#yassen's here too

[spiritandthephantoms]

I have an idea for an Alexmis au Alive!John & Helen mixed with Singer!Alex

Julius is there too along with Freddy

I have no idea what the plot would be though

[abrielarnold]

The room starts to spin and he’s glad he’s lying down. He shuts his eyes and turns his external imaging devices and motion sensors inward, cocooning himself in the darkness and warm hum of his machines.

The only part of himself that he allows himself to interface with is the blades in his shoulder copters turning slowly in time with the slight draft in the room. He drapes his mind around them, giving the spinning, dizzy feeling a place to exist that isn’t his stomach. His louvres flutter like gills, directing his exhaust-filled breaths away from his fuel lines and processors.

You Can't Save Everyone, But You Can Try by JustAnotherGuest.

watched generator rex for the body horror, stayed for the giant robots, decided that there could have been MORE body horror and giant robots, and here we are.

[annt-i]

this image but with AR characters (you decide which ones)

As a Yalex shipper, i saw only one way forward

[icebluecyanide]

For Training Purposes (Alex Rider, T, 2k)

A new lesson at Malagosto reveals the traces of Yassen's legend at Scorpia, but might show Alex more than he wants to see.

“Target down,” a quiet voice stated close to the camera. It was the sniper. But it was also a voice that was oddly familiar. A shiver went down Alex’s spine. There was just the slightest hint of a Russian accent in the words, and it reminded him of the last few minutes on the plane. Yassen Gregorovich. It had to be.  

For the Spyfest 2024 Week 2 prompt: Legend.

Tags: Book 5: Scorpia (Alex Rider), Malagosto, Missing Scene, Dark, Yassen is an exemplary assassin, (as in they literally use his kills to teach new students)

[countessrivers]

This is excellent. I have actually thought about Wilby quite a bit (and like only semi-jokingly believe him and Ian fucked at least once) and what you've said definitely touches on a lot of what I've picked up.

I think from that first (on screen) conversation it's pretty clear that Wilby is expendable. Useful, sure, but maybe less so now if his main purpose was to watch Ian, and even if not, someone they can still easily cut loose. And I think Wilby knows that. He almost latches onto Yassen in kind of an odd way, almost eager to please, eager to reassure Yassen that things are fine, that he (Yassen) is safe, that they don't need to worry about the Department. Naive in a way, but I also think a part of him does know how fucked he is. Ian's words warning him that he's not going to be around to spend his money, on a loop in his head.

How the confidence and bravado vanishes once Ian is actually dead (the reality that Yassen actually killed Ian, that he's dead, and then that he's going to have to manage a whole conspiracy around it now. And on that, how long was Wilby alone in the warehouse with Ian's body before the backup arrived? Did he just stand there, bleeding, staring down at the body? Did he have to go outside because he couldn't stand it?) How unsettled he is when Yassen keeps showing up and how he definitely catches the veiled threats.

He wants Yassen to go away because deep down he knows it's going to end badly for him. Ian warned him.

(And another sidebar. Aside from just the pure understandable logic of it, and fear of getting caught, the way Wilby so clearly thinks that Yassen/Scorpia can and should leave as quickly as possible does make me think that his turning had more to do with Ian specifically, rather then him being a mole for the Department as a whole. If he was meant to still be informing on everything, why is he in such a hurry to cut off contact with Yassen? Unless it was actually more about watching Ian, which he doesn't need to do now that he's dead)

Yassen and the Morons he works with; Martin Wilby edition (Part One).

So I've been making gifs based around Yassen's connections to the people he works with, and quickly realised I'd need like three seperate posts for Wilby. But staring at these scenes so much has given me thoughts about what their interactions say about Yassen, (and tangentially, his potential connection to Ian.) Anyway rambly meta under the cut.

Although Yassen treats most of the people he works with, with a similar sort of disdain, it's pretty clear that he hates Wilby. Aside from evidently relishing threatening him with double-meaning assurances about 'taking care of him', and how Blunt might not buy the cover but 'we' (as in, SCORPIA), will be fine, Yassen's also more violent with him than other characters.

When he shoots Wilby, it's one of the few times we see him injure someone directly without immediately killing them. Yassen doesn't mess around, he shoots to kill *instantly.* When he does kill Wilby (gifs upcoming) it's one of the most intimate, visceral, and involved murders we see Yassen commit - he uses his hands in the kill in a way we don't see again.

So much of this additional complexity is in Levin's performance; there's a way he just... settles his jaw when looking away from Ian's dead boy to Wilby, transitioning from this look of regret and grief to what reads in my mind as a flash of quite visceral hatred. Is this a hypocritical resentment for his involvement in killing Ian, for allowing Yassen to kill him in the first place, a way for him to displace his guilt over killing Ian? Yassen can rationalise his own involvement as a professional, following orders; he regrets what he has to do, but it's not personal. But, contrastingly, Wilby betrays the partner that trusts him for self-centred motivations, for greed.

There’s the way his face tightens before promising to 'take care of him' that suggests a genuine desire to kill Wilby, the suggestion that Yassen might enjoy getting rid of him, once he's served his purpose.

But the summary of all this is that I don't think Yassen would have such complex emotions about Wilby if he didn't have some meaningful connection, and personal relationship, with Ian.

[snap-fyre]

Something I really enjoy about the Alex Rider series is that it’s not shy about showing Alex’s vulnerability.

Reminder that I haven’t read the books since I was a child and have forgotten a lot, but I’m pretty sure in those Alex was usually portrayed as the typical teenage boy protagonist. He was snarky/sarcastic, gave the bad guys henchmen nicknames, and for the most part he really worked alone. I’m almost finished season 2, but a difference I noticed is that he hasn’t got his all the really cool spy gear (that I was always envious of) he would usually be given at the beginning of missions, and when he was in a bad situation he could only rely on himself to get him out of it. But in the show they took those away, and due to that he really has to rely on people.

Both in season 1 and now in 2 he couldn’t have made it without Kyra (when he gets captured/caught and strapped to a table, then when he impersonates K7 and she has to guide him out) and its obvious that his relationship with Tom (Jack too, but I really think Tom’s a big one here) is really special to him, not just because he’s able to think outside the box (like when Alex wanted to just wait all day for the journalist guy and Tom was all ‘i’ll just set off the alarm and evacuate the building) but also because he’s his best friend and makes him laugh/smile. Alex smiles so much at Tom’s antics and I really love the show for choosing to maintain that this is a teenage boy who needs his friends to keep him grounded.

