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star-wars-writing · 11 months ago

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Beyond The Script

A/N: Caught between the glitz of Hollywood and the truths of the heart 💫✨. Dive into the story of Obi-Wan and Cody, where fame meets a love that refuses to stay hidden. I've been writing this between everything else, I hope you'll like it. @codywanbingo prompt flirting.

In the luminescent heart of Los Angeles, beneath a sky awash with the glow of a thousand city lights, the premiere of "Galactic Odyssey" unfurled like a modern-day epic. The streets, alive with the buzz of anticipation, were a tapestry of Hollywood dreams woven into reality. At the center of this grand spectacle stood Obi-Wan Kenobi, a beacon of cinematic brilliance whose journey to stardom was as compelling as the characters he portrayed.

Obi-Wan's ascent to fame was a narrative marked by raw talent and serendipitous discovery. Plucked from the vibrant world of London's theater scene, his transition to the silver screen was meteoric. His performances, characterized by an intoxicating blend of intensity and nuance, rapidly earned him a place among Hollywood's elite. Yet, with this ascension came a vulnerability that those in the public eye know all too well.

The necessity for a bodyguard arose not from the usual trappings of fame, but from a singularly harrowing incident that shattered the illusion of untouchability. It was a routine evening, much like any other, when an encounter with an overenthusiastic fan escalated alarmingly. The fan, whose admiration had morphed into a dangerous obsession, managed to bypass security at a private event, confronting Obi-Wan in a manner that was both invasive and deeply unsettling.

This incident, a stark reminder of the fragility of privacy in the life of a public figure, compelled Obi-Wan's management to take decisive action. Enter Cody Fett, a man whose reputation in personal security was spoken of in tones of quiet respect. Cody, a former law enforcement officer with a career decorated in commendations, had transitioned into private security, where his skills were sought after by those in the highest echelons of society.

Cody's introduction into Obi-Wan's life was a study in contrasts. Where Obi-Wan was the embodiment of charisma and openness, Cody was a paragon of discretion and watchfulness. His demeanor spoke of a life dedicated to the protection of others, a commitment etched into every line of his focused countenance.

As the star of the evening, Obi-Wan moved with a grace that belied the complexity of his inner world. Clad in a suit that mirrored the night sky, he was the picture of effortless elegance. Yet, those who looked beyond the surface would see the traces of a man who had learned the delicate art of balancing public adoration with private vulnerability.

Cody, ever present yet unobtrusive, maintained a vigilant watch over the festivities. His sharp gaze, hidden behind a pair of subtly tinted glasses, swept over the crowd with methodical precision. He was the unseen barrier, the guardian against the unpredictable tide of fame that threatened to breach the shores of Obi-Wan's well-crafted tranquility.

As the night progressed, Obi-Wan's interactions with the press and his fans were punctuated by fleeting glances towards Cody — silent acknowledgments of gratitude and a shared understanding of the world they navigated. To the casual observer, these exchanges were mere formalities, the routine interplay between celebrity and protector. Yet, beneath this veneer of professionalism, there existed a burgeoning mutual respect, a bond forged in the crucible of public scrutiny and the shared moments away from the camera's unrelenting gaze.

In this glittering arena of stars and stories, Obi-Wan Kenobi was more than a figure of acclaim; he was a man walking a tightrope strung between the allure of fame and the need for personal sanctuary. And in Cody Fett, he had found not just a shield against the unpredictability of his world but an ally in navigating the intricate dance of a life lived in the spotlight.

Cody's presence was not merely a professional requirement; it had evolved into a vital component of Obi-Wan's existence in this high-stakes realm.

Their dynamic was nuanced, a relationship that transcended the typical boundaries of celebrity and staff. In the quiet moments away from public eyes, in the confines of a car ride or the brief respite in a dressing room, their conversations strayed from the mundane to the meaningful. Cody, a man of few words, found in Obi-Wan an unexpected confidant, someone who could understand the weight of responsibility that came with his role.

Obi-Wan, for his part, saw in Cody more than the stoic protector. He recognized a depth, a sense of honor and integrity that resonated with his own values. Their interactions, though outwardly formal, were underpinned by a mutual respect and a burgeoning camaraderie that defied the usual conventions of their respective roles.

As the premiere drew to a close, and the crowd dispersed into the night, leaving behind a trail of memories and discarded glamour, Obi-Wan and Cody retreated from the public gaze. In the solitude of the car, the barriers of celebrity and bodyguard momentarily lifted, they shared a look that acknowledged the surreal nature of their world. It was a look that spoke of trust, of a journey shared, and of a story that was still unfolding, its chapters written in the quiet moments away from the dazzling lights of fame.

In this world of shadows and spotlights, Obi-Wan Kenobi had found more than a bodyguard in Cody Fett. He had found a steadfast presence, a grounding force in the ever-shifting sands of celebrity life. And as they drove through the night, the city lights fading into the distance, there was a sense of peace, a feeling that, in this unpredictable journey, they were not alone.

***

On a balmy afternoon in Los Angeles, the set of Obi-Wan Kenobi's latest film, "The Lost Empire," buzzed with activity. Crew members scurried about, setting up for the next crucial scene. Amid this orchestrated frenzy, Obi-Wan, clad in his character's ornate costume, exuded a serene confidence. His presence was like a calm tide amidst the stormy seas of production.

Lingering at the edge of this tumult was Cody Fett, his posture an embodiment of vigilance. Dressed in a crisp suit that did little to conceal his readiness for any eventuality, Cody's eyes, sharp and discerning, surveyed the surroundings with unwavering attention. The air around him seemed cooler, his demeanor a stark contrast to the warm vibrancy of Obi-Wan.

As the director called for a break, Obi-Wan sauntered over to where Cody stood. His approach was light, almost catlike, with a grace that belied the weight of his elaborate costume.

"Keeping the world at bay, Cody?" Obi-Wan quipped, his voice laced with playful warmth as he stopped a respectable distance away.

Cody's gaze flicked to him, a small, almost imperceptible smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Just making sure the world doesn't interrupt your art," he replied, his tone even but not unkind.

Obi-Wan chuckled softly, his eyes twinkling with mirth. "My art thanks you, though I fear you might be its only admirer today." He gestured toward the bustling crew. "They only love me when I'm on mark and in character."

"I find that hard to believe," Cody said, his voice betraying a hint of amusement.

Obi-Wan leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. "Ah, but you see, you're not just anyone. You have the arduous task of watching over me. I'm sure that gives you a unique... perspective."

Cody's expression remained carefully neutral, but a faint blush crept up his neck, a subtle betrayal of the effect Obi-Wan's words had on him. He shifted his stance slightly, a physical reminder to himself to maintain professionalism.

"Part of the job," he said simply, though his eyes lingered on Obi-Wan for a moment longer than necessary.

Obi-Wan's smile broadened, sensing the slight crack in Cody's armor. "I'm grateful for it, truly. It's not every day one finds a guardian who can withstand the chaos of Hollywood with such stoic grace."

Cody cleared his throat, looking away for a moment as if checking the perimeter. "It's not as challenging as it seems," he said, returning his gaze to Obi-Wan. "You're not as high maintenance as some might think."

"Ah, so I'm low maintenance, then? I'll take that as a compliment, coming from you," Obi-Wan teased, his tone light and airy.

Cody's mouth twitched, a smile threatening to break through. "I didn't say that," he countered, but the softness in his eyes contradicted the words.

Their banter was interrupted by the director's call to resume filming. Obi-Wan gave Cody a final, lingering look, a silent thank you wrapped in a shared joke, before turning back to his world of make-believe.

As Obi-Wan walked away, Cody watched him go, the faintest of smiles still playing on his lips. For a moment, he allowed himself the luxury of being affected by Obi-Wan's charm, a brief lapse in his otherwise impenetrable facade. Then, like a mask being put back in place, his expression shifted back to one of unwavering professionalism, ready to resume his role as the silent guardian in the captivating narrative of Obi-Wan Kenobi's life.

***

As the Californian sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple, the set of "The Lost Empire" transitioned into a nocturnal realm of artificial lights and heightened emotions. In this twilight world, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Cody Fett found themselves in a moment of rare solitude, away from the prying eyes of the crew.

Leaning against a prop column, Obi-Wan watched Cody with a contemplative gaze. The bodyguard stood a few feet away, his eyes scanning the perimeter with habitual diligence. The fading light cast shadows across his face, accentuating the sharpness of his features.

"You know, Cody," Obi-Wan began, his voice breaking the silence between them, "I've always admired how you see everything and yet reveal so little."

Cody turned, his expression unreadable. "It's part of the job," he replied, his tone steady.

Obi-Wan pushed off from the column, taking a step closer. "But what about what you feel? Does the job cover that too?"

Cody's gaze faltered, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his features. "Feelings aren't a luxury I can afford in my line of work," he said, though his voice carried a hint of resignation.

Obi-Wan's expression softened. "That must be lonely," he murmured, moving closer still.

For a moment, Cody looked as if he might step back, maintain the physical distance that mirrored their professional boundaries. But he didn’t. Instead, he held Obi-Wan's gaze, a silent admission of the truth in those words.

"It can be," Cody conceded, his guard dropping ever so slightly. "But it's the life I chose."

Obi-Wan’s smile was gentle, empathetic. "And yet, here we are," he said, closing the distance between them. "Two people, chosen lives apart, finding common ground in the unlikeliest of places."

Cody looked at him, really looked at him, seeing not just the actor or the public figure, but the man beneath. "It's not just about seeing, Obi-Wan," he said quietly. "It's about understanding. And maybe that's where the lines start to blur."

The air between them was charged with an unspoken tension, a recognition of something deeper than mere professional rapport. Obi-Wan’s usual playful demeanor had given way to something more sincere, more vulnerable.

"You understand more than you let on," Obi-Wan said, his voice a mere whisper. "And that's what makes this so..."

"Complicated," Cody finished for him, the word hanging in the air like a confession.

Obi-Wan nodded, a rueful smile playing on his lips. "Complicated," he echoed.

They stood there for a moment, the world around them fading into a blur. In the eyes of the other, each saw a reflection of their own complexity, their own hidden depths. It was a connection that transcended their roles, a meeting of minds and souls on a level that neither had anticipated.

Finally, Cody stepped back, the spell breaking as he reasserted his professional demeanor. "We should get back," he said, his voice once again the bodyguard's, not the man's.

Obi-Wan's smile didn't fade, but there was a newfound respect in his eyes. "Yes, we should," he agreed, stepping back as well.

As they returned to the set, the electric buzz of production resuming around them, the moment they shared lingered like a secret, a promise of something more, something deeper than the roles they played in the public eye. It was a glimpse into a potential future, where the lines between protector and protected, between professional and personal, might one day blur into something beautiful and profound.

****

The vibrant heart of the city pulsed with life as Obi-Wan Kenobi, accompanied by Cody Fett, navigated through the bustling streets of downtown Los Angeles. They were a study in contrasts: Obi-Wan, ever the charismatic figure, moved with a casual ease that attracted glances and whispers, while Cody, the epitome of vigilance, scanned their surroundings with a practiced eye.

Their destination was a quaint bookstore nestled in a less frequented part of town, a haven for Obi-Wan away from the glitz of Hollywood. As they entered, the soft tinkle of a bell announced their arrival, contrasting starkly with the cacophony of the city outside.

Obi-Wan's demeanor shifted as he crossed the threshold, a sense of tranquility seeming to wash over him. His eyes lit up with the joy of a child as he perused the shelves, his fingers trailing over the spines of the books with reverence.

the noise of the city was replaced by the hushed reverence of a sanctuary dedicated to the written word. The air was heavy with the scent of paper and ink, an aroma that spoke of untold stories and forgotten worlds.

Obi-Wan, usually so composed and graceful under the scrutiny of the public eye, transformed as he entered this realm of books. His steps became more leisurely, his expression more reflective. It was as if each book he touched brought him a sense of peace, a connection to something beyond his life as a celebrated actor.

Cody, following at a discreet distance, observed this change with a quiet curiosity. Here, in this unassuming bookstore, he saw a side of Obi-Wan rarely revealed to the world. Away from the cameras and the lights, Obi-Wan was not the star; he was a seeker of stories, a man who found joy in the quietude of reading.

"Were you always this passionate about books?" Cody asked, breaking their comfortable silence. His voice was gentle, almost hesitant, as if afraid to intrude upon this private side of Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan looked up, his eyes bright with a passion that went beyond his on-screen personas. "Always," he replied with a soft smile. "Books were my first escape, my first love. They opened worlds to me when my own world seemed too small, too confining."

Cody nodded, taking in the earnestness in Obi-Wan's voice. "I can't say I've had the same relationship with books," he admitted. "Most of my reading has been more... functional."

"There's a book for everyone, Cody," Obi-Wan said, his tone encouraging. He reached for a novel from a nearby shelf, its cover worn from frequent handling. "Take this one, for example. It's not just a story; it's a study of the human condition, of the choices we make and the paths they lead us down."

Cody accepted the book, examining it with a newfound interest. "I suppose there's more to books than just words on a page," he mused.

"Much more," Obi-Wan agreed. "They're conversations with the past, dialogues with minds we'll never meet. They're the closest thing to magic in our world."

As they continued through the aisles, their conversation meandered from favorite genres to beloved authors. Obi-Wan spoke of the books that had shaped him, of the characters that had stayed with him long after the final page. Cody listened, offering his own insights where he could, but mostly he absorbed the world through Obi-Wan's eyes.

