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nobody-wants-ice-cream · 4 years

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Everything Wrong With The Umbrella Academy. Episode 1, We Only See Each Other At Weddings and Funerals.

Some context before the cut: This is all in good fun! I wanted to do a really nitpicky re-watch of the series and found some really cool and interesting things I didn’t notice before. This is meant to have a Cinema Sins-esque tone. However, I did take off a lot more sins than Cinema Sins would have because I do genuinely like the series and the people that made it possible. So all of the good things got one sin off and all the bad things got one sin added. This is a really long post, so grab some popcorn. If there’s anything that I missed, feel free to add it!

We Only See Each Other At Weddings And Funerals

The story opens with a random scene. I know why this is important now, but for a first time viewer this is a strange Russian show with no subtitles. Sin for the fact that this opening scene could drive away audiences when they could have opened with Pogo’s monologue or the sudden birth scene. +1

Sudden birth. I know that this is what starts the whole series, but not once do these assholes discuss the implications of sudden birth. That shit is traumatic and must have induced a lot of trauma in the mothers. Sinning for trauma. +1

The russian ladies all help this poor girl. Teamwork and togetherness gets a sin off. -1

How did they get her swimsuit off enough for her to give birth without just taking the whole thing off? Did one woman happen to have a pair of scissors on her so they could cut the crotch? Because one piece suits are not that flexible downstairs. They didn’t take it off her, it’s still covering her. Sinning for lack of realism or explanation. +1

This narration should have happened much sooner. +1

Buying children. Literally buying children. And he gets seven so he buys them wholesale. Seven sins because Sir Reginald Hargreeves is a dick that bought seven children. +7

One sin off for the soundtrack now. All the songs used in this show are bops! -1

Ellen Page starts playing the Lindsey Stirling Phantom of the Opera piece on the lowest string when the piece starts on a high note. One sin for lack of musicality. +1

Minus one sin for Ellen Page’s vibrato. Not many people pretending to play the violin get that so accurate. That or this was the talented body double. Either way one sin off for musicality. -1

“Please send more food” Reginald Hargreeves is a dick to his adopted children. He didn’t feed Luther enough, so who knows what he did to the ones he didn’t like as much. +7

Also, Luther has presumably spent four years in this base on the moon. Did he hit his head every morning? You would think that he would learn to duck. +1

One sin off for the moon plant. -1

I’m taking 10 sins off for the special effects of this entire series. -10

That car transition between Diego’s and Allison’s entrances was out of place. I know it’s meant to show that Allison is far away from the action. But did we really need that? It’s not shown when transitioning from the red carpet to Klaus in rehab. +1

What is keeping the lawnchair that Luther has on the moon down? It looks lightweight. Does he have it nailed to the moon? Is there now a lawnchair on the moon forever? +1

Tom Hopper is an excellent actor. He nailed the “just got the news that my father is dead” without saying a single word. -1

Diego doesn’t bother to untie the family he saves. He caused property damage and severely injured the thugs that broke in. No wonder Patch has a problem with him being a vigilante. +1

“Allison, will you wear Valentino to the funeral” +1

One sin off because Robert Sheehan has already won my heart as Klaus and he hasn’t said a single word yet. And for the little jig he does when he gets the drugs. Interesting choice, but I like it. I could be biased because I’ve watched the series already, but I don’t care. One sin off for Robert Sheehan. -1

Why was Vanya allowed to be playing to this empty theatre with spotlights on her? Does she have an arrangement with maintenance? Is that why the orchestra isn’t set up? +1

One sin off for the Hargreeves mansion. The set designers did an amazing job.-1

Creepy shrine portrait of Five is creepy and somehow manages to not look like Aidan Gallager. This could be a stylistic choice to show that Reggie didn’t care about Five, in which case, another sin for child abuse. +1

Creepy statue of Ben is creepy. And it doesn’t look like Justin Min or Ethan Hwang. Who is this statue honoring? +1

It has been stated that Ben’s death broke up the academy. Yet, the other four assholes stuck around for one more portrait after his death? +1

Vanya doesn’t close the doors behind her when she walks into the mansion. +1

Diego’s outfit is central to introducing his character. However, it is dumb as hell and he probably stabbed himself with the knives in the harness multiple times. Especially the ones on his back. +1

Diego is a dick to Vanya at their father's funeral. I know Reggie was a jackass, but Jesus Christ, Diego. Have some tact. I know this is meant to show that Diego doesn’t have any tact, but this is such a severe line. +1

In the first shot of Reggie’s bedroom there are 6 freaking lamps. What is he, Bella Swan? And later, there are three more. +1

David Castaneda really brings Diego to life with his interaction with Luther in Reggie's bedroom. -1

I know I already took sins off for the special effects, but Pogo deserves another two off. Special Effects team, you did good. -2

“How long has it been since Five dissapered” is the most obvious bit of exposition/foreshadowing. To the point where it reads lazy. Another option would be Vanya asking “How long has it been since” and trailing off from there. Pogo knows what happened. This is a crucial reveal, let the audience wait for it a bit. +1

One sin off for Vanya being a good sister to Five. Fluffernutter sandwiches and leaving the lights on is heartwarming. -1

Props to these child actors for being able to portray the way Reggie treats them and how that affects their emotions in the scene where they wanted to say goodnight to Reggie. -1

However, Reginald Hargreeves is a dick to his adopted children. I will keep sinning this. +7

After Reggie shuns and ignores his children, Luther’s hand on Ben’s shoulder is a subtle way to show that Luther and Ben were sort of close, which is what an excerpt from Vanya’s book implies in the comics. Good job directors or actors for making that choice! -1

Robert Sheehan in the office scene. This is where we meet Klaus as an audience for the first time with dialogue, and he fucking nails it. -1

“Thank God he’s not our real father so we couldn’t inherit those cold dead eyes! Ahh! Number Threee-” The delivery on that line is excellent. -1

Klaus’s dangly necklace that looks kind of like dog tags foreshadowing the real dog tags he wears later on in the show. -1

No way in hell Klaus’s skimpy outfit provided enough concealment for that massive box. In fact, in the shots we do see of his back, we should have seen the outline of the box. +1

Sir Reginald Hargreeves is as obsessed with lamps as he is with collecting children. His office is full of them! +1

“Do you think he wears that thing in the bathroom” “Like in the shower” “Yes, absolutely” Allison and Luther have some good interactions. This is where they really act like siblings making fun of another sibling. -1

A woman who told bedtime stories to her kid about her uncle on the moon forgets that said uncle has been on the moon and judges him when he doesn’t know about her divorce.+1

“Rumor thing” Way to be specific, Luther. +1

Allison’s expression at the family meeting when she takes a sip of her drink. Emmy Raver-Lampman is what makes this character likeable. -1

Reginald Hargreeves was a dick to his children. The whole favorite spot thing? Yeah that. Golden child abuse victim. +7

Sir Reginald playing tennis with Hitler line. -1

Luther accuses his siblings of killing their father. Have some tact man, not at the funeral. This makes sense for the character and his circumstances, but I am still sinning it because Luther doesn’t think he did anything wrong. +1

I feel kind of bad for Luther after his siblings leave the room. Great acting on Tom Hopper’s part. -1

How did Allison get into the bank? +1

Luther straight up throws this man out of a building! That guy is 100% dead. And then he admonishes Five for being a killer later! +1

“Guns are for sissies, real men throw knives!” is a line that would only be spoken by a twelve year old that has never faced the judgement of people he isn’t related to. Also, Diego practiced this line in front of a mirror. +1

But that throw was badass, so... -1

Also, how did Klaus, Diego, Five, and Ben get into the bank as well? We only see Luther enter. And presumably Five teleported in. So were the rest already in there? +1

Five manages to jump faster than a bullet here, but in episode two he’s a lot slower when jumping from one side of the table to the other. You could make the argument that the table is in the way, but there was a human being and a bullet in the way here. +1

“Woah! That’s one badass stapler!” This is the first sin off because Aidan Gallagher can act, and it will not be the last. For all his grumpy 58 year old man, he also manages to shine while playing a young version of said grumpy 58 year old man. You would think that one or the other would be a little weak, but no he nails both performances. -1

But, how did Five switch the gun and the stapler? And why do we never see him do this again with more useful items like a briefcase or one of the machine guns used by the local commission hires? Can he only switch items with a similar mass? How does this power work? +1

Luther is the one that tells Ben that there's more guys in the vault to kill. Not Klaus who could have been like “a ghost said there's more guys in the vault”. What exactly did Klaus do on missions? He isn’t shown helping the hostages or fighting in any way. +1

“I didn’t sign up for this.” yeah Ben, like it’s a summer camp and not your abusive father buying you as an infant and then forcing you to kill people. +1

Kenny’s mom appearance. Also, the woman mixes leopard print leggings, a black dress, a square pattern cardigan, and a hat with stripes and a pom-pom. +1

“Can we go home now” Ethan Hwang had great delivery on that line. -1

Sir Reginald Hargreeves is a dick to his children. He forces 6 of them to kill, and then makes it seem like it’s all fun and games to the one he isolates. +7

When did they get coats and scarves? Did Reggie bring them coats and scarves while coming down to address the crowd? +1

Also, Reggie was on the roof of a different building with vanya! What did the kids do while they were waiting for him? Stand around and look pretty? Not likely, Ben was covered in blood. +1

Also, when did Ben have time to clean up? He is significantly less bloody in the scene where Reggie talks to the press. Yet his mask, uniform, and a bit of his jaw still have blood. This suggests he had time to wipe down. What kind of magic wipes are these that soak up and remove blood quickly and where can I get them? +1

The way the children wear their scarves show their personality. Luther has it done properly, Diego has his flapping around, Allison and Klaus have tied it fashionably, Five has it done well, but not as proper, and Ben has it done like Luthers. Well done costume people or actors who made that character choice. -1

The entire scene when Klaus attempts to summon Reggie from the afterlife. -4

I forgot that Klaus actually calls him Reggie in this scene. I thought it was just a fandom thing lmao. -1

How did Klaus clean up the ashes without leaving evidence on the bar? Did he vacuum it? +1

The cutesy fighting posters are a great set design choice. -1

Allison had her trauma tattoo refreshed at some point. It’s faded on Klaus, but on her it’s perfectly visible and stark. I’m sinning because they don’t show or tell why Allison might want to do this. +1

Also, that guitar Klaus was cuddling in a later scene, was just in the kitchen for some reason. Why? +1

Five and Ben are not part of the I Think We’re Alone Now dance party. I know it’s for plot, but come on! They don’t even have another dance party later to make up for this. +1

Diego and Vanya totally saw each other when Diego went to close the door between the foyer and the living area. +1

Luther and Vanya’s dance moves. No hate on either though because I dance like them if it isn’t swing or any other partnered dance +1

Diego, Klaus, and Allison’s dance moves. -1

Also, the song is heard all the way in the kitchen. There is no soundproofing in this mansion. +1

Luther punching down the airplane is funny. -1

David Castaneda doing those amazing dance moves in character. -1

Oh hello Five. Nice of you to show up and kickstart the plot into being something other than washed up superheroes are really sad and abused. +1

“Daddy!” -1

Why were Five’s powers affecting random objects? +1

Klaus is the only one with self preservation. “I vote for running” +1

“Does anyone else see little Number Five, or is that just me” is a great line because Klaus can see the dead. However, the dead don’t show up in massive portals, otherwise something like that would have happened when we see Dave in The Day That Wasn’t. +1

Five asks for an exact date and then Vanya gives him “the 24th” real specific, Vanya +1

Five doesn’t close the fridge properly because that doesn’t matter in the apocalypse -1

“In the end I had to project my consciousness forward into a suspended quantum state version of myself that exists across every possible instance of time” “That makes no sense” “well it would if you were smarter” the mark of someone being smart is being able to explain concepts like this in layman's terms. If Five were as smart as he said he was, then he could have been able to come up with an analogy. That or the showmakers have no clue what they’re talking about and wrote a bunch of science-y bullshit to make Five sound smart. +1

Diego was ready to throw hands with Five, someone who looks thirteen and was thirteen until Five explained otherwise. +1

“Dolores kept saying the equations were off” so in other words, Five knew that his equations were off, but he still risked it. +1

But also, Five knew his equations were off, but he was so desperate to see his family that he risked it anyway. -1

Nations Gazette paper has articles that look like they’re actually about the headline. -1

“What part of the future do you not understand.” -1

Aidan Gallagher’s delivery in that scene really set the tone for his character. Impressive. -1

Five decides to dress in the full on school boy getup. Complete with the tie and the blazer when those items aren’t necessary. +1

Aidan Gallagher and Ellen Page are two kick ass actors. They play off each other surprisingly well. -1

“You mean like what happened to Ben” “Was it bad?” What happened to Ben? This remains a sin until they explain it. +1

“May the darkness within you find peace in the light” that sounds really bad. What a horrible thing to have on your statue. +1

