etrayamemes | TDM 009

Entry tags:

!tdm

TDM 009

❬ ARRIVAL ❭

Arrival does not happen normally. While the AI known as Aurora would typically handle your incoming- this time it is instead a strange coincidence. And while she would ordinarily contact you, provide you with context and access to the network- she cannot currently reach you. One moment, you are where you were, and now you’re here: in the middle of some kind of Comic-Con looking event. Weirder still: you now have some kind of super power. You will find that your arrival on this Earth may have granted you new capabilities - perhaps someone without abilities is now able to fly, or someone with their own set of extraordinary abilities now has something new to help with.

❬ SUPERFEST ❭

Not to be confused with Hero-Con or Villian-Con. This is a fan-made convention in downtown SF that takes place during a prime Con weekend that boasts that everyone is welcome here. Well, as long as they adhere to Con Rules. Sleep, Eat, Drink Water, Shower, and don’t blast any holes in the walls. They already have enough of those. Despite the recent Kaiju attack with corresponding tsunamis and earthquakes, the Convention Runners are utterly committed. Though it is held and hosted by fans, there’s a nice variety of Artists, Exhibitors, Panels, as well as a live-streamed Cosplay Contest. Artist’s Alley & Dealer’s Hall Are you even a slightly public hero or villain? Find fan art, merch, even fan comics of yourself and your friends- Or enemies. Panels You don’t even need to have anything planned! Seems like there were some cancellations. Slip in and talk about whatever you like. Cosplay Contest Wear your own costume to the contest- Or find a knock off of someone else’s in the Dealer’s Hall. The Water That Makes You Stupid Yes, the convention is staffed and run by fans… But it’s still run by someone, isn’t it? The badge line is long and the weather is sweltering. Grab a SUPERFEST branded water for $12- Or drink from the fountains as soon as you get into the con center. The Convention President is testing a chemical that will make you harmlessly stupider for a handful of hours to loosen wallets and increase overall enjoyment of convention activities.

❬ THE DIVIDE ❭

First earthquakes and tsunamis culminating in wide scale Kaiju attacks, now this. It’s more subtle than any of those things, but reports of people being dragged by some invisible force or teleporting cross town start emerging. And these people all have powers. But none of them are on your corresponding apps, nor in your network. Weird. It would really be best to investigate this matter. After all, it seems the Hero and Villain organizations (League of Heroes and Vale & Venture) want more information, and if possible- to recruit members before the other does.

❬ THE SAN FRAN WALKING TOUR ❭

For the first three days, the boundary that new arrivals can travel seems very stable. It’s centered upon the convention center, shifting no more than a couple of city blocks in any direction. The boundary is completely invisible and totally indestructible. It can only be found by touching it. After those first three days, though, the boundary starts to move, and the newly warped in have no choice but to come along with it, even if they end up dragged through traffic or made to make hasty exits from buildings. Yet should they come truly against something they cannot escape- Like a closed alleyway or a freight train, they will find themselves spontaneously clipping through the force field boundary and projected onto the inside opposite end of the bubble. It must be disorienting to be thrown a few miles from where you just were.

❬ MISSION NOTES ❭

📌 — This Earth heavily resembles current-day Earth. All cities will be what we would find on the map of our Earth - meaning, there is no Gotham, or any fictional cities in play. Players are free to create their own locations within locations! We won't be monitoring this closely, and want to give players free reign to play with the environment around them as they would like. 📌 — TL;DR: A body-hopping interstellar being has come to visit Earth 2’s San Fransisco for the Fan Convention as well as provide a self-guided walking tour. Newcomers to the TDM are stuck inside the several mile radius of his force-field. He doesn’t know it’s happening, but the Force Field is impenetrable for TDMers, and will push and pull them around San Francisco during these two weeks. 📌 — This setting is from our current Off-World Mission. Additional details can be found HERE. 📌 — Characters already in game are welcome to post to the TDM, too! Please mark them as current characters in your header. 📌 — Because of the way newcomers are arriving, players are welcome to treat this as a fourth wall event of sorts! Threads can be remembered by those in game even if those they speak to do not app, as long as it's approved by all necessary parties. 📌 — For all questions relating to the TDM specifically, please use the MOD QUERIES comment below. All other questions can be directed to the FAQ.