And when he’s all convinced that Yassen is in the area he tells everyone!! Jack, Tom, even Sabina! (who really he should’ve at least tried to keep the whole spy thing a secret from i feel like come on, Alex, please) He jumps out in situations when he should stay hidden! He is not secretive when it comes to those he loves! And you can see that he wants and needs them to believe him. From what I remember, book Alex was more ‘ooh! Cool teenage spy, beating up all the bad guys and saving the world cuz Blunt won’t let him go!’ (Or maybe not, I’ll reread them someday) but this Alex cares!! This version of Alex cared so much about what happened to his uncle Ian, he cared so much that his evil clone was hurting Tom and ran as fast as he could to get to them, he cares so much about Kyra he went on a drugged up rant about how she’s special and he wouldn’t fall for fake Kyra’s tricks again. He cares so much about Sabina and her dad.

TV! Alex I will always love you.

[thingsthatbleedfic]

Hi I've been utterly obliterated by a cold, and it's probably too early to ask for this, but could we get a chapter 12 snippet pretty please? Just whenever works for you.

(Said like a sickly Victorian orphan dying on the streets begging for a single coin)

mors this is hilarious and i specifically asked to answer this one because i am also. being utterly obliterated by a cold LMAOOOOOOOO. that is one reason why we have not sent 12 out yet. i have been dying!

progress so far: kei and fin have finished up the preliminary draft! i gotta go in and trim with my trusty pair of scissors, then we send it off to the betas for the sniff test.

kei and fin have been TRUCKING so here's a little snippet from 12 under the cut <3

A bullet casing rolls on the ground.

The air is pungent, soaking up his fear and desire like gauze. The fear is raw in a way Danny’s never tasted from Yassen before.

Of course.

It couldn’t have been anyone but Yassen.

[treasureguardingdragon]

i need more people to agree with me on this. ship name for john and yassen should be cunter. here are my reasons

- john rider is a cunt

- combines cossack and hunter but coster makes me think of a coaster and hossack sounds like a sneeze

- encapsulates the cunty vibes

- toxic ships need shitty names

- i want to

- one singular person has agreed with me on this and i am now too confident in my opinion

[truly-sincerely]

Alex Rider S3 timeline

Season 1 Timeline | Misc Timeline Notes

Some facts:

For time of year we know s3 takes place in the winter, based on dialogue from Blunt and Smithers

The trees in the background during establishing shots are just as unreliable as in s2 but during actor shots they're a mix of green and barren (most notably the cherry tree in front of the Rider house), implying late winter, probably February.

I don't know anything about the British school system, but Tom mentions having taken his GCSEs in ep1 so they're presumably on holiday from whatever comes after that (sixth form? A levels? it's Maltese to me).

Now we look at the elephant in the room. John Rider:

There are two different timestamps on the recording of the bridge exchange. 06/01/2005 and 2005-05-21. Not sure what the discrepancy means but since the latter has to be May we can assume that the former is formatted for June (as opposed to January). Also, Alex wasn't born yet in January 2005.

Alex's birthday is 13 Feb, 2005 (according to a prop from s2ep8)

Julia says that Alex was six months old, but based on the time stamp he was closer to three months old (easy mistake)

John and Helen Rider's gravestone puts their deaths in 2006 and Julia says it took her six months to track them down after the bridge exchange, so that checks out

Now in the present Mrs Jones says that it's been 17 years since Scorpia was destroyed, which would make s3 take place in early 2023

Alex is about to or just turned 17 years old

And therefore he was 15 in s1 and s2

S3 takes place over the course of nine days, which I think we can all agree is absolutely ridiculous, but that's how it works out.

Day 1: Boat ride; find Julia Rothman's house; Kyra's soup accident

Day 2: Identify and research Julia; Museum art showing

Day 3: Scorpia sends threat to Kellner; Tom and Alex go to Julia's villa; Pritchard gets blown up; Alex sneaks into Consanto and it blows up too; Alex goes to Malagosto

Day 4: Scorpia kills the footballers; Tom and Kyra get arrested; Julia tells Alex about his dad getting killed on the bridge; and Yassen! Is here!

Day 5: The assault course and the water bottle; shooting challenge; getting beat up by the other trainees; Pritchard's funeral; Tom and Kyra trace the call to Malagosto and Nile tries to send them home; the incursion assessment

Day 6: Shinai (Bokken) 5 on 1; Department calls Scorpia back and Scorpia gives them three days; Kyra and Tom find Malagosto; Smithers and Crawley find Julia's litter; Syl graduates; Jack gets a delivery from Tom; Max Grendel gets Yassassinated

Day 7: Everyone gets back to London; Blunt asks the CIA for help; Alex and Yassen surveil Jones' flat; Jack, Kyra, and Tom go to the Department; Navy Seals raid Malagosto; Alex doesn't kill Jones and gets sent back to the Department

Day 8: Nile sets up in the big church; Crawley takes Alex home; Blunt and Julia do storytime for Alex and Yassen

Day 9: Alex goes back into the Department; MI5 try to take Alex; Alex calls Julia for a pickup; a bunch of people in Bath don't die; Blunt retires; Alex comes in and gets John's medals; Nile gets Yassassinated

[alexhatessupermarketcola]

My Alex Rider related playlists

ft. some highlight songs from each to somewhat demonstrate the vibe that totally weren't very hard to pick lol

Alex Rider | Scorpia

My only one carefully curated in order - follows the plot of Scorpia loosely from the perspective of Alex - book and show inspired. Angsty and melodramatic

Ft. Death of an Optimist by grandson, Nothing and Everything by Red, The Kill by Thirty Seconds To Mars

Devil: Yassen and Alex

Inspired by The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea by pongnosis. Alex and Yassen centric. Pretty angsty too ft. some badassery

Ft. Exit Music (For A Film) by Radiohead, Dance With The Devil by Breaking Benjamin, Kill or Be Killed by Muse

never too young to die | Alex Rider

My general Alex Rider playlist based around Alex - ft. badass, angst, fun, some show songs and just anything that I think fits tbh

Ft. All These Things I've Done by The Killers, Alive or Only Burning by Blind Channel, Young And Menace by Fall Out Boy

Yasha

My Yassen playlist - focused a lot on his past and arc. Angst and such things with a bit of badassery

Ft. What Happened To You by Black Honey, And The World Was Gone by Snow Ghosts, Love and a Smoking Gun by Des Rocs

Yassen | Two Sides of the Same Coin | Alex

Brand new, as in picking highlight songs for this made me cave 😆 Songs that fit both Yassen and Alex and their canon arcs. There's angst, of course.

