Welcome to the 2025 Kerth Quiz: Challenge Story wave

SPIFFY DISCLAIMER THINGY!: All the stories featured in this quiz qualify for the Best Waffy Story, 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 favorite eligible stories 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.
(Yay for spoiler tags!)

CATEGORY: This award honors the extra creativity required to craft a story around a certain set of parameters. This includes all stories written in response to challenges and ficathons posted on the Lois and Clark Fanfic Message Board (any challenge regardless of the year it was posted; but only story responses that were posted in 2024 are eligible). This also includes Discord dares and specific request fulfillments.

The DEADLINE for entries for this quiz is SATURDAY, JANUARY 25, 2025, by 11:59 p.m (Eastern Time Zone).

Here’s 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
hyper hyper hyper
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🏆 EXCERPT #1:
“He can’t stay here.” Lois folded her arms across her chest as Krypto bounded into her apartment, running straight to her sofa and standing up on it, tail wagging madly. “My apartment’s not pet friendly either.”

“You used to have a cat,” Clark argued, closing her apartment door behind him.

Lois frowned. “That was…years ago. They’ve changed the policy since then. I’m sure of it.”

“Mrs. Newton down the hall has that parakeet. And your upstairs neighbor has that yappy dog. And you have fish.” He reminded her.

“Fish? Fish aren’t pets. They’re purely… decorative.”

Krypto began digging at her sofa.

“Hey! Cut that out!” Lois yelled.

Krypto barked loudly in response, leaping to the other sofa.

“Off the sofa, Krypto,” Clark commanded him, and Krypto immediately jumped off and ran to Lois, rolling onto the floor in front of her and baring his belly.

“See? He likes you.”

Lois groaned, kneeling to pat the dog. “What am I supposed to do with him while we’re at work?”

Clark shrugged. “We’ll get a dog sitter. Or put him in doggy daycare.”

“Doggy daycare!” Lois scoffed.

“Please, Lois… it’s just until we get our own place. Once we’re married and have a house, he’ll have a big yard to run around in, and we can play fetch and–”

Her eyes grew big. “We’re getting a house and a yard?”

Clark gulped. Not this again, he thought. “Uh, well…maybe? I mean…if you want a house and a yard?”


🏆 EXCERPT #2:
It happened as it had to happen: they agreed to a bet. The winner was allowed to decide the rest of the evening’s planning - and (that had been Clark's condition) had to publicly admit to the loser that they were in the wrong.

Lois was...less enthusiastic about that in particular, but eventually agreed. Anything else would have been far too close to conceding a possible defeat, after all.

Lois looked at the clock nervously. Only 25 minutes left. "Clark, where are you?" she murmured to herself.

As if he had heard her (which, she had to admit, was entirely possible), she heard the familiar "swoosh" sound, and Clark stood - in the Superman suit - in the living room of the house.

And he clearly needed a shower. Damn it! And she couldn't even come join him because that would inevitably mean a massive delay. Life simply wasn't fair.

"I'm almost ready!" she heard Clark call from the direction of the bathroom.

Five minutes later, Clark emerged from the bathroom, clean and dressed for the evening.

“Honey, it’s a little late,” he remarked.

"Oh really? I did not notice at all." She couldn't resist a little sarcasm.

“Well, I'm afraid we won't be able to do it with the car anymore. We'll probably have to resort to the air alternative, if you don't mind..."

Lois didn't. It was the simplest, most practical solution. She agreed - which had nothing at all to do with the fact that she was able to snuggle particularly close to Clark's chest and bury her hands in his hair for the next few minutes. In no way.



🏆 EXCERPT #3:
Streaky: Remember how big his uncle’s lab was? It was crammed with many shiny boxes and gadgets! Anyhow, a moon round* before the big boom, he kept talking about, I was exploring…

Krypto: Happiness! Looking for a squeaky snack?

Streaky: Sometimes one or two might escape their cages. Yum! None were running free. On this particular day, I found a large device my staff member was working on… a shiny metal box.

Krypto: Oh! That was something he called a test rocket or was it sprocket…?

Streaky: Big buddy, please stop interrupting.

Krypto: Sorry.

Streaky: I watched from my favorite perch until he went away. The metal box was glistening, and it was big enough that both of us could have fit into! After walking around and sniffing for a minute or two – I thought squeaky snacks might be hiding in there – I decided to hop in!

Krypto whimpered in alarm but said nothing. Pepper purred loudly in response. Clark noticed the exchange and again thought that maybe, just maybe, there was more to his dog than met the eye. Pepper continued purring loudly, ignoring the curious glances of his substitute staff person.

Streaky: I had no idea my staff person was priming the box to be launched. He did not see me get into the box. The top clanged down and the next thing I knew, a funny air came into the box. I slept for a long time and then woke up in a field in this town. Mrs. Harper was taking a walk in the field … or rather she called it a ‘park’…and found me wandering around. She fussed over me quite a bit. Something about ‘bad staff’ leaving me alone. Anyway, after a stay in a place with smelly cages, my new female staff brought me here.

