#lois: even though hes serving right now??? :((((

[nat-20s]

"why the hell does Clark give Bruce kryptonite instead of Lois in case he goes bad someday?" Well okay 1. Clark and Bruce simply MUST be weird about each other in perpetuity 2. Bisexuality 3. I don't think Lois wants the responsibility of maybe having to kill Clark 4. Let's all be entirely honest with ourselves. If Clark went supervillain mode Bruce's first thought would be how to incapacitate him. Unfortunately(?) for her, Lois's first thought would be "HOT!"

[agaypanic]

Omg I’m obsessed w ur writing! I’m back on my Francis brainrot lol

Could u do a Francis Wilkerson x reader smut where she’s the baby sitter who he’s secretly dating and they let her stay for dinner and then after they have sex?

Keep Your Voice Down (Francis Wilkerson X Reader Smut)

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Summary: You’re the Wilkerson’s go-to babysitter, able to handle any of the chaos the boys throw at you. But you’re Francis’ favorite for other reasons.

A/N: i <3 Francis brainrot. Warning for unprotected sex, wrap it before you tap it. AU where Piama doesn’t exist. As usual, bc it’s smut i’d love some feedback, no matter how much of it i write it doesn’t get easier lol

CW: p in v intercourse, slight praise kink, begging, thigh riding, dirty talk, unprotected sex (WRAP IT BEFORE YOU TAP IT), semi rough sex

***

You had been the Wilkerson’s favorite, and sometimes only, babysitter since you were 15. It had happened by complete accident. You had become friends with Francis before he got shipped off to military school. He had invited you over one day, and in a rush to get to work, Lois put you and Francis in charge of looking after his brothers. When she and Hal got home that night, you were serving dinner to the boys and somehow convinced them to take baths afterward and go to bed at a reasonable time.

The rest was history.

When Francis got sent away, you started babysitting more to help the Wilkersons out. They usually couldn’t pay you much, but you didn’t care because you got to hang out with boys that were basically gremlins, got free dinner, and when staying overnight, you’d always call Francis.

But the best days were when he was home for a weekend or holiday. It was hard because he was always away, but your friendship developed into a relationship when he came home for spring break one year. It was a little surprising that you’ve been together for so long since you rarely got to see each other, but you made it work. It was significantly easier when he got a job at the Grotto because a lot of his good pay went towards visiting his family, and secretly you. Secretly, because his family didn’t know you were dating.

“Mom, I like Y/n and all. But I don’t understand why we still need a babysitter.” Reese followed his mother around the house while she prepared for dinner.

“You do know I can hear you, right?” You laughed as you sat at the kitchen table he stood beside. 

“No offense, but I’m sixteen. Having a babysitter is ruining my rep.”

“Reese, when you show enough responsibility to prove to me that you don’t need a babysitter, Y/n will stop being your babysitter.” Lois groaned, clearly done with this conversation.

“Mom, if we did that, Y/n would be my babysitter until I die.” You laughed at his seriousness. 

“What’s so funny?” You leaped out of your seat from the voice. Francis stood on the step bordering the kitchen, grinning at the three of you.

“Francis!” You squealed, running around the table to launch yourself into his arms. Working at the ranch must have been a real workout for him because he caught you with ease, not stumbling an inch from your force. “What are you doing here?”

“Otto gave me the week off, said I deserved it for all the work I’ve been doing. So I decided to come up to visit.” He pecked your cheek before setting you down, which seemed to be in a friendly manner. But you knew better. You stepped away so the rest of his family could say hello to him, even though you wished you could have him all to yourself right now.

“Are you on the clock?” He asked when everyone gave him space. You shook your head.

“Not really. Your mom’s here, but I’m keeping an eye on the boys every now and then. I’m staying for dinner, though.” Francis nodded as he listened, and then smirked. He leaned in to whisper in your ear, a hand on your hip.

“Maybe after dinner, we can have some dessert?” You felt your cheeks heat up. Although he whispered so no one else could hear, his tone was bold and seductive. You cleared your throat, trying to regain composure.

“I think I’ll need some convincing.” You responded before walking away, out of his hold, to help Lois with dinner.

You didn’t need any convincing. With how long it’s been since the last time you saw Francis, it took everything in you not to drag him to the bathroom for some quick relief. But you knew that if you held out on him long enough, the end result would be amazingly worth it.

He made sure to sit next to you during dinner. He did nothing at first, putting food on your plate like a good friend would. Casually making conversation with everyone while you ate. Part of you thought he forgot about your little exchange. 

But then, in the middle of dinner, he put his hand on your thigh. It was so surprising you almost choked on your water. Thank God there was a tablecloth to cover his actions. Above the table, he wasn’t even paying attention to you, too engrossed in a conversation with his father about something ranch related. You would’ve been hanging onto every word. You loved listening to Francis talk passionately about anything. But below the table, his hand was reaching the apex of your thigh, gripping it deliciously hard.

“Are you okay, Y/n?” Dewey asked from his place across from you. You cleared your throat, a hand discreetly moving to Francis’.

“Yeah, Dew-Dew. My drink went down the wrong tube.” You grabbed Francis’ wrist, and before you could pry it off you, even though you wanted to do the complete opposite, he brushed his finger against your clothed core. He smirked, drawing his hand away while you took a deep inhale. “Now, keep telling me about that piano competition.”

You insisted to Lois that you help her with the dishes after everyone had finished eating. Surprising to her, Francis offered to help you, saying he wanted to catch up more with you. You talked about everything and nothing, washing and drying slowly to prolong your conversations. 

As everyone started trailing to their beds, you bid them all good night. You made sure to smother Jamie in kisses before he was taken off. Being a baby, he barely gave you trouble and was, therefore, your favorite Wilkerson to babysit.

You waited for the click of Malcolm closing the door to the boys’ bedroom. When you heard it, you finished the last dish and handed it to Francis. 

“I can’t believe you did that.” You dried your hands off and looked at him. He had a stupid smirk on his handsome face.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He dried the plate and set it down before turning to you, leaning against the counter with crossed arms. Francis stared you up and down, lip caught between his teeth.

“Oh, please.” You laughed, moving to the living room. He followed behind you. “You knew what you were doing.”

“Just missed you, that’s all.” His hands were on your waist, turning you around to face him in his hold. He leaned in closely, nose bumping yours. A hand slid down to squeeze your ass. “Is that such a crime?”

Francis’ words always had such an effect on you. You’d be flustered one minute, not knowing what to do with yourself. The next, it was like you had become feral, grasping and clawing for any piece of him. He kissed you with such vigor that your knees went weak. Francis led you backward, not stopping until you were pinned between him and the wall. He nipped at your lip and your breath hitched, the pain feeling so good.

“Francis, your whole family’s here.” You whispered while your boyfriend trailed kisses down your neck.

“Then I guess you’ll have to be quiet, won’t you?” He asked, pulling back to look you in the eye. You could barely meet his gaze, eyelids heavy with lust. A hand set against your jaw, tilting your head up to look at him. “You can do that for me, right baby?” You nodded, but he clicked his tongue. “Words, Y/n.”

“I’ll be quiet.” You whispered. Francis grinned.

“Good girl.” He kissed you again, the hand on your jaw creeping to the back of your neck. Francis’ words of praise made you wetter than his actions. You squeezed your thighs together, searching for some kind of relief. You couldn’t take the waiting anymore. “Need some help, baby?”

“Please, Francis.” You whined. He made quick work of unbuttoning your pants, yanking them down to pool around your ankles so you could step out of them. He dragged his hands up your bare thighs, leaving goosebumps in their wake. You kept begging and pleading, making sure your voice was low.

And then he brushed his fingers right against your most sensitive spot. You clamped a hand against your mouth to muffle the moan that escaped you.

“Don’t worry, baby. I’ll take care of you.” Despite all the time apart, he found your clit easily, playing with it like a button, begging to be pushed. He pushed his knee forward to separate your legs, bringing you down to grind on his thigh. You gasped, rutting your hips against him with Francis’ help. He pulled you back and forth, continuously teasing your clit.

“God, Francis, please.”

“What do you want?” He locked eyes with you again, refusing to let you get shy with him. “Come on, baby, what do you need? Just say it, and I’ll give it to you.”

“Your…” A particularly rough thrust against Francis cut you off. He smirked down at you.

“How can I give you what you want if you don’t tell me?” Francis knew exactly what you wanted. He just liked to be an asshole. Probably payback for you not giving in to him earlier. 

“Your cock.” You whimpered. “Need your cock, Francis.” He grinned.

“See, was that so hard?” He asked condescendingly. Before you could roll your eyes at the tone, Francis grabbed the back of your thighs and lifted you up. You wrapped your limbs around him tightly to not fall and to keep him close to you. Keeping you up against the wall with one hand, Francis used his other to unbuckle his belt, tugging his pants down just enough to pull himself out of his boxers. He was hard against your thigh, so close to where you needed him most. 

Francis pulled your panties to the side, showing off your pussy to him. He almost groaned at the sight, a sight he missed so much. He grabbed hold of himself, rubbing himself up and down, too agonizingly slow for your liking.

“Francis. Need you so bad.” You ground your hips down, and he got the message. After rubbing his tip through your folds a few times to gather your wetness, he buried his cock in you. You dug your nails into his back at the sensation. He filled you to the brim; the pain of him stretching you felt so good.

Francis didn’t take any mercy on you. He immediately started fucking into you, your head falling onto his shoulder as he turned your bones to jelly. You began to moan at the feeling, but he brought a hand to your mouth to stop you.

“Gotta be a good girl for me.” He panted. “Gotta be quiet. Fuck.” It took everything in you to follow his commands. Francis pistoned in and out of you hard; you don’t know how you contained yourself. “Jesus, you feel so good, Y/n.”

“Fuck, Francis.” You whined against his hand, throwing your head back against the wall while arching your back. He took his hand away to rub your clit, continuing to pound in and out of you.

Francis could tell you were getting close. You were practically squeezing the life out of him, clawing at his back and shoulders, gnawing at your lip to keep quiet because you wanted to be good for him.

“You wanna come, baby? I bet you do.” He teased.

“Please, lemme come, Francis.” You begged, gasping as all his attention on you brought you closer to the edge. “Please, I need to come so bad.”

“Okay, okay.” He shushed you, furthering his assault on your clit while leaning forward to suck at your neck. “You wanna come? Come. Do it.” His words pushed you over harshly. He had to keep you against the wall with his body, the hand previously holding you up now silencing you while the other helped you ride out your high. His thrusts started to become sloppy. “Oh, fuck.” 

Francis reached his peak as well, coating your insides. His thrusts slowed to a stop as you both caught your breath. You gained enough energy to grab his face, bringing him to your lips.

“I missed you.” You whispered after a deep breath. Francis grinned, kissing you again.

“I missed you too, honey.”

[suzukiblu]

Ko-fi thank-you sentences for two anon supporters, the wet nurse omegaverse.

“You can, uh–you can give Lor a turn,” Jon says, seeming to have remembered he can fly enough to be embarrassed by agreeing so eagerly to the game, or maybe just to have remembered that Damian is in the room and incredibly dubious about all of this. 

“Hmmm, you sure?” Carl hums, then tosses Jon up a good couple of feet in the air before catching him. Jon yelps in surprise and then ducks his head with a giggle; Bruce is just grateful that the kid’s got enough control of his flight to have actually made that look convincing, though he definitely let Carl throw him a little too high. Still, it was well-done. “Alright, alright . . .” 

Carl lets Jon down and picks Lor up again, and Lor squeals excitedly in definitely-Kryptonian pitches that make every single human in the room wince, even Bruce himself. He usually has better self-control than that, but it really is a piercing sound. Just about any human would wince at the sound of it. 

Well, just about any human but Carl, apparently, who just looks even more besotted. Speaking of nursing hormones being a hell of a drug . . .

“God you’re cute,” Carl sighs appreciatively, then lifts Lor into another swoop. Lor squeals again in obvious delight. Which–of course he does. From his perspective, someone’s finally properly nursed him and now that someone is playing with him while putting off unrestrained adoration in their scent, and he’s likely never gotten all of those things from the same person. Between Clark’s milk issues and the parents he was born to . . . no, he definitely hasn’t, Bruce is sure. 

“Got a moment, Timmy?” Bruce asks, glancing to Tim, who startles slightly at being addressed and refocuses on him. He was watching Carl and Lor oddly intently, and his face is still red. They’re definitely going to have to make sure he’s not running a fever. Maybe he should keep him off patrol tonight either way just in case, as a preventative measure. It wouldn’t hurt to have someone upstairs keeping an eye on things anyway, with Carl new to the house and all. Not that the Lane-Kents won’t be here, obviously, but Lois is less combat-trained than Tim, Jon can’t be expected to handle anything dangerous or delicate that might come up, and Clark obviously can’t be guaranteed to be available with the world being as it is. Chances of him having a landslide or earthquake or alien invasion to handle in the middle of the night are definitely more than zero. 

“Um, yeah, sure,” Tim says, clearing his throat awkwardly. Bruce chalks up another potential symptom of him coming down with something. “What do you need?” 

“Can you do us a favor, get us a set of sheets and towels and the like out of the linen closet for Carl here?” Bruce asks. Obviously Alfred would usually handle that for a guest, but it’s a bit less . . . mannerly, with a stray omega. Alfred’s scent would obviously transfer to the linens, even if just slightly, and that might make Carl uncomfortable on some level, even if only subconsciously. First night in a new territory and all that, and really, sleeping in a bed that smells like a strange beta would throw most omegas off either way. An unpresented pup’s scent would be much less affecting than a mature adult's, though, even if Carl isn’t much for pups. 

Though Tim, for some reason, looks actually mulish at the suggestion. 

