too* gory, but delete now if you're really squeamish!) Things probably got started Tuesday night, but the contractions weren't regular or strong enough to impress me so I went to bed -- slept pretty well, only occasionally waking up to say "ow". I got up at = 6 and started timing contractions. They were three minutes apart, which is= pretty good, but they still didn't feel that strong to me -- the doctor wanted them to "hurt like hell" before I called her :-) By 7, I thought = I should call her anyway, due to how regular they were, and they were starting to hurt. She said, well, if I wanted I could go on to the hospital, but no need to rush -- take a shower, get your child care together, try to get there by 8:30. So I called my FOLC labor team -= - Chris to be my coach, and Tara to watch my anklebiter (Mikey, age 2). = By the time my team got there, it was 8, and my poor husband was extremely nervous. By this point, the contractions did indeed hurt like hell, but if I sat down and concentrated on my breathing I could handle them -- I was just worried that they were going to have to get worse. We= left for the hospital at 8:15, and were extremely fortunate to meet with light traffic; we got to the Birth Center by about 8:30. Admissions seem= ed to take forever, but that might have been because I was very impatient to= get in there and be given *drugs*! (Natural childbirth is a wonderful thing, I always say, and what could be more natural than drugs? ) Finally, we got into the delivery room, and they told me to get into the bathroom & change into their lovely designer gown. No sooner than I had gotten changed, when my water broke -- followed immediately by an overwhelming urge to push. When the nurses heard that, they immediately called for the doctor Upon examination, I was found to be fully dilated -- I still can't believe I went through transition without drugs!= = In my living room, no less Anyway, the labor room team went into high gear, and a few minutes and pushes later, Marissa was born -- right at 9am. Chris was rather upset a= t me, actually; she'd wanted me to keep her away from work longer So with such an easy birth, I've had a really smooth recovery. They kept offering me pain pills over the last two days, but my main complaint= was a backache from the mattress on the hospital bed and I didn't figure I should take narcotics just for that. Marissa is beautiful and healthy (already regained her birth weight). He= r big brother is taking things in his stride so far, mostly ignoring her. = That may change when Grammy goes home and Daddy goes back to work, but I have hopes :-) So, err, I'm home, and we're all fine, and thanks again to everyone :-) Pam !^NavFont02F0BAA0007MGHHRAC7F13 Pam Jernigan (jernigan@compuserve.com) ChiefPam on the IRC ~~~~~ http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/jernigan/folc.html ~~~~~ baby pictures due on the website Real Soon Now... ;-) ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 17 Apr 1999 23:30:50 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LabRat Subject: Re: Fanfic Bloopers MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit >So, have any of you ever made a blooper which enhanced a story rather >than detracted from it, making you think, "hmm, not a *bad* mistake, >after all?" > >Sandy All the time from this author, Sandy. Thankfully, I now have proofers who spot them *before* I post and give me the opportunity to capitalize on them. Thus leading to endless escapes from complete embarrassment. (I'm still stunned that only one person wrote to me to ask if I really meant Clark to think that he could handle kids in Spice because he had experience with his own nephews and nieces.....I meant cousins!! *Cousins!* Honest!) Actually, I've never found one blooper that didn't give me the opportunity to find some idea or narrative to add to a story which would never have occurred to me to include otherwise. That's why I love even critical feedback - working my way around bloopers never fails to inspire me, often backing me into narrative by default that becomes a personal favorite. The reason that my current magnificent octopus, Burnout has morphed to 160 pages is purely down to those proofers repeatedly saying things like, 'Hang on.....so how *did* Clark manage to divest Lois of her underwear without taking off her blouse then?' Leading me to write a feverish 5 paragraphs explaining just how. Then pretending that I knew how all along but just didn't get around to saying before then. ;) To whit: ********************* "No……no, I……please……no, I mean it. How?" She felt him sigh slightly, then nuzzle up against the line of her jaw. "Erghart's Fourth Law……" he murmured. Lois opened her eyes with a frown. "Erghart's Fourth Law?" Clark nodded, his eyes intent on the slow and sultry path his finger had begun tracing across her belly and ribs. Lois shuddered faintly with his touch and heard a soft sigh escape her lips. Her eyes drifted closed again. "Mmmm-hmmmm. Erghart's Fourth Law of Interstellar Juxtaposition. When two heavenly bodies collide……" Clark's softly hypnotic voice caressed her ear in explanation, "……clothing just gets in the way." Lois, who'd actually been suckered in for long enough to think he was giving her some serious theory, responded to this last by collapsing in hysterical laughter against the plastic sheeting. Clark looked down at her, grinning at her convulsions as she wrapped her arms around ribs that were already beginning to ache. ******************************* Here's to bloopers! Long may they reign. ;) LabRat :) Doc. Klein's LabRat labrat@ukf.net "When I hear someone sigh, "Life is hard," I'm always tempted to ask, "Compared to what?" - Sydney J. Harris ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 17 Apr 1999 21:15:31 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Sheila Harper Subject: Re: Attachments Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 05:42 PM 4/17/99 -0400, Peggy Mueller wrote: >Some >of my emails were too large. Peggy, are you aware that your posts were sent as text files followed by a repeat with html coding? Your part 4 was 70K when it reached me, and none of the parts were smaller than 29K; most were high 30's and low 40's. You might make sure you turn off the html coding before you send. Sheila sharper@cncc.cc.co.us ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 17 Apr 1999 22:12:35 EDT Reply-To: KCrane1865@aol.com Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kate Crane Subject: Re: Attachments MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 4/17/99 2:46:30 PM Pacific Daylight Time, gremlino@PATHWAY.NET writes: << Sorry, Pam, and anyone else who's having problems. This is my fault; some of my emails were too large. My apologies. Peggy :-) gremlino@pathway.net >> Peggy, It was indeed a challenge to cut, past and translate a part-mime thingy, but boy, it was worth the hastle. I thoroughly enjoyed this captivating fic and will definitely read it a few more times while waiting for the next installment??? I certainly hope you are not leaving us in suspense. * S P O I L E R * In particular: I was quite amused by the mistaken identity mixups, the jealousy exhibited by both Clarks, and the healthy libidos of all . A question and a concern: I was a little confused about : "Didn't you tell me you've been free-lancing to supplement the Kent's income?". . . . . "Yes, I submit articles under Clark's name and he gives the money to me," Why would he be supplementing the Kent's income, and if so, why would Clark give the supplemented income back to Alt-Clark? Might I suggest that the dinner trip to Atlanta and run-in with Perry might not seem so contrived if the Elvis convention was a surprise to them after they arrived. IMHO :) Awaiting ....more Thanks for a great read! Kate ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 17 Apr 1999 19:41:32 +0000 Reply-To: hess2@mindspring.com Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Claire Hess Subject: Re: Combo Re: Off Topic: Article in USA Today In-Reply-To: <000601be887d$877a95c0$0831e7d0@gremlino> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Since her post questioning me started a thread, below is a forward of my private email answer to Peggy. First, after reading Zoom, Sandy, and LabRat interesting pieces, I'd like to add that to me the only sin about rewriting a fanfic to your taste is saying in someway that you *corrected* the original. If an author's work inspires someone, then what they produce is an entirely new work. The new piece should have an acknowledgment of the inspiration, but it should not require the original author to endorse it. The first writer should be free to approve or politely but firmly, distance their concept from it. That said, however, my take on this list is that it is not for detailed critical analysis. Most of the writers here produce for fun, and those who want to train for professional can specifically ask for that kind of analysis. My own work is self-edited so fiercely that it never makes