Yay! Part eight is here at last ... and it was worth the wait.

So, there are only two parts left to wrap this up. My guess/hope? Part 9 will basically wrap up the A-plot and part 10 will be a heaping helping of B-plot with an extra-large side of WAFF. Am I close? (No, I don't *really* expect you to answer that, since doing so would probably give too much away.)

Joy,
Lynn

I hope you are right Lynn. Good stuff Sue. Looking forward to more soon. Laura

Ohhh, great. A clue for Clark. Poor disheveled Superman! More soon!

Artemis

Ooh, the creepy guy honing the knife is really creepy.

Squee part 8 is here!! I'm loving that the mystery is finally unraveling and I love Lois' reaction after the press conference. She thought it was weird that she told SM she and Clark were dating, ha!

And who is this creepy guy with the knife? So Twitchell and this Sadler guy were in on it together - the kidnapping that is - and then Sadler betrayed Twitchell and knoifed him (said with crocodile dundee accent) and decided he wanted to play with Lois a little more so he stuck her in a box car thinking he'd go back later and have his way with her and then knoife her too, right? Am I right? I've totally just revealed the rest of the story haven't I?

Ooo and then Clark and Lois declare their undying love (after Lois gives Clark a reaming) and then they makeout for hours and hours. You have to throw in a good butt squeeze Sue, just for old times sake. Hee hee

Can't wait for part 9!!

I have to get ready to *hopefully* catch a plane for Christmas, yet I saw this up and had to read

So, quick FDK!

Poor Clark! Loved how you described him so disheveled with not even a moment spared to shave in pursuit of Lois!

I love how you write Lois. You don't have to say much, and we get everything about her character:
And now, the anxiety begins--both for us and Clark!
That can't be good!

Great part, Sue! Hope to see part 9 sooner than part 8!


Happy Holidays everyone! Safe travels! <:0)

Loved this part and a disheveled Superman!

Looking forward to part 9!

Sue, I just love your writing. Seriously, I just don't know what else to say. I hang onto every word.

This is my favorite line in this part. I'm still smiling from it.

Great - a new chapter!

Loved this line:

Isn't it funny how our minds work? Even when the evidence is right in front of her, Lois can't accept it and comes up with something else to explain what she saw.

Aw, this is a bit sad because we already know what went wrong.

Glad to hear Clark's making some progress. He needs to shave!

Joan

What Jackie said.

Seriously, I love the way you write!

Loving this story and anxious for more!

- Vicki (who likes the idea of a disheveled Superman with a 5 o-clock shadow)

You've got energized air again



/C-3PO voice/ Oh dear. Oh dear.
I don't think he stashed her for having fun later. After all, why keep her instead of taking advantage of the drug. After a weekend in the container she's probably going to be much riper and much less entertaining. No, I think the heart's the clue. Davie probably fell in love with her or already was in love with her in a stalkery fashion. Then Twitchell wanted her silenced and Davie did the only logical thing. He killed Twitchell and stashed Lois somewhere save so she wouldn't get hurt again in the future. This also explains why he provided her with food and water. Umm... yes... That's definitely what I'm guessing now. At least, until you show us differently. /hint hint/

Michael

"Me three!" who loves your writing that is. Seriously this just keeps getting better and better. The L&C scene in the newsroom was perfection - Clark's nervousness, Lois's confusion, combined with a nice dose of UST makes for delightful reading.

5 o'clock shadow Superman? Be still my heart (plus it brings to mind a certain CC Aiken one-shot where that stubble was put to good use! *swoons*).

Haha, love this.

And we have a suspect in sight, woohoo! Let's get 'em Supes and wrap up this pesky A-plot. Can't wait for more.

I love these little signs of Clark's inability to uphold his flawless, godlike Superman persona:

Poor tired sloppy Superman.

Yep, he really should shave - but will he?

