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randomfoggytiger · 1 year

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X-Files Collector’s Edition: Creepy and Cozy Cabins

Cabins: the final destination of many, many fic tropes. For our intrepid heroes, cabins are a great setting for either great understandings of relationship-kind, or a temporary haven from their chaotic and bloodthirsty world. I like to keep an eclectic assortment of such fics and mix them all together like a crazy salad.

Loose chronological order below~!

(Edited: Added jordan’s Alligator Moon.)

Canon

aka Jake/ aka_Jake ’s (Gossamer) 14-Day Quarantine (Gossamer)

““Mulder?" My name rasps from Scully's throat.

Ignoring the nurses' scowls, I return to her bedside.

She clears her throat, takes a shallow breath. "I'd've...preferred Bigfoot."

Me, too, Scully. Me, too.””

Post Darkness Falls Scully-- not yet out of the woods-- is devastated at news of the ranger’s death. She slips back and forth between recovery and coma while Mulder tries to bolster hers, his, and Maggie’s spirits.

the_eternal_optimist’s Unheard Of

““The men barged right in, broke the lock on the door. I pulled my gun, told them I was FBI. They were on me before I could even move, Scully.” She winced. “A few of them had baseball bats. One of them had a—a rope, or something heavy like that. I lost my gun before I could even fire it. I think I took a bat to the back of the head.” He sighed heavily. “When I came to, I was like you found me—clothes gone, hands tied.”

“And they just stashed you there under the stairs?” she asked in horror.

He grimaced. “They, uh, they actually dragged me out to the tree line,” he stammered, suddenly sounding very small. “Threw me closer to the forest. Then they, uh, they took that rope to my back. Said something about beating the devil out of me. I think I passed out when it got too painful.””

Beginning in Chapter 3, Scully finds Mulder in the woods-- beaten to a pulp and covered in mud. She cleans him up in a nearby cabin; but his violent marauders return, not deterred by the protections of an enchanted house.

Juliettt‘s Confusion

““A sudden flash of light momentarily blinded her and she dropped to a defensive crouch.

<Silly. That's Mulder's flashlight -- he burst through the back door at the same time that you. . . .>

And then the crushing pain in her skull, the brief moment of terror and surprise, and blankness. . . .””

S2-3 Mulder and Scully wake with amnesia in a cabin. With Scully’s barely-there memories, she becomes a believer while Mulder scoffs at her “tall tales.” Skinner, flummoxed with their disappearance, arrives too late for true answers.

@discordantwords‘s (Ao3) Somewhere North of Fiji

““Behind her, she heard the slosh of water and a furtive sound, a strange squelching that she couldn't place. She glanced back at the water, saw nothing, then looked over at Mulder. He had the phone to his ear and did not seem aware of anything amiss.

She became aware of a strong odor, the stench of rotting fish.

"Mul-" something grabbed her from behind, needle sharp teeth sinking into her ankle. She tipped backwards, and the last thing she saw was Mulder's startled face, staring on as something small and gray rushed straight for him.””

S4 Mulder and Scully are half-drowned, half-mauled by the Fiji Mermaid who just. Won’t. Die. No matter how many bullets are blasted in its gut.

jordan’s Alligator Moon

““As Scully ducked between trees, her arms out to ward off branches, brushing spiderwebs and Spanish moss out of her way, a blind, unreasoning panic began to seize her.

Before it could take hold, she summoned the last of her courage and reached back to the holster in the small of her back. She tore back the velcro flap, grasped the butt of her weapon and drew it. The motion slowed her, and she let herself come to a full stop, the gun in her hand, to face her pursuer defiantly.

Scully! No!" Mulder had slid in the leaves like a first base runner and reversed direction to run back to her. He scooped an arm around her waist and dragged her backwards. For one second she saw the shimmer of something in the air, something she could only comprehend as sheer power, and she felt its malevolent intent like foul breath in her face. Then she was being half carried, half pulled by Mulder into a sudden clearing.””

AU FTF? Mulder and Scully track their suspect into the woods. They instead find his mangled corpse and near death by Windigo. While tracked in a cabin surrounded by a circle of sugar, Mulder uses his childhood dreams to figure out the mystery while Scully silently fumes over his aborted moves and imposed distance.

@sarie-fairy‘s (Ao3) Skamania County

““I’m okay. I landed on something soft, sort of.”

It was then she managed to roll over, move from where she had fallen as Mulder began to descend. As she did, a sharp pain tore at her torso, and her head throbbed.

“Hold on,” he assured.

It was pliable, yielded as she shoved away.

“I’m coming down there, Scully,” he soothed.

And … furry?””

Post The Unnatural-- Scully-- while fumbling around the snowy woods with Mulder hunting for Sasquatch-- finds a dark hole, a dead man in a zip-up suit, and a serious injury to her side (in that order.) Mulder is left to half-panic, half-haul her to a cabin and stitch an emergency suture.

Love this fic! Classic pull-together of humor balanced with knife’s edge danger, and softened with tender care. (Also, found @mondfuchs‘s art through this!)

XP1′s Dire Straights

““Good. Good. Okay. Just scratches then.”

“’Scratches!’ she says!”

“Well not…I mean it probably only cut the epidermis. You don’t see any fat do you?”

“On you? Never.”

“Mulder-”

“No I don’t see anything like that. Just a…a whole lotta red.””

Mulder and Scully escape a dire bear; but she is more seriously injured than he’d thought. What ensues is amazing banter to keep their minds off of their serious worries as the two clean Scully’s wounds and cheekily address their mutual unspoken interests.

This is an amazing fic. Only dialogue-- but it’s so well-written that you can tell exactly when each character picks up an object or what the other person is doing simply by how they SPEAK WORDS. Great stuff.

@suitablyaggrieved‘s (Ao3)

Unnamed

““Looks like they left in a hurry, their things are still here and there’s smoke here. It’s warm. They haven’t been gone long.” Scully stands up and dusts herself off. Mulder stands nearby, looking down at the topographical map he had with him.

“Two cabins near here, so where did they go?” Mulder hands the map over to Scully and scours the area for clues.””

Mulder and Scully question an eerie park ranger for directions. Their sixth senses tingle in fear over the snarling children behind him in the cabin.

Unnamed

““Mulder, are you sure that this is the right way?” Scully asked, removing her hood and wiping her brow from the rain. She looked up at him, her mood indifferent.

“Of course,” he said, not at all sure, and worried that he was leading them down a dangerous excursion.””

Mulder and Scully are lost in the woods due to his bad directions. And, because their lives aren’t hard enough, they hear an animal howl.

Pairs well with--

@scully-loves-ruthie‘s “One time he made a bad joke about pms”

““Thump, Thump, Wack! The pounding on the door growing more intense with each hurtle the beast’s body delivers. Mulder's back is pressed firmly against the other side of the door, his dress shoes digging for stability in the burnt orange motel carpet. Scully splayed against him her arms shoving into the door while adding her body weight against his to stop the impending break in. Their foreheads touch as each breath shimmies out of their lips arduous, biting back panic.””

Mulder is just happy to battle werewolves with his gf, Scully. Sometimes it comes out in awkward jokes (that I love, fyi.)

@leiascully‘s (Ao3)

““That was a sigh for the ages. Penny for your thoughts.”