It was easy, in this place, to forget the roles they played in the outside world. Obi-Wan was not the celebrity, and Cody was not the bodyguard. They were just two men, sharing a moment of connection in a world built on stories.

As they left the bookstore, the spell of the quiet sanctuary was broken by the return to the bustling streets. But the conversation, the shared experience, lingered between them. For Cody, it was a glimpse into the depth of Obi-Wan's character, a reminder that beneath the façade of fame lay a man of substance and intellect.

And for Obi-Wan, it was a rare opportunity to share a piece of his true self, to connect with someone who saw him not as a star to be admired from afar, but as a person, complex and real.

***

As the afternoon sun cast its golden light over the city, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Cody Fett found themselves walking towards a sprawling park, a verdant oasis amidst the urban landscape. The park was alive with the sounds of laughter and the gentle rustle of leaves in the breeze, a stark contrast to the quietude of the bookstore they had just left.

Obi-Wan's stride was relaxed, a contented smile playing on his lips as they approached a group of people gathered under a large oak tree. These were Obi-Wan's friends, a diverse group of individuals from various walks of life, each connected by their shared affection for the man who now joined them with a warm, inclusive energy.

Cody hung back slightly, his role as a bodyguard ever-present in his mind, but his attention was drawn to the scene before him. He watched as Obi-Wan seamlessly melded into the group, his laughter mingling with theirs, his hands animated as he shared a story that had everyone leaning in, captivated.

It was a side of Obi-Wan that Cody had glimpsed only in fragments - Obi-Wan, the friend; Obi-Wan, the storyteller; Obi-Wan, the man unburdened by the weight of his public persona. Here, amidst friends, he was unguarded and genuine, his charismatic presence a natural extension of his character rather than a façade for the public.

Cody felt an unexpected twinge in his chest, a longing that was hard to define. It was a desire to know this Obi-Wan, to understand the man behind the celebrity. He realized that despite the time they had spent together, there was so much of Obi-Wan he had yet to discover, so many layers yet to be uncovered.

As the afternoon waned, Cody observed the interactions, the easy camaraderie, and the shared laughter. He noticed how Obi-Wan's eyes lit up when he spoke of his passions, how his gestures became more animated, how he listened with genuine interest to his friends’ stories. There was a warmth there, a sense of belonging, that Cody found himself inexplicably drawn to.

At one point, Obi-Wan glanced over at Cody, a silent invitation to join them. Cody hesitated, his professional instincts warring with the growing desire to step beyond the boundaries of his role. He remained where he was, a silent observer, yet that glance from Obi-Wan stayed with him, a reminder of the bridge that was slowly forming between their worlds.

As the group dispersed with the setting sun, and they made their way back through the park, Cody found himself walking beside Obi-Wan, a comfortable silence between them. It was a silence filled with unspoken words, a mutual recognition of the day's shared experiences.

Cody realized then that his role as Obi-Wan's bodyguard had evolved into something more complex. He was not just protecting a celebrity; he was safeguarding a person who had unknowingly begun to occupy a space in his thoughts, a person whose depth and authenticity had captivated him in ways he hadn't anticipated.

And as they left the tranquility of the park, returning to the reality of their lives, Cody knew that his longing was not just to know Obi-Wan better but to understand the connection that was undeniably growing between them, a connection that blurred the lines of duty and personal interest, hinting at the possibility of something deeper.

***

The world outside the airplane window was a canvas of cloud and sky, a vast expanse of blue that stretched endlessly as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Cody Fett embarked on a whirlwind promotional tour for "The Lost Empire." Seated side by side in the first-class cabin, the hum of the aircraft's engines provided a constant backdrop to their conversation, an intimate bubble amidst the anonymity of flight.

Obi-Wan, who had initially occupied himself with a book, soon found the quiet companionship of Cody more compelling than the printed words. He turned to his bodyguard, his eyes reflecting a genuine curiosity.

"Cody, we've spent so much time together, yet I realize I know very little about you," Obi-Wan said, setting his book aside. "Tell me about your family. You mentioned a brother, Rex, was it?"

Cody, who had been gazing pensively out the window, turned towards Obi-Wan. A slight smile touched his lips at the mention of his brother. "Yeah, Rex," he replied, his voice tinged with fondness. "He's the second oldest of us. I come from a pretty big family. Wolffe, Fox, Fives, Echo, Ponds... We're a lively bunch when we get together."

Obi-Wan leaned back in his seat, intrigued. "That sounds like a household full of stories. What was it like, growing up with so many siblings?"

"It was... chaotic, to say the least," Cody said, a hint of laughter in his voice. "But it taught me a lot about responsibility and looking out for each other. Rex and I, we were always particularly close. He's got this sense of humor that can lighten up even the toughest situations."

Obi-Wan's smile widened. "Sounds like he'd be your favorite, though I suspect you'd never admit it."

Cody raised an eyebrow, a playful defiance in his gaze. "A bodyguard never reveals his favorites," he joked, then sighed softly. "But yeah, Rex and I have been through a lot together. He's more than just a brother; he's a confidant."

As the conversation flowed, the barriers of their professional roles seemed to dissolve. Obi-Wan spoke of his own life, of the early days of his career, the challenges and triumphs that had shaped him. Cody listened, his usual vigilance giving way to a deeper understanding of the man he was sworn to protect.

****

As the conversation between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Cody Fett continued to unfold in the comfortable confines of the airplane, Obi-Wan felt a reciprocal curiosity about sharing his own background. The aircraft, cruising steadily above the clouds, seemed to create a detached world, a space where stories could be shared with an openness rarely afforded in their usual interactions.

"You know, Cody," Obi-Wan began, his gaze turning contemplative as he looked out the window, "hearing about your family, it makes me reflect on my own."

Cody turned his attention fully towards Obi-Wan, his expression an invitation to continue. It was a subtle shift, but one that did not go unnoticed by Obi-Wan, who appreciated the genuine interest.

"My family," Obi-Wan mused, "is a bit of a mixed tapestry. My father, Jinn, was quite renowned in his time, a name in the entertainment industry. He was part of the reason I found myself drawn to this world." He paused, a soft smile touching his lips as memories surfaced. "He had this larger-than-life persona, both on and off the screen. I grew up amidst the glamour and the storytelling, and it captivated me."

Cody nodded, understanding the gravity of such an upbringing. "Must have been quite the experience, growing up in the spotlight."

"It was," Obi-Wan agreed. "But it also had its challenges. There's a certain expectation when you're the son of someone famous. I had to carve out my own path, find my own voice in a narrative already partly written for me."

"And your siblings?" Cody inquired, intrigued by the familial dynamics.

Obi-Wan's expression softened. "Ah, my siblings. Anakin and Ahsoka. They chose a different path. Anakin, my younger brother, he has always been incredibly talented, but the limelight never appealed to him. He's more content with a quieter life, away from the cameras and the fame. Ahsoka, she's much the same. They both sought normalcy, a life unencumbered by the expectations that come with being in a public family."

Cody could sense a hint of wistfulness in Obi-Wan's tone, a subtle longing for the simplicity his siblings had found. "Do you ever envy that? Their quiet life?"

Obi-Wan considered the question for a moment, his gaze distant. "Sometimes," he admitted. "There's a certain allure to anonymity, to living a life where your choices are your own, unobserved. But then I think about the stories I've been able to tell, the characters I've brought to life, and I realize this is my path. It's complicated, intertwined with my father's legacy and my own aspirations, but it's mine."

The conversation drifted then to other topics, but the shared stories of family lingered between them, a bridge that connected their worlds. Cody, who had always viewed Obi-Wan through the lens of his profession, began to see him as a man shaped by his experiences, his family, and his choices. And Obi-Wan, in revealing these personal facets of his life, found in Cody an understanding presence, a listener who saw beyond the facade of fame.

As the flight continued, weaving its way across the sky towards their next destination, the bond between them deepened, rooted in a newfound mutual understanding and respect. They were no longer just actor and bodyguard; they were two individuals, each with their own stories and struggles, finding common ground in the shared narrative of their lives.

As the aircraft continued its journey, stitching the sky with its invisible thread, the conversation between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Cody Fett delved deeper, transitioning from the past to the future. The dim cabin lights, casting a soft glow over their seats, created an ambiance that felt removed from the rest of the world, a private cocoon where thoughts and dreams could be shared without reservation.

Obi-Wan, his gaze fixed on the blanket of stars visible through the window, broke the silence that had settled between them. "Cody, have you ever thought about the future? I mean, beyond the scope of our professions?"

Cody, who had been lost in his own contemplations, turned towards Obi-Wan. "Occasionally," he replied, his voice thoughtful. "I suppose, like anyone, I dream of finding someone to share life with. Someone to love, to cherish. But in our line of work, it's not always easy to make those connections."

Obi-Wan nodded in understanding. "It's a challenge I know all too well. In my world, it's hard to find someone who sees you for who you are, not what you represent."

There was a pause as Obi-Wan seemed to gather his thoughts. "I once had a relationship with someone I deeply cared for," he continued, his voice carrying a tinge of melancholy. "Satine. She was wonderful, vibrant, but in the end, the relationship crumbled under the weight of my public persona. She was more enamored with the fame, with the idea of being with Obi-Wan Kenobi the actor, rather than Obi-Wan the person."

Cody listened, his expression one of empathy. "That must have been hard," he said softly.

"It was," Obi-Wan admitted. "It made me realize how much I yearn for genuine connection. To be accepted and loved for who I am, not the roles I play or the accolades I receive. It's a simple desire, but in this industry, it feels like a distant dream."

Cody considered Obi-Wan's words, feeling a resonance with his own longing for authenticity in relationships. "I think, at the core, we're all searching for that," he said. "Someone who understands us, who looks beyond the surface."

The conversation then drifted to their hopes for the future. Obi-Wan spoke of his desire to find balance, to continue telling stories that moved people while also nurturing a personal life that was grounded and real. Cody talked about his aspirations for a quieter life someday, a life where the responsibilities of protection and vigilance gave way to peace and companionship.

As the hours passed, their dialogue wove a tapestry of shared aspirations and mutual understanding. The barriers of actor and bodyguard, which had once defined their interactions, now seemed inconsequential. They were simply two individuals, with their own hopes and dreams, finding solace in each other's company.

The plane began its descent, the journey nearing its end, but the journey of their friendship was just beginning. They had started this flight as acquaintances bound by circumstance, but they landed as confidants, bonded by the revelations of their shared conversation. In the quiet of the airplane cabin, high above the world, they had discovered a kinship that promised to extend beyond the parameters of their professional lives.

****

As the whirlwind promotional tour for "The Lost Empire" continued, Cody Fett found himself in a maelstrom of introspection and burgeoning emotions. The memories of their conversation aboard the ten-hour flight lingered in his mind, casting a new light on his relationship with Obi-Wan Kenobi. They had delved into the depths of their lives, sharing stories of family, dreams, and aspirations. In those hours, Cody had come to know Obi-Wan not just as a client, but as a person — complex, genuine, and unexpectedly relatable.

Now, as he escorted Obi-Wan from one interview to another, navigating through throngs of fans and media, Cody felt an unfamiliar stirring within him. It was a feeling that edged dangerously close to the boundaries of romantic affection, a territory he had never intended to explore with Obi-Wan.

The more he observed Obi-Wan — the way he addressed interviewers with eloquence, the way his eyes sparkled with passion when he spoke of his craft, the genuine warmth he showed to his fans — the more Cody found himself drawn to the man behind the celebrity façade.

During a brief interlude in their hectic schedule, as they sat in a quiet corner of a bustling café waiting for the next interview, Cody's thoughts were a tumultuous sea, struggling to reconcile his professional responsibilities with the emotions that threatened to breach the surface.

Obi-Wan, sipping his coffee, seemed to sense Cody's internal struggle. "You've been quiet today, Cody," he observed, his voice tinged with concern. "Is everything alright?"

Cody met Obi-Wan's gaze, the depth of his own conflict reflected in his eyes. "It's nothing to worry about," he replied, his voice a practiced modulation of neutrality. "Just making sure everything is in order for today."

Obi-Wan studied him for a moment, his expression thoughtful. "You know, Cody, you're more than just my bodyguard," he said softly. "You're a friend. If there's something on your mind, you can talk to me."

Cody felt a surge of appreciation for Obi-Wan's words, yet it only deepened the complexity of his emotions. "Thank you, Obi-Wan. That means a lot," he said, offering a small, genuine smile. "I'm just... adjusting to the pace of this tour."

As they moved on to the next engagement, Cody wrestled with his feelings. He knew that allowing romantic feelings to develop for Obi-Wan was a line he couldn't afford to cross. His job was to protect, to remain vigilant, and any emotional entanglement could compromise not only his professionalism but also Obi-Wan's safety.

Yet, despite his efforts to maintain an emotional distance, Cody couldn't help but notice the small things — the way Obi-Wan's laughter seemed to light up the room, the compassionate way he interacted with everyone he met, the subtle glances he shared with Cody that spoke of a connection beyond their professional roles.

Each interview, each appearance, was a reminder of the growing complexity of his feelings. Cody found himself caught in a delicate balancing act, striving to fulfill his duties while navigating the uncharted waters of his emotions.

In the quiet moments, when the lights of the interviews dimmed and the clamor of fans faded into the background, Cody reflected on the situation. He knew he had to tread carefully, to protect not only Obi-Wan but also the integrity of his own heart. The realization that he was falling for Obi-Wan was both exhilarating and terrifying, a paradox that left him uncertain of the path ahead.