🔵 FULL NAVIGATION 🔵

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Heh. Yeah, guess I am.

( he was a fan before, of course. who wouldn't be?

listening with interest, he nods at her assumptions of his being able to fly. it's only recently he'd finally cracked the code on that superpower of his and while he likes to think he's got it down pretty good, he's still in the early stages of mastering this one. )

Don't worry, it gets easier. Learning to fly. I thought I was never gonna do it myself but then it happened and now I'm pretty good at it. I'm sure you will be too with a bit of practice just, uh... maybe not when there's an invisible barrier moving around here.

( which answers her question there regarding whether or not he's run into that because oh yeah. he sure has and it's never been a fun ride when he has. )

( She breathes out in a semi-amused way at his statement regarding the invisible barrier. Kid has the right of it at least — if she were permanently altered to have flight, she would get better at it, too stubborn not to. As it is, she's mostly not had enough emotional jolts to her system to end up floating up when caught off guard, so it's fine. Probably. There's not much she can do in this particular moment in time. )

If it sticks around, I'm sure I'll learn. Chances are this should go away as soon as we leave.

( Collective "we." If he's hitting the barriers, then he's new, and what the hell is pulling kids across dimensions? Adults are bad enough. She can't imagine any parent, whatever their style of parenting, will be okay with their child just disappearing out of the blue.

She holds out her hand, because that's... what you do. Sure. Offer to shake hands with the kid wearing the homemade Superman costume. )

I'm Lois. What's your name?

( as soon as we leave? so... is this all just temporary? he and damian made it out of the last dimension they ended up in by accident, sure. but he'd had damian at his side — someone who had a better idea of how to navigate through them and, you know, had someone to work with as a team. that's not to say he can't figure this out on his own just... teamwork really does help in situations like this. especially for company and bouncing ideas off each other. or listening to one go on about theirs, chiming in every now and then.

but he goes and forgets all about that the second she offers her hand to him and he's reaching out to take hers like the good little man he is when... she gives her name and that makes him pause. he blinks. lois and she recognizes the superman suit — because it's not a costume, mom! — he's wearing... is this...??? )

Mom?

( oops. no?? dammit. heck. )

( To say hearing any kid call her mom is unexpected is an understatement. Lois is a bit intense (another understatement), and most kids respond to that kind of energy either by staring at her with wide eyes or sort of edging around her periphery. Not that she's around kids all that often, but when she is, she's not the kid magnet.

So this kid calling her mom, wearing anything Superman, when she's three months into dating Clark Kent, who is Superman, is throwing her for a very different loop. Logically: kids don't hear Lois and assume it has anything to do with Superman. Not back home anyway. Even here, it seems like it's Clark's super-self who's got the most traction, including with that one guy talking pop culture references. (She's still irritated about that offhand comment.) Lois Lane is not the name on the tip of everyone's tongue.

Which is to say her healthy and perpetual skepticism gives her pause, even as she makes the executive decision to bend her knees and come down to this kid's level. She's not the tallest woman around, but she's taller than he is, and that's all that matters. Get on eye level. Don't make a kid keep staring up at her. )

Hey. Okay. Your mom is Lois Lane?

( Let's get some... sense of confirmation out here. It doesn't make a hell of a lot of sense to Lois, who's barely come to terms with being willing to tackle a dedicated romance with Clark Kent, because mom implies a whole bunch of steps they've never even glanced at sideways yet.

But she's also the adult here, and adults have to pretend to have their shit together even when they definitely, entirely do not. )

Can you confirm for me who your dad is? Outside of the symbol.

