Orbiting Series by Rhiannonhero (NC-17)

[talitha78.livejournal.com]

Hi, my name is Talitha, and I'll be your Smallville reccer for January. I'm a die-hard Clark/Lex shipper, and I'll take my Clex any way I can get it, but I tend to gravitate toward long fic, first and foremost, and also schmoop, angst, and *gasp* m-preg. Obviously, my recs for the month will reflect my reading tastes. You have been warned. ;)

Fandom: SMALLVILLE
Pairing: Clark/Lex
Author on LJ: rhiannonhero
Author Website: http://www.rhiannonhero.net/
Why this must be read:

I checked and re-checked the memories section of the SV recs because I had a hard time believing this series had not been recommended yet. Well! I must rectify this oversight immediately...



I think I’ve read this series about 5 times in its entirety. It has great significance to me since it was my very first introduction to fandom, slash, Smallville fic, and the Clex. The first story I read was “Tomorrowland,” and I was hooked from pretty much the first paragraph. I remember being astonished by the professional quality of the writing and the intensity of the emotional relationship between Clark and Lex. I had been a Smallville fan prior to reading Rhiannon’s stories, but I thought the only reason I was so drawn to the show was Tom Welling’s pretty face. I must have sensed the Hoyay, but I didn’t *see* it yet. Reading “Tomorrowland” was a revelation to me. This, *this* is what I’d been missing, not only in the show but in my reading in general. Thus, a slash-a-holic was born. I stayed up until 4am reading the rest of the Orbiting series, knowing full well I had to get up at 6:30am to get to work. I didn’t care; I wasn’t even tired. I was so thrilled at having discovered the Clex; sporadically throughout the day, a totally goofy grin would break out on my face.

Why I return to the Orbiting series again and again is in part to re-experience that feeling of discovery, but also because I love these stories for their own sake. “101 Ways” always puts a smile on my face with its truly teenage Clark and his wooing of a sorta reluctant Lex. The daily letters he sends Lex crack me up. Clark is so young and sweet and in love in this story. And Lex—-Lex is wary and damaged but utterly incapable of resisting Clark. Lex wants so badly to be loved. “Walmart” is schmoopy and utterly adorable, with a Lex in a strangely child-like and playful mood.

The rest of the series progresses in a nicely measured way, showing Clark’s growing maturity and his acceptance of his abilities and responsibilities and Lex’s increasing emotional openness and growth. “Amplified Heart,” “Particle by Particle,” and “Blueprints” provide lovely details about their developing relationship, complete with college, dorm life, and new friends. We also get to see Lex’s slightly panicked reaction to Clark’s moving into the penthouse; he recovers handily when he remembers how much Clark means to him. In these stories we also see the birth of Clark’s “Superman” persona, and the strain it initially puts on their relationship. “Soulquake” is the true test of the strength of Clark and Lex’s bond, as the couple must survive the repercussions of a vicious attack on Lex.

"Soulquake" works beautifully as part of the Orbiting series, but it is also a very strong stand-alone piece. The word for the Clark/Lex relationship in this one is intense.

To be honest, the intensity of this story is quite painful at times, but that’s what makes it so great. Rhi tackles some very heavy issues in this story. She really makes the reader feel Lex’s agony at the loss of his hand. There’s the obvious physical pain that he has to contend with, but also the feeling of utter violation—-the knowledge that someone broke into his home, the home he shares with Clark, and committed this atrocity— is hard to handle. To recover from the more recent violence of losing his hand, Lex must finally deal with the gang rape he lived through as an adolescent (as I said, heavy issues).

And Clark suffers along with Lex because of the attack. His guilt is of truly heroic proportions (sorry, couldn’t resist) because he was out on patrol instead of protecting Lex. As Superman, he tries to save the world, but when the man he loves desperately needs him, he is absent. Wracking, soul-consuming guilt. This exchange absolutely killed me (think uncontrollable tears):

"I called for you..." Lex's voice hitched in a sick laugh before he continued, "I screamed for you actually."
The words pulled him down, sucked him into the undertow and drowned him in shame. He'd caused this. He'd failed Lex. He bowed his head until the cool leather of the chair pressed into his forehead, his body burned with self-loathing.
"You didn't come." Lex sighed.
Clark shook his head but there were no words. No words to express the feelings in him.

Every time I read those lines, I can *hear* Lex’s scream. *Shuddery sigh* The emotional intensity doesn’t really let up through the story: Clark avenges himself on Lex’s attacker in an incredibly violent manner. Basically, Clark murders the man in cold blood. Obviously, he is devastated in the aftermath, and turns to Lex for understanding. The scene where Clark kneels before Lex covered in gore is horrifying and incredibly real. Martha plays witness:

Martha backed away slowly from the sight of the two of them comforting each other, the blood spreading from one to the other. The guilt shared, the love too strong for them both, the blood of destruction and of devotion staining them both forever.

Because Clark and Lex are able to live through emotional upheaval of this magnitude, their relationship will be stronger than ever. The darkness will always be with them, but their commitment to each other is undeniable. "Superstar" is the final story in the series.

So much love, talent, and energy went into the making of the Orbiting series, and I am deeply grateful to Rhiannon for sharing her vision of Clark and Lex with us.

Orbiting Series by Rhiannonhero
The link above leads to the first in the series, all of which can be found on the SSA or Rhiannon's own site.