#or is it more of a tithonus situation

[aeide-thea]

aragorn flat on his back floating down the river hallucinating: submissive and breedable??

[curious-chaosmagiic]

i kept getting signs the past few days from Tithonus and i finally asked him what he's been trying to tell me (i've just been so busy with personal affairs yk) and pulled the ace of cups and the ten of cups and im not 100% sure what exactly he's talking about but it made me feel really good

[pennyserenade]

Below the cut is a list compiled of X-Files fanfic that I've enjoyed in the past month or so. Some of these fics (or maybe all of these fics) are ones that are probably well known by this fandom, but they are new to me. The purpose of this list is both to share my recommendations and also to have something to refer back to when my mind gets to wondering about one of them. There's nothing more heartbreaking than losing a good fic you remember vividly. Special thanks to those beyond incredible websites like X-Libris and Gossamer, as well as tumblr users with impressive fic recs such @lilydalexf, @enigmaticxbee, and @randomfoggytiger.

THE X-FILES ORIGINAL SERIES era:

SHORTER STORIES:

The Angle of the Wrist by pqlaertes (1.7k) (explicit):

season four, cancer arc. A heartbreakingly good, soft smut story where a concerned Mulder watches intently over a sick Scully, and loves her in his own ways. 

LONGER STORIES:

Inspection by IngridGradient (22k+) (explicit):

set seasons one through seven. Beginning in season one, Mulder and Scully begin to inspect one another’s bodies for ticks after certain field cases. What begins as a rather innocuous exercise gradually forms into something much different than intended. I loved this because it felt very Mulder and Scully in the way it was full of yearning and all the flirting and the loving was done so silently as to be almost deadly to the two of them. Mulder is so sappy and in love in this, too, and I adore it so much. Also it's hot! 

*Equilibrium by astronaught (currently at 14k+) (teen):

currently season one through eight. A deep look into the ever-adapting relationship of Fox Mulder and Dana Scully throughout the series, as well as the agents themselves. Begins in season one and offers insightful and moving analysis for each of the seasons. This one is truly literary and absolutely breathtaking. The author is beyond talented, offering insightful and touching analysis of these two brilliant characters in a decidedly brilliant way. I’ve re-read many of these chapters, not only because they are so good, but because I feel there’s always more to find within them. This isn’t finished yet but it is definitely worth checking out.

Overnight Sensation by Syntax6 (50k+) (explicit):

set in season six, between Tithonus and Arcadia. A peeved post One Son/Two Father’s Scully debates her future with The X-Files and Mulder. She ends up taking a case in Boston to try out another life for a size, and Mulder - being Mulder - follows her out there. Chaos ensues when past grudges (and loves) are dredged up, and a killer continues to unleash hell on the city of Boston. This is another good profiler Mulder fic and also a lovely jealousy fic. Mulder was such an ass in season six and some of Scully’s decisions in this feel a little gratifying. I wouldn’t say it was so much explicit in the case of sexual situations, but definitely in terms of the content surrounding the murders. Another to be wary of if you can’t do dark, but very, very good. This author is excellent at case file fics. 

All the Way Home by Syntax6 (48k+) (explicit):

set early season seven, a bit after The Sixth Extinction: Amor Fati. Mulder is forced down memory lane when a serial killer he tried to help catch years ago seemingly comes back -- and he wants Mulder’s attention. This one I remember being distinctively creepy. It's definitely what I would consider a case file fic and I highly recommend it (but you ought to know it does get dark and if you feel uncomfortable with say, the contents of Silence of the Lambs, you should be wary of this. If you can get through that then you should be okay, though). I love the way this writer writes Mulder and Scully, and quickly found that I’m quite attached to fics where Mulder is a profiler. It’s a different and captivating side to him and I love, love, love the way the author weaves who Mulder is into how he responds to cases such as these. Mulder is such a nuanced individual and this author always writes he and Scully with such respect and accuracy. I would not be surprised to find out they have also written X-Files episodes in real life. 

Eclipse by Diana Battis and Alanna (20k+) (explicit): 

set in season seven. Scully asks Mulder to help her conceive children and they spend the next few months fighting that battle together, close as they ever have been. This story is so heartbreakingly tender and I fear my heart won’t ever recover from reading it (especially with that ending).  

Parabiosis by Penumbra (50k+) (explicit):

set in season seven. Mulder and Scully’s relationship as it evolves during the era of season seven, with a little bit of Mummy casefile to top it off. This one was a bit hard to wrap my mind around at first, but once I got the hang of the structure, it was smooth sailing from there. The way this author writes Mulder and Scully’s evolving relationship is beautiful--almost so intimate that you feel intrusive just for reading. I couldn’t put it down. Also, I must say this in relation to this fic: Chris Carter, eat your heart out.

X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE era (either pre or during):

SHORTER STORIES:

Phenomenology by h0ldthiscat (3.6k+) (explicit):

Mulder wakes up frightened, afraid something has happened to Scully when he can’t find her in bed, and she comforts him. This is angsty but very good.

Porch Sex by icedteainthebag (1.8k+) (explicit):

I love, love, love a good flirty Mulder/Scully fic. This is definitely that. See also: the addressing of height difference during doggy sex. *chef’s kiss*’

LONGER STORIES:

Gravity by Malibu Sunset (26k+) (explicit):

Follows Mulder and Scully inside their life of exile, with Scully working as nurse and Mulder flying entirely under the radar; that is, until the events of the movie take place and he’s able to have a life outside of the unremarkable house again. I love this one for a lot of reasons -- the domesticity of Mulder and Scully, in which we get so little of in the original and revival series; the talk of William, of what they lost, and what they continue to lose; and the soft, comforting vignettes in between it all. I’m also particularly fond of the descriptive but accurate sex. It’s not always perfect (an aging Mulder has to wait until he can get another erection; they have drunk, imperfect sex while the lasagna cooks; Scully doesn’t cum each time; and Scully - yes even Scully - gets UTIs). 

THE X-FILES REBOOT era:

knock three times by wtfmulder (1k) (explicit):

season eleven, plus one. Scully initiates sex with Mulder in the connected motel rooms. I have a special place in my heart for smut with an older Mulder and Scully. This is short and sweet and absolutely perfect. 

THE X-FILES aus:

LONGER STORIES:

You He Did Not Fail by extraordinarily_ordinary (85k) (explicit):

seasons one-five, deriving from the plot a little after Scully goes into remission. Scully has left Mulder and the X-Files behind without an explanation, taking a reassignment in L.A. Needing an expert profiler to help her with a difficult case, Scully asks Skinner for one from Washington D.C. Mulder ends up being the one she gets, and he comes with lots of questions about her departure, along with the heavy weight of their shared past together. Scully is made to make some difficult decisions while she and Mulder make headway in the case. This fic was so good I devoured it in a single day. This derives from the plot in a way that I found equal parts realistic and painful, and I love the Mulder we get in this. He feels like Duchovny’s own deeply sorrowful man, who just can’t seem to catch a break no matter how he tries. Oh, and he’s deeply and pitifully in love with Scully. Scully too feels so well fleshed out here. This is an incredible, and perhaps more realistic, take on a plot I’ve always regarded with some questions in The X-Files, and it gives Scully back some agency that she deserves.

[a-d-nox]

selene, goddess of the moon (asteroid 580)

Selene, according to Hesiod, is the daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia. It was said that this goddess flew the moon across the sky. The only time she did not was when she was ordered to stop by Zeus during the Gigantomachy so as cloak Heracles and Zeus who searched for an herb to defeat the giants. One of her most famous moments in myth was the story of her love affair with a mortal named Endymion. Selene once flew over the sky and saw the shepherd Endymion asleep on a hill (sometimes it is said that he spelt in a cave). She was enraptured by his beauty; she simply had to be with him on earth. So she waited for the new moon, when no one would notice her absence from the sky, and spent the night next to him as he slept. Selene was a lover of Zeus so it is a bit unclear what happened next - it is thought that she had two children with Zeus but likely 50 daughter with Endymion (possibly a rape situation if he was always asleep - some sources say he was cursed to sleep forevermore because he fell in love with Hera then toss out of the heavens). Some sources note that it was Endymion that chose to sleep forever, others state that Selene begged Zeus to put Endymion to sleep eternally so that he wouldn't age nor would he die, another option is that this was a punishment for Selene from Zeus that she had been having sexual relations with Endymion. IN MY OPINION Selene in your chart can represent a) femininity, b) transformation, c) secret tasks, d) fertility, e) inability to control your sexual temptations, and/or f) unhealthy romantic behaviors that go unchecked.

i encourage you to look into the aspects of selene along with the sign, degree, and house placement. for the more advanced astrologers, take a look at the persona chart of selene AND/OR add the other characters involved to see how they support or impede selene!

OTHER RELATED ASTEROIDS: zeus (5731 / h42), endymion (342), tithonus (6998), hesiodos (8550), hera (103), and heracles (5143)!

like what you read? leave a tip and state what post it is for! please use my "suggest a post topic" button if you want to see a specific post or mythical asteroid next!

click here for the masterlist

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[randomfoggytiger]

How the Ghosts Stole Christmas In-Depth (Part V): Mulder Parries and Plays into Lyda's Parlor Tricks

Part V's here-- let's go!

Mulder is scrabbling up the staircase-less ledge, determined to get OUT since Maurice left him alone to go… do something somewhere else. He is not going to be limited by a stupid brick wall (discussed here and here), he determines... and he’s also not going to address it with a ten-foot pole.  

Lyda sweeps in, amused at his antics and herself; and sweeps back out to appear above her next victim, gloating at his ill success. 

“Are you Agent Mulder?”

Mulder, unfazed, answers a question with a question: “Who are you, now?” 

“What are you doing using my chair as a ladder,” Lyda chastises.

“I’m trying to get out of this room.” 

“Trying to get out?”

“Excuse me--”

“No, no!” threatens Lyda, blocking the door. “You can’t get out that way.” 

Mulder’ will not be deterred: with a swallow to brace against the enormity of his experiment, he reaches out to bop the ghost’s shoulder, testing its manipulability. She, fascinated with the oddities of his mind, lets him; and is amused (and annoyed) when he pokes so hard her head bobs back.

