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basu-shokikita · 6 months ago

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About Depths of Humanity

So, I talked about The Duel some time back and I thought, why not do the same for this song too? It's actually one of my underrated faves from Doomstar Requiem.

This more of a rant than a strict analysis though, I just really enjoy thinking about the implications of this song and what it means in regard to Skwisgaar.

Let's start with Ishnifus' warning. He claims that inside lies danger, the ghosts of their pasts and their fears. He cautions them to stay alert and Dethklok brave forward, even if scared.

Inside, they encounter their old manager, old groupies and Skwisgaar's old guitar teacher, in that order. As promised by Ishnifus', they're all people from their past, coming back to haunt them.

Immediately, these people start recriminating Dethklok for not having paid them back after how much they helped them. In short, they're jealous of Dethklok's fame and money.

The band is clearly affected by the plaints, quickly forgetting what they were here to do. Except Skwisgaar, who reminds them all they have to find clues about Toki's whereabouts. It does not seem like they're listening to him, though.

Now up to here, I want to point out 2 things:

That Nathan and Pickles seem the most upset by these confrontations.

That, while Skwisgaar is disturbed, he still has their goal in mind.

About Nathan and Pickles, I think it makes sense, they are the leaders of the band, they're most conscious of its tremendous success. They also know they're extremely talented musicians, meaning, they're aware of their value. They know they're far from being these miserable pricks demanding rewards. Nathan had a nurturing family while Pickles used to be in a huge band, previously to Dethklok. They're both people that have been inherently helped by other people, which is why being confronted is actually uncomfortable.

Skwisgaar is certainly a different case. I have to say, I was pretty surprised to find out that he had a guitar teacher. Based on the flashbacks in Fatherklok, I assumed he had been self taught. Skwisgaar himself has admitted he was pretty poor in his childhood so it's hard to believe Servetta would've invested in his music education. Plus, he can't read music which I think would be hardly the case if he had gotten classes.

But anyway, I'll play along. This teacher is speaking English and he doesn't make any mistakes so I'm guessing he's american. Meaning, Skwisgaar took classes when he went to America, which was later in his life. To strengthen his game and/or learn the technical bits he might have missed before? Maybe? And if this was the case, then Skwisgaar would've felt less obligated to indulge to other people in his life, when he learned to be independent from a really young age. He doesn't feel like he owes shit to other people, because other people didn't give him shit. Thus, the Depths of Humanity effect is not that strong in him.

You could also argue that the loss of Toki is a far more terrifying prospect than these bitter acquaintances from their past but I'll elaborate on that further in this post.

Murderface? Well, Murderface has low esteem and is the less popular member in the band, so of course he can't fall victim to guilt-tripping. Because that would mean acknowledging he feels like he's in a better place than others, it would mean that he actually believes himself superior than others. But he doesn't, Murderface is convinced he's worth nothing, so this whole charade is more grating than anything. Which brings us to the next moment.

The way Murderface is coaxed by the Depths of Humanity crew, is when a seemingly fan approaches him and starts praising him, claiming he's the best one. And then, is when Murderface is hypnotized by the attention. He's already such a negative person, of course more negativity isn't going to get to him. But positivism? That's another deal.

Skwisgaar once again insists that they have to find a clue on how to find Toki but it falls on deaf ears. Nathan is grabbing his head in despair while Pickles clutches his chest in what seems to be an impending panic attack.

Now I really like the wording 'I'll look if you do, too' from Skwisgaar. It almost feels like, even in this situation, he's trying to sound cool about it. He doesn't want to be the only one caring this much about Toki, he doesn't want to be the one leading this operation. He's not a leader, he's never been a leader, even less when it comes to emotional stuff, which is the implicit purpose of this search. They care about Toki, and that's why they're looking for him. But is Skwisgaar seems to be unconsciously rejecting this fact. This attachment.

However, his bandmates aren't listening, too self-absorbed in their anguish to do so. Skwisgaar continues the search and is quick to point out at something on the wall. It's a flyer that he grabs and, immediately, seems to connect the dots about. In an unusual display of leadership, he tells Nathan to grab Murderface so they can leave. Their purpose has been fulfilled and they can finally escape this horrid place.

Okay, so this is my favorite bit, obviously. Once they're outside, Nathan and Pickles keep complaining about what they were just subjected to, and Skwisgaar stops them to show his discovery. It's the same flyer he just grabbed, and it features the place where Toki had his audition. Also known as the place where they all met Toki for the first time and Skwisgaar and him had the legendary duel.

We don't have a precise Dethklok timeline but it's been a long time since Toki joined the band. Several years, at the very least. And this building is nothing but a far away memory, from when they were a lesser band. From when they weren't the big rockstars they are now. So, it really begs to question that not only did Skwisgaar remember the place, but he did so at once, when he hadn't seen or heard of it in years.

...Unless, he had been thinking about it recently?

We know, thanks to the beautiful central section of the movie, that Toki had been thinking of his audition, of joining Dethklok, as a means to cope with the devastating reality he was faced with. We know reminiscing of his dazzling battle with Skwisgaar and the happiness he found within the band gave Toki strength to carry on. But what about Skwisgaar?

For someone who considered himself much better than other guitarists, to the point he didn't want to play with another one, to actually find an equal, someone that challenged him, it couldn't have been anything short of extraordinary for Skwisgaar.

The summit is for the very best only, yet it's quite lonely too, and Skwisgaar had been basking in that isolation his whole life. Until he played with Toki, then the idea of sharing his field no longer felt like an insult, but potential instead. He found someone that could improve his own playing, someone that could compliment his guitar, take it to even higher heights.

And so, Skwisgaar was the one to invite Toki to the band, more specifically, to tell him he wanted him in the band. While we can't factually know how the rest of the members joined Dethklok, we know for sure that Skwisgaar was the sole responsible for making Toki join, as the rest were already bidding him farewell for failing to keep up with Skwisgaar.

So, when the one person that challenged Skwisgaar's playing was taken away, it wouldn't be a stretch for Skwisgaar to look back on how it all happened. To ponder about the circumstances that lead them to the current situation. It's clear the whole band loves Toki and, unable to deal with their own sadness, drank and fucked to oblivion. This also applies to Skwisgaar, except that with him it's especially complex, given that he's the one that brought Toki to his world to begin with. Given that Toki and Skwisgaar share the same instrument. (Fun fact: you don't actually see Skwisgaar fiddling with his guitar in Doomstar Requiem, just puttings dat out theres.)

Obviously, this is a bunch of mumbo-jumbo but as any Pepe-Silvia-scene impersonator that respects themselves, I want to point out how interesting of a coincidence it is that, less than 2 songs later, Skwisgaar is saying this:

Right before they head in to rescue Toki and Abigail, Skwisgaar imparts some reflection of his. He's been wondering if maybe it wouldn't be better to go back to being a one-guitar band. Toki has been in Dethklok for a long time now, so it's interesting Skwisgaar has been thinking about this...

...Except, that's exactly what his mentality used to be like, before meeting Toki. Right when he was trying to convince Pickles that they didn't need a rhythm guitar, he spoke these words exactly. One-guitar band.

It's almost like Skwisgaar is trying to do some self-preservation by returning to his aloof roots. He made Toki join the band, now Toki's gone and in danger, and maybe this wouldn't have happened if they had stuck with Skwisgaar's original plan. Because they attempted to replace Magnus is why this came to be. The revenge Magnus promised did arrive.

I just wanna be clear. I don't think Skwisgaar believes he's the sole to responsible for this, I'm sure he knows Magnus is the main perpetrator here. But the facts remain the facts, and had they all stayed as they were, then they wouldn't be risking their lives now to save their fifth member.

Like this, it seems entirely logical that Skwisgaar would be thinking of his former reluctance, of the Duel, of everything. It's all fresh in his mind once again, because Toki's kidnapping has forced him to realize they're not actually untouchable. Their mortality is back on the table, and so are their bonds.

In short, Skwisgaar had been repressing all his emotions about Toki's disappearance, but from the Depths of Humanity onward, he can't help but show them. He can't help but admit to himself and others, that he wants Toki back. So much, that a bunch of angry and entitled people can't affect him enough to forget it. So much that it's making him remember how distant he used to be, before Toki. So much that it's making him realize how different he is now.

#metalocalypse #skwisgaar skwigelf #toki wartooth #pickles the drummer #nathan explosion #william murderface #dethklok #basu post #sorry i went a little apeshit i just *veiny kid* skwisgaar caring #this lowkey a skwistok post ig #platonic or otherwise

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randomfoggytiger · 20 days ago

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The X-Files (In-Depth): Scully's Pregnancy, Mulder's Abduction, and the Truth Behind Requiem and Season 8

This meta is going to uncover the (oft jumbled) web cast around Season 7 and Season 8, from Amor Fati's planned pregnancy to Existence's closure and Season 9's irreparable fumble. Scully's pregnancy: was it in-character? Mulder's abduction: was he supposed to be killed in Requiem? Closure and "Domestication": what was and wasn't planned? What is truth, and what is obfuscation?

