Character Manifesto - The X-Files - Fox Mulder
Fandom: The X-Files
Character: Fox Mulder
Pairings Included in Manifesto: Dana Scully/Fox Mulder; Phoebe Green/Fox Mulder; Diana Fowley/Fox Mulder
Blurb:
Why do I love Mulder? Well, let's see...
He doesn't care what anyone thinks. And I don't mean that in the sense that he has a knack for pissing people off (though that's certainly true). What I mean is that he has such strong convictions, that he doesn't mind saying what he believes to be the truth, even if it sounds like something out of a cheap supermarket tabloid. Sure, maybe it doesn't help him out much in the short run -- he doesn't have a lot of friends, for one thing -- but I think there's something to admire in his fearlessness about being himself, no matter how strange or "spooky" he might appear.
He's adorably quirky. I couldn't possibly list all of Mulder's quirks -- I don't want this to drag on too long, so I'll only mention a few:
~ Even though it would probably annoy me in real life, I can't help but love the way he always puts his feet up on the desk.
~ Who doesn't love those wonderfully terrible ties he wears in Season One? Well, okay, maybe a lot of people don't like those ties, and I can't say I blame them. But I think they represent what makes Mulder Mulder. Whether he's too clueless to realize how awful they are or he does realize they're a crime against fashion, but wears them anyway, I think his ties are kind of ironically awesome.
~ While his dorky sense of humour can often be eye-roll inducing, there's something almost endearing about it. He's known for his dry, sarcastic wit, but a lot of the time he just tells really stupid jokes. He says things like "I'd say the man was running on empty" after Scully tells him about someone being exsanguinated, and he's not above telling the occasional fart joke. I don't think there's anything dorkier than this:
SCULLY: What happened to the dog?
MULDER: Dog gone…. Dog gone… Doggone.
SCULLY: Yeah, I got it.
Ugh. Of course, no one ever laughs at these jokes. He might smile encouragingly at Scully, but she'll just stare blankly back at him. "Oh god," I sometimes think, "doesn't Mulder realize what a dork he is?" But you know, I kind of like his stupid jokes. It's not so much the jokes -- it's the way such simple, seemingly stupid things make him happy, and the way he wants to share that with Scully and make her happy, too.
He has a strong sense of empathy. Sure, he doesn't always do the best job of showing it, and often he seems self-centered and insensitive. But he's definitely got the capacity to be very compassionate, and in episodes like "Oubliette," he really shows this side of himself. Mulder develops a strong bond with Lucy Householder, a woman who's been traumatized by her experiences as a kidnapping victim. This scene, in particular, stands out to me:
(Mulder and Scully are watching and discussing a video of Lucy, filmed shortly after she'd been rescued)
MULDER: She’d been held in the dark so long her eyes were hypersensitive to the light. Whoever held her captive wasn’t very big on conversation, either. She’s 13 years old and can barely string two words together. It’s amazing she’s gotten anywhere in life.
SCULLY: Well, by most yardsticks, she hasn’t, Mulder.
I love how Mulder doesn't judge Lucy based on "most yardsticks" -- he takes account of her unusual circumstances and the horrors she's been through and decides it's not fair to compare her to most people, who haven't had to deal with the things she has.
He's got a fascinating mind. "Smart is sexy," Scully once said, and that's definitely true of Mulder. Yes, he's good to look at, but I think I find him more attractive because of his intelligence. While the question remains open about whether or not he actually has a photographic memory (or "eidetic memory," as fan fic writers seem to prefer), you have to admit there's something impressive about the way he seems to know just about everything. He's like a walking encyclopedia. Yes, most of his knowledge might seem useless, but as someone who's memorized every title to every X-Files episode, I have to admire the acquisition of so many unnecessary facts!
He hasn't lost his sense of wonder. Even though he becomes more and more cynical as the series progresses, he never really loses that childlike sense of awe he has about the world, the way he sees it as being wide open and full of possibilities -- extreme possibilities!
