For Clark: SuperAnna!

[downsidedarling]

Anna leads Clark through a handy-dandy Nexus portal into her living room.

The front door to her apartment is looking distinctly unwell.

In the way where the doorknob is lying crumpled on the floor, dented with what appear to be finger-marks.

Comments

[downsidedarling]

Anna has found herself a nice wide open space - the same place she took Lex, a few months ago - and is nerving herself up to try out that whole 'flying' thing.

It's harder than she thought.

"Stop thinking like a fucking liveling," she growls to herself, pacing back and forth. "Are you Eight-Hour Chainsaw or aren't you? You are not afraid of this shit. That's ridiculous."

She kicks at a rock angrily. It explodes in a shower of fragments and reddish dust. She scowls.

[downsidedarling]

Eventually, near sundown, she lands back at her mesa.

In the time it takes for a scared lizard to flee her rather abrupt arrival, she's already run back to the farm.

"Bonsoir, cheri," she greets cheerfully.

[hero_farmboy]

Clark is not, in fact, a lizard and is therefore not startled by her arrival. This could also be because he's been listening for her so he was well prepared. As much as one can be in under thirty seconds, anyway.

"Hey." A bale of hay is tossed to the loft opposite Clark's side. "You get done what you needed to?"

[downsidedarling]

"Yeah."

Her hair is ruffled and she looks... to be frank, mildly debauched. Flying is fun, in all sorts of ways Anna normally finds only either in a bed or in a cold stone room full of sharp pointy things.

"I did."

She grins brightly.

"And you'll be pleased to note I think I've really got a handle on the strength, now."

A flattened hill or two notwithstanding - those were braking issues - all that wandering around kicking rocks gave her an excellent sense of how internal effort translates to external action.

[hero_farmboy]

"That's good," he flashes her a quick smile. "But I wouldn't get too cocky just yet. It can act up when you least expect it."

[downsidedarling]

Ruefully, "I'm aware."

So are several innocent rocks.

[hero_farmboy]

"I'm sure you are." The last bale is thrown and he dusts off his hands on his jeans. "Hungry?"

[downsidedarling]

"No," she answers automatically, because it is true.

[hero_farmboy]

Clark just shrugs. "All right."

After a brief pause, "So, have you thought about taking any time off work?"

[downsidedarling]

"Not really, no."

Shrug.

"I've never taken sick days for anything less than a coma. Don't see why I should start now."

[hero_farmboy]

"Because you might slip up and someone might find out," he replies rather quickly. "You might think you've got a handle on everything but it's been less than a day, Anna. It takes time."

[downsidedarling]

"What's the worst that could happen?" she asks, raising her eyebrows. "Lex will kidnap me? Been there, done that."

Anna's far enough away from Clark that she knows she can do this.

"Besides," she says, and reaches into her pocket, pulling out the same lump of green rock she's been carrying since she noticed her additions. "I won't slip up while I'm at work."

[hero_farmboy]

Clark sighs and stares up at the ceiling.

"You know, for once I wish you'd think about things rationally instead of jumping to the worst possible solution and deciding it's the only one."

[downsidedarling]

"It's not a bad solution," she says, shrugging and putting the rock away again. "And it's not the only one. Just the most convenient."

[hero_farmboy]

"Yes, it is a bad solution, bordering on stupid. But do what you want. You always do."

[downsidedarling]

"And what, you consider yourself a bastion of rational problem-solving? Clark, what's stupid about this? It does the job, n'est-ce pas?"