TLDR: @bakedbakermom's post here was right on the money.

The first two sections are going to be pulled directly from Marc Shapiro's book The Official Guide to "The X-Files": all things-- those quotes will be italicized-- and the latter five sections will stem from collected interviews, Tom Kessenich's EXamination, and my own thoughts.

THE HISTORY BEHIND REQUIEM

Marc Shapiro's The Official Guide to "The X-Files": all things begins:

The rumor had begun toward the end of Season 6. Season 7 would be the last season for “The X-Files.” Or would it?

“We always anticipated that, most likely, we were going into the final season,” recalls producer Paul Rabwin. “We knew David's contract was up and we felt that, maybe, the show had run its course.” And so Season 7 started out in a decided state of flux. Many crew members felt they had to protect themselves and their families by investigating potential jobs for the year following the current season, while others insisted that they would wait for a final answer. Needless to say, Chris Carter was on the horns of a dilemma, one that he was agonizing over.

“I just remember that I felt bad because I had no clear and firm answers to give everyone about whether we were coming back,” he admits. “It was all about David. I kept saying that I would not do it without David. Fox was asking me to commit to doing another season with or without him.”

But Paul Rabwin remembers that things began to change as Season 7 got under way. “As the season progressed, we found ourselves starting to get energized again. Word started getting around that maybe this would bot be the end. The network certainly wanted us back and Gillian was still under contract for another year. As we got toward the end of the season, everyone was kind of hopeful.”

But hope did not translate into a final decision as the days counted down to the point where the final script of the season had to be written. There were several options. The episode could end the series, it could be a cliffhanger for an eighth season, or it could be the cliffhanger for the long-talked-about series of “X-Files” feature films. Early on there was talk about the season finale being a two-hour or ninety-minute show, but those ideas were quickly discarded. Stage meetings between producers and writers took on an extra sense of urgency.

John Shiban recalls what was going through everybody’s mind during those meetings. “If this were the end, what would we want the end to be? Where should Mulder and Scully end up emotionally? Where should the conspiracy and the aliens end up? We didn’t know what the status of the show was and so we decided that whatever we did would have to apply as either a conclusion of the series or a cliffhanger.”

“The first thought we had was, what… are we going to do?” recalls Spotnitz. “We were tossing all kinds of ideas back and forth and finally the suggestion was made to go and finally the suggestion was made to go back to the pilot. Our idea was that if this was going to be the end, let’s go back to the beginning. At that point, we only had one idea that was definite. Since the beginning of the season, we had known that Scully’s pregnancy would be a great idea as a whole, a wonderful way to end things if this was going to be the end. So we had to devise a story that would allow for all possibilities.”

It went without question that Chris Carter would write the script. And, in an attempt to keep the element of surprise, the particulars of that episode were made known to only a select few. Consequently the rumors began to fly thick and fast, along the Internet superhighway as well as round the Fox Studios lot. There were hints that since Duchovny would, most likely, not return to the show, a recurring cast member would step into the Mulder role. Mentioned quite often as a possible replacement was A.D. Skinner.

“Me?” Mitch Pileggi laughed during a break from filming “Requiem.” “That’s probably the most ridiculous rumor I’ve heard so far. I’ve heard millions of them and that’s all they are.”

Now, an “X-Files” script being completed at the last possible moment was not uncommon. But as the days wound down and the time when the production company would have to begin prepping the episode drew closer, everybody connected to the show mentally geared up for yet another wild ride.

Paul Rabwin remembers the day the first draft of the script came out. “The first clue as to the kind of script it might be was its title, ‘Requiem.’ It was a significant title: a Mass said for the dead. The first thing I read on the script was ‘Bellefleur, Oregon.’ I immediately recognized the site of the pilot episode. It sounded like a full circle situation. I didn’t know what to make of it.”

Slowly but surely, literally one act at a time, the script came out. Cast and crew were finally getting an idea of what “Requiem” would be. Rabwin relates, “By the time we started shooting, we knew Mulder was in the woods, there was a spaceship that took off, and Mulder was nowhere to be found. But, like anything else in ‘The X-Files’, that really didn’t answer any questions.”

…”I wasn’t surprised that they called me back,” insists Lea. “I would have been shocked if they hadn’t. They’re opening up the closet and bringing everybody back, so why not Krycek? It’s always been that way. Nobody knows where I’m at or even if I’m alive and then I just sort of pop up.”

Filming began on “Requiem” on April 20, 2000, on Soundstage 5 at the Twentieth Century Fox lot. There was the usual joking and good-natured banter during the first few days of filming. But there was also the underlying tension of not knowing, even as the last episode began filming, where “The X-Files” would be back.

Chris Carter remembers his unease: “I honestly did not know, even through the filming, if we would be back.”

Adding fuel to the uncertainty and rumors on the set was the fact that the now-completed script was missing the final two pages.

Pileggi acknowledges, “I don’t know what I was feeling at the time. I was kind of numb.”

For Anderson the missing script pages were not the major source of concern. “It had more to do with not knowing if we were coming back for another season or not and if a new season was going to be involving David.”

…Bruce Harwood saw “Requiem” as the prototypical Lone Gunmen episode: “That was actually the most typical appearance we had that year. Basically we just showed up and used our supertechological information to move the plot along.”

There was nothing typical about A.D. Skinner’s role in “Requiem.” Mitch Pileggi was enthusiastic about the fact that after a season of being largely office-bound, he was now in the thick of the action. “He goes out into the field and is there when what happens to Mulder happens. He’s definitely involved.”

“The X-Files” production wrapped up shooting at the studio at the end of Day 4 and relocated to the mountain resort of Big Bear, California. The picturesque mountains, glassy lakes, and long stark stretches of forest made Big Bear the ideal backdrop for the final days of the “Requiem” shoot. The Big Bear stay coincided with a number of the episode’s most demanding visual effects and stunts….

THE ENDING (WITH GILLIAN ON BOARD)

Shapiro concludes:

Back in Los Angeles, Chris Carter was sitting in front of his computer. The final day of shooting “Requiem” was a day away. It was time to write the final two pages.”

Carter remembers, “I did not write the final two pages until the day before thy were to be filmed. We had been talking about two pages for a long time, but I held back on writing them until the last minute because I didn’t want to create something that would let the cat out of the bag and give anybody the opportunity to spoil our fun. Then I called line producer Michelle MacLaren and asked her to make sure she scheduled the final hospital sequence between Skinner and Scully as the last shot.”

Frank Spotnitz was well aware of the attempts to keep the ending secret. “Clearly the idea of the pregnancy was built into the structure of the show but we didn’t want anybody to know until they had to know. We wanted the element of surprise. We knew Mulder’s abduction would get out, but we wanted the pregnancy to be a surprise. Chris finally wrote the ending, showed it to me, printed up one copy with the exception of the last paragraph, and had somebody drive it up to Big Bear at ten o’clock on the morning of the last day of filming. Chris left at four that afternoon with the final paragraph and drove up to Big Bear.”

Carter arrived at the Big Bear Hospital shortly before the scene was to be shot. He approached Kim Manners, Gillian Anderson, and Mitch Pileggi and calmly handed them the final paragraph. Carter remembers their reaction. “Gillian said she knew it. She thought it was a great idea and it just blew everyone else away.”

WHAT DID MULDER MEAN IN BELLEFLEUR?

Mulder and Scully have an important-- albeit ambiguous-- discussion in his Bellefleur motel room. Quoting from this transcript:

MULDER: It's not worth it, Scully.

SCULLY: What?

MULDER: I want you to go home.

SCULLY: Oh, Mulder, I'm going to be fine.

MULDER: No, I've been thinking about it. Looking at you tonight, holding that baby... knowing everything that's been taken away from you. A chance for motherhood and your health and that baby. I think that... I don't know, maybe they're right.

SCULLY: Who's right?

MULDER: The FBI. Maybe what they say is true, though for all the wrong reasons. It's the personal costs that are too high.

MULDER: There's so much more you need to do with your life. There's so much more than this.

MULDER: There has to be an end, Scully.

In Requiem's script, Mulder's concerns are highlighted clearly and Scully's reactions are more physically engaged and questioning:

There's important interplay here. Scully and Mulder are both concerned about her health; and, while the script writes that she downplays her struggles-- only to internalize them later-- the episode amplifies Scully's anxiety: when he puts forward the idea that she's suffered enough, she doesn't outright disagree. Further, they both have no idea what she's suffering from-- "Why is this happening to me?"-- and fear it's connected to her former abductions. When Billy Miles disappears, Mulder packs up and takes them home, effectively abandoning the case with barely any notice: Scully's safety, he is proving, trumps the files-- trumps his own wishes and fears and needs.

all things resolved what had been brewing in Scully's heart since Never Again-- a fear and frustration she succinctly repackaged in her pointed Biogenesis question: "Mulder... look, after all you've done, after all you've uncovered-- a conspiracy of men doing human experiments, men who are all now dead-- you exposed their secrets. I mean, you've won. What more could you possibly hope to do or to find?" Scully made her peace: the x-files was still Mulder's passion and pursuit; and she chose to stay the course because she wanted a life with him. She was-- they were-- content.

