#Lyla and the Clouds Stars

[the-kr8tor]

More Spider-Punk and Loki Variant! R, anyone???

– You like to shapeshift quite a lot, your favorite forms being animals. Hobìe doesn't think it's entirely good for his heart, especially when you like to turn into such adorable animals. (The time you'd turned into a bunny, he'd practically had a heart attack. He had held you close to his chest and played with your floppy ears as he cooed. You didn't hate the smothering as much as you claimed you did.)

– There are times when you transform into not so cute animals, though. It would give him a good scare at first until you nuzzled against him, then he'd know it was you. (There was that time you turned into a snake. Then, the time you turned into a baby alligator. Hobie had jumped onto the ceiling while screaming for help both times and refused to get down until you'd turn back to calm him down. "It's just me, Hobes! I'm sorry!", you said while failing to hide the chortles of laughter. "I love you, but you're an ass sometimes, lovie.")

– Sometimes, you bring him with you when you need to check in on Asgard. His chest swells with pride to see how fair and kind of a leader you are for your people, his love for you growing tenfold when he sees that you've let orphaned children live in your palace until they found homes. Since you rule the realm now that your corrupt father is no longer in control, your people like to refer to Hobie as "hilmir" (Which means prince/protector) Hobie would look at them crazy and peer at you for explanation. You'd just shrug and say they've gone mad since the rebellion, a smirk on your lips. ("....I'm gonna have Miles look it up." "My love, I assure you, it is nothing you need to worry your pretty head about. It's trivial!" ".... Better yet, I'll just go ask Lyla-" "Hobie!")

– There are times when running a kingdom is too much, especially a kingdom that's still recovering from war. Some days, when Hobie is there in the palace with you, you both go into a room hidden among the walls. A place you've always used as a hideaway for as long as you can remember. You lay your head on his chest and breathe in his scent, the tension in your body practically leaving as he tenderly trails his knuckles along your spine. He'll hum a tune he wrote just for you as you melt into his embrace, his beauty that fell from the stars. ("I never wanted to rule...", you mumble against his chest as tears sting your eyes. "It was always supposed to be Thor, that big oaf... I miss him..." "I know, sweetheart", he coos as his thumb brushes the tears that drip down your cheek.)

– One time, Hobie tries to get you to teach him magic. Excited that he's interested in learning from you, you agree and start training him in the ways of the mystic arts just as your mother had trained you. You have to bite your lip to keep from laughing when he accidentally makes an explosion of colors splash onto his face, which is now a purple hue. ("You got a little... thing right here." You say quietly while pointing to his face, lips trembling as you hold back your chuckles. "No shit, love. Can you fix it?" "I told you to visualize your favorite color in a ball and make it glow a tiny bit brighter. What happened?" "I like 'em all, what can I say?")

– When Miles, Gwen, Pav, and Margo come over, Hobie is too excited to show off what you taught him. He tries to shapeshift into a cat, only for just a pair of fluffy ears to poof onto his head in a cloud of shimmering red smoke. The sight makes them all laugh, Hobie scoffing and waving them away. ("Oi. At least I can do that much. I don't see none of you lot makin' cat ears, huh?" He says with a triumphant smirk, only to click his tongue when you smirk at him and turn into a giant hyena. Your barking laughter almost sounding like a real laugh. "Show off," Hobie grumbles before he and the kids clamor on top of your belly, nuzzling into your warm fur.)

AHHHH MORE LOKI VARIANT! R

The second I read that r likes to shapeshift into animals this part in thor ragnarok popped up in my head 🤣🤣

I giggled when I read the second part 🤭

Hilmir 🥹🥹😭😭 that's so freaking sweet 😭

Aww them hiding away from everyone while Hobie comforts r 🥹

BAHAHAHHAHAHHA i love that he's trying to learn magic!! The way that i imagined the magic orb splashing on his face like nickelodeon slime 🤣

Bro lost some aura points there (or so the kids say these days 😂)

[soulcluster]

here it is, what no one asked for: my ship bias list under a read more cause oof it's long

main roster

disney hans — anna, kristoff

dragon age blackwall — josie, inquisitor colum cousland — morrigan, anora, zevran fenris — hawke, isabela, bethany kaitlyn hawke — varric, fenris, cullen, alistair, loghain roland gilmore — cousland, bethany

dragon ball z android 18 — krillin bulma briefs — vegeta, goku cell — ....honestly just send me your ideas dende — gohan goku — chi-chi, bulma piccolo — bulma trunks briefs (future) — none yet

final fantasy aerith — cloud, tifa, sephiroth cid highwind — reeve, tifa clive rosfield — jill, cid cloud — aerith yuna — tidus, baralai

fire emblem citrinne — none yet cyril — lysithea eirika — seth, saleh, cormag ephraim — forde, gerik, tethys, marisa, tana frederick — olivia, sumia, cherche gerome — cynthia, lucina, laurent kagetsu — alear nel — none yet olivia — frederick, lon'qu, gregor seteth — jeralt, hanneman

fma: brotherhood ed — winry ling yao — lan fan riza — roy

harvest moon chelsea — vaughn kai — popuri, karen, leia mark (awl) — muffy molly (ap) — candace, phoebe, renee popuri — gray, karen, kai soseki — none yet vaughn — chelsea

the last unicorn amalthea — lir

legend of zelda link — mipha, malon malon — link mipha — link, zelda, revali zelda — ganondorf

marvel 616 adam warlock — gamora drax — mantis gamora — adam warlock, angela, tony stark peter quill — none yet rocket — lylla

mortal kombat fujin — none yet jax — sonja, vera takeda — jacqui

my time gwen/oc — logan, unsuur, owen, qi, heidi logan — fang, grace, builder

persona kotone — shinjiro, akihiko, ryoji ren — yoshizawa, ann, futaba, shiho, ryuji ryuji — joker, ann shiho — ann, joker shinjiro — kotone

resident evil leon — claire rebecca — none yet

star wars briayla/oc — corso, darmas, theron, lana doc — jedi knight kihanda/oc — doc, obi-wan

stardew valley abigail — sam, leah, penny, farmer eris/oc — harvey harvey — farmer

studio ghibli arrietty — spiller baron — baroness kiki — none yet pazu — sheeta

tales of kratos — anna, raine lailah — zaveid

threads of fate rue — none yet

tomb raider jonah — abigaile lara — sam, jaocb sam — lara

request roster

chrono trigger/cross serge — leena magus — none yet

cyberpunk 2077 takemura — none yet v/oc — none yet

DC lucifer — mazikeen soarnik natu — none yet

disney jack skellington — sally jane porter — tarzan, belle

final fantasy basch — none yet fran — balthier penelo — none yet zidane — garnet/dagger

fire emblem byleth — dimitri, claude, hanneman, shamir deirdre — sigurd franz — none yet gregory — none yet marianne — byleth, dimitri mikoto — yukimura, gunter quan — ethlyn rhys — none yet silas — corrin

harvest moon calvin — farmer lyla — basil, louis muffy — farmer, griffin, nami

legend of dragoon dart — shana lavitz — rose

mass effect garrus — shepard jeff/joker — shepard zaeed — shepard

metal gear solid cécile — kaz gray fox — none yet quiet — venom snake solid snake — hal, meryl

my hero academia tenya iida — ochako mina ashido — none yet

once upon a time belle — emma, ruby, ariel, killian, neal emma swan — neal, belle, ruby, graham grace — henry jefferson — belle, graham, robin, ruby milah — graham, robin, killian neal — emma, belle, robin, graham

rune factory felicity — raguna russell — none yet

tales of zaveid — lailah

*note 1: for any oc type characters I have a preference for (inquisitor, hawke, builder, assorted farmers, shepard, etc.), shipping will depend on that muse's character and if it works with my muse.

**note 2: just because a ship isn't on here doesn't mean I wouldn't ship it at all, except in the rare case of a notp

***notps: aerith/zack, cloud/tifa. these are only in a romantic sense, platonic is fine. if you see me shipping these it's because I'm close with the other mun

[fictive-culture]

Hi! We're looking for a couple of different source mates

First of all, we're looking for Spiderverse introjects. We have Miguel O'Hara and are primarily looking for Lyla, Jessica, Miles, Pavitr, and Hobie, but all are welcome

Second, we're looking for any DC fictive. We have two Bruce Waynes, one from The Batman 2022 and one from the DCEU, two Riddlers, one from The Batman 2022 and one from Gotham, one Clark Kent from the DCEU, and one Penguin from Gotham

Any doubles are also included in this list!

Message us on discord as riddler4815

- Eros from the Wii Sports Resort

[Image ID: A rectangular box with pink, blue and purple clouds, hearts, stars and sparkles. Yellow moons and fairy lights. With text that reads "Source Call" in neon purple writing. End ID]

[ts3lightclan]

(1.7) Dream Upon a Waning Moon

┏━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━┓

Rubbing her bleary eyes, Lightrunner woke from a restless sleep. The sky was still dark, so she looked over her shoulder to check on her companion. There laid Briarclaw, still fast asleep, paws twitching as she dreamt. Was she hunting, perhaps, or defending her clanmates in battle? Lightrunner could not tell.

With a stretch, the blue molly stood and wandered off to hunt. Her belly gnawed at her, and she was sure Briarclaw's would as well once she woke. It couldn't have been too late at night, so it would be a while before it was time for them to set off and return home.

Leaf-fall was striking coldly, she noticed, seeing the pond outside the farmhouse already beginning to freeze over. The ice wasn't firm enough to tread safely, but enough that they couldn't fish. The leaves had only just begun to fall, and it already felt like leaf-bare.

For a moment, Lightrunner paused, standing with her eyes closed as she interpreted the chill in the air. It foretold their destiny- that is, if one were willing to listen closely enough.

Lightrunner wished on the stars and moon that her warrior ancestors would speak to her. She hadn't been visited in her dreams a single time since she'd settled in the elm forests. Could StarClan even hear her, in the midst of the Twolegplace? So far from her home, and everything she had known from her kithood?

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, Lightrunner thought she heard the mewling of kits. She opened her eyes abruptly and looked around, hoping to find the source of the noise. But it had gone as quickly as it came, and the molly was left startled and without answers.

It was then that she looked back up, noticing a single cloud raised above all else. The rest of the sky was clear, and the stars were bright, so why? Did the stars know something Lightrunner did not? Were they trying to tell her?

"Oh!"

Lightrunner jumped at the sound of another cat's voice, a marbled blue-and-red she-cat standing a short distance away. It seemed like the molly had only just noticed her presence.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt," The she-cat purred awkwardly, glancing up at the cloud formation above. "That's some interesting weather, huh? Were you asking the star-cats about it?"

"Star cats..?" Lightrunner furrowed her brow, puzzled.

"Yeah, the uh, star cats!" The strange molly raised a paw, gesturing at the sky. "My sister says they're up there, sometimes they... talk to her, or something? You travelers are about as weird as her, so I figured she might've told you?"

"...No, she... she hadn't."

Lightrunner felt cold under her paws at the strange cat's words. Was she speaking about StarClan? How would outsiders know about StarClan, unless..? "...Do you mind if I speak with her for a bit? Your sister? I'd love to learn more."

"Sure!" The stranger seemed completely unfazed by the sudden request, twitching her whiskers. "My name's Pepper! And my sister is Lyla. I think she's still inside, let me go get her!" "Um, yes! Please do."

As the she-cat began to scurry off, Lightrunner began to wonder if she'd just gotten her lucky break.

┗━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━┛

The patrol meets two she-cats named Pepper and Lyla. Both seem to know something about StarClan, despite neither having clan origins.

After speaking with the sisters, the two agree to return to camp with the patrol.

Over the course of the expedition, Lightrunner and Briarclaw become Best Friends.

The weather is cold. Lakes and ponds are beginning to freeze over, preventing cats from fishing as frequently.

Meanwhile, back home...

Honeypurr reveals to Skunktooth that she is expecting his kits!

Skunktooth is both ecstatic and terrified at the news.

Skunktooth exhausts himself trying to hunt enough to feed both Magickit and Honeypurr.

Skunktooth catches a Honeypot Ant and makes it a point to present it to his mate. She finds the coincidence very amusing.

[alphareleasemedia]

Daily Drabble Project Feb 12-19

2/12/23 It was a difficult time for everybody, but they all made the best of it that they could. No one wanted to talk about the incident but there was no pretending that it hadn't happened. George had stolen Michael's pickles and there was no getting around it. George didn't even try to deny it. He was very blatant about the whole thing, claiming that it was what it was. Michael didn't have much to say himself. He tried to pretend that he was okay, saying that he didn't even like pickles anyway, but we all knew that was a lie.

2/13/23 Penny jumped up and down vaguely in time with the music alongside about 50 other young adults. They were all crowded into a darkened gym lined with tables full of snacks and punch crowded by the weary and the wallflowers. Penny had been enjoying the evening so far, but things were about to take a turn. The next song started and from the first notes the dance floor turned to chaos. Many were unprepared for the frenzy overtaking them. Those trampled by the enthusiastic dancers were left with only two questions: Where did you come from? Where did you go?

2/14/23 It was an ordinary day. Jason was building a tower out of matchsticks. Just as he was placing the last matchstick the door slammed open suddenly and the whole tower fell over. It was Carlos. Someone had stolen the Star Gems. Jason was on his feet in an instant. He and Carlos rushed from the room. They had to find the gems. They searched everywhere and at last they found them. Dr. Caribou had taken the Star Gems. He needed them to power his space laser. Jason and Carlos stopped him. They recovered the gems. It was an ordinary day.

2/15/23 I think I might be losing my mind. Just a little. But the fact that I'm aware that I might be going crazy means I haven't lost it completely. Right? That's what they say, isn't it? Real crazy people don't know that they're crazy, so if I can see that I'm starting to go crazy then I'm not really crazy. Yeah. Not crazy yet. But heading that way. If I'm not careful. But I am careful. I know I'm going crazy so I also know that I'm not crazy. See? It makes perfect sense. What was I talking about again?

2/16/23 They had to be sneaky. There was no telling who could be watching. The two of them moved as stealthily through the building as they could. With their skills it wasn't difficult to be nearly silent as they worked their way towards their goal. They kept low and moved quickly. The faster they could get in and out the more likely their mission would be successful. At last they laid eyes on the target. The two jumped onto the counter together. But before they could even sniff the ham sandwich they hunted, the plate was hastily snatched away from them.

2/17/23 Sally sang to herself as she swung back and forth on the swing. It was a pleasant day; the sun was shining out of a blue sky with fluffy white clouds drifting idly by. The swing set was in the shade of a large oak tree. Its looming branches swayed softly in the slight breeze that was rustling the air. Sally continued to swing with not a care in the world. She'd had a nice big breakfast, and nowhere else to be for the rest of the day. Sally was content to spend the whole day there on the swing.

2/18/23 Lyla ran through the hedge maze with her right-hand brushing against the leaves as she went. There was no method to her run, she navigated the maze with no thought to finding the exit, merely running about according to her whims. The sky was overcast overhead, a uniform grey to match the uniform green of the maze. Deep shadows stretched across the path casting an eerie feel over the maze. Lyla ran on anyway, unbothered by the darkness. She turned a corner and found herself at the center of the maze. Lyla paused a moment before hurrying down another path.

