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Mary!! I haven't read any L&C fic in a while and OMG I missed your writing!! This ficlet is so well-written and fun!!


LOL!!


LMAOOO I love the miscommunication

Oooh and then it becomes intriguing!! Doppelganger Clark sounds much different and mysterious! I wonder what's behind all this long story!

But the ending is perfect!

Thank you for sharing this story!! ❤️❤️

Congratulations to all you nominees!

/eyes pile of pointy decision helpers warily/

Michael

Complete Story

Complete Story

🥁Drum roll, please! 🥁

Thank you so much to everyone who had time to nominate stories—this post literally can’t happen without you!

This year, we were incredibly lucky and honored to have several new FoLCs join the fandom, including some writers! WOO!

We had 113 eligible stories this year, and a total of 37 stories made the short list across 14 story-specific categories. You all nominated one third of the eligible stories! That’s amazing!

For those who were here last year or don’t care about the nitty gritty, feel free to scroll right on down to the Nominee Short Lists. For the rest of you, here is my very wordy explanation from last year about how the short lists are compiled so that you can fully follow along with the nomination process and see why some categories have different numbers of stories/people/art!

The Kerth Awards have long aimed to have 5 nominations per category (which is why we encourage voters to submit 5 nominations each)! But, as the K-Com is reminded every year, it’s never quite as simple as taking the top 5 stories/people/art, and calling that the short list.

Well, once in a wonderful while, it IS that easy—exactly 5 stories in a particular category will have a really strong showing of people nominating them, and the number of nominations creates a clear and easy cutoff that looks like this (*not real numbers):


Story A: 13 nominations
Story B: 10 nominations
Story C: 10 nominations
Story D: 8 nominations
Story E: 7 nominations
(And all other stories have 6 or fewer nominations, and therefore didn’t make the short list, which here is the top 5 that the model is built for.)

But sometimes the short list for a category looks like this (*also not real numbers):


Story A: 14 nominations
Story B: 13 nominations
Story C: 8 nominations
Story D: 8 nominations
Story E: 8 nominations
Story F: 8 nominations
Story G: 8 nominations
(And all other stories have 7 or fewer nominations and therefore didn’t make the short list.)

In this example, there’s no easy way to cap this category at 5 stories since there’s a 5-way tie for “third” spot on the list. And cutting it off at just 2 stories isn’t enough for the ballot. So then, this category would get the rare but sometimes necessary 7 slots for the short list.

Because of this, you’ll see that this year’s categories have a range of nominee tallies—4, 5, 6 or even 3 or a whopping 7!

We should also mention that we see categories where the short list of nominees is smaller, either because there were a lot of aligned nominators or because the list of eligible stories in that category just had a smaller number to start with.

At the end of this list, there’s more information on voting and the ceremony and more fun stuff, so don’t stop scrolling after the categories short lists below!

📣Without further ado, we are thrilled to present your chosen 2025 Kerth Nominees: 📣


Best Micro-Short Story (1-5kB)
A Chance Meeting in A Parking Lot by Queen of the Capes – 5 kB (805 words) – Story
The Cold Treehouse by SuperBek – 3 kB (490 words) – Story
Dessert by 90stvfangirl – 3 kB (512 words) – Story
Krypto Meets A New Friend by Morgana – 5 kB (896 words) – Story
The Ring by Toomi8 – 5 kB (814 words) – Story
The Story I've Never Seen by Shallowford – 2 kB (244 words) – Story
Walk The Dog Challenge 4: A Walk In The Park by bakasi – 3 kB (486 words) – Story

Best Super-Short Story (6-10kB)
IBM: All Fallen Down by JadedEvie – 9 kB (1,431 words) – Story
An Icy Reception by Queen of the Capes – 9 kB (1,484 words) – Story
Love, Houdini by bakasi – 9 kB (1,572 words) – Story
Out Of The Fire by Toomi8 – 9 kB (1,640 words) – Story

