Ficathon -09
Nov. 28th, 2009 08:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
a_qOnce more with the feeling!
Ficathons are always fun, and XMM Ficathon is one my favorites - maybe because it was the first ficathon I ever participated, in my first & dearest fandom. This ficathon fic turned alright after some good advice. After the Kink Bingo Experience, it was nice to write pure gen with some girly giggles and party dresses in the mix.
Jubilee/Marie, Graduation party, ~1100 words
The girls sat side by side on the stone steps leading into the garden, eating cake. Jubilee was a splash of color against the gray, in her bright purple dress and elaborate hairpiece. She had insisted that it was the only sensible thing to wear on their graduation party; the last chance to really make an impact on the younger generation.
“I haven’t even started packing yet. Half my clothes are still on the floor.” Jubilee sighed, picking at the cake with her fork. “I don’t know what to take. What do you wear on your first day as an intern?”
“Considering that you’re going to work in the world of fashion journalism, I would say something fashionable.” Marie suggested. While Jubilee had chosen sparkling color, Marie had gone with the classic little black dress. After the cure, she had shamelessly used every opportunity to show bare skin. This dress was especially short. “I’m curious, did you mention your mutation during the interview? I heard that Frost is a big name in the New York mutant circles.”
“It came up and I said that they can’t use me as a party trick. I think that made an impression.” Jubilee smirked and took another bite of the cake. They had chosen chocolate, after some heated discussions with the boys. They had voted for strawberry but the girls had overruled them. “I didn’t want to be the token mutant, I wanted them to like me for me.”
“That’s understandable, especially since your abilities are in your control. You are just like everyone else.”
“Wow. I don’t know if that is the nicest or the meanest thing you have ever said to me, Marie.” Jubilee noted. The cure had been a change in several ways. Marie dressed differently and with the dresses came a new attitude. Jubilee found herself missing the old Marie. This new shiny version was snippy. Everyone had noticed it, especially Bobby. “Are you still planning to visit your parents?”
“They finally managed to track me down. I think that I owe them that much. Besides, I want to check out some colleges while I’m there.”
“Really?” Jubilee was astounded. Everyone else had been planning their next step for months. There had been manic decision processes, travel plans, the endless stream of application forms and overall excitement. Jubilee herself had gone through a long interview process to finally land the internship of her dreams in a fashion magazine. The program would last through the summer; after that she planned to study photography or perhaps fashion or art. She had always known that she saw colors like no one else could. Marie had been the only one who hadn’t planned anything. Or so it had seemed. “I didn’t know you were thinking about leaving the Mansion.”
“I want to start living my life, Jubes. A regular, everyday life that I’ve been missing for years. I can’t do it here, you have to realize that. You’re not a stupid girl after all.” Marie said, flashing a quick smile. “This is a place for mutants, and I’m clearly not one of you anymore.”
“Don’t give me that, Marie. No one has said that. You survived Liberty Island, the military attack and Alkali Lake, so you are one of us, abilities or no. This club is for life.” Jubilee said firmly. Of course Marie had changed, but so had they all. After the deaths and the changes, nothing was really the same.
“If you say so. But I still don’t belong here anymore. Besides, it would be a nice change to be around people who don’t know any of those incidents. Just be… Marie.”
“I want that too. Just be a normal girl, or as normal as I can possibly be. I don’t want to get caught between politics, or mindless battles and I certainly don’t want to wear the leather suit.” Jubilee said and glanced back to the house where Kitty and Bobby were laughing at something funny Theresa had just said. The big glass doors were open and the cheerful music wafted into the garden. The party was ready to get going.
“You would look stunning in it, the suit I mean. But believe me, it is damn uncomfortable too. Maybe you were smarter than all the rest of us when you decided that it wasn‘t for you.” Marie flicked invisible crumbs away from her lap, like it was the most important thing in the world.
“Or maybe I’m just selfish and cowardly, like John.” Jubilee muttered and picked at her piece of cake until it was nothing but a colorful mush on the plate.
“John? What made you think of him?”
“He came here the same day that I did. He had a nice shiner from some brawl, I had just been released into the Professor’s custody after I got caught shoplifting. We were like two stray dogs who were just let in from the rain. He would have graduated with us, if he...”
Jubilee didn’t finish the thought. No one knew what had happened to him, not even if he was dead or alive. There were rumors at times, but there were always rumors. Most of the time it was too painful to think about him, but today he had been on her mind.
“Can’t say about John, but you’ve gone a long way from a mall rat. And for the record, I don’t think you are selfish, or a coward and you are absolutely nothing like John.” Marie said firmly. “You don’t want to wear the uniform and that is your decision. Like it was my decision to quit wearing it.”
“Do you miss it?”
Marie shrugged. “For a while. Now I feel… free. I’m going to go home, and talk with my parents and then I’m going to start living my life.”
“What about Bobby? He will miss you when you leave.”
“I know. And I’ll miss him. But isn’t it natural life span of a high-school crush, that it ends when the school is over? If I want to be normal girl, a break-up is a good normal thing to do.”
“That is just cold, Marie.”
“Maybe. But I think he’ll get over it soon enough.” Marie jerked her head toward the house. The open windows revealed that the dancing had begun and Kitty was leaning on Bobby’s arm while taking off her high-heel shoes. Jubilee had lent them to her, one of her favorite pair. She was regretting that decision now.
“I see what you mean. Would you like to dance? Perhaps stir up a little trouble? That’s normal female behavior, too.”
“I like your thinking, Jubes. We’re wearing the party dresses after all,” Marie said and stood up, smoothing her skirt. “Since we are going to be normal girls tomorrow, it would be a good idea to practice it today.”