Jordan Claire Robbins’s performance of Grace -1

Luther and Diego are so emo that they don't need umbrellas. You’re in The Umbrella Academy! This had to be a personal choice to not carry one. +1

Klaus’s face when Luther dumps out the ashes. -1

The camera cuts to Five when Diego says that Mom gave them actual names. -1

The fight between Luther and Diego is stupid. +1

Klaus and Five fight over who is going to protect who. +1

“Stop it!” “Hit him! Hit him!” -1

The detail on Ben’s statue. It shows his toe and knee have been touched many times by people who presumably miss him and love him. -1

Luther punches Ben’s statue in the crotch, which makes Klaus’s face 10x funnier once you remember that Ben was probably there too. -1

Luther punches Ben’s statue in the crotch and beheads it, suggesting that Luther had something to do with Ben’s death. -1

Luther punches Ben’s statue in the crotch. +1

Klaus puts his cigarette out in reggie’s ashes. -1

Reggie narration +1

Reggie is a dick to his kids +7

The stupid, bright green jumpsuits +6

What is the point of this exercise? How does running up the stairs make them better heroes? +1

Young Diego either practiced “That’s not fair, Five’s cheating” or his stutter is only there when the plot calls for it. +1

Child Abuse tattoos +12

The fact that Vanya feels left out because she didn’t get a child abuse tattoo. Reggie, you fucked up these kids real bad. +2

We think that Reggie is comforting Luther after he got a child abuse tattoo, but no, he’s actually just attaching monitors to his head. +1

Reginald Hargreeves likes to watch young children sleep. +7

Vanya foreshadowing. Her monitor showing more activity then the cut to her taking one of the pills is brilliant. -1

Vanya still doesn’t close the academy door behind her when she leaves. +1

“An entire square block, 42 bedrooms 19 bathrooms” Five are you a real-estate agent now? +1

“Dad hated children too, but he had plenty of us!” Klaus would be excellent at cinema sins. Seven more for child abuse +7

What are the rules to Five’s jumps? We only really see him jump to places he can see unless he is time traveling or in the instance where he jumps to the car. Speaking of, the car had the keys in it. Reggie, are you trying to get it stolen +1

Diego is a dick to Allison about her divorce. +1

Klaus and Diego’s interactions make me happy. -1

The Klaus theme is a wonderful piece of music. -1

Robert Sheehan making David Castaneda laugh. -1

We get our first glimpse of Luther’s arm here. It’s super weird and vague and only teases the reveal. This is where the ape reveal should have been for the audience and where it would have made sense. Doing the reveal in a later episode is weird. +1

Five doesn’t know how to break correctly, which contradicts “I know how to do everything” +1

Something I just noticed, Five completed the uniform not only with the tie and blazer, but with the hair gel too. +1

The towing guy chooses to sit next to Five at an empty counter. +1

Five looks so offended when Agnes refers to him as “the kid” -1

The creepy smile Five pulls in an attempt to look innocent doesn’t make Agnes scream in terror. Seriously Aidan Gallagher, what the fuck was that that was absoulutely terrifying. +1

Five attempts to relate to a man that looks the age that he should be, but it ends up exceedingly awkward because Five looks 13. +1

The tow truck driver helps him out, but how was Five going to pay for his coffee? We don’t see him with money. Was he just going to jump out to the car? +1

Five never gets his cup of coffee :( +1

“Istanbul was Constantinople/ Now it’s Istanbul not Constantinople”. This whole scene is great. Five plays with them like he did in the bank scene which shows that even if he did age, he didn’t do it around people so he doesn’t have maturity. -1

Five stabs a guy with a mop and kills him. -1

Five stabs a guy in the crotch with a pencil, then uses the same pencil to stab him in the eye. In between he throws a plate at another guy. This is badass. -1

Five jumps in a way that actually does make two of the idiots shoot each other. Which means that technically, Patch was right. -1

Five kills a man with his bare hands. -1

But he stops to put his fucking tie back on. +1

And yet after all that, the goriest thing is when Five pulls the tracker out of his arm. Props to the makeup department and Aidan Gallagher’s acting skill for making that look so real. -1

Five should be way sweatier when he walks out of Griddys. Unless he moped that up with some napkins? What are these super absorbent napkins and where can I buy them? +1

Agnes should be far more traumatized. And definitely shouldn’t have survived that. +1

Diego is emo with the monocle. +1

Luther flashback narration. +1

Klaus, thankfully interrupts this. -1

“Number 6 “Ben” (deceased)” -1

We can see Ben depending on if it’s Klaus or Diego talking. -1

The vigilante mask Diego wears +1

Five jumpscare in Vanya’s apartment. +1

“Rapists can climb” yes Five. Continue with the criminals that can climb. Including you. +1

This whole scene is the best ending to an episode in the entire season. -1

Aidan Gallagher and Ellen Page play off each other with subtle expressions. This acting talent is amazing. -2

“The world ends in eight days and I have no idea how to stop it” “I’ll put on a pot of coffee” roll credits. I love this ending for many reasons. It’s a total mic drop moment. -2

Overall review:

While actively looking for nitpicky things, I got to see the first in a whole new light. Both the great parts and terrible parts stood out in a way that they didn’t when I wasn’t looking for them. Robert Sheehan, Aidan Gallagher, and Ellen Page were the stand out actors in this episode. All three contributed something significant that didn’t heavily rely on the script writers.

The child cast also really stood out to me. All seven of them had very limited screen time (I am counting Gallagher playing a child version of his character in this assessment) and they absolutely made the best of it. Out of all of them, Ethan Hwang stood out to me because of his overall great delivery. I hope that we see him play Ben in a more in-depth way in season 2.

Don’t get it twisted, I genuinely like this series and I think that it tells a great story. I just think it’s fun to nitpick and look deeper. After over analyzing everything else, it’s time to get back to basics. Especially because the season 2 trailer could drop any day now.

Total: 82 sins

Sentence: Tennis with Hitler and Sir Reginald.

#The Umbrella Academy #all in good fun #luther hargreeves #diego hargreeves #Allison Hargreeves #five hargreeves #ben hargreeves #vanya hargreeves #i worked really hard on this

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elsanna-shenanigans · 3 years

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December Contest Submission #18: No Longer Here

words: ca. 2500 setting: Modern AU lemon: no cw: Mild language, incest guilt

Anna can’t sleep. She’s tried to for the past half an hour, but tonight’s events prove to be too much for her mind to let pass; and her restlessness doubles knowing that her sister still hasn’t come to bed either. She slips out of the covers and opens their bedroom door. Her footsteps are quiet along the carpet, listening for any worrying sounds. There’s a dim source of light coming from their living room, and Anna goes to it.

Walking through the hallway with the outlet that doesn’t work, the overhead light that flickers if you turn on the dishwasher, and the cream-colored walls riddled with patches to cover large holes made long before they moved in.

She finds Elsa, sitting on their lumpy couch with a blanket draped over her. Elsa turns around and smiles at her sister, under the light of their lonely desk lamp Anna can still see the puffiness under her sad eyes.

“Hey,” Elsa says softly.

“Hey,” Anna replies. She wonders if her eyes carry the same sadness.

“Can’t sleep?”

“Not really, it’s- I mean I guess I’m a little cold,” Anna lies.

Elsa opens up the blanket and tilts her head towards it, her smile grows more inviting even if her eyes say something different. “Come here. I’ll keep you warm.”

Regardless of whether she’ll take the invitation or not, Anna moves forward. “You sure?” she asks her sister wearily. “You’re still not mad at me for earlier?”

Elsa’s smile falters, but she can’t possibly think they weren’t going to talk about tonight. Maybe she was hoping to have this conversation on another day. Anna sees the same look she saw hours ago, a stress that comes from trying to keep the peace for a whole damn year, and failing. A stress that says she’s barely holding it together. It hurts to see Elsa try to take the burden on for both of them, but she knows her older sister’s too stubborn to let her carry her share. “I wasn't…” She sighs, “Anna, I was never mad at you. I just didn’t like how you acted in front of mom and dad, that’s all.”

Anna finally decides to sit with Elsa on the couch, warm arms welcome her into the fabric cocoon, hastily renovated to fit two. Her sister’s embrace feels as it always does: safe, secure, loving. She hears a soft, happy hum from Elsa when she leans into her shoulder, but peace won’t come so soon, so easily. “Well then maybe dad shouldn’t keep calling you a groomer,” she replies, holding back the other, more horrible things he said tonight.

If they weren’t in public, she would have reamed out the bastard. And her mother too, who let him say nasty things to Elsa while she stared blankly at them. It’s been so long since Anna’s seen any emotion from her.

“They’ll come around eventually, but until then we just need to keep taking the high road.” Elsa takes a second too long to answer, but it’s enough for Anna to know that her hope is weaning too. Anna’s hope died long before.

She looks ahead at their dark, paint-chipped wall devoid of any decorations and certainly any family portraits. They don’t even have a TV yet, just a laptop propped up on a small coffee table. Anna had the silly idea of painting a fireplace on it where they could “warm themselves up” during the winter. And while Elsa doesn’t necessarily object, Anna knows she’s holding out hope for a bookshelf when they knew can afford it.

When they can afford it…

It’s a miracle they could afford to this apartment to begin with. It’s a miracle their upstairs neighbors aren’t stomping around like elephants right now. It’s a miracle their power hasn’t gone out in two weeks.

But the life they’re living right now doesn’t feel like a miracle. It feels like a punishment, a condemnation for choosing themselves against the world, a heavy cost for love. Sisters shouldn’t love each other the way Anna and Elsa do, and yet here they are defying logic. But what good is that doing for them, right? Is love not enough? Do they no longer deserve a happily ever after?

The thought of that makes Anna’s skin burn with anger. She sits up quickly, startling her sister and taking a large portion of the blanket with her. “Why do we want them to come around, Elsa? Why do we keep going to these fucking dinners with them? It’s been a year and nothing’s changed, they still hate us- hate you- and we just have to sit there and…listen to them talk about us like we’re not even there. I hate it!”

“Anna, they’re our parents,” Elsa says in a tired tone, as if she knows that excuse doesn’t work that well anymore. “Understand where they’re coming from, what if you had kids and one day you found out they were in a relationship together?”

Anna scoffs, “I’d sure as hell be much more understanding than those assholes. Like yeah maybe I wouldn’t get it, and I’ll be freaked out at first, but if they were like you and me they’d love each other so much, I’d see it. I’d know what that love looks like, and I wouldn’t want to get in the way of that.”

Elsa looks all ready to ask another question, but something inside her hesitates. Instead, she sighs and clutches at the blanket left on her lap. “Yeah…”

Curious about how she would answer it, Anna asks, “What about you?”

“What do you mean?”

“If you had kids, and they told you they were dating, how would you react?” It’s a little softer than the question Elsa asked, a little less real. They didn’t tell their parents they were dating, they got caught.

Elsa keeps her eyes fixed on her lap, really pondering this question. “I…well it’d be a lot to take in certainly.”

Anna knows her too well, she knows that Elsa wants to say more and really tell her how she’d react. But anything more would be a painful admittance of their parents’ mistake. Still, she prys one more time. “But would you hate them? Would you kick them out of the house and force them to live with friends and in homeless shelters until they found a shitty apartment to move into?”

Elsa looks at her with wide eyes, utterly shocked at the notion. “Of course not! At the end of the day, they’re still my kids and I love them.”

“Then you’ve already shown more kindness towards hypothetical children than our own damn parents have shown to us.”

Once again, Elsa looks poised to say something but hesitates. It’s not the time, the dinner tonight still weighs heavily on them both. She looks at her sister and says with eyes threatening to tear up again, “Anna, please. Can we not do this tonight?”

“I…okay. I’m sorry.” Anna drops the subject, disappointed yet understanding. A year might be enough for her to see their parents’ true colors, but for Elsa it’s going to take a little longer. Anna takes the blanket and places it once more around them both.

She remembers when they bought it. Three months ago at a thrift store, the same day they bought their couch. Elsa loved it because it was so big and soft, Anna loved it because the dog stitched on the corner looked just like the one they had when they were kids.

She missed Olaf.

Elsa, as a sign of gratitude, opens her arms again to invite Anna back in. Anna’s embrace feels the way it always does: warm, strong, calming. On the hard days, when she gets too caught up remembering their past and the nightmare they had to live for a little while, sometimes this is all she needs. When they once again settle into the couch, Elsa replies, “No, it’s not your fault. You don’t have to apologize for anything, you were just speaking your mind. I wish I could do the same, but…”

She trails off, but Anna doesn’t need to guess what she was about to say.

“You still think this is your fault.”

Elsa bites her lip, and looks at Anna with a guilty expression, “I just keep thinking…what if I never kissed you underneath our apple tree? What if I’d just waited a little longer for mom and dad to leave so they didn’t catch us? What if I let that boy Hans ask you to prom instead of taking you myself?”

