#people have asked for a sequel

[baronessblixen]

Prompt: 28. "I may not get another chance to say this."

Sequel to "The Truth Is (Not) Found In A Glass of Whiskey": It's the morning after and Skinner wakes up with a hangover - and remembers way too much from the previous night. (wc: 1,409)

Tagging @today-in-fic @xffictober2023

Fictober Day 29: Glass Half Full

When Skinner first wakes, he thinks he’s lost at sea. It doesn’t make sense, but then again, most of what happened yesterday doesn’t. He opens his eyes with difficulty and is hit with a wave of nausea.

“Fuck,” he groans, willing his stomach to behave. In his many years on this planet, he’s gotten drunk several times. Too many to count. This hangover, he’s convinced, is the worst yet. And where the hell is he? His head spinning, he tries to find something that looks familiar. This is neither a boat nor his own apartment. Then it hits him when he sees a book called Bigfoot is Real: The Truth About Your Favorite Cryptid on the nightstand. He’s at Mulder’s place. That may or may not explain the waterbed under him, too.

Skinner sits up slowly, feeling dizzy. He squints his eyes at his watch, seeing that it’s just after 6 a.m. Good to know that his body still knows when to get up, even after he’s tried to kill all his brain cells with expensive whiskey. He hasn’t thrown himself a pity party in so long; probably not since his wife left him. He was due. But, he realizes, as he stumbles to the adjoining room where he hopes Mulder’s bathroom is, he should keep it to the weekends.

As he relieves himself, staring at the tiles in the bathroom, he wonders what Mulder would say if he showered here. Does he have enough time to drive home and take a shower? Is he even sober enough to drive? There's just a slight problem: Mulder and Scully brought him here last night. He doesn’t have his car. Of course, he doesn’t. He can’t imagine driving to work with his two troublesome agents. Especially after last night. He doesn’t remember everything – and he’s thankful for that. But he remembers enough to feel heat creep into his cheeks.

The apartment is quiet as he steps out of the bathroom and back into the bedroom, at a loss for what he should do. He finds his pants and is relieved to realize that he must have taken them off himself. He doubts Mulder or Scully would have haphazardly thrown them about. He never did take off his dress shirt but some buttons have come undone and it’s wrinkled. Fuck. He either has to ask Mulder for a spare one or drive home.

He decides to venture further and see what his agents are about. He knows he should be thankful. They could have just left him at the office and who knows what would have happened. He’s sure he would have finished his whiskey bottle that Mulder took from him. Who is to say he wouldn’t have wanted more? Mulder may have saved him from doing something incredibly dumb and potentially dangerous. Well, he was probably due for a favor anyway, considering he keeps saving their asses.

No one bothered to shut the curtains, so there’s light peeking in through the blinds, making it easy for Skinner to find Mulder and Scully on the couch. At first, he thinks they’re watching him and he freezes. But that’s not the case at all. They’re upright but fast asleep. Mulder has his legs outstretched and his head tilted toward Scully, who’s leaning against him, a hand on his stomach and drooling on his shirt. Not a couple my ass, he thinks.

He wants to wake them and yell at them that he’s known all along. Then again, he’s pretty sure he already did that last night. He watches them, confronting his own feelings. The reason why he got drunk in the first place. He wonders if they even know how lucky they are to have found each other. All he does is search and hope. Only to have his heart crushed again and again. He’s not sure he can keep looking for love.

How many times can a heart be broken? At what point will he be unable to put the pieces back together? He’s forever bruised. But the longer he watches, the more he understands that he wants what they have. He’s never seen two people so in love. Who are friends, partners, and equals in everything they do.

He tears his eyes away; he’s creeped them out enough last night. He tiptoes into the kitchen, looking for a glass so he can drink some water. His mouth is dry and his tongue feels too big. He down one glass of ice-cold water, then another, feeling more sober by the second.

“Do you want coffee?” Skinner almost chokes, setting down the glass, and staring at Mulder with bleary eyes.