“Can’t Damian do it?” he asks, folding his arms with a sullen little glower. 

“I am not going to serve an unnecessary servant,” Damian snaps witheringly, folding his own too. Bruce resists the urge to sigh. 

“I can do it!” Jon volunteers eagerly, bouncing up on his toes and throwing a hand in the air. “Um–if somebody can tell me where the linen closet is, I mean . . .” 

“Which linen closet?” Damian asks dryly. “There are seven.” 

“The servants’ quarters closet will do,” Bruce says. It’ll have the right size sheets, for one. “Damian, if you could show Jon where it is . . . ?” 

Jon’s a better option than either Tim or Damian, really, given how well he and Carl have already taken to each other; Bruce just didn’t want to actually suggest him as one. First of all, Jon’s not one of his pups, and his mother and pack’s head omega is in the room and therefore obviously the one who’s currently in charge of him. 

And second of all, he didn’t know how it’d make Clark feel, giving Carl sheets that smell like one of his pups to sleep in. What with everything else, Bruce means.

But if Jon’s volunteering, well . . .

[miimo96]

Thoughts on My Adventures with Superman S2 episode 4

Alright 2 things, 1 I love how General lane Not only set up an entire bunker like fortress in Clark and Jimmy's apartment, but also made them Use a Code word in order for them to Even get in, 2 I Reallly love Clark's reaction to Jimmy's achievement, it really shows how much he cares about his friend and is really happy for him 😊 Also is it me or has the Animation gotten So much Better this Season, they really stepped their Game up since the Spiderman fiasco, especially when it comes to the lighting and faces, I mean just look at Clark's smile here >_<

Bruh I'm calling it right now, by the end of this Season Jimmy is going to lose ALL of his Money, that Money meter keeps going down each episode, if that isn't foreshadowing Idk what is ^^;

Once again I'm really loving the relationship between these 2, the fact that Jimmy wants Clark to come not because he's an Alien but because he's his best friend is really sweet, and it really shows just how much the writers Really know about Superman and his world and want to make it to the best version, also the fact that Clark is LITERALLY deciding which outfit seems more "Hype man" is Really funny to me, especially Jimmy's comeback line after this

Judging how Waller is clearly making another Task force X I wanna say this Blockbuster, but I'm not entirely sure, so far this guy's only appeared in like a few episodes this season, So if they kill him off I Wont entirely be mad, because he serves No purpose other than filling out the Villain slots, and the reason why I'm saying this might be Blockbuster is because I can't recall another Villain with super strength and Built like this in the suicide Squad other than blockbuster, who coincidently died IMMEDIATELY in a Suicide Squad comic run

Even though the episode is clearly about lois and father, it's Super obvious that it was actually focused on the relationship between Clark and Jimmy, and how they feel about 1 another, this scene with Clark telling Jimmy about how he's made him feel was really beautiful and Ngl, I kinda teared up at this point, the relationship between the 2 is some of the best I've seen in a Long time since the animated series back on WB Kids, they really put a lot of effort into fleshing out each character and making us Fall in love with them even more ^w^

The whole Superman Debate Scene was great, I really loved how Lex and Jimmy are basically two polar opposites, 1 supporting superman and his pureness and the other being Superman's biggest Hater, with both literally being incredibly rich rn, and it's kinda funny, while Jimmy is losing money, Lex is Gaining money, gaining everyhing that we know him for; Lex brought up a lot of good points regarding Superman and how "Dangerous" he is, Stuff that I think will Return in Season 3 with people Gunning for Superman or trying to Eliminate him, maybe we might actually see Batman Show up Next season 😏

I find it So CONVENIENT that general lane's Rendezvous point Just so happens to be near the STAR Labs EXPO, almost like if this was planned for this to happen here, So that when Superman shows up he could be made out as the Bad guy *looks intently at Lex*

As Sad as this scene is you're really telling me He DIDN'T HEAR THAT!? I mean the dude has SUPER HEARING for a reason, you're REALLY telling me he Didn't hear that? Ok whatever Sure, I guess super hearing Only works when the Writers Need it huh, even though they made a WHOLE episode about that Last season 😒

🥺🥺🥺 I don't have any words for this scene other than Seeing Clark like this really hurts my soul, seeing him come to the Realization that he's Never gonna truly fit in and that He NEEDS Someone like him to Really understand him just shows how much Clark has repressed these feelings by trying to be Something he's not, which is human, Now he's Finally starting to accept his Alien/Kryptonian half, with the 1st step being to find someone Truly like him

ZOD IS HERE OMG ZOD IS HERE!!

Also I Officially dub these Days "Superman Saturday's" ^^ 🦸‍♂️

[jon-mcbrine-author]

Revealing the histories of fiction’s greatest villains, one evil scheme at a time.

Welcome to every dark alley, evil lair, and ominous crypt - this is Villains Unveiled, a nonfiction history series about fiction's greatest villains. Learn their dark secrets and uncover the real life inspirations behind these bad guys and wicked women.

Explore more stories at jonmcbrine.com - follow the social links to connect on Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok.

From Captain Hook to Hannibal Lecter, devious villains capture our imaginations - and invade our nightmares. Explore the origins of the fictional scoundrels you only think you know in this episodic history series. Discover the truth about the notorious crimes, the dark legacies, and the real life inspirations based on these fiendish foes - and find out who is the baddest of them all. Just keep telling yourself it’s all make believe… Isn’t it?

The Villain of the Story: Lex Luthor

(Spoilers ahead. Don’t be evil and give anything away for people who may not know - though it’s been nearly a century since this particular supervillain came onto the scene, but still.)

Imagine being a genius - a super genius, the smartest person in any room. Envision yourself as exceedingly wealthy, not to mention a famous industrialist and CEO of your own company. Baldness being the least of your problems, with these skills and resources, you could accomplish anything. Now make believe you have all these extraordinary gifts, pushing the limit of what a mortal man can do, but despite it all, one thing - one man - prevents you from reaching your full potential. Lex Luthor’s obsession with a certain alien has, in numerous versions of his fictional existence, kept him from everything he’s ever wanted. And what does Alexander Joseph “Lex” Luthor desire? Simply put, to be the best. To be super.

That, and world domination, of course.

Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Lex originally debuted in Action Comics #23 in 1940 (as the issue’s cover states). In the several decades he has appeared in the multiverse of DC Comics, the printed version of Lex has undergone many styles and changes: a mad scientist tinkering away in a lab (with or without fiery red hair), a suave and cunning businessman, and an over the top bad guy in a robotic suit of armor. Different continuities present Lex in various forms of villainy, whether he is building giant weapons that fire green (pre-Kryptonite) lasers, or more modern ploys that manipulate the politosphere. Most canonical interpretations share the fact that Lex is the archnemesis of the Man of Steel. His early crimes served as more pulp-driven allegorical atrocities that echoed subconscious fears of nuclear warfare.

In April 1940, the fateful issue of Action Comics hit the newsstands, altering our timeline forever. A red-haired Luthor (no first name quite yet) was introduced as a diabolical madman residing in a floating dirigible above Metropolis. Dirigibles were pretty popular back in the day. A strategist from the get-go, Luthor plots to instigate a war between two European nations. Luthor took big swings right out of the gate. The intrepid reporter Lois Lane gets - what else? - kidnapped by some of the L-Man’s thugs. Interestingly, the ginger, fully-haired Luthor employed a few bald goons. Superman, of course, intervenes, and in violent fashion. The O.G. Supes was kind of a psychopath, threatening to dash the brains of a lowly henchman all over a cave wall - and that’s only when the Last Son of Krypton wasn’t waging war on the automobile industry. Luthor’s battle-baiting had the ulterior motive of weakening a continent so he could assume control with his (cult-like) army.

The origins of the Man of Tomorrow’s greatest enemy can be traced even further back to a time when Lex Luthor wasn’t even Lex Luthor yet. 1933’s Reign of the Super-Man, also created by Siegel and Shuster, showcased a chemist named Ernest Smalley who performs an experiment on a vagrant - a scientific procedure that transforms the derelict into a telepathically powered super-man. This proto-Lex meets his doom at the hands of his own creation. Smalley bore a resemblance to the classic appearance of Lex, setting the stage for many confrontations ahead for Lex and the Big Blue Boy Scout. While not officially referred to as Luthor or Superman, the artist/writer creative duo behind them kept these archetypes in mind when the first incarnation of Lex was unleashed upon our world.

The genesis of Lex Luthor could possibly also be linked to another mad scientist, the Ultra-Humanite. Comics fans are used to seeing this terrorizing villain in his more famous white gorilla body, but in June 1939, a bald (or balding, depending on the panel) evil genius referring to himself as the Ultra-Humanite made his first appearance in Action Comics #13. Donning a classic white lab coat and bent on dominating the world, this brainy bad guy bears distinct similarities to another bald (most of the time) menace. Since Ultra was also created by Siegel and Shuster, any similarity to Lex could simply be coincidental, but it is possible that the Luthor concept was stomping within their minds, influencing them while he waited to break out and wreak havoc on comic book pages.

Tycoon, terrorist, and a would-be tyrant, Lex has taken on a multitude of roles while making various attempts to thwart Big Blue. He has also been known to attack many others in the pantheon of DC superheroes. Lex hasn’t limited his crimes to just Metropolis - on occasion, he’ll cast his emerald eyes on Gotham City. The conclusion of the Cataclysm/Aftershock story, centering on Batman and other Gothamite crime fighters (and even a certain Blüdhaven defender), led to No Man’s Land: on top of a citywide spread of diseases, a devastating earthquake plunged Gotham into a wasteland that the government declared so unsafe that it was to be cut off from society. The eventual rebuilding of the Dark Knight’s city was launched by LexCorp, to the shock of the citizens. Billionaire Bruce Wayne’s Capitol Hill lobbying had little success but Lex seized the real estate opportunity to construct Camp Lex.

Revisions of Lex have seen him become godlike with immense power, as well as even the President of the United States. Lex is used to being in a position of power as he is often portrayed as the leader of the evildoer supergroup the Legion of Doom (or even the Injustice Gang). Perhaps the most notable aspect of Lex���s notorious nature is his cruelty.

From a backup story in Superman #9, written and drawn by John Byrne and released on May 19, 1987, a disturbing tale exposes a truly diabolical version of Lex. Funnily enough, the issue’s main story focuses on the Caped Crusader’s longtime nemesis, the Joker, but Lex manages to steal the show in this comic book. The infamous Lex Luthor happens to be eating breakfast in an unassuming side of the road diner. Lex chats up his waitress, Jenny, and boasts of his financial power - and mentions his eight ex-wives - and requests that she spend a month with him in Metropolis. Despite being offered a million dollars for her time, Jenny refuses Lex’s offer. Lex waits in his limo while allowing the server to contemplate the potentially life-changing choice. In a span of minutes, Jenny is tormented with the decision to abandon her husband and her small town - the only town

she’s ever known. Before Jenny can tell Lex what she’s decided, the bald billionaire is gone. Lex and his driver laugh about the fact that he had toyed with the emotions of yet another rural yokel. No costumed champion was ever mentioned - this was Lex screwing with people just to satisfy his own devious thrills.

Animation has presented Lex as just as dangerous as his 2-D counterpart. Many voice performers have played Lex to friendish perfection, including such greats as Clancy Brown, Zachary Quinto, Diedrich Bader, Rainn Wilson, Giancarlo Esposito, Darin De Paul, Marc Maron, Charles Halford, James Woods, John DiMaggio, James Marsters, Jason Isaacs, and so, so many others. If you are lucky enough to find them, the Graphic Audio company released full cast audio productions of popular and original stories taking place within the DC Universe, where, of course, Lex Luthor was featured.

Live action adaptations of Mr. Luthor have become something similar to a Shakespearean role. Fans have debated who has given the ultimate performance, but each actor has brought a unique twist to the maniacal myth of Lex Luthor: Gene Hackman, Michael Rosenbaum, Kevin Spacey, Jon Cryer, Michael Cudlitz, Sherman Howard, Jesse Eisenberg, Lyle Talbot, Scott James Wells, John Shea, Titus Welliver, and there’s no sign of stopping there. Nicholas Hoult is slated to play the villain in the forthcoming Superman Legacy film directed by James Gunn. There is no doubt that the role of Lex Luthor will be acted out by different performers for years to come as his character has attracted legions of fans all over the world.

Real life has seen its share of supervillains, from dictators to mass murderers and every insidious criminal in between. One of the more Luthor-esque IRL bad guys is Wisconsin-born Joseph Konopka, or as he dubbed himself, Dr. Ch@os. Typically referred to as simply “Dr. Chaos” in the media, Konopka was a computer genius who even rounded up fellow all-too-real villains and henchmen to form what he called the Realm of Ch@os. Konopka’s intellect and technical knowledge spawned nasty schemes such as power failures, disrupting television and radio broadcasts, and even meddled with air traffic control programming. The so-called Dr. Chaos also added arson and vandalism to his litany of crimes. By the time of his arrest in 2002, he had been hoarding cyanide in subterranean tunnels underneath Chicago. An intelligent hacker, Konopka had managed to form an evil gang, threaten the lives of dozens of citizens, and even dwelled underground to enact dastardly deeds. A real life supervillain who thankfully served time behind bars.