“I’m not sure they’re worth that.”

“I adjusted for inflation. Humor me.”

“The world was wide enough, Scully.”

“For what?”

“For us and the Jersey Devil.””

Years and locations may change, but Mulder’s curiosity and empathy never abates for the cruelties of the universe and its victims. Gf Scully listening skills and logic never changes, either.

@lotsoforangesoutside/lotzzoforanesoutside‘s (Ao3)

Conversation in the Very Very Late at Night -FOURTEEN-

““Ah, don’t tell me you didn’t know how I felt about you, Scully.” He murmurs softly. “I’ve been in love with my best friend for a long time, and I’ve never done that before.”

“Because your best friends were always guys?” She speculates, suddenly thinking about the Lone Gunmen.

“No, because I’ve never had a best friend.” His eyes tell her that he is being sincere. “So I didn’t know the etiquette on being in love with a best friend.””

A rainy, cozy cabin is the perfect time for Mulder and Scully to reflect on their past best friends and current relationship.

The Cabin

““Mulder takes her to a cabin owned by his uncle. He speaks of Cousin Barry and Cousin Ira, the shenanigans in their youth, the movies they watched together, and the visits to the amusement parks.

Listening to him about his childhood with Ira and Barry, one would think he’s got the best childhood a boy could ever dream of.””

On-the-run Mulder and Scully take a break at his cousin’s cabin. His girl-cooties banter is the cherry on top of their ooey-gooey good times that they have soaking in this speck of normalcy.

@wexleresque/hllsteeth‘s Fictober 2021 - Chapter 17

““The news does not come as a surprise to either of them given the winter storm that rages outside, howling and covering everything in ice. It feels like the little cabin might topple over when a particularly strong wind hits it.

“At least we still have power.” Mulder says, looking up at the single bulb in the ceiling that bathes them in a yellow light. They dust off a chess board that looks like it's been sitting long-abandoned in the corner, settling in for a long night of waiting. They’re seasoned experts at being exiled together, a concept that is oxymoronic as it is true.””

Mulder and Scully are snowed-in; but he creates a cheery evening with roasted marshmallows and cheesy fireside stories.

truthwebothknow1′s My December

““Please tell me you are going to knock me out for this." Scully was shaking her head; his heart lurched painfully, feeling the bite of metal scoring his ribs. He pulled his best-beaten spaniel look that he'd thought worthy of an Oscar. To his horror, a single tear slid like a dewdrop down her face. It was then he noticed the blood at the edge of her hair for the first time. He was gasping now. Suddenly he felt like every, meal he'd ever consumed were fighting on mass for an exodus up and out,of biblical proportions.””

S7? Mulder is victim to a horrific car accident, with barbed wire embedded in his flesh in crucial spots that necessitate immediate removal-- without meds-- by Scully and Skinner. Santa makes it all better, but not until he’s had his fill of hurtfic.

Scullysfan’s Mileage

““She didn't answer for a moment, and then gave a solemn nod. "Yeah. I guess... I feel like the walls are closing in." His stomach roiled and clenched when she crossed her arms over her chest as though seeking protection. He had to lean forward to catch her next words, she spoke them so softly. "Like I'm going nowhere."

He knew the feeling well. ...

That a similar weight would burden the woman standing before him became suddenly unacceptable. ...She started when he swung his feet off the desk and planted them on the floor. "Then let's blow this pop stand," he exclaimed. "Let's go somewhere.””

Pre-Requiem Scully has a nosebleed. Mulder convinces her to do a roadtrip through America to keep her mind off the impending results. They visit old haunts, new places, find a dead baby, visit a children’s hospital, and enjoy a few days in a treehouse cabin.

@atths--twice/ATTHS_TWICE‘s (Alt. Ao3, FFN) Creature Comforts

““Scully?” Mulder called, interrupting her thoughts.

Knocking twice, he opened the bathroom door as she opened her eyes and looked at him, the candle on the counter flickering. He grinned and she sighed with a small smile. “You good?”

She hummed in response, closing her eyes briefly and sighing.””

On-the-run Mulder rents a cabin; and Scully is delighted to have a real bath and watch a movie with him.

mmeadowlarkk’s Merry and Bright

““A few more months here and there and we can… think of something.” He catches himself sounding like he’s making a promise. They have stayed loyal to focusing on the present.

If not one day at a time they take it one week at a time, and if they feel safe enough, two weeks at a time. Like this cabin, somewhere in Duluth, Minnesota, they’ve been here for a week but decided to stay for another one. The town isn’t that far and they’re still isolated enough that no one has driven by or looked their way.

“Did you make more coffee?” she asks like she didn’t neglect her first one. Half of it, anyway.””

On-the-run Mulder notices Scully’s new quirks and patterns while sidestepping her tepid hesitancies against decorating their rented cabin for Christmas.

@aimmyarrowshigh‘s (Ao3) 047. Canada

“The cabin is so far off the grid that the grid might as well by a figment of their imaginations.”

Mulder and Scully bunk out in a cabin... but not for good reasons.

AUs

theramblinrose’s

The Lake House - Chapter 2

"“Mulder,” Scully said after a moment of smearing a bit more of the strawberry jam on the newly acquired bit of toast, “can I—talk to you?”

Mulder smiled to himself. One of the main reasons for this trip was to give Scully the opportunity to talk about what she was feeling—something she’d already indicated that she desired to discuss with him at some point.””

Mulder and Scully are married and expecting a child. More importantly, they are shaken from the events of Irresistible, and rent a cabin getaway to recover.

The Lake House - Chapter 3

““This is the best baked potato I’ve had in years,” Mulder offered. “I’m serious. I don’t know why we’re ordering out as much as we do.”

Scully laughed to herself.

“Because we don’t usually have a whole afternoon to dedicate to preparing dinner,” Scully responded.

Mulder hummed his agreement. “I’ve been thinking about that,” he said.””

The vacation continues; but this time Mulder wants to talk.

LuvTheBeez’s (mulderscreek) Snow (Goss)

““Scully paused for a moment at the entrance to the living room, watching as her husband carefully crumpled pieces of newspaper into intricate shapes. Some of the pieces were rolled carefully into long, tight wands, some barely crumpled, all arranged with exquisite care under the equally carefully-arranged pieces of wood. Scully could practically feel the concentration coming off him in waves.

"Mulder, it never really occurred to me before, and I certainly admire the skill with which you construct that masterpiece you've got going there, but I seem to recall a bit of a phobia you used to have about fire." She placed his mug down on the mantle. "How have you gone from fear to Master Fire Builder?"

"It's all about control, Scully." Mulder paused for a moment as he twisted the life out of another geometrically perfect square of newspaper. "This is our house. This fireplace is a perfect little contained area, inside our house, where one can have a controlled fire that *stays* in control. If I build the fire, I have control over it. I am its master. I *am* Fire Boy.”"

S5 Mulder and Scully and baby’s last minute Christmas shopping is derailed by a grocery store stickup. Her contractions pick up as the body count rises; and soon the two are trying to quietly maintain equilibrium while they’re marched into a getaway car and driven into the mountains, hoping against hope that Skinner somehow bugged the vehicle.

This is a beloved favorite of mine-- the dialogue, the synchrony, the mature banter and next-level “vibes” they have as a team between these two is unparalleled... and all the little details are important throughout, necessitating an almost immediate reread. GREAT stuff!!