2/19/23 Robin scrolled through the pictures on her digital camera. The view from the bleachers of West Hill High's football field wasn't the most amazing, but the sun was setting, and its golden rays cast the world in a far more aesthetically pleasing light than usual. Robin reached her most recent picture and had to smile. The boys were messing around down on the field. Still in uniform they were running increasingly ridiculous 'plays' to amusing results. Jason and Perry had carried Clyde on their shoulders while he tried to throw the ball down field. The picture captured the inevitable results.

[supergenial]

[translation+lyrics] Lyla and the Clouds Stars by Rigel Theatre

And now for a complete change of pace:

Yeah, sorry to disappoint you all but for once I actually quite like this angel girl (even though it’s actually the same one from the previous album, in fact she was already drawn with a dumb face like this on their website). Her expressions on the xfd video make her quite endearing. She looks goofy, like she’d actually laugh if you cracked a joke (I mean, she’d laugh a few minutes afterwards when she finally gets it, but still). I for one hope they keep this type of deformed faces, it’s just cute. Even the little fairy with her does faces too!

As for the album, well imma be honest: While Rigel was always a fantasy group with magic and stuff it still feels weird to hear them talk about swords and dragons and dinosaurs. They have a very different set of words on this album for sure. The standout track for me is probably one of the instrumental ones, L'Élan, I guess vocals can’t win all the time. Anyway, lyrics down below and see you all next time.

------------------------

Lyla and the Clouds Stars

Music: Rigel Theatre Vocals: ミーウェル

kaze to kumo no umi tadayou sora to ryuu no rakuen ten wo tsuranuku tou no moto tsunobu narihibiku kagayaku hoshiboshi no aachi nozomu zemuriya no tsuki tasogare no taiyou no moto hoshi no kan utsushidasu

Drifting through the sea of clouds and winds, a paradise of skies and dragons A horn can be heard coming from a tower that pierces the sky A shining arch of stars marks the moon of Zemuria From the twilit sun a crown of stars emerges

utae...

Singing...

sha-la-la-la kazetachi yo sha-la-la-la kumo no hazama wo kakenukete yuke Ah... sha-la-la-la ryuutachi yo sha-la-la-la ankoku no sora koeteyuke

Sha-la-la-la the winds Sha-la-la-la the gaps between clouds Rushing through them Ah... Sha-la-la-la the dragons Sha-la-la-la the darkened sky Going further beyond it

tooi kokoku nageki kake kataritsugu zemuriya no sora no uta

Grieving for the distant homeland passing down the songs of Zemuria's skies

kano eigou no han'ei ni hisomu senka no jubaku yami no rairyuu to nari sora wo ooi kakusu gin'iro no yokuryuu wo karu zemuriya no hoshihime tentei no tsurugi wo totte shukumei tachimukau

It's eternal glory has been threatened by the curse of war The thundering dragon of darkness has blackened these skies The star princess of Zemuria rides a silver dragon Taking the emperor's sword to stand against fate

utae... sha-la-la-la taiyou ga sha-la-la-la kumo no umi he to shizumikomu Ah... sha-la-la-la yousei to sha-la-la-la tenshi no tabi wo michibiku

Singing... Sha-la-la-la the sun Sha-la-la-la sinks into the sea of clouds Ah... Sha-la-la-la the fairies Sha-la-la-la guide the journey of the angels

sora no kuni wo kanashii kioku no moto he

Towards the sorrowful memories of the sky kingdom

utae... (sora no kanata he... todoke kokoku no uta) sha-la-la-la kazetachi yo sha-la-la-la kumo no hazama wo kakenukete yuke

Singing... (To the edges of the sky... delivering the homeland's song) Sha-la-la-la the wind Sha-la-la-la the gaps between the clouds Rushing through them

Ah... (kumo wo koe) sha-la-la-la ryuutachi yo sha-la-la-la ankoku no sora koeteyuke

Ah... (Going beyond the clouds) Sha-la-la-la the dragons Sha-la-la-la the darkened sky Go beyond it

tooi kokoku nageki kake kataritsugu zemuriya no sora no uta

Grieving for the distant homeland passing down the songs of Zemuria's skies

----------------------------------------

Nebeskazemlja

Music: Rigel Theatre Vocals: ミーウェル

kumo no kuni kakeru uruwashii himegimi aisuru kioku kokoro ni tojikomete ubawareta kokoku torimodosu tame tsurugi totte tatakai ni nozomu

The beautiful princess rushes through the clouds Keeping her beloved memories in her heart To take back her stolen homeland She grips her sword and fights on

arashi ni nemuru gin'iro no yokuryuu sora no kanata wo mitsumeru sono hitomi tada hitotsu utsurou toki no unmei shinobi himegimi no kokoro yorisou

The silver dragon rests through the storm Eyes fixed on the edge of the sky The only one, reminiscing on times passed With a heart growing fonder of the princess

NANANA... NANANA...

kumo wo koete haruka na kokoku wo mezashite tasogare no uzu ni tobikomu

Overcoming the clouds and reaching for the distant homeland Flying through the vortex of twilight

yuuhi somaru watari tori no mure ga hoshizora meguru hikari no wa wo moguri ima wa naki kokoku no omoide wo hakobi kanashiku wakare tsugeru

The flocks of birds are bathed in sunlight The ring of light swirls through the starry sky Carrying the memories of the bygone homeland She sadly bids her farewell

------------------------------------

Nephele

Music: 有村京悟 Vocals: ミーウェル

nagai maboroshi wo itsu no hi kara samezu miteita madoromi to kitsukanu mama

A drawn out vision from a certain day Looking at it, incapable of waking up And not noticing it's a dream

owari hajimari wa itsumo setsuna ni yahan no akatsuki kirameki ga omoi okosu

Beginnings and endings go by so quickly A spark at midnight's dawn makes me reminisce

kagayaku hikari sekai he to kaeritai musuu no akari ni michibikare susumu no mabushii yume no daichi he to kaeru toki anata wa soko de warande todokete kuremasuka

I want to go back to that shining world of light Countless lights lead me back to it Upon returning to the land of shining dreams You'll be there laughing for me Won't you do that for me?

-------------------------------------

Noesis

Music and Vocals: ミーウェル

mou furikaeru mo inishie no chi wa miezu ni aa nagashita namida karehateta toki ni

Not looking back any more, the land of beginnings can't be seen The tears which have ran their course have dried too

itsumade kako torawareta mama susumenai nara

If you're always caught up in the past incapable of moving on

tatazumu koto osorezu hitomi wo tojitara tachitsukusu koto sae mo chikara wo yonde kureru kara

Stand fearless even if your eyes are closed Remain afoot and gather your strength

itsumade kako torawareta mama susumenai nara

If you're always caught up in the past incapable of moving on

tatakau koto osorezu hitomi wo hiraite tachiagaru koto sae mo chikara wo ataete kureru to

Don't be afraid to fight and open those eyes Remain afoot and gather your strength

shinjite anata no naka hikari ga sasu mirai tachiagaru anata ni mo chi kara mo ataete kureru to

Keep on believing on the bright future within you If you can keep on standing, that will fill you with power

----------------------

Once again, the real mvp here is  Suzuoka Hitsuji for hooking me up with the good stuff (that is: jp lyrics for the songs).

Also quite unusual for me but here’s a TL note: I refer to it as a dragon but yokuryuu would normally translate into pterosaur, I just think the word looks so weird I could not bring myself to throw it into the text, but I mean, it is what it is. We don’t exactly see a picture of the girl riding a pterodactyl so given that regular dragons are already in the work, I might as well take the liberty, go ahead and cancel me on twitter.

Also, from the website: Yes it’s the same Lyla from last time, but the little fairy next to her is called Aludra, they actually met in the previous album. She’s a fairy of memories and they are besties. As you’ve already inferred in this album they view/visit the epic memory of a cloud planet (called Nebeskazemlja) that met with tragedy, and our little Lyla is stuck with the choice of whether to interfere or remain an impartial observer as she was supposed to. Oh what a pickle.

[leafvy]

𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

here’s a list of short names to coincide with my long names list :)

[ disclaimer: my sincere apologies if there are any spelling/meaning/origin mistakes in any of my name lists, i am by no means a professional in this area, i just like creating lists to help aid storytellers. i do try my best to find each name’s corresponding origin/meaning/spelling but i am a human who is prone to make the odd mistake. p.s, i take requests! ]

Female

Ada - German - First born female

Ali - Arabic - High, elevated, champion

Amy - French/Latin - Beloved

Anne - Latin/Hebrew - Favour, grace

Aria - Hebrew/Italian - Air, song, melody

Aura - Latin/Greek - Wind

Ava - Latin - Bird-like

Aya - German/Japanese/Hebrew - Sword, colourful, beautiful, bird

Ayn - Hebrew/Finnish/Russian - God has favoured me, grace, eye

Bay - English/French - Auburn-haired

Bea - Latin - Bringer of happiness

Beau - French - Beautiful, handsome

Belle - French - Beautiful

Bia - Latin/Italian - White, fair

Bindi - Noongar - Butterfly

Blair - Scottish - Plain, meadow, field

Blanche - French - White

Blythe - English - Joyous, kind, cheerful

Bree - Irish - Exalted one, strength

Briar - English - Bush of wild roses

Brook - English - Small stream

Bryn - Welsh - Hill

Buffy - Hebrew - Diminutive of Elizabeth, my god is an oath

Cara - Latin - Dear friend

Chloe - Greek - Blooming, fertility

Cia - Greek/Hebrew - Light,

Clair - French - Bright, clear

Coco - Portuguese/Spanish - Diminutive of Socorro, help, relief

Cora - Greek - Maiden, girl, daughter

Cove - English - Small coastal inlet

Dara - Hebrew/Irish - Pearl of wisdom, gift, compassion

Dawn - English - Sunrise

Doe - English - Female deer

Dot - Greek - Diminutive of Dorothy, gift of god

Dove - English - A bird

Eden - Hebrew - Delight

Edie - English - Prosperous in war

Ella - Greek/Norman/Hebrew/German/Spanish - Beautiful, fairy maiden, goddess

Elle - French - She

Elm - English - Elm tree

Elsa - Scandinavian - Joyful, Noble, god is my oath

Emi - Japanese - Blessed, favour, beautiful

Emma - Germanic - Whole, universal

Erin - Irish - Peace, from the island to the west

Esmé - French/Persian - Esteemed, beloved, emerald

Etta - Latin - Of noble birth

Eva - Hebrew - Giver of life

Eve - Hebrew - Giver of life

Faith - Latin - Confidence, trust, belief

Faye - French - Fairy

Fern - English - Green shade-loving plant

Fiona - Gaelic/Scottish - White, fair

Fleur - French - Flower

Flo - Latin - Flowering, flourishing

Gia - Italian - God’s gracious gift

Grace - Latin - Gracious

Greta - Greek/German/Persian - Pearl

Gwen - Welsh - White, holy

Hope - English - Desire of fulfillment

Ida - Scandinavian - Labour, work

Isla - Scottish/Gaelic/Spanish - Island

Ivy - English - Fidelity

Jade - Spanish - Stone of the colic, precious gemstone

Jae - Korean - Ability, talent

Jane - English - God is gracious

Jessie - Hebrew - He sees

Jill - Latin/English - Child of the God’s, youthful

Joan - Hebrew - God is gracious

Joy - English - Happiness, joyful

June - Latin - Born in June

Juno - Latin - Queen of heaven

Kai - Hawaiian/Japanese - Sea, ocean, shell, restoration, recovery

Kat - English/Greek - Clean, pure

Kate - English/Latin/Greek - Clean, pure

Kim - English/Korean/Chinese/Vietnamese - Gift of God, gold

Kira - Russian/Japanese/Persian/Greek - Mistress, ruler, leader of the people, beloved, light

Kyla - Hebrew/English/Scottish - Narrow channel

Lacy - English/Latin/French - Lace, cheerful, unbridled

Lake - English - Body of water

Lana - Slavic/Gaelic - Little rock, light

Lark - English - Songbird

Lea - Hebrew/English - Delicate, weary, meadow

Leda - Greek - Woman

Leigh - English - Delicate, meadow

Lia - Greek - Bearer of good news

Lily - English/Latin/Greek - Pure, passion, flower

Lisa - Hebrew - God’s promise

Liv - Norse - Shelter, protection, life

Lois - Greek - Superior

Lucy - English/Latin - Light

Lula - German/English - Famous warrior

Luna - Italian/Spanish/Latin - Moon

Lux - Latin - Light

Luz - Portuguese/Spanish - Light

Lyla - Arabic - Night

Mae - French/Latin - Month of May

Maeve - Irish/Gaelic - Intoxicating

Mara - Hebrew - Bitter, strength

Mary - Aramaic/Latin/Hebrew/Greek - Bitter, beloved, rebellious, marine, drop of the sea