Nope! No shaving! There is also the fact that Clark can't talk to his parents right now because that would only increase his crushing sense of guilt. And he can't sleep, and he can only look for Lois, and... Poor guy!

Oh, but he did find that guy in the Red Sox cap! What a totally creepy guy that was!

Ann

How was everyone's holidays? Mine have been lovely thus far! I've spent oodles of time with my extended family and haven't had the urge to do violence to any of them. I've baked up a storm, gone to see two movies and have eaten more calories in four days than I should consume in a month. And then I check the boards and find all this lovely FDK. Life is good. Life is very, very good.

Lynn and Laura - It probably gives very little away to tell you that you're absolutely right since you don't know how the A-plot ends or what the proportion of WAFF to B-plot is.

Artemis - All Clark needed was a clue. And a shave. But then, the shave kinda depends on who's looking at him. It appears I'm not alone in my admiration for a disheveled Superman.

Iolanthe - Yay! "Creepy" is exactly what I was going for.

Steph - I laughed at the thought of Sadler (creepy guy) having an Australian accent. I think Dundee's knife is bigger. <heh> I'll try to work in a butt grope for you.

Mozartmaid - I hope you made your flight! Thank you for highlighting one of my favorite moments - when Lois smirks at Clark because he's stuck in Perry's office. I'm hoping to have part 9 up on Tuesday and part 10 on Friday. <fingers crossed>

DW - Thanks!

Jackie - Awww. Thank you for the compliments. And for picking out one of my other favorite lines to highlight.

Joan - I think she doesn't see Superman in Clark and vice versa because it would be so life-changing to her. It's easier for her mind to process that something's wrong with her hero than to follow it to its logical conclusion. I hate to disappoint you (although it does sound like not everyone is going to be upset about this), but there is no shave in store for Clark before the end of the story.

Vicki - Thank you!

Michael - Sarcasm is one of Lois' best defense mechanisms. I suppose she could get her shoes back after they're no longer evidence.

Thanks to everyone who's posted comments! I couldn't (and wouldn't!) do this without you guys.

I'll give you that. Plus forepla...err.. anticipation is part of the fun right?

Oh you are in for a treat... Run, do not walk, to Splintered Headboard, Souvenir, Lesson Learned by CC Aiken. If you need someone to gush with afterward, I'm here. In fact I might be there. *goes off to reread*

I think Emily is thinking of 'Splintered Headboard, Souvenir, Lesson Learned'

/goes to tell Henderson to bring a mop/

/starts thinking intensely.../

* Superman locked her in there because she was having a fit?
* Superman locked her in there because he told her his secret and she got mad and started to threaten to do things?
* Clark locked her in there after they spent the night in the wilderness with only the trees witness to some naughty stuff and when Lois found out exactly what Clark had been hiding underneath those clothes, he had to lock her in there?

Hmmm... I do see your issues. All that springs to mind is more or less born on the dark side of the boards...

Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love you tomorrow...

As I said privately, I really liked this part. I love seeing stories where Clark uses not only his super powers, but also his abilities as a reporter. Yes, he's used both his guises to investigate, but his relentless pursuit of Lois' abductors has been impressive.

I also like seeing a disheveled Superman/Clark. Makes him look a bit dangerous.

/clears throat. Yeah, about that. Check your inbox.

B

/peeps in/ Um anybody got any withdrawal meds? /peeps back out, shivering like crazy/

Michael

please?

Michael, if you find any of those withdrawl meds, please pass them along to me.

Awww - I'm sorry gang!

I wasn't all that happy with part 9 and, after some tough love from the most excellent beta in the world, I realized why (knowing really is half the battle). Rather than force the story, I'm letting it percolate for a few days until my muse comes off her holiday sugar high.

Thanks for (hopefully) sticking with me.

Here's wishing everyone the happiest of new years!

Hi Sue,

I'd rather wait awhile and have part nine be up to your usually high standard of excellence than to have a mediocre part nine sooner. Tell your muse not to feel guilty as she takes some time off to enjoy the holidays...But also please ask her not to take tooooo much time off.

