82/Breaking News

Breaking News
Date of Scene:	23 February 2020
Location:	Lois Lane's Apartment
Synopsis:	Lois Lane is visited by a very much Alive Superman.
Cast of Characters:	Clark Kent, Lois Lane

---

Clark Kent has posed:
The television is on, playing in the background. Most of it is news related to Tony Stark's announcement, but there's also coverage off and on of the near-disaster of flight 1495 that evening. The later night news replays a bunch of the coverage from earlier....

"Flight 1495," the anchor says, "of Delba Airlines, was in serious trouble, as it approached the United States this evening. The Boeing 777-300 en-route from Paris into John F. Kennedy international had serious engine trouble, and began a disastrous route, veering north towards Maine; the passenger flight of 300 was set to crash at lethal speeds.

A flying hero reportedly arrived, guiding the plane instead towards Massachusetts. Over a tense 15 minutes, the plane, engines on fire, was steered into a safe water landing in the ocean just outside of Boston. Live on the scene, we have Kyle Einster. Kyle?"

"Thanks Nancy; we're here at Boston International Airport, after a nail-biting time earlier today, let me tell you. As of 9:39PM, the plane reported landed, and search teams were ready to rescue all passengers. As of this report, all passengers and crew are accounted for as safely on land."

The camera returns to Nancy and her cohost. "What a relief. Last year, another plane rescue was attempted by heroes that ended in tragedy. The Homestar and his sidekick, Miss Mauve, attempted to catch a plane. Instead, the Homestar accidentally tore the plane in half as he attempted to steer it, while Miss Mauve created a massive hole through the nose into the cabin; all passengers and both heroes were killed in the foolhardy attempt."

The cohost nods in deep apparent sadness at the memory. "These enormous planes cannot just be grabbed by just anybody," he agrees. "The hero responsible for this rescue tonight is as yet unknown, though we have decent process of elimination, as so many were present for Tony Stark's announcement today," continues the cohost.

"Everyone is very happy with the response time for the emergency response teams, who have truly outdone themselves today," Kyle Einster inserts, gesturing behind him to the array of rescue vehicles and effort.

"We haven't seen a solo successful plane rescue like this one in some time -- not since Superman," observes the cohost.

The news anchor pauses, and sighs, "No, not since Superman..."

Lois Lane has posed:
Picking up her shoes from where they had been kicked off on the floor, Lois is straightening up her apartment when she keys into the words 'plane' and 'flying hero. There's a moment's pause before the words really strike her, and the shoe is dropped as she scrambles towards the TV, grabbing the remote and turning up the volume. She sits in front of it, on the floor, too distracted to scoot the five feet over to the couch. "No..."

She jolts when the anchors mention Superman, frowning at the television. Part of her wants to throw her shoe at it. Getting to her feet, she turns off the TV. Grabbing her phone, it takes her a moment to fish through her contacts. "Yeah, hi, I'm calling about the near crash that happened with a plane earlier?"

It's a long shot, but she paces back and forth as she listens, hoping there was some useful information that wasn't reported on. It wasn't enough. Not enough for hope, but it felt /so/ familiar. Hanging up the phone, she stalks out to the balcony.

Stepping out into the cold air, she regets not putting on shoes. "Superman?" She calls, but it's not loud. She feels like a fool saying it in the first place. Maybe if she were louder? "Superman!" It's louder, but she really feels ridiculous like this. She scrunches up her shoulders. "What the hell was I thinking..." She mutters, heading back inside to keep her toes from freezing.

Clark Kent has posed:
Two texts come in.

The first, her best buddy, Clark. The text reads, 'Finally home safe; insane traffic! Lenny says hi. See you at work tomorrow'. The man must have had a hell of a time getting to and from the airport to pick up Lenny.

The second, that includes something different. One of her contacts did a bit more for her, and sent her a list of some of the passengers, and a recording from a very lucky smaller news crew taped of some of the people being picked up by their loved ones from the crash group: "Yes, auntie, he was in all blue, like Superman," the little boy insists, twirling in a cirle with his arms out like an airplane. "Come now, Georgie, we're going to have tacos," auntie says. "Yum!" Georgie agrees.

