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Wrong Place, Wrong Time, Wrong Clark TOC can be found HereMy apologies. When I went to post this part last night, literally as I hit the 'send' button, I realized my Internet was down. I only just got it up this morning. To clarify my "When we last left off..." segment. This scene with Arianna and Lex happens after Lex thinks about how he's trying to ruin Cat Grant's life (that part I trimmed for the re-cap). Originally, it was part of an almost entire part-long Lex POV, but I figured my Readers would like (since they usually demand it) to see Clark during the last part, so I added his scene and Cat's to give you a little breather from Lex's POV. He's back!The scene with Cat interviewing Toni in jail happens Friday morning between Lois's latest Thursday night dinner with Lex and her date for the opera. Then the final scene with Lois and Lex is Saturday, March 26th, the night of the opera. Please, let me know if that isn't clear by the way it's currently written and I can add in dates. Thanks. Thank you for reading and I'm sorry about the double delay. I appreciate your comments. EDIT: I have added in a new short Clark scene (actually brought it forward from Part 126, so it had already been written), to hopefully make a better transition between Rival and FlyHard.
Last edited by VirginiaR; 05/06/14 11:28 AM. Reason: Added Link
VirginiaR. "On the long road, take small steps." -- Jor-el, "The Foundling" --- "clearly there is a lack of understanding between those two... he speaks Lunkheadanian and she Stubbornanian" -- chelo.
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the story posted early. There was no Clark in this part at all. We left him about to call Lois on what, Thursday morning? What happened there? I guess you weren't kidding that the last part ended the previous arc, but it seems like it ended without resolving. We want Clark, we want Clark. You went a whole part without seeing Clark at all. How is that even possible? The disconnect was so great I went back and made sure I had not missed a part. I was glad we actually saw Lois, more on that later.
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There was a knock on his office door, and Lex just had enough time to switch off his surveillance of Lois’s desk, before Arianna entered. that Ariana did not barge in faster. Not that she would be likely to do anything about it, but still. “Ari, I’m sorry to keep you waiting. I had a scheduled conference call I had to take,” Proving again that Lex always lies. Arianna slipped her hand into his and squeezed it. Why does Ariana feel any attraction to Lex. This I never really understood. “That’s okay, Lex, I know you’re a busy man,” she said, Does she mean with the female subjects in his L.U.X.? She had consistently refused to be delegated to that realm of his life; It took me three readings to realize this was saying she sat away from the desk. She always considered herself somewhat more important to Lex than her title of ex-wife allowed her, and she would be right. The odd attraction is mutual? This is intriguing. He wished he could say it had only been for her father’s huge fortune, So he married her for her money. which became theirs after his sudden death during their honeymoon, that Lex had proposed to Arianna. So he offed his father-in-law. Why am I not surprised? One more person to the body count.
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Mainly, he kept Arianna around to remind himself never to become emotionally involved with a conquest again. He seems to have already failed at that with Lois. It had broken his heart that he hadn’t been able to give his wife pleasure on their wedding night. Maybe this is because he has a twisted understanding of pleasure. Thankfully, she had been more than welcoming of his dalliances on the side during their marriage; actually, Ari claimed it as her idea. ‘Better you do that to another woman than me,’ she had informed Lex when their honeymoon revealed her abhorrence to her marital duties. I have to wonder if it is more Lex's interpretation of the phrase that is the problem. As long as Lex kept it to nothing more than sex, she allowed him to do as he liked to whom he liked, Yep. I think it is Lex's twistedness that is causing the problem. He didn’t know if it was because she already suspected him of stepping out on her, which he had, or if it was because she didn’t want to ‘lose him’, which she had, too. Lex seems to always have been evil and twisted. Lex told her the only reason they needed to divorce was to keep up his image of law-abiding citizen of Metropolis, not philandering cad, He still is a philandering cad, just because he is not married does not lessen the fact he is a philanderer. Although it probably makes people less outraged about it. but that in his heart he would always be married only to her. Canon Lois:And he told me that I was the first women who matter to him. The no good liar. He had seen Lois act this way in public no less, on occasion, with Superman, and wished Lois would look at him in the same subservient manner. Now that Lois knows that Superman loves her, he has no chance of winning her. Ever. Lois:I thought it was more that now that I know he is a murdering villain, he has no chance. Reader:Umm, I think he had no chance long before Lois knew that. Moreover, it would be a terrific and completely legitimate place to lock away one’s enemies, pests, and disgruntled employees. Clark:Where did I put those notes on why this dimension needs to reform commitment laws, like we did on my home world, to make it so major employers can't run mental institutions, and to make it much harder to commit people to mental institutions. Especially when they are actually charged with a crime that under normal circumstaces would at most send them to jail for a few months. “No, no problem. I have set up my flat next door, as you suggested, darling, and I thought…” She blushed and glanced away. “We could christen it, when we met for our anniversary dinner.” The world is moving exactly on the lines of Another Lois. Once a year, on the date of their anniversary, Arianna let Lex have his marital rights with her. How can he have marital rights when they aren't married? It was her anniversary gift to him, because they both knew she had a fear of intimacy and endured it out of her desire to please him. Maybe it is just because of how Lex understands the thing that she has such fear. In addition, Lex had claimed if they didn’t share their bodies at least once a year, the courts would no longer consider them ‘married’, even if the legal paperwork said they were divorced. Oddly enough, since they got married in international waters by a ship captain, this might actually make sense. Generally weddings performed by a ship captain are not legally binding. Of course, it is possible that this captain was also a license to perform marriages by some specific government, but captains dod not have a right to perform valid marriages by virtue of their office as ship captain. Lex enjoyed forcing her to relent year after year, making the night last the entire night through to get his money’s worth out of her. This phrasing makes her sound like a whore. During the terms of their premarital contract, Lex had negotiated complete control of their joint finances, which included her entire inheritance, and should they ever terminate their marriage, for any reason, he would continue to control Arianna’s share of the money