RebeccaRusnak/Anonymous‘s (mulderscreek) Small Blessings

““She shook her head in understanding. Normal wasn’t something they did that often these days. In fact, she hadn’t felt normal in years. Mulder had probably been living in the Twilight Zone even longer.

They fell silent for a second, each contemplating. He broke it first. “If you leave, I’m going to go, too.”

She nodded slowly, not agreeing but acknowledging.””

FTF Scully and Mulder (huddled in their snocat) fantasize about the lives they could live if they left the FBI. She also doesn’t allow him to dodge a compliment.

Namarie/namarie24’s (mulderscreek) All I Will Remember (Goss)

““Mulder shifts in his seat, and says, "It just seems like a huge coincidence to me that Krycek appears and convinces us all that there's still something to be found in Bellefleur. And then someone breaks into the hospital records where Scully was admitted, and then leaves this warning for me to find as soon as Scully and I go back to work."

Skinner's expression flickers at the mention of Krycek, but he waits for Mulder to finish speaking before he replies. "Not that I don't think he's capable of manipulation and breaking into confidential records," he says, "but if Krycek is responsible for it, why would he bother leaving you a warning? Why not just let things unfold?"

I give Mulder a significant look, and he shrugs. "That is the question, sir.””

Post Requiem Mulder and Scully wake in a vast forest, alone. She relays her pregnancy news as the two pick their way back to civilization (with the unexpected help from the owner of a cabin they squatted in.) After they’re picked up by Skinner, Krycek decides to claim credit for freeing them; and leaves them with a cryptic warning about future threats on her and the baby’s life.

Karen Rasch’s By the Wind Grieved (Gossamer 1, 2)

““So you see, Mulder, even if I were to spend the holidays with my family, the chances of us having a old-fashioned Christmas are next to nil," she said, leaning towards him across the table. "I mean...I would love a big old tree, a fire burning in the fireplace, carolers at the front door. But that just isn't who we are, not who we've been for a long time."

"Do you miss them, though?" he asked quietly, sitting forward in his seat now as well. "Your family, I mean."

"I do," she confessed. "Part of me misses not being able to see everybody. But you know...given our track record, it's probably for the best." "What do you mean?"

"You've read the files," she said wryly. "You know the kinds of things that happen to you and me this time of year. All in all, I'd say we're safer here than we would be anywhere else.”"

S8 Mulder is returned in the late stages of Scully’s pregnancy with complete amnesia. After an attempt on his life, Skinner spirits the two of them (and interchanging guards) up to a cabin to winter until the assassins can be caught. The two grow closer as Christmas approaches, doing homey little crafts and bonding over the files; but Scully regrets not filling in all the blanks when Krycek shows up to hold them hostage until his backup arrives. The baby, of course, decides now is the perfect time to arrive.

@slippinmickeys‘s (Ao3, Gossamer) Three Part Harmony (8/?)

““I suppose one of us should go check it out,” Mulder sighed. He was run through with exhaustion and worn raw with nerves, but he leaned over Scully to open the glove compartment where they’d stashed the three guns. He grabbed the Glock, the closest one to hand, when Scully put a hand on his arm.

“Let me,” she said. “I’ve at least gotten a bit of rest today.””

On-the-run Mulder and Scully are now being incessantly tracked after saving Will from the same fate as his dead parents. A kindly waitress gives them brief respite in her secluded cabin while the two catch their breath and decide on their next steps.

Defnotmeyo’s (WBM, Alt. WBM) Choke Points

““And so there is Walter Skinner.

He’s blown people’s heads off in close quarters. Children, even. And when he dug himself from the swampy, stinking mass of Vietnam, and set to work repairing his head, after he met Sharon and decided she needed something better, something more than himself, he got down to the business of it. He set out for more. And so SSG Skinner, on his way to becoming a Gunny, became LT Skinner. The lowest of the low, yet more than that because he had his good conduct ribbon and people knew he’d been in the dirt. While the other Officers held the shrimp fork with ease, Walter tugged his collar and counted tongs.

And when, in the battlefield, the other LTs turned and evaded answering the big questions, LT Skinner stepped up and called the shots, sentenced people to life and death, his soldiers knew. He wasn’t some Academy rat. Walter has always been a Mustang. And he knows another when he sees one.””

My Struggle II/III Skinner reminisces on his impressions of early Scully and their subsequent friendship. He continues to be impressed as she whips everyone into shape-- dumping her ragtag group of misfits in one vehicle, snapping Einstein into place, and gunning it to find William in hopes of a cure.

Wow, this was long! You guys are troopers if you made it through (or even a quarter of the way.) Hope you all--

Enjoy!

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dopscratch · 8 months

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Introducing: Throatphang, one of many of my HTTYD characters that are going to get new references and redesigns ranging from minor to major.

Often just called "Phang," this Hellsteether is a violent yet suprisingly protective dragon, sticking loyally by his much smaller friends (a Windwalker, Eggfly and a Deadly Nadder, the Knotserpent). Young and eager, he mainly joined the rebellion to fight. However, that changed when he saw how his fellow green blooded brothers of the snake were being treated. As an 'untrainable' who lived in the mountains and would simply eat any human who came across him, he was not privy to the abuse that smaller, more domestic dragons were facing. After learning about their plight, he now fights for their freedom rather than just for the thrill of killing.

#how to train your dragon #httyd #httyd books #hellsteether #httyd oc #trashmann treasure #character containment

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aziraphales-library · 2 months

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hello ! i would like to ask if u know any fics about crossovers between the 1992 movie script & any other alternate good omens universe . any kind that somewhat has them interact w the characters there (like a body swap or an au meet up, anything of the sort)

thank you for the hard work, this blog was a godsend (haha) !!

Here are some fics which crossover with the 1992 movie script...

Crowleys Anonymous by IneffableAlien (T)

The boys meet 1992moviescript!Crowley.

A Cursed Case of Accidental Identity Theft by hellsteeth (G)

Sometimes, the universe likes to play tricks on us. Perhaps to teach us a lesson. Perhaps for its own amusement. Perhaps because nothing actually matters, and reasons are stories we tell ourselves to help us sleep at night. Regardless, this is a story about one of these tricks, in which an angel and a demon stare into the funhouse mirror of reality and catch a glimpse of their cursed counterparts. Welcome to the circus. Bring out the clowns. (Crowley and Aziraphale are exposed to the other's 1992 screenplay counterpart)

The Tadfield Secondary Players by attheborder, malicegeres (G)

Colin "Greasy" Johnson's aspirations as a prodigy playwright are put to the test by a panel of judges. After all, who better to evaluate a play about the apocalypse, than an angel and a demon who were really there? Even better: three pairs of angels and demons, each from a slightly different universe. Boundaries will be pushed. The limits of theatrical good taste will be tested. Narratives will be deconstructed. Vomit-inducing quippy one-liners will be dished out. From the mists of the multiverse, GOOD OMENS: A STAGEPLAY will arise. And nothing will ever be the same...

Limitless by SmokingMirrorChaos, Yvesriba (T)

Crowley has never known a world with Aziraphale. Where he's from, his counterpart was the angel Anathema. 6000 years of friendship eventually lead to them traveling between worlds until they discover one where there has never been a Crowley. But, there is an Aziraphale. They met and fall in love and with Aziraphale, Crowley finds the happiness he's always sought. A tale told in Crowley's stories to Aziraphale and flashbacks.