Lois Lane has posed:
Feet still cold from the balcony, Lois shuffles over to find slippers before sinking down onto her couch. She glances at her messages, peering at Clark's before replying. 'You missed a lot. See you tomorrow.' She's really unsure of how to go into detail about everything, both how her interview with Tony Stark had gone and about this airplane situation, whatever it was. Part of her does want to clue him in that it's even a thing, but she still feels ridiculous. He had been dead long enough now that it was silly to think he was suddenly back.

The other text gets her attention. Watching the clip on her phone, she blinks a little bit. "From the mouths of babes," she murmurs the quote. "What if it's one of the others, though?" It wasn't as if there weren't others trying to fill in the large void Superman left.

Clark Kent has posed:
There's a strange rushing sound, as if a lot of strong wind suddenly hit the balcony doors and windows. A 'whummmmph' of air impact.

Years ago, that meant something. Sometimes it will get windy, and that same sound will be made: the rush of air against the glass pane.

It could be nothing.

Lois Lane has posed:
A bird? It must have been, the wind didn't seem to be that strong when she was out there a moment ago. Lois tilts her head to the side, the curiosity building as she gets to her slippered feet and shuffles her way towards the balcony doors, opening them to try and see if something had fallen there.

Clark Kent has posed:
There's a gift on the balcony. It isn't extravagant, it's very simple. It's a bundle of flowers, wrapped in a trailing, silky white ribbon, laying on the rail of the balcony's edge. Streamers of the white ribbon flutter in the night's wind.

There are red roses, beautifully arranged amidst larger white asiatic lilies. The star-spray of the white lilies are abundant, mixed with white alstroemeria, blue statice and red carnations around the edge of the bouquet. A little white card is tucked into the shiny pale cellophane that guards the flowers from stronger breezes.

    - S

Lois Lane has posed:
Very slowly, almost reluctantly, Lois braves the cold wind to creep across the balcony to where the flowers are. Scooping the bouquet up, she pulls out the card and almost drops it. It's gripped tight, suddenly, her gaze darting around quickly as if to see something. Someone. She swallows hard before calling, "This better not be a joke."

But she has to /know/ it's not a joke. She has to know this isn't just someone else trying to fuss with emotions she thought she had entirely in check. She retreats inside, not bothering to close the balcony's doors for the moment. The bouquet is set gingerly on the table, but the card is carried with her to the bedroom. Kneeling down next to her bed, she slides out a small blue box. Opening it up, she sifts through the papers.

News articles, mostly, but there are a few other items in the box as well. Pulling a small note out, she holds it up to the light. While the card from the flowers is heavier paper, she can hold both up to the light and place the lighter paper over the darker, lining up the writing so that the S...

"Oh my god."

Clark Kent has posed:
There was more than one time over the course of the ten years or so that he'd given her something. Generally, those things didn't have notes left, they were just small tokens.

But there's at least one other time when it was flowers. And another time when he was signing things at a charity, and she has evidence of what that looked like. Then again, so would other people. But that was the full name. This was just an S.

And the S was the same as flowers from 2011. The white lilies were consistent, as well.

Lois Lane has posed:
"This is..."

Lois Lane is entirely unsure what to do. It still feels like some trick. He was back? And hadn't told anyone? She spends another moment staring at the paper before tucking both back into the blue box and closing it. She carefully slides it back under her bed before she turns and heads back to the living room, where the cold air is coming from the still-open doors.

She marches her slipper clad feet to the entrance to the balcony, standing in the doorframe. "Are you going to come down here or do I have to stand here until I'm frozen?" It /sounds/ confident, but she doesn't feel it. It still feels like she's somehow screaming into the void.

Clark Kent has posed:
The night doesn't seem to have an answer for Lois's sassy tongue lashing. Is the person that brought the flowers there? Or did he rush off to go save another plane? Or is it even who she hopes it is, or some fragment of delayed hero gift-sending that showed up years too late?

The night offers no answers right away, no more than the symbol that the flowers represent sitting on the table just inside the balcony doors where Lois left them, the scent starting to enter the apartment.

Lois Lane has posed:
If it seems too good to be true, it often is. Lois is true to her word, though, and she stands there, despite the cold. She's glad, for a moment, that she bothered with the slippers earlier, though it doesn't do much to ward off the chilly air. She glances briefly in at the flowers, unsure if they'd still be there when she looked. Was it a trick? Did someone find this funny? Digging in old wounds like this would certainly be a low blow.

