Days of Becoming, Chapter 5

[talktooloose]

Here's why it took so long: I wrote an 11,000 word chapter that my betas correctly pointed out was actually two chapters. So I cut it in two and fixed up the first half to produce this Chapter 5. That means Chapter 6 is 75% done in draft. I will really, really try to have it up by mid-November.

Thank-yous without number go to kuria_dalmatia and lux_apollo for their enthusiasm, precision and patience. Without them, this novel would be a mess.

The link will send you off to the DOB website, but the comment button at the end of the chapter will bring you back to LJ. Please comment; readers' enthusiasm keeps my soulfires burning.

Read Days of Becoming Chapter 5!

Or go to the DOB homepage!

Comments

[nat-dimension.livejournal.com]

Outstanding, as always.

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

That's very kind, thank you.

[kuriadalmatia.livejournal.com]

Yay! I like the changes you made to the story, especially some of the dialogue tweaks. As I've said before, betaing your work is a pleasure. You give a complexity to the characters, both canon and original, even when there is little to go on from the movies.

Sorry it took so long to beta --

Cheers!

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

heh, I didn't have to change one word of Mike's speech -- I just made him jump Bobby!! There's a lesson in there somewhere.

Thanks again for all your help. I hope to have a version of 6 out to you in a week!

[gothicauthor.livejournal.com]

AHH. Poor Johnny. Poor Bobby. [waits for them to find each other]

Gothic Author

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

Isn't it nice to know that they will find each other? At least for a while...

But will the two young mutants be able to get it together post-X3? I'm not telling yet...

Thanks for reading.

[lux-apollo.livejournal.com]

Yay! It's up! It's been a pleasure, as always, to help out. I know I wasn't nearly as thorough this time, and I apologize for that. School year, and such... but of course, you know you can call on me whenever you need another ear. Nice to see the final product, and how it's come along.

Good luck with Chapter 6!

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

Shut up, dude! Don't forget, you also helped with a whole bunch of back and forth email. You are one of my pillars, dude!

I think I'm finally pinning down how I want to use commas. I'll issue a style guide!

Six! Planning to have it out to you sooner than later.

[mandlebars.livejournal.com]

DUDE

win

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

Fighting the good fight!

THANKS.

[stand-ford.livejournal.com]

Great! I loved It.

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

Yo! Thanks for reading!

[forty-licks.livejournal.com]

Poor Pretty boy John! Whens his knight in freezing armour gonna come get him!!!!!!!

I liek that the cat came back :D :D

how long are you goin to leav eus hanging this time?

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

'Fraid things are gonna get worse for John before they get better.

Of course the cat came back! She's canon!

Like I say, Chapter 6 is 75% written. Now that it's been separated from the old Chapter 5, I've decided to put the next part of John's story into it which is the only major piece of writing still to do. Then the betas have to tear it apart, tell me why I'm useless and I have to fix it. Then I'll publish.

I'm aiming for mid November! Like really!

Thanks!

[evil-lillith.livejournal.com]

i have been seeking out a well written novel length work for months now! thanks for writting such a good one. keep up the good work please im really enjoying it. i love the boys character development. poor jon is so lost!

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

Hey, thanks!

They're both lost in their own ways and they have very different coping mechanisms which will hinder and help them as time goes on. I love them both so.

Are you specifically looking for Bobby/John novels or other X-Men world recs?

[evil-lillith.livejournal.com]

any novels would be good as long as they are well written. i love getting really into a story vs just a snippet of one. but i do enjoy bobby/john stories a lot

Recs

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

Okay... are you reading the fine works of my betas?

lux_apollo is 19 chapters into his Bobby/John epic, Spiral which can be found in
dry_ice

kuriadalmatia is also well into her bobby/john magnum opus: Fundamental Difference of Experience whch can be found here. (http://www.kuria.onomatopoetry.com/)

mofic writes fabulous X-fic, too. I especially love the huge world she evolved out of X1, much of it revolving around Scott/Logan. Her stories can be found here (http://mo.fandomnation.com/fic/). I would read all her X1 stories in order.

Is it possible you do not know the work of Minisinoo? If you do not, read "Special" and "Grail" here. (http://www.themedicinewheel.net/novels.html)

Re: Recs

[evil-lillith.livejournal.com]

thanks i'll be sure to read them! i read spiral already. i enjoyed very much! what a great beta to have! im sure all your betas are great though because your story is wonderful!

