#THEYRE CLEARLY TAKING THE MICK

[spicybylerpolls]

Interesting points from anon who argued for bottom mike there. Thanks for being so generous with your explanation for your preference! 

I found this interesting: i guess my main reasoning for him being a bratty bottom is just how he acts sometimes through the show, his clear distaste for being told what to do and his snappy comebacks.

To me, this indicates that mike very much would not want to be told what to do in the bedroom, and would thus take control. Distaste… so why would he like being told what to do in the bedroom? 

I mean, maybe, as a kink, as a relief, in the way people who engage in d/s culture enjoy the separation from their reality. But that’s also a highly self aware and advanced sexual expression that requires knowledge and courage. Your average virgin does not immediately engage in bdsm culture or even understand its psychology. Most people barely know what they like in the bedroom, let alone the complex dynamics of bdsm and d/s. 

Which leads me to the realisation of how interesting it is to see such common dom/sub conversations around byler sex in this fandom. it speaks to the fact that fandom is very fantasy- and imagination-based rather than just working with what is canon. It's so intriguing, because I personally came to fandom hoping to discuss the show, almost analytically like we were in media class, and found lots of fantasy play and headcanons and stuff, which I hadn't known were a thing. At first it didnt make sense to me... why would you want to celebrate characters/a show but make it completely into something that no longer resembles that show or those characters??

I understand fandom better now, but even so re: sex, I would say that irl, at least 50% of people dont engage in dom/sub dynamics in their sex life at all, or even anything that would be considered kinky or fetish. In fact, one you've removed the percentage of people who don’t have sex at all, a large portion of sexually active people (especially women) don’t engage in even the simplest kind of vanilla sex where they ask for the bare minimum of what they would enjoy, what they want, know what they want - many dont even enjoy sex or know how to orgasm. This doesnt mean their sex is abusive or toxic or they have a history of trauma, but just that they dont feel comfortable or that it’s their place to ask for pleasure. They just do what they think they should do, 'normal sex' (a common historic phrase here was 'lie back and think of england' lmao... basically what royal queens were told to think as their husbands butchered them in the least enjoyable way possible).

(I also always found the scene with Steve’s mean friends in s1, after he and Nancy have sex, uncomfortable because they were clearly taking the mick out of Nancy when imitating her screams, and it highlighted how performative that sexual experience may well have been for Nancy. I mean, if Steve made her cum during her first time? Damn, he’s good. But chances are he didn’t, and nancy’s storyline was partially about performances and status in s1, so her first time w Steve also being performative is a possibility. It makes the barb storyline even sadder too.)

But back to byler. theyre boys so dynamic will be different to a man and woman, but I think dom/sub conversation comes up so much more in gay sex, and is it because people just can’t see gay men as being equals in the bedroom? Even though people have no issue imaging equal sex with a man and woman, despite a similar dynamic of who is penetrating? But two men? Nope, one must be dom or sub, one must be more powerful, even if you’re a power bottom you’re still a power something. Why can’t it be equal? Why do we ALWAYS have to refer to dom and sub? 

I’m not saying that dynamic wouldnt exist for byler at some point, or that it’s no good, but it doesn’t need to be the only frame of reference. Sure, byler don’t always have to have penetrative sex either, but even if they are, will it ever be possible to talk about topping and bottoming without power dynamics being involved? Equal union, joining of bodies, not an inkling of power in sight. In fact, not even using the term ‘topping’ and ‘bottoming’, which may well have origins in physicality, such as the missionary position, but certainly also hold connotations of power. Who’s on top? Who’s bottom? I don’t love the wording tbh, and I wonder what the history of that is in gay culture. 

"Which leads me to the realization of how interesting it is to see such common dom/sub conversations around byler sex in this fandom. it speaks to the fact that fandom is very fantasy- and imagination-based rather than just working with what is canon. It's so intriguing, because I personally came to fandom hoping to discuss the show, almost analytically like we were in media class, and found lots of fantasy play and headcanons and stuff"

This is so interesting to me - it reminds me of that one anon the regular byler poll blog got recently about their confusion as to why people were speculating about things they can't possibly know the answer to. But yeah, you're right that a significant portion of fandom is imagination/headcanon based, and I agree with the anon on the byler polls account who pointed out that this is largely personality-driven, where some are all about this and others are... very much not.

All your other points are super interesting too! What does everyone else think?

[spikeinthepunch]

i havent posted like anything of the penrose development i have done, visual wise, as its all been on my discord (join here and get the "projects chats" role to see it). so! i am gonna talk. long post ahead.

above is some March actually, way back when i was trying to think of other characters and shapes. The three on the right were random mainly, except Hayden will be an actual character. not decided design however. i also tried "mouth/nose line" on mick and eden, which gave them more cat appearance. i did not keep that. very far right wolf looking guy is actually Mars... if anyone remembers that red wolf.