In a lot of stories, some considered to be at least canonical at the time or in a fantastical offshoot timeline, Lex has been a childhood friend of Clark Kent. Of course, in some cases, they never met until Clark had already donned the S-shield. Regardless of how they meet, the pairing of the Superman and the “everyman” has represented a balance of not only good and evil, but nature in a never-ending battle against nurture. In the Smallville television series, Lex is often shown to be curious about Clark and even suspicious. Toward the beginning of the saga of young Kal-El, Lex, who wasn’t that much older, would make genuine efforts to prove that his friendship was the real deal. Jonathan Kent, like in other versions, was highly reluctant to accept anything from anyone with the last name of Luthor due the wealthy family’s cutthroat reputation. Lex’s father Lionel pushed Lex to extremes that escalated from corporate sabotage to physical confrontations. Michael Rosenbaum’s performance added a twinge of sympathy to the lonely rich man, lurking in his castle that looked over the simple farm folk of Smallville. Outlandish as the teen drama could get, the story of Lex is ultimately a tragic tale of a man that could’ve been good in a different world.

As is the case with Lex in the majority of Earths we’ve seen him in, it is his fate to be forever evil.

Villain Ranking: MASTERMIND

Lex Luthor has routinely displayed how his lust for control can lead him to commit unspeakable acts and even sacrifice his humanity. Though a brilliant tactician, Lex would score higher on the Villain Ranking if it weren’t for the fact that deep down, underneath all the scheming, there is a man - a human man that can, potentially, be reasoned with. Ever the businessman, if Lex is presented with a deal or an offer even he can’t refuse, then it is likely he’d put away his Kryptonite ring… Until the next opportunity to stop Superman arises, that is.

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[dapperdragon-ao3]

Fletching calmed her. Repetitive, consuming, calming. The feel of the feathers beneath her fingers, the shafts of ridgebark.

“We did it,” said Travis, breaking her out of her rhythm. The sunset had settled firmly behind the cliff, but a corner of the sky still glowed with meager light. 

He was sitting up on the bedroll, cross-legged, staring out at the meadow. 

“Yeah,” Aloy answered with a sigh. “You did it.”

They both sat on the cliff side of the campfire, so their view of the meadow would die with the last of the sunlight, but they had a perfect view of one another. He seemed healthy enough, though he cradled his left hand in his right; Aloy wondered if the data chip had permanently injured that hand. Served him right for hiding it there. 

Staring at the meadow, he said slowly, in his unusual accent, “Let me run a couple of scenarios by you to see if one of them clicks. I figure, either Mother Earth did one real quick about-face and you decided to grow out your hair in celebration of such an unforeseen miracle—or—I’ve been asleep for far longer than that cryopod was rated to carry me, and you…” finally, he looked at Aloy. “You are not Elisabet Sobeck.”

“It’s the second one,” she answered, with an awkward huff of a laugh. “My name’s Aloy.”

“A-loy,” he repeated, slowly, as if testing out the word on his tongue. She wasn’t sure she liked that.

“Aloy,” she repeated with a nod. Her hands kept moving, crafting arrows by their own memory. “There’s a long story there that should probably wait until morning. But—is it safe for you to sleep right now? You just woke up from cryostasis.”

He didn’t respond to her, staring out at the meadow.

Finally, he said, “You know, Aloy… I never used to be a tree-hugger type. Never had a green thumb, or went hiking, or even took a holo-trip to a forest. But right now, when I look over there,” he gestured to the meadow, “all I want to do is rub it on my face. Roll around in it like a cat on catnip. Look at it. Wild-seeded, wild-grown, true-to-the-Gods-of-the-Earth real grass.”

“Go ahead,” said Aloy. “We’re pretty safe here, and there’s plenty of grass to go around.”

He did, actually, stand up, bracing himself against the cliff rock; he stumbled a little and walked like he was in pain, but he made it to the nearest patch of grass and half-fell into a seat in the midst of it, shrouded to the shoulder by green blades and flowering plants; and he did, actually, gather a clump of it between both hands and press his face into it, breathing deeply. 

Aloy wondered if she’d do the same thing, if she’d been locked in a metal room underground for who-knows-how-long, watching the world get eaten to shreds by swarms of self-replicating Faro robots. It was almost too difficult to imagine. She’d grown up in the wilds, her whole life surrounded by and making use of plants, animals, and machines. She thought Old Ones hadn’t even been raised among greenery to that extent—so, maybe in his situation, she would actually be dealing worse. 

She left him to it, continuing her fletching.

[greenjacketwhitehatdocmui]

Jon Kent Week: Found Family

This is a little something I pounded out for #jonkentweek, prompt: Siblings. This is based on the idea that Teen Jon traveled the multiverse, not just Earth 3, and learned to be stronger. This takes place in an alternate universe and is not Tom Taylor's Jon Kent.

--Doc

      Jonathan Samuel Kent pouted in the way that only 11-year-old boys could.  His nostrils flared with irritation, which only served to remind him that dinner was waiting.  At the stove, his father was making the last few touches on the stew while his mother tapped away at a story.

      “Mom, he’s late,” Jon whined.  “I’m gonna call him.”  He reached for the heavily modified phone at the center of the table.

      Lois raised an eyebrow as she glanced meaningfully at him.  Jon retreated from the phone.

      “He’s not late,” she corrected him, noting the time.  “He still has ten minutes.”

      “He’ll be home, Jon-o,” Clark promised.  “If not, I’ll have a word with your brother’s boss.”

      Jon grunted, defeated by logic.  He glared at the fourth, empty seat at the table.  Maybe he could somehow wish his brother to appear right now.

      It was such an odd concept, having a brother.  For most of his life, he’d been an only child.  Then again, for most of his life, he hadn’t been aware that his father was Superman, nor did he have powers.

      And then, there had been that little “roadtrip” with Grandpa Jor-El.  It was supposed to have been a 2 week-long affair.

      Looking back, even Kelex couldn’t figure out what had been in that black hole.  One moment, he’d been skimming the surface just before the event horizon.  The next, he’d been flung lightyears away, nearly colliding with Space Cabbie.  He also felt like he’d been torn in half.

      Low on power, he basically begged the cabbie to bring him home.  He figured that he could at least get to the Fortress and send out a signal to say he was OK.

      It had taken a week to get back to Earth, Space Cabbie grumbling the whole time.  His onboard AI navigator kept the peace, but everyone was glad when they arrived.

      The happy moment lasted until Jor-El’s ship appeared before them.  A very contrite, sorrowful grandfather requested that Jon come aboard.

-----

      “Jon, something happened while you were away,” Lois said.  She looked like she was on the verge of tears.

      “Is everything okay?” Jon asked.  His parents were here, as well as his grandfather.   Everyone looked unhurt.

      Jor-El waved some kind of scanner up and down Jon.  He frowned at the results.

      “There was some unknown element in the black hole,” Jor-El began.  “From what I can tell, it split you in two.”

      Jon blinked.  “Okay, I’ve had that happen before.  Where’s the other me?”

      “Right here,” came an unfamiliar voice.

      Jon’s jaw dropped.  Before him was…him.  Well, he was an older version of Jon, though not the paunchy, middle-aged version he’d encountered before.  This Jon was lean and maybe seventeen years old.

      “Hey,” Teen Jon greeted him nervously.  “Look, you’re probably thinking that I’m some kind of fake, a clone, a dimensional counterpart or a time traveler.”

      “Yeah…” Jon agreed uneasily.  “You’re not?”

      Teen Jon shook his head.  “Grandpa scanned me down to the subatomic level.  We’re—we’re both Jon Kent.  I just spent the last six years bouncing around dimensions, learning from every Superman there.  For everyone else, it’s been about a week.”

      Jon looked lost.  His heart thudded against his chest as he looked at his mother, then his father.

      “Mom?  Dad?”  Jon’s voice was raspy.  “Am I—am I the fake?”

      Lois shook her head as she knelt down and hugged him.  “No,” she whispered.  “You’re both mine.  Both of you.”

      Teen Jon and his father knelt down as well.  There were whispers and mumblings that he didn’t remember, but he felt…safe.

-----

      It hadn’t been easy adjusting to the new family status.  There had been friction and squabbles, but nothing apocalyptic.  Young Jon would keep going to Reeves-West while Teen Jon opted to transfer to Metropolis University.

      More than a few favors had been called in to create “Finn Connors,” Teen Jon’s new identity.  Thanks to glasses with a holographic projector, “Finn” wouldn’t need anything like a wig.

      Of course, there was the matter of Teen Jon’s part-time job.  He hadn’t mentioned it at the time, but the guiding force for his dimensional travels had come from the guardian of Hypertime himself—Hyperman, aka another Jon Kent.  Hyperman had offered Teen Jon the opportunity to become a dimensional troubleshooter—with the caveat that it was a dire emergency, and that weekends were off-limits.

      Teen Jon had agreed.  The arrangement had been working out well, so far.

      He had to admit, it was kind of…nice having a brother figure.  Every once in a while, they’d go on patrol and take a break on a rooftop.

-----

      The patrol had been fairly uneventful.  There were a few robberies, a mugging or two, but it had been a fairly slow night in the city.

      They sat on a rooftop overlooking Hob’s Bay.  Teen Jon had bought ice cream cones for both of them.  They ate in relative silence.

      “What’s bugging you?” Teen Jon asked.

      Young Jon didn’t look him in the eye.  Teen Jon knew that tactic very well.

      “I missed this, you know,” Teen Jon said.  He gestured expansively to the city.  “I missed Hamilton, too.  Other worlds…it’s just not the same.”

      “But you got stronger, right?” Young Jon asked.  He still didn’t look his brother in the eye.

      “I learned a lot,” Teen Jon acknowledged.  “There wasn’t any version of Dad that wasn’t willing to help me out.”

      There was another bit of silence.  After a few minutes, they finished their cones.

      “Do you think I’ll be as strong as you?” Young Jon asked.  His voice was shaky and tentative.

      Teen Jon shook his head.  “Nope.”

      Young Jon glared at him.  “Really?”

      Teen Jon smirked.  “Really.  You’ll be stronger than me.”

      Young Jon blinked.  “Wait.  Really?”

      Teen Jon nodded.  “Absolutely.  You won’t have to hop dimensions to learn what I know.  And you’ll have Mom and Dad around, too.”

      “Huh,” Young Jon grunted.  “So…when can I learn that super ventriloquism thing?”

      “I wouldn’t recommend learning before your voice breaks.  It really strains your vocal chords before then.”  Teen Jon glanced in the direction of home.  “Mom’s really tapping away at the keyboard.  We’d better get home while she’s in the zone.”  He paused and winked.  “And we never stopped for ice cream.  Got it?”

      Young Jon managed a smirk.  “What ice cream?”

-----

      “Jon.”  There was no mistaking the warning in his mother’s voice.

      He blinked.  He looked at the slight dent in the table he’d created by tapping his finger impatiently—at super speed.

      Jon chuckled nervously.  “Sorry.”

      Lois sighed.  “Fine, you can call your brother.  I’m sure he’s okay, though.”

      Jon heard the slight skipping of his mother’s heartbeat.  She’d been nervous, too.

      He dialed the first preset in the HyperPhone.  A holographic rendition of Teen Jon’s face appeared.

      “Hey, Big Brother,” Jon greeted Teen Jon.  “When are you coming home?  Dinner’s almost ready.”

      Teen Jon smiled.  “I’ll be there in a little bit.  The Chief had me detour to talk to someone.”

      “`Big Brother?’” came a voice to the side of Teen Jon—the same voice as the dimensional troubleshooter.  “You have a brother?”

      “Um, yeah, it’s a long story,” Teen Jon said.  Then he turned his attention back to the camera pickup.  “I’ll be right there; I just have to say a few things.”

      “It’s beef stew night,” Clark said.  “I made extra.”

      “I’ll be right there,” Teen Jon promised.  Then the holographic display winked off.

      Moments later, Clark and Young Jon heard the faint whine as the dimensional walls were breached.  Teen Jon sped through an open window and changed into jeans and a polo in a blur.  He gave his parents a hug, then ruffled Young Jon’s hair.  This elicited a squawk of protest before they got settled for dinner.

      “Sorry I cut it so close,” Teen Jon said over his second bowl of stew.  “The Chief wanted me to talk to another version of myself who had it rough.  I think he’ll be okay, but he really needs to open up and maybe get some non-super friends.”

      “I’m sure he’ll be fine as long as he talks it out,” Clark said.  “Which reminds me…your therapist called.  He wanted to make sure you were still good for Monday.”

      “I should be,” Teen Jon confirmed.  “I don’t think the universe is going to end on Monday,” he joked.

      “Isn’t your Journalism project due this Monday?” Lois reminded him.  “Jane called and asked ‘Finn’ if he’d done his part.”

      Teen Jon’s eyes widened.  There seemed to be a palpable aura of dread surrounding him.

      “Is that a ‘project isn’t done’ dread or ‘talking to Jane’ kind of dread?” Clark asked.

      Teen Jon squirmed a little.  “Not so much the first, but more of the second,” he admitted.  “We broke up because I saw a lot of red flags.”

      Lois leaned forward.  “I get it.  It’s kind of hard to talk to the ex, but at least you’re trying to get along.”

      Teen Jon rolled his eyes.  “It’s trying all right, Mom.”  Then he diverted his attention to his little brother.  “Learn from my mistakes, little brother.  Exes are not to be trifled with.”

      Young Jon shrugged.  “I dunno about that.  I haven’t had one yet.”

      Teen Jon affected an expression of doom.  “Yet,” he said dramatically.

      The table broke out in laughter.  Thankfully, nobody had snorted stew out of their noses.

      Young Jon just smiled.  It had taken a lot of work on everyone’s part to get to this new status quo.  They lived a crazy life, but moments like this were worth it.  It was good to have a brother.

[multifandomlvr]

Chapter 3

Tomorrow came quicker than Kai would have liked. He wished nighttime would have just lasted even if only for a few seconds.

Kai begrudgingly got out of bed and the zombie walked to the bathroom which was connected to both his and Saya’s room. He wanted so badly to open the other door just too sneak a peek in on her.

But he refrained himself.

Just as he was coming out of the shower when there were three sharp yet soft knocks at his door.

He walked over and opened it.

