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

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

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.

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I do always like these "what if?" type fics, and this was enjoyable to read. As usual, I'm not completely sure what I want to say about this, but I'll try my best to comment on each section:

1 - While I'm not the biggest fan of domesticated Mulder and Scully, the fact that they're both still working on the X-Files (at least, I'm assuming they're still on the X-Files, Mulder was only "on loan" Violent Crimes) while living together and raising a family made me like this. I don't like to think that they can only choose between one of the two, living a "normal" life, or working on The X-Files (though I suppose that Mulder would have to greatly tone down his reckless, risk-taking behaviours upon becoming a "family man" -- though that's probably something he should do, anyway, ha ha).

2 - I liked this one, but I'm not sure if I buy the idea of Samantha basically being a female version of her brother.

3 - The problem is, Scully doesn’t really know how to be someone’s mother; she’s never been very good at hugs; she’s rubbish at make believe. She only knows how to tie her shoes one way (and it doesn't involve bunny rabbits). But she tries. She goes through the motions; bath time and band aids and hold hands to cross the street. She does it again and again and eventually it becomes… well, if not natural, at least second nature.

This is pretty much how I'd imagine Scully would approach motherhood.

4 - I find it very believable that Mulder would start out rambling on about some random supernatural topic before jumping in to tell Scully his feelings. It's like he had to make himself feel comfortable at first by beginning to talk about the kind of stuff he feels most at ease discussing, before doing something he probably feels a lot less comfortable doing.

5 - Short, but effective.

not sure if I buy the idea of Samantha basically being a female version of her brother.

I didn't read it so much as being a female version of him. I assume he's the one who's been taken in this scenario, and so she's become the one working the X-Files because of the impact the abduction had on her. I always thought "spending lots of time trying to learn about UFOs" was a pretty reasonable life choice for someone who believed they'd seen a family member abducted by aliens.

It's logical that they'd have other things in common (channel surfing, smirking :); they're siblings.

It's logical that they'd have other things in common (channel surfing, smirking :); they're siblings.

Maybe, maybe not. I have very little in common with my siblings, and channel surfing is surely learned behavior, and probably smirking, too. (I'm not sure why but I have developed an intense dislike for "smirking." It's so over-used and misused in fic. I want to erase it from every story, including my own.) The problem is she doesn't seem like a real person to me, and I'm not sure she's even meant to.

You agree with my "smirk" allergy. I am honored.

Yeah, and I know I've used it, too. Misused it, even. (Excuse me, I need to go edit.)

I agreed with your five-things-fic-as-meta comment, too, although reading over my notes, it looks like I came up with a version of it independently.

*smirks*

Eh eh.

(Fox) Mulder learned his learned behavior by being raised by particular people in a particular time and place, though. If Samantha was raised in that environment in his stead, she'd have some mannerisms in common with him.

I admit this is a short story and Samantha's barely more than an outline of a character here (deliberately, I assume). She's more of a way to make a point than an actual developed person.

I don't hate "smirked", used in moderation. I am pretty sensitive to eyebrow "waggling" (ugh, I don't even like writing the word).

She's more of a way to make a point than an actual developed person.

Yeah, absolutely. I think the point is to obliterate the series as we know it. Very cleverly done, too.

I am pretty sensitive to eyebrow "waggling" (ugh, I don't even like writing the word)

Hee, hee.

Ack. I got so distracted by laughing at the waggling eyebrows that I forgot what I wanted to say.

If Samantha was raised in that environment in his stead, she'd have some mannerisms in common with him.

Maybe. But I think they'd be fairly superficial. Besides, she wouldn't be growing up in the same environment: she's a girl, growing up in the horribly sexist (trust me) sixties and seventies, a youngest daughter, not an oldest son. They wouldn't have held her responsible for her brother's disappearance they way they did Mulder. He was in charge of taking care of her, not the other way around. And Mulder didn't come to believe his sister had been abducted until after he'd undergone hypnosis, and that was after he'd already been in the FBI, right? His interest in psychology and criminal behavior we might attribute to his sister's disappearance, but the belief in aliens, that came later is my memory of it. The other problem I have is I just can't picture a woman making comments like that to another woman whom she'd just met, who'd been assigned to work with her, regardless of sexual orientation. It just sounds—off—to me.

