Part 1 - intriguing.
Part 2 - wow.
To my mind, you've captured Lex Luthor as effectively as anyone else has that I've read. He's a remorseless, soulless, sociopathic hunter, ready to add Lois to his trophy collection. You've presented him in a way that's truly chilling, guaranteed to give a person insomnia. I can see him ordering Nigel to hand off the assignment to dispatch this nosy trouble-making documentarian before his wedding. Both the order and the report of the job's completion would give the monster within him a warm and fuzzy feeling.
WAFFs for Lex Luthor! What a concept!
I don't remember if I ever gave you feedback on
April, Come She Will, but if I did not I certainly should have. The story was tender, gentle, and heartwarming, and I felt for Sandrine as she slowly realized that she and Clark would never be more than friends. Her intelligence, maturity, and self-confidence as she made peace with that unsettling and disappointing epiphany was beautiful, and it made me want to know more about her.
And you have given that to us. She is still sensitive, caring, and passionate about her chosen mission in life. Her ability to read both Lois and Lex is fascinating, given the difference in American and French cultures. Her call to Clark to summon Superman and her "now I know that he knows that I know" back-and-forth with the caped hero is both humorous and humane, and she used it to let Clark know that she's still looking out for his interests. That was extremely well done. And the revelation to Clark about his feet not being on the ground when she was mugged, coupled with the references to his boots (enough for the readers to connect the dots but not so many as to be distracting), was gentle and heartwarming.
Your Lois is thoughtful, and is beginning to realize that she might very well be traveling the wrong road by being so close to Lex. Her thoughts that his body language in gripping her in the manner that he did, contrasting with his voice and his expression, told her so much about him. I only hope it is enough, although I suspect this small but important interlude won't be enough to change her direction. I can imagine, though, that it would influence her decision to refuse to marry him.
And Sandrine? I would like to meet her. I would like for her to like me as a person. I would be thrilled if she were to consider me a friend.
She's wonderful, Mille, truly wonderful. She is a terrific original character, bright, engaging, talented, insightful, and caring. I enjoyed watching her grow through the months she spent around Clark in
April. Fellow readers, if you've not added Mille's previous story to your "read-that" list, I recommend that you do so. This is a beautiful and multi-faceted addition to Sandrine's life, a character you won't soon forget.
I understand how difficult it would be to write more about Sandrine in the L&C universe, but if you can make it happen, I will definitely read it. She's a wonderful character, and I promise to read it, because I know it will warm my heart.
