Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Lois & Clark Fanfic FDK - Awaken My Heart (13/?)

Another cliffhanger!

Thanks.

Ah dear Kal. You're already married...

Still reading and enjoying even if I haven't been commenting .

More soon please .

Carol

Whoa, didn't see that coming!

Ok, two options off the top of my head are: Kal can have more than one wife, or maybe Zara's not really his "wife" like we think of marriage...A definite RAFO!

Great part,
JD

Oh no you don't!! You come back here right now and give us the next chapter!! (Foot taps impatiently) Well, we're waiting!

How about "pretty please with sugar on top?" Anything so that we can have another chapter?

Pat

I guess the Kryptonians are like the DeNoblians from Star Trek Enterprise: each spouse is allowed to have three spouses. Must make for confusing genealogical charts.

snarla2

Tek seems more an apothercary than a midnight lover and lovely Ard his patient/relative in Kal's protection. Or not.

I could tell where the conversation was going, and it still melted me. So, so wonderful.

Relative was what I was thinking. Maybe his sister? It just seems so out-of-character for him to be having an affair. I'm thinking she's his sister. It also occurred to me that possibly Tek's limp is somehow related to Ard being Kal's concubine. No idea what the connection could possibly be, though.

Beautiful chapter. I loved their conversation. It's so clear they are both hopelessly in love with each other. BUT... He's married! Arg! You MUST do something about that!


Edited to add: Kathy, we were both posting at the same time. I see we had the same idea - sister. You know what they say about great minds. lol. Maybe we are on to something.

What a lovely, lovely way for a man who doesn't know the word "love" to say "I love you". Your exploration of what tired old words really mean is wonderful, Corinna.

As for Tek, I got the impression that you wanted me to like him. And because I can't imagine that you would condone infidelity, but you approve of Tek, that must mean that Tek absolutely isn't doing anything untoward when he is visiting Ard. Vicki has suggested that Ard may be Tek's relative, and that is certainly a possibility. I wonder, could they be Kal's "guardian angels", doing their best to protect him against Nor? (Ard seems really nice too. I mean, I can't imagine that someone who makes such lovely innocent and colorful pictures could be evil, but maybe that is because my imagination isn't vivid enough...)

Oh, and... Kal proposes to Lois. Even though he is married already. Well, wow.

One thing seems clear: Kal is innocent enough that he doesn't understand that his marriage to Za could be an impediment to his proposed marriage to Lois, or at least, he doesn't understand that Lois might consider it so.

It's interesting. Lois couldn't very well tell Kal that men don't have more than one wife at a time on the Earth, because some men really do. Many Muslims do, and a group of renegade Mormons do. And nowhere in the Bible does it say that a man is not allowed to have more than one wife. Believe me, I have checked.

But even among men who have more than one wife, it is likely that one wife is special. Maybe Kal thinks that his marriage to Za doesn't matter, because his heart is not full of her at all? And he has no wish to share his bed with her, whether or not he understands the sexual implications of a man sharing his bed with a woman. (And since he doesn't, in fact, understand the sexual implications, chances are that he would be even less interested in Za if he did.)

So Kal thinks that his own marriage doesn't matter, so he proposes to Lois. That is adorably sweet, but it is ever so slightly offensive too, or it ought to seem that way to Lois. Lois must think that Kal asks her to be his second wife, and to share him, if he so decides, with Za. There may, for all I know, be FoLCs here who would be happy to be somebody's second wife, and to share their husband with his wife Number One, but I really think that most FoLCs would decline such an offer. And if Lois is to stay in character, I think she must decline, too.

Looking forward to finding out how Lois is going to explain to Kal that she just can't be his second wife while he is still married to his first one. If they are to be married, then he must be hers, and hers alone. But how can she explain that to Kal?

Ann

Another great part, and so sweet. I love how you describe the development of their relationship. I wonder what Tek and I believe her name was Arl have to do with each other? Maybe he's her brother? Because I don't really think he would cheat on his wife.

