Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Lois & Clark Fanfic In A Better Place part 15 Comments - How the world found out!!!!

As has been said, there are no superlatives left to compliment this story. It has a lock on all of them.

Favorites parts --

1) Lois realizing that the Peacekeepers have shot themselves in the foot by hiding themselves too well, and recognizing how this world might drive Tempus to do what he's done.

2) Clark and Silas's converation about Clark *not* knowing his destiny from the beginning, but just growing into it and learning as he went. And that Silas is a throwback (which I had kind of suspected; you did a great job of dropping subtle hints). And that he has been fighting his destiny because he didn't think he could measure up. (Slight shades of Alt-Clark in there, too.)

3) The comments on this part. Because ... well, I have to confess, I've never read WTWFO. So that was a complete shock to me. And I'm glad that we don't have to have read that story to get this one. Even though now I'm thinking I'll have to read it after this story is done because if it's anywhere near as good as this one is (and I'm sure that it will be, knowing who the author is ) I'm sure I'll be just as enthralled. I'm just hoping it's not *too* high on the angst meter scale ... anyone want to email me to let me know if I should run screaming now? <g>

Kathy (who figures she could just ask the author about that other story ... since I kind of know her <g>)

WTWFO is not really angsty at all! It has some sections where you will feel emotion and empathy for what L & C are going thru, but mostly, it is action-packed. You'll love it.

Yes!! I'm finally caught up!! But, you know, CC, I've a really *great* excuse for being behind... really. /me whistles innocently and puts this link in...

OH!! How sad is that!!!

/me sniffs... wipes a few stray tears from her eyes... I... I... can't talk...

Very smart of you, Clark.

That's a relief... and... just really so great for Silas to hear all this. He *needs* to hear this, not just because it's great for him to hear family history straight from the source, but he needs to hear the driving force behind the original Superman because he needs that same drive. He needs not to brush aside his powers and abilities as almost a burden.

Sorry... reading on now...

AWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!! I now know the literal definition of all choked up...

Oh god, same here! *huge snuffle*

Wow! This just blows me away that the image of their founder and hero is so changed. Makes you wonder *why* it was changed. (Still snuffling, btw). Personally, I think the true story would be better, more fairy tale like... picture perfect. But then again... looking from the family pov now (and through the generations), they'd need something to convince all the superpowered kids that it was their responsibility to help. Their legacy.

*sigh* and *snuffle*

That right there... Silas's revelation... is just great! And Clark's response... it's one of those gems, CC.

Ha! Knew it! Knew he hadn't realized his full potential. Now... is it because he dreads just being a "hero" by name since there's really not much to do in the way of saving? Or is it because of the changes to the time stream going on?

OH. MY. GOD. OMGOMGOMG. This... this means something. Big. And... I can't wrapped my damned head around it!! Like he's... Well, there was all that talk of soulmates and stuff... and... erm... maybe I should read ahead for that "throwback" explanation before I go on.

OH. MY. GOD. OMIGOD. OMGOMGOMGOMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH GOD! Sorry... ahem... OH GOD... I need to calm down, seriously. But... this is HUGE. Way huge! OMG! It's the soulmate, the throw back is! Duh, that's obvious, Sara, but... OMG! Silas is THE guy and... who's his Lois I wonder. Okay... stopping now before I embarrass myself further...



Sara (still not breathing right... but at least that crying has stopped...)

I've been a very bad beta reader and not keeping up with this story... <hanging head in shame> But I'm catching up now, and this is amazing. The two best moments:

That is a *lovely* moment all on its own, and it's a wonderful parallel to earlier:

And then, this was very funny:

Oh, and I hadn't thought about the throwbacks being the current soul-mate incarnation, but I like the idea! And if Silas is Clark, that makes me wonder... is Lois Petal?

PJ

Yup, I'm with Pam on that great moment (I've got you) and its earlier parallel.

Otherwise, I'm just checking in to say I'm here, I'm reading, and I'm still gob-smacked and stuck for superlatives.

This is a story, I think, which has something for everyone. For the geeks, we have time-travel. For the waffy crowd, we have a burgeoning relationship. For the angsty crowd, we have...well, lots, but not least of all the pressure Clark is under to be Superman when he's hardly figured out which way up his cape is. For the next-gen people, we have Silas and The Family. For villain-lovers, we have Tempus. For the A-plotters, we have Tempus, the Peacekeepers, and How Are L&C Going To Get Home. And for the comedy crowd, we have some hilarious moments.

Yay! Aren't we a lucky bunch of readers?

Yvonne

You know, I've been anticipating (with glee) that this story will garner a clutch of nominations/awards in next year's Kerths...

...but, dang, Yvonne, before you posted it hadn't occurred to me that it could qualify for practically every category!

LabRat

Ooo, hey! Good point, Lab!