As the tour continued, Cody remained the ever-present guardian, his outward demeanor unchanged. But beneath the surface, a storm of emotions raged, a silent battle between duty and desire that would shape the course of his relationship with Obi-Wan in ways he had yet to fully comprehend.

***

In the midst of the bustling promotional tour, amidst the relentless flash of cameras and the constant barrage of questions, Obi-Wan Kenobi found himself in a state of introspective reflection. The conversations he had shared with Cody Fett during their long flight had unveiled a depth and complexity to the man he had known only as his bodyguard. Now, as he engaged in interviews, his mind often wandered back to those moments, to the revelations of dreams, hopes, and the essence of their true selves that had been laid bare in the quiet of the airplane cabin.

Obi-Wan, always the consummate professional in the public eye, answered questions with his characteristic charm and wit. Yet, his attention frequently drifted to where Cody stood — vigilant, composed, a constant presence in the periphery of the limelight. Watching Cody, he noticed the subtle shift in his demeanor, the occasional distant look in his eyes that hinted at a contemplation mirroring his own.

As he spoke of his latest role, of the intricacies of his character, Obi-Wan's thoughts meandered to the complexity of his own life, to the yearnings he had confessed during their airborne conversation. He had spoken of his desire for a connection that transcended the superficial, for a relationship grounded in genuine understanding and acceptance. And now, as he observed Cody, he began to wonder if what he sought might be closer than he had ever imagined.

Between interviews, in the brief moments they had to themselves, Obi-Wan found himself engaging Cody in more personal conversation, seeking to delve deeper into the bond that had begun to form. "Cody, that book you mentioned on the flight — have you started it yet?" he would ask, or, "How do you manage to stay so composed in all this chaos?" His questions were casual, yet laden with a desire to understand more, to peel back the layers of the man who had become not just a protector but a confidant.

Cody's responses were thoughtful, often tinged with a hint of the guardedness that was a requisite of his profession. But Obi-Wan could sense the undercurrents of something more, a connection that went beyond their professional relationship. The more they spoke, the more Obi-Wan found himself drawn to Cody's quiet strength, his unwavering integrity, and the glimpses of vulnerability that he occasionally allowed to surface.

One evening, after a particularly long day of press events, as they retreated to the privacy of their hotel, Obi-Wan found himself hesitating outside Cody's room. "Thank you, Cody," he said, his voice softer than usual. "For everything. Not just for keeping me safe, but for... for the conversations, for the understanding."

Cody met his gaze, and for a moment, there was a palpable tension, a silent acknowledgment of the unspoken feelings that were beginning to stir between them. "It's more than just a job, Obi-Wan," Cody replied, his voice low. "You've made it more than that."

As Obi-Wan retreated to his own room, he felt a tumult of emotions swirling within him. The realization that his feelings for Cody were evolving into something deeper, something potentially romantic, was both exhilarating and daunting. He lay awake that night, contemplating the possibility of a connection that mirrored the authenticity and depth they had both yearned for.

The days that followed were a dance of subtle glances, of conversations laden with unspoken meaning, of a growing intimacy that defied the boundaries of actor and bodyguard. Obi-Wan found himself caught in a delicate balance, yearning to explore the burgeoning feelings he harbored for Cody, yet mindful of the complications such a relationship would entail.

As the tour progressed, Obi-Wan's perception of Cody shifted, transforming from the man who guarded him to someone who had unwittingly become the guardian of his heart. It was a revelation that promised both risk and reward, a journey into uncharted emotional territory that Obi-Wan knew he was willing to embark upon, should the opportunity arise.

****

As the world tour for "The Lost Empire" progressed, each new country providing a backdrop of diverse cultures and bustling activity, Obi-Wan Kenobi found himself increasingly drawn into the gravity of his own emotions towards Cody Fett. The awareness of something deeper, something potentially profound between them, had taken root in his mind, and he found himself contemplating the possibility of exploring these feelings further.

Obi-Wan, skilled in the art of subtlety and innuendo, began to weave a tapestry of flirtation and charm, each thread delicately directed towards Cody. It was a gradual shift, a dance of words and glances that tested the waters of their evolving relationship.

In Paris, under the romantic guise of the City of Lights, Obi-Wan's flirtation became more pronounced. As they strolled along the Seine after a day of interviews, Obi-Wan leaned in closer to Cody, his voice taking on a softer, more intimate timbre. "You know, Cody, I've always found Paris to be a city that encourages one to speak from the heart," he mused, his gaze lingering on Cody's face.

Cody, caught slightly off guard by the comment, offered a small smile. "It's a beautiful city," he replied, maintaining his composure but clearly aware of the underlying sentiment in Obi-Wan's words.

In Tokyo, amidst the neon-lit streets and the constant hum of the city, Obi-Wan's attempts at flirtation continued. During a quiet dinner, he raised his glass in a toast. "To new experiences and... unexpected friendships," he said, his eyes locked with Cody's, conveying a depth of meaning that went beyond the words.

Cody's response was a nod, his expression betraying a flicker of uncertainty, a sign that he was aware of the shifting dynamics of their relationship but perhaps unsure of how to navigate them.

As they traveled to Rome, the eternal city with its stories of passion and history, Obi-Wan found moments to subtly touch Cody's arm during conversations, to stand just a bit too close, to share looks that lingered longer than necessary. Each gesture was a delicate exploration, a question posed in the language of unspoken desire.

Cody, ever the professional, maintained his role as Obi-Wan's protector, but the increasing flirtation did not go unnoticed. He found himself in a tumult of conflicting emotions, caught between his duty and the growing attraction he felt towards Obi-Wan.

One evening, as they stood on a balcony overlooking the Roman skyline, Obi-Wan took a deep breath, the air filled with the scent of ancient stone and distant sea. "Cody, I want to be honest with you," he began, his voice low and earnest. "These past weeks, getting to know you, it's been... it's been more than I anticipated. I find myself looking forward to our conversations, to our moments together."

Cody turned to face him, his expression a mix of apprehension and something that resembled hope. "Obi-Wan, I... I'm not sure what to say," he admitted, his voice a whisper. "This isn't a line I've ever crossed, or thought to cross."

Obi-Wan reached out, placing a gentle hand on Cody's shoulder. "I understand the complexities, believe me, I do," he said softly. "I'm not asking for decisions or declarations. Just... just know that what I feel, it's real. It's not the actor, not the celebrity. It's me, Obi-Wan, and it's you, Cody, that I find myself drawn to."

The moment hung between them, a fragile bridge built on words of honesty and vulnerability. In the heart of Rome, with the city's ancient stories echoing around them, Obi-Wan and Cody stood at a crossroads, the potential of something more than just protector and protected, something deeply human and real, waiting just beyond the horizon of their professional boundaries.

***

In the midst of the bustling world tour, amidst the whirlwind of interviews and appearances, a quiet evening in Berlin offered a rare opportunity for reprieve. It was here, in the understated elegance of their hotel's private dining room, that Obi-Wan Kenobi had persuaded Cody Fett to join him for what could tentatively be called a date. The term had not been explicitly used, but the unspoken understanding hung in the air between them, charged with a mixture of anticipation and apprehension.

The dining room was a haven of tranquility, its decor a blend of modern chic and classic comfort. Soft lighting cast a warm glow over the room, creating an ambiance that was both intimate and inviting. A small table by the window, adorned with a simple yet elegant floral arrangement, awaited them, offering a view of the city's nighttime skyline.

Cody, usually so assured in his role as a protector, found himself navigating unfamiliar terrain. The decision to accept this invitation had not come easily. His profession had always demanded a strict adherence to boundaries, yet here he was, on the brink of exploring something profoundly personal with the very person he was assigned to guard. It was a step that could blur lines he had never dared to approach before, yet a part of him yearned to see where this path might lead.

As they sat down, there was a tentative quality to their interactions, a careful testing of waters that had until now remained uncharted. Obi-Wan, sensing Cody's unease, took the lead in conversation, his tone light and easy, yet tinged with an undercurrent of earnestness.

"The food here is supposed to be exceptional," he remarked, perusing the menu. "Though I must admit, my focus tonight is less on the cuisine and more on the company."

Cody offered a small smile, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. "I appreciate the invitation, Obi-Wan. It's... not often I find myself on this side of a dinner table."

Their conversation flowed naturally from there, meandering through topics both trivial and profound. They spoke of their favorite cities on the tour, of the books they were currently reading, of the small, everyday things that brought them joy. With each shared laugh, each exchanged glance, the initial awkwardness gradually dissipated, giving way to a deeper connection.

As the evening wore on, the barriers of actor and bodyguard continued to soften, revealing the individuals beneath. Obi-Wan, usually so composed in the public eye, allowed glimpses of vulnerability to show through, speaking of the loneliness that often accompanied his fame, of his longing for authentic connections.

Cody, in turn, opened up about the challenges of his profession, of the sacrifices it entailed. "I've always believed my duty was to protect others, often at the expense of my own happiness," he confessed, his voice low. "But perhaps it's time to consider that I might deserve a bit of happiness too."

Obi-Wan reached across the table, his hand hovering just shy of Cody's. "You deserve that and more, Cody," he said earnestly. "We both do. We spend so much of our lives giving to others, maybe it's time we allowed ourselves to receive something in return."

The night deepened around them, the city outside the window a tapestry of light and shadow. Inside the quiet dining room, Obi-Wan and Cody found themselves at a crossroads, teetering on the edge of a new beginning. It was a beginning fraught with uncertainty, yet brimming with the potential of something real and meaningful.

As they concluded their meal and lingered over their final glasses of wine, the conversation turned to the future, to the possibilities that lay ahead. They spoke not as actor and bodyguard, but as two individuals who had found an unexpected connection in the most unlikely of circumstances.

The evening ended with a promise, unspoken but palpably present — a promise to explore this burgeoning relationship, to see where this path might lead, regardless of the complexities it entailed. In the quiet intimacy of that dinner, Obi-Wan and Cody had taken the first tentative steps towards a future that could hold both the fulfillment of their professional roles and the joy of personal happiness.

****

As the promotional tour for "The Lost Empire" wove its way through the tapestry of cities and countries, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Cody Fett found themselves navigating the delicate intricacies of a burgeoning relationship, cloaked in the secrecy necessitated by their circumstances. The relentless scrutiny of the press and media, ever-present in the whirlwind of the tour, meant that each stolen moment, each covert glance, was a treasure, a silent acknowledgment of the growing connection between them.

In the labyrinth of hotel corridors, in the quiet corners of bustling event venues, Obi-Wan and Cody discovered opportunities to be together, however fleeting. These moments were brief and often wordless, yet each one was imbued with a significance that transcended the need for speech. A gentle touch of hands as they passed each other in a hallway, a shared look that lingered just a second too long, a soft whisper exchanged in the brief respite of an elevator ride – each was a thread in the fabric of their secret relationship.

Their conversations, once limited to professional interactions and casual banter, evolved into something deeper, more personal. They spoke in hushed tones in the backseats of cars en route to events, discussing their days, sharing thoughts and laughter, their words a private dialogue unheard by the world outside.

In the seclusion of hotel rooms, away from the prying eyes of the public, Obi-Wan and Cody allowed themselves to explore the depth of their feelings. Here, they could be themselves, unfettered by the roles they played in the public eye. Obi-Wan, the celebrated actor, shed the weight of his fame, revealing the man beneath – thoughtful, introspective, yearning for genuine connection. Cody, the steadfast protector, unveiled a warmth and vulnerability rarely seen by others, a man with dreams and desires beyond the scope of his duty.

The nights they spent together were a juxtaposition of conversation and silence, of shared laughter and contemplative stillness. In these moments, the world outside ceased to exist, reduced to a distant murmur against the immediacy of their connection.

As the tour progressed, the challenge of maintaining their secret relationship amidst the constant scrutiny became a dance of discretion and subtlety. They became adept at masking their emotions in public, presenting the façade of a purely professional relationship while concealing the truth of their deeper bond.

Yet, despite the need for secrecy, there was a joy in their clandestine meetings, a thrill in the knowledge that they had found something rare and precious in each other. The stolen glances during press conferences, the brief brushes of hands as they navigated through crowds, the quiet conversations in the shadows of the spotlight – all were testaments to the resilience of their growing love.

In the privacy of their shared experiences, Obi-Wan and Cody cultivated a relationship that was as profound as it was hidden. It was a bond forged in the unlikeliest of circumstances, a testament to the enduring power of connection in a world that often prioritized appearance over authenticity.

As the tour neared its end, the reality of returning to their regular lives loomed on the horizon. Yet, the foundation they had built in the secrecy of stolen moments had created a bond that would not be easily severed. They had embarked on a journey that had started with cautious curiosity and had blossomed into a love that defied the constraints of their public roles. In each other, they had found not

only a partner but a refuge, a haven where they could be their true selves, unmasked and unguarded.

The final leg of the tour brought them to London, a city steeped in history and elegance. It was here, amidst the blend of ancient architecture and modern vitality, that they found a moment of peace. In a secluded corner of a centuries-old park, away from the hustle of the city, they walked side by side, basking in the anonymity provided by the sprawling greenery.

"This feels like a different world," Obi-Wan remarked, his voice a low murmur as they strolled beneath the canopy of old trees. "Away from the cameras, the lights, the expectations... just us."

Cody, his hand brushing against Obi-Wan's, felt a sense of contentment that he had rarely experienced. "It's moments like these that make everything worth it," he said, his gaze meeting Obi-Wan's. "Being with you, away from it all, it's... it's something I never knew I needed."

