Celebration....

In honour of John Glover's birthday - happy birthday to a talented, admirable, delectable man. And one whom I hope to see much more of in Season 3 of Smallville.





And for adamlizz, who asked so nicely, a birthday fic about Lionel Luthor:

In Celebration

Lionel Luthor poured himself a brandy, and sat in his favourite armchair.

His birthday had been celebrated in various ways throughout the day; over and over. This bottle of brandy was the best thing he had received, given by a man who was either more clever than he had seemed, and who knew his brandies; or who was simply luckier in his guess than Lionel would have anticipated. Whether the gift would earn him any favours....

Perhaps.

The Mayor had toasted Lionel and called him "a magnificent landmark in Metropolis history", a sentiment more lofty than logical. Dominic had given him a tie-clip. Every lacky, gopher, doorman, driver, secretary, receptionist and janitor he had seen all day had said, "Happy birthday, sir."

Most satisfying.

To be fifty-nine years old, and to be on top of the world, and rising still - he could not have asked for more. The domains he had not yet conquered were ready to fall. And after him - Lex would have it all, would do it all, would continue to make the Luthor name proud.

But here in his personal study, surrounded by his own things.... Something was missing.

Lionel was unaccustomed to feeling sorry for himself, but this twinge of regret must have a source. What was he missing - sex? Hardly. There'd been a most satisfactory encounter at Luthorcorp right before lunchtime, and several very attractive possibilities were only a phone call away.

He thought of early days: early in the marriage to Lillian, flying up to New York to take in the latest Broadway hit before a night of dancing and lovemaking in the most luxurious of hotels.

Later.... it had been less felicitous. And Lillian was long dead.

What he wanted was not sex, but someone he could talk to as an equal, a friend. But he had been too busy with work in recent years to cultivate real friends, and the few he had found in the past had betrayed him - stabbed him in the back and then paid for it.

Martha Kent was in Smallville, reproducing, keeping the secret of her remarkable son to herself.

His family, then? Lucas had been mysteriously spirited away by Lex. As for Lex himself....

Well. He was busy in Smallville with Martha Kent's remarkable son, and had no time to spare for an aging father. No inclination, either, Lionel thought, flinching. Too much water under that particular bridge: a torrent. A relationship of love and pain, disappointment and expectation, demands and frustrations on both sides.

If there was any person on this earth he loved, it was Lex. Lex was ungrateful and unforgiving, but he was also damnably clever.

Lionel closed his eyes, savouring the brandy.

The study door opened, and Lionel frowned, though he did not move or look around. He had given orders he was not to be disturbed. Who dared?

"Hi, Dad," said Lex's amiable voice. "I was in the area so I dropped by to say 'happy birthday'. What, no eager starlet on your lap?"

"I sent her home," said Lionel. "After tiring her out. What is it you want, Lex? You never visit unless you want something."

"It's your birthday, not mine," said Lex. "What do you want, Dad?"

"A good challenge." Lionel rose swiftly, with the grace of a much younger man. He took a foil from the rack on the wall and tossed it one-handed to Lex, who caught it. Lex had quick reflexes, getting quicker as he learned to negotiate the battlezones of business. "Still think you can take your old man?"

Lex considered. "At least half the time. So. We fence?"

"We always do," said Lionel.

- end-

Overheard

In answer to the dodecal challenge at svdodecals: "A Smallville character receives a telephone call, which could be either good news or bad. Another character may be listening." (144 words).

~ ~ ~

Overheard


The Kent phone rang.

Martha, in the living room, looked up from her book, but as usual, Clark was there first. Teenagers!

"Kent Farms," he said. Then, "Oh, hi." Martha smiled at the sudden breathlessness in his voice. Other boys became breathless running down the stairs: not Clark. So probably it was Lana.

"Sorry I missed you at the Talon. Lana and I had to pick something up. You were gone by the time we arrived, but Pete said you'd been there."

Not Lana, then. Not Pete. Martha wondered if it was nosy for a mother to be curious. Clark hadn't even noticed she was there, reading in the living room. Maybe she should clear her throat.

"Yeah, I'll be there." Clark said huskily. "Love you, too."

Martha did not clear her throat. She closed her eyes. She knew who it was now.

Lex Luthor.

~ ~ ~

Comic book: Special Lex Luthor Issue

Anyone who's read a lot of comic book adaptation of TV shows or movies knows how bad they can be. One learns not to expect much.

Smallville #3 is a beautiful exception.

Written by Mark Verheiden and Chris Carpenter, the main story, "Framed!" it has something close to the weight of canon, and in all the right ways. It has all sorts of things I loved It has his friendship with Clark, and in the course of the story, Clark rescues him. It's angsty: It has Lex spending his birthday in prison, alone and unhappy, on a trumped-up charge; and his reaction on believing he has seen Clark killed.

The second story, "Mommy Dearest", gives us a glimpse of Lex's childhood, including a good scene featuring Lex with his mother Lillian. My favourite moment: seeing Lionel through Lillian's eyes. That one scene explained a lot of her character, and his, and their relationship.

It has photographs of Michael Rosenbaum. Bonus. And John Glover too.

I thought the art by Renato Guedes and Oclair Albert was excellent - it even bore a resemblance to the actors.

( Here's a look at the cover. )