xf_book_club | Story 183: "All the Children Are Insane" by MustangSally

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Story 183: "All the Children Are Insane" by MustangSally

In The X-Files fandom there are debatably no two authors more closely associated in the minds of fanfic readers than RivkaT, the author of our last fic, and MustangSally, who are indelibly linked by their co-authorship of "Iolokus". Which is why this week we're going to be reading "All the Children Are Insane," perhaps MustangSally's most widely read solo fic.

It's a vignette set in the summer after S5, with sex, angst, and the burnt-office base notes of existential crisis. The posting date stamp on "All The Children Are Insane" is June 18th 1998, just one day before Fight the Future hit theaters. To me the writing has always hummed with the captured tension of that summer, the fever pitch of fannish excitement and anxiety.

All the Children Are Insane

mustangsally78 is still around; sending feedback never hurts. And as always, our recommendations thread is over here.

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Reading your analysis (excellent as always, by the way) reminds me of how off-kilter I am in how I see fic and how non-mainstream my fannish opinions (and my own writing) are as a consequence.

Will you expound on this? What was it about my analysis (I'm glad you liked it, BTW) that made you feel off-kilter in comparison?

I swear to you that there's a version somewhere (or was) in which the hangover fairy appears in the last line.

I won't argue about anything else. What's to argue about?

I love meta fan-winks.

I love drunkfics.

You are right about the temporary nihilism. And you are not too serious. I am simply far less serious. Which I (and others) must live with.

Incidentally, I seem to have devolved into one of those who don't actually groove on the sex scenes. I prefer the introductory lust.

Reading your analysis made me realize that there were things here to notice and comment on but I refused to look at the story more carefully because the genre made me feel irritable and impatient. I wasn't fair to the writer. Here's the problem: I'm not sure I can be.

This train of thought started with a fifteen chapter Sherlock story, oddly enough, which I gave up on about half-way through, having realized that it was never going to stop being what it was: a well-written story that was about three characters having sex, over and over and over again, in many different positions and combinations, with and without sex toys, etc. It was more than that, of course, there were feelings, too. Character arc. Whatever.

I know I went into the story hoping for a plot that wasn't just about the sex and the ship and the feelings. This is not what most fanfic readers do. And it's not that I think there is anything wrong with liking to read about sex. I like to read erotica too sometimes, but I think a little goes a long way for me.

My kink is plot. It really is. I want people to write fic that makes make my brain work hard to try to figure things out. Most people in fandom simply do not care about this at all so I need shut up, get over myself and move on. Or write the stories I crave myself. It's my problem not theirs. Or yours. There is nothing wrong with me either--probably. I'm just wired differently or something.

I might have liked this story a lot better if I had read it when it was first posted, too.

The End destroyed The Work in a permanent way. There was real and monumental loss, which is how it should have been portrayed, for more than just thirty seconds at the end of S5.

Yes, absolutely. I was thinking about this in relation to "Fight the Future," which isn't a bad movie when compared IWTB, but it doesn't address in a meaningful way what happened at the end of season five. Mulder and Scully seem way too blasé--or something--about the loss of the X-Files down there in Texas.

Edited to say this: the more we discuss this story, the more I see the how well the mood of the story matches up both with "The End" and the end of season five. The sex scene still depresses the hell of of me, and maybe it's meant to, but the raw emotion behind it still works. I think Scully here is in shock, she's self-medicating to numb the pain, as is Mulder. They aren't thinking clearly, they don't want to think at all. There is a capitulation to the moment which isn't characteristic of either of them, but which seems possible, if not probable, given enough stress and I think the fire is just the tipping point.

I still want a longer story.

I think Scully in "Iolokus" is in a very different psychological state of mind. I don't know how to explain it or define it but she is.

Edited 2011-10-25 02:23 (UTC)

I had a lot of issues with Scully's characterization in Iolokus (and with Mulder's as well, but not to the same extent). I mean, I love the story but I had to completely separate my version of M&S from theirs. I think as the story went on, I could put aside my initial dislike of Scully for the most part, but it was not an easy read for me. I haven't read it in a long time, so maybe my opinion would be different these days.

