Story 124: "Bait and Switch" by Syntax6

[wendelah1]

We are still talking about "Butterflies All Tied Up." Discussion is being moderated by amyhit, who bravely agreed to post the story. Please jump in, as I love to be told when I'm wrong. Come on, long-time lurkers, you know you want to.

Throughout our little first time sex scene series, I've continued to puzzle over what makes a sex scene -- sexy -- to me. This story isn't exactly a "guilty pleasure" story, since those mostly involve Mulder/Scully/Krycek and/or paddling (giving a whole new meaning to the term "crackfic"), but I will say I found the sex scene really hot. The first time I read it, I thought I was going into ventricular fibrillation, my heart was beating so rapidly. As always, sexy is in the eye of the beholder, so no guarantees you'll require resuscitation. It's also a great noir mystery story, full of twists and turns.

From the author's note:

Q. So what's this story about, anyway?
A. It's a noir-ish tale where good people may do bad things, bad people may do good things, and sometimes it might not be possible to tell the difference. The lucky ones live to tell about it.
Q. Yeah, but do Mulder and Scully get to have sex and stuff?
A. Yes.
Q. Wait, that was too easy. This sex, do they have it with each other?
A. Totally possible.
Q. When they're not having sex, what are they doing?
A. They're caught up in a murder that cuts very close to home. The investigation reveals truths about each other that they may never have wanted to know.

Read "Bait and Switch", then come back for discussion.

Since all of her stories are not at Gossamer, here is her website: home of the slugslayer.

Never fear, someday I will resume recs from the nomination post, so keep them coming.

Comments

[jouissant.livejournal.com]

Oh my god I just read all the way through, and it's late and I'm delirious, so will actually make a discussion post tomorrow. But I really loved this, loved the twists and turns of the mystery. I am not always a fan of flashbacks and multiple points of view but I think both elements were handled pretty seamlessly here.

(And the sex scene was totally hot.)

Okay, more after I get some sleep and let it percolate.

[wendelah1]

Oh my god I just read all the way through, and it's late and I'm delirious, so will actually make a discussion post tomorrow. But I really loved this, loved the twists and turns of the mystery. I am not always a fan of flashbacks and multiple points of view but I think both elements were handled pretty seamlessly here.

This is a hard one to put down once you start it. I remember reading this as a work in progress was very nerve-racking. I think I checked her website several times a day until she finished it. I love mysteries when well done, and she hasn't let me down yet.

I'm glad the sex scene worked for you, too.(;

[bachlava.livejournal.com]

There's a lot that I could say about this fic, and I'm short on time now, but I did want to get in that syntax6 is now on my vey, very, very short list of fan authors who can actually handle case files. (Although she does make the mistake of thinking that "Requiem" et al. actually happened, which, of course, is not correct.;)

[wendelah1]

I dearly wish Syntax6 was on LJ. I think this is her best finished casefile/mystery story, at least among those still available to her readers. She was pretty good even at the beginning, but she just got better and better as she went along. I also like the fic she took off her site (although it's still there, just not visible.) Since she'll send a link to anyone who asks, if you want it, let me know. It's called "Scavenger." She took it down with the intention of turning it into a novel, but got side-tracked by real life.

(Although she does make the mistake of thinking that "Requiem" et al. actually happened, which, of course, is not correct.;)

Actually, I think she lives in a Requiem-free world herself, or so she says on her site.

Edit: Just finished rereading. Oh yes. I see now.

Scavenger

[tiger-bay.livejournal.com]

Wendelah, you have just made my day! I thought I had read everything by Syntax6 but I have never read Scavenger. Could I please have the link?

I am just reading all the posts here that I have missed in my absence and finding some gems...an unread story by Syntax most definitely qualifiies!

I remember her saying at one point that although it takes times she always finishes her wip's, although I am beginning to lose faith in "Original Sin". I only got into fanfiction once she had started this story, so like you, I checked her website every day for months until I finally gave up. How ironic that I should only start doing this once she is no longer active. I really, really hope she finds her way back to it...

[bmerb.livejournal.com]

Can I get a copy of scavenger still??

