Chapter Eight: Is This What You Were Looking For?

[taro_twist]

Title: L'esprit de l'escalier
Note: The rest of the series can be found here.
Author: taro_twist (aka Tairona)
Timeline/Fandom: post-Superman Returns
Pairing: Lois/Clark
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: DC and the WB own everything! I'm just temporarily messing with their creations ...
Spoilers: Superman Returns, Superman II, and I guess Superman: The Movie, to

Comments

[taro_twist]

OTOH, I'm glad her not knowing didn't out-last the chpater because she's generally a smart woman (I'll grant her being totally confused and disoriented and worried here though).

Yeah, I was beginning to feel like Lois was being pretty dense in this situation, too, lol. I did want to leave the reveal off for a bit longer, but as you said, if it had out-lasted this chapter it just would've gotten ridiculous. The disorientation of universe swapping can only go so far. :)

LOL, this seems an entirely reasonable reaction in some ways. It's just too huge to process.

That's exactly what I was thinking when I wrote that. She'll definitely have a stronger reaction once it sinks in, but I figured that it's the kind of thing that's so big that it takes a while to understand the full impact that it's going to have on your life.

“There aren’t many things in my life that make sense anymore. Clark made sense, though. He was my friend, and that was enough. I was never looking for him to be anything different.”

*wibbles* Oh, yay for Lois.

Yes! Lois is slowly being de-fangirled, lol. When I wrote that, I just kept thinking of Margot Kidder's Lois, especially in Superman II where, even though she's not in love with Clark, she tells him a couple of times that he's great the way he is and that he doesn't need to be Superman to still be a good guy. I just thought that was so sweet, I had to try to bring that into this fic. :)

It's like that faces/vace analogy played out in wonderful detail.

Oo, I didn't even realize I was doing that. Yay! The vase/face analogy should definitely be the canon reason for people not seeing Clark as Superman. It's brilliant! :D

Anyway, thanks so much for your wonderful feedback! I always love hearing from you. :) And I'm glad that I could brighten your holiday doldrums a bit, even if it wasn't with slash. ^_^ I hope life perks up soon, though!

[jij]

When I wrote that, I just kept thinking of Margot Kidder's Lois, especially in Superman II where, even though she's not in love with Clark, she tells him a couple of times that he's great the way he is and that he doesn't need to be Superman to still be a good guy.

We've ordered the Donner cut of Superman II, which a lot of people say has a much more sympathetic, smart version of Lois in it (Kidder has officially said she wishes Donner's version had been the one made). I'll review it once I see it! Yes, your Lois switches back and forth between the best parts of the Superman II Lois (smart and self-mocking) and the Returns Lois (more vulnerable and romantic).

And I'm glad that I could brighten your holiday doldrums a bit, even if it wasn't with slash. ^_^

Good fic is good fic! I'm not one for clear boundaries between the types when I read. :) And the chat this weekend was a very cheer-evoking event as well!

[taro_twist]

We've ordered the Donner cut of Superman II

Eeee! The Donner cut! *drools* I just saw that at my local video store the other day, but have somehow managed to not buy it yet in the name of saving money. I don't know if I can hold out though. I mean, it's pretty much a 6th Superman movie! Sigh. (Hmm ... I wonder if it doesn't have the mind-erasing kiss in it. Is that too much to hope for? Probably, lol ...)

[jij]

(Hmm ... I wonder if it doesn't have the mind-erasing kiss in it. Is that too much to hope for? Probably, lol ...)

From the reviews I've read, it actually has the kiss twice, because she figures it out again on her own after the first try. This would imply that perhaps she consents to the second kiss? This would make a huge difference to me. But perhaps too much to hope for...

[beatrice_otter]

Nope. Originally, the "turn back time" thing was the climax of the second movie, but it got moved to the end of the first movie instead with Donner's consent. However, he hadn't come up with an alternate ending to II before he was replaced. The kiss is pure Lester. Since Donner says that while Superman can kiss Lois, Clark should never get to (which I don't agree with, BTW), the kiss wouldn't work, for the Donner cut they put the "turn back time" thing (which was the original intended ending) in to replace it.

I love the Donner cut, except for that change. The rest of it is much improved. However, I think the time thing is stupid just on principle; I know this is based on a comic book, but I just can't suspend disbelief enough for it to work. (Because if he actually tried to do it the way he does in the movie(s), Earth would be torn apart by tidal forces and time would not be affected one bit.) Seeing it twice ... eep. And while I have issues with the kiss, they're the sort of issues that provide wonderful possibilities for fic. Besides, if I did manage to suspend disbelief and accept the turning back time thing, then that means they never slept together which means that Jason wouldn't exist. And I like Jason. So my ideal version is the Donner version until he starts to turn back time, at which point it switches over to the Lester version for the kiss.