It took me long enough to respond to this, Terry. Part of the reason is that chapter four of your story focuses on Lois rather than on Clark, and your Lois so rarely provokes me. And when I don't feel the least bit provoked, I don't feel the same urge to write "thoughtful and incisive" feedback, as you so kindly called it!
Which, however, prompts me to try to explain why I so much like your Lois. It's because you - how do I put it? - take her so seriously.
There are a number of humorous stories posted on these boards, which occasionally take advantage of the fact that Lois sometimes appears galactically stupid, and that she can babble both herself and others into a state of total confusion. I tried to look for pictures illustrating this kind of an energetic female bird-brain, but the best I could come up with was this:
![[Linked Image]](http://www.cartoonstock.com/lowres/shr0241l.jpg)
Of course, the woman in this picture is not Lois, but a blond bimbo with silicon implants and, which is worse, an uninterested attitude. That is most certainly not Lois, but this image was the best I could find. Anyway, what sometimes pains me about the humorous Lois in some of the stories on these boards is that she can come off as an antifeminist's dream. She makes a lot of noise, but she is wrong more often than she is right, and when she is right her babbling makes no sense, so it's no use listening to her anyway. You can get a good laugh at her expense, but taking her seriously is just a waste of time. Votes for women, anyone? (Of course there haven't been any recent stories here that have painted Lois as
that stupid.)
Your Lois, however, can never been "brushed aside" with a laugh. Your stories never trifle with her. Your Lois is never this size, certainly not in comparison with men:
![[Linked Image]](http://static-p1.fotolia.com/photos_mini/2007-16/110_F_3001433_hqZ6gCD6yqEFl80k70NFqEFOmWGetH.jpg)
You
always take Lois seriously. Your Lois isn't always right, far from it. But on some level she always makes sense. Your Lois is driven, vulnerable, wounded, brave, tenacious, loyal, angry, witty, and, when the opportunity is there, warm and loving. She
cares. She cares so much, and she sure as heck gives a damn! And, thanks to your amazing ability to write fantastic dialogue, Lois will send fireworks of witty or dead-pan remarks flying in the reader's direction. It's a wonderful pleasure to spend time with your Lois!
Now for some actual feedback on this part. Do you mind if I repeat most of what Hasini already told you, Terry? She nailed many things so perfectly, such as when she described your Luthor here. Like Hasini said, rarely has Luthor been so charming and appealing, and rarely has he seemed so deadly dangerous. (But please remember that I'm with Maria, too, Terry: I hate it when Luthor gets to wreak too much terrible havoc.)
Hasini is also right that your description of Lois and Clark's relationship here is so interesting. There is so much between them here, because both of them may feel that Lois caused the death of Clark's wife (Lois certainly does), and whether or not Clark actually blames her, her very presence reminds him of his loss and his pain. And to complicate matters further, Lois knows about his secret identity. The part that Hasini quoted underscores how unsettled Lois and Clark both are, and how they both need to move on. (But whether or not they will do so with each other remains an open question.) It was priceless how Lois gave Clark her own shrink's business card and told Clark to inform Dr. Friskin who recommended her if he decides to call her - not because she wants a referral fee from Dr. Friskin, but because she doesn't want them to run into each other during their therapy sessions!
And Hasini was so totally right about this, too:
“No, I just want you to be careful. Two victims have been seriously injured already, and I don't want you to add yourself to the list, okay?”
She nodded. “Careful's my middle name.”
He frowned. “Thought your middle name was Dangerous.”
She glanced at the scar on her hand and tried to defuse the memory by being flippant. “I'm a woman. I can change either my mind or my identity any time I want to.”
Wow. Oh, wow. Lois is so brilliantly witty here - and at the same time, there is such a feeling of bleakness, of lacking roots or an identity, of being alone in a world that she has made her mission to fight, and where no one except Perry will much care if she dies.
I should have commented on this before:
“Are you okay? You look a little thin.”
“I don't get thin. I don't get heavy, either, or at least not so far.”
I love this. No, Clark doesn't get thin. But for all of that, I bet he
looks thin here. Grief and loss can do that to a person.
It's interesting that Perry knows that Clark is Superman. For the most part I think that is good. But there was something about how Perry had described Luthor's behaviour at the courthouse that made me feel that maybe, just maybe, Perry had been somewhat taken in by Luthor. And if he has, now that he knows that Clark is Superman, that could be a very bad thing.
It's interesting that Lois and Cat seem on their way to becoming friends again, just like they were fast friends in your previous fic, Rebuilding Superman. But I find it just a tad unlikely that you would give us such a repeat performance, which leads me to believe that in this fic Lois and Cat's friendship will come with a twist. Don't tell me. Clark will fall in love with Cat rather than with Lois this time, and he will move on with Cat instead?
Ann
They probable record their call.