Edited 2012-02-27 23:31 (UTC)

Ack. I got so distracted by laughing at the waggling eyebrows that I forgot what I wanted to say.

It's a curse, isn't it? It always sounds to me like they're moving independently of each other and I have to stop and think about what it would look like and...argh.

The other problem I have is I just can't picture a woman making comments like that to another woman whom she'd just met, who'd been assigned to work with her, regardless of sexual orientation.

That is a good point, now you mention it. The FBI is pretty conservative (and would have been more so in the DADT nineties). Even, as you say, regardless of Samantha's sexual orientation. Hypothetical Samantha's hypothetical sexual orientation :).

The FBI is pretty conservative (and would have been more so in the DADT nineties). Even, as you say, regardless of Samantha's sexual orientation. Hypothetical Samantha's hypothetical sexual orientation :).

Does it seem strange to you that this almost never gets brought up in say, M/K fanfic, whereas Mulder and Scully as partners having a relationship is often made an issue. The only story I can remember it being mentioned was in

eliade's "In a Dark Time, Sleepless," where Mulder warns Krycek not to presume she'd be accepting or something, saying he's not "out" to Scully. Both Mulder and Krycek are pretty closeted in that story, very aware of appearances, even if they don't always maintain them.

Maybe someone can prove me wrong about this, since it's not like I've read that much slash in this fandom.

Where did Skinner ever find the time to follow M/S around as much as he did in fic? Especially with regard to ~discovering the truth of their relationship~.

Coming out is such a big topic in other fandoms in m/m and femslash. In published novels, too. It seems like so much we have to say about our sexuality is how to live with it, and live with others' opinion of it. I do see that changing, but it's interesting that M/K skipped over a lot of those issues. Maybe because there's no way coming out could have ended well for them? It doesn't really suggest "heart-warming sequel", whereas someone finding out about M/S always ended up with them resolving it cleanly and then buying a house together.

(no subject)

wendelah1 - 2012-02-29 03:09 (UTC) - Expand

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.

This is pretty much how I'd imagine Scully would approach motherhood.

If you don't mind my asking, why would you think that about her, in particular, as a character? She seemed to be having no problems interacting with Emily during the short time we saw her on screen with her. She had a mother who loved her and took good care of her, so she knows what good mothering looks like. She seemed like she was doing fine with being William's mother, apart from the shitstorm the writers threw at her.

She does it again and again and eventually it becomes… well, if not natural, at least second nature.

I can't help but approach this issue from a different angle. The truth is, no one knows how to be a mother, to be a parent, until they are one. And every time you think you've got it down, the kid gets older and the issues change, and you are right back where you started from, knowing nothing.

If you don't mind my asking, why would you think that about her, in particular, as a character?

I don't know; maybe I'm just projecting myself onto her, or something. :/

Maybe.

We all do that from time to time, me included. Especially me, when it comes to Scully.

It's not necessarily a bad thing to do, as a writer, but I just finished reading a story where the writer admitted right up front that the plot was something that had happened in her past. She decided to shove Scully into the role in her stead and see how it played out. Not well, as it turns out. The story is pretty good but the author's identity is not such a great fit for Scully. I think the story would have been more successful as an original work of fiction, rather than fanfiction.

I think the story would have been more successful as an original work of fiction, rather than fanfiction.

Dance Card,

wendelah1?

You got it in one. A very well-written, not at all believable story, at least for Scully.

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.

Edited 2012-03-01 12:04 (UTC)

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.

(no subject)

badforthefish.livejournal.com - 2012-03-03 20:51 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

wendelah1 - 2012-03-03 22:25 (UTC) - Expand

I don't know; maybe I'm just projecting myself onto her, or something. :/

No,

littlegreen42, I totally agree with you. I think threeguesses really captures the way Scully would adapt to this particular reality. I've never taken canon all that seriously on this matter, because IMO Gillian Anderson could not have been distant or cold or awkward with a child to save her life.

