Originally Posted by VirginiaR
Wow, a WAFFy story by SQD from beginning to end?! Who'd a thunk it? I love how trusting Lois is. I wish I could be that trusting. I love that Jimmy and Perry came to be Chris's supportive family when Ellen and Sam declined the honor. I'm sure that was how Jimmy met Lucy and fell in love. I don't know if SQD wrote any pre-quels to this story but that one is what I'm assuming. I like how Lois only looks forward. Chris was definitely a powerful force for good in her life.

So many things could have gone wrong in this story: from Clark not accepting Chris, Lois being bitter about being a single mom, about Chris not accepting Clark or the Kents. I did expect a scene between the Lanes and Lois and Clark, saying something negative about Clark being an absent father or something, but it probably would have detracted from this feel good story.

Yes, this story is a breath of fresh air. I was worried when Chris and Ashleigh ended up passed out in preschool. Having such a powerful gift will be a tough secret to keep and one the Kents will have to protect him from 24/7 (protect him from other trying to kidnap him to use him due to this gift).

Originally Posted by Mike M
Since Clark did not come to the Planet, meet Lois, create Superman, woo Lois, etc in this story it was not really clear how long Superman was around before this tale began.
When Lois first mentions Superman she says something to the effect that he had arrived in Metropolis only a few weeks or months earlier. Perry mentioned that he had interviewed Clark only a short while before. Therefore, Clark hadn't been in the city long.

Originally Posted by Christina
We learn VERY little about Lois's views on Superman and that bothered me a bit. In many ways, I hope a story about Superman has some perspective on what Lois thinks of him (both professionally and personally). I think a paragraph/interaction with the DP staff saying something to the effect of "Handsome" but inwardly saying not an option (because of Chris).
Yes, that would have been nice. I agree. It seemed a bit odd that there was a man a) flying around Metropolis, b) with CHRIS'S EYES, and C) Lois wouldn't have cared and/or noticed. I wonder if Chris's power had something to do with his mom being more mellow.

This is a very inspiring story. Perhaps if we *all* looked for the good in others we would bring about our own Utopia, even if we never get our flying man in blue.

SQD's Family Man is also a feel good fic, but it has more angst in it. That one is supposedly based on the Nicholas Cage film with the same name. (I haven't seen that film, so I can't say how close it is to it.)

Virginia,

1. I agree about Family Man as it is one of my favorites along with My Inspiration. They both have a bit more angst but still pretty superficial. SQD has a couple of really angsty stories in "What Makes a Man" and "A Gift For Life".

2. The point I was trying to make with why Superman was not a major character in this story was first he had not been around long and second this Lois did not put herself in need of a super rescue like canon-Lois did so she may have never seen him up close and hence not noticed his eyes. I suspect had they ever met that Clark would have immediately recognized his 'Maria' so my conclustion is that they had never met and so Superman was a cursiosity not a fixation for this version of Lois.

3. I especially like stories with an emotionally strong Lois like this one and the other SQD stories we both mentioned earlier as well as many of Nan Smith's stories. I especially liked the way Darth Michael stated it in the opening of "Don't You Dare" (that I just finished reading): "if you want shy Clark and scared Lois, you will not enjoy this". That is kind of Lois and Clark are what I really like, both strong both working together to vanquish whatever problems come their way.

Gotta go for now. Will probably be back later for more discussion...

Mike

Create all the happiness you are able to create.
Remove all the misery you are able to remove.

Jeremy Bentham