Obi-Wan's response was a soft smile, one that spoke volumes. "Nor did I, Cody. Nor did I," he said. "I used to think my life was complete with my career, my roles. But this," he gestured between them, "what we have, it's shown me there's more to life than what's on the surface."

Their conversation meandered as they walked, touching on hopes for the future, on the possibilities that lay ahead once the tour concluded. There was an underlying current of uncertainty, a recognition of the challenges they would face in integrating their relationship into their everyday lives. Yet, there was also a sense of determination, a mutual commitment to explore the potential of their bond beyond the secrecy it currently required.

As they eventually made their way back to the hustle and bustle of the city, stepping once again into their public roles, there was a silent promise shared between them. It was a promise to navigate the complexities of their situation, to find a way to be together in a world that demanded so much of them.

***

In the heart of London, under the enigmatic cloak of a starlit sky, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Cody Fett found themselves walking the cobbled streets, the city's historic charm providing a perfect backdrop for their clandestine rendezvous. The night air was crisp, carrying the echoes of a city that had witnessed countless stories of love and longing.

As they meandered through the winding alleys, away from the prying eyes of the world they were so accustomed to, a sense of liberation enveloped them. Here, in the shadows of the age-old buildings, they allowed themselves the simple yet profound joys of a blossoming romance.

Their hands found each other's, fingers intertwining with a natural ease. The contact was electrifying, a current that ran through them, speaking of a connection that had grown deeper with each stolen moment. Obi-Wan's thumb gently caressed the back of Cody's hand, a small gesture laden with affection and promise.

"Can you believe this?" Obi-Wan whispered, his voice a blend of wonder and contentment. "In the midst of our chaotic lives, we've found this... oasis of peace with each other."

Cody, his gaze fixed on their joined hands, felt a warmth spreading through him, a sensation that was both exhilarating and comforting. "I never thought I'd find something like this," he admitted, his voice tinged with a hint of amazement. "Especially not with someone who was once just a charge under my protection."

They found a secluded bench nestled in a quiet park, the city's hustle fading into a distant hum. Sitting close, their shoulders touching, they shared their thoughts, their hopes, their dreams. Each word added another layer to their understanding of each other, each sentence a building block in the foundation of their relationship.

As they talked, Obi-Wan leaned in, his eyes reflecting the soft glow of the nearby streetlamp. "I've spent so much of my life playing roles, wearing masks," he said softly. "But with you, Cody, I can just be Obi-Wan. Just me, no pretenses."

Cody turned to face him, his expression earnest. "And I've always been the one in the background, watching over others. But with you, I'm seen. I'm not just the bodyguard; I'm Cody, and that's enough."

The air around them seemed to still, the moment hanging suspended in time. Slowly, almost tentatively, Obi-Wan closed the distance between them, his lips meeting Cody's in a kiss that was a gentle exploration, a question asked and answered in the same breath. It was a kiss that spoke of missed opportunities and past heartbreaks, of the hope and the promise of a shared future.

As they parted, there was a shared smile, a mutual recognition of the significance of what had just transpired. It was the first flush of love, the exhilarating and terrifying leap into the unknown, tempered by the understanding that they had found in each other something rare and precious.

The night deepened around them, but in their little corner of London, time seemed irrelevant. They were two souls who had traversed their own paths of challenges and triumphs, only to find in each other a kindred spirit, a chance at happiness that neither had dared to imagine.

Their conversation continued, interspersed with laughter and comfortable silences, each moment a cherished memory in the making. They talked of the future, not with trepidation, but with a quiet confidence, a belief that whatever challenges lay ahead, they would face them together.

As they eventually rose from the bench, their hands still clasped, they stepped back into the world with a new sense of purpose. They were no longer just Obi-Wan Kenobi, the actor, and Cody Fett, the bodyguard; they were two individuals united by a love that had blossomed in the most unexpected of places, a love that promised to weather the storms of their public lives and flourish in the secrecy of their private moments.

***

Back in Los Angeles, the sprawling cityscape welcomed Obi-Wan Kenobi and Cody Fett with its familiar cacophony and vibrant colors. The end of the world tour marked a return to their everyday lives, yet it also heralded the beginning of a new chapter in their relationship, one that they were both eager to explore.

In the privacy of Obi-Wan's spacious home, nestled in the hills with a breathtaking view of the city, they found their sanctuary. Here, away from the constant scrutiny of the public eye, their relationship flourished in the quiet moments of domesticity. The world outside continued its relentless pace, but within these walls, time seemed to slow, allowing them to savor the simplicity of being together.

One evening, as they sat on the terrace, watching the sun dip below the horizon in a spectacular display of oranges and purples, Obi-Wan leaned back in his chair, a contented sigh escaping his lips. "I can't remember the last time I felt this at peace," he confessed, his gaze lingering on the skyline.

Cody, sitting beside him with a glass of wine in hand, smiled softly. "It's strange, isn't it? How amidst all the chaos, we've managed to find this... this tranquility with each other."

Obi-Wan turned to look at Cody, his eyes reflecting the hues of the setting sun. "It's more than I ever hoped for," he admitted. "To have someone to come home to, someone who understands the demands of my life, yet sees beyond the actor, the celebrity... it means everything to me."

Cody reached out, his hand finding Obi-Wan's, their fingers intertwining naturally. "And for me," he said, his voice imbued with sincerity, "to be seen for who I am, not just what I do... you've given me that, Obi-Wan. You've given me a sense of belonging I didn't know I was missing."

Their conversation flowed effortlessly, a mixture of shared laughter, thoughtful discussions, and comfortable silences. They talked about their plans for the future, about the small, everyday joys they wanted to experience together. Whether it was planning a weekend getaway, deciding on a new piece of art for the living room, or simply choosing a movie to watch, every decision felt significant, every moment a step further into the life they were building together.

As night fell and the city lights began to twinkle like stars brought down to earth, they moved inside, the warmth of the house enveloping them. In the living room, with soft music playing in the background, they danced. It was a slow, gentle dance, bodies swaying in harmony, hands clasped, eyes locked. It was a dance of love, of promise, of a bond that had grown stronger with each passing day.

Later, as they lay together in the quiet of the bedroom, Obi-Wan whispered words of love and gratitude, his voice a soothing melody in the stillness. Cody, holding him close, felt a sense of completeness, a feeling that he had found his home not in a place, but in a person.

In these moments, they were just Obi-Wan and Cody, two individuals who had found in each other a love that transcended the roles they played in the outside world. It was a love that was still new, still fragile in its infancy, yet it held the promise of enduring through whatever challenges lay ahead.

Unbeknownst to them, the tranquility of these moments was a precious interlude, a calm before the storm that would soon test the strength of their relationship. But for now, they reveled in the happiness they had found, cherishing each second as a gift, a reminder of the beauty that life could offer when two hearts found their match in each other.

****

The day had begun like any other in Los Angeles, with the sun casting its golden hue over the city, promising the usual blend of hustle and tranquility. Obi-Wan Kenobi and Cody Fett, reveling in the normalcy of their shared life, decided to step out into the city, a rare opportunity to enjoy a day just like any other couple.

They walked side by side along the bustling streets, their conversation light and filled with laughter. To any onlooker, they appeared to be just two people enjoying each other's company, basking in the anonymity that the crowded city afforded them. But beneath the surface, Cody's vigilance remained ever-present, an ingrained part of him that never fully relaxed, even in his moments of happiness.

As they navigated through a particularly crowded part of the city, a sudden commotion broke out. A figure, a fan driven by obsession and blinded by a dangerous fervor, emerged from the throng. Before Cody could react, the fan lunged towards Obi-Wan, a flash of metal glinting in the sunlight.

The world seemed to slow down as Cody sprang into action, but it was too late. The fan's weapon found its mark, and Obi-Wan crumpled to the ground, a cry of pain escaping his lips. Cody, his heart pounding in his chest, tackled the assailant to the ground, neutralizing the threat with swift precision. But his focus was entirely on Obi-Wan, lying injured on the pavement.

"Obi-Wan!" Cody exclaimed, rushing to his side, his professional demeanor shattered by a wave of fear and concern. He cradled Obi-Wan's head in his lap, his hands trembling as he assessed the injury. "Stay with me, please," he pleaded, his voice laced with panic.

Obi-Wan, his face contorted in pain, managed a weak smile. "Cody," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "I'm here... I'm here."

Cody's training kicked in, and he applied pressure to the wound, trying to stem the flow of blood while his other hand fumbled for his phone to call an ambulance. His mind was a whirlwind of emotions — fear for Obi-Wan's life, guilt for not preventing the attack, and a fierce determination to keep him safe.

As they waited for the ambulance, Cody held Obi-Wan close, whispering words of reassurance, of love, of promises for the future. "You're going to be okay," he said, over and over, as if by sheer will, he could make it true.

Obi-Wan, despite the pain, reached up to touch Cody's face, a gesture of comfort, of connection. "Cody, you've always protected me," he murmured, his eyes locked with Cody's. "This... this isn't your fault."

But Cody's guilt was palpable, a heavy weight on his chest. He had sworn to protect Obi-Wan, and in his mind, he had failed not just his charge but the man he loved. The sound of approaching sirens offered a small relief, but the fear of what lay ahead, of the uncertainty of Obi-Wan's condition, clung to him like a shadow.

As the paramedics arrived and began to attend to Obi-Wan, Cody reluctantly released him, his hands stained with blood, a stark reminder of the incident. He stood back, watching as they loaded Obi-Wan into the ambulance, his heart aching with a mixture of fear and love.

****

In the sterile quietude of the hospital room, Obi-Wan Kenobi slowly drifted back to consciousness, the haze of anesthesia giving way to the stark reality of his surroundings. The room was bathed in the soft glow of the evening light, casting long shadows across the white walls. A sense of solitude enveloped him, an emptiness that was palpable in its intensity.

His eyes, heavy and clouded with pain, scanned the room, searching for a familiar presence. The expectation of finding Cody there, a steadfast guardian even in the bleakest of moments, was ingrained in him. But the chair beside his bed, usually occupied by Cody, was empty, an unspoken testament to his absence.

A flutter of confusion and worry passed through Obi-Wan's mind. His gaze fell upon the nightstand, where a single envelope lay, its presence both intriguing and ominous. With a trembling hand, he reached for it, the motion sending a ripple of pain through his body.

The envelope bore his name in Cody's handwriting, a script he had come to know well. Obi-Wan's heart throbbed with a mixture of anticipation and dread as he carefully opened it, unfolding the letter inside. The words, penned with Cody's characteristic precision, blurred before his eyes, a combination of his weakened state and the emotion that began to swell within him.

"Obi-Wan," the letter began, the words resonating with a weight that filled the room.

"I sit here writing this, struggling to find the words that can express the turmoil inside me. I have always prided myself on my duty, on my ability to protect those in my charge. But today, I failed. Not just as your bodyguard, but as the man who has come to love you more than I ever thought possible.

You once asked me if I ever thought about my own happiness. Until I met you, I didn't know what that could mean. With you, I discovered a part of myself I never knew existed. Your laughter, your kindness, your sheer brilliance in everything you do, it opened a world I was honored to be a part of.

But in that same world, I was tasked with your safety, and I failed. Seeing you hurt, knowing it was on my watch, it's a burden I cannot bear. The guilt is overwhelming, and it eclipses the love I feel, turning it into something painful, something unbearable.

I am leaving for Colorado, not because my feelings for you have changed, but because I can't face you after what happened. I can't look into your eyes and not see the hurt I failed to prevent. You deserve someone who can protect you, who can be the partner you need. I wanted to be that person, more than anything, but I fell short.

Please know that leaving you is the hardest decision I've ever had to make. You have my heart, Obi-Wan, and you always will. I only wish I could have been the man you deserved.

With all the love I have,

Cody"

Tears welled up in Obi-Wan's eyes as he read and reread the letter, each word a piercing echo of the love and pain that Cody felt. The room felt colder now, emptier than before. He clutched the letter to his chest, a physical connection to the man who had become so much more than a bodyguard to him.

In the solitude of the hospital room, with the soft beeping of the monitors as the only sound, Obi-Wan Kenobi grappled with a myriad of emotions. There was the pain from his injury, a dull, persistent reminder of the attack. There was the heartache from Cody's departure, a void that seemed to consume the space around him. But most of all, there was the overwhelming sense of loss, of a future they had dreamed of together, now shattered by the harsh realities of their lives.

The letter, with its heartfelt confession and palpable sorrow, was a testament to the depth of Cody's love, a love so profound that it chose to step away in the face of guilt and perceived failure. For Obi-Wan, it was both a balm and a wound, a reminder of what they

had shared and what they had lost. He lay there, the shadows of the room growing longer as night approached, enveloped in a grief that was as much for Cody's pain as it was for his own.

In the silence, Obi-Wan's mind replayed their moments together, the laughter, the conversations, the stolen kisses. Each memory was a sharp contrast to the present, a poignant reminder of the happiness they had found in each other's arms. He thought of Cody's smile, the way his eyes crinkled at the corners, the sound of his laughter, and the feel of his touch. Each thought was a dagger to his heart, a reminder of what could have been.

The letter, now creased from his grip, lay beside him, a physical manifestation of Cody's inner turmoil and love. Obi-Wan understood the weight of duty that Cody carried, the responsibility he felt as his protector. But he also knew the depth of their connection, the bond that had grown between them, strong and true.