“Well, you definitely shouldn’t feel bad about Hans,” Anna responds with an amused grin. “I heard he got arrested for trying to rob a gas station with a water gun.”

That assurance doesn’t seem to be enough, however, and Elsa squeezes Anna’s hand. Maybe to try and assure herself, or maybe so she makes sure her little sister doesn’t leave her. “Still, I think that maybe at least your life would be a little better if I’d kept my feelings in check a little more.”

This is new, at least for Anna. She’s always suspected that Elsa’s held on to this guilt, but it’s the first time she’s ever vocalized it.

She looks at her older sister with narrow eyes, the orange glow of the lamp accenting the severity of her gaze. “You really think that?”

“Yeah, I do,” Elsa replies sadly.

“Then you’re an idiot.”

“Wh-what?” It’s a risky move to go with an insult rather than comforting her sister, but thankfully Elsa looks more confused than hurt.

Taking this as a good sign to continue, Anna places her hand on Elsa’s cheek and makes her keep eye contact. She knows her sister gets antsy when she gets too serious, but Anna needs her to listen. And she needs to see her eyes. “Elsa, you didn't make me go to prom with you, I chose to do that- hell, slow dancing with you to Thinking Out Loud is what made me fall in love with you in the first place. You didn’t force me to kiss you underneath the apple tree, I was counting down the seconds till mom and dad left so I could kiss you again like we did the night before. And you didn’t make me move into this apartment with you, I wanted to. I wanted to spend every one of those moments with you. And I want to spend every moment with you, good or bad, because I love you, dummy.”

Anna seals her statement with a kiss. It’s a little awkward to start given their position on the couch, but once she tilts her head up and Elsa moves down a little, their sitting arrangement becomes an afterthought. For a brief moment, their troubles melt away.

They’re no longer in an apartment barely large enough to fit one person, with a broken heater, and a roach problem. They’re no longer the scandalous sisters who had all images and mentions of them scrubbed from their parents’ social media accounts. They’re no longer the disgraceful outcasts that they see in the mirror when the other one isn’t around.

They’re just Elsa and Anna, in a world only they know, with a love only they can understand. And the fire cast upon them will never burn brighter than the fire they built together.

When they part, Anna adds a phrase she picked up a while ago. Something that always makes Elsa blush for some reason, “To the moon and back.”

Elsa smiles, containing her honest feeling of bliss, and replies softly, “And I love you to the sun and back.”

Anna rolls her eyes amused, “Elsa, you gotta find a better phrase to say than that.”

The smile fades into a frown. “You don’t like it?” Elsa asks, and Anna swears she adds a little bit of sadness in her voice just to drive in the guilt.

“I don’t like this image of you walking across the sun for me,” she explains. “The sun's really hot, you know? It’s on fire.”

“Well, maybe I’d walk through fire for you.”

Anna closes her eyes for a second as those words hit her like an arrow to the heart. “…okay, that’s a good one.”

Elsa grins proudly and leans forward for a kiss of her own, much more chaste so as to leave Anna wanting more. “See? I can be romantic.”

It’s highly successful, but Anna’s too proud to admit it or to grab another kiss in response. Instead, she scoffs and says, “I never said you couldn’t, you dork.”

“You’re a dork.”

“Well, you’re a bigger dork for loving me.”

“You’re an even bigger dork for loving me.”

“Fine, then I guess we’re both dorks!” Anna concedes. “Hopeless, emo dorks with shitty parents and a shittier apartment.”

It was nice to feel normal for a second, but they can’t hide from their predicament forever. Escapism can only take you so far, and they try to use it sparingly. Lately, however, it seems like it’s getting harder to escape from their reality, as if something needs to change unless the life they’ve built for themselves might come crumbling down.

And where would that leave them?

That’s something they can’t afford to think of right now. One day at a time, that’s how they have to take this. Elsa rubs her sister’s arm and instills a little bit of hope, “My coworker said they might have a vacancy at his apartment complex soon. It’s a little more expensive, but I’m hoping if I get that promotion, then we can afford it.”

And Anna contributes her own hope too. “I’ve got an interview for a restaurant position on Monday. Hoping that goes well so I can finally start helping with the rent.”

“I’m sure it will.”

Anna wants to believe…has to believe. If not, she’ll spiral down into a nightmare torrent of anxiety that Elsa will have to rescue her from. And she won’t do that to her sister, not after all she’s doing to keep them together.

But this night cut a little deeper than the others, and Anna needs to know. “…hey,” she says softly.

“Hey,” Elsa replies.

Anna looks into her eyes, searching and…pleading. “We’re going to be okay, right?”

Elsa smiles and kisses her forehead, “Always.”

Anna smiles because she believes her. “Good…” And she wants to say more just to keep the conversation going, just to settle in the solace with her sister, but a long yawn betrays her. She says defeatedly what Elsa already knows, “I’m tired.”

Smoothly, Elsa slides the rest of the blanket onto Anna and places her hands on her arms. “Let’s get you to bed.”

They take the same path Anna took earlier, neither in much of a hurry to get to the bedroom despite another yawn escaping Anna’s lips. Elsa opens the door and leads her inside, pulls back the covers and lays her on the bed, lays down the other blanket and kisses her one more time. Anna falls asleep with a smile on her face.

Half an hour later, Elsa goes to bed too.

#elsanna #submission #december 2020 contest #prompt: warmth

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eringeosphere · 5 years

Text

Had to have high, high hopes for a living

Jason Grace and Percy Jackson are raised by wolves (1/?)

I wrote a thing, based around the thoughts started here.

On Ao3 here

In one tapestry the three Fates weave, the thread of Percy Jackson’s life remains tangled around West Coast of North America, bound there until he is dragged into his heritage by way of a car crash and an unexpected encounter with a Minotaur. In this tapestry, Jason Grace is left by his mother, separated from his sister and is raised by Lupa’s wolf pack until such a time as they leave him to find his way to Camp Jupiter. He grows up as a member of the Roman Legion, but never quite seems to call the camp home.

But the thing about mortals is that they’re unpredictable. Certain events might be prophesied, fixed points in the fabric the Fates weave, but the events that lead to them and the participants in them - well. Who’s to say things can’t shift around a little bit, with just a slight slip of a hand?

ii.

So maybe Sally Jackson is tired. Maybe she’s scared. Being a single mother is hard, and she can’t honestly recall the last time she managed a full night’s sleep. She loves Percy more than anything, but two weeks ago she got a call from the nursery saying that her three year old had managed to strangle a snake that had gotten into his crib, and one week ago a strange old lady with claws instead of fingernails had followed the two of them around the park for over an hour before Sally had slipped into a group of runners and lost them. She doesn’t know what to do.

Percy is brilliant and clever and Poseidon’s blood runs so very, very strong. Sleep eludes Sally most nights from the fear that she’ll look away and her son will have been snatched from her.

So maybe her boss notices how stressed she’s been and tells her to take a long weekend.

“I’ve got a plane ticket Portland that I can’t use,” they say. “I was supposed to go this weekend but my cousin’s getting married. I’ve got a cabin up there - take your kid and go take a break.”

And Sally knows it’s a risk but - she needs out. What finally makes her mind up is that the summer solstice falls over the weekend - Zeus will be distracted and unlikely to pay attention to one very young demigod boarding a plane.

It’s not the seaside cabin in Montauk that she’s taken Percy to a handful of times already, but it’ll do. And so she goes.

iii.

The state of Oregon and the small cabin by the remote lake that her boss owns is a breath of fresh air. She already misses the sea, but the rugged edges of the mountains are a different kind of beauty. Besides, Percy is more than happy paddling around the lake. For the first time in a long time, Sally sleeps soundly and doesn’t dream.

The calmness doesn’t last. The next day, Percy disappears. Between feeding Percy breakfast and telling him not to go out of sight of the cabin and Sally doing the washing up - he’s gone. Sally tears through the forest looking for him, but it’s not until dusk that she finds him.

When she does, gasping and shaking from exhaustion and fear, Percy isn’t alone. Sally bursts into a small clearing, muscles aching, following the faint sound of her son’s voice chattering away. Percy beams at the sight of her, then runs in her direction, dragging a blond haired, blue eyed child by the hand behind him.

"This is Jason!” Percy informs her gleefully, waving the hand still holding onto the other boy’s at her. And Sally nods, and smiles, absently noting Jason’s slightly ragged clothing and distinct lack of shoes. Most of her attention is captured by the wolf pack lounging and watching the two boys with warm amber eyes.

“Hullo,” Jason greets her, his voice soft like he hasn’t used it for a bit.

Sally knows deep in her bones that this is no ordinary child, just as she knows that this is no ordinary wolf pack.

iv.

Sally Jackson may have fallen in love with a Greek God, but that doesn’t mean that she’s unaware of all the other myths and legends of the ancient world. So when the leader of the wolf pack, russet coloured coat gleaming in the dappled sunlight, pads towards her, Sally bows her head and greets her with, “Lupa.”

The wolf’s lips curl upwards and Sally is gets the distinct impression that the wolf is pleased by her recognition.

Greetings, Sally Jackson. You are a long way from home.

Sally nods, then says carefully, still kneeling in the carpet of leaves on the forest floor from where her legs had given out on her, “We intend to visit, only. A few days, no more.”

Lupa’s head tips to one side. You need not worry about my pack whilst they are here. Lupa’s eyes flick to where Percy and Jason are crouched by a log, peering at intently at something crawling on the mossy surface.

Your son’s scent is … noticeably strong.

Sally very deliberately does not wince. Her next words are a risk, but oh - hasn’t this entire venture been one long risk after another? And if the stories are anything to go by, Lupa has rarely shown an interest in the affairs of other gods beyond whether or not their children have the strength to survive what life throws at them.

Sally takes a breath. “The children of Poseidon often are.”

Lupa snorts. The ocean cannot pretend to be anything else. Better to be Greek, than Roman, as one of the Stormbringer’s get. The Romans only ever feared the sea.

Sally hmms thoughtfully. “Jason seems to like him well enough.”

At that, Lupa’s face shifts into a sly smile. Well, lightening often goes hand in hand with a storm.

The wolf pack lingers for two more days. Two more days of Sally looking at her son playing rough and tumble with his cousin. It’s such a short period of time, yet Sally can see a choice stretching out before her with astounding clarity.

Her return ticket, an evening flight out of Portland International Airport, burns a hole in her pocket as she makes her way towards the wolf pack gathered on the pebble beach on the edge of the lake. Jason and Percy are splashing around in the shallow water, their shrieks of laughter clearly audible over the gentle swoosh of the waves.

Two of the wolves lift their heads as she approaches, but Sally only has eyes for the leader of the pack.

“Lupa,” Sally calls in greeting, then, steeling herself, continues with, “I would ask a favour.”

At that, all of the wolves turn to look at Sally. Lupa rises to her feet and pads towards her, even as the pack shift and move away, giving them a little privacy.

Speak, Lupa demands.

Sally breathes out through her nose. “My son already attracts monsters to him, and he is but three. I do not know what differences may lie between those of Greek descent and those of Roman, but I would ask as a mother who wishes only to protect her son, will you take my son and train him?”

Lupa considers her for a long moment. I care little for the games the gods play. If you are strong, you live. If not, you die. It is the way the pack survives.

Sally squares her shoulders. “Will you take him? The same way you have taken Jason into your pack?

Lupa lifts her head and locks eyes with Sally. It’s more than a little terrifying, matching the gaze of a wolf’s who has seen more death, fought more battles, spilt more blood than Sally can possibly imagine. Sally refuses to blink.

Weakness is the enemy.

He cannot go to Camp Jupiter, Lupa states, unyielding.

“I’m not asking you to take him there,” Sally replies, equally unyielding.

If we take him, I cannot guarantee his safety. You will not see him again until he returns to you of his own accord, alive, or he will die.

Sally’s mouth tightens. She could turn around and walk away. Take Percy back to the other side of the country and try to find some way to hide him from the monsters that will continue to come after him. But this will give him a chance. It will give Sally time to find a way to hide her son’s scent.

“If Percy chooses to remain, then I can accept that.”

That seems to have surprised Lupa, if the way that her ears flick back are any indication.

If Percy chooses?

Sally smiles, teeth bared. “It’s my son’s life. Of course I’m going to let him choose.”

At that, Lupa huffs out a laugh. I think I can see why He chose you, Sally Jackson.

vi.

“Boys?” Sally calls, walking down towards the shoreline of the lake, fixing the scene in her memory - the light reflecting off the water and the brightness of Percy’s smile as he turns to face her and breaks into a run. Jason follows behind a moment later.

Percy barrels right into her, wrapping both arms around a leg and latching on. Jason is a little more hesitant, but darts in for a quick hug before letting go again. It’s then, as Jason leaves a slight damp patch on her shin, that Sally realises that although Percy had been wading in the water just moments ago, he’s perfectly dry from head to toe. A shiver runs down her spine - Percy’s showing signs of demigod powers already?