Ft. Used To The Darkness by Des Rocs, Beautiful Crime by Tamer

Y+J

My Yassen and John playlist. Anything that I feel fits their unusual dynamic. From Yassen's perspective generally. Yay more angst 😆

Ft. Skeleton Key by Flower Face, Affection by Amber Run, Panic Attack by Halsey (show special for baby!Yassen lol)

Tom and Alex

My tomlex playlist. Equal parts fluff and angst. The playlists are getting shorter now.

Ft. OK by Black Honey, If You Wanna by The Vaccines, Cut the Cord by Black Honey

John Rider, Hunter

Possibly joint shortest. I started this because of two songs I heard. May grow one day.

Ft. Bambi by Tokyo Police Club, Portrait I by The Howl & The Hum

Kyralex

Fluff and angst. Songs that fit them. I never used to ship but after s3 they grew on me, evidenced by this playlist 🥺

Ft. Red Brake Lights by SAINT PHNX, Ride by Amber Run

Kyra Vaschenko-Chao

Possibly the shortest. Need to spend some time on this one because there's a lot I could probably add. Started with two Marina songs that were contenders for a Kyra fanvid I did back in 2020. It's pretty s1 rn.

Ft. Rootless by MARINA, What You Want by Evanescence

laukyra

A relic from 2020 - a Kyra and Laura ship playlist. I wrote a oneshot about them too. This one's actually long but niche so it got demoted down here. Probably best summarised as gay songs and Kyra angst - note to self: add Good Luck Babe 😆

Ft. Darling by Skott, Angela by Flower Face

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0VYfa4E2DF35MRCfsSGshJ?si=BXrsX7F6QzKFtoKgFQjLQQ&pi=3xbJChkiSh-wE

(ran out of proper links because I accidentally made an 11th playlist whilst making this list oops) (so hopefully that laukyra one can be copy pasted lol)

Okay, phew, the end. Please rec any good AR playlists you know/made!!

[flowersforzoe11]

Alex Rider S1E6 reviews

school got busy this past week so it's been a few days. here's the next episode! (review, spoilers, etc. down below):

alex is being so casual about everything is deeply funny to me. it's nice to have Kyra as his foil just to see how a normal person would react to everyday Alex occurances

i love!!! how much Tom screentime we get. however, if there is one thing about Tom, it's that he will always find himself in a pawn in a Situation

ian rider is my one-dimensional king with way too much lore honestly.

the Alex exploring the lab scene is so well done. props.

the expression on Tom's face when Parker Roscoe mentions "Alex Friend:

loved the cut of Kyra running thru the Alps while Alex fights demons in the basement

I GOT CHILLS WHEN HE FINDS THE KIDS IN THE BASEMENT OMG SO GOOD

"ALEX RIDER I PRESUME" OMGGGGGGGGGGGG NOOOOO

there is something so organic about some of the OG alex rider villain plots. truly, give me Sayle, Grief, or everybody pre-Snakehead (minus Ark Angel) because those people were so uniquely fucked-up. absolute vibes coming from the Hitler Clone plot

i believe we did miss out on the classic "villain spilling the entire plan to alex" trope as well as the threat to dissect him for the clones. devasting honestly.

Alex resisting torture is actually one of my fave things about this show. the scenes are so well done it's crazy

OKAY the Alex and Kyra dynamic is going crazy. i love that

THE TRANSITION TO YASSEN GREGOROVICH LOML????? YES PLS

ps where is Yassen's John Rider-given neck scar

oh alex baby boy i see those ironing board right behind you while youre talking about escaping I KNOW HOW THIS GOES

if there is one (1) thing that alex rider needs it's more women yelling at him about how stupid his plans are

I LOVE ALEX AND KYRA PLS. i apologize for not being a Kyra stan from the start god i love them

THAT ENTIRE SNOWBOARDING SEQUENCE START TO FINSIH I AM LITERALLY SPEECHLESS IT IS SO GOOD SO PERFECT (i stand by the statement that this is still in the top 3 most badass alex rider moments in the series, give this kid an olympic gold)

[spyfestafterdark]

Spyfest After Dark 2024 - Author Reveals

I hope everyone had fun with their gifts and reading the rest of the fics! The time has now come to reveal the authors for the exchange fics. How many were you able to guess?

A quiet Life by Polarnacht for Proodence (Yalex, T, 2.8k) When Alex comes home from an evening out with Tom he finds an unexpected guest on his couch.

November by Proodence for inkandella (Yalex, M, 13.4k) The whole class, or at the very least the girls, were about 90% sure that their French professor was sleeping with the new TA. Or, the one where Yassen and Alex are both undercover at the same school.

Wisteria Bruises by inkandella for Sirius4Life (Yalex, T, 3.7k) “I never believed I would be the one saying this, but you are being too protective, Alex.” Alex had rolled his eyes so far back it hurt. “Pot, kettle,” he gritted out between his teeth. Yassen just narrowed his eyes. “Look. They have a million yous. You could be the best fighter they've ever seen and it still wouldn't draw the kind of crowds we need. Give them something fresh. Young. Unpredictable.” Alex meets his eyes. “You can convince anyone to bet on me.” Or, the slice-of-life mission fic that features underground fight rings, sexy club dancing, and soulmates, all wrapped all up under one little bow.

Nor Heaven or Hell by Sirius4Life for fredbassett (Yalex, M, 1.0k) Paranormal AU: Alex and Yassen are demons who are determined to see Alan Blunt dragged to Hell.

Calm the Tides of War by fredbassett for Evieebun125 (Yassen & Alex, T, 5.1k) The safe house deep in the Finnish countryside was beautiful. The downside was being stuck there over Christmas with an assassin.

Stuck in this together by Evieebun125 for turtle_snail (Yassen & Alex, T, 1.4k) Alex and Yassen are handcuffed together. Handcuffed. Together with one of the most ruthless killers Alex has ever encountered. Great.

