11741/Daily Gears at the Daily Planet

Daily Gears at the Daily Planet
Date of Scene:	08 July 2020
Location:	Daily Planet, Central Business Dist.
Synopsis:	Lois follows a growing suspicion about who Superman is. Clark squirms and gets doused in ginger ale.
Cast of Characters:	Superman, Lois Lane

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Superman has posed:
The Daily Planet's sea of cubicles was as noisy as ever. The world never stops, so neither does the news. Staff are hustling between workstations, working the phones, writing copy.

"Kent!" Perry White, the editor in chief barks as he walks out of his office. He stops at Clark's cubicle. "If you're not too sick, Drexin Chemicals is holding a press conference about the leaks this afternoon. I want you there, it's in two hours. Drexin, Toxic Inside and Out?" Perry says, laying out the headline with a sweep of his hands.

"I...," Clark starts and looks around at the current mess that is his desk. His inbox is stuffed, the voicemail light on his phone blinks with sullen urgency and the open email inbox on his computer screen is the site of a digital disaster.

"Now," Perry barks, forestalling any further comment. He turns and walks off, already calling to another reporter.

Clark lets out a breath and starts packing his leather shoulder bag. "Out might be better," he mumbles to himself.

Lois Lane has posed:
Well, looks like it's back to the grind. Good old planet. At least some things never change. She's furiously writing up an editorial on a piece she did on Andrea Jackson, the famous singer/songwriter whom she interviewed recently.

But It's almost finished, and she's over eager to cover that Drexin Chemicals story too. She pipes up, peering over her cubicle as Perry barks out to Kent and frowns. "Now wait just a minute, I thought you said..."

She sighs as he walks away. "Good grief, he must be losing his marbles. I was certain that he gave that story to me." she frowns, arms folding as she peers at Clark. "Well, good to see you back in the saddle.."

Superman has posed:
Several expressions pass over Clark's face almost too quickly to notice. A wince, a smile, concern.

"Hey Lois, thanks," Clark says with only a quick glance up to meet Lois' eyes before he looks back to his desk. He grabs a recorder and a last notebook then shoulders his bag. "Sorry, I didn't see you when I...." Clark adds, he gestures vaguely toward the doors and pauses. "I've got so much to catch up on, you can come with me if you want, you can have the story, I need to catch up and...."

Clark stops himself, closes his eyes and takes a breath. His shoulders settle. Then he opens his eyes, shoulders his bag and looks at Lois. He gives her an apologetic smile.

"Hi. How are you? Hi. I'm gonna grab tacos from that truck up the street. Join me?"

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois Lane just smirks, folding her arms loosely as she leans against the nearby pillar. "Heh. You haven't been back long and he's already piling work on top of you.." eyes narrow a bit, peering more intently at him as she gathers up her own equipment, shoving it into her duffle bag.

"Where exactly HAVE you been all this time? I never had the chance to ask and you were always too busy to go into much detail..Something about a..Trip, was it?"

She smiles and shrugs at the taco thing. "Sure, I could go for that. Need a break from writing this article anyway, and I'm feeling pretty peckish now."

Superman has posed:
Clark flushes under Lois' intent gaze.

"Kent, don't forget the baseball thing," Lauren calls over top of cubicle walls as Clark falls in beside Lois to walk toward the elevators.

"Thanks, I will," Clark calls back and winces slightly. "I mean, I won't forget. I'll remember."

Lauren shakes her head and sits back down at her desk.

Clark pushes the button for the elevator. The doors slide open and he gestures for Lois to go in first.

"Remember the climate conference in Geneva?" Clark answers finally as the elevator lurches into motion. "I got sick though, I was out. Right out. Haven't been that sick... Sick. Anyway, it was rough," Clark finishes as the doors open. He frowns at a thought then shakes his head. He walks across the lobby with Lois. "I'm fine now. You've been busy, I saw that big corporate piece you put out a couple weeks ago. And Perry gave you the big the announcement just the other day. Good for you. What're you working now?"

Outside it is sunny, warm and mercifullly not muggy. The sound of traffic and people fills the air around them.

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois Lane's eyes glitter with mild amusement as she follows Clark towards the elevators, glancing briefly at Lauren as she mentions something about baseball. "Playing some baseball after work? Or Perry got you working double duty? He sure doesn't cut you any slack, does he?"

A brow is arched at the whole 'conference' and 'Clark being sick' thing again. "Hah..That must have been SOME bug.." eyes still peer intently at him..Yeaaah, she's not buying that story, not entirely. Something seems off, somehow.

"Yeaah, I've been pretty busy, although..You know, the whole 'Superman is dead' angle was pretty hard on me.." she draws a deep breath, pressing a button on the elevator, composing herself. The whole experience was so surreal and Lois is only slowly adjusting to normal life, even if she hasn't seen Superman all that much since helping to rescue him.

"But, everything's good now, great even." she looks back at him pointedly. "Interestingly, he was also MIA around the same time you got sick. And for about just as long. Isn't that funny?"

Yeah, real funny.

Superman has posed:
"I'm really sorry, Lois," Clark says and avoids looking at her.

He turns sideways to let a small gaggle of tourists pass as he and Lois walk toward the taco truck.

"You've always had a good rapport with Superman, seems like you get all the scoops with him. That had to be, um, rough. I'm sure he wouldn't have... He seems like...," Clark seems awkward as ever and pauses to search for words. "I'm sure he didn't want make anyone upset. Seems like he really cares about... people, you know? I'm glad it's better, now."

