I had to get this out somehow.
Jun. 20th, 2003 11:38 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hackthis_archiveOnce upon a time I had a grand plan for my ‘Five Things’ story. Sadly, I’ve been stewing the same thing for the last six months and it never got written. Finally, I said sod it. Trying to be expository and prosaic isn’t my thing, meaning I love to read it, I just can’t fucking do it. So. I decided to do it my way: short, bitter and directly to the point.
Smallville
The Five Deaths of Peter Allen Ross
Alexander Joseph Luthor
The raised voices were Pete’s first sign: his mom and dad never argued about anything where he might hear.
The second sign was when he mother whacked his dad in the back of the head with the newspaper. It wasn’t one of those playful parental moments that made Pete want to gag. This one looked like it hurt, and it made Pete pause in the entryway to the kitchen to watch.
“The least you can do is show a little respect,” she said. “The man lost his son in a car accident, Marcus. Luthors bleed the same as everyone else.”
Clark Jerome Kent
“They found him in the cornfield,” Billy Hummel whispered to Joan Arcadia during Life Sciences. He paled when Pete turned and glared.
“I heard he was all green and veiny,” Sarah Stokes said to Amy Cohen at her locker, causing Pete to knock Sarah’s books out her arms.
The whispers were almost as bad as the truth.
Everywhere Pete went, he heard voices buzzing in his ears.
It should have been Pete. All of it was his fault. Clark was his best friend. It wasn’t supposed to be like this.
No one had ever died from being the scarecrow before.
Lana Elizabeth Lang
It was strange that they buried her in a black coffin, that’s what Pete thought as they lowered the casket into the ground.
He wasn’t that close to Lana Lang, but Clark had always had such a big crush on her that Pete had come more for him than her.
The Lana Pete remembered had always worn pink. She had been so feminine and nice: cheerleading uniforms and shiny smiles. Until the truth came out about Whitney’s involvement in Clark’s death.
Lana didn’t deserve that either.
It was a shame that she wound up as bug food for Greg Arkin.
Lucas Ptolemy Luthor
There had been a mutual enmity from the moment they met: Rosses and Luthors didn’t mix together.
It lasted until Lucas dunked on Pete at the municipal court.
To this day, Pete has no idea why someone as rich as Lucas would play at the municipal courts when he had his own basketball team.
In the end it didn’t matter. Pete didn’t approve of Lucas’s family; Lucas himself wasn’t so bad. He drove too fast, but he was a good friend, and he was loyal. If nothing else he honestly loved Helen.
It was a shame about the plane accident.
Chloe Marie Sullivan
She cancelled their first date, because she got a better offer from the riots in Bombay.
He spent their second date waiting for a call from a lobbyist.
He threatened to delete her Pulitzer article if she didn’t marry him, and she was in labor with Clark the night he won the primary. In all honesty, Pete forgot about he election.
All Chloe wanted was to be a journalist. All Pete wanted was her.
The night he was elected president she was on assignment in Tanzania. It was supposedly safe.
The First Lady Elect died simply as Chloe Sullivan Ross.
Smallville
The Five Deaths of Peter Allen Ross
Alexander Joseph Luthor
The raised voices were Pete’s first sign: his mom and dad never argued about anything where he might hear.
The second sign was when he mother whacked his dad in the back of the head with the newspaper. It wasn’t one of those playful parental moments that made Pete want to gag. This one looked like it hurt, and it made Pete pause in the entryway to the kitchen to watch.
“The least you can do is show a little respect,” she said. “The man lost his son in a car accident, Marcus. Luthors bleed the same as everyone else.”
Clark Jerome Kent
“They found him in the cornfield,” Billy Hummel whispered to Joan Arcadia during Life Sciences. He paled when Pete turned and glared.
“I heard he was all green and veiny,” Sarah Stokes said to Amy Cohen at her locker, causing Pete to knock Sarah’s books out her arms.
The whispers were almost as bad as the truth.
Everywhere Pete went, he heard voices buzzing in his ears.
It should have been Pete. All of it was his fault. Clark was his best friend. It wasn’t supposed to be like this.
No one had ever died from being the scarecrow before.
Lana Elizabeth Lang
It was strange that they buried her in a black coffin, that’s what Pete thought as they lowered the casket into the ground.
He wasn’t that close to Lana Lang, but Clark had always had such a big crush on her that Pete had come more for him than her.
The Lana Pete remembered had always worn pink. She had been so feminine and nice: cheerleading uniforms and shiny smiles. Until the truth came out about Whitney’s involvement in Clark’s death.
Lana didn’t deserve that either.
It was a shame that she wound up as bug food for Greg Arkin.
Lucas Ptolemy Luthor
There had been a mutual enmity from the moment they met: Rosses and Luthors didn’t mix together.
It lasted until Lucas dunked on Pete at the municipal court.
To this day, Pete has no idea why someone as rich as Lucas would play at the municipal courts when he had his own basketball team.
In the end it didn’t matter. Pete didn’t approve of Lucas’s family; Lucas himself wasn’t so bad. He drove too fast, but he was a good friend, and he was loyal. If nothing else he honestly loved Helen.
It was a shame about the plane accident.
Chloe Marie Sullivan
She cancelled their first date, because she got a better offer from the riots in Bombay.