Maude - German/French/Hebrew - Powerful battler

May - English - Month of May

Meg - Greek - Pearl

Mia - Scandinavian - Of the sea, bitter

Mila - Slavic - Gracious, dear

Mina - German - Love

Mira - Latin/Slavic - Wonder, wonderful, peace

Moon - English - The moon

Mya - Greek/Arabic/German/Persian - Sea of bitterness

Nelly - Greek - Light

Nia - Gaelic/Swahili - Lustrous, goal, purpose, resolve, brilliance

Nina - Spanish/Hebrew/Russian/Babylonian - Enclosure of fish, little girl

Noa - Hebrew - Motion

Nora - Irish/Latin/Arabic - Honour, light

Nova - Latin - New

Nya - Swahili/Gaelic - Purpose

Opal - Sanskrit - Gem

Ora - Latin - Pray

Paige - Latin/Greek - Assistant

Paris - Latin/Greek - Pouch, wallet

Pearl - Latin/English - Smooth round bead formed by a mollusk

Pia - Latin - Pious, reverent

Pixie - Celtic/Swedish/Cornish - Fairy

Quinn - Irish/Gaelic - Counsel

Rae - Hebrew - Ewe, female sheep

Rain - English - Rain

Reese - Welsh - Ardent, fiery

Remi - French - Oarsman

Ren - Japanese - Water lily, lotus

Rita - Spanish - Pearl

Rose - Latin - Flower

Ruby - Latin - Red gemstone

Rue - English/Greek - Regret, herb

Ruth - Hebrew - Friend

Sadie - Hebrew - Princess

Sage - Latin - Wise

Shae - Gaelic/Irish - Admirable, full of majesty

Sky - Norse - Cloud, scholar

Sloan - Irish/Gaelic - Warrior

Sue - Hebrew - Lily

Suzy - Hebrew - Lily

Tara - Sanskrit - Star

Tate - English/Norse - Cheerful

Taya - Japanese - Young

Tess - English/Greek - To harvest, to reap

Teva - Hebrew - Nature

Thea - Greek - Goddess

Tia - Spanish - Aunt

Uma - Hebrew/Sanskrit - Nation

Una - Irish - The personification of truth, beauty and unity

Velma - German - Determined protector

Vera - Slavic - Faith

Wren - English - Small bird

Zara - Arabic - Radiance

Zelda - German - Grey fighting maid

Zia - Arabic - Light

Zoe - Greek - Life

Zuri - Swahili - Beautiful

Male

Ace - Latin - One; unity

Amir - Arabic/Persian/Hebrew - Prince, chief, immortal

Araz - Arabic - Provisions, commodities

Arik - Norse - Eternal ruler

Arlo - English - Fortified hill

Arris - Greek -Best

Asa - Hebrew/Japanese - Healer, physician, born in the morning

Ash - English - Ash tree

Atlas - Greek - To carry

Axel - Hebrew - Father is peace

Bane - Slavic - Glorious defender

Bear - French/German - As strong and brave as a Bear

Beau - French - Beautiful

Beck - Norse - Small stream

Blaire - Scottish/Gaelic - Plain, field

Blake - English - Fair-haired, dark

Bodhi - Sanskrit - Awakening, enlightenment

Bolt - English - Bar, arrow

Bran - Scottish/Irish/Gaelic - Bramble, thicket of wild gorse

Brock - English/Celtic - Badger-like

Brody - Scottish - Broad eye, broad island

Bron - English - Son of a dark man

Buck - English - Male deer

Cade - English - Round, barrel

Cain - Hebrew - Something produced, spear

Cash - English/Latin - Hollow

Chase - English/French - To catch, to seize, hunter, huntsman

Clark - English - Scribe, secretary

Cody - English - Helpful, pillow

Cole - English - Swarthy, coal-black, charcoal

Colt - English - Young horse

Crew - Latin - Chariot

Dane - English - From Denmark

Dax - French - Leader

Dean - English - Valley

Drake - English - Dragon, snake

Duke - English - Leader, son of Marmaduke

Eden - Hebrew - Place of pleasure, delight

Eli - Hebrew - Ascent

Evan - Welsh - Youth, young warrior

Ezra - Hebrew - Help, helper

Felix - Latin - Happy, lucky

Fig - English - Fruit

Finn - Norse/Irish - Finn, Sámi, white, fair

Fox - English - Cunning, sly

Gage - French - One who is defiant

Gale - English/Greek - Jovial, tranquil

Grant - English/Gaelic - Tall, big

Grey - English - Grey-haired

Guy - French - Guide, leader

Heath - English - Someone who lives by a moor or heath

Hugh - English/French/Germanic - Mind, spirit

Ian - Scottish - The Lord is gracious

Ike -Hebrew - Laughter

Iker - Basque - Visitation

Jack - English - God is gracious, supplanter

Jax - English - God is gracious

Jay - Latin - Bird in the crow family

Jeb - Hebrew - Beloved friend

Jed - Hebrew - Beloved of God

Jet -English - Black, airplane

Jody - English/Hebrew - Jehovah increases

Jon - Hebrew - God is gracious

Joss - German - One of the Goths

Jovi - Latin - Father of the sky

Judd - English - To flow down

Jude - Greek - Praised

Kade - Scottish - From the wetlands

Kai - Hawaiian/Japanese - Sea, ocean, shell, restoration, recovery

Kiam - Unknown - Unknown

King - English - Monarch

Kit - Greek - Bearing Christ

Knox - Scottish/English - Hillock, round-topped hill

Koa - Hawaiian - Warrior, brave one

Kye - Welsh/Scandinavian/Gaelic/Greek - Keeper of the keys, earth, narrow, straight

Kylo - Latin - Sky

Lane - English - Small roadway or path

Lars - Latin/Scandinavian - From Laurentum, crowned with laurel

Leif - Scandinavian - Heir, descendent, beloved

Leo - Latin/Greek - Lion

Leon - Latin/Greek/French - Lion, son of a Lion

Levi - Hebrew - Joining, attached

Luka - Italy/Slavic - A person from Lucania

Luke - Latin - The bright one, the one born at dawn

Max - Latin - The greatest

Milo - German - Soldier, merciful

Nash - English - By the ash tree

Neo - Latin - New, gift

Nico - Greek - People of victory

Noah - Hebrew - To comfort

Oak - English - Oak tree

Otis - German/English - Wealth, son of Otto

Pax - Latin - Peaceful

Piet - Dutch - Rock

Pike - English - A person who lives on a sharp hill

Poe - English - Peacock

Quana - Native American - Aromatic

Ray - English/German - Counsel, mighty protection, guards wisely

Reed - English - Red-haired

Remi - French - Oarsman

Ren - Japanese - Water lily, lotus

Rhett - English/Dutch - Advice

Roan - Gaelic - Little red-head

Rory - Irish - Red-haired King

Ross - Gaelic - Promontory, headland

Roth - English/German - Red, wood, renown

Roy - Gaelic - Red

Rudy - German - Famous Wolf

Ryan - Irish - Little King, illustrious

Saint - English - Holy person

Saul - Hebrew - Ask, question

Sid - French/English - Wide meadow

Slade - English - Valley

Tate - Norse - Cheerful

Teo - Spanish - God

Tim - English - One who honours God

Toby - English - God is good

Torin - Gaelic - Chief

Troy - Irish - Descendent of a foot-soldier

Tye - English - Someone who lived near a pasture

West - English - Western stream

Wolf - German - Travelling Wolf

Zane - Hebrew - God is gracious

Zeke - Hebrew - God strengthens

Zen - Japanese - Peace

Zev - Hebrew - Wolf

[twsted-princess]

⌛ for any

🐇for any

Can do!!! Slight mention of Mari and Pan who belong to @multydoodles

Rubina woke up to the sound of thumping against wood. The sun was high in the sky and puffy white clouds rolled pass as she came to her surroundings. Rolling fields and mountains, flowers that appear to look like stars sprinkled throughout the plains as leaves fell around her. This certainly was not the theater at school. She was just taking a break and now she's in a new land, this wasn't right at all. Her thoughts cut off when a brightly colored apple fell behind her causing her to squeak. The thumping stop and she heard feet crunching the grass as they approached her. Picking the apple up she turned around to see.......Metaron. Yes that had to be him. Same dark blue and black hair. Same golden eyes. But now he was smaller, his hair was long and messy and he was covered in bruises. His attire was different too, now he was wearing red clothes and was sporting a crest that looked similar to the one Dean would always flash. But it wasn't long before the young boy brandished his sword at her. "You're a trespasser. By order of the royal family of Popu-Land surrender your weapon if you have any." Quickly she placed her hands up, showing she had nothing on her. This was going to need explaining.

"Pet? Sweetie? It's time to get up." Petva groans and rolled over in bed muttering "Five more minutes...." They then heard a giggle as the voice was more clearer. "Pet-Pet it's been ten minutes. Marianne's making breakfast and if you don't wake up Pan's gonna eat it." That was....Lyla? Petva opened their eyes as the sun casted a glow over the woman leaning over them. Yup, it was Lyla but she looked....even more gorgeous. She was wearing a light teal bathrobe that slightly revealed a loose shirt underneath. Her hair was longer and was she......pregnant? Lyla smiled, kissing their forehead. "Morning sleepyhead." Their eyes flickered over to her hand, yup, she was wearing a band with an emerald on her ring finger. 'Holy shit....I'm in the future."

[1mr34lb0r3drn]

Chapter Six

“Why are mornings such shit.” Lyla grumbles, quickly getting ready to book her way to the airport, this would actually be the first time in a few months that she would use her car which is sort of common in New York. She runs over her mental checklist in about ten seconds flat, checking off everything she has, finally making her way out of her apartment.

Jenna would have the key to her apartment so she would be able to take care of the dogs while she was gone, only having a three day break since Victoria would come around.

As she made it out to the underground parking lot and it’s dim lights, she decided to take a photo with her suitcase in hand, posting it to Instagram with the caption; "Cincinnati here I come!"

It was bound to get over three thousand likes within the first two hours, maybe even more since many are always hyped when she goes on tours. However this was just to stop in her home state and perform there, unlike her actual tour later that year in London, England, stretching to Berlin, Germany.

Those German lessons are about to totally pay off.

She chuckles at the thought after slamming her trunk shut, rushing over to the driver side and sliding in. Making her way to the airport.

As she makes her way down the highway she quickly overhears her phone that was in the passenger seat buzz to life non-stop. Many were probably liking her photo she sent out at legit four in the morning. Though her flight is at five, so why was she rushing? Well maybe it was that she forgot to set an alarm so Jenna calling her was the wake up she needed. Lyla still chuckles at their conversation over thirty minutes earlier, it was basically about if she was ready to go or not and rechecking things, making some jokes here and there.

That was definitely going to be a story for the show tomorrow.

The airport was in the distance as the night didn’t move an inch from where it sat over the horizon. It’s bright lights twinkled in the night sky, making it fairly glow and creating a nice fade to the clouds and stars.

It seems that Lyla was the only one on the road since there weren’t any cars around, she was tempted to do some Fast and Furious type bullshit but killed off the idea as she really didn’t want a ticket right now. So instead she starts speeding up a little and turning up her music which causally was set on Time of our lives by Pitbull and Ne Yo.

She thinks about over a thousand things, this car is usually where she comes up with Ideas for almost anything. Sometimes she would just take her laptop with her and sit in the back of her car, listening to music as a new story idea comes into mind. But one of the main things that was on her mind was Jenna.

Maybe it was the fear that she could wreck her precious apartment but that probably won’t happen, Victoria was more likely to but then that means she has to clean it up with getting no tech rights if she didn’t do it.

Lyla was sort of like a mom.

A short mom in fact, when she was younger her role in her friend groups was that she was either The Mom, The Crackhead, or The Therapist. Or just a mix of the three, but when she was the mom role she would live up to that role, fixing every problem that was in her power to fix, giving relationship advice to the others who were in love, since she out of everyone had the most experience, helping out with work here and there, and most of all, making sure things were due on time. Well, most of the time.

There were other times that she would just help people with their problems and give them advice and other times she would just be crazy and entertaining, just the way some of her friends like it.

When she pays her toll for her car to stay in the long term area she rushes to get her things and head inside, making sure she has her phone with her. As she locks her car and starts to walk towards the elevator, her hand grabs something from her coat pocket, it was a face-mask, one that they had to wear all the time during the pandemic that hit a few years back in 2020. By at least ’23 or ’24 they eradicated it and everything was mostly back to the way it used to be. Some even adopted the style of wearing a face-mask as a type of fashion which the girl found weird and gross. She hated face-masks with her entire life, loving it when she got to go outside for class when she was younger.

Stuffing the mask back into her pocket she gets to the elevator and stands there, waiting till her floor is reached. When the doors opened she quickly looked at her phone, the time displayed ‘4:43’ which means she has exactly seventeen minutes to get registered to board the plane, and customs shouldn’t take as long since they let her in because of her nexus card.

“Hey Lyla, are you leaving already?” Ian was one of the Nexus customs officers and someone that the girl was very close to.

“Ha, yep, leaving for my Ohio mini tour.”

“Alright, I know you don’t carry weapons on you but do you have anything else to declare?”

“How about you declare your love for your boyfriend.”

“Oh hush up.” Both of them chuckle with smiles as she passes through.

“And Ian!” Lyla shouts, the other perking his head towards her voice. “I’ll bring you and Evan another few rounds of buckeyes when I get back.” You could see the glee in his eyes as he cheered a little, pumping his fist in the air as he whispered happily.

Lyla turns back and starts to get onto the plane, finding her seat and sitting down, pulling out her headphones and plugging herself in for the next hour and twenty one minutes.

The first song to be played was Crush by Tessa Violet.

[doubleattitude]

JUMP Dance Convention, Baltimore, MD: RESULTS

High Scores by Age:

JUMPstart Solo:

1st: Natalie McCue-’In Your Head’

2nd: Ja’Khari May-’Kiss Kiss’

3rd: Parker Zaicko-’Dreams to Dream’

3rd: Sadie Cuiksa-’Pony Tail’

4th: Vivien Wease-’Here Comes The Sun’

5th: Harlin Davis-’Working Day and Night’

6th: Hadley Everson-’Confident’

7th: Zooey DeYoe-’Whip It’

8th: Isabelle Glanville-’Her Dream’

Mini Solo

1st: Ellie Melchior-’Function’

1st: Kya Massimino-’I Go Crazy’

1st: Barrett Robison-’Ping’

2nd: Camryn Studebaker-’When Everything Fades’

3rd: Katherine Khait-’Aura’

3rd: Lily Planck-’She’s A Lady’

4th: Arabella Keller-’Marathon’

4th: Mya Fernandez-’What A Wonderful World’

5th: Santiago Sosa-’Becoming’

6th: Melania Khait-’I Dreamed A Dream’

7th: Kendal Llaneza-’Come and Get Your Love’

8th: Parker Adair-’New Attitude’

8th: Farrah Long-’Say Something’

9th: Marina Snyder-’Big Time’

10th: Alex Wisniewski-’Carry You’

10th: Addison Bleicher-’Growing Pains’

10th: Lyla Norby-’Little Bird’

10th: Charlotte Hale-’The Little Ballerina’

Junior Solo

1st: Ava D’Ambrosio-’Remembrance’

1st: Cameron Voorhees-’Unplug’

2nd: Emmeline Gerardi-’In The Middle of This Nowhere’

3rd: Kate Riordan-’Absence’

3rd: Xyla Maddox-’Ain’t No Sunshine’

3rd: Ava Buckhalt-’Time After Time’

4th: Mariah Barbee-’Creation’

5th: Nadia Wilde-’Goodmorning Midnight’

5th: Nadia Gift-’Hound Dog’

5th: Francesa O’Brien-’The Stars’

6th: Scarlet Sperry-’In Roses’

6th: Addison Cullather-’Tangent’

7th: Lexi Pawelchak-’Red Violin’

7th: Natalie Hoffman-’She Remembers’

7th: Ava Leahey-’The White Light’

8th: Gabrielle Schetelich-’I Am Your Shadow’

8th: Daniella Sanchez-’Pulse’

8th: Lyla Ferguson-’Sincerely Jane’

8th: Bella Rose Penrose-’Spine’

9th: Luna Powell-’1977′

9th: Braelyn Ramseyer-’Clumsy’

9th: Evie Parish-’Fireflies’

9th: Chloe Hyatt-’Smokey Taboo’

10th: Camdyn Fry-’Arch Angel’

10th: Meriko King-’Dirty Diana’

10th: Madeline Anderson-’Eternally Yours’

10th: Sadie Ruane-’I Feel For You’

10th: Brooke Marshall-’Maybe We’ll See’

Teen Solo

1st: Ellen Grace Olansen-’Ghost’

2nd: Hannah Sullivan-’Exhale’

2nd: Ava Wease-’My Future’

2nd: Natalia Wazio-’The Gift’

3rd: Makenzie Hill-’Gimme All Your Love’

4th: Maddy Collins-’Distortion’

4th: Kennedi Washington-’Epilogue’

5th: Ava Carroll-’Are You Sure’

5th: Ayla Flowers-’The Waiting Room’

6th: Madison Marshall-’Icon’

6th: Elyse Wingertsahn-’Love Me Tender’

6th: Gillian Gordon-’Ungathered’

7th: Toryn Hester-’Freak On’

7th: Ava Paliotta-’I Would Give My Breath Away’

7th: Taylor Fry-’Moonlight’

7th: Logan Speer-’Tripped Out Slim’

8th: Victoria Reith-’Departures’

8th: Madelyn Beckman-’Vow’

8th: Nyah Lastrapes-’We Never Saw It Coming’

8th: Ava Raucci-’When Things Fall Apart’

9th: Shay Kaminski-’Love and Respect’

9th: Kate Petrilli-’Neglected Space’

10th: Lily Shirley-’Aloha Friday’

10th: Olivia Schetelich-’Elegy’

10th: Renee Bergeron-’Inside’

10th: Julissa Ortiz-’Never Knock’

10th: Olivia Bowman-’Valis’

Senior Solo

1st: Caden Hunter-’Bionic’

1st: Kayla Mak-’Tuesday’

2nd: Gionna D’Alessandro-’Wish You Were Here’

3rd: Emma Cook-’Unputdownable’