“Oh, good. You are awake. Finish getting dressed and meet us downstairs in ten minutes. We will have a quick breakfast and then head out.” David said before walking away.

Kai rolled his eyes as David walked away, could not even be bothered to say good morning or anything of the sort.

When he was done getting dressed, he went downstairs.

As he walked down, he noticed everyone was indeed downstairs. It is like five in the morning.

Louis was dishing food out to everyone.

Mao came over and grabbed Kai’s hand and pulled him over to the table.

“Oh Kai, I’m going to miss you so much.” Mao said dramatically and pursed her lips as though she was going to cry.

“Come on Mao. I will be back before you know it.” He said, but smiled, he put his arm around her and pulled her closer.

“You are not eating Saya? That is not like you.” Mao said after everyone had a plate in front of them, laughing as if she said something funny.

“Um, I am just not hungry this early in the morning. I will eat it in a little bit.” Saya said as she put her head on the table.

Haji took his hand and pressed it to Saya’s forehead and then took it away. He did not say anything after that.

No one said anything else either, they just continued eating.

Kai was getting upset. When did Saya not have an appetite for something. How could anyone not be worried about this.

“Alright, Lets head out.” David announced.

“I’ll see you soon, ok?” Saya told Haji. She stood on her tip toes and kissed his cheek. Her face heating up in the process.

Why in the hell was Kai watching this? He quickly turned his head. Although he wished Saya was saying goodbye to him and was waiting for it, she had already turned around and went back upstairs.

He sighed.

“Alright Kai… Please be safe and I will miss you so much.” Mao said with tears in her eyes.

“Oh, come on Mao. I will only be gone for a few days. Then you and I can spend some much-needed time together doing whatever it is you want.” Kai told her.

Mao nodded and Kai walked over to the rest of the group, and they headed out.

Everyone got in the van and David went over what was supposed to be going down once they got to their destination.

But Kai could not help but wonder what was going on with Saya. She was always hungry. Something could be wrong with her, and her stupid chevalier did nothing.

Kai was just worried about Saya because that was his sister, they were family for so long so of course he would be worried.

The mission that they were assigned was just a stake out, someone is trying to bring chiropterans back.

The four of them were just sitting in a van in a dark alley just watching.

They had been sitting for hours.

“Alright, we are going to get out and walk around. Kai, you are going to pair up with Haji and Lois and I will pair up. Meet back here in thirty minutes.” David called out.

The group split up and they started walking.

After about ten minutes of just silence, Kai had to bring up what happened this morning.

“So, what is going on with Saya this morning? It is not like her to not eat anything.” Kai asked, he was met with silence.

So, he tried again.

“Do you think Julia knows what’s going on?” Kai asked. Once again met with silence. Haji just kept walking.

Kai scoffed.

“What is your problem? Are you not concerned about Saya? What man!? You spent more than half of her life with he and you are acting as if everything is ok.” Kai yelled getting fed up with the way Haji was acting right now.

Haji stopped walking and turned towards Kai.

“I have served Saya for longer than your ancestors have been on this planet. Mind your business.” Haji said and walked off back towards the van.

Once they got back to the Van, David and Lois were already there waiting for them.

“Did either of you see anything?” Lois asked.

Haji shook his head no.

“Alright. Let us head back. It will be awhile before we get back to the house.” Lois said.

“Kai, when we get back. Come to my office. We need to have a talk.” David said.

Kai felt as though he could hit something right now.

Just then his phone rang.

“Hello?” David did not say anything.

“Alright, we’ll be there as quick as we can.” David said on the phone before hanging up.

“We need to hurry back. Now.” David said.

[small-screen-superman]

The Missed Potential of Clark Kent in Superman: The Animated Series

This post is also on my independent blog, Small Screen Superman - go there for an even better experience!

Clark Kent is my favorite part of Superman. On a basic level, it’s not hard to explain why: I enjoy the contrast between him and Superman, how he can add depth to Superman’s character, and the fact that Superman can be more easily challenged in this identity. But to go into detail is more complicated, because Clark can be many different things and serve many different purposes within a story. Who he is and how he has been portrayed throughout the decades and different continuities has varied as much as his alter ego, if not more. But most of the time, there are two basic “takes” on Clark that have been used heavily throughout the years:

The original version, where Superman tries to make Clark as different as possible from his true Superman personality in order to keep his secret identity safe. As a result, Clark displays various traits that are seemingly the opposite of Superman, usually cowardice and being “mild-mannered”, as well as physical weakness and perhaps clumsiness, and sometimes even more traits to make him contrast with his true identity and personality as Superman. Let’s call this “wimpy Clark”.

The version codified by the 1986 Post-Crisis reboot of DC Comics (but not a completely new invention of that reboot), where Clark Kent is considered Superman’s true identity, and thus he has the same assertive and strong personality as his alter ego. Let’s call this “assertive Clark”.

It’s important to not oversimplify things. Even most versions of “wimpy Clark” can be assertive at times, which makes sense. Clark is a reporter, one of the best reporters for a huge, famous newspaper, and the stories he works on tend to be about things that make for interesting stories to readers, like crime, corruption and intense stuff in general. It’s hard to report about this stuff if you’re a total wimp 24/7. And occasionally, a Clark will come along who doesn’t fit into one of these two categories.

Still, for the most part, Clark Kents usually fit into one of the two takes. As diametrically opposed as they seem to be, I enjoy both. Theoretically, I prefer “assertive Clark” when done right, but I certainly don’t prefer it unconditionally. I enjoy a well-written, well-utilized “wimpy Clark” more than a poorly-written, poorly-utilized “assertive Clark”. That brings me to the main topic of this article: Clark in Superman: The Animated Series.

The most obvious issue is that the Clark Kent identity just doesn’t get that much screen time. Ironically, despite this being one of those “Clark is the real identity” takes, there’s less focus on Clark than there is on the average “wimpy Clark”, who’s supposedly the “fake identity”. Now, not every piece of Superman media is obligated to give a bunch of time to the Clark identity, but this is an entire Superman solo show. There should theoretically be plenty of time to go over different aspects of the protagonist’s life.

Maybe if they managed to do a lot in a small amount of time, it’d be fine. But Clark’s personal and professional lives are largely neglected. We don’t get to see much of his daily life at the Daily Planet – Perry White is basically demoted to a background character. We don’t get to see his personal relationships get much development, to the point that they barely even implement his attraction to Lois or attempts to have a relationship with her. You don’t need me to tell you that Clark pining after Lois and Lois snubbing him while being interested in Superman is a staple of the character, but this isn’t really a part of Superman: TAS. What makes this even weirder is that in the third part of the World’s Finest 3-part episode, they mention this famous love triangle, despite the fact that they failed to actually show it!

This still doesn’t have to be a major problem in and of itself, though. Every version of Superman emphasizes different things. My concern isn’t that Superman: TAS didn’t tick the right boxes when it came to Clark, but that they underutilized him in general. My favorite show, Adventures of Superman starring George Reeves, also didn’t emphasize romance or the love triangle, but it focused a lot on Clark’s life as a reporter and gave him strong relationships with Perry, Lois, Jimmy, and the show’s resident police character Inspector Henderson. It utilized Clark better than any other Superman media, in my opinion. You really got a feeling of who he was as a person and how he cares about the people in his life and about fighting crime and helping people, not just as Superman, but as a reporter too.

These choices, as well as Reeves’ acting and the writing in general, make me really appreciate Superman’s character in Adventures of Superman. Seeing him in his human life (which feels very authentic – this version of Clark is arguably the first “assertive Clark”) not only makes him easier to relate to, but also easier to admire, because we see him being a good person in his day-to-day life, not just when using his powers.

Now, S:TAS has very different emphases than AoS – it’s far more focused on superhero action than solving mysteries, so it’s natural that the Clark identity would be used less. But it’s still a part of the show, and in my opinion, if you’re going to include an aspect in your show, you should make good use of it.

Interestingly enough, S:TAS does make good use of the Clark identity in one episode…and basically only that episode. That episode, The Lake Mr. Kent, is naturally one of my favorite episodes of the show. Its format is more similar to an AoS episode since the plot is based on Clark investigating a story in the hope of helping someone – specifically, he’s trying to help a soon-to-be-executed death row inmate who he believes to be innocent. (This is actually the same basic premise as one of my favorite episodes of AoS, Five Minutes to Doom!)

This episode does a good job fulfilling what I’m looking for when it comes to Clark: it shows his willingness to follow through on what he believes even if others don’t agree and gives him a challenge that he wouldn’t have if he was just Superman (the crux of the episode and reason for its name is that, when Clark gets too close to the truth, someone tries to blow him up, and so everyone thinks Clark is dead). Even Clark’s journalistic rivalry with Lois is present here, in the form of Clark bragging to her about the story! (I love when Clark is smug.)

Furthermore, it actually does give some meaningful answers as to what being Clark means for Superman, even if it’s mostly done through Clark making direct statements. When talking with his parents about his “death”, he mentions that he is Clark and has to be able to spend time in this identity rather than as Superman or he’d “go crazy”.

That’s a pretty basic statement of the post-Crisis concept of Clark, but it’s worthwhile to establish. What’s interesting about this is that it shows that his life as Clark Kent is extremely important to Superman, but the lack of focus on Clark in the rest of the series shows that it’s not very important to the writers.

A more interesting character moment to me is when Clark acquires the evidence proving the condemned man’s innocence, he drives to the governor to deliver it as Clark. In narration, he says this is partially to avoid awkward questions (presumably he’s worried about his secret identity), but also mentions that ego is involved – that he wants this to be “Clark’s victory, not Superman’s”. This is a more interesting and concrete demonstration of what it means for Superman to consider Clark to be his true identity. He cares about being recognized for his accomplishments as an investigative journalist, and that makes him feel very human.

So The Late Mr. Kent is a great episode that actually uses the Clark identity well, but it’s a major outlier in S:TAS. It cannot truly make up for the lack of focus and development on Clark and his relationships in the rest of the series. The very concept of the episode, Clark Kent’s seeming death, can’t hit as hard as it would have if the rest of the series had done a better job establishing Clark’s importance to his friends and to Superman. The scene where Lois talks to Superman about Clark and her regret about not having told him her feelings (though it’s unclear whether they are romantic or just feelings of respect or friendship) would’ve hit a lot harder if we had been shown more of Lois and Clark’s relationship in the rest of the series. This scene’s significance to the viewer is mostly based on general knowledge of the Superman concept rather than the show itself.

I can’t help but think about what could’ve been. What if this had been a show that actually put a decent amount of focus on Clark and Lois’ evolving relationship? This could’ve been more than a nice moment, but an actual turning point. Even though Clark obviously turned out to not be dead, Lois would’ve realized that she can’t take him for granted and may have tried to express her feelings more, enabling them to build a strong friendship or even become romantically involved. But S:TAS wasn’t interested in that, sadly. Even if it wanted to mainly focus on fun action, that doesn’t mean spending time on characters or relationships wasn’t an option.

And I need to emphasize that The Late Mr. Kent is an extreme outlier as far as Clark Kent in S:TAS goes. Even on the rare occasion that the Clark identity gets significant screen time in an episode, there’s rarely much of interest in his actions and behavior. And I wish so much that his friendships with Lois or Jimmy were better established – not even The Late Mr. Kent did much in that department.

For a more typical example of Clark in S:TAS, let’s take a quick look at another one of my favorite episodes, Ghost in the Machine. The amount of screen time Clark gets in this one is actually fairly significant by this show’s standards. He and Lois attend an unveiling of Lex Luthor’s new technology, they discuss what happened as they drive away, Clark goes to Luthor’s office and tries to get some answers by talking with Mercy Graves (Luthor’s bodyguard), and later, he talks with Lois on the phone.

That’s enough scenes for some interesting characterization to happen, but we don’t really get any. Lois and Clark’s conversations are mostly about advancing the plot. (Though I do love Clark’s facial expression here.)

When he’s interacting with Mercy, he just comes across as a hard-ass reporter. Honestly, I find this slightly off-putting since even when he’s not “mild-mannered”, Clark usually feels a bit more subtle than this. Even if he’s not actively trying to project weakness and seem different from Superman, that doesn’t mean Clark should be as tough and aggressive as a reporter as Superman is when dealing with a threat. Part of the appeal of seeing Clark in his civilian life is seeing Superman when he’s not actively dealing with a dangerous situation and thus has a chance to breathe a little and not be “on the attack”.

(I will say, it’s sometimes understandable for Clark to be aggressive as a reporter. But I’d like to see more variety that shows the breadth of his career and experiences, and that can’t really happen in this show due to the lack of focus on journalism.)

Sadly, the entire series gives us very few moments when Clark can relax, and it’s not like he’s relaxing much in the Superman identity either. We just don’t get much time with the character when he’s not dealing with an immediate problem. There’s an episode, Father’s Day, where Clark’s parents come to Metropolis and are going to have dinner with him and Lois, but this is interrupted by bad guy shenanigans, and we never go back to it. What a great opportunity this would’ve been for interactions, characterization, and just seeing Clark have a good time with people who are important to him!

Ultimately, I get that S:TAS is trying to focus on action, but I feel more meaningful characterization or relationships could be squeezed in even in small moments if necessary. The fact that they aren’t demonstrates that it just isn’t a priority for the show. And considering the show also doesn’t have much interest in mysteries or other kinds of stories where Clark can progress the plot, the end result is a show where the Clark Kent identity doesn’t have a place.

