#deadalic

[appliess]

sleepy time cool version naaaaaaah

[ruttama-art]

I wasn't interested in the whole Gollum game disaster bc I don't really care about lord of the rings but...

WHAT DO YOU MEAN DEADALIC MADE IT??

THE DEADALIC? THE STUDIO THAT GAVE US SOME OF THE MOST GORGEOUS AND INTERESTING POINT AND CLICK ADVENTURES WE'RE EVER GOING TO GET???

Edna bricht aus, Harvey's neue Augen and the whole Deponia series are such amazing games dude what the fuck

[eastgaysian]

i loved you so much it was making me sick

[fringephile]

Her huge smile in End Game and the way she says hey...

[limnsaber]

did. did he just mouth “I love you” to Scully. In DeadAlive did Mulder just manage to say to her that he loves her. agh

[mytardisisparked]

To Show That Time Has Passed

In the hospital, immediately after the events of DeadAlive, Mulder begins to notice just how much time has passed since he was in Bellefleur.

Read on AO3

He’s stuck in a sort of limbo where he knows he’s been gone for months – he can feel it, can sense it, can see the evidence of it in the people around him – but his mind still thinks that, just yesterday, he was in the woods around Bellefleur, Oregon with Skinner.

Her hair is longer. It’s shiny and healthy, which is an offset to the dark circles under her eyes. He can see the time that has passed in the red strands, set aglow by the faint hospital lights around him. She tells him he’s been gone for over six months.

His face itches. She holds his hand in hers and tells him not to scratch it. 

There’s a memory floating just underneath the surface, attached to the scabs on his face. He doesn’t touch it. He lets the mild sedatives he’s currently on keep the memory out of reach. He’s not ready.

She’s happy to see him. She’s missed him for six months and he can see every mile of that in her eyes. He loves her even more for it, though he can feel guilt looming, hard and heavy, over his head. He suspects that it will set in once he leaves the hospital and all of its safety; once they return to reality and he has to face the time he has missed more fully.

He keeps studying her face and sees something else tucked away behind her gaze. She’s holding something back and she’s itching to let it out.

“Scully?” His voice rasps.

She holds his hand, her thumb drawing nervous little circles ever-so-gently against his skin.

“Mulder.” She’s being avoidant – she’s always been a bad liar. 

He tilts his head at her in a silent question and she crumbles, bringing his hand to her lips as a fresh set of tears line her eyes in silver. 

“You were away a long time and– and I’m trying to ease you back into everything.” She gives him a weak smile, and he pulls his hand from her grasp to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, brushing his fingertips over her cheek.

“I appreciate that, but something’s clearly eating you.”

She chokes out a watery laugh. “Not exactly.”

Confusion washes over him until, with a hesitant smile, she sits back and rests a hand on her belly.

Oh?

Oh.

Oh.

“You’re–” he chokes on the next word; the weight of the months he’s been gone and all of the guilt he knew he would eventually feel finally hit him. 

She nods and looks down at the swell of her abdomen. 

At her baby. He thinks, feeling a little dizzy. Scully finally got her baby.

He’s too tired and sedated to consider how that baby came to be, but he can see the joy in her eyes, even through the frame of tears. She’s wanted this for so long and she’s happy. 

He feels happy, too, despite everything.

He reaches up to scratch his face. She catches his hand before he can. 

“Mulder, you’ll open your wounds.” She keeps his hand in hers, warming it. 

“Sorry,” he gives her a sheepish smile. His eyes fall back to her waist.

Now that she’s bent toward him, he can’t really see the bump, but he’s hyperaware of its existence; of the baby’s existence. He wonders how she manages to think of anything else, because he sure as hell can’t.

He wonders how far along she is.

“Mulder you should get some rest.” As soon as the words leave her lips, he feels the truth of them in the weight of his eyelids. He blinks slowly and she smiles. “I’ll still be here when you wake up.”

He knows she means it, which is the only reason his mind lets him fall asleep. 