publication, but I never apply these standards to others fanfic, even when editing, unless specifically asked to do so. Forwarded Mail From: Self hess2@mindspring.com To: "Peggy Mueller" Subject: Re: Combo Re: Off Topic: Article in USA Today & Professional/Fanfiction Writers Date sent: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 17:02:26 >"Peggy Mueller" Wrote > Claire wrote: > > >By and large, my preference is to assume that each story is it's > >own Bible. > > I'm not sure if I'm interpreting you correctly here, Claire, but if > you're saying that each fanfic creates its own universe where the > characters conform to the author's own unique perspective on L & C, > then I agree completely. I love reading any creative fanfic, even > if L & C's behavior isn't in strict accordance with the characters > as developed in the show, or with my own interpretation of them. > :-) yes, thanks, that's what I'm saying. I'm a rather slow reader, in that when I find a story I like, I reread it many times, so I haven't read a lot of stories, and (like Zoom) I'm picky about which ones I read. Voting for the Kerths was hard, because I had to move on before I was ready to leave a lot of stories, but they have been fun to go back to since that time. After all that, once I accept the story, whatever they say in the story goes. Well, more or less. And some times, although I like the story, I really have trouble believing the characters are any kind of Lois and Clark, except that he wears the Suit. Actually, there's a story where she wears the Suit, but the characters are very good in that one, but maybe you see what I mean? > In particular, I love Lois revelation stories, whether Clark tells > her his secret or she discovers it on her own, whether she is angry, > thrilled, or totally blase about it. I've often thought that ABC > should do a "Groundhog Day" of Lois revelations, with Clark being > forced to repeat the revelation over and over again until he finally > gets it right! (Hint to Clark: don't ask Lois to marry you *before* > you reveal your secret. ;-) > Oh, Peggy, that would have been such fun. Too bad they didn't try something like that, although I did love their Mxyzptlk Christmas Episode, which was definitely of the 'Groundhog' persuasion. klair El A new P.S. for Peggy: please repost your fanfic. You wouldn't believe what a mess it is on my software. But the story looks like fun. I'm a bit of an Alt Junkie. (Thanks, Zoom, and Margaret, and Jeff, and Georgia, and super-mom, Pam, and ...) "Kent is a hack from Smallville. I couldn't make that name up." Lois Lane to Perry White; D. J. Levine, Pilot, Lois & Clark ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 17 Apr 1999 19:47:42 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Linda Mason Subject: Re: Attachments MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii --- Peggy Mueller wrote: > Sorry, Pam, and anyone else who's having problems. This is my fault; > some > of my emails were too large. > > My apologies. > > Also I think before anyone posts anything in whole or pieces that will exceed say 100k they should post a small LARGE POST warning. Some of us on free web-mail live on rather tight mail quotas. This way we can make room for the posts. === Linda Mason deanishot@yahoo.com _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 17 Apr 1999 19:23:21 -0600 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Debby Subject: Charactrs In-Reply-To: <2da60576.2449c14d@aol.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 06:49 AM 04/17/1999 -0400, Zoomway wrote: [snip] >Well, I was sent some VR5 fanfic once, but I had no idea who the characters >were, so it wasn't even a matter of them being interpreted by me as "right or >wrong" because I never saw the show.[snip] > >With fanfic, I want to be able to recognize the characters I fell in love >with, and if I can't, then the fanfic doesn't interest me. [snip] >The series introduced Lois and Clark to me and let me learn more >and more about them. It's that interpretation that I love to see in fanfic. >Again, just my preference. Here's a general question for everyone: what characteristics of CK, Lois, Lex, Perry, Jimmy, Martha, Jon, etc. one and all - do you expect to see in a story? What tells you that the person under the hood is the character if the author doesn't come right out and name he or him? What characteristics do you *not* expect to see attached to any of the characters? I think exploring this may help new writers go beyond stereotypes. Debby Debby@swcp.com ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 09:47:19 EDT Reply-To: Aerm1@aol.com Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Ann E. McBride" Subject: Re: Help Please MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 4/18/99 7:37:47 AM Eastern Daylight Time, eileen@BARNARD70.FREESERVE.CO.UK writes: << Could anybody tell me the usual start age for children to go to school in America. I would like the set up explained to me if possible. >> In the US, no child is required by law to go to school until the age of six, but most start at five ( it varies by a few months from state to state.) Here is the basic set up: 2-5 nursery school. This is strictly voluntary and unless a child is in a family living below the poverty line, parents must pay for it. There are free programs for poor children called Jump Start and Head Start. Children who are in daycare centers often do not go to nursery school. 5-6 kindergarten Required in most if not all states, sometimes half day, sometimes whole day. In some states a child must be 5 by Sept. 1 in others by Oct. 1 to begin kindergarten. One year. 6-11 elementary In most states, public ( state-supported ) schools have school students in first - fifth grade in one school. There may be standardized testing ( CAT, CTBS - achievement tests ), but again this varies from state to state and >from school district to district. None of these tests is used to judge whether or not a student may go on to the next grade. 12-14 middle 6th through 8th grade. In public systems students move on to school a larger school with a few more course options. If they pass all their classes, they move on to high school at the end of this three year period. Again, they may be tested but to judge schools and teachers, not kids. Many private and religious schools ( particularly the parochial Catholic schools) keep students from kindergarten through 8th grade. Many private high schools have students take entrance exams before admitting them. 14- 18 high Students go to high school for 4 years, from 9th to 12th grade. school In most high schools, students take a basic curriculum, but there are special technical schools, schools for students with talents in the arts or math, etc. in many large public systems. In October of their junior (11th ) year, many students take a test called the PSAT ( Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Exam). If they do extremely well (99th percentile), they qualify for a scholarship program called the National Merit program. They may then get scholarships to the university. At the end of junior or beginning of senior year, they take the SAT or the ACT which are college entrance exams. Many students take these more than once, trying to improve their scores. There are other factors which affect admission to college or university such as sports, extra-curricular activities, service to the community, etc. In most states a student can drop out of school at16, but they don't receive any sort of diploma and are usually looked upon as failures. As a dropout, they have a very difficult time finding a decent job. 18-22 college Students go to what the British call university, but what we call college. However, many large ones use the word University in their name. ( Boston College, Harvard University.) Some students take a year off to work or travel, but not too many. Almost all undergraduate programs last 4 years, but some take 5. Fields like law and medecine require 3-4 years of undergraduate school and 3-4 of post graduate study. Hopes this helps. Ann ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 10:37:40 EDT Reply-To: Larus2407@aol.com Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: No Name Available Subject: Re: Help Please Comments: To: Aerm1@aol.