So while they are both somewhat out of character here, it's more believable for me considering their world has just been rocked by the destruction of their office (and as

amyhit says below) and of The Work.

Okay. I was just curious. Often people that are bothered by characterization that differs from canon are bothered a lot and across the board, including when the show does something they deem OOC, with "Never Again" being an oft-sited example.

I started rereading "Iolokus" on the plane ride home and just finished it last night. I would think every reader would have a problem with Iolokus!Scully, considering her actions. As you said, to appreciate the story as fiction, you have to completely separate your version from theirs. And yeah, Mulder seems pretty off in that one too. The first section is grim. Okay, the whole thing is grim. I think what makes her more sympathetic as the story progresses is how she keeps being victimized by the Consortium; also, with so many evil nasty characters abounding, the wrong she committed starts to pale by comparison. And, she offers herself up as a sacrifice at the end to insure Miranda's safety, which is a redemptive act.

I am probably in the minority, but I really liked "Never Again" (just like I don't hate Diana Fowley. Oh what the hell, I love Doggett and Reyes too). I think for me, I am willing to buy almost anything if I can recognize the characters at their core. That said, I definitely have my limits as to what I enjoy reading.

Oh yes, Iolokus is GRIM. Good description! Everyone depresses the hell out of me in that story and with the possible exception of Evil!Bill Scully (he seems to be the bad guy in almost every fic, with very few exceptions that I find), the canon characters all seem to stray very far from, well, canon. Especially Maggie Scully. Yikes. Now I sort of want to reread this.

I liked "Never Again," too; we should start a club.

We read "Iolokus" two years ago here but I was busy with my fil who'd had a stroke. Huge success. Lots of folks showed up even though I didn't.

Everyone hates on Bill Scully. I think he's an ass on the show but I get why he's pissed off at Mulder.

A club! We should. :)

I will check out the Iolokus post soon; since I've already read this once, I would like to read other impressions before reading it again.

Yeah, Bill Scully is a total ass. Patronizing, condescending...the works. I can understand where he is coming from to an extent too, but I wish the character was handled better on the show. This is definitely one instance in which I love post-ep, filler type of fic that paints a more three dimensional picture of certain characters.

I know I went into the story hoping for a plot that wasn't just about the sex and the ship and the feelings. This is not what most fanfic readers do. And it's not that I think there is anything wrong with liking to read about sex. I like to read erotica too sometimes, but I think a little goes a long way for me. My kink is plot. It really is. I want people to write fic that makes make my brain work hard to try to figure things out. Most people in fandom simply do not care about this at all so I need shut up

Well, for the most part I think you're in the right fandom, then. Sure, a large chunk of XF fanfic is PWP, or total fluff, or something that just barely clears the PWP bar, but in comparison with what I've seen of other fandoms (especially newer fandoms), XF is the fandom to turn to for plotty, intelligent, substantial fanfic.

And no, I don't think there's anything wrong with liking, or even needing a fic to have plot in order for it to be enjoyable. That is, for the most part, true of me too. I may have a somewhat higher tolerance for PWP than you do, and I'm also someone who loves beautiful, poetic language, so there are fics that you may consider insubstantial than I consider exqusite and poignant. But I can probably count on my fingers the number of PWPs or pieces of total fluff that I really like.

I have a strange inclination to be magnanimous towards ATCAI, and I'm not sure why. I really dislike Scully's characterization, I don't really buy that they would be doing any of this in the first place, and every time the sex scene starts to get to me, it goes and turns me right off again two sentences later. Yet somehow I want to speak well of the fic. Because it was written by MustangSally? Because it was posted the day before FTF? Because one of my favorite fic writers loved it back in the day? *shrugs* I don't know why.