The Other Side by Fanlan (M)

Summary: She works in mysterious ways, keeping every timeline and every alternate version of each universe windingly like threads on the tip of her fingers. Maybe it was an accident, maybe it was to fix something or maybe it was just a test, but she twisted two of those threaded universes together, making a small change in each one: switching an Aziraphale for an Aziraphale. (A what if take if Show! Aziraphale and 1992 Script! Aziraphale swapped places)

- Mod D

#good omens #ineffable husbands #1992 movie script #mod d

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agent-troi · 6 months

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the origins novel devil's advocate, i need to know more !!

omg!! i’m a little drunk atm but i shall try to explain:

so devil’s advocate is the one on the right and is scully-focused, while the one one the left is mulder-focused and they both take place around the same time in 1979 (mulder and scully actually visit the same coffee shop slash bookstore within like three hours of each other which makes me lose my mind every time i think of it but that’s a side point lol)

anyway here’s the summary:

btw: mulder and scully meet skinner in craiger in paper clip i think and i vaguely remember a fic mentioning this (i think it was lost time by hellsteeth but i could be wrong)

anyway i don’t wanna give away too many spoilers but i love this book so much and i also love the mulder one and i highly recommend both

i just got an email notif for the next chapter of gaslight so i’m gonna post this and skedaddle lol

#asks #x files #txf novels #fox mulder #dana scully #devil’s advocate #i want to believe

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carefulfears · 11 months

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kae's sunday fic recs <3

my topic this week: orison

(also a favorite of @perpetually-weirdening!)

fluorescence and night on all sides by audries: we all know how i feel about this writer, i quote them like some recite biblical verse. if they have something to say, it's worth reading and ruminating. this is no different.

residue by sarie_fairy: this quick one-shot has stuck with me the past few days, i love all of the imagery interwoven. absolution as a love language.

submerged by hellsteeth: i love post-orison bath fics. i love reclamation of joys after trauma. i love dana scully and all of the things she tried to control after pfaster, all of the ways that she occasionally loosens that grip.

come morning light by incidental: a beautiful story written by a sweet friend of mine. this one is technically post-irresistible, more bath fic.

close the door (you know we're never coming back) by oftheend: one of my favorites, this story moves through the mundanity of post-traumatic stress eloquently. the clean-up, the easy decisions that take up so much space (walk or take a cab? what to eat? how to wash your hair?) and the depth behind them. more bath fic. points for mentioning mulder's fish tank.

some nights by otto_tis_eratai: a thorough multi-chapter, this piece goes through seven episodes (including both irresistible and orison) and follows how one act can change over the years.

requests/submissions this week:

seaglass blue (x)

s1-3 works

love y’all! feel free to send in requests or submissions (your own work or some you’d like to share) for next week.

#fic #sunday fic lists

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deathsbestgirl · 10 months

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Okay, so-- maybe not exactly what you want, but here's an array of close-enough post cancer arc affection fics:

Scully's sense of smell isn't back yet, and she feels embarrassed for cooking a horrendous Thanksgiving meal. Mulder comforts, they exchange the love word, and all is well-- thankful - hellsteeth - The X-Files [Archive of Our Own]

Scully's pushing her limits on a case, trying to get back to normal. She and Mulder talk it out in a tent, and Mulder is reassured Bill wasn't his fault-- Rainy Days and Mondays - Chapter 1 - OnlyTheInevitable - The X-Files [Archive of Our Own]

Mulder and Scully dating post Redux II/she insists they'll still be the same-- i'm here (archive.org)

I can't find the others right now (these aren't even THEM, lol); but I have to do some other things. Will be back ASAP w/ more reccs when I can find them, though! >:DDDD

yayyyy!! thank you so much. i have such a soft spot for the cancer arc <3

#msr fic #txf fic #x files fic #tbr

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lilydalexf · 2 years

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do you know of the cancer arc fic where Mulder and Scully are spending time at her apartment and they get drunk on cheap beer (there was some point about how Scully's treatments have ruined her sense of taste or something) and then end up kissing in her bathroom and trying to agree not to talk about it? it was a fairly long fic, I think, I read it last year on AO3 and was wondering if I could find it again

My best guess for this X-Files fic is thankful by hellsteeth (@wexleresque). But I think it might not be the right one since while it is a cancer arc fic, there's some kissing in Scully’s apartment, and Scully's sense of taste being affected is a plot point, it's missing other things you mention.

If you have a guess for anon's fic, please let us know!

#fic mystery #xfiles fanfic #xf fanfic #anon #asks

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audiofanficpod · 2 years

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doing christmas right this time by @cryptidsbian

Read by @msrtheatre0223

Please leave the author a comment if you enjoyed their story 😘

#hellsteeth #afp christmas #christmas 2021 #audiofanficpod #audio fanfic #audio fiction #audio fanfiction #the x files fanfic #xfiles #xfiles fanfic #xf fanfic #the x files #podfic #SoundCloud

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danafraedrich · 6 years

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Behold! The Demon-Bruin! Okay, that's what I call him when he's getting into trouble, but it works for my tags. Fun fact: Demonbreun is also the name of a major road here in downtown Nashville. I wanted to get a shot of Bru's chompers to go with @jamesfahyauthor 's AH-MAZE-ING book, Hell's Teeth, but I was already interrupting naptime with my absurd picture taking, so he was having none of that. TBH, I was lucky to snap this picture at all. 🏷 #BookAndBear (aaaaaaages ago) from @juliablakeauthor . Get it? Because he's called Bruin. He looked like a teddy bear when he came home with us! Swippty swipe to see that cuteness. Look at the size of the tennis ball compared to him! Ahem, sorry, moving on. 🏷 #ThrowbackThursday and #tbt . .⠀ I'm seeing Black Panther tonight! I'm so excited!!! 😆. .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ #booknerd #books #booksarelife #booksaremagic #bookstagram #bookstagramcommunity #bookstagrammer #bookworm #read #reader #reading #lovetoread #jamesfahy #hellsteeth #authorssupportingauthors #writerssupportingwriters #writersofinstagram #authorsofinstagram #dogsofinstagram #dogs #dogsofinsta #dogsofig #furbaby

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randomfoggytiger · 1 year

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X-Files Collector’s Edition: Many Mondays and “The Creeps”

Monday-- ahhh, the good ol’ angst episode rife with unlimited potential for fic writers everywhere. And not only are these unlimited fill-ins and alternate endings for Mulder and Scully’s harrowing bank event, they are also fics that deal with possible memory recoveries for Mulder and Scully (or both???? The world may never know~~~.)

Loose chronological order below~

Mondays and AUs

Obfusc8er’s Convergence

“"Oh no." She groans. A yellow piece of paper flaps rhythmically under a windshield wiper on Mulder's car. "He's really going to love this," she mutters to herself as she leans over to look at the ticket. He had stopped there ten minutes too early, before the parking zone changed. "Oh, Mulder." A helpless expression crosses her face for a second. She tries not to pity him very often...he finds it embarrassing...but this day is just spiraling out of control. How on *earth* does he do this?””

