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

Mulder being sophisticated and self-possessed in a courtroom is contrary to what we've seen of him.

Huh?

To me, this Mulder seems identical to her Mulder in Miracle, only a little younger, and a lot more vulnerable, because of the proximity to Scully's abductions. We've only seen Mulder testify twice, neither time was in a courtroom per se. The only time that seems relevant to this story is the scene in Tooms. I remember it gets brought up at the murder trial. Mulder even thinks he wasn't at his best there, although as it turns out, he was right.

I like Scully in this story much better, probably because she hasn't been literally stripped of her agency as she was in Miracle. I love that story as well, but I don't see it as exactly a courtship of equals. Scully is wearing that head to toe black sack dress and keeping her eyes cast down. I think that was a one bed scenario, with an ailing Mulder, too. Heh. Well, as you know, it is damn hard to get these two in bed together for the first time in any realistic way.

I think this story comes close. It makes no sense to me for you to say that one Scully appearance at Mulder's door is okay but three is two too many. The root cause hasn't gone away. She's still having nightmares. She still has Marti sharing her room. Plus, okay, she's in the clutches of a heated crush. She wants to be near him, she want to put her hands on him, she's fantasizing about him day and night. This is what it's like when you've fallen hard for someone. It makes sense that it only gets worse once she's had him, too, because thanks to the wonders of fanfiction, the reality is even better than she'd imagined. (Go, Tesla!)

I loved the dialogue and I loved the sex.

Her dialog sounds great. She gets the rhythms of everyday speech just right. The sex is perfect. Short, imaginative but not inconceivable. And really hot. Most sex scenes bore me, but not these.

I think this kind of thing was easier to accept when the show was still going on, because you'd read about them having hot sex, and then you'd see them on the show, acting like two professionals who mostly loved and respected each other, but not romantically. That made it easier for your brain to accommodate the situation.

I have to take your word for this since the series was long over by the time I began watching. Anyway, I only buy the romance on a case by case, fic by fic basis. In this story, I'm buying what Tesla's selling.

We've only seen Mulder testify twice, neither time was in a courtroom per se. The only time that seems relevant to this story is the scene in Tooms.

I was thinking of the flashback to his outburst in the trial of John Barnett (Salamander-Hand Eternal Youthman), from "Young at Heart." Granted, this outburst was said to be effective.

It makes no sense to me for you to say that one Scully appearance at Mulder's door is okay but three is two too many.

What I was trying to say was that three appearances at his door are enough that she should be aware of the appearance of the thing.

Why, Yes. I am being argumentative.

Not really, although I do tend to back off from heavy thinking.

Oh, you have a good memory. I still can't even picture it. Maybe I'll go rewatch that episode.

Oh, I think she was aware of the appearance of it, I just think she was too far gone to care. Plus, denial is a girl's best friend. It's amazing the bullshit people will tell themselves when they are in love and lust.

I don't think of discussions of Mulder/Scully romance as serious but maybe I am sucking the fun out of it. Sorry. I'll try to lighten up.

Story 112: "This House is Burning" by Tesla

Why, Yes. I am being argumentative

Re: Why, Yes. I am being argumentative

Re: Why, Yes. I am being argumentative