Best Short Story (11-50kB)
110 Kisses: You Made Your Choice (1/1—a standalone in collection of ficlets) by KSaraSara – 11 kB (2,130 words) – Story
2023 Ficathon: Culinary Mayhem for bakasi by Blueowl – 14 kB (2,443 words) – Story
2023 Ficathon: No Small Thing for Blueowl by KSaraSara – 20 kB (3,469 words) – Story
A Conversation Long Overdue by bakasi – 15 kB (2,752 words) – Story
Here I Am by Toomi8 – 18 kB (3,300 words) – Story

Best Mid-Length or Long Story (51-200kB or 201+kB)
2023 Ficathon: Planes, Trains and Deep Fried Mars Bars for Queen of the Capes by lovetvfan – 97 kB (18,241 words) – Story
Advent Calendar for folcs by Kathryn84 – 83 kB (14,483 words) – Story
Falling For a Farm Boy by Female Hawk – 354 kB (64,184 words) – Story
Undercover Reporter: Resurrection by JadedEvie – 213 kB (38,275 words) – Story

Best Comedy Story
2023 Ficathon: Culinary Mayhem for bakasi by Blueowl – 14 kB (2,443 words) – Story
The End by Queen of The Capes – 6 kB (917 words) – Story
A Personal Favor by Queen of the Capes – 3 kB (447 words) – Story
The Story I've Never Seen by Shallowford – 2 kB (244 words) – Story
True Hates Kiss by 90stvfangirl – 4 kB (721 words) – Story
You're not a wizard, Clark by 90stvfangirl – 6 kB (860 words) – Story

Best Dramatic Story
2023 Ficathon: Don’t Let Me See You Hurt for lovetvfan by bakasi – 44 kB (8,235 words) – Story
Breaking Point by Kathryn84 – 100 kB (17,070 words) – Story
IBM: All Fallen Down by JadedEvie – 9 kB (1,431 words) – Story
Undercover Reporter: Resurrection by JadedEvie – 213 kB (38,275 words) – Story

Best Waffy Story
110 Kisses: You Made Your Choice (1/1—a standalone in collection of ficlets) by KSaraSara – 11 kB (2,130 words) – Story
2023 Ficathon: Christmas Lights for KSaraSara by JadedEvie – 102 kB (18,128 words) – Story
2023 Ficathon: Planes, Trains and Deep Fried Mars Bars for Queen of the Capes by lovetvfan – 97 kB (18,241 words) – Story
Falling For a Farm Boy by Female Hawk – 354 kB (64,184 words) – Story

Best Revelation
2023 Ficathon: Christmas Lights for KSaraSara by JadedEvie – 102 kB (18,128 words) – Story
2023 Ficathon: Culinary Mayhem for bakasi by Blueowl – 14 kB (2,443 words) – Story
2023 Ficathon: Dancing With Superman for BlindPassenger by Toomi8 – 22 kB (4,030 words) – Story
2023 Ficathon: Planes, Trains and Deep Fried Mars Bars for Queen of the Capes by lovetvfan – 97 kB (18,241 words) – Story
The Cold Truth by Queen of the Capes – 36 kB (6,233 words) – Story
A Friend In Need by bakasi – 19 kB (3,593 words) – Story

Best Episode Adaptation (rewrite/fix-it/in-betweenie)
110 Kisses: You Made Your Choice (1/1—a standalone in collection of ficlets) by KSaraSara – 11 kB (2,130 words) – Story
2023 Ficathon: No Small Thing for Blueowl by KSaraSara – 20 kB (3,469 words) – Story
Fade to Black: Never on Sunday But Maybe Just For Tonight by lovetvfan – 57 kB (10,600 words) – Story (nFanfic)
A Friend In Need by bakasi – 19 kB (3,593 words) – Story
Smart Kids Revisited by AmandaK – 41 kB (7,390 words) – Story
Undercover Reporter: Resurrection by JadedEvie – 213 kB (38,275 words) – Story

Best Elseworlds/AU Story
District K: Injustice by AmandaK – 19 kB (3,409 words) – Story
Falling For a Farm Boy by Female Hawk – 354 kB (64,184 words) – Story
Lois and The Spaceship by 90stvfangirl – 6 kB (995 words) – Story