“Mom - we found so many crabs!! Like at least 5!” Percy holds up one of his hands to demonstrate.

“Is that so?” Sally asks, smiling.

Jason nods, staunchly supporting his cousin. “We saw fish, too, Aunt Sally.”

At the slightly unexpected title, Sally blinks.

Percy grins up at her. “Lupa said our dads were family, which means that you must be Jason’s Aunt!”

At that, Sally crouches down and draws both of them into a hug. “You’re absolutely right.” Focusing on Jason, she reasures him, “I’m honoured for you to call me Aunt.”

Jason smiles shyly, and Sally thinks, had things been a little different, she might have managed to make room in her home for a second child.

But Sally can delay no longer. Gently, she places both hands on her son’s shoulders and meets his eyes, so similar to his father’s.

“Percy, love. I’ve got a choice to make, and I’m going to need your help to do it.”

Percy frowns but nods, taking in her solemn tone.

“Do you remember the lady at the park last week?” Sally begins, wanting to give Percy some sort of explanation for why she’s even considering this choice.

“The scary one?” Percy asks.

Sally nods. “The scary one. I’m afraid she’s not going to be the only scary sort of person who’s going to be coming after you soon. Not because of anything you’ve done, but because of who your father is. The scary people don’t like him very much, and unfortunately that gets passed on to you.”

It’s a gross simplification, obviously, but there’s more important matters to be discussed here.

“I haven’t worked out a way to stop them finding you, yet.” Sally continues. “I will, but until I do it’s going to be dangerous for you.” This is the hard part. “Lupa and her pack have agreed to train you, away from the monsters who already know you, if you want, but I can’t go with you if you stay with them.”

Percy swallows. “What about you? Won’t the monsters go after you?”

Sally shakes her head, because isn’t it so like Percy to worry about everyone aside from himself? “The monsters won’t be interested in me,” she tells him gently. “They won’t notice me, I promise.”

Percy is wide-eyed, shifting from foot to foot. Sally doesn’t know what he’s thinking about, exactly.

“You can come back with me,” Sally tells Percy, because he needs to know that that is an option. She doesn’t want Percy to think that she doesn’t want to keep him. “We can find a way to hide, but I can’t teach you to fight them.”

Percy chews on his lip, hands fiddling with the hem of his shirt. Then he looks away, back over his shoulder. He looks at Jason, whose shoulders have slumped slightly, and is looking at them with a faint sheen in his eyes.

“What about Jason?” Percy asks, and Sally wonders why she thought there was going to be any other outcome.

“Jason is staying with the pack. He’s got somewhere else to go, once he’s strong enough,” Sally replies.

And Percy nods, then flings himself forward and wraps his skinny arms around her neck.

“I love you, mum,” he whispers in her ear, and Sally grips him a little bit tighter.

“I love you too, Percy. So much. Don’t ever doubt that, understand?”

vii.

Sally’s final memory of her son from that weekend is this:

Percy stands outlined against the shimmering surface of the lake, one arm flung over Jason’s shoulders. Lupa’s pack circles around them, restless. They’ll be leaving as soon as she’s gone. Jason is a little red-eyed, from when he’d cried after Percy had told him that he wasn’t leaving. Percy’s face is calm, but it’s the sort of calm that hides a riptide and Sally has never been more proud.

Sally turns around and walks away and doesn’t look back.

viii.

Sally Jackson doesn’t see her son again for three years.

#raised by wolves!AU #percy jackson #jason grace #sally jackson #my fic

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ibangtanthings · 6 years

Text

Baby

credit:gif(taegilly)

Chapter 3

He left your wounds open to collect some of your blood. He was careful about it and he didn’t want to cause you more pain than necessary but it hurt nonetheless.

At this point you were unconscious most of the time, coping with the pain and refusing to believe this was reality. That Namjoon would allow this to happen.

Hoseok was calm and he didn’t speak much until he was done.

Slowly, you blinked your eyes open.

“Okay. Let’s get you patched up. I have enough blood. Yours and Angel’s.”

He unclasped your bra and threw a towel in front of you, keeping his eyes to himself.

You laid down on the table and let him stitch the wounds close.

Within a few minutes he cleaned the blood off your back and taped some gauze over the stitches. Carefully he helped you sit up and Namjoon came bursting through doors, no guards in tow.

He walked right over to you, and pulled you up carefully.

He gently held your face in his hands. “Are you alright? Let me see.”

You turned around and felt even more naked as he examined your body. With just blood running down your back and legs, and sweat all over, you felt disgusting.

It hurt to move.

You didn’t know how deep the cuts were but you knew the scars would be there for a long time. A twelve on your back. Great.

“She can’t get the gauze wet.” Hoseok said.

“Take me to your room please.” You begged Namjoon.

“I won’t hurt her anymore, you know that.” Hoseok interrupted. “Not after what Yoongi did.” Hoseok held up the vials of blood he collected from you.

Each one a shade lighter because of the water he added or a dye.

“I know. You’re going to deal with him.” Namjoon told him.

Hoseok took a moment to register what he said.

“What?” He asked in disbelief.

“You will torture him for two days.”

“Yoongi?” Hoseok asked seriously.

“Yes, and you’ll look after her, during that time she can visit Jin, and if she wants she can join you during your visits to Yoongi.” Namjoon said, kissing your forehead, looking into your eyes guiltily yet adoringly.

“I understand. I’ll take care of her. I’m more curious than anything. I heard her screams, I have her blood, I’m more than satisfied. I just want to know her.” Hoseok said.

“You will. Everyone will know her and just how special she is.” He said. “I’ll bring her back to your room tomorrow.”

Hoseok nodded and Namjoon carefully led you to the elevators. There he selected the penthouse which was three floors above the rest of their rooms.

You passed by his living room, dining room and kitchen amazed at how small the guys rooms seemed now. Namjoon had a house all to himself, but it was clear that he never spent time here.

His bedroom was as impeccable as Jin’s. One king sized bed, brown bedsheets and two pillows with his initials embroidered on them.

His bathroom was more than luxurious, it was the size of a bedroom, and all custom designed with glass doors and a beautiful tiled floor that glittered like real sand.

But…he would be able to see you.

How were you supposed to bathe anyway? It hurt like hell to move, to bend down, to lift your arms. The sore pain spread to your muscles already.

He got the water running in the shower which had tiled bench added into the design.

“Take your time and be careful. One of the girls will come in and bring your clothes. I’ll be back soon, I promise.” He said.

As he left you felt an emptiness building, and you needed it to stop.

“Namjoon.” You said, making him stop and look back. “Is this what you like? Seeing people hurt?”

He understood what you meant. You were asking if he liked seeing people get hurt and if he liked seeing people hurt others.

However, his gaze felt so normal, as if you were talking to a friend and not a monster.

“Now isn’t the time to talk Y/N.”

“My name is Baby.” You replied calmly.

He nodded, unaffected by his mistake. It was as if he said your name on purpose.

“We’ll talk about it later.” He said leaving you alone.

You sat down, glad that you could sit away from the stream of water as you lathered up your arms and legs, moving like a sloth and gritting your teeth.

The real problem was washing your hair. It was impossible to keep your back dry. You tried to come up with a way to wash your hair without getting your back wet and so far the only solution was bending over, which was a daunting task.

“Baby?…” a slim blonde walked in causing you to jump.

“Are you okay? I’m sorry I didn’t mean to scare you.” She dropped the clothes on the counter and ran over to you.

You covered yourself as best as you could with your arms but it was silly.

When she saw your bandages she grimaced. “Angel really did hurt you…I heard you killed her though so now you’re even.”

Her voice was soft and delicate, seemingly unaffected by Angel’s death.

“Do you need help with your hair? Namjoon said you can’t get your back wet. You can lay your head on my knee and I’ll wash your hair.” She smiled.

“I’m Baby.” You said.

You remembered that she already knew your name, obviously.

“I’m Kat. Jin’s doll.”

“What does that mean?”

“That means I’m his favorite. He can call for me whenever he wants but he hasn’t lately, I’m guessing you’ve been keeping him busy. Namjoon trusts him the most so it only makes sense…”

She didn’t seem like she was any danger but the first girl’s warning rang in your head. If you get into a fight, then fight to kill.

You rested your head on her knees and she carefully washed your hair.

“Do they each have a favorite doll?”

“I guess. It’s not really as exclusive as it sounds. It’s just for whenever they feel lonely.”

As she helped you get dressed as well, you avoided her gaze and she noticed how fearful you remained.

“No one’s stupid enough to hurt you anymore, at least not for a while. None of the girls want to cause you any harm, they don’t want to end up like Angel.”

“How many of you are there?”

“You mean of us?…Who knows. We’re just the main group. Namjoon has at least a dozen groups of girls, all sold off in time.”

“Sold off?” You asked.

Was Namjoon just going to sell you off? Were they all going to be sold off?

“He hasn’t shown you has he? Last night we had a show. That’s why he was so mad, not only did Yoongi and Angel hurt you, they did so on one of the busiest nights.”

“He sells you off? To who?”

Kat gave you a sad smile.

You had a million questions running through your mind but you had a feeling she was about to answer them.

“To whoever pays the most. Namjoon shows us off for a few years, to business heads, entertainment scouts, foreign investors, foreign royalty, mafia leaders, anyone who has money and bids the most. But they have to be committed, that’s why Namjoon has us for two, three years minimum. And those guys pay millions, not thousands. Whether they’ll treat you right or not, we have to go.” She said tearing up.

“Or else what?”

“Or else? There is no or else. If we try to escape we get killed. That’s why there’s guards everywhere. Those shows are the only time we ever leave these floors. Only when we get sold do we ever get to see the outside world again. If you’re lucky you get a rich old guy who just uses you as a trophy. Others hit the jackpot. They get picked by a modeling agency and fuck for jobs, or maybe even start a career. Worst case scenario, you’re just a slave for someone cruel. The deal is we come back after one year of being on the outside and we can be exchanged but that rarely happens. Most of the time no one comes back alive and Namjoon gets to charge them extra for neglect. Very rarely, we’re set free by the person who bought us.”

“But why the rooms? Why the guys?” You asked, slowly feeling a panic come over you. Who’s to say Namjoon wouldn’t sell you off eventually? You couldn’t pretend to be his doll just to stay alive knowing what he was doing.

An urge to help her sparked inside you. To help all of them.

“They are the ones who keep us in check. If we do something stupid we get sent to a room. It’s just torture. That’s why you try to be one of their dolls. So they can do what they want, when they want, and they’ll treat you right. Jin is alright. He only makes me sad sometimes.”

Maybe she cried a lot. Maybe she was just so used to it. But when you’ve lived this way for so long, knowing your fate was probably worse anyways, why wouldn’t she cry all the time?

You barely functioned normally, why would she?

She was the weakest, that’s why Namjoon sent her…

“I was in Jin’s room first…”

“Did you sleep with him? Is Namjoon allowing that too?” She asked curiously.

“I don’t know…Jin just likes to see me cry.”

“He hasn’t invited me to his room for a while. I guess it’s almost time for me to go.” She said, tearing up.”

“He said I’ll help Namjoon. How? I don’t know why I’m here. They said he won’t sell me off, that they’ll bid just because I’m new.”

“You are really pretty, but Namjoon really does love you. He’s probably just worried…The audiences have gotten smaller. At least here, I don’t know about the other places. He never leaves here for more than a day now. We’re supposed to be the best pick and the most expensive….I guess there aren’t enough bids coming in anymore. Namjoon doesn’t sell a girl to anyone he can’t retaliate against. He could sell you and kill whoever wants you, keeping the money for himself. He usually kills of the less powerful bidders. There’s rumors he’s going to try and kill of the more powerful bidders now.”

“I’m not staying here.” You said seriously.

She giggled, wiping her tears away. “You can never escape him. You’re Namjoon’s favorite and he has clients all over the world, each with hundreds of contacts and access to all the information he could ever want. If you somehow manage to escape, there won’t be anywhere for you to hide. We’re all being tracked anyways. Haven’t you’ve seen Hoseok yet? He’s the one who inserts the microchips into our bodies.”

“What?” You asked in disbelief.

He was just closing up your wounds wasn’t he? How could you not believe her though?

It felt like a smack in the face. A horrible realization that she was right. You were trapped. Trapped in here and with him forever.

You jumped up and turned the water back on, not setting the temperature, just letting the water hit your back and screaming at her to get it out.

Kat didn’t know what to do.

“Namjoon!!” She screamed, trying to pull you away from the stream of water, now red as it touched your wounds.

You fought against her, pushing her away and struggling to get the water to open your wounds again, clawing at the skin.

“Get it out!!” You screamed. “Get it out!”

The pain was nothing compared to the fear, and your only priority was somehow getting the microchip out of your body. Deep down you knew it was impossible. Hoseok had done his job but you couldn’t face reality.