Noir Morozov, who i drew in that image with the numbers 76. i will commonly call him 76. he is the admin (76days76nights) of twistedroots.net. in his late 20s. clearly based on a goat.

Above is some design tests of "no ears" versions of characters. i have loads of thoughts about this-- basically these guys (mick and eden namely) have been ambiguous humanoids, but technically based on cats. still, the only feature were the nose and ears. however i have wanted my big projects to not be furry associated and the ears are enough to see them as that. considering how simple they already were, i wondered if i could take away the need for ears at all.

in doing so i realized how plain eden looks and came to certain conclusions about these: mick is already very normal, skin colored, and has two main colors. eden's hair being smooth makes it look pretty flat without the sharp ears, and she only has one color is she doesnt have the white spot. 76 is clearly the most animal like, and taking away his features leaves him look a bit weird. hair texture for eden was worked on (right image) and may change on mick, not sure.

i wanted to get rid of eden's white spot because it was a marking like on fur, but because she is just black and nothing else i wanted to work in a second color-- which came to me adding it to her hair! which i quite like.

as much as i loved that finished art i did of 76 recently, i do expect to change his design as well.

most recent developments of design-- first one is just normal present day mick with no ears. i am still unsure how to present her however as im unsure about her hair and nose/face shape. right image is eden at age 14-16. just a little sketch of her at a younger age (and i need to practice/design the difference between her age appearance tbh)

lastly! just a timeline of faces that i made when trying to think about new designs/what to do. theyre not in complete chronological order, but its close enough. its given me more thoughts on how i wanna tackle designs. mainly that i really want to do *something* about mick and eden's face shapes. i lost some sharpness of mick's and i think its part of whats throwing me, as she is all round shapes. i am generally happy with eden, but with both of those girls i need to sit down and try to see how i can work their ages into their designs just a *little* so.

thats kinda where this project is right now. designs have still been tough for me, especially because i havent fleshed out the story enough to include more significant characters either.

[hunterbinx]

Terrible Waste Part 2 done *sigh*

Here, have more of my thoughts *throws them at you like I would a crumpled up dirty napkin while staring at the old table of the booth were sitting in at the sad Space-McDonalds*

Spoilers ahead

The THEIAs would have done something like that without a second thought though- just make something into a mindless shell of a person (in this case a worker) with no trace of who the person actually was but instead a copy and pasted version of what they think a person should be

Juno. Babe. Youre being kinda hypocritical about telling them to get therapy later. Buddy and Falco dont count as therapy. 

Rita, I love you. Thank you for existing ❤️ (also, please compare these things to the THEIAs because it doesnt look like Juno is going to)

"You got 5 minutes and also I'm gonna be making another call. Good luck :)" Babe- 😂

OH MY GOD MICK MERCURY I LOVE HIM SO MUCH

God, how is Nureyev going to react to this? 

Holy shit, did Dokana bring Wilco back from the dead??? WAS THAT THE COMPANY THAT DID IT?!?!?!?!

Juno worried about Mick and Wilco :( 

Please stop using the word Pal. Its doesn't sound right. 

"If you turn the lights on and off, he starts dancing." Oh my god, Mick-

"Old Timer" *cue happy chemicals*

"Being so naturally charming and likeable :)" hey, thats still character development!

Ah yes, Juno's screams of fear, how I've missed you

"I wont be angry. You can tell me."

First of all, youre a liar. Youll be pissed that he was trying to pull his arm off 

Second of all, you can clearly tell that Juno has been reacting poorly to your anger this whole time and NOW you try to throw him a bone??? Bro. 

"Now do I get to use my blaster?"

*sigh* "Yes Juno, now you get to use your blaster."

"'bout goddamn time!" 

He's confident in himself now! :D I can hear the hair flip!!!

Nureyev, you know you find this attractive, dont lie. 

PETER HAS A GRAPLING HOOK?!?!??!?! I need a fic thats "5 times Peter Nureyev used his Grapling Hook and one time he didnt have to" or something. This is too good to be true. WAIT. WHERES THE MABEL PINES GRAPING HOOK MEME?!?!??

Perfect 🥰

Juno fawning over Peter whike he climbing. You just know he's staring like a lovesick idiot. 🥹

Oh my god, hes picked up on Nureyev lock picking techniques and finds them adorable!!!!!

I can imagine the scene from Tangled when Eugene gets all the way up into the town and Rapunzel is tied up... who's going to be Gothel here and stab Juno from behind?

Meele, no.... please...