( Blue eyes dip to the symbol on his chest, then back up to his own blue eyes. No confirmation biases, Lois. )

( he'd been elated when he'd been caught by his father... until he discovered while clark kent, he is neither married nor a father and has no idea who he is. he'd been relieved when he found damian... until his friend looked at him with suspicion and turned out to be a lot more smaller than he usually is standing side by side. now he's found his mom here... and she's asking who his father is.

don't cry. don't cry. don't cry. don't... cry.

no one knows him here. he's really all on his own, isn't he? surrounded by the faces of those he loves and cares for while his own face remains strange and unfamiliar to them. how's a kid supposed to handle this back to back to back? can he go home now? can he wake up from this no good very bad dream he's having on the couch, covered in potato chips with the tv on? he'd like to wake up now very much.

damian was always one to chide him for not being the best with keeping identities a secret and he's gotten better at it, but. this is a little different, isn't it? he hadn't meant to say these things when he maybe shouldn't have. he just... it's mom and it was dad.

he looks down to the emblem there on his sweatshirt and he's silent even when he knows he should answer her. when he looks up, he swallows. )

You don't know who I am, do you?

( Well, shit. Lois can recognize something of his expression in Clark's, not to draw those confirmation biases — but when someone's hurt, and they don't want to fully let it show. It's the swallow that makes her heart sink, because she wishes she could tell this kid what he wants to hear.

That she knows. That she's not guessing. She's not going to lie to him about that. )

No, kiddo, I don't. I can guess, but you've caught me and Clark pretty early in our relationship. We haven't even talked about kids yet.

( Or marriage?

Not important. She's doing her best to think grounding thoughts, because letting herself start to accept the improbability right now means she'll be floating skyward in a few seconds. Emotionally charged telekinetic flight is not ideal in times of high emotions. )

I'm sorry. ( Lois sounds genuinely regretful. She can't even imagine what it'd feel like, meeting her father and having him look at her with a blank gaze. Whatever else he is, he'd still be dad. ) I wish I could tell you I already knew you were on your way.

( Mostly because then she wouldn't be on her back foot, blindsided. She'd get to do whatever mothers do when they meet their grown children while carrying their growing child. (No one has that experience. Shit.) Think grounding thoughts, dammit. )

But it's nice to meet you, even if I'm more than a little surprised.

( She offers him a small, genuine smile. What the hell do you say to a kid you can't even prove is yours? Not doubt them for one, not when they're looking this close to crying. It's a real struggle to tamp down on that part of herself, but she figures, if it's all true — there's no way their son wouldn't know exactly what kind of person his mother is. Why she asks. Why she's even being honest here.

So what can she say? Or hell, do? )

Can I give you a hug?

( Would he even want that? She's got a sense for when Clark needs that, but some kid — quite possibly their son? She doesn't know him yet. If ever. (Alternate realities, she knows, are a thing. But that also isn't anything this Kent needs to hear.)

She doesn't presently know that Clark was having an identity crisis over biokids, because she desperately wishes he was here. He's the one who does so well with kids. Lois makes people cocoa and hugs them. There is a scale of what's more comforting there, and the man raised by Martha and Jon Kent is far better built for it than Lois believes herself to be. If there's anything that can even be done when the people who're supposed to know you haven't even met you yet. )

( maybe damian's right. he is a crybaby, but he somehow feels he's a little justified in being one in these particular situations, so. whatever. just like with his father — just like with damian — he's met with a confirmation in not being known and he stands there without a clue of what to say. part of him wonders if this is another jon's mother from a different dimension, same with his father. what if he shows up? although... his father had said he wasn't married and his mother here more or less confirms that, too, so. it's not like they'd recognize a future jonathan kent anyways? ugh. this is hurting both his head and his heart and he hates this so much.

she's right in the assumption of who his father is and if the suit he's got on isn't obvious enough, maybe the lack of his correcting her when she mentions her and clark is enough confirmation for her. he needs to just... not get upset... again. an emotionally compromised half-kryptonian is not good for anyone especially with being as young as he is, but. he doesn't know what to do with all this — doesn't know where to go or who to rely on. he'd run— flown away from his father the moment he realized what was happening and while he's flown off before when frustrated about something, this is... different. this sucks. this hurts.

before he can even think of how to react, she goes and asks if she can give him a hug and he looks up to her with those big blue eyes of his and just... nods. slowly. maybe it's wrong of him to want, but. he can't look at her and not see mom. )

Okay.

