I have very little time right now, but I have to pop in and tell you how much I liked this:
Yet somehow, explaining Kryptonian customs and Law and how they related to each Dispute had brought clarity – possibly for her, but certainly for him.
Indeed! Imagine, Kal has been settling Disputes for years, and he knows the Law by heart, I'm sure - and yet, it is only when he has tried to explain the Law to Lois that he has begun to really understand it himself. How true this is. When you try to explain to others what you think you know yourself, you will understand so much more about the thing you thought you knew, and you will understand more about yourself. You will understand more about the person you have been up until now, when you have been taking certain things for granted, and you may very well find yourself wondering if maybe you shouldn't just be taking so many things for granted.
I loved how Kal tossed out the decision he had made about the younger brother that he had ordered to leave his wife. He disliked his own previous judgement for two reasons, of course. Lois had not agreed with his decision, and he had been forced to think about it. "It is the Law" is an argument, of course, and yes, we should normally follow the law. But what if the law is bad? We should try to change it.
The other reason why Kal felt bad about the decision he had made regarding the younger brother is that he suddenly understood what Lois had meant when she said that she felt sorry for the younger brother because he had to leave his wife. After the intimate Dispute-settling session with Lois on his bed, and when Lois suddenly realised where she was and felt obliged to leave Kal's quarters, Kal suddenly felt about as lonely as the younger brother in the Dispute might feel, if Kal forced him to leave his wife. Suddenly Kal understood that.
Oh, and... Kal is definitely a virgin. Fascinating. How do they make babies on Krypton? There is a thing called the birthing matrix, I think. Maybe the parents contribute only the egg and the seed, but no touching is involved? And no looking.
Kal had never seen a naked woman. Five years ago, a young man had been caught drawing pictures of unclothed women. The young man had been put in prison. The pictures had been burned.
But not before Kal had seen them.
It was only because of them that he knew how women were different to men.
And Kal wants Lois to come to him of her own accord... yes, that means you want her to love you, Kal. Because you love her. Now you know what love is, or at least, you know one aspect of love.
What an engrossing fic this is, Corinna!
Ann
