Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Lois & Clark Fanfic FDK - Once Bitten (14/?)

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Corrina.

Talk about leaving us hanging. We need the next part right away!

As always I enjoyed it. Your writing is so vivid.

Kathy
http://www.chili-everyway.com/lentil-soup-recipes.html

After quite a bit of time without leaving fdk, I thought it was about time to get back on the right track.

I could quote at least half of this part, but I'm going to go right down to what for me was hands down the best part:

Four days. It took her only four days to break down his barriers. Which shows exactly the strenght of their bond. He didn't want to be there, he didn't even want to go on living and she had no need to help him in anyway. Yet she did and he, despite his initial detachment, let her.

If Lois's thoughts about Clark weren't enough, the way she refers to her marriage surely shows that it isn't a conventional marriage. Though I still wonder why she didn't explain earlier on. True, Clark is a stranger and she owes him no explanation whatsoever, but surely she must have known that he'd assume hers was a conventional, loving marriage. There's no reason for him to believe otherwise.

This is exactly what we've all been thinking for quite a while; only for some reason it took Lois a little longer to get there

But now I'm really hoping that Clark will let her explain. That, and that you can be bribed into posting sooner . Next Sunday seems soooooo far away...

Poor Lois, four days with a shirtless Clark is too much for any girl's peace of mind.

Hi Corrina,

Well, well, definite hints that her marriage is all that he think it is.

Nice build up of tension in the relationship. So they now know that they both feel something, but she needs to straighten him out about her sham marriage for her protection. It was probably to save her from being claimed by someone else who would not be so kind. Who knows? You do! so get over here and post the next part soon! Good job. I want more. Laura

Yay, I got to read the last two parts together and things are moving along so nicely.

I found it interesting to read all the comments for the previous chapter, how so many people are bothered by the fact that Lois clearly unashamed in her attraction to Clark ("acting single") while she's married. Yet her carefree attitude toward him is exactly why that never bothered me -- to me, it was clear that her "marriage" isn't the kind of marriage that would hold Lois back from having a romantic relationship with another man. Certainly, she grew up in the US, but she's been gone a long time ... and the fact that her marriage never enters her mind as a roadblock told me that, for reasons that we hadn't learned yet, it wasn't a roadblock. So I was glad to see that Chapter 14 just seemed to reinforce that theory.

Clearly there's more to Lois's marriage than meets the eye. I don't know what the story is yet -- perhaps all single women are considered "wives" of the chief until they are "given" to their true husbands? -- but it's clear to me that the Western definition of marriage doesn't apply here. I'm looking forward to finding out more.

Now Clark's marriage, that's certainly another story. But even there, I find it hard to give it more than a passing thought. Yes, he may still be legally married to Lana, but she had already either filed for divorce or was planning to do so immediately when she left him, so they are likely already legally separated. And given how the country seemed to react to his alien-ness, I wouldn't be surprised if she were able to have the courts give her a quick annulment. (Can an alien enter into a legal contract with a human?)

But even if the marriage is still legal for a time, given that neither Lois nor Clark intend to go back, it still doesn't bother me. In this case, intentions and circumstances mean much more than a piece of paper. Heck, if they didn't, then you'd also have to believe Clark was cheating on Zara by continuing his engagement to Lois after learning about New Krypton. Yet I've never seen FoLCs say that he should have broken up with Lois once Zara came to town.

Carry on, Corrina! I'm enjoying the heck out of this story.

Kathy

This story is really tearing me apart.

I am glad to see that Lois at least realizes that her actions are confusing Clark. I can't see how she in anyway epected him to do anything else when he figures she is married.

He also does have a point that he is married. Even if Lana abandned him, I can see his hesitancy on that front.

I just hope Matymbou can do something to see Clark's mind at ease.

I did notice this line

I think it should end with "woman" in the singular to match man.

While this could be the case, I think it creates more problems then it eliminates.

If that is all her relationship with Matymbou is, then why even bring it up? Why tell Clark about it at all.

I think this is more because we see no reason at all why Clark should see as binding on him a relationship he never willingly consented to.

On the other hand, I am not sure anyone has seconded Clark's view that he should hold off from relationships because he is still legally married to Lana.

I would however point out that it has been less than a week since Lana told him that she was in a relationship with another man and leaving him. He has not really had time to emotionally move beyond the married outlook. So I don't think it is reasonable to expect him to be willing to jump into a relationship with a woman at this point. Also, since as far as he knows she is married, I think the "we're both married" is more to try to shock her into acting properly than anything else. He is very uncomfortable about being the man leading a women into adultry, being like whoever the man is who Lana went to, so he is doubly reluctant in this case.

