Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Lois & Clark Fanfic FDK: Butterfly (1 and 2)

The story is here,

... and FDK goes in this topic, if you have any comments to write!
Thank you for reading this far!

Hey Mille!

Long time no see!

So glad to see you writing again. What a tale this is. I love the introspective walk through Lois' observations of the opera in Paris. Interested to see where this goes.

Indeed! I'm glad to be back!

Thank you! I'm glad you liked it!

All will be revealed (and I mean, nearly all...) in Part 2 that I just posted. I won't reply at length right now to avoid spoilers...

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.

Terry, your comment made more than my day; it brought tears (of joy) to my eyes. Coming from an author whose stellar writing and 3D characters have enraptured some of my reading hours for many years, it means quite a lot.

SPOILERS

*
*
*
S
P
O
I
L
E
R
S
*
*
*
I agree with you: at this point, Lois won’t be shaken enough for her to renege on her marriage with Lex, but the seed of doubt is planted… and we all know how it turned out. But she couldn’t escape being haunted by Clark’s ghost... even in Paris! Her subconscious must be trying to tell her something!

“Butterfly” sprang up from several elements:

- Apart from a creepy sociopath, I see Lex as a snob who wanted to show off his power and his money, so his opera outing with Lois had to be in Europe… I also remembered the Bob Wilson staging at the Opéra Bastille very well. So, this was perfect for my plot, because it was so different from Lois’s expectation for opera! (Personally, I adore Bob Wilson’s staging.)

- Lex’s interest for this particular Puccini opera struck me as an interesting psychological insight (after all, Madama Butterfly is a victim of a guiltless and selfish lover, a cruel plot point that would perfectly resonate for Lex). Besides, Lex’s refusal to yield to the Police in “The House of Luthor” was a parallel of the myth of “Don Juan”, as many literary commenters understand it’s a form of suicide caused by hubris. So, the opera thread was obvious for me as a sub-theme. Add to this that the theme of honor-bound suicide (for Butterfly) or metaphorical suicide (the ending of Don Juan) is one that would strongly appeal to Lex. I tried to make that obvious and creepy in their operatic debate, without being too didactic for a reader who isn’t an opera buff. This is meant to plant some seed of disquiet in Lois’s mind.

- Don Juan’s ending (the police is trying to arrest the murderer) also fits “The House of Luthor”: if Lex is a Don Juan-lookalike, Clark is a sort of Don Ottavio, the law abiding and tender fiancé, so despised by Lex in this fic.

- The architecture of the Opéra Bastille (which I dislike very much) was also a metaphor for the sterility of Lex’s world.

- Setting the story in Paris allowed me to bring Sandrine and her soon-to-be-fiancé into the mix. He became an opera singer because I wanted to introduce Lois to them in this peculiar way in order to introduce the Don Juan theme. (As a matter of fact, the whole fic developed from this scene. I always wanted to have Lois and Sandrine meet.)

- Sandrine’s investigations allowed me to display the international ramifications of LexCorps. Maybe her information will be of importance in Clark’s, Perry’s, Jimmy’s and Jack’s enquiries into Lex’s business. And I had some fun with Sandrine-meets-Clark-as-Superman.

RE: Sandrine.

The best a writer can hope is that an original character feels and sounds as alive to the readers as s/he did when s/he developed on the page. Clearly, Sandrine achieved it, and I’m so very grateful.

Although Sandrine isn’t a Mary-Sue (as the only thing I share with her is a love of old movies and of Lewin’s Pandora and the Flying Dutchman—a terrific movie if you haven’t watched it yet), she really grew on me as she really took a life of her own. I don’t know any documentarian personally, but I’ve read enough interviews and stuff to know that many of them share this trait: they are passionate about their work and they try to act for the common good.

Sandrine’s experiences with friendship during “April Comes He Will” are some that many people can relate with, I’m afraid. She now has a deep-friendship-with-previous-undertones-of-a-huge-crush with Clark and this experience made her mature and grow into her own, as I intended: she now is adult enough to love Stéphane as he is and for whom he is. Love comes in many shapes.
From the start, I wanted Sandrine to have some of the qualities Clark enjoys in Lois; IMHO, he is drawn to strong women, which is one of the side effects of being raised by a Martha Kent! It’s also a testimony of Clark’s goodness and intelligence that he has such a deep impact on the people he meets. Superman isn’t merely “super” because of his powers.

Regarding Sandrine’s “reading” of American body language; don’t forget that she meets a lot of different people in her professional capacity and that her sensitivity as a filmmaker and documentarian has to use that as a tool. One is also supposed to understand between the lines that Clark has told her about Lois, and that Sandrine is astute enough to understand what he doesn’t say. (And she also watched them kiss on TV during Nightfall, along with an audience of several millions people, as she mischievously told Lois!) As for her opinion of Lex, Sandrine doesn’t much like LexArts, and she would not care much about anyone praising poor Madama Butterfly’s suicide and belittling her Stéphane. Add to it that Clark lately wrote to her, even if she didn’t yet wrote back... His letter might have been interesting, to say the least!