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 99-04-18 09:55:06 EDT, Aerm1@AOL.COM writes: << In some states a child must be 5 by Sept. 1 in others by Oct. 1 to begin kindergarten. >> And in my area (Long Island, NY) they have to be 5 by Dec. 1, so our kids are a bit younger than elsewhere. Most kids have graduated high school by 18 and college by 21 (though I personally know a bright young man who finished his college before he was 20--I think he took a lot of Advanced Placement [college level] classes in high school). In this area, it's more typical now to have K-5, 6-8, and 9-12 schools, but I'm also seeing some school districts now going K-2 (primary), 3-5(intermediate), 6-8 (middle), 9-12 (high) and a few even have separate kindergarten centers. I also know some that start K-4 and then either 5-6 or 5-8... Just too confusing as really all the rules are made on the state level and the grade divisions on the local level--often because of population size and distribution, bussing time tables, and school space. --Laurie (the Ord one) ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 12:05:47 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Maggie Subject: Off Topic/On Topic Babbling MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hey FoLCs! I've just had a crazy (but Super!) week, and I feel the need to share a couple of my little adventures with you. Hope you don't mind.... First in the "directly related to Fanfic" section : I had to fly from New York back to Miami this week. I haven't had too much time to read fanfics lately, but if I know I will be on a plane, I plan ahead. Nothing soothes Airport Tension better than a good Fanfic! I had printed out Little Man, Super (in that wonderful 7pt, 2 column, front and back FoLC style one of you lovely Geniuses suggested!) and I was very excited to read the story as I had very much enjoyed the previous installments of the Adventures of the Kents in Utopia. Due to the fact the plane was number 25 to depart, the flight was just a *teensy* bit delayed and I actually got to read the whole story in one sitting. The same thing that happened to me with "For the Good of the Child" happened to me here. The plane could have stayed on the runway all night, I could have cared less. As you all know my version of critical analysis is: Oh! I loved the part where Clark picked up Jonny at Francie's apartment. And the whole Mrs. Wicca escapade was just delightful! Oh! and I noticed the blooper!! I made mental note: *why* is Clark saying that!?!? Hello!?! Duh!?!?! :o) (crossing fingers that little slip leads to another installment in the series! Bloopers are a good thing. Yes they are! ;o)) Anyway, I *loved* the story, Thanks Sandy! *and* I wasn't even mildly annoyed that the plane took off a whole hour late. Really. Okay, now on to the "Not related to Fanfic but related to Folcdom section" ****helpful hint: stop reading now if digressions annoy you, because this is a big one **** As everyone here knows, I just love being a little FoLC. I think you guys are just the coolest, I own a computer because of you and I have discovered a wonderful world on online friends thanks to my FoLC experience. I recently started posting on some Message Boards we call a Forum for a Spanish Novela that I watch (and love). It's amazing how the girls there remind me of you guys. Funny, intelligent, creative people, who happen to have wonderful taste in television programming Well, imagine this scenario: LnC is still on the air, let's say in it's final weeks. You just found out Dean is going to be on Oprah next week. You post this info to the list and a group decides to come from all over to see the show in person and meet him. And luckily for you, Oprah's studio just happens to be right in your back yard. Well, I think that's the best way for me to explain what happened to me this week. Last week one of the girls found out the star of our Novela would be on the Cristina show (Spanish Oprah-style show) this Friday. Seventeen of us online friends got together and went on the spur of the moment. In less than week, everything was coordinated, airline tickets were bought, bags were packed, and a great adventure begun. We were special guest of the show, they dedicated a whole segment to Online Fandom. Guy Ecker, the actor we went to see was just delighted. He actually visits the forum and reads our posts and he told the story of how he went to the forum and no one believed it was him. People told him, don't be mean, it's not nice to impersonate someone etc. etc. Once they verified it truly *was* him, the site crashed because it got too many hits. He actually crashed the site 3 times before the forum hostess said, Look, we love you, but you've got to stop showing up like this! (they set up a special night where he came for 2 hours for a question and answer session) After the show he even recorded a special message for the website saying, "see! it's really me!" and thanking everyone for supporting his career. Anyway, I tell you all this story because besides meeting Guy (which is in the Dean-Levels- of-Coolness section of my Universe) meeting online friends in person for the first time was an unforgettable and truly wonderful experience. At first we were all a little nervous and excited, but by the end of the day we all felt like we had known each other forever. I kept thinking of you guys, because I never would have come online if it wasn't for you. And thanks to that I have this whole new group of friends *and* had an incredible adventure too! Thank you ALL for keeping Folcdom alive and for all the truly super*lative experiences it has brought to my life...... Maggie who has been on Cloud Nine since Friday and is seriously considering zoning it as residential property and staying there maggie13@bellsouth.net (aka supermags on IRC) There are no short cuts to any place worth going. Anonymous ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 15:05:28 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Pam Jernigan Subject: Re: Attachments Comments: To: Blind.Copy.Receiver@compuserve.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 >> I think it's your poor antiquated program. << No, I don't think so, now that I've seen Sheila's post about duplicate posts with html coding. Netscape seems to be set up with a default of sending both text and html messages, and I think a lot of people have no idea that it's doing that, and that some mailers (like maybe Eudora) hand= le it by trashing the duplicate. Not that my program is perfect, tho, I know it's got serious limitations.= I really ought to just junk the whole account, but I've used it for so lo= ng that I'm sentimentally attached... >> As for how to get rid of those attached files, have you tried setting your emailer so it only accepts files under a certain size limit? << I don't think it has that option, but I'll check it out in Netscape (whic= h is what I use on my bellsouth account); that sounds like an extremely han= dy tip. Thanks, Kathy :-) PJ !^NavFont02F02C9001DMGJHGrMGtHHC9MHCBHI39MI3BHICB38F0 Pam Jernigan (jernigan@compuserve.com) ChiefPam on the IRC ~~~~~ http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/jernigan/folc.html ~~~~~ baby pictures due on the website Real Soon Now... ;-) ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 15:08:33 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Pam Jernigan Subject: Re: Combo Re: critiques/group writing Comments: To: Blind.Copy.Receiver@compuserve.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Meant to send this to the list ... Sorry, Claire, for spamming you with it twice :-) Klaire-El wrote: >> That said, however, my take on this list is that it is not for detailed critical analysis. Most of the writers here produce for fun, and those who want to train for professional can specifically ask for that kind of analysis. << Thank you, Claire, for saying what I've been thinking. I agree that most= of us are just here to mess around and have fun. I personally welcome a good critique, and try very hard to look at it in a positive light and learn from it, but I know many others who aren't expecting to face that kind of analysis. And since writing is such a personal thing, criticism c= an be an extremely painful experience. I know that Sandy, for instance, has= the best intentions in posting her comments, but obviously those comments= are not always received in the spirit in which they were intended. (If that sentence made any sense!) Perhaps the best thing to do would be to contact the author privately, first, to see if they'd appreciate that kin= d of public review. To get back to an earlier topic ... this is one of the things that I enjoyed about writing for the S5/S6 seasons ... All the episodes are pre-posted to the writing/editing group *before* publication, and all the= team members (supposedly ) take the time to read the episode and catch= typos, characterization problems, plot holes, etc. Then those comments a= re posted back to the entire group, so that we can debate on how to fix the problems, whether they really were such problems, etc. I have to say tha= t I learned a lot, last year, just from reading these internal critiques --= even from seeing comments on other people's work. And when I posted "It'= s Time", I received a lot of feedback, and while I didn't agree with all of= it, there were some things that made me hit myself on the head and say "duh, Pam, of course you need to change that, it's much better this way..= ." So I suppose my point (opinion) is that a detailed critique has its place= , but I don't believe this list is the place. PJ !