Your mind was panicking and it was Hoseok who walked through the door, not Namjoon.

“Hi Baby.” He said in a loud voice, overjoyed at the scene before him, grinning as he pushed you into the wall, hard.

Your body gave out and it felt more than exhausting to try to get up.

Kat was bleeding as well, you must have hit her lip.

Wasting no time, Hoseok shut off the water and picked you up, throwing you over his back and a needle went into your thigh. By the time he reached the infirmary again, you were passed out, drowning under heavy sedation.

_____________

You expected to wake up on the cold table again, maybe strapped down and naked.

Instead, you were on your stomach lying down on a bed in a new outfit, and you felt the new gauze on your back, taped securely and it was even covered in a plastic you could only assume was waterproof.

Hoseok was right next to you.

His eyes met yours once you were fully awake and his hand caressed your face, brushing the hair away from your eyes.

“Namjoon is so mad right now, you aren’t making this easy on him are you?” Hoseok said, sincere concern on his face.

You closed your eyes.

“It won’t scar.” He said. “It will but not badly. I’ll give you an ointment that’ll help prevent a dark scar but it should heal in a week or two.”

“I want to see Namjoon.” You whispered.

“No can do. He’s busy punishing Kat.”

“She didn’t do anything.” You whispered, guilt ridden and angered.

“She failed to take care of you.” Hoseok sighed. “Don’t worry though, I’ll take care of you.”

“I want Jin.”

“That was a privilege you had before. Now you can’t move from this bed until tomorrow.” He said.

“What if I have to use the bathroom?” You asked.

“You have to be careful and walk slowly.” He said rolling off the bed.

“Take me to Yoongi.” You said.

His mood changed quickly and his face turned serious, he even avoided your gaze.

“No.”

“Where is he?” You asked.

“He’s still there. In that room. It’s freezing now.”

“What are you going to do to him?”

Ignoring your question, he pulled out an easel and a brush. It was clear now what he wanted the blood for.

Looking away, You asked again.

“How bad are you going to hurt him?”

“Until I hear him scream and begs me to stop…which I don’t think he will.” Hoseok said.

You felt a chill run down your spine. You didn’t want to upset him more.

Without another word he began setting up his canvas. With a brush he painted your blood and Angel’s into a portrait of Yoongi.

It was hard to look at. Nothing could make you glance at it for more than two seconds.

He really was as crazy as Yoongi.

However, he promised not to hurt you and he gave Namjoon his word.

Namjoon said he would talk to you later but it wasn’t him who walked into the door, it was Jin.

“Baby.” He said relieved.

“She wants to come with me to Yoongi.” Hoseok said, letting him come closer.

“Why?” Jin asked, holding your hand.

You pulled it away. “He made some promises, he has to keep them now.”

“What promises?” Hoseok asked.

“To keep me safe. Jin promised the same but I can’t trust him anymore.” You said looking at Jin, his eyes studying you seriously.

He helped you sit up and Hoseok kept a close eye.

“Yoongi’s the one that let you get hurt not me.” Jin said, touching your cheek.

You pushed him away, the hot tears streaming down your face in anger. “You knew he was going to hurt me, and you didn’t stop him. You left me there in his room.”

Hoseok intervened. “He had no choice. It’s Namjoon’s rules. What Yoongi did was push Namjoon, like he always does but it was stupid and childish. Yoongi does have something to lose; his life. He wants to make it seem like he doesn’t care but when it comes down to it, he’s not willing to die for anyone.”

“Yoongi promised you what? That he’d kill Namjoon? He says that all the time. He might seem like second in command but he’s bluffing. Namjoon is in control here. You believed him because you were scared.” Jin said. “I’ll take you to him if you want. You’ll see just how weak he really is.”

“I’m not ready.” Hoseok said turning away from his canvas.

“Then get ready.” Jin ordered. “I’m taking her in the meantime.”

“No.” You said. “I met Kat today. I know why I’m here. I know what you guys do. Is that what’s going to happen to me?” You looked at Jin.

“No.” Hoseok said putting himself between the two of you as he faced Jin. “I barely had her with me for more than two seconds. If she wants to go to you then nothing’s stopping her. This isn’t a fight you want to start. She’s Namjoon’s and she always will be. You need to understand that or else you’ll end up like Yoongi. Go now. It’s already hard enough for me.”

“Kat’s dead.” Jin said quickly turning away and walking out the door.

You looked at Hoseok, who’s expression was that of one who knew that this wasn’t a surprised. To you however, it was pure shock and pain all at once. It was all your fault.

You dropped to your knees and began sobbing, begging him to take you somewhere else. To help you.

He pulled you up onto your feet and sat you down on the bed once again.

“Shh…Come on. Don’t you see? This is what he wants. He’s probably in front of the door listening.” Hoseok whispered.

Realizing he was right, You quieted down a bit and thankfully Hoseok put on some music. His taste was that of a 19th century king. Opera. It wasn’t obnoxiously loud though, just loud enough to block out your quiet sobs.

He returned to his painting.

About ten minutes later he was done and he lowered the music until you could hardly hear it anymore. A smile plastered on his face as he brought it over to you.

You looked away, horrified and unable to imagine what he could have possibly created.

“Baby, look at it. Maybe it’ll make you feel better. It’s a flower.” He said.

Curiosity got the better of you and sure enough you turned to look at the rose he painted. It was surprisingly beautiful despite the fact that it was made with your blood and Angel’s.

“See, you’re the rose. The falling petals are Angel’s blood and they’re a bit darker.” He explained.

“Why blood?” You asked quietly.

His eyes became sad since he knew what you were really asking, but his smile didn’t fade. “They took my blood away when I was younger. I was cured but now I’m here, with the power to take it away from others. It’s that simple.” He said putting the painting aside.

“But why innocent people?”

“Angel wasn’t innocent and no one else was either. People in this industry are far from innocent Baby.”

“I’m am.” You responded.

“I’m sorry.” He frowned. “…Sometimes innocent people get hurt. I won’t hurt you though, I promise. Maybe you shouldn’t be so innocent. Aren’t you tired of being helpless?”

You sighed. Reasoning with him would be useless. He was loyal to Namjoon. More than Jin and Yoongi.

“I’m sorry you got hurt before. I’m sorry if your childhood was horrible.”

He chuckled. “A pretty girl like you? Sorry for me? I’m a monster now and I like it. It’s better this way...Namjoon, he likes your innocence but he’s not dumb, he knows a good girl like you would bore him. That’s why he put you here with the rest of us. To break you. Yoongi beat him too it though, that’s why he’s furious.”

“I’ve killed two people now.” You said, holding in your breath.

“They won’t be the last Baby. Not as long as you’re with Namjoon. Get used to it Baby. That innocence you value, it’ll get destroyed over and over again. You’ll have blood on your hands and you’ll be just as ugly as I am.”

“If someone could have helped you, stopped your pain and your suffering before you lost control, wouldn’t you have wanted that?” You asked.

He seemed a bit surprised at your words but he quickly nodded.

“Then please stop this from happening to me, please.” You begged him, getting on your knees.

He picked you back up immediately.

“I don’t think I can Baby.” He said with a pained expression. “Going against him, it’s useless, it’s dangerous. We’re stuck here forever, don’t you see? Don’t ask me to save you because I can’t betray him, no one can. If I let you talk me into this, I’ll go down too. The only person that knows how to take out the microchip around here is me. Namjoon will know it was me.” He said with a deep frown.

It hurt him, not being able to help you. It made him feel bad. But that was all you needed. To have someone feel sorry for you too.

“I have to get ready.” He said getting up. “I’d prefer it if you didn’t come downstairs to see me torture him. It’s hard enough on me as it is. I don’t need you getting in the way. Other than that, do as you wish just stay away from Jin.”

You wanted to stop him from leaving but then again, you could roam around some more and leave his room for a while.

After he left, you waited a few minutes before searching around his room. There was nothing. His drawers were full of clothes, his mattress hid nothing underneath it, and his medicine cabinet was empty. All his surgical knives were probably locked away in the infirmary, where he planted the microchip inside of you.

Who knows how long it would take him to do his job. To torture his friend until he begged him to stop. Yoongi’s promise to get you out, it was pointless now. How could you run when you were being tracked?

Namjoon was the most evil of them all, despite not doing any of the dirty work…

Barely half an hour had passed and you wondered how on earth you could escape if it was impossible. You wondered if you should just accept your faith and live the way Namjoon ordered. Like the rest of them living under his shadow.

Yoongi wants out but even he was suffering right now. Despite all that he did, you didn’t want your hope to end. His room came back to mind and so did the passcode for his door.

Sitting up straight, you realized that maybe he had something in his room. Something that could give you more answers or a means of escape. He seemed like someone who would plan ahead and think about his plan thoroughly before executing.

Quickly, you left Hoseok’s room and walked towards the other rooms at the end of the hall. Yoongi’s name was above his door, the passcode that you memorized as soon as he punched it in the first time, still fresh in your mind. How scary it was when he didn’t even bother hiding it from you, but now it felt like a miracle come true.

4820

A sigh of relief escaped your lips once the handle turned left and the door opened.

You searched in each drawer, in each pillow, in each pair of socks and still nothing.

Over and over again you asked yourself where would he hide something? The guy who loved burning temperatures? The bathroom sink and shower had no hidden compartments, the heater was on the ceiling.

You searched everywhere until you finally walked into the shower again, replaying that torturous scene in your mind.

The tiles…maybe he hid something in the walls…

One by one, you touched the tiles for any abnormality, reaching high and low instead of the ones at comfortable reach.

Way above your head, one tile felt fake. It had a plastic feel to it and when you gripped the edge with your nails, it peeled right out.

Your hand easily fit through the square opening and inside a cool metal hit your fingertips. Immediately, you knew what it was. You’d never forget what it feels like to hold a gun.

Pulling it out, you examined it carefully and felt a heaviness in your chest.

But then it was gone from your hands.

“What are you gonna do? Kill him?” Jin asked, taking out the bullets and throwing the gun to the side before pinning you against the wall.

Part 4

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afigureofspeech · 6 years

Text

You were never in any danger: a Kastle rec post

Hey y’all. If you follow me already, you may not have realized that I’ve gained some fandoms recently since I’ve been too busy to do something as time-consuming as reblogging all the stuff I scroll past but yeah, I’ve currently got two other rec posts sitting patiently in my drafts, just waiting for me not to be destroyed by grad school. As you all may know though, The Punisher comes out today, so I really just couldn’t help myself.

I didn’t expect to be here. I get the sense that most people on this ship didn’t either? Cool, we’re all in this together. I haven’t even been here that long; I happened to see someone freaking out on my dash a few weeks ago about that part in the trailer where they’re on the floor and Frank touches Karen’s hair – you know the one – and, well, somehow I wound up rewatching all the Kastle scenes over and over and over… I was even planning on waiting until next week to binge the whole season, when I’m on break and recovering from minor surgery and all, but I’m way too hyped to wait so I’ll probably get to it this weekend instead.

In any case, this isn’t a full rec post cuz the series dropped and I just wanted to get it out. Please forgive the general messy and incompleteness, I’ll do an update later when I have the time. Now a full rec post! Tried to fit in as much as I could think of. Also, if anyone out there has some fics (or anything else) you want to rec, please do! Like I said I am new here and I haven’t had the chance to go through the whole AO3 tag (yet lol).

My other rec posts can be found here.

Hope you enjoy~

* = new

Update 12/19/17: So apparently there is a limit on how many links I can have in a post. In the interest of being able to add more fic, I have removed the extra sections for fanart, fanvids, etc. If you go to some of the kastle blogs I link to at the bottom though I am sure you can find plenty. Sorry about that!