...But. There's always a 'but'. The basement isn't end game for either Mulder or Scully-- not really. Chris Carter to this day maintains he has a vision of their final moment on-screen-- a vision he tries to bring to fruition but can't fully realize due to his aspirations (to be discussed below)-- of them together, victorious. Mulder was meant to find his closure (post here), Scully was meant to find her voice (post here), and they were meant to find the Truth in each other and leave the world to chase its own tail in futility. As Frank Spotnitz famously declared,

"You can't get the truth. You can't. There's a larger truth, though: that you can't harness the forces of the cosmos, but you may find somebody else. You may find another human being. That may be kind of corny and all of that, but that's really it: Love is the only truth we can hope to know, as human beings."

Circling back to the original topic: what did Mulder mean in Bellefleur? Did he mean Scully and he should leave together? Did he mean they needed a healthier work-life balance? Did he mean to go it alone from now on in order to keep his partner safe? Had he wanted Scully to simply verbalize her own thoughts? Had he even reached a substantial conclusion?

Tom Kessenich makes some good points in his book EXaminations:

"The Pilot:" To look at how this relationship has evolved, we obviously have to go back to where it all began. ...I believe the scene in Mulder's hotel room in Oregon is the one that truly laid the foundation for this relationship. Not only are we given insight into Mulder's quest, but Scully is enthralled as well. She (and we the viewer) can feel Mulder's passion for his beliefs, and the intensity with which he relays the mission he is on is seductive. In fact, you could say Scully is seduced by Mulder's words and the powerful way Mulder intently describes his past, present and where he believes his future is headed. In that instant, Scully is hooked. And so are we.

"Fight the Future:" ...Scully is wracked with self-doubt, questioning her place alongside Mulder, convinced she is yet another obstacle in his dogged pursuit of the truth. Mulder's response is crucial. For the first time, he extends the nature of their relationship beyond the aspect of trust. When he tells her that she has made him a whole person, he is pulling Scully inside him, filling the gaping hole created the night his sister was abducted, the night Mulder lost a part of himself as well. Mulder can't go on without Scully because she has become as essential as "the truth" had always been. The elusive truth was the fuel that drove Mulder's quest. But Scully had now provided the soul he needed to not only persevere, but to survive.

"Requiem:" Much of this episode is about looking to the future while feeling the past nipping at Mulder and Scully's heels. From an FBI audit which threatens the future of The X-Files to, more importantly, the progression of the Mulder-Scully relationship, it's clear a new chapter is being written. Mulder seems resolved to move to another place in his life. He wants something more for Scully, something more for himself and his growing relationship with Scully symbolizes the change in his life. He is prepared to move forward, but before he can, he believes he must put an end to the past that had driven him for so long. The irony of Mulder's abduction is that it came at the precise moment in his life when he no longer needed it or was driven to embrace it. His "quest" no longer sustained him entirely.

Requiem, then, was the final gasp of their old existence.

I believe Mulder senses something is changing-- the same sense that led him to predict "A change for us, it's coming" in Tooms. This same sense alerts him to the FBI's looming intent to close the files and leads him back to Oregon seven years later.

Unfortunately, authorial intent has been lost to time, along with David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson's thoughts on the matter. That leaves us, then, with three routes of conjecture:

Mulder is prepared to move forward, and ready to let go. Tom has already explained that point thoroughly, so I won't belabor.

Mulder and Scully are preparing to leave... but not quite yet. I'm going to pull from @baronessblixen's thoughts (who so generously had many chats about this topic) because they sum up this point so well: I think both were questioning things. To me, Mulder wasn't as determined anymore as he used to be - and why would he be after finding Samantha? His priorities have shifted and his priority is Scully. So yeah, he wants to do the right thing and wonders whether Scully should go home, stop working on the X-Files, but I think he was wondering about himself too. They were definitely in transition. The X-Files aren't just Mulder's; Scully's lifeblood is in them too. So yeah, she's not ready to let go either.

Mulder is not prepared to move forward, but doesn't want to hold Scully back-- hence, he will carry on with the work while she (hypothetically) goes to "be a doctor."

As is always the case in these gray matters, the choice is left to viewer interpretation.

Where I stand currently (subject to change): I don't believe Mulder was ready to let go. He is dispirited after the audit, knowing the Powers That Be are looking for a way to shut him (and Scully) down. The phone call from Bellefleur perks him back up because it was proof there is still work to be done. That hope morphs into regret when he sees Scully cuddling a baby-- the truth is a never-ending line that will swallow them whole, he realizes-- then fear when Scully becomes ill at the motel; then terrified resolve when she collapses in the forest.

As Mulder said in Fight the Future, "They call me Spooky. Spooky Mulder, whose sister was abducted by aliens when he was just a kid and who now chases after little green men with a badge and a gun, shouting to the heavens or to anyone who will listen that the fix is in, that the sky is falling...." Two years later, no one listened-- still, there are aliens conniving and scheming as he howls at the moon. But FTF taught him he can't do "this" without Scully-- that he'd rather she "go be a doctor" than live in a world without her.

I believe his fears in Fight the Future are the same in Requiem: that Mulder thinks Scully should "go be a doctor" for her sake yet doesn't want to lose her, or the connection of their partnership, either. I believe Mulder is still struggling to let go of the files, even after his sister's closure-- and that he ignores multiple signs to let the truth be and live his life on this planet with Scully (and their unknown baby.) I believe that struggle lures him into the jaws of captivity and face-first into the darkness of death. And, I believe, he has to learn to let go after his resurrection: not because he's afraid to reenter life (Three Words, post here), not because he's forced out (Vienen), and not because he's turning away from his true nature to avoid the pain of losing that connection (Alone.)

DID MULDER MEAN TO LEAVE?

As Tom Kessenich rationalizes in his book EXaminations:

The question then becomes: Did he leave willingly?

Leaving Scully behind willingly is an affront to their relationship. But I would venture a guess as to say Mulder was intoxicated by the events that were transpiring around him and caught up in the moment he has dreamed about since the day his sister was taken from him.

The power of that moment swept him away. Literally.

...as the alien bounty hunter approaches him and Mulder looks towards the heavens, that opportunity [to see the truth firsthand] is there. Does he take it willingly or is he being led by the moment? I would say it was the latter.

But let's not take Kessenich's word here. The script describes this moment as:

The authorial intent, therefore, seems to be that Mulder stepped into the light of his own accord, but was forced onto the ship against his will.

However, David Duchovny plays this scene differently: purposefully hollow. His expression mimics the faces of the other encircling abductees-- not one in awe of a wondrous new phenomena (@dd-is-my-guiltypleasure's comparison here.) Mulder barely reacts when his captor appears before him; but his eyes are troubled and unwilling. DD, it would appear, is playing a character under control of some sort of influence, similar to Scully's second abduction experience in "Patient X."

The answer, no matter how you cut it, is a resounding "No."

SETTLING RUMORS ABOUT MULDER’S ABDUCTION AND SCULLY’S PREGNANCY

I’ve read elsewhere that it was speculated by fans-- nay, planned by the producers-- to kill Mulder off in Requiem’s finale. By the same token, I’ve seen echoing sentiment that Scully’s pregnancy was tacked on as a last-minute attention grab to green light Season 8. And while there may be degrees of truth to both ideologies, the facts presented reveal a different, more realistic truth: Scully’s conception was planned around the alien ship in Biogenesis-The Sixth Extinction (post here); and Mulder’s abduction, not death, was going to be filmed the same with or without an eighth season.

Quoting Marc Shapiro’s book:

“Requiem” wrapped filming on May 5, 2000. The consensus was that the season finale was stark, bleak, and ultimately satisfying episode. But there still were no answers.

“Nobody knew when we started that episode that we were coming back,” concludes Spotnitz. “Nobody knew it at the wrap party. It was a very odd wrap party. We were all saying, ‘This can’t be the end because it doesn’t feel right.’ It just didn’t feel like we had closure.”

Shortly before “Requiem” aired, Fox announced that “The X-Files” would be back for an eighth season. David Duchovny had agreed to come back but would only appear in a total of eleven episodes….

That fact is repeated in other interviews, which also claim-- over and over-- that Scully’s pregnancy was definitively planned when The Sixth Extinction and Amor Fati were penned:

This May 2000 joint interview--

Did the producers shoot an alternative ending, as reported?

That`s just crazy talk, insists Carter: “I would have played it the same way whether [Duchovny] came back or not.” In fact, Carter says he`s been planning Mulder`s abduction and Scully`s pregnancy since the start of the season. “I thought it was a finale that would work for any eventuality. And because we had planned to do movies, I thought that would be a place to pick up with those things.”

Perhaps the alternative-ending rumors stem from the producers` clandestine high jinks: Because they wanted to keep the prenatal plot under wraps, the pregnancy scene wasn't revealed to the crew until the night it was shot. “The last page of the script was never published,” says Spotnitz. “That was a secret we were trying to hold as long as possible.”

