Preview of 24

FDK goes here.

Many thanks.

Corrina.

OOOOh, great. I liked how Lois took charge of getting him out of Esmeralda's clutches! But that was a disappointing reaction on Lois' part. I was gutted at the end. But your snippet gives me hope! Here's to the Ocean Road and Port Campbell!

Artemis

A typical Clark reaction. It's hard to understand how someone who is intelligent and confident enough to help the world as Superman and is still so insecure that he constantly mis-reads other people's reactions to him.

Granted he's always felt like he doesn't quite fit in, but he has friends both as Clark and as Superman. He's not a dummy.

Yet, whenever he reveals himself to Lois his first reaction is that she'll reject him. He *knows* that the woman will be overwhelmed by the revelation and that it will be quite a lot to take in. Why wouldn't he expect her to need 'a little time' to think things over.

She said nothing that would indicate that she is now somehow repelled by him. Just that she needs to think about it.

Of course, it is possible that she will reject him because she can't deal with who he also is, and if she doesn't talk to him for a couple of days then, maybe, he should start to feel depressed.

But why is rejection the first thing he thinks...

Alas, this is Clark... and this is canon.

Tank (who thinks it's time for Lois to get her hair cut... the universal marker of the change in Lois and Clark's relationship)

sad. poor clark. but things look like maybe they'll be going uo from her on in...right?

Why is it that other FDKers seem to express my thoughts better than I can myself these days?

I chuckled and nodded all the way through Tank's post. What he said, Corrina! (But hey, you shouldn't feel compelled to cut Lois's hair on my account! )

I loved, loved, loved the incredible sweetness of Clark and Lois's first night together in the same bed. I also loved how Lois rescued Clark from Esmeralda.

As for Lois's reaction to Clark's revelation, maybe I was a little disappointed, but I think it is worth remembering that Superman himself is a more "alien" concept to this Lois than he could ever be to canon Lois. After all, the very first thing canon Superman ever did was save Lois (and a bunch of colonists) by eating a bomb, and then he took Lois in his arms and flew her to the Daily Planet. She couldn't very well be afraid of Superman after that. But to this Lois, Superman is someone she has seen on TV and read about in the newspapers, nothing more. To canon Lois Superman was her very own knight in shining armour and red and blue tights, but to this Lois he is a celebrity from half a world away. To be told that her own Clark is this far-away celebrity, and that he isn't just from half a world away but from another planet in another solar system altogether, must be a bit of a shock. Lois probably hasn't spent that much time thinking about Superman in the first place. Now she must decide if she wants a relationship with a man who isn't even from the Earth. To me it isn't strange that she needs a little time to think about it.

Ann

By the way, I need to comment on something that Clark thought to himself:

Right, good thinking, Clark! You should have played it like this:

Lois: If I ask, will you answer me honestly? Will you tell me whatever it is you've been hiding?

Clark: Yes. No. Maybe. Maybe later.

Lois: Why can't you just be honest with me, Clark?

Clark: Because you may not like me if I tell you about myself.

Lois: So that's why you won't tell me about yourself? Because I might not like you if you do?

Clark: Exactly.

Lois: So you think I'll like you better if you're not honest with me? If you hide important things about yourself to me? If you admit to me that you don't trust me to like the truth about you?

Clark: That's exactly what I'm thinking, yes. And since you don't know the truth about me, you have no reason to dislike me... Lois, will you marry me?

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Hmmmmmm, brilliant thinking, Clark. Why don't you start planning the wedding already?

Ann

Great part and Lois saved Clark from Esmeralda's cluthces! Yeah!

And I wanted to write exactly what Ann did when she explained why CK=S is such a "foreign" concept to this Lois and why she didn't believe him, so just pretend that we both write what she did

And you were right in your FDK for the previous part --- I want part 24 now also and the following parts

So, what's to say. Between the preview and the 4.5 the first part wasn't all that surprising Except for the lockpicks. What's Lois's story behind those

I think that about covers it 24. Soon? Please? /adds cherry/

Michael

I'm with TOC here. My reactions to this part have already being explained and pretty well, I couldn't come close

Just add up to everything that he also admitted that no one, other than his parents, knows. So it's no longer a relationship that may or may not work out, he's pretty much confessing undying love. Hasn't breathed a word to a soul in almost 30 years, yet he confides in her in a couple of weeks? I think overwhelmed doesn't begin to cover how she must be feeling. But give her a little time and the good implications of it will surely sink in.

So, when do we get part 24? (you were right, Corrina, we still want more )

I loved, loved, loved Lois staking a claim on Clark! It's clear that Clark loved it as well...if only he could fully believe it.

I'm not surprised that Lois needed some time to think...though she certainly had an inkling of who he was, having it confirmed brings on a whole host of questions and problems.

I'm looking forward to seeing the next part.

Loved the part.

I think Lois's reaction is perfectly reasonable. There are two issues:
1. The fact that Clark is Superman and therefore an alien.
2. The point that Cristina made so well. This section covers it: I think this part had more to do with Lois asking him to leave than the fact that he's Superman. The "relationship seriousness" meter just pegged at the top of the scale. Lois needs to know what she thinks about that.

Bob

First a general comment ... you guys are amazing.

While there is a certain satisfaction in springing a surprise, it's perhaps even better when I carefully set up a situation (but don't explain it explicitly) and the FDK shows that the readers are on the same page with me.

Artemis Thanks. I said I had plans for Esmeralda - sure, it was only a broken nail, but Lois showed that when she truly wants something (someone?), Esmeralda is no match for her.

Tank

In this fic, he has no friends as Superman.

Re Clark's insecurity - because he's never really embraced being Superman, he's still uncomfortable about his alien-ness. He sees it as a negative - something that stops him being normal. Because he sees it as an unfortunate flaw, he assumes everyone else will too.

I agree with your thoughts on Lois's reaction.

Thanks.

Sarah Thanks, Sarah. There are still at least another ten parts, so there has to be a few more downs, but yeah, things are heading up.

Ann You explained the differences between canon and this fic really well.

Thank you.

Re Clark waiting. The timing is always absolutely crucial. He's known her less than a month - I think it's realistic that he would wonder if he should have given her more time to get to know him as Clark before introducing the whole other side of him.

DW 23 and 24 could be considered one part - though it would be huge. My buffer is shrinking, but I'll try not to keep you waiting too long for 24. Thanks.

Michael I thought every incarnation of Lois Lane could pick locks!!

Ezzie - this is not her story so I'm not going to explore what she is doing. Possibilities include that the men visiting are drug dealers/buyers or perhaps she's running an unlicensed brothel (which is illegal. Licensed brothels aren't).

Cristina You could be writing this fic, Cristina!

QoA She staked her claim before she knew that CK=S. That's why he then has doubts.

Thanks for the FDK.

Bob See comment to Cristina!

Thanks

Corrina.