Best Kiss
110 Kisses: You Made Your Choice (1/1—a standalone in collection of ficlets) by KSaraSara – 11 kB (2,130 words) – Story
2023 Ficathon: Christmas Lights for KSaraSara by JadedEvie – 102 kB (18,128 words) – Story
Falling For a Farm Boy by Female Hawk – 354 kB (64,184 words) – Story
First Kiss by AmandaK – 7 kB (1,133 words) – Story

Best Original Character/Supporting Character
Steward & Gemma: 2023 Ficathon: Planes, Trains and Deep Fried Mars Bars for Queen of the Capes by lovetvfan – 97 kB (18,241 words) – Story
Martha: Falling For a Farm Boy by Female Hawk – 354 kB (64,184 words) – Story
Houdini: Love, Houdini by bakasi – 9 kB (1,572 words) – Story
Jimmy Olsen: A True Friend by Kathryn84 – 6 kB (1,009 words) – Story

Best Challenge Response
2023 Ficathon: Christmas Lights for KSaraSara by JadedEvie – 102 kB (18,128 words) – Story
2023 Ficathon: Culinary Mayhem for bakasi by Blueowl – 14 kB (2,443 words) – Story
2023 Ficathon: No Small Thing for Blueowl by KSaraSara – 20 kB (3,469 words) – Story
2023 Ficathon: Planes, Trains and Deep Fried Mars Bars for Queen of the Capes by lovetvfan – 97 kB (18,241 words) – Story
Out Of The Fire by Toomi8 – 9 kB (1,640 words) – Story

Best New Author
AmandaK
Aurore
CalliopeWayne
drdeathdefying

Best Overall Story
2023 Ficathon: Christmas Lights for KSaraSara by JadedEvie – 102 kB (18,128 words) – Story
2023 Ficathon: Don’t Let Me See You Hurt for lovetvfan by bakasi – 44 kB (8,235 words) – Story
2023 Ficathon: Planes, Trains and Deep Fried Mars Bars for Queen of the Capes by lovetvfan – 97 kB (18,241 words) – Story
Falling For a Farm Boy by Female Hawk – 354 kB (64,184 words) – Story
Undercover Reporter: Resurrection by JadedEvie – 213 kB (38,275 words) – Story

Best Commenter/Feedback Giver
Bakasi
Darth Michael
JadedEvie
Morgana

Best Original Fanart
Music Video: I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston by Aurore – Fanart
Graphics: 2024 Kerth Banners by Carrie Rene – Fanart
Music Video: Elevator Shenannigans, a compilation to Stricken by No Doubt by Krista – Fanart
Music Video: Dream Worth Keeping by Sheena Easton (from the Fern Gully soundtrack) by lovetvfan – Fanart


Voting will open THIS COMING SUNDAY, April 6th 0:00 UTC and close two weeks after on Sunday, April 20th 23:59 UTC—there will be a separate post on that when voting opens!

The way we have things set up and automated (YAY MICHAEL FOR AUTOMATING), only Annette and our neutral third-party verifier will see the votes. TriciaW, who was Kerth Coordinator for many years, will return to be our neutral third-party verifier and is delighted to be helping out again this year!

In years past, there has been a rule of sorts that no story shall be allowed to have more than a certain number of spots on the ballot. K-Com discussed for a long time a few years ago and decided not to resurrect this rule. But given the phenomenal (and unexpected by the K-Com) sweep by What the Heart Wants two years ago, we’ve decided that it’s warranted to bring back this rule and revamp it a bit—with the important distinction that we’ve decided to limit SOLE wins to three awards (not including Best Overall) rather than ballot slots so that FoLCs will feel their nominations were heard, and the authors/creators get their due accolades of the nomination—anything more than three will be converted to a tie with the runner up.

All winners will be announced at the Kerth Ceremony.

And speaking of the ceremony! Just like last year, we’ll post a poll for you to vote on the most convenient time frame in and around Saturday, April 26th for the ceremony. Stay tuned!

Keep your eyes on this forum for more information about ceremony information (when, where, and how you can join in!), an official announcement post when the voting officially starts, and another call for volunteer presenters from Evie!

And, lastly, upholding tradition, we also humbly offer you a box of pins, a la LabRat.