"I wont sacrifice you in the process of finding him... i couldnt bear it." Awwwwww 🥺

Also, remember that next time youre mean to him, Nureyev

Yeah babe, youve been treating him worse than he deserves. Remedy that please, for the sake of all of our hearts. IM GONNA NEED SO MANY FICS TO FIX THIS, especially ones about Peter doing things for Juno to try to make up for this and Juno trying to tell him he doesnt need to but Nureyev keeps trying anyway

Calling Juno brave 😭

Admitting vulnerability 😭😭

Taking accountability 😭😭😭

"I'm glad you are here." I feel like ive been waiting for this all my life. 

"Unfinished business..." (@44:57) You know hes just staring at Juno with longing eyes when he says it... 

"Did I walk in on something" The speed and volume at which they said no 😂😭 Theyre faces are probably like an inch away from each other at that point tho... 

Peter fumbling over his words 🥺

Mind reading powers causing him pain... its the pull all over again...

Peter sounds in so much pain... he just finally apologized to Juno for being an ass, he's trying to grappel with the looming possibility of losing Slip, and now his one light in the dark is being ripped from him... 

VIBERT, I STG.

Haven't listened to an episode since 16 Tons Part 2 came out. Planning on binging the latest 4 tonight. Wish me luck...

[princemick-archive]

hiiii !

i've been following you for a while (but i can't send asks through my vroom vroom blog bc it's a sideblog (╥_╥) and asking from my main blag would bother me because then everything wouldn't be categorized)

anyway you're the main schumaclerc blog i know of so i had to share this though that i had: they love their families so much! mick loves his dad, and his mum and his sister and they're clearly a huge part of his life and charles loves his family, hanging out with his brothers and we all know about his baby fever (someone get this man a child) and just imagine putting them together. they would be so involved, so much familial love for each others families. charles and mick both seem like the kind of people that win over moms. just familial love makes it even more romantic!

(sorry for the rant, i had to let it out, idk if you like this kind of dynamic or not ＜(。_。)＞, i hope you do! if not i'm so sorry)

sincerely,

🌵

hey dude! I get the side blog thing is sucks ass also ??? main schuclerc blog??? when @schumaclerc is right there. anyway im honored.

and yes yes yes, they're such fucking family men and they will probably instantly win over the other's mom but I wouldn't be suprised if gina goes all protective big sister on charles.

also putting the familial thing with seb works so well too, thats why I love schuclerc + sewis so much because theyre such a small little family who take care of eachother!!

[puppetsoftomorrow]

Hi could you explain the transphobia in mick getting pregnant? - a genuinely curious person

okay so. this is long winded. from my perspective there's two realms of mpreg - the actual idea of a man being pregnant, and 'mpreg', the fandom phenomenon and mainstay of weird 12 year old fanfics and paint fanart. the actual act of a man being pregnant? not transphobic. the portrayl of pregnant men in media and fanfic? often transphobic.

why mpreg is seen by some as Not transphobic:

it's important to acknowledge that plenty of ppl dont see it as transphobic, including many trans ppl! theres no monolith lol. some ppl see it as normalising male pregnancy, which is fair

why mpreg is seen by some as transphobic:

okay so the other side - i think the first one is that, most depictions of mpreg aren't honest attempts to normalise male pregnancy, theyre 'haha isn't it Weird and Funny that this Man is Pregnant', and LoT is this, like they literally played a laugh track. mick being pregnant is funny. which in turn encourages the ridicule of irl pregnant trans men bcos haha thats weird!!

the other side is its like... in no fics or tv shows or movies is it trans men getting pregnant, its always cis men through ABO or aliens or weird tech, and it feels just a weird way of avoiding having trans men in your story. like you want a pregnant man? just have it be a trans guy, no need for ABO or aliens or weird tech. and obvs legends went for aliens lol rather than having any trans male characters on this season

its also... okay maybe less so for legends but very fetishistic? if the only portrayl of pregnant men in media / fanfic is either to laugh at them or make it a kink thing, thats super shit for pregnant trans men

also, the specific situation on LoT, that mick didn't consent to getting pregnant, exposes a weird double standard. like if sara had been made pregnant by bishop, i am 100% sure we would have been seieng hundreds of hot takes on consent and bodily automony and how wrong that was, but kayla clearly didn't explain like "hey just fyi this might get you pregnant" and thats treated for laughs? like what abt mick's bodyily autonomy? not transphobic, but does show the double standards in society

i think these things are worth pointing out always. like i've seen a few posts implying ppl only care abt this bcos theyre chomping at the bit to 'cancel' legends or jump up a few rungs on the woke ladder, but i think thats reductive and not useful. i like the show, i can say certain storylines are transphobic and i wish they would not do them. duality of man lmao

also sorry i took so long to answer! i was at work and i sure wasn't googling "mpreg transphobia" on my work laptop lmao

[stillthewordgirl]

LOT/CC fic: Somewhere on Your Road Tonight (ch. 14)

Sara and Leonard made a life for themselves, together in 1958, after the Waverider left them, Ray and Kendra behind. But now they're back on the ship, Mick has been twisted into Chronos, Kendra is pregnant, and Savage is still out there. They'll deal--together. (Sequel to "Chances Are.")