But as it is, S:TAS is a series where Superman’s human identity is underutilized and largely uninteresting. How big a problem this is varies from person to person, but to me, it’s a big deal. It could be considered a symptom of the greater problem of the show focusing on action to the detriment of characterization and relationships. At any rate, it’s something about the show that’s pretty disappointing, and I don’t feel like the show “makes up for it” – that it’s using the Superman identity in such in-depth and complex ways that they just can’t spare time for Clark, or something. I think there’s plenty of times when this show could be more interesting by using Clark more or better. And I think in general, when we’re talking about an entire TV show focused on a single main character, seeing multiple facets of a protagonist’s life be well-developed and interesting shouldn’t be too much to ask.

And more broadly speaking, I think it demonstrates a truth about “assertive Clark” in general. If you’re going to have Clark be the “true identity”, it makes sense to make it important to the story, since after all, it’s important to Superman. Otherwise, what’s the point? I guess it might make viewers feel good that Superman sees himself as “one of us”, but other than that, Clark serves little purpose. And to me, that’s just not satisfactory.

[jyndor]

what’s fascinating to see is the juxtaposition of cassian as a recruiter (as an axis or a fulcrum) and luthen as a recruiter.

the show has been playing on chirrut’s words in rogue one: there’s more than one kind of prison.

so you’ve got luthen who every episode gives me more and more former jedi vibes - and say he is actually a former jedi in hiding, say it’s not just a similarity. he has made his mind a ‘sunless space’ and thinks of himself as damned because he is using his enemy’s (the sith’s) tools against them - anger, ego, unwillingness to yield, eagerness to fight. “they’ve set me down a path from which there is no escape.” i mean im not ready to pound the gavel yet but he’s definitely a jedi in hiding who has felt a need to use the very tools that he doesn’t believe in. that are antithetical to his very belief system. even if he’s not a jedi, he’s trapped in a world that he loathes, selling the pieces of cultures that have been marginalized and oppressed to fund a rebellion, a rebellion he believes in but cannot serve without selling his soul. that is a horrifying thing.

you’ve got mon mothma who lives in luxury and affluence but has locked her truth away to protect herself and to protect the rebellion - and is in a traditional marriage that began when she was a teenager, a child. for all of her privilege and she does have that in spades, that is something the show is saying - that mon is in a prison of sorts too. vel as well - though she has her freedom when she is with the rebels and with cinta.

you’ve got jung who has been undercover in the isb for six years, who now has to live with the guilt of kreegyr’s rebels likely being massacred so that the isb doesn’t find out there’s a spy in their midst. man luthen that was cold.

but those are metaphorical prisons. and that’s important to remember because ultimately while they are at risk, they’re also not in literal prison. they’re not enslaved like cassian and the others on narkina-5, or tortured like bix.

and a metaphorical prison IS easier to survive, no matter what mon says. the irony is that while cassian has been in many ways lying to the audience and to everyone else in the show until narkina, he’s always known what he’s against. to borrow saw’s words, cassian has clarity of purpose from the moment he is imprisoned. we don’t see him worn down although he surely is exhausted, we don’t see him disillusioned like melshi or in denial like kino loy (who andy serkis says was put in prison for organizing his workplace. fun fact).

he is at serious risk of torture and death but cassian is more alive and more himself than he’s seemed in the show until this arc. he’s organizing, he’s being a leader, he’s recruiting - and he seems like he’s free in some ways. because he knows the enemy intimately like luthen, but in different ways. the fact that he knows the empire thinks they’re not even worth listening to because he’s lived that his whole life, that liberates him to openly rebel in a way that seems counterintuitive. but he’s right. and it works.

but unfortunately recruits don’t always live. shit goes wrong or someone doesn’t get the help they need when they’re at their weakest - kino loy - sometimes someone has to die - like tivik, like kreegyr’s rebels - to get a message to people who can do something with it. like cassian and jyn and the rest of rogue one.

that’s where cassian is when we meet him in rogue one. back in prison, but more of a metaphorical prison (i mean saw’s cell aside lol) as chirrut notes. a mental prison, like luthen’s. like lonni jung’s.

kino loy says that “if we can fight half as hard as we’ve been working, we will be home in no time.”

rogue one is when he can finally liberate himself again and go home.

[tarabyte3]

I Want You to Show Me Weak

Fandom: Andor

Pairing: Kino Loy/F!Reader

Chapter 5/27 (4k words)

->start at chapter 1<-

<- Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 ->

Summary: You're pretty sure Kino Loy hates you. He screams at you, grabs you, and shoves you against the wall, and it's becoming a problem because, well...it shouldn't fluster you as much as it does.

Warnings: Explicit rating, Smut, Prison, Prison sex, minor non-graphic injuries, Dom/Sub, sexual tension, dirty talk, praise, hair-pulling, light choking, unprotected sex, oral, angst

A/N: You can all have some light smut. As a treat. Work title is from "Poison" by Vaults. Chapter title is from "Bedroom Hymns" by Florence + The Machine . Previous chapter links up above.

AO3 Link

Chapter 5 - Sweating out confessions, the undone and the divine

"Look at those smug assholes at table 3. They're a rack up and they think they're so great, even though there's still two hours left." Taybus throws a large socket wrench down a little too hard and it clatters on the table. Threl straightens up and glares at him.

"I know you're not trying to break shit when there's only two hours left," he scolds.

"If they gave us better tools then we wouldn't have to worry about breaking anything." Taybus pouts as he checks his work.

"They aren't gonna give us better shit, boy." Jevid grunts as he passes Sorrek the hanging drill. "So stop whining about it."

"I'm bored. This shift is taking forever!" He picks the wrench back up to tighten the part he half-assed the first time.

"Are you? We hadn't noticed!" Alis doesn't look up from locking the joint in place opposite you. "What are you in such a hurry for anyway? Got a hot date? Dinner plans? Wanna see how much your mustache has grown since we been in here?"

You can't help but finally crack a smile and you look up to see Alis grin and wink at you.

"I have to take a shit and I already used my second break. If I go back, Kino will kick my ass."

Your face immediately falls at hearing Kino's name, and you hover closer to the table. Alis sighs. He opens his mouth to say something else, but there's the sound of a fist on the table.

"Taybus," Sorrek's voice is stern and angry, "I know things have been tense around here, but this isn't helping."

"They're up one more," Jevid cuts in.

"If you want first place that god-damned badly, then focus on work. That's what will help. What you are doing right now serves no one. So stop it. Now." You look up just in time to see Sorrek give Taybus a thin lipped, angry stare down. Taybus breaks the eye contact first and looks at his feet, dejected. You can't really blame him. It's Sorrek's full disappointed dad voice. Even you feel a little guilty because it's your fault things are so tense in the first place.

"What's gotten into you anyway?" Threl shakes his head.

"His sparring partner isn't up for his shenanigans and he's worried, but doesn't have the emotional capacity to handle it." Alis slaps the top of the part to let Jevid know he's done, and then looks between you and Taybus daring either of you to tell him he's wrong.

"I'm fine," you grumble.

"I am not worried! What's it to me if she's sulking because she got yelled at?"

"Clear!"

You take a step back and glare at Taybus. "Yep, that's me, the giant baby at the table that has never gotten yelled at before. It hurt my delicate womanly feelings."

"Then what the fuck did he do back there? Spank you?" Taybus rolls his eyes, but you feel a wave of hot anger.

"Shut the fuck up, Taybus! Right now." Your usual light tone is missing and everyone, not just Taybus, seems taken aback.

"Hey, sorry, I didn't mean it! I was just trying to make you laugh." He sounds genuine and you know things must be bad if he's actually apologizing. You suddenly feel like an asshole because of course he doesn't know.

"No, I'm sorry." You sigh and look around the table as the next piece clicks into place. "I know I've been miserable to be around. I'm really trying, here. Just...give me time."

Kino walks by at that exact moment, and glances up from his data pad to look over the table. You're the last thing his focus lands on. When his eyes meet yours, there's a flash of something in them. Sadness? Concern? You can't tell, as usual, and you're tired of trying to figure it out. You quickly look away.

"Good work," Kino pats Threl on the shoulder and moves on to the next table.

"Wow, he didn't even yell at us." Any trace of Taybus's humility from being snapped at by the rest of you is already gone. "Being in second place is kind of awesome."

You just grumble, "Give me a lot of time, apparently." The only one that hears you is Alis.

"Want me to shit on his bed for you?" He whispers.

And you can't help it, you howl with laughter. For the first time in too long. It feels nice.

Your table gets second place by less than a rack. You're all a little disappointed you were so close to first, but it's still second place. The mood has been bleak for a while now so you'll happily take the small win. Maybe tomorrow you can actually get first, now that you have a taste for it. Maybe tomorrow you'll start to feel better.

It's that evening, on the heels of your second place victory, that Kino visits you. You're lying in your cell, facing the wall once again, so you don't know he's there at first. Or how long he stands there just watching you. You hope it isn't long so he didn't see the way you hug yourself as you curl your knees to your chest, or hear your little sniffles and world-weary sighs.

"Are you busy?" His voice comes from the doorway of your cell. Your stomach knots and rolls with dread at the sound. It's the first time he's spoken to you since…since The Hallway. With a deep, calming breath, you school your expression into an impassive stare and get up from your cot to stand in the middle of the small room.

"No. I'm not busy," you deadpan. You briefly meet his eyes, but you keep your focus on his shoulder instead. It feels safer that way. He looks the same as he always does, that halfway point between irritable and indifferent, so you're not expecting an apology. Why bother to give yourself that hope?

You expect him to talk to you from the main floor while leaning against your bench. That's what most people do when they chat during freetime. Instead he takes a step directly into your cell. Right before his foot touches the floor, you call out "wait!" and tense with panic, anticipating a shock that never comes, even as he stands before you.

You slowly unclench as you attempt to convince your body it's safe. Then you turn to him, wide eyed in surprise. "How?"

"Manager privilege." He moves to stand in front of you, and he's too close. Not as close as he gets when he's mad, but close enough that you can see every line on his face and darker hair in his beard. The strong angles of his jaw and speckled blue of his eyes. And god, how did you ever look into those eyes and not immediately feel like you're being plunged into water, swept into a wave, and dashed upon rocks? Because this has to be what drowning feels like.

"Oh." You blink at him, trying not to get distracted admiring his worn face, even though you've already failed at it. "I...didn't know you had that as a perk."

He shrugs and says gruffly, "Never wanted to use it before."

You're disgusted by the small thrill in your chest, both at his words and his presence.

"I'm going to guess you would like to talk, then." You want to sound flippant, but can't keep the ache and curiosity out of your voice. You also wrack your brain trying to think of anything you could have done during your shift that could be construed as worthy of a conversation, and nothing comes to mind. You've been very careful.

"You did well today." He takes a step closer. Now he's so impossibly close. You could lift your hand and touch his chest to feel the steady rhythm of his heart if you wanted to. And with dismay you know that you do want to. "In fact, you've been doing well for a while now."

You blink at him again. "What?"

"I thought you deserved to know that I've noticed." He leans in and lowers his voice to that gravelly half whisper. "And it made me realize that I've been so focused on punishment, I haven't given any consideration to how I might reward you."

You jump back like you've been slapped and your legs bang against the raised platform of your bed. Reward? Is he mocking you? Whatever this is, it's cruel and you've officially had enough. You don't deserve this.

"What is this?" Your voice is stern and outraged, and he looks taken aback by your tone and your reaction. "I know you hate me, but I guess I don't understand what the angle is here. To hurt me? To break me?" At that the creases on his forehead deepen in confusion. "If so, mission accomplished."

"I don't hate you." He frowns.

You give a bitter laugh. "Yes you do. You yell at me all the time." You lift your chin in challenge, daring him to refute it. You want to say more, to throw the rest of it in his face, but you don't trust yourself to not start sobbing or screaming or to push him out of your cell.

"I have to keep order on the floor. If I don't, they fry all of us as punishment. I yell at anyone that's disruptive. You just happen to have been particularly disruptive lately," he says, as if that should be obvious. As if he doesn't understand why he has to say it out loud.

You lean back, trying to create space between you to process that. And he's right. You have seen him yell at other people before. It's different with you, though. You know it is. "But you don't…grab anyone else like you've grabbed me."

His eyes flicker to your lips when you mention grabbing you and you watch a brief glimmer of heat appear on his face. If you hadn't been watching him so closely, you would have missed it.

"I suppose I don't, do I?"

What?

Wait.

What?!

Your heart pounds alarmingly against your ribcage, then, because that small action brings you a moment of absolute clarity:

"They aren't allowed to bother you." Every thing he's said to you. "Says me." Every piece you've been missing. "I know what she needs." Every double meaning of conversations you weren't privy to. "Are you going to behave?" Every damn shred of context. His nose brushing against yours as he holds you against the wall. It all slots into place in your mind, like stepping back from a puzzle to view a full picture. You see. Finally. He doesn't hate you.

Kino Loy wants to fuck you.

You have to sit down.

It's only after you sit that you realize you said that out loud. He's standing in front of you, waiting patiently.

"I didn't say you could sit."

And, oh God. You've just realized what this is. What you've been doing this whole time.

"Fuck," you swear under your breath. You know at that moment you have a choice to make. You can stay sitting and walk away. You can end this and heal and move on with time. You can try to resume what little semblance of a life you had in here. Or you can stand up.

You also know this isn't even a choice for you. There was only ever one outcome when it came to him.

You stand back up so you're face to face with him. He smiles at you, and it is triumphant and ruthless. He's been waiting for this.

Then he lessens the gap between you, but doesn't close it. His mouth hovers near yours, and though it's something he's done before, it is an entirely new and intoxicating sensation now that you realize what it fucking meant. That he enjoys it just as much as you do. That he's into it. A shiver travels down your spine from your neck to your tailbone, and overflows deliciously to your core.