I think it's just the raw idea of them being left reeling that I gravitate towards. I want a fic that spans the entire summer, I want two or three feverish months of this "falling down the mountainside" feeling. I can't entirely explain it, but for me there's an eroticism in that alone, without having to even bring smut into it. It's careless of me, in a way, to have such an appetite for their distress, but it's that honesty, that humanity in the storytelling that I'm hungry for.

Edited 2011-10-23 23:55 (UTC)

I think it's just the raw idea of them being left reeling that I gravitate towards. I want a fic that spans the entire summer, I want two or three feverish months of this "falling down the mountainside" feeling. I can't entirely explain it, but for me there's an eroticism in that alone, without having to even bring smut into it. It's careless of me, in a way, to have such an appetite for their distress, but it's that honesty, that humanity in the storytelling that I'm hungry for.

Yes! If this had been part of a larger story, I'm sure I'd feel much differently. And if the sex had come after a longer build-up, say a couple additional months of misery, instead of one night of too much alcohol, I might like it more. I don't like drunk!fic because it feels like a cheat. It lets the characters use it as an excuse to have sex. I'm well aware of the potential for sex, drugs and rock and roll to influence sexual behavior, but dammit, I want something different for Mulder and Scully. This story just made me feel bad for them. It wasn't a turn-on at all. Quite the contrary.

You are right. There are many meaty, substantial stories in TXF, so I feel lucky to have found this fandom. Every time I branch out for a little while, I find myself coming back. It is not a coincidence that the story I still like best, and I've read quite a few now, in the Sherlock BBC fandom is a long fic by MA and OMAN. That fandom is very short on casefiles considering who the main characters are. See, there I go again. But it is, sadly.

Oh, I'll be in your "Never Again, Forever" club!

It's been going on five years since I read Iolokus, but I took to it like an addictive substance. I'm the opposite of you on this one,

write_out. I had no problem accepting Iolokus' Scully, but ATCAI's Scully is just not for me. Which is not to say the Iolokus characterizations weren't disturbing, and different from my own idea of Mulder and Scully - they were. But ATCAI Scully doesn't just have differences, I feel like she is fundimentally different than my Scully.

I've always found the idea of "character integrity" really interesting. It's what I think of as the thing that determines, for each fanfic reader, whether the character will be essentially within the bounds of character, or outside of those bounds. But because each reader has a different idea of what consitutes character integrity (which is, I believe, closely tied into how we individually perceive integrity in the real world), we end up with dispute, even amongst the most open-minded of readers, as to what is within the bounds of the character, and what isn't. For me, ATCAI Scully lacks character integrity. I can't love this Scully, though she bears the Scully name, and though I would rather love her than be estranged from her. Not so with Iolokus Scully, though her differences from canon Scully are - to my judgment - even greater than ATCAI's Scully.

NEVER AGAIN HIGH FIVE! I simply worship this episode. I always prefer Mulder & Scully with flaws and imperfections and doubts, it makes them so much more interesting.

Which is why I thought the way Iolokus took this ball and run away with it, deserves all the respect and admiration of a damn gutsy move. It is so OOC it really *shouldn't* work, and yet it does, hence its crazy genius.

Shameless pimping: I wrote a short story where Bill isn't a bad guy. It bugged me that he was never given a chance to just be what I think he really is: a clumsy, worried big brother.

Edited 2011-10-24 19:03 (UTC)

Methinks this Scully has less "soul" than the Iolokus one. Ah, Hell, I don't know how to word it right. Iolokus Scully was a heartless bitch because she was in pain, and it turned out in the end, she wasn't heartless, just very damaged. She had tons of excuses to be this fucked up, and you could feel her struggle to cling desperately to her own humanity and not spiral down into self destruction.

ATCAI Scully doesn't have Iolokus Scully's horrifying medals on her chest. She hasn't gone through enough fires to justify her being this callous and rude.

And this is what bugs me here. A burnt office is not good enough an excuse to justify SarcasticBitch!Scully.

Scully doesn't have a mean streak in canon. So if you want to give her one, you need to give enough material to the reader to justify such a change of behaviour. Otherwise you'll lose their suspension of disbelief. Iolokus aced this. ATCAI, not so much.