________________________________________________

Have a question? Ask it here! Or you can PM any of the K-Com members or reach out on Discord too! You can also send an email to us here: Kcom@kerthawards.com

In order to help you find all things Kerth for this year, we’ve created a TOC for all the 🏆TOC for Kerth Awards 2025 Posts🏆.

The Kerth Committee
(KSaraSara, Michael, lovetvfan, and Evie)

Ficlet Friday Sunday Edition works for me! Thank you! I love this chapter!

My favorite line is below. I’ve been hoping Lois would say something like that. It’s true. No one would guess he’s older.

“Because you don't look a day over thirty. Nobody would even guess you're older than me.”

No matter the universe Lois wouldn’t be Lois until
she ran headlong into trouble. Thankfully Clark
is there.

I can’t wait for the next edition! I love this universe!

I hope of the positive kind. Welcome to the boards.




Yeah, at least they won't be facing any frowns until Lois is the elderly woman and Clark still in his prime.

Thank you so much for your feedback guys.

Hi Barbara!

I kind of like the short ones. I can squeeze them in more easily before bedtime.

Indicates smiling. Or pasta sauce.

Wait, we are still in the Congo, aren’t we? Is Lois enjoying her roasted lizard?

Oooh, still on the trail.

/squints at implications/

/insert comic strip about mosquito with a bent proboscis flying off with a headache/

Oops?

Awwwwww

Frustrated Clark is adorable!

Bet he thought she was naked. I mean naked at naked. Ready at naked. Umm… FDK?

Oooh, second title reference!

Considering she’s sweat through her clothes, this must be very comforting to her.

LOIS:

Awwwwwww

Rrrrrigh! Wonder if she still remembers?
LOIS: Darn it. I ripped my shirt. Let’s see, I got a needle and some thread. Clark, you got that thimble I gave you ages ago still with you?

Awww, she proposed!

I don’t think he would have much say in the matter.

I did not see that coming. Not with that phrasing!

She’s almost in the not-creepy-young zone now. It’s okay.

Exactly. Only a few decades earlier, it was common practice to wed a blushing 15 y/o bride to her octogenarian husband.

Name…three.

Now that’s Lori logic talking

She *is* Lois Lane in the Congo.

Aww…three references!

Also…

Looking forward to next week!

Michael

Hi Mary!

I was going to reference Trusting Me, Trusting You, but I checked the story and Female Hawk didn't actually establish Lois or Trask as military.

Next I was going for The Wedding Wall, but it's nfic, so... that one's out, too. Although, the amount of n in Female Hawk's fic is rather tame.

I finally landed on Awaken My Heart.

I did see there's an immediate Free For All. Sadly, military references aren't that easy to find. I mean, I could have randomly searched the Archive for Trask-based stories, but I wanted to do it as an actual reference Also, between Kerth season and work...

Michael

Hi Corrina!

This is a blast from the past thanks to Queeny's latest Scavenger Hunt:

This quote satisfies the "military" reference. It's in the story somewhere, but I did get it from the Archive version due to the correct part is tricky. I remember loving the story And to those of you reading this FDK, there's tons of it further up and back in the previous parts


Michael

Quotes
LOIS: First I break in, now I’m about to go through this man’s office. How can something so wrong feel so right.

Clark lists all that went wrong with the wedding. Perry: You’ve seen it all, haven’t you? Clark: I hope so. What else could there be? – apparently a birth wife isn’t on Clark’s radar.

LOIS: You’re giving me that ‘Lois has gone off the deep end in pursuit of a story’ look.

Details

A few days after the last episode.
Lois is now at the Metropolis Neuroscience Center where she is under the ‘care’ of Dr. Maxwell Deter.
Deter is a published psychologist, specializing in Amnesia treatment.
Deter explains that the shock of a deeply emotional reveal could be too much for Lois to handle. He clearly never met the woman.
Deter jokes about one of the elderly residents as “their resident Lothario”. He should look in a mirror.
Deter will sign Lois’s release papers ‘right now’ if Clark doesn’t back off. Clark allows himself to be manipulated.
Deter re-approriates the flowers and the card Clark wrote as his own.
Deter tells Clark he’s fostering Lois’s paranoia. When Lois tells Clark about her disjointed memories from the Mendenhall conditioning, Clark thinks it’s all his fault.
Lois finally remembers her life. Clark’s her partner at work. She likes spicy Chinese food. And is in love with Max.