Second "Destiny" chapter. Pieces are coming together. Many thanks to LarielRomeniel for the beta.

Can also be read here at AO3 or here at FF.net.

Since Rip, Raymond and Mick seem like they might have the better chance at anything having to do with the ship and getting away from the Time Masters, Leonard takes the responsibility of getting Stein to the medbay. The older man is trying to move as best he can, but he’s clearly suffering, and Leonard can’t help a prickle of sympathy.

Once the professor is settled into one of the chair-bed things, with an IV of medication Gideon has prescribed to at least keep him more comfortable, Leonard hesitates, uncertain. He wants to go find Sara, but leaving Stein alone to contemplate his plight seems…well, cold, even to him.

“Anything help you other than getting the kid back?” he drawls uncomfortably, sidling toward the chair. The ship shakes a little as he does so.

Stein opens an eye and regards him with an expression that’s understanding and almost kind. It occurs to Leonard that while he may have been the one on this ship who’s changed the most, the professor has changed too. He’s a far cry from the arrogant man who’d scorned Leonard and Mick back on that rooftop in Central City.

“No, sadly, Mr. Snart,” he says with a sigh. “It’s just a matter of time, I fear. And now, with Captain Hunter’s revelations about the nature of our quest itself…it seems that it’s all been for nothing.” He shakes his head. “At least Jefferson is well out of it.”

Leonard wants, no, needs, to find out more about that himself, but while they’re still in the process of getting the hell outta Dodge, it seems best not to storm onto the bridge demanding answers. As the ship jolts again, he decides to sit down next to the other man. Stein watches him do so.

��Mr. Snart,” he asks after another moment, “may I ask you a question?”

The ship shakes, lurching. Leonard decides he’d rather be distracted. “Shoot.”

“Back in the beginning. When Captain Hunter invited us on this whole…adventure.” He stops, then continues again as Leonard continues to regard him. “Why did you decide to go?”

It is, truthfully, a good question. Leonard can remember how scornful he’d been of the whole thing, at least on the surface he’d presented to the others. And it seems like the least he can do is to offer the truth to the man before him, who, it seems, is all too likely to be giving his life on this mission.

After a moment’s thought, he starts to speak, carefully. “I’ll deny it if you tell the others,” he warns Stein, who rolls his eyes but also inclines his head. “But I do care about my city.”

“At least, insomuch as no one could hurt it but you, eh?” But the professor waves a hand when Leonard gives him a weary look. “I’m sorry. Carry on.”

After a minute, he does. “I did wonder if I could…” He thinks of Sara’s words back then. “…change my fate. Either by changing the past or, as it turns out, becoming…a rather different person.” He shrugs. “And I got even more of a chance for that than I’d expected.”

Stein tilts his head and offers up some of his occasional uncanny understanding. “Your time in 1958?”

“Yeah.” Leonard hesitates again. “Amazing what a clean slate can do.”

Stein’s closed his eyes again. “Hmm,” he muses. “I daresay Ms. Lance’s presence in your life didn’t hurt either. The love of a good woman…or rather, a good person…has saved many a lost soul. Clarissa…in some ways, I think she effectively saved me.” He sighs. “I hope I get to see her again. At this point, however, I rather doubt it.”

Leonard’s not sure what to do with that. “C’mon, professor. I thought cynicism was my hallmark.”

“As you’ve said, Mr. Snart, people change.” But Stein shakes his head. “Still. I suppose that there is always hope.” He smiles a little. “In a world with time travel, is not anything truly possible?”

“And in a world with burning, nuclear-powered heroes,” Leonard tells him seriously. “And speedsters. And…”

“…and where Captain Cold is a hero.”

Leonard frowns at the older man, but Stein just chuckles. “Don’t deny it,” he tells Leonard mock-seriously. “Your actions prove otherwise.”

“Eehhhh.” He decides not to argue. “You get back to 2016, professor, don’t tell Barry Allen and his ilk that.”

Stein chuckles, closing his eyes. “I do believe I shall have to try to survive this, Mr. Snart, just to collect on all these favors you’re going to be owing me.” He reopens one eye and regards Leonard. “Please tell the others that I will endeavor not to blow up while I’m here.”

Leonard feels his own lips twitch at the words. “Appreciate that, professor.”

“As well you should.”

Despite the others’ reassurances, Sara’s still relieved when Leonard finally ambles onto the bridge. He catches her eye and she catches his, and that’s enough for now.

“Professor's in the medbay,” he drawls, approaching the others. “Promises not to blow up while he's on board, which I thought was considerate.”

Rip sighs, moving toward the holotable. “Yeah, the professor's condition is the least of our worries, I'm afraid.”