as trustee to a lifetime trust in her name. Why would anyone agree to these terms. Arianna had agreed to these terms, Lex guessed, because she suspected he would want to divorce her after learned of her ‘phobia’ and this way she could be guaranteed contact with Lex, albeit forced, as trustee to her post-marital trust. I don't buy it. I think her "phobia" is more a result of Lex's disturbedness than anything else. My guess on why she agreed was because she assumed there was no way Lex would leave her, since she loved him unconditionally, and so she did not care about what would happen if they divorced. They had eloped, without her father’s knowledge, so Arianna had also signed the paperwork without her father or his lawyers’ advice. And maybe without really reading all of them either. Arianna’s eyes widened. “No, Lex. Saturday night is our anniversary.” So that is why he sent the clone. “Ari!” Lex scolded, grabbing her hands and pulling her away. “You know you are never to touch my things.” Ari:You touch all of me Lex, can't I just touch a little of your stuff, just this once. “But, Lex, if we don’t…” She shivered again in horror. “Consummate our marriage every year within the year, our divorce will be legal. Interesting divorce conditions. Also, why would that be bad exactly? I am surprised that Lex does not propose consummating the relationship on Friday. “I cannot lose you, Lex. I love you too much. I’m willing to do anything to keep our marriage alive; you know that... otherwise… otherwise, I wouldn’t…” I am surprised that he does not propose consummating now, but that would not really give him enough time to carry out his disturbed intention on her. “But, what? Are you planning to have sex with another woman on our anniversary, Lex? Now Lex's intentions for what he plans to do to Lois after the opera seem even more disturbed. Although why he thinks he has a chance with a woman he insulted by buying her in an agreement she knew nothing about, not to mention that he shot, is beyond me. Lois:My plan is working, Lex believes I am attracked to him. Clark:Lois, why do you want that evil sociopath attracked to you? On the celebration of our love?” Arianna demanded. More like emotional distrubedness on both sides. This relationship is not healthy for either of them. Lois had finally agreed to go on an official date with him. Clark: Why does Lois keep on dating that evil man. Why was I so stupid as to turn down a date with her. Maybe if I had gone with her and not Linda she would not be so desperate to be with Luthor. On the other hand, maybe I should start charging for Superman rescues so I can afford to take Lois to a fancy restraint and the opera, if that is what she wants. Even with the most stubborn of women, he had been able to succeed with the opera. Lois:Yes, but those women had not been with Superman. Although, once he did a quick review of the most difficult women he had seduced over the recent years, he concluded they were the ones with whom he couldn’t be seen in public: So he actually has not tested any difficult women against the opera. Claudette Wilder (because she was married), Is that the crazy mother of the evil doctor in "Target:Jimmy Olsen". Lena Harrison (same, this had been before he had fired her husband), So much for her claims to believe in marital fidelity. she was disloyal to her husband. That seems out of character for her. moreover Lex discovered both she and her husband were candidates for Ari’s mental intuition), I guess they were a bit excentric, but excentricity does not usually lead to commitment if the people are rich. Diana Stride (double agent with Intergang), This is just making it more ironic that Lois went ballistic on Clark for supposedly having a relationship with Cat, and yet spent most of the summer dating Luthor, Metropolis's #1 philanderer, who has bedded more women than Clark has even shaken hands with. Gretchen Kelly (since the Medical Ethics board frowned on doctors sleeping with their patients), They really should have had scenes where Lois testifies before the medical ethics board to get Dieter's license revoked. and Lois Lane (Superman’s love interest). Who unlike all the others, Lex has not seduced in any way. He had also recently dated Lisa Rockford, the model, after his run-in with Superman in November, When Lois started to see through Lex's façade to chavanist who dismissed her thoughts underneath. but she didn’t want to be seen too much in public with one man, due to her suspicious Nazi friends, whom she didn’t think Lex knew about, but he did. I am surprised Mindy later Church did not appear on this list. I guess she would not have been a difficult conquest. Anyway, Lex wanted to try Miranda’s Revenge on Arianna for their anniversary to see if she became fierier, Maybe Scardino can show up if word gets out that there is evidence that Revenge is still floating around. Mrs. Chow:Arthur, why do you react so strongly when I wear this special perfume. I am almost out, and I like when you go irrational for me, how can I get it to happen without the perfume. Arthyr:Hmm, dear, I love you, but I think it is best we not get too irrational. Maybe we should send this away to get it tested. Some of our help were acting peculiar when you applied that stuff around the place yesterday. and he would hate to wait a year for his next opportunity. Lex is not a very patient man. Lois:Well, actually the surprising thing is that his deparved actions have not landed him in jail yet. Hmm, I guess with his power, he is always able to find willing accomplicies. Lex knew he needed to keep Arianna happy because she knew more than her fair share of his secrets. Exposing the L.U.X. would definitely undermine his philanthropist image, even if Bender could avoid any actual prison time for him. If he used her any night, other than their anniversary, then that could change. I guess that is why he does not propose Friday. Especially since the only way to get her to agree to Friday is to convince her that his arrangement for Saturday is too pressing to cancel. I doubt even if he had no sexual intentions for the meeting with Lois, and it had a clear business purpose, he could convince Ariana it was an acceptable reason to postpone the date. Arianna could be vocal, and if anything she said arrived at Lois’s ear, it would be twice the trouble to undo it. Considering Lois put two-and-two together on seeing the out-dated but precise copy of her apartment, there is really nothing that Ariana could say that would change Lois's views. Now, maybe if Ariana's statements were brought to the attention of the courts, but not to Lois. Although I guess Lois has managed to hide her true feelings towards Luthor. Also, he looked forward to this date. It was the one night a year he was allowed to do whatever he pleased to torture his ex-wife, He is more disturbed than I thought. One thing is for sure, I have never felt any sympathy for Lex being tricked by Lois in this story. Clark:It is Lois being tricked by Lex that worries me. Or killed, maimed, raped, who knows what. Lois:I do know martial arts. Clark:I fear it won't be enough, and I won't be fast enough. I am afraid what he intends to do to you Lois. Yet, if he knew Lois would be willing… no, he would not turn down a guaranteed show of power with Ari for more patience with Lois. Lois:He has no chance. I am not going to violate my new rules. And anyway, even if I had never met Clark I would not give myself to such an evil, disturbed philanderer as Luthor.