Dr. Elias Mendenhall, known in certain circles as ‘The Hangman’, conditions his patients into becoming killers. He then rents them out as assassins for hire. During the episode we there’s two successful assassinations, one via RPB and one by gun. He is head of behavior modification studies.
Mendenhall conditions Lois to assassinate Perry White.

The Metropolis Neuroscience Center is a hive of scum and villainy. They have a sexual predator and serial-killing psychopathic assassin as their department heads.

The lead detective, McCluskey, is certain that using an RPG means it’s a professional hit instead of random violence. Considering the number of RPG assassination attempts in Metropolis in the last year alone, makes you wonder though.
Clark finds red seed pods from Scarlet Placidium in the vicinity of an assassination. Lois finds the same seed pods at the clinic.
Perry is on an Intergang hitlist.

Lois can’t stop talking about work. Clark has been told not to talk with Lois about work.
Lois once again doesn’t know about Superman, so Clark is leaving with awkward excuses again.
Lois wonders why Clark is showing up.
Lois asks Superman if Clark shouldn’t have a girlfriend or boyfriend. First time, gay relationships are mentioned in a not-flippant way.
Lois wants details on the investigation to get her juices flowing.
Lois knows how to use a large paperclip to jimmy a regular door lock.
Lois escapes from the hospital and looks up Clark in the phonebook so she can discuss the case with him.
Lois thinks, because Superman implied such, that Clark has a girlfriend, someone who’s not her.
Lois and Clark bicker about her taking risks.

Perry goes out on a date/work thing with the mayor’s attack dog, Sally Reynolds.

Clark is a) convinced Lois will get back to normal and b) is taking a very hands on approach to hovering over Lois. He apparently can learn, if you hit him over the head often enough.
Clark reads up on memory treatments. He finds official publications by Deter.
Clark superhides the photographs of him and Lois.
Superman takes Lois flying, trying to jog her memory.

Lois remembers Christmas morning, getting a red bicycle, tied with a yellow ribbon. She did want a real Boing 727, because she wants to fly. There’s also a Freudian approach to the bicycle.

The police found Lois’s engagement ring at in Lex’s lair. Why did Lex keep it? A trophy?


Plot Bunnies
Lois falls for Superman while having amnesia and Clark is all to happy to let it happen this way.

Recommendations
Nowhere to Run by ML Thompson

Michael

Hi CalliopeWayne!

So great to see you posting on the message boards, too

Gun?

Tied up in a story?

Definitely not a kinky one.

Eeep!


Eeeeeeep!

Subject 11?

Dream? How did she get to that dream? She’s not been hanging out with her father-in-law, has she?

“Good morning,” Her husband brushed a kiss on her lips.
“Mornin’, Jax,” Lois replied drowsily.



Oh…

/Points at Indiana Jones/ Let’s not tell him and hope he doesn’t drink from it.

Cute!

He never read the background column of her stories, did he?
LOIS: That’s called being adventurous.

Umm…?

Looks there, she’s testing the conviction of her cage

Good thing they didn’t use Mayson.

MAYSON: Did the reader just call me vinegar?



Riiiiight.

He’s an alien menace.

See?

Wouldn’t it be awkward if Clark had the voiceprint, too

Makes you wonder, if they keep him there until the other New Kryptonians show up and release him because he’s no longer a collector’s item.

Funny how that’s what Clark probably calls her in his head.

Tons of emotions! I think I’m missing a prequel, though

Michael

Of course I enjoyed it!


Oh my goodness! For so long I was concentrating on the chronological difference that the lack of Clark's physical appearance (aka aging) completely slipped my mind! Neat answer to this problem!

This gave me goosebumps

It's not Friday. Hope you're going to enjoy this anyway.

TOC

Comments can go down here

Good Night, Lois – The Corner Of Her Mouth

“This is nice,” Lois whispers next to me.