Come back with more soon! Please!

Awwwwwww! He is so sweet and the poor fool doesn't know he can't marry her because he is already married. But in his heart he isn't. Loved this chapter. More soon. Laura

Eek, this post needs deleting, don't know what happened!

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

As for plot points:
I never expected it to be Tek. I still don't think he is having an affair with Ard. What would be her motivation? For a while I figured she might be his wife, but that didn't fit. His daughter, maybe? On the other hand, as was mentioned before in the thread, they could be part of the Anti-Kal-conspiracy.

Kal proposing was another surprise. Unless the meaning of marriage didn't translate, Kal has to be aware that he is already married, so what's going on there? Is the Supreme Ruler allowed to have multiple wives? Speaking of which, NK is a patriarchal, feudal society, and Kal is nobility. There is absolutely nothing unexpected about his marrying for reason of state and their situation reminds me of Dune. The woman wearing his name is not necessarily the one he considers his wife. Political expediency must come first

The mentioning of farms reminded me of the missing rain thing. Did the NKers bring the animals and plants with them? How did the indigenous plants survive before the the NKers started with irrigation? How did they pollination with without insects. I'm really looking forward to the ecological explanations of this strange world

Last but not least, I did notice how Lois automatically assumed she would end up as editor in chief. Of course, this also means she will have to learn how to read and write Kryptonian.

Michael, agreeing with Vicki on part 14

Great part! More soonest!

Artemis

This was another LOL moment, but mainly because it was so innocnet and sweet and lovely.

He means business! Again, I couldn't stop smiling reading this.

Poor Lois, she's suffering too, though it was Kal I felt for the most in this section, as he really was so confused.



Hmm, when will he?!

Aww, my heart was pounding along with them both. You wrote this scene so well.



Don't forget me!!

Kal has his answer about what love is by now, he's just hoping against hope that she feels that kind of love for him, the special man and woman kind!

Again, I love how you think of such simple details. Of course, the word fall used in that context would seem strange to Kal.

What a wonderful description, and of course, Kal can identify completely.

Oh Lois, you skirted round that one!!



Hmm, yes Kal, like secrets!

Poor Kal, but Lois has her answer. And, of course, a whole host more questions, because she still doesn't know how they can move on from here.

That's love Kal.

Much as I loved having another part to look forward to earlier, as I was reading I hated thinking then I'd be back to waiting for the next part again. I love this story so much!

Emma

Carol Thanks.
You'd think Lois's response wouldn't be too far from this!!

Shadow Thanks. I'm glad there are a few surprises along the way.

Mel About three days ago, my muse got petulant and the way to the end seemed very hazy. However, we're up and running again, so I'll post each part as soon as I can.

Thanks!

Pat Hey! Another reader! Thanks for leaving FDK!

snarla *Three* spouses! Imagine trying to write that! Living it would be worse though. Thanks for leaving FDK. I love knowing you're reading my fic.

SJH Good thought! Or not

Thanks.

Kathy I've just re-read your FDK twice looking for something I can respond to, but anything I say is going to sound like I agree or disagree with your thoughts.

All I can say is there *will* be more. Part 17 is with Iolanthe and Part 18 is written. About half of the later parts are written.

Thanks for all your comments.

Vicki

I'm making no comment about Tek, but I'm delighted that you as a reader feel you know Tek well enough to comment on his character.

'Written' doesn NOT equal 'ready for public consumption'!

Thanks, Vicki.

Ann Your thoughts about what Lois is going to do are really, really interesting. So much so, I'm glad I left the chapter there and gave everyone a chance to comment on what Lois should do.

Obviously, I've thought a lot about this. Would I accept being a man's 2nd wife? Even if his first wife meant nothing to him? Would Lois? On Earth, I would say 'no'." But this isn't Earth.

