Days of Becoming, Chapter 13

[talktooloose]

Title: Days of Becoming, Chapter 13 - “Raccoon Eyes”
Author: Talktooloose
'Verse: X-Men movieverse
Warnings: Sexual situations, swearing, snowcones.
Series Summary: This novel focusses mainly on the paths Iceman and Pyro take on their way to adulthood and how they discover and deal with their love for each other. It is a novel about what Joni Mitchell calls "the dream's malfunction" and how we can learn to make our own dreams when our heroes fail us. Other X characters and OC's play prominent roles and the action begins before X1, continues through the events of X2 and X3 and concludes in the aftermath of that movie.
Chapter Summary: Bobby and Kitty deal with their feelings in the wake of Lance's departure. Mike is fed up with Jubilee's new friend. What is Christian Turcott really up to?
Betas: kuriadalmatia and lux_apollo. Thank you for making me a better writer.
Disclaimers: Marvel and 20th Century own this stuff but they need us to make sense of it.
Notes: Rayen is liberally adapted from a character in Grant Morrison's 616 X-Men run.

This chapter was supposed to be easy—just a transitional bit between more dramatic sequences—but it turned into a beast (and no, Hank is not in it).

Unreserved and slobbery thanks to Lux and Kuria for insightful betas and brilliant suggestions. Bobby's Halloween costume is thanks to Lux and Kuria suggested one of Sam's lines as well Charles' unique memento. In addition, they helped me stay on track and true to my tale. Words fail.


Here's the chapter!

Here's the DOB homepage for earlier chapters!

Please use the link at the end of the chapter to return to LJ and comment on the post.

Comments

[nat-dimension.livejournal.com]

Brilliant! The flow of the story is increasingly elegant with each chapter that passes, and this one leaves me longing to devour the next installment. Keep it up.

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I've been editing this one so much that I feared for the flow. My clever betas told me to chop a particular scene and it will now appear a few chapters from now. It was an excellent idea on their part.

I've begun 14 and will work dilligently on it.

[train-diskense.livejournal.com]

*chokes* O____O KITTY NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING!!!!!!!!!!!! x_____x It's always the smart ones that do stupid things.

Awwwww and poor Bobby. *pets him*

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

Yes, she's smart about everything except her own limitations.

[lux-apollo.livejournal.com]

Couple of little things:

1) You have 'Pyro Pryo Burning Bright' as John's MSN handle. I don't think he'd misspell Pyro, so I'm assuming it was just a slip we all missed.

2) What happened to the email about Derek? I know it was problematic, but I was wondering if you decided to drop it entirely or put it off for later?

Great job!

[lux-apollo.livejournal.com]

*amends*

Of course, I didn't read the other comments before commenting. Silly me. I guess we'll see that bit in a couple chapters.

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

Yes, we all missed it! lol. I'll fix tomorrow.

I did more changes than usual post-beta, especially to the cafeteria scene, but Bobby's internal monologue on the stairs was courtesy your comments.

The Derek stuff will appear in about 3 chaps, I think, and tie in to the reactions to Halloween.

[(Anonymous)]

I started reading this about a year ago and to my shame have yet to leave a comment.
You rock, this story is fanatastic, excellent style, great characterisation, everything about it is brilliant. I check pretty regularly in hopes of an update, and it makes my day when there is one, so thank you.
Anyway, just thought I should let you know that I'm really enjoying reading this and think you are an extremely gifted writer.
I'm anxiously awaiting the next update, I know it'll be good one like every chapter so far.
The highlights of this chapter for me were Mr Haddad, the Jubes/Tattoo part and both Kitty's scheming and how toally clueless Bobby is at the end.
I really like that you've included a number of serious socially relevant parralels/issues in, a lot of writers in this fandom don't do that. I guess I'm saying I like the scope/vastness of your writing, your background is also really good, I think that's a sign of great writing, readers don't just see two characters alone in empty space, we can place them in an active setting (that reads back as gibberish but it's kind of hard to explain what I mean-I'm sort of saying that because of the way you write the chracters exist in a 'real word' for example i can 'hear' the sounds of the diner and imagine customers in there carryijng on their lives even if you have mentioned any specifically).
Anyway, I love this novel, great work ;)

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the kind words. Hmm, I wonder if Mike will ever get a real tattoo. That seems possible...