Am I making any sense?

Edited 2011-10-24 19:18 (UTC)

"Nothing, nothing, nothing" indeed. It just occurred to me that this touches the nihilism at the heart of the show.

Ooooh, what a pretty thing to say. Can you expand on that?

THIS. The paint mixer metaphor threw me too. And the "Nam" thing as well. You're right, this is such a Skinner line.

The stunned silence in the episode is lovely too, but I wanted the rougher part of the mourning, and this fits the bill quite nicely.

Interesting, I guess it's a long time since I watched this ep. I guess I forgot what a big deal the burning of their offices was, and how much grief it brought. I guess the seething and harsh inner voices make nore sense if you bear this in mind.

Scully doesn't have a mean streak in canon. So if you want to give her one, you need to give enough material to the reader to justify such a change of behaviour. Otherwise you'll lose their suspension of disbelief.

This. Plus I think there's a difference between "heartless bitch" and "callous and rude". It's like Medea Scully versus Trucker Scully. (Okay, maybe not 'Trucker Scully' but I can't think of anything more fitting off the top of my head.)

he was never given a chance to just be what I think he really is: a clumsy, worried big brother.

A clumsy, worried, condescending, domineering big brother.

I guess I'm not going to be in the Bill Jr. club. I've always disliked the guy.

ATCAI Scully doesn't have Iolokus Scully's horrifying medals on her chest. She hasn't gone through enough fires to justify her being this callous and rude.

And this is what bugs me here. A burnt office is not good enough an excuse to justify SarcasticBitch!Scully.

Scully doesn't have a mean streak in canon. So if you want to give her one, you need to give enough material to the reader to justify such a change of behaviour. Otherwise you'll lose their suspension of disbelief. Iolokus aced this. ATCAI, not so much.

Hold on just a minute, folks. It's not just a burnt-up office she's dealing with here. Let's recap some of shitstorm of season five. Diana Fowley is back, and if you think Mulder's relationship with her is confusing and/or infuriating to the fans, imagine how Scully must be feeling. They've already closed down the X-Files. They're talking about breaking up the partnership and transferring Scully to Bumfuck, Montana. Plus what about the death of Emily?! And finding out all of her ova were extracted?! And nearly getting burnt to a crisp at that bridge because of the chip that was put in her neck to save her from dying of cancer.

I think she's got plenty of reasons to feel cranky, and bitchy isn't much of a stretch either. Plus, isn't she just bitching to herself for the most part? Isn't that allowed or does the complete control have to extend to her inner self as well as her persona? The only line spoken aloud that I could find skimming through this that one could conceivably say was bitchy is this: ""Now." She orders in a tone that makes my legs start to tremble, "Don't screw around - fuck me."

Given the situation, the line seems like what any woman might say to the guy who is about to--fuck her. What should she say? "Make love to me, Fox darling." I'm just sayin'.

Edited 2011-10-25 01:24 (UTC)

It just occurred to me that this touches the nihilism at the heart of the show.

EC, I am a little confused by that statement, leaving aside the "nothing, nothing, nothing," as I think that we can agree it's just a little bit of cute dialogue, which I would be surprised to find had a philosophical underpinning.

But I would like to know what you meant by "the nihilism at the heart of the show"? Because I don't see anything nihilistic about the series in theme or philosophy or anything really. "Seinfeld" is nihilistic. To me, "The X-Files" has a clear moral center. No need to answer this, by the way, I'm just thinking out loud, but if you do feel like discussing it, I'd love to know your definition of the term and how it applies to "The X-Files."

Edited for grammar fail. Also punctuation. I try. I do.

Edited 2011-10-25 02:29 (UTC)

I think she's got plenty of reasons to feel cranky, and bitchy isn't much of a stretch either.

Yeah, but this fic doesn't sell me on that the way Iolokus does.