( Okay, permission granted. Or more like big sad blue eyes and a slow nod given. Lois lets her knees touch down on the ground before she pulls him in for a tight hug, about the only kind worth giving. If this is a plan for assassination in close context via claimed blood relations from a child, well. She's going to die. But it probably isn't that, so...

So she continues hugging this kid who may or may not be her future son, because he needs it. Brings his head close to hers and strokes her thumb over his hair, reminded more of watching the Kents with Clark when she'd dragged him home, sick with kryptonite poisoning a few days ago than of Clark standing at his window, saying he was turning himself in to the DOJ because then maybe he could find his not so good foster dog.

This kid deserves to be with the parents who already know how to love him right. But for now, what he's got is this comparatively younger her and Clark. (If she only knew.) )

Life really likes to sucker-punch us sometimes.

( Lois Lane. Award Winning Journalist, not so award winning speaker of comforting words. Maybe in the future she's actually better at it, but right now? )

( small hands press to her shoulder blades and, unable to help himself, he buries his face there in the crook of her neck as if he were home. he's mindful of the way he holds her — of the strength he holds back so as not to accidentally hurt her. he's gotten better since their cat which he will... absolutely not go into thanks, but. he's always been especially careful with his mom and he'll continue to be even here with his not!mom. or whatever. again, he'll figure this out later maybe. right now, he just lets himself sink into the warmth of an embrace he's sorely needed since finding himself here, even if it's short-lived.

a soft sniffle — he's not crying he's fine! — he nods against the crook of her neck at her words before he's pulling himself back, knuckle digging into his eye before he drops his hand away. )

I get punched sometimes. But all of this hurts more than any of those ever have.

( physical hits, he takes in stride, even when they suck. emotional hits, well. he doesn't really have any invulnerability against those. )

I ran away from da— Superman. ( he drops his gaze. ) I didn't know what to do. I feel horrible but I...

( he didn't know what to do when his father denied his existence. not his fault just. you know. other dimensions suck?? )

( She lets go, watching him knuckle at his face. She'd love to know what more adult adults do in situations like these. Probably have a plan of action. Or not, reality hopping isn't most people's normal weekday.

Still, she knows and has watched Clark struggle with the same thing: emotional hurts sting so much worse than the physical ones. Those heal faster, especially for a kryptonian. Half-kryptonian. Hearts take time. )

Yeah. Superman struggles when it hits here ( she puts her falafel wrap holding hand (mvp here) over her heart. ) too. We all do.

( Lois very much included. But the rest of how he's acting, even what he says... )

You don't need to know what to do. If adults don't, why should kids? We can all figure it out together.

( No one's needing to be alone here, however long this ridiculous stranded in another reality situation stretches on. Please, if there's any kindness here, it's not going to be a long term situation. )

I can more or less guarantee he feels as bad about it as you do.

( Why? Clark let him fly away. Lois has no reason to believe he couldn't have gone after him, which is... well, hell. She needs to check in with Clark too. )

Wanting time to deal with something new and unpleasant you've just learned about is normal. Don't feel bad about needing that for yourself. Okay? Even Superman needs that, and he's definitely still older than you.

( In fact there are several recent memory iterations of this. Lois opts against mentioning those at this time. )

Are you hungry?