--this July 2000 interview--

“I [Carter] had to write the season finale — which is called ‘Requiem’ — I had to write it without knowing whether or not we’d be back.”

--this November 2000 interview--

We heard there were 2 possible endings for “Requiem”…can you tell us what the other ending we didn’t see was and how long before you filmed the episode did you decide to make Scully’s pregnancy an option?

"It was never an option, it was always the ending. I [Carter] just did not inform the actors or the crew that Scully’s pregnancy was going to be in the script. I had planned this for months with Frank Spotnitz and only delivered the script pages to Kim Manners — the director — and to Gillian and Mitch Pileggi minutes before they performed the scene. I’m just paranoid!"

--this Frank Spotnitz December 2000 solo interview--

When was the decision made to pursue a storyline in which Scully becomes pregnant?

Spotnitz: "At the very beginning of season seven, we hit upon the idea and it seemed wonderful to us. There was beautiful symmetry to it. We knew that was our target all season, and so we did a number of things in episodes that would be tantalizing for fans who later were to look back at the episodes and try and figure out when Scully might have gotten pregnant and how. And that’s something we will continue to explore this season. But all questions will be answered by the end of the season, we promise."

--and the information presented in previous sections of this post all bear up under the same narrative.

But potentially the most shocking bombshell of all, Spotnitz admitted in May 2008 that a pregnancy for Scully had been in the works since Season 5:

Q: When (the year or the season) did you plan the storyline about Scully’s pregnacy?

FS: We had thought about it for some time (at least since Season 5), but we didn’t definitely decide on Scully’s pregnancy until Season 7.

Although CC’s word is tentative at best, Spotnitz never wavers from honesty when asked a direct question; and I'm inclined to believe him.

But if neither are to be believed-- understandable-- then one glance at Amor Fati’s ending script should crush any remaining doubt:

(More Amor Fati script bits can be found here.)

A parallel with purposed intent.

Is a pregnancy at odds with Scully's personality? No, I don't think so: she's open to having kids as early as The Jersey Devil and brings the subject up pointedly to Mulder in Home (post here.) She mourns her infertility in A Christmas Carol-- "I just never realized how much I wanted it until I couldn't have it"-- and grasps at an IVF chance in Per Manum's flashbacks (posts here and here.) The FBI itself is actually a considerably safe career, and quite supportive of their agents' familial obligations. The problem-- if one could call it that-- is The X-Files: an undeniably, astronomically unsafe and unstable career that is not conducive to family needs or structure... which the writers crafted purposefully, as will be discussed below.

Mulder wants a normal life just as much as Scully (@thursdayinspace's post here) but gave up those aspirations-- literally in The Jersey Devil-- in order to find his answers and unveil the Truth. His character arc and growth is a meta post all its own; but though his journey was concluded in Closure, his detachment from and transition away from the files didn't conclude until Season 8's Vienen. Be that as it may, he speaks about a wish to settle down in a place like Home and dreams about "another life, another world" with a wife and children and his sister, safe at last.

Why, then, does the baby arc feel so tacked on-- despite the roots of its conception (pun intended) tracing back to at least Season 5?

Surprise, surprise: the writing is a mess.

In March 2003, David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson were both glad the show was coming to a close. She gently hinted, “I think it’s good to finish now. We had a great run, but we’re getting out at the right time when the show is still a hit" while he blatantly asserted, “You cannot say it died anything but a natural death." No surprise, considering their excitement over Scully's pregnancy and Mulder's abduction were reduced to footnotes--

Tom Kessenich’s EXaminations:

...Anderson wasn't thrilled with the amount of attention the writers were lavishing on Doggett. ...she believed with Duchovny gone this would be her chance to step into the show's spotlight. Instead, the light shines on Doggett...

...Duchovny felt some frustration as well once he returned full-time for the final six episodes. In interviews after the season, he lamented the lack of resolution to Mulder's abduction and that Mulder was rendered into being a "peripheral" character.

...Duchovny also did not care for the paternity tease since it prevented him and Anderson from establishing any proper dramatic foreshadowing. The two stars were also reportedly unhappy the relationship between Mulder and Scully was not expired more fully since Duchovny planned to leave the series at the end of the season.

--and both had to begrudgingly accept, as parents, that their characters effectively abandoned (for his own good, we're told) William--

"Duchovny, Anderson, and Shiban (all parents) reportedly were not thrilled with the idea. They grudgingly consented only after Carter revealed his plan to end the series with Mulder and Scully on the run, hardly in the best position to raise a child."

What's worse, then and now, is: both agreed, largely, with the direction and decisions of the show heading into Season 8; and heavily disagreed with the direction and decisions of the show unfolding in Season 9. Not only was David and Gillian's interest in Scully's pregnancy and Mulder's abduction squandered, but their own characters' recovery and happy ending was swiftly destroyed not even a year later.

A COMPLICATED RELATIONSHIP WITH CLOSURE

Something gave me pause: in Marc Shapiro’s book, Spotnitz (as mentioned above), admitted: “Nobody knew when we started that episode [Requiem] that we were coming back…. Nobody knew it at the wrap party. It was a very odd wrap party. We were all saying, ‘This can’t be the end because it doesn’t feel right.’ It just didn’t feel like we had closure.”

Which begs the question: what is "closure" to the open-ended minds at 1013 Productions? And why, then, did they toss it away once they had it?

Carter has long maintained that The X-Files is not a domestic show (post here); however, he has also maintained that Mulder and Scully fell "in love" in the Pilot-- a knitting of souls more than a romantic attraction-- and that Scully wanted "a normal life" (and children) while Mulder wanted answers to his sister's disappearance (and a peaceful existence not dissimilar to Home.) CC also let us know, obliquely, that "domestication" refers to anything personal in his characters' lives-- be it their friends, hobbies, life outside of work or, most importantly, their personal and romantic connections. Wedding these two beliefs together gives birth to the indisputable fact that Chris intended (as he's reiterated, many times) to build up to a final closure for both: ride Mulder and Scully off into the sunset-- away from the files-- and let them have their happily ever after, miraculous cherub included... off-screen, of course (post here.) Top off that union with the knowledge that he has a vague idea how the show will end--

March 2001:

I’ve heard many times that you’ve always had an idea of the last episode of the X-Files. Has that vision changed with the absence of Mulder and the addition of Scully’s pregnancy, or is it mostly the same?

Chris Carter: Mostly the same.

--and you'll notice that: A. CC has a specific 'end credits' scene in mind but B. no mapped-out footpath leading to that vision.

The writers were at their best when they had to channel towards a goal-- e.g. crafting Fight the Future during Season 4, creating the cancer arc to separate then re-bond Mulder and Scully, and building Season 5 towards the basement disbandment. Amor Fati, all things, Requiem, and Existence fall into that same category by letter-of-the-law standards: pre-plotted end points all aiming towards a final conclusion. As @gaycrouton points out here, Carter flipped Sartre's 'existence and essence' philosophy around to tie the concept into his "fate versus freewill" mytharc; and as I pointed out here, William was meant to be-- Mulder and Scully's happy ending-- but only came about because of Scully's freewill choices.

The truth, in full: CC never knows when to stop. He and Spotnitz brainstorm on a possible pregnancy for Scully as early as S5 (in case that season is the last, I'd wager.) He continues to tease the MSR angle until Fight the Future, then pulls the characters back from a kiss because that wasn't the end of their story. He teases another kiss or avowal of their feelings through Season 6, knowing he has another season (Season 7) still to go. When Fox drags their feet on Season 8's confirmation, Chris and Frank reveal the secret pregnancy ace and smudge in Mulder's abduction-- writing off David Duchovny while leaving a window open for his return, and giving Scully her own form of closure or bittersweet happy ending, regardless: an ending, as Spotnitz says, that doesn't "feel like closure." (Because it isn't, really.) Season 8 is a go, but DD only agrees to come back intermittently, and Gillian's contract is almost up. Then, and only then, do CC and Spotnitz craft a healthy transition and happy ending-- a closure, if you will. Hence, the resolution in Existence-- Mulder opening Scully's apartment door for the first time with his key (post here), Scully cementing William as his son (through Mulder's father's name), Mulder affirming they both knew but feared the truth. And Scully asking, pivotally, what that truth is; and Mulder, pivotally, confirming it with a kiss. The actors and crew on-set are touched by this heartfelt moment--

[Kim Manners]: “As they come together to kiss, you’ll see the camera pull out of the door and that was the last shot of David and Gillian together. We wrapped and David and Gillian stood in that room together alone and held each other for a good five minutes. They didn’t talk. They didn’t move. They just held each other, tears running down their faces.”

-- and communally feel that, finally, Mulder and Scully have closure together. Finally, domestication. Finally, the end.

And then the writers fumbled.

I say "writers" plural because Spotnitz cosigned a lot of Chris Carter's creative choices in Season 9-- breaking Mulder's character to lazily write out Duchovny; neglecting Scully's arc until she became a hormonal, irrelevant mess in her own story; handing off William with little care or concern to a random couple in the middle of nowhere (who were, canonically, later murdered because of that adoption); etc. In fact, it was David Duchovny who kept returning and salvaging their disaster (and who gave fans many memorable Season 8 and 9 moments, post here); but that's another post for another time.