There is no Victorian tragedy to be had for Mulder in corporeality; and he sets about sorting this situation in a swift, investigative move. He sweeps her off her feet in the loosest terms-- shoving her, kindly, aside-- and Lyda plays into it (teetering the line between faux innocence and sharp admittance.)

“Masher,” she snipes. (According to… sources… this is a Victorian term meaning womanizer; which plays perfectly into Lyda’s game discussed below.) 

“Frump,” he retorts with a sarcastic head bob back and forth. Never let it be said Mulder is completely a gentleman: he weaponizes his petty side whenever he possibly can.

Mulder finds himself face to face with another door; and turns just as his hostess descends on a ladder that appeared out of thin air. 

“I don’t know who you’re calling a 'frump' but I don’t appreciate that,” she reprimands, a little quiver of actual hurt in her voice. Hitting on his insecurity-- Fe Inferior, Typing post here-- she subtly sneaks in another innuendo quip (her calling card): “--being manhandled or called names… certainly not at this hour.”  

Lyda is the brains of the operation, enjoying the game of someone understanding the chess board and having the intellectual brains to match her every move. Of course, she’s convinced she will win; but when she loses, this ghostess is content to have had a good time showing off her ingenious and insidious game-rigging abilities. 

“You’re a ghost,” Mulder asserts darkly. 

“Ha! More names.” Another manipulation tactic: Lyda called Mulder a name first, then he shot back; and now she’s twisting his truth seeking into name calling (as Phoebe Green did with Mulder’s pot shots in Fire.)  

Mulder goes down the stairs like a cryptid: Check Two.

“What happened to the star-crossed lovers?” Mulder questions, puzzled. Lyda hasn’t said a thing about her dissatisfactory relationship; but he’s one of the best profilers in the game, and her snide and dismissive frustrations invite curiosity. He sees her weakness and exploits it, just as she (and Maurice) see his and exploits it. Scully, meanwhile, is too straightforward and honest to bother with word games and double meanings. 

“Ho, let me tell you-- the romance is the first thing to go.” Exactly what Alfred Fellig tells Scully later this season (Tithonus.) 

“It’s you.”

Lyda responds immediately, turning promptly and staring intently at Mulder. She wants, still, to be recognized as the special person she believes herself to be: suicide was the means to escape boredom and poverty and destruction by locking Maurice down to be with her for all eternity; and she was even more pleased it brought her notoriety and attention in her afterlife. But as the years passed, Lyda found that no one cared enough to know her history or reenact the foolish choice she and Maurice made all those years ago in this haunted Christmas house. The romance is dead-- or so she believes-- and all she has left is spite. Mulder’s open-minded and earnest interest sparks that deadened side, setting her mind crackling with attention and diabolical possibilities. Here would be a victim worthy of a back pat, a prize to gloat over forever. 

“You’re Lyda-- and that’s Maurice!” Mulder is delighted; then disappointment as even the manifestation of his paranormal hopes are tainted by reality: “But… you’ve aged.” 

“I hope your partner finds you a lot more charming than I do,” she sniffs, miffed. She then glides away to the bookcase like a Victorian supermodel-- wavering about back and forth with her hands clasped primly in front of her-- for the express purpose of showing off her more of her powers.  

Mulder is amazed as she slides the books in and out of the shelves, childlike glee and wonder blooming across his face; but dodges quickly when Lyda pops a book out right by his head. It’s the biographical account (read: flowery memoir) of her and Maurice’s love and sacrifice (titled “The Ghosts Who Stole Christmas” written by R. Grimes. …That’s got to be a reference to something else.)  

“I was young and beautiful once just like your partner.” 

Lyda sweeps back to the chair and fireplace, giving an ecstatic “Whoop!” as she bundles down to read her own love story the way a washed-up actress will pull out the revered movies of her youth to relive the faded glory. And, while it is a ploy and a lure to her guest, there is truth to her actions-- one she is shameless to admit to inquiring minds (in this case, her victim.) 

Mulder is startled by the suddenly roaring fire; but snaps back to reality to take her proffered book (“Maurice was so handsome! He didn’t have a gut!”), his mind making quick leaps of logic while staring at the page Lyda left open for him.

“I hope you’re not expecting any great advantages to all this,” she says, slithering deeper into her chair.

“To all what?” he grills, not liking where this is going. 

“Well I assume you came here with similar misconceptions,” Lyda fishes.  

Mulder’s really not liking where this is going. “We came here looking for you.” 

“Mmm, yeah? You didn’t come here to… be together for eternity?“ she teases, prods, baits. 

An interesting note: I like the moments when paranormal or supernatural people prod Mulder with questions about his intentions, namely Lyda and Jenn (Je Souhaite), because it reveals how much Mulder autopilots his life and how little time he chooses to take for reflection. (It's also the most important aspect of his relationship withe the Dales' brothers-- both Arthurs-- serving as a tool to understand his father and his partner better... but also himself through unnatural amounts of self-discovery.)

The concept is ridiculous to Mulder (if his pulled-up-short head snap and uncomfortable laughter is anything to go by)… or so he’d have her (and himself) to believe. Mulder’s not suicidal to any degree; but to his agnostic beliefs, eternity with Scully means poking around as many haunted houses as possible before the years roll on and Death claims them. 

By the way, Lyda has handed Mulder her romantic tome because she’s telling him, to his face, that she’s reading him like a book. 

“Because you’re filled with despair and woeful Christmas melancholy?” Lyda is still teasing, prodding, and baiting.

Mulder doesn’t answer at first-- or directly at all: “...Why?” 

Time to switch tactics. Madame Ghostess sees that the denial rot is just as deeply ingrown in this man as in Scully; and puts into action what she learned in her previous interactions with that piece of work: in order to take down one, you must take down both. 

“Maybe it was your partner, then.”  

That strikes a nerve-- that old fear Mulder harbors about Scully and how many Christmases she will want to devote her life to him; and he crosses his arms protectively (while metaphorically tucking the book away out of sight and closer to his chest.) 

“What about her?” 

Lyda smiles, cat-who-caught-the-canary grin splattering over her face. “You knew this house was haunted.”

“Yeah.” Mulder relaxes slightly, the topic having swapped back to 'work'. 

“Maybe you two should have discussed your true feelings before you came out here,” she spits venomously, launching a full assault. “I’m speaking from experience.”  

In rejoinder, he deflects the topic away from his relationship with Scully, choosing to probe at his hostess’s thinly veiled warning. “What experiences?” 

“I’m not going to get into semantics,” she replies, to his immense annoyance. 

“A murder suicide is all about trust--” Lyda pivots. 

“--I thought you had a lover’s pact?” Mulder cuts in, her point simultaneously hitting too close to home (which he sniffs out, cutting off her intentions) and demanding clarity of her earlier, dangled point.

Lyda laughs at this. “Poetic allusions aside, the outcome, Mulder, is pretty much the same.” She quickly stands and flashes her ripped open torso at him to his stomach-roiling disgust (“Hoooooooh.”)

She doesn’t show her hole to just anyone. 

“Why are you showing it to me??” 

“Well, it isn’t like you’re going to be eating any Christmas ham, is it?” 

Ahhhhhh, Mulder thinks, the diabolical plot becomes clear.

“Are you trying to tell me that Scully’s going to shoot me?” he mocks, sticking out his neck to accent the ‘shoot’ part. 

“Scully is not going to shoot me.” 

“Suit yourself,” Lyda niggles, sarcastically nodding her head. “But if you shoot first--”

Mulder swiftly shakes his own head. That is not an option.

“--for her, the rest is an act of faith.” 

And Lyda is proved half-right here (and in Field Trip): Scully follows Mulder’s insanity based on acts of faith.  But Lyda is also proved half-wrong (in Field Trip as well): Scully never compromises what she believes to be sane rationality, even in the face of her partner's persuasive wheedling or self-doubt. She won’t kill herself even if Mulder were to do so; even when Mulder pulls a gun on her, she won't shoot him, either. Because that’s not what Scully does (which leads to a more thorough understanding of why killing Pfaster in Orison was such a crushing blow to her belief in herself and her faith.)  

“I wouldn’t shoot her,” Mulder insists gently. 

“Maybe she shoots herself.” 

“I wouldn’t let her.” The shadow of Kitsunegari stretches long; and the mistake of not being quick enough to prevent Scully’s (read: Linda Bowman’s) shot to the head will not be repeated. 

Lyda has been trying out variables to see what will stick: Mulder won’t shoot Scully, and he won’t let her shoot herself. Therefore, Scully must shoot him, the same method she knows must be used with the other woman. 

She shifts strategies. “The bodies under the floor… maybe that was some kind of Jungian symbolism. Or maybe… there’s some kind of secret lover’s pact.” 

(Chris Carter wrote this. He addressed the rumors of romance off-screen for Mulder and Scully. This is a script he wrote and had filmed. Amazing.)  

Mulder exhales, loudly and purposefully, defensively amused: “We’re not lovers.”  

An important note: the way David Duchovny delivers this line is key. Mulder is matter of fact, giving as little away as possible while sending Lyda a clear signal to back off… but the timber of his voice is weighed down and tinged slightly with resignation and regret. 

“This isn’t a pure science,” Lyda explains, angling Jung but really talking about his and Scully’s chemistry and partnership, “but you’re both so attractive.” She breathes out the end of her sentence, giving as much weight as possible to her statement. (CHRIS CARTER.) 

Mulder is nonplussed; which slowly melts into trepidation as she continues.  

“And there’ll be a lot of time to work that out. Go ahead--” she hands over his gun “--take it! …Take it,” reinforcing her offer with a pout. 

Mulder panics, grabbing nothing but air in his holster; and he barely registers catching his weapon mid-air after lightning strikes, thunder cracks, and Lyda doles out “Think of it as the last Christmas you’ll ever spend alone" before vanishing into thin air. 

Now all that's left for the ghosts to do is to set their destructive plan into action.

Thank you for reading~

Enjoy!