As the night deepened, Obi-Wan's resolve began to form. He knew the road ahead would be difficult, filled with challenges and uncertainties. But he also knew that what he and Cody shared was rare and worth fighting for. The pain of the present, though overwhelming, could not extinguish the flame of hope for a future where they could be together, free from the shadows of guilt and duty.

In the quiet of the hospital room, Obi-Wan made a silent vow. He would heal, not just in body, but in spirit. He would reach out to Cody, bridge the distance that guilt and fear had created. For in his heart, he knew that their story was not one to end in sorrow and separation, but one that deserved a chance to continue, to flourish in the light of understanding and unconditional love.

With that thought, Obi-Wan closed his eyes, clutching the letter close, a beacon of hope in the darkness, a promise of a love that could overcome even the deepest of wounds.

***

In the weeks following the harrowing incident, Obi-Wan Kenobi found himself navigating a challenging path to recovery. The physical healing, though painful, was straightforward, a journey marked by the measured progress of regaining strength and mobility. However, the emotional recovery was a labyrinthine journey, more complex and daunting.

Each day, Obi-Wan was surrounded by the unwavering support of friends and family. His home became a revolving door of well-wishers, colleagues from the film industry, and close relatives. His younger brother, Anakin, often sat by his side, offering silent company or engaging in light-hearted banter to lift his spirits. Ahsoka, ever empathetic, brought books and music, understanding Obi-Wan's need for distractions that also soothed the soul.

Yet, in the midst of this outpouring of care and affection, there was an absence that loomed large in Obi-Wan's heart. Cody's presence, or the lack thereof, was a constant ache, a void that no amount of well-meaning attention could fill. Obi-Wan found himself glancing at the empty chair beside his bed, half-expecting to see Cody there, with his reassuring gaze and steady demeanor.

As the days turned into weeks, Obi-Wan's physical wounds began to heal, the scars a testament to his resilience. But his thoughts were incessantly drawn to Cody, to the last words they had shared, to the letter that he kept in the drawer of his nightstand, read and reread so many times that he knew it by heart.

Determined to bridge the gap that circumstance and guilt had created, Obi-Wan made a decision. As soon as he was cleared by his doctors, he would go to Colorado, to Cody's family ranch. The thought of seeing Cody again, of confronting the pain and the love that lingered between them, was both terrifying and exhilarating.

The day of the journey arrived, a crisp morning with the sky painted in hues of soft blues and gentle golds. Obi-Wan, carrying only a small bag and a heart full of hope, made his way to the airport. The drive was a blur, his mind consumed with thoughts of Cody, of what he would say, of how he would bridge the chasm that had opened between them.

Arriving in Colorado, Obi-Wan was greeted by the vast expanse of open skies and rolling hills. The Fett family ranch was nestled in the heart of this serene landscape, a place that seemed untouched by the clamor of the outside world.

As he drove up the gravel path leading to the ranch, his heart pounded with a mixture of nerves and anticipation. The ranch house came into view, a picturesque structure that spoke of warmth and home.

Stepping out of the car, Obi-Wan took a deep breath, steeling himself for the moment he had both longed for and feared. He walked up to the front door, each step a mixture of determination and trepidation.

The door opened before he could knock, and there stood Cody, his expression one of shock and confusion that quickly morphed into something more complex — a mix of pain, relief, and a love that had never waned.

"Cody," Obi-Wan began, his voice steady despite the turmoil inside. "I had to come. We need to talk, to face this together."

Cody stepped aside, allowing Obi-Wan to enter. The house was warm, the air filled with the subtle scent of pine and earth. They moved to the living room, a space that was cozy and lived-in, with comfortable furniture and family pictures adorning the walls.

As Obi-Wan Kenobi entered the living room of the Fett family ranch, the air was thick with unspoken words and emotions. Cody Fett, standing across from him, was the embodiment of internal conflict. His posture was tense, a visual representation of the turmoil that had been brewing inside him since the day of the incident.

Cody's eyes, usually so steady and assured, now flickered with a storm of emotions as he looked at Obi-Wan. The sight of Obi-Wan, still bearing the physical marks of his ordeal, was a stark reminder of the event that had haunted Cody's every waking moment.

"Obi-Wan, what are you doing here?" Cody's voice was strained, a mix of surprise and an underlying current of distress. "You shouldn't have come."

Obi-Wan, undeterred by Cody's evident turmoil, took a step closer. "I had to come, Cody. We need to face this, not run from it. We need to talk."

Cody shook his head, a gesture of denial, as he backed away slightly. "Talk? Obi-Wan, look at you. You're hurt because of me. Because I couldn't do the one thing I was supposed to do — protect you."

Obi-Wan's expression softened. "Cody, you can't blame yourself for what happened. It was an unpredictable situation. No one could have seen it coming."

But Cody's guilt was a deep-seated shadow that clouded his thoughts. "I should have seen it. I should have been faster, better. I've been going over it every day and night. The truth is, Obi-Wan, I'm not the right person for you. How can I be in a relationship with you when I can't even protect you?"

Obi-Wan reached out, trying to bridge the gap not just in space but in understanding. "Cody, being with someone isn't about being perfect. It's about being there for each other, in good times and bad. What I feel for you, it's not dependent on your ability to protect me. It's about the person you are, the heart and soul of you."

Cody's face was a canvas of pain and love, a heartbreaking picture of a man torn between his feelings and his perceived failure. "I love you, Obi-Wan. That's what makes this so hard. I love you, but every time I look at you, I'm reminded of that day, and I feel like I'm suffocating under the weight of what I could have lost."

Obi-Wan stepped closer, his voice a gentle plea. "Then let's work through that together. Don't shut me out. What we have is rare, Cody. It's worth fighting for."

The room was silent for a long moment, the tension palpable. Cody looked at Obi-Wan, his eyes searching, seeking answers in the depths of Obi-Wan's gaze. The love he felt for Obi-Wan was a force that had sustained him through the darkest of times, but it was also the source of his greatest pain.

Finally, Cody spoke, his voice barely a whisper. "I don't know if I can be what you need. The thought of failing you again..."

Obi-Wan stepped forward, closing the distance between them. "You haven't failed me, Cody. And I don't need protection; I need you. All of you, with all your doubts and fears. We'll face them together."

In that room, with the evening light fading outside, Obi-Wan and Cody stood at a crossroads of their relationship. It was a moment fraught with pain and possibility, a test of whether the love they shared could overcome the barriers of guilt and fear.

For Cody, it was a decision that meant confronting his deepest insecurities, of accepting that love was not a battlefield where one had to be invincible. And for Obi-Wan, it was

about showing Cody that his love was unconditional, that it wasn't predicated on a notion of perfection or an absence of vulnerability.

They stood there, two souls intertwined by an emotion so profound and complex, it defied the simple narratives of protector and protected. In Obi-Wan's steady gaze, Cody saw not just forgiveness, but an unwavering commitment to their future, to a life where they could share not only the joys but also the burdens.

"Cody, we're stronger together than we are apart," Obi-Wan said, his hand reaching out to gently cup Cody's cheek. "Let me be there for you, just as you've been there for me. Let's build something together, not as bodyguard and charge, but as partners, as equals."

Cody's eyes closed at the touch, a shudder running through him as he battled with his inner demons. The road ahead was fraught with uncertainty, but in Obi-Wan's touch, in his words, he found a glimmer of hope, a possibility of healing and moving forward.

Slowly, tentatively, Cody leaned into the touch, a silent acceptance of Obi-Wan's offer. "I want that," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "I want to try, for us."

In the waning light of the day, in the quiet of the room, Obi-Wan and Cody embraced, a physical manifestation of their rekindled connection. It was a moment of surrender, of acknowledging their fears and vulnerabilities, but also of recognizing the strength and resilience of their love.

As they stood there, holding each other, the challenges that lay ahead seemed less daunting, overshadowed by the certainty of their feelings for each other. It was a reaffirmation of their commitment, a promise to face the future together, with all its complexities and uncertainties.

In each other's arms, they found not just solace, but a renewed sense of purpose, a determination to forge a path where love and understanding reigned supreme, where the scars of the past were not reminders of pain, but symbols of their capacity to overcome and grow stronger in each other's embrace.

**************

"Thanks for reading! If this tale of unexpected love in the limelight touched you, reblog to share with others. Your likes, reblogs, and comments are not just appreciated, they're cherished. Here's to finding love where we least expect it 🌟💖."

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randomfoggytiger · 4 months ago

Text

React: A Late-Canon Reviler Gives the Revival a Try (My Struggle I), Part I

For David Duchovny’s birthday, I put out a poll asking Tumblr which of his projects I should watch for the first time.

The Revival won. Welp.

I then, fool that I am, put up another poll wherein I doomed myself by including an option to watch the whole thing.

And here we are.

My Struggle I.

Oh, boy.

This post will be long because I'm laying the groundwork for the rest of the series.

MY MODUS OPERANDI

I don’t care how cute or cuddly or happy or heartfelt individual MSR moments are, popcorn will be thrown if those scenes are achieved through incomplete, inane, or nonsensical plot points. Give me 1+1=2 or give me death.

The Revival is part of a whole that includes all of Seasons 1-9 and Fight the Future and I Want to Believe. As much as I prefer to distance this series from canon, the reality that it functions as a direct follow-up remains; and it needs to be judged accordingly.

And, as always, I separate the art from the artist~.

...WELP. It’s time to face my doom.

Let's go!

MY STRUGGLE IV

The intro’s… fine. Engaging, even.

I did notice, though: the last series and Fight the Future and I Want to Believe began with the same formula: glimpses from what will be an x-files case, then straight to Scully’s perspective. Usually Mulder’s narration and POV didn’t feature until the tail-end of a two or three parter, i.e. Redux or Amor Fati or… well, even then, it was juxtaposed against Scully’s.

Scully was the voice of The X-Files-- even Chris Carter noted that her report of each episode’s casefile became a motif of the show. Mulder’s narration was rare, very rare, even in episodes that were written to focus on him.

A definite and purposed choice, to be sure. Mulder as an active agent in his own story. …OR a story that focuses on Mulder’s voice instead of Scully’s.

We shall see.

The intro continues; and it’s still engaging, possibly gripping (too bad I know where this leads)... but the music got a bit LOTR there. Is that just me? Seems… mellow, orchestral, a little more fantasy than sci-fi. Am I nitpicking? Maybe.

The BIBLE references UFOs?? Lol, no. (Unless you count the objects described in Revelations-- the book, not the episode-- but even then, those are largely considered to be drones, not UFOs.)

Chris Carter, I see you.

(Note from the future: NOW I see why the Bible bit was included-- lots of heavy-handed "God means this, Scully" in order to get her on-board to join the files. Ugh.)

…They’re really doubling down on the UFO lore, huh. All of which evaporated because of global warming, I guess.

GUYS, why couldn’t this have been about life on Earth after Colonization?????

It fits with the disaster footage, it fits with Mulder’s voiceover, it fits with the character progression from Season 9 (I GUESS), it fits with a whooooooooooole ton of other factors.

I’ve never been one for wanting Colonization in canon, but it literally would have worked for this series. There wouldn't need to be a complete wipeout of humanity, maybe just a “disaster happened, but the humans are fighting back” scenario.

And that would fit with Mulder and Scully’s "breakup", PERHAPS-- they spent so much time working, trying to save the world (she in science, he on the ground or with untainted factions who coalitioned post-Colonization) that their relationship cracks would need to be actively worked through. Not broken up so much as together and repairing.

It would also help CC and co. to avoid the tempest of modern US politics and the more mainstream conspiracies that were taking hold at that time-- a broader reach to all audiences, a "bigger picture" for everyone to unite under.

(Guys, they should have let me write for this show. …I take it back, I’d have quit after three days.)

Also: The show writers spent all their brain power on this sequence and this sequence alone, didn’t they?

Obiwan Kenobi and Military Man are going on a bus somewhere.

...On closer inspection, neither man looks like anything like Obiwan Kenobi, but the nickname is staying.

We’re back to Scully at a hospital-- not unlike I Want to Believe’s opening.

Skinner called? Oh. Didn’t know he was “here” this early.

WAIT.

Wait, wait, wait.

Scully just called up Mulder like nothing’s a big deal? He answered like nothing’s a big deal? She’s smiling over his joke from the get-go?

…And we’re supposed to believe they’re seriously broken up. Which the show will insist is the case.

David and Gillian really said, “Script? What script?” and did what they wanted. I salute them.

Also, “What’s happening out there, Scully?” is a great line to point to Mulder’s continued isolation… which the series will IMMEDIATELY toss aside because he’s, apparently, not been as much of a hermit lately? (Granted, this could be a joke at his own expense because he’s no longer claimed by ~the darkness~, but…. I don’t think the writing’s gonna be that clever, I’ll be honest.)

Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh.

Fine, I admit it.

I’m loving this so far.

And that’s gonna make me even angrier later on.

“Why doesn’t he [Skinner] just call me?”

“He doesn’t know how to reach you, Mulder. I barely know myself.”

Mulder is baffled and a tinge annoyed, Scully is amused and straight shooting.

THERE IS NO HINT, BEHAVIOR, OR MANNERISM SUGGESTING THEY’VE BROKEN UP. None. At all. He’s isn’t reluctant to answer her call, isn’t sad or withdrawn, isn’t affected by anything she’s saying other than to be teasy or poky. She isn’t hesitant to call, isn’t sad or depressed, isn’t anything other than a little pleased to dangle a juicy tidbit in front of Mulder’s face.