Jubilee laughed and let Marie pull her up. “We are going to have a great start for normalcy.”
Ficathons are always fun, and XMM Ficathon is one my favorites - maybe because it was the first ficathon I ever participated, in my first & dearest fandom. This ficathon fic turned alright after some good advice. After the Kink Bingo Experience, it was nice to write pure gen with some girly giggles and party dresses in the mix.
Jubilee/Marie, Graduation party, ~1100 words
The girls sat side by side on the stone steps leading into the garden, eating cake. Jubilee was a splash of color against the gray, in her bright purple dress and elaborate hairpiece. She had insisted that it was the only sensible thing to wear on their graduation party; the last chance to really make an impact on the younger generation.
“I haven’t even started packing yet. Half my clothes are still on the floor.” Jubilee sighed, picking at the cake with her fork. “I don’t know what to take. What do you wear on your first day as an intern?”
“Considering that you’re going to work in the world of fashion journalism, I would say something fashionable.” Marie suggested. While Jubilee had chosen sparkling color, Marie had gone with the classic little black dress. After the cure, she had shamelessly used every opportunity to show bare skin. This dress was especially short. “I’m curious, did you mention your mutation during the interview? I heard that Frost is a big name in the New York mutant circles.”
“It came up and I said that they can’t use me as a party trick. I think that made an impression.” Jubilee smirked and took another bite of the cake. They had chosen chocolate, after some heated discussions with the boys. They had voted for strawberry but the girls had overruled them. “I didn’t want to be the token mutant, I wanted them to like me for me.”
“That’s understandable, especially since your abilities are in your control. You are just like everyone else.”
“Wow. I don’t know if that is the nicest or the meanest thing you have ever said to me, Marie.” Jubilee noted. The cure had been a change in several ways. Marie dressed differently and with the dresses came a new attitude. Jubilee found herself missing the old Marie. This new shiny version was snippy. Everyone had noticed it, especially Bobby. “Are you still planning to visit your parents?”
“They finally managed to track me down. I think that I owe them that much. Besides, I want to check out some colleges while I’m there.”
“Really?” Jubilee was astounded. Everyone else had been planning their next step for months. There had been manic decision processes, travel plans, the endless stream of application forms and overall excitement. Jubilee herself had gone through a long interview process to finally land the internship of her dreams in a fashion magazine. The program would last through the summer; after that she planned to study photography or perhaps fashion or art. She had always known that she saw colors like no one else could. Marie had been the only one who hadn’t planned anything. Or so it had seemed. “I didn’t know you were thinking about leaving the Mansion.”
“I want to start living my life, Jubes. A regular, everyday life that I’ve been missing for years. I can’t do it here, you have to realize that. You’re not a stupid girl after all.” Marie said, flashing a quick smile. “This is a place for mutants, and I’m clearly not one of you anymore.”
“Don’t give me that, Marie. No one has said that. You survived Liberty Island, the military attack and Alkali Lake, so you are one of us, abilities or no. This club is for life.” Jubilee said firmly. Of course Marie had changed, but so had they all. After the deaths and the changes, nothing was really the same.
“If you say so. But I still don’t belong here anymore. Besides, it would be a nice change to be around people who don’t know any of those incidents. Just be… Marie.”
“I want that too. Just be a normal girl, or as normal as I can possibly be. I don’t want to get caught between politics, or mindless battles and I certainly don’t want to wear the leather suit.” Jubilee said and glanced back to the house where Kitty and Bobby were laughing at something funny Theresa had just said. The big glass doors were open and the cheerful music wafted into the garden. The party was ready to get going.
“You would look stunning in it, the suit I mean. But believe me, it is damn uncomfortable too. Maybe you were smarter than all the rest of us when you decided that it wasn‘t for you.” Marie flicked invisible crumbs away from her lap, like it was the most important thing in the world.
“Or maybe I’m just selfish and cowardly, like John.” Jubilee muttered and picked at her piece of cake until it was nothing but a colorful mush on the plate.
“John? What made you think of him?”
“He came here the same day that I did. He had a nice shiner from some brawl, I had just been released into the Professor’s custody after I got caught shoplifting. We were like two stray dogs who were just let in from the rain. He would have graduated with us, if he...”
Jubilee didn’t finish the thought. No one knew what had happened to him, not even if he was dead or alive. There were rumors at times, but there were always rumors. Most of the time it was too painful to think about him, but today he had been on her mind.
“Can’t say about John, but you’ve gone a long way from a mall rat. And for the record, I don’t think you are selfish, or a coward and you are absolutely nothing like John.” Marie said firmly. “You don’t want to wear the uniform and that is your decision. Like it was my decision to quit wearing it.”
“Do you miss it?”
Marie shrugged. “For a while. Now I feel… free. I’m going to go home, and talk with my parents and then I’m going to start living my life.”
“What about Bobby? He will miss you when you leave.”
“I know. And I’ll miss him. But isn’t it natural life span of a high-school crush, that it ends when the school is over? If I want to be normal girl, a break-up is a good normal thing to do.”
“That is just cold, Marie.”
“Maybe. But I think he’ll get over it soon enough.” Marie jerked her head toward the house. The open windows revealed that the dancing had begun and Kitty was leaning on Bobby’s arm while taking off her high-heel shoes. Jubilee had lent them to her, one of her favorite pair. She was regretting that decision now.
“I see what you mean. Would you like to dance? Perhaps stir up a little trouble? That’s normal female behavior, too.”
“I like your thinking, Jubes. We’re wearing the party dresses after all,” Marie said and stood up, smoothing her skirt. “Since we are going to be normal girls tomorrow, it would be a good idea to practice it today.”
Jubilee laughed and let Marie pull her up. “We are going to have a great start for normalcy.”