“You were asleep,” he says.

“Heard you walk around.”

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’m not a good sleeper anyway. Unlike Scully. She can sleep through everything.” He’s smiling as he says this, starting the coffee machine. “How are you feeling this morning, sir?”

“As well as can be expected after a night of heavy drinking,” he admits. “Mulder, I may not get another chance to say this, but I’m grateful for what you and Scully did for me. I was in a bad place last night. Thank you.”

“What do you mean? Why wouldn’t you get another chance to say this?”

“I doubt I’ll make it to work on time,” he says. “I have a meeting with Kersh early this morning. Can you imagine what he’ll do when he sees me like this?”

“Go take a shower. I’m sure we’ll find something for you to wear. Scully is resourceful. Hell, she might put some makeup on you to make you look radiant.” He grins. “You may not remember last night, but I meant it when I said we’re your friends. We’ve all been there.”

“I was right about you two,” Skinner says.

“Sir?”

“You’re dating. You know that HR-”

“We’re not dating,” Mulder says.

“I may be hungover from last night, Mulder, but I do have eyes. I really am happy for you two. I know I said some things last night, but… I really am. It’s good to know you’re out there together, keeping an eye on each other. Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me. I promise you that.”

“We’re really not-”

“Mulder, it’s okay.” He sighs, sounding frustrated. The length these two will go to deny their feelings for each other astounds him. “And now I really got to get ready if I want to keep my job and with the way my life is going, I’d really rather not add unemployment to the list.”

Mulder nods. “Go take a shower and I’ll wake Scully. She’ll know what to do.”

“I have no doubts.” He finds himself smiling.

Back in the bathroom, Skinner can’t find any towels, cursing under his breath. He returns to the living room, intending to ask Mulder where to find any, when he sees him crouching in front of the couch, one hand cupping Scully’s cheek and the other one on her hip.

“Time to wake up,” he whispers softly, a genuine smile on his face. Skinner knows he’s peeping on an intimate moment and should turn away, but he’s mesmerized by what he’s witnessing.

“Is it morning already?” Scully mumbles and Skinner is surprised to find that between his two agents, Scully is the one who’s grouchy in the morning.

“It is,” Mulder replies, his voice still gentle, and his hands still on Scully. “And we need to get Skinner ready for work.” Why does he make it sound like he’s their toddler and not their boss? “I need your brain for that.”

“Hmm, do you really?”

“I do,” Mulder says, leaning forward to kiss the tip of her nose. And to think that five minutes ago he was denying they’re dating. “No one is as smart and as brilliant as you.”

“Flattery will get you everywhere, Mulder.”

“That’s what I was hoping.”

Skinner chooses that moment to retreat and give them this moment. He’ll find a towel in Mulder’s bathroom or he won’t. He, too, can be resourceful. Unlike last night, he feels hope sprout in his chest. Who knew he was still capable of that? And he has to thank Mulder and Scully. Or maybe he won’t. He can keep that little tidbit to himself.

He steps under the warm water, closing his eyes, and finds himself whistling. There will be better days. And who knows, maybe he'll find love again, too.

[nirogryphon]

Autophobia - A fear of the self

(no shatter alt below cut)

[thousand-sunnies]

every day the collection of fics i want to write grows bigger

[destinysbounty]

....huh. So when I was 16, I wrote a fic in which post-Skybound Nya and Zane talk about their experiences with dying. Now I'm beginning to think it needs a sequel taking place post-Crystalized, where they talk about what it's like to sacrifice yourself, what it's like to lose your memories and forget your loved ones, to lose your humanity and sense of self, to become consumed by your own power, and to return knowing that you're not who you used to be anymore, and that your sacrifice is what caused your family to fall apart in your absence.

[the-monkey-ruler]

what other stuff has become popular new fixtures in jttw adaptions?

