New vid: Scar Tissue (The O.C.)

[anoel]

Title: Scar Tissue
Music: Red Hot Chili Peppers
Fandom: The OC S1-4
Focus: Ryan, Ryan/Seth
Summary: With the birds I'll share this lonely view.
Content Notes: Brief clips of sexual assault and violence
Notes: Made for obsessive24 for Vividcon Auction 2013. Thanks to obsessive24 for the beta as well!
Download Link: Scar Tissue (74 MB AVI)
AO3 | TumblrSo Nicky was an

Comments

[obsessive24]

2:09 - Ryan hands the toy car over to Seth. I can read not too much into this, but equally I could read a lot into it. I love that there is freedom of ambiguity there.

2:17 - For some reason I can't articulate, I adore that wobbly shot of Seth there. It feels like Ryan is really trying to grab on to anything that he can grab onto immediately after Trey's shooting, and it's telling that the thing he locks onto is Seth. Also love the clip immediately afterward of him sitting at Trey's bedside and Seth is behind him again. Generally I just love how Seth is this constant presence in the background, occasionally surfacing to the foreground.

2:20 - oh and my heart breaks a little at him leaning on Sandy. :(

2:20 - 2:30 is one of my favourite sequences simply by virtue of having the focus shift onto the slash. Love it so much, especially because I think you chose some really interesting, slightly left field clips like the two of them with head gestures at the concert. And then the back-up vocals come on with "I will share" and I thought the slight dual POV there with both of them lying down (both times) is so effectively played.

2:44 - good times can't last... back to angsty Ryan x a million.

The cage fighting/hunting Volchok bit is such an emotional peak, for good reason. What I found particularly interesting is that I'd forgotten the precise plot details and so I initially thought Seth was helping Ryan track down Volchok, and only later does it become apparent that Seth warned Volchok before Ryan could get to him. The transition that really made me sit up was at 3:00 where Volchok crossfades into Ryan, and you realise that but for the grace of god Ryan may as well have ended up being Volchok himself. I always have to tie everything back to the idea of shadow twins but I think it is very apt here, Volchok *is* Ryan's shadow twin, and it's only the Cohens and particularly Seth that saves Ryan from that becoming his "darkest timeline", to use a Community term. :P He turns away from them in the short term (love the closing of the blind against Seth), but then he manages to hold back at the last minute.

The kicker for me is the handcuffs clip at 3:09, which totally calls back all the way to the start of the vid (0:04) And it really felt like that Ryan earned his moment of grace as he comes "home" to Seth's presentation. Seth's expression at 3:16 says everything. And of course I had to request him leaning on Seth in the earthquake, my heart, it is vindicated. :D And I love all of the closing shots, the hospital bed with blood transfusion, the porch one I wanted, and the final hug (where they are totally wearing matching outfits)!

Thank you again for making such a wonderful vid!