Cascade Library Interview with XmagicalX

Interviews by Fans
Title:	Cascade Library Interview with XmagicalX
Interviewer:	Cascade Library
Interviewee:	XmagicalX
Date(s):	November 9, 1999
Medium:	online
Fandom(s):	The Sentinel, X-Files
External Links:	interview is here, Archived version
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In 1999, XmagicalX was interviewed for Cascade Library.

Some Excerpts

It's all my sister's fault! When it comes to fandoms, it usually is... Sis has a genius for seeking out shows, movies, and books with what we term "potential" - partnerships, friendships, h/c, and smarm. She was watching The Sentinel on and off from the start; if an ad for an ep looked like they'd be *worrying* about each other, she watched it. But I don't watch as much TV, and I tend to go more for science fiction shows than cop shows, so I didn't catch it often. Sophomore year I was into The X-files (also sis's work), and one day I happened to read a TS/TXF crossover. I honestly have no idea whose it was; all I remember is thinking, hmmm, Sis is right, these boys *do* have potential, wonder if anybody's done anything with it. So I did a quick websearch... And by golly, people had done something with it! Man oh man, had they ever! And having the Sentinel senses more fully explained was just the science-fiction touch I needed to tip me over the edge. I read all of Kris William's stories in a week, then hit Guide Posts and didn't stop. I also made sure that sis kept the few eps she had on tape (the two she did have were Cypher and Dead Drop -- I tell you, she's got a gift for detecting these things!) and a couple fans were nice enough to send me copies of crucial others. It took me about fifteen minutes into the pilot to fall head over heels for Blair, and until Jim's smile at the end of Flight to fall for him, and, well the rest is history!

The funny thing is, when I started Restored, I didn't think of it as an A/U. It was just a story. It's a theme I've done in three different fandoms now, exploring the effects of long-term separation. I am an angst lover, and a friendship lover; exploring relationships thrills me. And I find something terribly appealing in the idea that someone can be so changed by losing another that they all but become a different person--and beautiful when in that regaining that one they regain themselves as well. I wrote Restored because I had a mental image of what Blair would be like without Jim, and Jim without Blair, and what they would be like when they got each other back. So much for theme. The mechanics of the plot, well, I mentioned I was into X-files. There's a couple of allusions to X-files in Restored, and the conspiracy is definitely a close relation to Mulder and Scully's eternal foe. But not entirely the same...unbeknownst to me, while writing Restored my subconscious was coming up with a whole world on its own. And then there was dealing with a Cascade that had lost its Sentinel - it's clear that city has one for a reason!! With all these elements popping up, I was left with unanticipated loose ends, hence the prequel, and the sequel, and some stories as yet entirely untold.

I've never written a true death story (at least not for TS) but I suppose I have skated the border. I've always liked intensity in character interactions, and few things inspire as strong emotions as death. Sometimes I blame my love of angst on getting my fanfic start in the angst-heavy X-files, but in truth the major reason my longer Sentinel stories have angst is because I like smarm and Jim and Blair's friendship so much. Come again? I love their friendship, therefore I do my best to break it up? Well, actually, yes. In all my stories, in the end Jim and Blair are strong enough to overcome whatever obstacles I've set between them (death, vampirehood, all that fun stuff!) I put them through a lot because they're strong enough to take it. And then there's the smarm factor; I see Blair and Jim both as strong, fairly well-adjusted men, who aren't given to displays of love at the drop of a hat. There's got to be a good reason for the expression of such feelings, whether through action or words. When they're pushed to the limit, when they're taken to the ragged edge and everything but the core is stripped away, that's when their partnership shines brightest to me. To actually answer the question, do I find it difficult -- nope! I like writing angst; it just comes to me -- in fact usually it's easier than smarm, despite my love of reading that and h/c. The funny thing is I'm generally a cheerful person (no, really!), and I write my best angst when I'm in a good mood. If I'm depressed I can't do it hardly at all. How's that for twisted?

This zine thing is new to me, but lots of fun I gotta say! Limits is actually my first Sentinel story. One night I had a flash of a scene, Blair describing Jim's senses to a SWAT team in order to save Jim's life. I had no choice but to start writing the story around it the next day. Then I began Restored, and Mysti Frank liked the beginning of that and asked me if I'd write a story for her zine Sentry Duty (Agent With Style). I'd only just heard of zines and was thrilled at the invitation, so I gave Limits to her when I finished. Though it wasn't intentional at the time, Limits is kind of a pre-prequel to the Restored universe; it has the seed of the conspiracy causing trouble for our guys... Brothers in Limbo is my outrageously big crossover story. Like a lot of my crossovers, it came from getting involved in a new show (in this case The Real Ghostbusters) and wondering how these new chars would interact with our favorite Sentinel and Guide. I wanted equal time with everyone involved, so fans of both or either show could enjoy it, but then somehow Sam and Al from Quantum Leap joined the mix, and in trying to give every one of these chars a chance in the spotlight I ended up writing my longest fic yet. I posted it originally, and then a couple RGB fans said I should zine it, Mysti was happy to oblige, and now I've got a novella to my name! (and another on the way, not TS though...)

My real name is Emilie Renée Karr; I posted my X-files fic under that name, and to confuse the issue further I use it with my zine stories as well. Online I'm still XmagX, though. Why? The 'X's are the easy part...they can stand for X-files, X the unknown, x-overs, whatever. The 'magical' is a longer story...let's just say I had a waaaay overactive imagination as a kid.