xf_book_club | Story 112: "This House is Burning" by Tesla

"This House is Burning" is flat-out the best Profiler!Mulder series I've ever read. Tesla's writing style flows effortlessly, and is, by turns, unobtrusive and lyrical. Her Mulder is both much more competent at his job and much less crazy than he's often written. Frankly, that's a pleasant change. But the trilogy is more than a series of meticulously constructed police procedurals, it's also a believable, emotionally involving, Mulder/Scully romance. So let's see: great writing? Check. Exciting plot? Check. Scorching hot sex scenes? Check, check, check. This story was nominated by

estella_c, and seconded by yours truly.

tesla321 is still on Live Journal, ~~but unless I've missed something through my inconsistent lurking, she's not actively writing~~. Could I be more wrong? She's still writing and has even posted a challenge at

fandom_charity.

As far as I know, her email address is still current, so go send her some feedback. Or leave it at her Live Journal. Then go donate some money to the Haitian relief effort and get her to write us some fic.

If you don't like my choices, you can always go suggest some of your own.

This House is Burning
Part 1: Blood on the Snow
Part 2: A Thief's Diet
Part 3: The Quiet Glades of Eden

Here in multiple parts on her LJ:

Blood on the Snow 1/2
Blood on the Snow 2/2
A Thief's Diet 1/3
A Thief's Diet 2/3
A Thief's Diet 3/3
The Quiet Glades of Eden 1/2
The Quiet Glades of Eden 2/2

Tesla's Author Page at Gossamer.

Upcoming attractions: "Fathoms Five," by Penumbra, "Blue Patches" by Maybe Amanda, and maybe--Your Nomination.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I like the casefile and I'm a fan of Mulder in profiler mode, but Dawson Rambo's ELS is the epitome for me. After reading Miracle and Mystery (which I enjoyed more), I realized what bothered me the most about Tesla's fic. She makes Scully weak and needy in a way that doesn't jive with me. Her contributions to the case's resolution are minimal and if these were episodes I'd have skipped them in a season rewatch. When Scully stands with the other two agents on the ski slope, listening to the wonders of Mulder's profiling skills, I nearly stopped reading. From the Pilot forward, even though Scully's marveled at his ability for mental leaps, she always manages to puncture his ballooning ego. Scully as a whimpering fangirl detracts from the story. After everything that's happened to her (even at this early canon stage), not being able to sleep with Mulder or the lights on is a bit much. I admire Scully as a strong woman and I think Mulder does too. Having her as his 'little woman' doesn't seem right.

Do you really think Mulder's ego balloons in this fic? Or that he thinks of Scully as his little woman?

I can take Mulder's ego in this fic because I find it very believable, and I'm not particularly bothered by Scully because it didn't seem like it was Tesla's objective to give us an insight into Scully. I think she thought it was, but this fic ended up being about Mulder and it's well written enough that I can overlook Scully.

The thing I loved best about the fic was still the writing style. It wasn't as heavy as some of the big fic writers, and it manages to be straightforward without being artificial.

I think the story fails as a casefic though. I don't remember anything about the case at all, and I didn't really like the resolution. You never find out how Mulder figures out who the killer is, or even who the killer is.

I think the story fails as a casefic though. I don't remember anything about the case at all, and I didn't really like the resolution. You never find out how Mulder figures out who the killer is, or even who the killer is.

That's a good point. She could have thrown in a line or two about that at the end, when they are discussing the case. If it was a real detective story, I'm sure she would have.

Mulder doesn't figure out who the killer is; he deduces what his next move would be by the fact that the killer dumped a body for them after the press conference, where he paraded his red-haired partner in front of the multitudes. He figured out the murderer was probably watching Scully from that point on. "Mulder,you think you can stop me, you stupid cop, I'll show you. I'll take your partner next." I wasn't that convinced Mulder would risk Scully that way, and Scully wasn't either.Clearly, Tesla was.

I felt the case file worked fine for Tesla's purposes. I think the romance was the A plot and the case file the B plot.

I can take Mulder's ego in this fic because I find it very believable, and I'm not particularly bothered by Scully because it didn't seem like it was Tesla's objective to give us an insight into Scully. I think she thought it was, but this fic ended up being about Mulder and it's well written enough that I can overlook Scully.

"Mulder's ego" keeps getting mentioned. I keep going back and looking for places in the text where he seems egotistical and not finding any. He just seems like he's doing his job to me. He was put in charge of the undercover operation by Skinner, and then gets to do the profiling besides.