^NavFont02F06A30015MGHHG54MG56HHVMHXHMA4E924 Pam Jernigan (jernigan@compuserve.com) ChiefPam on the IRC ~~~~~ http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/jernigan/folc.html ~~~~~ baby pictures due on the website Real Soon Now... ;-) ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 16:02:27 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Sandy McDermin Subject: Re: Combo Re: critiques/group writing MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Pam Jernigan wrote: > Meant to send this to the list ... Sorry, Claire, for spamming you with > it twice :-) > > Klaire-El wrote: > >> That said, however, my take on this list is that it is not for > detailed critical analysis. Most of the writers here produce for > fun, and those who want to train for professional can specifically > ask for that kind of analysis. << > > Thank you, Claire, for saying what I've been thinking. I agree that most > of us are just here to mess around and have fun. I personally welcome a > good critique, and try very hard to look at it in a positive light and > learn from it, but I know many others who aren't expecting to face that > kind of analysis. And since writing is such a personal thing, criticism can > be an extremely painful experience. I know that Sandy, for instance, has > the best intentions in posting her comments, but obviously those comments > are not always received in the spirit in which they were intended. (If > that sentence made any sense!) Perhaps the best thing to do would be to > contact the author privately, first, to see if they'd appreciate that kind > of public review. So, let me understand.... No comments on a story -- not even those which are strictly laudatory -- are to be posted to the list unless the reader contacts the author privately first and asks permission. I think it's unfair to treat so-called "critical" comments differently than other types. For instance, my review of your story was complimentary but it also brought up a "critical" point. The same could be said of my review of Chris' episode, although I had a lot more to say because her story raised more questions with me. > To get back to an earlier topic ... this is one of the things that I > enjoyed about writing for the S5/S6 seasons ... All the episodes are > pre-posted to the writing/editing group *before* publication, and all the > team members (supposedly ) take the time to read the episode and catch > typos, characterization problems, plot holes, etc. Then those comments are > posted back to the entire group, so that we can debate on how to fix the > problems, whether they really were such problems, etc. I have to say that > I learned a lot, last year, just from reading these internal critiques -- > even from seeing comments on other people's work. And when I posted "It's > Time", I received a lot of feedback, and while I didn't agree with all of > it, there were some things that made me hit myself on the head and say > "duh, Pam, of course you need to change that, it's much better this way..." I agree 100%. S5 was a very good experience -- one of the best I've had as a folc. I wish more could have shared in it. > So I suppose my point (opinion) is that a detailed critique has its place, > but I don't believe this list is the place. Would you consider my review of your and Chris' episodes detailed? Sandy smcdermin@erols.com ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 16:24:59 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Peggy Mueller Subject: Reposting Comments: To: hess2@mindspring.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit >A new P.S. for Peggy: please repost your fanfic. You wouldn't believe what a mess it is on my software. But the story looks like fun. I'm a bit of an Alt Junkie. (Thanks, Zoom, and Margaret, and Jeff, and Georgia, and super-mom, Pam, and ...) I'll send you the story privately (appropriately divided into smaller parts by a chastened Peggy) rather than re-posting to the List since it's such a large story, and some people have mentioned problems with large postings. Peggy :-) gremlino@pathway.net ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 17:25:02 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Peggy Mueller Subject: Re: Charactrs MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit From: Debby >Here's a general question for everyone: what characteristics of CK, Lois, Lex, >Perry, Jimmy, Martha, Jon, etc. one and all - do you expect to see in a story? "Uh, uh, uh, great shades of Elvis! What in Sam Hill are we doin' here?" said Perry. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 17:24:38 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Karen Ward Subject: Re: Combo Re: critiques/group writing In-Reply-To: <199904181508_MC2-7273-B801@compuserve.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Hi, all! :) Pam said (btw, great to hear everything's going well, Pam!): >So I suppose my point (opinion) is that a detailed critique has its place, >but I don't believe this list is the place. Hmm . . . this comment has lead to me to thinking (a remarkable feat in and of itself ), and I hesitate to ask this question because I certainly don't want to offend anyone or ruffle anyone's feathers, but if we can't make critical comments on fanfic (both positive and negative), then what is the purpose of this list? Personally, I post my fanfic here prior to posting it to the fanfic archive with the very hope of getting detailed critiques. It's a great way to get a variety of suggestions on how to improve my fic. I'll admit that there has been the occasional comment that did not sit too well with me, but I'm always interested to hear how other people interpret my work whether it's good or bad. I treasure every last peice of feedback I've received here because it has all contributed, in some way, to my growth as a human being. If there's one thing I've learned from posting my work here it's that my portrayals of L&C won't satisfy everyone no matter how hard I try, so the only person I should really aim to satisfy is myself. As for public criticism, I actually prefer it because, as happened recently with a fanfic I posted here, it gives other FoLCs a chance to respond to it also. Having others people jump to my defense on a comment someone else said about my story not only boosts my ego, but gives me more perspective with which to view all critical comments. However, I recognize that not everyone shares my candid view of public criticism and I respect that. Perhaps Pam's suggestion to get the author's permission before posting criticism to the list is a good one. Or does it infringe on the critic's freedom of speech? Hmm . . . Karen :) who's jury is still out on this debate :) ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 19 Apr 1999 00:22:22 +0300 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Hazel Brown Subject: Love Me Tender RR Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Hi, Just came back from vacation and resubscribed. I tried to download the logs that I missed -- wow, talk about a *lot* of catching up to do! For some reason, I couldn't get my e-mail (Eudora) to download two logs -- among them, the one in which the RR "Love Me Tender" was posted. Is there some way to find individual posts in the list's archive, or could someone send it to me? Thanks! Hazel ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 18:03:00 -0600 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: marlene macdougall Subject: Re: To Critique or not to Critique? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Hello all - :) Margaret Brignell wrote: >This is probably not a very "professional" attitude, but I'm *not* a >professional writer. I write for fun and to give others pleasure. I do >not aspire to becoming a professional writer. >As for fanfic, I just want to write a story that people enjoy. To be >publically critiqued feels to me that I'm being judged on standards I had >no intention of meeting in the first place. > ********I agree with Margaret's comments above . Also, I don't believe this list is set up to critique fanfic. My understanding is, it was set up to distribute fanfic to those who wanted to receive it. Maybe I'm wrong but that is why I joined this list to receive fanfic. If someone wants to post their fanfic asking for help writing it/or editorial assistance etc that is fine too. But I don't think you should assume that because someone posts their fanfic here they are looking for criticism or editorial assistance. I have written some fanfic (not in the big leagues like Sheila, Chris etc though ;) and I feel comments should be made privately. Just my humble opinion that I send out to this list :) Marlene (macdougm@cadvision.com) We must have courage, faith and chocolate! ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 22:35:06 EDT Reply-To: Larus2407@aol.com Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: No Name Available Subject: Re: To Critique or not to Critique? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 99-04-18 21:40:41 EDT, macdougm@CADVISION.COM writes: << My understanding is, it was set up to distribute fanfic to those who wanted to receive it. >> ALso to discuss writing fanfic and the stories themselves, which I believe is what I've seen here on this list. If I have a bunch of nitpicks (typos and grammatical comment) I probably wouldn't feel that those would be appropriate to post to the list. But comments on a story? Sure. --Laurie (the Ord one) ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 20:41:59 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Margaret Brignell Subject: Re: To Critique or not to Critique? In-Reply-To: <2.2.32.19990417162406.006c1d68@sheepskin.cs.indiana.edu> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 11:24 AM 4/17/1999 -0500, Farah wrote: > I suggest to the authors that want private email to post something >like "Comments are welcomed at me@here.com." or "Private comments are welcomed." > Thanks Farah, I'll keep this in mind in the future. I have the "send comments to me@here.com" at my web site, but I hadn't thought of doing it when posting to this list. Claire said: >Most of the writers here produce for >fun, and those who want to train for professional can specifically >ask for that kind of analysis. That was my assumption. I guess I should have paid attention to that old adage about assume (it makes an 'ass' out of 'u' and 'me') Karen Ward said: >I post my fanfic here prior to posting it to the fanfic archive >with the very hope of getting detailed critiques. The only reason I post my fanfic to *this* list is because some FoLC have no other way of reading it (i.e. they don't have Web access, and it makes more sense for me to post once than to send out the same byte-size e-mails a dozen times;\) I post to give everyone an opportunity to read the fic I write. I still prefer to have any comments sent to me directly. Like I said in an earlier post, I'm a private person. I prefer to keep my communication one on one. If others want to have their work discussed in the public arena, that's fine by me. But please understand that not everyone is that extroverted. Margaret ****************************** Margaret Brignell brignell@capitalnet.com Ottawa, Canada %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% My fanfic now available at: http://www.capitalnet.com/~brignell/ ****************************** ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 17:37:11 PDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Rachel TenHaaf Subject: Re: Combo Re: critiques/group writing Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain I've been quite a lurker lately, but I felt compelled to add my little bit on this topic for what it's worth. As a newer FoLC and an *extremely* new writer of fanfic, I have to say I have mixed feelings about all of this. So far, I haven't dared post a story to this list b/c of the people who are on it. You are all so good, and I'm just learning. However, I have posted on another list and the reviews there were, um, interesting. I always appreciate constructive criticism as well as praise. I think the whole criticism bit is partly in how it's phrased. If someone asks me something like: Why did you choose to portray Clark in such a way? I've always felt... I wouldn't mind that being posted to the list. If, however, they say: I thought that was really off. Why in the world did you write that? You're completely wrong, I would be completely humiliated and probably never post again. I don't think that anyone wants people to say they really loved a story, however, if they have reservations about it. I can't say I get a real thrill from people who write me two lines of feedback, saying: I loved your story. Please write more. I always wonder just how much of it they read. It's nice, but not really conducive to writing more. Well, now that I've shared nothing adn everything I'll hop back into my corner :) Rachel TH rae@usXchange.net _______________________________________________________________ Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 19 Apr 1999 13:26:35 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Wendy Richards Subject: Re: To Critique or not to Critique? In-Reply-To: <3.0.5.32.19990418204159.007ccdc0@mail.capitalnet.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII Hi everyone, Jumping in late on this thread - I don't read my work email account over the weekend, and because of the time difference I didn't see any of the Friday postings until this morning. I've read through all of the postings on this thread, from those who feel the list should be just for posting fanfic, those who disagree over the type of feedback which should be posted, and those who welcome criticism on this forum. Margaret, I do sympathise with your views on the subject, and I can understand how some authors might be reluctant to leave themselves open for public criticism. However, I think my own views are pretty much along the lines of Karen's; as she said: > >I post my fanfic here prior to posting it to the fanfic archive > >with the very hope of getting detailed critiques. I don't post all my fic to this list (Farah heaves huge sigh of relief thinking of the huge amount of bandwidth which would be occupied otherwise, I'm sure...). When I do post a story here first, it's usually because I'm unsure about it in some way and I'm therefore looking for feedback to enable me to revise it. I certainly did that with 'Perfect Match?', and received a *lot* of constructive comments from FOLCS, plenty of which disagreed with each other as well as me. I ended up deciding that I agreed with some of the opinions expressed, disagreed with others, was probably never going to satisfy everyone anyway, and so I revised the story in a way which made sense to *me*. It's now been edited for the Archive [thanks Erin ;)] and should be up there in a week or so. I know it's a better story thanks to the help I received, and I am very grateful to everyone who contributed, publicly or privately, to the discussion. I don't always want to do that - partly because of the sheer volume of my output :( but also partly because with some stories I get to the point where I just don't *want* to do any more rewriting, apart >from dealing with any problems the Archive editor may point up. I would agree, therefore, with whoever it was who commented that if a story is posted to the Archive and not here (sorry, can't rememeber who said it), then this is not the most appropriate forum for detailed criticism. However, as someone who was surprised and delighted to see one of her recent (posted to the Archive) stories being mentioned here (It Happened one (Super) Night), I wouldn't like to argue that *no* Archive story be mentioned here. It is an excellent way of pointing readers to good stories they may have missed - I hope Erin, whose 'What it Means to Love You' was also, deservedly, mentioned here, would agree with me. Well, this is my personal view, and is how I like to be able to use the list to help me as a writer. I do also enjoy reading other writers' new works here first, especially when a new author surprises and delights us all with an excellent and breathtaking story (hi Irene!). I've enjoyed the discussions we've had here in the last month or so about particular fanfics we've enjoyed, what we liked about them and so on. Sure, there are times when private feedback to the author might be more appropriate: we all need to be sensitive to writers' feelings. All of us who are writers know how much courage it takes to post our work for others to read. It doesn't actually get any easier, no matter how often we've done it ;) I don't know how we can get around the issue of those who feel as Margaret does - that is also a perfectly legitimate viewpoint. Just because I'm happy to have my work discussed here - just because I pose it here because I *want* discussion of it - does not imply that everyone who posts their work here wants that sort of response. Maybe we could start indicating, in the 'story intro', whether we're happy to have feedback publicly *and* privately, or privately only? Just my thoughts - sorry it' so long. Best wishes everyone, Wendy ---------------------- Wendy Richards w.m.richards@hrm.keele.ac.uk ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 19 Apr 1999 12:54:30 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Wendy Richards Subject: Re: VD vignette In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII Hey Nicole :) Just now got around to reading your VD vignette, and I thoroughly agree with the feedback so far. It's excellent; very well written, and *so* in character. How about posting it to the Archive so more FOLCs can read it? And do let us see some more of your writing, Best wishes, Wendy ---------------------- Wendy Richards w.m.richards@hrm.keele.ac.uk ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 19 Apr 1999 12:01:55 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LabRat Subject: To Critique Or Not To Critique MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hey there! Hey, guys, come on, you're starting to depress me. And now I'm confused. I *didn't* join this list just to receive fanfic and I didn't think that's what