Round Table - What Chivalry Here Doth Abide...

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

I've always been intrigued by Illya's reaction in this scene from Her Master's Voice Affair.  When Miss Partridge goes down he swoops in and, with that distessed look on his face, seems intent on comforting her.  It's moving, evocative of something in his past perhaps?  I wrote a vignette on it several years back, it's posted on mfuwss if you're interested.
On this Mother's Day, I wonder if it might be connected to memories of his own mother, of loss and heartache.  He is also quick to help the parents of Alexander when they are found in the cave doing hard labor.  Funny that it's the Russian who seems to have this soft spot for older people, perhaps parent figures for him.
Any ideas?

Comments

[orockthro.livejournal.com]

Yes! :D I noticed his care for older people, although you did a nice job of pinning it down to particular episodes. That screenshot in particular is very moving.
Perhaps it is connected to a specific parent like you said, or maybe just a respect for an older generation in general.
But it's very sweet.

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

This scene in particular I found intriguing, especially since she was the culprit for so much of the trouble they encountered.

[jantojones.livejournal.com]

Russian society is one which reveres and respects its elderly citizens. That's not to say other societies don't, but countries like Russia and Japan, tend to put the older generation first. I reckon Illya's reaction is a cultural thing.

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

That would be exemplary for the series if we can trust that the writers took that into consideration. Of course it works fine in our fanfic world.

[jantojones.livejournal.com]

We all know that it was pure fluke that writer's somehow hit on a bit of Russian tradition. Sometimes, they managed to get things right :-)

[threecee.livejournal.com]

He does seem to have a soft spot for elderly women - asking the woman in the hospital in Bow-Wow if he may send her flowers and teasingly asking the elderly aunt in Pieces of Fate "Where were you when I needed you?" after he fights off the bad guys.

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

Those are good examples, I'd forgotten about the last one completely. He's very sweet in Bow Wow.

[lindafishes8.livejournal.com]

The elderly Miss Partridge in 'Her Master's Voice' seemed closer to his Babushka's age rather than his mother, I thought. She may not have been an innocent, but Illya was always the gentleman when it came to his elders. He was just as respectful of Waverly, even if the old man was his superior.