4th: Kylie Chamberlain-’For All We Know’

4th: Angelina Velardi-’Mercy’

4th: Paloma Santos-’My Baby Shot Me Down’

5th: Savannah Quiner-’Escape’

5th: Carly Futrick-’Seduces Me’

5th: Annalise Hofman-’She Comes and Goes’

5th: John Chappell-’Shell’

6th: Cassidy Reigel-’16 Tons’

6th: Raegan Himmelwright-’At Your Doorstep’

6th: Wesley Cloud-’Don’t Leave Me Now’

6th: Emma Simons-’Lilac Wine’

6th: Melina Dalton-’Mangos’

6th: Bayler Glenn-’Undertow’

6th: Brianna Brickerd-’We Were Sparkling’

7th: Sophie Verrecchia-’Passing Memory’

7th: Bethany Grzymala-’Wrong Direction’

8th: Yana Sologub-’A New Day’

8th: Cailey Solano-’Before My Time’

8th: Rayna Tyler-’Embraceable You’

8th: Annie Adams-’Lady’

8th: Lauren Mendes-’Machina’

9th: Breanna Ottinger-’Par Amour’

9th: Samantha Zgombic-’Woah’

10th: Taylor Mitcham-’Faith’

10th: Brooke Manchester-’Go’

JUMPstart Duo/Trio

1st: Valley Dance Theatre-’Together’

Mini Duo/Trio

1st: C-Unit Studio-’Rich Girls’

2nd: C-Unit Studio-’Rainbow’

3rd: C-Unit Studio-’Knock On Wood’

Junior Duo/Trio

1st: Turning Pointe Dance Academy-’Moonlight’

2nd: SI Dance LLC-’Small Leaf’

3rd: Turning Pointe Dance Academy-’Nightmare’

Teen Duo/Trio

1st: RPM Dance-’I Wish’

2nd: RPM Dance-’Friends’

3rd: Valley Dance Theatre-’MAY’

Senior Duo/Trio

1st: Prestige Academy of Dance-’New York is A Desert’

2nd: Savage Dance Company-’Fade Into You’

3rd: PowerUp Dance Center-’The Wisp Sings’

JUMPstart Group

1st: ZD Dance Academy-’Tutti Frutti’

2nd: ZD Dance Academy-’Who Let The Frogs Out’

Mini Group

1st: Encore Studio-’Uptown Girl’

2nd: Encore Studio-’Windowdipper’

3rd: C-Unit Studio-’On Fire’

Junior Group

1st: C-Unit Studio-’Bugaboo’

2nd: Denise Wall’s Dance Energy-’Song For A Friend’

3rd: C-Unit Studio-’Funkytown’

Teen Group

1st: Encore Studio-’Kinjabang’

2nd: Valley Dance Theatre-’Arms Outstretched’

3rd: PowerUp Dance Center-’Cessation’

3rd: C-Unit Studio-’Ladies’

Senior Group

1st: Denise Wall’s Dance Energy-’Fade’

2nd: Denise Wall’s Dance Energy-’I Feel Pretty Perplexed’

3rd: C-Unit Studio-’At 17, 20 & 27′

JUMPstart Line

1st: Encore Studio-’Conga’

Mini Line

1st: Encore Studio-’Truth’

2nd: Valley Dance Theatre-’Ease On Down’

Junior Line

1st: Encore Studio-’Turn to Stone’

2nd: Turning Pointe Dance Academy-’Seasons’

3rd: Denise Wall’s Dance Energy-’We Get’s Up’

Teen Line

1st: Denise Wall’s Dance Energy-’Mack the Knife’

2nd: C-Unit Studio-’Gimmie Dat’

3rd: Denise Wall’s Dance Energy-’House of Sails’

Senior Line

1st: Denise Wall’s Dance Energy-’After Dark’

2nd: Denise Wall’s Dance Energy-’Maybe It’s Just Me’

JUMPstart Extended Line

1st: ZD Dance Academy-’At The Playground’

Mini Extended Line

1st: Denise Wall’s Dance Energy-’I Just Wanna Be Happy’

2nd: Encore Studio-’Vibeology’

Junior Extended Line

1st: Denise Wall’s Dance Energy-’My Dearest Friend’

2nd: Encore Studio-’Ice Me Out’

Teen Extended Line

1st: C-Unit Studio-’Love Shack’

1st: Denise Wall’s Dance Energy-’Vibeology’

2nd: Denise Wall’s Dance Energy-’Still’

3rd: C-Unit Studio-’Wanted’

Teen Production

1st: Encore Studio-’Cardi’

2nd: RPM Dance-’Once On This Island’

High Scores by Performance Division:

JUMPstart Jazz

1st: Encore Studio-’Conga’

JUMPstart Hip-Hop

1st: ZD Dance Academy-’At The Playground’

JUMPstart Tap

1st: ZD Dance Academy-’Tutti Frutti’

JUMPstart Acro

1st: ZD Dance Academy-’Who Let The Frogs Out’

Mini Jazz

1st: Encore Studio-’Uptown Girl’ 2nd: Denise Wall’s Dance Energy-’I Just Wanna Be Happy’ 3rd: Encore Studio-’Vibeology’

Mini Hip-Hop

1st: C-Unit Studio-’On Fire’ 2nd: RPM Dance-’Unity’

Mini Tap

1st: RPM Dance-’Sunday Best’ 2nd: C-Unit Studio-’Happy’

Mini Contemporary

1st: Encore Studio-’Windowdipper’ 2nd: Encore Studio-’Truth’

Mini Musical Theatre

1st: Valley Dance Theatre-’Ease on Down’

Junior Jazz

1st: C-Unit Studio-’Funkytown’ 2nd: Encore Studio-’It’s About That Walk’ 3rd: Denise Wall’s Dance Energy-’We Get’s Up’

Junior Ballet

1st: Denise Wall’s Dance Energy-’Springtime Waltz’ 2nd: Turning Pointe Dance Academy-’Andante Affetuoso’

Junior Hip-Hop

1st: Encore Studio-’Ice Me Out’ 1st: C-Unit Studio-’Bugaboo’ 2nd: DanceWorx Dance Company-’Flawless’

Junior Tap

1st: Denise Wall’s Dance Energy-’My Dearest Friend’ 2nd: C-Unit Studio-’Love’

Junior Contemporary

1st: Encore Studio-’Turn to Stone’ 2nd: Turning Pointe Dance Academy-’Hound Dog’ 2nd: C-Unit Studio-’Rowboats’ 3rd: Turning Pointe Dance Academy-’Summer’

Junior Lyrical

1st: Denise Wall’s Dance Energy-’Song For A Friend’ 2nd: Turning Pointe Dance Academy-’Seasons’ 3rd: Turning Pointe Dance Academy-’I Will Always Love You’

Teen Jazz

1st: Denise Wall’s Dance Energy-’Vibeology’ 1st: C-Unit Studio-’Love Shack’ 2nd: Encore Studio-’Just Say’ 3rd: Encore Studio-’Shake and Pop’ 3rd: C-Unit Studio-’Ladies’

Teen Ballet

1st: Denise Wall’s Dance Energy-’Apres Minuit’

Teen Hip-Hop

1st: C-Unit Studio-’Gimmie Dat’ 2nd: C-Unit Studio-’Wanted’ 3rd: Denise Wall’s Dance Energy-’Tell ‘Em’ 3rd: Encore Studio-’Yikes’

Teen Tap

1st: Denise Wall’s Dance Energy-’House of Sails’ 2nd: Encore Studio-’Cardi’ 3rd: RPM Dance-’Only A Fool’

Teen Contemporary

1st: Encore Studio-’Kinjabang’ 2nd: Valley Dance Theatre-’Arms Outstretched’ 2nd: Encore Studio-’Sadness’ 3rd: Turning Pointe Dance Academy-’Eleanor Rigby’ 3rd: Encore Studio-’Awake’ 3rd: PowerUp Dance Center-’Cessation’

Teen Lyrical

1st: Denise Wall’s Dance Energy-’Still’ 2nd: Turning Pointe Dance Academy-’Vienna’ 3rd: Turning Pointe Dance Academy-’Jolene’

Teen Musical Theatre

1st: Denise Wall’s Dance Energy-’Mack the Knife’ 2nd: RPM Dance-’Hamilton’ 3rd: RPM Dance-’Once On This Island’

Teen Specialty

1st: C-Unit Studio-’Rhapsody In Black and White’ 2nd: Turning Pointe Dance Academy-’My Way’ 3rd: Turning Pointe Dance Academy-’Ghostbusters’

Senior Jazz

1st: Denise Wall’s Dance Energy-’Fade’ 1st: Denise Wall’s Dance Energy-’Maybe It’s Just Me’ 2nd: RPM Dance-’Trust’ 3rd: Show Tyme Academy-’What Kind of Man’

Senior Tap

1st: Denise Wall’s Dance Energy-’I Feel Pretty Perplexed’ 2nd: C-Unit Studio-’Don’t Stop Me Now’ 3rd: Ovations Studios-’Lean On’

Senior Contemporary

1st: Denise Wall’s Dance Energy-’After Dark’ 2nd: C-Unit Studio-’At 17, 20 & 27′ 3rd: Denise Wall’s Dance Energy-’All Those Things You Told Me To Wait For’

Senior Specialty

1st: Show Tyme Academy-’Only An Expert’ 2nd: DanceWorx Dance Company-’Dream State’

Best of JUMP:

JUMPstart

ZD Dance Academy-’At The Playground’

Encore Studio-’Conga’

Mini

C-Unit Studio-’On Fire’

Denise Wall’s Dance Energy-’I Just Wanna Be Happy’

Encore Studio-’Uptown Girl’

Junior

C-Unit Studio-’Bugaboo’

Encore Studio-’Ice Me Out’

Denise Wall’s Dance Energy-’My Dearest Friend’

Turning Pointe Dance Academy-’Seasons’

Teen

Denise Wall’s Dance Energy-’Mack the Knife’

Encore Studio-’Kinjabang’

Valley Dance Theatre-’Arms Outstretched’

PowerUp Dance Center-’Cessation’

RPM Dance-’Hamilton’

Turning Pointe Dance Academy-’Eleanor Rigby’

C-Unit Studio-’Gimmie Dat’

Senior

C-Unit Studio-’At 17, 20 & 27′

Denise Wall’s Dance Energy-’After Dark’

Best In Studio:

Turning Pointe Dance Academy-’Eleanor Rigby’

C-Unit Studio-’Gimmie Dat’

DanceWorx Dance Company-’Dear Anxiety’

Denise Wall’s Dance Energy-’After Dark’

Encore Studio-’Uptown Girl’

RPM Dance-’Hamilton’

Show Tyme Academy-’What Kind of Man’

[aethelflaedladyofmercia]

What Might Have Been - 16

@goodomenscelebration​ - themes prompts!

Read the full story on AO3!

Happy Good Omens Armageddoniversary! How many of these can I post in one day?

(For those who have not read previous sections: Kasbeel is our Aziraphale, trapped in another universe and going by a pseudonym. Crowley’s “mirror image” is his AU self.)

Far Future

Kasbeel hovered in the air, giving his report.

“The demonic army attempted to strike from the Scottish Highlands, reinforced by several thousand of the Marked soldiers. They were driven off by Matafiel’s troops. We believe there may be some still hidden far to the north, on the Outer Hebrides.”

“These names mean nothing to us,” said Tufriel, rolling his eyes towards his partner. “Some of these scouts are starting to go native.”

“Won’t be a problem much longer,” Bezaliel replied. “Never mind the demons, we’ll get an update further north. Is this land still free from the blight?”

“Yes, Dominion,” Kasbeel bobbed his head with the correct amount of deference. “The whole of the Peak District is believed to be the last area free of Abaddon’s curse anywhere on this island, though rumors persist of some clear ground in Ireland.”

“Are there any humans left on the islands?” Bezaliel asked.

“The Retrieval squads took ours and we cleared out the rest last month.” Tufriel crossed his arms. “If only this island were so easy to deal with. Still, if this is the only unblemished land, it’s probably where the humans will gather. Once they realize they can’t get in the city. We’ll keep watching it. Good work.”

“Thank you.” He held up his messenger tube, sealed and directed to Michael’s base camp in Cornwall. “I will need to continue south with this. Do you have any details to add?”

“Only that I thought we’d be finished by now. Seven damn years of this. How much longer is it supposed to go on, anyway?”

Bezaliel grinned hungrily. “Not much more. Our offensive should begin in a little less than a month.” A wink towards the dutiful scout. “Keep an eye on the sky, tonight or tomorrow. Things are starting to happen.”

Kasbeel saluted, and the other two returned to their patrol. When they were well out of sight, he landed on a bare rock outcrop and hummed. Not with his lips; his wings vibrated, creating a single, perfect tone, echoing off the stones of the Peaks.

The humans began emerging from their hiding spots almost immediately, secreted behind stones or in deceptive hollows. Mostly teenagers, a few older, many younger, about half with a Mark upon their faces. They gathered around the angel, moving silently on the grass and moss.

It took nearly an hour for all to arrive. Kasbeel’s group of wanderers now numbered in the hundreds.

“Doesn’t sound like we’re going to be safe up here much longer,” Lyla said, without preamble. “Probably should have left last week, like I said.”

“Perhaps,” Kasbeel conceded, waving his arm to miracle up some food. It wasn’t much. Loaves of bread, potatoes, carrots. A little bit of meat, but he couldn’t produce anywhere near enough for a group this large. “But if we’d left then, Jennifer, Mickey and Ollie wouldn’t have found us.” At only five years old, Ollie was the youngest they’d taken in.

“Fine.” Lyla counted out the servings of meat and checked her list. “Group six gets the meat tonight. Only group six, Alex, I know that doesn’t include you.” She turned back to the angel who led them. “But we leave tonight.”

“Agreed.” He sighed, looking around the tumbling rocks one more time. “We’ll have to move quickly. This was a good hiding place. We won’t find another place this convenient, or this safe.”

“Where to, then?” Lyla grabbed Alex’s wrist, sending the thirteen-year-old over to the bread line. “Ireland? I don’t know how we’ll cross the sea, but it sounds like they’ve stopped looking there.”

Kasbeel pursed his lips. “Have you given up on finding New Eden, then?”

She spun towards him, fury in her eyes. “You know I haven’t. But it could be anywhere in the world! How the hell are we ever going to find it? We’ve barely searched half of England in over three years.”

He winced. “Three years, four months, six days,” he muttered. It was a very, very long time to go without hearing from Crowley. He’d tried contacting the demon in his dreams, over and over. He was here. He could sense that. But nothing else. “It’s in England. It must be. One of the patrols told me…Aziraphale,” he hesitated over the name, as always, “chose the location himself. He wouldn’t pick anywhere other than England.”

“Your double.” Lyla sat down next to him. She had grown, in the last three years, her hair getting long, her clothing replaced by whatever they could loot in half-abandoned cities, as was the case for all Kasbeel’s wards. Even her newest shirt was threadbare, the colors faded, as if the inanimate objects of the world had ceased to care. “You never told me what the deal was with you two.”

“No. I think it would be rather too much for you to understand.”

“Kasbeel, the world is ending. The ground is cursed. And I spend half my time talking to a rogue angel. What could possibly be weird at this point?”