Westward Bound by turtle_snail for aunt_zelda (Tom/Alex/Kyra, Yalex, T, 19.7k) “Guys, we need to go,” Alex demanded, quickly grabbing his backpack from the seat and urging them to move. “What—” Kyra started, but her words froze mid-sentence as she spotted Yassen. Her eyes widened. “Is that—” “Long story,” Alex interrupted, cutting her off. “We’re in trouble. Big trouble.” --- Or, just three friends and their reluctant, grumpy pet assassin on a road trip across America. Nothing suspicious here.

took your plans away by aunt_zelda for Polarnacht (Yalex, E, 3.6k) “I might be your mission, someday.” “I wouldn’t take that mission.” Alex says at once. “You think MI6 would give you a choice?” Yassen asks, incredulous. Alex opens his mouth and then closes it. He can’t argue with that. They’ve forced him into corners before. It’s gotten a bit better now that he’s an adult, but even so … “Then I’d quit.”

Ties that bind by limnal for LastlyMatt (John/Yassen/Ian, E, 8.6k) Yassen fails an assignment after someone strangely reminiscent of Hunter interferes. John won't miss a teachable moment – for Yassen or their prisoner.

Not Made for Salt Water by LastlyMatt for countessrivers (John/Yassen, E, 9.5k) John gets Yassen's selkie coat as a gift. Pushing someone away shouldn't be this hard when you control them fully.

Endurance by countessrivers for Strange_Soulmates (Yalex, E, 3.1k) 'More than anything, Alex wants to just collapse to the floor. He aches the way he does after an exhaustive sparring session, and very much the way he did after he was put through a lesson on restraints and stress positions. His knees hurt, his shoulders hurt, his back hurts, his arse...' Some of the training exercises Alex is expected to participate in are...stranger than others.

The Abduction of Alex Rider by Strange_Soulmates for TheOtherBlue (Yassen/Alex/Martin, E, 5.3k) Alex opens the door one night a few weeks after Jack's graduation to two people claiming to be Ian's coworkers. Martin and Yassen don't take no for an answer. And when Alex tries to remove himself from the situation, they decide to take more than that.

A Lesson in Restraint by TheOtherBlue for limnal (John/Yassen, E, 6.0k) It was important, Hunter had explained, to be able to escape handcuffs even when distracted. Yassen just hadn't expected his method of distraction, or where it would lead them.

Thanks everyone who participated in the exchange and the people who read and commented on the fics! I had a lot of fun organising and reading all the amazing fics and I hope you enjoyed the event as well!

[actuallytalldumbass]

@ravensprophet just gave me courage and that kickstarted my brain for another idea so here ya go

Alex Rider Baby Driver au??? (SLAY) (in case you didn't watch Baby Driver it's about a young Getaway driver (called Baby))

Alex as Baby (obviously)(omg his codename would be Cub😭)( he's a speed demon for sure)(tho Alex would NOT be quiet like Baby, he'd mouth off a lot and prolly get punched a few times)(assuming Alex would be 14 then the heists that would take place would take place before the movie)(or it could be still following the movie events AND THEN IT COULD BE ALEX GETTING FREE OF SCORPIA (Doc / The heist groups being SCORPIA?)

The other criminals that join the jobs could be AR villains?? (They dont really like baby in the movies so it would fit)

Who would be Doc? It could be someone from SCORPIA if we're going that way. Ooo it could be Yassen (Doc forcing Baby to be his driver and dragging him into the criminal world. Then at the end of the movie helping baby get away)(that seams very Yassen-like (with him killing Ian and basically kickstarting Alex's fall into the intelligence world. And then trying to protect alex in the end by not shooting him)(or if we're going the TV verse, then training him and saving his life by shooting Nile)

Joe would be Jack

And Deborah could be Sabina(or Kyra) if you need a romantic relationship

Or it could be platonic with Tom

Or it could be just Alex wanting to free himself on his own too XDD

Doc/ the heist groups could also be mi6??? If you wanna go the opposite direction. Blunt being Doc (tho I'm not sure how much I like that since Doc gets kinda 'redeamed' at the end and I'm not gonna excusing Blunt)(So I think Yassen is better for the job)

Tho if its mi6 one heist crew could be the K Unit

Or the K Unit being a heist crew could be added without mi6/ Blunt being Doc (just cause it would be cool and you could make either Nice K Unit or Shit K Unit)

[arshipweek]

AR Ship Week - Fandom in 2024

Another year, another shipweek, and another State of the AR Shipping Fandom post. This is the first weekly post leading up to the Alex Rider Ship Week. Just under 4 weeks to go!

This post focuses on pre-S3 fandom, since the data was scraped before the season was released, but we might do an update for post-S3 fics. For methodology, it can be found both on the graphic analysis pages and in the notes at the bottom of this post. For those only curious about the popular pairings this year (1), feel free to read right on.

This year, we have analysed a few specific shipping stats to get a look at us as a fandom.

We have also created an interactive dashboard of all the graphs for you to explore. This is where the following data was taken from, as well as some bonus visuals!

A Timeline of AO3

For a blast from the past, we took a look at the shipping timeline - the count of fics and authors per year for the top ten most popular AR ships - and found immediate proof that as a shipping fandom, we're still small enough that a few, determined people can make a difference. AR fandom's use of AO3 as its primary fandom purveyor is fairly recent, as most of its history can be found on FFnet, but with a total of just under 3k fics as of April 20th, we're gaining on FFnet's 4.5k of AR fics at a very respectable pace.

Some particular developments were:

The number of Yalex authors was about the same in 2021 - 2023 (just around 40) but the number of Yalex fics in 2022 was almost double that of 2021 and 2023. This was not due to a sudden, imported backlog that we could see but a handful of popular events/challenges and potentially the release of S2 in December of 2021.

Tom/Alex and Yassen/Ian both had a peak of fics in 2021, most likely because of the release of S1 that gave Tom a much larger part and offered an intriguing look at Yassen and Ian's potential past.

Fiona/Sabina had a huge spike in fics in 2023 due to a Femmeslash February event (2) that sent it firmly up the ranks of popular ships.

The State of the OTP

For the top ten AR ships, we also took a look at how many of the writers that had written other AR ships (and which ones) to look for interesting patterns and to see if there was any real difference to spot. As it turns out, the answer was a resounding yes:

At one extreme, we have Alexmis (Alex Rider/Artemis Fowl) which is a fandom unto itself. Only 20 percent of the writers of the pairing have written for other pairings in AR fandom fics, and Alexmis fics as a whole tend to lean more towards adding Alex to the Artemis Fowl world rather than vice versa (3).

In the middle range, we have Yalex and Alex/Wolf - two pairings about as old as the fandom itself, and which both have an OTP percentage around 55 - as well as (mostly) newcomers Tom/Alex and Kyra/Alex, both with an OTP percentage in the 40-50 range.

