Stranger in a Strange Land: Movie Night (6/8)

[mithen]

Title: Stranger in a Strange Land:  Movie Night
Pairing/Characters:  Clark/Bruce, Alfred, Dick
Rating: R
Warnings: None
Continuity: Justice League Unlimited
Summary:  After Kal's superheroic debut, an impromptu lesson on heroic nonverbals turns into something quite different.
Word Count:  4700
Notes:  For a prompt on the

Comments

[zellieh]

Bruce came into the living room an hour later to find Kal sitting on the couch, rubbing at his damp hair with a towel--and wearing nothing but a white terrycloth bathrobe.

Bruce almost backed out of the room, but Kal looked up and smiled from under his tousled hair,

And this is the point at which I decided that Kal had watched quite a lot of soft porn and rom coms as part of his 'research inot human biology and sexual customs.' *G*

[mithen]

And this is the point at which I decided that Kal had watched quite a lot of soft porn and rom coms as part of his 'research inot human biology and sexual customs.' *G*

Kal is like, "What? What? The Spice Channel seemed a reasonable place to do research..." :)

[zellieh]

I want to go back and re-read this now, after the big reveal, and get all the juicy angst and misunderstandings on another level.

I love fic that does that, playing with your perceptions of a character; like those B&W silhouette pics, where it's a face or a vase, and once you know the trick, you can switch between them. ::happy chinhands::

Also, it sounds to me that what Kal's been told about sex as a young Kryptonian is as much propoganda as fact, so I'm looking forward to/dreading the angst when/if Kal works that out. ::bites nails::

[mithen]

I love fic that does that, playing with your perceptions of a character; like those B&W silhouette pics, where it's a face or a vase, and once you know the trick, you can switch between them.

I love stories like that so much--both writing and reading, it makes for such an interesting re-read sometimes (and a challenge to write!)

Also, it sounds to me that what Kal's been told about sex as a young Kryptonian is as much propoganda as fact, so I'm looking forward to/dreading the angst when/if Kal works that out. ::bites nails::In this case, I'm assuming most of it was true--that people with a sexual impulse were shunned and punished probably indicates that indeed it was fairly rare. I'm guessing tens of thousands of years ago it was more of a lie, but as the society adapted and people with less sexual impulse were rewarded (and systems were put in place where "reasonable" non-sexual people were granted permission to reproduce more)...it honestly mostly died out. I don't know, it seems hard to imagine a society where sex isn't as

[mishagirl]

OMG YAY!!! SOOO AWESOME! I love the sexy image of bruce resisting bathrobed Clark and Clarks reveal!

Also, Eryoll Flynn in Robin Hood is one of my fav movies!

[mithen]

I never saw Flynn in Robin Hood until I was an adult, and I was totally blown away by him! I was like, "Oh, THIS is what Cary Elwes was doing in Princess Bride!" :)

Kal was absolutely determined to get Bruce's attention! I'm glad you enjoyed the results!

[bradygirl_12]

Yay! Dick always makes things better! ;)

Good catch by Kal about Dick's Robin name. And that is one of my fave movies evah!

Oh, poor Bruce, Kal in a bathrobe! Knowing exactly what he was doing, too. ;)

*laughs at the lessons in the Superman pose*

Yikes! Brainiac shrinking Gotham! This is a job for Superman...and Batman!

[mithen]

Good catch by Kal about Dick's Robin name. And that is one of my fave movies evah!

Flynn really gets across what's fun about Dick as Robin--that devil-may-care cheerfulness and defiance of the bad guys that's so endearing.

Oh, poor Bruce, Kal in a bathrobe! Knowing exactly what he was doing, too. ;)

Kal looks innocent! He had no idea! :)

I was so happy to realize I had a good place to write animated Brainiac, whee! And stealing Gotham instead of Metropolis, too! So much fun...

[bradygirl_12]

It's especially appropriate as Dick's Robin character was partly based on Robin Hood, and the Flynn version at that, since the movie came out two years before the Boy Wonder's debut.

I'm thrilled that your Dick Muse is coming to you more often! :)

I did forget to mention that chilling bit where Kal describes the treatment of those who are sexually different on Krypton: locked away and restrained (with rusty restraints!). I do like it when shining Krypton does show its seamier side. Less perfection that way, and they're not as superior to humans as they think.