[wendelah1]

Yes. Send me an email at my user name at gmail. Or you can read it (and probably download it) at the SpookyAwards site. http://spookyawards.blogspot.com/p/2002.html
Scroll down to Outstanding Unfinished Work.

[amyhit.livejournal.com]

augh, Syantax, why must you so often write things with Diana in them? what's that, because she's canon? well, yes, i suppose. i confess, i felt heartened when it was revealed that Diana was dead. not so much because i want her dead, as that i just don't want her to exist in the first place.

however, i'm only twenty five pages in at the moment, and am by no means confident that she actually is dead.

otherwise, so far so good.

[bachlava.livejournal.com]

i felt heartened when it was revealed that Diana was dead. not so much because i want her dead, as that i just don't want her to exist in the first place.

I agree, except that I'm less nice and actually did want her dead. I suppose I don't have a problem with wishing death on fictional characters who annoy me - which she really, really did. It's to syntax6's credit that I managed to enjoy a story in which Diana played such a major role. I think the characterization (moral and personal) is spot-on, which helps a lot.

[wendelah1]

One of the reasons I love this story is that Diana Fowley is a central character. I love the backstory Syntax6 creates for her and Mulder, too.

Try not to hold this against me, but next to Mulder and Scully, she is my favorite character to write. Unfortunately, there isn't much good fic about her, because she wasn't very well-received by the fandom. LOL. Have you read obsession_inc's meta about this topic, Your Guide To Fandom Ships and New Characters That Interfere With Them? I found it pretty entertaining.

[amyhit.livejournal.com]

that meta? hilarious. and from what i've seen, pretty darn accurate.

though it has zero effect on my dislike of Diana's character, because my dislike of her character is based on my feeling that she is entirely superficial to and out of place in the x-files story - she just doesn't mesh. at all. i don't hate her. yes, i am a bit jealous of her, but i would never hate a character just for that.

[wendelah1]

obsession_inc is a funny, funny woman. I like her meta, though not quite as much as her fic.

[bachlava.livejournal.com]

That was a clever bit of meta, and quite fun! That said, I don't like Diana any better than I did. I thought the introduction of a long-standing distrust-mixed-with-sexual-jealousy element into the plot was a bad idea, period, whether from the perspective of a 'shipper, a noromo, or a fence-sitter. Basically, the relationship between Mulder and Scully was the heart of the show (regardless of how one conceptualized/wanted that relationship). There was plenty of room to complicate it, but a full season's worth of Mulder's seeing Scully as a jealous shrew while an obviously untrustworthy, and tedious, caricature of a femme fatale leads him around by his dick... not the way to do it. Chris Carter was right when he said Mulder and Scully's dating lives didn't have a big place on the show - he shouldn't have second-guessed himself, IMO.

I also thing Mimi Rogers is a terrible actress. She's got that Scientology practice of maintaining a direct stare and flat, commanding tone at all times (yes, that's something that Scientology trains its followers to do), which really doesn't make for a good dramatic performance - cf. many of Cruise's and nearly all of Travolta's movies post-1990-ish. I'm guessing that, had she played a completely different character, I would feel pretty much the same way.

[wendelah1]

I wasn't really expecting to change your mind about Diana.

I thought the introduction of a long-standing distrust-mixed-with-sexual-jealousy element into the plot was a bad idea, period, whether from the perspective of a 'shipper, a noromo, or a fence-sitter.

Of course, I didn't watch the show back in the day, but when I did my first and second viewings, I never saw anything I would interpret as sexual jealousy on Scully's part. I'm sorry, but I'm kind of inclined to think that was projection on the part of the viewing audience. Yes, she thinks Diana is untrustworthy, but that's how she felt about "Deep Throat" and "X," too. There were plenty of other things that happened during the course of season five to undermine Scully's trust in Mulder. Diana is just the icing on that cake! I'll re-watch the relevant episodes at some point, but I suspect we'll just have to agree to disagree.

Diana is an interesting character to me because as I interpret her, her loyalties are divided, which makes her more fun to try to figure out, more fun to write. She is also a middle-aged single career woman, and frankly, there are damned few of those on network television.