( ... not because she's still got the falafel wrap. It's just her general impression of kids and also emotional calorie burning. Food won't fix much, but it can help. )

Edited 2025-08-18 00:37 (UTC)

( dad would, he thinks, no matter the version. his dad is just a real good guy that way, always looking out for others and helping those in need. he hopes he can be just as good as his dad with that — that he can make him proud one day.

as for how to handle the fact that his dad doesn't know him here — that this version of his father is without a jonathan kent and a marriage to lois lane, well. he'll figure that out at some point. he has to. he just... needs time to figure it out, like his mom said.

pressing his knuckle into the corner of his eye again, he stares to his mom — to lois — and slowly nods when she brings up his needing time for himself... that superman even needs those moments, too... and the whole maybe getting something to eat thing isn't such a bad idea right now. )

A little.

( and as if on cue, his stomach growls at the thought of being fed. )

Ok... maybe a lot.

( Lois smiles at the growling stomach, familiar with those days herself. Sometimes you get caught up in whatever you're doing and then, right. Food, not just sugar with some petroleum added. (When you thrive on caffeine and coffee but it's always, always the stuff blacker than the void.) )

Let's see what they have around here. Though you're welcome to start with a falafel wrap if you like falafel.

( Because she still has it. Right here. Covered in foil. The true MVP of the last half hour.

Lois stands, dusting at her knees briefly with her free hand. When she'd pogo-bounced-flown herself over the pen fence, she had enough of an eye to see they're about middle of the park on a North-South line. Either way is likely to get them to food. Once again, she's annoyed at having a phone that only works on wifi, and doesn't accept the sim cards she's found in the corner convenience stores here. Maybe she needs to suck up getting a burner after all.

Glancing down to Kid Kent, which is about the name she has for him right now, she quirks her brows. She leaves her hand hanging loose at her side, in case he wants to... hold it? She genuinely doesn't know. Just In Case. Either way, time to get moving. Walking. )

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess you didn't get sent here with a change of clothes either.

( That's a touch dry, since she'd been in the same situation. As far as she can tell, everyone who has no idea what Etraya is and ended up here has been in the same situation. )

( he shakes his head at the falafel wrap offer, not wanting to take it from her when she'd gone through all that trouble with making sure it didn't get crushed. he knows the disappointment that comes with missing out on something you'd been looking forward to, especially when it comes to food.

he does, however, walk along with her, cape gently flowing behind him for a moment as he does, blue eyes turned down to his sneakers as they go. it's... weird? but not? but sort of is... being here with his mom like this who... isn't his mom. at least this is going leaps and bounds better than it did with his dad. he knows she told him to not feel so horrible about it and that his dad likely feels the need to figure his head out, too, but. well. it's dad and he feels bad about just taking off like that. he's glad it didn't turn out to be like that with his mom here... even if he's not sure how to be around her. why's everything so complicated all of a sudden?

best to focus on the easy things anyways and food is about as easy as it's going to get for the time being. )

Uh... no. I don't think so anyways. I didn't pack a bag or anything.

( not like he really knew he would end up here, but. )

( Consequences of getting yanked into a different reality: no one got to pack anything. (Maybe the people who were more recently in whatever Etraya is. She hasn't met enough of them to know what their consistencies may or may not be, but the name and it being a space that isn't their home reality is consistent.) She snorts, shaking her head as they walk.

She can't really help him figure out how to be around her. Lois has no idea how to be around him either, but she can at least focus on the more immediate weirdness and also practical, solvable situations. )

Wouldn't a heads have been great? "Hey, we're about to pull you across realities! Might want to bring a toothbrush and a change of clothes."

( Or anything useful other than whatever was on you one moment to the next. She quirks up an eyebrow, looking down and over at him. )

Let me know if you'd like to pick up something else to wear so you can wash your uniform. No doubt things get messy around here fast.

( She's putting a pin in the whole child-aged superheroes thought. Kid's not wearing that uniform only for fun, and she says that because she has a sinking feeling that any child with both Clark and her as parents will be rich with stubborn, smart, and/or genuinely helpful tendencies. )

Did you hear about the kaiju attack about a week and a half ago?

