I'm so bad. I chose this week's ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif)
wednesday100 topic just so I could write this FFL, and it's in no way 100 words. Thanks for indulging me ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
lexalot!
“I’m running for office because of the children.” Lex stood behind a podium, microphones curved over the wood to record his speech. The rented hall was filled with constituents and reporters – though not Clark, due to reasons of conflicts of interest. Behind him, a banner proclaiming Lex Luthor for Mayor draped from the rafters. “Let me amend that so it doesn’t sound like just a line: I’m running for office because of my children.”
He glanced down and received a toothy grin from PJ, clinging to his leg, hidden by the podium. The ribbons he’d put in her hair had come undone, one hanging lopsidedly, the other being used as floss. “I want to be able to take my daughter to the park, knowing that she doesn’t have to remain in a dirty diaper all day because there’s no changing table in the men’s restroom.” He looked up at his audience again. “I want my son to be able to ride his bike down the street without falling into a pothole. I want to know that PJ will be as protected at Washington Public School as Sam is at Maplethorpe Private School.”
Lex picked up the newspaper from the podium and held it visible to the crowd. His picture was splashed across the front page of The Inquisitor, looking harried and carrying a plastic bag full of bottles of grain alcohol. “I’m sure you’ve all seen this by now. One of The Inquisitor’s photojournalists snapped it last night outside the Sav-Mart. The photographer surprised me, popping out of the dark to take the picture of me buying supplies for Sam’s economics project, which, naturally, he waited until the night before it was due to tell me about it.”
Chuckles from knowing parents rose from the audience. Lex put the newspaper down and rested his hands on the edges of the podium. “It wasn’t until as I was going to bed, dwelling over the fact that I’d been wearing a hideous shirt when my picture was taken, that I realized how lucky I’d been. There had been no working streetlights in front of the store. What if it had been another father out that late, on an errand to help his son? Would it have been a photographer stalking the darkness?
“I live in an affluent suburb,” Lex went on. “I own a lot of land and pay enough in property taxes to buy all the houses in Kings Row. Which begs the question, where is my city tax money going? Two out of five city streetlights are out in my neighborhood. And if two of five lights are out in my area, how many are out in the less fortunate areas of Metropolis?
“St. Francis of Assisi once said that ‘all the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light from a single candle’. What would happen to the darkness if every streetlight in Metropolis were working?” Lex said. “As Mayor, I plan to find out. I want to know where our tax money is going and reallocate it into making our city a safe place for my children and yours.”
Applause filled the hall. He smiled and waited for it to die down again. “I would normally leave you with that sound bite, but I seem to have developed a growth on my leg preventing me from moving.” He lifted his leg past the side of the podium, to the squealing delight of PJ, riding on his foot. Her laughter joined that of the audience. “I’d be happy to answer a few questions until I have to leave to pick up Sam from school.”
“Do you normally pick up your son from school?” someone asked immediately, and by his tone, he thought it was a political ploy.
It wasn’t, though, and Lex answered truthfully, “We have a nanny who usually looks after the kids. She had a family emergency, however, and since I own my own company, the boss isn’t going to complain if I take the day off.”
Titters were received in response, as a reporter in the front row spoke up. “Mr. Luthor, there are concerns among the conservative party that you’d use the position as Mayor to advocate a homosexual agenda.”
“The answer to that would be ‘no’,” Lex said, earning surprised murmurs from the audience. “As I said before, my goal is to turn this city into a safe, welcoming place for families to raise their children. Now, I will not tolerate anti-gay legislation during my term, the same as I wouldn’t tolerate ethnic, religious, racial or gender discrimination, but I will save my homosexual agenda when I run for senate.”
“So, the Mayor’s office is just a stepping stone?” another reporter asked.
“No matter where I go in the future, Metropolis is my home,” Lex said. “I grew up here, and I want my children and my grandchildren to grow up here. And like any other parent and grandparent, I want the best for them. As Mayor, I can make that happen.”
He glanced at his watch, bent, and picked up PJ. Immediately, she tried to stuff the ribbon in his mouth. Capturing her hand, he gave the reporters a photo-op. “I need to get going. I want to find out if Sam got an A on his econ project about the marketability of using grain alcohol as a fuel source. My campaign manager, Angie Dickenson, will be arranging further interviews, so please contact her if you’re interested. Thank you for coming today. Say goodbye, PJ.”
“Tell them cookies,” PJ said, with a puckered frown. “Cookies!”
Lex’s smile wasn’t faked for the cameras, as he was reminded of what he’d said to a pesky PJ during his earlier meeting with Angie. “I forgot. As I told PJ this morning, a vote for me is a vote for cookies, so—”
“Vote cookies!” PJ demanded, her voice ringing loud and clear. Lex left the stage with a half-wave under a volley of laughter.
VOTE COOKIES read the headlines of all the major Metropolis newspapers the next day. It became the campaign slogan that won him the election.
-End
FFL Timeline Updated
wednesday100 topic just so I could write this FFL, and it's in no way 100 words. Thanks for indulging me lexalot!“I’m running for office because of the children.” Lex stood behind a podium, microphones curved over the wood to record his speech. The rented hall was filled with constituents and reporters – though not Clark, due to reasons of conflicts of interest. Behind him, a banner proclaiming Lex Luthor for Mayor draped from the rafters. “Let me amend that so it doesn’t sound like just a line: I’m running for office because of my children.”