Oh goodness that is going to be hard to pin down but from what I have seen the most popular Xiyouji adaptations have been at least

1960 Alakazam the Great - only saying this one because it is one of the first cartoon of Sun Wukong that was exposed to the West and while not hugely influential there made such an impact in Japan, leading to this version inspiring cartoon shows and even a remark movie years later. I hope that this verse keeps getting talked about and maybe a tv series about him can come around.

1961 Havoc in Heaven - this version will not die and will never die, this is the OG Wukong for so many people then and now, the defining master among Wukong's. Out of all the media, this is the most marketed and the most well-known. While not having new movies or tv shows this one is seen in commercials, shorts, toys, and designs. This Wukong's influence on things from children's clothing to even watches for thousands of dollars is mind staggering. If I would think anyone could last another 400 years with their impact of influence, it would be this Wukong, he is almost 100 since his first debut and he is still going strong. I have no doubt he will still be there in the next 40 years to celebrate his 100th birthday.

1978 Monkey (Saiyūki) - the popularity of this one wasn't in China but rather in Japan and even the dub in Europe. This is what really brought a generation of Western audiences into Xiyouji media. Went on to inspire more Japanese Saiyuki media as this was that standard with a female cast of Sanzang and a more outrageous Wukong. This one has most recently influenced the Netflix tv series Legends of the Monkey King.

1986 Dragon Ball - I feel I am kinda cheating by including Dragon Ball because it's only really the first dragon ball series that followed a similar 'journey' plot structure but it did get the franchise going and led to its future success in Dragon Ball Z. While current Dragon Ball has undoubtedly becomes its own thing with only it's main character having the same name as Sun Wukong it cannot be doubted the mass influence this media has on current culture and while no longer quite Xiyouji media, it was still started with it and should be noted.

1986 Journey to the West - this one set the standard for Wukong's live-action actors. Like sure there was plenty of life-action Wukong movies before this, so many in movies and even other tv specials but this is the most defining cast and most loyal plot following series that defined what people think when they think of Wukong, Saznag, Bajie, Wujing, and even Bailong. This was the series that didn't give Bailong a name but they were the ones that gave him the unforgettable plot of having a finance, something that has spun into SERVAL movies and even a tv series. The Wukong actor set how other Wukong actors were to play the character for years to come. So many movies use these designs in their own movies as it was so recognizable and notable. While other live-action series have come out that have tried to capture that same magic I have not seen anything nearly as nearly all-encompassing to audiences as 1986

1995 A Chinese Odyssey: Pandora's Box and A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella - this piece in particular was revolutionary, I cannot express that enough. While it wasn't huge in Hong Kong on its debut it was near worshiped by mainland audiences about 5 years later, just through being watched through pirated VHS that grew its popularity on the early 2000s internet. It was so popular that it was given theater releases again, and even college classes over these media with how effective it was in changing Wukong's image in modern culture. He went from being an upright, stoppable hero to a man with heartache, identity issues, and being forced to being a product of the system, many things early 2000s youth related to on another level. You couldn't go anywhere not knowing "It was only when I lost her, that I felt regretful. It's the most painful ordeal in this world. If I'm given another chance I will say three words to her "I love you" If there's a need to put a time limit to this love, I hope it's ten thousand years." People who never watched the movie knew this quote. Went on to inspire the Bio of Wukong webnoval which was turned into Immortal Demon Slayer. Even argued it inspired Conquering the Demon and Demon Strikes Back.

1996 Journey to the West- one of the most controversial but beloved series with how it changes plot lines but the increased character development and character-driven narratives within the story. Dicky Cheung brought a talent that was unmatched and honesty their risks with changes in plot lines paid off greatly with how much care they put into their characters. This version was not afraid to take risks when it came to changes and performed greatly by giving the characters such deep meaningful moments and amazing humor, drama, and action. This has influenced when it comes to being a lot of people's first Xiyouji love action experience and that fun-loving hero in Wukong can be seen in other Wukong designs.

1999 Legends of the Monkey King - another generation-defining Wukong media, I find it so hard to find people that don't know him or watched him as this was and arguably still is the best animated Wukong retelling to date. The characters were lively and the actions was fierce but it gave each episode such life. At the moment there hasn't been another animated retelling that has had the same influence that this one has. At least no other tv series that I am aware of.

