FIC: The Three Trials of Segeeth (Smallville)

[scribblinlenore]

Title: The Three Trials of Segeeth
Fandom: Smallville
Pairing: Kal/Lex
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Can love conquer all?

Dedication: This is for catmoran, who waited very patiently, much longer than she should have had to.

Note: This is a sequel to Inaureme, and probably won't make much sense unless you've read that story first. Big thanks to pun who gave me some great insight that made this a much better story.

***

(The Three Trials of Segeeth)

Comments

[svmadelyn.livejournal.com]

Awwwww, Lenore, this was awesome. I was actually extremely sympathetic toward Jor-El throughout this; and I kept twitching wanting to bop Kal upside the head; I found him really setting me on edge just like his father! *giggles*

Now I'm picturing Lex doing a kind of frenetic Kryptonian dance, and really, that's a very lovely thought.

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

Yay! Glad you liked it, doll. And, actually, now I too have a picture in my head of Lex doing a frenetic Kryptonian dance. Good times! *g*

[dameange.livejournal.com]

oh my God, this was so sweet and so fabulous. thank you so much for writing it.

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you liked it! This story too me forever to write, and it means so much that you enjoyed. Thank you!

[d-copper.livejournal.com]

Wow! I loved this, it is great to read the sequel to Inaureme. This feels like an early Xmas present.

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you! That's an early Christmas present to me. I'm so glad you liked this!

[norwich36.livejournal.com]

I was so excited to see that you had written a sequel to "Inaureme," and really this is an amazing story. You've really created a complex Kryptonian mythology and culture, and presented it in a way that is both very detailed and just alien enough to really remind us it *is* a different culture, but allow us to remain sympathetic to Jor-El.

And Jor-El's voice in this was so well done. That must have been a real challenge, making him sympathetic when everyone reading this is automatically going to be siding with Kal and Lex. I really love the way he's fighting against himself throughout this whole story: his reluctant affection for Kal that allows him to break with Kryptonian customs; his constant concern for Kal's future and how he gradually becomes convinced that he was wrong--that is *so* well done.

And all the intricate details! The Numan and Segeeth legend! The details of Kryptonian marital customs! Jor-El's previous marriages! The spring festival! The matriarch, who I adored! "It's a shame a vole has died in your throat!" The skalu! Such a multi-layered, complex culture you have created here.

I also adored the lovely parallelism between Kal and Lex and Numan and Segeeth--not just the fact that Lex has to undergo the trials, but the fact that the part of the Segeeth story I thought was missing (Segeeth being angry at Numan's failure to wait) gets recapitulated, in a much more satisfying way, in the Kal-Lex storyline. I love how Kryptonian acculturated Lex has become, by the end, and the broekn-heartedness he's expressing when he says the tests were Numan's tests too.

And oh, the Kal-Lex storyline was so wonderfully romantic, especially given the POV constraints you were working with! "Come back and claim me." So gorgeous, so epic, so wonderful. Words cannot express how much I loved this.

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

This is just the best feedback ever! Thank you so much for it! This story was really hard to write, because of the Jor-El POV and figuring out all the Kryptonian stuff, and it means so much that you enjoyed it. I really, really appreciate your taking the time to comment on it in such detail. It makes me very happy!

[luvmax1.livejournal.com]

Inaureme was one of my all time favorite Smallville stories. I can't tell you how thrilled I am that you wrote a sequel. And what a sequel! This was amazing, Lenore. Thank you so much.

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

Yay! This story took forever to write, and it really means a lot to me that you enjoyed it. Thank you so much for letting me know!

[drkcherry.livejournal.com]

Lenore that was fantastic.

I don't know how Kal or Lex can ever forgive Jor-El for what he did.

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you liked this, doll! And, yes, I feel sure it's going to be a while, a *long* while before anyone does any forgiving or forgetting.

[rudeburtrude.livejournal.com]

*stands in quiet awe*

Oh, it's like Earth Boys Are Easy, but *GOOD* and *SERIOUS* and *MEANINGFUL*.

I love the POV in this. It's difficult to write a love story from a third party's perspective, but you managed to make me feel for Lex, Kal, and for Jor-El. So excellent. This is now topping my list for Alien!Clark fic, possibly for SV fic in general.