On one of many Mondays, Scully ruminates how she and Mulder had clung to each other after their losses, accumulating in their office burning down. This day ends just as badly for him.

@anders-hawke/@iwtbscully/BananaChef’s

We Always Reveled in the Pain - Chapter 3

““Ma’am, please let us—”

“No! I won’t let you take him from me!”

“Scully,” Skinner says, voice reaching for soothing but falling short as he crouches next to her. “You need to let the EMTs take Mulder.””

Mulder dies; and a shattered Scully is held together by Skinner and Maggie.

@wexleresque/hllsteeth’s do you think I’m spooky? - Chapter 4

““The man who is responsible for her condition screams at Mulder, waving his gun around. Mulder ignores him, sweeping Scully’s hair away from her face and wiping blood off of her cheek and neck with his sleeve. “Come on, Scully, please,”

For a split second, it looks as if she might be listening.””

Scully dies; and Mulder embraces death as the bomb goes off.

@tatooedlaura-blog/tatooedlaura/LauraSprys's Luck and Stubborness

““Nine minutes.

How had only nine minutes passed? Unlike Oregon, where nine minutes had gone by in a literal flash, these nine minutes had dragged on for millenia, minimum.

Bullet number three caused body number two, this one beside Scully, covering the side of her face with a splatter pattern of warm sticky blood. She hadn’t caught up to reality yet and wasn’t sure why the man beside her was now dead but she realized she’d better begin to pay better attention.””

Scully thinks she’s dying and gives up, ultimately suffering from prolonged detachment and PTSD post-rescue. Mulder sticks to her side, giving unwavering support as she slowly readjusts.

@ghostbustermelanieking/skuls’s mondays on an endless loop

““She doesn't speak, but her eyes are surprisingly alert; her leg is moving, off to the side, and he'd like nothing more than to hold her, to try and help her. “Don't move too much,” he tries, moving a few inches closer, hoping Bernard isn't watching. “It's okay.”

Scully grunts, very pointedly, and he sees her leg moving again. He looks down to her foot and sees what she is doing: she's sliding her gun over towards him with her foot. Bernard forgot to get it.””

A selection of Mondays: Skinner drives desolated Scully to Mulder’s apartment; Scully tries to save Mulder as she dies; both blow up; Pam kills Bernard; and lastly, Mulder doesn’t go to bank at all.

These are fabulous-- I love to dip back into skuls’s work whenever I can.

shannono’s In the Loop

““Deja vu all over again...

This isn't the first time I've crouched on a cold, hard floor and watched my partner's life spill out in a wash of red. Once was more than enough, and I've replayed it so many times now, in my mind, with so many different variations, that I've lost track of what's real and what's my imagination.””

A Monday variant with an “I love you” dropped just before everyone is engulfed in flames.

Callunarose’s Trauma Bonding

““She cannot imagine a world without the fierce, burning force of him, but that weak pulse is fading fast and his eyes are rolled back into his head revealing the whites. His gums are pale, another sign that the end is fast approaching.

At 3am the night before she had come awake suddenly for no reason.””

A Monday with Scully and Mulder already together-- Scully's loops are in the form of continual premonitions of Mulder’s death, only to wake next to him and think they were just dreams.

@mldrgrl’s (Ao3)

Unnamed Prompt

““The suspect they took into custody,” she says. “Bernard Roe. Witnesses said you warned everyone that he had a bomb.”

“Mm.”

“How did you know that?”

“I don’t know. I’ve just had the weirdest sense of déjà vu since this morning. It’s like I’ve gone through it all before.”

She reflects wearily back on her dream. She wasn’t in that bank when everything went down, she was doing her best not to fall asleep in Skinner’s office, but it felt like she was there.””

A Monday without Monday-- Scully saved Mulder from the episode’s opening credits; and questions his prescience of events, possibly recalling her own.

Once Upon a Mattress

““The thing about the couch,” he said, “is that there’s no empty space to fill.”

Frowning, Scully got up onto her elbows to look down at him. Her right eyebrow rose half an inch into a pointed arch, wrinkling her forehead. Mulder’s eyes were closed and without opening them, he reached across and felt for her shoulder, pushing her lightly back down to the bed.

“Don’t look so worried,” he murmured, still with his eyes closed. “You know I’m saving myself for marriage.””

~Extra Content~ Post Monday Mulder needs a new mattress and recruits Scully in a thinly veiled attempt to find out her preferences. Scully doesn’t get it, at first; but her Diana suspicion is quickly put to rest (hah, bed jokes.)

Post Mondays

InTroubleWiththeKing’s Call It A Feeling

““Scully sighs. “Well, today has been eventful.”

“What do you mean by that?” Mulder replies.

“Uh… like, a bank robbery, a thwarted suicide bombing, a handgun… I dunno, Mulder. It was a tad bit out of the ordinary… even for…”

“Is that all?” he cuts her off.

They stare at each other. Silence.””

Mulder and Scully's day is capped off by another rowdy guy right after Pam’s death, causing Mulder to seriously contemplate the word associations that are repeatedly looping in his mind. Scully silently shares his sense of unease.

@thescullyphile’s (Ao3) Tuesday (Ao3)

““He felt phantom memories of timelines that didn’t exist, felt a pang in his chest that he knew Scully felt too, the last, fading reminders of how close to death they both had come earlier that week. If he focused hard enough, he could feel the panic flutter up in his gut, there and then gone. Mulder rests his chin on her shoulder, and they both fix their eyes on the screen, feeling that looking at each other might irreparably rend their necessary defenses. He feels her hot pulse against his cheek, feels her swallow as his voice rumbles out from deep in his chest. He is tired. “We’ve had an interesting few days, haven’t we, Scully?”

“More like an interesting few years.””

Waterbed-less, Mulder bunks out with Scully. Their “sleepover” mood can’t buoy his sorrow over his perceived failures; but Scully always rises when he falls.

@impulsive-astrophile’s (Ao3) Heaven and Hell Were Words to Me

““He’s gone for 5 minutes that afternoon to use that bathroom, and her hands start to shake again.

He’s gone for 30 minutes the next day to pick up lunch, and she can barely type, noting reluctantly that her resting heart rate climbs to almost double her regular resting rate and into tachycardia - hovering around 130.

It’s ridiculous, she tells herself. They’re both fully functional, independent adults who can operate without the other.

But Mulder seems reluctant to be away from her, as well...””

Post Monday Mulder and Scully hover around each other, suppressing the emotional chaos of their experience. Mattress shopping leads to bunking out, which leads to confessions about their nightmares.

Spooky2u2′s Next Time There’ll Be Baseball

““Every night it was the same-- First an overwhelming panic that Scully was in danger, then sadness, and finally a blinding fear that he was slipping away from his body, his life...from Scully as her eyes pleaded with him to stay. That's when he always woke-- Just when he was sure that the tethers which held him to this earth had been severed with cold, calculating precision.””

Mulder escapes his post-Monday nightmares by dragging Scully out to a field and throwing dirt at the stars.

Zephathah’s Breathing in Time

““Just wanted to make sure you were still breathing."

She considers me for a moment, then closes her eye and takes a deep breath, filling her lungs completely before letting it out between rounded lips.

Her eye pops open again. "Yep, still going."

I smile at her, a big one this time. "Good.””

