Happy Valentineâs Day, FoLCs!
With the Kerth nominations only THREE WEEKS AWAY, weâre giving you double the fun and double the quizzes until the nominations!
Welcome to the 2024 Kerth Quiz: Original/Supporting Character
SPIFFY DISCLAIMER THINGY!: All the stories featured in this quiz qualify for the Best Original/Supporting Character but this quiz is not a stamp of recommendation for nomination. There are more fantastic stories which qualify for this category, but this quiz only covers 7 randomly chosen ones.
(Instructions are blatantly copied/linked from previous Kerth Quizzes.)RECOMMENDATIONS: Don't forget that recommendations for other eligible stories
in this category are *very* welcome and encouraged! So don't forget to add these in a section after your guesses!
QUIZ RULES: One point each for getting the story and author from the quote. Plus, shiny gold stars for those who recognize their own stories. Please don't forget to mention which number you're answering. Rule recap: Open hard drive and open boards (+AO3!), *don't* forget to snip out the excerpts in your replies, and don't forget the spoiler tag when you post in the replies thread.
CATEGORY: The show may be called Lois and Clark, but sometimes another character really steals the show. This award honors characters other than Lois or Clark whom an author has taken extra care to make shine. This includes any of the original supporting castâgood or evilâas well as new original characters. Characters are eligible whether they are the star of their own story or a supporting character in Lois and Clarkâs story who captures the audienceâs heart.
The DEADLINE for entries for this quiz is TUESDAY, February 20, 2024, by 11:59 p.m (Eastern Time Zone).
(And donât worry â you still have until Saturday, Feb. 17, to answer the NFic quiz!)
Hereâs the full list of
Eligible Stories.
Here are the full quiz instructions:
Countdown to Kerth Quizzes Extended Instructions and Disclaimers.
Please post your answers
HERE.
Good luck!
Evie
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EXCERPT #1:âHeâs so handsome,â Martha sighed. âI canât believe heâs finished with college already. It seems like just yesterday that I took him to kindergarten.â
âYeah, time flies by so quickly. I remember when he developed superhearing and now heâs going to be joining me on patrol in a few weeks,â he whispered.
After the ceremony, Jon, holding his diploma, hurried over to where his family was waiting for him. As soon as he got there his family surrounded him, hugging, kissing, and congratulating him.
âThanks, everyone!â Jon exclaimed. âCan we go home now?â
âYou bet, Son,â Clark said as he directed the family back to the minivan.
EXCERPT #2:âAnd the woman?â Ching asked diplomatically, ignoring the cries of his own brain that screamed for him not to press his luck with the Elder. âShould we bring her aboard?â
Zara shook her head decisively and answered for the Elders present. âNo. Time is of the essence. Normally, I would never leave a fellow Kryptonian behind, but timing is everything right now. We donât have the luxury of spending time convincing her to leave her way of life to join her true people. Nor and his followers are too close on our heels. Once we find my husband, and Nor is no longer a threat to our way of life, we can always circle back to this dimension to get her, whoever she is.â
She waved dismissively at the screen, where the woman was seeking comfort in the manâs arms. âTurn it off. Iâve seen enough.â
The screen immediately went blank and dissolved away, leaving an uninterrupted view of the nearby Earth once more out of the full expanse of the front windows.
Zara sighed. When she spoke, it was soft, meant only for Chingâs ears.
âIf we come back at all. Whoever this UltraWoman isâŚshe looksâŚhappy.â
EXCERPT #3:At that moment the phone rang. Lois ran over to the wall, picked up the receiver and said, âMartha is that you?â
âYes Lois, am I late?â
âNo, Mrs. Kent. Right on time to listen to Lois bake her first cake!â Molly said with a mischievous laugh.
A shocked expression crossed Loisâ face. âWhat? No, thatâs your job!â
Molly snickered and said, âNot tonight it ainât! Its high time you learned a little bit about cooking. Back in college, the only thing you could make was popcorn. When
Clark gets back heâs going to be so surprised his bride can actually cook!â
EXCERPT #4:âHow do you know?â Lane asked, breaking the comfortable silence between them.
âKnow what?â her dad replied, not following where she was going.
Lane glanced around and noted that her mom and siblings were still off on their nature walk, gathering sticks and leaves for the eveningâs fire.
âWhen,â she cupped her hands and mouthed âSupermanâ âis needed.â
Clark smiled and with a small chuckle, cast his gaze around their surroundings too. Lane noticed that his gaze must have gone farther than hers though, as he tilted his
glasses down his nose to be sure they were truly alone. Then he nodded for one one of the logs positioned strategically around the fire pit.
âYou saw me hear something just now, did you?â he asked.
Lane nodded. She took a seat beside her father on the log and turned so she was looking at him.
