Through A Glass Darkly
Clark Kent does not want to go on a blind date arranged by his best friend, Lex Luthor. He would rather be working on his final English paper, which is due in two days, than go on a date that will probably be riddled with awkward pauses. However, Lex insisted that Clark should try and socialize more. Easy to say that when you're a genius and been writing college-level papers since middle school, Clark had to bite his tongue from saying this to Lex.
Clark is going on the date because Lex did go to all the trouble of reserving the university's theatre for the night. But then again, Lex is "helping" the owner's daughter that happens to need tutoring in Biology. The only details that Lex gave him about his blind date is that she's majoring in Ecology. Clark imagines his date will be wearing homespun clothes and wishing that she was in the forest.
Clark is dressed like he was going to spend the night in his dorm rather than on a date. He is wearing a red sweater with "Metropolis University" logo sewn on the front and jeans with red sandshoes. His hair is still a bit wet from a quick shower, which causes his bangs to curl mercilessly. He could've used his hair dryer, but he doesn't feel like putting any effort in his appearance for the date. He is pretty certain, even if Lex disagrees, the date will not be fun.
The theatre lights are dim when Clark enters. Yet, his "super" vision allows him to see his blind date. Well, at least the back of her head. Her hair reminds Clark of the rays of the golden sun and almost as long as a sunflower. Immediately, Clark feels like a jerk for not considering that his date would actually put effort in the date. He passes by seven rows of uncomfortable, red velvet chairs to reach his date. He almost forgets to breathe when he sees her.
"Salutations, Clark." She stands from her uncomfortable seat with an inhuman amount of grace. Her face is like heart, but her chin is not pointed. Her eyes are as green as spring grass in Smallville. Her mouth is small, but her lips are luscious. Her voice is light, but there is a strange deepness like a man's voice. She is pale, almost to the point that Clark could swear that she must be sick or something because she looks almost green. Yet, she appears healthy and fit enough if the slight muscles bulging from her tight, lavender shirt and purple jeans. He is caught off guard by her yellow boots. He presumes that those boots must be made of recycled plastic because it looks so smooth.
"Oh, hello, Lex forgot to tell me your name." Clark knows that he is blushing out of embarrassment. It never occurred to Clark to ask Lex about his blind date's name. He was too busy grumbling about losing time to work on his paper.
"My colleagues call me Brainy." She must be the smartest one in her class to earn that nickname, Clark presumes inwardly.
"We should sit down because Lex probably has timed for the movie to begin and the lights to go out right about…now." The lights go out and the projection turns on. Lex is almost methodical when he wants to be "theatrical". They both sit down together and keep their eyes on the screen. Clark is hoping that whatever movie Lex has picked out that it's at least romantic. Clark doesn't believe a beautiful girl, no woman with her untouchable grace, like Brainy would like hardcore sci-fi films.
From the first ten minutes alone, Clark wishes that Lex picked out a sci-fi movie, even a SyFy channel original would have been better than this. The film that they are watching now is called, "Through A Glass Darkly". The first problem with the film is that it is a foreign film, which means it requires subtitles. The last time Clark watched a foreign film was on a date with Lana Lang back in high school. She got bored and fell asleep. When he walked her home, she complained about the film and didn't bother to give him a goodnight kiss. The second problem is that it is clearly an older film and is colorless, which means the effects and potentially the acting are going to be terrible. The final problem is that this film is going to be depressing. From what he has gathered from the dialogue, Karin was just released from the hospital, has an incurable mental illness, and is a bit too affectionate with her brother, Minus. He expects Brainy's eyes to be dull with boredom by now.
However, Brainy's eyes are sharp and brilliant. She has latched onto the film like she wants to see the tragedy unfold. Clark is reminded of Lex when he found that his parents died in a car accident when they were fourteen. Lex did not cry, but his eyes suddenly became sharp like he was replaying his parents death in his head with morbid satisfaction. Clark wasn't surprised by Lex's detachment. Lionel Luthor was an abusive drunk and his wife was just as equally cruel. Everyone in Smallville knew that.
"I have a feeling that the play is foreshadowing." Brainy's voice cuts through the harshness of Clark's thoughts. Minus, Karin, and Karin's husband, Martin, are putting on a play before the father. The play seems to be about a princess and an artist about to commit suicide. The father feigns approval, but looks offended.
"Maybe, but I think this is Minus's way of getting back at his father for not keeping his promise to stay home." Clark now realizes that the best part of foreign films is that you can actually talk without worrying about missing important dialogue. The subtitles just require the audience to read and not listen.
"Can electroshock therapy give someone super-hearing?" Karin is awoken to the cries of a seagull, but her husband is still sleeping. Unless Karin is Kryptonian too, then there is no way she could've heard the seagull.