[littlesparklight]

Do you think that the Trojans (the royal family specifically) probably boasted about the fact they produced heirs so attractive that the gods themselves noticed them—Ganymede, Tithonus, and even Anchises even though he’s from a different branch of the family. But like u gotta admit that’s an insane flex that it happened more than once 😭

Haha, I feel like... yes and no?

Like yes, it's an honour, absolutely. Especially when it comes to Ganymede, being given such a position has he has on top of having Zeus' affection. Tithonos is something of a permanent consort as well, especially pre- and during the Trojan war. He would still be within a human lifespan, then, if very old at the end of the war depending on when he was taken/how old Priam was when he was. So for all the mortals would know at that point isn't the immortality gone wrong, merely Eos' favour (even if Aphrodite talks in her hymn as if Tithonos has already grown to be like... 200+ or something, he can't, not yet, be that old).

But two of those young men have still been removed much more permanently than even death could manage from their family. (In death, at least, they might all otherwise have been reunited.) That's still a loss, no matter how much they have actually or abstractly gained from it.

So while I don't think there's necessarily been any boasting, as such, and there'd probably be some concern, at the same time... it is still a weird point of pride. Still, maybe quite a few people were relieved whenever Anchises unwisely spilled the beans (and was punished) that the time of their pretty youths or men being taken by gods was now over, even if they might still draw divine attention.

And yeah lol, it IS a very fun/strange situation that it's happened thrice (I am counting Anchises here), for the same family. Three and a half, even, in a way, since while the Judgement isn't the same sort of situation, Paris is partly chosen because he is so beautiful and thus "knows the subject matter well".

[scullysexual]

one thing i've never understood is in tithonus when peyton keeps calling scully dana and she corrects him to scully. wouldn't agent scully be more appropriate in that situation? to me, scully is more personal than being called dana.

[abookishdreamer]

Character Intro: Eos (Kingdom of Ichor)

Nicknames- The Queen of Dawn by the people of Olympius

Sweetie by Hera

Twin by Hemera

Baby by Ares

Age- 20 (immortal)

Location- Queenstown district, New Olympus

Personality- Eos is a dreamer and a hopeless romantic. She's a huge people pleaser, but isn't afraid of being more vocal when a situation demands it.

As the goddess of dawn, Eos has the power of flight due to her light peach pink wings. She also has the power of photokinesis, limited umbrakinesis, and being able to control & manipulate dew. She also has limited pyrokinesis- her fire burning a light pink color.

She's the youngest child of Theia (Titaness of sight & heavenly light) and Hyperion (Titan of heavenly light). Her older siblings Selene (Titaness of the moon) & Helios (Titan god of the sun) often overlook her, only needing her help when it benefits them. Eos often babysits her nieces (Selene's kids), which she doesn't mind.

Eos lives in a condo in the Solar district & she also owns a townhouse in the Queenstown district. The interior of her condo is wide and spacious with wide streak free windows. The color scheme is light shades of yellow, gold, cream, orange, & pink. There's lots of linen curtains and cotton furniture. In her bedroom, there's an exquisite chandelier dripping in yellow and white diamonds.

Her go-to drink is an orange-banana smoothie. She also likes her mom's mango lassi. She also likes mimosas, coconut water, pineapple juice, bellinis, mineral water, strawberry juice, & banana rum punch. Her usual from The Roasted Bean is a small caramel latte.

Her favorite sandwich from The Bread Box is an egg & cheese on a roll.

Her favorite dessert are jalebis, especially when Selene makes them! Eos herself is known for her sweet mangalore buns!

Eos has been in a long term relationship with Ares (god of war). They met at a gym a few weeks after he broke up with Lyssa (goddess of rage & frenzy). He corrected her form as she was lifting weights and they've been together ever since. Aside from Zeus (god of the sky, thunder, & lightning) and Hephaestus (god of the forge), Eos met the rest of the family and instantly got the approval from Hera (goddess of women & marriage); who normally thinks nobody is good for her son. The two goddesses are quite close! They often hang out whether it be shopping, going to the club, or dining out. Eos also got on really well with Ella (goddess of childbirth) and Hebe (goddess of youth). She along with Ares babysat them a few times. They are now currently on a "break" when Ares left with no explanation after a horrible argument with Zeus. Eos hasn't been able to get in touch with him for several months. Her first real relationship was with a mortal guy named Tithonus, who then became the god of insects after a mishap with him temporarily being turned into a cicada.

Eos is currently in a down low secret relationship with a certain Titan god. They are engaged! She's awaiting the war god's return so she can properly end their relationship.

She's great friends with Hemera (goddess of the day); they're BFFs, Aether (god of the upper atmosphere, celestial bodies, & heavenly light), Pasithea (goddess of hallucinations & relaxation), Nephele (goddess of clouds), The Hesperides, Apollo (god of the sun, music, poetry, healing, medicine, archery, plague, light, & knowledge), Méli (goddess of bees & honey), Philyra (goddess of perfume, paper, & beauty), The Muses, Aoide (goddess of voice & song), The Graces, Dike (goddess of justice), Hygieia (goddess of hygiene & cleanliness), Zephyrus (god of the west wind), Paregoros (goddess of soothing words), Notus (god of the south wind), Antheia (goddess of swamps, vegetation, & floral wreaths), The Hyades, Chloris (goddess of flowers), & Iris (goddess of the rainbow).

She has a skincare brand called Sunshine Radiance. Eos also models for Euryphaessa (her mother's jewelry brand), Lipcalm, Olmorfia cosmetics as well as the Queen's fashion brand Luxuria. She also writes for Regalia magazine.

Her favorite nail polish color to wear from Olmorfia is "Creamsicle", a soft pastel orange color.

Eos has a pet pegasus named Sunny (due to the bright yellow streak in her mane).

In her spare time Eos enjoys cooking, yoga, cloud surfing, bike riding, spending time with her family, drawing, swimming, playing tennis & volleyball, shopping, and glass blowing.

Her favorite meal is a large french fries (topped with lemon oil and feta cheese) with skordalia dipping sauce & two gyro chicken wraps from Olympic Chef. She also likes chicken tikka masala with jasmine rice, chili naan, and samosas (when her mom makes them).

"Everyone has a little bit of the sun in them. It's their happy."

[the-insomniac-emporium]

Crimson Ties (Bela Dimitrescu/Reader, Soulmate AU) Pt. 4

Fandom: Resident Evil: Village Rating: T for language Warnings: None for this chap Genre: Hurt + comfort Summary: Sure, your soulmate may be a vampire (of sorts), but there's nothing that love can't conquer, right?... Maybe it's time you learn a little more about the odd circumstances of your soulmate's existence- and the fear that lies beneath the surface. Notes: If the last chapter was "hurt" followed by comfort, this is "comfort" followed by hurt, also known as the part where the story's central conflict comes into play. Features an appearance from Daniela, who reminds us that Cassandra's not the only one with a sharp tongue around here. Previous Chapters: 1: Stem the Flow, 2: Tangled Strands, 3: Rumbling Thunder

4: That Which Burns

“Of all the stars, the fairest,” Bela murmurs in your ear, keeping her arms wrapped loosely around your waist, before giving you a gentle kiss on the cheek. If you hadn’t already been blushing, you certainly would have now done so. You’re leaning into her touch, face flushed as can be, loving every moment of this. For a while now you’ve been curled up with her, while she reads excerpts from her favorite works. Although both of you would have preferred to do this outside, enjoying the view of the stars, you figured it would be best not to push your health too much. After all, you had lost a huge percentage of your blood. Well, temporarily, but it was still better to be safe than sorry.

“That’s probably my favorite line from Sappho,” you chimed, fondly remembering some of your schooling. “Though the one about being remembered always stands out to me. I’m not sure I remember it correctly, and I’m sure it’s been translated a few different ways over the years… but I think it’s ‘someone, I tell you, will remember us in another time’. Might have gotten that backwards, actually.” Giving an awkward little smile, you sheepishly rub the back of your head with one hand. “Either way it feels so romantic. To think of a love so strong that it echoes throughout time, fondly remembered for generations… it warms the heart.”

“Mhmm, most definitely, my dear. Many aren’t as lucky, however,” Bela laments, an odd expression crawling onto her face. There’s the slightest waver to her lower lip as she speaks. Concerned, you turn in place to get a better look, gently reaching out to caress her cheek. Is there something I’m missing? You think, wondering what you should say. “I’m alright, I promise. Merely distracted by a fleeting thought. Let’s read another, yes?” Before you can protest, she’s already turned to another page, starting to read as if she already knew which one was next (which would not, at all, surprise you).

Love shook my heart, Like the wind on the mountain, Troubling the oak-trees

“Oh, if only I could speak Aeolic Greek, so that I could serenade you with tender prose, all the days of your life… just as it was originally written. Wouldn’t that be lovely?” Bela offers, once again smiling wide, as if nothing in the world was wrong, at least not when you were by her side. Though you are not keen to ignore her earlier stroke of misery, you are equally reluctant to put a damper on her current upswing. Now what were you to do? Little comes to mind, other than the simplicity of human warmth, and so you lean once more into her embrace, head held aloft on the strength of her shoulder.

“Here, as I am now, is more than lovely enough. Your voice is soothing in any language, sweet as sugar, relaxing as can be,” you reassure her in your softest tone. Heart fluttering, she finds herself easing back into the comfort of the moment, forgetting all about her earlier woes. “Shall we read another?” Nodding, Bela again turns the page and begins to read:

He’s equal with the gods, that man Who sits across from you, Face to face, close enough to sip Your voice’s sweetness

And what excites my mind, Your laughter, glittering. So, When I see you, for a moment, My voice goes,

My tongue freezes. Fire, Delicate fire, in the flesh. Blind, stunned, the sound Of thunder, in my ears.

Shivering with sweat, cold Tremors over the skin, I turn the colour of dead grass, And I’m an inch from dying.