That seems a bit callous, but as Sara frowns, Ray chimes in.

“Yeah, much to my chagrin, it turns out everything we've done, maybe even our whole lives,” he says woefully, “has been determined by the Time Masters.”

“What?” Sara asks incredulously, leaning forward. She glances at Leonard, who leans on a jump seat, eyes sweeping the room. He doesn’t look surprised. Instead, he wears an expression of intense concentration.

Granted, he’s been insisting for a while that the Time Masters are pulling their strings, but this…this is more than that. Those words--which no one is arguing with--suggest that it goes back farther and deeper, that…

No. No, Sara doesn’t want to think about that right now. As it is, her stomach is twisting, thinking about the choices she’s made and the places she’s been…the people she’s hurt…

She doesn’t look at Leonard now. She can’t.

“The Time Masters have this thing called the Oculus, which allows them not only to gaze into the future, but to engineer it,” Rip tells them resignedly. “Yes, Mr. Snart. As I said before, you were right.”

But Ray speaks again before Leonard can respond. “A future where I'm dead.” Sara’s heart goes out to him as he closes his eyes, swallowing. “Guy, you gotta get Kendra back. I mean, for her sake too, but Alex…”

“We won’t leave your kid without a family, Haircut,” Mick cuts in roughly. “No matter what.” He shrugs uncomfortably as everyone looks at him. “Don’t know that we’re what you and Bird Girl would want for uncles and aunt, but I s’pose we’re better than nothing. And, hey, Snart and I know what not to do, anyway.”

Ray looks like he’s going to cry, or hug somebody, but the captain speaks up again, shaking his head.

“This is a lovely moment,” he says, just a touch acerbically, “truly. But in my opinion, Dr. Palmer's death is not part of their plan.”

“Not reassuring,” Ray mutters, then “Ow!”

Mick, apparently deciding that enough sentiment was enough, had leaned over and whacked him in the arm. Then he turns challengingly to Rip.

“You sayin’ the Time Masters wanted me to do that?” he growls.

Rip gives him a long-suffering look. “What I'm saying is that they've been engineering our lives to move in very specific directions,” he says. “And we are playing out that script even now.”

The Gambit? The Pit? All the people she’s killed? Sara closes her eyes, then opens them, rising from the captain’s chair and moving toward them. Her eyes catch Leonard’s very briefly, and she can see similar thoughts there. Did the Time Masters make sure he’d be a criminal no matter what, with the perfect skills to do what they wanted on this mission? Did he ever have a choice? Did they create Lewis? Or Barry Allen to prod him down another road?

And what about them…

Before she speaks, though, he does.

“But they’re not controlling everything,” he says, staring at Rip. “And we can still surprise them.” They’re statements, not questions. “They didn’t know that I’d left the ship in Harmony Falls.” He glances at Mick. “We know the Time Masters didn’t know I’d been left behind too.”

Rip blinks, considering that, and Mick grunts thoughtfully in agreement.

“Yeah,” he says. “They told me just what to do. And things were all different from what they said.

Ray, looking a bit encouraged, nods. “So they didn’t have anything to do with what happened to any of us in 1958.”

Sara looks at Leonard, who’s looking steadily back at her. This is still disconcerting and awful, but at least…at least they have that.

“No. They can’t control thoughts, and they can’t control feelings,” Rip tells him, almost gently. “And…they’re not in there all the time, fiddling with every little detail.” He shakes his head. “It’s a rather jarring experience, the Oculus. It’d be like performing delicate surgery with a hacksaw.”

“So, it seems they sort of…set the program and let it run, with occasional course corrections.” Ray looks thoughtful.

Sara takes a deep breath. “Well, this is interesting…and encouraging in a few ways, anyway, for what that’s worth. But we still need to figure out what to do.” She puts her hands on the holotable, scanning the others. “So, we can go to 2016, but that might be what the Time Masters want. Or we can go get Kendra...”

“Which could also be what they want,” Leonard mutters.

“Then we need to do what they don't want,” Ray says, determination brightening his voice. “If the Oculus is what they're using to control us, then we need to destroy it.”

Sara nods, but…

“No,” Leonard cuts in, getting to his feet and approaching. “Or not just that, anyway.” He takes a deep breath as the others look at him. “Look. They’re expecting us to act according to our natures. Right? That’s the whole point. They did their best to create those natures.”

“Yes?” Ray looks inquiringly at Rip, then back at Leonard. “But…”

“And the Time Bastards just made sure to give their biggest rebel, a bunch of heroes—and me and Mick—the information that they control time.” Leonard tilts his head. “What do you think they think is going to happen?”

For some reason, as soon as he’s delivered those words, something in Leonard relaxes. Not entirely, but a little. Like he’s passed a test. Delivered a message.

