Story 97: "Malus Genius" by Maybe Amanda and Plausible Deniability

[wendelah1]

Yes. I know, I am bypassing the queue again. I need humor, friends, and there is no humor to be found in the queue, just depressing and even more depressing story recs. It has been a long time since I've read this, but I remember it as being a very clever x-file, written by two premier writers from our fandom. And, if memory serves, it is quite funny, too.

Title: "Malus Genius, vel Hoc Lemma Nequiquam Latine Scribitur" (The Evil Spirit, or This Title Is Written In Latin for No Reason)
Category: X, R, A, H
Rating: mostly R (sexual situations, mature language, and implied violence), but there are a couple of NC-17 sections.
Spoilers: Brief episode references late in the story; no major spoilers. This is a stand-alone, with the typical stand-alone disregard for the mytharc.
Keywords: Mulder/Scully romance
Summary: What's *your* evil spirit?

Malus Genius

As usual, give love to the writers, let us know what you think and leave suggestions for next time. I swear, I will get back to them, eventually.

Comments

[leucocrystal]

I don't blame you for needing some humor sweetie, and I'm sure you're not alone in that either.

It's been ages since I read this one, but I remember really loving it. Looks like it's time for a reread!

[wendelah1]

I don't blame you for needing some humor sweetie, and I'm sure you're not alone in that either.

Thanks, and yes, this can be a depressing time of year for people. We can read post-col in the New Year. I got the idea to read it from Haven actually. Someone suggested it for a fic discussion group so I stole the rec! It is an excellent story, clever, funny and very sexy.

[infinitlight.livejournal.com]

I know I've read this before (I've even discussed it in a fic comm before), but I don't remember it. It's on my list for tomorrow, now (along with eight billion other things--I hope I can get to it). I can always use a little extra humor.

[wendelah1]

If you have time, come back after you'd read it and let us know how you like it this time around.

[sixpences.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you decided to skip over the angsty recs too! I had never quite got round to this story before but it was a really fun read. Sometimes you just need something a bit silly. I liked the characteristic banter and miscommunication between Mulder and Scully (even if the subject of such was not one we'd have seen on the show...), and the townspeople, if rather stereotypical, were quite fun for being so. I'm also glad that this was the kind of NC-17 casefile where the Mulder/Scully relationship is already established somewhere- I have yet to read a casefile which also resolved the UST in which one or the other plotline didn't feel a bit rushed or contrived.

This did fall into the specialist knowledge pothole for me in that a) Classical Latin and Ecclesiastical Latin are not the same and b) I have a really hard time imagining that a vaguely-Abrahamic-religions demon would speak Latin at all, or indeed manifest as some sort of small vicious critter (SPOILER) capable of being crushed by a car. Also I found it somewhat surprising that a school in a small town could get a permanent replacement for a murdered teacher that quickly, but I suppose they were aided by the power of plot ;)

[estella-c.livejournal.com]

I haven't yet reread, but I must express appreciation for bravenewcentury's term "the power of plot." It kind of correlates with what my husband says when, during a bad tv movie, I wonder why a character does something dumb. "He read the script."

"the power of plot"

[wendelah1]

It kind of correlates with what my husband says when, during a bad tv movie, I wonder why a character does something dumb. "He read the script."

Another one bites the dust. I love you guys.

[wendelah1]

This did fall into the specialist knowledge pothole for me in that a) Classical Latin and Ecclesiastical Latin are not the same and b) I have a really hard time imagining that a vaguely-Abrahamic-religions demon would speak Latin at all.

When I read this, I laughed so hard it made me snort tea through my nose. I love you so much!

or indeed manifest as some sort of small vicious critter (SPOILER) capable of being crushed by a car.

Maybe the vehicle in question was a holy roller?

The power of plot? Yes, the series writers used that to great effect, on a near-weekly basis, as I recall. (;

[sixpences.livejournal.com]

When I read this, I laughed so hard it made me snort tea through my nose. I love you so much!

*g* Well, I think my specialist knowledge pothole is a lot weirder than yours. And I'm glad I wasn't drinking anything myself when I read that comment about the car being a holy roller!

[(Anonymous)]

"I have a really hard time imagining that a vaguely-Abrahamic-religions demon would speak Latin at all. "

Haha that's what you had trouble imagining?

Not much not to like in this little story... the demon, Kandee, poor Mr. Kopeck... Mulder's angst over getting old.. under it all a bit of sweet, decidedly oddball humor. I laughed out loud at the "reveal your pink tits!" line, and at a few other choice moments.

Nice, not entirely mindless, feel good pick.. I enjoyed the reread!