In his dreams, he sees a mobile made of stars and a tiny figure bundled up in the blanket his mother used on him and Samantha. The baby within giggles in delight as the stars above swirl and twinkle. 

If he has any other dreams that night, any nightmares , he cannot remember.

[singeart]

In between

[television-overload]

TXF text posts pt. 7

[randomfoggytiger]

Mulder's Alien Baby Baby Trauma In-Depth (Part VIII) UPDATED!: Missing Conversations and Mulder Gettin' His Groove On

In the aftermath of Three Words, we are left with a few resolved questions-- Mulder knew the baby was his, Mulder didn't resent Scully, Mulder and Scully eye-bantered about the baby issue in her kitchen with the Gunmen, etc.-- that help to more fully make sense of that episode and the tail end of Season 8.

However. We are then given a giant, gaping hole of nothing that bridges the gap between the heavier mood of Three Words and the buoyantly tender one of Empedocles.

So, that leaves us with speculations, probabilities, and body language.

**Note**: This post has been updated to include @baronessblixen's thought on Mulder and Scully's conversation (did they or didn't they?) The nuance of "a little of both" is also a solid possibility.

FILLING IN THE BLANKS

During the events of Three Words, Mulder and Scully maintained a pattern: she pulled, he pushed, she was frustrated and anxious to the point of tears, he was frustrated and fearful to the point of honorable death. Neither wanted to push or pull away too far from each other, always drawing back in close proximity. Most importantly, Mulder gave her short tender or joking glances but never touched her.

The touching is important.

Usually, it's Scully who withdrew in times of crisis: not because she wanted to ice Mulder out, but because she wanted to maintain her wall of strength. Knowing that a touch from her partner will unspool it, she tried (tries) to escape emotionally tenuous situations before losing control. Mulder, however, learned to draw to her in emotional crises (Anasazi, Herrenvolk, Paper Hearts, Redux II, Emily, etc.)

That pattern contributed to Scully's bafflement and concern in Three Words: Mulder attempted to keep his trauma under wraps but gave himself away by withdrawing physically. She already sensed something off with him in the hospital (script here, thanks @x-files-scripts); but each successive conversation reinforced that by the unnatural space he enforced between them.

I've previously discussed at length why he stayed at a distance (post here, here, and here.) In short, Mulder was trying to keep up a facade-- his cool exterior, if you will-- so that his partner wouldn't prod or pry or urge (or send) him to professional help. Mulder's a "lash out to fix a problem instead of searching within to find the solution" kind of guy; and besides, he likely saw his situation as hopeless. Most therapists and psychologists didn't (don't) believe in aliens, let alone alien abductions; so, the only place he could find professional help would be in his circles-- where he's already a very well-known community figurehead. (While I don't think the latter was a consideration during his Three Words kneejerk, it at least points us to a possible solution post episode.)

Another problem: falling in-step with this season's useless (and often infuriating) scripts-to-screen translation-- post here for the paternity question but also script here for Mulder and Doggett's needlessly baited escape from the DOD facility-- we're not shown the gap between Three Words and Empedocles. We're left to assume Mulder and Scully had an off-screen conversation that resolved the distance between them... but I have doubts that was the case.

DID THEY OR DIDN'T THEY TALK?

It's often referenced that Mulder and Scully don't talk outside of work (ex. stated straightly in Detour and hinted slyly in Rain King.) The show leaned so far into this narrative that the only proof we have of an on-going relationship between the two in Season 7 is Scully's tie twirling, flirting, and unabashed possessiveness post Millennium and pre-all things... and even then, it might not be proof enough for some (or most) viewers.

The reality is, Mulder and Scully spent hours and hours and hours investigating, researching, and surveilling. We've seen plot relevant conversations during work hours that aren't just about work (i.e. Mulder asking Scully about her brothers in Roland), leading one to conclude that they've had very interesting and tantalizing talks when not currently occupied with a case.

Did one of those tantalizing talks happen off-screen between Three Words and Empedocles?