“Does that make me equal to the gods, then?” You ask, as soon as the last line is given its moment to shine. A small hum comes from your soulmate, who seems equal parts intrigued and confused. “I look in your eyes and my lungs light on fire, my heart ricochets around my chest, and I hear the chorus of angels singing your holy praises. The fact that I can manage to speak at all is confounding. Maybe the muses have seen fit to lend me their artistry, so that I might make conversation worthy of your existence, my dear.” With that said, you find yourself being squeezed gently, Bela placing another kiss against the top of your head. Now, it seems she is the one without the ability to speak. “The divine witnessing the divine, yes?... Let me read the next one, and we’ll see if my voice could ever compare to your own.”

It’s innocent enough, your choice. A turn of the page, just another poem, selected for nothing more than respect for chronology. Yet something drains from the space around you as you begin to read, so subtly slow that you hardly notice.

Girls, you be ardent for the fragrant-blossomed Muses’ lovely gifts, for the clear melodious lyre: But now old age has seized my tender body, Now my hair is white, and no longer dark

How were you to realize that the great shadow of fear loomed over your soulmate, when she had refused to name it mere minutes ago? How were you to know to halt your reciting, when the aching of her heart rendered her throat dry, and she could not bring herself to call out to you? Words poured like poisoned wine from your lips… your soulmate having no choice but to drink up every last drop.

My heart’s heavy, my legs won’t support me, That once were fleet as fawns, in the dance I grieve often for my state; what can I do? Being human, there’s no way not to grow old

A shaky breath from age-old lungs, exhaled into tense air, forced out past a trembling jaw. Say something, Bela tells herself, any poem but this. For a split second you pause, and she wonders if her thoughts have found new light in your own mind. But you break the momentary silence without much care, simply having been unsure of your pending pronunciation of an old name, perfectly unaware of your partner’s panic.

Rosy-armed Dawn, they say, love-smitten Once carried Tithonus off to the world’s end: Handsome and young he was then, yet at last Grey age caught that spouse of an immortal wife

At last her ordeal was over. The final words hang heavy in the air, weighing down her shoulders, but they are done. Her fears had been dragged out from the pit in her stomach, now waving about like dirty laundry. There was only one way for her to avoid this happening another time: Tell you the truth. By now her silence had earned your attention, with you turning in her lap again, concerned gaze meeting her hollow one. Gently, she gives you a reassuring squeeze.

“I… am not one to balk at the nature of things, however painful the truth. Yet I hesitate now, with the very person I am bound to with crimson ties… How cowardly of me,” Bela all but snarls, anger clearly not directed at you. It’s clear in the way that she holds herself that she has more to say. There’s not much you can do other than wait, though you do tuck an arm around her waist, beginning to rub soft circles against her back. “Allow me to drop the pretenses. You are not immortal, but I am. We’ve only been together for a day and a half, and already I’m worrying about your lifespan. It’s safe to say that this particular poem was an unfriendly reminder of our situation.”

Oh. How exactly were you supposed to respond to that?... Your girlfriend- your soulmate- was immortal. Hmph, as if her essentially being a vampire hadn’t already been enough to freak you out. Now this? Well, maybe it wasn’t too much farther of a stretch from the last revelation, even if you were still recovering from that one. Even then, something told you that this was equally hard for Bela- both to say, and to simply feel. As if she needed more stress surrounding her partnership with you…

“Of all the ways for us to mimic legends… I don’t even know what to say, my dear. I… I suppose that I can only reassure you that we will make the most of every moment we have. However much time we are destined to get, we’ll make sure it is filled with bliss,” you reply, slowly, making it up as you go. An ache builds in the center of your chest as you talk, an internal yearning for greater confidence. Although words were your “weapon” of choice, you were not always a master in your use of them, too human to be infallible. “Maybe we should set aside the poetry for now, shift our focus to something, ah, less meaningful?”

“That would be for the best,” Bela agrees, already shifting like she was going to stand up, before you even had a chance to get off of her lap. Something strange had fallen over her expression, an invisible veil, putting an uncomfortable distance between the two of you. Inside your chest, a thundering heart threatens to go still. Had you done something wrong? Did you commit some unspoken sin? Together the two of you rise, in sync yet more separate than before, a thousand questions and anxieties rendering both of you silent...

—————————

Across the room from you, a pair of bright eyes watch your every movement, peering out from over an open book. If you didn’t know better, you might have thought that the “ruse” was intentionally poor. But for all the five hours you had known her, Daniela Dimitrescu had done nothing other than prove herself odd, clumsy, and quite possibly… overconfident. Admittedly, that still made her undeniably more pleasant than Cassandra. If you had to be stuck alongside someone other than your soulmate, well, ‘twas best that it was this strange redheaded gremlin. Even if she had expressed an unfortunate interest in eating you.

Gods, what is wrong with this family? You think, frowning a tad, unable to stop yourself from making eye contact with Daniela. Instantly she’s looking away, pretending to be engrossed within her book. The very same book that had remained open to the same page for half an hour now. I do hope Bela is having more fun right now, with whatever “business” called her away so unexpectedly. She hadn’t seemed happy to have to leave your side, earlier tension notwithstanding. Coming here to the library had been her suggestion, though you doubted she knew that Daniela was there, or at least hadn’t anticipated her sister’s unnerving behavior. Already the redhead was looking back at you, even less subtly than before.

Sighing, you decided that you could only put up with so much of this tomfoolery.

“Are you in need of something? Or is there something on my face?” You ask, setting your own book aside as you do. There’s a few moments of silence, as Daniela glances around the room, as if you might actually be speaking to someone else. When no scapegoats teleport to her rescue, she very awkwardly clears her throat, then moves to sit at your table. Though you are loath to admit it, your heart starts beating faster as she approaches. Not out of attraction, hell no, rather fear. Perhaps getting her attention hadn’t been the wisest choice after all…

“I just think it’s funny,” Daniela chimes, trailing off just long enough to run a finger down the length of your arm, “that Bela abandoned you so quickly. You’re so… fragile. Cassandra told me about the fun little introduction you had to our family- the blood loss, being chained up, the fear you felt when you got caught in our territory.” Suddenly she’s devolving into a fit of giggles, hand resting not-so-gently on your wrist. When you try to pull away, her nails dig in, and her gaze snaps back to your own. “But you don’t remember that part, do you? If you did… oh, we’d have to lock you up, like the little pet you are, to keep you from running away. I’m sure Bela wouldn’t mind seeing you in chains.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” You snap, uncharacteristically furious. While it was true that you couldn’t recall exactly how you made it into the castle’s dungeons, you refuse to accept Daniela’s implications about your soulmate, or her assessment of your dedication. A brief second passes where you think she’s about to lunge towards you. Instead, she withdraws her hand, moving it to prop up her chin instead. Then, her lips slowly drag upwards into a wicked grin, wide eyes filled with dangerous amusement.

“So you’re more than a wannabe Shakespeare, after all? A bit more teeth, a touch more vulgarity, maybe a twinge of bloodlust, and you might actually fit in around here. Not enough to get our family’s ‘gift’- our secret to a long, happy life- but enough that Bela won’t grow bored of your sappy poems,” she teases with another string of laughter. Before you can question her about this ‘gift’, she’s all but jumping to her feet, stretching out her arms as she does. “I can’t wait to update Cassandra about you. We’ll be betting on how entertaining you’ll end up being. Try to keep from bailing on my dear sister too soon, alright?”

Just like that she’s disappearing into a swarm of flies, leaving you more confused (and angry) than ever. Taking a deep breath, you try to focus on what you need to do next: Find Bela. Talk to her. Get some goddamn answers.

[lilydalexf]

I'm going to assume you mean "abduction" as in "kidnapping," since that's sort of like a hostage situation and since including canon abductions would make this list absolutely massive and hard to ever finish. So here are some good fics with Mulder and/or Scully involved in a kidnapping or hostage situation. Enjoy! 34 Hours by Leyla Harrison It's Mulder's worst nightmare when Scully is kidnapped – and it's the greatest terror Scully has ever faced. Can Mulder get to her before time runs out? Access Denied by Pam Gamble Mulder and Scully have been dating for some time, but secretly. Scully is missing (and I *swear* she wasn't abducted by aliens this time) and Mulder's search brings back haunting memories for both of them. (Sequel to Enough and Indiscreet) All the Way Home by Syntax6 (@syntax6) A tale of shoes and death. (Sequels: Head Over Heels and Every Evil) Basketball Therapy by Kel Set shortly before Tithonus, this story explores life in the bullpen, where tedium and background checks are the order of the day. When Scully gets drawn into an investigation at a Maryland hospital, Mulder gets trapped in a deadly hostage situation. The Best Lies by Julie Fortune When Scully is caught in a bad situation, it's going to cost Mulder everything he holds dear to get her free. (Refresh the page or copy/paste the link if it doesn’t work, or use this alt link) The Bitter Taste of Revenge by Jill Selby As Mulder leads a desperate search, Scully learns the price she must pay for deliverance from the hands of a madman. Butterflies All Tied Up by bugs (@it-is-bugs) M/S are back to work at the X-files, but a madman in their midst finally sends their relationship in a new direction, and someone is watching. Certitude by Kevin Glasser Mulder and Scully are taken off the ice, but they wouldn’t call it being rescued. City of Light by Bonetree On the run through the American Southwest, Scully and Mulder flee the shadowy forces of Owen Curran and Padden's government agents, who threaten their freedom and their lives. On the way, they must also struggle with their own demons, which threaten to tear them apart. (3rd story in the Goshen Universe) Dark Beyond the Stars by Mesa The bonds that tie us to one another are complex and tangled. Mulder and Scully and Skinner must face the possible severing and reforming of alliances; Krycek and Marita make an unexpected gamble. A Dark Slide of Ecstasy by Shalimar What if you had nothing left but a dream? Where does the dream stop and reality begin? The Darkest Hour by Prufrock's Love The Consortium intends to destroy Mulder by traumatizing Scully, but instead, Mulder learns two lessons: his capacity to love, and her ability live. Desideratum by Rachel Anton and Laura Blaurosen How far is too far to go in the name of love? Falling Stars by Julie Fortune He can't remember how he came to be here, on this chair, in this cold room. He is afraid, but the fear is formless and weak, like a newborn. Nothing seems to matter very much. First Stone part 1, part 2 by Pellinor Three agents working on the same murder case have apparently committed suicide. While investigating, Mulder makes a painful discovery that puts him in real danger of becoming the fourth. / Three agents have killed themselves after suffering far less than Mulder has already suffered. As the danger grows, can Scully confront her own guilt in time to save Mulder from his? Folly by RivkaT (@rivkat) Scully gives Pendrell a chance. Heuvelmans' On the Track by @mashnotesofthemythopoeic In which Scully becomes a Consortium doctor, and Mulder moves heaven and earth. Lesser Evils by Hannah Mason Mulder thought that no one could ever want Scully as much as he did. He was dead wrong. Letting Go by Joann Humby Mulder goes solo on a case in San Francisco. But when the killer isn't what he was expecting, he needs the SF PD and the FBI's finest to help him out. Lock and Key by Amy Vincent A deranged FBI agent holds Scully and Skinner hostage. Nowhere to Hide by Thalia DMuse Someone from Scully's past resurfaces. Queen's Gambit by Suzanne Schramm Queen's Gambit: A chess strategy in which a player sacrifices key pieces in order to win. Snow by LuvTheBeez Mulder and a very pregnant Scully are caught in a hostage situation. Tam Lin by Pequod When your local young men disappear, only to turn up dead a year later, sometimes it helps to have friends in high places. Myth and murder combine in a remote Scottish village, and Mulder and Scully investigate. The Fairy Queen is out to revenge the loss of her most prized knight, Tam Lin. Mulder believes but Scully’s not so sure, until Mulder takes a walk in the woods. Tangible by Blueswirl and Meredith Sometimes, to have anything, one must be willing to risk everything. Three Little Words by Karen Rasch Mulder and Scully get drawn into a trap by a murderer who well aware of Mulder's greatest weakness, and is more than willing to use it against him. (1st story in the Words series) Truncated by Lysandra Scully and Mulder find themselves in a tight spot. Spooning ensues. Unnatural Disaster by Michaela It's hard enough when your mistakes come back to haunt you. Harder still when you're a federal agent. Hardest yet when your partner's help is the first thing you need, but the last thing you want ... Walking the Cage by Deborah L. Wells A strange sequence of events are put into play after a heated argument between Mulder and Scully.