At the other extreme, we have Yassen/John with an OTP percentage of just 4. Fiona/Sabina does it one better with an OTP rate of 0 (!) but the sample size here is so small it makes no meaning to compare it.

So what other pairings do these writers enjoy indulging in, then?

Yalex writers really like their Yassen pairings. Out of the combined number of non-Yalex fics the Yalex authors have written, 24 percent of them are Yassen/Ian and 22 percent are Yassen/John. This means that almost half of their non-Yalex pairings feature Yassen in some way.

70 percent of John/Helen shippers have written other pairings, too - probably because of the pairing's nature as a background part of Alex's story and not necessarily the focus of a shipfic they're in. 30 percent of the fics written by John/Helen writers outside of the ship are Yalex (and 6 percent are Yassen/John).

The case is even more extreme for Yassen/John, which is firmly entwined with the Yalex pairing. 96 percent of the writers have written other AR ships, with three quarters of those fics being Yalex.

Text Analysis

Interactive dashboard with graphs and visuals

We also ran a text analysis on the shipfics to look for patterns and recurring details in the writing - first in general, then for specific ships. The amount of detail for each ship depends a lot on the sample size, which results in a detailed, varied word cloud for Yalex and somewhat less so for several of the smaller ships.

For that analysis, we recommend clicking around to explore the word clouds and get a feel for the different ships, but for the ambitious types, we have a word hunt ready as well (4):

Word Hunt, Significant Phrases edition:

Tools of the Trade:

Duct tape

Frying pan

Krav Maga

Sniper rifle

Zip ties

I Know That Reference:

Fer de Lance

Air Force

Albert Bridge

Point Blanc

Brecon Beacons

Getting Kinky:

Boxer briefs

Dimly lit

Lower lip

Pressed a kiss

Yes sir

Feel free to comment with any particularly entertaining/intriguing/otherwise just plain fun word cloud combinations you've spotted, and we will see you again next week!

______ 

Note on methodology:

The two Alex Rider sections (main + TV) were scraped over the course of two days in early March 2024, except for fics that were locked to AO3 users only (5). For the author specific statistics, we excluded orphan_account and anonymous authors. Median measures were chosen over average the majority of the time to account for outliers, especially in the case of the rarer pairings (6).

For ship-analysis, a fic counts under every pairing it has. This means that someone who writes Yassen/Alex, Yassen/John and Yassen/Ian in the same fic (7) will count as an author for all three pairings and under the Yalex OTP analysis, they will have an additional fic marked under both Yassen/John and Yassen/Ian.

(1) Yalex. It's Yalex. Look, we're not even going to bother posting the stats for that. It's still Yalex, trust us. Though we can talk again next year, considering how well Kyralex is currently doing post-S3. (2) Proving that a few, determined writers can make or break the non-Yalex ship rankings. Please use this power for good; if someone manages to get Sayle/Nadia Vole or something into the top three next year, I'm outsourcing that part of the stat post to a particularly enthusiastic raccoon with a keyboard. (3) Canonically, the wholesale kidnapping of Alex is pretty on-brand for Alex Rider supervillains so really, Artemis is in excellent company. (4) Technically two, but there is unsurprisingly a lot of overlap between the general wordcloud and the Yalex one. For those curious, here's the Word Hunt, Yalex edition:

Adam's apple

Bottle of lube

Cock

Index finger

Nerve endings

Pale skin

Scar tissue

(5) As of April 20th, 225 out of 2961 fics were locked to AO3 users. (6) Meaning anything non-Yalex, let's all be honest here. (7) Because sometimes, like a particularly persistent Pokémon player, Yassen also needs to catch them all. Traumas or Riders is dealer's choice.

[icebluecyanide]

Alex and his anger in Scorpia (2005)

I decided to make a collection of all moments of anger (or lack thereof) from the book.

Alex had to know what had happened fourteen years ago. Discovering the truth about John Rider would be the same as finding out about himself. Because, if his father really had killed people for money, what did that make him? Alex was angry, unhappy … and confused. He had to find Scorpia, whatever it was. Scorpia would tell him what he needed to know. (p. 14)

The tiger was watching him. Alex had twisted round, his hands behind him, his legs bent sideways, in the act of standing up. The tiger's front paws were resting on the desk. Neither of them moved. Alex knew that the door was too far away. There was nowhere else to hide. A surge of anger flooded through him. He should never have come in here. He should have been more careful. (p. 66)

Bitter anger shivered through him. Was this the destiny that Yassen Gregorovich had promised him? Had he come to Venice simply for this? The sirens were still howling. The water had covered the first two steps and was already lapping at the third. Alex cursed, then took several deep breaths, hyperventilating. When he had forced as much air into his lungs as he thought they could take, he toppled over and plunged head first through the hole. (p. 75)

“You're not answering my question,” he said, trying not to get angry. Mrs Rothman seemed friendly enough but he already knew that she was very rich and very ruthless. He suspected that he would regret it if he got on the wrong side of her. (p. 128)

Alex felt hatred welling up inside him. It was stronger than anything he had ever experienced in his life. He wondered if it would be possible to live an ordinary life again one day. There seemed to be nowhere for him to go. Maybe it would be better for everyone if he just took one more step. He was already standing on the very edge. Why couldn’t he just let the night take him? (p. 186)

“We have chosen the one person in the world who - we think you'll agree - most deserves to die. It is someone you have every reason to despise, and we hope that your hatred and your anger will drive you on, removing any last doubts you may have." (p. 188)

“Why did you do it?” he demanded. His voice had become a whisper. He was trying to channel the hatred through him, to give him the strength to do what he had been sent here for. (p. 229)

“If you’re saying my father was so evil, what do you think that makes me?” Alex was trying to will himself to shoot. He had thought anger would give him strength, but he was more tired than angry. So now he searched for another way to persuade himself to pull the trigger. He was his father’s son. It was in his blood. (p. 231)

He held the gun steady. He let the hatred take him. And fired. (p. 232)

“I don’t hate you,” Alex said. It was true. He felt nothing. (p. 272)

It's interesting to see how Alex starts the book already angry (and confused) at MI6 for their lies/because of his inner conflict about his dad being a killer. Scorpia deliberately try to stoke that anger by sending him after Mrs Jones, but when she confronts him about his dad killing innocent people, he struggles to hold on to his hatred/anger (and we learn later that even when he pulls the trigger, he can't bring himself to aim at Mrs Jones). And in the aftermath of the failed assassination he's more numb and exhausted than anything else.

