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Kerth
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OP
Kerth
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 2,367 |
The full story can be found here.Please, if you've made it this far, take a minute or two to let me know what you think! 
Lois: You know, I have a funny feeling that you didn't tell me your biggest secret.
Clark: Well, just to put your little mind at ease, Lois, you're right.
Ides of Metropolis
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Beat Reporter
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Beat Reporter
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Another awesome chapter!
Just loved this line... "The faint smell of him on his pillows and sheets made it feel like a cozy cotton cave that was the last safe place in Metropolis." ...such a perfect description!
Now I'm wishing the week away so it will be Friday again! I wish it was Friday EVERY DAY!! LOL
E
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Kerth
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Kerth
Joined: Dec 2003
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So great!  Lois smiled at the mental image of Superman and Clark sitting side by side on Clark's couch with their eyes riveted on the screen and an open bag of Cheetos on the cushion between them. Then she felt a pang of regret that they never asked her to hang out with them. Hmmmm...the possibilities that are floating in my head right now. Most of them end up with Lois snuggled in between the two of them.  Feels like time for a re-read of *that* story.  What would it be like to have Superman grab her like Clark had and take charge? Remarkably similar, actually!  She was the brains and he was the heart. Between them they made up one half-decent person. Every time I've read this, I've had a flashback to "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," with Saunders telling Jeff, "This is no place for you, you're half-way decent." Well, they do get together in the end...  If he offered again tomorrow night to come home, she wasn't going to dissuade him. Whoa...wait a minute, missy! That line wasn't in the last draft. Laying the groundwork for part 7? Where is part 7? My inbox is lonely! (Hmmm...just reread that last sentence. Removing "in" could really change the meaning!  ) Poor Clark! Very sweet to see Lois taking care of Superman, though, as a friend. Again, it takes the shine of the "God in a cape" image of him, and ultimately could help her merge the two halves of him together. "I'm guessing his bed never sees this much action." Not on this side of the boards! "You're going to owe me lunch and dinner." Good thing his powers are back...I'm in the mood for Chinese. 
You can find my stories as Groobie on the nfic archives and Susan Young on the gfic archives. In other words, you know me as Groobie.
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Columnist
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Columnist
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I just caught up on this and love your version. I'm really looking forward to more.
I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once.
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Pulitzer
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Pulitzer
Joined: Apr 2010
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Better late than never with this comment!  Through the long, dark hours of the early morning he had tried again and again to listen for Lois. He couldn't hear her, though he knew that she must be inside. If he'd had the strength to crawl to the door, he would have knocked. Instead he had sat, shivering for warmth, and on constant alert in case he had been followed. He didn't realize he had dozed off until he was suddenly startled into wakefulness when his front door opened. He lifted his head just as Lois exclaimed, "Oh my god!" Oh man, Clark really suffered from exposure to Kryptonite this time! It took him all night to recover? Just how long was he exposed to the deadly radiation? Each author presents it differently, some have him recovering immediately once the blasted rock it removed, some (like me in Stranger In Our Midst) have him taking days to recover. I like your version, it always our heroes to be together. Lex, you are in so much trouble!
Morgana
A writer's job is to think of new plots and create characters who stay with you long after the final page has been read. If that mission is accomplished than we have done what we set out to do, which is to entertain and hopefully educate.
