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Pulitzer
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Pulitzer
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 2,977 Likes: 11 |
Dear Esteemed FoLCs,
Thank you for your kind consideration of this little fic. Please pardon my clumsy attempts at handling Japanese names, places and mannerisms. Even so, I sincerely hope that you enjoyed it.
Sincerely,
The Author
P.S. I have changed Kenji's name to Kei.
~•~
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Pulitzer
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Don't thank me... I want more...
:p
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Merriwether
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Merriwether
Joined: May 2005
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Mary, you are Queen of the fics that, while complete in themselves, leave so many details unspecified and cause the readers to beg for more. Knowing your style, this is probably a oneshot, but like so many of your fics, it could become a full-length, Kerth-nominee type story.
P.S. If I wasn't clear enough, I loved it.
I think, therefore, I get bananas.
When in doubt, think about time travel conundrums. You'll confuse yourself so you can forget what you were in doubt about.
What's the difference between ignorance, apathy, and ambivalence?
I don't know and I don't care one way or the other.
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Pulitzer
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Very, very nice. That was a productive 3 hours between 3 and 6 in the morning! Yes, very interesting and more would be appreciated!  Artemis
History is easy once you've lived it. - Duncan MacLeod
Writing history is easy once you've lived it. - Artemis
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Boards Chief Administrator Nobel Peace Prize Winner
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Boards Chief Administrator Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 8,947 Likes: 28 |
Hmm, I was sort of confused how this could be and yet not be. For some reason, it never occurred to me that Kenji was Clark's legitimate son's kid instead of Clark's illegitimate daughter's kid. And since the second option wouldn't be possible, I had no idea what was going on. And what happened to Clark's son  Queenie, you're eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeevilllllllllllllll. Michael, on the bandwagon for the sequel.
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Freelance Reporter
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Freelance Reporter
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Lovely story. I like the way you start with 'Esteemed Mister Superman', which becomes 'Mister Superman' and then plain old 'Superman'  But I agree - what happened to his son?
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Kerth
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Kerth
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Can't add much that hasn't been already said, but I can so see offshots of this story. Since Superboy (or whatever his name was) had one love child, he might have had more than just one. :p Sequel, please?
The only known quantity that moves faster than
light is the office grapevine. (from Nan's fabulous Home series)
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You know I usually hate next gen fics as a rule, being the romantic for just Lois and Clark that I am, but this one was really really interesting! I really liked it! Laura
Clark: “If we can be born in an instant, and die in an instant, why can’t we fall in love in an instant?”
Caroline's "Stardust"
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Kerth
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Kerth
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I am confused. Is this tale a sequel to another story?
Framework4
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Nobel Peace Prize Winner
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Nobel Peace Prize Winner
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Beautiful. Clark and Lois had a son, and this son died. But before he died, he had a son of his own, apparently with a Japanese woman. And Clark and Lois never knew. Apparently however, the mother of Clark's grandson introduced her son to Clark - no, to Superman - but he didn't accept her son as his grandson. Miss Tanaka's assurances that Kenji had superpowers did nothing to convince Clark. Nothing did, until Lois saw a picture of Kenji's smile. I do still remember when Miss Tanaka and her son came to see me. The pain from losing my only son was raw then, and still is even now. I confess that I despised Miss Tanaka for tainting his memory with her talk of love-children and secret affairs. I also confess that I saw no resemblance between her son and my own.
However, there is a difference between the young boy she introduced to me and the young man in the photograph you sent, and that is that the man in the photo is smiling. I have shown the photo to my wife, and she recognized his smile without any explanations from me about the picture or your letter. The most recognizable thing about Clark Kal-El Superman Kent is his smile. His son had that smile, and his grandson does, too. It doesn't matter if the grandson does not resemble his father or his grandfather in other ways. His smile makes him their offspring. When Lois and Clark could see Kenji smile his Clark Kent smile at them, then he became their grandson in their hearts, and not just in his genetic makeup. That was so beautiful, Mary. Ann
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Pulitzer
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Patrick, I believe this is a stand-alone tale, but one with lots of unspoken angst. What were the circumstances of the death of Superman's son? Who killed him, and why? Did he die heroically or tragically? Was Superman somehow involved in the case, and if so, does he blame himself for his son's death? We can reasonably assume that his "wife" is Lois, but we don't really know that. It's barely possible that the circumstances of the son's death split them apart, but we don't know that either, and maybe if they did separate, they later reconciled.
Does the grandson of Superman have any aunts (daughters of Superman)? Will Clark and Lois welcome not only the grandson but his mother into their circle? (I certainly hope so.) Maybe they were planning to marry when the tragedy occurred, and if so, might she have some evidence of this? Will this grandson decide to carry on his grandfather's legacy despite being shunned for the first twenty-odd years of his life?
There are so many possibilities here that I can't count them. But I must credit Mary with being a total and complete genius. This short little offering doesn't have to have any more added to it. The exchange of letters is sufficient. This is truly melancholy and truly beautiful.
Life isn't a support system for writing. It's the other way around.
- Stephen King, from On Writing
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The above posters have said it admirably. Great story.
Now, what does "Ojiisama" mean?
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Mary, this is really good. A hopeful new beginning against a tragic background. With no wasted words. Well done.
PJ
"You told me you weren't like other men," she said, shaking her head at him when the storm of laughter had passed.
He grinned at her - a goofy, Clark Kent kind of a grin. "I have a gift for understatement."
"You can say that again," she told him.
"I have a...."
"Oh, shut up."
--Stardust, Caroline K
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Pulitzer
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Eeeeee!!! A genius? Me? Really?!! Aw, shucks, thanks!! GamesAway--I'm so glad you picked up on that. And Toc, you've pretty much hit it on the head. ^^ I'm glad you guys liked it!  I've been toying with the idea of a sequel/prequel/other, but whether I actually will remains to be seen... The word Ojiisama -- well, Ojiisan, according to my research, is the japanese word for Grandfather, and having -Sama instead of -San at the end makes it even more respectful. There's an article about this sort of thing on wikipedia. Incidentally, whilst I beam at your praise, I must also smack myself in the forehead. Upon re-looking-up the name of the protagonist, I learned that his name means "Strong/Healthy Second Son." *D'OH!* So, now I need to rename him, and I'm thinking of going with Kenshin, although that doesn't have the same ring. <_< *sigh*. Any thoughts, guys? Should I post a poll? o.O Anywho, thanks for all the lovely FDK!
~•~
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Kerth
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Kerth
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Don't post a poll - post a story about the first son!
The only known quantity that moves faster than
light is the office grapevine. (from Nan's fabulous Home series)
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Pulitzer
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Pulitzer
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Posts: 2,977 Likes: 11 |
Originally posted by Lara Joelle Kent: Don't post a poll - post a story about the first son! Um....nope, too late! His name has been changed.
~•~
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Freelance Reporter
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Freelance Reporter
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I've read somewhere that in some cultures, Second Son means Grandson. And he is Superman's grandson... 
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Pulitzer
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Pulitzer
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Huh. Well, that does shed new light on those names that mean "tenth son"... <_<
~•~
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Columnist
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Columnist
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Again with the stories that are too short!
Seriously, this was an amazing glimpse at a larger story...a much larger story.
I loved it!
Amber
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