She gazes at the empty balcony, then moves out onto it proper, leaving the doorframe behind. "I... won't tell anyone, if it's you." That's a secret that hurts to even say. Superman, back from the dead? Not being able to tell anyone? She swallows hard. She's not even sure if he's listening. Even with his hearing being that sharp, he might not be paying attention anymore. Perhaps it was a rose-and-run thing.

She doesn't move, though, and she feels more and more foolish just standing there and hoping for a dead superhero to come back. Like she did when he died.

Clark Kent has posed:
There's no reply from the night. From Superman.

If he is truly alive, the return has been very cloaked: he did not unveil himself, saving the plane. If it is him, what could that mean? What could have changed?

Or perhaps none of it is real. There aren't any answers yet from the balcony, just some sounds of the city: a pair of people laughing together as they walk on the street far below, the echoes reaching up to the private balcony. Some flashing lights overhead show passage of a helicopter. The city seems to just go on with life, unawares.

Lois Lane has posed:
Minutes pass. Lois isn't doing well with this waiting, and it's not because of the cold. It's the lump in her throat and the perpetual Schrodinger's Superman, alive and dead at the same time. It's like a lead weight building up on her shoulders and slowly crushing her. Was he coming? Was he listening? Did he care? Why bring her those flowers and give her hope if he was just going to disappear into the void all over again.

"You can't just /do/ this to me!" She suddenly yells. Her eyes dart around for a flash of blue. Finding none, she continues. "It's not fair! You give me hope and then you run away? I manage to start to accept a world without Superman and then you make me think I have it back only to deny it to me?" She's getting choked up.

She stomps inside for a moment, almost losing a slipper in the process, the scoops up the flower. She moves over to the balcony's railing. "You get to choose. The world moves on without you or you stay hiding. You don't get both!" Angrily, she throws the flowers off the balcony.

Clark Kent has posed:
The flowers start to come loose of the bouquet as they're flung over the railing, but they don't fall apart; they're collected together gently by the broad hands of the hero coming up from below. He holds them loose, a disarray of the gift of roses and lilies. A gift intended to offer hope.

The hero levitating up through the air is undoubtedly Superman. How any of the others could possibly have been mistaken for this man may seem ludicrous, with him now actually present. Superman is not just a muscular man in an iconic costume: there's a /presence/ to Superman. Power, yes, but a temperance and depth to his gaze.

Superman does not say anything at first; he brings the slightly mangled bouquet to the level of the balcony, floating just off of the rail on the opposite side. His red cape furls and moves with the motion of flight and the chill on the balcony, but his expression doesn't change as he comes into the light of the balcony fully. It's a look that houses a lot of things, but mostly a softened serious one: a look saved just for her.

Lois Lane has posed:
It's that presence that almost knocks Lois over when he actually shows up. There's a lot of weight to the moment, both with him showing himself and with him clearly being /not dead/. She sucks in a deep breath and steadies herself. She's unsure of what she wants to say to him because everything is so complicated so she just doesn't. She takes a moment to look at him and take in that he's right there in front of her. Too many questions in her head.

She steps forward to the edge of the balcony's railing--it's the most she can do to bridge the amount of distance between them. Slowly, gingerly, she reaches out a hand to take back the flowers.

Clark Kent has posed:
Superman watches her expression, the impact of his arrival hitting her. The worry of how she'd react twists like a living thing of nerves in his own chest. She has every rigtht to be angry, or to let him have it, for being away. For not being there when she needed him, or wanted him.

He returns the flowers to her, brows coming down slightly as he looks at them, and finally speaks. The vision isn't just a vision: the voice confirms that it's really him. Another layer of reality, for another one of her senses: both sight and sound. "It was not my intention to keep you waiting so long," Superman says, a depth of sadness to his words. Her, or the world in general? Perhaps both, yet it may feel like it's being said to just /her/. And maybe it is.

Lois Lane has posed:
The flowers are taken and cradled in one arm. Lois reaches one hand out, as if to touch him and make sure he's real, but she quickly withdraws it. She's unsure if it's too familiar a gesture. She's unsure about a lot of things at the moment. It hits her like a dizzying wave, but she's still steady. It's just hard to stay focused when he's /right/ there.

"Did you really die? Have you been here this whole time?" It might sound like the reporter in her coming out, but in this particular instance it isn't. It's her wondering the depth of the impact. Had he been hiding from her from a day? A week? How long had he been just within reach yet hidden away?