*loves*

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

Hee! Earth Boys are Easy.

I'm so glad you liked this, doll! This story was *so* hard to write, and it took me forever. It really means a lot to me that you enjoyed it. *hugs* Thank you!

[ladydey.livejournal.com]

OMG!!!! I am feeling such love right now. I adore Inaureme, and had hope to one day see a sequel. Three Trials is wonderful. What you do with creating unique Kryptonian histories and myth is amazing.

I love that Lex is a better Kryptonian then the natives -- I think I need some "adult" tutoring from Lex.

This was so great!

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

Yay! I'm so glad you liked it. This story was hard to write, and it me forever. So it really, really means a lot to me that you enjoyed it.

Actually, the part about Lex being a better Kryptonian than the natives was sort of inspired by people I work with. We do multinational advertising, so some of my colleagues are immigrants from other countries. And they all love America more (and know more of its history!) than anyone who was actually born here. *g*

[avid-slacker.livejournal.com]

This had all of the elements of a beautifully developed fairy-tale love story.

I adored the whole thing, and like the previous posters think you did an amazing job with the third person perspective.

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! Writing it from Jor-El's POV was harder than I thought it was going to be. For some reason, I was just too stubborn to give it up, though. I'm so glad you thought it worked!

[teot.livejournal.com]

I absolutely adored that, and stayed up way past my bedtime to read it! So romantic and beautiful. I've never really enjoyed reading CLex from another's viewpoint, but that doesn't apply to this story at *all*. You made me feel for Jor-El!

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

Oh, yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. And the Jor-El POV worked for you. I'm not even sure why I was so determined to write it that way. It sure did make it hard. But I just really wanted to show where he was coming from. Thanks so much for the lovely feedback!

[astreetelf.livejournal.com]

Such a beautiful story!

It was a great move to have it from Jor-El's POV as well. If it had been from anyone else's he could have been such an unsympathetic character but getting in his head makes you appreciate his motivations at least a little, misguided though they may be. He's still a miserable old curmudgeon but I think I love him almost as much as Kal and Lex in this fic.

A great sequel and well worth the wait!

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

Yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed it, and the Jor-El POV worked for you. I really wanted to show his side of the story, but still try to have the romance between Kal and Lex come through. It kind of made me want to pull out my hair at times, to be honest. So it's so, so lovely to hear you liked it! Thanks!

[jaebi-lit.livejournal.com]

Oh. My. God. I really enjoy all of your Smallville writing and have reread it constantly since I first got into Smallville fic a few weeks ago. This, however, is just amazing. The feeling and the emotions are all so subtle, so delicately hinted at, but so intense and real that I can hardly believe it. I really, really like this and wow! I don't know what else to say besides wow! and this reminds me a lot of Love Actually, in that it's not outright cheerful or happy or typically feel-good fuzzy and warm in any way - it's so much better, and at the end, I'm hopeful and I have a smile on my face. This is just absolutely wonderful.

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

Yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. This story was actually rather hard to write, and it took me forever. So it's especially nice to get such lovely feedback. Thank you!

Also, your icon is too funny!

[ariss-tenoh.livejournal.com]

I didn't think you would write a sequel to the first fic so I'm very glad you did. The story was alternately sweet and angsty, and had a feel of a Great Love Story due to your restrained prose.

Quite lovely really. I know this'll be one fic I re-read often^_~

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

I had thought about writing a sequel, and then really wasn't going to do it. But I had a story auction to help out Astrea when she was going through a hard time, and Cat won, and this is what she requested.

It was a hard story to write. So it really means a lot to me to hear that you enjoyed it. Thank you!

[ender24]

my sight is blurry, because I had to cry at the point where Kal complied to Jor-els wish...this is ...i mean its really hard to top the beautiful Inaureme, and there are so many sequels that failed to meet the expectations that were set because of the first part...but you succeeded...this universe that you have created is so rich with details, its totally enthralling and captivating... the imaginations and effort you put in to show the parallels between the legend of Numan and Segeeth, and Kal and Lex is intriguing..
I need to go and save this to reread..
hopefully, i can come back with more words later ...

