Story 120: "A Bitter Taste on the Tongue" by Jane Mortimer

[wendelah1]

I thought it might be fun to read more "first-time" stories. During last week's discussion of "On a Star-Spangled Night," the subject of Mulder's behavior towards Scully came up. One person even called his actions "predatory." Another member commented that she'd rather read depressing sex stories than fluff. I think "A Bitter Taste on the Tongue" fits the bill nicely. This is not my favorite first-time story, but it comes close. It is very hot and very dark, and since Mortimer is such a great writer, for me at least, it was surprisingly convincing.

Warnings: if you think you might need one, pm me, please.

You can read "A Bitter Taste on the Tongue" at Fugues Fiction Archive.

You can also read it via the Wayback Machine here.

Please us know what you think, and leave your suggestions at the nomination post.

Comments

[estella-c.livejournal.com]

I share the confusions of the previous posters, but my major confusion is: what has happened to Scully? Confronted with the intense, mysterious anger of the man she loves and trusts--that she is *supposed* to trust, if not love--she immediately and willingly becomes a sexual object of seduction. His lips on her neck, his hand on her breast, and she's gone.

Don't get me wrong. This is very sexy, and I'm convinced that Mulder and Scully would enjoy a b&d scenario and, moreover, that Mulder would not actually force Scully. But enjoyment is hardly the issue here. From the moment the hand is on the breast, Mulder is embarked on a test to destruction, an attempt to break and humiliate the partner he thinks (why?) has betrayed him. It reverses itself, as amyhit says, and Scully overpowers his angry lust with the authenticity of her love. And that's touching. But it's also weird. Because I think Scully, authentic Scully, would slap this guy upside the head and demand a clear explanation of his behavior.

The heavy breathing, the foreplay and handcuffs and pre-orgasmic torment is the stuff of smut biscuit. But ABTOTT is not a smut biscuit; it packs some serious psychology. And I simply do not believe that Special Agent Scully, whatever her private longings, would in this situation play sex slave, wake up later and believe that all's right with the world. She would immediately question Mulder's motives. Because the guy is doing a good job of hating on her, and hate sex would not be her first choice of a First Time.

Then maybe, if he explained himself and she told him what an asshole he was, they could mess around.

This is wonderfully written, of course. Hey, Jane Mortimer. But I can't help but think that, in employing the apparatus of porn to reveal a character epiphany, she hasn't quite succeeded at either.

[bachlava.livejournal.com]

This expresses all my thoughts about the fic perfectly. Yes, it's well written on a technical level, and the smut biscuit is a hot one indeed. But the "AU" label is not enough for me to get around some problems of characterization. I'll give credit to the good presentation of their mannerisms and their mental and physical environments, but the roots and the results of their anger at each other strike me as very much off. It's the kind of piece that has me thinking, "This has its good points, but why has the author named her OCs after such widely known TV characters?" Then again, it could just be my ultimate dissatisfaction with the fic colouring my point of view... Bottom line: I suppose I would characterize "On a Star-Spangled Night" as a not-very-good fic that I guiltily enjoyed reading, "Bitter Taste" is a good-on-a-formal-level fic that I really don't like.

[wendelah1]

Because I think Scully, authentic Scully, would slap this guy upside the head and demand a clear explanation of his behavior.

So you are saying her Scully is out of character or unconvincingly written or just not your Scully? There are a lot of Scullys out there in fanfiction land.

And I simply do not believe that Special Agent Scully, whatever her private longings, would in this situation play sex slave wake up later and believe that all's right with the world.

But I know you don't think this is a bondage scenario? There was no agreement as to ground rules, no negotiation, no safe word. This was not play, safe or otherwise. To the contrary, I think Mulder had every intention of forcing her. He says so himself.

So she was afraid. So what? It was nothing to do with him. Let her take care of herself.

She had reservations. She could get over them. He certainly had no intention of respecting them.

That seems like a CRYSTAL CLEAR STATEMENT TO ME.

Yes, he is angry and wants to destroy her but no, her obvious love for him doesn't redeem anything, because he doesn't believe it. We believe in her. We can see into her head through the magic of third person pov. He willingly sets aside his anger and his despair for the illusion, for the temporary cessation of pain that sexual union gives him. He uses her, like a drug, like heroin or cocaine to dull his pain.

Sexual arousal in this story is a drug. Mulder uses it to subdue his normally feisty partner. The handcuffs are just for show. It's his kisses, his touch, even his presence that pulls her under. Yeah, maybe "Authentic Scully" is a little too in her head, a little too controlled to fall for this kind of a seduction. But this is a season two Scully, the Scully who was abducted not that long ago, and experimented on, who was called back from near death by her partner's presence and voice, who fell apart in his arms after being beaten up by Donnie Pfaster. She is much more emotionally vulnerable than I think you give her credit for. This is the Scully who is willing to sacrifice herself for Mulder. Not my personal fav, but as has been pointed out to me in other places, it is a valid interpretation of her character.

Why did she wake up feeling all blissed out? Great sex, sure but my take is dissolution of the ego. It makes you feel great, maybe for weeks, assuming nothing happens to make you come down.

[amyhit.livejournal.com]

To the contrary, I think Mulder had every intention of forcing her. He says so himself.

actually, i find those statements to be the farthest thing from crystal clear, though they do seem it at first. the thing is, the quote that immediately preceeds your quote, Wen, is

He felt an immediate stirring of sympathy, and suppressed it. So she was afraid -- she'd been afraid from the beginning, for whatever reason. Maybe it was something in herself. Or maybe they'd told her not to get involved, and she was breaking their rules. Or maybe they'd told her to go along with him, and she wasn't ready. That could have been what brought her back so quickly; a phone call, and orders.

So she was afraid. So what? It was nothing to do with him. Let her take care of herself.

to me, this does not imply that he is going to force her, but that he doesn't think she'll try to stop him. and that he is suppressing the scruples that are telling him to be sensitive to her thoughts and feelings. Mulder sees that physically she is very receptive to him, and that mentally she doesn't seem to know what to do. maybe she has orders to have sex with him and she doesn't want to, he thinks. naturally mulder has strong reservations about pushing Scully - the Scully he thought he knew - to do anything she doesn't want to do (he feels 'an immediate stirring of sympathy'). but if she's there, physically willing to go through the motions, then as his enemy (which he's trying to convince himself she is) what does it matter to him if it's something she actually wants?

and i'm not saying i'm comfortable with that chain of logic. but i don't see it as rape, or the willingness to commit rape. as i read it, when mulder thinks that he 'has no intention of respecting her reservations', he's not thinking he won't heed to her if she decidedly says No. No is not a reservation, No is a decision. he's thinking that whatever has her so confused as to what to do in this situation - whatever rock and hard place she's up against (pun noted) - he's no longer under any obligation to give a damn.

This was not play, safe or otherwise.

now that I agree with.