Character Trait Challenge: Fanfic - Smallville (1297 words)
Below is one scene from a Smallville fan fiction story:- Five Ways Clark Kent Seduced Lex Luthor. (Clark/Lex)
Traits - cheerful, easygoing, engaging, with a discussion of good vs. evil.
Mid-morning Saturday Lex pushed away from his desk. He had been catching up on a few emails he needed to answer before beginning his relaxing weekend. Leaving his sterile office in the castle, he walked down two long hallways and up one flight of steps to the sun room and looked around in amazement. When had Clark moved in?
The teenager sprawled on the large leather couch was basking in the sunlight. Lex was reminded of a large male lion, except he would classify Clark as a juvenile, not in complete control of his gangly limbs and still able to contort his body like a pretzel and look relaxed while doing so.
The sunlight pouring in through the row of high windows near the ceiling appeared to be focused on the couch and Clark was soaking them up. In the far corner, work boots had been discarded. Flung carelessly over another armchair was a battered corduroy jacket that had seen better days. Clark’s knapsack was propped up against the couch empty of its contents.
How did Lex know that? Because he could track where the teenager had been by the piles of abandoned schoolbooks - Math near the window, Geography on the floor, English Literature currently on the couch.
Mrs. Beven, his cook, had obviously spent a productive morning. The low coffee table had several trays filled with an assortment of mini sandwiches, which Clark had nicknamed "sandies” months ago, as well as a variety of meat-filled crescent shaped flour puffs, which the cook called empanadas. The irrepressible teen had tried to name them “pandies” but Lex's stern expression at the suggestion had forestalled that name tag.
Taking in the disorder of the room, Lex was about to make a snide comment about farm boys and barns with a metaphor about pig’s ears and a silk purse when his attention was caught by the exchange on the wide screen television. Clark was tuned to his favorite cartoon. Though, Lex amended judiciously, all cartoons were his favorites. However, the teenager appeared to have a slight partiality to the science fiction and fantasy genre. Star Wars and Transformers Prime had the ability to hold his affection and attention no matter the time.
Following the characters on screen for a few minutes, Lex became horrified.
"You know I hate to imitate your father, Clark, but what a load of horse hooey!"
Smiling secretively, the easygoing teenager reached for a pandie. Lex might have thought he had prevented Clark from calling Mrs. Beven's delicious empanadas pandies, but Lex knew better. And Clark knew Lex knew better. The teenager also knew his friend was about to launch into some vitriol aimed at the cartoon showing on the screen and he was looking forward to it.
Clark considered it his duty to keep Lex occupied with pleasurable non-work activities on the weekend. And lecturing was one of Lex's favorite activities.
Eyeing the treat in his hand thoughtfully, Clark asked, "What's got you so upset that you're channeling my dad?"
"And don't think I don't know what you're calling those things..." Lex figured he might as well throw that in for Good measure since he was in a corrective mood. Some days Clark’s inner stubbornness was enough to make him grouchy. Though, in reality, he was actually charmed by Clark’s mulish adherence to certain oddities such as nicknames and plaid.
"Mmmm, you know me so well." Clark's white teeth bit precisely into the center of the spicy chicken snack and he closed his eyes savoring the sun, the food and the company. This was the way to spend Saturdays. His chores were complete and he was free for the day and he chose to spend it with his best friend.
"That,” Lex gestured at the television, "That bunch of drivel."
"Uh huh,” Clark’s tone was absolutely neutral, just about daring Lex to launch into an all-inclusive diatribe.
Walking around the couch, Lex flopped down, twisted to face his friend and leaned forward to begin his harangue.
"Why is it that Evil is never given respect while Good is honored?"
Clark's eyes blinked open and his eyebrows shot up. That wasn't what he was expecting. But then he never knew which circuitous tangent Lex felt he had to chase.
"You think Good gets more respect than Evil?" Clark's brow wrinkled in confusion as he tried to understand.
"Of course I do. Look at what just happened. Megatron gave Starscream an order to build one thousand of those little robot attack monsters."
"Yeah?" Clark was still not following.
"The Decepticons are trying to prevent Optimus from getting the Energon core."
Clark was thoroughly enchanted that Lex knew about Megatron and Starscream, had grasped the plot of the Transformers Prime episode in one comprehensive glance, and appeared to be intimately acquainted with the Decepticon hierarchy.
Jabbing Clark's chest hard, Lex continued, "Does Megatron ask poor Starscream how he's going to manage? Poor Starscream has no resources. Zip! Nada! Yet he's expected to create these attack robots from what? What, I ask? Furthermore, he has Megatron chiding him for not achieving benchmarks and making deadlines."