I think I'll stop there! I could certainly ramble on about Mulder forever, but I need to get to the fic recs. Before we do that, I'd like to leave you with this screencap of Mulder drawing a mustache and goatee on a picture of himself (because I think that says a lot about him):
Fic Rec #1: a weatherman to know which way the wind blows
Pairing: Dana Scully/Fox Mulder
Author: zauberer_sirin
Link: http://community.livejournal.com/42number/43400.html
Rating/Warning(s): PG 13
Why This Must Be Read: The author claims that it's a "big pile of fluff," but it's the sort of fluff I like -- and I'm not a very fluffy person. Going backwards over his memories of Scully, Mulder muses about his love for her.
Fic Rec #2 Logophilia
Pairing: Dana Scully/Fox Mulder
Author: Tinka
Link: http://x-files.bytewright.com/arcLo/Logophilia.html
Rating/Warning(s): PG
Why This Must Be Read: Because Mulder is so adorably Mulder here, trying to impress Scully with his extensive vocabulary, but discovering that they communicate better without words.
Fic Rec #3: Dead Romantic
Pairing: Phoebe Green/Fox Mulder
Author: ML
Link: http://ml.invidiosa.com/deadromantic.html
Rating/Warning(s): NC-17.
Why This Must Be Read: I didn't really think of Phoebe as more than a one-off character before reading this story, and since then I've developed a bit of a taste for Mulder/Phoebe. Mulder alternates between his trademark arrogance and vulnerability, and you can see that Phoebe drives him crazy in all senses of the phrase.
Fic Rec #4: The Carrot and the Stick
Author: Plausible Deniability
Pairing: Dana Scully/Fox Mulder
Link: http://shippers.fredfarm.com/fanfic/stories2/carrot.txt
Rating/Warning(s): NC-17
Why This Must Be Read: Because it's smut and angst... at the same time!
Fic Rec #5: The Clock Watcher
Pairing: Dana Scully/Fox Mulder
Author: Plausible Deniability
Link: http://shippers.fredfarm.com/fanfic/stories2/clockwatcher.txt
Rating/Warning(s): NC-17
Why This Must Be Read: The sequel to "The Carrot and the Stick." More angst + smut, but the angst finally gets resolved.
Fic Rec #6: Samson
Pairing: Diana Fowley/Fox Mulder
Author: aloysiavirgata
Link: http://aloysiavirgata.livejournal.com/28794.html
Rating/Warning(s): R
Why This Must Be Read: Because it portrays the complicated Mulder/Diana relationship without resorting to making Diana into a one-dimensional villain. I'm not a big fan of Diana, but I definitely think her character deserved more than she got on the series.
Fic Rec #7: Alchemy
Pairing: Dana Scully/Fox Mulder*
Author: tree
Link: http://archiveofourown.org/works/4046
Rating/Warning(s): PG-13
Why This Must Be Read: *Well, the pairing only exists in Mulder's imagination in this fic, but I wanted to include it anyway, because, well, it's an awesome fic. I think this line best sums it up: "He likes her. And he doesn't want to."
Fic Rec #8: The sunlight that leaks out of your darkness (and into my world)
Pairing: Dana Scully/Fox Mulder
Author: bayloriffic
Link: http://bayloriffic.livejournal.com/14492.html
Rating/Warning(s): PG
Why This Must Be Read: Mulder and Scully's often indefinable relationship portrayed subtly; a very nice post-Never Again fic.
Fic Rec #9: Get Up, Mulder
Pairing: Dana Scully/Fox Mulder
Author: Telsa
Link: http://www.wonderhorse.net/authorspgs/tesla/getup.txt
Rating/Warning(s): PG-13
Why This Must Be Read: Because it answers the troubling question of just how Mulder and Scully managed to get back from Antarctica in Fight the Future. And because it has Scully!Comfort and UST. Who doesn't love Scully!Comfort and UST?
Fic Rec #10: The Ineffable Aura of Planet Spooky
Pairing: Dana Scully/Fox Mulder
Author: bravenewcentury
Link: http://community.livejournal.com/penways/12189.html
Rating/Warning(s): Implied sex (the author doesn't give any rating other than that)
Why This Must Be Read: Because this recs list would not be complete without a post-'all things' fic. This is a very subtle and atmospheric story; I like the calm, relaxed feeling to it.