[too-many-rooks]

What's the deal with Patrice?

Patrice is such an intriguing but enigmatic character in season four the show; I ended the season pretty fascinated by him (and how he fits into a certain type *cough* Yassen *cough*) so flocked to the books for more details. In ‘Spook Street’, he's one of our POV characters, so we get a much more internal perspective of his thinking, his character, and his history at Les Arbes.

So I've collated some quotes from the book that I think shine an interesting light on him, for general information, and as a fic writing resource.(please please write fic about patrice pls pls pls)

Under the cut are some book spoilers from 'Spook Street'. I've not yet read past this book, so there are no further book spoilers, and nothing here spoils major plot points that you won't already know if you've seen season four, though I highly recommend the books!

This is broken down into sections about...

His relationship with his mother and his father (Who is not Frank in the book,)

His attachment to Bertrand, (And how that connects to his interactions with River,)

His general character traits,

His indoctrination and relationship with Frank.

General Character traits.

One of the things that particularly struck me about Patrice, is how normal he's described as being, at least on the surface. He is careful, measured, and rational. He's clearly very good at what he does, but doesn't seem to derive too much pride from his skills, he wants to complete his targets, report his successes, and move on.

Starting with a more generalised collection of quotes, these passages give insight into his thought process, perspective, and relationship to his work and general character.

In pretty stark contrast to River, who spends most of his time flailing about without a clue what's going on, especially during his time in France -

'He knew precisely where he was-wouldn't dream of setting foot on hostile land without memorising routes-' p.223

His connection to his cold body, Paul Wayne, is something ingrained in him from his earliest memory; Paul doesn't seem to be a persona or someone with a notably different character and behaviour; Paul both is and isn't Patrice. Also, he can speak without a French accent.

“None of which was news to Patrice. Who wasn’t Patrice today, but that was hardly news either. His passport proclaimed him Paul Wayne, and this required no mental adjustment: Patrice had been Paul Wayne for as long as he could remember. And Paul Wayne was as much at home in London, even the bad parts, as anywhere in France; could order a drink either side of the river, and nobody would bat an eye. Because Paul Wayne didn’t just speak English, he spoke English English, the same way he spoke French French. He’d have tied Henry Higgins in knots, and if that wasn’t enough to piss Higgins off, Paul Wayne could have gone on to kill him with his bare hands in about fourteen different ways, because that, too, had been part of the training that had been taking place every moment of Patrice’s life. Patrice’s life was about being Paul Wayne. And today Paul Wayne was taking one Sam Chapman off the board.” p.279

In a fight, he's able to keep his head, and stay focused on the facts. In the garage when he's trying to kill Sam, he manages to take down -

“Two of them, and both down. It had taken seconds. There was no pride in the thought. He was simply monitoring the situation.” p.306

We see again his calm, unemotional response to combat during his attack on Slough House.

“He sensed that the woman’s gun was empty, because there was fear in her eyes, and she did not look like someone who would be scared holding a loaded gun. Microseconds, these thoughts took. Less. It was part of what he’d learned at Les Arbres, in its woods and in its cellars; that you measured a situation in the moment you became part of it, and that what you did next was less action than response—you became part of the inevitable: that was what he had been taught. What would happen next was fixed from the moment he’d kicked the door down. All that remained was for the bodies to hit the floor.” p.455

Natasha and Yevgeny.

In the book, the woman from Les Arbes that River meets, Natasha, is a bit different. Instead of Bertrand's mother, she's Patrice's. Similarly, Natasha was a local girl, who was impregnated when she was around 18, by an older man from Les Arbes, though in the books he's a character called Yevgeny. Deviating from the show, Natasha doesn't seem to have any particularly negative feelings toward Yevgeny, though she recognises their age gap, and how constricted her life would be if she stayed with him.

Yevgeny is Russian, 'of course', (p.256), a former KGB spy who had worked at the Russian embassy in London. (p.320). In his interrogation, Frank mentions a KGB member 'who specialised in what Harkness called mental calibration.' (p.495) It's unclear exactly what this means, but seems to suggest Yevgeny played a pretty central role in forming the minds of their home-grown assassins.

Natasha and Yevgeny meet in a bar, in the summer of 1990, and she eventually becomes pregnant.

'"My parents are very angry with me, and with Yevgeny too. He was much older than me. In his thirties." "And how did he react?" Her eyes became faraway again. "He is happy. He say he will be good father, and we will live happily ever after."' p.257.

Aware that this version of a happily ever after constricts her world to the two bridges that mark her village, and the next one along the river, Natasha feels constrained. She wants to go to Paris, wants to see the world - but doesn't seem to want to leave Yevgeny, instead, she wants -

'"Yevgeny to take me away. Not keep me here." "Did you have the baby?" "Yes. A boy, Patrice. And he does what babies do, which is cry a lot, and I was just eighteen... So one night... I leave the house with some money I have saved and I catch a train to Paris, which is how I get to see parts of the world which are not between these two bridges."' p.258.

During this time in Paris, she became a prostitute. She comes back to the area, after ten years or so, because her father has died and she's able to come back.

'“All that time Yevgeny has [Patrice], at Les Arbres. My parents never see him, my father because he does not want to, and my mother because my father. But Yevgeny sends her photographs. I have these pictures still. I will show them to you.” “I went there, of course. To Les Arbres. But they do not let me in. Yevgeny, he comes out. He tells me I am not welcome, that I am no longer Patrice’s mother. That he has a family, and does not need me.” “I’m sorry,” River said. “I too. Because I know he is right, I am not Patrice’s mother. I give him birth, that is all. But still, I want to see him, I demand to see him, and then Frank comes, and Frank, he is very clear, very direct. He tells me that unless I leave, he will have police arrest me. He will tell them that not only am I a prostitute but a drug addict also, and other things like that. Threats.”' p.260.

Yevgeny sends Patrice's grandmother pictures of him until she dies when he is ten. This is the last photo she has of her son, and the last time she has seen him, but she seems keen to be reunited.

‘“If you find my son,” she said, “you will tell me, yes? You will tell me where he is?” River lied to her, as sincerely as he knew how.’ (p.265).

Later, after being taken captive by him, River mentions both of his parents to try and sway or disrupt Patrice.

During the initial assault on the convoy, when he's about to shoot Flyte, River repeatedly calls him by his name, and tells him "It's not what Yevgeny would want." (p.359.) This is enough to make Patrice pause, not shoot Flyte, and question who this guy is.