It's very important for me to keep the political/social side of the story as real as possible. I have always loved that aspect of the X-Men mythos and I'm happy to bring you my own take on the subject.

Scenes can never just float in space. Characters exist in a world and their decisions are based on where they are, with whom, how they are feeling about other things, the weather, etc. The more the writer knows these details, the richer the scene can be.

Thanks again for your comments.

[tanyasassysweet.livejournal.com]

I really dont like her... LOL< is bobby and john gonna meet up again?

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

Aww, c'mon! Kitty's okay! She just gets a little... too enthusiastic. lol.

Bobby and John? Of course! The book covers the period of the movies and goes beyond. Their relationship is just beginning. They're destined to be together.

Thanks for reading, Tanya.

NNOOO

[(Anonymous)]

WHY DOES IT ALWAYS HAVE TO END :P

Please dont quit writing!

Re: NNOOO

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

okay.

great.

[(Anonymous)]

loved it, I really really hope the chapters come soon :p

I liked this one, For some reason im not a big fan of pyro, i think it was great having a break from him :p

Dond Quit Writing.

Lance and Bobby again... haha i cant wai.

Re: great.

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

Not a big fan of my man Pyro? Uh-oh, there's going to be more and more of him! Maybe I'll convert you to a St. John fan.

great.

[(Anonymous)]

loved it, I really really hope the chapters come soon :p

I liked this one, For some reason im not a big fan of pyro, i think it was great having a break from him :p

Dond Quit Writing.

Lance and Bobby again... haha i cant wait.

Re: great.

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

I think all four of these last comments are from the same person. Chris...?

Re: great.

[(Anonymous)]

Haha Damn you caught me :P
I was just writing for the other people who are too busy drooling over your great stories to rite. hah.

~Chris~

[sendthewolves.livejournal.com]

Go Kitty!
Man, I really loved the stuff with Mike, Jubilee and Rayen in this chapter. Damn, High School sucks and it is just like you wrote it. At least mine was. You really have me feeling so strongly for the characters in this!

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

Thank you for your kind words. I have little patience for cruelty and dislike the way high schools are allowed to descend into this kind of divissiveness. Schools should be a model of the kind of community we want to create. It is there that we can learn to work together to make our world a better place. Perhaps a world of competition and cruelty is exactly what some people want out of high school because they want the world to operate that way. Learn to be a "winner" or "loser" at high school so you can know where you fit in the social ladder later. I hate that attitude.

To a certain extent, Xavier's school is the model for a more communal, ideals-driven school, but then there are the underlying, hidden motivations. Bobby, especially, is disillusioned every time he is faced with this contradiction (e.g., with Kitty in the café in the chapter titled "A Measured Response"). He wants the world to be simple and kind. I can sympathize.

[ayumie.livejournal.com]

Ooooh. There's gonna be trouble. Do they have any idea what they are getting into, I wonder? *ggg* Lance's girlfriends coming to his rescue.
Uhm, yeah. No John this time. Looking forward to the next chapter!

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

In answer to your question:

NO!!!! They have no fucking clue what they're getting into!!!

No John for a litttttttle while and then it will be John, John, John, John and more John. And some Johnny.

[zing_och.livejournal.com]

I just read the whole fic so far - it's really amazing! I can't wait to see what happens next. You've got me hooked.

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

Excellent, thank you! Now that you've caught up, you have to wait along with everyone else. I'm averaging a chapter a month.

Who's that in your icon?

[zing_och.livejournal.com]

*g* Then I'll just have to be patient...

