writers_muses - "words are slippery and thought is vicious." - henry adams
After two weeks in Paris and a week at the farm, Martha has hardly spent any time at all at her apartment in the city. Determined to rectify this, she spends the majority of Thursday inside. When Perry comes home at the end of the day, he finds her in the living room, watching C-SPAN, an activity she has always claimed relaxes her but in reality does the exact opposite. In fact, when he walks in, she is standing with the television on, pointing the remote at the screen accusatorily and muttering under her breath.
“Uh. Honey, I’m home,” Perry says, eyes on her skeptically. In response, she continues muttering at the television before finally muting it and turning to Perry.
“Lord, the way Specter carries on, like he’s God’s gift to the Democratic party. He was a Republican a month ago! And yet there he is at the podium, postulating himself as the second coming,” she sneers. “It makes me nauseous.”
Perry drops his briefcase by the door and walks toward her, hands in his pockets. “If I didn’t find what’s left of Senator Kent so damn sexy I’d tell you to relax right now.”
Martha rolls her eyes, dropping the remote down on the coffee table and collapsing back on the couch. “I can’t seem to relax. I can’t seem to stop stressing. About everything.” She shifts her body so that she’s lying on her back, head against the armrest. “Grace and her play, and Clark’s usual antics. Lois I always worry about. And of course Lionel’s walking feet first into a love disaster and refuses to stop himself, despite being well aware of the situation. And all the while I’ve got Arlen Specter on C-SPAN speaking on the behalf of Jesus. The world’s gone to hell, I swear it.”
Perry sighs and shakes his head before moving over to the couch. He lifts up her legs by the ankles so that he can sit down, then places them on his lap. “Grace is fine, Clark is fine, and Lois is fine. And since I don’t even want to touch Specter’s new calling, what the hell kind of love disaster are we talking about here?”
Truth be known, Perry is possibly glad to hear of an imminent disaster for his nemesis. Martha sighs dramatically. “His new girlfriend. She seems sweet enough, and I have nothing to say against her specifically, but let’s just their relationship mirrors his relationship with Lillian all too strongly. And he knows I’m right, but he won’t do anything to help himself. It’s like watching a car crash.”
Normally Perry would not be in any way inclined to discuss the man’s lovelife, but for once he has something moderately relevant to contribute. “The Beaubier girl, right?” He asks. “Yeah, I had a real nice conversation online today with your buddy Jean-Paul. Until he brought her up and it all went to hell.”
“Oh, god.” Martha groans, covering her eyes with her hand. “The same thing happens to me. I’m almost positive I’ve never said a thing against the girl and yet somehow I feel as if I’m always being chastised for something or other relating to her. What did you say?”
“Nothing!” Perry insists, throwing his hands up helplessly. “He made a comment about how his sister was better than you. And then some shit about Beaubiers being indisputably perfect and apparently untouchable. I basically said that I wasn’t going to listen to him go on about how she’s better than you, or anyone for that matter, because it’s unrealistic and unfair. Suddenly I had insulted her. From then on, it was like anything I said could be used against me.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Martha replies, squeezing his hand sympathetically. “I love Jean-Paul dearly, more than I can say, but if someone brings Aurora into the conversation, it’s an automatic trainwreck, and you’re the one to blame for it. I very much respect and admire his love for her, but it can be incredibly frustrating, I know.”
He turns to her, his arm draped over the back of the couch. “And some little blonde girl eavesdrops on our discussion and calls me a jerk. She doesn’t even know me! I had to fire two interns just to find an outlet for my frustration after that,” he tells her. “I hate the internet. Unbelievable.”
“It’s a very scary place,” she answers with a chuckle, despite meaning every word. “I think I need to start filtering myself more. I find I am constantly under siege. And that’s okay when you’re running the country, but when you’re having a casual conversation online? Not worth it.”
He grins. “Looks like you’re becoming quite the snob, Martha Kent.”
Her jaw drops. “I am not a snob!” But her protests only make him smile wider. “I simply do not feel the need to explain myself at every turn, and with every one. My views are what they are. Others are free to disagree, but I see no point in arguing the point to death. And everyone on the internet seems to enjoy picking fights like it’s their job. It’s discouraging.”
He shrugs his shoulders. “Young people are fearless and never satisfied.”
Martha frowns. “Are my kids that bad?”
“…Yeah.”
“Oh, fantastic.”
He laughs, absently rubbing one of her feet as his eyes drift over the muted television screen. “You miss it?” He asks after a moment.
She follows his gaze to the television screen, but her expressions remains puzzled. “Miss what?”
“Fighting the good fight,” Perry answers with little enthusiasm.
“There is no…good fight. Fighting is just fighting. But…sometimes, yes,” Martha says quietly. “I miss having a very distinct sense of purpose. And I’ll admit I miss having a podium at my disposal. But not much else. I’d much rather be with my family.”
He nods solemnly, ruminating upon her words for a moment, then looks over at her with a smile. “Speaking of which, I thought I might take you ring shopping this weekend. How’s that sound?”
She raises an eyebrow. “I didn’t realize the bride had any choice in the matter.”
“Hey, we have a rare opportunity here,” he insists. “I proposed without a ring and you acceped a week later without a ring. I’d rather you just pick it out yourself so I don’t have to try to figure out whether you really like the one I pick or not.”