He may have overreacted, but I would find it hard to see as in-character acting if he didn't.

Oh, I absolutely agree! Clark is in no way ready to jump into a relationship with another woman right now, even if she's Lois.

I just meant that the fact that they are both married doesn't trouble me one bit as a reader, the way it seems to trouble other commenters. Lois and Clark may not know yet what the extenuating circumstances are in each other's marriages, but I know that there is more here than meets the eye, so I'm not worried about what it will mean for them in the bigger picture. Even if Corrina were to tell us later in the story that Lana can't finalize the divorce without Clark's signature (heh, would serve her right ), it wouldn't affect my belief that Clark would be doing nothing wrong by undergoing a tribal wedding at some point in the future and living with Lois as man and wife. Based on the backstory that Corrina has developed, the circumstances and intentions mean more to me in this case than any legalities.

As for your other point about why Lois would even describe "Matty" (hee, I love that she has an American pet name for him!) as her husband to Clark, that's definitely a good question. But doesn't she only say it in frustration when he won't let her break quarantine? Kind of like, "That MAN! How dare he order me around just because I haven't taken my permanent mate yet!" No idea if that's where Corrina is taking this, but it's a workable theory, at least until new details come out to contradict it.

And
I think this whole chapter has been about telling us that Lois's "marriage" isn't what we or Clark assume when we hear the word. When she realizes that she has fallen in love with him, her response isn't "Oh no, we can't be together because I'm married!", it's "Oh, crap, he thinks I'm MARRIED-married! I need to tell him what's really going on!"

Wheeee! It's a fun ride.

Kathy

It is pretty obvious that Lois is not in a conventional marriage with Matymbou.

I really don't think any of the explanations so far work. I almost thought the "maybe Matymbou acted to protect her from a marriage to some other guy" explantion might work, but I don't think Lois' interactions with Romaric fit with that.

I am guessing there are some complicated reasons for Lois' relationship, I just don't really have a clue what they are.

I'm wondering about Lois' marriage as well. Maybe to become a legal memeber of the tribe, she had to belong to one of the families. Maybe it could be achieved either through adoption or marriage. Just thinking.

KathyB, I like your idea about the chief being "a husband" of all single women. It would do good for his Ego.

Actually though, the way Lois spoke about Matymbou and his first wife who is now dead, I almost got the impression that she is the only current wife of Matymbou. I am more sure that Clark got that impression. However, nothing so far suggests that Matymbou is a polygamist. I think I did assume that until Part 13, but what Lois said there seemed to suggest she is to only wfie.

You are right John, no other wives were mentioned and it seems like Lois is the only one.

Kathy I appreciate the 'vivid' comment. I've had to concentrate on the characters rather than the setting because I've never been to the Congo.

Cristina

If they are patient and medicine woman, what does it matter what he believes about her marriage? If they are (just) friends, it matters more, but even so, it's not critical.

It's only when Lois realises what she is feeling, then realises what Kent is feeling that it becomes important.

I think there are two reasons. Lois has had four days, the readers have had 13 weeks. Also Lois isn't pre-programmed to know that Lois + Kent = love; the readers are.

See below.

Kate

Good point!

Ken

Hints, yes. We'll get to a full explanation.

Laura Yes. And no.

Kathy

I like your reasoning.

I'm glad!

John

Initially, she didn't. Then Matymbou came to the gate, Clark asked who he was, Lois told him.

Do you have an example of Lois acting improperly?

I agree with your point about Clark's reluctance, but I think using the word 'adultery' for a couple who haven't even come close to a kiss yet is drawing a long bow.

KateB I enjoyed all the speculation about Lois's marriage and what it might mean for Lois/Kent. We'll see.


I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I was working on a short Valentine's Day story. Well, it's Valentine's Day here in Oz and the story is neither short nor ready. Part 15 of OB is short, something I did deliberately because I thought I would be posting another story as well this week.

Therefore to say 'Happy Valentine's Day', I intend to post the short Part 15 this evening and you'll still get a part (16) on Sunday/Monday.

The other story will be posted eventually. Maybe we could celebrate Valentine's Day in March as well this year

Corrina.

If you enjoy our speculation, Corrina, you can have more. Diddi as an orphan needed a formal male guardian, so Diddi's mother married Matymbou. What do you think of that?

Not quite, Kate. But it's still a valid theory

Corrina.