Still with me?

Just want to reiterate a note I left in the FDK thread for the last part. The references to the different incarnations of the characters (i.e. Smallville, DCU, and whatnot) are meant to make you smile for those who are familiar. They shouldn't be confusing so let me know if they don't make sense. For the most part, nothing is the same as it is/was on any show, so don't feel like you're missing anything. Everything you need to know should be there- but tell me if it's not.

Enjoy!
~s

Those poor kids. /me wants to stuff them into Clarkie-bear costumes and let them hug each other

Michael

I'm really riveted to this story. Don't keep running away in between parts! Put your life on hold just to write it for meeeee!

I loved it when it started out as a fun, oh-so-clever romp, but now that it's moving deeper, I'm completely glued to the screen.

That said, I absolutely loved this line:
I wasn't expecting that, and it really cracked me up.

More? Please? Pretty please with whipped cream and a chocolate covered Clark on top?

Oh, yeah. Definitely moving beyond the light-hearted little romp.

Clark is on the verge of some life-changing self-knowledge here. Now if Chloe can just help him look beyond Lola--whom no-one likes, including Lois--and see Lois, the two of them have more in comon than either of them knows. I think Clark *really* needs to overhear some of Lois's songwriting sessions.

Keep it coming. This is good stuff.

Happygirl used exactly the expression I had planned on using - this fic has most certainly moved far beyond a light-hearted romp!

Lola-Lois reminds me of Michael Jackson. Like him, she was raised to be a child star. But unlike him, she was given an artist-persona, Lola Dane, maybe so that she could be herself, Lois, when she wasn't in the limelight performing.

Then again, trying to keep "yourself" alive so that you aren't suffocated by stage persona isn't easy. Norma Jean Baker created Marilyn Monroe, but Norma Jean herself didn't really survive.

Norma Jean Baker had a really crappy childhood. She never knew her father, and her mother was locked up in a psychiatric instituion when Norma Jean herself was just a child. Lois-Lola had a better childhood, because she always knew and never lost her father, but she did lose her mother, and she did, pretty much, lose herself.

Is Chloe such a good friend that she wants to save Lois from Lola? Then she is a better person than I've given her credit for.

As for Clark, your portrait of him is quite moving, too. His Earth father's death really brought it home to him that he is the ultimate orphan, and so he gave up college and his dreams for the future so that he could at least hang on to the farm. At least the farm must be there for him!

It was quite moving that both Lois and Clark would seek solace on the graveyard. I hope these two can find solace in each other before too long.

Ann

this is definitely beyond light-hearted - moving into wonderfully thoughtful and provoking. i love seeing their different sides emerging. can't wait for more!

Liking the underlying character bits that are coming out now. Well done. Please post more soon.

That part was amazing.

I actually went back and reread the other 5 parts because I was so blown away by this part. This will definitely be a story I will reread in all one sitting when it's done.

I really love this story and cannot wait until Lois and Clark discover each other's secrets. (Which is going to happen, right?!?)

Amber

I'm eager to read the next post. Will Clark and Lois ever see past the shells each one puts up to keep the pain away? Will Clark realize that his father never wanted him to sacrifice his life and his future to the farm? Will Lois realize that Lola is the artificial construct and that Lois is her real identity - and that Lois isn't all that bad a person?

This started as a huge Hannah Montana spoof, but it's taken a turn into reality. And I, for one, am truly enjoying it. I may twist my daughter's arm and get her to read it once it's all done.