He glanced down and received a toothy grin from PJ, clinging to his leg, hidden by the podium. The ribbons he’d put in her hair had come undone, one hanging lopsidedly, the other being used as floss. “I want to be able to take my daughter to the park, knowing that she doesn’t have to remain in a dirty diaper all day because there’s no changing table in the men’s restroom.” He looked up at his audience again. “I want my son to be able to ride his bike down the street without falling into a pothole. I want to know that PJ will be as protected at Washington Public School as Sam is at Maplethorpe Private School.”
Lex picked up the newspaper from the podium and held it visible to the crowd. His picture was splashed across the front page of The Inquisitor, looking harried and carrying a plastic bag full of bottles of grain alcohol. “I’m sure you’ve all seen this by now. One of The Inquisitor’s photojournalists snapped it last night outside the Sav-Mart. The photographer surprised me, popping out of the dark to take the picture of me buying supplies for Sam’s economics project, which, naturally, he waited until the night before it was due to tell me about it.”
Chuckles from knowing parents rose from the audience. Lex put the newspaper down and rested his hands on the edges of the podium. “It wasn’t until as I was going to bed, dwelling over the fact that I’d been wearing a hideous shirt when my picture was taken, that I realized how lucky I’d been. There had been no working streetlights in front of the store. What if it had been another father out that late, on an errand to help his son? Would it have been a photographer stalking the darkness?
“I live in an affluent suburb,” Lex went on. “I own a lot of land and pay enough in property taxes to buy all the houses in Kings Row. Which begs the question, where is my city tax money going? Two out of five city streetlights are out in my neighborhood. And if two of five lights are out in my area, how many are out in the less fortunate areas of Metropolis?
“St. Francis of Assisi once said that ‘all the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light from a single candle’. What would happen to the darkness if every streetlight in Metropolis were working?” Lex said. “As Mayor, I plan to find out. I want to know where our tax money is going and reallocate it into making our city a safe place for my children and yours.”
Applause filled the hall. He smiled and waited for it to die down again. “I would normally leave you with that sound bite, but I seem to have developed a growth on my leg preventing me from moving.” He lifted his leg past the side of the podium, to the squealing delight of PJ, riding on his foot. Her laughter joined that of the audience. “I’d be happy to answer a few questions until I have to leave to pick up Sam from school.”
“Do you normally pick up your son from school?” someone asked immediately, and by his tone, he thought it was a political ploy.
It wasn’t, though, and Lex answered truthfully, “We have a nanny who usually looks after the kids. She had a family emergency, however, and since I own my own company, the boss isn’t going to complain if I take the day off.”
Titters were received in response, as a reporter in the front row spoke up. “Mr. Luthor, there are concerns among the conservative party that you’d use the position as Mayor to advocate a homosexual agenda.”
“The answer to that would be ‘no’,” Lex said, earning surprised murmurs from the audience. “As I said before, my goal is to turn this city into a safe, welcoming place for families to raise their children. Now, I will not tolerate anti-gay legislation during my term, the same as I wouldn’t tolerate ethnic, religious, racial or gender discrimination, but I will save my homosexual agenda when I run for senate.”
“So, the Mayor’s office is just a stepping stone?” another reporter asked.
“No matter where I go in the future, Metropolis is my home,” Lex said. “I grew up here, and I want my children and my grandchildren to grow up here. And like any other parent and grandparent, I want the best for them. As Mayor, I can make that happen.”
He glanced at his watch, bent, and picked up PJ. Immediately, she tried to stuff the ribbon in his mouth. Capturing her hand, he gave the reporters a photo-op. “I need to get going. I want to find out if Sam got an A on his econ project about the marketability of using grain alcohol as a fuel source. My campaign manager, Angie Dickenson, will be arranging further interviews, so please contact her if you’re interested. Thank you for coming today. Say goodbye, PJ.”
“Tell them cookies,” PJ said, with a puckered frown. “Cookies!”
Lex’s smile wasn’t faked for the cameras, as he was reminded of what he’d said to a pesky PJ during his earlier meeting with Angie. “I forgot. As I told PJ this morning, a vote for me is a vote for cookies, so—”
“Vote cookies!” PJ demanded, her voice ringing loud and clear. Lex left the stage with a half-wave under a volley of laughter.
VOTE COOKIES read the headlines of all the major Metropolis newspapers the next day. It became the campaign slogan that won him the election.
-End
FFL Timeline Updated
*goes off in search of cookies to vote for*
I love how Sam and PJ humanize Lex, as have and raising kids should - softening all his hard edges and making his natural charm more accessible.
Gah, this was so very cute - Vote Cookies! indeed
So very cute.
remain in a dirty diaper all day because there’s a changing table
Would that be a typo "because there's no changing table"?
That was adorable!
M
Big grin because I SO needed FFL Thursday!
{grins}
I'd totally vote cookies ... and don't think we didn't notice the line about saving his homosexual agenda for when he runs for senate. Loved it!
-DL-
Please consider this to be not only a review for this story, but for this universe, and in fact, everything you write. Your stories have provided hours of delight for me. You have a brilliant flare for writing and I just adore the Lex and Clark (and family) that you've created for us.
Vote Cookies
I so love you.
Cookies!, that line just did it for me. *giggles* Great work, as usual!