As of today, Martha is now retired.

I've been putting this off for awhile now because I hate to give her up. It breaks my heart to do this, but it's gotten to the point where I can't move forward with her. When I think of how busy and fun things were a year ago, I realize that they're not now. I would be doing a disservice to the character dragging her out any further. I know it's for the best. At least for now.

I've loved playing her, more than I can say, and I'm grateful for everyone I've gotten to play with over the last year and a half. You're all fantastic. I know Martha would join me in wishing all of you and your muses the very best.

-Skye

Have you ever felt like you needed to prove yourself to your partner?

I guess that depends on what. Everyone has something to prove sometime. Maybe it's something big, something serious, like your love. Or maybe you're just determined to win some petty argument. I guess I've experienced both.

I like to win arguments, if I know I'm right. (Although winning arguments when you know you're wrong is quite a delightful little victory too.) Perry and I will disagree about some little historical fact and I'll scour through books and internet until I find the answer and then, if I'm right, rub it in his face. I did the same with Jonathan, though we rarely argued about things like that. When we argued, it was more serious. For whatever reason, winning a serious argument doesn't feel as good as winning a trivial one.

There have been times when I've had to prove myself in other ways, yes. We all have our doubts from time to time, and I take full responsibility for the times I've made Perry doubt me. So if I ever feel like I have to prove myself, it's my own fault. It hurts to have to do that, but it's worth doing.


muse: martha kent
fandom: smallville
word count: 194
partner: perry white (to_littleville; rp)

Why did your last relationship end?
Politics.

Do you like funny people or serious people?
I like people who are capable of adapting to a situation.

Is the last person you kissed older than you?
Yes, but only by a few years.

Are you happy right now?
Hardly. Happy enough.

( it was too long for me to do in one sitting. )

Martha loves the autumn, almost more than any other season. She always looks forward to that calm, crisp transitional period in between summer and winter, the two seasons she is the least fond of. She loves the colors the autumn draws out on the farm, loves to watch the changes. It suits her, both emotionally and physically. Fall colors bring out her own natural coloring, and the late fall chill is exactly the right kind of weather to suit her deposition. Cool and calm, but still with that hint of warmth left over from the summer months.

She's loved sharing the season with Gracie, who sits with her on the porch in her little hat and stares at the falling leaves in awe, her eyes instinctively drawn to motion of any and every kind. Whenever she sees something she likes, she gestures wildly at it - never a gesture that translates to actual modern culture, but always enthusiastic. Martha will let her crawl in the leaves as Jonathan rakes them up, and watch as his frustration is inevitably thwarted by love.

It's a season Martha loves to share with people - over pumpkin spice lattes or with a drive through the country. It feels like it's been ages since she's seen Lionel, and even longer since Gracie has. When Jonathan and Clark head to Metropolis for a baseball game - an event wherein she'd claw her eyes if she'd been forced to attend - she buddles the baby up in just the right amount of clothing to suit the weather, and drives over to the Luthor Mansion. She parks up at the top of the driveway, far from prying eyes, and as they move up the walkway toward the front door, she talks back to Gracie's jibberish as if she understands every nonsensical word.

She rings the bell, adjusting the bag on one shoulder and Gracie on her hip as she waits.

There’s a nine-month-old standing unsteadily on the kitchen counter while her mother stands before her, arms outstretched in case the wobbling turns into a fall. She maintains her unsteady standing position for almost a full minute, until the back door opens, startling her.

Martha catches her before she actually falls, and glares at Jonathan and Clark as if they’ve just committed a heinous crime. “She was standing all by herself.”

Neither Jonathan nor Clark moves out of the doorway, both staring at Grace with their mouths half-open. Martha raises an eyebrow. “What?”

“Uh…Mom.” Clark purses his lips to keep from laughing. “You know you’ve got her wearing a bee costume, right?”

“It’s cute!” Martha protests, lifting Grace off the counter and holding her at the hip. “Isn’t it, Gracie?”

( .... )

Martha Kent
Smallville
489

It’s the night before her wedding and she’s just ruined everything.

She’s just finished telling Lois about what she’s done when there’s a knock on the door. They both jump, both too in the moment to imagine having to be taken out of it by a disturbance of any kind. Martha is in tears, Lois is in shock, and then they’re both wide-eyed with alarm, staring at the front door of Lois’ apartment. It takes nearly a minute and one more knock on the door for either of them to move. Finally Lois stands, approaching the door without even thinking of who might be on the other side, entirely disengaged from the moment.