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Top Banana
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Top Banana
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Hey  ... RL has been oh so crazy busy over the last couple of days--then throw in our internet being down part of the weekend--and you get me now finally getting some much-anticipated time to revel in the story  ... And revel I did . I really enjoyed this chapter. There was something oh-so-wonderful about having Clark this close to Lois, exactly when she is thinking he's all the way over in Hawaii. The unaware proximity--it's such a fun part about the love triangle that is Lois and Clark. What would it be like to have Superman grab her like Clark had and take charge? What would it be like to have Clark do that again -- only this time he actually meant it? Lois shook her head and told herself that time, distance, and late-night nostalgia were scrambling her memory and Clark's kiss hadn't been nearly as thrilling as she was making it out to be. I loved this. How she's thinking about Superman...but the thoughts, the dreams, head straight on over to Clark. Yep, being snuggled into Clark's bed is definitely having a wonderful effect on Lois . Her arms wrapped around the pillow next to her and she buried her face in it, inhaling the comforting scent of Clark that lingered there. If he offered again tomorrow night to come home, she wasn't going to dissuade him. Awwww...WAFF . First, Lois, drawing comfort from Clark any way that she can. And second--preplanning tomorrow night's phone call.  . The first thing Lois did was clean up the glass and blood outside Clark's front door. It had taken a lot of scrubbing to get the blood to come off the brickwork, and there was still the faint suggestion of a handprint if you looked closely enough. Foreshadowing for Lex a 'clue' that something's up at Clark's apartment?   Lois considered the shirt. She'd already worn one of Clark's shirts, so it couldn't be the novelty of the experience that made it feel so illicit. Maybe it was the recollection of Clark's reaction, the husky pitch of his voice as he'd teased her that was now driving her pulse faster. Quickly, before she lost her nerve, she grabbed the dress shirt and slipped it on. It smelled like Clark and made her wish for the umpteenth time that he was here. Clark would have been a lot more useful in wrangling Superman down the stairs and onto the bed. She knotted the bottom of the shirt, tying it at her waist so that it didn't drown her, and rolled up the sleeves. Oh-so-much enjoyed this paragraph. The thought process. I can really see Lois going through these thoughts in her mind. Debating. Do I put on the shirt? And then, going for it (and the awesome bonus being Clark does get to see her in it  --whether she knows it or not! ) There was another moment of silence, and then the screaming started. Clark let go of Chip's arm and sprinted for the stairwell. All around him the building had begun to groan and creak ominously. There Lex goes...blowing up the Daily Planet  . Tisk, Tisk, Tisk. Laura Oh--favorite written line (that I've read in quite some time--had me LOL'ing) : "I'm guessing his bed never sees this much action." HA! I absolutely LOVE this! . I can just see the shocked/amused look on Clark's face as he takes in what Lois just said. 
Last edited by LMA; 09/28/15 05:16 PM.
"Where's Clark?" "Right here."
...two simple sentences--with so much meaning.
~Lois and Clark in 'House of Luthor'~
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Hack from Nowheresville
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Hack from Nowheresville
Joined: Feb 2015
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Here I come  I am grateful for the coziness you've drizzled over this chapter, because it's clear now that Lex is closing on the two lovebirds, and therefore the anxiety levels are rising! The WAFF provided some much needed relief I'm guessing his bed never sees this much action: you'll see, sweetie, you'll see... :P
Go I Know Not Whither and Fetch I Know Not What
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Kerth
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OP
Kerth
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 2,367 |
It's been one of those weeks.  But there is a bright spot, and that's all these lovely comments! Elizabeth - I wish it was Friday, too, but that's just because it would mean the end of the week. I'm glad you liked that description -- I came very, very close to excising it because it seemed too wordy. But it also set the mood, so I left it in. Yay! Susan - Thank you! I'm glad you liked the additions. You know there's always tweaking going on right up the last moment (and sometimes after the fact). Very sweet to see Lois taking care of Superman, though, as a friend. Again, it takes the shine of the "God in a cape" image of him, and ultimately could help her merge the two halves of him together. It does humanize him. But I also enjoy the juxtaposition of having her be able to "save" him. Irene - Hi! Wow! I'm thrilled that you're reading my story! Morgana - It took him about five or six hours to recover (and the first few hours were before the sun came up). He was only exposed briefly, but it was a larger dose than the others that he's run into at the previous fires. Laura - It's always disconcerting when the internet goes down, isn't it? Somehow I managed to live about half of my life without it, but now I'm a junkie. The unaware proximity--it's such a fun part about the love triangle that is Lois and Clark. It is! And, as much as I love Lois, I also enjoy having her be so freakin' close to figuring it out, and then either missing the clues or talking herself out of it. Heh. Yep, being snuggled into Clark's bed is definitely having a wonderful effect on Lois. Indeed. I'm rather envious of her. Foreshadowing for Lex a 'clue' that something's up at Clark's apartment? I could let you worry about it, but I'll cut you a break here. You'd have to really be looking to see that handprint, and Lex won't be looking. HiddenMoon - There's lots and lots more WAFF coming. Thanks to everyone for the comments. You guys truly do rock my world!  ETA: cuidadora! - Jinx! Looks like we were posting at the same time! I'm so happy to see you back again. I worried I had lost you.
Last edited by Sue S.; 09/30/15 08:20 PM. Reason: Catching up!
Lois: You know, I have a funny feeling that you didn't tell me your biggest secret.
Clark: Well, just to put your little mind at ease, Lois, you're right.