This is gonna follow IWTB’s ping-pong writing-- they’re fun and in-character, they’re suddenly out-of-character, they’re fun and in-character, they’re suddenly out-of-character, etc. etc. etc.-- isn’t it?

(Mulder taping over his laptop’s webcam is a great touch and not something at all that I’ve done before. At all.)

“I thought you were done with UFOs-- the ‘stranglehold they put on your very existence’, I believe you put it.”

“I’m just the messenger, Mulder.”

That’s GOOD, that’s necessary writing. That’s planting the seeds of what happened between them, what led to a cooldown or a breakup or a whathaveyou. AND STILL neither character acts as if they’ve broken up: no melancholy, no sadness, no nothing.

Mulder’s timbre became a little sardonic while quoting back her words, but that doesn’t mean they’ve broken up. If anything, that points to a bicker and line-in-the-sand between them-- him bringing up UFOs at the dinner table and her reminding him to talk to someone else about it before turning the topic to how the lettuce is growing or something.

Neither actor is performing like one would if pain and trauma and heartbreak and distance were placed between them; and that really complicates things because the breakup is built on top of the aforementioned list of struggles.

Would Mulder have dug his heels in post 2012, seeing it as a sign that “the aliens” just changed their plans? Yes.

Would Scully have seen a pursuit down that rabbit hole as a waste of time? Debatable. The Truth S9 Scully wouldn’t have-- the aliens are still out there; and they cost her months of her life, months of Mulder’s abduction, months of Mulder’s death, months of Mulder’s separation, and the ultimate cost: William’s adoption and their life on the run. Post The Truth Scully would have seen this as her quest, too: she won’t give up, she says in the finale, because he won’t.

IWTB Scully, however, would- and that's a problem.

I’ve already discussed, at length, how out-of-character Scully was in I Want to Believe (posts here.) Although Mulder doesn’t escape from the same writing blunders, she is really, really scalped: of her courage, of her will, of her determination.

Whenever Scully gave up, in canon, it was only because she thought she was holding Mulder back, or when she felt Mulder had lost his faith and trust in her. That held true in Season 9-- despite the appalling writing choices there, too-- but didn’t in IWTB.

The Revival had the perfect opportunity to factory reset the writers' mistakes: portray a wiser duo who continue to fight the fight according to their strengths, like they always have before Mulder ever met Scully. (When Mulder tells Scully to set up a meeting with Skinner, he adds, “Don’t pretend I’m going alone”-- which reinforces my point.)

But I know that's not going to happen.

Scully goes without argument-- THAT’S GOOD, THAT’S GOOD CHARACTER WRITING. At this point in the game, of course she would-- they trust each other, they have for years, they’d have reached even deeper levels after going on the run for [insert math] years. All good things!

The problem: this will create a huge conflict with her actions later.

(I’m already so disappointed.)

“Uber?”/”Hitchhiking. Relax, Scully, I’m kidding” was a fun modernization of their humor, I’ll take it.

This scene is starting to highlight the distance between them, which is all well-and-good, but feels tonally different from the previous scene. As in, their two scenes were definitely filmed on different days, in different moods, and with different intents.

She’s worried about him, with tears in her eyes; he has his walls up; there’s distance, as previously noted.

“Good for you to get out of that little house every once in a while”/”Certainly was good for you” is followed up with knowing, indulgent, pleased smiles and you expect me to believe these two are seriously broken up. Nope. I’ve seen Scully sad but amused, I’ve seen Scully too sad to be amused, but these two? This moment? Nah.

Tonally dissonant-- the IWTB problem: at-ease and close one minute, at-odds and distant the next. Hoorayyyyyy....

None of this makes sense for a long-term, permanent (as Scully infers later to someone else) breakup. Nor for a short-term, semi-permanent one. Math doesn’t math.

“I’m always happy to see you,” she says, implying he's the one who permanently pulled away… which will be contradicted later this very episode.

“I’m always happy to find a reason [to leave the house],” he says, somberly.

Both of which are odd lines.

If he’s happy to leave the house to see her… why hasn’t he?

If she’s happy to see him, always, but says a relationship between them was "impossible" (which she will later), why is Scully staring at him with heart eyes, hoping he gets better so they can continue their relationship? (And mark my words, this tone underscores her interactions with him the rest of this series.)

Tad’s here. He’s... fine. He represents the overly cautious very well. At least he hasn’t gone full Alex Jones mockumentary (...yet.)

I’ve heard criticisms that Mulder and Scully don’t act like themselves in this series, but based off the few minutes I’ve seen here… I don’t agree.

The essence is the same. Truly. Scully’s got the same face that lights up the same way, Mulder’s got the same expressions and young-at-heart humor. Neither are really melancholic. Neither are David or Gillian esque.

Perhaps that will change.

(Note from the future: OH BOY. Which Mulder and Scully are we talking here-- OG Mulder and Scully? Nope. IWTB Mulder and Scully? Yep. David and Gillian? Once or twice.)

But, again, their interactions feel… wasted. Hollow. They’re supposed to be broken up, but their breakup doesn’t contribute to their interactions or the plot. They’re supposed to have suffered and are working back to each other… but they aren’t really separated, haven’t seemed to suffer (note from future: except for one scene which comes outta nowhere), and won’t collapse back together on-screen.

They’re supposed to be wiser and more mature, but they’ll still engage in a silly will-they-won’t-they while Mulder eats up the latest UFO or conspiracy slop he’s either already engaged in or debunked [insert math] years ago and Scully clings to her cowardice like a leech.

First nagging problem: Scully smiling at Tad, Scully excusing Mulder’s mannerisms when he becomes briefly jealous, Scully making nice with a conspiracy nut.

…Isn’t that Mulder’s job? Didn't she leave because conspiracies were consuming her life? Does this mean she actually does want this life back but is she playing coy or elusive because...?

Furthermore, when Mulder popped a comment off to a witness or informant in the past, Scully never excused him-- just breezed over it professionally with another question. She’s only saying “excuse him” here because she’s taken a shine to Tad. WHY, on this post-2012 global warming green Earth, WOULD SHE?

Tad says Mulder is the X-Files, Mulder says that “book is closed”... WAIT. Wait, hold up--

Pause. Stop. Rewind.

Mulder wants to believe. Actual proof is hard to come by.

Tad thinks Mulder is the X-Files.

MULDER SAYS… *ahem*... Mulder says, “I’m afraid that book is closed.” …Which means he’s no longer into UFOs or aliens, too. SO. why did Scully LEAVE.

If that’s behind him, why aren’t they together again???? Mulder didn’t know who Tad O’Malley was a minute or so ago, meaning he’s been outta the conspiracy scene for a bit. That MEANS his departure from Conspiracyville's been long enough to patch-up his obsession and ensuing depression, I guess.

But then... what about Scully??

Because Mulder wants her to come back (already subtly established in each scene), and Scully is concerned for his welfare; but Scully thinks he’s still into UFO conspiracy and hasn’t come back because of it? BUT SHE ISN’T SHOCKED WHEN HE SAYS “I’m afraid that book is closed” MEANING SHE KNOWS HE’S PUT THAT BEHIND HIM... BUT STILL HASN’T RETURNED?

And both of them aren’t acting as if they’ve broken up, anyway, except for a pointed line of dialogue here and a brief reaction there before they yeet back to the status quo.

They’ve left that behind them, Scully says, for better or worse. And Mulder latches onto that better or worse, making a pointed barb at their breakup, but…. There’s no writing glue, just suggestion and inference; and the suggestions themselves don’t add up.

Here come the bullet points.

Season 10 posits Mulder became depressed after the aliens didn’t invade in 2012-- that’s reasonable and logical, his nature is depressive when his expectations are subverted or smashed or etc.

Season 10 also posits Scully left because Mulder became too much to deal with. That’s… not logical, since her nature is to rescue and nurture, even when Mulder’s being an actual boil on her sittin’ cheeks (ala Demons, etc., etc.)

Season 10 posits Mulder’s hard to get a hold of-- despite being in the same house the FBI helicoptered to in IWTB-- and posits it might be hard for Scully to get a hold of him-- despite the fact both characters easily got in contact, knew it was each other, and even joked about the fact it’s hard to get in contact with Mulder… which means it really isn't. (The script doesn’t catch these discrepancies, of course, pretending Mulder is very hidden away at the same ol' house he'd been discovered at in 2008.)

Season 10 says Scully doesn’t want UFOs to be part of her life anymore, that it was a stranglehold… yet she came along on a conspiracy gig without question to… what? Be around Mulder? But then, why warm up to the conspiracy guy-- an embodiment of what drove her and her partner apart?

Season 10 posits Mulder chased Scully off with his conspiracy spiraling YET ALSO states he’s put that part of his life-- conspiracies, UFOs, the X-Files-- behind him. Which implies: A. Mulder’s aaaaaaall better now and B. he put that all behind him but Scully never came home and C. Scully shouldn’t know he put that all behind him if that’s what’s keeping her away; but she does know because his declaration doesn’t take her by surprise, which means she’s still driven away and concerned for him for no discernable reason.

Season 11 posits Scully didn’t leave because Mulder became too much to deal with but because she, too, had issues to deal with. This point wasn't mentioned or hinted at in the episode that introduces their breakup, which makes that line of reasoning a complete rewrite. (Whatever. I’ll judge how well that’s executed when I get there.)

It doesn’t add up.

Are we surprised.

Five seconds after this, I had to listen to a back-and-forth between Tad O’Malley and Mulder on conspiracies and Conservatives and alien beliefs and the O’Reilly Factor and….

This seems out of touch, I’m not sorry.

When this show aired, Conservatives already had their miles-long conspiracy theories. For Mulder to be ignorant of that fact while allegedly knowing exactly who and what Tad believes while also alleging….

More bullet points!

Fox “I’m afraid that book is closed” Mulder has, supposedly, been out of the conspiracy scene.

Fox “I’m afraid that book is closed” Mulder isn’t aware that not only did 2015 Conservatives believe in aliens-- despite the fact Tad is a watered-down copy-paste of Alex Jones-- but that there were also Conservative believers in the 90s (who were a fringe in their own group, but.) This was Mulder’s expertise; and his eidetic memory isn’t likely to have tossed that info because it was no longer relevant to his life.

Fox “I’m afraid that book is closed” Mulder has supposedly not been out of the conspiracy scene-- despite saying he is-- because he does know who Tad O’Malley is-- despite not knowing who he was two minutes ago.

Mulder is assuming that Conservatives “of your credentials” don’t believe in UFOs or “9/11 false-flag conspiracies” despite people from the Left, Center, and Right publicly believing those conspiracies in 2015.

Fox “I’m afraid that book is closed” Mulder is supposed to be dismantling Tad’s grift; but he (and the writers) sound uneducated and incredibly out-of-touch during this dialogue-- as if all Conservatives were still Bush-era believers. Most were suspicious of the government by this time (they helped elect a man who ran on a “drain the swamp” campaign, after all.) Mulder’s bewilderment here is old and tired, even by 2015 standards.

This writing is flashy-- long sentences, quick back-and-forths-- but poorly constructed and badly executed.

This is also the first segment where David Duchovny is peeking through Fox Mulder; where Scully is swinging wildly between absolutely-fine-with-Mulder and we’re-no-longer-together; and where we, the audience, are being force-fed that only one side of the political aisle believes in aliens-- or the Bigger Question or whatever-- on a show that wants to poke at unfounded conspiracy beliefs.

Oh, look! Scully made a Scully-face, so everything’s good now!

(UuuuuuuuUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH--)

Sveta. Aww, I like her--

“You don’t remember me.”

“No, I think I’d remember.”

WHAT WAS THAT.

Show writers, STOP with the romantic triangulation, it’s NOT. GONNA. HAPPEN. David doesn’t even TRY to make that romantic-ish. Yet you angle on Scully’s face as if she’s supposed to be out-of-the-loop and a tinge jealous.

WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, hoooooooooooooooooooold up.

Svetta was a dark-haired little girl Mulder interviewed after her first abduction, meaning she’s set up to be another Samantha.

So…………………. What’s with the murky jealousy issue, CHRIS. You wedged it in solely so Scully would feel jealous over Mulder? Y’know. Like I Want to Believe?

And I say Chris Carter because he wanted to play the breakup angle:

"We do it in an interesting way," Carter told The Hollywood Reporter. "We put some of the tension back in that was relieved by them being together. It added to the storytelling opportunities. It's something that I came up with; I had been thinking about it. There was always talk of [breaking them up] if we did another movie."

The first shot canon takes right between the eyes:

Scully being “familiar” with the “screen memories” abductees are given was a cool touch… except she’s never been given “screen memories.” The abductees in Jose Chung’s From Outer Space were given screen memories-- she was returned a blank slate. (Even Mulder didn’t have “screen memories” after his abduction.)

Scully poking Sveta about aliens taking her unborn fetuses seems a tad (heh) strong except all the alien-related pregnancies have been the result of government testing, not alien probes. So. If this scene followed canon's rules, her skepticism would be warranted.

But this skepticism is still odd.

Two seconds ago, she was making nice to Tad O’Malley in the car, and now she’s leading the questioning for Sveta. The odd icing on top of this odd cake is that Scully left because she didn’t want UFOs to have a stranglehold on her life, yet here she is leading an interview with an abductee.

Sveta: “I have alien DNA, for sure.”

Scully: “Have you had a doctor confirm that?”

Sveta: “No.”

Me, too, Mulder. Me, too.