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It seemed to jump quite abruptly to Lex's dinner with Lois Saturday night. It wasn't immediately clear that that was what was going on. I thought that Lois's observations about Nigel were just general statements of her opinion, not current observations. It would help to have some short lead-in to that section that clarifies that we've jumped a few days and who is in the room.
I'm more and more appalled by Lex's behavior and attitudes towards women. He's not just a normal, evil villain. He's a sick, amoral, demented monster. I don't usually see him portrayed to be quite this bad, even when he is shown to view women as expendable playthings. Ari is surprisingly gullible. I wonder what's at the root of her phobia, but I get the feeling that I don't really want to know.
Regarding Lois getting a LoLex watch instead of the same kind as the other women, I figure this is another reflection of his obsession with her. Since there's no Rolex for him to have patterned the name after, I figure it's a combination of Lois and Lex.
I wonder how long Lex has had surveillance at the DP and whether anyone will find it. These cameras and microphones have to be stashed somewhere.
"It is a remarkable dichotomy. In many ways, Clark is the most human of us all. Then...he shoots fire from the skies, and it is difficult not to think of him as a god. And how fortunate we all are that it does not occur to him." -Batman (in Superman/Batman #3 by Jeph Loeb)
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Due to popular demand , I have moved forward a small section of a scene from Part 126, which will hopefully be a better transition into Saturday night and also included Clark. It's less than two double spaced pages worth of material, and is located between the Cat scene and final scene.
VirginiaR. "On the long road, take small steps." -- Jor-el, "The Foundling" --- "clearly there is a lack of understanding between those two... he speaks Lunkheadanian and she Stubbornanian" -- chelo.
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Regarding Lois getting a LoLex watch instead of the same kind as the other women, I figure this is another reflection of his obsession with her. Since there's no Rolex for him to have patterned the name after, I figure it's a combination of Lois and Lex. Lois is probably lucky that Clark comes from a dimension with rolex. If he did not have that distraction, he would have caught onto the Lois + Lex aspect of the name, and be demanding even more that she give back the watch.
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He would figure out some way to be in two places at once. Only Lex would be so arrogant as to think this possible. Perhaps he could dine with Lois, only to have Lex-C attend the opera with her. I guess since he is a clone, it will be hard for Lois to tell the difference. Although I doubt that will be the main reason people won't be able to tell. The clone wouldn’t have to speak much, except during the intermission, and Lex would lay down ground rules about his conduct. Yes, that was the answer. Maybe Lois can trip the cone into revealing incriminating information. we are not dating. Cat of all people knows that. Well, Toni is half right. Of course after seeing Charlie and Lola in the supply closet that is not surprising. I say half right because Toni is delusional to think that Charlie was ever her beau. “No, not Charlie,” Cat grumbled, and adding that lie to her tally sheet of things, She is really racking them up. I don't think Clark could have puled off this many lies. for which Clark owed her. Only if she can expedite the process of sending Luthor to prison. Which, does not seem a likely outcome of proving Luthor is having relations with lots of women. Even if she can prove relations with Toni Taylor, that is not proving criminal action. Especially if Lois won't press charges for soliciting a prostitute. Lois really should have pressed charges. It would have opened up an inquiry into how involved in the Metro gangs activities Luthor was. I almost want to say Lois's failure to press charges, especially since it prevented Luthor getting caught up in the dragnet that presumably resulted from Taylor's arrest, could be construed as a form of obstruction of justice.