( Just keep talking. It's fine! It's good! She has next to no information for explaining why they're all here, but she sure did get more recent information on the haps in the world around them. )

They have kaiju here? Boy, wait 'til I tell Damian.

( well... if he ever gets out of here, that is.

they keep with their walking and he more or less keeps his gaze down on his red sneakers as they go. he stops after a moment — notices he needs to tie his shoe and, bends down to do just that. also, you know, just taking a second or two to think about all this — think about the fact that he's here with some version of his mom who doesn't have him in her life. yet? ever? he doesn't know... he doesn't exactly have a lot of experience with things like this. or, well. not like this anyways.

shoelace tied, he slowly gets himself up, cape gentle in the way it curls around him from a breeze. sheepish, he looks up to her. )

I'm sorry... if this is weird for you.

( to suddenly have a possible future[??] kid dropped on your lap out of the blue on another planet. )

I can... go... if that's easier.

( she'd said his dad maybe needed time to process things, so. maybe she does, too. even if it means he'd be on his own here. )

Easier?

( She'd stopped while he took care of tying his shoelace, waiting. Lois shakes her head a little, studying his young face, her own expression serious. )

Being around you isn't hard, kiddo.

( Kids as a concept aren't out there to or for Lois; she'd figured she'd probably at least have one someday, if she found the right person and the right circumstances and had some more head-space than for just her work. A kind of balancing act of emotional-personal life and work life that she'd been terrible about through her twenties. She's starting to get that mental space these days, and yeah, it is because of Clark, which isn't a fix so much as a partner going forward but... anyway, she doesn't need to think about things which aren't presently relevant.

It's not about her right now. Not about Clark either. It's about a kid who just had two people who are supposed to be his parents not recognize him. Not know who he is, when they're the people who should know best in the world. )

I'm more worried it's hard for you because I'm not the mom you deserve yet.

It's not your fault. It's not dad's fault either.

( oops. he meant to say superman, but. well! she already pretty much knows that anyways, so. he's a walking spoiler himself just by the uniform he has on. no sense in pretending he's not jonathan samuel kent, son of clark kent and lois lane.

kicking gently at the ground some with the tip of his sneaker, he sighs as he swings his arms down at his sides. )

It just sucks. Everything's different here and—

( and that's when he clocks it coming towards them. the sudden swerving of a car lost control. as swift as can be, he grabs his mom by the arm and pulls her to the side in the form of flying. leg stretched out, he stops another one by the heel of his foot, hand still holding to lois' arm while he looks around them. heck. )

Uh... I think the wall is moving again.

( It's the suddenness that sparks her surprise, leaving Jon directing a suddenly very light Lois to the side as he flies: her own flight's activated, meaning he's guiding both of them when he's flying her out of harm's way. She's along for the ride floating at his side as he stops a second vehicle with his foot. )

Quick thinking!

( If the barrier's moving again, then what the hell is going to — scanning the area, she grimaces and gestures with the arm he's not holding (has the falafel wrap survived this too? perhaps) as the steam that'd been rising from the manhole covers on the street intensifies, the street buckling up due to the same intense unseen pressure that'd sent the cars careening off the street. With a sudden burst of flying asphalt chunks and more intense steam due to the temperate difference from the underbelly of the sewage system, a large, long, vaguely axolotl reminiscent creature scrambles onto the street proper. It whips its head around, eyes wide, mouth gaping open and breathing fast. Another car slams on its breaks to avoid hitting the animal, then is abruptly redirected toward the sidewalk on the far side of the road like it's hit the same sort of invisible barrier as the first two, coming to a stop with a breath of space between the front bumper and the brick of the building there. )

Might be more than just the wall —

( This animal, creature, not really a kaiju turns its bulk and wiggle-squirm scrabbles with its feet in a desperate bid to get away from all the loud sounds, heading straight toward the park. Everything in its way gets pushed back by whatever invisible force it keeps reflexively projecting.

