VfV thoughts
Over on vendetta_fic, I posted a comment in response to a question about Evey's torture by V.
The question was, "Evey seems to forgive him quickly, doesn't she? Don't get me wrong, I love V/Evey, it's OTP for me, but I simply don't she how she could come to loving him as quickly and openly as she does after that. Even with complete understanding of why he did it, that he loves her, and would never hurt her that way again... But would he? If he saw it necessary? It's the question that keeps coming up for me Or maybe unexpectedly in the midst of sleep, or even in intimate activities coming before sleep, the just wrong tone at the just wrong moment, and the memories come crashing back to her, how would he comfort her? What could he possibly say?"
Aside from making my mouth water to write V/Evey fic (so I am a twisted bint, so what?), I had to respond. I couldn't not respond.
I started out by saying:
1) V and Evey have reciprocity right from the start. He saved her from the Fingermen. She maced the detective. He saved her again after she was knocked out. He cares for Evey. And she begins to care about V before her abduction/torture by V. When V watches "Count of Monte Cristo" and acts out the swordplay, she runs in when she hears it, because she's afraid he's fighting "for real."
2) V and Evey are both trauma survivors, kindred spirits. But they're like two sides of the same coin. V's way is not Evey's way. She lives in fear. He lives for revenge. Coming together makes each of them more whole. The film visually parallels V and Evey, most noticeably in the scenes of burned V in front of the blazing Larkhill intercut with Evey on the roof in the rain; both of them raise their arms.
3) It is hard to fault V's motivations. He strikes back against a corrupt government that perpetrates evil against its own people. His values are those of Evey's dead parents', with their pamphletting and protesting. For this, I think Evey admires and comes to love V, even though he scares her and he's unhinged: he carries on her parents' struggle (one she's too scared to fight herself).
4) As vveritasv says, Evey is empathic enough to see V's motivations spring from love, even if his actions are deplorable. When V tells Evey, "What they did to me was monstrous," she replies quite calmly, "And they created a monster." She could have replied meanly, viciously, cuttingly. Instead she quietly acknowledges his Larkhill trauma but doesn't let him off the hook for re-enacting the trauma on her, himself as torturer. She doesn't respond hysterically. I think she understands V "frees" her from fear because he loves her -- misguided, dark, and twisted though the expression of his love is. And it wasn't all a lie -- Valerie was real. Also it "works": Evey goes on living, beyond her fear. As misguided, dark, and twisted as it may be, she's grateful; that's why she says she should thank V when they are dancing by his jukebox. That allows her to forgive him.
I don't think V would put Evey through it again, even if he thought it necessary. Her love and forgiveness help V realize his way is not THE way, that there are other ways to free oneself that don't dehumanize or take over one's soul. Evey embodies that. That's why V gives Evey the train, telling her it will happen only if she wants it to. Falling in love with her, leaving the responsibility for the larger vendetta in her hands, and admitting she was right allow V to reclaim and regain his humanity.
I also think V realizes that, in many respects, Evey is stronger than he is. Under the pressure of torture she doesn't lose her humanity, she transcends -- whereas he focused exclusively on revenge. In many ways, his torture of her is as cathartic for him as it is for her.
Of course, none of this is articulated and it's all my own interpretation. YMMV.
I'm not sure V's torture would factor into intimate activities. V portrayed completely different people, imitating their body language, dress, and voices (or using tape recorders). If she has flashbacks or nightmares, V's voice won't necessarily trigger anything.
Might he occasionally use a tone of voice or turn of phrase like one of her "torturers"? Sure. But she could hear the same tone or turn of phrase from others, or on TV. I think she'd be as prone to flashbacks with V as without or away from V.
Yes, it would be weird to turn to one's torturer for comfort after a nightmare about torture. But since V wasn't himself during the torture, that could make it easier for Evey to detach V from the experience.
What might be more likely to provoke V-related flashbacks to torture in Evey would be scents. But V has been so badly burned, I wonder if his sweat glands even work normally. If not, it would be difficult for him to give off any unique scent.