And if she does agree to marry him, is that adultery? And even if it is, does it matter in a society where Kal is openly allowed as many concubines as he can feed?

And what happens if Kal and Za *do* eventually have a child? Kal would naturally be drawn to that 'family' and, by extension, away from Lois.

Thanks Ann. I love your FDK - it always makes me think more about where the fic is heading.

bakasi Another vote for Tek's character!

Thanks for your comments.

Laura When is a marriage a marriage? Thanks for your FDK, Laura.

Emma Did your FDK get lost somewhere in the bowels of the internet?

Or were you just showing that you *can* leave pithy FDK? :p

Michael

Sorry, Michael. This falls into the 'will not be included because it will cause a loss of momentum to the Lois/Kal story' category.

There is *so* much I could have included about NK. Some I dismissed without much thought, some I worked out, but haven't included in the fic.

Anything that doesn't directly support the main story (Lois and Kal) didn't make the cut. Which means there are going to be a lot of questions without answers about NK, but hopefully no questions without answers about LnK.

However, feel free to expand any time you want to ... if you write a scientific story about NK, I'll read it.

Thanks Michael.

Artemis Thanks. Not sure when you'll get Part 14, but hopefully the wait won't be too long.


Thanks everyone

Corrina.

Emma I must have been replying to FDK when you posted your amazing comments, so you get your own reply.

(And so you should ... WOW!)

I'm really pleased you're still finding humour in it. After Lois ate the cutlery, I thought 'OK, I need something else funny,' but couldn't think of another scene like that. And there is nothing less funny than forced humour.

Glad you liked the massage. Lois has a whole bagful of things she can teach Kal - and not all of them come from the gutter!!

Good point about Kal not knowing what he was missing. His life can never be the same again.

You *got* it!

Kal will tell Lois his secret in Part 18. (I've just written it). I know that's not Part 14 as I had mentioned somewhere else, but I always think I'm further along in a story than I am. Sorry.


Thanks, Emma. Wonderful FDK!

Corrina.

Well, I spent Saturday night in the hospital with a sick son (okay now, just the flu), so I'm *way* out of the feedback loop, but had to put my two cents in:

1. I know you know that Kal is chaneling Moses in his Extraordinary Report. And it is the perfect situation in which to do so. Another resonance. If anyone doesn't know what I'm talking about, read Dueteronomy chapter 30.

2. Apropos of Ann's suicidal (or sui-genocidal?) theory: I think Lois's next children's book needs to be Two Cats of Kilkenny. That's the poem that goes:

There once were two cats of Kilkenny
Each thought there was one cat too many
So they fought and they fit
And they scratched and they bit
Till excepting their nails and the tips of their tails
Instead of two cats, there weren't any.

3. Kal has so many similarities to Clark, but also this key difference: Kal is a leader. He has been his whole life. That gives him a level of confidence that Clark grew into only after being Superman for quite a while. So, even though he has some misunderstandings with Lois when she won't sleep with him again, he doesn't let that sway his determination to find out why and what he can do to change it. He's not arrogant, but he is determined. Kal knows that he isn't perfect, that he might fail his people, but he doesn't have the defeatist streak that Clark sometimes displayed. If Dan Scardino were here, Kal would have no trouble telling him where to go.

I'm remembering something you said a while back about part 14. Looking forward to it.

So, Kal has a secret, and there is a woman somewhere under a yellow sun searching for her lost child....does Kal have, in his own way, a secret identity?

And I haven't forgotten that glimpse of Perry. I somehow think that Kal and Lois are going to end up at least re-establishing contact with Earth.

Corrina, this is a truly extraordinary story.

Well Kal's marriage isn't a real one the way we on Earth, or at least in America know one. He isn't sleeping with his wife. It is a fixed political obligation and nothing more. I am looking forward to how they are going to get out of it without destroying New Krypton. As for Tek: I think that is his daughter, all grown up but a little girl inside doing her drawings and listening to Lois's stories. Laura