The door opens, and Lois is rendered speechless, a rare occurance to be sure. Martha inhales sharply and stands up at once, stiff and straight. Standing in the doorway, Perry looks somewhat relieved to see her, and somewhat torn about. Just as she and Lois had been developing a game plan for how to handle the situation, he shows up here.

He stares at her for a moment, then turns to her best friend. “Lois, could we, uh…have a minute please?”

( .... )

[ooc: this pertains to no verse whatsoever, and certainly doesn't pertain to canon. it's just sort of a random oneshot that came into my head while i was trying to sleep last night.]

Someone who might be able to see her as who she is.

That was Martha Kent’s most clear, precise thought when Perry White stepped onto the farm. On the surface, she projected fear, anger, and worry – Perry, after all, posed an enormous threat to the well-being of her family when he showed up postulating about Clark’s origins and threatening to expose him. But Jonathan did most of the talking, taking charge of the situation as he most often did, and she was left to observe, the strong, silent, maternal type. She kept her eyes on him at all times, skeptical about the way he spoke, intrigued by his mannerisms.

He was no longer the young, ambitious, honorable man she had met thirty years earlier. Then, he was Metropolis’ golden boy, a story of rising success. Boy from the Slums making it as a big-time reporter. Martha had met him briefly after a seminar he’d given at Metropolis University when she was a junior. He was smart, startlingly so, and more than that, he was polite. A go-getter with a smile that would have quite literally charmed the pants off of her if she had given him the chance. But he was not that man now.

After turning the town of Smallville on its head and putting her own family in peril, Perry White hopped on the bus back to Metropolis, and an hour later, Martha Kent was driving along that same highway after him. She did so under the pretense of anger. She was angry about the things he had done, and the way he had treated her son. She had every intention of calling him out, giving him a piece of her mind, and that was exactly what she told Jonathan upon leaving. And when she arrived at his apartment in the city, she used that anger within her to its fullest extent. She yelled at him, gesturing wildly and uncharacteristically, listing very specifically all the ways in which he had done her family wrong. And he had taken it without protest. He listened to every word and nodded along agreeably, watching her with a sort of admiration. A woman like that was what he’d been missing.

( it's all just the way that we cope with our lives... )

Martha Kent
Smallville
1,676

So, I've been at a bit of a standstill lately. It seems Martha doesn't have much going on these days - most of the muses she was close to have either retired, are mostly inactive, or she's grown apart from. She only talks to a handful of people now, if that. Which of course is partly my own fault, but still the truth. She doesn't really have any Smallville muses that she connects with, and there are, I think, a few reasons for that. One is that most SV muses seem to operate in canon or thereabouts, and because neither of Martha's verses are canon, it's difficult to get in sync. Also because Annette O'Toole's been off the show three years now and the writers have reduced Martha to a single off-handed mention once a season. It almost like she never existed, unless you're feeling nostalgic and go for a rewatch of old seasons. In that sense, I understand why it's difficult for SV muses to really connect with her at this point.

I really enjoy playing Martha, and have for over a year now. But I look back at how active things were a year ago and the difference is really staggering. Plot-wise, anything that happens to her is basically just between Lionel!mun and myself, and hardly affects or involves anyone else, partly because there is no one else. Playing her is beginning to feel somewhat pointless, but I love her too much to retire her.  I've been thinking of trying to get her active in various communities like sixwordstories and just_sayit a little more, but I follow those communities now, and really there aren't a whole lot of people I think she would have much interest in talking to.

Which brings me back to my standstill. I'm going to mull it over some more and hopefully come up with a solution, but that's where we stand as of now. If anyone has any thoughts or suggestions, I'd love to hear them. And because every OOC post should legally be required to include a gif:

1. Have you ever thought about getting your lip pierced?
Goodness no.

2. Does a kiss make you feel better?
Almost always.

3. Have you ever passed out on the bathroom floor?
Not that I can remember.

4. Have you had more than 3 boyfriends/girlfriends at the same time?
Of course not.

5. Have you ever thought about your death?
Frequently.

6. Would you rather be in a permanent relationship or play the field?
Permanent relationships.

( .... )

Your dating personality profile: Liberal - Politics matters to you, and you aren't afraid to share your left-leaning views. You would never be caught voting for a conservative candidate. Big-Hearted - You are a kind and caring person. Your warmth is inviting, and your heart is a wellspring of love. Intellectual - You consider your mind amongst your assets. Learning is not a chore but a constant search after wisdom and knowledge. You value education and rationality.