It's clearly panicking, not set on wanton destruction, but the collateral damage doesn't look all that different. Enough so that she's giving her alternate universe or possibly future universe son a quick squeeze on his arm in turn. )

I'll keep out of reach — can you get that thing to where it's got less to damage?

( the moment he catches sight of the creature there scurrying its way through the streets and for the park, he blinks those blue eyes of his, still floating there alongside his mother. )

He's scared. No way is any of this panic helping.

( thanks a lot invisible moving wall!

he looks to his mother and stares to her for a long moment before he gives a nod. )

Yeah. I'll see if I can get him out of this mess he's making.

( and take him... somewhere. a forest?? invisible moving wall allowing, that is, but. taking off from where he is, he zips his way over to the scurrying creature, coming around to its front and holding his hands out, face apologetic, remembering how nightwing had done the same to him when he'd been scared and alone in that cave. )

Hey. It's ok. I know you're scared but you've got to—

( and just like that he's swatted with the creature's tail and sent flying across the way, knocking straight into the side of a car. oof. )

( Lois stays floating where she is — okay, she gains height, she can fly for what she assumes is an extremely brief period of her life, let her at least get a better than usual eye on the situation that's not drone-gifted — but to the point, stays out of the way. Does talking to giant creatures like that work at all? She can't say she's seen Superman or the Justice Gang have any luck shouting at them, just usually hitting them until they fall over (or otherwise making them dead). But it's... fair enough, if anyone can get the giant axolotl out of the area safely, death doesn't have to be the only solution. This isn't a repeat bear breaking into houses situation.

Instead, it's a axolotl slamming its tail into her possible future!son and sending him right into a car. Which she barely has time to react to when the winds shift, and her scent is being carried toward the giant creature, who leaves off slamming after where it'd hit Jon... only to turn its massive head her way, eyes dilating away from pure panic to a mix of panic and... food interest.

Not in Lois. In her falafel wrap. She starts cautiously flying backward when it takes a step her way, then slitter waddles along a little faster. Uh. )

Kiddo! Are you okay?

( She looks back over her shoulder to make sure there's not some big tree or pole or a windmill she's about to fly into. Instead she's got people scattering out of the way and no idea what's out here for a big amphibian to — amphibian? Lois concentrates on rising a little higher, not moving backward as the giant axolotl comes closer and attempts to wave its fronds and stretch up after her, to see if she can spot any big bodies of water in this park. She can, off in the distance, versus the closer one that doesn't look quite as large. )

There's a lake further in the park! Do you think that'd work?!

( Asking the kid because as an adult she's never wrangled giant monsters and Superman isn't here to ask instead! Or Mr. Terrific! Hawkgirl! Maybe even that jackoff Guy Gardner?! )

Edited (fronds not fronts, self) 2025-08-22 22:47 (UTC)

( just... give him a second!

getting himself up, he dusts his knees off and rolls his shoulders a couple times. the car took more damage than his body did, but. it still smarts! when he hears his mom calling out to him — heh, kiddo — he looks over and eyes go wide as the creature starts to make its way towards her. )

Oh, heck!

( darting off from the spot he'd been flung to, he flies his way over to her and blinks before he looks over for this lake she's talking about. yeah. that could work? it could work. at that, he nods, pointing in the direction of it. )

Uh, yeah? I mean— I sure hope it does!

( reptiles and their family like the water, yeah. and it's sure to not be as chaotic in there like it is above water, so! sounds like a plan to him. )

Just let me grab its tail and I can take it over!

( Until she gets a name out of you, Jon, you're the Kiddo! Proper article and everything, the one and only boy wonder, Kiddo!

As it is, she's the floating lure that can't help but feel relieved when he shakes off denting a car in (is there any property damage insurance here for metahuman related accidents?) and zips back her way. It's one thing to know he should be durable, and something else to see he is. )

Great. Love it. Try not to let it swat you off like a fly again.

( Be encouraging. Be encouraging! Lois gives him a thumbs up and a close-mouthed smile. Haha. Ha. He's got this? )

And if it does, well, your dad gets swatted all the time. It's no big deal.