Clark Kent has posed:
Superman repositions, in a quick little blur of motion. He moves from in front of her, her hand slightly extended towards him, to be on the Balcony nearby. It is about the same distance, but he is no longer hovering out in space. More importantly, there is no balcony railing in between them, as he stands before her on the balcony itself. No closer, but without that barrier. He gives her a moment to reorient on him before he answers her questions.

"I did. But I do not regret my choice," Superman replies. The choice to give everything to stop Doomsday. Everything that he had to give. "I have missed a great deal," is his answer to if he's been here. And suggestive of someone he missed.

Lois Lane has posed:
The reorientation, despite no difference in distance, feels weighty. He's /reachable/. Lois doesn't reach out again, not now, but it doesn't stop the flush of color in her cheeks for a brief moment. She watches him, she notes what she can. He's harder to read than most people because he's /Superman/, but he still has mannerisms that most people have. While the physical distance between them doesn't have a barrier, she can sense there's some in his words.

She lets out a slow breath. She doesn't ask how he's back, that's a reporter sort of question and this doesn't feel like a reporter sort of moment. This feels too raw for her to think about the story. So why was she so emotionally invested?

"I wish you had come back sooner," she says. It's all she can think of to say.

Clark Kent has posed:
And Superman can sense the tension between them, the weight to the very air here, that feels tight with emotions. His own, those he can feel most intimately, but the feelings he can also see on her face, hear in her heartbeat. And all he can do is incline his head into her wish. He is sorry, and there is agreement, but he doesn't speak of that directly.

"I'll do what is within my power to stay within reach," Superman answers quietly. His eyes move from her face to the flowers she's holding, and he moves one hand, slowly, to guide one of the roses that was falling loose back into the bouquet. For a man that just moved an airplane, there is an extreme level of gentleness with the rose; it is not even bruised as he moves the stem back into the bundle among the other flowers.

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois' eyes follow his hand's every movement as he fixes the roses. The gentleness of the movement versus the power of stopping an airplane is not lost on her. It always amazed her before when he did something to save the day, but she wasn't usually able to see the other end of the spectrum, especially not this close. Her hand moves, although it seems unsure, to touch his chest. Perhaps to feel that he's there, perhaps to prove his statement true.

"I can't tell," she says slowly, "if the flowers are an apology or something else."

Clark Kent has posed:
Clark -- err, Superman -- releases a slow breath through his nose: a quiet, very subtle sigh. He doesn't move as she brings her hand to touch his chest. The iconic red 'S' on his chest set on a field of gold is a slightly raised pattern off of the form-fitted deep blue of the suit. There's a texture both to the blue, as well as the red overlapping gold, an edge there along the emblem that a finger can easily trace and follow. His presence is very physically real, with a body heat evident despite the cold night. The chill does nothing to the heroic beacon.

"Can they be both?" Superman asks, a subtle smile emerging: a mix of both kindness and self-awareness. It is perhaps primarily apologetic, but also reserved.

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois takes advantage of the texture, feeling it beneath her fingertips with a slight motion she's probably not aware she's doing. In fact, she's definitely not or she would have put a stop to it. His answer to her prior statement has her tip her head just a bit. "They can be both," she agrees. Part of her wants to leave it be, but the other part of her wins out. She doesn't want to back him into a corner, but...

"So what's the 'something else' then?"

Clark Kent has posed:
It may seem that death did have an effect on the large superhero. Or perhaps such an experience just has an impact on a person, to help them evaluate what they want, or who they are. It would be entirely expected for someone to come back from the dead and have a different view on life. Yet it may not feel like that: instead, this may just feel familiar. Did he really leave? If it feels familiar, is it just that easy to resume what had sparked from years before, before he was lost to the world - lost to /her/?

For him, there's a very human side that has held back, has been leashed, that he often keeps separate from 'Superman'. Clark has tried to decide if Superman should stay buried: if that side of him that is /Superman/ should be dormant. And now, faced with the ability to act on the other things, so dormant, related to Lois, there's an unwillingness that those feelings remain buried there, too. Superman gets to say the things to Lois that Clark, the mild reporter, shouldn't. Can't, for fear of rejection, or...

"That there could be something else," Superman answers her, his tone lower, but still full of a gentle, accepting warmth. His broad hand moves, lifting just to slightly touch the edge of her elbow and forearm - that she's extended out to him - with his bare palm: barely a brush there. It has a curve to it that welcomes her examination of him being physically there, not rejecting.