âWhy didnât you go? Did they not really need your help?â
Her father sighed. âThere is no magic ball to know when Iâm âreallyâ needed,â he explained, glancing for a moment into the distance sadly. Lane wondered if he was wishing he had gone to whoever had been calling for help.
âSometimes, I get to a scene and the police or firefighters are already there. Or just on their way,â her dad continued.
âMaybe Iâm not really NEEDED in those momentsâŚ. But, other times, the few extra seconds I might get there to help might mean the difference between life or death.â
Lane sobered. At some level, of course, she knew, Superman saved a lot of people. But sheâd never quite thought of her dad like that.
EXCERPT #5:Ellen Lane stepped inside, forcing Lois to move aside. No one stopped Ellen from making an entrance, that was for sure. Lois opened her mouth to say something, then thought better of it. No, Lois wasnât in the mood tonight. She could feel the muscles in her shoulders start to tighten again.
âWhy is there a pint of ice cream next to your mail,â Ellen wondered as she walked around the apartment. âLook, you finally got rid of those hideous couches.â
Lois grabbed the ice cream off the coffee table and put it back into the freezer. Her mother kept walking around her apartment looking at some of the pictures and knick-knacks. Ellen picked up a picture frame of Lois and Clark taken at the Kerth awards last year. Then there was another frame of Lois and Clark after they had started dating. Lois was in a light-colored suit, with her hand on Clarkâs tie. Both of them were smiling, looking at one another.
Ellen looked at the picture, tilted her head to the side, and looked over at Lois, who had just stepped back into the living room. Lois noticed the picture her mom was holding and recalled how tumultuous their relationship had been during that time, like a roller coaster ride, really. She shook her head as she remembered how jealous Clark would get over Dan. The picture was taken right after their case was solved; Clark had taken Lois out for a walk, and Jimmy had found them laughing in Centennial Park and had taken the picture. Jimmy had then printed a copy out for each of them as a surprise.
âWho is this?â Ellen asked, holding the picture out to Lois.
âMy partner, Clark. Iâve told you about him a few times, mother,â Lois retorted, taking the picture from Ellen and putting it back where it was.
âYes, you have, but this picture tells me you are more than just partners,â Ellen stated with a tone. âHow well do you know him?â
EXCERPT #6:âMy name is Kal-El, and I am from a faraway planet called Krypton. I have traveled a long way to get here. I come in peace and mean no harm. My planet was⌠My planet was destroyed, and now I have no home. I would like to ask for your help.â
âKal-El?â the man asked, pointing to Kal.
Kal nodded, but then realized he was not entirely sure whether a nod meant the same thing on Earth as it did on Krypton. And so, he clarified, âYes. My name is Kal of the House of El. FormerlyâŚformerly of Krypton. Now, I am Kal ofâŚno place.â
The sad words reminded him of his deep losses, and he had a sudden urge to curl up and just sleep forever. After all, he should be dead, like everyone who had ever meant anything to him. Dejectedly, he reached up and rubbed his eyes with trembling fingers.
âWell, Kal, I have never heard of Krypton, but Iâm sure it was an incredible place, and I wish I could have seen it,â the man said, speaking a bit slower than he had before and with a softness to his voice, as though he sensed Kalâs grief. âWe are in Smallville, Kansas, on the planet Earth,â he added. âAnd my parents and I live just down the hill. Your ship landed in our field. We grow corn here. My name is Clark. Clark Kent.â
And the man stood and reached out his hand, his lips again twitching up into a curve and parting slightly to show his bright white teeth.
âCome on. My mom is just about finished cooking dinner, I bet. She and my dad will know how to help you.â
Kal looked apprehensively at the manâs hand outstretched toward him as he tried to interpret the manâs speech again.
âClark Kent?â Kal repeated.
And the man nodded.
âThatâs me.â
EXCERPT #7:He could hear Houdini jump to his feet, barking with excitement. His wagging tail flopped against the wooden interior and as soon as Clark opened the door, the dog was all over him. Caught by surprise, Clark fell on his back as two large paws settled against his shoulders.
A sloppy tongue covered his face with dog kisses. He felt the tension ease.
âDid you miss me?â
The dog whimpered.
âYeah, I missed you, too.â He let out a breath and pressed his face into the soft fur of his companion. The steady beat of the dogâs heart was soothing.
âYou know, I think I might have made a mistake,â he told the dog softly.
Houdini took a step back and shook himself. To Clark, it seemed like he was shaking his head.
âYou donât think so?â
Houdini barked as if to confirm his point, then nudged Clark with his nose. In reply, Clark ran his hands through Houdiniâs thick fur. Involuntarily, his thoughts wandered back to Lois Lane. Oh, how he hoped that Houdini was right.
Good luck, everyone!
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The Kerth Committee
(KSaraSara, Darth Michael, lovetvfan, and JadedEvie)