( It's hundreds of thousands to millions in property damage costs, but admittedly, Clark and Superman have never had to pay that. Nor has any other metahuman. So. Is she managing encouraging. At all. Lois has her doubts.

The axolotl continues to try and hoover Lois in, which has no real effect because she's out of reach and al the amount of pull it can generate is greatly reduced by being on land, not in water. To all intents and purposes, it looks like it's koi kissing up at her, having tracked a scent it finds delicious, and unable to reach it.

Perfect distraction time to get hauled off tail first by a Super Kiddo. )

( there’s a look he gives her when she goes and refers to his dad. a look that comes off almost hopeful — as though seen by her in a way he wasn’t sure she would, and he smiles with a nod before he’s turning his attention back to the task at hand.

it’s just like home and NO, he’s NOT getting a little teary about it, gosh.

he maneuvers his way around to the creature — makes sure to keep a bit of distance at first before he’s grabbing hold of its tail from behind and, with a bit of a grunt, he starts dragging the thing backwards and then around towards the lake. he huffs, he puffs, he keeps an eye on the flailing creature as he keeps dragging, mindful of anything he might accidentally be dragged into. )

Ugh, stop squirming! I’m trying to help you!

( he twists and turns a little to keep a strong enough hold on the tail that won’t injure the creature and then, finally, gets them to the lake to which he swings them in to take a dip. with a splash, he drifts there a little to make sure the thing is ok and not about to come back out and, when it seems like they’re in the clear and good to go, he dusts his hands off and lets out a breath. phew.

a turn back to his mom, he beams and gives her a thumbs up. heh! )

( There is no way to make any of that look like less of a struggle than it was, but the result of Kiddo's persistence is a very protesting giant axolotl being dragged to a better location than the sidewalks of a park or the busy streets around it. Lois follows, glad she's at least got the hovering in place thing down, even while it still feels like she's also playacting the part of a helium balloon.

Which means when he's turning around and giving her that thumbs up, she can do the same back, even while concentrate on coming down gently on the shore of the lake. Who knows, maybe the axolotl will accept the central island as its new nesting place. Or the local enforcement can at least figure out a better solution for long term. )

Great work! Would have been easier if it understood human languages, but what can we do.

( The axolotl keeps its head under the water up until she's landing next to Jon. Then the massive, pinkish head breaks the water's surface, mouth just... a little open. Staring at Lois and Jon. Making that sort of whuffing inhalation sound from earlier.

Lois gives the massive creature a flat look when that head comes juuust a little closer. It's less noisy here, invisible walls aren't forcing it to move around, and it's hungry. Lois has seen that look on Krypto's stupid fluffy face a few days ago.

She sighs, shifting her stance and tossing the falafel wrap with pretty impressive precision right at the axolotl's stupid, semi-smiling, massive face. It snaps forward, inhaling the falafel wrap foil and all, and retreats back under the surface with little more than bubbles lingering in the aftermath. Across the lake, a goose honks. )

Well, that sure happened. Looks like everyone needed to get fed.

( Lois quirks her eyebrows up, looking over at Kiddo. )

Still up for eating?

( Countdown to having this be the exact moment when Aurora pulls everyone back to Etraya, including everyone who'd never actually come from Etraya. )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

TDM 009

hopefully this goes better than it did with dad 😢

oh nooooo kiddo you got your dad on the tail end of a bad, bad week, you poor thing

mom 😢

her mental record scratch is strong

jon out here breaking both his parents minds 😢

poor kid, he's just wanting something familiar and instead he gets the "just started dating" duo

he'll survive, mom 😔

sorry for not knowing you son 😔

it's ok, mom. not your fault 😔

can she blame the interdimensional being that probably caused this instead 🥲

yes, she can 😔

good, that's what she'll do 😤

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don't worry, mom. he's got you 💪

hahaha such strength! such speed! such superboy!

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