For whatever reason Lois is delayed and does not arrive on time and prior to her getting to make her Why haven't you returned my calls speech Clark tries to meet Luthor with the idea of getting an interview.

Lois has not been able to do so and Clark thinking he may as well try, addressed Luthor in another language.

Luthor as we know speaks several languages, so does Clark.
Luthor is well read, so is Clark.

The conversation takes off and the two test each other on dozens of topics in several languages. Luthor promises Clark an interview the next day.

Afterwards Lois arrives, does her speech and tries for the interview and discovers Clark has stolen a march on her.

Hey, Frame, are you thinking that this is at the White Orchid Ball? Right out in public, in front of the mayor and the governor and all the other assorted dignitaries? If so, that's a very intriguing mental picture. It would put Clark in the public eye almost before either of his careers get off the ground (so to speak).

And Lois would blow a gasket at both men. It would set her relationship with Clark back a year or two, and it probably would slow down Lex's attempts to romance her, too. And then you could build a relationship between Clark and Lex based on mutual dislike, mutual distrust, and mutual competition for Lois.

And the competition would send Lois into orbit! Wow, does this have possibilities!

I love the premise too!!

LOL! Not only would Lois 'blow a gasket' at both men, but when Superman comes on the scene, she'll really go ga-ga over him.

And what if Clark won the Pulitzer over the initial interview and the downfall of Luthor.

Maybe that would be too much....

Missy

> are you thinking that this is at the White
> Orchid Ball?
Yes,

> Right out in public, in front of the mayor
> and the governor and all the other assorted
> dignitaries?
Yes,

After all Clark speaks many different languages and is widely traveled and well read.

Luthor believes in keeping friends close and enemies closer. (Sun Tzu - The Art of War)

Luthor also follows another maxim of Sun Tzu "all warfare is based on deception"

Clark might start out trying to get the interview but we know that Superman will quickly learn Luthor is an enemy. But in this case he might have learn enough from discussions with Luthor as Kent to not let Luthor know that either Superman or Clark Kent suspects him of being anything other than what he seems, a rich but relatively honest business man.

> Lois would blow a gasket at both men.
> It would set her relationship with Clark
> back a year or two, and it probably would
> slow down Lex's attempts to romance her,

Maybe but she might see him as something more than the hick from nowheresvile if he could pull it off.

> And then you could build a relationship
> between Clark and Lex based on mutual
> dislike, mutual distrust, and mutual
> competition for Lois.

But with both men maintaining a facade of friendly competition and respect.

Someone has Superman play the last couple of moves in a chess game with Luthor, when he is giving him poisoned wine, imagine Clark and Luthor playing a whole series of games, each winning and losing a game and most being draws.

Many players will each have a board at home and tell each other their moves, updating their boards. Picture Lois on a call from Lex about the opera or some such and than she turns to Clark and says "Lex wants to know if you've decided on your next move?"

Could even have a scene with Luthor and Clark, both pretending to be friendly, discussing Lois and her infatuation with Superman.

Patrick

> And what if Clark won the Pulitzer over
> the initial interview and the downfall
> of Luthor.

Or Lois could decide that if He and the Hick from Nowheresville get along that Luthor MUST be hiding something.

Or since Clark would be pretending to be friendly with Luthor she might take it into her head to investigate Luthor hoping to show up Clark!

Patrick

Several people in their stories have Clark write and publish books based on his travels.

Others have him writing novels under a pseudonym.

If in this AU perhaps he has published a few well known books under the pseudonym of Charles King, allowing Clark to alway use a big CK as his autograph, it would increase Luthor's respect for him.

And it would be oh so much fun if Lois could be a fan of one of Clark's books without knowing it is Clark. Thus Lois is mooning over yet another of his secret identities.


Patrick

Those are some marvelous story ideas, Patrick! The way I see it, your biggest problem now is deciding which one to write first. And I really like the thought of Lois putting Clark down with an unfavorable comparison to Charlie King, reclusive novelist! LOL!

I want to read this when you get it done. I'll definitely look for it on the boards.

> I want to read this when you get it done.
> I'll definitely look for it on the boards.

If I get done. I am better at background and outlines than at Characters and dialog.

I don't think Clark could match Lois' opening line, but I have an idea about that. I think Mitchell, her original escort for the ball, does not beg off but is sick and delays her arrival till well after Luthor's appearence.

This allows Clark time to greet the "Great Man".

For an opening line for Clark, who does not know of Lois' plans, I'm thinking a statement in Chinese about Luthor's fondness for Sun Tzu (author of "The Art of War")

Luthor replies in Chinese and Clark offers him a gift, a slim leather volume, it bears the imprint of the "The London School of Economics, Oxford University Press" and it is a translation, from the Greek, of a manuscript recently recovered by a dig led by a Professor Lang in Egypt. It is a commentary on Sun Tzu's Art of War written in Greek by "Alexandros III Philippou Makedonon" otherwise known as Alexander the Great. The translators are listed as Professor [insert first name] Lang and "Clark Kent".
------------------------
Luthor expresses his delight and saying he did not know a translation was already available. Only after a discussion of the commantary does Luthor find out Clark's name.