He spent their second date waiting for a call from a lobbyist.
He threatened to delete her Pulitzer article if she didn’t marry him, and she was in labor with Clark the night he won the primary. In all honesty, Pete forgot about he election.
All Chloe wanted was to be a journalist. All Pete wanted was her.
The night he was elected president she was on assignment in Tanzania. It was supposedly safe.
The First Lady Elect died simply as Chloe Sullivan Ross.
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no subject
Date: 2003-06-20 11:51 am (UTC)Wait, that's not what I wanted to say. Or that's not all I wanted to say.
I like this. They're simple, yet effective. Each an interesting glimpse into what might have been. Especially liked the Lucas one.
*sniffs* Chloe.
no subject
Date: 2003-06-20 02:22 pm (UTC)Wait, that's not what I wanted to say. Or that's not all I wanted to say.
I like this. They're simple, yet effective. Each an interesting glimpse into what might have been. Especially liked the Lucas one.
*sniffs* Chloe.
I honestly did not mean to kill Chloe. I adore the nosy little busybody. It's the title's fault, really. In the original five thing plan, lana, clark, and lex die and then chloe and pete go on to the white house, but the title kinda wound of forcing my hand, you know?
no subject
Date: 2003-06-20 12:02 pm (UTC)Short, bitter and to the point where it *hurts*, yeah.
*thumbs up*
no subject
Date: 2003-06-20 02:23 pm (UTC)Short, bitter and to the point where it *hurts*, yeah.
*thumbs up*
Why thank you very much, glad to know I can inflict pain at will.
no subject
Date: 2003-06-20 12:20 pm (UTC)(And is Lucas' middle name really Ptolemy or did you make that up? Because that is awesome.)
Good work. :D
no subject
Date: 2003-06-20 02:24 pm (UTC)(And is Lucas' middle name really Ptolemy or did you make that up? Because that is awesome.)
Good work. :D
I made up the middle name I just couldn't resist that historical angle, you know? I'm glad you enjoyed it.
no subject
Date: 2003-06-20 12:20 pm (UTC)These may have been short and bitter, but I still think they were truer to character than some of what M&G wanted us to swallow this season. Furthermore? I like bitter. Sometimes it's just the flavor I want.
no subject
Date: 2003-06-20 02:27 pm (UTC)Bullshit. Did you hear that in San Diego? BULL. SHIT. You toss that story and both Caro and I will come and find you. Just so you know. You have talent coming out your pores. *whaps in with newspaper firmly, but gently* Also, glad you liked it. *hugs* Now go write!
no subject
Date: 2003-06-20 07:21 pm (UTC)::looks rebellious:: You know what I have? Half a Nellbit. I hate Nell. And you and Caro want me to keep writing her. Mean. Both y'all.
Hmm, maybe I can find a way to kill her in this bit, though....
no subject
Date: 2003-06-20 12:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-06-20 02:25 pm (UTC)I'm so glad that you enjoyed it, thanks!
no subject
Date: 2003-06-20 12:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-06-20 02:27 pm (UTC)Why thank you very much, ma'am!
no subject
Date: 2003-06-20 01:30 pm (UTC)Well, naturally. But also damn good; sometimes short and terse is exactly what the story needs to be, and I think the sucker-punch effect is heightened here by the way you kept all the excess out of this. It seems almost...quintessentially Pete, to be on the sidelines of everyone's death, watching and being effected but not being *involved*, really.
I like it.
no subject
Date: 2003-06-23 10:22 am (UTC)Wow, nobody sends feedback like Jayne does. *Hugs feedback*. I was so put out by not being able to write what I wanted that I didn't give this that much credit. I should have begged you to write it, instead, then it would have gotten some justice. When are you going to write something anyway? I'm in need here. I need good Jayne-fic.
no subject
Date: 2003-06-20 01:31 pm (UTC)I hate/heart you. ::: weeps :::
no subject
Date: 2003-06-20 02:28 pm (UTC)I hate/heart you. ::: weeps :::
*hands Kleenex* You helped started it, really though. Technically, you only have yourself to blame. Just sayin'...
Re:
Date: 2003-06-20 02:31 pm (UTC)Other than the whole reading of it beyond warnings thing, that is.
no subject
Date: 2003-06-20 01:36 pm (UTC)Tease.
no subject
Date: 2003-06-20 02:32 pm (UTC)Tease.
Yes, sweetie, that was the original problem. This was supposed to be a nice, long involved response to the 'Five Things That Aren't True' Challenge, however, when I sat down to do it, I just couldn't get the whole bit together. It sucked.
So, this morning I just spit out all the basics and presto. It's like I told you, when I have an idea and it works, not a problem. When it doesn't come though, it's like a tractor-trailer knifejacking on the freeway. It blocks up everything.
no subject
Date: 2003-06-20 01:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-06-20 02:33 pm (UTC)I killed Lex. I have never killed Lex before. This is momentus in a really sad way.
no subject
Date: 2003-06-20 09:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-06-23 10:24 am (UTC)Thank you!
no subject
Date: 2003-06-20 09:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-06-23 10:27 am (UTC)It's not painful, is it? The 'splorting' it sounds a bit, err, messy.
no subject
Date: 2003-06-23 01:37 pm (UTC)no subject