Title: Year of (ex)Change-- also entitled: Stupid School Project by The Rogue and John Allerdyce
Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men: Evolution or the X-Men concept. I do own this story, but I am not making any money off of it. I also own this disclaimer, and I praise it for keeping the evil lawyers away.
To my dear reviewers:
Important notice!!
I will not be updating for a while. I have hit a piece of writer's block with a crash, and now my creativity train has been derailed. I know what I want to do with this story, I just can't seem to get it done, and exams are coming up so this is a really stressful time for me. Any suggestions on how to get rid of writer's block are really appreciated. I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed any of my stories. I got absolutely no flames on anything (which was really amazing, as I expected someone to object to my Silver Blood fic at least once). Anyway, I would also like to say to my readers of Extending Evolution that it has been put on hold as well, and many, many thank-you's to epona04 and LoneWolf244, for being so patient, but I am stalled and waiting for inspiration to pick me up again. Oh, and I do promise soulstress, angyldevyl, and CDragon that I will review what they've done eventually, just I haven't been able to think straight over the last few weeks. Reviewer's block, I guess. And exams, evil exams.
Now on to the reviewer responses:
ASTG:
It can be green if you want it to be. Personally, thinking about the state of Jean's undergarments, even if it is only their colors leaves me feeling very unclean. I'll let Johnny know that someone is concerned for his mental health after such a traumatic experience. I think that he'll be happy to know that your huggles go out to him. Can I get some of whatever you are on?
snowee:
Drastic at the beginning, eh? Glad that you thought that this chapter was good. Even gladder that you liked my attempt to lighten the mood at the end.
Star-of-Chaos:
Thank you very much; I was just jerking your chain with the "plot spoilers" bit. I just couldn't think of anything to write. I slipped that dark song in there as a little foreshadowing. I like a side step into insanity, too.
And now onto the considerate Cheese Monkey:
Who has left me, well, quite a lot of reviews. I'll try to go in plot wise order here.
Chapter 3: Wow, the first person to come out and say that they got that reference to Wanda there. Of course, there could have been all of those other people who actually got that reference and just decided to keep their mouths shut. I'm glad that you don't mind my accents, in one fic I went a little over board, but it was all in good fun (Hey, I found it hilarious that no one could read what I was writing). As to flames, if the reviewer is a flamer pro than they usually put why they think that your story is crap (Da Shortstuff said "I guess that your story isn't total sht, but it's too bloody long to read" when I gave him the first chapter of Extending Evolution). But, I have never gotten a flame from the fan fictioneers here, so maybe they don't know how to flame properly here. Constructive critiques are very much appreciated. I couldn't live without 'em in fact.
Chapter 5: I haven't bent to the fan girls' will.. yet, MUHAHAHAHAHA. Sorry, I just had this evil laugh that I have been dieing to use. Seriously, I am a closet romy person, but I really don't believe in teen love, so it is unlikely that there will be much romance here. Well, Lance and Kitty might hook up 'cause that's how Evo did it.
Chapter 7: Thank you for the kicks ass comment. You aren't being obnoxious. I like it when people want more, I have to be doing something right if that's happening.
Chapter 8: Er, no, that wasn't who was knocking at the door. But you know that by now. What's a squeedlyspooch?
Chapter 9: Prepare your noodles and eat them, then return to my story. Funny, you sound very much like my friend Haley. I am a closet conspiracy theorist. I will try not to pull you in anymore directions (personally I think that this chapter is just crap).
Chapter 10: Hey, I think that you are right about that. But I can't really change that chapter because so much is riding on it. Like chapter 11. And how Rogue places hand over mouth as plot spoilers start to tumble out There, now look at what you made me do.
Chapter 14: Yes, typos are the bane of my existence. What's even worse is when Microsoft Word auto-corrects things, like Rogue became Rouge until I fixed that, and one of my friends writing programs that I was using changed St. John to Jonathan. It's hard for people to write good stories when their source of material is taken off of the air shakes fist at the WB. Happy bunny, hehe, I love that mental image. Yayness, you also use words that are randomly suffixed with "-ness".
It was incurably hot for September and yet it was only seven thirty in the morning. John tramped along underneath the heavy load of his backpack. Normally he would have been busy jumping up and down as the humidity and heat struck everyone else down, but to day he wasn't feeling so great.
It was the combination of the absolutely disastrous school day that had only been yesterday and lack of rest. Not only had that stupid nightmare struck again, but he had to explain to Moira McTaggart what he had been doing in the girl's wing after dark about fifty times before the Scottish gorgon was satisfied and would let him go to bed.
