Story 246: "Loss of Yesterday" by hesychasm

[wendelah1]

I originally ran into this story while perusing the YA author Malinda Lo's website. At one time, there had been a small section of non-fiction which she'd written in grad school, and a website devoted to Dana Scully, which had included a small archive of Scully-centric fanfic, all since deleted. Yes, Malinda Lo is/was an X-Phile. I had decided to

Comments

[notacrnflkgirl]

I am dusting off my LJ account to add my review:

Thank you for introducing me to this story. It's become one of my favorites: the subject matter, the style, the first line ("These days she wanted to write something"-wanting writing to lend solidity and sense but not being able to go through with it), the last line also about writing. The extratextual bad moon on the rise because we know what will happen in "Irresistible." We see something positive in this story that will be realized in that episode, too: the seed of Scully's decision to make an appointment with the EAP counselor.

But especially the subject matter. "It wasn't just buildings and signs that were new. It was her body, as well. … It caught at her, just like it had every day since she'd been back. It was a new thing, her face." Trying to put herself together with all of the pieces she has. Having evidence that something happened in the form of her changed body but not having details. Body as history and the half-wonder in trying to learn it. (I like Maria Nicole's "Maybe Today" for similar reasons, although this story delves deeper.)

I barely noticed the perspective shift. ?

Off to the next fanfic!

[wendelah1]

Thank for posting this comment. Sometimes I wonder if anyone out there is still reading, especially after the latest LJ fail.

Onward. I love Jintian's writing style. I think she's very underrated, especially in the current MSR dominated fandom.

Thanks for pointing out the way the story circles back to its beginning--that's one of my favorite thematic structures but it's a sophisticated one and not easy to pull off.

"But especially the subject matter."

Yes. It's the subject matter that pulled me in as well. As a physician and scientist, she would be extra-vigilant about those changes, wonder what they meant. She would need to find language to describe them, make them into facts, something she could make sense of. Something grew inside of her--something that was hers--and they stole it from her. Her conscious mind may not be able to process the violation she suffered, but her body remembers. Her body knows.

Thanks for the link to Maria Nicole's fic. I am off to read it next.