Gift Vid: Seamstress - for kiki_miserychic

[chaila]

Title: Seamstress
Recipient: kiki_miserychic
Vidder: chaila
Music: Dessa, "Seamstress"
Summary: They said you were past repair. Jesse/Riley
Notes: Contains depictions of suicide attempt.

Link: Link to signed vid post.

Comments

[no_detective]

I love this song, and you've used it beautifully here. Gah, what an intense, phenomenal, sick relationship, distilled perfectly in this vid. Great work.

[chaila]

I loooove this song, I'm glad you think I did it justice. It's really such a phenomenal relationship; I'm not sure I can think of another one like it. And yet underneath, so much tragedy. And thank you!

[lorax]

Oh this was fantastic and creepy and so, so fitting.

[chaila]

Thanks so much!

[caramarie]

Love the use of repetition in this, and the changing meanings of the chorus lyrics. They both break my heart ;_;

[chaila]

Thank you! Shhh partly there's repetition because there actually is not that much footage, and I actually couldn't bring myself to cut the song--but I am glad it works. :) Oh, girls.

[sanguinity]

This is amazing. Such a wonderful, terrible song choice for Jesse and Riley. (Terrible, as in inspiring terror.) It is so full of the "for her own good" lies that abusers so often tell, and yet there is also self-awareness creeping through: really, perfect for Jesse and her relationship with Riley.

(Early on, I was arguing with Jesse, "No, you're the cat! She was fine until you got her! You're the cat!" ...and then, suddenly, Jesse was the cat.)

And oh, Riley: so brave. Riley doesn't want to be kept in a box. Riley won't be kept in a box. Riley.

[sanguinity]

I know I already said it, but coming back to say it again: this is simply stunning.

[chaila]

Thank you! This tickles me, since I know how much you love Jesse. And yes, Jesse is totally the cat. Though she might fight you on that at the beginning, I think there is absolutely self-awareness on her part, deep down. I think she'd probably do it all again anyway, but she knows.

And yes, I'm glad Riley's bravery came through for you. She absolutely will not be kept in that pretty little box to die prettily so John could cry as she was supposed to. She's fighting against her own fridging so hard, and she almost, almost, wins. Riley.

[sanguinity]

She almost, almost wins. And not just against her own fridging. She fights for the relationships that she wants to have, too. She fights for what she needs and wants, she does. Riley. <3

I adore Jesse, but I'm also super-particular about her, and especially so about the way that the intimate-partner-violence parts of her story get told. And then this exchange came back with so. much. excellent. Jesse.

ETA: ...and because I never said, that tiny Derek montage is brilliant. Especially the juxtaposition of "Shoot for the chip" (Derek-speak for "I love you") and someone else's Derek shooting for her chip, so to speak. You do KEYSMASH FEELS really really well.

[chaila]

Oh, Riley, yes absolutely. When she found out one of the few people she loves was betraying her along, she was going to just take it all anyway and make it what she wished it was, and make it the way she wanted. And she almost got there. :(

YOU FIX A MAN AND HE FLIES AWAY.

I literally cannot describe the depth of the Jesse (and yes, Jesse/Derek!) feelings encompassed in that line, with her raaaaage reaction to Charles Fischer who had Derek and not Jesse, and the "Kill him, baby" and the fact that Derek doesn't kill him, she does (and oh, she was so unspecific with that pronoun), and the "I love you too" and the finger pulling at that trigger. Man, these characters. <3

[sanguinity]

SO MANY JESSE RILEY DEREK FEELINGS IN THAT VID.

[fig_aruna]

Oh, Jesse. Cornered and haunted Jesse. Love, LOVE this vid. ♥

[chaila]

Thank you! ♥

[beatrice_otter]

You used the song beautifully to explore Jesse's character.

[chaila]

Thank you! This song...it just had to be about Jesse.

[beccatoria]

This vid is brutal, uncompromising, devastating and perfect. Oh man, Jesse and Riley, this vid is completely everything about their storyline I love and breaks my heart. This vid is a sequence of unflinching lyrical associations that own my soul. Perfection.

[chaila]

Thank you! <3 If this captures even a fraction of the brutal, uncompromising devastation that is Jesse and Riley, I'm happy. And heartbroken.

[laurashapiro]

I cannot imagine a better Jesse vid. This is flawless.

[chaila]

Thank you! That is extra flattering considering some of the awesome Jesse vids already in existence. <3

[colls]

this is amazing

[chaila]

Thank you!

[nicole_anell]

OUCH. This is relentless and incredible.

[chaila]

Thank you! <3

[rivkat]

Fantastic! I love all the mirroring and distinctions between the women.

[chaila]

Thanks so much!

[cofax7]

Oh, that was excellent. Jesse is so complex, and you catch a lot of it here. Well done indeed.

[chaila]

Thank you! She's such a great character. <3