Remix of cherrytide: “Do Your Research” (2/2)

[unovis]

Original Story:
Author: cherrytide
Title & Link: Proxy
Pairings & Rating: none & mature
Warnings/Content Notes: Contains descriptions of illness, assault, drug use, infidelity and abuse.

Remix Story:
Author: dioscureantwins
Title: Do Your Research
Pairings & Rating: none & mature
Warnings/Content Notes: Contains descriptions of rape, drug use, infidelity, suicide

Comments

[cherrytide]

First off, apologies for taking so long to comment! Real life has been busy, and I wanted to really savour this story before commenting.

I've always secretly hoped someone would pick this story to remix, so thank you so much for doing so! And wow, how amazingly you have expanded and expressed Violet's personality, her twisted, unhappy, formidable self just vibrates off the page in every line. I'm really impressed by how you took the sketchy outline in the original and gave it flesh and blood. You create a very believable background for her, I love the depiction of the upper class cossetted world she and Sigur inhabit, and the attention to detail with which you evoke it. The story of her marriage to Sigur, and the intense love that went catastrophically off the rails was shocking and fascinating. As awful as they both are, I feel for them a little.

I love Violet's vicious (but always ruthlessly perceptive) disdain for the people in her life - her mother, her father, Sigur, Mycroft... and the unhappiness and sheer betrayal is hinted at underneath it. She is truly is a 'bottled spider'.

I especially loved her digs at Mycroft throughout, his looks, his desire for affection and I loved the idea that it was seeing him as a rival for Sherlock's love that prompted her abuse of Sherlock. Her perception of his motives for caring for Sherlock, her notion that he regretted having accidentally prompted their bond, and that winning Sherlock's affection only because he wanted hers was fascinating - truly egotistical and a reflection of her own jealous nature perhaps (though she may not have been completely wrong, of course...). I loved the little glimpses you gave us into Sherlock and Mycroft as kids, Mycroft staring for hours at baby Sherlock, and diligently working to gain his trust (awww). And seeing Mycroft through Violet's sharp and cynical eyes made me feel terribly sad for him - all he wants is to be part of the family, Violet! Cut the kid a break. That said, some of Violet's insights were very funny at times....

I loved the exploration of Violet as someone with massive potential that got broken and warped by the world she lived in - and perhaps also by her own tendency to focus all her energy and emotion on one thing (so very like Sherlock). In my story Violet emerges as the Big Bad, but here we can see even Big Bads don't emerge in a vacuum - however we feel about Violet there are reasons why she is the way she is.

And Sherlock is (I think) rather like his mother, obsessive and exclusive in his affection (though probably less possessive) - I felt like the similarities between Sherlock and his mother ran like an undercurrent through this letter, she really is like a twisted mirrorverse version of him. Perhaps without the limitations enforced on her by class and gender, and the trauma of Sigur's attack on her she might have been more like our Sherlock (then again, perhaps not...)

One thing that interested me writing the original, and when researching on Munchausen's by proxy, which I think you explore in a really interesting way is the question of maternal love -love in general really. Can someone who does what Violet does to a child, love that child? I think you explore this beautifully in your story Violet feels a truly passionate attachment to Sherlock - and before him, to Sigur - but it's a passion that's predicated on having their ultimate loyalty and adoration in return. Is that love, affection? Or- something else? Can we really separate Violet's possessive obsession from 'true love' completely when they contain so many hallmarks in common? Your story does a great job of exploring the borderlines between love, obsession and narcissism. It's given me so much food for thought, and is an incredibly rich, gorgeously written, inventive and psychologically compelling piece. I know I'll be coming back to read it again, thanks so much for writing it!

[dioscureantwins]

I'm so totally delighted to read you don't mind I picked this story to remix. I realise now I've never left a comment on it while it is in fact my fav story of those written by you and frankly I'm amazed nobody has chosen to remix this before. Well, lucky me, for now I could have my wicked way with it.

I've read your story several times, and most of the comments on the story, and what has always intrigued me the most, both in the story and the comments, were Mummy's motivations and the sheer loathing she inspired in the readers. It's so easy to condemn and despise, isn't it, to christen people with monikers and label them. But it's much more interesting to try and find out what exactly motivated them and why they committed their atrocious actions.

One aspect I like in the series (in S1 and S2 at least) is the subtle way Moftiss show how Sherlock sees through everyone and everything in seconds, except himself. Of course that's a failing he has in common with the majority of humanity but it's interesting nevertheless. So basically what I did was to expound that lack of self-knowledge to Violet, and hence a drama was born.

Now Mycroft, I believe, does actually know himself, and that's his tragedy for it relegates him to the position of an outsider.

Violet, I think, is very much like her Mamma whom she despises so. She's afraid of independence, of poverty, of the great unknown. Most of all she fears loneliness. So of course that's what she gets in the end.

Love can deteriorate into an obsession and despair, I think, especially when the one who loves fears the loved one will depart one day. I fully believe Violet when she writes she took great care not to sprinkle Sherlock's food with too much poison, and I fully believe her innate dislike of Mycroft goaded her into pretending to him she didn't care if her hand had slipped. Why should she explain her actual feelings to him anyway? He'll never understand what she and Sherlock have, all he can do is envy them, and that's exactly where she wants him.

Yes, the human heart can be a rather bleak place. And writing about it, discussing it, and reading about it is so very interesting.

Thank you for writing the marvellous original. And thank you for not minding what I did with your story.

[cherrytide]

Apologies for the super late reply!

I'm so totally delighted to read you don't mind I picked this story to remix.

Not at all, when I saw which story had been remixed I wanted to do a little skip of excitement! Reading it I thought I recognised your style but I wasn't sure... But I'm so pleased it was you who remixed it too! I couldn't have asked for a more adventurous or skilled remixer...

It's so easy to condemn and despise, isn't it, to christen people with monikers and label them. But it's much more interesting to try and find out what exactly motivated them and why they committed their atrocious actions.

Quite, it's a great motivation to write! I always did intend there to be at least a potential shadow of doubt in the reader's mind regarding Mummy's motives - is she revealing her true nature to Mycroft in that prison cell or saving face, and manipulating him again? Either way she's a deeply troubled and terrible person of course. I love that you explored her humanity here though, without making excuses for the sick things she does.

[dioscureantwins]

You're being far too kind and you know it.

That shadow of a doubt was always there for me throughout your story. The very fact that Mycroft wasn't treated to this peculiar form of motherly love, which would have been far easier for Violet, made me suspect there must be more to the story than one would believe.

Remixing your story has been such a wonderful experience for me. Thank you again.