1999 Lotus Lantern - While not really Xiyouji retelling, this version completely rewrote Lotus Lantern media and its connection to Sun Wukong. This was the first time we see Wukong giving solo attention as a shifu to Chenxiang and before this version, you would see Chenxiang having some other teacher in live action movies or even mention of his brother and his accidental killing of a noble son. But after this movie that version has been GREATLY overshadowed with Sun Wukong being Chenxiang, leading to about three more movies and at least three tv series. with the same concept. The idea of Erlang Shen's greatest rival teaching his nephew to defeat him was so captive to audiences that it has had a stronghold of the version since.

2009 Monkey King - This one's media influence was large but more so in how it was in both merchandising and promotional material. This piece of media leads to a particular focus on Wukong in his younger years, leading to more media in the future following a concept similar. However, the largest connection this series has had is with it's spin-off series for children's education called Little Monkey King.

2015 Monkey King: Hero Is Back - another defining Sun Wukong in the animated department, not seen since 1999 with how well received and beloved this Wukong is. This was a lot of people's first movie Wukong and brought in another wave of Xiyouji fans into the series and adored. This series led to a game being created and even promises of a sequel and prequel in the works. There is a large agreement this Wukong was to inspire the Monkey King Reborn movie that came out a few years later.

And at the moment I believe that I'm going to have to stop there as these are series that I have seen prevails and while there have been great movies and shows since Imma have to wait to see which really make an impact on further media. But until then I would think that these are some of the most defining media to date that have affected other media as well!

[potofbees]

was watching a slay the princess playthrough and was reminded of one of my other favorite ending dialogues

[cannibalcreeps]

have you seen the hills have eyes 2? If you have, what do you think of the mutant who helps the protagonists? I think it's very cute, like when he plays with the military's keys 😭🥺 he just want to help

I haven't watched it fully no, mostly cause I'm just not up for watching disappointing sequels atm and also don't want deal with the beginning of the movie just yet.

I already know a lot about it as I've read, watched and heard everything about the film and the comics (which I despise and wont take into lore) (watched as in scene snippets) THHE 2 is treated like WT7, it doesn't exist for me, simply cause of how poorly written and executed it is with story and character.

Hansel is cute in design, but I wished he was handled better, when I first saw pictures of him I had hopes he was maybe a scholar type that had the misfortune of being born in the wrong, horrid family and does his best to help as long as he doesn't get caught, but was sourly shown that is not at all what he's like and he's more an odd mashup of Pluto and Ruby. (Being Pluto-like personality but Ruby's compassion, if you could call it that)

Big reason I have a disdain for it is I've seen (and heard) it feels like they grabbed Lizard, split him into multiple men, made them bigger and stupider and went "this is a THHE horror movie"

There is a lot I could get into about it, eventually I'll watch it fully but when I do I am sure there will be even more to say.

[sonknuxadow]

one of these days theyre actually gonna announce something tomodachi life related i swear to god

[strawbubbysugar]

Have you made a post about the so(u)l characters canon genders and sexualities? :3 (if you have I’m sorry I can’t find it ;~; )

I haven't! I want to keep it sort of ambiguous, and let the reader decide, since I think its more fun/inclusive that way. If you feel like June is a trans man, he's a trans man! If you feel like he's cis, he's cis! Its all up to interpretation :)

[hime-bee]

hi i’m sorry to bother i know you get a ton of asks but i had a question. idk if this has been asked before but why did leu become obsessed with us? was it something like he saw us at our workplace and he was like “yeah okay hot”

It's no bother at all, trust me!! ^^ (I appreciate all asks 💙)

Hmm, I really do wanna answer this question, but at the same time I kinda wanna wait because it'll be answered in the sequel 👀 It goes over Leu's past and when and why he started obsessing over MC!