Rubbing his chest absently, Clark murmured softly in protest, "Ow!"
He then spoiled it by grinning and egging Lex on, "You think Evil should be respected because they get things done without resources."
"Certainly." Lex stated flatly as he recalled some of his father’s impossible demands for the fertilizer plant to increase production and become more efficient without financial investment.
The young man glanced at Clark's hand soothing his chest and dismissed it airily, "Don't even try to distract me, Clark. That little tap was barely a touch. Anyway, misdirection won't sway me."
"I am an amateur at the feet of the master," Clark tilted his head slightly to pay homage.
Warming to his theme, Lex continued, "Let's reverse this and say Optimus told Bumblebee to build one thousand friendly robots."
Clark nodded dubiously.
"What do you think you'll see portrayed? In a base attempt to secure the viewers’ loyalty to the Good side, you'll see Bumblebee going to scrap heaps, scrounging for raw materials, working by one single-" That number earned Clark another jab at his chest. "-light bulb to create a friendly robot that works."
Clark placed a tuna sandie in Lex's hand who bit into it while continuing emphatically, "All the while, a majestic overture swells thunderously as Good works to make something from nothing."
Nodding thoughtfully, Clark interjected, "The audience doesn't see Evil doing the same."
Finishing his sandwich and reaching for another, Lex agreed vigorously, "Exactly! The viewer never gets to see that Evil has the same problems as Good. Starscream had to work just as hard as Bumblebee with limited resources to make those attack robots."
Following Lex's argument, Clark said, "But we never saw Starscream toiling."
Munching on his second sandie, Lex spoke around an almost full mouth, "Ergo, we respect Good but not Evil because we never saw the efforts of Evil."
Subsiding, his point made, Lex took the bottle of Tynant water Clark had waiting for him.
"Y'know you've given me a whole new appreciation of Evil. And for that I surrender the remote."
Edging closer and settling into a warm spot near Clark, Lex savored his victory by taking the remote. He scanned quickly through the channels to find something that would amuse Clark. He could be magnanimous in his victory.
"And by the way Clark, I know you're calling those empanadas, pandies."
Eyes closed, relishing the sunbeams dancing across body, Clark smiled secretively and mumbled, "Stick with the battles you can win, Lex."
Sliding even closer to Clark, Lex grumbled softly, "Hmph!"
The two friends settled on a comedy, content and amicable after their mutual victories.
Traits - cheerful, easygoing, engaging, with a discussion of good vs. evil.
Mid-morning Saturday Lex pushed away from his desk. He had been catching up on a few emails he needed to answer before beginning his relaxing weekend. Leaving his sterile office in the castle, he walked down two long hallways and up one flight of steps to the sun room and looked around in amazement. When had Clark moved in?
The teenager sprawled on the large leather couch was basking in the sunlight. Lex was reminded of a large male lion, except he would classify Clark as a juvenile, not in complete control of his gangly limbs and still able to contort his body like a pretzel and look relaxed while doing so.
The sunlight pouring in through the row of high windows near the ceiling appeared to be focused on the couch and Clark was soaking them up. In the far corner, work boots had been discarded. Flung carelessly over another armchair was a battered corduroy jacket that had seen better days. Clark’s knapsack was propped up against the couch empty of its contents.
How did Lex know that? Because he could track where the teenager had been by the piles of abandoned schoolbooks - Math near the window, Geography on the floor, English Literature currently on the couch.
Mrs. Beven, his cook, had obviously spent a productive morning. The low coffee table had several trays filled with an assortment of mini sandwiches, which Clark had nicknamed "sandies” months ago, as well as a variety of meat-filled crescent shaped flour puffs, which the cook called empanadas. The irrepressible teen had tried to name them “pandies” but Lex's stern expression at the suggestion had forestalled that name tag.
Taking in the disorder of the room, Lex was about to make a snide comment about farm boys and barns with a metaphor about pig’s ears and a silk purse when his attention was caught by the exchange on the wide screen television. Clark was tuned to his favorite cartoon. Though, Lex amended judiciously, all cartoons were his favorites. However, the teenager appeared to have a slight partiality to the science fiction and fantasy genre. Star Wars and Transformers Prime had the ability to hold his affection and attention no matter the time.
Following the characters on screen for a few minutes, Lex became horrified.
"You know I hate to imitate your father, Clark, but what a load of horse hooey!"
Smiling secretively, the easygoing teenager reached for a pandie. Lex might have thought he had prevented Clark from calling Mrs. Beven's delicious empanadas pandies, but Lex knew better. And Clark knew Lex knew better. The teenager also knew his friend was about to launch into some vitriol aimed at the cartoon showing on the screen and he was looking forward to it.