It’s an odd sensation, but he decides not to examine it for the moment.

“I acted against my nature—what had been my nature—when I left the ship in Harmony Falls,” he says, looking at Sara. “And they didn’t expect it or plan for it. What, now, would they not expect us to do?”

Sara hums thoughtfully. Raymond shrugs. “Give up and go back home,” he points out. “But we can’t do that.”

“Well.” Rips frowns. “I do think that going back to the place we just escaped from would seem rather unexpected.”

Leonard snorts. “Not with this group,” he says. “Seriously, Rip?”

The captain gives him the ghost of a smile. “True, indeed, Mr. Snart. But we still need to get rid of this Oculus, if we’re to have any hope of truly changing things.”

Raymond’s looking off into the distance. “I’ve spent my whole life wanting to be a hero,” he says quietly. “A hero…a hero is brave. Helps others. Makes a difference. If I can do that, to make a better life for my son…”

“So, basically, the Time Bastards would expect you to do some shit like dying while trying to blow up the Oculus.” Leonard nods when the scientist gives him a startled glance. “So, you can’t do that. You’ve gotta be selfish, Raymond.” He glances at Rip. “Can you take him back to the Refuge?”

“No!” Raymond says, even as Rip considers and nods.

“And the rest of us, Mr. Snart?” he says with resignation, but also with a small smile on his face. “As you just might be onto something here?”

Leonard can appreciate what it’s cost the captain to say that…and maybe Rip’s arrogance was something the Time Masters were counting on too. He gives the other man an understanding smirk in return.

“The rest of us…” he says slowly. “What if we split up? Rip, they’ll figure you’ll go back to the Vanishing Point. It’s personal. You and…and Sara and maybe the professor, if he’s up for it…go after Kendra.”

“Wait a minute…” Sara starts as Rip lifts an eyebrow.

“And what are we going to use to do that?” he asks drily, spreading his hands out before him. “One ship.”

“The Pilgrim’s ship is still at that old outpost, right? Leonard looks around at Mick. “You hid it.”

His friend grunts thoughtfully. “Yeah. I could fly that. Good ship.”

“Great. Then, Mick and I will blow up the Oculus.” Leonard ignores the immediate arguments. “They won’t expect the criminals to be playing heroes.”

Mick nods. “And I like blowing stuff up.”

“You’re not…”

“Mr. Snart…”

“He’s got a point.” Raymond shrugs as everyone looks at him. “We can make it work. We’re Legends, right? But one change.” He holds up a hand. “I get your meaning, Snart, about going against what they expect. But…I won’t do any good to the mission if I’m back at the Refuge. I want to go with you.”

Leonard regards him a moment, then glances at the captain. “Rip,” he drawls. “What was the Boy Scout here doing? When…What did you see in this Oculus thing?”

Rip hesitates, thinking. “He was…” His eyes widen. “It was an explosion. How did I forget that?” He looks at Raymond. “You were working on something. And there was light…you started to come apart…”

“I think that’s enough,” Sara breaks in as Raymond winces. “Rip, even if we—or some of us—return to the Vanishing Point, can they mess with us there?”

The captain shakes his head. “No, Druce told me that the Oculus' ability to control our actions doesn't work in the Vanishing Point, most likely because the Vanishing Point itself exists outside of time.”

“And we need to move,” Leonard says firmly. “If you want to have any chance to save Kendra. And your family.”

Rip looks a bit wild-eyed, but Gideon cuts neatly in, her voice calm.

“I apologize, Captain,” she says, “but I’ve already diverted us toward the outpost. Mr. Snart’s plan is a good one, and I chose to…anticipate your orders.” She pauses as Rip collapses into a jump seat and Mick barks out a laugh. “May I also point out that you have always encouraged such independence, but…a time ship AI knows what it is to be controlled by the Time Masters. I wish to help, although they are not all like me.”

Rip rubs a hand over his face. “Ah, Gideon. No one is quite like you.”

“Thank you, Captain. I shall take that as a compliment.”

“OK, then,” Ray says firmly, turning for the corridors. “I’m going to go talk to Stein, figure out how we’ll need to destroy this Oculus wellspring. Rip, we’ll need what you know.”

The captain shakes his head but gets to his feet. “This is not how I envisioned this going at all,” he comments with a sigh, then smiles. “Which just may be precisely why it works.” He glances at Mick. “Mr. Rory. You have experience as a time ship captain—and a reputation as a sneaky and very effective one. Would you work with Gideon to plot a good intercept course for Savage?”

Mick shrugs, but Leonard thinks he almost looks pleased at the words and the request. “Sure.”

“Thank you.”

Leonard stands with Sara and Mick, watching as Rip and Raymond leave, then looks over at his friend. “You want help?” he drawls, folding his arms. “Might not know how to fly a time ship, but I know how to plan.”

