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

[wendelah1]

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.

[infinitlight.livejournal.com]

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 :).

[wendelah1]

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.

[infinitlight.livejournal.com]

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.

[wendelah1]

Maybe because there's no way coming out could have ended well for them?

Maybe. M/K is more about obsession, fighting and the resulting angry sex, at least that's my impression. And the hotness factor, I presume. I don't think there is any way it could have ended worse between them unless it was a murder-suicide.

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.

This nearly made me snort tea through my nose.

[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.