But why?

Simple: Carter wanted to make a movie series instead of Season 8 (interview here.) When that fell through, he realized he'd have to bring on another actor to eventually replace Gillian; and hired Robert Patrick accordingly. Doggett became the focus for that and the following season (which upset GA and DD)... but still no movie deal materialized, despite Spotnitz's speculation that The X-Files could extend into a tenth and possibly eleventh season if the show was able to attract an audience (interview here.) Subsequently, the writing suffered-- parallel to Chris's passion for The X-Files-- and the ratings tanked until he admitted defeat and pulled the plug to save everyone's dignity. Still, he refused to acknowledge the flailing writing; and Spotnitz seemed to agree with him, stating:

January 2002:

Some may argue that it was one season too long, but Spotnitz isn’t sure what caused the decline. He is sure, though, that it wasn’t competition from ABC’s “Alias,” starring Jennifer Garner as a secret agent, in the Sunday, 9 p.m. ET time slot. “That’s silly,” says Spotnitz. “I’ve heard many, many theories about the show this year, but I don’t think there’s anything to that. If you look at the numbers for ‘The X-Files’ this year, in the very first episode, there was a significant portion of our audience that just didn’t come. They just weren’t there.”

Spotnitz also doesn’t see a connection between FOX’s pickup of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” creator Joss Whedon’s science-fiction series “Firefly,” and “X” creator Chris Carter’s subsequent announcement that his show was over. “No, it’s just a coincidence, because the decision really was Chris’, and the timing of it was Chris’. He came to them. He had thought about it over the Christmas vacation. We delivered two really strong episodes at the beginning of January, and the audience wasn’t any bigger. He said, ‘Let’s get out while we’re ahead. We don’t want to limp out.'”

In short, Chris (and Spotnitz) couldn't let go; and hasn't to this day, still pitching The X-Files to anyone that's interested (say, a reboot.)

Where does this leave us?

For me, Season 8 is the true bookend of the series, with Season 7 serving as its necessary precursor. For others, Je Souhaite is the dropping off point; and they can ignore the seeds that were sown in Amor Fati and all things with a clear conscience. For the rest, canon continues until the point they deem best to stop, be it another movie, season, or all the way. The choice, really, is up to you.

CONCLUSION

Finally, the Requiem meta has been exorcised.

Thanks for reading~

Enjoy!

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sundew199 · 4 months ago

Text

Mishap

tags: Nicholas D. Wolfwood x f!reader, sex pollen, handjobs, oral sex m!receiving, desperate wolfwood, cowgirl position, smut

Kinktober day 15: sex pollen for @alt-er-love-requiem

!!minors dni!!

Everything felt fuzzy and warm, not even taking into account the desert winds and air blowing around his face, he was lightheaded and annoyed. Whatever it was needed to pass through his system quickly, he didn't have time for this, nor the energy to deal with it.

Making it back to the campsite the crew had set up to sleep for the night a pang of adrenaline ran through him, clutching his chest at the sudden racing in his heart. What the hell was going on? He hadn't taken any regenerative vials recently meaning his heart shouldn't feel like it's beating out of his chest. What the hell was going on?!

Taking a moment to catch his breath, he scanned the area just a distance from the campsite, wondering if there was a danger present and his body had noticed it before his mind did. Looking around, finding nothing, Wolfwood continued on his lazy trek back to everyone else. But each step felt heavier, like all his energy were being put into to taking the next step forward, and a sudden ache running up from his feet to his legs. And the ache didn't just stop there, it ran throughout his entire body, making him stiff and winded.

"What the fuck?" Muttering to himself and stopping right where he stood to reassess himself. Carefully patting his palms down his torso and abdomen, he bit back something close to a moan when brushing over his crotch, wincing from the featherlight touch from his own hands.

He was hard? Painfully hard at that? When did this even happen? All he did was step away to smoke the last of his cigarettes, not even thinking about anything in particular to cause such an occurrence. Couldn't have been the cigarettes he smoked, getting the exact same ones he had been for years now so why the hell was he feeling so weird right now?

Palming himself in hopes to relieve the painful ache in his dick, Wolfwood groaned under his breath, the stimulation doing nothing but making it worse. Great. Now that meant he was going to have to drag himself back to where he came from and stroke on out real quick or try and fall asleep with the world's most painful boner.

Going against his better judgment, he turned, muttering in annoyance as the sand dragged each of his steps to the spot he came from. God this was embarrassing, not that he had a boner, but because he was suddenly so eager to touch and relieve himself. Usually he was better about this kind of stuff, training himself to suppress his sexual desires for months on end if he needed too.

Pulling the zipper down and pushing the waistband of his briefs out of the way, his cock sprung forward, leaking with pre already. A slight brush of wind on his now exposed appendage nearly had him doubling over in pain and arousal, choking out a moan as he fiercely gripped the base of his dick.

"Fucking ridiculous, what am I? A teenager?"

Scolding himself as he rapidly pumped his cock, thumbing over the leaking tip and spreading it around the entirety. His hand felt good, but not good enough, and not that he really expected it to, but he started to struggle in working up to a quick orgasm. The dryness of his palm did little to aid in friction, moving to focus on the head only where pre was flowing out of him, providing enough lubrication. But even then, it didn't change much, barely able to notice the build up in the release he needed at the moment, like it was being suppressed inwardly.

"For fuck's sake!" Shouting with a growl, panting heavily and tightening his fist around the head of his cock, growling low in his chest as he watched the frivolous movements of his fist.

Nothing was working, not even after beginning to feel the build up because it would dissipate the next second, leaving him frustrated. Even after all that, Wolfwood was still hard, painfully hard and needing to cum before he exploded. Tucking himself back into his pants, turning back around with the moon illuminating his figure in the sand, he racked his brain in hopes of figuring out why his body was reacting his way.

The rest stop, or what used to be a rest stop they stopped at to get fuel had a little shop inside, where he got his cigarettes. He remembers you and Meryl poking around the various trinkets on the dusty shelves, observing and giggling at the little finds. Vash was out with Roberto fueling up, talking about whatever it was they talked about, Wolfwood didn't care to know. Even after snagging the carton of cigarettes, he remembers being drawn to a plant sitting in a pot on the window seal, that looked unusually well watered and cared for since this place was abandoned, and taking a whiff on the small flower barely bloomed in the center.

Freezing in his tracks, Wolfwood exclaimed at the realization, berating himself and his stupidity. The plant at the rest stop had to have a been an aphrodisiac, a late effecting one at that since it's been a few hours since then. Or he didn't notice until now, which wouldn't have been impossible considering the state he was in.

Well, at least now he had a better idea at how to properly relieve himself, only problem was it required a second person. Options were slim already, being in the middle of nowhere with the nearest people being the ones he traveled with. Roberto and Vash were quick 'nos', leaving Meryl and you. Meryl was...nice but he would have better luck going to you than her.

Fuck. God fucking dammit this was annoying. He didn't want to have to do that to you, but there was no telling how long the effects would go on or the possible harm to his body if he didn't find a solution to this issue soon.

Finally making it back to the campsite, thanking the universe no one was awake at the moment, Wolfwood carefully guessed which tent he thought was yours. As quietly as he could, he slipped inside the space, also taking another moment of gratitude that Meryl wasn't sharing the tent with you. You were sprawled out on the bedding, blanket halfway draped over your body, the hem of your white tee riding up to reveal some of your stomach, making him bite back a groan at the small peak of skin.

Nudging you while crouched down, he tried to not to get annoyed at how deep of a sleeper you were. But you finally began to wake, groaning groggily and inhaling a long breath through your nose.

"Hmm?"

Scoffing, Wolfwood kept nudging, needing you to be more alert for what he was about to ask you.

"What?" Responding even though your eyes were still closed and clear scowl was written into your face.

"Need your help."

"With what, I'm tired." Sitting up finally and giving a look that read nothing short of annoyance. God now he was really starting to feel bad, he hasn't even known you that long but he couldn't deny you were pretty, sort of preferring you over the others, not by a lot though.

Sitting down on the ground, not caring that his boner was ever the more present in his position, he pinched the bridge of his nose under his glasses and pointed a finger directly at it. He could hear you gape and trip over your words, stuttering over what sounded like a cumbersome laugh.

"You want help with that when you've got two perfectly good hands?"

Now you were really laughing and it never sounded sweeter to him than right now, sucking down whatever noise threatened to slip past his lips.

"Already tried, didn't work."

"Then just got to sleep?"

"I can't, this isn't your typical everyday boner."

"Okay?" Back to sounding annoyed and more confused, crossing your arms over your chest and hiding those perky nipples peaking through your shirt.

Throwing his head back with an exasperated sigh, Wolfwood took a deep breath and gathered his words. "Remember when we were at the rest stop fueling up, and me, you and Meryl were inside just looking around?"

"Yeah."

"There was this plant on the window seal over where I was grabbing my cigarettes, it had a little flower so I took a wiff-"

"Oh my god you idiot!" Cutting him off and figuring out what his actual issue was before he could even finish.