Character: Fox Mulder
Pairings Included in Manifesto: Dana Scully/Fox Mulder; Phoebe Green/Fox Mulder; Diana Fowley/Fox Mulder
Blurb:
Why do I love Mulder? Well, let's see...
He doesn't care what anyone thinks. And I don't mean that in the sense that he has a knack for pissing people off (though that's certainly true). What I mean is that he has such strong convictions, that he doesn't mind saying what he believes to be the truth, even if it sounds like something out of a cheap supermarket tabloid. Sure, maybe it doesn't help him out much in the short run -- he doesn't have a lot of friends, for one thing -- but I think there's something to admire in his fearlessness about being himself, no matter how strange or "spooky" he might appear.
He's adorably quirky. I couldn't possibly list all of Mulder's quirks -- I don't want this to drag on too long, so I'll only mention a few:
~ Even though it would probably annoy me in real life, I can't help but love the way he always puts his feet up on the desk.
~ Who doesn't love those wonderfully terrible ties he wears in Season One? Well, okay, maybe a lot of people don't like those ties, and I can't say I blame them. But I think they represent what makes Mulder Mulder. Whether he's too clueless to realize how awful they are or he does realize they're a crime against fashion, but wears them anyway, I think his ties are kind of ironically awesome.
~ While his dorky sense of humour can often be eye-roll inducing, there's something almost endearing about it. He's known for his dry, sarcastic wit, but a lot of the time he just tells really stupid jokes. He says things like "I'd say the man was running on empty" after Scully tells him about someone being exsanguinated, and he's not above telling the occasional fart joke. I don't think there's anything dorkier than this:
SCULLY: What happened to the dog?
MULDER: Dog gone…. Dog gone… Doggone.
SCULLY: Yeah, I got it.
Ugh. Of course, no one ever laughs at these jokes. He might smile encouragingly at Scully, but she'll just stare blankly back at him. "Oh god," I sometimes think, "doesn't Mulder realize what a dork he is?" But you know, I kind of like his stupid jokes. It's not so much the jokes -- it's the way such simple, seemingly stupid things make him happy, and the way he wants to share that with Scully and make her happy, too.
He has a strong sense of empathy. Sure, he doesn't always do the best job of showing it, and often he seems self-centered and insensitive. But he's definitely got the capacity to be very compassionate, and in episodes like "Oubliette," he really shows this side of himself. Mulder develops a strong bond with Lucy Householder, a woman who's been traumatized by her experiences as a kidnapping victim. This scene, in particular, stands out to me:
(Mulder and Scully are watching and discussing a video of Lucy, filmed shortly after she'd been rescued)
MULDER: She’d been held in the dark so long her eyes were hypersensitive to the light. Whoever held her captive wasn’t very big on conversation, either. She’s 13 years old and can barely string two words together. It’s amazing she’s gotten anywhere in life.
SCULLY: Well, by most yardsticks, she hasn’t, Mulder.
I love how Mulder doesn't judge Lucy based on "most yardsticks" -- he takes account of her unusual circumstances and the horrors she's been through and decides it's not fair to compare her to most people, who haven't had to deal with the things she has.
He's got a fascinating mind. "Smart is sexy," Scully once said, and that's definitely true of Mulder. Yes, he's good to look at, but I think I find him more attractive because of his intelligence. While the question remains open about whether or not he actually has a photographic memory (or "eidetic memory," as fan fic writers seem to prefer), you have to admit there's something impressive about the way he seems to know just about everything. He's like a walking encyclopedia. Yes, most of his knowledge might seem useless, but as someone who's memorized every title to every X-Files episode, I have to admire the acquisition of so many unnecessary facts!
He hasn't lost his sense of wonder. Even though he becomes more and more cynical as the series progresses, he never really loses that childlike sense of awe he has about the world, the way he sees it as being wide open and full of possibilities -- extreme possibilities!