He smiled. “My child, you haven’t the first idea.” He smoothed his hands down his jacket, then realized he was still in his scout uniform. A wave of his fingers turned it back to the familiar suit, bowtie and all. “Still, if you like, I can bring you all to Ireland before I continue my search. It should only take a few days to reach the coast, even with the young ones. After that…” he hesitated. Miracle up a giant ship? And how to make sure it landed somewhere unblighted?

“You know we won’t last a day without you,” Lyla sighed. “Wherever you’re going, you’re stuck with us.”

He turned back to the crowd that he had slowly gathered across the years. Orphans. Renegades. Many of them troublemakers who had been thrown out of the gangs they thought would protect them, others the only survivors by angelic or demonic attack. Exhausted, half-malnourished, so worn and dirty as to almost blend in with the rocks around them.

But not afraid. Of all the people left in the world, and Kasbeel feared there were not many, these few hundred slept safely at night, under the watch of an angel.

His godchildren.

“My dear Lyla, I wouldn’t have it any other way.” He settled down on a rock that conveniently grew to about the size of an armchair, with a thick cushion of moss.

She rolled her eyes at him. “How is it even out here, you manage to pamper yourself?”

“Millennia of practice. Now, what do you say we try for London again? It’s a risk, with all the patrols, but it may be the only place large enough to hide this many.”

“Assuming we can get in.”

“Assuming so, yes,” he said, gazing across the crowd. “And it sounds like there are many angels gathered in the south. But If I’m right about the wall of energy surrounding the city, I may know how to cross it.”

“And you still think your friend might be there.”

Kasbeel nodded. “I can’t imagine where else he might be. He should have contacted me by now, but they say no messages can get out of London. But, still, I would think–”

A cry went up from the gathered crowd, a scream of fear, echoed by person after person. “The sky!” Someone shouted, pointing. “The clouds are parting!”

In an instant, Kasbeel was on his feet, wings spread. He should have heard the trumpets, sensed the angels long before they parted the clouds – he had spent months honing his senses, in order to protect his charges. He braced himself for the orders that would arrive in his mind; if the Guardian of Humanity were among them, it would be difficult to resist…

Nothing came.

Instead, the clouds simply drifted apart, faster and faster, not a small parting but the whole sky, revealing the fading blue of twilight, deepening to black. Stars pierced the sky, just a few at first, but each bright as a jewel, clearer than he could ever remember them being, even in Heaven.

“Oh my God…” Lyla whispered, stepping next to him. “It’s clear. It hasn’t been clear since…since the war…I was a kid…”

Another star seemed to burst into view, white and shining, and Kasbeel fell to his knees, remembering…remembering a cottage in the South Downs, a blanket in the back garden, laying on his back and watching them arrive, while next to him…next to him…

That one’s Regulus. Not one of mine, Angel, that was some snooty wanker who thought he was so clever just because he could get four stars to orbit each other. And over there is Arcturus. Also technically not mine, but I had this really great idea and I needed a red giant to test it out on. It worked, by the way, so keep an eye out for a helium flash in the next thousand years or so…

It hurt, like being pierced by a spear, like being torn apart. He reached out a hand, grasping, wishing to feel Crowley, lying at his left side, as he always was, his protector, his partner, his friend…

A small hand caught his, wrapping around his fingers. He turned, blinking tears from his eyes, to see Lyla, kneeling beside him. A moment later the others started gathering around. Mickey, Rahima, Alex, Lochlan, Mariah, Amiyah, Dominic, Ollie, and so many more.

“Look,” Kasbeel said, pointing at the sky. “That star there. That’s Regulus. And over there…that one is named Arcturus…”

--

Far away, in a cell that seemed to exist in its own bubble far from anything else, Crowley snapped awake, emerging from a dream that was slightly less painful than reality.

Something had changed.

He could feel it, deep inside. Something that had been missing, suddenly returned.

“It’s the stars,” said his mirror image, across the cell. Shoftiel had left them both in their human bodies this time. The manacles that held their wrists – Crowley’s left, his mirror image’s right – were too short to lay down comfortably, so they both sprawled against their walls.

They didn’t talk much. The secrets they held were the only things keeping them alive. So they simply existed, here, together, witnessing each other’s pain and humiliation, waiting for their own turns. It bonded them in ways conversation never could.

“The sky is clear again,” the mirror image continued, looking up at the ceiling, lost to the dark above. “I wish I could see it.”

“Yeah,” Crowley said, allowing himself to remember a night on a blanket in a garden, just for a moment. “Me, too.”

“Not long now,” the mirror image said. “Seven years. That’s all it ever was.” His eyes met Crowley’s, and they were full of fear. They couldn’t hide their emotions without the glasses, and that was one thing they were never allowed. “If the stars are back, time’s nearly up.”

“So they’ve…learned everything?” It wasn’t something they asked each other. But if it was the end, Crowley wanted to know.

“Just one secret left.” The mirror image rolled his head, with a broken version of Crowley’s smile. “How to get into London.”

[heartsunholy]

@soulcluster​ said: 🎰 for our mutual fandoms/any you're interested in

generated dynamics // accepting

Quick note, I’m super interested in your Fire Emblem muses but I haven’t included them in this purely because I haven’t played any of the games and know very little about it or how to fit my muses in but! Fave games in the series would be appreciated as rec’s! Same with Dragon Age and Tomb Raider some of your other video game muses but those I think would be easier for crossovers, even with my lack of knowledge. 

1. Anastasia Tremaine and Lyla Heartilly

Okay so firstly, I haven’t played any HM game much - I tried one on an emulator and tried one on my 3ds but was so bored - but may I just say: Lyla? Baby. Anastasia is not nearly as baby but she tries her best. And the idea of some verse where she manages to run away from her mother’s abuse, to a sleepy little town, and makes friends with a sweet florist and gets to open up? Maybe smooch? Truly iconic

2. Diana Tremaine and Gamora

Icb I’m getting two Tremaines in a row, like I have 5 but that’s still only a tenth of my muse list lmao. I don’t have a superhero verse for Diana but she is a pirate in her main verse so maybe some sort? intergalactic smuggler type deal? I’m not entirely certain but my brain said mentor/mentee and it’s such a good aesthetic

3. Harriet Hook and Eric Casiano

Another mentor/mentee type dynamic! Harriet in her canon is the daughter of Captain Hook, and is actually Diana’s captain! Harriet doesn’t exactly have a fantastic father figure so it could be really interesting to play her off against a positive male influence - aside from Smee. And as a fun lil bonus fact, one of my Melody’s ships is with Harriet’s canon brother so this was a neat little coincidence! It could be a plot but absolutely doesn’t have to be!

4. Katherine Plumber and Jane Porter

I don’t know how familiar you are with Newsies but Katherine is relatively easy to adapt to any verse! A Jewish lady reporter and a mixed Korean lady zoologist? Women in traditionally male dominated field, kicking ass and taking names and becoming friends? Chef’s kiss

5. Belle and Jyn Erso

Now there are plenty of different AUs this could go into - Star Wars, fantasy, modern. But I think Belle and Jyn could have a really interesting dynamic. Belle is so open and kind and Jyn is so skeptical and closed off. She could really use someone as sweet as Belle to help her open up, to show her that people can, indeed, be kind without cause. Very sunshine/rain cloud, sun/moon energy and I dig it!

[ofprythian]

lyla

a bit about lyla.

[ COLOR ] red. brown. orange.  yellow. green. blue.  purple.  pink. black. white. teal. silver. gold. grey. lilac.  metallic. matte.  royal blue.  strawberry red. charcoal grey. forest green. apple red. navy blue. crimson. cream.  mint green. magenta. pastels. bubblegum pink. blood red. ivory.

[ ELEMENTAL ] fire. ice. water.  air.  earth. rain.  snow. wind. moon.  stars.  sun.  heat. cold.  steam. frost. lightning. sunlight.  moonlight.  dawn. dusk. twilight. midnight. sunrise. sunset. dewdrops. clouds. light.

[ BODY ] claws. long fingers. fangs.  teeth. wings. tails. lips. bare feet. freckles. bruises. canine.  scars. scratches.  ears. wounds. burns.  spikes. feathers. webs.  eyes. hands. sweat. tears. feline.  chubby. curvy. short. tall. normal height. muscular. slender. trained.  piercings. tattoos.  strong. weak.  shapeshifting. junoesque. svelte. long hair. short hair. dark circles. big. small. prosthetic. experimented. cyborg. halos. horns. wolfish.    

[ MATERIAL ] gold. silver. platinum. titanium. diamonds.  pearls. rubies. sapphires. emeralds. amethyst. metal. iron.  rust. steel. glass. wood. porcelain.  paper. wool. fur. lace. leather. copper. silk. velvet.  denim. linen. cotton.  charcoal. clay.  stone. asphalt.  brick. marble.  dust. glitter. blood.  dirt.  mud. smoke.  ash.  shadow.  carbonate.  rubber.  synthetics. yarn. slime. ivory.

[ NATURE ] grass. leaves. trees.  bark. roses. daisies.  tulips.  holly.  lavender.  lilies.  petals. thorns. sunflowers. seeds. hay.  sand. rocks.  snow. ice. roots. flowers.  ocean.  river.  lake. meadow.  forest. desert.  tundra. savanna.  rain forest.  swamp. caves. underwater. coral reef. beach.  waves. space. stars.  clouds. mountains. fungi.  cliffs.  sunlight.

[ FOOD/DRINK ]  sugar. salt. water. candy.  bubblegum. wine. champagne. hard liquor. beer. coffee. tea. spices.  herbs. apple. orange.  lemon.  cherry. strawberry.  watermelon. vegetables. fruits. meat. fish. pies. desserts. chocolate. cream.  caramel. berries. nuts. cinnamon. burgers. burritos.  pizza.  vanilla.  cookies.

[ HOBBIES ] music. art. piercing. watercolors. gardening.  knitting.  smithing. sculpting. painting. sketching.  fighting. fencing.  riding. writing.  composing. cooking. sewing. training. dancing.  acting. singing. martial arts. self-defense. electronics. technology.  cameras.  video cameras.  video games. computer.  phone. movies. theater. libraries. books. magazines. poetry. philosophy.  cds. records. vinyls.  cassettes.  piano. violin.  cello.  guitar. electronic guitar.  bass guitar.  harmonica.  synthesizers. harp. woodwinds.  brass. trumpet.  flute. drums.  bells. playing cards.  poker chips.  chess. dice. motorcycle riding. eating. climbing.  tree climbing. running. vivisection.

[ MISC ] balloons.  bubbles. cityscape. landscape.  light. dark. candles. war. peace. money. power. percussion. clocks. photos. mirrors. pets. diary.  fairy lights.  madness. sanity. sadness. happiness. optimism. pessimism. realism. loneliness. anger. family. friends. assistants.  co-workers.  enemies. lovers. loyalty.  smoking. alcohol. drugs. kindness. love. embracing. feathers.

𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑.    a chill right down to the bones.   tobogganing.   teeth chattering.   sleeping all day.  sitting by the fireplace.   spending time with family.    layered clothing.   seeing another’s breath.   loving the cold.   a state of inactivity.    cold hands.   blistering winds shaking the closed windows.   a bookcase full of brand new books and all of the time in the world to read them.  cable knit socks.   a bitter remark.  a log cabin in the middle of nowhere.   hating the cold.  full-length windows to peer out of.  pale skin.   deep conversations. watching the snow fall. sharp edges. hot cocoa.   smelling every candle in the store.  a wild snow storm. melancholy. lighting candles around the bathtub.  snow globes.  expressing yourself but never finding quite the right words. the softest of blankets.   liking, but not loving something or someone.

𝐒𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆. the smell after it rains. being in control of yourself. a soft breeze blowing your hair. lightning when it strikes. cherry blossoms. bright mornings. the first sign of hope. the relief of finding something you lost.  paris in the spring. birds chirping. the art of growing.  a kiss on the cheek. the clap of thunder.  a tornado in the valley.  smiling at a stranger. planning. saccharine pinks.  making promises. trying something new.  hugs when you need them most.     a bee sting.      sitting on the steps of the met.      coming inside drenched from the thunderstorm.  picnics on a red checkered blanket in the new sun.   that feeling you get when you put on a good dress. a long hike. rushing when you can take your time. going to the gym/training at ungodly hours. excitement for what’s coming. becoming yourself.  rain boots.

𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑.       lanterns lit around a campfire.   seeing the sunrise like it’s the first time again and again. melting ice cream. the warmth of sun rays upon skin. fireworks. the feeling of never wanting something to end.  beach days.       the lone blow up floaty left in the pool.      drifting with the warm nights breeze and nothing else. music blasting at 3am,     loud and proud.     palms trees on sunset boulevard.     longer days and shorter nights.  wanderlust.  nights spent staring at the stars.  sand castles.   road trips.   blood orange sunsets. leaving the laundry to hang outside. flowers in bloom.  sneaking out of your room late at night.  pure contentment. barefoot in the sand.    the street lights coming on.    the sound of the ocean in a seashell.  freshly squeezed lemonade. loose clothing.  a cannonball into the pool.  sunflowers. the hazy pink before dusk.   relaxation.

𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋.   the leaves changing colors.  a heavy backpack. the smell of old books. eating until you’re stuffed. deep, dark woods.   the silence in loudness ( the loudness in silence ).   abandoned houses.    ripped jeans. crunching leaves beneath feet.  feeling like you’ve been somewhere before.  sitting at a bay window. having endless amount of work.   charcoal drawings.  screaming into a pillow as loud as you can.    pumpkin patches. creaky floorboards.   accepting that some things do have to change.   museums.     small talk.   being ignored.  procrastinating.   a door slamming shut.   going to bed early.   baking pies.   the fear of walking alone in the dark. feeling completely and terribly lost.  a twig snapping. crisp, cool days.  belly laughter after crying.  converse. foggy mornings at the shoreline. writing a daily entry in a journal. a lonely day.

i.  the buried.   weighed blankets.  drowning.  the comfort of a loved one’s weight.  soil and sand piling on top of you.  hugging so hard it hurts a little.  cramped hiding spots.  letting out air underwater to sink to the bottom of the pool.  walls pressing in on you.  not moving from a position even though you’re cramping a little.  dragging the last second before you have to inhale.  lonely subways.  feeling like one with the earth.  a layer of dirt on you.  looking for something below.  cardboard boxes and tiny pillow forts.  hands calloused from digging.  knowing that your purpose is just below the surface.  entering your final resting place before it kills you.  a storm drowning you out.  dust and sand speaking to you.

iii.  the dark.   shadows.  lights that turn off by themselves.  the feel of cold marble.  a beaked creature in the night.  the difference between seeing darkness and seeing nothing.  touch of something you can’t see.  hiding under a blanket.  white, clouded eyes.  months without going outside during sunlight.  pouring dark.  unscrewing lightbulbs.  black matter.  light sensitivity.  a starless night.  time before light was created.  a shadow on the wall without a body to attach to.  withering plants.  a world without a sun.  footfalls in an empty house in the night.  a light that doesn’t reach as far as it should.  desperate reach for a flashlight.  clothes that hide your shape.  staying unperceivable.  winter months in the north.  an empty church.

iv.  the desolation.   senseless pain.  warmth of faith.  wax where skin should be.  a blazing fire.  heat without a source.  the third or fourth tragedy in the family.  losing everything you’ve ever held dear.  so much to live for, gone so soon.  the smell of gasoline.  touch that scars.  coffee cup that never goes cold.  scorch marks on wood.  inescapably warm air.  a child born in fire.  death of a loved one.  a candle without a flame.  an altar in the middle of the woods.  animals with burnt fur.  plastic explosives.  burning hot metal.  sweating in an interrogation room.  never touching a loved one.  disfigurement.  a kiss that ruins you.  the scent of burning fat.  a tattoo that terrifies its viewer.  the agony of hellfire displayed as art.  auburn hair.  little clothing in cold weather.  a ripple in the air.  trying to cool down in vain.