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She pulled out a copy of the photo she shot of Lex and Lois at lunch the other day and set it down. “Anyone look familiar?” I knew Lois should have left the lunch immediately on having dismissed the lawyer. “I knew I shouldn’t have let him buy her when he had never had eyes for any of my singers before,” Toni said, appearing annoyed. Lois:Toni's selling me is not at all related to this lunch. Why would he? He’s a real philanthropist. Cat:And a womanizer who pays for the services of ladies of the night, which is illegal in this town. She pulled out a blow up of Miranda’s wrist and the obvious silver Gucci watch on it. With the amount of watches we have seen in this story, maybe it should be renamed to "wrong watch". Clark:Sounds good to me. Reader:See if you were not such a wrong Clark, you would get Lois a right watch. “What the hell?!” Toni griped. “It’s supposed to be in storage with the rest of my personal effects.” So Toni, Toni, Miranda and Monique all had the same watch. Maybe Cat should scan various living people to see if any of them have The Watch. Lois can't be the only women Lex is using right now. Lois:Especially since he is not getting his sexual desires met by me. She died when her helicopter exploded after it was discovered she was the one who sabotaged EPRAD’s space program.” Although, since presumably all the people who knew about that had just died in an explosion as well, the discovery is probably not what prompted her death. “Unfortunately?” Toni asked. “I understood Superman to be a good thing.” Yes, why is being saved be Superman unfortunate. “The next week, Monique disappeared. Gotham County Sheriff’s office believes that someone held Ms. Kahn against her will for three months, starved, tortured, and then hunted her to death with a bow and arrow, or a high-powered crossbow, in the woods between Gotham City and Metropolis. I see, it would have been a much less painful way to die if she had just splatted on the ground. Considering what we have known for some time Lex did to Monique, nothing revealed in this part really adds to his disturbeness. Although just being exposed to him so much is disturbing. “Oh, wait,” Toni interrupted, tapping the glass. “I heard about her. She’s that perfumer who made Metropolis love-crazy and then offed herself.” Cat:The evidence for the last part is not clear. “I could’ve used some of that stuff,” Toni mumbled. But would people debase their pure love by commercializing it? and he was a perfect gentleman,” I guess he did have to put on a façade with Toni and not be his unsually overdominating and abuse self. Cat knew she was lying because Toni had already told her that Lex had come to the club more than once, TOni:Just because Luthor was at the club multiple times does not mean I met with him. I mean, I was only head for a short time. Maybe other times he talked with Johnny. “I’m guessing he didn’t visit you at your place, which the Metros probably had under watchful eye, I think maybe it should be "under a watchful eye". so you must have gone to his penthouse. I know you didn’t waltz in the front door because none of his doormen recognized your picture…” Of course that assumes they do not just categorically deny recognizing anyone. Cat scooped up the photos and dropped them into her purse. “Fine. Don’t help me nail him and embarrass Lois. Lois:It won't embarrass me, it will relieve me. Then I will able to be with Clark all I want. At least as much as his lunkheaded, overly close following of the law allows. “Yes, but I’m the only one who knows that,” Cat replied, moving to hang up her telephone. Why does she keep going off to be with Luthor. Cat knew that the elevators led directly to the lobby, unless one had a bypass key. Maybe Luthor gives those out to some of his paramours. Or maybe he meets these ladies himself or has one of his trusted assistants with a key meet them. Without the key, the person had to switch from the parking garage elevators in the lobby and go through building security to access the building elevators. But maybe the people who are on duty when the lady of the night shows up are chosen because they are good at denying recognition. So the trusted assitants/Lex himself method is how it is done. Wait… One time, he picked me up at the airport and drove me back to the Metro Club in the middle of the night.” At first I was like "what is with him driving her from the airport to the Metro Club", then I realized that the "in the middle of the night" is about when she was returned to the club, not the whole thing. Toni waved this idea. “No, no, in the limo. We stopped by the penthouse first. Oh, I guess it was both in the middle of the night. Luthor's limo driver could be a key source of information. There was another elevator, a private elevator,” she said, recalling. “I remember because Lex chose a bottle of champagne from his wine cellar before we went upstairs. We were celebrating…” Her gaze drifted off. This won't be enough to convict him. Drinking wine with a lady, even one who operates a prostitution racket as Toni did, still is not criminal. It had been worth a shot. Cat had been able to trick Toni into confirming that she had dated Lex. Unfortunately, without it explicitly on tape, it would only be Toni’s word against Cat’s that was who their the conversation was about. But even if she could prove Toni dated Lex, it would not really do much to get him arrested. Anyway, Lex and Toni dating was only gossip, not news, unless Cat could prove that Toni’s watch had a tracer in it as Lois’s did. I guess this would expose Lex as disturbing, but unless they can prove the tracers are used, criminal would be pretty hard. not finding either Lex’s black stretch or his old fashioned limo, and she wondered where he parked them. Since Lois already knows, they would be making a lot more progress if they worked closer on this investigation.
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Clark wished he hadn’t put off filing his taxes I still wish she would only wear things like that to be with me. Reader:Clark, you have no one to blame but yourself. You are the one who turned down a chance to spend the weekend with Lois. Was that how he normally wooed a woman, or was he treating her differently? Maybe Lex has become addicted to revenge and is still using it. She had teased him about considering this outing a date instead of evening entertainment between friends, but she could tell he had taken her at her word. Somehow I think Lois is the only person who could possibly thing this is not a date. even though his treatment of her didn’t feel flattering. she is beginning to see through his façade. I seem to be using that word a lot. He usually was subtly patronizing, Except for the times when he is overtly so. sickeningly suave while issuing backhanded compliments, Why does she put up with those from him? and coolly charming as he tried to maneuver the conversation and her opinions to where he thought they should be. He was good at it too. Sometimes, it wasn’t until she was back home and rehashing in her mind their conversations for any nuggets of information worth retaining or exploring that she would realize that he had done it again. I still think this whole undercover with Luthor plan was stupid. She has been doing it almost a month and learned virtually nothing. Lois’s brow furrowed. Why was Lex taking a conference call upstairs in his private living quarters instead of in his office? Because it is like the "conference call" her father would have with Mrs. Belcanto. Standing up, Lois decided she wasn’t going to waste her time, sitting and waiting at the dinner table for him to return. she is going to go into Lex's office and actually learn something. At least I can hope.
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I am glad we got the extra part in 125, because 126 seems to have been delayed. Hope everything is alright Virginia. I am loving this story.
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Originally posted by John Lambert: I am glad we got the extra part in 125, because 126 seems to have been delayed. Hope everything is alright Virginia. I am loving this story. Sorry, John. Yes, Part 126 has been delayed because once again, I wasn't able to finish Part 131 due to some writer's block, some birthday parties, and some out-of-town guests who insist on me being a host instead of a writer. ( ) but it needed several rewrites to get it just right, so that also delayed and slightly changed the direction of Part 131. Just to totally confuse you with vague information that won't make sense until you get to that part of the story. (or maybe that should be ) So, Readers, let me know if you want a more stable or random posting schedule or if you don't care JUST FINISH THE DARN THING ALREADY, V!
VirginiaR. "On the long road, take small steps." -- Jor-el, "The Foundling" --- "clearly there is a lack of understanding between those two... he speaks Lunkheadanian and she Stubbornanian" -- chelo.
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My vote is to keep the current schedule, but I am not really particular either way.