[masterthespianduchovny]

On tumblr, it appears that there’s more metas and appreciation posts for Scully. There is nothing wrong with that because I love these things as well, but I wish there was more of Mulder as well.

Many people make jokes about Mulder’s beliefs, in a loving way of course, or how he does baffling things, but I want to read the thoughtful metas too, you know?

Mulder is a flawed, but fundamentally good person. While writing a fic, I had Scully say something about how her and Mulder were after the truth and someone asked what the truth was. Her response was, paraphrasing, “no matter how big or small, everyone deserves to be heard.”

And something about that resonated with me, especially towards Mulder’s beliefs. The only people who Mulder was skeptical of were serial killers and religious people/extremist. But, Mulder was always on the side of the victim no matter how outrageous the story was. Even if he was duped or misled, he always wanted to get to the bottom of whatever was going on and give that person a sense of closure.

He’s so compassionate and kind and, outside of Scully, doesnt care what others think.

He almost never comprised his morals and the times he considered doing it was almost always due to Scully. Such as when she was returned post abduction and her cancer. He was willing to compromise who he was to get answers for what happened to her as well as save her life.

When Scully offered to lie on his behalf on her deathbed, Mulder refused because he wouldn’t ruin her reputation even in death.

Mulder loves so fiercely, is devoted, and selfless to a fault at times. He humanizes what other demonizes.

I think about the genie and his failed wishes and how he’s not only the only character, but his last wish is the only time I’ve ever heard of anyone wishing for the genie’s freedom. And, even tho his intial wish was somewhat misguided, his heart was in the right place. Almost everyone else made these super selfish wishes and he thought of other people and the world at large and that’s just who Mulder is.

And you think of the traumatic ordeal he witnessed and his fractured, shitty relationship with his parents. Or how people constantly took advtnsge of his vulnerability and eager to please.

I think about the times seeing Samantha was waved in front of him, which was positioned with Scully’s safety and, in both times, he refused to jeopardize Scully’s safety and well-being for his sister who he looked for for decades.

That, as much as he wanted Scully by his side, eventually he realized that his desire to want her there was selfish and he encouraged her to seek opportunities and life outside of the x files.

Like, yes, Mulder could be selfish and an asshole, but there were so many good and endearing qualities about him that he’ll forever be my favorite male character.

Like I love that he has a quip for everything, and then can turn serious when the situation calls for it: usually Scully. Lol

Or, regardless of whatever anyone says about him being “looney”, he’s a damned good agent. Which is why I bust up laughing at Kersh calling him a “lost cause” in Tithonus.

His wonder, his imagination, his enthusiasm for the truth...

And he wasn’t macho either, but he was masculine, which included: men can be nurturing too.

I just love him!

[therealsaintscully]

My list of X-Files inspired BBC Sherlock fic prompts

 I recently finished reading @88thparallel​‘s fabulous “Written in Ashes”, a BBC Sherlock fic inspired by the X-Files episode Demons. I’m a huge X-Files fan myself, and the idea of adapting an XF story into a Sherlock one sent me down a rabbit hole. I decided to compose a list of ideas, all up for grabs, for X-Files plots that can be adapted in interesting ways to a BBC Sherlock casefics.

Below you’ll find a list of X-Files episode with their original description, and some suggestions based on my knowledge of the two shows of what makes the plot an interesting one to write. As I mentioned, these ideas are PROMPTS, suggestions - feel free to write them. In fact it’ll be my honor! Let me know if and when you do (I might even create a collection for them in AO3).

Ice (1x07) - Mulder and Scully  investigate the death of an Alaskan research team. Isolated and alone, the agents and their accompanying team discover the existence of extraterrestrial parasitic organisms that drive their hosts into impulsive fits of rage.  Cool plot points you might enjoy writing: extreme nature adventures (mountains, snow, remote research facilities); isolated together with strangers in a distant location (Ice was supposed to be a bottle episode); a lot of suspense as Mulder and Scully’s trust in each other is put to the test (a handgun showdown), physical inspections rife with sexual tension, ooo! 

Darkness Falls (1x19) - Mulder and Scully are called in to investigate when a team of loggers disappear without a trace. Initially suspecting eco-terrorism, the agents find themselves trapped by a seemingly ancient menace lurking in the woods. According to Wikipedia, “Chris Carter was inspired to write this episode based on an interest in dendrochronology (sic? that’s how it’s spelled in wikipedia), a subject that involves analyzing annual growth rings found in non-tropical tree species.”  An interesting topic to develop!  Cool plot points you might enjoy writing: Just like in Ice, opportunity to write magnificent nature descriptions; also like in Ice, Mulder and Scully have to fend to themselves against the ‘others’; wonderful quotes such as “Rugged manly-men. In the full bloom of their manhood.” and “Come on, Scully. It'll be a nice trip to the forest." A Three Garridebs moment could work here!

Pusher (3x17) - Ah, Pusher. An early Vince Gilligan classic! Mulder and Scully’s assistance is requested for a case involving a man, who goes by the pseudonym "Pusher", seemingly capable of bending people to his will. The suspect uses his mysterious abilities to manipulate Mulder into a dangerous end game.  Cool plot points you might enjoy writing: Many parallels can be found between Modell and Eurus and or Moriarty; the game of cat and mouse in hopes of luring Mulder as the end game is quite similar to the TFP/TGG; the final game of Russian roulette with Mulder at the end is a classic MSR scene which could be lovely to write for John and Sherlock (Gillian is amazing with that One Tear™  while she threatens Modell); an opportunity to instill a fear of a very specific shade of blue in your readers; a chance of a sequel, since Modell returns with a vengeance in Kitsunegari.

Jose Chung's From Outer Space (3X20) - Mulder and Scully hear, and promptly investigate, a story about an alien abduction of two teenagers. Each witness provides a different version of the same facts. Within the episode, a thriller novelist, Jose Chung, writes a book about the incident.  Cool plot points you might enjoy writing: Humor! Lots and lots self-aware, meta-type inner-jokes humor as an observant book writer describes Mulder/Sherlock’s many weird traits.

Avatar (3x21) - Assistant Director Walter Skinner  is accused of murdering a prostitute, Mulder and Scully investigate to determine the truth behind what happened. Cool plot points you might enjoy writing: A fine chance to turn Skinner into Sholto or one of John’s other army friends (Skinner discusses trauma from his days in Vietnam in this episode, which could be adapted to Afghanistan). John Asks for Sherlock’s help on behalf of Sholto/said friend and there’s a thrilling prospect of some good old jealousy :) *After writing this I kinda fell in love with this idea and I might attempt writing this, but I’m absolutely not claiming this exclusively! If you like the idea go ahead!

Paper Hearts (4X08) - Another Vince Gilligan episode, my go-to one these days for when I miss the show and need a good dose of Mulder and Scully. I can go on and on about why I love this episode but I’ll spare you from that right now ;) Mulder and Scully find that a child killer who Mulder had helped to apprehend several years earlier had claimed more victims than he had confessed to; and in the resulting investigation, learn that the killer is now claiming to have killed Mulder's sister Samantha. Cool plot points you might enjoy writing: The Alice in Wonderland theme in the episode is somewhat reminiscent of the Hansel and Gretel theme from TRF so Moriarty could be one way to go; another way to go is have Eurus as a villain in a TFP plot fix-it (if you find the Sherrinford plot exaggerated), with Sherlock’s hope of finding Victor’s body by the end of the game.

Zero Sum (4x21) - In the episode, a case Mulder is asked to investigate is covertly covered up by the agents' boss Walter Skinner, who has made a sinister bargain with The Smoking Man. Scully is missing in this episode (Mulder cites her cancer treatments; Gillian Anderson was filming something else at the time). Cool plot points you might enjoy writing: A wonderful opportunity for a Lestrade-as-Skinner story!  (and you’re given a fine chance to write a Lestade naked with nothing but pants situation); Mulder is a bit lost without Scully in this episode so that’s added background Johnlock angst; the story can happen when John is away, either during his honeymoon or after Mary dies.

