Comments | xf_book_club: Story 203: "Living with the Dreaming Body" by Punk M

amyhit in xf_book_club

Story 203: "Living with the Dreaming Body" by Punk M

Apr 20, 2012 18:12

After the considerable word count of our last fic, now seems like a good time to take a bit of a breather with a nice short read. This week's fic was recommended by lightlack. It takes place sometime not too long after the events of "Christmas Carol" and "Emily" when Mulder and Scully end up back in San Diego on a case. The fic is focused on Scully and how ( Read more... )

season 5, r, short, msr

Comments 32

lightlack April 27 2012, 20:37:38 UTC

As amyhit could tell you, I have limited patience when it comes to sifting through fanfic for the good stuff, so if something is going to hook me, it's got to hook me quickly. The line that did me in, this time? "If he called her Dana, she would go to lunch and never come back ( ... )

amyhit April 28 2012, 03:57:16 UTC

It's serious and snappy and darkly funny all at the same time.

I like this line too. It has the quality of being meta commentary (in the sense that as fans we are aware Mulder tends to call Scully Dana in moments of distress and we have our own feelings about that, which the fic is addressing) but it doesn't break the fourth wall, because it's believably something that Scully herself would actually reflect on.

Also, I have to snicker at our distinctly different readings of this line:

She knew this man, and was relieved she wouldn't have to introduce herself to him ever again. She didn't know what she'd say.

You: love! closeness! knowing people!

Me: identity crisis!

lightlack April 28 2012, 04:51:24 UTC

Heeee, I know. How typical of us, right? What I forgot to say is that I do think that the line speaks to a really deep exhaustion and -- emotional confusion? In Scully. For sure. But since I feel like Scully's default feeling for Mulder is a mixture of ruefulness/OMGWTFBBQ what am I going to do about this man, and love, not just in this story but in canon? So even if it's about her having an identity crisis, there's still an underlying affection for him in there.

I dunno. I'm a softie. :P

amyhit April 28 2012, 06:27:30 UTC

No, I think you're right that there's an emotionally positive side to this as well as a negative one, and it's really a toss up which one draws focus. I'm inclined to focus on the negative, but part of that is probably because identity crisis is basically my favorite kind of narrative tension. Well, no, maybe that's not true, but it is my favorite kind of narrative tension that doesn't thrill or inspire good feelings.