it was all about. I'm not saying that to be irritating (I can do that easily enough in other ways as many of you already know) or to take a swipe at what anyone else has said. I am genuinely confused. As far as I understood when I subscribed to the list it was for all things fanfic. All things. FoLCs posting fanfic, the jab and thrust of healthy debate and discussion on fanfic, critique, opinions, questions, ideas......and to be honest if it was just the odd story post I'd be bored. Not that I haven't read some excellent stories here! But, hey, I'm a writer. Ideas and opinions and debate on fanfic are my life's blood. Maybe Farah could clear this one up and reiterate for us newbies what the criteria and aims of the list are. (I'm not talking about flames btw, just simple differing opinions and critiques. But then I don't think I've ever read any flames here....at least not about fanfic. ) On the second point of this thread - public critique -v- private critique - to be honest I don't see how a writer can *stop* people discussing her fanfic in public. (yes I know there are guys who write too, but for the sake of brevity bear with me) You might stifle debate on this list, ban it completely, banish it out of the realm, but people will still talk about the story in private email with their friends, on IRC, on mbs.....how are you going to stop them? IMO, a writer may 'prefer' private critiques on their work all they like, but they can't reasonably *expect* them. You have to go into posting a story to such a wide reaching public forum as the net with your eyes wide open. Realize that you will invariably at some point have your work mentioned in public somewhere along the line and be prepared to deal with it. Otherwise you're letting yourself in for some serious pain. At a purely personal level, I've already been on record as giving my pov. But from the pov of those who disagree, I can only offer this humble advice......the key word is public. You are posting to a *public* forum. Ergo, the public will read your work and they will discuss it. Mostly. In the words of one of our most favorite sons, "No passion in the world is equal to the passion to alter someone else's draft." (H.G. Wells) ;) Unless it's a really, really bad story and they just don't care. Which I think is another key word. They care. Whether it's an outpouring of love and they think your story is the best thing since War and Peace or a scathing point by point tearing apart of your most favorite narrative which leaves you whimpering and huddled in a fetal ball in a darkened room......they care. And that to me is the most marvelous thing in the world. That I managed, somewhere along the line, even in a negative sense, to provoke some emotion in someone who read my work. My big fear would be complete apathy. But, I do sympathize with those writers who don't enjoy or want public discussion of their stories - and Demi's (I think it was Demi. Apologies to the owner if it wasn't) idea of putting such a message on the work is an excellent one - but again, it's simple, human nature to trumpet a story you adored to your fellow FoLCs in case they miss out on the experience......or nitpick something that irked you......or point up some glaring plot error.....a writer can't really escape it, even if they want to. (And again, I reiterate, just in case of confusion , that I personally don't mind or care who discusses my stories, where or how, but that I recognize other writers do.) Sometimes that nitpicking can be pretty harshly worded or unwelcome. I'm reminded here of the FoLC who sent me a detailed 8 page diagram and thesis explaining her misgivings that Clark's aura could maintain the exact pound per square inch ratio of.....whatever.....to let Lois breathe underwater after I posted my nfic Hook, Line & Sinker. Hook was far-fetched? About as far-fetched IMO as guys who can fly, alien invasion, time travel and dead authors popping up to help you out of trouble every now and then. Personally, I think Hook was just a piece of whimsy that didn't need to be examined too hard. All I was interested in doing with it was giving Lois and Clark some private, quality time together on a rare afternoon free of work. But that's just my opinion. And she was entitled to hers. Would I have been offended or annoyed if she'd posted her opinion here on the list instead of privately to me? Actually, no. Because it would have given me the chance to publicly put across my pov, not only to her, but to the 2 dozen others who were probably quietly thinking the same thing but just hadn't bothered to write and tell me. I might even have changed a few of their minds if my explanation was logical enough. How often have I read some writer's response to a nitpick or character query here on the list about a story I've read and thought 'Oh, so *that's* why......' Of course, if I'd written to the writer instead of being lazy about it I'd have gotten the answer too, but that's another story. But I recognize that that's just my pov and that other writers are shy or uncertain or just plain private people who don't share it. That's fine. I'm not decrying that. I respect your feelings on the subject and your pov. What I'm saying is that sometimes what you want, what you need, you aren't going to get and if you take the plunge and submit your story publicly you just have to brace yourself for the 'unpleasant' side of fanfic - that your readers might just want to talk about your work. And not just to you. I'm sure that - FoLCs being nice, helpful people as I've always found - if you make your views on public critiques known with the story most of them will try their hardest to accommodate you. But there will be those who forget, or who disagree with the writer that she's entitled to make the request and who will still go public. Personally, I don't think they should be castigated for that. Such is life. You just have to roll with the punches. LabRat :) Doc. Klein's LabRat labrat@ukf.net "When I hear someone sigh, "Life is hard," I'm always tempted to ask, "Compared to what?" - Sydney J. Harris ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 19:37:26 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Elisabeth Subject: Re: To Critique or not to Critique? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii With James permission, I am forwarding two e-mail that my husband and I recently exchanged on the subject of constructive criticism. My purpose is to show how we looked at the critiques in two totally different ways. I have no problem telling him which parts of his writing I loved and which parts still need work, but he saw this in an entirely different perspective. Read on for more insight. > James, > > Just a quick note to say how much I appreciated > your criticism of my story. I think that was > the first time you ever suggested a word change > without me begging you to be super critical. > You're finally treating me like a writer of merit, > instead of as a weak, childlike author who needs to > be coddled into a false sense of confidence. > Thanks for letting me take the training wheels off > and ride in the real world. > > Love always, > > > Elisabeth I never thought of it as treating you as a childlike author. Until recently I didn't want to be a brute and ride rough shod over what you have written. Besides most everything you write is good and it just struck me as being totally out of character for you. Thank you for reminding me that you are made of sterner stuff. Love James. === Elisabeth Feel free to visit my home at http://geocities.com/Area51/Starship/7859 _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 19 Apr 1999 06:53:55 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Jocelyn R Hoffman Subject: Re: Help Please MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii It differs in different school systems (i.e. states, counties, etc.) But, here (North Carolina) a child might go to preschool but that isn't mandatory. A child starts Kindergarten at about 5 and goes on in elementry school until 5th grade or so. Then they go to middle school (or junior high) for 6th, 7th, and 8th. Then, there's high school for grades 9th - 12th. And then you graduate. There isn't any tests like that - unless you drop out of high school and you can take your GED (General Eceqilency (sp?) Diploma). Then there's college! Speaking of which . . .I'm late for class! ~Jocelyn === Jocelyn R Hoffman dreaminglight@yahoo.com jocelynr@hotmail.com ICQ # 17261915 <>< _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 19:04:00 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Elisabeth Subject: Re: Combo Re: Off Topic: Article in USA Today MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii --- Peggy Mueller wrote: > This is where we differ, then. While I *prefer* > stories where L & C stay in > character (after all, love of L&CTNAOS is what drew > me to fanfic in the > first place!), I still enjoy stories where they > aren't necessarily in > character, or that differ from my own interpretation > of their