We have two options before us:

Mulder and Scully did talk. This would require a shift in their dynamic post Three Words; and the instigator would likely be Scully. She was already emotionally raw, growing more compromised, and stretched to her limits by the previous episode. It's not a far-fetched theory for her to have requested space or time to recover; and that shift in their wonky new routine would have off-set Mulder, and possibly pushed him out of himself and back to her. There are two hitches to this theory: it would require time to pass (not as big of a deal), and a conversation that would all too easily click them back into their touchy-feely dynamic previous to the events in Empedocles. The latter part is key: him feeling the baby in her hospital room is framed as his first time reaching out to connect with it-- and that would leave us with another question: did Mulder reach out only to Scully in the gap between Three Words and Empedocles; and if so, was she okay with that? There was no barrier or awkwardness on her side in Empedocles, so that points to a negative on the "reaching out to her but not the baby" theory (proved by her distress when he avoided the baby entirely in Three Words.) This means: to have a conversation, they would have had to reconcile without touching at all... which might (would) also further upset Scully; and, thus, disrupt her placid temperament in Empedocles. Ultimately, this theory leads to more questions than answers; but it can work, though not perfectly (depending on the viewer's interpretation.)

Mulder and Scully did not talk. This works with the lore of the show: Mulder and Scully don't generally talk, but their body language does. Moreover, it would also fit with the insanely fast-paced timeline of Season 8 (and The X-Files in general)-- Three Words happening within days, Empedocles chockfull with unacknowledged air fare and car rides, etc. On top of all that, it would also fit in with Scully's light-hearted moments in Three Words-- continually trying to draw her partner into a better outlook or mood-- and her eager openness in Deadalive, Three Words, and Empedocles. This means: it wasn't a conversation that settled Mulder and Scully-- it was Mulder who came to a resolution of sorts and showed up in repentance and reconciliation. Ultimately, I think this theory fits more with the show writers' vision of the characters; and would work seamlessly if the two episodes were fitted tightly back-to-back.

Mulder and Scully do a little of both: This idea was taken from @baronessblixen's tags; and it absolutely sounded like something those two would do. To quote: "...a combination. Mulder found more of his footing. And I think they had a conversation-- maybe just a light one-- that just touched on things because they weren't there yet." This means: Mulder and Scully got to clear the air between them without progressing too forward too fast-- which gives Mulder talking without touching leeway and hands Scully reassurance without rejection.

I, personally, pick the second theory. Mulder's actions in Empedocles--showing up at her doorstep right before her morning (or afternoon) shower, sweeping her off her feet with a present and pizza man banter, hovering until she motioned for him to feel the baby, ordering her pizza from his place in an attempt to displace the pizza man, etc.-- are completely unexpected by Scully. She answers the door, perplexed; is amazed and amused by his "the pizza man is not above suspicion" tease; "touched" by his personal package and surprise pizza delivery; and confident enough in his stability to rib him about being replaced by the pizza man in his absence. To me, these read as the actions of a woman not at all "conversated" with her partner: surprised, pleased, and overjoyed he'd come around on his own, baffled, disjointed, and silent at his about-face in proceeding episodes. Most pivotally, there seem to be no boundaries laid down between them, which leaves Scully feeling she can't command or demand he stay by her side in future episodes-- another point against conversation.

**Update**: I retract the previous paragraph slightly-- Scully and Mulder could follow in the footsteps of Empedocles for both scenario 2 and 3; and their attitude would fall a little more in line with 3's mild conversation than 2's non-communication. Everyone can pick for themselves, of course~.

Because, again, the context of their touches changes the interpretation of their reunion: is he still withdrawn, yet temporarily stepping up because of the glow of her and the baby's safety? Did he touch her previous to the gift exchange and her hospitalization? Or did he hover closer and closer with presents and banter, trying to smooth over yesterday(ish)'s events before the abruption took place?

This point will have to be picked apart more in-depth in later posts; but in the meantime, the theory is out there to analyze.

MULDER GETTIN' HIS GROOVE ON

An important aside: Mulder and Scully and his package.

