Story 198: "five things that never happened to dana scully" by threeguesses

[amyhit.livejournal.com]

The next fic was nominated by lightlack and enthusiastically seconded by myself. It’s written by threeguesses, who is one of my favorite writers to come out of the pre/post IWTB era. Her writing in this fandom was not prolific, but her stories have always stood out (at least for me) for their powerful concepts, enthralling emotional currents, and the deceptive simplicity of threeguesses’ writing. Undoubtedly you know how "five things" fics work, in which case you also know the title of this week’s fic tells you just about everything that can be revealed about it without spoiling the sense of discovery that comes with each new segment.


five things that never happened to dana scully

The author is still around and writing up a storm (though sadly not in this fandom), and I’m sure she would appreciate feedback. There’s lots to say about this fic, so please do let us know what you think. And, as always, the nomination post is open for new suggestions.

Comments

[edisto0304.livejournal.com]

Weird, but good. At least for me. I'm glad to get these occasional reminders.

[amyhit.livejournal.com]

Well, I like Tikkun Olam, nasty and soulless as it may be. Sharp enough to cut, and a real brain-bender.

Yes, I found it deliciously twisted and dark. MS and RT pushed the envelope farther than I could've imagined possible, and they kept me hanging on every sharp twist. Plus, wasn't TO the fic that used quotes from Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead as headers? Those quotes were the perfect mix of creepy-dark and flippant.

[edisto0304.livejournal.com]

I think it's the element of surprise. It's never quite the same afterwards.

[edisto0304.livejournal.com]

She told me that was the first one she thought of and it's perfectly placed. I love that it's so short and has no unnecessary words. Indeed it doesn't need anymore words than it has.

[wendelah1]

Plus, wasn't TO the fic that used quotes from Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead as headers? Those quotes were the perfect mix of creepy-dark and flippant.

Yes. That's the one. Maybe we should do it as a rerun sometime? We read it last in 2008. Story number five or six, I think it was.

[estella-c.livejournal.com]

I guess we have had this argument before, and it's obviously won't be resolved. The passion to bear a child is not one I've experienced, which is not to say that it does not most powerfully exist. The world we know is full of dreadfully dangerous places full of children getting hurt. (Many, of course, are conceived under some form of social duress or accidentally.)

Scully is a privileged individual: she has access to birth control and more information about the way the world works than the average career woman. Yet she insists on a child of her own, despite her physical incapacity. She spends a lot of money, risks enemy attacks, and humiliates herself and her audience hideously in that scene where she essentially says to Mulder, "Hold the elevator. I want some of your sperm."

Then, after CC and Co. realized that a precious little baby would fuck up their plot trajectory, Scully puts this emotionally and financially expensive child up for adoption. To (perhaps) preserve the life she had insisted on creating.

I realize I'm blaming Scully for all the stupidity of the show's writers and producers. But I do not think she made a good decision. If she were my friend I'd hug and support her and offer to babysit, but I would think she was not firing on all cylinders.

As for amyhit's comment about ignoring canon: sure. There are parts of canon I don't only ignore but wish I could forget. Still, I don't see any need to deny Scully's tenderness with children. Motherhood is not an inborn skill, as W says; awkwardness and mistakes are part of the role. (Though I do believe that it helps, as Scully does, to have a good mother of your own.)

[amyhit.livejournal.com]

I can't disagree more. I find the idea of Scully adopting Emily to be OOC, but allowing for that bit of canon stickiness, I find the way this fic has it playing out extremely believable. I think this is just about exactly what would have happened. As much as I hate, hate, HATE the idea of Scully and Mulder losing touch with each other, if Scully had left the X-Files to live another life, I have no doubt that's what would've happened. The work was the medium and the impetus for their relationship at that point. They loved each other, but in leaving the work she would have severed the bonds of alliance, ideology, and propinquity that bound them together. Never ones to do things by halves, Scully would have adapted to her new life as best she could, and Mulder would have readapted to his old life as best he could, and there would have been no room for each other. No room for a rash, obsessive, and exceedingly empty man with a dangerous, all-consuming quest in Scully's life, and no room for Scully's normal life with it's normal vulnerabilities and normal needs in Mulder's life.

When she’s finished (she had a spiel, she’d planned) he just says, Okay Scully. He helps her carry the boxes to her car, shuts her trunk. They say goodbye in the parking garage, Scully’s heels sinking into a puddle. He waves as she pulls out.

This is written exceptionally well. The first time I read it I remember knowing, before reading any further, that this was the end for them. That after this whatever was between them would wither away. It's right there in the writing, in the way things are phrased. They don't "part company", they say goodbye. And there's this seperation already, the way they see themselves in relation to each other: Scully in the car, pulling away, and Mulder standing there in the parking garage, waving goodbye.

Mulder knows, of course, because Mulder would know, the way bonds are broken and people change. He would know that his life is not compatible with the one she's leaving for, and vice versa. As I see it, that's what his quiet, "Okay Scully," means. It means there's nothing for him to argue about or barter for. He knows how this will go, and he understands.

To me it all makes perfect sense.