Later after Lois had done her "Why haven't you returned my calls" and has snuck into the back rooms she is discovered by Luthor who is escorting Clark back to show him the sword in his collection once owned by Alexander.

Framework4 if Clark is not Lois' date what is his preconceived reason for being invited to the ball?

Is Clark after the definitive interview as much as Lois or does he decide at the last minute to try speaking to Luthor?

If Clark is to have the book with him and know about Lex's fascination for Sun Tzu he must have researched the man. In that case did he suspect from something he found that maybe Lex Luthor was not what he seemed and that is why he planned to try for the interview?

Is Clark's main goal to expose Luthor or to understand him and prove that what he thought was wrong?

TLAT

> if Clark is not Lois' date what is his
> preconceived reason for being invited
> to the ball?

>Is Clark after the definitive interview as
> much as Lois or does he decide at the last
> minute to try speaking to Luthor?


It could work with two different tracks;

A) Luthor is well known, even Jimmy goes to the ball and has read his biographies. So Clark could be trying to get the interview for the same reason as Lois.

B) The ball takes place after Clark knows Luthor is trying to sabotage the "Messenger". Clark is following Sun Tzu's advice to keep your ememies closer. In this track Clark as Superman never directly confronts Luthor about being a villin.


> If Clark is to have the book with him and know
> about Lex's fascination for Sun Tzu he must
> have researched the man.
Yes, in either track. Or Jimmy who has read all five (5) of Luthor's biographies tells him.


> In that case did he
> suspect from something he found that maybe Lex
> Luthor was not what he seemed and that is why
> he planned to try for the interview?

> Is Clark's main goal to expose Luthor or
> to understand him and prove that what he
> thought was wrong?

I'm still thinking about that. It is of course up to whoever writes itHowever in either Track Clark still learns Luthor is a villain fairly soon. And does not confront him.

In fact if Lois, jealous about Clark's seeming access and closeness to Luthor takes the "something is not kosher about Luthor" approach it would be fun. She could think the hack from Smallville has too much faith in people. Confides her concerns about Luthor to Superman, who shares these concerns and admits his own concerns to Lois. Superman also reminds Lois of Sun Tzu's advice to keep your friends close and ememies closer.

Lois rejects Superman's belief that Clark may be doing just that and insists, to herself, that Clark is being fooled. Feeling Clark is too transparent she does NOT tell him of her suspicions about Luthor and tells Superman to be careful what he tells Clark because Clark couldn't keep a secret if his life depended on it and in this case she believes Luthor would simply kill Clark if he believed Clark knew something.

>P.S. I can come up with ideas for someone else
> but me Nooooo!!!

Likewise. I can plot and outline but writing the characters and their dialog and scene descriptions...[large sigh]. What I'd really like is for someone ELSE to write so I can read it.

This is an intriguing challenge. I may just have to see if I can find the time to try and write it. It'll mean HOURS of research into the plot of the pilot, as well as into various instances in the season afterwards where Luthor was present, but it will be highly interesting.

Now, if I could only have the motivation to start, and that motivation didn't go away . . .

I will say one thing though--I will try. I'm not promising anything will ever actually be in print, but I'm at least going to think (and possibly obsess) over it for the next few days. If I start writing, that'll be a definite plus.

What can I say? I'm a procrastinator.

Just as an aside: It would be REALLY GOOD if we could actually get e-mail updates for ANY topic we're interested in, instead of just the threads we've started ourselves, you know? I usually forget to come back to a message board to check a thread, and much prefer having the board tell me to check itself.

Oh, and that chess option is especially clever. I may/may not try it. I know HOW to play chess, and I even have a book on how to improve your chess game, but I haven't played in years, and I was never that good anyway. I suppose looking up famous chess games between Grand Masters and crediting them in the disclaimers might work though.

I'm back to working on this. I have bits written and some outlining but writing the story is much slower. [2010 edit; never got anywhere, I can not write.]

The version I am working on starts with an unpowered Clark. Major Whamm in that I both senior Kents dead and Lana Lang as well.

All died in the same auto wreck. someone has a story where AltWorld's Clark's parents were killed by a truck driver having a heart attack.

I'm going to have them (all three) killed when Clark was 16 and out of town so he can't blame himself.

TLAT asked
I did like the idea of Clark being out to expose Luthor from the start.

So I have him coming to town on the trail of some of the artifacts Luthor has hidden away.

His goal in coming to town is the trace the thief and his backers and customer(s).

I have Clark unpowered and writing travel features and than reporting on the tsunami and some earthquakes and the like.

I like this:

What do you mean by having Clark unpowered?

Sounds like a great story... (Just don't let him do any mind wipes, okay... - btw, I hope you like what I did with that after he did what he shouldn't have done....)

His powers are gone. He lost them a couple of years prior to the opening of the story. (Yes he gets them back)

Without the need to hide his powers, and with his strong need to help people, Clark has written many attention getting stories.