Who makes up your family?  How close are you to them? it’s 

Who is your best friend?  Tell us about them!

What is your favorite childhood memory?

What is your least favorite childhood memory?

What is your favorite thing to do in your free time?

What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do?

Who do you look up to?

What do you think had the biggest impact on you growing up?

Are you a spiritual person?  If yes, what do you practice?

Where were you born?  Where did you grow up?  Where do you live now?

What is your favorite type of media (TV, movie, books, etc)?  Name some specific favorites (which shows, movies, books, etc do you like)!

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be? (on vacation or permanently!)

You’re given an unlimited budget to build anything you want!  What do you build and where do you build it?

What are your favorite music genres?

Do you play any instruments?  Which ones?  How long have you been playing?

Describe your perfect day.

What makes you laugh?

What’s the best way to cheer you up?

What makes you sad?

Describe your biggest pet peeve.

Describe your ideal partner.

What’s the easiest way to flirt with you?

Have you ever had a crush on someone?  Do you have a crush now?

What would you consider your main love language?

Freebie!  Come up with your own question for the character to answer!

PAST

Briefly describe the way their parents grew up, and how it affected the way they raised them.

Which social class did they belong to growing up? How did it affect them?

Describe their family. Who raised them, and who had the most impact on them? Did they have any siblings? Who were they closest to? What were the family dynamics like?

What was the most common argument between them and whoever raised them?

Where did they grow up? What was it like? Were they happy there?

Did the location they grew up in affect them significantly? Do they still go there?

Who were their friends during childhood? Are they still in touch with them?

What was their childhood/teenage bedroom like?

When they got hurt as a child, who did they go to? How did they react?

What did they dream of doing when they grew up? How and why did it change, if it did?

Were there any events in their childhood that led to phobias or other fears?

What are some of their biggest regrets?

What part of their past (death, other significant event) do they think affects them the most?

PRESENT

How do they fit into their story? Give a brief summary of the effect they have on the events around them.

What is their current occupation, if any, and how did they end up there? Do they enjoy it?

Do they belong to any factions or groups? Why and how did they join, and how do they feel about it?

Do they have any enemy factions or groups? Why and how are they opposed, and how do they feel about it?

What kind of people do they usually interact with? Who are their friends, the people they look up to/trust, and who are their “associates”?

What is their current relationship with their family?

Do they have a partner? How did they meet, and what’s their relationship like now?

What hobby or pastime of theirs do they consider most important to them and why?

What kind of place do they live in?

What do they always carry with them and why?

What’s a typical night’s sleep like for them?

If someone mentioned their name to someone else, what would they immediately think of (i.e. defining characteristic, appearance- or personality-wise)?

What’s the worst (in their mind) way their current situation could end up?

What matters most to them right now?

FUTURE

Briefly describe their life in the future, regardless of how far into the future this is.

Are they content with their future situation? Is there anything they would change?

How would their beliefs or morals change in the future, if at all?

What’s something they were sure would happen in their future but didn’t?

Did they get married or have a family? Why? If otherwise, why not?

How do they react to the changing times? Are they adaptable or do they reject modernity?

Are their friends still a part of their life? Are there people they are no longer in touch with, or newly important people?

Would they become a mentor figure for anyone?

How do they feel about getting older and eventually dying?

How do they want to be remembered after they die?

[geneshaven]

Family Outing

PART 7

 Star City, 2050

 It was past midnight and Oliver was walking the streets of Star City alone. A light rain fell on him, dampening his slow and arthritic steps. He looked up between the spires of the buildings around him and the rain clouds above were like a gray blanket filling the sky.

He was lost in his thoughts, swirling around in his head like a personal storm. But he could still find his way through them. His memories, though at times fraught with pain and loss, were like companions, instances of recollection and acknowledgement; a constant reminder that he was alone in the world.

Oliver was still a little nerved by the images that hovered outside his head yesterday, from the pull of Charlie’s thought processor. There were thousands, hundreds of thousands of memories he could have latched onto, but when his subconscious took him back to that night when Curtis and Rene died, he could feel those parts of himself that had died with them.

Death had always been with him. Since the day he hit the shores of Lian Yu all those years ago, Oliver became an intimate companion with dying. His loses were grievous and deep, but he kept moving forward, as if putting them behind him was like turning his back on his own end.  His father, Yao Fe, Shadoe, Tommy, his mother, Sara, Laurel---then later Curtis, Rene, John, Quinton, Thea and Dinah; all of them now were specters in his heart.

And then, ten years ago, Felicity, a victim of disease, joined that butcher’s bill list and Oliver, more than any other time in his life, knew what true  loneliness was really like. After she was gone, Oliver felt like he had washed up upon the shores of another island, one called Emptiness. Her absence turned off the light inside his heart and brought back the darkness she shielded him against. He did not feel rage or violence or a need for vengeance.  He only felt numb. His days became like a holocaust, a private struggle just to get through them. Everything they had accomplished together, all their triumphs  and bravery, all the strength of love and support they gave to each other---it felt as if the sun had exploded and painted in Oliver’s heart a perpetual blackness.

He was beginning to understand why he told Charlie that he had to rethink opening himself up to the pain his life had become. Did he really want to live through all of it again? Did he really want to share his private aching with the rest of the world? Did he want to die inside all over again?

Oliver pulled his coat tighter around him as the light rain began to fall harder. His walk through these familiar streets reminded him of when he had kept watch over the city, back when he still believed he could make a difference. In a way, his late night sojourns were a condition reflex, a sort of homage honoring all the people in his life who were the real heroes.  He would not have become who he was without them.

Oliver had lost track of how far he had walked since leaving his apartment. The city streets were so ingrained in him, and at the same time, they were also like the obscure faces of strangers. Now that the rain was falling harder, he felt like he had come to the end of his endurance. He was about to turn back for home when a voice behind him called his name from out of the sound of falling raindrops hitting the ground.

“Mr. Queen?”

Oliver instinctively spun around to protect himself; a little sluggish, but determined.

“I’m sorry that I’ve snuck up on you,” the  man Oliver faced spoke. “I’ve been…well, I’ve wanted to make contact with you for a few days now and I decided to follow you tonight.” He held up his hands, as if showing Oliver he had no intentions of harming him.

The man was a stranger to Oliver. He appeared to be in his thirties, with sweeping black hair that ended at his shoulders. His face was both strong and fragile with deep wrinkles in his forehead, as if he was thinking about impossibilities. Horn-rimmed glasses covered the man’s eyes; brown and piercing. Rain drops left dots of water on them, and as Oliver tried to read the man’s intentions, the stranger removed his spectacles and used the lapel of his coat to wash them clean.

“Who,” Oliver started to say. “I don’t know you,” he finished.

“No,” the man agreed. “But I know you. Of course I do.” A look of respect filled his eyes. “Mr. Queen,” the man went on. “My name is Jackson Reiter, uh, Professor Reiter, and I need to talk to you about a matter of vital importance.”

Oliver shook his head. “I’m sorry, Mr. Reiter. I’m about to go home and I don’t really think…”

“Mr. Queen,” the Professor interrupted. “I used to work for Argus. I think I can help you…well, I think I can save the two friends you lost that night they were killed by my laser.”

Oliver stared incredulously at the man. “Your laser…”

“Yes, Reiter nodded. “You see, I invented the weapon technology for Argus.”

**

2017

 Oliver and Felicity held each other as the night’s shadows stretched on the walls of Oliver’s bedroom like mysterious script writing the anticipation of dawn.They were lying on Oliver’s bed, two lovers clutching onto the brief time away from the sadness and loss they shared.

Oliver’s thoughts were typical. He stayed with the facts of what happened. A month had gone by since Curtis and Rene were killed. After all the investigation, by Team Arrow, (what is left of them) by SCDP and Argus---they were no closer to finding James or Talia. The aftermath of death that settled over the team felt like suffocation. All of them were still trying to catch their breaths. Oliver was proud of all them. He could feel John and Lyla’s profound relief that JJ did not get hurt by Talia’s evil doings. Having their son back not only felt like a godsend, but it also closed the gap of mistrust between them. Also, out of respect and condolence, and because it was the right thing to do; John and Lyla agreed to bring Zoe into their family, to give her a place to be where her grief over losing her dad would help the sudden emptiness that was crushing her young, fragile heart. Now that she was truly an orphan, they wanted to show her that she would never be alone again.

For Felicity, losing Curtis was like losing her only brother. It sat deep inside her and it opened up avenues of grief and guilt that threatened to drive over her. Maybe it was time to talk to Oliver about it. she knew he was struggling with his own demons, but they told each other they would not have to suffer alone again. She needed his strength as much as he needed hers.

“Oliver,” she whispered into the darkness of the bedroom. “I know that all of us are trying to be strong for each other…but I’m not sure…” Her body began to shake as sobbing took her to a place deeper and darker than the bedroom.

“Hey,” Oliver responded, enfolding her tighter in his arms. “It’s alright…” His voice was  murmurs of comfort in her ears.

Felicity wanted to crawl inside his strong heart and find strength and release. She continued crying for  a few more seconds; a desperate sound that filled the room like desecration.  Then her sadness seemed to level out and she began to breathe a bit more steadily as she listened to the beat of Oliver’s heart.

“Felicity, are you okay,” Oliver gently asked her?

She shook her head against his chest. “No Oliver…”she started to say. Then something like resolve or recognition filled her mind. “Oliver,” she went on. “Curtis and Rene died because I didn’t warn them fast enough.”

“No Felicity,” Oliver immediately replied. “It wasn’t your fault. The alarm only gave you a couple seconds. The T-Sphere telemetry showed that clearly.”

She shook her again. “Oliver, I’m…it’s my fault…” She began to cry again.

Oliver sat up in the bed, pulling Felicity with him, easily lifting her and placing her into his lap. He held her tight. He recognized her guilt. His own over the years used to be like a second skin for him. “Honey,” he said to her. “Please don’t do this to yourself. Curtis and Rene is not the end of all that’s happening. James and Talia are still out there plotting more evil against us. Your guilt is just another tool they can use against you, against us. Remember how Slade tried doing the same to me when he killed my mother? Or Darkhe when he killed Laurel?”

Felicity turned around in his lap and wrapped her legs around his waist. She gave him a slight nod. “Yeah, but…you …but…”

“Baby,” Oliver told her. “Guilt and fault are not compatible. But when they do come together…well, just look what it did to me the past five years.” He gently pushed her away and looked into her eyes. “Felicity, this was not your fault. Try to believe that. The same thing would have happened if John or Dinah, or even me…if anybody was sitting in your chair.”

Felicity looked back at him as his words reached out to her like a moment of truth. Still, her guilt vibrated inside her mind, a resonance that reminded her of the depths she fell into after Havenrock.

“Felicity, you told me that I am the toughest person you know. if that’s true, it’s because everything I survived during my decade of horrors…it  made me stronger because I kept moving forward. The alternative would have been, well, I wouldn’t have made it back to the city alive. It’s been people in my life like you, like John and Thea, and yes, Curtis and Rene, who made the difference.” He paused for a couple heartbeats and let that truth define him. Oliver almost smiled as he added, “Think about it. If Rene was here, he would look at you and say, ‘damn Blondie.’”

Felicity let a small smile ease some of her pain.

“Seriously,” Oliver continued. ‘Your pain, all of our pain , is not going away any time soon. That is a harsh truth, I know. Curtis and Rene were our family. They still are. That is going to stay in our hearts for the rest of our lives. But you have to know, I’m always going to be here for you. So is John and Lyla and Dinah, Thea and Quinton too. We are your family, Felicity. I told Laurel after you were paralyzed that you are stronger than all of us. You make us…me…want to be a better person. Isn’t that more preferable than being consumed by guilt?”

“Oliver, that’s not fair.”

“What’s not fair?”

“I’m supposed to be the one giving speeches to you about acceptance and common sense.”

“Yeah, well I’m just trying to remind you off that.”

“Okay Oliver, I’ll try.” She clung tighter to him. “Just don’t let go of me.”

“Oliver smiled at her and shook his head. “Now, you’re not being fair.”

As they stretched out again on the bed, the shadows on the wall began to slowly fade as dawn was coming to shine a light of hope on them.

**

A couple hours later, Oliver woke up with the rising sun. Felicity was still asleep beside him. He placed a soft, quiet kiss on her forehead then got out of the bed. Putting on his sweats and gray hoodie in preparation of his morning run, Oliver went down the hallway outside his room and checked on William. He was asleep as well and a sense of protectiveness went through him as he left his apartment and went out into the new day.

His morning runs always settled Oliver, giving his mind and body the exercise needed to stay focused.  After everything that happened, that focus was as important as the blood flowing through his veins. He moved away from his building and set a pace that was as natural to him as breathing.

Oliver headed towards the park up the street, comfortable in his stride, when a sudden, strong gust of wind erupted behind him, pushing him off his pace. The wind increased for a couple more seconds; then it vanished, leaving the stillness of the morning in its wake.

Oliver spun around and saw a dark haired man standing behind him. He looked at Oliver through horn-rimmed glasses as if looking at a treasured monument.

“Mr. Queen,” the man spoke. “My name is Professor Jackson Reiter and I have something of vital importance I need to speak to you about?”

@louiseblue1 @hope-for-olicity @it-was-a-red-heeler @memcjo @almondblossomme @olicityloveolicity @geemarie @dmichellewrites @scu11y22 @wordslovedreams

[blade-revolutions]

Excerpts from a book I may write #1

“Why are you here again?” The question leaves instantly her lips and she finds herself unable of pressing them to a firm line to prevent from doing so.

The championships have started and Lyla’s psychology after her boys, her brothers chose to take separate paths, anger is boiling within her. She still couldn’t understand their selfish way of mind. They’ve been together all these years, always at each other’s side, and in all of a sudden, they feel the need to prove themselves, to prove they’re better than Tyson. In all of a sudden, a spark is ignited to life and they feel as if Tyson overshadows them, as if he takes all the sun from them, a sun all of them deserve. 

However, it has never been like this. Of course Tyson was, is and from the looks of it will continue being the world famous beyblade champion and he’ll resume to care the aura of a cocky and most of the time overconfident person, but this has never bothered them. Not until now.

Lyla has never felt the need to prove herself to others, or her superiority. That though, doesn’t mean she accepts herself as a beyblader of a lower level. Technically she’s a world class beyblader too since she, Tyson and the others have won the previous championships, and Melody never stops to surprise her with her capabilites, unlocking new power to her master only when Lyla has complete faith in herself and her heart in the game. She doesn’t feel the need to show her worth to others or in a championship match. As long as she has full self-knowledge, she can’t feel more happier and content with who she is and what she’s capable of.

All these thoughts are swirling in her head, erasing effectively her desire to bury her face in her pillow and sink in her feelings, or punch it multiple times because she can’t always contain her frustration as far as the Bladebreakers are concerned. She wants her team back, hell she wants everything back, those days of bliss where they were beyblading for endless hours, or teasing each other in the middle of games or pranks. She misses being with them, her heart yearning the light which used to dance within her before it vanished.