Post Monday nightmares lead Mulder to Scully’s motel room to check her “living” status. Scully huffs, complies, and brushes it off as just Mulder-being-Mulder.

@alienbaby-babymama/ABBM515’s Deja Vu

““Wait...didn't we already have this conversation?"

"So you're experiencing it, too? It's not just me?"

"I don't know what I'm experiencing..."

Suddenly she was hit with a flashback of Mulder in a bank, her cradling his head in her lap...and an obscene amount of blood seeping from his body.””

Mulder and Scully feel a strong sense of deja vu while in their basement; and Scully’s slight recall propels her to make definitive moves on Mulder.

Ten’s Mondayitis

“"Set what kind of things right?"

"Whatever's wrong."

Of course. "Mulder, it's more likely that we're talking about simple neurochemistry - a glitch in the brain's ability to process recognition and memory. Doesn't mean that the memory's authentic. My dreams just feel authentic, and there are many possible reasons for that. My fear of you dying is enough to make them very realistic." But even as I say that, deep inside me, I have doubts, no matter how much I am trying to bury them. Something about these dreams is different. They are so vivid, so different to the nightmares I have had over the years after other cases.

"But what if it were authentic?" Mulder insists, unaware of my thoughts.””

In Monday’s aftermath, Scully tries to flee her nightmares by bunking out with Mulder. Even sharing a motel room doesn’t cut it; but she surprises him and herself by accepting his “clairvoyant” theory and upping his ante by recalling the events of Dreamland.

This entire story is juicy in its twists and turns-- love it!

ML/ML_is_me’s (Ao3, Gossamer, DW, Invidiosa)

The Nobody (Goss)

““She knew it was wrong, but she did it anyway. With trembling fingers, she dialed the phone, holding her breath while she listened to it ring and ring and ring...

Then he came back into the room. "Who you calling?" he asked suspiciously.

"Nobody," she said. A nobody calling nobody.””

Pam’s bedraggled, hopeless POV.

Do Overs (Goss)

““It sounded like it was coming from upstairs. Scully? He grabbed his gun and took the stairs two at a time.

The bedroom door was ajar and Mulder pushed it open cautiously. "Scully?" he called softly. "You awake?"

He saw her go still. For a few seconds she didn't answer. Then she slowly sat up and turned toward him. Her features were indistinct in the dimness. "Mulder?" she said in a sleep-slurred voice.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," came her uncertain-sounding reply. Another pause. He could almost hear her mind working. "I had a nightmare," she said finally.

Well, if she could admit it, so could he.””

Arcadia Mulder and Scully ruminate over the move he made after Monday, wondering what it means for them. It develops into honesty about nightmares, fate vs. free-will, and a finally-committed relationship after they finish the case.

Love this fic as well!

Penny Sycamore’s Nightmare on Autumn Terrace

““His thoughts turned back to Scully, and what could possibly inspire her nightmares. There was certainly enough raw material from which to draw, after all the years she spent around him. Just the psychos who had stalked her...men who wanted to violate her body or her mind, men who tried to lobotomize her, men with talking tattoos, or death fetishes or worse. Normal people counted sheep; Mulder was counting Scully's psychos.””

Arcadia Mulder is confused by Scully’s distance. When he realizes it’s because of her vulnerability from continual nightmares, he admires the great courage she has to square her shoulders and keep at it. She soothes his guilt as well.

VivWiley’s Autumn’s Threshold - Chapter 1

‘“The drive out was quick, and along the way she drifted into what she called her Traveler's Fugue. A state of consciousness where 90% of her brain was carefully concentrating on driving safely. The remaining 10%, however, was mulling over decisions, facts, emotions that didn't yet have names or shapes, but which were gradually coalescing into some conclusion that she thought might very well reshape part of her world. Since the constant traveling with Mulder had started some months ago, something nebulous had been shaping itself in the back of her head. Settling into odd nooks and crevices of her mind, and only if she turned suddenly, caught the light at an oblique angle did the glint of something possibly precious glint through the shadows.””

Scully hikes out to the mountains on her weekend to clear her head. Refocused, she shows up at Mulder’s, ready to start a relationship.

AweburnPhoenix’s Every Monday

““Yesterday you said that your landlord check would bounce if you didn’t deposit your pay soon. I shouldn’t have let you cover for half of the procedure. It was too much to ask for.”

“Hey, hey. Stop right there," he faced her, putting up his puppy eyes that he knew she couldn't resist. "If I recall correctly, you didn’t ask for anything. I offered. I insisted . It’s the least I can do. Well, the second least,” he grinned.

“Still…”

“Money is not a problem. Trust me. I just keep it in different accounts. Langly’s orders,” he shrugged and proceeded to tear the check. “Please, let me do this right.”

He felt like telling her that he wanted to be involved in every way possible, but he didn’t want to scare her yet. She had too much on her plate and needed not to be anxious about it. He had almost blown the whole thing by pushing her away after the whole Diana business a couple of weeks back. He had promised himself to be on her side from then on. Mulder had wanted to do this from the beginning. He needed to redeem himself.””

AU IVF arc-- Mulder and Scully are currently in the weeds of trying IVF when Monday happens. Mulder remains convinced of success; and both are rewarded when it takes. Baby IVF girl is named Pam in the other-Pam’s honor (or they just followed the Chris Carter script and recycled the name, ha.)

Enjoy!

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dopscratch · 8 months

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hear me out (httyd ramble)

movie monstrous nightmare is just a hellsteether without its coolest feature of the second jaw

following this logic, scauldrons are tiny thor's thunderers

terrible terrors are common-or-gardens

the red death is a woden's nightmare

changewings are deadly shadow variants

and thunderdrums are giant bee-eaters

i probably can and will continue but this concludes my post for now

#httyd #how to train your dragon #httyd books #httyd movies #dragons #rancid ramble

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gillians-leoni · 3 years

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Douce Emilie

The X-Files | Emily CD | Eventual MSR

Chapter 3: Overwhelmed

Scully has a nightmare, Mulder tries to help, and more is revealed surrounding Scully’s abduction and pregnancy.

thank you to hellsteeth on twitter and ao3 for the beta 💛 mistakes my own

trigger warning for depiction of panic attacks

link here

tagging @today-in-fic

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baronessblixen · 2 years

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ok this may sound weird but it makes me sad in the show when scully's having salad for meals or whatever, and how often that's represented in fic, with negative body image talk and stuff. It makes me sad for more and less personal reasons. Do you have any recommendations of fics that do the opposite of this? my fav example is Appetite - hellsteeth but I don't know many others :(

It's not weird, I feel the same. We hardly ever see her eat anything and often it's a salad. Though I think it's actually more of a thing in fic because she definitely had that chicken bucket, she and Mulder ate a burger (?) in season 1 and I think there was something else I'm blanking on.

I wish I knew fics that do the opposite of it. I wrote one where Scully wants to go to KFC but the fic ends there and they don't actually eat. If anyone has recs for anon, please add them!

#lovely anons #salads can be good but like #eat something more please too #in squeeze scully has veggies on her plate #and nothing else #it's not even a salad

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ao3feed-goodomens · 4 years

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An Angel and a Demon Engage in a Bidding War

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2UjOUJR

by hellsteeth

Amanda Osborn was in charge of one of London’s best-kept secrets.

Her family had been running the antique shop for years. It was something the Osborns were very good at.