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John: Hi! The *WORLD*. CLARK: Great. Just give her ideas now. <<dials phone>> Dr. Friskin? It's Clark Kent again. Even with the most stubborn of women, he had been able to succeed with the opera. Lois:Yes, but those women had not been with Superman. LEX: You don't know that. LOIS: What?! CLARK: It's Lex. HE's lying. LOIS: Maybe he is. Maybe he isn't. CLARK: I hate that guy. So he actually has not tested any difficult women against the opera. Why would Lex spend money on women who are easy? Amber Lake JOHN: she was disloyal to her husband. That seems out of character for her. LEX: What? I like a challenge. I guess they were a bit excentric, but excentricity does not usually lead to commitment if the people are rich. Eccentric people who KILL people can get committed by other VERY rich people This is just making it more ironic that Lois went ballistic on Clark for supposedly having a relationship with Cat, and yet spent most of the summer dating Luthor, Metropolis's #1 philanderer, who has bedded more women than Clark has even shaken hands with. Well, Lex is older and has no morals; therefore he's more experienced. Who unlike all the others, Lex has not seduced in any way. LEX: So, on the difficulty challenge level she's 15 on a 10 point scale. She's also a work in progress. LOIS: Gross! When Lois started to see through Lex's façade to chavanist who dismissed her thoughts underneath. So, Lois wasn't spending any more time with Lex and he needed to occupy his... time. I am surprised Mindy later Church did not appear on this list. I guess she would not have been a difficult conquest. She came into power AFTER Lex died. Maybe Scardino can show up if word gets out that there is evidence that Revenge is still floating around. What? You want him to show up already and make this triangle/square into a hexagon? CLARK: Oh, God! Not him! LOIS: Dan? HE's *so* last story. Lex is not a very patient man. no. Lois:Well, actually the surprising thing is that his deparved actions have not landed him in jail yet.
Hmm, I guess with his power, he is always able to find willing accomplicies. Money buys power and influence, plus it's part of the challenge for Lex. Exposing the L.U.X. would definitely undermine his philanthropist image, even if Bender could avoid any actual prison time for him. Oh, not necessarily. As of right this moment. He's only had sex with one member of the LUX. Considering Lois put two-and-two together on seeing the out-dated but precise copy of her apartment, there is really nothing that Ariana could say that would change Lois's views. Now, maybe if Ariana's statements were brought to the attention of the courts, but not to Lois. Although I guess Lois has managed to hide her true feelings towards Luthor. Yes. But Lex doesn't know that's how Lois feels about him, he thinks she likes him so he doesn't want to do anything that would change her mind. Even something simple like cancel a date. One thing is for sure, I have never felt any sympathy for Lex being tricked by Lois in this story. That's good. Phew. Clark:It is Lois being tricked by Lex that worries me. Or killed, maimed, raped, who knows what.
Lois:I do know martial arts.
Clark:I fear it won't be enough, and I won't be fast enough. I am afraid what he intends to do to you Lois. LOIS: Give me some credit. CLARK: I wish it were that easy, Lois. Lois:He has no chance. I am not going to violate my new rules. And anyway, even if I had never met Clark I would not give myself to such an evil, disturbed philanderer as Luthor. She might say that now, but we know better from canon. It was because this Clark made her take a second look at Lex early enough in their relationship that she didn't fall for Lex's swarmy ways. More later...
VirginiaR. "On the long road, take small steps." -- Jor-el, "The Foundling" --- "clearly there is a lack of understanding between those two... he speaks Lunkheadanian and she Stubbornanian" -- chelo.
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mrsMxyzptlk: Thanks for dropping in to comment. It seemed to jump quite abruptly to Lex's dinner with Lois Saturday night. It wasn't immediately clear that that was what was going on. I thought that Lois's observations about Nigel were just general statements of her opinion, not current observations. It would help to have some short lead-in to that section that clarifies that we've jumped a few days and who is in the room. My newly added Clark scene does a bit to bridge the shift in time, but I'll still work on something more concrete to end Rival, but probably not until I finalize my Archives version, about the time I fix Lois not being freaked out by Miranda's dead body. I'm more and more appalled by Lex's behavior and attitudes towards women. He's not just a normal, evil villain. He's a sick, amoral, demented monster. I don't usually see him portrayed to be quite this bad, even when he is shown to view women as expendable playthings. Ari is surprisingly gullible. I wonder what's at the root of her phobia, but I get the feeling that I don't really want to know. Yes, I did make Lex a bit sick and demented. I left Ari's phobia vague for that very reason. Regarding Lois getting a LoLex watch instead of the same kind as the other women, I figure this is another reflection of his obsession with her. Since there's no Rolex for him to have patterned the name after, I figure it's a combination of Lois and Lex. Hmmmm. Interesting theory. I wonder how long Lex has had surveillance at the DP and whether anyone will find it. These cameras and microphones have to be stashed somewhere. Well, nobody picked them up the first time until Clark deliberately went to look for them. They were installed recently... about the time as her home ones were installed. Thanks for your comments.
VirginiaR. "On the long road, take small steps." -- Jor-el, "The Foundling" --- "clearly there is a lack of understanding between those two... he speaks Lunkheadanian and she Stubbornanian" -- chelo.