→ FANFIC

alamorn

AKA Under Investigation AO3 Their first meeting after she told him he was dead to her doesn’t go exactly how he thought it would.

glove upon hand AO3 Frank Castle, metaphorically standing in his half dug grave, takes a literal hand to get out. [Post-Punisher s1]

trouble in mind AO3 Frank didn’t like to ask for things. That wasn’t a surprise — she knew that about him before she knew almost anything else. That Frank Castle, he’s a monster, he’s a machine, he doesn’t know how to ask for help. It’s lucky for him that Karen has never waited to be asked. [Warning: explicit sexual content, femdom, pegging]

alchemistc

after AO3 | Tumblr He presses his lips into her hair and breathes deep, chest expanding against her side, arm curled around her, and Karen thinks - Do we deserve this? [Punisher speculation]

can’t no preacher man AO3 | Tumblr She breathes a sigh of relief when she catches sight of the shape of her late night visitor, and then stifles a snort at herself. Only Karen Page would find the sight of Frank Castle relieving. [Part 2 of the devil’s backbone series]

hangman’s knot and three mouths to feed AO3 | Tumblr “Was in the neighborhood. Thought I’d drop in. ”She kinda wants to punch him in his stupid face, but she knows it wouldn’t help. It wouldn’t even land, unless he wanted it to. Besides, it’s not like she could make the bruises littering his skin any worse than they already are. Frank Castle, Walking Bruise. Somehow, it just doesn’t have the same ring to it as The Punisher. [Part 1 of the devil’s backbone series]

walk together with our hands up in the sky AO3 | Tumblr Frank and Karen in the aftermath. [Post-Punisher s1]

you bear the scars AO3 | Tumblr “Men.” “Tell me about it,” Trish says, her voice somehow managing to convey both too-chipper energy and exasperation of the highest level. “I don’t know how much I can, actually.” Trish grins, tipping the plastic bottle in Karen’s direction. “The Punisher has taken you on as a pet project, you spend your days building up more enemies than even Jessica can manage on a bad day, and you’re totally attracted to a vigilante who prowls the streets at night killing people. Does that pretty much cover it?” “How did you - I am not - there is nothing going on between me and Frank!” [Part 3 of the devil’s backbone series]

angel_deux

AKA Puzzle Pieces AO3 Jessica Jones is not an easy friend to have. And Karen’s not even really sure if she can call her a friend. But Jessica is a good person to have in your corner in a crisis, which is good, because one of Frank’s enemies makes a sudden reappearance. [Part 2 of The Sinner and the Saint series]

Between the Sinners and the Saints AO3 A new villain with killer aim nearly takes Frank out, and he makes the call to go to Karen for help. Karen, who hasn’t seen him in months, who has been wishing she could take back those words she said to him in the woods. She never thought she’d get the chance to repair what they both broke that night, so once he’s back in her life, she’s not going to let him disappear again so easily. [Part 1 of The Sinner and the Saint series]

Tough Girl is What I Had to Be AO3 Lisa Castle survives the incident in Central Park, and Karen Page wants to take care of her. Set in an AU where Lisa survived but Frank had no knowledge of it until after the events of Season 2. [Lisa lives AU; you didn’t know you wanted this but I’m here to tell you that you absolutely do]

carrythesky

i started all the wars AO3 | Tumblr (Turns out fighting’s easy, once you start. The problem is that he’s never learned how to stop.) [Punisher speculation, all the angst]

It’s still heavy Tumblr [Karen Page grows up pretending. She escapes to the broom closet downstairs, curls into the dark space and when she closes her eyes she’s an astronaut, a deep-sea explorer, a knight scaling tall towers to rescue damsels in distress.]

things you said in the dark Tumblr [Sometimes, late at night when her eyes itch with exhaustion and the words on her screen become a jumbled blur, sometimes, she thinks of home. The most recent memories are transparent as glass but her childhood is a series of fragments, fuzzy at the edges - rain on the breeze, gingersnap crumbs, Kevin laughing over his shoulder and running ahead, always just ahead - And this, plucked from the haze: Penelope Page hunched over the kitchen table in the middle of the night, crying.]

untitled Tumblr [q: what scares you? a: you have your good arm around her torso, barrel shoved up under her chin and the magazine is an arm’s length away but you’re still careful, careful. she is steel beneath you and that’s when it hits, that’s when you picture your twitchy finger slipping and a bullet going straight through her skull, in and out before you can blink. the elevator door slides shut and you can’t pull away fast enough. (you are the most dangerous thing her hands have touched.)] [How to pack a punch in 500 words or less holy sHIT]

edourado

Bodies make it perfect AO3 | Tumblr Drunk Karen is a test to Frank's will power [Companion piece/sequel to Second Night; warning: explicit sexual content]

Boss AO3 | Tumblr Tumblr prompt: "I need you to scream for me. You're Karen Page he's the Punisher, he will come for you." in which Karen hurt and taken by a villain and Frank is enraged." [Established relationship; warning: explicit sexual content]

But you’re the truth AO3 | Tumblr Tumblr prompt: Frank patches Karen up after she's hurt because of a job and goes after the people who harmed her. Romantic-ish Special appearence: Max, the Pitbull [Companion piece/prequel to For I can’t help falling]

For I can’t help falling AO3 | Tumblr Tumblr prompt: After Frank leaves his hesitation aside, he gets skin hungy [Companion piece/sequel to But you’re the truth]

Have you seen my best friend? AO3 | Tumblr Karen finds a dinosaur toy in the subway. [Everybody lives AU, feat. an adorable Lisa; warning: explicit sexual content]

Hungry AO3 | Tumblr She fought it. With everything she had, she fought it. Karen can only fight for so long. [Companion piece/sequel to Never Had; warning: explicit sexual content]

Karen AO3 | Tumblr Prompt: someone hurts Karen and Frank hunts them down. As he is at it, he realizes his feelings for her [Warning: off-screen attempted rape]

Never Had AO3 | Tumblr How can you mourn the loss of something - someone - that was never truly yours? [Angsty Matt POV, one-sided Karedevil; companion piece/prequel to Hungry]

Not Pete AO3 | Tumblr * She doesn't like the new name [Post-Punisher s1; warning: sexual content]

Ordinary People AO3 | Tumblr (Part 1, Part 2, Deleted Scenes) Prompt: Best friends who are the Old Married Couple but fail to notice they're falling in love until is too late. [AU]

Pour AO3 | Tumblr * She pulled his boots off him before they finished the first glass. They now sat under the couch, forgotten. [Warning: sexual content]

Second Night AO3 | Tumblr Tumblr prompt: Frank shows up drunk at Karen's door, and she's on edge, because she has dated a few unpleasant-when-drunk men. [Companion piece/prequel to Bodies make it perfect]

What do you want AO3 | Tumblr Tumblr promt: Karen accidentaly discovers Frank has a hair pulling kink. She sees an opportunity, she seizes it. [Established relationship; warning: explicit sexual content]

Ejunkiet

dilaudid AO3 This isn’t the first time Frank has shown up on her doorstep in the early hours of the morning, but this is the first time that he’d been extended an invitation.

feel it still AO3 | Tumblr (Part 1, Part 2) w/ evil bunny wolf (evil_bunny_king) Karen’s legs are unsteady as she makes her way to the bathroom to knock on the door, fingers curling against the wood as she hears the water stop, before Frank’s voice croaks through the door. “What is it?” She has to swallow twice before she can get the words out. “Someone knows you’re here.” [Post-Defenders; WIP]

(in our bedroom) after the war AO3 When Karen had received the invitation from WNEX station to speak on Trish Talk, the most popular radio talk show in the city, her first instinct had been to say no. – “With all due respect ma’am, that’s bullshit. Most people, see, wouldn’t be so easy to let the other things” – murder and brutality, bodies littering the floor of the diner and blood on her hands and face – "go. They don’t seek to understand them. They get one good look, and get the hell away.”

meet me in the woods AO3 * Frank doesn’t wait for them to break the lock – he kicks the door open and slams into the first body he makes contact with behind it, lashing out in a blur of kicks and punches. The intruder falls back, face bloody, and then Frank’s gone, and Karen is left alone, crouched beneath her bed like a five year old hiding from the monsters in her closet, except that she’s no longer a child, and now she has a gun. -- Frank turns up on her doorstep on a Tuesday night and stays until Friday. [Part 1 of the corvidae & whiskey series]

elizma_c*

Flight from the City AO3 | Tumblr What are you doing, Karen? she thinks. He might not even be here. Would he even want to see her? What if – The door beside her suddenly swings open. Of course he senses her right away, even as she’s sort of hidden behind the door. He actually puts a hand to his lower back, and she realizes he’s carrying. Of course. “Jesus Christ,” he mumbles, but there’s surprise in his tone. “Karen.” Even with the questionably overloaded vital signs her body is displaying, she gets the sickest sense of pleasure that she’s gotten the jump on Frank Castle.

What You Know AO3 | Tumblr “When reality feels like its slipping away, hold on to those things that you know are true. You have to focus on what you know.” What did Karen know? Karen knows that she likes to read on the subway. She likes wearing heels that click on the sidewalk. Karen hates exercising but is apparently not a fan of therapy, so she goes running on Saturday mornings. She keeps a .380 in her purse and a pot of dying roses in her window. She has a track record for falling in love with the wrong people. She is fine. She repeats the list in her head each morning when she wakes up, until her hands stop shaking and the knots in her stomach go away.

evil bunny wolf (evil_bunny_king) / devilbunnyking

author our own disasters AO3 | Tumblr Frank Castle’s flesh is a litany to disaster. – Karen and Frank meet again for the first time since that final showdown on the rooftop. It doesn’t go as planned. [Part 2 of the you make me feel so criminal series]

feel it still AO3 | Tumblr (Part 1, Part 2) w/ Ejunkiet Karen’s legs are unsteady as she makes her way to the bathroom to knock on the door, fingers curling against the wood as she hears the water stop, before Frank’s voice croaks through the door. "What is it?” She has to swallow twice before she can get the words out. “Someone knows you’re here.” [Post-Defenders; WIP]

Graves AO3 Frank Castle - had cared. He’d broken himself caring; he’d loved with a heart she’d only glimpsed beneath his darkness, broken and bleeding as it was. She refused to believe that that man could be gone. [Part 1 of the you make me feel so criminal series]

Pacific Swells AO3 | Tumblr It’s not morbid curiosity. She’d be easier to scare away, if it were – he could play the part, flog away another shred of his humanity to dangle before her and ask ‘is this what you wanted? This what you wanted to see?’ [WIP; part 3 of the you make me feel so criminal series]

Perihelion AO3 | Tumblr (Part 1) “I’ve had, I’ve had a hell of a week, but that, I think, might’ve been part of the worst of it.” She clears her throat, and then again, drawing her knees in. Her eyes shine a little in the lamplight. “Yeah. I was scared too. For you.” -- Frank visits Karen, after. [Post-Punisher s1]

Touch AO3 | Tumblr “Why are you here?” he settles on, instead. Her hand moves to the marks on his neck, thumb grazing his adam’s apple. “Because I made a choice. And now I’m making another.” [Part 4 of the you make me feel so criminal series]

The Twist AO3 | Tumblr Frank finds Karen trussed up in the back of a van in Queens. [Kidnapping, protective!Frank]

glycerineclown*

glutton for punishment AO3 | Tumblr If she wants it, it's not a punishment. [Warning: explicit sexual content]

Operation Spot AO3 | Tumblr (Part 1, Part 2) A stocky grey pit bull peeks out from the mouth of the first alley that Karen passes. It's Frank, but she doesn't know it yet. [Shapeshifter AU]

Ordinary Citizens AO3 | Tumblr Rawlins’ fist had really done a number on Frank, and he has to get some teeth pulled a few days later. Karen takes him home, after, for rest and mothering. He stays longer than he has to—long enough to figure a few things out. [Warning: explicit sexual content]

idekman / hipsterfrankcastle

around the world my body will roam (my soul’s in new york) AO3 | Tumblr She gets two blankets, one for each of them, and sits out there with him until the sun rises. Frank moves into Karen’s apartment. She dreams. [Punisher speculation]

my girl is tall with hard long eyes AO3 | Tumblr He returns the book the next day. She’s asleep, curled up on her sofa, the window shut. She looks so small like this, fragile and vulnerable and not at all like the electric force of nature she is in waking.

this is all I ever was AO3 | Tumblr 'I always thought you liked tulips.' Karen takes the pot of roses from him, places it gingerly back on the windowsill. He listens to her fiddle with it, twist it this way and that – finding the best spot for it in the sun, he realises. 'Maybe. Before.' - prompt: kastle through matt's eyes [Post-Punisher s1]

jazzonia

come upstairs but not to talk AO3 Frank comes to her straight from the firefight. [Warning: explicit sexual content; part 1 of the we’re always alright series]

don’t care about your intentions AO3 Karen’s world is upended when Matt reveals his identity to her. Frank helps her right it again. [Warning: explicit sexual content; part 2 of the we’re always alright series]

LaMorenaReina

Ascendancy AO3 Karen Page's relationship with control becomes all the more tenuous as she explores a singular and inconclusive friendship with Frank Castle, wages her own war against Wilson Fisk, and has to start answering some unwanted questions about her past that lead to new conclusions about her identity.