I think this story is about their developing relationship. Except in the middle section, we're mostly seeing Mulder through Scully's eyes, which indirectly tells you quite a bit about Scully, too. Mulder seems very depressed and preoccupied about his feelings for her all during that second section, with him convinced she can't love him. Not the way he loves her.

I like the casefile and I'm a fan of Mulder in profiler mode, but Dawson Rambo's ELS is the epitome for me.

Would you like to add ELS to the nomination queue?

She makes Scully weak and needy in a way that doesn't jive with me. Her contributions to the case's resolution are minimal and if these were episodes I'd have skipped them in a season rewatch. When Scully stands with the other two agents on the ski slope, listening to the wonders of Mulder's profiling skills, I nearly stopped reading. From the Pilot forward, even though Scully's marveled at his ability for mental leaps, she always manages to puncture his ballooning ego. Scully as a whimpering fangirl detracts from the story. After everything that's happened to her (even at this early canon stage), not being able to sleep with Mulder or the lights on is a bit much. I admire Scully as a strong woman and I think Mulder does too. Having her as his 'little woman' doesn't seem right.

I went back and looked for the scene you referenced. This is the only one I found, but maybe you can help me out if I'm wrong.

"He thinks of himself as a marathon runner, rather than a
sprinter; he's priding himself on his discipline and his ability
not to give into his urges. He probably has a camera and takes
pictures, or a camcorder. So he can relive it and think of ways
to perfect it. The reality is never quite what he wants, and it's
probably a lot messier, but there's nothing like the real thing.
Nothing like the look in the woman's eyes when she realizes that
you are going to kill her, and no one is going to save her." He
blinked, for a moment, and hunched his shoulders.

Scully looked at the other two. They looked stunned. Mulder
looked at their faces, and he stood up, straightening his
shoulders. He smiled faintly. "Then, again, he may not be here at
all."

I think when they are working alone, Scully is more than frank with Mulder when she doesn't agree with him. But that isn't the dynamic here, for two reasons. One, they aren't working alone, and when they are in the company of other agents, Scully is very protective of Mulder. The other reason is that she doesn't disagree with his profile or his methods here.

I also don't see any signs of excessive Mulder ego here. I mean, this is what he's really good at, right? Profiling. He didn't even want to come on the case. He did it to make Scully happy and now he's just trying to do his job.

You may be right about your just not liking the season two Mulder/Scullydynamic. I think Scully is pretty traumatized right after her abduction and Mulder is, too. I like this story acknowledging the reality of those feelings. Just because someone is strong, does it mean they aren't allowed to be vulnerable? This takes place after "Irresistible," too. More trauma.

The Mulder-moping after Janey's death does seem excessive until you think about his PTSD. It was reactivated by Scully's abduction, then the vampire chick kills herself, and whoever else dies during cases in the interim. The grad student during the volcano case. I'd have to look up all of the episodes. Mulder blames himself for everything. It's illogical but this kind of thing is hard-wired by the traumatic loss of Samantha. It's easy for me to see why Janey's death hit him so hard.

I'm glad you are going to try some of Tesla's other fics. She is a great writer. If you ship Mulder/Scully, I would warn you away from "Flight."

I'm so glad you pointed out that Mulder is still in a PTSD reaction from Scully's abduction (so horrifyingly reproducing his sister's abduction, with all the guilt). It was RIGHT THERE, though not stated. And I'm the one who makes much of Tesla's subtlety.

I actually never realized that THIB takes place during season two. It must be stated somewhere, as everyone *else* knows it.

As I've implied before, I get all het up over splintered branches. You, on the other hand, are good at noticing the forest.

I do think that pole dancers would use lots of moisturizer. Not that I know any. (Maybe that's why they clean the pole with Windex between acts.)

It's not stated explicitly anywhere. I'm inferring that from Tesla's saying that the story occurs very early, and because Scully's season two abductions are referenced.

Actually, in this story Scully mentions Mulder's PSTD as a result of her abduction. I think she says his is worse than hers, or words to that effect, so not really my idea.

This fic would make my top ten. I just think Tesla is a terrific writer. She makes it look so easy, which it really isn't. She said in her LJ that she wrote this over about 18 months, in 2002, I believe.

You, on the other hand, are good at noticing the forest.

Thank you.

Story 112: "This House is Burning" by Tesla

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