The only line spoken aloud that I could find skimming through this that one could conceivably say was bitchy is this: ""Now." She orders in a tone that makes my legs start to tremble, "Don't screw around - fuck me."

I don't think ATCAI Scully is particularly bitchy. And I definitely don't have a problem with her saying "fuck me". I'm not wild about the "don't screw around" part, I think in combination with "fuck me" it's overly gruff, but that's not really the point either. It's her whole inner voice that doesn't sound the least bit like Scully to me. As

hazel75 said, she sounds more like Skinner than herself. She's got this inward macho swagger thing going on.

Yep, I was just going to post something almost exactly like this. Season 5 shitstorm indeed. I think the burning was just the final straw.

I didn't take anything Scully said (internally or outloud) as mean or bitchy. She's drunk, she's pissed, she's cracking jokes (working at a salon) and she's basically had enough.

What's the story? I would love to read it.

All of this Never Again love is making me happy. :)

Leaving aside the "nothing, nothing, nothing," as I think that we can agree it's just a little bit of cute dialogue, which I would be surprised to find had a philosophical underpinning.

But I would like to know what you meant by "the nihilism at the heart of the show"? Because I don't see anything nihilistic about the series in theme or philosophy or anything really.

I think EC addressed this in her original comment:

It just occurred to me that this touches the nihilism at the heart of the show. Except for the idealism. Oh, never mind. I'm sure MA never considered that.

I do think that certain viewers are bound to see an intimation, the seed of nihilism (or is that an oxymoron?) at the heart of the story, even though the narrative itself - the personal voice of the show - was far from nihilistic. Somewhat like the one scene in For Whom the Bell Tolls, where everything is getting blasted to pieces and everyone is dying, and finally the narrative just breaks down into "Our nada who art in nada, nada be thy name thy kingdom nada thy will be nada in nada as it is in nada. Give us this nada our daily nada and nada us our nada as we nada our nadas and nada us not into nada but deliver us from nada; pues nada. Hail nothing full of nothing, nothing is with thee."

The way the mytharc is built, there are no truths, no answers. Everything is ventured in a matter of time, and nothing of certainty is ever gained.

Except love. Which makes all the difference.

I'm not sure of what EC will think of this answer, but it was my own perception of her intial statement.

Edited 2011-10-25 02:43 (UTC)

OUCH!

wendelah1 messaged me that you guys were talking about All the Children are Insane and I lurked by last night to see what was going on and I feel suitably embarrassed. It's like looking at my junior high photographs and trying to figure out *why* I thought polyester disco was a good look for me!

In retrospect, AfCaI seems *so* purple and for that I am heartily sorry! I wish I could plead that I was young when I wrote it - but I was about 31 when I wrote it. I might have been drunk, I wrote a lot of fic when I was drunk back in the day, but I don't recall being shitfaced when I wrote that one. I was often crocked when I was working on Iolokus! What I did intend was a very rough and angry Scully*. I never could understand how serene she could be while all these horrible things were happening to her and around her. I know I would have been seethingly angry the whole time. I did intend it to be sordid and ugly - my initial image was sex on the sofa with one foot dragging on the floor and it just being ugly and sordid.

Both Rivka and I set out to intentionally subvert many of the tropes that were endemic in the fandom at the time - saintly Scully, damaged Mulder (anorexic, cutting, masochistic, whatever) e - and the drunken sex being another. Drunken sex was right up there with the shared hotel room.

Seriously, I think I wrote AtCaI over a day or two without a serious beta and it was never structurally sound enough to handle this much examination! It was all about exciting and enraging people and it was fun to write and fun to put the cat among the pigeons as the case may be!

Strangely enough, I saw someone mention Sherlock in the comments and that made me laugh - I'd been playing with an idea of writing a girl!Watson fic and realized that it was just the XFiles and I'd done that already.

But thank all of you for still giving a shit about something that was written so long ago with so little thought. I'm feeling the love here!

*and the swearing like a sailor part was my Mary Sue talking!

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Story 183: "All the Children Are Insane" by MustangSally

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Hindsight is 20/20