Sensing Kai struggling beneath her, seeking for the slightest bit of power that could give him dominance over them, but Lyla keeps his hands pinned to both the sides of her pillow, planting them there as she regards him with an indecipherable expression clouding her intense gaze, and he shallows hard, holding himself back in order not to wince. Something about her has changed, but this isn’t the first time this is happening. When the time is past one in the morning, a foreign side of her surfaces, a very fragile one.

“Why are you here?” Lyla repeats with voice steady, but Kai has known her long enough to detect the fragments of tremble and pain behind her calmness. He’s aware of her state, and he curses himself inwardly for coming to see her at this time of the night, where night takes away all the stress and doubt the daylight brings. It’s the only time of the day she allows her vulnerability to be seen from its hiding spot and the fragile emotions along with it, the only time where her emotions are as free as the ocean, and he can’t help but think how vulnerable he is too. If he isn’t, then why the hell did he take the subway to come to see her from his hotel? Why couldn’t he shove all those emotions aside and let sleep engulf him? Although his gut has the answer, he doesn’t feel ready to admit the truth, but he’s damned if he denies that sleeping without her is easy, or even worse — better.

“I wanted to see you.” Kai mutters softly at last. The walls around his heart are shattered once again, and all it has taken him to be in this state is the simplest and most raw gaze of hers. He wants to bring his hands up to cup her face, those high cheekbones which add beauty to her smile, but decides against it. Lyla’s fury against him will only increase with every right.

All this while, he has been lost in his own train of thoughts, too absorbed with images of him and Lyla lying under the stars like they used to do, with his arms shielding her small frame from the cruelty of the world as his scent soothes her nerves. It’s a peaceful moment that doesn’t last long.

Kai’s head jerks up when he notices Lyla’s excessively silent nature. Sure Lyla’s maturity has always been an admirable trait which has helped her to remain silent many times, when she’s confident that the other person isn’t worth of her time or arguments, but this, this is awfully silent. Even for her.

It takes him a heartbeat to see that the skin around her eyes is moist and Kai parts his lips to speak, before Lyla beats him to it.

“Who the hell are you to come in my life like that?”

Her tone comes out of her mouth as a strangled cry and now he’s sure she can’t calm down the hurricane of emotions because neither can he. However he’s rendered speechless by the turn of events and how strong and weak she can sound all at once. It surprises and terrifies him all the same.

“I — ” Kai begins, but Lyla’s lips over his halt him thoroughly, allowing both of them to sink in the pleasure of their racing hearts beneath their chests. God, she has no idea how much he has missed being around her, his heart and body craving her presence desperately every single moment. Not even practicing can save him now. It’s at this moment that realization dawns upon him.

His heart has never been safe in the first place.

[jbuffyangel]

Crossing Lines: Arrow 5x19 Review (Dangerous Liaisons)

If 5x19 is indicative of the final four episodes of Season 5, then we are in for one hell of a ride. 

After setting Oliver and Felicity off into trajectories, Arrow returns to the center as Felicity's relationship with Helix come to a head. Original Team Arrow is splintered as Felicity aligns herself against Oliver and Diggle. Smoak versus Arrow is more than just Felicity going head to head with those who know and love her best. It's about diving into Felicity's real motivations. Sure, we were told Felicity's grief over Billy is pushing her over the edge 

(keep singing that tune Arrow), but we knew there was more. The truth is, Felicity's motivations haven't strayed too far from center after all.

Let’s dig in...

Felicity Smoak

Felicity Smoak is not Rainbow Brite. She doesn't exist to bring color to the world. She is not here for puking rainbows and riding unicorns. Felicity doesn't exist to harness everyone's light and sprinkle Star City with fairy dust. She isn't some white-cloaked-halo-adorned-Madonna who Oliver and Diggle have to protect either. Felicity isn't the comic relief, the damsel in distress, the Mary Sue or whatever degrading and sexist term those who try to belittle & minimize the character use.

Felicity Smoak is a character who is as complicated and multi faceted as Oliver Queen. There is light and dark, pain and joy, honor and shame, loss and love, mistakes and righteousness in Felicity Smoak, with the myriad of grey that flows in between those spectrums. There is a depth to this character's heart that is seldom found in fictional characters. Sometimes when you are one half of a love story, the hero's great love, it is easy for that character to become an object of affection rather than a subject of focus. The key is to make the great love an equal. Someone with his or her own thoughts, feelings, choices and evolution. You let the hero fall in love with a hero. Then suddenly, it's not about chasing after an object of affection. It's about both characters chasing after something greater than themselves... together.

To do that, we have to allow Felicity Smoak room to breathe. We have to understand her motivations, wants and needs. We have to let her make mistakes. Felicity doesn't have to be perfect for Oliver, or for us, to love her. My Felicity doesn't belong on a pedestal. The character I love and adore is down on the ground, clawing her way through the dirt, muck, guts, blood and gore with Oliver Queen and Team Arrow.

Nostradamus: ... She is an innocent.

Queen Catherine: No, she's his equal in every way. (Reign, "Fated")

Since Felicity joined Team Arrow five years ago, we've watched her take hit after hit. Just for a quick refresher - gifapalooza!!

She's absorbed loss and pain with a grace that most can't even fathom. Felicity always held the line. She always pushed Oliver (and Diggle) to reach for more and to be better. However, everyone reaches a breaking point. Eventually the pain consumes you and clouds the way ahead. The definition of insanity is to do the exact same thing and expect a different result. Felicity always did what's right. She made tough calls. She trusted. She gave everything. Felicity played by all the rules... and what does she have to show for it? More loss. More pain. So, it's time to change tactics. It's time to try something new.

After Billy died, Felicity decided to fight fire with fire. She's been doing it for awhile now, inching closer and closer to the line until it evaporates. Until she can no longer tell the difference between right from wrong - only what must be done. What's interesting about Felicity is she examines problems from every angle. She hasn't charged into Helix completely blind. Felicity knows there's a cost. Herself. The catch is, Felicity is fine paying it.

Chase has been missing for nearly a week, popping up in locations just long enough for Team Arrow to land on his scent before twisting them in every direction before he cuts loose. It's a maddening game of cat and mouse and Felicity is tired of playing. She enlists Helix's help to track down Chase. Alena wants access to ARGUS' security (for ulterior motives that have nothing to do with Chase) and Felicity hands it over -  no questions asked. Turns out Chase has an inside agent at ARGUS.  

When this agent is killed by elevator, Felicity puts two and two together. It was Alena's hack that tossed the ARGUS agent around in the elevator like a ball in a pinball machine. Alena swears it was an accident, but truth be told, she's pretty breezy about dropping her first body. 

Perhaps, it's not her first or perhaps Alena's moral compass doesn't point due north. Probably it's both, either way, this should be wildly concerning to Felicity. To her credit, Felicity is concerned. The ARGUS agent was dirty, but he didn't deserve to die. To be honest, I can never tell where Arrow is at on this whole kill/don't kill morality bend, but it seems this week we're anti killing. Noted.

Alena makes the disturbingly familiar argument that while the agent's death was unfortunate and accidental, it was for the greater good. 

(Anyone else checking desks for a list of names? No? Just me? Okay.) 

She needed his security key to help break Cayden James, the founder of Helix, out of ARGUS. He's being held without due process. In exchange for turning a side eye to a little bit of murder  and breaking James out of ARGUS, Alena will hand over his newest tech to Felicity. A biometric whatchamacallit that can track anyone's heartbeat. (It was at this point my husband started coughing *bullshit* rather loudly. Listen, I don't need my Arrow science to be accurate. I just need it to sound sciencey. This more than suffices.So, I told him to shush.)

Felicity thinks she can convince Lyla to let Cayden James go (for the greater good) and convinces Alena to hold off on stealing the second key. Unfortunately, the conversation with Lyla turns into a face off. Lyla versus Felicity is everything I didn't know I needed. Lyla is floored with Felicity's involvement. She refuses to help Helix because A) They MURDERED an ARGUS agent and B) Cayden James is big bad news.

Felicity makes a few pointed remarks to Lyla about lack of due process (which Diggle isn't too thrilled with either), but Lyla holds her ground. MY ARROW TELEVISION SCREEN IS FILLED WITH THESE STRONG FEMALE CHARACTERS HOLDING THEIR GROUND AND BEING BAMFs. I AM ALIVE.

Felicity looks to Oliver and Diggle for a little back up, but they side with Lyla.

Oliver, very tentatively I might add, tells Felicity she might be crossing a line. Felicity tells Oliver where to shove it. 

IT. IS. GLORIOUS. 

Man, I’ve been waiting a long time for her to do that. It’s not that Oliver is wrong. It’s just… how many times have we seen Oliver cross lines to do what is necessary and Felicity go along for the ride? I feel Joey Tribbiani sums up Oliver Queen best:

Joey: Over the line? You’re so far past the line that you can’t even see the line! 

Thoroughly spanked, Oliver falls silent. So John “I killed my brother” Diggle steps up. Felicity tells Diggle she doesn’t have a choice, which he summarily rejects. She does have a choice and, of course, Diggle is right. There is always a choice. Not necessarily a good one, but there’s always a choice. If John learned anything from killing his brother, he learned that. However, what I found really telling what this remark:

Felicity: And don’t tell me that you don’t make morally questionable choices so that I don’t have to. I have to.

"Dangerous Liaisons" focuses on what Felicity wants and needs. What Felicity wants and needs is to be treated like an equal. She's all in on Team Arrow, no different than Oliver or John. She's not a pretty princess high up in the castle that needs to be protected. She's down in the dirt just like them. It means getting her hands dirty just like them. The only people who seem to have a problem with that are Oliver and Diggle. 

Felicity may not like all of Oliver & Diggle's choices, but she realizes she cannot control them. Oliver and Diggle are given a wide birth to be their own men and make their own decisions. Felicity wants the same freedom. She's no more immune to making the tough calls than Oliver and John. They can't protect her from this life, and what's more, she doesn't want them to. This is the life she's chosen.

Nor do John and Oliver have the corner market on protecting those they love. Yes, they make morally questionable choices so Felicity doesn't have to, but when does the coin flip? Why can't she make morally questionable choices so John and Oliver don't have to? Why can't she cross the line to protect them? Why is her soul more important than theirs? Why can't she protect those she loves too?

It's a double standard that comes from a good place on Oliver and Diggle's part, but is patronizing as hell and kind of sexist. 

Quite frankly, Oliver and Diggle's entire world order is falling apart because the women in their lives are playing fast and loose on morality's edge. That's right fellas! Sometimes the Madonna takes a spin with the devil on the dance floor. Best get used to it.

The need to categorize, box and label a woman can be powerful even in the men who love us best. It's not our responsibility to fit the mold. It's their responsibility to expand it. While Oliver and Diggle may view Lyla and Felicity as their better halves it doesn't eliminate the common thread they all share - Lyla and Felicity are human. It's the common thread we all share. We are human. No more. No less. This thread should make Lyla and Felicity's choices a lot less baffling since the motivations behind their decisions are the same as ones Oliver and Diggle have made.

In an exquisitely acted scene between Stephen and Emily, Oliver arrives on Felicity's doorstep to challenge her choices. He asks her not to help Helix. For Felicity, it gives her a chance to do something she seldom does with Oliver. She articulates her own needs and desires. She understands Oliver doesn't want her to help them. Felicity understands Oliver wants to protect her, but this isn't about Felicity understanding. Not this time. This time it's about Oliver understanding what Felicity needs. It turns out... Felicity's motivations don't stray too far from Oliver's.

On the surface, it was about Billy. His death was the final brick on the wall Felicity carefully constructed to keep the pain at bay. There were many fallen bricks before Billy though, chipping away at Felicity's heart until the wall came down and all she could feel was the pain. She couldn't put on a happy face or crack a joke. She didn't want to "harness the light" for anyone, let alone herself. Felicity wants the pain to stop, so that means she has to protect those she loves before they ever get hurt.

This includes Oliver. Time after time, she's stood by and watched as the darkness eats away at his soul. Time after time, she's stood by and watched as Oliver sacrificed everything to do what was right, to protect those he loves, even if it meant damning himself in the process. 

Think about how hard that's been for her. Yes, Felicity has challenged Oliver to think and behave differently, but when push came to shove, the choice was Oliver's. Time after time, he ignored her protests to do what HE thought was right. Felicity had to stand back and watch as he tumbled down that hole, lost what was most precious to him, and stripped little pieces of his soul away. All for the greater good. It's why she fell in love with him. It's why she's still in love with him (note the present tense).

Derek: ... I know that you took her to protect her, I know you altered the trial for Adele and for Richard.  You stood in front of a bullet for me. I know why you do all of it. It’s what I love about you.

Meredith: And what you hate about me.

Derek: Yeah. (Grey's Anatomy, "Take The Lead" 8x03)

It's such an exceptionally beautiful moment in which Felicity shows why, yet again, she knows and understands Oliver best. This distance between them isn't from a lack of love. The ocean between them stems from many issues, but primarily a singular one Felicity will zero in on at the end of the episode. The saving grace is, love is the bridge between the ocean. Felicity loves even the parts of Oliver she doesn't like.

Billy (the final brick after Havenrock, her paralysis, her father and so on) may be at the surface, but Oliver is at her core. It's the way Oliver Queen loves, and Felicity's need to love him the same way, that necessitates her choices. Felicity is willing to sacrifice herself, her own soul, if it means keeping those she loves safe. Surely, Oliver Queen, of all people, can understand this kind of love and sacrifice. What Felicity wants is for Oliver accept the love she needs to give. Just like she's accepted, time after time, the love Oliver has needed to give. This isn't his burden to carry anymore. Felicity wants to carry it for him. She will sacrifice her soul to save his. Just like Oliver has done for her time and again. What Felicity wants...what Felicity needs... is for Oliver to stand back and watch.

And Oliver can't do it. No, Oliver won't do it.

To her credit, Felicity will not back down. She will not compromise. She will not understand. She will not stand back and watch.

And she goes. Hell bent on jumping into the fire, convinced it will save everyone even if it destroys her... and Oliver powerless to stop her.

Oh what a difference a few years makes. How the roles have reversed.

Smoak versus Arrow isn't really a fair fight. Oliver and Diggle certainly weren't helped by Lyla withholding the real location of Cayden James (seriously girl what was up with that?), but Felicity was always going to be the victor. Genius aside, this ultimately boils down to resolve. Felicity is ready to do whatever is necessary.  She is ready to take a bullet - even from Oliver.

Oliver isn't ready. Of course, he would never in a million years shoot Felicity 

(a fact Felicity knew), but what throws Oliver more is Felicity is prepared to take a bullet. That's how deep this hole goes.

In the end, Helix dumps Felicity like a hot potato. I mean... REALLY? This is the hacker equivalent of a guy dumping a girl right after she finally agrees to sleep with him. It's all kinds of icky and wrong. 

Of course, we know this won't be the last of Helix or of Cayden James. I'm sensing a Season 6 nemesis for Felicity.

As for the here and now, Felicity Smoak is PISSED OFF.  

Helix cut off contact because of Team Arrow... because of Oliver.  All these years. All those times.  All she asked of him was once... just once... and he couldn't... he wouldn't.

Oliver tells Felicity he's sorry. He tries to explain he was worried. How he understands that Helix gave Felicity a sense of belonging that maybe he and Diggle weren't -

NO. Felicity shuts Oliver down hard. This isn't about belonging for her. Yes, Helix gave Felicity the support she craved from Oliver and Diggle. It gave Felicity an outlet beyond the team to use her skills, but Helix isn't replacing Team Arrow. It was a means to an end. The justice Felicity is seeking is no more than what Oliver has sought. More importantly, Oliver isn't going to stand there and tell her what this is all about. She's going to tell him.

