Story 145: "Subaqueous" by Melymbrosia

[amyhit.livejournal.com]

Here's an 'all things' post ep/missing scene, distinguished by its brevity (861 words), and its fairly distinctive prose style.

TITLE: Subaqueous
AUTHOR: Melymbrosia
E-MAIL: melymbrosia@mail.com
RATING: PG
CATEGORY: V, R, post-ep
SPOILERS: all things

Comments

[infinitlight.livejournal.com]

Is this the question? he thinks dizzily. Say you don't like the answer. Ask me again.

One of my favorite fanfiction lines of all time. I love this story so much I want to hug it every night before bedtime, but I'll see if I can find something more intelligent to say than "yaaaaaaay".

I'm not a shipper but this is gentle enough to be believable for me. I love the feel of it, like time's slowed down, almost stopped. The prose is flowery but there's a weight to it. I love the little pieces of characterization that feel real: of course Scully will know about eye pigmentation and its influence on night vision. Of course Mulder would ask (even--maybe especially--at an inopportune time :).

[amyhit.livejournal.com]

Was I wrong when I said this was a post ep for 'all things'? I think I was wrong. It's really not that specific. Sorry you guys.

I really like this. I think it's lovely and sort of tranquil but exhilerating at the same time, which is right. It gets across that sense that what's happening between Mulder and Scully is monumental, but it's also not, because it's so natural for them to have come to this point eventually.

I'm not sure why this fic doesn't make more of an impression on me. I think it's beautiful, but it exists so entirely in the moment that I find I don't have much to say about it other than that it's beautiful and seems in character.

This fic and Confirmation would make an interesting pair to juxtapose. They're both short little first time fics and excellent examples of what I would (with somewhat unsuitable levity) call Soulmate Sex. Only they're from different POVs, and where Confirmation is exqusite but also painful, Subaqueous is joyous with little pain to speak of.

Is this the question? he thinks dizzily. Say you don't like the answer. Ask me again.

That's my favorite line too. It's not a favorite of all time or anything, but it does choke me up. This fic makes me so happy for them, and proud of them for making it to this point.

[infinitlight.livejournal.com]

It *is* a post-ep for all things (see keywords at gossamer, which I'm pretty sure are chosen by the author, not the archivists), but I agree that it doesn't need to be read as such.

I always liked Confirmation because it's an all things fic that remains about all things, when I think a lot of fic written at the same time became all about what authors wanted the relationship to change into. And I love that it's bittersweet. I'm usually all about the bittersweet, but sometimes I make exceptions.

[amyhit.livejournal.com]

Yay! A fellow Confirmation fan! It would have been at the top of my list of short fics for us to cover but it was already covered two years ago. Yes, I love that it's bittersweet too.

It's my 'first time' canon. Subaqueous is my sacondary 'first time' canon. I don't think it's unrealistic for them to be as joyful as they are in Subaqueous, and sometimes I imagine them this way, but more often I imagine it like Confirmation - no less joyful, but additionally with a great deal of pain mixed in.

[write-out.livejournal.com]

This is a great little story- makes me happy when I read it and it feels very much in character to me.

[tiger-bay.livejournal.com]

Ooh, this is goo-making...the dreamy first half with the sensual second half is perfect. I love the "I'm awake" litany, moving from a wish to convince Scully that he is to a need to convince himself that he isn't still dreaming...a joyful, heart-stopping dream.

The pace: slow as he dreams, speeding up to the climax of his wakefulness is gorgeous. I love this. It is a snapshot of a monumental moment in their lives, which has required both of them to stop dreaming and to come awake and aware. Great!

[estella-c.livejournal.com]

So very beautiful, and I speak as someone who digs misunderstandings and funny lines during a "first time."

Sleeping, erotically dreaming Mulder wakes up slowly, though it makes minimal difference in that he goes from cherishing Scully to a different degree of cherishing Scully. And as they join intentions they become--how to say--significantly aware.

I was very touched by Scully's final admission: "I'm awake, too." Yes, you are. Took you a while.