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crack_van2011-02-04 08:53 pm
bachlava.livejournal.com) wrote in crack_van2011-02-04 08:53 pm
Entry tags:
Blood and Breath by RivkaT (NC-17)
Fandom: THE X-FILES
Pairing: Scully/Skinner, Mulder/Scully
Length: ~23,000 words
Author on LJ:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
rivkat
Author Website: In addition to the fic tag at her LJ and her Dreamwidth account, there's a Gossamer page, a slot at AO3, and a personal archive.
Why this must be read: In general, I'm wary of fics that are case files or similarly long and plot-intensive, simply because it can be so hard to pull off well. This is one of a couple of exceptions that I'll be recommending this month. The plot is not exactly like one that might occur in canon; it's both a little darker and a little brighter.
And it's the plot itself that's a big part of the draw. "Blood and Breath" is a post-"Gethsemane" fic; in it, Scully really does believe that Mulder has committed suicide, and she works through the immediate aftermath of that only to go on what's effectively a suicide mission of her own, preferring to die fighting rather than of her cancer. Needless to say, things go pear-shaped, leading Mulder et al. to their own erroneous conclusions, and what follows is one of the best myth-arc fics I've ever encountered. The writing is strong, the characterizations are spot-on, and the brutality that the characters confront, like its consequences for them, is neither glossed over nor pushed over the line into character torture. It's also a story that does a satisfying, subtle job of dealing with the moral and emotional implications of the situations that it presents, without losing a sense of hope. Additional props are due for an excellent supporting cast as well.
August 1998
He never brought flowers to Scully's grave. It seemed inconsistent with their relationship. He only visited when he was feeling good, so that he could avoid entering a downward spiral.
Today, he felt like talking.
"I almost brought you a card this time," he told the gravestone.
Though the body they'd eventually recovered had been little more than a handful of bone ash and a blob of gold from what had once been her necklace, she'd still received a full formal burial. Bill and Charlie hadn't even disputed his right, along with Skinner, to be a pallbearer. If he thought about it, he could still remember the weight on his shoulder, the ribbed texture of the gold-toned handles. Sometimes when he stood up it was on him like a phantom burden.
Read the whole thing on AO3, RivkaT, or Gossamer, and do leave feedback if you get the chance!
Pairing: Scully/Skinner, Mulder/Scully
Length: ~23,000 words
Author on LJ:
rivkatAuthor Website: In addition to the fic tag at her LJ and her Dreamwidth account, there's a Gossamer page, a slot at AO3, and a personal archive.
Why this must be read: In general, I'm wary of fics that are case files or similarly long and plot-intensive, simply because it can be so hard to pull off well. This is one of a couple of exceptions that I'll be recommending this month. The plot is not exactly like one that might occur in canon; it's both a little darker and a little brighter.
And it's the plot itself that's a big part of the draw. "Blood and Breath" is a post-"Gethsemane" fic; in it, Scully really does believe that Mulder has committed suicide, and she works through the immediate aftermath of that only to go on what's effectively a suicide mission of her own, preferring to die fighting rather than of her cancer. Needless to say, things go pear-shaped, leading Mulder et al. to their own erroneous conclusions, and what follows is one of the best myth-arc fics I've ever encountered. The writing is strong, the characterizations are spot-on, and the brutality that the characters confront, like its consequences for them, is neither glossed over nor pushed over the line into character torture. It's also a story that does a satisfying, subtle job of dealing with the moral and emotional implications of the situations that it presents, without losing a sense of hope. Additional props are due for an excellent supporting cast as well.
August 1998
He never brought flowers to Scully's grave. It seemed inconsistent with their relationship. He only visited when he was feeling good, so that he could avoid entering a downward spiral.
Today, he felt like talking.
"I almost brought you a card this time," he told the gravestone.
Though the body they'd eventually recovered had been little more than a handful of bone ash and a blob of gold from what had once been her necklace, she'd still received a full formal burial. Bill and Charlie hadn't even disputed his right, along with Skinner, to be a pallbearer. If he thought about it, he could still remember the weight on his shoulder, the ribbed texture of the gold-toned handles. Sometimes when he stood up it was on him like a phantom burden.
Read the whole thing on AO3, RivkaT, or Gossamer, and do leave feedback if you get the chance!