"Stop me if at any point I'm wrong," he growls. "The first time I grabbed you, you liked it." You take a quivering breath, but don't say anything. "When I pushed you against the window you liked it even more." Your tongue darts out to unconsciously lick your lips as you remember just how close he had gotten and how you thought he might kiss you. His own lip curls into a gratified smile at your continued silence. "But when I grabbed your face and humiliated you in private? You liked that best of all."

You swallow hard because despite how much it hurt you emotionally, physically you fucking loved it. "You know I did."

"I wanted to hear you say it." His mouth ghosts against yours, a phantom of a kiss.

"Were you pushing me to see how far you could take it before I would break?"

"Not break," his voice rumbles, "surrender."

You shiver at the word. At the implication of the word. "If I didn't figure it out and continued to sulk, what then? What was next?"

"Do you really want to know, or do you want me to save it?" He tucks a strand of hair behind your ear, and you have to fight to remain upright and focused.

"Would it be my reward for behaving?" You're panting now and your entire body feels like an overstimulated, exposed nerve.

He gives you a smug, hungry gaze. "I told you I realized you don't respond to yelling."

You whimper and desperately want to press against him, to bring your bodies flush together, to touch him, but you stay where you are. You behave. "Save it."

"Does that mean you want this?" He lets the very tip of his nose brush your cheek.

"Yes," you gasp.

"Say it."

"I want this, Kino." You quickly bite your lip to stifle a moan. "Fuck, have I wanted this."

"I thought you may have. Now do me a favor and be very quiet for me." He shifts on his feet to further block the view from the other cells.

You give him a dazed look and manage to get out "what?" before his hand is running through your hair and he's massaging your scalp. It feels remarkable because it's touch, but more specifically it's his touch. You lean into his fingers like a lothcat, seeking more, and he rewards you with a slow drag of his nails. Some of the tension you had been holding on to for weeks at this point starts to melt away.

Just when you're ready to smile lazily up at him, his hand tightens around a large fistful of your hair. Then he wrenches your head back, exposing your neck to him. You start to cry out, but the sound dies almost immediately when you remember what he said to you.

"Very good," he purrs in your ear before moving to breathe against your now vulnerable throat. "You don't want to draw attention to this, do you?"

"No," you whimper.

"I don't think your table would appreciate it, would they? What would they think of you if they saw you whining and eager for this?" He lightly drags his scruffy cheek along your sensitive skin.

You feel a surge of arousal in response, which causes you to redden in shame. They can never know about this. About him, yes, but never this. This is yours. He tilts his head until his lips graze your neck as he talks.

"If they knew how wet you are right now, just from my hand in your hair?" He squeezes his fist to emphasize his point and you gasp. "Because you are, aren't you?"

"Yes," you choke out.

"Are you going to touch yourself later and think about me?" You swallow down the groan that nearly escapes your mouth. The tip of his nose traces your jawline and you feel your knees go weak, but he holds you steady. His hand is an anchor while you stand there in your cell, the backs of your knees against your bed.

"I will," you arch against him, breathless. "I do." He pauses, fighting to maintain control of himself after your admission. Feeling bold you add, "Do you want to know what I think about?"

There is a twitch of his lips against your throat, then he slowly resumes the near touch of his exploration. "Tell me," he sounds more unbalanced than before.

"I think about you fucking me in that hallway with your hand still on my jaw and my throat." He grunts and rests his forehead against your cheek for a moment.

"Fuck," he pants. "You don't make this easy for me, do you?"

"No," you whisper back, "I intend to make it very hard."

He wrenches on your hair again and you're expecting it, but the sting still causes a swell of pleasure between your legs.

"I'm going to have to come up with something to keep your mouth occupied, aren't I?" You gasp and lick your lips. "I take it you like that idea."

"Yes," you moan as quietly as you can.

"Are you going to think about it later with your hands down the front of your pants?" He runs his rough, fuzzy cheek against your neck again, but harder this time so that it burns.

"Yes, Kino." You're so lost in sensation that your words are almost inaudible.

"Do you think about anyone else when you touch yourself?"

"No," you hiss, "only you." You vow it with such ferocity that you almost don't recognize your own voice.

He hums in approval and rewards you with firm, open mouthed kisses below your ear. They trail down your neck and his tongue laps hungrily at your skin. Just when you've adjusted to the feeling enough to stop squirming, he nips at your throat and your eyes close in rapture. In that moment, everything you know and everything you are is bliss.

"You did so well," he praises. His fingers immediately relax in your hair, and he's tenderly massaging your scalp and hovering before you once more. Your muscles are weak, there's a dampness between your legs, and you crave more.

You also know he's not going to give it to you. You're going to have to work for every touch. For now, reward is caress. It's a kiss. Soon it will be stroking and touching until he finally fucks you. Punishment is humiliation and none of that. And god, do you want him to reward you.

"Thank you." You turn your head so you can nuzzle your face against his arm.

"You understand now?"

"I do," you sigh.

"And you still want this?"

"I want this," you insist.

"If at any point you don't, you tell me. Because you are not powerless here. I want your surrender and your devotion, but only if you give them to me. Do you understand?"

"I understand, Kino." The word devotion sets your mind and nerves alight, makes you ache and tingle. You look into his eyes so he knows you mean it. They're so wide and blue and beautiful. It's almost as if you can see the sky again. He fills you with such warmth that you want to bask in front of him like he's the sun.

He softens and his other hand delicately cups your jaw, which is so different from the last time his hand was on your jaw. You're nearly overwhelmed by all of the affection he's giving you after feeling nothing but misery for too long. "I'm sorry you didn't before. That was my fault. I really thought you did because the way you came undone in my hands…" he takes a shaky breath, "but I should have made sure. That will never happen again."

Then he kisses you—truly kisses you. Lightly at first, adjusting to the touch of your lips and how you slot together, which sets your mind reeling and draws another whine from your throat. And that would have been enough because Kino is kissing you and you're allowed to finally wrap your arms around him. To touch him. To feel his hands gripping your waist and running a long your hips. It would have been everything, but when you moan against him, he deepens it, tasting you and letting his tongue slide against yours.

It isn't reward or punishment. It's just him, and it's an apology. One you know you deserve. You want to lose yourself in it, to never stop kissing him and letting your hands roam over his back and shoulders, but too soon he pulls away. When he looks at you, his lips are red and kiss swollen against the grey of his beard. You can't help but groan at the sight. To wonder what he looks like further wrecked.

"Do you…?" You trail off, suddenly shy. Which is silly, you think, considering what just transpired between you. But there's still a part of you that hasn't accepted he doesn't hate you. That needs to absorb this.

"Do I what?" There's an amused look on his face.

He doesn't hate you, you tell yourself. He knows. He knows and he wants you.

"Do you touch yourself and think about me?" You whisper.

"Every night." He growls and presses your foreheads together.

"When?" You sigh into the touch. "How long?"

"The first time I grabbed you and just held you there. I had intended to yell at you, but god, you were trembling and writhing, and making this little noise in your throat. Every thought I had then was gone. I just stared at you, thinking about what other sounds I could coax out of you."

"Oh," you gasp because he could have fooled you. Did, in fact. He was so stoic. "I didn't realize what it did to me at the time. Was I that obvious?" You cringe thinking about how it must have looked to everyone else.

"It was to me." His voice is a husky rasp.

"Good." You can feel another surge of arousal between your legs.

"Unfortunately, I should go now. It's getting late and it will be a hot floor soon. Everyone at your table will be returning to their cells any minute." He sounds regretful, at least.

"Okay." You sag a little in disappointment and look down at the floor because you just got this and you don't want to let it go yet.

"Hey." He places a finger under your chin so that you are forced to look him in the eye. "Continue to behave. I'm always watching." He gives you a hungry smile. "And I can come back tomorrow."

You nod, your disappointment fading away at the promise of more. "You know I will."

Before he leaves your cell, he pauses and looks at you over his shoulder. "You really thought I hated you?"

"Yes." You say without hesitation.

"What did you think was happening then?"

"That you knew how I reacted and how I felt, and you were humiliating me out of cruelty. To get me to listen." He flinches and you know it hurts him to hear, but you aren't trying to cause him pain. It's simply a truth that had hurt you to go through. You don't want anything left unsaid.

He looks at you with an expression of profound conviction, one so open and sincere that you could never doubt it for a moment. "Never cruelty."

It's breathtaking, and you wonder why he scowls at all. You give him a nod because now you believe him. Now you know the truth. Satisfied, he exits your cell.

Later that night, you do exactly as promised. You slip your hand into the waistband of your pants when everyone else is asleep, wondering if he's down the hall doing the same. You think about his hand clamped around your jaw and twisted in your hair. Think about him pressing you into the wall, his lips on yours, the feel of his tongue. What would have happened if no one else had been looking? Would he have taken you against the window? Pushed you to your knees? You think about supplicating yourself before him and showing him just how devoted you can be.

NEXT CHAPTER->

[m1kedefendr]

will on r/askreddit

is my (15m) best friend (15m) gay and in love with me too??

so basically my best friend and i have been friends since kindergarten. He walked up to ME and asked ME to be his friend. We made two other friends over the years but he always seemed to be closer to me, i thought it was just because we’ve been friends longer. A few years ago when we were 12 some scary shit happened and i was missing for a week, and apparently in that time he looked for me but he also met this girl that he seemed to have a crush on but she seemed to have disappeared? After i was found everything went back to mostly normal for almost a year until halloween, when i had a ptsd attack (cuz he can’t talk ab the upside down obviously). He immediately wrapped his arms around me and didn’t let our other friends touch me. He said he would take me home then took me to his basement. We had sort of a heart to heart and i said i feel like im going crazy, and he looked at me and said “if we’re going crazy, we’ll go crazy together right?” and OF COURSE MY BABY GAY ASS AGREED?! Anyways after that i have a really bad time with my ptsd and he stays by my side, even telling me about how asking me to be his friend was the best thing he’s ever done.

Then the girl he liked came back. Some more stuff happened but we all went to the snowball dance and that’s where him and her started dating. Ever since then he was acting completely different, he was hiding away with his girlfriend, ignoring our friends, but mainly he was ignoring ME. His gf dumped him and I thought we could all play dnd to cheer him up, but he just mocked and made fun of me the whole time. When i finally stormed out of his place we got in an argument, i called his ex stupid and he shot back “It’s not my fault you don’t like girls” which is like, woah man. he knows i’ve been called slurs before, he doesn’t know i’m gay for sure but he should have an inkling on it. So i ran away, but he ran after me. We didn’t actually get to reconcile correctly because something came up again, and by the end of everything i was moving away. oh and he got back with his girlfriend who now became my adopted sister and had to move with me.

Now this is where it gets super interesting. He didn’t write me ONE letter. He called a couple of times. He sent multiple letters to my sister, though. So i was very much upset. He came to visit during spring break and at first it looked like they were a perfect happy couple, until i realized my sister was lying to him. why was she lying? anyways we all went skating and my sister got thoroughly humiliated in front of everyone, and my best friend was arguing with ME? He was yelling at ME for not telling him she was lying? He was pointing out how I sabotaged the day?? As if his GIRLFRIEND didn’t get humiliated? Then we found my sister and she had hit the bitch in the face with a roller skate, which was such a serve. girlboss. but Mike acted like a DICK. Ever since there relationship was hella off? they got in a big fight and then she ran off. After she was gone he turned into the person he was before?? Like during the ptsd attacks and everything. He apologized to me, told me that home isn’t the same without me, even with our other friends still there. He also told me that my sister was mad at him because he couldn’t tell her something?? We had to go look for my sister, and He was awfully close to me again. He was staring a lot. He seemed worried about his girlfriend so i tried to reassure him but he went on a weird rant?? Like he kinda compared her to superman and him to lois lane. And said meeting her was dumb luck. So i chucked it up to him being afraid of losing her, and i decided to give him this painting i made him but tell him it was from her. He looked super happy when he saw the painting but his smile faltered when i said it was commissioned by my sister. I kinda confessed my feelings for him under her name, and he looked absolutely mesmerized by me?? but we didn’t talk much after that.

Anyways after we found her another big thing happened and she was in danger, and my best friend was freaking out. I told him he had to be the heart, so he goes to confess his love to her. apparently he’s never told her he loves her?!? anyways he says all this bullshit that contradicts what he said to me about how asking me to be his friend was the best thing he’s done. He also says a lot of shit that doesn’t make sense to me because he literally said meeting her was dumb luck but told her he knew he loved her the moment he saw her?? that’s when i got kinda suspicious. Now we’re back in our hometown because the big deal that had my sister in danger originated in our home town. My sister broke up with my best friend and she won’t tell me why, only that she’s perfectly okay and so is he but he might need comfort on something else. So i hung out with him and he was really touchy and clingy and now i’m super fucking confused help me??

[elareine]

Jaydick: soft kisses in the Watchtower/Batcave when they're reunited after a long mission?

Of course <3 This is a sequel to yesterday’s drabble. 

Clark and Bruce had been allies slash friends for a long, long time. As such, Clark had naturally filled the ‘Uncle’ position for Bruce’s two oldest boys. 

Back then, they had just been “The Robins.” Two of a kind for so long, people forgot who had been first. Clark hadn’t—he still remembered Dick when Bruce first took him in, simultaneously the angriest and friendliest child he’d ever met. 

Then Jason had arrived, and he’d latched onto Dick like a particularly stubborn lamprey. Not that Dick was any better. Those two boys had given each other all the love they had ever lost. 

It probably wasn’t healthy. Clark had tried to discuss it with Lois; however, she’d just leveled him with a glance and asked: “Would you consider that more or less healthy than dressing up and going out to ‘fight crime’ at night?” 

Clark had never seen such a devastating use of air quotes before. She had a point, though. He stopped asking about things he couldn’t change and focused on being the best “Uncle Clark” instead.