(Two immortal beings bid on the same ring. As their bids become stranger, they both wonder who they are bidding against...)

Words: 1339, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett, Good Omens (TV)

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: Gen, M/M

Characters: Crowley (Good Omens), Aziraphale (Good Omens), Original Female Character(s)

Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)

Additional Tags: POV Outsider, there's more than one grumpy shop owner in london, so watch out aziraphale, gratuitous mentions of slightly cursed antiques, also antique jewelry, obligatory engagement fic but slightly wonky, did you know that snakes were symbols of eternal love in romantic period jewelry?

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2UjOUJR

#ao3feed #fanfic #Good Omens

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ao3feed-ineffablehusbandz · 4 years

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Time don't mean a thing (when you're by my side)

by hellsteeth

A collection of Good Omens ficlets based on tumblr prompts. Feel free to send me more @ hells--teeth on tumblr! (Title from 'You and I' by Queen)

Words: 1228, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett, Good Omens (TV)

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Crowley (Good Omens), Aziraphale (Good Omens)

Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)

Additional Tags: Tumblr Prompt, Wing Grooming, Snake!Crowley - Freeform

source http://archiveofourown.org/works/22270501

#ao3feed ineffablehusbandz #ineffable husbands #good omens #aziraphale #crowley #anthonyjcrowl

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theredwallrecorder · 7 years

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( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) pt 3 - SHOWSTOPPER

*walks up to the mic in a completely silent auditorium*

*clears throat loudly, opens mouth*

[this is what comes out of my gaping mouth]

( ͡°( ͡° ͜ʖ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)ʖ ͡°) ͡°)

I’m not gonna lie, I love Martin and company with a fiery passion, but sweet Redwall strawberries if I haven’t been waiting for this part since the beginning of this ridiculous fic. Our heroes have had their time in the limelight, and now to introduce the real showstoppers. We’re goin full anime up in here, and by “full anime” I mean “you about to be smothered in copious bromance and awesome combat”. From this point on, fic parts will focus on individual duels, but it’ll all get tied together in the end. @thegoldensoundtwice not a day goes by that I don’t blow a kiss in your general direction for riding this crazy train with me. Thank you for lettin’ me borrow your daughter ;3

Please enjoy Redwall Hell: The Anime pt 3, in which Martin and company are redirected to a new waypoint, and Vulpuz pretty much loses it. How are we supposed to hold all his pent-up anger and frustration? No clue, but I’m willing to bet that she would know the answer to that one. *wink* Also, if anyone’s curious, the top two photos at this link depict what she’s wearing upon her arrival, courtesy of @raphcrow. Thanks for the ref material, bae, and more besides. <3

A quick note on wounds/injuries in Redwall Hell: I’m working off the headcanon that you can sustain injuries in Hellgates. The visible ones (cuts, bruises, etc) leave behind a wound that glows with a soft light. I imagine this plays into the “yes, you are actually in purgatory” atmosphere. However, you do not actively bleed in Hellgates. I mean... you’re already dead, lol. You can’t die twice... right?

If there’s a part 3, that means there’s a part 1 and a part 2. Have at ‘em.

Oh, and here are some jams for your listening pleasure: /SHOWSTOPPER/, /LAST REMOTE/, /THROWDOWN/, /THIS TOWN, YOUR GRAVE/, /NOVOCAINE/, /DRUMMING SONG/, /DARK HORSE/, /GIRL/

Let’s rave.

- - - - - -

Martin and Laterose blinked. The quarry, the sea, the makeshift throne and all of the northeastern shore by Marshank was utterly gone, as if somebeast had taken an old rag and wiped them from existence. The scene from ages past had been replaced by the familiar veined brimstone and eerie reddish glow of the desolate landscape of Hellgates. They were standing in a small clearing, edged on three sides with a low wall constructed of mismatched obsidian boulders. Myriad chunks of brimstone littered the area. Warily, Martin abandoned his offensive charge, the point of his sword still trained forwards. The sounds of indiscriminate shuffling prompted him to look back over his shoulder.

Rose had stopped swinging her sling. She was kneeling alongside Dinny and Grumm, helping the two dazed moles to come back to their senses. Several feet behind them, Gonff sat up, patting himself down to make sure he was still in one piece. His face was the very picture of awed surprise and confusion, but when he locked eyes with Martin, the irrepressible mousethief burst out laughing.

“Hahaha! We’re alive!” he cried, leaping to his footpaws. Hardly able to contain his joy, Gonff cartwheeled over to where Felldoh still lay in a baffled heap, the warrior squirrel’s intact spear laying across his chest. Still laughing, Gonff snatched up the spear and offered Felldoh a paw. “Up y’come, matey!”

Felldoh groaned as Gonff helped him up off the ground. “Ooh, that’s a sore spot for sure. Would anybeast be able to explain what exactly just—”

He froze mid-sentence, his mouth hanging open. In their midst a vixen had suddenly materialized, a dark gossamer cloak swirling slightly about her. She stood, tall and stern, her unwavering gaze fixed not on any of the company, but upon the disturbed visage of the Great Vulpuz. The ruler of Hellgates was crouching close to the ground a few yards away, his jaw working spasmodically, his eyes fixed on the cloaked vixen. Without moving a single muscle, she spoke to the woodlanders gathered around her, her tone low and urgent.

“You have done well to come so far. Now, you must abandon this fight. Follow my lantern. It will lead you to the one who does not belong here.”

In that moment the six friends became aware of the presence of a gentle glow, softer and more substantial than the unnatural light of Hellgates. The light emanated from an elegant paper lantern affixed to a delicate pole of bamboo wood, which had appeared in the air next to Gonff. The lantern swayed gently back and forth in an unseen wind, its pole hovering several feet off the ground. The aft end of the pole rotated slowly upwards, the artfully carved handle coming to rest against the back of one of Gonff’s paws, as if the lantern was offering itself up to be held.

The mousethief hesitated, his brow creased with doubt. He glanced up at Martin. The warrior mouse’s mouth was set in a grim line, and he was watching the newly-arrived vixen intently. The thought of the group being confronted by another deadly trap flitted briefly through Gonff’s mind.

“It’s all right, Gonff,” Rose broke through the mousethief’s reverie. “This is the one who has been guiding us with her voice, the Lady of Hellgates.”

“Burr aye, take oop ee loight, zurr Gonffen,” Grumm encouraged.

Bolstered by his friends’ confidence, Gonff reached out to grasp the Lady’s lantern. The bamboo pole seemed to thrum with an energy all its own, causing a tingling sensation in his paw. He eyed the lantern curiously as it bobbed to and fro.

“How will this tell us where to go? Should I… ask it?” He gestured to the lantern with his free paw. “Will you show us the way?”

Without warning the lantern and its pole bucked so fiercely, Gonff was forced to take hold of it with both paws. The animated lamp seemed to gather itself before executing an enormous leap, effectively dragging Gonff across the clearing. “This waaay, maaaaaaaates!” he managed to holler back at the company before the lantern tugged him over the crest of a low hill and out of sight.

Loth to abandon what he knew to be a brewing conflict, Martin hovered betwixt uncertainty and his warrior instincts. It was not in his nature to leave another to fight his battles for him, especially one so mysterious as the Lady of Hellgates.