Your date match profile: Practical - You are drawn to people who are sensible and smart. Flashy, materialistic people turn you off. You appreciate the simpler side of living. Intellectual - You seek out intelligence. Idle chit-chat is not what you are after. You prefer your date who can stimulate your mind. Big-Hearted - You want someone compassionate, someone gentle and kind. A loving, nurturing person will fill that hole in your life.

Your Top Ten Traits 1. Liberal 2. Big-Hearted 3. Intellectual 4. Wealthy/Ambitious 5. Practical 6. Romantic 7. Sensual 8. Adventurous 9. Traditional 10. Outgoing

Your Top Ten Match Traits 1. Practical 2. Intellectual 3. Big-Hearted 4. Sensual 5. Adventurous 6. Traditional 7. Conservative 8. Romantic 9. Shy 10. Funny

Take the Online Dating Profile Quiz at Dating Diversions

You Are a Pumpkin Latte

You are a total homebody. You love the fall because it gives you an excuse to stay home a little more often and be cozy. Fall is your favorite time to cook a pie, read a good book, or watch your favorite movie. You're the type who prefers handing out candy at Halloween and hosting Thanksgiving at your place. You have a lot of different autumn activities, and they all take place inside the comfort of your home.

For the record, you don't cook a pie, meme. You bake one.

The first time I looked at this question, I thought it said who are you hiding from, not what. Hiding from a thing is a much more intriguing concept than hiding from a person, so I had to think about it a little more.

I hide things, sure. I don't know that I hide from things. I hide different things from different people. I hide things from my fiance. I hide things from my children. I hide things from my best friend. I hide things from my students. To an extent I probably even hide things from myself. I know people hide things from me. But I think it's important to hide things, certain things. Not everything needs to be revealed. The truth doesn't always need to be told. Sometimes the truth is better served as a secret. People have their reasons. Who are we to judge them?

I've kept a lot of secrets in my life. I don't regret keeping them. It was the right thing. Sometimes, the truth comes out sooner or later. Sometimes it doesn't. Que sera. If the truth is going to be revealed, I think it's better if it happens on its own. Truth is too powerful to be at our mercy. If it wants to be known, it will be. But that's not always the case.

Back to the original question. What am I hiding from? I'm not hiding from anything. What's the point?

Martha Kent
Smallville
240

Your Body's Element is Water

You are a joyful, relaxed, and luminous person. You love people. You live for making new friends and helping others. You are enthusiastic and the ideal person to work with. You don't mind doing hard tasks, and you have a generous spirit. Your energy tends to be: conserved You power color is: black

Well. There's nothing like a meme to put things into perspective after a near-death experience, I suppose.

It's been a long time since Martha Kent has woken up in a hospital bed. In Smallville, it was a usual occurance. Then, she was always in the hospital or visiting the hospital, for one reason or another. Now, as she blinks her eyes rapidly and the white, sterile walls piece themselves together in her view, she finds herself feeling as if she's never been in that position before. Then she feels that all too familiar pain in her back and suddenly the feeling of being in a hospital bed returns to her.

She has yet to move any part of her body, but she sees Perry out of the corner of her eyes, sitting in a chair beside the bed, jotting down notes on what appears to be the proof of an article. She takes a deep breath, and before she can say anything, that breath is heard and he looks up as if he's just been pinched. "Oh, thank god," he says in one breath, leaping out of his seat and relocating to the edge of her bed. "The doctor was expecting you up an hour ago. Don't you ever keep us waiting like that again, you hear?" He leans forward to kiss her forehead, then her lips, while she simply regards him with unvoiced bafflement. "Grace had to run to class, and I made Clark go into the office for a few hours. figured at least one of us should be there. Lois is downstairs grabbing a cup of coffee, and..."

Martha holds up a surprisingly limp hand, shaking her head to signal him to pause. "What...what's going on? How...?"

( .... )

...I need to talk to you. It's not about us, don't worry.

Questions from JP -

1. What colour would you dye your hair if you had to?
Oh, gosh, Lionel and I were just talking about this. First of all, I wouldn't. But if I had to...well, there aren't many options. I'd go very dark, I guess. I think darker would look better on me than lighter.

2. What's the worst part about being in love?
The fear that you'll lose them.

3. What's the point of marriage?
Committment, devoting yourselves to one another in front of everyone who means something to you, building a life together. There's something about marriage that is just so beautiful and admirable to me.

4. Do you and I agree on anything?
Oh, stop. We agree on plenty. We just don't talk about it often because what's interesting about discussing something we both agree on? That's hardly good conversation.

5. What advice would you give your younger self if you could?
"Focus on yourself a little more."

If you'd like questions too, comment and you shall have them.