And there it is. This is about TRUST.  This is what it's always been about. The reason why Felicity is able to stand back and watch, allow Oliver to dive deeper into those holes, is because she trusts him. Even when Felicity disagrees with Oliver, she believes in him. Felicity gives Oliver her trust even when he gives her every reason not to. Even when he's broken that trust. But when Felicity asks for trust in return, Oliver can't give it. Felicity draws the line in the sand.

KABOOM.

And you  can bet your ass, come 5x20, Felicity will want to know WHY.

Oliver Queen (Olicity)

The tentativeness Oliver approaches Felicity with in "Dangerous Liaisons" isn't entirely new behavior. There's been a reticence on Oliver's part to ask questions, to push too hard for answers or to even show concern. These have all been contributing factors to the distance felt between Olicity this season. Although, I do not find that distance to be as great as others do. I also believe we'll get answers as to why there is a distance and tentativeness between Oliver and Felicity in 5x20.

That reference to Oliver knocking on the front door isn't an accident. 

It's a direct callback to 5x05 and a mention this close to 5x20 has to mean something. 

Both Oliver and Felicity made the decision to go separate ways in 5x05 and see where these new roads take them.  As we all knew these two very separate roads will ultimately merge back into one. Bit by bit, the merge is happening and there is a noticeable shift in Oliver's behavior Oliver in 5x19. He's not quite so willing to let things slide or remain on the sidelines where Felicity is concerned. Oliver even wants to go after Felicity when she storms out. 

HELLO OLIVER QUEEN I HAVE MISSED YOU. ATTACK HUG.

After Felicity thumps his nose after voicing concern, Oliver falls back into old patterns and falls silent again. Once Felicity leaves, Oliver argues she might be right. Yup, bae is going into the fire and Oliver is going with her. Where she goes so goes his nation! Then Lyla compares Cayden James' release to dropping a nuke and it's a not so subtle smack across Diggle and Oliver's head. Yes, Lyla believes if she agrees to releasing James it will be as damaging as Havenrock, but no  -she's not just talking about the casualties. She's talking about the damage to Felicity too. Lyla invites Oliver and Diggle to get in the game, because this is all happening whether they agree with it or not. Lyla is so savage! Slay on slayer!

Oliver gives Diggle an "I told you so" speech of sorts. They knew Helix was dangerous. They knew Felicity was getting in deeper and they did nothing. Diggle listens quietly, but then offers his own thoughts on the matter. It's not entirely true they did nothing. 

Diggle talked to Felicity. Curtis talked to Felicity. You know the one person who hasn't talked to Felicity? THE GUY SHE WAS GOING TO MARRY.

Honest to God, I gasped. I couldn't believe the writers put that line in there. 

I guess we're not hitting pause anymore!!! We're at 5x19 and this reunion is full speed ahead! 

Then I yelled at the top of my lungs, "DAAAAAMN DIGGLE! PREACH!”

Oliver freezes, completely gob smacked by what John just said to him, and then slowly meets his gaze

to which Diggle responds with a look that clearly communicated... 

It's such a fantastic piece of acting between Stephen Amell and David Ramsey and shows how well they know their characters. They are able to hold onto to the emotional meat of the scene without giving up the comedic beats.

Hey guys... remember when there was that thing nobody on Team Arrow would talk about and Diggle went ahead and talked about it? Cause it happened. Good times!!!

This is why Diggle is the Captain of the ship.

Diggle knocks down the door with one solid kick and it gives us some insight into what Oliver has been thinking these last few months. Because seriously boy WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN THINKING?

The truth is, Oliver is readily aware he is the last person who should be making any comments about crossing lines. He knows he lacks the moral high ground with pretty much everyone, but especially Felicity. As much as Oliver disagreed with the choices Felicity is making, he feels like he lacks the credibility to say anything because Lord knows he's done worse.

I mean... he's not wrong.  The entire balance of their relationship has been thrown out of whack with Felicity taking the somewhat morally questionable route AND THANK GOODNESS. The point is for Oliver to walk in Felicity's shoes a bit (and vice versus), but for now we're concentrating on Oliver. He is WILDLY uncomfortable right now. Felicity is crossing lines, sacrificing her soul, in pursuit of the greater good. He never knew how hard this was - the lack of control, fear, and  worry. Oliver didn't know how much it hurt to sit back and watch.

Open Your Eyes by Andrew Belle

Open your eyes now

Open your eyes now

It's time to see

If you can reach me

Open your eyes now

Open your eyes now

It's time to leave

It's time to leave me

 Open your eyes now

Open your eyes now

It's time to see

If you still believe me

 Open your life now

Open your life now

I'll try to be

All that you need me

To be

 She'll be a star now

I will follow her lead

She'll be a scar now

I will still let her bleed

 Open your eyes now

Open your eyes now

Try to speak

Like you can see me

 Open your eyes now

Open your eyes now

I'll try to be

 Almost everything

You need me to be

However, Oliver is missing a piece of the puzzle. Felicity voiced her concern.

She reached out to pull Oliver back when he went too far. 

She held the moral line. 

Felicity simply understood it was Oliver's choice whether or not to reach back.

But Oliver has yet to really extend that hand to Felicity, to really push back, which is what Diggle encourages him to do. In some ways, Oliver is the least qualified to tell Felicity what to do. In many others, he is the most qualified because he's been where she's going. Oliver understands the cost more than anyone else. I think Diggle gives him some excellent advice. 

This doesn't have to be about moral high ground. Oliver simply needs to find the common ground. They both want to bring Chase to justice. So, work from there.

There's more common ground than just their need for justice. Oliver and Felicity's real common ground is the love they have for one another. It is a steady and constant presence that pulls them together and drives them apart. Oliver and Felicity's reasons for their choices in "Dangerous Liaisons" are one in the same. Felicity is willing to sacrifice her soul to save Oliver's and Felicity's soul is the one price Oliver cannot pay.

He admits he shouldn’t protect her from the hard choices, but sacrificing her soul for his is another level.

No matter which way he slices it, Oliver created Adrian Chase. Prometheus was born from Oliver's need to save the city at any cost. Oliver didn't spend a lot of time measuring the pros and cons of killing because he felt like the ends justified the means. That thinking led to Justin Claybourne's death, which led to Simon Morrison becoming Prometheus. It is an inescapable and direct line. Furthermore, Felicity's need to stop Prometheus at any cost is making her cross lines. It's creating a shadow on her soul - one only Oliver knows too well. The connective thread is once again inescapable to Oliver.  

Maybe he can't be the man Felicity needs. Maybe he never will be. Maybe he will never be able to let go of this pain inside and really let her all the way in. Maybe it doesn't matter in the end because if Felicity knows the truth, if she really knows who he is, she won't love him anyways.

Oliver doesn't have the answers to any of these questions yet, but what he does know, with absolute certainty is: He will be damned if Felicity Smoak becomes anything like him.

That's why Oliver can't give Felicity what she asked. She may be prepared to carry the burden, but Oliver believes he created it. There is no way to disconnect from that responsibility. Perhaps his soul is a lost cause, but hers isn't. Felicity Smoak is too high a price for Oliver to pay. He won't do it. He can't do it. And thus... Smoak versus Arrow. Their love is what pulls them together and pushes them apart.

The laser beams create a literal wall to the figurative one Olicity has battled with all season. Felicity hopes for Oliver's understanding someday, but Oliver can't share Felicity's hope.  His response is a little lubricious, but I think the truth is, Oliver doesn't want to understand.

It's frightening to see yourself reflected in the one you love. All Oliver can see when he looks in the mirror is a damaged man. Felicity may view Oliver's sacrifices as selfless love, but I don't think Oliver can. More often than not, Oliver believes he's the cause of those sacrifices. He's the one who brought the pain upon those he loves. Therefore he is responsible to fix it. Oliver gives himself no credit for beating the darkness when he believes he's the reason the darkness exists. What Oliver believes, so fundamentally, is he is a monster... and Felicity Smoak is anything but. Oliver can't understand. She's not supposed to be like him. Felicity is supposed to be better than Oliver... because she is. These actions with Helix feel more like him than they do her and that is something Oliver cannot get his brain wrapped around.

Oliver reaches for a bottle.  The wifey is jumping in front of his gun, prepared to take a bullet to achieve the same ends Oliver once justified. Not only does Oliver feel like he created this path for Felicity, he is powerless to stop her. This is what no control feels like. This is what stand back and watch is. This price is too high. It is its own version of hell. It's time to get boozey.

In Felicity's anger about Helix she challenges Oliver once again and inadvertently opens the door. It's the same door Diggle kicked down earlier with his truth bombs. This is all about trust. Felicity is right, but not in the way she thinks. I don't think this is about Oliver not trusting Felicity. Despite his frustration over her choices, Oliver's faith in Felicity's goodness is unwavering. It's why he's having so much difficulty with the path she's going down. I think Oliver does trust Felicity. I think he does believe in her. I don't think it's about Felicity at all. This is about Oliver. This was always about Oliver, but he has to find the courage to admit that to Felicity. Somehow, Felicity breaking this mold Oliver kept her in will force him to break his own. Oliver will finally do the one thing neither of them thought he would. Oliver is going to tell Felicity the truth.

Like most things, this going to take Oliver a couple times before he gets it right.  Sometimes you need to blow it up before you can put it back together.

Oliver knew what was going to happen moments before the explosion. His survival instincts, his need to protect Felicity, kicked in and he reached for her. Evenutally, those survival instincts will kick in again because Oliver needs Felicity to survive. The only  line Oliver needs to cross now is the divide between him and Felicity. He will reach out again, in the right way, in the way Felicity needs, and she will reach back. 

Dyla

One of the more frustrating aspects of having a wildly talented cast is they are easily employed elsewhere. Audrey Anderson's success on Ice is well deserved, but her lack of availability for Arrow is a tough pill to swallow. However, no matter how long we've gone without Lyla Arrow can always jump back into their relationship without missing a beat. It speaks to the strength of the writing with Dyla and David & Audrey's acting.

This concept of Lyla becoming more like Amanda Waller is a storyline we've been waiting a long time for and "Dangerous Liaisons" didn't disappoint. Now that she's sitting behind the desk, Lyla sees the world is filled with many more shades of grey. Far beyond the shades she knew existed. In Amanda Waller's world, you hold a man without due process. You don't tell your husband, who's been a little washy washy on said prisoner's incarceration, where the prisoner is being secretly held. Stuff like that is just the norm in Amanda Waller's world.

It is not the norm in Diggle and Lyla's world. They are open and honest with one another. They also believe in serving justice. This isn't the first time Lyla and Diggle have butted heads over what justice should look like. Diggle cannot fathom how holding a man without due process is any form of justice.

Ehhh... pause.

Diggle is a vigilante. He works outside "the system" on a regular basis, so the all preconceived notions of "justice" need not apply. We've been thinking outside the box for awhile now on that one.  #TeamLyla Unpause.

Personally, I think Diggle brings a hyper sensitivity to Lyla because he lives in constant fear he's gonna wake up next to Amanda Waller. No thanks. 

Diggle doesn't want Lyla to lose herself in the process of serving justice. Like Oliver, Diggle knows what that feels like. He's been down that hole before and it's one he wants to shield Lyla from. His concern is based in love.

However, it's also a little patronizing. Diggle, like Oliver with Felicity, needs to expand Lyla's mold. Lyla may make decisions John doesn't agree with. She may walk a fine line and even cross it from time to time, but doesn't mean she's becoming Amanda Waller. Lyla’s world was always more grey than John’s. Lyla has always been willing to do whatever is necessary. It’s what John loves about her... and hates about her.

This doesn’t mean John can't call Lyla on it when he thinks she is crossing a line. We have to adapt to the changes in our loved ones, allow them room to grown, and be willing to remind them of who they are when they've forgotten. There's a balance here and right now Diggle and Lyla are stuck on extremes. They both need to give a little and reach across the divide.

Much like Oliver and Felicity, Lyla and Diggle land on a pause. Neither wants to push the fight much further because neither is willing to give an inch and they know this only leads somewhere unpleasant. I think sometimes when you've broken up, separated or even divorced and then reunited there can be a fear of fighting. A fear that if you confront the issues between you that you'll only severe the relationship again. I think that's a mistake. It's important to face the issues in your relationship. The key is knowing how to fight. While Diggle and Lyla may be worried where this argument leads, I'm not. They are learning how to fight again in their marriage. They will work this out. They are the anchor couple. There's rules about that stuff. #DylaStrong

Lance and Wild Dog

Man, Wild Dog is REALLY growing on me. Pairing him with Lance let Rene be the funny man to Lance's straight man. 

It gave Rick a chance to play with his deadpan humor and Paul Blackthorne a chance to bring in his zinging, sarcastic snark. PERFECTION.

We finally got the full story on why Rene lost his daughter. He was drunk and making soup. When he passed out, his daughter reached for the soup and burned her hand badly. Rene hasn't fought to regain custody because he feels he's a danger to his daughter.

If there's anyone who understands feeling like a danger to his daughter because of one mistake, it's Quentin Lance.  Lance pushes for visitation for Rene and arranges for him to see his daughter. Rene is spurred on by Lance's faith in him and promises his daughter he's going to fight to get her back.

This is such an eloquent way of threading in Lance's grief over Laurel's death into a present day storyline without hitting us over the head with it. Lance wants to give Rene the chance to make it right. It's a chance Quentin Lance feels he'll never get and he has to make his peace with that. By helping Rene, he's able to. Both men are able to find healing in the other. However, both Quentin and Lance have allowed their perceptions of who the other person is to change and grow. It's a lesson both super couples need to take a page from. I now live in a world where Lance and Wild Dog are currently the healthiest functioning couple on Arrow.

Stray Thoughts

Reporter: How could you not know Adrian was a serial killer? 

Oliver: How could you not know I'm the Green Arrow?  (Just saying)

"Curtis talks too much."  Feels accurate Rene.

Over-Terrific??? Really Curtis just stop. Don’t try to combo your code name with Felicity’s. Just leave her perfection alone and be happy you still have a code name. (In case you’re wondering, all my newbie irritation has transferred from Wild Dog to Curtis. I don’t know why, but it’s happening so I’m rolling with it.)

In what circumstances will we use or not use the Canary Cry? I'm of the attitude just use it all the time.

Dinah continues to be a bad ass. No complaints.

Oliver refused to put down the gun, until Diggle told him Felicity was asking. I am feeling all the feels.

"Are you firing me?" 

"There was atime I would have loved for you to ask me that."  Apparently, Lance & I are on the same emotional trajectory with Rene.

I need a Olicity/Dyla double date night. Hijinks can ensue, but I need the double date.

Lyla vs. Felicity proves we need a women's only crime fighting night. Lyla, Felicity, Dinah and Thea - no boys allowed.

Alena shot at Diggle???!!!!

@callistawolf​ thinks Cayden James is Noah Smoak and now I want it. Alos, all the  chatting Lance and Rene did about the single mother Adrian Chase killed, and the father left to raise the children, felt a little too much like foreshadowing. Samantha Clayton Death Watch starts now! 

OH MY GOD THAT 5x20 PROMO I AM FUCKING LIT!!!!!!! Felicity can't walk & Oliver is hurt. Arrow is fucking shit up just the way I like it! Can't wait!