Re-Entry AO3 Frank shows up again and causes trouble because he’s Frank. Karen goes along with it because, well, she’s Karen. They have adult conversations because, honestly, they should. [Punisher speculation]

PurpleLex / shipsabound

bloodsport AO3 | Tumblr (Part 1, Part 2) two-part tumblr prompt: "A baddie is threatening/hurting Karen in front of a tied up Frank. And he’s raging?” [Protective!Frank, h/c; warning: mature content, description of torture/violence]

during the dark and storming nights AO3 | Tumblr Frank POV retelling of “the space between dreams and reality” The concrete columns echo again with the second gunshot and he stands there for a minute on shaky feet, disgust and satisfaction twisting and warring against each other within his gut. The satisfaction doesn’t last long, yanked from him harshly when he climbs back into his truck and hears the radio abuzz over a shooting at the tenement building on 47th. Two women sustain injuries — one Sophia Rossum, and one Karen Page. He forgets to breathe for a long minute. [Part 3 of the Dreams & Lasts series]

fourteen weeks AO3 | Tumblr tumblr prompt: “something where Frank has a dog and because said dog has pretty much adopted Karen as his second owner, Karen often times takes care of the dog when he’s away/busier than usual. And it doesn’t take long for someone to start putting two and two together about who the dogs main owner is."

leaving is my last option AO3 | Tumblr Kastle Week Prompt: Lasts Frank rakes his gaze over her entire form, like he’s trying to decipher her. She shifts. He has a way of making her feel like every inch of her soul is being seen, and it’s as much something she longs for as something she’s insecure about. “Sooner or later, you’re going to burn out,” he says, tone flat. “How are you going to take care of yourself then? Defend yourself?” A bitter smile curves her lips. “I could say the same thing about you.” [Part 2 of the Dreams & Lasts series]

meet me in the woods AO3 | Tumblr tumblr prompt: "I would DIE if you wrote a couple of scenes where Karen army trains with Frank. I could TOTALLY see Frank being like, "You can’t get involved in the extra dangerous stuff unless you at least let me train you.” Imagine them running in the mornings??? Karen getting into crazy shape and the tension between them intensifying???“

shine a light through the distance AO3 | Tumblr “You sure about that?” He asks, incredulous, but she doesn’t give an inch. “You help me, you’ll only get blood on your hands.” “I already have blood on my hands.” She almost had his on hers half a year ago by force of a bullet. He put his blood on her hands just a month ago by force of a plea. “Doesn’t mean you need any more,” is all he says before opening the door. [Part 4 of the Dreams & Lasts series]

the space between dreams and reality AO3 | Tumblr Kastle Week Prompt: Dreams He stands in her apartment, by the door, but it is closed this time, and no bullets are coming through her windows. Her gun is in her hand, though, gripped loose from where it hangs at her side. “Why?” She asks. It’s a whisper of a loaded question. He doesn’t respond, just stares at her, gaze too unreadable. Karen wakes with a frustrated sigh. [Part 1 of the Dreams & Lasts series]

untitled Tumblr [Can you do a prompt where Micro yells at Karen and Frank gets the in his face. I literally be for protective!Frank 😂💕] [Punisher speculation]

PunkyNemo / thevampirecat

As days go by, the night’s on fire AO3 | Tumblr She’s lost him, she’s found him and she’s lost him again. And now he’s standing on her fire escape, holding out his hand and looking at her like she’s the only thing on Earth worth seeing. [Canon-divergent AU; part 2 of the Ballads for a dead man series]

Be my saviour and I’ll be your downfall AO3 | Tumblr (Part 1) Once upon a time she derided herself for imagining they were a done deal on a collision course straight to her bedroom. But that’s all over now and he’s gone, hasn’t been back since he walked off her roof and disappeared into the night air. It’s not all bad though. She has friends, she has work and tonight she even has cause to celebrate. It is, after all, her birthday and there’s a chance the universe will be kind. It’s just a chance though. And not a very good one. [Canon-divergent AU; warning: explicit sexual content; part 3 of the Ballads for a dead man series; WIP]

The bullet you never saw coming AO3 | FFN | Tumblr (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3) There are days that he wonders if he’s the worst man on Earth. And then there are the days that he doesn’t need to wonder. But, worst man or not, she’s here, sitting on his couch and crying like the world is ending. And he has no idea how to feel about that. Except he does. He really does. [Canon-divergent AU; warning: explicit sexual content]

Can you wait while the world circles the sun? AO3 It’s hard when you can’t take her out - when you’re The Punisher and the world can’t know she’s your girl. But he can make it up to her, make it right … even if he’s not really sure what it is that he’s wanting. [Warning: implied sexual content]

Could you crawl out of your perfect skin and climb into mine? AO3 | Tumblr * It's just a hug, so why does it feel like it's so much more? [Frank POV, The Hug]

Love me back to life AO3 | FFN | Tumblr (Part 1, Part 2) He can keep her safe. It’s the one thing he knows how to do, the only thing he can truly give her. So why does it feel like it’s not enough?

You’re a ghost town (and maybe I’m a ghost) AO3 | FFN | Tumblr Safe up in the mountains with Frank following a bloody showdown in Hell’s Kitchen, Karen wonders just how much more complicated things between them can get. She’s about to find out. [Canon-divergent AU; part 1 of the Ballads for a dead man series; I cry about this series in the best way, it’s long and plotty and UST-y and so so great]

queensofthekastle / StellarRequiem & homesickblues

For Whom There are No Words AO3 | Tumblr (Part 1) Originally inspired by the prompt “Frank protecting Karen after Fisk finds out she killed Wesley.” A dialogue-driven slow burn exploring their relationship through conversation, spaghetti dates, two incidents involving vodka, and a whole lot of back and forth between who Frank is, and what Frank does. [Canon-divergent AU; protective!Frank, slow-burn]

Nowhere to Go but Everywhere AO3 * Karen has some emotional recovery to do, Frank is still working on "after," and all along the east-west interstate, someone has been abducting children and wiping all record of the disappearances. ** The roadtrip fic has arrived [Roadtrip AU; fake married, sharing a bed]

untitled Tumblr [based on the new trailer (which shook us to the core tbh)] [Punisher speculation]

untitled Tumblr [Kastle+forced to share a bed (best trope ever)]

untitled Tumblr [kastle prompt fill: “matt and frank having a conversation about karen”] [Canon-divergent AU]

untitled Tumblr [OOOH! What about holding their unconscious body WHILST sobbing into their shoulder/chest ] [Punisher speculation]

samssalvation / jonbernhthal

one day Tumblr prompt: between the explosion and the elevator

weak knees AO3 | Tumblr prompt: karen tripping and falling into frank's arms

SecondFromTheRight

All We Do Is Hide Away AO3 But when she opened the door to him that night with a “Frank”, her lip trembling as she stared at him – her eyes were already red from crying and she looked tired – he wondered how much that mattered. He knew what Karen Page looked like crying and breathing – or yelling – his name, he knew what she looked like with blood on her, but he didn’t know who Ben Urich was to her. He kind of hated himself for that. And for a man used to self-contempt, this dose noticeably burned. [Post-Punisher s1]

The Sounds She Makes AO3 * Now, now that he’s had her, had this. Something good and something he feels part of it. Now that he’s remembered life and something he’s terrified could be love - he can go out with Karen on his lips, in his lungs, with her saying his name in his ear. He can go out swaying in this elevator with her, her forehead against his. The elevator scene goes a little differently (they have sex) [Warning: explicit sexual content]

watermelonp00fs

shooting stars in a jar AO3 * Frank doesn’t visit Karen, after. Not really. But the flowers are there by her window — everyday, for weeks, months — until one day they aren’t. She’s stopped going to the river for a while now, too. Not that he blames her for it. Cut the threads loose, toss the baggage she’s carried all this time into the goddamn ocean — He’s alright with it, all of it. Then, one evening she goes home with a man he’s never laid eyes on, carefree laughs and cheeky smiles — and Frank should be, must be alright with this because God knows she deserves happiness that he cannot interfere with — Except he isn’t.

the world on its axis AO3 Inhale. Exhale. “I’m scared, Karen.” Rough. Guttural. He hated how weak he sounded. “I’m gonna forget her voice.” His shoulders sagged from the weight of his guilt. Frank Castle — the man who took a woman to bed and cried to that woman about his dead wife. What a joke. What a fucking joke. A low hum sounded in the back of Karen’s throat as she stroked the line of his back, gentle and understanding and oh he did not deserve her — “I know,” she murmured and kissed his shoulder. “I know.” Inhale. Exhale. [Part 2 of the like diamonds in the sky series]

Wynn��/ astreetcarnamedwynn

One Worth Knowing AO3 | FFN | Tumblr The message arrives in an innocuous envelope, a plain white one marked only with her name and the address of The Bulletin, the two scrawled on the front in thick black ink. Karen doesn’t even have to open it to know it’s from him, from Frank, though almost eight months have passed since she last saw him. [UST; warning: adult content; part 1 of the One Worth series]

One Worth Trusting AO3 | Tumblr Frank presses the first speed dial and, a couple seconds later, her phone rings in her purse. Karen doesn’t bother asking how he knew her number. She just stares at him instead, caught between irritation at his actions and understanding for the impulse behind them. And if that didn’t sum up her feelings for Frank Castle, the man a murderer but one she understood. The man in question watches her, his brow furrowed but his jaw set, Frank willing to throw down over this, his efforts to keep her safe.Sighing again, Karen points to the kitchenette behind him. “If you’re so willing to do things for me, why don’t you pour me a drink? I’m going to get changed.”His face softens, nearly into a smile. “Yes, ma’am.” A continuation of "One Worth Knowing." Frank accepts Karen's invitation to come by her apartment for a drink. All goes well until it doesn't, until truths are revealed and revelations made. [UST, kisses, & angst; part 2 of the One Worth series]

Yggdra / favrielle

Bluest Skies Of Mourning Light AO3 It’s Karen’s birthday. The Punisher is caught unaware by his own legacy. [Fluff]

On Hallowed Ground I Stay AO3 He never says "I love you”, but whispers every word of it in all the spaces Karen Page leaves for him in her life. [Fluff]

Paint Your Demons Red AO3 | Tumblr Frank Castle tries to keep Karen Page at arm’s length and out of danger. (Really, he does.) She has other ideas about what safety means. [Post-Defenders]

She Who Believeth In Me AO3 Her brightness touches everything he lays eyes on. And he can’t shake her no matter how hard he tries. [Part 1 of the all the devils series]

untitled Tumblr [kastle prompt: after the explosion scene, frank takes karen back to his and micro’s hideout. possibly a shower scene (doesn’t have to be sexual) where frank is comforting karen because she took another life while looking out for frank as they were making their escape.] [Punisher speculation]

untitled Tumblr [plllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllssssssssssss write a fic where Karen and Frank go back to his hideout to patch each other up after the explosion scenes 😙] [Punisher speculation]

Misc.

Been with the Devil in the Devil’s Resting Place AO3 by Amazing_E_ko The development of Karen and Frank’s relationship from Matt’s perspective, as his own life goes slowly downhill. [POV Matt, not exactly kind to him but in a fun, vindictive sort of way if you’re into that lol]

Heaven Sent the Saints Down (Hell Sent Them Up) AO3 | Tumblr (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4) by Ambrosia But no, yes, the Punisher. In her apartment. Staring at her with an unfazed expression on his face. Even from the doorway, she can see the white skull painted on his chest-piece. And this is somehow so normal for her, at this stage of her life, that she honestly takes one look at Frank, at the bruises on his face, at all his gear spread around her apartment, and says, “Okay. It’s 11:07. I haven’t eaten yet. I’m going to order some dim sum from the corner and you are not going to get any of that gun oil on my bed.”

It is So Quite New a Thing AO3 by an_ardent_rain He realizes, as he is about to order, that there is one other thing he has besides his grief and his anger and his never-ending war. That there is something that helps him remember, that reminds him who he used to be. He orders a second cup to go and writes “Page” in blocky letters on the side. [WIP]

don’t fade away AO3 by consultingpathologist* As she unlatches the window to bring the flowers inside, she realizes the yellow is from a piece of paper wedged in between the stems. [Episode tag]

When you drown, I'll drown AO3 by ebethjanna* His voice is gruff, "Not gonna point a loaded gun at you, Karen." (Two missing moments from 1x10.)