The question was, "Evey seems to forgive him quickly, doesn't she? Don't get me wrong, I love V/Evey, it's OTP for me, but I simply don't she how she could come to loving him as quickly and openly as she does after that. Even with complete understanding of why he did it, that he loves her, and would never hurt her that way again... But would he? If he saw it necessary? It's the question that keeps coming up for me Or maybe unexpectedly in the midst of sleep, or even in intimate activities coming before sleep, the just wrong tone at the just wrong moment, and the memories come crashing back to her, how would he comfort her? What could he possibly say?"
Aside from making my mouth water to write V/Evey fic (so I am a twisted bint, so what?), I had to respond. I couldn't not respond.
I started out by saying:
1) V and Evey have reciprocity right from the start. He saved her from the Fingermen. She maced the detective. He saved her again after she was knocked out. He cares for Evey. And she begins to care about V before her abduction/torture by V. When V watches "Count of Monte Cristo" and acts out the swordplay, she runs in when she hears it, because she's afraid he's fighting "for real."
2) V and Evey are both trauma survivors, kindred spirits. But they're like two sides of the same coin. V's way is not Evey's way. She lives in fear. He lives for revenge. Coming together makes each of them more whole. The film visually parallels V and Evey, most noticeably in the scenes of burned V in front of the blazing Larkhill intercut with Evey on the roof in the rain; both of them raise their arms.
3) It is hard to fault V's motivations. He strikes back against a corrupt government that perpetrates evil against its own people. His values are those of Evey's dead parents', with their pamphletting and protesting. For this, I think Evey admires and comes to love V, even though he scares her and he's unhinged: he carries on her parents' struggle (one she's too scared to fight herself).
4) As vveritasv says, Evey is empathic enough to see V's motivations spring from love, even if his actions are deplorable. When V tells Evey, "What they did to me was monstrous," she replies quite calmly, "And they created a monster." She could have replied meanly, viciously, cuttingly. Instead she quietly acknowledges his Larkhill trauma but doesn't let him off the hook for re-enacting the trauma on her, himself as torturer. She doesn't respond hysterically. I think she understands V "frees" her from fear because he loves her -- misguided, dark, and twisted though the expression of his love is. And it wasn't all a lie -- Valerie was real. Also it "works": Evey goes on living, beyond her fear. As misguided, dark, and twisted as it may be, she's grateful; that's why she says she should thank V when they are dancing by his jukebox. That allows her to forgive him.
I don't think V would put Evey through it again, even if he thought it necessary. Her love and forgiveness help V realize his way is not THE way, that there are other ways to free oneself that don't dehumanize or take over one's soul. Evey embodies that. That's why V gives Evey the train, telling her it will happen only if she wants it to. Falling in love with her, leaving the responsibility for the larger vendetta in her hands, and admitting she was right allow V to reclaim and regain his humanity.
I also think V realizes that, in many respects, Evey is stronger than he is. Under the pressure of torture she doesn't lose her humanity, she transcends -- whereas he focused exclusively on revenge. In many ways, his torture of her is as cathartic for him as it is for her.
Of course, none of this is articulated and it's all my own interpretation. YMMV.
I'm not sure V's torture would factor into intimate activities. V portrayed completely different people, imitating their body language, dress, and voices (or using tape recorders). If she has flashbacks or nightmares, V's voice won't necessarily trigger anything.
Might he occasionally use a tone of voice or turn of phrase like one of her "torturers"? Sure. But she could hear the same tone or turn of phrase from others, or on TV. I think she'd be as prone to flashbacks with V as without or away from V.
Yes, it would be weird to turn to one's torturer for comfort after a nightmare about torture. But since V wasn't himself during the torture, that could make it easier for Evey to detach V from the experience.
What might be more likely to provoke V-related flashbacks to torture in Evey would be scents. But V has been so badly burned, I wonder if his sweat glands even work normally. If not, it would be difficult for him to give off any unique scent.