River gets kidnapped, and him and Patrice have a weird date (which we will go into in more detail about below), and as he's taking him to Frank, River goes for another attempt at using his family to throw him off.

'“I met your mother today,” he said. “Natasha.” Patrice said nothing. “She misses you.” Patrice shook his head, but still said nothing. “She wants to know you’re all right. It worried her, when Les Arbres burned down. Any mother would worry.” “I have no mother.” “She didn’t abandon you, you know. Or at least—she came back. She wanted to see you, to be with you. They wouldn’t let her.” “I have no mother,” Patrice repeated. “She was there for years. Never far away. In case you needed her.” Patrice looked at him and said, “Those things never happened. Stop talking.” “I will if you want. But I don’t think you do.” As casually as if he were swatting a fly, Patrice reached out to slap River’s cheek, but River had been expecting this, or something like it, and blocked the blow. But not the second, which was aimed at his throat. Patrice pulled it at the last second, or River would have been laid out on the pavement. Patrice said, “Stop now. Or I’ll make you.”' (p.406)

From this, we can understand that any mention of his mother wanting to be re-united was kept from him. His insistence that he has no mother, seems to suggest he was told nothing about her at all, other than that she abandoned him, not even Frank's story of her being a drug-addicted prostitute.

Patrice is unwilling, or unable, to consider that his mother was so close all that time, and still wants to see him and cares about him. He defaults to violence to make River stop voicing these challenging ideas.

His connection with Yevgeny is less clear, but what we hear of him is interesting. His wanting, and being excited for a child, which might have been him fulfilling Frank's orders, keeping Natasha away after she abandoned them, again fits with Frank's wishes to keep the mothers away, but possibly reflects a genuine sense of betrayal, and belief that he is giving Patrice all the family that he needs.

And the pictures; taking a picture of his son every year to send to a woman he doesn't see, who doesn't approve of him, but who is also so clearly in her husbands's control that she wouldn't be in much of a position to kick up a fuss about it if he didn't, creating a potential security risk in circulating evidence of them all together, of the children all together, it's a hell of a thing to do. It introduces this really compelling nuance about how much, if at all, the men at Les Arbes loved their children.

Bertrand

In the pictures Yevgeny sends Patrice's grandmother, sometimes he is in the company of the other children raised at Les Arbes. The book tells us -

“The eldest two, they were at Les Arbres from the beginning. I do not remember their names. And here,” and she plucked a photo from the pile of her son at five or so, with another boy, slightly younger, “this is Patrice with Bertrand. Bertrand is Frank’s son.” “There are six or seven children in the end. All boys. The first two, and then Patrice and Bertrand and two or three more.” p.261

This seems to suggest Patrice and Bertrand were born at a similar time, and possibly constitute their own age group separate from the older two, and younger two(or three).

It's clear that Patrice and Bertrand were close, and he's upset about the likelihood of him being killed, and the possibility of him being taken captive by Mi5, but he can rationalise his death, based on the mistakes he had made. He feels his emotions, expresses them, and then moves on.

'Patrice loved Bertrand like a brother, but facts were facts; Bertrand had been known to falter at critical moments.' p.223 'Squirting cleanser onto the wind-screen, he watched as the wipers smeared the seagull's mess into a grey film. Another clean-up job that made things worse. Then he cried, very briefly, for Bertrand, who was probably dead; squirted more cleanser, and ran the wipers again.' p.225

When River comes back to London using the Adam Lockhead passport, unlike in the show, in the book Patrice thinks it might be Bertrand; here his connection to Bertrand, being the only emotional connection he has left, is displayed again.

"Attachments were encouraged only because without them, there was nothing to purge. Bertrand, though, had been the attachment Patrice had never purged himself of. If Bertrand was alive they could complete this mission together and get the fuck off this godforsaken island.” p.350

Re-uniting with, or freeing Bertrand, finishing their mission, and leaving the country is therefore a top priority.

“Life at Les Arbres had taught him to grasp what needed doing, which here meant reaching St. Pancras before the action moved on. If Bertrand’s passport was flagged, there’d be security waiting. And of all the things that couldn’t be allowed to happen, Bertrand falling into the hands of MI5 ranked way up high.” p.351

Attacking the convoy and discovering the prisoner MI5 have isn't Bertrand, is evidently an upsetting experience for him.

“Because he wasn’t Bertrand, but in that first moment, Patrice thought he was: they had the same features, almost; the same hair. Eyes. Something was going on; crawling under the skin, like a worm inside an apple.” p.350

“Who are you?” Patrice repeated. “Adam Lockhead,” River said. The name cut a groove through Patrice’s expression. “No. Where’s Bertrand? And why . . . ” p.360

And thus kicks off Patrice and River's weird little kidnapping date, a sequence that is significantly longer and juicier in the book than being shoved in the back of a stolen car.

River

River and Patrice have a really interesting dynamic. They're both clearly fascinated by the other, and want to know what's going on. Patrice has technically kidnapped him, and is threatening and hurting him, but River's not exactly trying too hard to run away.

During the attack on the convoy, Patrice tells him they will be leaving together.

'Patrice spoke so calmly he might have been choosing fruit. “We. You and me. Or I’ll kill you here.”' p.361,

River tries to punch him, but he's not totally opposed to the idea -

‘Last thing he was doing was leaving Patrice’s side; not until he’d had a chance to question him about Les Arbres, about the commune, and about why Patrice’s comrade-in-arms had come to kill the O.B.’ p.387 “Not quite a prisoner, then, though hardly an accomplice, he stayed by Patrice’s side." p.387

The two travel by tube, where phone connection means any news about the attack on Pentonville Road would travel slowly, and anyone who thinks they might recognise them easily dismisses it. Also, Patrice pretends to be River's boyfriend.