Ides of Metropolis
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Features Writer
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Features Writer
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Great chapter! Love the back and forth between Lois and Superman! "I'm guessing his bed never sees this much action." Also my favorite line in this chapter. Is it Friday yet?
Cuidadora
"Honey, we didn't care if you were a Russian or a Martian... You were ours... and we weren't giving you to anybody." ~ Martha in Strange Visitor
"A love that risks nothing is worth nothing." ~ Jonathan in Big Girls Don't Fly
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Boards Chief Administrator Nobel Peace Prize Winner
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Boards Chief Administrator Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 9,066 Likes: 31 |
It was long past midnight, but Lois couldn't fall asleep. She was restless and ultra-aware that she was in Clark's bed. I guess it would have been easier to fall asleep if Clark had been there. Some exhaustive nookie first, then she’d be exhausted and happy and sleepy. The faint smell of him on his pillows and sheets made it feel like a cozy cotton cave that was the last safe place in Metropolis. ![[Linked Image]](http://cosgan.de/images/smilie/figuren/g080.gif) : cozy cotton cave? *safe*?  In fact, knowing that Clark knew she was currently lying in his bed made it feel just that much more sensual. CLARK: This Plexiglas aquarium, do you make those in kingsize? Lois tried to pretend it was Superman, but she couldn't make the fantasy stick. Too soft, huh? Would he ever let her get that close? Was Superman friends with Clark like that? Yes, Clark does allow Superman to…touch him intimately. Or did they hang out together in the evenings, watching a movie or a game on the television? They also play basketball against each other. Then she felt a pang of regret that they never asked her to hang out with them. She could sit between them, the bag of Cheetos on her lap? Or was he afraid that she'd read too much into so much time spent together casually? Maybe that was why he stayed away. No, that’s more because of the bro code. Fine. She'd be nothing but friendly with Superman from now on. She'd exude trustworthiness with a dash of emotional distance. She'd be open and supportive, but she wouldn't flirt with him. CLARK:  She’s falling for Lex after all. Or maybe Call-Me-Daniel What would it be like to have Superman grab her like Clark had and take charge? What would it be like to have Clark do that again Grab Superman and take charge? . . . It didn't matter anyway. Clark was never going to kiss her again. Maybe, once upon a time, there had been the possibility to move past partners and become something more, but that chance was gone now. Clark's heart belonged to somebody else. Well…she could try to go undercover as a couple with him. Maybe in a sauna? Or a nudists resort? There was no one else who would put up with her assertiveness and not call it something rhyming with 'witchy.' CLARK: My mother always told me to not call a woman a bitca to her face. They had complemented each other perfectly. She was the brains and he was the heart. Aww…she just called him…not smart. LOIS: Well, he did fall for the office tramp instead of me, so… Between them they made up one half-decent person. Dating each other would have ruined that. Because they might have ended up making a new decent person? LOIS: What do you mean, you have take those pills regularly instead of just finish them up sometime within the month? For a long while she stared at the moonlight coming in through Clark's window. She wondered if, somewhere in Hawaii, Clark was looking at the moon, too. The thought that he might be -- and that he might be thinking about her -- made it feel like he wasn't quite so far away. So we shouldn’t tell her that he’s most definitely not in Hawaii, looking at the moon and thinking about her. He'd been too tired to contemplate leaving, so he'd stumbled into the shadows and dropped to the floor. Lois leaving early for a jog could have been awkward. He didn't realize he had dozed off until he was suddenly startled into wakefulness when his front door opened. He lifted his head just as Lois exclaimed, "Oh my god!" Oops? I just figured, even if you didn’t mention it, that it would be Clark who crawled up the stairs, not… A moment later she was kneeling next to him, her hand cool against his forehead. "Superman? What happened?" she asked, her voice shaking a little. "Are you okay?" Oops-Oops? "Oh my god, you're bleeding." Lois grasped his hand, her eyes wide with horror. She rose, using the toe of her shoe to push away the glass shards. "What happened to you?" Barry got beaten up while returning home from a late night bachelorette gig? She lifted the washcloth and peered closely at his hand. "I don't know," she whispered. "It looks pretty deep. You might need stitches."