I stare at her, not sure what she’s talking about. For the past few hours we’ve been sitting in our camouflage tent, crouched in the same position as we wait for something, anything to happen. The air is humid and hot – which, admittedly, doesn’t bother me much. I know it’s hard on Lois though. Her shirt is soaked with sweat. There’s not even a breeze carrying some fresh air. At least we have a net so the mosquitos aren’t eating her alive.

I can hear them. There’s a constant buzz around the tent, mixing up with the sounds of the jungle. A couple of days ago we found evidence that the gun runners have been here, that they met with other people. My powers helped collecting that evidence which means we don’t have anything we can put to print. Now we’re hoping they will come back and meet again, exchange weapons so that we can take pictures.

They might choose another place. I’ve scanned the immediate area, but I never dared to leave Lois for long. This stakeout might just be a wild goose chase for all we know.

I clear my throat. “Nice?”

Lois gives me a pointed look. “You know, you and I - here on a stakeout, that’s nice. You and I - so close together.”
She reaches out and cups my cheek, traces the corner of my mouth with her thumb and for a moment of breathless anticipation I think she’s going to lean in and close the distance between us. I drown in the dark pools of her eyes and lose myself in the sight of her lips. She’s right this is nice. It’s Heaven - but also hell.

I don’t know how many times I’ve caught myself watching a bead of sweat trickle down her neck and vanish in the valley between her breasts. Having her so close is tantalizing in a very literal way. Her lips are constantly so close to mine that it wouldn't take much to collect the kiss that's always been in the right-hand corner of her mouth.
I don't know why I haven't seen it there before. Or perhaps I just didn't recognize it for what it was. But thinking back, I remember it being there even when she was five. Perhaps that kiss was what has always drawn me toward her.
I clear my throat and shift my focus back on the jungle, so full of life but yet devoid of the people we're waiting for.

“Yeah, nice,” I agree roughly.

While she's sitting next to me, I'm painfully aware of her heartbeat, her sweet scent and the thimble in my pocket that she gave me many years ago and that I’ve been carrying around ever since.

She told me I should return it when she was old enough to kiss her for real.

“I want us to be permanent partners, Clark.” There's a gleam in her eyes as she looks at me, making it impossible to pretend I didn't hear her.

My chest tightens. “Perry would have to agree to that, don't you think?”

She huffs. “I'm not just talking about the Daily Planet. You know that! How much longer are you going to ignore your feelings?”

It's not that easy. Because I love her. “People are going to talk, you realize that, don't you?”

She raises her brows. “And?”

“Lois, I'm still thirteen years older than you.”

“And how is that a problem?”

“Because…” I throw up my hands, not sure where to start. There's a million reasons why us being lovers is a bad idea, much as I want it.

“See, you can't say.” She crosses her arms in front of her chest. “Have you even looked in the mirror lately?”

I frown at her. “What has that to do with anything?”

“Because you don't look a day over thirty. Nobody would even guess you're older than me.”

I stare at her dumbfounded. Whatever argument I was expecting, certainly not this. But before I have a chance to even think about it, the song of the birds outside dies down as the sound of an engine approaches.

“They're back,” I whisper.

I look through the small window in our camouflage tent, where the hood of a car slowly comes into view. Doors clap and people get out. There's the roar of a second car soon after.

“We need to get closer,” Lois urges.

“Wait!” I can't help the sinking feeling that she's going to get herself in trouble. I try to hold her back, but she's almost out of the tent already.

The last thing she needs is me making a commotion. I swallow down a curse. For all her courage and tenacity, she's driving me crazy sometimes.

It's also what I love about her.

Every aspect of this amazing woman, down to the kiss in the corner of her mouth.

Thanks for a terrific chapter! It was exciting and intense and wonderfully written. I was on pins and needles reading it. I was so relieved when Lois, Paul and Eugene got out of the building and into the jeep but my heart sank because they were seen and a picture of the jeep’s license plate was taken.

I’m sorry you had writers block but you did a great job with this chapter. It was worth the wait and I’m looking forward to the next chapter! Thank you!

#14 One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware


Very unimpressive thriller. I was shocked to read in the author's note that she was married to a virologist because the scientist in the book wasn't the least bit authentic. Flat characters, no mystery. I don't recommend this one.