Lois Lane has posed:
It does feel familiar. Lois remembered very well their interactions, the times he'd saved her, the times she'd coaxed him to let him interview her, the times that she'd looked at him and thought she saw a connection. Even now, though, it was all so contained, his words were so careful, like he was scared of her or scared she might break. The way he held back reminded her of someone. She doesn't dwell on it.

"I didn't know if there was an interest there. Superman could have anyone he wanted, so was I just reading in too hard? I could never be entirely sure." She pauses. "But standing here listening to you, I'm starting to wonder if I scare you a little bit. If I make you nervous." There's a coy smile. "Imagine, me making /you/ nervous."

Clark Kent has posed:
"Closeness to me comes with a high level of danger. Not from me, but from those that would move to harm me," Superman replies. "When I return to life..." -- When, not if --- "that will return, as well," he explains. While Superman is alive, there are enemies. For this brief window, however long it does hold while he is not known to the world, there is a safety. Until Superman returns, and the eye of the world is once again on him as a defender of the planet.

"Nervous -- perhaps: that I might bring harm to you," Superman finishes graciously. The man has always had a way of turning even something normally seen to be a weakness into something positive: his protection over her.

Lois Lane has posed:
"If you live your life in fear, you'll never live your life. There are plenty of heroes who live normal lives, who experience joy and sadness alongside others who are close to them."

Lois gives him a stern look. "You think I'm scared? You've saved me countless times. You think I'm afraid to face something harmful or dangerous? There are things worth any kind of danger. That's why I run into things. What I value is more important than the risk."

Clark Kent has posed:
A lot of the professional distance has crumbled away. It started when Superman moved across that balcony rail: he put himself into reach of her both physically and emotionally. That the gift was more than an apology, but also an opened door, should she choose to step towards him.

Superman's expression is still a quiet smile as she defends herself about being scared or not. "I do not think you are scared, Lois," he clarifies, his voice deep, comfortably coming from the baritone of his chest. Yet the way he says her name? He's said her name /countless/ times, and there's an inflection on it. But moving on...

"Not with as many ... predicaments as I have seen you in," he says, a kind teasing in it. His palm still cups at her elbow, a barely lingering touch there, fingers warm on the chilly balcony. He senses the cold on her skin, and orients a little bit, turning blue eyes towards the open doors. "You do not need to freeze in order to talk to me."

Lois Lane has posed:
Hearing her name from his lips sends a little shiver down Lois' spine. Until he mentions the cold and she's not entirely sure that's what the shiver was from. "I was going to ask if you wanted to come inside because I was freezing but the moment never seemed right," Lois says, a bit sheepishly. "So yes, I am very cold so I am going to go inside now and I swear to god if I walk in that door and you're not right behind me when I turn around I am never going to forgive you."

There's a part of her that expects him to just fly away, even after their conversation. She heads for the still open doors to walk inside, bouquet still cradled in one arm.

Clark Kent has posed:
After she enters fully, there's a sound behind her - enough possibly to make her fear the worst, that when she turns to look he'll be gone, leaving only the empty night - but the sounds was related to him closing the doors. It is not as if a closed door would stop him when he decides to leave.

Still, Superman is a big figure, generally seen from afar in situations where a building is collapsing -- and standing in her apartment, framed with the doors leading to the balcony, is probably an unusual situation. He stands with his confident, heroic stance, shoulders back, arms moving to cross: it is a familiar pose, common to Superman, usually in many of the photos. There are many press releases involving the opening of a charity, and Superman stands in the background, solid and dependable, with his arms crossed just in this way.

There is very little left to imagination of the hero physically: the suit accents his physique, making him far larger than life, and an odd mesh with the apartment. His eyes move around it, no doubt picking up on every little human flaw or item that is askew - though there's nothing there that suggests judgment of her or her home.

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois is now very glad she remembered to shove that box under her bed. She retreats to the kitchen only momentarily to put the flowers in a vase, returning rather quickly to make sure that there was, indeed, Superman in her living room. This was certainly a /different/ situation and she's trying not to feel awkward about it. She's already looking at all the things that need straightened, and her pile of work papers that need put away.

"Er, sorry, I didn't really get to clean up much." Now her cheeks are flushing. "I guess it's just a little strange to try and picture you in a domestic setting. You're always so... larger than life. Out of reach."