The way threeguesses writes it is much more in agreeance with how I see her character. She finds parenting difficult, and has a hard time connecting with a child on a child's level. There's a kind of distance in Scully that I don't think she could have overcome - even for a child - at that point in her life. But she tries.

I feel like with this AU, threeguesses has wrote what amounts to the opposite of fix-it fic. Something was wrong with canon and threeguesses pointed it out by tearing that plotline wide open. It's always been something that bothers me about the Emily storyline, that Scully automatically wants nothing more than to adopt this little girl. I can understand that she would have very conflicting feelings during that time, but the idea that she would give up her life as she knew it (including the work she's been willing to risk her life for on countless occasions) in order to become a parent, just like that, seems incredibly unfair to her character. The change it would have necessitated would have been like bulldozing down her life in order to live another. Which is what this fic shows. Scully makes a choice, and sticks with it, and adapts as best she can, until eleven years later she's telling her daughter that Mulder is someone she used to work with, and really, that's the truth of it.

Something was wrong with canon and threeguesses pointed it out by tearing that plotline wide open. It's always been something that bothers me about the Emily storyline, that Scully automatically wants nothing more than to adopt this little girl.

I always felt like something didn't seem right about Scully so strongly wanting children, especially in regard to the William storyline. It just felt kind of tacked on, so to speak. I'm not saying she didn't and would never want children; it's just that the degree to which she wanted to become a mother seemed somewhat off to me.

I agree with all of the above. That is, I do think that Scully is good and empathetic with children--I don't see how we can ignore canon given the way numerous incidents were played--but I don't think she would choose to conceive a child. Not given her time and spirit-consuming job and the knowledge of multiple dangers she and Mulder had uncovered. Plus, you know, planetary warfare on the event horizon. (Or do I misunderstand event horizon? After lizard brain, anything is possible.)

I know that the desire to bear a child is often irrational, but Scully isn't irrational.

That is, I do think that Scully is good and empathetic with children--I don't see how we can ignore canon given the way numerous incidents were played-

I agree 100%.

-but I don't think she would choose to conceive a child. Not given her time and spirit-consuming job and the knowledge of multiple dangers she and Mulder had uncovered. Plus, you know, planetary warfare on the event horizon.

I have heard this argument before. We have had this argument before. People with time and spirit-consuming jobs, and worse, all over the world have desired and chosen to have children throughout history, under less than ideal circumstances, including people in law enforcement, people in the CIA, soldiers during wartime, and people during the Great Depression, to name just a few. Just because someone is rational by nature doesn't mean they make every important life decision by pulling out their calculators. And anyone who throws away a promising career in favor of following Spooky Mulder all over hither and yon isn't incapable of making irrational decisions. She even quits the FBI to stay with him rather than be transferred to Salt Lake City. I can list other irrational decisions she's made in her life; having an affair with Daniel Waterston would be the first on my list, but there are others. Procreation isn't something women can put off forever. We don't even know precisely when they tried it since there are no time stamps on that episode. There is no evidence that Scully believed that interplanetary warfare was on the horizon when she decided it was now or never for the invitro.

I know that the desire to bear a child is often irrational, but Scully isn't irrational.

She's a woman, not a computer. Sometimes even rational people decide to follow their hearts, rather than their heads.

(no subject)

estella-c.livejournal.com - 2012-02-29 22:40 (UTC) - Expand

I don't see how we can ignore canon given the way numerous incidents were played

We all ignore large amounts of XF canon, as it suits us. Almost all of us can agree that CC often didn't know what he was doing, and often seemed not to have the best understanding of his own characters. What you're saying is that you don't see how we can ignore this bit of canon, because you have no inclination to do so. But in the grand scheme of things, this is a relatively small and easy bit of canon to ignore.

I know that the desire to bear a child is often irrational, but Scully isn't irrational.

I agree completely. She also isn't selfish or foolhardy, which she would have to be if she planned to have a child in the midst of an oncoming planetary war.

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*

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