WAFFy (not in the traditional sense, but it's certainly brightened a good number of my days), Comedy, Revalation, Drama, Elseworlds (maybe), Innovative (if that's brought back), Original Character, Relationship (maybe), Overall... woo! Hey, if we throw in time travel, maybe CC can be up for BNA again?

Hmm... I wonder if it'll finish in time to qualify for a Best Tempus Fic Alt-Kerth, too...

Paul

Well, I'll throw in my "Wow" too. I had no inkling this was related to WTWFO (which I loved and nominated for the Kerths and a few zillion people agreed with me) until the gilt ballroom. When Silas starts his little revelation though, some readers might panic (and maybe Clark himself) and think he dies in the ballroom. That was the way I read it until the WTWFO connection came to me. So for those who haven't read it maybe you might make a footnote or something to reassure them.
I can't believe this started at 5 pages! Don't ever throw anything out! You make magnificent stories from them.
O.K., C.C., that's the praise. Now I want to strangle you for giving me hope they will get help every chapter and then cruelly (CRU-EL, I say in the words of the elder H.G. Wells) crushing the hopes with the blind dunderness of the Peacekeepers and the isolation of the Lane-Kents! Andrus isn't the only dim one at Peacekeeper H.Q! Nobody commuicates with anybody! I love Madge, but she's blind too!
More soon.

Artemis

I have to have a laugh, here CC: your feedback thread for part 14 keeps growing because of the debate over Madge vs Charity!!

It must be a great feeling to have so many readers inspired to leave all this feedback

(/me a tad jealous)

OK....NOW IT'S TIME TO POST PART 16!!!!

P L E A S E ?
L
E
E
?

It's just the. greatest. thing.

And a little intimidating, too. I was gone all day yesterday. Out of town. So when I checked the boards just before bedtime and saw the number, I nearly swallowed my tongue.

But in a good way!

Part 16 is currently being frowned over and fussed with. The usual. But I'll be back to add to these comments and to post asap.

Also, just by way of making conversation, have I mentioned that it is currently the Halloween season in Utopia? Because while I haven't come right out and described the pumpkins on the doorstep, the colorful leaves falling, kids in costume, etc., they are right there in the background.

< Holiday/Special Occasion... just saying>

CC- who feels ok about the in-your-face campaigning since the last Kerths were five minutes ago.

Artemis makes a good point. I was kind of wondering about whether the warehouse was the place he died, given how nervous and fidgety Silas was. Especially when he mentioned it was "the last place anyone would expect."

I have a feeling Clark was wondering that, too.

By the time Silas got to the part about Perry's retirement party, though, I was beginning to suspect it was the revelation.

Then again, I had the helpful hint of having seen Wendy's comments folder title. Not sure what I would have thought without that.

That's not necessarily something you have to fix, but it is maybe something to be aware of.

Oh! Is that what that was? I was a little confused because of the lack of monster costumes. With all the little Loises, Clarks, Supermen, and Tempuses (not to mention that crowd at the museum), I thought it was Utopia's Founders' Day.

I know, I know. It's not a real holiday... yet. I think it counts, though, don't you?

Anyway, be careful with that tongue, CC. At first I wasn't too worried about it because, really, if you can't talk with your mouth, odds are you'll be spending more time with the keyboard. Then I remembered that swallowing the tongue might lead to choking, possibly even suffocation, and that would really impair your typing skills. So... yeah. Don't swallow it.

Paul, in the midst of his own little temporal distortion problems, and feeling even more tired and loopy than usual. It's... morning. Right?

I totally agree, meant to say so earlier. Artemis makes a really, really excellent point. (Thank you, Artemis!)

Because what I don't want is any reader thinking that Clark meets his end in that room. I will fine tune that immediately. I think it won't be too hard to just have Silas say, 'Don't worry. It's nothing life threatening.' Or something like that.

Ok. I'll hold this spot for the rest of my comments on your comments. Part 16 is coming up.

CC

I would like to see Silas either say less or just a little more. I worry that the way he left it may create just enough additional resistance that Clark might decide not to go and that would be disastrous. Although being trapped in the ballroom during the hostage situation triggered a world-wide revelation, having been trapped *outside* of the ballroom would have been worse. There was no way he could have gotten into the ballroom to rescue the hostages if he hadn't already been there; either he or the hostages would have been lost.

Maybe Silas could admit to 'what' happened instead of hinting at 'when'? "You saved xxx lives but the world learned your secret, but the timing was right," or something to that effect?

I love this idea, Onaleia.

To have Silas say something like 'there were hostages and you saved a lot of people...'

Something hopeful, not menancing. A general 'You did good' sort of moment.

Thank you for this. I appreciate it!

CC

Wow. Thank YOU! Yes, even with all the frustration of nobody listening until they forced Silas to, I was in a WAFFY state. Then the ballroom was kind of a dash of cold water, or could be if you hadn't read WTWFO.

Artemis

Actually, I hate to disagree, but I just loved it exactly as it is. The subtle clues. Getting less subtle as we moved along. And then suddenly Silas's warning. It was just perfect.