"No, it'll heal soon." Wouldn’t it be awkward if it continued to bleed until he has his powers back in two days or so and he basically bleeds out from the cut in the meantime? LOIS: *Awkward*?  "I couldn't find any kind of first aid kit, which is weird. Clark is the ultimate Boy Scout, you'd think he'd have provisions for everything." Like Lois getting injured. For instance, what if she stumbles on the stairs and gets a gash on her knee? CLARK: Don’t be silly. Superman would fly her to the hospital and make sure they do the full workup, plus a CT scan, testing for tetanus and drugs someone probably slipped her. LOIS: Clark! I caught my foot on the stair and stumbled! "I'm sure Clark wouldn't mind." She gave him a grin as she added, "I'm guessing his bed never sees this much action." Lois. Superman. Lois *and* Superman at the same time. Blood was smeared all over the left sleeve and shoulder of her shirt. She tiptoed through Clark's bedroom into the bathroom, taking pains not to invade Superman's privacy by glancing over as she passed the bed. In the bathroom, she'd pulled off her shirt and rinsed the blood out. ![[Linked Image]](http://cosgan.de/images/smilie/konfus/a015.gif) That’s still the shirt she slept in? Not her work outfit, right? Which means she’s topless in the bathroom and Superman’s right next door… She closed her eyes and listened, soothed by the sound of Superman's breathing. There was something reassuring in knowing that she wasn't alone in the apartment. Yes, nothing should help against invading goons like a knocked out superhero. "What was that?" Lois knelt next to the bed, leaning closer so she'd hear him.
"M' sorry."
"Sorry? You have nothing to be sorry for."
He swallowed, nodded. "Yes, I do." Well…that wouldn’t be the first secret spilled while the spiller is out of it. "You can't leave here. And, even if you could, you really shouldn't goad Luthor further by investigating this." Maybe if he used a pair of handcuffs to bind her to him? LOIS: The knock offs or the police type which would take me four seconds to open instead of one? "And lunch," she added. "You're going to owe me lunch and dinner."
Clark nodded, grateful that he'd got her to agree to stay put. "I'll be back in an hour." Oh boy. He’s so going to rue the day that he agreed to Superman playing house with Lois. Chip looked nonplussed. "An exclusive? But… she's supposed to be doing a piece on infrastructure. How would that require her to enter protective custody?" Mobsters involved in the infrastructure contracts? After two circuits from the chair to Perry's bookshelf, Chip turned to face him. "Tell her I want her to call me before end of business today, or she's fired." He does realize that she’s doing the boss, right? Before Clark could answer, there was a rumbling beneath their feet. Chip stumbled sideways, Clark reached out a hand to steady him. Uh-oh. I'm experimenting with posting on Friday afternoons, in the hopes it will give you guys more time to leave  Michael
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Pulitzer
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Pulitzer
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Posts: 3,800 Likes: 30 |
Sue, its Friday! Where's our update?
Morgana
A writer's job is to think of new plots and create characters who stay with you long after the final page has been read. If that mission is accomplished than we have done what we set out to do, which is to entertain and hopefully educate.
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Hack from Nowheresville
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Hack from Nowheresville
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Loved the whole first paragraph of this part 6... her thoughts while in Clark's bed were spot on. More of that, please! I picked out this para because I just loved it when I read it: "Be right back." Lois stood up quickly, heading back into his apartment. He could hear the slap of her feet as she ran down the stairs. Several long seconds ticked by as he heard the faint sound of a cupboard door opening and slamming shut, then water running. It seemed an eternity before he heard her footsteps racing back in his direction. Just cool details, the kind that really make you feel like you are there. The slap of her feet, the cupboard door... made me feel like I was with Clark in that moment, hearing what he was hearing, waiting and waiting for Lois to come back. A simple "she returned moments later with a cup of water" wouldn't have had the same effect, you know? Nicely done, Sue! Really liked seeing her take care of Superman, but now I just want her to *know*. I was waiting for the penny to drop as she looked at Superman, when she was noticing he looked younger and more vunerable... and I was just like, Look, Lois, really look! Wonder if she ever will? And the end.. you sure know how to write a cliffhanger! There was another moment of silence, and then the screaming started. Clark let go of Chip's arm and sprinted for the stairwell. All around him the building had begun to groan and creak ominously. Um... I'm going to have to ask for the next part. Like, yesterday. Because I need to know what happens next! Here's hoping the new part is up soon! Tracey
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Hack from Nowheresville
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Hack from Nowheresville
Joined: Feb 2009
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Hi Sue, it's been a while I have been on the board. I am so glad I found a new story from you.