Happy New Year to you, too.

Joy,
Lynn

How's your muse suey bear? I hope she's/he's rested and recovering nicely from the holidays. Perhaps I can find new ways to motivate her/him (ahem Star Wars quote btw).

/Tries to imitate patience/ Hmmm... /fails miserably/
Say, is it troublesome if one starts to rephrase this in LnC/LnC-Fanfic terms? Of course, then you stumble over the '[...]he is most displeased with your apparent lack of progress[...]' quote and you think, no, you can't post this because that would be unfair to Sue. Oh what the hey...
I know, could have used Perry, but since the Kerth-season just started, this felt like the obvious thing to do.

Michael, who in no way shares the views of Lord FoLC and knows that patience is a virtue. Unfortunately, only Clark Kent has this much patience, so I'm feeling more like Lois on the hunt for the next story

Okay, that was just friggin AWESOME. Thanks for that Michael.

Michael

[img]http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRf3MgVFe9HToNOZS7nL7c8Bv1sTQBVqhGVSXuJZvM4s1AXWdz6[/img]
[img]http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRPqiVJcgMLUy8GTFi-Z3mfEFWzhfHS7dzfyRuJu5p2ov6wht5Z[/img]
[img]http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRYLZh5ue_L4dm28fammxxIoIR9GI_mDeXoMMOCxYrME42mFbl8hQ[/img]

OK, I thought it was obvious, but three people have now told me they have no idea what my pictures mean. Would it help if I said that the sculture in picture 2 (by H. T. Holden) is titled "Gentle Nudge"?

/raises hand/ I found those gentle bumps adorable. And had to resist the urge of posting a nudge myself.


Couldn't find a better image

Michael

Well, Michael, no one can accuse you of being too subtle. If that doesn't do the trick, nothing will!

Love all the *cough, cough* nudges.

Suuuuuue, where are youuuuuuuu?

Love Vicki's pictures of the gentle nudge. I, too, would like to read the rest of this.

Ann

This has got to be the most 'nudged' story on the forums... Ok Sue, where are you?!

Do we need to send this crew after you??
Scooby Dooby SUE--where are you??
Scooby Doo

Hello, Sue? Are you out there? Is everything all right?

Although I am definitely eager for part nine, I am beginning to be worried that something bad has happened in RL for you.

Even if for some reason you can't post the next part for a while, would you mind just posting a note to let us know whether anything is amiss?

Thanks,
Lynn

Alas, Feb. 28 (our go-live date) is still over a month away.

I do still think about the story in my spare moments. But I felt zero urge to work on it. I didn't want to force it so I was letting it simmer instead. It's incredibly fickle, I know, but in my spare time I was tweaking the outline/first few parts of an n-fic that I've had sitting on my hard drive since 2006.

I promise I will finish Shoe first! It's oh-so-close, I just need to find the "oomph" to polish it off. Seeing all this love has certainly sparked equal parts guilt and motivation in that direction. Thank you!

You know, I kept reading your reply and reading and reading and now that I'm done, I *know* I've heard that story before. Funny thing is, I was standing in front of the mirror at the time

Michael, who's figured out long ago how to survive without a brain. Work sure is a cerebrovore.

Hi Sue,

Glad you are OK overall, but sorry you are massively overworked. (When I get in situations like that, I just remind myself that I am grateful that I still have a job.)

Looking forward to your posting part 9 whenever the muse and time permit.

Joy,
Lynn

Hi Sue,

Just checking in to see how Part 9 is coming. <hint, hint, , > I can't wait to see how you're going to wrap this up! I know RL can be hassle and really get in the way of finishing stories, but I need a fix!!!! AND SOON!!!! (A little flattery can't hurt)

No, Muffin, a little flattery never hurts. Thank you for the nudge(s).