Clark considered it his duty to keep Lex occupied with pleasurable non-work activities on the weekend. And lecturing was one of Lex's favorite activities.
Eyeing the treat in his hand thoughtfully, Clark asked, "What's got you so upset that you're channeling my dad?"
"And don't think I don't know what you're calling those things..." Lex figured he might as well throw that in for Good measure since he was in a corrective mood. Some days Clark’s inner stubbornness was enough to make him grouchy. Though, in reality, he was actually charmed by Clark’s mulish adherence to certain oddities such as nicknames and plaid.
"Mmmm, you know me so well." Clark's white teeth bit precisely into the center of the spicy chicken snack and he closed his eyes savoring the sun, the food and the company. This was the way to spend Saturdays. His chores were complete and he was free for the day and he chose to spend it with his best friend.
"That,” Lex gestured at the television, "That bunch of drivel."
"Uh huh,” Clark’s tone was absolutely neutral, just about daring Lex to launch into an all-inclusive diatribe.
Walking around the couch, Lex flopped down, twisted to face his friend and leaned forward to begin his harangue.
"Why is it that Evil is never given respect while Good is honored?"
Clark's eyes blinked open and his eyebrows shot up. That wasn't what he was expecting. But then he never knew which circuitous tangent Lex felt he had to chase.
"You think Good gets more respect than Evil?" Clark's brow wrinkled in confusion as he tried to understand.
"Of course I do. Look at what just happened. Megatron gave Starscream an order to build one thousand of those little robot attack monsters."
"Yeah?" Clark was still not following.
"The Decepticons are trying to prevent Optimus from getting the Energon core."
Clark was thoroughly enchanted that Lex knew about Megatron and Starscream, had grasped the plot of the Transformers Prime episode in one comprehensive glance, and appeared to be intimately acquainted with the Decepticon hierarchy.
Jabbing Clark's chest hard, Lex continued, "Does Megatron ask poor Starscream how he's going to manage? Poor Starscream has no resources. Zip! Nada! Yet he's expected to create these attack robots from what? What, I ask? Furthermore, he has Megatron chiding him for not achieving benchmarks and making deadlines."
Rubbing his chest absently, Clark murmured softly in protest, "Ow!"
He then spoiled it by grinning and egging Lex on, "You think Evil should be respected because they get things done without resources."
"Certainly." Lex stated flatly as he recalled some of his father’s impossible demands for the fertilizer plant to increase production and become more efficient without financial investment.
The young man glanced at Clark's hand soothing his chest and dismissed it airily, "Don't even try to distract me, Clark. That little tap was barely a touch. Anyway, misdirection won't sway me."
"I am an amateur at the feet of the master," Clark tilted his head slightly to pay homage.
Warming to his theme, Lex continued, "Let's reverse this and say Optimus told Bumblebee to build one thousand friendly robots."
Clark nodded dubiously.
"What do you think you'll see portrayed? In a base attempt to secure the viewers’ loyalty to the Good side, you'll see Bumblebee going to scrap heaps, scrounging for raw materials, working by one single-" That number earned Clark another jab at his chest. "-light bulb to create a friendly robot that works."
Clark placed a tuna sandie in Lex's hand who bit into it while continuing emphatically, "All the while, a majestic overture swells thunderously as Good works to make something from nothing."
Nodding thoughtfully, Clark interjected, "The audience doesn't see Evil doing the same."
Finishing his sandwich and reaching for another, Lex agreed vigorously, "Exactly! The viewer never gets to see that Evil has the same problems as Good. Starscream had to work just as hard as Bumblebee with limited resources to make those attack robots."
Following Lex's argument, Clark said, "But we never saw Starscream toiling."
Munching on his second sandie, Lex spoke around an almost full mouth, "Ergo, we respect Good but not Evil because we never saw the efforts of Evil."
Subsiding, his point made, Lex took the bottle of Tynant water Clark had waiting for him.
"Y'know you've given me a whole new appreciation of Evil. And for that I surrender the remote."
Edging closer and settling into a warm spot near Clark, Lex savored his victory by taking the remote. He scanned quickly through the channels to find something that would amuse Clark. He could be magnanimous in his victory.
"And by the way Clark, I know you're calling those empanadas, pandies."
Eyes closed, relishing the sunbeams dancing across body, Clark smiled secretively and mumbled, "Stick with the battles you can win, Lex."
Sliding even closer to Clark, Lex grumbled softly, "Hmph!"
The two friends settled on a comedy, content and amicable after their mutual victories.