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-- Continuation of Response to John's FDK -- Only Lex would be so arrogant as to think this possible. WELLS: Nothing is impossible. Too bad Lois has not tried to push an investigation on why this happened. It wasn't her story, she was busy investigating Lex, dealing with the news that her partner had been lying to her since Day 1, the missing kidnapped kids, and stressing about Linda being in town. He is more sick and disturbed than I thought. Although I have to say in canon he clearly was using multiple women, and they seemed to hint at more than they showed. Toni Baines and Miranda, and probably Mrs. Cox without question, and a few others seemed to be implied. Why Lois went for such a philanderer never made sense, although the lines about her father being a womanizer were not really developed in season 1. There were the Japanese twins, the cheerleader, Toni Taylor, and Monique Kahn as well, specifically implied. And possibly the woman who bought Superman at the auction. I think it should be "her that he", you don't need the it. Thanks. Fixed. He told her that the day she had worn it, almost every reporter had turned in late and incomprehensible stories, with the exception of Cat, Lois, and Preciosa Valdez. JOHN: This must have been before Clark came to work at the planet. Lois:Well, the dress is why Perry had me put the paper to bed one day that week. He hated it, but he had to go home early that day or Alice really would have tanned his hide. I seriously doubt that, but Alice probably raked him over the coals about a lack of a professional work environment. Why have such a fake sounding name as an alias? Hooker name for undercover work. prior to Lois becoming a lady of the evening. JOHN: Lois really should have been a lot more made at Cat for not warning her, and less mad at Clark for trying his hardest to help her on the investigation. Although I still think he should have made it so Toni could not have found his apartment. CAT: Lois is a big girl. She's always telling us how she can take care of herself. I was letting her do just that. It's not my job to 'big sister' her. Clark didn't have any expectations that Toni would visit his home address on his employment records (most bosses don't). The more I think about it, the more frustrating it is that Lois did not try to press charges. All her complaining to Clark that Luthor had good intentions does not seem to mesh with the fact he tried to get her to go the Penthouse with her. Although, the charges would have probably been fairly minor, and having pressed charges would make her later investigation of him harder. Still, he deserved them. LEX: It was only a suggestion... I never forced myself on her. LOIS: See! Any charges I brought upon him would have been dropped anyway. Anyway, he said he was trying to help me. :rolleyes: Men! I went back and re-read most of the Metro Gang section trying to figure out if Toni ever figured out who Clark really was. I guess since it does not say, I will for now assume it happened as in canon. There was this line from Part 43 , implying that he had: . “Well, save room for a sidebar on Toni Taylor. Superman found her still tied up in the warehouse,” he said. “I talked to her down at the station.”
“A touching farewell, I suppose,” she replied, heavy with the sarcasm, as she walked back to her desk. I am still shocked that Clark tried to defend Toni, especially after she sold Lois. Maybe he did deserve Lois breaking up with him. Defending the vice lord Toni was a very lunkheaded thing for him to do. He didn't know if Lois knew she had been "sold" to Luthor, and figured since Lois didn't believe anything he told her about Luthor anyway, why just oil to the fire. True, it wasn't the smartest thing to do... “You didn’t happen to bring the big guy along with you, did you? It’s been a long six months.” Lois:Maybe I was right to be mad at Clark for entertaining Toni. Toni meant six long months surrounded by women, without handsome man flesh to look at, not that she had actually touched Clark (Charlie). Clark:Why, I already have Lois mad at me about Linda, why would I want to rekindle the mess around Toni? Because Clark isn't stupid enough to have his entire life (professional and personal) revolve around Lois. She wouldn't care for it, and it would make him miserable if he catered to her every fear on his behalf. Lois being jealous of Linda, Toni, or Cat is Lois's problem, not his. He hasn't done anything wrong. undercover assignment at the Metropolis Star or not. JOHN: I thought he finished that one already though. Wasn't it Thursday he called to bring Lois in on the investigation, and now it is Friday, so shouldn't he be done being undercover?
This line made me think we were still before Clark calls Lois until I read the whole thing. Clark, Lois, and Linda are currently dealing with Carpenter and Secretary Wallace's assignation attempt while Cat is visiting Toni in prison. So, as far as Cat knows Clark is still undercover at the Met Star. Are we going to every see Clark call Lois, the fall of Carpenter and the end of Linda? Or is Carperter still around? That would be "no". It was implied. Although, clearly, the Readers are begging for me to add in a passage for the Archive version. “He is a box of eye candy, isn’t he?” Cat agreed. Lois:And that is all he will ever be to you Cat. Clark is mine, all mine. CAT: Hence "eye" candy. Candy, one isn't allowed to touch. Duh! Wouldn't that be Clark? Isn't he the one who found her in the warehouse, untied her, but didn't let her run from the police? Here it was Superman (see above quote from Part 43). Want to help me totally embarrass her?” JOHN: Since Lois is using Lex to further her investigation of him being a criminal, that is not really possible. CAT: Sure, it is. Lois: we are not dating. Cat of all people knows that. CAT: Right. And Lois has never lied to get in good with a possible source? She is really racking them up. I don't think Clark could have puled off this many lies. LOIS: I'll take that bet. Hey, look. <<shows her tally sheet>> I won. CLARK: Only if she can expedite the process of sending Luthor to prison. Which, does not seem a likely outcome of proving Luthor is having relations with lots of women. Even if she can prove relations with Toni Taylor, that is not proving criminal action. Especially if Lois won't press charges for soliciting a prostitute. Lois really should have pressed charges. It would have opened up an inquiry into how involved in the Metro gangs activities Luthor was. CAT: Who said I was working to get Lex in jail? I'm a "society columnist". I report gossip. Lex sleeping with all these criminals types, that's gossip. It's Lois's job to prove it makes him a criminal himself, *she's* the investigative reporter. That's *her* job. My job is just to prove he's a lying slimebucket and get people talking about it. I knew Lois should have left the lunch immediately on having dismissed the lawyer. CAT: Hey, if she's going to swim with sharks, she's going to have to deal with being a labeled a shark herself, even by those who know she's just a porpoise. Lois is trying not to scare him off or make him angry, all the while still keeping him on the line. Cat:And a womanizer who pays for the services of ladies of the night, which is illegal in this town. TONI: That's what I call a high ranking businessman or corporate CEO or CFO. Although, since presumably all the people who knew about that had just died in an explosion as well, the discovery is probably not what prompted her death. CAT: Close enough. Yes, why is being saved be Superman unfortunate. when it angers her boss. I see, it would have been a much less painful way to die if she had just splatted on the ground. CAT: Yes. From a certain point of view. CLARK: What? No! CAT: <<reminds him what happened to Ms. Kahn>> CLARK: Still... No. Neither is a good way to die. Considering what we have known for some time Lex did to