characters. A > good story is a good story, no matter what. > Unless the writing style or grammar is so poor that > it makes the story > incomprehensible, bad grammar usually doesn't stop > me from enjoying a > fanfic. I've read many fanfics that moved me to > tears or laughter because > the author still managed to get his/her point acorss > in spite of the poor > grammar. It sounds like we differ on grammatical views. I find poor grammar and punctuation to be a great distraction. However, after reading stories written >from all forms of the English language, I've enough adapted to spelling differences that outright errors don't bother me anymore. (Well, not much. It still bugs me to see alot, instead of a lot.) === Elisabeth Feel free to visit my home at http://geocities.com/Area51/Starship/7859 _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 19 Apr 1999 08:57:29 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Tull, James [CORP/STL]" Subject: Re: Attachments MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" >From MR. D8A's work email FYI Yahoo mail thought all of Peggy's were attachments. But MS Outlook handled it fine. This thread is good for those that have not posted a story yet(we're working hard to get to that point!)because it reminds us that not all tech is created equally. Again Peggy's story is superb and worth the hassle of getting it, even if you have to use snail mail. MR. D8A A.K.A. James Looking forward to the baby pictures Pam. Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path. Please visit and explore my house at: http://www.geocities.com/area51/starship/7859 mailto:mr_d8a@yahoo.com -----Original Message----- From: Peggy Mueller [mailto:gremlino@PATHWAY.NET] Sent: Saturday, April 17, 1999 4:43 PM To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU Subject: Re: Attachments Sorry, Pam, and anyone else who's having problems. This is my fault; some of my emails were too large. My apologies. Peggy :-) gremlino@pathway.net ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 19 Apr 1999 13:02:09 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Wendy Richards Subject: Re: Closet fanfic writers In-Reply-To: <199904161933.UAA23453@radius.connectfree.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII Hi Yvonne, Yvonne wrote: > this is my big moment - when I come out of the shadows and > post my first message . > Welcome to the 'public' world of the FOLC community! > The thing is, I've been talking to a fellow fanfic writer about who amongst > our friends and family know that we write L&C fanfic, and I got to > wondering what the rest of you do. Are you all bolder than brass, tell > everyone types, or are there some 'closet' fanfic writers out there > like me? Yes... that was me, wasn't it? The only person in my life who knows is my husband; I told him almost from the beginning and he's been very encouraging - particularly on Kerth night when he sat up with me holding my hand ;). He *has* read some of my stories - he always watches L&C with me - though he isn't a fan of fanfic, even when it's a programme like Star Trek of which he is a junkie. But I think lately he thinks I'm writing too much... and who knows, maybe I am. So far, I haven't got up the courage to tell any of my friends, and since most of my family lives in Ireland they don't need to know what I spend much of my free time doing! So other than my husband, the only people who know what I do are members of the FOLC community. But then, who needs any more support and encouragement when I have you guys? You are *great*! :) Wendy ---------------------- Wendy Richards w.m.richards@hrm.keele.ac.uk ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 19 Apr 1999 07:44:04 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Sandy McDermin Subject: Re: Off Topic/On Topic Babbling MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Maggie wrote: > I had printed out Little Man, Super > (in that wonderful 7pt, 2 column, front > and back FoLC style one of you lovely > Geniuses suggested!) and I was very > excited to read the story as I had > very much enjoyed the previous installments > of the Adventures of the Kents in Utopia. > The same thing that happened to me with > "For the Good of the Child" happened to me here. > The plane could have stayed on the runway all night, > I could have cared less. As you all know my version > of critical analysis is: Oh! I loved the part where > Clark picked up Jonny at Francie's apartment. > And the whole Mrs. Wicca escapade was just > delightful! Oh! and I noticed the blooper!! > I made mental note: *why* is Clark saying that!?!? > Hello!?! Duh!?!?! :o) First off, thank you, Maggie, for being so complimentary. You've got to be the most enthusiasic fanfic reader I've come across. But, the question is, do I keep the blooper in? What do you think? I've been meaning to take care of a few corrections to the story -- missing quote mark, that kind of thing -- and I have also thrown in a line or two in to make Clark *not* say what he so stupidly did. But, I don't know. It might not be a bad thing to leave hanging out there, considering the potential it holds for future complications. > (crossing fingers that little slip leads to another > installment in the series! Bloopers are a good > thing. Yes they are! ;o)) Well, I must admit, that's a thought I've had too. But, right now I'm working on a short story that I might try and enter in a contest, depending on how it turns out. > Anyway, I *loved* the story, Thanks Sandy! > *and* I wasn't even mildly annoyed that the plane > took off a whole hour late. Really. Hmm, Maggie, it appears to me you might be booking yourself on unreliable airlines to satisfy a subconscious desire to read fanfic in airport terminals. I can understand wanting to read fanfic but why the unusual milieu? > > > Okay, now on to the "Not related > to Fanfic but related to Folcdom section" Your story really made me smile. It reminded me so much of all the reports made to the Lois and Clark list over the years when groups of folcs have been able to meet each other -- and the overwhelming excitement when that also involved someone who worked on the show. You really did a great job of explaining it and making me feel your emotions. Why aren't you writing? Or, are you? > Maggie > who has been on Cloud Nine since Friday You must have an incredible amount of frequent flyer mileage. Take care -- really, Sandy smcdermin@erols.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 19 Apr 1999 12:42:51 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LabRat Subject: Fw: Virus warning on Christian message Comments: To: Undisclosed.Recipients@radius.connectfree.net MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0090_01BE8A62.7A50DB20" This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0090_01BE8A62.7A50DB20 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Passing this along to everyone, guys. Sorry if you already have the = info. LabRat :) -----Original Message----- To: Undisclosed.Recipients@mailhost.dircon.co.uk = Date: 19 April 1999 11:22 Subject: FW : Virus warning on Christian message Original message dated 17 April 1999 WARNING!! If you receive an E-mail titled "it Takes Guts to see 'Jesus'", DO NOT = OPEN IT This news was announced yesterday morning from IBM AOL states that this = is a very dangerous virus, much worse then Melissa. And there is no = remedy for it at this time. Some very sick individual has succeeded in = using the re-format from Norton Utilities causing it to completely erase = all documents on the hard disk. It has been designed to work with Netscape and Internet explorer. It destroys Mac and IBM computers. This is a new, very malicious virus and = not many people know about it yet. Pass this warning along to EVERYONE = in your address book and please share this with all your online friends. ------=_NextPart_000_0090_01BE8A62.7A50DB20 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Passing this along to = everyone,=20 guys. Sorry if you already have the info.
 
LabRat :)
 
-----Original = Message-----
To: Undisclosed.= Recipients@mailhost.dircon.co.uk=20 <Undisclosed.= Recipients@mailhost.dircon.co.uk>
Date:=20 19 April 1999 11:22
Subject: FW : Virus warning on = Christian=20 message

Original message dated 17 April=20 1999
 
WARNING!!

If you receive an E-mail titled "it Takes Guts to see=20 'Jesus'", DO NOT OPEN IT

This news was announced yesterday morning from IBM AOL states = that this=20 is a very dangerous virus, much worse then Melissa. And there is no = remedy for=20 it at this time. Some very sick individual has succeeded in using the = re-format=20 >from Norton Utilities causing it to completely erase all documents on = the hard=20 disk.

It has been designed to work with Netscape and Internet = explorer.=20 It
destroys Mac and IBM computers. This is a new, very malicious = virus and=20 not many people know about it yet. Pass this warning along to EVERYONE = in your=20 address book and please share this with all your online=20 friends.