“Go.”

The Lady’s spellbinding voice shattered Martin’s spirit of indecision. For the first time she tore her gaze from Vulpuz, a vague smile of admiration playing about her lips as she beheld the warrior mouse with her bright, piercing eyes.

“Your heart has courage, but you know not whom you face,” she cautioned. “You must be swift, warrior! The tenderhearted one called Blaggut needs you!”

The mention of a creature in need reminded Martin of the task at hand. He nodded to the rest of the company, and the five friends tore off across the clearing after Gonff, disappearing together over the distant knoll. The Lady breathed a visible sigh of relief as she felt the presences of the woodlanders grow faint.

Meanwhile, Vulpuz, ruler of Hellgates, had abandoned himself to a temper tantrum. At some point during the exchange between the Lady and Martin’s group, he had thrown himself upon the ground to writhe piteously in the dust, scoring deep scratches in the earth with his claws. At intervals he would throw up his head to snarl at the sky, tearing great tufts of white fur out of his tail as he did so. Ravenously he gnawed upon the boulders around him, crushing broken pieces of the fiery brimstone between his powerful jaws. He eventually succumbed to rapidly dragging his paws down his face in a repetitive, anxious blur of motion, all the while hurling accusations, entreaties, and insults at the Lady.

“How could you? How could you?!” he screeched, his voice rising to a fever pitch. “I had them! Do you know how many eons of insufferable boredom I could have blissfully passed through with those imbeciles as my pets?” Vulpuz’s eyes bulged, the veins in his neck pulsating as he gave full vent to his rage. “Curse you, foul and deranged vixen! How could you take this from me?! This was to be my moment of ultimate triumph, the pivotal instance where I, the Great Vulpuz, would steal the very crown of Dark Forest right from under the dripping snouts of those idiotic woodlanders! Why? Why?! What in my name have I ever done to you to deserve this sort of treatment?” The Great Vulpuz scrambled onto his footpaws with erratic urgency. He paused briefly, his chest heaving from the exertion of his outburst.

“I… I have to do something about you. I must do something about you!” Vulpuz’s upper lip curled into a snarl, flecks of spittle falling from his chin. “I… I know you will interfere again… if given the chance.”

The Lady placed one paw on her hip, regarding Vulpuz with mild amusement. “There,” she cooed at him. “You’ve spoken your piece. Tell me, how does the Great Vulpuz feel now?”

The white fox’s entire body shook, and he bent forward at the waist. “Ooooooh, I feel so betrayed,” Vulpuz wailed, his voice almost a sob. He continued to speak aloud to nobeast in particular, his gestures wild and distracted. “How could she do this to me? Me, the ruler of Hellgates? When I knew she had come, I rejoiced, thinking she would join me in my revelry… but, no.” He scuffed at the ground with a vicious kick. “No, no, NO! She protected those miscreants! Hellsteeth! Just thinking about it makes me want to tear myself limb from bloody limb! Augh! And the smell! How noxious and revolting the stench of Dark Forest that clung to their miserable bodies like fine mail!”

A full minute of complete silence elapsed, in which Vulpuz remained hunched over and panting, the inner flames of his fury stoking themselves into an untamable wildfire. Slowly he raised his head, locking eyes with the sole object of his hatred, and in his gaze was the pale light of a cruelty so chilling the Lady flicked one ear in acknowledgement of it.

“I feel… rage.” Vulpuz’s voice had grown deathly quiet. “Rage at the one who took what was mine by right of conquest. How deeply I long to thrash her beyond recompense, to tear out her eyes and commit them to the infernal winds, to defile her adulterous establishment, to completely and utterly…”

He smiled at her.

“… Devour you.”

The reddish light of Hellgates slowly dimmed until the Lady found herself surrounded by complete darkness. Though Vulpuz was unaware of it, she could still see him, his knack for warping appearances having no effect on her. He was laughing now, echoes of maniacal glee ringing about the stone-rimmed clearing.

“I’ve had enough of your kittish antics, vixen,” he admonished. “I will let the stroke of my chisel of anger fall upon you. Haha, finally! You will give me what I desire, and if not, I shall carve it from you by force.”

Four distinct presences manifested themselves to the Lady in the same moment, catching her off guard. Before she could react she was confronted by a heavy whooshing sound, and out of the corner of her eye she saw a great iron war club come barreling down towards her. In an instant there was an answering flash of drawn steel, and Willow Slay stood alongside the Lady, her flawless curved blade effortlessly parrying the fatal strike.

The Lady blinked. “Willow Slay, what in Hellgates are you—!”

The chef of Redwall Hell’s nightclub unceremoniously interrupted her. “My Lady, on your right!”

Out of the darkness snaked a cruel thonged whip, the metal barbs lashed to its ends seeking to tear gaping holes in the Lady’s flesh. Suddenly, the whip caught on an obstruction in its flight path. Nivedita did not even wince as the biting thongs wrapped themselves around her upraised arm. She snarled into the shadows, dislodging the projectiles from her wrist and forearm with a disdainful shake.

“My Lady, are you hurt?” Nivedita turned slightly to catch the eyes of her mistress, the glow from her wounds highlighting the contours of concern etched into her face.

��Well, no,” the Lady blustered, “I am fine… but, you both, I…”

Willow laughed out loud as she deftly tossed her blade to her off paw in order to summon forth a pair of throwing knives. “My Lady, I know you didn’t really expect us to remain at the nightclub while you went off to tango with the old fox. Damn well inconsiderate of you— erm, pardon the language.

“That is, we’d like to tango too, if it’s all right with you,” Nivedita finished sheepishly.

The Lady observed both her steward and chef with wonder. The unlikely pair were peering into the darkness around them, every muscle poised to defend. Very little surprised the Lady, but the loyalties of her most beloved children never ceased to prompt within her a spirit of humble gratitude. She bowed her head before glancing up in Vulpuz’s direction, a tacit gesture of submission.

“I… consider myself thoroughly chastised,” she exhaled, the slightest hint of a smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. “Forgive me, Nivedita, Willow, for attempting to deprive you of this honor your both rightfully covet.”

The chef and the steward seemed to swell with pride. Boldly they faced the darkness before them, fearing neither creature nor fate.

“Think nothing of it, my Lady,” declared Willow. She directed her knives to circle in the air above her free paw, the tip of her sword flicking up and down in sync with their rotation. “These blades are yours to command!”

“Yes!” Hope danced in Nivedita’s eyes as she adopted what she thought to be a cool and aggressive combat stance. “Let us fight with you!”

“Shut up, shut up!” Vulpuz roared from his hiding place in the shadows. “How dare you show your faces here, you worthless serfs! I will have nothing to do with you. Amuse yourselves with my right and left paws whilst I entertain your mistress!”

“Ha! Suits me!” Willow Slay scoffed. “I’ll tan any hide what shows its miserable self here! Prepare yourself to receive me, clubface!” Without another word the courageous mink threw herself into the darkness, leading with her blades.

Nivedita’s kind features were set with determination. “For you, my Lady,” she intoned, stepping forth to allow the shadows to swallow her up as well.

The Lady breathed deeply, her all-knowing gaze effortlessly piercing the darkness. She locked eyes with the infuriated ruler of Hellgates and gracefully held out an open paw.

“I am ready, Vulpuz.”

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