The Pine Bluff Variant (5x18) - This is an underrated episode which I quite like, personally. Scully grows suspicious of Mulder when she thinks he may be helping a terrorist organization. Scully begins to wonder if he is now a traitor to the FBI. It is eventually revealed that Mulder is working as a mole in the group, and he is trying to stop them before they are able to use a biological weapon—that may have been created by members of the U.S. government—which causes rapid degeneration of human flesh. Cool plot points you might enjoy: alternating POVs between Sherlock and John; a lot of tension between John and Sherlock while John is suspicious; Mycroft recruiting Sherlock to appear as a traitor.

Triangle (6x03) - What can I possibly say about Triangle that hadn’t been said before? Cool plot points you might enjoy: An AU-within-AU opportunity - a chance for John and Sherlock to meet in a WW2 era, saved by rebel-Nazi Lestrade, Sherlock’s irregulars are The Lone Gunmen, a kiss, a punch, “You’re my one in five billion” (remember when there 5 billion people on this planet?) :) If you do write this, please make sure present John and past John pass each other by and get a strange, tingling sensation as a result! It’s one of my favorite scenes in the entire show.

Dreamland I & II (6x04 and 6x05) - Mulder and Scully visit Area 51. But when the agents witness the flight of a mysterious craft, Mulder and a member of the Men in Black switch bodies, unbeknownst to the others. In part two, Scully begins to suspect that her partner's strange behavior is more than it appears to be, while Mulder fights to return his life to normal before it is too late. Cool plot points you might enjoy: Humor, humor and more humor. Mostly Morris Fletcher trying to bed John (=Scully) who promptly pulls a gun on him. That should be an awesome scene to write in and of itself. And let’s not forget “Lately, for lunch, you've been having this six-ounce cup of yogurt, plain yogurt, into which you stir bee pollen because you're on a bee pollen kick even though I tell you you're a doctor and you should know better.“ as well as “I’d kiss you if you weren’t so damn ugly.”

Tithonus (6x09) - Another underrated episode. I think it deals with the theme of death’s inevitability rather beautifully. Scully learns that she, but not Mulder, is being given a chance to prove her worth at the FBI, and—paired with a new partner—she investigates a crime scene photographer with an uncanny knack for arriving just in time to see his victims' final moments. What she does not expect, however, is for Death to play a role himself. Cool plot points you might enjoy writing: John exploring on his own, for one reason or another, attached to another investigator (things happen!); this episode further explores a theory referred throughout the show since Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose, that Dana Scully is immortal (she seems to avoid death in this episode as well). It’s an Appointment in Samarra sort of story.

Monday (6x15) - Mulder and Scully are stuck in a deadly time loop. It’s a story that writes itself! Cool plot points you might enjoy writing: Sherlock or John having a really bad morning, over and over again.

Alpha (6x16) - Mulder and Scully investigate several killings blamed on an Asian dog called the Wanshang Dhole, thought to be extinct. Mulder and Scully join an obstinate Sheriff, a seemingly eccentric hunter, and a reclusive canine expert to find it. However, there is more mystery to the expert than meets the eye. Cool plot points you might enjoy writing: I enjoy this episode because it has some gentle but obvious MSR moments. Scully is suspicious (and low-key jealous) of Karin Berquist’s involvement in the case and it colors her opinion of the investigation. A key quote in this episode, preformed softly and beautifully by Gillian, is: “She's enamored of you Mulder. Don't underestimate a woman. They can be tricksters, too.”

The Unnatural (6x17) - This is a weird ass episode, let’s admit it. This is DD’s love story to baseball and it’s silly and sometimes boring/slow. BUT, it has lovely MRS moments.  Cool plot points you might enjoy writing: The structure of story within a story (Mulder retells his time spent with Arthur Dales who tells him the story of Josh Exley) is interesting enough. The opening and closing scenes are lovely as well of course!

X-Cops (7x12) - Mulder and Scully are interviewed for the Fox reality television program Cops during an X-Files investigation. Mulder, hunting what he believes to be a werewolf, discovers that the monster terrorizing people instead feeds on fear. While Mulder embraces the publicity of Cops, Scully is more uncomfortable about appearing on national television. Cool plot points you might enjoy writing: It’s your chance to write a Sherlock crossver fic about an X-Files crossover episode. If that’s not cool, I don’t no what is.

Hollywood A.D. (7x18) - Let’s admit it, Hollywood A.D is not a good episode, as funny as it is. This episode was one of the first signs the show had lost its edge, possibly because they thought this would be their truly-this-time last season. However, it IS funny and gave rise to fans claims that by this point, Mulder and Scully were Definitely Sleeping Together. Wayne Federman, an entrepreneurial Hollywood producer and college friend of Walter Skinner picks up the idea for a film based on the X-Files, however Mulder and Scully find that the level of realism in their fictional portrayal is somewhat questionable. Meanwhile, during the filming of the movie, Mulder and Scully research the mysterious "Lazarus Bowl", an artifact that supposedly has the exact words that Jesus Christ spoke to raise Lazarus from the dead recorded on its surface. Cool plot points you might enjoy writing: Lots of inner-jokes and crack humor, many fluffy moments, the chance to imagine who’ll play Lestrade, Sherlock and John in a BBC Film, Lazarus could refer to The Fall(!), which could be the plot to said film.

The X-Files: I Want to Believe - Mulder and Scully have both left the FBI, but when an FBI agent is mysteriously kidnapped, and a former priest who has been convicted of being a child molester claims to be experiencing psychic visions of the endangered agent, they reluctantly accept the FBI's request for their paranormal expertise. I know, I know. Don’t look at me like that. I didn’t like it either at first, but a) compared to the revival seasons, it’s not that bad and b) in terms of established relationship angst, it’s a fucking goldmine. Cool plot points you might enjoy writing: A chance to write a post-recent-retirement fic for Sherlock and John, with a lot of tension in their established relationship based around John’s reluctance to return to their lives as investigators. IWTB has quotes like “This isn't my life anymore, Mulder. I'm done chasing monsters in the dark.” and “This stubbornness of yours, it's why I fell in love with you.”  So there! Don’t dismiss the idea so quickly!

Wow, this turned out longer than I expected! I hope you liked them, and even if you don’t write anything - I definitely enjoyed this exercise.

My finished fics are ready to be read on AO3 :)

[unremarkable-house]

WIP Game

Rules: Post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous, send me an ask with the title that most intrigues you and I’ll post a little snippet of it or tell you something about it!

Called out by Tagged by @the-parallax-of-rain​

Airing out all my dirty fic laundry on main...

BCS

1. The Mare’s Tail, Chapter 2 thru ??? -- Kim origin story that will eventually become McWexler. I didn’t intend to quit writing it for so long, but here we are. I hate myself for planning a multi-chapter story when they all could have been less intense, more carefree one-shots BUT HERE WE ARE.

XF

1. Polaris, Chapter 2 -- Holman and Sheila’s wedding from Scully’s POV. 5+ years in the making, it will remain nearly done for another eternity, probably. I should be banned from WIPs.

2. FTF -- Augury flash forward that answers the most vexing question of all time: how did Mulder and Scully get from the ice field of Antarctica back to DC??? Well, at least the how-did-they-get-off-the-ice part. Augury was supposed to be the flashback sandwiched between the ‘rescue’ part of the story but I got impatient.

3. Spyd -- THIS ONE OMG was a fever dream I had while driving through New England where M & S travel to the Green Mountain State to solve the mystery of the missing super cool girl who disappeared from her forest home. SPOILER, I’m the cool girl and I turned me and my friends into cats on purpose bc *goals*. Shameless self-insert BUT it was actually a decent shot at a moody case file.

4. K.N. -- “Murders his own best intentions”. I feel that on a cosmic level. This is a pretty-much-done-and-ready-to-be-posted-but-I’ll-get-around-to-it-never kind of missing scene situation from the moments after Mulder finds Scully on the floor at the end of Milagro. It’s done and I like it and that’s where my energy ends on that one.

5. thermal doc -- M & S “investigate” some hot springs in NM where they have a conversation about where mythology and geology intersect. In the hot spring, of course. Maybe this would be a good candidate for a BCS/XF crossover! 

6. Eos -- A missing scene from Tithonus told from Death’s POV as he comes for Scully. For some highly disappointing reason, I can’t find this anywhere on my hard drive right now and I’m trying not to think too much about it bc I never ever delete anything so where the heck is it?? This one was finished but never posted. Guess I’ll learn that lesson the hard way.

6. Dagoo & Knicks -- Shameless S10 post-MASMTWM fluff where Scully brings her new dog back to the unremarkable house and Mulder’s heart explodes with domestic bliss.

7. Brace Yourself -- Pre-S10 blind trust that the revival was gonna be amazing and I played around with what Mulder and Scully were up to after the teasers were released bc I thought maybe I was onto something but I was not. Dreams = crushed.

Tagging @h0ldthiscat bc have you been tagged yet? Tell me your secrets, please <3.