I also thing Mimi Rogers is a terrible actress. She's got that Scientology practice of maintaining a direct stare and flat, commanding tone at all times (yes, that's something that Scientology trains its followers to do), which really doesn't make for a good dramatic performance - cf. many of Cruise's and nearly all of Travolta's movies post-1990-ish.

I did not know that Scientology had an acting academy. The only other thing I recall seeing Mimi Rogers in was her starring role in "The Rapture," which was a wonderful film, and she did a superb job in it.

I'm guessing that, had she played a completely different character, I would feel pretty much the same way.

I think that is probably the case. But let me ask you this, do you think if the role had been recast, with an actor of your choice, do you think that would have changed how you felt about the character?

[bachlava.livejournal.com]

We may have to agree to disagree on whether sexual jealousy was involved, yeah. I thought the undercurrent (USJ, maybe?) was strong, and disliked it - and I didn't want official canon MSR until the finale! But even putting that aside... you're right that Scully also hesitated to trust Mr. X and Deep Throat. Mulder was guarded with them as well, as he was with Marita, which was another part of the difference. Another part of it may have been that their roles were small but important - like salt in a recipe. Diana's role was big, by XF standards, and I guess, for me, that was like using salt more like a main ingredient than a seasoning. Of course, some people like more salt than others, and some people like salt more than others.

Clarity failure on my part - Scientology doesn't have an acting academy (to my knowledge); it's something they train all their members to do once they reach a certain "level," and it seems to affect, negatively, the performances of those who are actors. (I used to live near Clearwater, FL, where Scientology has its big HQ, so I wound up seeing some of the weirdness. That particular thing always jumped out at me as being creepy as holy living frack.) Mimi has put in a few strong performances - mostly before she got to a high "level" - which is probably why she can still find work, IMO. But I digress...

As for the idea of someone else in the role... I think I would have disliked the plot and overall character dynamic implications, and disliked them unequivocally. But the level of "seething hate, get that thing off my screen!" might not have been involved - assuming that the alternative wasn't, like, Bai Ling...

[elizabethannfic.livejournal.com]

I have to agree.

I cringe when Diana is onscreen. Not because I believe Mulder should have no romantic past, but because I think the character was poorly written and ill-advised. She was a trope and thrown in to disrupt the partnership. Boring. I really disliked her, but I'm not adverse to a really well written fic in which she plays a staring role. Perhaps it is easier to take when we all now how it ultimately played out in canon.

This is a much more interesting back-story for her and it helps explain Mulder's trust in her and his deep sense of betrayal as well. That he is willing to side with Scully when he believes she may have shot Diana speaks to where the true loyalties lie.

[bachlava.livejournal.com]

Throwing in an ITA on all this. This is a much more palatable Diana backstory and Diana-Mulder relationship than canon gave us. It's also, I think, a much better resolution to the overall Diana plot than canon ultimately provided - again, barring the fact that "Requiem" Did Not Happen. But that last bit might just be me.

[wendelah1]

however, i'm only twenty five pages in at the moment, and am by no means confident that she actually is dead.

Ha ha! Syntax6 does keep you guessing, doesn't she?

augh, Syntax, why must you so often write things with Diana in them? what's that, because she's canon?

And I think because Syntax6 see her potential as a character. We don't know that much about Diana Fowley, so there is a lot of room for a writer to maneuver, to create interesting back-story and plot. Also she excites emotion in the reader right off the bat and I think Syntax uses that to excellent effect here.

Next to Mulder and Scully, she is my favorite character to write.

::: waves hello:::

[(Anonymous)]

Thanks for the kind and thoughtful words. "Bait and Switch" was a lot of fun to write, so I am glad other people got something out of the reading experience too.

As for why Diana crops up in so many of my stories, Wendy has it exactly right: there was so little to Diana on screen that it leaves open many possible variations of her character. This makes for interesting plotting. I do agree that her character was not handled well in the series, but there certainly were intriguing elements to her. For example, she predated Scully's arrival so she had access to a version of Mulder that Scully never saw. Also, her motivations were never entirely clear. Was she working with Mulder? Against him? Both at the same time? How much did she really know about the conspiracy as a whole? A fic writer can take almost any answer to these questions and run with it; that's the beauty of Diana's character.