[llitchilitchi]

Ok so I was re-reading your vampire au and there's so many things I wanna know! But I'm terrible at eh wording my questions I guess ...

For starters ... how will Dream react to Sapnap after he's back from hospital? Will he be afraid or will he tried to brush it off as nothing serious (while it's clear that it did affect him)? Was that the first time something like that happen? What about George? Is he mad at Sapnap about it? Or well ... how mad he is would probably be better question.

Oh also ... I'm ashamed I haven't noticed this in your profile sooner but... hovoríš po Slovensky?

ohhh goodness that's a storyline from the vampire au that I should certainly come back to, someday

this was the first time either Sapnap of George were overcome with bloodlust.

Dream tries to pretend like nothing happened, or rather acknowledges that it happened but says that it doesn't have to mean anything, especially after George explains to him that Sapnap didn't do it consciously. he tries to go back to how things were, act like the whole experience wasn't traumatic. he's genuinely not mad, if only a little worried and disappointed that things even came to that point because if Sapnap acted like this because of some deeper instinct or a certain trigger, maybe it could've been prevented. he tries not to be jumpy but when someone comes up to him from behind or touches him, be it Sapnap or George, he tenses or flinches away. the first feeding session after the incident would definitely not end well.

George is a lot more angry about it happening. as a vampire himself, he knows that it could have been prevented, especially if it was because of hunger. he almost comes to terms with everything but then the first time Dream flinches away from his fangs he's angry all over.

I'm still trying to figure out how I could continue the series, which would also get into just How Exactly the three of them were affected by this. when George comes back from the hospital it's still a fresh kind of anger, the one that has him yelling at Sapnap before he runs out of energy and the bone-deep fear for Dream takes over. he's also known Sapnap for decades at this point, over a century, so he isn't even capable of being truly angry with him. it doesn't go away, it fluctates, sometimes small and hiding in the very back of his mind, sometimes silent and cold that has him walking past Sapnap, has their conversations be much shorter and more clipped and tense than they used to be, some times bright and burning with shouts and insults (but those happen rarely, on the bad days, and the outbursts could be counted on the fingers of one hand). he doesn't stay angry. if not for himself, then at least for Dream's sake.

they will all be forced to talk it out, once Dream is better and once they are all fully aware that they can't just ignore what happened

and last but most important: áno!! ahoj ahoj teší ma rada vidím ďalších slovensky hovoriacich ľudí vo fandome :D

[blue-eli]

Ink October day twenty-nine: Wilder

To bewilder; to perplex.

Comparative form of wild: more wild.

[alectology-archive]

hi im aware this is rlly random lol but like,,,i know you like priory and have you seen that were getting two more books in the world of priory after ADoFN?! apparently one WILL be a priory sequel so ahhhh

I kind of forgot that she mentioned that she’d like to write a priory sequel someday, ha, but I also do recall her mentioning that she had five solid ideas for instalments in priory’s world (including tpotot and adofn) so there’s that! she’s also said that she intends to finish the roots of chaos with three instalments where each book is set in a different generation so that she can explore more of the world and the history, so I’m not entirely certain the third book might be priory’s sequel in the sense that we want it to be - but there’s still the matter of the fourth and fifth books, so maybe someday!

[crazyw3irdo]

if you made a hamlet uquiz i would owe you my soul

honestly i’d have to think way harder about that one lol r&j comes naturally to me cause i’ve read it dozens of times whereas hamlet i’ve read like. twice maybe. not fully writing off the idea but i’d just have to think of something more…. besides i couldn’t top rosencrantz and guildenstern are dead so doing the same free will type stuff would just be boring-

[allylikethecat]

K, L, E!!

YES OH MY GOSH HELLO ANON thank you so much for indulging me and sending questions from the Fanfic Ask Meme!! As always, I LOVE chatting about fic (mine and other peoples!) and I get so excited when people send me these! If anyone wants to send anymore, or reblog it themselves, the list can be found HERE.

K: What’s the angstiest idea you’ve ever come up with?