------=_NextPart_000_0090_01BE8A62.7A50DB20-- ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 19 Apr 1999 04:26:44 EDT Reply-To: LaneKent@aol.com Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Rowan Fuller Subject: Loises & Clarks MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Any chance of a sequel, I enjoyed this story. It made me laugh, made me cry, etc. I could imagine it on the television Rowan http://members.aol.com/lanekent ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 20:00:19 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Elisabeth Subject: Re: Mechanics of writing MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii --- "Demona (Angel Of The Night)" wrote: > I also think (and I've > said this and been flamed for this in the past ;P), > that in so far as the > actual *process* of writing is concerned, a writer > of fiction really should > get everything out of them *creatively* first, and > then worry about the > mechanics of it, later. That, of course, is my > opinion only. But it is a > concept which I've watched help so many potential > writers out there > actually discover that they _did_ have a tremendous > amount to offer with > their work, where before they'd always been told > they "couldn't write". > Because they weren't following someone else' mould. I only agree to a certain extent. Although it is certainly permissible to write the first draft without worrying about mechanics, it cannot be ignored altogether. Before a work is posted to this list or to the archive, *some* attention should be paid to grammar. I am not saying that good grammar alone makes a good story, however poor grammar can make a great story merely good. If that is not the writer's particular forte, there are editors who are gifted in that area who would be glad to help. === Elisabeth Feel free to visit my home at http://geocities.com/Area51/Starship/7859 _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 19 Apr 1999 10:59:15 -0600 Reply-To: erink@ida.net Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: Re: To Critique or not to Critique? In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Wendy wrote: > However, as someone who was surprised and >delighted to see one of her recent (posted to the Archive) stories >being mentioned here (It Happened one (Super) Night), I wouldn't like >to argue that *no* Archive story be mentioned here. It is an >excellent way of pointing readers to good stories they may have >missed - I hope Erin, whose 'What it Means to Love You' was also, >deservedly, mentioned here, would agree with me. LOL! Okay, Wendy, sure. Drag me into the discussion. Actually, I've been following this discussion closely in lurkdome. (No, I haven't completely fallen off the face of the earth after the Kerths as some of you have asked me if I have. ) I thought I'd chime in here since Wendy practically pushed me into the pool and say that I agree with Wendy's (and many others') views here. Because I've been unable to indulge myself by simply sitting down and reading through all the wonderful fanfic that has been submitted either to the fanfic archive or to this list, I *love* to hear from folcs about which ones have been well written and well liked. It gives me a place to start when I only have time to read one or two stories between breaking up my kids' fights or doing the ever-lasting loads of dishes or laundry. And on the flip-side, it always feels great when you see something you've written being complimented or "pushed" by someone who's read and liked it. It's enough to put me on cloud-nine for a month. ;) But I also completely understand Margaret's point of view. Posting a story and then seeing am email subject line with your fanfic title in it is enough to send most of us writers running for cover. By posting a story, you suddenly feel as if you've unzipped your fly, so to speak. ;) Especially if you're just writing for fun, and don't want to have your story ripped apart and analyzed piece by piece. Therefore, having a "comments welcomed privately" might be a nice request to put in a story's intro, etc. I, however, don't mind having a story ripped apart and analyzed...*as long as it's done constructively*. (I thought I'd add that before I get a ton of emails in my box from those who think the stories I've written deserve to be paper shredder material. ) Maybe it's because I'm striving to be a professional writer someday, but I absolutely LIVE for feedback on my stories, even if it's someone saying, "I really didn't think this was one of your better stories because..." If the parts of the story he or she is basing that opinion on follow that "because", *great*!! It will help me to understand WHY somone liked or dislike what I've written, and it will make me an overall better writer in the long run. So to wrap this up , I love the fanfic discussion we have on this list, even if it's just someone saying, "Hey, guys! Go and read such and such. It's great!" And I love it even more if I see a thread that discusses someone's fanfic (like Wendy's 'A Perfect Match?' was discussed recently--and it was great, btw! Go and read it! ), I can even learn from those posts what is liked or disliked, thus learning from even someone *else's* writing. Okay, I'll shut up now. Back to dishes and laundry.... Erin :) _________________ erink@ida.net ELK on IRC Visit my 1999 Official Kerth Awards Website! http://www.ida.net/users/davek ***** "The truth is, no one knows how long they've got. Anyway, it's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they happen." _________________ ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 19 Apr 1999 12:54:06 EDT Reply-To: DUNNFOUR@aol.com Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Laurie Dunn Subject: Re: To Critique or not to Critique? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit What a thread this has been! I am a musician and can testify that all artists of any kind have a piece of themselves instilled in their work. A smart "maestro" gives criticism that embellishes that performer and performance. As an artist, one has to expect feedback of all kinds, accept some and pitch the rest. As far as giving criticism? As a non-church goer, I'd have to say I've preached the "Golden Rule" to my kids for years, because it works. Can you answer "yes" to all three of these questions: is it true? is it kind? and will it help? I think those are the three Buddhist Gates or something. So much for my philosophical background. Keep those stories coming! LaurieD ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 18:49:18 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Stacy Subject: OT: Printing out fanfics MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Hi all, I know that this was brought up on the list before, but I deleted the email with the info that I needed. I have a lot of fanfics and nfics that I would like to print out so that I don't have to sit in front of the computer and read them. I use netscape, and I get my email through yahoo. If there is anyone that can help me out on how to print out stories, without using a ton of paper, I would really appreciate it. You can contact me at brocks_babe@yahoo.com or deancainfans@xoommail.com Thanks === Stacy _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 19 Apr 1999 18:53:32 +0000 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Chris Carr Subject: Re: new fanfic: The Best Bargain 2/2 In-Reply-To: <19990419050125.LVFE16164.mta1-svc@listserv.indiana.edu> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT (The Best Bargain, part two of two) By Christine Carr c.carr@virgin.net When had her feelings for Clark begun to deepen, to broaden, to consume her? She guessed the process had started soon after they had met, though it had happened so gradually that she could pinpoint no one time or event and say, it happened then. That was the moment. The first time she had suspected that there might be something more between herself and Clark than just friends, had been on the day she was to have married Luthor. She had stood in front of the mirror, trying on her new name for size. Lois Luthor. But, like a dress a size too small, it squeezed her, pinched her, and made her feel uncomfortable. Then she tried other variations. Lois Lane Luthor. Lois Luthor Lane. But neither of those fitted better than the first. Then, as though she had discovered something unexpected on a previously unnoticed rack at the back of the store, she tried on Lois Lane Kent. There was something about it. It was not her style, but it flattered her. It was comfortable. She had suddenly thought to herself that she could get used to it with practice. And moments later she had said, "I can't," instead of, "I do." The weeks that had followed had been difficult. Before the wedding, Clark had said he wanted more than friendship from her, but, after Luthor's death, he had recanted his declaration of love, and she had been left confused by both her own feelings and the mixed signals he had been sending. Yet, somehow, their friendship had not only survived Luthor's onslaught, it had emerged even stronger than before as they endeavoured to regain the ground they had lost. Lois had grown closer to Clark and, when he had tentatively asked her out, she had equally tentatively said yes. With embarrassment, she remembered how their first evening out as more than friends had ended with her slamming the door in his face, scared at the implications of what a "great date" with Clark might actually mean in the greater scheme of things. Still, they had managed to resolve that. . . misunderstanding. . . just as they had managed to resolve so many others since. She remembered the healing kiss the followin