Nightwing had grown into a respected figure, hero to all, friend to many. The esteemed leader of the Titans. Someone who Clark counted as a friend as well as his favorite nephew. 

Red Hood, on the other hand… there were rumors about him. What he’d gone through. What he’d done when he came back. Clark wasn’t as well informed as certain other League members, and Bruce was notoriously hard to get information out of. 

Didn’t matter. Nightwing had wanted Red Hood to return to the fold, and so it had happened, even over Bruce’s—and, Clark suspected, Jason’s—objections. He tended to work in small-subteams rather than the day-to-day operations, but that suited everyone just fine. As far as Clark knew, that was where Red Hood was now: infiltrating an alien smuggling operation with Starfire and Speedy. 

Which left Nightwing to his duties. Usually no problem; Dick had plenty of friends and family and wasn’t exactly to prone to pining before. (“At least he’s not dead this time,” he’d told Clark once. “And I’m busy just as much.”) Recently, though, Clark thought that something was bothering him. There were smudges under Dick’s eyes that he would never let anyone see if he could help it. 

Even now, as they were sharing watch duty at the tower, Nightwing was pacing up and down the room while Clark typed away at his next article. He was considering bringing it up when the door flew open. Very few people entered this room without knocking. Red Hood, though, strode right in. 

“Red Hood,” Nightwing called out, startled. “You’re back earlier.” 

“Tied up the loose ends much quicker than expected,” the slightly younger man replied. “By which I mean Starfire lost her temper.” 

“…any casualties?” 

“Not on our side.” 

Nightwing sighed. “I’m looking forward to your report, then.” 

“That’s not why I’m here.” Red Hood took off his helmet, and Jason strode toward Dick. “And you know that.” 

Hastily, Clark made a show of being utterly focused on his monitor. The slightest hitch in his typing and they would notice. (Bloody detectives.) He didn’t want to take this moment away from them. 

(…okay, and maybe he was the slightest bit nosy, too.)

He didn’t dare look up, but once more, his hearing served him well. 

 He heard the soft “You okay?” Jason whispered, and the gentle “I missed you,” Dick replied with. The “I love you,” followed by “I’m home now.” The long, soft kiss they shared; the hitch in their breathing, the slowing of Dick’s heartbeat for the first time in days. 

It was enough for Clark to return to his work with a smile. 

(I’m taking prompts until the end of the year.) 

[beeblackburn]

The Anti-TBR Tag

I was tagged by @books-and-doodles! Thank you! And poor you, for I am a long-winded bastard.

1. A popular book EVERYONE loves that you have no interest in reading?

On general principle, I feel like the really popular stuff (Twilight, Throne of Glass, Divergent, The Mortal Instruments) ends up being stuff I’m inherently not going to be attracted to and some of them have their own hatedoms going on, so going after them in detail would be punching down (though I don’t particular like any of the above). So I’m going to try to go off the beaten path with these seven:

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab = nothing against her personally, though I heard her The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue was baaaaad, but apparently, she’s similar to Sanderson in the magic system being better than the characterization and I heard her writing’s got a white faux-female empowerment sort of thing going that I’m growing increasingly... discontent of by itself. I might try it out later, but I also got hundreds of books to drill through first and I’m in no rush.

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo = I’ve been increasingly getting the sense that Six of Crows was a flash in the pan, Bardugo’s style more defined by fun than genuine substance. And given a rather scathing review that points out unearned shifts in characterization, lackluster supporting cast, and two really uncomfortable exploitative sexual assault fantasy scenes (one of which was underaged!), I’m gonna say no.

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik = I generally like Novik! She’s a very solid writer to me and I’ve bought most of her books, so this is purely me not taking to the Wizarding School genre. Sorry, Novik, "a twisted, super dark, super modern, female-led Harry Potter" isn’t the selling point it once was, and even then, I probably wouldn’t have taken to it. Especially when I’ve already got The Gray House by Mariam Petrosyan to read.

The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson = I’ve got mixed feelings on Mistborn looking back: it’s hardly the worst of his oeuvre (Elantris is that and was admittedly his first book) and The Final Empire took a few narrative risks that I admire, I also found the resulting books a tad juvenile and I don’t take to steampunk, genre-wise. I’m not even that much of a Sanderson fan, so I’d rather just read the summary for all I care.

Storm Front by Jim Butcher = given what I’ve been told about The Dresden Files’ lessening of noir roots past the first few books, how it later became more flashy-and-bang magical, and how it’s pretty sexist early on (and from what I’ve been told, doubled down on it later on and having worse treatments of its female characters), I’m in no particular rush to read them. The urban fantasy genre on them only turns me off more.

The Doors of Stone by Patrick Rothfuss = hahaha, I’m sorry, I did read The Name of the Wind, and read select parts of The Wise Man’s Fear, but everyone, instead of waiting and devoting your time for this book to come, I would suggest reading Fitz, Who Is Actually Good and Can Wring More than Disgust and an Eye-Roll out of You in Robin Hobb’s Realm of the Elderlings, given she is far better at characterization than Rothfuss.

Anything by Paul Krueger, Sam Sykes, and Myke Cole = fuck all three of these men and the idea that I’ll pay for their stuff. While I can’t demand any of you not buy from them and I’ll hardly claim to be a saint in terms of ethics, purchase-wise, I would beseech you all please don’t buy from these three authors who have a history of inappropriateness.

2. A classic book (or author) you don’t have an interest in reading?

Charles Dickens = look, I know his word count is padded because of serial installments back then, but I’m sorry, I wasn’t that impressed by the child-sanitized versions of Great Expectations and Oliver Twist. They were easily some of the most boring of out of the child-sanitized classics I read. It was the pictures that kept me going and barely at that. No thanks.

Emily Brontë =  look, if I wanted shitty people being shitty to each other, I’d much rather read Joe Abercrombie because at least I’ll get some intentional dark comedy out of dumb shitheads being terrible to each other (Best Served Cold comes to mind). And I know we’re not meant to like these self-destructive people, but I’d rather not hate everyone that much.

Alexander Dumas = Three Musketeers really didn’t age well, just from the TV Tropes page and I’m not really looking forward to an adventure that goes out of its way to valorize its protagonists being adventurous assholes who dueled, drank, and womanized harder than anyone else and we should commend that because they were men. Ugh.

3. An author you have read a couple of books from & have decided their books are not for you?

Leigh Bardugo = like I said, I feel like Six of Crows (and Crooked Kingdom, to a lesser extent) was a flash in the pan and she’s been increasingly running on fumes ever since then. Good and fun with a decent eye for characterization, but hardly revolutionary, considering how I think Crooked Kingdom isn’t quite as good as Six of Crows, and the less said about Shadow and Bone, the better.

Neil Gaiman = I’ve read some of his stuff (and I didn’t quite see the hype over his writing, but liked it decently enough) but having heard that, in his Sandman run, he wrote in a transwoman solely to get killed for an emotional ending and how he defended that choice for awhile left a battery acid taste for me to read more. He’s a formative part of people’s childhoods, so I don’t blame anyone for being fans, he’s just not for me.

Steven Erikson = really nothing against the dude, I’m sure he's probably a decent guy, but I didn’t take to Gardens of the Moon at all and skimming Deadhouse Gates and Memories of Ice (which were admittedly better) made me realize its prose was something I would need a hard and sharp shovel to crack through, and the darting around of many, many POVs made me feel not invested in anyone.

4. A genre you have no interest in OR a genre you tried to get into & couldn’t?

I’ll answer both because I have the time:

I’m not interested in romance, mostly because it’s an entire genre built around the build-up. It’s usually the story about the beginning of a relationship, not the relationship itself. I’d genuinely like to read about the story of a romance that doesn’t stop shortly after the hook-up or before the honeymoon period ends. The City Watch parts of Discworld by Terry Pratchett, The Memoirs of Lady Trent by Marie Brennan and The Sharing Knife by Lois McMaster Bujold all have romantic elements that are relatively undrenched in melodrama or frills, but none of them are pure romances, which is a huge problem. I can take romantic subplots in fantasy, but I can’t take the genre as-is.

Urban fantasy is a genre I’m not against having my mind changed on liking, but right now, I generally find it insipid, a shortcut to good world-building, short on great characterization, and an excuse to lampshade and pretense to being above fantastical clichés in a tongue-in-cheek attitude while still committing to them. I do genuinely like Rivers of London by Ben Aaronvitch, but that’s really the concession I can give the entirety of the genre. I took a crack at Rick Riordan and Cassandra Clare’s stuff, but it didn’t feel like my sort of thing. Again, would like to be convinced, but I’d much rather read a domestic or slice-of-life fantasy set in a more overtly fantasy world than the urban one. 

Also, sci-fi, but I’m trying again with the Wormwood trilogy by Tade Thompson, An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon, and either the Imperial Radch trilogy by Ann Leckie, or the Teixcalaan trilogy by Arkady Martine. I snoozed through Azimov’s Foundation and generally bored myself of hard sci-fi books, so I’m hoping contemporary sci-fi changes my mind on the entire genre.

5. A book you have bought but will never read?

A book I personally bought? Honestly, Traitor’s Blade by Sebastien de Castell. No particular reason, I just bought it at a closing-down sale at a branch of my bookstore on the cheap because the cover looked nice and didn’t really take to its blurb. I heard good things though, so if anyone else wants to read it...

I tag @vera-dauriac, @xserpx, @autoapocrypha, @kateofthecanals, @turtle-paced, @insecticidalfeminism, @secretlyatargaryen, @helix-eagle-hourglass-nebula, @xillionart, @jovolovo and whoever else that is following me and wishes to do this tag (I’d like to read your posts, so please tag me! :D)

[undercover-stories]

Take My Hand (Say You Need Me Still)

A Daredevil Fic (Matt/Foggy, Girl!Foggy. Pre-Slash)

Summary : Look, getting shot is just the New York experience. You haven’t lived unless you’ve been held at gunpoint at least once. And if you save someone doing it? Hey, bonus!

AO3

Foggy will very openly admit that it was actually a really stupid thing to do. Matt will be downright furious when he finds out. If she makes it out of this alive she’s not keen on facing down the utterly hypocritical wrath of her best friend. She’s pretty sure Karen would defend her which is a nice thought to dwell on.

After Karen had told her about what happened with Wesley, it was like a wall had broken down between them. Suddenly she was so much more relaxed, open. She didn’t look like she was going to throw up every time Foggy talked about how ridiculously admirable albeit stupid she was to insist on constantly putting her life in danger to chase a good story (Lois Lane would be proud).

You’d think Foggy would get a break with having to deal with only one dangerously reckless best friend but apparently life felt that she deserved to handle two

She wouldn’t change a thing.

Though she feels that its incredibly ironic how she finds herself to be the one bleeding out from a bullet wound at the Police Precinct after daring to step in front of a mook with a gun. In her defense it was either her or the 8 month old pregnant lady and really was that much of a choice?

Marci would be really pissed at her too if she ever found out about this even if they've split up for almost 6 months now. That is if she ever found out from where she’s staying in Los Angeles. Knowing how much of a tattle tale Matt is, she’d probably find out. No Foggy Bear this time. Probably just an ass whooping in the form of a chilling reprimand that only serves to remind Foggy how much Marci really cares. Especially since this is the third time she’s gotten hurt in almost 5 years. Must be a record. 

Maybe this is the universes way of helping her make up for the fact that she can't be out there in the thick of danger the same way her partners are. She’s not planning on making it a habit because this fucking hurts and the pregnant lady clumsily putting too much pressure on her stomach isn’t helping with that. She bites back a laugh at a sudden random thought that maybe her abdominal fat played a useful role for once and managed to absorb most of the bullets impact as opposed to her vital organs

She’s not brave she knows. Not in the same way Karen and Matt are. She can't even manage to take a bullet without crying because again, it fucking burns. But at the very least she’s comforted knowing neither Matt nor Karen are the ones bleeding out this time.

It’s a soothing thought and it helps that she’s starting to feel numb. There's a faint troubling nudge at the edge of her mine that she's sure is panic at this. Something about how it might be because she’s losing too much blood, she's going into shock. But the feeling is such a welcome compared to the overwhelming sting from before.

Charlotte -the pregnant lady- is saying something. Mouth moving, loud enough that Foggy can register the sound but her brain is filled with too much fuzz to actually tell what she’s saying.

Either way it doesn’t seem to matter. She’s just surprised she doesn’t feel more scared than she is. Her last thought is maybe that’s a cause for concern but really she can’t find it in herself to care. It occurs to her maybe that’s worse

*

*

*

*

*

“What the hell were you thinking Foggy?”

Foggy raises her eyebrows, actually impressed. Matt managed to hold off his furious outburst for five days after she woke up from her short induced coma – “It was two days Matt. Relax”, “You were intubated  Foggy. You were in the ICU. Don’t tell me to calm down” – and really it’s a full five days more than she’d expected.

“I’m confused. Was I supposed to let the guy put a bullet through our very nice pregnant client?”

“You were supposed to let the police do their job”

“Right, the very understaffed policemen on duty at the station that included the guy who put me in the cell with our client in the first place”

“Why were you arrested again?”, Karen interjected and Foggy doesn’t miss how it was a cautious attempt to drain the heat out of the conversation.

“Obstruction of justice, or so the very hot headed rookie claimed. I wouldn’t let him do an extensive drug search on my lovely cellmate and told him to get a female cop to do it.”

“Where was Brett?”

“He was at the drug bust at the pier with me. I called him there”, it’s Matt’s turn to explain. There's a hint of guilt in his voice and while Foggy doesn’t agree for it to be there, she finds it the perfect moment to throw in another excuse.

“To be fair, I did call both of you to bail me out.”

Karen looks a bit red in the face. Coughing loudly before she says, “I was under cover. At the Irish Parlor”

The angry flush in Matt’s cheeks seem to redden even more “The Parlor Mob ?! Karen….”