This week is going to be a very short breather for me in RL and then it's back to insanity until the first part of March. I wanted to use my free time to work on Shoe (because wanting almost always makes it so. ). Would it be terrible of me to post part 9 and then make you all wait another couple (or few) weeks until the last part? Or does piecing it out like that dilute any coherency the story might still have?

You're absolutely right, Lynn. I count my blessings every day that I'm still employed. And then I add a few more thanks that it's doing something I mostly enjoy.

Michael, Michael, Michael. <shakes head slowly> Have you looked into how much a new muse will cost? We could have a bake sale to help out!

Good to hear from you, Sue! We are all glad that you are going to finish Shoe, but it should be up to you when you have time to work on it and when you want to post.

Good luck with RL and everything!

Ann

Sue,

I agree wholeheartedly with Ann. You need to finish it when you're ready and when you're not under so much pressure from work, etc. I know how it is to suddenly be so swamped at work that you have no life outside of your job (my current situation ). So, really, no pressure. Just post when you can, and we'll all be happy. Good luck with everything.

What Ann and Muffin said.

Glad there is a light at the end of the tunnel, even if it is a distant one.

Joy,
Lynn

Now, that's an interesting thought...

Wha--?

*twack*

ouch ouch ouch ouch

/muse pushes slumped over body away from keyboard/

You want to buy a new muse? You think muses are replaceable like prostitutes? Just because I was suggesting that Polly's idea had merit and that you could get a way with painting a tight evening dress on Lola and having her look for paying company on a party while the editor of the Daily Planet is accepting a waddle of cash doesn't mean *I* can be bought. Or replaced.

/muse huffs and walks away from keyboard./

Ouch. Ouch. Ouch.

Umm... Sue, your idea didn't really sit well with Muse. And now she's really ticked off.

Michael, limping off, trying to hide from low-flying sharp objects, like pens. And... is that Alexander's sword? Yep, she's ticked off. Big time.

I figure since it's been almost a month now

*bump*

Michael

Oh Sue, please come back to us! You know how much we love you and your writing. I seriously think about this story every day!

Jackie,the first person to respond to your first wonderful fic *bats eyelashes*

seconding darth, anxious for the next bit. trying really hard to wait patiently...

TEEEEJ

Quoted from the Kerth awards thread, which it didn't seem right to highjack, so I'm posting it here:

Does this mean you will be posting the end of The Other Shoe soon?

To elaborate on Vicki's comment... If you are feeling guilty, posting part nine would be appropriate penance, and then all will be forgiven (at least by me).

Seriously, though, I'm sure we all understand your situation -- RL can keep one off-list for periods of time. But now that you're back...

Joy,
Lynn

Yes, I also think that posting parts 9 and 10 would be penance enough and I would then also forgive you for not posting and finishing the story sooner!

I don't have anything else to say - I just posted to bring the thread count up to 50, in the hopes that might be the magic number!

Oh, the guilt.

I saw this thread this morning and I was blown away and extremely gratified to see that you guys still remembered the story. I've had part 9 done for a while now, but I wanted to get to the point where 10 was pretty much ready to post so that I didn't drag out the last part and ruin any cogency the story still might have.

Michael - I hope your muse realized that was totally my suggestion and that you had nothing to do with it. Thank you for not giving up on me!

Jackie - Oh, you flirt. You know I'll do anything for you.

TJ - I will post tonight!

Vicki - It was never that I gave up on the story - I just got frustrated with it. It was written, but it was so NOT what I meant to say. For future reference, the magic number is when I get that lovely flashing gif at the side of the story. Sending it to a second page was embarrassingly awesome.

Lynn - Penance will commence shortly!

DW - Ha! You took Lynn's suggested penance and then tacked on part 10. My plan is to post 9 tonight and 10 in a few days.

Thanks again to everyone who's stood by me through this. I love you guys more than you can possibly realize!

It's back! Uhm, and you're back, too

As for Muse, well, the problem that I appeared too interested in the idea. Until the swords started to fly flow

Michael