"Not unless some inexplicable accident occurred to give her that power. I believe this is just another symptom of her illness, which is most likely schizophrenia. She's like a child trapped in a room with too many voices." Brainy's comparison seems uncanny since Karin looks incredibly vulnerable when her father tucks her in. She seems even more childlike when she goes through her father's things when her father is away.
"How could a father do that to his own child? She's going insane, but he's going to use her deterioration as a study to satisfy his curiosity." Karin looks almost heartbroken, but unsurprised by her father's writings.
"That is not the worst thing a father can do. At least, Karin has someone who cares for her, enough to lie to her." Martin comforts Karin and even accepts not being able to have sex for a while. Karin points out, almost masochistically and sadistically, to Martin that he could have a normal wife and kids. Yet, Martin retorts that he doesn't want anyone else.
"Well, Martin seems to passively-aggressively tell his wife that she doesn't love him. Is that still caring?" To Clark, Martin and Karin are just doomed and anchored to each other on that realization.
"Yes, because all he wants is her soul-crushing honesty in return for his comforting lies." Oh…that's the saddest thing I have ever heard. Clark thought. What kind of relationship thrives on truths that kill you inwardly and lies that only offer soft delusions?
"I don't know why, but I think my favorite lines for this movie is when Karin said: 'A god steps down from the mountain. He walks through the dark forest. There are wild beasts everywhere in the silent darkness. It must be real.'" Brainy smiles. Her smile is like a glim in a dark room. Her smile is luminescent in the darkness, but easily warped. Clark has a feeling that she rarely smiles and he is proud. His pride almost turns into hubris.
"I'm starting to think Martin really does enjoy exposing the ugly and hollow side of people. Yet, he really does love Karin. Why else would he allow himself to suffer like that?" Martin and the father look defeated. Maybe just waiting for sweet death to take them.
"Clark, the father loves Karin too. He's just a person." Clark wants to believe that Brainy meant to add "terrible" before "person", but Brainy doesn't seem the kind of a woman to commit accidents. No, she seems quite self-assured in her observation.
"He seems to be avoiding conflict from Martin's accusations by simply agreeing with him. It still doesn't change the fact that he's making a study of his own daughter's madness." Clark can hear the anger in his own voice. Brainy is not frowning or scared of his anger. She just lets out a small chuckle, reminding Clark of a music box if it had a human voice.
"It doesn't, but he could have killed himself. He could've just jumped off the cliff. Even right now, he could drown himself. Instead, he is going to stay and suffer with his daughter. To me, the father is doing this out of love. A father that is willing to watch helplessly as his child suffer when he could leave means that he truly cares about his child." A part of Clark knows perfectly that Brainy is speaking out of experience. He expects to see her looking sad, but there is a tragic smile on her face. It isn't out of experience, it's out of desire. Clark concludes.
"Did Karin really sleep with her brother?" The film doesn't show the scene, but Minus didn't pull away from Karin after she wrapped her arms around him.
"I believe so. Considering the running theme of abstract concepts not being shown, I believe the director purposely left the scene out." What does she mean about abstract concepts not being shown? Clark wonders.
"Wow, so she's really going back to the hospital?" Karin is helping Martin pack their things. Yet, Karin disappears in the next shot.
"I am certain that she is in the room with the crack in the wallpaper. She is waiting for her god." Brainy is again correct in her prediction. Karin is praying in the room when her father and Martin find her. Then, the helicopter comes and she begins to scream.
"Interesting, it appears her god reflects her life." Clark's eyes widen because Brainy seems so wrong now.
"She just said that God is a spider that tried to rape her. I don't think she was raped by anyone. Although, the incest scene is debatable, but she seems more like the rapist in that scene." Brainy shakes her head like he gave the incorrect answer, but she isn't disappointed.
"You forgot that she described her god's eyes as calm and cold. The men she loves the most, her father, her husband, and her little brother, are calm and cold to her, even when they had to restrain her. The god has the eyes of her loved ones, but forces himself on her very much like her illness. I think her god is just an allegory for her madness that is further exasperated by those she loves." Clark concedes because Brainy explained her opinion quite well. Yet, he finds it just as sad as Brainy's earlier remarks. Brainy can calmly dissect the characters, but she empathizes with them like she is too a character in the film.
"Well, it's nice that they ended the movie on the power of love. Do you really think the father believed his own words?" The father claims that love could save Karin. The father has always seemed insincere to Clark. He wouldn't be surprised if he is lying again.
"I think he has no choice but to believe that. At least, Minus got what he wanted. His god finally talked to him." The lights come on. It means that their movie date is over.