“Patrice stayed close; one hand on River’s shoulder, as if for balance.” p.387

“Patrice hit him so quickly that nobody saw: not the passers by, hurrying through the rain; not the fellow travellers still sheltering from the downpour. Certainly not River. First he knew about it was, Patrice was lowering him into a sitting position, murmuring calm words. “He’s okay.” This for the benefit of those nearby. “He gets claustrophobic, that’s all.” To River: “Maybe put your head between your knees?” Somebody said, “Are you sure he’s all right? Should we get help? “He’ll be fine. I’m always telling him, we should take taxis. But no, he insists on the underground, and here we are again.” “My boyfriend’s just the same.” Any other time River might have protested the emphasis on My, but at the moment he was coping with a lot of frazzled nerve ends, as if Patrice had laid into him with a cattle prod rather than his little finger, or whatever it was he’d used to do whatever it was he’d done.” p.389 “Patrice maintained the fiction established for them by sitting next to River and putting his arm round his shoulders. He leaned close, as if whispering sweet consolation, and reminded River: “That required no effort on my part.” River said, “Last time someone hurt me like that . . . ” He paused for breath. “Yes?” “I knocked half his brains out with a length of lead pipe.” Patrice made a show of looking here, there, in front, behind. “Don’t see any lead pipe.” “You won’t.” Patrice’s phone chirruped. “Do you mind? I really ought to take this.” He stood and walked a few paces off. River looked around for a length of lead pipe, but his heart wasn’t in it.” p.389

Patrice and River's weird dates continues on to his meeting with Frank, River leading the way when he knows the destination, on a boat painted to resemble dazzle boats from the first world war.

“Patrice said, “That’s something.” River, as if explaining an object of national pride to a tourist, said, “They were painted like that to confuse submarines. It made it harder to sink them, to pinpoint them as targets.” “And that worked?” “Well, this one’s still here.” p.404

Meeting with Frank, Patrice gets some kisses and a pep talk we don't hear, then comes back to say goodbye to River and tell him how they ought to do this again sometime, and melts away into the rain to go murder all his friends & and his Grandpa.

“Patrice paused, then leaned forward, hands in pockets, and kissed River on the cheek. One cheek only. He said, “We will speak again soon.” Then he walked back the way they’d come; just a man hurrying through the rain, eager for the next place of shelter.” p.409

Frank

Patrice's most notable moments of internal fucked-up-edness come from when he's reflecting on his past, his education at Les Arbes, and his connection with Frank. His loyalty is unshakeable and goes as far as hurting himself when he thinks critically about him.

What we learn about a childhood (or the absence of one) at Les Arbes, is also very notable.

Like Patrice, like Bertrand, like all of them, Yves had had his childhood removed even while it was happening, and replaced by qualities Frank favoured: obedience to him, and reliance on no other. p.350

We can see this focus on total obedience to Frank being ingrained very early on, with orders, or 'instructions', being performed without question.

“And an instruction from Frank, who had been giving him instructions since he was a toddler, and who had ensured, way back then, that there was no question of Patrice not carrying them out.” p.428

And then there's the cellar.

“For one brief moment, he remembered the cellar. Each of the boys, on their twelfth birthday, had been locked in a cellar at Les Arbres, with no natural light and just one candle. Every morning, a single bread roll and a beaker of water was delivered. And every morning, they were told they would be released as soon as they asked for their freedom. Bertrand, Patrice remembered, had lasted just seventeen days before asking to be released. Patrice remembered Frank’s look of disdain at his son’s reappearance, as if it were an act of cowardice, or betrayal. Patrice himself had lasted a full month: at the time, a new record. Yves had lasted two.” (434)

I'm fascinated by the cellar. I'm fascinated by how long a boy is supposed to stay in the cellar. Bertrand, at seventeen days, clearly does not last long enough. Before Yves, no one had done better than Patrice's record of a month.

(Also, a brief note bc I spent too long fretting over it when I was writing my fic but; just one candle? How are they meant to light the candle? Is there a way to start a fire in the basement? Do they need to ask? Is asking for light also a reflection of weakness?)

From this passage, we can infer quite a lot about these three boys. Bertrand, who had been 'known to falter', does poorly, with his seventeen days, and Frank is clearly very disappointed in him.

(Diversion again bc I'm curious if this sets a trend for the rest of their relationship, where in conversation with River later on, he's able to discuss his son's death very unpersonally, their connection being as vague as "Someone he shared a lift with once," being dissapointed that he'd managed to let the an old man get the best of him, "It's like, lesson one. Don't let your guard down just because the target appears harmless." p.410 He tells River he's 'screaming inside', and hurting over Bertrand's death, but needs to focus on the mission, and that mission having pivoted recruiting River, is also cracking jokes about doing his whole 'I am your father' speech in a Darth Vader voice. (p.425, p.410)

Back to the cellar and Les Arbes. Patrice sets a record; lasting a whole month is evidently seen as an achievement, and doesn't seem to earn any of the scorn and disappointment Bertrand does.

Yves two months, though, is apparently somewhat alarming - from the books we learn that Yves was basically too into everything at Les Arbes, and took his terrorist training too literally, too extremely. Natasha is unnerved by her memories of him, and singles him out from the others as being creepy, looking at people 'like they are a different species... Like they are insects, or worse. Lower than insects.' p.264

We see Patrice's opinion of Yves carried on in this extract, when he talks about on his seventh birthday, being handed a photo of his mother who he'd never met, staring at it for five minutes, and then being handed a box of matches by Frank, and burning it with no hesitation, and 'glee in his eyes.'

"Patrice had been frightened of Yves, a little. He sometimes wondered if Frank had been too." p.350

Reflecting on their time in the cellar, Patrice briefly thinks about how...

“Frank should have known that there would come a time when Yves’s desire to prove he could go further than any of them would see him step over each and every line there was.” p.435

This thought, that a child-soldier radicalised from birth and pushed to the edge in every conceivable way, might end up going a bit far, and the all-knowing figure of total obedience in their life should have realised that, requires instant self-inflicted punishment from Patrice.

“But this thought, that Frank should have known, demanded punishment, and Patrice submitted to the moment, lashing out at the pebble-dashed wall, then licking the resulting blood from his knuckles. He had deserved that. Nobody could have known where Yves’s demons would take him. It was this place that was breeding such ideas: rainy London, its blues and greys seeping into his soul. Well, Patrice wouldn’t be here much longer. This last task done, he and Frank could vanish back to the mainland: Les Arbres was smoke and ashes, but they’d find somewhere. And the others would return—except for Bertrand, of course; except for Yves—and life would start again.”

Here, we have this moment of self-flagellation for thinking critically about Frank, which seems so instinctual I have to believe it's another thing drummed into them from an early age, also backed up by Patrice hurting himself again during his assault on Slough House -

“Deliberately, he banged his head against the wall, twice. Clarity of a kind returned.” p.450

In addition, we also see how Patrice can rationalise Frank's failures as not his fault. It wasn't Les Arbes that corrupted Yves, but London, and being in London was corrupting him too. He can't escape with Bertrand, and the only home he's known is gone, but he wants to reunite with the others and have his life start again.

But we all know that never happens.