Better Natures AO3 by etirabys “Work with me here, Frank,” Karen snapped. “Make some sense here. Talk to me. We can’t figure out what our next move is until you explain why you’re so disgusted at the thought of my being attracted to you — an attraction which, by the way, I’ve never let interfere with our work or our friendship —“ “I’m not disgusted,” Frank said in a strained, calm voice. “You have ghastly taste, but I’m not disgusted. No. It’s just the feeling of having carried a torch for miles and miles in the dark and… having the sun come up.” [Zombie AU with a side of Fake Married feat. HellaBadass!Karen; warning: explicit sexual content of the dom/sub variety; this fic is everything to me READ IT]

loss like the sharp edges of a knife Tumblr (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5) by fandammit* [The stillness of after is suffocating.] [Frank POV, post-Punisher; one of my current favorite fics]

moth and flame AO3 | Tumblr by freedomatsea Liquid courage and exhaustion lead Frank to reach out to Karen after months of keeping away from her. Set post-finale about 6-8 months. Frank’s POV. [Warning: explicit sexual content]

The Fall AO3 by ghoulsngunz “I need a favor.” A favor? Karen crossed her arms over her chest. She had to be dreaming. There was no way that after three months of silence the Punisher would be standing in her kitchen asking for a favor. “What kind of favor?” Frank rubbed his temples. “I need you to help me find my dog.” [WIP]

Elevator Songs AO3 | Tumblr by Inaccessible Rail (strangetales) A series of drabbles or shorter works that I've posted on Tumblr about my two trauma buds in probable love. [WIP]

But I Wish It Was True AO3 by Ideal_Flower* The first time it happened, he was hit with white hot shame. But there was no bullet, no gunshot, no shattering of golden hair and spray of brain and blood and guilt on the wall, on the side of his face. Just her mouth on him, his hand on her, his fingers tangled through the cornsilk strands at the nape of her neck. [Warning: explicit sexual content]

United We Purge AO3 | Tumblr by Jenye "Just remember all the good the purge does.” – Evil runs Hell’s Kitchen, but one night out of the year that evil is legal. [Purge AU]

Come For You AO3 by larkingstock* Pretty much what the tags say. (I'm so sorry. I wanted it, I wrote it, and if I can figure out the rest I'm probably going to write that too.) (Also so so sorry for the title.) [Sex pollen fic; warning: explicit sexual content, WIP; honestly I am enjoying this fic so fucking much]

You Carry My Heart On Your Sleeve AO3 by Morrigan2345 The first thought that comes to mind when her door opens and she’s standing in front of him in what could only be the tightest black dress he’s ever seen is that she looks good. Really good. The second thought is that he shouldn’t have thought that. The third thought is that he couldn’t give less of a shit. [Warning: explicit sexual content]

the root of the root and the bud of the bud AO3 by nagia* There's a new drug in town, a warehouse full of dead shitbags (and newly empty of a strange, tropical-looking flower), and Karen Page has the kind of connections that might help him figure out what this shit is. [Sex pollen fic; warning: explicit sexual content]

ain’t nothing but a monster AO3 by nighimpossible “Is this okay?” she asks, the question just a murmur in the dark. “You’re already close enough to hurt me,” Frank says finally, after chewing on the thought for a long moment. “So hurt me.” [Warning: mature content]

hail, holy queen AO3 by peppermintcas He kisses her and it’s like setting a building on fire: he knows it’s a bad idea, intellectually, but everything in him is pushing him to do it. [Warning: explicit sexual content]

Strays AO3 by Ruby_Wren* Frank finds out what happened to his dog.

The End of the Line AO3 by ruebellab They say there’s a ghost - that he’s a dead man, but Miss Karen’s seen enough to know one thing. Dead men don’t feel, they don’t hurt, they don’t care - so if there’s a man out there, she knows he ain’t a ghost, he’s broken maybe but he’s not dead. [Western AU; WIP]

Fall On Your Knees AO3 by saltandbyrne* She keeps the flowers in her window for three days. [Warning: explicit sexual content]

windowsill AO3 by shuofthewind Eight weeks, three days. She's going to punch him in his fucking nose. The fic that fixes the lack of Karen at the end of The Punisher. [Post-Punisher s1; UST]

Of Gods and Monsters AO3 | Tumblr by silbecoo Frank is the God of the Underworld, quietly ushering honorable souls to the Elysian Fields while ensuring the evil ones start their time in Tartarus as soon as possible. He doesn’t want or need anyone to care about, until one day the beautiful Daughter of Demeter needs him. He can’t ignore his fate, and neither can she. [Yup it’s the Hades&Persephone AU you were waiting for; WIP]

A Hard Rain AO3 by smolhombre* When he starts over this time, Frank tries to mean it. An after; for people who don't believe in them. [Warning: explicit sexual content; WIP]

the floodgates need repair AO3 by stainofmylove* Karen struggles to put the pieces back together again. Post “I’m already dead,” basically.

moving on AO3 by thecoolestfreak* “I’m going to break the truth over Fisk’s head, sure. But I need the backup to do it. Capable parties.” She said it as she’d rehearsed it in her head, and she winced at how unsympathetic it sounded out loud. “Y’need canon fodder, that it?” he said, and she almost spit out the wine she’d nervously poured in her mouth. “God, no! Frank, that’s not— I’m—" He laughed, a small chuckle, but a laugh, and if he were here she would punch him in the arm.“I’ll do it, Karen. Where and when do you need me?” post the punisher s1 & the defenders s1 - the gang fights fisk, but its basically a kastle fic

elevator AO3 by thefudge 1x10. The elevator scene, but with a much needed addition.

but shrapnel is shrapnel AO3 by theworthofhollin It starts like this: Karen gets a dog. [WIP]

to arm your fears like soldiers and slay them AO3 | FFN | Tumblr by viansian Karen had gotten over the whole “soulmates” hype when she was thirteen years old, and she didn’t plan on getting swept up in that shitstorm again anytime soon. aka the soulmate fic you knew was coming. [Soulmates AU]

Sentimentality AO3 by writesometimes* She stood in front of the windows and scanned the darkening New York skyline. The dark concrete, steel and glass of tall buildings blending with the inky indigo sky. There was no way she'd spot him if he was out there somewhere, but Karen knew. Frank was alive.

Ain’t about what I like AO3 | Tumblr by zombieboyband Before the diner, after the gunfire. City nights, late drives, looking for coffee with Frank. Karen is too tired for easy questions. “Pardon, ma'am?” He sounds so goddamn polite it’s incredible. “The meat hooks. The part where you killed people and put them on meat hooks.” [Missing scene]

→OTHER

On tumblr: kastlelibrary, kastlenetwork, kastlesource, queensofthekastle, thecrimescenejunkie

People with good Kastle tags: afigureofspeech, carry-the-sky, frankcastle, hipsterfrankcastle, likcoln, mazikeene, shipsabound, theworthofhollin

On AO3: the Frank Castle/Karen Page tag

Updated 12/19/17

#kastle #kastle ff #kastle fanfic #frank castle #karen page #the punisher #daredevil #rec post #fic rec #frank castle x karen page #i didn't even attempt to add anything not on ao3 currently sorry #i will fix that when i update #just wanted to get this done #this is how i contribute to fandom lol #i will be freaking out about this show shortly i'm sure #if school doesn't kill me first of course

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degreeprojectjg · 4 years

Text

Photographs Reflection

As I’m about to enter competitions and various open calls. I thought it was time to organise a small collection of photographs that were the strongest in terms of creating a narrative and showcase the project cohesively and individually. I don’t want to just pick the best images but I want photographs that communicate the most appropriate message for the project.

I didn’t want to sequence the images chronologically, since I wanted to leave the work to be ambiguous in it’s narrative. For me, what was more important was that the photographs should be able to create a narrative arc that carries the reader from the first page to the last. I wanted the collection to have a thematic sense of my identity, it would inform the audience of my identity but also be mindful in it’s approach to not being too obvious.

Gurkha Beret

For the opening image, the photo above is a striking and compelling image as it informs you of the project. It’s a metaphorical image such as the Gurkha hat hanging on the bed post is more appropriate as it provides an enigmatic introduction to the project. As the observer progresses through the project the meaning will become less ambiguous and narrative clearer.

Taku, Gorkha

For my landscape images, I picked the photographs, see above and below. For the image above (Taku, Gorkha), I thin the photograph works as an effective image near the start of the collection since it informs you of the setting, it’s an establishing shot which informs you of where the project is based and what the landscape means to the project. The photograph is quite hazy and soft which is a running look of the project which suggests a dream like sense of nostalgic experiences.

I picked the image above as it suggests a metaphorical and subject change in the project which hints at migration, moving away from the place previously shown. The sea represents UK, as Nepal is a landlocked country. The image departs from my homeland into a new horizon. The discolouration of the sea also adds a layer of ambiguity. A further intrigue in the image is that in the distance is that you could see a ship which suggests the physical distance of myself and for what it could be my homeland in the metaphorical sense.

Aama in the garden

Mother= Aama

The two photographs above and below are the two strongest photograph of my mother. They both are visually striking and compelling. The use of black and white worked really well as it shows the figure of my mother, making her seem prominent in the photographs. Although the photographs seem straightforward, they are photographs with a strong framework of exploration of my mother’s identity and my very own, of my home and what it means with careful examination of it.

Mero Aaama

My mother= Mero aama

The image feels quite nostalgic. It’s a representation of how I see my other or how I’ve seen her throughout the years. My mother is a prominent figure in my identity, she has transcended the ideas of Nepalese identity throughout my life. The photographs seems like romanticised ideas of my mother, it’s how I see her, striking and dominant whilst also it depicts a soft, delicate overview.

The portraits of my mother evoke the questioning of home, my very own sense of belonging and identity since I began my life with her. My identity started from her. Photographing my mother is a way of confronting my identity and it’s a way to build it as well. It’s this strong urge to preserve my Nepalese identity that drives me as I attempt to rekindle my relationship. The whole project has been a way of creating a sense of attachment to my Nepalese identity but also my separation from them.

Ex Soldier

The ‘Gurkha Beret’ image introduces you to the theme of the project whilst the photographs (see above and below) hones in on the owner of the hat. I picked these two photographs as they reflect a sense of nostalgia as my father wears his beret which he hasn’t worn in a long time, which just about still fits him.

Baba

Father= Baba

I picked the photograph above as my father appear prominent as his figure is authoritative and bold. Whilst the previous photograph offers a closer insight on my father, this photograph makes my father appear more physical and dominant which suggests his involvement in the project and my life.

These images of my father are quite important in the project as I explore the notion of being a ‘Nepalese man’. In the project, there are some universal themes of having a sense of belonging and questioning of identity. Through the portraits, I’m confronting the notion of being a Nepalese man, they’re my ideas of a Nepalese man.

Aama ra Baba

Mother and father= Aama ra Baba

Since the collection / sequence didn’t two subjects in one. I included the image above as it suggests togetherness and it’s quite informative in the sense of adding a narrative to the project. The image depicts the two prominent figures of my life where they are seen to be wearing traditional Nepalese / Gurung dress against the backdrop of my homeland. My father is not wearing the full Gurung dress which can suggests the influence of eastern lifestyle as he wears his jumper and jeans.

Baje

Grandfather= Baje

For more variety in the sequence, I decided to include my grand father in the project which is a major influence in the project. He’s a very important figure in both my life and my parents. I chose the image above as it doesn’t give too much away, it’s very simple the image seems off with it’s off kilter composition. My grandfather appears striking yet grounded which suggests his character. By choosing a simple photograph, I want the viewers to interpret themselves my relationship with this man and others.

Boy in the hill

I wanted to sequence to be playful with it’s subject matter. I chose the image above as it’s anonymous, I have captioned the image as ‘Boy in the hill’ which plays with that idea. It may hint at the viewer that it’s a self portrait, it’s very ambiguous in that sense. I really like the warm tones of the image, it’s quite revealing in that sense yet feels distant as the subjects are far away. The boy in the distance overlooking the hill can suggest a nostalgic viewpoint.

Ghar

House= Ghar

The reason I chose the image above is that it depicts our home in the UK which is quite reminiscent of Nepal with it’s evergreen nature of the garden and the love for which suggests affiliation with nature which is prominent in the landscapes of Nepal. The image has a soft evening light, hinting a peaceful time which is accentuated by the use of soft, pastel colours with warm tones. The image balances and warms the sequence.

Aaam ko Maala

Mother’s necklace= Aama ko Maala

The images above, below and beneath it suggests a nostalgic view upon the Nepalese culture, the images gives you soft glimpses of the objects in my house in UK which informs and reminds you of my identity despite the migration. The images works effectively in the sense that it acts as a memorophilia.

Puja

(Place to) Worship= Puja

Nepalese Calender

Homeland

I chose the image in the sense which it acts as a metaphorical image in which it depicts a reflective outlook on the project, it doesn’t provide with you any setting or clues to where the place might be. It just silently offers you a glimpse of my life and my introspective moment, thus the image balances the sequence, taking you back to a reflective standpoint.

Overview

As most competitions that I wanted to enter required maximum photographs of 15, I compiled 15 of the photographs that not only were strong images but they were images that worked effectively together to create a narrative around my identity.

Personal Intake

The project explores intimacy, distance, and often tensions between my torn identity. I wanted to bring out these themes in the sequence. I also wanted to sequence it visually with similar colours, subject and form but I didn’t focus too much on this as it would detract the audience from the narrative. Although the photographs are quire straightforward in terms of creating a narrative, the photographs remain ambiguous and metaphorical. There isn’t one way to sequence images. It’s entirely subjective, the project comes from me and is about me, I have a story and this is what I want to tell, this was my approach to the sequencing. It’s not the best (aesthetic) images that communicate the most appropriate message. I simply hope to make my audience understand the context in which the work will be viewed.

Reference

Magnum Photos. 2020. The Language Of Pictures: Exploring Sequencing With Mark Power • Magnum Photos. [online] Available at: <https://www.magnumphotos.com/theory-and-practice/mark-power-the-language-of-pictures-exploring-sequencing/> [Accessed 17 April 2020].

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