"I know! Okay?" Hissing back, mindlessly moving closer to you without realizing it. "I don't know the severity of the effects, nor do I want to find out, so could you help me out this one time?"

Your lips pursed in pondering, looking into his eyes past the sunglasses still resting on his nose, taking your sweet fucking time in deciding if you were going to help him or not.

"Sure, doesn't mean anything so."

Your words surprisingly stung and Wolfwood didn't have time to figure out why that was, giving you a simple nod. Without saying anything more, you pulled your white t-shirt over your head, revealing those perfect tits and hard nipples, making him moan under his breath and begin to reach out. You softly slapped his hand away with a smirk, sitting up on your knees and moving down towards the end of the makeshift bed.

A simple tip of your head for him to move to where you once were had Wolfwood tearing off his blazer and tattered grey button up, leaving only his trousers. He rested his weight on his palms, leaning back with his legs spread as you crawled forward until hovering over his crotch. He must've missed when you took off your short, left in only dainty panties that he wanted to tear off with his teeth to get to your cunt.

"Flattered you came to me though." Holding the sides of his face. looking down at him with a smug look.

"Shut up." Moving to press his mouth into yours with a kiss, instantly moaning at the softness of your lips on his, discovering the sweetness that was you and realizing this might've been a bad idea. But again, he would dissect all of that later.

With all the impatience in the world, he grabbed you by the hip and planted you to sit directly over his crotch, moving your hips back and forth on his erection, the mild relief of your clothed cunt ripping another groan from him. He was eager and he knew you knew that from the little laugh he felt against his lips, sighing with need.

"That bad huh?" Commenting after breaking the kiss, running your hands over his chest and down his torso, teasing him with how close you were getting to where he needed you. Your lips pressed to his exposed neck, sucking the skin and biting it, causing his hips to rut up into you, ignoring how pathetic he was quickly turning to your touch.

Not giving an answer, just groaning softly as your hips found a rhythm to grind against him, you let out a breath over the purplish mark just under his collarbone, admiring your work proudly. Wolfwood had little reason to be upset at that, a sense of pride bubbling gently in his gut along with the raging arousal.

"Need you, really badly."

"Mm I know you do, we're getting there." Cooing back at him, swiping a thumb over his bottom lip and swinging on of your legs off of him. He didn't have to question what you were doing as your head dipped to press soft wet kisses down his body, arching your back prettily as you got closer to the waistband of his trousers. Nimble fingers worked them open, pulling them all the way off and doing the same with his briefs, gazing at the way you stared at his cock resting against his abdomen. There wasn't much to be impressed with, only thing would be the thickness of his cock but Wolfwood didn't pride himself on the way his body was.

Everything tensed when your warm hand wrapped around the base, bringing it to your lips and pressing the leaking tip to your pretty plush lips, pulling a violent groan from the depths of his being at the sight. You knew the effects he was under and how each and every action you did would effect him, and you took advantage of that greatly.

"Such a pretty cock," Whispering into the heated flesh, swiping up some of the pre-cum with the tip of your tongue.

"Would look even prettier in your mouth." Saying back, winded and out of breath, every inch of his body on fire with lust and anticipation. He was so close to the relief he needed, so fucking close.

With a quiet hum, you engulfed the head, sucking gentle just around there for a moment before beginning your slow descend down the entirety. His hand served as the best way to muffle the noises filtering out of his mouth, unable to stop them even if he tried. Your eyes stayed locked on his, fluttering your lashes as your buried the thick cock all the way in your throat, holding yourself there and letting the saliva gather and seep out from your lips wrapped around him.

God he was going to go insane. Your mouth felt so overwhelmingly good, so warm and inviting, Wolfwood couldn't even imagine what your pussy felt like.

Pulling yourself off with a pop, you used your hand to spread the spit and pre all up and down his cock, lubricating it nicely. He thought, based on your actions you would sink down and start riding him. But no, you took him back into your mouth and rapidly bobbed your head.

Wolfwood heaved with each breath he took, watching you with rapt attention at the way you easily took his cock down your throat, humming around it with little moans. God this was heaven, he swore it was. Maybe sniffing that stupid little flower wasn't such a bad thing at all.

"Shit, just like that baby, fuck." Letting his head fall back in bliss, placing his hand gently at the top of your head, not pushing or gripping, just resting it there.

You pulled off again, pushing his hand away and wiping your mouth on the back on your hand. Wolfwood carefully watched your movements, hoping that wasn't all you were going to give, not even coming close to coming yet.

Another smug smile curled into your lips, throwing your legs on either side of him again and hovering over his slick cock. Your panties were still on and surprisingly it didn't bother him. Nimble dainty fingers reached down to pull the panties to the side, revealing your glistening cunt to him. Fuck he needed to be inside you, he couldn't wait much longer.

"Shit c'mon, please." Whispering through his teeth, curling his hands into fists and resisting the urge to shove you down.

"There we go."

Whispering back to him and slamming yourself down without warning, engulfing his cock with your warm wet pussy, sending his hands to grip tightly to your hips, pathetically moaning through tightly seal lips, shivering violently at the sensation of being inside you. God you were so warm, so much warmer than your mouth, and tight too, so fucking tight he kept sucking breaths in through his teeth.

Holding his chin in your palm, you giggled softly while pressing a kiss to his lips, one he welcomes eagerly, panting into your mouth as he felt your hips begin to raise. You were calculated with each movement, all of them well thought out to tease and miraculously work him up further. Oh he was going to have to enjoy this, knowing this would top any other woman he fucked in the past.

Still holding your hips tightly, Wolfwood used it as way to keep his own from rutting up into yours, even though the painfully slow rise and fall was driving him mad. Of course you were aware, snickering to yourself as you kept yourself steady with a hand on his shoulder.

"Ride faster, I just need to come, please." Straining with the question that he managed to ask, watching the way your features morphed into sympathy sort of, illuminated by the dying campfire seeping through the flaps of the tent.

"Only cause you asked so nicely." Cooing back in a velvet tone, pressing your knees hard to his hips and switching to bouncing on top of him.

His eyes were rolling back into his head, jaw going slack at the increased pace and the ends of his fingers digging into your soft skin. Fuck, you were heavenly on top of him, sending him to cloud nine with the way your pussy hugged tightly around him, offering the relief he need from the stupid mistake he made at the rest stop.

Quiet moans began to spill from your mouth as well, nails sinking into his shoulder as you focused on bouncing on his cock, looking down at where your bodies met. Moving one hand away from your hip, cupping under your chin, making you look at him, it was his turn to smile at the current state you were in.

"Feel good?"

"This isn't about me, this is about you." Panting out, biting your bottom lip despite the fact you were trying to conceal how good you were feeling also.

"But does it feel good?" Asking again, using the hand still on your hip to slam you down all the way, roll his hips up into you and prod the deepest parts of you.

"Oh fuck - yes, yes you feel so good Nick, need more." Mewling out and sounding like a sob was rising in your throat. He growled under his breath, yanking you forward for another kiss and switching to fucking up into you rapidly. You moaned and whined into his mouth, whispering his name and curses, taking all he had to offer and give.

Bodies stuck together from the heat and sex clinging to the skin, making it somewhat intimate in the way he held you against him while fucking into your cunt. He can't remember the last time sex felt this good, aphrodisiac or not, this was different and he wasn't sure if he should enjoy it like he should.

"Fuck Im going to come."

"Yeah? Im getting close," Speaking into your lips, grunting deeply at the way your walls tightened even further around him. "Cum around my cock for me."

Wolfwood didn't miss the way you melted to his words, wrapping your arms around his neck and pressing yourself closer. He groaned again into another kiss. holding you steady and he moved you himself. You sobbed into his lips, whimpering and eventually clenched down tightly around him, shuttering with your orgasm. His cock pulsed inside you, the build up to his own orgasm reaching the levels he wished he could've achieved when trying to take care of this problem himself.

"Where- 'bout to cum." Rasping desperately knowing he wouldn't be able to hold off like he could under different circumstances.

"Inside."

And that was all he needed to slam up one or two more times until he was spilling inside your pussy. You moaned softly into his neck, body turning limp on top of his and the weight of the aphrodisiac leaving his body like a thick fog.

Carefully, you lifted yourself off of him, flopping down beside him and taking in deep breaths from the work out you basically just had. Wolfwood flopped down as well, letting his heart rate slow to a normal pace and let his body regulate and go back down to normal after being under the aphrodisiac. It was quiet, but thankfully not awkward as he lay beside you, staring up at the ceiling of the tent.

"You can sleep here tonight, no point in trying to set up your tent this late." Breaking the silence with your offer, turning to him with a small smile.

He barked out a laugh, patting the ground for his pants for the carton of cigarettes, forgetting he smoked them all earlier.

"Here."

Looking to you and seeing the cigarette between your fingers and a lighter in your palm. Not even bothering to question it, he took it with an appreciative smile, slipping it between his lips and cupping the end as he lit it.

"Next time you decide to sniff a random flower, make sure we're at least in a town so you can find a cheap hooker."