This is a hard question because I feel like all of my fics are pretty angst heavy? I know I published it anonymously, but I think Immoral in a Stranger's Lap was probably one of the most painful, especially because it didn't really have a resolution or a happy ending, the same goes for (Sometimes). It's still in the early stages of outlining, (and I'm writing it because I am firmly in the we need more mpreg in this fandom camp) but the Teen Dad Fictional!Matty fic is also shaping up to be pretty angsty - it's looking like it's going to be a split narrative alternating between 16 year old Fictional!Matty dealing with teen pregnancy and present day thirty something year old Fictional!Matty trying to get pregnant on purpose and struggling to do so which I know deals with a lot of really heavy and painful topics.

L: What’s the weirdest AU you’ve ever come up with?

I feel like all of them 😂 But I guess, since it's not really popular in this fandom I'm going to say omegaverse even though it was very common in my other fandom experiences.

E: If you wrote a sequel to [insert fic], what would it be about?

I'm choosing to talk about Small Bump because I was working on Make Way for Ducklings earlier and clearly have mpreg on the mind. If I were to writing a sequel to that one, it would be dealing with Fictional!Matty's postpartum depression.

Thank you so much for sending these in! Thank you so much for reading and taking the time to send this ask, and for your continued support! I'm really grateful for the people who have not only taken the time to read my fics, but who have also taken the time to engage with me! I really appreciate you! I hope your Wednesday is going well and that you have a great rest of your week!

❤️Ally

[thefirstknife]

also to add on to your "destiny dying long live destiny"

its the Monday after a holiday weekend for the states. people are exhausted and probably going back to work or trying to down tune

also also its the holiday week where a new mainline Pokemon game just released. regardless of your opinions/the quality of it its still a brand new Pokemon game. thats gonna pull ppl from anywhere.

Yep! It's really interesting how November without an expansion in Destiny has been low two years in a row. And incidentally, both Novembers, there's been a Pokemon and Call of Duty release (on top of other major releases).

I know Aztecross said "don't tell me it's because it's Monday, it's Monday for other games too and there's 34 games above Destiny by player count." But it does matter. Those other games also probably have fewer players than they do when it's not post-holiday Monday.

And ofc, not all games are tied to seasonal cycles. People know there's nothing left to wrap up in Destiny so they moved to other games that they may have been neglecting during the Destiny pinnacle grind. I've neglected other games for Destiny this season and I've been catching up with them now that Destiny's season is ending and I have nothing left to do. If I have to choose what to play on a Monday before the new season, it won't be Destiny. Cringefail confession, but I spent this Monday catching up with levelling my battlepass in Overwatch. Yeah it's Monday, but I have things left to do in Overwatch and none in Destiny.

If Destiny is someone's primary game, they'll prioritise it in the first two months because of the pinnacle grind. I have to get my power level up so I can do GMs. I always prioritise Destiny first. So when I'm done, last month of the season, I play less because I have to go back and do stuff I neglected in other games. It's really simple. The fact that it's the final week of the season is crucial context.

And it's really hypocritical of these content creators to do this after they spent months farming negative attention and bad press for the game. Maybe fewer people are playing because you convinced them that the game is shit? They never seem to like taking credit for the negative, just the positive. You influence people's opinions! When you post the newest god tier build, everyone and their grandma copies it. When you shittalk the game for months, your fans listen to you. I don't know why that's difficult to understand.

There's obviously legitimate reasons for everyone to personally dislike the game! I have my gripes too, everyone does. I think we could have really important convos and feedback with Bungie about the issues we have. But this specific way of doing it? Constructing outrage by using "numbers" stripped of all context to "prove" that the game is objectively bad? It's sleazy. And it helps no one. Worst of all, it results in really awful online behaviour under the guise of anonymity and perceived justification: "bad devs ruin the game, we have the right to complain!"

Bungie knows the numbers better than any of us. If they're concerned, they will deal with it. And ofc, we'll see the numbers skyrocket in December. And then drop in January. And then skyrocket in February. And so on.