The original scene (script here) reads as more exasperated on Scully's part-- "what's my crackpot partner doing here with a gift in his hand", if you will-- and more jocular and unabashed on Mulder's. It's an interesting take, and not out-of-character. The final render of that scene, however, changes what we can infer from the characters. Perhaps that's mostly due to David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson's chemistry, camaraderie, and history-- based on the note "the actors will know how to play it" (script here)-- or perhaps it didn't quite align with where Chris Carter wanted the characters to be. Either way, it's a smart change, I believe, in the unspoken aftermath of Three Words.

What is interesting is the "nice package" comment from Scully, and Mulder's shy initial misinterpretation with regards to his package. Beyond the comedy of the moment, it gives us a peek into Mulder's head: namely, that he is not dead, that he is still very aware of Scully, and that he didn't drop in and isn't hanging around strictly for pure or impersonal purposes.

Mulder usually sloughed off or was flustered by direct compliments, romantic and platonic, from other parties (i.e. Agent Henderson in Young at Heart and Cassandra Spender in Two Fathers.) His response here-- which I shall dive deeper into in a future part-- shows he truly thought Scully was complimenting with intent (propositioning, if you will); and that he was more than willing to reciprocate.

Not only that, but his misinterpretation bleeds right into his overtures for the baby. Mulder took a trip to his mother's-- meaning he still has her house, months later (another interesting thought to dig into)-- to root around in and find a suitable gift. An honorary Mulder family relic, too: another sign he saw this child as his own, despite his oft conflicting, paranoid doubts. This assumption aligns with David's astute observations of his character while filming the Revival: "William is the child that Scully had while we were together. It could be mine, it could be an alien, but I don't know. It's my child, I think. Mulder would live his life as if that was his child." Despite the doubts he voices in Essence's opening monologue, Mulder acts as if he claims the baby as his. And it's not surprising: the signs are there (covered in all of my previous meta parts) but smudged or written out by writers intent on baiting the answers as much as possible (again, post here.)

So, what does this mean?

CONCLUSION

Sometime between Three Words and Empedocles, Mulder gets enough of his act together to reflect on and tweak his behavior, schelpping up to and back from Tena Mulder's house to bear gifts for the offspring, caveman papa style. In addition to that, he lays down a few more walls; softens up; shows open, genuine interest in his child; and begins to rekindle his and his partner's relationship. Most tellingly, he touches Scully for the first time during her health scare; then for the first time with purpose after she and the baby pull through.

The question of what was said between them-- or even if there was anything said between them-- will never be answered. Knowing Mulder and Scully, the possibilities could go any way depending on one's own interpretation. Hopefully those possibilities have been fleshed out more thoroughly and reasonably in this write-up.

Thanks for reading~

Enjoy!

[bakedbakermom]

the x-files: 8x14/8x15 this is not happening/deadalive hozier: work song

[deponiaartcorner]

exactly one year apart

[appliess]

sleepy time

[sentientsky]

help

[backintimeforstuff]

Incredibly Important Update: I'm currently sitting in a pub in London and they have a bar cat named Scully 🥺❤️ (apparently there used to be a Mulder too but no longer 😥) she's so pretty !!!

[cecilysass]

Saw your Three Words tags! :DDD

I always read that scene as a sort of joke between them (which I covered in this post, but it's not necessary to read over.)

The play-by-play, according to my theory:

Langly makes his statement.

Mulder hears Langly and becomes suspicious of Scully's involvement, wondering if she'd "set him up" in a One Son do-over.

Scully keeps her face relaxed and neutral, seeking eye contact rather than breaking it-- a sign of her innocence. (Scully can't maintain eye contact if she has something to hide... which she proves, later, after Mulder calls her out for "campaigning.")

We see Mulder's face a second before he registers her uninvolvement (a little bit of panic, a little bit of betrayal)--

--but when he does, his eyes become twinkly as he tilts his head and mockingly squints at her (an unspoken tease over the baby's paternity-- the same as his expression in Empedocles.)

Scully teases him back-- raising her eyebrows and lightly quipping, "So much for playing a hunch, Mulder"-- before transitioning them to TLG's research.