And yes, frankly, one of the fun bits about including her is that she makes Scully -- and the readers -- jealous or angry. Emotion is really what drives a story, even a plot-driven type story like the kind I write. So any time you can tap a powerful vein like that with only two words -- "Diana Fowley" -- you have struck narrative gold, my friend!

Cheers, syntax6

[wendelah1]

So the weird sensation Scully had at dinner with Mulder was the chip activating itself?

What an interesting theory. I'll have to ask Syntax6, or maybe you can when you send her feedback. When I first read it, I assumed it might be related to her cancer recurring. There are several little moments scattered through the story that mention her cancer so it was something I actively worried about while reading.

Also, I thought Mulder was initiating these dinners and romantic intentions toward Scully with odd timing. It seemed very sudden, especially when he was dealing with the case and with Diana.

I only remember the one dinner, when he tells Scully about breaking into the lab with Diana. It didn't seem like he had romantic intentions, more like he was filling her in on the background of the case. What happens between them the night Scully shows up bearing Diana's empty resumé wasn't planned or even very well-thought out, on either of their parts. In fact, my reaction to her going up to his place was "no, no, no, don't do it. This is wrong. This is bad timing. No, no, nooooooo." For me anyway, it was the wrongness of the sex that made it so hot, too. Sigh.

I don't think Scully thought Mulder and Diana were having sex. What Scully did think was that Mulder was meeting with Diana and continuing his investigations with her and lying about it. I don't see Scully's motivation as jealousy. She resents that she's being lied to yet again, and ditched, yet again, and that Mulder is appearing to trust someone that Scully knows isn't worthy of his trust.

And another question: why did Scully forget about the Bellefleur detail about Mulder?

Something to do with removing the chip is my guess. She forgot a lot of the details of that night. The Smoking Man said the memories were in there, and I assume he meant in the chip.

It seems like the neighbor should have heard the gunshot unless the guy had a silencer on it.

I've got nothing.

I had less trouble with the blood on the fence, since it was only in the cracks, the rest presumably had been washed off by the heavy rain. It's hard to say what time of the day or night it was. Mulder was arrested when the sun was high in the sky, and it was around a year after she had the chip put in. So late April, or early May? Sunset would be after 8 pm. Why yes, I am a geek.

I am glad you enjoyed the story. Syntax6 is one of my favorite writers.

[wendelah1]

Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1st and ends November 30th, according to the national service, but the X-Files Timeline puts Redux in October, rather arbitrarily I think, but there it is. Plus she says this is early season six somewhere, I think, right? Or did I make that up in my own head?

Yeah, I think time and date stamps might have helped me keep events straight, too.

[elizabethannfic.livejournal.com]

The sex is poorly timed, and that *is* what makes it kind of hot.

The misunderstandings surrounding the sex make it even more heart wrenching, however. Scully believing she has just given up her last mystery, and therefore, made herself less interesting, made me ache a little bit. It was believable Scully POV for me, which I sometimes think is harder to pin down than Mulder POV. On the other side of it, Mulder wondering whether the chip had somehow brought her to his bedroom and whether she remembered it at all--gah! That slayed me.

It ends happily enough (except for the threat of cancer and Mulder's disappearance) with them together, so we know this was all resolved, but I also would have been happy had we not known that some of these aspects were tied up between the two of them. We have ample evidence that these two leave a lot unspoken, so unresolved would have been fine with me. Maybe I just enjoy the angst and delayed payoff too much.

[wendelah1]

The sex is poorly timed, and that *is* what makes it kind of hot.

It certainly worked for me. Bad timing and misunderstanding are also key elements in "A Bitter Taste on the Tongue." Then just throw a little unrehearsed bondage into the mix, and wheeee! But that's just me.

The misunderstandings surrounding the sex make it even more heart wrenching, however. Scully believing she has just given up her last mystery, and therefore, made herself less interesting, made me ache a little bit. It was believable Scully POV for me, which I sometimes think is harder to pin down than Mulder POV. On the other side of it, Mulder wondering whether the chip had somehow brought her to his bedroom and whether she remembered it at all--gah! That slayed me.

Oh, me, too. But I think that emotional disconnect and the resulting heartache were also part of what was a turn-on for me. It's very hard to be analytical about sex.