“I was with Jessica! Relax, Matt.”

There’s a short moment where Matt seems to have more to protest but instead, “At least one of you has some common sense”

“OK, now you’re just being a hypocritical asshole”, Foggy retorts, rolling her eyes.

“You should’ve waited for back up! For Brett or even me-“

“And what? I don’t think you understand when I say this guy had a gun aimed at our pregnant client and was ready to shoot her point blank any second. God knows why”

“I Don’t… Its just… I.. “, words seem to have tied his tongue into a knot and Karen immediately understands it as her cue to leave.

“I think I’m gonna get some coffee. Have to talk to Jess. She actually asked about you Foggy”, Karen says. Providing an entertained smirk.

“Yeah well after all the times I kept her out of Jail I hope she does”, Foggy replies but there's no heat in it. Only a fondness that surprises even her.

“Tell her I said Hi, and tell her she still owes me my retainer”

Karen lets out a laugh but she doesn’t say anything else. She gives a soft peck on the side of Foggy's head before leaving. The sole of her sneakers  pad softly on the linoleum floor until she probably turns a corner after which Matt seems to be satisfied that she’s properly out of earshot.

Foggy raises an eyebrow that she knows Matt can’t see but she trusts her tone conveys her expectation for Matt to continue,“You were saying?”, she prods. Curt.

Matt’s hands are on his hips. A classic Murdock stance the few times he finds his clever tongue has failed him. Shuffling back and forth before taking a deep breath and - “You’re not suppose to get hurt. I know-“ He raises a palm to qualm his best friends protest “- it’s hypocritical of me. I know. But you’re meant to be safe Fog. Karen… I can’t stop her. No matter what I do. I’ve accepted that-“

“Like I’ve accepted the same thing about you?”

“It’s different fog!”, Matts voice is weighted with frustration and he’s gritting his teeth the way he always does when he’s trying to hold back from snapping.

"Matt, breath. I promise I'm not gonna make a habit out of this. I don't think my health insurance can take it. It's going to be hell to get them to cover my third hospital visit in 5 years. I'm pretty sure they're thinking about cancelling my contract at this very moment"

"Leave that to me", there's a challenging snarl in the undertone of Matt's voice - glad to have something else to direct his frustration at - that has something balloon all warm in Foggy's chest.

It's not that Matt has never showed off his protective streak before. She remembers how he reduced one of their classmates to tears in a debate when he found out they'd called her a fat fag at a party a few days before. Which frankly is not the worse she's been called and is just insultingly unoriginal. But it still makes something flutter fondly inside her at the unofficial confirmation of how much Matt still cares.

There hasn't been a lot of that going around lately what with Matt being stretched thin with Daredevil and a new gang trying to claim the territory Fisk had left behind. There hadn't been anything else that could take priority. Which, Foggy truly doesn't begrudge.

But she lost her best friend for months. Thought he was dead. She just got him back. Is it selfish for her to want him for herself for once?

He hasn't just been hers for a very long time now. Which, again, understandable. Matt's a fully independent adult, not an object to own. But she used to be able to hold his attention a lot more than she does now. A part of her knows its not because of her, but years of high school bullying have buried a vindictive voice in her head, constantly trying to convince her that its because she's just not important. Not enough.

Which again is so self-absorbed that she internally cringes every time it comes up. Still, to admit that it doesn't gnaw at her self-esteem would be a lie. Which is why she absolutely refused to raise the issue with her walking, talking lie-detector of a best friend.

She distracted herself with their workload. Both hers and Matts because she hadn't suggested they reopen their firm without knowing exactly what to expect. Not that Matt hadn't pulled his weight. The info he'd gotten for some of their cases as Daredevil was invaluable which is sort of important when their rinky dink little firm absolutely did not have the budget for a private investigator. There's only so many times Foggy can call Jess in for a favor before risking her busting his door down and throwing their office phone out the window.

Which, ok yeah that's not fair. Jess is a drunk asshole but she's not a bitch. Big difference. There would definitely be some empty threats and cussing colourful enough to make a sailor blush. But nothing worse.

So Foggy had done what she could and carried what she could. Which is why when their most recent client had called her from jail in a tearful panic, Foggy hadn't hesitated to rub the lethargy out of her eyes before making her way down to the precinct.

How could she have known that a cop - their clients ex, she'd been told - would pull out a gun on them both? She'd done her best to distract and try to diffuse the situation till one of the other cups could tackle the maniac. But he'd been a lot more trigger happy than any of them expected. Pushing their client out of the way had been instinct. It's not like she had purposely let the bullet hit her. She was just slow. Sue her. Her reflexes aren't that great.

But is it bad that she was having fun basking in Matt's attention right now? Matt mother henning her, from adjusting the position of her bed to chiding her into drinking more water (This is the third glass Matt. Anymore and my bladder is going to burst") to even fluffing her pillow.

Unfortunately she doesn't get to enjoy it for long because despite what waking up from a very long sleep would suggest, she still feels exhausted. The pain-killers are weighing her limbs down and the filter between her brain and her mouth has turned from a sieve to a funnel and she doesn't really want to say anything she's going to regret. Not anything bitter or sharp. Just thoughts. Feelings. Things that she's not ready to face, let alone voice.

But she can't stop the warmth rising in her cheeks when Matt lifts a hand to her temple to push some stray strands behind her ear ("It's growing out", "I like it. It's more you", "Not very professional though", "Avocados don't follow society's idea of professionalism", "Well you got me there"). Or from curling her fingers around his hand when he grips hers between both of his, brought up to his lips as if in prayer.

Matt has never been able properly look at her of course. Hello! Blind! But even with his radar senses, the lack of use of his eyes and the presence of his glasses make it so that he never really bothers to adjust his pupils to give the illusion of eye contact. It took some effort and time but after a while she managed to learn how to read her best friend from his body language and the simple way he moved to communicate what he couldn't or wouldn't say.

From the difference between a fake laugh and a genuine one to the way he tilts his head when you had his full attention. How he stiffens when he's annoyed or pissed. The disparity of a toothy smile and a open lipped snarl.

Foggy knows her best friend. Has spent 10 years collecting bits and pieces of him and while Matt might disagree with the image Foggy has formed of him in her mind, Foggy refuses to budge on it. Matt insists that he's built with the devil under his skin and a fury that burns with it. Contrary to Matt's belief, Foggy has always seen and known that part of Matt existed. Its just, to Foggy, they didn't hide what laid underneath. The empathy and kindness that curled like roots from which all Matt's actions rose from. From pushing an old man out of the way of a speeding truck to starting a firm that barely earned pennies for the sake of helping the innocent to even his need to stalk the night with nothing but a cotton shirt protecting him from harm.

So foggy knows. She knows how Matt acts when he's around his friends. When he's around potential hook ups and even when he was with Elektra. Loath as Foggy was to see it.

But right here, right now, there's something different in the way Matt is moving. Something tender. His thumb swirling circles on the back of her hand. His lips brush over her knuckles. Chapped and rough but the kiss he leaves on them is lingering and hot from his breath.

Even as her eyes droop, Foggy's heart drums a furious beat that threatens to burst through her ribs.

"Matty?", Foggy barely manages to get his name out. So tired, blackness already easing her away from him. She feels more then see's one of Matt's hands gliding down to clasp her wrist while the other pulls hers closer to rest his cheek on the back of it.

"Sleep Foggy. We'll talk when you wake up"

She does and this time, nothing hurts.

[ultrahpfan5blog]

Reflecting on Superman and Lois season 1

Now that the season is over, its interesting to look back at a very stop start season. Its very difficult for a show to hold your interest with the type of scheduling problems this show had, and in its very first season. When the show was announced, I wasn't terribly surprised but I was also not overly excited. There has been a lot of Superman and Superman adjacent material that has come out before and after the announcement so I did wonder about what they could do new. In addition, while I certainly liked Tyler in his guest appearances in Supergirl, in Elseworlds, and in Crisis, he did feel like the inferior Superman in Crisis when he was opposite Brandon Routh's Superman who really looked and felt like Superman, even better than he did in Superman Returns. However, once the trailer dropped, I was sold. It was clear that the show was going for something a lot more cinematic and a lot more grounded than the previous Arrowverse shows. I did have some apprehensiveness over the teenage boys angle because teenagers can become very stereotypically irritating in shows and given that a good chunk of time was going to be dedicated to them, it was going to be vital for them not be so.

Having finished the season, I have to say that the execs and the writers have pulled off an excellent first season. I don't think I would call it the best season 1 in the Arrowverse. I still love The Flash season 1 over any other Arrowverse season and while I haven't seen it in a while, I love Arrow season 1 as well. This may come at 2nd or 3rd place based on further reflection. I do think its has some issues when it comes to the villain storyline and with the big action set pieces, but the film's heart is set at the right place and the characters are all very likable and you want to see conversations between the characters. That's when you know that the writers are doing a good job when you almost feel that the show should go back to the character moments.

Firstly, the idea of a matured Superman is what works wonderfully well. There is something wonderful about seeing Clark and Lois as a couple who have known and loved each other for over a decade. Closer to two decades I guess. Characters don't quite look their age tbh. Lois would have to be in her early 40's at least. But I can honestly overlook that. Bitsie and Tyler were already a very likable couple in Elseworlds and the show has just used that natural chemistry to brilliant effect. But the big relief was that Jordan Elsass and Alex Garfin are excellent as Jonathan and Jordan. I was initially a little worried that Jordan could be a little much, but both of them were excellent and one of the highlights of the season was the bond between the two brothers. Jordan and Jonathan have conflicts but they are brothers and they love and support each other unconditionally.

Jonathan could have so easily been the douchey, jealous brother but Elsass is honestly one of the mvp's of the season. You really care for Jonathan, even though he arguably has a slightly less meaty role in the story. I think Bitsie Tulloch is outstanding all season. She has shot up very high among all my favorite Lois Lanes. She's very different from the other versions and that makes her stand out. One of my favorite episodes was episode 8, which deals with Lois dealing with memories of her miscarriage along with almost losing Jonathan. She is excellent in that episode as is Elsass. Tyler is wonderful throughout. He's a strong Superman but his Clark is even more endearing. Little things like him being so psyched for the Harvest Festival, how he plays young Clark in flashbacks as someone distinctly different, him meeting Lois and working with her for the first time, the adorable "my mom made it" moment when Superman first saves a kid etc... He just embodies everything you know and love from the character. Wole Parks is another terrific addition. Initially you think he's an alternate version of Lex Luthor but it was genius idea to have him actually be John Henry Irons. There was something innately likable about him even when he was fighting Superman and we thought he was Lex. I loved how they handled the dynamic of being Lois' husband in another world and having a daughter. It makes for an interesting dynamic but it never gets into problematic territory because he is mature enough to know that this Lois isn't his Lois, but they also show his difficulty in dealing with that. I liked the bond he seemed to be forming with Jonathan. And I liked how he came along to be an ally with Superman.

The Cushings are ok. They play an important part in the season with Sarah Cushing being Jordan's love interest and Kyle being a big part of the how the villain story begins, with Lana also being a major character in the story. All three actors are excellent but Kyle does have the stereotypical doucheyness which was a little annoying for the first 10 episodes, however he does redeem himself in the final arc. I hope Lana gets to be a bit more active in the show because she does feel like a bit passive as a character. However, I did find that Sarah and Jordan romance actually pretty cute. Both actors did a nice job making them feel like awkward teenagers, dancing around their feelings for each other. Sam Lane is another character who starts out pretty unlikable but I warmed up to him by the end.

Where I think the show doesn't really work at full strength is the superheroic aspect of the show. The character drama in the show is great. I think it works gangbusters. The superhero plot of it all is a little meh. While Adam Rayner is perfectly fine as Edge/Tal-Rho, as a character he's just not that interesting. There is an interesting perspective there that he's sort of a mirror image to Clark where he got mistreated by people when he landed on Earth and that is how his worldview shaped that way, and he longed for family, but there isn't enough done on a character level with him. As a result, the last third of the season was a little iffy. The whole, build Krypton on Earth felt like a variation of Zod's plot in Man of Steel. The method is different but the eventual outcome is the same. I also don't know why all Kryptonians, apart from Lara, are homicidal maniacs, when they are said to be a peaceful race. The arc also becomes repetitive because there are like three climaxes. And I feel the finale was the weakest climax of the lot. Episode 10 or 12 would have served as better finales with a little tweaking. If I remember correctly, the original order was for 13 episodes and it got extended to 15, so this might be an explanation to why it feels this way. The action is fairly by the numbers. While it looks like there is clearly more money on display here than say for Supergirl or The Flash, the action scenes aren't particularly exciting or inventive.

While I am not super high on the finale, I am mostly happy with how things wrapped up. I think they should have had Tal-Rho die tragically because I really don't think he's interesting enough to be brought back again. The arrival of Natalie Irons will surely be a source of some emotionally charged scenes. i hope there is some character bonding between the her and the brothers. Jonathan seemed pretty interested in meeting her when he saw videos of her. I do wonder how the show will continue to incorporate Smallville as a setting. Season 1 obviously had a very specific plot based reason to be in Smallville, given Edge's plot was based in Smallville. But I can't imagine every big bad will have Smallville based plot. But the characters are all settled in Smallville, with the Cushings and Lois buy half the Gazette and running it with Christy. So that's going to be an interesting balancing act that they have to do. I hope they can bring in some traditional superheroics as well because Superman rogues gallery is rich enough. Out of the episodes, I think 6-8 were my favorites, and the flashbacks in episode 11 were incredibly charming. While the season is not flawless I don't think it completely nailed the superheroic heights that it was aiming for, it was a really entertaining season of tv. An 8/10 for me.