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

Oh, you are so kind! Thank you. I'm so glad that you liked it, and that you thought it worked as a sequel to Inaureme. That makes my day!

[leixela.livejournal.com]

Truly beautiful and astonishing. I'm reverberating with love for this. What an intriguing universe you have created. Have images of House of El! family traditions floating in my mind already. Loved how the little details fleshed out even the minor characters. I like and respect Lor-Von already and he didn't even do much! Also dancer!Lex made me giggle! Thanks for sharing.

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you enjoyed it! It took a really, really long time to write, trying to figure out the details, and make the romance between Kal and Lex work even though the story was told from Jor-El's POV. So it's really nice to get such lovely feedback. Thank you!

[mahaliem.livejournal.com]

Okay, I'm not even sure what to say about this story.

It's beautiful. I loved how you wrote Jor-El - doesn't every parent think they know what's best for their child? Even if the best may not be what the child wants? You gave us such well-written background info so that we knew why Jor-El was so fixated on Kal making a good marriage.

And for Jor-El to realize that he really just wants Kal to be happy - awww, that's perfect.

You can really feel the love in this story.

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

Yay! I'm so glad you liked this, doll. It turned out to be A LOT harder to make this story work telling it from Jor-El's POV than I had anticipated, but I really wanted to give some insight into where he was coming from. Thank you so much for the lovely feedback!

[cyberwitch13666.livejournal.com]

awww, That was just perfect!!!

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm so, so glad you enjoyed it!

[teenygozer.livejournal.com]

I love this story so much, so very much. It just hits all of my buttons. I guess this is proof positive that a sequel can be even better than the first (wonderful) story!

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed it, and thought it worked as a sequel. That really means a lot to me!

[pun.livejournal.com]

Oh yay! That was wonderful. The changes you made and the new ending are so good! I loved it!

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

Thanks again for your help on this, Punny!

[lapetite-kiki.livejournal.com]

Wow! That was absolutely awesome!!! Wow!

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

Yay! I'm so glad you liked it, Kiki. Thank you!

[shaggirl.livejournal.com]

Oh, Lenore. This is such a beautiful story, such a pleasure to read. It felt like a gift. Thank you for writing it. <333

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you, Shaggy! I'm so glad you liked it. That totally makes my day!

[catmoran.livejournal.com]

See that icon over there? ----^

Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. *g* This was well worth the wait!

Did Jor-El subconsciously pick for the first two trials things that would make Lex acceptable to Kryptonian society? Or was it entirely by chance?

And I love how the name of Lex's ship fit so well to the plot!

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

I'm so happy that you enjoyed this, Cat! And thanks again for being so patient about it.

Did Jor-El subconsciously pick for the first two trials things that would make Lex acceptable to Kryptonian society? Or was it entirely by chance?

Jor-El picked them, or at least the second one, because he assumed that Lex would fail them, since as an alien Jor-El couldn't have imagined him fitting into Kryptonian society. Little did he understand Lex! *g*

And I love how the name of Lex's ship fit so well to the plot!

When that was suggested in the poll, I thought it was brilliant! I was so thrilled.

[dianehc.livejournal.com]

Wow, I think you've done the impossible here. I actually liked Jor-El. Not how harsh his challenges were or that he would turn around and deny Kal Lex's victory by a hair (even though I'd kind of expected that), but his voice and general persona I actually liked - something that I hadn't quite believed to be possible.

This is a wonderfully written tale, with an underlying myth so naturally written that it could have as easily been the tale of Gilgamesh or Robin Hood.

Beautifully done.

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for this wonderful feedback! The hardest thing about writing this was the Jor-El POV, and it's so nice to hear that you thought it worked!

I'm so glad ou liked the story!

[dana-aeryn.livejournal.com]

Great fic. I liked it even better than Inaureme.

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you! I'm glad you thought this worked as a sequel. :)

[http://users.livejournal.com/_sail_/]

I loved this story.
The myths, the Kryptonian society; the difference in expectations of Kryptonian families. Almost LeGuin in style; science fiction in it's most ineressting aspect; the antropological (or should that be xenopological?).

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you! That's such a wonderful compliment. This story took a lot of time and sweat to write. I'm so pleased you enjoyed it. It really means a lot to me!