Story 249: "Only Apples" by Kelly Keil

[wendelah1]

This is a sweet vignette about Mulder and Scully doing ordinary things by one of the old Yes Virginia crowd. I found it on a defunct multi-fandom rec site and thought it might make for a nice change of pace from the long, angst-filled pieces we've been reading recently.

RATING: PG
CLASSIFICATION: V, MSR
DISCLAIMER: I don't own them. You know who does. I just took them on an outing.
SUMMARY: Spend an autumn afternoon with Mulder and Scully.

Read Only Apples

Leave feedback for the author, if you can, and then let us know what you think. Your suggestions are always welcomed in the nomination post.

Comments

[lyryk.livejournal.com]

You can probably guess what I thought of the romance part, but I did like the moment when she thinks all she does is look down and see the dirt (or something to that effect). Reminded me of that conversation at the beginning of Dreamland 1, about 'normal' people and their dogs and all that. If I shipped them, I would've loved this.

There's something very Mulder-like in his delight in showing Scully something incredible, even if it's something un-supernatural for once. The fic also reminded me inevitably of Frost's 'After Apple Picking'; it has an almost poetic attention to sensory detail, which is preternatural in its own way, IMO.

[wendelah1]

You can probably guess what I thought of the romance part, but I did like the moment when she thinks all she does is look down and see the dirt (or something to that effect).

Ha ha. Yes, I know exactly what you thought. I was just happy that there wasn't any graphic sex I had to skip over. It easily could have had a non-shippy ending, too.

Reminded me of that conversation at the beginning of Dreamland 1, about 'normal' people and their dogs and all that. If I shipped them, I would've loved this.

It reminded me of that, too. Scully is committed to Mulder and to the X-Files, but she's aware that she's given up a lot in the process. I liked that this story acknowledged that--and had Mulder acknowledge it too, but in a non-melodramatic way, minus the self-blame that show-runners and fic-writers alike usually assign him, me included. *cough*

Good catch re: Frost's "Apple-Picking." Now I have to go reread it. Sensory details minus the flowery language: my favorite kind of poet.

[lyryk.livejournal.com]

It easily could have had a non-shippy ending, too.

That's what I was thinking. The concept would work pretty well for a genfic, too. That's a lovely thought, really: the two of them spending an afternoon away from all the bad, just soaking in the calm.

Sensory details minus the flowery language: my favorite kind of poet.

Yes!

[badforthefish.livejournal.com]

Ah good, something short I can read in between packing. :)
Will be back shortly.

[tri-sbr.livejournal.com]

this was nice, and gives me another author to read more of.

[wendelah1]

I'm not sure you'll like all of her fic as much as this. She wrote other pairings much more often than MSR.

[tri-sbr.livejournal.com]

yeah, some of the other stuff is...bizarre. and i didn't even try any of the ones with other pairings.

[estella-c.livejournal.com]

I was indeed a sweet story, and very fine in its attention to detail. Mulder bringing stressed-out Scully back to earth is a nice reversal of what usually goes on. For some reason it makes me think of another short one--forever lost--in which Mulder worries that Scully is losing interest in their quest and actually plans to seduce her to effect a re-focusing. Then he sees how eager she is to listen to him, and he drops the plan. It's an interesting gen choice and a bit of a joke on fanatical shippers.

Of which I am one, but can read all sorts.

[wendelah1]

I thought it was a fun role reversal, too. Is the lost-forever one lost because the writer took it down or lost because you can't remember the title and author?

[estella-c.livejournal.com]

The latter, of course. It's lurking somewhere at Gossamer.

[wendelah1]

I'll ask about it at the L&F. It sounds pretty good.

[badforthefish.livejournal.com]

Mulder worries that Scully is losing interest in their quest and actually plans to seduce her to effect a re-focusing.

Isn't that the plot of Fight The Future? *grins*

[wendelah1]

Loving this comment.

[badforthefish.livejournal.com]

*Bows*

[estella-c.livejournal.com]

You (thinking) mean person! (Well, THAT certainly doesn't work.) Maybe: Irreverent! (Still not working...)

Don't listen to her, darlings. Just go and have sex again. No, not against the wall! Use the bed.

Geez.

[badforthefish.livejournal.com]

Well, I've been a shameless Shipper since 1998 but I still think this story would have been better off without the MSR. It is a lovely idea for a fic but the MSR felt tacked on and unnecessary.

Mulder drives the car further and further from civilization, whistling tunelessly through his teeth. Scully sits beside him, thinking how much she dislikes surprises. Neither speaks.

Lovely rhythm and description there.

"Is it haunted?" Of course she would ask. Eeh.

Unbidden, a vision of blood sacrifice to the hungry trees' roots floats before her.

Nice way of showing how Scully's mind is affected by the kind of cases the X-Files division deals with. They can't just be harmless trees with apples. It says a lot about the warped perception Scully has reached by that stage. She opened herself to extreme possibilities but in doing so everything around her has become a potential threat, even something as seemingly harmless as an apple tree. It could have been a sarcastic thought, mind you, but it didn't come across this way. She shakes her head like she doesn't want to have these kind of thoughts, but she's bonded to Mulder's nightmarish world now and there's no escape.

However, the "I've been thinking" exchange felt a tad pedestrian for my taste and as I said before, the MSR felt redundant.

Voila. :)

ETA: why is it I only notice typos once I've hit 'send'! Grrrr.

[wendelah1]

Well, I've been a shameless Shipper since 1998 an unrepentant Noromo since 2005, but I still think this story series would have been better off without the MSR. It is a lovely idea for a fic show but the MSR felt tacked on and unnecessary.

This is nearly always how I feel about the MSR: on the show and in fanfic. No matter what, fanfic writers always have to add in the romance.

[badforthefish.livejournal.com]

We don't *have* to. It just happens because of the two leads incredible chemistry of hawtness. THESE TWO ARE MEANT FOR EACH OTHER AND OH MY GOD HOW CAN'T YOU SEE IT!!!!1111!!!! CHEMISTRY, WOMAN! CHEMISTRY!

*laughs*

Writers don't always have to add in the romance, but in my case, the characters seem to lean that way when they're in the same room. I can think of at least one instance when no MSR was planned but it just happened anyway. But as I said to Estella I'm just their puppet. *g*

I guess I'm just a hopeful romantic. :)

This said I hate mush and hate it when writers use MSR as an excuse to neuter Mulder and Scully.

Just the thing

[stefrobrts.livejournal.com]

That was a surprisingly sweet little piece. I'm digging back in the old posts looking for new reads.