Scully doesn’t question the alien DNA bit, so that’s good.

…I’ll bet everyone forgets she and Mulder have a bit lingering in their systems from the black oil and his brain thingy and residue from when she touched the ship and and and.

“Something you can test. Dana.”

What… what was that.

Honestly, what was that. Whatever mood David was conveying through Mulder, it didn’t match anything from any previous scenes, let alone this one.

Is he poking at Scully? Why? He’s not jealous anymore (if he even was.) The way he says it and her expression in response implies they have a tense back-and-forth going on, but they don’t. THEY DON’T.

We’re 13 minutes in and I could make another numerical list. But I won’t. Yet.

Back to not-Obiwan Kenobi and Military Man.

That alien’s stupid bad-looking.

Wait.

That’s not how canon said Roswell unfolded.

And the first alien shot on Earth was by Deep Throat’s hands-- that was his whole turning-point backstory.

CURSE YOU, LACK OF A SHOW BIBLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

(Note from the future: All of that past canon? Fake. Faked. All lies. None of that happened.)

“What have you done??” Not-Obiwan Kenobi yells… and what have they done?

Back to Scully and Sveta.

Sveta can move things with her mind-- not all the time-- but at least Scully is listening to her claims without automatically shutting them down.

But also…

“I can move things. With my mind,” should have IMMEDIATELY had a greater impact on Scully, up-close-and-personal as she was to her son’s abilities. But nope! No reaction! Of course!

Sveta “You were together but now you’re not” is asking the right questions. I don’t even mind Sveta. I’ll bet this episode’s the last time we see her, though.

Does she contribute to anything? No. But she’s nice, so.

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIT, WAIT, WAIT.

Scully diagnosed-- wait, hold up, list time.

Scully diagnosed Mulder with depression.

That killed their relationship.

…THAT killed their relationship? After everything?

The writers are going to have to explain, in detail, why that killed it.

Why does canon need to explain? Because we have a history of Scully sticking by Mulder during the worst periods of both their lives-- leaving him would have to require a very, very good reason.

And there is no indication, thus far, that Mulder’s depression drove a humungous wedge between them, forcing her to walk away. In fact, there is no indication a wedge exists between them, AT ALL-- only the odd, inconsistent word or phrase here or there that bears no weight on the plot or their ultimate decisions.

Whenever Scully left in canon, it was because she could no longer help Mulder. Season 11 will rewrite Season 10’s initial explanation but setting that aside: we’re not given any indication that she did try to help him; or that his depression was so deep and so dangerous that it drove her away.

And if it were that deep or that dangerous enough to drive her away, Scully leaving would have been the last and worst possible action she could have taken. If Mulder's mental state was in such a massive nose-dive that she couldn’t handle what he was going through, Scully-- a medical professional-- would have had him hospitalized, even temporarily against his will, because she would know (per Demons or Gethsemane or Amor Fati) that this level of depression always manifested in suicidal tendencies for her partner.

But Mulder, as per the rules laid out in this episode, never went that far in his deterioration. (Note from the future: We'll get to that.)

If he had, Skinner would have been aware of his hospitalization and wouldn’t have asked for his help; Scully would have been aware and wouldn’t have passed on the information; and Scully wouldn’t have called from the hospital with a degree of buoyancy when relaying Skinner's request to Mulder.

In short: Scully leaving = very big, very drastic measure. Mulder suffering from depression = very big, very bad consequences. Scully's nature and past actions = getting Mulder help, even if he resists at first (i.e. shooting him in the shoulder to save his life.) Mulder and Scully's partnership = unbroken, except through distrust or botched writing.

“And you have a child together.”

Wow, that wasn’t clunky at all.

SCULLY STICKS SVETA HARD WITH A NEEDLE BECAUSE SVETA MENTIONS WILLIAM, darkly saying "That's enough", SO SVETA WOULD KNOW SHE DID IT ON PURPOSE.

I’m… so disgusted. Like, eck. Urk. Awful.

Telling Sveta to back off, strongly, would be in-character; USING PAIN TO DO SO is…. So wrong on so many levels. Scully never utilized medicine to inflict pain or injury on her enemies.

Wow, this grossed me out. You know why?

Scully diagnosed Mulder with depression and left. At first glance, that seem like an out-of-character action that the writing can salvage later by this or that means.

BUT THEN, Scully inflicts pain on Sveta for mentioning William, leaving the audience with the impression that she’s vindictive.

Which then connects the dots between “vindictive” and “left Mulder when he was diagnosed with depression.”

And since we, the audience, haven’t been given a stronger reason for how Mulder’s depression got that bad or why she didn’t help him through it, we’re then left with a sour impression of Scully’s character.

The writers then try to imply Sveta was spilling out Scully’s personal secrets to prove that her powers were real, but that still doesn’t give Scully the right to abuse her power. Especially because a traumatized woman was trying any method possible to be believed.

And the fact that Sveta is also a victim of the government weaponizing science and medicine makes me even angrier at Scully.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhh, BOY, another helicopter outside the Unremarkable House, my favorite part of IWTB....

Mulder’s never seen… an alien replica vehicle.

Oh, my mistake: “No. Never. Not like that.” Covering all the bases, I see. Y’know, in case the writers FORGOT MULDER SAW ONE in SEASON 1, EPISODE 2.

OH, LOOK, he’s got his wonder face back, everything’s aaaaaaaaaaaaall better now!

Running on free energy they’ve had since the 40s, sure Jan. Whatever you say.

This just feels so old. Like. Tech we haven’t had since the 40S, GUYS, GET IT, BIG MONEY CORPOS KEPT IT FROM US. Yeah, we got it.

And the flashbacks to Not-Obiwan Kenobi just walking off with an alien corpse because Military Man didn’t… see… value in studying… it. I guess.

Scully doing “God’s work” giving kids ears because their biology neglected it.

I admit, that’s an intriguing window into her perspective of God vs. science, and how she sees a person’s biology separate from God messing them over or messing them up just because. I dig it.

(Note from the future: This will be used as a plotline club rather than a nuanced discussion of her faith.)

Mulder being the most challenging relationship she’s ever had-- “and the most impossible”-- is a weird line. Because yes, it’s true that their relationship is challenging; but her fervor at impossible is the only time in this episode we see an adversarial tendency, DESPITE My Struggle I trying to drum up moments to prove TENSIONS still LINGER (they don't.)

It’s IWTB all over again. Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh.

“Yeah. I got that impression.” Tad says, and Scully’s hurt because she thinks Mulder gave Tad that impression of her.

So. So. Wait.

Scully lied when she stated “It’s impossible” because she didn't like Tad poking into her private affairs?

But she sounded truly convinced their relationship was "impossible" while saying it.

So, she was either angry or still confused about her emotions-- which is fine, Scully's not always in-tune with her inner workings-- when Tad replied, "I got that impression."

Which explains why she was so hurt at Mulder's seeming rejection.

Because she thinks Mulder’s behavior led Tad to that conviction.

Which means CC just wants Mulder and Scully to be caught in a miscommunication fic.

Also, why is Tad so sad about this? Were they his OTP, or is he pretending to sympathize to get in Scully’s pants? Because that’d be crummy, Chris, to have her be overly nice to Tad only for him to try to twist that into an opening as the new conspiracy guy on the block.

On a lighter note, Chris Carter said Mulder and Scully could still get it in their 50s, so there’s that.

HE DID, HE DID SET SCULLY UP TO BE PURSUED BY TAD--

WHAT. WHAT. WHAT WHAT WHAT--

KNOCK IT OFF, CHRIS.

Poor Sveta. She’s gonna be butchered in this script, isn’t she?

The series is EATING up vast amounts of time with very little scale or grounding. For all I know, a day or a week could have passed.

It’s so, so badly paced.

Mulder’s investigating now, without Scully, because he noticed Sveta had a tell during the interview.

Um.

Sure, that’s a Mulder thing to do.

Oh, wait. This is the “work of men” realization.

The dialogue between Mulder’s questions and Sveta’s answers are really disjointed, as if they’re mildly talking past each other-- another aspect of IWTB I couldn’t stand.

Welp, at least it’s easy to prove they were both written by the same people.

The second shot-in-the-head for canon:

“Sveta, who took your babies?”

“Men.”

��Men? Humans? You saw their faces.”

Also, Sveta’s babies are referred to as her babies, but William-Jackson isn’t Scully’s baby despite sharing half her DNA but Emily Sim was Scully’s baby despite also only sharing half her DNA.

It’s a mess.

Well… Mulder doesn’t seem too surprised here that men were involved in her abductions (I mean, he's long since been aware the government was involved from day one, so.) It’d be really stupid if the writing made him surprised about this later, wouldn’t it?

…Wouldn’t it?

Another poorly constructed set of lines:

“I haven’t worked for them [the government] in years.”

“But you always wondered… if they were lying to you, too.”

No, he didn’t wonder-- he believed it.

A wonky way to address his old skepticisms, for sure.

JUST AFTER I NOTED THAT MULDER DIDN’T LOOK SURPRISED AT SVETA'S REVELATION, HE CALLS UP SCULLY AND MAKES A BIG DEAL ABOUT IT BEING A CONSPIRACY OF MEN.

I knew this was coming, but maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan that was so, so poorly handled.

SCULLY WAS GETTING (sort of) WINED AND DINED BY TAD O’MALLEY??????????????

I HATE IT HERE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING, WHAT IS HAPPENING, WHAT IN THE WORLD AND WHY, HOW COULD YOU BE SO EASILY FLEECED, DANA, THIS ISN’T AN ED JERSE PARALLEL BECAUSE YOU THINK MULDER DOESN’T WANT YOU, THIS IS STUPID, THIS IS THIS IS THIS IS

WHAT.

I thought Scully had dated Tad O’Malley in the past (sometime after the breakup) but this is worsefarworse.

SVETA IS THE KEY TO EVERYTHING, I’M SO TIRED.

“Mulder, where are you going?” sounds exactly like Scully, and now I’m mad Gillian didn’t use that voice for the rest of the show (voice recovery aside....)

I KNEW SKINNER WAS BEHIND GETTING THEM BACK. He just calls up Scully to call Mulder up, then just unlocks the old office when Mulder wants to get back in. 110% Skinner thought this would help his buddy Mulder. And he’s not wrong.

Wait.

Did Skinner put in more effort to save Mulder from his mental health struggles (per this My Struggle I episode) than Scully??????

Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii-- my brain is broken.

The hold on Skinner’s face while he says “Can you tell me what this is about” was way too long.

Also, don’t try to play coy with me, Skinman.

Now the camera’s zooming around and losing its “X-Files” feel by being too… modern.

Skinner telling Mulder to calm down is the only time in canon where I agree with him. Mulder’s just spouting and demanding and not really making clear sense and this is why you don't let Mulder back into his basement without Scully by his side, Skinner-- don’t you remember that lesson?

Skinner telling Mulder to calm down then saying he doesn’t take orders from him only for Mulder to say “Who do you take orders from?”, ugh.

GUYS, THIS WAS RESOLVED IN SEASON. 2. BECAUSE MULDER KNEW MEN WERE BEHIND THE CONSPIRACY SINCE SEASON 1, EPISODE 2; AND SKINNER SINCE SEASON 2, EPISODE ASCENSION.

BECAUSE SKINNER’S ALREADY HAD HIS LOYALTY TESTED AND THIS IS HURTING MY BRAIN MAKE IT END.

I’m not even 25 minutes into this, help.

“Why do you think I called you? Because I was looking out for you, because I’ve always looked out for you.” Is… is Skinner the only character who’s progressed? That’s exactly what he would do-- he’s acting sensibly, rationally, and in-character... and more mature, more veteran, than his agents.

I know the Revival is supposed to be “Mulder and Scully all grown-up” but none of their actions have been intelligent, measured, or informed by their age or life experience. It’s a farce that I hope future episodes will rectify.

“A decade of my life--” Mulder rants and kicks his poster like a toddler AND YOU KNEW ALL THIS INFORMATION FROM SEASON 1, MULDER. NONE OF THIS IS NEW. WWWWWWWWWWWWWWHAT IS THIS.

I can’t imagine how disappointed philes were when they tuned into this episode. Well... I can because of how I feel; but at least I knew, roughly, how bad it would be going in.

This is worse.

Skinner: “You’re blaming me for that?”

Mulder: “No, I’m blaming myself. I’m sure they lied to you, too.”

This isn’t a revelation, chump.

At least Skinner confirms my theory: “There hasn’t been a day since you’ve left that I haven’t reached for my phone to call you, Mulder, wishing you were still down here.”

Feral Mulder is touched.

“Since 9/11--” OH NO, WHY ARE WE GOING THERE “--this country’s taken a big turn and in a very strange direction.”

Guys. Guys. This isn’t… this… what.

“Now they police us, spy on us, and tell us that makes it safer--” CAN THE WRITERS GET OFF A SOAP BOX FOR FIVE SECONDS. Of course it isn’t safer to be unnecessarily policed or spied on, but the answer isn't just "boo, the government!" What… why… my brain’s melting, I feel it deteriorating.

This, again, feels so Bush-era. Like, whoever wrote this didn’t update their mentality.

Also, the camera shots and cuts are weird. Holding too long, zooming out at “pause and take THAT in” moments, focusing on Mulder’s phone while he silently calls up Skinner to prove a point… it’s supremely unsubtle.

Back to Tad, I don’t care. You did this to yourself, Scully, cozying up only to be used as a name drop on his show. Stupid.