I'm quite passionate about this subject; but, then again, my speculations rest on the fact Mulder already knew the baby was his but wasn't ready to face impending fatherhood. Not a rejection of the baby so much as a protective measure for them... and himself (wracked, as he was, with hidden PTSD.)

I’m with you that Mulder knew he was the father. I mean, I admit I like fanfic where he’s so out of it and confused that it takes him a moment to put it together, and I can go with some “he becomes jealous and suspicious” fanfic if he is characterized as traumatized enough to not be thinking straight.

But in my actual interpretation of the show, he knows and is just in too much numb trauma to act like we think he would right away. I have read your takes on this before, and I think you and I agree.

Now my beef with this little moment (and a few others in this arc) is that it seems written just to string along audiences, to keep them wondering if Mulder is the father, not for coherent storytelling in its own right, to stand on its own and make sense. Everything season 8 until the last possible minute had to be able to be interpreted as either (a) Mulder isn’t the father, and Scully doesn’t think he is; or (b) Mulder is the father, and Scully does think he is.

(I think this was a goofy writing decision because it meant they couldn’t fully push the plot or character implications of either interpretation. Like: If Mulder isn’t the father and Scully doesn’t think so, who tf is the father? We have no info on that. Shouldn’t Scully be worried about that all season long if she doesn’t know? Wouldn’t that be a major plot point? I would sure be worried. Or… if Scully believes Mulder IS the father and starts to have alien baby doubts, did she have an amnio and run DNA or no? Seems like she sure as fuck would have. And it turns out that was relevant. But this is all a side quibble.)

I’m trying to understand what you mean by Mulder could be suspecting Scully has discussed this with the Gunmen in advance, One Son style. You mean that he’s worried she’s trying to pin him down about his role with the baby? Like he’s a little anxious about this? It’s hard for me to get that in DD’s expression there, but maybe?

I can definitely see that maybe he is checking with her because he doesn’t know what she’s told people, or because he’s specifically surprised she hasn’t told the Gunmen. That makes sense, but I don’t know if I think that reads very clearly here. It would have more if Scully had given him a more intentional look back—she almost seems to just cast her eyes his direction—but of course they couldn’t do that, because that would confirm too much.

It sure looks like he’s confused about what Langly means, or even that he’s like, “heavens, why would I be involved in my co-worker’s pregnancy!” And of course I think they wanted it to look like that, so that they could continue the frustrating season 8 plan of making sure people could also possibly interpret this scene as Mulder not being the father. And I think this is why this scene sends people in all kinds of directions on what Mulder’s thinking is.

I do like your take, though. I can headcanon that. I probably would have written him more obviously spacey and traumatized in all of these scenes. I think you have written about wanting to see more of him dealing with this, and I agree. (I wrote a fic about this actually lol.) If Mulder had been having a more visibly difficult time, they could have had him absent-mindedly change the subject or look off in the distance or something. But I know they also wanted him to get to have the jokey, playful dynamic with the Gunmen and that the show hadn’t had that for a long time. And it is fun to see. So I get it.

If I haven’t said it before, though, I looooove these photo by photo interpretations of scenes.

[carefulfears]

amazing that mulder came back to life not through god or science or the paranormal, not through any of the universal systems of control that he spends his life pondering, but through how fiercely the people in his life loved him. loved him beyond seeming insane or questioning the limits of the world, the way that he loves everything. skinner pulled him out of the ground because he just "couldn't live with the doubt." scully shoved her way past anyone to grab onto him, to sit and hold his hand in a hospital room for days when she knows he can't feel it, to stand in a surgical bay at 8 months pregnant and try anything (the realm of "extreme possibility" is much greater now). doggett runs through a parking garage, takes the hit.

krycek says, "we all have a life in our hands. i have yours, you have mulder's, scully has her unborn child. it's who's willing to sacrifice," and offers a choice, but ultimately they all make it out alive.

ultimately, of the dozens of people that were abducted and came back, of those that died and lived again, one remained human and flesh and blood.