[wendelah1]

It's very well written as far as it goes, and I'm not saying I don't like the story overall, it's not at all how I see either character behaving at this point in the drama.

So there we are.

The work was the medium and the impetus for their relationship at that point.

So, at what point do you think that did change? Because it must have changed somewhere along the way for them to have ended up together at the end in IWTB, without the work to keep them together. Or do you just leave canon behind entirely after Requiem (a perfectly understandable choice, by the way, given the canon we were given)?

[lightlack.livejournal.com]

As usual, I haven't commented because I'm a terrible person, but I'm just taking a moment to be impressed that a fic I nominated somehow managed to get so many comments on it.

[amyhit.livejournal.com]

It's okay. I know you've got some extenuating circumstances going on. We can bring up the thread on your laptop next time I'm over and nitpick all the comments. *g*

[amyhit.livejournal.com]

You know, Dance Card was one of the very first XF fics I ever read, before I'd even started watching the show, and I connected with Sab's Scully quite strongly. It may have even influenced one or two of my first XF fics, actually. But at the time I didn't really have much of a concept of who Scully really was, canonically. Thinking back on it, what I remember of her in Dance Card is really very unlike my Scully at this point in time, and certainly - I agree - quite unlike canon Scully.

At some point perhaps we could even read the Dance Card trilogy here (all three at once, I'd imagine). As OOC as they are, Sab's a good writer, and a charismatic writer, and they could be fun to discuss.

[wendelah1]

Of course we can, if we say we can. (Better that than the one of hers where everyone dies.) We are the mods! Yeah, I can imagine a good discussion of the WTF? variety could come out of it. I can put it up next if you like.

Or we could read more "Five Things" stories? I have a small collection of them.

I suppose I should check the queue first.

[estella-c.livejournal.com]

You know, I also believe that it's never too late to comment on a fic. I think we should establish some kind of, um, board convention or tradition whereby someone can say, "I think the third chapter of this fic fails on account of blah, blah, AND...by the way...I've added an interesting take to the fic two discussions back, so everybody rush right over!" Or words to that effect. Because if it doesn't get mentioned it won't get read.

[amyhit.livejournal.com]

So, at what point do you think that did change? Because it must have changed somewhere along the way for them to have ended up together at the end in IWTB, without the work to keep them together. Or do you just leave canon behind entirely after Requiem (a perfectly understandable choice, by the way, given the canon we were given)?

Well, I do completely disregard IWTB canon, and I usually attempt to disregard all but the most basic elements of S8 and S9 canon. However, I think your question is still entirely valid, and it was something I asked myself while I was typing up my previous comment.

The trouble is, I think the work is an absolutely fundamental aspect of both their relationship, and of who they are as people. In my headcanon quiting isn’t really a possibility. Technically they’re both at liberty to quit at any time, but it’s just not something either of them could find it in themselves to do. So for me, the question isn’t so much “When did the work stop being the medium and impetus for their relationship?” because I don’t think it ever really does stop being that. But as time goes on something kind of paradoxical happens, where more and more their relationship becomes the medium and impetus for the work, as well.

Short answer: I think by the end of FTF their relationship was capable of sustaining them when they needed it to.

(I should perhaps make clear that by "the work" I never just mean their FBI cases. I mean the whole epic experience of the work, the quest for answers, and the war they find themselves embroiled in.)

[badforthefish.livejournal.com]

*smirks*

Eh eh.

[badforthefish.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I also think that A) the Sam character wasn't developed in a satisfactory fashion. B) As Wendy says the way Sam talks to Scully sounds off.

[badforthefish.livejournal.com]

Trilogy? I just found two. 'Dance Card' and 'Moonshine'. What's the third?

Never read these but IIRC I was pretty impressed by 'Woods and Nails' by the same author.

[badforthefish.livejournal.com]

Hmmm...I'm trying to think that if I found out a child had been made from my ova, I probably wouldn't think twice before wanting to adopt it. And I'm not even big on kids.

So I guess, this situation in "Emily" never struck me as odd or unfair, it seemed pretty logical to me. *shrug*

[badforthefish.livejournal.com]

Yep, I agree that #5 was epic win. Concise yet it packed one hell of a wallop.

[badforthefish.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I agree with Wendy on the marriage issue. Too conventional - so not them. Very few authors managed to sell me "M&S getting married."

[badforthefish.livejournal.com]

Hmmm...maybe I should try reading it again one day.

[badforthefish.livejournal.com]

Thanks for these Wendy.

[badforthefish.livejournal.com]

I would love to hear your thoughts on "Get up Mulder." It is never too late to comment on a story.

Cool. Done.

Yep, I totally agree with your Sam comments somewhere above.

I see. Metafic is a good way of approaching this.

I haven't read "Up The Ladder" yet, nor the Syntax6 fic, so I don't really have any other points of reference for this scenario.

[badforthefish.livejournal.com]

*sigh* I used to be a fierce noromo...and then I found out about something called fanfiction. *BG*

And now nobody is going to convince me that these two aren't soulmates.

[badforthefish.livejournal.com]

DD and GA created accidentally and together a slow-burning fire that other shows are still trying to reproduce with wet wood.

Pardon my French but FUCK YEAH!