#scully/other

[fine-nephrit]

🥏 TXF Fic Rec #42: "Universal Invariant" by Syntax6

It’s rare to find a novel-length, all-encompassing fic set in season 1. Today’s fic is exactly that: a celebrated classic exploring a ‘what if’ scenario where Scully’s deleted live-in boyfriend, Ethan, sticks around. The story begins with Scully’s assignment to the X Files in the ‘Pilot’ and concludes with her return from abduction in ‘One Breath’.

We get to experience the M/S dynamic right from the very beginning, watching their partnership evolve from suspicion to trust, with a repressed, burgeoning attraction. In Syntax6’s skillful hands, you know what that means: lots of delicious, in-character UST.

Ethan plays a major role, adding to the emotional tangle. The ‘Other’ character is often reduced to a flat plot-device or crudely villainized, but Syntax6’s characters are always likable and sympathetic. She writes the best ‘/Other’ plot in this fandom, enhancing the journey to MSR.

It’s a lot of fun to see how the story neatly interweaves with canon episodes, a hallmark of Syntax6’s writing. What’s more, She’s best known for her case files, and there’s a strong original casefile tossed in the mix, which I enjoyed immensely. And we get another of her signature moves: a very hot, well-written sex scene with explosive intensity, placed at the perfect spot in the story. She really does it all, and makes it look effortless.

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🥏 on author's site

author: @syntax6 length: novel, 80,000+ words season: season 1, early season 2 pairing(s): M/S UST, Scully/Ethan, Mulder/Other tags: AU, episode-related, casefile, angst, Mytharc, abduction arc, jealousy, amnesia, good OCs rating: explicit/NC-17

tagging @today-in-fic

[lilydalexf]

Hi! Was thinking of Blinded by White Light and wondered if you know some other fics that are both Mulder/Other and Scully/Other that ends in MSR? Also want to thank you for your fic lists! The sheer volume of AO3 or Gossamer tends to overwhelm me and reading through your lists really helps make the choices bite size, if that makes sense

Thanks for the nice words. I'm glad my fic rec lists have been helpful!

I posted a list of fic recs with all of Mulder/Other, Scully/Other, and MSR. Have fun reading!

[egophiliac]

buckle up lads we're going BACK INTO THE BOOK

[mulderrrrrrr]

“i do not gaze at scully”

[mezzo-morte]

Mulder is charming because his jokes and jabs aren't self indulgent. He doesn't tease Scully for peer validation or to feed his ego, he does it to get a reaction from her.

I don't think his character was written to be funny, but he is funny to Scully. He's plenty attractive and gets enough attention to be obnoxious about it, but he isn't. He's an oxford graduate and could take this stance of intellectual superiority, but he doesn't.

He values Scully's opinion from day one. He listens, he checks in with her, he gages her reaction. And that's endlessly more appealing to see than an arrogant and self assured playboy male lead. He's not a romantic hero but he also is.

[graciehart]

Special Agent Fox "I do not gaze at Scully" Mulder ⤷ [2/13] ✧ Season Two

[jonathanarcher]

the x files should’ve done a gag where at the end of the episode both mulder and scully are seen writing up their reports (aka thinly veiled excuses to wax philosophically) and both are doing their monologues at the same time so it overlaps and turns into nonsense and then it cuts to skinner at his desk with his head in his hands as he tries to cut through the bullshit and figure out how they actually wrapped up the case of the mysterious knife alien

[freckleslikestars]

MSR & Hand Holding

THE X FILES (1993-2018)

[nicknelosn]

GILLIAN ANDERSON as DANA SCULLY in

THE X-FILES (1993-2018) | S01E11 ‘Eve’

[limnsaber]

Ok the main reason why Mulder’s Mulderness works (the infodumping, the ill timed dorky and raunchy jokes, etc) so well is that more than anything he wants to share them with Scully. He is always looking towards her and sharing things with her and asking her what she thinks. He makes bad jokes for her and puts on slideshow after slideshow for her— it’s not like he needs to do that for himself. And the first half of it, the foundation, is that he does like doing all of these things on his own and that’s where the genuineness comes from, yes, but he does all these things that make him him for her benefit. Because he wants to <33 I do not gaze at Scully my FOOT!

[tragicotps]

Gillian Anderson on why she kissed David first at the Emmy awards in 1997 (x)

[fine-nephrit]

🥏 TXF Fic Rec #23: "You He Did Not Fail" by extraordinarily_ordinary

Today’s fic is a novel-length casefile with a lot to love. It goes AU after the cancer arc in season 5. Scully abruptly leaves the X Files and Mulder to take a new position in LA without explaining why. Two years later, they unexpectedly meet again on a case (dun dun duuun!).

There’s intense relationship angst aplenty, featuring a lovesick, tortured-puppy Mulder, no less. The author sets the scenes with evocative California coasts that leave a lasting impression on me. The casefile is well orchestrated, with suspense driving the plot forward like a freight train. And it’s not often that a fic has an array of nicely fleshed-out OCs that you will actually care about. A keeper!

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🥏 on AO3

length: novel, 85,000+ words season: season 5 pairing(s): M/S UST to RST, Scully/Other tags: AU, casefile, angst, cancer arc, jealousy, rift, separated/reunited, kidnap/hostage, good OC(s) rating: explicit/NC-17

[tiredactivist]

nothing in the show prompted them having photoshoots like this…like this is fully them

[egophiliac]

everyone out of the way, this is the only thing I'm going to be thinking about from now on.

(okay, there is one more thing)

[ovenproofowl]

bad blood is one hell of an episode. it literally opens with mulder straight-up murdering a regular teenager via stake-through-the-heart and he and scully are like pretty sure the FBI is going to be sued and they're going to be doing some serious jail time. except both of them remember the story differently. scully's story is predictably logical and straight-forward. the killer was drugging his victims before bleeding them out, mimicking a vampire attack by wearing fake fangs (which are proven to be fake. this is crucial. this kid was wearing plastic fangs when mulder stabbed him. in the chest. with a wooden stake.) what is also crucial is that mulder was a victim of this murderer's attack and so he was tripping hard when scully intercepts the killer. mulder - whilst tripping balls - is convinced that the killer has glowing eyes and flew across the room before running out the door. and so - whilst tripping balls - he gives chase and ends up stabbing the kid through the heart with a wooden stake.

and of course this is the x files and so while scully and mulder are arguing over who gave who the hardest time in their percieved series of events, it turns out that mulder was right. the kid was a vampire and the stake didn't actually kill him. the fangs were fake because he was copying the sorts of vampires that you see in books and on tv. he was a real vampire.

and it's not just the kid. there are bunches of vampires, including the sheriff. the whole town are just. vampires. the lot of 'em. and the second they're found out, they just up and leave without a trace.

sometimes the extent to which mulder turns out to be right in this show is borderline ludicrous, it's amazing, I love it. but what was even better was that the biggest point of contention between scully and mulder's stories wasn't even the vampire thing, it was whether or not the sheriff was actually hot.

[graciehart]

how to say "I love you" in x-files [3/?] ⤷ 2.01 — "Little Green Men"

Mulder, even if George Hale only saw elves in his mind, the telescope still got built. Don't give up.