Clark Kent has posed:
A lot of things have happened in the last ten minutes. Superman being /alive/. Superman being present on her balcony. Superman giving her a gift. Superman in her living room.

"I can pretend to not eat or sleep if it helps your image of me," offers the generous hero, in a gently teasing tone. He cocks his head to the side a little bit with a minute shift of body, a liquid motion that moves through the musculature of his left shoulder and heavy upper arm. As he adjusts one shoulderblade, so does move the long red cape, a silent brush of it there.

Lois Lane has posed:
"It's not as if you aren't a person, Superman," Lois says, rolling her eyes. "I think it's just the outfit. It'd be just as weird if someone in a wetsuit with a snorkel were in my kitchen. Weird outfit for a place they're probably regularly in. Although you're not regularly in my living room." She pauses, a thought striking her. "You implied there might be something else. Does that mean I get to see you in a more casual outfit where you look a little more at home in an apartment?"

Uh oh.

Clark Kent has posed:
Both dark brows lift, and Superman laughs. It's a comfortable, relaxed sound, one that encourages others around him to smile. Superman has an infectious positivity, so much of the time, and it emerges. The wetsuit comment certainly was an amusing image, and rather apt to the situation. He's pretending not to feel awkward: though truthfully, it is not all that awkward to him. Superman has never been an identity he felt awkward in. The awkwardness in her apartment has little to do with how he's dressed: at least, for him. He's been in her apartment loads of times - as Clark.

The awkwardness is more about pretending that this is new. That he doesn't know where she keeps her favorite coffee mug. Or any number of things.

"Let's save that for another time." Which is definitely not now. Maybe someday he can deal with that, but it is not on the day he's deciding whether Superman is truly alive of not.

Lois Lane has posed:
It's not a yes, but it's not a no either. Lois considers the situation. Yes, she knows Superman is alive, but there's still a nebulous assessment of feelings. Something more? It was vague. He had been very cautious with his words. There's still some uncertainty there. She studies him carefully, doing her best to read the unreadable man. "Well, I do hope you'll trust me with that soon. Easier to know a person when you know all of them... and how they take their coffee."

There's a smile. She's trying to be playful. She's trying to drag herself back from all the emotions she's experienced and is very much still experiencing.

Clark Kent has posed:
There's a pause. A somewhat long breath, as if Superman were about to say something of great import. It is the same as if he had approached a microphone at the head of a press conference, and the group fell into a natural hush. Superman and his presence, and manner of adding a solumn weight to things. It's both him naturally, as well as the uniform: he's a walking symbol.

"Americano," Superman says, distinctly. Americano is his coffee preference.

Lois no doubt knows a few other people that prefer that. Clark's one of them. But he's not the only one.

Superman then moves one arm out of the crossed posture just a small amount, to tap one finger against his other blue forearm. "I have not worn this suit in a while. I wanted to be sure you recognized me," Superman says, with a depth of honesty. "I didn't want you to have to question... if I were still dead."

Lois Lane has posed:
"I mean, you've kept things a secret for years, if I saw you out of that suit I doubt I'd know it's you," Lois comments, moving to sit on the couch. "I thought you weren't dead, for a while. I tried to pursue leads, see if I could find anything after you died. Surely not Superman. It took a while before I gave up. But every now and again I'd hear about something and wonder. Your ghost was likely going to haunt me for the rest of my days."

Clark Kent has posed:
"I was dead," Superman says, his tone lacking in inflection. There's a weight of the statement. He did die. That did happen. He wasn't in a coma somewhere or anything else. He died.

Superman approaches the couch, though he doesn't sit on it; he stands near the arm of the couch. Sitting in an apartment on a couch as Superman would be weird. He's done it at home in private, but there's an oddness to wrecking her view of /Superman/ by doing it now.

"It took a toll. Both that, and being revived," Superman says, with a genuine depth of emotional stress. He doesn't really hide it; brows are down, brilliant blue eyes clouded. Superman is not shrunk by the emotion, though: more that it empowers him: his humanity is part of his power. His willingness to use his emotions - his loyalty, his love, his loss, his pain.

"I am not invulnerable. I am sorry to have made you lose hope," Superman says. He is, of course, entirely overlooking the 'hope' that explodes with the idea that Superman /came back from the dead/.