The lighthearted jab brought a smile to his face, releasing the smoke with a laugh and letting out a sigh, flicked the end to ash the cigarette.

"I'll be sure to remember that." Shooting you a small wink and throwing an arm behind his head and settling in for the rest of the night.

#nicholas d. wolfwood #trigun wolfwood #wolfwood x reader #wolfwood x you #Nicholas d wolfwood x reader #Nicholas d. wolfwood x you #wolfwood smut #trigun stampede #trigun x reader #trigun stampede x reader

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etherealspacejelly · 7 months ago

Note

i know jack SHIT

about star trek

but what do you like about spirk and why

OH MY GOD YOU GUYS ARE GONNA MAKE ME EXPLODE /POS

oh god where to start

its the fact that they are so perfect for each other for one thing. jim says in final frontier that he "always knew he would die alone." but edith keeler said in city on the edge of forever that spock belonged "at [jim's] side, as though you've always been there and always will". and its fucking TRUE. spock is Always at jims side, and hes like a lost puppy without him. he sees his lifes purpose as serving as jims second in command. he doesnt want command of his own. he "has a responsibility to [...] that man on the bridge". he is devoted to jim. loyal to a fault.

and jim Needs that. he needs that stability. people in his life come and go. he has so much responsibility as captain, 400 lives depending on his every decision. he needs his unflappable second in command to keep him steady, keep him focused.

spock sees jim as the most important thing in the universe. he throws himself in harms way time and time again to save him. he jumps in front of the poisonous flower in the apple, he launches himself into v'ger in the motion picture, in (im pretty sure) requiem for methuselah he insists on going into a dangerous room first.

BUT jim also sees spock as the most important thing in the universe. SOURCE: THE ENTIRE MOVIE THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK. he is literally willing to sacrifice his life, his career, his crew, and his ship to save spock. "the needs of the one outweigh the needs of the many" HE NEEDED SPOCK. HE NEEDED HIM BACK SO BAD HE BLEW UP THE FUCKING ENTERPRISE TO DO IT.

but its more than that. its the casual little intimacies of their relationship. its the way they reach out to touch one another when they're scared or worried or happy. its the prolonged eyecontact, the longing stares, the lighthearted teasing. its playing chess in the rec room, and despite spock being a creature of pure logic, jim winning 50% of their games.

its all of this:

THEY MAKE ME INSANE RAAHHHHH

#inbox #ask #inbox open #star trek #star trek tos #spirk #the premise #k/s

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loafaethernaut · 7 months ago

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Recap of all the teasers (as of August 2nd, 2024) from the official Black Ops 6 zombies teaser website below!

If you wish to see them for yourself first the link to the site is the current pinned post on my blog- however I will issue a warning that the interactive site does include jump scares and flashing/flickering images so I would not recommend viewing it if you are photosensitive.

The website acts as an interactive television with six total channels. Yesterday the first two channels became active, with channel one showing a template for a scrolling TV guide that after a moment turns into a jumpscare of Mr. Peeks/the mystery box bunny from Cold War.

The screen then flashes and flickers between several images including shots of our Requiem Crew in their prison cells on Terminus Island:

My apologies for the poor image quality, this is a screenshot from my phone lol. I agree with the majority consensus I’ve seen from others in the community that the top left is Carver, top right is Weaver, bottom left is Strauss, and the bottom right is Grey.

It seems like Weaver and Strauss appear distraught, while Carver and Grey are doing pushups and getting into shape.

The second channel shows what looks like a weather radar of a hurricane or a typhoon before it forms into an image of Mr. Peeks once again (definitely a huge emphasis on Mr. Peeks in this game, more on that later).

After that the screen flashes and shows a really dark shot of what is likely Terminus Island it’s just really hard to tell so I didn’t take a screenshot. There’s a voice in the background listing off numbers but I can’t make them out either.

Channels 3 and 4 were updated today, and we finally got some new intel on our Requiem Crew.

Channel 3 starts off as a fake news report like a lot of the BO6 teasers have been however it cuts off and starts flashing a ton of fragmented images of “interrogation progress reports” for each of our members of the Requiem Crew.

I was only able to get a good screenshot of Carver’s report, so I give credit and thanks to MargwaNetwork on Twitter for the images of Grey and Weaver’s reports.

Based on Carver’s report it seems like he’s been the main source of encouragement for the team, and it’s likely he’s been helping Grey (and presumably the others) get into shape?

Weaver is presumably the one their captors have been the toughest on so far, and the Director definitely has a grudge against Weaver in particular. Seeing him described as a “broken, bitter man” is genuinely saddening.

But now comes the one that got me the most excited, Grey’s report. I’m mostly just trying to get the information out there with this post so I might gush more about this in another post but it’s clear she had some kind of hope of someone rescuing her and that hope is definitely gone now. “Acts ambivalent in regard to her own safety” Really? Now THIS is an interesting direction to take her character in. I am very excited to find out more.

As of right now there are no good images that I could find of Strauss’s progress report, but from the snippets I could make out it seems like he still cares about the others but might be losing his grip on reality?

Channel 4 gave us a fake commercial for a love song CD before flashing to a commercial for the new gobblegum machine.

It looks just like the one from BO3 except it’s clearly from Mr Peeks instead of Dr Monty. It showed images of the same gobblegums from BO3 and the machine has a little screen on it that plays a cartoon of Mr. Peeks.

So far there really hasn’t been much but finally getting an update on the Requiem Crew since the end of CW is really exciting!! As someone who cares a lot about these characters I am in anguish over their pain but also (somehow?) still hopeful that things will improve for them!!

#cod zombies #Black Ops 6 #Call of Duty News #Requiem Crew #grigori weaver #dr elizabeth grey #mackenzie carver #elizabeth grey

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lovecraftianprohibitionism · 11 months ago

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we did it!!! we got intermission into the cafe

Here is the menu that will appear for the Trickster Rave on 4/20.

#homestuck #the midnight crew #the felt #requiem cafe

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galaxywarp · 1 year ago

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A lot of people pointed out in my first poll that some of the songs included are objectively pretty popular and I agree — we can go deeper

So here’s a second attempt:

#homestuck #if I get a jump scare and find out even these are more popular than I think I give up lmfao #polls

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let-us-cultivate-our-garden · 5 months ago

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I used to be part of the TOH fandom but left after the finale - I felt it was very lacking and was a huge letdown for all the reasons you said. Patting itself on the back and lore erasure. But I'd like to ask about something different.

It's no secret Dana hates Disney. But saying it everywhere, the jabs at Disney in the actual show, the attitude of fans parroting her, especially when the news of the shortening was first out - it was legitimately intense. Disney the company has done bad things. But there was a period where I felt like a bad person for even remotely enjoying Disney movies and Disney-published books. I hated myself and felt I was 'betraying' the show, because I had been told Disney was the enemy and nothing more. Disney shortening the show was not a good decision. But it also provided fans with a convenient scapegoat to put every bit of blame on when the show had the tiniest flaw. Comics of beating up Mickey Mouse, 'Disney' being treated like a swear word, praising TOH as the holy grail of animation and saying Disney hated gay people - it made me feel I was a traitor to the show and to myself. (I'm still figuring out my sexuality, but I know I'm not straight.)

Do you think the Disney blame game was too much?

The toh fandom has this incredibly binary way of thinking; the show is the greatest thing in animation and if you don't agree then you're a bigot. Lumity is the best sapphic ship ever and if you don't think so then you're lesbophobic. Shipping non canon ships is tantamount to a war crime. And of course, any criticism of the show has the convenient Disney defense. Any and all flaws of the show is because Disney is evil for not letting the show reach its full potential.

Listen, getting your show cancelled or shortened sucks. But, unfortunately, it's not unique and writers need to prepare for that because it seems to be an occupational hazard in the entertainment industry. A lot of shows get cancelled without even having a conclusion (thank you Netflix for ending the Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance on a cliffhanger! even after the show won a got dang Emmy! 😤) so people should be thankful that at least the toh crew were allowed to finish the story.

I can give grace when analyzing a show's elements knowing what the writers had to deal with. But if they make decisions knowing ahead of time that they only have half a season and 3 specials left, and proceed to add more characters and plot lines that would require a longer season, then those are all fair game.

Dana knew of the Shortening around the production of Eda's Requiem, yet decided to add the Collector, because screw it! We like this little guy and want to see where it goes! They had Hunter get possessed and kill his best friend, yet barely any time is given to him to process that trauma. In the penultimate episode, Boscha, of all people, gets a mini sub plot despite not being relevant for a full season. Luz's angst arc gets 4. separate. resolutions.

None of this is Disney's fault. This all on the crew for not using their precious time wisely and tossing whatever they can to the wall to see what sticks.

So yeah, the Disney blame game is too much but it's also a blessing in disguise because now it's a convenient shield for whoever doesn't want to hear criticism about the show.

As for feeling guilty about liking Disney; listen, Disney has been foundational for literally millions of people for decades. Its presence and influence is seemingly inescapable. And the company has done some awful things in the name of corporate greed and profit.