Several fanfic stories have Clark reporting on Superman's efforts to help at disasters.

They have Clark writing stories that draw the attention of the world and make readers see the people trapped in the events and want to help.

This unpowered Clark does some of that. Because of Professor Lang's influence Clark had been publishing Travel articles for years. When he loses his powers during a natural disaster where he was trying to help, he sends a long detailed article to the travel editor of the Daily Planet via fax.

It gets published and draws him some attention as more than a travel writer.

Clark also has a number of skills that he picked up as camouflage for his abilites. (Again Professor Lang's influence.)

In Shayne Terry's story "Duet" a lack of airline flight records trip up Clark.

To provide an explanation for a lack of airline flight records Clark has developed a history of flying some of the ultralight aircraft (powered parachutes, powered paragliders, motorized hang gliders and so forth) and has a regular pilot's license.

Anyone looking deep enough into his travels to notice anything odd is going to see this history and accept it as the reason for any odd gaps. It has also been useful for clearing customs and thus being in the county legally.

It also allows him to fly in circumstanes where he might be seen. If someone sees a guy flying in an ultralight no one wonders if it seems to be going too fast or flying too high.


These various skills, intended as camouflage, serve him very well during his time without his powers.

Thus the Clark who arrives in Metropolis has a name as a reporter. His back trail for the last couple of years has NOTHING that would tip off Luthor to Clark being more than human.

Ahh, well I wanted to keep my mouth shut regardless so I've been checking to see if it is done, and holding off till it is finished rather than reading sections and launching into a diatribe.

I figure reading the entire thing will allow me to focus on your main story not nit pick at bits and pieces.

I think this sounds like a wonderful, wonderful story idea! I love it. I can't wait to read it.

Clark has faced some consequences in my story, but he still has to face the kids... That might be the worst of all!

How about fencing? In front of Lois? Clark could hold his ground effortlessly. Plus, there's something so sexy about fencing...
Wow. this is a great premise!

I'm sorry - I know it's just my gutter mind and I'm a VERY BAD PERSON - but every time I see the truncated title of this thread on the main page:

Luthor gives Clark the...

My mind just can't help but fill in the blank in a way I'm sure was never intended by Patrick. :rolleyes:

Ah, LabRat, you and me both. <snickers> It's so juvenile, I know, but there you have it.

Sue

LabRat:
Sue S.

Hmm, this is an unpowered Clark at this point. I rather expect Luthor would slice his arm at least.

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif"> Sorry, Patrick.

LabRat

Hah! You guys are so silly. Thanks for the vbg this morning.

Patrick I am so looking forward to this story.

See ya!

It has been a year and no one ever followed up on this so I figured I'd bump it up in the queue and maybe some of the newer folks would take it up.

I always thought it would be fun for Clark and Lex to be friends...or at least Clark think Lex is his friend before the white orchid ball...<g>

bump

I never wrote this, nor did anyone else. First posted in 2006.

I read a story at some point where Clark and Lex know each other before the White Orchid ball, and chat there with friendly ease. I think Clark was rich and not a reporter, so he knew Lex from his social circles. Anyway, this sounds vaguely familiar. Does it to anyone else?

If my imagination is getting away with me (as it often does) and this hasn't been written, it might be fun if Lois is the one who discovers that Lex is a criminal and has to be the one to convince Clark. But, as Perry does with Bill Church, Clark doesn't believe his friend to be a bad bean without proof. So, Lois accepts a date with Luthor to try to investigate him.

I think you mean "The Man Under the Suit"
By HappyGirl


http://www.lcfanfic.com/stories/2011/html/manunder.html

I LOVE "The Man Under the Suit"!

C'mon guys, I would LOVE to see at least a version of the White Orchid ball that goes along the lines Framework set up.

I could imagine one way the "friendship" between Clark and Luthor including is Luthor seeing Lois as "just another reporter" even after her direct approach at the Ball because of Clark's surprising ability with languages. As a result he decides to "Play a long game" with Kent and Lois, setting them up to be a romantic interest to one another in the hopes that he receives a new reporting team after the fall of the Planet (which he might have had on a "list" of places that would fall to make space for LNN and it's related reporting bodies.)

I LOVE "The Man Under the Suit"!

C'mon guys, I would LOVE to see at least a version of the White Orchid ball that goes along the lines Framework set up.

I could imagine one way the "friendship" between Clark and Luthor going is Luthor seeing Lois as "just another reporter" even after her direct approach at the Ball because of Clark's surprising ability with languages usurping Lois's "surprise" attack. As a result he decides to "Play a long game" with Kent and Lois, setting them up to be a romantic interest to one another in the hopes that he receives a new reporting team after the fall of the Planet (which he might have had on a "list" of places that would fall to make space for LNN and it's related LuthorCorp properties.)

May I recommend bakasi's new WIP story? Hurt Before. She's only three parts in, but Clark and Luthor knew each other before Clark came to the Planet. I wouldn't call them 'friends' per se, but they had been at one time previously.

Bump