Monique, nothing revealed in this part really adds to his disturbeness. Although just being exposed to him so much is disturbing. LEX: I must object to that statement. I haven't exposed myself to any Readers during this story. “I could’ve used some of that stuff,” Toni mumbled. JOHN: But would people debase their pure love by commercializing it? TONI: If a man is MORE turned on by one of my girls and CAN'T stop himself from wanting her, he'll pay even more to possess her. LOIS: Lovely. She's a ray of sunshine for women's rights, isn't she? and he was a perfect gentleman,” JOHN: I guess he did have to put on a façade with Toni and not be his unsually overdominating and abuse self. As in canon, this Lex told her that if she breathed a word about what she knew about his illegal activities she wouldn't live to speak a second word. I think maybe it should be "under a watchful eye". Yes, thanks. Fixed. Of course that assumes they do not just categorically deny recognizing anyone. CAT: I know body language better than most. I can tell when someone lies to me, especially men. The women, I don't care that much about. Lois:It won't embarrass me, it will relieve me. Then I will able to be with Clark all I want. At least as much as his lunkheaded, overly close following of the law allows. Embarrassing Lois is the carrot she's dangling in front of Toni. Cat is really good at chicken. Perry probably would be hesitant about relying too much on such an uncorroborated story. Especially since crime exposes are not really Cat's thing. CAT: Scandal isn't a crime. Maybe Luthor gives those out to some of his paramours. Or maybe he meets these ladies himself or has one of his trusted assistants with a key meet them. There might be another explanation as well. But maybe the people who are on duty when the lady of the night shows up are chosen because they are good at denying recognition. The less people with knowledge Lex's personal pleasure activities, the better. Oh, I guess it was both in the middle of the night. Luthor's limo driver could be a key source of information. Except when he's Asabi and is well paid not to speak about his boss. I guess this would expose Lex as disturbing, but unless they can prove the tracers are used, criminal would be pretty hard. If Cat could prove that Lois and one criminal and three murdered people could be connected to Lex via the tracer watches, there would be a pattern of behavior, which could possibly link Lex to those murders. If not, it would really embarrass him, be a great scandal, sell newspapers.
VirginiaR. "On the long road, take small steps." -- Jor-el, "The Foundling" --- "clearly there is a lack of understanding between those two... he speaks Lunkheadanian and she Stubbornanian" -- chelo.
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-- Continuation of Response to John's FDK -- Since the Daily Planet is withhold his taxes, he is definitely going to be better off filing them. Which is why he's doing so. See, he should have taken her to Kansas. TEMPUS: I love the irony. LEX: Well, I only use it second hand. Somehow I think Lois is the only person who could possibly thing this is not a date. LOIS: I'm using him. I don't want his money, I don't want his body. I want him arrested and tried for being a super bad guy. How is that a date? CLARK: Because you're going to the opera with him and ate dinner with him. LOIS: Well, other than those parts. Why does she put up with those from him? LOIS: <<eying Pulitzer>> she is going to go into Lex's office and actually learn something. At least I can hope. A good investigation usually takes months not days, especially with someone as slick as Luthor.
VirginiaR. "On the long road, take small steps." -- Jor-el, "The Foundling" --- "clearly there is a lack of understanding between those two... he speaks Lunkheadanian and she Stubbornanian" -- chelo.
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Pulitzer
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Originally posted by VirginiaR: [b]John: Hi! I'm answering this FDK on my laptop. So, apologies in advance if it's abbreviated (because my laptop hates me and has a tendency to jump places I don't want it to go). the story posted early. Technically, this part posted late because it was supposed to be posted on the previous post day. [/b] Hey, I was trying to be positive. Sorry about that sudden plot cliff. I tried to explain what happened (basically same as in canon, minus annoying freezer confession scene) in subtle references by characters in this and the next few parts. But the way Clark brought in Lois was different. There are more interesting plots ahead and I didn't feel like rehashing canon for another part or two... but if guys *really* want me to delay posting 130 to write something up about Linda and Lois and Secretary Wallace and...
CLARK: Hey, forget someone?
*And* Superman, I guess I could humor you. Otherwise, I'll fix it before I send it to Archives and post whatever I add here, then. I mainly just want the Lois/Clark on the phone conversation. The odd attraction is mutual? This is intriguing. It would have to be for them to get married, right? Not if he just married her for her money. So he married her for her money. LOIS: Oh, good. Then he won't want to marry me. LEX: Her dad sure made a lot of money from my clone boxer fiasco and I need to recoup my losses. LOIS, CLARK, SAM: I am just glad Lois joins in the wallbash. Don't worry. He's happily in denial. Clark:I am still worried. If he feels an emotional connection to Lois, things might get ugly. Perhaps this ship captain was licensed in Bermuda where he would then have the authority to marry Lex and Arianna. That is probably the easiest way to make the story work. Why would anyone agree to these terms. Ari is bonkers. She wanted to make Lex-soup into Lex-man again. Not exactly sane. I thought that was more Gretchen's idea. Even with the most stubborn of women, he had been able to succeed with the opera. Lois:Yes, but those women had not been with Superman. LEX: You don't know that. LOIS: What?! CLARK: It's Lex. HE's lying. LOIS: Maybe he is. Maybe he isn't. CLARK: I hate that guy. Well, it is possible that Lex has been with Lana. It is not unprecedented. I guess they were a bit excentric, but excentricity does not usually lead to commitment if the people are rich. Eccentric people who KILL people can get committed by other VERY rich people Wait, did they kill before breaking out Bad Brain Johnson? This is just making it more ironic that Lois went ballistic on Clark for supposedly having a relationship with Cat, and yet spent most of the summer dating Luthor, Metropolis's #1 philanderer, who has bedded more women than Clark has even shaken hands with. Well, Lex is older and has no morals; therefore he's more experienced. Clark:It still seems I am always held to a higher standard than everyone else. Maybe Scardino can show up if word gets out that there is evidence that Revenge is still floating around. What? You want him to show up already and make this triangle/square into a hexagon? Actually, with Linda it is more like a pentagon, at least since Clark still is jealous of himself with regards to Lois. Exposing the L.U.X. would definitely undermine his philanthropist image, even if Bender could avoid any actual prison time for him. Oh, not necessarily. As of right this moment. He's only had sex with one member of the LUX. I was more thinking along the lines of keeping a large number of people as prisoners, not on the harem aspect. She might say that now, but we know better from canon. It was because this Clark made her take a second look at Lex early enough in their relationship that she didn't fall for Lex's swarmy ways. Although, even in canon she never "gives herself to" Lex, and backs out of the marriage before she knows anything of his crime. Altoough I guess since that is because she realizes she loves Clark, it is hard to totally say she would not fall for him in a Clark free world.