Mick’s already deftly pulled some schematics up on the holotable. He glances over and snorts. “No,” he says, “I want you two to go get your shit together before we all trot off to hunt psychopaths or blow stuff up.” He looks back to the display. “So, get. I got this.”

“We got this,” Gideon announces. “Mr. Rory, please take a look at the path skirting Jurgens Ridge. I believe…”

She continues, and Leonard blinks at his old friend, then looks at Sara.

She gives him a slight smile and shrugs.

“OK, then,” he mutters, turning aside and heading for their room. “I know when I’m not needed.”

“Don’t whine, Mr. Snart,” Gideon tells him snippily, stopping her comments to Mick for a moment. “It’s not a becoming trait.”

Well, he thinks with resignation as he saunters for the door, at least the comment makes Sara laugh.

“I can’t believe we were just…dismissed…like that,” Sara says with faint amusement as they enter their quarters. She looks from side to side restlessly, then turns to face Leonard. “I mean, I know my skills lie mainly in hitting things until they stop moving, but…I would have liked to do something.”

Her words get a slight smile, although it’s a distracted one. “Got the feeling maybe we already did,” he drawls, leaning against the bed and watching her. “But…you OK?”

Sara laughs a little, knowing that the sound isn’t very sincere. “Well. I’m trying not to think about it too much,” she says, boosting herself up onto the bed and looking down at her hands. “I don’t know how profound the directions the Time Masters steered us in are, and I don’t think I want to know. I know I still feel responsible for everything I’ve done. And it still keeps me up at night.”

After a moment, she hears a sigh and glances over at Leonard. Her lover is staring off into the distance, a complicated expression on his face. It’s melancholy and uncertain, very unlike anything he shows the world, and something turns over in Sara’s heart as she watches him.

“Len,” she says quietly, putting a hand out and resting it on his shoulder, “what are you thinking?”

Leonard shrugs, after a moment, then looks at her.

“It wasn’t just a script,” he asks, a still, opaque expression on his face. “Was it?”

Oh.

Sara tightens her grip on his shoulder, pulling him toward her, and after a moment’s resistance, Leonard allows her to guide him. After a moment, he’s facing her, although his eyes are still darting around and not meeting hers. He exudes uneasiness and apprehension, and she can see and feel how stiff his shoulders are.

“I thought we agreed that the Time Masters didn’t even know we were there, in 1958,” she says. “When our relationship…changed. Or evolved. They weren’t pulling our strings.” She reaches up and rests a hand against his jawline, feeling the tension there. “And…Rip said, they can’t change feelings.” She takes a deep breath. “Everything we feel…it’s real.”

Finally, Leonard’s eyes meet hers, heartbreakingly wary.

“Yeah?” he asks quietly. “And what…” He pauses. “I’m not a good person, Sara. Not the sort you should…care for. I…”

Sara huffs out a breath. “Stop…listening…to Lewis,” she tells him sharply, shaking his shoulder a little, then feels guilty as he flinches. “He’s been dead for months, or longer depending on how you look at it. Stop giving his voice space in your head.”

Leonard actually looks thoughtful at that, and Sara presses her advantage, reaching up and putting her other hand on his jaw, holding his face in her hands and making sure he looks at her.

“I think we went through all this back in 1958,” she tells him. “About you being a good person. Leonard, no one’s a good person all the time, and you’ve been actively trying to be better.” She hesitates. “What would Rebecca say? Or Ginny. David?”

He mutters something, but Sara doesn’t let him off the hook. “You know perfectly well what they’d say, because they’ve said it,” she tells him fiercely. “Now, stop insulting the man I love. Or I’m going to be pissed.”

That actually gets a smile, and he studies her, eyes a saturated deep blue. It’s impossible, as the tension fades—replaced by a different sort of tension--not to realize how close they are or how very charged the atmosphere is. Leonard reaches out deliberately and puts one hand on either side of her on the bed, looking through his lashes at her, and smiles.

“Well,” he drawls, sounding a little more like himself, leaning toward her. “Can’t have that. The woman I love is quite the badass, you know.”

“Yeah?” Sara smirks in return, moving her hands down to rest on his hips, where she threads her fingers through the belt loops on his jeans, pulling him even closer. “She sounds awesome.”

“Oh, yeah.” Leonard studies her, then glances away, expression going serious again. He looks like he’s trying to make a decision, and Sara waits, wondering.

Finally, he nods, as if to himself, and meets her eyes.

“Being on this ship,” he says, quietly, bringing one hand up to touch her cheek gently, “traveling through time…” A pause. “…I’ve been wondering what the future might hold for me... and you…and me and you.”

He stops again. Sara feels like she can’t quite breathe. Is this…a proposal, Leonard Snart-style?