I think I'll stop there! I could certainly ramble on about Mulder forever, but I need to get to the fic recs. Before we do that, I'd like to leave you with this screencap of Mulder drawing a mustache and goatee on a picture of himself (because I think that says a lot about him):
Fic Rec #1: a weatherman to know which way the wind blows
Pairing: Dana Scully/Fox Mulder
Author: zauberer_sirin
Link: http://community.livejournal.com/42number/43400.html
Rating/Warning(s): PG 13
Why This Must Be Read: The author claims that it's a "big pile of fluff," but it's the sort of fluff I like -- and I'm not a very fluffy person. Going backwards over his memories of Scully, Mulder muses about his love for her.
Fic Rec #2 Logophilia
Pairing: Dana Scully/Fox Mulder
Author: Tinka
Link: http://x-files.bytewright.com/arcLo/Logophilia.html
Rating/Warning(s): PG
Why This Must Be Read: Because Mulder is so adorably Mulder here, trying to impress Scully with his extensive vocabulary, but discovering that they communicate better without words.
Fic Rec #3: Dead Romantic
Pairing: Phoebe Green/Fox Mulder
Author: ML
Link: http://ml.invidiosa.com/deadromantic.html
Rating/Warning(s): NC-17.
Why This Must Be Read: I didn't really think of Phoebe as more than a one-off character before reading this story, and since then I've developed a bit of a taste for Mulder/Phoebe. Mulder alternates between his trademark arrogance and vulnerability, and you can see that Phoebe drives him crazy in all senses of the phrase.
Fic Rec #4: The Carrot and the Stick
Author: Plausible Deniability
Pairing: Dana Scully/Fox Mulder
Link: http://shippers.fredfarm.com/fanfic/stories2/carrot.txt
Rating/Warning(s): NC-17
Why This Must Be Read: Because it's smut and angst... at the same time!
Fic Rec #5: The Clock Watcher
Pairing: Dana Scully/Fox Mulder
Author: Plausible Deniability
Link: http://shippers.fredfarm.com/fanfic/stories2/clockwatcher.txt
Rating/Warning(s): NC-17
Why This Must Be Read: The sequel to "The Carrot and the Stick." More angst + smut, but the angst finally gets resolved.
Fic Rec #6: Samson
Pairing: Diana Fowley/Fox Mulder
Author: aloysiavirgata
Link: http://aloysiavirgata.livejournal.com/28794.html
Rating/Warning(s): R
Why This Must Be Read: Because it portrays the complicated Mulder/Diana relationship without resorting to making Diana into a one-dimensional villain. I'm not a big fan of Diana, but I definitely think her character deserved more than she got on the series.
Fic Rec #7: Alchemy
Pairing: Dana Scully/Fox Mulder*
Author: tree
Link: http://archiveofourown.org/works/4046
Rating/Warning(s): PG-13
Why This Must Be Read: *Well, the pairing only exists in Mulder's imagination in this fic, but I wanted to include it anyway, because, well, it's an awesome fic. I think this line best sums it up: "He likes her. And he doesn't want to."
Fic Rec #8: The sunlight that leaks out of your darkness (and into my world)
Pairing: Dana Scully/Fox Mulder
Author: bayloriffic
Link: http://bayloriffic.livejournal.com/14492.html
Rating/Warning(s): PG
Why This Must Be Read: Mulder and Scully's often indefinable relationship portrayed subtly; a very nice post-Never Again fic.
Fic Rec #9: Get Up, Mulder
Pairing: Dana Scully/Fox Mulder
Author: Telsa
Link: http://www.wonderhorse.net/authorspgs/tesla/getup.txt
Rating/Warning(s): PG-13
Why This Must Be Read: Because it answers the troubling question of just how Mulder and Scully managed to get back from Antarctica in Fight the Future. And because it has Scully!Comfort and UST. Who doesn't love Scully!Comfort and UST?
Fic Rec #10: The Ineffable Aura of Planet Spooky
Pairing: Dana Scully/Fox Mulder
Author: bravenewcentury
Link: http://community.livejournal.com/penways/12189.html
Rating/Warning(s): Implied sex (the author doesn't give any rating other than that)
Why This Must Be Read: Because this recs list would not be complete without a post-'all things' fic. This is a very subtle and atmospheric story; I like the calm, relaxed feeling to it.