I do plan to write another story including Sandrine, but it’s still in a nebulous shape. Maybe in 2020?

Thanks again for your wonderfully detailed comments.

Part 1

First off, this was a delightfully different take on the relationship Lois and Lex. We usually hear about their fantastic dates, but rarely do we actually see them take place. Lex is all about the showy display of his wealth and position, what better way to impress someone than fly them to Paris and watch an opera? Lois has no interest in Madame Butterfly, but gamely did some background research into the show so she could better understand what is going on. Way to go Lois! But, the story actually bores her ... Afterwards she walks off by her to check out the layout of the Opera House. Lex is so involved with his conversation, he doesn't even realize his date is gone! I had to chuckle at that! The following description is so very much Lois:


Ever the investigator is our Ms. Lane.


Sure it is, but not for you!


Bravo, Sandrine! Stand up to this heartless industrialist! Take that Lex! There is little doubt in my mind that he has a hand in ruining that paper mill. Not only is he heartless, but closed minded as well. the community which supports the paper mill will die very soon after it closes. Of course, he couldn't care less about that.


Lois, don't walk ... run from this man is considers you nothing more than a possession and not a person. He doesn't love you!

Great story Millefeuilles! What a way to come back to the boards!

Hello Morgana,
Thank you for the detailed FDK! It really made my day!


Indeed, I wanted this date to give insights into Lex’s psyche: it’s all about him really, not his date’s preferences. Lois is a trophy to be exhibited and to comply with his wishes.

Lex does like to show off, doesn’t he?


Research is part of a reporter’s job, so Lois knows how to do it! She doesn’t know too much about Lex yet to be wary of his choice of opera…


Glad you noticed the irony… and what it really means about Lex’s caring about Lois! Clark would never have done that!


Sandrine shares a lot of qualities with Lois… when the latter is her true self!


No, Lex doesn’t care about people, just about power and profit.

By the way, Sainte-Mary-de-Tarnosse isn’t a real place, but in the 1970’s and 1980’s there was a paper mill in the Landes that was closed down for approximately the same reasons. The protests Sandrine talked about did happen in real life. I was researching online for some kind business LexCorps could be involved in and used that.

This was also supposed to mirror Lex’s actions when the Daily Planet was destroyed: he didn’t care about the people either.


She will… at the altar, as we all know. I hope this fic added some material to explain why she did so.



Thank you so much, Morgana! FDK like yours feels my heart with joy!

As promised, here are my thoughts on Part 2:


It is a pleasure to see how Sandrine has grown as a person. There is someone she loves and how deeply loves her in return. Interesting how her mind sees the events of that evening like a film slowly unspooling revealing matters hidden to the naked eye ...


Ooh! This is so true! Clark's movements with the cape are very much like those of the silent era movie star! Did anybody ever see how beautifully Valentino moved in those old films? Today they might be seen as campy and a touch over the top, but in their time it was pitch perfect.


Sandrine, Lois and Clark ought to join forces! They can bring down LexCorps on both sides of the Atlantic!


Lois, simply put: wake up and smell the coffee. How can you have come from a date with one man -- in Paris no less -- yet think longingly about another? Lex is not the guy for you.


This last section makes my skin crawl...

Excellent writing Mille! Hope your health continues to improve and we hear from you again in the future.

Thanks a lot for taking the time for commenting! I appreciate it more than I can say!


Job conditioning?


It so happens that I'm a silent movies buff and that I love Valentino. His infamous The Sheikh (1921) was a B-movie that none of the actors took seriously and they were quite surprised when it became a hit. The Son of the Sheikh is a very good movie, actually. I watched Valentino's whole filmography, and some of his movies are fabulous in scripts and film making.

The Eagle (1925) is an awesome movie where Valentino plays a Zorro-like character. It's very humorous and in it, Valentino makes fun of his on-screen persona along with a few daring do with horses.


I haven't planned a sequel, but this is the whole idea. Sandrine's info might have helped Perry's and Clark's forays into Lex's dubious business plans.


She woke up. At the altar.


I intended to. Lex is a sociopath.


Thank you very much! I will try to go on writing... Muse and Beta willing!

Your descriptions of Madame Butterfly and the atmosphere in which Lois found herself were stunning. Madame Butterfly is one of my favorite operas (and the only one I've seen in person) and you summed the plot up very nicely, sad as it is. I am intrigued by Sandrine and her relationship with Clark enough that I will have to go and find April Come He Will when I have time to read it.

This was lovely, and so interesting! Thanks for sharing your insight and thoughts about the opera and Lois' reaction to it. I always enjoy your writing!