Story 234: "in the lonely cool before dawn" by soundingsea

[wendelah1]

Before idella recorded her podfic for xf_is_love, I'm embarrassed to say I'd never read soundingsea's work. Originally written for Apocalyptothon 2011, "in the lonely cool before dawn" is a haunting, lyrically written short story, set in a deftly-drawn post-apocalyptic world.

in the lonely cool before dawn (1573 words) by soundingsea
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Fox Mulder/Dana Scully
Characters: Fox Mulder, Dana Scully
Summary:

Ominous clouds huddle low against the horizon, grey stacked on grey. The road is a ribbon of emptiness stretching out until the next hill, cracked pavement unpatched after a winter's thaw.

Leave feedback for author (at least hit the kudo button), then please come back and let us know what you think. The nomination post is always open for your suggestions.

Comments

[wendelah1]

The only thing I didn’t buy is that Mulder and Scully are only now having sex for the first time. Part of that is the way they’re characterized through the rest of the fic. To me they seem like people who are already sometimes having sex. But additionally, a sex interlude (even an intimate, understated sex interlude) just seemed out of place in this fic. IMO, this felt like the kind of fic where they speak their thoughts in the dark for a bit until they both fall asleep without any intention or awareness of drifting off, because they’re just that tired, and it doesn’t matter because the other will be there to discuss things properly again the next day.

Which is possibly rather too specific of an example to be foisting on someone else's fic, but that’s just the kind of fic this feels like to me. The Poignant Sex Interlude would be perfectly good writing, but IMO it seemed to belong to a different fic.

Should I be embarrassed to admit I didn't read the sex scene, short as it was? I didn't even remember that there was one, let alone that it was a first-time fic, it was that understated. However, having actually read it this time around, I agree. Unnecessary, and unless this is set in a pre-"All Things" AU, I suppose it's inconsistent with canon. I wonder if its inclusion has to do with the fic being a gift for someone who definitely ships the characters.

I did find one minor error: Napa Valley is in Northern California, but I didn't notice that the first time around either.

All in all, a wonderful little find, all thanks to idella for her lovely recording, too.