I think anything else would lose the impact of the moment. Now, okay, I suppose it's just possible that Clark might interpret it as he or Lois dying, and that would be bad - but you'd only need a tiny tweak to fix that. Maybe he could begin with "It's not life-threatening but... if..."

But I really would hate to see any major change in what Silas says - the more subtle the better.


Wendy

Thank you is so inadequate. I know I say the same things over and over. This is so fun. You guys are so smart and insightful, yakkety, yak, etc...

But I repeat myself because I mean it!!

Ok. To the comments. And again... these are so great, so smart (you know the drill)

First of all, I love that Wendy found that connection. I would never have seen it. Along with the idea the bakery front could be an homage to the Revelation.

I have to tell you, I went back and looked at my other fics. I don't want to get specific, but I've noticed there is a peculiar underlying theme to most of my work. And it involves baked goods. Donuts, most specifically. But pie, pastries, pancakes. They all show up. The deeper meaning: I don't eat enough carbs, so I fantasize about them, apparently.

But enough about me. Good grief!

*Loved* this. And, of course, she meant the carriages, since Utopian babies are much improved. Colic is not allowed. Far too impolite to scream for hours at frazzled young parents.

Darn it, yes I did. And thank you for the catch.

A juicy one:
I know I already waxed on about the baked good as minor fic theme, so I'll try to be brief, but yeah. This is something I really pondered. How big is Utopia? Does it encompass the globe? Is that even possible? Because no matter how great the ideals, how wonderful the society, could the entire planet ever *agree* to subscribe to one philosophy?

I decided probably not. And went with the idea that Utopia is born in Metropolis. That over the centuries it has grown and spread over most of the planet. I think I have Silas reflect he had 'heard of places that didnt' hold to Utopian ideals.' And I wanted it to seem that far off and vague. He couldn't have named a specific place to save his life, but he has an idea they do exist here and there. And that's how I see it. Like there's this island in the tropics full of casinos and capitalists and... hmmm...that's as far as I got on that.

So. Ok. Gads, I said I would keep this short. Why wouldn't Tempus just move there? I asked myself. Avoid Utopia all together and take refuge in one of these 'alleged' Utopia-free zones. And I decided that wouldn't be nearly as much fun for him. He would so much rather topple the whole thing. That's the challenge that really drives him.

There. How's that? (Besides too long?)

Moving on!

So dead on, Jen. And you have managed to sum up 200 something pages in few words. Love that. I would steal it if I could figure out how to work it in. May I?

Totally my favorite kind, Liz!

Thank you for that, TeeeJ. I think that's exactly how it is. And I love that you saw that parallel. I hadn't thought of it.

And speaking of parallels. Thank you to Pam for flagging the "I've got you" one! Also, as one BR who has fallen far behind to another: no worries!

And also, because they aren't too short! Ever!

Yes!
I can't disagree with this at all. Though, Madge was really raised in the matrix, so to speak. Hard to stop and see around the rules you've always lived by. I think she's throwing them off, though. And along with that, the blinders, too.

This goes back to WtWFO. And it really caught my attention. I don't think I'd ever thought of it that way. If Clark hadn't been trapped inside, how would he have saved everyone? Onaleia, that's so great. And it does make me question Silas warning Clark off. I'll have to think that over closely.

And I do see what you're saying, Wendy. I wouldn't want Silas to tell Clark the big revelation. I don't think there is any way, at this point in his Superman career, he could hear that news as anything but devastating. Here's what I went with:

It stays vague, but takes away what Artemis and Paul pointed out, that Clark might think he had died in there. Didn't want to put that burden on him on top of everything else. Or raise the suspicion in readers who haven't read the other fic.

Ok. So. I'm wordy. I apologize!

Thank you everyone for hanging in with me, though. I know I've said it, but really, I love this. So fun!!

CC

Okay. Well, as long as you still intend following it with this:

because it's the panicked 'don't go to this party' which I love. It shows so much about the way Silas feels about his ancestors. Always, before, because they were his ancestors. Now, because he's come to know Clark and he's more than just a face and a voice in a holovid.

Something else occurred to me, anyway. Doesn't Clark know, from what he's seen in the musuem and the family records, that he and Lois don't die in their fifties? If so, he'll know that, whatever happens, it isn't fatal to either of them. And he's likely to decide, when the time comes, that it's better to go but be wary - after all, who knows how their futures, and Silas's future, could be altered if he doesn't?

Anyway. Whatever. It's your story! But can I just reiterate how much I adore that scene?


Wendy

I figure, first, that he hasn't had time to read everything in the museum (departure room, anyone?). And second, even if he had read that he died at the age of 97, I can see him trying *not* to remember that, and therefore when Silas starts fumbling around he doesn't immediately realize it can't be fatal. After all, he's only human

PJ

Honestly, I thought the tunnel led to the final resting place for Lex. Go figure. I'm happy that it ties in with WtWfo.

And I side with subtle group.

James