It ends happily enough (except for the threat of cancer and Mulder's disappearance) with them together, so we know this was all resolved, but I also would have been happy had we not known that some of these aspects were tied up between the two of them. We have ample evidence that these two leave a lot unspoken, so unresolved would have been fine with me. Maybe I just enjoy the angst and delayed payoff too much.

I wouldn't say this ends happily, not really, not at all. What I would say is that Syntax6 is really good at writing AU scenarios that fit seamlessly into canon without fundamentally altering the outcome. Even without the chip, Scully doesn't die of cancer, although we don't ever find out why. Diana still dies as a result of her efforts to try to save Mulder. Yeah, Mulder and Scully end up together a little sooner, but Scully still ends up inexplicably pregnant (maybe due to something done to her while she was still under the influence of the chip, who knows?). Because Scully's memory of what Diana told her gets lost when the chip is removed, Mulder still gets abducted, and then rest of seasons eight and nine and IWTB presumably proceed without interruption.

I know from experience how difficult it is to work a new story into and around existing canon. Damn, she makes it look so easy, and what's more, she's done it over and over again with the same excellent results. I really admire her writing.

edited: for tense issues. I did not sleep much last night.

[elizabethannfic.livejournal.com]

Fitting in AU into the canon is incredibly impressive. This is an amazing fic. I was hooked in a way I haven't been by an X-Files fic in quite some time, especially a case file. I'm beyond impressed.

[wendelah1]

If you haven't read the rest of her fic, do go read the AU she wrote for season one, "Universal Invariants". It has a sequel, too, "Laws of Motion". Oh, and you must read "Isometry", her AU for the cancer arc.

Edit: I almost forgot. "Overnight Sensation"

Here's her site: http://www.omniscribe.com/

[frey-at-last.livejournal.com]

This is the thing that REALLY excites me when Syntax stories show up - not just the well-written casefile and interesting emotional conflicts, but more than anything the sheer fun of seeing her fit the story right into canon. Theoretically these are stories that could have been happening right offscreen, and they usually add a completely plausible and really intriguing twist to the interpretation of the real episodes.

[wendelah1]

This is the thing that REALLY excites me when Syntax stories show up - not just the well-written casefile and interesting emotional conflicts, but more than anything the sheer fun of seeing her fit the story right into canon. Theoretically these are stories that could have been happening right offscreen, and they usually add a completely plausible and really intriguing twist to the interpretation of the real episodes.

Yes. This is one of the unique elements to her writing. I've never seen anyone do this quite like she can.

I am beyond excited that she is working on "Original Sin" again.

it's XF; there are no happy endings ;-)

[(Anonymous)]

I'll echo Wendy and say that, for me at least, this is not a happy ending. But as Scully realizes during the story, there is not likely to be a happy ending for her. Either she keeps the chip in and remains a pawn in the game, or removes it and takes the very real risk that the cancer returns. We gather it doesn't by the end of the series, but who knows what happens in the future? She may yet go the way of Penny Northern. In addition, by 'saving herself' through the chip removal, Scully dooms Mulder. Diana finally does right by Mulder, but her actions end up being for naught.

On a positive note, neither Mulder or Scully go to jail for murder. That's something! :-)

Cheers, syntax6

[estella-c.livejournal.com]

I never finished this story before. I started it as a wip, then put it aside and got distracted. This is unacceptable. You must keep up with Syntax6.

The interweaving of plotlines was stunningly competent. Maybe a shade too competent for me. I too would have appreciated some time stamps. Also, um, what Bellefleur detail?

Diana is a fascinatingly ambivalent character and ripe for this kind of carefully realized revelation. It maintains her mystery that we see her from several pov's at several points in time. (I don't think we ever actually know what she's thinking, although we can absolutely believe that she's "always thinking.") Syntax handled her *far* better than canon even attempted to.

I think much of the contempt focused on Diana is a result of the perceived cynicism of 1013 in deliberately muddying the relationship waters. Though--no, Wendy--I didn't think much of Rogers's acting. It's true, however, that many decent actors were hampered in their performance arcs by not having any idea what Chris Carter had in mind for them.