"May I walk you out?" Clark nearly cringes at his awkward delivery. He holds out his hand to help Brainy from his seat. Brainy smiles once again that rare smile and takes Clark's outstretch hand. Surprisingly, Brainy is almost as tall as Clark, but Clark believes that her boots are giving her a height boost, even though the boots have no heels. Clark also notes that Brainy's hands are cold, but he's only happy to warm hers with his.
"What is your overall assessment of the movie?" Clark almost laughs at how logical that Brainy sounds. Almost like HAL 9000.
"I was surprised that I liked it. It's bleak and bordering on atheism, but I loved it. Especially Karin's earlier quote about God." He likes that he was able to have a conversation with his date. He was able to learn about Brainy's way of thinking. He hopes that Brainy doesn't think that he's an idiot for not catching everything in the movie.
"Yes, the atheism is surprising given the time it was made. The characters' psyches and interactions are quite interesting. I have to congratulate Lex on his interesting movie selection." Yeah, Lex's movies can range from intricately brilliant to unfathomable. Last time Clark allowed Lex to pick a film, it was his movie date with Lana where she slept and complained. This time Lex picked a film that both Brainy and Clark clearly found intriguing.
"Maybe Lex should pick the next movie too. Unless you don't want a second date." Clark hastily adds the last part because there is a chance that Brainy doesn't want to go on another date.
"Maybe next time we could dance together. I love watching this film you, but I would like to see how you move." Clark blushes because he doesn't like to dance. He prefers to talk with his friends and lean against walls like the perfect wallflower that he is. Yet, he wouldn't mind seeing Brainy dance. It would probably be refined and beautiful like she is. Clark thought dreamily.
Lex Luthor is waiting for them outside the theatre. Whenever Lex suggests a movie, Clark knows that Lex immediately wants to know his opinion. However, this time Lex looks a bit surprise. Clark sees Lex's emerald eyes widen for a split second when he sees Brainy, but the surprise is replaced with curiosity. Clark finds it odd since Lex is the one that set him and Brainy up.
"The movie was quite fascinating like the rest of the movies in your collection." Brainy commented. Lex doesn't get a chance to respond since Brainy quickly turns her attention to Clark.
"I have to leave now, but I promise you I will return. When I do return, I expect that dance, Clark." Brainy does the strangest thing that Clark has ever seen. She raises his hand and kisses it. She walks away into the night, leaving a red-faced Clark and an amused Lex.
"Clark, that wasn't your date that I arranged." Now, Clark is very confused. Lex isn't lying. Clark knows that Lex wouldn't lie to him out of the blue. Lex likes to make his lies as elaborately planned as possible.
"Then, who is she?" Clark asked. Honestly, Clark finds it hard to believe that Brainy would just happen to be at the theatre.
"I don't know. Also, she is a he." Clark is laughing incredulously at Lex's answer. There is no way that Brainy could be a guy. She doesn't even have an Adam's apple.
"No way, she's way too beautiful to be a guy. She's like the most beautiful woman I have ever met!" Clark has seen some pretty boys during his time in Metropolis, but none of them can be as beautiful as Brainy.
"Clark, your 'date' had a chest far too flat to be a woman's. Also, he lacks curves that a woman would have." Clark still doesn't believe Lex. Brainy might be one of those girls with a tomboyish figure.
"Lex, there are girls with flat chests and shapeless hips. Not all females can be like the supermodels you date." Clark countered. Although quite weakly from Lex's perspective.
"Clark, I know you like to be in denial, particularly concerning a person's character, but you have to be completely insane to not realize that I am right." Clark thinks about Brainy's voice. Brainy's voice did have some deepness like only a man would. Also, when Brainy was walking away, she didn't sashay her hips like most girls would. Oh no, Brainy's a guy. Clark lets out a groan, while Lex lets out a sigh.
"I don't think Ma and Pa Kent would look down on you for bringing a guy home. And as I have said before, you should keep your mind open. Your date seemed quite polite enough if a bit fixated." Clark is again confused by Lex's comment. Again, Lex sighs like he has to explain how there is life on other planets to his high school class again.
"He refused to take his eyes off you the whole time you were outside. He looked like he was worshipping his god." Clark can remember Brainy's eyes always meeting him when they talk. His green eyes were so eager and enthusiastic, but Clark always presumed it was because of the film.
"Maybe, he's from another world. Why else would he look at me like that?" Clark passes it off as joke, but inwardly he is serious. Perhaps, Brainy is an alien like Clark is. Maybe, the males in Brainy's species could be designed to be particularly feminine.
"I would say he's from the future because his shoes are most certainly not made from material of this time." Clark laughs again because time-travel can't be real. However, Lex is completely serious. And whenever Lex is serious about something, he is normally correct. Yet, like whenever Lex is correct about something impossible, Clark goes into denial. He doesn't come out of denial until many years later at a party where he comes across Brainy. However, Clark finds out his theory is just as correct as Lex's.