[mithen]

It's especially appropriate as Dick's Robin character was partly based on Robin Hood, and the Flynn version at that, since the movie came out two years before the Boy Wonder's debut.

I did not know the dates lined up so well! Now I'm even happier I thought of putting that in. :) I really wanted to use some Zorro, because I've been watching the Fairbanks and Powers takes on him and it's so perfectly Batman (heck, the Fairbanks Zorro has a secret door in a grandfather clock!), but unfortunately that's one line of movies that are a little too fraught to watch...

I do like it when shining Krypton does show its seamier side. Less perfection that way, and they're not as superior to humans as they think.

All things considered, I like Krypton to be slightly better than us in most ways, but every society has its downsides and its people who don't fit in, no matter how perfect it is. Kal is just one of the very rare unlikely ones in this case, but that's always enough to add a little bit of an edge to a society...

[ilovetobefree]

Part I:

He told me saving people was more important than worrying about theatrics and play-acting."
"Well, he's got a point," Dick said.
*grin*

"Theatrics and play-acting are part of being a superhero," Bruce growled. "Not the most important part, but you can't just ignore how you come across to people."
Hmmmm, I quite like Clark’s POV of the “superhero issue”. But I think Bruce has a good reason for his claim too.

"Maybe you can if you can fly and shoot lasers out of your eyes."
Niiiiice! :D

"A very good-looking astronomy reporter," said Dick blandly.
Mmmmmm, I absolutely agree with the “very good-looking” part! :)

He scowled up at the weight. "Do you think he wants to date her? She'd be all wrong for him, even without the cultural and biological differences."
OMG! Bruce, you must be totally blind!

"No, it's none of my business." He reached over and grabbed a towel as Bruce rested the barbell in its cradle, tossing it to land across Bruce's abdomen. "But I'm pretty sure he's not interested in Roni," he added with a smile.

[mithen]

Hmmmm, I quite like Clark’s POV of the “superhero issue”. But I think Bruce has a good reason for his claim too.

I always kind of like the idea that grim and gritty Batman thinks so much about his persona and how to have a psychological effect as much as a physical effect, while Superman...mostly has those effects very naturally.

OMG! Bruce, you must be totally blind!

He is a master of self-delusion, although Dick is just laughing the whole night, I think!

Oh Kal! (Though I’m not surprised that it bothers him. It’s so much like him.) *pets him*

It was hard to get just the right amount of "failure" there. I knew no one could die or Kal could never bear it...

WOW for all those titles. I admit, I didn’t see most of them (at least not with Flynn, Howard or Fairbanks). But I’m glad you put there Robin Hood and The Three Musketeers - those were my favorite books and movies when I was a child. :)A lot of the oldest ones are on Youtube, to my happy surprise! I wrote a lot of this chapter while they played in a window next to the

[ilovetobefree]

Part II:

With infinite care, he plucked one piece of popcorn from the bowl with his bare fingers and put it in his mouth.
YES! (I was hoping he would do it. :D)

Kal looked at him, his eyes very serious. "I will never forget Krypton. But I will not cling blindly to customs and ways that are not essential...or which are not true to who I am," he added.
Perfect!

He took another piece of popcorn from the bowl and, his gaze still on Bruce, put it in his mouth.
As Bruce watched, unable to look away, the tip of his tongue darted out and touched his thumb, a brief flash of pink.
Oh my... I don’t know if Kal realized what was going through Bruce’s mind while he watched him. (Well, maybe he did. :))

Everything's under control." Was that an edge of laughter to Dick's voice? "Go back upstairs and watch your movies with Kal."
*grin* Dick was awesome! :)

Impertinent brat.
:DDD

So Bruce could sit there and talk about Douglas Fairbanks like a friend and a colleague, and not like a man head over heels in--well, intense attraction.That was

[mithen]

YES! (I was hoping he would do it. :D)

I knew he had to get to it at some point in the story! :)

Oh my... I don’t know if Kal realized what was going through Bruce’s mind while he watched him. (Well, maybe he did. :))

I know what he was hoping was!

Oh NO! Not now!

Isn't that awful? Superheroes almost never get to just enjoy their first kiss in peace. *sad sigh* Always someone showing up to attack them...

I'm so glad you could read this even while packing, wow! (I know how busy packing and preparing can be!) I hope your trip goes very smoothly and I look forward to seeing you again!