That's Grace, one of the Outsiders. She's awesome! Sadly, the book isn't that great anymore and getting a revamp now - that always happens to books I like.

[underhardlove.livejournal.com]

I Cant wait for the Next Chapter :p I wish it didnt take a month but i know you busy :P Your a great writer, I Really Really like the Characters.

[underhardlove.livejournal.com]

:p Im glad that, there was more then just bobby/Pyro, I mean like as a pairing cause i think thats in the future ;) like how you added Lance into it, and how he has feelings for Scott & Kitty lol.

I Really Cant wait.

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the kind words. Your Peter icon is fabulous, btw.

I am hard at work on Chapters 14 and 15 (which are sort of one continuous story) and I'm having a great time. I wish I could write faster, too, but that seems to be the best I can do for now.

[mandlebars.livejournal.com]

like I was eloquent before....all I can say is you pwn dude

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

whoa. fuck. Thanks, dude.

[mandlebars.livejournal.com]

serious;y you're just a really good writer, you have a fuckload of talent and this masterpeice will be so fucking awesome if/when its finished that fanfiction writers everywhere will wish they wrote it. You definetly pwn.

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

Aw shucks! I think my novel (which I WILL finish -- unless I'm hit by a truck or something) appeals to the fans it appeals to. Those who want something faster, raunchier or fluffier will probably get fed up. For god sakes, Bobby didn't even kiss a boy for the first 95,000 words or something!

Another great chapter!

[evil-lillith.livejournal.com]

i hope you know how excited i get every time i find out that you have added a new chapter! i really like Mike's character. his costume was priceless! i keep picturing him as the kid who "only dates women of color" from Mean Girls. i'm not sure why. i hope that Pyro is okay, i missed him this chapter. kitty has some serious balls! anyway i'm rambling, great chapter! i can't wait for more!

Re: Another great chapter!

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the kind words. I created Mike without a thought, just to give Bobby a friend at the beginning, but he has grown into an important character who, like the X-Kids, has a very important journey to go on himself.

You'll have to miss Pyro for short while, but he'll be back in a central role very soon.

Kitty's balls? um, yeah. And they sometimes override her considerable intelligence.

Yay

[underhardlove.livejournal.com]

I could comment under Chapter 14th.

I CANT WAIT FOR THE 15TH CHAPTER!

i hope it comes out soon.

:p

I want some action between Lance and Bobby and his big balls hah.

Re: Yay

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

Soon is a relative concept. Third week of October at a guess. Then I'll speed up. Honest.

Bobby's big balls (lol, I don't know how that happened but it cracks me up) will get action, though I won't say from whom.

Re: Yay

[(Anonymous)]

Not from kitty please!!! Haha :p and hopefully not Pyro yet, im hoping you can change my mind on Pyro i really dont like him that much and everyone uses him as a relationship between bobby.

Re: Yay

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

Dear Sir or Madam:

You are reading a Bobby/John novel. It will contain Bobby/John.

lol. I hope I can change your mind, too. I love John, and identify with both characters.

[philos-arbiter.livejournal.com]

I find your writing to be intoxicating. I just finished chapter 14 and can't wait for more.

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

Intoxicating! That's so nice, thank you. Don't drive after reading my fic!

Chapter 15... it's killing me that I don't have time to write now, but I am taking my PDA and portable keyboard with me on vacation at the end of the week and I'll be writing on planes and trains; I should have it ready for the beta readers upon my return and get it posted in the second half of October.

Sorry for the wait.

Looking at your profile, I see no mention of fanfic, fandoms or X-Men. The only axis between us I can see is krimon. How did you find your way to Days of Becoming?

[philos-arbiter.livejournal.com]

I don't remember exactly where I saw your great story, it may have been through Krimon, but I am gay and cruise through the gay and naked men areas sometimes, he he. I always liked the x-men storyline.
Keep up the great writing...