Krypto: Oh! That must have been the uncle’s test ship. Good thing the ship was sent here. Now we can be friends again. Do you like her?

Streaky: She is nice. Wish she didn’t dress me up all the time and call me fuzzy britches!

Clark watched as the two animals got into another exchange of soft yelps and meows. They were good to have around and pleasant company. Maybe he should consider getting a cat to keep Krypto company?


🏆 EXCERPT #4:
"I'm really grateful you're here, Clark... but why are you here? It's late,” she asked, pulling the blankets over her scantily clad body. She was wearing her pink silk short set. The camisole hung down a bit, the straps always falling off her shoulders.

“I couldn’t sleep. I started walking aimlessly through Metropolis. I realized I was heading toward your apartment, when the aroma of this hidden bakery stopped me in my tracks, I couldn’t help myself,” Clark explained as he stood up.

Lois noticed as Clark retreated out of her bedroom and heart felt broken once again. Luckily, seconds later he returned with a cup and treat in hand.

“I remember a conversation we had a few weeks ago about peppermint and chocolate. You said you loved those little Andes mints, but hadn’t tried a peppermint mocha yet. So I found a bakery that had them along with chocolate croissants,” he explained, standing a few feet from her bed now.

She grinned as he held out the gifts to her, and suddenly the embarrassment of him seeing her in silky pajamas didn’t matter. This man was a gift. Lois tossed the blankets off her and stood up. Within a second, she was inches away from him, and she reached over and kissed him on the cheek. Then she took the treats out of his hand and disappeared out of the bedroom.

“Clark, if you hurry, I might share,” she stated. The memories of the nightmares disappeared as the aroma of heaven overwhelmed her senses. Now she felt lighter and before she took a sip of the peppermint mocha, she remembered the feel of his skin on her lips. Yes, the nightmares were over, and Clark was alive and a reminder of how her fantasies could become reality.


🏆 EXCERPT #5:
When Jimmy returned to the copier room, he officially did not see Cat Grant sitting in the middle of the floor, surrounded by uncrumpled papers, the empty fishbowl in her lap.

“He's not in here!” She looked up at him. “Did you get everyone’s names?”

“Everyone,” Jimmy confirmed. “There were a few opt-outs, but CK definitely wasn't one of them. Maybe somebody picked him already.”

Cat looked startled. “Some names were picked already?”

“Well, yeah.” Jimmy reached down and took the fishbowl from her. “People have been picking names from it since this morning.”

“Unbelievable!” Cat sprang to her feet and raced out the door, grabbing a random piece of crumpled paper almost as an after-thought.

“Hey, wait! What about that phone-number?!” Jimmy called, but the door swung shut behind her.


🏆 EXCERPT #6:
“Mom doesn’t like it when you get on the couch, Krypto,” Jon said but he continued scratching.

Krypto just huffed and tilted his head to give the boy better access.

Suddenly, a flurry of footsteps preceded another small human into the room. Clark’s girl-pup, Laura, stopped and looked around before spying Jon and plopping herself on the boy’s other side.

“Jon! Jon! Read my story!” Laura insisted. She pushed a piece of paper into her brother’s lap.

Jon frowned and pushed the paper back. “Have Mom read it.”

“Mom’s at work.”

“Then, have Dad read it.”

“Dad’s making dinner.”

“Dad can read it in like a second.”

“But I want you to read it. Please!”

Krypto huffed again and looked up at the pups. He wished they would stop bickering.

Jon rolled his eyes but put his device down and took the paper. “Fine. What’s your story called?”

“It’s called, Coco and the Wolves,” Laura answered with a smile.

Jon started to read. “Mom had a dog. The dog was named Coco.” Jon paused. “He should be named Krypto.”

Krypto lifted his head at the sound of his name and woofed softly.


🏆 EXCERPT #7:
Lois swallowed against a huge lump in her throat and blinked to keep the tears at bay. Her breathing turned shallow and she gripped the steering wheel tighter, intent on keeping her attention on the street.

But her heart thumped heavily in her chest and her throat tightened to the point where she thought she couldn’t breathe.

Consciously, she knew Clark was all right. But with the unbidden memories came that twisting in her gut telling her otherwise. The terror of having him almost die on her was still so fresh in her mind, just as painful as watching him collapse from Dillinger's bullet had been.

The voice of doubt kept whispering words of discouragement.

She told herself she was crazy. He was snoring right next to her. Yet, the need to check on her companion turned overwhelming.

Again her gaze darted toward him. Lois only dared to breathe as she saw his chest rise and fall.

He was still there, not just a figment of her imagination.

Lois swallowed, the lump in her throat a little less suffocating, but still noticeable.

Her heart kept racing. No matter how many steadying breaths she took it refused to calm until, finally, she reached out with a trembling hand. His fingers uncurled at her touch, allowing her to slip her hand into his.

Clark gave her hand a gentle squeeze, sending a rush of warmth through her. It settled her frayed nerves. The tension bled away, leaving a sense of comfort she'd only ever felt with him.



smile1 Good luck, everyone!
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(KSaraSara, Michael, lovetvfan, and Evie)


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