But you should never feel guilty for liking something that brings you joy.

Remember that writers and artists are responsible for the shows you love. Many queer folks have seen themselves in Disney movies for a variety of reasons and there are many queer artists that have worked for Disney (hi Howard Ashman and Andreas Deja!)

So no, you're not a traitor for liking Disney.

The toh fandom has a very reactionary, us-vs-them attitude and it's incredibly toxic. So don't let the haters get you down!

I wish you well on your journey and hope you're in a better place.

Thank you for the ask!

#asks #the owl house #toh critical #toh criticism #disney

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uselessgay10101 · 30 days ago

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Fandom: Heaven's Secret: Requiem (Romance Club)

Genres: Emotional, Romance

Pairings: Anna X Lane (Mc)

Characters: mainly Anna and Lane but also Lester, Dmitry, and Cain

Warnings: Homophobia and tears.. :))) Oh, and implied blood?

Author Note: idk man hope you enjoy and I'm open to constructive criticism.

Setting: the scene of treating Annas wound after escaping The marauders

1,549 words

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You're bleeding...

Having escaped the sight of the ship crew, the squad all doubled down, breathing in a rapid, controlled manner, desperately trying to regain their breath. Except for the immortals, who looked like they’d just gone on a mildly difficult walk.

“Where's the annoying one?” Cain asked, turning to Dmitry.

Dmitry's brows furrowed slightly in displeasure. “Noah distracted the marauders.” He turned to the bridge as he began to walk toward it. “Don’t think about it; let’s move on according to plan. Understood?” The quiet strength of his voice left little room for arguments or resistance, so everyone simply nodded and followed.

Internally glowering after him for insufficient time to recover, Lane stood up, preparing to follow him. She got no farther than a step, though, as she immediately stopped Anna, who was limping.

“Anna, you're bleeding,” she said with uncharacteristic concern. True human emotion was always hard for the young woman; however, that never seemed to apply when she was talking solely to the blue-eyed scientist in front of her.

Anna's brow twitched at the other woman's concern. She shook her head as if denying the reality of her bleeding. “What? Oh, it's nothing.” She attempted to walk another step but flinched, glaring down at her leg as if blaming it for being unable to walk without pain.

Lane, who was close, grabbed her by the shoulders, stopping the woman from taking another step.

“You need to disinfect the wound, or it'll get infected,” Lane said, looking at Anna with a stern face, yet her eyes reflected the concern cryptographer felt for the blue-eyed goddess.

Seeing the intense look from Lane, Anna looked away, a blush already creeping up her neck, which immediately stopped as she saw her brother’s stern eyes taking in the scene in front of him. Anna immediately stepped back, lightly shoving Lane.

“No, everything's fine. I'll—”

“No.” Lane gripped her arm in an almost desperate hold. “It'll get infected.” She turned to Dmitry, who was still looking at the scene of his sister and her female friend.

“Anna is hurt, and Lester looks like he might collapse at any moment. We need to stop for a bit.” She met the general's sharp blue eyes.

Lester looked at the cryptographer, offended, but soon nodded quickly when he saw her glare. “Yes, general. I am… very tired.” He quickly looked away from the general's sharp eyes, flinching mentally.

The general turned his heavy gaze back to Lane, who met his gaze. For someone who hated looking him in the eyes when scolded, the cryptographer stood tall and unwavering under the general’s intense eyes, which softened after a second.

“Alright, we’ll take a 5-minute break. No more. Get yourselves together.” Dmitry looked at Lester with slightly glaring eyes, making the man shrink into himself. Dmitry looked as Lane moved Anna to sit on a crate. The woman knelt down to check Anna’s wound.

Lane tore off a piece of her shirt, turning it into a strip bandage, internally cursing herself for not staying cleaner.

As she was cleaning Anna’s injury, Lane paused gently as she heard a small sardonic laugh.

“I really am useless, aren’t I?” Anna looked away from the woman tending to her wound as a tear silently rolled down her cheek. “Out of everyone, it's my leg that got stuck. Noah sacrificed himself for…" Anna looked down "because of me…”

Lane put a hand on Anna’s knee, her heart twisting painfully in her chest at the sight of the translucent droplet on Anna's cheek. “Anna… no one could have prevented it from getting stuck on those wires. The fact that you did doesn’t say anything about your usefulness in the squad or—”

“Doesn’t it?" Anna looks around. "Everyone sees me as the broken leg of the squad… and they have every right to. I’ve gotten everyone in danger at least once.” The scientist’s guilty eyes looked at Dmitry’s back as he talked with Lester, who was desperately trying to avoid from the harsh gaze. “Some more than others…” She sighed out the last part. “If it came down to it, I don’t think I’d be the first to be protected. I’m not… them. I’m not as versatile as Lester or as strong as Dmitry. I’m a scientist. No one even cares about my research—”

Meeting Anna’s eyes fiercely, Lane strongly said, “I do.”

After a pause and a slight gasp from Anna above her, Lane looked down. “…We do. No one knows the infected better than you.”

Anna's brows furrowed. “Yes, but—”

Lane cut her off, uncaring to hear more of how the scientist talked about herself. “And yes, in your mind, you think you’d be the last. But in reality? You’d probably be the first.” Lane made her voice a bit sharper as Anna tried to interrupt. “You say you wouldn’t matter if it really came down to it. I disagree.”

Lane’s fingers softly ran along Anna’s calf, making Anna gasp lightly as the darker woman diligently wrapped her wound.

“One of life’s most cruel jokes is that you’ll never see just how important you are to someone.”

Anna looked away from the woman’s toned back shamefully.

“You don’t see how important you are, but I do. I see how everyone pays attention to you when you explain something about an abomination. How worried everyone was when they didn’t let you go into the village on your own.”

Anna snickered coldly, a bitter smile taking over her beautiful lips. “Right. They were worried.” Anna tried to move her eyes away from the cryptographer’s head, which had wandered back to her. “They see me as the weak—”

Lane abruptly grabbed her chin, moving the shocked scientist’s gaze to her own. “Every time you are in danger, someone leaps to protect you. That might not seem like a big thing, but do you know what I see? Every time that happens, I see their desperate attempt to get to you as fast as possible.” Remembering Anna’s eyes moving to Dmitry, Lane added, “You make Dmitry angry. Not at you, but at himself. You don’t see just how scared he is to lose you. You know him better than anyone and know he would never admit to the fear I see on his face every time you’re in danger.”

Anna looked down, laughing lightly. “No… no, I suppose he wouldn’t…” Anna’s eyebrows furrowed as she moved her face closer to the cryptographer. “But how are you so sure?”

Lane, unafraid, leaned in with determination. “Because I know that if you were in any true danger, I’d run to protect you immediately.”

Anna gasped quietly as her eyes widened.

“Sometimes it’s hard to see your position and value in others’ eyes. Even your own at times. I can’t change the way you think, but I hope you know people love and care for you. And they could never hate you for something so out of your control.” Lane flashed a rare smile. “And you could ask Dmitry for more self-defense lessons if you’re really worried.” Lane's brows furrowed again as she continued to speak. “You will never know how much you mean to someone, but believe me when I say that you're important to... everyone.”

Lane blinked at Anna, realizing their faces were inches apart. Noticing Dmitry’s attentive gaze, Anna scrunched her face as she stood up abruptly. “Thank you—” She was cut off as her knee buckled from the injured leg.

Lane, who immediately held her up, looked into the slightly dark blue eyes of the woman she was holding. “Careful! Here, let me-" Lane began to pull Anna against her by the waist, making sure the scientist was steady.

Anna’s eyes widened as her cheeks warmed, only to turn cold at the sight of Dmitry’s heavy glance at them before he turned away.

“NO! GET AWAY FROM ME!” She abruptly pushed the cryptographer away, making the other woman stumble a bit.

Throwing a seemingly angry warning look at the cryptographer, Anna looked down at her injured leg. “I can… handle it myself! I just… need to get used to it.”

Lane ran her heartbroken eyes down to her hands, angrily blaming them as if they were cause of Anna’s reaction. “...Sure. Come on, let go.”

Just as Lane turned to walk away, Anna’s eyes widened in panic and fear. The scientist’s hand snapped forward, gripping the cryptographer’s wrist. “No, wait!”

Turning to the blue-eyed goddess who had just pushed her away, Lane looked back slightly angrily, gasping quietly as she saw fear, panic, and… despair painted on Anna’s features.

Voice shaking quietly, Lane asked, “What is it?”

Anna’s eyes stared back at Lane in shock, as if surprised at her own body for reacting before she formulated a thought.

“I…” Anna’s voice trembled, but soon she stood tall, matching the cryptographer's height. “Let’s hold hands!”

Lane’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she looked between Anna’s face and her hand, still holding the cryptographer’s wrist. Her features softened as she realized what was most likely happening.

With a small, understanding smile, Lane nodded, offering her hand to Anna. Lane hummed, “Come on now.” She gave a small smile. “We have boats to find, don’t we?”

Anna smiled shyly, nodding as she took the cryptographer’s hand with almost childlike joy. “Yes, let’s go!”

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