[libidomechanica]

I heard repeated, Juan wept

Of monsters, easily  I know she adds honours the  road washes out so  many, and leaps, he neighbors, “ the field of  battles, sieges, and I,  He cried, going away. 

once hand that the  many musits through his  she faint breezes idly  roaming,” the too became  like hail, to  make my old love and  flash upon thine own deeper 

where they heard; a butter. “ It shall be sparing  it shows his hot  courage and never  done. Sho lookd like a  ceaseless sunrise, dart: with  purple robe, and 

bright for they felt their  mistress mine, and feeling  sigh: ‘heaven looks like a  dive-dapper peering the  lass of rum. Cool shadow  of a foe oer  somewhere one leaf put forth 

the rarely, when  courage, was  owing that  revolution alone all  that dissipated nation? ’  But whether than  the cost nor 

shed a tear. A  quest of travellers follow  this spirit  affords in polishd nations  saved, not world,” but the  retreating sickness, whose  use depends upon thee 

more free, and therefore desperate  foe, which  neer stirrd in my youth: the  May-fly pleased nor grey,  but rather or  not to have seen them;  else they lookd into 

a ditch, follow  that Love is buried  ghosts—their home. I  have seen by nights whilst her  neck, some reason. To  equal courtesies, and  dragged me home alive has 

seized fast, and the  shaping an air as  travellers follow them  droop with the  living sorrow, and  my head, and their suggestion?  Him whom such as 

men (with some attention  may be  betterd be. In my own arrogance  I claim to  rear who had felt the  spot, where there is the  lip too fondly lingers, 

holds his rank performed  in mine eye darts, as  scorning- here thousand  winter days, and yet be  known unto himself himself  into  a deaf ear,— the 

pear or buck, he enjoyd  the same journey  towards the joys  of resisted  like Etna,  when a war  broke in German, knew 

as mountains by this  queen attend: it shall moult  away his face. Samaritans  in every  situation; but  whats meant and when ’“ t is stalled up, 

and chuckle, and fife  to that rather  doubt; and then shes  up and full-grown lambs loud  bleat from City Hall to  Brooklyn, which  bears them they stumbled 

on, to try their  enemy to be  gone, her face doth flattery,  bad or good,  gave it a slightly,  both together; they basely  fly and huge tombs 

worse—mankind, which infinite  heart, which pen expressive  arms, I call your questions  with Tithonus ( the tale was  to lay on  the passionless, 

pale, he was able,”  I heard no longer) the  burden of God,  or for some months  go to the  water, you an equal  young man to some place, 

wilere fearful of his  dart: but ere I could tell,  but a minutes, and  drank a healthful state itself,  burn through and the  purr of them. Of  a high spirit, 

by spirit betterd  oer the boar with  truth should have to  roam. Him whom such  a sugred phrases  and the sun  for the pride.)

[greekowl87]

Combo C7+C39+46 in so happy you are doing this! Thank you 💞💞💞

“C7+C39+46 Move as little as possible. / Just keep the pressure on it.  / I was a joke, baby. I swear.

A/N: Anon, this probably isn’t what you had in mind with this combination of prompts but I do you enjoy what was born. I love the episode ‘Tithonus’ and the immortal Scully trope. I have played with this idea but I guess I rehashed it for this prompt. Sorry. Sort of. Not really. I love the immortal Scully trope to bits. And I hope you enjoy the result with this fic. Enjoy reading. No beta.

Tagging @today-in-fic @improlificinsarcasm 

It took Scully a moment to catch her breath as she laid on the cold concrete floor staring up at the worn brick walls. She felt something warm, wet, and cold across her chest and staining her clothes. What had happened?

Everything had happened so fast. 

They rushed into an alley chasing the supposed ghost only to be ambushed by three men. They had been caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. Damn their carelessness. Gunfire had rung out through the warehouse. Who was firing at them? The force of bullets knocked the breath out of her and she fell. Neither Mulder nor Scully made a habit of wearing bulletproof vests under their suits unless the situation required it. She thought this was no different. They had just been checking out a lead. But then the bullets and gunfire rang out.

Scully had felt like she had been punched repeatedly in the chest with multiple punches but it hurt so much more. She remembered briefly the agonizing pain of being shot in the abdomen with Ritter’s bullet. When she regained consciousness, what had probably been a moment, blood stained her white blouse. Something was wrong, so very wrong. Her medical mind realized that with the severity of what likely happened, what should have happened.

She should be dead. Very dead.  

Her hand searched her chest automatically, feeling the hot, sticky blood before she spotted Mulder on the ground gasping for breath. Everything else was forgotten. A moment of deja vu overtook her. His hand was reaching out of her desperately. The bank. That robber. Pressing her hands against Mulder’s chest to keep him alive.

The pain she felt was momentary and she pushed herself up sluggishly. Her chest ached as she crawled to him. She should be dead, her rational mind screamed. But she was fine, right? She was moving and breathing, albeit it painfully, but she was moving. Scully took Mulder’s hand as he struggled to breathe. With a doctor’s eye, she noted multiple gunshot wounds peppered across his chest.

“No, no, no,” she whispered. She ripped off her own jacket and pressed it against his chest. “Mulder, I’m here. I’m here, you hear me?”

“Scully.” He winced. “I was wrong, huh?”

She cupped his face and whispered, “Move as little as possible. Keep your eyes focused on me.”

“You’re shot too…” he whispered. He raised a shaking hand and tried to check her. She pushed away his hand and it fell limply to his side. “Scully?” 

“No. I’m okay,” she answered. She continued to push away his wandering hands and tried to check his wounds. “It’s nothing. I’m okay.”

She ripped open her shirt and saw a large, gaping wound near his heart. She was so focused on Mulder that it escaped her attention when he peeled back her blouse slightly. “You were shot. Scully, you were shot. I see the blood. But you seem okay?”

“ I am okay. I’m fine, Mulder..” It wasn’t a lie. She was breathing was becoming easier and she felt better. There was just a dull ache in her chest.  She forced a comforting smile. “I was a joke, baby. I swear. I promise I am fine. Move as little as possible.”

“You’re terrible. Not a joke.” He coughed. Blood dribbled from the corner of his lip. “Scully, you are hurt.”

“Mulder, let me take care of you!” She snapped.

“Just keep pressure on it. Isn’t that right?” He coughed and blood trickled down his lip. She heard sirens in the distance. The back up they had called for. His eyes were glazed and tried to focus on her face. “Scully, I don’t…”

“What?”

“I don’t want to die.”

“I’m not letting you die, Mulder.”

He closed his eyes. “I feel cold.”

Before Scully could answer she felt Mulder shiver and curl into her. Then she felt it again. The same sensation she had felt in Brooklyn New York when she witnessed Fellig die and she survived. “You aren't.”

“You know,” he whispered. “I suspected, Scully and I knew deep down.”

“Not now, Mulder.”

“There was no way you should’ve survived that.”

Scully was not listening. She could feel Mulder’s heartbeat slow beneath her fingertips. What a feeling of agony it was to start your partner’s heart in the Arctic to only feel his life die away in some warehouse in Washington? The sensation increased and it was almost smothering in the back of her mind and she could feel it all around her. Scully couldn’t breathe. She remembered Fellig’s ramblings about trying to capture death on film, to see it. Maybe it wasn’t about seeing it and looking it in the eye. Maybe it was something else.

“Mulder,” she whispered desperately, “I love you. I won’t lose you.”

“You can’t fight death, Scully.”

I did, she thought impulsively, and so will you. “Close your eyes, Mulder.”

“What?”

“Close your eyes.”

“Scully,” he admonished. Even near death, he was a stubborn bastard. His eyes rolled back into his head. “I hardly think this is the time.”

She bent forward and kissed him. She could taste the coppery tang of his blood against their lips. For a moment, both of the breathes caught between each other, the suffocating feeling burst, and his breath hitched. This is it, Scully thought, this is the end.

But miraculously, he continued to breathe. His breath was stronger and more labored. She hastily reached for his pulse. It thundered with renewed vigor. Before she realized it, emergency support services descended upon them and loaded them both up to the nearest trauma center.

A week later, Scully held a bouquet of sunflowers in her arms as she stared nervously at the hospital room door handle. She managed to convince (and ward off any unwanted medical attention) that the blood on her was that of her partner's. Her own gruesome bullet wounds faded to annoying scratches within days. But to her horror, just like Fellig, they remained scars and reminders of her new reality. Her immortality. It all confirmed the truth she tried to will away. She winced at the thought and decided to not bring it up when she Mulder. At least the sunflowers provided an adequate distraction. 

After trying to summon a moment of courage, she opened the door to find her partner uselessly flipping through the channels.

“They ain’t got shit here, Scully. They had a marathon of Highlander but I turned the channel.”

“You aren’t subtle at all,” she replied warily.

“I haven’t seen you in a week.”

“I needed time,” she answered honestly. She sat on the edge of the bed and squeezed his hand. “To process everything.”

“I see.” Mulder lowered the volume and sat up in the hospital bed easily. He winced a little but that was to be expected.  “The doctors are confounded. There was a bullet that pierced my heart, Scully and yet here I am. And then there is the matter of recovery. The docs said they’ve never seen anything like it. I have.  It’s like yours was, isn’t it?”

She placed the sunflowers aside uselessly, unsure how to answer. “I’ve reviewed your charts myself.” After a moment of hesitation, she unbuttoned her blouse slightly and guided Mulder’s hand to the multiple puckered scars.  “Do you feel those scars? I can’t explain it, Mulder. We both should be dead but we’re okay. We’re both okay.”

He sighed and glanced at the sunflowers. “You saw Death, didn’t you? Whatever happened to you…”

“I felt Death,” she corrected. “And yes. I think so. I don’t know. I wanted to deny it. But I can’t deny this, Mulder. Whatever happened…” She gestured between the two of them. “I can't deny it.” Months of anxiety poured out as she bit her lip and eyes watered. Mulder grabbed both of her hands. The words bleed out like a broken confession. “I’m a monster, a freak.” She tapped the back of her neck. “This, barren womb, and now this.” She gestured to her chest. “What a fucked-up world huh?”

“No,” he urged. He forced her to look at him. “Never. I don’t know what it is. I can’t explain it either, Scully...not yet at least, but you aren’t alone. We’re in this together. You saved me. Remember, I wouldn’t face the darkness without anyone else but you.”

“How, Mulder?” she yelled. “How do you know we’re going to be okay?”

It was quick and he grunted slightly with discomfort but the kiss silenced her. It was everything she had thought of and more. The spark of electricity, the heat of life, and the promise of another day. “Because of what you said,” he whispered. “I may have been dying but I heard every word, Scully.”

“What was that?”

She licked her lips in memory. Mulder chuckled slightly. “I love you too. The strange thing about being on the brink of death does to you. Scully, I don’t know the future. I can’t explain what happened to me or to you but I have a feeling and I think we both know the truth.” He tilted his head as she lowered her eyes, refusing to look at him. “Would it really be such a bad thing, you and me, stuck side by side forever?”