Lois Lane has posed:
"Are you different?" In some ways, Lois already knows the obvious answer is yes. You can't go through a traumatic experience like that without it having an effect on you. Even Superman has his vulnerabilities. "I mean, in that you don't feel like you are the same person anymore?" There's some weight in the way that she says that. She's wondering how much things have changed.

She saves room on the couch, should he decide that Superman is the kind of person who sits on couches now. "I never expected you to be invulnerable. I'm sure that's an expectation many make on you, though. But I think it was less of losing hope and more of trying to accept you were gone." He had a huge impact on her life--accepting that he was gone took her longer than she'd care to admit.

Clark Kent has posed:
The mixed pain parts like clouds out of his gaze, and his smile for Lois is wholesome, with a deepened warmth and kindness to it. It is the heroic side of Superman: the side that cares deeply, and rescues kittens from trees as much as he guides planes to land or stops villains bent on harming others. "I am Superman," Superman says simply. He doesn't sit on the couch but he does bridge the gap to place a palm very softly on her arm near her wrist. It's a warm touch of bare hand.

Superman is a little bit /overwhelming/ at close range, though: he's physically very large, the suit not downplaying the musculature whatsoever, and there's a lot of space taken up with the size of personality, as well.

"That has not changed, and will not change." He's saying it to her, but in a way, saying it to himself. He can't bury Superman like he's dead. And he is the same person. "Whether the world needs Superman -- is different."

Lois Lane has posed:
"The world has always needed Superman," Lois points out, matter of factly. "And its people have always needed Superman. You stand for so much, so many different things for so many different people, but you still represent things. You've got Superman the symbol as much as you have Superman the person." She takes a moment, getting to her feet so it's much easier to be on his level, even if he is a much more imposing figure.

"People have a tendency to forget that you're a person, I think. It is a little weird to think of you in my living room, after all. But I think the important thing is that you live your life. Don't let what they tell you you are be all that you are unless that's all you want."

Clark Kent has posed:
"I hope to be what is needed. I'm honored to be such a symbol. I will gladly carry that, and lead others to be the best versions of themselves, for as long as I am able to do so, and for as long as there are those that need me," Superman speaks from the heart, there's no rehersal in it. He will step up. Always. If that is what is best. The selflessness is thick: there's zero pride in it. He doesn't get high on power.

He is a person, she observes. More than anything, Clark does just want to be a /person/. Clark wants to give her something. But what can he give her? And then it's easy. He can give her the truth. And knowing that he can do that soothes some of the frustration, the /guilt/, of lying by omission...

"Under /everything/ else, I am Kal-El," Superman says, with a quiet, confidential tone that clearly identifies the weight of that statement. Of giving her his name. "Should you start to forget."

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois likes hearing the Superman speeches. They're heroic. It's the type of thing that makes good news. Superman makes for a great article--it's how she really built her career. "Then I'm glad that you can be there for that. People need hope, wherever they can find it."

But she can't dwell too much on the public heroicism of Superman. Not when there's a /person/ in front of her. "Kal-El," she echoes. Not a secret identity, but it's /him/. She'd forgotten how much of a pro he was at giving her something, just enough to hold onto, but keeping his distance. It feels similar.

"Tell me, what does Kal-El want? Superman's wants are fodder for an article. But this isn't an article. This is me and you alone in a room."

Clark Kent has posed:
It is the pair of them alone in a room. Not an uncomfortable or unfamiliar thing. Clark has been in a room alone with Lois so many times. A copy room, a stakeout car, even this same living room. He knows her so well. It was just a different situation. Even the 'was it a date?' was still through a filter. A filter of the omission of truth, of acting another way, of protecting his secret identity. It began with a clear awareness that he couldn't tell her - and now it's been over a decade. It just stays the way it always was.

"That I don't want to die again... without telling you that there is 'something'," Superman/Kal-El answers, when she asks what he wants. He draws up a hand near the side of her face, near her hair, but doesn't touch. There's that distance: giving himself enough to hold onto, but keeping the distance. Keeping her safe.

"I know I have put a lot on you tonight," he continues. "I'll give you some time." Considerate as always, his expression shows no fear or worry, and coaxes her towards the same. Things will be all right. Superman makes things all right; that's his job.