Clark smiles at the couple who run the taco truck. He orders and offers to buy Lois lunch, then gestures toward an empty bench in the park that is right there.

"Great even?" Clark asks curiously, covering his mouth as he speaks around his first bite of taco.

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois Lane continues to peer intently at Clark. "Wow, you seem nervous today Clark, stomach bug still got you?" she smirks a little, seeming to enjoy watching him squirm. What is she missing here? Or perhaps she's looking too far into things?

"Hmm, yes, yes we have. He is a good person, good friend. Although he can be a bit..Mysterious, too. I still haven't quite figured out who he is, but I have my suspicions."

Lois just..Smiles at Clark, a sweet smile at that seems a little too nice. Yeaah, she's definitely up to something.

As they approach the taco truck, Lois is slightly distracted for a few minutes as she tries to figure out what to order, then once that's done with, she focuses back on Clark. "Ooh, that looks like a nice shady spot!" she quips cheerfully as she shades her eyes from the blinding sun..

Superman has posed:
".... Um, yeah," Clark says, his chewing slowed to a dead crawl. He swallows and avoids looking into Lois' eyes. "Very shady," he agrees. "The spot."

Clark sits down. He shifts uncomfortably after Lois sits. It is a movement Lois has seen Clark make a hundred times, one that rarely registers. A seemingly unconscious movement, but also just too...

Polished.

"So you've got suspicions?" he asks Lois carefully, and coughs a little as if the taco went down the wrong pipe. "That'd be a really big story, Lois. Everyone wants to know who Superman is. Do you have a source?"

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois Lane grins. "Ah yes. There's a lot that can be said about shady...Spots. And people." she's still smiling, eyes atwinkle. "So tell me, Clark. What did you do during your, uh, stomach bug? Were you totally confined to your bed or did you at least get a chance to rest and relax?"

She takes a long bite out of her taco and shrugs. "Mmm..Hmm..Well.." another shrug. "No, I suppose I don't. But I just watch people carefully. I figure he could be hiding in plain sight, and all I have to do is figure out when his mannerisms show through, or when he is missing at the same time as....Ooh!"

She yelps a bit as she opens her can of pop, a little too close to Clark, and it fizzes up and explodes. The way she's holding it away from her, it ends up splashing at Clark, at his face...And those glasses specifically.

Yeeeep. That was TOTALLY an accident!

Superman has posed:
"I didn't do anything," Clark admits when asked about being sick. "It went by in a blur, I don't remember a lot of it."

Time is different for Superman. It flows at speeds that change in response to the world around him. He watches in achingly slow motion as Lois opens her pop. He sees her expression, where her gaze goes. He sees and hears the pop fizzling in the can from a surreptitious shake. Can see it rising up on a tower of bubbles.

He could catch the can. Move out of the way. Do a million things.

The world speeds up to normal again. Pop fizzes out of the can and all over Clark's face. He does not flinch. With drink dripping off his face and onto his shirt, Clark reaches up and carefully takes off his glasses with both hands.

Clark opens his eyes and looks at Lois. Everything about him becomes immediately more... real. More vibrant. More present. As if somehow he had been washed out before and is suddenly a part of the world around him. Pop drips down his cheek and off his chin but he does not seem to notice for the moment.

"It's so much easier with everyone else," Clark says with a bemused smile. He holds Lois' gaze for a moment and then looks down.

And he just. Fades. Somehow. He is the same Clark he has always been. Drab enough, faded enough that the mind easily lets him go. Clark shakes his head and starts to wipe his glasses on a dry section of his shirt.

Lois Lane has posed:
"...Oh! I'm sooo sorry! I'm such a clutz sometimes!" she chuckles a bit, grabbing a spare napkin and using it to dab at his face and shirt.

"You okay there, Clark?" Lois does pause a moment or two, peering intently at him as he removes his glasses. Hmm....He does seem...Similar in some ways. To Superman. But different still. But kinda..More faded and. Was she mistaken? Hmm, this requires more..Investigation!

She shakes her head. "...Huh. I dunno.." she mutters aloud and too herself. Another blink, peering at him intently. "Wait, what was that? What's so much easier?"

Superman has posed:
"It's... Don't... It's okay, I..." Clark stammers. "I'm fine. It's fine."

He replaces his glasses and looks down at himself. "Glad it wasn't Coke," he notes. "It'll, um, it's fine. It'll dry..."

Then he flushes a bit at Lois' question. "Huh? Just, um, things. Like, ah, talking? You're... Well. You're /the/ Lois Lane, you've got interns lined up out the door who want to work for you.... Times calling every other week..." Clark clears his throat. "I probably sound like... uh, like an idiot," he mumbles apologetically. "We all look up to you, though."

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois Lane does her very best to *helpfully* dab as much of the pop off as she can. "You're right." she grins, "Good thing I just went for ginger ale. So sorry about that! I hope your glasses didn't get too sticky! I've always wondered just how near-sighted you are, anyway! I know a lot of people just wear glasses for fashion or...Other reasons. Imagine that!"

Oh yes, she's enjoying this waaay too much. She smirks faintly at his continued awkwardness. Such a far cry from Superman, but for a moment there she thought she saww....Something.

"Hm, don't worry about it Clark. Just relax. You're doing fine." Lois' eyes are still sparkling with amusement, but there is kindness there too, she really does worry about his awkward anxiety sometimes.