Story 17: "Night Song" by Zuffy

[emily-shore.livejournal.com]

Our next story was also nominated by lsugaralmond. It's another all things missing scene, because she suggested that it might be interesting to compare and contrast. So, go to it!

Night Song
Author: Zuffy
Email: zuffynuffy@yahoo.com
Website: http://Zuffy.tripod.com/index.html
Rating: PG-13
Classification: V, MSR
Spoilers: *all things.
Summary: A woman awakens on a couch.

Comments

[emily-shore.livejournal.com]

A very sweet, charming story. It works better for me as a stand-alone than as a post-ep for "All Things," but that's just splitting hairs.

For so long it has seemed so improbable that Mulder and Scully would ever admit their feelings for one another, that it is only fitting for a room outside of time and space to be the place where they finally come together. Only in The X-Files would this seem a plausible scenario, but using "Dreamland" like this is a stroke of genius on the part of the writer.

I liked this passage, it's very Scully...

She wanted to say only necessary things to him. It had always been like that. Necessary and complete, things that would make him think, things that would hold his attention. Neither he nor she was much for small talk.

This is just a bit too sappy for Mulder, methinks...

"I wanted lie in the moonlight with you. Count the shooting stars. Climb the fence at Stonehenge and wait for dawn." His hand stroked her back gently. "Beside you."

But this sentence is just perfect...

Outside the illusory window, silver clouds raced across the sky, a thousand stars in their wake.

[wendelah1]

This is just a bit too sappy for Mulder, methinks...

You have forgotten about all of those voice-overs the writers gave to Mulder. Oh, but wait, those were pretentious, weren't they, not sappy? Sorry, my bad.

Is it that sappy to think Mulder might have just wanted to take Scully to England for a roll in the hay? Oh well. Maybe I like sappy if it is accompanied by enough whimsy and snappy dialog.

[emily-shore.livejournal.com]

Oh, but wait, those were pretentious, weren't they, not sappy? Sorry, my bad.

LOL. That's exactly the distinction. :)

Is it that sappy to think Mulder might have just wanted to take Scully to England for a roll in the hay? Oh well.

Not at all. Just that the way he chose to express it seems a bit... standard. Mulder is far quirkier than that. I would expect him to say something like, "I wanted to sit with you inside West Kennet Long Barrow while the rain poured down outside." Which also reminds me, there's also a small factual error in the story as Mulder was going to Avebury and not to Stonehenge!

[wendelah1]

Scully: (whining, but in a charming way) "I don't know where or what West Kennet Long Barrow even is. . .(personal aside, I hope it is a nice bed and breakfast) What are you trying to say here, Mulder?"

[emily-shore.livejournal.com]

Now, see, this is what a real Mulder/Scully conversation sounds like! :)

West Kennet Long Barrow (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Kennet_Long_Barrow)

[wendelah1]

I can hear Mulder expounding on the site now, complete with a little slide show. Oh, but they're at his apartment. I guess the slideshow will have to wait. That does seem like a very Mulder-like place to want to visit, complete with a local legend of a ghostly visitation on Midsummer Night.

[idella]

I think Mulder's lines are a tiny bit sappy for him, myself. It's the only thing that doesn't completely work for me in this fic.

However, it works for me (I hesitate to say it's more in character, because I'm just not sure anymore) that what he does say here is more circumspect that talking about love or his feelings or something along those lines.