I like how you are developing Lois relationship to Clark. They feel so close. Great dialogues.
I am hooked. ;-)
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Top Banana
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Top Banana
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Reach for the moon, for even if you fail, you'll still land among the stars... and who knows? Maybe you'll meet Superman along the way.
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Beat Reporter
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Beat Reporter
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It's Friday (again) tomorrow... are we getting treated to TWO parts this week? I've been hanging out for almost two weeks now for the next part... not that I want to pressure you; it's just such an awesome story. Cheers Elizabeth
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Hack from Nowheresville
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Hack from Nowheresville
Joined: Feb 2015
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It's Friday (again) tomorrow... are we getting treated to TWO parts this week? I've been hanging out for almost two weeks now for the next part... not that I want to pressure you; it's just such an awesome story. Cheers Elizabeth I second Elizabeth's request! We should be rewarded for our gracious patience
Go I Know Not Whither and Fetch I Know Not What
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Joined: Mar 2006
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Kerth
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OP
Kerth
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 2,367 |
Yikes, it's been crazy the past couple of weeks.  First I desperately need to thank everyone for their kind words. Michael - Sometimes it's almost like you've been reading ahead! Sort of. Case in point: I guess it would have been easier to fall asleep if Clark had been there. Some exhaustive nookie first, then she’d be exhausted and happy and sleepy. Aww…she just called him…not smart. LOL! I didn't think of it that way. If it's true, she's also flat-out stating that she doesn't have a heart. She's thinking she's the cool logic (in her own mind) and he's the touchy-feely one. We know that's not really true, because Lois does a lot of acting on emotion instead of rationality. But you try and convince Lois of that. That’s still the shirt she slept in? Not her work outfit, right? Which means she’s topless in the bathroom and Superman’s right next door… Most definitely NOT the shirt of Clark's that she slept in. She's dressed in her own clothes again and leaving for work. He does realize that she’s doing the boss, right? Lois would take great exception to you characterizing it that way! Tracey - Thanks! It always tickles me that you notice the little details. Really liked seeing her take care of Superman, but now I just want her to *know*. I was waiting for the penny to drop as she looked at Superman, when she was noticing he looked younger and more vunerable... and I was just like, Look, Lois, really look! Wonder if she ever will? Hmm. I wonder. Annalina - Hi! Welcome back! I'm pleased to have hooked you. Morgana, mozartmaid, Elizabeth, and HiddenMoon - It's coming! I had it "done," but then I started to tinker with it. After I posted the last part, I kind of lost heart for a few days. It's nerve wracking to see a part racking up over 150 hits and yet no one says a word. So I sort of freaked out and started tweaking and just made a HUGE mess of it. Susan talked me off the ledge, but I'm still trying to smooth out the edges. I should have it palatable by the weekend. Things in RL have been on the hectic side, but I've been getting up early and/or staying up late to work on it.
Lois: You know, I have a funny feeling that you didn't tell me your biggest secret.
Clark: Well, just to put your little mind at ease, Lois, you're right.
Ides of Metropolis
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Top Banana
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Top Banana
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It'll be awesome, Sue...so excited to read the next chapter (and yes, I will admit to checking--multiple times a day--over the last few days --for Part 7 ). Loving this story! Can-Not- Wait-For-More ... Laura
Last edited by LMA; 10/08/15 09:48 PM.
"Where's Clark?" "Right here."
...two simple sentences--with so much meaning.
~Lois and Clark in 'House of Luthor'~
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Hack from Nowheresville
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Hack from Nowheresville
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Hope things settle down for you soon, Sue - glad to hear that the next part is coming! I have class on Thursday evenings, so reading a new part of your story is like my treat for making it through each class! After I posted the last part, I kind of lost heart for a few days. It's nerve wracking to see a part racking up over 150 hits and yet no one says a word. I get where you are coming from - I haven't posted a story part in forever, but I remember that it is quite nerve-wracking. And of course, back in the day when I was writing a little, we didn't have the counter where you could see the views. I will tell you that 4 or 5 (or 15, haha) are probably just mine because I will often read a story part several times before commenting. And then I might read it again in the days after I post, just to keep it fresh in my mind for when the new part arrives. Speaking of which... let's hope that's soon! Tracey
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Kerth
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Kerth
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 2,082 |
Trust me, everyone, it's so worth the wait!
You can find my stories as Groobie on the nfic archives and Susan Young on the gfic archives. In other words, you know me as Groobie.
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