“Oh, all right.” She swings her legs over and then moves to sit on her knees beside him with a smile. “We will go ring shopping this weekend.”
She won’t say it, but instinctively she knows that it will never top the first.
Martha Kent
Smallville
1,116
“Uh. Honey, I’m home,” Perry says, eyes on her skeptically. In response, she continues muttering at the television before finally muting it and turning to Perry.
“Lord, the way Specter carries on, like he’s God’s gift to the Democratic party. He was a Republican a month ago! And yet there he is at the podium, postulating himself as the second coming,” she sneers. “It makes me nauseous.”
Perry drops his briefcase by the door and walks toward her, hands in his pockets. “If I didn’t find what’s left of Senator Kent so damn sexy I’d tell you to relax right now.”
Martha rolls her eyes, dropping the remote down on the coffee table and collapsing back on the couch. “I can’t seem to relax. I can’t seem to stop stressing. About everything.” She shifts her body so that she’s lying on her back, head against the armrest. “Grace and her play, and Clark’s usual antics. Lois I always worry about. And of course Lionel’s walking feet first into a love disaster and refuses to stop himself, despite being well aware of the situation. And all the while I’ve got Arlen Specter on C-SPAN speaking on the behalf of Jesus. The world’s gone to hell, I swear it.”
Perry sighs and shakes his head before moving over to the couch. He lifts up her legs by the ankles so that he can sit down, then places them on his lap. “Grace is fine, Clark is fine, and Lois is fine. And since I don’t even want to touch Specter’s new calling, what the hell kind of love disaster are we talking about here?”
Truth be known, Perry is possibly glad to hear of an imminent disaster for his nemesis. Martha sighs dramatically. “His new girlfriend. She seems sweet enough, and I have nothing to say against her specifically, but let’s just their relationship mirrors his relationship with Lillian all too strongly. And he knows I’m right, but he won’t do anything to help himself. It’s like watching a car crash.”
Normally Perry would not be in any way inclined to discuss the man’s lovelife, but for once he has something moderately relevant to contribute. “The Beaubier girl, right?” He asks. “Yeah, I had a real nice conversation online today with your buddy Jean-Paul. Until he brought her up and it all went to hell.”
“Oh, god.” Martha groans, covering her eyes with her hand. “The same thing happens to me. I’m almost positive I’ve never said a thing against the girl and yet somehow I feel as if I’m always being chastised for something or other relating to her. What did you say?”
“Nothing!” Perry insists, throwing his hands up helplessly. “He made a comment about how his sister was better than you. And then some shit about Beaubiers being indisputably perfect and apparently untouchable. I basically said that I wasn’t going to listen to him go on about how she’s better than you, or anyone for that matter, because it’s unrealistic and unfair. Suddenly I had insulted her. From then on, it was like anything I said could be used against me.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Martha replies, squeezing his hand sympathetically. “I love Jean-Paul dearly, more than I can say, but if someone brings Aurora into the conversation, it’s an automatic trainwreck, and you’re the one to blame for it. I very much respect and admire his love for her, but it can be incredibly frustrating, I know.”
He turns to her, his arm draped over the back of the couch. “And some little blonde girl eavesdrops on our discussion and calls me a jerk. She doesn’t even know me! I had to fire two interns just to find an outlet for my frustration after that,” he tells her. “I hate the internet. Unbelievable.”
“It’s a very scary place,” she answers with a chuckle, despite meaning every word. “I think I need to start filtering myself more. I find I am constantly under siege. And that’s okay when you’re running the country, but when you’re having a casual conversation online? Not worth it.”
He grins. “Looks like you’re becoming quite the snob, Martha Kent.”
Her jaw drops. “I am not a snob!” But her protests only make him smile wider. “I simply do not feel the need to explain myself at every turn, and with every one. My views are what they are. Others are free to disagree, but I see no point in arguing the point to death. And everyone on the internet seems to enjoy picking fights like it’s their job. It’s discouraging.”
He shrugs his shoulders. “Young people are fearless and never satisfied.”
Martha frowns. “Are my kids that bad?”
“…Yeah.”
“Oh, fantastic.”
He laughs, absently rubbing one of her feet as his eyes drift over the muted television screen. “You miss it?” He asks after a moment.
She follows his gaze to the television screen, but her expressions remains puzzled. “Miss what?”
“Fighting the good fight,” Perry answers with little enthusiasm.
“There is no…good fight. Fighting is just fighting. But…sometimes, yes,” Martha says quietly. “I miss having a very distinct sense of purpose. And I’ll admit I miss having a podium at my disposal. But not much else. I’d much rather be with my family.”
He nods solemnly, ruminating upon her words for a moment, then looks over at her with a smile. “Speaking of which, I thought I might take you ring shopping this weekend. How’s that sound?”
She raises an eyebrow. “I didn’t realize the bride had any choice in the matter.”
“Hey, we have a rare opportunity here,” he insists. “I proposed without a ring and you acceped a week later without a ring. I’d rather you just pick it out yourself so I don’t have to try to figure out whether you really like the one I pick or not.”
“Oh, all right.” She swings her legs over and then moves to sit on her knees beside him with a smile. “We will go ring shopping this weekend.”
She won’t say it, but instinctively she knows that it will never top the first.
Martha Kent
Smallville
1,116