-Kate

[sixpences.livejournal.com]

Haha that's what you had trouble imagining?

*sheepish grin* I did my BA in Theology, specialising in Biblical studies and the Ancient Near East, so gods, demons, sacrifices and horrible apocalyptic happenings, all in strange scribbly languages, are one of my areas of geekery. I am thus thoroughly disappointed when demons and the like in fiction are little more than Screwtape's more pathetic cousins.

[counterphobe.livejournal.com]

I liked this story as a whole. The construction was excellent, of course. I liked the original characters and was happy things worked out well for Mr. Kopeck. I love a well-realized airhead, and Kandee's inner monologues were screamingly funny yet also convincing.

I had a bit of a problem with Scully. I thought her teasing of Mulder crossed the line. I appreciate that she hadn't read enough fanfic to know that Mulder is just one big bundle of insecurity, but still. Very few men or women appreciate little digs about their age or their prowess in the bedroom, and I don't think readers would have found it amusing if the behavior had been Mulder's. I also think she was too quick to become rankled about the investigation. Most of the time she was the brilliant, articulate, educated, wryly observant Scully I love, but at other times she was self-centered.

There was enough to love that I still enjoyed the story, but I would have connected more and better if Mulder's age crisis was not the result of comments that I found predictably hurtful.

[estella-c.livejournal.com]

Huh, I didn't get the mean Scully thing at all. But then I enjoy a boisterous, dirty-minded sex comedy, when being sensitive doesn't get you far. And Scully explained that her original "in your prime" comment was meant as a compliment.

What I liked: the fine detail work on the laugh lines: Kopek trying to read "Claudius the God" while fending off demonic insults, Scully failing to
pronounce "Gothar's Revenge" properly, Scully responding to Mulder's throwaway mention of "nymphomaniacal vampires" with "Excuse me?" (Obviously there has not been full disclosure there.) And I liked that three highly disparate couples find their disparate forms of romantic happiness. It's almost Shakespearean. (Okay, I go too far.)

I did the laugh-out-loud at "'I'm not too tired,' he said stiffly." Like I said, dirty-minded.

Oh, and there was something oddly satisfying about this elaborately conceived monster, even if it did speak the wrong sort of Latin, being squished by a good old gas-guzzling American vehicle. (Though it would have done Mulder's ego a world of good to prove its existence, he wouldn't have been able to keep it as a pet.... Maybe. Mulder's landlord does seem to be pretty tolerant...)

Okay, when Scully asked whether Mulder ever worked out--that was dumb.

[wendelah1]

And I liked that three highly disparate couples find their disparate forms of romantic happiness. It's almost Shakespearean. (Okay, I go too far.)

No, no. I think you've got something here. There is a very Shakespearean feel to the humor: plays on words, broad sexual jokes, the war of the sexes, supernatural creatures symbolizing our lack of control over the natural universe. Very good analysis. I'm blown away.

The Mulder/Scully sex comedy has to fit into the tone of the rest of the play story, otherwise it's out of balance. Plus Scully's little unconscious digs at Mulder allow a natural segue into Kopeck's feelings of confusion and alienation at the dating scene in the new millenium. Sorry. Can you tell how tired I am? Maybe I can fix this before you see it.

[estella-c.livejournal.com]

You are brilliant, and the most brilliant part of your brilliance is that you made me sound...intelligent. Good work!

[infinitlight.livejournal.com]

I agree with you wrt Scully in this story. We know she has a snarky sense of humor ("Crazy people can be very persuasive." "Well, yes, I know *that*."), but I thought her teasing of Mulder was excessive and thus OOC.

[infinitlight.livejournal.com]

Coming back, late late late.

I really enjoyed this reread--I take it a few people here are in need of something light and fun to read at the moment. Me, too, and this fit the bill very well. I found it really entertaining, and the storyline is similar to something they'd have used in the show, with obvious additions. I love Mr Kopeck's conversations with the demon, and I even enjoyed the M/S sexual banter (something I'm not normally too big on, because it is very rarely sounds authentic to me).

Thinking about it, there aren't a lot of funny XF stories that I would count among my favorites--I think angst is probably easier to write and write well.

[wendelah1]

I really enjoyed rereading this story and I'm glad to hear you did, too. Unlike you, I count many funny stories among my favorites. I do agree that humor is harder to write and write well; not only that, it doesn't seem to get the respect from readers that angst and romance do. The problem I have romance and angst as genres is their predictability. There are exceptions, of course. Penumbra's most recent story, "Fathoms Five," is an example of a story that transcends its genre, and even transcends "fan fiction." Humor, on the other hand, can still surprise me, and I like novelty. I also like to laugh. ;)