John Pack Lambert
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No, the main reason would be that cloning is thought to be impossible, so it isn't in the range of possibilities people would think of. And as we saw in "Double Jeopardy", even when cloning has been known to be possible for years (at least to those directly involved) and has been under investigation by said person for the last few weeks, they still do not consider it, even when everything screams out "this is not Lois". He was *undercover*, trying to get information out of the woman. He didn't sleep with Toni. Lois was jealous for no good reason. Lois:Unfaithfulness starts a lot earlier than sleeping. Anyway, why did the lunkhead ever give Toni his real address. He should have given a fake address when getting an undercover job. There were the Japanese twins, the cheerleader, Toni Taylor, and Monique Kahn as well, specifically implied. And possibly the woman who bought Superman at the auction. What cheerleader? I don't remember a cheerleader. I think I only noticed the Japanese twins because of this story. I never though Monique Kahn was implied, but maybe I just miss such implications.
John Pack Lambert
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(If I recall, I warned you then that Lex’s POV scenes were only to get creepier) Ooooooh! LEX: Wrong story. Such as: Lois spreads her legs for Lex and he lets her parents and sister live? There was a knock on his office door, and Lex just had enough time to switch off his surveillance of Lois’s desk, before Arianna entered. Maybe he should build a boss-switch into the door latch so his monitor gets automatically switched to Stock-TV when someone opens the door? She always considered herself somewhat more important to Lex than her title of ex-wife allowed her, Which is why he stopped divorcing his wives Henry-VIII style and started disposing them Henry-VIII style. LEX: No, I founded the religion for tax reasons, not so I could get a divorce from Ari. I could have gotten that from the church based on that they don’t recognize marriages to the wives of Satan in the first place. He wished he could say it had only been for her father’s huge fortune, which became theirs after his sudden death during their honeymoon, Isn’t he a fortunate boy? that Lex had proposed to Arianna. Maybe she had already invented Revenge v1? Mainly, he kept Arianna around to remind himself never to become emotionally involved with a conquest again Doesn’t seem to work. /points at Lex’s obsession with Superman/ It had broken his heart that he hadn’t been able to give his wife pleasure on their wedding night. Couldn’t he spray her on another day and see if it works? If it doesn’t, no harm done. And if it does, he could keep her under permanently. being that Ari was already obsessed with him and had no passion to begin with, ARI: Daddy always said that it’s a sin to do that with my college roommate, so I stuck to men. It’s not my fault I find them icky. His chest ached at the thought of canceling or postponing his date with Lois, and he wondered if it was something that he had eaten at lunch. Awwwwwww Arianna could be vocal, and if anything she said arrived at Lois’s ear, it would be twice the trouble to undo it. Maybe if he had her tongue cut out and her fingers broken? LEX: Don’t be stupid, I could just paralyze her vocal cords, shine a red light into her eyes, and puncture her eardrums. Yet, if he knew Lois would be willing… no, he would not turn down a guaranteed show of power with Ari for more patience with Lois. Well, he could expedite the schedule? LOIS: Why do I suddenly feel the urge for sushi? Lex, I’d love me some fresh *OCTOPUS*! SUPERMAN: No, officer, I have no idea why there is a Luthor-shaped goo-smudge on the wall. He would figure out some way to be in two places at once. I can’t have that divorce be final. He has natural paranoid tendencies exacerbated by claustrophobia Maybe they shouldn’t have invited a whack-job? He’s worried because you haven’t let anyone go back to check the surface world since the impact, which he claims was too small to have incurred the wreckage expected. Maybe if he let him out, then irradiated him until his tongue falls out, then sent him back down so he could die a very horrible, very visible death by turning to bloody goo in the main hall? It damaged two levels of my parking garage and a subway tunnel nearby well enough,” Oooh! Just like in Die Hard with a Vengeance. Otherwise, Mr. Devlin sounded like the perfect test subject for their vitamin regime. Isn’t that illegal? replaced her face with Lois’s in his mind. Suddenly, this whole body tingled, his heart began to race, and he felt something… else, something he hadn’t felt in a long, long time: longing. Awwww…he is sooo creepy! She smelled off, funny, wrong. He knew what he would do. He would give Arianna a bottle of that perfume that Lois wore and it would be as if he had his way with Lois after all. All he would have to do was close his eyes. Just like Ari does, huh? ARI: I never give him perfume so he smells like my uncle. “I’d thought we’d try something new today, Mrs. Cox.” Will she still be able to walk straight? No, he couldn’t miss their anniversary, and all the rewards, which came with it. /whispers/ Maybe ‘rewards that came’ instead? TBC
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