On the bright side he had finished the first chapter. Yup, absolutely finished, no need for anymore editing, no more paragraphs, no more pathetic excuses for dialogue. Finished, done, fin. Now all he had to do was put it past the inspection of Rogue.
He walked to school, feeling slightly worried. Rogue might not even like the chapter. She'd probably kill him for the revisions that he had made. She wouldn't like the dialogue, he was certain. His characterization had probably sucked. The plot would be too passé.
"Hey John, wait up!"
John tried to slow down and increase his pace imperceptibly as he heard Lance's voice. The result was that one leg stopped and the other kept on going, swinging him in a half circle.
John faced Lance, who was looking hot and bothered, and possibly nervous. Lance noticed that John had dark circles under his eyes, and for once his boundless energy seemed sapped.
"What happened to you? You look like Hell," Lance winced, this was not how you were supposed to start an apology, but John seemed to have aged about fifty years.
"Marie tackled me yesterday. Then I had a nightmare. Then I startled Jean out of her nightmare, and she called in Dr. McTaggart. I got yelled at until it was time to go to school. Jean's not letting me share the same car as her, so I am now walking to school. I want sleep," John turned around again and started walking.
"Hey, sorry about yesterday," Lance called after him.
John waved a hand in reply. Lance shrugged. His duty was accomplished, he had apologized and now he was free to do whatever he wanted. He thought about skipping school for a moment, it was too hot to learn. But he might run into Marie, and then they might start talking about things. Not that he was looking to apologize, but the subject just might come up. Once Marie admitted that she was in the wrong he might point out that he had been blowing the whole thing out of proportion.
And there was that absolutely weird issue of Ms. Monroe and Pietro that he needed to take care of. Maybe John would know. The Aussie seemed know more about Bayville than the natives. Lance ran to catch up with John again.
"Hey, what do you know about Ms. Monroe?"
"She teaches drama, right?" John's voice was monotonic, "Nothing. Do you like science fiction?"
"Not really," Lance was trying to see John's angle.
"Know anyone who does? Who's not Rogue I mean."
"Err, I think Kitty's friend, Webber, does," Lance tried to be more helpful, "I think that I could get you a coffee, or something. You look really weird."
"Yeah, yeah," John waved Lance away as they both came in sight of the school.
Lance stalked off to find the coffee machine, and John looked for Marie. She was chatting with some of her scary undead friends. John wondered at the fact that any of them could still breathe with all of their make-up on. He could go up to her and give her the papers, but he wasn't really feeling in the mood for strange stares today.
Lance came back with the cup of coffee, and handed it to him. John took it gratefully and chugged the whole cupful. He coughed and spluttered as the burning liquid made its presence known to him. Lance clouted him on the back sympathetically. John gasped out a thanks and the bell rung signaling the start of homeroom.
Rogue waived good bye to the girl she was talking with. The purple hued girl grinned at Rogue, "See you tomorrow in cosmetology, Marie. Don't forget that bolt of cloth. And," she grinned mischievously, "it'd be great if you could bring along that cute orange shadow that trails you around everywhere."
"Ha, ha, Betsy yah killin' me," Rogue did not sound amused.
"Hi, Rogue," John called, his mouth was burning, but he felt very perky at the moment, "I got the rest of the chapter. You can burn it with me during English. Tell you about Jean and the evil thong from Hell over diagramming. We'll meet at the Wolverine to discuss the next chappie, 'kay? Well, gotta run."
Betsy looked after the Aussie as he bounced away. Lance was near by, with a look that must have been similar to Doctor Frankenstein's when he first saw his creation lurch down to the village. Rogue bit her lip and said into that echoing silence that John had left, "Okay, then."
Betsy laughed, "He's a bit like Vash," Rogue and Lance gave her blank looks, "You know, from that manga that I was telling you about. Trigun. The main character is called Vash the Stampede. Very innocent and open guy, with this affinity for causing chaos wherever he goes."
Rogue just looked at Lance and then they all went inside with the rest of the stragglers. Rogue thought that she could hear Lance muttering under his breath, "What have I done? What have I done?"
Please review, I need it for inspiration.
Tell me how you liked it, or hated it. I encourage flames, as they make me a better writer. Constructive critiques are better, but flames work for me if you are a good flamer. But that doesn't mean I don't love it when you say that you liked it. I cherish the warm fuzzies that I get when I see my mailbox crammed with review alerts.
By the way, has anyone heard from Raven the Dark Angel? Raven hasn't updated Veins of Glass for several weeks.