[judas-denied.livejournal.com]

Another amazing chapter and I can not wait for the next installment. This is really lovely, all of it, but I am falling even more in love with John in this fic than I was before. You rock. :D

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

John is easy to love, the little bastard.

Bobby is too much like me so loving him means learning to love myself; always hard work.

[(Anonymous)]

Update!! PLZ!

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Chapter 6 just went off to betas so sometime in the next couple of weeks.


Thanks for reading. What do you like about the story?

[ayumie.livejournal.com]

Love! Love love love love love!!
I have been waiting for a new chapter and this is just perfect. I especially liked the John parts. It's great to find out more about him, since we're already rather intimate with Bobby's lie. It feels very real. Hope you update again soon.

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

Just submitted Ch. 6 to the betas. Lots of Tragic!John plus Bobby crushes at the Mansion.

I expect it will be up in about two weeks.

BTW, you meant Bobby's "life", but Bobby's "lie" is kind of appropriate.

[ayumie.livejournal.com]

*ggg*
See, I'm so excited by your fic, I can't even type properly anymore. Looking forward to the next part!

Great story!!!

[(Anonymous)]

Wow! I love this story!!! I love Pyro, and Iceman is cool too - and I really like the way this fic is going!!! PLEASE, keep it up!!! :)

Re: Great story!!!

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

Thank you, anonymous person. Did you come here by way of an LJ community or through the Yahoo XMMFF group?

The next chapter should be up by the end of the week. I seem to be writing about a chapter every 6 weeks. That may shorten (or might not), but the writing has a clear direction and I'm having an awesome time doing it.

[asm613.livejournal.com]

Another great chapter (they all are). This chapter i especially enjoyed Bobby's Friend Mike. The impassioned speech he gave to Bobby: to make him realize it's not about grades and being popular; it's about something more. The fact the Mike is such a loyal friend in regards to his remarks about Senator Kelly and the mutant proposition. Last chapter seemed to be a transition for Bobby from insecure and afraid to assured and towards leadership; so i was surprised that Bobby was back to afraid and insecure this chapter. I also thought that since you made Bobby's character so passionate that the goodbyes to his brother Ronny and his friend Mike were worthy of more story lines. I enjoyed the fact that both Bobby and St. John were looking for one another; one on the computer and the other sitting across the street from the youth center for 2 weeks of Tuesdays. The fact that St. John mentioned his poetry was not good lately; all he had been writing was romantic crap-i'm pretty sure we were supposed to connect that with Bobby but i wish he had more realization of it...more so than the 2 tuesdays of waiting at the building for him. maybe an internal dialog of sorts or some epiphany. I've also noticed the hints you've dropped thru the story of how Bobby's and St. John's relationship will end out. John says at the support group "assimilate or war, just don't know what side i'm going to be on yet(or something like that)". The poem John wrote about Fire looking for a friend but then how it can pull back in on itself(didn't feel like looking back for the exact words, but i believe there was symbolism similar to that). If your story follows part of what happened in the movie we already know that St. John leaves; which is a bummer. But this is your story so maybe it will end differently. I personally always hope for a happy ending. I already know that they have to have a relationship because this is a bobby/st john slash. Again; i could comment on much more; but i can't mention everything that is good or i'll just be writing the whole story over in my reviews. Because you're that good.

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the thoughtful comments.

I am trying, with just a few exceptions, to remain true to the movie canon. That being said, my story extends beyond the end of X3 and continues the tale of Bobby and John. Will it be a happy ending or not? I know but no one else does!

The pace of the story has dictated itself. I am now beginning Chapter 13 and am desperately trying to herd all my plot cats; however, certain characters, especially Mike, have demanded more time in the tale than I originally intended. He has developed--and will continue to do so--in ways I never imagined. Rest assured that I know where it is all going, even if the path is more circuitous than I first imagined.

As to Bobby's on-again, off-again insight and confidence. I think that's a character trait of his and this kind of indecision will return many times to cause trouble for him and for the people he loves. Furthermore, I believe that a lot of leaders have a lot of confusion in other areas of their lives. Scott certainly does. Does this impair their leadership ability? Sometimes.

Yes, believe it or not, it is a Bobby/John fic and you will see that if you keep reading! LOL.

[dutchxfan.livejournal.com]

Still loving it.