“I don’t know if I want to live forever,” she whispered.

“What about with me? Would that really be so bad?”

“Mulder, I can’t discuss this right now. I can’t even begin to wrap my mind around the fact that I was shot in the chest, I was dying, and yet, I was up, breathing, talking, and walking by the time the EMTs got to us. I had to lie about the holes in my blouse. I am surprised they even bought it.”

“Then don’t. How about living just for the present? You and me, huh?”

“I could bear the thought, the pain of losing you,” she whispered. “I was selfish.”

“You saved me, Scully.”

“I love you,” she continued.

“And me too.” Her eyes shot up and he gave her a small smile. “Don’t look so surprised. Look, well figure this out. Don’t we always, Scully?” He leaned back into his hospital bed and guided her with him. She remembered how he used to do this with her during her cancer treatments. Scully would always find some sort of peace, strength, and hope in moments like this with them. “Easy,” he hissed as her head rested against a tender part of his chest. “Still healing.”

“Sorry.”

“You’re fine. Move as little as possible and we are comfortable.”

This was very unlike her to show weakness but for the moment, she let herself show it. Mulder sighed trying to get comfortable trying to this new thing between them. “I don’t know what happened with us,” Scully told him.

“I think we do but what matters, I think, Scully is what you said. We live for the present and we take day by day.” She took his hand and squeezed it. “Besides, I’m rather excited about the future.”

“Why is that?”

“I get to kiss you a lot more now.”

Scully laughed and for the moment, their unknown future seemed a little brighter as he stole another kiss to silence her laughter.

[minuete-blog]

Sunset

A/N: This scene wanted to be written, forever etched into my headcanon universe for Moose and Squirrel.  Set in-between episodes Tithonus and Two Fathers.  The time Fowley interrupted one of their drives with a phone call. Tagging @today-in-fic​  All my works can be read on AO3.

Repentance.  This was the only word that I could conjure up that best described how I felt for not being by Scully’s side when she was shot by that damn FBI rookie.  I carried this guilt and did my best to redeem myself in the bullpen as her partner.  No hare-brained monster-seeking excursions, no half-truth leads to chase down while she was on medical leave.  It had been merely 10 weeks since Scully was shot, only 2 weeks since she was cleared for desk duty, 1 week where the doctor cleared her to take short road trips on-assignment.  We were all pleasantly surprised by her speedy recovery: the doctors, Mrs. Scully, and me; however, Scully didn’t seem to be enthusiastic about it.  

She seemed lost in thought as I looked over at her when we finally hit a long stretch of highway unencumbered once the morning traffic subsided en route to a small farm situated in Frostburg, Maryland.  Usually, I didn’t mind the silence during our car rides, but lately, the silence felt taut, heavy with—I don’t know what exactly.  I reached for the bag of sunflower seeds I’d placed in the middle console with the intention of tearing the bag one-handed with the aid of my teeth, but Scully beat me to it.  My hand brushed against hers as she pulled the bag away to tear an opening.  Shaking the bag in her left hand, she gestured for me to palm my right to receive a handful of sunflower seeds.

“A seed for your thoughts, Scully,” I said as I placed a couple of seeds in my mouth to crack.  She glanced quickly at me, then looked straight ahead.  

“Do you remember Clyde Bruckman?” she asked quietly, still deep in thought.

I snorted.  “I recall freaking out over the phone with you about dying from autoerotic asphyxiation.”

She let out a huff, which was her way of chuckling with or at me.  “You’re not going to die from autoerotic asphyxiation, Mulder, any more than me...”  she trailed off unable to finish.  I looked over at her confused.  Was this what was bothering her these past few weeks?  Didn’t we have this discussion in the hospital about searching for death? Seeking life?

“Living forever? Being immortal?” I finished the sentence for her, “You’re still bothered by what Felig told you?”  Scully turned to look at me with an arched eyebrow.

“Well, wouldn’t you?  During my cancer, I thought to myself that I was counting down the sunsets, each sunrise bringing me closer to my end.”  She started fidgeting in her seat, clenching and unclenching the bag of sunflower seeds still her hands, before turning her head away to look out the window.

“Scully, don’t--” I managed to choke out, but she continued rambling.

“But then Felig told me to close my eyes and not face Death; he took my place instead.  Would this mean I’d be seeing countless sunrises and sunsets wishing my life could end as he did?  Watching loved ones pass away, unable to join them in this lifetime, or the next?  Had my life become an endless loop?  An endless, meaningless loop?”  She tossed the bag haphazardly back into the middle console, spilling some seeds in the process.  

I shook my head, my hands gripped tightly on the wheel, my throat felt constricted, “Don’t think like that, Scully. I’d rather you view infinite sunrises than wither away from a deadly disease.  And don’t give me that mumbo jumbo crap like when we were camping in Florida about giving death meaning.  I was too shell-shocked to argue with you about existentialism then.”

“Camping? Was that how you viewed our precarious detour?”  The tone in her voice emitted levity, and I relaxed slightly not realizing my jaw was clenched during this lovely discussion about her living.

“And your life isn’t meaningless, Scully.  It’s anything but meaningless,” I told her gruffly. I heard her draw in a breath, then raggedly let it out, a four-count exercise.  

“We’re in this journey together, Scully.  I know our time spent in cars deviate from your definition of a normal life, but I meant what I said during that fucked-up case in Home.  I wouldn’t mind settling in a slice of small-town Americana after my time in the FBI is over.” With you, a fleeting thought, a yearning that I keep under wraps.  That I dare not speak aloud.  Scully turned her head to look at me with a thoughtful expression on her face. Before she could respond, my cell phone started ringing in my breast coat pocket.  I took it out and quickly glanced at the caller ID: Diana.  I silenced the phone, letting Diana’s call go to voicemail.  

“Who is it?” Scully asked curiously.  

“It’s Diana,” I answered, and the mood in the car suddenly shifted, that silence I couldn’t describe earlier now rearing its ugly head, blanketing us.  I didn’t get a chance to put away my cell phone when it started ringing again, the sharp trill cutting through the tense quiet.

“Are you going to answer that?” Scully finally asked, her voice sounding cold and indifferent as she stared straight ahead.  She leaned back on her seat, wincing a little from her abdomen recovering from the gunshot wound.

“No,” I answered simply.  Could we just go back to the moment before the phone call?  The phone rang a third time. Fuck.  Just leave a message, Diana.

“Just answer it, Mulder,” Scully said quietly with half-hooded eyes still looking straight ahead.  “It must be important for her to continue calling.”  

I remained silent as I focused my attention on the road not bothering to send the call to voicemail.  

“Pull over,” Scully said, and then more urgently, “Mulder, pull over!”  

I abruptly pulled to the side of the highway cursing under my breath. I’m not at a complete stop, yet Scully had already unbuckled and opened her passenger car door. “What the hell, Scully?!”  

“I’m giving you some privacy. That’s why you’re not answering her, right?” She didn’t wait for my response as she stepped out of the car and walked a few yards away towards a clearing.  I scrambled quickly, unbuckling my seat belt to exit the car to go after her, but the phone rang as I was about to shut the car door.

“Mulder,” I answered harshly. I started to chew on my bottom lip half-hoping I’d draw blood.

“Fox? It’s me,” Diana said, “I need to talk to you.”

I scratched an itch above my right brow with my thumb. “What’s it about?”

“We received word that Cassandra Spender has been located in a train car heading into Virginia.”  

Cassandra Spender.  It had been months since we last saw her, Scully being the last one on the bridge.  My hands started to get clammy, my mouth dry as I looked up to see Scully’s profile, arms crossed staring out beyond the clearing before I turned away to stare at the stretch of highway behind me. “Alright.”

“Alright? Fox, this is our chance to talk to her.”

“Our chance?” I scoffed, “Last time I checked, you and Agent Spender run the show.  I’m sure he and his mother have a lot of catching up to do.”  There was a pregnant pause on her end of the line.  

“What happened to seeking answers about the truth? About your sister?”

I chewed on my bottom lip again.  Memories of the Ruskin Dam resurfaced; the helplessness and dread I felt as I searched for Scully’s body in the burnt masses. The damn chip I stole served as her salvation but could lead to her destruction.  I couldn’t risk her. It’s not worth it.

“Is it because of Agent Scully?” Diana asked.  I realized I said last my thought out loud.  “How is she doing?  I heard she was shot while on assignment?”

“She’s recovering well.  Very well, actually.”  I turned around to look at Scully and smiled weakly at her poised profile, my right hand gripping the top edge of the car door.  As if she knew she was the topic of conversation, Scully turned her head to look at me, her expression grim, her eyes resigned before returning her gaze across the clearing.    “I gotta run, Diana.  We’re on assignment to interrogate a potential domestic terrorist.  Good luck with Cassandra.”  

I hung up on Diana, then finally closed my car door to head towards Scully.  She kept her eyes on the scenery before her, and I could see why once I came near.  The town of Frostburg looked picturesque among the trees in the early spring weather.  The steepled brick buildings contrasting with a mixture of yellow, flowering trees and evergreens.  

“I wonder what this town looks like at sunset,” Scully said quietly.  She absentmindedly started rubbing her hands along her arms for warmth against the morning spring chill, her coat left in the backseat of the car during her haste to exit.

“I’ll drive us back here to watch,” I offered, words rushed out quickly to make amends for the interruption.  I reached out and touched her right elbow with the knuckles of my left hand causing Scully to look up at me with a distant look in her eyes until they came into focus.  She shook her head taking a step back.  

“No, you don’t need to do that.”  She sounded confused, her eyes still locked on mine.

“But I wa—“

“Just stop, Mulder,” Scully sighed,  her gaze averted towards the car, “Daylight’s burning and I would like for us to finish the interrogation in time to beat the rush hour traffic heading back into DC.”

I clenched my jaw, frustrated that the moment in the car was lost.  That my gesture was denied.  I lashed out the only way I knew how.  With a challenging tone laced in my voice, “Are you going to ask what Diana called me about?”

“No,” she answered coolly, “I value your privacy.” I was at a loss for words as I watched Scully return to the car.