“You want to steal a kiss from me, Leonard?” she says lightly, giving him the chance to defuse the moment even as her pounding heart wants desperately to know what he’s going to say. “You better be one hell of a thief.”

A smile tugs at the corner of his lips. A light in his eyes, Leonard starts to speak again…

But Gideon beats him to it.

“I am very sorry, Mr. Snart, Ms. Lance, truly, but we have arrived here, at the outpost,” she says carefully. “And time is of the essence…ah, in more ways than one. Can you meet the others at the bridge, or…”

A sigh explodes out of both of them at once, and Leonard shakes his head roughly as Sara closes her eyes and put a hand to her forehead. She wonders, briefly, if Leonard will tell Gideon that they need another moment…but then Leonard’s kissing her, his hand moving to curve behind her head, his lips warm and intent on hers, and Sara kisses him back, pulling him close, trying to memorize the feel and the taste of him before they part. It’s dangerous, what they’re going out to do, and they both know it—but if they ever want the future Leonard had spoken of, it’s something they both have to do.

They part slowly at first, staring at each other like they’re trying to memorize the sight, too. Well, Sara knows that she, for one, is.  She tucks a strand of hair behind an ear and takes a deep breath, knowing that they have to move.

“I love you,” she tells him breathlessly. “Leonard, be careful. I know you’re playing the hero now, but…I’d rather have a live crook. Got it?”

That gets her a wry, if somehow melancholy, smile. “Got it,” he shoots back. “Sara…I love you, too.” A glance away, then back. “Give Savage hell, and don’t let Rip do anything too stupid.”

He steps back, and Sara slides off the bed with a sigh, grabbing her good White Canary leathers. “I could say the same to you,” she tells him. “Don’t let Mick and Ray do anything dumb. I want you all back.”

“Promise.”

She’ll remember that, later. He’d promised.

[hunterbinx]

Thief of Honor Part 2 done...

Huh.

*allows you to look over my shoulder to see my notes written all over a torn, crumpled, and cried on sheet of paper that has clearly been traumatized and abused over the course of the episode*

Oh god, is the test gonna be Slip?

Shit, Nureyev actually has to pick which one lives and which one dies

Owowowowowowowowowowow

The action music in the background- *chefs kiss*

*Nureyev presses the button* I mean, it wouldnt be the first time Juno gets all the blood drained out of his body *chuckles in pain*

The strained "No..." when Juno sees it pressed 💔

Whats with the Italian music?

That his voice?

Wtf???

No, thats the sounds of agony...

Juno pissed is so good to see, not gonna lie

I love that he wants to live so bad!!! You've earned it babe!!!

"Life belongs to the living"

Slip pulling through!!!

Is that thief without a home???

OH MY GOD

😭😭😭

This is his version of "you may look back but only to make sure you've not come this way before"

Nureyev taking only a moment to cry then ending his love's pain *loud heart shattering*

The silence. Fuuuck. 😫

"I thought i threw out that stupid alarm clock" Not a good time but 🤣

Dude, you almost died, now you're back on the cologne

His voice breaking and the fading...

OH MY GOD THE THUMP

"Damn!" Oh honey

DONT YOU DARE DO A SELF SACRIFICE

LIAR

OH MY GOD ITS THE DOOR ALL OVER AGAIN WITH ONE OF THEM BEGGING THE OTHER TO LET THEM IN/OUT WHILE THE OTHER IS READY TO DIE

Yes Juno! Dont let him take responsibility for your actions! You tell him!

Hes telling Nureyev what he needed to hear and know when he was in this position before!!!

Peters voice shaking when asking what hes supposed to do 😫😭

"Live damnit!" You got that from Mick Mercury!

"I did it because I love you, you moron!" ❤️

HE LOVES HIM SO MUCH AND IM SCREAMING

"There he is"

KISSING NOISES AND FABRIC RUSTLES!!!!! MY BELOVED!!!!!!

damn right youre sorry and damn right you love him!!!!!

This is kinda like the reunion scene from the Princess Bride tho 😂

Juno just dropping lore of knowing stuff he wasn't there for. That'll be a fun conversation :)

"Dont start on that again. I dont know about you, but i wouldnt want my last words to be really really stupid" Juno, you just got him back, theres no need to keep throwing shade

Wait, why dont they just call Rita?

"Just hold me" Honey 🥺

Oh my god, Ruby. Please save them! Please!

Ruby's music tho... oh my god that slaps

"How will we breathe when it covers our faces?!" Babe, chill. Trust.

The beautiful funk beats of being swallowed by the Ruby. Beautiful.

THEYRE GONNA SEE THE STARS TOGETHER!!!!

...I'm not as mad at you this time, Kevin, but you're on thin ice.

Haven't listened to an episode since 16 Tons Part 2 came out. Planning on binging the latest 4 tonight. Wish me luck...