This treatment of Scully's chip and her terror of it was hard-hitting. The only other fic I can think of of comparable quality to deal with the issue is Kel's The Beginner's Guide to Tightrope Walking, which had a lighter tone (though the subject matter was equally heavy).

I sense that I'm stating the obvious here. The sex scene was great, tight, edgy. Glorious "first times" are mundane.

Every once in a while I noticed a missing word. I say this not in criticism but in awe. Syntax6 has, through years of practice, become a writer who is a fluid, effortless stylist. She can write fast because she can trust herself to write well.

I just hope she can find it in her heart and schedule to give us more.

Lots of spoilers here, kind of

[wendelah1]

Also, um, what Bellefleur detail?

The big reveal, where we find out what why Scully went to Diana's place, and what Diana told her was going to happen to Mulder and why she did what she did.

Diana was right, too. Scully couldn't have saved him. But Diana couldn't save him, either.

This treatment of Scully's chip and her terror of it was hard-hitting. The only other fic I can think of of comparable quality to deal with the issue is Kel's The Beginner's Guide to Tightrope Walking, which had a lighter tone (though the subject matter was equally heavy).

I was going to say that but you beat me to it. The tone was a little lighter, although I thought the climax to TBGTTRW was even more edge of the seat and more moving, too.

I sense that I'm stating the obvious here. The sex scene was great, tight, edgy. Glorious "first times" are mundane.

Well, Syntax6's glorious first times are mundane. onemillionnine's are not. But what they have in common are the highly charged emotions they generate in the reader. This is probably equally obvious, but emotions are the sexy part of sex, otherwise it's just all moving tab A into slot B. Everyone seems to think the hardest part about writing erotica is the description of the act, and that matters too, of course. The really tough part is how to get the reader to care. For my money, Syntax6 does that part better than any writer in the fandom, using far fewer words.

Re: Lots of spoilers here, kind of

[estella-c.livejournal.com]

Thank you. Bellefleur was hiding in plain sight. Talk about your tragic foreshadowing.

When I said "glorious" I really meant "easy." First times should be excitingly difficult and uncertain. God knows OMAN's are. And I would say that Tesla is right up there with Syntax6.

I wonder, in this fandom, if it's ever really possible to stop talking about sex.

Stop talking about sex?

[wendelah1]

Sure it is, but why would we want to?

Glorious=easy. I am confused. But I guess I see what you mean.

Re: the enduring hatred of shippers for Diana Fowley. Have you read obsession_inc aka Magdeleine's Your Guide To Fandom Ships and New Characters That Interfere With Them?

Not that I expect to change anyone's mind. But predictable fandom is -- predictable. Maybe I'd have felt the same way if I had watched the show in real time but somehow I doubt it. Personally, I feel much more upset by all the shit the writers piled on Scully in season five. Diana seems like the least of it. I could be wrong but I haven't met a noromo yet who has the same feelings of animosity toward her. And I really don't get the dislike people have of the actor who played her. Whatever.

Re: Stop talking about sex?

[estella-c.livejournal.com]

Of course I read the Magdeleine piece. You made me. It made me feel quite...predictable.

Hey, Rogers still gets work. She had quite an interesting part in a weird Jeff Bridges movie: The Door in the Floor.

[(Anonymous)]

Thanks for the kid words, and sorry about the dropped words and typos. I do go back and fix them periodically when I find them. It is a long-running problem for me, as I am dyslexic, and thus I do not see mistakes as easily as I might otherwise. It's cursed problem for a writer to have!

I agree about the time stamps. If I were writing this over again, I would probably include them.

As for more fic, the answer is...well, maybe. This discussion has inspired me to dust off "Original Sin" and I've actually done some work on it this week. I may just finish that one yet. ;-)

Cheers, syntax6

[frey-at-last.livejournal.com]

Re: "Original Sin" - YAAAAY!

I have a serious thing for Scully-leaving-Mulder scenarios, but they so RARELY pop up as good stories by capable writers, so when you started OS, I thought my life would be COMPLETE. And now that-universe Mulder and Scully have been following me around for a long time, making me sad. But this is not a guilt trip! *g*

[tiger-bay.livejournal.com]

BEST NEWS EVER!!
We all wait, trembling, with bated breath, and I mean that sincerely