Is Scully gonna be shocked she has alien DNA? She shouldn’t be.

But then again, Mulder shouldn’t be shocked this has all been a work of men, so.

She’s expecting-- no, hoping-- for a call from somebody named Mulder.

Sure, they’re broken up with hard feelings. Sure. Absolutely.

Is this old man Not-Obiwan Kenobi?

Of course.

At least Mulder seems old hat at this informant business.

But of course, he’s “not even close” to putting it all together.

Stupid.

WAIT.

The countdown was WRONG-- Mulder states it began, not ended in 2012, meaning he's believed this theory for some time. Meaning... why was he so depressed after 2012? Why are there still depression concerns in 2015?? Seriously, what's with his depression if the 2012 Colonization was allegedly the cause of it but there is no Colonization and the clock's simply been reset????

WHY WAS HE DEPRESSED IF HE RECONFIGURED THE COUNTDOWN. WHAT.

Mulder: "Not by aliens, not with aliens, but by a conspiracy of men--"

“You’re wasting my time.” Tell him, old man Not-Obiwan Kenobi!

“Ten years ago, you came to me--”

Wait, ten years ago? What, 2005? The guy showed up while Mulder was on the run? And Scully never… knew about this?

There were no aliens lighting each other on fire??????????????????? WAIT, I NEVER HEARD THIS INFORMATION.

THERE WERE NEVER ALIENS, AT ALL???????????????????? Like, AT ALL?????

The writers are saying that Scully's experience on Ruskin Dam in Season 5 was not two warring alien factions BUT TWO GROUPS OF MEN LIGHTING EACH OTHER ON FIRE, OR GIVING EVERYONE FALSE MEMORIES OF ALIENS LIGHTING EACH OTHER ON FIRE, OR...??????

hONESTLY.

Let's be real specific for a second: Chris Carter expects us to believe that the ENTIRE mytharc from the original show was ALL faked; that there were no aliens, ZERO, ZILCH; and that CSM and Deep Throat and all the others created elaborate schemes JUST to manipulate MULDER because the aliens weren't a threat from the start????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? DON’T BELIEVE YOUR LYING EYES. THEY WERE ALL MEN IN SUITS.

Like… do you realize how stupid that is? How actually, unfathomably stupid that is? It’s not just “the aliens didn’t invade because of global warming,” no, it’s “they were never a problem to begin with, we just manipulated Mulder into believing they were because… because he’s so important, I GUESS.”

Roswell’s also a smokescreen, of course.

Y’know how, during the 90s, DD thought The X-Files was a stupid sci-fi show? If he thought each mytharc plot was as bad as this one, no wonder he wanted to bail.

Oh, by the way, the global warming explanation is part of a theory: the fascist elites will dominate the world and escape from consequences into space, leading the rest of humanity to die by a globally warmed planet. The aliens weren't chased off by global warming because they were never a factor to begin with.

Wow.

I CAUGHT A CONTINUITY ERROR!

Scully shows up at his place in her uniform from yesterday, panicked, like she’d just run from Tad’s side to see what happened despite her saying over a day has passed.

Going to ignore his “What are you doing here, Scully?” because we’ve ping-ponged back to the out-of-character Mulder that the writers use when it’s time to remind everyone he and Scully are broken up.

It’s IWTB all over again, I’m so tired.

They’re talking past each other and he’s touching her shoulders now because he needs her to trust him and yadda yadda yadda.

It’s soooo, sooooo, soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo highschool, I’m sorry. This is Riverdale. This is [insert whatever teen series you want to watch.] These are teenagers masquerading as adults, for the angst.

None of this holds up, their emotions shift left and right without provocation, things just happen, and there is no strand of continuity stringing anything together.

Scully trying to talk Mulder down from further pursuit doesn’t make sense because, AGAIN, she’s the one who's always gone back to the files even when he walks away; and every time he’s given up, or wanted to, SHE'S called him back and held him accountable and kept him going.

This is the Scully from IWTB with no gumption of her own, who denies her leaps forward because of plot, plot, plot.

Guys, I’ve been religiously dosing myself with caffeine (via chocolate), but my body keeps trying to make me go to sleep because it’s so uninvested. I don't even need sleep.

“This is my life, this is, this is everything I believe in--” HOW. MANY. TIMES. Has he said this before. WHEN HAS THAT LINE EVER WORKED ON SCULLY.

But that's beside the point: "this" was no longer his life after Amor Fati, by his own choice. Closure brought him closure, but he was already spittin' walk-away talk by Requiem, chose to leave in Vienen, and insisted Scully stay gone in Alone. In Season 9, it was Scully who had to beg him into hiding to pursue the Truth or whatever; and it was Scully who brought him the case in IWTB and Scully who relayed Skinner's request and tagged along both times until she got uncomfy and decided never mind, too hard.

Y’know? This claim gets to me because it’s a lie. A lie so blatant that 90s Mulder would have thrown hands over it, a lie so baseless that it erases his declaration in the hallway:

“I don’t know if I want to do this alone. I don’t even know if I can.” And every time Mulder yells his “THIS IS MY LIFE”, he erases that part of his past, the part that willingly left the files or the big Truth or the next chase to save Scully’s life or to keep her by his side.

Chris Carter said Mulder and Scully were The X-Files post The Truth… but I guess he keeps conveniently forgetting that. More accurately, he keeps making MULDER forget that, in spite of all evidence in Mulder’s history and personality to the contrary.

It infuriates me.

“Tad O’Malley is a charming man--” get outta here.

Now Scully’s been played the fool so she’s going to think Mulder’s being toyed around with by a social media sociopath. You’re an idiot, Scully.

You’re an idiot, Mulder.

You expect us to be idiots, writers.

Here’s some ham-fisted “Fate” dialogue for you, *ahem*:

Scully: “How do you know he’s not playing you, he’s a player!” (You would know, Scully.)

Mulder: “He’s a Godsend!”

Mulder’s not a believer in God, BUT this is also supposed to refer to the God conversation Scully and Tad had in the hospital, which will inadvertently make Scully ~believe~ again.

“What are you talking about?” I’m with ya there, Scully. I’m with ya, there.

Scully’s trying to insist Mulder's on a verge of a breakdown, which… UGH.

This scene implies Mulder hasn’t had a breakdown or a break from reality YET-- Scully spends the episode constantly concerned for his health and begging him, here, to watch what where he's stepping because he’s on the verge of spiraling.

Which means he hasn't spiraled, because she's afraid of what would happen to him IF he did.

MEANING that there wasn’t an inciting factor that made her leave: no alcoholism, no outbursts, no nothing. He just became depressed, probably withdrawn, and wouldn’t change; so, she left.

Do you realize what that means, per this episode? It means Scully ANTICIPATED a breakdown and left BEFORE it happened. Then hoped he’d get better before it did.

Which breaks the established morals of her character. If she had been able to help, she would have stayed. If she hadn’t been able to help, she would have found another way to help him, even if it involved calling in a third party against his will. Instead, she withdrew and hoped he would get better BEFORE he reached a breaking point-- essentially, leaving him to an impending breakdown while hoping and praying against it.

This makes her decision to leave a mark of weak character-- not because she was a woman who left her depressed husband, but because Dana Scully, whose character we amply know, left. It checks none of the boxes she'd have to clear first before choosing to take one step out the door.

All the fic I’ve read to justify their breakup-- and make no mistake, CC wrote her to say “as your friend” intentionally-- or time apart or whathaveyou had Scully reach a breaking point. Because, of course! That's logical. But here, in canon-- in black and white-- that didn’t happen.

We, the audience, have to create a plausible scenario in our minds to justify the steps she took. Because. it. Is. not. In. canon (as per this episode.)

Now Scully’s gonna get jealous of Sveta, I’m so done. Riverdale, uuuuuuuuugh.

Mulder just lets Scully walk away because Scully thinks he wants Sveta but “Sveta is the key to everything” and if Scully wants to misunderstand that she should have more trust in him, I guess, and I NEED A RESPIRATOR.

He just says “Scully” once and lets her huff off.

TAD’S BACK, GO AWAY.

WAIT, TAD STOPS HER BEFORE SHE LEAVES.

Mulder: “I would have invited you, Scully, but I didn’t think you would come.”

That’s…

That’s….

Let’s break down this stupidity:

Scully shows up.

Mulder had Sveta in the house because he was calling her and O'Malley for a group meeting.

When Scully becomes nearly hysterical over his safety, he doesn’t reason with her, just spouts like a lunatic.

When she misreads the Sveta situation and stomps off, he lets her go with a weak, “Scully"--

--because he knew Tad was right behind her and was pulling in to stop her from leaving.

Because Tad and Sveta were invited but Scully was not.

And Scully was not invited because.

Because she might not show up.

I’m just preaching to the choir at this point, continuing on.

Scully gave in, just like that. Guess she’s not leaving, anymore.

She’s so, so… spineless. Has been since Season 9, has been a BIT since Season 8 (though that was at least justified and kept to a bare minimum.)

I’m just. So sick of passive Scully.

I HATE THOSE STINGER NOISES NOW.

It’s always, “You can't let this information out because these men work in secrecy”/”What is it?”/”You’ll see”; then stinger; then we, the audience, are immediately shown what it is.

No suspenseful build-up.

Tad: “Then why are you [Scully] here?”/”Scully: “Mulder, what are you up to?”/Mulder: *knowing look*/stinger/next scene.

KNOCK IT OFF ALREADY.

“Implanting of alien embryos”-- so Sveta’s babies weren’t her babies.

So Scully’s baby wasn’t her baby.

But Emily was her baby but William isn’t.

Sure, Jan.

In spite of this information, the Revival will paint William as their son until it doesn’t; despite, again, stating from day one that the alien babies are implanted embryos and not biological babies.

So, these two boneheads should have suspected that William wasn’t theirs, anyway.

Even though William is theirs because the CSM timeline doesn’t add up, which they would have mathed in their heads by the time little William was snuggled in their arms.

It’s all so stupid.

Why does this feel so fearmongery about the government? And I’m not going to sit here and say the government should be trusted-- it has a VERY bad history, I'm aware. But this is “my first conspiracy” level of worldbuilding.

Did the writers think it was clever to set O’Malley up as a bad actor then reveal he was a good actor, modeling him after the notorious Alex Jones only to point and jeer, “HAH, you assumed! He’s actually on Mulder’s side!”

Because that’s not genius, that’s laziness.

Scully only now decides to inform everyone Sveta has no evidence of alien DNA? So, what, she was never going to tell them unless Mulder kept being, what, crazy?

“They got to her,” says Mulder about Sveta, but Scully LITERALLY SAID she had no alien DNA, so what was Sveta supposed to believe???????? That Tad O'Malley wasn't using her for as a hoax???

Mulder ran all the way to her house, or ubered then ran, or whatever… and she’s gone, of course.

Poor Sveta.

Tad O’Malley’s Truth Site is gone, oh, noooooo.

Look, I’ll always be against censorship. But this is sending so many odd and mixed signals that it’s creating craaaaaaaaaaaaazy levels of dissonance.

Mulder wrote “Don’t Give Up” in Scully's car dust….

Riverdale.

Mulder presents the global warming = no aliens theory?

I’m so tired.

WAIT, SCULLY BELIEVES MULDER'S THEORY NOW THAT HER BOY TAD’S BEEN PULLED OFF THE NETWORK.

“We need to find her [Sveta], Mulder,” Scully insists.

Hold on, prediction time: Scully only changed her mind because this case now involves her-- i.e. only extending empathy to Christian (a boy that reminded her of William) and not to the string of missing, possibly murdered, women in IWTB.

OF COURSE. Her results for Sveta ended up being wrong AND HER OWN GENOME HAS ALIEN DNA IN IT, TOO.

You selfish, self-centered clone of Dana Scully.

Scully truly hasn’t recovered since… Season 9, let’s be real, where she told Mulder to leave then spent the whole year crying over his absence. In IWTB, she brought Mulder a case then left him when he wouldn’t stop his pursuit (to SAVE. LIVES.) And in the Revival, she called Mulder and the gang crazy until her own genome showed alien DNA.

Hate this, hate this, HATE this.

Also, yeah, she already knew she had alien DNA in the OG series, moving on.

Oh, and now they get a call from Skinner just when Scully says someone has to stop the bad guys.

OF COURSE.

Remember the God convo from earlier, guys???? GOD. FATE. SOMETHINGSOMETHINGSOMETHING.

You had ONE good idea to explore-- how Scully views God vs. the aberrations of biology-- and then just... used it as a convenient club to beat in the “God/Fate means for us to do this” instead.

“Scully, are you ready for this?”

“I don’t know there’s a choice.”

Can’t someone PLEASE just explore her faith with nuance? PLEASE?

Sveta's DEAD???????? I’M SO MAD, I liked her!

YOU FAILED HER, SCULLY.

YOU FAILED MULDER, SCULLY.

WHY DOES SCULLY HAVE TO KEEP FAILING PEOPLE????????????

Skipping the CSM scene because I don’t care, the END.

CONCLUSION

How does Scully’s mischaracterization keep reaching new lows?

How does Mulder become less wise with age?

How is Skinner the only mentally mature character here?

I’m so tired.

#txf #React #Revival #A Late-Canon Reviler Gives the Revival a Try #Revival Reviler's first-time watch through #My Struggle I #mine #first-time watch through #Part I #x-files #xfiles #the x files #Mulder #Scully #Tad O'Malley #Sveta #S10 #xf meta #thoughts

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