Said the Spider to the Fly

Fanfiction
Title:	Said the Spider to the Fly
Author(s):	Dark Nascent
Date(s):
Length:
Genre:	MSR, R, het
Fandom:	The X-Files
External Links:	online here
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Said the Spider to the Fly is an X-Files story by Dark Nascent.

The author warns up front for "Mulder/Scully romance. USTy and RSTy. Character death."

Reactions and Reviews

BEWARE. MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!

1997

There was a story -- and it was a good one -- that takes place after FTF. Skinner comes to warn Scully not to become sexually involved with Mulder. He tells her she doesn't know everything about him, that he's insane. So, of course, Scully drags Mulder off to a hotel, they decide to become lovers, have this passionate night and then, while she's asleep, Mulder smothers her in her sleep. Turns out he has some real sexual problems and he also killed Samantha (they played doctor) as well as his mystery wife (on their wedding night) and a few other women.

Then he goes to Mrs. Scullys house, having totally repressed his insane deeds, and asks where Scully is, coming to the conclusion "they" have taken her again and vowing to search for her.

It was very well-written and chilling.

horrifyingly funny. No one was more surprised than I was when I laughed out loud at Mulder smothering Scully. <g> Hilarious series -- available at your nearest ChronX. ; ) ... Well, it was labeled as humor, so I thought I'd take it at its word. ; ) The entire Barnyard series was very dark humor, deftly done.

1998

HOLY SHIT! Now, before you go off on my careless use of profanity in this "family" newsletter, I suggest you go read this story. And please be sure to take your heart medication first. Brilliant. Original. Unbelievable. Rating: Too many flashlights to count.

2007

Warning: some of the original comments at Fic Talk Message Board had very, very large vertical spoiler spaces which are not reproduced here due to space. They are notated in brackets.

... this particular story moved me to comment. It's the first time I've read it -- and likely back in the day I would have been somewhat upset by it. But I think as you read and write and grow with the fandom you begin to see and understand a lot of different viewpoints, or at least I think you should, even if you don't always agree with them.

Interesting story, and a somewhat plausible twist on Mulder's twisted psyche. I re-read it and saw a few foreshadowing moments here and there.

My take is that DN was having some fun. The characterizations in most of it were spot-on, I thought -- the long conversation in the motel room especially, and I didn't trip over the clues scattered along the way (sort of like watching "Sixth Sense" for the first time). I could have done without the comments after the story -- it diluted it a bit for me, but it was probably thought necessary at the time and place the story was written -- as though ND had to say, "Big joke here, don't have a cow."

I dunno. I was not a part of the online fandom in the early days, so much of what was going on then I'm seeing through the filter of what's happened in the interim.

I liked it, I would not recommend it wholesale, considering the sensibilities of some, but it's a good story with a clever and different view of Mulder.

[spoiler space snipped]

I liked this. I liked how if played with your expectations.

Usually in fanfic, when Skinner involves himself in Mulder and Scully's personal life, it's to facilitate the romance. And I guess, technically, this is ringfic, but what crazy, twisted ringfic.

Perhaps I shouldn't have been, but I was surprised by the murder.

I agree with crc that there was shlock aplenty. Besides the inconsistency of Mulder's disease, isn't it quite contrived that Skinner managed to tell Scully exactly enough to be useless?

For me, the shlock heightened my enjoyment, though. It kept me at an ironic remove from the action. I don't think I could enjoy a story about Mulder murdering Scully if it didn't keep reminding me that it was a story.

What I didn't like: Well, as you can see, I liked it. Maybe the discussion about feelings vs. thought, hormones vs. reason, could have been shorter. But maybe not. The story had to move deliberately at that point, and the philosophical argument kept the pace in check.

Would I rec: Yes, but not to everyone. Most people are looking for fic in a particular category, and most of the popular ones wouldn't include this weird little tale. For someone looking for something dark, twisty, and different, this could be a good read.

[spoiler space snipped]

The writing is good enough to negate some of the shlocky shock value such a plot would normally inspire, but Mulder's ultimate motivations still aren't quite clear.

He shifts jarringly from aware serial killer protecting his beloved ones in a gruesomely permanent way to a paranoid delusional, honestly (?) believing the Consortium is behind it all, sometimes in the same paragraph.

Nascent obviously wants to make very sure we understand how twisted Mulder is, but fictional insanity should have its own internal logic; his madness here seems scattered and indecisive, which reduces its effect.

Or does it makes sense in a 'he's just bugfuck nuts, okay' way? You tell me. Either way, Scully's murder scene is wonderful; brutal, terrifying and perfectly short. That Mulder sure knows how to kill 'em with love!

I do like this fic, a lot. I remember the wailing and gnashing of teeth it caused the day it was released.

I think this now rather famous story is a perfect example of "you gotta be in the mood." I'm a romantic under all the nastiness, so it took a little effort. Plus, I accidentally read part 3 first! But, familiar as I am with the piquant reputation of Dark Nascent, I would have guessed.

Part of getting in the mood would be returning to those golden days of fanfic past, when those who weren't hustling M&S into bed (against CC's orders) were trying to gross out the troops in other ways. What a lot of talent there was lying around! How grammatically and articulately Dark Nascent developed her in-your-face nightmare!

So, although I didn't really *believe* this Mulder, and although I found the whole serial killer thing depressing (but then fictional serial killers always strike me as unbelievable as well as unthrilling), I relaxed and enjoyed the fun. Because Dark Nascent, like Mustang Sally and RivkaT, was obviously having fun. And all the brouhaha after was part of it. Ah, the Golden Age.

I must say it was rather neat the way Mulder's nightmares and insomnia, his bad luck with loved ones, his profiling genius, his reluctance to jump on his partner, his justified paranoia were all put together to spell looney-tunes. I just didn't buy the split personality thing.

I'd rec this fic. It's a time portal into the history of fanfic.

I loved this story the first time I read it, I loved it this time, too. I assumed this was supposed to be amusing, in a twisted sort of way. I never thought it was supposed to be realistic. Just funny and a little sadistic, toward the characters and, well, toward the reader. Was this Dark Nascent's first story or was her reputation already established?

Okay: a rough, impressionist history. Nascent was a respected writer of serious fics which are still considered touchstones. Her Dark Nascent persona was a sort of split personality under which she published a series of jokey, deliberately outrageous fics (the Barnyard series?),

often featuring Krycek. Her fans loved her and, by the time of this story, knew to expect something crazy. I think. You should probably check dates to be sure. On the old X-File Creative newsgroup.

I'd be delighted if someone could correct or expand on this. Haven't done the homework. Need coffee

That sounds pretty accurate to me. As far as I remember, Nascent left the fandom and pulled her stories at one point and then returned and replaced them and wrote one or two more.

She was a perfectionist. She was very particular about her word choices, her plots were as close to the series as anyone has written, her Mulder and Scully voices were painfully accurate. No fluffy happy endings for her, no sirree! And no smut. I wonder how her stories would be received now.

There were some fine (and hilarious) dovetails with canon there, no doubt. But to make it *all* fit, she had to split him into two pyschos when one was enough. Skinner's obtuseness was the only other unforgivable sin. The fic could have done without him entirely although his death was darkly amusing. And yeah, freaking out the 'shippers, making 'em cry -- good times, good times.

Awards and Nominations

• 1998 Spooky Awards: Outstanding Story in a Series - First Place