Lois Lane has posed:
There's the distance. He's afraid. Lois isn't sure why. Is it really just being afraid she'll get hurt? Or is he afraid of being the one to hurt her? The admission of 'something' seems like progress, but when he reaches out but keeps her at a physical distance, she gives him a look. It's not /mean/, but it's serious.

Her hand reaches up, moves over the top of his, and pushes his hand in, to force him to bridge the gap between his palm and the side of her face. If successful, her hand retreats before she looks at him seriously. "I told you on that balcony that you could either hide or the world would move on without you. You're hiding, Kal-El."

Clark Kent has posed:
There's more of a holding back, for whatever reason, that is reading as fear. It's mixed in there, though. A long legacy of trying to keep her safe and happy from afar, without letting himself have things he may want, to say things he may want. A culture of extreme self-control: to never use his power incorrectly, that also filters down into how he approaches everything. To not be honest about things, maybe even to himself, for fear of what could happen.

Lois draws his hand in to her cheek, and there's no resistance. He's gentle as always, but doesn't treat her like she's breakable. He is confident in his control to not harm, to be able to cradle her cheek, fingers settling near the curve of her ear. It's oddly comfortable. And he relaxes.

"I know," Kal-El answers, with an accepting, quiet smile. He can own it, allow her to call him out on it: she's right.

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois begins to reach up to put her hand over his again to keep it where it rests, as if it might fly away again, but she stops. She's making it a point to let him make the choice if it remains there and for how long. She does, however, shut her eyes. The affectionate gesture is something she wants to enjoy for a moment. It's something that has escaped her for years. It's a step in a direction that she's not sure she's even able to map out yet.

Opening her eyes again, she peeks at him. "Oh good. You're still there."

Clark Kent has posed:
Superman nods once. He's moved closer by about a foot, but isn't extremely close yet. He's looking at her, but not really examining. There's no need to study here to remember her face or hold that into his memory vault.

She's been in there for years.

"And if you need me, you can call," Superman answers. "Just don't abuse the privledge," he adds, with a smile and slight narrowing of eyes at the gentle joke.

Lois Lane has posed:
It's strange to see him closer than before. It's not as if she'd never been that close to him, but it made a different with context. Lois looks back at him, a wry smile appearing at his 'joke'. "Would I ever abuse that privledge? Why, I don't think I've ever called when I haven't been in serious danger. Except maybe once, but then I believe I asked politely and not in my 'hey there's a gun pointed at me' voice."

There's a bit of her sass back. It's interesting to see how the edges to bits of her personality blur when he's around. She can bite with her wit, sure, but there's a softness to everything when he's around. They certainly are each others' weak points.

Clark Kent has posed:
"I see: more guns did mean I visited more. We'll have to adjust that," Superman answers. His hand moves a bit on her cheek, an adjustment of the cradle to gently pass fingertips along her cheek down to her chin. A soft, warm pass of touch.

"I do need to go," Superman says, with a clear weight, covering the unhappiness badly. "But we can decide what the 'something' is, soon." The offer is comfortable, it doesn't stem out of fear. There's hope there. He felt something between them, and for once he doesn't have to pretend he doesn't. But he also knows she has to process it. His being alive, without all of the rest of it....

"...And we can see about your article," he says, with an amusement in his eyes. He can anticipate what she may want!

Lois Lane has posed:
"You're damn right I'm going to be the one writing this article!" Lois is a little too excited about that one. The last article she wrote about him, well... less excited, but it was award-winning. "I am trusting you to come back, Superman. Both for me and the article. I won't lie if I'm not more interested in one over the other for once..."

She's not telling which that is, though!

Clark Kent has posed:
"'Lois Lane always gets the Scoop,'" Superman answers. If she'd ever wondered if he knew about her career more deeply, or kept an eye on her: now she knows for sure.

"Superman is alive; get started if you would like to. And we can fill in some details." That applies both to her, and to the article, in the same way she meant it. Exactly the same way...

His hand remains close, a soft move of thumb against the tip of her chin, and a gentle smile that holds a little bit more unsaid emotion.... and then there's the sudden breeze that heralds his departure.

Lois Lane has posed:
There's a few moments where Lois stands, staring at the doors to the balcony where she's entirely unsure that it all just happened. Her eyes go to the flowers in the vase, then back to the balcony. She tries to find some coherant way to process it all, but nothing comes out. She sinks down, right where she's standing, not bothering to move to the couch and sits on the floor. And that's where she plans to stay for a while.